Hermes 10 Miler Race Report

Saturday was the Hermes 10 Miler on the west side of Cleveland.  I have heard good things about this race and have always wanted to run it, but schedules never lined up.  It wasn't on my list of races to do this year either, because I had originally planned on doing Glass City Marathon last weekend.  However, since I didn't end up doing GCM, I figured it would be a perfect race to see where I am at fitness wise and to warm up for Rev3 Knoxville next weekend.

The race was scheduled to start at 8:30 and the weather forecast was cold (low 40's) and rainy with possible flurries.  For being the nicest winter we have had in a long time, every Saturday so far seems to have been miserable and rainy.  I had trouble deciding what to wear because it was right by the lake and I had no idea what to expect.  I ended up wearing my compression socks and compression shorts under tights, a light base layer, my dry fit jacket, gloves, and a head warmer.  But I packed a ton of extra clothes just in case I changed my mind, and was glad I did because it was nice to have some warm dry clothes for after the race.

I carpooled with Nat and Tim and we got down there just after 7:30.  The parking lot was filling up quickly and we had a bit of a walk to the start line.  The race start and finish were in two different locations about a quarter mile apart.  I really like that they did this because otherwise the finish would have been all uphill.  Instead the course was super flat and the last mile was almost all downhill.  In fact the course was so flat it was almost boring, but hey, I'll take it with a smile on my face!!!  It was pretty much and out and back with a two mile loop at the end, finishing along the shores of Lake Erie in Edgewater Park.

We each took our turn in the port-o-pots, dropped off our gear, and lined up for the start.  I took my position, as always, in the mid to rear of the pack.  The race began promptly at 8:30.  My plan was to take it a little easier than normal.  I didn't want to push myself too hard with a 70.3 next weekend.  So, I planned on hitting 9 min/mile splits to finish around 1:30:00.  My secret goal was to hit 8:30 splits.  But this plan flew right out the window as soon as we started because my stupid Ironman $300 piece of crap Timex never picked up satellites.  I seriously HATE this watch.  It works about 50% of the time and it rarely works on race day!  I am up to date on all the software updates, etc., but for whatever reason if there is a single puff of cloud in the sky it refuses to work.

So, essentially I raced naked with only the stopwatch feature of my watch working.  Luckily, being a 10 mile race, the math is easy enough to do in my head, but still, it'd be nice if the watch actually worked.  Pretty much I went by feel.  The first half of the race I went out pretty hard.  I knew I was well under a nine minute pace and figured if I could keep that up for the first five miles I could just coast the rest of the way in.  I tried to tell myself to slow down after mile 5, as I heard the guy behind me tell his friend they were at 8:20 splits. It felt like I did, but my split times weren't too much slower.  So, I am really happy with my consistency.

Mile 8 is always my arch nemesis of half marathons and I think I have it ingrained in my head that at mile 8 I will hit a wall.So even though it was only 10 miles, I inherently started feeling pretty tired at this point and was happy that the rest of the way was mostly downhill.  At mile 9 it started to snow a bit, but I was so relieved that it never rained.  The weather was actually perfect running weather.  In fact, I was a little over dressed and could have used a lighter jacket.  I ended up finishing in 1:24:01 an 8:24 min/mile pace overall.  My first five mile splits were at 8:17 and my second 5 miles splits were 8:32 min/mile.  I was super happy with this!!!  I placed 31/172 (top 18%) of my Age Group and 479 out of over 1500 runners.  AND, since this was my first ever 10 miler, I got a new PR!  Woot!

As I watched the other runners finish up it got super cold, but they had a nice tent set up with a DJ, hot eggs, and other breakfast items to snack on!  I was really impressed with the organization of this event and really loved the course! It was a fun time had by all and I am definitely game for next year!  

Five Things Friday!

One: I learned that I am pretty good at replacing grip tape.  Eduardo got a makeover last night!

Two: I finally got my awesome Endorphin Warrior bracelet in the mail yesterday!  Love it!

Three: I am racing tomorrow!  Yay!

Four: NASA geese are too lazy to find fresh water.  They prefer parking lot puddles.

Five: One more week until Rev3 Knoxville!!!  Frank and Soph are excited!  Are you?!?!?!

A Post Just for Sophie!

So, by now I'm sure you have all heard me mention our dog Frankie once or twice in my posts or FB status updates and photos.  You may be wondering why Matt and I never talk about Sophie or you may not even know we have another dog named Sophie.  Well here is a post, all of her very own!

Sophie is Frankie's twin sister.  She is an angel dog; the sweetest dog you could ever imagine.  It's because of this trait that we don't really talk about her all that much.  She just doesn't provide the comic relief that Frank is so capable of.  Let's just say Sophie is the brains of the operation and Frankie is the brawn.

Above: Baby Sophie only a few months old.  Below: Big girl Sophie dreaming after  a hard day of walking and playing with her buddy Toby.

Read on for fun facts about Sophie:

• Sophie loves to have her tummy rubbed so much that if you stop she will cry and paw at you until you start rubbing it again.
• Sophie knows how to wave.
• Sophie does not work for treats. Frank is front and center for every treat opportunity while Sophie waits on the couch until you bring the treat to her.  
• If Frankie has a toy that Sophie wants she comes over to Matt or I and cries until we take the toy away from Frank and give it to her.  Then, when she gets the toy, she prances around and rubs it in Frank's face.  
• When Matt and I come home from work or when Sophie gets a new toy or bone she lets out what we call her "happy noise".  It's a huge growl (muffled by the toy currently in her mouth) that most people would be terrified of.  She's just super excited, though, and that's how she lets you know.  
• Sophie is actually better than Frankie at agility.  You wouldn't know it because she is so timid and has difficulty jumping up on the couch, but put her in a competition setting and she jumps like a pro!
• She is also a charity dog!  Sophie completed her first 5k walk with flying colors for the Oral Cancer Foundation two years ago.  She continues to grace us with her presence at Team in Training group runs.  
• Sophie is a very caring dog.  We call her our little nurse.  Whenever someone is sick or hurt she is front and center to try and fix it.  She also mediates all fights between Matt and I, that may or may  not result in raised voices and yelling, by immediately standing in between us as if to say, "break it up."
• Some of her nicknames include: Sophie Lynn, Linny Linny, Sweet Pea, Sneezers, and Pickle.

Those are just a few fun facts about our little girl.  Some of you might think it's weird that we talk so much about our dogs, but really they are like our kids.  Unconditional love from a pet does wonders for the soul!!!

Thank You

I just wanted to post my current status and to thank everyone for all their thoughts, prayers, and support over these past few weeks.  I was very humbled and inspired by all the wonderful comments everyone left on my "Overwhelmed" post a few weeks ago.  It's amazing how people you have never met before (in person) can connect with you in such a special way and make the day seem that much brighter.  So, thank you to everyone who has kept me in their thoughts.  It really does mean so much to me!

I am happy, yet hesitant, to report that I am feeling much better!  Within the past two weeks I have had two surgeries, the second of which was successful in removing the largest of my kidney stones.  They also took the stent out which was causing the bulk of my discomfort and pain.  The doctor said I could slowly start training again this week so that is very positive.  I still have some small stones in my left kidney and a medium sized stone in my right kidney, but fingers crossed, those should be able to pass on their own.

This break from training has left me very uneasy about the early races I had planned.  I am 99% sure I won't be doing Glass City Marathon.  Although I did the bulk of my training and completed a 17, 18, and 19 mile run, my plan called for three 20 mile runs and I was unable to complete those.  I know I could finish the race, but I definitely wouldn't be getting the PR I was hoping for.  Plus after no training for over two weeks I don't know how bad the marathon will hurt if I just do it to do it.  I am definitely not seeking out additional injuries at this point. Thankfully I didn't register for it yet, so I am not out any race fees, but I really did want to do it.  If I do, it will be a very last minute decision.

Knoxville is also still up in the air.  I am confident in my swimming and the running doesn't scare me, but I know my bike fitness is definitely not where it should be.  Again, I missed too many key workouts that have left me feeling unprepared at best.  I am still going for sure, but may drop down to the Olympic distance, or depending on how these next two weeks go I may just volunteer and not race at all.

I think the other thing that has me uneasy about this race is that it will be the first time Matt won't be there with me.  I always look forward to seeing Matt out on the course and him coming back to cheer me to the finish or run the finish in with me.  He is my comfort...he makes everything ok.  Even if I were to come in last place I know he would be there waiting for me and I wouldn't have to finish alone.  So, I am left with this fear that without Matt I will be left all by myself on race day.  I know that's not reality, but it is enough to get in my head and mess with my confidence.        

But I know that the most important thing to do is to have fun.  This is a hobby, my hobby, and even if I am not the most prepared or not in shape to get a PR, the least I can do is just do it because I love it!

Thanks again for all your thoughts and well wishes!!!