Race Reports/Encouragement/Kudos for May 17th, 18th and 21st!

[ms.mightyduck]

Woohoo! I just got back from my FIRST EVER judged racewalk. My PR: 47:10. I'll be back later with a RR, but I wanted to say THANK YOU to the WISH team for helping me finish!

Go, WISH team!

 

[twoWDWfools]

Way to go Jen and Stacie!!!

My event unfortunately did not happen due to injury. Posted it in the weekly thread.

Hope everyone else had great events!!

 

[ms.mightyduck]

I got to the field at the start of registration. At first, I wasn't even noticed, but I introduced myself and they said I was welcome to compete. It was a 20K racewalk, with 15K, 10K, and 5K events held concurrently. While I secretly wanted to do the 10K (as part of my more races-fewer workouts theory), I knew that I have never maintained my racewalk stride for more than a burst at a time, so keeping my form for an entire 5K would be a challenge.

There were about 15 people there: A couple seniors (65+), a high school "team" competing outside of school with a coach in her 20s (from New York), another 20-something woman from New York, and a handful of racers in their 40s and 50s. One guy was college age, and it turns out he is a Penn Relay champion.

Only a few of us were doing the 5K--most were 10K, a couple 15K, and a few 20K. I was lapped. A lot. But everyone was very encouraging. I would have finished well after everyone else, but the concurrent races let me leave without being stared at. The high school girls finished the 10K before I finished the 5K, I think. Almost everyone there was competing for a qualifying time for something else, several for Olympic tryouts.

The RD is into the 60 minutes, so even after I finished, I had to keep walking until I made the 60 minute mark.

I started off about 4 minute laps (we were on a track), and by the end I had a couple 3 minute laps! Woohoo! Negative splits!

Of course, I didn't plan that--I can't seem to get my shins to loosen up no matter how much stretching and walking I do before hand, so the first mile or so my shins are screaming. Then they forget and I can walk faster.

I had a lot of people there tell me I have strong form (I remembered Tracy telling me to keep that arm swing back), and it's hard to go fast when you are thinking about holding your body straight, tilting your pelvis, getting your feet to land in a straight line, facing ahead, shoulders down, arm swing under control--no chicken wing, etc. Whew! After the second mile, I really started to pick up speed.

Liz and Stacie, they had little cones (really little!) along the inside of the track, and they were colored. I thought of you guys as I made myself go all out to the purple cones!

The officials and the coach from New York as well as some other competitors all said I just need to work on my footspeed and turnover, but that my technique was very good. They all seemed to think I could get faster.

The one official couldn't believe that I did 47:10--he was like, "Well, you were doing a lot of 4 minute laps"--yeah, and that would make a 16 minute mile...which would be just over 48 minutes...subtract my 3 minute splits... woohoo! I told him I did a 5K two weeks ago and my chip time was 50 minutes, and I know I walked much faster this time.

I did discover that it is HARD to pace myself when everyone else is so much faster and I'm walking alone. I had my WISH hat on, so I was cheering for me. And for the WISH team, even though none of you were there.

I finished. I did not get so much as a warning or one comment to watch myself, as others on the course did about contact or bent legs.

I got a t-shirt and a medal that says "Walker" on it for participating. There were no trophies for anyone, just satisfaction of doing it.

Overall, I'm pretty proud of myself.

And I'm taking tomorrow off to recover.

PS Thanks, Tracy and Dave, for making me think I could do it!

 

[twoWDWfools]

Way to go Jen! You have every right to be proud of yourself and I'm proud of you too!! Think about it, just a few weeks ago you were worried about finishing both races at the Minnie and now you're out there picking up speed. Means Stacey and I will have to work on keeping up in Jan.

 

[dsnyfan21]

Jen (Duckie) : I am so happy for you!! Yeah you did it and I'm glad you had a good experience. From what Panda writes they do the races different ways, you did yours on a track I did mine on the road. Not sure how I would do on a track - I try to avoid those at all costs!! (not too excited about the round and round factor) Sounds like you had the racewalker check list going on like Panda says. I do that too, but when your in a pack you tend to go on auto pilot. I am always kinda doing a mental checklist. Plus remember that most of the things on the check list help you go FASTER!!!! You did an average pace of 15min10sec and that is very good for just starting out on this racewalking journey. Keep it up girl I'm proud of you!!

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Thanks, Tracy! You made me believe I could walk faster--and I did!

The race people invited me to join them again next Sunday on a road race around a scenic lake. They said it's handicapped, and I can use my time this week. However, it is NINE MILES. I'm not sure my body is ready for that yet....but they were really nice and encouraging. I was the only noob there, and a lot of the racers cheered me on as they lapped me (!), and the one official said, "You go, girl, keep it up!" at every lap.

So, I'll keep practicing. You're the best.

 

[TXAng]

Duckie – Sounds like a fun race! I love that they had characters out. And cotton candy! Yum! And congrats on your first race walk. That’s great!

Stacie – Congrats on the new PR!! Love the trophy. Really? Wearing flip flops for a 5K can cause blisters? I’m SHOCKED!

 

[TXAng]

I wasn't on the calendar to race this weekend, since I decided somewhat at the last minute to go for a 5K today. I did the Bagel Fest 5K here in Austin.

Race start was at 8, and we arrived at about 7:30. It was a pretty small crowd compared to the last (and only other) race I ran - only about 235 finishers. This was also the first race that DS got to come see. He thought it was pretty fun to check out all the people.

When I lined up at the start, I was next to a couple with a 6-week-old baby in the jog stroller (the kind with a car seat adapter). I was in awe that she was already out and racing!

The race started right on time. The first mile and a half was mostly uphill. Gentle uphill, but still more than I was really prepared for. Guess I should have known that it would be hilly, since it was the Northwest Hills area. Duh. I still managed to finish Mile 1 in 12:07, which was a little slower than I hoped, but with the hills? I'll take it!

Since we were running through a residential area, there were quite a few people out on their front lawns cheering us on. That was really neat! Finished Mile 2 in 13:18.

Right after the second mile marker, there was a guy cheering us on and telling us that it was all downhill from there. I figured he was pulling my leg, but it turns out that he was telling the truth! Most of the last mile was a gentle downhill. Finished Mile 3 in 12:12.

I was so glad to see that finish line! My official chip time was 38:31, which is a new PR for me! My previous PR was 40:24, so I shaved off nearly 2 minutes. I'll admit that I was really hoping to come in closer to 35:00, but I'm not complaining.

And of course, it was the Bagel Fest 5K, so I had to have a bagel at the finish!

This was only my second race, as I completed my first 5K a couple weeks before I found out I was pregnant last year. It felt great to get out there again! And it was really fun having DH and DS there at the finish.

 

[twoWDWfools]

Ang - WTG on the PR!! Little guy is so cute and how cool they were able to come out and watch you!

 

[Superdebbie]

Wow Duckie! Very inspirational. I'm just starting to learn to racewalk. I really need to build speed. The Minnie 15K was my first ever race (before learning to racewalk). The only reason I wasn't swept was because I was given a shortcut. I just felt I could never ever walk any faster. That was until I recently started reading up on racewalking. Best of luck to you. By the way, how did you find a racewalking event??

 

[wtpclc]

Stacie - WOo hoo! OCngrats on teh trophy!!!!

DUckie - WOw, a double race weekend? Great job!

TXAng- OCngrats ont eh PR and thanks fro teh pix! Your DS is adorable!

 

[Optimator]

Stacie - Nice job and a trophy too!! Excellent!

Duckie - I had to go back and make sure I read the first race report right. Yes, it was you too! A double header. WTG! Congrats on the props from the experienced race walkers (and your mom!).

Ang - Way to get the PR. Sounds like a nice race. Loved the pics.


Here's an abbreviated, and late, race report from Sunday's Cleveland Marathon:

We went to expo late Saturday morning. I was pleasantly surprised. Not super big, but lots of of freebies/samples. Plus, I was able to buy a copy of Bart Yasso's (Chief Running Officer of Runner's World, excerpts in this month's RW) new book and have him autograph it. I also recognized John Bingham walking through and he chatted with us for a few minutes. It's pretty cool to be able to tell him "We read your books before we even started running and you (and WISH) did give me the courage to start.

We then took a bus tour of the marathon course. The guide was very informative and it was nice for the whole family to get an idea of the route. I do have to say, it was good and bad. Nice to see what to expect, but a little intimidating when you see how far it actually is.

The course was nice. Not completely flat, but the biggest hill was an overpass at around mile 2. It was a nice mix of city, parks, and residential.

Race day was a typical Northeast Ohio day. It rained, it drizzled, it cleared up, it was bright blue skies and sunshine, it was calm, it was windy... all in a 4 hour span!

It was raining buckets prior to the start and for the first 5 or so miles. Then it let up some and was actually quite nice for running with temps in the 50's and only a little wind.

Debra's (DeeKayPee) dear one Mark caught up to me around mile 6 or 7 (saw the WISH shirt from about half a mile back, he said) and we chatted for a bit. He made a few stops, leap frogged and finally left me in the dust around 14 or 15. That guy has an extra gear that I'd love to find!

I was able to run pretty strong for about 20 miles and maintain pace pretty well. Then around mile 21 my hamstrings felt like they were going to cramp big time if I took one wrong step. So I walked for a few minutes and comletely lost my mojo after that. I walked and ran and did some "How much can I walk and still finish under 3:45" math until the finish.

DW Kathy was able to see me at 5 different spots so that was great. She was a little harsh at mile 25 when she threatened to run in with me because "If I leave, you are going to walk!" I finally convinced her to cut across to the finish area (then started walking when she was gone!! )

The race went pretty well. I would have been just fine with a sub-4, was really shooting for 3:45 and finished in 3:43:52.

I was very satisfied with that Sunday after the race. Now that I've had some time to forget about how I felt at the end, I keep thinking I could have pushed it more, finished stronger and come a little closer to a PR. Then I remember how I felt at the end again and it's all good.

Post race grub was the usual stuff, plus some nice pop-sickles and chocolate milk. Yum!! Plus the free beer is always the best.

I guess I'm lucky that no beer tastes as good as the one post-marathon or else it would make more sense to just have the suds and skip the 26.2!

 

[deekaypee]

SUMMARY OF MY CLEVELAND ½ MARATHON
I’m such a long-winded writer that I have a full race report that is embarrassing in length; I’ll post it in its own thread, so those few of you who care can read it without me overwhelming the official thread. Here, I provide the bullet-point version.

• We scored a nice hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, on Priceline. It was less than a mile to the race start/finish.
• It was a good expo, small and well-organized. I got lots of free swag, even though the getting of the free swag is cooler than the swag itself.
• I didn’t do a great job resting and fueling the day before, as family demands on time and activities interfered. And I have a hard time saying no. (No comments from the peanut gallery.)
• Given the fact I didn’t want to get out of bed at all Sunday morning, once I’d seen the rain, I felt pretty successful for just showing up to the starting line.
• As I said above, race day was rainy, unpleasantly so. Even though it cleared up in the race’s first hour, my feet were soaked and I developed blisters early on. The blisters definitely affected my gait and pace, noticeably after the 10K distance. The weather ranged from see-your-breath cold and rainy to light winds to sunny and too-warm-for my layers….all in the course of a few hours.
• The course was pretty, and I got the impression it was a microcosm of Cleveland in its mix of cultural attractions, commercial districts, and residential neighborhoods with green spaces.
• There wasn’t as much entertainment on the course, except for DJ stations. And I thought the crowds were a little sparse, maybe due to the weather.
• I kept adjusting my expectations downward based on the blisters, in order to avoid the crash-and-burn disappointment. It didn’t help much since I had my temporary pace tattoo on to remind me of my lofty goals.
• That said, I did finish the race with a PR of 2:38:36, beating my January ½ race of 2:53:xx. That improvement sounds more impressive than it should, as I definitely wasn’t pushing myself in January because I knew I needed to save my energy for day two of the Goofy. Then again, I’m still learning what to expect with racing in general, so I shouldn’t make light of doing what I could do at both events.
• My quads are feeling sore today, but I was able to XT. And my back/core didn’t hurt the way it did in January. I’m taking both things as signs of some kind of progress.
• Speaking of progress, it might not sound like much to you all, but I ONLY earned five blisters (and no black toes) on this go round. If there’s one thing that will stop me from making the progress I so desire—and darn it, think I deserve—it’s the blister issue. But I’ll take the fact that I could hobble a few hours after the race as a sign that I’m making small strides in that area.
• I proudly wore my WISH shirt, and was asked about it after my finish. The woman was really into the DLF motto, as am I.

P.S. I missed seeing Optimator Mike, but DOOD met him on the course and ran with him/leapfrogged for a while. DOOD says that Mike seems like the kind of guy you’d like to hang out and have a drink with. I laughed, because DOOD had forgotten Mike’s handle.

I also missed seeing Rich, but I was wearing a garbage bag at the beginning of the race and so my WISHness didn’t stand out. We weren’t running in the same circles, anyway, even if we were running the same half. Rich totally smoked me!!

POST-RACE SUMMARY
Also, I’m including a summary of reasons why I think this race might be a good choice for WISHers and/or things that are notable about the Rite Aid Cleveland Race.

Pros:

1. It’s very inclusive event. It offers a 10K, ½, and Full marathon. It’s open to walkers, runners, and wheelchair participants.
2. The event has a VERY generous pace of 18:30. The ½ course is open for 4 hours, the full for 8.
3. It’s very flexible. If a participant wants to change from one race to another, they can do so at the expo. It doesn’t cost anything to switch from the full to the half, for instance. There is a charge to move up to another distance.
4. It’s a fairly flat course from what I can tell, except for the bridge near the beginning of the race. The view of Lake Erie makes up for it, though, IMO.
5. It’s a small race, so I never felt crowded or claustrophobic or as if I was in anyone’s way.
6. The start and finish are the same, so it’s very convenient for driving to the race, out-of-town spectators, etc.
7. The expo is small and friendly. I didn’t see any of the talks, but it attracted John Bingham. Need I say more?

Cons:

1. The weather. Okay, I’m not a water baby, but Cleveland seems to experience some pretty extreme conditions in May—at least if their race packet is any indication. Extreme cold/extreme hot. Maybe it's an extreme race?
2. I’m not sure about the entertainment, as it seemed a little sparse on the course. That might have been because of the rain or my Disney-elevated expectations.
3. Downtown Cleveland is kind of dead on the weekends, except for 4th street and the museum. I don’t think it’s a deal breaker for most folks, but I had a hard time finding places that served decent vegetarian food without defaulting to sauce-soaked pasta dishes with little to no protein. Or salads without meat/bacon bits.

All in all, though, I give it a thumbs up. It would definitely be a race to consider if you're living near in the Cleveland/Ohio region. I could even be talked into visiting Cleveland for non-race related events. Everyone there was friendly in an unpretentious way. My kind of people.

 

[deekaypee]

Ms. Duckie: I loved your RR on the ALA 5K. I'm a sucker for races with characters, as I'm in need of constant stimulation so that I don't think about what kind of phantom pain I might be experiencing. So it was cool to hear about the pre-school focus for all of us children-at-heart. And what a great first, local event to choose! Does it get any better than cotton candy?

Oh, wait, I guess it does. How about doing a great job in your first-ever judged racewalk. You're like a poster child for getting your technique down in the beginning, before you get bad habits. I didn't get about half your insider-racewalker talk, but I do understand you've got a good form going on & the judges and other participants thought you rocked! I do, too! Plus, it's pretty cool that you might have other racewalkers to train with. Sweeeeeet.

Stacie: Great job on the PR, and so soon after the Minnie! That's got to be almost as great as finding out you won an award in your AG. Your SIL is probably hooked on racing now, huh? As for you, I'm just so happy that you're seeing all your hard work pay off & you're getting the recognition on your races that you so deserve!

TXAng: First of all, what cute pictures. Gotta love those hills, huh? I don't think I'll ever be prepared...even when I'm warned. But you definely rocked the course--you shaved two minutes off a 5K? Wow. You were booking!! And, um, your bagel made me seriously hungry.

Mike: You chatted up Bingham? I'm so jealous. Not so jealous that you ran with DOOD for a while--he just wears me out. And I can't believe he told you his real name. Next thing you know he'll allow me to use it and to post pictures... Anyway, your run sounds like it started and stayed strong and that Kathy was there right when you needed her. I think she needs to be my coach....