Gasparilla Recap: Part 3: My Gear

I hope you guys are enjoying reading about my first race!  If you missed my earlier posts, you can check out Part 1:  The Race and Part 2:  Preparation here.


In this post, I wanted to talk about the all-important topic of What I Wore on race day.


Accuweather was calling for temperatures in the 50's or 60's with 40 mph wind gusts so I was pretty sure I wanted to wear something that would keep me warm while we waited at the starting line.  I bought a cheap sweatshirt at a local thrift shop (it had a skull and crossbones on it to go with the Pirate theme!) that I wouldn't feel bad about leaving behind when I warmed up.  My plan was to just toss it into a trash bin or leave it on the ground so it could be collected and donated to charity after the race.

Underneath my throw-away layer, I had on a dry-fit long sleeved t-shirt (Brian's from one of his Marine Corps Marathons that he ran, I wore it for good luck!) and over that was a short-sleeved t-shirt.  I wore some running capri-length tights and my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11's with blue Superfeet orthotics inside.  Luckily, I ended up really happy with the outfit I had chosen, it provided just enough warmth until I got warmed up enough but it also allowed my sweat to dry quickly.  

I also wore my new iFitness belt which held my cellphone (so I could take some pre, post and during-race photos) and our car keys.  I had bought the belt the day prior at the Expo after comparing it to the SPIbelt.  Honestly, I think I would have been happy with either brand but the SPIbelt folks at the Expo were sold out of their water-proof all-black belt, so I went with iFitness and I'm happy with it (and it was a few dollars cheaper).  It didn't bounce or ride up at all and it fit my iPhone and my car key fob perfectly, I completely forgot I had it on because it was really quite comfortable.  I'm excited that I bought it because I can wear it on my long walks with Hudson and have somewhere to hold the house key and my phone and still have both hands free.

At the race expo, I picked up a cute pirate Chica Band to wear during the race.  This was more cosmetic than functional but it stayed in place perfectly during the race due to the velvet backing on it.  The shop had lots of cute colors and patterns but I decided on the pirate band because after all, it was Gasparilla!

I also wore my cheap Target watch and sunglasses.  I used the stopwatch feature to keep track of my splits at the mile markers to make sure I was on target with my pace.  

I did NOT wear my Gasparilla race t-shirt because I don't know about you, but I just didn't feel right wearing it before having completed the race!  Brian didn't have any problem with it so he wore his.  So did a lot of other runners, I guess just didn't want to jinx myself (?!)

You can kinda see my iFitness belt in this photo.  Brian didn't feel weird about wearing his race shirt to the race!

I also didn't run with my iPod this time.  Brian and I were running together so I didn't think I would need the distraction for the race.  I didn't miss it, but usually when I'm running alone I have my iPod nano that I wear on an armband, it works pretty well for me.

I wore my race t-shirt on Monday, AFTER I had already completed the race.  And I love my iFitness belt for walking Hudson - I just put my iPhone in there and I can listen to music, podcasts, talk on the phone, whatever!

Well, I think that's about it.  I'm sure as I run more I will get more and more gear but for now, this stuff does the trick.  First on my wish list is a Garmin GPS watch!  But they're pretty expensive so I think I may be waiting for a while :-/

Stay tuned for my last post on the Gasparilla 8K!  I'm going to talk about recovery from the race, what I learned from the experience and my final reflections!

What is your must-have running gear?  What do you have to run with?  What gear or gadgets do you recommend?

Gasparilla Recap: Part 3: My Gear

I hope you guys are enjoying reading about my first race!  If you missed my earlier posts, you can check out Part 1:  The Race and Part 2:  Preparation here.


In this post, I wanted to talk about the all-important topic of What I Wore on race day.


Accuweather was calling for temperatures in the 50's or 60's with 40 mph wind gusts so I was pretty sure I wanted to wear something that would keep me warm while we waited at the starting line.  I bought a cheap sweatshirt at a local thrift shop (it had a skull and crossbones on it to go with the Pirate theme!) that I wouldn't feel bad about leaving behind when I warmed up.  My plan was to just toss it into a trash bin or leave it on the ground so it could be collected and donated to charity after the race.

Underneath my throw-away layer, I had on a dry-fit long sleeved t-shirt (Brian's from one of his Marine Corps Marathons that he ran, I wore it for good luck!) and over that was a short-sleeved t-shirt.  I wore some running capri-length tights and my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11's with blue Superfeet orthotics inside.  Luckily, I ended up really happy with the outfit I had chosen, it provided just enough warmth until I got warmed up enough but it also allowed my sweat to dry quickly.  

I also wore my new iFitness belt which held my cellphone (so I could take some pre, post and during-race photos) and our car keys.  I had bought the belt the day prior at the Expo after comparing it to the SPIbelt.  Honestly, I think I would have been happy with either brand but the SPIbelt folks at the Expo were sold out of their water-proof all-black belt, so I went with iFitness and I'm happy with it (and it was a few dollars cheaper).  It didn't bounce or ride up at all and it fit my iPhone and my car key fob perfectly, I completely forgot I had it on because it was really quite comfortable.  I'm excited that I bought it because I can wear it on my long walks with Hudson and have somewhere to hold the house key and my phone and still have both hands free.

At the race expo, I picked up a cute pirate Chica Band to wear during the race.  This was more cosmetic than functional but it stayed in place perfectly during the race due to the velvet backing on it.  The shop had lots of cute colors and patterns but I decided on the pirate band because after all, it was Gasparilla!

I also wore my cheap Target watch and sunglasses.  I used the stopwatch feature to keep track of my splits at the mile markers to make sure I was on target with my pace.  

I did NOT wear my Gasparilla race t-shirt because I don't know about you, but I just didn't feel right wearing it before having completed the race!  Brian didn't have any problem with it so he wore his.  So did a lot of other runners, I guess just didn't want to jinx myself (?!)

You can kinda see my iFitness belt in this photo.  Brian didn't feel weird about wearing his race shirt to the race!

I also didn't run with my iPod this time.  Brian and I were running together so I didn't think I would need the distraction for the race.  I didn't miss it, but usually when I'm running alone I have my iPod nano that I wear on an armband, it works pretty well for me.

I wore my race t-shirt on Monday, AFTER I had already completed the race.  And I love my iFitness belt for walking Hudson - I just put my iPhone in there and I can listen to music, podcasts, talk on the phone, whatever!

Well, I think that's about it.  I'm sure as I run more I will get more and more gear but for now, this stuff does the trick.  First on my wish list is a Garmin GPS watch!  But they're pretty expensive so I think I may be waiting for a while :-/

Stay tuned for my last post on the Gasparilla 8K!  I'm going to talk about recovery from the race, what I learned from the experience and my final reflections!

What is your must-have running gear?  What do you have to run with?  What gear or gadgets do you recommend?

Gasparilla Recap: Part 2: Preparation

I hope you enjoyed my full recap of the race experience I posted about on Monday.  As promised, I am writing a mini-series of posts about the entire experience, from how I started running to the actual running of my first race.

My posts are going to be a little out of order, since I really wanted to talk about the race itself first.  Today, I'm going to talk about the training and preparation that goes into getting ready to run a race.  I know everybody will have a different starting point and a different goal in mind when they sign up for a race, this is just my experience. 

I was never a runner.  I can not remember a time in my life that I have run more than one mile at a time.  Growing up with asthma, I always had a hard time participating in sports or keeping up with my peers in Phys Ed.  It didn't help, also, that I was 30 pounds overweight.  That made me deeply unhappy.  I wanted to be able to run more than a few minutes without having to stop because I was out of breath.  And not just to be able to run, but to enjoy it.

I started to go running with Brian last November.  Back then, I would run for as long as I could, then stop and walk until I regained enough breath to run again.  Eventually, I was able to run 1 mile, then 1 1/2, then 2.  Slowly but steadily, I increased my distance until finally, I ran 3 miles without stopping.  On that day, I realized that I could run a 5K!  Me! 

It was around the time that I first ran 3 miles that I decided I would run a 10K this year.  I knew I could already run a 5K, it might not be fast and I might not look pretty doing it but I could get the job done.  Brian agreed to help me train, even though he was overqualified for the job, having completed three marathons himself.  But he was up for the challenge, and some days it was a major challenge, as Brian had to convince me that I could run farther, I could run faster, I could run longer.

At the end of January, I registered for the Gasparilla 8K.  It wasn't the 10K I was hoping for but I knew I would have another chance for that later (Gasparilla had a 5K and a 15K in addition to a half marathon and 8K)  I just wanted a real goal I could work towards and achieve.  The 5K didn't appeal to me because I knew I could already do it.  The 8K (4.9 miles) was a distance I had never run in my life, but one that I thought I could achieve in the 9 weeks that remained until the race.

Brian came up with a program that also incorporated resistance training in the gym, since I had told him I also wanted to work on strength while tackling running as well.  It looked like this:

Week     Sunday     Monday     Tuesday     Wednesday     Thursday        Friday             Saturday

   1          Rest            Gym        3 m run          Gym              Gym         3 m run RP      4x400 (8:00)
   2          Rest            Gym       3.5 m run        Gym              Gym         3 m run RP      6x400 (8:00)
   3          Rest            Gym         4 m run         Gym              Gym        3.5 m run RP    4x600 (8:00)
   4          Rest            Rest            Rest             Rest              Rest               Rest                  Rest
   5          Rest            Gym        4.5 m run       Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      4x400 (7:30)
   6          Rest            Gym         5 m run         Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      6x400 (7:30)
   7          Rest            Gym         6 m run         Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      4x400 (7:00)
   8          Rest            Gym         7 m run         Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      6x400 (7:00)
   9          Rest            Gym            Rest           Gym              Gym          3 m run RP        6x400 (RP)


On "Gym" days, I did strength workouts from Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer or BodyRock workouts. "RP" days on Friday refers to "Race Pace" so I would run the designated distance at around a 9:00 min/mile pace.  Saturdays were my speed work (Interval) days and Sundays were glorious rest days.

Unfortunately, with my left ankle tendonitis and right foot pain from my bunion that occurred around Week 4, the so-carefully crafted plan had to change.  I completely cut out BodyRock since I was unsure if that had contributed to the pain (I started getting pain during one of those workouts) and I had to completely STOP running for THREE weeks.  That was THREE weeks of torture - I desperately wanted to get back to running because I had already registered for the race and I felt like all my hard work was just dissolving away.  I was so worried that I would lose the endurance and speed I had worked so hard on.

But I did rest.  I started using ice and NSAIDs that my doctor prescribed, stretching my calves and legs and getting calf massages from my own personal massage therapist/trainer/husband (Brian).  Once my pain resolved, I wasted no time getting back into running but I cut out the speed work days - at that point, with less than 3 weeks until the race, I didn't care how fast I ran, I just wanted to run the entire 5 mile course without stopping.

Up until the race, I had NEVER actually run 5 miles.  My longest training run had been 4 miles so I didn't know if I would be able to do it on race day.  All along I kept telling myself "It's only your first race.  If you have to walk at the end, it's OK.  There will be more races in the future."  But deep down inside I knew that I would push myself to the very limit of my physical ability on race day because I had set a goal.  And once I set a goal, I stick to it.

Two days before the race I went for my last training run:  an easy 3 mile run around my neighborhood. I didn't have any foot pain and I was able to keep a consistent 9 min/mile pace.  I made sure to stretch really well afterwards and again the following day.  At the same time, I made sure to get carbohydrates, protein and fat at every meal for the week leading up to the race.  That is the way I eat all the time, regardless of training for a race, but I just made sure to be vigilant about my intake of good sources of carbohydrates especially.  I also made sure to hydrate really, really well Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning.

On the morning of the race, I got up at 6 am  so I could have breakfast and coffee, as that is my usual routine.  I started hydrating with water first thing when I got up and made oatmeal for breakfast, which I ate out of an almost-empty peanut butter jar (SO GOOD!).

1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup water
1/3 cup egg whites
1/2 ripe banana
cinnamon
peanut butter
small handful cinnamon-sugar roasted pecans

Plus 1 1/2 cups of coffee and three cups of water.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about my training or preparation for the race.  

Stay tuned for my next installment in the series, Part 3:  My Gear/What I Wore!

Gasparilla Recap: Part 2: Preparation

I hope you enjoyed my full recap of the race experience I posted about on Monday.  As promised, I am writing a mini-series of posts about the entire experience, from how I started running to the actual running of my first race.

My posts are going to be a little out of order, since I really wanted to talk about the race itself first.  Today, I'm going to talk about the training and preparation that goes into getting ready to run a race.  I know everybody will have a different starting point and a different goal in mind when they sign up for a race, this is just my experience. 

I was never a runner.  I can not remember a time in my life that I have run more than one mile at a time.  Growing up with asthma, I always had a hard time participating in sports or keeping up with my peers in Phys Ed.  It didn't help, also, that I was 30 pounds overweight.  That made me deeply unhappy.  I wanted to be able to run more than a few minutes without having to stop because I was out of breath.  And not just to be able to run, but to enjoy it.

I started to go running with Brian last November.  Back then, I would run for as long as I could, then stop and walk until I regained enough breath to run again.  Eventually, I was able to run 1 mile, then 1 1/2, then 2.  Slowly but steadily, I increased my distance until finally, I ran 3 miles without stopping.  On that day, I realized that I could run a 5K!  Me! 

It was around the time that I first ran 3 miles that I decided I would run a 10K this year.  I knew I could already run a 5K, it might not be fast and I might not look pretty doing it but I could get the job done.  Brian agreed to help me train, even though he was overqualified for the job, having completed three marathons himself.  But he was up for the challenge, and some days it was a major challenge, as Brian had to convince me that I could run farther, I could run faster, I could run longer.

At the end of January, I registered for the Gasparilla 8K.  It wasn't the 10K I was hoping for but I knew I would have another chance for that later (Gasparilla had a 5K and a 15K in addition to a half marathon and 8K)  I just wanted a real goal I could work towards and achieve.  The 5K didn't appeal to me because I knew I could already do it.  The 8K (4.9 miles) was a distance I had never run in my life, but one that I thought I could achieve in the 9 weeks that remained until the race.

Brian came up with a program that also incorporated resistance training in the gym, since I had told him I also wanted to work on strength while tackling running as well.  It looked like this:

Week     Sunday     Monday     Tuesday     Wednesday     Thursday        Friday             Saturday

   1          Rest            Gym        3 m run          Gym              Gym         3 m run RP      4x400 (8:00)
   2          Rest            Gym       3.5 m run        Gym              Gym         3 m run RP      6x400 (8:00)
   3          Rest            Gym         4 m run         Gym              Gym        3.5 m run RP    4x600 (8:00)
   4          Rest            Rest            Rest             Rest              Rest               Rest                  Rest
   5          Rest            Gym        4.5 m run       Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      4x400 (7:30)
   6          Rest            Gym         5 m run         Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      6x400 (7:30)
   7          Rest            Gym         6 m run         Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      4x400 (7:00)
   8          Rest            Gym         7 m run         Gym              Gym          4 m run RP      6x400 (7:00)
   9          Rest            Gym            Rest           Gym              Gym          3 m run RP        6x400 (RP)


On "Gym" days, I did strength workouts from Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer or BodyRock workouts. "RP" days on Friday refers to "Race Pace" so I would run the designated distance at around a 9:00 min/mile pace.  Saturdays were my speed work (Interval) days and Sundays were glorious rest days.

Unfortunately, with my left ankle tendonitis and right foot pain from my bunion that occurred around Week 4, the so-carefully crafted plan had to change.  I completely cut out BodyRock since I was unsure if that had contributed to the pain (I started getting pain during one of those workouts) and I had to completely STOP running for THREE weeks.  That was THREE weeks of torture - I desperately wanted to get back to running because I had already registered for the race and I felt like all my hard work was just dissolving away.  I was so worried that I would lose the endurance and speed I had worked so hard on.

But I did rest.  I started using ice and NSAIDs that my doctor prescribed, stretching my calves and legs and getting calf massages from my own personal massage therapist/trainer/husband (Brian).  Once my pain resolved, I wasted no time getting back into running but I cut out the speed work days - at that point, with less than 3 weeks until the race, I didn't care how fast I ran, I just wanted to run the entire 5 mile course without stopping.

Up until the race, I had NEVER actually run 5 miles.  My longest training run had been 4 miles so I didn't know if I would be able to do it on race day.  All along I kept telling myself "It's only your first race.  If you have to walk at the end, it's OK.  There will be more races in the future."  But deep down inside I knew that I would push myself to the very limit of my physical ability on race day because I had set a goal.  And once I set a goal, I stick to it.

Two days before the race I went for my last training run:  an easy 3 mile run around my neighborhood. I didn't have any foot pain and I was able to keep a consistent 9 min/mile pace.  I made sure to stretch really well afterwards and again the following day.  At the same time, I made sure to get carbohydrates, protein and fat at every meal for the week leading up to the race.  That is the way I eat all the time, regardless of training for a race, but I just made sure to be vigilant about my intake of good sources of carbohydrates especially.  I also made sure to hydrate really, really well Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning.

On the morning of the race, I got up at 6 am  so I could have breakfast and coffee, as that is my usual routine.  I started hydrating with water first thing when I got up and made oatmeal for breakfast, which I ate out of an almost-empty peanut butter jar (SO GOOD!).

1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup water
1/3 cup egg whites
1/2 ripe banana
cinnamon
peanut butter
small handful cinnamon-sugar roasted pecans

Plus 1 1/2 cups of coffee and three cups of water.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about my training or preparation for the race.  

Stay tuned for my next installment in the series, Part 3:  My Gear/What I Wore!

Gasparilla Recap: Part 1 The Race

I left you hanging for what must have seemed like an eternity, right?  (Just kidding, Mom I already told you I survived it).  

Well, I did it!  I ran my first race!

I want to recount my experience in a multi-part series to share all the details.  If you have no interest in reading about it, that's totally cool, I'll get back to posting amazing clean and healthy foods very soon, I just want to revel in my runner's high for a little longer so bear with me!

For the first part in this series I'd like to talk about the race itself:  how it went, the Expo, and what I experienced on race day.  Then, I'll take a step back and talk about how I prepared for the race:  what I ate, drank and what my training looked like (Part 2).  After that, I'll devote a post to my gear and what I wore on race day (Part 3).  And last, I'll discuss my recovery and share some of my reflections on the race (Part 4).

The Expo

The Gasparilla Distance Classic was a full weekend-long event starting with the Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday, a 5K and a 15K which were run on Saturday morning and then concluding with the Half Marathon and the 8K on Sunday morning.  There was a distance for everybody, and some (amazing) people even did 2, 3 or all 4 of the races.  

The Expo itself was a mixed experience.  I had read the experiences of some local running bloggers who attended the Expo on Friday and they walked away with all kinds of freebies and cool swag so I was really expecting it to be awesome but unfortunately when Brian and I went on Saturday morning, there were barely any samples left!  That seemed like a pretty big oversight on the part of the vendors since the Expo was supposed to go all the way until Saturday evening at 6 pm and we were there at least 8 hours before the end.  I guess I'm just peeved because I had heard there were gelato samples from Talenti but when we came to their booth, the girl (smugly) informed us that they were out of samples.  Harumph.  I still took a coupon for $1 off though.  

At the Expo.  Didn't notice this til now but I think I'm doing the "Angelina Jolie Leg".

I had also read that Nike+ was going to be there doing gait/stride analysis which I thought would be really cool to hear their opinion since I've had so many lower extremity biomechanical issues lately, but we walked all around and couldn't find it anywhere :-/

Some cool things at the Expo:  I got to try on some Newton running shoes, which I really liked.  I tried the Lady Isaac"S" (stability shoe, because I pronate) and felt so springy and like such an efficient runner.  I could tell I was running with a forefoot strike.  I guess the Lady Isaac's are the "beginner" Newtons, they have beveled lugs under the metatarsals to help gently encourage pose running without being as drastic as some of the other Newton shoes.  I really liked them but I would still like to try out some other shoes before committing to something so different.

True story.

We also picked up our race bibs, race t-shirts, reusable tote bags and snagged a few freebies: a couple of Detour bars - lower sugar protein bars, kind of like ThinkThin, a cool fridge magnet and some low-calorie sports-drink mixes.  I also purchased an iFitness belt (I'll talk about this a little more on my post about Gear and What I Wore) and a headband to wear for the race:  it had skulls on it which went with the whole Gasparilla/Pirates theme :-)

     

Even though the vendors were out of most of the samples, I still had a good time at the Expo.  The mood was one of excitement and it helped me get amped up for the race to come.

Outside the Tampa Convention Center, psyched for the run tomorrow!

The Race

I have heard from locals that Gasparilla is always a really well-organized race and that they do such a great job with everything from the Expo to all of the races.  That being said, it's still a "local" race so you just have such a great crowd, Tampa has a very active community which is really cool and one of the things I love about it here.  

The Gasparilla 5+3K started at 9 am yesterday morning and exactly 44 minutes and 13 seconds later it was over, for me at least.  I was able to run the whole race, all 4.9 miles without stopping which is the farthest I have ever run without stopping to walk.  And I was able to maintain a sub-9 minute pace for the entire run which was my goal when I started training back in January.  

At the starting line!

As of Friday and Saturday when I checked accuweather.com, the forecast for Sunday morning was iffy with a cold front coming in overnight and bringing thunderstorms, possible hail, rain and 40 mph wind gusts.  It made me a little nervous but since I knew I would only be running in it for an hour or less, I figured I could deal with it for such a short amount of time if I had to.  The rain and hail, thankfully, never materialized so on Sunday morning the temperature was around 58-60 degrees and totally dry but those 40 mph winds were definitely there.  I'm used to running on Bayshore with some fairly high winds so it didn't bother me too much (I think I was running on a LOT of endorphins!) but I know a lot of people had trouble with it.

The temperature felt really really cold (because of the crazy wind!) on our walk from the car to the convention center where the race was starting, and really cold as we were waiting at the starting line but I had bought a throw-away sweatshirt knowing that I wanted an extra layer until my body warmed up.  I actually was able to ditch the sweatshirt pretty quickly, about a quarter mile into the race, because the sun broke through the clouds and helped warm me up from the outside while my effort warmed me from the inside.  

From the race, this was probably around Mile 1.

The whole race itself was an awesome experience:  the vibe from other runners and the spectators was totally positive and encouraging.  It meant so much to see people out there along the race course cheering for anybody and everybody.  There were a ton of other runners (thousands!) of all different shapes, sizes, ages and ability levels so there was NO judgement:  we were all out there to do our best, whatever that might be.  I had been worried about being one of the slowest but I definitely wasn't, not even close! Some people even walked the entire race and that was totally fine too!  I just didn't know what to expect and my experience just blew me away.  

One thing I experienced was that there was quite a bit of congestion at the start of the race where we were running super-close to other runners but I don't have any other races to compare this to, so I don't know if Gasparilla was better or worse with the bottleneck at the beginning.  It didn't seem like it took too long for things to open up though and I was just in such a great mood that I didn't care about being shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the other folks out there.

"Brian, let's hold hands and wave!"

The race was held on Bayshore Boulevard, a flat stretch of road along the Tampa Bay where Brian and I love to go running.  It started downtown by the Tampa Convention Center and ran straight down Bayshore until a little past Bay to Bay Boulevard where the course made a buttonhook to turn around and come back the same way.  I loved running a familiar course and especially one that is so scenic, with water views in one direction and mansions in the other.

There were at least 3 or 4 hydration stations, which I didn't use, since I have never trained with water before.  There seemed to be plenty of volunteers (wearing plastic gloves) handing out cups of water so the water-stops seemed to run pretty smoothly for those who did choose to use them.  I was also impressed with their effort to keep things sanitary for the runners, as well.  I don't know if that's common practice for the volunteers to wear gloves, but I thought it was pretty smart.

I look like I'm walking...DEFINITELY not walking!

Also set up along the course were tents with musicians performing live music and some sound systems playing upbeat songs to keep the runners motivated.  I appreciated that little gesture and I'm sure others who weren't using mp3 players did too.  There were also at least 8 or more photographers set up along the course and at the finish line on both sides of the road taking photos so most people probably got at least a couple of (dorky-looking) photos of themselves taken.  

Something else cool was that as you crossed the finish line, a guy with a microphone said your name!  Unfortunately, since I gave it 150% and sprinted out the last few hundred meters with every ounce of strength I could muster, I passed a bunch of people and didn't get to hear my name called.  It's OK though, I was just so glad it was over!

Sprint to the FINISH!  Even though the clock says 45:46 my official time per my Chronotrack Tag was 44:13 because I was near the back of the pack at the starting line.  

Once you finished, you just kept walking and you were immediately handed your finisher's medal which is AWESOME, definitely one of the coolest keepsakes I will treasure for a long time.  Just past that were more photographers who would take your picture wearing your medal, people handing out the foil blankets (which I initially refused because I was so hot, but luckily Brian grabbed one because he knew I would eventually cool down and need it!), and some post-race fuel:  nice ripe bananas, fruit cups, bottles of water, cups of gatorade, plain and whole wheat bagels and even a local cuban restaurant The Columbia was serving bowls of their rice and beans.  There was also a table with cups of soda and one with bottles of 5-Hour Energy which I was pretty irritated by actually.  (Um, why would someone who probably cares about their health and wellness who just ran a race want to do that to their insides?!  Anyway, I'm sure there were plenty of people who were into that kind of thing, it's just not for me.)

I was actually feeling kind of nauseated right after the race ended, probably because I pushed myself so hard and was starting to come down off of my adrenaline rush.  I did manage to down a bottle of water but I had no interest in eating anything and just wanted to stretch and get somewhere out of the wind.

After the race, realizing it's actually kinda cold outside.

I'll save a full recap of my reflections on the race for another post but I'll just say I feel proud of how I did especially considering my recent issues with painful tendonitis in my left foot, a painful bunion on my right foot and the several weeks of rest I had to take from running in the last month.  Luckily, the tendonitis and the bunion didn't bother me in the least yesterday and I was able to run pain-free the entire race (not sure how much of that was due to the endorphins blunting my pain perception,?!) All I know is, for a girl with asthma who just took up running last November, I surprised myself with how well I did!

If you're interested in the rest of my experience with my first race, make sure to check back to read Part 2:  Preparation, Part 3:  What I Wore/My Gear  and Part 4:  Recovery and My Reflections.  

What makes a good race, in your opinion?  What were the best races you have ever done and what is your favorite distance?  

Gasparilla Recap: Part 1 The Race

I left you hanging for what must have seemed like an eternity, right?  (Just kidding, Mom I already told you I survived it).  

Well, I did it!  I ran my first race!

I want to recount my experience in a multi-part series to share all the details.  If you have no interest in reading about it, that's totally cool, I'll get back to posting amazing clean and healthy foods very soon, I just want to revel in my runner's high for a little longer so bear with me!

For the first part in this series I'd like to talk about the race itself:  how it went, the Expo, and what I experienced on race day.  Then, I'll take a step back and talk about how I prepared for the race:  what I ate, drank and what my training looked like (Part 2).  After that, I'll devote a post to my gear and what I wore on race day (Part 3).  And last, I'll discuss my recovery and share some of my reflections on the race (Part 4).

The Expo

The Gasparilla Distance Classic was a full weekend-long event starting with the Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday, a 5K and a 15K which were run on Saturday morning and then concluding with the Half Marathon and the 8K on Sunday morning.  There was a distance for everybody, and some (amazing) people even did 2, 3 or all 4 of the races.  

The Expo itself was a mixed experience.  I had read the experiences of some local running bloggers who attended the Expo on Friday and they walked away with all kinds of freebies and cool swag so I was really expecting it to be awesome but unfortunately when Brian and I went on Saturday morning, there were barely any samples left!  That seemed like a pretty big oversight on the part of the vendors since the Expo was supposed to go all the way until Saturday evening at 6 pm and we were there at least 8 hours before the end.  I guess I'm just peeved because I had heard there were gelato samples from Talenti but when we came to their booth, the girl (smugly) informed us that they were out of samples.  Harumph.  I still took a coupon for $1 off though.  

At the Expo.  Didn't notice this til now but I think I'm doing the "Angelina Jolie Leg".

I had also read that Nike+ was going to be there doing gait/stride analysis which I thought would be really cool to hear their opinion since I've had so many lower extremity biomechanical issues lately, but we walked all around and couldn't find it anywhere :-/

Some cool things at the Expo:  I got to try on some Newton running shoes, which I really liked.  I tried the Lady Isaac"S" (stability shoe, because I pronate) and felt so springy and like such an efficient runner.  I could tell I was running with a forefoot strike.  I guess the Lady Isaac's are the "beginner" Newtons, they have beveled lugs under the metatarsals to help gently encourage pose running without being as drastic as some of the other Newton shoes.  I really liked them but I would still like to try out some other shoes before committing to something so different.

True story.

We also picked up our race bibs, race t-shirts, reusable tote bags and snagged a few freebies: a couple of Detour bars - lower sugar protein bars, kind of like ThinkThin, a cool fridge magnet and some low-calorie sports-drink mixes.  I also purchased an iFitness belt (I'll talk about this a little more on my post about Gear and What I Wore) and a headband to wear for the race:  it had skulls on it which went with the whole Gasparilla/Pirates theme :-)

     

Even though the vendors were out of most of the samples, I still had a good time at the Expo.  The mood was one of excitement and it helped me get amped up for the race to come.

Outside the Tampa Convention Center, psyched for the run tomorrow!

The Race

I have heard from locals that Gasparilla is always a really well-organized race and that they do such a great job with everything from the Expo to all of the races.  That being said, it's still a "local" race so you just have such a great crowd, Tampa has a very active community which is really cool and one of the things I love about it here.  

The Gasparilla 5+3K started at 9 am yesterday morning and exactly 44 minutes and 13 seconds later it was over, for me at least.  I was able to run the whole race, all 4.9 miles without stopping which is the farthest I have ever run without stopping to walk.  And I was able to maintain a sub-9 minute pace for the entire run which was my goal when I started training back in January.  

At the starting line!

As of Friday and Saturday when I checked accuweather.com, the forecast for Sunday morning was iffy with a cold front coming in overnight and bringing thunderstorms, possible hail, rain and 40 mph wind gusts.  It made me a little nervous but since I knew I would only be running in it for an hour or less, I figured I could deal with it for such a short amount of time if I had to.  The rain and hail, thankfully, never materialized so on Sunday morning the temperature was around 58-60 degrees and totally dry but those 40 mph winds were definitely there.  I'm used to running on Bayshore with some fairly high winds so it didn't bother me too much (I think I was running on a LOT of endorphins!) but I know a lot of people had trouble with it.

The temperature felt really really cold (because of the crazy wind!) on our walk from the car to the convention center where the race was starting, and really cold as we were waiting at the starting line but I had bought a throw-away sweatshirt knowing that I wanted an extra layer until my body warmed up.  I actually was able to ditch the sweatshirt pretty quickly, about a quarter mile into the race, because the sun broke through the clouds and helped warm me up from the outside while my effort warmed me from the inside.  

From the race, this was probably around Mile 1.

The whole race itself was an awesome experience:  the vibe from other runners and the spectators was totally positive and encouraging.  It meant so much to see people out there along the race course cheering for anybody and everybody.  There were a ton of other runners (thousands!) of all different shapes, sizes, ages and ability levels so there was NO judgement:  we were all out there to do our best, whatever that might be.  I had been worried about being one of the slowest but I definitely wasn't, not even close! Some people even walked the entire race and that was totally fine too!  I just didn't know what to expect and my experience just blew me away.  

One thing I experienced was that there was quite a bit of congestion at the start of the race where we were running super-close to other runners but I don't have any other races to compare this to, so I don't know if Gasparilla was better or worse with the bottleneck at the beginning.  It didn't seem like it took too long for things to open up though and I was just in such a great mood that I didn't care about being shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the other folks out there.

"Brian, let's hold hands and wave!"

The race was held on Bayshore Boulevard, a flat stretch of road along the Tampa Bay where Brian and I love to go running.  It started downtown by the Tampa Convention Center and ran straight down Bayshore until a little past Bay to Bay Boulevard where the course made a buttonhook to turn around and come back the same way.  I loved running a familiar course and especially one that is so scenic, with water views in one direction and mansions in the other.

There were at least 3 or 4 hydration stations, which I didn't use, since I have never trained with water before.  There seemed to be plenty of volunteers (wearing plastic gloves) handing out cups of water so the water-stops seemed to run pretty smoothly for those who did choose to use them.  I was also impressed with their effort to keep things sanitary for the runners, as well.  I don't know if that's common practice for the volunteers to wear gloves, but I thought it was pretty smart.

I look like I'm walking...DEFINITELY not walking!

Also set up along the course were tents with musicians performing live music and some sound systems playing upbeat songs to keep the runners motivated.  I appreciated that little gesture and I'm sure others who weren't using mp3 players did too.  There were also at least 8 or more photographers set up along the course and at the finish line on both sides of the road taking photos so most people probably got at least a couple of (dorky-looking) photos of themselves taken.  

Something else cool was that as you crossed the finish line, a guy with a microphone said your name!  Unfortunately, since I gave it 150% and sprinted out the last few hundred meters with every ounce of strength I could muster, I passed a bunch of people and didn't get to hear my name called.  It's OK though, I was just so glad it was over!

Sprint to the FINISH!  Even though the clock says 45:46 my official time per my Chronotrack Tag was 44:13 because I was near the back of the pack at the starting line.  

Once you finished, you just kept walking and you were immediately handed your finisher's medal which is AWESOME, definitely one of the coolest keepsakes I will treasure for a long time.  Just past that were more photographers who would take your picture wearing your medal, people handing out the foil blankets (which I initially refused because I was so hot, but luckily Brian grabbed one because he knew I would eventually cool down and need it!), and some post-race fuel:  nice ripe bananas, fruit cups, bottles of water, cups of gatorade, plain and whole wheat bagels and even a local cuban restaurant The Columbia was serving bowls of their rice and beans.  There was also a table with cups of soda and one with bottles of 5-Hour Energy which I was pretty irritated by actually.  (Um, why would someone who probably cares about their health and wellness who just ran a race want to do that to their insides?!  Anyway, I'm sure there were plenty of people who were into that kind of thing, it's just not for me.)

I was actually feeling kind of nauseated right after the race ended, probably because I pushed myself so hard and was starting to come down off of my adrenaline rush.  I did manage to down a bottle of water but I had no interest in eating anything and just wanted to stretch and get somewhere out of the wind.

After the race, realizing it's actually kinda cold outside.

I'll save a full recap of my reflections on the race for another post but I'll just say I feel proud of how I did especially considering my recent issues with painful tendonitis in my left foot, a painful bunion on my right foot and the several weeks of rest I had to take from running in the last month.  Luckily, the tendonitis and the bunion didn't bother me in the least yesterday and I was able to run pain-free the entire race (not sure how much of that was due to the endorphins blunting my pain perception,?!) All I know is, for a girl with asthma who just took up running last November, I surprised myself with how well I did!

If you're interested in the rest of my experience with my first race, make sure to check back to read Part 2:  Preparation, Part 3:  What I Wore/My Gear  and Part 4:  Recovery and My Reflections.  

What makes a good race, in your opinion?  What were the best races you have ever done and what is your favorite distance?