Some places have the blossoms, we have the pits

Sunday was my favorite 10 miler, the Cherry Pit. This a small (although growing, this year there were nearly 500 runners) local race put on by my running club, the Annapolis Striders. The course takes you through horse and farm country in southern Anne Arundel County. While it doesn't have the scenic cherry blossoms and monuments of the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC (which is held on the same day), it also doesn't have 15,000 runners. And, the Pit, if you registered in advance, cost you $5 max. I've managed to sway several of my Looper partners in crime to the joys of this fun and well organized race.

This was my first ever 10 miler back in 2009, and I did it in what I thought was a pretty respectable 2:21:22. In 2010, I decided to give it what I had and as I charged across the finish line, missed a sub 2 hour time by mear seconds. My final time was 2:00:01. I managed a 21 minute PR - taking 2+ minutes PER MILE off my pace. That's generally unheard of. A year later I still look upon that race with nothing but pride and I realize how much confidence it gave me. It was probably one of the first times I felt like a real runner.

This year, I was determined to get my sub 2 hour. While I had been managing good long runs leading up to it, my weeknight runs were pretty much none existent, so I began to worry whether my body was going to cooperate with this endeavour. Jen and I started out the race together. It was a bit chilly at the start, but the sun was coming up and warming things on the early Spring morning. The company made those early miles enjoyable and fly by. Every now and then I would glance at my watch - some of our run intervals were around 9:30, fast, especially considering the general incline of much of the course. I already had it in my mind though that if I was going to break 2 hours, and do it well, I had to test my limits and push as hard as I could.

We made it through the first 3.5 or so miles and turned onto a country road, one of my favorites of the course. We kept our intervals until we got to this great downhill stretch and I decided to just keep going. I really wanted to enjoy this downhill and bank up some time for the later miles when I would probably need it. I flew down the half mile or so. Jen took a breather and sent me ahead. I was excited when she caught up to me a bit later though. How much fun is this portion of this course? According to my watch, the point we started at is roughly 164ft in elevation, and you finish below sea level. Fun! Of course, you can't have a downhill that fun without paying for it on the other end.

We finished up our adventure on the country road and made our turn off of it around mile 5. The lovely Laura was waiting and cheering for us as we stared at the next hill on our way out of the gully. I kept pushing and pushing, and Jen decided to fall back a bit around 5.5. She kept me in her sight as long as she could though, following my intervals. I kept pushing, even though I saw THE HILL coming up at mile 6. I remember this hill well from last year - I felt like I was flying up it effortlessly, picking off runners all along the way. This year, I got about half way up, was exhausted and overheated and decided to power walk.

The course then made a turn onto South River Clubhouse Road. Mentally this was the hardest for me. I knew at the end of this road was mile 8 and my turn towards the finish, which would then be mostly downhill. It was a fight between mind and body, full of more hills to keep it "interesting" as well. Then, just before mile 8, I heard a voice enthusiastically cheering. Wait, I know that voice - it was Margaret! Or was? Maybe I was halucinatting thanks to the exhaustion that was setting it. I turned the corner and realized it was her. I was hurting at this point and nearly cried as I gave her a huge hug. And, just over her shoulder, I saw the last water stop and turn onto Rt. 2 to head back to the high school. Plus, I was still on target (as best as I could tell given my horrible math skills) for my sub 2. I made the turn and chugging along, getting closer and closer to the finish.

Just before mile 9 is when the glorious downhill I had been anticipating came. I ran most of the next half mile plus. Get me there quicker, I kept think, I'm sooo ready to be done. And couple of more turns, by now my legs felt like lead, and I was near the finish. I took a couple of seconds to catch my breath and made my turn to the finish. As I got closer, I gave it all I had left in the tank. My final time (per my watch) 1:57:17. I had done it, and with time to spare. I was happy.

So, with this now behind me, my crazy Spring race schedule is now in full swing. I've got the first of the Women's Distance Festival 5K's this weekend, followed by another 10 miler, and then at the end of the month my first race trip of the year - the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville. This half is very well known for it's hills, particularly in the first half. Cherry Pit was probably a good representation of this. If there's one thing I learned this past weekend, it'll be that if I want to enjoy myself in Nashville, I will have to take it easy on the hills or I will pay for it later.

I could not believe how sore I felt after Cherry Pit. I don't remember feeling that bad after my remarkable race last year. Maybe I did and just race amnesia had set it, who knows. I can't help but think that my slacking on my weeknight runs had something to do with it. Getting into a better routine is definitely imperative if I'm going to make it through the Spring. Now is just this cold, wet weather we've had as of late will cooperate...

#15 - Nikia's Nippy Nor'easter Half

Surprise! I didn't really make mention of it here, but I actually had two half marathons planned for this month. Yesterday was Nikia' Nippy Nor'easter Half (and relay) up on the NCR Trail.

Sponsored by Back on My Feet, this was a nice and low key race that I essentially used as a training run. I first heard about it last month when BOMF brought a team to the Striders' Valentine's Day 5K. Early registration was only $15.

The race started at the ranger station in Monkton and ran south on the trailing, turning around just before Paper Mill Road to make the return north. I got there early in order to find a decent parking spot and later met up with some friends from the Striders, hanging around until everything started at 9am.

My plan was basically to run whatever pace felt comfortable. My legs have still been a bit sore since B&A, so I had no plans to push hard and try and beat my new PR time. I knew that the packed stone surface of the trail would help lessen the impact of the miles on me.

The run itself was uneventful. It was chilly at the beginning but warmed up very quickly and was a gorgeous morning while running along the Gunpowder River. This is not a race for those who like crowds - I went for noticeable periods of time without seeing another runner, biker, or hiker.

The peace and quiet was nice, but also kind of a danger for me. The last 4 miles were rough just from exhaustion and there was nothing to really distract me. I'm proud of myself for sticking with my intervals though, mentally keeping myself going rather than just giving up and taking extra walks and trudging along.

According to my watch, my time was just under 2:42, just a few minutes over my B&A time. This is shaping up to be a very interesting year.

B&A Trail Half - Starting the Season Strong

Last Sunday was the B&A Trail Half Marathon, my first big race of the year. Now, don't be confused by the trail aspect of this. This is not what many think of when they hear trail, rather it is a paved Rails to Trails path. I train on this trail during much of the year, but this was the first time I had really been on it since the late fall.

In 2009, this same race was my first ever half marathon. I was spent by mile 12, wondering why anyone would ever want to run a full marathon, and finished in 3:02, happy to be near my 3 hour goal. This year this race marked my 14th half marathon, and I was putting everything into it.

My previous best for a half was 2:46, which I did in May at Frederick and repeated in October at Baltimore. Both of those races were very hilly. While I lost some momentum climbing the steep hills, I made up lots of time letting gravity pull me on the downhills. Just how well would I be able to do on a mostly flat path without those downhills to help increase my momentum?

I was thinking a 2:40 might be possible, but taking nearly 30 seconds off my pace per mile is pretty huge to begin with. Plus, I felt like I had really slacked off in my training in January and February. While I had some excellent long runs on weekends, my midweek runs were sometimes non-existent. My normal 3:1 run/walk intervals didn't seem to be serving me well either, and were helping put doubts in my head about reaching my goal. I kept wondering how I possibly completed a marathon with them back in the end of October, and now most runs seemed strained with them.

Katie suggested I drop back to a 2:1, the intervals I had been using on long runs with her. She said that I seemed to really know how I could push with them so it might be worth trying. A lackluster run doing 3:1's the Thursday before the race seemed to seal the choice for me. Physically I could probably do the longer run, mentally I just couldn't. While I had made that decision, even the day before the race I wasn't sure just how hard I wanted to do this. 2:40 seemed daunting, and I decided that if I finished around my current PR time I would be happy.

I struggled over what to wear. The forecast called for heavy rain and high winds, but temps around 50 degrees. While a jacket would keep me dry, I was sure I would get hot and be miserable in it. I finally accepted the fact I would get wet, potentially drenched, and sucked it up, choosing to wear capris and a short sleeve shirt with a long sleeve shirt over top which I could tie around my waist once I was warm. A hat to keep rain out of my face completed my look.

The race started, as did a rain shower and some wind. Luckily this didn't last long and while most of the race was overcast, there was only a sprinkle here and there for the remainder. It was turning out to be great race weather - mild temps and no sun to bake you. Hmmmm, I need to take advantage of this.

I chugged along on my 2:1 interval's, hitting an average 12 minute/mile pace at every single mile marker, and was still at it at mile 6. Now, I have been able to maintain this pace for a ten miler before, but hadn't for a half. I kept pushing, despite fears I was starting out too fast. During some of my run intervals, my pace even hit 9:00 minute/mile. It felt good but freaked me out. Too fast, too fast, don't bite yourself in the ass, just kept playing through my head. But, it felt good.

And then the turnaround came. The way this course works is that you start at Severna Park High School, and run about a mile and half through various neighborhoods so the pack can thin out before reaching the trail. We got on the trail and then headed south. About mile 7, you have to go down a hill, about .7 miles long and then turnaround and immediately climb right back up it. It is a long steady climb, which does flatten out slightly midway before finishing the climb and reaching the head of the trail and heading back north to the high school.

I hate this hill. We train on it during the 10K class, and I hate it. It sucks the life out of you. When I did this race in '09, I don't even think I attempted to run up it. Since hills have really become my strength over the last year, I was determined to beat it in this race. I was so excited to see my friends Joe and Erin, and their adorable human and canine sons, Declan and Brody, cheering just before the turnaround. It was a great boost for me. As I made my climb back up, I passed Kelly on her way down. When I got to the top of the hill and back onto the trail, I found Katie, Kim, and Megan together, and Laura not far behind them. It was good to see them doing well, and I kept pushing along.

Around mile 8 I figured out that I was still on my 12 minute/mile pace, even with the climb up Boutler's Way. Wow! A PR might happen after all. And then it happened, I hit mile 10 at exactly two hours. I had a PR, it was just a matter of by how much. I knew the final 5K would not take me 40 minutes. If I could stay on the 12 minute pace, I'd finish in just over 36 minutes. O.M.G. I then became determined to. Pushing, pushing, and pushing. Despite the number of miles already under my belt, that 9 minute pace popped up here and there, but overall I tried to be consist at about a 10:30 pace on my runs and power walking my walk breaks.

I reached Severna Park and knew I would be turning off the trail and in the final stretch. I was excited and pushing through the exhaustion and pain I was feeling. I knew my roommate, Steph, was volunteering at the finish line and she and my friend, Mimi, were waiting with my medal and hugs. I picked it up as best I could in the final stretch. My final time, 2:37:03. I had beaten my PR by just under 10 minutes. This was huge. I had taken an average of 45 seconds off of my pace. It was also my most consistent race - being at that 12 minute pace at EVERY mile.

I discovered a couple of minutes later, that perhaps for the first time ever, I finished the half before the winner of the full came in. Another minor victory in my mind, lol. I waited for my friends to finish, while enjoying hot pizza that was being continuously delivered to the school. After awhile we headed to a fabulous brunch. A couple of days later, I was still on cloud 9.

A special thanks to all of my friends who were on the course that day, either working water stops or shouting a quick "hi" as we passed one another. Getting to see so many of you really makes this race so fun!

Here Comes #3

Assuming all goes according to plan this year, marathon #3 will happen. Last week I officially registered for the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon.

In other news, the last couple of months have been fairly uneventful, contributing to the silence on my end. I did do a couple of 5K's in early February and managed good times. One is unofficially a PR. Had it been a chip timed race rather than manually clock timed, it would be official.

First major race of the year is this coming Sunday, the B&A Trail Half Marathon. This was my first ever half marathon back in March 2009. This weekend it will be my 14th. How crazy is that. I have been planning on shooting for a PR with this race, but am not sure it'll happen, so I'll just have to see how I feel on race morning. Right now there's also a 90% chance of soaking rain all day, so that might definitely be a factor as well.

2011 plans

A new year and time for new goals! I've been starting to plan out things. 2010 saw 2 full marathons and 9 half marathons. The 2011 goal is to focus on quality over quantity. So far, here's what I'm thinking...

March 6th - B&A Trail 1/2 Marathon (Severna Park, MD)
This was my first ever half marathon back in 2009, and I can't wait to see what kind of time I can do with it two years later.

April 3rd - Cherry Pit 10 miler (Edgewater, MD)
One of my club races which has quickly become a favorite for me. In 2010, I took over 20 minutes off of my 2009 time.

April 30th - Country Music 1/2 Marathon (Nashville, TN)

May 22nd - Run for the Dream 1/2 Marathon (Williamsburg, VA)
This is an inaugural race in a town I love. Can't wait for it! Haven't spent much time there since I lived there during the summer of 1998 while in archaeological field school at Jamestown.

May 29th - Run to Remember 1/2 Marathon (Boston, MA)
Heading to Boston to spend time with my friend, Lauren. She recommended this race, and knew daughters of retired police officers would love to come up for it.

June 5th - Zooma Annapolis 10K
This will be the 4th running of this (mostly) women's race, and I've done the previous 3.

June 18th - Baltimore 10 miler
I hated having to sit this one out in 2010 due to IT Band issues.

August 7th - Rock n' Roll Providence 1/2 Marathon (Providence, RI)
Another excuse to go visit Lauren. Yay!

August 28th - Annapolis Ten Miler
The race you love to hate/hate to love.

The spring and summer will also see some of the Women's Distance Festival 5K's. I have an idea of which ones I'd like to do, but am waiting for the final schedule to come out. I am also considering a half marathon nearby in Cambridge, MD on April 9th.

Yes, there will be races September-December, but only a couple of things are certain for that time frame right now, one of them - the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon. I considered others as my 2011 full, but in my heart of hearts knew it best to do MCM again. I feel so fortunate to have such a world class race practically in my backyard.

So, the fall race schedule is still coming together, dependent on what will fit into a good MCM training plan. I do not want to do three half marathons immediately leading up to it like I did in 2010, but would still like to do one or two. Contenders right now are the Hidden Treasures 1/2 Marathon in Salisbury, MD, in September and the Freedom's Run 1/2 Marathon in West Virginia in October.

2011 will wrap up with the Celtic Solstic 5 mile.

A Year of Bests

I have lots of races to do updates about, but wanted to share some fun stats of just how well things have gone this year. Listed below are my best (pre-2010) times, and how they've changed this year.

5K
2009 – 37:14 (Howard County Police Pace, 9/13/09)
2010 – 34:11 (Nat’l Police Week 5K, 5/8/10)

5 miler
2008 – 1:06:27 (Down’s Park, 11/1/08)
2010 – 59:19 (Celtic Solstice, 12/18/10)

10K
2009 – 1:14:53 (MCM 10K, 10/25/09)
2010 – 1:10:43 (Cold Turkey 10K, 11/21/10)

10 miler
2009 – 2:21:22 (Cherry Pit, 4/5/09)
2010 – 2:00:01 (Cherry Pit, 4/11/10)

13.1
2009 – 2:54:47 (Long Branch, NJ, 5/1/09 FLAT course)
2010 – 2:46:50 (Baltimore, 10/16/10 HILLS, HILLS, HILLS)

26.2
January 2010 – 7:01:26
October 2010 – 6:04:35

It's been a fun year! And needless to say, seeing such great changes really helps with the motivation to keep going!

Marine Corps Marathon 2010

Well, it is now nearly three weeks since the Marine Corps Marathon, and I have yet to publish a race report. This is not for lack of trying though. I have sat down in front of the screen on more than one occassion, and blankly stared at it, discovering how hard it truly is to sum up the sights and sounds you see and emotions you feel during the 6+ hours of a race.

The short short version of the story is that it was a perfect day. The weather was gorgeous, the support on the course amazing, and I found out that I am capable of things I never thought or imagined I was. My final time was 6:04:35, nearly one hour faster than January's race in Disney.

The long version of the story begins on Friday, when I headed into DC for the expo to pick up my bib and other race goodies. Between the official merchandise, registering for a Spring 2011 race, and other things, I'm surprised my credit card didnt' explode. I bought an MCM 2010 pendant from one vendor who offered to put it on the chain around my neck. I politely declined, explaining that that couldn't happen until after Sunday morning. While there, I got to meet up with some of my local running buddies, as well as my Running of the Ears friends who began their steady stream into town for all of the race festivites. As always, it was fun to see old friends and make new ones.

Even though I only live about 30 or so miles from DC, I had made the decision to stay in the Rosslyn area over race weekend. I spent Saturday morning lounging around the house, before packing up the car and driving to northern Virginia mid-afternoon. As I got off the highway, I drove past the Marine Corps Memorial and the excitement hit. I met up with my ROTE friends who were also staying at my hotel and we headed out to meet up with other friends for our pre-race carb load dinner. This was no easy task considering the hundreds of thousands of people who had descended into the city for the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally on the Mall. Metro trains were packed beyond belief and street closures and traffic rampant. To our surprise and delight, Erica and Mustapha appeared with a huge van for us all to pile into.

After dinner it was time to get all of my race day essentials together and settle in for the night. Unfortunately, sleep was extremely hard to come by. I tossed and turned, my body ready to sleep but my brain unwilling. I think I finally managed 4-5 hours. Refreshing it was not. I ate some breakfast, got dressed, grabbed my gear, and was out the door. Happily, nerves never really got the best of me. There were no stomach issues or nausea like the morning of Disney. It was almost business as usual, even though it had been over nine months since I'd done this before.

A group of us met in the lobby, bid farewell to our friends heading to the 10K start, and walked the mile-ish to the start line. The sunrise over Washington was breathtaking that morning. There was some hanging around, potty trips, and then finally time to say good byes and head to our appropriate corrals. Unlike many other marathons, MCM does not do a wave start or assign corrals based on expected pace. Instead, you line yourself up according to your expected finish time. I placed myself in the 5:30 corral. Slightly ambitious perhaps. I knew 6 hours, or under was possible, but wanted to push myself if I could.

I was mentally prepared that this would be MY challenge, as I had no plans to run the race with anyone else, despite the large number of people I knew running that day. I would do my 3:1 intervals, and push myself along, hopefully with the race energy to keep me going. This was definitely going to be a test of my own endurance since I was fortunate to have the company of three friends during my journey at Disney. Imagine my surprise as the pack pushed forward to cross the start that I crossed paths with a friend from my running club. She and a friend were running their first marathon and doing 3:1 intervals as well. Twenty-five minutes after the race started we finally made our way over the start line and were off together.

I had studied the elevation chart and knew once I got through the first eight miles, where the worst of the hills were, that I would be good to go for the rest of the race. The trick of course was not to go too fast in those opening miles, which would certainly spell disaster for the later miles of the race. The first miles went by very quickly, helped by Bonnie and Amy's company and seeing other friends from the Striders along the way as we made our way into Georgetown. I was so happy to see that we were keeping a steady 13:00-13:30 pace the whole time. For once I succeeded in not starting a race too fast! Having their company and distraction was definitely helping. Unfortunately, around mile 7 I began to pull ahead of them until eventually they were out of my sight. This had now become my race and I settled in for the 19+ left to go.

The crowd support leaving Georgetown and crossing into DC was awesome! We left Georgetown, and its hills behind, winding past the Kennedy Center and toward Potomac Park. I had a decent pack of runners around me the entire time, and, except for a couple of narrow spots, did not find it overwhelming or constricting. I had never been to Potomac Park before, and while beautiful, I found it very boring and desolate at times. It encompassed about three miles.

About mile 12 I decided to make a pit stop, taking advantage of the indoor plumbing the park facilities offered. After a couple of minute delay, I was back on my way. At mile 13 I turned my cell phone on. I had left it off for fears of running out of battery life should I need it to meet up with people post race. As it booted up in my pocket the txt message chimes went off one after another. I may have been tired and alone on the course, but my friends and family were making sure I knew they were with me in spirit. I read some of the message during my walk breaks, a smile coming to my face with each one.

Mile 16 took us past the Lincoln Memorial and towards the Mall. I got excited, as I knew my parents were on the Mall around mile 17.5. I was exhausted by this point, and my feet were killing me, but took some solace knowing there was less than 10 miles to go. I found my parents, got some needed hugs, Powerade, and pretzels, and was back on my way, heading towards the Capitol. A marching band was providing entertainment at the Capitol and helped buoy me a bit. Mom and Dad were waiting for me again at mile 19. I passed off my bag of pretzels and waved goodbye. The next time I'd see them would be at the finish.

As we left the Mall the time had come to face The Bridge. The Bridge is the 14th Street Bridge that takes you back into Northern Virginia. It is mile 2o, and one must "Beat the Bridge" and the sweepers. Even though I knew I would be ahead of the sweepers, the relief I felt having reached it was phenomal. And, I knew my ROTE pals would be at the end of it. I wish I could say the relief of getting to the bridge carried me across in no time flat, but honestly, it took the wind out of my sails. I chose to walk almost the entire thing, nearly two miles. I started to pick up my runs again as I got near the ramp and the end, and as I ran down it, I found Katie and Steph, my ever supportive and understanding roommate, waiting for me at the bottom with huge hugs.

I said Hi to everyone, got some water and Powerade refills, some Twizzlers and a few more pretzels, and then was pretty much kicked out by Colleen, who asked if I needed anything else, and if not, then what was I still doing there??? LOL. I left them and turned toward the out and back in Crystal City. I had feared that this might be a long and boring stretch, but was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't. I also got to see a few friends on their way out of Crystal City as I was headed in. As I got to mile 24, I was pleasantly surprised to find more of my friends waiting for me. More big hugs and I was on my way. TWO MILES TO GO!

I quickly discovered that the stretch of highway those last couple of miles was mentally the hardest part of the course. It was eerily quiet and those around me were clearly hurting with every step. As I looked at the Pentagon to my right and Arlington Cemetery to my left, I fought back tears. I was almost done, I just had to keep going. Then, suddenly it was mile 26. I turned left and power walked my way up the hill, knowing it was probably faster than trying to run it. As I did, I looked toward the spectator bleachers, knowing Mom and Dad were there somewhere. Then I saw Dad, standing on the top row waving his arms at me. I waved and smiled back, got to the top of the hill and took off for the finish line, exchanging high-fives with Marines all along the way. Then it was over.

I went through the finisher area to get my mylar, and more importantly my medal from a Marine. I smiled widely, and headed toward the Iwo Jima memorial for my finisher's pciture. I kept looking over my shoulder to keep an eye out for my parents so we could meet up once I got out of the runner's area. After all of the Powerade on the course, I passed up the offer of a bottle and grabbed some water and ran (well, as best as I could at that point) to Mom and Dad. I got huge hugs and fought back tears. We trudged back toward my hotel so I could get off of my feet and get cleaned up before finding some real food. My journey had ended.

Everyone knows the saying "It takes a village." Well, I feel like it took a village to get me through my training and over the finish line. The support I had from friends and family, and my running family was amazing and more than anyone could ever ask for. I doubt I can ever repay them for the hours spent running with me, or waiting for me at a trail before the sun even rose. I would never have undertaken such a journey without them, let alone completed it.