#gq6

Today was the second consecutive day of racing for me.  Today was the Sweetheart 8K and it couldn’t have been more different than yesterday’s 5K. I wore my compression sleeves all day to help my legs recover and prepare for today.  Last night, I had some muscle cramps in my calves so I drank a bottle of GQ-6 last night to help with the muscle cramps and boost my hydration. I knew it was going to be much warmer this morning compared to yesterday (forecast was for rain and mid-60’s compared to rain and mid-40’s yesterday).  I rolled out my legs last night right before bed and tried to get a decent night sleep.  I prepared another bottle of GQ-6 to sip on during the drive to the venue and finish off after the race.  

Today, I got the race venue about an hour before the race started.  I needed to pick up my race packet and do my warm up.  When I got the race site, I realized I forgot to pack a race belt to attach my race bib.  I really hate pinning the race bib to my shirt.  My warm up today wasn’t as thorough as my warm up was yesterday.  I am still trying to get into the habit of doing the same thing for warm up for each race.  Eventually it will become habit.  I got in a light jog and some dynamic stretches and then made my way down the starting line.  I knew I had two friends, Denise Lester and Anne Edge, also running today so I quickly found them in the line and snapped a group photo.  It was so nice to see them lined up and ready to rock.  

Today, my coach said he wanted a negative split.  If you are not familiar with that phrase it is when the second half of the race is done at a faster pace than the first half.  It takes disciple and good fitness to negative split a race course.  You really have to pace out the first half of the course, which is difficult since most people will start the race at a faster pace than they can sustain as they are caught up in the crowd, adrenaline, and excitement is pumping through the body.  Like yesterday, I walked into this race with a particular pace in mind for each half of the course.  The problem with that is I was going into the race blind.  I didn’t know anything about the course so I set a pace that just sounded good to me.  I was an idiot.  During the first mile, I felt awesome (like everyone else) and I was hitting my pace. Then came the second mile as we entered into the neighborhood where it was nothing but rolling hills.  It was so deflating and frustrating.  My legs were heating up and I could not put out the fire. I could tell my heart rate was really elevated but my breathing wasn’t all that labored.  I have been working on trying to run in different cardiac zones. It is like my heart only knows one zone to run in and that is Zone 3+.  My average pace during the first half of the race was 9:58 per mile, which is about 15 seconds slower than I wanted.  The second half of the run didn’t get any better.  Still more rolling hills and my legs were starting to really get tired.  The last 0.9 miles of the run is a slow climb back and I really just wanted to cave in and walk some of it.  But I kept pushing and would not give up and made it to the top.  I finished the second half of the race with an average pace of 10:28, which is about a minute slower than I had planned.  I finished with an overall time of 51:06.  It was really humid out this morning and I was definitely not trained to race in mid-60’s with high humidity in early February. Needless to say I didn’t execute the plan well enough to negative split the course.  I would have needed a significantly slower pace during the first half in order to have the legs to accomplish that.  That is a hard pill to swallow for me.  I now know my coach’s plan was “ambitious” for me.  But I trust him explicitly and I know he wouldn’t give me something he knew I could not do.  

I really want to thank the volunteers for being out there today.  Without these people, these types of events would not take place.  I also want to thank the Richmond Road Runners Association Advanced 10K Training Team for the race registration.  This race is promoted as a “couples” race as Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.  I also want to thank GQ-6 for a product that keeps me moving forward.  I know for a fact without the necessary nutrition, my body would not have been ready to race today after racing yesterday.  

It would have been really nice to share this type of event with someone special.  I know there is someone out there who is supportive and wants to share in these types of events with me.  I did today’s race for me because it makes me happy.  Up next, is the One City Marathon Relay on March 4th.  

Well that was definitely an interesting race today.  I got there early for packet pickup and warm up.  I probably got there a little too early but I remember what happened a few weeks ago at the Frostbite 15K where the line to use the restroom was insanely long and took forever.  I didn’t want to risk that situation again.  Plus I always like to get the race venue early because it helps keep me calm and focused.  I started my warm up with a few laps around the track and then some dynamic stretches. It felt good to get in a decent warm up. I have always been really bad about doing that.  My coach has been working with me to develop a regular routine before runs and races to ensure my muscles are loose and ready to go.  About 30 minutes before race kick off, it started to rain and it was more than just a sprinkle.  I knew then it was going to be an interesting run but I wasn’t too worried too much about it. I just sipped on my GQ6 and listened to music while I waited for the race to start.  My weight is actually started to drop and I am feeling leaner and lighter.  I don’t know what my actual weight is and that is probably a good thing.  I am trying to put more focus on how I feel rather than actual hard data.  Numbers are numbers, but I want to put more emphasis on how I feel.  I have really been focusing on what I eat.  I know my weight doesn’t make my race season “successful” but being leaner and lighter makes me feel more confident and reduces my changes of injury.  Plus wearing spandex is not flattering and is difficult for anyone to wear regardless of body type.  I still have a long way to go to get down the weight I really want to be at by October, but I will continue to be patient and keep my eyes forward.  

My coach said to just go out and give it a good effort but nothing hard.  My desire was to go out fairly easy during the first mile and then progressively build pace throughout.  I seeded myself in the back to limit the pressure on me to go out with too much pace.  That seemed to work fairly well.  I still got caught up in the crowd because the first part of the race was on a sidewalk along a major road.  So there really wasn’t much room to get around slower runners which was frustrating. Couple the congestion with my legs feeling fresh and the cool temperatures, I think that drove me to push my pace a little more than I had planned.  Rather than build pace throughout, my pacing actually declined.  It was really slippery out there and some of the route was on crushed rock trails which was really muddy with all the rain.  Then there were a few patches where it is just all mud, no crushed rocks.  Just leaves and mud.  That is where my pace really suffered as I was fighting for footing.  But I finished strong and I wasn’t worn out when I crossed the finish line.  That is how I know I executed my coach’s plan.  The issue was my internal desire wasn’t consistent with my coach’s plan and I always need to go with his plan.  I finished the race in 31:25 (average pace of 9:57 per mile and mile 3 is what really screwed up my overall average pace with muddy and slippery trails).

I was disappointed I didn’t execute my pacing “desire” (I call it a desire because it is what I wanted and wasn’t really a plan), but given the conditions, I am slowing becoming ok with that.  I think this is why sometimes we shouldn’t enter a race with a pacing plan.  Mainly because there are so many factors that can influence the execution of that plan.  I did however, execute my effort plan.  I felt good throughout the run and didn’t feel I was putting more into the run than I should have.  So I am calling this race a success.   The proceeds from today’s race go to the Intrepid Fallen Hero’s Fund (@FallenPatriots) and is a wonderful cause where the provide college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.  I want to thank all of the amazing volunteers for being out there in the less than favorable conditions.  I want to thank my coach Kevin Burcham (@KSquared_Racing) for keeping me on track and focused on the “bigger picture”.  I want to thank my kids Mason and Braeden for coming out this morning (and most races for that matter) and dealing with the rain on a Saturday morning. They are my reason for anything and everything I do.  Thank you to Kim Buehler Burcham at Great Harvest Bread Company in Midlothian, VA (@RVABread) for being one of the sponsors to the race and for blessing me with a race registration.  Her bakery’s grand opening is Feb 23rd and promises to be one of the best places in town for fresh bread and sandwiches.  Thank you to GQ-6 (www.gq-6.com) for making such a great hydration product. Yes you do sweat in the rain and cold and because of this product, I will be ready to race again tomorrow.