PR's: how long are they good?

I've been mulling over some PR thoughts lately.

How long can one consider them current?

Can they have birthdays?

What's the expiration date and when do they transition into lifetime-bests?

In the past year, I've ran 4 half marathons...most of which haven't been anywhere close to my current PR of 1:27:53. That was ran in September of 2011. 

Since then I've had quite a few challenges, some self-destructive races and training regimes, and two 13.1 races where I just barely squeaked in under 1:30.

2012 half marathon madness

With the next half marathon now about 3 weeks away and my current personal best at this distance nearing it's second birthday, can't help but wonder if this PR is now just old news.

PR's, what's your take?

How long do you consider them current?

What happens to a running blog when you don't blog about running...

Amazingly, life still goes on and runs still happen.

Shocking.

The blog just kind of sits there. Getting stale as cobwebs start to generate.

My last race was about a month ago, and my next is coming up in about another month. This would usually be the time that I would get on here and blab all about the the workouts I've been doing, reflect on the mileage ran, and really start honing in on what the agenda for race day will be. But not this time around.

I've managed to get in some workouts here and there

There was a day with 12x400's

A few different fartleks

One really solid steady run

3x1 mile repeats with the quickest splits my life has ever seen

A 12 mile long run that felt like a death march

And one really really bad almost, but not quite, tempo run

Life is busy, things change, and running goals don't always seem to hold that constantly steady high importance for me.

It all boils down to this...

I'm a runner, but that is simply just something I do and not definitive of who I am. 

I still run.

I still do workouts when they fit into my schedule.

I still dream about PR's and that perfect marathon.

And I still love every. single. mile.

Life is just in a steady state of change these days, where running and training aren't entirely fitting into the puzzle like they used too. Maybe I'm getting old, but it just seems really silly for me to be in this constant pursuit of something better instead of absorbing the perpetual goodness that is my life. I'm enjoying the pressure free runs and the lack of focus in my fitness. There isn't the feeling as if I'm falling behind or that I need to squeeze this workout or that workout in, instead training has just become a daily retrieval. And I like it that way.

Enjoying the journey more than the outcome these days.

And keeping the window cracked so that possibility may sneak in with a strong gust of wind.

The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia & 5k Run

Because some causes are worth mentioning...

Chicago Making Strides to Raise Awareness of

Preeclampsia

Local Promise Walk and 5K Run for Preeclampsia™ calls attention to serious pregnancy disorder affecting mothers and babies

The Preeclampsia Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing maternal and infant illness and death due to preeclampsia, is proud to launch the fourth annual Chicago Promise Walk and 5K Run for Preeclampsia™ on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at the Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village/Schaumburg, Illinois. This annual event is part of a nationwide effort to support innovative research and raise public awareness about the warning signs of preeclampsia, a life-threatening disorder of pregnancy. 

This year, up to one in 12 pregnant women in the United States will be diagnosed with preeclampsia. Worldwide, nearly 76,000 mothers and half a million babies die each year because of preeclampsia, and rates of preeclampsia, maternal deaths and prematurity are all rising. The Preeclampsia Foundation is committed to reducing maternal and infant illness and death due to preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by providing patient support and education, raising public awareness, catalyzing research and improving health care practices.

The Chicago Promise Walk and 5K Run for Preeclampsia™ is an opportunity for Chicagoans to show their support for the urgent need to find better outcomes for those whose lives have been or will be touched by preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. That “promise” includes finding a cure, supporting families, and ensuring education and awareness for all pregnant women.


“With the support of our local volunteer team, we are confident that we are going to build on the success of the Chicago Promise Walk and 5K Run™ in previous years and bring even more awareness to this important issue,” said Preeclampsia Foundation Director of Community Relations Laney Poye. “Greater awareness and knowledge will result in healthier birth outcomes for mothers and their babies.”

“We truly appreciate the support of everyone who participates in this family event -- from our teams of dedicated walkers to those who make a donation to support the cause,” says Chicago Promise Walk Coordinator Elizabeth Pebelske. “We are also grateful to our generous sponsors Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Evanston Subaru for making the Chicago Promise Walk and 5K Run™ possible.”

Visit  www.promisewalk.org/chicago for more details and to register for the Chicago Promise Walk and 5K Run™. Those interested in forming teams or participating individually are urged to register at the Promise Walk website, though walk-up registrations will be accepted on the day of the event. Non-walkers are encouraged to support other individuals or teams to help meet Chicago’s fundraising goal of over $36,000.

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About Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period, and affects both the mother and the fetus. It is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by elevated blood pressure and protein in the urine; other symptoms may include swelling in the hands and face, headaches, and visual disturbances. Preeclampsia affects the mother's kidneys, liver and other vital organs and, if undetected or untreated, can lead to seizures (eclampsia), cerebral hemorrhage, failure in vital organs and death. The cause of preeclampsia is still not fully understood, and the only cure for the condition begins with delivery. Approximately five to eight percent of pregnancies are affected by preeclampsia, which, in the United States, translates to approximately 300,000
pregnancies. It is a leading cause of preterm birth, and is responsible for approximately 76,000 maternal deaths and half a million infant deaths worldwide annually. There are several types of preeclampsia, including HELLP syndrome, a particularly dangerous variant.

###

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is the only national nonprofit patient advocacy organization for the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Through their national fundraising events the Promise Walk for Preeclampsia™ and Saving Grace - A Night of Hope™, the Preeclampsia Foundation works to achieve its mission to provide patient support and education, raise public awareness, catalyze research and improve health care practices. We envision a world where preeclampsia no longer threatens the lives of mothers and babies. Knowing the warning signs can lead to more timely diagnosis and better outcomes. For more information on the Foundation’s ongoing mission and resources, please visit http://www.preeclampsia.org.

To find out more info about this race, feel free to visit their website and Facebook page for more details.

Runners For Boston

If you are located in the western suburbs, all Dick Pond Athletics locations will be hosting a fun run tomorrow evening in support of Boston. All proceeds from the fun run will go to benefit the One Fund Boston. 

Speechless, but faithful

Speechless still.

In all of us exists a bit of evil because that is simply the downfall to being human.

But in life, love always trumps hate. 

So, continue to pray.

Pray for those who have been wounded and emotionally branded,

the awesome spectators that seem to line the streets of every. single. race.,

people across the globe who constantly question their safety,

those who's lives have been forever changed by this event,

for all evil to find light,

and for the sick mastermind behind this.

There comes a day when we all will receive the justice of our lives works, and we will no longer be able to hid behind the shadows of our doings.

Have faith.

Live your life and don't let the tragic events of what will most likely be a very broken and disturbed soul dictate your path. Life's short, keep marching on.

Pics that make my day

Via Pete

Looks like those legs need some sun. 

So translucent that I feel like I can almost see through them.

Think the Irish skin was in full force that morning to help me get in the Shamrock character.

Pete also took a pretty cool video and some classic photos of Sunday's race. He managed to capture everything I love about the day. BTW, he is toeing Boston this Monday so go on over and send him some well wishes!

So many awesome things going on in this pic that I don't even know what to say other than team "Shalane and Kara" kicked major booty for the day. Just out chickin' like it's no big deal.

Stay tuned for part 2 of that saga...

For the first time ever in my race history, I was snapped multiple times on the course with both feet off the ground. I didn't even know that was possible for my body. I've actually be working on smoothing out some of the rough edges with my cadence and gait for awhile now, and it looks like it may be catching up with me a bit. Maybe my legs can turnover better than I thought.

Awesome.

I was on a roll, two strides in a row!

And of course, my outfit choice for the day has got to be the best part of these photos. Looks like I'm going bottomless, which almost would have been a better idea than wearing the shorts I chose for the day. Felt like I was giving everyone a free show as they rode up my bum the entire race and I didn't bother fishing them out.

Thank you Marathonfoto, you made my day.

2013 Shamrock Shuffle 8k

And the PR streak unexpectedly continues.

Looks like Sunday I had the luck of the Irish on my side.

"Any idiot can train himself into the ground; the trick is doing the training that makes you gradually stronger."

Keith Brantly 

 PR's have become synonymously interchangeable in the running world where the term more often than not seems to leave an underlying assumption that the miles were some awesome experience that made a runner feel like they were on top of the world and felt unstoppable.

That was not how Sunday's PR went  down for me.

Going into the Shamrock Shuffle, I had really no expectation. It was going to be just another race for me where my goal was to run by feel instead of relying on a watch to dictate my pacing. At this point in my life, this shouldn't be such a difficult thing for me to execute yet it somehow has become my hearts latest ambitiously laborious pursuit.

Coming back from burn-out has been very challenging for me mentally. Physically my body has repaired, recharged, and recovered, but mentally I'm still a hot mess. Learning my limit has left me cautious and questionable about racing and training just all around, so I've been playing it safe. Keeping to mainly fartlek style workouts, taking extra days off, and not making any mileage goals.  The most important thing for me right now is staying healthy and balanced where PR's are no where close to being on my radar.

My head is still doubtful about pressing it, and speed feels foreign to my body where even at my quickest paces it seems like I'm moving in slow motion at times. 

Race morning I met up with a very speedy girlfriend of mine that I planned on racing with. She's a former rockstar collegiate athlete and has some amazing natural speed in her legs. Before the race even started, I had my doubts that I'd be toe-to-toe with her since workouts have been lacking in my neck of the woods and in my mind I'm not exactly in race shape.

Blue top, shades, and pink shoes in middle of frame. My speedy friend was in the blue top ahead.

Having gotten the luxury treatment the past two years of this race, I had no idea how chaotic getting into corral A would be. With about 15 minutes to spare until the corrals closed, we figured we had plenty of time to scoot off into our respective start areas. But as we stood like a herd of cattle marching off for slaughter, the clock ticked by quickly and we weren't making much progress towards the gates. As 8:15 neared and the volunteers starting to slowly close the corral gates, the runners behind us begun to panic. I'm not great in crowds, and I had a mild panic attack as I feared being tramped by crazed runners.

this gal has a bit funnier account of the pre-race mania

That was basically my worst nightmare as people were infringing on my personal space as I begun to sweat profusely and have shortness of breath.

Not exactly my ideal pre-race situation.

I had a hard time getting my head together after that and just never really mentally checked in for the day before I crossed the finish line. Thinking back now, I have no idea how my legs were moving because I felt like it was all going by in slow-mo where it felt kind of like a dream. My thoughts were racing, I let my running partner get ahead a few strides, and my stomach begun to hate what was happening...again. The only vivid recall I have of the race was when I saw my girlfriend round the corner of Roosevelt after feeling as if she was light-years ahead of me and counted just about 7 seconds until I passed that exact point.

At that point I remember thinking "7 seconds is nothing...why did I let her get so far ahead?".

But, by then it was too late and the race was pretty much over.

Unexpectedly I worked my way to a 13 second PR and finished just a 5 measly seconds behind my girlfriend, who crossed the line in 30:58.

5. Measly. Seconds.

It's funny how I ran without a watch, did substantially lower mileage, got in just a handful of workouts, and took more days off as a build up for this race over any other year that I've ran it yet I still hit a PR. Curiously odd...but pretty much confirms things for me about how I should be training.

My #1 fan, Mr. Chicago Runner Girl

The Shamrock Shuffle is still my favorite race, despite the fact that the PR streak continues and that I felt like Mufasa being stampeded beforehand. After all, it's tradition.

Update as of 4/17/13...finish time may have been 31:01. Looks like they've updated some stats, which would have put me 4 measly seconds behind my girlfriend and only 2 seconds away from breaking 31. 

A shamrock tradition

This Sunday I'll be toeing the line of my 7th Shamrock Shuffle 8k. This race has become an unintentional spring tradition for me where I anticipate the start all winter long. In this dreary grey place, it seems to be the glimmer of hope for me that sunshine and warm weather is just around the corner.

The first year I ran this race was in 2007.

I didn't train and didn't have any clue what kind of split I would put up because those were the days when I would run and run with out any sense. The night before I even worked an overnight shift where I didn't get home from work until about 7:30 am. Going on 24+ hours of no sleep, I have no idea how I crossed that finish line. But I did, then passed out for about 14 hours later that afternoon.

The only pic I have from this race. Terrible quality, but apparently I ran it was the Mr. before he was officially the Mr. Had no idea until I found this pic.

36:43

Then in 2008, I thought that I could finish faster.

Even though I was injured and hadn't done much of any activity, I assumed that a good nights rest would be enough to finish just a wee bit quicker. And it was.

35:48

This race is HUGE, and that's why I love it. You are running on the streets of Chicago with thousands of runners all around you. It's pretty awesome.

In 2009 I was finally healthy.

My knee had finally healed and for the first time in my adult life I decided to make attempts to actually train for a race with my eyes on the Shamrock Shuffle. This is when I begun to log my training and actually started following some type of logical progressions with my workouts. Race morning it was cold, windy, wet, snowy, and there was several inches of slushy snow covering the streets of the course. It took just over 4 miles for me to gain feeling in my feet on the course, and my husband sat inside a Dunkin Donuts to keep warm while I was racing.

Poor conditions and all, I somehow still managed to work my way to a pretty sweet PR.

34:22

2010 brought new momentum.

I was getting fitter, faster, and smarter with my training. Suddenly I begun to become more motivated to gain speed and challenge myself with my running goals. After hitting an 8k PR the previous fall, I knew that I wanted to set my sights high and go for a sub 33 split finish. I didn't rest the day before and instead did a long run because I was ramping up for a half a few weeks later...because it makes total sense to burn all your fuel stores before a goal race...

That was the race that taught me the importance of rest days on race eve. Ah, what a valuable lesson that has served me well.

33:15

2011. The year of Elite.

Ah yes, elite...such a funny word that brings such funny feelings for me. I'm no elite. I'm average where there will always be plenty of peeps ahead and behind me. Still think that this was some type of typo or clerical erro, but I was there...in the elite corral with the real elites. Excited but feeling very out of place, I lined up at the very back of the corral and went out way too fast.

This race was the turning point for me with my running and set me up for some pretty sweet PR's later in the year. I ran hard and fast (for me) and had fun while doing it, finally realizing that running can be a hoot if you just go out there to have fun.

32:38

2012. Elite, part 2.

And then there was last year...

I put up a pretty decent split for myself and raced like a weirdo on very unrested legs.

6:16, 5:42, 6:11, 6:32, 5:56.

I raced. It hurt. I had a blast. And earned myself a pretty sweet PR.

31:16

2 days out from race day, I've decided that the plan once again is that there is no plan and instead to just enjoy tradition. No watch. No goal time. Nada. Just my favorite Pam Beasley way to race...

Start fast.
Run fast in the middle.
And end fast.

Sometimes traditions change, and my PR streak for this race was bound to hit an end eventually. But PR or no PR on Sunday, I'm still going to head out there and run the best race my body allows and have a blast while doing it. And if that means my body is somehow able to magically produce a faster split, than that's great. And if not, the Shamrock tradition will still continue for many years to come.

Recovery Reflections

"When it comes time to decide how many miles in a week you should run, the most important thing to remember is that it is better to be 20 miles a week undertrained then 1 mile per week overtrained." 

Ryan Hall 

It's been 4 days, and I'm still recovering.

As it turns out, half marathons aren't exactly the most forgiving on under-conditioned bodies.

With the Shamrock Shuffle a mere 10 days away, I'm counting my blessings. At this point, workouts and mileage aren't very important to me and instead I'm just grateful to be moving forward again without being exhausted and constantly achy. Today, the legs are still feeling a bit tired from Sunday's half where I'm currently contemplating if one last fartlek before Shamrock is even going to be worth it.

For me, the answer last year at this time would have been,

"heck yes...can't miss a workout".

But, that really ended up leading me nowhere.

Just produced a few sub-par half performances, one semi-decent 10 miler, and left me feeling as if I drilled myself into the ground.

DERP.

Sunday's race was a bit more challenging for me than I thought it would be. While I knew that physically I wasn't exactly the most fit to be chasing down a PR, mentally I hadn't given the race much thought beforehand and ended up not being able to get my head in the game during those 13.1 miles. Racing this distance without a watch or clocks on the course turned out to be more toilsome on my head than I originally anticipated. 

Probably deep in thought here questioning why I ever thought the race was a good idea
Thinking I look a bit dazed and confused here...

 There were quite a few times along those miles when I seriously considering pulling out of the race because it just didn't feel comfortable. 

Kept pace with this dude for all but the last few miles when the legs started to fizzle.

 One of my biggest challenges is always my head as I start to over think whats going on.

So hard to turn it off when things get uncomfortable, and Sunday all I could think about was everything that didn't feel right. 

In the moment sometimes it's really difficult to appreciate what's going on, and it took me about 36 hours post race to realize what I did on Sunday morning. 

While my time wasn't even close to my currently dated PR, I was lightyears off from winning the race,  and mentally checked out for most of the miles between 6-12, I still managed a finish under 1:30 in rough conditions on a very off day with only a handful of workouts leading up to the race. Things have to start somewhere, and I'd say that this isn't a bad way to start out my year.

Now I know what I need to work on moving forward, and don't think that a half PR would be completely out of the question this year if I do choose to chase one down.

But only time will tell...

The Chitown Half

Yesterday was one of those typical Chicago days where you're holding out for great weather and instead you get the exact opposite.

Cold. Blustery. Grey.

Perfect conditions for a race with an already quite caddywhompus course.

At this point in my life, races have become nothing new to me and are almost a dime a dozen. The days of over thinking the pre-race routine, splits, pace, and the like are well behind me where now all I worry about is oversleeping and keeping my breakfast down...both of which seem to be more difficult for me at this point in my life than they should be.

Having been out of the racing scene for sometime, I kept expectations for this race pretty low. It's only been about 8 weeks since I've been able to slowly start dipping my toes into the speedwork pool again. While progress has been fairly steady, it's also been slow and my body still gets confused from time to time when I push it to move quick. 

2013 has thus far been the year where I'm going back to the start of it; mechanics, not exceeding the demands my body can handle, resting appropriately, slow progressions, and everything in between.

So the goal was that there was no goal other than to just run.

And of course, hang out with some very cool ladies.

Xaarlin, Jenny, and myself freezing our tushies off pre-race
Photo theived from Xaarlin

Before the race, Xaarlin, Jenny, Hillary and I all meet up and tried to ignore the fact that it was freezing out and the winds were slowly becoming a bit more steady. We were all bundled up, which felt so wrong. I hate racing in the cold and usually don't do races this early in the year because of that, but my longing for the lakefront trumped whatever the weather God's would have in store for us on race day.

My "plan" going into the race was nothing more than race not pace. I didn't wear a watch and figured that would be best for me at this point in time since I had no idea where my current fitness was putting me. Trying to hit a certain split would have been nothing short of nutty and frivolous, two characteristics I'm trying to stay away from these days. Having never run this half but already having 8 half marathons and 50+ other races under my belt, I figured that this course would have clocks along the route just like every other race does and I'd be able to do some quick math along the way if necessary.

Once the race got off to a start, I was having a difficult time settling in. The legs didn't feel as rested as I hoped they would and I found annoyance with the 1:30 pace group that was just ahead. There was a guy with a heavy European accent that sounded cartoon-like being annoyingly encouraging to all those around and I just felt irritated by it. Pulled ahead of the pace group around the 3 mile marker and ran into Adam where we chatted it up for a few before he whizzed off ahead of me and I saw nothing but his back for the rest of the race as he sailed his way to a mighty tasty PR.

Coming into the finishing chute with my eyes closed. Typical.
Photo courtesy of Xaar

The course then became confusing where there were some gals complaining about how they wanted their money back and I saw Xaarlin heading into the finishing chute for her 10k when I just barely passed the 5 mile marker. I had a difficult time remembering the route of the race as the map online had quite a few curly-q's and hairpin turns for the lakefront, but it seemed off that she was already finishing. Turns out that quite of few of the 10k runners were directed to go the wrong way several times by volunteers and ended up with a race that was just over 5 miles, which doesn't surprise me because the signage for this race was mighty confusing.

Ummmm...still don't quite understand the course

At mile 6 I caught up with the gal I used to train with when I lived in the city where she brought along her nearly 7 foot tall boy and made him be my windshield for miles 6-10. Honestly, I don't think that I would have made it through this race without them. During those miles the winds started to pick up, the course was weaving like crazy, we seemed to hit nearly every incline the lakefront has, and the course somehow turned into a cross country course. My stomach began to ache and my mind officially checked out somewhere around 8-9. Thus began some of the worst mental talk that has ever existed in my head and I begun to curse out loud like a truck driver. And of course, it didn't help that people I'd passed long ago were now cutting the half short too because of janky and inadequate signage.

I could feel my pace slipping away and my stomach felt so wrong. I was never able to take in any fuels and I begun to realize that I may have been a bit ahead of myself when I thought a 13.1 mile race would be a good fitness check instead of going with something a bit shorter. Most of those latter miles of the race are a bit fuzzy in my mind now, but I do remember around 11-12 telling my girl Bronwen that I wasn't going to finish the race where she then tried to snap me out of it the best she could. It was useless for her because at that point I'd already mentally shut down and wanted nothing more than to not be running this terrible course in the wind any longer.

I still managed to get in a somewhat decent clip and squeaked in just under the 1:30 mark, which is a good start for me at this point. Racing without a watch on this confusing course which didn't have a single clock after the 6 mile marker (and only clocks at 2, 4, and 6) was quite challenging for me at this point in the year. Having put in only 2 tempo runs and maybe 6 other speed workouts building up to this race, I'd say this is a very fair finish time for me. 

Post race the crew drowned our sorrows, disappointments, and the few joys we had about this silly, poorly executed course and the atrocious weather conditions with milkshakes of course.

Because who doesn't refuel on cold days with spiked milkshakes?

Team Oreo...I be grammin'

It was here where it was decided that ALL races should conclude with a giant boozey milkshake.

Hillary, Me, Xaarlin, Jenny, Chanthana
photo swiped from Jenny

At this point, I'm pretty pleased with the fact that I was able to muster out another sub 1:30 finish on a day when I felt off and just couldn't get my head and body in the game. The fact that I made a few new friends made the day worth the headache.

BUT, I will NEVER do this race again. Something about making a course more confusing than it needs to be and the lack of signage, check-points, fueling stations, and clocks makes a race a big N.O. for me to revisit. Not worth the $72 investment.