The last time my husband and I did a race together was last May at the Inaugural Police Appreciation 5K. Sure, we did Empire State together, but he did the half and I did the full so that doesn’t really count. So this morning I dragged Mike into my race morning routine consisting of the usual early wakeup (430am), coffee, easy-to-digest food and water.
We’re a Mizuno loving family!
We made the 45 minute trip up to Seminole where the race was being held at Walsingham Park.
We met up with Dave and retrieved our bibs and chips before warming up a bit. My game plan was to pace 7:30 the whole way and make sure I don’t go out too fast. That worked for the first mile and maybe half of the second before the wheels fell off. I can’t even tell you what went wrong, my legs started to slow down and despite my best efforts, I never did get back on pace again. My heart rate was definitely in the ‘I hate life’ zone starting at the end of mile 2 so that was obviously a factor and the heat and humidity probably played a role as well.
I missed a PR by seconds but am overall happy with my time (23:56 chip time), considering the conditions. It was good enough for 1st in my age group anyway.
Mike did really well and beat me with a time of 23:16. Both him and Dave placed first in their age groups also!
A close up of those sweet medals:
This is my 4th time placing in my age group and the 3rd time I’ve age group placed this season. Coincidentally (I think not) every single time has been since I started training with the fabulous Andrew and Niels of FitCrew.
Overall we had a good time and I’m glad Mike was so successful at this race considering registration was one of my birthday gifts to him. 😉 Everything flowed smoothly and the post race food was top notch (I may or may not have eaten a muffin). Our medals are pretty awesome and parking was painless. This is what I expect from a small local race and Seminole Stampede definitely delivered.
[Disclaimer before I continue: I was not compensated to do this post, my opinon is my own. I paid my own entry fees.]
Waaayyy back in October, Jena and I started our journey to becoming Half Fanatics (Uranus level) with the 1st race of this series, the Florida Halloween Halfathon. This was my first half marathon ever, despite having already run 2 full marathons. I’m so glad to have had this as my first; the course and weather were perfect, I was with great friends and I blew away my time goal. Now, Jena and I hadn’t intended to do all 4 of these. Originally we were going to skip the Clearwater Halfathon because we are Florida runners and the 4 bridge climbs intimidated us.
Well. Then we heard at the Florida Holiday Halfathon (while waiting in line for the port-o-potties) that we would recieve something extra special for doing all 4 and we suspected that the extra special would be an additional medal. Chris Lauber, you sure know the way to our hearts! So after the Florida Holiday Halfathon, which owns my current half marathon PR, we signed up for Clearwater and Florida Beach Halfathons.
We struggled but laughed (and whined) our way up each bridge at Clearwater and both blew up during Beach. The memories and the loot made it all worth it though and I’m so glad to have shared the experience with Jena. Also, with the completion of the series meant we were also qualified for the Uranus level of Half Fanatics, something we’ve been working towards all season.
Finishing the Challenge and becoming Half Fanatics!
An additional bonus to the special swag was qualifying for series awards. To qualify you had to run 3 of the 4 races, if you ran all 4 your slowest time was dropped and your placement was determined by your fastest 3. I placed 4th in my age group (just missed that medal-darn!) out of 13 with a cumulative time of 5:51:31, that’s with the slowest time dropped. Jena did even better but you’ll have to go to her blog to see! Speaking of all that swag, here it is:
Of course what also made the experience even better was the fact that each race was incredibly well organized, the swag was awesome and the after parties always had great food and entertainment. I can’t say enough great things about Chris Lauber, his races and the volunteers that make it all possible; I definitely hope to participate again next season.
Mike and I will be doing the Yaslowitz/Baitinger Challenge at the Police Appreciation Run, also a Florida Road Races event that supports an amazing cause very close to our hearts. If you’re local I hope you come out and join us! *cough*Jena*cough* 😉
The final race of the 4 Florida Gulf Beaches Road Races half marathon series is complete! This was my 6th half marathon of the season and while it isn’t my last (Flying Pirate next month), it was the last one I would be running competitively. I was planning on this race being the 1:50 breaker but unfortunately it didn’t happen.
The morning started like any other race morning with an early wake-up, coffee, oatmeal and water. Unbeknownst to Jena and I (she stayed the night) when we left my house we were about to experience Murphy’s Law. It started with a giant rock that competed for space with my front driver’s side tire less than a mile from my house. Luckily Jena was following me in her car so we ditched mine (with a flat tire) on the side of the road and headed to the race.
Since we arrived very early (as advised by the race director) we got through the pay booth and parked quickly without any problems. After picking up our chips and our series finisher shirts (it’s aawweessoommeee) we headed back to the car to wait. Since I’m a giant clutz, my foot found the only exposed electrical wire, tripped and nearly face planted into the parking lot. It was then that Jena sealed her fate by saying, ‘you better be careful, it comes in 3s.’
Several port-o-pottie trips later (stupid digestive system) we headed out for our warm-up jog. It was still dark out and when we crossed the parking lot to one of the beach restrooms Jena tripped over a parking curb and ate pavement. She did a pretty amazing tuck and roll that almost made it look like she meant to do it.
After all that crazyness we squeezed into the starting pack near the front and were off. I started off at goal pace and it was anything but easy. My legs felt strong but the rest of my body was fighting it. My plan was to stay in the 8:25-8:35min/mile range for the first 10 miles, then I would pick it up to an 8 flat for the final 5K.
This is early in the race when I was still feeling good.
Unfortunately my entire right side seized up into a horrific cramp right around mile 6 that at first I tried breathing deeply through it, then slowing down and then finally walking. I must have looked a sight because one very kind lady slowed down to ask if I was ok.
Once I got started again I decided that a sub 1:50 was out of reach and that I might as well slow down and not kill myself. Coming around the final bend I saw Jena jogging towards me.
Now we look happy here but I assure you there was a lot of whining going on!
I crossed the finish fast and strong at Jena’s urging and collected both of my medals, the one for the Beach Halfathon and the one for finishing the entire series.
There was a lot of self-reflection in those final miles and that included the fact that I’ve had an amazing season. Obviously I’m disappointed I didn’t hit my goal of breaking 1:50 but I’ve accomplished so much more than I thought I was capable of so I’m fine with it. My official competitive (with myself) race season is over and it’s now time to regroup. I have some other races on the calendar still but they carry no pressure, only fun and contribution to good causes. The plan now is to recover a bit. Through early June the training I have planned will be a bit more relaxed, more of an emphasis on CrossFit. With the incredibly successful completion of this season I have set some pretty big goals for myself for the next one.
Another year, another Gasparilla Distance Classic. This was my third year participating and my second year running the 15K (ran the 5K my first year). I had the lofty goal of pacing 8 minute miles, which given my recent 5K and 10K performances wasn’t too much of a stretch. Unfortunately, like last year it was insanely hot and that really affected both my enjoyment level and performance. My horrible pre-race nutrition might have also played a teeny role. 😉
I started the weekend by hitting up the expo with Dave early on Friday. By the time we were done walking around and spending our hard earned money it was well past lunch time. We had seen the Tampa Downtown Market on our way in so we wandered in that direction in search of food. I made the rookie mistake of eating things that I was aware wouldn’t sit right in my sensitive stomach.
Not only did I have a tasty sandwich at Wick Witches Food Truck (can’t remember the name of it but it had chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and mozzarella) but I also got a chocolate peanut butter cupcake from Tampa Bay Cupcake Company. [Just skip over these next few photos Andrew, nothing to see here!]
After having dinner with my husband, I headed back to Tampa to stay the night with Jena and her mom at a hotel on Harbour Island, about a mile from the start.
We did the usual pre-race early wake-up, coffee, food and whining. During our short warm-up jog I noticed that I was already sweating profusely.
The course for the 15K is a simple out and back along Bayshore Blvd. Most people say it’s really pretty and that they love running there. While I agree that the views are pretty, I dislike this course because of the lack of shade.
I started with Jena but I was really struggling to hold an 8 min/mile pace, which is what we had previously agreed to aim for. After 3 miles of not getting close to goal pace I knew it wasn’t going to be my race, so I told Jena to go on without me. I played all kinds of mind games, at first telling myself to keep my pace at 8:30, then to keep it under 9 and finally to keep it under 10. I was taking 3 cups at every aid station, 2 to drink and 1 to dump over my head. I was a very unhappy camper, which is evident in all my race photos.
Head down, shoulders tense, too long stride, claw hands- I was clearly struggling.
After the half-way point I started walking through all the aid stations to make sure I got enough to drink. I was cramping in my lower abdomen which I’m sure was the horrible food I ate the day before seeking revenge.
Official Results:
Last year I ran this same race in similar conditions in 1:38:50 so this year was a big PR for me. I would be lying if I said I was happy with my 15K time, I know I’m capable of more. Beating myself up over it is useless though and after I got home and took a lovely nap I was able to realize that. Plus, the race shirt and medal were much better this year:
Oh well, there’s always next year. (I only intend to sign up for a Gasparilla Distance Classic race next year at the expo if the weather forecast is favorable!)
I registered for this Inaugural race waaayyyy back on 11-11-11 because they were having a $20 off promotion. A Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon for $60?! Sign me up! One of the biggest complaints I heard about this race (and all Rock ‘n’ Roll events actually) was the nickel and diming of the participants. Luckily for me and a few of my friends, $60 was all Rock ‘n’ Roll got out of us!
We hit up the expo on Saturday and parked at Central Cafe, where we first ate lunch. It was only about a mile walk and parking was free outside the cafe (rather than pay the $12-20 parking we saw at and surrounding Tropicana Field, where the expo was)! We took the standard expo photos:
And walked around the expo. I ran into a few friends, one I saw earlier in the day at the Saint Stephen’s Falcon Run 5K and one I hadn’t seen since a 10K a year prior! I resisted buying anything at the expo since I have just about everything I need (<— did I really just say that?!).
The course was a point-to-point with the start and finish being a couple miles apart. For this reason Rock ‘n’ Roll offered a shuttle service, for a price. I can’t remember how much the parking and shuttle ended up costing but it was more than $0. Instead we parked at my awesome coworker’s downtown condo for the price of free with a short walk (which we turned into our warm-up) to the start and an even shorter walk from the finish.
The corrals were very easy to get into and with the amount of people, I was really glad to have them. Jena, Sherry, Glenna and I all started in corral 2 but only Sherry and I stuck together. When I found out I was going to be racing the Saint Stephen’s Falcon Run 5K the day before Rock ‘n’ Roll I offered to pace Sherry, who was trying to break 2 hours. The weather was very cold but PR-worthy so I was confident that she would get there.
Chip time was 1:58:10
I had so much fun in this race! With the pace not being all out for me (conversational but not exactly comfortable) I was able to actually take in the sights and enjoy the bands/DJs along the course. The course took us around Tropicana Field, through downtown, around the Dali and then the Pier, up to Snell Isle and finally finishing in front of Vinoy Park. Sherry ran so strong and crushed her goal! Being there with her as she crossed the finish line, meeting her goal of a sub 2-hour half marathon, was very motivating!
We collected our medals and then headed off to find Jena and Glenna in the family meet-up spot. Prior to the race we had agreed to meet at the letter S but it was the only letter missing! Eventually we all found each other and headed back to the car to put on some more clothes. Jena said what we were all thinking, that it wouldn’t break her heart if we headed to brunch without returning to see the concert. So off to Cracker Barrel we went! I did hear that Flo Rida was pretty amazing but I’m not at all disappointed that we missed it.
Overall it was a great race. While I don’t agree with the extra charges that Rock ‘n’ Roll tried to tack on, I understand that they are in the business of making money. Plus I was able to participate in the event for only $60, which is very reasonable to me for a half marathon. The event was very well organized with on-time starts, well-stocked fuel stations and an easy finishers chute. Plus the medals are amazing!
That thing has some heft to it! I would consider doing this event again in the future if it fit into my schedule but I’m really hoping that someday they bring a marathon to Tampa Bay. Ya’ll know I love my 26.2!
This race was my first 5K of this season and my first since December 2010! I’ve been mainly focusing on half marathons this season and have thrown in the smaller distances when convenient. Now I wouldn’t exactly call the timing of this race convenient for me but since it was sponsored by FitCrew, I went ahead and did it (aka I had no choice but to run it)! You see, I signed up for the St Pete Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon back on 11-11-11 when they were having their $20 off promotion. Then just a couple weeks ago Niels (one of my CrossFit trainers) informed me that I would also be running the Saint Stephen’s Falcon Run 5K with the FitCrew team. The fact that I was running RNR the following day wasn’t a valid excuse since several of my fellow FitCrewers were as well!
So I adjusted my goals for the weekend and decided to go for a major PR in the 5K and offered to pace my friend Sherry to a sub-2 hour finish in the RNR Half Marathon. I’m so glad I did because I had a great time at both races! First let’s talk about the 5K!
The course was an out and back that started and ended at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School with a good portion of the race running along the water.
The course was beautiful but the pesky thing about running along the water is that there is often wind! Since a cold front was moving into the area it was especially windy that day and unfortunately it turned into a horrible head wind after the turn around.
Now my previous 5K PR was 25:55 back in December 2010 but since I’m much faster this season I really didn’t know what to pace. My overall goal was to keep my pace sub-8 but ultimately I wanted to break 24 minutes. A look at my splits confirms that I haven’t run a 5K in a loooong time!
Unsure of how to pace myself combined with the excitement of running a race, I went out way too fast on the first mile. Most of the second mile wasn’t horrible until we hit the turn around and obviously the third mile I was all but wishing for death.
My heart rate was pretty typical for a short race. High and continuously rising.
This was a super small race so I was pretty sure a lot of us FitCrewers would place in our age groups. I knew I was the third FitCrew girl to cross the finish line and that both the ladies before me weren’t in my age group. It turned out I was right! The large majority of us took home age group awards and I took home 1st place in my age group! Oh how I love small local races!
Me (pink) and Elisa (white), 1st and 2nd in our age group, both FitCrew girls! {photo courtesy of Calista Rutledge}
And of course a close-up of that sweet medal!
I wish I could have joined my FitCrew team for brunch but I had big plans to meet up with Jena and Sherry for the St Pete Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon Expo! Look out for that recap next!
Yet another half marathon is in the books with the completion of the Clearwater Halfathon last weekend. This was my 4th half for the season (or ever for that matter) and by far the toughest. The 3rd half marathon of 4 in this series had us running over both the Sand Key bridge and the Clearwater Memorial bridge, twice each. Evidence:
The crazy inclines combined with the unseasonable heat made this race brutal. Good thing Jena and I were running it for fun (aka the 5th medal for completing all races in this series) so time was not of the essence here.
So another race, another 6am meet up with Jena in a random parking lot before running our little hearts out for fun. No folks, we’re not normal. Jena even brought her camera so we could document the fun. (therefore all photographs are courtesy of Jena @ lifeisbeachykeen.com)
We started at 7:05am, just in time to see the sun rising. While I cursed each of the 4 bridge climbs we had to make, I have to admit that the views were amazing!
Clearwater Memorial bridge- the 1st and 4th climbs
Sand Key bridge- the 2nd and 3rd climbs
We settled into a moderate (conversational) pace and just cruised along. Occasionally we would make random observations and chit chat and of course we whined the whole way up every bridge. I hung out in my favorite spot when running with someone, just behind and to the right. I’m not sure why I like this spot so much but it’s my happy place. Maybe because I got to stare at Jena’s butt the whole time? 😉
This is me, running behind Jena (and yes, I’m sticking my tongue out).
Jena offered to pause so that I could do burpees at the top of our third bridge climb but I respectfully declined. Mostly because I didn’t want to hold her up, partly because I hate burpees.
I was feeling good up until the last 2 miles or so. I started to struggle with heat, bridge climbs and digestive issues all being contributing factors. I’m so thankful that Jena was running with me because otherwise I probably would have walked the majority of the last 2 miles. Instead we rocked it out and ran up all 4 bridges, run being a relative term on the last one.
The official details:
We collected our awesome medals (they’re sparkly again yay!) and walked/stretched for a brief cool down under the shade of a tree.
Then we stuffed our faces with some post race goodies before watching part of the awards. We left a bit early so we could have brunch before heading over to Sports Authority to register for Gasparilla. I’ll be doing the 15K again this year and I plan to destroy it. Last year’s race didn’t go so well for me so I’m out for course revenge!
In summary- I had a great time with Jena at another great race put on by Chris Lauber at Florida Road Races. I can’t wait for the last one in March, mostly because I can’t wait to see our 5th medal. I sure hope it’s sparkly!
Many months ago I was peer pressured into signing up for Tough Mudder. I was particularly vulnerable at the time as I was finally getting the hang of CrossFit and had developed a bit of confidence. So I signed up for the challenge with my CrossFit team and then shared the peer pressure love with my runner coworker, aka Dave. He had been signed up for a similar type of mud run that was cancelled at the last minute so it wasn’t hard to talk him into it. The husband would have been dragged along but he was scheduled to work and the event sold out before he could request off.
So on Saturday morning Dave and I made the trek up to Dade City, signed death waivers in hand, to join the masses in pursuit of the title ‘Tough Mudder.’ For the Saturday event there was something like 60,000 people at Little Everglades Ranch and that doesn’t include spectators. Luckily we had a relatively early start time (10am) so we didn’t have to fight any traffic and parking was a breeze (though we should have paid more attention to where we parked since we had to wander a little bit afterwards).
Before
We were taken through a very motivational speech, recited the Tough Mudder oath, listened to the National Anthem and then took off. Dave and I knew we were going to stick together but had an understanding with our team that we might split off from them since they weren’t runners (Dave and I are both marathoners and weren’t planning to walk). We didn’t have any time goals but kept in mind that the average completion time for the 11.5 mile, 26 obstacle course was 3 hours. Our ultimate goal was to survive without injury and have fun in the process.
Obstacle 1: Steeple Chase– The first obstacle we encountered had us jumping over several low walls. What you didn’t know on the first one was that there was a ditch between each wall that you had to jump over. If you jumped too far without looking you would have jumped into the ditch. A kind volunteer was attempting to warn us but we didn’t hear. I remember Dave turning to me and saying, ‘I feel like she just said something very important.’
Obstacle 2: Chernobyl Jacuzzi – This obstacle was the most shocking to the system. You jumped into a giant tub of dyed ice water (ours was green, there was blue and pink also) and then had to bob under some barbed wire halfway through the tub, which forced you under the ice water, then jump out. Once I crossed under the barbed wire is when I panicked. It was so cold and I couldn’t process anything, including breathing, so I just scrambled for the other side. Luckily no one was in front of me or else I would have body checked them out of my way!
I had begged Dave to be my Gu mule since I was wearing old crappy shorts that didn’t have pockets and refused to wear and subsequently ruin my Spi-belt (it’s seen me through 2 marathons!). So he stuck our Gu in his (unzippered) pockets and unfortunately lost them on this obstacle when his pockets turned inside out. Of course I badgered him throughout the course whenever I saw an empty Gu packet on the ground. 😀
Obstacle 3: Underwater Tunnels– The water on this obstacle wasn’t as cold as the ice bath, probably because it was a natural pond. You had to bob under several of those black plastic construction pipes. Only the first was a bit unnerving since it was difficult to judge how far to go underwater.
Obstacle 4: Kiss of Mud– Crawling on your belly through mud and under barbed wire. Not really horrible except it was hard to judge how big my butt was and thus how close to the ground I had to be. That and the girl next to Dave was flopping around like a fish and splashing mud everywhere.
Obstacle 5: Mystery Obstacle– The first mystery obstacle consisted of a bunch of tires hanging from a wooden structure at varying heights. You run through them hoping you don’t get slammed by a tire. This one wasn’t bad because the obstacle was basically empty, making it easier to navigate.
Obstacle 6: Spider’s Web– Climbing up and over a cargo net. Pretty easy, just don’t look down. And when it’s your turn to hold the net taught for your fellow Mudders, don’t look up. Mud flaking off their shoes will get in your eye.
Obstacle 7: Bale Bonds– This obstacle had hay bales on their side stacked 2 high that you had to go up and over. My first attempt at jumping on this obstacle was a fail and resulted in me face planting into the hay. Better than face planting in mud I suppose.
Obstacle 8: Ball Shrinker– Traverse a pit of coldish water by using a rope that was strung from one side to the other. I just jumped in and pulled myself across and the water wasn’t that cold.
Obstacle 9: Berlin Walls #1– Climbing up and over 12 foot walls. There was a little 2×4 attached at the bottom so you could get a step up. Dave helped me from below and some other guys helped me from above. Getting down was a straight drop. There was no step-down on the other side so take care when dropping from that height.
Obstacle 10: The Trenches– Probably the most hilarious obstacle of them all, there were man made pits of varying depths all throughout a mud pit. You had to go slow and feel your way along because at any moment you would find yourself chest deep in mud. We probably looked like a bunch of morons to spectators!
Obstacle 11: Twinkle Toes– A ‘log bridge’ consisting of a very long board over a water pit. The board was only supported on either end so the middle was very wobbly. It was also on its side so you only had maybe 3″ of room for your feet. The strategy here is to keep moving! I managed to make it all the way across but Dave paused to regain balance half-way in and fell in.
Proper form
Not proper form
Obstacle 12: Devil’s Beard– This was a cargo net that you had to crawl under, through mud. The more people in it, the tighter it got. I put my hand down on something sharp (I’m not sure what since I was wrist-deep in mud) and had a little puncture wound just below my pinky. I definitely showed it off to all my coworkers on Monday. 😉
Obstacle 13: Boa Constrictor– Two long black plastic construction tubes, one angled down and the other angled up. Where the two met was a muddy pit. Going down was easy, going back up was a little more difficult but since I’m smaller (you know, than the men) I was able to crawl.
Obstacle 14: Walk the Plank– Jump off a 15′ high platform into a pond then swim out. I was surprised at how hard I hit the water on this one!
Between obstacles 14 and 15 were a series of maybe 8 steep dirt hills. This was really challenging for me since I was already fatigued. Plus there was a pretty strong wind and with all the newly excavated dirt piles, we were practically running blind from the dirt storm.
Obstacle 15: Jumpin’ Bale– Several hay bales in a line that you had to jump from one to the other.
Obstacle 16: Gator Bait– This was just walking through a long stream. There may have been Gators in there at one point but they were long gone when we came through. I was never really worried about them, they most likely took off when the all the set up construction started.
Obstacle 17: Gauntlet– A high pressure hose spraying you down. Unfortunately (for the race organizers, good for us Mudders) the wind was blowing pretty strong in the wrong direction and we just got a light mist. Which actually felt pretty good.
Obstacle 18: Fire Walker– We were channeled in between two rows of straw that was burning. It was definitely hot in there but the worst was the smoke. I felt like I had just smoked a pack of cigs when I emerged.
Obstacle 19: Berlin Walls #2– Another set of 2 walls, but these were a tad higher and I think the step was a tad lower. I was sitting on the very top of the first one trying to swing one leg around when I had the first thought of ‘oh yeah, this could be very dangerous.’ When I dropped down the other side I banged both of my knees on the wall and now have some awkward bruises.
Obstacle 20: Hold Your Wood– (that’s what she said) Carry a log through a pond that got to about chest high. I carried it via the ‘baby holding’ method then threw it over one shoulder when the water got deeper. Some friends (that did the course the next day) told me they were yelled at to hold it up over their head but I wasn’t told that.
Obstacle 21: Funky Monkey– This was the obstacle I was dreading! Monkey Bars over a pit of water. I have a horrible grip so I was convinced I wouldn’t get very far but I actually made it all the way across! Whee!
Obstacle 22: Mystery Obstacle #2– This is what I called Gopher Holes. I had seen pictures of this obstacle in other Tough Mudder events and was really nervous about it. The holes looked so small and I was worried I might panic in them (though I don’t have claustrophobia). Fortunately the holes were actually pretty big and I wasn’t that worried with Dave right behind me. Though I bet he was worried I was going to fart. Trust me, if I had one in the que I would have! 😉
Obstacle 23: Turd’s Nest– This obstacle had technical difficulty. The concept was that you were supposed to belly crawl under barbed wire then climb up a ramp and crawl across cargo netting that was strung above the barbed wire. Well apparently the cargo netting sagged too much and was touching the barbed wire so the officials removed that part of the obstacle. Instead we just climbed across the netting which was easier said than done with all the people making it bounce.
Obstacle 24: Hay Bale Pyramid– This was a pyramid made out of hay bales stacked 6 high. At the very top I again thought about how dangerous that could be.
Obstacle 25: Everest– A quarter pipe that you had to run up and jump with arms outstretched, hoping someone would catch you. Dave promised he would never let go but so did Kate Winslet and we all know how that movie ended!
Obstacle 26: Electroshock Therapy– Live wires hanging down that you had to run through. Some of the wires carried a 10,000 Volt shock but don’t worry, it’s the Amps that kill you. 😉 For added fun they hose you down halfway through and there are little hills you have to navigate.
‘Haha! Getting electrocuted is fun!’
Between all the obstacles was all trail running with varying levels of difficulty in the terrain. There were often mud pits to run through and streams to cross. We had so much fun and Dave had me laughing the whole time. The views were amazing and we really lucked out with the weather. Dave and I crossed the finish line together in 2:48:28 with all of our limbs in-tact and without significant injury. We both had our fair share of bumps and bruises and my knees were so stiff I could hardly bend them but we survived!
At the finish line we were provided with protein drinks, my favorite Cliff Builder Bars (in various flavors), Clif shot blox, bananas, water and Dos Equis beer. We were also given t-shirts and our orange headbands. Along the course there was 4 water stops and 2 of them had bananas (which kinda made up for the lost Gu… kinda).
After
Overall this was a really fun event and was so well organized. It was incredibly challenging and really taught you the meaning of teamwork. I give this event an A++++ and am definitely planning on doing it again in the future.
So, it’s been awhile… I’m hoping that ya’ll will forgive me since I’m posting a race recap. 😀 I have an excuse for my absence and I promise to fill you in in a separate post. (don’t worry, it’s nothing too dramatic, just possible injury frustration)
This morning I ran the Women’s Half Marathon (put on by Women’s Running Magazine) with Jena and Sherry.
Us at the expo
My main goal was to PR and have an overall pace of sub 9min/mile but I had the super goal in mind of sub 1:55. My plan was to start off at a 9min/mile pace and then slowly bring it down throughout the race. I wanted to finish off with 8:30 miles for the last 2 or so. Unfortunately mother nature (I’m talking about the weather) had other plans. It.Was.Hot.
The first 2.5 miles take you along Tampa Bay before you cross over into Snell Isle for another 2.5 miles. These first 5 miles I was feeling great and was holding close to an 8:45 pace. I even saw a dolphin in Coffee Pot Bayou around mile 5, it’s not everyday that you see a dolphin while running a half marathon! Miles 6-9 brought you back down past Tampa Bay and into downtown. I was still feeling ok and pacing under 9. Mile 10 circles Mirror Lake, which has a nice view, however I was starting to feel the intensity around this time and a 9min pace was becoming a struggle.
We continued downtown and ran through Tropicana Field. For the out-of-towners: Tropicana Field is an enclosed turf baseball field where the Tampa Bay Rays play. We came in, ran around the field and went back out again, which is a good idea in theory. But not at mile 11.5. I was a very unhappy camper by this point but somehow managed to hold onto a 9min pace. I had just about given up when at mile 12 an angel in a sparkle skirt jogged up next to me, turned to me and said, “Come on, we can do this!” She stuck by my side and encouraged me through every grunt and groan as we made our way out of downtown for the last mile. When we got to the last straightaway she told me to take off. I did. I credit that strong last mile, and my PR, to her. After we were medaled (by wonderful military ladies) I turned and gave her a hug and thanked her for saving my race.
The splits (chip time was 1:57:40. 8:59 pace. 49/439 in age group.):
The heart rate:
This race had very different conditions than the Halloween Halfathon. It was hotter and the course was more difficult with all the turns and Tropicana Field. Yet I still PR’ed. My takeaway? It’s time to get serious again with my training. I’ve been riding on the coat-tails of my marathon training endurance but that will quickly go away without the proper maintenance. I’ve got a training plan made that includes speed work and a decent mileage volume and have 4 more attempts this season at a sub 1:55 half. Up next on the agenda though is the St. Petersburg Times Drumstick Dash (5K) on Thanksgiving and Tough Mudder.