Wednesday, October 26, 2011

A long(er) rest...

It's been a little over two weeks since the Bizz Johnson race. I was very sore. I had no problem taking the week off. But then one week turned into two... and started creeping into three! Yesterday I went for a short run around Lake Merritt. It felt good to be out there again. I missed my runs. But it scares me how easily I can fall out of this routine. It also seems that I am an 'all or nothing' type of person. Without the running routine, I didn't take my supplements or give much thought to healthy eating. It's easy to get down on myself for all of this... but I try to remember that I just need to take that first step back into it...

Quote

Running has opened up so many adventures for me, not just in the trails I run or new routes, but also in the friendships I've made and the confidence it has given me.
Meleah Shank, runner and spinning instructor

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Bizz Johnson - Express Half 2011



Again... too much time has passed without entries... sigh... This weekend I did the Bizz Johnson Express Half Marathon (my third half marathon), a race that I have been looking forward to for at least a year! I discovered it last year when I stumbled upon Michael McCollough's photos on the Coastal Trail Runs site...

Thankfully I decided not to do the Full and to stick with the Half. Let's just say the altitude kicked my butt!!

I started out feeling good, not as out of breath as I expected. I kept a steady, comfortable pace going, and with the slight downhill grade was feeling confidant. Soon, I pushed just a little to get by a few run-walkers and a group of chatty women. And with only 185 runners total, spent much of the time all by myself, quite fine with me. The scenery is just breathtaking and I kept reminding myself to 'be here now'... The weather, which had been a concern, was stunning. Just perfect in fact. Cool, crisp air with a warm sun. Clear, clear, clear. And I had layered correctly.

I think it was somewhere around mile 8 that I started to feel the uh-oh... my legs HURT... and the voice of negativity was LOUD... 'just walk' 'why do you even do this?' etc... it was hard to combat... other than the fact that I was resolved to enjoying the Bizz itself, no matter what. My training had been derailed and even though I was able to do my last long (12m) run two weeks earlier, there was only one short run since. That surely was not helping. Every time I would start to walk I would literally say - yes, out loud - 'don't walk, it will only hurt more!'... and I would begin again... but each time, as expected, the pain increased... I know not to do this, but I couldn't help it... then somewhere in mile 13 I succumbed ... I walked... for a good three quarters of the mile... I was not happy about it but I had to... I felt like both legs would cramp solid... this walking pace was enough for all those chatty women and run walkers to pass me... Not happy. But I just couldn't, the pain was too intense. I even took Ibuprofen around mile 11 (in the hopes it would help for the finish pain)...
My boyfriend came with me on the trip and even though I wasn't sure he'd be at the finish line - he was :), I knew I needed to pick up the pace - pain or not - and get across that finish line. So I began the hobble... at which point, my calf muscle actually cramped into a knot!! 'Keep going!'... hobble hobble hobble... And there it was, the finish. 2:58:03. But hey, I finished within the 3 hour time limit. And, I finished!
There were only a handful of people that came in after me. In fact, I was 174th out of 185 and 24/25 in my age group. It's a little embarrassing. I want to be better. But I try to remind myself, I will get better. Endurance running is still pretty new in my life. I enjoy the running and these races... and most of all, the experiences that these runs and races are giving me. The places I visit, the trails I discover, the internal journey, the people I meet... I really love it. So I guess that gives me the answer to that negative voice ...

Within minutes of finishing I met a woman that was going to be doing the Full Marathon the next day... my pain had eased into discomfort and already my thoughts were 'maybe I could do the Full next year'....

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