I am a Champion!!

“Once you have decided that winning isn't everything, you become a winner.” -George Sheehan

Last week was my second running of the Prairie Dog Runs. This year was much different from last year. Last year I was a newbie to my running club and I did not know anyone. Now I feel like I'm really a part of this group. I have friends that I run with every week and they have really helped me to improve a lot as a runner.
Another difference between this year and last is that I was not racing this race. That is a very hard thing to do. Last year I ran here two weeks after the Austin marathon and this year I ran two weeks before my next marathon. I tried really hard to keep my heart rate below 168. This is one of my prescribed effort levels from Coach Jerry. I did fairly well because my average heart rate was 157, but my max for the run was 180. These numbers may be a little skewed because it was pretty cold and sometimes my HR monitor reads incorrectly when it's frigid. The course was also pretty hilly, so the 180 doesn't sound too outlandish. If I did hit that HR, then it would have only been for a moment.
So, to get on to how I did in the race. My finish time for the 4 mi race according to the official clock was 35 flat. My watch said 35:24.76. Mile 1 was finished in 8:43.03, 2 in 9:19.59, 3 in 8:48.75, 4 in 8:33.39.
This course is sort of an out and back. I say sort of because there is a little loop at the part where we turn around. I got to see all my running buddies and I really wanted to be up in the front pack with them. My main competitor was the first woman and 7th or 8th overall. There were two other women between us and if I was racing I definitely would have been able to catch them. That was really hard for me, especially in the second half of the race because they were slowing down. Ben says I sped up a little, but I'm not sure. I might have, but it also might have just seemed like it because I had a lot of energy left. At the end of the race I finished 34/68 overall, 4/20 women, 1/1 age group. I earned a medal! This is my favorite medal as it has a little prairie dog protruding out of it. (See the pick of last year's medal)
Ben also earned a medal with his finishing time of 37:13. One of my friends from grad school also ran with us. He beat both Ben and me, but he didn't get a medal. He's in a pretty tough age group. I felt sorry for him that he didn't get one, but I think he got over it pretty quickly. He finished in 31:21 and was 6/7 for his age group.

I'm really looking forward to my marathon that's less than a week away. This taper has been pretty tough. I feel like I'm not working at all, but I guess that's a good thing. I also have given myself a diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis. It doesn't hurt while I'm running, and I've fashioned a plantar fascia stretching devise to sleep in; so hopefully that will help it heal quickly. I am hoping to run a 3:40 marathon, but I will be content with just a sub 4. I don't know what I'll do if I don't run that. I might have to find an out of state marathon to run in the summer to earn my sub 4 status if I don't do it this time around. Wish me luck!

Catching up...

"This blog SUCKS!" -bciii

I know, I know. This is why I don't like new year's resolutions! However, I haven't run in a race since January. I have one next weekend, so I'll post the report & uphold my resolution!

January was "Loop the Lake," a 5 mile run around one of the playa lakes here in West Texas. My mile splits are as follows: 1 - 7:23.272 - 6:46.163 - 7:52.114 - 7:31.465 - 7:08.74 for a total of 36:36 according to the race timers. I felt really awesome that day and these were my results compared to the field: 15/83 overall, 2/30 women, 1/1 age group. Yay! First out of 1!

My next race is this weekend. This is the Prairie Dog Runs 4 miler and I'm really looking forward to this race. This was the first race I ran in with my club last year, so this is my anniversary race. I am not planning on racing, however, because my marathon is only 2 weeks later!

Which brings me to my next point. I have been running A LOT lately & I had one of the best and hardest runs ever this past Saturday. I have run 465 miles year to date. This week is the start of my taper before the marathon, and I am really looking forward to it.

Saturday I ran 18.4 miles. I met with a few members of my running 'group' at 6 to run a few before the rest of the group showed up. We ran 6.2 miles with about 3 of them at close to 8 min pace. We got back to the group at 7 and there were seventeen people! A new record! Jerry says, "Okay, we're going to split into two groups. My group will run close to 8 min pace. Amanda, are you coming with us?" So I begrudgingly followed. I was one woman among 5 men where only 2 of them had run the hour before we met the group. We ran 10 miles close to 8 min pace (or faster), and a total of approximately 12 mi at 8:19 average pace. I was really hurting after this run, but I think it's given me a lot of confidence. I averaged faster than my goal pace for the marathon in a hard run after having run 43 miles over the 5 days before the long run. Maybe the marathon won't even be as hard as this run! We'll see. I'll be posting soon with my Prairie Dog race report.

New Year's ... Resolutions?

"A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other." -Unknown

I'm not big on resolutions. I'm not trying to say that I'm perfect and don't need to better myself at all, but I think you don't need to wait til the new year to make these changes. And like my quote suggests, these resolutions are usually not permanent.
So, I am not going to talk about my resolutions for the new year in this post... I will talk about my goals that I will achieve next year and look back on what I did this past year. For the most part, these goals are running related.
Last year was the first year that I was very diligent in keeping a running log. I record the distance, time, and pace for each of my runs. It is interesting to look back and see how much my weekly mileage totals have changed from January to now. I am running a lot more. I think it makes a difference when you can actually see what you've done (or haven't done). I have run a total of 1183.07 miles this year and it will probably end up being 1190.07 after I run my 7 miler in an hour or two. That is a total of 7 days, 5 hrs and 11 minutes!
I ran 12 road races and set 10 PRs. Of course, this is the first time that I've been serious about racing and keeping track of my times, so I will indefinitely set some records. This year is acting as my baseline. I ran one full marathon and my first half. I am currently training for my third marathon that I will run in March.
I started a blog and joined a running club. Because of this club I have made a lot of new friends and have a group that I run with on Saturday mornings. I also found out that my hair stylist does Dean Karnazes' wife's mom's hair! Isn't that cool!
I also started this blog. I haven't been as good at keeping it updated as I had hoped. This brings me to goals that I have for next year.
I want to run at least 2000 miles and at least 1 mile/day. I want to complete two marathons (the small one in March and then the Dallas White Rock marathon in December. I also want to beat 4 hours and possibly run a BQ. I want to update this blog on a more regular basis, but that might mean just doing race reports once a month during the school year. During the summer I might have more time to write about thoughts & what's going on in my life.
So, I guess that's it. I know my goals sound like resolutions, but I just don't like the connotation of that word. Usually resolutions have to do with diets and losing weight. They typically don't work out for people and are forgotten by January 14th. So, with that thought in mind, I resolve to gain 20 lbs and start eating more junk food!

Buffalo Wallow Races - Half Marathon Race Report!

“If you want to win a race you have to go a little berserk.” –Bill Rogers

First off, I've been pretty busy lately. I'm missed posting a race report (a 46:52 10K) and several other events that have been going on in my running life. Oh well. My real life must take priority every once in a while. So here's my race report for the half marathon I ran on 11/8:

I totaled up all my mileage for the year and realized I was extremely close to 1000 mi. I added a few junk miles to my training to make it work out that the last mile of my race would be exactly my 1000th mile of the year. My brother was planning on coming to visit and run this race against me. We had been planning this since the marathon in February and I was very excited to see if I could really beat him. I had been training for this race for 12 weeks and set a primary goal of 1:45 and a secondary goal of 1:50. This is coined as the "toughest half marathon course in Texas." I had heard about the hills and didn't really think the 1:45 goal could be achieved on this course.

jon came into town late Friday night. He got to my apartment and we talked for a little while and then headed to bed so we would be well rested for the race. The weather was supposed to be very nice, in the 50s and 60s (F), during the race. jon realized he forgot his socks, so I let him borrow some of mine, and after a quick breakfast bar and cup of water we left for the race.

We got to the start and I introduced jon to several of my running buddies. We warmed up on one of the hills (agh!) and then lined up to start the race.

"Should I stay with him? ... Should I just go at my own pace?... I bet he starts too fast... maybe I'll be able to catch him later..." All these thoughts and more were racing through my head as we lined up to wait for the gun (foghorn).

Miles 1 & 2 - Well, jon got off to a better start than I did. I felt really good and I did not want to push myself too hard and run out of energy in the end. I thought that as long as I could see him I would be okay. I started seeing people running back to the start. This must mean that the mile marker is soon. The two milers are already turning. At the mile marker I looked down at my watch and saw, "7:42.22." Oh crap, that's way too fast. I slowed down a little bit to try and stay on my 8 min goal pace. The second mile was better: 7:59.22.

Mile 3 - This is where you go down a big hill, over a dam, then up a big hill. You see the big hill for about 0.5 mi before you get to the top of it. It looked very daunting, but I made myself look at the road and not be too intimidated by the monster. I could still see my brother ahead of me and only slowed down a little on this mile, 8:04.06.

Miles 4, 5, and 6 - were mostly through residential areas. I did not know where jon was until mile 5.75 or 6. He wasn't that far ahead of me! I was chasing my rabbit & I still felt really good. I was sure I could catch him eventually. 7:55.63, 8:07.49, 8:17.75

On this course you run a 6.5 mi loop twice. The last part of mile 6 & the first part mile 7 was the second huge hill. This was the hill that we had warmed up on. I think it actually did me some good to warm up here because I was familiar with the hill. It did not scare me as much as I thought it would. On this hill someone was cheering for me, "Go Rachel! Keep it up!" I'm not Rachel, but I hope that she was behind me!

After coming off the hill I saw several of my running buddies & they all cheered for me. That gave me a good mental boost and I ended up running this mile in 8:02.95.

For miles 8 & 9 I could see jon most of the way. I felt that I was gaining on him and my body felt awesome. I knew the last hill was approaching, but I wasn't scared. I could start to taste the sweetness of victory on my lips. Maybe that was just salt from my sweat. I ran 8 in 7:57.43 and 9 was my fastest mile of the race: 7:41.19.

Mile 10 is where I first passed jon on the hill (the same hill that I met at mile 3). He decided to walk up the hill, wimp, so I had to climb it and let him know I was right with him. I was huffing and puffing and wheezing and jon looked back, "I thought I recognized that breathing." Yep, you sure did. At the top of the hill he coasted down to the bottom and passed me again. But he knew I was there. He knew I was tracking him. I knew I could catch him... 8:14.76

In mile 11 I was just cruising. I was starting to feel the fatigue that 11 miles can give you, but I also knew jon was just ahead of me. We were in the residential area again. I would see him around a curve for a second then lose sight of him. Around the 11th mile marker is where I ended up passing him. He looked like he was struggling and he gave me a few encouraging words, "You deserve it." He's such a good brother. I did deserve it. ;) 8:18.61

In the 12th mile I started to feel some cramping/spasming in my calf. I have never had a problem with cramping during a run. This is an issue I will have to keep track of. I may have not been hydrated enough. Around 11.5, one of my friends who ran the 2 mi, caught up with me and joined me for the last few miles. This was good company, but I still stayed focused on the goal. This does not put an asterisk on the results of my race. I did it without the help of anything "illegal." I could actually see my 1:45 goal and the goal of beating my brother coming to fruition. 8:17.39

The last full mile I tried to speed up a little. I felt like I was going a lot faster than I really was. Another of my friends ran with me for about 0.5 mi. jon was still behind me. 8:15.80

At the last 1/10th I could finally see the finish line. My friends peeled away from the course so I could finish alone. I didn't know if jon was close behind me, but I knew I needed to finish strong. I raced with every last ounce of energy I had and finished that 0.1 in 45.45. This finished my 1000th mile of the year in 6 days 2 hours 29 minutes and 43.50 seconds. I finished my half marathon in a very satisfying 1:45:40. I beat my brother. This was a very exciting day and I am now looking forward to running my first sub 4 h marathon in March.

I am very grateful to my brother's family for letting him come out here and run with me. I had a lot of fun & really enjoy running with him. I look forward to many more races against him & with him. No matter if I never beat him again, I will always have November 8, 2008.

Happy Nobel Prize Week

"If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied." -Alfred Nobel

Yesterday it was announced that Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Y. Tsien won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Each biochemist (too bad an organic chemist didn't win) had a major contribution in the research of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Shimomura first isolated GFP from jellyfish, Chalfie demonstrated how GFP could be used as a genetic tag, and Tsien furthered the understanding of how the protein fluoresces.
My brother from an asian mother told me that one of these men is actually a runner! How cool is that??
While I probably will never get to go to Sweden and accept my own Nobel Prize, I have touched a winner. Dr. Robert H. Grubbs visited my university this past spring. Yes, Dr. Grubbs of the Grubbs catalyst. This was a great honor for me and for my school.
Tomorrow the Peace Prize will be awarded and Monday the Economics Prize is awarded. Happy Nobel Prize Week!

Sulfa Allergy?

I'm writing this post high on benadryl and with a rash all over my body. This started Sunday morning, 24 h after I got through with the sulfa drug regimen. I know there are cases of delayed onset, but normally a does of steroid shot in the butt takes care of it. This is what the doctor did for me on Monday afternoon. I asked the doc if I could workout and they said it would be fine. So I ran my five miles yesterday (rather slowly I might add) and I went to my Pilates class. After class we were standing around talking and I started to feel a little nauseated and almost blacked out. I sat down and got home quickly to get some sugar in my system. I took benadryl last night and fell asleep watching the Cowboys game (they won!).
This morning I woke up and the rash has spread. I'm not so sure it's sulfa drugs that I'm allergic to. I'm not sure what it is, but I wish I hadn't come into contact with it. I'm not going to run today. I'm just going to sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzz

Life Under a Black light

There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures. ~James Thurber

In my Pilates class on Mondays we workout under black lights. I've always loved how I look under a black light & I think all fluorescent lights should be replaced with black lights.
They make you look tanner, they make your teeth whiter, and I just realized the best part of all three days ago ... they make your muscles look awesome!!!
I was in downward dog and lifted one leg to the ceiling to stretch my hip. I opened my body to the side and I bent my knee. Please note, in this position it is hard to keep your shirt from falling up to reveal a bit of tummy. When I looked in the mirror I was amazed. I saw a six pack. Not a six pack of Budweiser either (I don't drink), a six pack of abs! On me!
In regular light, when I'm not contorting my body, I definitely can't see any definition in my abs. That's why I'm moving that we all switch to black lights in the work place, church, school, the gym, dressing rooms, everywhere!! Who's with me?!

I have a test on Saturday so I'll update my training stuff after that. I'm way too busy & too much of a procrastinator.