Running to the races! 10/11/2009 to 10/18/2009

[tjf9]

Nice job, everyone! Susan, I think I saw you at one point, but didn't know you were you - those SkirtSport tops are cute! (I saw a few of them out there).

I spent the first 10 miles pacing my friend - first 10:00s then 10:30s then down to 11:00s. I took off at 5K to go and made up a little time, finishing in 2:13-ish according to the Garmin. Went back and ran my friend in - she did awesome too! It was a fun day!

Then I went and raced CX. Came in DFL in my division with a flat tire and missing the pits for a change. Oh well. Still had a great time!

[Susan Otcenas]

Then I went and raced CX. Came in DFL in my division with a flat tire and missing the pits for a change. Oh well. Still had a great time!

Sherwood?

Seriously, you went & raced cross after that? Wow. I went to lunch. Then, I went home, had a shower, and went for high tea in town with friends. (Did you know we have a fabulous kiwi-owned tea house in pdx?)

On another note...

I hate to admit this (being the apparel person and all), but I got a wicked chafe mark from the bottom band of my sports bra. In all my years of athletics, I've never had this problem before. But for the past month, no matter what bra I wear, I've been getting chafed at the bottom band. I have several parallel lines at different heights now, depending upon the bra. I've never been one to use Bodyglide, but I think I'm going to have to start. Drat. I wish I could figure out what's causing it suddenly. Today's is the worst ever - about 4 inches long. Hurts like a son of a B#$%.

[tjf9]

Sherwood?

Seriously, you went & raced cross after that? Wow. I went to lunch. Then, I went home, had a shower, and went for high tea in town with friends. (Did you know we have a fabulous kiwi-owned tea house in pdx?)

Yep. I went to Sherwood. I'm totally addicted to cross! I'm trying to figure out a way to get out to Astoria both days *and* go trick or treating with my kids *and* not drive my husband completely crazy.

I finished in 2:11:30. Faster than I thought. I'm very very sore today. Stairs are not my friend. But I'm already getting ready for the next race. Sign ups for the Hippie Chick half open on November 1st (and close in about 8 hours). Maybe I'll actually train for this one...

I didn't know about the tea house. Can you PM me the name? I have a birthday coming up and that sounds like a fabulous thing to do with all my girlfriends!

Congrats again to everyone!!! Big weekend!

[Susan Otcenas]

Nice job, everyone! Susan, I think I saw you at one point, but didn't know you were you - those SkirtSport tops are cute!

Thanks! I had at least 4 different women ask me where I got it. Ummm, well, as a matter of fact....

[OakLeaf]

Then I went and raced CX.

Holy smokes! So when are you entering that Ironman?

Susan, do you wear a HRM? Mine sometimes chafes a little bit, but not like you're talking about - ouch! You've lost so much weight, when's the last time you dropped a band size?

[indigoiis]

Congratulations, Oak and Susan! I was thinking about y'all as I was running yesterday.

Today I am walking at lunch, tomorrow I will do my half commute.

Plan on running Weds., Thurs. and Friday, 2.5, 4 and 2.5. The weekend I will be taking my daughter to see some schools in Philly, but I may get a run in early Sun. a.m. Anyone know any good 4-5 mile routes in the art museum district?

My next event is a 10 mile trail race November 22nd.

[Susan Otcenas]

Susan, do you wear a HRM? Mine sometimes chafes a little bit, but not like you're talking about - ouch! You've lost so much weight, when's the last time you dropped a band size?

No HRM. I sometimes wear one on the treadmill when I'm doing a speed workout, but that's about it.

Band size - I think the best size for me is a 32C. Very hard to find (in sports bras or regular bras.). Most Cs don't go below 34. Moving Comfort makes some - I have the Fiona in a 32C. Unfortunately, I've not been very good about keeping track of which ones are chafing, but now that it's become such a big problem, I'm going to start keeping track of it. Most of my bras are 34s at this point.

Today I have an angry red/scabbed over slash in front. Last night, when I went to bed, I discovered that I also have 2 one inch long chafe marks on my back, on either size of my spine. Again, from the bottom band. Sheesh.

Susan

[indigoiis]

I ended up not wearing a bra yesterday - just a tight fitting stretchy wicking tank top under a wicking tee and an underarmour long sleeved shirt. I probably couldn't do that in warmer weather, though! But it did solve the chafing problem. I have a two inch surgery scar on my ribcage right at the base of my looloo and so bras are a real problem for me. Let me know if you find a real comfy one.

[Susan Otcenas]

Results are online.

My official race time was 2:09:56. 85th of 288 in my age group. (313th of 1241 overall.) But they don't separate out runners and walkers, so it's really impossible to know.

I still can't believe I averaged 9:55/mile. No wonder I'm so sore today!!

[OakLeaf]

Yay Susan!

[colby]

Wow, you ladies did AMAZING. All around 10 minute miles. Woot! There's no shame in happy tears, either.

I did a 14-mile long run (and thought of all you half marathoners) yesterday. It was an off day for me. It took about 2:25. My hips didn't have the right range of motion and felt abnormally stiff (today I had a MEGA adjustment at the chiropractor of both hips, lower back, and pelvis). Thankfully it was pretty symmetric. My shoulder felt pretty good, though, I had a massage in the middle of last week.

I have been calling my 10-week marathon plan the Church of the Triathlete Marathon Series (since I always do long runs/rides on Sundays, we joke and call it Church). Each week I post (as my facebook status) what my run was, and then I post a mantra for the week. Because I had an off week this week, I tried to shake it off and post something positive. I actually think about it during my run, and try it on myself. I have had a lot of problems seeing myself as an athlete, a triathlete, a runner, fit, healthy, all of those things. I decided to shake them off, and repeat to myself: I am a runner. I am fit. I am an athlete. I am healthy. I am awesome. I advised everyone reading to try it for themselves, and that even if we think we aren't as fast or strong as someone else or we think we have so far to go (speed, weight, or fitness), sometimes we have to look inside ourselves and leave those things behind.

Recover well, racers!

[kacie tri-ing]

Nice post colby That was great!

Congrats ladies! These are really great reports!

[OakLeaf]

I have had a lot of problems seeing myself as an athlete, a triathlete, a runner, fit, healthy, all of those things.

Nice post, Colby!

I've come around to seeing myself as athletic, but not as a runner. That's something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. I passed up some pretty cute slogan T-shirts at the pre-race expo this weekend because I didn't feel I "deserved" to wear them. (My favorite: "My sport is your sport's punishment." )

But if I'm not a "real runner" after running 13.1 miles faster than 3,000 other women this weekend, when will I be? When I no longer have to drag myself out for a training run, but anticipate them eagerly? (If that's the criterion, it may never happen. ) When I can win my age group in a field that large? (Definitely not going to happen. ) What's the impossible standard I'm setting for myself?

What did it take for the rest of you to think of yourselves as real runners ... or do we all struggle with that?

[colby]

Nice post, Colby!

I've come around to seeing myself as athletic, but not as a runner. That's something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. I passed up some pretty cute slogan T-shirts at the pre-race expo this weekend because I didn't feel I "deserved" to wear them. (My favorite: "My sport is your sport's punishment." )

But if I'm not a "real runner" after running 13.1 miles faster than 3,000 other women this weekend, when will I be? When I no longer have to drag myself out for a training run, but anticipate them eagerly? (If that's the criterion, it may never happen. ) When I can win my age group in a field that large? (Definitely not going to happen. ) What's the impossible standard I'm setting for myself?

What did it take for the rest of you to think of yourselves as real runners ... or do we all struggle with that?

Obviously, I still do, and I have for a long time. I bought one finisher item when I finished my first Ironman, only because I couldn't wear the official finisher t-shirt (it was too big and I finished so late they didn't have a smaller size). It was a struggle. I wasn't a REAL Ironman, it took me more than 16 hours, and I had only finished one of them. It was a fluke, surely. After the second one, I reluctantly bought more things... two means the first wasn't a fluke, but I would never call myself a triathlete (I was an Ironman, but not a triathlete, somehow those are two different things).

It's taken me a couple of years to turn around and look at myself without carrying so much of the baggage of who I was. The questions people ask of me, the way people describe my body (describing me as "athletic" or commenting about some muscle somewhere), seeing pictures of myself in race after race and not just seeing what's wrong with yourself. I won't lie that seeing myself getting faster helps mentally (to be "average" even means that there are more "athletes" like me than not like me). Looking at the statistics helps, too - you finished that race with 3,000 women, and there are thousands of women that finish them every year... but there are MILLIONS of women in the US. If you're not a runner doing something that 1% or 5% or even 10% or 20% of women do... what are you? You can only think of yourself as a fluke for so long...

For me, seeing myself as an athlete, a runner, a triathlete, all of those things, is just another body image problem. I honestly don't know what standard I'm holding myself to, either. Some imaginary superwoman, apparently.

[Deborajen]

What did it take for the rest of you to think of yourselves as real runners ... or do we all struggle with that?

I still struggle with that. It always amazes me to hear people who run 7, 8 or 9 minute miles talk about being frustrated with what they call their "slow speed." I know it's all relative - we all have our own abilities to work with and our own personal goals, but I would be absolutely thrilled to run a mile in less than 10 minutes. I usually don't even mention my times for running - I just try to set my own personal goals and enjoy the run regardless of what everyone else is doing. When all's said and done, though, I'm usually in the bottom 10-20% at any running event.

Isn't it said that only 2% of the world's population can run a mile? I've done a half marathon, but when someone asks me if I'm a runner I usually hem-haw and end up saying something like "yeah, I like to run." (Please don't ask about time/speed - you're expecting to be impressed but . . . ) Oh, and I have one of those shirts that says "My sport is your sport's punishment." I ordered it when I was having a "yes, I do "deserve this" day. Then I showed to it my husband and he frowned - and it shouldn't get to me, but it kind of did. I do wear it sometimes, though.