Old Man River Half Marathon

In pictures...

At the start - 5k and half marathoners starting together made for a slightly crowded start

I tried not to start out too fast since the 5k crowd was pushing the pace. I kind of felt crappy for this race - cold and hungry and tired.

I ran with my (much faster) friend Celeste for the first 8 miles.

 Celeste's last half marathon was a 1:29, so she was kindly holding back and sticking by me early on. I lost her at a water stop and she ended up finishing ten seconds ahead of me in 1:30:16, which is slow for her!

Quite possibly the worst finish line picture ever! 

I finished in 1:30:26, a PR and first in my age group. Celeste was first in her age group, too!
My revolting face should tell you that this wasn't just an easy run for me. You know how some days just aren't your day? I felt like that. Cold, hungry, grumpy, etc. And my cute Santa socks let my feet slide around like crazy, so I could feel blisters forming on the tips of my toes.
Total let-down: there was nothing at the finish but bananas and oranges (I hate bananas and oranges are too hard to eat) and I was starving. This was big for a local race - 900 people - so I thought that was odd. And last year they had a pancake breakfast!

This was a good race for me to get under my belt because I have never run a long distance under 7 min/mi pace. That seems too fast for me - it's all mental - and it's good just to have done it once so I can get over that mental barrier.
Do you have running mental barriers, too? Like, "I'll never break a 2 hour half" or "I couldn't run double digits" or "Girls don't run sub-20 min 5ks"? For me it's seeing a pace under 7 - scares me! What's yours?

The best marathon pace bands online - print your own.

Pace bands > Garmins.
That's right, I said it! If you run with a Garmin you are probably constantly glancing to see your current pace (so not helpful) or maybe your average pace (a bit more helpful) but you aren't seeing the big picture. The big picture tells you how close you are to your goal, and for that you need a pace bracelet. At a glance you can see if you're going to make your time, if you're moving too fast, or how many minutes you need to make up in the last 10 miles to hit your goal.
I'm on team pace band.
You can order snazzy pace charts and bands pre-made, but it's much smarter to make your own since presumably you'll be changing pace over the years (at least I hope so).

Please feel free to link to this post on your blog or share via email. Here is why: when you Google "print pace bands", etc., a TON of malignant, virus-containing sites pop up. I have carefully navigated this morass after being warned by my friend Bj who clicked on one accidentally (luckily he uses Apple!).  So to save some poor fellow runner from virus-land, I've done all the leg-work for you  :)


Here are the best pace bracelets out there:
Cliff Bars: I like that the band has larger print than most, but the smeary colored background at major miles makes it hard to read. Not my favorite.
Marathonguide:  I like this band because you can create different distances. I printed one up for a 30k this year. Then I left it at home. Awesome.
Runner's World: Don't use this one. It creates a PDF with a black background, so when you print it you waste a gallon of ink.
Taper madness: Simple, clear, easy to read.The basics.
Katy fit: Super extensive Excel spreadsheet that lets you really play with your times; you can choose to negative split and the band will adjust miles accordingly; your pace per mile will be shown to the right. Two different sizes to choose from.
Running Room: Prints in bold so it's good for people with who are too vain to run in glasses (Abe? are you reading?) and has a variety of distance options.
My marathon pace: For an important race, download the paceband created specifically for your marathon! These bands actually take into account the terrain and course of several big name races. The full version you have to pay for. Just the band is free to download. There is A LOT of info here: even the "generic flat marathon" pace band has options; you can choose to "fade" at the end or "slow start". If you choose a specific marathon, your band will be adjusted to account for hills, trails, etc. You can print in a variety of sizes.
Runner's Toolbox: The most distance options, but the bracelet has remarkably small font. It might still be helpful if you wanted to create one for an unusual distance. If you hit "get splits" instead of "make a wristband" you can copy and paste the splits into Word and adjust the font and size to your own liking.
Fellrnr: This gentleman created a triple-pace band that adds in two safety cushion columns in addition to standard splits. In other words, if you know you fade at the end of a marathon, or if you expect late hills to kick your booty, you can build in a 1 or 2 minute cushion.

So there you have it. The best printable pace bracelets online! Enjoy and happy racing!

Jazz Half Marathon early bird entry

If you register now it's just $50 - until March 6th.

You better run it in costume. It's Halloween weekend!!!!

Ole Man River half marthon race review

Ole Man River half marathon race review
http://www.runnotc.org/
There are now three half-marathons in New Orleans each year (the others are the Jazz half and the Mardi Gras marathon half) but this one is the oldest.

Me passing an ole man during the Ole Man. Hahaha.

The good: Fast, flat course in city park - scenic and easy - and typically the weather is nice at this time of year. The price is fantastic: $45 with our discount - and includes a long-sleeved tech T, a medal, and a pancake breakfast. You can pick your packet up ahead of time or race morning, but sizes aren't guaranteed if you pick up late.
The bad: No bad with this race. I do prefer the Jazz half if choosing amongst local races, only because the course is a little more interesting and spectator friendly. But I will absolutely run this one again.
The good-to-know: Parking is easy. Finish early before they run out of donuts. Prizes are 1st-3rd overall, 1st masters/grandmasters, and seniors, first five heavyweight division (?!?!) and age group 1st and 2nd. Cash prizes.

Harrisburg Marathon: Race Review

I already posted the recap of this race, but for those of you who might be considering running it, here's the review:

The Harrisburg Marathon takes place in mid-November each year in Pennsylvania's Capital.
I ran it this year and I have to give it 5 stars!
The race: It's a small marathon, about 1000 runners, with a relay option. Next year will be its 39th year, so the organizers have pretty much worked out all the kinks.
Registration and cost: Cheap! $55 with early registration, but registration is available on day of the race for $60. You can pick up your packet the night before or the morning of the race, which is nice (and the process, which I observed, is completely hassle-free).
Swag: Long-sleeved tech T (with a zippered pocket, cool) which I discovered runs pretty small as race T's go. Basically order the size you'd order if you were buying a fitted blouse. I was so impressed with the swag bag - for a tiny marathon with no expo, I got Gu samples, fruit and yogurt bites, a magazine, a gift card, granola bars, chips, a handful of candy,and a cytomax sample. There's a finisher's medal, too, if you collect those.
Course: It's the course that makes the race. The website advertises the race as mostly flat with a 2 or 3-mile hilly section. This is pretty true, except the flat part is not completely flat. There are enough hills for a New Orleanian to notice anyway! But the happy part is that the course is varied enough that you can't get bored. It goes through a college campus, the city of Harrisburg, an industrial park, several bridges, a wooded area, a gravel trail, along the river, and in a neighborhood. It is mostly a beautiful course and it keeps you interested. I was worried about the course being confusing - there are lots of turns -  but it was very well marked and volunteers called out directions.

Harrisburg PA

Support: The volunteers were pretty great and the race went off very smoothly: started exactly on time, plenty of aid at all the stations, well-organized. Aid stations had water and most had Cytomax, too. Cytomax makes my stomach cramp, but I dealt with it. There were two Gu stations, although the website only mentioned one, plus volunteers who I don't think were associated with the race were giving out pre-opened packets at mile 15. As far as fan support goes, I was surprised by how many spectators were out on a Sunday morning. In fact the only empty sections were in the woods and in the industrial area.
Funny story: I saw a few kids trying to get high-fives on the course and all of the runners were passing them by. I decided to give them their desired slap and I knocked the kid over. He was like, twelve. I guess I was running really fast, haha!
Post race: Dunkin' Donuts coffee and donuts, chicken broth, sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, more granola bars and chips,cytomax and soda. No beer, shocker. This is the first non-alcoholic race I've ever run.
Etc - There is a pasta dinner the night before, a gear check, a walking option, and a relay option. There isn't a half option or a 5 or 10 k. There are plenty of porta-potties at the start. Runners can use their number to get into the YMCA and shower after the race. Race is chip-timed (disposable) and there is time on the course. Parking is easy and plentiful. If you're traveling, there are several sponsor hotels with great deals. There is a heated, sheltered area at the start so you don't freeze before the race. Of interest, the marathon starts at 8:30 - I thought that was late, but it would be ideal for those of us who aren't morning people!
So overall? I highly recommend this race if you're even slightly nearby. It's obvious that all the kinks have been worked out over the years and these guys know how to run a small successful race. I was so impressed that I might consider doing it again, especially since we have friends nearby.

In which I shoot myself in the foot

Another bottle-opener medal! With VELCRO, what?!
Here is how I set up for a very bad half marathon.
1. Get up late
2. Skip breakfast
3. Skip potty break (I'll go at the start line...)
4. Drive an hour to the race only to realize that the parking is a disaster; sit on the highway in standstill traffic until moments before the start
5. Rush to the start!
6. Feel pain in the back right heel. Strange pain. Never-had-before pain.
7. Start to run and instantly become aware of tightness in the front of the shins
8. Hit the first water station and accidentally throw your mid-race snack (oatmeal) in the trash. Ouch. No GU on course.
9. Keep accidentally getting water instead of gatorade because table set up was messy/confusing (hey, it was the inaugural race).
10. Think the whole time how you just ran a full marathon a week ago and you're sick of running.

Sounds horrible, right?
Here's the crazy part. I PR'd big-time, cutting five minutes off my last time, and finished 6th in my age group with a 1:46:11!
That's fast for me! You just never know when you're going to have a good race. This sure didn't feel like it!
I continued my race the entire day, rushing to make it home in time for church, then rushing from church to a local running group meeting. I'm joining the group in hopes of finding some more running partners.
Coming Monday: Finally the race review for the Freedom's Run Marathon: the good, the bad, and the hilly.

Last but not least, big shout-outs to the gals I follow who kicked booty at Portland today:
Sassy, Lisa, and Amber.
Sassy ran a fast 3:50 marathon - wow, I wish I could be there!, Lisa met her time goal, and Amber ran her very first marathon. Congratulations, ladies. You are impressive!

Marathon training commences

Mile 7ish of mardi gras marathon; the big grin is in response to the news that little brother Abe was 6th and running under 6 minute splits. He dropped down to 16th...still pretty grand for a first marathon!
I said I'd share marathon training plans for the upcoming Freedom's Run marathon, so here goes. But first a little blurb about morning running.
I HATE IT. I'm not awake, I haven't had my coffee, my joints are stiff, my sinuses have the nasal equivalent of sleep sands, and I'd rather be sleeping. Worst of all, I have strange blood sugar - I dump insulin in the mornings - so I'm usually weak and shaky in the morning. However, this morning I dragged hubby out of bed and we went for a run. I'm working until 7 pm tonight, so I didn't want to wait until after work. SO someone please say kudos because it took monumental effort to run caffeineless.
Our marathon training plans are a little laughable. They are 18 weeks long, which is LONG, but I worked in extra time so that if I was injured or we were traveling we wouldn't really miss much. Since hubby is only running a half he should be UBER PREPARED. For my first half my "training" was adding a long run two weeks in a row - 7 miles and 10 miles - and then doing the half on the third! So basically after 18 weeks I expect him to set a world record.
Hubby's half-marathon training has one day of weights a week, 1 short run, 1 long run, 1 rest day, 2 days of either running or aerobic cross training. He also has one "speed" day which isn't really speed work; it's either hills or fartlek or treadmill incline. I made his schedule myself so I could work in his normal running routes. I'm an awesome wife like that. His longest long run is 12 miles.
My marathon plan has one cross train day, 2 short runs (between 3 and 8 miles), 1 speedwork or training day, 1 short-but-at-race-pace day, and 1 long run. On the short run days I am also doing some strength training once a week. This is mostly focused on preventing knee injury.
So far hubby is loving this. Our cross train day number one was spent playing football on the beach (puh-lease, that can't be exercise, it sounds like something out of a cheesy movie) and his first week starts out at shorter runs than he's doing on a regular basis. That's all part of the plan to suck him in until he's running 8 miles like it's nothing!
If you have any training suggestions for me I would very much appreciate it. My first marathon training fell apart thanks to illness and injury, so I'm still feeling a little unprepared. Do you think one rest day is enough (but I also have one cross train day)? Are three long runs at or over 20 miles enough, or should I do four? How many miles total should I run - I think this plan is about 525 miles including the race but not counting any cross training (spread over 18 weeks)? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!