Granville Winter Run 15 mile race recap

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog that was never published... I just wasn't "feeling" it.  It was a preview for the Granville Winter Run--the 15 mile race I competed in yesterday.  Here is the goal-setting portion of that blog, just for your reference...

"I've toyed around with how I want to treat the race this year.  Do I want to try to crush it?  Run it easy?  Make it a training run?  So many choices!  I think I've finally decided that I am going to run it like a harder training run.  I don't want to spend a few days recovering from the race, not with marathon training going on, so running the 15 miles at half-marathon pace isn't in the cards.  My goal for my long runs this training cycle has been to keep them at a 9:15-9:30 pace.  I've done a pretty good job at that.  My time in the race last year was a 2:16 (9:00/mile pace).  So, I am thinking I would like to have an average pace of 8:45/mile.  That would give me a nice hefty PR of close to 4 minutes.  I want to run it in a similar fashion to last year, with the first loop being easy but strong, and the second loop a bit faster.  I'd love to get some marathon-pace miles (8:20/mile is the goal) for the second loop. I'm actually wondering how I will fair.  I know that I am stronger both mentally and physically, and faster than I was a year ago, but I have not been training on the hills like I did last winter.  My half marathon and marathon are very flat courses, and since those are my big goals (not this race), I haven't wanted to risk injury by doing hill repeats like I used to."

As you can see, I had honestly no idea what to expect from this race.  Up until a day or two beforehand, I wasn't even sure I was going to run in it at all!  The forecast called for sub-zero wind chills all day, and I just didn't know if I had it in me to do 15 miles in those kind of conditions.  I've ran in colder, but not for 15 miles, and not on such a crazy-hilly course.  I mean, seriously, look at this elevation map.

Definitely not what I'm used to!

For central Ohio, those are some serious hills.  We don't call where we live "Flat-lumbus" for no reason!  So I had given serious consideration to skipping this race, running 16 miles the day before (in better conditions and on flatter ground).. or even doing 16 on the treadmill instead.  (Now THAT is a scary thought!) Obviously I decided to race, or I wouldn't be penning this blog.  As an aside, my blog had 22 hits on the day of the race.  I think I might have a few fans who are awaiting this post?  That makes me happy :)

Onto the race, then!  Last year, my friend Jen (who has done FIVE of these runs) drove us to the race, but this year she is in the midst of training for an ultramarathon and this little race just didn't fit into her schedule.  I had planned on driving by myself, but I was elated when my cousin Katie offered to come along with me.  The race is only 30 minutes away, but it was so nice to have her along with me.  Katie is an up-and-coming runner herself, and we have so much fun talking about racing and goals and such together.  The trip went by very quickly and we arrived at the school where the race would start about 50 minutes before go time.  I was a bit worried upon our arrival, as the roads didn't seen too wonderful (we had a couple of inches of snow yesterday and tons of wind gusts, and I was worried about slick spots).  Fortunately my concerns were all for naught, as the roads were actually almost 100% clear.

Several of the mamas in my local chapter of Moms Run This Town were competing in today's race (either the 7.5 miler or the 15 miler) as well.  It was great to have the school cafeteria to chill in before the race began.  Indoor bathrooms were also a huge plus!  I think I hit my pre-race eating and hydration spot-on... breakfast was a banana, eggs and toast at around 9 AM, and at around 11 I had another banana and a PB&J sandwich.  I drank about 50 oz. of water prior to the race, stopping at noon so that I wouldn't have to make a pit stop during the race. It was comical watching us all starting to get ready for the race at around 12:40 PM. We all had on our base layers and a couple other layers on top and bottom, plus head gators or balaclavas, hats, ear warmers, sunglasses, two layers of gloves/mittens, hand warmers, and then of course Vaseline on the face... such a production!  We giggled that the elementary school boys who were warming up for their basketball game being held at the school probably thought we were crazy.

Lisa, Jackie and I before the race.  We are so cool!

At around 12:55, everyone paraded outside.  The race actually started about 8 minutes late, which was quite annoying, but I honestly felt pretty warm while we waited.  I myself had on the following articles of clothing, for those who are interested: Craft base layer top, Fila fleece top, Fila running jacket, Brooks fleece lined shorts, Target C9 fleece pants, Reebok tights, ProCompression running socks, Swiftwick socks, two pairs of Mizuno thermal gloves (with a hand warmer sandwiched between each), a Bondiband (mostly to hold in my headphones), a Maxit headgator, Target C9 beanie cap, my hubby's sports sunglasses, and my Fitletic hydration belt with handwarmers in each bottle pocket (to avoid water freeze) as well as in the front pocket (to avoid GU freeze).  I was happy to see my speedy friend Kate at the start--she had decided to do the 7.5-mile race, so I knew I wouldn't be running with her, but it was still great to get a pre-race hug in!

You can see what a small race this is... we're waiting at the start.

Without too much fanfare, the race began, and we were all off!  Honestly, it was a very, very small race. A total of 80 runners in the 7.5-miler, and only 30 in the 15 miler.  I love smaller races, honestly, but this one was almost comical.  Within the first mile, I realized my race wasn't exactly going as planned. I was going too fast, and I couldn't slow down.  Sometimes that happens to me, but usually I'm good at controlling pace. Not today.  Even worse, my legs didn't feel so hot.  They felt heavy, almost leaden... I told myself that was from not truly resting at all for this race, and that they'd warm up eventually.  I was also very very annoyed with my whole head gator/sunglasses set-up.  Every time I pulled my gator over my mouth to protect myself from the wind, my breath would go up and fog up the sunglasses. I almost threw them to the side of the road about 30 times during the first 2 miles.  It was REALLY sunny, though, and the snow made it even worse, so I'm glad I didn't.

The course starts with a few smallish hills just before the first mile marker, but the net elevation is mostly downhill until mile 3, when the true hills begin.  Coincidentally, mile 3 was my slowest mile of the race.  Either you're climbing a hill, or your running into a headwind.  So fun... NOT.  Most of the runners agreed when we talked after the race that the first part of the course is much harder than the ginormous hills in the latter half, due mainly to the wind.  Miles 3.8-5.2 offer a wonderful respite from both the wind and the hills.  I love this part of the race.  We ran by a farm and the cows were a nice diversion as well.  A diversion was what I needed, to be sure... I felt my right foot starting to fall asleep at around mile 4.  I had thought I was safe as typically this happens shortly after mile 3 if it's going to happen.  Not this time... even with my preventative efforts (deep pressure and calf raises pre-race, toe wiggles during race), the numbness was setting in.  Thankfully, it didn't take over my entire foot like it usually does, and I was able to run through it without too much of a problem.  

I took my first GU at mile 5, just as planned.  My water bottle cap had already frozen, however--something I had NOT planned.  I was able to get it unthawed by sucking on it for a minute so I could wash down my GU, but I realized I would need a plan B for the remainder of the race.  It was also at this time that I felt something hitting my bib (which was pinned to my left thigh).  I looked down and saw my iPod Shuffle hitting my bib.  It had come detached from my waistband, ugh!  I grabbed it and tucked it into my pants, at the same time losing my gum, double ugh!  I have become a true gum-chewer whenever I run, and I was so annoyed to see my gum fall to the ground.  I looked up to see that I couldn't dwell on this misfortune, as the next round of hills had arrived.  These were the "big ones"... 125 feet of elevation rise over 1.25 miles (from mile 5.25 to mile 6.5).  I used a trick my friend Andrea had taught me--never look at the top of the hill; always focus on a spot about 10 feet in front of you.  This worked very well for me, and I was actually surprised by how well I handled each hill.  The final mile of the first loop is virtually all downhill, and you can see the school the entire way down.  It's hard to control yourself on downhills, but I felt like I did a good job just flowing and not really pushing the pace.  Just before we got to the school I struck up a conversation with a few runners who had been ahead of me most of the race.  Sadly, none were going 15 miles.  I hate running alone, and had hoped to make a friend or two on the course.  These peeps were very nice though, telling me how awesome I was to be doing 15 on a day like today.

I was super-excited when we approached the finish (for the 7.5 milers at least) and I saw Kate at her car. I yelled her name and she ran over and started to run next to me.  Meanwhile, I crossed the halfway point at 1:05:21, and set a mental goal of going sub-2:10 for this race.  Prior to the race, I would've been quite happy with a 2:12, but I realized that I had taken the race out quickly enough that I could actually go sub-2:10.  Kate stayed with me for about a half-mile--this was the most fun part of the race! We have only ran together a couple of times but I've known her for much longer as she's my little sister's pal.  She actually WON the women's 7.5-mile race, so her legs were very tired and she was ready to head home.  It was still great to even get a little running in with her, though. 

You can see how happy I was to run with Kate, even for just a half-mile!

After she left me, a man ran up next to me.  He had also raced the 7.5 miler but had decided to go ahead and keep going and do a few more miles (at a much easier pace, for him at least).  We chatted for a minute and he went on ahead of me.  I was very, VERY alone.  I didn't see another runner for what seemed like miles.  It was sweet that every few minutes the man would look back to make sure I was still there.  I fueled for the second time at mile 9.8, right before a water stop.  I'd had it with my water bottles by that point, and decided just to walk for 10 seconds and suck down a cup of water as quickly as I could after I took my GU.  I felt invigorated after this "rest", and tackled the remaining "little" hills. 

I was happy to get to the "lollipop" part of the race at mile 10.5, when I knew that 1) I'd be almost out of the wind and 2) I'd hopefully see some familiar faces.  #2 happened before #1, and I high-fived Jackie and Lisa, who were both a few minutes ahead of me.  When I turned around and headed back to the loop, I only saw two other runners behind me.  I knew that most of the runners had dropped out of the 15 miler, but I didn't realize how few were actually participating.  The road stretched very long ahead of me, but thankfully I was in the "good part" again--wind-less and flat.  I was able to push my pace a bit here, but still felt very much in control of the race.  I also grabbed another cup of water at mile 12.5 and took a quick walk break to down it.

I continued to feel very good heading in the final round of hills.  I kept wondering if I would see anyone else, and was pumped when I caught sight of two runners about quarter-mile or so ahead of me on the hills.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised with how good I felt on these hills. I could feel my glutes engaging, and my core felt strong.  That being said, I was super happy to reach the crest of the final hill at mile 14!  I was ready for this race to be over.  My final mile was the only one that was sub-8-minutes for the race (and seeing as it was mostly downhill, that makes sense!), and I was able to sprint into the finish to the cheers of... a few ;)  My cousin Katie and my friend Jackie were there yelling loudy as I crossed the timing pad in a time of 2:08:57, and I saw Lisa there as well; she had just finished her own race. 

Powering into the finish :)

I was exhausted and couldn't even take the mug from the volunteer that I'd earned for my finish (I was so afraid I'd drop it!), so I had Katie get it for me. We all headed into the school for some delicious hot chocolate in our awesome mugs, and of course post-race pictures.  

Some of the awesome mamas who braved the elements to race!

All in all, I am incredibly pleased with how this race turned out. I crushed my time goal and PR'ed from last year by almost 8 minutes, with an average pace of 8:32/mile for 15.11 miles.  I negative split the two loops (1:05:21 and 1:03:36).  

Half-Marathon split was a 1:52:24 (about 6 minutes faster than last year)

I didn't over-extend myself during any part of the race--well, except for maybe the first mile, when I got a bit carried away with the other racers.  And, of course, I got my mug :)

#letmetakeaselfie with my mug!

This race gives me a great feeling about my half next month in Virginia Beach.  Mile 12 when I was holding an 8:15 pace felt very controlled and easy.  I can only pray it's that way in two months when I'm racing a marathon in Toledo with that as my goal pace!

That was then... this is now

I don't typically blog about my training runs.  I obviously train a heck of a lot more than I race, but training runs... well, they're just that.  Training.  I love them more than racing, as I know I've mentioned in the past, mostly because I do 98% of these runs with friends.  I am such a social runner; my training partners will vouch for the fact that I seldom am quiet for more than 10 seconds during our runs together.  That's one reason I think why the Columbus Marathon was so hard for me this past fall--I had no one to talk to!

The Columbus, OH chapter of Moms Run This Town (MRTT) February group run... over 100 strong!
Love these group runs... so many choices of running friends! :)

When I laid out my training plan for this winter, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to adhere to the schedule that I created.  No extra runs "just for the fun of it".  No skipping speed work or tempo runs to join my buddies for an easy romp.  No going too fast on my long runs.  Each run needed to have a purpose, since I would only be running 4 times per week.  (Note: I say "only" because many of my friends run 5-6, even 7 times per week.  I know that 4 times is a LOT to non-runners, but most marathoners do typically run 5 times a week.  I have realized that when I add in this fifth day, injuries creep up on me... therefore, I need to stick to 4). 

With my early-season training hiccup (that pesky mild calf strain) behind me, I attacked January with a vengeance upon my return.  Okay, not really.  I gradually built up my miles, just like I was supposed to do, adding in some quicker miles as my calf proved that it could handle it.  I began with some progressive runs, and did a tempo run (a few miles at 10K pace) a few weeks ago with my speedy friends Allison and Meggie.  I felt great during the run itself, but later that day and the next, my calves were screaming not-so-nice words at me.  A friend who is much more knowledgeable about running than I am mentioned that she does her speed work on the treadmill in these bitterly cold months, as it's almost impossible to warm up enough outside to get in good speed work (especially during the pre-dawn hours when I do my running).  Her words struck a chord with me.  I took off a week from speed work when my calves and then my Achilles continued to express their displeasure with me, but I knew this week that I needed to get back to it.  I've got some big plans for this half marathon in March, and I know that the tempo run is one of the most important workouts for half marathon fitness.  I decided that I would start hitting the treadmill for my tempo and interval runs until the weather takes a turn for the better (meaning, above single-digit temperatures!).  

Yesterday, a few of my favorite running partners were making plans in one of our Facebook message groups for this morning's run: an easy 5-miler in a neighborhood not too far from my house.  

Who wouldn't want to run with such awesome peeps?!!

Marcie, a voice whispered in my head.  You should join them!  You haven't ran with Carolyn in weeks!

But it's speed work day tomorrow! another voice whispered.  You haven't done speed work in two weeks, and the week is almost over.  

So what?  You almost got your BQ in October without doing very much speed work at all this past summer, the first voice retorted.

Almost, the second  voice replied with just a touch of sarcasm. Exactly.  Almost.  

You'll have more fun with the girls, the first voice whined.  Treadmills are boring, and tempo runs are hard.  

The second voice didn't have anything to say to that.  Because the first voice was right.  Treadmills ARE boring.  And tempo runs ARE hard.  But I had decided back when I set my goals for this spring that I needed see if truly following a training plan would make the 5-minute difference between qualifying for Boston this spring and failing to qualify this past fall.  If I started to skip my tempo runs just to hang out with my girls and run a comfortable pace, I knew that I would be asking myself come March (for my half) and April (for my full) if I truly had given it my all.  And I knew that both voices would have the same answer for me: no.

The Marcie-of-last-summer would have ran with her friends at a 10-minute/mile pace in the bitter cold this morning and loved every second of it.  The Marcie-of-this-winter woke up at 4:30 AM and was waiting at the door when the gym opened at 5:00 to jump on a treadmill.  The Marcie-of-last-summer would have been afraid of the prescribed run--1 mile warm-up, 4 miles at tempo pace (7:47/mile), 1 mile cool-down.  She would have psyched herself out and either shortened the length or slowed down the pace.  The Marcie-of-this-winter ran her goal pace with ease and actually contemplated running an extra mile at tempo pace, or even quickening the pace for the final mile--something that the Marcie-of-last-summer would surely do if she was feeling as awesome as I was feeling this morning.  Not the Marcie-of-this-winter... she is all too aware of what her body does when she pushes the envelope too much.  4 tempo miles at a pace that would be a dream-come-true in six weeks at my half-marathon is more than enough right now.  

Running is still one of my most favorite things in the world to do, and I love my social runs with my besties.  I have my eye on the prize right now, though, and I'm going to do all in my power to reach it.  And I know that my friends will be there to celebrate with me when I do.