DRC Half: #tradition

Once upon a time I did something that felt really bold and brave and I signed up for a half marathon. I had been running for a few months and I was enjoying the challenge that it brought, but I wanted more.  I also wanted a pretty, shiny medal with the number 13.1 on it too, but I digress.  I was familiar with the Dallas Running Club (DRC) Half because, randomly enough, I volunteered at it about five years prior.  I remember handing out water that day and thinking that those runners were so cool and so impressive.  I never thought that I would be one of them, but I sure did admire them for their determination and discipline.  So when it came time to pick my first half marathon, DRC Half was a natural choice.  I have not missed a race day since that first one in 2008, it is a highlight on my fall racing calendar.

I was super excited with DRC Half weekend rolled around because I really love the event, but I was not sure to expect from my running.  I have been training by heart rate and time versus pace since I started my half ironman training back in June.  I felt strong, but I didn't know how fast I could realistically expect to run.  My last half marathon was at Redman 70.3 and was so darned hard that it left me feeling like I was a terrible runner.  I was hoping for a positive experience to erase that little bit of self doubt.  I decided to run this one largely by feel, aim for negative splits, and use this as a base for the other half marathons coming up this winter.  Simple enough, right?

Mile 6ish Aide Station (Photo: RunOn!)

Because this race was on November 1, I had to be aware of the amount of Halloween candy that I shoveled down my pie hole the night before.  I have an incredible sweet tooth and usually let myself eat whatever I want on Halloween, but I knew that a belly full of chocolate and sugar would not make for good racing fuel.  Mr K and I enjoyed the extra hour of sleep granted to us by the end of Daylight Saving Time (the famous fall back) as we had to head out extra early to allow time for the shuttle to Norbuck Park at White Rock Lake.  We arrived in plenty of time to check our bags and visit with friends.  The temperature was not bad at 60 degrees and there was no sun, but the humidity was quite high.  It was still better than the heat that we trained in all summer so I was not about to complain.  

It was time to line up in the corrals, listen to the Anthem, and hear my favorite pre-race declaration: "We are the Dallas Running Club, and today we run!"  The race was on!  The first couple of miles felt great, like a pace that I could run all day, and I was surprised to see them come in at 9:04 and 9:02 on my watch.  Perfect pacing to run it in under 2 hours, which is always a goal for me in a half marathon.  I just worked hard to keep it nice and steady for a while just like my race plan called for.  I felt like I needed to pee for most of this race and considered ducking into a restroom, but there were always lines and I didn't want to invest that much time so I just tried to put it out of my mind and kept on moving.

It is always great to see Elaine's big smile! (Photo: Elaine)

I really enjoy this course because when we leave the lake and go into the beautiful Lakewood neighborhood and there are always people out in their yards cheering us on.  They have rerouted the course in recent years and it isn't as hilly as it used to be, but these miles are where most of the hills are.  It was somewhere around mile 5 that I saw Mark L and his son Cairo volunteering as course guides.  Mark has spent the better part of this year dealing with an injury and I had to smile when he showed me his shirt that said "not running sucks!" It sure does, Mark, and we sure do miss your energy out on the course with us.  Hope to see you running again soon!

I made it to the timing mat at the halfway point in 1:00:18 - I was executing my race plan well!  Now if I could only negative split the second half then I would have my much desired sub-2:00 time.  Just after the mat I spotted Mel volunteering as a course guide.  She called out to me, asking if I had Flat Eli with me (lost a bet, long story).  I had to laugh and tell her that I left that guy at home, she agreed that was a good thing.  If you have to lose a football bet, you might as well do it with humor, right?

Clever Mr K seeking shelter from the rain 

We approached the veloway I knew that it was an opportunity to pick up the pace for a mile before the dreaded hill by the spillway.  At this point I started to notice the people ahead of me and I keyed in on a few random runners that I would like to pick off before the end of the race.  I find it helps to have a goal like that in the later miles as things can get a little bit tedious.  We made it back to White Rock Lake around mile 9 - which is both good and bad.  Good because I feel like I know every inch of that lake...and bad because I feel like I know every inch of that lake - including just how far it still was to the finish line.

Mile 10 came along and I knew that it was time to start inching down to a faster pace.  I felt really good at this point and my heart rate was staying nice and steady.  My splits had been very even and were trending negative, which always makes me smile.  Maybe I don't suck at running after all!  The best aide station of the day had to be the Dallas Dirt Runners (I think that I got their name right) and this is where I found Karen Baha.  I love seeing my people along the way!  They were blaring "Never Gonna Give You Up" and they were dancing their tails off.  As I left the aide station I saw signs that said "you've just been Rick Rolled." Well played, Dirt Runners, simply brilliant.

I was able to to keep dropping the pace going from 9:04 in mile 10, to 8:51 for mile 11, and 8:49 for mile 12...but things were about to get really interesting.  Somewhere just past the 12 mile marker I spied my friend Stude (aka Sheriff).  Stude does many things well, but he is really good at finding his friends in the closing miles of a race and pushing running them into the finish.  I think that part of my mind said "oh good, Stude!" and the other part said "oh sh!t, Stude!" He hopped in next to me and things really got going from there.  I was huffing and puffing and just trying to keep up and Sheriff was doing his best to encourage me.

Sheriff smiles while I suffer (Pic: Mark O)

Just 800 meters to go now....I'm not sure that a half a mile ever seemed so long.  I was truly dumbfounded when my watch chimed and displayed 7:58 for mile 13.  That might very well be the fastest 13th mile that I have ever run.  Remember the runners ahead of me that I was targeting? I dropped them like a bad habit! Stude told me to keep on pushing and then he peeled off right before the finisher's chute.  I'm not sure how I did it, but I did indeed keep on pushing and managed a 7:26 for the final fraction of a mile.  I ran the second half in 58:07 for a total time of 1:58:25 - my goal for a sub 2:00 race with negative splits had been met.  Turns out it was the fastest half of the five I've run in 2015. What a wonderful feeling!

Fake it until you make it! (Photo: Stude)

I collected my beautiful medal, part of a six years series portraying landmarks on White Rock Lake, and my cap - this race always has some nice swag!  Mr K and I devoured some post race food (hello In n Out Burger!) and then spent some time with friends in the beer garden (hello Lakewood Brewing!).  The sun never came out and it even rained on us a little bit, but it did not dampen our spirits.  I love the post race atmosphere at the DRC Half!

Hanging with new friends Chris, Sandie, and Dory (Photo: Stude)

This race did a great deal for my running confidence.  It marks a great starting place for the winter running months and upcoming half marathons.  I've already got a few target races marked on my calendar and I'm ready to get to work.  It is running season, y'all!

Liberty 5K: My Running Thanksgiving

In the words of the great Ferris Bueller: Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. I try to make a conscious effort to take a moment and acknowledge milestones along the way, just because I don't want to miss a thing.  One of my favorites happens to occur each year on Independence Day.  On July 4, 2008 I ran in my very first race ever - the Liberty by the Lake 5K.  I was such a rookie that day - wearing my cotton race shirt and aspiring to finish the whole race without walking.  It was tough, but I finished in 34 minutes and I felt so darned proud of myself!  I made it a plan to always run this race because it was in my own town and because it marked my Runnerversary.

Pre Race with the newest frunner, Baby P (photo: Mama C)

As I look back over the past several years, I certainly consider this a life changing event.  Fast forward to 2011 and yet another tradition is born: the waffle party.  The idea was born as a group of us frunners were standing around after a trail run, trying to decide when we could get together next. A plan emerged: run the race then come on over to our place and Mr K would serve up delicious waffles and bacon (so much bacon).  Life, Liberty, and Waffles is a highlight on our summer calendar and I have defined it as my "Running Thanksgiving" as it gives me a chance to look around at all of the frunner faces filling my home.

The Host With The Most - Mr Sir

I was not feeling super ambitious about the race itself.  I had run it really well the last two years as I was already a couple of weeks into marathon training at that point and had been doing consistent speedwork.  I ran over 100 miles in June, but not many of them were speed specific.  I had slipped into the "summer is a real son of a gun in Texas and I just need to survive the miles without worrying about speed" mode.  I was more concerned with getting my long run miles in for El Scorcho 25K the following weekend.  When the starting gun sounded, I made a deal with myself to simply run hard the entire way. I think that 5Ks are so hard and I don't race them very often, give me a half marathon any day!  Yet every time I run one, I think "wow, these are so good for me - I should be running more of them." I might have started a little too far back as I had to navigate around many slower people in the first half mile or so, but I also felt like it helped me to not go out too fast.  Things started to settle in more during the second mile, I tried not to think about how much further I had to go.  The third mile of a 5K is such an impossible spot and I tried to keep on pushing through.  I could feel my will and energy lagging a bit, especially when I turned the corner near just before the 3 mile marker and saw the false flat heading back into the park.  Of course, it felt like a mountain at that point!  One final push to the finish and thank heavens that was done!

A few of us before the race - it was impossible to gather everyone! (photo: Mark O)

According to my watch, the mile splits were: 8:28, 8:02, 8:27 - not as consistent as I would like, but certainly some of the fastest miles that I have run all summer. My time was 26:30 - 4th in my age group and 36th amongst women.  I felt especially proud of my age group finish when I heard that it was a record setting crowd for the race with 1,500 runners.

We all cheered for Drum as she picked up her award - she was third overall female and scored a sweet PR for herself.  Who PRs in July?! Her hard work is paying off. The run itself was only a small part of the day.  We all headed back to the house for the feast of waffles and bacon - so much bacon. It really is such an honor to have so many friends in our home and I hope that it is a tradition that we can carry on for many years to come.

Bringing in 2014 -- Donkey Style

Ever since we ran a half marathon on 1/1/11, Mr K and I have started New Year's Day on an active note: 2012 brought the second day of back-to-back half marathons at the New Year's Double and 2013 had us running the New Year's 5 Mile. This year we joined a group of Frunners on wheels and hit the open roads for a little spin on our Donkey Ride route.

Layers? We got 'em! (Photo: That Pink Girl)

I'll have to admit, I was quite apprehensive when I woke up and saw the weather on New Year's Day. Forty degrees with 15 mph (and gusting higher) winds -- not especially bad for a regular day, but it sounded downright frigid for a bike ride. I have done very little cold weather riding and I just didn't know what to expect. Thank goodness for peer pressure! We layered up, loaded up the bikes and headed out to meet our friends.

 

Mary, Erin and I are ready to roll (photo: TPG)

The first few miles on the bike were quite "refreshing!" My fingers and toes went numb fairly quickly, but it wasn't as bad as I had feared. We headed over to Celebration Park, cowbells in our pockets, to cheer for the runners at the New Year's Double. I felt like I was part of a gang as we rolled up to the race site. Runners and cyclists don't always see eye to eye, you know. We were able to spot Stude, Matt Flo, Matt H, Beth, and Teal before we headed off on our way. I love spectathleting!!

We didn't let a little grass stop our cheering spirit! (Photo: TPG)

My hands warmed up quickly once the sun was fully shining on my black gloves leaving only my toes feeling numb. We made our first stop at the home of some very friendly dogs, some alpacas, and the famous donkeys. Unfortunately the donkeys were being quite lazy (cue bad jokes) and wouldn't come to the fence, but the puppies were more than happy to visit.

Mr K greets the donkeys (Photo: TPG)

Onward we went in search of our camel friend (it was Hump Day after all!) only to find him missing in action. His donkey friends were available and spent some time visiting us before we turned around and headed back to our cars. I'm so glad that I didn't chicken out -- a whole new world of winter cycling has opened up to me! A pair of toe covers and I will be ready to rock!



Happy 2014!! (Photo: TPG)

After we loaded up our bikes we went for our traditional New Year's lunch of dim sum. Three years in a row makes it a tradition, right? It is one of my favorite meals of the year, I love having everyone gathered around the big table sharing some delicious and unique food.

Delicious dim sum lunch!  (photo courtesy of Ninja)

They say that the way you spend New Years is the way you will spend the rest of the year. I hope this is true as I cannot think of a better way to spend my year: being active, enjoying the sunshine, surrounded by good friends, and feasting on delicious food.

My Happy Place

I was home from Arizona for exactly one minute 18 hours before I headed east to Nashville for our traditional Thanksgiving visit with Mr K's family.  Nashville is a beautiful city any time of the year, but I especially like visiting in the fall.  While we are usually too late for the peak of their fall colors, we catch the end of them and they are far more spectacular than the colors that we have here in North Texas.  Nashville is also home to one of my favorite places on earth, Percy Warner Park.  Mr K and I discovered the park a year ago and were instantly smitten with it.  The 11.2 mile Main Drive is quite a challenge for us flatlanders, it provides 1,500 feet of elevation gain and grades of 10-12%.  The Main Drive is know to locals at "the 11.2" and has been featured in Runner's World as a "runner's paradise."  Each mile is marked with a wooden post and color coded stripes (there are shortcuts off the 11.2 loop) courtesy of the Nashville Striders.  There are also some trails at the park, but we have not had the chance to explore them yet.  The Harpeth Hills website provides a narrative guide of the run and the famous Flying Monkey Marathon is held here the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  The marathon covers the 11.2 loop twice and then some--I am in awe of these brave runners.  What beasts!


The Stone Gate Entrance at Percy Warner Park

We were able to run together at Percy Warner twice during our trip--taking the short loop for a 5.3 mile Team K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning and then back again for the full 11.2 on Friday morning.  The weather was beautiful and cool both days and it felt like we had the park to ourselves at times.  Running those hills is quite humbling and I can't imagine how strong of a runner I could be if I lived there. Just when you think that you have made it to the top of a hill you turn the corner and it keeps on going!  The screaming downhills are fun, but must be handled with care. 

Mr K's face upon seeing the next hill

View from Mile 5--Iroquois Steeple Chase

I find that I have mixed feelings as I near the end of my 11-mile journey.  I am always a bit relieved as it is one of the toughest runs I will do all year, but I am also a little sad as Percy Warner Park is such a gem and my time there is always way too short.



Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2012

(As I was looking back at last year's pictures, I found that I had two nearly identical pictures taken a year apart.  Perhaps this is a new tradition too!)