Old 5 mile PR: 38:50 on a rainy day in September with my fastest teammate (great weather conditions).
New 5 mile PR: 37:32 on a windy day in February by myself with 7mph winds.
In my own modest opinion, I totally rock. I beasted this run. I'm still finding myself doing victory dances when I think of it.
I'm not usually this excited when I PR, although this record was one of my fastest and one I was particularly proud of. So I guess I sort of knew that I'd be extra happy when it fell. But since it fell 3.5 days before track starts, it feels even more amazing. This feeling of great accomplishment is one of the best.
My run started out in not so prime conditions. I had decided to run a 5 mile route that went to another high school down the street, but I didn't know what the weather was going to be like so I had to guess (I was right on) and when I went outside, the wind almost knocked me over. It didn't get better because the first half of my route was straight into the wind. I had taken yesterday off so my legs should've felt rested, but when I was less than a mile into my run, my legs were heavy and weren't moving very fast (although it might've just seemed this way). I was struggling against the wind and a slight but long hill was coming up. I contemplated turning back but decided I'd look even stronger if I went on and I wanted to show off to all my classmates who drove by in their cars.
I went on and the wind lessened up a bit. Then I spotted two girls from the high school I was running to. When I spot other runners, especially those I want to impress, I become a vulture and chase them down. Not only would my school look good, but I would look good and they wouldn't (I become a nasty person when I run). I, of course, began speeding up the pace and was less than 5 feet away when.....they started walking. What kind of people start walking when they're about to be passed? I hate when people do this, just let yourself be passed or go faster.
About 100m later I saw another runner from the same school, which I was now in front of, and once he went by me I considered turning around and racing him just for the heck of it but decided that I needed to go the full distance. Plus he was a high school guy so I thought he might be to fast for me to race.
I went about 200m more and actually went the full distance of the route before turning around. I checked my time a few seconds later and it was.....19:35!?! Immediately I tried remembering my PR (I thought it was around 38:30) and knew I was on good pace to beat it. I had just run against this terrible wind yet I was racing right along. I knew I had a good chance of making it because not only would the wind be at my back, but after a long hill it would be downhill. On my way back, I went as fast as I thought I could keep up, because suddenly I really, really wanted that PR.
I sprinted up the hills but also concentrated on my form. At the large intersection which divides the road between the two schools in half, stood the high school guy. He was certainly surprised to see me. Luckily, the uncomfortable silence we stood in was soon over and across the street we went. Naturally, I started racing him. It was at this moment that I decided I wanted to beat this kid. I was feeling good and beating him would make me feel great. Plus he was a boy (males seem to get especially upset when they're passed by a girl) and he was from the other high school. He was also running at the exact pace I needed to run so whenever he sped up, I followed. If he slowed down, I kept going. I wanted to see the look on his face when I passed him. I did get to see parts of it as he kept looking back at me once he realized I was racing him. I was right behind him when he suddenly turned the corner. I could not believe it. We had only been racing for about 400m and he already quit. The road he was taking wasn't even a good option, it offered about 600m more and there were few sidewalks. This made me upset because I love beating guys and he wasn't going to give me the satisfaction (it was a good move on his part though).
I ran even harder once I was alone, half hoping my coach would drive by and see. Even at the faster pace I wasn't getting tired. I felt like I was flying, the noise of my feet pounding the pavement was the only indication I was on the ground. I felt amazing. At the large intersection, I wasn't sure if I was going fast enough to get the PR but with each step I could feel it slip into my grasp. When one of my classmates ran by, I barely noticed him because I was so focused. Because I was going to get my PR.
I sprinted up the parking lot to my school and stopped my watch. I wasn't sure what my old PR was so I knew I needed low 38's to get it. I looked and it was.....37:32. Immediately a huge smile graced my face and it stayed there as I slowly walked back and forth. I was extremely excited and had suddenly gotten a huge burst of energy. I was also filled with a rejuvinated love for running.
I had done it. I had beat myself and achieved a new PR. It was just an awesome feeling to know that the miles and miles of hard work I had put in over the winter were finally paying off. That I was ready for track to start and that even before the start of the season, my PR's were being replaced. Even though the weather was unfavorable and there was no one to push me except myself, I had done it. This PR is proof of the hard work and determination of those miserable long days spent in the snowy streets running. It is also proof that I can do so much more than I thought was possible.
And Happy 200th Birthday to Abraham Lincoln, who gave me a little extra power on this fabulous run. It was superb, kind of like he was.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
SIMPLY WONDERFUL
It was an amazingly beautiful day today. And I'd say this even if it wasn't February. Or in Iowa.
It must've been around 60 degrees and it felt just like spring. Of course that meant I spent most of the day looking longingly out the windows. When I finally got outside, birds were singing, the sky was blue, and I didn't feel cold in my shorts. Simply wonderful.
I ran 5 miles after school with one of my friends on the team. She's pretty fast but she didn't train over the winter so now my easy runs feel fast to her (which secretly makes me feel awesome). I had to go a bit slower than I usually do but I was happy to run with someone else. I did feel like running extra fast so it was kind of a letdown and I even thought about running a couple more miles after we were done, but decided against it because I don't want to overdo it the week before track. We stretched outside after our run and I later played volleyball with my dad though, so I still could enjoy this fabulous weather. If it would have been less windy I might've even done my homework outside.
The temperatures have certainly had an effect on my training. Our run was at a 8:36 pace and felt slow to me, but I've been having trouble getting under a 9:00 pace when it's 30 degrees or less. I wasn't sure if this was because I was out of shape or the weather. The miles seem to be paying off although I'll have to wait for track to start to see the full result. My run really boosted my confidence though and I can't wait for track to start so I can really see how fast I am.
It must've been around 60 degrees and it felt just like spring. Of course that meant I spent most of the day looking longingly out the windows. When I finally got outside, birds were singing, the sky was blue, and I didn't feel cold in my shorts. Simply wonderful.
I ran 5 miles after school with one of my friends on the team. She's pretty fast but she didn't train over the winter so now my easy runs feel fast to her (which secretly makes me feel awesome). I had to go a bit slower than I usually do but I was happy to run with someone else. I did feel like running extra fast so it was kind of a letdown and I even thought about running a couple more miles after we were done, but decided against it because I don't want to overdo it the week before track. We stretched outside after our run and I later played volleyball with my dad though, so I still could enjoy this fabulous weather. If it would have been less windy I might've even done my homework outside.
The temperatures have certainly had an effect on my training. Our run was at a 8:36 pace and felt slow to me, but I've been having trouble getting under a 9:00 pace when it's 30 degrees or less. I wasn't sure if this was because I was out of shape or the weather. The miles seem to be paying off although I'll have to wait for track to start to see the full result. My run really boosted my confidence though and I can't wait for track to start so I can really see how fast I am.
Monday, February 9, 2009
GOALS
The warm weather we've been having (I've been wearing shorts in February) has made me more focused on my running. Running in all this crazy weather helped me finish a goals project for my psychology class. One of my goals had to do with running and although I went a bit over the top, I thought it was pretty good so I'd like to share it.
My Personal Goal
Sometimes I run because of a track. It’s a blue track, one where athletes from all over the world run at in April and where Iowa’s best runners compete at in May, but nevertheless it’s still a track. But through the winter, running through cold, snow, wind, and ice, the idea of running on the track at Drake University in Des Moines keeps me going. I’ll run an extra mile, do another lap, or run up that hill again for the chance to run a few laps around Drake’s track. Because I know it will be worth it.
I know this because I have run there before. When I was in the area during September 2007, I ran a 1500 by myself. While running those laps in the empty stadium with my feet slapping against the blue, I wanted to run there again. I wanted to race there with the stands full of people and other girls beside me. I thought this was a long off dream, maybe something I could accomplish my senior year. Or that maybe it would just remain a dream, something I would always wish I had achieved.
Yet eight months later I was there. I was realizing my dream. I had qualified for the state track meet with my 4x800 team, which we discovered after an agonizing wait. My race was on the first day of the meet, so I first had to take my A.P. World test. When driving to Des Moines, I prepared myself for this monumental event. The circumstances surrounding my race weren’t the best because not only was I incredibly nervous, but I had lost most of my voice, had a bad cough, and was aware of the warm weather. But when I arrived, having not even yet run, but only looked at that beautiful blue track and the crowds of people in the stands, I knew I had made it. As I ran my leg of the 4x800, I looked at the people, heard the cheers, glanced at the famous track, and realized how many great runners had taken these very same steps before me. I had made my dream come true in about two and a half minutes. And now I want to do it again.
In May of 2009, I want to be running around that oval again. I want to be running faster, be better prepared, and healthier than I was in that memorable race. I want to run at Drake in the state meet. Of course, by saying this, it won’t automatically come true. I have to depend on my teammates to do their best and help me get there. If I don’t qualify for an individual race, than it will be my teammates who assist me in attaining my goal. Not only will I have to encourage myself, I have to encourage them. We will have to work together in practice and meets to be able to run at the best meet of all.
Runners, specifically female runners, acquire the most injuries of any sport. They can happen by running too much, not enough, or even the right amount. When training by myself, I have to learn how to stop before doing too much so I am in the right shape in May. Running all the time isn’t good for my body so I will need to take breaks, no matter how many miles I have run. I’ll have to depend on my coach during the season to make sure his workouts don’t give me injuries. I have to take some responsibility also, by communicating to my coach about my running. I am still the one who needs to listen to my body and take breaks however.
Having said this, the only thing that can really stop me from getting to the state track meet is me. I am voice inside myself that makes excuses and takes unnecessary breaks. But I am also that same voice that has the ability to make me run miles after miles no matter what the weather or how I feel. I am the one who will receive the rewards so I am the one who has to work to obtain them.
To make it to the state meet, I’ve had to start training much earlier. I started running in November for the races in May. None of this has been easy. Because of the lack of daylight, I have to run right after school, which means I have to be home right after school. If I miss a run, then I have to trade in my rest day to make sure I get enough miles in. I don’t always get enough miles in, so I am not allowing for my training to be at the highest level. This might hurt my performance when I need to do my best. I also have to fit my homework in somehow so that leaves less time for friends or fun things.
Most of my time is taken up with hard work and it makes me feel like I’m constantly in training. In order for my training to be at the highest level, this is necessary. For example, lunch has to consist of healthy and filling meals so I don’t get hungry or sick during my run. That means no pizza, hot dogs, chips, or fries, while eating more of fruits and vegetables. I have had to widen my eating palate and as a result, the food I have given up no longer seems as appetizing.
This goal is very important in my running right now. Running at Drake is symbolic of the fact that you are good at running. That you have made it, you have achieved what thousands of others have wanted to do. It acknowledges that you have sacrificed so much in order to be at this spot and are willing to do it everyday with no recognition. Running on that breathtaking blue track was one of the most amazing events in my life. Just thinking of it, knowing that I have run at Drake Stadium where Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Jesse Owens, Alan Webb, and many other great runners have also run, it gives you the greatest feeling. One that I am willing to work at to feel again.
My Personal Goal
Sometimes I run because of a track. It’s a blue track, one where athletes from all over the world run at in April and where Iowa’s best runners compete at in May, but nevertheless it’s still a track. But through the winter, running through cold, snow, wind, and ice, the idea of running on the track at Drake University in Des Moines keeps me going. I’ll run an extra mile, do another lap, or run up that hill again for the chance to run a few laps around Drake’s track. Because I know it will be worth it.
I know this because I have run there before. When I was in the area during September 2007, I ran a 1500 by myself. While running those laps in the empty stadium with my feet slapping against the blue, I wanted to run there again. I wanted to race there with the stands full of people and other girls beside me. I thought this was a long off dream, maybe something I could accomplish my senior year. Or that maybe it would just remain a dream, something I would always wish I had achieved.
Yet eight months later I was there. I was realizing my dream. I had qualified for the state track meet with my 4x800 team, which we discovered after an agonizing wait. My race was on the first day of the meet, so I first had to take my A.P. World test. When driving to Des Moines, I prepared myself for this monumental event. The circumstances surrounding my race weren’t the best because not only was I incredibly nervous, but I had lost most of my voice, had a bad cough, and was aware of the warm weather. But when I arrived, having not even yet run, but only looked at that beautiful blue track and the crowds of people in the stands, I knew I had made it. As I ran my leg of the 4x800, I looked at the people, heard the cheers, glanced at the famous track, and realized how many great runners had taken these very same steps before me. I had made my dream come true in about two and a half minutes. And now I want to do it again.
In May of 2009, I want to be running around that oval again. I want to be running faster, be better prepared, and healthier than I was in that memorable race. I want to run at Drake in the state meet. Of course, by saying this, it won’t automatically come true. I have to depend on my teammates to do their best and help me get there. If I don’t qualify for an individual race, than it will be my teammates who assist me in attaining my goal. Not only will I have to encourage myself, I have to encourage them. We will have to work together in practice and meets to be able to run at the best meet of all.
Runners, specifically female runners, acquire the most injuries of any sport. They can happen by running too much, not enough, or even the right amount. When training by myself, I have to learn how to stop before doing too much so I am in the right shape in May. Running all the time isn’t good for my body so I will need to take breaks, no matter how many miles I have run. I’ll have to depend on my coach during the season to make sure his workouts don’t give me injuries. I have to take some responsibility also, by communicating to my coach about my running. I am still the one who needs to listen to my body and take breaks however.
Having said this, the only thing that can really stop me from getting to the state track meet is me. I am voice inside myself that makes excuses and takes unnecessary breaks. But I am also that same voice that has the ability to make me run miles after miles no matter what the weather or how I feel. I am the one who will receive the rewards so I am the one who has to work to obtain them.
To make it to the state meet, I’ve had to start training much earlier. I started running in November for the races in May. None of this has been easy. Because of the lack of daylight, I have to run right after school, which means I have to be home right after school. If I miss a run, then I have to trade in my rest day to make sure I get enough miles in. I don’t always get enough miles in, so I am not allowing for my training to be at the highest level. This might hurt my performance when I need to do my best. I also have to fit my homework in somehow so that leaves less time for friends or fun things.
Most of my time is taken up with hard work and it makes me feel like I’m constantly in training. In order for my training to be at the highest level, this is necessary. For example, lunch has to consist of healthy and filling meals so I don’t get hungry or sick during my run. That means no pizza, hot dogs, chips, or fries, while eating more of fruits and vegetables. I have had to widen my eating palate and as a result, the food I have given up no longer seems as appetizing.
This goal is very important in my running right now. Running at Drake is symbolic of the fact that you are good at running. That you have made it, you have achieved what thousands of others have wanted to do. It acknowledges that you have sacrificed so much in order to be at this spot and are willing to do it everyday with no recognition. Running on that breathtaking blue track was one of the most amazing events in my life. Just thinking of it, knowing that I have run at Drake Stadium where Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Jesse Owens, Alan Webb, and many other great runners have also run, it gives you the greatest feeling. One that I am willing to work at to feel again.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
RUNNING UPDATE
A running update for the week so far.
I took Monday and Tuesday off and my quad felt like it was gradually getting better. It still hurt a bit when walking up stairs or any kind of incline, but I was worried I'd take too much time off and not ready to start track on February 16. I always worry about this even though I have been told over and over again that I should make sure my leg is better before starting to run again. On Wednesday it didn't hurt at all so I went ahead and ran a little more than my planned 4 miles.
I actually didn't feel like running, another reason I don't like to take too many days off, so I was intently looking for the slightest pain. I was kind of sore when I started out but that's because I took two days off. There wasn't enough pain throughout the run to find an excuse to stop, so I ended up running 6.5 miles. Yet there was still pain. Not where it has been hurting so that was good. But now the front of my right quad down to my knee hurts. The left side of my left leg was also kind of sore, but that might be from taking a break. My right leg is hurting right now though, so this might be a different kind of soreness. It almost feels like my knee can't support me, so I end up limping on the wrong side. I'm still deciding whether or not to run today but it depends on how my leg feels later in the day. I don't want to take another day off but I might have to.
Since the beginning of my run was spent making sure I wasn't hurt, I needed something else to keep my mind occupied when I did the extra miles. I ended up doing repeats along a flat stretch of sidewalk. A sidewalk that is now mostly cleared off because one of the houses with an icy sidewalk, has dumped about a foot of sand on it. This may be because they were reported to the city by a certain runner, but they could have cleared it off over two weeks earlier.
One thing I noticed while running along the road was that there was trash everywhere. Most of it was just sheets of newspaper or magazine ads but there were also two plastic bags. This was probably because it was garbage day and windy out but it made the street look like a dump. So I helped save the world by picking up some of the trash. I picked up the paper as I ran and dumped it in the recycle bin of some random person. I'm sure they were wondering why there was still trash in there, but they'd probably thank me for helping the environment once they found out what I was doing. Or they would give me a weird look like everyone else was doing. Not only did I save the environment, I also picked up a garbage bin that was in the middle of my street so someone wouldn't hit it. As a runner I felt it was my duty to do these little things. Plus, it made me feel guilty as I ran by but that is more of a minor factor.
I took Monday and Tuesday off and my quad felt like it was gradually getting better. It still hurt a bit when walking up stairs or any kind of incline, but I was worried I'd take too much time off and not ready to start track on February 16. I always worry about this even though I have been told over and over again that I should make sure my leg is better before starting to run again. On Wednesday it didn't hurt at all so I went ahead and ran a little more than my planned 4 miles.
I actually didn't feel like running, another reason I don't like to take too many days off, so I was intently looking for the slightest pain. I was kind of sore when I started out but that's because I took two days off. There wasn't enough pain throughout the run to find an excuse to stop, so I ended up running 6.5 miles. Yet there was still pain. Not where it has been hurting so that was good. But now the front of my right quad down to my knee hurts. The left side of my left leg was also kind of sore, but that might be from taking a break. My right leg is hurting right now though, so this might be a different kind of soreness. It almost feels like my knee can't support me, so I end up limping on the wrong side. I'm still deciding whether or not to run today but it depends on how my leg feels later in the day. I don't want to take another day off but I might have to.
Since the beginning of my run was spent making sure I wasn't hurt, I needed something else to keep my mind occupied when I did the extra miles. I ended up doing repeats along a flat stretch of sidewalk. A sidewalk that is now mostly cleared off because one of the houses with an icy sidewalk, has dumped about a foot of sand on it. This may be because they were reported to the city by a certain runner, but they could have cleared it off over two weeks earlier.
One thing I noticed while running along the road was that there was trash everywhere. Most of it was just sheets of newspaper or magazine ads but there were also two plastic bags. This was probably because it was garbage day and windy out but it made the street look like a dump. So I helped save the world by picking up some of the trash. I picked up the paper as I ran and dumped it in the recycle bin of some random person. I'm sure they were wondering why there was still trash in there, but they'd probably thank me for helping the environment once they found out what I was doing. Or they would give me a weird look like everyone else was doing. Not only did I save the environment, I also picked up a garbage bin that was in the middle of my street so someone wouldn't hit it. As a runner I felt it was my duty to do these little things. Plus, it made me feel guilty as I ran by but that is more of a minor factor.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
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Sunday, February 1, 2009
ACHES
I finished up my 33.7 mile week with a short 2.8 mile run this morning. I saw another runner which was pretty unusual so I raced them for awhile. My run was nice because it was still a little warm out at 31 degrees but.....my leg hurts. Not my whole leg, just my thigh or my quad as it should be called. It's been bugging me for a few days but now it's a steady ache. This has happened to me before and strangely enough the only time it's hurt since then is when it rains heavily. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's like an internal ache or a dull pain deep in the center of my leg. It doesn't really hurt, it just aches. No matter how much research I do, I can't seem to figure out what it is. It doesn't seem to be getting better but I need it to. It's frustrating because it's not enough to take a day off but it's enough to make runs miserable. It's bothering me though and it won't stop aching.
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