2018 Race Learnings

2018: It's been a year.  If I had to pic one race picture that sums up the year for me, this would be it:

Seriously, 2018?  WTF.

Between work craziness and training through my left butt injury and lots of travel for races and family things, 2018 has been a bit of a stressful whirlwind.  But as with any year like this, sometimes you have to have these years so you can learn from them and make the next year even better. Each race this year taught me something, whether that something is about my training, my life, or about myself.  Let's take a look at these learnings, shall we?

Race #1: The Cowtown Marathon 

Race Overview: The hills and the crabbiness just kept on coming.  But running through the stockyards and downtown Ft. Worth was totally cool until they shunted us marathoners out to the hilly subdivisions to get in our mileage.

Race Learning: This was the marathon that made me start thinking that I was perhaps overtraining..my legs felt heavy by mile 14.  And made me think I needed a LOT more hill training since those hills pretty much beat me up and then pinned me to the ground the entire race.


Race #2: Glass City Marathon

Race Overview:  This is the race I was supposed to race - that I trained for.  I was utterly disappointed that I was toast by the halfway mark and knew I wouldn't be anywhere near hitting my goal time.  This was still a nice race and mentally I didn't start to enter whining mode until around mile 23 or so.  How could I not have fun running on those awesome tie-dye shoes?

Race Learning: More thoughts of overtraining rippled through my brain, along with the fact that my training itself wasn't up to snuff during that last cycle - adding thoughts of marathon burnout to the mix.  But I also learned that running in purple capris and tie-dye shoes is pretty amazing.


Race #3: Flying Pig Marathon

Race Overview: The usual - hilly hilly hilly uphill to the top of the river valley and then down down down the valley and flat to the finish while running through some quaint sections of Cincinnati.

Race Learning: I knew I wasn't going to race this one (did I mention how hilly this race is and that I did not do any hill training?), so no race learnings this time around.  Instead, I learned how much fun it was to have the hubbs and the pups along with us, as he came down to do the 2-mile Flying Fur run/walk they have for people and their furry companions.  I usually fly solo when on racing trips, so it was nice to have a buddy along for once when trotting (or being dragged by a dog, in our cases) down the race course.

Race #4: Muncie Olympic Distance Duathlon

Race Overview: 5K run, 26 mile bike, 10K run on a course full of rolling hills.  Man, I have to start racing in flatter areas.  Why do I keep punishing myself with hills? (Answer: Because I am a moron.)

Race Learning: Mainly I learned I had a LOT more training to do on the bike to get to 56 miles so I could actually survive the half duathlon I signed up for in June.  And that I enjoyed wearing a tri suit for a duathlon.


Race #5: Ragnar Northwest Passage

Race Overview: My 20th Ragnar.  Gorgeous views, nice runs (except for those two hills that were really mountains on my last run), I got to ride a ferry after the race was over, and I got to meet a ton of great new people.  Too bad I couldn't escape to Canada when I had the chance.

Race Learning:  Even after 20 Ragnars, they never get old to me.  It's my number one way to de-stress (I told you, I'm a moron), and they help make an individual sport a team one.  I've made a lot of great new friends because of these crazy overnight relays.  I'll stop now before these things called "feelings" come out.


Race #6: Tough Mudder Chicago

Race Overview: Two friends and I decided to get dirty and do the Tough Mudder that was happening pretty near my house.  It was a great muddy time (especially since it had thunderstormed the night before), with some pretty tough but doable obstacles (except for the swing rings...my shoulder was having none of those). 

Race Learning: When one has eczema, one should not jump around in filthy mud and water for 10 miles unless one would like a nasty eczema outbreak that lasts for MONTHS.


Race #7: Muncie Half Duathlon

Race Overview: Two 10K runs sandwiched on either side of a 56 mile bike ride.  Delayed by fog, left butt injury + eczema flaring up, wanting to quit after the 2nd loop of the bike course....good times, kids.  And by "good times" I mean "don't let that smile in the pic fool you I was GLAD THE PAIN WAS OVER"

Race Learnings: It's time for a serious learning, kids, that should be followed by a "the more you know" rainbow--this is the race that taught me not to give up no matter how badly I wanted to quit.  The hills on the bike course were wearing me down, and if my husband had been at the start of that third loop (he came with me for this race too - yay!) I would have gotten off the bike and melted into a crying mentally broken mess.  But he wasn't (he's always not there when I need him to be), so I pushed through and finished that damn race.  I got to experience what it was like to have the course torn down before you were even finished, too, making my finish all that much sweeter to me.  When I got off the bike I already felt like I had won, so it didn't matter to me how fast I ran that last 10K (which ended up being not very fast at all since my left foot decided to join my left butt in vocalizing misgivings about my racing habit).  Never have I felt more accomplished at a race where I was so slow.

*cue rainbow*


Race #8: Twin Cities Marathon

Race photos this year: BUH

Race Overview: Didn't race this one this year because my left butt injury was really nagging me, but the weather was on the cool-ish side so it was nice weather to run a race I didn't really race.  26.2 miles of great crowds and random strangers giving me food, as per usual.

Race Learnings:  I ran the first half of this race with the 5 hour pacers, who were doing a run/walk which was fine with me.  But I lost them when I had to stop and go to the bathroom at mile 13 or so, so I decided to run fast to catch up with them...which made me realize how good I felt, so I just ran the back half at a nice clip to the finish.  This made me realize how good you feel if you don't start too fast, which is what I often do (again, please see the "I am a moron" part of this post).  I also learned this is what NOT to do if you want your left butt injury to heal.


Race #9: Marine Corps Marathon

Race Overview: Me the whole time: WHERE ARE ALL THE MONUMENTS AND STUFF I NEED TO TAKE SELFIES WITH THEM

Race Learning: Review the course map ahead of time so you know exactly what miles the cool monuments and stuff start (mile 17-ish) so you're not ready to see them by mile 10 and keep getting more and more bummed each mile.  Also, do not run in new slippery socks, thereby wearing yourself out by the halfway point and have your calves screaming obscenities at you by mile 20.


Race #10: BMW Dallas Marathon

Race Overview: Hills (WHY) and more hills, but you do get a great route through downtown Dallas and out to White Rock Lake and back.  Not as much crowd support as Twin Cities, but hey-donuts at mile 23, my friends.  I wasn't racing this one because of left butt injury, so I sat back and enjoyed the scenery.  And the donuts.

Race Learning: Two learnings on this one: 1) I am definitely overtrained, as my legs were dead from mile 4 and kept getting deader and deader.  This made me re-think the marathons I am doing in 2019, dropping to the half marathon in every one except for my goal race, obviously.  2) Always eat a donut offered to you during a race.  Always.


10 races this year with little recovery in-between?  No wonder my legs are in all-out mutiny.  I'll save my plan for righting that running wrong in my next post.  Until then, feel free to share any race learnings you've had over the years and enjoy what's left of 2018 - see everyone on the flip side.