I’ll keep this race recap nice and sweet because that’s exactly what this race was.
Doing the 5K was a fun excuse for another medal — plus, doing two races in two days gets finishers the Steel Challenge medal. Writing those words put me in something of a state of disbelief. A year ago, a 5K was a HUGE hardship for me mentally and physically (and for my poor shins) and completely opposite of my fitness from derby. I HATED running. Now it’s just an easy, fun run for the day? That’s just crazy talk.
Prior to the race, Steff of Run Steff Run arranged for a running bloggers meet-up.
I was excited to meet up with a friend who was running her first 5K and meet other bloggers who I have been virtually following along AND I’ve got some awesome friends pictured in there also running their first half or FULL marathons.
It was also there that I found my running mate for the day: Jennifer from Running on Lentils. This wasn’t a PR race for either of us (I’ll get one of those in, hopefully, in the next couple months); we were both running the half the next day. It was the easiest 5K I’ve ever run, since we paced intentionally slow and I had a running partner to chat with for the duration. Seriously, 3 miles went by so quickly! Plus, I really loved the course — very different from other 5Ks that I’ve completed in the city. Not to mention, it was a cool and beautifully-sunny morning in Pittsburgh.
My kind of running weather. ENTER DRAMATIC IRONY FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY.
Afterwards, I walked back over to the Expo (more on that in the half marathon recap!) AND to hang out with my bird friends and former coworkers at the Aviary (have I mentioned how much I love that it’s always on my way home?).
So, we enter the last two weeks of this training cycle, with the Pittsburgh Half Marathon happening already NEXT SUNDAY. Won’t be a lot of heavy training for Week 15 with race week and all, but I’ll get a few miles in, and a couple long yoga and foam-rolling sessions. PLUS because I signed up for the Steel Challenge (have you seen the medal?!), I’ll be running the 5K on Saturday too. Should be a really fun week, and getting a long run in today helped to alleviate some of my pre-race jitters and race-worthiness.
I’m running for the National Aviary! (Click to donate!)
With a week to race day, I want to talk about the organization for which I’m fundraising: The National Aviary!
Full disclosure: I’m a former employee, but with the bird zoo right in my neighborhood I am frequently walking and running past, and dropping in to visit my bird friends. It was an amazing place to work and is an amazing place in Pittsburgh for families and animal lovers of all ages. They promote a respect for nature through the appreciation of birds, and their conservation and education efforts are commendable. However you can support, it is immensely appreciated. DONATE NOW!
Monday: WOO, REST DAY!
Tuesday: I ran to my CrossFit gym to do a WOD that included some road sprints (yep, more running!) and deadlifts (ooh, more legs!). I haven’t done much of any sprinting in training for this race (save for finish line sprints), so it was fun to incorporate with four rounds of deadlifts. Mileage was 1.56 miles to the gym + 1.26 home (yes, I took a wrong turn and got lost on the way home which ended up being less miles, weird).
Wednesday: Run//yoga club at Urban Elements returned together on the same night and changed to Wednesday nights, which makes me so happy because I love mid-week workouts for some reason. We completed 3.6 miles on the North Shore Trail — sans headphones — and I got to test out my running-while-chatting skills meeting some of the other ladies in the group. The “club” ended with an AMAZING 75 minutes of hot yoga (which felt pretty terrible at times given my raised body temperature), but my body felt so good afterward.
Thursday: Rest Day! Necessary!
Friday: Welp, boyfriend talked me into hamburgers and cured meats for happy hour, so my additional short run for the week was canceled.
Saturday: Baby shower day, so another day of rest and awesomeness (and, um, some wine) with my friends. That’s OK because I plan to do a long run on Sunday.
Sunday: Completed 10.26 miles in the late afternoon. My pace was all over the place again but I was happy with it. I was really hot even at just 60 degrees, shedding my long-sleeve outer layer by the end of three miles, but I accomplished a little more of the course — adding another two more bridges to my count! Smithfield and Birmingham, for those keeping score. Unfortunately, I did experience some knee pain again around Mile 5, but I continued to run through it. I needed to know if it eventually stops hurting the more I run (I know, it’s a little insane, but bear with my thought process). Well, it DID stop hurting, so… then I finished my 10 miles and then-some. At one point, I was so hungry that I thought about eating a smashed hot dog bun on the road; good thing I’ve figured out my fueling strategies. *eye roll*
Sport Beans helped me not to bonk, thankfully; the water fountains in Point State Park helped me stay hydrated when my water bottle went dry.
In any event, I’m proud of this week and wish for this kind of motivation again for my future training cycles.
Game on, Pittsburgh!
Total runs this week: 3
Weekly mileage: 16.68
Total training mileage: 104.15 miles
Have you made your own motivational post for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon? Tell UPMC what keeps you going for a chance to win the Reasons to Run 2.0 sweepstakes. Contest ends on April 24!
This week proved to me a lot of what I am capable of — physically and especially mentally. Game On, Pittsburgh!
Monday: Much-needed day of rest (and cleaning my house). My foot really, really hurts from the Cherry Blossom race, but I’m also dealing with some knee soreness. No visible swelling, from what I can tell, but I’ve been icing both. Since both are on my left leg, I’m beginning to think something is up on that side — shoes? IT band? Tight glutes? Shut up and get a massage? (OK).
I foam rolled for about an hour with all three of my apparatuses (apperati?), really focusing on my hips, IT band, and quads.
Tuesday: Emergency massage appointment activated! What’s that? My calves and hamstrings are super tight. Oh. This session felt and hurt so good. And, err… guess I’ll spend some additional time stretching and rolling my calves and hamstrings.
Wednesday: Still a little sore, so I decided to take another day to really stretch everything and ice my knee and foot. I feel mighty bruised from that massage too. Woof.
Thursday: 2 mile run… and I feel good again. I followed up that “good” with a couple sets of body strength workouts found in Runner’s World, push-ups, and a killer ab workout.
2.0 miles outside, 10:00/pace
Friday: Took a rest day, and went to an amazing Pittsburgh Ballet performance of La Bayadere (and I cheated and ate some tomato sauce on my gluten-free pizza).
Saturday: What a beautiful day! Left the house without my water bottle, so I ran to 7-Eleven and thank the lord because it was a LOT warmer than I anticipated! I accomplished the West End Bridge (both directions) and ran around the Point to get a nice mist of fountain water. More importantly, I. Felt. Good. First time that I felt really confident about running this half in a couple weeks. So, I’ll make sure that I eat an egg sandwich on race day. 🙂
First time running over the West End Bridge!
They were setting up for Pirates fireworks on the Sixth Street Bridge when I ran over, and that was terrifying. Holy moly, that’s a lot of explosives for one bridge. I ran back on the Seventh Street Bridge — and look what I saw:
Game on!
6.48 outside at 10:30 pace
Sunday: REST. A paper due, and group project assignment to compile (which I did outside on the patio and can all weekends in Pittsburgh be like this?!). I also played in my closet a bit — spring cleaning was necessary on this day of rest. And you know, since running is changing my former derby body, a clean-out was imminent.
Bonus about this Spring weather: walked to-from work four times this week for a total of 8 miles! 🙂
Total runs this week: 2
Weekly mileage: 8.48
Total training mileage: 87.47 miles!
My first Cherry Blossom race — and my first time seeing the cherry blossoms at peak bloom season in DC! The last ten weeks of training have brought me to this 10-mile race. Which, if you’ve read any other recaps or followed along this weekend, was shortened because of an unfortunate accident on the course. I am wholly impressed by the race directors and what they were able to accomplish given the timing of the accident and the start of the race.
Doing a Sunday race was WAY better than last month’s Saturday race, where we had to rush into DC on a Friday after work, and someone else had to grab my packet/bib. That said, it was nice to stay an extra day last month and enjoy many mimosas after crossing that finish line. This time, however, it was more in-and-out then sticking around to enjoy the city, but the little we did enjoy was enhanced by some beautiful weather and spring-like surroundings.
Lining up, I was excited to run into some fellow SCRR peeps in my corral and to start the first part of the race with, given that my friends were running late because of the metro (they ended up finishing at a 9:30/pace, so I wouldn’t have run with them for long anyway).
Steel City Road Runners represent! (I’m on the right showing off my neck muscles again.)
Registration and Cost: Entry to this race was on a lottery system (spoiler alert: I got in!) and my registration was about $80; I upgraded to a tech shirt and purchased a medal.
Expo and Packet Pick-Up: Orderly, for sure, and a beautiful space in the National Buildings Museum, but nothing about the expo itself provoked me to stay around and hang out (or buy anything). I mean, how many times do I have to see the same lotion lady and stim machines? To be honest, I really was interested in new shoes, but the expo wasn’t screaming out any brands. Also, it was kind of annoying to pick up bibs and t-shirts in different places (and on different floors). Even the sign that read “Pick up all shirts here” wasn’t even where I picked up my upgraded shirt (it was at the end of the row of tables).
Oh, and because the swag bag was virtual, I didn’t have any safety pins. Nobody reminded me about the safety pins. This should be programmed in the volunteers heads when handing over those bibs. But I did find one of the coolest Walgreens I’ve ever seen (in a search for said safety pins).
Bag check: Didn’t use. My hotel was about a mile from the start line, so I walked with all the gear I needed. Speaking of which…
Weather: B.E.A-UTIFUL. All that spring and none of the allergies either! The start line was a little chilly, but I had a thin pair of gloves which were easily stuffed in my pants when I warmed up.
Course: Because of the earlier mentioned incident, the first four miles were re-routed, making the course run short. I really was looking forward to that path around the basin too. Oh well, next year Lottery Gods. Those back miles down-around Hains Point though… WOOF. If it weren’t pretty and bloomy, it would be incredibly boring. Also, it was crowded.
Fans and Experience: I laughed and smiled and high-fived throughout the course — these race fans were PROS. I chuckled at many of the signs; there were several about brunch, which TORTURE ARTISTS. My favorite though was one that read “You’ve done dumber things when you were drunk.” #truth
I found myself pausing or pulling out my earbuds at various points of the course to take everything in. The miles kind of blend in together, but I think it was Mile 3 where there was a DJ; there was also an amazing drum band near the end of the course. I always get a thrill when runners start screaming in tunnels and underpasses.
Random Bullshit: My Songza shit the bed before I even hit the 5K mark and I had to restart the app… which told me at the most convenient time that I wasn’t logged in. It was at that point I realized that I also hadn’t synced my songs from the cloud to my phone since upgrading my device. So I was that lady trying to remember my password and log into my account WHILE I WAS RUNNING. Nailed it.
Finish Line: WHERE IS THE WATER?! WHERE ARE THE BANANAS? OH GOD HELP ME.
This may sound hyperbolic but a horrifying reality after you’ve run for an hour-and-forty minutes. That finish line chute took forever. And why the hell do you put photo booths before the water stations?!
AND WHERE THE HELL ARE THE BANANAS?! (I never did find them.)
Medals and Swag: “I’m not winning any money, so you best believe I paid for the medal.” Truer words were never spoken. Fun fact, at the Cherry Blossom race, they don’t put medals on you at the finish line — you have to pick them up at another location. Which would have been helpful had I remembered THREE BLOCKS EARLIER. (Yes, I had to walk back when I saw someone else wearing one.) I am wholly incapable of any thought but food after running. Why was this so complicated?! Did I mention crowded?
Worth it.
Bonus: FUN RACE DAY PICTURES!
Notable 30-somethings: Heck yeah, 32-year-old Serena Burla placed 1st in the U.S. Women’s Division; there were several 30-something women in the top 25 in the Open Division. So inspiring! Fist bump.
Found my friends after the race — that one on the left just ran her 10th Cherry Blossom (along with her mom!) and now has legacy status.
After party: that would be a three pigs omelet at City Tap House, and then a four hour-drive back home to Pittsburgh.
Overall: I really loved this race, and I really hoped to run faster. But I felt SO GOOD while doing it and had some kind of peaceful journey over those miles.
I mean, that picture says it all, doesn’t it?
Immediately after I finished, however, my left knee felt like it locked up (yes, the same knee that was giving me trouble last month). And on the same side, my foot was SCREAMING. I was hobbling back to the hotel (and, ack! had to wear flip-flops to brunch because of my swollen feet). I have no idea what is happening on my left side, but an emergency massage was in order this week.
This marks the last week of the training cycle for the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. I’m writing this in anticipation of my drive out to DC with some goals, big ideas and a small dose of pride for getting here. Sure, lessons were learned along the way. And with this race out of the way, I’ll pick up where I left off for my Pittsburgh Half Marathon training.
Monday: Rest day.
Tuesday: Ran 4.06. What a beautiful day to be outside! I’m pretty proud of this negative splits action right here too:
9:54 average pace
Wednesday: Girls on the Run meeting (I really would have liked another run this week, and it was simply Pittsburgh gorgeous outside!).
Thursday: Rainy, stormy day for my short-but-slow last-of-the-training-cycle run today. Thankfully, while stormy, I got my three miles in before the sideways rain, tornado-like windstorm really hit Pittsburgh. And running in the rain felt good — like, really GOOD. Just me, my Garmin watch and my new North Face rain jacket (which, keeps me dry from the elements but makes me sweat profusely, so I don’t even know the point). I also re-started a combined workout of both the 30-day Core Challenge AND the 30-day Ab Challenge. Ironically, I finished those miles in my 5K time from 2013 (the one race a year I would run simply for apple crisp) — 32:30. A good reminder to think about the progress I’ve made.
Friday: REST! I’m going to drink some wine though, for certain. And roll my quads.
Saturday: Training plan told me to rest again, so I’ll do that (not that there’s anything wrong with it). Also, I got to go to the Expo! I brought my small double tennis ball roller to the hotel with me, so I could give myself a good foot warm-up and work out my glutes.
Sunday: RACE DAY! A bit shy of 10 miles (more about that in my upcoming Race Recap), it was a beautiful day to run 9.53 miles in DC.
Total runs this week: 3 (includes Race)
Weekly mileage: 16.59 miles (includes Race)
Total training mileage: 62.40 + 7.06 = 69.46 miles (does not include race miles)
Since I’m not switching over to my Pittsburgh Half Marathon training, the cycle continues with 78.99 total miles. Keep on, keeping on…
Every time I think about this race, I get butterflies in my stomach… bursting OMG TEN MILES ones, but nervous excitement, nonetheless. Some of that was alleviated when I reached out to a former derby teammate to see if she still planned to run this year — and she is! So at least I won’t be starting alone and she intends to run my pace with me. I downloaded the app and started following the #cucb2015 hashtag to connect with other runners. I hear there’s a beer & oreos group around Mile 8, so I put out a gluten-free cider APB via twitter.
But seriously, NEXT WEEKEND. I can’t believe how quickly this race came around! And let’s not even talk about the half marathon yet. WHOOOOOSH.
MONDAY: REST (awesome after-work event)
TUESDAY: REST (homework)
WEDNESDAY: RUN! 4.04 miles WITHOUT A COAT (!!!) and Day 1 of a 30-day Core Challenge that I immediately forgot on Day 2.
THURSDAY: REST (must. pack!)
FRIDAY: Traveling to Columbus.
SATURDAY: Another 4 on 4/04 (4.26 to be exact) with no headphones. While the course I picked was boring (and I spent most of my time watching out for store doors to smack me in the face), I felt AWESOME.
SUNDAY: Easter, eat ham. Repeat. Does that count for exercise?
To be honest, I thought I did another workout this week. I really need to work on adding in some at-home workouts to get me through this semester (and until I have, like, 15 more minutes of day light hours). Before I go and get down on myself for having too many rest days, I need to remember that I walk a mile to work (and home a mile) 4-5 days per week. And yeah, I need to upgrade my walking-to-work shoe collection because I did not anticipate bleeding blisters on my run on Saturday.
And then we’re in Race Week! In putting my first 10-mile race into perspective (while I was training for the 15k and thought it would be “fun” to run a 10-miler), I hadn’t even completed an 8-mile training run before doing the EQT in November. I’m in much better running shape as far as getting my long runs completed; obviously, skipping the shorter training runs, I’ve realized in retrospect, are not making me a better runner. Noted for future races, self.
Side note: hallelujah, it’s SPRING!
Total runs this week: 2
Weekly mileage: 8.3
Total training mileage: 54.10 + 8.3 = 62.40
Total miles from MARCH, while I’m here: 33.35 miles. Yikes! That seems… like not enough.
Since my knee was bothering me last training week, I’ve made it a point to get in some strength training as part of my workouts. I love my CrossFit gym, but let it take a backseat to working on my conditioning for running. I don’t want to get injured, so I realize (again) SO MUCH the importance of cross-training and hopefully I can make this knee stronger in the process.
MONDAY: REST
TUESDAY: CrossFit — some deadlifts work and a nice-and-easy (although they’re never really easy, are they?) 4RFT WOD of back squats and push ups.
WEDNESDAY: Had a presentation tonight, so a long workout wasn’t in the schedule, but I found a quickie three rounds o’ fun on Instagram via the Bite Sized Army.
THURSDAY: Read in bed almost immediately after work because I feel like I’m getting sick. UGH.
FRIDAY: Concert duty tonight, so today is another REST DAY.
SATURDAY: I wasn’t feeling well in the morning, so I skipped my CrossFit gym’s anniversary workout and picnic. But because of this intense head cold, I sweated all the sickness I could in a two-hour hot yoga session.
SUNDAY: SICK DAY. Blah.
Total runs this week: 0
Weekly mileage: NOPE
Total training mileage: Still sitting at 54.10
Now I need to go a little off my training plan to make sure I’m ready for this race. I’m not worried (aside from my knee holding up)… but it won’t be pretty.
Less than a month away from the Cherry Blossom race, and less than two months away from the Pittsburgh Half. WOO! Racing season is upon us.
Week 6
I rested my knee throughout the week (with a little RICE), hoping for no long-term injuries. Saturday was my 5K race in DC (recap here) and NO KNEE PAIN! (Thank the Running Gods.)
Total runs: 1 (just the 5K, ma’am)
Weekly mileage: 3.1
Week 7
I’m ready to add back in some CrossFit training into my week, and already have yoga on the calendar for next weekend, because three rest days in a row is not my style (and I feel like I’ve finally settled back into a routine since starting my new job two months ago).
Monday: 7 miles post-work. NO COAT! And a lot of rolling on these shins that are tight. Woof. Also, I’ve been finding some hilarious things along my runs, which fuels my brain. Today: a big turd on the 16th Street Bridge, some sort of Taco Bell wrapped thing face-down on the sidewalk (you know that guy was SO MAD), and a guy wearing a shirt that read “I Cheat.”
Tuesday: REST
Wednesday: RESTED
Thursday: REST DAY
Friday: Intended for a run, buuuuut the boyfriend invited me to early happy hour to watch some SPORTS.
Saturday: Definitely overdressed for this run, holy crap too many layers. But yay, 5 miles in the sunshine (or 4.5 if you go by my watch, SIGH). Also, apparently I swam across the river and back AND did a mile in five minutes per my MapMyRun course.
Err, there’s not a bridge there.
I also saw a lady on a unicycle going over the pedestrian/multi-use bridge on my run today. She was dressed in performance gear like you see the Tour de France dudes wearing. And not just any unicycle but a THICK BIKES unicycle. So bad ass. There is also some really cool graffiti art and messages down along the Allegheny riverfront, if you’re into that. I also somehow had a bug go down into my bra (under a tank, a zippy shirt, and a jacket).
I love this so much.
Sunday: Good news, I got in my 8 miles today (8:08); bad news, my left knee started bothering me again (this time around Mile 6). Sooooo, I’ll be watching that again this week. I had the boyfriend drop me off in Regent Square area (8 miles from the house), and I ran down (up) Forbes through Schenley Park, up through Oakland, down Fifth and all the way through to downtown, swung around the point and crossed the river. That was a really fun adventure.
Total runs this week: 3
Weekly mileage: 20.44 miles
Total training mileage: 30.56 + 3.1 (week 6) + 20.44 (week 7) = 54.10!
My first 5K since October, and well… I’m disappointed. My PR time at that point was 30:50 for the Harvest Moon race, and I definitely felt I could finish in less than 30 minutes. While there were several elements out of my control (hello, weather), I’m mostly disappointed with the race experience overall, rather than my performance. Unfortunately for us 5K-er, I was left feeling like an after-thought, whereas my friends who ran the half really loved the race.
Me & Lauren ready for a rainy run!
First off, there were no corrals for the 5K, and it felt as though everyone was an amateur — walkers crowded the front (yes, strollers too), so that when the race started there was a log-jam. At this point, I wasn’t sure it was the actual start of the race because everyone just STOPPED. When we walked a little further, I realized half the start “chute” was covered by a gigantic puddle and everyone stopped to walk around it. Had I known that going in, I would have stomped right through it. Instead, I stopped my watch and restarted after the puddle because I saw another inflatable ahead and though maybe THAT was the start line. THIS ADDED NEARLY A MINUTE TO MY TIME.
A minute that I desperately needed to PR this race. And the exit out of the parking lot was no better; people were already IN THE RAIN, but stopping in front of runners to track around puddles. Maddening!
Needless to say, my watch said 30 minutes when I crossed the finish line; RnR official results report 31:43. To top it off, I was shivering, wet, and miserable, and we decided to leave before Better Than Ezra played. There was nowhere nearby to hang out and dry off/warm up (or have a drink other than Michelob Ultra, blech). And seriously, why did we need at start at 7:30 a.m. when the post-concert entertainment headliner was at 11? I think it was a huge oversight on behalf of RnR to not have any large tents set up considering the weather, even if just to change clothes and stay dry for a minute. And, you know, stick around for other runners and the live music.
Registration and Cost: I registered late (don’t do that), and this race cost me, like, $50. This was a mini-vacation, so we also dropped a little dough on gas, hotel rooms, etc.
Bag Check: This was actually one of the highlights of the experience. Really easy to find and figure out, and the lines moved quickly. I liked the touch of the UPS trucks.
Course: Out-and-back that started in RFK Stadium parking lot, went out a freeway ramp and back down the freeway ramp. This race was the WORST. Nothing to see, and I kicked a dang hubcab trying to squeeze past walkers on the raised shoulder. I mean, there wasn’t even positioning for anyone to stand along the course. And bears repeating: that start line was a giant joke.
Weather: Total CRAP — wet, little chillier than what I planned. I really wanted my fleece jacket, but that would have been terrible to wear when wet.
Expo and Packet Pick-up: There was no day-of packet pick-up, so I had to send my friend with a copy of my ID and signed confirmation letter to pick up on my behalf. The expo closed at 7 p.m. Friday, so it was impossible to travel to DC in time to check it out (I need to remind myself of that when registering for Saturday morning races).
Fans and Experience: Nope. This race was boring and mostly uneventful for me.
Medals: Can’t lie, this was a big reason to select this race — I didn’t have a 5K medal. This one just so happens to be pretty sweet too.
Swag: RnR drawstring bag and a short-sleeve green Brooks shirt (definitely not ladies sizes and totally huge for a small). The merch booth had some great tops though — I picked myself up a gray pull-over hoodie with the RnR DC logo on the front.
Bonus: Having uniformed military members providing medals at the finish line was a beautiful touch to a crappy day. I appreciated this over everything that day.
Notable 30-somethings: the 30s were split in half for their respective 30-34 and 35-39 divisions. The top lady in my division ran the 5K in 22 minutes. NICE JOB!
After party: We took the Metro back into town near our hotel and had an amazing brunch — and MANY MIMOSAS! — at Old Ebbbitt. Cool place!
Overall: The experience was bad enough that I don’t think I’ll ever run a R n’ R 5K again. Good thing that I’m conditioning myself to run longer distances, since everyone seems to rave about their longer courses.
Monday: I tried out a new CrossFit program at my local YMCA; since I already have a membership, and the first three classes are free. And, well, let’s just say I’ll stick to my old CF home. (I did degrade my monthly membership though, since I wanted to focus on my running training — but still want the option to drop in once a week.)
Saturday: What was most important this week was that I got my long run in. Originally scheduled for Sunday, once I was out on my run, I felt good enough (and the weather was amazing!) to extend my mileage. As per the tip on the Cherry Blossom’s training plan, I ran at a super-comfortable pace — about 11 min/mile, which made me feel as though I could run forever. Even though my left knee started spazzing out on me around mile 4, I picked up the pace as I approached my couple miles back home (the pace I originally hoped to race at the Cherry Blossom).
6.42 miles
Sunday: Swapped my long run to Saturday, so today was an easy 3 miles. Not-so-easy on my knee. I’m starting to freak out.
R.I.C.E. (and it’s been a while since I’ve sweat outside like this!)
Total runs this week: 2
Weekly mileage: 9.43 miles
Total training mileage: 21.13 miles + 9.43 miles = 30.56 total miles!
