Will Run for Beer - FIN

Well we finally finished the race series last Sunday.   This series has been going on for so long that it's strange to not have another run expected.  Overall the races were fun but I don't think I'll be signing up again next year.  Spending the money on each race was too much, in my opinion, so it was a one time thing for me.  I know some people do it every year but that's not going to be me.  In fact, I've decided to cut back on all my sanctioned race events.  I hate to sound greedy, but I'd rather have the money.
You might have noticed that I said that the series was fun overall.  There were a couple of races in less than ideal weather, the last one being this race on Sunday.  It was almost 90 degrees and the race didn't start until 11 a.m. which was a bad combination.  Everyone was immediately pouring sweat, even just walking to the start line.  I had the foresight to bring my running water bottle, even though it was only 3.7 miles, but a lot of people were just out to run.  With only one water stop, mega-heat, and little shade, I'm surprised there weren't more medical emergencies.  Unfortunately the heat combined with the rolling hills made the course pretty miserable.  I finished at 35:30, which is an awful time, considering my recent 5K times.  I also saw a ton of people walking, which you never see. That included people up towards the front of the race, where it's usually the super fast elite runners.
Right after the finish line there was a sprinkler set up, which felt awesome, and there was a barbeque feast, with of course, free beer.  They also had a live band.  So, the after-party was fun, but running the race was not.  We even had some friends come up to watch the last race, which we all appreciated.  Thanks ladies!  So, I made it through the series and got my jacket.  Mission accomplished.
I've decided that summer time is the best time to give up paying for races, because there are a ton racing clubs running timed races for free.  Tonight I'm going to check out the Lynn Woods running club, which offers three different courses, all timed.  There's a short race, under 2 miles, an almost 5K, and a long run which happens to be 5.5 this week.  I think it will be fun to try something new and run with a group of people for free.  Plus, the races are timed and you get a bib number and everything.  It's the joy of a sanctioned run with none of the expense. Along with this, there's a running club in Beverly that does 5Ks.  One meets on Monday and one on Thursday.  I think it will be fun to run with more people and check out new routes.

Pre-race

During the race: that's me in the white and blue

Post-race

Post-race: that's not all sweat, some of it's water

Free Smuttynose!

All the ladies, cheerleaders included!

Race jackets, with a spot for Jenna.

I know, I know,I slacked off!

Alright, so I haven't been the best blogger this month. It's been a pretty busy month with the tutoring after school, checking out venues, and preparing for my first half.  But, now that everything is winding down, I'm free to update again! Rejoice, rejoice.
Today was the Boston Run to Remember.  There were 10,000 runners, which was crazy.  Some people were only doing the 5 miler, but that's still a ton of people.  Last weekend I went for a 13 mile run alone, just to make sure I could do it this weekend.  A week ago, my time was 2:05.  The goal of today was really to break 2:00.  This is how close I came to that goal: 3136 707/1603 F1929 2:01:03 9:14 2:02:18 Allison Runyan 28 F 6528 Lynn MA. The official time was 2:02:18, my time, as you can see bolded and underlined, was 2:01:03.  I missed making the 2 hour mark by seconds.  Seriously.  I'm a little bummed about that, even though I know I shouldn't be.  2:01 for my first half is a fantastic time.  But, when I want to reach a goal, it's always slightly sad when I don't.
The weather for the run was actually pretty bad.  I originally signed up for this race because it was at the end of May so I figured the weather might be hot, but not overbearing.  Turns out, it was the exact opposite. Start time was 7:00 a.m. and the weather at that time was 41 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like 33.  (I got that direct from the weather channel, I didn't make it up!)  Seriously, at the end of May.  Plus, it was rainy off and on.  Weather aside, the run was actually pretty good.  I felt great basically the entire time.  I went through a lot of sport beans, especially in the last four miles, but it was worth it.  My legs are a little sore, but nothing too crazy.  Overall, a wonderful experience for my first half.  Plus, Ryan came out to watch, so double bonus.
Earlier in the week, I volunteered to stuff packets for the race, which turned out to be more fun than I expected, even though I didn't win any prizes from the raffles.  What I did get was free pizza, and really, that's the best prize there is.  Yesterday I went to the race expo to pick up my number and get some free swag, of which I got none, but whatever.  Then I went over to Boyleston with Cynthia, Murdock, and some of her family.  We stopped by the marathon memorial and had lunch at the Pru, in the middle of an anime convention.  I told you I've been busy!
Other than that, not much happening.  Ryan's mom and sister came to visit, I checked out a couple of venues, and Ryan's dad is coming in two weeks.  Next weekend I also have the last race in the Will Run for Beer series.  I'll finally get my jacket and be done with that, which is really a long time, considering it started back in January.  Cynthia is trying to get me a bib for the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. this October as well.  I'm not really sure how I feel about that.  In the meantime, I think I have to find another half to run, just to get that time down.  With the end of the school year SLOWLY creeping up, I might be able to get more time in for everything, running included.  We'll see.

Halfsies

As of 5:30 pm today I am officially registered for a half marathon. I'm still on the fence about being excited for it.  The farthest I've gone so far is still the 9 miles back in February.  Sure, I've increased some of my weekly runs to be 5 or 6 miles, but mostly I've still been sticking to 5ks.  But on May 26, 2013, like it or not, I will be running a half marathon through Boston.
Registration for the Disney Marathon opened up today too and I really want to register.  The problem with that is being able to make it down there next year.  Plane tickets can be expensive, plus the stay in Disney.  This is one that I have to think about and really consider, but I REALLY want to run it.
I've also signed up for the Color me Rad, coming to Massachusetts in July.  I did the Color Run last year and it was fun, so I'm pretty excited for this one.  I think that's about it for races I've signed up for recently.  Other than that I've just been running the Will Run for Beer Series and working on improving my time.  I really wanted to get it down under a 27, even if it was just a little bit down.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do that yet.  I ran on Sunday and I felt like I was going along great, but the finish line time told me differently.  Yesterday I did some speed training at the beach, but it actually increased my time overall....WTF?  While I was at the beach though, I did happen to see the new David O. Russell film being made.  It was a star-filled afternoon, I'm pretty positive that Christian Bale was there, and I know Bradley Cooper was.  I wasn't expecting to run into a movie set so that was pretty neat.
Since the weather is getting nicer, which means no more pockets :(, I've been looking for something to wear while running to hold my stuff.  Usually I need something to hold my phone, some gum or energy beans, and keys.  I found a running belt pack at Olympia Sports so I bought that, but after seeing pictures of it, I'm not sure I want to keep wearing it!  It looks like I'm wearing a fanny pack!!! Embarrassing.  I'm going to continue using it for now though, and just keep an eye out for something smaller but just as functional.  I'll leave you with a picture so you can see what I mean.

Seriously...basically a fanny pack.  It didn't help that I was loaded down with chili, free waters, and a t-shirt.  This is post-race as we were check our results.

This is just a good picture.

Whoops

I know the last time I stopped running for 2 weeks I said I wouldn't do it again, because it was miserable starting back up again.  Unfortunately, I did it again.  Having a chest/head cold is THE WORST for running.  If you can't breathe through your nose, it cuts down on your air intake, therefore decreasing your running speed/stamina.  It makes everything 100x more miserable, not just running. I'm sure you've been sick before so you know.  But, once again, it's time for me to get back out there and go again.  Yesterday I went for a shorter run and tomorrow I'm going for a 5 or 6 miler.  I'll probably go again on Friday too.  It's a vacation day, so that means some time for myself, woo woo!  Saturday is a Will Run for Beer race, again in Salisbury, this time a 4 miler.  The weekend after that is another WRFB race in New Hampshire and the Saturday after THAT is the make-up from the postponed Wild Rover race.  There's one final WRFB race on the 21, but I'm not sure I want to do that one.  We'll see, but there's a good chance I'll skip it.  After all, that is the weekend after April vacation.
For running this week I've started listening to Gone With the Wind on Audible.  It's one of my favorite stories to read in the Spring/Summer, so I figured it would be a good audio book for the runs.  I've really been enjoying the audio books on my runs.  It helps distract me from the actual running which is always nice.
In order to run more, I've been debating running to/from work at least a couple of days a week. It's only a 20 minute walk, less than a mile away I believe, which means a run would be maybe 10 - 15 minutes.  I'm ok with that, but I am a little concerned about the logistics of the whole thing.  I don't want to be totally sweaty and smelly when I get to work and have to change clothes and all that jazz. Plus I have a lot of supplies that I carry with me to and from school, so I would have to add that in to my run.  For that piece at least I think I've got it figured out.  I have one of those hiking backpacks that clips around the waist and has the mesh back, you know, all that fancy stuff.  I'm sure I can fit everything in there, plus my work clothes and shoes, and carry it on my back while I run.  I know I'll look totally cool dorky running down the street to work, but sometimes you have to sacrifice looks for fitness right?  I also figured I could keep some baby wipes at work to at least freshen up after the run, which I suppose solves another piece of the problem.
I guess what it comes down to is that I have to make myself do it. I don't really WANT to get up earlier than I do, but I can.  I don't really WANT to run to work instead of drive, but I should.  Especially now, because I won a bid for a tutoring job after-school, working with some of the after-school programs in the city.  So now Tues - Thurs I work and then have to tutor.  I have an hour between the end of the school day and the beginning of tutoring, so I figure I can run home, change, let out the dogs, and then drive to tutoring.  Since I am cutting down on the amount of time I have after school to run, I figure it's better to run to and from work than to not do it at all.  I'll let you know how that goes later on though.

Busy running weekend

This weekend I had two races. On Saturday, we had the 2nd Will Run for Beer race in the series.  There was actually supposed to be a half marathon a couple of weekends ago, but due to a snow storm, it was cancelled.  Not that I was running it anyways, but that's so not the point! So, Saturday, the race was at 9 am up in Salisbury, right along the beach.  It should have been a nice easy course.  It was an early race and the entire course was flat.  Not a big deal, considering I've been running basically that every time I run Lynn beach. Yet, for some reason, it was the worst race I've ever run.  I don't mean time-wise, in that aspect, it was fine, just under 28.  4 seconds under, nothing to write home about.  But the race itself was miserable.  My body just did not want to run.  I could blame the wind or the fact that I didn't feel great, but I know the truth.  It was the Wendy's I ate on Friday night.  For real.  Normally I don't care too much about eating good food 24/7, but I should not have had Wendy's the night before a 5K.  It was seriously miserable, to the point where I thought I was going to throw up when I crossed the finish line.  That hasn't happened in a long time, so I knew that was a problem.  There were a lot of us running yesterday and we all finished right around the same time.  Cynthia's husband as well as her brother and his girlfriend came in around 24 minutes, maybe a bit sooner, but Cynthia, Katie, and I came in right on each others heels.  The others were just a couple of minutes behind so it wasn't too bad.  I mean, the time, not the run.  Ryan came, which was lovely, but I'm fairly certain he was bored out of his mind.  On top of that, the sea was churning and it was high tide, so the waves were washing up into the start/finish and causing puddles and problems.  It definitely wasn't my favorite race, which is sad, because the course itself was gorgeous.

This is everyone that ran and a few that didn't as well.

Ryan and I after the race, in between crashing waves.

Today, Sunday, was the third race in the Wild Rover series, but really, the second due to the same snowstorm mentioned earlier.  This was a 5 miler in Lowell, set to take place at 1 pm, and I was not looking forward to it.  To make matters worse, last night was Daylight Savings, so I lost a precious hour of sleep.  I also think I'm getting some type of chest cold, and was covered in vapor rub.  I was a little concerned that I would have trouble breathing during the 5 miler, but as I had already paid, there was no way I was skipping it.  If anything, I figured I would walk it if I had too. Going in, I knew there were hills but I wasn't sure how large they would be.  Turns out, they weren't too bad.  It was a nice day for a run, sunny and warm-ish.  I regretted not wearing my sunglasses, but it wasn't too bad without them.  My knee hasn't really been hurting, but my toes haven't been comfortable in my Clima-warms, so I thought I would go back to my old Clima-cools.  Turns out, I think I found the root of the knee problem.  Looks like those shoes have got to go.  Time for new running shoes? I think it might be.
Before the race, I decided I wanted to try something new to listen to on my run. I thought Zombies was using a lot of data, so I decided to cool it on that, but I was wrong and it's actually not using that much.  Today though, I went a different route and tried Audible.  Strangely, I felt like I was getting sick of my running music and when that happens, it makes for a very boring run.  So I bought a membership to audible and threw on an audio-book while I ran.  I went with a book I already knew and loved, and I figured if anything, I would have my music as a back up.  I actually enjoyed listening to the book while I was running.  It gave me something to focus on besides the people around me and the same old music.  I think I'll keep that up for a little bit, at least until I finish listening to the book.  Plus I have one more credit so that's two books.  Those should get me through a couple of runs at least.
As I was running, I kept passing the time signs and I was little bummed out because it seemed like I was doing worse than usual.  The times were around 10:50 for each mile. It wasn't until mile 3 that I remembered that I didn't actually cross the start at the gun time, so I could cut off a couple of seconds at least.  Then, the last mile was all downhill, so I put on a little extra speed for that.  I crossed the finish line at 48:56, but my actual time was 48:05.  Not bad for five miles with hills. I was proud of myself.  Since this was supposed to be the last race of the Wild Rover, the medal was huge.  Somehow I walked right by the guys handing them out at the finish and almost didn't get one.  The race volunteers were directing those of us who came off the finish line around the corner and they wouldn't let you go back and get a medal, since it was right after you crossed and lots of people were coming in.  But there was no way I was leaving without my medal.  The volunteer was kind of rude, but as I wasn't the only person who missed the medals, I tend to think that perhaps it wasn't the best place to hand them out.
Overall, not a bad weekend, but I definitely enjoyed today's run a lot more than yesterdays.  There aren't any races for another week or two, (thank god!), so I think in the meantime, I'm going to practice my speed.  Someone mentioned interval training, sprinting and then slowing down to regular pace, so I think I might work on that.  Maybe by the next race, I can take another 35 seconds off my time.  I'm aiming for 1 minute, but I'll settle for half a minute for now. By the final race though, I'll be 1 minute faster.  That's all for now, and in case you didn't believe me about the medal being huge, here's a picture, of course.