Denouement

New Balance Tsuen Wan 10k

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Location:

Kowloon Tong,Hong Kong

Member Since:

Jul 02, 2007

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Olympic Trials Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Unaided:

5K - 17:11 (track Pre-kids and at BYU) (1998)

10K - 35:48 (track Pre-kids and at BYU) (1998)

10K - 35:34 (road - Shek Mun 10k 12/12)

1/2 Marathon 1:19:44 (UNICEF HM 11/12)

Marathon 2:47:08 (ING Hartford Connecticut 10/10)

Aided:

St. George Marathon 2:50:40 (10/08)

1/2 marathon - Hobble Creek 1:17:14 (8/08)

10K - Deseret News 10K - 35:02 (7/08)

Short-Term Running Goals:

PR 1/2 marathon AGAIN


Long-Term Running Goals:

Break 2:46 in Boston!

Personal:

I used to run for BYU, but only after trying out three times and finally walking on, so I was never a star. However, it was wonderful to run with great people and under Coach Shane. When you run with fast people, you can't help to improve! I graduated BYU in 1998, and didn't run a race until 2002, after having my second child. My hiatus and other crazy life commitments have made my competitive running suffer, but the last couple of years I have tried to get back into it the best I can. I have been married since 1996, to Paul Lowry, who is a runner himself. I have three boys (my three rascals), ages 12, 10, and 8.

After a great 2008 season, I was injured and eventually diagnosed and cross-diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a type of arthritis disease, which precludes running for all but the most stubborn.  So I am on medications, trying to stay healthy, and seeing my PT often.  And running!  Now beating the streets in Hong Kong.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
NB RC900 Black/yellow Lifetime Miles: 183.31
NB RC1300 Red/Black Lifetime Miles: 195.31
2012 MTR Lifetime Miles: 4035.70
890 Blue Lifetime Miles: 310.55
NB RC 1600 Lifetime Miles: 96.76
RC 1400 Lifetime Miles: 90.60
NB 890 Baby Blue Lifetime Miles: 233.26
NB 890 Electric Blue Lifetime Miles: 319.67
NB 890 Tokyo Turquoise Lifetime Miles: 163.54
Race: New Balance Tsuen Wan 10k (6.2 Miles) 00:37:03, Place overall: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTrainer 1 MilesTrainer 2 MilesRacer MilesTotal Distance
6.200.000.006.200.000.000.0012.40

Everything with a grain of salt:  The top 24 women in the Berlin Marathon ran their first 10k faster than my race today :/  I am monitoring since Chi Ngan Chow (chinese name for Alison) is running it.

Warmed up 4.63, part with Alexis, as lass from Connecticut/NYC.  She is an attorney turned attorney recruiter.  Very nice lass (I call her a lass because she's not a girl and calling her a woman means she might be older than me, but she's a few years younger).  I have been feeling off all week, somewhat throaty, weak in the stomach, but felt fine this morning.  Nervous for what the race will bring.  This is the downside of racing only once a month--each race becomes a bit more important.  What is great about only occasional racing is that you don't have a race disrupting your training (afraid to train to hard, etc).  

This race is rolly.  The weather was pretty good, prob 79-81ish, abt 70% humidity (too humid).  I thought I might wear my singlet but after warming up and getting it all sweaty I changed to my sports bra.  Plan for the race was to go out 3:45 pace/k then try to push faster on the way back.  Rolly both ways, but more uphill out and more downhill back.  I would say the first 5k is about 15-20 seconds slower than the second half.  I just averaged the first 21 racers (I was number 21) and the average negative split was 13 seconds, so the difference likely is 20-25 (most run second half slower than first half, even among the faster runners?).  Lets see if I beat that (I don't know yet, this is so exciting!).  Play by play. 1k - 3:41.71 (flat, on bricklike cobblestones), 2k 3:43.79 (first half flat, second half uphill), 3k - 3:43.89 (flatish?), 4k - 3:53.76 (net uphill), 5k - 3:45.76 (first half downhill, then second half uphill, not liking the uphill, feel myself slip a bit mentally here.  On one stretch I told myself, I will care next kilometer--a bad attitude, I know).  180 turnaround! 6k 3:46.63 (first half downhill, second downhill, inverse of the 5k, abt same pace as the 5k), 7k - 3:34.11 (inverse of 4k, abt 10 sec faster), 8k - 3:43.14 (abt the same as 3k), 9k - 3:35.8 (first half downhill, second flat, abt 8 sec faster), 10k 3:30.68 (abt 11 sec faster, I thought I had 500m left at 1k left, so I sped up, then realized I had about 700m to go, so pushed with not much left in the tank, probably an ok way to finish a race anyway, pretend there's 500m left when there's 1000m left).  I also had 3 more seconds tacked on the end.  Measured 10.06 total.  So splits add up to 18:48.91 for first half, 18:10.36 for the second half (add the 3 seconds where you will).  So that is 38 seconds difference.  

 So I think all my progression runs and progressive intervals are paying off!  Finally a 10k where I did not die at the end, instead negative splitted.  So I beat my first HK 10k by 2 minutes.  Comparing the two races, today was cooler, but probably the same humidity, and today's was hillier.  I am happy with my race, though I would have liked 36:59 a tad better.  Given how I have felt this week, I am really happy with the race.  I figure the weather was worth 1 min and the hills were worth 30 seconds, so I feel like this was the best road race 10k have done.  Legs felt really good, even in the cool down and now hours later.  Next couple of weeks I'll be going back to higher mileage.  Wish me luck.  I could use a bit more fitness, but the most critical thing is to not get injured.

I am grateful that moving to HK has not derailed my running, for God's gift of this time in my life to run competitively. 

Saucony A2 (blue) Miles: 9.70
Night Sleep Time: 6.75Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 6.75Weight: 0.00
Comments
From Burt on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 05:30:55 from 72.223.91.148

Congratulations on the victory Michelle! You ran very well. That's swell.

From Smooth on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 10:33:12 from 174.27.201.64

AWESOME performance!!! EXcellent excellent work! CONGRATZ on the win and PR!!! You simply shine and bloom wherever you're planted! SO SO SO very proud of you!!!!

Best wishes to your training and continual to stay healthy, fit and strong!!! You Go classy lassie!

From RAD on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 11:38:24 from 76.27.16.189

Amazing race Michelle! Great negative split. I always love a fast finish and a good push to the end, and it looks like you averaged better than most.

I love that you are just taking it all in stride - even in HK and doing a GREAT job!

From Steve Hooper on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 12:37:44 from 209.33.254.93

Way to go Michelle!!! It's great to see that you're still rocking it and doing so well - even with having so many changes the last few months. Very Impressive. Keep it up!!!

From Jake K on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 12:38:31 from 67.177.21.60

Great race Michelle. Very nice negative split. That's the way to do it! You've got plenty of time to make some fitness jumps between now and the marathon. You're definitely on the right track right now... just keep the momentum going!

From Bonnie on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 19:22:30 from 64.119.33.134

Outstanding!! Very nice job on a hilly course in the humidity. Yippee. Now, I hope you get that stomach curse fixed up this week.

From Andrea on Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 20:05:22 from 67.177.21.60

Congrats on the win! Glad to hear that you are progressing nicely. #1 for me is to not get hurt too, but gain fitness - we have an OTQ to get to!

From Merri on Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 19:02:12 from 160.7.252.148

congrats on another win Michelle. You're doing awesome.

From allie on Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 00:19:31 from 24.10.191.18

excellent race, michelle! you are running so well right now and are on track for a great marathon. good luck with these next few big weeks of training.

From josse on Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 00:22:04 from 166.250.1.158

Great job Michelle! So happy to see you doing so well:)

From Superfly on Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 12:40:46 from 74.211.21.81

Good win!

From Clay on Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 16:42:32 from 63.248.35.54

Great race and win kiddo!!! Its hard for me to get use to your reports with mile splits in metric, I guess thats what happens when you move to another Continent;)... Keep up the good work you are really getting in shape!!!

From Jody on Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 22:13:16 from 75.141.131.35

Congratulations! Great job and super, super impressive!

From Adam RW on Sun, Oct 02, 2011 at 01:27:06 from 67.182.248.141

Very nice win.

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