Sunday, May 2, 2010

What NOT to Do Before A Race...

So.... I have to say, I probably did just about everything you shouldn't do before a race, even if it was only the Spring Hill Fun Run 3k...

1) I had sushi for dinner. I guess the rice in the rolls could count as carb loading, but I doubt raw seafood is your best bet before a run in heat/humidity the next AM.

2) The evening began with a pounding of a Miller Lite and ended with a Solo cup full of Gin Bucket. Spaced in between were a Mojito and glass of Riesling. Before big races I usually have one beer to calm the nerves. If the race isn't long, I generally avoid alcohol. This time around I went with pretending I wasn't getting up early to run like everyone else I was hanging out with. Denial.

3) Walked around in a pair of 3" heels (to break them in) the night before a race. (They went with my brown dress.)


4) Oh and danced in 3" heels...at the house warming party I went to.
Side Note: Break Your Heart-- is a one-two punch of a download ;) It's great for dance parties---and running.

5) Went to bed after 2 AM. Bringing my hours of sleep to a grand total of: 5.5.

6) Ate part of a chocolate egg before the race.

Disclaimers: I did make sure to drink Powerade Zero, stretch, and take Advil before the race. I think I had the mentality that I knew I wasn't trying for my absolute fastest time, so all I had to do was run the whole thing.

Does anyone ever rebel at themselves or running? I think I've been so pissed I haven't been able to train I was very "whatever" about the 3k. I knew I wouldn't be sprinting so did just about everything I wouldn't normally do before a race because....I. COULD. (Usually I'll eat food that I know sits well, even if it's not my favorite. Make sure I'm not dehydrated. And go to bed early.)

My goal was to run the 3k in under a 10 min/mi pace. I finished the race in 18:46.. that's a 10:05/mi pace. This was a good test of how fast I could run a hilly 3k, not how fast I could cover the distance. Could I have pushed it harder? Probably. But, all things considered I'm quite happy. I was shooting for the 9:50/mi ballpark, so I came close. This race served two purposes for me:

1) Made me realize how much I love races and want to get back out there. BAD. A 5k will be in my near future.
2) Mentally made up for the sour note that was the Monument Ave 10k. No one likes to have a bad race. The 2010 Monument Ave 10k was the worst I've felt in a race (thus far). As of today it's no longer my most recent race and is truly behind me :)

As silly as it sounds, I'm proud of myself for running the whole thing. I'm not really in "auto pilot mode" anymore. And I hate hills. The majority of the race was not flat. A lot of people seemed to take walk breaks, which the more people I see walking, the greater the temptation to walk becomes for me. And I didn't give in.

Also, I've ran the past four days...Oopsies?!

Thursday Night
I ran 3 miles on the treadmill-- 2 in 19:46. A 1/2 mile in 4:31. A 1/4 mile in 2:13. A 1/4 mile in 2:08.

Friday
I ran 2 miles on the treadmill. The first mile was in 9:15. I then did a 1/2 mile in 4:30ish. And two 1/4 miles in 2:16 and 2:12.

Saturday-- I went for a run outside. I probably ran about 1.75 miles. Not quite 2. I was excited to try out a new jogging trail!

Then today I did the race. 8.5 miles in 4 days isn't a ton, but it's an improvement that I felt up to that. I'm still foam rolling and icing.

Here I am after the race with the kids I baby-sit. My "trainer" is the little one in front. Stay tuned for the race report!




8 comments:

Lauren said...

Great job! Especially considering all the "dont's" in your race strategy :D

MCM Mama said...

Good job on the race, considering the "race prep" you did.

As far as beer goes, we don't get out to Gordon Biersch very often. Tysons' is just a pain and we live walking distance to Clarendon. Harry's Tap Room is great, but it's pretty pricey. It's one of the places we go when we have a sitter for the kids.

I tend to prefer dark beers, which are harder to find on tap in the summer.

Anton said...

Great job on the run. Good to see you back out there.

And love the pre race strategy. Don't think I will be trying that on my next run though....unsure I would have the fortitude to try it

Julie said...

Oh my goodness, not only did your break your heels in but you danced with them! Ouch! You are so funny...chalk this one up as character building:) Happy Monday!

NewbieRunner said...

You crack me up. The night before my first "real 5k" I broke all the rules too. I stayed up late and drank more than one which I swore I wasn't going to do. My 2nd 5k I ran the day after a vacation and didn't run the whole 7 days prior to the race. Somehow the races always work out! And I agree...I see a 5k in my near future too...races are just so much fun to look forward to!

inspiREDtorun13 said...

Okay... one other disclaimer I forgot. The heels were Nine West. So even not broken in, they were pretty comfortable. $30 at DSW. Such a find!

WannabeRunner said...

Great job! That's impressive...i'm pretty sure i'd have slept in if i drank the night before. :)

The Boring Runner said...

lol!!! I love your list of don'ts.

I'm with you on the beer or something before a race. I gotta have something to help me sleep. And you know, to calm the shakes.

nice work on the 3K race!!! You were close enough to your goal for me!