{"id":7320,"date":"2009-07-31T12:33:05","date_gmt":"2009-07-31T16:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodembrace.com\/?p=7320"},"modified":"2009-07-31T14:42:47","modified_gmt":"2009-07-31T18:42:47","slug":"dublin-irish-festival-four-miler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodembrace.com\/2009\/07\/dublin-irish-festival-four-miler\/","title":{"rendered":"Dublin Irish Festival Four Miler"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi guys!\u00a0 Yesterday was a first for me in so many ways I don’t even know if I’ll be able to convey it all!\u00a0 It was my first race since the half in May. <\/a> To quickly recap, I got injured during the half and was off running completely for a while.\u00a0 I’ve only been back to running since mid-late June.\u00a0 I had to start at 2 miles slowly.\u00a0 And then start working my way back up.\u00a0 That’s where I’m currently at, working my way back up and adding miles.\u00a0 It’s very frustrating process for me right now and it’s leaving me with no motivation for increasing miles and working hard to get back to 13.\u00a0 I decided I needed some motivation.\u00a0 One thing I thought would help would be signing up for a race!\u00a0 I found the Dublin Irish Festival Four Miler <\/a>and knew that would be perfect.\u00a0 I could do four miles and it wouldn’t take me long to be able to work up to four miles.\u00a0 And I was right, it didn’t take me long to handle four miles.\u00a0 However, my pace is crazy slow and I’m clocking in at 12-12:30min\/mile.\u00a0 I am not a fast runner.\u00a0 During my peak 1\/2 training, I ran a 10:30min\/mile and I was happy with that.\u00a0 I ran an 11min\/mile on long runs and I was happy with that.<\/p>\n

I am not<\/em> happy with a 12+min\/mile pace.\u00a0 That is too slow.\u00a0 Way too slow.\u00a0 It is almost more frustrating than having to slowly increase my miles and starting over at square one.<\/p>\n

Okay with all that said, let’s talk race!<\/p>\n

\"Running<\/a>Out with the old and in with the new.\u00a0 I was a little bummed to have to remove my chip from the half but it was for a good reason!\u00a0 Plus since I’m number 1, it’ll provide a nice reminder about what I’m striving to achieve.<\/p>\n

\"Yogurt<\/a>Pre-race eats, 2% Fage, granola, and frozen raspberries.\u00a0 The thing about this race is that it’s an evening race.\u00a0 Race time is 7:00pm.\u00a0 This was my first evening race.\u00a0 In fact this was my first ever run past noon. :o\u00a0 I know!\u00a0 But I’m a morning gal!\u00a0 Bust out the run first thing and have the rest of the day for whatever.\u00a0 I have the most energy in the mornings as well.<\/p>\n

The fact that this was an evening run added to my nervousness.\u00a0 How would I do?\u00a0 Would I be able to handle it?\u00a0 Would I get too hot?\u00a0 You know how self-doubt goes.<\/p>\n

I have to say that getting ready for an evening race is very bizarre! You get up and go about your day like you would any other regular day.\u00a0 Except by dinner time, you aren’t getting ready for dinner, you’re getting ready to run a race.\u00a0 It’s almost a little surreal like you are floating through the day with all this normal stuff going on yet in the back of your mind you’re like, “Wait? Isn’t something happening tonight? Why am I’m eating salad like this is just any other day?” :p<\/p>\n

Finally it was time to leave for the race!\u00a0 Thankfully we live very close to downtown Dublin.\u00a0 Traffic was a little crazy getting into Dublin.\u00a0 We lucked out and found a great parking space close to the start\/finish.\u00a0 When we got there I had to pee like a mofo and started searching out bathrooms first thing!<\/p>\n

\"RaceAhhhh much better!\u00a0 Notice all the green?\u00a0 That’s the Irish Festival for ya! :D<\/p>\n

\"Me\"Me! In all my Rainbow Sherbet Sunday running outfit glory!\u00a0 Who’s number 1?\u00a0 Who’s number 1?!<\/p>\n

It was crazy the number of people who came up to me or stopped me and asked me how I got that number.\u00a0 “Um, that’s just the number they gave me.”\u00a0 “Oh.”\u00a0 I don’t know what they were hoping to hear.\u00a0 “I bribed them.” <\/em><\/p>\n

“I know a guy who knows a guy who slept with a girl who knows a guy that slept with a guy and I just asked him.”<\/p>\n

I was pacing around and a nervous wreck.\u00a0 It was ridiculous.\u00a0 Then they told us to line up.\u00a0 Eeep!<\/p>\n

\"RunnersThere were a ton of us!\u00a0 Registration capped at 2000 and I think they might have totaled that.\u00a0 For a small 4 mile race that’s a great turnout!<\/p>\n

\"MeI found the 11min\/mile pace group and put myself in that category.\u00a0 I absolutely refused to run a 12+min\/mile pace.<\/p>\n

REFUSED!<\/p>\n

So I jumped pace groups and inserted myself into another one.\u00a0 I know there are some runners who get super frustrated when people don’t line up right or put themselves in the wrong pace group.\u00a0 And to that I say, PFFFFFTTTTTT on you.\u00a0 A race is meant to be fun and a competition with yourself.\u00a0 If you stress and bitch about people in the wrong pace group then you need to reevaluate the situation and readjust your focus.\u00a0 And that’s all I’m saying about that.<\/p>\n

\"SingingThe national anthem was sung and that meant the start was super close!!\u00a0 And this guy seems really annoyed.\u00a0 Perhaps he thought her socks were too flashy for such a serious occasion as a run that promotes being able to snag beer afterwards?<\/p>\n

\"MeAnd off we go!!<\/p>\n

This race kicked my ass.\u00a0 It was such a beast and I was totally unprepared for that because I didn’t expect it!<\/p>\n

We ran down the road for a bit and then made a right turn.<\/p>\n

Onto the biggest motherlovin’ hill I had ever seen.<\/p>\n

I don’t train hills.\u00a0 My town is hill free, I’ve got no hills.\u00a0 This wasn’t some easy slow grade hill.\u00a0 This was a Where-The-Hell-Is-My-Walking-Stick kind of hill.\u00a0 Shit!<\/p>\n

Yeah, it was at this point that I fell behind the 11min pace group.\u00a0 I actually can handle hills really well but I wasn’t going to fly up this hill.\u00a0 First it was right at the beginning, before I had even hit 5 min of running.\u00a0 Not long enough warmup for me to tackle such a thing.\u00a0 So I just took it easy, realized I wasn’t going to keep up with the 11min pace group and called it fine.<\/p>\n

Instead, I told myself that I was going to run under 12min pace.\u00a0 As long as I was under 12min I would be happy.<\/p>\n

Well, content. ;)<\/p>\n

Honestly this race was long!\u00a0 It was super humid out and I was very thankful for my WonderWoman wrist band I wore to mop up sweat.\u00a0 Especially since I couldn’t use my shirt to wipe my face because of the race bib.<\/p>\n

We hit mile marker one and I was happy.\u00a0 However, I was totally clueless the rest of the race because I didn’t see any more markers. :o<\/p>\n

There was another hill and lots of downhill action.<\/p>\n

I wish I had some halfway point pics for you, but there wasn’t a spot for Scott to swing by and take some.\u00a0 He patiently waited at the finish for me.<\/p>\n

The race had lots of turn arounds, so we would run down a road and at the end, turn around and head back.\u00a0 Honestly, this didn’t appeal to me too much.\u00a0 I don’t like passing runners on their way to the finish.\u00a0 It kills confidence and makes me feel punk-ass slow.\u00a0 And I sort of get the hamster running on a wheel feeling because you’re doing the same thing only now going a different way.<\/p>\n

This race was really challenging for me in a lot of ways.\u00a0 It was very humid for running and I was sweating like crazy.\u00a0 I felt slow but due to nerves my HR<\/abbr> was so high!\u00a0 As much as I hate to admit it, I negative talked the entire time to myself.\u00a0 UGH!\u00a0 I tried to break that but it didn’t work.\u00a0 That was the worst I have ever been during a run in regards to self-motivation.\u00a0 I was annoyed with myself.<\/p>\n

The last stretch was awesome!\u00a0 We just did another end of the road loop and were headed back.\u00a0 It was a straight shot back to the finish.\u00a0 The 12min pace group caught up to me and I was bumming about that.\u00a0 I slowed down for just a bit, caught my breath, and then increased my pace.\u00a0 They were behind me and I could still hear them talking but I was ahead of them so it was all good.<\/p>\n

Someone who had a Garmin yelled out that we were at 3.6 miles.<\/p>\n

Thank jeebus!\u00a0 Then the finish shoots came into view and I was a happy camper.<\/p>\n

\"MeAlmost done!<\/p>\n

\"MeI spotted Scott!!<\/p>\n

\"CrossingCrossing the finish!!<\/p>\n

I was ahead of the 12min pace group and I clocked in at 47 minutes.\u00a0 That puts me at roughly a 11:45min\/mile pace which is under 12min and way under 12:30min.<\/p>\n

YES YES YES!<\/p>\n

\"MeWe got medals for finishing the race which was really nice and a definite bonus!<\/p>\n

Running an evening race was really hard for me.\u00a0 My energy level was not there.\u00a0 This race was more challenging to me than the 1\/2 I did in May.\u00a0 I know, can you believe that?!\u00a0 The 1\/2 was first thing in the morning and I was totally relaxed during the race.\u00a0 I just ran because my goal was to finish.\u00a0 I didn’t care about time or pace or anything, I just wanted to run.<\/p>\n

This four miler I was filled with anxiety and negative talk.\u00a0 It killed this race for me and it was my fault.\u00a0 I shouldn’t have been that way.\u00a0 I’m not a group runner or into partner\/group runs.\u00a0 Running is my own thing and I like doing it by myself.\u00a0 I don’t really want to chit chat and run.\u00a0 That said, I would have loved to have a partner with me yesterday.\u00a0 Someone who would have been able to push me a little faster and both of us could have encouraged each other up the hills and during the boring loop-backs.<\/p>\n

When I told Scott about the hills and my negative talk he said, “You shouldn’t be that way.\u00a0 You should have said, Yeah F*’in hill let’s go!\u00a0 Bring it you MotherF*’in hill, I WILL OWN YOU.”<\/p>\n

I was rolling because he never says stuff like this!\u00a0 Scott’s idea of motivation is, “Hey, good job.”\u00a0 I am totally making him run with me!<\/p>\n

I’m not sure if I would do this race again.\u00a0 But I’m glad that I did it and had this experience.\u00a0 It showed me where I’m at and what I need to do for the half in October.\u00a0 And provided some much needed motivation to get my butt out the door and start training already!<\/p>\n

I misunderstood the statement about after race food.\u00a0 The website says, “post race food will be provided by Bridge Street Pizza!” and I took that to mean there would be pizza. To my credit, that statement is a little misleading.\u00a0 If someone told you a pizza place was going to provide food, wouldn’t you think that means pizza?<\/p>\n

That was not the case.\u00a0 They provided breadsticks, and Panera provided bagels.\u00a0 For just a four mile race I do not need that kind of carb recovery.\u00a0 Plus if I was going to have carbs then I’m going to have pizza gosh darn it!<\/p>\n

It was at this point I was cursing myself for not prepping pizza stuff and making a dough for “just in case” purposes.\u00a0 It had occurred to me in the afternoon but I didn’t listen.<\/p>\n

Instead we ran to Whole Foods and picked up a take-and-bake cheese pizza.\u00a0 And you know I totally wore my medal walking around Whole Foods.<\/p>\n

While the pizza was baking, I had some cheese crackers (Back to Nature) because my belly was getting angry and my blood-sugar was dropping too much for my liking.<\/p>\n

\"Cheese<\/p>\n

I added some of our favorite toppings to the pizza:<\/p>\n

\"Pizza\"<\/p>\n