Managed to make it to the gym with enough time to run a 'quick' (ha!) 5k on the TM AND spend 7 minutes just walking it all off. Amazing!
Actually, with the exception of the pauses (some deliberate, some accidental...) and the extended walking breaks, it wasn't to terrible. I managed to finish 3.1 miles in 32:15.
I think I'll get back to where I left off eventually and will hopefully be ready for the 10k at the end of this month.
It's hot and nasty out. Proof? Subway for dinner. Again. And I REALLY want Chinese food...I crave Chinese when it gets hot out, for New Years, and when a new Harry Potter book came out (don't ask...not even I understand it). I really don't like Chinese food that much...well, I don't like the 'healthy' stuff all that much. I LOVE sesame chicken, egg rolls, crab ragoon, etc. Basically anything bad for you. Steamed veggies? Not so much.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Corporate Challenge
Seems I lied...the 10k on June 26th wasn't going to be my next race.
Run #2 of my life. The JPMorgan Corporate Challenge in Boston. 3.5 miles through the city. On June 2, 2011. Only 4 days after my half.
Overall, a much better showing on my part. 36:38. 10:28/mile. Not bad. Definitely better than the 11:51 that I pulled at the half.
A much shorter race and it had a very different environment. 12,000 people. And they all seemed to start where I did.
I ran with 3 of my co-workers. Well, ran is to generous of a word. We started together. Within 5 minutes I had lost all three of them. The two women were walking...the guy started walking with them, gave it up and ran. I still managed to finish over 12 minutes faster than he did. Ha. I rule. The two women? Yea. Didn't even walk all 3.5 miles. Didn't think they would anyway.
And...well. That's it. Ran from Charles Street to Kenmore and back. Finished less than 2 minutes slower than one of my staff...the one that ran the 5 mile part of the half. Made me feel pretty good about myself.
Now...10k on June 26th really IS the next race.
Run #2 of my life. The JPMorgan Corporate Challenge in Boston. 3.5 miles through the city. On June 2, 2011. Only 4 days after my half.
Overall, a much better showing on my part. 36:38. 10:28/mile. Not bad. Definitely better than the 11:51 that I pulled at the half.
A much shorter race and it had a very different environment. 12,000 people. And they all seemed to start where I did.
I ran with 3 of my co-workers. Well, ran is to generous of a word. We started together. Within 5 minutes I had lost all three of them. The two women were walking...the guy started walking with them, gave it up and ran. I still managed to finish over 12 minutes faster than he did. Ha. I rule. The two women? Yea. Didn't even walk all 3.5 miles. Didn't think they would anyway.
And...well. That's it. Ran from Charles Street to Kenmore and back. Finished less than 2 minutes slower than one of my staff...the one that ran the 5 mile part of the half. Made me feel pretty good about myself.
Now...10k on June 26th really IS the next race.
Boston's Run to Remember
On May 29th I ran a half marathon!
With ZERO training! Breaking EVERY race rule!
Things I did/didn't do:
-haven't run more than a couple miles in 7 weeks - haven't run period in almost 2 weeks
-wore new clothes (new crops, new tank w/built-in bra, new socks, new hat)
-used Body Glide (probably the best 'mistake' I ever made! No blisters! No chaffing!)
-ate/drank new things (Gatorade and Gu) - not to mention drank water while running
-longest run I've ever done prior? 5.15 miles
-ran outside - I've NEVER run outside before
All that being said - my unofficial time was 2 hours, 37 minutes, 11 seconds.
I had 3 goals going into this (which, by the way, I wasn't even sure I was doing until this morning - I kept changing my mind):
1. Not get diverted to the 5 mile race
2. Not be the last person to cross the finish line
3. Finish the half in less than 3 hours
As you can see, reaching goals 2 & 3 required me to reach the first goal - and I think I was so nervous that I'd miss the time limit on meeting 2 miles, that I went to fast at the beginning (another newbie mistake). I hit 2 miles at about 8:15 - after crossing the start line around 7:57 or 7:58...I KILLED those first two miles, around a 9 minute/mile! I remember thinking as I passed the Mile 2 Marker and seeing the 5 mile/half marathon split that I was crossing the point of no return...I was either running a half marathon or quitting. And I felt...good.
I took a few walking breaks, but ran most of the first half of the half...I felt good for the most part (although I did see a Starbucks and wanted nothing more than to stop...and give up this crazy idea of mine!). There were parts that had plenty of spectators cheering people on, but most of the time it was pretty empty, or there were people who were only cheering for their friends/family...I had expected more.
I remember looking at the 5 mile marker - but I don't remember what the time was!
I do know that when we reached the turn around (and the volunteers there were wonderful - or maybe it was just that one girl that yelled at EVERYONE that passed by that they 'had this...you can do it') that I crossed that line at 1 hour 6 minutes and change! I had ran 6.5 miles in a little over an hour! I was PUMPED and it was at that point that I A) knew I was finishing and B) "officially" changed goal #3 to 2 1/2 hours! (I had been thinking 2 1/2 hours earlier...mile 5 ish?)
Which was probably a mistake...I was doing good until around Mile 8ish. I started having longer walk breaks and shorter running periods. I hit mile 10 at just under 2 hours (1 hour 56 minutes), but I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it to the end in 34 more minutes. And by the time I hit Mile 11 I was done. THOSE volunteers were the BEST - one guy was running up and down the line telling everyone that he wanted us to finish and that we could do it...there were only 2 more miles left, we made it THIS far, we HAD to go all the way!
Those last 2.1 miles were the longest 2.1 miles of my life.
I altered my 3rd goal to finish in 2 hours 45 minutes...which gave me about half an hour or a little more (I think? I don't think it took me 19 minutes from miles 10-11...or maybe it did...) to finish.
I basically walked the last 2.1 miles...a few spurts of running here and there (when we were in Downtown Crossing someone was washing the sidewalk outside of his store & squirted us a little), some spurts longer than others - I discovered that if I just kept my head down and didn't look up I ran a little further, don't ask. My legs were SO heavy...there were points where I thought I was running, only to realize that I wasn't.
There was a woman who was dressing all in black and had blond pigtail braids...I pretty much tried to keep her in my sights (and keep up with her) from miles 8(ish) to the end, more so after mile 10. She was also employing a run/walk method, but she was running better than I and I lost her at the home stretch.
At the home stretch, there were more and more people - a lot of the people who had already finished were hanging out cheering people on. I think I managed to run the last 1/4 of a mile - but it might have been less. I was DETERMINED to run across the finish line - and I definitely made a point to check the clock for the unofficial time. 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 11 seconds.
I *almost* made my 2 1/2 hour goal! If I could have managed some longer (or more) runs, I think I could have made it.
Either way, I made all 3 of my original goals!
Up next - 10k on June 26th. Which just so happens to be my 5 year work anniversary.
With ZERO training! Breaking EVERY race rule!
Things I did/didn't do:
-haven't run more than a couple miles in 7 weeks - haven't run period in almost 2 weeks
-wore new clothes (new crops, new tank w/built-in bra, new socks, new hat)
-used Body Glide (probably the best 'mistake' I ever made! No blisters! No chaffing!)
-ate/drank new things (Gatorade and Gu) - not to mention drank water while running
-longest run I've ever done prior? 5.15 miles
-ran outside - I've NEVER run outside before
All that being said - my unofficial time was 2 hours, 37 minutes, 11 seconds.
I had 3 goals going into this (which, by the way, I wasn't even sure I was doing until this morning - I kept changing my mind):
1. Not get diverted to the 5 mile race
2. Not be the last person to cross the finish line
3. Finish the half in less than 3 hours
As you can see, reaching goals 2 & 3 required me to reach the first goal - and I think I was so nervous that I'd miss the time limit on meeting 2 miles, that I went to fast at the beginning (another newbie mistake). I hit 2 miles at about 8:15 - after crossing the start line around 7:57 or 7:58...I KILLED those first two miles, around a 9 minute/mile! I remember thinking as I passed the Mile 2 Marker and seeing the 5 mile/half marathon split that I was crossing the point of no return...I was either running a half marathon or quitting. And I felt...good.
I took a few walking breaks, but ran most of the first half of the half...I felt good for the most part (although I did see a Starbucks and wanted nothing more than to stop...and give up this crazy idea of mine!). There were parts that had plenty of spectators cheering people on, but most of the time it was pretty empty, or there were people who were only cheering for their friends/family...I had expected more.
I remember looking at the 5 mile marker - but I don't remember what the time was!
I do know that when we reached the turn around (and the volunteers there were wonderful - or maybe it was just that one girl that yelled at EVERYONE that passed by that they 'had this...you can do it') that I crossed that line at 1 hour 6 minutes and change! I had ran 6.5 miles in a little over an hour! I was PUMPED and it was at that point that I A) knew I was finishing and B) "officially" changed goal #3 to 2 1/2 hours! (I had been thinking 2 1/2 hours earlier...mile 5 ish?)
Which was probably a mistake...I was doing good until around Mile 8ish. I started having longer walk breaks and shorter running periods. I hit mile 10 at just under 2 hours (1 hour 56 minutes), but I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it to the end in 34 more minutes. And by the time I hit Mile 11 I was done. THOSE volunteers were the BEST - one guy was running up and down the line telling everyone that he wanted us to finish and that we could do it...there were only 2 more miles left, we made it THIS far, we HAD to go all the way!
Those last 2.1 miles were the longest 2.1 miles of my life.
I altered my 3rd goal to finish in 2 hours 45 minutes...which gave me about half an hour or a little more (I think? I don't think it took me 19 minutes from miles 10-11...or maybe it did...) to finish.
I basically walked the last 2.1 miles...a few spurts of running here and there (when we were in Downtown Crossing someone was washing the sidewalk outside of his store & squirted us a little), some spurts longer than others - I discovered that if I just kept my head down and didn't look up I ran a little further, don't ask. My legs were SO heavy...there were points where I thought I was running, only to realize that I wasn't.
There was a woman who was dressing all in black and had blond pigtail braids...I pretty much tried to keep her in my sights (and keep up with her) from miles 8(ish) to the end, more so after mile 10. She was also employing a run/walk method, but she was running better than I and I lost her at the home stretch.
At the home stretch, there were more and more people - a lot of the people who had already finished were hanging out cheering people on. I think I managed to run the last 1/4 of a mile - but it might have been less. I was DETERMINED to run across the finish line - and I definitely made a point to check the clock for the unofficial time. 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 11 seconds.
I *almost* made my 2 1/2 hour goal! If I could have managed some longer (or more) runs, I think I could have made it.
Either way, I made all 3 of my original goals!
Up next - 10k on June 26th. Which just so happens to be my 5 year work anniversary.
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