Running Life on Hold

So it's been almost 6 months since my last "race" and it was fun run at that. I've been hampered by injury. It happens to all runners, and I was foolish to think I could avoid it. I guess my luck ran out. I've been rehabbing my leg and I hope to start running again soon. But my physical therapists (yes, plural) say it may be a while. But I'll get there.

SEB Tallinn Half Marathon

I pulled a muscle some weeks back that killed my plans to run the Night Half Marathon in Rakvere and I thought would quash my Tallinn Half plans. But when race day came, I said to hell with it and decided to go for the half.

I'm glad I did. It was a good run for me, even though it was slow. I ran all of it (except for the water stops and some short hills at the end) and my leg didn't bother me at all.

The run itself was well supported. Good water stops, although I was surprised by the fuel they put out: sugar and rye bread. A couple of places had bananas, too.

I was surprised at the smell running along Tallinn Bay. Other people had mentioned it before, but this is the first time I'd really noticed it.

At least there wasn't much running on the cobble stone.

Getting Ready for Marathon Training

This week I actually made it out to a running group session. It was a big crowd, about 12 people, and it was a hill workout with a coach. It was a good for me because it was a lot of exercises that I haven't been doing, such as knee lifts, muscle strengthening and stretching.

It was a tough workout, too. I was so sore and I messed up my calf muscle. You know when you get a charlie horse in your leg? I had that for the entire last half hour of the training session and ended up limping back to the start.

My takeaway: I have a lot of work to make up.

My leg is going to heal this week, but I'll still try and do some short runs very slowly.

I also went to a yoga class today to help with the stretching and the strengthening. I use to poo-poo yoga class, but the one I went to this morning was quite the workout. The teacher was really good about giving the students some individual attention and correcting poses.

A headstand and a bridge. Those are my goals for this year. When I was a kid I could do both as easy as sitting down and by the end of the year, I hope to be able to do both again.

The Highs & Hurts of the Helsinki Half

Sorry for the alliteration. I did want to incorporate "hell" into the title because in some ways it was a hell-ish race for me.  But I'll get to that in a moment.

First the positives. It was a well run race. I loved that I could do packet pick up the morning of the race. It didn't hurt that the race didn't start until 10:30am. It's not my ideal time for starting a race, but considering I arrived in Helsinki around 9:30pm and didn't get to my hotel until around 10pm, I was happy to sleep in and have a "lazy" morning. They had a lot of people on the course making sure you went the right way and groups of people cheering you along. That was very nice. And parts of the course were incredibly beautiful and scenic.

Now the not so great. The race started and instead of taking to the streets, we took to the sidewalks for the first mile. I'm not a fan of that. It turns the event into a large group run and not really a race, in my mind. We ran near the railroad tracks in what was one of the less scenic parts of the course both on the way out and on the way back in. The course snaked through a bike/running path. I'm not a fan of this because, invariably, other people - bikers, other runners, walkers - also use the path. It's my big pet peeve with the Zooma Annapolis. Towards the end, when we got back into the city, they cordoned off part of the sidewalk or running path so runners had it to themselves, but it's not idea in my mind.

But my biggest complaint was the medical tent, or lack there of.

I've been luck and have never needed aid after a run. But my hip has been acting up and during the race it was very painful. By the time I hit mile 10, I knew I wanted to stop at the medical/aid tent for some help: an ice pack, some ben-gay type substance, you get the picture. I crossed the finish line close to 2:37 after I started. There was no tent. I started hobbling looking for it and was told to go to the building. The finish and the building were probably about 750ft - 1000ft away.I went to the building and was told it was at the finish line. I went back to the finish line, where I was told it was near baggage claim. I went to baggage claim and saw a first aid sign, but saw baggage people, not first aid. I asked them and they said it was at the finish. You get to the picture.

By the time I limp my way back to the finish and ask yet another different staffer where the aid station is and am told it's back in the building, I almost have a breakdown. I start getting very bitchy and relate how I've been going back and forth and my leg hurts. By this time, the first guy in the building who told me it was out by the finish has appeared and they huddle and talk in Finnish as I'm in tears. They get a first aid lady to help me. She tells me I probably pulled something and I should sit down. She brings me inside and sits me down and leaves. I sit for about 5-7 mins, trying to stretch and trying to punch or rub the pain away. No go. I get fed up and start limping back to the hotel because I think at least there I can get ice on it. Lesson: never get injured at the Helsinki Half again.

I was supposed to run the Narva half this weekend, but that seems more and more unlikely.

Starting Small

Since the move....well, even before it....my running has been slacking. It really shouldn't since I have half marathon in 3 weeks. Part of the reason is I've finally succumbed to a running related injury: plantar fasciitis. I'm supposed to be doing more stretching of that area. And I try. I'm thinking of getting the night splint to help.

But now that I've gotten over the jet lag, I've done some short runs, usually 3-milers. I will up it to 6 miles next week and 10 the week after. And the week after will be the half.  Even though I've been taking it easy on the mileage, I've been trying to end the run on a hard note. Well, try isn't really accurate. I'm forced to since my temporary home is on the top of the hill. I can run up the cobblestone road. It's a long slow hill.

 

I run up this and then a shorter little hill. But on my loops around the little park at the base of Toompea, I saw some stairs. These stairs lead to the overlook a couple of streets over from the apartment. So, the last couple of little runs, I've been hitting the stairs. I can't run up the entire thing, but I'm hoping by the time I move, I can.

My Last ING NYC Marathon

So, last November I ran what I swore would be my last ING NYC marathon. My training was shoddy but I laced up my sneaks saying to myself, "You will savor your last marathon, you will just enjoy the race." And surprisingly, I did. Very much. I ran most of it. Usually, it's more walking than running by the last 2 miles. But most encouragingly, I saw a lot of familiar faces on the race course cheering me on. It helped.....a lot.

It was an amazing experience. I ran it in just over 5 hours. Had I not stopped for the port-a-potty, I think I could have broken the 5 hour mark.

I qualified for this year's marathon, too, through 9+1. I kept getting the emails saying, "Don't forget you have guaranteed entry." I even got a couple of automated calls reminding me I had to sign up by a certain day. My mind went wandering back to how great that race felt, and of course, my desire to break the 5 hour mark in NYC.

So I did sign up to run another NYC marathon. At least last year was my last ING NYC. This year will be my first TCS NYC marathon.

Running Brooklyn

With the changes going on in my life, I took the last minute opportunity to run the Brooklyn Half marathon. I figured it would be  a nice way to see Brooklyn before I left. For a NYRR race, it was huge. I think there were more than 25,000 runners in the race. They had to set people off in 2 waves. Not surprisingly, I was in Wave 2. It was packed.

Waiting in the corrals at start of #brooklynhalf vine.co/v/bE0E1J0QXzg
— caitlyn kim (@caitlynkim) May 18, 2013

I finally got to cross the start line about 38 minutes into the race. The course went around Prospect Park. This was the green, pretty part of the race, running past some pretty brownstones, and watching people and their dogs playing in the park as thousands ran by. Then came the boring stretch: Ocean Ave. We were on that for about 5-6 miles until we hit Coney Island. I kept waiting to see signs of the beach because then I'd know the finish line was near. Alas, all that running straight ahead never seemed to get us to the beach. Until....finally I could see the boardwalk and then we hung a right and crowds were there and you could see Luna Park and all the rides. We got to run on the boardwalk. It was fun.

GR, MR and I ran it from work. And GM also ran. And even with the large crowds -- and the fact that it took about 20 minutes to leave the finish area -- I was able to meet up with everyone.

My only complaint was getting home from the finish. The subway was packed and it took about 1:15 for me to get home. It only took about 30 mins to get to the start at Prospect Park. Oh well.