Post-Marathon (Looking Back to Move Forward) Part 1

It has been a (very) long while since I have sat down to write and publish a new blog post.  Too long. I will freely admit I let life run its course, and while I did sit down a few times to recap my marathon and recovery, life kept calling on me to be present.  Here is a recap of my first marathon:

Leading up to the big day, September 12, my body was ready to taper.  While my training was solid and I consistently hit my paces and mileage, my last tempo run was a complete bust.  I went out too fast on a late August afternoon that was one of the hottest and most humid I’d trained in yet.  The next morning, I greeted the sunrise halfway through my recovery miles I had to get in early now that the new school year was gearing up.  I was left feeling that perhaps I couldn’t do it...that I couldn’t BQ at my first marathon...that I was too tired and there was no way to redeem myself from that last major training run.  

Miles & Smiles...that's how to race!

Trying to shake the self-doubt away, I focused on tapering well.  It was the last step in my training; the work had been done.  I did everything I could to rest my legs: no heels; sitting often; stretching and yoga; extra naps. Balancing work and running was easier than I expected as I could channel my extra jitters/energy into preparing my classroom for my incoming students.  After 18 weeks of training, I was ready to be done.  

Race day approached.  I never really talked about my goal to qualify for Boston beyond my closest running friends and some members of my running groups.  I never put it out there publicly nor did I chronicle my training paces...because I was paranoid I would jinx myself.  Leading up to my marathon, the Last Chance to BQ.2, I barely acknowledged my hope to BQ despite the fact I had trained for it.  My boyfriend Steve had faith in me, and so did my friends and running buddies.  For me, it remained to be seen.  I had faith in my training to get me through 26.2 miles and across the finish line.  For a first marathon, a Boston Qualification was a very lofty goal.  Finishing the marathon would be the end punctuation, where a BQ would be the exclamation point to finish months of intense training and sacrifice.

Steve ran with me for most of the last half.

The morning of September 12th came and I was as ready as I could have been.  My fueling plan was all laid out, tested and true.  Race outfit had been picked well in advance (I had raced in it all summer).  My GPS watch was charged and my race bag packed.  Steve and I left for Millennium Park in Grand Rapids after our traditional pre-race breakfast of coffee, peanut butter toast, and a banana.  We were greeted by a few of our runner friends who had come to cheer for me.  Then the race started.

Team Hansen

Everything was going well...very well.  I started out a bit too fast but settled in after a few miles.  The weather was perfect: cool temps and clear skies.  I stuck to my fueling plan, taking a Huma gel every 30 minutes, and taking a few sips of water every mile.  Steve began to run with me right around the halfway point, and I was glad to have his company.  There was a mild hiccup somewhere in the middle, around mile 14.  My sole sisters, Liz, Donna, and Amanda, popped up at an aid station with an epic cheering section, my son included.  Having them cheering for me and seeing my son stirred up tears and I lost my breathe for a few minutes.  It was all I could to to power up a small hill just after passing them, so I could slow down a bit to regain my race composure.  

My little guy crossing the finish line with me. 

Things were going smoothly until my GPS watch lost satellite signal right around mile 16.  It was still keeping time, but it no longer calculated my mile splits or pace.  I was a bit shaken and really pissed.  Ultimately, I ran the next few miles too fast, wasting precious energy.  I hit the wall at mile 22 or 23.  The last gel was taken and I powered through, although I did slow down, even walking a few times, trying to reset my mental game.  Finally turning right and heading down the home stretch, I focused on the finish line.  Steve veered off just before the finish shoot, letting me bring it in on my own.  My son, Cole, was waiting for me just before the finish line, and we crossed over it together, hand in hand.  My time: 3:30:49.  I had qualified for Boston!

Post race celebration: Crack Fries & a brew.

Liz, Amanda, Donna, & I post marathon.

Trica, my virtual training partner & friend.

Upcoming blog post: Post-Marathon (Looking Back to Move Forward) Part 2 - Things I Learned from Marathon Training.

Race Recap: Nike Women's 15K Toronto

Ever since I began running longer distances, the Nike Women’s race series has been on my bucket list.  I had expected it to stay there for a while because the reality of a single mom on a school teacher budget traveling across the country (or internationally) for a fairly pricey half marathon just wasn’t realistic.  I willingly put dreams of a Tiffany finisher’s pendant off to the side and focused on other running goals.

Then along came a day in March, and word spread that Nike was adding a race in Toronto!  Practically a hop, skip, and a few hours of driving away!  Excitement persuaded reason to take a leap of faith.  So I entered my name in the lottery, fingers-crossed that I have the chance for an international running adventure.  

Early April, I receive an email that made me squeal with glee:  I had an entry into the Nike Women’s 15K Toronto race!  I couldn’t believe it!  A rash of text messages and emails went out, bombarding my inner circle with my good news.  A few hours later, after I began to plan out and coordinate the logistics of this mini runcation, reality set in:  I was going to do this race and most likely, I was going to do it all by myself.  Toronto was not only going to be my longest road trip to date (is that sad for an independent woman in this day and age??) but my first solo international trip (yes...Canada counts...my passport was required!)  

The week leading up to the Nike Women’s 15K Toronto race was flooded with last minute travel arrangements, emailed updates from Nike, packing, and weather checking.  I am fortunate to have several family members who live near Toronto and many emails and messages later, my cousin Kristin helped me find a place to stay.  Arriving in Toronto in the mid-afternoon, I had just enough time to roam about the expo and pick up my packet.  

The Women’s Village was set up on Queens Quay West and chalk full of exciting things to see.  The Crystal Palace (a floating barge in the harbor) hosted multiple classes and exercise opportunities leading up to race morning.  Nike had a very impressive shop with race specific apparel, shoes, running analysts, etc.  The pounding music only drove my excitement to be at this event even further to the edge.  Walking along and exploring the vendors and sponsor tents gave me the chance to stretch my travel stiffened legs and hook up to the complementary WiFi.  (Sidenote:  When doing an international race, check with your cell phone carrier about an addon for international data and minutes.  I overlooked this detail and was at the mercy of Tim Horton’s and Starbuck’s free WiFi!)

Downtown Toronto as seen from the Centre Island Dock.

My Canadian cousins, Deb and Eric, put me up at their house for the night prior to the race.   A few shake out miles and a shower later, we sat down for dinner.  It was lovely to spend the evening catching up and listening to family stories...the ones that only come out decades later once everyone has found the humor in the incidents.  I laid out my race gear and pinned on my bib, a la Flat Courtney style and crawled into bed.  The excitement of my journey and the long car ride had wiped me out.

Flat Courtney

Waking up at the crack of dawn, I quietly dressed and packed while my hosts brewed a pot of coffee.  One cup and I was on my way back to downtown and Queens Quay to catch my 6:00 am ferry.  I had my fingers crossed that I could navigate back without assistance from my GPS on my phone.  Only making one wrong turn, I had little trouble finding parking and following the obvious tide of women runners heading for the docks.  I lined up in my queue and waited with anticipation and the fervent wish I had stopped somewhere for another cup of coffee.  As the sun dawned upon Lake Huron and the Toronto Islands, ferries transported participants and spectators.  I was greeted by a fantastic drumline as I made my way to the starting area, where I met up with fellow Oiselle birds, Carly and Lauren.  There was plenty of time to walk about, find bathrooms, check our gear and warm up before the 9:30 am start time.  

Being in the first half of marathon training, I honestly had no idea what to expect of myself as far as a finish time.  I did not allow myself a taper for this race, instead letting it count as tempo run.  My hope was to beat my prior 15K time of 1:06:13, but other than that, I simply wanted to race well and strategically.

Oiselle Birds ready to fly!  Myself, Carly, & Lauren representing!

A cool, steady light rain began just as I entered my wave corral.  I joined a huddle of runners jumping up and down to stay warm as the announcer pumped everyone up and counted down the start.

This was an amazing course for being on a small island, alternating pavement, dirt, and grassy paths...even an airport runway!  (Yes...planes were taking off as we ran on the neighboring runway!) The drumline that greeted us off the ferry was on the course, as well as a church choir.  It was interested to see a course marked out in both kilometers and miles.  And I could guess if my fellow runners were Canadian or American by where their GPS watches beeped!  One of my most favorite sights on the course was running past the pink lighthouse.  My other was the last mile of the race when I came to the boardwalk along the southern part of the island.  It was slick from the rain, so I wasn’t able to push my pace as fast as I wanted to, but the views of Lake Ontario were breathtaking.

Here is the preview of the course Nike released:

Nike Women's 15K - Course Preview
Your training got you here. Your best will take you home.Get your sneak peek of the Nike Women's 15K Toronto course.
Posted by Run Nike Women Series on Sunday, June 7, 2015

As with most races, the best part was the finish line:  Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson was high-five-ing finishers!  A very sweet and unique ending to a race that gave me a new PR: 1:05:54!

And yes, I got my Tiffany blue box with my race pendant.  

Overall, this was an amazing experience.  There were a few hiccups, as there are with any first time race.  I don’t believe it was necessary to have the runners on ferries as early as 6:00 am when the race began at 9:30 am.  The course was a slow one, even though it was pretty flat.  The combination of pavement, dirt and grassy paths, several turns, and a slippery boardwalk did not allow for blazing fast times.  

In spite of these minor issues, Nike did put on a wonderful event from start to finish.  The entry fee and travel was worth checking this race series off my bucket list.  

Tick Tock Tick: Time to Get to Fixing

Time...a measure of duration and intervals...an ordering of events, past, present, and future…  As a runner, the value of this abstract measure is priceless.  Speedwork, training, tempos, personal records, pace, time goals, finding the space in my hectic life to dedicate to a long or short run...the list goes on and on.  But ‘time’ by itself is only the measure I allow it to be and I’ve been letting it get away from me.

As Lauren Fleshman said, “Time fixes nothing. Time is a facilitator but you still have to do the fixing; Dig into the difficult conversations; Look hard at yourself in the mirror and ask if you’re doing everything you can do to get healthy. If you aren’t currently living the life you want, there is no other way to get there. Time won’t make it happen. So you can either adjust the goal, or give yourself a swift kick in the ass. Those are your only two options unless you enjoy the feeling of eternal tug of war.” (see more on her latest blog post here.)  

It seemed as if Lauren Fleshman had been hanging out in my brain these last few weeks...because this was basically what I have been telling myself!  

2014 was a year of many ups and downs, as well as a heck of a lot of growth.  The weeks following Christmas and New Years are typically times of reflection and contemplation.  I don’t make resolutions...that just doesn’t work for me.  I prefer to look back at my actions and reactions, seeing what worked and what didn’t, then readjust for the future.  (Ironically, most of my reflections occur while I’m running.)

In 2014, I had set two major goals for myself: 1) run four half marathons and 2) run 1000 miles.  And I did both.  I trained hard and raced even harder, sometimes pushing too hard and ending up with mild injuries.  Overall, my training worked for me: running three to four times a week with a mix of long runs, tempo runs, and speed work.  My speed, pace, and running form improved from the beginning of the year, and I set new personal records for my 5K, 10K, and half marathon times.   

My race schedule...not so much.  Three half marathons and a 25K in eleven weeks left me ready for a break from long distances.  Add in a hefty handful of 5Ks and a few 10Ks, and my weekends were consumed with running all summer long.  Autumn came out of nowhere, leading me back to my classroom with no sign of my racing or hectic schedule letting up (and squeezing in one more half marathon the weekend of my brother’s wedding).  Stresses and pressures accumulated and weighed me down, pushing me off balance.  I reacted by pushing back...and pushing myself even harder.  So I have ended 2014 with a nasty case of shin splints and the realization that I need to get down to ‘fixing.’

 

Fixing My Race Schedule:

Celebrating all 1000 miles of 2014

I am promising myself to limit the number of ‘big races’ I do this year.  I have my sights set on two races: the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K and my first marathon.  There are time goals I have in mind for both of these races...realistic but lofty.  I am still going to race local 5Ks and 10Ks, only being more selective about them.  If I’m feeling good, perhaps I will snag a last minute bib in a few half marathons as training runs.  As much as I love racing, I don’t want to overload my weekends with races like I did last year...it wasn’t fair for me to monopolize so much of the summer weekends with races.

Training Smarter, Not Harder:

Cross training is a weak point in my training.  Until recently, Pilates had been my only form of cross training (other than shoveling all last winter!).  My mission is to incorporate more stretching, strength training, and cycling into my training along with my Pilates.  A lovely fellow Oiselle runner gave me a Believe training journal and a pair of wings.  What I love the most about my training journal is that it has reflection and accountability built into it.  

As far as running, I am incredibly fortunate several veteran runners are helping me with my training schedule for my marathon.  I also have found a few running partners whose pace and running philosophy match mine.  My support system, the web of my running family, is extending, reweaving, and coming back stronger than ever.  

Time to Get to Fixing!

Now...time is needed.  Not to sit and wait.  Not to allow others to do the work for me.  Not simply wish my dreams and goals come true.  Now is the time for action.  Time for ME to get to ‘fixing’ and make this happen for me.  

And I can’t wait to get started...