I volunteered to pick everyone up before the 34th Annual Atlantic City St. Patrick’s Day 10 miler & 5k, held last Saturday, March 17. Once we were all assembled in the car, I said, “Okay, I have something to get us mentally focused. Ready?”
The car chimed in with a chorus of “Ready!”
I hit play on the car’s CD player.
“‘Cause I’m a fighter,” Rocky intoned from the speakers. “That’s the way I’m made, Adrian. We can’t change what we are.”
And then the sounds of the Rocky theme blasted throughout the car.
For me, there is nothing like the Rocky theme to pump me up. It’s my alarm clock, my ring tone, my personal pep talk, and I have several versions of it to ensure that I can strike the proper tone.
The remix version seemed just right for this particular morning.
For several years now, I have marked the official start to my race season with the AC St. Patrick’s Day race, and it’s one of my favorites quite simply because it’s fun. The vibe is festive, and it’s the first time I get to see what I’ve got after a long winter of training.
This year, the race was even more special because I got to run it with a girl-power packed posse (see picture above), two of whom I’ve been formally coaching. So, this year I would test my prowess as a runner, as well as how well I’ve been doing as a coach for my dear friend Courtney, who did this as a training race en route to a half-marathon on April 1st, and her mother-in-law Charlene, who finished her first ever 5k!
To say that I was excited to race is an absolute understatement. I haven’t raced since September, when I did the Shoreman half iron distance triathlon. As I’ve written before, my 2011 racing season was hampered by long-time nagging ITBS. I had vowed to sit out the Fall racing season to let my leg heal.
It was finally time to find out if the hiatus worked.
As is usual for race morning, I was hopping around like a flea on a hot brick. Race day is celebration day, and I was ready to get the party started. But, this wouldn’t be an anything-goes party–I had to stick to the race strategy.
Race Strategy
I had talked with my coach Vince about the plan. He had asked me, “So, what’s the plan for Saturday?”
I paused. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
I trust my coach 110%. I’ve been training with him since October, and I’ve seen my speed and confidence increase across all three disciplines. Simply put: What he says goes.
So, if he told me not to race hard, I would have been disappointed, but I would have listened to him. Luckily, he said, “I say you go for it.”
“Yippee!” I squealed. “I’m so glad you said that!”
It was on like donkey kong. I was going to RACE!
While shorter than most races I do, a 10 mile run is not exactly a sprint, so a pacing strategy was in order, and this strategy would be based on heart rate. I do not race based on pace, nor do I advocate it. Pace can be affected by all sorts of things: wind, hills, heat, and so on. So, pace is not the best indicator of effort while running. While heart rate may not be a perfect indicator of effort, it is considerably more precise than pace.
The course is an out-and-back route, most of which runs along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, which is one of my most favorite places to run. Given that it is an out-and-back course, I immediately broke the race into two pieces: 5 miles out, and 5 miles back. Breaking a race into smaller segments is a strategy I’ve used for as long as I can remember. It is particularly valuable for long races.
My plan was to run the first 5 miles maintaining a heart rate in the 160s. When I got to the turnaround, if I felt good, I would take it up a notch and run in the 170s. The overall strategy was simple, but the discipline required to stick with it – as you see people pass you, or stay out in front of you – is no small feat.
I knew those were the numbers that would allow me to have the best race possible, so I had to stick with them–no matter what that meant in terms of my placement with the competition.
So, did I stay disciplined and stick to my plan? Here are the mile splits from my Garmin:
These numbers make me smile–a lot. I ran a disciplined race, stuck to my strategy and wound up with a PR (personal record) of almost 4.5 minutes! (My previous best, 1:16:41, was set in 2009.)
My immediate thought: Wow! Imagine if I was actually training to have a fast run? What could I accomplish? Well, Vince helped me with the answer to that question. He sent an email later that day:
Based on your 10 miler time, here are some numbers to chew on….
1:36 Half Marathon
3:21 Marathon
1:41 Half Iron [half marathon]
3:33 Iron [marathon]
Um, okay. He’s the boss! Any of these times would be a whopping PR for the distances. Consistency and discipline in training pays off, kids!
So, how did these numbers situate me with the competition?
Fun Competition
In terms of competition, this race was definitely more competitive than it has been in previous years, which made the final miles of this race so exciting, enjoyable, intense and fun.
As I approached the turnaround, I counted the women coming the other way, and figured out that I was the 13th place female overall.
Damn, I thought. I’m still only in 13th place? I was running hard. I had hopes that I would have been in the top 10 – maybe even the top 5 females.
Okay, it’s time to kick it up a gear. I realized I would have to pull out a few of my super-secret racing tricks. What are those tricks? Sorry, I said super secret.
It was time to start reeling some of these ladies in. So, I zeroed in on the next female in front of me. I pushed my pace a little harder, with my HR climbing into the 170s.
I passed her within a quarter of a mile after the turnaround.
12th place.
I zeroed in on the next female form. I relaxed any muscle that wasn’t involved in forward motion, I settled into the rhythm of a hard push. She got closer. And, then I passed her.
I found myself in a tie for 11th place.
I was running side by side with another woman and a man. We were pacing off of each other, and I let myself enjoy the company.
She made a move.
I matched her move.
We continued like that for about a mile, until she finally kicked into a gear I couldn’t match. Damn. Back into 12th place. It was driving me insane that I couldn’t catch her, but she took off and was gone.
That’s okay, I said. Stay present. Stay in the game.
I found and passed a pair of women running in front of me. Great – a two for one deal!
10th place.
With about a mile to go, I found the next competitor. Would I have enough time to catch her? We were all running so fast. I wasn’t sure. I dug just a little deeper and she got closer and closer.
9th place.
A half of a mile to go: I focused on her blue shirt. I could tell from her form she was getting tired – but hey, who wasn’t? We were running fast, and it was getting a little bit steamy.
Okay, no guts, no glory. I dug in. My quads quivered. I could feel the muscles starting to shake.
I whispered to myself, “C’mon, just a little bit further.”
This.Pain.Is.Temporary.
She got closer.
Spit oozed from the corner of my mouth as I relaxed my facial muscles in the hopes that any extra strength would go directly to my aching, shaking legs. Was I running a marathon or a 10-miler?
Closer.
I could see the flashing lights at the finish line. I could see the orange pylons. I could see the finishing clock. I could almost reach out and touch her.
But, alas! I ran out of space, crossing the finish line with an official time of 1:12:19 (6/56 age group, 9/157 female overall, 28/318 overall).
The eight place female was only 10 seconds ahead of me, with a time of 1:12:09. Just moments after the race, she came up to me, “What a great race!”
I smiled, “Oh my god – it was so fun! I was trying to catch you, but you got me!”
We were both feeling the spirit of a friendly competition and the endorphins of a challenging effort. It felt good.
Thanks to these women, those I was able to catch and those I couldn’t, I ran some of the fastest miles I’ve ever run. It was exhilarating and I CANNOT wait to do it again.
The Green Team
While I’m happy with my results, I’m even more happy for my girl-power posse. Courtney ran a personal record for the 10 mile, even though she didn’t race as hard as she could. She’s got her “A” race coming up in less than two weeks, and I KNOW she’s going to run a PR for the half-marathon.
I am MOST happy for Charlene, a woman who had never been a runner, and there she was running her first-ever 5k. I’ve been coaching Charlene since the beginning of the year, and it’s been so fulfilling to watch as she finds her inner athlete. She’s got her big “A” priority race on April Fool’s Day – a 7k race. I’ll be there to cheer her and take in her happy energy as she achieves this goal she’s been working toward.
The rest of the girl power posse had a great day as well. My mother-in-law Jeanne and her cousin Helena walked the 5k. I’m so proud of Jeanne, who has been working very hard walking, swimming and rowing her way to better health. And, a well done and well run to my head running buddy, Tracy. Despite battling with a pesky injury, she’s working toward a half marathon on April Fool’s day as well.
Thanks to all of you for sharing in the joy.
You made the day special.
You make my life better.
You make my heart happy.
Next up for me: Bassman half iron distance triathlon on Sunday, May 6.
Bring.It.On.
