Marathon Week: Words of Advice from My Wise Frunners

As I was running my last long run on Sunday my mind wandered a bit and I thought about what I wanted to say in my blog this week. I am merely days away from my first marathon and I felt as if I should have something inspiring to say...you know, something that profound that would knock your socks off! That is when the idea hit me--why not let all of the experienced runners I know do the talking for me. I am so lucky to be surrounded by some INCREDIBLE runners. We are talking multiple marathoners, ultra marathoners, fifty milers, and some who will be taking on hundred milers in the next year. So I turned to the social media networks--Facebook, Twitter, and Daily Mile--and asked for their advice for a rookie/1st time marathoner. The responses were just fabulous, like I said--I'm lucky to know such diverse and experienced runners. I have sorted through all of the tips and tidbits and have found that most of them fall within a few basic categories: inspirational, practical, straight up running, and humorous.

Practical:
Bring toilet paper you never know when you might need it out on the course. I’ve seen races where they ran out before the race even started. Night before place everything you need out on the floor, especially if you are traveling. –Rodney

Bring a throw away sweatshirt to wear while waiting for the race to start. It will be cold before starting. –Mark L.

Lube everything that might rub. EVERYTHING. Most importantly – have fun. –Rick

1.Before the race, go to the port-a-potty. Then get out of it and go to the back of the port-o-potty line. Do it.
2. Don't plan on sleeping a lot the night before. Nerves are too much. Get a huge sleep two nights before and know that will be enough to get you through.
3. Plan out your celebration-i.e. ice cream with relatives afterward so there is no strain on your time. –Andrew

Straight Up Running:
Run SLOW! No time goals! –Libby

Goals are great, but deal with what the day gives you. If you see a goal slip away mid-race, re-assess and move on. A positive attitude will carry you a lot of miles…and a negative attitude can keep you in misery a lot of miles. If you have people coming to cheer, ask them to come around mile 16 or 20…at the finish line, you’ll have all the energy you need to cross, it’s those “wall” miles when a familiar face can make all the difference. –Lesley J

The start is key. DON’T go out too fast! The excitement at the start will be high, soak it in but don’t get caught up in it. If stressed in the later miles try to smile. You will do great I wish you well. –Byron

1) Be sure finishing is one of your goals. 2) Have fun! –Matt F

Your goal for this first should be to finish, nothing else. I’ve seen a few people set the marathon goal bar a little too high, only to come away disappointed. Use the first one as a measuring tool for your next. You’ll know what to expect then. –Marlon O.

Don’t let all the positive energy and excitement make you run too fast at the start! –Jeremy C

If you trained with walk/run intervals trust your training and do not skip the planned intervals, especially the early ones. Make sure your time goal matches your successful training runs. Pacing, patience, pacing, patience and do not start out too fast. Good luck! –Paula R

Go big, or go home! ….and stay with the pace you trained for, the temptation will be to run it faster, don’t. –Reece C.

Listen to your body until mile 20, then it is all about your brain. Trust your training, follow your plan, don’t let anyone else try and change it. Don’t go out too fast, don’t change anything you have been doing, and SMILE when you cross that finish line. –Elizabeth M

You trained for a reason – stick with your pace/intervals/eating/clothing that you trained with. There are others faster/slower/running various intervals/ paces – that’s THEIR race and not yours. “Dance with the one who brung ya”…don’t ignore what has worked for you these last few months. –Mel K

START slower than your goal pace, then at the end run like a bad ass when you have something left in the tank (it feels so much better to finish strong). And the last 4miles of White Rock are essentially downhill. I agree that the last 6 miles are mind over matter. Good luck! --Robin D.

Nobody-nobody has figured out the best way to run the last 10k of a marathon. Don't set a time goal. Your only goal is to finish. --Andrew

The mythical "wall" everybody talks about is extremely mobile and never in the same spot 2 races in a row. At last year's Honolulu Marathon they decided to put it at the 16 mile mark. The year before they had it at the 20. What gives?!?! Maybe this year they'll have it at 26.3 miles. :) Serious tip: DON'T start off too fast. If anything, go slow to the point where you feel like you're doing something wrong. Adrenaline at the start is cool and all, but if you go out too fast it WILL bit you in the butt. –Jan J

Run the first 10 miles with your head, the second 10 miles with your legs, and the last 10K with your heart. (I read this somewhere...wish I remembered where...)

Run your 1st marathon to have a good time rather than to run a fast time. –Hal Higdon (my "coach" whose books and training plans I have been following)

Inspirational:
Tell everyone you know you’re doing the race. When mile 22 comes and you want to quit, you will think of all their faces. —Elaine

When you are feeling low, trust your training and smile at the crowd. But most of all, have fun!! –Marci

Enjoy the moment, it will be loud so take it all in! Wave and make eye contact with the people cheering, they will cheer harder! Don’t stare at the clock and sprint for the finish! Stay steady, look to your left and right and see the fans cheering for you! –Derek

Take time at the finish to enjoy the moment. You just did something pretty incredible – soak it in! Smile, cry, hug, accept praise. –Amy

Enjoy the ride. You can try for a time goal on the next one. You’ve trained so hard relish every step! Also, trust your training! --Corina

Don't stop when it hurts. Kick the sh** out of the wall if you encounter it. It's okay to cry when you cross the finish line. Remember you can rest when you are done. Have fun and be a super star! –Fawn

Keep your eye on the ball – the finish line. –Rebekah

Humorous:
How about, watch the marathon on tv while eating a big bag of chips with dip…just sayin’ --Jeff E

Stick to whatever beer you trained with. –Erik

Don’t trip. –Jaela

Cat’s White Rock Marathon advice:
1. Lube up any/all body parts that touch other body parts
2. Drink the beer at 18, eat the free food on Swiss Ave
3. Stuff a few tissues in your pockets; potties often run out of paper and you can always sell them to the highest bidder
4. Don’t toss your gloves too early, you may be cold on the “other” side of the lake.
5. Plan a pig out somewhere because the food at White Rock is pretty sad.

My favorite advice comes from Michelle B.--
Don’t run slow!! Run hard, you’ve trained like a bad ass, race like a bad ass!! You should cross that finish line knowing you left it all out there. You only get 1 first marathon, no regrets! (Seriously, doesn't that fire you up? Who doesn't want to race like a bad ass?)

Runners are very generous people and I appreciate everyone taking a moment or two to share their thoughts, support, and advice with me. I am so excited the marathon and can hardly wait for Sunday to get here. The training is done, the miles have been run (the hay is in the barn, as so many say)--hang on tight because the the ride is about to begin!

Oh and be sure to stop by That Pink Girlfor a peek at what Erik will be busy doing on marathon day. Hint...it involves BOOBS!!

Fort Worth Marathon 20 Miler: Dress Rehearsal for 26.2

When I was looking at my training plan and race schedule for the White Rock Marathon, I was very pleased to see that there was a 20 mile race on the exact same weekend that one of my 20 milers was scheduled. No doubt that I would approach it as a training run, but what a perfect chance to treat a 20 miler like a dress rehearsal for the real thing. I was so excited that I would be able to practice pace, hydration, and nutrition during race day conditions. I think that this was slightly brilliant on the part of the Fort Worth Marathon organizers.

The running weather gods were so kind (not) to us again. The conditions were slightly more favorable than they were for the DRC Half, but not by much. Temps in the mid-60s with a 10 mph wind and humidity. Oh well, the chances of marathon day weather being like this are high so I might as well be prepared. Erik had just returned from Montana the night before and was not running this race, but he was super supportive and got up and made the early drive over to Fort Worth. This race was fairly small so we had not trouble parking, getting my packet, and finding friends. I chatted with Derek and Robin while I waited for Elaine to arrive with my shirt. Some of us would be advertising the New Year's Double by wearing promo shirts for the race and Elaine was bringing mine to me. . Soon enough Elaine, Robin W, and Lesley arrived and we chatted for a bit and took a few pictures before lining up to start.


Elaine & I model NYD Shirts

I was amazed at how carefree I felt going into this race. It made me realize just how much I stress out about half marathons. I put alot of pressure on myself to run them in two hours or less and anything else feels like I have failed. There was no pressure on this race morning--heck, I was running 20 miles and that alone would be a huge success in my book.

I have working very hard on pacing during this marathon training cycle. I have read and heard the horror stories of runners who have gone out too fast and then have paid for it dearly in the later miles. I know that it will get hard at the end, but I don't want it to be because I went out too fast. My goal for the day was to hold a very reasonable pace somewhere between 9:40 and 10:00 minute miles. The humidity and headwind were telling me that something closer to 10:00 would be more reasonable and I made a goal to finish at or below 3:20. My usual half marathon race pace is between 8:30-9:00 so it is hard at times to run slower, but I know that it is important so I do it.

The race was an out-and-back along the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth. It was a fairly flat course, pretty at times but not the most scenic. We ran into the wind for the first ten miles so I was very much looking forward to the turn around point. Perhaps that would help me post some nice, negative splits. A couple of miles in and I had a strong feeling of deja vu...then I realized that we were running through the park where El Scorcho was run. It looked the same, yet different in the daylight.

The crowd support was minimal for this small race, but my frunners came through in a huge way! I somewhere along the way (before mile 10--maybe around mile 7?) I recognized a small but mighty group. Corina, Marci, and Stacy were there with funny glitter signs, cameras, and lots of cheers. It really made me laugh to see them and certainly put a pep in my step for a little while. They will never know how much that meant to me and I hope to return the favor someday soon!


Cracked up by cheer squad antics

This stretch was fun because the marathon and 20 mile leaders were starting to pass by me heading back the other way. They looked so strong and so fast, I can only imagine what it feels like to run that way. Finally I reached the ten mile turn around and commented about it to the runner next to me. She noticed my shirt and we started talking about the New Year's Double and North Texas Runners. Her name was Danielle and it turns out we had a couple of friends in common. She is also training for her first marathon and works in education as well so we had alot in common. We ran together for about four miles before she ducked off for a pit stop. It was really nice to find company with someone who was of a similar pace. I look forward to meeting up with Danielle in the future at North Texas Runners events. I also passed my cheer squad again while I was running with Danielle. Those girls were making me laugh so hard, they are the best.


Danielle and I get a laugh

I was past the half marathon mark at this point and still felt pretty strong. It was getting warmer out and I was starting to feel the effects of the humidity. I took my gels as scheduled and enjoyed water and gator aide from the aide stations. I have also learned that I love a fresh sliced orange during a long run and was thankful to find them at a few of the rest stops. I was also really enjoying the music from my ipod and found myself drawing upon it for pacing help and motivation. Never doubt the power of good music! I started to feel the most tired somewhere between mile 17 and 18. I am not sure if it was the heat and humidity or if I was getting bored from lack of scenery and crowds, or both. I poured water on my head at one aide station and that seemed to help a little. Mile 18 was my slowest with a pace of 10:24, but then I rallied and pulled a 9:46 in mile 19.


Strong Finish!

Eventually I found myself in the last mile and I began to focus on a good finish. I rounded the corner and saw Erik and my friends there and I worked really hard because I wanted to look strong in front of all of them. I also noticed that I was going to be close to that 3:20 mark so I sprinted it in with all that I could muster. Official finish time: 3:19:46 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!


Post Race with some of the gang

Overall I was very pleased with this race. I felt tired at times, but never like I couldn't go on. My average pace was just under 10:00, which was exactly where it needed to be on a warm and windy day. My mile splits were fairly consistent too with some negative splits in the back half of the race. I also felt like my nutrition was working well for me. Knowing that I can run 20 miles in race conditions has done a ton to boost my confidence. I have no doubt that the marathon will bring me great challenge and even some pain, but I also have confidence that I will survive. I feel proud of the work that I have done in training and I am looking forward to putting that training to the test. Next stop White Rock Marathon...and I can hardly wait!!


Thanks to Corina for the pictures!

DRC Half: Happy Half-A-Versary!

I am finally getting around to writing about the Dallas Running Club Half (DRC Half)that was run on November 6. This seems to be a very special race in the Dallas running community--it celebrated its 35th Anniversary this year and it was the first half marathon for many Dallas area runners, myself included. It is a favorite of mine because while it is one of the bigger area races, it still maintains a family-like feel. I went to this race alone (Erik was enjoying the wilds of Montana), but was surrounded by friends (frunners, if you will) the entire time.


All Smiles with Lesley

I had some big hopes coming into this race--because it was my 4th time to run it I felt very familiar with the turf. I have run very well here in the past and even clocked a 1:52:50 here last year. The course is not the easiest as it is fairly hilly in the middle (hilly by our flat Dallas standards anyway). However, these hopes began to shift a little bit as the weather forecast became more clear. I am starting to thing that we have somehow angered the running weather gods. I had beautiful runs during the week in temperatures that were in the 40s, but by the time Sunday came around it was 65 degrees and very humid again. This seems to be a pattern for 2011, maybe 2012 will bring us some better luck. I knew before we even started that a super speedy race was probably not in the cards (it was 50 degrees and perfect in 2010 when I ran that 1:52) as I am just not as fast when the temps and humidity creep up. It is all good though, right....gotta remember the big picture here....the "m" word...


Pre Race with EW & Mark O.

I ran into so many friends before the race and even smiled for a few pictures. EW and Mark O. are handy with their cameras and I found them at the bag check tent. I also ran into Lesley here as she was preparing to pace another one of her runners to a PR. I told you--one is never really alone when so many runners are gathered! I lined up between the 1:50 and 2:00 pace groups and listened to a beautiful rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner". Then the announcer proclaimed "we are the Dallas Running Club and TODAY WE RUN!" (call me a dork, but that gives me chills every single time) and the starting gun fired. The beginning of a huge race is always a little bit tricky and I just focused on making progress without tripping myself or anyone around me. My legs already felt heavy and I just focused on forward progress, good form, and a consistent pace.

Splits:
Mile 1 8:56
Mile 2 8:44
Mile 3 8:34
Mile 4 9:00

The first four miles are fairly flat and my pace seems to reflect that. It seems clear to me that the first four miles were when I was "adjusting my expectations" for the day, accepting this as a training run, and trying to settle in on a pace.

The biggest climbs and rolling hills came sometime between miles 4.5 and 8 and I feel fairly pleased with the consistency of pace for miles 6 thru 8:

Mile 5 8:47
Mile 6 9:08
Mile 7 9:07
Mile 8 9:08

This is when things really started to feel hard for me. I remember yanking of my cap(which I wore because light rain was in the forecast)and realizing that my sunglasses went flying. I had them on top of my hat in case the sun came out (thankfully it never did), but I had to turn back for a bit to look for my glasses--which were nowhere in sight! A kind runner behind me had spotted them and pointed them out to me. I had no idea what my hair looked like at this point, I just knew that it was a smothering kind of hot under that cap and I needed some fresh air on my head.

Mile 9 9:25
Mile 10 9:01
Mile 11 9:09

I tried to focus on how this was the third anniversary of my first half marathon (first one in 2008) and how far I had come as a runner. This was half marathon number 29 for me in just three years! I also tried to focus on how the increased workload of marathon training has caused my legs to feel extra fatigued. This half marathon was proving to be super challenging to me....reminding me that even though it was my 29th, it is still a long way to run and that I should always respect the distance.
I was taking a little more time at the water stops because I was feeling so hot, but snapped to attention when the 2:00 pace group passed me. I suddenly had a new focus--catch that group and don't let them get ahead again!! This is reflected in mile 12:

Mile 12 8:59
But I began to feel the fatigue again by 13...not so sure what happened here...
Mile 13 9:27
Needless to say, I couldn't keep ahead of that 2:00 group...but I dug deep and sprinted it on in past the finish line. I desperately wanted that sub 2:00 finish and I was so very close!

Official Time: 2:00:04

If you know anything about me, you know that I am a perfectionist and am my own harshest critic. Initially I felt very disappointed with my finish time not just because I finished just above 2:00, but because I had to work so stinking hard for that 2:00:04. However, I soon got over that and moved on with a few lessons learned...one, always respect the distance and two, focus on the big goal here (that "M" word again) 2:00 is not a bad time for a training run!

After I finished I stood and the finish line and was humbled by what I saw. Dallas is lucky enough to be a city with a chapter of the Back on My Feet
organization. BOMF is a great charity that "promotes the self-sufficiency homeless populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem." As I stood at the finish line a BOMF runner came through--hugs were exchanged and tears were flowing. It was hard to contain my own emotions...what a powerful thing this running stuff can be!


Post Race with Cat & Daniel

I had a great time hanging out post race and ran into several friends including Mark L. and his son Cairo. Cairo is fifteen and decided to train for this half marathon with his dad. He had an amazing first run (sub 1:50 and beat his old man!) and will be back for more, no doubt about it! Read about Cairo and Mark's race here. I also ran into Texas Independence Relay vanmates friends Cat and Daniel and enjoyed a delicious Mexican food feast with them after the race. Like I said, one is never alone as long as there are frunners around!

There was little time to lick my wounds because a big marathon training milestone was coming up the very next weekend--the Fort Worth Marathon 20 Miler. Stay tuned...report coming soon!

(Thanks to EW, Mark O., and Lesley for the pictures)

Odds and Ends....

Hello blog...it has been a while since I have seen you! My lack of posting lately means that life has been busy--lots of good things going on in my corner of the world!!

The biggest news of the day is the feature of music therapy and yours truly on The Girl With Redhair blog. Amber does a blog feature on interesting and unique careers and was kind enough to feature music therapy. I am so proud of how the feature turned out and have been sharing it with everyone who will listen. You can find the link here. Thanks again Amber!

Last night I returned from a whirlwind trip to Atlanta for the annual American Music Therapy Association Conference. The conference started on Wednesday and continued through Sunday and moved at a dizzying pace. I can honestly say that my field is filled with the most innovative, creative, and energetic people on the planet. I am honored to walk among them, seriously. This conference had a constant buzz about it as we were expecting a special visitor on Saturday afternoon. As a result of some Twitter madness, Ben Folds came down from Nashville and joined our conference Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. What a treat to hear some words of encouragement from Mr. Folds! I was able to snap a few pictures and record a video clip and hope to share them here once things settle down a bit. And speaking of Twitter, I was thrilled to join in my first ever AMTA tweet-up! It turns out that I am a member of the two most active groups on Twitter--runners and music therapists (and some of us count ourselves in both groups!) and we had a HUGE turnout at our tweet-up. I am guessing that there were about fifty of us there at one point! It was really special to meet many of my music therapy Twitter friends in real life. We had a great time playing "I Spy" as some of us realized that we were in the same room with each other during some of the conference sessions. I am so grateful to be a part of a field that feels like family with annual conferences that feel like family reunions.

In running news: it is now less that two weeks until my first marathon! I am officially in the "taper" phase of training where the runs become shorter and less intense and the goal is to rest up and prepare. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it! I owe you two race reports--the DRC Half on November 6 and the Ft Worth Marathon 20 Miler on November 13. There could not have been two more different races...the half marathon was very hard for me and the 20 miler was so much fun. I still can't believe that I have run 20 miles....twice!!

This is the week of Thanksgiving and I find myself grateful for so many things. I always say that I am leading a bit of a charmed life and I am reminded of this doubly during the holiday season. I hope that all of you are able to enjoy some good food and good times with your families this Thanksgiving!

Santa Fe Trail 5K

I was so excited when an email advertising the Santa Fe Trail 5K was delivered to my inbox a few weeks back. You see, I have suddenly found myself with an opening in my schedule on Thursday nights and have always wanted to go to one of those weeknight races that come up from time to time. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to celebrate my new freedom with a great run. I was also motivated by the promise of free pint glasses, a cool t-shirt, and an after party in the park. Sounds like a great way to spend a fall evening, right?

A wise runner once said to me that if you don't feel like you are about to die at the end of a 5K then you are not running it correctly. I rarely race 5Ks because I like to spend our race budget on longer races and I enjoy those distances more than a 3.1 mile sprint. But I also realize that 5Ks are really good to me and they are only going to hurt for less than 30 minutes and then then will be done. All this to say that every time I race a 5K I try to make it worth my time and set a PR (personal record). My current 5K PR is 25:01 and that was set on a perfect 45 degree morning last November on a beautifully flat course. I knew that it would be hard to top, but I really wanted to try.

My plans were complicated a bit by an unexpected thunderstorm the morning before. I was scheduled to run 8 miles that morning, but that was made impossible by the lightening and high winds. I would have done it that evening, but I already had boot camp on the schedule. So my 8 miler was moved to Thursday morning...that's right, about 12 hours before the race. Tough conditions for a PR, but that which doesn't kill you, right? The focus is on the big goal: marathon.

The race was at 6:30 way down in Dallas and I rolled up about 5 minutes before the starting gun sounded. Not my usual plan of arriving in plenty of time to loosen up and mill about. Oh well...no time to think....let's go!

I knew that to in order to PR I would have to run somewhere around 8:00 minute miles. The race started uphill (about 70 feet of elevation gain in the 1st half mile) and I questioned my PR plans immediately. I told myself to hang on through the 1st mile and then evaluate my pace. I gave myself permission to back off if I was not on PR pace, but if I was close I knew that I had to keep pushing. I was beginning to wonder when that mile marker would ever come (hello...they don't take this long in half marathons...) and stole a glance at my watch---.75 miles....umph....5Ks are so hard!

My watch chimed a mile and the pace read 8:12, just a little behind where I needed to be--but not enough to "quit" on my goal and I knew that the whole race could not be uphill. Fortunately the course seemed to flatten a bit after the 1st mile and while it was still challenging, it wasn't as hard as the first mile. I could see Erik just ahead of me and I focused on keeping him withing my sights.

Mile 2: 8:04--things are looking better and I have to keep on pushing (ugh). I'm still trying to keep up with Erik and I am noticing that I am starting to pass some people. I also notice that the course is heading downhill and I knew that this would be great for some negative splits. However, I was also starting to feel pretty tired and I was wondering how much longer I could hold on. Somewhere in this stretch I caught up with Erik and we ran together until just before the finish.

We rounded one more corner and I saw the marker for mile 3 and the finish line just beyond that. I felt like I was getting slower, but kept on pushing just in case. I knew that it was going to be so close and I dug deep for that final push. (I didn't know until later, but my pace for mile 3 was 7:37 and the last .1 was 7:27.) I gave it all that I could and crossed that finish line...

Official time: 25:05
9th out of 56 in my AG
8:05 Average Pace
I was just four seconds slower than my PR....oh so close!! I am not sure that I could have been four seconds faster, I gave it all that I had! I wanted to "quit" on my goal so many times and might have if I didn't have my watch telling me that I was on track for a good finish. Every time I run a 5K I tell myself that I should be doing more of them and maybe this time I will follow through with that. There is just no other challenge like it.

Erik and I had a great time after the race too--free beer, a live band, food trucks, running friends (frunners), and beautiful weather. It turned into such a nice evening and I am really happy that we were able to be out enjoying it. I must have had a huge endorphin rush from those three miles, because I kept thinking about running and how happy it makes me.