Columbus Half Marathon & NBMA Summit

What a truly amazing weekend! My face says it all.

At the finish line with NBMA Co-founder and Executive Director Tony (Anthony) Reed

I flew into Columbus, OH on Saturday, October 15^th, for a weekend of festivities. I was there first and foremost for the National Black Marathoners Annual Summit. Some balk at the idea of a “Black” (or race-based) organization. I, on the other hand, think it’s a beautiful thing. The NBMA is the largest and oldest, national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging Black Americans to pursue a healthy lifestyle through long distance running and walking. And yes, it is open to everyone.

Group picture in the hotel lobby one hour before the race.

I’m honored to be a member. It has given me the confidence to pursue endurance racing on a competitive level and race all over the country. There’s no way I would have had the courage to compete in the 2015 Dallas Marathon (and come in 4^th!!!) if they hadn’t reached out to me and talked me into it. Tony, if you’re reading this, I was hating you at mile 17 and pretty much every mile thereafter, but thank you for talking me into it :-)

The day before the race…

I arrived at my hotel around 10 am, checked in, unpacked, then went out for a 5-mile (easy tempo) run around the city. It was flat…YESSSS… and not as humid as VA…even better! After my shake out run I found a CVS not too far from my hotel and picked up water, Gatorade, and snacks (why do the charge you obscene amounts at the hotel?!?!). Then I made my way to the expo for Athlete Check In. Since I was accepted into the elite field I had to go to a special booth to drop off my W9 (in case I won prize money… not a chance in hell) and a few other items. They even let me take a quick peek at the elite start list. There were about 25 females in the half #yikes.

1) At the expo, 2) At the NBMA booth with Co-Founder Charlotte Simmons-Foster

 

Then it was back to my hotel room to relax, eat, hydrate, and stay off my feet. This is the time that I also like to prep and organize for my race so it’s smooth sailing in the morning.

My good luck charm - My Point 2 Running Company and Flat Out Events singlet <3

The Summit

As always, it was top notch. I got some nice swag, pigged out on pasta, met Jesse Owens’ daughter (yep that’s right), and heard about some amazing accomplishments as members were presented with awards. One of the award recipients completed 500 marathons. 500 freakin marathons. Another ran an ultramarathon on every continent. Very inspiring (and slightly crazy).

My moment….while I was standing in line two women were chatting and kept turning around and looking at me. One of them goes “are you that blogger?!?” Yessssss! Hilarious!! People actually read my little ‘ole blog. I’m still beaming. If you’re reading this…THANK YOU! When I first started writing it was just to keep track of my race results, how I felt, etc…the boring stuff. But now it’s evolved into an open book of pre-race jitters, expectations…basically a totally honest account of how I feel and what I go through before, during, and after a race…and everything in between.

With my girl Alex (NBMA Board Member) 

http://www.alexandriawill.com/

Race Day

The Columbus Marathon Elite Coordinator was on point! They treated the “elite” athletes like rockstars. Literally rolled out the red carpet. Upon arrival to the race site I was immediately escorted to the VIP tent. They provided us with breakfast (I already ate in my hotel room), there was a masseuse on hand, restrooms (no porta potty line .. cha ching), someone going over race logistics and any questions we had. They also collected our bottles - any fluids we wanted stationed at miles 6.5 and 10.5 (I filled mine with EFS and water and attached a gel to each bottle; this is what I train with on a daily basis). Then they led us to a roped off section at the front of the starting line where we were able to warm up (I jogged a mile and did some short sprints).

A few minutes before the start they lined us up, the national anthem was sung, a stream of fireworks went off (very cool), and the countdown began. The horn blew and we were off, all 15,000 participants.

My coach gave me a very simple plan heading into this race: take it easy the first 3 miles (~6:55 pace) and don’t get too caught up in the competition. Then over the next 3 miles drop the pace to the 6:40s. From miles 6 to 9 drop to the 6:30s, take a gel with water, then work on holding 6:20s. Over the last mile give it all I have…no holding back.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I race best when I negative split (run the second half faster than the first). So my coach tries to give me a plan that best suits my strengths. Here’s an example of how I ran my last half marathon (back in November 2015…yes it’s been awhile since I’ve raced one).

VRF Half Marathon Splits, 1^st Female, 1:26

Expectations

I went into this race not entirely sure of what I was capable of. I figured on a bad day I’d run around a high 1:26. I feel very fit from all the triathlon (half ironman distance) training. But I also know my speed isn’t quite there yet. I just started getting back into running on a regular basis (I was primarily swimming and biking from April to September). Still, endurance-wise I’m fit, and although an 18:58 5K isn’t anything to jump up and down about, the fact that I was able to run that time 2 weeks ago, and not too long after a half ironman was a pretty good sign.

So here’s how my race played out. Literally. I wrote this part while I was sitting at the airport after my race while everything was fresh on my mind.

Don’t go out too fast. Relax. Focus on yourself. Who cares that you are getting passed.

Mile 1 split:  6:50

Oops, that was a little too fast. Slow it down some. You need to hit 6:55s.

Mile 2 split:  7:03

$&!@!! Too slow. Ugh how did I just run in the 7s. Get it together Sika.

Mile 3 split:  6:45

Ok so this was my problem…. 6:40s felt uncomfortable. Ummm yeah I know. You’re not supposed to feel comfortable when you are racing. But I didn’t trust that I could hold the pace through the finish line and my splits reflect my uncertainty. I literally seesawed between 6:50s and 6:40s for the majority of the race.

Mile 4: 6:52

Mile 5: 6:43

Mile 6: 6:50

Mile 7: 6:47

Mile 8: 6:50

Mile 9: 6:41

By mile 10 I only had a 5K to go so I tried to throw the hammer down.

Mile 10:  6:33

Honestly it felt hard. Like really really hard. I backed off AGAIN smh.

Mile 11:  6:39

Mile 12:  6:40

No matter what, no matter how good or bad I feel in a race, I go all out the last mile. I just keep repeating over and over again “it’s just one more mile”. No matter how painful it is you are so incredibly close to the finish line. I try to block out the pain by fixating on the moment when you cross the finish line…how relieving it is and how incredible it feels time and time again. It helps to not fixate on the “suffering” and instead fixate on the accomplishment.

I ran my last mile in 5 minutes and 55 seconds.

Obviously I left too much in the tank. Running a sub 6 over the last mile means that I should have run quicker splits at miles 11 and 12 or perhaps earlier on when I was seesawing between miles. What I wouldn’t give to be able to rerun this race *sigh*. But as always, it’s a learning experience and there is always another race.

Unofficial Results (there were actually 6,370 women)

I placed 3rd in my age group

“Going from long course triathlon to half/full marathons requires re-learning how to run fast…feels like you lost speed (which you do a little), but your endurance engine is so much stronger.” ~Derreck Sanks, friend, Ironman athlete. So true. Thanks for the reminder!

As soon as I crossed the finish line Alex and Tony were right there. Felt like I was back in Dallas :-) I was a little bummed about my time. But overall it was an incredible experience. 

Columbus is by far one of the best half marathons in the country. There are spectators literally lined up on both sides of the road for the ENTIRE race. There was never a point in the race where people weren’t cheering. The volunteers were incredible, the course was accurately measured and marked, plenty of hydration provided, and of course the “elite” experience was off the hook. As soon as I crossed the finish line I was escorted back to the VIP tent where I was given my medal, clean/warm towels, fresh fruit, sandwiches, and coffee. I signed up for a massage and then I went out on the platform overlooking the finish line and cheered on all the other participants with Alex and Tony. What a day, what a weekend :-)

Next up....a 5K at the end of the month (working on getting my speed back) and then I'll give the half marathon another try on November 13th (the Virginia Running Festival Half). I'll be going for a PR. And this time I will trust my coach's plan and follow through - hold the pace she gives me for as long as I can. Go big or go home!

Crawlin Crab 5K

I busted out laughing (in my cubicle at work) when I saw this pic. My face just about sums it up. Pain personified. 3.1 miles … the endurance athlete’s kryptonite. Still my favorite distance though. It’s over nice and fast.

Believe it or not I was actually pretty nervous about this race. I know…I know…it’s only 3.1 miles. But I had just done a half ironman 2 weeks prior, I was still trying to recover, and I was in a bit of a funk. I look back at some of my Facebook posts after the Outer Banks Half Ironman and I’m smiling, I sound confident and proud. But in reality I was super bummed and even had a few crying spells. While I was thrilled with the 11 minute PR and the 1:34 half marathon split, I was devastated over losing by 11 measly seconds. I went through a post race slump – or as some call it, the marathon blues. You train and train and train some more. Then there is a huge buildup of excitement and nerves. The race happens. And then it’s over. This is why it’s always good to have another race on the horizon.

Moving on…

The Crawlin Crab 5K…it’s the largest 5K in Hampton, VA (over 1,700 participants). While I had never raced the 5K distance, I’ve done the Crawlin Crab Half Marathon 3 times so I knew it would be a fun, well-organized race. Even though I’m a Flat-Out Events girl (for life), I will admit that J&A does a great job! Their races are always top notch – swag, medal, expo, beer, post-race party – all on point.

Back to the race….I hadn’t done a road race since April. I hadn’t done speed work in who knows how long. After the One City Marathon back in March it was all about the triathlon, specifically the half ironman distance, and improving my bike and swim. I believe I peaked at 30 miles this summer. Thus the nerves / pre-race jitters / I’m scared to race a 5K feeling. At the same time I was looking forward to getting back out there. I wanted to test my speed to see where I was at. And I was really looking forward to rocking my new racing singlet and representing my sponsors: Point 2 Running Company and Flat-Out Events! Plus I talked some friends into doing their very first road race so I was eager for them to experience “Race Day” (as I like to call it). 

In my new singlet. Pink is my lucky color!

Race Day

It was just as I remembered :-) Familiar faces, chill atmosphere….I love that “we are doing something healthy as a community” feeling you get at local road races. It’s one of the things I miss most during the triathlon season. There were a few times this summer when I’d go on Facebook and see my friend’s pics from some of the local races and I’d feel like I was missing out. Triathlons are quite different. You typically have to travel, sometimes you don’t know anyone, and the morning of the race is a little more stressful because you have to do all sorts of pre-race check-in requirements (bike check, transition set up, body marking, etc). Not that I have any regrets. The triathlon is what I’m most passionate about. But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss the simplicity of just running.

Race Morning. With Braxton. He's a junior ambassador for Point 2 and Flat-Out.
He does all the local races!

Before the start of the race I did an extra long warm up run like my coach had suggested. I was sweating a lot. It was humid! The dew point was over 70 and the humidity was in the high 80s. It was drizzling but it actually felt nice. I had two game plans circling around in my head: 1) take it out conservatively and go through the first mile in 6:10/15 just to make sure I could actually finish the race without shuffling to the finish line lol, or 2) take my chances and go out hard, under 6 minutes, and see how long I could hold on. I went with option 2. Sometimes you have to go for it.The horn blew and we were off. I took it out hard. I went through the first half mile around 5:45 pace. I eased up a bit and went through the first mile marker in 5:58. To my surprise, I felt great. I settled into a rhythm and joined a small pack of guys. 

About a mile and a half into the race I started to feel it. The pain was creeping in. Crap…I can’t hold this pace. I dropped back a little and let the guys go. Toughen up. You are almost at mile 2, and then all you got is one more mile. Catch back up to them.  I gradually closed the gap and made it to the front of our little pack by mile 2. Ok it’s just one more mile. You can always make it through one more mile.

It’s very strange going from a 5+ hour race to an 18/19 minute race. The former is all about holding a bearable, steady pace on tired legs for 13.1 miles (after swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56). In my case, I worked on holding 7:14s. The 5K on the other hand is like a long sprint. 6 minute miles feels like absolute torture (in my opinion).

The last mile

All I was thinking was don’t give up, keep fighting, stay strong. I glanced at the clock and saw it ticking closer and closer to 19 minutes so I had to haul *ss if I wanted an 18:XX.

 

I did it. 18:58. First female (1,160 women) and fourth overall (1,775 people).

Am I thrilled with the time? Yes and no. It’s nowhere near my PR. I’ve gone under 18:30 a couple times. BUT considering I just did a 70.3 mile race 2 weeks prior I’d say that time isn’t too shabby. I’ll take it. And I’ll never complain about a win ;-)

Now for the best part…As I was waiting in the finishing shoot my friend Scott crossed the finish line. His first road race. He hit both goals – sub 23 minutes and top 10 in his age group.

Still working on trying to convince him to do the One City Marathon.....

My girl Catherine won her age group 

(after having not raced in a few months due to an ankle injury)

Catherine and I decided to do a cool down run and find our friend/coworker Chandra and cheer her on. As we were jogging it was like the sky opened up. Torrential downpour! Oh no. It’s her first 5K. She’s going to be miserable and curse me out. Quite the contrary! We found her and she was smiling and having a good ‘ole time.

 

"C-Seg Angels"... co-workers, friends, "family". Love you guys!!

Next up…I’m off to Columbus, OH next weekend to attend the National Black Marathoners Association Annual Summit and race the Columbus Half Marathon. As of right now I don't have a game plan...need to have that discussion with my coach first. I'd love to go for a PR. But we're thinking I'll have a better chance at that in November when I do the Virginia Running Festival Half Marathon.

If you're supposed to be affected by Hurricane Matthew, stay safe and dry! Thanks for reading :-) :-)