1. I have to get faster in the swim. If I want to be more competitive I cannot give up 10 - 15 minutes on the swim. That's it. I need those minutes. I need to get to the pool and get it done!
2. I have to train harder on the bike this winter to develop my riding muscles. I am new to cycling (3 years on the road) and I know there is untapped potential in my legs. I need to figure out / find / hire someone to help me reach this potential. I need to learn more about using power and I need to push myself harder here.
3. I have to figure out the mental aspect of the run. I lost the mental game at Cozumel (read about that here: Ironman Cozumel) on the run. Just because I couldn't get a gel in me, I basically surrendered to hitting the wall HOURS before it could even happen - I actually remember at 14km, 1/3 into the run, that I was "not going to make it if I couldn't keep nutrition in me".. I didn't even think I could do it drinking pepsi every 10 minutes! Why did my brain not let me entertain the idea of just running the marathon on gatorade and pepsi? I'm sure it could be done. I thought there would be more variety of food on the run but the aid stations were sparse.
I'm not sure I'll be ready for Lake Placid in 2014, but I'm setting my sights on a race in 2015 which will be all out try for a Kona slot.
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
2013 Toronto Yonge Street 10k Race Report
On Sunday, April 21, 2013 I ran my first Yonge Street 10k and I cannot wait to run it again next year. It was a great race from start to finish. The organization, the volunteers, the course, the post race - everything was pretty much exceptional. To make this race a little more fun, I was running with Team "9 Drunks and a Runner". It was my first time running with this team but the 10th and apparently final year the team will run.
Also, like most everyone else running on Sunday, I ran for Boston.
It was a cold start to the day - but not nearly as cold as I feared. The race starts up north of Eglington and finishes a Fort York - it's a net down hill run with only 1 substantial climb and a few flats. It is a fast race for sure! I had signed up to run this race as a time trial for my pacing at my up coming Ottawa Half Marathon in May so I knew I wanted to run it hard and as fast as I could. I was looking to break 45 mins, but like always, in my head I was thinking 42 minutes.
We got to the start with plenty of time but before I knew it, they were calling last call for checked bags. I ran all the way to the back of the corrals and made it with seconds to spare. I have to say, the bag check was so well organized! I don't normally check a bag but since it was so cold I figured I would need something warm at the finish.
I made my way to the Red corral and luckily found my training buddy Chad who so graciously decided to pace me. We made our way near the front of the corral and we were probably only 10 feet from the start line. Next thing we knew we were off. Running a 10k race is actually a crazy distance for me since I have been endurance racing for the past few years. It's full out effort the entire way and when your lungs and heart are screaming at 5k you still have another 5k to go.
My coach had told me to shoot for around 43 minutes, averaging about a 4:15 min/km. I clocked my first kilometre in at 4:16 and thought not bad. However, my heart rate was pretty high and I knew I had to get it under control if I was going to hang on to this for nearly 40 more minutes. The only real climb on this run happens around the 2nd km mark and I was huffing and puffing when I made it to the top. It was nice to see a fellow Toronto Triathlon Club member at the top of the hill - I gave Graham a big wave but didn't have the talking ability to say hi (Our club was volunteering so there were quite a few familiar faces on the course). I focused on my exhale and tried to allow the down hill to bring my heart rate and breathing rate down. Listening to Chad chat was also very helpful but it was definitely a one sided chat! We clicked out the first 5 km in 21 minutes (4:16, 4:09. 4:11, 4:03, 4:16) - my fastest 5km prior to today was 23:04.
By the 6th kilometre I was really feeling it. My legs were fine, my heart and lungs were screaming. I got horrible cramp right in the middle of my diaphragm and it became painful to breath. This is where having a buddy pace you really comes in handy. Chad said all the right things to keep me moving though my pace slowed to 4:16 and 4:17 for the 6 and 7th km. We saw LeanneB (another TTC member volunteering on the course) and she gave us a big cheer and ran after us a bit. That was uplifting because I was really starting to fall apart at that point. Again, Chad continued to say the right things - "imagine we just got off a 80k bike ride and we are going for a 3 1/2 km run".
I continued to focus on my breathing. Kilometre 8 clocked in at 4:06 and I though maybe I would sustain that for the next 2 but I was definitely losing steam. I put my head down and ran. Kilometre 9 was a disappointing 4:15. We made the turn over the railway bridge and we only had 500 meters to go. I knew this was when Chad would turn on the burners as we had discussed. He looked over his shoulder and said "just follow me". I tried - I really tried - I turned on my burners and there was nothing left. I pushed and I tried to pick up my speed but alas, I was done. My 10th km clicked off on my garmin about 20 feet from the finish and it was a heart breaking 4:19. I put my head down and ran that last 20 feet as fast as I could.
Chad was in the finishing shoot waiting for me. The sun was shining and it was temporarily very hot. I remember walking in the middle of the shoot and saying "guess if I'm going to puke I shouldn't do it in the middle of the road". Luckily the puking sensation abated (hey, if you don't feel like you are going to puke then you didn't run hard enough right?).
Of course I forgot to hit the stop button on my Garmin so I wasn't sure of my time but I did see the clock and is was around 42:30 - later I found out my official time was 42:25.4. 10/370 in the F 40-44 age group, 49/3089 woman and 353/5610 overall. I missed my 42 min by 25 seconds, but in the end, I took almost 7 minutes off my one and only other 10k race I have done (Tanenbaum 10k 2011 - 49:22).
The finish area of the race is very well laid out. I had no problem at all getting my bag. There were a couple of food tents so line ups weren't bad. There was just the traditional post race food: bagels (not great for this GF gal), apples and bananas and plenty of gatorade and water. There were a few sponsor tents as well but I didn't really check them out.
We wait for the rest of our team to finish and we ended up being the 4th mixed team out of 20. And as I suspected, I was the runner of the group with the fastest time.
We grabbed a cab back to the start line - I will not go into the awful details of this very expensive cab ride (next year we will buy the shuttle bus tickets), and met up with the team for brunch and of course a few beers.
Sadly, it seems this team has run it's last Toronto Yonge Street 10k, though personally, I hope to change their minds next year! I'm sure if I had been able to stick around while the group put down 14 pitchers of beer I would have succeeded!
Looking back on the execution of this race, I'm not sure I would have done anything differently. I could have tried going out slower and picking up time along the way but with a 10km it seems like a constant effort is needed. I didn't negative split, I was 25 seconds slower on the back 5km, but again, with such a short race does that really matter? My next 10km that I run will be the last leg of the Toronto Triathlon Festival in July and if I can break 45 minutes on that day I will be happy. But for now, I will continue to train for my next race - the Ottawa Half Marathon in May and of course Mt. Tremblant 70.3 in June!
To recap, I loved the course, the organization was great and the volunteers superb! I would highly recommend this race to everyone and I look forward to running it next year!
Also, like most everyone else running on Sunday, I ran for Boston.
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| Course Map |
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| Me, Barry and Carole at the start line - it was COLD |
I made my way to the Red corral and luckily found my training buddy Chad who so graciously decided to pace me. We made our way near the front of the corral and we were probably only 10 feet from the start line. Next thing we knew we were off. Running a 10k race is actually a crazy distance for me since I have been endurance racing for the past few years. It's full out effort the entire way and when your lungs and heart are screaming at 5k you still have another 5k to go.
My coach had told me to shoot for around 43 minutes, averaging about a 4:15 min/km. I clocked my first kilometre in at 4:16 and thought not bad. However, my heart rate was pretty high and I knew I had to get it under control if I was going to hang on to this for nearly 40 more minutes. The only real climb on this run happens around the 2nd km mark and I was huffing and puffing when I made it to the top. It was nice to see a fellow Toronto Triathlon Club member at the top of the hill - I gave Graham a big wave but didn't have the talking ability to say hi (Our club was volunteering so there were quite a few familiar faces on the course). I focused on my exhale and tried to allow the down hill to bring my heart rate and breathing rate down. Listening to Chad chat was also very helpful but it was definitely a one sided chat! We clicked out the first 5 km in 21 minutes (4:16, 4:09. 4:11, 4:03, 4:16) - my fastest 5km prior to today was 23:04.
By the 6th kilometre I was really feeling it. My legs were fine, my heart and lungs were screaming. I got horrible cramp right in the middle of my diaphragm and it became painful to breath. This is where having a buddy pace you really comes in handy. Chad said all the right things to keep me moving though my pace slowed to 4:16 and 4:17 for the 6 and 7th km. We saw LeanneB (another TTC member volunteering on the course) and she gave us a big cheer and ran after us a bit. That was uplifting because I was really starting to fall apart at that point. Again, Chad continued to say the right things - "imagine we just got off a 80k bike ride and we are going for a 3 1/2 km run".
I continued to focus on my breathing. Kilometre 8 clocked in at 4:06 and I though maybe I would sustain that for the next 2 but I was definitely losing steam. I put my head down and ran. Kilometre 9 was a disappointing 4:15. We made the turn over the railway bridge and we only had 500 meters to go. I knew this was when Chad would turn on the burners as we had discussed. He looked over his shoulder and said "just follow me". I tried - I really tried - I turned on my burners and there was nothing left. I pushed and I tried to pick up my speed but alas, I was done. My 10th km clicked off on my garmin about 20 feet from the finish and it was a heart breaking 4:19. I put my head down and ran that last 20 feet as fast as I could.
Chad was in the finishing shoot waiting for me. The sun was shining and it was temporarily very hot. I remember walking in the middle of the shoot and saying "guess if I'm going to puke I shouldn't do it in the middle of the road". Luckily the puking sensation abated (hey, if you don't feel like you are going to puke then you didn't run hard enough right?).
Of course I forgot to hit the stop button on my Garmin so I wasn't sure of my time but I did see the clock and is was around 42:30 - later I found out my official time was 42:25.4. 10/370 in the F 40-44 age group, 49/3089 woman and 353/5610 overall. I missed my 42 min by 25 seconds, but in the end, I took almost 7 minutes off my one and only other 10k race I have done (Tanenbaum 10k 2011 - 49:22).
The finish area of the race is very well laid out. I had no problem at all getting my bag. There were a couple of food tents so line ups weren't bad. There was just the traditional post race food: bagels (not great for this GF gal), apples and bananas and plenty of gatorade and water. There were a few sponsor tents as well but I didn't really check them out.
We wait for the rest of our team to finish and we ended up being the 4th mixed team out of 20. And as I suspected, I was the runner of the group with the fastest time.
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| 9 Drunks and a Runner (yes, we are aware there are more than 10 people on the team) |
Sadly, it seems this team has run it's last Toronto Yonge Street 10k, though personally, I hope to change their minds next year! I'm sure if I had been able to stick around while the group put down 14 pitchers of beer I would have succeeded!
Looking back on the execution of this race, I'm not sure I would have done anything differently. I could have tried going out slower and picking up time along the way but with a 10km it seems like a constant effort is needed. I didn't negative split, I was 25 seconds slower on the back 5km, but again, with such a short race does that really matter? My next 10km that I run will be the last leg of the Toronto Triathlon Festival in July and if I can break 45 minutes on that day I will be happy. But for now, I will continue to train for my next race - the Ottawa Half Marathon in May and of course Mt. Tremblant 70.3 in June!
To recap, I loved the course, the organization was great and the volunteers superb! I would highly recommend this race to everyone and I look forward to running it next year!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
2012 Midsummer's Night 30k Race Report
Last night I ran the Midsummer's Night Run 30k. It was the third year I have participated in this event. In 2008 I race walked the 15k, in 2011 I ran the 15k and last night was my first go at the 30k distance ... ever!
While my Ironman training plan only called for a 2 hour long run this week, I really wanted to run the 30 k distance and this race appeared to be a great opportunity. And it was!
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| 2008 - before my running career |
The 30k run started at 5:30pm, with the 15k walkers starting at 6 and the 15k runners starting at 6:45. Not really happy with the way the staggered start played out on the course but understand the principle behind having folks finish around the same time.
Being a night race there is always the challenge of fueling properly and avoiding GI issues since you have all day to fill your belly up. I felt pretty good going into the race - had a nice breaksfast of oatmeal and blueberries and a fabulous sushi lunch with Carole and Vic. Took a gel about 15 minutes before the start along with an Onza and felt pretty good tummy-wise at the start. It was quite warm and sunny at the start and my fear of over heating was at the top of my mind.
I lined up originally with the 2:40 pace bunny but then ended up next to the 2:30 bunny. First FAIL of the race - I decided to stick with the 2:30 bunny (5min/km pace). Without any warning the horn blew and we were off.
The course can be found here. I'm not a fan of the 30k course. I love the 15k course but the 30k course takes us up and around Villiers Street which is just not pretty, then down to Cherry Beach, along the Cherry Beach trail east, back west along Unwin and then east across Commissioners (my least favorite road!). Then we pick up the nice part of the course out the Leslie Spit, around the lighthouse, back through the eastern loop of the spit, then out of the spit. The course then splits on Leslie with the 15kers heading back across Commissioners to the finish line while the 30kers follow the path to Lakeshore, East to the Beach, out and around the large peanut loop of Ashbridges bay and then back.
I started out strong and kept good pace with the 2:30 group. It was HOT. I was trying not to get overheated and poured water on me at every station. As we hit the 10k mark my heart rate sky-rocketed and I was overheating. I knew at this point I would not be able to maintain the 5min/km pace. I started making excuses in my head .... like, of course I can't - I rode 130k just 2 days ago, my legs are not fresh, it's a night race, this is supposed to be a training race.
KM 12 clocked in at 5:15, Km 13 at 5:30. I was going in the wrong direction quickly. At this point we were just on the spit and the run had turned into "dodge the walkers" who clogged up the 13k water station making me miss the water and have to backtrack to grab water. Groups of walkers were walking 4 - 6 people wide so it was not much fun for the next few KM getting through the walkers. I have utmost respect for walkers, but these were more like strollers. I think the new start time for the walkers really messed up the run for the 30kers.
I had finally gotten my heart rate under control, and with the setting sun I was cooling down significantly. My legs were in more pain then they have ever been in a run. From the top of my hamstrings all the way to my Achilles were tight on both legs. I stopped to walk once but it was even worse getting started up again so I just trotted along. At this point I was going through the motions in my mind. This is nothing compared to the Ironman, I have to do this plus 12 more K AFTER swimming and biking... suck it up and get it done.
I saw Barry around the 20k mark as I was heading back and as soon as I saw him in the distance, tears welled in my eyes. I was not doing good. He flashed me a big smile and thumbs up, all I could managed was a slow shake of my head. I was not in a happy spot. I wanted this run to feel as good as the 10 miler did the week before and it just wasn't!
From there on my pace never saw anything better than 5:30 with my paces staying in the upper 5s except for km 25, 26, and 27 ( 6:00, 6:13, and 6:00). These were the three km in the peanut loop of Ashbridges bay. I had expected to see some friends at the entrance and was surprised that everyone I expected was not there - but Irisz, who I did NOT expect was. When I came back out of the peanut loop and saw Irisz and John again I was so happy! She was cheering so loudly for me and ran with me for what seemed like forever, though it must have just been a minute or two. Irisz's positive words and encouragement meant the world to me and gave me the strength to pull it together for the last 3 km and I clocked them all in under 6min/km. I would not have been able to do that with her. Thanks Irisz!
The KM markers, which had been "early" for the entire race when compared to my watch, were all of a sudden "late" ... and in the end the run was actually 30.23km. I was so happy to turn back onto Commissioners and get to the finish. I was able to get it together and sprint up Logan to the finish line. I finished in 2:44:33 chip time. My goal was 2:45. My "A+" goal was closer to 2:30 with my "B" goal being under 3 hours. While I hit my goal, I did not execute this race well at all.
I felt horrible. I cannot remember feeling so horrible after a race. I stopped at medical and sat down on a chair but quickly stood up. Sitting was not the right thing to do. I staggered to the medals and found my way to the plastic bag that had a banana and a bag of candy. My legs were wobbly and I was searching for a place to lean when I saw Cavin walking toward me. A huge wave of relief washed over me. I did not want to be alone in a sea of people. Shawna, Calvin's lovely fiancée took my stuff (I had my hand-held bottle, the steal bottle they hand out at the finish line and my food baggie. I inhaled my banana thinking it would somehow cure my pains. I'm not sure how long we stood there but I slowly stretched and regained my balance and composure. They were off to the beer tent and I made my way back to the finish line to wait for Barry.
It wasn't long before he came through with a time of 3:05:15. He looked great and felt great ... role reversal all around! We found some bleachers and stretched a bit then changed into dry cloths and hit the beer tent. It was nice to have a couple of beers with Cavin and his crew.
I learned a lot about race execution today which I hope I take into my Ironman. As much as I want to run 5min kilometers, if I had just gone out running 5:15 or 5:30s from the start I would have had a more successful race. I pushed myself too hard at the beginning and paid for it on the back end of the race.
Surprisingly, my legs feel pretty good today. I didn't get much sleep last night - a combination of adrenaline, caffeine and sore legs!
I'm sure I will run this race again.... but not necessarily the long course! As in years past - it was a well organized event, well supported with volunteers and spectators. The after party beer garden and BBQ are top notch as well!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I miss running
It's been nearly 8 weeks since I have run.
I never thought I would love running this much but I can honestly say I miss it and I love it.
I love the way I feel after a long run, after a fast run, after a recovery run. I love fuelling my body, pushing my legs, my lungs, my heart. I love the taste of salt on my lip mixed with the sweet raspberry hammer gel. I love going far from home knowing I have to return.
I miss the sunshine and the sweat soaked shirt even when its so cold outside you wonder how you can sweat. I miss the music screaming in my ears. I miss the hours out of the house and in the fresh air. I miss being in my own head with no one else. I miss visualizing my day with Ironman, visualizing the emotions, the feelings, the pain. I miss running.
I never thought I would love running this much but I can honestly say I miss it and I love it.
I love the way I feel after a long run, after a fast run, after a recovery run. I love fuelling my body, pushing my legs, my lungs, my heart. I love the taste of salt on my lip mixed with the sweet raspberry hammer gel. I love going far from home knowing I have to return.
I miss the sunshine and the sweat soaked shirt even when its so cold outside you wonder how you can sweat. I miss the music screaming in my ears. I miss the hours out of the house and in the fresh air. I miss being in my own head with no one else. I miss visualizing my day with Ironman, visualizing the emotions, the feelings, the pain. I miss running.
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