Track Racing: A Summary

Summer time in Florida typically means one of two things for marathon runners: cross training or speed work. Or both. I tend to focus on the 5K & 10K distance during the summers, but this time, decided to try something new when I heard about a track race series in Tampa, hosted by the University of Tampa Track/XC coach. The Triple Crown series would consist of a mile race, a 2-mile race, and a 5K race, all spaced two weeks apart.

I haven't raced on a track since high school. And back then, my events were 200m, 400m, 300m Hurdles (sometimes), and relays. I raced the mile once. Though I did cross country, I was more of a sprinter in track. So I really had no good baseline for this series, which can be a good thing.

In my adult running life, short distances are my weakness. As I've posted about in the past, my marathon times are not comparable to what I am racing in the 5K and 10K; the shorter races are disproportionately slow. So its good for me to work on this weak end of my training during the summer.


Race by race, here is how it went:

Mile - Sponsored by Brooks

This was the race that I was the most nervous about when I registered for the series. Given that my turnover needs the most work, and that my only baseline for this distance was a mile time trial in high school (I think I ran a 5:45-5:50? Not totally sure), the unknown can be scary.

I went out with the group, hanging close to the lead group of women: Terri & Lynn, both of whom are rock star Masters runners and members of the New Balance Masters Elite team. I figured they could pull me along to at least a better time than what I did in high school.

After lap 1, I felt stronger than I expected, with regards to lactic acid. Around lap 2, I felt strong enough to pull ahead of the pack. I had no idea if I could hold that speed, but was going to try. After all, 800m is only a short sprint for a marathon runner! Sure enough, I held the pace and even accelerated through the last 300m to the finish, for an overall women's win and a shiny new PR of 5:41! And best of all, it was over in a flash.

2-Mile - Sponsored by Adidas

This was a total unknown for me. I have never raced a 2-mile, on the road or track, so any finish time would be a PR.

Same crew of fellow competitors, and same general plan: the pack of Terri, Lynn and I stuck together pretty well through the first 800m. Things felt OK after the first mile, coming in around 6:00 flat. I had hoped to keep a faster pace, as I tentatively thought I might finish in under 12:00, but wasn't going to get hopes up TOO high. At 1.5 miles, I pulled ahead of the pack and began to surge through the last couple of laps. Finished first overall woman again, at 12:06.

This race reeeeaaaly started to hurt in that last mile, the lactic acid accumulating significantly more than in the mile. Made me quite nervous for the track 5K.

5K - Sponsored by New Balance

This race had me very nervous. I have had trouble lately striking a good pace balance with the 5K on the road, never quite getting it down to the time that Mark and I think I am really capable of. On the track would be a different ballgame, mentally more than anything else. But the rhythm inherent in each 400m lap would help me to pace myself more meticulously. Terri had an idea that we could shoot for 45 sec / 200m, which would amount to 6:00/mile, and an 18:45 finish. Yeah...that would be a full minute faster than my current 5K PR. Ambitious to try, but not likely, especially on a warm and humid evening.

We went out as we had before, sticking to our plan. First 200m in 43 sec, and slowing up a bit in the next 200m to work more conservatively. Each subsequent 400m got a little bit slower, until we stayed around 1:35/400m. Terri and I stuck together well through the second mile, but with about 800m left Terri pulled ahead of me. It was due time, since I had surged ahead of her in the same way for the last two races. I tried to move up on her but my legs felt like lead with the last 400m to go. Lactic acid was not my friend. She finished in 19:33, and I just behind her in 19:38. New PR for me! Though certainly, and still, not what I think I am capable of in the 5K. That still needs work.

What have I learned from this experience?

Two things:

1. After the mile race, Coach Joe Burgasser told me that at age 35 I can, actually, race in the US Masters Championship. I turn 35 in June, and the race is in July of next year. After looking up some results from this year's championship, it appears that I could conceivably win my age bracket in the 1500 and/or mile. While I never considered track racing in the past, and I really like marathons, its nice to know that there is this whole other world of Masters track racing out there that awaits me if and when I am ever tired of marathoning. Getting to know Lynn and Terri has been awesome, as they are both such incredible inspirations as Masters athletes, as are my training partner Christina, and my Oiselle teammate Laurie, both of whom are also on the New Balance Masters Elite team. It's great to get a glimpse of what could be one day.

2. Having said that (#1), I do not ever want to race anything longer than a mile on the track again. The 5K was one of the most profoundly miserable racing experiences I've ever had. So here's to my first and last track 5K! Really, though, I am glad to have done it. It was a wonderfully humbling learning experience, and definitely an incredible workout! But I'll stick to the road, thanks.

Moving forward, I have three more upcoming 5Ks with which to apply this track experience to the road, and improve my 5K time (hopefully!):

- Watermelon Run Series #4 5K in Lakeland
- One Step Closer to the Cure 5K in Downtown St Pete
- Treat Yourself 5K in Seattle

By that point, I should be feeling thoroughly sick of 5Ks, and ready to embrace the 20+-mile long runs leading up to my November marathon!

Runner's Connect Interview

One of my favorite podcasts is the Runner's Connect: Run To The Top podcast, hosted by Tina Muir. She has such an incredible variety of guests on the show to discuss any and all topics related to the pursuit of stronger, faster, happier, and healthier running, including many elite superstars, coaches, and race directors.

Recently, I had the honor of being a guest on the show, along with elite 1500m runner, Sarah Brown, who had a beautiful baby girl about six months before competing in the Olympic Trials. 

As a listener and fan of the show, I had communicated with Tina in the past about some of the topics covered, singing praises and suggesting possible topic ideas. When my book was published last summer, I sent Tina a copy. She enjoyed reading it, and asked me to come on the show for a special "pregnancy special"! 

It was a really great conversation about the challenges and joys of being a competitive runner and new mom or mom-to-be. 

Check it out here!

Running While Pregnant: How Sarah Brown Trained for the Olympic Trials During Pregnancy

The Hero With A Thousand Running Shoes

And so begins the USA Track & Field Olympic Trials! While examining the impressive list of my Oiselle teammates competing this week for a coveted spot on Team USA, I feel a profound sense of elation for them. As if all of their collective nerves, hopes, mantras, drive, and dreams emanate through the runningsphere and ignite within fellow dreamers. It is one climax of their "hero's journey." It is the reason why so many of us tune in every 2 and/or 4 years to watch the Olympics.

We humans like heroes. All of us do. Across cultures, generations, and races, even in the Lascaux cave, we write epic tales of heroism. Books, songs, theater, pottery, paintings, tapestries, movies, games, all of these media and more illustrate the hero's journey.

The details vary, but many of the themes are consistent. Joseph Campbell depicted these commonalities so well in The Hero With A Thousand Faces, a writing that inspired many contemporary storytellers, most notably George Lucas in his creation of Star Wars. While in ancient folklore, the heroes were often super-human in their respective mythologies - Osiris, Jesus, Prometheus, Mohammed, Aeneas, etc - our more recent mythic heroes are mortal, ordinary, and flawed. I tend to think that one reason why we write our contemporary heroes as such is because we want a projection of them in ourselves...or, of ourselves in them...whichever way, we strive to emulate them. When they are more real, their stories become more authentic, more powerful.

Before anyone gets uptight about how I am speaking of athletes as "heroes" and starts trying to police the word into some narrow definition exclusive only to cancer survivors and military veterans, I am simply writing about one piece of our cultural fascination with the "hero's journey."

It is also worth noting that, with regards to this "heroes journey", I am not necessarily talking those revered for a singular heroic act, in and of itself (though such individuals are, indeed, heroic and deserving of the title). I am referring to those who's heroic journeys we follow, in the most classical, Campbellian sense of the word. This most definitely includes the stories of cancer survivors, of military personnel, and, yes, of athletes. Not because they all have struggled and suffered in some equitable way, but because their journeys are consistent with that of the mythic hero.

One of the beauties of running is that it can serve as an amazing "hero's journey" you can write for yourself. Because, lets face it, our career paths may not necessarily take us on a "hero's journey." We rush to movie theaters to project ourselves onto Luke Skywalker, Frodo, Ripley, Harry Potter, Captain Kirk, et al, to be moved by a journey that most of us do not experience in our own lives. These heroes experience what Campbell coined a "call to adventure". Harry receives his Hogwarts welcome letter. Bilbo Baggins presents Frodo with the ring. R2D2 and C-3PO arrive at Luke Skywalker's water farm. A defining moment jettisons the hero from their ordinary life into an extraordinary one. 

Truthfully, such a moment may not happen for most of us. At least, not in the way that we expect. And unlike a well-constructed literary plot line, our lives usually do not unfold in a clean, developing narrative that is fascinating and inspiring to outsiders. We do not advance through our lives in a concrete, tangible way. We grow, we learn, and we develop, most definitely. But it feels anything but "heroic", and the consistency, the mundane, the grit of accumulated day-to-day life can leave us feeling insignificant. 

As a teacher, my career is, truthfully, a far leap from a "hero's journey". Unlike what unfolds in Mr Holland's Opus, Dead Poet's Society, and the short list of other movies about teachers, we teachers most likely do not experience a powerful, heart-warming realization where the teacher's struggles and efforts are vindicated, leaving them knowing that they made a profound difference in the world. Don't get me wrong - cognitively, I do know that my efforts make a difference, and I do love what I do. Teaching is a shit-ton of hard work, all the time, but when I am in the classroom, engaging with students about my most favorite topics ever, I am truly happy. 10 years of teaching and I still feel this way. But this career, however much I love it, will most likely never reflect a "hero's journey". There isn't really much career advancement in teaching, and very little progresses from day to day, year to year, in terms of what we do. It is fulfilling as hell, to me anyway, and we teachers do grow and learn in the process, but our teaching lives do not evolve and change much. 

What is so important about a hero's journey, anyway? Not everyone really wants or needs one. Some people thrive in consistency and resist change. But for those of us who seek a mythical, literary "hero's journey" in our lives,  we cannot just wait for a "call to adventure" to fall upon us. We have to create one for ourselves.

During the time that I was staying home with Jack, my running went from being a hobby to being a kind of "non-professional profession". Without the routine and consistency teaching in my life, running became my proxy for a professional life. I began to train like a pro runner: run first thing in the morning, then strength training at the gym (thank goodness for the children's care zone...), stretching, nap after lunch when Jack napped, then a second run or brisk walk with the jogging stroller. Because I am so very lucky that Jack has a teenage big brother who loves to spend time with him, even when Stephen was busy I could still get away for cross training or a local race. Everything about my running changed, and I began setting big PRs across all distances. Consistently running sub-20 minutes in the 5K again, sub-1:30 half marathons, and a 3:18 marathon PR.

Then came the big long-term goal: I want to compete in the 2020 Olympic Trials marathon.

Many runners aspire to this, but very few achieve it. It is the next big dream in the progression beyond qualifying for Boston. But compared to other running events and sports, we actually see many non-professional runners toe the line at the Olympic Trials marathon (an example: qualifiers at the Jacksonville Bank Half-Marathon). For the 2016 Trials, more and more qualifiers were moms, dads, working professionals in non-running fields who, like myself, do not have the time or access to the elite lifestyle. They made me realize that I can do the same. This dream is very real, and very possible. But it will be a very challenging road.

Now that I am back to teaching full-time, and have been since January, keeping up the lifestyle and pace of training that I enjoyed while being a stay-at-home mom has been very challenging, but not impossible. When I think about the fact that to qualify for the Trials I need to break 2:45, which is about 6:18/mile pace, I feel an urge to curl into a ball under a blanket and never come out. But it is this precise instinct that draws me into this "hero's journey" even more. 

Yes, I may very well fail to qualify for the Trials. When all else is done - training regimen, recovery, nutrition, race strategy, etc - my genetic potential may just not be enough to break 2:45. This is a possibility that I have fully accepted. At the very least, barring injury, I will uncover my full potential is in the marathon, whatever it may be, even if it does fall short of my goal time. That is a victory, and for that I will accept nothing less. 

Such is the mission of all runners - whether that goal involves completing their first 5K, or marathon, or qualifying for Boston, or an Olympic medal. Our "hero's journeys" are dynamic, powerful, and genuine. For those racing this week in Eugene, this is the pinnacle of their journeys, and the fuel for many others'. Some have come to the glorious end of their journey, while others may be at the beginning. Some have dreamed of this their entire lives, while others experienced a "call to adventure" later in life, discovering a talent they didn't know they had. 

Running is one amazing "hero's journey". 

End of 2015...and First Half of 2016!

Well I have sufficiently ignored my blog for about half a year now...yikes!

Due largely to one thing: in January of 2016, I accepted a long-term substitute teaching position at a local private school that then turned into a full-time position. I am SO excited to be a part of this school community, and back to full-time teaching.

What happened regarding my blogging: since I went from being a teacher of three online classes to a teacher of three online classes plus four face-to-face classes (that's 7 different preps...), trained for Boston, and ran out of every last ounce of spare time I might have maybe had once.

But enough excuses. I pledge to being a better author/blogger, now that my life has settled back into full-time work routine, plus my growing training regimen!

A quick recap of the past 6-7 months:

December 2015

- Was on a routine morning run, and this happened...Jogger Saves Sleeping Mother and Child from Burning Home. Because we are out in the early morning, we runners often witness things unfold before the sleeping do. I happened to be in the right place at the right time.



- Didn't quite run a PR at the Florida Holiday Halfathon, but was only about 6 seconds off, 1:32:18. 5th place overall female, and still retaining my position of 2nd in the series.

January 2016

- Ran a 19:51 at the Kettle Krush 5K in Downtown St Pete, 3rd overall female. 
- Had an insane race at the Clearwater Halfathon! Winds sustained around 25mph and gusting in the 30s. Was feeling sick the day before. Suffice to say, this was not my best race. 1:36:04. But it was SO worth it to meet this running legend! Bill Rogers...

 

February 2016

- OMG...got to meet Meb and Shalane...

 

- This was just before the Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K, which was a great race for me, 15K PR, 1:03:07!
- Started getting coached by Mark Hadley! Very excited to have a coach for the first time since high school. Loved coaching myself, but was becoming too stressed out by the process, and began to second-guess myself significantly. Mark also coaches my training buddy Christina, who is a rockstar Masters runner, so now we are on the same training cycle. 

March 2016

- Florida Beach Halfathon at Ft. DeSoto, awesome race and big PR, 1:28:54. 4th overall female, but won 2nd in the series! This was my first time wining big prize money for running.

April 2016

- Boston Marathon! Amazing experience, but tough race-day conditions: hot, headwind, full sunlight, and I did not hydrate nor rest properly in the days leading up. So no PR for me, finished 3:24:48. All in all, not a bad time considering everything else.



May 2016

- Mayfaire 5K in Lakeland, no expectations since it was only a couple of weeks post-Boston. But still OK...ran 20:08, 2nd overall female, won new Mizuno running shoes, and got to race with my awesome little brother...



June 2016

- While in Arizona for my high school reunion, ran in the Yarnell Memorial 5K in honor of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives in 2013, one of whom was a classmate of mine at Orme. Had a great time with my long-time friend, Sue, and ran 19:44...though my Garmin said the course was 3.0 miles. 1st place overall finisher! Not bad for a race at 5,000 feet elevation and 90 degrees. But hey, its a dry heat.



- Watermelon Run #2 5K in Lakeland, was hoping for PR but ran 19:54, 1st overall female. Despite not hitting a PR, I felt the best I have ever felt at mile 2 during a 5K, my first two mile splits were 6:15, 6:14, setting an in-race 2-mile PR of 12:28-ish. The last mile absolutely killed me with the heat and humidity (80 degrees / 80% humidity), which seems to affect me much worse than elevation. Still, promising results.

So that is my racing history since my last post. Many exciting races to come this summer, including a track (yes, TRACK) series starting on July 6th with a mile, then two weeks later with a 2-mile, then two weeks later with a 5K. Haven't raced on a track since high school....but this will be good for me, I am sure!