The Philadelphia Marathon - Sunday, 21st November 2010

Run Up

I have not posted anything in ages as there was not much going on. My training was going really badly, and I felt overwhelmed by some of the choices I might have to make.  These are potentially life-changing, and given the accelerated rate of change in our lives over the past few years, I had a bit of a melt down.  I have been feeling quite worn out, both physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.  My running came to a halt, as it seemed a bit futile to me at the time.  I have realized that this is an area I need to sort out as I want next year to be different.  Anyway, on a positive note, I actually managed to take the exam I had been thinking about!  I still don't know the outcome, but I feel it was a step forward in unblocking a stagnant situation.

Friday

At work very few people know that I run, and those who have an inkling, have no idea of what that entails. So on Friday, in response to the eternal question of "So what are you doing this weekend?", I told a few people that I was going to Philadelphia to do the marathon, and they seemed shocked. Now, even though my training had fallen apart, I was convinced of one thing:  I would run that marathon, and I would finish it.  The only way I would not, would be if they carried me off the course in a wooden box.  The physical aspect did not concern me either.  By the time Friday evening rolled around, I knew 2 things for certain: I would have a tremendous marathon experience and I would never waiver mentally. 

Saturday

                     Approach to Philly


I flew to Philly in the morning, and then went to pick up my race packet.  I felt anxious and a bit sad that Stuart was not with me, but I walked around a bit and chatted to a few people.  Since I had no clue about what I was going to wear, I asked for some advice.  In the end I wore something I bought at the expo, but more on that later.  I promised myself no trawling around the expo for hours on end, so I left and had a short walk around the city centre.  Philadelphia is simply stunning with it's beautiful Art Deco buildings.  





  











After a quick lunch at the Reading Terminal Market, a wonderful indoor market with everything from Amish pickles to yummy Greek baklava dipped in honey, I went back to the hotel and decided to try on my race outfit to see if it was comfortable enough.  On went my newly purchased CW-X Pro Tights after all, if they are good enough to be worn by cheetahs (minus the hole for the tail), they are good enough for me!  OK, I was not just taken in by the publicity, but I had read about them on the Julie, the Hotlegs Runner's blog, and since I have some IT band issues after a long run, the idea of supporting those muscles and the quads seemed like a great idea. Dear all, let me say that was probably the best purchase I made this year.  It was amazing, and yes, it did support my IT band very well.

I had planned on wearing this.......

  but ended up wearing this other stuff instead..

Sunday


I spent an almost sleepless night and was up at 4pm.  I got to the Philadelphia Art Museum around 6:00am, as I was staying at the airport (and took the train in).  What a beautiful morning!  A bit nippy, but it promised to be warm.  

                                                                  

Now I know what Rocky really saw from the steps of the PAM....

The Race

Was exciting, with a terrific atmosphere.  My corral started at 7:30am, and was the last to go.  The route passes through the Museum District, Chinatown, the Historic District, University District etc, and really showcases this stunning city. Philly is also very green with lovely shady areas, and hilly woods.  I seemed to be trotting along at a decent pace, until I lost the group I was running with around mile 10, as I had to make a stop, and there was a 10 minute queue at the porta potties!  Things moved along until mile 14 when an aching back suddenly seized up. I had to lie down on the ground and stretch it out until it  loosened up a bit.  My new tights really came into their own around mile 20.  Usually my hips and the sides of my thighs are in agony, but they were fine in their new CW-X casing.  My back started up again and I walked for a bit, then ran on until I needed to stop again.  Miles 22 and 23 were a bit hard, and I felt like crying for no apparent reason.  But I also felt rather happy, so no tears came.  All I could do was call out to the others (who were doing the same to me), and tell them what an awesome job they were doing.  It took my mind off things, and miles 24 and 25 were a slow jog.  I had a bit of a walk at mile 26, and then ran about three quarters of a mile.  When I finished, I had nothing left in the tank, and although I was feeling physically sick, it went hand in hand with another very cool feeling: I had completed something I had set my mind to. Perhaps not in the way I had originally imagined, but I did the business, and got the job done despite everything else that had been going on. It really was a great learning curve, even though it took me 6:15.  At work no one asked for my time, but everyone asked me if I had finished.....

Thank you Fran, and yes I do wish you lived nearer, as I would have loved for you to have come to Philly (maybe another time.....)  a shout out to Stefano, Yogi and Johann who never seemed to doubt that if I could do 20 miles I could do the marathon. A big thank you to Christina who helped me early on in my programme as I was suffering with some minor ailments....and thanks for keeping me on the programme on fb.  Thank you for the good wishes Hungry Runner girl, Ole, Mary, Alan and Jenny.  A very  unexpected source of support came from a group of colleagues, ranging from Rachel who wanted to fly out with me to Philly (and then had a family crisis to attend to), to a few people who wrote me such sweet notes of encouragement (Indra, Eileen), the good wishes (Colleen, Irache,) finally to Kathy who rang me up to ask if I wanted a place on the MMRF team to run Boston next year (which I declined by the way).

I feel like I have finally gotten the monkey off my back and that  my Annus Horribilis is drawing to a close. For the moment though, I am looking forward to the massage I have booked for tomorrow evening!

  

World Run Day - 7 November 2010 - Summary

Today was World Run Day, and it coincided with my first ever 20  mile run.  I had been looking forward to this run, because as you know I have not been having such a great time on the running front.  Well, the first few miles were fine, then it started getting a bit challenging and finally it seemed like these miles were stretching on into eternity!  But I got through it all, and ran miles 19 and 20 hard.  Afterwards I needed a brief rest before getting into the shower, so that I could collect my thoughts and muscles, both of which seemed to have gone on a walkabout.
I am going to Philadelphia. I booked my flight, and I will book my hotel shortly. Unfortunately Stuart will be away in Switzerland, and not here for an exam I am taking on the 18th, my marathon, my birthday, and Thanksgiving! That's too bad, but I am going to make sure that I have a rocking time all the same. In a way, it's quite exciting, as I hope to have lots to tell him when he gets back.
Anyway, many thanks to everyone who joined me on World Run Day - I thought about all of you as I was mashing through the miles.  I really appreciated it, and as you may know, World Run Day is rather special to me.  Indeed, shortly before getting out of the door, I did wonder if today might indeed be the day that the sky fell on my head.  As you can see, it didn't.
I have a small thank you to send to all those who participated in World Run Day, so please send me your addresses.....In the meantime, thanks to Johann, and to Stefano who I definitely know have participated.

Salem's Wicked half marathon race report

Today, as part of my training programme, I did the Wicked half marathon in Salem.  It was a bit hot, and around 80°F at the start.  Given last week's less than sterling long run, I tweaked this week's training and was looking forward to seeing how it would all turn out.  We set off at around 5:30am since the race was starting at 7 and I still had to pick up my race packet etc.  I had an espresso, and then a chocolate underground yoghurt in the car as I find it difficult to eat so early in the morning.
Let me just come out and say it:  the race rocked!  I finished it in 2:31.  Considering that the time for the last half (Boston's Race to Remember in May) was 2:40 AND I was wrecked afterwards, I was rather pleased with this one.  I ran strongly, and felt good throughout.  Even more amazing is the fact that I have no physical pain!  Usually after a long run I have real pain in my muscles - nothing that a few Advils cannot fix, but still.  Today, I finished and felt as fresh as a rose!  I had a quick bathroom break at around mile 5, and walked a few times during the last mile to catch my breath, and also because it was starting to feel that I was going to start running slowly, and I did not want to do that.  Those short walks helped me recover and finish strong.

What I did differently this week:
1) I did my 3 workouts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and I put my heart into them.  I rested on Thursday and Friday.
2) Drank lots of water especially on Friday, when I also ate my meals quite early.  I had dinner at around 5:30pm, since we usually eat quite late - that was wise as I sometimes wake up feeling 'undigested'.
3)  Although I only managed 1 weight session this week, I actually 'felt' strong in my core.  Whether it was my muscles or my mind, I do not know, but I do know that the feeling of strength comes from feeling that you have your workouts under control - or at any rate that you are trying your best.

The race:
I love the Salem/Marblehead area.  It is on the sea, so you feel and smell the sea when you bike or run.  Salem is also quite hilly, so the first five miles were a combination of hills and flats...quite gentle ones though.  As you can see from the map, we then ran across this bridge, to Marblehead neck.  This a terrific part of the town.  These are good hills, and for my Marblehead triathlon last year, I had to cycle 3 times around the neck.  If you remember I only learned to ride a bike last year, and had not quite mastered the art of getting out of the saddle.  So I had to do all these hills sitting down, and peddle ferociously, because they are quite steep, and if you stop, I am not sure you can start on that kind of hill again!  
Anyway, I know the course well, and I loved accelerating up those hills today.  I sprinted up them, and what a great feeling that was - especially since I remembered to keep the pace going on the downhill as well, rather than relaxing.  Two rather surprising songs for uphill and then downhill sprints are Part -time Lover and Take Me Home Country Roads.  In fact I would go as far as saying I could have run the entire race with those 2 songs....for some reason today, that was the right beat! But most importantly, I felt happy.  Yes, today I felt like I did Run like Hermes - messenger of the gods, with wings on my feet.  This is the first time that I can say I actually felt like that!

Conclusion:
You all gave me some great advice, which I took, and what you have said is true indeed.  I made sure to have enough rest, and kept up the quality in my training sessions this week, which resulted in a good run today.  I realize that I might be over-simplifying things somewhat, but I needed to have a good run today, and see at what point my training is.  My running confidence has been renewed, and I am ready for week 12.  In the meantime, all that running around Marblehead today made me want to cycle!  So tomorrow morning, a bike ride is on the cards.

                    Mile 13:  I may look a bit hallucinatory, but I am actually smiling in this pic!

                                                  A pic just before driving back to Boston.

Boston's Race to Remember - half marathon

                                          (photo courtesy of race website)

Yesterday, Sunday 30 May, I ran my first official half marathon.  My previous 2 were run on my birthday, and on World Run Day, and rather than pay the fee for an official race, I donated the money to charity instead.  Admittedly I had not done much training for the race on Sunday, and I had signed up for it about 2 weeks ago, in the hope that it would inspire and push me to challenge my limits.  I do not recommend this to anyone, as this is a terrible strategy, but I desperately needed to do a race, which would make me feel that anything is possible.  I managed to get in a couple of early morning runs,  and 2 long runs of 8 and 11 miles respectively.  No hills, and no fartlek training.  My goal was to run, and finish the race.
On Saturday morning Stuart and I drove down to the Seaport World Trade Centre to pick up my race number.  There was a small expo, and a huge crowd of people.  On race day, there were more than 8000 people.  We also signed up as bone marrow donors, and were entered into the international database.  this was something that I had been thinking about for a while, and had already discussed with Stuart.  Both of us were blood donors, but after the BSE or mad cow disease in the UK, Stuart was not allowed to donate anymore.  On moving to the US, the same is true.  Since we have both lived in the UK and Europe (which had both BSE and TSE), the US will not accept us for fear of variant CJD.  So it was really good to have the opportunity to register on Saturday.
I wanted to run in shorts yesterday, but opted for capris at the last moment, and I think it was a wise decision, since I like to cover up when it is particularly hot.  The best running decision I ever made, was to wear my Camelbak 1.5L hydration pack.  I usually drink a lot, and the weather has been rather warm here in Boston - on average around 80°F everyday.  Well, Sunday morning, Stuart drove me down to the  race start, arriving around 7:30ish, and already it was 84°F!  After the national anthem, we were off.  I stood near the back, since I knew my pace would be around 12m/mile.  By the time we set off, I was already sweating profusely.
It was a hill start, and we ran over a bridge, then another.  I had a few quick sips of water after that, and heard people asking when the water stop was coming up.  The first one came up around mile 2, and there were so many people just standing there, drinking.  I ran on, towards another bridge....Boston really is quite hilly!  Anyway, at this point the sun was beating down mercilessly, and people had started walking.  I passed a few, and then we over the Longfellow bridge, down Memorial Drive and continued to Harvard University, before doubling back, this time cutting through Back Bay, passing Boston Common, up down Commonwealth Avenue, and back to the start/finish.
The highlight of my run, was on the way back up Memorial Drive, as I neared Harvard Bridge and looked up, I saw Stuart standing there.  It was so unexpected, that that, and a combination of the incredible heat, made me burst into tears!  Let it be said, it is hard to run, cry and breathe at the same time!  It stopped as suddenly as it had started, since immediately beyond the bridge, was another hill.  All in all, I counted around 5 water stations - too few for such a hot day.  I stopped a couple of times to have some gatorade, and throughout the race there were people who were collapsing with either heat exhaustion, or a liquid overdose.  I guess it must be quite difficult to know how much to drink at a water station, especially when your internal thermometer has gone haywire.
The miles flew by.  I did not suffer, I just got through them.  One after the other.  I knew I did not have a hope in hell of picking up the speed, but that was not what this race was about.  I ran all the hills, and yes, it did feel good passing all those people walking up them.  Sure, some of them eventually sped past me, but that was fine.  I truly felt that I ran my own race.  Around mile 11 my hip joints started feeling a bit achy, so I walked for a bit, had some gatorade, then ran on.  At mile 11 and a half they felt seriously achy, and I thought of Paavo Nurmi's quote on my blog - the bit about muscles being bits of rubber.  Well rubber bounces, just like muscles  and nothing can really happen to them.  I am not running fast enough to injure anything, so why stop?  That got me to mile 12.
The last mile my darling pussycat Mr Jones, got me through.  Stuart had recently taken a day off, but had a conference call with Geneva.  He went into the bedroom to take it, and closed the door shutting out Mr Jones and Toffy (our other pussy).  Naturally Mr J. wanted to get in and no amount of coaxing could get him to stop trying to open the door.  Not even an offering of catnip.  He looked at it, licked his lips and turned back to the door.  That will power and determination was amazing to see.  He wanted Stuart - nothing else.  Well, I thought, if he could do it, so can I.  And I breezed through mile 13 and the point 1. I crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 40 minutes, and I was so pleased that I had started and finished this race!  There were  no more medals, as they had taken entries on the morning itself, and had therefore run out.  Hopefully they will post me one.
After a bottle of water, and some stretching, I took a leisurely walk to the T, and went home.  After a shower, a banana and 2 boiled eggs, I fell asleep.  Afterwards I read on the race website that someone had moved some of the cones, so that the runners missed a water stop.  There were other snafus as well, and these are currently being addressed by the race director.  Well, today saw a nice walk as my hips are still a bit stiff, but I am hoping to go for a run tomorrow morning!    More about the race nutrition in another post....I am in need of some more rest....

World Run Day - 8 November 2009

Today was World Run Day, and it was also my 'one year anniversary'.  It is exactly one year to the day that I went for my first run outdoors on my own. In a post of the same title one year ago, I blogged about what a huge step this was for me, running without a partner or my team. That first run was a 5 miler, and I felt relatively sure that I would complete it within an hour. And indeed I did - after that it seemed like a whole new dimension in running opened up.
A couple of weeks ago I signed up for the 2009 World Run Day. It was exhilirating and I felt excited because I was keen to see how far I had progressed this year. Therefore I felt that I had to do something special. One of my goals this year is to run 2 half marathons, but so far I have not yet managed to sign up for anything. This is partially due to my foot woes, partially because I have not managed to nail down a programme and a lot to do with motivation.
It is easy enough to feel motivated in your head, but when there is a disconnect with your determination, nothing happens. Well, after I found my new running programme, I decided to try and squeeze in the 2 half marathons before the end of the year, using the long runs. World Run Day provided me with one of those 'long run' opportunities, so I signed up for 13.1 miles.
Having learned a lesson from last Sunday, I prepared everything meticulously last night. I put out my clothes, my shoes and my snack. I made sure to eat all the right things and drink lots of fluids. I was up early today, and it promised to be a stunning day as I peeped out of the living room window. The sky was turning pink and the Boston skyline was silhouetted in the emerging sunbeams. I am out of GUs and hammergels, so last night I decided that a mini kitkat snack bar would do the job if I started feeling weak kneed on the run.
I started the run at 7am this morning and it was a marvelous feeling! Not only did I reflect on the sheer joy of running, abut also on this past year. It was a great run, and even though the last 3 miles were a bit tough in that I could not run as fast as I wanted, I enjoyed every second of it. I completed my first half marathon, made a donation to charity, and also gained some valuable experience in running longer distances.
I usually have an espresso before my outdoor runs and my races, but this morning I had some porridge. Unfortunately I do not like eating so early in the morning, but wanted to eat something. The problem was that I only had 10 minutes between finishing breakfast and starting the run. So the first 5 miles were slow, as my system tried to digest! The middle miles were great and I felt quite strong, I picked up the pace a bit and felt I was making a decent time. However the last 3 miles were quite tortuous. I had the legs to finish, but they also felt a bit tired at the same time! Still, this was a very useful experience, and I know what to try and do differently next time. Who knows, I might even find a half marathon to sign up for.

Pics of the Danskin and Witch City Triathlons

I did the Witch City Tri as a relay. Nancy did the swim, Stuart the bike and myself the run. Awful pic, but my excuse is that I was sick thereafter!

Triathlon by the Sea transition tips

1. I asked for some advice in a tri forum prior to my triathlon, and I got some really good advice.  In addition to the advice they gave me, I found out the following:  Since I was wearing a 2 piece for the entire race, I thought I did not really need a lot of stuff.  So I practised the transition the night before a few times, and it was good to visual everything in the proper order. Come race day it was raining, and I left everything in a bag, but sorted it out in the transition order I had practised. 
2. I knew I would be a bit slow in the swim, but I was told to give it a good go on the bike.  I set off hell for leather, and actually caught and overtook a few people. I started slowly though, and warmed my legs up a bit - or tried to! 
3. Know exactly where the timing mats are as you transition. I thought I knew, but after the swim, I spent a few minutes getting my glasses from my friend, and chatting with her, before she said you should get going! I then had to sprint out to try and find the timing mat which the volunteers pointed out. 
4. I do not regret chatting with my friend because it allowed me to feel the joy of having actually completed the swim! Another good piece of advice I received was to talk to the other people around me was well heeded. The woman who had her bike racked next to mine, helped me, as I did not have a clue what to do, I met her at the swim and since she had done this same tri 2 years ago, kept telling me what an awesome thing I was doing! 
5. My husband was in Germany, so I took a friend with me and another met me there. Do not go alone, it is super to have a girlfriend there, cheering for you. I am certainly going to return the favour to someone else! 
6. I ran without socks, which I am used to. However it was raining and I did get a few blisters. Still for a short race it's not too bad.. not sure about longer ones though. 
7. I wore flip flops from the pool to T1 area. If you do that, get ones which are slip in slip out, not with a V front. I struggled to get them on, and then struggled to keep them on in the downhill run to the T1 area in the rain. 
8. Have a snack you are used to. I usually have fig newman's when I run, and I had the same at the tri. 1 is enough as there is no time for more. I had very little breakfast, so was starving after the bike. Do not wrap in foil though! 

I am sure I could have done a lot of things a lot more efficiently, but the best advice I got from this forum , was to relax, enjoy and FINISH.

9th Annual Triathlon by the Sea

On Sunday 17 May 2009, I completed my first triathlon. The 9th annual Triathlon by the Sea is a sprint triathlon, consisting of a 250 yard pool swim, a 10 mile bike ride, and a 3.5 mile run. The pool at the Jewish Cultural Centre in Marblehead has 6 lanes, and starts from a depth of 3.5 feet, and dropping down to 12 feet. Since it was going to be a pool swim, all participants had to send in their lap times to the race director, you were then seeded, and this would determine your start time on race day.
On race day there would be 15 seconds separating you from the person in front and behind. You would run over the timing carpet, and on jumping into the pool, you would swim up the first lane, duck under the lane barrier, swim down lane 2 and then up again, before ducking under into the next lane, until the final length in the last lane which was to be straight down. On exiting the pool, you would have to run outside on your way to the transition area, and you would pass over another timing carpet which would lock in your swim time. Both T1 and T2 times would be included in the bike leg. The run section of the tri meant running over a timing carpet on starting and ending the race, to lock in your run time.
Sunday finally arrived with rain and thunder. I was up at 4am, had an espresso, checked my bag one final time and put on my Zoot 2-piece tri suit. Since Stuart was in Germany for work, my dear friend Kathy was coming to Marblehead with me. Pata had said that she would meet us there, since she had biking lessons later that day, and would need to leave before the end of the triathlon. Kathy and I got to Marblehead, and it was still raining heavily. After parking on the hill, we went to pick up my race number - after which I was marked with my number on my right calf and right arm.
I had forgotten about this rite, and it felt pretty cool, though admittedly I was far from the state of mind to enjoy it. I was not anxious, and had had a pretty decent night's sleep - quite unlike my state prior to a road race! I had also made a strong determination that I would enjoy the swim. If I could enjoy the swim, what was there not to enjoy about the bike and the run? All I needed to do was to finish the swim to get to the next stage - however long it took. With this in mind, I reigned in my mind, and refused to think of anything, other than the swim I was about to enjoy.
We met up with Pata and walked down to the transition area. It was still raining quite heavily, and in the end, I left all my stuff in my bag, near the bike. I only had 5 items anyway - helmet and shoes for T1 and a race belt with my number for T2. A towel and a snack wrapped in foil were the other 2 items. I took off my track bottoms, hoodie and shoes, put them in the car, and we walked off to the spectators area above the pool.
Then suddenly the swims started and people were flying through the water. I was near the bottom of the list, since my time for the 10 lengths was 10:37. I finally went down to the pool area and started chatting with everyone who was waiting around. It was great, and people were really nice. All too soon I was up. I got into the pool and started swimming. I was soon overtaken, but continued in my leisurely fashion. I needed to stay calm and finish the swim, but above all, I wanted to enjoy it. It took forever, and I was the last person out of the pool, but the sense of joy was non-pareil. I had actually finished it, and now I could enjoy the rest of the tri! It was raining even more heavily when I got outside, I dried my feet, shoved them inside the shoes, and started running down the hill with my bike. I mounted it on Atlantic Avenue, as we were not allowed to prior to a certain point.
I pushed off and cycled, trying to warm up my cold legs. The wind was howling as I neared Marblehead Neck, but that was of no import. Up the neck I went and actually passed a few people. Since we were supposed to do 3 loops, I had no idea what loop they were on. I flew down the hills, held off the brakes, and felt like a million dollars. Yes, I had the confidence in myself to relax and enjoy it - it was an amazing thing, words cannot translate those feelings but it made me want to learn more and improve my cycling technique.
Soon, I was cycling back to the JCC for the final transition. It was still raining, but at this point, I think everyone had forgotten about it. On starting the run, I could no longer feel my legs: they were so cold, but at the same time, they were burning. This was not something I had encountered in any bricks! I was 2 miles into the run before my legs got some feeling back. I know I did not run very fast, but I did not really care. I enjoyed it, and arrived back at the JCC without feeling knackered, but feeling that finally I was ready to run a 10 miler! I ran over the final timing carpet and FINISHED!!!!
It was a moment that I will always remember: nothing really prepares you for it. After my wedding day, this is the most amazing moment of my life. I had done that thing and I could not believe it. In that moment I felt that I could do anything. Nothing is an obstacle except in my mind. I had learned to ride a bike, I had successfully controlled my fear of deep water and I had fulfilled my dream of doing a triathlon. I had already signed up for a second triathlon prior to doing this one, but I signed myself and Stuart up for another - which has the same bike course in Marblehead. Both of these are open water swims of half a mile. The first is in a lake, whilst the second is in the sea. These are new challenges for me, but I am no longer afraid. That does not mean that the fear will not return, but I will get over this one day - because I have done it before.
One of the most immediate benefits was my ability to ride on a road with traffic. Admittedly not a major thoroughfare, but certainly busy enough. When Stuart suggested this ride whilst we were in Gloucester for the Memorial day weekend, I said yes immediately, without fear, and I enjoyed it too. My next swim goals are to learn to swim properly, learn another stroke besides the front crawl, learn to swim in open water and learn to tread water. My next bike goals are to cycle with my saddle at the correct height, learn to get out of the saddle, learn to drink whilst riding and relax enough to take my hands off the brakes!

I finished the triathlon in 1:45:12 (13:22; 55:55; 35:55). I placed 26/30 in my age group, and 216 in a field of 230. On with the next!

An Ras Mor - 22 March 2009

The An Ras Mor was the first of 6 races in the New England Pub Series, held in Cambridge.  The race organised by the Somerville Road Runners, donated the money to the Cambridge Family and Children's Service.  The race bib and time chip pick up was the Saturday before, in the dining room at the Asgard pub.  Indeed, the course was advertised as "fast and flat" - since it would take place on Massachusetts Avenue, the main drag in Cambridge!

Sunday dawned cold, chilly and grey.  Notwithstanding my getting up early, I made it to the starting line with 5 minutes to spare.  I just about managed to drag on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and to my shame did not even manage to wash my face!  I did however manage to squeeze in a mile long warm up, and teeth almost chattering, stood with 1000 other brave souls in shorts too, in -2ºC temperatures.  Thankfully the gun sounded and we were off.  Immediately I felt tired and my legs felt heavy.  As soon as we turned the corner onto Mass Ave, I knew this would be a long race.  Part of the heaviness was due to the fact that I had only managed 1 run all week, as a series of dentist and doctor's appointments had left me reeling.  

On and on we ran, and it seemed to me that everyone and their dog passed me by.  All the familiar shops and restaurants passed by in a blur.  Then Harvard Square loomed, and we looped around it, before starting back down Mass Ave.  I just felt myself running out of steam, usually I have something left in the tank, but not on Sunday.  At this point I would have been grateful just to finish the race.

We passed the Cambridge fire station, and all the firemen had come out to watch the race, I was too tired even to wave to them.  Then we turned down Sidney Street, and on towards the finish line.  As I crossed the line, I looked at the board which read 27:45.  From that I knew I had knocked off a few seconds, and when the final results were posted outside on the pub windows, my official time was 27:21.  This put my split at 8:49, and I placed 22/52 in my age group, and 514 in a field of 976.

I was pleased with my improved time, even though this race was the most tiring to date. If I ever manage to get down to an 8:30 split, I am going to buy a pair of racing shoes!  No more races for April though, as I need to do some work on the bike and go swimming.  So, all focus on the triathlon training - though I might do the cross country James Joyce race at the end of April.  Who can resist running the 6 miles, each interspersed with readings from a selection of his works?  This promises to be great fun for all!

An Ethical Dilemma - Part III or the Ras na hEireann 5K

Sunday 15 March turned out to be a beautiful day.  I took the T up to Davis Square, and walked toward the starting line.  This time I lined up near the front of the 9 minute section, as the last time I was too far back, and it was really difficult to get past people.  I was not feeling particularly festive, partially because I felt a bit of a fraud.  After all my pontifications, here I was stood, lined up, waiting to race.  The truth of the matter was that I wanted that medal, and that had overridden all other feelings.

So, not feeling that great, I decided that if I could not enjoy the race, at least I could try and run a wee bit faster.  It was a slow start, but as soon as our section took off, I started out hard.  I tried to slow myself down because a collapse is immanent halfway through the race, but I just kept going.  For the first time ever, I had decided to race with my ipod, and tried to pace myself with "take on me" by a-ha.

To no avail, I just ran like a banshee out of hell.  In the end, just after the 2 mile mark was a water stop, and I forced myself to stop, drink and walk for a few minutes.  Then off I went again, and soon found myself on the bike path.  That usually means the end is close by.  This time however, it seemed to go on forever and it was really hard to sprint.  I told myself to step on it, and had no idea what the clock said in the end, as I could hardly see!

I picked up my medal, a bottle of water, and took the T home.  Finally the results were posted.  Mind you, I am still slow, but compared to my previous time, I have improved by 6% in 4 months!  I did my second 5K in 27:56, which means my split was 9 minutes.  I placed 49/219 in my age group, and 1806 in a total field of 4150.  

My next 5K is on Sunday, and this time I am going to do a mile warm up first.  I find it a bit difficult to go out fast, and am wondering if a warm up makes any difference.  I decided to post one of the race pics (courtesy of Ted Tyler), with me looking like the very banshee aforementioned in this post.   Perhaps I should consider buying a pair of sunglasses which might make me look less agonised!

In conclusion, I am glad I ran.  I had a great time, contributed to a good cause, and improved my time.  The race also gave me a moment for reflection and yes, I am still going to write that letter to the race organiser, Paulie.

Race up Boston Place - a few pics

A video of Race up Boston Place......

Race Up Boston Place, 7th Feb 2009

I awoke with a sore throat and chest, with lungs feeling tightly squeezed. Following Liz Yelling's advice of a hot shower to loosen the muscles, I made the mistake of having a coffee rather than my usual expresso. Wearing capri tights and a t-shirt, I rushed out and Stuart drove me to 'my' building, aka the Mellon Financial Centre.
On entering the atrium, there was a tremendous atmosphere - great music, lots of people around, a few tables piled high with fruit and other goodies from one of the event sponsors, Whole Foods. After I picked up my bib and timing chip, I found a quiet (relatively!) spot and after putting the chip around my wrist, did a few lunges. The atmosphere was electric and the crowd was very different from the running types. There were some very fit, very well hard looking people with muscles in all the right places, who looked like they had actually been practising properly for this event.
Well, I barely had time to chat with a few people standing nearby, when they called for numbers 151-199 to line up. I was 151. Standing in the queue was surreal - I could no longer hear anything except the electronic beeps as the competitors in front of me swiped their chips on the table before they ran off and disappeared around a corner. Twenty seconds separate the chaser, the chasee and the new chaser (no pressure eh). I put in my earphones just as I was being counted down. "Go", the starter shouted, and I sprinted off, also disappearing around the corner and started on my first flight of stairs.
I managed to sprint up 20 floors to the words of Mortal Kombat: Choose your destiny, flawless victory! before my lungs caught alight. Luckily there was a rest stop on level 22, and after a drink of water I sprinted off again. This time the burn in my lungs became so intense I could hardly breathe. I switched off the ipod and just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, all the while listening for my chaser, whose footsteps I could hear getting closer. He caught me at the second water station, but I chased hard and caught him.
He kindly stepped aside and allowed me to pass, and after running up a few more flights I had to walk for a bit. At this point my mind collapsed and I kept thinking that I still had 50 more floors to do whereas in reality I only had 10. This made it seem like a Herculean task. Imagine my surprise when one of the volunteers said "you're almost there". And indeed, as I sprinted up the last flight, there was the finish. I had barely swiped my chip when my chaser caught me and swiped his too.
I managed to grab a bottle of water and get to a bin, when I started throwing up. Naturally this brought the paramedics over. I felt so embarrassed and explained that I had just been a bit ill recently, nothing more. After the third throwing up, they wanted to give me medical treatment - now feeling properly embarrassed, I decided to settle for the black bag they offered me.
As I walked towards the lift to go down, one woman was being administered oxygen, another was having her bp measured, and a guy was lying on the floor in the angel position, whilst another was being helped to a chair. OK, so although I felt bad for them, I was happy that I was not the only one with all the drama!
Arriving downstairs to pick up my t-shirt, there waiting to hand it to me, was Carrie!!!! Sweet Carrie had decided to surprise me, and signed up in the week to volunteer for the event! "I've been waiting for you", she said. I was so happy - it is a truly nice thing when your friends and family come and support you at these events. Whilst I was disappointed that Carrie had not managed to sign up in time to participate herself, I was so glad that she was there. And I look forward to supporting her at one of her events. We chatted for a bit, and made a few arrangements to go down to Hyannis together, as we are both doing the 10K, and hopefully Kathy managed to get a place too.
As I left to take the T home, I felt elated. I had done it! But nothing compared to my absolute joy and elation when the results were posted last night - 10:29. Yes, I had done it in 10:29!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I placed 25/43 in my age group, and 317 in a field of 558. I started thinking about what might have been if I had practised some more. The winner of my age division did it in 6:37. I immediately promised myself that next year, I would train to win it. I will certainly give it my best shot - as Derderian says, "Boldly train to go where you have never gone before". I have never consciously set out to win anything - but maybe it's time to up the ante a little bit. I should at least try!

Super Sunday 5K/10K, Feb. 1, 2009

The Marathon Sports Super Sunday 5K/10K race took place on Sunday 1st February. I had signed up for the 10K (my first timed 10K ever), and the route would provide runners with a spectacular tour of Boston's growing Seaport district with amazing waterfront views of the city and harbor.
The event started and finished at Legal Sea Foods' corporate headquarters, passed by the Harpoon Brewery, the Bank of America Pavillion and the Seaport World Trade Center. We continued through Fan Pier, passing the new ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) before turning at the Moakley Federal Courthouse. Then came a few yards along the Harborwalk with its stunning panoramic views of downtown Boston.
The day was chilly with grey skies, but thankfully with no harsh winds or snow. I thought of wearing a balaclava, (I still have mine from a snowmobiling trip in the Arctic), but thought I would brave it without. As it turned out, there were 2 others in balaclavas, but it was bearably cold.
I met Carrie at my stop and we went down to South Station together and got the complimentary bus to the harbour. That too was a blessing, because although I was wearing my new (midzero) Sugoi tights, my legs were starting to feel a bit nippy. I was glad that I did not have any bags to check in as the queue was so long. In fact Carrie and I had lined up already but Kathy was still in the bag queue! I guess the idea must have been that since the race is chip timed, it does not really matter when you start. Still, I do not think I would be a particularly happy bunny if I were in a queue waiting to drop off my bag, and had to watch everyone surge off without me!
Well, I did the warm up prior to the race and then mooched off to the start. It seemed like we were standing there for a while, when finally people started moving. And then we were off, I started off cautiously and stopped for a drink at the 3 mile mark. At mile 4.5 I saw the clock at 40 minutes and knew I had to pick up the pace a bit. After that, I have no idea of clocks or times, until I saw the sign marking 6 miles. The final 200 yards seemed to go on forever, but high-fiving a little girl wearing pink gloves along the way, made me forget the discomfort, as well as to sprint! Furthermore, I was smiling so much thinking about that high five, that I forgot to look at the time board when I crossed the finish line.
That meant that I had no idea how I had done, and had to wait until Monday when the results were posted to discover that I had finished in 57:33. My split was 28:48, which meant that my average speed was 9:16. I placed 21/33 in my age group, and placed 476 out of a field of 731. Although I was pleased with the result, I am going to try and polish off a few seconds in the Hyannis 10K which comes up on 22nd.
It was a lovely day, I had my first taste of New England Clam Chowder, but skipped the beer as they asked me for ID!!!!! The best part? We raised more than $10,000 for Live strong and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Somerville Jingle Bell Run: Sunday 14th December, 5K

So, I had seen this race advertised at the same time I signed up for the Gobble x3.  It was organised by the Somerville Striders Athletic Club, and in 2007 had been hosted as the 'Bill Rodgers Jingle Bell Run'.  This year it was the 'Second Somerville Jingle Bell Run' as Bill Rodgers was away.  The weather had been coldish over the last few weeks and although I had run outside a few times, I felt I could have done more.  During the last week leading up to the race I did not train very much at all, and had Stuart's office do on the Friday night and friends for dinner on Saturday night.  I awoke on Sunday feeling that I had eaten and drunk rather a lot!

There was pre-race pick up of bibs and t-shirts during the week at various locations, so that thankfully was one less thing to contend with.  Also, my friend Kathy had agreed to participate too, so I was very excited at that.  Not that we would run together mind you, as Kathy is a proper runner and she runs fast!  Originally we had decided to dress as elves, but between sorting out the putty ears and yellow and green tights, the idea fell to the wayside.  On the morning of the race she rang to say that she had twisted her ankle and was only going to come to support me.  I was a bit disappointed for her, but when we met up, she decided to walk it instead.  Yay for Kathy!  I was so pleased. 

The atmosphere was tremendous, and you knew that it was going to be a good race from the pre-race warm up music of Maria Carey's 'All I want for Christmas is you' to Jose Feliciano's 'Feliz Navidad'.  The santas, elves and gingerbread persons were impressive, but none more so than the group of reindeer with santa.  My christmas spirit contribution comprised a hairband covered with holly and ivy, and Kathy had one too (next year we will run in something more becoming the holidays).  The main street was packed and Kathy and I were huddled down a side street waiting our turn to start.  And then we were off!  Like my previous race this one was also chip timed, so there was no stress to push to the starting line.  I said bye bye to Kathy and Stuart, and said we would meet up in Starbucks afterwards.  

The street was packed with runners and it meant that I could settle into the race nicely.  This time I hoped to finish in no more than 35 minutes.  I ran at a quickish pace (or at least so it seemed) and this time I by-passed the water station as I had a nice rhythm going and didn't want to stop.  A few hills and lots of spectators, but the best was just running on a beautiful sunny morning with your breath frosting before your very eyes.

Suddenly I realised that we might be nearing the end, as we were on a bike path and on the map, this signified the end.  So, I picked up the pace which was not easy as the path was packed, and started sprinting towards the finish line.  As I crossed the finish the time indicated 31:57 (gun) and I felt pretty pleased with that.  I gave back the chip, picked up my medal and walked off to Starbucks with Stuart to  meet Kathy.  In the end we didn't stay as the place was heaving. After a cappucino and a brioche at Toscanini's we went home.  When the results were posted Kathy finished in 38:34 with a 12:25 split - not bad for someone walking/jogging on a twisted ankle.  She placed 40/53 in her age group and 3044 out of 3181.  My time was 29:25 with a 9:29 split!  I placed 86/199 in my age group and 1850 in a total field of 3181.  Although I don't have any pics, these are from the coolrunning website by Ted Tyler -  posted with permission.

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Other people's stuff: Somerville Race Video

Somerville 12th Annual Gobble Gobble Gobble 4 miler - My first turkey trot!

The Gobble x3 run was a 4-miler held on Thursday, 27th November 2008 at 9am, hosted by the Somerville Road Runners.  It was the 12th turkey trot starting in Davis Square, Somerville and the race proceeds go towards Project Soup as well as a scholarship programme for Somerville High School students.  

Once again I thought about not going, it would be just horrible to plod along and get passed by loads of people.  In the end I went, after an espresso - the breakfast of champions - which had never failed me in Italy!  We went early as I still had to pick up my race number and t-shirt.  The organisation was amazing!  More than 2000 runners picked up their bibs and t-shirts AND we started on time.  OK for those of you who have never run outside the US, you may not truly understand what chaos means....I am still marvelling at how organised everything was that morning.  

My goal was to finish the race in under 45 minutes.  I had no clue what my pace was, but from the treadmill it seemed oh so slow, I was also in the dark re the course.  Anyway, we started and I felt overwhelmed...but of the good kind.  I couldn't believe that I was going to run my first race ALONE.  Lots of doggies had signed up and brought their owners out for a run, there were also lots of strollers, single and double which was also quite impressive.  This is highly unusual in Europe - in fact non-existent, so it was pretty cool to see!  

I have no idea what my times were in each mile as I also seemed a bit in the dark as to what constitutes an actual mile.  However this did not overly bother me, I thought a good strategy might be to start out slowly (as it takes me a mile or so to get going) and then just run to enjoy it.  But one thing was clear: I wanted to finish strong.  So I ran along, with those dressed as pilgrims, those with tofu-turkey boxes on their heads and the odd turkey.  Ohhh it all looked like such good fun that I decided for my next race I too wanted an adornment of some sort. 

Well the race seemed to go up some hills and at around mile 2 there was a water stop.  Out of habit I stopped for a drink, which I didn't really need.  Then onwards and upwards.  Just when I began wondering if the end was in sight, someone in crowd shouted 'a quarter mile left'.  I speeded up, and ran hard.  On arriving at the finish, I was surprised to see the time at 41:23 (gun).  I was so happy and went home to prepare my patient and very supportive husband, a very nice lunch.  Imagine then my even bigger surprise when the results were posted online: 39:24 - with a split at 9:51!  I placed 79th out of 159 in my age group, and 1312 in a field of 2071. What a great race, and I'm so glad I went.

World Run Day: 8th November 2008

I had started running again in July 2007 after stopping for almost 8 years.  I had run for about 6 years before that, and then just stopped.  Now that I had started again I was running, but not very long distances and not very fast either.  It seemed as though I had leaded weights around my ankles.  Running around the parks in Oxford amidst the beautiful lawns and trees was stunning, being passed by fleeting arrows less so.  It was hard to keep going and I kept wondering whatever happened to 'muscle memory'.  Wasn't this supposed to kick in after the first few meters and one's legs would 'magically' remember their swiftness and ease of foot?  No such luck and on those long slow plods all I could think about was winged Hermes!  I then started running on a treadmill to get to the point of running at a decent pace for an hour.  Ah well, the next thing I knew was that I just didn't want to run outside anymore.  It felt awful and also everyone else seemed to be so much faster.  It seemed like a bridge too far for me.  But I knew if I wanted to start improving, I would have to cross this bridge, sooner I hoped rather than later.

Well the opportunity came with a run I saw advertised for 8th November - Annual World Run Day.  You had to commit to running whatever number of miles you wanted and make a donation to a charity of your choice.  You could run at any time, provided the run took place on 8th November.  This seemed like just the thing to get back to running outside.  Naturally I started getting cold feet and kept hoping that on 'race day' there would be an almighty snowstorm and gale force winds with zero visibility.  Sunday 8th November dawned - a stunningly beautiful day with the sun dancing on the river.  As I jogged off towards the river, feeling very self conscious, I told myself just to keep going, I could always stop and walk if I felt too slow and awkward.  I had committed to running 5 miles and I knew that I could definitely do that in an hour.  As I started running alongside the river, together with all those other runners, I suddenly started feeling absurdly happy!  It was such a beautiful day to be out and I felt very thankful that I had had this opportunity to challenge myself and come out for a run.

After running on a treadmill for so long, my legs felt rather jelly-like and my lungs were exploding with the frigid air I was inhaling.  I was also going at a much slower pace than I usually ran on the treadmill and I realised that I had a lot of work to do - OUTSIDE.  That day I overcame a huge hurdle.  For the 6 or so years that I had run, I had always had a regular running partner, Francesco.  Indeed it was thanks to Francesco that I had first taken my baby steps in running.  He was always encouraging and when I ran with him, everything seemed alright.  I had never ever run alone.  I count 8th November as the start of my second running life - the first day that I truly ran alone.  I ran alone mentally and I loved it.  So the snazzy race t-shirt arrived in the post, and next year's race is already posted...so what are you waiting for: www.runday.com