Spring Forward 15k (1:04.15)
I nicknamed the Spring Forward 15k the Shenanigan 15k.
A few things made the Spring Forward 15k a challenging race:
- The Spring Forward 15k is already a challenging course.
- I am still recovering from my half marathon.
- I ran 70 miles in Texas last week, including a 12 mile run up a mountain chased by a 15 mile run on the trails the next day.
- I took the day before the race off…something I never do (I would take two days off and then do a shakeout run the day before), but my legs needed a break the day before more than I cared to injure myself at a race.
I knew running Spring Forward 15k was not going to of the same caliber as my last and you know what? I was perfectly fine with that. I love running and running injury-free…so that’s that.
I left my house for the Spring Forward 15k on Saturday at 6 am …not really any different than a weekday and headed towards Rochester. It was an easy 70-mile drive to Laura’s house.
Laura drove to the start and we got there with about 15 minutes to spare before the Spring Forward 15k started. That’s unusual and we both prefer a longer warmup and use the bathroom.
The porta-potty lines at the Spring Forward 15k were too long, there wasn’t enough time to warm up, neither of us cared and we just headed to a tree and then the starting line. I think we did about .75 miles running before the Spring Forward 15k…at least that is what my watch said.
The Spring Forward 15k started at 8:30 and we were off. During the first mile of the Spring Forward 15k, I noticed three girls in front of me and a few hills ahead. I knew it would take at least 2-3 miles for me to warm up and loosen up, considering I had taken the day before off and hadn’t done a warmup. I was still basking in the sun.
Long story short, I never felt fantastic during the race, but I didn’t feel bad either.
While 15ks aren’t common nationally, there are a lot in Upstate, NY. I thought of Spring Forward 15k as three 5ks, so that is what I’ll describe it as.
The first 5k of the Spring Forward 15k was chilly. I forgot my ear warmers and was wearing shorts. I hate being cold and I’m known to be overdressed.
The Spring Forward 15k was somewhat crowded and hit the 5k mark in 21:12. I passed one girl up a hill; then, she passed me back down the hill. She wasn’t amused when I said we would be a good team. She could run downhill and I’d run-up.
The second 5k Spring Forward 15k was much more hilly. I underestimated the hills for the Spring Forward 15k, but I realized while running…I run up hills well but I do stink running down them. During the Spring Forward 15k, I was passed on most downhills, only to catch back up during the uphill.
I crossed the 10k of the Spring Forward 15k in 43:30). I was feeling better, the later it got during the race so I tried to “bring it home”.
The last 5k of the Spring Forward 15k was up a giant hill. When I hit the 10k at 6:42 pace, I decided I wanted to average pace under 6:40 per mile. However, I didn’t know there was a 200-foot hill during the last mile of the Spring Forward 10k. That mile I ran a 7:10. During the final stretch of the Spring Forward 15k, it was an epic battle between was a high school-aged boy and myself.
He outkicked me on the downhill section to the Spring Forward 15k finish line (isn’t that anticlimactic?). I have no interest to outkick boys anyways…high school boys, college boys…older men…don’t care.
After the Spring Forward 15k, Laura and I hung out. I saw one of my friends from college who swam distance with me who did well too…it is always lovely to catch up with college friends and remember that was a part of my life (though it seems so distant now).
Questions for you:
Do you take any days off before a race?
Do you see a lot of friends from the previous schooling? College, high school?
For me being in a separate area, I generally don’t. I think if I lived where I went to college or high school I would obviously.
Still a great run especially on tired legs! Be proud–I hope you’re enjoying your massage today 🙂
I generally run the other way when I see people from my high school. I love spending time with my college girlfriends but now they’re all scattered across the country. 🙁
Thanks-it’s somewhat the same with me. None of my friends are really all that close anymore. My best friend is in China!
The fact that you can run that fast on 70 miles is amazing. This is why I can’t wait to start racing- I can pick races where I’m going to be able to run with people and hang out with them before/after/during. It’s so much more fun that way. Living in 3 different places during the year I end up having friends all over the place anyways. Makes it difficult to see people often so when I do get to see high school friends, it’s always a pleasant surprise.
Aren’t you already racing? LOL, believe me you’ll miss collegiate racing. Though I never really had a good season of college running, I already miss it and seeing friends from various teams. Most of my running friends are still in VA Beach though.
Oops meant to add *road* to the racing. I just find them less stressful than track meets or cross country races. I know I’ll miss it when it’s over.
LOL, I do agree though. I have no pressure except for whatever I put on myself now…and since I don’t do that…I am pressure free at every race!
I don’t really see any high school or college friends anymore (well, aside from my husband. He’s technically a college friend… LOL). But, when I was training for the half marathon after I moved here, there was another girl in the program who I actually went to high school with, she ran at different times and then one day we ended up just running together and figuring that out, haha. Sometimes I do wish there was someone here from those days that I could just hang with and chill out with, though… but I’ve made a lot of new friends since.
It sounds like the race went fairly well considering all your running, the cold, treadmill, etc. And you’re so right to give yourself a break or day off if you need it too, sure beats being injured and in the long run a day or two off won’t make a huge difference if you look at running in terms of years.
LOL! I don’t know why I found that so funny, I guess he counts. Glad to hear you have made some new friends. I’ve always been somewhat of a floater personally and had a lot of close friends but changed friend groups a lot.
Me too, I went through different groups of friends each year of college, minus 3-4 who were pretty much always there :). That’s how you know true friends.
I pretty much don’t even have friends anymore haha. Travis and Geno. That’s about it. Sounds like a great race to me! Freaking high school boys being all awkward and stuff. He probably needed the ego boost of beating a girl.
LOL, boys can’t be outchicked. It’s the facts of life. Always.
I actually don’t see a lot of my old college or high school friends anymore, which makes me kind of sad. It really does feel like it was so long ago, or even another lifetime, but I have a lot of good memories from those times and it’s sad to have those people limited to such a short time of my life. I never used to believe it when people told me that I probably wouldn’t end up keeping in touch with my high school friends after graduation, especially since me and my best friend at the time were basically inseparable for 3 years, but lo and behold… it ended up being true. Dang.
I usually take the day before a race off – or super easy with a 2-3 mi shakeout run. I never see any of my classmates from school – I moved 800 miles away from them all. ha! Facebook is more than enough to keep me updated on them though.
Amen to that!
I see a couple of my college friends all the time and I love it! People to run with! A lot of HS classmates live in my current area but I was never close to them so I don’t see them in person at all (I just creep their facebook).
Question about the compression sleeves: You look like you’re wearing just the sleeves, not socks. Do you like these better? I want to try some compression gear but I can’t decide to go full socks or just sleeves.
I am a facebook creeper as well. I am just wearing sleeves and that is all I really know so I like them a lot. I honestly don’t think sleeves or socks really makes a big difference, it’s more of personal preference like mac computer or dell. 🙂
great run! Damn those hills! Now I need to find a 15k to do!
“She wasn’t amused when I said we would be a good team she could run down hill and I’d run up.”
People just don’t appreciate good humor out on the course. 🙂
Answers:
1) For half marathons, I taper for a week or two depending on if I am going for a PR. I still run leading up to the race, but only easy runs and only a few miles. For marathons, I stick to a strict taper. 3 weeks and no running 2-3 days prior and only a few miles a couple of times that last week. By the time I get to the start line, my legs feel electric with all the rest and a good store of glycogen.
2) I rarely see people I went to school with. High school, undergrad, or grad school.
Exactly. It certainly depends on my goals for the race. I won’t do any tapering for any races coming up except for the Nike women’s half. I have yet to get the energy/nutrition aspect down to what exactly works for me but I’ve come somewhat close. Though there is certainly a huge difference from a half marathon to a full.
When I ran Chicago last year, I participated in Gatorade study of pre-race and race nutrition/consumption and related gastrointestinal issues. Pretty fascinating results – especially the result that I was taking in 100 grams of carbs per hour throughout the race. I’m a huge “food is fuel” advocate, and I think I just about have my race routine down pat. I have to…I don’t have young legs like you do!! 🙂
Definitely a strong showing from you, particularly given the previous week’s training and your half marathon ‘anti-recovery’ 😉
I see precisely no-one from school and college because those were days I don’t care to re-live. If I did see anyone I think I would be tempted to run and hide somewhere…then stick my foot out and trip them over as they walked past. I’m sure they would do the same to me 😛
Nope, I don’t take any days off before races because I just seem even more stiff and sore if I do that. I know I should by the holy rules of running, but I don’t. Never will!
xxx
As far as high school, I see the people I want to see and hope to the awkward Gods I don’t run into them at Wawa or a public place. Especially since (unlike high school) I could care less about my appearance and walk around sans makeup and a shower more times than I’d like to admit. College… Uhm, yeah… I see no one. hahah. Maybe I’ll see Nikki some day soon so we can all hang out and meet and stuff!
Love the race report, makes me excited to get back to racing. I can’t wait! 🙂
You are one speedy lady! Congrats!
As for high school friends, living on the other side of the world from all those people makes it kind of hard but my two closest friends and I met in high school and have remained close friends since then (even though now I only see them once a year… but yay for skype!).
The girl’s reaction to your comment when you passed her is classic!
I prefer a short easy shake out run the day before a race. I wish I could see college friends more, that’s actually a goal of mine this year!
Also, I wonder why there were so many police out at 6am? Lame!
Well I think this is a pretty baller race for just “running through” it! Obviously not every race can be a PR and hey, if there’s a race, why not run it even if you’re just “running through” – good opportunity to hang out with people right? 😀 And so glad you got to meet up with old college teammates! That can be fun, sometimes awkward, but mostly fun – I love when I randomly start talking to old Bates teammates, those were the days lol.
I went to school 3 hrs from home so generally I see no one lol. Sucks. And then I came back home and everyone else moved away. Wtf. Also I hate when you truck make joking conversation with other runners don’t appreciate it… Rude…;-)
Woohoo! I think it was a good strategy breaking up the 15-K into smaller 5-K chunks; that’s exactly what I did when I ran the Boilermaker 15-K this summer. (Needless to say, I wasn’t clocking miles at your speed, though. ;)) That’s also awesome you got to meet up with a college friend! Most of my friends from school really aren’t into running–womp, womp.
Yeah I am just now experiencing hills her in Blacksburg. I am not a fan of running down them. I don’t feel as in control if that makes sense. College wasn’t that long ago girl! I still say you should come here and experience college again with me 😀
Even your “off” miles amaze me!!! haha I’m REALLY trying to run a little faster… mostly to keep up with my boyfriend. Any tips??
I just found that the more that I run the better I get…LOL. I honestly don’t have a lot of tips because I don’t do much speed if any right now and am still improving. 🙂
Great job! I’m glad you enjoyed the wonderful city of Rochester and Mendon Ponds Park 🙂
Oh, and I know that girl looking at you and Laura in the first photo, we work together.