Headlands 50k

If you have never been out to the Marin headlands and taken highway 1 to Stinson Beach, you really are missing out on an awesome experience. It's really beautiful and the road is windy and the town of Stinson is idyllic. However, although driving there is fun, it's even more fun to run over the hill and get the sweeping views of the ocean from the top.

The Headlands 50k is 6,400 feet (according to Garmin; the website said it was 7,300) of climbing and is on firetrails and single trails and encompasses many of the classics (the Dipsea, Matt Davis, Miwok and Coastal trails, to name a few) of the area.

It starts near Muir Beach and the morning of the race was foggy and cool. Driving there, you take the windy road and it's slow going, creeping down toward the ocean without being able to see more than a couple car lengths in front of you. The race is put on by one of the local running teams and the organization of it was very good. It was a figure eight race, so we would end up back where we started.

My goal was to finish in around 6 hours, as this was less gain that Ohlone (8000 ft) where I finished in 6:30 and more than Skyline (5000 ft) where I finished in 5:09. Based on elevation, I was hoping to come in right in between the two. I would be happy if it were closer to the 5 hour mark than the 6, but would not mind anything in between.

We started on time and as always, went straight up. From Muir Beach, we went on a firetrail to the Coastal trail, which winds around the outside of the cliffs right near the water.

Coastal Trail

I made a friend as we were speed walking up the first hill and we hung together for a while, chatting. However, I tend to be faster on the uphills than the down, so I took off without her after a while, in order to keep my pace going. We wound down to Tennesee Valley and then back up the hill again, which was a trail I hadn't tried before, so it was a new adventure! After that, the trail went down to Rodeo Beach and my new friend caught back up to me. She was way faster than me on the downhills come to find out. We made it to the first aid station, where a random guy told us we were females number 7 and 8 overall.

From that aid station, she and I stuck together, keeping each other going. She would lead on the downhills and I would lead on the uphills. We arrived back at Tennesee Valley aid station (AS) together and her husband told me to keep her in line, even though I was struggling to catch up to her half the time. She had the cutest little family, three kids, the husband, the dog...the perfect cheering team! We didn't stay long at the AS, maybe 30 seconds, before heading back up the hill.

This was the big one. In the elevation profile, there were a few smaller climbs and then two very large ones in the last third of the race, which is generally where I have problems.

 We climbed and climbed and climbed. Then we got to another aid station and I stopped to get some lube and all of a sudden my friend was gone. I hustled up to try to catch her. Once we reached the top of the hill, the way down was awesome. It's on a trail called the Matt Davis, which is covered with ferns and in the middle of a mossy forest. It's really pretty. However, we were not the only ones who thought so; there were a TON of hikers! I have to say, this race would be better if we did this section earlier, when there are less people.

At the bottom of this hill is Stinson Beach. By this time, I was starting to get tired, which didn't bode well for the next section. From there, we headed back up the famous Dipsea trail to another trail called the Steep Ravine. This trail was also very beautiful, but was also full of hikers. It also lived up to it's name; it was steep. Luckily some new friends were spectating from this trail and they gave me some words of encouragement as I chugged up the trail.

Once we got to the top of the second big hill, I would like to say it got easier, but downhill is not really my friend. However, I was (still!) trying to catch up to my friend and thought maybe I still had a chance, so I skipped the last aid station at the top of the hill and headed down toward the finish. The last few miles consisted of switchback after switchback and it was brutal. I probably got passed by about 15 people in this section, which really bummed me out. However, I could not move any faster!

I finally got to the bottom and gave it my all to pass ONE guy right before the finish. Yes! That really made up for all the ones who had passed me before. I finished in 5 hours and 55 minutes, just under my goal of 6 hours.

My new running friend beat me by 7 minutes! When I went up to talk to her after the race, she said that she had thought I was ahead of her the entire time and had been trying to catch up to me. Man, she was fast!

This was not my best finish. I usually end up in the top quarter overall; it was not so this time. However, it was pretty interesting to see what my splits were at the aid stations. Actually, I guess that there were not as many people passing me at the end as it seemed!

11.5 miles -- 85th
19.5 miles -- 71st
24.1 miles -- 58th
27.7 miles -- 59th
Finish -- 62/181

Age group: 4/15
Gender: 9/60

After the race there was pizza; it was so good! I also enjoyed an after race beer and had a great time hanging out, shooting the breeze with new friends, ie people who passed me or who I passed along the way. All in all, it was a great day on some of my favorite trails!

Do you have a favorite trail nearby? Or maybe just a place you like to go on the weekends?

Squamish 50k

You may remember the Dolly Parton song? "Working nine to five, what a way to make a living..." Spoiler alert: this race took me 8 hours! I started at 9 and finished at 5. I have to admit, I was not really prepared to be on my feet that long.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

This is what the race director wanted out of this course:

1) Super Challenging
2) As scenic and beautiful as possible
3) A wild experience that doesn't feel contrived

The race started at Alice Lake, which is a little bit north of the town of Squamish and sits at an elevation of about 600 ft.  There was an early start at 8 a.m. for those who did not think they would make the 10 hour cut off. I have to admit, I wasn't really sure where I would stand for this race. The hard thing about trail races is that you can't necessarily say that if you run one 50k in 5 hours you will run them all in 5 hours. So far, the few that I have been: 5:09 (about 5,000 ft gain), 6:30 (about 8,000 ft gain) and 5:04 (about 4,000 ft gain). So I figured that this race, at about 9,000 ft gain, would take me about 7 hours.

Amber started at the early start, so I hung out and cheered her on and then went to watch the 50 mile runners come through with Amber's mom. While there, I befriended one of the volunteers, and we all had a great time chatting and cheering on the 50 mile runners. Then it was my turn to start. Our race started at 9, which seems pretty late to me. Usually these races start around 7.

The first 6 miles were relatively flat (it was slightly uphill) and mostly consisted of a nice spongy, soft single track which made it way through the trees. So this was nice and shady and at this point it was not too hot. The first aid station was at about 5 miles, and I quickly grabbed an orange and a swig of water and moved on. The next four miles were straight up.

Error #1: The night before, I had put my bladder in the freezer, thinking that it was going to be really hot (temperatures were forecasted in the 90s). However, it was not as hot as I thought it would be, and even the extra hour in the morning did not give it time to melt. I barely had any water for this entire climb. As it would melt, I would get a sip, but it wasn't enough. Luckily the reason that it wasn't melting is because it was cool outside, so I wasn't overly hot.

Error #2: I focused a lot on the uphill in this race when I looked at the course map, but the downhill is where I really had a slow down. The first uphill, although it looks pretty steep, was fairly easy. The trail was not as steep as I thought it would be. The first big downhill was a killer. It was a single track, rocky, technical trail which was difficult to get down without hurting something. So I took it pretty slow and got passed a lot on this section.

There was another aid station in the middle of the downhill, which was pretty sparse; I think it was water and M&Ms. I filled up my water (thankfully) and headed down the trail. I caught up with Amber right around km 20 / mile 13 and ran with her for a little while before breaking off and finishing the rest of the downhill portion. At the bottom of the hill was roughly the halfway point at Quest University, where there were icy buckets for head dipping. Also, the best thing ever, Amber's family was there and they did a great job hosing me down with sunscreen and bolstering my spirits for the next big climb.

The next section was a single-track switchback up the hill. There was a loop and a hill and some beautiful views. Somewhere in the middle of the loop, which was around km 33 / mile 20, I started to feel like I was ready to be done. I started nibbling on a Clif bar and it was my mark of how far I was. I would take a bite and then tell myself I would take one more bite at mile 21. Then it was "one more bite" at mile 22. Bite by bite, mile by mile, I got to the 40 km / 25 mile aid station.

Amber's family was there taking (bad) photos of everyone (me) and her Mom made sure that I didn't need band-aids, bug spray, food, water, socks or any other necessity. I have to say, having spectators (and "crew") at those aid stations is really nice for the runner, although sitting in the sun and waiting for a runner is not the most fun thing for them! From this aid station there were only 10 km / 6 miles left.

It was not an easy 6 miles. There were some pretty big uphills (for tired legs). There was rock scrambling and stairs. There were bike ramps that were really steep. There were bridges. It was hard. I kept thinking, "if I walk the whole way, I can still make it in ___ hours". Running math is not my strong suit.

But then, we were out of the woods (literally) and on the pavement of downtown Squamish. It was flat and paved and "only" 2 km of running from there to the finish line, were I crossed the line, got a photo taken and got a high five from the race director.

It was just what he said it would be. It was challenging; it was scenic; it was WILD.

What's the hardest race you've ever done? Do you ever do all day activities?

Your Pace or Mine?

This weekend I attended my first 100 mile race. It was so inspiring to be amongst such greatness. However, I did not run the entire 100 miles. I was a pacer.

A pacer, if you are in a marathon, can be the difference between your making your goal time or not. They keep you going at a steady pace, not too fast, not too slow, in order to finish at your desired time. I suggest you use one if it's your first time, or even if you have a time goal that you are not certain you will make.

Got my race bib on

However, in an ultra, pacers can be just that, someone who helps you keep pace, but they can also be much more. In the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile race (TRT100), you are allowed to have someone run with you for the last 50 miles. Like I said, it's to help you keep pace, as there are strict cutoffs at each aid station, but it's also to keep the runner safe, make sure they get enough to eat and drink, monitor whether or not they are getting woozy or tired or loopy (and all of these do happen) and to be there as company for someone who has probably been out on the trails for around 24 hours (or more). You don't want them to get stuck in their own thoughts too much!

The guy I paced was a friend of a friend; we had never met before. By the time I met him, he had already been running for 80 miles and about 26 hours. I don't know about you, but that would probably not be the best time to meet ME for the first time! I would be Grumpy McGrumpster. And nevermind trying to carry on a conversation with me!

Which is what I expected of him. Here's how I saw it going. He would be super tired, grumpy, negative and silent. I would have to keep pushing him to run faster, and would try to be cheerful without being annoying, all while talking non-stop in order to keep him awake, and not expecting him to say anything back. I thought I may have to force him to eat and drink while listening to him complain of blisters and sore feet and tired legs and blurred vision and hallucinations. Okay that last thing was a joke.

But seriously, I thought I would have to be a one woman cheerleader, and I was never a very good one of those. However, things were not like I thought. Here is how it went.

We met at 7 a.m at Diamond Peak, which was the 80 mile aid station. Fuel there included pancakes, coffee and soup. I had sat there for about 2 and a half hours waiting for my runner and had seen many people pass through who were absolutely exhausted. Others, on the other hand, were chipper, laughing and seemed like they had only run a few miles rather than a few dozen. My runner was one of the latter. After getting him some food and drinks, a change of clothes and a bit of sunscreen, we started up the hill. We left the first aid station 15 minutes before the cut off (7:30 a.m.).

Diamond Peak hill with Lake Tahoe in the background.

As always, the first couple of miles were all uphill. My runner was in good spirits; he was talking and seemed to actually be enjoying himself. We stopped to take in the view a couple of times, which was gorgeous. After we got to the top of the hill, we met up with the Tahoe Rim Trail and headed south. The trail was great. It was fairly level and it went along the edge of the hill with a great view of Lake Tahoe and Marlette Lake. At Tunnel Creek, the first big aid station, we fueled up with quesadillas and coffee (for me, sprite for my runner) and got back on the road. We left about 40 minutes before the cut off.

Marlette Lake view

Eventually we got to the very top, which was at about 9,000 feet. Getting up there was a little difficult, as we were starting to get near the tree line and the sun was beating down pretty hard. At this point it was about 12 o'clock and the temperature was in the 90s. When we got to the top of Snow Peak, the aid station there was manned by boy scouts who filled up our bottles with ice and gave us a nice cold sponge on the head before we started down the hill for our last 7 miles. At this point we were about an hour ahead of the cutoff.

High Sierra wildflowers

For the final seven miles, we jogged along, not talking too much. We even passed a few other pairs of runners, although we had been leap frogging with a couple of pairs all day. We arrived at Spooner Lake, where the last mile or so goes around the side of the lake and man was it good to see the lake. We could even hear the cheers coming across the lake from the finish line. It was just the boost we needed. We ran the last quarter of a mile and crossed the finish line together.

We made it across the finish line in 33 hours and 17 minutes, a whole hour and 43 minutes ahead of the cutoff, which means my runner got his coveted buckle! I was so proud of him; he didn't complain or lag at all! He really was quite an inspiration! I don't know how he did it! I was really happy to be a part of his successful race.

Are there specific times when you like to have company to boost your spirits? Have you ever been a pacer for a race? Have you ever used a pacer/pace group?

Shadow of the Giants 50k

As part of the training for the What's Beautiful Challenge, which is to run a 50 miler, I also signed up for a few 50k races. One of them was kind of an impromptu race near Yosemite. A couple of friends were doing it and I decided to join them for some fun in the Sierras. I grew up in the Sierras but it was roughly about 300 miles north of where this race was. However, the scenery is very similar in many cases. Evergreen trees, granite and clear mountain streams are the norm.

I drove to Fish Camp on Friday evening, which is where the race started. We won't even talk about the drive right now, as it was full of heat and traffic and wrong turns. Actually, I will talk about the heat a little. The thermometer in the car read 113 at one point. The car did not have A/C. I drank a ton of water. The end.

The race director Baz was a crazy really nice English (I think) guy who dropped the F bomb a lot. With your race entry (for a mere 15 dollars extra) you could stay in the dorms at a kids summer camp up in the mountains. Count me in! I arrived late and crept into the nearest empty bunk.

The next morning there was coffee and muffins and we all got our bibs on and got ready to go. The race started at 7 and it was probably about 55 or 60 degrees at this point. The starting elevation was about 5,000 feet. Baz made some jokes and dropped the F bomb a few times and then we were off! And it was straight uphill. I know, I know, if you got a quarter every time I said "and it was straight uphill" you would at least have $1.75 by now! Well it was...straight up.

For about two miles. In this time, my heart was beating like a tom tom. Seriously, it was going to beat out of my chest. My normal average HR is in the 130s. This was in the 150s! It was going crazy. I know it was probably mostly due to the elevation, because that can make a huge difference, but also it was dusty and it was already heating up (or maybe it was my imagination) and I don't know if I had gotten enough water in me the day before.

This reminds me of home

The trail went back down and then we did a little out and back so we could see who was in front of us. There were two girls ahead of me. At this point I was running with my friend and we were trying to guess the ages of the girls to see if they were in our age group or not. Shortly after that, I ditched my friend (on the downhill! She beats me on the ups every time and then I pass her on the down) and headed off on my own.

Now when I say on my own, I mean it. I was alone a lot. Except for one girl in a maroon shirt who was keeping just a safe enough distance behind me that I was taking it easy because I didn't always see her back there.We had a water crossing, which was my first, and then she caught up to me at the next aid station and passed me. Then she stopped to pee and I passed her. Sweet.

Next up was a really cool single track section that went through groves of Giant Sequoias. It was awesome. Then I got to the mile 20 aid station where there was a one mile loop through another grove, plus the volunteers filled up your pack and let you do the loop without it so when you got back you had icy cold water waiting for you. Thank you volunteers! As I left that aid station, the girl in the maroon shirt passed me again and then..

I hit a wall. I had no fight left in me.

I blame several things. 1. I was not hungry. At all. I don't know if it was the heat or what, but at the first aid station I grabbed a banana, took one bite and spit it out because it was not good. So I didn't really eat. For the entire race at this point I had maybe a quarter of an orange, 2 gummy chews, 3 pretzels and a bite of banana. Which is not good. We need fuel to move! 2. The heat. Can you say Sluggish? It was about 96 degrees. 3. The elevation. It affected me more than I thought it would.

The hill at this point was an uphill but it was oh so gradual, but nevertheless, it was killing me. I stopped to walk a bit and seriously considered walking the rest of the way. I was calculating in my heat addled brain how long it would take me if I walked. Somehow I came up with a possible 2 - 3 hours. The only reason I started running again was because I wanted to get it over with and 2 -3 hours more was way too much time to be out there.

At the top of the gradual hill (600 feet in about 2.5 miles) there was an aid station. It was like this:

source

Except they didn't berate me; they gave me food. Food, glorious food. This is the only time I eat Ruffles potato chips and man are they good!

And then it really was all down hill from there! Except for the fact that I fell (again. Oops) and scraped up my knee and hand (again), I felt a lot better after the food and during the down hill. I made it to the finish in one piece and went and soaked in the icy cold creek with a cold beer.

The Finish Line

The Verdict? The girl in the maroon shirt beat me by 5 minutes. I finished in 5:04 and change and was the 5th girl overall (I never saw the extra one, I guess) and 2nd in my age group. The kicker? Maroon shirt girl was in my age group. I have to learn to beat those 30 somethings! Young whippersnappers! However, it was a PR for me all the same. But I would have loved seeing a 4: something...

Total elevation gain: 4,078

Would I do this race again? Sure, why not. But next time I would hydrate more the day before and I would plan out my fuel intake a little bit better. And maybe train at a level besides sea level.

Have you ever been affected by the altitude? Or lack of food? Have you ever been to the Sierra Nevada mountains?

Ohlone 50k

Welcome to the other side of the table! Last year, I volunteered for this race. My friends thought I was crazy, because to get to the aid station where I was, you had to run 10 miles, work, and then run 10 back. Well they really think I am crazy now.

This is not an easy race. With an elevation gain of almost 8000 feet and an average day time temperature of about 90 degrees, it is not for the faint of heart.

source

I arrived at the finish line around 6 am. From there, you take a school bus (with your knees in your face the whole time) to the start line, which is in the Mission Peak Regional Preserve near Fremont, CA. I did the usual: got my bib, #64, used the potty (there were 5 of them and with only 200 racers, this made for a not too long line), and got my music ready. My plan was to have the music in one ear because it's fun to be a part of the course and when you are on smaller trails, you need to be able to hear other people coming up behind you. I had made a new playlist just for the race; it was 6.5 hours long. I was really hoping it wouldn't take me any longer than that to finish this race. I had taken a look at last years times and the top man was just under 5 hours and the top woman was just under 6.

The first part, as you can see from the above elevation chart, was straight up. From about 500 feet to about 2500 feet, to the top of Mission peak. The trail was full of day hikers, huffing and puffing their way up, wearing sweatpants and street shoes and carrying big cameras. We power hiked by them, causing puffs of dust to go everywhere. Did I mention yet that this trail was dusty?

Heading up to Mission Peak

I am usually stronger on the uphill than I am on the downs, and this day was no different. I passed a lot of people on the first stretch uphill. Then we were flying back down and people were passing me. The section after Mission peak was a difficult downhill for a bit, as it was quite rocky and there were still a lot of hikers, so trying to avoid them and the rocks without falling was challenging.

I carried my Nathan 2L bladder and boy was I glad I did. I was swilling water like it was going out of style. I had also brought two squeeze baby food / applesauce packets with me and I had one right around the top of Mission peak because by this time I was already hungry! That's what happens when you eat breakfast at 4:30 am and then don't start racing until 8 am.

As I ran down a not so steep part of the hill right after the first aid station, I started joking with the guy next to me about how I thought the rest of the course was just like this...a gradual downhill. Ha! Just kidding! It turns out, he is from a town very close to where my parents live, so we had a good time running and talking for the next couple of miles. As the course went on, we were constantly playing leapfrog and cheering each other on. 

We arrived at the second aid station, which sits at about 700 feet. I grabbed a potato and a banana and a swig of Gu brew and headed back out, and up! For the next 10 miles, it was all uphill, I swear! I was glad to see the Goat Rock aid station, where they had BACON! I also applied some Vaseline and sunscreen and helped myself to more potatoes and salt. I read an article somewhere which said you should eat what appeals to you...potatoes and salt and fruit are what I always want!

The thing (one of them) that I like about ultra racing is the little conversations you have with people along the way. As we climbed up from 700 feet to 3700 feet, we talked to everyone we passed, or who passed us.  I didn't know any of these people, but you always have something to say! People were cheering me on when I passed them and the conversations were easy as pie.

Another thing I noticed at this point was the gender difference. Not counting the very beginning where everyone is kind of finding their groove and everyone is passing each other, I only passed four women the whole race, and only two women passed me. The whole time, I was running with men, and was sometimes even passing them. Don't worry; plenty of them passed me too! I even took off my headphone around mile 2 and didn't even listen to music! I thought I would save it for the end when I needed a little pick me up.

Right before we got to Maggies, which is the "top of the hill" aid station that I volunteered at last year, we had to go up to the top of Rose Peak, which at 3,817 feet is the second tallest mountain in the East Bay. When you get to the top, you get a bracelet to prove you really went there and didn't just skip it. Then it was off to Maggies to say hi to my volunteer buddies from last year (the Boy scouts) and to refill the water bladder and eat some strawberries (BEST racing food EVER)! After that, it was supposed to be "all downhill from here" but as you can see from the chart, it was mostly downhill with a lot of uphills thrown in!

I can't remember if the worst part was right after Stewart's Camp or right after Schlieper rock, but one of those steep downhills was a tiny little single track trail that was very steep and rocky and hot and covered with poison oak. I was not loving it. In fact, it was at this point that I turned my music back on for a while and it was nice to have something to distract me from the brutal (down)hills! After the single track and the last aid station (and a swig of cold coke!), it was steep downhill to the end. Already a bunch of people had passed me on the downhills and by this point my knees were starting to wonder when it was going to be over. Actually, I think I heard them praying.

I hobbled ran down the last hill and I have to say, I have never been so happy to see a parking lot (and the finish line) than I was that day. I crossed the finish line, got a hug from the race director (such great service!) and collected my trophy for the day (a wooden block).

I ended up being the 6th woman overall, coming in at 6:31, which was about a half an hour after the fastest woman and about an hour and a half after the fastest man. Plus I got first in my age group! Except it's a little confusing the way they do it; the first three women get their own prize, so they get taken out of the age group awards. So technically I was the second in my age group, but whatever!

The shirt had a tribute to Boston on it!

Some interesting stats: In the top 10 people (all men), one was in his 20s, two were in their 30s, three were in their 50s and four were in their 40s. This is not a young guy sport! The same goes for the women! The top woman was 48. The next four women were three in their 40s and one in her 30s.

Edited to add: If you love race reports, it's pretty interesting to read the reports of the  first, second and fifth place runners. They run as fast as 6 minute miles part of the way! They are pretty impressive! 

Afterward there was a picnic and I hung out for quite some time, eating hamburgers and cold watermelon and chatting with the people who had passed me on the trail.  Then I headed home, took a much needed shower and passed out around 8 pm.

What's your favorite food to eat on a hot day?  Have you ever received race paraphernalia that was little different from the norm? Do you like hiking to the tops of high peaks in your area?

Cinderella Trail Half

I ran this race last year. It was hard last year. I remember feeling fatigued and thinking that it was probably because I didn't eat enough breakfast. I have come a long way since then. Running takes a lot of training, a lot of practice, and a lot of learning the hard way. You can easily under-train or over-train or overexert yourself the day before a race or eat too much or not eat enough...there are so many factors that go into race day.

So it was a perfect race this time.

I am kidding.

This race was Broski's first 30k. He has run 17.5 miles and was excited about the extra .5 miles (super excited). We had a quick breakfast of oatmeal about 45 minutes before the race and then we headed up the hill to the start.

Like last time, the first 2 miles are about a 500 foot climb. Broski and I huffed and puffed up the hill until you get to a kind of flat spot. After that there is a pretty steep downhill, and then a really steep uphill. These are hard. Really hard. Just when you think that you are feeling alright, another uphill comes up.

Broski was having trouble. Here I was, running along, talking some nonsense to him about the last time I took someone hiking on this trail and she was complaining about the hills...and I was giggling and jabbering away and I look back and he's not behind me. Oops.

We tried to figure out why as the trail leveled out and it wasn't getting any easier for him. Breakfast? Check. Maybe too soon before running? He had a 10 miler on Tuesday, but that was far enough away that he should have been fine. He gardened the day before in the hot sun...maybe he didn't have enough water? He had a couple low weeks, mileage wise...maybe not enough training? Whatever it was, it reminded me of my first Cinderella experience. Maybe this course was just hard!

Then we went way downhill and there was Mecca, aka an aid station. We refueled with some fruit and water and then came the big one Elizabeth. The next two miles were a 1000 foot climb. And it's brutal, with a capital B. Brutal. Our pace at this point was 15 - 16 minute miles. I was starving, since by this time we were at about the 2 hour mark.

Climbing the hill (with Broski in the background)

Luckily, once we got to the top of that big hill, it was almost "all down hill from here". We cruised down the hill and man were we glad to see the Finish line. Unfortunately, we did not finish a 30k race that day; since it was a loop course, with one half marathon loop and then another 10k loop tacked on to make 30k, we decided to skip the 10k loop, thus making it a half marathon instead.

The verdict? We finished in 2:44. We got #43 and #44 out of 104. As Broski says, that's not bad for a race that he wasn't feeling his best. If we would have kept going for the 30k, we probably could have finished in about 3:47, which would have put us in around #13 out of 30. So, after all that, it wasn't even that bad really. Still in the top 50 percent.

Like I said to Broski, I like being outside, and the trails we ran are some of my favorites, so it was no sacrifice on my part to be out on the trails with my favorite brother on a beautiful Saturday morning. He was bummed that he didn't finish his first 30k. However, he is not broken, just bent and he will yearn to run again.

Sorry. I can't get that song out of my head.

Have you ever run the same race twice? If so, did it get any easier? Have you ever had to learn something the hard way?

Boston Marathon

I woke up at 5 am and headed over to the Commons to catch the bus to Hopkinton. The bus ride was pretty quiet; you could feel the nervous tension. I was wearing two old sweaters and an old pair of breakaway pants. People were wearing robes, blankets, pajamas, and I even saw a hospital gown. There were some really creative pre-race outfits!

I had to have a Dunkin Donuts coffee, because, as you know, Kyria America runs on Dunkin.

I was not too nervous, except for two things: (1) I would freeze my butt off before the race. This problem was solved by wearing layers of throw away clothes. (2) I would have to pee during the race. The Dunkin did not help, but there were about 430,123 portapotties, so I got right in line, even though I didn't have to go yet.

I was in Wave 2, which started at 10:20. We started right on time and right away, there were so many spectators! This was different than I was used to. The only other highly spectated race I've run in the Nike Women's Marathon, and even it had some bare patches.

The course immediately went downhill. In the first 5 miles, we lost about 300 feet. I could feel myself starting off too fast, but the crowd was all around me and I was trying to pass people and the enthusiasm was hard to ignore. Mile 1 - 4: 7:29, 7:32, 7:33, 7:39

 I kept telling myself to slow down or I would regret it later. However, I felt fine, so I kept up the pace. At mile 7, which is Framingham, I saw Nancy's smiling face and it was just what I needed to give me a little pep in my step! Around mile 5, I swear I had a rock in my shoe but I didn't want to stop to take it out. I remember wondering how it got there, since I have been on pavement the whole time.  Mile 5 - 8: 7:38, 7:32, 7:36, 7:35

I take a few energy chews and think about my next "check point" which is my family, who will be in Wellesley at mile 13. Before I reach them I reach the Screech tunnel, which is a bunch of the Wellesley girls, yelling and yelling and all holding signs instructing the runners to "kiss me, I'm ____". I loved it! It gave me a lot of laughs! Mile 9 - 12: 7:40, 7:31, 7:40, 7:27

I pass by my family, who are good sports for coming all the way to Boston and then out to Wellesley to see me for 2.54 seconds. My mom is wearing a pink shirt to match me and on it are the words "Run Strong". As soon as I pass them, I start to feel some fatigue in my quads. I take a couple more energy chews, thinking this will make it go away. It doesn't. Mile 13 - 16: 7:32, 7:33, 7:50, 7:46

Around mile 16, the hills start. I have to be honest, the uphill felt great! The downhills were killing me. As I neared the top of one of the hills, I heard a guy say, "it's all downhill from here" and I was thinkin, "crap!" My quads were screaming. I was trying not to slow down but the downhills were really hurting. I keep thinking that as long as I try to keep it under an 8 minute mile, I can still acheive my goal of 3 hours and 30 minutes. It was difficult for a time though! Mile 17 - 20: 8:06, 8:04, 7:54, 8:12.

I don't know if I really hit a wall per se, but my quads were quivering and I really wanted to get to the finish line. I was limping along like Charlie Chaplin at this point. The only thing that kept me going is when I passed Dean Karnazes at mile 22. I was thinking in my mind, even though I am supposed to only be competing against my own time, "I must beat Dean, I must beat Dean!" I had to get him back for beating me by 49 seconds at the Skyline 50k! Mile 21 - 24: 8:12, 7:55, 7:54, 7:59

I saw my friend Pen at the 25 mile mark and man was I glad to see a familiar face. However, the other spectators were also awesome to have around me. There were all cheering for every runner, they were chanting my name (it was on my shirt) and there was such a great feeling of festivity in the air! It was so cool. And when I rounded the corner onto Boylston, I sprinted it out with all the gas fumes I had left in the tank. Jill was at mile 26, but I was so focused on finishing that I missed her, which is a bummer! Mile 25 - 26.2: 7:44, 8:22

When I crossed the finish line, the clock said 3:26:xx. I remember thinking, "I did it. I made my 3:30 goal, and I BQed at Boston!" I was so glad to be done. I hobbled across the finish and drank three bottles of water and inhaled a banana and then went to find my family.

Final Chip Time: 3:24:06 (7:47/mile)
Overall: 6,864 / 23,336

My immediate thought after I crossed the finish was that I had done it once I never needed to do it again. However, a week later, and in light of what happened, you may be seeing me again, Boston. I might be back before you know it.

Do you ever secretly compete with other runners or a runner in general? Do you check a bag or wear throw away clothes? Do you ever have spectators when you run or have you spectated for a friend's race?

Canyon Meadows Trail Half

When there is a race in my backyard, I can't help but run it. Last weekend there were two. First was the Oakland Running Festival, which is a nice course through Oakland and it's various neighborhoods, much like the one I run for many of my long runs. The second was in one of my favorite places for trail runs, Redwood Regional Park. I probably should have run the ORF, as it would have been a great way to assess my fitness and speed for Boston.

But I do love a good trail run. Plus the Canyon Meadows was less than half the price of the ORF. So, a trail running we will go. Broski came down to join the fun; he really is a glutton for punishment. Especially since the first thing we did was go up a really steep hill.

A while back, I had taken Broski to Redwood to show him my normal running route, and we had started up the same hill and ended up turning around because it was seemingly endless! Well, I learned that it was not literally endless, but it was almost a mile long!

Last year I ran the Cinderella Trail run in the same area. It was fun to look back and remind myself of where I was in the trail racing realm last year at this time. This race was different than the Cinderella though, although several of the trails were the same.

The details: The race started at 8 a.m. The weather was in the low 40s. According to the race director, there were about 400 runners. The distances were 5 miles, half marathon, 30k, marathon and 50k. I wore my new Montrail trail running shoes (my first pair of trail shoes ever).

The course: This was a great course for me because it encompassed many of the trails I regularly run on, plus it added a few that I had never tried before. It went on both the West Ridge and the East Ridge, both of which were part of the Skyline 50. The West Ridge was also on the Cinderella last year. Both trails are in the sun part of the time, and can get hot, but luckily that wasn't an issue this time. The course was a loop course for the half. If you were running the 50k, it was 2 loops of the half plus an additional 5 mile loop.

The pros: *This course wasn't too hilly. I know, you are probably laughing, but for instance, the Cinderella or the Golden Gate races have a about 2500 ft gain,  the Canyon Meadows is only 1500 ft. It makes a difference! *Once again, everyone was very friendly. I love trail runners! In fact, I even got recognized by a blog reader (actually she recognized Broski's shirt from the last race recap)! *There was beer at the end. GOOD beer. *The chip timers are on the race bib. No more shoe chips here (or written down times. Remember that?). *The new trail shoes were good! No blisters, no rubbing! *I got to talk to Broski for two hours. And by this, I mean I talked while he ran alongside me. There is no better listener than one that is stuck with you for two hours!

 Broski + beard / Me + beer

The cons: *The course was short OR everyone's GPS was messed up. Everyone I talked to said their GPS was showing about a mile short. I would like to think I just ran fast, but I am not so sure. However, I was assured several times that the director walks the course with a Rolatape surveyor's wheel. *The finish line snack area was also a bit confusing. It was a mess of half marathoners who were finished as well as marathon and 50k people passing through. If I were running the 50, I would be a bit annoyed by the halfers, who were kind of in the way. *Your shirt color is dependent on your size! We were talking about how maybe next time we should pick a different size, since Broski keeps getting yellow shirts (I have been lucky with pink and blue the last two times).

The race: Like I said, the first mile was uphill, and was about a 500 ft elevation gain. It was hard. Then the course leveled out a bit and got a bit easier. My fastest mile was actually mile two. I must have been really glad that hill was over! Broski and I split up because he went to water the plants and when I went to do the same, I encountered a bunch of poison oak. I would rather hold it then get that again! For the next mile and a half I ran on my own. Then I stopped at a real toilet and Broski caught back up.

The next few miles were varied up and downs and then the second half of the race was mostly downhill. You would think this is a good thing, but if the downhills are really steep, it can actually be harder. Luckily a lot of this race was on fire trails, so there is space to pass people, because going downhill on a single track trail and trying to pass the person in front of you without bumping into them or knocking them over can get pretty hard sometimes.  As you can see, there was a pretty steep downhill around mile 8. The last few miles were the best because they went through the redwoods (the upper ridges are more Eucalyptus) on the Stream Trail and are nice and dark and ferny, which I really like.

The stream trail

We finished in 2:09. Actually I finished in 2:09. Broski was annoyed that his Garmin didn't say 13.1, so he turned around and did a quick out and back to make up the miles. I tried to tell him that with trail races it doesn't matter, but he is determined to get his true half marathon in! So be it.

2:09 / Garmin reading = 12.4 miles / ave 10:03 pace
If it is a true half, the average would be 9:50 pace.

Afterward, we went to brunch, where we ate a mountain of food, and then Broski drove home and passed out on the couch. I know this because Mrs. Broski sent me a photo of him when she got home from work. Maybe I will post it here later. (just kidding!) I guess we wore him out. 

The verdict?  I would run this race again, although I prefer the Cinderella, because it goes on my favorite trail, the French Trail. I would still run another Coastal race (and will!) but all of them have been short, and I am not certain that they can all be blamed on the Garmin!

As a side note, Broski asked me if, instead of driving to Easter dinner, I wanted to run with him from his house to the in-laws place (17 miles). I think he's got a bit of the crazy in him! Clearly he's been hanging out with me for too long! Or listening to me too much during trails runs.

Have you ever been the catalyst for someone's crazy hobby? What are you doing for Easter?

Golden Gate Trail 30k

Remember the last half? The one where I fell? Well I guess I hadn't had enough because I went back to the scene of the crime for more, but this time, I decided to tackle the 30k. This was my first 30k and I wasn't sure how it would go. I have been running long runs of 20 miles, but they were on flat ground and this was going to be quite hilly. Here is the elevation profile.

According to the Coastal website, this would be approximately 4000 ft of elevation gain. I have run Coastal races before and have always liked them. They are in gorgeous places, the courses are varying, the snacks are great and the staff, volunteers and other runners are all very friendly. The usual players were in attendance: Broski and my friend TJ, who is one of my long run buddies but hasn't really done a lot of trail running. TJ and I ran the 30k and Broski ran the half.

The race started here, at Rodeo Beach:

It was a nice clear and crisp day and the course, as you can see from the above map, started off by going straight uphill. And then straight down to the aid station. And then straight up. That's the thing about these trail races; it is very uncommon to have many flat areas. This one was no different.

The cool thing about the course is that it goes through scrubby coastal areas, and then through Eucalyptus groves and then through open fields. There are views of the other hills, of the bay, the ocean, the city and the Golden Gate bridge. The entire time there is a nice fresh, cooling sea breeze. It was great. TJ and I basically chatted the entire time, just like we do on our long runs, and the run went by in a flash. At the end we ran it out although I have to admit, the quads were a bit tired.

We finished in 3:11:23. We got number 22 and 23 out of 100 runners for the 30k. Broski got 2:08, which was almost as good as his FLAT half marathon PR!! He is much faster without me (last time we got around a 2:30). He got #57 out of 232! He said he only walked once or twice. Go Broski!

All in all it was a great run on a beautiful day and I would return to THAT scene of the crime again in a heartbeat. 

What did you do on Sunday? Have you ever run a race with a friend? Do you like running hills?

The Last Half

Last week I asked my brother if he would want to run one last race with me in 2012. It was a trail race and there were four options: 8k, Half Marathon, 30k or 50k. I was going to run the 30k and assumed he would want to run the 8k, since it was a pretty steep race and I figured he would want to take it kind of easy for his first trail race.

He chose the half marathon. So we did it together.

It was good! It started off in Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands and the first mile was a half mile out and back on a road. We missed the turn and followed some other runners, so ended up running about an extra half mile right at the get go. Then it started uphill.

For the next two miles, we climbed about 700 feet. Broski wanted to run the hills, but I was trying to be the voice of reason and remind him that we sill had a long way to go!

Once we got to mile four, the trail went downhill again by about 500 feet, where we stopped for some snacks. Broski had to lube up and luckily in most trail races they have everything you need at the aid stations! We ate a few pretzles and a swig of coke and then it was back uphill for another 700 feet. We walked it and were passed by quite a few people at this point.

At the next aid station, which was at mile 10, Broski admitted to being pretty tired in the legs and said he "hoped there were no more uphills or steep downhills!" Luckily there weren't. From there it was a pretty steady decline to the end.

About a tenth of a mile from the end, I was enjoying the view while running down a small hill and I tripped on a rock and fell, scraping up my hands and knee pretty bad. Luckily only a couple of people saw me! Because that is what really matters...

We finished in 2:37 with smiles on our faces. Okay that was a lie. I had a grimace because I had rocks and dirt stuck in my knee and I was bleeding everywhere. Broski had a grimace because his legs felt like rubber rocks and he just wanted this to be over with.

So now my brother will probably never run with me again.

Total Elevation Gain: 2,200 ft
Average pace: 11:19
Kicking your brother's a**: Timeless

Have you ever run a trail race with a significant elevation gain? What is the hardest race you have ever run? Have you ever fallen down and skinned your knee (as an adult)?

Wine Country Half Marathon

Remember I said that the Broski was talking about running another half? Let me tell you why. When we decided to run the Cloverdale Half, we did it only because the race we wanted, The Wine Country Half, was full already. It wasn't heartbreaking or a difficult decision; it was quick and easy to pick a different harvest related race, since Broski works in the wine country and so not only does this mean it is fun to do it on his home turf, but secondly, he is also busy with harvest and so it makes sense to do something closer to him at this time.

So we ran the Cloverdale Half as planned. The next day, Broski's friend Dave, who owns a winery in the area, said that he was running his first half and had put together a team for his winery and still had a couple of spots open. So, in the typical crazy runner fashion, Broski and I decided to fill the empty slots.

First of all, let me say that Dave ROCKED his first half! He finished in under 2 hours! We ran together for most of the time and it was great to get to know him and to be a part of his first big race! Second, I must mention how much I love hanging out with Broski and the Lady Friend. I always go up and stay the night and we have great times cooking, eating, drinking and hanging out.

Unfortunately, this time, Broski was nursing a cold and a fever, so he ate and went to bed early to try to be at his best for the next day. Lady Friend and I stayed up and shot the breeze for a little while. We solved the world's problems, planned a trip to Vegas and decided that we are going to create our own Thanksmas Holiday where we don't have to fight the crowds on our special day. It's sure is nice to know people who make wine, let me tell you. I had to sample the wine from the winery that I would be running for the next day!

The race couldn't have been better. The weather was perfect at the beginning. The course started off in Geyserville with a huge hill, which really separated the men from the boys right from the get go! It then meandered around with some twists and turns and ups and downs, much of it through the vineyards, which are beautiful and all fall colored!

We all ran together until mile 9, when Broski's fever/cold started to catch up to him. By this time, he must have drank 40 oz of water, and it was starting to get hotter. Plus the shirts that Dave gave us to wear were cotton and black and they were hot! We both took off our shirts and kept plugging on, but we had to do some walk breaks up the hills (and there were a lot of them!) It got warmer and we drank more water and tackled more hills until mile 12 or so, when the course went into downtown Healdsburg for the finish.

We finished in 2:06, which was a little over Broski's goal of under 2 hours, but that just means that he needs to try again! I think he did very well, especially since he (a) ran his first half marathon LAST weekend, (b) has only run a long run distance of 8 miles before this and (c) was battling a cold/fever! We also started off a little fast and therefore pooped out a bit early (but like I said before, you have to learn this on your own sometimes).

Afterward, we got a wine glass, some snacks and some red licorice (my opinion? they should have this at every race) and our choice of not only dozens of different wines to try, but Lagunitas beer as well! And the best thing of all? The medal is a wine stopper! Now that is what I call a great after party! So when is the next one?! Broski?

*This race is race number 11 in the 12 in 2012 challenge! Only one more race to go to make 12. 

Have you ever tried exercising when you were under the weather? Have you ever run as part of a team? If you could design a fitness related item, what would it be?

Cloverdale Harvest Half Marathon

My first half marathon was hard. It was hot, by the end of the race my feet were hurting and I was tired. I finished in 2:13 and change. I remember the feeling of pride and amazement when I was finished.

Last weekend was Broski's first half marathon. I want him to get the bug. I think running is fun and racing is fun! It gives you that runners high and makes you feel strong. So I was a little nervous that he would run it and it would suck and at the end, he would never want to run again. To make it worse, he hadn't run since the Harvest 10k, which was two weeks ago. So I was a little worried, because I wanted it to be FUN!!

The weekend before last, we got together with the family and all my relatives were giving my brother advice. I try not to give him advice unless he asks for it, because I know that he is like me and sometimes just needs to learn the hard way. However, some of my family members still do it. Their advice was good! My uncle said, "the hardest thing about running is lacing up your sneakers". Ain't that the truth! My father said that my brother should try to "start out slower than you think you should, in order to save gas for the end". Also true and a lesson that doesn't really make sense on paper, until you have done it wrong in a race!

My goal for this race was to let Broski run it how he wanted, only offering encouragement, not handing out too much advice (only Pink Lemonade chews when needed). I will leave that part to my other family members. Broski's goal was to finish with a smile on his face and to do it hopefully under 2 hours. Did we achieve our goals? Let's find out!

Before: It was about 44 degrees in the morning, so you know how it is trying to figure out what to wear. Broski went with the short sleeved tee, while I decided to keep my long sleeves on. In a rare show of enthusiasm, I wore orange and black. I don't have to tell you why. The lady friend and her sister came for the 5k, just like last time. They are becoming our best fans!

Beautiful morning for a run!

During: The course was beautiful. It went along the vineyards, where people were RUSHING to get the grapes off the vines before the rains came. Broski looked good. The first few miles were good, we did a little out and back loop on a creek path, which was fun because we could see all the other runners. Then we started going uphill! The hills were rolling, but they were plentiful! (Splits Miles 1-5: 8:43, 8:42, 8:45, 8:44, 8:52)

At the turn around

Around mile 6, Broski's right foot was hurting just a tad, but we kept going strong. The pink lemonade chews were a welcome distraction! Then around mile 8 (where Broski passed his longest mileage run ever), he started getting tight calves. I was a little sore as well, as I had run the headlands the day before and had hit the hills pretty hard. The entire time though, the course was beautiful and after the turnaround, everyone was cheering each other on and even when we got passed or were passing someone, everyone was very encouraging of each other. (Splits Miles 6-10: 8:55, 8:59, 9:06, 8:49, 10:23)

We had to stop and walk for a few minutes here and there in the last 4 miles, but we finished it off strong. However, my Garmin read 13.6 at the end! Our finishing time was 2:05, so by our calculations, if the course would have been correct, we would have made it in under 2 hours! (Splits Miles 11-13.6: 9:34, 9:28, 10:01, 9:09)

Finished! Wine in hand!

After: There was lunch and WINE (hurray for Harvest) and Dolly Parton was there! Okay she was a cardboard cutout. We had fun hanging out with the lady friend and her sister and enjoying a great live band to boot!

So, in my book, we made our goals. We had fun, lemonade chews were dispensed, encouragement was given and 2 hours would have been achieved if the course was not long! Plus, Broski beat my first half marathon time. I better watch out, he will be running circles around me in no time. The best thing? He's going to run another half marathon.

Tomorrow.

No, I am not kidding.

Have you ever been to any Sonoma County wineries? Do you ever stay for the after party at your races? After your first race, did you want to run another one?

Don't forget to join Jill for her Fitness Friday link up!

Nike Women's Marathon

I got up at 5 to get on the bus to cross the bay. The bus terminal in San Francisco is about a mile from the race start, which is in Union Square. I decided to walk. I got to about 3 or 4 blocks from the square and it was a mad house. Of course that was just when I started to have to use the restroom. So I ducked into the Marriott (thanks JW!) and used theirs before heading over to the Square to line up in my corral.

Like I said before, my corral was 7:30 - 9:00 and actually they were letting the faster corral in at the same place, so they had to go in and then fight their way to the front of all of the people in my pace group. It was a bit of a mess. Everyone had pace bracelets, so you could tell when they weren't supposed to be in that corral, and there were several that weren't.

Once the race started, it seemed like it took forever to cross the starting line, but once I got my results, I realized it was really less than a minute. My Garmin was having a bad day and it kept telling me I was running a 3 minute mile. I was passing a lot of people (trying to get around everyone) but I don't think I was that fast! For the first mile or so, it was a lot of bobbing and weaving, but luckily I had rudely pushed myself to the front(ish) of the start line, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I can't imagine what it was like in the 9:00 - 10:00 group, which was pretty far behind us. I checked out some of the people who came in near the end, and their chip time and gun time were a half an hour apart!

The course was great; miles 3 - 6 were on one of my favorite routes, through Crissy Field, where normally there is an awesome view of the Golden Gate bridge. However, it was quite foggy and there was a view of nothing. I felt kind of bad for the out of towners who came for the views. At this point I started to fuel. I had decided earlier that morning, in a split second decision (dumb maybe) to try dried apricots as fuel. They went down fine with a little chewing, and at about 15 calories each are about the same as a Gu Chomp. Mile 1 - 6: 6:50*, 6:19*, 7:26, 7:34, 7:27, 7:39 (*these may have been Garmin error)

After Chrissy Field, it started to go up, and up, and up, and down and up and up! Basically miles 7 - 11 were about a thousand feet total elevation gain according to the Garmin. This is where I had a lot of trouble. I can run up the hills, but it sure is hard. I could feel my face getting redder and redder. At this point it was kind of misty raining, which was a blessing! Somewhere around mile 11 the marathon and half marathon split up. They went toward the finish and we went toward the park. This made a HUGE difference! All of a sudden, I was running alone. It was great!  Mile 7 - 11: 8:19, 7:37, 8:11, 7:57, 7:15

Uphill, chug, chug

Miles 12 - 17 were all in Golden Gate park and were flatter than the coast, although not flat by any means. They were just more gradual, and more up, up, up and then down, down, down (rather than up, down, up, down). According to Garmin, this was another 900 ft gain/loss. It was fun running this section, as the park is beautiful and I got to see my friends, the Bison. There was also a huge jumbo-tron here. Check out this video  of the 10k, 15k and finish line. You can look at my waddle. All I can say about that is...I run funny! We also met back up with the halfers around mile 16 (their mile 13) and it was a crazy mess for about a half a mile before I popped out into the solitary confinement of the Great Highway. Mile 12 - 17: 8:01, 8:18, 7:58, 7:45, 7:50, 7:32

Miles 18 - 20 were along the Great Highway which goes along side Ocean Beach. I was really looking forward to seeing my family, as I was getting pretty tired at this point. The road was a chip and seal rather than a nice smooth asphalt and it was killing my feet! Also, I just needed a smiling face, which is funny because as I was scanning the crowd for my parents, a person jumped out of the crowd and hugged me! It was my new running buddy! I gave her a high five and kept on. Then there they were, the Parentals and grandma, right near mile 18. Seeing them gave me the boost I needed to keep going. Mile 18 - 20: 7:49, 7:52, 8:11

The Great Highway

Miles 21 - 24 were around Lake Merced. If I would have known how bad this section was going to be, I would have asked the Parentals to be over here. It was dead. I was tired. It was raining on me. There were a lot of cars. The lake was nice though. At one point this guy came out of nowhere and was running right next to me for about a mile. Then he just stopped. I am not sure what that was all about. Maybe I looked tired? Like I needed a push? Well it worked; I was trying so hard to get away from him and to have a little space between us that I picked up my pace by a few seconds. Mile 21 -24: 8:14, 8:13, 8:09, 8:06

Miles 25 to the end were back along the Great Highway. This part was fun, because all the runners behind me were coming the opposite direction. I had a few friends running and I looked for them, but never saw them. Also, I saw two guys that had ridden my bus into the city that morning! What a small world it was shaping up to be! Mile 25 - 26.2: 8:08, 8:15, 7:59

Still feeling good!

Then I was at the end. Almost. First I had to muscle my way through a bunch of walk/jogging half marathon people who were sharing the finish line (and the 200 feet or so leading up to it) with me! Then I was over the line, and this cute fireman in a tux gave me a little blue box. I could have hung out with him longer; why is the box giving portion so short and the run so long? It should be the other way around.

And then I was done. I was wet and cold and hungry but I felt great!

Final Time: 3:29:16
Overall: 46/4452
Gender: 30/4051
Age: 9/837

A few fun facts: *Dried Apricots = good fuel! This may be my new favorite! * I did not pee once. * Total elevation gain (according to Garmin) = 5000 ft (can that be right?) * Elevation loss = 4860 ft *Fastest time = 2:56 (M) and 2:59 (F) * From my loose calculations, about 3% of the people in this race BQ (compared to 35% in the Santa Rosa Marathon) *

Tell me how you feel about firemen. What is your favorite type of dried fruit? Have you ever seen footage of yourself running?

Harvest 10k

Where I grew up, there are bears. We always joke around that you don't really have to be able to run faster than the bear; you only have to be able to run faster than the person who is with you. Since I normally run alone, I have nobody to run faster than, so I am in trouble. However, luckily, yesterday I had a partner to run with, so I have at least a 50 percent chance of survival if a bear comes. I ran with Broski in his first race ever.

However, it IS only a 50% chance...

...Because Broski rocked it! He would have just as good a chance to outrun the bear as I would!

We ran the YMCA Harvest 10k in Santa Rosa, which was a very small race (my favorite!) The volunteers were great, the route was a fun run through the local neighborhood, the crowd was easy going and the post race celebration was fun. Even the local junior high cross country came out and raced. Also, Broski's girlfriend and her sister came out and did the accompanying 5k! It was a family affair!  

Trying to show our #s! It was chilly at first!

Broski's goal was to run under a 9 minute mile the whole time. He has a fancy new Garmin which he can set at a certain pace and it will tell him whether or not he needs to speed up or slow down. However, as we started out, we realized that we may not need to use it. We started out a bit faster than planned and I tried to warn him to slow down but he said he felt good and that he would let me know if he needed to slow down. So, we kept at it. We stayed around that pace the whole time, even while running up and down a few rolling hills. We did slow a little bit on mile 5, but only by about 10 seconds. We even talked most of the time. Or maybe I talked and he grunted from time to time.

Before we knew it, we were at the 6 mile mark and we could see the finish line in sight. I asked Broski if he wanted to sprint it out and he said yes. What a good sport. So we got to the 6 mile cone and started booking it. It was really funny because we started sprinting and the crowd was laughing at us and cheering us on. Then I saw a lady coming up next to me on my left (Bro was on my right) and she was keeping up with us! It was hard to keep up the pace but we ended up sprinting the entire way (about 400m) and I think the lady ended up beating us by a millisecond! She was fast! Our last 400 meters was run at about a 6 minute per mile pace! I couldn't keep that up any longer though. Phew!

* Our mile splits were: 8:08, 8:08, 8:18, 8:15, 8:22, 7:45.
* We ended up as #45 (48:58) and #46 (49:00) out of 196 participants (with an average of 7:54/mi)

So, like I said, Broski underestimated himself. It looks like we have a new runner in the running community! I have to admit, I didn't push him at all. I can't even take credit for his speed; he did it all on his own; I was just there to be company for him. He is excited about his time and the race overall, even though he said after that sprint at the end he felt like throwing up in the bushes!

Next up: a Half Marathon!

Have you totally underestimated yourself on something? Have you ever run so hard you felt a little ill?

The Giant Race

What's better than running in San Francisco on a cool summer morning? Doing it with thousands of your closest friends and Giants fans!! I have to admit, as much as I don't like bigger races, it was fun to see everyone running around in their orange and black, although I wonder if they are really fans, or just like to dress up. It doesn't matter; it made me feel all warm and tingly inside.

I think I mentioned that I lined up right at the start this time, and when I say right at the start, I mean front and center, second row back, right behind the really fast people. So I didn't have to pass anyone! And this, my friends, made a big race into an enjoyable one. If there are 20 people or 20,000 people behind me, I don't care! It makes the race so much better. I may have pissed off a few fast people who had to pass me, but so be it.

I ran this race with a friend of mine who runs about 10 miles a week. When he asked me what my pace was going to be, I said that I just wanted to PR, which meant I wanted to get below a 1:37. He said that he had been training at a 1:35, but wanted to beat that by a bit. This is why you shouldn't run with guys. His slow pace, his pace he runs on his one 10 mile jaunt a week, is faster than my speedy, feel like puking pace! But, we decided we would start off together and if he needed to go on ahead, he would. This would put us at about a 7:15 pace according to the Cool Running pace calculator.

Instead of doing the usual recap, I am going to do a few Good, Bad, Uglies.

The Good: Mile 1
The Bad: Mile 13
The Ugly: Mile 3.4 / Mile 9.3 (Van Ness Hill / Fort Mason Hill)

The Good: Having a partner who is faster than me kept me going.
The Bad: It was a little bit too fast for me.
The Ugly: Doing a hilly trail run the day before a race is not a good idea. My legs were like lead!

The Good: The run started and ended in the ballpark.
The Bad: The run went right through Fisherman's Wharf
The Ugly: The course went over two hills.

The Good: Brunch afterward at Grub.
The Bad: The reason we needed to eat was because there was no swag food.
The Ugly: There were beers, but they cost 9 dollars.

Here is a cliff note recap: The race was good; the course was beautiful; it was mostly flat except for 2 hills; we got to see the golden gate bridge and lots of people wearing orange. There were plenty of water stops, but no Gu/fuel except for power bars. By the time we finished, which was not super late, there was no food left. We were told there had been tons, but the 5k people ate it all. Race director fail! My legs hurt and we wavered between a 7:08 and a 7:40 pace the entire time. My friend ended up hurting his knee so I ended up going ahead of him. The race ended on the field where we got to walk around and pretend to be ball players (that part was really cool!)

Final time: 1:36:35 (7:22 pace)
This was a new PR by 42 seconds!

Verdict? If you want a Matt Cain Bobble-head and a half of a banana, you should run this race. However, if you just want to run in the city and go to AT&T park, call me, we can do both without paying $100 to do so!

Have you ever run a race that went through a stadium of some sort? Do you get annoyed when you pay a lot for a race and don't get good swag? Would you rather run with someone faster than you or slower than you?

Don't forget to stop by Jill's for some Friday fitness inspiration!

Santa Rosa Marathon

My realistic goal: finish this race.
My satisfied goal: get a PR (and hopefully sub 4)
My hopeful goal: BQ

To BQ, for my age group, I would have to run a 3:35 or less. According to my fast half marathon time, this is doable. But that race was nearly three months prior to this one. It meant I would have to run under an 8:12 pace the entire time. However, I didn't want it to be THAT close, so I thought I would shoot for a 3:30, which is an 8 minute per mile pace. I have to be honest with you though; after the last few weeks of training that I have had, I was not hopeful. I have been tired. I have been unmotivated, I have not been doing speed work and I have been running about an 8:45 pace for shorter runs.

I did not feel ready. I was ready to be happy to come in under 4 hours.

My strategy was this, and I often use this one to "trick" myself: I would start off at the right pace and if I got tired later, I would slow down. I had to try at the beginning though. I got in line right behind the 3:15 pace group and I thought in my mind that if I could only stay in front of the 3:30 group, I would be okay.

The race started and we were off like a shot. The beginning of the race was difficult. It was on a creek path with only a width of a few people and everyone was trying to get ahead and find their pace but there was no room to do so. As I was trying to get my pace, I passed under an overpass and my parents and uncle were up there, cheering me on. It felt great to have spectators, and to have someone to be accountable to, even though they would never say anything bad if I didn't make my goal. Still, I was running for them, as well as myself.

The first few miles I had trouble finding my pace. I wanted to stay under 8, but to not get too tired along the way. Mile 1: 7:43, Mile 2: 7:18 (otherwise known as the "what was I thinking" mile). The next few, I found my pace and kept at it for a while. Mile 3-6: 7:40, 7:38. 7:45, 7:48. After mile 6, I took two chews and used the bathroom. This is reflected in my pace, which was (Mile 7:) 8:00. After that, the next 6 miles were around (Mile 8-13) 7:50.

The course was a figure eight loop on the creek path that went around once for the half marathoners and twice for the marathoners. This was both good and bad. Good: my parents got to see me three times: once at the start, once at the middle, and again at the end. My brother also came and he got to see my 8 times, as his place was in the middle where the eight crossed over itself so he biked back and forth to cheer me on. Bad: I had to run the same route twice.

So I went around the loop once, saw the Parentals, waved, and started on the second loop. This loop was a little bit harder. I was wavering around the 8 minute mark, but still keeping it under. However, it wasn't much under, and I kept thinking, "DON'T let the 3:30 group pass!" Mile 14-24: 7:54 average. The good news was, at this point, I had hit no wall. I had taken two chews at mile 6 and then two more at each 3 mile mark after that. I had had water at all the stops, but only a sip or two. Around mile 19, a girl caught up to me, said she liked my pace, and we ran together for a couple miles and talked. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The other thing was that half of this path was a hard packed dirt and gravel path. I wore my Saucony Kinvaras, which don't really have much of a sole. By the second loop, and especially by mile 18 or so, I was really dreading the dirt sections!

At mile 25, I slowed down a little. Mile 25: 8 minutes. At mile 26, my legs started to feel really tight and it was hard to keep up the pace. At this point though I kept repeating my mantra about the 3:30 group over and over. Just stay ahead of them! I may have mumbled, "keep going, keep going, keep going" under my breath (or out loud) several times. Mile 26: 8:06/mi

Taken by Dad - seconds before the finish line

Then I got to the last .2 miles and there was Dad, taking photos of me at my finest. I think I even managed a smile before rounding the final corner and totally chicking this dude right at the very end. My mom even has the pics to prove it.

Final time: 3:27:27 / 7:53 pace (official)

At the end there was a band and pancakes and wine, naturally. I mean, we are in Sonoma county after all.  But I decided to forgo those in exchange for a huge bacon and avocado omelet at the Omelette Express with the Fam.

Do you hit "the wall" when you race? Do you make hopeful and/or unrealistic goals that you sometimes end up achieving after all? OR Do you underestimate yourself sometimes?

Don't forget to join up at Jills for Fitness Friday!