Refusing to Stay Blue

I was warned. I prepared. I acknowledged my feelings, and still they persist.

My post-race blues are hitting me a little harder than I anticipated. It's difficult to tell what's post-race related and what's the-rest-of-my-life related though because I'm still not working full-time, I'm still not doing fulfilling work, and I'm still kinda lonely most days of the week. Nevertheless, I'm trying to see these blues for what they are: temporary.

Monday when I was still sore and I felt a little like I had the flu, I rested in a fog and let myself be sad that my big race was over. Tuesday, though, I had to go to my part-time job, so there was no way to abide in relentless sadness throughout the day.

Just what was so sad anyway? I met my goal! I finished a half marathon! I had trained so hard for several months. I had overcome personal and physical hurdles to be there and do well. Yes--yes, I was proud. I was glad I finished, that I ran well, and that I knew I could meet my goal. Nothing was particularly sad about the event. It's the LACK of the goal, created by the goal's completion, that creates an emptiness... and feels sad.

Several sources about post-race blues recommend a psychological reset button of sorts--getting back in touch with friends, allowing yourself a few indulgences, and setting a new goal. I'm beginning to do just that.

• I've been stretching all week to soothe my soreness. I'll go running today. I'm doing a 5k on Sunday--our local Race for the Cure, which is sure to be a positive event. 
• I got to catch up with a good friend (a non-runner) yesterday and that was delightful.
• I drank a Pepsi on Tuesday. (It was mega sweet, but it tasted good.)
• I'm planning to start my Arbonne detox in the next week or two to get my nutrition back on track.
• I repotted several plants on Wednesday and I'm planning to get my garden in the ground next week.
• I'm revamping my training plan for the half marathon I'm running in October (Staten Island). My dearest friend from college is running with me so we're training together but from afar.

Just typing out that list makes me feel a little more hopeful. I think if I can get back to my typical to-do list ways that my day-to-day accomplishments will be more fulfilling.

Anyone else ever deal with post-race blues? How did you deal with them? 

My First Half Marathon

It's unbelievable! It's over! I ran a half marathon. (And I can still walk.)

After working so hard for so long for this one goal, I'm a little down now. I've been told that post-race blues are pretty normal. I have another half marathon in October, and I have several other shorter races in the months leading up to that, so hopefully the sadness won't last for long.

At the Dog Walk on Saturday before the race.

I'm proud to live in a city that puts on such a great event for runners. Even with the amped up security measures, things were fluid and felt very under control. Everything from the expo to the dog walk, the race itself and the VIP post-race fun was delightful.

I'm glad that I stayed with a friend who lived closer to the city. Not only was it more convenient, it was more fun because we were in all our pre-race prep together. She was a gracious host and made lots of food for us to eat. I also had a comfortable place to sleep and kept my dog with me so I didn't have to spend money (money I don't have) to board her somewhere. I really enjoyed it and I'm lucky to have such a good friend.

The start of the race made me pretty anxious. I'd never been part of an event this large. There were roughly 30,000 people racing! It helped that I knew the course really well and had expectations of when and where I would slow down. I still had the jitters though!

We got started and after about a mile I separated from my friend. Her pace was a little too quick for me (even though we'd trained together just fine). I was feeling a little nauseous and I couldn't figure out why! I thought that if I threw up and got it over with that maybe I would feel better and I could go on... Well, I never did throw up. The stomach feeling just waned slowly over the course of five or six miles. I just tried to distract myself from the discomfort by looking at the crowds cheering and enjoying the pretty day. (The weather was beyond perfect! 49º and sunny to start and it warmed up to 64º by the time I finished!)

Me and my hostess with the mostess at the starting line.

Unfortunately by the time my stomach pain was gone, my left achilles tendon was stirring. Now here's the part that I hate--this had only started to bother me in really recent runs. Never before had I experienced this pain. When I first had it, it was after running. Eventually it started creeping in to longer runs, making its presence known. Not enough to make me stop, but hurting enough that stairs are tough to do once I'm done.

This bridge is clearly uphill.

So I'm about half way through the race and my achilles is barking at me. Seriously? I was a little ticked, to be honest. No amount of stretching along the course would've helped, so I just trudged along. I made compromises with myself: "You have to run from 4th Street to 5th Street. If you hurt, you can walk until 6th Street, but if you feel okay then you need to run to 6th Street." That mindful element was very helpful in getting me through the Southside (where I used to work), the longest straight stretch in the race. When I made it to the Birmingham Bridge, which is one big incline, I just walked. No bridge was worth the pain. I wanted to finish the race RUNNING, not limping.

And I did. The last few miles were a little easier because I really did know that part of the course from running The Great Race 10k back in September. The incline near Duquesne University is so slight that it feels like it's parceling off chunks of your knee to be sold to the runners behind you. If you get past it, though, you've really only got a tiny incline at the finish to worry about.

Oh, Pittsburgh... You and your inclines.

My official time is 2:58:22. I originally anticipated that I'd finish closer to 2:30:00, but too much walking to baby that achilles pushed me back. Oh well. It's my first half so my time is a PR by default and it's definitely something to beat!

Preparation via Pinterest: Race Day Ready

A whole bunch of Oiselle ladies got together for the Eugene Marathon this weekend (jealous!), but Oiselle's #FastFriday contest shared the love on Twitter and extended into Pinterest and through the weekend into today.

For the contest, entrants are to create a Pinterest board called "Race Day Ready" and pin their essentials. The board should, obviously, include some Oiselle items (which the winner will receive!), but entrants are free to post whatever other items are crucial to race day preparation and success.

This ended up being a really good exercise for me to think about race day preparation. I've gotten way better at preparing for races--eating better, hydrating, resting, listening to my body's demands--but thinking about all the stuff I need for this race is different because I'll be away from home (staying with a friend closer to downtown) and it's the longest, biggest race I've ever participated in.

My Pinterest board went from being just a few pieces of Oiselle clothing (which are, in my opinion, essential!) to my shoes, socks, water bottle, hydration needs, sunscreen, nutrition, and inspiration.

When I was making the board, it felt like I was pre-packing. I wasn't even making a list, but visually putting together the things that I would need in order to be successful.

Here's my Pinterest Race Day Ready board.

Countdown to My First Half Marathon

T-minus six days till my first half marathon...

• I'm studying the course map, aid stations, and restroom locations. 
• I'm preparing food for the week to ensure I eat right and don't do myself in by not eating well.
• I'm making plans for how to spend the time leading up to and after the marathon. 
• I'm tapering my running routine by running fewer miles and running with a gentler intensity.

• I've made tentative plans to meet up with Cherie from CherieRunsThis.com, who is a Pittsburgh native. (You may have seen her in Fitness Magazine, Women's Running Magazine, or on CNN.)
• I've surpassed my fundraising goal for my charity, Animal Rescue League!
• I've memorized the logistics for my car, my dog, and the morning of the race. 
• I've studied the weather forecast--it should be quite friendly for a wonderful morning run.

• I know where and when to get my packet.
• I know exactly what I'm wearing, even if the weather varies a little.

I am SO excited!

Earth, Wind, and Furnace: Roaring Run Earth Day 15k

Note the people running uphill. They are far
above where I am standing... Far, far above.

Saturday's 15k at Roaring Run in Apollo, PA started off great. The initial section of trail--where the 5k runners would be racing after us--was relatively flat and friendly.

The bad part about the race was the wind. Oh, the wind. It was fierce, cold, and, by all accounts, made you feel like you were running with an open parachute behind you. (Important note: no one actually had any parachutes on the course.) The cool morning wouldn't have been so bad if the wind had let up. But, no, it didn't. Pennsylvania has endured a long winter and a strange springtime. On Thursday, April 18th it was 83º. Saturday April 20th? It was 38º. Mother Nature decided to invite herself to this Earth Day celebration, I suppose.

The course remained flat until about 4 miles in. Then we ran down into what's called The Furnace. I haven't got a clue why it's called that, but the hills--involving switchbacks!--that greet you are enough to make your legs burst into flames, so perhaps that's the cause for the name.

I stopped to take a few photos because I was incredulous at how steep the hills truly were. See the photo with my notations at the right. You can see the switchbacks as well as the vertical distance.

More hills, of the less ridiculous variety, but
still a steady grade... up, up, up!

These were the steepest hills I've seen in a race. (Even steeper than this one.)

Nevertheless, when I reached the top of the hill, I smiled and accepted a cup of very strong Gatorade from a boy scout and ran on.

I had trouble catching my breath because it seemed that the wind was worse on the return. I felt like air was being plumbed down my throat. I stopped to take my asthma inhaler, which I hadn't needed in weeks during a run. I didn't bring my facemask with me, unfortunately, so I had to improvise. I took one of my gloves and held it over my mouth and nose so that I could breathe in warmed air at my own pace--not the pace of the brutal wind.

After getting along to the seven mile mark, I noticed that the course was incorrectly measured. I know my iPod nano isn't completely accurate either, but I calibrate it regularly so I get the most accurate record of my runs... And when I reached the seven mile mark, my iPod told me I had just a little more than a mile to go in order to reach my 15k.

Finished! (Dad caught me with my eyes shut.)

I kept a faster pace than for any other long run near or over double digits. I was delighted to know that, as part of my 15k, I beat my 10k time (old time 1:08:57; new time 57:15).

And, since the course was longer than 15k or 9.3 miles, I beat my 10 mile time too (old time 2:08:29; new time 1:55:27).

So as I neared the finish line, a few things about my race preparation became evident:

• I probably didn't eat well enough the day before
• I drank too much during the race (to get rid of phlegm, but I have to stop doing that)
• My lower abdomen and hip flexor muscles need to be strengthened to sustain the faster pace I kept for this race

I know my legs are still recovering from wearing shoes that were just not for me... That's been tough too. My left achilles is beginning to worry me a bit because it hurt all day Sunday and hurts this morning too... I've never had a problem with that, so I am just hoping that I can be well enough to get through my first half marathon in two weeks. Then I'll figure out what the heck is happening. :-/ Till then, it's RICE for me.