Thanksgiving and Turkey Trots!

First of all I hope everyone had a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!

My family has always gotten together to celebrate Thanksgiving. With 7 aunts and their husbands and children and some random extended family present we always have a huge turnout and a lot of food. Despite being of Colombian decent we have learned to embrace this tradition. In 2012 I also learned to embrace another Thanksgiving tradition...the Turkey Trot!! Sadly for me my numerous family members have not jumped on board with this one but that doesn't stop me from taking part.

In 2012 my first Turkey Trot was the Alexandria Turkey Trot...per usual I had injured myself from getting overzealous and running too much too soon...I had just started running outdoors that September. This was my first bout with piriformis syndrome. After not having run for a month I was eager to run again so I thought a Turkey Trot would be a great way to hop back on board even though I wasn't fully recovered. I chose the Alexandria Turkey Trot because it was near my parent's house, it was on Thanksgiving, and it was relatively inexpensive for a 5-Miler. I had a wonderful time running this race despite being injured and having to stop and walk some and not having my family there which from what I saw is a huge part of the Turkey Trot...running with your loved ones.

In 2013 I was living in Fairfax and driving back to Alexandria didn't seem as appealing so I decided to find a new Turkey Trot and chose to do the Fairfax Turkey Trot seeing as it was 4 milers and also decently priced. I should've known that being in it's first year it may not have been the best choice. The race did not use its own bibs but instead old Pacers race bibs and at packet pickup I was informed they no longer had shirts. The course was ok but overall this race was pretty disappointing.

Now in 2014 I am living in DC but went to visit my parents in Alexandria so I once again decided to do the Alexandria Turkey Trot. The weather was chilly...about 34 degrees with some drizzle. I had opted to wear three layers...a T-shirt, a pullover, and a jacket. While I waited in my car for the race to start I kept debating on whether or not I should leave my jacket in the car or wear it...I was so cold I decided to wear it. As I lined up at the start I noticed there were a lot more people than in 2012 and it was much harder to make my way to the front. Once the race started I knew there were definitely more people than the year before...for about the first mile I had to considerably slowdown as it was too difficult to get past all the runners who should not have lined up in the front. Once I finally weaved my way through the slow pokes I was able to settle into a more comfortable pace and enjoy my run through the Del Ray area neighborhoods where the locals had come out of their homes to cheer us on as we ran by. Overall I had a good race experience but hope to convince my family to join me next year and will get to the start much earlier.

Oh, one more thing...if the weather is warmer than 32 only two layers are needed...I was definitely overheating.

The Parks 10K

On Sunday November 2^nd I ran Potomac River Running’s The Parks 10K. The Friday packet pick up for this race was at PRR’s DC store which is conveniently located only a few blocks from my office….however it was only from 11AM-2PM so if you do not work in the area or couldn’t take a lunch break you were out of luck for this location and would either have to go to the Tyson’s store on Saturday or get your stuff race morning. The race premium was a The Parks 10K technical pullover with thumbholes (yay!).

The Parks 10K race took you down Ohio Drive along the tidal basin beginning and ending at West Potomac Park. That Sunday the weather was a not too chilly, about 46 degrees, but due to high winds it felt much colder! I decided to wear layers...a tech-tee with a running pullover on top, running tights, and a head band to cover my ears and protect them from the wind. I recommend really thinking about what you wear on those days that it seems pretty cold outside...always remember once you start running you're going to warm up. Personally I rather be a bit cold waiting for the race to start rather than over heat once I start running and either have to shed the extra layers and carry them or endure the heat. If it is a bit too cold or you are going to be standing around a while I would recommend bag check for your extra layers. It's also nice to be able to put on something warm and dry once you cross the finish line. 

Trying to stop my Nike+ App before I cross the finish....forgot my GPS watch :(

My friend Linda and I decided to meet at my office near the Old Post Office Building and walk over but unfortunately due to Linda running late we Ubered over to near the start. I suggest biking which I saw a lot of people did and if you have your own bike or are a Capital Bike Share member is much more affordable than Uber. …if you bike share make sure there are plenty of docks available…there are three nearby stations but you never know especially if you are running late.  You can use the SpotCylce App to see where bikes/docks are available and how many. 

The race course is fast and very flat just as advertised and if you are someone who has run MCM, Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, Rock n Roll DC, Army 10 Miler or probably several other DC races you are very familiar with this race course. Being an out and back race we had the wind at our backs on our way out and then the wind pushing us back on the way back. Some gusts were so powerful I could feel myself slowing. This was a smaller race with 1,477 finishers which allowed you to pass slower runner more easily or be passed more easily. Ultimately I finished in  48:36 (7:50 min/miles) which was much faster than I thought and felt like I was running so after two months of struggling to be under 8:30min/miles and get past 5 miles I was thrilled!!!

I have to say this was a very fun race and I will most likely be doing it again next year and cycling over. 

Back in the saddle...well back in my running shoes!

It's been a long time since I last posted so here is a brief recap of what I've been doing...

After the Rock n' Roll USA Half I continued to race almost one race a weekend. I completed two more ten milers and four half marathons! I strived to achieve a PR at each race and sadly did not follow the proper recovery plan after my races...barely any resting and minimal stretching...my poor choices lead to me having to hobble the last 10 miles of the Zooma Annapolis Women's Half on May 31st as I battled with an all too familiar and horrible stabbing pain in my lower back that shot down my leg and up my back...I had once again aggravated my piriformis muscle and was now suffering from piriformis syndrome once again (third time). After Zooma my doctors recommended I stop running for a while until at least two months no running or until I could run pain free thereafter. How long was I actually out? Well after the two month I went for a run got about a block and almost died from the pain. After that I decided I really needed more time off if I wanted to run again. Now we are at the end of October 2014 and I have once again been running for almost a month and a half with no pain but also with a lot less speed and endurance.


Trying to roll out my super irritated and painful buttocks after finishing Zooma Half



Despite my pain my hardheadedness and determination allowed me to finish what would be my last half of 2014. I finished in 01:57:26.

Apparently after you stop running for an extended period of time your VO2 Max goes down significantly so here I am now all flustered because I can't get below 8 minute miles for my regular runs and have a hard time getting to 5 miles something that was all so easy 5 months ago...oh well time to suck it up and start building up again! I've been using the Nike+ training app "Coach" feature to get myself on a training schedule...I am following the Half Marathon for Beginners program as the intermediate one proved a bit too hard for my current state. For the remainder of 2014 I will be training and building things back up to my pre-injury level and will participate in several 10Ks and smaller races as I prepare for my next half Rock n Roll DC in March 2015 and the other many races to follow that...this time I will scale down the number of races I do and most importantly I will stretch and listen to my body so I don't end up sidelined for almost a third of the year.

Here are some pictures of the other 5 races I did in Spring 2014....until next time! Happy Running!

2014 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler! Such a beautiful race course and great weather that day. Finished in 1:19:06 and will be back hopefully in 2015 to try and beat that time.

The 2014 GW Parkway Classic. A fast and flat point to point course along the GW Parkway from Mt Vernon to Old Town. Finished in 1:20:07. I have to admit I'm not a fan of running the GW Parkway as I love hearing the crowd cheer you on and on the Parkway this is lacking. I also don't like having to get to the race extra early to take a shuttle to the start....I'm a bit high maintenance ;)

Nike Women's Half Marathon DC 2014! My favorite race...sadly it was just made known they will not be returning to DC next year. After having run the race the first year in 2013 and this year and having it been my favorite race both years I am very disappointed. I got my half marathon PR this year finishing in 1:42:10!

2014 Marine Corps Historic Half. A beautiful fun race through my college town of Fredericksburg, VA. Will definitely do it again sometime. Great crowd support and very organized like all MCM races. Finished in 1:47:20

Cincinnati Flying Pig Half 2014! I love traveling to races as it allows me to see a new city while doing something I love. With this race I got a wonderful running tour of Cincinnati with amazing views and a lot of hills. I will definitely be back in the future. I finished in 1:46:30.

Rock 'n' Roll USA Half Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon for the second year in a row...last year this was my second half ever and I completed it in 1:55:35...my first half was the Sentara Colonial Half in Williamsburg where I finished in about 2:07:00.

I remember at last year's R'n'R USA I had such a great time that when I got the alumni email with special pricing for the next year's race I signed up right away. 

I also remember that last year there were a few things I wasn't to happy about on race day...primarily the lines to the porta potties and the bag check...last year's bag check appeared to be run by volunteers that took your bags and placed them on school buses that drove your bags to the finish line since the race began on Constitution Ave and 14th St. and ended at RFK Stadium...the problem with the bag check wasn't so much the volunteers but the way the bag check was organized...the way you placed your bag on a bus was by your last name...there are a lot more last names starting with Bs than with Zs so the lines for last names with more common starting letters where very long while other lines were very short and then at the finish line you faced the same issue except by then you were tired and sore and it was raining...Now the porta pottie lines that was more my fault because I got in the lines closest to the bag check where everyone else also went...I spent several minutes in line but then had to give up since the race was about to start...as I made my way to the start I realized there were many more porta potties with very short lines near the corrals...if I would have taken the time to read the race info carefully I would have known this....

Last year I learned to travel light to my races so no bag check and as for porta potties...most DC races begin near the Washington Monument and I now happen to work in that area and having 24/7 access to my building is a huge benefit because now I either drive or metro to my building depending on what roads are closed and just hangout in my building to use the restroom in the peace and hangout away from the cold until about 15 minutes to starting time...sadly not everyone has this perk and I don't have this advantage at races that are not near my building...so what do I do? I get there AT LEAST an hour early.

Traveling light means I only bring my car/office keys, metro card, credit card, some cash, GUs, my phone, and maybe water...I place all these things...except the water...in my fuel belt. The night before I race I evaluate what the weather is like and what I need to wear...I rather underdress as I will eventually warmup and if I overdress and overheat that means I'll probably have to shed some layers that I will most likely never get back.

For R'n'R this year I wore running shorts and a long sleeve running shirt since the temperature was in the high 40s and would warm up some. Unfortunately it was also windy so standing in my corral I was a bit cold but once I got moving I was great!

View from my corral right before the race

The race course was beautiful as always when you run a big race through DC and the crowd support was awesome...again something that you always see in DC races...people line the streets with signs and cowbells...local come out to their front yards to cheer on the runners as they pass...I love this and it's something I miss when running smaller races.

The race course bands were nice but in my opinion some of the music they played was slow paced and not very motivating....for example at mile 7 you have to run up the toughest hill of the entire race and the band right before the hill was playing some mellow jazz tune...

I finished in 1:45:21...a new Half Marathon PR!! Overall it was a great race and I'm waiting for the alumni email for next year!!

R'n'R 2014 Half Marathon Finisher Medal

2014 1st Quarter Race Schedule

2/23/2014 Gasparilla Distance Classic-Tampa Bay Run Half Marathon      2:00:18
3/02/2014 Reston 10 Miler              1:22:05
3/09/2014 St. Patrick’s Day 8K    37:04
3/15/2014 DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon     1:45:21
3/29/2014 The Runway 5 Miler

Reston 10 Miler

This past Sunday I ran the Reston 10 Miler. This was my second double digit race last year and from what I recall it was quite cold. This year the temperature was much more favorable. It was partly sunny and in the low 40s with mild humidity .

The race was located at South Lakes High School in Reston, VA with a race start of 8:00AM. Since I no longer live in the area I decided to pick up my race packet that morning instead of driving from Alexandria to Reston Town Center the Saturday before the race and then back again Sunday.

I arrived at about 6:50AM Sunday morning. Parking was ample and after picking up my packet, which only took a few minutes, I went back to the car to relax a bit before the race.

At about 7:40AM I decided I should visit the ladies' room before the race began.  I entered the high school, which was open to the racers and had two restrooms with a few stall available, the lines for these restrooms seemed eternal but lucky for me as I walked around I heard someone say that there were porta-potties outside by the track that had almost no line...so I headed there and only waited a few minutes.

The race started a little late at 8:05AM. The course was great with many rolling hills and a lovely view of the lakeside community. There were water stops at miles 3, 6, and 8.5...I heard people complain about there being no porta-potties on course but frankly I didn't have to go so I didn't really notice but I am sure I would have been peeved if I did have to go.

After Tampa my runs had been feeling much more difficult and this one was no exception...I think it may have to do with overtraining...I had been following the Nike Women's DC Half Intermediate training plan which called for much more weekly mileage than I was used to and I wasn't exactly taking it easy on the easy run days and adding CrossFit to the mix also didn't help...all my own fault for lack of good judgment. Most training plans assume that you are in optimal condition all the time and are only doing what is in the training plan...they don't account for stressful days at work or at home, illness, lack of sleep, other fitness activities you may do, your individual level of fitness, etc...so be careful when deciding to follow one of these...listen to your body and track your progress if you're becoming slower and are always tired and sore then maybe you need to modify your plan.

 I finished in 1:22:05 about 5 minutes slower than my best 10 milers (Perfect 10 Ten Miler last September). I felt that I could have probably pushed a bit harder but was afraid of getting injured especially with the many other races I have coming up this spring.

Overall this was a great race with a challenging but not overly challenging course and I will be doing it again next year. The medal this year was much larger and heavier than last year but overall the same design.

Reston 10 Miler finisher medals 2013 (left) and 2014 (right)

As for my training I'm going back to following my own training plan from last fall...3 weekday (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)  runs between 4-6 miles (one day of speed work a week), 3 days of CrossFit (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) a week, and one weekend long run/race....I'm also adding yoga twice a week to help with flexibility...I'm hoping that by sticking with this plan I  can improve my future times.


2014 1st Quarter Race Schedule

2/23/2014 Gasparilla Distance Classic-Tampa Bay Run Half Marathon      2:00:18
3/02/2014 Reston 10 Miler              1:22:05
3/09/2014 St. Patrick’s Day 8K
3/15/2014 DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
3/29/2014 The Runway 5 Miler

Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon

On Sunday February 23 I ran the Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon with my good friend and Florida local Adam. This was Adam's first half marathon and my first time running a race out of state so we were both very excited.

I flew in that Saturday afternoon at which time Adam picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to the race expo to pick up our race packets. The first thing I noticed when getting out of the airport was the humidity...having just arrived from Washington DC where we had been having a very cold and dry winter this humidity was quite uncomfortable for me and I was already having doubts of how well I would perform in the half.

The race expo was located at the Tampa Convention Center and despite being much smaller than other expos I had been to back home it still had a decent amount of vendors. Adam and I had a great time trying out the different free samples and looking at the different merchandise. We didn't stay too long as we needed to check into our hotel and get lunch.

When we checked in at the Westshore Embassy Suites the concierge informed us that there would be a manager's reception that evening with free alcoholic beverages for all the guests. My first thought was we probably shouldn't drink but after lunch and a while of relaxing at the pool we decided that one drink wouldn't hurt ....about three hours and several drinks later we decided to call it a night since we knew we had definitely overdone it especially with a 4:30AM wakeup call and 6:00AM half marathon awaiting us the next day. We chugged as much water as possible and went to bed around 9:00PM. The next day we awoke both feeling like we'd been hit by a train but we did not let our painful state stop us from heading to the race.



The first beer that started it all

We arrived at the convention center around 5:00AM and proceeded to drink more water, use the bathroom, and attempt to throw up while we waited to head to the race start located a little ways away from the convention center. I definitely knew I was not going to perform well but I would try.

We located the 1:45:00 pacer....this was my goal time prior to considering the humidity and drinking the night before.... Both Adam and I were excited and nervous. The temperature that morning was somewhere around 70 degrees with about  90% humidity...much different from what I had been training in back home.  Once the race began I felt pretty strong for the first 3 miles and Adam was doing great. Then my stomach and muscles began to cramp and as my body temperature rose my pace started to steadily decline. Each step harder than the next I could now really feel the humidity. As I continued to slow and fall back I could see Adam and the 1:45:00 pace group get farther and farther away from  me.

The course was very flat, no hills like what I was used to back home and once we neared the water it began to smell like a backed up sewage drain which did not help my already queasy state. There seemed to be water stops and porta-potties at about every mile or two which was wonderful for me. I'm pretty sure I stopped at everyone of them to douse myself with water and drink water in a desperate attempt to cool down. I also threw up yellow stomach bile a few times....

I finished in 2:00:18, way slower than I had hoped but hey at least I finished. Adam did a wonderful job finishing in 1:46:12! He said at mile 10 he stopped for some water and once he tried to get moving again to catch back up to the pace group his legs had a tough time getting going again.

Overall this was a great race with a flat course, lots of race support, and a really cool medal. I would definitely do it again but next time I would definitely not drink the night before and hydrate a lot more in anticipation of the humidity.

 

Awesome pirate finisher medal

 

Adam and I spent the rest of the day recovering and catching up on sleep. The next day I flew back home where I continued to recover. Tuesday morning I got up at my usual 4:40AM and had a nice 5 mile run in 30 degree low humidity temperatures...I will no longer complain about it being cold and dry...just about it being icy and snowy ;)

 

 



 

2014 1st Quarter Race Schedule

2/23/2014 Gasparilla Distance Classic-Tampa Bay Run Half Marathon 2:00:18
3/02/2014 Reston 10 Miler
3/09/2014 St. Patrick’s Day 8K
3/15/2014 DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
3/29/2014 The Runway 5 Miler

What to Wear for Cold Weather Running…and Some Tips on Race Day Dress

I went on a run this morning at 5:00AM like I normally do it was 13°F, the real feel of 9°F , and it had snowed that night...so not only was it dark out it was also pretty darn cold and slippery. Normally I would either go back to sleep or run on a treadmill at Gold's Gym but I was already up and the snow didn't seem too deep and I usually get sooo bored running on a treadmill that I decided to venture out.

My running route this morning

So how does one dress for these conditions? Layers, layers, layers…and reflective gear. The number of layers is up to you and how you tolerate the cold.

I discovered that for me if the weather is below freezing like today 3 good layers with a tech fleece long sleeve shirt and tech fleece tights is best. Also ear/head protection, gloves, and a scarf/face protection can help you keep from "freezing." When the weather is warmer I won't use fleece and I begin to shed the layers and the accessories as the temperature rises…I prefer to be slightly underdressed than overdressed…I hate overheating…at first it may feel like your fingers are about to freeze off but once you get going and your blood starts pumping you'll be fine.

At least year's Marine Corps Marathon I wore shorts, a short sleeved tech shirt, and a long sleeved tech shirt…no gloves or ear protection…I don't remember the exact temperature but it was pretty darn cold and a lot of people had on tights, jackets, gloves, hats, pullovers, etc… Even though I was freezing at first once I started running I acclimated and after about 7 miles I ditched the long sleeve shirt and was great the rest of the race. Now, you can always wear more layers and a jacket but keep in mind that as you begin to heat up and need to ditch the layers you don't have too many options and will most likely end up losing that article of clothing. Most people just throw the extra clothes on the side of the road or leave it in a Porta Potty (that's where I left my long sleeve shirt) and the chances of getting it back are slim to none…are you really going to wait until the very end of the races or walk back several miles to find it? Some races actually collect the abandoned clothes and donate them to charity. Others coordinate with loved ones on wear to meet them to pass off extra clothes…usually at the race start. I recommend just toughing out the cold or wearing old clothes you don't mind losing.

 

Here is a list of what I wore today with pictures:

Base Layer Shirt: Marine Corps Marathon Tech Fleece

Second Layer: Lululemon Pullover 

Outer Layer: Lululemon Running Jacket

Accessories: Gloves, thick socks, headband, scarf

Lululemon Tech Fleece Tights

Since it was dark out I wore some reflective gear. Sometimes if there are no or too few street lamps I'll wear a clip-on LED strobe light and use a headlamp but the road I ran today had pretty decent lighting so good reflective gear was all I really needed.

Nathan Reflective Vest

Saucony ViZiPro Kinvara 4 (They're reflective)

Soooo many races and sooo little money

So  I decided to start a blog since everyone and their mother seems to have one plus I love telling people all about my running even though most of the time they really don't want to hear it :)

This year I'm already signed up for 1 full marathon, 4 half marathons, 2 ten milers, and 5 other races of various distances...and I also have a long list of other races I want to do this year that I haven't signed up for yet because registration hasn't opened or I'm short on funds...racing isn't cheap lol

What is my goal for this blog? Well my goal is to review all the different races I'll be participating in so if anyone where to come across my blog they could be like "Hey, that race sounds fun maybe I'll try it next year...". I love when friends and family ask me about running like if I'm some expert...I'm totally not so please! if I post about my training plans or diets don't think that I am a dietary expert or professional athletic trainer and you should do what I do...sometimes I can be a bit crazy and not do the healthiest things...like eating Nancy's Deli Spiral appetizers everyday for dinner for two weeks because I don't have time to eat between work and CrossFit...yeah I do CrossFit too or at least I try to...I just started at the beginning of the month and it's been a blast! I did it once before for a few months but it got expensive so I had to say goodbye but now I'm back and loving it!

So now I'm running out of stuff to say...I kind of just decided to do my first post today randomly with no preparation...

Over the next month I plan on really getting into a half marathon training plan so I can get an awesome PR at the Nike Women's Half Marathon DC...this will be my second time running it and I'm super excited!!! I have two other half marathons before then but I'm just going to try and get under 2:00:00 for those since I haven't been properly training because of the cold these last few months and I've really been lazy...

My Nike Women's Half DC 2013 Tiffany's Finisher Necklace

 

My half PR is 1:53:35 and I'm hoping to finish under 1:45:00 at the Nike Women's Half this year....training starts Monday February 3rd :) :)
Ok I'm done...for now...


2014 1st Quarter Race Schedule

2/23/2014 Gasparilla Distance Classic-Tampa Bay Run Half Marathon
3/02/2014 Reston 10 Miler
3/09/2014 St. Patrick’s Day 8K
3/15/2014 DC Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
3/29/2014 The Runway 5 Miler