Tallahassee 50 Race Recap: Or 36.4 Miles

Around 3:15 p.m. today I hurriedly opened the door to my car, sat down and began sobbing.

I had just run for 8 hours and 10 minutes for a goal but didn't achieve it. There was no applause for me at the finish line. Instead I gave the race official notice that I was dropping out and quietly slipped into the sidelines. One person congratulated me while I overheard another saying I didn't finish. I had so many emotions inside as I rushed to my car to let the tears burst.

Months ago I registered for the Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic 50-miler while still hyped up from my first ultra marathon, Crooms 50k. I juggled training for the 50 while gearing up for the Ironman, mostly achieved by adding an 8ish mile run the day after a long run. Everything was great until this past month when I traveled, worked and got engaged. My runs got shorter and training was put on the back burner.

Still, this morning I lined up with about 20 other runners next to a little chalk line waiting for the race director to yell, "go." We were off and I started playing with the numbers in my head. One mile is two percent. Every five miles was 10%. The more I thought about it the less daunting 50 miles seemed.

My tight legs loosened up after a couple of miles (like they always do) and I really settled into a nice groove of running:walking 8:1. I felt strong. Around mile 16 I felt a few sharp pains in my left knee that made me stop for a minute. The soles of my feet felt tortured and behind my knees (mostly the left) was in pain. Otherwise, the rest of my body and my breathing was solid.

The course was a loop of six miles in the shape of a T with two aid stations. It was a small race but the out-and-back setting made running alone a rarity. Most people knew each other from the local track club. I liked that six mile loops seemed less intimidating, but it was hard always passing my car and the option to jump in and leave!

From the beginning the race director talked about 50-milers who chose to drop down to the 50k. In my mind he made it sound like an option. This was the first downfall: from the beginning I allowed myself to think I could just finish with the 50k group. Having an out from the start isn't good.

My legs were hurting pretty bad around mile 20. At this point I started to prepare to end at 50k. Richard's texts and your tweets reminded me that I'm strong and not to give in. Crap! You guys were supposed to say, "sure! quit! take the easy route!" ;-)

I realized ending at 50k would only be because it was such a convenient end and not because I needed to quit. I'm fine with backing out when necessary, but convenience should never be my reason. So, since I couldn't say my body needed to stop at 31 miles, I went out for another loop.

Good news: I PRed (set a personal record) for the 50k! At 6:36 I beat my previous time by 36 minutes! And I had the energy to keep running!

Good Lord the back of my leg killed me on this loop. I couldn't extend my left leg so running was awkward and walking was basically limping. I tried to jog it out before settling to a fast walk.... which slowed to a more casual walk... which ended with a "please let me float to the fcar" walk. I tried out a slow jog and everything in my body hurt. I stretched. I did downward dog (which helps a lot, by the way).

I know what endurance events and running on empty feel like. Seven weeks earlier I finished an Ironman and wasn't in any kind of pain like this. This wasn't good.

I thought of my options. I could hobble 15 more miles in pain, even after the finish line and aid stations were torn down... or I could take my 50k PR, personal distance record and still un-injured body and leave the race early. Regardless, I did an ultra marathon. It wasn't a total fail.

Once I saw mile 32 took 18 minutes and I wasn't getting any better I decided to head straight to the finish line to check out. I was still set on completing a 50 mile race at some point, but my body was telling me loud and clear that this was not my day.

As an athlete I easily get caught up in the "must finish" mindset of a race so much so that the race becomes more important than me. I don't respond to pain like most people. I push and push and achieve and get the job done. I tweeted: Sometimes walking away from a run that is no longer good is the reminder we need that we are more than runners.

I tweeted, facebooked and texted that I was dropping out but I was 100% okay with this decision. And I was. Kind of.

Until minutes later when I sat in my car sobbing.

I'm proud for stopping when I knew the race was over for me, avoiding injury, PRing the 50k and running farther than I ever have before. I'm sad I didn't finish the race I set out to do and invested 8 hours 10 minutes toward. I'm mad because I know the reason I couldn't finish is entirely because of my lack of training.

I'm not sure if this was a good experience... or an okay experience... or a bad experience. I wanted to do 50 and I didn't. My body said a big "NO" and I know it's because of my preparation. Still, I ran an amazing 36.4 miles and that alone is something to celebrate.

Runs don't have to be all good or all bad. I believe each one is a learning experience about our minds, our hearts and our bodies. I learned a lot today... a lot that I want to put toward rocking the next 50!

Thank you to everyone on Twitter who cheered me on during the whole experience. I read each tweet and they certainly kept me from feeling alone! Thank you!

Fifty Miles

So.... I'm running 50 miles in the morning!

With the excitement of the engagement, this race has somewhat been put on the back burner.

running for 10+ hours < hot man putting a ring on it

Google "training plans" for 5ks to marathons and the results are endless. Everyone knows someone who has done a marathon and is willing to give advice.

The world of ultra marathons is very different. Training plans are few and far between. The races bring together a small crowd of dedicated, earthy runners. My view of their training plans is that they just know what to do. I've never seen an ultra-marathoner get as antsy or hyped up about a long race as a marathoner or other racer. Ultra marathoners are few, knowledgeable and hardcore.

Few training plans (or even guidelines for that matter) mean that I'm not really sure how my training went. I did a trail marathon three weekends ago (didn't recap), a road marathon two weeks ago (ooops... didn't recap that one either!), but my runs in between have been shorter than I'd like. The past two weeks I've laid low. My schedule picked up with work and, really, who wants to run for hours when you have a hot man in your house?

I'm sure I could have run farther in distance or more often, but overall I am confident in my training. I'm strong and my endurance kicks a$$.

But, it's 50 miles. FIFTY MILES!!!!

This brings into play the entire reason I run. Running is just one foot in front of the other with a little thought thrown in. It's easy. I know my body can do it. And I know my body is strong enough for it because I've done an Ironman, a half marathon and two full marathons in the last six weeks.

So that leaves me with my mind. My mind likes to introduce boredom, pain intolerance, self-doubt and distraction into the game. One foot will go in front of the other, but my mind plays a harder game.

So I will persevere. I will push when it is hard. I won't be afraid of the burn in my lungs that reminds me my body is working. I will trust this machine and all the work I've put into it. I will look at the ring on my left hand and remember the man who believes in me with everything he has. I will think of you all.

Tomorrow morning I will wake up, run 50 miles and be that much stronger for it.

Distance is just a number. We place limits on ourselves. Push through them.

What is your biggest obstacle when running or working toward a goal? How do you overcome it?

Sixteen Miles in Photos + Vibrams Review

More than one year ago I got myself out of the house and on a three mile run by taking photos along the course and later blogging about it. I lived in Tampa, had shin splints three miles seemed quite far back then, but I still enjoy photographing where I run.

Fast forward 15 months and I'm living in Orlando and running 16 miles in preparation for an Ironman!

I had fun, but, honestly, the run was rough. About a month ago I was in a car accident that forced me to scale my training way back. I'm still working to overcome that loss of fitness.

Check out my new lululemon running bonnet! It was basically made for me and definitely made the run more fun :-)

VIBRAMS!!!

I don't yet do my long runs in the Vibrams as I've only worked up to about five miles int hem, but I did want to share some differences between the KSO and the Sprint models as I've now run in both.

KSO:

SPRINT:

They say the KSO and Sprint models are the same, expect the KSO's have a covered top to Keep Stuff Out. Here are user differences I noticed:

1. The KSO's are more covered so my feet got way more sweaty. There's no sock between my foot and the shoe, so I felt the sweat much more.

2. I did feel slightly more secure in the KSO's.

3. The KSO's are a pain to get on! The Sprints slip on much more easily. This could matter more if I was using them in a triathlon.

Other than those three minor differences they did perform the same. I'm planning on running in the black KSO's and using the pink Sprints for everyday use (just because the Sprints are much cuter in my opinion :).

While we're at it, here are some common Q+A's I get... well, just about every day ;)

Are they comfortable?

YES! They are all I want to wear anymore, hands down. It's like walking barefoot but BETTER.

Does it hurt when you step on rocks?

In the Vibrams I feel everything I walk on, but nothing hurts. The thin layer separating the foot from the ground is surprisingly protective.

Do you run in them?

Getting to the point where running in Vibrams is a process. It's a big change for the feet and leg muscles. Over the past few months I've been building up milage in them. I can currently run five miles in them comfortably. Basically the only "side effects" to breaking them in is sore calf muscles and my feet hurting a little. The Vibrams use so many different muscles compared to "supportive" running shoes.

Summary: I LOVE my Vibrams. I've never met a Vibram owner who didn't love theirs and stop to tell you all the cool features and research findings behind them. I wear them every single day, including out at night!

Do you own Vibrams? Would you ever consider them?

Oh yeah, the Ironman!

I know, I know. All Over Yoga has kind of taken over my time and this blog. But I have a little thing called an Ironman coming up in 2.5 months and I don’t have a training plan. Umm, yeah. Oh, and there’s a 50-mile race five weeks after that!

So, I’m going to get my butt down from down dog and talk about my other training, too!

I’ve been maintaining my training with long runs on the weekend and several swims and bike rides throughout the week. Honestly I’ve been so focused on yoga that I’ve let my triathlon workouts slide. Ooops! You can see all my workouts here.

To fuel my workouts I’ve been eating at great restaurants with even better friends. I love plenty of non-vegan restaurants, but it’s hard to go to a “regular” restaurant when we have so many great vegetarian places here in Orlando! Ryan and I recently visited Dandelion Commnitea Cafe for their iced tea and Native Mama Mix- a budget-friendly mix of quinoa with toppings and dressing of your choice.

I chose corn, broccoli and garbanzo beans as my toppings and green goddess as my dressing. This would be so easy to make at home!

Of course I’ve been eating plenty of Ethos Vegan Kitchen!

Ethos is by far the most indulgent vegan food in Orlando. It’s the best place to take the biggest vegan skeptics! I enjoyed some shortbread cookies… and my old favorite, the “What’s the Dilly Philly"?” sandwich! Can’t beat the best ;)

I’ll leave you with a shot of the beautiful Lake Eola. The 1-mile loop around the lake and I have a date in the morning. Ten miles is on the agenda!

Do you have any tips for an Ironman training plan? :)

More Than One Run

I have to make this quick. I just got home from work and need to get to bed so I can do an at-home-triathlon in the morning!

With a full 40 hours at lululemon and the expo on the weekend, my week was packed. Still, I had to fit a long run in (I’m running the New Jersey Marathon next weekend!) and Saturday morning was the best time.

I worked a long day at the expo Friday and set my alarm for 4:45 a.m. (after going to bed after 11:00 p.m.) to get in at least 18 miles before working the second day of the expo at 9:30 a.m. My attitude was to do whatever it takes, but my body said otherwise when my alarm went off at an ungodly time the next morning. Needless to say, the oversized king bed with freshly laundered linens sucked me in and I didn’t get out of bed until 6:00 a.m.

I began my run much later than planned. I was on a time schedule so I knew I’d have to cut my planned mileage in half, which left me disappointed. I feel like my training lately has been so compromised, even though I make it a priority. Still, I headed out excited to run the streets of a different city.

To cut to the point, the run was terrible. I didn’t have any pre-run fuel other than one Clif shot gel. My left Achilles has been bugging me since the trail ultra and it really hurt on this run. To top it all off I haven’t been able to do yoga for a while or stretch so my body was so tight. I tried to run hard and fast, but it felt like I had a wall pushing against me the whole way. I walked quite a bit and wanted to just quit.

My mind was so into it but my body wasn’t having any part of it. Discouraged I managed to run back to the hotel, making my “run” 9.8 miles total. I felt defeated by running.

Today I told David about my run. I said I was under-fueled, tired and my body didn’t want to run that day.

Then something clicked.

It was just an off day. They happen.

Sure, I’ve had off days plenty of times to know they are a part of training. But when you’re in the moment of a training workout that should be so good and it is so so bad, it is hard to look at the picture. I easily judge my body and stamina by how I am performing right then and there when I need to look outside that box.

When I look at the whole picture I remember I have plenty of days when my body is strong and fast and can run forever. I see that I need to get more sleep than 6 hours a night. I take note of how yoga and stretching help me. I remember I am a good runner, even if this precious long run ended up being a disaster.

The rest of the expo was great!

What You Eat Why

From Julie: I think of eating as a personal journey, not as a destination. My diet is always evolving as I learn more about myself and about food. Currently, I am an omnivore who focuses on vegetables as the main dish and animal products on the side (or not at all). Some days, I eat a full vegetarian diet and some days, I'll incorporate meat.

When I buy animal products, I always do my best to buy organic. With produce, I'm a little more flexible but I try to stick to an organic diet because it's better for my body and for the environment. I have a say in what goes in my body and as Michael Pollan says, every time I buy something, I am "voting" for that particular food. When I buy food, I look at the ingredient list instead of the advertising. I examine it to see how many ingredients a particular food has and if they are all necessary.

Ironically, as many vegetarian's and vegan's will tell you, ever since my diet has evolved to eating more plants, I feel like I've opened up a door to food I never tried before. My diet typically doesn't effect my relationships except by making them stronger. I learn from others and they learn from me. Food is an adventure! Ever since I started eating this way, my body feels great. I have a ton more energy and feel overall healthier.

- Julie from Wearing Mascara

How do you keep motivated through tough workouts?

Corporate 5k Race Recap + 12

Today was my day off. I planned on running, getting a lot done and then racing the Corporate 5k with David and my lululemon team. But after getting to bed at 2:30 a.m., I got a later start to the day at 9:30 a.m. Then I kind of lounged around before finalllly heading out for my long run after 1:00 p.m.

I had an English muffin with almond butter and then some cereal later as an afternoon snack. In the midst of messing around on Twitter preparing for my run I didn’t eat a real lunch! My plans were to eat lunch after the run, but running in the afternoon isn’t conducive to that.

My run was so hard. I’ve been fighting a head cold and breathing was already hard. Plus, heading out at the hottest part of a humid Florida afternoon didn’t help. I walked so much to keep from feeling sick. Then I ran out of energy because I missed lunchtime! So many things to go wrong. I had the two Clif Shots that I had stashed in my Camelbak. I ended up doing 12 miles instead of the planned 16. I’ll probably run 7 miles instead of 5 Saturday so I gain back some of the distance I lost.

I practically ran to the fridge once I got home. I had two bowls of my Sweet Shepherd’s Pie and an English muffin. I also had a bowl of unpictured cereal! I was starving! Too bad I forgot the Corporate 5k was only 2 hours away!

The Corporate 5k is a race where local companies register as teams. It’s advertised as a huge office party with free beer at the finish. It was a fun race but it was so crowded! I think a lot of people did this as an office event rather than a race. As a result the lulu’s and I spent the entire 3.1 miles navigating our way through the crowd!

Despite the hold up we crossed this finish line at 31:00. Considering I had just come off a 12 mile run, I was pretty happy. It was a fun night anyway!

Justine, a reader, spotted me and said hi after the race! How cool is that?! Hi Justine!!! (ps- Justine, email me!)

I passed my beer off to a coworker (I don’t drink), but David and I did rush home to eat. It was about 9:30 p.m. by the time we got home but I knew I needed something before bed. I snacked on some Galaxy Granola (mmmm!!!) and a naner with AB. And I may have had some chocolate :)

Time for bed!!

Does your company participate in any recreational events as a team?

Text-only in Virginia

I am LOVING Virginia!!

We arrived to Williamsburg yesterday around three in the afternoon and have had nothing but wonderful experiences. It's a new joke we keep repeating that "Virginia is perfect." Perfect people, perfect weather, perfect restauarants, perfect hills- and Trader Joe's! I am totally embracing the "grass is greener on the other side mentality."

Soon after we got in yesterday I headed out for a run. Wooooooow that was my most favorite run ever!!! I found out what hills were all about. It rained on me and made the run even more invigorating. Everything about it was beautiful; I even saw two deers!!

I have posts saved for you with tons of great photos. The condo charges a butt load for internet, so I'm going to search out some free wireless internet. Don't be surprised if you get a few posts together :)

Off to Colonial Williamsburg!

Disney Princess Half Marathon Recap

  The Disney Princess Half Marathon was by far the most fun race I’ve ever done- even more than the Walt Disney World Marathon in January!

I’ve been fighting with adding music to my little race video for two days. I figured it was about time to give up and get it out! So check out the tutus and castle in this race video:

Waking up early on race mornings often tires me more than the running! I woke up at 3am Sunday to meet Kelly to carpool to Disney. Here's Kelly and me- cold and tired!

It was fun having Kelly and Leslie to start off with. They were way too fast for me to actually run with, but we spent plenty of time together pre-race :)

It was so entertaining to see so many tutus and tiaras in this crowd of distance runners! There were actually a few men in the crowd- and even the men had tutus!

Did you see the awesome start in the video above? That perfectly done up theme continued the whole race. It’s so much fun racing past your favorite characters!

Everyone who ran the race noticed this girl. I wonder if she actually ran in that dress!?

I felt so good during this race! I was a little scared since I had the Gasparilla Marathon one week before and I spent the better part of the week in bed with the flu, but my legs were very happy.

At mile 10 I said I was going to give it my all… and I was then greeted with hills! There were so many onramps and hills the last few miles!

Things looked even better when I saw the large white sphere that always means one thing to me: the finish line is close!

I finished with a time of 2:20:32. I was proud considering I PRed by 16 minutes! Still, I’d like to do another half soon to see how I do when I haven’t run a marathon the week before :)

I’ll definitely be signing up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon next year!

What was your favorite/most fun race? Have you ever raced in a costume?