Festival of Lights 5K Race Report

On Saturday night, I ran my first 5K down here in Jacksonville. I figured I'd do a full race report, on everything from the race conditions to my performance. I came into the race with a 5K PR of 29:02, and I desperately wanted to beat it.

Race "Idea" + Charity Rating: 10/10
First Place Sports (the local running store) puts on this race annually. The race benefits the Children's Miracle Network, and it really is a family event. In keeping with the holidays, this race is held at night in San Marco Square, where the streets are lined with luminaries. There is a 1 mile fun run, followed by the 5K. I've never done a night time 5K before, so the idea of lights was really exciting to me. Everyone who ran was given a pair of jingle bells to tie to their sneakers. I totally forgot to tie mine to my sneakers, but it really added to the holiday theme of the race.

Right before the start of the 1 mile fun run

Set up/Parking: 9/10
This race was fairly easy to find. I'm new to the area, and even I was able to locate the start/finish area without the help of a GPS. Since San Marco is pretty small, parking was a bit of a mess. Everyone parked on the local streets, but my only complaint was that there wasn't anyone directing traffic. Narrow streets became even tighter with people parking on one side and trying to get by on the other. The funny thing is, everyone was calm. I didn't see anyone blowing their horns or getting impatient. That was nice to see.

Crowd/Energy: 10/10
I wish I had gotten more pictures of my fellow racers. There were a lot of people in Santa costumes and funky socks on. I even saw a lot of people wearing Christmas lights that lit up while they were running. Checking out the outfits of other runners is one of my favorite parts of racing. The energy on the course was great also. Since the race went through local streets, a lot of people were on their lawns cheering on the runners. All four half marathons I ran in New York were along basically the same course, and I never saw as many people out cheering on the runners as I did during this race.

The crowd, about 15 minutes before the 5K started

Corrals: 7/10
My one real complaint. Since I'm not that fast, I lined up toward the front of the middle of the pack. I asked a few people around me what their pace was, and most of them said around 9:00 a mile. When the race started, we all walked to the starting line so our chips could measure us as starting the race. Then we were off. Sort of. I was dodging people who were walking, 4 across, and seemed completely oblivious to what was going on around them. I know this usually happens in races, but it took about a half mile to finally get around everyone. People were dropping things and stopping to pick them up. I was in a panic, because a half mile is a long time in a 5K to be shuffled around. From what I hear, it was better this year than it had ever been before. Maybe signs at the start, so you could line up by pace, would have helped more.

Race Tech: 5/10
By "tech" I mean the timers. I don't run with a watch, because I've always had clocks on the course to tell me how I'm doing pace wise. When we started running, the clock at the starting area had the time on it - not the elapsed time since the start. After panicking in the shuffle at the start, I was relieved to see the first mile marker. The time on it? 5:10...5:11....5:12. I kept rushing along, mostly because I had no idea how I was doing. When we hit mile 2, the mile marker read nothing. Now I was really freaking out. I timed out the music on my playlist to be a rough estimate of when I had to cross the finish line to break my PR, but I couldn't remember what song I should hit at what mile. The mile 3/finish line markers worked.

Finish Line: 9/10
A complete mash up of people. But there were thousands of us there, so I wouldn't expect anything else. The race organizers did a great job of clearing lanes for people to walk through, and I was out of the finish line chute within about a minute. I was frustrated because I thought I missed PRing because of the starting line chaos, so I left as soon as the race was over. I usually do this though, because I never know anyone at races. There were a bunch of booths set up, and the entire Square looked like a great place to hang out for the rest of the night.

So after all that, I came home frustrated that I might not have beat my PR. I spent about $25 on the race, and I was upset that it may have been for nothing. The results were up online VERY quickly, so kudos to the timing people for getting that done. My final time? 28:37. A 25 second PR!

Overall I would absolutely recommend this race to anyone in the area. The race organizers did an outstanding job putting everything together, and the money raised went to a great cause. And as for nighttime races...I think I might be hooked.

The Injured Runner

This post is a little long, but the back story takes up most of it.

When I was in 10th grade, I joined my high school track team for the winter and spring seasons. My running experience included running 3 and a half laps during gym class, so naturally I was ready to be a varsity athlete.

In a word, I was awful. My coaches put me in the mile race, because I definitely didn't have the speed to be a sprinter. I hated it. All I wanted was to be a part of a team, and my main motivation for joining the team was to be able to buy a sweatshirt that said "Levittown Track" on it. I thought I was so cool, even though I hardly gave any effort in practice, and compensated for the few miles I was running by eating extra of everything.

Most of our practices were outdoors, and they consisted of interval running on the track. Simple stuff, but I would count the minutes till it was over. I used to contemplate how I could pretend to "fall" and have a reason to not work out. I was really lazy. Once I actually managed to get out of practice by convincing my coach that I had injured my ankle, since I felt a tiny bit of pain when I walked. One step. The night before.

As you could predict, when spring track was over, so was my running career. I got my sweatshirt - now I had no reason to run anymore.

Fast forward a few years, when I decided to start running for real. I was a Junior in college, and I decided I wanted to start running again....so that I could have a finisher's medal in a marathon. This time though, I fell in love with running. I subscribed to Runner's World, and would read every issue cover to cover, wishing I understood the advice in every section. I always skipped over the injury section. My logic was that since I ran so slowly (I started at 4.6 mph on the treadmill....a 13 minute mile!), I COULDN'T get injured. I really wasn't stressing my body, even though I was logging 25 mile weeks. I ran for a year without any kind of pain.

Then during a half marathon in May 2010, I felt some bad pain in my left foot. It hurt to even stand on it for a few weeks after the race, so I made up my mind that I had a stress fracture (I enjoy being dramatic), even though at most it was probably a VERY minor sprain. I took a few months off, and never felt that pain again. I started getting a little faster, and after PRing by about a minute during my first Divas' Half Marathon, I signed up for another half for May of this year.

That's when the whole trouble started. I started feeling a soreness in my right knee. But I still had the logic of, "I'm running over 10:00 miles. I'm just being lazy." I did the same workouts, and upped my mileage as the race got closer.

Then came St. Patrick's Day.

With about 7 weeks left until my half, I decided it was time to run a 10 miler. After a long, cold New York winter, it was around 60 degrees out. My friend told me he'd buy me a beer if I could run 10 miles, so I did it. I went to class that night, excited to get my free beer afterwards. Class ended, I got up, and my knee completely buckled. I dragged myself out into the hallway and sat down at a desk, where I was completely unable to even bend my knee. My friend got to my building, and we still went to the bar, with him basically forcing me to hop on one leg.

I went to the orthopedist, and I was diagnosed with patellar tendinitis. The doctor prescribed me to 6 weeks of physical therapy, along with the worst prescription of them all - no running. I ended up missing the half marathon, and ever since then, I've struggled with my knee when I do too much too soon.

When you're a runner with an injury to somewhere like your knee, everything changes. If I could do nothing but run, I would log as many miles as I could. Instead, I've found myself using the elliptical more than I would like. Running has been my way to escape, but with an injury, it causes me more stress than I would like.

It's funny, but when I think back on my time running track in High School, it really is the polar opposite of how I am now. I "earn" the sweatshirts I wear now. I'm not a part of a team, but a worldwide group known as "runners."

Most importantly, when I used to hope for an injury, now all I want to do is run.

December 2011 - A TRIPLE Challenge Month

30 for 60, Back to Basics, and now Fit for 2012. Since they all seem to have similar goals, I figured I'd just do all three challenges. I have a lot of goals for this month, and there's no better way to make sure I accomplish them than by posting about it. At the end of December I'll go back and see what I accomplished.

Ready?

1. PR in a 5K
This one should hopefully be easy to accomplish. My 5K PR right now is a 29:02. So close to 29:00...yet so far. My training runs have been going well, and I have a 5K next weekend, so hopefully with the right fuel I'll be okay.

2. Eat more vegetables + fewer processed foods
I have the most disgusting diet in the world. When I was in New York living with my mom, all I ate was processed foods. Frozen chicken nuggets, pizza, potato chips. I want to revamp my diet a bit, and eat more healthy foods. I've already cut soda out of my diet, but next up is to add in more fruits and vegetables.

3. Sleep like a normal person
Being unemployed means that I run on my own schedule. This means I can stay up watching TV till all hours of the night, and I take full advantage of that. The way I live right now is that I stay up till 3-4:00 AM, and I have to set my alarm to force myself to get up at noon. Anything earlier than that and I physically can't get out of bed. I'm going to try to go to bed earlier, and hopefully have some kind of a normal sleep cycle.

4. Stretch
I never stretch. NEVER. The one time I was forced to stretch, it was when I went through 6 weeks of PT for patellar tendinitis. I've run 4 half marathons, and I can't even come close to touching my toes.

5. Finish the challenges
This should be the easiest...and most difficult. Simply to finish the challenges. I'm not saying I need to be perfect, but even during bad days I need to not give up and blow everything.

6. Hit 500 miles for 2011
I spent the better part of this year injured, so this total won't be as high as I'd like. Still, I'm at 464.2. I go back to New York (and the freezing weather) on Christmas Eve, so the more miles I get in before then, the better my shot.

So those are the key goals I have. I'm sure I'll come up with more, but for now these are the key points I want to hit.

What are your December goals? If you're on Twitter, I HIGHLY recommend you join in on one of the challenges: #FitFor2012, #30For60, #Back2Basics

Going #Back2Basics

In case you've found this blog via Twitter, you know that I'm obsessed with it. I love following new people and hearing about new things, so it should be no surprised that my next "project" came about courtesy of a tweet I read.

First, check this out: http://www.thefitbee.com/2011/11/getting-back-to-basics.html?spref=tw

Got it? The gist of this is to spend December, a month when most of us go "Well my New Years Resolution is starting soon, so I can splurge now and just change on January 1st." Well, there's no time quite like the present, so why wait till January 1st to make a change?

I've been a runner (a label I wear with pride) for what will be 3 years come January 5th. My times have improved greatly, but with all the working out I do, I really don't have the body that I should have. I work hard every day, but I sabotage myself by eating junk. It's not that I'm letting myself have a treat every now and then - I literally live on junk food.

So I'll be getting back to basics, working hard and eating right (or as right as I can). It can't be that hard, and it will be SO worth it.

Go back to basics with me. How hard could it be?

A Different Kind of Flag Football Game

I'm back in New York for Thanksgiving, and one thing that my community has done for the past few years is hold an annual flag football game. It's a pretty tight knit community here, which is amazing considering there are thousands of people who are considered part of the community. You don't usually think about how close we all are until something tragic happens.

In 2008, Rick Bailey was murdered in Albany, New York, in a completely random and senseless act of violence. He was walking home when he was gunned down. The killers were found and are all serving lengthy sentences in prison, but that has done little to comfort those who knew him. No amount of punishment will bring back their son, brother, and friend.

Bailey was a 3 sport athlete and a 2004 graduate of MacArthur High School, but if you ever go to the flag football game in his honor, you can see that he was more than just a random kid on the football team - he was a friend to everyone, and a treasured part of the Levittown community. Thousands of people turn out, with a multi team flag football tournament held in his honor. The first tournament was held back in 2008, only around a month after his death. It was started by a few of his friends who were looking for a way to honor their friend through the best way they knew how - sports.

In the few years that the tournament has been around, it has transformed into a second Homecoming of sorts. Thousands of dollars have been raised for the Rick Bailey Memorial Scholarship, and every year there is a donation given in Rick's name to a different charity. What started as a small way to honor a friend has turned into a way to help the community heal. For one day at least, it's like Bailey is back with us, celebrating the Thanksgiving break with a game of flag football and way more than a few friends.

Thankful to be a runner

A happy Thanksgiving to all! And if you live outside of the United States, then happy November 24th!

I've been reading a lot of posts on Facebook/Twitter about how people are thankful for their family/friends/health/job/etc. but I wanted to put a running spin on the day. I'm thankful for running, and I wanted to post why.

So here you go...the top 10 reasons I'm thankful to be a runner!

1. Hearing "oh you have low blood pressure!" at the doctor's is the norm.
2. My medals/race medals make nicer wall decorations than most posters.
3. You're a part of a select community that can call itself "Runners."
4. Destination races = better than your typical vacation.
5. Ever run at night? Fluorescent colors look safe - not like you're channeling Lady Gaga.
6. Runner's. High.
7. Racing t-shirts are to runners as vintage concert t-shirts are to concert lovers.
8. When the big marathons are on TV (New York, Boston, etc.), you actually understand what the announcers are talking about.
9. Need to unwind after a long day? Just lace up your shoes.

And last but not least...

10. Thanksgiving means you can fill up your plate. Twice. With very limited guilt.

So what did I forget? There's an infinite number of things I'm thankful for that are running related, but I wanted to keep the list brief. What are all of you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Where did all the girls go?

Part of moving to a new state means that I had to find a new gym. I was a member of Bally's up in New York, but since there are no locations within about a 100 mile radius of where I moved to, I had to quit my membership. I never really loved Bally's - I loved their treadmills and ellipticals. My location was always crowded, unless I went an hour before close and had to rush my workout in. But it was cheap enough, so that was a huge positive.

I joined a gym down in Florida under the name "Bailey's." Going from Bally's to Bailey's meant more than just a slight name change. I love this gym. Everything about is in an upgrade, with the exception of it being $5 a month more expensive. Even the bathrooms are much nicer. And rather than being forced to use the gym an hour before it closes, I can go whenever I want. Literally. 24 hour access was something I could never get at Bally's, and it's a huge upgrade, especially since I'm still unemployed.

What's the point to all this? Well, since I can go to the gym literally whenever I want to, I've been going a lot. Last night when I went, I looked around and noticed that I was the only girl, with about 20 guys working out. I figured there would be a few girls on the treadmills or stairclimbers, but when I turned my head I realized I was still outnumbered 20-1.

What gives? Do girls just not go to the gym late or something? I've noticed that usually there are only a few other girls at the gym when I'm there, but I'm always outnumbered.

This wouldn't be an issue, but since I've been doing a lot of weight training, I usually feel a little awkward lifting 30 pound weights when there are guys around me lifting over 100 pounds and doing the typical grunting and groaning that you would expect from heavy lifters. I suppose I should feel a bit more empowered to be able to hold my own on some machines (I think I can out leg press most of the guys I work out with!) but it still feels a bit strange.

What do you guys think? When do you girls work out? Should I feel tougher by being the only girl in a gym full of guys?