Cinderella Trail Run: Race Recap

Last weekend, I ran the Cinderella Trail Run as half marathon number 5 of the 12 in 2012 Challenge. It was in Oakland about three miles from my house. The course ran through trails in both the Redwood Regional Park and Joaquin Miller Parks. This race, like the last trail race I did, was hosted by Coastal. I am so glad I found out about them! Their races have been fun, the field is very small (therefore intimate) and both the ultra runners and the race directors are awesome. Plus I get to eat gummy bears as fuel.

The details: This race started at 8 a.m. The weather was forecasting temperatures in the 80s, and in the morning, by about 7, it was already feeling pretty warm. Luckily much of the trail was in the shade. There was a 10k, Half Marathon, Full Marathon and 50k.

The course: This was a loop course. The half marathoners did the loop once; the marathoners did it twice and the 50k folks did it twice plus an extra 10k loop. The total ascent according to my Garmin was about 7800 ft. The course winds through a nice shady, wooded area mostly, and affords views of the city, the bay, the Golden Gate bridge and even the Marin Headlands!

The pros: * As I said, luckily the majority of the course was in the shade. However, the 1000 ft climb you see in the profile above was NOT in the shade. Go figure. * The other runners were very friendly. I usually am not one to talk to other people while I am racing, but surprisingly I had several conversations on this course. Granted, they were mostly things like, "whew it's hot, eh?" or "that's a big hill!" but still. * The volunteers were great, very friendly and eager to help. * There were few non-racing runners/walkers on the course. * There was a no shirt option, which saved $5. I took it! *At the finish, there was fruit, clif bars, soup, pretzels, candy, goldfish...and more! * They do the awards right away, so you don't have to wait around.  

The cons: * I did encounter some bicycles, but they got out of our way. However, maybe having the race on a non multi-use trail would be a good idea. * The sun on that big climb was a killer. 

The race: Right after we started, the course went uphill (you can see in the profile above). It was only about a half a mile, but it really took the wind right out of my sails! I was wheezing and panting and feeling like death. Around mile 2, the course started to go both up and downhill and I kind of got a rhythm going.

Mile 1: 10:03, Mile 2: 9:04, Mile 3: 9:03

Mile 4 had a large steep uphill. In case you have never raced trails before, you may not know that most people walk up the steep hills to save energy. I did not know this the first time and I tried to barrel up one of these steep ones and almost keeled over. Now I know. So I took this little hill slow and easy and then tried to get my rhythm back once I got to the top. However, I was still feeling very tired. I think that I ran too much this past week, especially after doing the Relay. I should have taken an extra day off. My legs feel like lead. Also, I don't think I ate enough breakfast. I didn't want to overdo it, so I fear I under did it.

Mile 4: 10:30, Mile 5: 11:43, Mile 6: 10:49

You would think that the downhills are easier, but sometimes trying not to fall on one's butt, twist one's ankle or crash into another runner (while falling on your butt and twisting your ankle) requires a lot of concentration! I feel like most of my soreness usually comes from the downhill sections. Mile 9 goes from about 500 ft to about 1200 ft in one mile.  

Mile 7: 9:03, Mile 8: 9:28, Mile 9: 13:10

Mile 10 goes from 1200 ft up to 1500 ft. This is where the, "when is this hill going to end" conversation is had. Finally the course "flattens" out before heading down a VERY sharp downhill section (a 600 ft drop in about half a mile) where I fear for my life, and then finishes with a mostly flattish section at the end. 

Mile 10: 11:33, Mile 11: 9:28, Mile 12: 9:59, Mile 13: 9:13

Finishing time: 2:10:29 (10:02/mi)

This is a 5 minute PR from the last trail race, plus I got 1st in my age group! I was the 2nd female overall; the first got a 2:08:49!! If only I wouldn't have stopped at that aid station and eaten those gummy bears! If only I would have run faster on that first mile! Oh well, next time I will beat her!

Afterward, I volunteered for a couple of hours. Its so great to stay and watch the ultra folks coming through. They are all so positive, even though they are going to have to go back out in the heat and do another loop (or two!) It's really inspiring!  Also, it's good to meet other Bay Area runners. Even if I am not a group running person, it's still nice to be part of the running community!

The verdict? I would run this race again. However, I would take a full rest day the day before, and I would get up earlier on race morning and eat more breakfast. I had no gas in the tanks this time! I thought I knew better than that!

Do you ever talk to people when you race? Have you ever had one of those "lead legs" or "empty gas tank" races? Would you (or have you) ever run an ultra race?

Smelly Runner

I run a lot. I don't sweat a lot. I am one of those people who's face gets bright red, so even when I am barely exerting myself, it looks like I am working hard. However, even though I don't sweat very much, I sure don't smell like roses! Also, I travel a lot, and when I travel, I run.

So when I was asked to try out a few products that would help me to not stink, I gladly agreed. The fact that two of them are bags, and I am the ultimate bag lady, was only a plus. (You know what I mean. You have a bag for each of the smaller items, each of those bags goes into a larger bag, which may or may not go into an even larger bag...am I the only one that does this?)

The first, the Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator, is a product you put in your laundry. Just a cap full is what they recommend. I think it smells good, but did not notice that it was particularly better (or worse) than my regular detergent. It did remove the smell from my running clothes, so I guess all in all, it did the job. However, I would not necessarily say that it was above and beyond what I am currently using.

Next was the Tide Odor-Absorbing Sports Bag, "so you won’t leave a trail of odors as you leave the gym or the track!" This bag is a nice size and has a drawstring top. It does keep the smell from the rest of your items and is easy to carry and is very lightweight. I actually just fold it up really tiny and then pull it out when I need it. Or it is a great place to put all your running stuff so everything is all together.

Last, but not least, in fact, this is my favorite of all three, was the Tide Odor-Absorbing Travel bag. I used it on my trip to DC and was happy about a few things. First of all, it folds up to nothing and takes up no space whatsoever when it is empty. It is also a pleasing color combination (blue with light blue dots), so that is always fun. Lastly, it does keep the odors from my dirty clothes away from the clean! I often travel with just a carry on backpack, so the size was also perfect.

These products were given to me for free in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Have you tried any of these? Do you use a laundry bag when you travel? What is your favorite smelling detergent?

Spring Forward

This is the last season (ha! pun intended) of the When I Was a Child series, where we talk about the things that we remember loving from when we were children, season by season. If you haven't already, take a look at Summer, Autumn and Winter. This series was inspired by Lisa.

My Birthday: I am not really one to make a big deal out of my birthday now, but when I was a kid, I loved it! As you can see, even on my first birthday, I was excited to blow out the candles on my cake (also, apparently my parents just plopped me down in the dirt with a cupcake and called it a day!) 

Earth Day: We used to plant a tree each year for Earth Day. I know we kind of resemble the Beverly Hillbillies or some other kind of redneck in this photo, but I swear, we are helping the environment. We did NOT just bury a body in the backyard, contrary to what it may look like. I believe that is a lilac bush. Side note: those three little boys? They were pains in the $%! It was me against them most of the time. Luckily I have the pickaxe and they are armed with mere shovels.

School: Spring was a time of wrapping things up, field trips, year end trips to the pool, science fairs and other fun kinds of things. I actually enjoyed school a lot as a child. I went to a small school and the hands on environment, coupled with the freedom to learn at your own pace, was great! (side note: I was also in style. Note the color blocking and the red pants. I was 25 years ahead of my time.)

I still have that award. Cough, hoarder, cough.

Baseball: Who doesn't love baseball? I had the time of my life and met some of my best friends by playing baseball. Plus I got tan legs.

Family trips: We used to get in the motor home and drive...to the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley...and more. It was a lot of fun. We got to get out of school and usually only had to write a report on what we learned on our vacation as homework. It was great! This photo is of my grandparents in Yosemite.

Playing chicken: We lived near the river. This river gets fed from the snow runoff from the Sierra Nevadas. Each spring we would play a game of "chicken", aka who could get in the freezing cold water first. I won a few of the years and lost on others, but generally the victor would be sussed out by March or April. I don't play that game anymore. That water is still pretty cold in the dead heat of summer.

What fond memories do you have of the springtime when you were a child? Did you like school? Did you have any pesky younger (or older) siblings?

Do and Do Not (3): Running

You may or may not remember the last list I made. It was compiled of things that I sometimes do or do not do, that maybe you DO do, or maybe you DO NOT do. I just think it's interesting to find out what things other people do that work for them but don't work for you. Here are a few more...do and do nots, running style.

I do:

- Wear underwear. Yes, this may seem like a weird thing to list, but many runners go commando. However, you will be happy to know that no matter what, my stuff is double layered.

- Run on dirt trails. I love it. It is more distracting, plus there are ups and downs, plus I love running through the trees, near a brook, in the shade. I really enjoy trail running much more than road running. However, I have a hard time gauging my pace for road races, so I have to run on the road from time to time to make sure I am still on track.

- Wear a Garmin all the time. I am a number cruncher. A list maker. A data analyzer. So I love my Garmin. It allows me to see my numbers. It also made me realize that I CAN run faster. Before Garmin (BG) I would just run a steady 10 minute mile. After Garmin (AG) I could see how fast I was going and I would play games to try to get faster. And faster. And faster. I am still trying.

- Wear a hydration belt. I run a lot (see above) on trails and places where there are not drinking fountains or water sources. So the hydration belt is a life saver. Even in races where there are aide stations, I wear it. You never know when you may need it and I would rather have it than not.

- Run with music (or sometimes This American Life or Car Talk). Sometimes I will run without, but very rarely. I don't even really concentrate on it that much necessarily, but it's nice to have the distraction when I want it.

I do not:

- Participate in a running group / club. I like to run alone, when I want to, where I want to. I know that probably if I ran with someone a little faster than me, I would get faster, but I find it easier to get out and run when I am ready. If I have to wait, I lose motivation.

- Run barefoot. As a kid, I walked around barefoot all the time. My Dad used to tell me I was going to get a weird foot disease. I guess it stuck, because when I see someone running barefoot, the first thing I think is, "Ew, someone probably SPIT right there!" (or worse)

- Drink Chocolate Milk as a recovery drink. I don't like milk. It makes that weird film on your tongue. Ew. However, I will take a nice Starbucks Frappuccino with whipped cream. Hey, it's coffee. And chocolate. And milk.

- Cross train very often. I know this is not a positive thing, as I have read many studies about how cross training is good, but I just don't make time for it. I walk or hike about 5-10 miles a week and I do about 30-60 minutess of yoga a week and 30 minutes of weights. But I know I should do more!

Let's hear it: how do you compare? Do you cross train? Do you run with music?

Last Week

Well, another week is beginning again! What a fun weekend! I hope everyone had a great time with their mothers and/or their children! I was lucky to spend time with my mom and dad, as well as my 2nd family (aka people who have put up with me for a long, long time). We got together and had a really nice brunch, took a walk and sat around and shot the breeze. It was nice to see both families and to spend time with everyone.

Last week also had a few more fun things going on.

There was some yoga. 

I found a good power yoga video here. 

After the relay, I was pretty sore, so this kicked my butt pretty hard. 

Remember the mini carrot cakes I was talking about? 

Here they are. And the  mini cheesecake. 

And the mini pecan pie. 

I must have eaten at least 28 of these.

 

Once my legs got a little less sore, I tried out my new shoes. 

So far, so good. 

 

 This is how we buy pickles in our house. 

These will probably last us a couple of days or so.

Saturday night I went out with some friends for Mexican food, complete with margaritas. 

Unfortunately, the scary doll was sneaking sips behind my back. 

Soon after, she had a little lean going on. 

 

By 7:30, she was toast. 

I told you dolly couldn't handle her booze. 

 

Mother's day brunch with the munchkin. 

She loves the iPhone. And specifically Google. 

 

After brunch walk on the American River Parkway (of walking on the left fame). 

This is not me.

I wish it was. I totally have kayak envy.

 

How was your weekend? Are you a mom? What did you do for Mothers Day?

The Relay: Race Recap

The Friday before this race, I was not sure what to expect. What I got was an experience very similar to traveling alone. You are by yourself, but you meet fellow travelers who are on the same path as you, and you become friends in minutes. Often, your paths only cross for minutes, or days, but you feel as if you have known the people forever.

My van was like that. A bunch of travelers, all going down the same path, with stories about our craft. Everyone is different; the level of experience varies, but you are all united by a common goal/love. Age range: 20 - 45. Ability range: Once a week runner (1) / Once a month runner (1) / Second race ever (1) / Marathoners (3). Quickly, I will go over the players. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

MYL: The Organizer. Has run a couple marathons and some smaller races, but is currently not training for anything. She is also the one who got walking pneumonia and therefore was not sure if she was going to be able to run. Texas: A jokester. Has only run one other race before, which was 6 miles long. He ran that race in cross trainers. Backseat B: Fitness Guru. Not a frequent runner, but has buns of steel. The 6 Minute Man: This guy put down a 6 minute mile as his pace. We were all in awe. Young R: At 20 years old, was by far the youngest of the crowd. But he was still picking up what we were putting down.

All 12 of us got together for dinner on Friday night, for a little meet and greet. I am glad we did, because after the first 2 minutes, we already knew that our group was going to have fun. Do you know how I knew? First thing 6 Minute Man says to me is, "I read your blog". I was thinking, "oh crap; I hope I didn't say anything incriminating about this race!" Anyway, I learned that he had Googled everyone after he found out who was in our van. Creepy, right? But funny. You know what, if you put it out there, someone can find it! So beware. At least 6MM was honest about it (cough, cough, stalker!) Everyone was really nice, even the Van 1 people! But I didn't spend as much time with them, so you won't hear about them as much.

On Saturday morning, Van 2 (that's us) met up with Van 1 in Calistoga, CA (in case you are not familiar, that is in Napa County in the wine region) at the start line to see them off. The way our relay was set up was on a wave start. The first teams left at 7 a.m. and every half hour, about a half a dozen teams left the start line. The last teams (the fast people) left at 3 p.m. There were about 200 teams. We went over the start line at 9 a.m.

Doing "team stretches" before the big race

Our van then had to wait, since our first leg was not until about 1 pm. So we went and had some pancakes and coffee at the Hydro Bar and Grill. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to eat. Usually I run in the morning, so I have a simple breakfast (must have cereal!) and I hit the road. But this time, the time of day and the waiting, and the HEAT...I did not know how to play it. About an hour before my first leg, I had a bagel with peanut butter. You know how they say that certain things work for some and not for others? Peanut Butter? Does NOT work for me. Urp.

Leg 1: 5 pm Saturday. Finally, it was time for my first leg. It was about 85 degrees and very, VERY windy. The wind was not a nice, cooling breeze. It dried out your eyes, and your lips and your tongue. It pushed you backwards. It was hard. The beginning of my leg was through Petaluma, which is pretty flat, but that meant navigating the streets, which are not shut down. Around mile 3, there was a steady (and HOT) uphill until around mile 5, when it finally went down to the end. I saw cows (this area used to be known for it's dairies), sheep (I yelled MMAAA at them and the one other runner, who I didn't realize was behind me, laughed at me) and lots of green rolling hills.

TOTALS, Leg 1: 6.9 miles / 54:23 / 7:56 pace

Much of leg one looked like this

After our van was done, we headed to San Francisco, where we had a chance to rest at a friend's house. Unfortunately, we went the wrong way and ended up taking the coastal road instead of the freeway. This gave us the chance to have dinner in Stinson Beach, which is lovely, but made it so we did not arrive to San Francisco until about 9:30 and we were needing to leave by 11. I got about 1 hour of sleep.

Getting ready for the night run. Photo Credit: Texas.

Leg 2: 12:05 a.m. Sunday. Since MYL had gotten sick, I agreed to run this leg for her. I am so glad I did. This leg started at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge and wound it's way around the coast, past Baker Beach, the Legion of Honor and the Cliff House and then down the Great Highway for the last 3 miles. It was the easiest 7 mile run I have ever done. It was cool, about 50 degrees, there was a nice cool sea breeze coming off the water, the city was quiet and dark (which I thought I wouldn't like, but I LOVED) and it was nice to just run along, without music (I know! Me? No music!) through the city I love so much. It was a little hilly as well, but they didn't even phase me this time.

TOTALS, Leg 2: 7 miles / 59:11 / 8:22 pace

This is where I ran for leg 2. It was dark, but still beautiful!

Leg 3: 3:30 a.m. Sunday. This leg was quick and easy, and although not as great as the last one, it was still nice to run quietly along in the dark.

TOTALS, Leg 3: 1.8 miles / 13:33 / 7:44 pace

After our last runner was done, we went to the resting place, which was a college gym, with showers and where you could stretch out in your sleeping bag and rest. We chose rest over sleep, but still by the time we got in, it was about 5:30 a.m. We got up at 7, making the grand sleep total about 2.5 hours. 

Van 2

Leg 4: 12:34 pm Sunday. Holy hills batman. This one was a doozy. It went up and down and up and down and up and up and up. From mile 4.5 to 6, there was a 700 ft elevation change. I thought I was tough. I have run hills before. I run trail races. But these hills, running on no sleep, in 80 degree weather, up and up and up...they killed me. I was hurting. On the plus side, I passed 6 people. Hey, sorry dudes, but that made me feel good. I'll admit it.

TOTALS, Leg 4: 6.3 miles / 55:23 / 8:46 pace

Over the hills and through the Redwoods

After I went, the next runner was our last runner. Her leg was 6 miles total, and we all jumped in at the end to run the last mile with her so we could all (including Van 1) cross the finish line together as a team.

Finishing Leg: 1.2 miles / 15:56 / 13:07 pace

Team TOTALS:  194 miles / 29:32:56 / 9:08 pace

The finish line. The guy in orange is who we were running/raising money for.

*Just a side note, the Google team usually wins, at least they did for several years. This year, they got lost and came in 2nd. However, this did not stop them from maintaining UNDER a 6 minute mile the entire time! (their total was: 19:49) Results HERE.

Afterward, there was BEER. And burritos. I was in heaven. Actually I ordered a burrito AND a plate of nachos, which I did not even come close to finishing. Then we had to drive back home (about two hours), get gas for the van and drop me off at my car where I had a 30 minute drive to get home. Then I took a shower and went straight to bed. I think it was about 9 p.m. I slept for 11 hours. Phew.

The Verdict?  If you are not from California, or even if you are, you should do this race. The scenery is amazing and it varies, showing off many of our best places. This is a great way to get introduced to some of the smaller towns and roads and off the beaten path areas.

Would I Do it Again? Yes. It was hard and I don't know how some people, who weren't regular runners, did it, because I think I am in pretty good shape and I had a hard time on some of the legs. It was challenging to have to run several times in one day, without proper food or sleep, up hills, in the heat. But I have to say, I loved every minute of it. Also, I made a bunch of new friends, and that is invaluable.

Van 2. Photo credit: 6MM.

Who is ready to run with me next year? Have you ever conquered a fear and found it better than you imagined? Have you ever been to any of the towns we ran through? 

Don't forget to check out other Fitness Friday posts over at Jills. Have a Happy Mother's Day on Sunday all you MOMS!

Currently: May

Current Book - The Travel Writers Handbook - Jacqueline Butler

Current Celebrity Crush - McDreamy. What, he looks even better as he ages!

source

Current Drink - Smoothie made from: juice of 2 lemons, 1 splenda, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries (or mango), water, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp yogurt

Current Excitement - Brunch with my mother and my "other mother" this weekend! 

Current fashion trend - I put pants on today, does that count?

Current Favorite Blog/Website - This Power Yoga Video

Current Favorite Film - The Princess Bride. Classic. If you haven't seen it yet, do it now. 

Curent Food - Pomegranate Pot Roast recommended by Lisa

Current Guilty Pleasure - Reading! I have been tearing it up this week! 

Current Indulgence - mini carrot cake muffins (mini = MANY)

Current Mood - productive = good! 

Current New Find - Planet Fresh fish burritos in Santa Cruz

Current Outfit - Nike tempo shorts, Champion tank, Asics Pheonix 3

Current Peeve - People who say "I blog for myself". No you don't. If you did, it would be called a JOURNAL. 

Current Song - Goyte - Somebody that I Used To Know

Current Triumph - I went for a run in my Kinvaras. So far, no calf tightness or pain! 

Current TV Show - Nothing. (See above re guilty pleasure)

Current Wish-List - Remote for my camera

Currently Delaying - Working on my recap for The Relay (hence this post)

What are you currently up to? What are your Mother's Day Plans? What is your current peeve?

How To: Eat A Burrito

Mr. Lovely is from Back East. When he first came to California, he was a burrito virgin. Okay, sure, he may have had one of those things that are kind of wet and slimy and covered with red sauce and come with a side of rice and beans. Those are good, but in California, that is not the kind of burrito we are referring to when we talk about a burrito. There is a certain kind of burrito; it is bigger than your head.

And there is a certain way to eat this burrito. Don't be like Mr. Lovely and pull all the (2 layers!) of foil off, exposing the naked tortilla! Don't get pollo asada all over your hands!! Keep the re-fried beans from going all over your lap! Don't embarrass yourself!

I am here to keep that from happening to you. Hopefully we caught it in time.

How to eat a San Francisco Burrito like a local: 

(1) Start with the key players laid out. The burrito. The salt. The chips. The salsa. Napkins.

(2) Now, this is important. There are two layers of foil. Remove the outer layer only. Now, tear only the top portion of the inner foil layer off, leaving about half of the foil at the bottom to hold onto as you eat.

(3) As you eat the burrito, tear the foil down little by little, always leaving yourself a hand hold. Not only does this keep your hand from touching the burrito, but it keeps the juices from landing on your lap.

(4) More of the same. I also like to add salt and salsa little by little to each bite and scoop up that and any excess innards with chips as I move down the burrito.

(6) Even when you get to almost the very bottom, you still have clean hands!

(7) At the very bottom, once you have only a few bites left, remove the remaining foil. Quickly take the few bites, so as to not make a mess. OR eat all three bites as one bite, covering your mouth with aforementioned napkins. Or not. Nobody will judge.

And there you have it. Now you are ready for an experience of a lifetime! Now the only question is, what kind of burrito will you try first?

How do you eat YOUR burrito? Do you have a food that is specific to your area? What food eating rituals do you follow?

My Lottery

You have probably already heard a lot about the Find Your Strong project that Saucony is doing. Each week, they ask you to submit a photo or a quote or a ritual...something that inspires you to keep running. You can do it too; today is the last day to submit your photo for week 5 (your favorite sites on your run), and tomorrow there will be a new challenge for week 6.

The reason I bring this up is because I submitted one of my favorite running quotes for week 2 and I won! I won a new pair of Saucony Kinvaras. The Kinvara is a lightweight minimal shoe with a low heel drop. I received them in the mail the other day. I have never tried a minimal shoe before and am looking forward to their maiden voyage. I have read a little bit online about it and know that I will start slow at first, but other than that, I am not sure what to expect. You will hear back from me on that a bit later.

Not exactly my favorite colors, but not as ugly as I thought it would be! :)

But wait. There's more. I think I probably should have bought a lottery ticket when the jackpot was so high back a few weeks ago. Did you know that I have never bought a lottery ticket before? I should have that week because last month was a very lucky month for me. On top of winning the Kinvara, I also received:

- The Nature Box from Carrie: I have been rationing the goods, but so far am loving the pistachios, which are one of my favorite nuts and a really nice treat, especially these ones which are seasoned with salt and black pepper, so they have a bit of a kick! However, I am not sure the package is worth the $20/month price tag. In my box: currants, pistachios, dried pears, trail mix and pumpkin seeds.

- Dahlicious Lassi from Toni: I have not tried this yet, because I haven't found any stores near me that have it. But I will try it when I get the chance. It looks so good!

- Profoot Insoles and Moleskin from Marcia: I haven't used these yet, but plan to use them in my hiking boots, where they are much needed. And the moleskin has gone into my running bag just in case!

- 8 Pack of Peanut Butter Gu from Strava: I had to run 100 miles in a month to get this one, so it technically wasn't a "freebie" but I will count it as a win. Also, I have never tried PB flavored Gu. It sounds interesting. I wonder if I can make sandwiches out of it.

- Mystery Box from XLMIC: She said something about a sausage. I think there will also be some Nuun and other sports recovery bars/drinks etc.

Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for hosting these giveaways and allowing me to try fun new things that I may not be adventurous enough to try on my own! Have I mentioned how cool running bloggers are? No? Well, let me reiterate. Running bloggers are VERY cool.

"You don't get better at running hills by walking them". (this was one of the other winning running quotes for week 2, and my favorite out of the bunch!)

Do you enter contests? What's the best thing you have ever won? Have you tried any of the above products?

**I won all these products fair and square. Nobody asked me to say anything regarding any of them. All opinions are my own. 

What I Learned (2): The Relay

The Relay is over. I am tired. Sore. Dehydrated. And Happy. I am glad I did it. I will go over the recap in a few days, but for now, I want to say that I learned a lot from doing this. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant going in, mostly because it was going to be a new experience for me, but also because I was going to spend the weekend with strangers, doing a strange thing. I was a bit scared.

But now? I am not scared anymore. I had a good time and it was an experience I will never forget. And I learned a  lot too! Here are a few of the things I learned. 

Jonnycat's Dirty Dozen

- You run by yourself but you are not alone. Most of the race was spent running alone, since the teams all started at different times, the race tended to be a bit spread out. Sometimes you pass a few people on your run (or sometimes they pass you, but we tried not to let that happen**!) but many times you are running a pretty quiet road all by yourself. However, the van goes on the same route and stops along the way to make sure everything is going well. So you never feel like you are alone. The team is always there.

- Inside the van, everything goes. Yup, you eat in the van. You sleep in the van. Your dirty feet and socks are in the van. You laugh in the van. You sweat in the van. Everything happens in the van. And this leads to...

- A stranger can be your new best friend. You spend a lot of time in the van, talking, laughing, joking, cheering each other on, giving high fives and hugs and pats on the back. You get to know these people in less than 48 hours. A bond is formed pretty quickly. I now have five new friends.

- Support is a multifaceted word. My group was awesome. If one of us was having trouble, the group would meet the runner at each mile with water, cheering and dancing and doing whatever it took to keep the runner's spirits up. Sometimes we even ran with each other for a little while. Also, I learned that the little net inside of your running shorts has a few different, interesting names that I was not aware of.

- Talking about certain body parts is par for the course. All body parts are open for discussion. Body glide goes on these parts in massive amounts. This is normal.

- There are many Hills. This race pretty much went up, then down, then up, then down...the entire time. I ran 4 legs and all of them had hills. There were no flat runs. That is the same for all my van mates. We had a couple of "easy" legs, but they too had hills. If you are not a hill runner, this makes things very hard. Even if you are a hill runner, it is difficult.

-**And many Kills. Kills also are hard. In case you don't know, a kill is when you pass another runner. Some of the other vans had tallies on the side of their van. We did not. We kept that info in our heads. Since the other relay teams are so spread out, on some legs (my 2 a.m. leg for instance) you don't see one other runner the entire time. On others, you see a dozen. So we tried our best to pass who we could, even though we were not running this race competitively. It still brought an element of challenge and competition to our team, between us and the other teams, as well as between the members of our van.

As you can see, I learned a lot. Team sports can be difficult because you have to count on other members of your team. But also, because of this very thing, team sports can be great. You have someone to count on and you have someone counting on you. This creates a bond that can't be broken and an element of fun you just can't get by yourself.

Do you/did you play any team sports and if so, do you like it more or less than individual sports? Do you know an alternate name for the liner that goes inside your shorts (you can privately email me if it's not fit for public view)? Did you learn anything new this weekend?

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?