Start Me Up - January 2022

Somehow more than six months have passed since I last sat down to write in this space. Some pretty great things happened in that time too: Kerrville Triathlon, DRC Half Marathon, Rockledge Rumble, the North Texas Turkey Trot, and Dallas Marathon Half. Maybe I will circle back and catch these sometime, but for now I am going to focus on more current times. I have missed blogging and I have decided to try to do monthly recaps in 2022 instead of individual race recaps. We'll see how this goes!

New Year's Day 

When you wake up to spring weather and January 1st is on a Saturday, you go and ride your bike! I hadn't been outside on my bike since late October so it sure felt great to hit the open roads with Mr K and Colleen. We had to take advantage of the mild morning because by nightfall temperatures had plunged to below freezing with a strong north wind. Insert cliche about Texas weather here....

Hotcake Hustle 10K

I had gotten away from running races even before everything was cancelled in 2020. I found myself in a pattern of racing one or two really BIG races each year and let many of the shorter, smaller races go by the wayside. Now that races are back, I realize how much I've missed them and I made it a goal to race at least once each month. January 8 brought the first race of the year: the Hotcake Hustle 10K. This is a longstanding local race, but I'd never run it before. The NTX Turkey Trot was the first 10K I'd run in years and my goal was to run it just a little bit faster than I'd run that race. 

I haven't done much speedwork, but I have been working on running steady, focused, and patient. The weather was in the upper 40s with a light rain - pretty good for running but pretty miserable for standing around before and after the race. I really enjoyed this course through Oak Point Park, especially after the turnaround in mile 4 because I knew that the there wouldn't be any more hills and that we would get a gentle downhill. This worked perfectly with my plan to keep things steady and controlled until mile 4 when I planned to let her rip. I got it done 5 seconds faster than the Turkey Trot so I took that as a win for the day. The biggest win, however, were the post race pancakes that I enjoyed with Mr K and Colleen.

Too Cold To Hold 13.1

On January 29 I ran the Too Cold To Hold half marathon at White Rock Lake. This was one of my favorite races back in the day and it felt great to get back to it after 7 years away. Where does the time go? Race morning was bustling as there was also a 5K and a 10K in addition to the half marathon and we saw many familiar faces. The weather was a perfect 35 degrees with big sunshine and very little wind. 

My plan was similar to the Hotcake Hustle - run steady through the first half and then gradually pick up the speed until mile 10 then let her rip. My goal was also similar: run just a little bit faster than the Dallas Marathon Half in December. This would be another step in regaining my running mojo, a process that I started back in November. I got off to a great start and ran smoothly and conservatively until the turn around just after mile 7. White Rock lake was simply gorgeous and it was easy to focus on the beautiful surroundings and just cruise. Once I got past the turnaround, I was able to focus on runners ahead of me to pick off while steadily dropping the pace. I was in such a good space mentally, it feels so good to break out of that negative headspace I had been racing in during the last couple of years. 

I executed this race exactly as I planned and crossed the finish line 2 minutes and 15 seconds faster than my run at Dallas Marathon half and over 6 minutes faster than the DRC Half in November. My comeback is well underway!  I also got to race in my Coeur Sports 2022 Ambassador Team kit for the first time. I feel fortunate for another year of racing on this team and I try my best to be a positive force on the race course. 

2022 Plans

What is coming up in 2022? I plan to run Cowtown Half in February and Grasslands Trail Half in March. That will take me into my favorite season - triathlon season - where I have some big plans. I'm super excited to be racing Musselman 70.3 in Geneva, NY this July! 

Several of my Coeur Sports teammates will be racing as well and I'm so excited to meet many of them in person for the first time. I will also be racing Kerrville Triathlon Festival 70.3 in September. 

I have been selected as a race ambassador for Kerrville Triathlon and I'm really excited to return to the Kerrvillle and "the most scenic triathlon in Texas"  You can join the fun - use discount code KennemerKerrTri2022 for $10 off your race registration. 

I couldn't ask for a better start to 2022! I'm looking forward to great year of training hard and racing happy. 

Snowman Shuffle 10K: Best Birthday EVAH!

I have been such a bad blogger lately.  I have been meaning to sit down and tell you about how incredibly cool my frunners were to me on my birthday, but I just haven't done it.  You know the standard excuse....busy, busy.....but it is true!  My weeks are flying by at an incredible pace these days. 

Scenes From My Birthday Race

The last couple of years I have strayed from the usual birthday party and have celebrated with a birthday race instead.  Things really got going last year when Mary brought a huge box of red velvet cupcakes out to the race.  A new tradition was born!  I was super excited when I discovered that there was a race on January 19 -- my actual birthday!  I spread the word and soon enough many of my frunners were all signed up and we were ready to go.


Mary is the Cupcake Queen!

As you might remember, I really focused on speed work in the second half of 2012 and that has continued into 2013.  I have not raced a 10K since last March (before speed work) so I was anxious to put my training to the test.  The race weather gods gifted me with a beautiful and cool day and after a short warm-up I was on my way!

It is always a treat to see the Ninja Girls!

I worked hard to be patient and not go out too fast.  A few runners were breathing quite heavily as they passed me and I made note of them, thinking that they could not possibly hold that pace the entire way.  My plan was to run a pushed, but not "all out" pace until around mile 4 and then pick it up with each mile until the end.  I was right on target at the halfway turn around -- isn't it such a mental boost when you hit that turn around?  I continued onward and eventually caught up and passed some of the runners who had passed me early on in the race.  No doubt this gave me a great mental boost to power on towards the finish line.  I knew that a PR would be very close, and I made it with almost a minute to spare (51:35).  I was very pleased when I checked my splits and saw that I had run very consistently with a burst of speed at the end.

Loudest Cheering Section EVER!

The finish line was only the beginning of the fun to be had on my birthday.  Mary did not disappoint with the cupcakes--another huge box of red velvet appeared!  And we had such fun hanging around waiting for the awards to be announced.  It was a great day for the FIGJAM Gang as everyone who ran took home an award--a snowglobe!  I run with a fast crowd, y'all! I got second place in my age group and Mr K got 3rd place in his. 

So Much FIGJAM

After we collected our loot and took some more pictures we headed over to the Taco Joint (a favorite!) for a feast of tacos and beer.  Here I was treated with a birthday tiara, a balloon, and was serenaded with Happy Birthday!  We filled a long table and created quite a scene, I'm sure, in the restaurant.  I took a minute to look around at all the faces gathered there and I felt so grateful that they all came out and celebrated with me.  Yes, the PR and age group award were very nice--but they would mean little without all of these people around to celebrate with.  I can't even begin to thank everyone enough for spending their Saturday morning with me.  I already have a birthday race in mind for next year too -- I can't wait!!


Rowdy Crowd at Taco Joint

Huge Birthday Smile

(Thanks so much to Mama C and Music Mary for being the official race day photographers of my birthday race!)

Trinity Levee Run 10K: Large Marge, PRs, Donkeys, Frunners, & Tacos

I was very excited when the word began to spread about the Trinity River Levee 10K. I ran this race three years ago when it was still out on the dusty Trinity River Levee--an adventure for sure, but one of my worst races ever. I was dealing with some kind of hip issue (later resolved with a shoe change and improvement in my running form) and going up and down the levee hills caused me some pain. I wasn't super excited about doing it again and didn't mind too much when the calendar brought conflicts on that date during the next two years. But this year...this year would be DIFFERENT! The beautiful Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (aka Large Marge) was being dedicated in typical Big D style--with much pomp and circumstance. The weekend long festivities included taking the Trinity River Levee 5K/10K right over that big beautiful bridge! Even better, Dallas Running Club members got a great deal on the race--$15 entry fee and that included a pretty tech shirt and a great post race party. Pair that with the rarity of 10Ks in this area and I am SOLD!



My pre-Cowtown plea to the Race Weather Gods seemed to be carrying over an extra week because we woke up to another morning of near perfect running weather. Thank you Race Weather Gods, your kindness has not gone unnoticed!! I wasn't so sure what my legs would have for me this morning as it was just 6 days after I ran my tail off at Cowtown. But like I said, 10K races are rare and we had perfect weather and a very flat course--so I just HAD to go for it. I knew that it would be difficult because my 10K PR was just a year old and was run on perfectly cold day when things just fell into place.


Where's Team K?

Mr K and I arrived in plenty of time (a departure from our last couple of races) and enjoyed milling about and visiting with friends before the race. It looked like the race had drawn a good crowd and the mood was very festive. The bridge looked beautiful against a perfect blue sky. I must admit, I had only seen the bridge from a distance and didn't really understand all of the hoopla about it. However, up close it is simply beautiful. I am glad that I got the opportunity to see it from a vantage point closer than the Tollway.


Posing with Jan and Miranda

The course was flat except for the incline on both side of the bridge that gets you on and off of it. The start was a little tricky because some runners were pausing to look at the bridge and snap a few pictures, but things thinned out once we were up and over. I thought, for a second, that I should be enjoying the view a little more--but quickly got back to the goal for the day....a new 10K PR.


Post Race with Daniel & Jeff

The race itself seemed to take forever--as they all do when you are focusing so hard on a goal. I can't say that I remember much about the course, except that it wrapped its way through the streets that make up some of the design district and it was nice and flat. I started to look for the bridge around mile 4--I couldn't believe that it could be seen from all over the city, yet I couldn't see it from here? Would this race ever end?


The barn reads "Famous for Fun"

I kept working hard and soon enough I found myself at the foot of the bridge. I was not excited about the incline leading us back onto the bridge, but I knew that there would be a payoff decline on the other side of the bridge. A quick glance at my watch told me that a new PR would be extremely close and I just focused on running as hard as I could. And....I did it! So close that it barely counts....only 15 seconds....but I had done it! I ran my tail off for a second week in a row and was rewarded handsomely.

Final time: 52:23
15 out of 100 in my Age Group

We enjoyed a great post race party with lots of frunners and beautiful sunshine. We happened to meet up with Daniel and Cat at the finish line and later picked up some tacos with them at Fuel City Taco. It is so hard to describe the scene at Fuel City--order your tacos from a window at a gas station, eat at picnic tables where you can see donkeys and longhorns behind you, look the other way and you see the Dallas skyline, and then look yet another way and see a big car wash. The tacos were amazing and we had a so much fun planning big adventures for later this spring (stay tuned!) and visiting with the donkeys. Anyone who knows me knows of my love for donkeys and their visit made for a perfect ending to a perfect day.



(Thanks to EW, Mark O, & Felix for the beautiful pictures!)

Frigid 10K...Two Races In Two Weekends

Two races in eight days? Why not! One of my 2011 goals is to add variety into my training and racing. The Dallas Running Club monthly race on Saturday seemed like the perfect opportunity to get to work on that. The Dallas Running Club is a nice resource for runners in the Dallas area with affordable membership and eight free races a year. I typically make it out to the January and February races (usually a 10K and 15K) and then find myself trailing off a bit as the distances get shorter. I intend to make it to more of these races this year as it is a great time to work on that 2011 goal.

I went to this race alone because Erik is training for the Cowtown Marathon in late February and needed to run 18 miles on Sunday. I know that I will see many familiar faces at DRC races, so I don't worry too much about going by myself. It was a near perfect morning for running too--40 degrees, a nice sunrise, and very little breeze. I had a great feeling about the day and fully intended to get a new 10K personal record (PR). I only race about two 10Ks a year and my PR race came during the heat of September. While I run in all seasons, I am not a great summer runner...but I tend to thrive in the winter months.

I was eager to try out my new Garmin running watch. This watch can tell me how fast I am currently running and how fast I am running each mile. I have always felt that I run a fairly consistent pace, but had not observed it enough to know for sure. I also feel like I am slowing down at the end, but wonder if it is a perceived slow down because I am more tired at that point.

Here are my mile times from the race:
Mile 1 8:28
Mile 2 8:30
Mile 3 8:38 (hello hilly area)
Mile 4 8:19
Mile 5 8:21
Mile 6 8:08
Last .2 7:38
Total time: 52:39 (7th in Age Group)
Average pace 8:22/mile

I was thrilled to see that I maintained a fairly consistent pace and I could see where the more challenging areas of the terrain were. I am beyond thrilled with mile 6....hello!! Who is that runner?? Looking back, I recall that I was working hard on trying to pass and stay ahead of some runners. That is a little trick that I learned from Erik and one that I will use more often. I felt strong for much of the way and found that I really enjoyed this race. It didn't feel as frantic as a 5K, but not as grueling as a 15K or half marathon. I am looking forward to running more of these this year.

After the race I milled about and said hello to a few friends. I also met Lesley who is one of the runners behind the "Run for the Bling of it Challenge" to run 12 races in 12 months. I was wearing my new New Year's Day Half shirt and found that it was a real conversation starter (and possible PR-setting lucky shirt?). I love the community that running fosters, there are no strangers on race day.

Unfortunately my little racing streak will come to an end because I do not have any races planned for this weekend. However, with the Too Cold To Hold and Houston Half Marathon coming up, we are looking at four out of five race weekends in January. Some call it winter....I call it running season!

Tour des Fleurs 10K: Personal Record Redefined?

Saturday morning brought one of my most favorite races of the year, the Tour des Fleurs 10K/20K at the Dallas Arboretum. This race is good for so many reasons...it is a HUGE race (I heard 3400 runners), the swag is great--purple tech shirts and black running hats, the Arboretum is all decked out for fall, the post race festivities are filled with great food and music on the lawn, and so many of my friends run this one. I always run the 10K because there is a half marathon the following weekend and I want to be reasonably fresh for that.

We arrived at the remote parking lot more than an hour before the race start and were ferried to the race on a school bus. I could see tons of pumpkins in the shadows as we walked through the Arboretum to the race site. I love fall and the very sight of a pumpkin can really fire me up!

We found many of our running friends right away: Liza, Ben, Vi, Mark O., and Jan. We also found DJ, a fellow that I went to high school with who would be completing his first ever 10K that day. The weather was warm, very humid, and still...a glance at White Rock Lake showed a mirror smooth surface. Thank goodness we are at the end of the summer running season.

The 20K race started 30 minutes before the 10K so I went to the start to cheer on Erik, Ben, and Vi. I milled about and chatted with friends until time for the 10K to start. The beginning of this race is always great with a high school drum line at the start line. Something about the sound of those drums makes me smile and takes me back to my many years in the marching band. I felt like I got off to a pretty good start but noticed about a half mile in that I had forgotten to start my watch. This frustrated me to no end as I love to know my time as I go so I know if I am on pace for my race goals. Oh well.

This course is pretty tough with two big hills over a 6.2 mile distance. Erik and I do our long runs at White Rock every weekend, so these hills and the course were very familiar to me. I really think that helped me handle the hills while keeping a consistent pace. The heat and humidity also made things extremely challenging and it was hard to draw a good breath at times. I tried to keep a steady pace and get good recovery from the hills after I crested them. Miles 4-6 were a mental battle and I had to remind myself that this was the time to be tough. I really pushed myself over the last .2 mile and felt strong at the end. I felt pretty terrible when I first stopped running and just tried to keep moving even though my body was telling me to sit down.

When I crossed the finish line the clock read 56-something which I knew would put me close to a new Personal Record (PR). I knew that it took me close to a minute to cross the start line from the time that the starting whistle blew. This is called "chip time" as each of us have timing chips on our shoes that are activated when we cross over a mat at the start line. Again, I felt frustrated because I didn't start my watch at the beginning and would have to wait for the official results to be posted.

After I finished I walked down to the 20K finish line to find that Ben had just finished his race in his typical fast fashion. He and Liza waited with me for Erik and Vi to cross the finish line. Then we had a great time wandering around the Arboretum lawn, talking with friends, taking pictures, and sampling all of the delicious treats provided by various vendors.


Erik, Ben, and me on the lawn

I didn't find out my results until later in the afternoon, I finished in 55:47--good enough for 10th out of 150 in my age group. I was very surprised to see that I placed so well because I considered the field to be so large and so fast. Now here is where the definition of PR comes into play. My previous 10K PR was at a Dallas Running Club monthly race and was listed as 55:45...meaning that I missed it by 2 seconds today. However, the monthly club races are not chip timed and the 55:45 came from my own unofficial timing with my watch. Upon checking the DRC website, I saw that my "official" time at that race was 55:59....so did I get a new PR today or did I miss it by 2 seconds? Fellow runners, what is your thought on this one? Do PRs just count in the "official" results or do you go with your own timing if there is no chip? This has caused me to clarify my definition of a PR.

Another one of my favorite races, the Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon is on Sunday. I had a wonderfully good experience at the May version of this race and I can't wait to get out there and try it again. The weather forecast looks good too--they are calling for lows in the 60s on Sunday morning. What a great way to kick off the fall racing season!