Fits Do Race Reviews: Irish Run 8k

Whew! What a Sunday...as I mentioned in my earlier post today, it was a busy week for running, and I still had more running to do today after that post!

Having run 19 miles yesterday, I knew that my legs would be tired today for the Irish Run 8k. On the drive over to St. Paul, I started regretting signing up. A non-running day would have been better for my tired body.

The race had a 1:20 start time, which was a little strange for fueling. Dustin and I both ate a normal size breakfast (whole wheat waffle with syrup and a banana). We also spent about an hour walking around the dog park to wear out Matilda as well, so I was definitely hungry by the time race time rolled around. Yet I didn't want to eat anything else until after the race for fear of the dreaded GI issues that can plague many a runner. (Did you catch my post, "When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go"? That post about sums it up.)

Even with the later start, the temperature was still pretty cold, hovering around 18 degrees and quite windy.  Fortunately, we could wait inside the nearby elementary school until race time. Packet pickup was in the gym at the school, and it was quick and easy. This is a "runner's" race, without a lot of fancy swag, though we did receive a nice dry-fit short sleeved shirt, as Dustin is (begrudgingly) modeling below:

This race attracts a VERY fast group. The winning time for men was 24:18 minutes, which is a 4:54 min/mile pace. (FYI, an 8k is 4.98 miles.) The winning time for women was 28 minutes, which is a 5:38 min/miles pace. Incredible!

Back to my race: We ran about two miles to warmup, and then met up with our team inside for a quick group photo. We had just enough men and women to have an official team (five men, five women). I told myself I was "a warm body," meaning I was just there to help the team qualify as an official USATF team, so I shouldn't stress about being the slowest.

The race began without a whole lot of fanfare. It was chip-timed of course, but I don't remember a starting gun or anything.  As for the course, it went out-and-back for about a mile towards the river on Summit Avenue, and then came back and out the other direction on Summit Avenue, to make a second turn towards the finish line.

If you're familiar with Summit Ave from the Twin Cities Marathon, or maybe another race, you know that its hilly. We had our fair share of ups and downs on this short five mile course. There were no water stops for this short run, which was fine on such a cold day.

The race actually went by very quickly. Before I knew it, the finish line was in sight, so I tried to push it in a little harder to finish strong. I had started out with a fellow CBRC running buddy, Kristi, and I let her set the pace. In fact, I was creeping right behind her for most of the race, and I hope it didn't drive her crazy! I did lose her in the last mile, and she ended up finishing about 20 seconds ahead of me, but we were together for most of the race. It was good for me to have a "pacer" of sorts, as she did a good job of hitting very consistent miles- thank you Kristi!

Her fiancé commented after the finish that our outfits were basically flip-flopped versions of each other: she had the fun patterned jacket, and I had the fun, similarly patterned pants!

My official time was 39:23, which was sub-8 minutes, which was fine with me for today. That's basically my tempo pace, so I was happy to keep that up for 5 miles on tired legs.

Dustin also had a 19 mile run yesterday, so he wasn't "racing" today either, but he still did a great job! I know he usually doesn't like it when I share his race times on here, but he did give me permission, as long as I pointed out that he wasn't racing! It was just a tempo run for him as well.

Even though I was regretting the race on the way to St. Paul, on the way home, I was happy that I had participated. It wasn't so bad, and I had to admit I had fun.

One of the other runners from our club commented that this was actually a good race for training for a marathon, as you could see how it felt to run on tired legs. I can see his point, but I think I need to be conscious of over training (I definitely don't want to get another stress reaction) so a tempo run the day after a long run won't become the norm for me.

What do you think? Is it beneficial to train on tired legs, or better to listen to your body and rest?

Overall, I thought this 8k was well-organized and fun. I didn't need a lot of fancy swag or fanfare, and it was fun to do a distance that I haven't run very often. Since I have only ever run one 8k before, and it was one that I ran for fun for my sister's bachelorette party, I do think today is now my official "PR" for an 8k. So, here's a new PR!

I give this race a 9/10 on the Right Fits Race Review scale!

After the run, Dustin and I were ravenous, so we heated up some leftover turkey burgers and did all the necessary foam rolling and icing. Then, it was off to The Barre for me for the free event with lucy activewear. The class was packed (probably because it was free), but it was a lot of fun. Afterwards, my girlfriends and I headed to Red Cow for a beer and burger (acceptable after two workouts that day, right?).

I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

Failed Fit: When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go....

By Cool J in Minneapolis

OMG, where is the nearest  bathroom? I need it now! 

Do you think that bush/tree/garbage can is big enough to hide me? 

What makes better toilet paper- a sock or a leaf?

If you have ever had to ask yourself these questions…rest assured, you are not alone.  In fact, maybe this is a sign that you are a TRUE runner.

Nearly pooped your pants on a run? Badge of honor.

Have you ever made an emergency stop at a steamy hot porta-potty on a 95 degree day? 

Have you zipped into the nearest coffee shop and bought a bottle of water just so you could use the bathroom?

Or maybe you know exactly which coffee shops/community centers/churches are runner friendly?

You, my friend, are a runner.

Of course, I am not speaking from personal experience. LL and Cool J are classy ladies, who would never discuss POOP (ew, ew, ew!) on their Fashion, Fitness, and Fitness Fashion blog!

But I have heard some stories from ‘friends’. As expected, these friends would prefer to remain anonymous, but here are some of those stories:

• There was a friend who was running with her dog, and had to use two plastic poop bags…and neither one was for the dog!

• Then there was the friend who was on the home stretch during a local marathon, and she ended up behind a somewhat famous church near the finish, popping a squat and praying for forgiveness!

• How can forget about my friend who ran the Lake Minnetonka half marathon several years ago with her husband? At one point, the husband sprinted off into the woods and came back without a shirt on…. Apparently, that shirt also worked as toilet paper in an emergency!

Why does this happen?

Running jostles your stomach and all that jostling around is tough on the intestines. Every one’s digestive system is different, and everyone’s tolerance for certain foods is different. Running creates physical stress on the body’s systems, and the stress increases with mileage and intensity. And when blood flow that's needed for digestion is diverted to the legs, an “emergency situation” might ensue.

Most of the time the stress from training is a good thing; hopefully the body adapts, then you become stronger and fitter. Hopefully as it adapts, you may find that these “situations” will decrease or even stop.

What should runners do?

• Keep track of what you eat: Try keeping a food diary with your running journal. Look for patterns as to when you have had these issues. Is it timing? Lactose? Or maybe it’s more obvious, and it’s that greasy pizza you had for lunch or that Indian food you had last night (never a good idea!) Caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, dairy, gluten, and fiber are possible suspects. Try to figure out patterns, and then eliminate those items before a run.
• Plan Ahead: You might try using the treadmill or run near your house as a warm-up until you use the bathroom; then, hit the road to complete the rest of your run.
• Hydrate: A lot of runners say that they experience these ugly situations when they are not hydrated. It is always important to be well hydrated, but it might also help to avoid the runner’s trots.
• Limit Fiber Intake: Fiber is good for you, but you may want to choose when you eat your high fiber meals versus when you decide to go for a hard run
• Run Near Bathrooms: Hello! There are usually a lot of bathrooms around the lakes on my running routes, but even so, they are not always there when you need them. Try your best to plan on running along a route that includes bathrooms at various points. 
• Gradually increase your workout intensity: A lot of the time, runners experience GI problems simply due to the fact that they are training too hard too fast. Instead, try to gradually increase your workout intensity. 

What about race day? I can’t spare the 3-5 minutes at the bathroom if I want to obtain my marathon goal!

Ask your doctor about taking anti-diarrhea medications (Imodium/Pepto Bismol). This may help you get through race day without worrying. I’m sure that your race will have port-o-potties at the start, the finish, and along the course, too. But, you can be prepared just in case by carrying a small amount of toilet paper with you in a zip lock bag.

I’m guessing not a lot of readers will comment on this topic- it IS a little embarrassing, I know. Even if you follow these tips, you might still have a bad experience. But don’t fret!  Lots of runners experience this issue, and most of us have that one horribly funny story to share. Ask around- I bet your running friends have a story or two!