Mental Game

My Brooklyn Half and Queens 10K times were more than 2 minutes over my goal time.  While at the time of racing, it felt like a physical impediment, I think my mental game could have gotten me at goal or closer to goal.  Also, it's strange how I can run a 10K faster during a half marathon than at a 10K.  Another mental issue, because it seems so short in comparison to the full 13.1, but when running a 10K, 6.2 seems long enough to be daunting.

I think one important issue is that I need start more slowly.  I think I hit a mini-wall at Mile 2 of the 10K and Mile 8 of the Half.  I should address this by doing progression runs, which I find absolutely difficult to do.  I'm the positive split queen!  But this also failed to help at the NYC Half, where I started very conservatively (but that may have been due to the cold temperature and thawing out enough to pick up the pace).

It's also discouraging that I'm so slow.  My pace seems stuck, for better and for worse.  I can't imagine running an 8-minute mile, but I also can't imagine running a half marathon in slower than a 10-something pace.  But maybe it's because I choose comfort and familiarity over speed.  When I was running 10-minute miles, it felt safe and comfortable and ensured that I'd be injury-free.  Going at 9:20ish hurt my legs and lungs.  And when I ran the Jingle Bell Jog at that pace, I crashed right before the finisher's chute and jogged to the finish.  It's so hard to strike the right balance of having enough energy for a kick and fast finish and putting everything out there on the course and not having too much energy left over.  I know I should try to finish my longer runs with a sprint to work on this.  I'm also trying to be more mindful of running slow runs slowly and fast runs fast.

Pace seems so relative though.  When I only run at 5.2 on the treadmill, that seems difficult.  But when I start at 5.7, 5.2 is so easy.  And running at 7.2 makes 5.7 a breeze.  I think I gain confidence knowing I can hang onto faster paces, but starting slow just keeps me going slower.  But the opposite seems true at a race.  Starting fast depletes my energy.

I also think I've been wary of speedwork because after the 800m repeats, my legs felt dead for days.  But there are other factors that may have contributed to this--lack of sleep, not fueling properly, and running outside in heat and humidity.  I was so slow that Tom walked uphill faster than I was jogging, and I couldn't pick up the pace.

Sometimes I just want to go back to running at whatever speed and not caring about my race times or PRing.  Running was simpler and I was happier.  But then I want to see what my potential is, how fast I can get, whether I can run a 5K in under 30 minutes, a10K in under an hour, a half in under 2 hours, a marathon in under 4.5 hours.

And despite my only goal for the marathon being simply to finish, I hold onto the hope that I will finish between 4:29 and 5:00.

Mindy-K Training: Week 3 (9.28 miles)

Does it even really count as training if I skip all the tempo runs and intervals and do one easy run and one race? Does it even deserve a separate blog post? Oh well, it's getting one.

Monday: rest (worked late)
Tuesday: 3 miles on a treadmill with Heather (after drinking a beer, so suuuuper slow and it was supposed to be 4 miles)
Wednesday: rest (Yankees game! + food poisoning >.<)
Thursday: rest (date night with Tom at a wine and cheese bar and attempts to settle my stomach)
Friday: rest (dinner at Rare in Chelsea, then Alex's house party)
Saturday: whitewater rafting from 7:30am to 7:00pm (then Ippudo then sleep)
Sunday: Queens 10K (then dim sum, then a barbeque and the USA-Portugal game in New Roc)

Leemo's gone now, so maybe this week will be less socializing and more running. I may revert to last week's plan because the intervals sound fun!

Queens 10K Race Recap

I "tapered" the week leading up to the race, which meant I was too lazy to actually run the tempo run I had scheduled this week and only did a slow 3 miles on the treadmill. I also went whitewater rafting the day before the race, which must have exhausted me more than I realized.

I started the race around 9:14-paced runners, which meant absolutely no weaving and dodging in the first mile. But it also meant that the runners I started with were much faster than my legs were capable of running that day.  I held on for the first mile, but immediately, my calf began cramping on the outer sides.  I skipped the first water station but went to all but the last after that.  I hung onto goal pace (sub-9:34) for the second mile, but with my leg hurting, I decided to ease off of goal pace and run comfortably because I didn't want to risk an injury and felt my training hadn't adequately prepared me to meet my goal.

The course was described as fast and flat, but it turns out that with all my hill training in Central Park, fast and flat may have contributed to my calves cramping, as I was using only certain muscles in my legs that I didn't always use for extended periods of time.  For miles 3-5, I just kept running and told myself not to walk at the very least.  I also hated the course, because we ran next to the highway and I felt like I was inhaling car exhaust.  It was rather disheartening to see so many people pass me, but I kept running, even if it was slow.  It also felt very humid and outside of the shade, it was getting HOT! I definitely perked up once we entered Corona Park again, because I was looking forward to seeing the giant globe and finishing.

Before we got to the globe, there was an out-and-back section, which was motivating to see the other runners coming back.  But it was also difficult to wonder when the turnaround point would come!  One girl kept huffing as she ran and she was annoying so I sped up so I wouldn't have to listen to her.  Once we turned into the park, I sped up more, excited at the prospect of finishing (and that globe!).  Once we hit the globe, I knew we were so close to the finish, so I sped up to probably a 9-minute mile (my Garmin only shows average pace and not instantaneous pace, so I only saw that my average pace dropped to about 9:24).

When I got to the finisher's chute, I began sprinting and passing up other runners.  I spotted Tom near the finish line, so I kicked it up into top speed and finished (too) strong.  I think I had way too much gas in the tank at the finish, and I should have run faster in miles 4-5.

Where did my neck go? Tom said I look like Kim Jong Il.

 

Flyin!

See yaaaa!

Tom got some great action shots!

I'm disappointed that I gave up so easily mentally.  I blame going out too fast and maybe rafting the day before. I'm not sure I'll try the 10K distance again, and I definitely won't be running the Queens 10K again.  I just really did not like the course.

My official time was 1:02:54, but I did overrun the course, and my Garmin said I ran 6.28 miles.  Even though I didn't meet my A goal, I met my B goal of PRing, which isn't a bad thing!

Afterwards, we ate dim sum in Flushing, then went to New Rochelle to have a barbecue and pool party.

Goals for Queens 10K

Sub-1:00.  My official PR is 1:05:55 while hungover at the Healthy Kidney 10K (a 10 second PR is still a PR...right?).  During the Brooklyn Half, while holding onto Jenny's pace, I ran the 10K of the Half in 1:00:21.  Soooo close but it doesn't really count anyway, right?

According to the McMillan Running Calculator, based on my half-marathon time, I should be able to run a 10K in 59 minutes.

I just have to make sure all my miles are 9:34 or faster.  Sometimes I can't tell if 6.2 miles is daunting or doable.  It's only 2 more miles than a 4-miler, but maybe that extra 0.2 is just too much for me to handle mentally.  I know this sounds ridiculous even as I'm typing it, but I tell myself as I'm running that a 10K=6 miles, so not finishing at mile 6 is a bit of an unpleasant realization.

I did run 3 miles last night at a sluggish pace and felt very slow and tired.  Maybe it's because it was at the end of the day. We'll see how Sunday goes!

Oakley 10K Race Recap

I somehow conned Joyce into signing up for the 10K even though she hated running.  She panicked a bit until I told her 10K is 6 miles, not 10 miles.  We trained together a few times and she even started to enjoy running!  We stopped by Lululemon after one run and bought matching skirts to wear to the race.  I even bought a neon pink top to match even though I'm usually a pink-hater.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to try for a PR (my last one was while hungover so I probably could beat that) or pace Joyce in her first 10K.  Given that I had not really trained all week (and had drank and eaten too much) and I have a 10K the next week, I decided to go at an easy pace.  However, in the heat and humidity, even a slower pace was really hard.  Our main goal: get cute race pictures in our matching pink + skirt combo!

We made it to the start just in time and started running along Central Park West.  I tried to stay on the right side the entire time, keeping an eye out for race photographers.  There were some speedwalkers we passed...at first.  Later in the race, they passed us right back up. -_-

I felt like the water stations should have been at every mile, but after mile 1, we didn't get one until the 5K/halfway point.  Running in the shade felt amazing and energized us (especially downhill), but running in the sun was TOUGH!  We were both super sweaty.  Harlem Hills worried me but we trucked up them like pros.  I was thankful we were going clockwise in the park, as we were hitting most of the big hills as downhills.

Coming down on the East Side of the park, I spotted a race photographer and we smiled and waved madly.  Then it occurred to me that I was flapping my bingo wings and the picture may not end up very flattering.  I pointed out bodies of water to motivate Joyce.  We walked through all the water stations to catch our breath and hydrate.

I told Joyce we'd speed up for the last mile, even if it was just slightly.  I tried hitting 10-minute miles, but Joyce sped up to an 11-minute mile.  At 800m, I told her only half a mile left! She replied, that long??  We eventually made it up the West Side of the Park and spotted the finish line.  I looked for Leemo, but he missed us and we missed him.

We took a lot of pictures and somehow ran into Alyssa!  We called Leemo afterward to meet us at the Smith for brunch, where I ate delicious biscuits and gravy with 3 poached eggs.  My stomach was a little unsettled before kayaking, but it calmed down enough to have an enjoyable kayaking experience in the beautiful Five Islands Park in New Rochelle.  I'm SO glad we didn't opt for free kayking in the Hudson.  There's probably a reason it's free...no one wants to touch that filthy water.

Mindy-K Training: Week 3 (9.34 miles)

Well my training fell off of a cliff last week.  In my defense, I socialized a lot!  Karaoke and drinks with Monty, his sister, and Heather on Monday; a run and Chipotle with Joyce on Wednesday; BCD with Joyce and Esther Thursday; and Ippudo with Leemo and a gaggle of girls on Friday!  I guess I didn't realize how much I rely on Tom for social interaction and felt the need to fill the void.  I really missed that man!

Monday: rest (Karaoke + alcohol = no running)
Tuesday: rest (I was supposed to run, but I told myself I'd clean. Which I didn't do. I watched two rom coms on Netflix instead.)
Wednesday: 3 miles in Central Park with Joyce!
Thursday: rest (BCD, y'all!)
Friday: rest (More alcohol and friends--totally worth it.)
Saturday: Oakley 10K (Recap coming soon!) & kayaking, if that counts
Sunday: rest on the beach, I want to go back already!

Mindy-K Training: Week 2 (15.62 miles)

Monday: rest
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 2.5 miles out of 3 (I was on the treadmill and saw Tom on the street and waved, and decided to cut my run short.)
Thursday: 4 mile speedwork out of 4.25 (posted below)
Friday: 3 slow recovery miles around Central Park with Tom, lovely running weather, but my legs felt like lead after doing speedwork the day before.
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 4.5 miles around the Reservoir with Joyce, then an additional 1.62 miles to run home. The weather started out nice but got SO hot, I felt ill the rest of the day. Tom and I walked a bit in the Park afterwards, but it was so hot, we escaped to the movie theater to watch Maleficent (which was very poorly written in my opinion, but Angelina was gorgeous).

Total: 15.62 miles

It's so much easier to run on the treadmill sans heat and humidity, but perhaps I'll just try to get up earlier to enjoy the fresh air and Central Park without the heat weighing me down. I kept saying it was so humid yesterday even though it was just pure dry heat that was beating down on Joyce and me. Joyce said she loved running next to bodies of water (at the Reservoir and on West Side Highway). The views were definitely gorgeous!

Speedwork: 800m Repeats

I did 800m repeats at 7.2 speed on the treadmill sandwiched between two warm up/cool down miles with 400m recovery in between. 

I never thought I could run at an 8:19 (!!!) pace but it turns out listening to music and only doing it for short half mile bursts was totally doable and I felt like I could go even faster?? And after running at 7.2, 5.5 (10:56 pace) felt like a crawl, but I did find it much easier to zone out when I had my headphones blaring Ke$ha. The first two 800m repeats breezed by, but the third started to hurt.

Yasso 800s intrigue me. Since I was running these at about 4:10, Bart Yasso, running guru, says that approximates your marathon pace. That means I have a 4:10 marathon in me? 

Oh and Tom said some guy was full on staring at me in a 100% creepy way. Winning? Makes me not want to go to the gym without him! I was so sweaty, as we walked out, I pressed my forehead on Tom's sleeve and left a damp patch. So sexay.

Successfully doing a round of speedwork makes me hopeful about running a sub-2 half marathon! Can't wait til Brooklyn Half 2015!

Sweaty at the gym (I took this pic weeks ago but I wore the exact same outfit today! Love my Pearl Izumi shorts!)

Favorite Running Gear

1. Headsweats yellow cap--the bright color makes it easy for Tom to spot me in races and it's lightweight and sweat-wicking, so it's better than regular caps. The brim shades my face (I'm ridiculously anti-sun exposure) and shields it from rain. (I wear it so often, it'll be in multiple pics in this post!) Also pictured is my Lululemon Pace Setter skirt and cheap amazon.com sunglasses.

2. Lululemon Swiftly Long Sleeve shirt--Lightweight but warm, wicks sweat and anti-stink material, flattering and comfortable fit. I bought them cheaper on eBay. I hear these are delicate so I handwash mine. (Ignore the mess. See, the hat again!)

3. Lululemon Pace Setter skirt--comfortable, breezy, cute! I love passing people in races while wearing a skirt, makes me laugh to think of people grumbling about a) me wearing a skirt to run and b) getting passed by a girl in a skirt. I can fit my cell phone in the back pocket too, but it does tend to get wet with sweat (gross).

4. Lululemon Ta Ta Tamer bra--the BEST sports bra! It has hook closures in the back so it's easy to get on and off. It's comfortable and VERY supportive. I have 3!

5. Pearl Izumi Women's Distance shorts--I can't wear Nike tempos or any other shorts because they ride up as I run and my thighs chafe. These are the perfect length, are lightweight and have lots of zip pockets.

6. Asics GT-2000--I was faithful to Mizuno Wave Alchemy (the first pair I got fitted for) until they discontinued them. These Asics are like running on clouds--how are they SO comfy? Tom got fitted for the same pair!

7. Camelbak! Essential for NYC winter running when they shut off the water fountains in Central Park! I only wish I could race in these, but NYRR doesn't allow them for security reasons. I hate holding things while running so this is perfect, even if I do slosh when I run. It also keeps the water remarkably cool. (Hat yet again! Bob the Builder outfit, according to Jenny.)

8. SPI belt--perfect for holding credit cards, a phone (if my crops don't have pockets and I don't feel like rocking the armband) and a Gu. Stays put and you can barely feel it.

9. Garmin--it's helpful to see the mileage you're at and the paces you are running (to know whether to speed up or slow down), to see splits of your average pace, and to measure your effort against your pace. Yay data and graphs!

I was trying to think of a #10 to round out the list but I'm drawing a blank.

Three Half Marathons

Training Paces

So I'm trying to figure out my training paces and how to get faster. The Mindy-K plan has been great, so I'll probably stick with it, but to figure out what pace to run the easy/tempo runs, I used https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/.

It's exciting to put in new PRs to see if the paces get faster!

P.S. This article makes me want this Garmin but my Garmin is certainly sufficient for my training. Although it is pretty cool that the 220 can be used on a treadmill. It'd be nice to have the splits for my treadmill runs (yes, I know I could just manually enter them when I put them into Runkeeper).

NYRR Celebrate Israel 4-Mile Race Recap

Robyn (the usual person driving my signing up for races) asked if I wanted to run Celebrate Israel so she could get her 9 races for the 9+1 to qualify for the 2015 NYC Marathon. I have already run 5 races (NYC Half, Scotland 10K, Run as One 4M, Healthy Kidney 10K, and Brooklyn Half) and had already signed up for 5 more, but I said yes because it was $25 and would force me to wake up early and run. We'd be smarter than we were for the Healthy Kidney 10K and didn't go out dancing and drinking the night before the race.

I put the race into my Mindy-K training plan with a sub-9:31 pace goal to PR the distance. I had attempted two tempo runs, but had only done 3 out of 4 miles and 2 out of 4 miles. Running on a treadmill at 6.5-6.6 pace was difficult and tiring. The day before the race, I ran 3 miles around the Bridle Path in Central Park with Joyce (trail running always makes me SO SORE! but some Sticking and compression sleeves cured me quickly), and I had walked a lot with Erin and Kesi, so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to PR, so I told myself I'd see how I feel the day of the race.

Robyn slept over the night before the race because she knew she'd end up skipping it otherwise. We woke up at 7:05AM Sunday to get dressed and walk to the east side of Central Park at 72nd St. I had saved some bread from the dinner Tom and I ate the night before (gyro for me, chicken parm for him from Georgio's) but I ate so much for dinner I was still full when I woke up.

I started with Robyn in her corral. Even though I had to weave and dodge slower runners, I hate waiting alone for a race to start so if I'm with friends, I'd rather start in their corral. The race started at 8:00AM, but we crossed the start at 8:08AM. I told Tom to be at the finish line at 8:35AM if we ended up hitting 9:00-minute miles. Robyn and I stayed together the first mile, weaving around other runners/walkers/old people/kids. My legs felt great, but I wondered whether I'd be able to keep up the sub-9:00 pace over 4 miles.

I skipped the first water stop because I didn't feel thirsty. I kept running around slower runners, sometimes having to slow down significantly when people did not leave holes for passing. Kids would sprint past me and I would follow them. This run was better than the Healthy Kidney 10K, fewer people were walking (it seemed like everyone walked during that 10K, but it was really warm that day).

It was warm in the sunshine but luckily the Central Park loop is plenty shaded. Cat Hill used to destroy me on my runs with Tom, but he'd remarked how I've been getting stronger and faster when I run it. My slowest pace on the hill was 10:42 and my fastest was 6:40.  As we made our way up the east side, I hoped that we'd take the 102nd St. Transverse rather than going the Harlem Hills route. Seeing the runners ahead of me turning left at 105th St. gave me a mental boost to keep my speed up and to keep passing others. It helped that I knew running downtown on the west side of Central Park was easier.

My legs never felt fatigued and my breathing was never difficult (though it did get loud). I stopped at the second water stop and tried to power up the second hill. By the time I got to mile 3, I slowed down and began to question whether I wanted to push for a PR. I didn't want to burn my legs out. But when I saw my Garmin flashing 10:xx pace at me, I panicked and sped up. The third hill was much more difficult to power through, but I cruised down after the peak and knew at 96th St. that the race would be over soon and that the rest was downhill. My familiarity with Central Park helped my mental game in not giving up when I knew the end was close. I stopped at another water stop because I was getting pretty thirsty and could use the walk break.

Finally, I was at the 72nd St. Transverse. I scanned the spectators for Tom and Shu, knowing they'd probably be on the right side. I spotted Shu, waved in her face to her and Tom, then sped up to the finish line. I ran a personal best of 36:56, a 9:14-minute/mile pace.

I took an apple at the finish line and met up with Tom and waited for Robyn, who ran 40:00 exactly (not her goal of sub-10:00 minute/miles but still cool!). We ate empanadas, got haircuts, and got Baskin Robbins ice cream after the race. Next up: Oakley Women's 10K!