Please excuse the lack of posts…it’s been slow week of running. Yes siree, just kicking back with my hard-earned Topeka to Auburn half marathon socks.
More to come next week…
Training Log: Week 4
Week 4
January 16-22
Monday – 3 miles (8:12/mile)
Tuesday – 2 miles (8:34/mile) …treadmill
Wednesday – 0
Thursday – 0
Friday – 2 miles (8:30/mile) …I ran at 11am today purposely in an attempt to determine how I should dress on race day. Conclusion: warmly. I should dress warmly.
Saturday – 13.25 miles (8:34/mile) …HALF MARATHON DAY! 1:52:37 for a PR. I don’t remember much else about training for the week. Silly.
Sunday – 0
TOTAL: 20 miles
Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon: Recap
“Race” number one is in the bag. It went both as planned and not as planned, and somehow was both a delightful amount of fun and no fun at all.
Huh.
I rose with LilRunr, who went to bed crabby, sniffly, and tired and woke up crabby, sniffly, and tired. The original plan was to drop the boy off with his grandma in Carbondale on our way to the race, but both of his paranoid parents felt that a fun (and nap-less) morning at grandma’s house was a recipe to push the boy from “mild cold” to “full blown sickness.” I know, I know. I already said we were paranoid. It was decided that the men would stay at home while mommy ventured out into the cold to run solo.
Off I went, chowing down on a banana, peanut butter crackers, and shot bloks as I went. By the way — it feels like Auburn is WAAAAYYYY out in the middle of nowhere, but I eventually found the town, the parking area, and the bus that would take me to the starting line. That’s one thing you have to plan for with a point-to-point course…a way to either get to the starting line or find a way back to your car. Since my original mode of transportation was at home perpetually cleaning snot off of a baby’s face, I opted for the transportation arranged by the race directors: parking at the finish and taking a school bus to the start.
30 minutes and one detour through a pasture later, I arrived at Fairlawn Plaza in Topeka. I picked up my packet and arranged for the bag o’ stuff to be transported BACK to the finish line. The swag for this race included a VERY purple, very oversized sweatshirt, some interesting socks, and a $10 coupon to use on a pair of shoes at Garry Gribble’s…handy, now that I’ve already bought my next pair of shoes. Phooey.
The race started on time, and in a matter of minutes I had no idea where I was. This is typical Megan — I dated and eventually married a boy from Carbondale, who has family living in Topeka. I have been to this town NUMEROUS times. The start of the race? Fairlawn Plaza? I’ve shopped there. I’ve had my hair done there. And yet, mere seconds after starting this race, I would be completely lost if it wasn’t for the crowd of several hundred people showing me the way.
This is the part where I was going to go split-by-split through the race, but I think I’ll skip it this time. My GPS was a little off of their mile markers, so I’m not really sure what to believe. Either way, I didn’t EXACTLY run a half marathon on Saturday. Nope. The GPS says I ran 13.49 miles and the race directors (who had to shift the finish line last minute) say that I ran 13.25 miles. Since this was an “if you wear headphones we reserve the right to pull you off the course” race, I couldn’t use the remote to start and stop Runmeter. That means that my “start” was a couple of blocks back from the actual starting line and a half a block or so past it. So…maybe the GPS is close-ish.
Here’s the overview: I went out too fast. The first couple of miles are largely downhill, so combine that with the crowd and you end up with something closer to 8:00 than 8:40. Oops. At mile three, I met the first real “hill” of the course. At mile six, I met the NAMED HILL of the course…which is to say, THE hill. The beast. Something both long and steep. Something that looks a lot like this, so long as you can imagine the hill CONTINUING after this picture:
Urish Hill...the course stretches back as far as the eye can see. (www.seekcrun.com)
Pretty beefy, right? They say this course is hilly, and they’re right. After the monster at mile 7, there’s a lot of downhill to lull a person into complacency. The last three miles, of course, revert back to being mostly uphill.
Oh, and this is me at Urish Hill:
Wow, do you look chipper. Suspiciously chipper. Weirdo. (www.seekcrun.com)
Let’s just say I was still feeling pretty good at this point. I spent most of the race trying to slow down. At mile 4, I thought, “hey, if I stick with an 8:10 average, that’s going to be sub-1:50:00!” Ugh. MEGAN! Nine miles to go, woman. Stay. Right. Here.
It became a mantra: stay right here. Maintain, maintain, maintain. Don’t do anything crazy. If you feel like this at mile 10, I’ll let you go.
Around mile 9, I started to get tired. My breathing was more or less fine, but my legs were really starting to feel heavy and the hip I have problems with was beginning to grumble. I walked at the mile 10 aid station to drink an entire glass of water, but all that really did was make me start feeling the cold. When the last mile proved to be more “up” than “down,” I had a moment where I decided that I hated running, this was a stupid idea, and the race was never going to end. Not one of my finer moments. Where you at now, little Miss Sunshine?
At this moment, I saw my friend Pete (who had finished the race about 15 minutes before) running back up the course. He helped me through the last half of mile 13 and through the final two hills. Now, all I had to do was run around a city block and down to the finish line. The photo, which captures me simultaneously attempting to rip off the bottom portion of my bib number and turn off the stopwatch on my iPhone, also does a tremendous job of capturing my general state of mind at this point:
Yikes.
Oh, finish line photos. Always so terrible. Also, my “official” time was 1:52:37…even though it doesn’t look like I’m 7 seconds past the finish line when the photo was taken. Weird.
It was also weird how extremely aggravated I was following this race. I think the main factor was the c-c-c-old. Runner Megan enjoys a nice sub-20 degree day…Civilian Megan does not. Civilian Megan also doesn’t enjoy traipsing a half mile to get to the Elementary school, where her sweats have been taken. Then, I had to assure Scott that I didn’t die because my poor, numb fingers had failed to hit “done” to broadcast my half marathon finish, at which point Scott explained to me that I had messed up the Twitter feed and it kept saying my split was “26:49″ each and every mile. Huh. I don’t know how to explain that, but it was aggravating! Then, my stomach remembered that it’s usually upset during/following one of these events, so I got to spend some time tracking down an unlocked bathroom in the school. (Note to race organizers: ONE unlocked bathroom? With two stalls? And several hundred female runners and spectators?)
Let’s just say that Scott was very confused how running a half marathon PR (on a course that was a trifle long) could turn his wife into a steaming pile of rage.
It was weird. I think I sort of expected some kind of shining movie-worthy moment, where I surprised everyone by winning an age group award and breaking 1:45:00. Ah, well. I got over it when I regained feeling in my fingers and toes. Because you know what? My fastest half marathon BEFORE this was 1:57:06. I PR’d by nearly 5 minutes, on 4 days of running a week, 10 months after giving birth. That’s nothing to be aggravated about!
Topeka to Auburn: Pre-Race Worries
I know I said I wasn’t nervous about tomorrow…weeeeell…I’m getting there.
The “what ifs” are attacking me:
- What if the hills are too much for me? I haven’t run many hills.
- What if I throw up? You know, scratch that. I’ve gotten sick during a race many a time before. I can deal with it.
- What if I get lost? It’s a point to point course and the field isn’t that big. There’s no telling where I’ll end up. Really.
- What if LilRunr is sick? He was GRUMPY tonight and has a stuffy nose. The plan is to leave him at Grandma’s and Scott will come spectate, but I don’t want him out at all if he’s sick. Hmmmmm…
- What if NONE of those things happen and I have a delightful time?
It’s possible…right?
Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon: Pre-Race Musings
So, tomorrow I run a “race.” I am using quotation marks there because my primary goal is to finish without throwing up. There’s something about the longer stuff that just makes my body purge itself of recently consumed food, which is undesirable and not exactly fun.
With this goal in mind, my plan for the “race” is to run the first half at my normal long run pace…somewhere around 8:45-8:50. If I’m feeling great, I’m allowed make a surge somewhere around mile 9. If I’m not feeling great, I’ll do my best to maintain. Even at my “training pace,” I should be set for a PR. THAT is how bad my half marathon experiences have been in the past.
The “most accurate meteorologists in Kansas City” have revised their forecast AGAIN, and this one caught Scott’s attention. Apparently he’d missed their first revision (Sidenote: Guys, that “most accurate” thing is a dubious title. Sure, you may eventually get it right the day before or the day of a weather event, but what we civilians find most valuable is the accuracy of your long-range predictions. You said 60 and now you’re saying 27…that’s not super accurate in my book!), so when the news came on last night and forecasted a low of THREE degrees on Saturday morning, it was quite a shock to my Mister. In his mind, the initial prediction of an unseasonably warm and pleasant day was still true. Instead, it’s “be prepared for an arctic blast” and a defensive “really, that’s normal for this time of year.”
I may get to wear my Shorter jacket after all. 
Otherwise, I can’t say that I’m really nervous for this yet. I’m curious about the course because I’ve heard reports of hills. I’m a little concerned that Scott will find a mountain bike and try to ride the course with me, because he’s injured and should be resting his leg. All in all, though, I think I’m in pretty good shape for this one and all I hope to do is set the stage for a year full of fun “racing” experiences.
Here we go!
Things Are Looking Up…I Mean Down…
When I got back from Charleston on Saturday, the extended forecast was predicting a race temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. 55 degrees. In January. In KANSAS, for crying out loud. Of course it’s going to be unseasonably warm during the race I selected due to the high probability of delightfully freezing, inhospitable temperatures. It is me, after all. I’m not even sure why I’m still surprised by the way warm/hot weather follows me around.
Ok, so maybe I’m not surprised. I’M ANGRY. I’d been planning what I would wear on race day for weeks, and in the back of my mind was the dream of a day windy enough and cold enough to justify a “windbreaker” layer to my ensemble. It would be an opportunity to break out the Frank Shorter Running gear. It would be awesome.
I do, in fact, own a fantastic specimen of retro Shorter gear – fluorescent orange and reflective blue, this sweatsuit was left at the track by one of my dad’s runners many, many years ago. My mom says that she wore it a time or two, but I’m not sure how. The pants are EXTREMELY short and she’s several inches taller than me. It’s mine now, and I love it. For all I know it’s collectible, but I enjoy it too much not to wear it (most often just the jacket) occasionally.
Alas, 55 is about 40 degrees too warm for the Shorter windbreaker. Phooey on you, unpredictable weather pattern. And phooey on you, Megan who assumed that winter would be cold. I don’t know WHAT you were thinking. (eye roll)
So I was peeved, but this morning I looked at the revised forecast:
Never mind!
Never mind! Of course, that is getting into that awkward zone where I’m not really sure WHAT to wear. Is it cold enough for half tights? Warm enough for shorts? It’s IN BETWEEN! Argh!
I’m such a whiner.
In somewhat related Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon news, I’m planning to adjust my Runmeter settings on Saturday so that it will post every mile split to Twitter. Um…that sentence might not have made much sense. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I use an iPhone app called Runmeter to post my workouts. Ordinarily, it just posts twice — once when I start and once when I stop. For race days ONLY, I’ll change it so that it posts every mile split.
If you’re interested in the race day coverage, the race starts at 11:00am on Saturday. You can follow me on Twitter (@megarunr) or come by the blog (http://megarunr.wordpress.com), where there’s a Twitter feed in the sidebar. My guess is that Twitter will update more frequently.
Training Log: Week 3
WEEK 3
January 9-15
Monday – 0
Tuesday – 2 miles (8:40/mile) …this was on the treadmill at the gym. I was in a state about leaving LilRunr to go to Charleston, and I really had to make myself get out there and run AT ALL. I know, silly.
Wednesday - 0 …if I was “in a state” the day before travel, the day OF travel was characterized by tears, much fretting, and a random eye twitch. It would have been good for me to go run off some of that nervous energy, but I wasted the morning and then spent the rest of the day traveling to Charleston. Ah, well.
Thursday – 5 miles (8:37/mile) …a delightfully, differently scenic run along the Charleston battery and historic neighborhoods. I was surprised by how many fellow runners I saw out hitting the streets…until I learned that Charleston’s 2nd marathon was happening that Saturday. Mystery explained.
Friday – 3 miles (8:23/mile) …a late night with co-workers meant that the planned 5:30am run did not happen. Fortunately, our meetings ended an hour earlier than scheduled, giving me time for a quick afternoon run before meeting the rest of the group for dinner. Hooray!
Saturday – 0 …another travel day. I woke up at 5:30am to meet my flight, and trying to keep up with the rest of my co-workers meant that I actually get more sleep at home with LilRunr, he of the unpredictable sleep schedule. Oy.
Sunday – 4 miles (8:24/mile) …back in Kansas, and the 25mph winds prove it! It was chilly today, but it felt good to run off some of the effects of traveling.
TOTAL – 14 miles (I’ll call it “tapering”, not “laziness.” Lol!)
2012 U.S. Marathon Trials
Scott and I watched the replay of the men’s and women’s marathon trials in Houston on Saturday. Those athletes amaze me. From 1 to 85, they simply amaze me. I know a little about the trials and tolls of running competitively, and I know that I don’t have the dedication or talent to do what they do. Maybe I had a chance once (probably not, but this is my brain and I can fantasize if I want), if I would have stuck with the mileage and the intensity of college training. That chance, however fleeting, is gone now…so I make do by living vicariously through those I know who are still living the dream.
There’s Joe Moore, who was one of my brother’s main rivals in high school and Paul Hefferon. What I had totally spaced on (I blame the baby, that all-consuming little creature is sucking away brain cells) was that on the lady’s side of the event was another Kansas runner — Amy Hastings.
Of all the things to space on…sheesh, Megan. You are a GIRL runner. Pay attention! I woke up to find out that Amy finished FOURTH overall. And while fourth is less than ideal from the standpoint of being the first person not to qualify for London, it is absolutely amazing to the girl who used to think that she had a chance to finish in front of Amy (Results where I was only 5 seconds behind her…). Chica was nearly TWO HOURS faster than my marathon time. Simply incredible. Absolutely inspirational. I’m so proud of you, Amy! And Joe, I expect some kind of recap on your blog. It’s bound to be a great story!
Am Not
It was 17 degrees this morning in Kansas…but I am not in Kansas. I am in a land of palm trees and Spanish moss and multi-colored houses. A city filled with history and grits and she-crab soup.
I am in Charleston for a work retreat, and while I am missing my men like CRAZY I am not missing any opportunities to run.
I opted for an easy 5 miles along the battery this AM, learning from the wiser, local runners that running ON the battery actually isn’t the wisest option. It has a very non-ankle-friendly slope. The sidewalk on the other side of the street will do just fine…as will the 60 degree temperature and light breeze.
Topeka to Auburn: The Competition
Did you know that my first planned race of the year, the Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon, is in less than two weeks?
I guess you do now. It’s scheduled for January 21, and the website and entry form repeatedly warn people of the perils of running in Kansas in January, going so far to say that the race will be run REGARDLESS of the weather conditions. As I’ve mentioned before, this is my kind of race. (YES, I’m still bitter about the 2010 Myrtle Beach Marathon being cancelled at 10:20PM the night before the race due to a fleeting snowstorm. I don’t plan on letting that one go. Ever.)
My favorite sentences from the brochure are as follows:
“Runners may be exposed to severe weather conditions including ice, sleet, snow and freezing temperatures. Hypothermia is a danger! Footing may be hazardous as some of the race is over unpaved rural roads and the course is quite hilly.”
Is that not the most beautiful waiver of liability that you’ve ever encountered? It makes me positively giddy. I love it.
It should come as no surprise that winter this year in Kansas has been uncharacteristically mild. Such is my life. People say, “you must be happy about the warm weather we’ve been having.” No! No, I am not. I planned for bitter cold, biting winds, and perhaps a little sleet or snow. The springtime cheerfulness can wait until March, thankyouverymuch.
I checked the website today, and I am officially registered for the event…along with 18 other courageous souls in my age group. I don’t know where I’ll fall in the final results, but I’m pleased as punch to see my name on this list. I can hardly wait!
The Competition
