Unfortunate Race

Sometimes things don't go as expected.  No matter how ready a runner may be to take on the challenge of a road race, mishaps happen.    

After a 2.5 mile warm-up and some drills, I was ready to go.  My goal was to run anything under 19 minutes, preferably between 18:45-18:55.  Judging from my recent workouts, that was very doable for me at this point in my training.   

Before the race with my stepdaughter, Allison.

Despite the good overall cash awards and age group prizes, it wasn't a very big race.   

After I ran through the first mile in 6:15, I knew I was in trouble.  Mile two...no better in ~6:25.  I was way off of my targeted time and I just wasn't feeling it.  Plus, I was running all by myself.

At about 2.5 miles, not only was I running slower than I wanted, I somehow made a wrong turn.  As I said before, this race wasn't very big and I basically ran the entire time by myself so there wasn't anyone around me to help me out.  I'm not going to even try to explain what happened, but in the end, it was a pretty lousy morning.  

Then came all of the questions...Why am I doing this?  Am I not training hard enough?  Am I getting too old to race?  Do I need a break?  Is this worth the sacrifices I make on a daily basis?  I am sure these questions go through the minds of many runners after a bad experience, but that night when I talked to my friend and Oiselle teammate {Lauretta} on the phone, it felt good just to have someone listen.  She always has the right things to say.  

Even now as I write this, I'm not sure which part upset me more...the fact that I made a wrong turn when there was a person directing traffic in that immediate area, or that I ran horribly.  

Jesse and I had a good conversation about it as well, and he made a good point.  I am afraid of failure.  I am...I admit it.  He said that if my hunger to achieve the positive virtues of attaining a goal could be as powerful as my current fear of what I deem to be failure, I would be kicking a** and taking names.  He thinks that I dread what could possibly go wrong and what the repercussions could be, but he believes that I should become unwaveringly fixated on the rush I would get when I achieve my goals.  Again, another good point.  

Bottom line, I put in too much work to not achieve results.  It sounds so easy to not get stressed before a race...so why, oh why can't I control my nerves?  THAT is the question of my life.   

Moravian XC Alumni Race and Event

Hello!

On Friday evening we had a special Moravian College cross-country alumni race and get-together.  This event was the first of its kind since I have been associated with the college, and it was very much a huge hit among all who attended.

The night started off with a 2 mile race at Monocacy Park, which was the sight of many, many interval workouts throughout the four years spent at Moravian.  We decided to hold the event at this specific location because we knew it would spark old memories of running and training.  Many miles were recorded on the rolling hills that encompass the area.  

Around 6:15 pm, current team members lined up at the starting line to race among new and old alums.  Some were in amazing shape while others did the race for fun.  For some reason, these photos were a little foggy...

And they're off...
 

For me, this was the first time I "raced" since the spring, so I was anxious to feel it out again and see where I was in my training.  My goal was to run as close to twelve minutes as possible.  The first mile felt ok and I went through in 5:59 pace.  The second mile began with a 600 yard uphill trek on grass and I was not feeling so great at that point.  Around a half mile left, my old coach {Mark Will-Weber} pulled up along side of me and I murmured something to him along the lines of "this stinks."  He reminded me that we had less than a half mile to go and at that point, I got my second wind and picked it up to the finish.  I ended up running 12:29...about 29 seconds more than I wanted, and that second mile was a doozy.  After the race, my dad commented to me that my base was there, but my conditioning wasn't.  I know he was correct, so weekly interval and track workouts are on my to-do list.

New Freedom High School head cross country coach...Bobby T. and me.  I love his Freedom shirt...our alma mater!

  
My sister and the kids...

The top three females...Cadee {2012 alum and Bob's assistant XC coach}, Emily Shertzer and me...
 

Payton was ready for the race!

My dad was working the finish line with Jesse...
 

After the alumni run, we held a kids' race and my daughter was sooooo excited to run.  My husband told me that she was mimicking the team's warm-up movements.  She was swinging her leg from front to back and stretching and striding.  He said it was so cute and I wish I would have seen her in action!  She was by far the oldest one in the crew, and she ended up winning.  Everyone was laughing at the end saying that the kids' race was so far...approximately a quarter mile.    

After all of the running at the park, everyone headed down the road for a cook-out at the rented pavilion.  Last week, Jesse, Bob and I went on a Sam's Club excursion and purchased burgers, hot dogs, chips, pretzels, etc.  I made a large green salad and six pounds of pasta salad to accompany the meal.  As a last minute dessert idea, we ordered cookies from Easton Baking Company, a local hole-in-the-wall bakery that has amazing baked goods.  People also brought numerous dessert dishes to add to the sweet selection.  The food was yummy and it practically was demolished.  
 

I put Fred to work at the grill.  He didn't mind because grilling is his specialty.  Plus, it was his way to help out and we all appreciated it.  

Here are Fred and Dustin {one of the track coaches} rinsing their hands in the creek.  At first, I wasn't quite sure what was going on...  

Jesse ordered these {very cool} dry-fit shirts for the top five men and women alumni.  Here are the winners...

It was so great to see my old teammate, Carla!

Jesse and me...

We gave participation ribbons to the kids who completed their race.  They were all so cute!

After the cook-out, we headed to Bob's house for an after-party since the pavilion closed at dusk.  Bob was flipping more burgers as a late night snack and the cookies and chips were a nice treat.  Here are some random pics from the party...

Patrick had his game face on!

  
Jesse and Bob...
 

Bob had a few tricks up his sleeve.  He presented "special" awards to a few select individuals...
 

Alumni...old and new, as well as our old coach!  

Mark got the Oldest Finisher award!
 

Will received the coveted "Most Unimproved..."

Tiff was lucky enough to snag the DFL award..."Dead Freakin' Last!"

And every year, Patrick claims that he will be soon getting in shape.  And every year, he shows up not in shape!  So because he is all talk and no game, he received the "Just Give It Up Already" award. 

 

 

My sister {Tara} and me...

Jesse had a great time putting faces to names at this event.  He did an amazing job pulling it all together!  

  
Having fun with Carla and Cadee!
 

After the night was over, we received many, many positive comments from those in attendance.  This is definitely something that will become an annual tradition and I look forward to connecting with even more alumni in the future!

Have a great Sunday!

 

Decisions, decisions.

So...what shall I do???  I have a few decisions to make by next Saturday... racing-wise. 

Here are my options...


1.  Run another 1,500 meter race in the Greyhound Invitational at Moravian.  I won't have to worry about a slow start since Lauretta may be a rabbit for another runner.


2.  Run a local 5k on the roads.


3.  Run a 5k on the track at that same Greyhound Invite.


4.  Run a 1,500 meter {or mile} time trial this week to prove that I really can run fast!  :)

5.  No race -- just continue training.

I would love to hear any comments or input that you may have....




Also...meet my sister, Tara.  

I spent yesterday afternoon at her house for my nephew's 5th birthday party.  Tara was a great runner in her own right.  She was a several-time Division III All-American while at Moravian, 7th overall in Cross-Country and 3rd in the outdoor 3,000-meter run.  Right now she is recovering from a stress fracture, but hopefully she will be up and running in no time!

Alrighty, time to begin my week.  Enjoy your Monday!

Tracy

Accepting.

It’s been about 24 hours since I stepped foot on the track to run a race that has been embarked in my mind for months.  In a few words…things didn’t go as planned. 

Thoughts have been haunting my brain, feelings have been sifting in and out of my body, and I think I have finally wrapped my head around what exactly happened. 

Here was the scenario.  Yesterday was a brilliant and beautiful Saturday with temperatures in the 60’s.  Perfect weather for a track meet, and even more perfect for my debut.  The track was buzzing, the stands were filled and athletes were perfecting their pre-race/jump/throw routines. 

Me?  I did my warm-up…the same warm-up I do with Jesse every time we workout.  I felt ready to run because I knew my track sessions were good and my base was solid.  However, there was one tiny detail that was missing…my mental game.  

There I was, a 37-year old woman amidst over thirty college-age students and one thought kept going through my mind…”What am I doing here?”  I know this question shouldn’t have entered my mind because physically, I was there.  I was ready to run the time I set out to do.  I knew it, and Jesse knew it.   But mentally, something happened. 

We lined up and the gun went off.  I was seeded 8th in the first of three heats.  My strategy was to hang back in the first quarter or two and let the other girls so some of the work.  I also wanted to go out in 76-77 pace.  With racing, you never know what can happen and we went out at an extremely slow pace of 82 for the first quarter.  The pace picked up through next quarter and I can’t quite remember our 800 split, but all I do remember was something went wrong, mentally.  I ran about another 100 meters and quietly stepped off the track. 

As I said before, a thousand thoughts and feelings went through my mind as I exited the race.  Everything went quiet for a few seconds until I came to grips and understood what I just did, and even more importantly, why?

My first thought was that I disappointed myself, Jesse {since he has put so much time in with me}, and my family because they were all there for support. 

But then, after talking with my college coach {Mark Will-Weber}, he helped me put it all into perspective.  In so many words, Mark told me that I put high expectations on myself, and to be able to just step onto a track after a 15+ year hiatus is tough.  No matter how good a runner is, or how good of shape they’re in, it’s most likely that anyone would need a few track races to get accustomed to running that way. 

Jesse felt that the slow start was a serious mind {you know what} and said that when races begin that way, it’s hard to come back.  {I’m just glad he wasn’t disappointed in me}. 

My dad {who was my high school coach} told me that the road races are waiting for me.  

My husband…he gave me serious props for having the guts to get out there like I did, and told me he loved me anyway.

And my mom {God love her} is always my biggest fan...no matter what.

So after a sleepless night of rehashing yesterday’s events in my mind, I have come to realize one thing.  I will not give up.  One race won’t make or break who I am as a runner, as a person, mom, or wife.  I am not a quitter, I am a fighter, and I will continue to make great strides in my running regimen. 

Today I am taking a day off from running to enjoy my family.  Tomorrow is a new day and my running horizon is bright.  I can promise myself that. 

 

On a positive note…yesterday’s meet was a chance for Moravian College alumni to come back and mingle.  We had an alumni mile, an alumni relay, and a kids’ race too.  Once my race was over, I had a nice time seeing old friends and catching up.  Here’s a sneak peak…

Scot Dapp, Moravian's former football coach and currently the Athletic Director, has always been a follower of track & field and a friend of mine.

An old teammate and fellow national champion and Hall of Fame member, Greg O'Neil.  Tough as nails...that guy!

Another former teammate, Christina Zarnas Donahue.

Old family friend and former teammate in both high school and college, Bob Thear, running the alumni mile.  Love the smile on his face!

Overall, I had a great day.  It feels so good to be a part of the college, and the running program, that had a huge part in making me who I am today.  

Make it a great Sunday!

Tracy

Race Day Checklist.

Race Day! 

• Shake-out run with Lauretta yesterday.  Check.

• Pre-race meal of pasta and protein.  Check.

• Bag packed.  Check.

• Go to bed early.  Check.

• Eat my normal {pre-race} breakfast...with peanut butter, of course!  Check. 

 

• Try not to be so nervous.  Check.

• Go to the bathroom at least five times since rising out of bed.  Check.

Well, that about covers it and I am heading out soon.  All I need to do is show up, discuss the plan with Jesse and run fast...


I'll let you know how it goes.  Enjoy the day!


Tracy



P.S.  Look at the cute card that Lauretta gave me for good luck...

Lauretta is running a 10k tomorrow in preparation for her half in a few weeks.  I just know that she will kick butt!