Rock N Roll Nola: Race Report

This was a wonderful weekend overall. I probably partied a little harder than I should a couple of days before my first half marathon. I came to New Orleans Friday afternoon and went straight to the expo to get my packet and wander. There were going to be 20,000 runners, I knew the expo would be packed. Friday, it was slow, so I went to the Claim Your Journey booth to get a Run Louisiana t-shirt and meet a few people I had followed on twitter, then to the massive Brooks expo to get my gait analyzed. It was very informative. There were also lots of great other booths. I played at Garmin for a while. I'm still not enthused about spending that much on a watch, especially since manufacturers themselves have admitted that the watches aren't as accurate as most owners think. But my phone barely makes it 13 miles before the battery dies. I'll need something that lasts longer and soon. This whole time I was texting a friend who came in from Los Angeles with a group to run the race. He is trying to run all Rock N Roll races. We agreed to meet later that evening.

After I left the expo, I met my cousin to run errands and have a late lunch and cocktails. It's always great to talk to her, even when she tells me how wrong I am about things. After resting and imbibing a little more, I then met the Los Angeles group. We went to Mulate's which never disappoints. It was full of families who were in town for a cheerleading contest. Not a fan. We still had a good time then I went back to my cousin's house and passed out. Late morning Saturday, I was back the expo for a bunch of meetups with Run Louisiana/CYJ and the National Black Marathoners Association, then met some Black Girls Run! Baton Rouge friends to wander around the expo a bit more. It was very packed and I quickly got hot and was hungry and ready to leave. I got to our hotel, which was four blocks from the race start, dumped my things and headed to Copeland's for the big BGR! meetup. A total of 10 chapters were represented and the whole meetup was quite overwhelming animated.

When I and my two roommates got to the hotel for the night, we were beat. I had a couple of beers while I laid out my clothes. I told y'all there were lots of pre-race no-nos. On top of that, my monthly friend decided to pay me a visit. I was not happy. It also didn't make for a comfortable sleep, which is always an issue the night before a race. Oh well, gotta roll with the punches.

Oh and the whole race thing. I guess I should talk about that a little. We woke up around 5 a.m., got ready and headed out to the start. It was cold! I only had a long sleeve cotton shirt. I was kicking myself because I was SO sure it wouldn't be cold. Fail. The sun was just coming up and lots of other runners were headed our same way. We encountered a few groups of drunks who hadn't gone in for night. The first group we passed was too engrossed in a conversation about almost being arrested. The second group was aware of the marathon and gave us all high fives, wished us luck and kept moving. I'm a fan of nice drunks who keep it moving. First good sign.

Once we got to the main area, we met up with other BGR! runners, went to gear check and found a spot to stretch. We did two trips to the bathroom, but somehow I had to go again as I waited in my corral! I was in 12 of 26. I decided not to try and go again. That messed me up at the 2011 Crescent City Classic, but those corrals weren't managed well. I said I'd stop at a port o potty on the route. That didn't happen.

The race started at 7 a.m. We got to the starting line at 7:14 a.m. As I approached, I saw a BGR! shirt on a stick, waving in the air. It was running buddy and super cheerleader Rachel. She was right by the announcer's stage and he took notice and shouted out her and the group. That made me smile. What a perfect way to start! I wasn't too impressed with the bands, but the route was wonderful. I never tire of sight seeing in New Orleans, no matter how many times, or how I'm doing it. The crowds were great. Many runners popped off to the sides to hug and high-five family members or kiss kids and spouses. I loved that. So cute. The water stations were well staffed and the volunteers had on gloves. The one issue I had was inconsiderate walkers. Many of them would just stop and walk in the middle of the road, not making any effort to move to the side. I wanted to push a couple of them.

About a mile in, I started talking to myself, which I usually do. Not like "hi V, how's your day going?" "Quite well, how about yourself?" More like, "don't start too fast, watch the road, it's pretty uneven." Once I hit the halfway point, I gave myself a "good job. now start thinking about when you're going to pick up the pace" and "these bands suck, you may need to put some music on soon." During the race, I passed about five fellow BGR! runners and made sure to encourage them. At the halfway point, I started to worry that I was going slower than I should, but was still too nervous to try and pick up the pace. I decided I would put my music on at mile 8. The playlist was by beats per minute courtesy of jog.fm and it definitely helped. I quickly realized, while I was feeling great, many other runners were struggling. I had to weave through the sea of slow runners and that is no fun. The race finish was in city park going down Lelong Drive and around the back of NOMA. As we crossed Wisner Blvd for the last stretch, a woman had a sign that said "make this last strip your bitch." I had been saying that since mile 10 when I finally realized, "hey! I can finish this!!" I'm looking for another half marathon before my full in October. I don't plan on doing much this week. I struggled through a mile with Girls on the Run practice and have the Head Hunter 10K Saturday.

SHOES!!!

I'm still to the point where I'm getting my finances together. This was upsetting because it was time for a new pair of shoes. You're supposed to replace them every 300-400 miles. I had just passed 500. Then out of the blue, my Girls on the Run liaison called me and said she had some running shoes for me. Whaaaaat!?!? She surely didn't know I was broke. In fact, I have made it a point to keep all of my personal information to myself. Probably not the best idea. I've had a few "I'm overwhelmed" cries because I don't talk out my issues. Anyway, she met me right before I went to work and gave me these!!

Talk about small blessings. And it's really not small. I looked up this pair. It's a $150 pair of shoes. I need my running to keep sane. It's my time to clear my head. Or in the case of long runs, me and my running buddy Erika talk about a million things. I was going to have to involuntarily take like three weeks off until I got enough money for another pair and now I don't.

I CAN'T WAIT TO RUN IN THEM!!

Dirty Soles 10K Race Report

Back home from the Dirty Soles 10K trail race at Fountainbleu State Park. My official time was 1:07:37.9 which was better than expected and the race went well. For the most part, the trail was technical, meaning it had lots of roots and the ground was slightly uneven. There wasn't much elevation, as you can see here. I was relieved because I hadn't hit the trails as much as I would have liked.

Now to the business. It was more than a 10K. It was meant to be a 10K and half marathon, but the director, Jeff, just had the 10Kers do the first loop of the half marathon route, which he had marked as 6.55 miles. We'll deal with the discrepancies later. The race definitely earned it's name. We started the race on a utility road that lead into the trail system. I used the Comite River Park Trails as a gauge and brought some bug spay. As soon as I walked into the packet pick up area that morning, the mosquitoes were swarming. I had a small spray bottle of repellent and other people needed it, so I was glad to help.

Now, to the race! The race started on that utility road and one hundred and 50 meters into the race, we hit a a small pond. Some people decided to go straight through it, and fell. Not me. I did a careful slog around the muddy perimeter and quickly learned that it didn't matter. :( Around the 1.3 mile mark, we were required to go through a small canal. Twice. The first crossing took us knee deep. I was in capris, so I pulled them up. The second crossing seconds later was about mid-shin.

It seemed cool at the time, mainly because it was getting hot and the water was cool. But I also was suspect. We were in a huge park, but it was surrounded by neighborhoods. I was really wondering what was in that water. Anyway, I also worried because I still had five more miles to go and my shoes were old. Those Saucony's had served me well, but they were mainly neutral shoes, not fully equipped for the trails, let alone shin-deep water. I had on my Balega's, great socks, so I just told myself to focus on the run. I still needed to make sure to keep my form, not trip and of course, finish!!

The rest of the way, I just watched the people in front of me. I always use the other runners as motivation. If I'm feeling good at my current pace, I just want to keep them in sight. If I feel slow, I start to go after them. Crazy alert: I talk to myself a lot during a race. Every tough segment, I congratulate myself, then encourage myself to stay focused because I still have a ways to go. When I hit the halfway mark, I let myself know, "you've hit the halfway mark, good job, but you still have a ways to go. Stay focused."

That is basically how I finished this race with a time I was happy with and will continue to employ that in my running. Now, some issues. This is not the first time there have been issues with races by this director and his lack of due diligence. I truly believe that if I pay my registration, it is my job to show up, get my swag and run. That's it. I don't think that's too much to ask. It should be noted that the night trail race was also organized by him. I didn't feel like the trail was marked well enough and that was obvious since multiple people got lost. Jeff also didn't explain the course very well, since he appeared to be on beer number three or four during the explanation. For Dirty Soles, on top of the lack of properly marking the 10K route, he also didn't set up a side chute for the half marathoners. He also did not apologize for not doing his job! During the night trail race and Dirty Soles, he admitted, "Oh I didn't set up such and such. I guess I should have."

REALLY, GUY!?!?! I don't think I'm being uptight, mainly because this director is an experienced trail runner. He has run many races himself and knows what is expected. He is not doing that. I have really got into trail racing and at this point, I don't think I'll run many more of his. For the upcoming race, he posted that participants should be ready to swim. I asked if it was a full swim because some people wear iPods and not all Garmin watches are waterproof, his response was that he hadn't mapped the trail yet. SO WHY WOULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT!?!? This is after he announced that the race is being moved because of scheduling conflicts. That was three months before the race. Three months before the race, you haven't reserved the race site??? That's way too much fail for me to deal with!

On a happy note, his brother is an awesome photographer. LOOK AT ME!! Lookin' like a real runner. :)

Girls on the Run Fall 2011 5K

Today has been long, exhausting and wonderful. After three wonderful months as a co-coach with Girls on the Run of Greater Baton Rouge, we had the 5K this morning and my girls rocked it!!

Thankfully my co-head coach J was thinking very proactively and bought a few sets of gloves. It was in the low 40s when we got there. I also raided my little sister's closet for jackets that were too small for her. They both came in handy. Many of the girls had forgot gloves and they were really needed. Also seeing how we're dealing with 8-11 year olds, there were a few setbacks of their own doing. One of our girls was adamant that it wasn't that cold. Despite her mother's fussing, she decided to show up with just a thin long-sleeve shirt. I had a thick cotton hoodie I found in my sister's closet.

As the girls started to arrive and we got them all settled, two of my Black Girls Run! Baton Rouge teammates showed up. We had lots of volunteers, so they mainly were there for moral support. I also laughed at how they marveled at the organized chaos that ensues while wrangling 250 8-12 year olds.

Most of our girls could not run the 3.1 miles non-stop, so we used a buddy system that had inadvertently come together during the many practices and had them set goals on how far the would run. The whole pacing thing is still a work in progress. They all finished between 38 and 40 minutes. Not bad for elementary school girls.

I have to say I'm still learning myself. Each practice started with lessons on peer pressure, boundaries and a healthy lifestyle. At 29, there sometimes are flashbacks of how sucky things can be when you're so young and trying to figure things out. You're usually bombarded with the bad stuff and have very few people to use as sounding boards to really sort through it all. These girls are amazing wonderful people and I think they will all do great things in this world. Can't wait for next semester!! Here are some photos.  

Pratima, Mia and Anna in the front and Camille in the background.

Our liaison Mrs. Brumfield

My co-coach J with Anna, Pratima and Molly.

Goldenflier 10 miler

Nice people, flat race, horrible route! That's the verdict of the Goldenflier 10 miler. It's two loops around a set of lakes. I thought that would be ok because I had ran that route before. It wasn't. Right up until the race started, the road at the start was still open to cars. Parts of the route that went along busy streets caused dozens of people to be crowded onto a sidewalk.

I understand that police are expensive, but that's just dangerous. The second lap thinned out and the sidewalks weren't crowded, so I guess that's how they thought about it. As I started the second lap, I still felt good. It was warming up, but I was well rested and hydrated. Then began the battle between my brain and my body. I wanted to keep at my current pace, about 10:55/mile, at least for two more miles. My legs, feeling ok, were ready to throw caution to the wind and my brain wanted to take the slow and steady approach. My brain won out until mile seven, then I steadily picked up the pace every mile.

I'm sure it sounds nuts, but I tend to talk to myself while I run. Under my breath, I'm steadily reminding myself of my keep my form, even if it means slowing down. When my body wants to blow through that water station, my brain has me mumble under my breath, that I need the water and a walk through the station wouldn't hurt. When I hit the halfway mark of most races, I give myself a verbal encouragement. On the last mile, it doesn't matter if people are around or not, I'm talking to myself about pushing it in and finishing strong. Yeah, I may be crazy, but I warned you about that in the first post. I ran the 10 miles in 1:47:14, two and half minutes faster than the first 10, which was only two weeks ago. Very proud of myself.

My new friend Brandon Williams of Claim Your Journey was there to cover it. Fellow running buddy Ernise also ran the 10 miles. I finished in time to run back and catch her in the last quarter of a mile and run it in and encourage her. I always loved seeing people who could do that.

I don't think I'll do this race again. I need one with more hills. But I feel good about the time and that I've ran 10 miles twice in such a short time. Onward and upward we go!!!

Help Somebody

I recently read the race report of fellow runner Brenton Day. He ran the New York City Marathon with Team Fox which raises money for Parkinson's research. I had previously donated to my homies G.D. who raised money for Team Groundwork and Erwin who raised money with Livestrong. I sat and just watched their progress this year, as I was completely broke and couldn't donate to anyone.

Reading Brenton's run down of visiting the city and meeting other members of Team Fox saddened me because I couldn't donate. It also made me think, "you should stop doing the small stuff." By that I mean, the $30 each I sent to my friends' organizations in previous years was really nothing. I could be raising money myself. I researched things that had affected my family and came upon Alzheimer's. I've always thought of it as one of the most disgusting and evil diseases I've ever encountered.

Not only does it relegate a person to a slow death, it leaves a family of loved ones feeling helpless in trying to make things better for said person. That has been the case with my grandmother, who was diagnosed with a mild form of it three months ago. She's still mostly lucid, but for how long? She's had such an amazing life and raised wonderful children, my dad being one of them.

On top of all of that, anytime, I hear my dad or aunts and uncles organizing things, who's taking her to the doctor, etc., you hear a profound sadness in their voices. This is their mother. And there is little they can do to comfort her and at this point and time, there is nothing they can do to stop the slow deterioration she is suffering through. She wasn't the first person in my family to suffer at the hands of this disease. And I've known quite a few people whose parents have died of the disease. When I made my decision and started planning how I'd spread the word, I learned more people had been impacted by this disease.

So I'm running the Chicago Marathon in Oct. 2012. If running 26.2 miles means someone else won't have to suffer that same pain as I and my family have because of this disease, than 26.2 miles is nothing.

Thankful for the Small Things

I got a job. It's not journalism-related, but the pay is decent and I am so over sitting around this house. Well I run, but that doesn't make me any money. And I tell ya, unemployment pay is some horrible stuff. I'll still search for something journalism-related. It may not be with a newspaper. I'm looking everywhere.

This will do for now. I always like that I'll need a stricter schedule. I'll be mainly working at night, so I'll have to get up and get my runs out of the way with enough time to spare to get ready. That's fine with me. I like order.

Planking craze

Please excuse the huge hiatus! I won't do that again. I've been slacking on my running because I've been in job search over drive. I've only been able to do one long run. The search hasn't been as successful as I would like, but I'm not stopping. I'm not just looking at newspapers. My search is pretty wide, since I can do video editing and content management as well. I haven't decided if I'll link my professional blog here.

I'm also a volunteer coach with Girls on the Run of Greater Baton Rouge. There are 12 schools and about 200 girls. I ran the 5K a year ago and the program sounded awesome. Since I'm back home, I volunteered. The season starts next month. I am a little nervous. I like running, I like the lessons I'll teach. I've never dealt with 8-10 year-olds. My mom has given me a few pointers, since she raised three girls.

Now to the actual point of this post. This planking craze, as far as fitness, is a good thing in my opinion. But the whole timing thing in one position is boring and doesn't work enough for me. So I decided to focus on doing some dynamic planks I learned from my college coach. These things work your entire core and can be a bit hard in the beginning, but you'll quickly see the benefits. Here are four of the 12.

Dynamic Planks
These work your abs, butt and back. Form is most important because that's where you're getting a lot of the workout. Fewer reps with good form is more effective than many reps with bad form. I suggest getting your form down before working on engaging your abs. Do all for non-stop, back-to-back, then take a 30-40 second rest.

1. Prone handstand leg lifts - start in upward push-up position, lift one leg a few inches. Don't stick your butt in the air. Try to stay at a 45 degree angle. Make sure not to shift your weight to the opposite leg and arm. Start with three leg lifts on each side, focusing on form. When you're feeling less burn, increase the number.

2. Side elbow stand (leg lifts) - start in a side plank position. You should be at 45 degrees again. Don't let your hips sag. Hold in this position on each side for about 15 seconds. When you feel good, start holding longer in maybe 5 second increments. To make it even harder, try some leg lifts in that position.

3. Supine handstand leg lift - this is the reverse of the prone leg lift. Again, try not to let your butt sag. It takes some getting used to. Start with three and increase when you get your form right and feel less burn.

4. Supine shoulder bridge hip arch - lay in back with feet bent, shoulder length apart. Lift pelvis slowly. Hold at the top for two counts, then lower slowly. Start with five reps. To make it harder, you can hold at the top for longer. I am up to five seconds and you really work your butt on this one.

Intro

Hello all! I'm V, and I'm a runner. For some reason I decided to start this on my birthday. No, I'm not telling you how old I am. Let's get down to business. I've been running for about Aug. 2010. I got into it reluctantly, but now I'm addicted.

I've done a couple dozen 5ks, about five 10ks and I'm currently training for my first half marathon in March 2012.

For almost six months, I watched as about a dozen friends posted their daily runs as part of a list serv of runners. They constantly cheered for and encouraged each other, but I wanted no parts of running.I was working a hectic job and was only a couple of years removed from a college career as a long and triple jumper. No thank you.

Curiosity eventually got the best of me and I decided to just lace up my shoes and head out one day. It was a horrible one mile run and I was done for three months. The second time out was a little better. I actually had a plan. That mile and half was just as rough, but I liked the feeling of my lungs burning and breaking a sweat after almost three years of no real workout. Sounds crazy? Don't worry, most runners are and you'll read way more crazy if you decide to come back to this blog.

A couple things about me. I'm a journalist who was recently laid off. It hasn't been fun, but I'm dealing with it. I've been blessed with a very supportive family. Despite our many differences and quarrels, they are always there for me. I know there are literally millions of people who's parents can't or won't help them since they've been unemployed.

Enough of the sappy stuff. I'll stick to running.