"Morning After" Run and No T-Shirt Purchase Required!

Did a "morning after" easy run today. Morning after a tough 5K, that is. I did 8 easy miles and most of the time I was running very comfortably, as I should have been considering the race the previous evening. So mission accomplished! Fortunately, I felt not a single ache from the race the previous evening. So even though I pointed out how tough 5Ks are for me, there's one thing they have going for them - very quick recoveries!!

And here is more evidence of that "negative split mentality" my legs have in them with no help from the conscious part of my brain! Pretty cool, actually.

Splits:
8:32
8:12
8:11
8:03
7:57
7:48
7:42
7:39

Every mile felt the same.

There is one thing I forgot to mention about the 5K yesterday. One of the reasons I decided to run this race is that I didn't have to buy a t-shirt!!!! Yay! That saved me $7. Not much, but if all races had this option, it would sure add up! If there are any race directors reading this - make your shirts optional!! You just might find your races much more popular! It would sure make me take a second look at your race! I'm a racer, after all, not a t-shirt collector.

The Great Pizza Challenge 5K Report

The Great Pizza Challenge! I'm the wife a pizza restaurant owner. How could I pass up a race with this theme?? Free pizza and soda after the race - so they advertised. Here's the rest of the story...

I was very impressed that this little race was using the D-Tag system. That was a bonus right from the start. Then I learned later that this is the only race timing system that is totally American. Double bonus!

The race took place is dear ole Flint, MI. I was born in Flint. Right at about the time that it was going downhill... fast! Going back to Flint always brings back memories. I immediately recognized the dilapidated building that used to house the University Club - an upscale members-only restaurant that my family visited every Wednesday night when I was a kid. The club was on the 19th floor - I'll never forget that. I remember those elevator rides quite distinctly. My twin sis and I used to love peering out the windows down at the city. I was always mesmerized by the nighttime city lights. I remember feeling a little anxious at the height and the idea that only a little glass was between me and a 19 story drop. I was then and am still quite afraid of heights.

The race start and finish were only yards from this building. It has barricades around it now. It is falling apart. I heard just today that it was recently purchased. I wonder if it will be demolished. I hate to say it, but it would be for the best - for Flint, that is. Flint needs revitalizing. The city is moving in the right direction, but very slowly.

The race itself was a nice, flat, paved course. There were only a few tight turns that I had issue with. There was also a curb that jutted out and surprised me. Disaster averted! Overall it was a pretty fast course and I accomplished my goal of sub 21:00. My time was 20:18 (6:33 pace). I am very happy with this! I still say short races are so much harder than a nice half marathon!! At least in a half marathon I am running at a fairly comfortable pace for much of the race and it is only that last several miles that hurt. In a 5K, I am hurting the entire time!! :-) Is the pain worth the age group award? (I came in 1st.) YES! heh.

The worst part of the race? The pizza. UGH!! Wow. It was downright horrible. What a disappointment. And get this. When it comes to pizza, for me, the more meat, the better! My fav pizza has extra pepperoni and super spicy sausage and perhaps some ham thrown on for good measure. If it used to oink, I want it on my pizza!! So I was scanning the paper plates on the table for the most meatful of the bunch. I walked back and forth several times. There it is! I thought I spotted it! Both pepperoni and sausage and not too overcooked. I grabbed the plate and got out of the line. When I found an open area to stop and eat my pizza, I looked down at my plate and was horrified. I had grabbed a veggie pizza!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!! Not only that, but it had chunks of tomato on it - the most disgusting veggie imaginable! I HATE tomatoes! How did this happen!!!???

Fear not. I have recovered. And I'll make up for it with a cheeseburger tomorrow.

1000+ "mile"stone today!

Hot and humid again. Went running anyway again. Got fatigued and tripped again. Bruised again. *sigh*

I've been running trails for 1 1/2 years and didn't fall until 2 weeks ago. I fell again today. What's up with that!?!?

Hmm, well, I suppose it could have something to do with the weather and the increased trail mileage I'm doing, eh? Yeah, that's it. Well, I guess my body darn well better acclimate cuz I'm not stopping!! :-) My 25K is in less than 2 weeks and I plan on winning it!

In other news, I went over 1000 miles for 2009 today! Did a really slow 10.5 mile trail run (with fall) to take me over 1000. Yes, I was running exceptionally slowly and still managed to fall. Woops! So much for other news...

Fortunately my race is several hundred miles north and in the morning. Temps in the mid-80s will probably not happen! Phew!

p.s. Sorry for the horrible wordplay in the title. ;-)

My husband to the rescue!

Ran my first 20-miler of this training plan in preparation for the Grand Rapids Marathon on October 18. The run was great! Finished in 2:46. I didn't take it easy on myself. The route was super hilly. It was rarely ever simply flat. There is very little flat in this area - unless you run on the Rails to Trails routes, which are nice but have become rather boring. I used them almost exclusively for long runs during my last marathon training session.

What made this run memorable was my sweet, sweet husband. I commented to him after my 18-miler a few weeks ago that I nearly ran out of fluids and was worried what would happen during my five 20+ milers. This morning he innocently asked me to show him my planned route which I mapped out on the RW training log (Orion Area 20-miler from Home). Sure enough, at about mile 17 I was seriously low on fluids again. But then I looked up and saw a very familiar Jeep coming around the corner right toward me! It was Matty! Bringing me an ice cold blue Powerade to refill my bottles. My hero! He calculated where I might be based on my pace and the time I left and he found me right away.

Of course, I don't know if he'll be available to bring me fluids for the rest of my long runs, so I'm still left with the problem of Fuel Belt bottles that don't hold enough for 20+ miles. I was fine with this belt when training for my Spring marathon, but those runs were in MUCH cooler temperatures! Summer long runs require lots more fluids. So now I need to either find larger bottles that fit my Fuel Belt or get a whole new belt. I know the Nathan Speed 4 has 10 oz bottles. Fuel Belt bottles are 8 oz. So 4 Nathan bottles would hold the same volume as 5 Fuel Belt bottles! That would do the trick! I also found a women-specific Go-Lite waistpack that has two 21 oz bottles. That might work too. Choices...