3M Half: Always a lesson in the journey

The 3M Half Marathon in Austin is one of my favorites.  It falls within a few days of my birthday and makes for a great little weekend getaway.  The course is fun and fast, a point-to-point that starts in northwest Austin and ends near the Texas Capital.  The crowds are usually fun and supportive and the 3M swag bag is a thing of beauty - I never have to buy Post It notes, bandages, super glue, and Scotch tape anymore!

The couple of weeks leading up to the race were brutally cold in North Texas - we are talking low temperatures of 13 degrees and blustery wind chills on top of that.  Fortunately, I was able to avoid running on the coldest days, but the bulk of my training was done in freezing and below temperatures.  So naturally it was 66 degrees and super humid on race day - Texas has a great sense of humor that way!

The legendary 3M Half swag bag

I've had such great success at this race in recent years. My course record 1:50 two years ago and I ran 1:52 last year, so my goal was something in the low 1:50s.  My plan was to hang with the 1:55 pace group until around mile 10 and then take off on my own.  I love feeding off of the energy of a good pace group and letting them do the mental work while I just focus on running.  These pacers are great too, they've paced this group during this race for several years so they know the course really well. This strategy worked out great two years ago and I was hoping that a similar plan would serve me well during this race.

Mr K and I arrived in plenty of time and enjoyed some people watching before the race began, the announcer said that there were 7,000 runners, a record field for this race.  As before any race, I took a moment to be thankful for a strong body and mind that allowed me to do things like run 13 miles on a random Sunday because it sounded like fun. Make it count. Take nothing for granted.

We lined up behind the 1:55 group and when the starting gun sounded, I made it my job to stay right with them.  The start was very smooth and we started right on the pace as this pace group runs even splits throughout the race.  The roads were so damp, it looked like it had recently rained, but that was just the humidity.  Since this was my 4th year to run this race the course felt super familiar and I just focused on cruising with the pace group.

I started to feel like I was working harder somewhere around mile 7 and I could feel that my elbows were dripping sweat. I also noticed that my lips had that salty feeling and that told me I was probably not drinking enough.  This course has a net downhill, but there is a hill between mile 9 and 10.  It isn't steep, but it goes on for a while and it feels difficult considering we have been consistently running a slight downhill the entire time.  According to the pacers, we were ahead of the pace but they were allowing some cushion for that hill that would be coming up soon.  I was starting to realize that I was not going to be able to drop the pace group like I planned and my goal shifted to simply keeping up with them.

My heart rate was continuing to climb and climb and the pace group was inching away from me and when I saw the aide station just before mile 10 I knew that I needed to walk through it and regroup.  I was sad to see the pace group disappearing into the distance, but at that moment I just couldn't hang on.  My watch chimed mile 10 and I felt a bit discouraged when I saw that it said 9:19.  I had been clicking off the miles in the 8:30s-8:40s until now.  I felt like any chance for a decent time was gone, but I told myself to keep moving forward.  I was officially on board the Struggle Bus. I felt a little better when I saw mile 11 come in at 9:03, but I was still pretty sure that I was inching closer to a 2:00 finish.

I always finish what I start and I wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel just yet. I saw others walking and it looked so appealing, but I told myself to simply keep running.  I usually try to run the last mile as fast as I can (Last One, Fast One!) and this was still my plan, despite my frustration and fatigue.  The last mile of the race has some more downhill as it passes through the University of Texas campus so it makes for a natural LOFO.  I saw the 12 mile marker just about the same time that I saw the 1:55 pace group, about a quarter of a mile ahead of me.  Redemption was within my reach! I made it my job to catch that pace group, there could not have been a more perfect target for me in that moment.

They reworked the finish line this year and instead of rounding a corner and running up a slight hill, we rounded a corner and it was straight in front of us. It seemed like it was a mile away, but in reality it was probably less than half a mile.  The finisher chute was longer than most and I remember the announcer mentioning this at one point, I caught the 1:55 group at the beginning of this chute. Redemption would be mine! One final push and I crossed the line in 1:54:50.  I was surprised to see Mr K waiting there for me.  He tells me that he passed by me earlier in the race, but I never did see him - I was too focused on keeping the pace.

This wasn't the race I had hoped for, but more times than not, running is about taking what the day gives you and making the best of it. I figure that you can find a lesson in every race if you take the time to look for it. I'm proud of how I kept on fighting even I thought that my race was over at mile 10 and I'm proud of how I worked hard to catch the 1:55 group when I spotted them at mile 12. I have no doubts that I learned more from this experience than I would have learned if I had run a faster and mentally easier race.  This is a lesson that I can carry with me and draw upon in other situations when the going gets tough.  And that is what it is all about, isn't it? There is always a lesson in the journey.

(In case you were wondering, that LOFO checked in at 8:19.)

3M Half Marathon: Finding Some Mojo

The 3M Half Marathon in Austin has become one of my favorite January races.  It falls near my birthday, so it has just naturally become a part of that celebration.  We have a good little group who travels for the race too, so it is also a good weekend in Austin with friends.  The race itself is great with a fun, point-to-point course that starts in north Austin and ends in front of the Texas State Capitol.  It might be the best finish line in Texas!  And because the race is sponsored by 3M, the swag bag is legendary - packed full of useful 3M products (hello post it notes and super glue!).

I wasn't really sure what to expect from myself at this race.  I am starting to realize what a special year 2016 was with PRs in almost every distance and course records at almost every attempt.  I ran 1:55 in half marathons in November and December and I had not done much structured speedwork since then.  My hip had been a bit cranky off and on during the last month....and on and on it goes....isn't it funny how we can talk ourselves into or out of just about anything?  The mind can be our biggest obstacle or our biggest ally.

I had a wildly successful race here last year, like crazy successful.  I finally busted through my half marathon PR of 6 years - it was such a perfectly wonderful day.  I couldn't believe that I did that and I went on to PR again a month later at Cowtown.  See? It was such a special year! My race plan worked out beautifully last year, I ran with the 1:55 pacers until mile 10 and then I took off on my own ran the last 3.1 miles like a 5K.  I was hoping to use a similar plan again this time, however, I was not expecting to get close to my time from last year (1:50:59), but I was hoping to break through that 1:55 streak that I had going on in recent races.  Then, right on schedule, I got a message from Stude (The Encourager - remember him?) reminding me to treat the last 5K like a LOFO (last one, fast one).  "Be fierce, MK."

Race day weather....I could stop right there, right? Fortunately, we were spared the warm and humid temperatures that have plagued us lately....so, bright side there.....but the wind was another story.  I woke up on race morning and looked outside and the hotel pool looked like a small ocean.  The wind was blowing hard, directly from the west.  As luck would have it, the course runs mostly south and a little southeast with just a few turns to the west.  Mr K and I found ourselves in the slowest restroom line ever and had to hustle a bit to make it into the corral.  I ended up starting between the 1:50 and 1:55 groups, so the part of my plan that involved the pacers was out the window.  Mr K slipped ahead to the 1:45 pace group and ended up beating them to the finish line.  What a huge day and huge PR for that guy - he broke 1:45 for the first time!

I spotted this pre-race - a good sign!

The goal for the first couple of miles is to get a nice and steady start and to settle in both mentally and pace-wise.  I have gotten in the habit of running by feel, only getting my paces when the miles chime on my watch.  I tend to watch my heart rate more to make sure that my perceived effort is matching up with the real thing.  I was happily surprised when the first couple of miles came in the 8:40 neighborhood and I made it a goal to keep all my miles under 9:00.  Since this was my third time to run this race, I felt fairly familiar with the course and I just focused on taking one mile at a time.

I hit the 5K timing mat at 27:15 and an average pace of 8:45.  Off to a great start!  I felt more thirsty than usual and hit the water stops more often than in previous years (I only had 1 stop last year).  I assumed that this was a side effect of the wind and the humidity was pretty low that day too.  The course was winding in and out of the wind - sometimes there was a tough headwind, sometimes a crazy crosswind, and sometimes a sweet tailwind.  I tried to keep it even when running into the wind and then haul ass when I had it at my back.  Since it was a west wind, I looked forward to running towards the sun (sun in your face, wind at your back was my mantra).  I was just thankful that we were not running a westbound point-to-point course!

Spoiler alert: There was delicious Lockhart BBQ with these people (Pic: Dewberry)

This course has a sweet net downhill, but there are several hills in the race.  They are nothing huge, but after trending downhill, they probably just feel bigger than they are.  Much like with the winds, I worked to keep it steady running up the hill then I ran the downs as fast as I could.  I crossed the 10K timing mat in 54:36 with an average pace of 8:47 - holding nice and steady!  I'll blame the extra two seconds on the wind.

Post race with Drum (Girl is faaaaaast)

The crowds are probably the best between the 10K mark and the 10 mile mark.  The course takes us through some neighborhoods and people really come out to cheer.  The Beef Team has a huge cheering section somewhere in here too and they always provide an extra boost.  I continued along, focusing on one mile at a time (I still use that advice Meb gave me last year).  My plan of keeping my miles under 9:00 was working out nicely, in fact 8:49 was my slowest mile and that came in mile 3.  I just kept plugging along, keeping a strong pace but also preparing for my 5K LOFO at mile 10.

I got to 15K in 1:21:40 and an average pace of 8:46 - consistency is the name of my game!  I was mentally preparing for a fast finish when I spotted a sign that said "Nasty Women Run Faster." Hell yes they do!  That had to be the most perfectly placed sign ever because it gave me just the boost I needed to finish strong!

Best race sign ever (Pic: Mama C)

Soon enough, mile 10 chimed on my watch and I picked up the pace.  I had no idea how fast I was going, I didn't look at my watch for that entire mile.  I was running hard and my heart rate was up where it should be - nothing left to do but put one foot in front of the other.  I was very pleasantly surprised when my watch chimed at 7:59.  Just two more to go, MK!  I got a little bit of an assist with a nice downhill in the next mile.  I was looking ahead and picking out people that I wanted to pick off while trying to keep my mind quiet.  Uncomfortable? Yes.  Impossible? No.  Around the corner and through the University of Texas campus and another mile chimes - 7:54. Yeeehaw!!  I was doing it!!

Racing ain't pretty, y'all.

The end of this race is tough because there is a slight uphill right around mile 13.  It is hard enough on a regular day because it might as well be a mountain after all of the downhill in the proceeding miles, but it was a real doozie on this day because it took us right back into the headwind.  That little hill is probably less than a quarter mile, but it feels like forever.  My watch gave me a very encouraging 7:52 for that mile - just turn the corner and sprint to the finish line now!

My favorite finish line in all of Texas

I crossed the finish line in 1:52:11 (avg pace 8:33).  I ran this one only 1:12 seconds slower than last year and out of 60+ halves I am pretty certain that it is my third fastest.  I wasn't expecting a PR, but I also wasn't expecting to be so close to my course record.  It was just the race I needed to show me that last year wasn't a fluke and that I am right where I want to be.  The bit of mojo I have been missing has been recovered and I'm ready to work hard for some big goals coming up in 2017.

3M Half Marathon: Be Fearless

Once I recovered from Redman 70.3, I noticed that I was feeling so strong - strong enough that I considered upgrading from the half to the full at the Cowtown Marathon coming up at the end of February.  I knew that I was strong and I felt like I only really needed a couple of 20 milers in order to be ready to run a marathon.  I was really close to pulling the trigger on that, but I told myself to wait until after the Dallas Marathon Half before making any decisions.  Not only did I want to see how that race went for me, I wanted to be around people who were marathoning to see if I "felt" it. I had a great race that day, running negative splits with a super strong finish. It turns out that it was my fastest half marathon since the spring of 2013.

I felt like I was on to something with the speed work I had been doing in the weeks leading up to the race, and within a few minutes of crossing the finish line I had my answer.  Instead of going longer, I wanted to see just how fast I could possibly go.  I had signed up for the 3M Half Marathon in Austin earlier in the fall and having a fast race there had become my new goal.  At the end of last year, I ran across the quote, "Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire." This has become my mantra in 2016. Whenever I felt myself feeling nervous about the race, I reminded myself to "be fearless."

Most appropriate race day calendar quote ever. 

I ran the 3M Half on my birthday in 2014 and I had a really good day there, running it in 1:56:16.  It is known to be a fast course and the race adopted the slogan "downhill to downtown." Some of my best races have come on point-to-point courses with a net downhill (see Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon).  I became even more fired up for the race when I broke my 5K personal record (PR) on January 9, a couple of weeks before 3M Half.  That PR was nearly 4 years old and I was starting to think that it would live forever.  Just seeing that it was possible to get a PR after all these years of coming close but falling short really gave me hope.  My half marathon PR was a strong one (1:51:36) and I have not even come close to it since I set it way back in 2010.  Yep, my half marathon PR is the same age as a kindergartner.  I had really started to believe that it was a fluke and had started referring to a half I ran in 2013 as my "modern PR" - and even that one was getting dated!  I was not sure what to expect going into 3M Half, but I would be happy with anything under 1:55.

I looked forward to the weekend because it is a great opportunity to visit Austin and to spend some time with friends.  Mr K and I enjoyed the drive down, stopping in West for some treats and enjoying abundant sunshine.  We saw Oklahoma friends Vicki and Gene at the race expo and we also enjoyed a post race celebration with them. We had pre-race dinner with Mama C, John, Irene, and Dewbs.  Drum was also in town for the race (spoiler alert: she KILLED it), and while we were in a lot of the same places, we never saw each other.

Has there been more perfect race weather?

I was thinking of the race as two separate races.  My plan was to hang with the 1:55 pacers until mile 10 where, if things were going according to plan, I would drop them and run the last 3.1 miles like a 5K.  Once again, I had been "encouraged" by Stude to run the last 3 miles at a sub-8:00 pace (this is getting trickier, it was only the last 2 miles at the the Dallas Marathon Half - I'm afraid of what will happen in the next race...).  Race morning went very smoothly (unlike the last time we ran 3M, right Mama C?) and I was able to find the pacers in the corral and slip in behind them.  We got a solid start and I could hear them talking to other runners about their strategy and what to expect on various parts of the course.  They also seemed to know many runners in the crowd and this gave me confidence in their skill as pacers.  I got lucky because they were solid and I stuck to them like it was my job.

The pace they set felt really good to me.  I never felt like I was chasing them, but at the same time they pushed me ahead on occasion.  A good pacer is worth their weight in gold!  The weather was utterly perfect with temperatures in the 40s, with mostly calm winds and plenty of sunshine.  This was one of those "no excuses" races where everything is so perfect, you have to go for it.  Remember what Meb taught me at the Dallas Marathon Expo?  He told us to run one mile at a time and focus on what needed to be done for that mile. As I crossed the mile markers,  I set an intention for each new mile and worked hard to meet my goal for that mile.  Be fearless.

Post race selfie with Mr K

Around mile 7 or 8 the pacers checked in with a pace update and it looked like we were running at least 30 seconds ahead of 1:55.  This was great news to me as I planned to get ahead of them at the end, but I also know that if I did not I could still get that sub-1:55 goal that I had for the day.  This is such a fun route and the spectators are just awesome, especially on such a beautiful day, I was enjoying my run.

Sometime during mile 9 I found myself a little ahead of the pace group and it felt good, so I decided to stick with it.  I slowed a bit for a drink just before mile 10 and then it was go time.  I took a deep breath and reminded myself to be fearless. A girl next to me said "it is a 5K now" and I told her that she must have read my mind.  Someone from the crowd jumped in with her and she took off like the wind.  I had no idea how fast I was going as I did not have the pace screen up on my watch during the race.  I just focused on running that mile hard and I knew that I would get a pace update when I crossed mile 11.  I was very encouraged when that mile came in at 7:54 on my watch.  I was doing it!!  I still had no idea what my finish time would look like, but I was starting to realize that I was going to do better than I expected.  It was somewhere in that mile that a person on a bike called to another runner that she was at least 100 yards in front of the 1:55 pacers.

Post race smiles with Mr K, Mama C, John, and Irene (Pic: Dewbs)

Mile 12 had a nice downhill as we crossed onto the University of Texas campus and I took advantage of that momentum the best that I could.  So close now, don't lose focus MK! Be fearless.  Finally I crossed mile 12 and saw 7:48 on my watch.  Ho. Lee. Smokes.  This was really happening!  Time to dig in for that final mile - and it was a tough one!  There is just the slightest uphill as you round the bend and head towards Congress Avenue, but it might as well have been a mountain after all of the downhill running in the proceeding miles.  I started to hear the announcers and the crowds and I knew that I was getting close....but it felt like forever.  I later saw that mile 13 was 7:33 - no wonder it felt like forever.  I am glad that I had no idea what these paces were as they were happening because I probably would have freaked myself out.  By this point, I knew that I was most likely going to beat my kindergarten aged half marathon PR - but by how much?  I picked out a few people in front of me and to passed them as I made the final approach to the finish line.

I crossed the finish line and stood there in utter disbelief.  I did it. I DID IT!!  1:50:59  I wanted to tell everyone in the crowd around me "Hey!  I just broke a 6 year old PR!!"  I kept looking at my watch and then at the official results to make sure that it was real.  If there is one thing that running has taught me, it is to never say never...but I gotta tell you, I was starting to lose hope on this one.  I had essentially conceded that while I planned to run for a long time, I was probably not going to be getting any faster.  I thought that maintaining my current speed was a good enough goal.  I don't know what has changed in me since Redman, but I feel as if I have a renewed love of the run.  Not only do I feel physically stronger, I feel like I have a whole new mental game going on. Maybe I needed something to reignite the fire from my earlier running years? Maybe surviving something as challenging as Redman made me stronger? Maybe it was in there all along?  I suppose it doesn't really matter as long as I keep believing it.

Be fearless.

My Birthday Race: 3M Half (It's all downhill from here)

Two years ago I started a new tradition for myself: the birthday race.  My birthday is on January 19 and falls in what some psychologists call "the most depressing week of the year." All those holiday bills are coming due, it is the dead of winter, and people start to realize that those New Year's Resolutions are just plain hard.  Being so close to Christmas, my birthday sometimes felt like an after thought, many times because I let it be an anti-climatic type of affair. This would mark my third birthday race and the second time that the race fell on my actual birthday.  The 3M Half in Austin has been on my list for a while, so when it fell on my birthday I knew that this would be there year to go and run it. Part of the fun in the birthday race is the group of frunners who come out and share the day with me.  I knew that taking the race on the road (on the same day as the Houston Marathon) would mean a smaller group to celebrate with, and I was lucky that Mama C and her husband John joined us for the weekend and for the race. 

A sweet downhill course and a great shirt

It was so beautiful and sunny when Mr K and I arrived in Austin.  The race forecast was darned near perfect and the course boasted a sweet net downhill -- happy birthday to me, indeed!  There are few things in running that I love more than a point-to-point downhill course.  The 3M Half Marathon is known for its crazy random race packet and this year did not disappoint.  We got everything from Scotch tape, to Post It Notes, to a full size knee brace, and my new favorite race shirt.  We feasted on a delicious pasta dinner with Mama C and John and their boys before heading back to the hotel for an early bedtime. 

3M brings the swag!

As predicted, the race morning dawned beautifully perfect for running -- 46 degrees, a slight breeze, and sunshine.  We had some drama getting to the race (ask me about that sometime...) and Mr K and I were in the restroom line when the starting gun sounded.  However, we barely noticed thanks to chip timing and an organized start line.  As has become a habit recently, I started my watch and did not look at it again.  I knew that I would want all those numbers later, but focused on letting my legs do what they were going to do that day.  Mr K and I ran together for almost all of the race, it was nice as it has been a while since that has happened.  We spotted the 2:05 pace group on the horizon and soon passed them.  We were eventually able to pick off the 2:00 pace group as well.  I had no idea how my time was going, but these were very good signs in my mind!

Hanging in the potty line with Mama C (pic: Mama C)

Austin is a great place, so laid back and "weird" and the spectators did not disappoint.  They were not huge in number but they were very enthusiastic and I enjoyed seeing their outfits and signs. I regretted not wearing a sign telling them that it was my birthday, I could have gotten a lot of attention! I spotted what has become my all-time favorite race sign in these later miles: precious few are able to do what you are doing.  It was so meaningful that it earned its own blog post, read the full story here.  As promised, their was a steady uphill around mile 10.  I think that alone it would not have been so noticeable, but after 9 miles of gentle downhill it felt pretty tough.  Looking back at my mile splits they are all fairly even, except for this mile.  After we got through these slight hills, I heard a spectator promise "it's all downhill from here!" A fitting sentiment for my birthday, no?
 

We ran into our favorite OK runners!

Mile 12 took us through the University of Texas campus and I had joked that I would run these miles fast just to get away from the Longhorns! That really did come true as I decided that I still had a little bit left in my legs and I pushed the pace through these last 2 miles, just seeing what I could do with it.  That feeling was real as these were my fastest miles of the race -- I love it when that happens!  The finish line is at the top of another slight hill and I made it a game of passing people to get to the finish line.  I was very pleased when I checked the results and saw a time of 1:56:16 -- a very solid time for me.  I was even more pleased to see that I averaged 8:55 in the first 6 miles and 8:50 in the last 7.1 miles -- a beautiful negative split!

A fitting finish line for a proper Texas girl

The state capitol building and the sunshine provided the perfect backdrop for pictures.  Running 13.1 miles is something that I never take for granted.  The sign stated it so perfectly: Precious few are able to do what you are doing. To be able to run a strong 13.1 on my birthday, in a great city with Mr K and special friends...undeniably awesome and something that I will always remember.  The buses took us back to the start -- which had been magically packed away!  There was no sign that thousands of people had descended on the area for the race start just a few hours ago.  I really enjoyed this course and I can't wait to come back and run it again sometime, hopefully with a PR in mind.

We spent the afternoon drenched in sunshine and enjoying good food and even better company with The Shehans, who were gracious enough to share their home with us.  There were cupcakes too...not a bad way to get a year older!

Thanks for sharing my birthday with me! (Pic: Mama C)