Packed and ready to go! I even have a bike.

And it's not my hybrid.  Well, technically, I suppose I still have the hybrid, but it's not coming with me to the race.  Bella, my road bike, is fixed up and good to go.

I've set up my transition area in my basement, and then put it in my bag.  I always do that race eve, just to double check I've got everything.

Tonight was a pre-race meeting and dinner.  The food was good.  The company was good.  I ran into Keith (who is doing the half iron distance) as well as a couple other people I knew.  Truthfully though, it's not my preferred way to spend race eve.  I'd rather be home so that I can wind down earlier and hit the sack.

I'm feeling good about tomorrow.  I went to an open water swim clinic on Thursday and am feeling pretty good about my swim.  Bella's fixed up, so I'm set for the bike course.  And the run?  Well, I like running.  All is good.

This will be my longest race to date!  Yes, it's my second Olympic, but my first one had a 38 km bike route, as opposed to the standard 40 that I'll do tomorrow.  Bring it on baby!

Racing tomorrow!

And I am breaking my traditions!  No picture because we're having some laptop issues.  There will also be no morning of post.  I'm too cheap for a hotel room, so I'm doing the two-ish hour drive at 4:00am tomorrow.

It's a sprint: 750m pool swim, 25km bike ride, 5k run.  Like all the sprints I've done, the distances are different, so no direct comparison.

Goals:

1. PUSH myself.  No playing it safe.  I'd rather push hard and have to walk for a minute then finish with lots in the tank.  I want to see what I can do.

2. Have fun!

3. Enjoy watching Spud and Sweetpea do their second (Spud) and first (Sweetpea) triathlon!

Yipee!  First triathlon since September!

Off to bed!

Lining up at the starting line tomorrow!

Tomorrow morning, I'll running my first race of the calendar year: the St Patrick's Day road race.  This isn't a race I've been specifically training towards.  It's one that I signed up for fun and to give me my race rush.

I'm not sure what I'll be wearing.  Looks like it is likely to be just below freezing.  Depending on the wind, that could mean jacket, or not.  Could mean toque or cap.  Gloves?  Don't know yet.

I do know what number I'll be sporting.  Number 300, a nice even number.

If anyone else out there is running, feel free to come by and say hi!

Goals for this race?  Man, I'm wishy washy, but that depends too.

Up until yesterday, I was planning on running to the best of my ability and pushing myself.

Now, the weather forecast is calling for a chance of rain or wet snow this evening.  With likely freezing temperatures at race time, that might mean a skating rink.  Or, it might be totally clear pathways.

Right now, my main goal will be one that I've used before: roll with the punches.  Don't let things that are out of my control stress me out.

And have fun!

Race day! Time to conquer the last chance half!

Well today is here!  Today is the day where I go and run my sub 2:15 half marathon.  I'm kind of nervous, kind of excited.

As is my tradition, I take a really bad picture of myself with my race number prior to the race.  I don't disappoint today.  ;)  Number 1434.  If you see me there, come say hi.  I don't look as scary in real life, and I'll brush my hair and put it in a ponytail before the race.

In my Oly triathlon at Banff, I wore both my fuelbelt and number belt for the run.  It didn't work out so well.  My waist has it's smallest point a little under my ribs, and both of them wanted to sit in the same place.  So, for this race, I went out and bought little thingies to attach my race number to my fuelbelt.  Tried them this morning and they don't work!  They are too far apart on the fuelbelt because of where the water bottles are.  I would have thought the staff at the running store could have warned me...

Anyways, I think I'll try safety pinning the number to the fuel belt itself...

I hope all is well, and I'll see you on the other side of my half marathon!

Race goals

When I started running, I thought it would always be with the goal of "just finishing".  I didn't see myself as a real runner or an athlete.  I figured doing a race was an accomplishment in and of itself.  That was goal enough.

At some point, that changed.  I think it was shortly after my first 10k race (and second race overall).  At that point, I realized that finishing wasn't a big enough goal for me.  I wanted to get faster.  I wanted to get stronger.  I wanted to beat myself.

I kind of accepted this change in myself, but wasn't really sure why it had come about.  Then recently I read a phrase in a book that clarified it for me.  "A goal should stretch you."  Basically, there's no point in setting a goal that is a given.  When I did my first race, it was mainly to finish, and at that point, it was a goal that stretched me.  Now, when I go into any race, I know I can do the distance.  Barring an injury or something very wrong happening, I'm going to finish.  Planning to do so is not a stretch.

So, having said that, here are my goals for the Last Chance Half marathon on Sunday.

1. Run it in 2:15 or less
2. Pace well, stay mentally strong
3. Push myself, and finish strong

I've been a bit conflicted about the 2:15 goal.  Up until a month and a half ago, I thought I'd be going into this race with a goal to beat 2:30.  Then, I did a 22km (13.7mi) training run, on a somewhat hilly route in 2:28.  The half marathon I am doing is on a basically flat route, and (if you're not familiar with the distance) is only 21.1 km (13.1mi).  At that point, I realized that going into it with a 2:30 goal was not a challenge.

So, my new goal is 2:15.  To achieve that, I have to run an average of 6:20/km (10:12/mi).  (Technically 6:24, but there's always a chance the course will be slightly long.)  The idea of running that pace for that long scares me a little bit.  It seems really ambitious.  I've also caught my son's cold, so I'm not going into the race in top form.

But, then there's the fact that I ran a recent 10k race in 56:33, at average pace of 5:40/km (9:06/mi).  I also ran the 10km at the end of an olympic triathlon at a pace of 6:07/km.  Was it hard?  Yeah.  But, it's supposed to be.  If you're familiar with the McMillan calculator, it tells me that I should be able to do a half marathon in 2:05:50 (based on my 10k time).  So, that raises the question of whether 2:15 is even ambitious enough?

The answer?  I don't know.  I know that I have trained consistently and thoroughly for this race.  I've done 5 runs that were 20 km or more.  I won't say I've nailed every single run, because life has gotten in the way a couple times.  I have nailed almost every run though.

And, I've become so much stronger mentally.  I've gained an attitude that I can do anything.  The only thing that can hold me back is my head, and I won't let it.

So, 2:15?  Too ambitious?

Hogwash.

Not ambitious enough?

Possibly.  I'm still figuring out my abilities, and the fact that they keep changing makes it hard to really nail down what I can do.  I'm going in with a plan of pacing for 2:15 - until the last 10 km.  Then, if I've got it in me, I'll pick it up and push.  If I end up with a serious negative split, I'll plan to set more aggressive goals in the future.  If I cross the finish line in 2:14:58, I'll know I gave it everything I've got.  Then I'll train more, and still set more aggressive goals in the future anyways.

They do exist!

Remember how after my first triathlon, the pictures seemed to have disappeared from our camera? Well, it turns out that they weren't actually gone, but had somehow gotten labelled as 2008. How some from that day got labeled 2008 and others had the correct date, I don't know...

Anyways, a couple from the event:

The zoom on our camera doesn't work right, so I had to digitally zoom in and lost some quality.

Running to the finish line. Feeling great!

Cheerleader Spud

Cheerleader Sweetpea

Out for dinner that night. For the record, I didn't wash that number off. I let it wear off in it's own time.

I've got my next triathlon coming up in *cough* 6 days. Um, did I just say SIX days? Yep, sure did. It's got an open water swim too. I'm feeling scarily calm about it today. Let's see how I feel tomorrow?

Off to the races!

It's race day! This one is an early race, starting at 8:00am. I'm up by myself enjoying my breakfast and a bit of peace around 2 hours before the race starts. We made the decision to have my husband and kids at the finish line, but not the start. It's just easier and less stressful not to wrestle Spud and Sweetpea out of the house so early.

I want to thank everybody for all the words of encouragement along my journey. After reading some of the comments on my goal setting, I was reminded to have fun. I've actually decided to edit my goals slightly:

(The parts in italics are the new parts.)

1. To finish with a smile on my face.

2. To pace well, finish strong, and enjoy the scenery.

3. Not let the things out of my control get to me. (Such as icy pathways or congested areas).

I'm one of the lucky ones that actually loves running. I need to remember that when I race.

See you all on the other side of the half marathon!

Setting goals for my first half marathon!

So, with my first half mary coming up in two days, it's time to get real and consider what my goals are for it.

I'm not setting a time goal for a couple reasons: 1. It's my first of a new distance. I don't intend to ever set time goals when I'm doing a brand new distance. 2. I think the time is far less important then the execution. I fare better in focusing on how I execute a race then I do focusing purely on the time I finish it in.

This may be a tough race. For one thing, it's supposed to be a challenging course, with a fair bit of elevation in the second half of it. For another, the weather conditions are far from ideal. The temperature is likely to be a bit below freezing. That, in itself, wouldn't be so bad. The non-ideal part is the fact that it's been raining and snowing the last few days. And, it hasn't been warm enough to melt any of that accumulation. On the plus side, the race organizers have said that they plan to sand icy areas, so hopefully it will still be in good shape.

I picked up my race package today - race package meaning shirt and bib. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the colour, and the sleeves are too short. That surprises me actually. I know I'm a tall woman, but considering it's a unisex shirt, I would have expected longer sleeves.


Anyways, without further ado, my goals for this race are:

1. To finish.

2. To pace well and finish strong.

3. Not let the things out of my control get to me. (Such as icy pathways or congested areas).

That's it, that's all!

Two days from now, I'll have finished a half marathon! Who'd have thunk it?

Race day - dreaming...

It's race day today. As I mentioned in my last post, I have set goals that I hope will carry me through the race. It doesn't include a time goal, but I'd be lying if I didn't have something in mind. I'm just trying not to get too tied to it.

I checked out the race map and elevation profile yesterday evening. It looks like the first 4.5 km is a gradual downhill followed by about a km of up and down; then the last 4.5 km is a gradual uphill.

I'm glad I checked it, because now I know what to expect. It means that my thought of negative splitting seems less likely, and I'll likely let my pace be quicker then I otherwise intended for the first half. It's mostly a gradual slope though, so I'm not too worried about it, and I'll take it as it comes.

I had a pre-race dream last night. In it somebody stole my bike pedals and cleats (not the entire bike shoe, just the cleats). When I got to transition, I wasn't able to carry on, and after wandering around looking for them, I had to DNF (did not finish).

Now, since this is a running race rather then a triathlon, I'm all good. But, I just want to let any nefarious people know: stay away from my bike!

My number for this race is 230. I've tried to find some meaning in that, but I'm having trouble. If this was 2 weeks ago, I could have said that it represents that I'm mother to a two year old and a three year old, but the three year old is now four. Regardless, it's a nice low number.

I tried to get a good picture with my race shirt and number, but I looked like a dork in all of them. I considered just not posting it, but I've kind of made it a tradition, so here it is:

See you on the other side of the race!

Setting goals, without setting yourself up for disappointment

My next race is coming up on Saturday. This will be my fourth race. So far, I've done 2 5k races and 1 10k race. This will be my second 10k race.

My first and second race were amazing. It was my first time for each distance and my main goal for each of them was to finish. The experiences were full of victory and accomplishment, the overcoming of barriers and achieving something that I never thought possible.

My third race was frustrating and disappointing. I don't look back on it with good feelings. The reasons? The congestion at the start line, my poor pacing, the confusion of where the start line actually was, the short course. Looking at those reasons though, there was only one of those items that was in my control. Yet, at the time, I let myself get worked up and stressed about it all, which surely didn't help my performance.

So, looking at my goals for this next race there's a few criteria I need to consider. I need to keep my goals realistic. I also need to keep them flexible. If race day logistics aren't what are expected, I'll adjust my goals.

When I first signed up for this race, it was with the thought that I might be able to achieve a sub-60 minute time. I am now reconsidering that.

I am still a very new runner. I've been running for less then a year, and have only done a few races. I do very little speed work, focusing instead on building my running volume.

I also haven't really trained for this race. That's not to say that I haven't been running. I have. But, I've been training for a half marathon. My long runs are up to 16-18km and are long and slow. I usually do three shorter runs a week in the 6-8km range. As I get close to this 10km race, I'm realizing it isn't really a distance I feel prepared for. I know I can go faster then I run at almost twice the distance, yet it's not such a short distance that I can get away with going too fast and pacing poorly.

For all of these reasons, my goals for this race are not really time based. My goals are:

1. Control what I can and let go of what I can't.

This means that I'll arrive early to find parking, but I won't start freaking out if it's really busy. I'll try to line up in an appropriate spot for the speed I plan to run, but if I get stuck in a crowd and have to go slower at first, I'll accept that and pick up the speed when I can. If the course is long or short, that's life. I'll run it and finish it.

2. Pace myself well

It's easy to let race day adrenaline carry you away at the starting line. In my last race, I also got caught up in trying to "make up time" after a congested first kilometer. This time, I intend to find a pace that pushes me, but is sustainable, and then hold that pace when I can. I do have an approximate pace in mind, but I'm going to play it partly by ear as well, depending on how I am feeling.

3. Push myself and finish strong

While I'm looking to find a sustainable pace, I'm also shooting for one that challenges me. I want to finish this race feeling like I gave it my all and I pushed myself as hard as I can.


Right now, my races should be about the execution, not the time. Once I have more experience, and I consistently execute well, I can start shooting for time goals and personal bests. I truly believe that this approach will yield some personal bests regardless, but I want to finish races feeling good about how I ran the race, rather then then just the time I get.

Race Day!

Today is the day! I'll be doing my third race. In some ways it almost feels like my first race though, because it's different. This is the first time I'm doing a race in a distance I've done before. Because of that, it means it's the first time I'm doing with a race with goals more then "to finish".

I have a previous personal best time of 31:25 on the 5k distance and I'm hoping to beat it. I'm also hoping to break the 30 minute mark. The conditions seem alright for it. It will be cold, but it's winter in Canada, so that's expected. I have a bit of a cold, but it's in my head rather then my chest, so I think it will be okay. I've had some concerns over pathway conditions, but Calgary actually keeps the pathways in not bad shape. I'm thinking I can avoid slipping.

4975. That's my race number this time! Running room gave a very tasteful pylon orange jacket with the race package and I'll be sporting it for this race. I was prepared to tolerate the jacket for this winter, since I really need a better one then what I've been wearing. I didn't want to spend money for one that I'd shrink out of by next year. I have to admit that, while I hate the colour, the jacket is actually really comfy.

Also hoping to meet up with some other bloggers tonight! I'll be by the indoor playground in Eau Claire prior to the race. (That way Spud and Sweetpea can let off some steam.) I expect I'll be there from about 5:00 till 5:50. (I plan to do a short jog to warm up right before the race.) Come by and say hi if you're there! I'm very tall (for a woman) - about 5'11. I have long brown hair that will be in a ponytail. I may or may not be wearing the stylish orange jacket, depending how warm it is inside.