Random Running Musings

At this time next Sunday, September 18, I would hope to be alive and breathing.  For next Sunday, at 6 am in the morning, I would be awake anticipating my first ever half-marathon.

13.1 miles. Never has that seem so possible for me. Up to now, it still doesn't seem possible. My longest run has been 10 miles and as of late, I haven't had the motivation or the drive to do long runs.

Am I screwing myself over? Probably. But what is done is done and it is now time to do or die.

I prefer the "do" part, but to die doesn't seem half as bad either.

So yesterday, I ran a 5K. It was just for a local church and it wasn't marked properly so according to my Nike+ GPS Sportswatch, I only ran 1.66 miles. But the best part to me was having someone to pace with. I paced with my friend who has a definition of "easy" as 8 minute per mile. Since it was just a "super easy" day, it was 10 minute per mile pace and I was able to crank out a 10:07 minute mile with surprisingly no problem. I had problems with my hip-flexors after. The knee I've learned to just deal with it, but the hip flexors really hurt. Ice did the trick, I'm interested in seeing how I'm going to fare come the half, but yeah. 

I think I've been running for so long alone that I have settled into this comfortable rhythm. I need to go back to learning to push myself again.  Its for me, by me. I feel like this journey, is really "lonely" but at the same time its not. The event I'm attending is the inaugural event an they are expecting 2,000 runners.  The Pasadena event was a huge event with thousands and thousands of runners. But that 5 hours of community doesn't compared to the hours and hours and hours of alone time that runners put in for training. I never realized how lonely running was. Maybe I'm just sad right now. Its really hot!

Anyway, yeah, I think I'll be signing up for a lot of smaller races so that I can constantly (at least every other month have an event to run) be pushed by a community. I love people, and I always say people are my treasures, just realized how much hours I've spent by myself running the roads. Its crazy!

Anyway, for those who know me, I work in the design/art field. As a matter of fact, I'm supposed to be working on design comps right now. Anyway, I'm always in love with things visual and it doesn't matter if I'm tore up from the floor up running, I still want to appear good, a.k.a. look like I know what I'm doing.

Here is part of my set up for my half-marathon:

Matte hot pink nails to match my hot pink shoes!!! Or if you are Nike, "solar red."  So excited, I'll post up the entire thing before or after my half. All I'm saying is if I pass out and my ID & bib falls off my body, I'll be dressed all coordinated & stuff.  I'm debating what shirt I should wear. I still have to buy it but I'm debating between white, hot pink, or black. I really like the idea of black because I have pink accessories and pink running shorts, but its so hot! I don't want to sweat like crazy or attract unnecessary heat. 

Anyway, yeah. I'm going to go run in about 2/3 hours or whenever the temperature goes down. I think I have pretty much given up on long runs. And after my half, I'm not sure what I'll do, but hopefully my bad ass switch turns back on again.

Training Run 08/21/11

Did a 5k with the Palo Alto Nike Running Store's Run Club. I like going there but I'm sorely intimidated and I feel unqualified but one thing I learned is that -most- runners are nice and very very supportive. 

It was a 5k and I PR'ed it but not by much. Its still a new PR.  I'm finding that with my runs, I'm not improving a lot in terms of time.  I also can't seem to manage negative splits! Its sad. My miles were like 11, 12, 13. Damn. Hahaha. Sad.

I know I need more runs that focus on my time so that I can improve on that, but I know a big factor of it is nutrition.

I weighed myself everyday for a week and I've been consistently dropping a pound a day for a week. Thats CRAZY. I know some of it is probably water weight but I know its mostly not because I've been drinking like crazy.  I mean A LOT. I've been making it a point to drink.

So while I'm happy about that weight being gone, I've been mentally and physically drained and that lack of fuel- I know I haven't been eating much- is affecting my runs.

SIGH.

Running is "supposed" to make you hungry and my long runs make me hungry but I don't want to eat since I also want to drop weight... its like crazy.

Blah. I don't want to talk about it right now because its getting to me. But yeah, I ate like crazy today. Well not really. Did that run had trail mix & OJ and then didn't eat till dinner. A bbq burger with sweet potato fries. Then tiramisu.

Haha. That better fuel me for my early run tomorrow. I'll try to head out at six and just run the streets since the park doesnt' open till 8 and I have work.

Anyway... its weird how my priority is running vrs. dropping weight. I know that dropping pounds will benefit running but I really want to make sure I'm fueled for my runs.  And being that I'm a naturally lazy eater, its easier for me to not eat and work and drop weight like that as opposed to dropping weight slower but in a way where I'm fueled for my runs.

I can only eat so much turkey & broccoli I guess. Haha.

Pasadena

I figured I should take some time to talk about my first ever 5k.

Like I've mentioned several times in this blog, I started running primarily to exercise to lose weight.  As I've also mentioned, running just became addicting.  However, I never really took it seriously. I was never interested in running a race, joining a club, sharpening my skills, or any of that until a friend got me into it.

Said friend was running the Pasadena, and so in the spirit of taking my running to the next level, I decided to do the 5k.

A 5k is 3.1 miles, my route for running was roughly 3 miles, so really I didn't really train for the 5k. I was still nervous and apprehensive about not finishing. Not sure why, but I was. I went into the whole thing looking down and really just scared and timid about it. I know I can do my runs up here, but can I do it in Pasadena?

As the day approached, I just wanted to finish the 5k, and under 45 minutes please. I know that isn't the best time in the world, but by no means am I an Olympian.  If I want to , I can usually push myself 4 miles in an hour, so really, under 45 minutes is a good time for me.

So yeah, that's how I approached the race.  I wanted to finish under 45 minutes, and I was still scared.

The day before, we went to go pick up the packets which included the bib and shirt.  Let me just say, free stuff is #winning. Even from the expo, I was nervous. I seriously felt like I didn't "belong" which is a stupid thing to feel, but hey, I'm just being honest.  To me, races were for people who were fit, who are fast, who are in shape. Not for people, for a lack of better words, like me.  Being in that environment where people were in shape was both intimidating and inspiring, however I mostly felt intimidated.  But anyway, too late to back out now.  I had my number, 7677, & my red shirt [red shirts die! haha] and my Soy Joy cinch bag filled with Soy Joys & yucky coconut water.

The day of the race, May 15, was filled with anxiety and rain.  I was anxious to start and finish the run and the skies were pouring down the rain.

I was there early for my friend's 6:30 gun time for his half.  Which gave me plenty of time to kill till my 7:30 gun time for my 5k.

During that hour, I seriously didn't know what to do. I peed. Washed my hands, walked around the expo a bit. Looked for shelter from the pouring rain. I ran laps like I knew what I was doing and stretched like my life depended on it. Stretching is something I hardly spend 5, if any, minutes on when I do my daily runs. Bad, I know.

I thought time was taking forever to pass by, but when they announced for all the 10 & 5k runners to line up at the chute... I was nervous.  I was next to an older lady tho and we chatted it up, I love talking to strangers I know I'm probably never going to see again, and she was really encouraging about it. She's been running the Pasadena since it started years ago. Well, she said she walks it. So she was really nice about it. She said its more of the spirit of the community for her as opposed to something that she runs for time. Which totally makes sense.

I'm not exactly sure where I lined up at, I could clearly see the front, but not the back, but since the gun time and my chip time were only seconds away, I would say I was pretty close to the front. I don't know if I pulled a marathon no-no by lining up in the front and not being one of the fastest, but I actually ran for a while, past mile marker 1, before I had to slow my pace and I stayed away from the obvious runners that were behind me.

Anyway, it was pouring, my nose was runny, I was just doing the whole one foot in front of the other thing.  And eventually, I found a group of people I could pace with. I was pacing with this Mom who had a stroller and lady who was by herself. But their pace was comfortable, it was something I managed to keep up with.

I was just beginning to be comfortable in running and was just getting settled, learning when I can push it and learning when I need to chill it, then bam! I made the gigantor mistake of pushing it before that last turn because right when I saw that "Finish" banner, I think it was a mental signal that at last, I am "allowed" to stop, and even tho I was actually okay and not in pain, I got a freakin' side stitch! I didn't want to walk across the finish, so I pushed through that side stitch and ran across the finish. It wasn't the most beautiful or fastest thing but I seriously thought I was about to crumble from that side stitch. I thought I was good, and I know I was good, it was just that crazy mental-jedi-mind-trick. You know, even if you know you're good, but when you know you don't have to "push through" you'll slow down or something.

Crossing the finish line was something I thought would be more epic, to be honest. I thought I was going to cry, I thought I was going to puke, I thought I was going to be fist pumping my way through. Instead, in my head, I was like "That's it?"  Haha. not that I wanted to run a full, but I was just getting settled! That's how I felt. I was thankful it was over but in a way I felt that I went through that side stitch, which promptly disappeared as quickly as it came, for nothing.  But hey, I got my finishers medal!

Anyway, final time, 40:22!

Under 45 minutes!

That is my official stats from the race. 

Like I said, its not the best compared to a whole bunch of other people out there, but its my best and at least now I know if I improve on it. To be honest, that 22 seconds is pissing me off. It pissed me off when I saw it, and its pissing me off right now looking at it.  If I pushed myself a little bit harder, I could have been in the "30" range.  I hate lying somewhere in between the border because I feel like if I just gave a little bit more effort... like damn. But yeah. That stupid 22!!!

So that was Pasadena. I want to go back and do it again next year! Maybe I can do the full! It would be epic to go from the 5k from one year, and then the full the following! But I'll see on that. Thanks to those who supported me, there wasn't a lot of them. More doubters than anything, but thanks for those that did. Thanks for the awesome friends that hosted and entertained cat while I was there. It was fun.

For now, I just want to shave 10 minutes off my time.  So I can be at a 10 minute per mile pace, or under 30 minutes for the 5k.

Granted, I know I have a long way to go to get there. Mentally, I don't think I can reach that goal till I weigh as much as a pretzel, if you can't tell my insecurity is my looks [ffffuuuu chubby cheeks and everything else!] but its a mental game just as much as it is a physical game.

I know where I want to be, and I'm taking steps to get there =]

Right now I have some options for races, and I want to do the Las Vegas Rock & Roll, but its probably goign to cost an arm and a leg! R&R events are expensive!

This Sunday, I'm debating between a 5k or 10k.

Then on the 23, there is another run, either a 5k or 10k again.

Then the half marathon on September.

These are really lofty goals and timelines for me. I'm not promising anything. I'm scared to commit to the half on September. Right NOW I'm not confident at all about finishing a 10k, let alone a half, but well see. I have some time to decide.