The Destination Race

I love to travel. Destination races combine my love of traveling with my love of running. Most of my half marathons have been destination races including my next race, Rock ‘n Roll San Diego Half Marathon.

Destination races are fun because you get to explore a new city or a new section of a familiar city. Now that I have running friends who live all over the country, it’s nice to reunite to run races in different cities. Plus each race is different. Some may take you through historical locations, while others have ocean views. There’s often new terrain you can brag about conquering. I like how race organizers want its participants to have a unique experience.

Traveling for a race does take some planning. After you register, you have to book a hotel and figure out how you’re going to get there – via plane, train or automobile. Then there are meals and getting to and from the race.

For Rock ‘n Roll San Diego, I’m meeting up with a bunch of my running buddies. We ran together for years when I lived in California so when they all registered for the race, I knew I wanted in. After I signed up for the race, I figured if I was going to travel 2,500 miles, I needed to make the most of it. So I asked a friend (who doesn’t run) to come with me. We’re flying in on Friday and staying until Tuesday. So in addition to running the half marathon, we’ll spend a few days in San Diego and Los Angeles shopping and sightseeing.

Do you participate in destination races? What do you like about them?

The Local Race Experience

Participating in a marathon in or near your hometown can be a very rewarding experience for lots of reasons.

First, you save money on travel. You don’t have to worry about airplane tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars. While I love a good road trip, with the economy being what it is, it’s easier on my wallet to race close to home (I do have an out of state destination race coming up but it might be the only one I run this year).

Local races are great because you can run the trail during your training runs. Being familiar with the course could help you run a good race. There won’t be any surprises. I chose not to do that for the Glass City Marathon because I like variety and surprises. The course covered areas I run on a regular basis but had plenty of streets I’d never ventured down. It was nice to explore new areas of my community and it kept things interesting.

Local races mean your friends and family don’t have to travel to cheer you on. They just have to get up early in the morning, but we’re worth it right?

Running in your hometown means sleeping in your own bed the night before the race (I really like this perk). I think I sleep better in my own bed than in hotel rooms. Familiar surroundings are comforting and relaxing. For GCM, I was well rested race day because I slept in my own bed.

Local races come with local bragging rights. The average person may not have heard of a “little” race like the Boston Marathon, but if you mentioned you ran (fill in the blank) race, they’ll know what you’re talking about because of the local news coverage or the traffic delays due to race road closures.

Since the race is in your backyard, you have an opportunity to help put on a quality event. Organizers are always looking for volunteers to assist with race preparations, work the expo or help out along the course. I volunteered at the expo for the Two Cities Marathon when I lived in Fresno a few years ago. It was nice to talk to the runners as they picked up their race packets. It was interesting to learn how far people traveled to be in the race. I developed an appreciation for all the hard work and organization it takes to put a race together. It also made me appreciate how hard volunteers work. Now I’m always gracious when I pick up my race packet or walk through a water stop. Good volunteers are essential and should be celebrated.

If you want to do more, you could join the race organizing body. From marketing and sponsorships to course logistics and website development, there’s so much to be done. The skills you use every day at work could benefit the race organizers. You never know until you ask.

What do you like about local races?

Mind vs. Body

By: Black Girls RUN!
Special to RunDivaRun

My mom says that I have a delusional image of myself as a type of super hero with supernatural strength and ability. It’s true…Even in elementary school, I was queen of the playground - jumping off the highest monkey bars and tackling the biggest boys in class. My super hero delusion carried over to the soccer field and basketball court as I challenged anyone who dared to step to me. So, it was pretty difficult for me when I was preparing for my first half marathon, ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon, and I couldn’t see an opponent standing on the opposite side of the field. If I’m a super hero, I need a bad guy or opponent to defeat, right?

With no opponent in sight, it slowly felt as though I developed my own internal competition. It was my body versus my mind. It was as if they were battling it out to see who was bigger, stronger and all around more badass. When my body felt good during my long runs, my mind was telling me to stop or that I was too bored to make it through the next seven miles. Conversely, when I was mentally prepared I would develop some sort of nagging body ache or pain. Despite my best efforts, this competition lasted up until race day. I finally sat down and took some time to meditate before the race. Through this meditation, I was able to unite my mind and body on the same team. Once that happened, it became me against the course. My body ran smoothly and injury free and my mind kept it motivated and going.

How do you manage mental and physical preparation for a race? Does your preparation start when you are training or on race day?

2010 Race Calendar - Part I

Decisions, decisions, decisions…I probably should have posted my 2010 racing calendar this back in January but I had no clue what I was going to do. When I read “Your Best Year Ever” in Runner’s World I thought, “Yes, I’m going to do two 5Ks, two 10Ks and four half marathons” and then I came to my senses. I figured it was more realistic to plan for two to three half marathons and about two 5Ks. But the question remained, “What races would I sign up for?” Before I knew it, it was February, I was starting my half marathon training and I still had no idea which races I was going to do. After my friends ran the Surf City Marathon and Half in Huntington Beach, Calif. on February 7 without me, I was really itching to race. So I buckled down and planned out the first half of the year. Here it goes:

April 25: Glass City Half Marathon
June 6: Rock ‘n Roll San Diego

I was in half marathon mode last year and I want to continue that trend. I’m hoping to set new PRs and have lots of fun. I’m really excited about the Rock ‘n Roll race. I’ve wanted to do one for a while and depending how this race goes, I may try to do another one in the second half of the year. So wish me luck. What are your 2010 racing plans?

All Races Aren’t Marathons or Are They?

Have you ever noticed how some non-runners refer to all races, regardless of the distance, as marathons? I have. I’m not bringing this up to ridicule them but to raise the question, “aren’t all races marathons in some way?”

The Merrian – Webster Dictionary defines a marathon as an endurance contest. They are grueling 26.2 mile races that push runners to their limit. People spend months getting ready for race day. I’m told finishing is part physical and part mental and people look at you different when you tell them you’ve done one.

Marathons rank up there with triathlons and century rides – those amazing feats crazy people accomplish. But the definition of amazing varies depending on the person. Amazing for you may be walking or running a charity 5K or training with friends for a local 10K – putting one foot in front of the other and pushing yourself to keep going when you really want to stop. Whatever the distance, it’s amazing, it’s a marathon and you did it. Be proud.

Out for the Trot

I’m a big fan of the turkey trot. This annual Thanksgiving event is tons of fun. It’s a good way to burn calories before your Thanksgiving food fest and entertaining as many people run in turkey and pilgrim costumes. Good times, good times.

Unfortunately I won’t be part of the turkey trot action this year for several reasons. My husband and I are traveling to spend the day with family. Either I’d have to get up early and drive 2.5 hours to trot in our destination city or I’d have to run in my city and delay our trip. Given the fact that my hubby has been extremely supportive of my running – going to races, being awaken at 4:30 a.m. when my alarm clocks went off for my early runs – I’m giving him a break and making it a family day.

But by all means, trot if you can. I did a 5K turkey trot last year and had a blast. While distances vary depending on where you live or will be visiting, fun will be had by all. The Running in the USA website lists races all over the country. Hopefully you’ll be able to find a turkey trot near you.

Race Recovery Update

I’m two weeks post half marathon and I feel good. About 6 days after the race, all the pain in my quadriceps was gone. I’m close to my prerace weekly mileage of 25 miles – last week I ran 21. This week my plan is to run 6 miles Tuesday, 5 miles Wednesday and 6 miles Thursday with another 6 miles on Saturday. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s runs will include tempo work. I still haven’t figured out what my next race will be but I plan to be ready.

Race Recovery

So I completed my third half marathon on Sunday and set a new personal record. Yay! I’m excited and hyped to get back on my feet. I usually try to run a few miles two days later to get my legs moving again but wait a week to get up to my prerace weekly mileage. So this week I take the same approach. I headed out this morning to run 4 miles but was barely able to run a quarter of a mile. My legs were so tight it hurt to run. I struggled through the run finally opting to walk most of it. This is the first time I’ve felt this way and I’m trying to figure out why.

There are a few things I noticed about my body after this race compared to previous races. Usually my hip flexors are sore/tight with a little of the same in my quadriceps. This time the soreness is mainly in my quads. My previous races have had more hills – Santa Cruz and San Francisco, while Columbus was pretty flat except for a few gradual inclines. I wonder if that’s the key. Either way, I’m still sore and plan to continue stretching. Not sure if I’m a glutton for punishment but I plan to run another 4 miles on Wednesday and run 4-5 miles on Saturday. I’ll let you know how my advantageous recovery plan goes.

How do you recover after a race? What’s your post race training plan?

Race Rituals

Some runners have specific things they do before a race or wear during a race and I’m still trying to figure out what mine are. One friend always wears that particular race’s freebie technical shirt. A few other friends always wear their Race Ready tights (I still have to get a pair). Some down nothing but water or an energy gel before the race, while others seem to eat a lot – bananas, bagels, cereal – whatever they can get their hands on.

This weekend when I head to Columbus to run the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Half Marathon, I’m not quite sure what I’ll do. Before my first half marathon I ate a small bowl of cereal and half a banana. I didn’t own much running gear at the time so I wore basketball shorts and a moisture wicking t-shirt. For my second half marathon, I ate half a Clif bar the morning of the race and wore black capri running tights, a black moisture wicking t-shirt and the race’s technical tee. This weekend, I’ll probably wear black capri running tights again but I’m not sure what kind of top and I plan to eat half a Clif bar with a banana.

The question begs to be asked – what difference does it make? Well for me routines breed comfort. I’m not very superstitious but if something worked before and I ran well, why not do it again? Plus even if it’s a new race, I’ll have something familiar to get me through. The challenge for me is that all my races have been in different climates – 80s, 50s and now 30s. So I’ll have to develop warm, cool and cold weather routines so I’ll always be ready. My race rituals are still in their infancy stages but I’m sure they’ll mature in time as I continue to run.

Do you have a race ritual? What do you usually wear or eat?