tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21898750222544847792024-03-13T11:37:40.053-04:00Racing StripesElizabeth's Running AdventuresElizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.comBlogger543125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-5284588964534134142024-03-03T16:11:00.005-05:002024-03-05T10:22:35.788-05:00My First Sub 90 Minute Half MarathonThe title of this blog post gave away the ending! Now let’s start at the beginning.<div><br /></div><div>This morning I ran the Newport News One City Half Marathon. This was my goal race for the spring, and I trained specifically for it. Even though I am running the Boston Marathon in April, I oriented all of my training towards a half marathon.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfn50F-32IGZHybpyaDwcvzaT9fwJpV7GUKV7ULMsZ33KoV-wC7dXhLRPH9U8z0BfMTYdX93P6jrdZeZDcNfpz79X6XzVePuAa57F1FVr_mbsae18sgdXjGrmpifPrV0QvRVfeYlQgUr8Z9kf7hONGPXf9-N1P4Gh1h65GOF_KJWNMI_Ek7MnWfzwZTd6/s3034/DSC02836.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3034" data-original-width="2322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfn50F-32IGZHybpyaDwcvzaT9fwJpV7GUKV7ULMsZ33KoV-wC7dXhLRPH9U8z0BfMTYdX93P6jrdZeZDcNfpz79X6XzVePuAa57F1FVr_mbsae18sgdXjGrmpifPrV0QvRVfeYlQgUr8Z9kf7hONGPXf9-N1P4Gh1h65GOF_KJWNMI_Ek7MnWfzwZTd6/s320/DSC02836.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>In my training I focused primarily on half marathon pace and 10K pace. My goal was to work on improving my lactate threshold. My longest run was 15.5 miles, which included 2 x 3 miles at half marathon pace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coming off of a 40:31 PR in the 10K four weeks ago (on a hilly course), I knew I was ready to go for a sub 1:30:00 half marathon; I just had to solidify my endurance and continue to push on my lactate threshold pace. Lactate threshold is the point that your body can no longer clear lactic acid from your muscles, and you can run at that pace for approximately one hour. So it’s between 10K pace and half marathon pace.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did my final workout 10 days out from the race: 3 x 1600m repeats on the track. They clocked in at 6:25, 6:24, 6:24. And I felt like I could have pushed harder. This workout was the final confidence booster I needed to go for that sub 1:30:00.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had run this race once before, <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2020/03/the-one-city-half-marathon-royal.html" target="_blank">back in 2020</a>. It was the last race I ran before the world shut down. I had attempted to go sub-90 there, but my fitness wasn’t where it needed to be. I had injured my foot during CIM in December of 2019, so I had to take the first three weeks of January off. My time from 2020 was 1:31:56. I should also mention, that since I ran this race 4 years ago, I have not run any faster in the half marathon. A combination of bad weather, not being fit enough, and simply not running a lot of half marathons contributed to this. So it was really time to run a strong one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, my PR for the half was from <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2019/11/impromptu-indianapolis.html">November 2019 in Indianapolis</a>. My time there was 1:30:58.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Race week<br /></b>I woke up on Monday morning and checked the forecast. My heart sank. 50 degrees at the start with a dew point of 50. And of course getting warmer throughout the race. This is still technically winter (despite what the groundhog says) and I was really looking forward to racing in the 30s. All of a sudden it felt like my goal would no longer be possible at this race. My body just melts in the humidity. I decided that if the conditions were unfavorable I would adjust my goal accordingly, and then run another half marathon two weeks later and hope for better weather at that point.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thankfully, the forecast started to improve slightly as the week went on with starting temps at 46 degrees, rising to 51. If the weather had been in the 30s, I would have been absolutely 100% confident in my ability to break 90. But this weather was a little iffy. I figured I might not get sub 90, but a PR (sub 1:30:58) would still be well within my reach.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGAyneNV_iToUlkZwztMLIKS5rFlnQZ05Bf1TZ08eT6TXOK4eZBa2e0RTMqz8mDOJRiFgtORug08A7riE12r4Kezmhk4kum7S_8IQBzOIHa1wn8XOez8DPN_0dEhH9nNk1Gy1_BONYrmtY_VLASjc25p_Oza965QT41j5qVK8Aa_aV9xszWEpnNt2GuXX/s1600/Elizabeth%20Bib.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsGAyneNV_iToUlkZwztMLIKS5rFlnQZ05Bf1TZ08eT6TXOK4eZBa2e0RTMqz8mDOJRiFgtORug08A7riE12r4Kezmhk4kum7S_8IQBzOIHa1wn8XOez8DPN_0dEhH9nNk1Gy1_BONYrmtY_VLASjc25p_Oza965QT41j5qVK8Aa_aV9xszWEpnNt2GuXX/s320/Elizabeth%20Bib.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Two nights before the race (Friday night) I slept for an incredible 9 hours. I NEVER sleep that much. I had tapered all week long and I could tell my body was really getting into recovery mode. And four nights before the race, I had slept for 8.5 hours! My usual is 7 - 7.5 hours during training.
Greg and I drove down to Newport News, VA on Saturday morning. It took us just under three hours. We ate lunch at a really good sandwich shop. I had a turkey sandwich on multigrain bread with lettuce and tomatoes. I also made sure to drink plenty of water and electrolytes all day long.</div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at the race expo and I retrieved my bib from the Elite counter. I had qualified for their elite program through my previous times and I was excited to have a bib where my name was larger than the number! I’ve had elite bibs in the past, but never with my last name so prominent. I handed them my water bottle, which I wrapped in zebra duct tape. That bottle would be waiting for me at the elite aid station during mile 8. I filled it with water + Skratch Labs electrolyte mix.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later that day we headed out to Target to get sunscreen for my face. I almost always put sunscreen on my face when I run, but I didn’t think to bring it because it was supposed to be totally overcast. But the forecast changed at the last minute to be about 75% sunny! We then had dinner with my friend Meredith and a few of her friends. I had my standard chicken parm with no cheese. Cheese can upset my stomach. Meredith would be running the full marathon and her friends in the half.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Before the Race</b><br />I woke up feeling pretty good after about 6 hours of sleep. I would have liked to have gotten more sleep, but I wasn’t at all worried, given my epic sleep in the week leading up to the race. I woke up at 4:00 and my alarm went off shortly before 5:00. I had a banana and some almond butter pretzels, which is my new favorite pre-race breakfast. I continued to hydrate with water and electrolytes.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got dressed: shorts and a crop top. I tried not to think about the fact that all of my other PRs had been set in 30-degree weather wearing capri tights. I could defy the odds! I was confident! We left the hotel at 6:00 and it was a quick 10-minute drive to the start line. Greg stuck around for another 10 minutes and then he left to go to his first spectating point.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was an elite tent at the start line which had bottled water and gatorade, but I had my own bottle with me. There was a porta potty there which I used, and it was nice not to have a long line. 25 minutes before race start, I had a <a href="https://ucan.co/?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">UCAN gel</a>. I typically drink the powder before races but lately I have found that the gel sits better. I still use the powder before long runs in training.</div><div><br /></div><div>I warmed up for one mile, including some faster strides.
It was 46 degrees, mostly sunny, and humid. I told myself I would be okay. Even if it got into the 50s at the end, I am usually fine if I can stay cool for the bulk of the race. On my personal race weather scale, I give these conditions a 7 out of 10. I might have rated them an 8 if it was spring, summer, or fall. But it’s winter and it should be in the 30s in the morning! A 7 out of 10 on my scale means that conditions are somewhat favorable, but not ideal. The weather will likely pose some challenges, but nothing too major. My plan was to go for the sub-90, but to still be happy with a PR of any kind.</div><div><br /></div><div>I lined up close to the front, but not right at the front. I was friends with a few of the other elite runners so we chatted a bit. A few of the women asked me about my goal and I told them it was sub 1:30. Others were trying for that same goal.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was happy to see that there was no 1:30 pace group. I do not like running with pace groups because they tend to start too fast for me. And then it gets in my head if they pass me or I can’t keep up.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pacing & Fueling Strategy</b><br />My plan was to run a pace of 6:50-6:55 for the first three miles, and then run the rest of the race between 6:45-6:50. The course was mostly flat, so even pacing was the way to go. In order to run 1:29:59 for 13.1 miles, you need to run an average pace of 6:52. But since I would be using my Garmin to pace this race (and it measured 13.21 back in 2020) I knew I needed to pace for 6:48 or better.
For fueling, the plan was to carry my own fluids for the first 15 minutes and then grab my bottle at mile 8. I would take a Maurten caffeinated gel at 15:00 and a Mauten regular gel at 55:00. There was also the UCAN gel 25 minutes pre-race.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Miles 1-4</b></div><div>The first 2 miles were all about finding my stride and my rhythm. I monitored my Garmin pace closely. It’s easy to go out way too fast in a half marathon if you just run by feel. Thankfully there wasn’t much crowding and after the first 10 minutes I was able to settle in without leap frogging people.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffYwcw-EdTYBjDSgg3PY3KiNjtS5R5bgIx6jOvyG2U3z206zCBYvEhy__1B1jw7WQu3xM1HmH_we3cgi42dGtpDbhXqXZ1ZeWjSLtqqKsl1FVSnfz0OE-MkInUot7hC7y6hc7IfWrmudCrzunwxjueJ7jc4M19dkRfAXPnJSUXdt4vlwJhHK75UBRRzbb/s1915/DSC02764.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="1341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffYwcw-EdTYBjDSgg3PY3KiNjtS5R5bgIx6jOvyG2U3z206zCBYvEhy__1B1jw7WQu3xM1HmH_we3cgi42dGtpDbhXqXZ1ZeWjSLtqqKsl1FVSnfz0OE-MkInUot7hC7y6hc7IfWrmudCrzunwxjueJ7jc4M19dkRfAXPnJSUXdt4vlwJhHK75UBRRzbb/s320/DSC02764.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 3</td></tr></tbody></table>I saw Greg during the third mile. I was very happy to see him and hear him cheering for me.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My mindset during these miles was to stay relaxed and keep the effort controlled. It wasn’t time to push super hard yet. I reminded myself that this could be my PR half marathon, so I should savor the experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mile 1: 6:54<br />Mile 2: 6:50<br />Mile 3: 6:47<br />Mile 4: 6:43</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Miles 5-8</b><br />I had read my<a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2020/03/the-one-city-half-marathon-royal.html" target="_blank"> 2020 race report </a>the day before and I knew to expect a lot of twists and turns during the 5th mile. Nothing too horrible, but just annoying and mentally exhausting. This race doesn’t have that many turns, but 50% of them are all squeezed into mile 5. Then we ran through a park which was nicely shaded. I was very thankful for the shade because I had begun to feel the sun beating down on me. It was also during this point in the race when I starting pouring water over my head. Yes, I over heat when it’s in the upper 40s!</div><div><br /></div><div>I once again remembered the Richmond Marathon from last fall and how there was a similar section. I handled that section by focusing on the serenity of my surroundings and being super zen-like. It was during this time (around mile 7) where I was able to pass a guy. I hadn’t passed anyone since mile 4 and nobody had passed me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had no idea what place I was in the field among women. There was one woman about 20 seconds ahead of me for the entire race. I think we ran about the same pace throughout, although she must have run the first two miles a little quicker to be that much ahead of me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I noted that I hit the 45 minute mark at around 6.6 miles That was a good sign, I was right on pace! But I didn’t have much wiggle room. All I had to do was to repeat what I had just done.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we came out of the park during the 8th mile I knew the race would start getting hard. This is where I fell apart in 2020.
At 55 minutes, I took my second Maurten gel (non caffeinated) which thankfully corresponded to when I picked up my zebra water bottle. I inhaled the gel in one gulp and chased it with my water + Skratch Labs mix. I continued to take water from the water stations and pour it over my head to keep cool. The sun was out in full force now.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mile 5: 6:47<br />Mile 6: 6:50<br />Mile 7: 6:47</div><div>Mile 8: 6:50</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Miles 9-12</b><br />I knew I would have to dig really deep here, and I was mentally prepared. But oh wow, did this hurt. I knew that my sub 1:30 was just 30 minutes away and all I had to do was work SUPER HARD for 30 minutes and my goal would be attained!</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew that there would be a hill during the 10th mile. It was the only real hill during the race and once I climbed it, there would be no more hills. I knew it would be one of my slowest miles, so when my watch beeped at 6:55, i didn’t let it impact my confidence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though there were no more hills, the race still felt impossibly hard. I tried every mental trick in the book. I oozed positivity. I looked at any sign I could find, read it and then kept repeating the words as a distraction. I told myself “keep giving, keep giving”. I did not want to go soft at this point. I had to fight for it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The song I had going through my head was "Song To Say Goodbye" by Placebo, which has a driving beat. I imagined it was about saying goodbye to negative thoughts. Saying goodbye to not making my goal. Saying goodbye to the 1:30s. It really helped.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don’t think it would have been this hard if it were 5-10 degrees cooler, but my energy was getting zapped, my legs were super tired and it was an all-out mental battle. I told myself to embrace the hurt, not to give in, and to fight super hard. I knew that if my pace started to slip above 6:50 then I would miss my goal. I didn’t look at my watch, for fear that it would demoralize me. I just pushed.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did, however, quickly glance down to see that my elapsed time was 1:17:xx. Only 13 minutes to go. An important 13 minutes. I can do anything for 13 minutes!</div><div><br /></div><div>Mile 9: 6:46<br />Mile 10: 6:55<br />Mile 11: 6:48<br />Mile 12: 6:52</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpi8Hak7ygWQ4gErHE_KIU4xy9niaN4ZK8wZDP-U1jFhFnsa5wnbOM7CLtFzjNv3WR6Rcze8ojh7v-0tuaZFR9KiWzq2PmexB3DHynlz19qJlAZv_34wq86pbyO72UJVku6Gb1QLlXNrctwwkwnh7llvvSiYxB4M2tBRHqwCxASou2pnOYgYi1f8PLt9r/s1604/Elizabeth%20Clor%20Half%20Marathon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1604" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpi8Hak7ygWQ4gErHE_KIU4xy9niaN4ZK8wZDP-U1jFhFnsa5wnbOM7CLtFzjNv3WR6Rcze8ojh7v-0tuaZFR9KiWzq2PmexB3DHynlz19qJlAZv_34wq86pbyO72UJVku6Gb1QLlXNrctwwkwnh7llvvSiYxB4M2tBRHqwCxASou2pnOYgYi1f8PLt9r/s320/Elizabeth%20Clor%20Half%20Marathon.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><b>Mile 13 and the Finish</b><br />By this point, I knew I had to hold it together for just one more mile. But I didn’t want to just “hold it together” I wanted to really push with everything I had. No more watch check-ins. Just grit and guts and grunts. There was a huge American flag at the end of a very long straight stretch and I just kept my eyes on that flag.</div><div><br /></div><div>My last mile clocked in at <b>6:44</b> (second fastest mile of the race) and I ran a pace of 6:19 for the final 0.22.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I approached the finish line I saw 1:29:xx on the clock and I vowed not to let it reach 1:30. I crossed, knowing that my clock time was under 1:30. I had finally broken 90 minutes! I did it!</div><div><br /></div><div>I crossed the finish line and I felt like I was on death’s doorstep. I walked a little bit through the finish line chute, got my medal, and then pulled over to the side to vomit. I almost always vomit after half marathons, and today was no exception. But I felt worlds better after I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Greg found me and showed me that my official time was 1:29:51. Just barely made it! It took me a few minutes to recover before I could get moving again. Once I did, we made our way to the Elite finish area, where we had our own food and amenities. Once there, I changed clothing and created my Instagram video while waiting for the marathoners to start pouring in. Once the video was posted, we went back out to the course to cheer for Meredith. It was such an amazing morning!</div><div><br /></div><div>I placed 12th out of 405 women and 2nd out of 45 women in my age group. We didn't stay for the awards because we were anxious to get lunch and get going. When the final official results came out, my time was listed as <b>1:29:50</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />What a race! This was basically a case of me knowing what I was capable of and just having the sheer will to get it done. Weather be dammed! I definitely think the weather made those last four miles extra challenging and the ideal conditions would have yielded an even faster time but I am in no way complaining.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a PR by 1:07, finally bettering my 1:30:58 from Indianapolis back in 2019.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnhf10uD9xIdOz3np7pzoBLqLblVFUX5Gz7tRoM-RAb0o7Wm2GW_Og9jTDKLJEa0vyF_2H6zo2ACfLRMhyphenhyphen57xlwu1JNNv0iSG22sLj2l_v3apxybEC_SWQ_DgEoC2xV4oJQ0yAbj2eGBNbfOj-RYGLqS5EM7PgakagjsLM-njLE3xrFa96HTFE8ZJGQqH/s1569/One%20City%20Medal.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1569" data-original-width="959" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnhf10uD9xIdOz3np7pzoBLqLblVFUX5Gz7tRoM-RAb0o7Wm2GW_Og9jTDKLJEa0vyF_2H6zo2ACfLRMhyphenhyphen57xlwu1JNNv0iSG22sLj2l_v3apxybEC_SWQ_DgEoC2xV4oJQ0yAbj2eGBNbfOj-RYGLqS5EM7PgakagjsLM-njLE3xrFa96HTFE8ZJGQqH/w196-h320/One%20City%20Medal.heic" width="196" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Per the McMilan calculator, my finish time correlates to a 10K of 40:18 and a marathon of 3:09:06. So at the age of 45, there could be even more PRs ahead of me.</div><div><br /></div><div>To get to this point, I ran low-for-me mileage. I only had three weeks that were above 50 miles, and those weeks were 52, 56, and 51.5. My longest run was 15.5 miles. I relied on my natural endurance and focused on my lactate threshold.</div><div><br /></div><div>I attribute my recent fitness gains to self-coaching and resolving my once-chronic Achilles tendinitis. Having been racing/training for nearly 20 years, I am super in tune with my body. I believe that following how my body feels on a daily basis is the best guide for my training schedule. I am constantly modifying my plan based on how my body is feeling and responding to workouts. And with my Achilles pain having disappeared, I have more ankle mobility, which allows for a longer stride, which contributes to a faster pace at the same effort. </div><div><br /></div><div>Probably the biggest takeaway is how mentally strong I was during the final miles. Things got really hard and it would have been so easy to back off of my sub-90 goal and still walk away with a small PR of 1:30:xx. I really had to fight for it and I am glad I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>\\his feels amazing. PR cake and champagne tonight. Boston training starts tomorrow!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4r0pc1_w3IxOVeXB5pXq5StrXu8taGpmfCB-aVPbcIyXdyO4aF_vafqnTZugiBnT63nUHKeYvgj_yGIntsGOXbi5wtdZeKvbylWUuC-NjkC2UwvVR1oToMe_4fO3VHIHGtKIObGswgjcNNylD8UP0s5FWS0zH6Ntp9RSA4qoSqDhfVROMJ0KAcIJL7ov/s783/Finisher%20Cert.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="783" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4r0pc1_w3IxOVeXB5pXq5StrXu8taGpmfCB-aVPbcIyXdyO4aF_vafqnTZugiBnT63nUHKeYvgj_yGIntsGOXbi5wtdZeKvbylWUuC-NjkC2UwvVR1oToMe_4fO3VHIHGtKIObGswgjcNNylD8UP0s5FWS0zH6Ntp9RSA4qoSqDhfVROMJ0KAcIJL7ov/w400-h313/Finisher%20Cert.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_UAvwfRhZK2PFXNrhqaO_r8jMnh3buqu0sOjS_pUw_bgMQV7dCXG0Eak8AbUALw6KpoSvqrTLiOFsCXMm7oTzwqcYJF2fH-I4z59yg179HXuhJbHWkGwq43NnhFqbBCcEwDKA7P_61Eeu1ArluWngkCaA-ZUkxeC4rYmjNNdJMXgUnmjdePptMpy-4Hq/s3008/Finish%20Line%2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_UAvwfRhZK2PFXNrhqaO_r8jMnh3buqu0sOjS_pUw_bgMQV7dCXG0Eak8AbUALw6KpoSvqrTLiOFsCXMm7oTzwqcYJF2fH-I4z59yg179HXuhJbHWkGwq43NnhFqbBCcEwDKA7P_61Eeu1ArluWngkCaA-ZUkxeC4rYmjNNdJMXgUnmjdePptMpy-4Hq/w426-h640/Finish%20Line%2024.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-50803579747065205372024-02-13T13:21:00.005-05:002024-02-13T13:21:35.243-05:00My Instagram Followers Wrote This Blog Post<p>I asked my Instagram followers to name one thing they've learned from me. The answers spanned a wide range of topics but mostly fell into the following themes:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Consistency/dedication</li><li>Running form</li><li>Mindset</li><li>Faster with age</li><li>Fueling</li><li>Wardrobe/dressing for runs</li></ul><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">I've highlighted my favorite ones! </span></div><p></p>1. Relax while running <div>2. Gained some confidence </div><div>3. Beets and beet juice as a performance enhancer</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSCST02bSn29Vf3aRhEqzmuN3hhR5H2AASmz9AFmDUrRpFh50eKO3-qkHxdnTe177rIKpWhvHMEDhg2orQ4eWpK5ejAqQPiedw_Z3f6cQ06QISVHeO2Jtekjh9AK7SGkmbzQyXRBHtWth0CQ37p9hI9UCShtJgwpjgpPVGOKEa_4Fq18xOmgSJTGqW80X/s2080/18BC8CC2-CD2B-420A-A9A0-0097E464E32D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSCST02bSn29Vf3aRhEqzmuN3hhR5H2AASmz9AFmDUrRpFh50eKO3-qkHxdnTe177rIKpWhvHMEDhg2orQ4eWpK5ejAqQPiedw_Z3f6cQ06QISVHeO2Jtekjh9AK7SGkmbzQyXRBHtWth0CQ37p9hI9UCShtJgwpjgpPVGOKEa_4Fq18xOmgSJTGqW80X/s320/18BC8CC2-CD2B-420A-A9A0-0097E464E32D.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>4. Fueling is important! Have a fueling plan and stick to it. Also not to try new fuels for a race.</div><div>5. Enjoy the process of making gradual progress</div><div>6. How to run!</div><div>7. Zebras are awesome!</div><div>8. How to fuel for runs an races</div><div>9. To listen to your body when there’s pain</div><div>10. No matter your experience level, you’re always learning with running.</div><div>11. Only one? Goals and mindset. Thought process. And a lot from post race recaps.</div><div>12. I need more than 1 pair of shoes each year (running over 1000km a year)</div><div>13. Running is running no matter age, speed, weight, form.</div><div>14. The body can recover.</div><div>15. So much is yet to come.</div><div>16. Tips for running form!</div><div>17. You’re a musician</div><div>18. Take chews with you just in case gels don’t go down. Genuis!</div><div>19. What to wear and how to fuel for marathon</div><div>20. Resilience and consistency always prevail in leading to accomplishing goals.</div><div>21. Consistency and hard work pays off!</div><div>22. Your post about mindset going into Richmond, having a great day, etc.</div><div>23. <span style="background-color: #fcff01;">Women can be strong and sensitive at the same time.</span></div><div>24. Discipline. </div><div>25. Dedication.</div><div>26. Smile at the finish line, stop your watch after.</div><div>27. Marathon nutrition</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKO6SdimPxpidDJC_7f9GWKFTJWp5rWo6XXwBEUa765E74aYdh9n3llFCcY_kY2yx5yEpJe9qP-aNEmlLv9DR_cW6gwaeKDBV2QtktPYAYhrTlc0sU9JtZ_8_UQ5SzRrVDAQNRYhZ-v2VgCVbCb8lb02pWPY2YdW2NsOc2JgL8lSd-joGR1vG26npqy2m/s2080/947755FE-B961-4DF3-8DA8-8851309CB721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKO6SdimPxpidDJC_7f9GWKFTJWp5rWo6XXwBEUa765E74aYdh9n3llFCcY_kY2yx5yEpJe9qP-aNEmlLv9DR_cW6gwaeKDBV2QtktPYAYhrTlc0sU9JtZ_8_UQ5SzRrVDAQNRYhZ-v2VgCVbCb8lb02pWPY2YdW2NsOc2JgL8lSd-joGR1vG26npqy2m/w225-h400/947755FE-B961-4DF3-8DA8-8851309CB721.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>28. How important it is to FUEL during long runs and races!</div><div>29. How vital it is to run easy!<br /></div><div>30. Smiling</div><div>31. Proper form!</div><div>32. Train easy to run fast on marathon day.</div><div>33. Have a strong mindset.</div><div>34. Slow down and find my pace that works for me.</div><div>35. Setting my Garmin watch. Very helpful. </div><div>36. To listen to my body.</div><div>37. Socks as sleeves and sweater to donate at the beginning of your race!!!</div><div>38. Can still have marathon success if the cycle doesn’t go as planned.</div><div>39. You are a medical miracle and that your injuries never see to sideline you (outside of the bike accident)</div><div>40. How to dress for the weather!</div><div>41. You can be fitter in your 40s- you are amazing!</div><div>42. Hard work pays off!!</div><div>43. Helpful fueling tips!</div><div>44. Your face with happiness</div><div>45. Way more than one!! Watch setting, dressing for weather, being smart about injuries.</div><div>46. Fuel!</div><div>47. You can get fitter and faster in your 40s</div><div>48. Running pace</div><div>49. That the heel bump has an actual medical diagnosis/name</div><div>50. Endless motivation!</div><div>51. Smile when you run!</div><div>52. Consistency is key</div><div>53. Not everything goes as planned and that’s ok.</div><div>54. Managing race expectations keeping about the fun.</div><div>55. To run slower on my easy runs which I hope will translate to more speed down the road.</div><div>56. That I have hope of being fast like you one day.</div><div>57. No lazy upper body, I kept that in my mind all through my half on Nov. 5th.</div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">58. Zebras are amazing!</span></div><div>59. How to dress as someone that gets overheated easily as well</div><div>60. First Place shorts have pockets in the front (have one since a year and never saw these)</div><div>61. To relax when I run!</div><div>62. That I can continue to get faster as I age</div><div>63. Smile to the camera at finish line before stopping the Garmin</div><div>64. Don’t let illness or injury stop you, take the break you need and always come back!</div><div>65. To listen to your body</div><div>66. Never give up on anything and marathons keep you looking 21</div><div>67. You can be very fast in your 40s!</div><div>68. That age is just a number</div><div>69. Don’t wear thongs while running</div><div>70. You gave me motivation for my next marathon: Paris 2024</div><div>71. Courage</div><div>72. Train at a slower pace to run a faster race</div><div>73. To fuel during runs</div><div>74. Be patient</div><div>75. Don’t get discouraged when injury sidelines you. Adjust the training and trust the process.</div><div>76. How to dress in different temperatures</div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">77. Retired dancers can run marathons!</span></div><div>78. How to (hopefully) treat and solve the Achilles tendinitis!!</div><div>79. Fueling strategy</div><div>80. Patience</div><div>81. To listen to my body</div><div>82. Fast foot turnover</div><div>83. That it is possible! 45 to BQ!</div><div>84. Zebra Lover</div><div>85. Excellent music taste, and your ladder speed day. It’s a favorite of mine now.</div><div>86. A lot.</div><div>87. Not to give up on your dreams. Keep working, and you can achieve them!</div><div>88. That I’m not the only one that hates running in the heat</div><div>89. Speeding up the end of some long runs, game changer.</div><div>90. Socks as sleeves. That’s an inspired idea.</div><div>91. Wait until after the finish line to hit stop on my Garmin. LOL!</div><div>92. Slow down on easy runs</div><div>93. Strength training pays off</div><div>94. Some people really love zebras!</div><div>95. Running form!</div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">96. Good running form can look different on different people</span></div><div>97. Variety </div><div>98. Success is not linear and you can still run crazy fast as a master marathoner! </div><div>99. Sooooo so much. One thing that stands out proper fueling. Bonus: smart training = results.</div><div>100. Perseverance</div><div>101. I have early signs of Haglunds syndrome</div><div>102. Slow runs are just as important as speed work</div><div>103. Persistence</div><div>104. How to dress for cold runs</div><div>105. How to smile and run even when you are suffering lol</div><div>106. It’s ok to run slowly in training</div><div>107. Taking easy runs easy. I love your videos, the way you listen to your body, your singing.</div><div>108. Age is just a number</div><div>109. Know your boundaries! I’ve learned to listen to my body and let it lead!</div><div>110. Preparation</div><div>111. Importance of strength training</div><div>112. How to use my arms properly</div><div>113. I’m not running out of time to be a runner!</div><div>114. It’s okay for you to have a running form that isn’t “perfect” according to sites</div><div>115. That I can get better as I get older !!</div><div>116. Excellent nutrition tips</div><div>117. Strength training exercises</div><div>118. Tenacity is sexy</div><div>119. How to be good at chess</div><div>120. That your 20s can be just the beginning of many years of running PRs!</div><div>121. It’s doable</div><div>122. Running underwear is the bomb</div><div>123. This smile more while running</div><div>124. How to stay motivated when you don’t want to run any longer!</div><div>125. How to keep my arms actively involved while I run.</div><div>126. That my Achilles can be fixed. Maybe.</div><div>127. Never give up!!</div><div>128. You can keep running even with Haglund’s deformity. I have it too!</div><div>129. Hip drop</div><div>130. Never quit</div><div>131. Age doesn’t matter!!! You become stronger because you work hard for it</div><div>132. That running form is not the same for everyone, everyone has their own unique style!</div><div>133. It’s okay to not hit your goal right away. And not the only one drastically affected by heat.</div><div>134. Consistency is key.</div><div>135. You can be a badass runner in your 40’s!</div><div>136. How to stay positive and not overthink bad workouts/races.</div><div>137. Your zebra passion</div><div>138. You’re amazing!</div><div><span style="background-color: #fcff01;">139. You have to relax to run fast</span></div><div>140. It’s ok to take a break</div><div>141. You keep going. . . after a injury or illness or vacation. You get back out there! Great job!</div><div>142. Consistency</div><div>143. Fueling strategy</div><div>144. Attitude is everything</div><div>145. There many things can get better with after, especially our bodies and their abilities</div><div>146. To visualize myself while running</div><div><span style="background-color: white;">147. Running form- time by time during my runs I just remind myself, are you running like Elizabeth?</span>
148. You are amazing. “Everything”.</div><div>149. Running is not always easy but keep going!</div><div>150. You don’t have to be in your 20’s to improve your pace</div><div>151. That running underwear is a controversial topic</div><div>152. So many things!! How about fueling strategies</div><div>153. Your posture during running and adding strength training in my running schedule</div><div>154. Getting older means you have more time to practice to improve your running!! You get BETTER with time</div><div>155. Run relaxed! And thumbs up</div><div>156. To listen to my body and rest when it’s ill or hurting</div><div>157. To smile a lot more when I run! </div><div>158. Your rabbit shorts! Got some and love them!</div><div><br /></div><div>If this were a market research project, and I was re-branding myself it would be something along the lines of: "Runner who got faster in her 40s with a positive mindset who listens to her body, fuels and dresses appropriately, loves zebras, and works hard." I agree with that. </div><div><br /></div><div>Feel free to add some more!</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-17475278119290109832024-02-04T14:01:00.000-05:002024-02-04T14:01:23.451-05:00For The Love of Hills 10K<p>The actual name of the race I ran this morning is "For The Love of It" 10K, but I'm going to assume the "it" refers to "a hilly course".</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUBTF_lgyV7Nk9UeS1JzCKdQzoDG18R5DFCPFMIi7wJb_eP5prTmuHUIy4mQhFI9MZdRhIbhe61FoIe23W_Qk9m2ks9PvhlIAG_BRQw0r8lvUdpLsnJp8Bl2db80xAx-5hBXR57zuVY7I8Fe7FnEtKKr3aXXmRuXcfnQo_lJ7ujXyUq_nJ85hvB6ypqqk/s2416/ForTheLove1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2416" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUBTF_lgyV7Nk9UeS1JzCKdQzoDG18R5DFCPFMIi7wJb_eP5prTmuHUIy4mQhFI9MZdRhIbhe61FoIe23W_Qk9m2ks9PvhlIAG_BRQw0r8lvUdpLsnJp8Bl2db80xAx-5hBXR57zuVY7I8Fe7FnEtKKr3aXXmRuXcfnQo_lJ7ujXyUq_nJ85hvB6ypqqk/s320/ForTheLove1.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>I knew what I was getting into with this race. This was my third time running this race, and 4th if you count the summertime version on the same course. Even though it's challenging, this course held my PR from 2017 to 2020, so it can be fast if you stay strong on the hills and take advantage on the declines.<p></p><p><a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2017/02/racing-10k-during-marathon-training.html" target="_blank">In 2017</a> I ran a time of 41:51. <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2020/02/bust-rust-10k-race-report.html" target="_blank">In 2020</a> I ran a time of 43:43, just coming off an injury. My goal today was to set a course PR and ideally a distance PR (sub 41:17). </p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />The night before the race I had my traditional salmon with beets and pearled couscous. I slept horribly. I wasn't able to fall asleep until 10:15 and I woke up at 3:15. I was awake from 3:15-4:00, but then slept an additional 30 minutes from 4:00-4:30. That means I only got 5.5 hours of sleep. Lately I have been sleeping really well before races, but for some reason last night was an exception. </p><p>I had a handful of almond butter filled pretzels two hours before race start. We left the house at 6:50 for an 8:00 start time. I already had my bib so I didn't need to worry about getting that. </p><p>When we parked, I spotted my friend Kathy and we warmed up together. I made sure my shoes were tied tightly and that the loops were tucked under the other laces. These are the shoes I wore during the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/01/houston-marathon-smart-and-steady.html" target="_blank">Houston Marathon</a> and the laces had come untied during that race: the adidas Adios Pro 2. I still have not tried version 3 because I have plenty of mileage left on my version 2's. I warmed up for 2.2 miles, which included some strides. I had a caffeinated Maurten gel 10 minutes before race start. </p><p>During the warm up, we noticed that the start line was in a different location than usual. We spoke to a race official at the start line who told us that the track was closed for construction so the race couldn't finish on the track as it usually does. So they moved the start back to correct for this. </p><p>I immediately wondered if that meant the course distance would be wrong. After having run a 7.34 10K in December and a 3.24 5K in January, I was hungry for an accurately measured course! Eyeballing the new start line location, it didn't look far enough away from the original start line location to compensate for not running the track portion at the end. Plus, the track portion is the fastest part and that's definitely NOT the part you want removed from this hilly course. I tried not to think about it too much but at least now I was prepared for an inaccurate distance and not having that super-fast track finish.</p><p>After the warm up, I found Greg and handed him my jacket. It was cold but I knew that once I started racing I would be appropriately dressed. It was 30 degrees, sunny, and almost no wind. Thus, it receives a 10 out of 10 on my race weather scale. PERFECT! I wore my favorite <a href="http://cw-x.com/ELIZABETHCLOR">CW-X capri tights</a>, a short-sleeved t-shirt, arm sleeves, mittens and sunglasses. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T93nLPraCjbqV1oQO57shl41Yj-FbiF01-YPhQL5yOQkLnfsSZYPhtxjaR1-yiLflXgHlM9jSJEWyCFGpb5zKBIbXwnqp1QqnanzyNegGTx3NpRo8o86wvHII4eTrkpFnTKn0AS62NuK2_jg1fC3IwQw9cnn6i9A2ZnWd3s1701_aBTNP-9Wd1SOxbCt/s2398/ForTheLove3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2398" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7T93nLPraCjbqV1oQO57shl41Yj-FbiF01-YPhQL5yOQkLnfsSZYPhtxjaR1-yiLflXgHlM9jSJEWyCFGpb5zKBIbXwnqp1QqnanzyNegGTx3NpRo8o86wvHII4eTrkpFnTKn0AS62NuK2_jg1fC3IwQw9cnn6i9A2ZnWd3s1701_aBTNP-9Wd1SOxbCt/s320/ForTheLove3.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><b>Miles 1-2</b><br />I was familiar with the course profile, but once the race started all I could remember was that mile 3 was fast/downhill and mile 5 was hard/uphill. I had forgotten what the first two miles were. I didn't look at my Garmin all that much, I ran by effort. During these miles I was running behind a pack of 5 men. My goal would be to pick them off one at a time. I quickly established my position as the third female.<p></p><p>Because this course is constantly rolling hills, I didn't remember if miles 1-2 were net uphill or downhill. My splits were 6:44 and 6:43 so I was hoping there were net uphill. These splits were discouraging because I was hoping to average 6:35 or faster and I wasn't sure if I would be able to speed up all that much in future miles. I shifted my mindset from "get a PR" to "just run hard". </p><p><b>Miles 3-4</b><br />Now it was time to start picking off the men and hopefully running faster. I saw my friend Cheryl taking photos which was a pleasant surprise. She hadn't told me she was coming! That was definitely a bright spot in these miles. I wasn't looking at my watch so I wasn't sure how fast I was going, I just tried my best to put forth max effort. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJj4I934EqmHwC5A_im4QBDEkjDB9Dq8a0pfAKHPaG7vHbSQSL1cYAmXFR1wsaGNUpf20crLAHVNdK39gzLQUFiIdoep9a4DG9_ovyl5a5So2uvIfQNMkUt452TaQci0hjF4fkoOqauaNmpUYphQ3deExmuFcWcuRWf0xtdrBjbbCMnTmWUV5XJouBMgz/s1197/ForTheLove2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="910" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJj4I934EqmHwC5A_im4QBDEkjDB9Dq8a0pfAKHPaG7vHbSQSL1cYAmXFR1wsaGNUpf20crLAHVNdK39gzLQUFiIdoep9a4DG9_ovyl5a5So2uvIfQNMkUt452TaQci0hjF4fkoOqauaNmpUYphQ3deExmuFcWcuRWf0xtdrBjbbCMnTmWUV5XJouBMgz/s320/ForTheLove2.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>In doing so, I made my loud grunting/screaming noises. These are somewhat embarrassing, but it's just what happens when I go really hard. As I was passing one of the guys I said "sorry I am so loud!" He replied with "it's really motivating me to push harder, so thank you for that!" Wow- who knew my sighs of pain could be motivating?<p></p><p>I passed about three men during these miles, which helped restore my confidence. My splits were 6:27 and 6:20 for these miles. I was definitely taking advantage of the elevation loss. I think I had expected mile 4 to be uphill, so running a 6:20 was a welcome surprise!</p><p><b>Miles 5-6</b><br />I was in the home stretch. I felt like I was slowing down so much. Everything hurt and my energy level had fallen. I definitely didn't look at my watch because I felt like I had slowed WAY down. But I think I always feel this way during mile 5. Mile 5 is the hardest mile of the course and it's soul-sucking for sure! One of the guys was within earshot of me behind me and I was motivated to not let him pass me. I could hear his steps and his breathing. </p><p>I saw Greg and Cheryl during mile 6 but it was hard to muster a smile for them. I was running out of gas. Mile 6 seemed to last forever. Because of the course change, there wasn't as much downhill during this mile as there had been in previous years, so I didn't get the "relief" I had been looking forward to. </p><p>Mile 5 clocked in at 6:46 and mile 6 at 6:38.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJerlozQ5AlUM0lSmt7PwsU6JNEt51BfQ7drrjn3RkAKKb2Dvhfq5y6H7CiOuk0ay0DVgWw8hVY_CmhcdF5OnNHrrXlEbWoA0PcnZYvkgdKDLCVvKmDZzt9HaYUSATkx63wQ65gex4pgmjAmjFiPC16EE3rKUqBOvf1QwLaC6pGBO0R7EUjh0wvSgMW8S/s1853/ForTheLove4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1853" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJerlozQ5AlUM0lSmt7PwsU6JNEt51BfQ7drrjn3RkAKKb2Dvhfq5y6H7CiOuk0ay0DVgWw8hVY_CmhcdF5OnNHrrXlEbWoA0PcnZYvkgdKDLCVvKmDZzt9HaYUSATkx63wQ65gex4pgmjAmjFiPC16EE3rKUqBOvf1QwLaC6pGBO0R7EUjh0wvSgMW8S/s320/ForTheLove4.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><b>The Finish</b><br />I gunned it really hard at the end. I guess I had more in me than I realized because I got a sudden burst of energy as I approached the finish line. I could not believe my eyes as I approached the clock: 40:xx! I would be under 41!!!<p></p><p>My official time was <b>40:31</b>. I was the 3rd female finisher and the 11th overall finisher. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined a time of 40:31! That's two 5Ks in a row of 20:15 and 20:15! </p><p>But my disbelief was validated when I saw that my Garmin distance was a mere 6.15 miles, not 6.21. Shoot! </p><p>I wasn't sure whether to be happy about my PR or frustrated that it wasn't a real PR. I was 46 seconds faster than my PR, so I have to believe that if the course was extended by 0.05 mile it would still be a PR and still under 41:00. In fact, my goal time was 40:55, which would have lined up perfectly with a slightly longer course.</p><p>The man who I had passed during the race came up to me afterwards and thanked me for my motivating painful groans! He said that when I was making those noises, it made him realize he had more effort to give and so he pushed harder. Contrast this to a 5K I ran a few years ago when a man approached me afterwards to tell me that my noises distracted him and made him pull a calf muscle! I always considered my noises annoying, and they probably are to most, but they don't cause calf strains. And at best they do demonstrate an extreme amount of exertion! </p><p>I re-united with Greg, Cheryl and Kathy after the race and we chatted for awhile before the awards started. Overall it was a great morning!</p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />With my last three races having slightly-off (or majorly off) distances, it has re-affirmed my belief in the <i>PERSONAL </i>Record. This is not the olympics. I am not a professional runner. My personal records are whatever I know to be my best performances.</p><p>I often use the example of the Boston Marathon 2018 in the wind/rain/hills (3:26) vs my PR in perfect weather on a flat course (3:15). Clearly my time <i>should </i>be faster on the flat course in perfect weather. But I see my Boston Marathon performance as superior. The crazy conditions (with many elites dropping out) and the challenging course required much more discipline with pacing, physical fitness, and mental strength.</p><p>Even though I would be hard pressed to consider myself a 40:31 10K runner, I definitely see myself as a sub-41:00 10K runner and that is still a PR. </p><p>In 2020, I ran this race in a time of 43:43 coming off an injury. I then proceeded to run a time of 1:31:56 at the Newport News One City Half Marathon (four weeks later). I am running One City again this year, so I believe myself to be on track for my sub 1:30:00 goal, provided the weather conditions are favorable.</p><p>Other stats and notes:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>According to Strava, I ran a 20:07 5K in the middle of this race. Probably miles 2, 3, and 4. </li><li>Comparing this race to my 2017 course PR, every mile was faster!</li><li>I think my recent increase in fitness can be somewhat credited to my Achilles tendinitis/bursitis being mostly cured. It has resulted in more ankle mobility so I can stride longer.</li><li>My Illiacus muscle (lower abdomen, above groin, near hip) has been painful/spasming lately and it was silent during the race but I felt it tighten up afterwards. I'm going to PT regularly to keep this in check.</li><li>In January I bought a new grand piano and I spent more hours playing the piano than running last month. You can see me play the piano on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ElizabethClorOfficial" target="_blank">YouTube channel.</a> </li></ul><div>Up next is the One City half marathon in four week. I need my illiacus muscle to stay calm, good weather, and no illness! If all of those things happen I could potentially run a sub 1:30. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRDkO5X8B8OemSTdcx8U7DGtXpAr69QBD84ojKn7yFPWfRtau2xXQXrwvPXfE4WhVC3SQlhCMVeFfW3ZoNaxc9MrV9TH1q5wDEU4vsnmKXfzXQc4qf_a7ezL1Cya10nlRLW_93H75WsW-eR2lllQy9uC0Gk1-ic7rU-yTfZGtwyfRQbeeZ0eMIWQySvX1/s1898/ForTheLove5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1898" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRDkO5X8B8OemSTdcx8U7DGtXpAr69QBD84ojKn7yFPWfRtau2xXQXrwvPXfE4WhVC3SQlhCMVeFfW3ZoNaxc9MrV9TH1q5wDEU4vsnmKXfzXQc4qf_a7ezL1Cya10nlRLW_93H75WsW-eR2lllQy9uC0Gk1-ic7rU-yTfZGtwyfRQbeeZ0eMIWQySvX1/w295-h400/ForTheLove5.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for the photo, Cheryl</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-8420720709539237542024-01-02T16:15:00.002-05:002024-01-02T16:17:17.637-05:00New Year's Day 5K: Workout or Race?<p>Yesterday morning I ran the New Year New Day 5K in Ashburn, VA. This race was a last-minute decision for me. I was pretty sure I was NOT going to run a New Year's race because I had done two 10Ks in December-- one of which I didn't blog about because there wasn't too much to say!</p><p>But as I was putting together my training plan I realized that I had speed work on tap for Monday, and that also happened to be New Year's Day. Whenever I can run my speed workout in a race, I do it! I like being in the race environment and seeing my friends. The fact that my friend Cheryl would be the official race photographer sealed the deal. </p><p>I registered for the race on Friday and decided it would be my tempo run for the week. On Saturday, I ran my longest run since the marathon: 11.7 miles. It was supposed to be 12 but I arrived back home at 11.7 and my legs were pretty tired from Thursday's strength training session. </p><p>On Sunday I did a 3-mile recovery run and my legs were still sore! If I had not registered for the race, I would have likely pushed my speed work to Tuesday. The soreness didn't bode well for fast running on Monday. Anyway, I ended up with <b>1,566 </b>miles for the year in 2023. Much lower than my typical 2000-2500, but that was by design. And the spring "down season" seemed to work in my favor come fall!</p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />Because I was viewing this as a workout, I didn't pay attention to what I ate the day before the race. And on race morning I didn't have my typical urge to go to the bathroom. The whole thing was super casual. The race started at 10:00am which meant I needed to eat more than I typically would before a 5K.</p><p>I had a Maurten Solid + a handful of almond butter pretzels at 8:00. </p><p>As soon as Greg and I arrived at the race site, my body got the message that it was "go time" and so I was able to clear out my digestive system. Sorry if this is TMI, but it's an important part of pre-race prep!</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxGt5PY1tC8qHWPoJQhyphenhyphen_o38hI4z37GkIcS30sjGX8LWi6B94Rk4E_cNotqLYmBqa6ok8Vjlcisi4T19AFCj_6eBQfQL-GvH9ZSJJI-l2Byyvw0DcEysZHZ-K50AZW65goDMC5bPjlwGAAWTI898V_l0-QHWxr4rpIqNT80HszTGvNsSfFS6J2NRrgupv/s1851/NYD%20Elizabeth%20C.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1851" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxGt5PY1tC8qHWPoJQhyphenhyphen_o38hI4z37GkIcS30sjGX8LWi6B94Rk4E_cNotqLYmBqa6ok8Vjlcisi4T19AFCj_6eBQfQL-GvH9ZSJJI-l2Byyvw0DcEysZHZ-K50AZW65goDMC5bPjlwGAAWTI898V_l0-QHWxr4rpIqNT80HszTGvNsSfFS6J2NRrgupv/s320/NYD%20Elizabeth%20C.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm up with Greg in background</td></tr></tbody></table>I had not studied the course in advance. I had run this race in the past - but it had been on a differentcourse. They moved the race to a new location this year. My friend Cheryl had sent me the map in advance and I could tell that the race started downhill, flattened out and then finished uphill.<p></p><p>I was pleasantly surprised to run into my friend Lisa when I was picking up my bib! She also had registered for the race on Friday. </p><p>I warmed up for about two miles and had my Maurten gel. I timed the gel for a 10:00am start and then learned that the 10K start was 10:00, and the 5K start was 10:10. Oh well! This allowed me to get in more of a warm up anyway.</p><p>It was 41 degrees with 10-15 mph winds and overcast. The wind and the lack of sunlight made it feel closer to 31 degrees. I give this an 8 out of 10 on my race weather scale. Everything was ideal except for the headwind during the first half of the race. And it was also damp feeling (it started to wet-snow shortly after we finished!) When I took my jacket off after the warm up I was very, very cold! </p><p><b>Mile 1: </b>We started running and I decided to go with whatever I felt like doing. No target pace, no target effort - just go with the flow and run hard. I think there must have been a high school boy's cross country team at this race because there was a pack of about 15 guys ahead of me. One woman surged way ahead of me but aside from here, there were no other women ahead of me. </p><p>The first mile was downhill so I took it fast, but the headwind was also a factor. I think the headwind negated the advantage of the downhill. But that just meant the final uphill would like have a tailwind - so it was the ideal setup of wind and hills. I didn't look at my Garmin much and it clocked in at 6:32 for mile 1. </p><p><b>Mile 2: </b>During this mile I started passing other runners - both 5K and 10K runners. The 10K had started 10 minutes prior so I was beginning to catch up with the walkers. As for the other 5K runners, it was fun to pick off the high school boys one by one as I cruised through mile 2. I don't really remember the elevation here but it seemed to be gently rolling hills - nothing too challenging. We still had a headwind and I was dying to turn out of that wind! My split was 6:36.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdX7o5ojwVCeHOE_YCC0CRn0RhM2qbI-aK8jBYg5Bh5CwDW9kb8IBKrij5hJxACN1tKrkzGNK3_5zDSuEDqbkvLh3PDOcJyLA5vT580vmHjgPRYv9dBMrnODTlvPVlhk09RHxRQ-PZvUzLpEzea-NypsLd6FJDTChwwFiRPb42OtuUiNZCv8RBtTL_HM6/s3881/DSC02646.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3881" data-original-width="3008" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdX7o5ojwVCeHOE_YCC0CRn0RhM2qbI-aK8jBYg5Bh5CwDW9kb8IBKrij5hJxACN1tKrkzGNK3_5zDSuEDqbkvLh3PDOcJyLA5vT580vmHjgPRYv9dBMrnODTlvPVlhk09RHxRQ-PZvUzLpEzea-NypsLd6FJDTChwwFiRPb42OtuUiNZCv8RBtTL_HM6/s320/DSC02646.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13-yr old boy vs. 45-yr old woman</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Mile 3:</b> This mile was all about passing people. There was a teenage boy (13-year old) in a bright orange/red outfit ahead of me and I followed him through the crowd of 10K runners. The 10K runners were all very encouraging as we ran past them. As I caught up to the boy in red, he surged until I caught up with him again and then he surged. I could tell he did not want me passing him. I was glad I was there to push him! My split was 6:28. This mile was net uphill, but it was the fastest mile because the headwind was gone and I guess I finally warmed up!<p></p><p><b>The final 0.26:</b> When my watch beeped for 3 miles, the finish line was nowhere in sight. I really hoped the course wouldn't be<i> too </i>much longer than a 5K! I was now ahead of the 13-year old and riding the tails of a 16-year old - but he surged and didn't let me pass him. </p><p>Finally I crossed the finish line in 21:11, second place female. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srmio1g72sw&t=19m17s" target="_blank">Here is a video</a> of me crossing the finish line.</p><p><b>After the Race</b><br />Surprisingly, I was not totally dead after this and immediately was able to start my cool down. Usually I need like 5-10 minutes to recover after a 5K. So I jogged back onto the sidewalk of the course and found Lisa and ran in with her. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6KxinMT3lQLTo3tMA4kg1mc6TRIGeQbJ67ELaClL6xPHLH02dT8xqY9BLvkchvaMXRVLM5kXqRgX5gFl5QViLh2LHSOhc3fpcaBzgJjxGM_yVeBR4kL-ajQ0ZbOTBMadD4QsmrBIWAQi0KlpodMNdkQc0SufM9Z5EMeKp7l7DAD7MaGgrpwSSVf5sVXt/s1437/waffle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA6KxinMT3lQLTo3tMA4kg1mc6TRIGeQbJ67ELaClL6xPHLH02dT8xqY9BLvkchvaMXRVLM5kXqRgX5gFl5QViLh2LHSOhc3fpcaBzgJjxGM_yVeBR4kL-ajQ0ZbOTBMadD4QsmrBIWAQi0KlpodMNdkQc0SufM9Z5EMeKp7l7DAD7MaGgrpwSSVf5sVXt/s320/waffle.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>Then I found Greg and we had THE BEST EVER post-race food. In all my years of racing, I have never encountered something so amazing. Hot Belgian waffles on a stick, and you could choose a drizzle flavor and a crunch topping. And there were so many options. <p></p><p>I chose dark chocolate drizzle with Oreo. Greg chose apple cinnamon drizzle with sea salt. I normally never want food for at least an hour after I race, but I was so excited about this waffle. We later found Lisa and her husband and the four of us hung out for a while until the awards ceremony started. </p><p>My award was a glass, a stainless steel water bottle and $20 off any of the Loudon County races in 2024. It was a wonderful way to spend New Year's Day and I am so glad I did this race!</p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />I am really loving this "chill" attitude towards racing. It's making me run so fast without me even trying that hard. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I definitely didn't feel like I was racing this at 5K effort, given how great I felt at the finish line. </li><li>Maybe I was racing it at full effort but my carefree mindset masked the effort.</li><li>Maybe if I did race a 5K all-out right now I would be much faster?</li><li>The course was not certified, so instead of looking at this as a time of 21:11, I am looking at my average pace of 6:32. </li><li>According to Strava, my 5K time during this race was 20:17, which would be tied for my 4th fastest ever 5K. </li><li>It was interesting the wind negated the advantage/disadvantage of the uphill/downhill. So the first downhill headwind mile was slower than the last uphill tailwind mile.</li><li>Considering I ran nearly 12 miles two days prior, this was a strong performance!</li><li>If they do this race next year, I hope they get the course certified and continue to have the waffles.</li></ul><div>As I go into 2024, I'm going to focus on enjoying races and being "present" in them as opposed to in my head with the Garmin and the pace I'm looking at. If I run by feel, I can trust that my body will do what it can!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiiyFDUEqchialOxPmKYshyPQp04nh9hNsiF0twwV5WdLD0lJMnXDW5kQ-QbSPlSZ0twfspDVLw6kRTUaxDnd0tCpZRKODWRf0N05IDAZ3r2K8ZU3cx6jxQaf7y7n0UWvItjv4gARUOtDe4emxJ_bVsQaEfFop9rMNj430-c29LNqopJEvWMw1pDZYXfr/s1840/IMG_9554.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1840" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiiyFDUEqchialOxPmKYshyPQp04nh9hNsiF0twwV5WdLD0lJMnXDW5kQ-QbSPlSZ0twfspDVLw6kRTUaxDnd0tCpZRKODWRf0N05IDAZ3r2K8ZU3cx6jxQaf7y7n0UWvItjv4gARUOtDe4emxJ_bVsQaEfFop9rMNj430-c29LNqopJEvWMw1pDZYXfr/w283-h400/IMG_9554.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish Line<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM1xCzCkz3v5BECTP1rLDHZnceaWqk06nshgajNbgJqHd0ewcGMun1LUzjiAHfDeDP9jRK2SBVU95ELShhPWQ9byhozS9PpahEPcHmKpSoPRt1m6mMV72d7ZDZt__XzT0iecRqz2iHoFDJpB7RpAf9rFQ_DeqGHoJ0Na9557p2hzjfskaQRMrdGkNiPSS/s3331/LisaElizNYD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3331" data-original-width="2063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM1xCzCkz3v5BECTP1rLDHZnceaWqk06nshgajNbgJqHd0ewcGMun1LUzjiAHfDeDP9jRK2SBVU95ELShhPWQ9byhozS9PpahEPcHmKpSoPRt1m6mMV72d7ZDZt__XzT0iecRqz2iHoFDJpB7RpAf9rFQ_DeqGHoJ0Na9557p2hzjfskaQRMrdGkNiPSS/w248-h400/LisaElizNYD.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa and me</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><p></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-23818959045848685892023-12-10T13:36:00.006-05:002023-12-10T14:18:47.014-05:00Going the Extra Mile<p>"Going the extra mile" is one of the most popular running cliches/puns out there. Never has it been so applicable to my running career as it was during yesterday's 10K. </p><p><b>Background</b><br />I registered for the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2022/12/jingle-all-way-15k.html" target="_blank">Jingle All The Way 15K</a> a few months ago which was scheduled to occur today, Sunday. But as the race drew closer, the weather started looking miserable. Rain, wind, humidity, and warm temps. That's just not fun for me. So on Wednesday I made the decision to pivot and run the Ringing In Hope 10K which was scheduled for Saturday. The Saturday race was forecast to have perfect weather.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EyI9Klcg9M4Mks8VBf6H65WeukD6GmHEfuitv89iO8lWYlyLBGg0803C2qXjV1lugw42QcumliPpDfUZSyciT_FN8YiIOqjvnwWzUaT6_qY3Ml4G5qzyJuSMaPp7fV3kLzrUxwPGb9MdkJh0rZCTEuKyFbUiOc9XsqevmdXhejKNzjk5hVTyEjEi6S7P/s4383/CLOR-RIH23-0369.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4383" data-original-width="3433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EyI9Klcg9M4Mks8VBf6H65WeukD6GmHEfuitv89iO8lWYlyLBGg0803C2qXjV1lugw42QcumliPpDfUZSyciT_FN8YiIOqjvnwWzUaT6_qY3Ml4G5qzyJuSMaPp7fV3kLzrUxwPGb9MdkJh0rZCTEuKyFbUiOc9XsqevmdXhejKNzjk5hVTyEjEi6S7P/s320/CLOR-RIH23-0369.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>I love racing in December. There are so many festive races to choose from and the cold weather suits me. I didn't do too much to prepare for this race. The <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/11/turkey-trot-i-winged-it.html" target="_blank">Turkey Trot</a> on Thanksgiving served as a good workout and a way to "wake up" my legs after the marathon. Aside from that, I did one track workout which was a down ladder of 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m - all with 400m recovery jogs. I ran that workout about halfway between the Thanksgiving 5K and yesterday's race.<p></p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I decided to try my adidas Adios Pro shoes again. I had abandoned them for the marathon because they felt too big. But with thicker socks for the cooler weather, they worked.</p><p>I went back and forth on my outfit a few times, but eventually settled on CW-X capri tights instead of shorts. I feel like compression tights give me a boost of speed so if it's cool enough for them, I wear them.</p><p>It was 34 degrees and mostly sunny, rising to about 37 by the end of the race. No wind. Hence we have a 10/10 on my personal race weather scale. I could not have asked for more favorable conditions. </p><p>I arrived at the race 45 minutes before start time, got my bib and went to the bathroom. The race started and finished at a church, and that church was open for the race participants. It was a nice perk to have a warm prep area with real bathrooms!</p><p>Before I started my warm up, Greg and I tried to figure out where he would stand to take photos. We quickly looked at a course map and determined a spot that we thought would work. The only reason we had a course map is because my friend Cheryl had run this race last year and shared her Strava data with me. There was no course map on the website. <i>[Edited to add: There are 5K and 10K course maps on the website but the links are not obvious. I am just seeing the maps today and did not see them prior to the race.]</i></p><p>Another thing to note about the map and Greg's position: this race also has a 5K. The finish line is the same for both races. We didn't want him too close to the finish line because I would be weaving through 5K runners at that point. So we also looked at the 5K course to see where they split apart and met up. The 5K course consisted of two out-and-backs in two directions. The 10K course was a large loop. They were only the same at the very beginning and end.</p><p>As I said above, I could not find either map on the race website. I had to search for Strava data from last year's runners to locate the 5K map. The 10K started at 9:00am and the 5K started at 9:10. This meant I would be finishing with 5K runners who ran around 30-35 minutes. I wouldn't have to do too much weaving because the courses joined up about 0.2 mile before the finish.</p><p>I warmed up for just over 10 minutes and took my Maurten caffeinated gel 5 minutes before race start. I didn't think I was in PR shape but I thought I was in pretty good shape. I decided to target a pace of 6:40 which would be about 30 seconds slower than my PR and I thought that might even be a bit aggressive. But I also decided NOT to look at the Garmin to pace this one. I just like having a neighborhood pace in mind.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ylnqlkc-yi1EPjpbtjAUpmhc5gg7jK1HxKepftZXnxu3CD6Bk3isTHkQYkQv0_0gRrmi2lR7oLnXyjcutD4ucmwdrxOubm2Udh0lcfKql4eRcSSVVBJBTb3OIFtRZpKYYwWKKjIjiyWT_KpzWX44R32AZ3Tf7ylPFllviL7lfjAe-HKLPhOAMopGjy0G/s1550/RIH1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ylnqlkc-yi1EPjpbtjAUpmhc5gg7jK1HxKepftZXnxu3CD6Bk3isTHkQYkQv0_0gRrmi2lR7oLnXyjcutD4ucmwdrxOubm2Udh0lcfKql4eRcSSVVBJBTb3OIFtRZpKYYwWKKjIjiyWT_KpzWX44R32AZ3Tf7ylPFllviL7lfjAe-HKLPhOAMopGjy0G/s320/RIH1.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shortly after the start</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Miles 1-2</b><br />The race started and it wasn't long before I saw Greg snapping photos and videos. He was standing at an intersection where I thought we would be turning left according to the course map. But as I said, I wasn't 100% sure I was aligning the map to reality when looking at it. So when we turned right I was surprised but I didn't think it was wrong. <p></p><p>It was wrong. We were, in fact, supposed to go left as I originally thought! Nobody realized this until we all found ourselves in a parking lot. There was major confusion. A police officer was there and he didn't know what to tell us - he was not a course marshal. Eventually we realized that we ran the 5K course and had reached the first 5K turn around. We were over half a mile into it at that point. (I later found out that the was actually the second half of the 5K).</p><p>The leaders turned around and started running toward the rest of us, so we all turned around. At one point I just stopped and looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. The urge to stop my Garmin was strong, but I did not!</p><p>As we were all turning around, we were bunched together tighter than we had been previously, so I found myself running in a pack of 5 women. We were chatting about the situation and realizing that we had run the 5K course. Our attitude was positive and we started making jokes about the situation. I said I was going to stop my Garmin at 6.2 and walk it in! (Just kidding of course). And then we realized we wouldn't really know how long the course would be. </p><p>I saw Greg (again!). I was only supposed to see him twice, but this course mishap meant a bonus sighting of my husband. Silver linings abound!</p><p>The amazing thing about this situation was that a pack of 5 women were running together at a relatively small, local 10K. All at a 6:30 pace. I was enjoying the company and not looking at my watch, so when it finally did beep for mile 2, I was shocked to see a 6:24 mile split. I think the pace was probably too fast for all but 1 of us but we kept going with it because it was so fun to be racing in a pack</p><p><b>Miles 3-4</b><br />I have run over 200 races of varying sizes and never once have I "raced" in pack of women like this. I should mention that none of us would win the race. The winner would be Perry Shoemaker, an Olympic</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheG7LuK2YZjfDdQMI3gWfJWgtzAaSgoFKoaAQcBBzrtGrs9iW9P5WtCZXojEfDUU9eZ7vdyWbe3KJjLiv6q49IxwlV1vaSJz-YYUY69nFLcOPVYNz7qeJngKxvH7XNX1ealosjI3MlIuOoPnPe6SZRSz5dEKBJropiLi0w5KRvdoOn99ketbibCyQ7cfhn/s778/IMG_8907.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheG7LuK2YZjfDdQMI3gWfJWgtzAaSgoFKoaAQcBBzrtGrs9iW9P5WtCZXojEfDUU9eZ7vdyWbe3KJjLiv6q49IxwlV1vaSJz-YYUY69nFLcOPVYNz7qeJngKxvH7XNX1ealosjI3MlIuOoPnPe6SZRSz5dEKBJropiLi0w5KRvdoOn99ketbibCyQ7cfhn/s320/IMG_8907.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>Marathon qualifier and holder of all sorts of records at the age of 50+. She was WAY out ahead, but we were all contenders for 2nd, 3rd, and so on. <p></p><p>It was an entirely different racing experience. The camaraderie and the ability to feed off of each other's energy was amazing. And the fact that we were all sharing this odd experience of a super long 10K made it all the better. We took turns uttering short sentences to keep the vibe strong. </p><p>My Garmin beeped for mile 3 (6:36 pace) and shortly after that the pack begin to spread apart. We went from 5 runners down to 4 down to 3. We stayed a pack of three for a while longer and then one of the ladies pulled ahead. So then it was me and one other runner. The other runner (Lauren) told me to go with the woman who broke away, but I could not. Shortly after I pulled slightly ahead of Lauren and it seemed like the places might be solidified.</p><p>But none of us really knew what we were getting into. What would mile 7 of a 10K feel like? It was anyone's race. Except for Perry - there was no doubt she would win!</p><p>Mile 4 clocked in at 6:34. I wasn't keeping track of my pacing and as I type this, I am now realizing that miles 2, 3, and 4 were 6:24, 6:36, and 6:34. That's a FAST 5K right there. As for mile 1 - my data says 6:53 but that includes standing around trying to figure out what was happening.</p><p><b>Miles 5-6</b><br />I should note that the course had no mile markers. No course marshals. No directional signage. At one point a car pulled out right in front of me and I had to slow down for it. I have run the Ringing In Hope races many times in the past and the organization has always been excellent. I do not know what happened yesterday but it was certainly well below the standard I expected from them. </p><p>I reasoned that mile 5 was the mile 4 I had studied in the course elevation profile. Which meant it was time for a big long hill. Mile 5 sucked the soul out of me! It had me seriously questioning my life choices. After running a sub 20:30 5K I was now expected to run three more miles, the first of which was a huge hill. Why did I do this to myself!?</p><p>The only thing that motivated me was reminding myself that I was not a quitter and the fact that I was in 3rd place. I guess those are pretty strong motivators, as they worked. But at the time it was very hard to stay in it! I still had the 2nd place runner in my sight. The gap between her and me stayed pretty much the same throughout mile 5. My split was 6:55 which was pretty miraculous because I felt like I was slugging by at an 8:00 pace.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRXdm8z8hGijyMCGbvn0L7eVBxqy4PG1NFz3CJYXIOm5OeG0pmskpSRq2hoUjDI3HbweFXwnvSDgCcwiRUoAQyM78gcFy9TVcFnl6W74Wm8xCiP_qv5E8WWyV4nVNZRdD61A6ieUTcIL6Fqhye5vmUkw8xu_EdDMNifMaOctR1CBid0kmu8dbWZrYkjhf/s1477/CLOR-RIH23-0353.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1477" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRXdm8z8hGijyMCGbvn0L7eVBxqy4PG1NFz3CJYXIOm5OeG0pmskpSRq2hoUjDI3HbweFXwnvSDgCcwiRUoAQyM78gcFy9TVcFnl6W74Wm8xCiP_qv5E8WWyV4nVNZRdD61A6ieUTcIL6Fqhye5vmUkw8xu_EdDMNifMaOctR1CBid0kmu8dbWZrYkjhf/s320/CLOR-RIH23-0353.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 5 or 6, waving to Cheryl.</td></tr></tbody></table>Mile 6 was a similar story. There was not much respite from the hills, although I knew from the elevation profile that the worst was behind me. It hurt so much. It would have been easy to fall into the thought pattern of resentment. Resenting that this would not be the final mile. That my 10K was derailed by course mis-management. But none of those thoughts popped into my mind. I acknowledged the pain. Embraced the suck. I didn't look at my watch. I stayed focused on the woman ahead of me and reminded myself that the woman behind me could be very close. <p></p><p>My friend Cheryl was cheering for me and taking photos at some point during this stretch. It was a huge pick-me-up right when I needed it. I was so happy to see her! </p><p>Mile 6 was 6:52. Another surprise because I felt like I had faded to something in the high 7:00's!</p><p><b>Mile 7 and final 0.34:</b><br />At this point, I was truly going "the extra mile". Never had that phrase resonated with me so much! Thankfully it was a net downhill and I knew the end HAD to be near. I just wasn't sure how near. In my head I kept wondering when that turn would come. Would this be 7 miles? 7.5 miles? 8 miles? Who knew!? And with no mile markers, the course wasn't giving any hints. </p><p>At this point I did feel like I could have pushed harder. I knew it in the moment, but I had no motivation to go deeper into the pain cave. </p><p>Finally I saw Greg and I knew the finish line was in my reach. Mile 7 was 6:38 and the final 0.34 was a pace of 6:31. I maintained my third place position but the 4th woman was not far behind! Interestingly, the only time I saw a male during this race was during the first mile mix-up. I was either running with the women or running solo for the rest of the race.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsgmlOhw9iB0x_vyhyphenhyphen7Fai1Qpjomozyx3nRe6VfWBR79UKX2W4gggxEDIFNI3twEfQYz7T8slx7UTfD6sNBDZBGFIbmJRL92gubDRT4wVmATgHE3gQ0WDyKSYjmxMFqGr3VQ5I6ZzVdxc5_LZkBqhKhW3NLsdsvq46vgngTgvmZgKv5Fmm5S2LQwIYQHh/s4516/IMG_0294.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4516" data-original-width="3778" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsgmlOhw9iB0x_vyhyphenhyphen7Fai1Qpjomozyx3nRe6VfWBR79UKX2W4gggxEDIFNI3twEfQYz7T8slx7UTfD6sNBDZBGFIbmJRL92gubDRT4wVmATgHE3gQ0WDyKSYjmxMFqGr3VQ5I6ZzVdxc5_LZkBqhKhW3NLsdsvq46vgngTgvmZgKv5Fmm5S2LQwIYQHh/s320/IMG_0294.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><b>After the Race</b><br />Our pack of women reunited and instantly started talking about all-things running. Neither of us knew each other but we all lived locally and we were all similarly matched. At least yesterday we were!<p></p><p>I also had the opportunity to talk with Perry, the Olympic trials qualifier and 1st female finisher. Interestingly, she had also been registered for the 15K on Sunday, but switched to this 10K for similar reasons. I had always known about her but had never chatted with her, so it was really amazing to get to know her a bit!</p><p>The theme of this race was definitely bonding with other female runners. And honestly that FAR overshadowed the fact that the distance was totally messed up. If anything, the messed up distance was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me throw caution to the wind and run with a fast pack of ladies and embrace the experience. I had been planning on a 15K originally, so I got more bang for my buck with this race! In kilometers, this race was 11.8K.</p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />As I said above, the local women's running community was the real focus yesterday. From my conversation with Perry to the pack of 5 women to Cheryl taking photos of me in the middle of the race. We all support each other and have a shared love of sport. I'm so grateful to be a part of this. I've found "my place" so to speak and it's exactly where I belong.</p><p>Other takeaways and stats:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>My official time was 49:08, which is an average pace of 6:41</li><li>My Garmin logged 7.34 miles or 11.8K</li><li>According to the Jack Daniels VDOT calculator, the 10K equivalent is 41:12, which would have been a small PR for me, despite not believing myself to be in PR shape</li><li>Strava says I ran a 20:17 5K during the race, which is over 10 seconds faster than my Turkey Trot</li><li>My award for 3rd place was a free two-topping Domino's pizza, available for carry-out only</li><li>I am considering this a PR and having PR cake</li><li>Not only is it a PR because it's a new distance, but it also does equate to a 10K PR</li><li>I do not feel robbed of a 10K PR, but I am motivated to go run another one soon</li><li>The course mishap makes for a much more interesting blog post</li><li>I'm not sure how the lead runner was expected to know which way to turn. With no lead biker and no course marshal, there was no way for him to know. Everyone else simply followed him.</li></ul>For the past two months I have been of the mindset that I am not in the best shape of my life. Today's race proves that wrong. I am in the best shape of my life. And I believe I could have run a faster final mile if I had more motivation. I truly did go "the extra mile" yesterday and I love that I encountered a new challenge and made new friends while doing so.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ns57MDIrJFaJwoV0w_r9hP8u8hYeIsZbA2qtInMm0SG012LUd5zdhBFNSU9PaY3CTPhVSqWP-5QwKEen5k8f8Z_BU_LelogrnZk0LAYK2vp4QDrCCmu1NSuu4jJF2VYrl2clPfEK50Rzqz8_5unYWSBkrkuZZarhtS5g2-qN34LDg9jhZb56N0OQoDdY/s1644/DSC02572%203.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ns57MDIrJFaJwoV0w_r9hP8u8hYeIsZbA2qtInMm0SG012LUd5zdhBFNSU9PaY3CTPhVSqWP-5QwKEen5k8f8Z_BU_LelogrnZk0LAYK2vp4QDrCCmu1NSuu4jJF2VYrl2clPfEK50Rzqz8_5unYWSBkrkuZZarhtS5g2-qN34LDg9jhZb56N0OQoDdY/w316-h400/DSC02572%203.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-38438941421062449542023-11-25T15:47:00.007-05:002023-11-25T15:55:20.847-05:00Turkey Trot- I Winged It!<p>I did not have any goals or this year's Turkey Trot due to its proximity to the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/11/birthday-marathon-celebration-in.html" target="_blank">Richmond Marathon</a>, just 12 days prior. I knew that I would still have my marathon fitness, but my legs were still recovering.</p><p>I took 8 days off after the marathon and resumed the Monday before Thanksgiving, with a very short run of only 15 minutes. In addition to recovering from the marathon, I had caught a cold two days post race. By Monday it had been a full week since I got sick and I had all of my energy back. The congestion lingered, however. I ran short and easy runs on Tuesday and Wednesday and both of those runs confirmed that my legs were still in recovery mode.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEr2vQeKizeuz89pNVCaTozAjZO6tYFU2z0hdTOnAKtiGiVXW3dqeeyQic50mTeYNrHeXXUjgIjGs_bp0_oJ9ifKA6AHIZbOOKkJPexGl0EGZsmQ8tmMnLcZaB78N1sQ6MzwBtCr0K6gAjxjtl6A7izu5iZAFkCJNIhexyt_v17KXI78nNNKaFyBaoyWe0/s1820/ElizabethClor_2023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1820" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEr2vQeKizeuz89pNVCaTozAjZO6tYFU2z0hdTOnAKtiGiVXW3dqeeyQic50mTeYNrHeXXUjgIjGs_bp0_oJ9ifKA6AHIZbOOKkJPexGl0EGZsmQ8tmMnLcZaB78N1sQ6MzwBtCr0K6gAjxjtl6A7izu5iZAFkCJNIhexyt_v17KXI78nNNKaFyBaoyWe0/s320/ElizabethClor_2023.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>My plan for the race was to "wing it" with no goals or pacing strategy. I had run this course 13 times in the past, so I knew what I was getting myself into. This is NOT the course I ran last year that holds <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2022/11/the-turkey-trot-is-sacred.html" target="_blank">my 19:41 PR</a>. It is the course where I ran my first sub-20:00 back in 2018. The elevation profile is gently rolling hills with a larger hill at around the halfway point. <p></p><p>I had not run this course since 2018 because they did not hold the race in 2019, 202, or 2021. It came back in 2022 but I was not aware of it. Instead I ran a different Turkey Trot.</p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I had a super casual attitude about this race, which meant I didn't have my normal digestive system clean-out when I woke up. I ate half of a Maurten solid and drank some water, and that got things going a bit!</p><p>The weather gets a 9 out of 10 on my personal weather scale. It was 43 degrees, mostly sunny with 8-9 mph winds. It would have been a 10 out of 10 without the wind. I wore fitted shorts, a tank top, arm sleeves, sunglasses and lightweight gloves. I wore the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 shoes, which makes this my very first time ever racing in Saucony. I had run a few speedy workouts in them during training, and my adidas Adios Pro shoes remained too big, so Saucony it was!</p><p>I met up with my friend Meredith at the start line 30 minutes before race start. We warmed up with another friend, Nancy for nearly two miles. I had a caffeinated Maurten gel 15 minutes prior to race start. I didn't have the chance to use the porta potty, but that ended up being ok.</p><p>Greg, who is still recovering from his injury, moved to his cheering spot during our warm up. I would see him twice during the race. </p><p><b>Mile 1</b><br />I didn't want to limit myself by looking at my Garmin, so I decided I would only look at it when it beeped for each mile split. After the first few minutes of runners getting out on the course, I settled into a groove. Meredith was in my sights and I figured I would roughly pace off of her. The first mile is gently rolling hills with a net uphill. I saw Greg about 2/3 the way into mile 1. Things felt hard, but I didn't feel like I was running at 5K effort; it felt more like 10K effort during the first mile. The Garmin clocked me in at <b>6:43</b>. I would have guessed something closer to 7:00, especially since it felt like 10K effort, so I was happy with that.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s2mejj2R72PPUDpnEpMxDB-DEem8grFEHxSkKljtstPErjNG50FJRxaPlpTr4tthsmuVX2gZ4ErYCB5bW4ZjMCsc3nG1gyW2BjONdUA2_PxT0d4AXp61dkJHT8tEYTlRbSJkrsfSk878DodOSpx7pEll8b0VIuykXaOGs1QyyGhCEzadqPvda1KEZGjH/s4356/ElizabethTT.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4356" data-original-width="3543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7s2mejj2R72PPUDpnEpMxDB-DEem8grFEHxSkKljtstPErjNG50FJRxaPlpTr4tthsmuVX2gZ4ErYCB5bW4ZjMCsc3nG1gyW2BjONdUA2_PxT0d4AXp61dkJHT8tEYTlRbSJkrsfSk878DodOSpx7pEll8b0VIuykXaOGs1QyyGhCEzadqPvda1KEZGjH/s320/ElizabethTT.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><b>Mile 2</b><br />The first mile has no turns; it's a straight road. The first turn is around mile 1.3. At the turn I found myself closing in on Meredith. This was not intentional, but I was simply "rolling with it" and that's where I found myself. Not that I am usually super-focused on my watch, but the fact that I didn't look at my watch at all allowed me to really be present and focus on my surroundings and effort level. <p></p><p>The big hill came and it was not as steep as I had remembered it. The hills in the first mile were steeper than I had remembered, but this one seemed more tame. I caught up with Meredith and ran with her for about a minute. Then I started to really open it up on the downhill and told myself it was time to hammer it home at 100% effort with whatever my legs had. Mile 2 clocked in at <b>6:37.</b></p><p><b>Mile 3</b><br />I was pleasantly surprised with my mile 2 split, given that it contains the big hill. I could tell my legs were really starting to hate me. At that point, I realized I could be drawing power from my arms. I<br /> decided to engage them more and really use them to propel me forward. I focused on my arm swing and forward lean. From an energy standpoint, I had plenty of it - the limiting factor was definitely my legs. If I had 4-5 more days to recover from the marathon I probably would have tried for sub 20:00. But the legs were still cranky. </p><p>I was expecting to see Greg as I ran it in, but he was standing much closer to the finish line than expected. At that point I was too focused on sprinting to see him, but he saw me and snapped some photos. Mile 3 clocked in at <b>6:23</b>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZ3HsrKJ0Ym4G89CaxyJ1ofLpZzzZjS-OZM7e28rROIMFxYZnyHZQQ_NPbIpxlzzCPHKQZ0Gp5pTAT82j2v74lRc-HDMebg5iNcC6HE-d-gIZ85xkuz_RQfvXuFeoZwBsPEKmuuH49efZqsT06J4Bd7ZqI2ul2DPVfQBIVMNl-mTKkbjqUr17fe33SLpO/s1778/TT2023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1778" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZ3HsrKJ0Ym4G89CaxyJ1ofLpZzzZjS-OZM7e28rROIMFxYZnyHZQQ_NPbIpxlzzCPHKQZ0Gp5pTAT82j2v74lRc-HDMebg5iNcC6HE-d-gIZ85xkuz_RQfvXuFeoZwBsPEKmuuH49efZqsT06J4Bd7ZqI2ul2DPVfQBIVMNl-mTKkbjqUr17fe33SLpO/s320/TT2023.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><b>The finish and beyond</b><br />My final kick was a pace of 6:12 for 0.14 miles, make this a Thanksgiving Pie run at 3.14 miles. <p></p><p>My official time was <b>20:34,</b> which earned me second place in my age group (out of 76) and 8th overall female (out of 392).</p><p>Meredith finished shortly after looking very strong. I had to sit down because that final kick really knocked the wind out of me! My legs were extremely tired and my body was not happy with me for running so hard!</p><p>I ran a half-mile cool down just to get some blood flowing to my muscles. Then I chatted with Meredith and her family before heading out. </p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />Probably the best takeaway is that I run really well when I have a super casual attitude. I know that I am going to focus and push hard once the race starts, so there is no need to overthink things before hand. I also enjoy running so much more when I am not glancing at my Garmin to monitor my pace. That's necessary at the beginning of a long distance race, but not during a 5K. </p><p>I really had no predictions or expectations for this race. At best, I thought I could break 20:00 if my legs were fully recovered. At worst, I thought I could injure myself and end up walking it in. I had no idea what was going to happen. The fact that I ran so well 12 days post marathon and 10 days post getting a cold says a lot about my fitness!</p><p>Most of all, I am always thankful for any year I am healthy enough to run a Turkey Trot.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiuTrSPB_TyI3ZzxduufWV4DX6VRAVb1tTHUD5svfQPhN_xZa3v85OFKtJu2x2HYl1B7MyO97FDSwbC6lZTsEra-7LgFECjhRFtj0cWDTfu77utwC3yRi1m_TZbY8GcBAf0mzy058J5LQp8ryfgE9zeuuChH7AHCxKu-JQOtZpbt7qGy96jTmBHqMnMAT/s1648/TTGirls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiuTrSPB_TyI3ZzxduufWV4DX6VRAVb1tTHUD5svfQPhN_xZa3v85OFKtJu2x2HYl1B7MyO97FDSwbC6lZTsEra-7LgFECjhRFtj0cWDTfu77utwC3yRi1m_TZbY8GcBAf0mzy058J5LQp8ryfgE9zeuuChH7AHCxKu-JQOtZpbt7qGy96jTmBHqMnMAT/w291-h400/TTGirls.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-63133537504046754302023-11-20T09:34:00.000-05:002023-11-20T09:34:30.179-05:00Lessons Learned in Training<p>Even though I have now run 33 marathons, I learn something new each cycle. Sometimes I learn something I already knew, but yet forgot along the way. And often my training confirms what I already suspected, but wasn't 100% sure about. </p><p><i>Disclaimer: these lessons are unique to me and might not be applicable to the running population in general.</i></p><p><b>There's nothing magic about a 20-miler</b><br />I only ran one 20-miler this cycle and nothing longer. During winter training it makes sense for me to run multiple 20's and even bump it up to 22. But when I am struggling in the heat, I need to run the shortest possible long run required to check the box.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLA_m0wRp-EzXJuggV10rGZ_iTHF_noV95VK6WhHU5W376ZpGQ_YpWFTgYCz0Vy9q1-ePym2kTj3WOy3tlGvtInlhYwynhPkDScbQWbrAGEXKE2oBDtOiJ1giC-3s-hO0mR95mohuRu0hGb2DMbchHXWV6sykm-h1b76vFbNJWdjgUrlqgbTFidV19c_u/s1822/TrainingPlan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1822" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLA_m0wRp-EzXJuggV10rGZ_iTHF_noV95VK6WhHU5W376ZpGQ_YpWFTgYCz0Vy9q1-ePym2kTj3WOy3tlGvtInlhYwynhPkDScbQWbrAGEXKE2oBDtOiJ1giC-3s-hO0mR95mohuRu0hGb2DMbchHXWV6sykm-h1b76vFbNJWdjgUrlqgbTFidV19c_u/s320/TrainingPlan.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing my only 20-miler</td></tr></tbody></table>I ran two 19-milers and one 20 miler. In the grand scheme of things, 19 is just as good as 20. One of those 19-milers was meant to be 22, but I was struggling with dehydration so I stopped early.<p></p><p><b>High mileage trumps a lot of long runs</b><br />You're probably noticing a theme here: I am not a fan of the long run. For this cycle, I kept all my long runs at 2:00 or less until 10 weeks out. (This ended up being 12 weeks because I ran Richmond instead of MCM, but the principle still holds). Instead, my focus was gradually building up the mileage so I would be able to run multiple weeks at 60+ MPW. I see some people running 20-milers when they are 12 weeks out and that might work for them, but I could not sustain that. </p><p><b>Summer running doesn't have to be the death of me</b><br />Because I am so heat sensitive, I usually shy away from doing any kind of speed work in the heat. But now I know how to strike the right balance. I tracked my water intake every day and made sure to get at least 60 ounces daily. After every run, my<a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/women-sports_bras" target="_blank"> sports bra </a>and <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/women-volleyball-shorts" target="_blank">shorts</a> would be dripping wet with sweat so I made sure to rehydrate ASAP. </p><p>All of my workouts were effort based, which meant "marathon pace" was "marathon effort" which equated to 7:45-7:50. I really had to trust that my body was getting the benefit each workout even though my paces were nothing like they were when I was training for Houston. </p><p><b>I can take two weeks off and not lose fitness</b><br />I learned this from my SI Joint debacle prior to Boston 2022. Once I've built up my marathon fitness, taking 1-2 weeks off before the race doesn't cause it go away. What this tells me is that I should be doing more of a taper. I previously believed that I didn't need much of a taper to run well, but now that I know that I won't lose fitness, I am more inclined to go all-in on that taper. Once I returned to running after my time off from my hip, all of my runs felt so much more energized and peppy. I think I needed that extended recovery period.</p><p>As I train for Boston 2024, I am going to create a similar plan for myself-- but with more hills. Hills are definitely a weakness of mine so I will likely start my training cycle with 4 weeks of hill work before diving into other types of workouts. Overall, this was a successful training cycle and I am excited to push myself a little bit harder in the next one. But not with more long runs or longer long runs! Likely with slightly more volume. </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-78447332193599910332023-11-12T14:10:00.006-05:002023-11-13T12:39:38.184-05:00Birthday Marathon: A celebration in Richmond<p>Yesterday I turned 45. And I ran a marathon. My 33rd marathon, but the only marathon (or race, for that matter) that I've ever done on the day of my birthday.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-oH7rtJP5-ljbJN7wP7pDdOzzbw_y755pBHkmZFPQvdJyHKQNxf72SL9neP7FFmP2sGJbQpON68Gdx2lY9hkhJE3s8Wl2LibdqWejn8i_GX1sTBEvJDavIDE5fMF9rgKb0EG_UKqhkwzNveWC1UhNoFnhr6k9IVvswinphkLiShKX5cC1CpyL00I6jYy/s1756/RichmondMarathon.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-oH7rtJP5-ljbJN7wP7pDdOzzbw_y755pBHkmZFPQvdJyHKQNxf72SL9neP7FFmP2sGJbQpON68Gdx2lY9hkhJE3s8Wl2LibdqWejn8i_GX1sTBEvJDavIDE5fMF9rgKb0EG_UKqhkwzNveWC1UhNoFnhr6k9IVvswinphkLiShKX5cC1CpyL00I6jYy/s320/RichmondMarathon.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><b>Background</b><br />I was supposed to run the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/08/im-training-for-marine-corps-marathon.html" target="_blank">Marine Corps Marathon</a> two weeks ago, but 16 days out I developed <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/10/tfl-trigger-points-and-iliohypogastric.html" target="_blank">hip pain</a> which resulted in two weeks of almost no running. Just some 2-3 mile runs here and there to "test" it out. Two visits to the doctor and cortisone shots eventually cleared things up but it wasn't 100% in the days leading up to the race, so I decided it wasn't smart to run it. Plus, the weather ended up being quite warm (so much so that they shut down the race early) and I would have likely switched to Richmond anyway. So it was going to be Richmond regardless, but the hip pain meant two straight weeks of nearly no running.<p></p><p>I had only run the Richmond one time before, in 2007. It was my 5th marathon and my first sub-4:00 marathon. I remembered it well, though, thanks to my <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2007/11/breaking-4-hour-barrier.html" target="_blank">detailed blog post</a>. As my first sub-4:00 marathon, it carried good memories. I had also set PRs at the half marathon there in 2008 and 2015.</p><p>During the hip saga, I was headed down a dark path and I turned things around by truly letting go of any time expectation for a fall marathon. My goal became to simply run a marathon healthy and without hip pain, fully accepting that it might be one of my slower races. Letting go and truly embracing the marathon as an experience instead of a goal was mentally refreshing and really lightened my mood.</p><p>When I'm training for a marathon, much of the motivation to crank out the hard workouts comes from the desire to run a fast race. Otherwise, why would be I out there running hard tempos or long track workouts? Switching my mindset from "I am highly motivated to run a fast marathon" to "I just want to have fun" was a big shift in attitude, but one that had to happen.</p><p><b>Getting back at it</b><br />One of the benefits of taking so much time off was that I was really fresh when it came to do my last long run. Once my hip started to feel better, I was able to crank out 17.4 miles with some marathon pace work and have it feel totally manageable. However, this resulted in some serious DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) for the next 3 days since it was a shock to my system. I was familiar with this after my Boston Marathon fiasco last year. I took 9 days off shortly before Boston for an SI Joint issue and when I finally did a hard long run, my legs were really sore. So I knew this was no cause for concern.</p><p>11 days out from the marathon, on Halloween, I decided to run some mile repeats at 10K effort. I coached myself for this marathon, and I know that faster-than-lactate-threshold workouts are a weakness of mine, but extremely effective when I do them. I had just included marathon pace miles in my long run, so I thought this would be a good sharpening workout. I was targeting 6:45 for the repeats but didn't look at my Garmin for pacing. Running by feel, I ran 6:41, 6:34, 6:30 and they all felt like 6:45. This meant that I was in better shape than I had believed myself to be in. Wow. And my legs were still sore from the long run too.</p><p>7 days out from the marathon I did my last long run: 11.11 miles. I ran it as a progression run starting at the slow end of my easy zone and ending at the fast end of my easy zone. The entire run felt effortless with the first mile clocking in at 9:05 and the last 4 miles at 7:52, 7:47, 7:44, 7:50. I honestly couldn't believe how easy those paces felt. I was peaking for sure.</p><p><b>Shoe switch!</b><br />On Monday, 5 days out from the marathon, I decided to wear my race shoes for my final speed work, which would be 5 x 3:00 at half marathon effort. My plan was to wear the same shoes I wore in Houston (the adidas Adios Pro 2) as they only had 38 miles on them and they worked well there. However, I turned around and came home after running a mile out because my feet were slipping and sliding all around in the shoe. They were too big! How was that possible?</p><p>So then I tested another pair of the Adios Pro 2, the ones I wore in Boston 2022, and those also felt too big. I had one pair that was a half size smaller, but those shoes had too many miles on them for me to want to race a marathon in them. I then pulled a brand new pair of the New Balance Fuel Cell Elite 2, which is last year's model of the shoe. I heard many people say that version 3 of this shoe had issues and everyone liked version 2 so much better. So I bought a pair of version 2 and stashed it in my closet so I wouldn't even need to try the 3.</p><p>I put them on my feet and they fit perfectly. I ran 3 sets of 3:00 at half marathon pace and I felt zippy. Compared to the Adios Pro, they have a much softer landing and the fit is more locked in. I generally prefer the Adios Pro because they are more responsive and seem to have more pickup. But then I remembered my reason for running: to have fun. So what if these shoes weren't quite as fast? They were still fast and definitely faster than the shoes I wore when I ran my 3:15 PR, which did not have a carbon fiber plate.</p><p>The fact that they matched my planned outfit perfectly was a sign that it was meant to be. And having comfortable shoes might trump having faster shoes during those later miles. Usually I like to break shoes in a bit more before using them in a marathon, but I didn't have time for that.</p><p><b>The weirdest expo ever</b><br />Greg and I drove down to Richmond the day before the race with my friend Laurena. Laurena and I worked together nearly 20 years ago and hadn't seen each other since. But we stayed in touch and she reached out when she saw I was running Richmond. The drive down 95 was traffic-laden but the time went by so quickly because Laurena and I had 20 years to catch up on.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgkhPTd0nnRoud_ghyphenhyphenuyHN_vCkM2WHsWo9YJ6IEriSVCHJW89oYRsUGleEBdc9oHLtFrMcAIsUfjmi-uE96KpGTLien1vSAMiS2wC9sbKMXQBRhudp57aH6ZAUepr2KDJKfdMIJwaTngyS2oY3EvJSlP4fQxrbpUWGo0i2hPvEdUboEou-QYUHjgT-Hzq/s1460/Laurena.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgkhPTd0nnRoud_ghyphenhyphenuyHN_vCkM2WHsWo9YJ6IEriSVCHJW89oYRsUGleEBdc9oHLtFrMcAIsUfjmi-uE96KpGTLien1vSAMiS2wC9sbKMXQBRhudp57aH6ZAUepr2KDJKfdMIJwaTngyS2oY3EvJSlP4fQxrbpUWGo0i2hPvEdUboEou-QYUHjgT-Hzq/s320/Laurena.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurena and me after the expo</td></tr></tbody></table>The expo location was new this year (or maybe new to me, I am not sure when they moved it) but it was several miles away from the downtown start/finish at a NASCAR race track. It was cold outside with light drizzle and the expo was partially outside and partially in a garage-like structure. We were freezing cold and the light drizzle was annoying. After getting our bibs and shirts from a concession-stand setup, we went into the garage and walked through the expo. It was one long hallway with vendors on both sides. It was extremely crowded, cold and generally unpleasant. We wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. <p></p><p>I can't even imagine how uncomfortable the vendors must have been in the cold and if other runners were like us, they didn't want to spend a ton of time there visiting the various booths. They had some featured speakers too and they were in an outdoor, uncovered space. </p><p>I do not understand why the expo wasn't held at the convention center that was literally right next to the start line and race hotels. That would have made so much more sense. A more convenient location, climate controlled, more space for the vendors. But for some reason (I have to imagine there is a reason) they haven't held the expo there in all the years I've been running it (2007, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2018).</p><p><b>Food and Fueling</b><br />I am making this its own section because I often get asked about my fueling strategy. So here it is, all in one place. (Feel free to skip if this stuff is boring to you!)</p><p>I have a history of not being able to get gels down during the later miles of a marathon so it has taken me years to figure out a fueling strategy that works for me.</p><p>In the 3 days leading up to the race I tracked my water intake to ensure at least 60 ounces of water each day. I would have aimed for even high if the race was forecast to be warmer. I have a smart water bottle that tracks my hydration on an app. I used two packs of <a href="https://getuppermost.com/CLOR" target="_blank">Uppermost Hydration</a> each day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I like the ways this hydration mix tastes and it has the added benefit of B and C vitamins. </p><p>I did not carb load per-se, but I was mindful of what I ate and I made sure to eat carbohydrate-rich foods. Some examples are oatmeal, bagels, muffins, rice, pretzels. Pretty basic!</p><p>The day before the race I ate the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 hardboiled eggs</li><li>A medium-sized pumpkin muffin</li><li>A turkey sandwich on a plain bagel with goat cheese</li><li>A banana</li><li>Lots of almond butter filled pretzels (Wegman's brand) - seriously a lot of these!</li><li>Drank about 8 ounces of beet juice just before noon</li><li>Had a beet salad with dinner</li><li>Chicken parm (no cheese) with spaghetti and Pomodoro sauce at local restaurant</li><li>Bread basket at dinner</li></ul><p></p><p>2 hours before the race start:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>About 10 ounces of fluids (water + Skratch Labs Hydration)</li><li>About 6-8 almond butter filled pretzels</li><li>Half a banana</li></ul><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0tCc9IGn8XHLPj-25hNo_2H9EUIHJg5VjfKd2NyCauAB8vHDvZa-knAFzn-Lkp7BZPR7nJKIggIGuVHsNcBOfiMEkkm5lS0F3pJB-YQd9M3oscf1sOrH_YDEvTmX_Thmcct6tHQPK-o9zLDAH4Zhc00dPWcU4mib7x62SnA9vuGCwFp9m3ZIO4240lhL/s1200/Richmond%20Ready.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1200" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0tCc9IGn8XHLPj-25hNo_2H9EUIHJg5VjfKd2NyCauAB8vHDvZa-knAFzn-Lkp7BZPR7nJKIggIGuVHsNcBOfiMEkkm5lS0F3pJB-YQd9M3oscf1sOrH_YDEvTmX_Thmcct6tHQPK-o9zLDAH4Zhc00dPWcU4mib7x62SnA9vuGCwFp9m3ZIO4240lhL/s320/Richmond%20Ready.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the fuel I brought, actual intake outlined below.</td></tr></tbody></table>This is not much food. I used to eat a bagel with peanut butter + a banana but I found that to be too much. I normally do not eat before I run in the mornings so my body isn't used to having a ton of food.</div><div><br /></div><div>25 minutes before the race:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Strawberry banana <a href="https://ucan.co/products/strawberry-banana-energy-gel?ref=ElizabethClor">UCAN gel</a> with 5-6 ounces of water. UCAN is a slow release energy so if you take it 25-30 minutes before start time it kicks in when the race starts and slowly releases energy. Maurten gels, on the other hand, deliver a burst of energy right when you take them.</li></ul></div><p></p><p>Once I started racing:</p><p>I carried a 24 ounce bottle of water + Skratch Labs Hydration mix. This mix has electrolytes + carbs. I used 1.25 scoops which equates to 100 calories. After each mile marker: I took a small (1-2 ounce) sip from my bottle. I drank the entire bottle and was finished with it after 16 miles.</p><p>At mile 20, I took water from a water station and drank that while walking for 4-5 seconds. I probably got a good 4 ounces in. I had no other fluids after mile 20, which was fine for a cool day. I used this same strategy in Houston with warm temps and I ended up dehydrated.<br /><br />I timed my gels as follows:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>0:20- 2 Honey Stringer chews</li><li>0:40- Maurten gel</li><li>1:20- Maurten gel</li><li>2:00- Maurten CAF gel (my only caffiene)</li><li>2:40 - Maurten gel</li><li>3:00 - One honey stinger chew</li></ul><p></p><p>Everything went down easily. I estimate that I consumed around 600 calories including the UCAN gel, Maurten gels, chews, and Skratch mix.</p><p>This could have been its own blog post but I like to write novel-length marathon race reports, so it's here. </p><p><b>Weather</b><br />It was 38 degrees at the start and warmed up to around 52 by the finish. Winds were 2-5 mph and there were only a few times I noticed wind, mostly over the big bridge. The sky was mostly cloudy at the start and the sun started peaking though towards the end. It was quite humid in the beginning so 38 degrees felt more like 45 degrees - and Kathy and Greg agreed with this "real feel. On my personal weather scale it gets a 9 out of 10. It would have been a 10 if it stayed under 45 degrees and it was less humid. But 9 out of 10 is pretty darn good weather!</p><p><b>Time Goal:</b><br />Based on how great my training runs felt leading up to the race I knew my fitness was still intact. So I did not revise my goal from what I had originally planned for MCM: sub-3:20. This would be a men's BQ for age 45-49. The last time I ran sub 3:20 was in the fall of 2021 so I figured I should try to do that again before going for a PR (3:15:34). My marathon pace runs had averaged 7:25 for marathon pace, but I'm not bold enough to go for the marathon pace I run in training as it has never worked out for me. I thought 7:30-7:35 would be more realistic. I figured if I had a good day, I would run my second fastest marathon ever and it would be 3:17-3:18.</p><p>Additionally, I am registered for Boston in 2024. I used my 3:26 from Houston as my qualifying time. I thought that time might put me in wave three, which has a later start time. I wanted to submit a faster time to get back into wave 2 like I usually am. If you run a time faster than the time you registered with, Boston allows you to submit it for a faster wave/corral assignment.</p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I hadn't slept particularly well all week due to my body clock being "off" from daylight savings. I have a very rigid circadian rhythm and if it gets disrupted my sleep suffers. Thankfully I learned from CIM that you can have epically horrible sleep and still run well, so I was not concerned. The night before the race I got about six hours of mostly peaceful sleep. I went to bed at 8:20, woke up at 9:30 to go to the bathroom, slept from 9:45 to 2:00. And from 2:00-4:00 I was mostly awake but had some brief periods of sleep. I did not have any anxiety dreams about missing the race or any dreams about the race at all, which is rare.</p><p>I got out of bed at 5:00 and started eating (see above). I got dressed, which included putting body glide everywhere to avoid chafing. I also used a body marker to write on my arms which miles had the most uphill and which miles had the most downhill. That way I knew not to worry if I was going slower on the uphill portions or seemingly "too fast" when running downhill. I ultimately ran the race based on effort/feel, but it was nice to have a little guide of what to expect.</p><p>It was my 45th birthday. So the birthday text messages were already rolling in! I tried to minimize the time I spent on my phone so I could focus on getting ready and ensuring I had everything I needed. All of my fuel fit in my shorts pockets. For the honey stinger chews, I removed them from their package and wrapped them in tiny pieces of plastic wrap. The chews were mostly meant to be a backup plan in case I couldn't get the gels down. But they would also serve as supplemental energy as tolerated. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuqLKuEGEfKeCyMBR4tvJO08zTZXhWqMtN2cz17BT-kZ4e6nfCyWgWHMXuS1QkOWJgKGaNqc3Lnp_on3CTeYxCAqGBOuh1hhi9P3Rb-R1anEh2rLAi33K_DT45b1Tmp7Nj2z4ZsOQoXbDmOU0tLZcJdTFPxQvpMSIT5HDvQGla95jeFVcV0u02DTynRy1/s1806/KathyStart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1806" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuqLKuEGEfKeCyMBR4tvJO08zTZXhWqMtN2cz17BT-kZ4e6nfCyWgWHMXuS1QkOWJgKGaNqc3Lnp_on3CTeYxCAqGBOuh1hhi9P3Rb-R1anEh2rLAi33K_DT45b1Tmp7Nj2z4ZsOQoXbDmOU0tLZcJdTFPxQvpMSIT5HDvQGla95jeFVcV0u02DTynRy1/s320/KathyStart.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>I made sure my shoes were tied to a good comfort level, and tucked the loops of the laces under the firm laces to ensure they would not come undone. I learned the hard way in Houston when I had to stop to tie my shoe. I spent a few minutes using a massage ball on my glutes to help with glute activation. This was recommended by my physical therapist.<p></p><p>I left my hotel room at 6:30 and met my friend Kathy in the lobby. We chatted and that's when I had my UCAN gel. Shortly after we left the hotel and headed towards the start line. I tried to run there for a warmup but that was short lived because it became too crowded. Oh well, I would use the first mile as a warmup.</p><p>I lined up in the corral between the 3:10 pacers and the 3:25 pacers. There was no pace group for 3:20 or 3:15. I was happy about that because I don't run with pace groups and I find it annoying to be caught up in the big pack of runners. Since I was trying to run a time of around 3:18, I figured I should never see a pace group during this race if things went well.</p><p><b>Miles 1-6</b><br />The race seemed to start quite suddenly but I was ready. Mile 1 is always about finding a rhythm, especially since I hadn't warmed up. I go out at what feels like easy run pace and then adjust from there. I was expecting to see Greg at the first mile marker but I ended up seeing him a lot sooner. No worries, I was able to gracefully weave through the runners to greet him on the side of the course. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcEUIaz6lWSN9LtUIB5CALCsiAImpy7uQ84KYxNEHLBxkzXZaIm-mwifz1XfOg69L7xzZ1rj35NrrIiKFUv3JVrLsm_rA_f81qr-9Bn-Fp1S4KoPRke1r-A8_SW0jD3z974Pei3X68fJdVW_aLCijzPMtSEnq-EVPTdnikGkTwivLsYtPt2xnndp4iMZY/s1701/IMG_8252.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1701" data-original-width="1169" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcEUIaz6lWSN9LtUIB5CALCsiAImpy7uQ84KYxNEHLBxkzXZaIm-mwifz1XfOg69L7xzZ1rj35NrrIiKFUv3JVrLsm_rA_f81qr-9Bn-Fp1S4KoPRke1r-A8_SW0jD3z974Pei3X68fJdVW_aLCijzPMtSEnq-EVPTdnikGkTwivLsYtPt2xnndp4iMZY/s320/IMG_8252.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 1</td></tr></tbody></table>I had studied the elevation profile of the course and I knew that these first six miles were slightly net uphill. I like to start conservatively so knowing these miles were net uphill meant I wanted to go even slower to avoid expending too much effort. <p></p><p>A lot of people have conversations early in the race so eavesdropping is unavoidable. It was a nice distraction for me as I focused on their conversations instead of thinking about all the miles ahead of me. I stayed in the present. </p><p>Somewhere around miles 4-5 the 3:25 pace group came up from behind me and I found myself caught up in them. I definitely did not want to be in the middle of the pack and even though I was confident in my own pacing, it was still somewhat demoralizing to have a pace group catch you. A 3:25 marathon is a pace of 7:48, and they were running notably faster. I dealt with it by speeding up to get out of the pack and once I felt like I was a good bit ahead of them I slowed back down. </p><p>I removed my arm warmers at around mile 5 which was sooner than expected and I ditched my hand warmers not longer after. With temps ranging from 38 to 52, that was my layering strategy.</p><p>Mile 1: 7:43<br />Mile 2: 7:37<br />Mile 3: 7:32<br />Mile 4: 7:35<br />Mile 5: 7:36<br />Mile 6: 7:36<br /></p><p><b>Miles 7-13</b><br />By this point the crowd had thinned out and I knew that my favorite part of the course was coming up. This portion runs down by the James River and it's quite scenic with all the fall colors. It's peaceful and mostly flat. There were a lot of curves during this section and a small part of torn up pavement. I had to watch my footing and pay attention to the tangents. But thankfully the pavement got better after about half a mile. The shoes were still feeling really comfortable and soft. </p><p>As I was running mile 11, I said to the person next to me: it's mile 11 on 11-11 which is also my birthday! Let's make it a good mile! We chatted briefly and he asked me what my time goal was. I said 3:18 and he said 3:20. I lost track of him somewhere around mile 16 an I don't know if that's because I passed him or if he passed me. I wanted to savor every moment of this race. This was my birthday marathon and I almost didn't get to run a marathon due to my hip. I was grateful. I ran the entire race with gratitude. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmEX-1BFa6DfPH9y-ntKxJRMVRe1iKuyPHEG-eWoEuSiNqcbT8RWcbYGjJxI1A5rOtp3fFmt3qYZ0APtbEkeDFTRNKzoiSVCa-tHGBkYyiiUHE5amUkSJOgX0pUh7fAWIC89IN-uH1nFzgBqIb8oCMAv7a3e0DfufQJOLfLHoFJkpueT4jAZwKbI3fDRN/s1802/Richmond%20Marathon%203.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1802" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmEX-1BFa6DfPH9y-ntKxJRMVRe1iKuyPHEG-eWoEuSiNqcbT8RWcbYGjJxI1A5rOtp3fFmt3qYZ0APtbEkeDFTRNKzoiSVCa-tHGBkYyiiUHE5amUkSJOgX0pUh7fAWIC89IN-uH1nFzgBqIb8oCMAv7a3e0DfufQJOLfLHoFJkpueT4jAZwKbI3fDRN/s320/Richmond%20Marathon%203.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p>My splits below reflect the profile of the course. "Gently rolling hills" is an accurate description. None of the hills here were too crazy, but it made of uneven pacing. </p><p>Mile 7: 7:17<br />Mile 8: 7:26<br />Mile 9: 7:30<br />Mile 10: 7:43<br />Mile 11: 7:18<br />Mile 12: 7:37<br />Mile 13: 7:18</p><p><b>Miles 14-20</b><br />My half marathon split was 1:38:58, which is an average pace of 7:33. I knew Greg was tracking me and I had told him to expect me in the high 1:38s or the low 1:39s, so I was executing exactly as planned. He later told me that he got no text message or email alerts. The tracking did not work. Oh well, at least I believed it was working and that helped me mentally!</p><p>At this point, I was on track to squeak under 3:18. Perfect. I felt really good but I had no idea how I would feel by mile 20 so it was too early to predict if I would be able to get under 3:18 or not. I stayed present and thankful of the fact that I was feeling good now, so I continued on. </p><p>I did not turn up the gas intentionally but I got faster anyway. There were a few downhill miles which got me into a faster groove so I ran surprisingly fast during the toughest part of the course which are miles 16, 17 and 18. Those three miles are net uphill and include a bridge that is always windy even on non-windy days. I can easily see how those miles could be the beginning of the end for many runners!</p><p>In fact, once we were running over the bridge I didn't even realize we were on the bridge until I looked on either side of the course and noted it was mile 16. By this point I had finished all the water in my handheld bottle. Fueling was going according to plan and so far everything was sitting well. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-HvNp2sll-9oQ4-zfqQXCCGeZgnKGpJFmyfjnA-H6d9PkC62LZOslGZ6YRLU4cPsfQAEXbZkdAupf7LznlPz0T1KTVRRmC7xQnCezYTN1GMUyG-NIu7d36zGJlUZ6ROS2LC1ly-UTq-vqu8paJ-Le3AMnLSDPZ0upkhhz7c04KWUqR7WsB-SMf-htqnz/s1756/RichmondMarathon.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1756" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-HvNp2sll-9oQ4-zfqQXCCGeZgnKGpJFmyfjnA-H6d9PkC62LZOslGZ6YRLU4cPsfQAEXbZkdAupf7LznlPz0T1KTVRRmC7xQnCezYTN1GMUyG-NIu7d36zGJlUZ6ROS2LC1ly-UTq-vqu8paJ-Le3AMnLSDPZ0upkhhz7c04KWUqR7WsB-SMf-htqnz/s320/RichmondMarathon.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 18</td></tr></tbody></table>Once we were over the bridge I knew there would be two more uphill miles. At mile 16 I still I had no noticeable leg fatigue. I still felt fresh. Again, surreal!</p><p></p><p>I knew that Greg would be somewhere in the 18th mile and I found him at 17.5. I was so excited to see him. Before the race he asked me if I could give him some indication of how it was going at that point. I told him I would give him a thumbs up if it was going well. And he got a huge thumbs up from me! I was absolutely beaming. I had never felt so happy during the 18th mile of a marathon. </p><p>Mile 14: 7:16 <br />Mile 15: 7:15<br />Mile 16: 7:39<br />Mile 17: 7:31<br />Mile 18: 7:26<br />Mile 19: 7:20<br />Mile 20: 7:30</p><p><b>Miles 20-26</b><br />I honestly could not believe how fast I was running. Similar to my mile repeat workout from 10 days earlier, I felt like I was running 7:45s when in reality I was running under 7:30. I think I must have been peaking at exactly the right time. And apparently all that time off from my hip did me some good and left me feeling fresh. I coached myself this training cycle so I gave myself a nice pat on the back for a job well done!</p><p>My official mile 20 split was 2:30:16, which is an average pace of 7:31. The tracking system was not working but I didn't know that. It perked me up to know that Greg could see how well it was going. </p><p>I hadn't had anything to drink since mile marker 16 so I decided to walk through the next water station. I didn't want to stop again after that so I made sure to drink the entire cup which was probably 4-5 ounces. If it were warmer I would have needed more stops, but thankfully it was a cool day. The sun was starting to come out but it didn't seem to bother me.</p><p>I still had no idea what to expect from the rest of the race. Supposedly the last six miles were mostly downhill. But I remembered running the half marathon back in 2018 and it felt like there was still plenty of uphill in the last three miles, which are the same last three miles of the full marathon. </p><p>My energy level was high and my spirits were high. I couldn't believe I was still going strong. Every time I glanced down at my watch my speed would blow my mind. Even though I wasn't on track to PR, I was not running this fast at the end of my PR marathon, which had been a positive split.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYmsmWZftxD4vcTqIjRzQQMMeGOiygePB2XahJilW3RvqxRfBWmp-QaJmeYxzE_mLjTpNDHDunUIcqQSMoAm2COissnecJawFZ5PZ8tRSS1CZJyxAnA3ved3OFpYBNB4dT031-xx-ORnA28qrKUtLKD_cj4Yazmf4OeHhjbfpRsyHPiOb3-H5UjWJPfd4/s1759/RichmondMarathon2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1759" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYmsmWZftxD4vcTqIjRzQQMMeGOiygePB2XahJilW3RvqxRfBWmp-QaJmeYxzE_mLjTpNDHDunUIcqQSMoAm2COissnecJawFZ5PZ8tRSS1CZJyxAnA3ved3OFpYBNB4dT031-xx-ORnA28qrKUtLKD_cj4Yazmf4OeHhjbfpRsyHPiOb3-H5UjWJPfd4/s320/RichmondMarathon2.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 26</td></tr></tbody></table>I didn't feel like I had faster gear, but the gear I was in was already plenty fast so I told myself to relax and hold it. I knew I had less than an hour to go and I could be mentally strong for less than an hour.<p></p><p></p><p>Miles 21-24 were magical. These are always the hardest miles of a marathon and they didn't feel nearly as hard as they usually do. Splits were 7:27, 7:13, 7:17, 7:19. UNREAL. I could not believe it.</p><p>The thought of getting a PR did cross my mind but I felt like I was very fragile at this point. Like I was so lucky to be doing what I was doing that any change in effort and it would all come crashing down. I was on a good path. No need to drastically shake things up. </p><p>Mile 25 and 26 were the only truly hard miles of the race. My legs got achy and I was on autopilot. I didn't have much control over my speed, I just went with whatever I was given! I knew I was on track to crush my goal so I focused on taking it all in and remembering that marathons are what I love to do! I spend so much time and effort every day out of the year to prepare for this one day, this one moment. Mile 25 clocked in at 7:37 and mile 26 at 7:20.</p><p>I saw Greg just before mile marker 26. He snapped some photos and I knew the end was close!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRu8pJUwKQQpvhh66af399u1A6OjwhzA37bd0YYCTLx98jBSq6Eyd_qB9ZNk4nI_PYDoZUhtmKDdyZRb1BO1zuNRUbZZIpC7brs_lorr4NuZ9dpC9MZVb_XVpjWsdtt2QH9vgYHKEyK3C_zVfAisCiaK-a8Q2CQ0x1PYXlM4U0OnnJhfFeJ5VoOy0uKJQ/s1225/106_m-FPIX-3-01190333-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-6848_226356-38719679.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="925" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRu8pJUwKQQpvhh66af399u1A6OjwhzA37bd0YYCTLx98jBSq6Eyd_qB9ZNk4nI_PYDoZUhtmKDdyZRb1BO1zuNRUbZZIpC7brs_lorr4NuZ9dpC9MZVb_XVpjWsdtt2QH9vgYHKEyK3C_zVfAisCiaK-a8Q2CQ0x1PYXlM4U0OnnJhfFeJ5VoOy0uKJQ/s320/106_m-FPIX-3-01190333-DIGITAL_HIGHRES-6848_226356-38719679.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><b>The Finish</b><br />Richmond is known for its screaming downhill finish. Once you get to mile marker 26, the run to the finish line is a very steep downhill. I increased my cadence and let gravity do its thing. According to my Garmin, the last 0.31 miles was a pace of 6:11!<p></p><p>My official time was <b>3:16:04.</b> This earned my 4th place in my new age group 45-49. </p><p>It wasn't long before I vomited. For the past four years I have thrown up after every long distance race. It's inevitable. It doesn't mater how well the race goes, my digestive system shuts down. There was A LOT of vomit, but it was all liquid. It was a yellow-green liquid and I am not sure where that color came from. Once I got it all out I proceeded to find Greg. </p><p>Before I did, someone stopped me and asked me to sign his copy of <i>Boston Bound.</i> Yes, it was another surreal moment. This person just happened to have his book with him at the finish line. I guess he brought it in hopes of seeing me. He ran a time of 3:10 so I guess he got his checked bag and then saw me. I signed the book for him and it made me so happy that someone brought my book to the finish line!</p><p>Greg and I were supposed to meet in the family meeting area, but I did not see that anywhere. I used someone's phone to call him and we eventually found each other. It was there that he told me he had no idea how I did because the tracking wasn't working. But he was able to zoom in on the photos he took of my watch to know it was going well.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ2tmF8fn3mvtq5kN9qLDXveHUhy1yxZqIRc42MNfxhvUNP7-MIKYhF4M3DHaEaT1EQTyt5QnEy1EVNxbGcftlyw2iSlyp525DCpfek_776oOhWmrsFZF53cb0xz0rT_tYHdIs35mINXHRyqKBcQFYPoWitcw-W_74SDABH5Hq1eQPSRip3n7SsLJcMwC/s1718/IMG_8264.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1718" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZ2tmF8fn3mvtq5kN9qLDXveHUhy1yxZqIRc42MNfxhvUNP7-MIKYhF4M3DHaEaT1EQTyt5QnEy1EVNxbGcftlyw2iSlyp525DCpfek_776oOhWmrsFZF53cb0xz0rT_tYHdIs35mINXHRyqKBcQFYPoWitcw-W_74SDABH5Hq1eQPSRip3n7SsLJcMwC/s320/IMG_8264.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>We looked on his phone and found my official result. I was so happy with it! I was simply beaming and runner's high was in full swing. Since tracking wasn't working I wasn't able to tell how Kathy or Laurena were doing. But I later learned that they both crushed their goals; they both qualified for Boston!<p></p><p>It was nearly a mile for us to walk back to the hotel. I was on Cloud 9 the whole time. My legs felt pretty good and nothing was hurting. Truly a rarity post-marathon. Back at the hotel I created my Instagram post and then took a shower. I read my splits to Greg and I was giddy with excitement. 45 was off to a great start. </p><p><b>Stats:</b><br />Here are some fun stats:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>This was my 33rd marathon</li><li>This was my 14th BQ</li><li>I qualified by 33 minutes and 56 seconds</li><li>I qualified "like a man" by 3 minutes and 56 seconds</li><li>This is my biggest BQ cushion ever</li><li>I was 30 seconds slower than my PR of 3:15:34</li><li>This is my second fastest marathon ever</li><li>This is my fastest marathon on a hilly course</li><li>I placed 4 out of 164 women in my age group (45-49)</li><li>First half was 1:38:58, Second half was 1:37:08</li><li>This is a negative split by 1:40 </li><li>Miles 22, 23, and 24 were all sub-7:20 and they were relatively flat</li><li>I set a course PR by 40 minutes and 45 seconds; my time from 2007 was 3:56:41</li><li>I beat my <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/01/houston-marathon-smart-and-steady.html" target="_blank">Houston time </a>from January by over 10 minutes</li><li>I will now be in wave 2 for Boston instead of wave 3</li></ul><div><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />Everything worked out the way it was meant to. My hip injury was a blessing in disguise because the weather for MCM ended up being warm. And being injured on the cruise allowed me more time to enjoy the cruise instead of running on the treadmill. Once I flipped my mindset from a time goal to simply being grateful for the opportunity to run, then I was able to relax.</div><div><br /></div><div>I missed two whole weeks of training and it didn't impact my fitness one bit! I expected it would, but I think it helped my body recover from all the hard work it did in August-early October.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm in excellent shape! This shows that I can coach myself successfully and I will continue to do so. I enjoy the freedom of switching things around to fit my schedule and I think I know what is best for my body at this point. Plus, I am a certified coach so I know how to build a plan. This will also save me money.</div><div><br /></div><div>I coached myself with a few basic principles that I suspected would work best for me, given my history:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A short training cycle. No runs longer than 16 miles until 12 weeks out.</li><li>Focus more on high volume and less on long runs; no runs longer than 20 miles</li><li>High mileage doesn't wear me out - long runs do.</li><li>I get the biggest training benefit from running slightly faster than LT pace </li><li>Easy runs should be no faster than 9:00 in the summer</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqcTY8Qxk4gg9LoRWQxA1CmUv7sHSzHZRtr-aXanNnRPvLSChRcHuapnH37MJva-IJ2J37emuoBv23Z3PgowaiD2HI8ZRz4cR2MDLOcUNoJj_s0IcvJ9ykNNpd8YxCVvDKdQ50sxEhfaOwAk3xMP1xEr9Lzdx-vY_j3P_QSJzIKudHuKp8UdFPkbQA6cM/s1706/Richmond%20Marathon%20End.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1706" data-original-width="1287" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqcTY8Qxk4gg9LoRWQxA1CmUv7sHSzHZRtr-aXanNnRPvLSChRcHuapnH37MJva-IJ2J37emuoBv23Z3PgowaiD2HI8ZRz4cR2MDLOcUNoJj_s0IcvJ9ykNNpd8YxCVvDKdQ50sxEhfaOwAk3xMP1xEr9Lzdx-vY_j3P_QSJzIKudHuKp8UdFPkbQA6cM/s320/Richmond%20Marathon%20End.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>In other words, pack very high volume over 6-8 weeks with 18 milers instead of 20 milers. That will have me peaking at just the right time. I do not think my training contributed to this injury because it was mostly nerve-based. I think running on the tapered brick boardwalk in Miami was the culprit because my hip started hurting about 5 hours later. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>There have been many marathons when I was in physically better shape than I am now, but other obstacles prevented me from running fast. I think I could have PR'ed any of these marathons:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Houston: 3:26 - Too hot and humid</li><li>Two Rivers: 3:19 - Injured during race, slightly overtrained</li><li>Harrisburg - 3:23- Digestive Issues</li><li>CIM - 3:22 - To hot and humid</li><li>Boston: 3:26: Torrential Downpour and 25 mph winds </li></ul></div><p></p><p>So much of it comes down to having a good day. Good weather, good fueling, good mindset, low stress other areas of life. It's admittedly been frustrating having had SO MANY cycles when I felt like I was in shape to PR but then the stars didn't align. Even though I technically didn't PR yesterday, I wasn't trying to do that. I still enjoyed that same magical feeling of exceeding expectations and having that race day magic. A PR is really just a technicality. It's my fastest race on hills and I am 45 years old, not 40. </p><p>I'm encouraged by this race. I've shown that I can run really fast with self-coaching and through having a positive, relaxed mindset. I enjoyed every moment of this and I am glad I savored it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrYEdRPGqrUGSmrWmH99xI48BfVfFWm0aMuHay5J6kgR-t4WOZCsw3lCqquC1u9DSWYJkS_VynsZLirodJlq15FXtxVkgTnuNNGXWtYVOBdaFR7lzKSjwcRp3ZUsfgAGNulQ28ji3mJ7G_LsMgL87jabuHkKrLpvYteTyV_PFdyaCHMfD65zTVtIxpG6H/s1670/Finishcert.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="1670" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrYEdRPGqrUGSmrWmH99xI48BfVfFWm0aMuHay5J6kgR-t4WOZCsw3lCqquC1u9DSWYJkS_VynsZLirodJlq15FXtxVkgTnuNNGXWtYVOBdaFR7lzKSjwcRp3ZUsfgAGNulQ28ji3mJ7G_LsMgL87jabuHkKrLpvYteTyV_PFdyaCHMfD65zTVtIxpG6H/w400-h311/Finishcert.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-27930456234058543432023-10-27T12:16:00.002-04:002023-10-27T13:00:16.812-04:00TFL Trigger Points and Iliohypogastric NeuralgiaOn Friday, October 13th, I noticed that my right hip was aching while climbing stairs. Ever since then, my hip has been the bane of my existence! <div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFdkmyZHIxN7NHQX34jN36V1VrsfxFSyNcnJ40-z65TsGN0tAypGlDiFepCH4dbjM5txnwL8lNot38DxAyeCYnurgy2dPwyeSXicK8DfbW5RgT8qabScI5tEr0uNEBuIyg7p4bD0ehRiAe01HYR_QA4fYvEFbA6_cMaaZNEe05cws0kOU6xOT1yfU6BeG/s1558/StephPiElizabeth.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFdkmyZHIxN7NHQX34jN36V1VrsfxFSyNcnJ40-z65TsGN0tAypGlDiFepCH4dbjM5txnwL8lNot38DxAyeCYnurgy2dPwyeSXicK8DfbW5RgT8qabScI5tEr0uNEBuIyg7p4bD0ehRiAe01HYR_QA4fYvEFbA6_cMaaZNEe05cws0kOU6xOT1yfU6BeG/s320/StephPiElizabeth.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All-brick boardwalk in Miami Beach</td></tr></tbody></table>I'm going to include the timeline of the injury mainly so I can remember it in the future and for anyone else who has a sudden hip issue arise. But it will be quite boring for anyone who isn't me or anyone not suffering from a hip injury. So feel free to skim through or breeze past it to the next section. (Even the title of this blog post is boring in order to be searchable by anyone else suffering!)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Friday, October 13:</b><br />In the morning, I ran 8 miles on the all-brick boardwalk in Miami Beach. I was in Miami getting ready to board a cruise in the afternoon. We had flown in Thursday night so we'd have a night to "chill" in Miami before heading out the the Caribbean. </div><div><br /></div><div>I met up with another Instagram runner, Stephanie (@stephpiruns), for an 8-mile run. Originally I had put 18 miles on the schedule as my last long run before MCM. But then I decided to back that down to 14-16 given the heat. And then when the actual forecast came out for it to be unseasonably warm and humid even for Miami (dew point of 82) I backed it down even further to just 8 miles. </div><div><br /></div><div>The run felt great from a hip perspective, although I was absolutely drenched by the time we were finished. </div><div><br /></div><div>A few hours later, we boarded the cruise ship and then ascended a few flights of stairs to our room. It was at that point I noticed a slight ache in my hip. Something that I had not felt at all during the morning run or at any point in my training. When we got to the room, I moved my hips around and felt a deep ache when I moved my hips to the right. Weird!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gYB9gmxJlTVAdsQ4DWnLqHu6ndguhUAP8S8MuJZ5km8L5FueClBjAdtkTY_LiIaIqxv2JiTTeATLY88jzTUSJktEDNujQOpSaqnAJ2qvrBj6UWdHL-mgF0zpEOui9RB8cW2nLXzG6ispKOCRUXPCIEG90Jz7tTgx-EOxFiMeKbv73VVi6X3uwdE-UEzY/s1489/Scarlet.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gYB9gmxJlTVAdsQ4DWnLqHu6ndguhUAP8S8MuJZ5km8L5FueClBjAdtkTY_LiIaIqxv2JiTTeATLY88jzTUSJktEDNujQOpSaqnAJ2qvrBj6UWdHL-mgF0zpEOui9RB8cW2nLXzG6ispKOCRUXPCIEG90Jz7tTgx-EOxFiMeKbv73VVi6X3uwdE-UEzY/s320/Scarlet.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><b>Saturday, October 14</b><br />The next day, I foam rolled and did some gentle stretching before starting my treadmill run. I only made it<br /> about two miles when I realized this might not be a good idea given the state of my hip. I felt it with every step. And even though it was only a 1.5-2 on the pain scale, it was one of those "I have nothing to gain by doing this but a lot to lose" moments with the marathon just two weeks away.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>October 15-October 18</b><br />The cruise was a nice distraction from the hip. I was able to keep a positive mindset and enjoy the cruise with minimal hip obsession. I was comforted by the fact that I didn't "do anything" to injure my hip during that 8-mile boardwalk run, unless the brick surface really irritated something. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the mornings, I would do foam rolling and gentle stretching and a lot of Googling to figure out the source of the pain. Initially I thought it was an IT band issue, but towards the end of the cruise I had settled on TFL strain. I did not run on Sunday. I did 2-mile runs on Monday and Tuesday, both of which confirmed the pain was still there. On Wednesday I rested it again and that was the day we disembarked and flew back home.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>What did this feel like at this point?</b><br />For anyone experiencing a similar pain, it felt like an extreme tightness and deep soreness all around the Iliac crest (pelvis bone that juts out). Both in front of the bone and behind it. The way I felt this pain was by putting all my weight on my right foot and cocking my hip out to the side/back. Otherwise, I had no hint of any issues at all. I had zero pain at rest. Zero pain walking. Mild pain while running. And a deep pain with that one motion. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Thursday, October 19</b><br />I was miraculously able to see both my doctor and my physical therapist on my first full day back home. Usually my doctor has a 2-3 month wait, but he recently switched practices so his patients probably don't know how to find him! He's an amazing doctor and has a reputation for being one of the best in the area for sports medicine. </div><div><br /></div><div>He diagnosed me with "TFL Trigger Points" which are spasms at the muscle fiber level. He treated it by performing wet needling with an ultrasound, showing me where he was releasing the muscle. He also injected cortisone to near the surrounding nerves. He told me I should be 100% by the following Monday and if not, I should go back to see him again.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Saturday, October 21</b><br />This day was when the freakout finally happened! I had been calm, patient and positive up until Saturday. But when there was seemingly ZERO improvement on a 2-mile test run, I found myself down in the dumps. I threw myself a huge pity party. The sulking lasted all day. The doctor thought I would feel much better by Saturday and yet nothing had changed. Thus, I was discouraged. Defeated! DEFLATED!</div><div><br /></div><div>I did not run on Sunday but tried again on Monday, because Monday was supposed to be the 100% day. The first two miles were mostly pain free but after that, there was no denying that the pain was still there. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tuesday, October 24</b><br />I returned to the doctor and he said that while there definitely were trigger points when he had seen me the previous week, he thought there could also be a nerve issue. He identified the nerve as the<i> Iliohypogastric nerve</i>, which runs right over the iliac crest. It was time for more injections! This time the goal was to get cortisone around that specific nerve at the specific spot where it was most painful. The nerve he targeted last time was a different one. Using an ultrasound, he found the nerve, I told him where the pain was most intense, and he injected it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The doctor was confident in his diagnosis and treatment and confirmed that the bone and tendons were in<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7uusXSuWceLGPoujIgOwuRg-RYx4wjeqmFrMwOj3B4Obei5Nvj4MvpBr8RVuc5MZtfHN8iIpQ4JVr_RxHc9WznZxLkXoEFGFPd2jsYH9qg8-f0y9426X1r3Ma5JUin3p-C-bSSod-frmlqmm9GrJTGUXl5J6dpKKDpzO3awexOdgiAF1dfgJKPZAGKJV/s659/Iliohypogastric%20nerve.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="659" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7uusXSuWceLGPoujIgOwuRg-RYx4wjeqmFrMwOj3B4Obei5Nvj4MvpBr8RVuc5MZtfHN8iIpQ4JVr_RxHc9WznZxLkXoEFGFPd2jsYH9qg8-f0y9426X1r3Ma5JUin3p-C-bSSod-frmlqmm9GrJTGUXl5J6dpKKDpzO3awexOdgiAF1dfgJKPZAGKJV/w200-h198/Iliohypogastric%20nerve.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red arrow is where the nerve hurts!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> good shape. We just needed time for the cortisone to work around the nerve. </div><div><br /></div><div>Per his direction, I rested on Wednesday and Thursday, making sure to ice the hip on a frequent basis.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Friday, October 27</b><br />With the doctor's green light to resume running, I tried running again today. And it was not 100% pain free, but the pain had changed quite a bit. Previously while running, there was a large area of soreness and tightness all around that TFL. Now, the area of pain was a quarter-sized area, concentrated right over the bone of the iliac crest. </div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine you bang your hip on something, it bruises, and whenever you touch it, it feels tender. That's what running felt like. Every step I took felt like I had a bruise that was being poked-- right over the bone. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>The good news is: </b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The area of pain is smaller</li><li>The area of pain is quite superficial (close to the skin)</li><li>The pain didn't seem to worsen over the course of 4 miles </li><li>The pain was never more than 1.5 out of 10 on the pain scale</li><li>I had no pain after the run, and I walked a full pain-free mile afterwards</li></ul><div><b>The bad news is:</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I am not 100% pain free</li><li>I am not sure what would happen if I did a long run or speed work</li><li>Definitely no Marine Corps Marathon (although would I have run it anyway in the 70-degree heat?)</li></ul></div></div><div><b>What next?</b><br />In a situation like this, the only thing I can do is take it one day at a time. The doctor did a thorough exam and an x-ray and was confident in his diagnosis, so I have to believe it's just a nerve that needs to calm down and the cortisone will start to kick in over the next few days. </div><div><br /></div><div>In terms of running, my rule of thumb is to never let it go above a 2 on the pain scale. If it starts to do that, I will stop immediately and walk home or call Greg. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am eying Richmond and Philadelphia as possible backups. If I don't end up doing either of those, then I am not sure I want to keep marathon training this season. I'll just have to see how I feel.</div><div><br /></div><div>I ended my pity party with acceptance, so now that I have reached that stage I am mentally handling things pretty well. I have accepted that a fall marathon might not be in the cards. It's frustrating and disappointing, but it's all part of running.</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-27544153312857746642023-10-05T16:57:00.002-04:002023-10-05T19:09:26.577-04:00Boston Marathon Controversies Galore!<p>Last week the B.A.A. announced that 11,000 qualifiers would not be admitted into the Boston Marathon. The qualifier field was limited to just over 22,000 runners and the race had <a href="https://www.baa.org/global-field-qualifiers-notified-acceptance-128th-boston-marathon-presented-bank-america" target="_blank">33,058 applicants</a>. Anyone who did not run at least 5 minutes and 29 seconds faster than their qualifying standard was denied entry. A week later, Tracksmith announced that their BQ singlet would only be available to those runners who had been accepted (22,019 runners), not to all qualifiers. </p><p>Everything in the above paragraph caused quite a bit of controversy. I'll provide an overview of the controversies along with my take on each.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIeGeqC0JdSBv8S3Cx7YNlqGpjgNr6gH-qv_g79X2Fu5yZNF94XLlmGoXvQaoMNlonJyuOQ_QOKCukrytX_Wru89UKMZAoMuuWc-y4ktoI47CS2IBtm0SV9xDZ97NQuc50BZnPD4ZLkMh17a6M_ZJxUzc3G9AUB2FGXrvIv3YXNzgIQhnzUrYrnsFOCGC/s2662/Boston2018.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2662" data-original-width="2555" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIeGeqC0JdSBv8S3Cx7YNlqGpjgNr6gH-qv_g79X2Fu5yZNF94XLlmGoXvQaoMNlonJyuOQ_QOKCukrytX_Wru89UKMZAoMuuWc-y4ktoI47CS2IBtm0SV9xDZ97NQuc50BZnPD4ZLkMh17a6M_ZJxUzc3G9AUB2FGXrvIv3YXNzgIQhnzUrYrnsFOCGC/s320/Boston2018.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><b>Are the women's qualifying standards "softer" than the men's? </b>I've heard this claim quite frequently: It's easier for women to gain entry into the Boston Marathon than it is for men. Support for this argument is that if you compare elite men to elite women, the top men are less than 20 minutes faster than the women. Instead of the women's qualifying standards being 30 minutes slower than the men's times, they should only be 20 minutes slower. <p></p><p>There's no data to support the claim of the women's times being easier. Most notably, the Boston Marathon accepted 12,535 male qualifiers and 9,440 female qualifiers. If the B.A.A. made it harder for women to get in, there would be <i>even fewer </i>women in the race. </p><p>Further, as the times get slower, the percentage of time difference shrinks. Here's an example. Let's say you have an elite male running a time of 2:05 and an elite female running a time of 2:25. That's a 20-minute difference, and 20 minutes is 16% of 2:05. So the elite female ran 16% slower than the male. Now let's look at an amateur male running a time of 3:10 vs. a woman running 20 minutes slower at 3:30. In this case, the woman has run only 10.5% slower than the man. The gap between a 2:05 and a 2:25 is therefore a <i>larger </i>gap than 3:10 and 3:30. If the percentage difference of 16 were to be maintained, the equivalent amateur woman's time would be. . . 30 minutes slower at 3:40.</p><p>So you cannot look at the elite field and say, "the men's and women's times are so much closer together than the 30-minute difference in BQ standards." It's true in terms of actual minutes on the clock. But not in terms of percentage difference. </p><p>All that being said, it does "seem like" the women's times are easier. On a gut instinct level it just seems like it's harder for a man to run a 3:10 than it is for a woman to run a 3:40. And you could potentially say that there would be far more women qualifying for Boston if women trained as hard as men did. And that women, on average, do not train as hard because a certain percentage of them are pregnant or postpartum. But once again, all of this is based on gut feeling and I haven't seen any data to support this claim. </p><p>To sum up, it may "feel like" the women's times are softer, but the data indicates that it is not easier for women to qualify for Boston than it is for men. And I believe the goal of the B.A.A. with their standards is to have a relatively equal number of runners from each group and not to make standards that are equally physically challenging. You'd almost never have an elite male beat the qualifying standard by over an hour, but there are older women who have beat their standards by over an hour.</p><p><b>Is the non-binary category fair?</b><br />44 non binary athletes were accepted into the Boston Marathon. I've heard all sorts of perspectives on this one. Before I get into it, the non-binary qualifying standards are the same as the women's standards. The B.A.A. says they do not yet have enough data to determine what the actual standard should be yet, so for 2024 they are going with the women's standards. </p><p>At one extreme you have people saying that the non-binary category makes it easy for men to cheat their way in under the women's standards. And so the race is soon going to be full of men pretending to be non-binary. On the other extreme you have people saying that Boston is still not inclusive enough. I've also heard the argument "why do people care about the non-binary category-- it doesn't affect them." </p><p>My thoughts on this issue are that it all goes back to the B.A.A. and their goals. If everything was 100% "fair" (which would be impossible anyway) then you probably wouldn't have a situation in which a woman in her 60s can beat her BQ time by over an hour but a young elite male cannot. With this non-binary category, their goal is to show inclusivity. The goal isn't necessarily to be fair, and that's their prerogative; it's their race. </p><p>Remember the vaccine mandates from 2022? The goal was not to Covid-proof the race; that would be impossible. (There was no requirements for volunteers, etc.) The goals were to comply with local town ordinances and make runners <i>feel</i> safe. Many runners, myself included, didn't think the mandates were fair. But the B.A.A. is not obligated to be fair. </p><p>To qualify as non-binary you must have qualified in another race in the non-binary category. Will there be runners who take advantage of this? Potentially, but that's really going to an extreme length to cheat your way into the race. What about the non-binary runners who have male genetics who can qualify under the same standards as the women? Yes, those runners have an advantage. The mere act of identifying as non-binary has not changed their physical abilities. </p><p>The problem that the B.A.A. is running into is that they are trying to be as inclusive as possible while also being exclusive. And it's not possible to do both. And it's <i>definitely </i>not possible to do both 100% fairly. Someone is always going to have an unfair advantage.</p><p>The notion that they are going to look at non-binary data seems fruitless because identifying as non-binary has nothing to do with one's physical abilities as a runner. I am not sure what they are expecting to find. And even if they did end up making the non-binary standards the same as the men's standards, they would receive backlash for not being inclusive.</p><p>Finally, I'll address this position: "The non-binary category doesn't impact you - just focus on your own BQ." For the sake of one's own mental health, it's always best to focus primarily on the things you can control. But if everyone did that all the time on every issue, society would likely collapse. Healthy debate is good for all communities, including the running community. You don't want to be fully entrenched in social media debates about non-binary athletes running a marathon, but you also don't want to be completely blind and isolated from what is happening in the world around you. </p><p>This debate should not be centered around the non-binary athletes themselves, but the policies of the B.A.A.</p><p><b>Should extreme downhill races be allowed as Boston Qualifiers?</b><br />Extreme downhill races like those found in the "Revel" series are often blamed for the increase in the number of Boston qualifiers. Are these courses fair?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Jfl36UP24KcS0tcpNROt1I8fQQ8QMpMm8hs9MbHhSN4EmRq1JvQ9ja75Kx6256U2mMCsjoWsWPxbbcln6pCvSid4Sav4-F3wFAG58-uHyeMlgQyFm-mChzIsk9srZWHvBC9-B5xB5CouYuH_Fh1nfYj-9J-n0QjgwhuOxvaDwn4USWRyc7ZECwjSrNfp/s1761/Boston%20Marathon%20Elizabeth%20Clor%202022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1761" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Jfl36UP24KcS0tcpNROt1I8fQQ8QMpMm8hs9MbHhSN4EmRq1JvQ9ja75Kx6256U2mMCsjoWsWPxbbcln6pCvSid4Sav4-F3wFAG58-uHyeMlgQyFm-mChzIsk9srZWHvBC9-B5xB5CouYuH_Fh1nfYj-9J-n0QjgwhuOxvaDwn4USWRyc7ZECwjSrNfp/w236-h320/Boston%20Marathon%20Elizabeth%20Clor%202022.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>Having never run one of these courses I am not in a position to weigh in authoritatively. But this is my blog so I will share my non-authoritative thoughts. <div><br /></div><div>The only marathon I ever ran that had a net downhill greater than Boston was <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2019/05/the-sugarloaf-marathon-wet-and-wild.html" target="_blank">Sugarloaf in 2019</a>. That was not one of my faster marathons, but I was also suffering from hypothermia at the end. CIM might also fall into that camp, but CIM is nothing like the Revel races, which have thousands of feet of elevation loss.<p></p><p>I've heard that extreme downhill races come with their own challenges like beating up the quads. Aerobically it might be a walk in the park, but you still need your legs to carry you to the finish line. All of that being said, the data shows that these courses are notably faster than courses with a net-even elevation. Does that mean they should be excluded as qualifying races?</p><p>If it were up to me I would institute a limit on the amount of elevation loss permitted. It might be fair to say the Boston Qualifying race cannot have a net elevation loss that is greater than the Boston Marathon's own elevation loss. Not to discount the achievement of runners who participate in Revel, but to level the playing field for one particular race, which is Boston.</p><p>The reality is that these races would have far fewer participants if they were not eligible for Boston. If Boston axed them it would potentially put these races out of business. Are they going to do that? Unlikely. Plus, these races are open to all runners. Anyone who wants the advantage of the downhill can run a Revel race. </p><p><b>What in the world is up with Tracksmith?</b><br />Less than one week after the B.A.A. announced that over 11,000 qualifiers did not gain entry into the Boston Marathon, Trackmith added insult to injury by releasing a BQ singlet only available to confirmed entrants. They would not sell the "BQ" singlet to runners who actually did the thing that the singlet says! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SWpqPkRns2DI0e0e5tsMaHACyOrU8MXOu6NcBfhY2GTPF4TzsYiUmknYyGBVdm20wqdd5MQWZqo0m7gG61nhEPP3VPmDGIX7rXJ488NhKtjmTZtcs2-1EBjmaHEw2ggLiir0es6lWof6JJhMj0gMCYxGJibGMGxDuhwxGlhUJgkT9NJTXCHN9wGBuKo6/s1612/Twilight.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1612" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SWpqPkRns2DI0e0e5tsMaHACyOrU8MXOu6NcBfhY2GTPF4TzsYiUmknYyGBVdm20wqdd5MQWZqo0m7gG61nhEPP3VPmDGIX7rXJ488NhKtjmTZtcs2-1EBjmaHEw2ggLiir0es6lWof6JJhMj0gMCYxGJibGMGxDuhwxGlhUJgkT9NJTXCHN9wGBuKo6/s320/Twilight.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>Now, if the singlet said "BQ - 5:29" then, okay. Or if it said "I was accepted into Boston 2024" then, okay. But that's not what the singlet says. If it's a BQ singlet it should be available to all qualifiers. I applaud Tracksmith for celebrating the accomplishment of a BQ, but they undermined their own celebration by talking down to those qualifiers that were not accepted into the marathon.<p></p><p>The backlash on Tracksmith was intense because their post on social media was about much more than the singlet. It began with the quote "This isn't a jogging race," as if the 11,000 non-accepted BQers jogged their way to the finish line. The tone of the post was elitist in several ways and Tracksmith finally took the post down and issued an apology post the following day. </p>This social media post raised the following question by many - is Tracksmith an inclusive brand? What exactly does it mean to be "inclusive" anyway? I'd argue that it's an ideal which is impossible to attain in reality. Featuring runners of diverse ethnic backgrounds does not automatically make you inclusive. Especially not when you charge <a href="https://www.tracksmith.com/products/w-brighton-briefs?sku=WB705201STG" target="_blank">$48 for a pair of underwear</a>. <p></p><p>Putting on my marketing hat, this is a huge gaffe. You do not post something that feels elitist to a large percentage of your customer base. Especially after these runners worked hard to qualify for Boston, only to be turned away less than one week prior! Issuing the apology was definitely the right thing to do, but it will not be 100% damage control for the brand.</p><p>Will I still buy Tracksmith? I have a <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2022/02/the-ultimate-tracksmith-gear-review.html" target="_blank">love/hate relationship with the brand.</a> So sure, I will still buy their stuff from time to time. Thankfully they apologized, but I was never 100% sold on their messaging to begin with. Something about the brand has always rubbed me the wrong way in terms of being borderline pretentious.</p><p>I have noticed a decline in their service over the past year. They used to ship their items out immediately and for my last order it took them 5 days to ship the order, plus additional time for it to be delivered. Their prices have increased but their processing speed has decreased. I much prefer<a href="http://www.runinrabbit.com" target="_blank"> rabbit</a> to Tracksmith; rabbit is a feel-good, happy brand with fun colors and styles. California-based rabbit has much better options for summer running, but Boston-based Tracksmith has better options for colder months.</p><p><b>Final Thoughts</b><br />The common theme with my take on these controversies is that you cannot be "inclusive" and "exclusive" at the same time; that's a losing battle. The notion of 100% fairness is unrealistic, especially when "fair" isn't necessarily the goal. It seems like the B.A.A. is opting for equal representation across ages and genders instead of making things equally physically challenging across the board. Tracksmith will continue to face backlash. Feel free to disagree. These are, after all, controversies. All I ask is that you keep it respectful!</p></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-43248085077506011812023-09-24T17:13:00.002-04:002023-09-24T17:34:40.213-04:00The Perfect 10: Perfectly Wet!<p>I was supposed to run the Susquehanna River Half Marathon yesterday, but it was cancelled due to a tropical storm. This did not come as a surprise to me as the course runs over a mile-long bridge and the forecast called for gusts of over 35 mph. Thankfully I was able to cancel my hotel room with no penalty and the race offered a 50% voucher towards next year's event. I was really excited about the course so I hope to do it next year.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8w1XmrxmTCyt-hD6HzPXiwVVzI8ZNANiGwWK1kz7UzxK1t9MoDcuGmXNZGIyySlqJwi-3C0hfxNMnmkAGDTrafQTGSUab_SxbBFfgcOhbbsfKwu8LksH7Qpf-A2GkiKHgHINm4Cer26J-_B3ZVxPp0hulakxfAeIM9sbJs2m8XAZ7qtfmzsxhyTRJIVAA/s1692/Perfect10_1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1692" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8w1XmrxmTCyt-hD6HzPXiwVVzI8ZNANiGwWK1kz7UzxK1t9MoDcuGmXNZGIyySlqJwi-3C0hfxNMnmkAGDTrafQTGSUab_SxbBFfgcOhbbsfKwu8LksH7Qpf-A2GkiKHgHINm4Cer26J-_B3ZVxPp0hulakxfAeIM9sbJs2m8XAZ7qtfmzsxhyTRJIVAA/s320/Perfect10_1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>So instead of running the half marathon yesterday, I ran a local ten-mile race day called "The Perfect 10." Runners choose between a 10K or a 10 miler. I had run this same course <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2015/03/reston-10-miler-report-hilly-snowy-and.html" target="_blank">back in 2015</a>, also as a backup race for a half marathon that was canceled due to weather. My time was 1:15:31 back then. I reviewed my Strava data to get re-acquainted with the course profile and I remembered running a really strong race.<p></p><p>Why is this race always my backup and not my goal race? Mainly because it's not in a particularly exciting location, or a location that's new to me. It's also quite hilly. And I prefer half marathon tune-up races over 10 mile races. But I do enjoy races put on by our local running store, Potomac River Running. I knew the race would be well managed and I'd probably know other runners.</p><p>I received the cancellation email when I woke up on Friday morning. I registered for the 10 miler that same day and went to pick up my bib. On Saturday morning the storm was in full swing so I did my shakeout run on the treadmill: an easy 30 minutes.</p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I was quite indecisive about my outfit. On the one hand, it was forecast to be 62 degrees, which meant shorts and a sports bra. On the other hand, it was supposed to be rainy and windy which meant it would feel colder. I remembered the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/07/firecracker-5k-more-fashion-than-fit.html" target="_blank">Firecracker 5K from July</a> when I raced in a wet tank top and the cooling effect it had. So I figured I would wear a form-fitted tank top and longer-than-normal compression shorts. The hope was that these clothes would feel cool against my body and be tight enough not to be flapping around.</p><p>On the topic of weather, I give this weather a 6 out of 10 on my race weather scale. It was 62 degrees with 100% humidity and a light steady rain. Thankfully the wind was light at around 8 mph. If it had rained any harder, I would have given this a 5. If it didn't rain at all, I would have given this a 4. But it was the PERFECT amount of rain to keep me cool without being a heavy downpour. So, yay for the perfect rain!</p><p>We arrived about an hour before the race started. I drank a serving of <a href="https://ucan.co/collections/energy-powder?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">UCAN Energy Powder</a> in the car. I have been using this more and more before my long runs and it's been working well. There was a time when I had stopped using it due to stomach distress but I think that was a one-off incident. After that was done, I used the bathroom and started my warm up. </p><p>The original plan was to run at least 13 miles so I would have the distance of a half marathon, but then I realized that 1 or 2 extra miles would not make a difference in the grand scheme of things so I warmed up for 2.3 miles. </p><p>Greg played the role of cheerleader and videographer for this race. His injury is finally starting to heal but he's not ready to run quite yet. He wore a big poncho that was the same shade of red as the demons in the movie <i>The Village</i>. We had just watched this movie a week prior so it was fresh in our minds. Those demons where referred to "Those of Whom We Do Not Speak" so we kept making jokes about how Greg was one of Those of Whom We Do Not Speak. If you saw the movie and Greg in the poncho, you'd get it.</p><p><b>Miles 1-3</b><br />The 10K and 10 mile runners started together. After 6 miles the 10K runners would turn off towards the finish line and the 10-mile runners would run a 4-mile loop to get to the same finish line. I didn't really</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PlPdvbfvhlO2EUa7ronwr0vuA3iV1jqwkaYf75ifSELhr2MDu_zizh_1xgxeshCRKzD1RsjvJdMZvQeMJXeNnIV5e0VU7Bb3b3EQhL7PwfndmHgMX7cjVGyLIypepGotOY710XXr3cx1wdfCMKnQKmftYhV0aPMzca0_Z_3zI_GzCa3PiJOXXJ9UNl21/s1667/Perfect%2010_2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PlPdvbfvhlO2EUa7ronwr0vuA3iV1jqwkaYf75ifSELhr2MDu_zizh_1xgxeshCRKzD1RsjvJdMZvQeMJXeNnIV5e0VU7Bb3b3EQhL7PwfndmHgMX7cjVGyLIypepGotOY710XXr3cx1wdfCMKnQKmftYhV0aPMzca0_Z_3zI_GzCa3PiJOXXJ9UNl21/s320/Perfect%2010_2.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 1, photo by Cheryl Young</td></tr></tbody></table>have a time goal for this race. It was too hilly for it to be a true predictor of my Marine Corps Marathon time, so I decided it would be nice to beat my 2015 time (1:15:31) by at least two minutes, and ideally run under 1:13. If I was having a good day, maybe I could squeak under 1:12.<p></p><p>The race started and I realized it was on the small side for a Potomac River Running race. I think a lot of people must have bailed due to the weather. My physical therapist was supposed to run it and I didn't see him. I am guessing his absence was not weather-related though. </p><p>The roads were soaked and I didn't even try to dodge the puddles. I did have to be extra careful with the potholes and there were places with a lot of fallen acorns that were also challenging. </p><p>I took a caffeinated Maurten gel about 5 minutes into the race. It didn't sit well and I had a nauseous feeling for the next 10 minutes. </p><p>I remembered my 2015 splits and and pacing. I paced it really well in 2015 so I tried to mimic that strategy. The first three miles were hilly but they were mostly equal parts uphill and equal parts downhill.</p><p>Mile 1: 7:03<br />Mile 2: 7:05<br />Mile 3: 7:18</p><p><b>Miles 4-6</b><br />As you can see, my pacing wasn't exactly going in the right direction. But I wasn't discouraged because I knew I was keeping the effort steady. In 2015, mile 4 was my slowest mile. So I gave myself some grace here. I knew, however, that I would be rewarded with a very fast mile 5. As I was giving myself grace, two runners passed me. One of whom was a female. I glanced at her bib to see if she was running the 10K or the 10 mile. I could see that the corner of it was a darker shade of blue which meant she was in the 10 miler. I told myself not to get too competitive at this stage in the game. I could catch up later.</p><p>She was ahead of me for maybe half a mile and then as we started descending the hill I was able to pass her. </p><p>I saw Greg at mile 6 as we approached the start/finish, which is where the 10K runners were turning off. At this point, he told me that I was in second place. I honestly had no idea where I was in the field because I couldn't tell which runners were in the 10K vs. the 10 miler. But second place, that was pretty awesome. I hoped I could hold onto that. </p><p>Mile 4: 7:25<br />Mile 5: 6:55<br />Mile 6: 7:04</p><p><b>Miles 7-10</b><br />I knew to expect that miles 7 and 8 were net uphill and miles 9 and 10 were net downhill. Mentally I told myself I just had to get to mile marker 9 and then I would mostly be done with the uphill. It didn't exactly<br /> go that way and the ups and downs weren't exactly where I expected. But I told myself just to roll with it. I had another Maurten gel at the start of the 7th mile - this time without the caffeine. I only had half of it though because I didn't need the whole thing to get me through about 30 minutes of work. It didn't sit well but thankfully I was only uncomfortable for a few minutes. </p><p>My legs were starting to feel pretty beat up by this point. They had zero pep going up the hills. I did not feel like I had strong legs at all. From a cardiovascular perspective, I think I had a little more to give. But my legs didn't want any part of it!</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3pGGYTU_dlrCW0qA3tzG2UC4lT80l_RVsDxFJri-l8UlEf52LsoFtao515XvXhkVuwhTiY-a8vYsnzK6q70xuezB51ndkGSU4a5gFMhhTsLNDQPb70VHTMPG0xgJKkoQ638VRKykRaAR90aZisGCz52heNNQwLBCFxK-TgiqU6Cn1e-roCvOeXce3kXk/s1765/Perfect%2010_3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1765" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3pGGYTU_dlrCW0qA3tzG2UC4lT80l_RVsDxFJri-l8UlEf52LsoFtao515XvXhkVuwhTiY-a8vYsnzK6q70xuezB51ndkGSU4a5gFMhhTsLNDQPb70VHTMPG0xgJKkoQ638VRKykRaAR90aZisGCz52heNNQwLBCFxK-TgiqU6Cn1e-roCvOeXce3kXk/s320/Perfect%2010_3.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running to the finish!</td></tr></tbody></table>My biggest focus now was to hang in there enough so that the woman I had passed earlier in the race didn't catch up. I wanted to solidify my second place position. <p></p><p>Unfortunately mile 9 was not the big downhill I had expected based on the elevation data. But mile 10 had a nice decline. </p><p></p><p>The finish of this race was not nice. They had us run through the high school parking lot, down a hill, and then do a hairpin turn to come back up that same hill! And then down a hill with a few turns onto a track. But we only got to run about 100 meters on the track. At the hairpin turn I saw my competition about 20 seconds behind me. If she had a good final kick she could maybe close the gap. This motivated me to give it all I had, while also minding the pot holes and bumpy pavement in the school parking lot.</p><p>Mile 7: 7:42 (yikes!)<br />Mile 8: 7:25<br />Mile 9: 7:27<br />Mile 10: 7:03<br />Last 0.06 on my Garmin: 6:38 pace<br /></p><p>I sprinted through the finish line with an official time of <b>1:12:53</b>. I was the second female finisher! The First place female was over 8 minutes ahead of me; there was no attempt to catch her. </p><p><b>After the Race</b><br />I reunited with Greg and it wasn't long before my typical dry heaving started. This was never an issue in my 30s. But once I turned 40 it's happened at almost every race longer than a 10K. And if it's not dry heaving, it's actual vomit.</p><p>Instead of doing a cool down run I decided to prioritize getting warm. Even though it was 62 degrees I was soaked and I did not want to risk hypothermia. I learned my lesson on that last year! I changed into dry clothing immediately and waited for the awards to start. </p><p>I won a gift certificate to the running store which more than made up for the registration fee. Then we drove home and I was quick to get into a nice warm bath.</p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />During the race and immediately after I wasn't too pleased with my performance. It got very hard in the last 4 miles and I slowed down. But the more I thought about it from all angles, the more I realized that this was a strong performance. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Even though I had better pacing in 2015, it was 35 degrees cooler back then (the early March rendition of this same race).</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyVgNkVNlyKYwOb0-NBgdO2C_MleVBspJCXjX6eRWsH5FUELN6__-eGtbpH1oR-z7iBkJKe3qv2j2MlirmKU6dFFjirV3NwjarDcOnyfA9CmANLRora7KXjubtqDjzW3-MUtudWw1gx3DUxAJokHucO60bNshq9pdzpnjFstQTXPajtmyekn5kL_uZ8S8/s2080/Elizabeth_Clor_A45CF0E.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyVgNkVNlyKYwOb0-NBgdO2C_MleVBspJCXjX6eRWsH5FUELN6__-eGtbpH1oR-z7iBkJKe3qv2j2MlirmKU6dFFjirV3NwjarDcOnyfA9CmANLRora7KXjubtqDjzW3-MUtudWw1gx3DUxAJokHucO60bNshq9pdzpnjFstQTXPajtmyekn5kL_uZ8S8/w225-h400/Elizabeth_Clor_A45CF0E.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>Speaking of 2015, my original goal was to beat that time by two minutes, and I beat it by more than 2:30! In much warmer weather!</li><li>Speaking of weather, even though the rain made this manageable for me, the humidity still posed a<br /> challenge. Running these kind of paces in temps above 60 degrees is really good for me. Especially on hills.</li><li>Speaking of hills, I am sure I used extra muscles to stabilize myself on the downhills with the wet pavement. You have to be careful running downhill on wet pavement to not bite it! Especially in the adidas Adios Pro which has almost no traction.</li><li>This course is not a good predictor for what I will be able to accomplish at MCM. All things being equal, the McMillan Running Calculator has me at 3:24. But all things will not be equal because MCM is far less hilly, and <i>should be</i> cooler. I'll also have an additional 5 weeks of training under my belt. So my MCM goal of sub 3:20 seems realistic if the stars align.</li><li>Speaking of 5 weeks of training - I'm getting so close! I really only have two big weeks ahead of me and then I go on a cruise. During which I pray not to get sick. I know it's not the smartest idea to go on a cruise two weeks before a marathon, but my sister invited me and we haven't been on vacation together in a long time.</li></ul><div>Provided that I don't get sick and that we don't have tropical weather on race day, I think I am good to go for Marine Corps. I have been having some minor high hamstring irritation, but I am keeping that under control with physical therapy. Today's race did not seem to make it worse; I hope I still feel this way tomorrow morning. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall a fun morning and I am really glad I showed up!</div><p></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-79724724860459547222023-09-16T17:31:00.002-04:002023-09-16T17:52:22.817-04:00Zebra Dazzle 5K<p>I've been waiting my entire 20-year running career for a race like this. A zebra-themed 5K! A dazzle is group of zebras, so "Zebra Dazzle" was an appropriate name. </p><p>This race was held in Washington DC to benefit the <a href="https://www.amyloidosis.org/" target="_blank">Amyloidosis Foundation</a>. It was organized by the sister of a woman who passed away from this rare disease.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_u_fiIdGUYJpOU_jA_EIYL-rZI6yCUUOj50Ey9ehpUUYVcFBgLoNSztcuPVQAmvsgiMBR_g1E8fVHANjuHhlXSShRmL0uBF0zoSU6110Zw-kAvJC0rFjC9e8dtC6cpVmJeSa717b_LpwI0GhG2yuF5OsBl-9naZ3qeNpILoG-7JDQpUVCFpIPQO_O8l4/s1750/Zebra%20Dazzle1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_u_fiIdGUYJpOU_jA_EIYL-rZI6yCUUOj50Ey9ehpUUYVcFBgLoNSztcuPVQAmvsgiMBR_g1E8fVHANjuHhlXSShRmL0uBF0zoSU6110Zw-kAvJC0rFjC9e8dtC6cpVmJeSa717b_LpwI0GhG2yuF5OsBl-9naZ3qeNpILoG-7JDQpUVCFpIPQO_O8l4/s320/Zebra%20Dazzle1.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team ACE of Stripes</td></tr></tbody></table>My friend Cheryl discovered this race when she was searching for local races. When she shared it with me, I knew it was something I had to participate in. I'm extremely fortunate to have two good friends, Cheryl and Allison, who were willing to dress in zebra print and run this race with me!<p></p><p>We planned our matching outfits in advance. We each bought the same pair of zebra shorts, which Allison and Cheryl later told me would be their spectating gear for the Marine Corps Marathon! I love how they are so zebra-spirited! </p><p>We registered as a team. There were no team awards, but in the results our team name showed up next to each of our names, which was cool. We settled on <i>ACE of Stripes</i>: A for Allison, C for Cheryl, and E for Elizabeth. </p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I was so excited about this race! I got dressed in my zebra shorts and matching crop top. The crop top was actually a gift from Cheryl before we even got the matching shorts. Of course I had my Zensah Zebra socks and matching adidas Adios Pro shoes. </p><p>It took us about 45 minutes to drive to the race in Rock Creek Park. When we got there, we noticed they had fun signs along the course. Each sign had a zebra on it with a motivational message. I was loving it so much. The shirt also had a photo of a zebra on it next to a runner. Best race shirt ever!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuzJhT4BRA2MuFAINctg3-krchsSFx6bn1vL7rpc7HSXGEjugx6AmV10Ar2uv13igDJhWk8zFRxoOKf6LHP0AORvegCsQt3wwnsH4NoTAMXiP3dlE8X36eutTtEZqmAp83w_3KCMTQunVLscoHLqDgdcX_29crJLIe_tMyawttFGUmrBmWaw81kxlzEx_/s1300/Sign1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1300" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuzJhT4BRA2MuFAINctg3-krchsSFx6bn1vL7rpc7HSXGEjugx6AmV10Ar2uv13igDJhWk8zFRxoOKf6LHP0AORvegCsQt3wwnsH4NoTAMXiP3dlE8X36eutTtEZqmAp83w_3KCMTQunVLscoHLqDgdcX_29crJLIe_tMyawttFGUmrBmWaw81kxlzEx_/s320/Sign1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course signage</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We warmed up for about 20 minutes and then we were ready to go. It was 57 degrees and sunny with low humidity. Unseasonably cool for this time of year! We definitely lucked out. I would normally give this a 6 out of 10 on my race weather scale but since it's only mid-September I will bump that up to an 8. You actually couldn't ask for anything better this time of year, but that does not automatically make it a 10! In my world, it's not possible to get a 10 unless it's October through April. </p><p><b>Goals</b><br />My main goal was to look like a zebra and I think I accomplished that. I got so many compliments on my outfit. And of course another key goal was to have a fun morning with my friends. I also thought that the awards might have zebras on them so I was hoping to win an award. I didn't have a goal pace or time because I was mainly doing this as a workout. I have a 20-mile run on tap tomorrow so I didn't want to go all out. I decided I would run as hard as I could to feel like I got a good workout in.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvSzx3zu-rV0raKSfLHsX3R6-auo9IVDKM61sdK2Mk8QAbeI31pwL35p-W5HzZxrkV1ZADSVUiWbNLOfAd47mVyQiNoK1pOBj1WFtDdTp49J-zjBHFPGdcpV-C-1S-1yXdnlBjkDoyC7ybOjVEM5KsT8hWoCZ2KjzLCJZ_Q2BiqCT7jSNDrelXnzHvoy8/s1170/IMG_6769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="1170" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvSzx3zu-rV0raKSfLHsX3R6-auo9IVDKM61sdK2Mk8QAbeI31pwL35p-W5HzZxrkV1ZADSVUiWbNLOfAd47mVyQiNoK1pOBj1WFtDdTp49J-zjBHFPGdcpV-C-1S-1yXdnlBjkDoyC7ybOjVEM5KsT8hWoCZ2KjzLCJZ_Q2BiqCT7jSNDrelXnzHvoy8/s320/IMG_6769.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Course Elevation Profile</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Mile 1<br /></b>The race started and two little boys ran out in front. I think they were about 10 years old. I decided to run with Cheryl until we saw Greg for our photo opp. Allison stayed back as she is just getting back into running.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75mIxGm7sed-eMqrM_yNSX4bEnYSOxASYPuLljD_PKW3qIUkQb1s6etkJ6SvczthBSc0j5mPao89VpmT0aS414ShnheAGpCkHoln28uJ5oEXJxuo715H9L1f8fAR2PnWK0BJ1Hyck6LqUeUao2hu_Wopb_WieudZLYoKghw6VMbhChsrG5TiF9jmNSu90/s1950/Cheryl%20Dazzle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75mIxGm7sed-eMqrM_yNSX4bEnYSOxASYPuLljD_PKW3qIUkQb1s6etkJ6SvczthBSc0j5mPao89VpmT0aS414ShnheAGpCkHoln28uJ5oEXJxuo715H9L1f8fAR2PnWK0BJ1Hyck6LqUeUao2hu_Wopb_WieudZLYoKghw6VMbhChsrG5TiF9jmNSu90/s320/Cheryl%20Dazzle.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>I sped up to where one of the kids was and I said "there's a zebra chasing you!" and that really motivated him to go faster. But it wasn't long before he realized he couldn't keep up. That's when he quickly developed a new plan: block my path so I couldn't run faster than him. I would run around him and get ahead, and then he would sprint and cut me off, and get right in font of me and walk. This was quite dangerous because we were on a steep downhill, I was running at around a 7:15 pace and he kept cutting me off and stopping in front of me. <p></p><p>He was only 10, so he didn't know any better and I was nice about it. I told him he shouldn't right in front of me because I might run into him. But he did not listen. This happened for about 2 minutes until he finally gave up. The stopping and starting was definitely annoying on the steep downhill, but thankfully it didn't last long. By mile marker 1 I was leading the race; there weren't even any men ahead of me.</p><p>I had't been looking at my Garmin because I really didn't care about my time, but mile 1 clocked in at 7:13. Effort wise I was probably running slower than marathon effort since the whole mile was downhill and it was nice and cool. Granted, I was primarily focused on a photo opportunity and not running over a child - so I have an excuse!</p><p><b>Mile 2</b><br />It was an out-and-back course. When my Garmin reached 1.55 I saw a woman sitting in a chair and I assumed she was the person manning the turnaround station. Since I was the first runner she wasn't quite prepared. I asked her if I should turn around and she said yes.</p><p>The course was part of a popular running route in DC so there were many other runners around, but none of them were part of the race. Many of them cheered for me! It was really awesome to have so many runners cheering for me when they saw my bib. This was SO MUCH fun! I was so focused on being a zebra and everything around me that I didn't pay attention to my pace. I was running around tempo effort by this point, though. Mile 2 clocked in at 6:57.</p><p><b>Mile 3</b><br />It was time to go back up the hill. According to my Final Surge training log, there was 159 feet of ascent in mile 3. I think that's probably the most ascent I have had in a single mile during a race, ever. Second would probably be the Sugarloaf Marathon followed by the DC half marathon. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVTywfvRMmJl7JWjy8hlC0sjoKG39520lXyrAm9eaziv18pP_I570E3pfGM3seBwmBG6sNrdlkQlVu-o5VGX4GgI8sbbht7do94fmp5c7MXTOkcBo_fhgjdb5a4r8PsF48Q1HZJMdJ9-sB7-Cs9HZmVC1NbUUstSpZG21DgGhvFyo2Qa_0E5tJpVKDSI9/s1300/Mile%203%20sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1300" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVTywfvRMmJl7JWjy8hlC0sjoKG39520lXyrAm9eaziv18pP_I570E3pfGM3seBwmBG6sNrdlkQlVu-o5VGX4GgI8sbbht7do94fmp5c7MXTOkcBo_fhgjdb5a4r8PsF48Q1HZJMdJ9-sB7-Cs9HZmVC1NbUUstSpZG21DgGhvFyo2Qa_0E5tJpVKDSI9/s320/Mile%203%20sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I knew I was in the lead by a healthy amount based on the turnaround so I didn't have a ton of motivation to really push. A mile-long steep hill at the end of a 5K is far from ideal! I got to the top and then booked it to the finish line. My final mile was 7:33.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTTn3IR5M7KxUXKLKKGEcpKLr4-fXhg7WqgKk4ZDUNFs1_lAuCe_aVO_gxnUUAEBayHx6ce3UjrzOtbvUMVk3AiJ9TbyXPxGH7ksdZ5tDKYAhkv2-H_AOo7LFmoL4snCMVsu34iif-CIQtHto78l6ZQVsHMrROHNPpUEkDYgdIov0ckPn1tO32JUogTg7/s2004/Dazzle%20Finish.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2004" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTTn3IR5M7KxUXKLKKGEcpKLr4-fXhg7WqgKk4ZDUNFs1_lAuCe_aVO_gxnUUAEBayHx6ce3UjrzOtbvUMVk3AiJ9TbyXPxGH7ksdZ5tDKYAhkv2-H_AOo7LFmoL4snCMVsu34iif-CIQtHto78l6ZQVsHMrROHNPpUEkDYgdIov0ckPn1tO32JUogTg7/s320/Dazzle%20Finish.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><b>After the Race</b><br />I crossed the finish line as the overall winner - there were no men ahead of me. My official time was 22:07. Could I have pushed harder? Yes. Did I have the motivation? No. Do I care that I didn't push harder? No.<p></p><p>Cheryl followed a minute later as the second overall finisher. The final runner of our dazzle, Allison, came in a little bit later, finishing 10th overall. The awards were cash prizes, and I will probably have to buy myself something zebra with the winnings! We cooled down for just over a mile and then headed to brunch. </p><p>I was really impressed with the organization of this race. The zebra mile markers, the zebra signs, the shirt and medal-- and all for a great cause. It was definitely a fun morning and all of my goals were met! ACE of Stripes will have to defend our title next year. This takes "Racing Stripes" to a whole new level!</p><p>Tomorrow I plan to run a 20-miler and thankfully the weather will still be on the cooler side for this time of year. My next race is a half marathon and I am not sure if I am going to race that at full effort or use it as a marathon pace training run. It might be warm and humid enough that marathon pace = half marathon pace with the weather. Fall racing season is officially in full gear!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GjBzK5k7Q955y_AvhmkdnbSpoyfmc1f6EAo2FMFGoJt5PsvefTGQbKe8H3sGFk8EmbgxzUq3K8OVNfwZ-IRmotTjltF6cz4VTBqH-IK-3q7WJf5JPU94Tv7rBNqeT6nX7QoqQvujPie8ODgPjucdCccx4XpXLs7tvtAo_OTFgO5p4BIlCzHhZLRCndS7/s1867/EndDazzle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1867" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GjBzK5k7Q955y_AvhmkdnbSpoyfmc1f6EAo2FMFGoJt5PsvefTGQbKe8H3sGFk8EmbgxzUq3K8OVNfwZ-IRmotTjltF6cz4VTBqH-IK-3q7WJf5JPU94Tv7rBNqeT6nX7QoqQvujPie8ODgPjucdCccx4XpXLs7tvtAo_OTFgO5p4BIlCzHhZLRCndS7/w300-h400/EndDazzle.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-doLPN5tZBNKY7JbwF4G3VwY4DKtj_e3YBNZZBMIO5OdpTkHOLAra70WalT4PG807EFwLouH3xFKNTVonaDSOK8l5X2NcUSI6kMvSpnO_IPujZWs-jp4OgiLTvsvxd8T5YI1krKnGXfZUDAXn21ZUGFxIpDjCwS-5a7AQOurs8hCZLc6Naw-7BZ66haJ/s1568/Medal%20Dazzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-doLPN5tZBNKY7JbwF4G3VwY4DKtj_e3YBNZZBMIO5OdpTkHOLAra70WalT4PG807EFwLouH3xFKNTVonaDSOK8l5X2NcUSI6kMvSpnO_IPujZWs-jp4OgiLTvsvxd8T5YI1krKnGXfZUDAXn21ZUGFxIpDjCwS-5a7AQOurs8hCZLc6Naw-7BZ66haJ/w331-h400/Medal%20Dazzle.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-48494840642491970562023-08-18T06:27:00.001-04:002023-08-18T06:27:56.319-04:005K at the Beach<p>Greg and I are in the Outer Banks of North Carolina this week on vacation. We often come here in the summer and I have been coming here since childhood. They have a race series that's held every week so naturally I take part! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TmyN34h10v-0IMJlp50AcNEZZufnVaf5u81DZ6SKRUJjXUE1OwUct3sUpMndeiQYdGDzfiL-W0ZsZwWtVSWSIkEiGM0Ee0m0F0PvS7Hl9JX8Ro3jrCEJxvj0Y1m43HKB-gyhIF_te2B2uc5HVrT1V1lL-Srv-ABE4dkww6kXYbo-OFv3HIGQcHzUESlV/s1625/Nags%20Head%205K%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TmyN34h10v-0IMJlp50AcNEZZufnVaf5u81DZ6SKRUJjXUE1OwUct3sUpMndeiQYdGDzfiL-W0ZsZwWtVSWSIkEiGM0Ee0m0F0PvS7Hl9JX8Ro3jrCEJxvj0Y1m43HKB-gyhIF_te2B2uc5HVrT1V1lL-Srv-ABE4dkww6kXYbo-OFv3HIGQcHzUESlV/s320/Nags%20Head%205K%202023.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Most recently <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2021/08/byoc-bring-your-own-competition.html" target="_blank">I ran this race in 2021</a>. (We were in Africa last summer). One of my friends was coincidentally staying less than a mile from us so I persuaded her to sign up and run it with me. Greg also ran it in 2021. <p></p><p>This year my friend is not at the beach and Greg is STILL suffering from his groin injury. So I was on my own. </p><p>I figured this would be a good "cutback" week for Marine Corps Marathon training. In my <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/08/im-training-for-marine-corps-marathon.html" target="_blank">previous post,</a> I showed how I have been steadily building for multiple weeks, so it was time for a cutback. I ran my long run on Friday last week because we left for the beach early on Saturday morning. Saturday was my rest day. </p><p>On Sunday, I ran on a track here at the beach for my final "tune-up" workout. It was crazy warm and humid (80 degrees!) but I managed to hit all of my paces anyway. This gave me confidence that I was in good shape for the race. It was three sets of 3 x 400m, getting progressively faster with each set but extending the recovery jogs in between reps. </p><p>Monday through Wednesday were all easy days with low mileage. Even though it's significantly warmer and more humid here than it is at home, I don't mind it because I enjoy the change of scenery. And the ocean air feels much fresher than the suffocating DC swampy air.</p><p>I wasn't consciously nervous for the race yesterday morning but my stomach indicated otherwise. I must have gone to the bathroom nearly 10 times before the race. I had a handful of almond butter pretzels at around 6:15 and then a Maurten caffeinated gel 15 minutes before the start of the race. I had been hydrating all week, drinking over 70 ounces each day with added electrolytes. </p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />As we drove to the race it was pouring rain. I did not bring a running hat with me because I didn't consider the possibility that it would rain. But thankfully the rain stopped shortly after we arrived. I picked up my bib at 7:15 for an 8:00 start time. The person who parked next to us recognized me from Instagram so we chatted for a bit.</p><p>It was 78 degrees with a dew point of 74. Not as hot as last year because it had just rained and the sky was overcast. There were a few windy parts along the course but nothing unmanageable. </p><p>I warmed up for 1.7 miles. My legs and body felt good but I felt slightly nauseous. It felt a lot like pre-race jitters but I honestly was not nervous about such a low-key beach race. I guess my mind was anticipating the pain cave I was about to enter!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnP8zNoiVv1V6CGgGUxVvtGMm6ck-iYNyaN_gM7WJDRarM60RMcOZOh-nnNVobMOoKtRTUTU6OFnhFXxGYGX1thDdt2NNVypV2edJIVaRue-Md97YhXfkfhh8iierdOkOb-xcUFrsDWihk8noGsXRXOjzM88pTvDuZ7l071f9pdqEHTaCNzBEhLKRi4n4H/s630/IMG_5741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="630" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnP8zNoiVv1V6CGgGUxVvtGMm6ck-iYNyaN_gM7WJDRarM60RMcOZOh-nnNVobMOoKtRTUTU6OFnhFXxGYGX1thDdt2NNVypV2edJIVaRue-Md97YhXfkfhh8iierdOkOb-xcUFrsDWihk8noGsXRXOjzM88pTvDuZ7l071f9pdqEHTaCNzBEhLKRi4n4H/w400-h304/IMG_5741.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Goals and Strategy</b><br />My only goal was to beat my 2021 time. I am in about the same spot I was in my training back then so I figured that was a realistic goal. I wouldn't have my friend Meredith to push me at the end, but I told myself I would try to channel that energy anyway. My 2021 time was 21:12 with splits of 6:57, 7:03, 6:47. This morning, I decided I would try and run it at a pace of 6:50 for the first two miles and try to hang on at the end as best as possible.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIhUW7pJPCZAojPJXnKfViDfzW0yjqqCCbrCoXLviw-iRees_qwNZ8DqOc5AkfrKRgvQAqtnUWkYoTvxMcmcJYnFMt_F5xvCRXLHS0kMgI1KNyCIqEQWKJPcpTOaVoUefRGOZVIfrJor8KhkEtmlgQtcUS4zCf2C5xB6kcEdWkTrKmy8n90MdVEcNX3Tw/s2129/DSC09493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2129" data-original-width="1703" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIhUW7pJPCZAojPJXnKfViDfzW0yjqqCCbrCoXLviw-iRees_qwNZ8DqOc5AkfrKRgvQAqtnUWkYoTvxMcmcJYnFMt_F5xvCRXLHS0kMgI1KNyCIqEQWKJPcpTOaVoUefRGOZVIfrJor8KhkEtmlgQtcUS4zCf2C5xB6kcEdWkTrKmy8n90MdVEcNX3Tw/s320/DSC09493.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><b>Mile 1: 6:51</b><br />I thought I started out fast off the line but yet about half the runners blew by me. There were 58 runners total but it was a competitive field. Still, I knew I would be passing many of them because it was unlikely that so many people could maintain a sub 6:40 pace. I glanced down at my Garmin and saw I was running a 6:45 (target was 6:50) so I held back even more and told myself to be patient. <p></p><p>I was running directly behind a woman for most of the first mile but then passed her as we approached the 1 mile mark. I was pretty sure there were only two more women ahead of me, but they were WAY ahead so I knew I wouldn't catch them. </p><p><b>Mile 2: 7:00</b><br />This was my slowest mile in 2021 and I knew there would be a few small hills. Plus, mile 2 is always really difficult mentally in a 5K. I passed a few guys during this mile but I didn't feel all that strong. The humidity was zapping my energy even though I had only been running for 10 minutes. I ran this mile 10 seconds slower than my 6:50 target but I knew I could speed up at the end and make that time back.</p><p><b>Mile 3: 6:54</b><br />I really didn't think I would be able to hold on. It was hard to motivate myself to push because I was on vacation and this was a beach race! I had to convince myself that I actually cared and that I seriously wanted to beat my time from two years ago. I passed a guy toward the end of the mile which really perked me up. I remembered back to literally racing my friend Meredith and tried to draw motivation from that.</p><p><b>Last 0.7: Unknown</b><br />I stopped my Garmin as I crossed the finish line but then realized a little later that it didn't actually stop. So I have no idea how fast my final kick was. But it was pretty fast. I saw the clock ticking closer and closer to the dreaded 21:12 and I did everything in my power to get under it.</p><p><b>After the Race</b><br />I ended up coming in 3rd place out of the women and 8th overall. There were a bunch of speedy women not far behind me either. Lots of women ran under 22:00 minutes, which is impressive given there were only 58 total participants. My official time was <b>21:09,</b> which is 3 seconds faster than my time from two years ago! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6l6Qsl4gYJVpHoYj7bjZH3DBGUYlHwsd-WNwKI-nEPiqwVKLUWq90eGhn1j95Jl5_miRBPFu1YLrRvXl-LwMkuBnnpvfF_gcjqYvcUKS1kcE0b8Dwh9skpHINv2XL7j4KeLKJid1O5EWhV8EG96X7nGVhxh6aInC4OfzDAVp-oxMw6rKCXcy6ACZ2TmU/s2456/DSC09520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2456" data-original-width="1965" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6l6Qsl4gYJVpHoYj7bjZH3DBGUYlHwsd-WNwKI-nEPiqwVKLUWq90eGhn1j95Jl5_miRBPFu1YLrRvXl-LwMkuBnnpvfF_gcjqYvcUKS1kcE0b8Dwh9skpHINv2XL7j4KeLKJid1O5EWhV8EG96X7nGVhxh6aInC4OfzDAVp-oxMw6rKCXcy6ACZ2TmU/s320/DSC09520.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>And if there was any doubt, this race is also a Strava segment and Strava agreed that I had, in fact, set a PR on that segment. I know it's super small, but when you work so hard for every second, the seconds matter!<p></p><p>Of course my inner skeptic is telling me that it was slightly cooler this year with more cloud cover. So I <i>should </i>be faster just based on race conditions. But in actuality it was still humid as f*ck. </p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />I am happy with my performance but I'm not analyzing this one too much. I didn't have a ton of motivation since I am in "beach mode" and I didn't feel all that great at the start line. If I really want to test my fitness I will have to wait until the dew point is much lower. </p><p>It feels great to have placed third and to have run faster than I did in 2021. This was a good, hard tempo that will add to my marathon training bank. I had fun racing and meeting new people and Greg was amazing with his camera work. </p><p>My next race is a 5K in September and I may be more excited about this next 5K than any 5K I have ever run in my lifetime. Why?! You will just have to wait and see, but are welcome to guess in the comments.</p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-86408489660987329912023-08-07T15:11:00.002-04:002023-08-07T18:27:47.062-04:00I'm Training for the Marine Corps Marathon<p>I officially announced on my Instagram that I am training for the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) but I am not sure how formal of an announcement I made here. Even though I live 25 minutes from the start line and I love this marathon, I have only run it one time! Out of 33 marathons, only 1 of them was my hometown marathon.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnEvzRGflQ660kuT-CiOZBJrL_FcTyrwpHlxOnMWpZh_3rgXDcKaHT23xzz3UR8OlEnIvRVJftfoBAXBseLPbdlTt8T2hyqaThHF-4PhiE1ewGHexkq1_sGJkyWtLtoY5avNGSEIpu8SpbpLElR2K9H1E7lDjJvOR0DOT9xwBauPbCyP-1FVioY7_Wpvm/s1813/Marine%20October%202006.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1813" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnEvzRGflQ660kuT-CiOZBJrL_FcTyrwpHlxOnMWpZh_3rgXDcKaHT23xzz3UR8OlEnIvRVJftfoBAXBseLPbdlTt8T2hyqaThHF-4PhiE1ewGHexkq1_sGJkyWtLtoY5avNGSEIpu8SpbpLElR2K9H1E7lDjJvOR0DOT9xwBauPbCyP-1FVioY7_Wpvm/s320/Marine%20October%202006.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Corps Marathon 2006</td></tr></tbody></table>I ran the MCM <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2006/10/262-miles-of-fun.html" target="_blank">back in 2006.</a> It was my second marathon. I loved every moment of the race and finished in a time of 4:24:39, which was a PR by over 20 minutes from marathon #1 in Delaware. This was before I had a Garmin. Before I had an Instagram following. Before I had a husband. Before I had adidas carbon fiber plate <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/women-running-shoes" target="_blank">running shoes</a>. A different world, indeed!<p></p><p>The reason I never returned was twofold. 1) I wanted to experience a variety of marathons and locations. 2) I typically prefer later fall marathons so I don't have to train in the heat as much, and there is a greater likelihood of cool weather. The Richmond marathon is two weeks after Marine Corps so if I was going to run something close to home, that race always seemed like a better target. </p><p>But now that I have successfully run a warm marathon (Houston in 65-degree weather) I know I can be okay if we have an unseasonably warm day in late October. Plus, I have always wanted to run MCM again and it feels long overdue.</p><p>I do consider Richmond a fallback if the MCM weather is forecast to be over 65 degrees or if I get sick. I am going on a cruise two weeks before the marathon, which is just a breeding ground for germs. Not to mention the flights. The timing of the cruise isn't ideal, but a few family members had already booked it and invited me. I don't often have the opportunity to vacation with family. I'll do whatever I can to prevent getting sick, but if I do, I'll deal with it and then run Richmond.</p><p>My goal is to run a faster time than I ran in Houston so I can have a lower bib number in Boston next Spring. I feel like that's such a superficial, petty goal-- to care about a bib number and a corral. But it's motivating for me! A sub-3:26 is also a low bar for me given that I have run many marathons faster than that. So ideally I would run faster than 3:20. It will mostly depend on how training goes and how cool the weather is. </p><p><b>Training Progress</b><br />As I mentioned in my previous post, I am coaching myself for this one. So far it's been going really well. I have written myself a plan that goes all the way to race day and making minor adjustments here and there. I am always asking myself "does this workout make sense for where I am in training?" and twice the answer has been "no" so I made modifications.</p><p>I turned a six-mile steady state run into a 2-mile tempo followed by 2 x 1 mile at 10K effort. A six-mile workout seemed like a big jump and I think I generally get more benefit of running at 10K effort than steady state, which is slightly slower than Lactate Threshold. Self coaching involves knowing what works for me, being aware of the stage of training I'm in, and adjusting for the weather if needed.</p><p>It wouldn't be a training update without a graph. So here's mine:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLX0EU5dXIMAIWJB4nwisaAziv_zi_w5qG5uucTbNUm2wJEvzbg893QgGzne1SmAXvW01ciFud17VeVTm6FMF_yoLM_dmo3KYCOd2uJ5ncHk_bXYnYtCKErV82XS3cGsq0K0ZIiDytx4nHiUTyaE3ukSP9215pL-JQY7F03kgyMz0YFmyFXYcd0gyhQfe/s600/Training%20Summer%202023.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLX0EU5dXIMAIWJB4nwisaAziv_zi_w5qG5uucTbNUm2wJEvzbg893QgGzne1SmAXvW01ciFud17VeVTm6FMF_yoLM_dmo3KYCOd2uJ5ncHk_bXYnYtCKErV82XS3cGsq0K0ZIiDytx4nHiUTyaE3ukSP9215pL-JQY7F03kgyMz0YFmyFXYcd0gyhQfe/s16000/Training%20Summer%202023.png" /></a></div><p>As you can see, I have steadily increased my volume this summer. I am planning a "down week" for the week of August 14th to allow my body to recover and absorb all the work I've been doing. So far, my longest run has been 14 miles and I plan to run a 15-miler this weekend.</p><p>One of the foundations of my plan is that I don't want to do a lot of runs that are longer than 16 miles. When I was training for Indianapolis/Houston at the end of last year, I started to dread my long runs. I felt burnt out on them. I was perfectly fine to run speed work or easy runs - but long runs felt treacherous. And looking back on my training log, I have found that I don't need a ton of long runs to run a fast marathon as long as I have high volume. It's preferable to spread the mileage out over the week instead of lumping it all into one run. </p><p>My first 16 miler will be 9 weeks out. And then I will run longer for all the subsequent weekends, except for the week in which I race a half marathon. With only two months of 16+ milers I think I can run a strong marathon and avoid the mental fatigue of too many long runs. Another benefit of this approach is that by the time I get to 16 miles, the weather should be a bit cooler, even if just by a few degrees.</p><p><b>Injury watch-outs</b><br />At my age, injury prevention is more important than ever. I am doing strength training twice per week and having physical therapy appointments as needed. Here are the three areas that I am watching closely:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Achilles.</b> I'm pleasantly surprised that my Achilles tendinopathy has not flared up. Even after some pretty intense hill workouts my Achilles felt okay. And the long runs haven't been irritating it too much. I always have some tenderness when walking downstairs, but overall my Achilles feel better than they did throughout all of 2022. I hope this continues!</li><li><b>SI Joint.</b> I somehow got out of alignment (probably by squatting or deadlifting weights) and for about two days my SI Joint was irritated. I went straight to physical therapy to get it adjusted and that worked wonders. I didn't have to take any time off for it! If only I had gotten an adjustment sooner in the spring of 2022, I wouldn't have had to take 9 days off, get an MRI, freak out right before Boston, etc. The pain is now completely gone.</li><li><b>Morton's Neuroma.</b> This problem reared its ugly head again for the first time in five years. I didn't waste any time. As soon as I started to feel pain I went to my podiatrist to get alcohol shots, which have shrunk the neuroma in the past. That pain has also gone away. </li></ul><div>Aside from these minor issues, I have been feeling great. My runs have felt energized despite the steamy weather. I've been getting plenty of high-quality sleep and I've been tracking my daily water intake. I drink anywhere from 55-70 ounces of water a day. Often with <a href="https://getuppermost.com/CLOR" target="_blank">Uppermost hydration mix.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>So, that's my update! I am really excited about running the MCM for the first time in 17 years! It will be interesting to see how 44-year-old Elizabeth compares to 27-year-old Elizabeth.</div><p></p><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-41834112130526577432023-07-28T14:45:00.003-04:002023-07-28T15:35:50.047-04:00Call me "Coach"<p>I am now a certified running coach! I received my certification from McMillan Running in June by taking a course online and passing the exam.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGnFIU--dP_CJvhPsjNdjXGZgyW6XSQlTt1iFGkkFg7thbPW-vgCM4EKIq5hX5AebZxzntxqvAOXDRoBM4obCXCGq0Na614iu67Xr-NZF7cqyJceSErIUMGed4ceAY9qlIL7kHpzuh263pOOhaECV1iTtwG6PNYq34u0UwpbevflAP4dT5VZjC6mexXiB/s1219/DSC09231%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="1012" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGnFIU--dP_CJvhPsjNdjXGZgyW6XSQlTt1iFGkkFg7thbPW-vgCM4EKIq5hX5AebZxzntxqvAOXDRoBM4obCXCGq0Na614iu67Xr-NZF7cqyJceSErIUMGed4ceAY9qlIL7kHpzuh263pOOhaECV1iTtwG6PNYq34u0UwpbevflAP4dT5VZjC6mexXiB/s320/DSC09231%202.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>I always thought I would eventually want to coach other runners, once I was less focused on my own running career. I saw it as my retirement job-- when I was retired from running and from my full-time job as a marketing executive. Coaching definitely wouldn't fit into my busy schedule of marathon training, producing my Instagram content, and working full-time. And if I was going to coach someone, I would want to be attentive to their needs without being pulled in a million different directions. <p></p><p>But I got the certification anyway. There were a few reasons why:</p><p><b>I wanted to gain the knowledge to apply to my own running.</b><br />I've been with McMillan running for nearly 10 years now. I've read countless articles by Greg McMillan and his perspective has always resonated with me. I wanted to learn more about the science of running and how he uses that to pull together his training plans.</p><p><b>I wanted to engage on Instagram with some level of authority.</b><br />I've always been very careful to not give blanket advice in my Instagram posts. Since I was not a coach, I didn't view myself as someone who was "qualified" to be guiding others. Instead, I mostly shared how I trained, my opinions, and what worked for me. I always included the caveat "this is what works for me" so that followers wouldn't blindly apply my approach to their running. But I often get questions via DM or in in the comments section, so I figured it would be good to have some level of certification to respond authoritatively. In other words, I didn't want to be some random Instagram runner spewing advice when I had no basis upon which to do so.</p><p><b>I knew I would eventually want to coach others.</b><br />As I said above, this would be something that would come in handy once I no longer had a full-time job and/or wasn't so dedicated to my own running. </p><p><b>I wanted to self-coach.</b><br />I generally think self-coaching is not a good idea, now matter how experienced you are. I think runners always need an objective eye over their training-- someone to advise when things need to be tweaked. I also think accountability is important. Someone you have to go back to and explain why you didn't do that final rep. When you are your own coach, it's too easy to say, mid-workout: "Well, I scheduled you for 8 intervals, but I can just push that back to 6."</p><p>In the long term, I likely will not be my own coach. But I wanted to give it a try for at least one cycle (Marine Corps Marathon) to see how it went. I figured it would give me the flexibility to move workouts around in the summer heat and run more or less based on how I felt. Of course I could have done this with any coach I have ever worked with, but my perfectionist self didn't like going off plan. As my own coach, I can switch days around and run a little longer or shorter than what's written based on how I feel. It requires being VERY honest with myself about how I am feeling. </p><p>I've coached my husband for all of his marathons. He started out with a 4:08 and made his way down to 3:18. I enjoyed creating plans for him and watching him get faster. So in that respect, I have some experience under my belt. </p><p><b>Call me "Coach!"</b><br />Once I completed the certification, I felt differently. I wanted to coach right away! I didn't want to wait. But I had to balance that urge with the reality of everything else I have going on in my life. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3THgnSEDKvnPdoEkGOjlfWo9icLIwciBce1e1csilwgDlCow1l3GabTwrhWr_XsfDoN1hRo268zNah-yzp6qmcy5mu38cEm_FU6TxYOu-zCygsAS4St2zxbKMAofhi3SaloeEoJnUTwbOY11R0dM8bB4pXmvvfftbG6_9O45W04Zmf4TMeoddjJhG5smN/s415/CertificationBadge.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3THgnSEDKvnPdoEkGOjlfWo9icLIwciBce1e1csilwgDlCow1l3GabTwrhWr_XsfDoN1hRo268zNah-yzp6qmcy5mu38cEm_FU6TxYOu-zCygsAS4St2zxbKMAofhi3SaloeEoJnUTwbOY11R0dM8bB4pXmvvfftbG6_9O45W04Zmf4TMeoddjJhG5smN/w193-h200/CertificationBadge.jpeg" width="193" /></a></div>So I figured I could ease into coaching by starting small. Instead of offering a full-blown coaching service where I was available via email and text 24/7 to analyze the workouts of multiple athletes, I would simply write custom plans. I think there is a large number of runners who don't want to pay for a coach but they want something that's more tailored than what they would find on the Internet or in a book.<p></p><p>From a time management perspective, I have enough time to look at an athlete's history, experiences, preferences, strengths, weakness, and write a custom plan that also advises on areas to work on (like fueling, injury prevention, mental strategies, pacing, etc.). And then send them off with the plan, giving them the option to check in with me on a monthly basis to potentially tweak the plan.</p><p>With this model, the athlete doesn't have to pay the cost of full-time coaching, but they are still getting guidance. And I am not over-extending myself in terms of my commitments. </p><p><b>Introducing All Stripes Coaching</b><br />I am pleased to announce the formation of All Stripes Coaching! I created an LLC and I'm ready to start working with athletes. All the details are at <a href="http://allstripescoaching.com">allstripescoaching.com</a>.</p><p>I chose the name "All Stripes" to represent that my plans take into account all aspects of running and are more than just numbers on a calendar. Athletes complete a comprehensive intake questionnaire that allows me tailor a plan specifically to their needs and preferences. Plus, the name "All Stripes" fits in nicely with the name of my blog, Racing Stripes.</p><p>Because I am just starting out, availability will be limited at first and I am not going to announce this on Instagram quite yet. In marketing we call this a "soft launch." If any of my blog readers are interested in a custom training plan, head on over to <a href="http://allstripescoaching.com">allstripescoaching.com</a> for more details and complete the interest form.</p><p>I look forward to coaching runners and helping them achieve their goals. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskd-4lXPHnfinlBQViYgsERfR9XBs3oLoxCGydqMIH6E-FPuK52wqo0CFBwylvBTZN_42lQN17m-8QPEZq6p9dE_ePRhqiAkpbjxL-RP-YCHRUmWeggMAQpG7TcB34tkVbvfayETpgeik5AG-ILTHjPKwZNDUBYNaH6D0sPSueK2i2d6N8Iaj6EhLMGlA/s1713/Logo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1713" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskd-4lXPHnfinlBQViYgsERfR9XBs3oLoxCGydqMIH6E-FPuK52wqo0CFBwylvBTZN_42lQN17m-8QPEZq6p9dE_ePRhqiAkpbjxL-RP-YCHRUmWeggMAQpG7TcB34tkVbvfayETpgeik5AG-ILTHjPKwZNDUBYNaH6D0sPSueK2i2d6N8Iaj6EhLMGlA/w400-h281/Logo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-75452166152403087472023-07-05T08:02:00.001-04:002023-07-05T08:02:10.107-04:00Firecracker 5K: More Fashion Than Fit<p>Fashion was the goal in yesterday's Firecracker 5K! I've run this race almost every year since it started in 2010. The only years I have missed were 2012 (illness), 2013 (injury), and 2016 (illness). In 2020 I ran the "Virtual" race which was a much flatter course and had an earlier start time!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pH9baXpcnVUZ1eEsFOGnDNRPDcWJFNurp8-ATBD7VEulrasFydcMeBzQ8Yaesn0XkJWWwICPQ0hsNu6LW-lFy_kHF4PLjW0f-P8Z8kzKT9Q__oI9asR4kSJDUwXY3_JnJ05eKwHcfMtrMCNrjnss6b0mg0EP0b-4LUqbJrMTIpW0YuTTadOWPVQgJQzF/s2048/358055296_10107697956051176_4045870853237914438_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pH9baXpcnVUZ1eEsFOGnDNRPDcWJFNurp8-ATBD7VEulrasFydcMeBzQ8Yaesn0XkJWWwICPQ0hsNu6LW-lFy_kHF4PLjW0f-P8Z8kzKT9Q__oI9asR4kSJDUwXY3_JnJ05eKwHcfMtrMCNrjnss6b0mg0EP0b-4LUqbJrMTIpW0YuTTadOWPVQgJQzF/s320/358055296_10107697956051176_4045870853237914438_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>If it weren't for tradition, I would not have signed up for this event. I hadn't been doing much speed work and my mileage had been low. Even though I wasn't fit, I could still have two other F's: Fashion and Fun. And for the "Firecracker FiveK" the F's made a lot of sense. This is just how I see the world- one big poem and play on words. Plus, I knew I'd probably be uttering the real "F" word a few times up that last hill!<p></p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I bought a new tank for this race to up my level of looking like an American flag. (Ooooh: Flag. Fashion. Fun. Firecracker. FiveK.) I matched it with flag shorts and flag socks. About two hours before the race I had a small handful of almond butter filled pretzels and some water mixed with <a href="https://getuppermost.com/CLOR" target="_blank">Uppermost Hydration</a>. This is my new favorite hydration mix because it also contains B vitamins and zinc. It has no sugar but yet tastes really good.</p><p>We arrived at the race about 45 minutes before the start. I already had my bib so I didn't have to worry about picking that up. Greg left his camera at home because I wanted him on video duty with my phone. I have so many race photos and I knew that Cheryl would be there taking them. I wanted to document the experience <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuR2QRUAD4m/" target="_blank">with videos</a>. Greg is unfortunately still dealing with his groin injury and unable to run.</p><p>I brought my new<a href="https://orosportsusa.com/" target="_blank"> ice vest </a>with me in the hopes of lowering my core body temperature before the race. This had been recommended to me by my coach years ago and Oro Sports sent me this vest last winter to try out. It sat in my closet until yesterday. If I had been truly committed, I would have worn the ice vest in the car on the way there and made sure I had it on for at least 30 minutes for maximum impact. But instead I used it during the warm up only. It was cooling but also heavy so not something I would run with on a regular basis. But the pre-cooling is what's supposed to bring your core temperature down for 45 minutes. Verdict: I will definitely be using it for pre-cooling for 30 minutes before hot races and long runs if I get up early enough.</p><p>I took a Maurten caffeinated gel 15 minutes before the race and a few chugs of water. I warmed up for 1.7 miles and felt ready to go. Because I wasn't going to race hard, I decided not to line up towards the front. I lined up about 20 rows back figuring that would be about right.</p><p>I made sure to double knot my shoes and tuck in the loops. This worked and my shoelaces did not come untied during the race like they had during my previous two races. </p><p><b>Race Weather</b><br />The temperature was 75 degrees and it was mostly sunny. It was also quite humid although I don't remember the exact dew point. There were a few shaded portions of the course but otherwise the sun was probably the biggest culprit. On my race weather scale I give it a 3 out of 10, and that somewhat takes the time of year into consideration. If this had been an early fall race I would have downgraded it to a 2 out of 10. As I said earlier, I have run this race many times in the past and yesterday's weather was typical. We lucked out in 2021 and 2022 with lower humidity- those were probably the two coolest years. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRJMA7ee_3Efd9nz1AlCTr28mV_oycpTrdTqrIApZzTIFkVLzHvFsRVeCkQjyElTIU2_51RS-E5jVGIqfDxSS1U_ikIsBGRmSskABwGnG7TpN4BlQPloYKDhlGOtJhuUBVlXRXhteJ8AUHiLeMMNzjSgpiGILJ_xZTa_rU0QeHS9LbJjzUdvFnUnACBgr/s1224/357804478_10107697956091096_9083589071527124506_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRJMA7ee_3Efd9nz1AlCTr28mV_oycpTrdTqrIApZzTIFkVLzHvFsRVeCkQjyElTIU2_51RS-E5jVGIqfDxSS1U_ikIsBGRmSskABwGnG7TpN4BlQPloYKDhlGOtJhuUBVlXRXhteJ8AUHiLeMMNzjSgpiGILJ_xZTa_rU0QeHS9LbJjzUdvFnUnACBgr/s320/357804478_10107697956091096_9083589071527124506_n.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><b>Goals and Mindset</b><br />The main goal here was to keep up with the Fourth of July tradition. I had nothing else going on yesterday, so why not go out there and have some fun? I could have chosen to race at 100% effort to get a "baseline" level of my current fitness, but it wasn't worth it in the heat. Instead, I decided to run it as a "tempo" run around half marathon pace effort. I didn't have any target pace or time in mind and I decided not to look at my watch. (Of course whenever I decide not to look at my watch, I hear people around me yelling out their paces to the people they are running with. "Okay Katie, we are running a 7:15 pace, right on target!")<p></p><p><b>Mile 1:</b><br />I know this course very well and I was prepared for this uphill mile. I had underestimated where I should have lined up because I found myself passing people left and right. I did not want to go out too fast, but if I didn't pass other runners, I would have been stuck at my easy run pace. </p><p><b>Mile 2:</b><br />This was the beautiful downhill mile! And finally I was where I wanted to be in the pack and there was no more crowding. Part of this mile was shaded and it felt drastically different from the first mile which was mostly sunny. I stayed relaxed and reminded myself to maintain tempo effort. I did feel like I could have tapped into a higher gear, but with an up-hill final mile I did not want to crash and burn.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBboF8h_uYfn6QgqmQdCH6HZSrLjdT_fHoYHlkkprhltguvc0HqKgXjZ8RVVMW_3Nwxfi41L0exC4JN3PPXK0CL_-MHpx-ECVR0tP8gtJiQtnosGUMcs0sZWJ9msvimPWO6LC5eN9ieWL9MmbQqQJUGpRk9v_Aymnjyv1x4DytyDdtJKR_MmrNek0OiXu/s2048/358059510_10107697956026226_5108862126139959189_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBboF8h_uYfn6QgqmQdCH6HZSrLjdT_fHoYHlkkprhltguvc0HqKgXjZ8RVVMW_3Nwxfi41L0exC4JN3PPXK0CL_-MHpx-ECVR0tP8gtJiQtnosGUMcs0sZWJ9msvimPWO6LC5eN9ieWL9MmbQqQJUGpRk9v_Aymnjyv1x4DytyDdtJKR_MmrNek0OiXu/s320/358059510_10107697956026226_5108862126139959189_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><b>Mile 3:</b><br />This mile was killer! I told myself to maintain my pace and rhythm, which meant I would have to increase my effort on the long hill. But that last hill is fun. I love passing people on it. So many runners lose loads of time during the last half mile of that race, but I had started conservatively so I had lots to give.<p></p><p>I crossed the finish line with an official time of 23:15. I was not surprised by this and didn't care at all that it was 2nd my slowest time ever on this course! I had zero ego going into this race and I had accomplished my goals of staying strong, having fun, and being fashionable. </p><p>My splits were 7:23, 7:11, 7:24, and 7:24 pace for the final 0.17. Nice and consistent!</p><p><b>After the Race</b><br />I cooled down for just over 5 minutes which was shorter than intended. But it was so hot! I then checked the results and learned that I placed second in my age group. That was quite a shocker because this is a competitive race and I didn't expect to place at all. We stayed for the awards and I won $20 to Potomac River Running store. Then we chatted with our friend Kathy for awhile. That's the best part about local races - the social aspect and getting to see friends.</p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />My main takeaway is that I love being able to check my ego at the door and race "for fun". This does not mean that I am going to stop training and stop trying to race at my full potential. It just means that I will embrace all the seasons of my running and not shy away from experiences just because I'm not in race shape. This race was all about maintaining a tradition, doing something fun on the fourth and seeing my friends. </p><p>I also learned something that I plan to experiment with in the future. Usually when it's above 55 in a race I wear a sports bra only (no tank). The thinking was that the less material, the better. But I couldn't resist this flag singlet so I wore it anyway. Before the race I had gotten the tank top went by shoving ice into my bra. So the tank top was wet around my core area. While running, it felt nice to have the cool wet material against my skin. This could mean that running in just a sports bra is not as "cooling" as running in a wet tank top. I will have to play around with this in training to see if I want to do it more in races. I'll also experiment more with the ice vest beforehand.</p><p>I'm happy I did this race and I am proud of my effort and my mindset. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrFLJd22e6HSNsL_6KpT2oabmgcCHn0wWwLaiMNkys1vW0pEHUnH6j6qTpCUoFdncH--tZbZjYl3SqaAGORmffv9rcQzRCFFNDAFqavJTMjfOv-elWi4pfcoUNBa-SyVC0e05Ga3UdJj42TLhx-swKtstOvCSzI4i7kaYhFbI7moawzBjxzlkCM7mosvF/s2048/358059385_10107697956076126_8331469373677681571_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrFLJd22e6HSNsL_6KpT2oabmgcCHn0wWwLaiMNkys1vW0pEHUnH6j6qTpCUoFdncH--tZbZjYl3SqaAGORmffv9rcQzRCFFNDAFqavJTMjfOv-elWi4pfcoUNBa-SyVC0e05Ga3UdJj42TLhx-swKtstOvCSzI4i7kaYhFbI7moawzBjxzlkCM7mosvF/w300-h400/358059385_10107697956076126_8331469373677681571_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-61410169100225256402023-05-28T08:56:00.005-04:002023-06-05T09:48:35.659-04:00Spontaneous Fiesta 5K<p>As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am taking an off season from racing this spring. Thus, my blogging frequency has declined. </p><p>My reasons for taking an off season were to focus on strength training, to give myself a mental break, and to fully recover from Covid. I haven't taken an optional off season since I started racing in 2005! It's been nice not having to adhere to a rigid schedule and feeling more free with my runs in terms of pace and distance. My goal has been to maintain a base of around 30 miles per week with a maximum of one harder effort per week. </p><p>Of course this is probably the nicest spring I've ever experienced in terms of running weather. In February and March it was unseasonably warm which meant I didn't have to layer up. In April and May it's been unseasonably cool with low humidity. Almost every morning in May has been below 60 degrees, which is unheard of. The past few mornings have even dipped into the 40s. I could have raced almost any weekend and had great weather! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHlg8EIXpn-rUTmFZ4hCSu57zXeSseS7MORH8YjUDhqfJ-In2isCJxpIL9Eg7hl1u0P2IgwG0SMgtIWnF352ePNsv9NGqbuThuHCBoohCNG45Ms2keAEuREZGLFgChEVxUXGbFdQqT4b9Y6kdV4NQpWLjj_hPNQN1ZTnVwpHeQBrfjPOO4CZTUKFjjw/s2250/ElizCheryl2023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHlg8EIXpn-rUTmFZ4hCSu57zXeSseS7MORH8YjUDhqfJ-In2isCJxpIL9Eg7hl1u0P2IgwG0SMgtIWnF352ePNsv9NGqbuThuHCBoohCNG45Ms2keAEuREZGLFgChEVxUXGbFdQqT4b9Y6kdV4NQpWLjj_hPNQN1ZTnVwpHeQBrfjPOO4CZTUKFjjw/s320/ElizCheryl2023.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>I succumbed to my temptations a few weeks ago when my friend Cheryl was racing the Fiesta 5K. The forecast was looking amazing, it was a flat course, and I didn't have plans for that morning. So I made the decision the day before the race to run it with her and I registered on site. <p></p><p>The race was on Saturday May 6 and held in honor of Cinco de Mayo. I didn't have a goal time or a goal range or a pacing strategy or anything. I didn't come up with a race plan until about 15 minutes before the race. So unlike me! But that's the fun of having an off season.</p><p>The one thing I knew was that I did NOT want to run this race at 100% effort. I hadn't done enough hard workouts to prepare for that mentally and I wanted to keep this fun - not painful! Once again, the complete opposite of my usual race mentality.</p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />The plan was to have a banana at home and then take a <a href="https://ucan.co/product/elizabeth-clor-edge-sample-pack/" target="_blank">UCAN gel</a> 30 minutes before race start. After eating half of the banana, I realized I shouldn't be doing that. I recently starting taking thyroid medication for mild hypothyroidism and you are supposed to take it first thing in the morning and then not eat anything for an hour. Otherwise it doesn't get absorbed. This will definitely impact race morning going forward. If I want to take my medication correctly, I will have to wake up even earlier to be able to take the pill, wait one hour, and then eat breakfast 2 hours before race start.</p><p>I am not sure if I blogged about it but I was treated for hypothyroidism back in 2019 using desecrated pig thyroid hormone. It was an over the counter supplement and it really worked to get my labwork numbers looking strong. However, I didn't notice any difference in how I felt so I stopped taking it six months later, thinking it wasn't that important. Back in January, my levels spiked with Covid and when they came back down they were still a little high, so my doctor decided to treat me with the prescription meds. </p><p>I was reluctant to this because I don't have symptoms of hypothyroidism except for fatigue during the day. I always attributed that fatigue to running 50+ miles a week but it's possible that my thyroid could be contributing. I generally don't like taking medication unless absolutely necessary, but I agreed to try it. After having been on it for over a month, I realized (through internet articles) that it wasn't like a vitamin/supplement. Once you are on it, you likely need to be on it for life. It's the same thyroid hormone your body makes naturally and you become dependent on the pill for that hormone. Yikes. Thankfully I haven't had any adverse side effects and I am feeling really good. So for now I will continue with it.</p><p>Back to the race. I arrived an hour before race start because I still had to register. I registered and then got in line for the porta potties. The line was not moving at all. After standing there for about 5-10 minutes, someone realized that nobody was coming out of the porta potties and they were actually locked with zip ties! And then it took awhile to find someone who could cut the zip ties. I was happy I got in line when I did because the line behind me was massive. </p><p>I then went back to my car and pinned on my bib and took my UCAN gel. I texted Cheryl and she said she was headed my way. She had picked out green shorts and a red sports bra due to the Cinco De Mayo theme. I matched with the exact same green shorts and red bra! We looked so cute together! </p><p>We warmed up for just under a mile. Normally I would warm up for at least 15 minutes, but I wasn't taking this race very seriously! We did some strides and that got the legs moving. I decided to wear my adidas Adios Pro <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/women-running-shoes" target="_blank">running shoes </a>because I needed whatever boost in speed I could get. And those are my fastest shoes. </p><p><b>Race Purpose</b><br />So if I wasn't going to be racing at 100% effort, why was I there? Lots of reasons:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Could not resist the perfect 50-degree low-humidity low-wind weather</li><li>Wanted to spend time with Cheryl</li><li>Missed the racing atmosphere and wanted to be part of it</li><li>Wanted run my first tempo since the Houston Marathon</li></ul><div>At the start line I decided my goal would be to let Cheryl set the pace and try to keep up with her. I had no idea what kind of speed I had in me, and I had no idea if I would be able to keep up! But I decided I would try to keep up so long as I wasn't killing myself to do it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mile 1: 6:55<br /></b>Cheryl went out harder than expected! My initial thought was that there was NO WAY I would be doing this for 3.1 miles. This was probably because I didn't have a sufficient warm up so it was really a shock to my system. But after a few minutes I settled in and felt decent. The best part about this race was that our outfits matched! We got a lot of comments on our outfits and it was fun trying to keep up with someone who was wearing my same gear. <br /><br /></div><div><b>Mile 2: 6:55<br /></b>She was so consistent with her pacing. The course was mostly flat with some minor inclines and declines. Nothing that I would consider a "hill" -- just some gentle slopes. It was not easy keeping up with her, she was running really strong. But I felt like it was manageable. <br /><br /></div><div><b>Mile 3: 7:15</b><br />The headline here is a bit misleading. About a quarter into this mile, my shoelace came undone, just like in Houston! They came untied despite the double knot. This was a different pair than the Houston pair and I tied them super tightly. But I really should have tucked the loops under. Never before has this happened to me in a race and now it has happened twice in a row. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I stopped to tie my shoe. It was annoying and Cheryl would now be way ahead of me. Once the shoe was securely tied, I slowly closed the gap between Cheryl. Strava credits me with a 7:02 mile, meaning I spent 13 seconds tying my laces: PRETTY FAST LACE TIE!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Last 0.18: 6:19 pace<br /></b>While I had been gradually closing the gap during the last mile, I really hammered it during the final stretch in order to be able to finish with Cheryl. It was fun to kick it really hard at the end, and I finished one second behind her. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcltkMNxIfoK6eoqbmvWHdO8nzwoplqsItg7vEgp8IAIjkJkGd4YEGTWhUOKZgf-85kPML3A3EXAfNG0hGjLKcetoBiYX4hm3ArwvxF0wJPqYUB6Y9Xm86K3RVLR_lV3R5r4V-Y4AngjEmKa6EfsEHb5JhDsYoTJuL_Cio_HsjKfC6wWv4h-JfMKd0Vg/s2498/finishprizes.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2498" data-original-width="1621" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcltkMNxIfoK6eoqbmvWHdO8nzwoplqsItg7vEgp8IAIjkJkGd4YEGTWhUOKZgf-85kPML3A3EXAfNG0hGjLKcetoBiYX4hm3ArwvxF0wJPqYUB6Y9Xm86K3RVLR_lV3R5r4V-Y4AngjEmKa6EfsEHb5JhDsYoTJuL_Cio_HsjKfC6wWv4h-JfMKd0Vg/s320/finishprizes.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><b>After the Race</b><br />Cheryl finished in 22:16 and I finished in 22:17. This meant we were 2nd and 3rd overall females! I won a $40 Visa gift card which was exactly the cost of the race registration, so it all evened out! And then we went out for brunch afterwards. </div><div><br /></div><div>This race reminded me why I love racing so much. It's the atmosphere, my friends, the outfits, the energy, and winning age group awards!</div><div><br /></div><div>I was pleasantly surprised that I could run as fast as I did an have it feel like a tempo, not a race. This means that my "off season" has not been detrimental to my fitness and I've still got it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Greg, aka my race photographer, was unable to come because he had to work. He's on a new project and he's been working weekends. I think things should be easing up soon for him though!</div><p></p><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-50003896031410694072023-04-24T11:20:00.003-04:002023-04-27T10:27:17.430-04:00Marathon Survey: Super Shoes & Training Plans<p>About a month ago, I sent out a survey to runners asking them about their most recent marathon. 562 runners completed the 14-question survey. I have to admit that I did this mainly for my own curiosity, but I also wanted to share the results with my followers and blog readers. In this post, I will cover two areas of the survey: super shoes and training plans. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBBP5WbptJzT-AvQ-tiF7nTfOUg2nMl2DJLWCEUFasFtL5jN5n3rje7Q6ZO1mOKhokYDxxvc1f88MiYMs6LMsezoQC4FL2PEoKHpdO461uiBXrwtA91JPPzO2uw3RU88TiYWCoqWMBh-_-xqcXKdr3NmsS1KlU-bRFgxFk1oB0S-OIcPpRtlSYHXbUA/s1854/adidas%20adios%20pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1854" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBBP5WbptJzT-AvQ-tiF7nTfOUg2nMl2DJLWCEUFasFtL5jN5n3rje7Q6ZO1mOKhokYDxxvc1f88MiYMs6LMsezoQC4FL2PEoKHpdO461uiBXrwtA91JPPzO2uw3RU88TiYWCoqWMBh-_-xqcXKdr3NmsS1KlU-bRFgxFk1oB0S-OIcPpRtlSYHXbUA/w224-h320/adidas%20adios%20pro.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>For the purpose of this survey, I defined a "super shoe" as any shoe with a carbon fiber plate. Some runners responded that they didn't know if their shoes were considered "super" or not. When analyzing Personal Records (PRs), I removed responses from runners who had only run 1 marathon from the data set.<p></p><p><b>Super Shoes: how many runners actually wear them?</b><br />The short answer: roughly 30% of respondents said they wore super shoes in their most recent marathon (29.5% to be exact). I would fall into this category as I wore the adidas Adios Pro in my most recent marathon. I've been racing in adidas <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/women-running-shoes" target="_blank">running shoes</a> for about 7 years - well before super shoes were invented!</p><p>In my Instagram story, I ran a quick poll, asking people to guess the percentage of runners who wore super shoes. Only 41% of runners in my story poll correctly guessed that less than half of the marathoners wore super shoes (903 people responded). So most people think that super shoes are more popular than they actually are. </p><p>The most popular shoes in this survey were the Nike Vaporfly and Alphafly. I wore the Vaporfly for one marathon and it resulted in posterior tibial tendonitis, so it definitely was not the right shoe for me. I also didn't find it to be particularly fast - my marathon time was consistent with my training paces, and I had trained in non-carbon fiber plate shoes. Like the adidas adizero Boston <a href="https://www.adidas.com/us/women-running-shoes" target="_blank">running shoes</a> and the adidas adios (non-pro).</p><p>But enough about me, let's get to more results and analysis!</p><p>Of the super-shoe wearers:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>72% ran a sub-4:00 time</li><li>58% set a Personal Record (PR) </li></ul>The runners who did NOT wear super shoes reported the following:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>37% ran a sub-4:00 time</li><li>42% set a PR </li></ul>Key takeaways: runners who opt for super shoes tend to be faster and are more likely to run PRs. This doesn’t prove definitively that super shoes make you faster; it could be that faster runners prefer those kinds of shoes. Also, there was a recent study that showed super shoes provide more benefit to faster, more economical runners. <p></p><p><b>Training Plans</b><br />I also asked these 562 marathon runners how they trained for their most recent marathon? Results were as follows:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>25% Used a free plan from the Internet</li><li>23% Worked with a personal coach</li><li>20% Didn’t follow a plan; they did their own thing. </li><li>8% Used a plan from a book </li><li>6% Trained with a group/club and followed that plan. </li><li>The remaining 18% was a mix of “other” training approaches (purchased online plan, purchased custom plan, used an app, etc)</li></ul>Which group had the greatest percentage of Personal Records?<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Personal Coach: 40% PR</li><li>Book Plan: 35% PR</li><li>Free Internet Plan: 31% PR</li><li>No Plan/Own Thing: 31% PR</li><li>Group/Club: 23% PR </li></ul>The personal coach was the most effective way to set a PR. This isn’t surprising because a coach tailors<br /> your training to your individual needs and adapts the training as you go along. <p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oa0T_3UBfEg9ubru6xqq56FcjZ51PyhjkmISVOaPNuuOblpRhh3kPyQ1uzu0-UmvLz8T0CA11iKyPsZhxL0n9F7Yy64rN_DaJS78kgvrdh_Fjy17yg_M_Rg5Q-p4TMx5AhXg9MNcUChCrciBUuWpP2SVfDzugfXD_ufjF_MefOytBjPnzAcS2pyO7w/s1500/Adidas%20adios%20Pro%202.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oa0T_3UBfEg9ubru6xqq56FcjZ51PyhjkmISVOaPNuuOblpRhh3kPyQ1uzu0-UmvLz8T0CA11iKyPsZhxL0n9F7Yy64rN_DaJS78kgvrdh_Fjy17yg_M_Rg5Q-p4TMx5AhXg9MNcUChCrciBUuWpP2SVfDzugfXD_ufjF_MefOytBjPnzAcS2pyO7w/s320/Adidas%20adios%20Pro%202.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston Marathon 2022</td></tr></tbody></table>I was surprised that runners who didn’t follow a plan had more PRs than those who trained with a group. It’s possible that group runners tend to run more for the social aspects and many might not care about setting a PR. But group runners can also be very competitive and the group atmosphere can push runners harder than they would push alone. On the flip side, sometimes runners who train in groups end up running too quickly in order to keep up. This can lead to injury, burnout, or less effective workouts.<p></p><p>I’ll also hypothesize that the book plans are effective because they come with a book! 🤓 And the more educated someone is about marathons, the better prepared they will be. My favorite marathon book is called <a href="https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/product/run-faster-marathons-by-greg-mcmillan/?wpam_id=8" target="_blank">Run Faster Marathons </a>by coach Greg McMillan.</p><p>These responses show that many training approaches are used for marathons and the distribution is fairly even. Ultimately, you should use the approach that works best for your schedule, budget, and mindset!</p><p>If you're willing to shell out the dough for super shoes and a personal coach, you could be on your way to a marathon PR!</p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-32682928209425382462023-03-30T11:01:00.003-04:002023-08-04T14:08:13.203-04:00UCAN Edge Gel Review<p>UCAN Edge energy gels. When I last did a review of <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2022/01/ucan-vs-maurten-for-marathon-fueling.html">UCAN vs. Maurten</a>, I did not include my thoughts on the <a href="https://ucan.co/collections/energy-gels?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">UCAN Edge gel</a> because it was so new. In this blog post, I will give my thoughts on UCAN Edge, what I like about it, what I don't like about it, and how I use it in my training.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEjnDVaa_Gt2B7IYFAa712ZAfMc2d2bKIJENZv49hHDeHPQCeavvpYaFeZ6_whry7opbNp2_xWr4I06ldebABxZbXrwNtnrPmXD-jRZFGHIUp7dC9yVQjJi1ng9bRvy4NyOIJbAUInraU6bCCgLwRoZ4q05IiUnmDH298W6jhPe-SG9rP98sslDRqWA/s1416/UCAN%20Edge%20Gel%20Review.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="986" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEjnDVaa_Gt2B7IYFAa712ZAfMc2d2bKIJENZv49hHDeHPQCeavvpYaFeZ6_whry7opbNp2_xWr4I06ldebABxZbXrwNtnrPmXD-jRZFGHIUp7dC9yVQjJi1ng9bRvy4NyOIJbAUInraU6bCCgLwRoZ4q05IiUnmDH298W6jhPe-SG9rP98sslDRqWA/s320/UCAN%20Edge%20Gel%20Review.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UCAN Edge Energy Gel</td></tr></tbody></table>Before UCAN released this <a href="https://ucan.co/collections/energy-gels?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">Edge gel</a>, I used to make my own gels out of the UCAN Energy Powder. For years I would mix the powder with water in a bowl and scoop it into a disposable baby food squeeze pouch. This approach worked well for me. My marathon PR (3:15:35) was set using my own UCAN gel back in 2018. I even made a <a href="https://youtu.be/queYLMXglpg" target="_blank">YouTube video</a> on this because so many people asked me about it! <p></p><p>When the <a href="https://ucan.co/collections/energy-gels?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">UCAN Edge Gel</a> was released in 2020, I was excited to try it. The first flavor was orange. My excitement dwindled when I read the ingredient list. Erythritol, a sugar alcohol, was the third ingredient. I am allergic to sugar alcohols so this was a non-started for me. But when the Strawberry Banana Edge was released, I noticed it did not contain any sugar alcohols. Hooray!</p><p><b>The Benefits of UCAN Edge Gels</b><br />My favorite thing about the Edge gels is that they prevent your blood sugar from spiking. Just like the energy powder, the energy source is "LIVSTEADY" corn starch. It's their slow-release energy which means you don't have to fuel as often. From a physiological standpoint, the LIVSTEADY energy allows your body to use fat as fuel instead of pumping it with a ton of easy-to-use sugar all at once. For endurance athletes, consuming sugar every 30-45 minutes doesn't allow the body to get the message that it should be burning fat for fuel. </p><p>To quote my coach, Greg McMillan, from his book <i><a href="https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/product/run-faster-marathons-by-greg-mcmillan/?wpam_id=8" target="_blank">Run Faster Marathons</a>,</i> "I personally use UCAN in my Marathons. This carbohydrate has been manipulated by heat and water so that it is absorbed more slowly to avoid the spike and crash. . . because you feed less frequently and it's easier on the GI tract, you avoid the GI upset that can occur late in the race."</p><p>Here are the main reasons why I use UCAN Edge Energy Gels:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fuel less often</li><li>Train the body to burn fat for fuel</li><li>Easy on the digestive system</li><li>Tastes good (the strawberry banana ones tastes like a watery smoothie)</li><li>Does not need to be consumed with water</li></ul><div><b>The Drawbacks of UCAN Edge Gels</b><br />As much as I love these gels, there are a few drawbacks. I don't always use UCAN gels; I sometimes use Maurten ones. I will explain in more detail later in this post. The drawbacks of these gels are:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The orange flavor contains erythritol, which can bother sensitive stomachs</li><li>They are messy; they have a watery consistency and I have sometimes gotten it all over my face, hands, clothes, etc.</li><li>They are larger than most gels and may not fit into traditionally sized pockets</li><li>There is no caffeine (which I find to be beneficial during a race)</li></ul><div><b>How I use these gels</b><br />My primary use of <a href="https://ucan.co/collections/energy-gels?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">UCAN Edge gels</a> is for long runs during marathon training. For a 20 miler, I drink the energy powder before hand, and then consume 2 gels during the run.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCpkUpiWn9fA_yFrDQQHH9rmkjGNpqk940Ose1vNNDsO7XCOpj-GSh9ou8vqnn2NQmu0VnSwyBb3Eb3lepMQugMnp5ISQaxUDhSEJwP8nVxK7ySGOdQm_KKmLcEFiW9urkGAvsA0YMs4BnIXdmFCUVPT2KZOLb0UPfuYDXM7iFGvzonwBuaNFTnFWhA/s1495/UCAN%20Edge%20Gel.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1495" data-original-width="1069" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCpkUpiWn9fA_yFrDQQHH9rmkjGNpqk940Ose1vNNDsO7XCOpj-GSh9ou8vqnn2NQmu0VnSwyBb3Eb3lepMQugMnp5ISQaxUDhSEJwP8nVxK7ySGOdQm_KKmLcEFiW9urkGAvsA0YMs4BnIXdmFCUVPT2KZOLb0UPfuYDXM7iFGvzonwBuaNFTnFWhA/s320/UCAN%20Edge%20Gel.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UCAN Gel fits in larger pockets</td></tr></tbody></table>Again quoting my coach Greg McMillan, "No-Fuel/Slow-Fuel training, also called low glycogen training, results in greater fat burning, more muscle fiber recruitment, a boost to the aerobic system, a lot of mental toughness training and greater storage of muscle glycogen post-run. All of these adaptions are extremely helpful for a faster marathon." I attribute my use of UCAN to the endurance gains I made around 2015-2016 when I got significantly faster. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, when it's time to perform on race day, I turn to Maurten as my primary fuel source. I drink the <a href="https://ucan.co/collections/energy-powder?ref=ElizabethClor" target="_blank">UCAN energy powder </a>before the race, but I find that the Maurten gels give me that sugar high burst that I need. Maurten gels come in both caffeinated and caffeinated, so I switch between them. They are much more compact and less messy than the UCAN gels, so I can easily stash 4-5 of them in my shorts. </div></div><p></p><p>Because it's important to practice fueling before race day, I do some of my harder long runs (the ones with speed) using Maurten so my digestive system knows what to expect on race day.</p><p>That said, I do think the Edge energy gels are a great choice for marathon fueling, and it's what Greg (husband Greg, not coach Greg), used for his most recent marathon PR last spring. Because he didn't need to fuel as often, he went from his typical 6 Gus down to 4 Edge gels. According the the UCAN Website, each gel provides up to 75 minutes of steady energy. I have found this to be true, whereas traditional gels need to be taken every 30-45 minutes. </p><p><i>Save 10% on all UCAN products by <a href="https://ucan.co/?ref=ElizabethClor">using this link</a>. If you'd like a free sample pack of UCAN, use <a href="https://ucan.co/product/elizabeth-clor-edge-sample-pack/" target="_blank">this link</a> and code ECSAMPLE.</i></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-9170326767928805812023-03-18T15:27:00.000-04:002023-03-18T15:27:04.997-04:00Spring Break<p>I have not updated my blog in over a month! That is a long time for me to go without blogging. That's because my running life has been pretty uneventful. I haven't run any races and I am not training for anything at the moment. I'm fully recovered from Covid and I am not injured; but I have decided it would be a good idea to take an "off" season. </p><p>Even though I only ran one marathon, I trained for two marathons, starting in August of last year. This meant way more long runs than I ever want to do again in a 5-month period! I was only doing 1-2 hard workouts a week and the mileage was low for me. But the long runs gave me a bit of mental burn out. Maybe if I had been running my normal 65-75 mile weeks, the long runs would have felt shorter because they would have been a smaller percentage of overall volume. Because I was averaging 55-65 miles a week, the 20s really started to take their toll. Toward the end of the cycle I was starting to dread them and I usually look forward to my long runs!</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_IW77Q7apu8svz3L1CrJH6se0LT806pW49dXcMCI-nZTVT38RNViX1kPxCB241ZWdTJA8E7NjHVBw1UCKKJjVgBfvlV5EQUjB03-wPFK3-mQg1ABcvs5ouOFroGLPg6S4iw9-Mir0fYR0xEFAIFIE-TDX3eSeUHDED4lIBQYbMyMvgmO7h-EOUM-Xw/s1414/IMG_3115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_IW77Q7apu8svz3L1CrJH6se0LT806pW49dXcMCI-nZTVT38RNViX1kPxCB241ZWdTJA8E7NjHVBw1UCKKJjVgBfvlV5EQUjB03-wPFK3-mQg1ABcvs5ouOFroGLPg6S4iw9-Mir0fYR0xEFAIFIE-TDX3eSeUHDED4lIBQYbMyMvgmO7h-EOUM-Xw/s320/IMG_3115.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strength training in my home gym</td></tr></tbody></table>I had been registered for the One City Half Marathon the first weekend in March, but I didn't have enough time to train given marathon recovery followed by Covid. I am sure I could have finished the race, but I didn't want to do it without proper training. Of course the weather that day was perfect! </p><p>After One City, I didn't have anything on the schedule so I kept it that way and decided to prioritize strength training. Instead of doing 1-2 sessions a week, I am now doing 3. One of those sessions is an hour-long workout with my strength coach Angela, and the other two are about 25 minutes each on my own. I think I have reached the limit of how much running I am able to do in a training cycle, so the gains I make in the fall will come from being stronger. </p><p>I had planned on taking up swimming again to change things up, but it's difficult to motivate to drive to the pool, change, swim, shower, change, and drive back. If it weren't so logistically involved, I would do it every day. But now that I have a gym in my basement, it's so much easier to work out there. </p><p>This spring break has been nice. I've been keeping most of my runs easy, throwing in a few strides here and there just so my legs remember how to turn over quickly. It's a good mental break and it's freed me up to focus on other areas of my life that I typically de-prioritize. </p><p>The good thing about having had so many bouts of mono is that I know I can quickly ramp up training and get into race shape. I only need about 6-8 weeks to get myself to a good place and a few more to be in "race shape". </p><p>Right now the plan is to focus on strength training, mobility and stability. And then I will begin training for my annual July 4th 5K. I might do a few tune-up 5Ks before then. I suspect that this break from racing will leave me super hungry to get out there and grind when the time comes. </p><p>In the meantime, I will continue to blog. I have a few ideas of posts that I have been meaning to write!</p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-74444780733251228332023-02-11T11:28:00.004-05:002023-02-11T11:51:56.283-05:00Post-Viral Fatigue Part 5<p>If you've been following my blog, you may remember that I decided not to run the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon last fall because of the warm forecast. I wasn't concerned about running a slow-for-me time. I was concerned about getting sick. Racing in the heat kills my immune system and I have a history of getting sick for extended periods of time following warm races.</p><p>So I played it safe and continued training for Houston. I stayed healthy and had a very strong training cycle. I even PR'ed my 5K in November.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHpesZy8zYwNSg56HDt8KaCXrzscirfur9Eyw0kwgrwjuR9ZhzjkqMKfwy-mp3lxNKO9NCMKoRC3a3WBxVm6h3BOrEyJ07FjmhCnHPI7Oy7Bzp8k-Dvs8x3XfRS9DYaessAlU3T-2RjqvnSvlJIz7qzMpS0bsGpeZCUDioyQ7XVC1fR-vyEhqEZUAHQ/s1943/Elizabeth_Clor_2023_1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1943" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHpesZy8zYwNSg56HDt8KaCXrzscirfur9Eyw0kwgrwjuR9ZhzjkqMKfwy-mp3lxNKO9NCMKoRC3a3WBxVm6h3BOrEyJ07FjmhCnHPI7Oy7Bzp8k-Dvs8x3XfRS9DYaessAlU3T-2RjqvnSvlJIz7qzMpS0bsGpeZCUDioyQ7XVC1fR-vyEhqEZUAHQ/s320/Elizabeth_Clor_2023_1.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2023/01/houston-marathon-smart-and-steady.html" target="_blank">Then came Houston</a>. It was warm. Even though I ran a conservative pace, running 26.2 miles at any pace in the heat is a strain on my immune system. Then we went to Mexico for 8 days, where I did nothing but relax in the sun. I did not have any alcoholic beverages because I was concerned about my immune system and I made sure to eat plenty of healthy foods. I had a few sips from Greg's drinks, but that's all. <p></p><p>We flew home on a Tuesday. I ran for the first time post-marathon on Wednesday (30 minutes). On Friday, I noticed a mild sore throat and fatigue. No surprise I caught something on the way back from Mexico-- the airports were very crowded. </p><p>On Sunday I took a Covid test and it was negative. On Monday I took another Covid test and it was positive.</p><p>I've heard that Covid round two is milder than round one, and that was definitely the case for me. The first time I had Covid (January of last year) my sore throat was extremely painful. I couldn't talk for two days. I took 25 days off from running. This time would be milder, I would be back out there in a week, maybe 10 days max.</p><p>WRONG.</p><p>Even though my Covid symptoms were mild, there is a huge difference between this illness and last year's illness. Last year I recovered like a normal person. Sure, it took three weeks, but that's not abnormal for this virus. I never felt weak. Walking around always felt normal. The lingering symptoms were the sore throat, cough, and some tiredness. </p><p>This time, with a warm marathon still impacting my immune system - I am not recovering like a normal person. I have my FIFTH case of post-viral fatigue. This means I am weak, my body aches, and it's hard to move around. </p><p>The most accurate description I have seen comes from <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326619" target="_blank">Medical News Today:</a> "Post-viral syndrome, or post-viral fatigue, refers to a sense of tiredness and weakness that lingers after a person has fought off a viral infection. It can arise even after common infections, such as the flu. People may experience post-viral symptoms, such as fatigue, for weeks or months after fighting off the infection."</p><p>Some doctors say that the Epstein-Barr virus plays a role and can be re-activated during these times. I was tested for this in 2012 and I was positive. (I first had Epstein-Barr/mono in 1999). Not sure if that's the case for me now; the "Post Viral Illness" diagnosis seems to be the most accurate.</p><p>I've had these exact symptoms 4 times in the past: 2008, 2012, 2016, 2018. Here's a description that I wrote in my <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2018/06/seriously-sick-again.html" target="_blank">blog post from 2018</a>:</p><p><i>So what, exactly, am I sick with? The best way to describe it is an over-reaction of the immune system triggered by a viral infection. I had a sore throat for the first three days and now my symptoms are: </i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Dizziness when standing up from a seated position</i></li><li><i>Weakness in the legs and an inability to walk at a normal pace</i></li><li><i>General fatigue, and low energy levels, requiring about 1-2 hours of extra sleep per night</i></li><li><i>Varying degrees of body aches </i></li></ul><i>Progress with this illness is not linear. Some days, I feel almost normal as long as I stay seated. Other days (like yesterday) all I can do is lay in bed and even moving the slightest bit feels like a huge effort. Because I've had this illness in the past I know not to get too discouraged when I have one of the really horrible days. I basically just see it as a message that I need to continue to take it easy. </i><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt3H1EUub6Mfp4CgOdDsiKvt_7YTu_2_Sx6Oy7Hq0TDCczDD1YI9yhEWGL1QsowbuA_7WVqSSiK1UCrUxverw6OThNjMJLblU9O5OeggrjdF3cQYwnN1ENLlqI89GzxmviViqmPT63goiHMZEyUosbLY6OESzHA7vXc-LVQ2UItiJe3UXRHKofs9_7Q/s1996/Beach%20Part%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="1336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt3H1EUub6Mfp4CgOdDsiKvt_7YTu_2_Sx6Oy7Hq0TDCczDD1YI9yhEWGL1QsowbuA_7WVqSSiK1UCrUxverw6OThNjMJLblU9O5OeggrjdF3cQYwnN1ENLlqI89GzxmviViqmPT63goiHMZEyUosbLY6OESzHA7vXc-LVQ2UItiJe3UXRHKofs9_7Q/s320/Beach%20Part%202.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>So all of this from 2018 applies to me right now. It doesn't matter what kind of virus it is, what matters is the state of my immune system when I catch it. Last year when I had Covid I was not running in the heat because it was January. So I wasn't impacted by this post-viral fatigue. So while it was a far more severe Covid case, recovery was shorter.<p></p><p>I've never had post-viral fatigue that was not preceded by a hot race. This is why I avoid racing anything longer than a 5K in the heat. Although hot 5Ks can cause this same issue, as can consistently running hard workouts in the heat. Last summer I limited myself to only one hard workout a week, and I would choose the coolest day of the week.</p><p>The good news is that I now work from home full-time so I don't need to worry about taking short-term disability like I did in 2018. When I was sick in 2016, I actually quit my job because they were not understanding and the stress of the situation was making things worse. I easily found another one. </p><p>There's nothing that I can do to speed up recovery, but there are plenty of things I can do to lengthen recovery. I've learned from past experiences and from doctors that it's best to be mostly sedentary. Even though I could manage a short walk (and I had started walking a few days after the Covid test), walks cause setbacks. Even housework can cause setbacks. </p><p>My primary physical activities are doing the dishes, doing the laundry, taking showers, and going from room to room in my house. A lot of online shopping has occurred. Kate Spade just so happens to have a zebra line out right now, and thus my bank account took a hit! You can see the photo of the zebra bag, with the tassel being the zebra's tail. Other items were purchased as well!</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP60HcgjoibsJCaTg8Xid1wKrCej-MMeB5cdjjbIF5BRDasYGl48ckJ9ur6KKnM8g-O-KV5p6u4HmNpVEnYjKAnvWwOz1HladHMidvSwUGTumfAd3E4KNIYmqGj1PJbXvWnOw6pu0jVQz9c3-hg9ntrqn1Hsx9j-DwC2zfoEJny487gJD2cdhpC3FRQ/s2080/Ziggy.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1105" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEP60HcgjoibsJCaTg8Xid1wKrCej-MMeB5cdjjbIF5BRDasYGl48ckJ9ur6KKnM8g-O-KV5p6u4HmNpVEnYjKAnvWwOz1HladHMidvSwUGTumfAd3E4KNIYmqGj1PJbXvWnOw6pu0jVQz9c3-hg9ntrqn1Hsx9j-DwC2zfoEJny487gJD2cdhpC3FRQ/s320/Ziggy.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Kate Spade handbag</td></tr></tbody></table>Mentally I am trying to distract myself and not think about the fact that I am sick. Because I work from home anyway, the only day-to-day thing that has changed about my life is that I can't be physically active. And yes, that's a big deal, but I've dealt with it before. I had been planning to run the One City Half Marathon in early March but that is clearly out. Thankfully, I don't have any other races on the calendar. You can bet a comeback race is in my future - however distant that may be!<p></p><p>I had my first symptoms on Friday, January 27, so I am officially 2 weeks and 1 day into this. I have no idea how long it will last, but if I stay patient and don't push myself, it should be about 4 more weeks. Seems like an eternity, but it's the hand I've been dealt. </p><p>Everyone has their strengths and weakness as runners. My greatest weakness is running in the heat. It slows me down more than most and then my immune system suffers. This is why I adjusted my Houston Marathon goal to be 15 minutes slower than the time I trained for. And, as I said earlier, it's why I didn't run Indianapolis last fall. It's not ideal, but that's my weakness and I've learned to manage it to the best of my ability. </p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-42916341418361956022023-01-17T07:18:00.008-05:002023-01-25T17:17:19.317-05:00Houston Marathon: Smart and Steady<p>I ran the Houston Marathon yesterday! It was a huge event and I'm happy I was able to experience it. I had run the half marathon twice (2008, 2018) but never the full marathon. This was marathon #32 for me. Wow- I have run so many marathons!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFtv9RSxR1atTmZvO690mewnUXq3mSagEQHfFp_U5s2QQQyXSIm8dj5PpTCKl0V2MBCAT78tps0ntUbHChLZAUoi34tC6f95hJocToQuL5LT-tgV5VIHcucT4vGygpik3tlV_Hj8a_HW6sRQ47JoqrdxVAk2t5hk3b2JiJ_5RsgsqZ28l5BxAjJMP-g/s2366/Elizabeth%20Houston%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2366" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFtv9RSxR1atTmZvO690mewnUXq3mSagEQHfFp_U5s2QQQyXSIm8dj5PpTCKl0V2MBCAT78tps0ntUbHChLZAUoi34tC6f95hJocToQuL5LT-tgV5VIHcucT4vGygpik3tlV_Hj8a_HW6sRQ47JoqrdxVAk2t5hk3b2JiJ_5RsgsqZ28l5BxAjJMP-g/s320/Elizabeth%20Houston%201.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><b>Background</b><br />I registered for this race exactly one year ago while I was sick with Covid. I was inspired by seeing so many fast times! Granted, the weather last year was perfect and I knew that Houston weather could be hit-or-miss, but I decided to pull the trigger anyway.<p></p><p>The plan was for both Greg and me to run the marathon and then fly directly from Houston to Cancun and stay at our favorite resort. Since both of us would have just completed a marathon, there would be no need to worry about training while in Mexico and it would be a wonderful way to relax and celebrate. In the past, I have gone to this resort in April after the Boston Marathon. But I have never flown directly from a race to a vacation. So this race-to-vacation plan was a bucket list item!</p><p><b>Race Weekend</b><br />We flew into Houston on Friday afternoon. I made sure to hydrate very well before, during and after the flight. Given the forecast, I knew that hydration would be key. I refilled my 24oz sports bottle 4 times on Thursday, twice with liquid IV and twice with regular water. I had about the same amount of fluids and electrolytes on Friday. </p><p>We met my friend Randi for dinner, who I had not seen in 14 years! We had met through running and the last time I had seen her was the NJ marathon in 2009. This was definitely a highlight of the weekend. As we were leaving dinner, a man at the table next to us said, "Did you write the book Boston Bound?" I answered "Yes," and he told me that my book was on his list. So cool!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeJNWpvKt2yanz7Jz8zSgn5JWcaAuAdjAW9aDmgHkKFEeRgU0ILAG09La9vovalb9pJU-MKirIHrmlq_OCUjhjLW5L6NCcfiCQBFrOHl1hd4pPseYD4qrwsGiHdscmSgD2wGzPZIG4kCV8YaoovtL6cuq6mVHxxI-bcjEd-yIOD1QFS-8UErDJ-EkoQ/s1494/CarrieElizabeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeJNWpvKt2yanz7Jz8zSgn5JWcaAuAdjAW9aDmgHkKFEeRgU0ILAG09La9vovalb9pJU-MKirIHrmlq_OCUjhjLW5L6NCcfiCQBFrOHl1hd4pPseYD4qrwsGiHdscmSgD2wGzPZIG4kCV8YaoovtL6cuq6mVHxxI-bcjEd-yIOD1QFS-8UErDJ-EkoQ/s320/CarrieElizabeth.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>The next morning, I met up with my friend Carrie for a quick shakeout run. Carrie would be racing the half marathon. The weather on Saturday morning was such a tease. It was 43 degrees with no wind! It was hard to believe it would be 15 degrees warmer the next morning. I kept hoping for a miracle that somehow the weather would just stay cool. But alas, it did not!<p></p><p>Greg, unfortunately, is still injured and is not currently doing any running. We suspect it's a hernia, and we will know more after his ultrasound later this month. Greg and I picked up my bib from the expo and then took an Uber to Whole Foods to get my race morning breakfast and a few other items. Then it was back to the hotel for lunch where we met Carrie again. For lunch I had a chicken panini with pesto sauce. Breakfast was a crepe with bananas and walnuts. (I like to document what I eat the day before a race). I also did a lot of snacking on pretzels and almond butter filled pretzels. And I continued to hydrate with water and Liquid IV.</p><p>For dinner we went to an Italian restaurant where I had my standard chicken parm without cheese! It has always worked well for me in the past and it's what I had the night before my fastest ever marathon. Soon it was bedtime and I slept relatively well. I went to bed at 8:00, which was 9:00 east coast time. I was awake for about an hour in the middle of the night, but then slept solidly until around 4:15. I felt rested and ready to go. </p><p>It's much easier to be relaxed about a race when a PR isn't on the line! I was confident in my fitness and my ability to run smart in the heat and humidity.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7djv8HYspm4pxpxJj1p12VIfwVSsR9nggMgqrTpU3C-mfX9TeczC_He2u8lquE9ubJfysQHMPof8Sq3248BCVK-xOx4y3UrK5snzuUcNKI7sn_OrR79MaFbGY7uFvdKBP374aY6H6PW5s019ucB57A04CsJ3u_EXUXdBkKktOGs5Y4MUmFML1czAbzA/s1638/23BCB973-2489-478F-AF73-0CEFAC70CE36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="1149" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7djv8HYspm4pxpxJj1p12VIfwVSsR9nggMgqrTpU3C-mfX9TeczC_He2u8lquE9ubJfysQHMPof8Sq3248BCVK-xOx4y3UrK5snzuUcNKI7sn_OrR79MaFbGY7uFvdKBP374aY6H6PW5s019ucB57A04CsJ3u_EXUXdBkKktOGs5Y4MUmFML1czAbzA/s320/23BCB973-2489-478F-AF73-0CEFAC70CE36.JPG" width="224" /></a></div><b>Before the Race</b><br />Two hours before the race started I ate an English muffin with almond butter and I drank about 18 ounces of water with liquid IV. I mixed a full 24-ounce bottle of water with 1.5 scoops of Skratch Labs Hydration drink mix. That equates to about 140 calories + electrolytes. It would be a great way to stay hydrated and get extra carbs to supplement my gels. I also mixed a packet of UCAN energy mix with water and drank about half of that 30 minutes pre-race. The plan was to drink it all, but for some reason it didn't sit very well.<p></p><p>Our hotel was located at the entrance to the start corral. I chose that hotel because of its proximity to the start line. I was able to leave my hotel at 6:35 and enter the corral immediately. I typically like to warm up for about half a mile before a marathon, and there was no doing that inside the corral. But since the weather was warm and I was planning on starting slowly, I figured it was fine. I kept the legs moving in the corral and did some dynamic stretching. </p><p>In the corral, I was approached by several runners who follow me on Instagram. It was really awesome to chat with so many people before the race and it was a big pick-me-up. I also chatted with my friend <a href="http://wellimtryingtorun.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cris</a>, who I have known for over 15 years! We communicate a lot online but hadn't actually had a real-life conversation in a long time.</p><p>As we approached the start line, I situated myself between the 3:25 and 3:30 pace groups. The goal was to not let that 3:30 pace group catch me. And if I had an awesome day, maybe I would catch 3:25. </p><p><b>Weather</b><br />When I registered for Houston, I knew that there was a chance it could be warm. Even though I had fantastic weather in 2018 and the weather in 2022 had also been good, I knew that it was hit or miss. I was much more confident in Indianapolis being cool because that race is almost never warm. But the weather certainly didn't cooperate for Indy last fall (I didn't start because it was too warm).</p><p>On my race weather scale, I give this race a <b>3 out of 10. </b>It was 57 degrees at the start and it rose to 67 by the finish. Skies were mostly cloudy with the sun peaking through here and there. The dew point was 54 at the start and 60 at the finish, which equates to around 75-85% humidity. Winds were 8 mph for most of the race, but picked up at the end to around 12 mph. The reason it gets a 3 instead of a 1 or 2 is because the clouds helped keep things feeling cool, and it could have easily been 65 at the start. For example, it was 68 degrees this morning at 7:00am. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-GVZ-9FE086PprZfnJROF954QMYzZiJCxHvbkYFNbjrg5lDHp4iNFNp46nPcux7AgnOGDTU8nzc0crNFn3zlDG4oTydru7czNACjr2mk2McHiMelPy2mQGHIr4dnyGILHbrkRHPNExvaBGjSFZykfQ5-aiPSuSVr_U4HsuDjMLMiUe6qehDERCByhQ/s900/Houston%20Weather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="900" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-GVZ-9FE086PprZfnJROF954QMYzZiJCxHvbkYFNbjrg5lDHp4iNFNp46nPcux7AgnOGDTU8nzc0crNFn3zlDG4oTydru7czNACjr2mk2McHiMelPy2mQGHIr4dnyGILHbrkRHPNExvaBGjSFZykfQ5-aiPSuSVr_U4HsuDjMLMiUe6qehDERCByhQ/w400-h338/Houston%20Weather.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race forecast plus my prediction of how it would go in emojis. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Race Plan</b><br />When the forecast first came out, I was definitely disappointed. I had an amazing training cycle and I felt like I was in shape to run a time of 3:10-3:12. I was healthy with no injuries. And this would be a fast course. So the realization that I wouldn't be able to shoot for that time was disheartening. After feeling down for about a day, I got over it and accepted that the race would be about running smart-- not about running fast. The weather wasn't going to change and I couldn't change it. I had to adjust my expectations and strategy accordingly.</p><p>So the plan was to start in the 7:50s and take it from there! If I could speed up-- great! But I wasn't going to try and push the pace until the last 10K. </p><p><b>Miles 1-5</b><br />These miles were crowded. And as much as I told myself not to spend energy weaving through people, I did end up weaving through people. Some runners started way too far in the front of the corral and were getting passed like crazy. When I told myself to be patient and not weave, I found myself running a very slow pace. The full and the half marathon were combined until mile 8, so this explains the crowding- very similar to Indianapolis where the half and full diverge at mile 8.</p><p>During the second mile, there was an amazing sunrise off to the left, and I almost missed it by not looking left. I took in the view of the sun peaking up through the buildings juxtaposed against the huge swarm of runners crossing the bridge. I took a moment to remind myself to have fun, to remember that "this is it" and to be thankful for the opportunity. </p><p>I carried my own bottle of water + Skratch Labs Hydration mix, but I still went through each water station to pour a cup over my head. This had a nice cooling effect. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAA5HdiSulhpAVfp8XIm5Hza1g3x_KQNUMi9PME6PKBKTgXL12kuxzZiU_lp_4yhv9B76IIpYyGIR-CtrM8ACaib2YKbeevI3qQJHUZHnQjc3TvxdnWMpnoDnhq_vi_wYSFHKXPRdAkaqs48HF4GbiUSwYBYZwyB07fjdH32E5JiNIxuEFPbXB_whEw/s2281/Mile%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2281" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAA5HdiSulhpAVfp8XIm5Hza1g3x_KQNUMi9PME6PKBKTgXL12kuxzZiU_lp_4yhv9B76IIpYyGIR-CtrM8ACaib2YKbeevI3qQJHUZHnQjc3TvxdnWMpnoDnhq_vi_wYSFHKXPRdAkaqs48HF4GbiUSwYBYZwyB07fjdH32E5JiNIxuEFPbXB_whEw/s320/Mile%204.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><p></p><p>During the fourth mile, I couldn't believe what I was seeing and feeling. My shoelace had come undone! Really?! At the start line I had checked multiple times that the shoes were double knotted and tied tightly. How in the world could they have come undone? I will note that these shoelaces on the adidas Adios Pro 2 were different than on my other pairs of 2's. It was a special edition of the shoe, and really the only thing that changed was the color of the shoe and the fabric of the laces. They must have been so slippery to come undone from that tight double knot!</p><p>The funny thing was that when I pulled off to the side of the course I stopped my Garmin out of habit. But then I instantly remembered I was in a race and re-started it! I made sure it was tied very securely.</p><p>Of course this incident made me believe that the shoe laces were super slippery and could come undone again, despite the knot. But then I told myself I shouldn't worry about that because there was nothing I could do about it and I didn't want to spend the entire race thinking about my laces. Thankfully, it did not happen again. I always name my shoes in my training log and I have decided to name these shoes after escape artist David Blaine for their ability to magically untie a double knot. Greg thinks I should call them "Shoedini" after Houdini. </p><p>I made up for the lost time in the next mile. Because it happened during mile 4, I had plenty of gas in the tank to run a slightly faster mile 5 without it being a huge effort. </p><p>Throughout these miles and the entire race, runners approached me to say, "I follow you on Instagram!" Some even told me that they enjoyed my content and that I inspired them. That was a huge pick-me-up throughout the race. Even some of the spectators cheered for me by name, "Elizabeth," which was not the name printed on my bib. The name on my bib was "Zebra". So if they yelled "Elizabeth" it meant they knew me. If they yelled Zebra. . . well that was just awesome!<br /></p><p>Mile 1: 8:01<br />Mile 2: 7:52<br />Mile 3: 7:49<br />Mile 4: 7:57<br />Mile 5: 7:38</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXAZHH3SaLsJTk4OJiEPDO_rfgUXAmB4LSWBHBi6eEIaxFXcITBF2nnLGyspiQT9fMyjq8Y8VCiozNHmnKNLnmrOMo43oX3i0XEBlPXSWnqpjs0PPQCk6-u3PqGIbZ4ZY-IisNBelquzJTIJXmUCVU806jTfwZI_VJfXX1Oq5QBDHMGSpEQkOfA3Xaw/s1750/Mile%207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1750" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVXAZHH3SaLsJTk4OJiEPDO_rfgUXAmB4LSWBHBi6eEIaxFXcITBF2nnLGyspiQT9fMyjq8Y8VCiozNHmnKNLnmrOMo43oX3i0XEBlPXSWnqpjs0PPQCk6-u3PqGIbZ4ZY-IisNBelquzJTIJXmUCVU806jTfwZI_VJfXX1Oq5QBDHMGSpEQkOfA3Xaw/s320/Mile%207.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 7, running with half marathoners</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Miles 6-10</b><br />Things were going well. It felt like I was out for a long run and not pushing too hard. I timed my fluid intake. Two large swigs every 15 minutes. For a 24 ounce bottle, this meant that I had enough fluid to last me 2 hours. I also timed my gels. I took the first gel at 40 minutes (Maurten caffeinated) and then alternated CAF and regular every 40 minutes. That means I took 4 gels, with the last one at 2:40. I was also getting carbs/calories from my bottle. </p><p>Greg had taken a train out to mile marker 7, so as I approached, I kept my eyes open for him in his fluorescent yellow jacket. The funny thing about him and that jacket is that he has a professional looking camera and he's in a bright jacket, so runners thought he was one of the official race photographers!</p><p>It was so great to see him! I wasn't 100% sure he would make it given the uncertainty of the train schedule but he's become a pro at navigating public transportation during races. After seeing him, I heard a voice from behind me yell "Greg Clor!" I figured it was someone who recognized him from my Instagram. Turns out it was a friend of ours- Nicole!</p><p>Nicole approached me and I was excited to see her. I had known she was running the race and I figured we might be running around the same pace. We stayed steady and exchanged a few words here and there. At one point, the 3:05 pace group came up from behind us and passed us. She said "I have so many questions!" Of course I knew exactly what she meant. I guess a portion of the 3:05 group started way in the back. Greg later told me he saw a 3:05 pace group in the location they should have been, and also where they should not have been, so I guess there were two of them. Same with the 3:10 group. They passed us a little later.</p><p>I really enjoyed these miles with Nicole. I've been following her running for over 12 years but we had never run together!</p><p>I saw Greg again at mile marker 10. Miles 7-10 looped around so he was able to walk from one spot to the other pretty quickly. He took photos and a video of me simultaneously. That's talent!</p><p>Mile 6: 7:51<br />Mile 7: 7:48<br />Mile 8: 7:51<br />Mile 9: 7:53<br />Mile 10: 7:46</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt4rfWpSXRY9KDMuwSipBXz1qvOsaxtB8fKF8Uux93C7mHjO_TzREN9utyBdsPZIWIYcDTcWA0TMmc4xTCIjx_ck1iA5_b-N-XSP7PrU4KduYIaklsZ-ptjPIzIolMSfmt1oNY76sLpdCXtuNwYCDaThsPUWHMpBgSWjuUrD4-6dGU9aOE-xZUMK3dg/s1720/Houston%20Mile%2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt4rfWpSXRY9KDMuwSipBXz1qvOsaxtB8fKF8Uux93C7mHjO_TzREN9utyBdsPZIWIYcDTcWA0TMmc4xTCIjx_ck1iA5_b-N-XSP7PrU4KduYIaklsZ-ptjPIzIolMSfmt1oNY76sLpdCXtuNwYCDaThsPUWHMpBgSWjuUrD4-6dGU9aOE-xZUMK3dg/s320/Houston%20Mile%2010.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><b>Miles 11-15</b><br />After my second sighting of Greg I started to pull away from Nicole. I felt strong and energized, despite the weather. I trained for a marathon pace of 7:15 so I was optimistic that I would not crash and burn with my 7:50 average pace.<p></p><p>In the 11th mile, I heard a spectator calling out my name loudly. It was my friend Lindsey! Lindsey lives in Texas (about 90 minutes away) and had driven to the race to spectate and cheer. She ran on the side of the course with me for about 20 seconds and that was so fun. We had plans to meet up post-race so I knew I'd get to see her again.</p><p>At around mile 12, Cris (the friend I chatted with at the start line) caught up to me. She had started farther back in the corral. We exchanged a few words of encouragement briefly and then she proceeded to run ahead. This was the mile with the one major hill. It was early enough in the race not to be too bad, but it was definitely a change after running flat for 12 miles. I think I handled the hill pretty well - running up a little slower and down a little faster.</p><p>I had now seen two friends on the course + Greg twice + Lindsey. This is what made the race so much fun for me. And the fact that I wasn't running at max effort meant that I was able to really savor the experience without being too focused on my pace.</p><p>I crossed the halfway point at 1:43:36. I couldn't do the exact math in my head but I knew that put me on track for a low 3:27. My target range was 3:27-3:29, so I was executing as planned.</p><p>By this point everything was still feeling very easy and I began to wonder if I should turn on the gas a bit. But then I realized it was only going to get warmer and warmer, and a pace that felt super easy now might not feel so easy later in the race. So I continued on at my steady pace. I executed my fueling and hydration plan perfectly, and I was able to toss my water bottle at 2:00, which was around mile 15. I continued to dump water over my head at each station and I think it worked pretty well, especially when the wind gusted, making the water feel extra cool.</p><p>Mile 11: 7:53<br />Mile 12: 7:48<br />Mile 13: 7:55<br />Mile 14: 7:51<br />Mile 15: 7:46</p><p><b>Miles 16-20</b><br />Things were going really well! There were times when the sun poked through the clouds and made me VERY thankful for the cloud cover we had. (Hence a 3 out of 10 and not a 2!) It felt about 5-10 degrees warmer during those short bursts of sunlight. But they were short lived and a good portion of the course was shaded.</p><p>These were the glory miles. I felt like I could safely accelerate a little bit and even if I crashed, I would still be very close to my goal range. So instead of targeting 7:50, I tried targeting 7:45. Cris was still in my line of sight and seeing her helped motivated me. She once wrote something in her blog about asking the question "can I give more here?" and seeing her reminded me of that question. The answer was yes! I could give more! And so I did, while trying to stay controlled.</p><p>Once my water bottle was gone, I drank water from a few water stations. I was really happy that my digestive system was cooperating. I was able to take all 4 gels easily and get down the water when I drank it. Typically, by this point in a marathon, my gag reflex kicks in and my body rejects fuel and water. But I think that gag reflex is caused by me running at race effort. I have no problem fueling when I train, and I had no problem fueling yesterday. </p><p>Mile 16: 7:46<br />Mile 17: 7:42<br />Mile 18: 7:40<br />Mile 19: 7:47<br />Mile 20: 7:46</p><p><b>Miles 21-Finish</b><br />The race had felt relatively easy up until mile 20. Then my 7:40s started to feel hard, so I didn't attempt to run any faster. I would later look at my heart rate data, which does not display on my watch when I run, and realize that I could have safely run faster. But I had no way of knowing that at the time. My heart rate is usually through the roof in the heat and humidity, but I guess my training really paid off because it was in the low 160s for most of the race. Marathon effort for me is in the high 160s. </p><p>Regardless, I stayed steady. I had found a groove and rhythm in the 7:40s. I think I could have maintained that pace for the final 10K had it not been for the rolling hills. I knew to expect hills during miles 22-25, but they had been described to me as minor. And they probably were minor, but nothing <i>feels </i>minor during the last 6 miles of a marathon. I'm not a strong hill runner, and these hills made me unable to maintain my 7:40s. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-WdeNDcC-B6lop8mKfn8nE-fSW84tt6aPf-Dz-pAh9_XYpAhEBcr-sSn0UErUNDbhGqEg80dCZoyb9_iFQBZrcbl4cWhbzs2mN04n3p8iAd98GJqrQ5qZ1YwI1WvIjXGNlGW3XkfH5q0OGu11TjakrcXySIxFcZDGzjRaTbtIjMjONnqVemP8WPfCA/s2131/Houston%20Finish%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2131" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-WdeNDcC-B6lop8mKfn8nE-fSW84tt6aPf-Dz-pAh9_XYpAhEBcr-sSn0UErUNDbhGqEg80dCZoyb9_iFQBZrcbl4cWhbzs2mN04n3p8iAd98GJqrQ5qZ1YwI1WvIjXGNlGW3XkfH5q0OGu11TjakrcXySIxFcZDGzjRaTbtIjMjONnqVemP8WPfCA/s320/Houston%20Finish%201.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>I took three honey stinger chews at mile 22, still in awe at how easily my digestive system was handling all the fuel. I continued pouring water over my head which felt amazing with the wind gusts. The wind wasn't an obstacle for me until mile 25, when we were presented with a strong headwind on a hill. An uphill headwind during the 25th mile of a marathon isn't what anybody wants! I felt like I was hanging on for dear life, but my spirits rose again once I had gotten to the top and things flattened out. <p></p><p>I think my last mile was really fast but my Garmin data didn't capture an accurate split because of all the tall buildings. I was passing people and I got a second wind out of nowhere. When there was only half a mile left to go I was flying! It was looking like it might be a close call between 3:26 and 3:27 so I sprinted very had to secure my 3:26:xx. I even remembered not to stop my Garmin immediately to make up for the few seconds it was stopped during the shoelace stop!</p><p>Mile 21: 7:43<br />Mile 22: 7:48<br />Mile 23: 7:52<br />Mile 24: 7:56<br />Mile 25: 7:59<br />Mile 26: 8:02 (but I think it was faster!)<br />Last bit- Garmin says 6:15 pace, but I'm skeptical with all the tall buildings. </p><p>Garmin distance was 26.49, which is mostly due to weaving and not running the tangents, but partially to tall building interference. I briefly glanced down at my Garmin and saw 3:26:xx and was happy with that.</p><p>My official time was <b>3:26:48</b>, which is a BQ by over 23 minutes! I'll be 45 in April 2024, so my qualifying standard is 3:50:00.</p><p><b>After the Race</b><br />I crossed the finish line and started walking. A few seconds later Cris was there next to me and we chatted for a few seconds, but then I quickly realized I might not be okay. Physically I felt fine, but mentally I wasn't all there. I was a little confused and delirious. Cris told me to talk to a medical person if I wasn't feeling well. Thankfully there was a medical person close by and I said, "I am not sure if I am okay, would you please have a conversation with me to make sure I can talk correctly?" And it wasn't long into our conversation that I started slurring my speech. I knew what I wanted to communicate, but I couldn't get the words to come out clearly. This is the exact same thing that happened to me when I had hypothermia in May. It must be the way my body likes to shut down- the ability to talk properly is the first thing to go.</p><p>They put me in a wheelchair and brought me inside the convention center to the medical tent. They wanted me to lie down on a stretcher, but I insisted on sitting up. I felt like lying down would really set me back. I still felt physically fine, but I felt mentally really weird. It was like I was high on something. I've never done drugs, so I have no first hand experience, but it felt like I was in this really happy place. I kept making jokes and I told the medical people that I was going to be the funniest patient they had all day. </p><p>They fed me gatorade and took my vitals. They wanted to give me an IV for dehydration, but I said I wanted to try drinking first. My temperature was normal so I wasn't overheated, and I didn't feel dizzy like I have in the past with heat exhaustion. So it was plain ol' dehydration. I was so baffled as to why, though. I felt like I had done everything right with hydration. I've been running for over 20 years and I know how to hydrate. </p><p>I called Greg from one of the nurse's phones. I told him I would be delayed because I was in the medical area, but that I was basically fine. They kept me there for what seemed like an eternity. I had to drink a certain amount of gatorade and they needed to make sure I could pee properly. And then they tested my waking and my cognitive abilities. My first attempt at walking gave me a bit of a panicky sensation mentally, but after some deep breathing I was fine. I felt undeserving of all the medical attention I was<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOEKc7HblIgdGv4-3mOuuktmt8TJsh8lyaBHoWUkQS6Rb1usB5b9A2JAQQew6f9Va5IAK9aR6sWYZEG_NLGXMq0FN2O-mr69E8pqzq1NR2D6uVeiY8ww4-BDv600Y9rmHQ5rx3bhqERJPkC-qwP4DUvk6CpJ2LVBKS3aBzkG4SjvfIPRX_mDlOPkXow/s1733/Lindsey%20Elizabeth.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1733" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOEKc7HblIgdGv4-3mOuuktmt8TJsh8lyaBHoWUkQS6Rb1usB5b9A2JAQQew6f9Va5IAK9aR6sWYZEG_NLGXMq0FN2O-mr69E8pqzq1NR2D6uVeiY8ww4-BDv600Y9rmHQ5rx3bhqERJPkC-qwP4DUvk6CpJ2LVBKS3aBzkG4SjvfIPRX_mDlOPkXow/s320/Lindsey%20Elizabeth.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindsey and me after the race</td></tr></tbody></table>getting. Surely there were people who were worse off than me who they could have been treating. </p><p>When I was finally cleared to leave, I walked out into the main hall to pick up my finisher's shirt. I then realized that I had to walk ALL the way back to the finish area to get a medal. It was so far away! And then it took forever to get out of the convention center. I was recognized by an Instagram follower and after a brief chat, I asked to borrow her phone. I called Greg and he told me where he was. It took me over an hour from the time I finished to the time I was reunited with Greg. Greg was with Lindsey and it was so awesome to have them both there. The three of us walked back to the hotel near the start line and then hung out at the rooftop pool. </p><p>I drank two more bottles of gatorade and my pee was still a dark shade! But I think that by today I am finally back to a good electrolyte balance and hydration level. </p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />Where to begin? If I could summarize the race in one sentence it would be this:</p><p>I ran a smart race in challenging conditions with even pacing and a slight negative split, and it was a BQ.</p><p>Here are some other thoughts:</p><p><b>Effort Level:</b> My average heart rate was 160. Typically my average heart rate in a marathon is around 165-166. When I ran the Boston Marathon last spring it was 171. In Boston, it was elevated due to post-Covid heart rate issues. In Houston, it was low because I didn't run it at race effort. I think I could have been slightly more aggressive during miles 10-20 (maybe in the low 7:40s) and still held it together at the end. Physically I underestimated myself, but not by much. I probably could have eked out a 3:24, but in the grand scheme of things, two minutes is not a big deal- especially since it's not a PR. </p><p><b>Hydration:</b> As for the dehydration, I don't think it impacted my performance because I felt really strong until mile 25 with that uphill headwind. And then I felt strong again during mile 26. But if I had it to do over again, I am not sure what I would have done differently in terms of hydration. One clue is that whenever I have blood drawn, the blood doesn't flow about 80% of the time. Apparently I have big veins but once the needle goes in, they can't get blood to flow. I am often pricked in both arms, and in some cases multiple times in the same arm before they can get blood. I was recently told that they need to use the largest needle on me. So maybe my normal state of being is dehydration. Carrie suggested that this could be a vitamin D deficiency that prevents the electrolytes from being absorbed properly. I'll definitely look into it.</p><p><b>Negative Split:</b> The last time I ran a negative split during a marathon was in 2015 at the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2015/03/b-trail-marathon-race-report-in-zone.html" target="_blank">B&A Trail marathon</a>. So that's nearly 8 years and 12 marathons of positive splitting. And usually I try to negative</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVGNwCSUGgUCEW2VOj4jr-rWNmCmbbtZTrVTAWo0deLM8N66VCrEo7fPMT9pF7b1a7djToPfig9VORT89uBxKd2AD0bDDcbtJS0wY3m5Ou59DRRdQ3SISExyzJlx1DGNLy26ZKggMkdvzW5Tchvh9miydRvQUcOzcGxUx29CfC1s5V5CMuznFVBM5pg/s1854/Finish%20officia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1854" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVGNwCSUGgUCEW2VOj4jr-rWNmCmbbtZTrVTAWo0deLM8N66VCrEo7fPMT9pF7b1a7djToPfig9VORT89uBxKd2AD0bDDcbtJS0wY3m5Ou59DRRdQ3SISExyzJlx1DGNLy26ZKggMkdvzW5Tchvh9miydRvQUcOzcGxUx29CfC1s5V5CMuznFVBM5pg/s320/Finish%20officia.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /> split! I ran the first half in 1:43:36 and the second half in 1:43:12. It's just a tiny negative split and might be more accurately described as an even split, but I'm proud of it. My fastest portion of the course was miles 15-22, and for a warm race, I'm very happy with that.<p></p><p><b>Weather: </b>The weather was challenging, but I had trained really hard so even my "medium" pace yielded a respectable time and sizable BQ. </p><p><b>Community: </b>Throughout the weekend, I met probably 20-25 people who follow me on Instagram. Everyone was so nice and supportive and told me that they really enjoyed my content. This was surreal to me because I never expected my Instagram account or my book to take off the way it has. I am fortunate to be part of such an amazing community of runners, and to have such great friends like the ladies I met up with throughout the weekend.</p><p><b>What's Next:</b><br />A vacation in Mexico and a week off from running! I'll definitely be swimming in the very long pools and maybe doing some light core work, but that's it. I am not running another marathon this spring and I haven't decided yet if I will try to run one in the fall. I'm definitely hungry to race another marathon because this one went so well, but I'm mentally done with the training. </p><p>Thanks to everyone who supported me in this race, and it was really awesome meeting up with Carrie, Nicole, Cris, and Lindsey!</p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-28965973380718510232023-01-08T15:15:00.003-05:002023-01-08T15:19:17.975-05:00Pre-Houston Marathon Thoughts<p>The Houston Marathon is one week away. Yikes, how did we get here so quickly?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OnGqbRaxlNwxN0HYifQb1M2ZuWckM1CkQRGLoCb-a05Fb8MnMYl6rJVZHDRGHKdD98wDO31EwlxxsGhmH3PKCPjN2NJBsp_Yj85MZG-NBu3GRVr0dPDIIHeJoEE2QCABFatlbfPOverTFoaeWMljTpCPZIMzwLZeGfgN2AMBXVKYqeTRHKn-h91U9Q/s1625/Elizabeth%20December%202022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OnGqbRaxlNwxN0HYifQb1M2ZuWckM1CkQRGLoCb-a05Fb8MnMYl6rJVZHDRGHKdD98wDO31EwlxxsGhmH3PKCPjN2NJBsp_Yj85MZG-NBu3GRVr0dPDIIHeJoEE2QCABFatlbfPOverTFoaeWMljTpCPZIMzwLZeGfgN2AMBXVKYqeTRHKn-h91U9Q/s320/Elizabeth%20December%202022.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><b>2022 Review</b><br />I didn't even have time to do a 2022 recap on the blog. I'll do it quickly right now and then we can move on to Houston.<br /><p></p><p>2022 was a pretty good year for running. Not my best in terms of yearly mileage or a PR-setting, but after dealing with Covid and an SI Joint issue in the first half of the year, I gained major momentum starting in June. Working with Greg McMillan has introduced a new training approach and by the end of the year I was feeling WAY stronger and fitter than at the beginning. My biggest highlights were:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Running the <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2022/04/boston-marathon-2022-running-my-heart.html" target="_blank">Boston Marathon</a> in a respectable 3:33 after dealing with an SI Joint issue that sidelined me for 10 days prior to the race.</li><li>Setting a <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2022/11/the-turkey-trot-is-sacred.html" target="_blank">5K PR </a>in 19:41 in November.</li><li>Setting a 5K course PR at my summertime 5K which is a big deal because I run that same race every summer. My time was 20:57.</li><li>Winning Run The Greenway 5K (the largest race I've ever won), and then getting hypothermia.</li><li>Placing 5th at a competitive 15K race in DC.</li></ul><div>I ran 2,298 miles in total which is more than 2021, although not as much as 2019 or 2020. With Covid in January, the SI Joint problem in April, and the Africa trip, I had my fair share of breaks from running. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Houston Training: Mileage</b><br />Now, onto Houston. Looking at my training log, my mileage for this cycle was on the lower side for me. But, given that I have been marathon training since late August, it was definitely a long cycle. Not running Indianapolis meant no extended break in November, although I did take a few down weeks around that time. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b6DQoVQRg7pT7VnAS0hV2AAg2UF4VthyX3EN-RbymkxwN09lzMAwM9K0jK9r0uMWhAbj4iKYqjvH_9xwdw3REfPszM-UEqPSVCIj17pqUeMVuCjpHEq-CUuVHCnL-8dxo1Sc317LSGloorxZiFgWPJX3uyL6SU_yuYqVfa9D0p7q5xsbBTEZ3jOOrA/s600/Houston%20Training%20Mileage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b6DQoVQRg7pT7VnAS0hV2AAg2UF4VthyX3EN-RbymkxwN09lzMAwM9K0jK9r0uMWhAbj4iKYqjvH_9xwdw3REfPszM-UEqPSVCIj17pqUeMVuCjpHEq-CUuVHCnL-8dxo1Sc317LSGloorxZiFgWPJX3uyL6SU_yuYqVfa9D0p7q5xsbBTEZ3jOOrA/s16000/Houston%20Training%20Mileage.png" /></a></div><br /><div>Just looking at the graph objectively, it seems that I didn't train all that hard for Houston. Typical marathon training cycles for me include multiple weeks in the 70s and I didn't hit 70 even once. I only went over 65 three times! But mileage is just part of the story. In exchange for this mileage I ran some really intense workouts and I'll share what I consider to be my best four.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Top Workouts For Houston</b><br />When I was training for Indianapolis in September and October, I was discouraged because I didn't have any workouts that made a PR (sub-3:15) seem realistic. I was putting in the work but my paces were slower than I would have liked. And then there was the Hartford Half marathon, which was anything but confidence building! But once the weather was cooler on a more consistent basis, starting in mid-November, things started to change. </div><div><br /></div><div>It all started with the 19:41 I ran at a Turkey Trot in late November. That race indicated that I was faster than I had realized, and it motivated me on future runs. I ran a 20-miler a few days later and once I hit mile 20, I felt like I had plenty of gas left in the tank. My legs had so much pep at the end of that run. And then, throughout December, the quality of the workouts increased significantly. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>9 x 1000m with 90-second recovery jogs (Nov. 29)</b></div><div>My coach gave me this workout because I had been struggling with this effort level in previous workouts. I had done this workout in September and in October, and both times I wasn't thrilled with my speed. I decided to get off the track and take this workout to the roads. With that 5K PR behind me, I decided to really push on this one, and my splits were very consistent around 3:59-4:01 which is a pace of 6:25-6:28. During prior sessions on the track, I had been around 4:09-4:10.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>19 Miles with 12 at marathon pace (Dec. 2)</b><br />This run was 5 miles easy, 10 miles at marathon pace, 2 miles easy, 2 miles hard. The 10 marathon-pace miles averaged 7:12. WOW. But even more of a surprise were those final two miles which were 6:58, 6:48. Running a 6:48 mile at the end of 19 was huge for me! If only the marathon had been on December 2nd, with that perfect weather in the high 20s. I definitely think I could have run a PR marathon that day, even un-tapered. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>6 x 2 miles at marathon pace with 2:00 recovery jogs (Dec. 22)</b><br />For whatever reason, I was more intimidated by this workout than any other workout of the entire cycle. Two-mile repeats just sounded hard, and there were a lot of them. Plus, I did this workout on a Wednesday which was before a work day. Splits were 7:30 | 7:26, 7:18 | 7:12, 7:22 | 7:11, 7:13 | 7:10, 7:10 | 7:06, 7:10 | 7:06. Yes- the last two sets were the exact same! Once again, if the marathon had been on December 22 with temps in the 20s, I am pretty confident I would have PR'ed!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ij161dTor4iMkzfX4XUh76sCKQMP-f9mswMJVB-I9XyTphSmaw3Eh6DSOoU5W6vYwmyFn24rbzclRs1gRQqQM1BahI6hARu9qeO_qJgteAmN0Gaban7hrYW_SPYvKL6j9n2Pk6K7U8gZdYMdhLMUwNh2f5OlR0RpuGFSv-MqCCnc-Q_EEqA-qij_Dw/s1500/Houston%20Training.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ij161dTor4iMkzfX4XUh76sCKQMP-f9mswMJVB-I9XyTphSmaw3Eh6DSOoU5W6vYwmyFn24rbzclRs1gRQqQM1BahI6hARu9qeO_qJgteAmN0Gaban7hrYW_SPYvKL6j9n2Pk6K7U8gZdYMdhLMUwNh2f5OlR0RpuGFSv-MqCCnc-Q_EEqA-qij_Dw/s320/Houston%20Training.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><b>3 x 5K at Half Marathon Pace with 5:00 recovery jogs (Dec. 29)</b><br />This was another intimidating workout, so I told myself not to focus on pace - just effort. I ended up running the 5Ks in 22:11 (7:07), 21:32 (6:56), 21:34 (6:56). With this workout I was most proud of my ability to stay strong during that final mile when I was sooooo ready to stop! This was a killer workout and I handled it well, both mentally and physically.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to these workouts, I did many 20-milers. I think it just feels like more 20-milers than normal because I ran my first 20 in September and I continued on with them through the end of December. I'm mentally burned out on the long runs, at this point and I don't think I could do another one unless it was the actual race! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Houston Goals</b><br />If my workouts are any indication of goal race pace, I'd be targeting 7:12. But adding a bit of realism onto that, I'd bump it to around 7:18. The marathon is always harder than training. Adding even more realism, we have the weather forecast, which is problematic as of right now. If this forecast holds, it will be 55 degrees at the start and 65 at the finish. With a good amount of humidity to boot. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm committed to running this race and finishing it, no matter what the weather is. But I'm not willing to risk my health and I must do so safely. So goal pace for me is looking like 7:50-7:55 (3:28 finish time). It may seem like I'm selling myself short, but I know what happens to my body when the temperature gets above 55 in a race and it's not pretty. So I will be thrilled if I can finish that race in under 3:30, without risking my health to do so. </div><div><br /></div><div>Am I bummed about the weather? Yes and no. Yes - for obvious reasons. I won't be able to showcase the fitness I have worked to build over the past four months with a new PR. But no because I'm excited just to get to the start line healthy, knowing that I crushing this training cycle. That's really what's most important and as long as I stay healthy and finish the race I will have a good day. I won't be running another marathon this spring, so I'll need to embrace whatever the day gives me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't train for marathons and build fitness for the sole purpose of setting PRs. I train so I can test my limits, practice mental toughness, and get fitter - no matter what the time on the clock ends up saying. I know that I am in the best marathon shape of my life, or at least the equivalent to what I was in March 2021. And at 44, that's a major accomplishment. <br /><br /></div><div>Onwards to Houston. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Tp9gDU4cEepBetOZWKEJ7K15ePcHYptWIRttflfujkdDVJ3ZCjO7R8dVuXiQDgreguKOEf0zvOgN8kiJval0twP5YJHMkT2iGb-TeFqR7NzyzI5a8aKQndWbYP09OOwPPdIqGhlv3JxKBfNsaD-vG5AXWCWi0hKgVN3YJIG4njbsXDtOyCP8uy2B-g/s1500/Houston%20Goals%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Tp9gDU4cEepBetOZWKEJ7K15ePcHYptWIRttflfujkdDVJ3ZCjO7R8dVuXiQDgreguKOEf0zvOgN8kiJval0twP5YJHMkT2iGb-TeFqR7NzyzI5a8aKQndWbYP09OOwPPdIqGhlv3JxKBfNsaD-vG5AXWCWi0hKgVN3YJIG4njbsXDtOyCP8uy2B-g/w512-h640/Houston%20Goals%202.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-61873517274293783162022-12-11T14:33:00.003-05:002022-12-11T14:45:38.449-05:00Jingle All The Way 15K<p>This morning I ran the Jingle All The Way 15K in Washington, DC. The 15K is a fun distance, but rather uncommon. The 10-miler is much more popular here in the DC area with the Army Ten Miler, the Cherry Blossom 10-miler and the GW Parkway 10-miler. As such, I had only run one 15K previously!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42Yl1QatmEMgW4de2MEHj9GnCO66vs0v4GzclGU9_i4F94MsvAIfbupYt7T5kkIo3wnLNKR6nOswqTgndr91dsFBIcI0LlhOnt6ODyhD571iKd0x6lZ7fhAAcIx2Y_4c-A4z8VBPqFU0d8K1t9f7Jh3UE6wc7YlN-xE5JAXgThoEL0v0CRNf9cKhD0w/s1625/Mile%201%20JAW.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42Yl1QatmEMgW4de2MEHj9GnCO66vs0v4GzclGU9_i4F94MsvAIfbupYt7T5kkIo3wnLNKR6nOswqTgndr91dsFBIcI0LlhOnt6ODyhD571iKd0x6lZ7fhAAcIx2Y_4c-A4z8VBPqFU0d8K1t9f7Jh3UE6wc7YlN-xE5JAXgThoEL0v0CRNf9cKhD0w/s320/Mile%201%20JAW.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>My other 15K was in <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2015/01/frostbite-15k-sticking-it-out.html" target="_blank">January 2015</a> in pouring rain. Part of the course was flooded and I ended up running 9.5 miles according to my Garmin. My main goal there ended up being to survive without getting hypothermia. I was underdressed for it being in the mid 30s with rain, and I was happy just to finish in a time of 1:12. <p></p><p>I did run this Jingle All The Way race back in 2007 when it was a 10K. But never since! </p><p>I chose this race for a few reasons. First, I had a free entry. Well, not exactly free - I had registered for a 10K in March of 2020 that got cancelled. The race management company didn't start up racing again until 2022, and the choices for deferral were a 4-miler in March, or this race. So I chose this race. Seems crazy to finally be using a registration fee from nearly three years ago!</p><p>This race was also my tune up for the Houston Marathon, which will take place in 5 weeks. I typically prefer to run a half marathon as a tune up, but those are difficult to find this time of year and I didn't want to travel. </p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I slept very well last night. We recently bought a new mattress from WinkBeds. And it makes such a difference. I didn't find my old mattress to be uncomfortable, but I think the memory foam trapped too much heat. So both Greg and I have been sleeping better than ever for the past two weeks!</p><p>For breakfast I had some almond butter pretzels and a Maurten Solid, along with plenty of water. We left the house at 7:10 for a race start of 8:30. There was no race day packet pickup, and one of my friends had gotten my bib from DC yesterday. I had driven to her house to get it. She ran the 5K so I didn't end up seeing her on the course.</p><p>We parked and then I got a text from my friend Anna saying she was also running the race. Perfect! Greg and I walked to where she was parked and we warmed up together. Greg is unfortunately still injured so he was on photo duty. </p><p>I somehow got the timing wrong and didn't have enough time to run my full warm up of two miles. When it's cold I typically need at least two miles to get the legs to move fast. I only ran 1.1 miles, but I included strides. I also jogged in place at the start line. I took a Maurten CAF gel 10 minutes before the start. </p><p>The weather was really nice. I give it a 10/10 on my race weather scale. 42 degrees, completely overcast and almost no wind. I debated giving this a 9 because with the overcast sky, it was extremely cold when I finished and I could not wait to get warm. It was like 42 with a "feels like" of 32! But for running, I think it does get a 10 out of 10. </p><p><b>Strategy and Goals</b><br />My goal was to run a sub-6:50 pace. My <a href="https://www.elizabethclor.com/2021/01/10-fast-miles.html" target="_blank">10-mile PR</a> is a pace of 6:47, so I figured if I could do that today, I would be very happy. I think my 10-mile PR is my strongest PR out of all of them. And the McMillan Calculator agrees. The 10-mile distance is truly my sweet spot. </p><p>I would count this race as a PR if I was able to beat my 6:47 pace from that 10-miler. My strategy was to run even pacing and just hold on to the sub 6:50 as long as possible. The course was pretty much flat, so I didn't have to factor in hills. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0MMK6t_PPGFuBiX-Hv_PZ2Ut9yH_gajjakvidI2ILIa7VSHLOLfG40LyHxomcWWYfr3JK-0LM5OdmH39iXe4Z97LUxzhvBX7hUdpi9WyS2VlwsY6HTvtToAViJY6fq524HDKQ0QWztYsOyFi_bUregtMOE6qWIP4iQ744fp8Lo7g_VHrhz-lZ4Zzyw/s1981/Elizabeth_Clor%20Jingle%20All%20The%20Way%201.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0MMK6t_PPGFuBiX-Hv_PZ2Ut9yH_gajjakvidI2ILIa7VSHLOLfG40LyHxomcWWYfr3JK-0LM5OdmH39iXe4Z97LUxzhvBX7hUdpi9WyS2VlwsY6HTvtToAViJY6fq524HDKQ0QWztYsOyFi_bUregtMOE6qWIP4iQ744fp8Lo7g_VHrhz-lZ4Zzyw/s320/Elizabeth_Clor%20Jingle%20All%20The%20Way%201.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>Miles 1-3</b><br />The race started in a pretty narrow area, which was surprising. But after about a minute of running things really opened up. I felt amazing at the race start. I was running a pace of 6:50 and it felt totally manageable. Almost like half marathon pace! I was very encouraged. Sometimes the first mile feels stale, especially with a shorter warm up. But this mile felt amazing and it flew by.<p></p><p>Miles 2 and 3 also felt really good. I couldn't tell exactly how many women were ahead of me, but it didn't look like too many. Historically there have been many fast women at this race, so I thought I would be lucky to place in the top 10. I definitely knew I was in the top ten during these early miles. </p><p>Mile 1: 6:50<br />Mile 2: 6:48<br />Mile 3: 6:42</p><p><b>Miles 4-7<br /></b>I was pretty shocked by that 6:42, but I had told myself in advance not to let a fast split psych me out. Who knew what I was capable of? I took a Maurten gel at 4.5 and it went down easily. It was around this time when I passed a woman who had been ahead of me. I had been gaining on her for the past mile and I finally passed her. I was feeling energized and confident! I don't have too much to say about these miles, other that I tried to hold a steady pace and think positive thoughts. </p><p>Mile 4: 6:47<br />Mile 5: 6:49<br />Mile 6: 6:50<br />Mile 7: 6:51</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoj8JxxWGnLz20kTXQiwWbUnnoCmNHZ-Y5UU-RWny5m5v_030GS1nmpD_WMl41QuT_lhziWTfQcrPzGebvq-8wda2olN5MHwOUcbEefHdr7RH_v_vOt9fLlFkcCrLPsiiWp4L5Df2z6FhCFbkzc2E6z2AvstPf-v4BSMVB2cYD96CTnRmccGVsLaTHzw/s1950/Elizabeth_Clor%20Jingle%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoj8JxxWGnLz20kTXQiwWbUnnoCmNHZ-Y5UU-RWny5m5v_030GS1nmpD_WMl41QuT_lhziWTfQcrPzGebvq-8wda2olN5MHwOUcbEefHdr7RH_v_vOt9fLlFkcCrLPsiiWp4L5Df2z6FhCFbkzc2E6z2AvstPf-v4BSMVB2cYD96CTnRmccGVsLaTHzw/s320/Elizabeth_Clor%20Jingle%202.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Miles 8- Finish</b><br />After mile 7 things suddenly got very hard. My energy level was high, but my legs started to feel heavy. All of a sudden, they just didn't want to move at the same pace they had been. I tried to fight it and really lean in, but I had to work much harder to maintain my pace. And I wasn't able to run as fast as the first seven miles. <p></p><p>This is when I started to regret my tempo workout from Thursday. On paper, it hadn't seemed like that big of a workout, but when I was finishing it, I realized my legs were getting tired, and that was not a great sign for a Sunday race. That workout was 15 minutes at marathon pace (7:12), 10 minutes at half marathon pace (6:51), 5 minutes at 10K pace (6:32) and 1 minute at 5K pace (6:21). All with 2 minute recovery jogs. This ended up being just over 5 miles, which was pretty long! </p><p>So during the 8th mile, I was regretting that workout as my legs did not want to move. Regardless, I stayed positive and focused on retaining my place in the field. I knew my goal of a sub-6:50 pace was slipping away, but placing well in a competitive field would be a nice confidence boost. </p><p>Things went from bad to worse after I hit 9 miles. It was only 0.4 to go, but my legs were not having it. I didn't have any final kick and that was my slowest portion!</p><p>Mile 8: 7:01<br />Mile 9: 6:57<br />Last 0.41: 7:11 pace</p><p><b>After the Race</b><br />I met up with Greg and we looked up the official results. I ran a time of<b> 1:04:35 </b>and was the 5th overall female. A top five finish at this race? I'll take it!</p><p>We watched Anna finish and then I wanted to leave pretty quickly. I did not want to stick around for my award because it was really cold and my Achilles were hurting. Racing sometimes causes a flare-up, and sometimes not. They feel decent now, but they were definitely on fire after finishing. All I could think about was getting home to my new bath tub.</p><p><b>Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways</b><br />I'm happy with how this race went. I definitely think I could have run a sub 6:50 pace for the whole race if my legs had been fresher. They were the limiting factor, not my energy level. And I had averaged a pace of 6:48 all the way up through mile 7! </p><p>Mentally I stayed positive and I kept pushing hard even when my body wanted to slow down. Great mental toughness training for Houston. </p><p>Most importantly I had fun. This was a festive race with a scenic course in DC. It was a unique distance and a great challenge. Now back to training for Houston!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2cTY5RBS_lZ1EopJRkZ-IQp91FIfdVbSrxungIFL2eswAfM5zonSxLnzBI8blGCBlxWod0NNL6Mdt2b7jDdcMTJA4DypIrvvE5Ig9m8GHyi0a-HIyrZRekkhDJmHb7-IHoL4RRI9RnBKPUMF8oWO9OiZ1LoMC43BaWo8_9RVSbW7bPtVKnwGEw91lQ/s1950/Elizabeth%20Clor%20Jingle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2cTY5RBS_lZ1EopJRkZ-IQp91FIfdVbSrxungIFL2eswAfM5zonSxLnzBI8blGCBlxWod0NNL6Mdt2b7jDdcMTJA4DypIrvvE5Ig9m8GHyi0a-HIyrZRekkhDJmHb7-IHoL4RRI9RnBKPUMF8oWO9OiZ1LoMC43BaWo8_9RVSbW7bPtVKnwGEw91lQ/w266-h400/Elizabeth%20Clor%20Jingle.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189875022254484779.post-46446701568538727892022-11-25T10:15:00.003-05:002022-11-25T10:20:55.987-05:00The Turkey Trot is Sacred.<p>When others were suggesting that I run the Philadelphia marathon after Indianapolis and Richmond were a bust, I gave a firm "no." I will probably never run the Philadelphia marathon. Why? It's only 4 days before Thanksgiving! That would mean no Turkey Trot. And the Turkey Trot is Sacred.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc33Kln3o0oWk95Dz2EEaCnbtVgYsE2g0hoCPwQIlpzNo6ZWXi2opdBWPI3Z6866ZM6p7INNDYsx6uiu4IpbSCMf7wxno4N1t_poguRdKQFfw9c3ElqO4WMvBCn__BnSnGpowK0qLbNrZmBefVP0tbFaxa7GVAkrIKtww0bIBRACFFik3DxgnVpBzUng/s2100/Elizabeth%20Ashburn%201.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc33Kln3o0oWk95Dz2EEaCnbtVgYsE2g0hoCPwQIlpzNo6ZWXi2opdBWPI3Z6866ZM6p7INNDYsx6uiu4IpbSCMf7wxno4N1t_poguRdKQFfw9c3ElqO4WMvBCn__BnSnGpowK0qLbNrZmBefVP0tbFaxa7GVAkrIKtww0bIBRACFFik3DxgnVpBzUng/s320/Elizabeth%20Ashburn%201.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>I have been trotting since 2006. From 2006-2018 I ran the same 5K race. It holds so many memories for me. In 2019, they didn't have enough volunteers so they didn't hold it. I was saddened by this, after having run the race for 13 consecutive years. But I found another one that I liked and ran it. It offers both a 5K and a 10K. I ran the 5K in 2019 and the 10K in 2021. There was no Turkey Trot in 2020.<p></p><p>Aside from tradition, the Turkey Trot is sacred because it almost always has good weather. I have only experienced "bad" Turkey Trot weather maybe twice. My ideal racing temperature is around 35 degrees, and late November mornings in this area average around 35 degrees. In addition to good weather, I am usually coming off of a marathon training cycle so my fitness is sharp. Nearly all of my 5K PRs have been set at Turkey Trots, and I rarely expect to PR that distance outside of a Turkey Trot.</p><p>This year, I didn't run my goal marathon due to abnormally warm weather. That meant that my fall goal race was actually the Turkey Trot. </p><p><b>Goals and Strategy</b><br />I really didn't have a great indication of my fitness. I knew I was in good marathon shape because I had logged several marathon pace runs, with marathon pace averaging 7:15. But as for my top speed - I wasn't quite sure. I ran a track workout one week before the 5K, and it didn't give me a ton of confidence. I was supposed to run 1600m at 5K pace, and then 1200m also at 5K pace, followed by 800, 400, 200. Well- the 1600 was 6:38 and the 1200m was a pace of 6:34. This did not bode well for setting a PR, which would require a pace of under 6:26. </p><p>I figured my ultimate goal would still be sub 20:00 (and maybe a sub 19:58 PR) but more realistic was something around 20:20.</p><p>The first mile of this course is uphill. The middle mile is mostly flat. The last mile is downhill. It's fast if you know how to pace it properly.</p><p>Because I ran this race in 2019, I had Strava data to refer back to. My splits back then were 6:35, 6:41, 6:12. And I had just run a half marathon PR two weeks earlier in 1:30:58. So my strategy was to try and make that second mile faster and keep the first and third mile the same. That middle mile is basically flat, but I ran it slowly in 2019 because of a sustained 20mph headwind. Without the wind, I had a decent chance of being faster there. </p><p><b>Before the Race</b><br />I had a Maurten Solid about 2 hours before race start along with some water. I didn't have insane urges to keep going to the bathroom like I normally do on race morning. I went once, and that was enough. Maybe it was because I felt pretty chill about this race, I didn't have "butterflies" in my stomach. </p><p>We left the house at 7:10 and arrived at 7:35. The race started at 8:25. I started my warm up at 7:55, with a plan of running for just over 20 minutes. I took a caffeinated Maurten gel at 8:10 (15 minutes before the race start). My feet were going numb during the warm up and things felt a little stiff. But after some faster running, everything started to feel decent. </p><p>I wore my adidas Adios Pro 2 shoes. I had been wearing the ASICS Metaspeed Edge for my summer 5Ks due to the lower stack height and that close-to-the-ground feel. But I noticed that those shoes make me heel strike while watching a video of a track workout. They also don't feel as bouncy as the Adios Pro 2. Another option was the New Balance Super Comp Pacer. I wore this shoe for the track workout I mentioned above. Clearly they weren't doing me any favors and the fit was sloppy around the heel. I did enjoy the ride and the lightweight feel, but I needed something more locked in for racing. </p><p>After the warm up, I put my jacket in the car and headed to the start line. Greg is recovering from his groin injury, so during this time he was figuring out the best place to take pictures. At the start line, I said hi to my friends Hannah and Cheryl. </p><p><b>Weather</b><br />On my race weather scale, this gets a 10 out of 10. I would actually give it an 11 if I could. And I can because it's my scale, so it gets an 11 out of 10. I couldn't dream up anything more perfect. 35 degrees, partly sunny, no wind. Not even a hint of any kind wind. I wish I could put this weather in a bottle and save it for all races!</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MPXEVeHExPo-Dt4IR4maiuVJkNj2UuyhoSxOdZftbjEaBYp3FA73FJrWYzHbmhq_O618ZCXGfGMbWVVciEGEksQC1AKT-1330Hen4ulW10DWVO1pVnNNwt7ZwXYs4s03FqhwjdTEL4wzf37hBUMqhXxWzdoBdRjKITdKgW-JYBBXWJ_oLis494vTIg/s1630/Elizabeth%20Clor%20Ashburn%202.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MPXEVeHExPo-Dt4IR4maiuVJkNj2UuyhoSxOdZftbjEaBYp3FA73FJrWYzHbmhq_O618ZCXGfGMbWVVciEGEksQC1AKT-1330Hen4ulW10DWVO1pVnNNwt7ZwXYs4s03FqhwjdTEL4wzf37hBUMqhXxWzdoBdRjKITdKgW-JYBBXWJ_oLis494vTIg/s320/Elizabeth%20Clor%20Ashburn%202.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 1</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Mile 1: 6:34</b><br />I had studied this mile closely in my Strava data from 2019 and I had run it during my warm up. As I said above, this course can be very fast if you pace it properly. I went out very quickly, probably around 6:15 because I knew that once the hill started, I would be slowing down. About a quarter mile in, it was time to run uphill. I kept my effort level hard and powered up that hill. I focused on engaging my glutes swinging my arms, and getting to the top. It's not a very steep hill, but it does last for most of the first mile. I kept telling myself that the race would get much easier once I was at the top. <p></p><p>I saw my split was 6:34 and this was perfect. I wanted my split to be about the same as 2019, and I had run this one second faster. Yes!</p><p><b>Mile 2: 6:29</b><br />I should mention that I was not at all focused on where I was in the field of women. I saw my friend Hannah at the start line and knew she was ahead of me but other than that I wasn't sure how many women were ahead of her. There was even a turnaround point and I didn't even think to look at the runners on the other side - I just stayed focused on pushing really hard.</p><p>I told myself that this was the most important mile because I had the opportunity to shave some time from my 2019 split. The final mile would be downhill and I would rely on gravity. But this mile- this mile required focus, the ability to push really hard and tolerate discomfort. I think many runners are afraid to push really hard during the middle mile of a 5K because you still have over a mile to go. But if you know that the last mile is going to be all downhill, you have the confidence to push super hard in the middle mile, and that's what I did. I passed a few people during this mile.</p><p>I was so excited when I saw that my split was 6:29, which was 12 seconds faster than my 6:41 from 2019. WOW. </p><p><b>Mile 3: 6:07</b><br />At this point, I knew I was likely to PR. And I had to keep telling myself not to get emotional, not to get too excited. I still had work to do. If I let myself get too happy about this, I would coast along. And it's not a PR until you cross the finish line so I actually had to get there, and get there fast. I'm an excellent downhill runner and I flew by quite a few runners. I could really feel the shoes propelling me along too- this is where the carbon fiber plate really shines. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrX-B16Bhc66ZUDEz1RQMbEHoP1TlOtjso0yH3jQHrKc4SJm4vgoaxVnPngs-sojVDT3yS48Ewpl55cvJSP5KN1vo5eNgxFQH19aOH-8Sp9ULBzQFYR_t6qa2XUO06rnze0fC5cOvC2UtglX-JWQteTEhBGuBjY7dhUdHgqy7T2skuiOY4Kl5rMcfTaw/s1946/Elizabeth%20Ashburn%203.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1946" data-original-width="1300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrX-B16Bhc66ZUDEz1RQMbEHoP1TlOtjso0yH3jQHrKc4SJm4vgoaxVnPngs-sojVDT3yS48Ewpl55cvJSP5KN1vo5eNgxFQH19aOH-8Sp9ULBzQFYR_t6qa2XUO06rnze0fC5cOvC2UtglX-JWQteTEhBGuBjY7dhUdHgqy7T2skuiOY4Kl5rMcfTaw/w268-h400/Elizabeth%20Ashburn%203.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 3</td></tr></tbody></table><b>The Finish and Beyond</b><br />I ran the final kick at a pace of 6:07 which shows I was happy to keep things steady versus finding another gear. As a result, I didn't have to dry heave at the end. I think my dry heaving comes not from the overall effort of the race, but the fact that I go 100% balls-to-the-wall during the last few minutes and then suddenly stop. With my pace steady, didn't have the urge to dry heave.<p></p><p>But my first thought was "I could have run that race faster". Is that true? Maybe I could have pushed even harder on the final mile. It sort of felt easy because it was all downhill. I guess that's' the beauty of a course that starts uphill and finishes downhill. You get the hard part out of the way without killing yourself and the rest feels easier than it should for race effort.</p><p>Greg looked up my result online and found that I ran an official time of <b>19:41</b>. Well, this was surreal. This was not something that should have been possible! I couldn't even run a sub 6:35 mile on the track last week. Imposter syndrome immediately kicked in. It was the shoes. It was the fast course. It was the weather. It was everything BUT me because I am not a 19:41 5K runner. Nope. That time is too good for me. Was the course short? My Garmin had 3.09 but on Strava, other people who ran the race had distances of 3.1. And my average pace according to Garmin was 6:23, so this would still be a 19:50 at 3.1. So yes, I did PR. How did that even happen when I felt like I could have run a faster last mile!? Wow.</p><p>I guess this is what happens when you train for a marathon for 3 months and then instead of the marathon, you run the 5K. So yes, I deserve this time. Yes, I earned it. (I'm slowly starting to convince myself that this time isn't "too good" for me). </p><p>The results had me listed as 4th female, which was a bit of a bummer because there was prize money at this race. But then my friend Hannah and I realized that there was only one female ahead of her, and she should have been second. Unless we somehow missed her? This is still under investigation, but it's possible I was the third overall female. I don't care all that much, a 17-second 5K PR is enough of an award for me.</p><p>Does this make bib number 69 my lucky number?! Maybe!!</p><p>Later that day, my friend Meredith texted me and told me she ran the Virginia Run Turkey Trot (the race I ran for 13 straight years). WHAT!? I thought that race was not being held. I'm on their email list and never received an email about it. I'm in the community Facebook group and it was never mentioned! But apparently, yes, it happened. So next year it's back to my traditional Turkey Trot race. I can't believe I broke my streak and missed it this year. Would I have run a time of 19:41? Maybe not, but there's something really special about that race.</p><p>Now for the really important part: the cake. I settled on a Dairy Queen Blizzard cake. I know it's cold out and ice cream isn't as appealing as it would be in the summer. But let's face it, I will never PR when it's warm out so if I ever want a PR Blizzard cake, now is the time. We haven't gotten this cake yet, but we plan to get it tomorrow and decorate it with 19:41. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOzD5LOAHxyTSCfHEZ9zSNlXEJbVrv_YwzBbkRZoAi5Vl6bwh4wj0I726YeFcYHp36_wUkO90F2MnY7MLLHjI7Pt2D_DA075H7-pd-y4hFhyxpZw6OhxfrFgdPL4UFbLt-c-htoc2AKMXxw_ijld9Cv0KOOhVngNCaGy89mHtGymeVSgtPGbxRmJ_jA/s3065/Cheryl%20Elizabeth%20Ashburn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3065" data-original-width="2485" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOzD5LOAHxyTSCfHEZ9zSNlXEJbVrv_YwzBbkRZoAi5Vl6bwh4wj0I726YeFcYHp36_wUkO90F2MnY7MLLHjI7Pt2D_DA075H7-pd-y4hFhyxpZw6OhxfrFgdPL4UFbLt-c-htoc2AKMXxw_ijld9Cv0KOOhVngNCaGy89mHtGymeVSgtPGbxRmJ_jA/w324-h400/Cheryl%20Elizabeth%20Ashburn.jpg" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheryl and me after the race</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06265175590096078175noreply@blogger.com4