Halfway to the half

Being about halfway through training for the Richmond Half Marathon, I thought I would do a little update.   Especially since I had a very emotional moment during my 8 miler this morning.

A little backstory:  I did the Richmond Half Marathon with the Half Marathon Training Team last year.  I was nearly 200lbs and had only run/walked a 10k.  I had fully caught the running bug and just kept wanting to go further.  The training and the race were tough, but I made it.  My half time was 3:28:09.  I walked much of it but was still proud of my accomplishment to move my body that far.  Even having a slight panic attack during the race and doubting my ability to complete the distance.

Since then I started on Weight Watchers and have thus far lost a little over 30lbs.  I joined the HMTT again to train for the Richmond Half and settled on a goal of going sub-3:00.

We’ve been running the same routes on our Saturday group/long run so as a data junkie I’ve been able to make comparisons with last year.  I remembered this 8 mile run vividly from last year.  At about 5 miles, I was spent.  I thought, “What the hell have I gotten myself into!?  I can’t do this!”  I started a death march those 3 miles in, repeating my dog’s name, Oliver, for much of it, Ol-iv-er, Ol-iv-er, as my mantra.

Today when we reached the Boulevard bridge that takes us over the train tracks by the baseball stadium, I looked up and had tears in my eyes.   This was the place that during the race last year, I started to panic.  Today I felt free.  No worries, but I was only 2 miles in.  Right before that 5 mile mark, I heard someone say hi to me as they passed, and it was my doctor.  I felt a calm, and kept on with my plan of walking one tenth of a mile, and running the remainder.

I think I may just have sub-3:00 in the bag now.  So that data I pulled shows that I ran this route 20 minutes faster than I did last year.   Also, I think that I made a 10k PB during the run.  I glanced down and it was about 6.18 and I was at 1:21.   My 10k PR is 1:22:xx.

Last year:

2:06:16

8.20 Mi

Pace 15:24

This year:

1:46:26

8.15 Mi

Pace 13:03.8

Innsbrook 5k Race Report

First off, my previous post was a little incorrect.  For some reason I was thinking that my previous 5k PR was 36:35 but it was actually 36:25.   This put my 31 second birthday goal as actually going sub 36:00 and that much closer to my overall next goal of going sub 35:00.

Since my previous PR I have lost about 7 more lbs and had just under 3 more months of running.

This 5k is run in an office park relatively close to where I work and benefits the Ronald McDonald House.  I have worked the finish line before as a Richmond Road Runners volunteer but never ran the race.  Race start was at 8:30 so I got there around 7:45 for packet pick up.  I would find out later that this packet pick up could have gone much better.

There were raffle tickets in the envelope and this was not pointed out to most of us who grabbed our packet, took it back to our car only removing our bibs.  Evidently the packets included a raffle tickets for the door prizes after the race but not many people realized this leaving the raffle rather bleak which made me kinda sad because they were good prizes.  By the time most of us returned to our cars to get tickets it would have been over, anyway. Note to RD, just use bib numbers!

The shirt was cotton (not odd) but long sleeved (odd for a summer race) a nice change.  Same logo as the race logo on a royal blue shirt.

So after throwing the packet in the car I attached my bib number, 538.  A good one because 5 + 3 = 8 and 8 is my favorite number!  Yay for number superstitions!   After doing a very small jog I watched the kids 1 mile run which a girl won!  I found a little shade did some dynamic stretching and then lined up ready to go.

I lined up towards the middle of the pack since there seemed to be more walkers in this race than what I am used to.  This also meant people who do not understand simple race etiquette.  A couple rows up there were two women with strollers.  Not even jogging strollers and one of the women was attempting to attach a leash with a tiny Yorkie on the end to her stroller.  Of course I could have said something, but being a super introverted person I just could not work up the courage in time before the start.   Instead as they began to sort of walk, as many of us were attempting to not hit them I shouted over my shoulder something to the effect of, “Damn strollers should have lined up in the back,  people are trying to run here!  Jesus Christ!” Probably not the most effective way to deal with it, but at least I spoke up.

Due to my anger I went out way too fast. I ran the first mile as the fastest mile I’ve run as an adult.  The rest of the race was uneventful.  It was a pretty horrifically boring course that went not just on the roads of the office park but through parking lots and circled buildings.  A few short rolling hills.

Garmin Splits:
10:58
11:32
11:57
1:02 (8:42 pace)

Total time:  35:30
Official race time: 35:41

An official PR of 44 seconds!

Whereas I am stoked on the PR, I don’t think I’ll run this race again.  It was not as organized as I like and the course was just mind numbing.  I’d rather not pay to run thru parking lots.

6th out of 13 in my age group.  110 out of 203 recorded finishers.

The stroller ladies finished at least 15 minutes behind me.

Next goal is that sub 3:00 Half Marathon in November!

Birthday goal

My birthday is this coming Sunday, 9/11.   I will be 31 years old.  In celebration, I am going to run a 5k on Saturday.  The Innsbrook 5k here in Richmond to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.   My half marathon plan is on a cutback week with a 4 mile long run, so I figure a 5k at race pace with a half mile warm up will be sufficient.

Goal is to take 31 seconds off of my time.  Currently my 5k PR is 36:35 set in June.  The weather that morning was close to 80* and sunny.  As of now it looks like the temp will be closer to 70* and partial cloud cover this Saturday.

Of course in reality I would like to go under 36:00 to be that much closer to my overall goal of going under 35:00 within the next year.  (Or after my two scheduled half marathons are completed.)  But I thought with the 31st birthday 31 seconds was good to shoot for.

Regarding my current half marathon training, I think it is going very well.  We are following the same routes as last year.  I took about 5:30 off of the time my same 6 mile training run took me to complete last year at an easy long run pace.

Look out for a race report this weekend!