Pre-Relay Jitters

Tomorrow, I embark on something I have never embarked upon before. A relay race. I am scared.

Vanessa posted this the other day, and it's a funny video where a runner explains to a non-runner what a relay race is all about.



It is pretty funny, because I have been asked many of these same questions. For example: Our relay is raising money for Organs R Us. We raised a few thousand dollars. We also got a sponsor to pay our entry fees. So when I told Mr Lovely that we had to pay to run this race, he didn't understand why. Why do we have to pay? Good question.

We have to rent our own vans. As the video states, we need baby wipes (lots of them apparently). And gas. And snacks. And water. And whatever is left over goes to a good cause! It will be fun (if you haven't already, see above video)! Right? RIGHT?

Sometimes I wonder.

I have to admit, as it's getting closer, I am wondering why the heck I joined a GROUP running effort. I loved playing soccer as a team, but the logistics were fairly easy. 1) put on cleats 2) drive to field 3) play soccer 4) drink beer. It only took a couple of hours. There was no, "who's going to bring the GPS and who can get 5 headlamps and where will we sleep and who is going to drive and what about reflective vests and snacks and iPod chargers and signs and BABY WIPES??" I know we don't need 10 iPod chargers in one van, and there has to be a semblance of order but I don't like relying on other people. I would rather have my own checklist with all the stuff I know I will need on it. I don't want to share my Garmin. I know; I'm mean.

I don't play well with others. I mean, I do, when it's organized and things happen at a certain time. But this has so many unknowns! How fast do people run? This makes a difference. If the first 10 people (I am number 11) run slower or faster than they said they would, we will have to run at a different time of day than we are expecting. I have routines I always follow. I need to eat a certain kind of food a certain amount of time before I run. This usually isn't a problem, but I am not normally dealing with 5 other people. I am going to bring my own Cheerios and hope we can stop for milk (and have a backup granola bar and squirreled away apple just in case we can't).

When asked to choose our slots, I said I would take any one that wasn't between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. (that is basically 7 of the 12 runners). But when my friend asked me to take one of the harder legs, I said "no problem". This leg? Is at 4 a.m. on Sunday morning. I didn't know this, since I didn't know everyone's pace at the time. Not only that, but now that friend is sick so I am going to take one of her legs (and maybe two), adding an additional 7 miles to my total, as well as causing me to run at... 2 a.m.!

So my "schedule" (as we know it) looks like this (V = Very Hard, H = Hard, M = Moderate, E = Easy):

~ 6:30 p.m. Sat -- 11th Leg: 6.9 H
~ 2:00 a.m. Sun -- 19th Leg (sub): 7 H
~ 4:30 a.m. Sun -- 23rd Leg: 1.9 (used to be 3.7, but there is road construction) E
~ 3:00 p.m. Sun -- 35th Leg: 6.2 VH

TOTAL:  22 miles

I have cold feet. I am worrying about everything. I am dreading this race! It's not the 22 miles that scares me; it's the two middle of the night runs, which are not back to back. So I will run 7 miles and then probably try to sleep for an hour and then run again. Or try NOT to sleep for an hour and then wobble along for LUCKILY only 1.9 miles! But that one point nine miles is my blessing and my curse. If I didn't have to run it, I could try to sleep, but I have to stay up for 1.9 measly miles? And yes, right now they are "measly".

I know, I know. I need to get into the spirit of things. It's going to be a new experience and I will get in a few extra miles this week and it will probably all go very smoothly and I will be fine. And most of all... it will be fun! (seriously, watch the video)

Have you ever run a relay? If so, please reassure me... Do you work well in large groups? Are you are morning (2 a.m.) person?

12 in 2012 Update

When Jill asked me if I wanted to join the 12 in 2012 Running Challenge**, I thought, "that sounds like fun", but I didn't realize how much it would consume me, not only my time and energy during races, but my time and energy looking for / deciding on races and my time and energy looking for running routes and training for races. Not to mention that, like travel, once the running bug has bitten you, you are doomed. I made my friend run a 5k with me when I went to visit her in Kansas. I made Mr. Lovely run a 5k (I ran the 10k) with me when we went to Florida on vacation. I am dragging my friend K out to do run/walk intervals once a week. I am perceived as the "healthy" friend. How did that happen? On the other hand, I am seen as an obsessive compulsive nut job. Guilty as charged! 

**In case you are not familiar, the 12 in 2012 Challenge is a goal to do 12 Half Marathons, ideally one a month, for the year of 2012. You can see my post about it up at Fitfluential.

So, one third in, two to go. How has it been so far? 

The first race, the Coyote Hills in Fremont, was a nice hilly race on a bike path. At the time I considered this a trail. Until I actually ran a trail race. This race was in a beautiful location, with views of San Francisco across the bay and perfect weather. There were several hills and a little bit of single track, but it was mostly wide and fairly flat. I had a new PR of 1:47:03 (Recap HERE )

The second, the Bay Breeze Half in San Leandro, was also along the bay (but farther north) and was on a nice wide asphalt bike path, as well as some packed gravel. This was a windy and slightly chilly race, but the course was totally flat. This race got me another PR and second in my age group at 1:42:40 (Recap HERE ).

The third, in Chico, was the Bidwell Classic. This day I was under the weather. However, the weather at the race was great and the course was a nice double loop around Bidwell Park. And I got served water by the firefighters. Best part of any race so far! I did not PR, but was still very happy with my time, at 1:44:04 (Recap HERE).

April's race was the Grizzly Peak Trail Run in Berkeley, which showed me what a trail race was all about. There were several 700 ft elevation gains, and a total ascent of 4496 ft. It was muddy and steep and very, very slippery. However, the views of the city once I got to the top made all the work totally worth it. I came in at 2:14:55 and third in my age group (Recap HERE).

So, what's next, you ask? Good question. I really liked the trail race. It was fun, the group was smaller and the time is not so much of a factor. I will probably do a couple more of of them. However, I do plan on doing a marathon in a few months, so I don't want to do hills ALL the time, so I will probably throw a couple of "fast and flat" courses in there as well. Maybe.

The tentative schedule for the next third of the challenge: 

May - Cinderella Trail Run -- Oakland

June - San Lorenzo Trail Run -- Santa Cruz / Zombie Runner SF -- San Francisco

July -  Golden Gate Trail Run -- Marin Headlands

August - Summer Breeze Half -- San Leandro / Marathon

Coupled with that, there are a few other races I have planned. May 5th, only 2 weeks away, is The Relay, my first relay race. I am excited about the race, but as the days get nearer, I am not sure I like having to deal with the additional logistics of transfers, additional people, food, driving, etc. It's already hard enough to get one person (me) to the start line on time with food in my belly and proper clothing. But I will tell you more after I am done. 

Also, there is a relay race around Lake Tahoe (after I just said I wasn't sure about relays!) which is 70 odd miles around. It is 7 runners who run roughly 10 miles each. It's June 9th. Anybody want to do it? You have to sign up by May 15 to get a good price. 

So, the insanity goes on. However, I am not the only nut job. You can see some of my bloggy buddies recount their tales as well. Go check out Jill, Jill, Nancy, Courtney, Suz, and Rachelle as well as the other participants when you get the chance and root them on!

Have you ever taken on a challenge that has taken over? Are you a list maker? How are your goals for 2012 going so far?

Grizzly Peak Trail Run

For race number four of the 12 in 2012 Running Challenge, I chose to run my first trail race, the Grizzly Peak Trail Run hosted by Coastal Trail Runs. I thought I had run a trail race before, but it was really a very wide bike path race, NOT a trail race. So this one was an eye opening experience for me. I run trails all the time. In fact, 3 or 4 of my 4 times a week running are generally on trails. So I thought I was ready. I was surprised at how hard it was.

Let's talk about the pros and cons of the race. First, the PROS. This race was small. I see that as a major pro. It consisted of a 10k race, Half Marathon, 30k, Marathon and 50k. All together, there were probably 250 people, the half marathon being the most popular. Also, this race was only $40. It was in Tilden Park in the Berkeley Hills, which was a beautiful venue. Around mile 6, you could see the entire Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge. 

The view from the top.

The aid stations were AWESOME! Snacks consisted of: Peanut M&M, plain M&M, chex mix, potato chips, pumpkin pie, gummy bears, oranges, bananas, watermelon, Gu, Clif bars, Oreos, graham crackers, goldfish, potatoes with salt, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, snickers, kit-kats, twix, trail mix, coke, sprite, water and electrolyte drink. I only had a few gummy bears and some water, but the other snacks were tempting! I'll let the 50k folks have them though! 

Yummy!

Now, the CONS. The t-shirt was cotton, but you can't really expect much for $40. There was a tech t option for an extra $24. There were no medals for finishing, only for placing. But that doesn't really bother me that much, since I have a stack of medals that I don't know what to do with already! The trail was pretty well marked, but I (and a few others) did get lost once. I don't know if that was my fault or what, but I wish it hadn't happened. There was only one photo at the very finish, and mine is blurry. 

It was a muddy race! Good thing I wore my old shoes!

So, how was the race? It was awesome. It started off a little congested, since it was not only a single track from the get go, but it was also uphill right away and very muddy. Many people were walking right away, so the beginning was a little slow. However, once we got up the hill and I passed a few people, it was good. I ran with the same 4 or 6 people pretty much the entire time, after the first couple of miles. 

Although the first 2 miles were uphill, it was more gradual, so I ran the entire time. However, at mile 2.5, the hill went straight up and since the guy right in front of me was walking, I decided to do the same. I really wanted to run the whole thing, but now that it's over, I realize that probably isn't possible. There were some killer hills! Sometimes you need to recharge. 

At mile 3.9, we finally started going downhill. Except it wasn't a relief. It was WORSE than the uphill.  After that, I found my rhythm a little bit and headed down the hills and back up the hills. At mile 6.5, the view was gorgeous. I told myself, "this is fun. And beautiful", and it was. At mile 8.5, I stopped at the aid station, ate a couple of gummy bears and a shot of coke (a first for me!) and then headed up the trail. Except it wasn't the trail. I figured this out, but not before I went about a half a mile out of my way (and half of it was uphill!) Darn it. I got back on track and started up the hill where the arrow is pointing to (the one that sucked). 

Luckily the last few miles was almost all down hill and it was gradual, so it made for a fast ending. I came in as the fourth girl and if I hadn't of gotten lost, I would have been first or second in my age group. As it was, I ended up third (so I got a medal anyway!) 

Final time: 2:14:55 (10:32/mi) 

3/12 age group

13/89 overall

Total elevation change: 4496 ft (according to Garmin)

Net elevation change: 1000 ft


I am considering this a new TRAIL PR! 

Afterward, I stuck around to help with the aid station at the end, which was also the turn around for the 30k, Marathon and 50k folks. The race director was awesome; everyone was like a little family. They were very friendly and just cemented the fact in my mind that the running community is The Best! 

Verdict? I would do this race again in a heartbeat. But first, there are so many more Coastal Races to choose from! Next up is the Cinderella which is only about 2 miles from my house. How can I not sign up for that one!?  

Have you ever run a trail race before? What is your favorite sweet or salty snack, either from my list or at a race you have run?

Cherry Blossom 10 Mile: Race Recap

I got up at 6, ate breakfast and headed down to the race start, which was about one mile from my hotel. I was going to wear shorts, but it was about 45 degrees and a little windy outside, so at the last minute I opted for pants. I wore my iFitness belt, which has a bib holder, and my Chica Band in Zebra. I felt like I was heading for a safari.

Like I said before, the race started out packed inside a corral with thousands of other people. I was lucky to be in the RED wave, which was the second wave to go after the elites. This still didn't keep me from avoiding spending what I thought would be my first mile passing people, passing people*...wondering when the crowd will thin out and I could get an even pace going.  It turned out to be never. There were a few people that I kept pace with the entire time; one guy in particular who had Vibrams and a Philadelphia Marathon shirt on (thanks guy!)

Race Start

The course was nice and flat, but it was very windy, which made it harder. I decided to not carry water this time, as I thought that there would be plenty of water stops. What I didn't calculate in was the fact that there would also be thousands of people vying for the same tiny cup of water. I ended up skipping the first one and barely getting a drink at the second one. Note to self: Carry water. Every time. Even if it means carrying it but not drinking it.

10 Mile Race Course

As you can see from the map, the race started and ended at the Washington Monument, and then looped around to the Lincoln before going across the Memorial Bridge. The entire time I was running on the median, trying to pass people. On the bridge there was a concrete sidewalk, but up until then it was grass. I didn't care. I was trying to find my pace.

The rest of the race, I have to admit, was kind of a blur. I remember the shirts of the people near me. Like I said, the Philadelphia guy was near me most of the time. There were also a couple of DC RnR Marathon shirts. I guess I didn't really look around me very much becuase I don't even remember passing the Lincoln memorial, and I passed it twice!

At mile 9 an older gentleman went down hard! Everyone was calling for a medic, waving their arms at passing cars and yelling at onlookers to call 911. It was quite the fiasco. I hope that guy was okay. It was really scary. It made me cry a little to think of a) something scary like that happening to anyone and b) the overwhelming support. Everyone was doing what they could, race times be damned. It was very heartwarming.

After making sure that situation was taken care of, we only had one mile left. It went really fast, since most of the spectators were concentrated near the start/finish line and were cheering for us as we went UPHILL to the finish. I swear, this course was not very hilly at all, but the biggest hill was in the last half mile.

I crossed the finish line feeling good. I probably could have run a little faster, but finding my pace was pretty much impossible. I felt like I was bobbing and weaving the entire time. Afterward, I got the obligatory "I finished" photo (the guy cut off the top of the WA monument though!), grabbed a couple of bottles of water, a banana and a muffin (the only options) and went back to my hotel for a hot shower. I was still pretty cold and walking the mile back to my hotel did little to warm me up.

I have no legs

The funniest part is that I was telling my boyfriend how glad I was that I never had to pee during the race and he said that I could just pee on the grass if I needed to (jokingly, of course). BUT NO. You can't! It says so right in the rules. (click to zoom)

It says, "Please use only the 200 porta-potties to "relieve yourselves" before and after the race. Please do not even think of fouling the Washington Monument Grounds or the National Mall. Violations of this common-sense rule will jeopardize use of the course in the future as well." 

Hey, it doesn't say anything about not peeing on the grass DURING the race.

Here are the numbers. Funny enough, mile 1 was the slowest. Usually it's my fastest mile. Mile 10 was the fastest, which is often the case. I am like a horse to the stables. Plus, I really run it out for the last tenth or twentieth of a mile. 

Mile 1: 7:55
Mile 2: 7:31
Mile 3: 7:28
Mile 4: 7:26
Mile 5: 7:40
Mile 6: 7:30
Mile 7: 7:39
Mile 8: 7:39
Mile 9: 7:31
Mile 10: 7:06

*My Garmin actually measured the course as a little long (10.13 miles). This may or may not have been due to the fact that I went up on the median (grass) quite a few times in the beginning in order to attempt to pass people.

Time: 1:16:13 (a new PR!)
Average: 7:38 pace
Women: 503/9699
Age Group: 113/2220
Overall: Unknown

Don't forget to go over to Jill's to check out the other Fitness Friday posts! 

Have you ever peed in a public place?  Have you ever had to call 911?

Cherry Blossom: Pros and Cons

Yesterday I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race in Washington DC. I have been lucky enough to have been to DC several times before, so I did not feel pressured to go and see all the sights or stand in really long lines to get into the museums (the line for the Natural History was all the way down the block!) I had a great (leisurely)  day on Saturday wandering around, meeting up with these girls, checking out the "new to me" MLK Memorial and trying to find a few cherry blossoms. There were a few, but you could tell that the early warm weather and subsequent rain kind of ruined the timing for most of them. That didn't stop me from taking a bazillion photos, but that deserves a post of it's own.

PROS:

- The expo. I was in and out in 10 minutes. Everything was well signed; the volunteers were directing you to your next stop; there were plenty of bathrooms. Plus it was in the National Building Museum, which is a gorgeous old building. I didn't really check out the booths since there were so many people, but there were a ton of options!

- The commute. I got a hotel about a mile from the start line and it was SO NICE to leave only 15 minutes before I wanted to get there. Usually racing involves some kind of commute, but this one was a nice short one! It was so convenient! Even if you did not stay in the city, the metro is very handy. This is a definite plus!

The weather. It was not too hot. On the other hand, I was going to wear shorts, but opted for pants at the last minute because I am a wimp and I would rather be warm during the race than stand around freezing beforehand. It was probably about 45 - 50 degrees during the race.

- Port-a-potties. There must have been a couple hundred of those bad boys. Plus they had them along the course every couple of miles. However, this didn't stop the lines at the start from looking like this. I waited in line for 30 minutes even though I didn't even have to go when I got in line!

- The wave start. There were 6 (I think) different waves, which made for a much less confusing start. I was in the Red. Wave. Haha. The race began at 7:30 but the red wave didn't start until 7:33. The only thing about that is that the elite runners started at 7:20 and that is when they started the clock, so every time I got to a mile marker, the clock scared me a little bit. For example, at the first mile, the clock said 21 minutes or something like that. Ouch.

- The location. The race started and ended at the Washington Monument. You couldn't ask for a nicer place to run. Much of the course was along either the tidal basin or the Potomac, which meant running near water a lot of the time.

- Meeting up with the girls (mentioned above). It was so nice to finally put faces to the names. We did not get any photos. I am so bad at that.

- The bibs. They had our names on them! This is the first time I have ever had one with my name on it. It made me feel special, like I was an elite runner or something. I liked it.

- Water stops. There were a lot of them and they were nice and long. However, with all the people, I missed the first one because I was all the way over to the left and it was on the right. I noticed later there was a sign before each stop, but it didn't say which side the stop was going to be on and they did change sides.

- The website was very easy to navigate, was packed full of information and you could even watch the race on live streaming video if you wanted.

CONS:

- The crowd. There must have been 20,000 people. I really don't know how many there really were, but there were A LOT. Usually everyone spends the first mile or so finding their pace, passing a few people, getting passed by a few people...this happened for the entire 10 miles. There was never a time when I had a little bubble of space around me. It was very claustrophobic and I had a hard time maintaining a pace when I was constantly having to pass people.

- Speaking of passing people, and this is not the race management's fault, but what is up with people who get into a corral that is faster than their pace? It really irks me. This race was done on a wave start. I think my wave was 8 - 9 minute mile pace, yet clearly some of the people who I was passing at the beginning were slower than a 9 minute mile. Do people feel like they have to prove something? Like they are wimpy if they get in the correct corral? Because that is not the case! It's just that it's hard enough having to pass people that are going 2 seconds per mile slower than you; it's nearly impossible when they are going a whole minute slower. Get in the correct corral please.

- The "goodies" after the race consisted of water, Gatorade, bananas and muffins. That's it. Really, people? You can't get some better treats than that? I know that most of our race entry fees probably went to the street closures and security and stuff like that, but I expected a better spread.

- In fact, to top the above cop out, you also had to pay extra for a medal and/or a technical tee-shirt.

- The corrals (ie the wave start) were packed! I don't know how you were supposed to get into them either; I couldn't find a doorway. I ended up squeezing through the bars of the metal barrier in order to get in. And then I stood there, back to front with all my fellow runners. I guess I should have showered beforehand. 

- Not meeting up with Jill. She didn't have her phone with her and we set up a meeting spot for before the race but I didn't realize that there were going to be a million other people on the same corner, so we missed each other. Blogger meetup: fail.

Verdict? I probably will not do this race again. I bet that if you want to run in DC, there are a ton of other races which probably have just as nice of a course, but less people. It was a fun race on a nice course in a beautiful city, but I prefer smaller, more personal races. Besides, there are so many other places I need to see!

Now, an important question. On my 50 states list, where does this fall? Do I need a "50 states and a District" list? 

Have you ever been to DC? Have you ever been to a Cherry Blossom festival? Have you ever gotten a bib with your name on it?

Diva Dash: Race Recap

Last weekend I ran the Diva Dash 5k in Kansas City, KS. It was a pretty nice day with approximately 50 degree weather and pretty strong winds. I was wearing pants, a short sleeved shirt and a long sleeved shirt. Once again, I was overdressed. I did not carry water. I finally got a chance to use my iFitness belt and my Chica Band!

Pre-race excitement

Mile 1: 7:00/mi
I made sure to try and get in the beginning of the pack. I knew this race was a run/walk and the last time I did one of these, I did not get in the front, and ended up having to pass a lot of the walkers, who for some reason were in the beginning of the pack. My first mile is always the fastest. I think the combination of trying to pass people and thinking that maybe I will slow down later gives me the energy to push it for the first 10 minutes, or whatever it takes. So the first few minutes were spent passing people and then the pace evened out a bit. I think at this point I had maybe 20 people in front of me.

Mile 2: 7:02/mi

I spent this mile trying to pass as many people as I could. I probably passed 6-8 girls in the 2nd mile. This course was variable with a few ups and downs and I noticed that I can usually pass people on hills, when they typically slow down. I guess that hill training pays off! I was pushing pretty hard and my legs were getting pretty tired, but I was pushed on my the fact that on the straight stretches I could see the front of the pack and they were not too far ahead of me. 

Mile 3: 7:03/mi

This mile was a little bit of a downhill and then pretty much a slow steady uphill to the end. At this point the wind was blowing right toward me, hard. I passed a few more girls and was neck in neck with a small girl in black. I passed her, but the wind was really taking the energy out of me. Then I noticed she was drafting me! I could see her in my shadow, trying to keep behind me to stay out of the wind. I swerved. I wasn't about to help her, not when I could still see the leaders just ahead of me. I couldn't tell at this time if there were 2 or 3 or 4 of them, but they were right there! 

Mile 3.1: 7:06/mi

The wind got me. The slight uphill got me. The girl behind me passed me. I crossed the line without an ounce of energy left. I felt like throwing up, but instead drank a bottle of water in one gulp and then had a banana.

Results:
Chip Time: 21:36
Garmin Time: 21:49 (7:02/mi) I always forget to stop it right away!
5/1130 overall
2/239 age group**

I won this. What the heck am I going to do with it?

 Notes: I really wish I would have pushed harder and not let that girl pass me at the very end. I think she was in my age group, so if I would have pushed a little harder, I could have placed first in my group. I probably should have worn less clothing because I was sweating pretty hard by the end. I am proud of myself though. **I placed, I got a new PR and I ran my fastest mile ever.

After that, I ran (slowly) back along the course, to meet my friend who was walking, so I could walk with her to the finish line. She finished in about 45 minutes which is a new PR for her as well! I am really glad she could join me; it's always nice to have a friend at any race! 
_____

Next up: Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington DC this Sunday!! The weekend after that, I have my fourth 12 in 2012 race: The Grizzly Peak Trail Half in Berkeley!
_____

Don't forget to go over to Jill's and check out the other Fitness Friday posts! 

Have you ever ran a race with a friend? How do you feel about drafting? Have you perfected the race day outfit yet?

Diva Dash: Pros & Cons

While visiting a friend of mine in Kansas City, I dragged her to invited her to join me at the Diva Dash in the great state of Kansas. I am trying to race in every state and this would satisfy my Kansas quotient. Right now it doesn't matter what distance it is, any race is sufficient! So, after running this race, my number of states is up to 10!

This race was held on city streets, in one of the outlying areas of Kansas City. There was a good turnout; there were about 1200 people for the 5k. There was also a Little Princess dash, which I believe was one mile. This race, as the name suggests, WAS all women. This is only my second all women race; the first was Women Run The Cities in Minneapolis.

All The Ladies

Pros:

- The energy of this race was great. There were tons of spectators along the beginning and end sections, mostly men and children, and the enthusiasm was great. There was one guy at the very last stretch who was cheering everyone on. It was so nice to have someone cheering for me, even if he didn't know me. I am sure he made everyone else feel great too!

- The ladies working the booths were all really nice. Even though the packet pickup was a little confusing (see below), they were all very friendly and chipper, so it was easy to maneuver.

- The swag. Technical tees in women's cuts and sizes. They also had hats you could buy for $5. For food there were cookies, bananas, edamame, water and Neuro, which is a drink I had not tried before. It was good! I tried the Bliss and the Sun. Both were tasty. There are several other flavors; I would like to try them all. 

- The weather. This may not be normal, but it was about 50 degrees and sunny for the 8:30 am race. I want weather like this every time I race!

- The location. This race was only about 10 minutes from my friend's house. I got to sleep in until about an hour before the race! 

- My friend who came with me said she liked that it was all women, she liked the course, which was varied with up and down hills (and not a lot of flats), she liked that people were wearing costumes, which made the race fun, and she liked that there were both walkers and runners, so she didn't feel pressured to go faster or feel too worried about coming in last.

Cons:

- The packet pickup and registration were in a tiny little room. This race was held in a shopping center, so they opened up one of the stores to do the registration in. It was not big enough for everyone to come in and fill out paperwork and get their packets. It was very tight.

- The packet pickup was difficult to find. Usually it's in a tent out in the middle somewhere. We had to hunt around and ask a bunch of people in order to find this one.

- Not enough port-a-potties. 1200 girls. 8 port-a-potties. It does not compute.

So, except for a few logistical difficulties, this was a great race! If you are just starting out running, I would suggest looking for a fun race like this, where there are walkers (so you won't be the slowest), or where it's a fun run, with costumes or kids or a theme.

Have you ever run an all women race? Do you have a 50 state race goal? Do you like to participate in events or go to parties where you can wear a costume?

Race You to The Finish!

Have you ever signed up for a race via lottery? What about a race that was not close to where you lived? I have done it twice. The first one was the NYC Half Marathon. I had just completed my first half marathon and when my friend said he was going to put his name in the lottery, I thought why the heck not. So I did. This was in April. The race was in August. I got in. The next several months consisted of a steady decline in training, culminating in a 90 degree, 2 hour and 14 minute, painful race. The view was spectacular. I think that is the only thing that got me through. 

I should have learned my lesson. 5 months ahead of time is a little bit too far in the future for me, planning wise. Even though I am a planner. But I didn't learn. In December, I put my name in the lottery for the Cherry Blossom 10 mile race, which is in Washington DC. In April. I got in. In case you were wondering, I live in California.

So, now the race is about a week away. I contemplated saying, "forget about it" and staying home, but it just so happened that I had a couple extra flight miles, so I used them to get myself a ticket to DC, where I will run the race. I am  also hoping to meet up with some blogger friends for lunch, play tourist, look at the pretty flowers, see some family and to go back to a couple of the Smithsonian Museums that I haven't been to in a few years. All I can say is that there better be some cherry blossoms there or I am going to be really mad.

In the meantime, I decided to keep up my fitness by doing a few smaller and virtual races. In case you need a little motivation, some of these are a great way to get it, without having to pay for a race, travel or even leave your neighborhood! Click on the thumbnails to go to the sites and sign up!

March 10: 10k -- time: 47:28

March 20: 10k -- time: 54:47 / 8:50/mi (goes until March 25th)

10k -- March 19 - 30

5k -- March 24

5k/ 10k/ Half Marathon -- April 1 - 8

Have you ever been to Washington DC? Have you ever signed up for a race but not ran it or not trained enough? Are you signed up for any of the above virtual races?

Bidwell Classic Race Recap

Race #3 of the 12 in 2012 Running Challenge started off good. It was a little chilly, maybe around 40 degrees, but I knew that it wouldn't last for long. After about 1000 feet, we ran into the 5k racers who had already finished and I slowed down a little to see if I could see my Dad. This got me a "get out of the way" from one guy and a shove and a fake "excuse me" from another. I am not saying I didn't deserve a few complaints, but in case you want to seek revenge, his number was 197.

After that, I probably spent the next mile going over in my head what I should have said  back to him. Don't you hate that, when you don't say anything but then you keep thinking you should have? I mean, he didn't need to shove me! He kind of looked like an ugly Will Farrell. He was somewhere around 6'4" and 10 years older than me. I guess it makes him feel better to shove around people half his size. And way better looking. Sorry. It's all out of my system now.

Luckily his rudeness made me ignore the first mile, but for the entire second mile, I was thinking that maybe I should have just signed up for the 5k. I was still not feeling 100% and I was thinking that maybe I made the wrong decision when I decided to run the Half. But then I looked down at my Garmin. My first two miles had been run at 7:43 and 7:53. NO wonder I felt tired; this was faster than I normally ran (except for this race, which was "fast and flat"). So at this point, I told myself a couple of things: 1) stop being a baby (yes, I do this) and just keep running, and 2) I was going to try to keep it under 8 minute miles. Even though I was still a little sick, I thought that under 8 was a realistic goal.

So I powered on. The rest of the race went pretty well, especially when I got pleasantly surprised by the water distributors on the course at mile 5 and 11. Yummy. Everything went well until the last few miles, when I started to feel tired again. Usually during a half, I don't take any fuel. But this time I had about a quarter of a packet of disgustingness Gu just to try to stay awake. I was pretty fatigued. I haven't felt like that since my first half marathon, which was hot and my feet hurt and I was so ready to be done. Well, for this one, I was kind of ready to be done as well.

I crossed the finish line with a chip time of 1:44:02 (7:56/mi). Here is my Garmin readout. Don't mind the extra time; I always, ALWAYS forget to stop it right away. This time I was lucky to catch it pretty fast. As far as the extra mileage goes, I don't remember walking very far at first, so maybe the course was a tad long.

It's no PR (my PR is 1:42:40), but I am happy that I was even well enough to run this race, and even more happy that I kept it under an 8 minute mile. So that's a win in my book. 

To see some of the other races I've done, go to my Races & Places page.  There, you can also see suggestions of where to run in several US cities (International page still in discovery stages). Also, pop over to Jill's blog, where she hosts Fitness Friday each week! She is also the mastermind behind the 12 in 2012 Challenge! 

Did you race last weekend? When someone is rude to you, do you think of quick comebacks or do you think of a bunch of witty sayings only when it's too late?

I'm On Fire; I Need Water.

Remember the race that I was almost too sick to run? Here are a few of the highlights of the race and areas we thought could use improvement (supplemented by Dad). First good thing: the price. This race was only $40, which is a lot less than some of the Rock n Roll Half Marahons or other big races which can be over $100. When you are running 12 Half Marathons in a year, price comes into play, a lot. I often pick my next race based on price rather than other factors.

My Dad came with me and ran the 5k. It was good because he started at 8:30 and I started at 9, so finally I got to watch him start his race and cheer him on (and take photos of him) for a change! He did really well; he got about 26 minutes! Unfortunately, the start for the 5k and the start for the Half were in different places and since the half started at 9, so I did not get to watch him finish. However, he did finish in time to watch me run past him on the first mile of the course.

The fastest mouse in all Me-hi-co.

The race was the Bidwell Classic, which is a smaller race (about 1200 people in the 5k, Half and Half Marathon relay put together) put on by the local running club. It's one of the NorCal Half series, which includes about 20 in total. I would recommend this race to anyone in the area next year. It was a nice course through Bidwell park, the volunteers were very supportive and enthusiastic and the logistics of packet pickup was easy. The t-shirts were moisture-wicking short sleeved shirts in women's sizes (hurray! Unisex never fit right). There were plenty of water stops.

 

Okay, lets talk about the water stops for a minute. This was actually the best part of the race. As I was running along, I noticed a fire truck up ahead on the course. I figured someone must have been hurt or passed out or something and I was worried and sympathetic. Until I saw what was actually happening. The firefighters were handing out Gu and water! Isn't that fitting? Firefighters with water? They should have firefighters at every race. I am a big fan. I almost stopped running and had to drag myself away to finish the race. As it was I did take a Gu, even though I hate Gu.

Where was I? *drooling* Ah yes. There was a ton of food at the end: wraps, chips, bagels, peanut butter, rice cakes, drinks, bananas and oranges. There were tons of picnic tables, so you could sit down and eat in the sun or shade. There were free massages which I never, ever get, but Dad got one and said it was sweet. The only complaint I would have was that there were no napkins. Also, there were not enough port a potties, and they were kind of far from the start and finish line. Otherwise, it was well managed and fun! Would I do this race again? Yes!

I signed up for 12 in 2012 Race #4! April 7th in Tilden Park in Berkeley. Anyone going to be there?

Race recap coming tomorrow. 

Does anyone in your group of friends and family ever run races with you? How do you pick your next race -- location / price / swag / number of participants? Do you have a crush on firefighters like I do?

Hills for Lill

When R at Livin the Fit Life, who is a fellow runner and 12 in 2012 member, let us know of her plans to run a virtual half marathon in honor of her 95 year old grandmother, I was automatically in! I had my Bay Breeze Half last weekend that I had already run in her honor, but last weekend I thought maybe I would just run another 13.1 and use that one instead.

I am currently living in Oakland, and am finding new running routes each day. You may think that Oakland is like this all the time:

source

But it's not. There are a lot of nice places in Oakland. And by nice, I mean hilly. According to Garmin, the total elevation gain was about 4275 ft. See the hill right around the 40 minute mark? It went on forever. Well, 10 or 20 minutes, but they seemed like forever.

I went uphill for a really long time and finally found the park I was looking for. I asked some bikers if they knew of a path that was fairly flat and then directed me to the Sunset trail. Either I was not on the Sunset trail or those guys mislead me because the next mile or so was variable. It did "flatten" out after a little while and I had a nice couple of fast, easy miles before deciding that I had no idea where I was and so I turned back. I did not go the same way; I decided to take a different trail, which went pretty much straight down (see above around 1 hour and 15 minutes).

The good thing about all these hills was the view. I had a view of the entire bay and San Francisco, including the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate. It was priceless and well worth the effort.

I took a photo for Grandma Lill and kept going down the hill.

Since I turned around too early, this is how I ended up not running 13 miles. Instead, I ended up with about 10.5. I have this hangup about after I turn around, I don't want to just run around in circles to add miles. I don't know why. But once I turned around, I was like a horse to the stables. So I ended up finishing with about a 10 minute/mile average. But, since I didn't complete my distance, I will just use my Bay Breeze for Grandma Lill's 95th!

I leave you with this. Wessssiiide!

source

Do you prefer out and backs or loops? Do you like running or walking in new places or do you stick with the same route? Have you ever been to Oakland?

Bay Breeze Race Recap

Race #2 of the 2012 Running Challenge went well overall. The Bay Breeze Half Marathon, held in San Leandro, was also a Brazen race, just like race #1. If you recall, I really liked the last one (Race #1 recap HERE), so much so that I signed up for another. They are pretty cheap, compared to other races, and a lot of them are on dirt or gravel trails or paths rather than asphalt. (photo credit)

So, I know you are all wondering: how did it go!? The race was scheduled for 8 o'clock, which was not as nice as the 9 o'clock start that the last one had. A friend of mine went with me and getting her and the baby out the door and to Peet's as well as driving the 40 minutes to the start, was difficult.  We made it, but I would have rather started a little later. 

The weather started off windy, as the course was right near the water. As always, I was confused about what to wear, and not in the girly sense. We went to pick up the packet and it was a madhouse. Even though the lines were marked with letters for last names, people were everywhere and it was not well organized. It was such a difference from the last one! Last time I just walked right up and got my bib with no problems. Also the shirt line (separate from the bib line) was a mess as well, so I decided to get it after the race. 

The race went well; after the first mile the crowd was thinned out enough that I didn't have to worry about passing people, or them passing me. Most of the course was right on the water and was a nice, flat, out and back. The only thing I could say I didn't like was that the gravel in certain areas was big pieces of gravel and my feet started to be a little sore by the end. You can kind of see it in the below photo.

photo taken by race volunteer

Once I finished, I went to the t-shirt line, which was still pretty unorganized and they only gave us shirts, no other goodies. So that was a little disappointing. I always like the little samples you get afterward and I need a new pair of running shoes, so one of those Sports Authority coupons would have come in handy. However, I was not too sad, since I knew there would be Its-Its to make me forget. I went toward the food and coffee area and was wondering what all the people were in line for, until I realized...that was the food line! There must have been 200 people in line! Next time, get the darn 5k people out of the way by the time the half marathon people come in! I couldn't even get a water!

I decided that I could just go and buy myself a $2 Its-It and my friend and I left to find one. So, I wish the packet pickup, swag and after party had been a bit more organized. Other than that, the course was great. And I finished. The End.

Photo taken by my friend K's and her iPhone

Just kidding. I got a new PR, and I am very proud to say that my average time per mile was under 8 minutes! My final official chip time was 1:42:40 or 7:50/mile. So I got under the 1:45 mark and the 8 minute mile mark. This is exciting because when I was in High School, my fastest mile was about a 7:55. So I beat my High School self! Woo hoo. Take that. I guess the course was flat and fast, just like they said. No wonder it's called the Bay Breeze! (funny fact: the slowest mile was mile 1 at just over 8 minutes; the fastest mile was mile 13 at 7:37. I guess I wanted to get it over with!)

I am still kind of bummed about the Its-Its though. Did you know they've been a "San Francisco experience" since 1928?  

My next 12 in 2012 race will be the Bidwell Classic on March 3rd.

Don't forget to stop by Jill's for Fitness Friday! Also, if you are following this site using GFC, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to this blog manually so you can keep seeing me in your Reader! You can also do it using the "subscribe" button on the left sidebar.

Have you ever had an Its-Its? Do you like ice cream sandwiches? What was your fastest mile in high school?

The Very Hard Leg

I mentioned a while back that not only was I planning on doing the 12 in 2012 Running Challenge this year, but I also have another couple of races on the horizon. One of them, I am very excited to say, is The Relay, which is a two day, 199 mile relay run from Calistoga, California to Santa Cruz, California. The very coolest part is that the race is run over the Golden Gate Bridge at midnight on Saturday. 

Here’s some info from the website: CALIFORNIA'S LONGEST PARTY - YOU'RE INVITED! Gather your friends (12-member teams). Decorate your vans. Dress your best (costumes optional). Run (or walk). "It's the most fun 24 feet can have in the best place on earth." From Napa Valley to the Pacific Ocean, 12-member teams run 36 legs (3 legs per runner, 3-8 miles each) through 36 cities and across the Golden Gate Bridge at midnight in support of Organs 'R' Us ("ORU") and 100,000 Americans waiting for organ donors. Contact info.

This run has a special meaning for us, since our team, Jonnycat’s Dirty Dozen, is running for our close friend Jon, who is currently on the donor list for both a kidney and a pancreas. There are twelve runners, who each run three legs each, each ranging from 3 – 8.1 miles and ranging in total from 12.9 to 18.5 miles. You can see on the chart below what I am talking about. As you can see, they rate the legs (on the right column labeled “difficulty”) by harder (#1) to easier (#12). You can also see that the “more data” section below states that legs 34 and 35 are the hardest. 

Now, I am going to give you three guesses as to which runner I am. Nope, it’s not number 1, the easiest runner. Nope, it’s not number 6, the cool runner that gets to run across the Golden Gate Bridge. Did you say that I should probably try one of the harder runners? That’s what I thought you said. Well, I guess you are right. Why don’t I pick number…11?

Actually, I “picked” number 4. I know. What a copout right? Right smack dab in the middle of the difficulty scale. But, I will tell you why I picked that one. I picked it because it was the second highest amount of miles. And I can run a lot of miles. But my friend who is organizing this emailed me a week after I sent her the email saying which leg I wanted and begged me, pleaded with me, told me I was very strong and brave and good looking asked me to switch to number 11. I said yes right away. Then I looked at what I had gotten myself into. This is what it looks like.

It “looks like” a 500 foot elevation gain over 6.2 miles! So it’s a difficult 10k race, which I will run after running two other “races” that day (6.9 miles and 3.7 miles) and probably getting little sleep.  Phew! I am going to be a mess! I guess I should be glad I am not number 10!

I’m actually very excited about this race, even though I am joking around about it right now.  I am, as always, nervous, even more nervous than normal, because I wouldn’t only be letting myself down if I do badly; I will be letting my team down! I am looking forward to a few things. One, Dean Karnazes has won the Ultra portion of this race (yes you can run it by yourself. Maybe next year) several times and will be hosting the Friday night pre-race dinner in Napa County. Two, it’s on my home turf. I have relatives north of the city who will be able to watch as I run leg 11. I have friends south of the city who can watch 23 or 35! The weather is going to be great; the scenery is going to be awesome; I will meet 11 new people! Plus, I get to sleep in a van with five (smelly) other people (down by the river).  How can you beat that?

Have you ever run a relay race? Have you ever been to Napa County? Have you ever walked across the Golden Gate Bridge?