Was it a Meltdown, or a Downpour?

Yay! Here's for more summer races. In the heat. And in the rain.

On Saturday night, I ran the Lakewood Summer Meltdown 5K in my neighborhood. It was part of the Lakewood Streetwalk (which sounds weird, but was pretty much just a street fair. Get your head out of the gutter!), and for once it didn't start and end at Lakewood Park!

I'm always torn about night races. On one hand, I love them because a) they're different; b) you can eat and hydrate plenty throughout the day and don't have to worry about all the morning rushing to eat and drink; and c) the sun isn't beating down on you. On the other hand, I dislike them because you're waiting the entire day to do it, and you get tired by the time it's supposed to happen. At least, that's what happened to me.

Add that to the fact that it was ridiculously hot this whole week, and that I was feeling like I wouldn't do so well at the race. But I went anyway, and I'm so glad I did!

I left our place at around 6:35 and walk/jogged there as a warmup. The clouds were forming and I heard thunder. Right after I got my bib (but no t-shirt; apparently they were out. What?! And I had pre-registered!), the sky finally said "I give up" and it started pouring. I hid under an awning at Panera because I didn't want to get soaked before I started running (my thoughts were more about chafing and wet socks than about being cold or uncomfortable -- believe me, the latter would have been impossible!).

Finally, we were off, and I remember laughing pretty hard during the first half mile or so. We started downhill on Belle Avenue towards Clifton, and then we stayed on Clifton for a good mile or so. We even passed by my house!

Shortly after the 1st mile marker (which by the way was 10:34 according to my watch!), we heard the horns and we saw the fastest runners coming back towards us. I always love that part. This time, I didn't shout out to them or clap, because I wanted to conserve my energy, but I sent out positive vibes, especially to the first female runner I saw!

We did a bunch of turns, and I was pretty happy with how I was pacing myself. I had the same few people in sight that I tried to pass, and I succeeded in some cases. Overall, I kept thinking about the fact that I wasn't really that tired, and that even though I wanted to walk, I didn't have to. I passed mile 2 and that split was 11:45.

The last mile wasn't really that bad, despite the ridiculously long block we had to come back up (Belle again, this time towards Detroit) and the biatch of a hill at the very end. There was someone on my tail, who said, "One more minute, or I'm finishing without you!" (Or she might have said "I'm not finishing without you," but that would be way too nice. Haha!) She gave me the motivation to keep pushing and not walk, which I really really wanted to do by this point. (I did take a short walking break for water nearing mile 2). Mile 3 read as 11:46, and then as I ran through the chute, I saw 34:xx but I forgot to stop my watch so it came out as 35:04 when I did click it. (Annoyance: the Hermes Cleveland site still doesn't have results up, nor does it have them for the Fairview Park one I did last weekend!)

[Edited to add: The results were in fact posted this afternoon. My official time was 34:56, or 11:14/mile.]

Well, even if I do go by 35:04, that's still better than the last two 5Ks I did, and better than my first one ever. Feeling good about stuff! Gonna get that time back down if it takes all year. ;)

My only other beef with this race? They ran out of water at the finish. What!?! How many people were they expecting, and how many actually ran? Did non-runners take water? Did runners take more than one? I was kind of pissed off. At least they had watermelon, and I went into Panera where they nicely let me have a cup of their water, but still, that's never happened to me before.

But all and all, a very good time, a fun race, and a nice cooldown jog home!

All's Fair(view) in Running and Eating

Surprise! I ran a race yesterday. Actually, it was sort of a surprise to me as well.

We just got back on Saturday night from a week at the Jersey Shore (Beach Haven). I ran three times when I was there, and I was thinking I might want to try and find a race this weekend.

I really wanted to do the Winking Lizard Shot in the Dark 4-miler on Saturday night, but we were still on our way back when that one started. So I looked at my good ol' Running in the USA site, and found out that there was a race in Fairview Park on the 17th: The Fairview Youth Association Run for Fun 5K.

I have been extremely lucky, by the way, that the baby has been sleeping through the night. It just makes things like working out and, oh, I don't know, staying awake long enough to eat cereal, that much more bearable. So she got up at 6:40 and after I tended to her, I got ready to go. I got to Bohlken Park, where the race was held, at around 7:50 (start time of 8:30). Registration was painless, got my bib and was good to go! No chip timing for this race. You know what that means! It's so small that I just may come in dead last!!!!

After a little speech welcoming us and thanking us for running the (2nd!!!) annual race, we were off. I thought of NYRR's Mary Wittenberg, and how she needed to use a microphone for all the runners to hear her announcments and speeches before races in Central Park. This was so different, but cool!

I started off a bit faster than I thought I could handle, but was still getting passed left and right. Whatever! Oh, I should also mention that it was hot as balls and even though I was probably in better shape than when I did my last race in April, the heat was stifling so I had very few expectations for this race as far as time was concerned.

The first mile passed by really quickly. I was relieved, because I was sort of having a hard time already. There were no volunteers calling out the elapsed time, and I'd forgotten my watch, so I really had no clue what we were looking at here in terms of my speed. However, a volunteer standing about a tenth of a mile past the first mile marker shouted out, "You're not last!" as I ran by. Gee, thanks. Do you think that really makes me feel confident? How about "Looking good!" or something!!!?!?!

The second mile did not pass by as quickly, but at least I had the water stop to look forward to halfway between these miles. I took two cups, and poured one down my back (I learned the hard way a few years ago not to pour it on the top of your head or on your face unless you want to become temporarily blinded by your sweat stinging your eyes!!!).

Now here's where I began to pass some people. My motto, if you can call it that, is "I won't get passed again" (which of course always makes that Who song get stuck in my head for a chunk of a race when I think about it). In other words, if I pass you, I'm going to make it my mini-goal for the rest of the race not to get passed back. This doesn't always work, but if I can get a good enough lead, it sometimes does. I even psych people out on occasion by surging forward long enough for me to lose them (or better yet, to turn a corner or something) making it mentally harder on them to catch up because I "have so much energy." (Yeah right! It's all an act, and the whole time I do this I'm praying that you don't take the bait and run faster to catch up.) Well anyway, yesterday I passed three people (four, if you count this one guy who was running with his daughter), and I didn't get passed by them again! I consider that small feat an accomplishment, especially considering I could feel the heat emanating from my body. Note to self: SLEEVELESS SHIRTS FOR SUMMER RACES. Duh! I'd put on my black (of all colors) River Run technical tee from 2009.

Anyway. The end of a race is always like running through a fog for me. But at least it propels me forward. People clapping from their front stoops, watering their lawns. A nice guy who set out a cooler and fashioned an unofficial water stop in the third mile. And the volunteers who kept shouting, "Less than half a mile to go!"

I reached the entrance to the park (which I kind of assumed was mile 3) at 35:50 -- this is what the guy with the watch told me. Then I just had a little ways to go. I had to rip off the bottom of my bib in order for them to get my time, which, based on the time I entered the park as well as my fuzzy memory of the clock, was 36:xx. Not bad for a scorcher and only my second race since getting back down to business.

So here are some goals for racing:
-Train and run for River Run half marathon on September 11 (already registered). I'm sort of stuck at this 3-3.5 mile zone for my runs, and I'm looking forward to getting some long runs in again!!!
-Slowly bring my 5K time back down to the low 30s by the fall/winter...and then hopefully back to 28:xx by the time I consider myself really "in shape" ;)
-Much more important than both of these: LEARN TO ENJOY RUNNING AGAIN. It's been so long since I've done it with any consistency that I'm feeling kind of down about it. I've been going out more, and doing it, but it's taking awhile not to feel slow and sluggish and just...tired!!

In other news....
-We moved from Tremont to Lakewood! That's partially why I haven't blogged in awhile. No internet for about two weeks, then we went on vacation. So that's that. So far, I am loving the new apartment and the new neighborhood.

Oh, and speaking of Tremont -- went to the Taste of Tremont yesterday, for the first time as a non-resident ... um, not sure I'll ever do that again! Parking was a nightmare. And it was so hot. Ugh, I guess I'm just getting old! But I sure did take advantage of burning some extra calories to indulge in some of the treats there.

Proud to be an Athena

Ok, kids! Time for a race recap.

As I've mentioned about a jazillion times, I ran the Jog Into Spring 5K yesterday. Here's how it went:

It was a new experience being a mom and running a race. Just the little things that you take for granted (like being able to go to bed "early," for example, or waking up and doing your pre-race routine, get thrown for a loop when you have to tend to a little person). Luckily, Derek was there for support just in case it turned out to be a poor sleeping night for Lorelei. It wasn't really that bad, but she did get up at around 5 am. By the time I was done feeding, burping, and changing her, it was 5:45. My alarm was set to go off at 6:45, and I tried to go back to sleep, but after a little while, I thought: If I fall back asleep now, there is NO WAY I'm going to feel ok in only one hour. I'm going to be miserable, cranky, and groggy, and I'll probably snooze my alarm and then have to rush and feel panicked.

So, instead, I just took a hot shower, made some coffee, and had a leisurely breakfast. Then, in about an hour, Derek woke up, and we got ready together. We timed it pretty well, and Lorelei got up at around 7:30 for the day, so I fed her and we were ready to go by around 8.

We got to the Independence Civic Center by 8:20 or so, and I got all my race-day stuff. It felt so good to pin on a bib again! And I almost forgot how to attach the D-tag. Ha ha.

It was a bit chilly (like around 40 or 45 degrees), but I knew with a little warm-up, it would be fine, and I always appreciate that kind of weather for running (for me, 60 is already too hot!). Derek walked Lorelei around in the stroller while I did some jogging around. I was still feeling a bit sick (no voice, cough), so I knew I wasn't going to push it. (I did make sure I could breathe deeply, and I could -- there was no mucus in my lungs or anything.) I was still happy I was racing.

As I was getting ready to start, I saw my mom and Jack, who were waiting there, and my mom got this picture of me:

I was excited, but also a bit nervous. What if I couldn't finish? What if I came in last? It's funny to have these fears after having raced so much. But still, it had been a long time, and what if I was rusty?

We started off with a little jingly bell, which was funny. Shortly after we began running, I realized two things: 1) this course was kind of hilly and 2) this course was SUPER boring! Ack! All school buildings, convention center circumferences, and the like. Oh well.

For the first mile, I really had to keep talking to myself: Don't worry if people are passing you; just let them go. Don't worry if you feel tired; you're still warming up. Don't worry if you have to walk; you're only human. And so on! Oh, and I didn't wear a watch this time, but as I passed mile one the woman keeping time said, "11:04." Ok! Much better than I thought. Based on my "training" for this race (or lack thereof), I was expecting more like 12:xx or even 13:xx.

During the second mile, this older guy caught up to me, and we exchanged hellos and "good job"s. It turns out that he hadn't been racing since '09 either, and that Renee Roche (who this race is dedicated to) was a relative. That gave me a little more motivation to keep going. It's always good to find someone really close to the cause to send the message home: I can run. I can keep going. Some people aren't as lucky.

We did run through a fairly nice (and again, hilly!) residential section during the second mile, as well as a water station (thank god), during which I walked to drink. But that was the only time I walked! Yay! At the second mile, my time was 23 minutes. So just under a 12-minute mile.

The third mile was ok. It wasn't as bad as it usually is. It was a sort of modified out-and-back course, so I started recognizing things, and the end went fairly quickly. Right at the 3-mile mark, a stroller mom passed me (dammit! How on earth do they race with those things?!), but I kicked it into high, or maybe medium-high, gear. The clock read 35:50 with about 100 yards to go. I tried to make it under 36:00, but it didn't happen! Oh well! 

But the online official time was actually 35:53, due to the good ol' 10-second delayed start or what have you. So that made the last mile around 12 again, and the last .12 around a minute. Not bad! That made my pace for this race 11:38/mile.

I am really satisfied with this. Based on how I was feeling leading up to this race, and the wild card of no sleep, I would have expected a time closer to 40 minutes. This 5K time was just about a minute slower than my first 5k ever, during which time I was admittedly in much better shape (although inexperienced at racing). I am very confident that I can get my time back down in the low 30s by the fall. (Hello goals!)

Me, Derek, and Lorelei after the race

Also, I hadn't mentioned this before, but I entered into the Athena (150 lbs. +) division for women. Did I place? Wellll... I got fourth. Out of five. HAHA! But still, I was super proud to enter into that division. To me, "Athena" doesn't say "overweight" or "lumbering." It says "powerful," "strong," and, at least for me, "determined."

So all in all, it was a good race, and a great birthday present to myself. And I'll consider this a PRPB (PR Post-Baby!).

Hope everyone else had a great Saturday!

Birthday Race

I did it! I finished my first 5K since December 2009!!

Official time: 35:53 / 11:38 pace

More details to follow!

I've run an average of 0.114583 per day this year!

I just looked at my daily mile stats, and so far I've run a total of ... wait for it ... 11 miles in 2011!! Haha! That is hysterical. It feels like more than that. Oh well. At least I've run 6 of those 11 miles during this week alone!

Ok, so less than a week until the 5K. Two things that are bugging me:

1. I think I might be starting to get a little bit sick. The plus? I don't feel too much worse today than I did yesterday, and in fact I think I feel better this morning than I did last night. Good sign. So far, I've just got a teeny scratchy throat, dry cough, and feeling fatigued. No other cold symptoms yet. Derek has been dealing with an awful cough, though, for what seems like weeks now. Actually, it's been a little over a week. Ugh, I hope I don't get what he had. And I also hope that Lorelei doesn't get it.
2. It's supposed to rain next weekend. While I've not only run in the rain (sorta fun), but also raced in the rain (really fun, but really hard), it's not the best opportunity for my family to stand outside to cheer me on. That kinda sucks, because mom and Jack are coming in on Thursday and part of Saturday was going to be them coming to the race. Well, I guess I'll look online at the course, and see if there's a nearby store they can wait in until I pass by, or until I finish.

Other than that, it's just another day here in the Cleve! Oh, except that I recently made a decision: we've started to supplement Lorelei's diet with a little bit of formula. As I agonized about in great length in another post or two, it's really kind of ... sucking the life out of me (no pun intended, lol). So I am still breastfeeding, but also giving her up to 2 ounces or so of formula per day if she is still hungry soon after nursing. This gives me a physical and mental break, and it also takes the pressure off to pump if I have to be away from her for a few hours at night -- something that I seriously need to do once in a while or I'm gonna lose it! So since we started this (last week), I have been feeling a lot happier in general. We're using Gerber Good Start Gentle Plus, and it's worked out great. No weird reactions, no refusing a bottle, etc. Great relief.

Oh, another thing: I'm going to start reviewing the ABC Family show Make It Or Break It on Mondays/early Tuesdays from now on! If any of you watch the show (or even if you don't, haha) feel free to check it out at CliqueClack TV's website.

How is everyone's Monday going?

Mission: Semi-possible

I'm trying to figure out just how few training runs I can do and still be "ready" for the Jog into Spring 5K on April 9.

I did one run two weeks ago...then another one on Sunday. Well, let's just say they were both difficult and I couldn't run the entire time (duh).

The problem is, I'm still not sure if it's ok to take the baby in the BOB, so I'm waiting to do that. And I can't really get away that much, and I am TOO DAMN TIRED most of the time anyway!

Moms! How do you do it?! How do you balance running and motherhood? I need to know. Now that I have a "deadline," this is getting scary. I mean, I know I can finish it...but I'd like to do it comfortably, and I'd like to not have to walk too much.

Do I have to wait until she sleeps through the night before I can start running again in earnest? Is it bad for me to run on next to no sleep? Or is it necessary?

Your registration is complete

Hell yeah, bitches! First registration since December 2009. Wow, that's scary.


Registration Steps:
1. Registration Options2. Accept Waiver3. Complete Form4. Submit Payment5. Print Receipt
 
Print
Your registration is complete!
You will receive an email in the next few minutes confirming your registration.

Purchased at: March 17, 2011 08:06 PM
Event Confirmation #: 26153143-031711200629
Want some company? Invite a friend to participate!

Event Name: 9th Annual "Jog Into Spring"
Date & Time: April 09, 2011 09:00 AM
Location: Independence Civic Center
(map)
Click here to print a copy of your waiver.

Click here to print your receipt.

Seek and share advice with other runners--Connect in our Discussion Forums

Important Information Regarding Your Registration:
You may still pick up your packet the morning of the race beginning at 8:00 AM at:
Independence Civic Center
6363 Selig Road

Birthday 5K

Thanks to those who voted/commented on the 5K poll. I've made a decision! (Well, sorta.)

I subscribe to Active.com's newsletter, and the most recent one showed not one, but two races in Cleveland on April 9 (my birthday). So I thought, what better birthday present to give to myself than a 5K race?!!?

This gives me just about a month to "train," i.e., to run when I can and just hopefully gain a bit of fitness so that I can finish without passing out. (Yes, mom, if I really do feel like I'm going to pass out, I will walk. Duh.)

So now, the only decision left is which one to register for? Here are the choices:

1. Run For Your Life!

• Berea, OH 
• 9:00 am
• $15 in advance, $18 on race day
• Promoting increased physical activity for children
• Also has 1 mile walk

2. Jog Into Spring

• Independence, OH
• 9:00 am
• $15 in advance, $20 on race day
• Renee Roche memorial race

These both seem like they support a really great cause. My favorite half-marathon ever, the Cleveland Clinic River Run,  starts in Berea, and it's really beautiful. I guess the only downside is that it's a bit far away (like maybe 20-30 minutes to drive there). Jog Into Spring is good because it's in Independence, which is right near where Derek works and we know how to get there easily (race-day worries are annoying, especially when you don't really know the area well). Looking at the course maps of both of these races, I'm pretty sure Run For Your Life is probably more scenic, but which could also mean more hills. Also, this race has a 1-mile  fun walk, which Derek could do with Lorelei.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions!

In any case, I'm so glad to have a plan now. Maybe Lorelei's pediatrician will give us the OK to start using the jogging stroller soon, and I can take her out for a spin sooner than later.

Poll: How Should I Handle My "First" 5K?

Ok. This is getting ridiculous.

I need to run!!!

I was actually going to go today. I really was. But it hailed and snowed last night. So, after about a week of no snow (and just, oh, you know, massive flooding in the area), there's snow again. Dammit.

But I am really feeling hopeful because it's March, which just sounds ten thousand times better than February. And as I was reading Steel Springs' blog the other day, she wished everyone racing good luck. And I was like, "Huh. Remember when I used to race practically every weekend? What happened to that?!"

I mean, I know what happened, but still...

So I am gearing up towards running a 5K. I've had this in the works for a long time now, actually since before I gave birth. Make fun of me if you want! But towards the end of my pregnancy, I was seriously going, "Ok, I'll probably need to take six weeks off, so that's November-ish, so then December-January...I can probably race again in January or February!" Yeah, right. Even if I had the ability to train, even if the weather was great, even if I weren't tired out of my MIND ... etc.

So I keep stalling, and that's making me feel very bad. Not "bad about myself," like I should be doing more, but just ... not like myself, if that makes any sense. I need to be racing. It's a part of me that's missing.

Which brings me to this poll I referenced in the title: How should I go about this 5K? Should I diligently train and try to "race" it? Should I train a bit and then just try to run the whole thing? Or should I keep training to a minimum and then just try to finish it? Ha ha.

Vote please! (I guess I'll figure out how to put a poll up here somehow). And leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to hear what you think.

Run, Run, Rudolph

Hey guys!  Here's the race report for the 10th Annual Reindeer Run 5k.

I went to Derek's company party on Friday night, and was a little annoyed that I couldn't really drink a lot because of this race.  Oh well.  I had one drink and then lots of water.  It's probably a good thing I held back anyway, because I was really tired from the week.

Got up Saturday morning at 7, and for a minute there, considered bailing.  It was just so warm in bed!  But then I realized that I'm not only accountable to myself now, but to people reading this! (Thanks for motivating me by doing nothing other than reading this and checking up on me!)

I dragged myself out of bed, made a PB&J sandwich (pre-race meal o'choice), and skipped the coffee actually.  I figured it might just make me have to go to the bathroom and that I'd consider it a treat for when I was done.

I didn't really know what to expect from this race.  It was my first race post-marathon, and I didn't do any speed training leading up to it except for a little bit of a faster interval workout on Wednesday.  I wanted to try my best, but also didn't want to risk further injuring my foot, which had just started to feel sorta normal.  That being said, it's the last race of the year on the Hermes calendar, and I wanted to go out with a bang.  Let's see how it went.

Left the house around 8 and got to Lakewood Park by 8:25.  Got my stuff and thankfully it was warm inside the park's building, because it was FREEZING outside!  29 degrees!  I wore my tights, a hat, and gloves and was still chilly getting there.  I did a good, long warmup (according to Runner's World, you should do 15-30 minutes of warmup for a 5k because you start off pretty fast from the start).  So I did about 20 minutes, then wanted to make sure I had enough time to drop off my heavy sweatshirt at the car and line up.

Felt nice at the beginning, not cold anymore and I could actually feel my fingers.  A lot of people were dressed in goofy costumes, as I had predicted.  Reindeer antlers, red and green outfits, etc.  There were 800 runners there, too!  Wow!  Much bigger than any race at Lakewood Park I've done.

I wanted to go out pretty strong, but was tied up at the start and didn't cross the line for about a minute.  No matter, because these race organizers had finally gotten the memo about the D-Tag chip timing (previous races in this park had just been start whenever, and rip off part of your bib at the end and give it to the guy in the chute).  I had conveniently forgotten my watch today - D'oh!  but I knew there'd be someone yelling out times at the mile markers.

I passed a bunch of people in the first mile, which I felt good about but also made me feel like I was going too fast.  When I approached the first mile marker, I heard "9:56...9:58..." and when I crossed, "10 minutes."  I was a little discouraged, as I thought I was going faster than a 10-minute mile, or at least my effort told me I might not be as ready to race as I had hoped.  Then I thought about the delayed start and I felt ok.

I did my usual self-talk during a 5k....Mile 1: Hold back, Mile 2: Hold pace, Mile 3: Hold on.  It worked to a certain degree, but it was really cold and I wasn't used to running fast in that just yet.  At one point, I overheard an oft-told running joke:

Guy: Hey, How're you doing?
Girl: I can't seem to catch my breath.
Guy: Well, then you'd better keep running after it!

Ha, ha.

I got a little water but it had turned partially to ice - bleck! Forget that idea.  The second mile marker was 19:20 according to the volunteer, which would be 9:20.  That's more like it!

I always dread the last mile of a 5k.  I feel like I'm crawling, yet I'm trying my best.  I start seeing others who have finished, just chatting away.  Arg, this is taking forever!

Plus, I was stuck directly in front of a woman with the louuuudest breathing EVER!  And it was right on rhythm.  I just kept hearing, "HUHHHHN [step step step} HUHHHN [step step step}" over and over.  I had the feeling she was trying to catch up to me, or use me to pull her along because it was right over my left shoulder and I couldn't get rid of her.  I used this to force myself to run a little bit faster just to get out of earshot.  Finally the third mile marker came - 28:45 (same as last time!), or 9:25.  Not bad considering I felt like crap.  At the turn into Lakewood park I frickin' kicked it in like nobody's business and finally lost the loud breather!  I felt like my kick was great yesterday.  I ran in when the clock said 29:30 but I checked the actual results online today and it was actually 29:10! So, not a PR but 30 seconds faster than the last 5k I did.

I felt like I had gotten run over by a bus after that, though, and really had to cool down.  I wasn't exactly thirsty or hungry, but I had a banana and a bottle of water for good measure.  I just kept feeling the cold in my lungs.  Plus, today I am actually sore!  Haven't gotten sore after a race in a while...I guess it shows I wasn't that prepared this time and that the month of recovery actually did bring me a little bit out of the zone.  It's ok though; I have never rested and recovered that well and now I feel fresh and happy about the upcoming months.

Then Derek and I did a little holiday shopping, as well as some furniture shopping for ourselves!  We got a La-z-Boy - finally something else to sit on in the living room!  This is the one we ordered:

The style is called the Lancer.  It is so comfortable!!!! We're going to pick it up on Saturday.

Other than that, not much else to report.  Having a great, relaxing weekend.  By the way, does anybody else feel that it is much easier to get up early on weekends than on weekdays?  What up with that!?

Eye of the "Tiger"

Lalala...today is one of those days. Don't want to get into details as to why, but...let's just say it was hard.

This weekend, however, was great!

Did a "brisk" 10-miler on Saturday, and felt very good during it, even at the end (although really, who ever feels excellent at the end?).  First half - 59 minutes; second half - 56 minutes for a total of 1 hr 55 minutes.  That's good!  (Of course, it would have been harder to keep up that pace for another two or three hours! But still.)  One minor setback was that one of the water fountains I have come to rely on in the park was shut off!  BOOO!  At least I still had one, or else there would have been trouble.  It's crazy how much longer you can go in chilly weather though...I (almost) wasn't even that thirsty.

Then on to Sunday.  I had had a conversation with myself that went something like this.

Me: Should I do this Pumpkin 5k tomorrow?
Self: Why not?
Me: Well, I just ran 10 miles today.  What about that "no race and long run in the same weekend" rule?
Self: But 10 isn't really "long" anymore.  Remember you just ran 20 a couple weeks ago!  10 is like a walk in the park.
Me: I wouldn't exactly say that.  But I see your point.
Self: I thought you would.
Me: Should I run this 5k all-out, or what?
Self: Well, you can and you won't have to worry, but I know you, and you'll worry anyway.  So maybe run it at 75-80% of your 5k pace.  So you can relax, ya worrywart.
Me: Yeah, you're right.  Plus, I read recently on a running discussion board that running your best 5k two weeks before the marathon is kind of a bad sign.  You want to still be fatigued from training, and have been doing marathon-specific workouts, accounting for a slower time.
Self: I guess we are both super running nerds.
Me: Glad we had this conversation.

ANYWAY.  So yes, I did the Great Pumpkin Run on Sunday, and it was...great!  Many people were in costume, and it was a lot of fun.  They had good food at the finish, including yummy bagels, apples, bananas, and a bake sale (which I did not partake of).

I think that I ran a really good race.  I listened to my, uh..."self," and ran it almost all-out but not quite.  I especially held back in the beginning but was pleased to note that I passed TONS of runners in this race, including Wonder Woman and, of course, a Tiger!  Didn't run my best time, but still broke 30 again!!!!

And to think, my pre-race dinner the night before was none other than a Wendy's burger and fries (Derek and I went to see Kelly Clarkson (!) on Saturday night and stopped for fast food on the way home...ohhh how deliciously evil.)

Here are the splits:

Mile 1 - 10:09

Mile 2 - 9:34

Mile 3 - 9:00

last .12 - 00:51 (woulda been faster if the chute hadn't been so small...had to slow down a lot towards the finish because there were 3 girls running RIGHT ahead of me and we couldn't all fit in the chute at the same time!  Guess that only happens once in awhile.)

Finishing time: 29:36.

I love how my splits get progressively faster by 30 seconds each mile!  Yay!  And I was thinking during the last mile especially what a difference a couple of months makes.  This race had the same exact course as the Patrick Joyce Scholarship 5k in August, and the brutal heat & humidity in that race were awful!  That last flat mile seemed to take forever last time with the sun beating down...and yesterday, with the streets all shaded and the cool breeze...it felt almost pleasant.

Also, got my bib info today!!!  Will be in the green start, and the third wave.  Can't wait to see everyone there cheering!!

Boo-yah!

Without further adieu, here is the race report for the Patrick Joyce Scholarship 5K:

This was my race. I could feel it. I don't know why, but I had a good feeling about this one. I've been doing a few 5Ks recently, and I had the complaint of not being able to break 30 minutes, which has been really frustrating, because it makes me feel like the slowest runner in the world. But there have always been obstacles in the way (heat, cold/snow, excessive crowding, hills, etc.). I had no idea what to expect from the course yesterday, except that it started and ended at Lakewood Park (corner of Lake and Belle streets in Lakewood, OH).

I had my new Fastwitch sneakers, which, if nothing else, made me feel fast.

And Derek even decided (with much deliberation) to run it with me.

My plan was to give it my all. In the past I had played it conservative, holding back a bunch in the first mile, and then being subsequently unable to make it up in the last stretch. (Another thing I have done before is going out too fast in the first mile, shocking myself with the time, and then panicking/tiring out in the middle. I had recently read in a Runner's World article that if you go out 6 percent faster than normal race pace in your next 5K, it might be your fastest. Was it right?????? ;)

Well, here we go. Started out with Derek, but (sorry honey) lost him after about a quarter of a mile...didn't want to be mean, but there was a slight downhill and I just had to take advantage of it! First mile was fairly easy, watched my breathing, and passed a few people. Clocked in at 9:25 - a bit faster than "normal," but very good for what I wanted to accomplish today. Now, if I can just hold it...

A great quote by Bob Glover: "The middle miles of a race are the Rodney Dangerfields of running. They get no respect." How true. Mile 2 was ok, with a slight incline, but was mostly shaded through the sidestreets of the Lakewood neighborhood. Felt strong, and able to hang on. I was a little bit nervous to see my time for this mile, because in a 5K, this is where I usually run into trouble. But I was thrilled and surprised to hear the race volunteer call out "18:40" when I passed him...and sure enough on my watch, that split was 9:13! Whew!

At this point, I was doing fuzzy calculations in my head. Even if I run the last mile at a 10:00 pace, I can still break 30 because I need less than a minute for the last .12. But that's the kind of talk that got me in trouble at the Frosty 5K in Madison last year - around 18 minutes at mile 2, but that last mile was a trip...with snowy hills and what seemed like an endless last tenth of a mile. Okay, just push it...don't stop. Slowed for water (thank God, and I poured most of it over my head) and was grateful this race wasn't any longer because a good portion of that went into my right shoe! The last mile was brutal...hot hot hot, sun beaming down. At least it was flat. But it was endless. I just kept thinking, "This is what you've been waiting for, you can do this," although in my head I was nervous - I had never done three consecutive miles at this pace...my heart was racing and I didn't know what my "breaking point" would be. But I FINALLY saw the entrance to the park, and as I passed by the race volunteer at mile 3, I heard "28 minutes!" Holy crap! Mile 3 was 9:18. I've got this. I pushed as hard as I could, and to be honest, didn't have any "close competitors" to outrun, so my kick wasn't as strong as it could be (but then of course I was outwitted by a woman that I passed a quarter of a mile back who then FLEW past me at the last second - I guess I was HER close competitor! ;) Last .12 was 45 seconds, for a new Personal Record of 28:43!!!!! (According to my watch - the race results still haven't been posted online yet.)

Ran into a woman who asked me if I ran the triathalon in NYC (she saw my TNT NYC shirt) - we struck up a conversation. She's originally from Cleveland, but now lives in Manhattan and will be there watching the marathon! Also, she let me in on the cause behind this 5K...Patrick Joyce was a student who went to school with her who passed away their graduating year, and they do events each year to raise money for a scholarship in his name for a kid in need. Pretty noble cause!

After that, made some blueberry-walnut pancakes, then went to Best Buy to do research on TVs...more on that later - we made a purchase today!! Review to follow when it is delivered. :)

Also saw the Hurt Locker (was so hot that a movie was a must) and then hung out with Rob and Claire for Rob's 30's birthday at the Tremont Tap House. Today, did 11 in Rocky River (um, was SUPPOSED to do the "Perfect 10" Miler this morning...but overslept. D'oh! Was a good day anyway.