Monday, May 31, 2010

Vermont City Marathon Two Person Relay 2010






Early A.M. Ready to Race


Early A.M. Making initials

Whew!  Thank goodness I had four goals as the fourth one is the one I met.  But I am going to go with what Miss Zippy said, "Good luck! I think it is such a good idea to always set a couple of goals; that way, you are going to be happy no matter what!" So yes I did not make goal #s 1, 2 or 3 but I am happy.  I did not truthfully think I would make 1 or 2 but thought I would make 3 - beating my time of last year.  More about that later.

Shameless Promoting
 VCM is a great race and I can't recommend it enough. I am always choked up when it starts and we turn the corner and head up Pearl Street.  One of the first musicians on the course to greet us is The Accordian Man in his speedo. It brings a big smile right away and off we go!!!  Maybe it is time for me to think about doing the whole marathon again although winter/spring training does not fit as well for me.  If you are looking for a great late spring marathon this is the one to do!!

R and I at Battery Park before the start


Race Highs:
1. Absolutely running with my kids.  I did not see Em race but she was there to cheer us on as she had the second leg.  She saw the two of us on Church Street and said she got a great picture.  J ran with me for about the first four miles which I didn't expect but I loved it so much!  What a feeling to be racing in one of your favorite races on a beautiful day with your son by your side! ( I felt a bit choked up at times as he ran alongside me.) He took off around mile four and the next time I saw him he was a marathoner!  I will let him tell you his story on his own blog. But he is in the midst of moving and has spotty Internet connection so it may not be quick.  E had an excellent unbelievable half but I will let her tell you on her blog.

2. The crowd support is phenomenal.  I suspect it can't be beat many places. Everyone is out widely supporting this race with their enthusiasm.  The only drawback to this is it's hard to get to a good spot to see your runner at the finish.  

3. Beautiful day with a decent temperature after warnings of 85.  


Race Lows:
1. I fell apart and I do mean apart in the last mile and a half.  I wondered if I would have to walk or even sit down. I felt awful and had nothing left with no idea why. Did I not drink enough? Eat the wrong thing?  Do some miles too fast?  I suspect drinking had a part to play in it.

2. As I was running near the end I decided I did not know why I said half marathons were my favorite distance.  I decided I was never going to attempt a marathon again. If this was as painful as it was becoming who needed marathons?  I was way into negative thinking.  

3. Not beating last years time in this race. I was about a minute slower. Last year it was just a race I tacked on.  This year I trained and tapered for it.

Race Stats:
1. It is actually my fastest of 3 half marathons this calendar year. That amazed me when I got home. I felt so much better during my Feb. half.  My miles were even and I did not slow at the end.  The range was from 9:16 to 9:39.  Today's mile splits went from 8:57 to 10:40.  I managed to tweak out a faster half today and it was hillier so let me take a little credit there. My splits were quite similar to last year's but the last two slow miles took their toll on my overall time.

2. My time was 2:04:54 with a pace of 9:30.  My team was 10/15 in our division - not so great - but 384/707 out of all relay teams.  

Fun Moments:
1. When I finished my half I walked more than two miles to the finish with two heavy backpacks. BTW this is not the fun part.  When I got there I walked to get to the finish past this huge line that I had no idea what it was for. Well as I got toward the front I realized it was to go across this bridge that went above the race to not interrupt the runners. This was good  for the runners but I DID NOT want to wait in a long line. I was exhausted and wanted to see my kids as they were running. I turned to go toward the back when I cut was invited into the line by two men standing there who interpreted the distraught look on my face correctly.  One said to me, "Hey, let's catch up." and started talking away to me.  Of  course I had never seen either one of these guys before but I stopped and "caught up" with them feeling less guilty not guilty at all for cutting into the line to chat with my new BFFs. When we got to the other side of the bridge I said goodbye and told them I was glad we had the opportunity to catch up.  

2. I love seeing people I know both in the race and watching. It is a big city event and because of the various relays (2-5 person as well as the two person) many people take part.  The whole city is happy.

3. Chatting with other unknown runners about racing, running and our love of the sport.

How is racing like childbirth?
As I said above I had thoughts of hating half marathons and never wanting to do a marathon again.  Already forgotten now that the pain is gone and the endorphins kicked in.

Fashion Highlights:
Today I wore my new running skirt. (Skirt sport -  gym girl ultra  model)  I know I know don't wear anything new on race day. Well I did. And I have to say I love my skirt!  It is long enough for me, extremely comfy, and has two useful pockets.  I put my Ipod in one and threaded it through the hole provided for easy access and I put some chomps in the other pocket.  I felt like I looked good too.  It was all good!

Couldn't get a good pic of medal. It is nice,  particularly the ribbon.  
Here it is on calendar with running pics from last year's VCM


I am planning to take off five days or so. I often do this after a half and always after a marathon. I did not do it after either of my previous halves but feel I could use a break.  I am on an interviewing committee at work this week with two late evenings involved so it works out on that front too.  So I am not planning on running until next Saturday.

My son the marathoner!






















34 comments:

I Run for Fun said...

Congratulations! It's great you got to run with your loved ones. You all look awesome. Inspite of feeling not so great toward the finish, you completed it. That is awesome. Some days are tougher than others, but I am sure you can definitely do a marathon one day.

MCM Mama said...

Congrats on finishing and coming in with a good time, despite the last two miles being hard. How fun to have your kids home and running too!

TMB @ RACING WITH BABES said...

Congrats! So great that you took away so many positives even if you had less than perfect moments! I really can't wait until my kids are old enough to race with!

Julie said...

You did fantastic!! You came in and you finished with a great time:) I know all to well about how the last two miles can be so difficult...I have had a few of those halfs myself:)

How awesome to have Jameson running with you for a few of the first miles:)Hearing this made me smile....he is a good kid! I love the pictures with you, Jameson and EM!

I also love to people watch at the big races:) Actually, it is one of the reasons I like the bigger races. I love the energy and excitement that the runners bring with them:) I always meet new friends and that is so fun!

I am glad that you had a great race....you should feel proud of yourself! BTW, you are looking great in your new running skirt!

Anonymous said...

Great race report! It's weird when you do better but feel worse. Sounds like you really pushed yourself. Well done!

Teamarcia said...

Congrats to all of you! What an amazing experience to be able to run with your kids! Hopefully someday I'll follow in your footsteps on that front!
I couldn't agree with you more on the 'running is like childbirth' sentiment--I always say I'll never race again in the throes of late-mile agony.
Great job!

Anne said...

Congrats on an awesome time (great overall pace)! How fun to race with both your kids...what a wonderful experience it must have been. I'm sorry to hear you hit a wall near the end, but you pushed through and did a great job overall. Loved the story about your new BFF's in the line-up :)

About the haze...so far, we're okay over here and the sky is clear. There's been mention in the papers that it's coming our way though. So, I guess we'll see.

HappyTrails said...

Great job - what on earth were you feeling down for? Awesome day AND you got to share it with the kids - sounds great! Have a well deserved rest week.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! How great it is you got to race with your kids too! Very strong race performance with those hills!

Johann said...

Well done! That's a good time! I always enjoyed running with my dad. Those are special moments. Enjoy the few rest days.

Monica said...

GREAT JOB!! I'm so very proud of you. What a wonderful gift you were given to run with your son. Enjoy your time off and get some rest for your body. YOU DESERVE IT!!

Love your new picture on the blog.

Marlene said...

What a great event to do with the kids. Congratulations all around!!!

Liz said...

Well done for toughing out those last miles. I still think that's a great time!

Christina said...

I love how you broke your race report into the sections. I'm going to do that next time.

I love my gym girl too. It is so comfortable and covers well.

Rainbow sprinkle and maple donuts are my fav. yummy.

Mary said...

Yeah Andrea - - well done! Love your report - - congrats to Em and Jameson also - - amazing - -the running fam!! Thought about you yesterday --
Kathy ran the 6 mile leg of the marathon -- out the Beltline. . . said she saw you!!

Heidi said...

You're family is so awesome. I was smiling through this whole post (well, except maybe the part where you struggled). It's fantastic that you guys do these things together.

EB said...

Yeah! Even though you had a few tough miles, it sounds like a great time! I've had the chance to run with my brother a few times, and its always an amazing sibling experience. Congrats on the race and the Family time!

Char said...

I like the childbirth analogy. It's true - some races are disappointing and some are shockers so it's just as well we can put them behind us.

Tina @GottaRunNow said...

Sorry about the last 1 1/2 miles (it just happens sometimes), but you ran your fastest half all year and your kids ran, too - happiness! Plus, your new skirt looks great!

Georgia Snail said...

Congrats on the solid time! Way to gut out those last couple of miles. Enjoy your well deserved break.

Char said...

Re your question - I run a dressmaking business from home - making mostly costumes for dance, aerobics, rhythmic gymnastics etc. Business tends to revolve around competitions and eisteddfods and they seem to be all the same time so there's times where work is crazy busy and I have to turn jobs away and there's times like now.

Keri said...

Congrats on finishing with a good time! I know what you mean about having a bad day and questioning why you are out there. I think it happens to all of us! Glad that you have already forgotten about the pain and ready for your next one!

Amy said...

Congratulations on getting an excellent time in spite of hitting a rough spot at the end. And it sounds so great to run with your kids (I am trying to get mine enthused but no luck YET). And yes, running races is definitely like childbirth - I said the same thing after my first half marathon as I did going through labor: NEVER AGAIN! You really do forget (thanks goodness or there would only be only children in this world).

Pining for Pinterest said...

That is so awesome that you got to run with your kids :) I hope to be able to do that someday too! Have a wonderful week :)

Suzy said...

How wonderful you got to run with your son at the beginning of the race! It sounds like you had a hard race and did well. Congrats! I can't wait to read what your kids write about the day.

Darlene said...

I think you did great!!!!!!! You're still my idol!

Michelle said...

Congrats to you and your family! I think you did great. Wonderful that you were able to run with your son for a bit - I would get choked up as well! Love the pictures and skirt!

Enjoy your time off.

Unknown said...

I love your positive attitude and again, you are SO BLESSED to be able to run with your kids!!!

misszippy said...

Well done! You have such a great attitude about it all too. So glad you had the chance to run with the kids like that. Love the skirt!!

Lindsay said...

congrats to all the family runners!! i know what you mean about the mid-race negative attitude... "i'm never doing this again!" funny how shortly after we finish we tend to change our minds ;)

Felice Devine said...

Congratulations! That's still a great time, even if you didn't beat last year. And you got to run w/your kids, which is so cool!!

Molly said...

Congrats!!! Like you said that was your fastest time this calendar year, so I think that's great! It sounded like a great race with all the spectators and crowd support, and to do it with your kid to boot....awesome.

LMC said...

Congratulations! I think you did great and you looked good in the new skirt too. I don't know about child birth, but I know all about the emotional and physical swing from swearing to never run again to training for the next marathon! It's amazing how fast I forget the agony.:-)
On your questions about my training, I do my strength training routine at home in the mornings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I don't run on Mondays and Fridays because I think I really need 2 non-running days!

Jill said...

Well done, lady! You fought a good fight and nothing to be but proud! And I think we've all be down the road of "I'll never run another marathon EVER" road before....pain is temporary and I'm glad you forgot - hehe :).