10k Turkey Trot- New PR!

Every Thanksgiving since 2009 D and I have done the Thanks-4-Giving race in Lowell. The first year I did the 5k last year was 10k and this year 10k again. I have gotten to know the course very well since I have run these races on it and the New Years 10k and all the Lowell Triathlons are on a similar route.

Earlier in the week I wrote down my course PR and my 10k PR on a post it in my office and calculated the pace I would want to go if I wanted to break either. First goal: beat course time of 1:05:14 Goal 2: beat PR of 1:03:05 Goal 3: go for an hour or under.

Like I said I know this course pretty well- I know where the hills are and where to kick it in. We hit the first hill and the not so often 5k runners started walking like crazy. I think I should for my next turkey trot put myself further forward- not do my usual start farther back. Did a bit of dodging and weaving around folks for the whole 5k route. Since it is a double loop course the 5k runners peal off and the 10k'ers continue on. I crossed the timing mat at the 5k feeling pretty good. Mile 1- 9:50, Mile 2- 9:31, Mile 3- 9:40

The only change on the second pass is there is a jump into a neighborhood. It is on the hilly part of the course and it is through very winding roads so my time for this mile dropped. Mile 4- 9:58

I had seen my other paces and knew I was going to be able to beat goal one, and I was getting close to being able to beat goal two. Okay time to be sure to kick it in- only 2 miles left come on.... Back on pace with mile 5- 9:33. Miles 5 and 6 are the flat stretch of road on the course so I knew if I could get comfortable and cruise I would be okay. Somewhere in mile 5 it hit me not only was I going to beat goal two now but I was possibly going to make it for goal three. Okay Juls put your head down and get this done.

Mile 6- 9:39. I honestly have no idea where the mile marker was or when my watch went off but I knew it was time to finish strong. D came out and finished with me. I told him I couldn't talk. I just wanted to put my head down and finish. I wanted to finish in 1:00 or under. He helped push me through to a strong finish. As I crossed the line a friend who had finished around the same time as D was cheering and taking photos. I looked down at my watch when I crossed 1:00:48. I DID IT! Goal One, Two and Three done! I couldn't have been happier.

The last lil bit was at 8:42 pace. The course was 6.3 mi according to my garmin and 2 other people's also- so 6.3mi 1:00:48 works out to 9:39 pace. Race results with 6.2 mi course say 9:49 pace.

I knocked 5 minutes off my time on the course from last year and knocked 3 minutes off my PR! Not a bad Turkey Trot morning! D PR'd too! We both had a great Turkey Trot and definitely deserved our deep fried turkey that night! Goal 3 for the next 10k: under 1:00

For the record: that's 2 PR's in my new Team Sparkle skirt.... maybe the thing has magical powers?!

Hyannis Half Marathon- Race Recap

Sometime in mid December over twitter I was peer pressured into signing up for the Hyannis half marathon. Lets be honest given the fact that a half ironman was in my plans for this season I didn't take too much to convince me. I registered and started training. Notice I said I registered- well about two weeks before the race I checked active and my registration didn't exist. I emailed the race director to no avail. I decided since I had trained to run w j and Ashley i was gonna run number or not!! Luckily race morning I ran into a old friend who had a extra bib. Yay I was gonna have a number it wasn't my name but I had a legit number!

The weather was far from perfect. Rain to snow to rain. I was drenched and cold but i kept slogging through. J and I had planned on a 10 10:30 pace but the weather made that go by the wayside. When we realized we weren't going to keep that pace up J made it her goal for me to PR the race! I knew my first half was somewhere around a 2:30. She turned to me around mile 10 and said "PR this Bitch!" At mile 12 I had to stop for a second. I thought I was gonna puke. J told me to puke and keep running.

It was great to have a little monkey sitting on my shoulder to help push me through. We finished at 2:25! TOTALLY got my PR. Silly J told me if I got a PR she would run the Worcester half marathon with me. So we have our next race together!

This race meant so much more to me to PR. I was very nervous going into it that I was going to hurt myself again. My first half marathon is what caused the stress fracture and made for the pain that brought me to eventually having my hip surgery. I know that my hip was obviously an issue for a long time and the running is what caused the tendon tear, stress fracture and need for surgery- but mentally I needed to get over the hurdle. I can't believe that 10 months out from surgery I ran a half marathon. Pretty crazy when 4 months of that I couldn't even run!

I am so thankful to J for pushing me through and for the support of D- he was right there screaming at the finish. Thankfully I have great support for my races and it makes all the difference in the world!

I had great race photos- I can't believe my head is up and I am smiling the whole time?! woah!!