Jingle Bell 5k Run Race Report

This was my first race back as a runner! I was so excited to implement the Galloway run-walk-run method in my first 5k. I knew I wanted to finish as fast as I could, but I also didn't want to over-do it. So, I was hoping to do the 3.1 miles in around 42 minutes. 

Woke up at 6am to get ready for the race. Mom would be walking this one as well, so she was up (not necessarily happy about the hour though, she's not a morning person). I ate my bowl of oatmeal, got dressed and we were out the door just before 7am. The event was taking place at Baldwin Park in Orlando which meant it was about 40 minutes away. Leaving by 7am would assure we would get there with enough time to park, collect our registration packets and put everything but the bib in the car. 

We arrived at about 7:40ish, and easily found a parking spot. We then walked the half block or so to the packet pick up area. We got our packets and timing chips and headed back to the car. Made a stop at the local CVS to use the ladies room and walked back down to the race area. We still had a good amount of time before the 8:30am start, so I went looking for pre-race water which I thankfully found. 

We then gathered near the starting line for the National Anthem. Looking to my left, I realized that Mattia, a friend from dailymile was just a couple of feet from me. I was hoping to see him, so we said our hellos and gave one another a hug. Before we knew it, the race was beginning. The start was full of runners and walkers alike, so I was glad that I was going to be walking for a couple of minutes before I hit my Gymboss timer. I would have been weaving around people like crazy if I was running right from the start.

Once I hit start on my interval timer, I was off running. Before the race, I decided to go with 1:1 intervals, and figured if need be, I'd slow down to 30:30.  I soon realized that I was going a bit too fast on the first mile when I saw the time I hit mile one. I was under 13 minutes. I needed to slow down, my body wasn't used to sustaining that kind of speed for that long just yet. Alas, I didn't listen to myself, because I apparently ended up going even faster mile 2 hitting that mile marker at around 12 minutes. I then took mile 3 a lot easier than my body wanted to I slowed down my running intervals and walked some of my walking intervals a bit slower than usual. Rounding the corner to the finish line, I wanted to cross the finish line running, so I ended up running 30 seconds earlier than my normal interval. I crossed the finish in with a time of 42:09! So, I definitely PRed and made my goal. I felt good! 

After I finished, I met up with another dailymile friend, Lizabeth. This would be our first time meeting up even though we have done a couple of the same races. It was great meeting her. We talked for a few minutes, took pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus and went in search of fruit (which didn't exist! A race without fruit, I couldn't believe it). Then, my mom finished and Liz and I said our goodbyes. I hope to be able to run with her once I put in some more miles of training. 

All in all, this was a fun and festive race. I thought it was pretty well organized and put on. My only complaint would be that they didn't have any fruit like bananas. The only thing they had was junk donuts and bagels. The race organizers need to think about this for next year. A lot of runners want healthier options like fruit after a race. I always look forward to a banana once I finish. Also, they were giving out water bottles at the two water stops rather than cups of water. While it's easier on the volunteers to hand a runner/walker a bottle of water, it's also more wasteful. I saw many mostly full water bottles tossed to the side. Cups would have solved the wasting I think, it would just be a bit more work since they have to be filled up and ready to go. On a positive note, I hope the Arthritis Foundation did well in fundraising with this event.

(I'll post the couple of pics I have soon)

Vegan Athletes and Protein

 

It seems that not a month (or less) goes by that I don’t read or hear about a vegan runner or other type of athlete that supposedly had issues with being an athlete simply because she was vegan. For example, I just read this on Yahoo! Sports today:

While a vegan diet can be nutritionally adequate, you'll have to be extra careful to be sure your protein needs are met. An athletic friend I knew several years ago started a vegan diet and actually passed out in training after several weeks of consuming far too little protein. It's not something you want to have happen to you.

As you can see here, the author has a story that basically claims that because her friend was vegan, he or she was not getting enough protein, thereby he passed out. I’ve had co-workers also tell me similar stories about how they knew someone who had issues with their running or just getting enough protein because they weren’t eating meat. Here’s the thing, if you are eating healthy and correctly as a vegan, you will NOT have any problems. It’s as simple as that. What people fail to realize is that a lot of ominvores are severely lacking in their health. Look at all the fast food so many folks eat, that stuff is far from healthy.

The bottom line here is, vegan athletes have no problems with their health or fitness if they eat properly. Just as omnivore athletes don’t have any problems when they eat correctly. It’s the same deal, there’s nothing extremely different about it. Vegans get their protein in through foods like beans, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, and tempeh. There is no shortage of protein out there when you educate yourself. Not to mention that most athletic individuals don’t require that much more protein than the average person.

Are you a vegan athlete? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Second Half Marathon Training

After the great experience I had at my first half marathon last month at Space Coast, I’ve decided to take on another one! I may be crazy, but hey, we all are a bit I think. Space Coast was a bit rough at times, but I have to say, I’ve been wanting to do another one in early 2012. Within a day or two of Space Coast, I was already thinking about it. In fact, I’m already registered for the next one. I’ll be doing the Orange Blossom Half on March 4^th in Tavares.

I’m already getting a training plan in place for the race. Originally, I was just going to wait until January 1^st to begin my training, but I’ve now decided to start on Christmas day. Since I’m going to be running this one, I need to get the miles when I can. It will have been about a month since Space Coast, so that’s a good rest period for my body (well, I hope since I had said I wasn’t going to do any hard training the rest of 2011 J ). The first week of the training won’t be too hard anyway, so I’m not too concerned about pushing too much.

Here’s the plan I’m going to go with after some advice from friends who are more experienced runners.

Week	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	CT	off	3 miles	CT	3 miles	off	4 miles
2	CT	off	3 miles	CT	3 miles	off	6 miles
3	CT	off	3 miles	CT	3 miles	off	7 miles
4	CT	off	3 miles	CT	3 miles	off	8 miles
5	CT	off	4 miles	CT	3 miles	off	6 miles
6	CT	off	4 miles	CT	4 miles	off	4 miles with MM
7	CT	off	4 miles	CT	4 miles	off	8 miles
8	CT	off	3 miles	CT	3 miles	off	10 miles
9	CT	off	4 miles	CT	4 miles	off	6 miles
10	CT	off	3 miles	CT	2 miles	easy walk	off

I’m still up for any further advice to make my training as good as possible. My longest run will be 10 miles which is okay. Not too concerned about the last 5k, I figure worst case scenario is that I can simply walk most of it. But, I doubt that will happen less for potentially more rest breaks. The ten miler on week 8 will be a good test on where I am at that time with the run-walk-run. I’m excited about the race already and it’s more than two months away!

First Magic Mile

Went out this morning and ran my first magic mile. For those unfamiliar with the Galloway method, it's a run-walk-method and the magic mile is an indicator used to determine your current pacing capabilities. I knew that since I hadn't run in over a year (less for a few sprints at races), this first one would be slower than I would like. That's okay though, because I know I'll only improve as I go along.

I headed down to the local track to do the magic mile. I debated doing it in the neighborhood, but I'm already pretty bored with it, so I knew a change of venue would be welcoming. After warming up with some walking and some run-walk-run intervals at 1:1, I did the magic mile. The track itself was actually a half mile long which isn't traditional, as most running tracks are 400 meters. I was a bit disappointed in that because I thought doing four laps would be easier, but in the end that's not really the case, it's the same distance, so it doesn't really matter (well, less for preference I suppose). I did the first 1/2 mile in 6:30 which was pretty good and ended up finishing with a time of 12:58. Basically, I did the mile in 13 minutes. I really pushed myself and only took about 4 short walk breaks, so I'm pretty proud of myself for that.

Once you get your magic mile time, you are able to calculate where your pacing is going to be. I went to Jeff Galloway's website and put in my time of 12:58. Here's what I got:
5k Pace - 13:31 (41:54)
10k Pace - 14:55 (1:32:27)
Half Marathon Pace - 15:34 (3:23:50)
Marathon Pace - 16:51 (7:21:39)

Since I was walking between 14:30 and 15:30ish per mile, I know that half marathon time is pretty high most likely for me. I did Space Coast in 3:28:50 so even if I do my next half marathon using a 1:2 ratio (run one minute, walk two), I should finish better than that 3:23:50 Jeff's calculations are stating that I will. Speaking of my next half marathon, I signed up yesterday for it! I'll be doing the Orange Blossom Half on March 4th!

Anyway, I'm glad I got this first magic mile out of the way, as it was pretty tough and I know my next one will be better once I'm running for some time. I'll be doing a holiday 5k this coming Saturday, so I look forward to seeing what I can do using the run-walk-run intervals. I'm going to try to do it in 40 minutes or less. I should easily PR though, as all my previous 5ks are walking.

Day One...

Today was my first day running again. I decided to just go out and do an easy two miles. Out a mile, then back. Seemed easy enough. I could even picture the route in my head. No problem, I'd done that out and back mile numerous times walking.

Well, what I thought would be easy ended up being a bit rougher than I anticipated. I walked for a minute or so, then started to jog. My back decided it was going to go numb and not want to go out and play. Great, I thought, what a nice way to start. I kept going though, telling myself that I had been numb a few times before when I had just been walking, so maybe it would calm down. It didn't calm down, but I was able to kind of grin and bear it. I ended up doing the run-walk-run throughout that first mile and it went okay despite my complaining back. I did have a bit of a struggle with breathing, but I figured that was to be expected since I was picking up the pace and hey, I was running not walking.

I got to the end of the first mile and was around a 13 min/mile with the run-walk-run method. Okay, not great, but not horrible for my first mile back I told myself and turned around to head back home. The second mile was fairly similar to how I felt during mile one. I didn't plan well enough on my intervals, so I ended up just sort of picking points to run to basically. Was happy to finish at just over 26 minutes for both miles combined.

So, this was a good learning experience for me. It told me where I am in that I need to do some conditioning most likely before shooting for longer running intervals. And, I need to find a way to let myself know when I need to run until I get my Garmin for Christmas. Might see if there's a podcast I can use for the next couple of weeks or so for that. I'm not disappointed with myself because hey, I got some running in! I know with training that I'll be faster before I know it. Just need to listen to my body and do the work.

Good News Monday!

After being out of running for over a year, I'm finally going to be a runner again! As you may know if you read a previous entry about my longing to run again, I've missed the sport a great deal. Last month, one of the running podcasts I listen to had a write-in question about running after herniating your back. The doctor, who is an sports endurance specialist informed the person that yes, they most likely could run again after some down time.

My interest was extremely up after hearing that. Could I be running again? I had to know. So, after getting a recommendation from a running friend on a back doctor, I made an appointment. Today, I saw the doctor. After looking over my MRI and other records, he informed me that he didn't see any reason why I could not. Further, I'd probably not experience much more discomfort or soreness than I do now with my power walking. The worst case scenario would be that I'd need the shots again (which I may need anyway) or surgery in the future. He said, I should live life and do what I love. His advice really made my day. I walked out of the office with a big smile on my face.

So now, my return to running regime begins. I'm going to use the Jeff Galloway method so I can do a run-walk-run routine which will also be easier on my body I think. And, I'm already planning my second half marathon. I'll be doing the Orange Blossom Half in March. Will be great to do my second half marathon as a runner. :)

Space Coast Half Marathon Race Report

I did it. I conquered the half marathon! Yesterday, I started and completed the Space Coast Half Marathon in Cocoa Beach, Florida. It was an amazing experience, through all the emotions it brought me. As of right now, I don't know if I'll do another half marathon, but I wouldn't rule it out. 


 The day started off early, and I mean early. I woke up just before 2am to get ready to meet my friend, Yolanda in Celebration to ride to the race together. She was sweet enough to offer to let me come along so that I wasn't driving to Cocoa Beach solo. Once I met up with her at 3:30am, we were on the road to the race. During the hour and fifteen minute ride, we had a great conversation discussing just about everything. It was great getting to know her better since we had always missed each other at previous races. 

We arrived and parked before 5am which was great timing. Once we got the rest of our gear on (arm sleeves, hats/headbands, numbers), we walked over to the race area (okay, we made our first port-o-potty stop before we reached said area, but you can never go to the restroom too many times before a race IMO).  We chatted with some fellow runners/walkers and took a few pre-race photos. It's amazing how quickly an hour can go by, and before we knew it we had just enough time to make another port-o-let stop and check our bags before heading to the starting line. Yolanda and I said our goodbyes and good luck and went to our respective pacing points. 

The National Anthem was sung and the shuttle blasted off our start countdown and we were off! Well, sort of. Since I was at the back of the pack, I waited. I waited nine minutes before I hit the start mat. But, once I did, I got moving. I played it smart out the gate and didn't go too fast. The beginning of the first mile was through downtown before we hit the residential area by the water. By the end of mile one, it was extremely windy and it even started to rain! At first, I didn't even think the drops of water hitting me were rain, I thought it was the water being blown in by the water to our left. But, it was rain. It stayed pretty windy for awhile, but the light rain did die down. Unfortunately, it returned a mile or so later. I hit 5k much later than I expected or liked. The clock time, while not my actual chip time, said it was about an hour into the race. I know my first race pit stop didn't help matters (I lost 3-4 minutes because of it since I had to wait for one of them to be empty). So, I picked up the pace. 

The second 5k went okay. The weather could have been cooler, but this is Florida, not much can be done about it unfortunately. I was just happy that the rain had taken a hike. I was enjoying my music and moving along. I hit the 10k mark at a better pace, but I still wasn't so sure I would be able to finish under or even at 3:30 since I thought I was not moving as fast as I wanted. It was about mile 6.5 that the route had a turn around point and this made me happy because once I made it through the turnaround I would be heading back and closer to the finish. There was still quite a ways to go, but this became the start of my mental talk with myself. 

Between miles 7 and the 15k mat, I tried to distract myself with my music. Then, I realized that fellow runners were coming down the other side and now, there were full marathoners. This meant that I would probably see my friends, Yolanda and Kitzzy at some point. Knowing this also helped some. I jammed along to songs like Back in Time by Huey Lewis (from my favorite movie) and even the Cell Block Tango from the Chicago soundtrack. Before I knew it, I saw Yolanda coming toward me and instantly, it brought a smile to my face. She yelled my name and encouragement at me as I waved and did the same for her. It definitely was a bright moment for me. 


I hit the 15k mat not long after that and I was so grateful for that. But, I still had a ways to go. Those last four miles would prove to be the most difficult of all. Mile 9.3 to 10 wasn't too bad, I was still feeling okay, so I guess really it was the last 5k that was rough. My mental talk really had to hit high gear because I was hurting and just wanted to stop. I didn't let myself stop moving though. I knew if I did that, I would likely not want to get going again. My legs were crying out that they hated me, but I told them that it would all be worth it very soon. Not so sure they believed me, but thankfully, they kept going. Right before I hit mile 11, I spotted my friend Kitzzy, and while I tried to smile at her, I'm not so sure I was successful. My back began to kill me not long after mile 11 which sucked. But, I kept pushing myself to keep moving. I kept the mental talk going convincing myself that it wasn't THAT much further, heck, I was just out doing a couple miles, right? Funny the things we say to ourselves to push through during a race or hard workout. 

My positive talk and keeping up to the beat of my music helped me make it to mile 13. This is a brick sidewalk that ends up spiraling around to the finish line. Something inside me ignited and I began to run. I just took off. It felt good despite the pain in my back and legs. I overdid the speed I took my run in, so I had to stop for a few seconds before sprinting back into a run as I saw and hit the finish line. Crossing that line felt SOOO good. I had done it, I had just completed my first half marathon. And, I did it under 3:30! My official chip time was 3:28:50! Getting my medal and other finisher swag was a bit of a blur. They also gave me an ice cold towel which was great. I used it to calm my back and it actually helped. I noticed my pain, well my back pain anyway calmed down significantly once I was done with the race. 

I then joined Jason, Kitzzy's boyfriend by the finish spectator area. He had not only run the half marathon, he was now photographing the finish for all of us which was awesome and very nice of him. I asked him how his race went, and he told me he PRed which was great. We then waited for Kitzzy, Yolanda and some others to finish their marathons. Seeing Yolanda cross that finish line was awesome, she looked so strong despite how she felt (later found out that she was in pain). I then went over and found her after she got her medal and met her husband and son. We took some photos then went back over to spectate and see Kitzzy finish. While we waited for Kitzzy, we met some fellow daily milers, and one that has been an inspiration to both of us. Kitzzy finished despite her struggles and I applaud her for it. She finished her second marathon and that's beyond amazing in my book.

Leaving the race, Yolanda and I found a Starbucks and relaxed for a few minutes with our drinks. Then, we headed back to Celebration. We had another great talk in the car. She really made the race a lot more fun for me, as I got to share the experience with a friend.


No real future plans as of right now. I promised myself that I would take December easy after Space Coast, so that's what I'm going to do. I'll likely do the Jingle Bell Run 5k, but nothing else planned yet. That's not to say that I'm not looking or open to race suggestions for 2012 though. As far as doing another half marathon, well if the right race presented itself, I might be convinced to sign up. :)