Longest run this season: 12.4 miles.
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| I couldn't decide what shirt to wear, so flat Emily was shirtless for a while. |
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| Ready for the race. From left: Me, Lisa, Jamie and Natalie (front) |
This summer has been rough for training. It's been so hot and humid every long run day (mostly Saturdays) since the beginning of July. The heat and humidity are killing my pace and ability to run the miles I should be running and many of my long runs have been cut short. I have been feeling a little nervous that I am going to be ready for NYC and I have been really hard on myself about cutting runs short and barely hitting any of my long run mileage. In comes the...
Leesburg 20k Race. - Training run with blingThe race started out (and continued to be) hot, humid and overcast. The first 7 miles were mostly uphill with the first 6 being a gradual incline. Personally, I would rather have some bigger hills that I can tell are hills than a gradual uphill. With the gradual uphill climbs, you don’t always realize why your pace is suffering (especially in the heat and humidity) and it can be very defeating in the earlier miles of a race.
I woke up with major tummy issues and a terrible night's sleep. I'm used to training runs on Saturdays and, for me, it’s easier to fall asleep early on Friday nights after a long week at work than on Saturday nights. Luckily, Sunday training races remind me to prepare properly for Sunday goal races. It’s so easy to hydrate on weekdays while sitting at my desk, it’s hard to get the proper hydration while running around on Saturdays, it takes a concerted effort to get the water in. Fortunately (unfortunately but I learned), I ended up super dehydrated earlier in the week after a short and easy 3 mile run (the “feels like temperature” has been over 100 degrees every day for the last few weeks) and I was prepared to do everything I could to not have that happen 3 miles into a 12.4 mile race.
I started out running with Jamie, Natalie and Lisa at a pretty uncomfortably fast pace (for me – especially with my tummy issues). I felt terrible in the first 1.5 miles and decided to run my own race. I was not racing this race and I was not trying to beat any time so I slowed my pace to a nice comfortable training speed. As soon as I slowed I knew I was going to completely lose Jamie and Natalie so I yelled out goodbye to them. I was ok with this since I did not feel well and I hate to feel like I am slowing people down. Lisa stuck back with me and we settled into a good pace. We were chatting and getting into the race when we started talking to another runner (Lea) right before mile 2. Apparently, we had overheard the same conversation between two male runners about marathoners pooping their pants (one of the male runners will appear again in this recap), we chatted a while about running marathons and on our walk interval she ran ahead of us.
Water Stop at Mile 2.
Used the restroom, regrouped and reassessed my goal for the race. We caught up with Lea again and she inquired about our run/walk intervals. I explained how they worked and she expressed interest in trying them. I told her that she was welcome to run with us if she wanted to. She said she was going to think about it and somewhere between miles 2 and 4 she settled in to run with us.
Water Stop at Mile 4.
Grabbed some Gatorade and water and mixed it. I always have an issue with Gatorade at races being too strong and my tummy was already constantly reminding me that it wasn't happy running this race.
Miles 4 to 6.Somewhere around Mile 4.5 we saw a giant pile of horse poop and we joked that on the way back to the finish line we will know that we will have less than 4.5 miles left when we see that poop again. We kept going but I amused myself with the thoughts of being excited to see a pile of horse crap. My favorite bridge on the whole W&OD is around mile 5.5 of this race, it's an old railroad bridge that I find incredibly beautiful. I didn't get a photo again this year because I was focused on running my race and being in the moment. The bridge is also right at the bottom of the biggest hill of the race (which because it’s an out an back, you have the pleasure of running up twice).
Water/Gu Stop at mile 6.
They had my absolute FAVORITE Gu at this stop (strawberry banana) and I grabbed a couple and kept going. I have to be very very careful of Gu that I get at a race because I am very sensitive to having caffeine when I run, it makes my tummy hurt. We momentarily lost Lea when we got separated during the confusion of the stop (this is also the mile 7.5 stop after the turn around). She thought that we had pushed ahead and we thought that she had stopped for the restroom. We ended up seeing her right before the turn around and we agreed to meet at the Water/Gu stop at mile 7.5.
Turn around mile 6.5(ish).
That feeling everyone (at least that I know) gets in a race when you realize you are on the way back and have less ground to cover than you've already done. I had convinced myself that the rest of the race was going to be all downhill. Unfortunately, the course marshal (although friendly) dashed those dreams by reminding me that we had to go back up the hill that we had run up around mile 5.5.
Water stop at mile 7.5.
Met back up with Lea and pushed forward. I grabbed another round of Gatorade and water to mix and may have grabbed another couple of my favorite Gu packs. By this time I was really feeling the heat and humidity and the sweat was starting to sting my eyes. I grabbed one more cup of water and poured it on my neck and was ready to go.
Mile 7.75.
While we were running (back) up the biggest hill in the race, we started discussing the advice of many race directors of summer races. They say "if you start feeling bad, stop and find a course marshal for medical attention"... We started discussing the difference between when you feel bad because you've run X-amount of miles and it’s hot and you’re uncomfortable and when you actually should seek attention. Basically, the difference between feeling like you WANT to die and when you actually WILL die. Probably not the greatest discussion to have when you are 4.5 miles from the finish line but at that point it was a fight to the finish.
Mile 8, top of the hill.
What goes up, must come down! Running down the hill back under my favorite bridge and knowing the gradual uphill that was the first 3/4 of the race will be a gradual downhill for the last few miles. Feeling good, feeling good!
Mile 8.5 (ish).
Remember the horse poop that I mentioned earlier? There it was, now I know there is less than 4.5 miles to go. I am giggling at this point because I have never even considered that seeing a pile of horse poop would give me a renewed energy to finish a race. Haha, I might be weird but I’m ok with that. Also around this time one of the police officers in the race (who was an INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE tall bald man) informed us that it was going to be a gradual downhill grade for the rest of the way into Leesburg. This was music to my ears! Also Mr. Officer, if you are reading this and you are single... hit me up!
Water Stop at Mile 9.5.
Grabbed another Gatorade and two waters. Dumped one water on my neck and one in the Gatorade. Chugged the Gatorade and kept pushing on. Getting closer and closer. Less than 5k to go. We can do this!!
Mile 11.
Oh man, this is actually happening, we're going to finish. Oh no...! I have to use the bathroom, it can't wait until the end... all that Gatorade and Tailwind has caught up with me!! We catch up with (or he catches up with us) one of the guys that had been talking about marathon runners pooping their pants. I ask him where his buddy is, he jokes that he pushed him off the trail down a hill and we have a good laugh. I told him that it was probably for the best as I never liked that guy anyway. We part ways.
Water Stop at Mile 11.5.
Gatorade, water, dump water on neck and use the bathroom. We've got this. Less than a mile. Push push push. We lost Lisa at this point, turns out she didn’t see us stop and kept going thinking we had gotten too far ahead. We caught back up with her with a little less than a mile left to go. Right about that time, I heard the cowbell and my name being screamed... It was SHANNON and SALLIE and they were just the little push I needed for what happened next.
1/4 of a mile to go.
"Hey! Wonder Woman!! Ruuuuuun!!" There he was again, the guy that was talking about marathon runners pooping. This time his friend was back with his medal. I have to say that this ALWAYS HAPPENS to me at this race (ok, the second year in a row). There is always a guy that I'm bantering with during the race, who challenges me to a race to the finish. I LIVE FOR THIS!! The race to the finish is why I run.
What happens next is almost second nature to me...
I take off and he takes off. I gain a good lead.
My hamstring (which I've successfully had been ignoring for most of the race) starts screaming louder than ever!
I round the corner; I can see the finish line up the final hill. I think to myself: “Oh crap! Who put a damn mountain here? It’s ok, I’ve got this!”
Hamstring screaming!
Push, push, push!! Come on Emily, faster!!
What's that I hear behind me? Breathing!! He's catching up.
I move to the left to get in front of him. He gives me a friendly push! "Come on Wonder Woman!! You've got this!!"
Run faster, faster. FINALLY I’m sprinting. I can't breathe!! You’ve got this Emily!!
I hear my name from ahead of me. "Come on Emily!!! Gooooooo!! You can do it!"
Push harder, feet moving faster – faster - faster! I see the finish line. There it is, right there.
The announcer calls out my name...
And I'm done!! A medal appears in my hand out of nowhere, I finished!! - I realize someone handed me the medal but I was so dead by that time that it seemed like it was not there one second and there the next.
My hamstring is screaming, my heart is pounding, I'm drenched in sweat, I can barely breathe. I've completed the 2016 Leesburg 20k!!
Did the crowd go wild? No. Did anyone post a video of my finish on Facebook? No. Did my friends scream and yell and applaud my finish? Absolutely! Am I proud of myself? So proud.
August 21, 2016 was a good day.
Water stop at mile 7.5.
Met back up with Lea and pushed forward. I grabbed another round of Gatorade and water to mix and may have grabbed another couple of my favorite Gu packs. By this time I was really feeling the heat and humidity and the sweat was starting to sting my eyes. I grabbed one more cup of water and poured it on my neck and was ready to go.
Mile 7.75.
While we were running (back) up the biggest hill in the race, we started discussing the advice of many race directors of summer races. They say "if you start feeling bad, stop and find a course marshal for medical attention"... We started discussing the difference between when you feel bad because you've run X-amount of miles and it’s hot and you’re uncomfortable and when you actually should seek attention. Basically, the difference between feeling like you WANT to die and when you actually WILL die. Probably not the greatest discussion to have when you are 4.5 miles from the finish line but at that point it was a fight to the finish.
Mile 8, top of the hill.
What goes up, must come down! Running down the hill back under my favorite bridge and knowing the gradual uphill that was the first 3/4 of the race will be a gradual downhill for the last few miles. Feeling good, feeling good!
Mile 8.5 (ish).
Remember the horse poop that I mentioned earlier? There it was, now I know there is less than 4.5 miles to go. I am giggling at this point because I have never even considered that seeing a pile of horse poop would give me a renewed energy to finish a race. Haha, I might be weird but I’m ok with that. Also around this time one of the police officers in the race (who was an INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE tall bald man) informed us that it was going to be a gradual downhill grade for the rest of the way into Leesburg. This was music to my ears! Also Mr. Officer, if you are reading this and you are single... hit me up!
Water Stop at Mile 9.5.
Grabbed another Gatorade and two waters. Dumped one water on my neck and one in the Gatorade. Chugged the Gatorade and kept pushing on. Getting closer and closer. Less than 5k to go. We can do this!!
Mile 11.
Oh man, this is actually happening, we're going to finish. Oh no...! I have to use the bathroom, it can't wait until the end... all that Gatorade and Tailwind has caught up with me!! We catch up with (or he catches up with us) one of the guys that had been talking about marathon runners pooping their pants. I ask him where his buddy is, he jokes that he pushed him off the trail down a hill and we have a good laugh. I told him that it was probably for the best as I never liked that guy anyway. We part ways.
Water Stop at Mile 11.5.
Gatorade, water, dump water on neck and use the bathroom. We've got this. Less than a mile. Push push push. We lost Lisa at this point, turns out she didn’t see us stop and kept going thinking we had gotten too far ahead. We caught back up with her with a little less than a mile left to go. Right about that time, I heard the cowbell and my name being screamed... It was SHANNON and SALLIE and they were just the little push I needed for what happened next.
1/4 of a mile to go.
"Hey! Wonder Woman!! Ruuuuuun!!" There he was again, the guy that was talking about marathon runners pooping. This time his friend was back with his medal. I have to say that this ALWAYS HAPPENS to me at this race (ok, the second year in a row). There is always a guy that I'm bantering with during the race, who challenges me to a race to the finish. I LIVE FOR THIS!! The race to the finish is why I run.
What happens next is almost second nature to me...
I take off and he takes off. I gain a good lead.
My hamstring (which I've successfully had been ignoring for most of the race) starts screaming louder than ever!
I round the corner; I can see the finish line up the final hill. I think to myself: “Oh crap! Who put a damn mountain here? It’s ok, I’ve got this!”
Hamstring screaming!
Push, push, push!! Come on Emily, faster!!
What's that I hear behind me? Breathing!! He's catching up.
I move to the left to get in front of him. He gives me a friendly push! "Come on Wonder Woman!! You've got this!!"
Run faster, faster. FINALLY I’m sprinting. I can't breathe!! You’ve got this Emily!!
I hear my name from ahead of me. "Come on Emily!!! Gooooooo!! You can do it!"
Push harder, feet moving faster – faster - faster! I see the finish line. There it is, right there.
The announcer calls out my name...
And I'm done!! A medal appears in my hand out of nowhere, I finished!! - I realize someone handed me the medal but I was so dead by that time that it seemed like it was not there one second and there the next.
My hamstring is screaming, my heart is pounding, I'm drenched in sweat, I can barely breathe. I've completed the 2016 Leesburg 20k!!
Did the crowd go wild? No. Did anyone post a video of my finish on Facebook? No. Did my friends scream and yell and applaud my finish? Absolutely! Am I proud of myself? So proud.
August 21, 2016 was a good day.
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| 2016 Leesburg 20K Finishers! |
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| My Bib and Bling |
