Magically Appearing Fitness

I started working with my coach back in December. She had me do a lot of low RPE running and really not any speed work. Just endurance runs with the occasional strides. For a beginner, this is a lot harder than you might think. Run after run, I struggled to keep it slow and easy. Eventually, the runs migrated to a mix of RPE/Heart Rate based efforts. But, still the effort was low. 

Miles and miles of running but, I haven't noticed any difference in speed. However, in the last month or so, I've been nailing these low effort runs. Suddenly, coach said it might be time for another run test.

Really? I'm still slow. What is coach seeing that I'm not?

I nailed Sunday's run so, I decided to compare a similar run I did in December with Sunday's run. First, I looked at speed. December was a smidgeon faster -- well, that's disappointing. But, wait. My average HR on that December run was 160bpm. Whereas, my average HR on Sunday's run was 144 bpm! A WHOPPING 16bpm less! That's a complete HR Zone!

So, looks like it might be time for another Run Test -- gulp.

Can I get an Amen

Jumping for joy that I got to so some hill climbing in a less restrained way than a few weeks ago. On the training schedule for today was Hill Strength - Hallelujah!

But first, I was to do a little warm up. So, I decided to throw the bike in the car and drive out to the rural area about 20 minutes south. Grumpy declined to go with me thinking it was just too much work. In reality, getting past all that residential, traffic, and stop lights was FABULOUS.

My warm up was a nearly flat, non-stop, 35 minute ride into a headwind. It was interesting to note my speed as that is the speed I ride on the trainer. 

At the appointed time, I turned onto "the hill". The hill I chose is actually in the race I'll be doing in a few weeks. Don't be fooled. It was nicely shaded the whole way, but this hill is tough. There were a couple of points I started to wonder if I'd need to get out of the saddle.

Once I made it to the top, it was clear it wasn't the hill that coach had ask me to find. I decided to go down the back side of the hill and climb from that side which was more what I was supposed to do.

Finally, it was time to turnaround. I was ecstatic when I found that the wind had held direction. I was going to have a tail wind AND as light decline on the way back.

I really love riding hills. It's like communing with nature.

2012 San Francisco Divas Half Marathon Race Report

Finisher's Medal

This is a long time in the writing. I've been doing a lot of thinking about how I performed at the race. In particular, about how I have not yet been successful in not going out too fast, why, and what I can do to change that.

The Race

The Diva's San Francisco Half Marathon is a women's only, very pink race held in the baylands south of San Francisco. It starts at the Bayland park in Burlingame and follows the coast just past Coyote Point. Bayland park is across a small inlet from San Francisco airport.

SFO

I'm not overly fond of pink or women's only races. I have no problem with coed races as the guys are never where I am! But I chose the race because it was early in the season. I want I want to improve my running stamina and speed. You do that by running. I also have an outrageous goal of running a sub 2 hour half marathon some day (obviously not this year).

For early May, near SFO, I expected the weather to be cool and perfect for running. Instead, I was perfectly comfortable at 6:30 in a sleeveless top. It was going to be warm.

Plan was:
    First 3 miles steadily build
    Next 6 miles hold the pace
    Final 3.1 miles, try to build on the pace

Coach had said "[at the beginning of the race] let the whole race pass you".

After I warmed up I went to stand in the corrals. I had chosen the 11:00 - 12:00 corral as that's what I would come in at. As soon as I got there, my friend Molly came to with me good luck. Some how, I ended up moving up a corral or two to where another friend and Molly's aunt, Johanne was waiting. At that point, a bunch of Molly's friends including Meredith (who I was hoping to leap frog with) were there. Ok. No problem. I can still let the whole race pass me from here.

After waiting for what seemed like F-O-R-E-V-E-R and a downer of a Star Spangled Banner version, the race started.

Miles 0-3: The crowd started forward, slowly at first. Then, a little faster. Finally, starting to jog. Ok hold it here. The first 3 miles took us out of the park, through some industrial type area, and into Coyote Point. I was letting lots of people pass. But, when I looked at my watch, I was already at my mid-race pace. But I felt good. May be all that training had suddenly taken me from insufferably slow to just plain slow.... Look at me I can run!

Miles 3-6: By now we were in residential. Around mile 3, I breifly caught up with Meredith but, she was running faster than I should. No sooner did I slow down then I started to build again. At mile 4, my stomach started to slosh so, I skipped 1 planned gel. I continued off plan. I knew I shouldn't but still -- Look at me run!

Miles 6-9: The aide station at mile 6 was out of water and so was my 18 oz water bottle. They offered lime Gatorade but that's just crazy talk. I made it to the next aide station and grabbed 2 waters - I poured 1 into my water bottle and 1 I drank. This cost me some time and once I was behind on the water, I was playing catch up the rest of the race. I was also fading. Between the heat, lack of water, and going out to fast, fatigue was creeping in.

Miles 9-13: I continued the 2 water dance at each aide station for the rest of the race. I sacrificed the time at the aide station so I could hydrate trying to catch up. Starting at mile 9, the markers were all out of whack. Some miles matched my Garmin exactly and others were 1/4 mile off. At mile 10, we came back into Coyote Point and at mile 11 they turned the water hose on us -- IT FELT SO GOOD. Mile 12 marker took forever to appear. At this point I actually walked for a brief time. Finally, a crowd started to grow. There was a guy in a lemon suit who cheered us on.

The Finish: The crowd was pretty thick now. Some random guy said the finish line was just ahead -- oh, another 2 football fields ?????  Then there was the Tiara station - uh no thanks. Next, the Boa station - get that thing out of my way. Finally, a left turn and I was coming down the finish shoot. I tried to pick up as much speed as I had left.

PR 2:33:17

What I did right
Starting on the positive because really, this was a good race. I made one big mistake but, I'll get to that. I made some big adjustments that didn't pay off as much as I'd have like having to stop and add water to my water bottle so many times.

• Water - I took 2 cups of water at every aide station. Early on one was for drink the other for my neck/chest/back.Later on, 1 was for drink and the other I poured into my water bottle.
• Fueling - I followed the fueling plan minus 1 gel which was an adjustment to overpacing.
• Adjusting with the situation - When the aid station ran out of water switch to my sports drink early and then added extra water at the next aid stations.
• Clothes - I didn't over dress.
• Sunscreen - I covered everything when I dressed and again at the race site.

Why did I go out too fast?
So, my big mistake that I continue to make is to go out too fast. I have to ask Why. Why do I continue to go out too fast? What am  I feeling when I do it? Am I trying to sabatoge my performance? Do I not believe in myself?

This is what I came up with:

• Mayhem - For lack of a better description, is that feeling of finally getting to run. Letting loose. Don't worry about the heart monitor just race damn it!
• Lack of trust - Going out slowly in the beginning of a race means you need to trust that your body will be able to pickup in the end when you need it too.
• Being Unrealistic - I don't want to run what my training and past races show I run. I can run a 2:00 faster pace.. the pace I can run when I'm fresh and for a short distance.

What I'm going to do differently:
So how do I achieve discpline, trust, and pragmatism? I think it will be a one-step-in-front-of-the-other process.

• When there is a corral  system, line up at the pace line of my beginning speed. Yes, I let the race pass me in the beginning but, I didn't let it pass me enough.
• Lately, I've been having some success on the bike in holding back early. I'm examing what I'm thinking and feeling during the bike to understand how to build that trust into the run.
• I know my beginning pace, I need to hold that and let my heart rate naturally climb.
• Stop pushing in the early part of the run. Just let my heart rate naturally climb.
• Practice the system in training and the trust will grow.