A Double Dip: Clarendon Day Race Recap

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

On Saturday, I ran the Pacers Clarendon Day 5k and 10k. I was one of 240 crazy runners who took on the Double challenge and ran both races. Two races back-to-back – a racing first for me – and it was a blast!

I was coming off a tough week of training, but was feeling good after a rest day on Friday and knowing that the majority of the courses would be down the Wilson Blvd. hill I’ve run up so many times at the end of training runs to get home. Each race started in Clarendon by Whitlows and finished by the Rosslyn metro with an out and back out on 110 to Memorial Bridge for the 5k and near the Pentagon for the 10k. The challenge comes in having to hike back up the hill in between races to make it in time for the second race.

The start line was only a 15-minute walk from my place, so I didn’t have to get up quite as early as usual on race day – always a good thing! I made Ian start his photographer duties early since I was really excited to be sporting my Oiselle singlet for the first time.

After walking to the start I went through my dynamic warm-up and made my way to the starting line. I met fellow Oiselle teammate Courtney near the start and it was awesome seeing her along the course and cheering each other on. The weather was perfect – sunny and 50s at the start.

I had it in my mind that I could definitely PR and maybe go sub-21 with the downhill start. Things started off well. I new the first mile would be fast heading down that hill, but I kept it controlled and ran it in 6:30. I hit my goal pace of 6:46 during the second mile and was feeling like I really had a shot at sub-21. The flatter final mile and slightly uphill .1 to the finish got the best of me though, making for a much slower third mile. I crossed the line in 21:59 though making it my first sub-22 5k in a year and a half.

Right about this point I was starting to regret signing up for the double as I began my trek back up the hill to the start on dead legs. Ian and I had missed each other along the course, but I found him on my way back up brightening my mood. I had about 10 minutes to spare once I reached the top of the hill so I tried to stay in the sun and keep warm now that I was sweaty and chilled. I probably should have ditched the arm warmers before the 10k, but they were keeping me warm while I waited and while I got warm during the second race, I didn’t feel like I was overheating.

Before I knew it, the second race was underway. My plan was to just run the 10k after racing the 5k, but to keep my PR of 48:40 in the back of my mind – meaning maintaining roughly a 7:50 pace. I knew I would have to hold back in the first mile and not get caught up in the excitement of the start, especially after just going out at 5k pace an hour earlier. I hit mile one right on track at 7:51 and continued down the hill. I passed the finish line street to my left and headed towards the out and back on 110 and the mile 2 marker as the road started to flatten out. I hit mile 2 quicker than expected in 7:27.

I started to think I could steal a PR on the 10k, but still slowed myself down a little to avoid burning out early. Mile three was right on pace again at 7:52. I was feeling really good on mile four and passing a lot of people. I kept hoping the turn-around would be soon though and wishing I’d run the longer race first. Logistically I know that would be a nightmare, but it would’ve been easier on my mind for sure. Still mile four came in right where I wanted at 7:53.

Mile five was a bit tougher and I could feel my legs begging for a break. I wasn’t passing people anymore and I hit the mile marker in 7:59. Thanks to the quick second mile though, I still thought I had a chance at that PR. I picked it up for the final mile and smiled as I ran past the finish area for the Marine Corps Marathon knowing the next time I’ll be running there I’ll be just a short burst from the finish! I started passing people again and hit mile six in 7:52.

Ian spotted me along the final .2 uphill to the finish this time and got a bunch of great shots. I heard him cheer for me and made my final burst to the finish. I actually hadn’t looked at the watch at mile six so I was just hoping I could eek out a PR. I didn’t quite make it finishing in 49 flat, but I’ll take it considering I was only 20 seconds off and the last one didn’t come right after a 5k!

My combined time for the two races was 1:10:59 – good for 62nd overall and 4th in my age group!

I enjoyed a post-race meet up with Courtney and another Oiselle Volee teammate, Stephanie, who volunteered at the finish line Saturday before crushing it in her 20-mile race on Sunday!

Photo courtesy of Stephanie!

All in all it was another great Pacers race!

The only negative that I feel I have to mention I didn’t find out about until after the race. Ian saw someone drop two backpacks on the ground a block from the finish line and walk away. He tried to alert security, but everyone just seemed to blow it off and no one looked into it. Maybe everyone involved with the race including security knew what it was or who left them, but it would have been nice if they explained that to him. Obviously nothing happened and all was good, so it wasn’t an issue, but it seems like there could have been a better response.

Notice backpacks to the right – they didn’t belong to the man with the stroller. The guy who dropped them picked them up about 20 minutes later.

Footprints: Monday Recap

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

Last week was an up and down one. I was still recovering from a cold most of the week and struggled though some tough workouts before a run double race day on Sunday. Here’s the day-by-day breakdown:

Monday: Today was an attempt to make up Saturday’s 20-10-15 workout. I was supposed to do 20 minutes at a 7:10 pace, 10 at a recovery pace and 15 back at the tempo pace. I hit the treadmill Monday night and could quickly tell my lungs and chest were not fully recovered from my cold. I did bursts at a 7:24 pace and 1.0 incline with walk breaks in between for a total of 20 minutes before jogging it out at a 9:05 pace for 10 followed by a repeat of the run bursts and walk breaks for 10 minutes. Not ideal, but I was glad I made an effort to get it in.

Tuesday: I had Ian drop me off at work, so I could give my long run I missed out on on Sunday a go right after work to take advantage of as much daylight as possible. This was the tale of two runs. I started off strong and cruised for ten miles at an easy just under 9-minute pace. As I attempted to pick up the pace for the next 10 miles I started to struggle. My pace dropped by almost a minute per mile in some cases and I had horrible cramps in my feet. I pushed through as long as I could and finally called it quits at 16.5 after run/hobbling my way through Georgetown and over the Key Bridge back into Arlington.

Wednesday: Rest Day with light core workout.

Thursday: 5 miles easy on the treadmill plus a core workout.

Friday: Rest Day

Saturday: I raced the Clarendon Day Double running a 5k immediately followed by a 10k. I had a blast at this race and ran pretty decent times too finishing 4th in my age group for combined times of those that ran both races. Full recap coming soon!

Sunday: Recovery Day. I planned to run easy, but my calf muscles were absolutely killing me today. I got in a walk, but even that was painful. I’m hoping lots of stretching and rolling makes this pass quickly.

Fall Races!

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

While I hate that summer is almost over meaning less daylight hours and winter just around the corner, fall is my hands-down favorite weather season of the year. It also means it’s fall racing season! I haven’t raced throughout the entire month of August and am getting a little stir-crazy, so I’m excited that my fall line-up of races is almost here.

This is where I’ll be racing this fall…

September 14 – Navy-Air Force Half Marathon
I’m a little terrified that I have a half marathon so soon, but then when I think about it I’ve been running further than that during my long runs for a month and a half now including a couple 17 milers. I’m a little concerned about keeping the pace I want so this will be a great test of my fitness. Most of the course is along the Marine Corps Marathon route as well, so it’ll be great practice!

September 28 – Pacers Clarendon Day Double
I’ll be running both the 5k and the 10k put on by Pacers as part of the Clarendon Day Festival. I’m so excited for this race. I’ve never done two races in one day before and I’m really looking forward to the speedy, mostly downhill courses. The 5k is up first so I’m going to shoot for a PR in that and then just see how the 10k goes after I’ve gotten myself back up the hill for the start of that one!

October 13 – Undecided
Acumen Solutions Race for A Cause 8k … OR … Boo! Run for Life 10k
My coach suggested I look for an 8k or 10k this week and I’ve found one of each – both pretty close to home and roughly the same price. The 8k is closer but the 10k is flatter and a familiar course for me. Advice is appreciated! If you’ve done either of these races in the past, let me know what you think about them.

October 27 – Marine Corps Marathon
This is the big one – the race I’ve been waiting all year for since I had to defer my entry last year while stuck in physical therapy. It’s my chance to finally get my Boston Qualifier in my 10th marathon. I simultaneously can’t wait for it to get here and am terrified of it getting here too soon. I love this race though. It’ll be my third MCM and I LOVE the course change announcements recently unveiled that make it more similar to my first go at MCM in 2006. They’ve done away with the Canal Road portion of the race, which I was never a big fan of, and added in Rock Creek Parkway. Let the countdown commence!

Here I was near the finish two year’s ago after Marine Corps…

After – wrapped in my space blanket, happy to be done!

Let me know where you’ll be racing this fall!! Any big PR goals?

Race Recap: Smoking…

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

Tuesday night I ran the 2013 Women’s Distance Festival 5k. It was one of the DC Road Runners 2013 Bunion Derby series. It was actually one of two races that night. The race I did was a field of all women and we were followed 15 minutes later by a field of all men running the Run After the Women 5k.

The race took place in Bluemont Park starting near the South Pavilion. The out and back course seemed tailor-made for a PR and a negative split with what felt like a few gentle hills on the way out and slight downhills coming back. Unfortunately, the title of this blog does not describe my pace for the day. Instead it was smoking hot out – well above 90 degrees still at the 7 p.m. start time.

I love warmer weather and will take it over the cold any day, so I hate admitting that the heat slows me down, but this definitely felt like the case Tuesday night. I was drinking water and fruit punch Nuun electrolyte tabs all day so I was really well hydrated or it could have been a lot worse. Still I had an A goal of breaking my 21:25 PR and a B goal of breaking at least 22 minutes, but ended up crossing the line in 23:03. I realized just before the start that I’d forgotten my inhaler and immediately got upset with myself over that. I need to up my mental game when it comes to those kind of things (i.e. my Garmin dying before the start of the Nike Women’s Half), so I don’t let them effect my race.

At the start line.

We started off on a shaded path through the park and turned onto the W&OD trail where the sun was beating down into my eyes until the turnaround. I wish I’d worn sunglasses in addition to my running cap, but that was at least somewhat helpful. My legs felt strong, but my breathing was definitely harder than it should be for the pace I was running. I think it was part still getting my fitness level to where I want it to be, but also a bit due to the heat as well. I finished mile 1 in a (slow for a 5k) 7:15 pace, which wasn’t too bad, but then slowed down drastically on mile 2 – 7:48 – before picking it back up a little for a 7:25 third mile.

Despite the heat it was a really fun race. It looks like another one in their Bunion Derby series is on the same course in couple weeks, so I might give it another shot! I love the smaller races – and being a DC Road Runners club member, this was completely free for me. Can’t beat that! My usual 5k support crew of 1 (Ian) doubled for this race as a college buddy of his was in town and agreed to come along, so it was fun to have them cheering for me as I ran to the finish line.

Have to love those attractive race pics {insert sarcasm}…

Courtesy of the DC Road Runners Facebook page

Another positive takeaway was my new shoes felt great. I picked the Newton MV2s up last Friday and other than a slower run over the weekend this was my first big test run with the super light, zero heel-to-toe drop shoes. I really liked how they felt and will keep using them for my shorter races and speed workouts! Also, despite coming in slower than I hoped, I still finished 13th out of 87 women and 6th in my age group! All in all, this was a great way to spend a Tuesday night…especially since it was followed up with a trip to Ray’s Hellburger!

Race Recap: National Police Week 5K

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

On Saturday my friend Jayne and I ran the National Police Week 5k in D.C. along with another friend of hers. The Police Week 5k honors fallen law enforcement officers by raising awareness to the sacrifices officers make every day. Every runner’s bib has the name of an officer killed on it to remind us all what we were running for.

Police Week Bib and Race Shirt

I had no expectations or time goal after two weeks of almost no running and just a handful of cross training days. While I was pretty far off my PR, I was pleasantly surprised by how the race went and by how strong I felt. I took advantage of an early packet pick-up option at Pacers on Friday, so I’d be ready to go on race morning. As usual I pinned my race bib on my shirt Friday night and laid my clothes out for the morning.

Despite staying in and being lazy on a Friday night, I still had trouble falling asleep and was so tempted to just turn the alarm off Saturday morning. The gloomy, gray day I saw when I looked out my window only made me want to get back in bed, but I knew I really needed to get out and run today.

I got to the start fairly early and had time to get warmed up and drop my bag off. I met up with Jayne and chatted for a bit before we split up and headed off to the start line. The rain started just before the race, but it was pretty light and actually felt kind of good. The course started off with several quick turns before heading down a slight hill that we’d have to come back up at the end. Then we hit a straightaway that took us down 3rd Street past the Capitol Building before the one-mile marker and then a turnaround.

Color Guard before the National Anthem

The course turned back onto 3rd after a the turnaround took us around a block then jutted down Constitution Ave. for a down and back past the 2nd mile marker before heading back up 3rd Street. The second mile felt really long. I almost felt like the marker should have been on the other side of the street when we first passed it rather than when we came back by it after turning around at a cone. My Garmin beeped well before reaching it – not that that is always accurate though. I also proved once again how bad I am at running tangents as I ended up doing an extra tenth of a mile according to the Garmin.

My adrenaline was flowing and I felt great at the start. I felt like it was almost too easy and I must’ve been going slow, so I was shocked to see my watch at 6:42 when I hit the first mile marker. Knowing I wasn’t in any kind of shape to be running that pace I tried to pull in the reins for mile 2 running it in about 7:18. It didn’t help though and I slowed way down unable to keep the pace up for mile 3 slowing down to a 8:11 mile. I was able to kick it down the final stretch turning it up a few notches for a 6:25 pace. According to the official results I crossed the line in 23:25 for an average pace of 7:33 putting me in 151st out of more than 1,500!

Adorable pups making it to the finish too!

Jayne also finished strong. She had a playlist and had a goal of finishing before a certain song came on and cruised in just as it was starting! Next up for her is the Marine Corps 10k.

I’ll be back racing again this Sunday back in my hometown for an 8k. Hope your weekend races and runs went well too! Let me know how you did in the comments.

Footprints: Monday Morning Recap

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

I started off this week in a total funk and my one-week recovery after the half marathon turned into more like 2 weeks. A busy week at work and coming down with a cold midweek didn’t help my motivation any, but I finally broke out of things with a good Friday evening workout, a better than expected 5k after 2 weeks off of running and a good Sunday run.

Here’s the day by day breakdown…

Monday: Spin Class

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: Track workout with my new running coach. I did a 2-lap warm-up and dynamic warm-up drills with the group and then worked on my form while others did their workouts for the week. More to come on this later.

Thursday: Unplanned rest day. Today was a great example of why I shouldn’t put workouts off. I had to go into work early and was sure I could get in a lunch run, but ended up working through lunch.

Friday: Elliptical for an hour followed by a strength workout

Saturday: I ran the National Police Week 5k, and while it was a bit off my best performance, it was much better than I expected after a nearly 2-week layover from running. Recap coming tomorrow.

National Police Week 5k

Sunday: I put in a strong 5.03 mile run averaging sub 8-minute miles on a beautiful afternoon through Arlington and D.C.

Giving Back

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

I love races. They’re what all the hard work and training are for. Volunteers are such an awesome part of races and I’m always sure to thank them no matter how tired I am. I decided I should probably give back after all the races I’ve done and over the last few years I’ve been trying to do a better job of volunteering at as many races as I run.

Turns out, volunteering at races is a ton of fun too. It’s great to see everyone out there going for PRs or just trying to finish. Other than a few bad apples who get really upset if you can’t give them a different size t-shirt than what they ordered, everyone is so incredibly nice and appreciative.

I’ve spent my last two Fridays volunteering at Pacers Crystal City 5k Fridays. I love these races, but since they didn’t fit into my race schedule this year I figured this was a good way to still be a part of them. My first volunteer shift was at the water stop. This might not seem like a big deal, but it’s actually something I’ve been terrified of doing. I’ve volunteered at a lot of races and I’ve always avoided doing this. Ridiculous, I know.

Still, I was worried I’d mess the hand offs up and leaving a runner without any water. I had no idea what to wear on my feet – flip flops in case I got splashed a lot or sneakers in case my toes got stepped on?? Admittedly I probably put too much thought into this for a 5k race where most of the runners don’t even take water anyways. It turned out to be pretty easy. I just held the cups out there and let the runners take them out of my hands. I didn’t even get splashed. Who knew?! I really enjoyed getting to interact with the racers mid-race and encourage them to keep going.

Last Friday I was back to packet pickup and pretty thankful for that since the skies opened up into a thunder and lightning storm shortly after the start and we had set up shop inside. As I mentioned in my last post it was also really great to be around so many supportive runners while everyone was still reeling from Boston.

I’m so glad I’ve found out how much fun it can be to participate in races in other ways than running over these last couple years…just gives me more of a chance to be part of this great community.

What races have you volunteered for? Have you done a water stop…and am I the only one who had an irrational fear about working at one?!

Guest Blog: The Musings of An Athletic Supporter Part II

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

My boyfriend Ian guest stars on my blog again today with a second post on what it’s like to be a non-runner at running events. If you like his writing, you can read more over on his blog, Croutons Stuck in Futons. I’m a bit biased, but it’s pretty darn good and really entertaining.

Guest Blogger: Ian Gallagher

Run Rogue 5k: A View from the Sideline

First off, this is a great event supporting a great cause. The fights against Brain and Breast Cancer deserve our attention and support for more than the time it takes to run a 5K, especially at the pace some of the runners were going.

Some non-running race observations. First off they served coffee to everyone, not just those who decided to tackle the race. It is nice when Race Directors remember that spectators are part of the experience. Point to Run Rogue.

The Race had an excellent atmosphere. Between the MC keeping the crowd involved during the dark side of the race* and the feel good vibes coming with all of the cancer survivors coming through the finish line, the Rogues definitely had the ambiance of a great race.

*The dark side of a race is the moment the last runner leaves the starting area until the winner comes charging into view. Most participants never know the 12 minute awkward pause as people wait with noisemakers in hand. It is the Action Movie elevator scene writ large.

Finally, the race had easy and accessible parking. No meters or pay lots, just a large enough free lot to park in. Run Rogue 5k you rock. I really thought this was a great race, and one I would recommend to all levels of athletic supporters and their families, whether you are running or just there to yell.

Crowded Start Line!

Race Recap: Run Rogue 5k

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

On Saturday I ran the Run Rogue 5k in Fairfax for the second year in a row. The race was organized to honor friends and family who have fought and continue to fight cancer, and proceeds from the race are split evenly between Life With Cancer and the Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. I’d been dealing with a cold all week and was up a lot of the night before coughing, but this race was important to me since both breast cancer and brain cancer have touched my family over the years, and I really wanted to be out their helping raise money to find cures for these diseases.

It’s a very family-oriented race, so the start line was crowded at the front with lots of little kids and people pushing strollers. My annoyance at the stroller runners lining up so close to the start quickly turned into envy when one woman pushing a stroller blew by me half a mile in. I never caught up to her…impressive.

Crowded Start Line!

The wheel chair racers took off first. These guys always impress me – talk about upper body strength!

Wheel chair racer at the start

Ian was nice enough to wake up early with me to drive me out to Fairfax, support me during the race and take all these pictures. He even managed to snag one of me amongst the crowd at the start.

Working through the crowd at the start

I felt about as happy as I look in this picture! It was not my day for racing and I struggled from the start. Every step and breath felt more labored than it should, and I couldn’t find my speed. The race field spread out as soon as we worked our way out of the Fairfax Shopping Plaza area and really began the run. The course was filled with rolling hills. I felt like a whole lot more of them were going up then down, but that could just be because I was struggling.

Chilly at the start, I finally dressed in just the right layers for me for this race, and at least felt just right as far as temperature was concerned. The sun shining brightly made me feel a little better about how cold it still was in late March. I wore a tank top with a built in sports bra topped with a long sleeve tech tee and a Nike half zip. I also wore my Nike dry fit pants, CEP compression socks and of course, my Newtons.

The winners came flying in well before me. The first male, Josef Tesema of Springfield, Va., crossed the line in 15:10 for a pace of 4:53. Wow. I would love to know what it feels like to run that fast. The first woman, Barbara Fallon Wallace of Alexandria, Va., came through in 18:04 maintaining a 5:49 pace. Congrats to both of them on their wins!

First woman coming up on the finish line

After what seemed like forever, I finally made it to the finish. I finished in 22:37 for a 7:36 pace putting me as the 72nd overall finisher out of 797, 20th of 482 females, and 10th out of 126 in my 20-29 age group. It was way off my PR and actually a slower pace than I hope to run my half marathon in just five weeks from now, so I wasn’t thrilled with that. It was for sure not the slowest 5k I’ve run, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt worse along a 5k course and wanted it to be over as badly. Here’s hoping it was just because of this cold I have and that it goes away quickly!

On my way to the finish – didn’t even have energy to do a final kick.

I found Ian after the finish and despite not having a great race felt really good that I’d still come out and done this one. I even managed a smile for my post-race pic by the finish line.

Finish Line Shot

This race is well-organized and supports an awesome cause so I highly recommend it for anyone in the area. Ian and I decided to take advantage of being up and out early to find somewhere to eat brunch and ended up at Eggspectation. This place was awesome. I started off with a hot chocolate to warm back up.

Delicious Hot Chocolate

For brunch I ordered their Yoke Around the Clock meal. It’s a bagel cut in half, placed face down on the grill, and topped with sunny side up eggs, cheese and bacon. It was oh so good, and while I couldn’t eat all of the potatoes and fruit that came on the side, they were just as tasty. Check out Ian’s post over at Croutons Stuck in Futons for the full brunch recap.

Breakfast at Eggspectation

Race Recap: Love the Run You’re With 5k

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Colleen Lerro

Sunday marked my first race of 2013 and my first real race back from the injured list. I ran in Pacers Love the Run You’re With (LTRYW) 5k for the first time and loved it. I didn’t PR, but that wasn’t the goal for this race, and I was very pleased with my finish time of 22:56. I’m making great progress and am on my way to getting back to where I was at, and hopefully even better!

After hearing about the bone chilling temps from last year’s race I was sure glad how nice of a day it turned out to be. Temps were in the 30s and the sun was shining. I wore my Reebok long sleeve as a base layer topped by my Reebok 1/2 zip jacket and my Nike Pacers Ambassador t-shirt. I also had on an Under Armour hat, a neck gaiter, gloves, Nike pants and Zensah compression sleeves. I was WAY overdressed and started overheating about a half mile in. This does not happen to me often. I’m getting way too used to running in cold weather.

Ian got up early with me to drive me to the race, take pictures and cheer me on – more impressive than usual since we’d gone to a great Mardi Gras party the night before and had a few hurricanes! It’s always nice to have someone waiting for you at the finish line. Champps (that’s how they spell it) opened up for runners before the race so I was able to hang out in there and stay warm until about 15 minutes before start time.

The course was an out and back that started near the Pacers in Pentagon Row right next to the ice skating rink. We ran by the Pentagon Row shops before turning onto Army Navy Drive and going straight up a steep hill. It wasn’t as bad as I remembered from the days I used to run those roads when I worked in Crystal City, but I was certainly breathing heavy. At the top of the hill we were treated to a long, gradual descent (all I could think was oh man, I have to come back up this!), and then some flat and some rolling roads to the turnaround.

My first mile was a bit faster than the rest, but my splits were relatively close to even. I ran mile 1 in 7:13 followed by miles 2 and 3 in 7:22 and 7:26. I finished with a kick to the finish at a 6:23 pace. I was really thankful that I’ve been working on my form both going up and going down hills. I felt like I was flying coming back down the steep hill before turning onto Joyce St. for the final kick to the finish. I leaned forward and let gravity take over, but remembered to land as softly as possible so I wasn’t pounding my legs into the ground.

I crossed the line in 22:56 for an average pace of 7:23 per mile. (My watch was pretty close to that showing a 22:55 finish for 3.14 miles at a 7:18 pace.)That put me in 160th place out of 1,721 overall and 48th out of 1,083 females. I had a blast running this race and will definitely sign up for LTRYW again next year. There were some great costumes and themed running outfits, and free bloody mary’s at Champps after the race topped off a great morning!

Did you race last weekend? Let me know how it went!