Looking Back and Planning Ahead

Since yesterday marked the one year anniversary of breaking my leg, and as the year draws to a close, I thought a bit of reflection on the last 12 months was in order.

I started off the year relearning to how walk and eventually run, thanks to my fractured fibula. I focused on upper body and core strength until I was out of the boot, and then worked my way back up to running. First a comeback-5k, then a 10k until eventually I was back to running normal mileage and workouts. And let’s not forget the time some famous sister-runners tweeted at me!

This summer I fell in love with the trails and rolling hills of rural Vermont. A hot and muggy 5k on Middlebury’s xc course didn’t illustrate very well the shape I was in, but I’m still happy with the process over product. I can’t wait to go back next summer.

Also, in August I achieved a big goal of mine and joined the Oiselle volée team. I know I sound like a broken record, but I love their clothes and am honored to be sponsored by them. The sisterhood and motivation I’ve found in just a few short months of being on the team is incredible. I’m one lucky bird!

Autumn rolled around and with it came another season of coaching my girls cross country team. Despite a great group of talented and invested girls, they weren’t able to race up to the potential I knew they had, and so the season ended in some disappointment. Regardless of their results every week, my girls pushed me to be my best self and to be a good role model for them, and with that in mind I started PT on my aching hip (actually a psoas issue…who knew?!), took care of myself and raced my 4^th half marathon. I, too, didn’t quite achieve my goals but I’m proud of running a consistent race.

In the midst of the fall running, I was able to get into Boston a number of times and see Robyn! Now that she’s only about an hour’s drive from me, it’s been great seeing her more frequently and getting in some runs together. I also have acquired an embarrassing/impressive amount of Oiselle gear. My new favorite by far is the Lux Funnel Neck long sleeve. It’s so soft and the faux turtleneck offers just enough protection from the cold; it’s my go-to layering piece.  Here I am post-run at the gym, wearing as much Oiselle as possible and looking fly:

Rogas, big O burnout tank, lesko bra, and lux funnel neck

Recovery after a half marathon can be physically and emotionally hard, I’ve found, but this year I was determined not to let myself slack too much so I signed up for a local turkey trot. Unlike Robyn who killed it at her turkey trot, I viewed my Thanksgiving day race as an opportunity to get in some quality miles before gorging myself that evening. I showed up, ran a 1 mile warm up, negative split the 5k, finished in 23:02 and left. My parents had politely requested to not wake up early and stand in the cold while I raced so I didn’t have anyone to take my picture in my Oiselle singlet. I did manage to snap one picture once I got back home and back into bed. Here’s my kitty, Reginald, and I keeping each other warm:

So what’s up for 2015? Who knows for sure, but I do have a few exciting things lined up. I’m lucky to have been selected as a Nuun Ambassador for 2015. I haven’t talked a lot about Nuun on here, but it’s a great hydration option for after workouts and everyday life. I have also signed up for an open indoor track meet on January 3^rd in Connecticut, where I’ll be racing the 3k. I’m hoping the adrenaline kicks in. Could I go sub-12:00?

Lastly, I’m going to run my first marathon! Guys, I’m really going to do it this time. I’ve already signed up for the Cox Providence Marathon on May 3^rd. A friend from work is running it as well, and bestie Jillian is running the half, so I’ll have some training partners and motivators. My next step is to decide what training plan I want to use. I know a lot of people have had success with Hal Higdon’s various plans, but I’m not sure if that’s the direction I want to go in. I also don’t think I’m up for making my own training plan, since this is my first full.  Feel free to leave suggestions of what has worked for you!

Happy holidays and Happy New Year. Thanks for reading our blog!

Rachel “big things acomin’ ” Runner

Race Recap: Seacoast Turkey Trot

Now that my family's running rank order is back in place (Kevin, Robyn, Mom, Dad), and with Kevin beating me by 2 minutes instead of 30 seconds, I'm feeling good about things. Although my 5K times over the last several months don't really reflect much of a change in my fitness, trust me, a lot has changed. I really don't mind that I keep hovering around 20:30 for 5K despite getting in better shape. There are a few reasons for that...

1. I feel good running! Sounds dumb, but I have not felt good running, lifting, walking, speedworking, or racing for months (a full year even?).
2. My asthma has returned to a manageable level.
3. I'm back on the track and starting to feel fast again. <3 track
4. I always always always plateau for ever and then have a huge breakthrough. Fingers crossed that's coming this indoor season.

I broke my 'sponsorship' rules and didn't wear anything LOCO at the turkey trot, opting for some classic Colby gear instead. Also, felt the strong urge to go ninja that morning. My actual race goal, no joke, was to run faster than Kat's marathon pace from Philadelphia. Which I probably would have done if the roads weren't so slick from the snowstorm, I was a few seconds too slow. Mad props/spirit fingers/snaps to her for keeping that up for 26.2; I'll stick with my 3.1 for now. Also, I'm not going to bother even recapping the Philadelphia marathon on here, if you know at least one runner from the New England area, you've definitely already heard all about the amazing feat accomplished by Dan Vassallo. I can't explain how incredible it was to be there and witness that race, surely will be one of my favorite running memories for years to come.
With that, I'm very thankful this year for having fast friends, of both the speedy and steadfast variety. (pun intended, gosh where do I come up with these things?)

Trotted my way to a decent time and a more than decent meal on Thursday.

Sincerely,
Robyn "wishing the water stops were gravy stops" Runner

P.S. Stay tuned for my post-collegiate track debut TBD at a December mini-meet at BU!

What happens when you don't think and just run: Newport Half Marathon

A proud Oiselle bird

A couple of weeks ago, I ran my fourth half marathon. I had almost everything going against me: a cold, hip issues, severe lack of sleep and colder weather. Because of all these factors, I abandoned my hopes and dreams of a new half marathon PR (that 1:35 keeps eluding me) and just decided to run what I could. This mentality ended up being quite liberating and I was able to really enjoy the run.

The race took us all around beautiful Newport, RI. We ran through neighborhoods of mansions and parks, by marinas and golf courses, and were treated with stunning views of the water for about half of the race. It was really windy but the day was nearly perfect, dry and cool, and as I took in all the scenery I wished I had my iPhone with me to capture the views. The beauty of the course helped to ease the pain in my legs as I pushed through.

As with most races, the first mile of the course was congested. Just a half mile in, I started to feel my hip hurt. A few days before the race I had been really worried that this would happen and even considered not running the race at all. In this moment, I thought about dropping out. I went through the first mile in 8:37, a good pace for a training run but not for a half marathon. I tried to pick it up a bit, and ended up dropping over a minute on my next mile: 7:28. I hovered around the 7:30s for the rest of the race, and once I forgot about my hip I felt really good. The course had just enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, and the hills really weren't that bad. I saw (and passed) a number of Oiselle birds, both Volée team members and some Flock members as well, and it was so exciting to have an instant bond with other runners. That's definitely one of the best parts of being a Oiselle bird now!

The rest of the race happened without incident. The hills got harder and I could feel my legs working. But I kept passing people and the thrill of moving up pushed me to keep at it. Once we hit mile 10, it was go time. I hadn't looked at the course map before so I had no idea where I was or what I had left. Ignorance is bliss, right? I kicked and even when I felt like I was letting up, I tried to maintain that kick. Luckily it was flat to down hill, and I was able to finish strong. I ran 1:41:37, and though it wasn't a PR, it was actually pretty close. I felt a good as one can feel racing and my splits were consistent. Aside from running my fastest half marathon time, I can't complain about my performance.

As soon as I crossed the line, my legs tightened up--a sign of a race well run. I looked at the marathoners who were only half way done and couldn't even imagine continuing to repeat what I had just run. Some day, for sure, but not this day.

Friends and colleagues

The week that followed was painful as well, and I wanted to take time off. On day 3, I wobbled down the stairs and stationary biked for 25 minutes. I had to talk to someone afterwards and hopped over to his office. I didn't even realize that my legs all of a sudden felt better, but getting them moving again and draining that built-up lactic acid was the key. I did mile repeats with my team the next day and have been running regularly since then. I'm still working with my PT to strengthen my legs and correct a number of imbalances that have appeared this year. I plan on running a turkey trot on Thanksgiving, so I've gotta get moving once again!

Indoor training, quada's, and a bad pun

I goo-PhD (goofed, get it?) and have not blogged in a while since starting my PhD has kept me extra busy. Well, I submitted my first grant application tonight, and so I'm back!

A lot has gone on in my life since the last time I wrote. Some good, some challenging. For the sake of optimism, I'll fill you in on mostly the good stuff! First, my lungs have made their 100% recovery from pneumonia based on lack of chest pain in recent races (and verified by an x-ray). Second, I've transitioned out of base building and have started speed work for indoor track season!

I would be greatly remiss if I did not share with you some pieces written about my aunt who battled pancreatic cancer. She was a tough cookie and we're gonna miss her. Now, every time I log a mile, half, quarter, quarter workout, you'll know I was digging deep for her inspiration.
Links:
Washington Times - Quada Quada bench
Coloradoan story

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My training plan for the year is going to focus a lot on longer speed. I think I tend to get sucked into doing shorter repeats and playing with less recovery, more repeats, ladders, etc. But to be perfectly honest with myself (and you) I was doing these last winter because they are easier for me. What I really need in order to get fast at the mile is to do the killer 800 workouts à la Deb 2009. A.K.A. attempt (and fail) to run 4 x 800m at 5 seconds faster than goal mile pace. Which means if I want to get to low 5:xx this season, I need to be able to do 800 repeats in about 2:30. Yeah, 2:30. Also known as the typical pace I used to race in any given mid-season 4x800. No big. So how am I going to go about getting down to that pace in workouts? Well, I'm going to stop shying away from longer repeats, meaning 1600,1200, 1000 is something I may have to face, and like it. And those ridiculously fun 200's? Those will be my reward when I'm in killer shape in 2-3 months. And 400's, those will be a tack-on if I'm feeling good that day.

On another topic, it's been a Colby-filled summer and autumn. Moving back to New England has been great and oh how I missed running with people! From meeting up with people over the summer, seeing a horde of mules at the extra rainy Open NE's at Franklin park, an epic 40mph wind track workout with Kat, to pacing some miles of the LOCO marathon with Kate, it's been so much fun. Really looking forward to more mule encounters coming up.

The matching outfits was unintentional, but maybe it was the key to our perfect 7:25 pacing for some Boston marathon qualifier hopefuls! (or it could have been our incessant chatting that kept the group distracted)

Until next time,
Robyn "track is back" Runner

Race Recap: Goodwin Forest Trail Race

Fun facts: It's been a month and half since I've posted on here (sorry) and alsooooo I'm racing a half marathon in 3 weeks.

My training has been going well so far but hasn't taken off like I was hoping it would. I've been enjoying my long runs, cross training, and doing strength work but I'm missing the crucial speed work that will allow me to run a good race. I would like to PR, and my goal is 1:35, but honestly I don't think that I'm in shape to run 7:15 per mile for 13 miles. In an effort to engage my fast twitch muscles, I signed up for a local 10k trail race.

Let me preface this by saying that I have never run a trail race before. I assumed it was like running cross country, and since I'm knee-deep into my team's cross country season, I was fired up. In fact, I borrowed back my college cross country spikes from my top runner so that I could fly through the trails. But fly I did not. The first mile was pretty flat but a little rocky and I was completely disheartened to see my watch beep at 7:57 for the first split. From there, the race just got worse. I had a blister on my heel that was rubbing annoyingly, the footing was hard and the trails were narrow. I wanted to go faster but I was afraid of falling. Those cross country spikes were actually not a good idea because although I could grip the humid ground well, my feet and ankles weren't supported. During the rougher patches, ankles were slightly rolled, paces slowed and many choice words were uttered. The race also was advertised as a 10k but even the website admitted it was only 5.8 miles. Once I hit 4 miles, I knew it was time to go. My hopes of finishing in any sort of respectable time had long flown the coop but I wanted to at least make up some ground. I saw that there was a woman behind me and if there's one thing I can't stand in races it's losing to people I shouldn't. I wanted some sort of female award (top female? 1st age group?) so instead of letting her overtake me, I focused on the hairy dude* in front of me and reeled him in.

*Sidenote: I think I'll need to do some more research, but I think trail runners are a different breed of human. Lots of crazy hair and too many hydration belts for my comfort level. I felt very out of place.

As I turned the corner and headed up the last quarter mile stretch of the path, one man who had already finished yelled at me that there was someone hot on my tail. I was still frustrated with the whole race and feeling tired from the trail, the humidity, and life, but I gave it one last push. I was not  about to let that girl beat me so as to at least have something good to say about the race, and I opened up the gap and finished strong. Turns out, it was hairy dude who was behind me and then the woman, so I shouldn't have been too worried, but feeling that pressure definitely propelled me to run faster than I wanted to.

I look too happy on this cool down

Once I crossed the finish line, I learned two things. 1: I was the 2nd female, yay! 2: Only 1st female got a prize, bummer. I chatted with the race director about the trails and training for my upcoming half marathon. He pointed out that while I didn't work my speed as much as I had hoped, I definitely worked on my running strength, and I liked this perspective. Perhaps all was not lost with this race. Another runner (tall skinny guy) started talking to me, but he was a little creepy, so I peaced out with the excuse of a long cool down to hit my 10 miles for the day. After standing around for a while, the cool down started out rough, and especially my butt felt heavy. I understood what the race director meant by running strength as I took my first couple steps. I headed onto the local Airline Trails that bisect this state forest, knowing the the trails are flat and smooth. I slogged 3 miles, took a selfie to show my incredibly sweaty Oiselle #flystyle, and finished at the pavilion to get one more drink of water and steal a banana. As I arrived, I heard the race director call out my name; I won a loaf of zucchini bread after all. Turns out all was not lost, and actually, I'm pretty glad I did this race.

Exciting news and a not-so-exciting race

Those of you who know me well, or have been following me closely on the blog know that I've been talking a lot about Oiselle recently. This by-women, for-women company makes awesome clothes and sponsors a number of elite and non-elite athletes throughout the country. Last year, I applied too late to be considered to join their team, but I couldn't let it go. Oiselle fosters a great community that's so inspirational, plus their clothes are so stylin'. I kept in touch with the team manager throughout the year, and I'm pleased to finally officially announce that I'm one of the newest members of the Oiselle Volée team! If you don't believe me, check out my profile on the Oiselle website. I am already really feeling the love--women that I've never met wished me luck on my race via Twitter and I can't wait to meet up with some of the more local ones. And now I'm essentially sister-runners with the likes of Lauren Fleshman, Kate Grace and Kara Goucher. It's going to be a great year.

My awesome Volée welcome kit

I had my first race running for Oiselle this past weekend. As you'll surely recall, I'm up in Vermont for the summer, and Middlebury put on a 5k fun run to benefit student scholarships. The race took place on their cross country course, which forms part of their incredible TAM-trail around Middlebury. I run this section of the TAM at least twice a week; it's well groomed and keeps me on my toes due to the rolling hills. That being said, I knew that this 5k was not going to be my fastest.

Spot the bird! Some of the Spanish school before the race.

Even though this race was small and local, I wanted to run well because it was my first race repping Oiselle. Like any well-trained runner, my intentions started days before with track workouts, proper hydration and attention to sleep...except that I'm also taking advantage of my Spanish summer and have been going out dancing salsa. So while my plan for the Saturday race was to get a solid 8 hours of sleep on Thursday night (sleep runs on a 2 days cycle and this Thursday is the night before the night before, we've talked about this right?), I ended up dancing until at least 1 in the morning with class at 9 AM the following day. Friday night wasn't much better so I was worried how this serious lack of sleep would affect my performance. 

Going into the race I had a couple of goals. It was being "scored" by language school and the top 3 runners of each school were to win a prize. This prize ended up being a tiny plastic trophy so it wasn't worth much. What I was more aiming for was to be one of the top women, and to run a respectable time. As I warmed up and stretched out before the race, I was able to size up the competition--there wasn't much. A couple of girls looked like they could maybe be fast, but this was a small race so I figured that I could do well. 

None of us paying attention, on purpose

The course was an out and back that was heavily downhill for the first half, and regrettably uphill the second half. I knew my splits were going to be fast for the first half and I was ready. I also knew (and let me get up on my soapbox here for a minute) that a lot of the people running this race were doing so for fun, and didn't have a great sense of pacing. The race went out fast but I stayed just a little behind the lead group. Sure enough, within half a mile, I was passing some of them already. There was one girl in front of me, wearing spikes, who looked pretty legit. I tried to hang on but she already had a lead on me. I settled in to make sure no other girls were around me, and that a couple of buddies stayed behind me. My first (extremely) downhill mile was a 7:10. I was happy with that and tried to keep pushing myself, because a 5k at 7:10 pace on this course would be awesome. Unfortunately, things went, only figuratively, downhill from there. I turned around at the halfway mark, tried to focus on running the tangents and hit my second mile at 7:42. Not great, but I could work with it. 

At this point, I was in no man's land. The guy (in Vibrams, what?) in front of me was gone, and there wasn't anyone behind me, breathing down my neck to push me forward. I came out of the woods onto the grass that approached the hill. It is a massive hill, and it killed me. I hadn't felt lactic acid burn in my legs like that for ages. I realized then, in that moment, that despite the great and consistent track workouts I'd been doing for weeks, I hadn't trained on hills. My body couldn't respond. I was a little embarrassed at my lack of training foresight and totally sucking air. As I crested the hill, I tried to shake it out and keep up whatever momentum I had left. Then my Garmin struck again, and my 3rd mile showed up as 8:17. I was toast. I finished in 24:25--definitely NOT my best time, and ended up 5th overall for the Spanish school but 2nd girl. It was a hard race but given my limitations, I don't know that I could have done any better. Afterwards, I talked to the girl who finished ahead of me. She talked in Portuguese and I in Spanish, and she told me that she had run mid-distance at Lafayette, a DI school. I didn't feel so bad after that; she would have beaten me any day. We cheered the rest of the runners in, I cooled down and headed first to brunch, then to a lake, then to a local beer festival. Despite not running a fast time, it was a great way to start the day. 

Recently Played

Hola from grad school!

This summer I'm up in the beautiful green mountains of Vermont starting my first of 4 summers working towards my master's degree. It's insanely beautiful here and I'm constantly inspired to go running. Those of you who follow me on Instagram saw a photo recently where I mentioned a great run and a rockin' playlist. As I'm listening to more and more music in Spanish, I've found certain songs whose rhythm and beats really pump me up. (On a side note, I'm also learning to dance salsa, and some of these songs are great for that too.) I wanted to share my playlist here for those of you looking for new music. I recommend these songs for when you need a boost, either on a long run or during a workout. I think you'll find it's hard not to pick up the pace with them!

¡Que disfruten!

Race Recap: Hollis Fast 5k

Finally, a fast 5k! (Try saying that five times fast)

After scouring the web for a good race with which to end my spring racing circuit, I settled on running the Hollis Fast 5k, up in NH. Our speedy friend Kat had run it the year before, and after runner-stalking her and being impressed with her time, I signed up myself.

Unlike my last race, this 5k was very well put together. It was point-to-point, which was super cool and I got to see the whole course as I drove to the parking lot. The course was very downhill (hence the Fast 5k name) and was clearly marked. I got there early enough to have plenty of time to use the bathroom, drink lots of water and get bussed to the starting line. I warmed up thoroughly and even did some Dynamic Mobility exercises to kill the time. There were lots of people there; some of whom were there just for an evening jog (did I mention this race was 6:30 pm on a Thursday?) and some of whom were ready to rock it. I spied a number of team singlets: Western Mass Distance Project, Greater Boston Track Club, etc. I even spied some other women wearing Oiselle duds. I myself was enjoying being seen by everyone in this Oiselle Big O Burnout Tank in fresh green, with my neon yellow Strappy Bra poking through. Some of these women looked fast, so as the race started out I picked a couple and tried to stay with them.

I'll say it before and I'll say it again, I do not like going out too fast in a race. Some of the women that I had my eyes on took off and I was tempted to go with them. But I knew that if I ran a smart race, I'd be able to reel many of them back in. So I settled for a comfortably hard effort and ran my own race. I hit the first mile in 7:07, and that was exciting because I did not feel like I was running that fast yet. The second mile was slightly slower, 7:09, but still pretty good. After Mile 2, I felt like I was starting to slow down, and some of those women were pulling away from me. After two pretty quick miles, I was expecting to feel tired and run-down, but I did a quick body-scan and realized that I felt fine. Why not push it a little more? I set my targets on a woman in purple and a very sweaty man. As we closed in on the final stretch of the race, we had to zigzag through some of the slower people in front of us, and I lost the purple woman. However, my Garmin beeped at me for the last mile: 7:05. I crossed the line and immediately checked my time (22:10) and Age Group position. I hadn't thought I even had a chance to "Age Group" but it turns out I was 4th. I think I said a couple of choice words out loud at missing 3rd, and headed back to the banquet hall and parking lot to cool down.

The Hollis Fast 5K definitely lives up to its name, and my splits showed how beneficial a downhill can be. I like to think my time was due to weekly track sessions and some solid milage, but in reality the negative slope did most of the work for me. I'm still really happy with my time and my effort. I ran a smart race, and I will never complain about negative splitting. I initially was bummed that I missed getting an AG medal and was worried that the purple woman, who beat me by 5 seconds, got it instead. Turns out, however, that she was 40+ years old, and that 3rd in my AG ran almost a minute faster than I did, so there's no shame in my 4th place after all. 

The biggest disappointment is that there is no photographic evidence! It was a weird sensation driving to the race all by myself and not knowing anyone there. I didn't have a change to snap any selfies, and the official race photographer apparently decided to take a break for about 2 minutes, during which time I crossed the finish line. Suffice it to say, it was a good race but I'll have to go back next year to get my proof. 

Hitting the Trails

Recently I've been getting off the roads and hitting the trails. I'm really digging the scenery, the shade, and the post-run tick checks. Embarrassingly, I'm not the best at remembering to apply sunscreen before I head out on my runs, so if I'm running in the woods I can at least feel a little better about all the sun exposure I'm getting. One of my favorite parts of trail running is that you work hard for your run. You need to stay focused and maneuver the trails and because of this, it never gets boring. My Garmin watch doesn't love the trails so I often just run a timer and forget about my pace. These are the days that remind me why I love to run. It's not everyday I wake up and instantly want to hit the trails, but when they're beautiful and not sweltering hot, I just can't resist.

Since I'm into this whole being a responsible runner thing, I always bring my cellphone with me now, for safety and for music. The bonus is that I get to document all of my noteworthy and particularly verdant runs. This June, I have run on trails in Lincoln, MA (bike trails and Mt. Misery), Dover, MA for Father's Day:

Noanet Woodlands

Squinty family (minus Mom), Oiselle, and Boston in the background

Newly blazed and beautiful trails in Pomfret, CT:

A muggy morning run in Portland, ME, while visiting fellow CCTF teammates: 

Back Cove Panorama

My old stomping grounds in Concord, MA: 

Old Rifle Range

Obligatory selfie. Go Mules!

And attended a wedding on a beautiful estate in Virginia, where I got completely lost and loved exploring the winding paths:

Goodstone Inn trails

Post run, what a handsome date.

Up next, I'm headed to Vermont for 6 weeks of grad school and hopefully many more trails!

Race Recap: 5K PurpleStride DC (Pancreatic Cancer Fundraiser)

Even though I've been feeling reluctant to admit that I did not have a very fantastic race, or even a mediocre race, a couple of weekends ago, it wasn't the reason I hadn't blogged. The real (and more legitimate) reason is that I've been working my buns off all month. And TODAY was my LAST DAY of work! In my sleep-deprived delirium, and as procrastination of packing for the big move in 36h, I'll give a brief update...

I raced, I attempted to break 19, I didn't break 20. Ooops. Turns out that my 60+ hour weeks seemed to win over my carefully calculated and perfect training peak and taper. No worries though, I can tell that I am actually in fantastic shape and as soon as I get some consecutive nights of sleep I'll be chasing that goal again. This time in cooler New England temperatures. The best part of that day was knowing that I had reached and surpassed my fundraising goals with the help of friends, family, and friends of friends. It was a great event for pancreatic cancer fundraising efforts and I was happy to be a part of it for the second year in a row.

On top of all of that, I got to experience the most awkward high-five of my life, thanks to an enthusiastic photographer who doesn't understand that nerdy boys are terrible at giving high-fives when forced.

So, should we just keep our hands touching?
No rush, this isn't uncomfortable or anything

Am I taller?

Race Recap: Girls on the Run 10k

The 10K: 6.2 miles, 25 laps on the track, 2 5ks, and way too far for some people. Robyn would likely never run a 10k since it goes way beyond her racing distance limit, but for me it's a fun change of pace. All spring, my friend and training partner Jillian has been running and racing to stay in shape for her wedding, and we ran this race as a final push just one week before she got hitched.

This race was sponsored by Girls On The Run, and held in the beautiful Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. The event itself offered a 5k and a 10k, which was just 2 laps around the park. Prior to the race, I'd taken a look at the 2013 results and knew that I had a chance of winning something. I arrived right on time and warmed up and did strides with plenty of time before the start. The first mile included a hairpin turn and I was able to see about 8 women ahead of me. This was a smaller race and I was excited to see only a handful of women in front of me, especially because I assumed most of them would be only running the 5k. As we looped around the park, my mile splits were pretty even: I started out at 7:20, then hit 7:30 and 7:30. At about 2.5 miles, I came up on a young runner and chatted with her for a little bit. I didn't get her name, but she is in 7th grade, loves cross country and had a 24:00 5k PR. As we closed in on the 5k finish together, my watch told me that this girl was about to run an PR, and I cheered her on as she finished around 23:30.

As my new buddy cross the finish line, I followed the path to continue on for the 10k. This is where the race got tricky, since my finish line was the same, but my starting line was not at the finish line. My Garmin watch had already told me that the mile markers were off (even if the Garmin is right, one must abide by those incorrect race markers), but with such a discrepancy between loop 1 and loop 2, I knew I was about to run more than 10 kilometers. It was a hot day, and my mile splits were starting to slow down: 7:42, 7:59. Not too embarrassing, but I knew I could do better. I took water around mile 4, but the heat and loneliness of the 10k were still getting to me. Approaching the final turns and hills of the second loop, I started kicking. My watch beeped 6 miles (7:24!) way before I saw the 6-mile sign on the course, so I paid attention to my watch, and I hit 10k at 46:55. There was still a ways to go until the actual finish line, and I crossed that at 48:30. I got some water and turned around to cheer for Jillian as she finished. I knew that she wouldn't be happy with her time, so as she finished I yelled to her not to worry about her time because the race was long. Definitely got some weird looks for that one...

So even with our "slow" times due to running more than a 10k, it turns out she and I took 1-2 in our Age Group! There was even a little ceremony and podium, but most people had left after the 5k awards so we didn't get to bask in all of our glory. Nonetheless, we did get medals, a few good pictures and some serious tan lines.

And then a week later, Jillian got married. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were able to hide our sports bra tans well enough for the pictures. Photographic evidence:

So we ran a race and celebrated a marriage. What will happen after the next 10k?

Race Recap: Columbia Remembrance Day 5k

It's 2-for-1 week on our blog! AKA I finally write something and stop leaving all the slack to Rachel the superior blogger. Let's hope that her blogging skills help her in joining the Oiselle family (good luck!)

Yesterday a miracle happened. The stars, planets, sun, and every dust mite aligned in some sort of fortunate accident and I had both the weekend AND the federal holiday off! (You'd think that I'd work fewer federal holidays given that I work for the federal government...)

With just about everyone I know scattering off to the beach for the long weekend, my only plans involved running. To kick off the weekend, I had a delightful run with the one and only Morgan -squirrel aficionado and law school year 1 survivor - around the National Mall. It was the end of a 44mi week (hey that's a lot for my mid-D legs!) and I was really feeling the fatigue. On Monday morning I dragged myself out of bed extra early to do a little local 5k in Columbia, MD. It was 75 and humid with some hills in mile 2 but nothing drastic. Didn't have a good idea of how this would go, but I was hopeful that I'd run something around 20 flat. Took it out quicker than I knew I'd be able to sustain: on purpose. Coach Dad suggested going out at 6 flat and seeing how far I'd make it. I went with this but opted  for a bit slower 6:15. Pretty much totally ran out of gas at about 1.5mi, so the rest of the race was quite miserable/embarrassing and no kick to be spoken of. This is what I like to call a "character building day". In the end, ran something around 20:45, won $35 for my age group, so I broke even and got my first race back out of the way. What I learned from this is that I definitely need to nudge that pain threshold over the next few weeks, I've gotten soft over the past (too many) months it's been since I was seriously training and racing.

Random note: thought I had some Columbia stalkers out there after hearing several people cheering for Robyn. I decided about halfway through the race that the woman running with me must also be a "Robyn" because the only person I know in Columbia is my boss and none of these people had an Israeli accent. She was indeed named Robyn, and with a Y!

Coming soon: Seltzer Intervals or "Lessons on how to scare people off the track"

Track Crazies

"For something to hurt that bad, and feel so good, it's just inexplicable"-Adam Goucher

Every so often, a runner goes crazy. She intentionally decides to inflict hurt upon herself, to put herself on the line, and risk disappointment. Sound familiar? This is the track workout.

Recently, I felt myself heading down this path. Frustrated after a hard day at work, I felt the need to relieve some stress. Although I had been craving some local ice cream, my thoughts immediately went to the track. For some reason, the idea of pounding out 400s on the track, rounding those corners again and again, gasping for air, legs heavy from lactic acid, appealed to me. Oh yes, its masochistic. But at the same time it feels fantastic to leave it all on the track. I knew that if I could get through this workout I would feel so much better.

Yesterday I almost didn't make it. It threatened to rain, and then did, and I considered scrapping the workout and biking at the gym while watching old episodes of SNL. But in the back of my head was the reminder that I wanted to run fast, and that this doesn't happen overnight or on its own, so I laced up and headed to the track. I'm working up to this 10k in a week so I went for a classic 10k workout from college: 3xMile. Like my last race, I didn't know what to expect for this workout. I figured I'd aim for 7:45 pace and try to dip down the last mile. As I started my first rep, I realized I hadn't even calculated my splits, and since I am not great at math, I had no idea what to shoot for. Having been on the track probably a thousand times, there are certain benchmarks: 1:30 for 400 is 6:00 pace, 1:45 is 7:00. But what if I wanted to run 7:39? Forget it. I started out at a comfortably hard pace and didn't check my watch until the first quarter. The math still eluded me but as I saw a 1:49, I knew that this would be a good workout. And so the chase began. On the one hand, I was pushing myself hard, constantly reminding myself not to let up on the back stretch, and to use my arms to motivate my legs. On the other hand, I didn't want to be disappointed; it was only a track workout after all, and it was just me out there.

I split every 400 and even as my splits dropped, I continued to feel good. Between miles I took roughly 1 minute rest, and felt heavy, droopy, and queazy in the thick, spring air. But once I stepped back on the track and began again, the humidity would fade and I could focus once again. I clocked two miles in 7:14, 7:15, with the first mile being my new post-broken leg mile PR. After mile 2 I felt good and decided I was going to go for sub-7 for my third mile. I started out a little harder than I had before, and crossed 800 at 3:32, slightly above 7:00 pace. I dug in, faced the wind and rain around the corners, checked my watch with 200 to go, and went for it. I do not have the best kick, but dammit I wanted a sub-7 mile. I may have groaned out loud as I crossed the finish line (I did). 6:58. This is a post-broken leg PR that I can be proud of.

What I'm most excited for, though, is the difference between this workout and my 5k race just a few short weeks ago. I'm not saying that I could average 7-flat for 6.2 miles next weekend in Providence on a hilly course, but now I have confidence in my ability. Throughout the workout I reminded myself that it was only myself holding me back. Not my legs, not my training, not the weather or the road conditions. If I want to run fast, I can.

Cast to 5K: Complete

"When the legs go fast, the heart goes free" -Lauren Fleshman

There is something to be said for rest. Despite having been on my feet and back running seriously for 4 weeks, when it came time for my first race back (!) after breaking my leg in December, I was hoping that rest was on my side, and that the time off my feet would actually help me in my glorious return to competition.

There is also something to be said for adrenaline. I really wasn't sure what to expect for this race. I had run a handful of fast miles but hadn't done any real speed work yet and had run no more than 7 miles at a time. Certainly I had a base, but what was I to expect in a race where 3 months prior I was in a walking boot? The excitement of the race propelled me forward, along with the sloping downhill of the first mile, and my competitive spirit came back.

Before the race started, I warmed up for 15 minutes nice and slowly. I had my racing flats on and some new Oiselle duds (the Winona Tank is the softest article clothing I own, and Oiselle's signature Roga Shorts are tight and flattering without the bunching up of spandex and are the absolutely best pair of shorts I have ever owned), so I was ready to focus on the race. I drank a lot of water and did a few dynamic stretches, because let's not get too ahead of ourselves with pre-race prep. Joining me were the boyfriend and my best friend and running buddy from work, who ran almost the whole race with me.

We don't look pretty, but we look like we worked hard!

My goal was to run sub-24, but I didn't have a true sense of how my fitness and speed would play out in the race. We started in the middle of the pack and went out comfortably. I was surprised when I looked at my watch that we were chatting easily at 7:45 pace. We somehow managed to keep that up and went through the first mile in 7:44. We soon stopped talking and started passing people. The race, Jog with Judy, was a relatively flat out-and-back, so we looped around the farthest point and picked up the pace a little more. I saw a lot of women ahead of me but we kept it up and were able to pass many of them. The second mile ticked off in 7:42 and we had negative split! Unfortunately the last mile was the most uphill and this was where it started to feel hard. I dug deep and was surprised to find that I actually had another gear. Maybe it was that my legs were actually well rested, or maybe it was the adrenaline, but I was determined not to slow down. It hurt and I liked it. It felt good to run fast again, and especially to do so while passing lots of people. With less than half a mile left, I yelled to my friend to come with me as I surged, but she didn't have it in her and so I went. I battled with one last woman as we rose and approached the finish line and she ultimately won but I was okay with that because I was spent.

I crossed the line in 23:48, beating my goal of sub-24 and I negative split the whole way and came from behind, which in my opinion is always the best and smartest way to race. And running with a friend and partner for the majority of the race gave me so much strength to keep working hard. I finished 4th in my age group, but the 3rd woman was over a minute faster than I was so I don't feel so bad about that.

I'm charged up about being truly back, about averaging 7:39 pace (that's my half marathon pace already), about long runs and track workouts and no more PT. And I'm psyched to race more and get my speed back, so I have two potential races lined up to keep me honest. First is a Girls on the Run 10k in Providence which supports a great organization, on June 1st, and soon thereafter is the Hollis Fast 5k in New Hampshire on June 12th, which claims to be the fastest 5k in New England. I'll take it! I have a lot of work to do to get to anywhere near my speed from college but after so long I'm definitely ready to take on the challenge.

Follow me and Robyn as we chase down some new PRs this spring and summer!

Celebrating our comebacks post-race

Dear Deb: A Letter To My Coach

Dear Deb,

Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. This letter is simply to say thank you for all that you gave to me, to my innumerable teammates and to Colby's track and cross country programs. Although I didn't choose Colby simply for the cross country team, you had a big influence on my decision; an athlete's ability to work with a coach is so crucial for the success and happiness of the individual and the team. I immediately knew that I was in good hands with you. You were the adult presence that we wild and crazy college kids needed: someone to tell us when to stop and when to go,  who challenged and supported us and genuinely cared. The girls on the team were my sisters, and you were our mother; I think the credit is due to you that many Colby track and cross country friendships still run so strong after graduation. You created a safe space for us. Personally, I often felt like I had failed miserably or felt confined by my own limitations, but you kept pushing me, and your presence and support kept me going. And when I succeeded and "crushed my goals," as you once said about one of my races, you were so happy and proud. You celebrated all of us, and not just on the track or the course. You made sure that we were on track with our studies. It felt good, and I was always proud, that you ensured that we were students before athletes, and that you expected us to be our best in both aspects of our lives.

You also made sure we enjoyed and appreciated our beautiful surroundings. I loved always visiting your camp for the long runs, the lake time and your incredible coking. I was never bored on our runs, marveling at the fall sunsets or the sparkling icy winters or the random goat on someone's porch. Because of you, I got to know Maine in a way that I had not anticipated when I decided to go to Colby. Running in Rome was always an out of body experience, running by the horses and striving to reach the water at the end of the run. Even Upper and Lower trails became meditative in their own stubborn way.  I never knew I could love Maine as much as I did. All of my best memories from college are from the cross country and track teams.

As a cross country coach now, I appreciate you in another way as well. It is no secret that you knew what you were doing with your athletes, and it was no question for me that I would adapt your training model for my high school runners. My girls have run well and whenever I have a question about how to prepare for a certain race or how to best take care of my girls, I ask myself what you would do. I found success with your support and so I trust that my runners will do the same with my guidance. Although I work with a different demographic, the care of athletes and love of the sport still holds true. If my girls graduate being half as fond of me as we were of you, I will know that I have succeeded.

With you, after graduation

After each season, you would always give each of the seniors a yellow rose for everlasting friendship and thanking them for their contributions to the team. I still have all three of mine, dried up and drooping in my bedroom. This letter is my yellow rose to you: a reminder of the friendship, camaraderie, support, and Mule Love that you gave me and all of my teammates. I wish you happiness, lots of family time and beautiful runs in your retirement. Because of you, I am proud to be a Colby Mule.

Sincerely,
Rachel

Standing up against pancreatic cancer - Welzel Strong

Dear friends and readers,

I wish I could write you with better news, but unfortunately that is not the case this time. Just a few weeks back we found out that my goofy, thick-Boston accented, marathon ace Aunt Jane has pancreatic cancer. It certainly wasn’t what I expected to hear that afternoon, and the feeling of déjà vu was unpleasant and unnerving. You see, several years ago, my mom got the same phone call about her brother, my uncle Andy, who eventually lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Thus, this diagnosis is a double-whammy for my family. Pancreatic cancer can be genetic, and having two siblings in a family afflicted means that we need to jump into action for genetic screening and perhaps routine monitoring for the rest of us. You better believe that the first thing I did after finding out was to pull up PubMed and start researching the success rates of treatment, stats on increased risk for familial inheritance, the latest in screening options, and success of early detection. I won’t lie and say the numbers are favorable…

While the odds are against us, I know that if anyone can fight this, it’s Jane. She certainly has everything that can work for her, working for her. After all, if anyone is going to stand up to cancer, it’s going to be a Welzel. (Long-running family joke that Welzels regularly refuse to sit and would rather stand: maybe restless leg syndrome is hereditary too). Besides, this wouldn't be the first time Jane has overcome extraordinary odds. First of all, she qualified and ran in 5 U.S. Olympic marathon trials.  Not impressed yet? She broke her neck in a terrible car accident in between Olympic trials #1 and #2, and spent three months in a cast. I can still recall some hilarious stories my mom told me of taking full upper-body cast Jane out for walks: with a few falls and ensuing hilarity in trying to get back up since her legs still were remembering how to function. And that’s only a drop in the sea of the endless “crazy Aunt Jane” stories (like the time she spent a night in a tree after being chased on a run by a moose during mating season, or when she taught my little cousin Kate an age-inappropriate catch-phrase:  “kick-ass Kate”, or the shorts with fake plastic butts that she wears with her friends to  trick people into thinking they are being mooned). In her professional life, she is up against another difficult statistic – the prevalence of eating disorders in athletes. As a psychotherapist, she specializes in counseling those with eating disorders. My point is, look up resilience in the dictionary and don’t be surprised to see a Welzel standing there (yep, still not sitting!).

I am telling you all of this because in support of my entire family for what we have been through, what we’re going through, and the future unknown challenges, I am fundraising money for pancreatic research and awareness. As a scientist, I know first hand the impact that public awareness can have on funding levels. The most fitting way that I can see to try to help my family is through running: on June 14^th, I will be toeing the line for the second time at the PurpleStride 5K in Washington D.C.. I ran this race last year  in honor of Uncle Andy and in my first time breaking 20 minutes on the roads. Little did I know just how much more special this race would feel to me one year later. And that is why, despite all the odds against me (being out of shape from having pneumonia in February and an unrelenting work schedule), I am going to attempt to break 19 minutes for the first time at this race. Besides, what’s post-pneumonia lung compared to a broken neck? In these next two months, I’m going to be training “Welzel Strong” to beat the odds at this race. I'd love to have anyone who lives nearby join me!

Thanks for reading my story! I hope you will consider donating a few bucks to my fundraising page if you can afford it. The link to donate is below.

http://purplestride.kintera.org/dc/welzel_strong

Jane - nicknamed her tumor "Pigpen", from Peanuts, for when she beats it, the dust will settle.
(unlike her opponents, who she left in the dust)