Racing Plans

Well, it's March, which means racing season is pretty much here. In Minneapolis we've been having outdoor road races since January so I guess it's been here for a while. Yah, we're pretty hardy here dontcha know.


So far I've done a 5K. I ran the 100% Irish for a Day 5K the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. I've been itching to do another race but I really feel like I shouldn't be spending money on entrance fees right now. Taxes are due on April 15. YAY! :( Last year when we had to pay in and this year when we found out we have to pay in again, I at least found the silver lining and thought, "Well hey, at least I didn't give the government an interest free loan for the past 12 months." That's about all I've got for positive thinking and taxes. Back to running...


Since I don't think I'll be doing any more races this spring, It's been difficult to consistently get out and train. Apparently I'm the type that needs a goal. I think this is especially true since I've been prepping for the GMAT lately. That is where my spare time has been going. But despite the nice weather, I've been a little inconsistent in training. But, soon that will all have to change because I have some big race plans on the agenda. BIG!


First, I've decided that I'd really like to do the Twin Cities 10-mile. It's in conjunction with the Twin Cities Marathon, which I ran last year. In fact they run some of the same route, at the same time. The 10-milers just get to skip 60% of the marathon route. The unfortunate thing is that they share the most difficult leg of the route. The part that's all uphill. The part that practically killed me at the end last October. Joy. But, I figure that portion will be much easier with only 3 miles behind me instead of 19. Another unfortunate thing is that since there is such a high demand for entries into this race, you only get in by lottery. So, the lottery opens in July and I plan to enter. 


The race itself is on October 7. My birthday! This means that I'll actually start training just before I know whether or not I'm actually in. Why would I start training so early just for a 10-mile you ask? Well, because I have plans for a second race in late October. I am planning to run the Monster Dash Half Marathon. Halloween+Road Race must = Good time right? I think so. I'm just trying to garner some support in the form of a running partner or two. A friend from Chicago might join me, though I'm afraid she'll probably kick my butt. However, I know that if she comes up I'll really push myself and we'll have a great time! She'll get to see more of the Twin Cities than just the airport, unlike last time she was up. Did I mention this friend works for the National MS Society Greater Illinois Chapter and is a huge crusader in ending MS? No? Well now I did. She's pretty awesome! I love her gusto!


In addition to the Monster Dash Half, I think we'll be running yet another race together. This one won't be until January however. "January?" you ask. Yes, my friends. January. I will not be running in Minneapolis, or anywhere near the upper Midwest for that matter. We're doing a race in FLORIDA!!! Not just any race, a huge, crazy endurance, test-your-mental-not just-physical-stamina race. We're running...drum roll please...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...RAGNAR! 


What is Ragnar you ask? Well, taken directly from the website, "Ragnar is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. A team is made up of 6 or 12 individuals; each individual runs 3 legs. The legs of the race vary in difficulty and distance from 308 miles, allowing elite and novice runners to run together. Over 2 days and 1 night, teams run across 200 miles of the country's most scenic terrain. Pair that with crazy costumes, inside jokes, a great finish line party and unforgettable stories. Some call it a slumber party with out sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it Ragnar."

Yes, you read that right. 200 miles! Not only do we run that far, but we do it over the course of two days and one night! An overnight run! Are we crazy? Probably. But, it seems that there are a lot of crazy people out there since these relays happen all over the country, even near the Twin Cities. We aren't doing the Twin Cities one because I have a wedding to attend that weekend. Florida in January seemed like the next best option. 

Now, another reason we might be a little crazy is because of this:

You see that part just after exchange 12 and Florida City? That part where it's shaded a different color? Well, that's the Everglades. Hot, swampy and full of alligators. The route goes right through that. You know what the best part is? That leg is AT NIGHT on a rocky, gravel trail. I'm thinking if you trip and fall (which is likely since your route is illuminated only by a headlamp and occasional headlights from support vans), you're instantly alligator dinner, or midnight/middle of the night snack. But, you know, sounds like a good challenge right? I did a quick Google search today and didn't find anything about anyone getting attacked by an alligator yet during this race, so I think we're good. Either that or statistics are not on our side and our time is due. Hopefully it's the former. The other good news regarding the gators is that only two legs go through the Everglades. So as long as I'm not runner 2 or 3, I should be ok. 

As you can also see, once you exit the Everglades, you also exit mainland Florida and start running on US Highway 1, or the Intercoastal Highway.

Photo Courtesy of Bing

That's right, running on huge-ass bridges that connect all of the Florida Keys. Don't mind me, I'll just take a jog over the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. No biggie. Now, I know this would make a lot of people's heads swim but it sounds like the coolest thing ever for me. That is aside from the lack of shade and high potential for blistering heat but seriously. Awesome. I've always wanted to simply drive over this highway. Running sounds even better. 

The race finishes in Key West and wraps up with a giant party. Don't mind if I do! Since the race is Friday through Saturday, I imagine we'll come home on Sunday. Perfect for soaking up a few rays while enjoying a Key West beach before heading back to what will surely be the frozen tundra of Minnesota in January.

Can you tell I'm excited for this? Erin already has 8 people recruited. We only need 4 more. What do you say, are you in?

Revelations and Races

Ok, I'm terrible. I know. I've been neglecting my writing duties. Mostly because I haven't had anything really worthy to write about lately, and when I have, I kind of put it off because I feel I have better things to do with my time. Even right now I can think of at least 3 other things I really should be doing such as washing sheets, grocery shopping and studying for the GMAT.

Yep, that's right, I'm studying for the GMAT. The test that gets you into business school. Since starting my job at the U, I've decided that I should take advantage of getting 75% off my tuition if I go back to school. I've decided that I'm going to see how the GMAT goes and if I can get into the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, and complete an MBA part-time. Normally, I wouldn't worry about standardized tests and applications to schools. Historically, those things have always gone well. However, historically I've only taken standardized tests and quit applying to colleges after I transferred to Minnesota. After going through some of the math on the GMAT practice stuff, I realized that there's a lot of it I haven't done since I was 14 or 15 years old. I'm 26. Eeeps! So, I'm taking the test on March 31 and have to have all of my application materials in by May 1 in order to start in the fall. Another reason I'm not completely confident of my abilities to get in to the program is because Carlson is rated in the top 25 business schools in the nation. After writing this paragraph I realize I probably should be studying.

Going back to school might change how my running plays out. Working full time plus school part time might not leave a lot of time for training. But, for now I persevere. I've continued to go to the gym three days a week before work. since it's before work, I've just been working on speed. It ended up making sense since I had a 5K coming up.

One thing I really have learned in these early morning sessions is to not let my head get in the way of a good workout. There are a lot of days when I really struggle to pull myself out of my bed to get to the gym. While getting ready I often think to myself, "Maybe I'll just take it easy today. Maybe even just briskly walk." It's probably a good thing I'm fairly competitive with myself. As soon as I step on the treadmill, I can't let myself slack. And as it turns out, that on the days I'm feeling at my worst, I often work out at my best. Many times I run the fastest for the longest on these days. Something I've found to be fairly interesting. Now, for the rest of the day it often takes a lot of effort (and sometimes coffee) to stay awake at work, but I make it through.

The hard work has paid off because I've been able to significantly reduce my short-distance speeds. We have had some unseasonably warm weather lately. We're talking 50+ degrees in March. Usually there's still a significant amount of snow on the ground. Last week was the first time we hit those temps and I was able to get in my first outdoor run of the season. Now, it wasn't anything special. Just a quick 3 miles around my neighborhood. And it did turn out to be pretty quick. I was able to get through the 3 in about 27 1/2 minutes. About 9:10 mile time. Not awesome, considering I had this route down to about 26 1/2 minutes at the end of my marathon training this fall, but still pretty good. I'm going to keep working on it and see if i can get it down to around 26 minutes eventually. It might take a while but now that the weather is getting nicer, I'll be able to get outside more.

I was hoping I could carry this speed into a 5K I ran on Saturday. I sort of did. My 5K time ended up being 28:29. It was about the same speed as my training. Technically I should be running faster in races so that's a little frustrating. I think the most frustrating part about it is how most 5K's play out.

This race, the 100% Irish for a Day, was a 5K and a 10-mile. Clearly it's an event geared toward runners. I knew I'd only have time to prepare for the 5K. Now, in any 5K you've got your wide range of participants. You've got the guys/gals who are quick as hell and want to win. You've got the folks who are pretty good, but aren't going to win, there are then people like me, who are pretty much middle of the pack. Next are people who are slower than me. They run/walk the whole event and are often new to running or getting back into running/fitness. Lastly, you have the walkers. The people who pay $35 to take a leisurely stroll around the lake. Now, don't get me wrong, they completely have that right and normally I wouldn't care that they do that, until they really get in my way.

The race organizers place markers at the start-line that designate what speed you think you'll run the race. It's marked by minutes per mile. The intention is that you line up near the marker that aligns with your assumed speed. Thus, I lined up by the 9:00 min/mile sign. When the race began it took a good mile for it to spread out enough that I wasn't constantly bobbing and weaving through the crowd. I was like Ali ducking and dodging swinging arms. When I looked at my watch, it had taken me over 10 minutes to run the first mile. Over 10 minutes! WHAT?

Now you might be asking, why did it take you so long if you lined up next to the 9:00 min/mile sign? Well, because people that clearly run at a much, much slower pace lined up in the front of the pack at the 6-8 min/mile areas. COME ON! So, in consequence, a giant cluster-eff develops for at least the first mile. It's really quite irritating and there's not a whole lot race officials can do about it. Typically you can't tell by looking at someone what speed they'll run. So, if you plan on running any 5K's and think you're on the slower end of the spectrum (definitely if you're walking), please, for God's sake, line up toward the back of the pack. It's just standard courtesy to those who are actually going to try and make times.

Now, the race itself was great. it was a loop around Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. I'm very familiar with this lake because I had spent a lot of time training for the marathon in that area. Now, when I was training, there were leaves on the trees and no ice on the lake. Despite the barren landscape, it was still great. The high for the day was in the 60's and at race time it was in the 40's. Pretty good running weather. There was a pretty good wind coming from the south. I didn't really notice it until the end of the race when it was whipping up from the frozen lake and hitting me crosswise. But, by that time I was pretty much done and really wanted to make time so I powered through.

The race ended with your standard race-fare. But this race, due to the St. Patrick's day theme culminated in a free glass of Finnegan's beer. Now, I only have select occasions when I drink beer in the morning. Gopher football games are usually the only excuses. But, this seemed like a good time to have a bump at 10 a.m. The downside was that since I ran the race alone, I didn't have anyone to share the beer with. They made us stay in a beer garden so I couldn't chat with Erich and his parents until I was done. But, it was good nonetheless.

Post race we drove to 3 restaurants before finding a place that could accommodate us for breakfast. Guess that's the downside to being in a city where the best breakfasts come from tiny diners. We ended up at The Citizen where I had the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had. From scratch cheddar chive biscuits and gravy with homemade sausage. Simply lovely. The icing on the cake was that the restaurant sources local and organic ingredients. Perfect post race meal.

Hopefully my speed work continues to get better. I'm going to continue my bouts at the gym in the morning and start getting my butt outside more. This week is going to be great for running with temps topping out in the low 70's. Adios winter!