Too Cold To Hold Half: I Got My Masters

This just might be the best time of the year for running and there are so many race options here in North Texas.  I would like to race once a month, up until the summer months hit, and the first one on the calendar was the Too Cold To Hold Half on February 1.  This race has been around in some form for many years and Mr K and I have run the 15K on several occasions.  The half marathon was a new option this year, and it fit very nicely into my schedule. There have been plenty of times where this race was cold...but Sunday was not one of them.  We arrived bright and early to find temperatures in the 60s with high humidity and an occasional (but not often enough) rain shower.

It was great to see Elizabeth!

The race was "sold out" but the field for the half marathon looked a little on the small side to me.  I am assuming that most people signed up for the 5K or the 10K...or maybe just stayed in bed when they saw the rain in the forecast.  For just a minute I wished that I was more prepared to run fast because with the small field I could probably place in my age group.  At the same time, I was glad that I was not expecting to run fast because the humidity would have made it pretty challenging.

You might have heard that I celebrated the Big 40 a couple of weeks ago.  I know, shocking - right? This was my first race in my new age group and my first race in the "Masters" division.  Can you believe that they consider runners over 40 to be "Masters?"

Cherry and Rick were there too!

My goal for the day were to run a smart race with consistent splits and come in under 2 hours.  I also wanted to use this as an opportunity to get back into the mental practice of racing.  The two hour pace group was in front of me when we first started and they seemed to pull away even more during the race.  I suspected, as did the others around me, that they were running faster than a 2 hour pace.  I decided not to spend any energy trying to catch them and settled into a comfortable, but slightly pushed, pace.

The race itself was pretty uneventful, I hit my miles in the neighborhood of 9:00 for the first 6 miles - then filling my bottle at an aide station and climbing the biggest hill on the course slowed my pace for a bit for that mile.  I managed to get back on pace and enjoyed seeing all the fast people coming back towards me as they had already hit the turn around on the out-and-back course.  Miles 9, 10, and 11 were my slowest of the race as I could feel myself getting mentally tired.  I walked through the aide stations at mile 8 and 11, taking Gatorade at the second one.  I am starting to think that the Gatorade hit me like magic fuel because my pace dropped back to my 9:00 range for the final 2 miles.  Like a horse to the barn!

I found Ninja a mile before the finish! (pic: Ninja)

The crowds were pretty sparse, as I expected, but I was surprised to see Ninja standing on the bridge somewhere around mile 12.  He had been crewing our friend Baha at Rocky Raccoon 100 in Huntsville and drove straight back to see Fiona finish her race.  I also encountered Julie a little bit earlier and had to will myself to keep moving forward and not stop to talk to her.  It is amazing how much better I feel when I know that the finish line is less than a mile away.  I passed the 2 hour pace group about a half mile from the finish, they ended up finishing right at 2:00 but it was clear that they slowed down a bit in the final miles.

It is also amazing how seeing the faces of friends can give you an extra boost.  First I saw Cherry and Rick just before entering Norbuck park and then I saw Erin as she approached them.  Home stretch, baby!  I glanced at my watch and knew that I would need to hustle a bit to make it in under 2:00 so I picked it up for the last 200 meters or so and came in at 1:59:10.  I was reminded that half marathons are not easy and I felt so happy to have number 49 in the books with a sub 2:00 finish.

Post race with Fi (pic: Ninja)

When I checked my race results, I was pleased with my splits: 28:01 for the 1st 5K, 27:53 for the 2nd 5K, and I moved up 25 places. I felt as if I had met my goals for the day and that I was just where I needed to be going into half number 50 at Cowtown on March 1.  I was also happy to see that I finished 9th out of 40 in my new 40-44 age group and 92nd out of 316 overall - a top 10 and top 100 finish is always a good thing.  Imagine my dismay when I looked the 35-39 age group that I had just left and saw that I would have had a solid 3rd place.  Seriously?  I missed it by 2 weeks!  Lesson: 40 year olds are no joke.

Sometimes you get a snowflake medal when it is 60 degrees outside.

The winds had picked up and the cold front was starting to move in so we did not linger long after the race.  Besides, Taco Joint was nearby and the draw of warm and delicious food was strong.  Not a bad little Sunday morning, not bad at all.

Cowtown Half Marathon: Earning My Spurs





There are some races that just standout as "favorites" on the run calendar.  The Cowtown Half is certainly one of those.  This was my sixth time to run the Cowtown Half (insert "where has time gone" cliche here) and many of those years have brought stories.  Remember the first year with the freezing cold, high winds, and ridiculous hip pain?  What about the year that I kicked Mr K out of the car on the highway as we were stuck in the worst traffic ever? Always a grand adventure in the Town of the Cow.

Coming soon to a Half Ironman near you: The TriBesties

I had no real time goals coming into this race and I have been trying to approach half marathons with a more natural, laid back attitude.  I have taken to starting my watch then never looking at it again, letting the legs do what they want to do on that day.  I have had some really good races since I started this approach last year in Oklahoma City and I plan to continue it.  Wouldn't you know it, we trained during some of the coldest weather that North Texas has seen in years....and race day dawned warm and humid.  Humidity is no friend of mine and I have had some absolutely horrid experiences on days like this one.  In the past I chose to ignore the weather and push hard in the first ten miles of the race, only to blow up and hate life in the later miles.  This has happened at least three times in recent memory and each time I end up with a time just over two hours.  This time I made an effort to keep the pace more conservative in the beginning in order to have a more pleasant experience.

Team K (Pic: Mama C)

I really enjoy this course despite the added challenge of the hills, the organizers do a terrific time showing off the best parts of Fort Worth.  My favorite section comes just before mile 7 as we run through the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.  The most infamous hill comes around mile 9 as we climb the Main Street bridge leading into my other favorite part of the race - Sundance Square.  The worst part of the Main Street hill is that you can see it coming for more than a half of a mile.  The best part of that hill is that there is always a frunner or two at the top to cheer you on.  I have found that it is best to count the lamp posts on this hill rather than looking at the whole thing all at once.  I started at a fairly conservative pace, but decided that I had more in the tank and felt pretty proud of myself as I passed several dudes on the way up.  As expected, Fred and Music Mary were waiting near the top. 

Passing the dudes on that hill (Pic: Music Mary)

The full marathoners and ultra marathoners split from us half marathoners around mile 10 and I sent all of my best energy to them at the split.  It was not an easy day to run a marathon, but they were getting it done.  As bad as the hill at mile 9 is, I think that the one around mile 11 might be worst.  It is far shorter and more steep and the mental energy is starting to wane by that part.  The good news is that there is a rocking downhill about a quarter mile later and I let it all go.  I don't care what anyone says, I LOVE running downhill.

Spoiler alert....I finished!

I was so focused on finishing strong that I almost missed the hot dog that was calling out my name.  Yep, you read that right.  TPG was dressed as a hot dog and was holding a picture of Kid President that read "you were born to be awesome." Did I notice my friend or the random hot dog?  Nope.  I only saw Kid President before realizing that someone was saying my name before realizing that it was my friend...dressed in a hot dog suit.  Race amnesia at its finest, y'all!

And all I saw was Kid President... (Pic: Mama C)

Shortly after that the race was done and I was pleased to see 1:58 on my watch.  I was so pleased to have a strong and consistent run in the humidity.  It was slower than I would have liked, but it sure beats blowing up at mile 10 and finishing the remaining miles in misery.  I was even more proud when I saw my pacing according to the race results: 5K - 9:06, 10K - 9:10, 11 mile - 9:08, Finish - 9:04. Looks like the hill repeats in the later miles of my long runs paid off!

Post Race With My Girls Marci and Mama C (Pic: Mama C)

The best part of Cowtown is the time spent with frunners at our traditional pre and post race hang outs.  While the weather was warm for running, it was perfect for enjoying some chicken fried bacon and a cold beer on a shady patio.  I enjoy the challenge that training and racing brings, but the thing that keeps me coming back for more is the friendships that I have made in the process. 

Another Great Day in The Town of the Cow (Pic: Mama C)

Ah Cowtown...So We Meet Again

If you have been following along you will know that Cowtown and I have a bit of a dysfunctional relationship. The first year I ran it was hip pain and in sub-freezing temps with a 25 mph wind, last year there was the amazingly bad traffic situation, and this year it was the heat and humidity. Yep, looks like we brought a little bit of Houston home with us after that last race. I could not believe it when I checked the weather at 4:15 am...66 degrees. I knew that it was going to be a tough day.

Erik and I were both pretty nervous on the way over to Fort Worth. We were both a little bit scarred from the worst race day traffic I have ever experienced. Cowtown had done many things to insure that the race would run more smoothly and this was evident when we were able to exit fairly easily and secure a close parking spot with little wait. Big sigh of relief right there!!

We did all of the usual pre-race mixing and mingling. It is really cool how many friends that I have made through running and how many of them I see at the race. I was wearing my new Lucky 13 Run Team shirt in that classic shade of Heels and Hills pink and I spotted Paula and several other new friends in that same shade of pink. It is going to be so much fun to represent at future races!

Erik was running his 3rd marathon and my job was to pace him through the first 10.5 miles--until the marathon and half marathon courses split from each other. He has a history of starting marathons way too fast and I was thrilled to be able to help him have a strong marathon finish. We moved back to the 3rd corral (we were assigned to the 2nd) and placed ourselves between a couple of pace groups. The start was delayed 10 minutes due to traffic (wonder if they did that last year...I was parking the car at the starting time!). It was nearly 70 degrees with humidity nearing 90% and a strong wind. Ready. Set. GO!

Erik and I both fought the urge to speed up as we ran the first 3 or 4 miles, but we both kept thinking about how much Erik would need that energy in the later stages of his race. We tried to hold a pace that is a minute per mile slower than our half marathon paces. Parts of the course were very pretty and I loved running down Exchange Street in the historic Stockyards. What a great way to showcase the city's sights! We were having a great time, running an easier pace, and talking to other people who were running near us. And then came mile 9....oh that hill! It wasn't anything like that famous hill in the Austin Half, but it was no joke either--especially on a hot and humid day. We both buckled down and plowed up the hill and got it done. It really made me wonder how I survived Austin or Tyler and came out with a decent time. After that hill we made a turn and found ourselves in Sundance Square, another fun and scenic part of the race.

Before we knew it we were at the marathon split. I had such mixed feelings as I watched Erik continue on the marathon route. I was so proud of him for all of his hard work, worried about what would lie ahead of him, sad because our run together was finished, and happy that I had helped him come that far. It was time for me to focus on finishing up half marathon #21. I had plans to rock the final 5K after the races split, but found that I had a hard time picking up the pace as much as I wanted to. I'm not sure what was going on--maybe it was the heat, lack of hydration, or the fact that I had a few more rolling hills ahead of me. It might have been the relief that I wasn't trying to beat any of personal records, but I suspect that it is because my body had settled into a comfortable pace, my mile splits show that I was picking up speed with each mile until the end. I focused on passing people and had a steady run up to the end. I was hoping to get in before 2:10 as we had been behind the 2:10 pace group for most of the race. Mission accomplished: 2:08:33 was my final time. It was a tough day for running and I was so happy to be finished.
Here are our splits:
Mile 1 10:14
Mile 2 10:00
Mile 3 9:36
Mile 4 9:45
Mile 5 9:58
Mile 6 9:43
Mile 7 10:02
Mile 8 9:42
Mile 9 10:04 (not bad with that hill)
Mile 10 9:47
Mile 11 9:16
Mile 12 9:15
Mile 13 8:58
last .2 8:04
Average Pace 9:41

I consumed an entire bottle of water in a quick minute, collected my medal, and set about to find the food and finisher's shirts. I picked up my food in a cattle barn, my shirt in the poultry barn, and the bag check was in the swine barn....gotta love Fort Worth! There were many half marathon finishers hanging out in these common areas and I was happy to see even more friends--Michelle B. and Lucy this time. I took a few minutes to send some texts and to update Facebook and Twitter before going to the car to shed some of my running gear. I was ready to head to the finish line and cheer Erik on.

I dare you to stand at a marathon finish line for very long and NOT be inspired! It is such an experience to see all of the runners come across that line, some of them strong, some of them hobbled, but all of them with a huge sense of accomplishment. This might have been my favorite part of the day. There are so many stories there--I even saw a guy finish his 200th marathon and his wife finish #204 (you go girl!). I was also fortunate to see friends Ben and Liza finish and then Erik himself. I was so happy to see him upright and even managing a smile...always a relief! He had just finished marathon #3, I'm so proud of him! I found my first experience pacing someone to be highly rewarding. I am honored that Erik gave me that opportunity and it was so nice to give back to someone who gives so much to me.


Hungry runners!

We met up with Ben, Liza, Vi, and Kylee and decided to head over to Jake's for some postrace burgers. Lunch was spent discussing the many thoughts and feelings that everyone had as they tackled those tough running conditions.

I am happy to collect the 3rd wedge of my star--a 5 year medal series started by The Cowtown back in 2009. It is great to see that medal finally coming together and I am going to have some great stories to tell. Only 2 wedges remain....what will they be...more half marathons, a full marathon, an ultra marathon? Only time will tell!

A Glance At Things To Come

Hello to everyone out there in the Blog-O-Sphere! I can't believe that it has been two weeks since I have done any blogging. I have been swamped with the typical end-of-the-school-year stuff and with all of the fun things going on outside of work. It is a good thing, but wow--the days just fly by with such a quickness.

Running has become more challenging as of late because of the impending summer heat. The humidity has been super high (91% this morning) which makes me feel like I am fighting for every breath. Erik and I had a particularly challenging run this morning and even had to pause for a short walk break (YIKES!). It is all a part of the acclimation process, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it.

Here are some things that you can look forward to reading about here in this blog: a beginner's edition, a report on the upcoming Memorial Day 20K, the unveiling of some big summer goals, tips on dealing with the summer heat, and a shameless plug for my wind ensemble concert (Sunday, June 20, 7:30 pm, Meyerson Symphony Center...be there!)

Hopefully I will be back to weekly blogs as soon as the dust settles!