Hop Hop Half Marathon Race Recap and A Marathon Training Check-In

Where does the time go?! I mean, seriously, I feel like it was just a couple of weeks ago that I was putting together my training plan for the Newport Marathon and here I am, only about 4 weeks away from the big day. Is this another one of those signs that I’m getting old? The sensation of time going by so quickly, I mean. It must be.   It’s right up there with my new, annoying need to use the zoom function on my computer screen when I’m reading text these days. (Does anyone else feel like 12-point isn’t what it used to be?!)

Enough with the questions and the lamenting about the passage of time, I have a race to tell you all about. Held on the Saturday before Easter, the Hop Hop Half Marathon served as sort of a trial run for me.   Six weeks out from Newport I wanted to test my fitness level, and even more importantly, my pacing. I struggle with pacing myself evenly and I know that this is going to be a key element in my marathon success.

I’m going to put it right out there and acknowledge that this was a tough race for me. I did not taper, as I was considering this just part of my training plan, and I definitely felt fatigue in my legs and body when pushing my speed. I also got caught up in a bit of self-doubt about my clothing choices at the last minute, which resulted in me hastily adding an extra layer on top, which I almost immediately regretted after the run got going. I overheated and struggled with the ramifications of that for the majority of the race.

Despite all of that, I only finished 31 seconds short of my half-marathon PR AND I did a relatively consistent job (with the exception of one tough mile) of pacing myself evenly, while staying in tune with my level of effort and my actual pace time. There’s also something to be said about the level of mental focus that I had to hone in on, given the challenges I was having.

The course was the same as last year, which is to say, it was absolutely enjoyable and peaceful. The route took us along the Columbia River, with what was a clear, impressive, and positively imposing view of Mt. Hood for more than half the route, until we made the turn around. The staff and volunteers from Foot Traffic were great and the logistics of the run all seemed to go off without a hitch. I also was super lucky to cross the finish line when I did. About 10 minutes later, as I was in my car and headed home, the sky absolutely opened up and those still out there were treated to some serious rainfall!

It was a tough race for me – a really tough one, actually. But it served its purpose. Looking at it from the perspective of it being one part of a larger plan and goal, I’ll even go as far as to say it was successful in some ways, too. I feel good having that trial run under my belt – and I hopefully learned a lesson about making last minute wardrobe decisions based on pre-race anxiety!

Holiday Half Marathon Race Recap

Well . . . let’s see here.  It has taken me a bit more time then I had anticipated to post this race recap.

Clearly, this finding life balance thing is still a work in progress.

So, anyway, here I am, a bit late, but still eager to report back on my 2nd year participating in the Foot Traffic Holiday Half Marathon.  I ran this event on December 15th and it was the final race of the season for me (side note: How cool is it that I had a racing season???).

In 2012, this event was remarkably cold, windy, and damp.  So it was with much joy that this year’s weather played out differently.  It was chilly, for sure, but dry and calm – nothing some strategic layering couldn’t address to keep me warm.

Mr. Move Eat Create accompanied me to the race.  With him handling logistics (such as transportation), I was free to focus on my performance.  My confidence level and thoughts heading in to the race were messy and conflicting.  On the one hand, I was feeling good about having recently noticed improvements in my pace times.  On the other hand, I had been coping with a strange foot pain that had seemingly popped up out of nowhere and I hadn’t completed any real focused or targeted training for this specific event.  Yet I was, of course, still gunning for a PR.  Go figure.

With that in mind, here is how things shook out with this race, including the good and the bad.

Cons:

1. The first mile was frustrating.  Frustrating not because of anything I did or didn’t do, but because of the worst route congestion that I have ever experienced.  With no wave start, no corrals, no pace signs to line people up accordingly, and a large, diverse group of runners and walkers, it was a bit of a mess.  I found myself stuck and blocked in for at least a mile and finished mile one a full 1:00+ minutes slower than I had intended and was capable of.  Boo to that.

2.  I’ve mentioned before that I have Raynaud’s Disorder.  Since going gluten-free, my symptoms have lessened significantly in frequency and severity (Yay!), however, they started raging during this day’s race (Grr!).  It was painful and distracting.

3.  In a total running blunder, I apparently had recorded two different race times for my last half-marathon, which had been my PR – leading to great confusion on my part as to what my best time actually was (huge runner fail on my part).

Pros:

1. The route is a nice one.  I really enjoy running through old Portland neighborhoods and this had a lot of that.  Plus, the clear sky provided an exceptional view of the magnificent St. John’s Bridge.

2.  Transportation and parking for this event are both wonderful.  I love the shuttle buses that take you from the large free parking spaces to the start line.  Stress free!

3.  Plenty of space (indoor and outdoor with heaters) to meander pre-race, lots of port-a-potties, and a coffee truck on hand for warm, caffeinated beverages.  All very good things.

4.  After much confusion, followed by embarrassment about said confusion, and then initial disappointment, I did discover my true previous PR and, to my delight, I set a new one!  Setting this PR provides me with some validation that the consistent work I’ve been putting in, even if it wasn’t via a targeted training plan, is paying off.  It is always nice to see concrete, measurable improvement and growth in my running, and it was a great way to finish up the season.

My final numbers:

• Finish Time: 1:47:24
• Overall Finish: 359/2505
• Age Group Finish: 31/332

Now my off-season has begun!  Slightly reduced mileage and strength training will be the focus for a few weeks while my 2014 calendar takes shape.  More on that to come!

Shopping Struggles, But Running Saves the Day!

There was a time when I loved to shop for clothes.  LOVED it.  It was fun and exciting and was a way to express my creativity.  These days, however, I loathe the task most of the time.  I don’t know how many of you reading are thirty-something women, but let me tell you, the options out there for us are pretty sad.

There is a vast wasteland of clothing for women my age who want to look mature AND sexy.  Fun AND professional.  Casual AND put together.  There are shops for professional women that veer toward dull and stuffy.  There are shops for young women who clearly are spending their nights in clubs and their days taking in (what’s left of) the summer sun.  And there are outdoor stores that would be great if I was planning on hiking everyday during my office hours.  But, a store for an almost 33 year old who still feels youthful in many ways, but whose club days are far behind her?  It seems impossible.

This has been a real struggle for me as I strive to fine tune my image at this stage in my life and it’s a struggle that is not showing any signs of easing up anytime soon.  When I work up the energy to go on a shopping trip these days, I usually end up tired, discouraged, and more than a little confused about my personal style and how to find anything that expresses it appropriately.

So, where is the bright light in this sad little rant?

Running.  Running is the bright light (isn’t it usually?).

More specifically today, running apparel is the bright light.  I love shopping for running apparel.  Give me a rack stuffed with Oiselle and a shelf full of Adidas and I am in my shopping heaven.  Singlets and shorts and capris and jackets and base layers and, of course, shoes.

One of the wonderful things about running is that it gives you a built in, non-arguable reason to buy a new pair of shoes every few months.  And such it was this weekend that it was time for me to pick up a new pair of Mizunos.   So I headed down to one of my local running stores (Foot Traffic) with a mission.  I’ve grown loyal to my Wave Riders and I was thrilled to bring home a new pair.  New color, slightly lighter than my last pair (even better for racing), and just waiting to see me through my next round of training that will start in the coming weeks for the Holiday Half Marathon.

Aren’t they beautiful?

If only all of my shopping trips could be so fruitful.

Race Recap: Portland’s Inaugural Hop Hop Half Marathon

Sunday marked my third (yes, third) half-marathon race.  Just typing that makes me a bit excited.  To think that I ran my first half just last October and now have three under my (race) belt is pretty satisfying to say the least.  As I mentioned in a previous post, my marathon training plan (for Newport in June), called for a half as part of the preparation and the timing of this one was just about perfect.

This was the first year for the Hop Hop Half (I’ve got to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the name – a bit cutesy for my preferences – but I do understand the desire to tie it in with the holiday) and going in to it I felt like it may have been a bit of a risky move for the race sponsors.  Coming on the heels of the Shamrock Run, which is a very popular and large event, I wasn’t sure how the turnout would be.  It turned out to a moderate-sized, but lovely race.

I had a strange set of feelings and expectations heading in to this event.  For the first time, this was not the event I’d been training for, but was part of a bigger picture.  Because of that, I didn’t want to place too much pressure on myself, but did want to give it a good effort and see how my racing ability was progressing.

Race day started out well enough.  It was a bit chilly at the start, but dry and sunny –  perfectly good racing conditions.  The event started off with a 5k that was winding down by the time the half-marathoners got going at 8:20am.  I think it’s worth noting that the race started pretty close to the scheduled time (only a minute or so late).  An on-time start always pleases me.

The race started off well and was fairly uneventful (in a good kind of way).  The first couple of miles weren’t the most interesting to run, but after about mile 3, we made our way onto a path that travels right alongside the Columbia River.  It was beautiful!  On such a lovely Spring morning, the sky was relatively clear, providing a beautiful view ahead (to the East) of some of the gorgeous mountains in the Pacific Northwest, to the left of the Columbia, complete with seagulls stretching, soaring, and basking in the sun, and the Portland Airport to the right (which may not seem like much, but is actually kind of lovely to see from that vantage point).

I’m the one in the center of this photo – in all black!

The course was pretty darn flat, so I chugged along steadily most of the way.  I did encounter an uncomfortable situation right after the turnaround point (around mile 7, I think it was).  I wanted to share it because it was so unusual and am curious if others have encountered this.  I was coming up behind another runner ahead and was running at a slightly faster pace than he was, so I was nearing him.  I was clearly going to pass him, so I maneuvered to the left, where there was space to move around him.  He glanced over his left shoulder, saw me coming, and moved directly in front of me to block my path and cut me off from passing!  It was very apparent that it was no accident.  I had indicated my intent to pass by when he looked back at me and he made a very deliberate shift in his position on the pathway.  I was shocked.  Seriously, seriously shocked.  Neither of us are elite runners, we weren’t racing to win.  Furthermore, even if we were, that is not how runners behave in my experience.  I am so used to friendly runners.  Runners who respect each other and share a certain camaraderie, even in competition, that I was totally taken aback by what happened.  Has anyone else had this happen?

I will say that I eventually still maneuvered around him and never saw him again.  Plus, my faith in the goodness of runners was restored later in the race, with less than a mile to go.  I was right at pace with another male runner and eventually started to pull ahead.  Instead of another weird encounter, this runner nodded and encouragingly shouted “Looking strong!”  It warmed my sappy runner’s heart.

When all was said and done, I finished with a new half-marathon PR – 1:49:17 – and placed 91 out of 618 total finishers!  I’m totally happy with my performance and finish, though it didn’t take long for me to realize that in just about 10 weeks I would be doing it again – twice.

Me in black again – heading towards the final mile!

A couple of other notes on the event and race.  First, runners were treated to complimentary mimosas after the event.  Nice.  I much prefer this to the beer that is often present after a race!  While I certainly know that taking in alcohol is not the best recovery plan, I did enjoy my free brunch-y cocktail after having a couple cups of water.  I definitely approve of this beverage choice!

Second, along the way, I noticed a very young runner participating with an adult by her side.  Curious, I looked at the age group results after they were posted and saw that an 8-year old girl finished the half-marathon in just a bit over 2 hours! I am so impressed by that.  She looked like she was having the time of her life when I saw her on the course and I am so inspired by someone of that age having the focus and dedication (not to mention the skill) to do that run.  I can only wish I had had some of that when I was so young.  Amazing.

Hats off to Foot Traffic (one of my local running stores) who organized the event.  It was a smooth race and delightful event to kick off the spring running season!  I would absolutely consider running it again next year.

Newport Marathon Training Update: This Is Starting To Get Real, You All!

Being that today marks week 6 of training for my first marathon in Newport, I figured it was about time to check in about how it was going.

First, I will say: so far, so good.

Thus far, I haven’t done anything that I haven’t done before, so to speak.  Honestly, I’ve been doing a bit less than I’ve done before.  My training plan (as training plans are keen to do) builds up over time, so my first few weeks have been relatively easy.  I’ve been consistent with my schedule and laying the groundwork to start increasing mileage.  I’m happy to say that I’m feeling strong so far.  My body is feeling healthy; I’m running what I should be and I’m fitting in some cross-training for overall balance.

Second, I will say: I think I’m about to turn a (exciting, but sort of nerve-inducing) corner.

In the coming weeks, I will surely test my endurance, time commitment, and mental resolve.  This current week is still ‘easy’, but things will start to steadily build from there.  My plan calls for me to start increasing my weeknight running mileage, as well as to build up my long run up on Saturdays.  In a month’s time, I will be pushing myself close to setting new distance personal records for myself.  I’m excited to make this progress, but, of course, my mind is always chirping at me with some self-doubt, too.

One of my biggest concerns is simply the time factor.  I know that I will make the time to log the miles that I need, but being a person with a tightly packed schedule, it does give me a bit of stress thinking of what I will have to cut back on or forego in order to make it happen.

But I will.

I will make it happen (and I’m sure I’ll tell you how it goes).

The reality of my marathon-mission set in this weekend as I took two more steps forward.  I finally booked my hotel room for the overnight stay and I registered for a half-marathon as part of my training.  My plan actually recommends that I run a half-marathon right around the mid-point of my plan, so I set out to see if there is a local one happening that weekend . . . and there is!  I’m now registered for the Hop Hop Half on March 24^th!

So, there you have it.  Marathon training is fully underway, accommodations are arranged, and I’ve got a new race to complete in three weeks!

I know many others are also ramping up your training as spring heads our way.  How’s it going for you?

Holiday Half-Marathon Race Recap: Rain, Wind, and A Wardrobe Malfunction . . . But So Worth It!

I’ve been so busy and distracted that my second half-marathon kind of snuck up on me.  All of a sudden, it was two days away and the reality started to set in!  I picked up my race bib on Friday and those pre-event nerves started to kick in.

In true Me fashion, I had a clear, verbalized goal and a secret goal that I didn’t really talk about much.  I was nervous about what my race time would be for a couple of reasons.  First, the weather.  Cold, wind, rain, all of these can definitely slow a runner down a bit.  I run in the rain often, but I hadn’t raced in it yet.  Second, I had been feeling a bit run down.  My body was feeling generally tired and achy and I wasn’t sure how that would show up come race day.

So, as it stood, my verbalized goal was to stay under 2 hours.  As I had managed to do this in my first half two months earlier, this was important to me to repeat.  My secret goal was to beat the time in my first half and finish in under 1 hour 55 minutes.

Result?

Success!

Final Race Time = 1:51:42!  Woot!

Now, I know race times aren’t the most important thing in the world, but I’m a pretty goal oriented person.  I like to have benchmarks and plans and something specific to shoot for, so for me, it matters.  And this particular finish mattered a whole heck of a lot.

It didn’t come easy.

Race day started off in a bit of a nerve-racking fashion.  Remember how I mentioned that my body had been generally achy?  Well Sunday morning I woke up to shower, dress, and prepare for my race with a seriously uncomfortable right hip, thigh, and knee.  It didn’t hurt, per se, but it definitely felt uncomfortable and I was worried about how it would impact my experience.

What DID hurt were my fingers.  I have this strange condition called Raynaud’s Disorder.  No one seems to know what causes it for me, but it’s bad.  Like, really bad.  My fingers start to get really cold and then they burn.  Then, they go numb in spots and still burn in other spots.  They turn all the colors of an American flag and become a painful, distracting mess.  Sunday morning, my friend Raynaud decided to go nuts.

So, there I was waiting for the start with my uncomfortable hip and leg, my burning, numb fingers and my nerves.  Finally, we got started and I was no more than a few feet across the start line when I felt my torso get really cold.  I looked down to see that the bottom zipper on my double zipper jacket had come undone.  The top zipper (near my neck) was still secure.  So if you can imagine, it was instantly like I was wearing a cape, but backwards.  My jacket, purchased to shield me from the cold and wind and rain, was instead flying open, exposing me to all the elements.  I tried to fix it while I ran, but, you see, when my fingers go numb, they don’t really work.  I can’t pick things up or close them tightly around things, so it didn’t go so well.  Finally, I made a decision that I was not happy about.  I ran to the side of the road and had to stop completely and take the time to get my jacket fixed.

I was not happy about this.  Stopping?  I don’t stop during a race!

Grr.  Argh.

Okay, so I get going again and, at least from there, no new problems occurred.  The race was pretty flat, so that wasn’t bad at all, but there sure were stretches with some serious wind gusts and rainfall.  There’s something about running through all that, though, that feels liberating and strong.

Or maybe I’m just a little bit crazy.

Either way, I felt good most of the way.  The route itself was quite pleasant, meandering through neighborhoods in North Portland.  I passed plenty of houses with festive lights on them, as well as a few carolers along the way that volunteered their time for the race.  I felt like I was pushing myself, but not overdoing it and I had the energy for a good kick during that last mile.

Finding out my finish time was fantastic.  Seeing that measurable improvement over my first race, combined with the actual physical change I noticed in my body during this run (less fatigue, more strength, more power) made all the mishaps of the day so very worth it.

What a great way to ring in the holidays!

Only Seven Days Until the Holiday Half!

Seven days until my second half-marathon!  I’m racing the Foot Traffic Holiday Half next Sunday.  My mind has been so focused on thinking about what my 2013 racing calendar will bring that I keep almost forgetting that this race is right around the corner.

I am quite looking forward to running it, though, as it is North Portland, where I’ve never run before.  Starting and ending near the Adidas Campus, the run loops through North Portland and under the St John’s Bridge.  I suspect that it will be quite lovely.

I’m hoping for a PR by beating my time at the Portland Half-Marathon in October, but I’m also realistic that it may not necessarily happen.  The weather could be interesting.  I don’t mind running in the rain so much, but it does slow me down a bit.

I guess we’ll see in seven days!  I will certainly let you know.  .  . Wish me luck?

(P.S.  If you want to wish for a dry Portland morning, that would be swell, too!)

New Running Shoes! : Including A Review of A Local Running Store, My First Professional Shoe Fitting, and Joining the Ranks of Mizuno-Wearing Runners

I had an incredibly exciting weekend.  Well, exciting to me, anyway. Granted, it may not seem all that exciting to others . . . but I’m betting that at least some of you would agree that buying new running shoes is ALL KINDS of exciting.

http://www.mizunousa.com/running/products/mizuno-womens-wave-precision-12-running-shoes

And, to top it off there were also fantastic running clothes – ON SALE.  Actually, I would venture to say that it was beyond exciting.  The whole experience was down right jubilant!  Want to hear about it?

So let me say that as a relatively new runner still (I’m approaching a full year since I started), I had not yet bought running shoes from a proper running store before.  I’ve been shopping for other items at these shops for several months and have been patiently waiting for the right time to buy new shoes.  Having racked up many miles on my old shoes (which are great, but I bought from an outpost of a giant sporting goods chain) it was time.

Portland has several options for local running stores, but I decided to head to the Sellwood location of Foot Traffic.  Foot Traffic has four locations in the Portland Metro area and I’ve bought an item or two from them before, but never anything that required much assistance from a staff member.  I knew, though, that since I’m steadily increasing my weekly mileage, I wanted to get input from a knowledgeable employee who could help lead me to the right shoe.

My experience at Foot Traffic was fantastic and if any of you reading are in the Portland area, I highly recommend them.  There was one sales staff on duty when I arrived.  The store had a steady flow of customers throughout my time there, yet the staff person was very attentive and helpful to me while still attending to other customers in the store.  She considered the shoe I had been wearing, information about my running preferences, and took a look at my stride/gait in order to help direct my focus.  I tried on several pairs of shoes and after running around in each of them, I found myself returning to a pair of Mizuno Wave Precision 12s.  The sales person also chatted with me about the brand in general, since I haven’t worn them before, shared feedback from other customers who had purchased that particular shoe, and kindly saw my transaction through to the end.  She also made sure that I knew about the store’s 30-day return policy – if the shoes don’t seem to work for me once I log a few runs in them, I am assured that I can exchange them for another model.

Also, I mentioned sale-priced running clothes.  I was thrilled to snag a pair of Oiselle running shorts and Mizuno thermal running pants for the winter at 50% off!  All in all, I had a great experience at Foot Traffic and will definitely return for future running gear needs.

As for my new shoes, I took them out for an easy 3 mile run on Monday.  I am still breaking them in – they felt a bit snug – but I think once they log a few more miles they will be fantastic.  They definitely provide decent cushion against the pavement while remaining lightweight and flexible.  I’m looking forward to getting some more miles in them.

I also very much enjoyed the process of having some professional assistance with my running shoe purchase – it was a huge change from going to a general purpose sporting goods store.  Plus, did I mention SALE Oiselle shorts?!  It really doesn’t get better than that!

Are any of you Mizuno wearers?  What do you think of them?