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2013 NYC Half Marathon Recap

Last night, Bo and I prepared for the half like we do any long run or race: lots of time on the couch, plenty of carbs, water instead of wine, and an early (for us) bed time.

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We kept things very simple last night due to the fact that we were both working and/or on work conference calls most of the day. Boxed pasta, all-natural chicken sausage, jarred marinara sauce, and lots of parmesan makes for a pretty good dinner when you’re in a pinch.

Before going to bed last night, I spent some time reviewing an email Gia sent me with my race plan. Originally, when we started putting together the training plan for this half our goal for me was a 2:10 half as I haven’t run a half faster than 2:13:09 (SunTrust National Half Marathon 2011) since 2007. Back in 2007 I ran the Thunder Road Half down in Charlotte in 2:12 and before that my half PR was 2:07 (Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run 2007). Therefore, a 2:10 would still be an age group PR for me and the fastest half I’ve run while in a healthy place. (I weighed 125 when I ran the Thunder Road and Jefferson half marathons – more details here.)

But, as we started training, she felt I had more in me and pushed me a bit harder towards the end of the training plan. Even though this round of training really only lasted 6 weeks due to lots of travel in January and early February, I’ve focused on quality workouts and have spent a lot of hours pushing myself at Barry’s Bootcamp and during my runs.

Her words were simple:

You so have this, draw upon what you have gained in Barry’s … go to the place that you go to when the treadmill is on a 10%incline and you are sprinting.

Our game plan was for me to start out slower than I wanted and once I finished the hills in the park I could cover my Garmin with fun star covered masking tape and let my body do the work. This would keep me from going out too fast since I had explicit directions to check my watch each mile in the park. I’ve killed myself too many times by going out too fast to do that again this time around. I also told myself that I’d practice the tips I preached to Liz which helped her succeed and enjoy her first half yesterday.

Since Theodora attributed her PR yesterday to sparkles, in addition to her hard work, I made a last minute decision to sport the same sparkly skirt that led to a was a PR accessory in Philadelphia this November. (Thanks Shannon for the skirt – it’s clean and ready to be returned now!)

The temperature this morning was colder than I imagined and I have never been more thankful to have a husband who runs. I convinced him to come to my corral versus his speedier group so we could keep each other warm with body warmth since New York Road Runners required us to be in corrals by 7am, though they never collapsed them as promised.

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It felt like 23 according to Weather Channel iPhone ap when we lined up but I swear it cooled down as we started running. I was definitely thankful for my good ol’ Sugoi lined tights and making a last minute decision to toss this Champion quarter zip over my Lululemon long sleeve shirt.

At 7:45 the two of us crossed the start line together and gave each other one last positive cheer. We both had goals in our mind: sub 2 for Bo and sub 2:07 for me.

As predicted, the start was pretty crowded and my body was pretty numb. I feared that I’d not feel pain due to the cold and therefore I checked my watch almost ever half mile to make sure I wasn’t going too fast. I also decided that I wanted some pump up jams for this race. With headphones in and cold wind blowing at my face I put my head down, did my best to relax my shoulders, chanted some positive mantras to myself, and decided to break this race into 2 10Ks.

  • 10K #1: Focus on my music, breathing, maintaining a steady pace, skip water stations, keep pace over Cat Hill and Harlem Hills, and stay relaxed.
  • 10K #2: Focus on finding my friends along the route (Laura and Beth), start taking water at every stop and walk through quickly if needed, remember to take a GU, cover my watch, and zone out but remember that at this point it should start to hurt.

Never ever has a plan worked so well!

Splits for reference:

10K #1:

Mile 1: 9:33
Mile 2: 9:35
Mile 3: 9:14
Mile 4: 9:22
Mile 5: 9:35 – Covered Garmin at this point
Mile 6: 9:04

I took a Vanilla Gu at mile 6.1, took a piece of starred masking tape from my band and covered the Garmin face, found my favorite pump up jam (Everday Birthday) and moved to the right side of the road in hopes of seeing Laura and Beth.

10K #2:

Mile 7: 8:52 (Saw Beth and friends)
Mile 8: 8:40
Mile 9: 9:11
Mile 10: 9:45
Mile 11: 9:28
Mile 12: 9:21
Mile 13: 9:23
Mile 13-13.4: 8:50

Clearly covering the watch worked as I let my pace drop into the low 9 and high 8 minute range. Running through Times Square was even better than I remembered and seeing both Laura and Beth was a great treat. I threw Beth my gloves as I ran past her and gave a huge wave hello. As I hit mile 10 my quads really started to scream. I feared that I was dropping too fast and after some quick math based on the time clock at mile 10 I realized that even if I used mile 10 as a rest mile to gather my breath and take a slower water walk through the station, I could still break 2:10. I did this and then as I crossed the marker to 11 started dropping the pace back to an uncomfortable yet sustainable pace. While I hoped to drop down the last mile a bit more than I did per the above, I gave these 13.4 miles every single thing I had. I fear there will be horrific pictures of me from the last quarter mile, exiting the tunnel, as I know I was making some horrible faces. I was breathing hard and pushing through just ready to be done at this point. It was so great to see some friendly faces (Jen and Liz) during the last push but after running faster than ever before I was ready to be done. 2013-03-17 09.52.38

I peeled the tape off after crossing the line and when I saw the 2:05 time I think I almost started crying.

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Damn half marathon PR you’ve alluded me for 5 years and now that I have you I’m more hungry than ever before. Who knows whether I have a sub 2 in me, especially during late Spring and Summer months, but we’ll see!

Within minutes I reunited with Bo and our friends Geoff and Elizabeth. We all had great runs to celebrate including a sub 1:57 run for Bo and a great comeback race for Liz who has been sick for the past week!

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In addition, congratulations around to everyone who threw down amazing races this weekend – there are way too many to name but it was such a great weekend for everyone whether it was a PR or a return from injury!

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NYRR Jingle Jog Race Recap

This weekend has definitely kicked off on the right foot.

After hearing that we were going to enjoy last minute visitors last night, I cranked up some Brittney Spears and my race mix for some power cleaning.  I’m so pleased with how our house and decorations turned out this year!

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I finished just as this adorable visitor came to say hello!

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Can you tell we’re in love with my cousin’s daughter Sedona? She’s 6 months old and absolutely adorable!

They had quite the social calendar yesterday so Sedona could meet all their New York City friends so they weren’t here long. But, considering that Bo and I had to be up early to run the New York Road Runners Jingle Jog race in Prospect Park that worked out well.

We ate a quick dinner of pizza and salad, then spent the rest of the evening making our favorite egg nog recipe, baking red velvet cupcakes, and enjoying Christmas music with Meg!

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The New York Road Runner Jingle Jog has become one of my favorite races over the past few years. This was the 3rd time Bo and I have run it together and each time we enjoy it a bit more. Three years ago I was still new to running and just focused on having fun. Last year the race course was cut short due to construction and was therefore a 3.8 mile race or something wonky like that.

This year, after verifying with the NYRR that the course would truly be 4 miles in length, I decided I wanted to try and PR. Even though I’ve been training for distance, after talking with a few trusted runners I decided that a short distance like this was possible to PR for the primary reason that telling myself that I can do anything for 4 miles really works. In addition, I’ve been doing some speed sprints the past few weeks with my work run club. That, combined with the great strength and cardio workouts I’ve done the past 2 weeks through personal training, Uplift Studios Workit Circuit, and the bootcamps Bo and I have done together I am feeling really strong!

Bo volunteered to pace me for the race, in hopes of helping me break the 9:17 4 mile PR I set earlier this year in Central Park. We decided that he’d wear the Garmin and focus on the pace so that we didn’t go out too fast or too slow and that we maintained a pace fast enough to break 9:15. The weather worked in our favor, perfectly cool but not frigid. In addition, this year’s crowd was the best yet with almost everyone there in some type of spirited, festive costume! The race didn’t sell out this year, which I think may be due to the cost and recent NYRR debate, but I was thankful since this provided us with a less crowded race.

At 9:02 am, perfectly on the dot, we crossed the starting line,  just 2 minutes behind the front of the pack. As soon as I started running I knew this would be a great race.

I was wearing the new Mizuno Wave Rider 16’s which the MIzuno team sent me to try out post marathon and they felt light as a feather. Every stride I took felt stronger than the one before and instead of feeling like I had no speed in me I felt the opposite. Within five minutes of starting Bo yelled at me to hang back with him. For once, I listened. I focused on keeping him in my peripheral vision and listened to my music.

I remembered the course well, knowing that there would be a few hills early on and then after that it was primarily flat to the finish. Based on this info our plan was to start out at a 9:15 pace, keeping that until mile 3 when we’d start dropping the pace to around a 9 minute pace.

I trusted Bo the entire time and just listened to my legs. After mile 3 when he told me to hang back with him I finally told him no. I knew I could push through the new feeling of lung strain and leg tiredness for the remaining few minutes. Suddenly an inspiring thought crossed through my head.

So this is what it feels like to race eh?

This is how my speedier friends feel and what they mean when they say that a short race will challenge you in different ways than a marathon. But, the energy I felt today and strength was like none I’ve felt before. As we neared the hill that comes in the last quarter mile of the race (thanks by the way for that NYRR), I looked at Bo and asked if we were alright. Unlike most races, I had no sprint left in my legs. He smiled from ear to ear and said hell yes, which told me we’d PR even if I needed to slow down.

Bo yelled to me as we crossed the finish: “35:20! YOU FUCKING CRUSHED IT”

It took me a minute to realize that meant I’d also surpassed the goal of joining the 8 minute club. Now my mile pace was in the same realm as people who I’d looked at in awe before. Who cares if it was by just a hair, I left the 9 minute realm.

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Don’t worry, my friends at NYRR decided to change it a bit, thanks to their 4 mile course calculations but you know what, it’s still at 8:58 pace which is below 9. I’ll take it!

NYRR Jingle Jog I love you and better believe next year I’m coming after you again for another PR crushing race!

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What’s your favorite race distance or race? While a marathon and half always hold a special place in my heart there is something to be said for the 4 mile race distance. It’s a bit further than the 5k so requires more thought and strategy but is shorter than the dreaded 10k!

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OUC Half Marathon Race Recap

The OUC Half Marathon was such a fun race!

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A local half marathon, hosted each year by Orlando’s premiere running store, Track Shack, takes more than 4,000 runners through the streets of downtown Orlando and nearby neighborhoods. In addition, the neighborhood route takes runners by more than 10 lakes including the scenic Lake Eola, which I’ve read about multiple times on Orlando healthy living blogs.

Meghann, Mary and I arrived at the race start with about 30 minutes to spare Saturday morning, just enough time to park, walk to the start, take a few pictures, and stand in a very long porta potty line. Luckily Mary went to University of North Florida and is therefore very familiar with Downtown Orlando. Having her expertise made it very easy to find a parking spot.

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None of us had specific goals for the race other than to have fun. A few months ago when we decided to sign up as part of the bachelorette festivities, I hoped that Meghann could pace me to a half marathon PR of under 2:12. But, when my marathon was postponed 2 weeks and therefore only 2 weeks prior to this half, I changed my goals.Instead, each us treated this like a fun long run not stressing ourselves out and just enjoying the gorgeous weather.

The race started perfectly on time at 7am, and due to the small size, Meghann and I were crossing the starting line just a few minutes later.

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This was also the first race that I’ve run sans Garmin. Gia has asked that for the next few races I run during December I leave my Garmin home so I can focus more on enjoying the run since I’m not formally training. Meghann wore her Garmin but never once shared our pace. Instead she’d tell me to slow down if she saw we were going to fast or would try and move ahead of me a bit to motivate me to pick up my pace. During these first miles we didn’t speak much but instead pointed at different sights and enjoyed the spectators and course entertainment such as local bands and 19th century holiday carolers.

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I also chose not to carry a water bottle or wear my CamelBak for this race. Therefore, we took advantage of the 9 water stations on the course, beginning at mile 1.5 to ensure that neither of us overheated since  it was 60 degrees at 7am and 70 and sunny on the course. While it was definitely warmer weather than I’ve had in NYC and Philadelphia these last few weeks but luckily the humidity wasn’t unbearable.

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Along the course people cheered us on as we ran past thanks to Meghann’s bride outfit. Kelly put together a great, running friendly race outfit for Meghann to wear on the course featuring a tank top printed with her wedding date, a veil and crown. While some people cheered her on as a princess instead of a bride, it made for a nice diversion. It also helped a few of our readers find us in the field which was so fun! Sarah and Becky both said hi to us during the race and Sarah stuck with us for a half mile or so. She looked super strong considering she was running her first half marathon.

Around mile 7 my hamstrings started to scream louder and I found the need to slow my pace a bit. By the time we reached the water stop at mile 8.5 I found it harder to start running after the water stop. We decided to start walking for 30 seconds each mile, giving my legs a bit of a break. While I realized this probably meant that a PR wasn’t in the cards, I made it my goal to still run a sub 2:20 half marathon. I took a Vanilla Gu around this time in hopes that it would boost my energy.

Around this same time I heard two women cursing their legs and talking about a recent half. It was so fun to find fellow runners down in Orlando who ran Philadelphia just two weeks prior too! We ran alongside them for a few minutes, talking about Philadelphia and other recent races. At this point I also started to savor the many signs put out along the course by OUC. They were very motivating and a great way to keep my mind off my tight hamstrings and tiring legs.

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The back half of the course took us over a few small hills and a long brick road stretch. The half marathon covered 2 miles of brick which weren’t very friendly on the feet but at least we both knew they were coming. The lakes and warm morning sun made this part of the course especially enjoyable even though my legs were ready to be done. At one point, as I saw signs for the 5k which started a few minutes after the half, I asked Meghann why we never considered the 5k as a fun bachelorette weekend event. I guess it’s just not our style.

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We crossed under Highway 408 and back into downtown, right around mile 12,  which is when I hit the wall. I literally wanted nothing more than to be done. My legs were extremely tight and exhausted. Mentally I was checked out. Meghann did her best to pass time by telling me stories and pointing out her favorite places around the city. We were expecting to find Mary around this point so I tried to move my focus to watching spectators, similar to what I did during the marathon when I grew tired. As we heard a drum line around mile 12.5 Meghann told me that when we made the turn I’d be able to see the finish. I can do anything for just a few minutes. I started to push my pace, sprinting towards the finish line.  We found her about a quarter of a mile from the finish and from there on out it was a full out sprint to the end.

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My 11th half marathon was finally done! While it was no PR, I was pretty proud of my body for pushing through 13.1 miles just 2 weeks after 26.2 miles, especially since I didn’t rest much in between. 3rd fastest half marathon done!

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I would recommend this half marathon to anyone looking for a small race that is PR friendly. In fact, part of me wants to run another Florida (flat) race on fresh legs just to see what’s possible! The course was very organized, there were 9 water and Gatorade stations, 1 Clif Shot station, and plenty of porta potties!

Do you prefer larger or smaller races?

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