running tips

On My First Tri…

Miscellaneous

I paced back and forth on the edge of the beach. My transition area was set up. I knew the courses. My pre-workout and energy gel were taken. My swim cap was on.

The only thing left to do was get in the water and do what I had come there to do – compete and finish my first triathlon.

One hour and 46 minutes later I was crossing the finish line in the pouring rain and listening to my family cheering me on from somewhere near by…

The Swim:

Nerves filled my entire body as I wadded into the water. It was 7:34 AM.

“Three minutes until start for women’s sprint distance!” boomed the announcer on the beach not far away from us.

I made light conversation with a few of the girls around me. I stretched my arms. I adjusted my goggles. I took a deep breath in.

The siren suddenly went off and splashes took off all around me. STAY CALM. I told myself.

I cruised through the majority of the swim, not even winded by the time I finished. I had a few moments of panic around the deepest area of the swim. My foot kicked seaweed at one point and I felt my engagement ring start to wiggle and slide around on my finger. Why didn’t you take your ring off?! I screamed at myself as I struggled to kick away from the seaweed. My mind suddenly flashed down to what could possibly be at the bottom of the lake where the seaweed came from. I thought about how far away from the shore I suddenly was and how no other swimmers seemed to be around me. I felt my heart rate quicken rapidly and my chest grew tight. Suddenly I heard myself say out loud “Come on girl…”  I treaded water for about 10 seconds and it helped calm me down. I jammed my ring on as tight as it would go and I was ready to keep going. I was half way done and I knew I could finish strong. I picked up the pace and swam in. I powered into the shore and swam until my fingers grasped the sand on the beach. I flung myself up and sprinted out of the water. My mind and heart were racing. I had just finished the scariest part of the race. I was back on solid ground. I had survived. My eyes darted around the crowd gathered on the beach for my family, but I couldn’t see them. No time to waste though. I sprinted up the grass and into the transition area.

The Bike:

Transition one took me a few moments to gather myself, try to dry off and get on the bike. I took off feeling the cool air on my wet skin. I was so happy that I had survived the swim that I did the first couple miles at a somewhat easy pace since I was so joyful and relieved. I didn’t drown!

I rode by myself the majority of the first half of the bike ride. Then suddenly out of no where I was getting passed by the half Iron Man distance bikers. I felt like they were celebrities – wizzing by me with high tech bikes and pointy helmets. I tried my best to get the hell out of their way. To them a  rookie sprint distance racer was probably the equivalent of an annoying freshman to a cool senior.

The miles weren’t marked on the bike ride so I had to judge where I was based off the time on my watch. The bike course was filled with rolling hills, while the website boasted it was fast and flat! It wasn’t completely unbearable though and I powered through it with my thighs aching.

The bike ride was beautiful though, especially when the course opened up to view the lake we had just swam in. At 52 minutes I was back in the transition area and I saw my family taking pictures and cheering for me. The fiancé came running over snapping pictures and cheering “Great job babe! We thought you drown during the swim because you were so fast we missed you coming out!”

The Run:

The first five minutes of the run were absolutely brutal. I had done a good chunk of brick training and knew it wasn’t going to be a cake walk, but wow was it tough! I felt like I couldn’t even pick my legs up. Every step was a combined effort just to keep moving forward and not walk. It seriously felt like my legs were made of bricks and I wondered how I had ever run correctly in the past or ever would again.

Eventually, I found my footing and began to run more smoothly.

At mile one, I heard the rain before I saw it and felt it. The run was a down and back course with thick, dark woods surrounding the road we ran on. I heard the rain hitting the trees and it was delayed a few seconds before it started coming down on us. A couple runners around me started cheering and screaming. I started laughing because I knew it was only a matter of seconds before we were all completely soaked. And I was right. A minute later we were drenched and it was pouring down hard. My shoes instantly felt 10 pounds heavier. A lot of runners slowed down, but I tried to power through. I kept a good pace and finished the run in 29 minutes.

“And here comes Cassandra Beck from Chardon, Ohio!” yelled the announcer as I sprinted to the finish line. I heard cheers and saw my family jumping up and down waving at me. It was still pouring down rain and they were huddled under a pavilion nearby.

I had made it. I had survived. I was an official triathlete!

Thoughts On My First Triathlon

The biggest thing that I took away from my first tri was that I was well prepared – and it made a huge difference. I read an entire book about competing for the first time and I searched the internet finding all sorts of helpful newbie tips. I brought everything I needed with me plus doubles of everything. I knew the course. I completed all the training (and then some). I was strong.  I was well rested. I ate right. I knew what to expect and I competed very well – winning first in my age group even. (OK so there was only like three of us, but still!) I aimed to finish in two hours and ended up cruising in with 15 minutes to spare. Despite the rain, I loved every single second of it and in my head I knew that I could have easily competed in the Olympic distance. I rode home in the car in the pouring rain with a giant grin on my face.

I still cannot believe I did it. I already found myself Googling more triathlons in Northeast Ohio to compete it too. Unfortunately, the three big races that I would love to do fall on weekends that we already have plans for. Who knows if I will compete again this summer? It may be too early to tell – but I am already visioning myself competing in the same race next year (The Great Western Reserve Triathlon), but the Olympic distance. The fiancé is giving it some thought too, saying that when he was on the sidelines watching he just wanted to be out there competing too. Who knows what this crazy life will throw at me and what insane dream I will have next. All I know is that I went for something that scared the complete living crap out of me. I got tangled in seaweed, practically peed myself having a heart attack, pedaled through when my quads were about to kill me and I ran through the pouring rain with aching leg muscles screaming at me to stop…and I loved every single flipping second of it.

Sprint distance rookie or Iron Man distance veteran, we are all in this together and I now understand the love and challenge of swim, bike, run!


New year, first half. Literately.

Miscellaneous

January 1st is such a motivating day. I love the fresh start to a new year and the excited buzz around it. I’ve always been a sucker for New Year’s resolutions, too. I think I love the promise of trying to better yourself, making a change, doing something different. (This love for resolutions probably has something to do with the fact that I love Mondays too.) *Pause for astonishment here* I can’t help it, I just love a fresh new start and reinventing yourself.

For the past few weeks or so I’ve been thinking about my intentions for 2013. Now I’ve been working out about four days a week and I feel good. I feel strong both physically and mentally. I’ve always thrown around the idea in my head about the Cleveland Marathon. Now I’m no where near marathon ready, but they also offer a 5K, 10K and half.

I’ve ran five 5Ks, which are always a fun little workout, but in my book it’s just not that big of an accomplishment anymore. After a while I have begun to expect more out of myself. So I threw around the 10K idea. Hmm 6.2 seems legit. The most I’ve ever ran at one time was eight miles, which was during the peek of a really good summer of running two years ago. (I had also just broken up with a really terrible, very bad, no-good guy though, so that fueled a lot of my fire!) So to prove a point to myself, and to basically just be a smart ass, I ran almost 6.5 miles at the gym last week.

workout6Not so smart on my body, but it did a wonder on my head. I was so ecstatic and thrilled at the end of my workout that for a brief moment I had tears in my eyes. It was truly so, so, SO tough. But I wanted to prove to myself that if I could whip out a 10K distance out of no where, than it wouldn’t be that hard on race day….and so, I would HAVE to sign up for the half marathon if I wanted to challenge myself.

So with Christmas money burning a whole in my pocket, I signed up for my first half marathon on May 19th in downtown Cleveland.

regishalfI am a combination of terrified, excited, nervous, worried and thrilled. I have wanted to be a part of a marathon for as long as I can remember, and finally I am making this happen! No more “maybe someday” or “well I’ve always wanted to but…” excuses. My cool $70. 68 will also add as a little reminder that it’s a done deal! And what’s even more exciting, I’ve talked the boyfriend into running it with me! He still has yet to register, but he’s the kinda swell guy that would pretty much do anything I ask him to do. *Pause for eye roll*

I’ve been researching like crazy the past few days. Training schedules, tips, anything. I’ve decided on this 18-week schedule that I found on the marathon’s home page, which puts me for the week of January 13th to get this baby started.

So what do I need to know? What are the best half marathon/training tips? How do you guys stay motivated? What do you do to train/get ready for a half? Any and all advice is welcome!

Something Wicked This Way Comes – A Runner? At This Hour?

Miscellaneous

The other night I offered to be my friend’s designated driver while they enjoyed the bars (and I miserably went to bed since I had to work the next morning.) My friends called me around 1:30 a.m. to pick them up, so deliriously I drug myself out of bed to be an ever-so-dedicated friend. On my way to downtown Kent I saw two runners. What the —

1:30 a.m.?! These people suddenly had the urge to go running right then and there? They couldn’t wait a few hours until morning or have gone earlier? Now I’m a 21-year-old college student, 1:30 a.m. on a school night – normal. 1:30 a.m.  at the bar – regular. But to go running then?

Now I’ve done my fair share of night running lately. Working two jobs this summer, it seems to be the only time on some days that I can fit in a run. Especially with how hot it has been. I have to leave my apartment by 8:15 every morning and I’m not about to get up at 6 a.m. to go. Plus by the time I get back from the office at 6 p.m. it’s still 93 degrees out, so I’d wait until 8 or 9 at night to go. I can justify this.

But 1:30 in the morning?!

You have to wonder did something really tragic happen to these runners that they suddenly felt so distraught that they suddenly HAD to get out of the house and go running?

Who knows. But I did take note on what the runners were wearing – one in neon yellow and one in white. A wise choice for running in the dark. Neither runner had on any sort of reflectors though, which running  at 1:30 in the morning (Especially early Sunday morning when a lot of people/drivers are coming back from the bars) I would recommend wearing some.

These runners remind me of a story my dad told me one time. He’s an aerobics teacher and personal trainer, (along with being a chemist – isn’t he super cool? And no, I did not get any of his smart genes, I hate chemistry) and often heads to the gym at 4:45 a.m. for a 5 a.m. class he teaches. (Seriously, why?) He used to tell me about this lady who he would see running at this time every morning wearing a giant fur parka in the winter.

Now I’m from Chardon, Ohio…the snow-belt of northeast Ohio, and I know how HORRIBLE morning snow storms can get and how horrible the roads are in the morning there. My dad even pointed out the road he would see this lady running down, which has no sidewalks and was poorly lite. But he said every morning this woman was out there running through snowbanks with this giant fur coat on. I got to say props to her, but seriously?

To humor myself I picture her running in a coat like this. (Although this might not be far off from the real deal considering my dad said it WAS a fur parka.)

The Mysterious Fur Parka Runner of Chardon, Ohio

Whoever this abominable parka runner is, kudos to her. Although I would recommend some reflectors. And to the 1:30 a.m. runners – wear some damn reflectors too. Reflectors are not expensive and can save your life. Here are a few starting at $6.99, or pick up some at your local sporting good store.

Some other quick tips for all you night owl runners (or early morning umm…rooster runners? Ya ok, lame.) But here they are:

  • Always run facing traffic when running on the road (or ride with traffic if biking.) 
  • If possible run with someone.
  • Stay in well lit areas.
  • Stay alert.
  • Don’t wear headphones if it is very late out, considering that could be very dangerous depending on your area.

“There are clubs you can’t belong to, neighborhoods you can’t live in, schools you can’t get into, but the roads are always open.”   – Nike

A Runners Injury Update

Miscellaneous

My roommate has shin splints. She’s been running a lot at the recreation and wellness center on campus and she came back from her workout today complaining of pain in her shins.

I’ve gotten shin splints twice in my life. The first time was when I first joined the track team in eighth grade, and the second happened this past summer after I had been training unusually hard for a fourth of July 5K.

shin-splints

shin-splints

I was told by my track coach to do a series of stretches before and after my run to treat shin splints. One stretch was to walk a few feet on my heels, then on my very tiptoes. I do these stretches every now and again when I feel a tightness in my lower shins and I think they make a difference.

But what exactly are shin splints? According to MedicineNet.com, shine splints seem to be the result of inflammation due to injury of the tendon, posterior peroneal. Shin splints can be caused by a sudden intensity of workouts or workout schedule. This makes sense that my roommate has shin splints because she’s been updating me on her running lately, and announced she ran her first mile without stopping just a few days ago. (She’s a smoker, so cut her some slack, actually, don’t cut her slack on the smoking, but she’s a beginning runner – yay!)

I’ve been thinking lately how hard running is on the body however. Shin splints, runner’s knee, hamstring issues, stress fractures. It’s hard work and you put a lot of stress on your body when you’re pounding the pavement.

Here are a few tips that I think every runner should keep in mind when running:

  • Don’t go “too” hard. A lot of runners over-push themselves and go too hard. Don’t over train yourself. Yes, you want to be competitive and don’t take it easy on yourself, but keep in mind that there’s always tomorrow’s run.
  • Be kind to your feet. You should be wearing proper running shoes. They should be comfortable and snug, but also not cutting off the circulation in your feet.
  • Stretch after your run. That’s the best time to help yourself retain muscle memory.
  • Make sure you’re healed. If you’ve suffered from an injury in the past, and you want to get back out there, make sure you are healed and ready to return.

These tips have been a combination of tips I’ve seen on RunnersWorld.com and Active.com. Search for running tips often, as new products, races and studies come out on the dynamics of running.

Do you guys have any running tips that have really made a difference?