RACE REPORT: Race for the Grasshopper 5K 2013

Training Update:

This would be my first race since the Philadelphia marathon in mid-November.  I had a decent rest period, and then I moved back into maintenance mode for a couple of weeks (~15mpw).  My birthday was coming up in January, and there were two race options... a half marathon and a 5K.  After marathons, there's usually a long period of many months when I can't get my long runs back up in distance.  Didn't need the pressure of getting mileage up quickly, so I decided to go for the 5K.  It would be nice to be able to do races from which one can recover quickly, and the training itself is fast and good bang-for-the-buck-y. 

So... I had about 3 weeks to get my speed back up.  I did one week of FIRST-style training, with a speed day, a tempo day, and a long[er] day (still relatively short @ 7mi).  Then, to kick off the new year, a less structured week, but still with some fast training (1 strength session, 1 bike session, a 5er @ 8:18 and a 4.4er @ 7:56).  Then, this week, with almost no running, because Monday's workout was so tough, and work was busy, too.  Monday's workout was a mix of steep hill and speed intervals... I planned on doing a speed interval workout, but my knees weren't able to do speed reps for every rep, so I replaced every other speed rep with a hill rep.  The workout: 1 mi warmup in 8:17, 2x[ 3/4 mi @ 9mph @ 1 degree (6:42/mi), 1/4 mi @ 7.5mph @ 1 degree (7:59/mi), 1/2 mi @ 7.5mph @ 7 degrees (=6:31 effort), 1/2 mi @ 7.5mph @ 1 degree (7:59/mi)], 0.2 mi shakeout in 1:29.  After that, I did 2 complete rest days, then a strength day to loosen up everything that had gotten tighted up on Monday, then another rest day for the day before the race.  The night before the race, I was rested up at last, and I even felt good enough to run a half marathon. 

The Race:
Did my usual pre-race routine, and added a caffeinated gel right beforehand, because I needed a little kick of energy (mostly the sugar). 

(Visitor Center / Packet Pickup in the morning fog)

(My Saucony A4s with nice treads were great for the post-rain roads)

Gun went off (looked like a real gun!)  At first, 6 girls were ahead.  Caught 1 in the first mile, and then things settled in.  2 were in sight, and over the next mile, I reeled them in liiiiiiiiitle by liiiiiiiiitle.  Paced well.  First two splits were 6:46 and 6:46... perfect.  Skipped the water station... would've splashed myself to cool down, but every second counted, and I was ok.  In the last 1/3 mi, I finally caught 2, making me what I thought was 4th.  There was one more girl ahead.... a good bit ahead, but her stride looked small and not so quick anymore.  I kept wondering if I could muster up the guts to push it and go for what I thought was third.  I didn't know if I'd have enough distance left.  She got closer, though, and we were getting close to the final stretch, so I started charging a little bit, and it was working.  I finally passed her with about 0.08 mi left in the race... it was pretty close... gave everything I had to hold it, and didn't look back. 

Result:
20:40, a PR!!! In my last post, I said that I had PRed in every distance from 1 mi to 26.2 that calendar year (1 mi, 8K, 10K, 13.1, 26.2), exept for the 5K.  But now, I have the 5K, too, if we go by "past 12 months".  Yay.  Shaved off 4 seconds.  I ended up actually being 4th, not 3rd.  There had been someone else.  The real 3rd came in at 20:33, but I didn't see her because I had made up some ground at the very end.  7 seconds seems small, but it's big when you've been hovering around a certain time for a while.  Splits> 6:46, 6:46, 6:30, 0:38 for 0.1.  Yay for neg splits. 

Post-race:

(Green Trail, where the British and the Patriots fought)

I like visiting national parks, and getting my national park passport stamped is fun, too.  Cowpens National Battlefield is actually quite interesting.  The main trail is right where the British and Patriot battlelines were, and you can literally follow what happened in each step of the battle as it unfolded.  There was also a 2-mi nature trail, so I tacked that on to my post-race exploration run, too.

(Not a medal from the race, haha... the Park had an activity where if you walked along Green Trail out to a historic house and back, you got to become an honorary member of General Morgan's team) 

(Nature Trail)

2012 Year-In-Review

HIGHLIGHTS

1. 4 Continents (North America - Philly & DC, South America - Brazil & Argentina & Paraguay, Asia - Shanghai, Europe - London). Favorite city: London.  So much history and culture; so much to see and do.  Easy to get around on the Tube.  Pre-olympics excitement!

(Buckingham Palace)

2. Experiencing the Philadelphia Marathon with some of my Closest Friends

3. Iguazu Falls - Re-visiting Niagara Falls had been on my lifetime bucket list.  I went to Niagara when I was little, and I've always wanted to go back.  Iguazu was a good substitute.

4. Pisgah National Forest Trail Run - My first adventurous training run.  I had done a trail half marathon before, and I ran a bit on a trail before, but this was the first intentional trail run.  It was super-exiciting, experiencing carrying a hand-held, figuring out the best ways for traversing the terrain, and dealing with a bee sting.

5. 4 Lifetime PRs (Marathon - in Albany in 3:37:49 in March, Half Marathon - in iRecycle in 1:35:43 in August, 10K - in Run2Overcome in 45:54 in August, 8K - in TROAD in 35:03 in September, Mile - in Mary Black in 5:48 in May).  Most dramatic improvement in my mile, which had previously been at 5:59.  Phew!!!  I didn't realize how many there were this year.  The only distance where I didn't PR - the 5K.

6. Winnings - Albany Marathon gym bag, $175 in cash, and the TROAD.  Proudest of the gym bag.  Most freaked out by the TROAD.

7. Hunger Games Hysteria - Visiting Dupont Forest where some filiming was done, watching the movie with my sister, buying a bow & arrow, going to the midnight DVD release and getting an autographed card, sewing my own training shirt... I was obsessed.  I don't know why that story resonated with me so much. 

8. Hanging out with a Dog - Babysat Stella a few times.  We went hiking together, she pooed on my carpet, I fed her obsession with food, and I tried to teach her to read running books.

9. Froyo

10. Shows: Elementary, Modern Family, Biggest Loser, The Office, Amazing Race

11. Grace Church - Awesome sermons. 

12. New Dish in my rotation: Lentils cooked in chicken broth, mixed with sauteed onions and garlic, with loads of black pepper.

~/~/~

RUNNING STATS

Finally met my goal of running 1,000 miles in a single year!!!  Exceeded it by a lot, actually.  It helped that I crammed 2 marathons in this year, and that my second marathon training plan was higher volume than usual.    I did 1094.0 mi this year.  On Dec 31, I considered doing an extra 6 miler, just to make it an even 1,100.  I could've done it, but it wasn't worth the extra trouble. 

I ran 6 days, 7 hours, 8 minutes, and 19 seconds this year.  Therefore, the average pace of my runs was 8:17/mi.  On average, I ran 3 miles per day, or 24 minutes and 52 seconds.

I did an additional 2 days, 13 hours, 4 minutes, and 15s of cross-training.  That's about 10 minutes per day.  So total, I exercised for just under 35 min per day, on average.

Here's my weekly mileage:

Yellow - Marathon week

Pink - Half Marathon week

Orange - 8-10K week

Green - 5K week

Light Blue - Mile week

My Shoe Rotation:

Favorite shoes this year are highlighted in different colors.  Based on the average distance per run on the shoe and my preferred surface type for that shoe, you can get a feel for when I like to use each model.  It looks like I have a lot of shoes in the rotation, but some of them are duds that I ended up not liking much (Newtons and the New Balance 858), or they may be very specialized shoes that I don't get to use often (track spikes, racing flats).

Ok, I think that's good for now.  In summary, it's been a good year.

Dec 29 - Jan 1 : New Year's in CHS - p

Dec 29 - Arrived in CHS.  Lower legs still sore from the tempo work.  Could've used a shakeout bike session, but I wasn't feeling particularly energetic that night and didn't bother.

Dec 30 - Did a psuedo LR to finish off the 3-part FIRST-style training week.  It was only 7.2 mi, but it was the longest run of the week.  I did it in 1:00:56, 8:27 ave, which was actually pushing it a bit.  Did the mostly grassy loop around the neighborhood.  I was still a bit sore prior to the run, but it was fine.

Dec 31 - Super-session at the gym.   40 min on the elliptical, followed by 40 min on a recumbent bike, all while reading Running Times.  MMM mmm, Good.  I actually had planned on doing only bike, but when I first arrived, the elliptical was the only equipment available.  My knees did surprisingly well on the elliptical, which I get a chance to venture out on maybe once per year.  The last 10 min of th eworkout felt kinda glycogen-depleted, and I was ready for lunch and re-fueling afterwards.

Back at home, I happily re-fueled on Overnight Oats with granola and nuts.  While doing so, I also logged my last workout of the year.



That night, party!

Jan 1 - No particular resolutions, but it was my last day in CHS, and I had really hoped to get to do a track session, so after sleeping in a bit, I ventured out.  It was cloudy, and I had a great session with the pyramid... 800 warmup, 4x100, 3x200, 2x400, 1x800, 2x400, 3x200, 4x100, with jog distances after each rep equivalent to the sprint distances (other than doing only 400 after the single 800).  It was the easiest that this workout has ever felt, which is awesome.  5.7 in 42:05, 7:23 ave.  Felt really good all day afterwards. 

After that, drove back to GVL, after stopping by the outlet mall.

A good start to the year!

Dec 22-29 : Gym Time and Christmas in ATL - p

My sister had to work on Christmas night and the day after that and the day after that, so my parents and I visited her in ATL to keep her company over the holidays.

Dec 22 - Travel to ATL.  Planned to work out, but I was tired by night-time.  No big deal.  I'm not training for anything anyway.

Dec 23 - 6.0 in 50:03,  8:21 ave.  Did it at a 3 degree treadmill incline, my third 2-3 degree run in a row.  I've been loving how the incline feels, since it reduces pounding and works my muscles a bit differently.  3 degrees at 8:21 is the equivalent of 7:42 at 1 degree.  Splits> 8:38, 8:38, 8:30, 8:28, 8:19, 8:12, 7:54.  Morning run.

Dec 24 - Our family went for a walk in a neighborhood trail in the morning. 

In the evening, worked out right before Xmas-Eve dinner with my sister.  Spin biked for 40 min, then did strength training for 40 min.  Decided to tack on the strength because I hadn't done a session in 2.5 weeks (usually start to lose fitness after about 2 weeks).  My equipment choices were a bit different, but I did exercises that were equivalent to my usual collection.  It's fun to work out with my sister!

 Dec 25 - Treadmill intervals.  1 mi warmup in 8:19, 3x [1/2 mi @ 9mph (3:20), 1/4 mi @ 7.5mph (2:00)], 0.35 cooldown in 2:37.  68 degrees, 11am.  3.6 in 26:55, 7:29 ave.  I decided that I'm going to follow the Furman FIRST Run Less Run Faster training plan for my next marathon.  I do better with high-intensity, low-volume training.  For Philly, I tried higher-volume, lower-intensity training, and it didn't seem to help.  My muscles fatigued.  I had read the book before after borrowing it from the library, but once I decided to do FIRST, I bought the book.  The revised edition has plans specifically for the BQ times, so 3:35, here I come, most likely in Fall 2013.  I considered going for the Eugene Marathon, but that's in April, and I'd need to start the 16-week training program on Jan 6th if I wanted to do that... I don't think so.  Still just getting back to normal after Philly, so I'm happy to stick with shorter distances for now.  In any case, I thought it would good to give the FIRST strategy a try, so this was the speed portion of the speed / tempo / long run trifecta.  It was good to get in some speed anyway.  I decided to sign up for a 5K on Jan 12th.  Post-run, I felt great and felt like I could run again, but by night-time, the DOMS started setting in.

Dec 26 - Spin bike session.  45 min.  My mom joined me at the gym.  She did some weights and stretching.  I tried doing 3 short stand-up pedaling spurts, but my left knee didn't handle it too well, so I didn't do it for very long.  My HR at the 1/3 and 2/3 points were 156 and 166bpm. 

Dec 27 - Treadmill tempoy session.  5.3 in 41:13, 7:47 ave.  Splits> 8:07, 7:48, 7:42, 7:41, 7:39, 2:14 for 0.3.  Took until 11am for my legs to feel re-energized and capable of running.  Tempo work would help me get my speed up for the 5K.  Felt like I could run again later that day, just like I did after the interval session.  A good feeling.  Left ATL afterwards. Swung by my apartment for a night, then off to CHS.

Iguazu Falls - 7 Natural Wonders of the World

Time to trot the globe again!  This time, my parents would come along, too!  Work sent me to Sao Paulo, Brazil.  My parents went straight to Buenos Aires, AR, where they toured by themselves before I met up with them later in the week.

Before the trip, I got in a 7.5 mi run at the park in 1:06:12, 8:50 ave. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, at 5:30am (3:30am Eastern!!!), I did bike sessions as the sun rose, and as I listened to Endurance Planet podcasts... nice.  Gives you energy you didn't realize you were missing when you work out.  Not working out makes you blah without you realizing it.

Got to watch some tango on the pedestrian street in the evening:



On Friday, after we got out of work an hour early, I got in a run at my favorite spot in Buenos Aires - the Ecological reserve.  5.8 in 47:10, 8:08 ave.  I pushed the pace, so that I could cover as much ground as possible before the park closed.  It was 85 degrees, but it felt cooler than that, since it was cloudy.

On Saturday, the fam was off to Iguazu Falls, one of the new 7 wonders of the world.  One of my bucket list items has been to re-visit Niagara Falls.  Many of my co-workers had independently been to Iguazu before, though, and one of the pictures that was shared with me was breath-taking.  I had been wanting to go for a while, but timing and the workload of the trip was always difficult to get right.  It worked out this time, though, since this was a more relaxed trip.

The falls are close to the triple border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.  Here's a shot of the frontier:

We spent 2 days on the Argentina side of the falls, and I spent the third day doing a tour of Brazil + Paraguay.  Travel tip: No need to bother with the Brazil side... the number and quality of the views from the Argentina side outnumber those of Brazil by 50:1, and you won't have to worry about getting a Brazillian visa.

(The Throat of the Devil, from above, from the AR side)

(The Throat of the Devil, from below/downstream, from the BR side)

There were lots of animals, too, like lizards, butterflies, catfish, birds, mole-looking things, and coatis (like a half-racoon / half-anteater).

We also did a speedboat ride that took you under the waterfall!

It was pretty amazing... there were about 4 different trails that took you to the Throat of the Devil (the main attraction), a view of the bulk of the falls from above, a view of the falls from below, and a view from the island in the middle of it all.  The whole day, you'd see one view after another, and each view would be better than the next, even though you wouldn't think that it would be possible after seeing the previous view.  Lots of rainbows, too.

Got back to the States on Wednesday, mid-day.  I had left Iguazu on Tuesday morning, so it was a long day of travel.  Got in a treadmill run that night.  6 mi in 48:26, 8:04 ave.  Started at 1 degree, did 4 mi at 3 degrees, ended at 5 degrees.  Knee did better.  Oh man, during the trip, I loved not running and not feeling pressured to run.  It was a good thing for my body, post-marathon, and especially for the knee. 

Thursday, woke after 3.5 hrs of sleep to prepare another presentation that I had to give.  Gave it, and then I considered myself more or less done for the year.  Still had to work a couple more days, but the big stuff was over. 

Friday, 6.0 in 49:33, 8:15 ave pace, alternating between 1 degree and 3 degrees.  I've been liking running on more incline than normal, since it reduces the forces on your legs when you land.

Nov 22-Dec 7 : Back in the Saddle Again

Thursday, Thanksgiving.  At my sister's apt in ATL.
Tofurkey, mmm....  I wish Trader Joe's had it all year round.

Friday, Nov 23, biked for 45 min.  Wish my fitness room was as well-equipped as this one.  First time in maybe forever that we didn't do Black Friday shopping.

Saturday, Nov 24, first run back... 6 days post-marathon.  6 mi in 50:20, 8:23 ave.  Pas mal!  It felt so good to be running again, since my body's been craving it.  I took it easier on purpose.  Haven't stretched in a while.

Sunday, Nov 25, strength session.

Monday, Nov 26, recumbent bike.  Pushed pretty hard, HR of 171 bpm.  Long day at work.  Joints were tight, and there was no way I could've run, so I biked.

Thursday, Nov 29, 4 mi of treamill hills.  0.5 @ 1 degree in 4:11, [3 degrees, 5 degrees, 7 degrees, 1 degree, 3 degrees, 5 degrees, 7 degrees @ 7.2mph] for 0.5 mi ea.   4 in 33:30, 8:23 ave.  Knee was yoinky from the middle 1 degree portion, and I had to use better form to help it stay more normal.  Legs felt fresh again otherwise. 

Saturday, Dec 1, outside run.  6.1 mi in 51:50, 8:30 ave.  Left knee yoinky, causing me to not push as hard off of that leg.  Tried to push harder on it on purpose to make it even out, but my body just ended up compensating everywhere, making my right back tight.  Sped it way up as I went along.  Loop splits> 7:13, 6:57, 6:48, 6:43, 6:31, 6:05, 6:00, 5:31.  These are approximately 0.75 mi loops. 

Sunday, Dec 2, recumbent bike, 60 min.  Was going to run, but legs immediately said no.

Tuesday, Dec 4, 4 mi in 30:55, 7:43 ave.  Felt speeedy.  Left knee yoinky, even at fast speeds, which had previously helped.  Felt fast and fresh.  Right back tightened up lots as the run progressed.  Felt good to let loose and get my heart pumping, though.  Tired at work, but pushed through.

Thursday, Dec 6, treadhill hills again.  At first, I thought I'd do a longer run at 1 degree, but it felt way too poundy, so I upped the incline, and that felt good.  4.5 in 38:32, 8:34 ave.  Did 1.5 mi @ 8:45 @ 3 degrees, 2.5 mi @ 8:25 @ 5 degrees, 0.5 mi @ 8:25 @ 7 degrees.  Like hills, for the low impact.  I need to improve on my hill climbing, anyway, as proven by Philly.

Friday, Dec 7, strength session.

Summary... work's been exhausting, but getting the job done, and doing a good job of it.  Left knee has gotten worse as I've gotten back into some moderate training... boo.

Doing DC

The day after the marathon... going up stairs is taxing, but going down stairs is really tricky.  I could tell that I was recovering more quickly with each marathon, though.  Normal walking was fine.  Maybe shorter strides and less pep in the step, but it felt more or less normal.   While my friend was at work, I went out to take in the city.  The Capitol and the museums don't let you go in if you have any kind food or water, even packaged and unopened, but I didn't know that in advance, and I didn't want to ditch my day's supply of food and water, so I figured that I'd use today to do all the outdoor sites, and that I'd see the museums and the Capitol the next day.

I feel like I saw everything and didn't realize how far I ended up walking - 9.9 mi!  The last mile was hard and felt like a tame version of the last mile of the marathon... my legs were not firing well anymore.

The next day, I had time for the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and a bit of the Air & Space Museum.

In the evenings, it was Settlers of Catan, movies, catching up, and Thai and Mexican.