Hairy Helmet Relays and Long Eaton parkrun

Hello folks, yes it's another Juneathon update post for the 12th and 13th! I ended up taking yesterday as a rest day but did show up to support the Ilkeston Running Club at the Hairy Helmet Relays.  While I was in my running kit to step in in case someone couldn't make it at the last minute I was glad to not have to run because of lingering GI issues.  Lots of fun getting to cheer everyone on and actually being able to spectate the entire thing! The fancy dress is always fun to see, the Pirates of the Caribbean team was my favourite, well done them for running in full costume.

The club!

Hanging out at the Hairy Helmet 

Today was the inaugural Long Eaton parkrun and what a great event it was! Exceptional volunteers and despite the rain it was a good day to run because West Park is normally very windy and today it was only slightly breezy. It's a 2 lap course and they don't come much flatter so it is excellent for chasing after a personal best.  Lots of parking and there are changing rooms available for afterwards. Amongst the volunteers today was some very enthusiastic cow-bell ringers! I hope they had enough fun to continue coming out because it certainly put a smile on everyone's face that was running by (at least those in my proximity). 

Start pic from the facebook page

Despite me saying it is a pb course there wasn't one in the cards for me, I was thankful to have even made it through at a steady pace because of the continuing GI problems (yes still! grrrrrrrrr), heavy legs (4th 'speed' session this week) and a very achy lower back.  Getting old sucks! 

Stats:

5k time: 23:55

Splits: 7:31, 7:51, 7:46, 0:46 (6:48 pace)

70/242 overall

10/104 female

1/18 VW 45-49 category

If you aren't signed up for parkrun yet, whatever are you waiting for??? It's free, it's friendly and you don't have to be fast! And if you are very lucky there is cowbell!!!  

Juneathon Day 9 and Denby BDL

I hate seasonal allergies, there has been an over-abundance of grouchiness and lethargy this week thanks to them.  I slept quite a bit of the day yesterday and ended up back in bed for over two hours this afternoon and have been fighting a headache that keeps trying to edge over into migraine territory...It was this that almost made me stay home and skip tonight's BDL race but I figured a run would hopefully knock it out.  No joy on the cure though, it seems determined to hang about.

Despite the sore head I managed to do somewhat ok although per my garmin I was 11 seconds slower than last year.  My splits were reasonable, the first mile was the slowest but the first section on this course is terrible, it's way too narrow for a herd of competitive road runners. At the stile where we have to go single file through there are always a few runners that aren't content with holding their place and try to shove through ahead of the rest of us and I have a nice little scrape just above the knee where someone kicked up a stick into my leg.  While I'm not happy about my placement (206) I can honestly say that I left it all on the course today, I had no kick left on the last uphill push to the finish line and several runners sprinted past me like I was stuck in black strap molasses.

It took me far longer to recover than normal but once I did I headed back out to find Sue and run with her on the final section, it was here when my grouchiness reared its head again...Several runners who had finished earlier were walking back to the car park and while most were stepping aside for those still on the course there were a handful that weren't quite as polite.  Come on people, it's the same distance and just because you finished it quicker doesn't mean that the rest of us aren't entitled to some courtesy as well...There certainly isn't any call for snarkiness either!

The final push, see all those guys behind me? Yeah they all passed me after this!

Juneathon Day 9:

*2.6 mile Tuesday Nordic Walking class

*4.84 miles Denby BDL race (37:48)

*Warmup and warmdown not tracked

*Far too much hoovering upstairs and downstairs, shampooed the living room and entry carpet

Looks like the race was slightly longer, last year's measured at 4.59 miles

Very grateful for the Ilkeston Running Club, I think we had the loudest and certainly the best cheering section!

2015 Stute BDL Race Recap

Little bit late in posting about it but the 2nd race in our BDL summer league was on the 12th of May.  While I am still feeling the lingering effects of bronchitis it ended up being a slightly better performance than I expected.  Fortunately we are getting some very speedy women in our club so it takes some of the pressure off that I put on myself for the league races...Don't get me wrong, I'm still trying my best whatever that may be at the time but if I am able to go into a race relaxed then I run better/faster and that certainly held true for this one.

Perhaps I was running a little too relaxed

Since this is the race that our club hosts it was on very familiar territory and except for a slight incline around mile 3 it is flat as can be, not really my preference but it can make for some speedy times. What is great about it being on our turf is that all the marshals know your name so it means lots of encouragement!  The weather was certainly more cooperative than last year's swelterfest, sunny and cool (while it's perfect running weather I'm ready for some warmth!) and some fast times were posted overall.

I stuck with starting near the back again, it does cost you seconds with reaching the actual start line but I've found that I pace myself better doing this, ie not jackrabbiting the first mile with getting caught up with the faster runners.  Once we all got settled into a rhythm I started focussing on surging forward and passing with a purpose, most of the time it worked but it is something that has to be practised so as not to slow down to much once you've made your move.  I also started it much earlier than I normally do which is doable if you are keeping a comfortably hard pace rather than being full out.

The Stute BDL race splits

As you can see from the table above I was slightly faster this year despite not being back in form...and you can see that the first mile in 2014 is why I struggled with the rest of the race.  That was NOT racing smart! Mile 3 is where the incline is and I still lost time on it but it was back down to a more reasonable split time with miles 4 and 5.  I am very happy with this pacing! 

Finish line approach in between 2 club mates

Placement comparison is interesting--I finished 211/339 overall, 34/115 women, and 4/13 in the VL45 category this year.  Last year it was 202/308, 34/100, and 4/12.  The first place woman in the VL45 category finished in 31:34, almost 9 minutes ahead of me, 3rd place was 37:48, again quite similar to last year's times and places, not sure I have 2 minutes faster in my legs.  

The Longhorn Part One

About 2.5 weeks after the Belvoir Challenge marathon I spied a contest on PT Mollie's blog for an entry into Swim Bike Run Events inaugural race The Longhorn.  Several of my running club mates had already entered various distances for it and I was having race envy (read: medal envy!) because it looked like a gorgeous venue (trails! longhorn cattle! forest!). I figured might as well enter and see if I might luck out and actually win, the old cliché nothing ventured, nothing gained holds so true. As you have already guessed I did win that entry!

The Longhorn

My big decision was what distance to go for--10k, half marathon, or the full enchilada again, the 26.2.  After a couple of days debating it with my partner about which one I finally opted for the full.  My reasoning was despite the lacklustre performance at Belvoir I still felt fairly strong, there were no overuse injuries and once I got over the soreness of hyper-extending my right leg sliding about in the mud my training was back to normal. I figured that 1 or 2 long runs would keep me in good enough condition to get around the course around 4:15ish.  Of course that was before falling ill starting the day of the Easter 10k at Wollaton Hall and my planned 18-20 miler got cut down to 13.  Instead of doing the smart thing and emailing Amanda at SBR Events and asking if I could transfer to the half marathon I kept thinking I would get better...yeah, that didn't happen. 

The relief! 

The copious amounts of snot and chest congestion meant I ended up taking some heavy duty decongestants of the sort that the pharmacists give you a very STERN warning about before selling to you and one side effect of it is that you get extremely dehydrated. I simply couldn't get enough fluids and electrolytes into my system to counteract it and despite taking the last one on Friday evening the effects continued on through Sunday.  I lined up with the other marathoners fully expecting to get my first DNF (did not finish) which I was surprisingly at ease with.  As a matter of fact I was so ok with this that I managed to get an excellent night's sleep which is something I never do before a race!

This is turning into a far longer post than I intended so time to split it up, most already know the answer to the DNF but for the rest of you...Did I or did I not DNF????  Oh who cares about that, the important stuff is what was the race itself like! 

2015 Teversal BDL Recap

Short girl problems!

Last night was the first of our summer BDL races at Teversal (the race league series is free with our yearly club membership) and I was debating right up until 5pm whether to run it or not.  The illness that knocked me for a loop at the Easter 10k ended up putting my partner on the couch for most of a week and has settled into my chest. Combine that with my horrendous allergies and it's a bit of a struggle to breathe so I knew I wouldn't be able to match last year's time but I figured that a run would either kill me or make me feel better.  It didn't do either one so it's just as well I made the effort to get out!

The Teversal course is an interesting one in that we end up at the highest manmade point in Nottinghamshire around mile 3.3ish.  It's not a straight up-hill slog though, there are a series of wide switchbacks with ups, downs, and flats to break up the climb then it's mostly downhill for the last 1.6 miles.  Last year I felt great once the race started and put in a reasonable time of 38:45 (188th place overall) but I started at the very back this time with the only goal of just hanging on and finishing.  One of my running club mates (hi Paula!) asked if I felt well (no), should I be there (of course not) and was I going to pass out (probably)...paraphrasing the questions but I think my replies are mostly accurate.

The great thing about starting in the very back is that you don't get caught up in the mad rush at the start and jack rabbit your first mile, the bad thing is that the race isn't chip-timed (but it's free so I'm not complaining!) so you will lose several seconds.  The other good part about it is that the atmosphere is more relaxed so you are not as likely to get kicked, elbowed, or knocked down and there is a fair bit of laughing and chattering.

Since I wasn't placing a time goal on myself I decided to use some of the principles that I was telling the Nordic Walkers from the morning session to focus on--nice upright posture to keep the breathing easy and relaxed arms and shoulders.  A good result from doing so was that the pics taken there weren't outright horrible if you ignore the faces I was making!*  Another result? I ended up running faster and more consistent than I expected to and while I was 21 seconds slower than last year I gained four places (184th).

This is what it looks like when I'm on allergy meds and decongestant! Goofy face!

Random thoughts:

• There was a girl who had a bloody nose during the race, while there was nothing I could do I did slow and ask if she was ok. It probably irritated her but I couldn't go by and say nothing in good conscience. 
• This is the second year in a row I've not taken any notice of the humongous miner statue at the top, we need to make a road trip over on a clear day to walk up and take photos
• Totally irritates me when runners don't throw their cups into a bin especially if there's one just a few steps away.  This was after the race by the way so no excuse for it. 
• If you smile at the marshals then you get extra words of encouragement in return.
• Faster runners who go back on the course to warm-down and don't give way to those still racing are jerks who deserve to get elbowed. And perhaps voodoo dolls made in their likeness.
• Decongestants dehydrate you so be sure and drink extra fluids! 

*The finish line photos are just as terrible as ever, must learn to smile during a sprint to the finish

Tissue in hand, tissue in the bra and apparently I took a nap on the way

Getting lost and Notts Easter 10k

'Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost'

I don't think I will ever get my sense of direction to work right here in the UK. My head is just too used to the square grid roads and neighbourhoods of the states and trying to change 40 plus years of directional training is pretty much a lost cause (pun intended).  Yes, this is a lead-up to me talking about getting lost on a run again which usually isn't a problem because I am not on that much of a time crunch about having to be somewhere...however on Monday there was.  I had won entry into the Notts Easter 10k via a Run Nottingham facebook contest and since I'm not in 10k race shape I decided to make it into a long run with the race being a tempo at the end.  Good plan, right?

It would have been if I'd recce'd the route first instead of just mapping it out on the screen! I ended up making not one, but two wrong turns so the 20 minute cushion I'd built into the time I thought I'd need to get to Wollaton Hall got eaten up by having to dig my phone out of the rucksack and waiting on the gps to find me so I could figure out where I went wrong.  I was running up to the Hall for a much needed loo stop when they were announcing 10 minutes until race start (stress from being lost and it being much warmer than usual equalled GI distress) and by the time I got all that sorted I didn't get to the start line until 4 minutes 'til go time.  No time to catch my breath, change my shoes or take in the Perpetuem I'd prepared so I knew it was not going to be a good result.

To say I bonked (check out this article about what it means to bonk) would be an understatement, the last 2 miles were pure torture and it took every bit of willpower I had to not stop and walk even though I think a walking pace might have been faster.  Needless to say the plan to run home was scrubbed.

The Good:

• Beautiful venue, Wollaton Hall is gorgeous
• Plenty of loos, in addition to the toilets at the Hall the race organisers provided portaloos closer to the start/finish line
• Well marshalled
• Free parking pass
• Coffee mug instead of a t-shirt
• Bananas! Actually they went a step further and had apples as well
• Other park users meant lots of cheering
• Every kilometre was marked and they had timing clocks on the course and at the end
• Additional food available for purchase
• Announced the names of the runners as they entered the finishing chute

The Bad:

• Not chip timed
• Other park users that were very perturbed about the race being held there and a few chose very inopportune times to cross over the course. There were more than a few near collisions
• Getting in and out of the car park was a bit of a hassle
• The bibs are too large! Yes, that might be a silly thing to grumble about but I hate when I have a paper bib flapping about, it's irritating and distracting plus it's a waste of paper.
• No water stop on the course. Normally not an issue but the temps had jumped from around 7C (45F) to 16-17C and was sunny so everyone was suffering because of not being acclimatised to the warmer temps

Would I do this race again? Yes, I would! Despite the snafu with the timing near the end which they corrected within 24 hours it was very well organised and under other circumstances (which were self-inflicted) I would have quite enjoyed it. Thank you again Run Nottingham for the race entry!

Marathon training fatigue and BDL XC

Yesterday was a return to the Holme Brook BDL cross country race, our final one in the winter series. I must say that despite the weather conditions being much better the course was only marginally easier and it still ranks as my least favourite.  It certainly didn't help that I was running on very fatigued legs after completing my last long run for Belvoir on Wednesday and putting in a respectable time for the club handicap on Tuesday, it's safe to say that I was completely out of gas (that's definitely an Americanism) by the time Sunday rolled around.

Yes, that is snow in the background

Last year's weather was horrid: it was windy (25mph plus winds) and it was alternately sunny then completely overcast. If memory serves I think we even had a bit of sleet interspersed with rain and prior to the race we were all standing around inside the building shivering and postponing heading out for the warm-up run. This year it was debatable about whether the park was going to be runnable at all on the grass due to the heavier than usual snow and ice the previous week (one section still was ice covered yesterday) but the conditions on the day were almost perfect for a winter xc--bright sunshine and dare I say it, an almost balmy 42F/5.5 Celsius.

This course features a mean set of uphills, they are (mostly) fairly short but they are wicked brutal on the legs, combine that with ankle deep shoe squelching mud and it can be almost soul-destroying knowing that you have to go around it TWICE! There seemed to be an unusually high number of runners dropping out on the first lap after the first big hill, it would be interesting to know what the attrition rate is for this race.

Run-by wave on the 2nd lap

Abbreviated description of the route: Muddy grass, little bit of footpath, sharp right back onto the grass for a little downhill, sharp left to run alongside the football pitches, smile for the camera, more downhill, watch out for the low tree branches being whipped back into our faces, little more downhill into the trees and through the slalom course of earth mounds, start climbing, look at the cars driving by over to the right and wish you were in one of them instead of running xc (not really, lol), the uphill climb gets steeper, thank the marshall, and get a breather on the little downhill before you start running uphill again, still going up...still climbing, omg is this hill never going to end, notice with interest and a slight bit of smugness the number of guys walking off the route to call it a day right before you realise you still have more hill to get up, onto some footpath (ow that hurts with luggy cx shoes) and then in between the football pitches where you (read I) get passed by one of the women in your club like you are standing still, more footpath, right by the visitor centre which looks like a great place to take off the gloves and toss them to the side, left alongside the field where the start/finish line is just over there (cruelty), sharp downhill, back uphill, try not to fall on your arse in the iced over field, curve to the left, curve to the right, and curve back left while enjoying the slight decline and trying to catch your breath and not lose your shoes in the quagmire of mud, steep downhill, even steeper uphill, run by the finish line because you have to do all that over again! Ok so maybe that wasn't quite so abbreviated.

Not sure why I was looking so worried, the race was finally done

I would like to say that I didn't walk at all during this one but unfortunately on one of the hills on the second lap I succumbed to the screaming legs and the little voice in my head that was whispering "You can't make it, just walk already."  Thankfully the girl I encouraged to keep going that was right behind me returned the favour by getting me running again after a few steps.  This is where Caz from the running club also caught and passed me which is the same place that Catherine did last year, the old adage of history repeats itself comes to mind.

All in all, this wasn't one of my better performances of the season, I struggled far more than what I would have liked but I ended up bettering last year's time by over 2 minutes on a course almost a quarter of a mile longer and managed to place 2nd in my age category.  Not sure yet if I'm happy or sad that the woman who took 1st in our category was almost 5 minutes faster than me yesterday instead of the 9 second difference between us in the previous XC race!  Well done to everyone who ran yesterday, our club put in some VERY respectable performances, even getting around the Holmebrook course is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Holmebrook 2014--even the same shoes just much colder and muddier

Lost one, won one

Like so many in the UK running community this past week I received the "Sorry" magazine that I was unsuccessful in the Virgin London Marathon lottery.  Guess that means I should get off my lazy arse and make up a running plan to try and train for a "Good For Age" entry time for next year but that means I would have to knock over an hour off my current marathon times...and try not to get injured in the process (again).

However the next day I noticed a post on the UK Women's Running Magazine facebook page that I'd won an entry into the Red Bull Steeplechase! I'd forgotten even entering the competition! Granted I knew I would get knocked out well before the final stage but who cares, this is an area I've been itching to run in anyways and to get a medal, hoodie, a bag, and a lunch for doing so...hell yeah! Ok, I've gone a little overboard on the exclamation marks, lol.  

Here's where things go a little awry--I've not felt well since Thursday so the nutrition has not exactly been stellar, ie I've not ate or hydrated enough for a hard-core trail run and Friday morning's normal run wiped me out. Not good but there was no way I was passing up the chance to run in the Peak District--did I mention we would get a hoodie as well??? 

Sporting the club colours--represent, y'all.

I've had some calf issues on the hills lately so thought the compression sleeves might be a good idea this time around. Looking at the crowd pics, I was not alone with that train of thought.  They did help but really the only thing is to get out and train on those hellacious inclines.  To me, the above shot also shows how bad I was feeling pre-race.

Wonder what's going on here? And just WHY did my partner take this pic? 

Apparently there was a malfunction with the gun so the guys didn't get the "On your Mark, Get set, Bang!" on their start. Us ladies did though ;-)

Ready to run! 

I think it must be an unwritten law in the UK that the majority of fell races must start with an evil uphill climb and this one was no exception.  The difference is that this is this one required the use of all your limbs to get up the steep incline--in between gasping for air, another girl made the comment that it was her first race to require the use of her hands on the ground to get up the hill...Wasn't my first but it doesn't make it any easier! 

And we ran! Until this started, then we hiked

And then we clambered. 

What goes up must come down...Eventually. Before we got to that point though we had to try and find a decent running rhythm on the undulating rock steps.  Which were slippy. And very hard, especially in shoes with no padding and hard plastic studs on the bottom.  

The downhill to match the uphill in the beginning was a doozy.  Slippery wet grass that hadn't dried out from the morning's frost made me appreciate the shoes I was cursing metres before. I was able to grip in and make my way down sideways fairly fast(ish)--speed is all relative when it comes to fell running.  Of course the moment I didn't grip in quite well enough and slid down a foot or two on my bum was probably the fastest part of that descent. Grass is nice and soft and I didn't find any rocky speed humps so no blood this time around.  

Not long after the steep downhill and before the halfway point of the first stage is where I started to get into trouble though.  I had already dialed down the speed I would usually do something like this at because of not feeling well but then I started to get dizzy spells. There was one mile where I'm not sure how I even made it through because it was so technical and I was having trouble focusing on the trail, I do know I stepped aside for several runners to allow them by but the rest of is a blur.  Fortunately I'd packed a 9bar in my spibelt and was able to swallow three bites of it, that seemed to help but I knew at that point I was done for the day even though I had a comfortable margin to continue on for the 2nd stage.  

I had a bit of a nice surprise at Bamford, walking up one of the last inclines I started getting heckled by my partner who had driven over to visit his mate while waiting on me.  It perked me up but I still didn't run that damn hill, lol.  As a matter of fact it energised me so much that once I reached the chutes and saw I was 71st female (cutoff was 85) I thought I would go ahead and run the second stage...that lasted right up to the point where we turned out of the field to go upwards again and I started feeling light-headed once more.  At that point I turned around and walked back to call it quits and catch a ride to the finish line on the shuttle bus, there was no need in endangering me, the others around me, and worse case scenario having to utilise the rescue services.  To continue on in an easily accessible road race is one thing, to do it on something like this would have been completely irresponsible on my part.  

This overall was a brilliantly organised event and I would definitely do it again--hopefully under better personal circumstances.  The marshalls were excellent and VERY encouraging (except for the one bloke who was more interested in his phone), the scenery is gorgeous, and it's extremely challenging.  The only complaint I could make would be the stewards not being aware of the amount of parking left at the top before sending several cars on up, that created some snafus because there wasn't a good turn-around place at the top.  Another tiny complaint is non-race organisation related but more other runner related--the British love of queues goes out the door when it comes to races!  I was practically shoved out of the way several times at the registration table...lol, I'm supposed to be the rude one being American and all (stereotypes, eh?). 

The bling

The swag was top-notch as well, we received a drawstring bag to put our gear in at the start, a medal, a canvas bag, a hooded sweatshirt, lunch, all the Red Bull you could drink as well as beer or cider if you wanted.  I had to say no to the beer tent though, I was feeling too ill.  

The obligatory aftermath pic

I have to talk about the hoodie some more, it's AMAZING. Very good quality, nice drawstring, the hood itself is lined with thermal type fabric, it's not the typical black, the graphics on the front and back are nice and it has THUMBHOLES!!!! Yes, I'm gushing about thumbholes, it's a female runner thing I think. 

Ramble, rant, and race

It was shaping up to be an excellent week of running and nordic walking but a third workout in the minimalist trail shoes cooled the jets for two days.  I knew within a few steps of running Thursday night that I'd pushed it too far but since it was an away club run and I didn't pack a different pair of trainers I was kind of stuck with it.  It is probably just a bit of bruising from going over some rocky areas and pavement but my left forefoot was killing me on the downhills. The route was gorgeous, mostly off-road and I'm not sure I could find my way around part of it without a guide again--speaking of guides, ours was Colin (Brinsley Runner) from the running club and he did a great job of explaining where we were in relation to various landmarks and even giving us a bit of history, good stuff.  It was getting dark towards the end of the run so it's time to charge up the head torches and unpack the reflective gear (sigh, sure sign of summer being over).

I also managed a pb on the summer course Tuesday night, 5k in 23:20, hoping I can carve that time down to sub 23 on some parkruns soon.  There was no getting lost this time but they started me off with a couple of other runners to make sure it didn't happen again, lol.

Today was the Wilne 10k, I debated skipping it because I wasn't in the mood to race and I wasn't sure how the foot would hold up but went ahead because I didn't want it to be another wasted race entry like back in the spring when I sprained my ankle.  As my usual, I was in the loo queue until the last possible moment and once I got to the start I couldn't be bothered to elbow my way up closer to the front so just started almost in the very back.  I did start my garmin right after we heard the "go" and it took 56.8 seconds to reach the timing mat (at least it had one).  Yes, it is frustrating both to me and the people I'm zig-zagging through when I do that but it also prevents me from jack-rabbiting the first mile (8:00 on the dot by the way).

Once I got into a clear area where I could settle down into a steady pace I realized that I actually felt good and was sure I could get sub 51, what I didn't expect was that I would keep consistently clicking off (just barely) sub 8 minute miles.  I almost always flub up 10k pacing but for once got it right.  What was funny was I could see one of the club members up in front of me for most of the race that I'm close to the same speed as but every time I would try to surge up to catch him, he'd do the same and the gap never lessened, lol.

Click to view

Could I have pushed harder? Yes, I could have, I wasn't totally wiped out at the finish line, it was a comfortably hard pace rather than pushing to the puke zone. I said thank you to the marshalls and to the people spectating who was cheering us on.  I smiled whenever I saw a camera (even smiled several times when it was just me) but on the other hand I wouldn't have been able to carry on a conversation.  My foot did start aching in the last couple of miles but it wasn't unbearable. Final stats: gun time 50:26, 470th overall/chip time 49:03, 440th overall out of 858 finishers. Yes chip time has me up 30 places! Stoked! Middle of the pack territory but there were a LOT of speedy people at this one.

As far as the race goes, I quite enjoyed the course, didn't even mind that it was 2 loops.  It kind of reminded me of the Capitol City Classic 10k in that it was flat, had shady areas, and while not uber scenic, it was pretty enough.  I would definitely do this one again.  Oh and we got a banana in our goody bag! Yes, I'm still holding a grudge against the Derby 10k for not providing the participants with bananas at the end, call me petty if you must but it's all about giving me some kind of food at the end. Some people want a medal, I want my banana. 

Goody bag contents, yay for a non-white tee! 

That didn't go well

Last night was the Carsington BDL race with the club and it didn't quite go as well as I would have liked.  Not sure what the deal was with my legs but they were HEAVY and I was having severe abdominal issues of the sort that had me wondering if I was going to make it to the finish line.  At least I have figured out the issue that is causing the current problems--bad news is that peanut butter is now a no-no for me so I have to figure out what a good protein will be on run and race days.  Since most are now in the evenings not eating isn't an option like it is for morning workouts and I have to watch the carbs because of my hypoglycemia.  Oh well, the race is done and dusted and I think everyone in the club did quite well. My performance is just frustrating because the Saturday and Sunday runs had been so great.

As you can see from the elevation chart this course is quite undulating, something I normally would enjoy on a short race. It's too bad this is such a distance from where I live, I would love to be able to run here more because those short hills make for great training.  There were flashbacks to the Valentine's Day 5k RRCA Grand Prix race I used to run in Arkansas before they split it up into different heats with how packed the start line was though. It was so cramped in that my garmin temporarily lost satellite signal!

Race Report-Newton's Fraction

It's been a while since I've done one of these, eh? Not sure I remember how.......

Flashing my Brooks Fanatics tee

Last year I ran the Stafford Half Marathon and I started to sign up for it again but stumbled upon the Newton's Fraction Half Marathon which was one of the top 10 as voted on by Runner's World readers in 2012 so thought I would give it a go instead.  Unlike last year where the weather was so cold that runners were coming in to pick up their t-shirts and medal (I've never ran a race where you had the option to pick up the medal before it started until Stafford) and immediately going back home, Sunday was absolutely gorgeous--slightly too warm for a spring race in my opinion but I loved the sunshine.  The winds, predicted to be up to 33 mph, I could have done without though.

The sideways ponytail? That's not from me tossing my head playfully

Miles 1-4 went well leading me to think I might be able to keep the 8:40 something pace I wanted to ensure a sub 2 hour. I'd skipped the first water stop at 3.5 because of a queasy stomach and drinking when I feel that way already leads to me needing to find a Porta Loo or some trees very quickly. Gross but true. Oh, I did have a garmin malfunction just past mile 1, it did the lost satellite reception thing then tried to freeze up. Fortunately I was able to shut it down and get it restarted with only losing .2 of a mile. 

The tummy did do what I feared and started rumbling towards the end of mile 4 so between that and the first big hill at mile 5.5ish my pace dropped to a low of 10:33 for mile 6. I did find someone to chat with for 3 miles which got me back under a 9 minute pace but then around mile 9.5 I started feeling like the nail on my left big toe was being ripped away.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Going up the other big hill at mile 10.25 made it throb even worse and I was vowing to never enter another half marathon. It was such a relief to be told finally that the finish line was within half a mile but I couldn't even manage to pick up the pace once I got on the track. Actually I got slower, lol.  

The end is in sight! After a lap around the track that is

Despite the toe and tummy issues I did enjoy most of the course. I love running canal trails and back roads plus the view of Belvoir Castle was amazing.   The area of Denton that we ran through was quite pretty as well. The only complaint I would have was that the final 1.5 miles wasn't quite as nice as the rest of the course but you have to get back somehow on an out and back.  This isn't a personal best course in my opinion and if you are a bling collector you will be disappointed because there were no medals, only finishers shirts which were a bit plain (no logo on back, small logo on corner of the chest).  The goodie bag was also a bit sparse especially when compared to the one from the Rushcliffe 10k. The only extra besides food was a trial size tube of toothpaste--hmmm, wonder what they were trying to say, lol.  A big thank you to all the course marshals and volunteers, everyone seemed to be pleased to be out there--that probably had a lot to do with the beautiful sunshine though :-) 

Not happy about the 32 seconds over 2 hours but happy to be done!

So back to the toe. I was dreading pulling off my shoe because I was expecting a bloody mess but fortunately I (and everyone else on facebook because I would have taken pics) was spared that.  Turns out that the Compeed callous plaster I'd placed on the side of my foot had started to come loose and when it did it was catching on my sock which then was catching the side of the nail and pulling it up with each step I was taking. Extremely painful yes but no permanent harm done this time, whew.  

Click to enlarge

Mileage and time is off because of the Garmin issue

  

XC Muddy Madness

Today was my first race with the club in the winter cross country series, reminded me how much I love the crazy muddy madness that is the sport of XC.  The league (is that the correct term?) rules are similar to the RRCA Grand Prix in the states in that you must have at least 3 women and 4 men on the teams. As for anything else, I'm not sure yet about the ins and outs of how it works other than it was free if you are a paid member of a running club and must wear the club kit during the race.  I will have to go and do my research because this was so much FUN!!!! Love the camaraderie and encouragement.

Still clean and almost 5 miles to go

Just a brief recap. Had my usual pre-race nervous upset stomach but thankfully got it all out of my system before heading out the door to the race. Didn't warm up (oops!). Dressed too warm for racing (know better). Wore regular running shoes instead of trail (haven't broken them in yet) or spikes (don't own any).  Two laps for 4.8 miles and part of that was spent slip-sliding around trying to not fall in the churned up mud.  Nearly face-planted directly in front of a woman runner right on my heels (all I could think was if I go down, she's coming over the top of me!). Twice through a just over ankle deep water hazard. Threw my gloves at my partner who was taking pics, then yelled thank you on the next lap.  Missed a right turn along with two other runners because the course marshal had moved (shades of Sara Low 5k, eh?). First 1.5 miles was spent thinking ohmygosh why do I do this, next part was settling in for the plod (but trying not to fall-recurring refrain, lol), final part was thinking where in the hell is that finish line, are they moving it about on purpose to tease me???  Best of all? Getting to hang out with like minded, crazy runner types :-)

click to see larger image for the lap splits

My splits are a bit abysmal but I'm not complaining, this gives me a goal to beat for the next one and hopefully make those a bit more even.  Improper shoes definitely played a part as well as the lack of speed training (more the latter I'm afraid).  Besides this was just dirty wholesome fun for a bright December Sunday, the weather was certainly near perfect. 

The aftermath

Love my Brooks running gear #runhappy #runmuddy

The "reward" after the race, Costa coffee stop for a large latte, egg sandwich and gingerbread muffin.

The partner also bought me a HUGE canister of Celebrations mini chocolate bars afterwards, he either loves me or is trying to fatten me up ;-)

A PR at last!

PR for those who don't know is personal record, or if you're European, it's known as a PB--personal best.  PB just makes me think of peanut butter though which makes me hungry which doesn't do well for losing weight. Enough which(es)?  Arrrgggghhhh, now I have a Which Wich craving.........Right, where was I? Lol, I'm sure most people have quit reading by now in aggravation.

 So yeah, a personal record was finally attained this year even if it was in a distance that I haven't formally raced in prior to this year, the MILE! Or in this case the Go!Mile.  For the Women Can Run clinic we had 3 timed miles, my best being a 6:56 so Saturday I was hoping to get under 7 minutes again.  Obviously I managed to bust that 7 minute mark again, this time with a 6:43!!!!! Can you tell I'm happy?  A huge thank you goes out to Brenda, Vicki, and Ginny for all the quality training and advice I received from/with them this year so far. No way would I have gotten this pr without them.

Elsie in the corner checking out my sweaty towel and cute t-shirt

And the Go!Running Go!Mile race is a must-do! It's gonna hurt but it's over quickly. Very well organized (except for the one delayed starting gunshot, lol), loved the separate heats and being able to cheer on my friends.  Watermelon after a race is divine and the towel at the finish line was very welcome to mop away the sweat.  I think most of my fellow running club members had pr's or close to it and our women's team took 2nd in the state RRCA Grand Prix points, woot!  Congrats to all :-).  

Love the Brooks Running Green Silence, those are my speedy shoes

I normally won't post pics of when I'm racing because quite frankly I look absolutely horrid when I'm pushing that hard.  I'm swallowing my pride on this one because I love my form on this shot (thanks Arland!) and how me and the woman in the green shoes are almost exactly in the same pose. Looking back through the photos, we were pretty much synchronized through the series, at least at the halfway point of the race.  Too bad I couldn't have kept that up, she finished 10 seconds ahead of me.