All things considered, I got through my training plan pretty well. No, I didn't complete all of the runs, but I've started to accept that this is okay. I did what I needed to be in shape for the race. Unfortunately, I didn't quite make my goal, but the weather was a problem, which is simply one of the hazards of running at this point in the year around these parts.
What was cool is that I pretty much maintained exactly my goal pace for the first 10 miles. Then it got hot. With no shade. Boo. Many of us complained about the conditions at the end of the race, so I don't feel like it was only me--including some Half-Fanatic people (I didn't wear my shirt, but probably should have). These things happen. I was happy that I stayed on track for most of the race. Plus I got through the whole series!
There is one more on the agenda: a half-marathon in Niagara Falls in June. I really hope that the weather holds for it! I'll be revisiting the same training plan as the last time, although I am taking a bit of time off in between.
The most exciting development in my running life is the fact that I got in to the Beach to Beacon 10k, which takes place in Maine on August 4. The race filled up within 5 minutes of registration opening, so that feels like an accomplishment just getting in. I truly hope that this will be the 10k race where I finally do well! This is my most frustrating distance. I'm sure you'll hear all about it in the coming weeks.
Showing posts with label Florida Halfathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida Halfathon. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The mental game
It might seem like running is primarily a physical activity, and I guess if all you wanted to do was go out and run, it would be. But when you add in racing or improving or anything like that, the mental component becomes much more important. It can be hard to keep going when you're in the middle of a race, or you're not feeling great, or you don't feel like running any more. But part of succeeding in this sport is finding a way to get beyond that.
I think that one of the problems that I have been experiencing over the past little while (apart from the physical ailments) is the idea that I keep repeating the same training plan over and over with no end in sight. This is probably because that is essentially what I have been doing since around last June (!). I did change the actual plans but the principles remained the same for each.
A few days ago, I realized that actually, I was embarking on the last six weeks of my half-marathon plans (I'm lying to myself, of course, because I am doing another one in June, but sometimes mental toughness develops from lying to yourself). Acknowledging that there is an end point has been very encouraging. Today, for instance, I also realized that I am 25% of my way through this plan. A quarter! While this means that there is still 75% to go (less encouraging), it is a good way of getting myself to go out and run. I'm doing fine with this plan so far. I can keep it up for another 4.5 weeks.
I tried skipping again yesterday. It's still hard.
I think that one of the problems that I have been experiencing over the past little while (apart from the physical ailments) is the idea that I keep repeating the same training plan over and over with no end in sight. This is probably because that is essentially what I have been doing since around last June (!). I did change the actual plans but the principles remained the same for each.
A few days ago, I realized that actually, I was embarking on the last six weeks of my half-marathon plans (I'm lying to myself, of course, because I am doing another one in June, but sometimes mental toughness develops from lying to yourself). Acknowledging that there is an end point has been very encouraging. Today, for instance, I also realized that I am 25% of my way through this plan. A quarter! While this means that there is still 75% to go (less encouraging), it is a good way of getting myself to go out and run. I'm doing fine with this plan so far. I can keep it up for another 4.5 weeks.
I tried skipping again yesterday. It's still hard.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Half-marathon #3: done
I successfully completed the third of four half-marathons in the Halfathon today. Whoo! So what if it was my slowest half on record? I had to tackle two bridges....twice each! So make that four bridges. One of which was sheer evil (Sand Key).
Another reason that my time was slow: at around the 11-mile mark, I noticed that there was a dead-looking fish on the ground. A lot of people fish near the Clearwater Causeway, so I think that it fell out of someone's fishing bucket. I felt bad for this poor, dead fish who was living out his last moments on earth in the bright, harsh sun. So I picked it up and dropped it into the water. Burial at sea for a fish during a half-marathon? That, for me, was a first. And likely a last.
I ran the race with a friend (the same friend who kicked my butt a few months ago at the 5k). We decided to take things at a leisurely pace. Since it was her first half-marathon, she was guaranteed a personal record provided that she finished. And we did, so yay for her!
I do admit that at one point it looked like we might be last. But we were not. We overtook at least 3-4 people during the second half of the course. Yes!
Weather: not ideal. The humidity was not lower than around 75% for the whole race. Ew. The temperature, in and of itself, was okay in the high 50s/low 60s. But the humidity made this not so pleasant. Particularly since it was in the 97-98% range for the first hour. It's winter, Florida! You can abate with the humidity! In case you are keeping track, that is nearing the threshold of ick (humidity + temperature > 160), as in the threshold of ick that we measure for summer conditions. Also, Mr. Florida Sun came out to visit for much of the course. Some of it was not very shady. Actually, much of it was not very shady. This means that the temperature was probably closer to 70, putting it even closer to that ick threshold.
Only one to go! Also, I am now officially a Half Fanatic. This makes it worth suffering through the last half-marathon and going over the evil bridges and everything. Almost. Hey, I get another t-shirt (well, a singlet) to celebrate.
Another reason that my time was slow: at around the 11-mile mark, I noticed that there was a dead-looking fish on the ground. A lot of people fish near the Clearwater Causeway, so I think that it fell out of someone's fishing bucket. I felt bad for this poor, dead fish who was living out his last moments on earth in the bright, harsh sun. So I picked it up and dropped it into the water. Burial at sea for a fish during a half-marathon? That, for me, was a first. And likely a last.
I ran the race with a friend (the same friend who kicked my butt a few months ago at the 5k). We decided to take things at a leisurely pace. Since it was her first half-marathon, she was guaranteed a personal record provided that she finished. And we did, so yay for her!
I do admit that at one point it looked like we might be last. But we were not. We overtook at least 3-4 people during the second half of the course. Yes!
Weather: not ideal. The humidity was not lower than around 75% for the whole race. Ew. The temperature, in and of itself, was okay in the high 50s/low 60s. But the humidity made this not so pleasant. Particularly since it was in the 97-98% range for the first hour. It's winter, Florida! You can abate with the humidity! In case you are keeping track, that is nearing the threshold of ick (humidity + temperature > 160), as in the threshold of ick that we measure for summer conditions. Also, Mr. Florida Sun came out to visit for much of the course. Some of it was not very shady. Actually, much of it was not very shady. This means that the temperature was probably closer to 70, putting it even closer to that ick threshold.
Only one to go! Also, I am now officially a Half Fanatic. This makes it worth suffering through the last half-marathon and going over the evil bridges and everything. Almost. Hey, I get another t-shirt (well, a singlet) to celebrate.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Here we go again
Okay, half-marathon #3 is tomorrow and guess what? I still feel ill-prepared! Just like two of the last three half-marathons! Except for the one where I got sick during. I felt pretty damn good going into that one, actually. Oh the irony.
However, I am taking this with a grain (carton?) of salt. I was sick. There is not much you can do about sick other than ride it out. So that is okay. Also, I got through my 12-mile two weeks ago, so things could be worse.
For some reason, this past week I was ridiculously tired. No idea why. No obvious culprit, apart from the usual requirements of my job. So I did not get running. I sat in the parking lot of my gym for a good 15 minutes and tried to make myself go run, but it did not work out. I'm just going with it.
I did get out today to do my '2 miles to remind you what running is the day before the half-marathon' run (yes, this is really a thing). Seeing as it has been almost a week, this was probably a good idea.
You know what? The next--and last--half is going to be awesome. Because I will stick to my training plan. And not get sick. Or else!
(PS - Admittedly, that is an empty threat. But I will get nowhere with pessimism.)
However, I am taking this with a grain (carton?) of salt. I was sick. There is not much you can do about sick other than ride it out. So that is okay. Also, I got through my 12-mile two weeks ago, so things could be worse.
For some reason, this past week I was ridiculously tired. No idea why. No obvious culprit, apart from the usual requirements of my job. So I did not get running. I sat in the parking lot of my gym for a good 15 minutes and tried to make myself go run, but it did not work out. I'm just going with it.
I did get out today to do my '2 miles to remind you what running is the day before the half-marathon' run (yes, this is really a thing). Seeing as it has been almost a week, this was probably a good idea.
You know what? The next--and last--half is going to be awesome. Because I will stick to my training plan. And not get sick. Or else!
(PS - Admittedly, that is an empty threat. But I will get nowhere with pessimism.)
Monday, December 12, 2011
The Year of Frustrating Sickness continues
2011: in like a flu, out like a chest cold?
The reason I haven't been writing much lately (or running much lately) is that soon after Thanksgiving I came down with a pretty nasty chest cold. I did manage my Sunday night run (speedwork) and my Tuesday night run (same speedwork), but Tuesday night I noticed that I was coughing a lot afterward. Wednesday, I needed to take the day off work, which is virtually unheard of for me. So that was a cue that things were not okay. The cold stuck around for the next few days: it was one of those ones where you feel better one day, then tired again the next. So I decided not to run.
The basic rule of running when sick is that you are okay to run if the cold is from your neck up (so a head cold is okay, even if unpleasant) and not okay to run from the neck down (i.e., in your chest). I knew that I should take it easy and mostly I did. But I also knew that at some point, I was going to have to go running again.
I got out this Wednesday, so it had been a week of no running at all, which was lousy! I did some easy speedwork (this might sound like an oxymoron, but it was not a very long distance or amount). Admittedly, I did not feel 100%, but I did make it through the workout without falling off the treadmill. Same thing for Thursday. I decided to go ahead and do the next half-marathon that was on Sunday (yesterday).
This one was the Holiday Half-Marathon, which is a one-way that goes from Madeira Beach to Largo. The course was meh, I felt. At least it was overcast so it wasn't exposed and sunny, because I think that it would have been pretty killer in those conditions. I felt cautiously optimistic about the it, thinking that possibly with the time off, I had a chance for a good time.
And I think that I would have had a chance for a good time, too, if it weren't for this pesky chest cold that REFUSES TO DIE! So I got through the first two miles in relatively good time, then realized that I was not feeling well. I walked for a bit and discovered that my heart rate was much too high. Blerg. So walk/run it was. For the whole rest of the half-marathon. It seemed like one hundred million miles, although my time was actually not horribly dreadful considering the circumstances and that I was walk/running.
In fact, my time was still better than it was for the Oak Tree back in September. Me sick > me running hills. Sad but true.
I think that there were some good things to take from this experience. First, I was glad that I had run into adversarial conditions last summer because I had strategies for coping with this en route. I decided to run divide my intervals into 0.65, so 5%, then run for 0.55 and recover for 0.1. Obviously, it worked well enough to get me through the course and I wasn't even the last person. I'm not sure that I would have known what to do if I hadn't had to complete such runs last summer. So this was a good thing.
Second, I feel like I am ready and raring to go for a half-marathon. It was the illness that stopped me this time. So here's hoping that the next half (January in Clearwater) goes better. I think that it will, too, because I will have some hill practice time between then and now while I am in Canada for the holidays. The Boxing Day race in Hamilton has a few nasty ones, so if I can get some hill work in, that should be useful for both. The next half involves the Causeway (i.e., one giant hill).
Third, I am half-way through the Halfathon! Which is totally cool. Only the equivalent of one marathon to go now. Also, I was happy with this most recent training plan, so I will modify it for the next race and see how that goes.
Fourth, I am incredibly glad that at no point yesterday did I lie down in a ditch and take a nap next to the race course, even though that was very tempting. Victory!
The reason I haven't been writing much lately (or running much lately) is that soon after Thanksgiving I came down with a pretty nasty chest cold. I did manage my Sunday night run (speedwork) and my Tuesday night run (same speedwork), but Tuesday night I noticed that I was coughing a lot afterward. Wednesday, I needed to take the day off work, which is virtually unheard of for me. So that was a cue that things were not okay. The cold stuck around for the next few days: it was one of those ones where you feel better one day, then tired again the next. So I decided not to run.
The basic rule of running when sick is that you are okay to run if the cold is from your neck up (so a head cold is okay, even if unpleasant) and not okay to run from the neck down (i.e., in your chest). I knew that I should take it easy and mostly I did. But I also knew that at some point, I was going to have to go running again.
I got out this Wednesday, so it had been a week of no running at all, which was lousy! I did some easy speedwork (this might sound like an oxymoron, but it was not a very long distance or amount). Admittedly, I did not feel 100%, but I did make it through the workout without falling off the treadmill. Same thing for Thursday. I decided to go ahead and do the next half-marathon that was on Sunday (yesterday).
This one was the Holiday Half-Marathon, which is a one-way that goes from Madeira Beach to Largo. The course was meh, I felt. At least it was overcast so it wasn't exposed and sunny, because I think that it would have been pretty killer in those conditions. I felt cautiously optimistic about the it, thinking that possibly with the time off, I had a chance for a good time.
And I think that I would have had a chance for a good time, too, if it weren't for this pesky chest cold that REFUSES TO DIE! So I got through the first two miles in relatively good time, then realized that I was not feeling well. I walked for a bit and discovered that my heart rate was much too high. Blerg. So walk/run it was. For the whole rest of the half-marathon. It seemed like one hundred million miles, although my time was actually not horribly dreadful considering the circumstances and that I was walk/running.
In fact, my time was still better than it was for the Oak Tree back in September. Me sick > me running hills. Sad but true.
I think that there were some good things to take from this experience. First, I was glad that I had run into adversarial conditions last summer because I had strategies for coping with this en route. I decided to run divide my intervals into 0.65, so 5%, then run for 0.55 and recover for 0.1. Obviously, it worked well enough to get me through the course and I wasn't even the last person. I'm not sure that I would have known what to do if I hadn't had to complete such runs last summer. So this was a good thing.
Second, I feel like I am ready and raring to go for a half-marathon. It was the illness that stopped me this time. So here's hoping that the next half (January in Clearwater) goes better. I think that it will, too, because I will have some hill practice time between then and now while I am in Canada for the holidays. The Boxing Day race in Hamilton has a few nasty ones, so if I can get some hill work in, that should be useful for both. The next half involves the Causeway (i.e., one giant hill).
Third, I am half-way through the Halfathon! Which is totally cool. Only the equivalent of one marathon to go now. Also, I was happy with this most recent training plan, so I will modify it for the next race and see how that goes.
Fourth, I am incredibly glad that at no point yesterday did I lie down in a ditch and take a nap next to the race course, even though that was very tempting. Victory!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
What a difference decent weather and a packet of caffeinated jellybeans makes
I can tell you exactly what a difference these two things make: a full 30 seconds off of my personal record (PR) mile split for a half-marathon! That's a whole 6 minutes faster! I think that actually it's closer to 7 minutes faster!
Really!
That happened!
The scenario: the first half-marathon in the Florida Halfathon series was today. I was, to say the least, concerned, particularly after the last long run that I did where I was awful. I decided to try being better about fueling: generally I don't eat much before a race, so I decided to change that. I had one of my packets of caffeinated jellybeans prior to the race. That apparently did the trick. I don't think that I've ever felt so focused at the beginning of a long run. This idea is staying.
Then, I was very fortunate in that the weather was MUCH better than anticipated. It was 58F with a dew point of 50F. Now admittedly, this is actually in the 70% humidity range, but it felt considerably better than normal. And there was a pretty hefty breeze--actually, I could have done without the hefty breeze from a running standpoint, but it was fantastic from a not-overheating standpoint. Also great: it was overcast throughout the run, so Mr. Florida Sun was not even a factor.
And I did not even come close to overheating! I did have to walk a bit around mile 11 because I got going too fast for a while. But I was back on track soon enough and polished off the last mile and finished in a much faster time than anticipated. Considering that I was worried about being taken off the course for slowness, this was, to say the least, an unexpected surprise.
This was my benchmark race for the series. I need to work on staying steady and getting faster so that I can power through that 11-mile slump next time. On the other hand, who cares because I got a half-marathon PR!
WHOOOOOOOOOOO!
Apparently, it's the year of weird running surprises. I got the age award for the 5k in April, even though I didn't run all that fast. Then, I got my half-marathon PR on a race that I really didn't expect. Considerably better than last year, which was the year of the cruddy race weather.
Really!
That happened!
The scenario: the first half-marathon in the Florida Halfathon series was today. I was, to say the least, concerned, particularly after the last long run that I did where I was awful. I decided to try being better about fueling: generally I don't eat much before a race, so I decided to change that. I had one of my packets of caffeinated jellybeans prior to the race. That apparently did the trick. I don't think that I've ever felt so focused at the beginning of a long run. This idea is staying.
Then, I was very fortunate in that the weather was MUCH better than anticipated. It was 58F with a dew point of 50F. Now admittedly, this is actually in the 70% humidity range, but it felt considerably better than normal. And there was a pretty hefty breeze--actually, I could have done without the hefty breeze from a running standpoint, but it was fantastic from a not-overheating standpoint. Also great: it was overcast throughout the run, so Mr. Florida Sun was not even a factor.
And I did not even come close to overheating! I did have to walk a bit around mile 11 because I got going too fast for a while. But I was back on track soon enough and polished off the last mile and finished in a much faster time than anticipated. Considering that I was worried about being taken off the course for slowness, this was, to say the least, an unexpected surprise.
This was my benchmark race for the series. I need to work on staying steady and getting faster so that I can power through that 11-mile slump next time. On the other hand, who cares because I got a half-marathon PR!
WHOOOOOOOOOOO!
Apparently, it's the year of weird running surprises. I got the age award for the 5k in April, even though I didn't run all that fast. Then, I got my half-marathon PR on a race that I really didn't expect. Considerably better than last year, which was the year of the cruddy race weather.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
I may have lost my mind
There is a Florida halfathon series in which you run 4 half-marathons over the course of about 5 months (late October to mid-March).
I signed up for it today.
Yes, I realize that this could signal the fact that I have lost my mind.
However, I am very excited about this suddenly, which is great since I'll need all of the enthusiasm that I can muster to get through it. Over the next few days, I plan to map out a training schedule, probably one that has me running 3-4 times a week, since that worked well when I did the marathon. I'll have to improvise a bit since I'm pretty sure that I'll be coming into a training plan midway, but I think that I should be okay since I did just train for a 1/2 marathon and wasn't running into any injury problems. Also, I'll have to figure out what to do between races as a modified plan. But this is okay.
One of them has 'hills,' by which I mean the Clearwater Beach Causeway. It's legit. And very sunny. I will get photos soon. Fortunately, this is the race in January, so we can all cross our fingers that it won't be complete torture.
It is on.
I signed up for it today.
Yes, I realize that this could signal the fact that I have lost my mind.
However, I am very excited about this suddenly, which is great since I'll need all of the enthusiasm that I can muster to get through it. Over the next few days, I plan to map out a training schedule, probably one that has me running 3-4 times a week, since that worked well when I did the marathon. I'll have to improvise a bit since I'm pretty sure that I'll be coming into a training plan midway, but I think that I should be okay since I did just train for a 1/2 marathon and wasn't running into any injury problems. Also, I'll have to figure out what to do between races as a modified plan. But this is okay.
One of them has 'hills,' by which I mean the Clearwater Beach Causeway. It's legit. And very sunny. I will get photos soon. Fortunately, this is the race in January, so we can all cross our fingers that it won't be complete torture.
It is on.
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