New Years Day Freeze Your Butt Off 1/2 Marathon

At 6:30 am on Saturday January 1, I dragged myself out of bed. I stood by my alarm clock looking down and the pile of running clothes, back to clock, back to my warm bed, back to my clothes and sighed. I was up, I paid the money for this, I might as well go. Starting the new year off with a DNS would not be a good sign.

After a warm shower, I started putting on the layers of clothing. Tights, shorts, tights, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, thin pair socks, long pair of mid calf socks, shoes...then it was in for a light breakfast. I turned on my iphone to check the weather....3 degrees..."Oh Da@#" I thought to myself. After breakfast which consisted of a protein drink and a PBJ sandwich, I filled my bottles and got the rest of my gear together. I got my jacket, gloves, ski mask, Garmin, ipod and headed for the door. I looked like a walking running clearance rack. Just put in the store window with a sign that says "cold-weather running gear with your own personal runner attached."

I drove to the start of the Marathon Maniacs New Years Day 1/2 Marathon. This was a "bare-bones" event thrown together 3 weeks before. We started from the race organizers house, we timed ourselves, the restrooms consisted of finding a gas station, knocking on someone's door at 8 am, or finding a Honey Bucket along the course (which actually turned out to be pretty frequent).

We met in the garage of the race organizer, signed our wavers, picked up a bib number and a map, and got ready to run. The gun sounded something like "Everybody ready? Let's go.." and we were off. There were no aspirations of a PR (it had warmed up to a toasty 5 degrees), but high expectations that no one would slip and break a leg. After a mile into the race, we veered onto a snow covered trail (not snow packed) for 3 miles. I learned a new pacing technique...run in the foot falls of those who ran before you. It worked surprisingly well.

Somewhere between mile 1 and mile 3 there was a turn off. Myself and two other ladies missed the turn off and ended up 1 1/2 miles farther East than we needed to be. So we turned west and caught up with the route and continued on. The race organizers wife was the mobile aid station. She met the group at mile 4 (which we missed), mile 7 and mile 11. At mile 7, I stopped to get a drink only to discover that the pull caps on my bottles was frozen. The mobile aid station had enough water for everyone so I took off my belt, threw it in the van and got a water bottle.

At mile 7, we were getting a drink when a police officer pulled up behind us and wondered what we were doing. We explained that a group of us had put together our own New Year's Half-Marathon. He just looked at us bewildered and told us we were crazy. I agree...

The miles went by, my layers and layers of clothing paid off. The ski mask worked beautifully, but the moist air when I exhaled traveled up to my face to form icicles on my eyebrows and eyelashes.

The end of the race consisted of us stopping in the driveway of the starting spot and cheering ourselves. We promptly starting taking off layers as we went into the home to fresh homemade chili, donuts, chocolate milk, french bread and yogurt. We all received race medals. In true race fashion, we put the medals on each other. The remaining runners (there were 40 of us total) came it a various times.

All said, my 1/2 marathon consisted of 14.4 miles and 2:16 time which was faster than I thought we would be considering the two aid station stops.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the New Year...ok, well that's not entirely true...but it did feel good to get a long run in with others who enjoy it as much as I do.

New Year's Day Half-Marathon

A few weeks ago, I was mulling over my race plans for the next year and wondering why there wasn't anything more than 5K or 10K's until March. Then the heavens opened and I received a tip via Facebook about a New Years Day Half-Marathon. I checked it out and sent in my check for $15.

It's the first time the event has been held and they are going "bare-bones" this year just to get the word out and cover the cost of the finisher medal. There won't be any official race timing and no aid stations, although they have convinced the city to open restrooms and turn on the drinking fountains at various parks along the course.

On the flip-side to this is the massive snow storm that is occurring as I type. This will be followed by arctic air on Friday and Saturday. Race time temperature will be somewhere around 12 degrees...making for a cold race. My wife told me the other day that she would normally be at the finish to cheer me on, but that this time she's going to pass and she'll be at home with hot chocolate when I come home.

I'm wondering if my choice in races needs some adjustment. I do have cold-weather gear and I go out regularly in the cold, but not when it is that cold.

Despite the weather conditions, I'm excited to be running something more than the 6-10 miles i've been doing on my long runs lately. I also sent in my money so I'm not starting 2011 off by paying for a DNS. I planned on ramping up my training starting in January so this is a perfect start...if I don't freeze.

The Great Shot Blok Experiment: Granola Bars

What better gift than a homemade one? My mother always told me that it was the "thought" that counts not how well it looked or tasted. I think that was her kind way of saying that I should never go into a food related field of study.

My Shot Blok Experiments would probably fall under that category in her mind, but as a runner I consider it a worthy challenge. Besides, what else would I be doing during the winter...?

Homemade Granola Bars (Take 2)
I say take two because I attempted these before with a "chewy" granola bar recipe. I followed the recipe meticulously, yet they could have chiseled down used as shrapnel.

I did another search and came across yet another "chewy" granola bar recipe. The author of this recipe raved about the "chewiness" of this recipe and how they were the "favorite" in her family. I took this as a hopeful sign.

In one bowl I measured out my ingredients.

On a separate cutting board I took out several Shot Bloks.

Interesting note. Shot bloks are much easier to cut into small pieces when they are fresh out of the package. I had a few that had been in a half-opened package that were very hard. 

Also, the recipe called for mixed nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruit. The Shot Bloks became the dried fruit (Crann-Razz flavor). I was out of nuts of any kind except for some Jerk flavored peanuts. I stuck them in a strainer and rinsed them until the water ran clear in an effort to eliminate the Jerk Flavor. They only had a small aftertaste left...I figure that was ok.

I scattered the Shot Bloks throughout the mix and mixed all the ingredients together paying special note to get the Shot Bloks coated so they wouldn't clump together.

After mixing all the dry ingredients, I added Peanut Butter, Corn Syrup and a little water. Then I pressed the mixture into a well-greased baking pan.

The finished result after cooling was this. The dark bits in the granola bar are a combination of chocolate chips and Shot Bloks. The final test came after allowing them to cool. Would I be scheduling a dentist appointment or offering them out to my friends at races? 

My children were noticeably absent when they saw me pull out the Shot Bloks. I guess they have had enough with being the first to taste them.

The Jerk seasoning combined with peanut butter offers an interesting flavor combination. Probably not something I would recommend. The Shot Bloks are still chewy and compliments the chocolate chips that are scattered throughout.

They texture is significantly more chewy that previous efforts, but they do harden up when refrigerated.

I'm going to call this latest experiment a success.

An Emergency Morning

"I was this close (holding thumb and finger close together) to have to call 911." The 911 call would have gone something like this...

911: 911 what's your emergency? (Maybe they don't say this...i've never called)
Me: Yes...I've got an emergency....(almost in tears and breathing rapidly)...I've.. run out of Ho...ot Choc...olate...
911: We're dispatching a team right now. Do you prefer the Swiss Miss with mini-marshmallows or Regular?
Me: (breathing more regularly now)...marsh..mallows...thank you

OR

If this were an OnStar moment it would go something like this:

My phone: Ring, buzz, ring buzz, ring
Me: wondering what the ringing and buzzing is and thinking it's my ears again...oh wait, it's my cell phone.
Me: (breathing shallow and rapidly)..he..ell..ooo....
Onstar: Mr. Hawkes
Me: u...u....I th..ink...you have...oh wait, yeah..that..'sme..not..my dad...
Onstar: We noticed that you're Hot Chocolate emergency supply has run out...is everything ok?
Me: um...you're Onstar and you're calling me about my hot cocoa?
Onstar: Yes sir, it was the optional feature you signed up for last year that you've paying $19.95 extra per month to get....
Me: Wow....well, ok. Yeah my hot cocoa.stash.ran.out.and.its.snowed.and.I.went.to restockanditsall OUT!
Onstar: We've called the Albertsons delivery service and they're on the way. Do you want me to stay on the line with you?
Me: No..I'll be ok..I hear the doorbell now...thank you...


This totally took me by surprise. I knew we were out of the regular supply, but I thought the emergency supply was still in place safely behind the "In Case of Emergency" glass. Costco was out. They didn't even have the crappy Sugar-free junk**

I ran 4 miles yesterday and figured we'd make it through until the weekend.

It was a cold winter's night. Yesterday, the temperature hit 53 degree and I got a good four miles in. Today,  we received 2 inches of snow. It was definitely time to get the Cocoa going for a cold morning after clearing the walks. I went to the garage to get the cocoa and .......

THE EMERGENCY SUPPLY WAS GONE

Good thing we had some Alpine Cider or there would have been a full-on panic.

***It's hot chocolate. Sugar-free? Like no-sugar is really going to make a difference. It's not a health food drink. Like my doctor is going to say, "eat more vegetables and lay off the hot cocoa." It's kind of a no-brainer...hot chocolate is not a V8. 

Reasons to be Thankful

I could have posted this on Thanksgiving but I was too busy stuffing my face enjoying the company of family and an opportunity to relax and gear up for Black Friday shopping.

Do Intervals Pay Off?
ABSOLUTELY. 4 weeks ago I signed up for the local Turkey Trot that someone in our family has run since it started 3 years ago. Last year I was sidelined with an injury and then added a kidney stone to the mix. This was my year to PR in a 5K. The only way I was going to do that was to get faster. I took to the local rec center for a one to two day a week interval or tempo run. The Saturday leading up to the race, the running store that created the race (and who I run with on a regular basis) held a pre-race run to see the course. A few of us showed up and did an easy run to see the course and then 3 of us took off and did one more lap at as close to a race pace as we dared. I finished pretty close to what my previous PR time was which meant that with a little adrenaline a new PR was in sight.

The Saturday before the race, the weather topped out at 40 degrees for the day. The day of the race, the weather topped out a 19 degrees for the day. At 7:30 am as I headed to the start, the temperature was 8 degrees. By race start we had warmed up to a roasting 10 degrees. Needless to say, it was cold, my fingers couldn't decide whether to stay frozen or thaw which meant they hurt the whole race. I had a hard time breathing in such cold weather. I didn't look at my Garmin until 100 yards before the finish. I finished my race in 21:43 which put me a little more than 20 seconds faster than my previous time. I'll take it. I ended up 4th in my age group, 27th overall (out of 700 registered) and a new PR. A great way to start Thanksgiving. Thank you intervals even though I still don't like you much.

Does Turkey Taste Better After a New PR?
ABSOLUTELY. We chose to avoid the cooking, cleaning and just go to the local Chuck A Rama for dinner. We waited for an hour to get into the buffet, but after getting a new PR, I was in such a great mood that waiting in the cold didn't bother me.

Is Watching a Movie on my New TV More Enjoyable After a New PR?
ABSOLUTELY. Setting a new PR makes the world a much better place. So does a Sony 40" LCD tv.

Thanksgiving was fabulous. It would still have been great even if I hadn't hit a new PR, but it definitely made it that much sweeter. Spending time with family and friends, eating good food and getting a tip on where I can pick up on some high quality bathroom and kitchen fixtures for cheap, is what matters. I am now shifting my focus a little to tone up, do some core strengthening and decide what my goals are for 2011. One idea is to do 3 marathons, at least 3 relays and a variety of 5k-half-marathons with a sprinkle of two races I get to direct.

Run Down

With the weather in the low 40s I decided it was time to break out the winter gear and go for a mid-afternoon run while there was a break in the storm. The run itself was uneventful 7.5 miles, but it did feel good to get outside for a longer mid-week run. I'll hit the track tomorrow for some speedwork as I prep for the Thanksgiving Day 5K. I'm looking forward to a new 5K PR. With my relay 5K being in the 23 minute range, my PR of 22:02 is within sight. Getting a PR will mean I am close to my pre-injury strength. I also need to get something better for my head during the cold runs. I generally have a wool blend cap that I wear, but by mid-run my head is boiling while my ears stay cold. I'm thinking one of those ear wraps.

One thing i've noticed is that after a run of more than 5 miles, I am utterly exhausted. I get home from the run and fix myself a recovery drink that has a good protein/carb mix then I shower. After getting dressed I will generally have something light to eat like a hamburger with fries sandwich or a couple nutrition bars and then a regular meal a few hours later. It doesn't seem to matter what goes in, my body is determined to mark the energy tank as empty.

Does anyone else have this problem? I find it difficult to focus on the rest of the day when my body is screaming sleep. Maybe my post-run nutrition is off.

You Know You're a Runner When...

You know you're a runner when . . . you speed up at the sight of a Honeybucket. 

All I can say about my run on Saturday is that for all my complaining and grumbling about all the construction that is going on (seriously, the interstate, the major state rode that goes up by my house, the section of one of my favorite trails, etc..) I was extremely grateful for the abundance of the Honeybuckets.

What have I become? Many years before I started running, I would never believe that I would be writing a blog post praising the Honeybucket brand. It has become a standard at races. It has become a convenient and somewhat cramped changing facility on overnight relays. It saved me a potential embarrassing moment on Saturday's run.

My pre-run routine got thrown off Saturday when I got to drop my wife off to a meeting before meeting up for the run. I was fortunate enough to remember my Garmin and my iPod, but forgot to handle business.

So that's the story. I'm moving into the winter maintenance. I have a 5K coming up on Thanksgiving that I hope to break my 5K PR and end the season with a new PR. The weather last week was in the 60s and this week we're expecting snow. Good thing I got the snowblower prepped for winter and moved from the shed to the garage. I plan on doing more running outside this winter so I'll be out looking for some good deals on winter gear.

Yeah, this post has definitely hit an all-time low in content for this blog.