Race 13 of 40 - Let's Move Festival of Races

Lucky #13!!! My 13th race of 2013 was 13.1 miles, my first half marathon of the year. My training for this was...inconsistent.  Running in Michigan in January/February/March (and this year, even April) can be challenging to say the least. It was bitter, bitter cold and running got derailed a few times. I slipped on some ice in February and twisted my knee; lost about 2 weeks. I had some foot pain after the Martian 10k and lost another couple of weeks.

Regardless, I was determined to run this in less than 2:30 hours. I spent a lot of 2012 nursing a sore quad and "ran" two half marathons in about three hours each. So I was running this in less than 2:30 if it killed me. I followed a training plan on runkeeper.com and I think it was a very effective plan! My training was inconsistent, but that was not a fault of the plan.

The race itself: I ran with my cousin Melissa (who also seemed to have some focus issues before the race) and Ashleigh, who has been rocking in her training and needed a new challenge. So she was a late entry and ran her very first half and kicked butt!!

This race was run in downtown Mt Clemens and was a very nice route. Nice and flat. Mostly on city streets, but also through a Metro Park.

Now, as far as my goal of 2:30, my plan according to runkeeper.com:
Miles 1-3 run in 11:40/mile
Miles 4-11 run in 11:20/mile
Then run the last 2 miles as fast as you can

Sharry's reality: run 11 miles averaging 11:00/mile. Then the wheels will come off; crawl the last 2 miles.

I felt SO fantastic for 11 miles. Then...my foot started to hurt. My legs felt like jello. It was a struggle, to say the least. However, my finishing time was 2:28!! I *just* made it. But I did it! I ran in less than 2:30!!

After we finished, we collected our finishers medals and celebrated with some post race beer and a big, fat lunch! As it turns out, we again completely failed in the photo department. We kept talking about how we needed to take pictures, but we never did. :'(

Race 12 of 40 - Run with the Cops, Not from Them

I've been slacking on my blog!!! I've run three races without blogging. Tonight's gonna be a busy night!

So let's start with a fun little race on Belle Isle, called Run With the Cops, Not From Them. This was a charity race, raising money for the For a Day Foundation, which provides free parties and goes to kids with life-threatening illnesses in Metro-Detroit. So right there, the registration fee is going to a great cause.

The race itself was pretty low frills. Which, honestly, is to be expected from a fundraiser. The money should go to the charity, not medals.

I ran this with a new friend, Marcela. We met on a new Facebook group that I started: the Southeast Michigan Runners. (More on that later) Marcella and I have very similar paces; it was fun!!

As far as the organization of the race, the people in charge did a great job. Several follow-up emails before with last minute details. As well as plenty of reassurance that there were extra safety measures in place - this was the weekend immediately following the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Not that I considered NOT running out of fear after Boston, but still nice to know they were taking extra precautions. There also was a banner at the finish line that we all signed in support of Boston runners. After the race, this banner was sent along to the Boston Athletic Association.

The race route was excellent - all around and through the island. My only complaint - the wind. Especially at the end. If the race organizers could make it less windy on the island, that would be greatly appreciated. ;)

So back to our new Facebook group. It seemed like shortly before and after the Corktown Race, there were a lot of runners posting on the Corktown page about upcoming races, training, etc. Clearly there was a need for a runner's group. So the Southeast Michigan Runners (SEMR) was born. We have a very nice group of people and we're slowing meeting up and getting to know each other. We even have t-shirts and bumper stickers. If you're a runner in the Southeast Michigan area, find us on Facebook. We're a fun group; all are welcome!

Gotta give a photography credit for actual race photos to Marcela's husband, Jorge.

Probable Third Quarter

I'm not registered for all of these yet - but here's how thing are shaping up for July - August - September:

7.4.2013 - Firecracker 5k - Ann Arbor

7.13.2013 - Run Drugs out of Town 10k - Fraser

7.20.2013 - Escape to Belle Isle 5k/10k - Belle Isle

7.27.2013 - Warrior Dash

8.10.2013 - Run thru Hell

8.17.2013 - Gladiator Rock N Run

8.24.2013 - The Crim - 10-miler

9.7.2013 - Run Woodstock - 5-miler

9.22.2013 - Detroit Women's Half Marathon and 5k - 5k 

9.29.2013 - Brooksie Way half marathon

Race 11 of 40 - Martian Invasion of Races 10k

After a weekend off, I was back at it yesterday for the Martian Invasion of Races in Dearborn. This one is one of my favorites this year so far. It's a huge event! In additional to the usual 5k and 10k, they have full and half marathons as well. I was really torn before registration; I wasn't sure if I wanted to run the half or the 10k. In the end, I chose to run this 10k and the half marathon in Mt. Clemens which is in two weeks.

I ran this 10k last year, but I wasn't exactly healthy at the time. In fact, this race in 2012 really marks the start of a pretty rough period. I was having some quad soreness in the weeks before this race, nothing that felt serious, but it still didn't feel all that great. I ran/walked it and felt a bit of pain during and after the race. Nothing too alarming, but it *did* hurt. I stretched a lot after, but on the drive home, my quad completely locked up and I wasn't able to walk comfortably for days afterwards. And that quad injury nagged me for pretty much the entire year. I didn't really feel well again until almost November. Sure, I've run other 10Ks this year, but to enter this race in 2013 while feeling healthy...it felt like a bit of redemtion.

Becky ran this with me, as well as Veronica, a friend from high school. And just like with Nicki in the Shamrock & Roll, Veronica and I really pushed each other the entire way. It was SO fun!! I felt so good the entire race. Plus...medals!!!

This was the first of three race weekends. Next Saturday is a smaller one that I've never done before - Run With the Cops, Not From Them (10k) on Belle Isle then the Let's Move Festival of Races half marathon on the 27th. I also have the Honolulu virtual 5k which needs to be run on or before the 28th. THEN - I get a bit of a break - I'm heading to L.A. for a weekend. And NOT running while I'm there. :)

Second Quarter Races

I'm currently registered for eleven race for April - May - June. Here's the plan:

4.13.2013 - Martian Invasion of Races 10k - Dearborn - DONE!

4.20.2013 - Run With the Cops, Not From Them 10k - Belle Isle -DONE!

4.27.2013 - Let's Move Festival of Races Half Marathon - Mt Clemens - DONE!

4.28.2013 - Honolulu Virtual 5k - DONE

5.11.2013 - Color Run 5k - Ypsilanti - DONE

5.19.2013 - Back to the Beach 10k - Stoney Creek - DONE

5.27.2013 - Memorial Day 10k - Novi - DONE

6.1.2013 - Rainbow Run 5k - Ferndale

6.2.2013 - Dexter- Ann Arbor Run 10k - Ann Arbor

6.8.2013 - Kona Run 10 Miler - Northville

6.16.2013 - Plymouth YMCA Father's Day Run 10k

Total race mileage: 63.4 miles

Last night, on a whim, I registered for the 10k for the Plymouth Father's Day Run. So I actually will be running 11 races for the second quarter. This will give me a chance to take more time to focus on the two half marathons that I have coming up in September and October. The plan as of now is 11 races in the second quarter, 9 in the third.

First Quarter - DONE!

Three months into 2013 and I have completed ten races. 25% done! These are the races that I ran:

1.1.2013 - Commitment Day 5k - Detroit

1.12.2013 - PoHo Hot Cocoa 8k - Port Huron

1.27.2013 - Polar Bear 5k - Okemos

2.3.2013 - Super Bowl 5k - Novi

2.9.2013 - Paczki Run 5k - Hamtramck

2.10.2013 - Riverview Winterfest 4-mile - Riverview

3.10.2013 - Corktown 5k - Detroit

3.17.2013 - Shamrock & Roll 10k - Plymouth

3.24.2013 - Run du Nain Rouge 5k - Detroit

3.30.2013 - April Fool's Run 10k- Clarkston

The loot: one AWESOME Nike pullover, two short-sleeved tech shirts, one long-sleeved tech shirt, three t-shirts, two hats, one pair of gloves, one pint glass, two medals.

Total race mileage: 39.96

Races 9 & 10 Run du...April Fool's...?

I'm doing just one blog post for races 9 & 10 because there's just not a lot to say about either one of these. Also, I'm just feeling...well...tired and lazy.

Race 9 was the Run du Nain Rouge 5k in Detroit. This was a race that coincided with the Marche du Nain Rouge, an annual parade to rid the city of Detroit of the evil red dwarf. The 5k itself was put on by the same people that did the Paczki Run, back in February. Jeez, that feels like it was forever ago! Once again, they did a very nice job organizing this race. It was pretty no frills, not even a water stop along the route. But it was a nice route. I did NOT stick around for the actual march later. It was cold, there was a long time between the two, and I was by myself. And going to a parade alone just seems sad. I put this race in the same category as the Riverview Winterfest Run - nothing really wrong with it, but I don't see myself doing it again.

Race 10 was the April Fool's Run 10k in Clarkston, my hometown. :) I'm not gonna lie, this one was a struggle. It was early, it was cold, it was far away. (I'm from Clarkston, but I don't live there anymore) In fact, when I woke up yesterday morning, I seriously considered skipping it. But I was determined to complete the first part of this quest for 40 and this was my last chance to get ten races in the first quarter. So I dragged myself out of bed and hauled my butt north.

The race didn't start well. I just wasn't into it. The route was...odd. And not well marked. There was one section that went through a park and the 5k people took a right and the 10k people went straight to run an additional portion, then loop back and meet up with the 5k people again. Well, the route met back together on a narrow trail and I wound up getting stuck behind some women walking the 5k and it was a struggle to get past them. There also were a couple different portions where the route crossed over each other. Literally crossing over each other. I'm not THAT concerned with time and pace, but I care enough that these things were more than a little annoying.

So I'm running along, not really enjoying myself that much, when something wonderful happened. I was about fours miles in and I caught a glimpse of a woman and she was right on my heels. At first, I was annoyed. Again, I just wasn't feeling it yesterday. I wanted her to just pass me and get off my heels. But then it turned into a game. All that mattered for the rest of the race was NOT letting her pass me. All of a sudden, it got real. So I picked it up for the last two miles. She pushed too. And pushed me right along with her. But she didn't catch me. So what started as a nice, easy (and, let's be honest, grumpy) training run turned into a two mile RACE. It was a blast.

The April Fool's Run didn't start well but ended up being really fun. Although, because of drive to get there, the issues with the route, etc, I really don't see myself doing this again. I ran it because it fit nicely into my schedule and I need forty! But this isn't one I'll do again.

So there it is - 10 races in three months. Now...to do this three more times! I get a weekend off next weekend. It's Tigers' Opening Weekend and NOTHING is going to interfere with THAT! In April, I have the Martian Invasion of Races 10k in Dearborn, Run with the Cops Not from Them 10k on Belle Isle and....dun dun DUUUUN...the half marathon for the Let's Move Festival of Races in Mt Clemens. Something I realized this week is that my 13th race of 2013 will be a half marathon (13.1 miles). I swear, I didn't plan that!

Happy Easter, yo!