capitol hill clasic 10K | race recap

I want to be one of those people who exclaim after a race how easy it was, comparatively, to the training for it, and how the miles flew by! Alas, I am not one of those people. The Capitol Hill Classic, my first ever race and first time running a 10k, was, I'll just say it, hard. It was hard!

I expected adrenaline to be the driving force, to have it carry me through much of the race. That was not the case. After the first 5 minutes or so, the adrenaline wore off, and it felt like any other run. Except on this run, I found it really difficult to distract myself and get out of my run and into my head. I made it a goal to run straight through to each of the water stops, placed at two mile intervals, and then to walk through those.

Miles 1-2 
I felt tired by the time I reached mile 1. I know myself and body enough to know that I wasn't tired at all, but I was focusing on my running instead of anything else. I kept hearing the runners around me, the crowds (that was nice, though!), and I struggled to find my groove. Mile 2 was better as I started to calm down and get into my zone.

Miles 3-4
Mile 3 was my best mile of the race. I got completely lost in my music and thoughts, and I'm pretty sure I fist-pumped my way around one bend in the road. Right around mile 4, it started to rain. It felt humid all morning, and the rain was a wonderful reprieve. Mile 4 was also my slowest and worst. I hit a wall, and I had to walk at two different points for short intervals. Mile 4 also had a decent-sized hill. I did some of my best running of the race on the hill but petered out once things flattened out.

Miles 5-6
The second I passed the 5 Mile marker, I felt a euphoria unlike anything I've ever experienced. Running highs are incredible, and I've experienced them occasionally in training runs, but this... oh wow. Oh wow! I knew when I saw that marker that I was going to finish, that I could do it, that I had already done most of it. I couldn't stop smiling. I knew that Zander, Matt, and Matt's boyfriend Ryan would be cheering me on at 5.5 miles. I used that as incentive and picked up my pace.

At the 6 mile marker, I thought I was done. I got emotional.... and then remembered 6.2. I still had a little ways to go. That last .2 sounded like the longest distance when I realized it. But when I rounded the corner and saw the finish line, I mustered up every bit of energy I had left in me, and I sprinted.

The finish 
I got emotional as I crossed the finish line. I bent over panting, and I had a silly stupid smile plastered on my face. I checked my RunKeeper app when I could breathe again. It was way off, saying I had run 6.6 miles at an 11:00 minute/mile pace. I met up with my friend Courtney and congratulated her for her PR.

Results 
I ran at an 11:28 minute/mile pace, which is close to what I anticipated. I don't know how I feel about it? But I guess I am a little disappointed. I'm glad I have a race under my belt, and I ran 85% of it. I didn't sleep well (at all, eek) the night before, and I've had a cold all week that I felt coming on Saturday evening before the race. I'm not sure how much, if at all, those factors affected my run, but I'm excited to see how I'll do in another one. Another one!

Next up 
I'm planning to the run the Biggest Loser 10K in July and tentatively the Annapolis 10-miler in August. After this race, I truly wonder if I'm insane for doing it again.

And now... 
I was limping the day after the race. I erred by not icing after the race (such a dumb mistake), and my calves were so tight it was painful to walk. On top of tight calves, the pain in my right inner leg (posterior shin splints?) returned with a vengeance, and I'm still sore today. I need to see a doctor or talk to someone to figure this out before I start training again.

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me for this race and offered such great advice. A great, huge, big thank you to the guys in my life who were there to cheer me on. It meant so much to me!

run 365 update | 10k training

I'm running my first ever race this Sunday. I'll be participating in the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, and I... am... nervous. To say the least. I haven't slept well all week, getting part excited and part butterflies about the next day's run. I've never "tapered" before. I don't know which night I should "carb load" - is it the night before the race, or is it two nights before the race? I have no clue what to eat the morning of the race. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I tend to not eat before my morning runs because I'm, no pun intended, running out the door. I'm nervous about finishing, too - namely, will I?! When there are no stoplights giving me built in mini-breaks, will I be able to run 6 miles? And there's this little nugget: I've never run 6 miles before. My training has taken me up to 5.1 miles. I've read that the endurance you've built in your training and adrenaline from the race get you through the last bit, but is that just a thing people say? And what will my time be? I have no clue what my race pace is for a 10k. I'm not even sure I have a goal besides finishing. Actually, I take that back. I do have a goal. Just one: I want to dance across the finish line.

Training 
I've averaged 3-4 runs/week since the beginning of March January (but took most of Feb. off because of travel). My fastest run came in at 9:23 minutes/mile on a 4.5 mile run. The running app I use, RunKeeper, must have had a glitch, because that run was chock full of hills, and I've never run that fast. Or maybe it was a great day? A more normal average for me is around 11:00 minute miles, as you can see from the screenshot of my run yesterday.

Hills 
I enjoy running rolling hills. I just laughed out loud typing that it's so crazy for me to say. Moving to Cleveland Park in February changed my running forever. It's a far hillier neighborhood than any I've ever lived. No matter which route or direction I take, my biggest choice is whether I want to run uphill first or last. I read or heard somewhere or other recently, "Uphill takes more than downhill gives." I don't know about that? There are some downhills that give a lot.

Get out of the run and into your head, self
I like to tell myself to get out of my run and get into my head. Physically I am capable (I tell myself), but mentally it's a whole other game. My best runs are when I get so distracted I actually laugh or tear up because I'm so invested in my thoughts. I read a tip from one runner to jot down things about which to think on your run on your hand. I might try that.

New kicks
I started having pain on the outside of my right leg after 3+ mile runs bad enough that I'd limp when I stopped running. I went to PR Running in Cleveland Park, and within minutes of analyzing my feet on their high-tech machines, and looking at my shoes, the expert working with me said, "You shouldn't be running in these." He pointed at the outside of my right leg and asked, "Are you experiencing pain here?" It blew my mind. Since getting new shoes, I have not had pain again in that area, but unfortunately have been experiencing pain on the inside of my right leg above my ankle...

No pain no gain?
I did some internet sleuthing, and it sounds like I may be struggling with Posterior Shin Splints. Causes listed: flat feet. Yeppp, that's me! (And I learned at PR that my right foot is flatter than my left, which makes sense why the pain is only in that leg.) It makes me (even more) nervous for my race this weekend, but I'm going to rest for the next few days and ice it. After the race, I need to look into arch supports, I guess... (grumble). 

So... 
I'm proud that I broke my 3 mile wall, and I'm really excited to dance across that finish line!

I made it a goal to run 365 miles in 2013
 run 365

run update + giambotta recipe

I blogged last week about my fear of running and my 3 mile wall. Last night, I finally beat that fear and my doubts. To make myself do it, I started by mapping out a run. I know if I plan for it, if I give myself a route, I'm more likely to stay on it.

The first 2 miles were hilly, but I kept a steady pace and managed not to stop. The next 1.5 miles were level or downhill for the most part, which helped give me the confidence I needed to keep going (also, I wasn't so tired, but I wanted to stop? Mind over matter.) Then came that last half mile.

I live on a hill that is not insignificant. It's a full 1/3 mile. Ending my first ever 4-miler on a hill felt like an impossible ask. And then I turned up the volume on my iPod, skipped to the next song with a hard beat, and I ran it. I sprinted the last two blocks home. It wasn't a fast run, and most certainly probably wasn't pretty to see! but I didn't walk, and I finished.

I also registered for my first race yesterday. I'll be running the Capitol Hill Classic 10k on May 19th. After last night, I know I can do it, and I honestly think I'll be trained for it well before it's here. That feels pretty damn good, you know? So thank you to everyone who encouraged me via here or facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. Letting y'all into my fears held me accountable for overcoming them.

Onto what I ate post-run.... 

Ciambotta (sometimes called Giambotta), or Italian vegetable stew found in the southern regions of Italy. It. Is. Bomb. It's my new favorite one pot meal. If you have leftover veggies you need to use, some chicken, beef, or vegetable stock/broth laying around (wine would work, too!), canned or fresh tomatoes, and seasonings, you've got this dish practically made. Here's the recipe.