Thoughts on the Race Not Run…or…DNS-DNF-DNC…or…the UNracereport

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

What a crazy weekend. It all started on Thursday when I decided work was just way too crazy to have both myself and the person I am backup for (and she’s my backup) both gone on a Friday at the same time. So, the decision was made I would come in early Friday morning, work until 11, and take off directly from the office for the coast. I got to the office at 7, and dove straight into a whole bunch of insanity. That continued straight through until noon….notice the time? I expected to meet up with heavy traffic all the way to the coast by that point, but it didn’t happen…I got lucky. Guess everyone went down last week for the long weekend and massive amounts of rain, rather than this weekend and long requested but not expected sunshine.

Driving down the 101 outside Lincoln City I noticed a Mercedes SUV behind me. I had planned on caravanning down with my friend Angel and her family, but with changing my own schedule to allow for work, I told her to head out without me and we would meet up at the hotel. Imagine my surprise when I realized I’d actually taken the quicker route and was ahead of them! We met up at the lobby, hugs all around, off to settle into our rooms, and then to the Embarcadero for packet pickup. WHAT AN EXPO!!! We told the other group of Vancouver Fitter’s that they MUST get to the HUGE EXPO and check it out!!! We were all so amazed that such a small race would have such a GREAT Expo!

NOT!!!

One Vendor…Portland Running Company. The only plus being we were allowed our Portland/Vancouver Fit Coaches discount. I bought a new pair of socks, Wright Socks which are my favorites, and a new packet of shot blocks to take Saturday to Helvetia.

Back to the rooms, Dinner, and a nice walk on the beach. Amanda was running her first marathon and was so nervous she almost ate both baskets of bread on the table, all of her dinner, PLUS a plate of the food she brought with her for the weekend. STRESS Eating at its worst. For me, I was quite pleased with myself that I managed to get a good sleep that night.

I was up at 5:15 and to the race start area by 6. Met the mayor and city manager who are the race officials, and was assigned the first corner. YIPPEE! I could put in my time, go get in my own run, and be to the finish line in time for photo’s and cheers. At least that was the plan.

Race horn went off at 3 after 7, and a few seconds later the leading bicycle cop was coming toward me with the first runner right behind
it was a couple seconds later before the next runner rounded the curve and was heading my way …and that distance between first and second just kept increasing through the entire race. Then the pack was heading past. I just stood there and smiled at them all as they ran past, not even thinking about the fact I should have been in there with them.
Once all the runners had past me, I headed back over to the hotel to take pictures as they came back by. I got a really nice one of Amanda running by me.

Once the runners past me by it was time for my own run. the plan was for 11 miles. This was going to be a first for me, I've never run 11 miles alone. For any run over 8 miles, I've always had another person running somewhere nearby, and that 8 mile run I did alone was almost a year and a half ago! I hit the road, did the first 3.5 mile loop of the marathon route, then headed back to the park and into town. I didn't follow the rest of the marathon route as there is a steep hill down to the bayfront, which is in gravel!!! (too rainy to get it paved before race day) I ran through a couple neighborhoods, then back to the hotel. Pitstop, another hit on the protein/carb shake, and down to the beack to complete the run. I didn't make my 11 miles as I got waylaid by Angel's husband and daughter. I did get in 9, so that felt pretty good.
Back to the hotel, downed the rest of my shake, ate a bagel, cream cheese (light), and a grapefruit...shower...change...into town to the store once again, and then down to the Embarcadero for the finish line. i wanted to kick myself...Amanda was across the finish line 5 minutes before I got there with a 4:55 time!!!

I did get pics of several of the others in our "gang" as they finished though.


If you think these runners look especially worn out, you are right. This was the first warm sunny day any of us have run this season. Our weather has been fall/winter like since we began training, and the heat and sun really wiped everyone out.

I did say i was going to share my thoughtswhen i began this blog, didn't I?

I did really well until we got back to the hotel. I helped Amanda with her ice bath, got some more pictures for her, and made sure she ate some real food. Then my own depression hit me. I have such mixed feelings over this race. I'm so happy that Amanda got to run her first marathon, and that she did so darn well! I don't expect to ever run a sub 5 hour marathon! BUT...I wanted that blown glass medal...I wanted that fantastic tech shirt...I wanted that glory of finishing my 2nd, and blowing my 6 hour 33 minute baseline out of the water!I felt so torn, I was pissed with myself for not being able to run, yet i was so happy to have been able to fulfill someone elses dream of running a marathon. I think I finally got over it for the most part when she told me that the feeling of accomplishment she felt finishing the race was even greater than the feeling she had when she received her college diploma last month.

One more comment...don't believe anyone who says that volunteering at a race means just as much to them as running the race...they are full of it! LOL....

Oh, and those letters in my title?
DNS=Did not Start
DNF=Did not finish
DNC=Did not Cry

Helvetia Half Marathon is this weekend. No plans of a PR, I think last year's finish time may well be my one and only great run of my life...at least I feel that way right now.

Look for the blog on that race next week. And I have a feeling it won't be a DNC run.

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Sometimes You Just Gotta Quit

Monday, May 24, 2010

No, no, I’m not quitting SparkPeople, but I am a quitter! Sometimes it’s in our best interest to simply give up! Quit. Stop. THEN REGROUP!

In January I signed up for the Newport Oregon Marathon. This is a fun, SMALL (limited to 800 runners) marathon that starts at a historic lighthouse, goes through the town, down to the bay front, and then east along the bayside highway for about 10 beautiful flat miles, and then back. Almost all of the assistant coaches in the Vancouver Fit group are running this Marathon, and we did train through the winter for it.

Only…one of us didn’t really train.

One of us did the long runs once each week, enjoyed the camaraderie, had fun, but didn’t get her head wrapped back around the fact that short midweek runs (even in the rain and cold) were just as necessary as the long Sunday runs. Then…those Sunday runs got longer. First came the 13.1 mile half marathon in February. One of us had to walk the last 2-3 miles, and added 9 minutes over the last half marathon. Even that didn’t get the message through that those midweek short runs are just as important as the long FUN runs with the group.

As the distances increased, my abilities decreased. As my ability went down, my attitude went down with it. Running was becoming UN-FUN really fast. I began to wonder about my wisdom of signing up for the Hood to Coast team. I began to doubt my ability to be a motivating assistant coach. I even wandered off my path of healthier eating and into the realm of Gummy Worms, Potato Chips, and too much Chinese Food. I ran 2 10k’s with my Hood To Coast team, and my times just kept getting worse.

So….I quit.

I dropped back to run only the distance needed for the Portland Marathon in October. I offered my bib to a friend who didn’t get registered before the race filled. I contacted the Newport Marathon Organizers and offered myself as a volunteer.

And I started running again.

And my attitude improved.

And all my injuries that were holding me back seem to be melting away (with the right exercises and the right number of miles).

And instead of dreading not finishing any of my races, I’m looking forward to cheering my friends, making new friends, doing my best for Hood to Coast, and having a BLAST running Portland on 10/10/10. Newport will happen, just not this year.

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mileage goal

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

To make it easier to track for BLC13, posting my weekly goal here...not really a blog post, just a way to keep is simple.

Week 3 goal: 16

Weekly Mileage goal week two 13.
(marathon training so it will change weekly)
5/12 - 2.5
5/13 - 0
5/14 - 2.5
5/15 - 0
5/16 - 7.5
5/17 -
5/18 - 2
Week 2 goal 13 Total week 2: 14.5
Week one goal: 15 Total week one: 16.2

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Burning Fat vs Burning Muscle

Monday, May 10, 2010

Vancouver Fit has a seminar after every run. Yesterday’s was one I missed last year. I was in California the day they had it; Heart Rate Training.

The talk is given by Dr Leslie Nelson, a naturopath and Nutritionist from the Clear Water Clinic. She gave me my VO2 Max test last year. She had several very good points, like:

1. If you are exhausted after your long run, and feel like sleeping the afternoon away, you are working at too high a HR.
2. If you are working at too high a HR, you will burn muscle, not fat.
3. Fat needs an oxygen rich environment to burn, too high a HR, and your Oxygen transferred to the cells diminishes.
4. If you are starved after your long run, and want to eat everything in the house, you were most likely burning muscle, not fat.

That last point was the one that really caught my ear. I have been running most of my long runs at the upper end of my fat burning range so far this year, at least according to last year’s VO2 test. But her statement about eating had me going back over my runs, and my nutrition on those days.
Yesterday was a great run, I felt good and kept my average close to 160 – within my fat burning range. Yesterday food was the last thing I wanted, and even though I kept moving most of the day, I had to force myself to eat throughout the day.
Last week, my average HR was 168, creeping into my aerobic zone. I remember last Sunday, and I ate…too much…I didn’t track because it was such a bad eating day.
The week before, average HR 166, still in fat burning zone, but right on the limit…and I ate…and ate…and ate.

I am thinking about redoing my VO2 max test soon for my baseline for this year….and discussing with her ways I can bring my HR down while still increasing my speed. As well as how and what to eat for my activity level, while still taking the weight I gained over the winter back off.

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A Letter to My Friend

Friday, May 07, 2010

I hope you didn't cry.

There's no need to! LONG SLOW DISTANCE is all about going slower than race pace...letting your body get used to the mileage without hurting it. It is all about building the endurance so when you NEED your legs to push a little harder, and your lungs to breath a little deeper, and your muscles to fire a little faster...these long slow distance runs (and the hills) will have given us that ability. Our minds will do the rest.

That's why I decided to start over. That's why I decided to forget about the Newport Marathon and concentrate instead on HTC and Portland, and what ever comes after that. I lost a lot being injured and depressed. Now I have to build it back. I'll do that by being SLOW, and STEADY, and HAVING FUN! I have a feeling if I'd kept try to push myself to run the miles needed to do Newport, I'd end up not running ANYTHING in the end.

So...enjoy the process, love your body, and laugh at that route instead.

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