Sometimes, on a run or on a ride (stationary, of course), a girl like me can use a little "determination music."
I am posting today the first of several personal playlists that get me moving and keep me going. My musical taste spans all genres.
All songs available on amazon.com:
Determination Playlist #1:
Ain't Going Down--Eric Clapton
Better Version of Me--Fiona Apple
Can't Hold Us: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Last Splash--the Breeders
Comeback Kid--Sleigh Bells
Everybody Got Their Something: Nikka Costa
Extraordinary--Liz Phair
Go With the Flow--Queens of the Stone Age
I'm the Baddest Bitch (In the Room)--Norma Jean Bell
I'm the Man--Joe Jackson
New Shoes--Paolo Nutini
One Small Day--Ultravox
Sat in Your Lap--Kate Bush
Second Chance--Peter, Bjorn and John
Something Good Can Happen--Two Door Cinema Club
The Man--Aloe Blacc
The World Should Revolve Around Me--Little Jackie
We Close Our Eyes--Go West
Whatever Gets You Through the Night--John Lennon
The music here ranges from classic rock to 80s new wave to "alternative" to house to soul. These are songs that make me happy and make me work.
What's your determination playlist look like? Maybe yours is absolute silence!
Friday, February 14, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Attack of the Cardio Machines!!!
With this winter being as harsh as it has been, I've been in the gym a lot more than last winter, when the kinder weather permitted a lot more outdoor running. I've been spending lots of time on various cardio machines so I thought I'd write a bit about my impressions of what they've done for me.
Stationary bikes: I started my fitness transformation with this machine. Stationary bikes are great, easy-to-use, and they allow you to work at your own level. I have one at home (affectionately named Hank, after "Hank Hill " from the animated sitcom "King of the Hill." I use them at the gym, sweat flying, tunes cranking. I've taken spin classes and enjoyed them, but do get a lot out of just picking a setlist for my mp3 player and riding for 30-45 mins. I think the recumbent ones work your legs slightly differently than the upright kind--my home bike is a hybrid between being an upright and a recumbent.
Ellipticals: I used to HATE the elliptical. I hated the sensation of hanging there, being suspended in mid-air, and I just couldn't relax at first. I'm glad I stuck with it and got over that feeling, because now ellipticals are my go-to machines when I see them in a gym or hotel fitness room. What changed? I learned better balance and to let go more, to move on the machine as if I were running. The best ellipticals for me are the ones that most closely mimic the act of running, like the Cybex ARC Trainer or the Life Fitness Fit Strider.
Stairclimbers: I draw a distinction between ellipticals, which tend to move the user's feet in a circular motion more similar to the pedaling on a bike, and stairclimbers, which intend to simulate climbing stairs or hiking a mountain. I have not found a way to enjoy stairclimbers--especially the kind where fake stairs move beneath your feet like a crazed escalator. It's weird to me that I can't abide stairclimbers, because I actually like climbing stairs in a building or walking up steps outside a building.
Rowing: Rowing on a rowing machine is awesome. Sometimes I crave doing it like craving a particular food! The best rowers are the Concept 2 Rowers. I initially thought that using the rowing machine was all upper body work, but it really works your legs most. The legs lead and the arms follow. It's a little difficult at first, since you might think it's a lot of pulling with the arms. But it's much more of a full-body exercise when done correctly.
Treadmills: I've talked about treadmills in an earlier post, so I won't say much here about them. They do work, but they take work. I've seen all sorts of ways that people cheat themselves out of that work or set themselves up for injury while on treadmills (hanging on the side rails, clinging with their arms on to the top of the machine, using weights while on the treadmill). There's a woman I see at the gym who does the "arms stuck on the side rails"thing while she uses the treadmill at a pace that looks way too fast for her. She looks so miserable! I want to tell her to slow the machine down and walk normally, and build up her pace gradually. But I don't dole out advice to other gym patrons, as tempted as I am.
Here are some links to my favorite cardio machines:
Stationary bikes: http://www.lifefitness.com/commercial/cardio/lifecycleexercisebikes.html
Rower: http://www.concept2.com
Elliptical (ARC Trainer): http://www.cybexintl.com/products/arc-trainers.aspx
Treadmills: http://www.precor.com/en-us/home/products/treadmills
Stationary bikes: I started my fitness transformation with this machine. Stationary bikes are great, easy-to-use, and they allow you to work at your own level. I have one at home (affectionately named Hank, after "Hank Hill " from the animated sitcom "King of the Hill." I use them at the gym, sweat flying, tunes cranking. I've taken spin classes and enjoyed them, but do get a lot out of just picking a setlist for my mp3 player and riding for 30-45 mins. I think the recumbent ones work your legs slightly differently than the upright kind--my home bike is a hybrid between being an upright and a recumbent.
Ellipticals: I used to HATE the elliptical. I hated the sensation of hanging there, being suspended in mid-air, and I just couldn't relax at first. I'm glad I stuck with it and got over that feeling, because now ellipticals are my go-to machines when I see them in a gym or hotel fitness room. What changed? I learned better balance and to let go more, to move on the machine as if I were running. The best ellipticals for me are the ones that most closely mimic the act of running, like the Cybex ARC Trainer or the Life Fitness Fit Strider.
Stairclimbers: I draw a distinction between ellipticals, which tend to move the user's feet in a circular motion more similar to the pedaling on a bike, and stairclimbers, which intend to simulate climbing stairs or hiking a mountain. I have not found a way to enjoy stairclimbers--especially the kind where fake stairs move beneath your feet like a crazed escalator. It's weird to me that I can't abide stairclimbers, because I actually like climbing stairs in a building or walking up steps outside a building.
Rowing: Rowing on a rowing machine is awesome. Sometimes I crave doing it like craving a particular food! The best rowers are the Concept 2 Rowers. I initially thought that using the rowing machine was all upper body work, but it really works your legs most. The legs lead and the arms follow. It's a little difficult at first, since you might think it's a lot of pulling with the arms. But it's much more of a full-body exercise when done correctly.
Treadmills: I've talked about treadmills in an earlier post, so I won't say much here about them. They do work, but they take work. I've seen all sorts of ways that people cheat themselves out of that work or set themselves up for injury while on treadmills (hanging on the side rails, clinging with their arms on to the top of the machine, using weights while on the treadmill). There's a woman I see at the gym who does the "arms stuck on the side rails"thing while she uses the treadmill at a pace that looks way too fast for her. She looks so miserable! I want to tell her to slow the machine down and walk normally, and build up her pace gradually. But I don't dole out advice to other gym patrons, as tempted as I am.
Here are some links to my favorite cardio machines:
Stationary bikes: http://www.lifefitness.com/commercial/cardio/lifecycleexercisebikes.html
Rower: http://www.concept2.com
Elliptical (ARC Trainer): http://www.cybexintl.com/products/arc-trainers.aspx
Treadmills: http://www.precor.com/en-us/home/products/treadmills
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Treadmill Running versus Outdoor Running: A Reflection
It's winter here in the Midwest, with its stinging winds, snow storms, and freak ice attacks. I haven't been running outside as much as I'd like to--instead opting for sessions with my old adversary, the treadmill.
Like a lot of runners, I didn't feel I was truly a runner until I started running outside. Each year, I celebrate my birthday (today) and my runnerversary (the day I started outdoor running, Oct. 16). Before that date, I hadn't thought to run outside. I did use a treadmill at my campus REC center often, and found it was the one piece of cardio equipment that seemed to really accelerate my weight loss. Then, on that October day, a brain flash--why not just run outside? From that flash, a runner was born.
So here I am, several years later, back to the treadmill vs. outdoor running quandary. Here are, in my humble opinion, the pluses of a treadmill:
1) It's warm inside. Whether you have your own treadmill or use one at the gym, the temperature is bound to be better inside than outside. Winter weather, slippery roads, icy patches in the cold-weather months and hot, humid, temps in the summer months make the treadmill an option for those weather extremes that are becoming more and more prevalent.
2) Watch a movie. Watch Sports Center. Watch Shaun T. on that Insanity infomercial. When I travel and I use a hotel fitness room treadmill, I always pick the one that has an imbedded television. At the gym, there are rows of TVs in the cardio area. I don't own a home treadmill, but there always seems to be a TV near a treadmill when I'm on one. I can watch "Real Housewives of Wherever" and feel virtuous while doing so.
3) Listen to music. Yeah, you can listen to music when you are out for a run, but let's admit it, it's not the safest thing in the world to do. On a mill, you can pump your music into your bloodstream and not worry about being hit by a car, chased by animal, or yelled at by a rude passer-by.
4) Control the incline and speed. When I run outdoors, I can avoid the hills, but on a mill, once I put the incline on, I tend to leave it there until I'm finished. I'm still shy about speed, but hope to get my speed up consistently in the 7 mph range.
What makes a treadmill less than ideal to me is the sense of confinement I feel on the machine. I've read the best way to run on a treadmill is to stay in the center of the belt, and not to hump the control panel (I've seen this a lot and it always amuses me). I tend to tense up though, and find it hard to relax and let go the way I do outside. And if I see a bunny outside, it's "oh how cute, a bunny!" If I see a bunny indoors, well, I'd wonder what I'd had to drink the previous night.
I think treadmill running actually improves my endurance for outdoor runs, so I think I will incorporate both into my schedule. But when push comes to shove, I'll always opt to lace up my sneakers and head outside for some air, some grass, some trees and some bunnies!
Like a lot of runners, I didn't feel I was truly a runner until I started running outside. Each year, I celebrate my birthday (today) and my runnerversary (the day I started outdoor running, Oct. 16). Before that date, I hadn't thought to run outside. I did use a treadmill at my campus REC center often, and found it was the one piece of cardio equipment that seemed to really accelerate my weight loss. Then, on that October day, a brain flash--why not just run outside? From that flash, a runner was born.
So here I am, several years later, back to the treadmill vs. outdoor running quandary. Here are, in my humble opinion, the pluses of a treadmill:
1) It's warm inside. Whether you have your own treadmill or use one at the gym, the temperature is bound to be better inside than outside. Winter weather, slippery roads, icy patches in the cold-weather months and hot, humid, temps in the summer months make the treadmill an option for those weather extremes that are becoming more and more prevalent.
2) Watch a movie. Watch Sports Center. Watch Shaun T. on that Insanity infomercial. When I travel and I use a hotel fitness room treadmill, I always pick the one that has an imbedded television. At the gym, there are rows of TVs in the cardio area. I don't own a home treadmill, but there always seems to be a TV near a treadmill when I'm on one. I can watch "Real Housewives of Wherever" and feel virtuous while doing so.
3) Listen to music. Yeah, you can listen to music when you are out for a run, but let's admit it, it's not the safest thing in the world to do. On a mill, you can pump your music into your bloodstream and not worry about being hit by a car, chased by animal, or yelled at by a rude passer-by.
4) Control the incline and speed. When I run outdoors, I can avoid the hills, but on a mill, once I put the incline on, I tend to leave it there until I'm finished. I'm still shy about speed, but hope to get my speed up consistently in the 7 mph range.
What makes a treadmill less than ideal to me is the sense of confinement I feel on the machine. I've read the best way to run on a treadmill is to stay in the center of the belt, and not to hump the control panel (I've seen this a lot and it always amuses me). I tend to tense up though, and find it hard to relax and let go the way I do outside. And if I see a bunny outside, it's "oh how cute, a bunny!" If I see a bunny indoors, well, I'd wonder what I'd had to drink the previous night.
I think treadmill running actually improves my endurance for outdoor runs, so I think I will incorporate both into my schedule. But when push comes to shove, I'll always opt to lace up my sneakers and head outside for some air, some grass, some trees and some bunnies!
Monday, December 2, 2013
Last Race for 2013: Great River Road Run Ten Miler
This past Saturday, November 30th, I ran my last race for 2013--the Great River Road Run 10 Miler, which I finished in 1:35.26. Here's my race report.
1) A race down by the river...
Yes, that river, the mighty Mississippi. This race, put on by the Alton Road Runners, http://www.altonroadrunners.com/
was in its 54th incarnation this year. It's a race beside the Mississippi River--starting in Alton, Illinois. You run by the river the entire time--from Alton to Godfrey and back. It's a beautiful piece of scenery that I wish I lived closer to--I'd run by it all the time if I lived in the Riverbend area.
2) Third time was not the charm:
This time, I was vaguely dissatisfied--1:35.26 is a fine time, but I felt like I could have--and should have--done better. The last two years I was top 50 masters (at this race, not everyone gets a medal--medals are given out in the finish chute, and only to the top 50 in a certain age group). The age groupings are huge here--no 5 year and 10 year groups--my age group was 39-50. I was 67th in the female age 39-50 group this year.
3) It was blessedly warm.
One reason why it was a faster field was that it was pretty warm for November 30th. More people come out for a race when they don't have to freeze their butts off! I might have been a bit overdressed in a hat, jacket, long-sleeved tech tee and gloves.
4) And not as windy...
In previous years, this race has been very windy. You run five miles out with the wind at your back, you reach the turnaround point and then the wind is in your face. The wind was mild this year in comparison to years past.
5) Music, no music--
I had my mp3 player glitch on me the last three miles, so that part was without music. My mantra throughout the race was "relax and breathe." It was harder than I anticipated--since I run half-marathons, a ten-miler should be a breeze, huh? Well, my pace was faster at this race than at either of the halfs I'd done earlier this year, so this race was fewer miles at a faster pace=harder.
6) Final results for this race:
Finish time: 1:35:27.6
Finish place: 434 of 748 runners
Age Group Placement: 67 (Female, age 39-50)
first five miles: 46:02.8 (9:12/m)
last five miles: 49:24.7 (9:53/m)
9:33 average pace
I'm vowing to make 2014 the year of the ten-miler. The fact that my first five miles were so much faster than the second five is a clue that I need to do a lot more long runs! I really want to kill the next ten-miler I run, so I've got lots of work ahead.
1) A race down by the river...
Yes, that river, the mighty Mississippi. This race, put on by the Alton Road Runners, http://www.altonroadrunners.com/
was in its 54th incarnation this year. It's a race beside the Mississippi River--starting in Alton, Illinois. You run by the river the entire time--from Alton to Godfrey and back. It's a beautiful piece of scenery that I wish I lived closer to--I'd run by it all the time if I lived in the Riverbend area.
2) Third time was not the charm:
This time, I was vaguely dissatisfied--1:35.26 is a fine time, but I felt like I could have--and should have--done better. The last two years I was top 50 masters (at this race, not everyone gets a medal--medals are given out in the finish chute, and only to the top 50 in a certain age group). The age groupings are huge here--no 5 year and 10 year groups--my age group was 39-50. I was 67th in the female age 39-50 group this year.
3) It was blessedly warm.
One reason why it was a faster field was that it was pretty warm for November 30th. More people come out for a race when they don't have to freeze their butts off! I might have been a bit overdressed in a hat, jacket, long-sleeved tech tee and gloves.
4) And not as windy...
In previous years, this race has been very windy. You run five miles out with the wind at your back, you reach the turnaround point and then the wind is in your face. The wind was mild this year in comparison to years past.
5) Music, no music--
I had my mp3 player glitch on me the last three miles, so that part was without music. My mantra throughout the race was "relax and breathe." It was harder than I anticipated--since I run half-marathons, a ten-miler should be a breeze, huh? Well, my pace was faster at this race than at either of the halfs I'd done earlier this year, so this race was fewer miles at a faster pace=harder.
6) Final results for this race:
Finish time: 1:35:27.6
Finish place: 434 of 748 runners
Age Group Placement: 67 (Female, age 39-50)
first five miles: 46:02.8 (9:12/m)
last five miles: 49:24.7 (9:53/m)
9:33 average pace
I'm vowing to make 2014 the year of the ten-miler. The fact that my first five miles were so much faster than the second five is a clue that I need to do a lot more long runs! I really want to kill the next ten-miler I run, so I've got lots of work ahead.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Reasons to Run
Two days ago there was an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, mocking runners for their narcissism, their stupid 13.1 and 26.2 stickers and race T-shirts, and their general smug self-satisfaction. This piece pissed me off, of course, but then I thought of the reasons I keep running. I looked back at my exercise/running log from 2009, and saw the first day I ran outside--October 16, a 22-minute outdoor session. What keeps me running four years later?
1) It works (for me):
Back in 2009, I was working out a lot indoors at our campus recreation center. I'd use the rowers, the bikes, and I got over my fear of the elliptical (something about being suspended mid-air initially bugged me, but now I enjoy the lack of pounding) and the treadmill. I noticed the piece of equipment that really fired up my weight loss was the treadmill. I'm not the hugest treadmill fan, but this intrigued me.
2) It's a "lazy" workout:
On October 16, 2009, I started running outside. It felt so much freer than the treadmill, and I felt a rush. Something told me that is was something I could do, do well, and continue to do when I felt too lazy to drag ass to the REC center. It's "lazy" in that I don't have to think much about it--I get my clothes on (more on clothes later), get my shoes on, select music if I'm using music, and head out the door. I figured out a quick one-mile automatic-pilot loop in my neighborhood that I still use to this day.
3) It helps me keep my blood pressure in check:
I think America's doctors have given up on us. They've told us again and again to eat a healthy diet and to exercise, but so many of us ignore that advice. When I was going to the doctor a lot for high blood pressure care, no doctor ever told me to exercise. They seemed stunned that I'd started a regimen without their advice, and that I was trying to wean myself off the huge pills they kept wanting to prescribe. I hated going to the pharmacy every month for more and more pills. Eventually, I lost sufficient weight (though weight loss was never my primary goal) that the docs took me off all meds. I was so glad of that because less money on pills means more money on....
4) Clothes!!!
I'll admit to buying more running/workout clothes these days than regular clothes. But I'm also cheap, so I'll hit up the sales racks at Target, Gordman's, Bealls Outlet, Ross Dress for Less (there's always a sign at Ross Stores that labels part of their sportswear section as "Active Bottoms," which still cracks me up), TJ Maxx and Marshalls. In running clothes, I can wear obnoxious colors that I don't wear in my day-to-day wardrobe. I can be silly--and dress for a race as a tiger or a bunny (both of which I've done).
5) Music!
I love music, just about any kind of music. But running has made me re-consider songs I thought were rubbish--lyrically, they may be, but some crass pop songs are great for running. I don't always use music when I run, and if I'm told not to use music in a race, I don't. But I've enjoyed re-connecting with my own past musical memories when I run to eighties tunes; I love hearing hyped-up house mixes; I've run to reggae, soca and salsa music; and I've discovered a whole lot of bands and musicians I never would have heard otherwise. For a sample of my favorite running music, check out the links I've posted on the side of this blog.
So, Wall Street Journal dude, keep your sour attitude about running and runners. I've got my reasons to run and no one's going to take them from me. Running makes me feel like a bad-ass, and that can only be good.
1) It works (for me):
Back in 2009, I was working out a lot indoors at our campus recreation center. I'd use the rowers, the bikes, and I got over my fear of the elliptical (something about being suspended mid-air initially bugged me, but now I enjoy the lack of pounding) and the treadmill. I noticed the piece of equipment that really fired up my weight loss was the treadmill. I'm not the hugest treadmill fan, but this intrigued me.
2) It's a "lazy" workout:
On October 16, 2009, I started running outside. It felt so much freer than the treadmill, and I felt a rush. Something told me that is was something I could do, do well, and continue to do when I felt too lazy to drag ass to the REC center. It's "lazy" in that I don't have to think much about it--I get my clothes on (more on clothes later), get my shoes on, select music if I'm using music, and head out the door. I figured out a quick one-mile automatic-pilot loop in my neighborhood that I still use to this day.
3) It helps me keep my blood pressure in check:
I think America's doctors have given up on us. They've told us again and again to eat a healthy diet and to exercise, but so many of us ignore that advice. When I was going to the doctor a lot for high blood pressure care, no doctor ever told me to exercise. They seemed stunned that I'd started a regimen without their advice, and that I was trying to wean myself off the huge pills they kept wanting to prescribe. I hated going to the pharmacy every month for more and more pills. Eventually, I lost sufficient weight (though weight loss was never my primary goal) that the docs took me off all meds. I was so glad of that because less money on pills means more money on....
4) Clothes!!!
I'll admit to buying more running/workout clothes these days than regular clothes. But I'm also cheap, so I'll hit up the sales racks at Target, Gordman's, Bealls Outlet, Ross Dress for Less (there's always a sign at Ross Stores that labels part of their sportswear section as "Active Bottoms," which still cracks me up), TJ Maxx and Marshalls. In running clothes, I can wear obnoxious colors that I don't wear in my day-to-day wardrobe. I can be silly--and dress for a race as a tiger or a bunny (both of which I've done).
5) Music!
I love music, just about any kind of music. But running has made me re-consider songs I thought were rubbish--lyrically, they may be, but some crass pop songs are great for running. I don't always use music when I run, and if I'm told not to use music in a race, I don't. But I've enjoyed re-connecting with my own past musical memories when I run to eighties tunes; I love hearing hyped-up house mixes; I've run to reggae, soca and salsa music; and I've discovered a whole lot of bands and musicians I never would have heard otherwise. For a sample of my favorite running music, check out the links I've posted on the side of this blog.
So, Wall Street Journal dude, keep your sour attitude about running and runners. I've got my reasons to run and no one's going to take them from me. Running makes me feel like a bad-ass, and that can only be good.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
The Beauty of a Ten-Mile Race
Later this month (November 30th), I'll run the Great River Road Run, a ten-mile race held year in the Mississippi River town of Alton, IL (more info on the race at http://www.altonroadrunners.com).
Ten miles is one of my favorite lengths for a race. It's longer than the 6.2 miles of a 10K, but less stressful to think about than a half-marathon. It still takes preparation, endurance, and proper training, but if you run it well, you're not anywhere near as tired as when you run a half.
Are there many ten-mile races out there? I thought ten-milers were a rarity when I last ran the Great River Run, but a quick internet search proved me wrong. Here's a list of ten mile races that I hope to try one day:
Annapolis Ten-Mile Race, Annapolis, MD
http://annapolisstriders.org/2013/a10/a102013InfoA.htm
Virginia Ten-Miler, Lynchburg, VA
https://virginiatenmiler.com
Surf-n-Santa Ten Miler, Virginia Beach, VA
http://www.surfnsanta10miler.com
Charlottesville Ten-Miler, Charlottesville, VA
http://cvilletenmiler.com
Medtronic TC 10-Miler, Minneapolis, MN
https://www.tcmevents.org/events/medtronic_twin_cities_marathon_weekend_-_october_3-5_2014/10_mile/
Soldier Field 10-Miler, Chicago, IL
http://soldierfield10.com
Austin 10/20 (Ten Miles, Twenty Bands), Austin, TX
http://www.austin1020.com
Here are some training plans for ten-mile races:
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51126/15K-10-mile-Training-Guide
http://www.the-fitness-motivator.com/10-mile-training-plan.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/run-your-best-10-miler?page=single
I look forward to running some ten-mile races during spring some day. Ten miles feels awfully cold in late November. As much as I've liked doing the Great River Road Run, I look forward to some sunny races at the ten-mile distance.
Ten miles is one of my favorite lengths for a race. It's longer than the 6.2 miles of a 10K, but less stressful to think about than a half-marathon. It still takes preparation, endurance, and proper training, but if you run it well, you're not anywhere near as tired as when you run a half.
Are there many ten-mile races out there? I thought ten-milers were a rarity when I last ran the Great River Run, but a quick internet search proved me wrong. Here's a list of ten mile races that I hope to try one day:
Annapolis Ten-Mile Race, Annapolis, MD
http://annapolisstriders.org/2013/a10/a102013InfoA.htm
Virginia Ten-Miler, Lynchburg, VA
https://virginiatenmiler.com
Surf-n-Santa Ten Miler, Virginia Beach, VA
http://www.surfnsanta10miler.com
Charlottesville Ten-Miler, Charlottesville, VA
http://cvilletenmiler.com
Medtronic TC 10-Miler, Minneapolis, MN
https://www.tcmevents.org/events/medtronic_twin_cities_marathon_weekend_-_october_3-5_2014/10_mile/
Soldier Field 10-Miler, Chicago, IL
http://soldierfield10.com
Austin 10/20 (Ten Miles, Twenty Bands), Austin, TX
http://www.austin1020.com
Here are some training plans for ten-mile races:
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51126/15K-10-mile-Training-Guide
http://www.the-fitness-motivator.com/10-mile-training-plan.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/run-your-best-10-miler?page=single
I look forward to running some ten-mile races during spring some day. Ten miles feels awfully cold in late November. As much as I've liked doing the Great River Road Run, I look forward to some sunny races at the ten-mile distance.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Thirteenth Half Marathon: 2013 Saint Louis Track Club Half Marathon
This past Sunday, November 3, I ran my thirteenth half-marathon, the 2013 Saint Louis Track Club Half-Marathon. I finished the race in 2:07.31. Here are my race day observations.
1) This continues to be a well-run and nicely-organized race:
This was my third time at this particular half-marathon, which is sponsored by the main running club in the city of Saint Louis, the STL Track Club: http://stlouistrackclub.com
There's also a 5K at this race, and a youth run.
I keep coming back because it's a nicely done race, and I like the opportunity to run in Forest Park--the course route goes from Clayton, MO, past the campus of Washington University, into Forest Park and back to Clayton. If I lived in Saint Louis, I would regularly run in the beautiful wide expanse of Forest Park. It looks especially nice at this time of year, with the fall leaves in lovely color. The weather was a little chilly to start, but as the crowd got moving, it warmed up nicely.
2) I was not as well-organized as the race:
Last year, I gained a half-marathon PR at this race at 2.01.06. This year, I wasn't as fortunate. I was much slower, and made some basic mistakes that made the race harder than it should have been. My basic problem was fueling--I didn't have enough in my system (only had one gel in me prior to race time, and I should have eaten one on the course). I should have eaten one about mile seven, but I waited too long. By the time I got to right before mile 11, I stopped to walk--not because I was bonking in the jelly-legs fall-down way--but because I was tired. TIRED. I kept moving through miles 11 and 12, alternating walking and running--doing whatever my body would allow. When I got to the clock at right before mile 13, I saw I was at 2:02, which surprised me. I thought with all the walking that I had ruined my race and would get in at about 2:15. So I began to run again, and crossed the finish at 2:08 unofficially (chip time was 2:07.31).
3) Spotting fast people:
At last year's race, there was a particularly fast field, given that there were some displaced elite runners from the cancelled NYC Marathon. This year's men's winner, Geofrey Terer, was in at 1:07.36--a 5:09 pace! Amazing. The women's overall winner was Liza Hunter-Galvan, who came in at 1:18.31. Since this race is an out-and-back, us slow-pokes can see these amazing runners in action--they are headed out of Forest Park as we slower runners are making our way in!
4) Meeting a goal:
With this race, I've met a goal--I wanted to do 13 half-marathons before the close of 2013. I did it, and even though I was not at my best or fastest, that goal is accomplished. The new goal is not to count them anymore, and just do them.
5) Final stats:
time: 2:07.31 (chip time)
average pace: 9:44/mile
gender rank: 184
age-group place: 22 of 52
My last race of the year will also be a race I've done before, a ten-mile race in Alton, IL--the Great River Road Race. I promise I'll fuel better for that one.
1) This continues to be a well-run and nicely-organized race:
This was my third time at this particular half-marathon, which is sponsored by the main running club in the city of Saint Louis, the STL Track Club: http://stlouistrackclub.com
There's also a 5K at this race, and a youth run.
I keep coming back because it's a nicely done race, and I like the opportunity to run in Forest Park--the course route goes from Clayton, MO, past the campus of Washington University, into Forest Park and back to Clayton. If I lived in Saint Louis, I would regularly run in the beautiful wide expanse of Forest Park. It looks especially nice at this time of year, with the fall leaves in lovely color. The weather was a little chilly to start, but as the crowd got moving, it warmed up nicely.
2) I was not as well-organized as the race:
Last year, I gained a half-marathon PR at this race at 2.01.06. This year, I wasn't as fortunate. I was much slower, and made some basic mistakes that made the race harder than it should have been. My basic problem was fueling--I didn't have enough in my system (only had one gel in me prior to race time, and I should have eaten one on the course). I should have eaten one about mile seven, but I waited too long. By the time I got to right before mile 11, I stopped to walk--not because I was bonking in the jelly-legs fall-down way--but because I was tired. TIRED. I kept moving through miles 11 and 12, alternating walking and running--doing whatever my body would allow. When I got to the clock at right before mile 13, I saw I was at 2:02, which surprised me. I thought with all the walking that I had ruined my race and would get in at about 2:15. So I began to run again, and crossed the finish at 2:08 unofficially (chip time was 2:07.31).
3) Spotting fast people:
At last year's race, there was a particularly fast field, given that there were some displaced elite runners from the cancelled NYC Marathon. This year's men's winner, Geofrey Terer, was in at 1:07.36--a 5:09 pace! Amazing. The women's overall winner was Liza Hunter-Galvan, who came in at 1:18.31. Since this race is an out-and-back, us slow-pokes can see these amazing runners in action--they are headed out of Forest Park as we slower runners are making our way in!
4) Meeting a goal:
With this race, I've met a goal--I wanted to do 13 half-marathons before the close of 2013. I did it, and even though I was not at my best or fastest, that goal is accomplished. The new goal is not to count them anymore, and just do them.
5) Final stats:
time: 2:07.31 (chip time)
average pace: 9:44/mile
gender rank: 184
age-group place: 22 of 52
My last race of the year will also be a race I've done before, a ten-mile race in Alton, IL--the Great River Road Race. I promise I'll fuel better for that one.
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