I think by now it should be fairly obvious that I have a mental illness that makes me pay money to wake up at an obscene hour and run 13.1 miles. Whatever, I'm pretty sure they don't have therapy for that, except physical therapy :)
Well, I can honestly say this was one of my worst races, and it was kind of a combination of several things that made it so.
First, we had to wake up at 3:20 to catch the last bus at 4:30. Uh....what kind of joke is that? Basically I took a three hour nap because I am physically incapable of sleeping well the night before a race.
Me and Shantelle (my amazing roommate) caught the bus and made it to the starting line with about an hour to go before the 6 a.m. start. I don't mind early starts at all, it was gorgeous having the sun come up behind us as we ran.
As we were waiting to start, I had one of those "oh crap I can't believe this is happening" moments when I realized that I forgot my gels!! My mint chocolate GU's were sitting in my bag that I had already dropped off in the clothing drop truck, and it would have been impossible to find it among all the other bags. I basically had a rant along the lines of "I should just quit now" and "my whole life is ruined" ect, ect. I mean, isn't the cardinal rule of racing is to NEVER try anything new on race day? I'm pretty sure running without gels falls under that category. Even though the race supplied gels at mile 6, I knew that wouldn't be enough. I usually eat mine at miles 4.5 and 9. To make up for it, I ate every orange and drank every cup of powerade I could get my hands on. Turns out that wasn't enough...
Me and Heather decided to stick with the 2:10 pacing group, as I had just run a 2:10 in April and I figured I could do it again. Uh, I was way wrong about that. Turns out the pacing group kind of sucked and they started out at like a 9:30, when the sign they were carrying said in big letters "9:55 PACE". I lost them by mile 3. Big surprise. Yet another mistake of this race was starting out too fast, much too fast. There wasn't so much of a half mile warm-up pace or anything! No wonder I crashed towards the end...
Not even a mile in, my shins started killing me, like they were screaming at me to stop. And I was like, hey shins, you need to grow up, k? This is really immature of you. Who do you think you are, ruining my race that was, by all accounts, ruined already? Around mile 3 I had to stop and stretch them out, and after that they felt a little better. A thought struck me that maybe my shoes were done and ready to be retired? I know from experience that old, worn-out shoes can cause random aches and pains. Then I remembered that I had bought these in October, and since then they have been through training and running of 3 half marathons!! I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of this earlier, and now I was running a race with worn-out shoes and probably doing more damage than I would otherwise. Oh well, I'm in the middle of a race, what am I gonna do? That's right, keep running.
Well, when I say running, I really mean "running for about a half mile and then walking for a minute and then attempting to run again and failing miserably". Honestly though, besides my full marathon last summer (and St George marathon in 2009) I probably walked the most in this race than any other. The combination of achy legs, low energy, and less-than-ideal training really threw my body for a loop. But you know what? There's bound to be a bad race now and again, and there's always another one to look forward to, so I'm not worrying over this one.
I ended up finishing with a truly astounding time of 2:16:03 (easy on the sarcasm, now!). Kind of a joke, really. Seeing how my very first half marathon (in 2010) was a 2:17, this was pretty sad. Ha ha. But you know what? This race was truly a learning experience for me!
1. Make sure your training doesn't suck.
2. Make sure your shoes aren't dead.
3. Double and triple check and you have everything before you drop your bag off at the start.
4. Don't start out too fast!!!
5. NEVER try anything new on race day.
6. Lay off the junk food. Seriously. I didn't mention this but I think I'm carrying a couple extra pounds than I was in April, which can make a huge difference.
7. Maybe 5 Guys Burgers the night before wasn't the best idea? But it sure was delicious!!
Next on the running agenda-
Top of Zion relay in southern Utah. Same setup as Ragnar. So stoked! June 29th-30th. Check it out here.
Big Cottonwood Canyon half marathon, September 22nd. Check out this elevation map. Isn't that just a PR waiting to happen?!
Between those two races, I'm going to be working a lot on speed and hills. I think it is time to step it up from being a mediocre runner who just wants to finish each race to actually becoming a competitor.
Excited for things in store!
Monday, June 11, 2012
That Sneaky Cookie
So yesterday as I was downing several cheese crisps (or quesadilla if you think you're more cultured than the rest of us) with my beloved Cholula sauce, I realized that I had eaten the same meal every day for a week. Yikes. So, I made the decision to forego the cheesy goodness for a couple weeks and completely over haul my diet. That means no more eating out, no more junk food, no more mindless eating.
That lasted until approximately 10 o'clock this morning.
I walked out of our tiny bathroom (I think it's about 4 foot square?) and there, on my roommate's desk, was a half eaten white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. You know, the kind with the giant white chocolate chips? Well, I literally stopped in my tracks and stared it down. I had a mental battle with this cookie. Did I really need the cookie, right then and right there? First of all, it wasn't even mine. Second of all, it hadn't even been a day since I decided no more junk food. Third, I think it had been sitting there for a while, so it was probably stale.
Oh, who am I kidding? I ate that cookie in about three seconds. Then I sent my roommate this text:
"There was a piece of cookie on your desk. I came out of the bathroom and it was staring me in the face...it didn't stand a chance. Sorry. I'll buy you another one."
Good thing my roommate loves me.
Also good news? The rest of my day has been healthy, and I plan on running tonight, so no harm done!
That lasted until approximately 10 o'clock this morning.
I walked out of our tiny bathroom (I think it's about 4 foot square?) and there, on my roommate's desk, was a half eaten white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. You know, the kind with the giant white chocolate chips? Well, I literally stopped in my tracks and stared it down. I had a mental battle with this cookie. Did I really need the cookie, right then and right there? First of all, it wasn't even mine. Second of all, it hadn't even been a day since I decided no more junk food. Third, I think it had been sitting there for a while, so it was probably stale.
Oh, who am I kidding? I ate that cookie in about three seconds. Then I sent my roommate this text:
"There was a piece of cookie on your desk. I came out of the bathroom and it was staring me in the face...it didn't stand a chance. Sorry. I'll buy you another one."
Good thing my roommate loves me.
Also good news? The rest of my day has been healthy, and I plan on running tonight, so no harm done!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Most Embarrassing Moment
A conversation in school about embarrassing moments reminded me of this story, and believe me, it's a keeper!
This happened shortly before my brother went on his mission. I had set out for an easy run, no more than 4 miles or so. As I was running back toward the front of my neighborhood (in Gilbert), I saw my brother's old blue "Mexitruck" pulling out of the street. So, me being me, I ran up to the truck, banged on the hood like a madwoman, and flipped him an enthusiastic double bird (in typical Clouse fashion).
My brother was not driving the truck.
In fact, the man driving the truck was somebody I had never seen in my life. And there was what looked like a young boy in the passenger seat.
That moment of panic when I realized I had just royally offended a complete stranger sent me running in the opposite direction as fast as I could. If my face wasn't red from running, it sure was now. To make matters even worse, he ended up turning in the direction that I was running and so passed me running wildly down the street. I'm not sure if I was hysterically laughing or just simply freaking out....
A couple of minutes later, I returned back home and looked for my brother to ask him who the heck was driving his truck?! My dad, over hearing, piped in that the mechanic had come to pick it up.
As I told them what had happened, they began to laugh so hard that both were on the floor with tears streaming down their faces. My dad couldn't get any words out, except he kept gasping over and over, "You can't make this stuff up!!" I stood there with shame and embarrassment and finally couldn't help but to join in laughing.
To my horror, my dad promptly called the mechanic and said joyfully, "So, i heard you met my daughter?" The mechanic said he was shocked (as was his 6 year old son, who I'm sure is scarred for life), but that he wasn't too offended because after all, I am a Clouse and Clouse's tend to do crazy things like this.
So in the end, no harm done, and my dad was right, you cannot make this stuff up.
This happened shortly before my brother went on his mission. I had set out for an easy run, no more than 4 miles or so. As I was running back toward the front of my neighborhood (in Gilbert), I saw my brother's old blue "Mexitruck" pulling out of the street. So, me being me, I ran up to the truck, banged on the hood like a madwoman, and flipped him an enthusiastic double bird (in typical Clouse fashion).
My brother was not driving the truck.
In fact, the man driving the truck was somebody I had never seen in my life. And there was what looked like a young boy in the passenger seat.
That moment of panic when I realized I had just royally offended a complete stranger sent me running in the opposite direction as fast as I could. If my face wasn't red from running, it sure was now. To make matters even worse, he ended up turning in the direction that I was running and so passed me running wildly down the street. I'm not sure if I was hysterically laughing or just simply freaking out....
A couple of minutes later, I returned back home and looked for my brother to ask him who the heck was driving his truck?! My dad, over hearing, piped in that the mechanic had come to pick it up.
As I told them what had happened, they began to laugh so hard that both were on the floor with tears streaming down their faces. My dad couldn't get any words out, except he kept gasping over and over, "You can't make this stuff up!!" I stood there with shame and embarrassment and finally couldn't help but to join in laughing.
To my horror, my dad promptly called the mechanic and said joyfully, "So, i heard you met my daughter?" The mechanic said he was shocked (as was his 6 year old son, who I'm sure is scarred for life), but that he wasn't too offended because after all, I am a Clouse and Clouse's tend to do crazy things like this.
So in the end, no harm done, and my dad was right, you cannot make this stuff up.
Busy busy busy.
This weekend is probably going to be the busiest of my summer so far. Let's take this through day by day...
Thursday: I have my first practical midterm. Haven't studied for it much yet. Since it's hands on stuff I actually have to know how to do it for clinical use too. Good thing I enjoy it!
Friday: my roommate Jaclyn's wedding luncheon and reception. Also packet pickup for the race on Saturday.
Saturday: get up at 3:30 for the Utah Valley half. Yeah I know, that's an obscenely early time! But they have to get all the buses up there super early for some reason. Whatevs. Then I get to run the race! Yay!! I love half marathons so much. This one should be a really good one, stay tuned for recap!
The rest of Saturday (after I sleep off my race) will consist of studying for my midterms next week and writing my talk for Sunday. Haven't talked in church for over a year, so I'm a little nervous! Then that night I have another wedding reception to go to.
Sunday: talk in church. Hurray. Study the rest of the day for my two midterms and a quiz on Monday. Yikes.
Now I know all this doesn't seem like much but when I have more stuff going on than normal I tend to go a little crazy. Keep in mind that every spare minute I have is going to be spent stressing over studying for midterms, writing my talk, and surviving a half marathon on minimal training. And even when the weekend is over, the stress is not! School next week (and possibly the week after) is going to be a wild time! My teachers like to attack us all at once with tests and projects. It's so wonderful.
Now, not is all bad! I'll still get to see two of my roommates marry their EC's (eternal companion in Utah talk) and live happily ever after. I get to finish yet another half marathon, my third since October, something that not everyone can do. I get to enjoy the beautiful Utah summer weather. There are so many things I'm blessed with that I think I can put up with a couple busy weekends every once in a while!
On another note, I signed up for another half in September. I think I have an addiction.
Thursday: I have my first practical midterm. Haven't studied for it much yet. Since it's hands on stuff I actually have to know how to do it for clinical use too. Good thing I enjoy it!
Friday: my roommate Jaclyn's wedding luncheon and reception. Also packet pickup for the race on Saturday.
Saturday: get up at 3:30 for the Utah Valley half. Yeah I know, that's an obscenely early time! But they have to get all the buses up there super early for some reason. Whatevs. Then I get to run the race! Yay!! I love half marathons so much. This one should be a really good one, stay tuned for recap!
The rest of Saturday (after I sleep off my race) will consist of studying for my midterms next week and writing my talk for Sunday. Haven't talked in church for over a year, so I'm a little nervous! Then that night I have another wedding reception to go to.
Sunday: talk in church. Hurray. Study the rest of the day for my two midterms and a quiz on Monday. Yikes.
Now I know all this doesn't seem like much but when I have more stuff going on than normal I tend to go a little crazy. Keep in mind that every spare minute I have is going to be spent stressing over studying for midterms, writing my talk, and surviving a half marathon on minimal training. And even when the weekend is over, the stress is not! School next week (and possibly the week after) is going to be a wild time! My teachers like to attack us all at once with tests and projects. It's so wonderful.
Now, not is all bad! I'll still get to see two of my roommates marry their EC's (eternal companion in Utah talk) and live happily ever after. I get to finish yet another half marathon, my third since October, something that not everyone can do. I get to enjoy the beautiful Utah summer weather. There are so many things I'm blessed with that I think I can put up with a couple busy weekends every once in a while!
On another note, I signed up for another half in September. I think I have an addiction.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)