Triangle Expressway Trot RTP NC/Wake PTA 5K Cary NC Nov 20, 2011

Triangle Expressway Trot 5K Course - Even I couldn't get lost on this one!

First Place Female Overall, for the first time EVER! 

Ok well that really sums up the Triangle Expressway Trot 5K but guess I’ll write a little bit more about it since it was a good event.  I can’t recall if I saw this race online first or if someone mentioned it and I looked it up, but from the first time I heard about it I was interested.  Sounded fun, running on the stretch of highway before it opens, a one shot deal because they wouldn’t be shutting down the road next year.  And it wasn’t part of the Second Empire Series so I could just go and not think about place or point, but secretly I was also hoping that it wouldn’t draw a big group of fast runners either so I’d have a shot at placing overall.  Plus I figured it was likely to be pretty flat.  While not  a scenic course it would be different.  But then I realized the start of this race at 2pm was only 1.5 hrs from the start of Owen’s Wake PTA 5K at 3:30.  Hmmmm, could I make it???  I sat on the fence for a long time, in fact until the day of essentially.  Even the day before I considered just skipping it.  But in the end I figured hey I need to run anyway so a quick run down the expressway and I’ll jump in the car.  Keith said he’d bring Owen and Grace to the Wakemed Soccer Park for the start of the Wake PTA 5K, so as long as I got there for the start to run with Owen I’d be ok.  No problemo!

Cool race logo

I drove to the race starting point in Morrisville, which wasn’t to hard to find, and quickly registered.  I saw Louise there and Brad, but didn’t recognize most of the other runners.  I assumed it was because Morrisville draws a different crowd, but I later found out many of the attendees were families of those who helped construct the road, so not your standard running folks.  I filled out my form and handed it to the volunteers.  I asked about a tech shirt but all had been spoken for so I just took the standard cotton one.  This will be important later but at the time I didn’t think too much of it…a guy, who had parked right near me as well, was registering at the exact same time.  When the volunteers were organizing the forms and handing us our bibs and chips I heard the one with my form say 483 but my bib said 482 so I said to her, “did you say 483?” and she looked at a form she had and said “no that was his” referring to the guy registering at the same time as me.  So I said “oh” and just let it go.  I also don’t recall having looked at the chip they gave me to see if it even had a number on it, muchless whether the number matched my bib…ALSO an important part of this race story. 

Me in the gray tank and black Zensah socks.  On the left is one of the NC State Wolfpack mascots.

I put on my bib and chip and ran back to the car to drop off my t-shirt.  I drank some more water and then decided to warm up a bit, as well as of course hit the port a potties, which I usually have to do many times before a race starts unfortunately.  As the start time drew near I headed to line up.  Strangest thing ever, no one, except the Wolfpack mascots (yep, the boy and girl wolves, don’t know their names) was actually trying to get ON the starting line.  Everyone else held back, just wandering around.  Usually in the 5K’s I’ve been doing, everyone is usually pushed up on the line.  So this was a sign that the competition maybe wasn’t so fierce.  The Wolfpack mascots were being silly and mugging for the cameras so that was entertaining.  And a few guys who didn’t look like runners (not that we should ever judge that because hey, you never know how fast someone is by looking at them, that is for sure!) were up near the start by now.  One asked me how fast I was going to run, and I said hopefully under 20.  He looked pretty surprised, so maybe I also don't look like a runner, who knows!  It was almost time to start and still no one clammering to get up front. 

Getting a good head start 

As the race started, I took off pretty fast, on the newly paved road that headed down hill.  Quickly it was obvious that there were very few sub 20 runners in this even, including the men.  A few guys got out in front quickly and then I was running along side a few other guys.  Some of them dropped back significantly after about ½ mile.  I think these were the non-runner guys who were affiliated with building the road.  We were going at around 6mm pace, a pace they’d usually sprint at and so they kept up at first but guess they didn’t consider that they couldn’t keep that pace for the entire 5K race.  After about 1 mile, the front runners were pretty set, including me.  I knew I ran the first mile too fast but I couldn’t stop myself, it felt just too easy on the new roadway and it was down hill.  I knew I’d likely pay later but didn’t care much this time. 

Another shot of the race start 

The course is an out and back, turning around where the onramp to 40 is placed.  But it’s not a straight shot, it actually twists and turns a bit, so you can’t see the turnaround from too far out.  In fact I got a tip from Neville Wood on the starting line to be sure to run the shortest way and not to hug the curves too much because the course is measured on the trajectory.  Those in the local running community all know Neaville, even if they don’t know they do.  If you look on the bottom of nearly every course map around here, you’ll see they were measured by Neaville.  I’ve seem him at many races but never had an opportunity to speak with him.  But given the hesitancy of the field today to get right up on the starting line, Neaville was right up there next to me so we talked about the course a little.  He’s in his 60s and runs many of the races.  In going to a lot of the 5Ks this year I am really getting familiar with the who’s who of racing, particularly in the 50 and up categories as they are for sure the most consistent group.  Pretty much the same dedicated fun group of runners come out to all the races and I see them getting their awards race after race.  I think that will be some of us someday doing the same.  I know I’ll see Pauline, Pam, Kim, Laura, etc out there, with their colorful running shoes, racing tanks and probably even booty shorts (ok maybe just Laura, LOL), when they are in their 50s, 60s, and onward.  Hahaha!

But back to the course…so as we reached the turnaround is when I started to feel like this was getting tough.  I knew however that I was the first female from the start and in fact never really saw any women out there in my peripheral view once the gun went off.  I never really looked back or thought about if any were close.  I just assumed not as there weren’t really many men ahead of me either.  The bad, and good, thing about out and backs like this is you can see exactly who is ahead of and behind you and by how far.  But I was slowing down a bit and just wanted to focus on maintaining a pace to keep me under 20 minutes, so I still wasn’t as focused on who was behind me.  I did notice the next woman but she seemed far enough behind that unless there was a drastic change in my pace, or hers, that I’d be able to hold the number 1 spot.  Around mile 2 or 2 ¼ I definitely was feeling drained and it was a struggle to maintain pace up the hills.  I knew they’d come back to haunt me.  There was a guy a few seconds ahead of me for most of the second half of the race so I just focused on my pace and on keeping him in sight.  I did the second mile in around 6:27 or so, a big change from mile 1, but still pretty good and enough to keep me under 20.  I was struggling by 2 ½ miles and did the annoying whining/grunting out loud that I sometimes resort to that must be frustrating to other runners if they hear it but I can’t really help it sometimes.  Sorry fellow runners!  Anyway, this guy heard me a few times I guess and shouted back a few words of encouragement which was very nice.  I am always thankful when another runner does that, it means a lot. 

Me and number 95 (Shan) who provided me some encouraging words to get to the finish, thanks! 

As soon as I could see the finish I felt better, knowing that I could certainly get there and do it in under 20 minutes, so I was pretty happy.  Still it was a struggle to the end and felt like it was all up hill, but as I got closer I saw someone pulling something across the finish line, and I was thinking “what the heck are they doing?” but then it dawned on me that they were holding out the finishers tape (or whatever its called) because I was the first female.  COOL!  (Wish I had a pic of that!) Also it turned out this was a new PR, 19:43.  Not the most consistently paced race but a PR none the less.

I had asked Louise before the race started if she was sticking around and if she could pick up any award for me if I placed, since I’d have to leave right after I finished.  But I never thought it would be first place.  Arrrgh, figures the ONE time I have to leave and that’s the race I come in first.  But I knew being there for Owen’s race was more important and besides it was coming in first that was cool, the award for it is just an extra plus.  I went over to the announcers booth and told them I had come in first but unfortunately couldn’t stay but my friend Louise was going to be there for awards.  Too bad I didn’t go to the timing booth instead. 

I decided to hang out for a little bit longer to see Louise finish.  I happened to be at the finish line and was going to try to say thanks to the guy who was in front of me who shouted the encouraging words, but realized I had no idea what he looked like.  It was at that point I saw Neaville coming to the finish but he seemed to be falling, actually it was a surreal slow motion situation and he was nearly falling into the volunteer who was in front of me removing chips from shoes.  Me and another women kind of caught his arms a bit as he fell and the volunteer nearly but thankfully didn’t get knocked all the way over.  He had skinned his knee a bit but he seemed ok.  It took what seemed like forever to get a paramedic over there.  In the meantime Louise finished and I quickly mentioned my first place finish.  Also around that time the girl who had come in second came over and we chatted for just a moment about her being new in the area and what running groups I ran with.  I mentioned RTR and the IOS Wine Run.  By then it was pushing 2:30 and I knew I was going to turn into a pumpkin if I didn’t leave. 

Wake PTA 5K Course 

I ran back to the car, and I didn’t even really change except for my shirt since I was out of time, and headed to race #2.  I got there in time and chatted with Tom and his family and also some of the Oak Grove group who had a big turn out at the race.  As we lined up, I felt tired  but was glad we’d be running this 5K slowly.  The start was in a big open field which I am not usually fond of.  Owen took off with his friend Andrew quickly.  They were doing very well.  But about ½ mile in, Owen had to go to the bathroom.  It was kind of downhill (not literally) from there because Owen really had to go and kept saying so but was embarrassed to just go by a tree so we had to find a spot off the beaten path to go, around ¾ of a mile into the race.  He finally went and he was lucky he didn’t get stuck because there were a bunch of thorny bushes in the spot we chose!  Once we got back onto the course, Owen was pretty bummed that he had lost so much ground.  I tried to cheer him up but he was pretty grouchy about it.  He did sprint a few times here and there to gain some ground but then would feel discouraged again and walked. 

Goofing around before the start

The race course was actually a very nice one.  Rolling hills, but none too tough.  Of course I guess I’d feel different if I had actually been racing it.  It seemed like we were out there a long time and Owen was fairly pouty for most of it and as we neared the 3 mile mark, he said his foot was really hurting so we were hobbling to the finish.  My friend Tom finished 3^rd overall, in under 19 minutes, which was awesome.  If you take out the stop for the bathroom Owen ran it in around 45 minutes so comparable to the Run with the Canes 5K.  But he was much more cheerful at that race.  Oh well, they can’t all be good ones, but he finished and completed the distance for his school goal of doing a marathon.  I guess I was more excited and proud than he was. 

More silly poses

Very proud of Owen for finishing this challenging course

Later that evening I was online waiting for the Triangle Expressway Trot results to be posted.  When they finally were I couldn’t believe my eyes….I was not listed as first!  The girl who was second was listed as first and I was second, with a time that was a minute or more slower than my actual time.  I was freaking out….how could this happen!!!???  I tried to figure it out but before I did I immediately emailed the race director to let him know of the error and to ask for it to be fixed.   I had heard that this happens more often than you’d think but never was the victim of it.  And it just figures that the one time would be when I come in FIRST and CAN’T stay to get the award.  Arrgggh! 

After I sent the email the scene of me registering at the same time as Mr. 483 all came back to me.  Of course!  The registration volunteers actually must have mixed up the paperwork afterall.  And not only that but they must have given me his chip and him mine.  That would explain why he was listed as having finished in 19:43, the exact time I actually finished in.  I was pretty sure he was not in front of me because there were only a few guys up there and he was pretty tall so I would have noticed.   So I emailed the race director again after realizing this.  Just as I was emailing him he also emailed me to mention that the forms he had showed me and this other guy as both being bib 483.  That was clearly not the case, but since I wasn’t there for some reason they assumed the other guy was correctly timed with chip 483 but in reality I must have been wearing chip 483.  What a mess. 

Number 483 running along side a guy who ran in just under 21 minutes 

Ultimately they updated the race results later the next day, which I was glad to see.  I actually even checked them a few times after to be sure they didn’t revert back to the incorrect times…silly I know.  I have to say I know it may be dumb but I didn’t sleep much that night.  It was really upsetting to see and I felt strange for having to explain myself to justify my first place finish.  It just didn’t seem right and certainly not the way I envisioned finishing first to go.  Later that evening, before the results had been upated, I was looking to see if there were any pictures or articles online about the race.   There were a few short news articles but they focused more on the opening of the expressway and didn’t even mention the men’s winner much less the women’s.  I was actually thankful for that because I am sure I would have been really upset if someone else was mentioned in the newspaper!  It also turns out there were a few photos on News And Observer.   None of me crossing the finisher tape (did I dream that???) but an interesting set of pics showing me and the “encouraging words” guy in one photo, and you can look up his time to see that he was right around the time I ran, so in the 19:30s.  And the very next photo is Mr. 483 running side by side with a guy, who when you look up his number, had a time of  just under 21 minutes.  So photo proof that our chips were switched!  As for Mr. 483, this wasn’t really his fault but I find that kind of funny that in the pharmaceutical industry 483 is a BAD number, it’s the number of the form that the FDA uses to write up deficiencies they find.  So getting a 483 is bad…as it was for me this day!

In the end while the results did get updated, the awards did not.  So I guess I’ll never know if the award for first was different than for age group.  This race only gave 1^st overall and 1^st in each 10 year age category.  Louise brought me my 1^st AG medal to the next race.  It was nice to at least get something.  But I can’t help but wonder how no one else who was there getting an award noticed that there was something wrong with the results.  Mr. 483 should have known he did not run a 19:43 5K but perhaps he didn't look at the times or didn't stay either, I don't know.  The girl who came in second knew I was first, however for sure it was possible that she thought there was something that disqualified me or that I ran unofficially or something.  There were several other runners that didn’t get awards that day due to this mishap and they probably don’t even know it.  Since 483 was credited with my time, he took 1^st AG but in reality some other guy was first.  And since I was first overall but was given the 1^st AG award instead, the woman who should have really been 1^st AG for 40-49 didn’t get an award. 

Moral of the story…don’t run a race you can’t stick around for.  J  But still I am glad I ran it because it was a good race, I got to see some friends there, and I eventually at least on the books got to say I came in first and ran a PR as an extra bonus!  Also unless they do shut down the expressway in the future, I am a guaranteed course record holder.  How cool is that!?

Free to Breathe 5K Raleigh NC Nov 5, 2011

Free to Breathe 5K - "New" North Hills Course

I said I'd never do it again.  The Free to Breathe is one of the toughest courses I recall running since I started running races in the Raleigh area.  It was an uphill finish to what I recall being a not so scenic course, though I have to say all I really remember is the uphill finish.  This was on the NC State Centennial Campus and I ran it in 2009.  Actually I also recall that I had to park really far away and probably logged more mileage to and from the car when I did this race in 2009 than in the actual race.  Still it was a well put on event and for a good cause (lung cancer research).  So when I heard that it moved to North Hills I was optimistic that the course had to be better, couldn't be worse, could it?  And if I was going to run the series I had no choice but to run it since I'd already missed the Magnificent Mile since I was out of town and would be away again for the IOS Turkey Trot.

Free to Breathe "old" Centennial Campus course, for comparison - elevation visually not so different and the last mile is at least a 30 ft higher climb in the "new" course

Again I didn't pre-register but waited until race morning to do that.  I was pretty sure that I'd do it though since I had done 3 races already and while it was supposed to be cold, it was sunny and dry out so there was no good reason not to run it.  So I got up early and headed to North Hills.  I got a parking spot right in front of Harris Teeter, very convenient it turned out for avoiding the port a potties.  It wasn't too far from the start.  I got registered quickly and hung in the car a bit longer to eat some cereal and keep warm.  I met up with Linda and was able to give her the award I picked up for her from the last race, as well as get a few pointers on the new course...uh oh, another uphill finish.  Oh well, too late now.    

I warmed up and saw a few of the "usual suspects" who are running the series.  It's nice to see friendly faces in the crowd and have folks to talk to before and after the race.  It was also a nice change to have a bagel place right at the start/finish.  Usually there isn't a place to grab food after a race that is so close.  Now that is mighty convenient, almost worth running uphill for...almost.  This week the 1 mile fun run was first as well, just like the Monster Dash.  Then the 5K group lined up.  The "little" girls from last week skipped this race, thankfully, so I had a better shot at placing higher up!  I got up near the front of the starting line and chatted until the start.  

It was an uphill start which wasn't fun, but I tried to gain some ground there since I knew it would also be an uphill finish so I didn't want to start too slow.  I have to say I felt really good all through mile 1, with a split of 6:14.  Mile 2 was even better, winding streets with rolling hills and more down than up.  I kind of knew I was going maybe faster than I should since sometimes the current pace read under 6 mm pace (like 5:40) but since I had my Garmin on current pace I couldn't really tell overall how much faster it was until the end of Mile 2 when the split read 6:06.  Opps, maybe a tad too fast.  But still I felt pretty good so I wasn't too worried.  

That is until reality struck and I saw proof that "what went down must now go back up".  The third mile was truly awful.  No break from the hill, it was just up, up, up.  And believe it or not, it wasn't my legs really or breathing that were the issue.  But my arms were killing me, probably sore from trying to pump faster with no success to get up the hill.  I couldn't wait for mile 3 to end.  I talked to myself out loud (like a crazy person) to convince myself not to give up and not to lose it now.  I wasn't falling behind necessarily, or at least no more than anyone else.  I could still see Kim and Rodney ahead.  In fact I passed a few people early in mile 3, so I was running that mile comparable to the rest of the field.  But I knew I was slowing a lot so I just tried to go as fast as I could despite my sore arms.  I even removed my arm warmers in the last 1/2 to 1/4 mile hoping that would help in some way...it did not.  

Once I got to 1/4 mile left (there was a sign at 1/2 mile to go and 1/4 mile to go), I at least could feel the end in sight but physically couldn't see the clock until very close to the finish line, since it was around the bend.  By the time I could see it, I knew I didn't PR or even make a sub 20.  It was 20:15 when I passed through (20:14 chip time).  I was first and foremost glad it was over and secondly I suspected I was 3rd overall which was pretty cool, so I wasn't too disappointed.  Still I wished I had beat the clock to another sub 20 but knew that it was due to the course.  In fact in comparing the times with other runners who had run the last few races, it was very clear that this was a tougher course.  Even the first woman finisher had a time difference from the last race to this one of nearly 1 minute, so I didn't feel so bad.  

After the race I got changed quickly (at the handy dandy Harris Teeter), chatted a bit with Rusty, Rodney and Kim, and grabbed a bagel and hazelnut coffee (my favorite) just in time for the awards.  I was 3rd overall which was pretty cool.  I got a nice medal, similar to the one from 2009, plus a $15 gift certificate for a Road ID.  A great idea and I'd highly recommend getting one if you don't have one, literally it could save your life and certainly will help your loved ones to worry about you a bit less while you are running or biking.  But as luck would have it I already have 2 of them, so not sure I'll be able to use that gift certificate but hey it's the thought that counts!  I wished Rodney and Rusty luck in the City of Oaks Full Marathon which they were running and headed for home for another fun filled day with the kids.  Except for that last mile, the course was actually really fun and it's a great location.  So next time I just know I need to do some hill work to prepare!

Race Bling...3rd Female Overall

After thinking about this race and what I'd do differently, aside from hill repeats, I decided to update one of my Garmin screens to show current pace, lap pace (pace of the current mile) and overall pace all on one screen.  I am still debating whether to have the 4th spot on the screen show overall distance or overall time.  I am thinking I'll go with the time.  Hopefully this will help me to pace myself better without having to toggle through screens which it turns out is really hard to do at race pace.  I just hope I can keep all the data straight while I am running!

Monster Dash Raleigh NC Oct 30, 2011

Monster Dash 5K Course

I wasn't planning to run the Second Empire series this year, but after a pretty good performance in the first two races of the series (both sub 20, for the first time ever) and with Keith's unsolicited encouragement (which maybe he'll regret after a few weeks of this!), I decided to consider it.  I still played it by ear and didn't pre-register for the next race though, which was the Monster Dash on Oct 30.  I was on the fence even as late as the Friday before the race.  However a trip to Target to get a few things after having had a glass or two of wine at dinner resulted in the purchase of a Halloween costume.

Dressing room at Target...seemed like a good idea at the time

Since I was not going to trick or treat in it, the only occasion to wear it would be the Monster Dash.  My liquid courage  did wear off the next day however and I was wondering if I should just skip the costume or the race all together.  Owen and I were already signed up to run the 2K fun run as part of the Cross Country Challenge in Raleigh that day.  I figured it would be a fun way for him to get a mile or so in towards his goal of 26.2 miles by Nov 20th for the school marathon.  So I wasn't entirely sure I could make it over to the Monster Dash in time since the fun run was at 11am and the Monster Dash started at 2:30 and I had to bring Owen back home before I headed over there.

Owen did a great job running the Cross Country Challenge and he liked running over the 2 hay bales.  But he was disappointed in himself for coming in at the back of the fun run pack.  There were only about 7 kids total in the run and I was proud of him for getting out there and doing it, no matter what his time was.  He was pretty upset but he felt a bit better when I agreed to stop for donuts on the way home.  We jumped in the car right after the fun run so we'd have time to stop for donuts before I had to get changed and head out for race #2 of the day.

Owen ready to run the Cross Country Challenge 2K 

Owen running in the 2K

I got dressed in my "pink witch" costume, which Grace helped to pick out because it was pink of course.  I liked it because it didn't seem too bulky and it matched my Zensah compression socks.  Yes, true it did not match my Asics, which are bright yellow.  But in my defense, I forgot I had donated my perfectly matched pair of hot pink and black Kinvaras the last time I bought new shoes at RRO.  Bummer!  So I was stuck with either the yellow Asics (super lightweight but more stable that the Kinvaras, called the Speed Sky, they are awesome!) or a very heavy pair of low mileage Saucony Hurricanes, which I hardly wear because they are too heavy, thus why they are low mileage.  I decided on the Asics since I was already taking a risk of adding to my time by wearing a costume.  I just couldn't bring myself to switch out the shoes too.  Sorry Steve (aka Fashion Police), fashion is important but not enough to risk a PR for!

Pre-race photo

I arrived at Cameron Village where the race starts with plenty of time to spare, which is a good thing since I had to park quite far away.  My face was probably as bright pink as my costume, since I felt embarrassed by the fact that I had to walk so far wearing it.  I got a few looks from folks who clearly weren't aware of the race today.  But as I got closer I felt better seeing other runners, at least some of them were dressed up.  Whew!  I registered and brought my stuff back to the car and by that time I saw a few RTR running friends there (Linda, Larry, Mandy) and several other running friends from the IOS wine run (Louise) and from the local races (Rodney and Rusty).  Larry's costume, the Gingerbread Man, was really awesome.  I still don't know how he ran it it.  It was even better than last year's hot dog costume, he really picks the good ones!

The 1 mile fun run was first, followed by the start for the 5K.  As I lined up I chatted a bit with Debra and Kim who are also running the series.  I noticed that most of the usual front runners, male and female, were not in costume.  Uggh, hopefully I wasn't impacting my time by dressing up.  But it was kind of fun to be dressed up.  On the starting line, and do mean right on it, there were several little girls probably between 10 and 13 years old.  They were right up in the front and weren't budging.  There were quite a few surprised and concerned looks from the crowd.  Discussion started in the crowd about how they probably should move back.  One guy did finally caution them they may want to move back, asking if they were planning to run sub 7 mm pace.  They all turned around said "Yes!" in reply, with a confidence I have to admit was surprising but admirable.  As the mom of a little girl I was kind of thinking "you go girls!".  Their reply got a few laughs from the group and then I said to the guy, "hey watch, they may just show us and be right!".  Honestly thought I didn't really believe it and just hoped I wouldn't trip over them since I was directly behind them.

The race started and the girls took off fast, as did most of the group up front.  The course takes a right turn after about a block and then really is an out and back after that.  I felt pretty good and kept a consistent pace for the first mile or so.  Nearly all of the girls were still going strong after 1 mile, and I believe nearly all were still in front of me.  Surely they'd slow down soon, right?!  I just tried to keep an even pace and not worry about it too much.  As I reached the turnaround, which is the part that is very hard for me, I had a tough time focusing.  I am always distracted (and not in a good way) by the rest of the pack of runners coming towards me once I reach a turnaround of an out and back race.  It's always distracting to me and I always struggle.  It's nice to get a shout out from friends of course, but it's hard to really focus on the race with other runners coming at you.  I much prefer a loop or winding point to point course for that reason.  By mile 2 I was still on pace for a sub 20 and all but one of the "little" girls had dropped back.  I was amazed they held on for so long and have to say I admire how well they ran and that they showed us they weren't kidding when they said they'd run sub 7 mm pace.  I kept my sights on the one remaining girl ahead of me and on Rodney, who I see at most of the local races and first met on the way to the Boston marathon, who I could see but couldn't seem to catch.

Not sure where this was but I'd assume somewhere in mile 3 from the look on my face, too bad I didn't bring my magic broom to ride to the finish on!

That last mile was very tough and quite painful but I didn't do too much worse in mile 3 (6:32 vs. 6:18 and 6:22 in miles 1 and 2) which was good because that's usually where I fall apart.  I slowed in mile 3 but not badly enough to miss another sub 20 thank goodness.  The course turns the corner back to the start with about 1 block to go, which I couldn't wait to get back to.  I sprinted as fast as I could and realized that I was probably close to my PR from earlier this month (19:55 chip time).  In fact it turned out that my chip time of 19:53 in the Monster Dash was now my new PR.  Guess I should have worn the pink witch costume, complete with hat which was still intact, sooner!

Approaching the finish!

Can't believe the hat stayed on!

It was a tough last mile and not my favorite course but yet it was a new 5K PR so I was quite happy.  This race was larger than the others I'd just run (Autism Run and Run for Healthier Babies), with over 700 runners in this one.  Overall I was the 8th woman, as opposed to 4th in the other two races.  In this race, only the 1st overall finisher (male and female) received an award separate from the AG (age group) awards.  Usually it's the top 3 overall and sometimes even the top 3 masters.  But not the case here, so I placed second in my age group.  The award was a $15 gift card to TAF, which I am saving in my collection so I can get some more Zensah socks, which seem to have really helped over the last few races.

It was good to see some my friends at the race and it was very nice to chat with some others (Debra, Kim, Emil) that I hadn't had an opportunity to speak with before.  I was really happy with my new PR and glad in the end that I did wear the costume, as it made for some interesting photos and didn't seem to hurt my time.  Still, I certainly won't be one of those runners that dress up for races that are not on Halloween weekend (I am still bitter that Elvis and Winnie the Pooh faired better at the NYC marathon than I did), but it seems to have worked this time around!

Run for Healthier Babies, Morrisville NC, Oct 15, 2011

Run for Healthier Babies 5K, really like this course

I spent some time the night before this race checking online results to compare race times between this race and the Run for Autism (my new PR from the weekend before) for prior years, to see if there were any trends that would tell me if I could expect to do better, the same, or worse than last weekend.  I wasn't sure at this point if my run last weekend was a fluke or not.  I was not necessarily going for a new PR this weekend but just hoped that maybe I could still break 20.  I found that for some folks their times were better in the Autism run and for some they were better in the Healthier Babies.  Still I knew there were some hills in the Healthier Babies so I figured I may not do as well.  I was pre-registered and knew that while it was a challenge last time to find the race start, once I did parking was plentiful, so I headed to the race a bit later than I did the weekend before.

Pre-race food and supplies laid out the night before...a little wine can't hurt right?

I followed my same plan of oatmeal and coffee, plus a banana this time, and brought the cheerios and milk again for pre-race, just in case I had time and was hungry.  I ended up seeing a few friends there before the race and chatting, as well as my several port a potty trips (this race is also a good one for port a potty access, never any issues).  I warmed up a little bit but before I knew it, the race was about to start.  I got on the starting line (one row back).  I knew, if not by name at least by face, most of the women up in the front.  I also knew I needed to do what I did last week and keep in front of specific folks in order to meet my goal.  This time I guess I felt a bit more confident, so when the countdown from 10 to 1 was up to signal the race start, I took off pretty fast to get a good head start.  I knew I didn't want to relapse into my old pattern of blazing fast at mile 1 and then crashing in 2 and 3.  But I did feel pretty good and the course was as nice as I remembered.  Not sure why, but I do like this course.  Guess it's because there is some variety of twists and turns and up and down hills.  I think it was around 1.5 miles where I passed a few folks that usually run around my pace or a bit faster.  I forgot to mention in the last blog update, but I also decided this fall that there was no way I was going to get water at the water stop(s) in a 5K ever again, unless it was blistering hot, because it takes too much time and isn't really needed.

Mile 1 was faster than the average pace I needed but not so fast that I didn't have anything left.  I was glad to have a bit of time "in the bank".  Mile 2 wasn't bad at all and by the start of mile 3 I was surprised to pass a fellow runner who I have never passed in a 5K before.  I was not feeling 100% by this time, but not doing too bad either.  Again I followed the plan that worked the weekend before, of looking at my 'current pace' and not looking at the total distance or total time.  As I entered the parking lot, I knew, or rather hoped, that meant the end of the race was within 0.5 miles.  I was feeling tired and definitely slowed down by that time.  Just before this, a guy who was jogging the other way who I assume was affiliated with the race in some way, said to me either "you are third" or "you are catching up to third".  I wasn't sure.  But either way it didn't much matter because if I was third, I was third.  And if I wasn't, I couldn't see the woman who was third and couldn't speed up enough to catch someone I couldn't even see.  So it was what it was at that point and anyway I was really going for time and just trying to finish.  Once I made the last right turn before making the final left turn into the finish line chute, I really sprinted because I couldn't see the clock from there and had no idea what it would say when I rounded the bend and by that time it may be too late.  I knew I had a good chance at another sub 20, given the 'current pace' that I had seen each time I looked down, but knew it would be really close.  Turns out it was just over the 19:55 I had last week, but still under 20, so I'll take that!  My official chip time was 19:57.  I couldn't help but feel happy but also wished I had tried to push it sooner.  I know, never satisified right!

Age group award, first place (yep that's me in the pink socks)

I spent some time again chatting with some running friends and then noticed I was feeling cold so I decided to change my shirt but this time to not be lazy so I headed out for a cool down run.  But during it I started to feel quite nauseous, so only went 1 mile before giving up.  My friend Louise (who is 70 and ran the race and the one last weekend both in under 28 minutes!!!) was so nice, she hunted down a bagel for me to eat which helped the nausea go away.  I waited for the results to be posted and again I was 4th overall.  Gee, always the bridesmaid, never the bride!  Still, I am usually not even in the wedding party, so hey I'll take 4th.  By this time, I met up with Sarah, Mia and Myia, who were running the 1 mile fun run.  They waited with me while I got my award.  I was first in age group, since there were no masters awards this time unfortunately.  Interestingly, there was some question as to where the 3rd place finisher came from, since the name was not familiar to me (she was a 17 year old according to the posted results), since there were no young women on the front of the starting line that I saw, and also since someone else mentioned to me that they didn't see anyone cross between the second place finisher and me.  But I decided to assume that in a small race such as this there are no Rosie Ruiz-types, so pretty much dismissed the idea.  Still, it did occur to me later while driving home that the prizes for this race were cash, which they usually aren't in most races.  I wondered how much I missed out on in being 4th instead of 3rd (turns out it was 50 bucks!).  Oh well, at least I got a medal to add to my collection!

I hung around to watch the 1 mile fun run and for the awards for that.  Sarah and the girls cleaned up, each winning a medal!  And in the 5K, it was a PR for Linda from RTR as well as age group placing for several other running friends.  It was really a great race and a fun time, and another sub 20 for me didn't hurt either!

Triangle Run/Walk for Autism 5K, Raleigh NC, October 8, 2011

Triangle Run/Walk for Autism 5K Course

I had a goal this year of running a PR in under 1:35 for the half marathon, as well as a goal of running a sub 20 5K.  I achieved the first goal in March of this year and realized with the fun summer I had, I kind of forgotten to focus on my 5K goal.  Opps!  Thankfully I was focused on another goal of trying to get in decent shape (ie: comfortable in a bathing suit) for a beach trip in September, so at least I had started bumping up my running again by the end of the summer and really was able to get a lot of miles in during the beach trip.  I had the chance to run every day while at the beach, usually between 5 to 6 miles each day plus a long run of 10 once.  So while the fall race season did sneak up on me a bit, I was sort of ready to tackle a 5K.  I had been running in the mornings and found that 30 minutes almost every day was really not too hard to maintain and it really helped my training.  So I kept that up and decided to run the race that was my favorite of the Second Empire series.  No, this was not the Run for Autism, but was the Run for Healthier Babies.  I really liked that course when I ran it in 2009 and it was my PR for a while for the 5K.  However I figured I should have at least 2 races picked out so that if I blew one I'd have another shot at a PR, and maybe even the sub 20 goal.  My current PR was 20:34, which I ran in March at the Run for the Oaks.  I had run my half marathon PR just shortly afterwards but then there were no PRs to be had for the rest of the spring and summer after that.  I had only run a few 5Ks with Owen in the last 2 months so I really had no idea what I could do in the 5K.  I knew I was running pretty well since the beach trip but hadn't done any speed work or racing so it was anyone's guess as to what I'd run.  Could be sub 20, could be 22 or more.  But it was now or never because soon it would be winter, so the fall races were my best shot.  I decided to do the Run for Autism as a practice run before the real deal at the Run for Healthier Babies.  I didn't register ahead of time and was actually feeling a bit under the weather leading up to the race.  I had a sore throat and was sniffly the night before, not usually a good sign.  I set the alarm and decided to let fate decide.  When I woke up I did consider not going...who would really know, I hadn't registered in advance and had only mentioned to one or two people that I was running the race.  But in the end I decided to get up, take some more Advil, and just get out there.

I had my standard pre-race oatmeal, but no banana since we didn't have any at home.  I did have some coffee which I don't normally do before I run but tried it before my last few races and it seemed to help and today I needed all the help I could get!  I also brought some cheerios and milk to have before the race since I was heading out early to be sure I got there in time to register and get a decent parking spot.  I got there pretty early and registration was quick.  I parked right on Moore Square which was convenient.  One thing about the Run for Autism is there are plenty of port a pottys so that's always comforting to me.  I always always have to go multiple times before a race, likely all psychological but after my bad experience in Napa where I had to stop to go during the race which cost me a 3rd place age group win, I am even more nervous about it. 

I decided to do a short warm up by running around Moore Square and in the process of that saw a few familiar faces from RTR and other running circles.  I have to say it was nice to have a break from racing but it was just as nice to get back to it and see some running friends out there.  On the starting line I saw a woman who usually runs around the same time, usually a bit faster, than me.  I was feeling a bit nervous about the competition there and I knew if I had any chance of meeting my goal, I'd need to stay with her or ahead of her from the start or it would be all over very quickly.  I was very glad that the race started on time so as to not prolong my nervousness.  I also knew that I needed to run an even pace, not too fast at the start, which is what I typically do, but not so slow that I don't hit my goal.  The first mile would be the test, to see if I could keep just below the goal pace of 6:25 and still feel good enough that I could maintain that for the next 2 miles.  At the start I made sure I got out there fast, but watched my Garmin carefully to ensure I didn't go crazy.  I had done that in 2009 without really realizing it and looked up and noticed I was way too close to a few of the female front runners but instead of slowing down, I was delusional in thinking 'hey maybe I can do this' and then subsequently crashed and burned in mile 2 big time.  So determined not to repeat that I focused mostly on my Garmin and switched it to 'current pace' instead of 'average pace for the current mile', which is usually what I do.  But at the same time I made sure to keep an eye on that one particular person who I knew I needed to stay ahead of.  She was right beside me for the first 1/2 mile, which was distracting for sure but I was determined.  Once you give up, that's it, you can't usually get it back.  And physically as long as you feel ok, most of it is mental anyway.  I just kept my eye on my Garmin but ensured I didn't fall behind her.  At around the 1 mile mark she fell back a bit.  I didn't look back after that.  I knew that was a good sign for me and I still felt pretty good. 

As I entered mile 2 I noticed that the neighborhood the race goes through was really nice, which I had not really noticed in 2009 since I was too busy sucking wind.  I also was happy to not be running straight since the first mile is pretty much straight down Blount Street.  As I headed into the 3rd mile, I was starting to have difficulty maintaining the pace, even falling back to over a 7 mm pace for very brief periods on a hilly section.  But having my Garmin on 'current pace' really did help because as soon as I fell behind a bit I was able to correct it immediately.  Somewhere in mile 3 I passed a few folks that I know are pretty speedy so I knew I was doing ok, but was starting to feel I couldn't hold on much longer.  I was not looking at the total distance during the race because the screen on my Garmin that has the current pace doesn't have the distance on it.  Turns out that is probably a good thing because just as I was feeling that I couldn't hold on much longer, I looked in the distance and saw the glorious sight of the blue and white inflatable finish line (most of you know the one, it seems to travel around to all the local races).  I knew if I could see the finish I could certainly hold on until I reached it, so I gave it everything I had and sprinted, still not knowing even what the time on the clock was, because my Garmin also doesn't have the total time on that pace screen.  I thought I may be close to a PR and possibly even under the 20 minute mark, but as I got close enough to the finish to see the clock I got really excited to see it said 19 and change.  As I crossed the finish the clock said 19:5X something, so I knew I had made it.  I was more than thrilled.  I wondered what place I came in at that point, knowing it had to be in the top 8 or so of all women, and for sure I must have placed in the masters division. 

Unofficial results posted at the race

I spent the next 15 or 20 minutes chatting with some running friends about the race.  I looked for my friend Pauline to try to run a few more miles but when I didn't find her I didn't really have the energy to do it alone so I just decided to get changed and walk around Moore Square to wait for the results and awards ceremony.  I never did get to see the results before the awards as the moved the location of where they posted them without me realizing it.  So when the awards were starting, I asked someone where the results were and they told me that I had placed first in the masters female group.  Cool!  When my name was called I got my award which was a little paperweight marble thing with the race info engraved on it.  They mentioned that a gift card would be sent in the mail.  It was nice to win but I have to admit that I liked the hand made plates that were given out in 2009 better.  They were made by children with autism and it just meant more to me because of that. 

I drove home quite happy, with a PR, meeting my goal of a sub 20, a 1st place masters win and an overall place of 4th female.  I was really glad I got out of bed that morning to run the race.  My sore throat and sniffles did turn into a pretty yucky head cold on Sunday and into Monday unfortunately.  But it was worth it!  Now I was just hoping I this wasn't a fluke and I would feel better and could repeat this performance the next week, since I had already pre-registered for the Run for Healthier Babies!

The "race bling" is the the mail

P.S. - I was beginning to wonder if I mis-heard them when they said they'd send a gift card in the mail but about 2 weeks later, not only a gift card for $50 but a really nice plaque came.  Pretty neat!