Back to The Racing Scene

This weekend will be my first race back after running the Colorado Marathon.  The first race back after a marathon is always unpredictable.  I think I took some good time off, I didn't kill myself with too many miles too soon and I got in a couple of quick, short, speed workouts last week.  Although my mileage is at half it was peaking for the marathon (last week 33), I am running a 5k, not another marathon.

I did go to the hematologist last week and need another iron infusion tomorrow.  Unfortunately, an iron infusion tomorrow isn't going to do much good for my race this Saturday.  I am feeling the symptoms of iron deficiency again, which is never a good sign.  I have been chomping on popsicles, having major shortness of breath and some minor leg cramps.  I am hoping I feel this more now since I am at altitude and when I get to NY on Friday these symptoms dissipate.  The other aspect of this is figuring out why I am iron deficient and not absorbing any oral supplements (liquid or pill form).  I will have blood work done tomorrow as well to check for the antibodies for Celiac's Disease.

So what does the race schedule look like over the next few months?!

June 1st- Freihofer's Run for Women 5k, Albany, NY
June 8th- OK 5k, Kinderhook, NY
June 20th- Corporate Challenge Colorado- Lousiville, CO
June 29th- Bristol Mile- Colorado Springs, CO
July 4th- Firecracker 5k, Fort. Collins, CO
August 10th- Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon, CO
October 13th- Mohawk Hudson Marathon, Albany, NY

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."

Colorado Marathon & RR postrace

On May 5th, 2013 I ran an 8 minute marathon PR.  Although I knew my last marathon should have been a lot faster (I got sick and had to stop for several minutes at mile 23 dropping my predicted finish from 3:01-2 to 3:07), I was still happy. The first 14 miles of the Colorado Marathon was downhill, which was a good thing given the race started at 6,200 feet elevation, however it still did damage.  My quads were destroyed and I felt it by mile 18.   Despite some GI cramps the last 2 miles of the marathon I still felt good.  I never really hit a "wall".  Every time I went to pick up the pace and run faster my quads screamed at me!  So I settled into a 7:15 minute mile pace at the end of the race, knowing it would be good enough to still break 3-hours.  If it weren't for my quads I know I could have finished a lot faster.  So we will see what a flat, non-damaging downhill marathon at sea-level, Mohawk Hudson Marathon, will allow me to crank out this fall! :)

After the marathon I finally went to get blood work done that I was putting off until after the race, I needed all my blood in my body to race at that elevation!  What did I find out?  My ferritin, stored iron, had dropped to a level the majority of runners would experience negative results in their training and performance.    Last summer when I was doing a long run with my best marathon training partner, Crystal Perno, I started to suck wind and get way behind on any incline.  I called my doctor the next day and asked to have iron studies done.  My ferritin had always been low throughout my life, and ridiculously low for a serious runner (8,9,11).  However, no doctor seemed to care and know how much I was training to race faster.  Of course I wasn't going to get that much faster no matter how much I trained with my iron so low!  Well my ferritin came back at 4.  Sedentary people can have a ferritin as low as 12 without too many symptoms.  Runners, especially those who race shouldn't be below 30 (some even argue 50), otherwise their training and performance takes a hit.  Well with a ferritin of 4 it finally all made sense.  Constant leg cramps and thrashing of my legs at night (I started taking medication for restless leg syndrome thinking that was the problem), ice crunching, constant naps despite sleeping 9 hours a night as well as dizziness and hair loss, I went to a hematologist.  They decided in give my 8 IV iron infusions immediately.  What a difference!  I felt amazing afterwards.  My ferritin went up to 210!  After moving out to Colorado I had my iron studies done again in January.  Ferritin 112.  Still felt amazing!  Then after this marathon, ferritin 24.  Damn it.  I am on the path for iron infusions again.  I see the hematologist next week, so we will see.

May 5th, 2013- Colorado Marathon- 2:59:40, 2nd overall female

April 14th, 2013- Delmar Dash 5 Miler- 30:12, 3rd overall female

March 17th, 2013- New Bedford Half Marathon- 1:23:17

New Bedford Half Marathon

I was 6 weeks back into training.  Not ideal to race a half marathon PR.  Usually 10 weeks is prime for training for a half, even if you are in shape.  I was not.  I raced Chicago Marathon in October and given my disappointing 3:07, I signed up for CIM that December, knowing I could break 3 hours.  I started to train too soon and knotted my calf up pretty bad.  The next day and for months after that last track workout that hurt my calf, the dreaded Plantar Fascitis started.  It was awful.  I never knew how bad it hurt and I could barely run.  By the end of December I felt like I could start running normal again.  I still had bad burning pain, but for the most part I was able to run through it.  My coach had me stay off the track and stay on soft dirt surfaces.  I didn't have any significant confidence boosting workouts, especially here at altitude, I was doing everything at a threshold pace, no faster, so I wasn't expecting too much from NB half marathon.  My PR was 1:27:52 and I thought I could do that, maybe I could even break 1:27, but I had no idea I was going to run 1:23:17!  In fact, I was so unfamiliar with calculating that pace in my head I didn't even know I was going to run that until the final mile.  If I had known, I am confident I could have broken 1:23.   I just realized it a little too late.