Race 13.1 Greensboro Recap

Half Marathon #3 in the books!

Start of Race

 Today I ran the inaugural Race 13.1 Greensboro. I had driven the course a couple times and was concerned that it would be hilly. So I was not sure if I would run it or race it. I decided to just see how I felt the morning of the race. Then about a week out I started getting really excited about the race and had the itch to try to PR it.

First I have to mention that the weather was AMAZING! It was 52° and cloudy. A far cry from the muggy sunny +80° days we had been getting. It was perfect racing weather for sure!

Blowing kisses to my family

The race was relatively small and there were no corrals. This made for a very congested 1st mile. Once the group started spreading out it was really nice. The course was an out and back course. The first half went by super fast. There were a lot more downhills which made the uphills not so bad. I kept reminding myself that these awesome downhills would be terrible uphills on the way back.

I loved running on the Bicentennial Greenway that I run on all the time. I loved that the course was local and out and back as I got to see so many familiar faces. I even had some friends come out and cheer me on. I felt good pretty much the whole time.

Running towards the finish

I loved that I got to see my husband and daughter  throughout the course. I loved having Hannah wave at me and say "I love you mama" when she saw me. It was also nice to have my husband taking some pictures. All in all it was a great day!

I had started off with the 2 hour pacing group in the first mile. However, there were just too many people and I was not happy with the pace they were doing. So I decided to try to stay just ahead of them. They ended up finishing just behind me.

I was really hoping to finally get my goal of a sub 2 hour half. I came so close! I was off by only 29 freaking seconds. I finished it in 2:00:28! Still a brand new shiny PR :) I'll take it!

Coming back was pretty brutal with all the hills. So I am very proud of my performance. My next race is in September and it will be the Race 13.1 Fayetteville .It is supposed to be a flat course. Hopefully it just won't be a hot day. I will sub 2 hour it though! You heard it here first ;)

Race stats below.

Crossing the finish line

Showing Hannah my bling

#3 Done!

Official Results

Elevation Map

My splits and gap times

NEW PR Baby!

Upcoming Half Marathon #3

I feel both nervous and excited at the moment. I have my 3rd half marathon race coming up on Sunday. I've driven the course and it will be challenging. It reminds me of a roller coaster going up and down. Thank goodness the forecast is looking good temperature-wise. Although now they are calling for a chance of some rain. I'd take rain over the heat any day. Mother nature will do what she wants though and I'll just have to deal with whatever she decides to give us.

I don't feel as ready for this one as I did my last. I definitely have not ran as much since the Raleigh Rock N' Roll Half. Plus I'm lacking the speed work that I had been doing with my RunnerDude's Fitness training group. So I am a little worried about that. I'm trying to just be positive and put my all into it. I think I'm planning to run with the 2 hour pacer and just see what happens. I feel like I was so close at my last race and a big reason I was able to still PR on such a tough course was because I ran with the pacer most of the race. It is really easy to slow down when doing a lot of hills. I'll just have to see how I feel.

I am really excited that the race is local. It really takes away a lot of stress. I don't have to get up ridiculously early. I know where to go and there will be lots of parking. I can also sleep in my own bed the night before and prepare however I want to in the comfort of my own home. Part of the course is on the Greenway near my house that I run all the time so that is also fun.

So will this be the race I sub 2 hours? I really don't know. I'm just going to go with how I feel and see where it takes me. I'm proud of myself no matter what happens. I think it is always important to celebrate the accomplishment of just finishing 13.1 miles. How many people can say they have ran that far?

Wish me luck :)

Training Goes On

So I've been so busy with normal day life and training that I have not posted here in awhile.

I am happy to report that I am growing stronger in my running. I have shaved a good 30 seconds off of my normal pace. I love looking back at my runs from last year and seeing how far I have come.

I am really enjoying group runs and training with a coach (RunnerDude's Fitness). I think that has also helped me grow stronger. When I was training for my first half last year I would just run different distances. I never did any speed or hill work. My training plan from my coach this time around includes all kinds of different runs (tempo, progression, hills, etc.). I love the variety and the way it pushes me to go beyond what I thought was possible. You got to love that.

I am doing a photo a day for a year for 2014. So of course some of them include running. So here are a couple for your viewing pleasure.

Jan 18: Group Run with RunnerDude's Fitness.
We ran for #megsmiles, #megmiles

Jan 20: My strongest average pace yet.
I was proud to dedicate it to Martin Luther King Jr.

Feb 17: We got some snow in NC so many of the trails were icy.
So I decided to complete my Mom's Run This Town Winter Virtual
at the local park. I did 4 laps to make it a 10K race. I thought it
fitting for the theme of  "Start Your Engines". Laps like in a car race. 

Feb 24: Running some staggered hill repeats at lunch.

Feb 26: Had a wonderful group run. I had a 50 minute progression run
and ran my fastest mile yet. Then went out for pizza with some of the other
runners. I'm loving the team/group aspect.

 I just got new running shoes so I will be reviewing those shortly.

Racing in the Rain

Saturday I had a new experience. It was my first long run with my running group. I was excited and a little nervous. It had been awhile since I had run over 5 miles. I was scheduled to do 7 miles but had decided to do 8 since it is easier to know when to turnaround.

We meet to run at 7:30 am. It is still a little dark at that time during this time of year. The weather was also very yucky. At first it was just raining a normal drizzle. Quickly it turned into a torrential downpour with some gnarly thunder and lightning. Many in the group turned around once they heard the thunder and lightning.

I kept going as I felt relativity safe on the greenway as it runs through the trees with no open fields. Only one other lady finished her 8 miles too. We laughed and talked awhile until she just wanted to get the run done and ran ahead of me. I would have loved to keep up with her but I just could not move any faster. I felt twenty pounds heavier with all the water. My feet were soaked. The funny part was that I felt pretty good and not at all miserable.

Coming back, the greenway was like a river. It was crazy and a little fun all at once. It was like training for a mud run or obstacle course race.

I'm proud of myself for getting it done. I felt like a true bad ass runner :)

I did it! 13.1 Miles

I woke up on Saturday feeling excited and a little nervous. I was more worried about the cold as it was around 28-30 degrees when I woke up. The week prior had been a gorgeous 60 degrees. So I had not trained in colder weather and I was nervous about what I should wear.

I ended up wearing:

• C9 by Champion® Women's Compression Tights from Target
• C9 by Champion® Women's Premium Skort from Target
• My Kudzu Green Sport Tek T-Shirt from work
• Oiselle Running Women's Solid Arm Warmers from Amazon
• My green light weight jacket with the thumb holes
• My Brooks Ghost 6 from my local Running Store Off n' Running
• Armpocket
• Ultimate Direction Access Waist Pack

I thought I'd end up shedding the jacket but it was just too cold and I ended up being very comfortable with it on.

The week before the race I started becoming very nervous about the hills. I had trained on some hills but I was not sure I had done enough. Luckily they ended up not being so bad. I tried to not focus on them and instead would pick runners near me that I wanted to pass. It became a fun game and with every runner I passed the more confident I became and the faster the miles went by.

Greensboro Half Marathon Elevation Map

Race Map

My goal going into the race was to finish in 2 hours 15 minutes. Which would be a pace of  about 10 minutes 18 seconds per mile. Which was very reasonable from my training and gave some extra time for the hills.

I ended up finishing in 2 hours 6 minutes and 43 seconds! I was super proud of that finish. I did have a secret dream of doing it in 2 hours but hey this was my first and you always have to have goals. Plus the hills definitley were a factor. Although I will say I did a pretty good job of keeping a consistent pace even with the hills.

According MapMyRun my race splits were:

Distance	Pace
1 Mile	09:37 min/mi
2 Mile	09:38 min/mi
3 Mile	09:42 min/mi
4 Mile	09:50 min/mi
5 Mile	09:24 min/mi
6 Mile	09:12 min/mi
7 Mile	09:31 min/mi
8 Mile	09:16 min/mi
9 Mile	09:29 min/mi
10 Mile	09:43 min/mi
11 Mile	09:44 min/mi
12 Mile	09:47 min/mi
13 Mile	09:37 min/mi
13.3 Mile	08:20 min/mi

One of my favorite parts of the race was having my family there to cheer me on. My In-laws were visiting and came a day early so they could make the race. That meant a lot to me. My husband and daughter were of course there. I saw them at the start, around mile 6 and at the finish. Most of the pictures were taken by my husband.

I was also surprised at the finish line by my boss and his daughter. I veered over and gave him a high five right before crossing the finish line. It felt awesome to have all the support.

A highlight for me was around mile 7. I was running along when all of a sudden I was passed by the winner of the marathon who was followed by a cop car. For him it was around mile 20. It was so cool seeing him fly by doing twice the distance I was doing. The marathoners started 45 minutes before the half marathoners. He won the race doing the 26.2 miles in 2 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds! It was amazing to watch the elite runners. Eight Marathoners finished in under 3 hours.

The winner of the half marathon finished it in 1 hour 12 minutes.

I have to say it was a pretty perfect experience. All my training paid off as I had no problems completing the distance. I felt great the whole time. I was able to beat my original goal. I had a great cheering team. The weather was cold but ended up being a nice temperature for racing once I got going. The event had a lot of wonderful volunteers. I'm so glad I committed to doing this.

Here were my finial results:
Finish percentile is top 41%
Age group percentile is top 37%

What's next? I'm thinking the Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Half Marathon with a goal of 2 hours :)

Ready or Not

I ended up running 3.35 miles last night on my own. I felt pretty good. It was a hilly route to help get warmed up for Saturday. I'm a little nervous about the hill profile for the race. There's some pretty large hills in the beginning and a big one towards the end.

Greensboro Half Marathon Elevation Chart

I love this!

 I'm trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself. I know my goal for a first half marathon should be to just complete it. Yet I keep having this time in my head that I would really like to get. I think I need to step back and just relax (easier said then done).

Tonight I am going to run the same route I ran last night for my final run before Saturday. I may add a street to make it a 4 miler. Heck I might even change it up and do a 4 miler I used to do at the beginning of training. I will see how I feel after work. I plan to just enjoy it and work on my form a bit. I also need to get my head in the right place.

After my run I'm going to put together my play list for Saturday. I'll post it tomorrow. I have been asking for song recommendations from friends and am excited to see what I come up with. I know I am going to need some good motivational tunes especially for that last big hill at mile 10.

Tomorrow is the Race Expo / Packet Pickup. This sh*t is getting real!

3 Days....

Yikes, 3 days until my first half. I am both nervous and excited. I have not run since Sunday so I will definitley have to get my run on tonight. I plan to do an easy 5K pushing my bean in the jogger. I'll do a couple hills.

Monday was a scheduled rest day. Yesterday I was scheduled to run 3 miles. I was still a little sore from my long run on Sunday. Plus as a last minute trip, we went and met my Uncle for dinner. He is on a business trip about an hour from us in Chapel Hill. He lives in Texas so we never get to see him. So I don't regret skipping my run.

My legs feel good today. So now I just need to do some easy runs to keep them limber. I'm so happy they feel good today. I was beginning to worry that I over did it on my long run on Sunday.

On sale - 2 for $9

One of my favorite ways to treat sore legs is to take an Epsom Salt bath. I bought some more at Walgreens and came across an Epsom Salt Lavender Soak. Let me tell you it was amazing. It smelt so good. It also left my skin nice and soft. What a happy surprise it was.

Well I'm off to get some water. I've been bad about drinking it lately. I've got to make sure I'm good and hydrated for the big day.

3 DAYS! YIKES!!!!

Last Long Run

Well I did it. I finished my last long run in training for my first half marathon. It felt great! I set out to do 10 miles and around 5 miles decided to make it 12. I just felt really good and the day was a beautiful crisp fall day. The leaves are finally starting to change in North Carolina so the view was great. There were a lot of other runners on the trail. I ran near two ladies that ran the same distance as me which was cool. I wonder if they are running next weeks race too.

12 miles is the farthest I have ever ran and this was my second time doing it. I've read about a lot of people training to 10 miles and having the last 3 miles on race day be really hard for them. So I definitely wanted to get as close to 13.1 as I could while training. I think more for the mental aspect than the physical.

Yesterday's long run was a confidence booster. I ran around my goal pace and even impressed myself. I think I'm as ready as I will ever be.

After my run I decided to drive the half marathon course. I'm glad that I did because there are some nasty hills on the course and I'm glad to see where they are. I think it would be mentally hard not to know what to expect. Especially since a lot of the hills are in the beginning. I think I'd start to wonder if the whole course is like that. Luckily I drove it and know that it is not.

Last night my husband wanted to drive the course so he could scope out the best places to cheer me on. Which I found very sweet. While we were driving it he told me he was very proud of me and he can't believe how long 13.1 miles is. He joked that he was tired just driving the course, haha. He told me which hills he thought would be hard.

I'm really excited but starting to get nervous. I'm trying not to think of the hills and how they are going to affect my run. I just need to trust my training and go into the race with a positive "can do" attitude.

"I Can and  I WILL!"

Virtual Marathon: Running 26.2 miles in 31 Days!

This month I participated in the Joggermom Cancer Run Virtual Marathon. In October you have to run 26.2 miles in as many days as it takes you. Normally I would have thought that it would be hard to run 26.2 miles in a month, but with my half marathon training I finished it in a week :)

I had a great time! 

Marathon Breakdown:
10/01/2013 - 5.21 Miles in 49:56 (9:35 pace)
10/03/2013 - 6.18 Miles in 58:03 (9:24 pace)
10/05/2013 - 3.27 Miles in 32:14 (9:52 pace) <-- Women's Only 5K
10/06/2013 - 12.01 Miles in 2:05:30 (10:27 pace)

TOTAL: 26.7 miles in 4:27:43 (about a 10 minute mile pace)

Two of these runs were firsts for me.

1. It was the first time I ran a race pushing my daughter in her jogger. 
2. I did a 12 mile run, which is my longest run to date. It is the highest mileage I will run before my half.

Women's Only 5K, 1st time racing with my jogger :)

12 mile run! Longest run so far.

Today I am 3 miles away from completing my second marathon in October.

10 Days until my first half marathon! Yikes!!!!

Bikram Yoga Love

Last week was a tough training week for me. My body just felt tired. I struggled on each of my runs and was starting to get a little discouraged. Luckily my long run on Sunday was a good run and renewed my dedication to my training. It's funny how one run can turn it around. Just goes to show you just gotta keep going. You will have some good days and some bad.

Ok, getting off topic.... My body was so sore last week so I decided I needed to do a yoga class. Earlier this year I had purchased a Groupon for a 30 day unlimited Bikram Yoga Class pass. I went many times and really enjoyed it. My favorite feeling was at the end of class when you are soaked with sweat. I feel like I worked hard and really cleansed my body of some toxins. Then to top it off my whole body feels so relaxed and stretched. Not to mention it feels great to improve on the different poses every week.

So when my body was telling me it was tight and needed some love I decided it needed Bikram Yoga. So I purchased a 5 class pass and decided to commit my Wednesday cross train day to Bikram Yoga. The 5 classes get me through to the Wednesday following my half. So it will be perfect.

I had my first class in a long time last Wednesday. It was fantastic. I was happy to find that even though I had not been for 2 month my body still knew the poses. I could tell I had regressed a little in my flexibility but not as much as I had thought.

I'm happy I have committed to add it to my training. It is great for the mind and body. I can't wait to  go again tomorrow.

"Yoga never fails to reward honest effort." ~ Bikram

11 Miles to Inner Strength

I have come so far!

Yesterday I ran the most I have ever ran, 11.19 miles (and yes the .19 counts). It was a little rough in the beginning. My left leg has been bothering me a bit. My left calf likes to tighten up in the first 2 miles. Then my foot goes numb for a couple miles and then eventually it all goes away. Then when I'm my done my ankle is sore. I guess I shouldn't complain. I think my body may still be adjusting to running so much.

I love the second half of my long runs. It's when the "runners high" kicks in. I feel like I could run forever. Until eventually my body starts telling me it's tired. Then I'm done and the accomplishment is overwhelmingly satisfying. 

I have to keep reminding myself I just ran my first 5K this past March. I can't believe I can run 11  miles now. My past self would have said "I only run if I am being chased." Now I run to reach my 13.1 mile goal and I have found I love the time to myself. I love getting to spend some time outside in the fresh air. I also love to challenge myself and push myself beyond what I have told myself I can do. I have found my strength within.

26 Days until my half. Things are getting real :)

Did I mention I hurt so good today? haha -- And yes I am rocking dorky runners compression socks under my work clothes, shhhh....

Princess Challenge Virtual Race Series II Completed

I finished my Princess Challenge Virtual Race Series II.

I vacationed in Cape Cod for a week and did my longest run yet. I did 10 miles with my friend Jess. It was also my first time running with a friend. I really enjoyed it. Running with a friend made the time go by fast. 

We ran the Cape Cod Rail trail. It was nice but I wish we would have seen the ocean from it. We ran the last 2 miles the fastest as we had decided to get Dunkin' Donut ice coffees when we were done. That was some good motivation :)

Ariel 10 Miler

 I ran my Pocahontas 10K on a Monday after work. The weather is getting cooler but it is starting to get darker earlier (always trade offs). In true Pocahontas fashion a buck ran across my path during the run.

Pocahontas 10K

 Sunday I completed my last medal of the series. I had to do 10 miles for my half training. I decided it would be great to earn my Tiara medal at the same time. I am pretty happy with my time. I can definitley tell I am getting stronger. It was a perfect end to the series.

Tiara 10 Miler

 If you have not tried a virtual race, I highly recommend them. They are a lot of fun and usually benefit a good cause :)

10K Week

I remember when I signed up for my fist 10K. The race was in June of this year. Six miles seemed like a crazy distance to me. I had just conquered running a 5K without stopping or walking in March of this year. Since then I have come a long way.

Now I am training for my first half marathon. I would never have guessed I'd be doing this. Yet I have conquered getting over the "I Can't" in my head. Now I just hear "You've Got This!" I Love this new cheerleader voice in my head. She is motivating and strong. I know with her by my side I will conquer 13.1 miles!

I'm in my sixth week of training and the shortest distance I do now is 6 miles (I add the .2 to make it a 10K). I can't believe how much I run now. So far I have ran 116 miles for my training. That is CRAZY!

To add to my training I have signed up for a couple of virtual races to keep it fun. Right now I'm currently working on my five medals for the Princess Challenge Virtual Race Series II . I've been making all the races 10Ks.

On Tuesday I completed my Mulan 10K. I did my run after work. It was a beautiful day. I felt pretty good. For once my left foot was not giving me as much trouble. It got a tiny bit numb but not enough to have to stop and keep adjusting my sock and shoe. I tried new thinner socks and started using a foam roller which I think are helping. I also took an Epson Salt bath on Monday after my 9 miler from Sunday.

Mulan 10K

 On Wednesday I completed my Tiana 10K. I felt great and did it in under an hour. My left foot was a little numb but again was not too bad. I think I'm going to do another Epson Salt bath later today to help with some leg soreness I'm experiencing right now.

Tiana 10K

I run another 10K on Friday and then I do 10 miles on Sunday. I'm excited and nervous for the 10 miler. I will be running it with a friend. I normally run solo. Luckily she told me her pace was between 10-ll minute/mile. So I think I will be able to hang with her. She has done lots of half marathons and even two full marathons. It should be interesting. Not to mention we will be running on Cape Cod, MA. I'm thinking it is going to be a beautiful run! I think I will save my Little Mermaid Virtual for that run.

Stay Tuned!

A Cure for the Curse Virtual Run Trio

I finished up my  A Cure for the Curse Virtual Run Evil Trio. It was a lot fun. I had to do three 10Ks this week as part of my half training so I decided to tackle them all this week.

I did my Ursula 10K on Monday. It was a beautiful foggy morning. I saw two deer and a hawk on my run. The temperature was nice and cool. I was proud of myself because I did the 10K in under an hour. I called it my "10K on a Monday" and it was a great way to start my day.

Ursula 10K

Wednesday morning I completed my Evil Queen 10K. While running a buck ran across the path and scared me to death. It was first thing in the morning and I was still half asleep so my first thought was that it was a bear, then a wolf and then I laughed and finally realized what it was. I was going to take a picture of the buck but it just stood staring at me when it got to the other side of the path. I don't think it would attack me but it gave me an uneasy feeling so i continued on my way instead.

Evil Queen 10K

Thursday I finished off the evil trio with  my Maleficent 10K. I tried a new lace method on my shoes (Wide Forefoot method) and it was horrible. My calves hurt so much. When I re-laced my shoes my calves stopped hurting but then my left foot kept falling asleep. I'm starting to have issues with my left foot going numb while I run. It is very aggravating. -- This run consisted of "speed play".

Maleficent 10K

Sunday I tackle 9 miles!

8 MILE

On Sunday I did my 8 miler. It was the farthest I have ever ran. I was surprised at how good I felt. The beautiful weather definitley helped. Plus I did the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway which is a great place to run. There is shade almost everywhere on the trail. I enjoyed people watching as I made my way through 8 miles.

I was actually surprised at my pace. I did 8.03 miles in 1:19:42 with a pace of 9:56. I am pretty proud of that :)

Next Sunday I tackle 9 miles!