On the Run: Women Run the D 2015

I swore I would never run this race again after last year.  But when it came down to it, I couldn't turn down a free race entry.  I wasn't exactly looking forward to the race but in the weeks preceding it, I did a few training runs on Belle Isle to mentally prepare for race day.  One was a solo 13-mile tempo run, which was especially good because it gave me the practice of the double loops at race pace.  I've also started to make my peace with running on the island, now that it's become the home of our Be Bold Crew.  

The Be Bold recovery station

Women Run the D is scheduled back-to-back weekends with The Brooksie Way.  A couple days before the race Coach Terra asked me to pick one for my goal race.  Of course that would be Brooksie.  I needed a solid 20-miler the weekend of Women Run the D so we decided I would run that one as an aerobic training run, cross the finish line, and just keep running another 7 miles.  That took off so much pressure for me knowing I was NOT racing this thing but just using it as training!  It would be perfect.  A training run with port-a-potties before and after, water stations, cheering spectators, and a Be Bold recovery station when I was finally done!  

Just the Tuesday prior to the race I had tripped over a construction sign while running before work.  My left knee was scabbed and I had road rash on left thigh.  The real problem, however, was my inner right knee.  It was sore to the touch and a bit painful to walk on.  Somehow running was okay once I got going.  I had taken it easy in the days between the fall and the race with lots of rest, ice, and Ibuprofin the day before.  On race day I took Aleve and got taped up by Coach Stefanie (aka The Dynamic Runner).  I actually felt pretty good.

The race start was moved from the Casino closer to the bridge.  I met up with my RUNdetroit family and the Be Bold Crew.  As usual, the race start was delayed by 15 minutes.  I waited until the last minute to go up to the start line.  After we took off, it was another girl and me at the front behind two lead bikes.  We were side by side until the first turn when the other girl shoved me aside.  She actually pushed me over into the other lane!  I wanted to laugh so hard because A) If you've ever been on Belle Isle you know that the road is very wide.  Certainly wide enough for two small runners to share without the need to push or shove. B) It was just the two of us.  Nobody was even close behind us.  What was she thinking?  C)  I wasn't even racing this thing!  I wanted to shout, "It's all yours!"  She had no idea what a long and lonely race she had ahead of her.  

Instead I thought about what a happy run I was going to have.  20 miles, here I come!  I took it all in.  I waved to everyone on the course.  I thanked all the volunteers.  I said good morning to the spectators and other people out enjoying the day.  Each mile ticked away quickly and easily.  

When I got back near the starting line I saw Coach Terra, Justin and ACE! from RUNdetroit, and some other friends.  I was feeling fantastic!  I continued around to the other side of the island.

Before long I met up with the 5K'ers for the first time.  It's hard because many don't realize that runners are coming.  They are either running slowly or walking, sometime 4-5 across. It makes for quite the obstacle course!  Some of the ladies are more observant than others and I got some cheers and shouts of "You go girl!" along the way when they realized I was a half marathoner.  That was a nice boost.  They made their turn just before my mile 7.

It was at this point I found one of the lead bikers waiting for me.  I was so grateful that she had stayed back.  The next stretch of island was going to be a lonely one, lacking both runners and spectators.  I was grateful for the company!  As she rode she would glance back to make sure her distance was okay and I felt like I needed to keep up.  My own personal pacer!  haha.  When we converged with the 5K runners again she helped get them to move out of my way so I didn't have to weave around them.  Later I saw Justin again and joked that I couldn't get lost in this race!  I even chatted with her here and there but that was hard because it was windy in some spots making it hard to hear each other.

The route was a bit different this year so it wasn't two full loops of the island.  Near the end we made a turn at the Athletic Fields and ran past the old zoo.  This is where Be Bold Mechanics class meets so it felt like home.  As we turned into the final stretch at the finish line, my lead bike pulled off to the side.  I crossed the finish line with the biggest smile on my face.  My friend Jen was handing out medals.  She scooped me up in a huge hug!  Then I ran over to my lead biker and gave her a hug, thanking her for the company. She was wonderful to come back for me!

After that I quick ran to the Be Bold bus where I tossed my water and medal to the Crew and was off and running again.  I maybe stopped running for a minute total.  Then I ran across the bridge, down Jefferson, and picked up the Riverwalk for 3.5 miles before I turned around and came back, completing my 20 miles for the day.

When I got back I got to hear all the happy news from friends who had amazing races.  It was wonderful to celebrate with them!  I was also just in time for the awards ceremony.  I placed 2nd overall.  This year they didn't give free entries again so it will be my last year running it.  I got a cozy blanket, another single medal hanger (I got one last year.  Honestly what do you do with these things?), and a gift card to American Home Fitness.  

Of all my 20-milers, this was by far my best and happiest!  Healthy legs + happy heart = successful training run!  

Time 

1:31:14

Pace  
6:58 min/mile

    

Fuel 

CLIF Mojo - Peanut Butter Pretzel, Banana (pre-race)

CLIF Shot - Vanilla (Mile 5)

   

Tunes 

Turn it Around / Lucius

10th Floor Ghost Girl / Cibo Matto

  Don't Save Me / Haim

 Ex's & Oh's / Elle King

Don't Take My Man to Idaho / Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas
Ship to Wreck / Florence + the Machine 
Birth in Reverse / St. Vincent
Man / Neko Case
Caught Up / Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas
Rattlesnake / St. Vincent
Youth Without Youth / Metric

I Love It / Icona Pop

Hell / Tegan & Sara

Dance Apocalyptic / Janelle Monae

Dead Brains / Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas

Keep Your Head / The Ting Tings

Bulletproof / La Roux

Shake it Off / Taylor Swift

Youth Without Youth / Metric 

Ex-Girlfriend / No Doubt

Shut Up and Drive / Rihanna

Born This Way / Lady Gaga

You've Got Time / Regina Spektor

Kiss With a Fist / Florence + the Machine

Never Go Back / Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

Move Like You Stole It / ZZ Ward

Blood For Poppies / Garbage

All Hands on the Bad One / Sleater Kinney

Water Fountain / tUnE-yArDs

NOTE: This post was about MY run, MY race.  As for the Women's Half Marathon itself, I don't really have a lot of great things to say about it.  

• Expo - Hard to find and underwhelming.  One of the big products/sponsors at expo was NuStep.  I'm not entirely sure why this was at a race expo.  Anyway, don't plan on spending much time at their expo.  You may even want to just get your stuff on race day so you don't have to pay for parking.
• Shirts - Usually the shirts are ultra tiny so I order a medium.  This year they went with a different shirt company so even after being in the dryer on high, it's still too big.  Order true to size.
• Course - While I give them credit for changing up the course a bit, it's still a half marathon on Belle Isle.  That island is good for a 5K or 10K but too small for 13.1 miles.  Some friends had the idea of making it a 15K, which I think would be perfect.
• Organization - By year 3 a race should be getting their stuff together.  Every year it starts 15 minutes late because not everyone is there on time.  By starting late, however, people think they don't have to get there on time.  It's always a delayed start but there's never a clear announcement about the new start time.  Or if there is you don't know because their speaker system is so bad.
• Pink - Everything is PINK!  It's women's race but not all women love pink!
• Port-a-Potties - NOT ENOUGH!  This is a WOMEN'S race.  Women pee.  A LOT.  I'm not sure if this race follows the 1:100 formula but they should probably go with a 1:50 formula.  The lines were super long.  But note that the Casino does have a few restrooms that you can use in a pinch.

One nice thing about the event is free photos.  Race photos can be expensive so it's nice to get them free at this event!  They took them at a few points around the island.

Did you run Women Run the D?  Tell me about your experience!

MOTTEP LIFE Walk Giveaway

For those of you who might be feeling the post-holiday/back-to-work blues, how about a little giveaway on this Monday afternoon?  Today I have another race entry, again courtesy of my amazing friends at RUNdetroit.  

The MOTTEP LIFE Walk 5K/10K takes place on Belle Isle on Saturday July 25th.  The event is a benefit for organ and tissue donation education.  I ran the 10K last year for the first time and loved the experience.  It was a small race, the volunteers were great, and the post-race atmosphere was a lot of fun.  I expect it to be just as awesome this year!  The location was changed from the Casino to Flynn Pavillon.  Course maps can be found here.  

You can find more information about the race on their website.

For a chance to win, leave a comment below telling me why you want to run this race.

Winner will be chosen Friday morning.  Please check the blog on Friday to see if you won.  Good luck!

On the Run: Run with the Cops 5K 2015

In my post last week for the Martian 10k, I wrote about the importance of taking the time to run for others.  Coming back from an injury, it's been nice to ease back into racing by running for fun with friends.  No pressure.  I've also needed more time to work on my speed work safely under the guidance of Coach Terra.

With two weeks of speed work under my belt, I decided it was time to test out the hamstring with a 5K race.  The last few races I'd run with or for others; this one was for myself.  Run with the Cops was a 2015 target race for RUNdetroit Flight Club and RUNdetroit was sponsoring the event.  What better place for my first "official" race of the season?

The race was on Belle Isle.  I parked near the Casino, which ended up being about a mile from the start.  That was perfect because I needed to get a mile warm-up in before the race.  The race was staged in cute little village area outside of the zoo.  Because it was Run with the Cops, the Detroit Police Department was there with horses, cars, and a bomb squad.  It was pretty cool to have all that there before and after the race.  Had I remembered to bring my phone I would have taken some photos!

The 10K race started at 9:30, followed by the 5K at 9:45.  This gave me enough time to do my run drills and be good and warmed up before the race.  I didn't have a pacing plan because I hadn't raced a 5K since, um, March 2014 I think (Mustache Dache doesn't count since I in bad shape post-marathon).  And that was when I was healthy and in my best Boston shape.  I knew I wasn't going to be anywhere near that so I wanted to just go out and see what I could do today.

Want to know what I did?  I ran like a kid in my first race!  I went balls to the wall from the start and slowed down with each mile.  My splits were 6:34, 6:48, 7:00.  Hardly the racing strategy of the pros.  Or anyone who knows anything about racing.  HA!

I was able to keep close to the front of the pack for most of the race.  Around the halfway point I chicked one of the dudes (Captain America - so that felt pretty good).  When I hit mile 2 I finally passed another guy I'd been chasing down for some time.  He'd been running strong so I knew I would have to push the pace to maintain my lead.  I was confident I'd beaten him - until I hit the 3 mile marker and I heard footsteps behind me.  I glanced over my shoulder and there he was!  Seriously??  This guy was good.  He slowly but surely took the lead and that lead steadily grew.  We rounded a corner, turning left into the final stretch to the finish.  Suddenly he had this kick like I've never seen and left me in his dust.  What a finish!  I gave it my all and finished strong - 2rd female and 5th overall.  

Oh happy day - a RUNdetroit gift certificate!

Although my pacing wasn't well-planned, I was happy with my overall time.  Only 1:03 to shave off and I'll be down to my PR.  More speed work to be done - at consistent paces!

I really enjoyed Run with the Cops.  While Belle Isle isn't my favorite place for long races, I think it's great for a 5K or 10K.  The other races I've done have started at the Casino but this started outside the zoo.  It was fun to run the loop starting at a different point.  All the participants were nice and relaxed at the start and very encouraging at the end.  The race supports the For a Day Foundation.  I always love a good race that supports a charity.  

After the race I hung out for a bit while other runners and walkers finished both the 5K and 10K.  There were some sweet old-school jams playing that totally made my day.  Seriously, how can you not love a race that plays MC Hammer at the finish line??  After the rest of RUNdetroit Flight Club finished I picked up a water and banana from a friendly volunteer and then ran my mile cool-down back to the car.  

I recommend this race and hope I'm able to do it again next year!

I didn't get any photos at the race so Brian took my picture when I got home.  I couldn't be happier to be back to racing!

Time 

21:06

Pace 

6:48/mile

Fuel 

CLIF Shot (Vanilla)

Tunes

Violent Shiver / Benjamin Booker

I've Had It Up to Here / Weezer

Shake It Off / Taylor Swift

The Innocent / Mayor Hawthorne

50 Ways to Say Goodbye / Train

Dancing Shoes / Arctic Monkeys

Man / Neko Case