November 2020 Monthly Running Challenge

Mother’s Day Virtual 5K – done
Retro Run Virtual 5K – done
Rona on the Run - Virtual for St. Jude benefit - done
Keep Moving Huntsville - at least one mile a day 1 - 31 May - done
The Big Run - June 3 - done
NEGU virtual run - June - Team NEGU helping support kids with cancer - done
Big Foot Wild Thangs Trail Race 5K/10K – June 20 on the trails…all together like a real race - done
Run 4 on the 4th – Virtual 4 miles on 4th of July - done
ISS Virtual 5K in July – done
Jackalope Trail Run 4 miler – done
Flora-Bama 600K - Virtual race from Huntsville AL to the Florida Alabama state line in Orange Beach – done
Scooby Doo Virtual 10K - done
Skunk Ape 5 miler August 1 trail race in person – done
Pirate Challenge – 10 weeks mile challenge June – August – done
Chupacabra 10K/HM – August 22 - done
Running of the Bulls Virtual 5K – 9/14 – 30/2020 - done
The Pinhoti Trail Challenge 335 miles virtual – 1 Sept to 31 Dec – done
PinkPumpkin 10K – completed 10/30
2020 Liberty Road Challenge WWII soldiers journey from St. Mere Eglisde to Bastogne, Belgium – charity virtual run for the WII museum in New Orleans 716 miles team event 4 July – September – our team has finished
Space Race 400K Challenge 12 weeks running 248.5 miles to the ISS – August to November – done
Bridge Street HM Virtual – 10/24 – 11/7/2020 – virtual done
Halloween 5K virtual with Fleet Feet – 10/31/2020 - done
Yuletide Madness Oct 31 – Dec 31 2020
Oak Barrel Half Marathon – October – running virtual - done
Cathedral Caverns 15K trail race – in person - done

The weekend started off stressfully (thanks for the good wishes everyone) but ended up well. I ran my first real, in-person race since January. Saturday I had a glitch with someone to watch my dog so that almost derailed things but got that resolved ... as well as various other minor delays to leaving town that resulted in not getting to packet pickup before it closed for the day. The race was pretty adamant that pickup up day of race was absolutely a last resort. Fortunately we had a friend meeting us for the race who was able to get there last minute and pick up our packets. Packets had a long sleeve T, which looks pretty nice but I haven't put it on yet, and the bib. I was running the 5k for which there was no medal, but there was a medal for the HM and full marathon, which were included in the packets for people running those so there would be no contact after the race.

Morning of the race we arrived early and parking was well organized - as was everything else. Start times were in waves of 24 groups with the full marathon going first, then the half, then the 5k. Within the 24 bigger groups, they had us in small waves A - K and you got into the staging area at your group time, then lined up according to letter by marked cones. So we were all spaced out with something like 5 across for the A wave who started at the same time on a ready go countdown, then the next 5 moved up and started 10 seconds later (B wave), and so on for the whole group of maybe 20-25. Then 3 minutes until the next group of 20ish. It was very well organized and flowed very well. I think it was a fantastic way to start because there was no bunching up and trying to get through a crowd. I hope this is a long-term change to racing actually. Everyone was required to wear a mask/buff through the starting area and asked to only take them down after they left the starting chute and were spaced out along the way. People cooperated very well - I think everyone was so eager to race finally. Oh, it was cold. About 26 degrees and there was a little bit of sleet as the half marathoners were starting, which fortunately did not last. I wore a long sleeve shirt, medium thick leggings, a jacket and gloves and headband (and buff). I knew I was likely going to get too hot with the jacket but I could not make myself take it off before I started.

Guys - I really tried to go with what I said the other day about running with my heart instead of in my head. All morning I just kept thinking just try, just try, just try. I took off feeling ok, but certainly not overly confident of how it was going to go given my last couple of months of low mileage and not very focused or consistent training. I tried to not look at my watch very much in mile one and just push by feel. I got to the mile marker and my Garmin was close to spot on, and saw that I had an 8:37 mile. That is a PR mile for me so I was excited but worried about hanging on. I had to take my jacket off and tie it around my waist, which slowed me a bit. The turnaround was at 1.5 miles and I was very happy to be on the back half of it. I got to mile 2 and it was still under a 9 min/mile pace at 8:56. I started to get in my head about it with calculations of what I needed to hang on for a PR. I did my best to talk myself down and just push, push, push as my coach is well known to say. The last half mile or so I was definitely fading and it was a struggle - I wanted so badly to get a PR but it felt like it was slipping away. We turned a corner and I could see we were heading towards the finish but it was the only hill of the race - not even a hill really, but a gradual incline. It really hurt and I wanted to quit so badly, but the finish was coming. My Garmin data shows I slipped to my slowest pace of about 10:39 here at 2.9 miles in. When it leveled off I kicked it for what I was worth to the finish - ending with an 8:03 pace in the last little bit. And the time on my watch said 28:14. I knew my previous PR was 28:30 something (from 2 years ago) so I teared up a bit as I tried to recover and just hoped that my timing and the race timing would be in agreement.

I was the first of my group of friends to finish so I went through the finish chute area, got a water bottle and walked back to where I could watch the finish line for the others. As I waited the results were available online and I saw my official time was 28:12 and I was 4th in my age group! So excited!!! About 10-15 minutes later two of my friends finished the 5k, and then a few minutes later our (fastest) friend finished his half at an impressive 1:32. Also, the first of the marathoners to complete the first loop had come through just as I was finishing the 5k (it was a Boston qualifier marathon and there were some impressive times). We then waited for our second friend to finish her half, but at this point we were all getting really cold. The wind had picked up and with our wet clothes we were freezing. She finally came around and just made her goal time of 1:50. We had one final friend but knew it would be a bit given his start time and projected time so we went to get our post-race box lunch (we were able to choose a type of sandwich ahead, and the box contained a sandwich, an apple, and a brownie. They were all wrapped and the brownie particularly really hit the spot. We went to the car and scarfed our food and changed clothes and warmed up then headed back out for the last friend - who was just finishing as we got back to the finish. This was his very first half marathon race and the first time he ever ran the distance was 1 week ago. With no training! And he pulled out a time that was not at all shabby (in fact pretty close to my own PR time, but who's comparing, lol).

So it was a very successful day for our group and a well run race experience. I'm really happy and excited that I was able to run well - I hadn't even realized how much I wanted that PR until I was doing it (and I'll admit the fact that my trainer was one of my group at the race was a factor in me wanting to get it and show him). It feels good.