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Hippie Chick Half 2013 Recap

Last week, I was SO nervous about the upcoming race. I don't remember having quite so much anxiety, but then this was the first race that I ran without a buddy, and the first race I had a time goal to meet. I wanted to run under 2 hours 45 minutes, a little over a 12 minute mile.

I sprung for a new Lululemon top for this race.

My family got up with me at the crack of dawn to drive me to the start - the best Mother's Day present ever! 

It was hard to see the pace signs, and I started with the 10-minute milers. I know it's prudent to start slow, but running less than 11-minute miles at the start seemed excruciatingly slow. Plus, it was cool and the first 2 miles were slightly downhill.

The course was just okay, flat and pretty in spots, but the last third of the half-marathon course is a crowded out and back (which is also the quarter-marathon course). This was my second time running this course, so I knew what to expect. The race was crowded, and there weren't enough bathrooms. I waited until mile 8 to use the bathroom because there was no way I was going to blow my modest time goal waiting in line at a bathroom stop.

I felt great, and was well under my goal until mile 11. I expected to struggle at the end. My training plan called for my longest run to be 10 miles. I know that this is common in training plans, but psychologically, I wanted to be done at 10! My legs kept cranking a steady 11:40 pace until mile 11, then my legs went noodle-y and shaky, and I had to walk.

At mile 11, the sun was hot, it was humid, and the lovely 2-mile downhill that I so enjoyed at the start became my uphill nemisis. A darling high-school cheerleader yelled at me, "you're almost there!" and I snapped back, "I have two miles to go, what are you talking about?!" (Sorry about that).

My pace slowed to 12:30, then 13. Uggh...those two miles were excruciating, but then I saw the "FREE TUNNEL of MIST!" The misters were having a grand time, and I had to drag them out of there when the race was over.

How happy would you be to see this at the end of a hot race?

My little girl ran me in, and I couldn't even look up at the finish line. I was fixated on willing one foot going in front of the other. I finished in 2 hours 37 minutes - beat my goal by 8 minutes! I actually finished in the middle of the pack in my age group. One thing I like about this race, is that the finishers get little necklaces instead of medals.

It was exciting to make a time goal and meet it. Even though I'm still a slow runner, I look at my race history over the last 2 years and can see a lot of progress. That's so exciting!

No more long races this summer - just a few short, fun runs. This summer, I'll continue to work on my speed during my Thursday night track workouts, and I'll focus on losing the extra 13 pounds I'm packing.

Do you have any tips for those last few miles in the race? Should a training plan include a long run that's as long as the race? Help me out here so I can get faster!

Miss Prickly

30 Day Strength Challenge at Run To The Finish

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	notes
Maintenance Run + glute strength	Core Strength + Stability	Maintenance Run + glute strength	Core Stength + Stability	Track Workout + Hip Stretch and Stength	Core Strength + Stability	Long Run + Hip Stretch	Do 3-5 strength moves each day for 4-8 reps / 2-3 sets
1. Single leg squat (barefoot)	1. plank	1. Single leg squat (barefoot)	1. plank	1. kneeling hip flexor	1. plank	1. kneeling hip flexor
2. back lunge to a knee raise	2.bicycle crunches	2. back lunge to a knee raise	2. bicycle crunches	2. squat stretch	2. bicycle crunches	2. squat stretch
3. Hip bridge	3.superman	3. Hip bridge	3.superman	3. pigeon pose	3. superman	3. pigeon pose
	4. Bear Crawl		4. Bear Crawl	4. Clam shells	4. Bear Crawl	4. Clam shells
	5. Open Twist (on knees and one elbow)		5. Open Twist	5. side raises	5. Open Twist	5. side raises
				6. donkey kicks		6. donkey kicks

Run To The Finish

A new challenge to start today. Amanda at Run To The Finish is hosting a 30-Days Stronger Challenge. It's nice timing for me since a) I had to drop my bootcamp class and b) I'm nearly done with half-marathon training and c) I'm all out of challenges right now.

This is how I'm organizing my time. 

Until last fall, I didn't do much strength work (or cross training for that matter). It makes a big difference in how I feel - plus it's nice having that bread-loaf shaped butt, if you know what I mean? I tend toward the pancake butt if I'm not doing something for those muscles back there.

If you run, what do you do for strength? 

Miss Prickly

I ran 10 miles today :) and then I got on the internet :(

Note: I wrote this last Sunday, but wasn't ready to publish it until today.


I swear. The internet is the BEST and the WORST motivator.

After I finished my 10 mile run, at a 12:30 pace, I came home excited to learn how I could continue to improve my pace. While I iced my achilles (trying to avoid the dreaded tendonitis that I developed last year at this time), I google searched "how to run faster".

While I found a lot of helpful and supportive advice. I first had to wade through this ridiculousness:

What's the best way for really slow runners (12 minute/mile pace) to get faster? 

      "Just tell them to stop eating so damn much. Seriously."

      "I'm no elitist or anything, but 12 min/mile is pitiful for an experienced runner (unless we're talking     about senior citizens here)."


      "You cannot give them pride in themselves if they do not want it"

Yuck! Who are these people to say such things? While I often rely on the internet for support and advice in my running endeavours, I think that it's better to shut it down occassionally. I'm really my own best critic, and have to work hard to drown out the negative voices in my head.

That being said, I do have speed goals. Here they are, in no particular order.

• Continue to do speedwork on Thursdays and long runs on Saturdays (even after the Hippie Chick half)
• Run two shorter races this summer, and run for speed. I'm pretty sure that I can run a 5K at 10:30 min/mile
• Cross train with strength moves twice a week
• Weight loss - I would feel a lot better if I lost the extra chub. I'm at the high end of normal on the BMI, but I know that I would move better with a 14 pound weight loss. I lost 10 pounds with Diet Bet, and I've been maintaining that for a month. Time to get back at it.
• Resist the urge to slog through a marathon until my speed improves. Maybe another half-marathon in the fall.

Has anyone used the training plan from Run Less, Run Faster? Any advice from readers is appreciated.

Miss Prickly

SBBC - final recap

This week, I bet 50 points that I wouldn't shave any miles off of my training plan. I believe that this is the first time I've run 28 miles in a week! Proud of myself.

SBBC Points for the Week:

Monday: Jillian Michaels DVD, water, freggies - 4 points

Tuesday: 5 miles, water, freggies - 8 points

Wednesday: Jillian Michaels DVD, water - 3 point

Thursday: 8 mile track workout, water, freggies - 10.8 points

Friday: 5 miles, freggies - 7 points

Saturday: Rest, water, freggies - 2 points

Sunday: 10 miles at race pace, water, freggies - 14 points

PLUS, a 50 point wager that I wouldn't shave any miles off of my training plan this week: 100 points

Total: 148.8

SBBC is over, and my race is in about 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to setting some new goals for myself. It's all going to be about getting faster for me this summer!

Miss Prickly

Running Like the Wind (on a calm day) SBBC Week 7

I often refer to myself as a slowpoke when I have a chance to talk about running, and while it's true that I consistently finish in the bottom quartile of races, and there are many women my age who are nearly twice my speed, calling myself a slowpoke is selling my efforts short. There's more to my running story.


My maintenance runs are at a 11:40 min/mile pace, and by most runners accounts that's a little faster than a brisk walk. BUT, a year ago I was running at 13:00 - 13:30 min/mile pace at the same distance. I'm pretty darned proud of my progress. I may be slow, but I'm out there. Even in the wind and the rain, I get out. There are a lot of evenings that I'm the only one on my local community college track because everyone else is at home.

So maybe I shouldn't be so quick to qualify myself as a slowpoke (though I do have a special love for runners at the back of the pack and am not ashamed to be one).

Speaking of slow, my long run this week was nine miles, and as lovely as the trail at Stone Creek Golf Course was, I did NOT have fun, and I couldn't come anywhere near my pace goal. Some runs are like that, right? At least I got a lovely nap after with Cooper.

Best napping buddy, ever!

SBBC Points for the Week:

Sunday: rest, freggies - 1 points
Monday: Jillian Michaels DVD, water, freggies - 4 points
Tuesday: 5 miles, water, freggies - 8 points
Wednesday: Rest, water - 1 point
Thursday: 6.5 mile track workout, water, freggies - 10 points
Friday: Jillian Michaels DVD, water, freggies - 4 points
Saturday: 8.25 miles, water, freggies - 13.5 points

Total: 41.5

Miss Prickly

Kathrine Switzer: First Woman to Enter the Boston Marathon

...another reason to be grateful to run