I'm so excited. It's Emilie's Run 5K this weekend! This is my favourite race of the year. It's a flat, out and back course, it has chip timing with per km splits, and a small, but very competitive, field. The atmosphere at this race is different.... maybe it's because it's women of all ages, maybe it's the inspiration of running alongside some of the region's top female runners. Either way, I highly recommend this race.
It looks like it's going to rain this year and I'm actually happy about it. We've had nice weather the last two years, so it'll be a good change. And recently my allergies have made breathing during hard workouts very difficult. I have an inhaler and I take OTC antihistamines, but this year's been particularly bad. I know that I'm not 100% when I feel like this. I've been doing some speed intervals, too, and it looks like it's helping... now if only my lungs will cooperate.
I've gotten clearance to run 3x a week, with no runs above 5K. I can add frequency, so that makes me happy, as I'd been planning to do that after the half anyway. So this week and next I'm at 3x a week, then I'm going to up it to 4x. Slow and steady!
Showing posts with label Emilie's Run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emilie's Run. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
2011 Goals
The last day of 2010. This is the day where we runners tally up the 2010 mileage, our achievements and the race reports. Then we turn our thoughts to the upcoming year: a blank slate!
I have to say I've learned a lot in 2010. Some of the lessons:
So, now here come the 2011 goals:
1. Run the Ottawa Half Marathon.
2. Expand to running 4 days a week.
3. Set a new course PR at Emilie's Run 5K in June (current one is 30:08).
I'm registered for races up until the end of July. After that, who knows. I might be travelling with my husband in the Fall, or I could do the Army Run HM... I would love to do a marathon next year but I want to finish the half first before I commit to 42.2!
I have to say I've learned a lot in 2010. Some of the lessons:
- I'm not flexible.
- If I want to run long distances, I have to stretch, do yoga and visit my physiotherapist every 6 weeks.
- Listening to my body prevents injury.
- Running without music is, suprisingly, more fun that running with Lady Gaga blasting in my ears.
So, now here come the 2011 goals:
1. Run the Ottawa Half Marathon.
2. Expand to running 4 days a week.
3. Set a new course PR at Emilie's Run 5K in June (current one is 30:08).
I'm registered for races up until the end of July. After that, who knows. I might be travelling with my husband in the Fall, or I could do the Army Run HM... I would love to do a marathon next year but I want to finish the half first before I commit to 42.2!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Race Report: Emilie's Run 5K
Saturday morning dawned warm and overcast. By race time it was 24C, but it felt like 27C with the humidity. There were some clouds, but the sun came out just in time for the race start. There was a bit of a breeze, which turned out to be a headwind on the way back.
The course itself is flat, with only small undulations along the route. It's an out and back on newly paved asphalt. The event had about 600 participants in the women's only 5K. My friend Jen and I started out near the back of the pack... I knew after last year that the racers would be really fast and I didn't want to get caught up in the madness that is mid-pack at Emilie's run!
I'm happy to report that my gun time was 35:02, which is what I was shooting for. I finished 34/41 in my age group. My garmin tells me that I ran 34:43, as it took some time to get across the start line. My splits, according to sportstats, were 7:16, 7:10, 7:07 and 7:06 and 6:25.
I'm very proud of the fact that: a) I ran the whole thing, from start to finish. b) I didn't blow up. And, c) I ran negative splits.
Like I said the other day, I knew a personal best was out of reach. And even if I'd been 100% healthy, a personal best would've been tough given the heat and humidity. I had lots left in the tank at the end. I'm not sore today, two days after the race, and I wasn't sore yesterday either. But I sure was tired on Saturday night!
I'm looking forward to my next race, the National Capital 5K, on July 31st. In the meantime, I'm going to work on improving my endurance and most especially hills, as the next course is all downhill on the way out and almost entirely uphill on the way back. Ouch!
The course itself is flat, with only small undulations along the route. It's an out and back on newly paved asphalt. The event had about 600 participants in the women's only 5K. My friend Jen and I started out near the back of the pack... I knew after last year that the racers would be really fast and I didn't want to get caught up in the madness that is mid-pack at Emilie's run!
I'm happy to report that my gun time was 35:02, which is what I was shooting for. I finished 34/41 in my age group. My garmin tells me that I ran 34:43, as it took some time to get across the start line. My splits, according to sportstats, were 7:16, 7:10, 7:07 and 7:06 and 6:25.
I'm very proud of the fact that: a) I ran the whole thing, from start to finish. b) I didn't blow up. And, c) I ran negative splits.
Like I said the other day, I knew a personal best was out of reach. And even if I'd been 100% healthy, a personal best would've been tough given the heat and humidity. I had lots left in the tank at the end. I'm not sore today, two days after the race, and I wasn't sore yesterday either. But I sure was tired on Saturday night!
I'm looking forward to my next race, the National Capital 5K, on July 31st. In the meantime, I'm going to work on improving my endurance and most especially hills, as the next course is all downhill on the way out and almost entirely uphill on the way back. Ouch!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Race ready
Tomorrow I'm running Emilie's Run 5K. I'm so excited! I love this race... it's a flat course, it's all women and it's a really fast field of racers. It's so inspiring to see all the women running together: mothers and daughters, friends, family. It's a totally different atmosphere than other races.
I'm going into this race with one goal only: to finish. I don't care if I have to walk. I don't care if it takes me 40 minutes. I'm just excited to be part of a race and to be running again.
I'm looking forward to seeing who wins the race. One of my running heroes, Tara Quinn-Smith, won't be running it this year. She won the race last year and set a new course record. But sadly, she's been battling some nagging injuries and will be sitting it out this year.
In physiotherapy news, I went two weeks between appointments and all is well. She feels that the remaining issues just might be me. Like my tight glutes. Certain niggly things in my back. But the bulging disc and pain in the lower back is gone. I have some tightness/soreness below my knees, but that's more a result of the return to running and reintroducing the running-related stresses to my body.
This time we're going a month between appointments to see how I do. If all goes well, I expect she'll discharge me. I do have to start a flexibility-related cross-training activity if I plan to run anything more than 10Ks in the future.
I'm going into this race with one goal only: to finish. I don't care if I have to walk. I don't care if it takes me 40 minutes. I'm just excited to be part of a race and to be running again.
I'm looking forward to seeing who wins the race. One of my running heroes, Tara Quinn-Smith, won't be running it this year. She won the race last year and set a new course record. But sadly, she's been battling some nagging injuries and will be sitting it out this year.
In physiotherapy news, I went two weeks between appointments and all is well. She feels that the remaining issues just might be me. Like my tight glutes. Certain niggly things in my back. But the bulging disc and pain in the lower back is gone. I have some tightness/soreness below my knees, but that's more a result of the return to running and reintroducing the running-related stresses to my body.
This time we're going a month between appointments to see how I do. If all goes well, I expect she'll discharge me. I do have to start a flexibility-related cross-training activity if I plan to run anything more than 10Ks in the future.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The best laid plans...
Life and work have been hectic lately, so I haven't had much time to think about posting here. I hope everyone's well!
Physio is chugging along. The last few sessions have been pretty intense. I'll admit that I dropped a few f-bombs during needling. See, my physiotherapist doesn't just stick needles in and leave you on the bed to pass out... she actively moves them in and out of muscles. It hurts, but it works. It's a good thing I like her, or else I don't think I'd ever want to see her again! haha.
I have two more weeks of multiple sessions per week, then I move to one session a week and I get to start running again! Yippee! Just in time for awesome spring-time running.
The thought of running again led me to seriously look at my racing plans for 2010. I sat down and looked at my schedule and timing for the half marathon on May 30. I realized that it's going to be tough to fit in a 10-week training plan starting from scratch. I haven't run in 2 months.
My husband and I were talking it over last night and I think that dropping out of the HM to run the 10K is a much more sane idea. I really don't want to try to train for the HM only to end up injured, again. The safer approach is to work my back up to the 10K for Ottawa Race Weekend, and then focus on a fall Half Marathon. The extra few months will give me enough time to safely rebuild my base mileage, to continue to build my core, and to properly train for the half marathon distance of 13.1 miles.
I'm lucky in that Ottawa has tons of races of all distances year round, so there's lots to choose from later in the racing season. My favourite race of the racing season, Emilie's Run 5K, is in mid-June and I don't want to miss it. It's a flat course with a fast field, so the race is a good bet for a new personal record in the 5K.
This whole adventure has been a tough pill to swallow, but I know that I'm going to be a stronger and faster runner by the end.
Physio is chugging along. The last few sessions have been pretty intense. I'll admit that I dropped a few f-bombs during needling. See, my physiotherapist doesn't just stick needles in and leave you on the bed to pass out... she actively moves them in and out of muscles. It hurts, but it works. It's a good thing I like her, or else I don't think I'd ever want to see her again! haha.
I have two more weeks of multiple sessions per week, then I move to one session a week and I get to start running again! Yippee! Just in time for awesome spring-time running.
The thought of running again led me to seriously look at my racing plans for 2010. I sat down and looked at my schedule and timing for the half marathon on May 30. I realized that it's going to be tough to fit in a 10-week training plan starting from scratch. I haven't run in 2 months.
My husband and I were talking it over last night and I think that dropping out of the HM to run the 10K is a much more sane idea. I really don't want to try to train for the HM only to end up injured, again. The safer approach is to work my back up to the 10K for Ottawa Race Weekend, and then focus on a fall Half Marathon. The extra few months will give me enough time to safely rebuild my base mileage, to continue to build my core, and to properly train for the half marathon distance of 13.1 miles.
I'm lucky in that Ottawa has tons of races of all distances year round, so there's lots to choose from later in the racing season. My favourite race of the racing season, Emilie's Run 5K, is in mid-June and I don't want to miss it. It's a flat course with a fast field, so the race is a good bet for a new personal record in the 5K.
This whole adventure has been a tough pill to swallow, but I know that I'm going to be a stronger and faster runner by the end.
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