This is the time of year when it seems as though Mother Nature has gone off her meds. The only thing that's constant about the weather is that it's always changing. 40s one day, near 80 with thunderstorms the next, freezing and windy the day after that. I can't help but laugh when I fold my laundry and have tank tops, fleeces, and everything in between. And while I feel these ups and downs make winters here a little more tolerable than the four solid months of cold I experienced growing up in the northeast, it does make planning my running attire a little challenging.
Today was the big one...my first 20 mile run, and the longest run I'll complete before race day. I was nervous. I had been steadily eating and drinking water throughout the day yesterday, and I even kicked my feet up and closed my eyes for 20 minutes after Brynn got home from school (hooray for no homework on Fridays!). Tried to conserve as much energy as I could for the run. Add the instability of the weather to my bundle of nerves, and I start to panic.
What the heck do I wear when it's supposed to be in the 30s first thing in the morning, then climb into the 60s throughout the day???
Typically, when we have weather that's sort of in between hot and cold, I'll opt for my cropped pants, which fall perfectly below my knees and have a little pouch for my gel at the hip. However, because of the metamorphosis my body has gone through over the last several months of training, all three pair of those pants no longer fit well. They're baggy in the knees and crotchular region, and they start to fall down the minute I go from walk to run. A great problem to have, but shit!!! I feared it will be too cold for my shorts, yet too warm for my long tights (which do not have a pocket for my gel, either). See??? Panic mode.
Out of desperation, I took a trip to Lululemon to find some cropped pants that will be as magical as my shorts. I scoped some out online first, and thought the Pace crop would be the ones for me:
I love the length, and the have the back zipper pocket as well as a little pouch at the hip. But naturally, our Lululemon store did not have these in stock, so I tried on the Inspire Crop II:
Basically the same pants, but notice the difference in length. See how snug these pants are at the calf of this leggy model? Yeah, they're a lot longer on my stumpy little legs, so they had a bit of a flare at the bottom on me, which just looked ridiculous. When the sales associate asked if I needed another size, from behind the changing curtain, I asked if he had any longer legs in stock instead. He told me the Inspire pants could be hemmed, but the thought of spending $90 on a pair of pants that still needed alterations just didn't sit well with me, even if the store hems your stuff free of charge.
My Lulu experience just got more irritating from there. Another clerk started suggesting other pants that had the shorter length, even though they were yoga pants and clearly not going to suit my needs. I wonder if she is the same person who sold Ryan yoga bras when he said he wanted to buy me a running bra for Christmas. I politely told her the material was all wrong for what I needed, and that I really like the shorter length crop for when the weather is in between hot and cold in the spring time. Her response? "What about shorts?" This was my cue to leave. I didn't want to be rude, but clearly she had no understanding of her customer's needs and was just trying to sell me something. Anything. But since I'm really pleased with my Lululemon shorts, I think I'll order the Pace crops online and see how they treat me. Of course, I was still shit out of luck for today's long run, but at least I'll get these new pants in time for Shamrock in case I need them.
As for today's 20 miler, at the encouragement of a friend, I signed up for a "competitive training run" at the Great Dismal Swamp in Chesapeake.
It was the last race in a series geared toward people training for the Shamrock half and full. Jennie is running the half, so she did the 12 miler, and was kind enough to stick around and wait for me to finish my 20. I am so, so glad I did this run today, and I am incredibly thankful to Jennie for suggesting it. The thought of running 20 miles all by myself made me sad, just plain sad, so I was excited about the opportunity to run with a group and simulate what it would be like for the Shamrock. Having water stops and porta potties along the way were an added comfort.
I figured surely there'd be people there who were running a similar pace to mine and I could stick with them. I envisioned these people to be somewhat like me - women anywhere between 25 and 40, maybe some with little ones at home - but the people I ended up running most of the race with were not what I expected. I enjoyed the first 4 miles or so with Jennie, but it was pushing her pace a little more than she was comfortable with and we ended up parting ways. I started off with a group of people who I overheard were running an 8:30-8:45 min/mile pace, which was right where I wanted to be. They took me in and we chatted for a mile or so until I realized they were doing the 12 miler. Rats! They pushed me ahead to some guys they knew right in front of us, who were running the 20 at my goal pace.
Jim and Gene immediately took me under their wing and pushed me right along. I'm not sure how old Gene was, but Jim was 61 and had countless marathons under his belt. He recently ran a 50k that we watched during a bike ride through First Landing State Park. Bad ass. He gave this marathon virgin some tips, such as start off slower than you think you should, and think of 20 miles being halfway done with the marathon (yikes!). We pushed the pace a little by accident and were consistently under 8:30. When we got to a turn around after the second 7 miles, Jim and Gene stopped for a water stop that I just did not see, so I just kept going, not realizing they were no longer with me. I slowed down a little, but it wasn't enough for them to catch up, and I ended up doing the last 6 miles all alone.
At around mile 16, I felt my IT band tightening up at my left knee, and my calves were on fire. I kept telling myself I felt great and loose and was almost there. I got to the finish just as my throat started feeling like it was closing up, and felt like I was hit by a bus the second I stopped running. I couldn't decide which muscle group to stretch first...they were all so tight! A few cups of water and a Krispy Kreme later, Jennie and I were on our way back to the Beach, wiping the salt from our sweat off our legs and faces, dreaming of hot showers and long naps.
Today's task: 20 miles in 2:50-2:55 (8:30-8:45 min/mile pace)
Today's weather: 47 degrees, sunny, breezy for half the race
Today's outcome: 20 miles in 2:49:39 (8:28 min/mile pace)
All in all, today's race was a fantastic experience. I think I have a better idea of a realistic goal time for the marathon, and I can now envision just how beat I'll feel when I'm done. The people running out there today were inspiring...so many of them over 50, and lots of less than fit women giving it all they've got. Not to mention the shock on another runner's face when I told him I was 35...he thought for sure I was closer to 25 and was instantly my favorite person of the day. I didn't leave until I saw my new buddy Jim cross the finish line because I wanted to thank him for his guidance. He congratulated me on my finish, then told me I was tough. He told me I was tough. I could have cried. I may never be the fastest, but being tough is something I aspire to be, so having someone like Jim tell me that was such a great feeling. I've got the sound byte saved in my mind for March 16th.
As for today's 20 miler, at the encouragement of a friend, I signed up for a "competitive training run" at the Great Dismal Swamp in Chesapeake.
It was the last race in a series geared toward people training for the Shamrock half and full. Jennie is running the half, so she did the 12 miler, and was kind enough to stick around and wait for me to finish my 20. I am so, so glad I did this run today, and I am incredibly thankful to Jennie for suggesting it. The thought of running 20 miles all by myself made me sad, just plain sad, so I was excited about the opportunity to run with a group and simulate what it would be like for the Shamrock. Having water stops and porta potties along the way were an added comfort.
I figured surely there'd be people there who were running a similar pace to mine and I could stick with them. I envisioned these people to be somewhat like me - women anywhere between 25 and 40, maybe some with little ones at home - but the people I ended up running most of the race with were not what I expected. I enjoyed the first 4 miles or so with Jennie, but it was pushing her pace a little more than she was comfortable with and we ended up parting ways. I started off with a group of people who I overheard were running an 8:30-8:45 min/mile pace, which was right where I wanted to be. They took me in and we chatted for a mile or so until I realized they were doing the 12 miler. Rats! They pushed me ahead to some guys they knew right in front of us, who were running the 20 at my goal pace.
Jim and Gene immediately took me under their wing and pushed me right along. I'm not sure how old Gene was, but Jim was 61 and had countless marathons under his belt. He recently ran a 50k that we watched during a bike ride through First Landing State Park. Bad ass. He gave this marathon virgin some tips, such as start off slower than you think you should, and think of 20 miles being halfway done with the marathon (yikes!). We pushed the pace a little by accident and were consistently under 8:30. When we got to a turn around after the second 7 miles, Jim and Gene stopped for a water stop that I just did not see, so I just kept going, not realizing they were no longer with me. I slowed down a little, but it wasn't enough for them to catch up, and I ended up doing the last 6 miles all alone.
At around mile 16, I felt my IT band tightening up at my left knee, and my calves were on fire. I kept telling myself I felt great and loose and was almost there. I got to the finish just as my throat started feeling like it was closing up, and felt like I was hit by a bus the second I stopped running. I couldn't decide which muscle group to stretch first...they were all so tight! A few cups of water and a Krispy Kreme later, Jennie and I were on our way back to the Beach, wiping the salt from our sweat off our legs and faces, dreaming of hot showers and long naps.
Today's task: 20 miles in 2:50-2:55 (8:30-8:45 min/mile pace)
Today's weather: 47 degrees, sunny, breezy for half the race
Today's outcome: 20 miles in 2:49:39 (8:28 min/mile pace)
All in all, today's race was a fantastic experience. I think I have a better idea of a realistic goal time for the marathon, and I can now envision just how beat I'll feel when I'm done. The people running out there today were inspiring...so many of them over 50, and lots of less than fit women giving it all they've got. Not to mention the shock on another runner's face when I told him I was 35...he thought for sure I was closer to 25 and was instantly my favorite person of the day. I didn't leave until I saw my new buddy Jim cross the finish line because I wanted to thank him for his guidance. He congratulated me on my finish, then told me I was tough. He told me I was tough. I could have cried. I may never be the fastest, but being tough is something I aspire to be, so having someone like Jim tell me that was such a great feeling. I've got the sound byte saved in my mind for March 16th.
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