Progress markers: Half #7 Tobacco Road & #8 Anthem

A frazzled state of mind

I haven't updated this in awhile because I've been seriously stressed about finishing my program and finding a job.  Unfortunately, the first item's been going slowly, thereby delaying the second and sending me into a state of panic.  I'll be unfunded as of the end of May, so these deadlines are no longer imagined and my state of slowness has come full circle to bite me in the butt.

I've been detached from training and view it negatively - as a time drain, competing for my time and energy.  Poor Coach Jerry has to deal with me in my self-sabotaging, grumblelord state.  This season, he's put me on a more demanding training schedule, but my recovery has been swift to the point where two days later, and I've completely forgotten the torture.  People ask me how training is going and there isn't much to report except that it is.  Barring injury, I'll be able to finish.  Will I run a personal best?  Unsure.  Jerry's training me to run a more aggressive time than I was hoping for and he knew me better than I knew myself last marathon, so my fate in his hands I entrust.  What's both sweet and slightly stressful is that a lot of friends and family are traveling near and far to watch.  I had better not blow up.  Hopefully, some of the wrinkles in my training (several long runs) are not an indication of how I'll do race day.  Last year, my long runs weren't perfect, but it all worked out in the end.

Two races in two weekends

Two weekends ago, at Jerry's request, I ran a progress marker local half marathon (American Tobacco Road) to test my fitness.  I grumbled over the hefty price tag (I registered rather late in the game) on a course that I run for free every weekend.  Despite my grumbles, I had a really good time.  Being plugged in with my local running community, I recognized several faces before the race.  They kept me company as we waited for the race to begin and I was able to run with Nora for the first 2-3 miles before we split off in our respective race distances.

Our Fleet Feet program coordinator, Nora (center), would go on to qualify for Boston with a 3:18!

The race touted itself as being flat and fast, but there were some sneaky elevation changes in there.  Though the pace was fast for me (7:25-30ish), I felt pretty good during the first 10k.  The course is an out and back.  Ordinarily I would find that annoying, but it gave me the opportunity to see a few familiar faces (Barbara and Steve).  Searching for them was a welcome distraction.

There isn't much to say except that while I PRed, I didn't do as well as Jerry or I expected.  That was slightly disappointing.  At mile 9 and 10, I began to fade and my pace dropped about 15-20 seconds.  I was trying to run a 1:38 that day, but missed it by quite a bit.

I make this look every bit as hard as it is.

A woman with a skin condition was ahead of me for much of the race.  She was so steady that I just tried to keep her in sight and hoped to catch her at the end.  She and I would pass each other throughout the race, until finally, we were both passed at mile 10 by a very exuberant pacer 1:40 pacer.  "Only 5k to go!" he shouted, as began to enthusiastically skip along at a faster pace.  The sight of him infuriated me - I wasn't that far behind the pace group when the race began - why is he running so fast?  Why was I gutting it out with him?  I should be much farther ahead; this is not how it was supposed to go down!

The final (and beginning) stretches were along the open road and filled with rolling hills.  It was tough to be exposed to the sun.  Another one of the pacers began to get chatty and tried to hold a conversation with me, ignoring all my struggle-pain face-deathbed cues.  I just shook my head and apologized after the second failed attempt to hear something he said.  As his eager beaver fellow pacer began to race away, I watched him futilely chase him.  They eventually disappeared from sight and all that was left was to ascend a turnaround to the finish.

Kirsten would join me afterwards and told me she cheered for me at mile 10 - precisely where I needed it the most.  I didn't hear her because my headphones were on.  This is another moment where I've considered going without in order to absorb the crowds and race experience more fully.  

I feel better about my performance now (at least I'm in the 1:3xs), although that day, I would be a disappointed, insufferable grumpface.

There's no relief like the one that comes from ending a tough race

American Tobacco Road Half Marathon,  March 15, 2015
Time: 1:39:14
Pace: 7:34
Place: 153/2,293, 6.7%
Gender: 50/1,380 3.6%
Age group: 9/184, 4.9% (A nice consolation)

Virginia Beach, Part II

Tamara, Risa, and Allison have been amazing at roping people into doing races with their pressuring dexterity.  The three of them wanted to train hard for a 1:52 (less than 1, 4, and 8 minutes off their PRs).  At the end of last year, what began with me volunteering to pace them during the race and agreeing to help them find their appropriate training times would eventually turn into me writing a 2 month long training schedule.  At times it was a lot of work, but I really wanted my friends to enjoy successes like I had.  

We spent the better part of a long weekend in a 17 person house.  Each day was packed and exhausting - between cheering for friends, running, and socializing, I was dead asleep each night.  It was tough to be away from my work at first, but I came to enjoy the company of dear friends who comprise the core of my running family.

Smiles at the starting line

The race - sigh.  It was triumphant for 2/3, but no one made the goal.  Tamara, who I had the highest hopes for, was having an off day from the beginning.  About a mile in, she was breathing heavily and in her own realm of determination - not a good sign.  Allison looked rough throughout, but was able to sustain the pace.  I think that had I been able to run with her, I could have pushed her to the goal.  But I promised Risa, who had the widest gap to fill and the least confidence in herself, that we would finish together.  Between mile 10 and 11, we separated from the group as she was having trouble starting again after going through a water station.  Mile 11 felt like an eternity while we ran-walked and my mind raced to figure out how to help her.  I spent the next 1-1.5 miles coaxing her, trying to find her water, giving her mile updates, and reassuring her that no matter what, she would PR by a ton.  In the end, she finished strong - with the speed of someone who desperately wanted her hell to end.  Allison and Tamara finished ahead of us.  Allison missed the goal by 30 seconds after walking through 2 water stations and trying to be there for Tam.  Despite the misfire, it was still a 4 and 5+ minute PR for Allison and Risa though.  Someday, we'll get that PR for Tam. 

There were many more high notes for the weekend, but I gotta stop here for tonight. 

Love this gang