Run Like A Mother 5k–Recap

Posted by hellyontherun in 5k, Race and tagged with 5k, Run Like A Mother 5k, Run Local, Run Walk Crawl Adventures May 11, 2016

After the Parent’s Mile on Saturday, I was triumphant in my win, but sick in health. I went through the day fatigued and weak and I felt I had left all I had out there in that park.

I had already been thinking about not racing the 5k. After the night trail run the weekend before, my body was sore and I just knew that I wasn’t 5k PR ready. And how I felt after the mile race, it was a done deal. I decided to run easy and give my body a break.

But as most things go with running and racing, things change last minute.

I arrived to the race early, as I was an ambassador and wanted to see if the race director needed help with anything. Everything was running smoothly so I hung out and visited the vendors in the park. They had a DJ playing upbeat music and the weather was beautiful. Perfect day for running.

As it got closer to the start, my Moms Run This Town friends arrived and we took a quick group picture. Then it was time for me to speak to the runners. The race director had asked the three ambassadors if anyone wanted to speak about being a running mom; I was the only one who said they would, lol!!!

It was in the middle of my short speech, that I saw someone waving frantically at me. It was my high school running buddy, Nadia!! I had over a month ago asked her to pace me on this 5k when at the time, I had really wanted a PR. She agreed but then we hadn’t touched base about it afterward. In fact, the night before the race, I had meant to text her but in my exhaustion, completely forgot. When I woke up, I figured since I hadn’t heard from her, that maybe she had decided not to do the 5k.

I was kinda secretly hoping that was the case.

But there she was. I knew that I shouldn’t had doubted her at all as she’s been so loyal and supportive of me for so long. It was then that I decided I owed it to her to at least give the race a shot. I knew it would be an ugly race, but I ~~couldn’t~~ didn’t want to let Nadia down.

We settled ourselves at the front of the pack so as to avoid as much swerving and passing. She went over the game plan–7:20’s (oh my dear Lord)–and then scolded me for racing the mile the day before. I knew she wasn’t really scolding me but I knew that I had definitely altered my chances of PRing because of it.

Then we were off! It was of no surprise to me that I instantly felt like poo. I could feel it and it just made me angry that I was letting Nadia down. Halfway into the first mile, she started pulling out the cheerleader talk: C’mon!! You got this!!

But no, I did not have it.

The first mile beeped at 7:19. That Nadia is good.

Except that was it. I just couldn’t keep the pace. I unplugged my earphone so as to hear Nadia’s directions of surging, pumping my arms, picking up my feet but nothing could make me move faster. I started mixing in Spanish with my I can’ts telling her Me estoy muriendo. I wasn’t really dying, but I sure felt like it! Mile 2- 7:40.

Trying to keep up

We had been behind one girl the entire time, and Nadia kept trying to encourage me to pass her. I just couldn’t. Seconds later, someone came up from behind and passed me!

I was slowing down.

Snuck up from behind me and took 3rd in my AG.

I begged Nadia to let me go. I knew she could’ve won the race had I not slowed her down, had she ran the race herself.

This isn’t my race. This is yours!! Let’s go!! she yelled.

I just couldn’t. I felt awful. I felt like I’d wasted her time, like I hadn’t taken her commitment to me seriously.

The last mile-8:14.

We turned a corner leading to the finish and she was still yelling words of encouragement: You’ve got a strong kick, let’s go!!

I tried. Good heaven’s I tried, but it just wasn’t enough.

Official Time–23:55 (4th AG, 10th OA)

Four seconds from an Age Group placing, two seconds from my official 5k PR at Nick’s Run (which had been right after a 10k!), and 6 seconds from my unofficial PR at my run club’s Shamrock Shuffle.

I wasn’t upset about how close the numbers were though, because it was such an ugly race. My splits were all over, I didn’t feel strong at all, and I truly didn’t deserve any awards or a PR that morning.

It wouldn’t have even been that close had it not been for my pacer BRF ❤

I hung out after the race for awhile as I knew quite a few moms running that morning. But then I started to really not feel good. Even worse than the day before. I excused myself from my friends and hurried home.

I ended up spending my Mother’s Day bedridden sick, my husband and I think due to dehydration and exhaustion. I was so weak. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t drink anything. All I could do was lay in bed. For two full days, I felt immobile and this morning I finally feel like a normal human being. It was just awful.

Despite my lackluster performance and debilitating state afterward, the race itself was fantastic. I can not rave more about the company Run Walk Crawl Adventures. They’re a new racing company here in the Phoenix valley and so far the races they’ve put on have been fantastic. I know a lot of people shy away from running local because they’re too small and don’t have good swag–SO not the case with these races. Sure, it’s a smaller turnout than big races, but they don’t skimp out on the fun stuff like music and entertainment. Plus, the swag for the two races I’ve done with them have been amazing. For this 5k in particular we received a tote bag, a women’s fit tech shirt, a medal, and a rose (it was Mother’s Day after all 😀 ).

–Do you like running local?

–When was the last time you ran a less than stellar race?

I was an ambassador for this race and received a free registration, but like all things reviewed/recapped on my blog, all opinions are legit and honest. ❤

Insomniac Night Trail Run Series: Sinister 27k Recap

Posted by hellyontherun in Race, Trail Running and tagged with Aravaipa Running, Race Recap, Sinister 27k, Trail Running May 2, 2016

I had mentioned this race last week and how I was excited about it–well, it lived up to it all, lol!

Phoenix is either cold (for us) or hot and there’s usually no in between. But on Saturday afternoon, clouds were coming in.

And wind.

In fact, about two hours before the race started, the wind was pretty bad and several of my friends decided to skip the race as they didn’t want to run in basically a twister. The gusts were super strong, but like one of my friends said, it’s what makes the race Sinister, right?? 😀

I got to the race early to pick up my bib and swag

Swag: Arm sleeves, visor, and finisher’s cup

and my buddy and I hung out with the small crowd of runners. Amongst us, people were chatting how cold it was. I know, I know, us Phoenicians shiver at anything under 60, but it was cold for us, lol!! The wind was giving us a little chill and a sprinkle had started. I had planned accordingly with a long-sleeved and there were others with even more coverage, but I knew that once I started running, I’d warm up. Which was exactly the case.

There was a 9k race (one loop), a 27k race (3 loops), and a 54k race (6 loops). I knew quite a few people doing the 9k, including my BRF, Foxy Jen–I call her that not only because she is a hot mama, but because she’s a fierce fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Foxy Jen and me at the Start 😀

I tried to convince her to upgrade to the 27k but like a smart woman, she declined.

Anyway, the 54k people went first. Then, it was my turn.

Go time!

Promptly at 7:30 p.m., the race began and I was off. The sun was finishing setting and I settled in behind a guy who seemed to be running at a good pace, which pretty much meant I was running too fast.

I was flying through the rolling hills behind this guy who was essentially lighting and paving/pacing the way for me, until we reached a hill towards the end of the loop (each loop was around 5.6 miles). I saw him start to get away from me on that hill between mile 4 and 5 and as his body dimmed from my view, so did the light. Alone, I realized my light was dim! My batteries were dying!

I finished the loop, passing through the start line and the aid station thinking I could manage with the little light I had, but as soon as I passed the crowds and was back out on the desert, I could tell that it was not going to be easy.

First Loop (Mile 5.6)– 56:20

I had to run with my head down because all I could see was the ground immediately in front of me. My neck started to hurt, my body was already aching, and I knew this was going to be a long loop.

When I reached the aid station that was nicely positioned in the middle of the loop, I stopped for a break. They asked if I needed anything and I spotted a liter of Coke. I took a small cup of the amazingness and continued on. It was then that I realized I could text Foxy Jen for help! She should be finishing her 9k loop and I could just get her light! Luckily, I was in an area with phone reception because she responded that yes, she would definitely hand over her head lamp!

I was approaching the uphill at the end of loop and just told myself to get to Jen. Once I had my new light, I would be able to finish the last loop stronger. I ran carefully, only tripping a few times but never actually having a conversation with the ground.

And finally, after what seemed like forever, there she was. I handed her my light and she handed me hers, and I was back on the trail for the last loop. It was almost 10 p.m. at that point and I knew that I would be finishing, if I was lucky, around 11.

Second Loop (Mile 11.2)–2:01:16

With the new lamp, it was night and day. I was running more confidently but still slow, as fatigue had really set in. My entire body was aching. My arms from using them for balance, my ribs and core from keeping my body upright and steady, and my legs from the rolling hills and pounding.

But I forged on. I knew this was the last loop; I just had to make it to the aid station and I would be almost done.

It seemed to take forever to get there. I was by myself the entire last loop, whereas before, I would encounter other runners along the course. Not this time. When I reached the aid station, it was so nice to see people, lol! I drank a little bit more Coke, grabbed some gummy worms, and said happily, “I’m almost done!”

But I knew the end would be the hardest part with that damn hill. I could feel my calves and shins start to ball up and that worried me. I had been taking salt tablets the entire way and was frustrated I was beginning to cramp. I can’t seem to avoid it!! They never fully came thankfully, as I kept running and telling my brain to tell my legs to shut up.

Finally, I saw the tent lights. I picked up my pace as all I wanted to do at that point was finish. I got closer and closer and then… I crossed, triumphantly, before putting my hands on my knees…lol!

Third Loop–(Mile 16.8) 3:12:47

My official stats:

3:12:47
7/31 Female
27/65 overall

I’m really happy with how I ran as I went in with very little expectations. I felt strong and felt that my mental game is growing. I was using this as a training run for R2R2R in a few weeks but was worried about running 17 miles with having only a 10 mile training run under my belt. I finished though, albeit extremely achy, lol!!!

Elevation

I’m still sore two days after and this week will consist of many foam rolling sessions and massages and very little running. To be honest, if any.

If you’re ever in Arizona, you gotta do an Aravaipa race. They are stellar, so well done, and just perfect trail races with many distance options for everyone. Not all of them are night either, lol! Can’t rave about them enough!

–How do you recover from an achy run?

–Is a trail race on your list of to-dos?

Tri For The Cure 2016 Recap–I’m Officially A Triathlete!!

Posted by hellyontherun in Race, Tri Training and tagged with Moms Run This Town, Swim Bike Run, Tri for The Cure, Tri For The Cure AZ, Triathlete, Triathlon March 28, 2016

You can tell from the title that yes, I did finish!!!!

But it wasn’t without excitement–as it always seems to be the case with me, lol! I tried to make this recap short and then after a while, stopped caring, so if you don’t get to the end, I totally understand…

At bib pick-up, we were told to get to the race early, around 6 a.m. because the ceremonies would start at 6:30 and the race at 7.

I was there at 5:30.

Paranoia about forgetting something (and nerves) kept me from sleeping and I was up at 4 to start packing up my car. I was so nervous, I wanted to make sure I had everything and that my transition area was okay/ready. Coffee in hand, I hit the road at 5.

A big reason I chose to do Tri For The Cure AZ as my first tri was because so many of my Moms Run This Town friends were doing it. I was not going at it alone. Sure enough, when I was almost to the parking lot, I saw several of my friends’ cars driving in. We walked our bikes to the set up area and I was so happy to have someone help me right from the get go.

After I set up my bike and transition area, several friends inspected it making sure I had things in the order I’d need them. I had done well they said, as I didn’t have any unnecessary items (yay!).

I got marked up, getting my bib number written on each arm and my age on my leg. (I had always wondered what those numbers meant on triathletes!) We gathered near the pool for a group pic–

— and this was when I saw the pool for the first time.

Holy moly. The nerves came roaring back as I stared at the monstrosity of the pool before me. And before I knew it, it was go time.

The Swim

We were lined up according to our age with the older women going first (it was an only women event). This pleased me because it seemed there were a lot more older women there than me; the line behind me was shorter than the line in front. Every 10 seconds, an athlete would jump in the pool. Each step closer to the mounting pad made my heart skip faster. Then, it was my turn.

I stepped on the pad and waited.

“Your goggles?” The race volunteer said.

“Yes, I have them.”

Pause.

“Put them on.”

“Oh yes, of course!”

I scrambled to put on my goggles as I saw my 10 seconds expire in two, and I jumped in.

Immediately, I began swimming as close to the right side as I could, leaving space for all those behind me to pass. I started off slowly (which is my swim speed always) and concentrated as best as a I could. It was a 400m swim with each lane 50m–I had “trained” on a 25m pool, so I knew that getting to the end of one lane would be an accomplishment. I just needed to do it 8 times.

After 3 laps down (and stopping at the end of each), I noticed towards the end of the 4th lap how the pool was deeper on one end. It went from light blue water to deep, dark blue and when I noticed that, I panicked. Fear crept up that I would drown as I approached the deep end and I felt myself start to flail. When I got to the end of the lap, I pulled up on the wall and tried my best to control my breathing.

You’re halfway done, Helly. Don’t quit!

I had never practiced the backstroke but at that point, I invented something and I turn on my back and did my best to float and move–anything to get to the end of the lane. At the end of the 6th lap, I noticed it was just me and one other girl. Everyone else who started after me had exited the pool.

Me and my new friend reached the end of the 6th lap at the same time. Her family was waiting and they yelled words of encouragement, “Just an out and back from here!”

I put my arm out telling her to go ahead of me. I knew I wasn’t going to finish the last two laps on a strong note. I was barely able to breathe at that point.

She went ahead and I began a few seconds after her. By the time I reached the end of the 7th lap, she had exited the pool. I had the entire pool to myself for the final eighth lap.

Thoughts of being last had never entered my head. I had thought maybe my natural athleticism would carry me through and that I’d do decent at the swim portion of the race. Nope. I was the very last one out of the pool.

Volunteers helped me out and they greeted me with “You did it!!” “The hard part is done!” and I choked back sobs of embarrassment, but also pride that I had finished, and whispered, “Thank you so much.”

I began the short run to the bike transition hearing a volunteer say in his radio, “The last swimmer is out!”

The Bike

I did as best as I could to dry off and put on my clothes, shoes, and helmet as quickly as possible. I was the last one out so I didn’t have to deal with any crowds, a plus! Lol!

After being the clear to mount, I was off! The bike portion was a two loop 8 mile course with an UPHILL just after the start each loop. I biked like I’d never biked before and I actually was able to pass a few people. I turned to began the second loop and saw the huge hill before. Just get through it one more time. I could see some people walking their bikes up and I told myself to stay on the bike, I could do it.

Near the top of the hill, as I was switching gears, I hear a click and then nothing. My pedals wouldn’t move!! I stopped and looked down–sure enough, the bike chain had fallen!!! I had absolutely no idea what to do and immediately sadness took over me as I knew this would be where the race would end for me.

But because I had started last, I was near the sweeper and he saw me on the side off my bike! He asked what was wrong and as soon as I showed him he put the chain back on and said, “Keep going!”

And I was off. I pedaled my little heart off telling myself to finish this bike ride and get myself on the road to running. I was able to pass a few more women on the last part of my bike ride!

The Run

I dismounted my bike and took off my helmet. Grabbed some water, retied my shoes, clipped my bib belt and got the hell out of the transition area. I wanted to run!

The run was a 2.4 miler along a canal so it was terrain I was used to. I never worried about my time in the swim or bike portion and told myself to do the same with the run. Even though this was my strongest event, I didn’t want to pressure myself into holding a specific pace.

When I turned the corner to get on the canal, I was surprised to see there were still a lot of athletes out there. I ran along one side cheering to my friends on the other side running towards the finish. I wanted to be with them!

First mile, 7:52.

I was shocked to see a sub 8!! I hadn’t felt I was running so fast and it thrilled me to see such a great split. I told myself to keep at it. I was almost there!

I made a right to get on the other side of the canal, the final stretch that would take me to the finish, and I just ran. I passed so many people on this last stretch.

Mile 2, 8:01.

I knew I had less than half a mile to go, so I just went for it. When I turned the last corner onto the field, I could see the finish and I could see my friends waving, cheering me on. It was so unbelievably awesome.

I was a triathlete!!!

You couldn’t remove the smile off my face, I was so happy. I was swarmed with hugs and words of praise as I was one of very few who was doing this for the first time.

This was as hard as I thought it would be. I never thought a triathlon (of any distance) would be easy, and no, it wasn’t. And even though I struggled immensely with the swim, (I knew I hadn’t given it the preparation it deserved), I was proud of myself for making it through. I had be the last one out but after seeing the official results, I wasn’t the last one in the event.

In fact, I had done pretty good overall placing 135th out of 201 and 8 out 13 in my age group!

But honestly, the numbers don’t matter. I’m just so thankful to have been able to finish and so thankful to have had the support of my husband and friends along the way ❤

If you made to the end, thank you! Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement on Instagram and Facebook. More than you all will ever know.

xoxo,

helly

–Have you ever finished last in something?

–Would you consider doing a triathlon (if you haven’t)?