Tuesday, December 01, 2015
Sunday, November 01, 2015
Saturday, October 03, 2015
Sunday, September 27, 2015
San Jose Rock & Roll Half Marathon
This race was not a planned race but rather a last minute "Hey, I think I want to run that, too!". Having moved to a new area just a few months ago, I hadn't planned any local races because I wanted to get my bearings. I was also waiting to hear news about the Boston Marathon so I wasn't really looking for a race. However, I get antsy if I don't have a race to look forward to. So many in my new running group were signed up for the San Jose Rock & Roll Half Marathon this year. I ran the RnR in San Diego a few years ago and though it was fun, it was just too big and too expensive for me. SJ RnR was not on my list. But everyone kept talking about it and I needed something so I signed up about two weeks before the race. I had told one friend that I wasn't going to sign up (price was close to $120 for this half marathon!?) unless I found a promo/discount code. I found one that made the race half price so that seemed like a good deal.
Anyway, the days leading up to the race were warm and the forecast for race morning was more of the same. With an 8am start, I knew I'd be melting in the sun halfway through. I started thinking about a costume and just running it for fun. The day before the race, I put together an Elvis costume that I wore for the race.
I have to admit, RnR is not all terrible. They do a lot of things really well in a race, esp for such a large race. When I registered I had a momentary lapse of reason and thought maybe I could pull off a new PR so I entered 1:39 as my estimated finish time. This put me in Wave 2 which was a pretty nice place to be when there are 20 or so waves, each starting 1 minute apart. I think it was 1 minute apart, maybe 2. There were still waves waiting to start when I passed the start line after the first loop. That had to have been several miles into the race...
Race morning, my friend Cheryl picked me up and we drove the 15 minutes to the race start. This is another thing I loved about this race: it's close to home! With an 8am start, she picked me up at 6:30am and we had more than enough time to park, use a hotel restroom, snap photos, etc. I didn't get out of bed until 6am. I love that.
I saw Deena Kastor at the start line. She was also in Wave 2 but a few people back. She's a very tiny woman -- if it weren't for her DEENA sign, I may not have even seen her. She was pacing the 1:45 group with another runner. The day before, she ran a blistering 5k in under 16 minutes. She's my age. I yelled to her and waved. She looked a little confused but smiled. Maybe she wasn't expecting a strange female Elvis?
The race began fast. It always does. Cheryl had moved into Wave 2 so we started together. We have similar running strategy and have for years: start fast, hang on to finish. Secretly, my only goal really was to beat her (!!!) and since she had just run the Big Cottonwood Marathon two weeks earlier, that wasn't going to be a problem. That marathon sounds like a nightmare for those of us who don't enjoy running downhill. The descent and elevation of that race is insane.
Cheryl and I parted ways just a few blocks in. I started fast and she was more conservative, for once! Around mile 3 or 4 I caught up to a guy from the local running group. He was representing Race Guards so he was easy to pick out. He and another Race Guard were holding what appeared to be a very steady 8:00 pace. I never got up to him, but kept him within 30 yards for miles. What a treat to have someone to pace off of! That was really my goal for the race, aside from beating a friend who had just run a brutal marathon: maintain a 8:00 pace.
It was around mile 9 that we came to a narrow section due to cheerleaders and other spectators. This caused me to fall behind my pacer but a mile later I came up on another guy from my running group and followed him all the way to the finish. Finish line goodness: saw a friend from SF so we waited together for Cheryl to finish, lots of good eats and drinks, cold beer at the running group meetup spot, a fancy brunch afterwards with Cheryl and her family, and really just a fun morning. I was so very pleasantly surprised.
Good about this race: location, flat course, lots of cheering sections along the course, route takes you through some beautiful San Jose neighborhoods, finish line party in the park, the fun of dressing up for a race... I could see this being a huge PR race if I had trained for that. Maybe next year!
Bad: nothing. I've already signed up again for 2017!
Mile Splits:
1- 7:41
2- 7:45
3- 7:49
4- 7:51
5- 7:55
6- 8:05
7- 8:13
8- 8:05
9- 8:20
10- 8:07
11- 8:17
12- 8:31
13- 8:14
Official Finish: 1:47:35
My watch, of course, had the course at 13.6 miles and my pace an average of 8:05. Of course, that doesn't matter since it was a timed event with a marked course, but it makes me happy to know my effort was a little better than what the official time says. Though, I'm happy with a 1:47, too!
Anyway, the days leading up to the race were warm and the forecast for race morning was more of the same. With an 8am start, I knew I'd be melting in the sun halfway through. I started thinking about a costume and just running it for fun. The day before the race, I put together an Elvis costume that I wore for the race.
I have to admit, RnR is not all terrible. They do a lot of things really well in a race, esp for such a large race. When I registered I had a momentary lapse of reason and thought maybe I could pull off a new PR so I entered 1:39 as my estimated finish time. This put me in Wave 2 which was a pretty nice place to be when there are 20 or so waves, each starting 1 minute apart. I think it was 1 minute apart, maybe 2. There were still waves waiting to start when I passed the start line after the first loop. That had to have been several miles into the race...
Race morning, my friend Cheryl picked me up and we drove the 15 minutes to the race start. This is another thing I loved about this race: it's close to home! With an 8am start, she picked me up at 6:30am and we had more than enough time to park, use a hotel restroom, snap photos, etc. I didn't get out of bed until 6am. I love that.
I saw Deena Kastor at the start line. She was also in Wave 2 but a few people back. She's a very tiny woman -- if it weren't for her DEENA sign, I may not have even seen her. She was pacing the 1:45 group with another runner. The day before, she ran a blistering 5k in under 16 minutes. She's my age. I yelled to her and waved. She looked a little confused but smiled. Maybe she wasn't expecting a strange female Elvis?
The race began fast. It always does. Cheryl had moved into Wave 2 so we started together. We have similar running strategy and have for years: start fast, hang on to finish. Secretly, my only goal really was to beat her (!!!) and since she had just run the Big Cottonwood Marathon two weeks earlier, that wasn't going to be a problem. That marathon sounds like a nightmare for those of us who don't enjoy running downhill. The descent and elevation of that race is insane.
Cheryl and I parted ways just a few blocks in. I started fast and she was more conservative, for once! Around mile 3 or 4 I caught up to a guy from the local running group. He was representing Race Guards so he was easy to pick out. He and another Race Guard were holding what appeared to be a very steady 8:00 pace. I never got up to him, but kept him within 30 yards for miles. What a treat to have someone to pace off of! That was really my goal for the race, aside from beating a friend who had just run a brutal marathon: maintain a 8:00 pace.
It was around mile 9 that we came to a narrow section due to cheerleaders and other spectators. This caused me to fall behind my pacer but a mile later I came up on another guy from my running group and followed him all the way to the finish. Finish line goodness: saw a friend from SF so we waited together for Cheryl to finish, lots of good eats and drinks, cold beer at the running group meetup spot, a fancy brunch afterwards with Cheryl and her family, and really just a fun morning. I was so very pleasantly surprised.
Good about this race: location, flat course, lots of cheering sections along the course, route takes you through some beautiful San Jose neighborhoods, finish line party in the park, the fun of dressing up for a race... I could see this being a huge PR race if I had trained for that. Maybe next year!
Bad: nothing. I've already signed up again for 2017!
Mile Splits:
1- 7:41
2- 7:45
3- 7:49
4- 7:51
5- 7:55
6- 8:05
7- 8:13
8- 8:05
9- 8:20
10- 8:07
11- 8:17
12- 8:31
13- 8:14
Official Finish: 1:47:35
My watch, of course, had the course at 13.6 miles and my pace an average of 8:05. Of course, that doesn't matter since it was a timed event with a marked course, but it makes me happy to know my effort was a little better than what the official time says. Though, I'm happy with a 1:47, too!
Tuesday, September 01, 2015
Saturday, August 01, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
The San Francisco Marathon
The San Francisco Marathon kicked my butt. Period. I knew it would be hard for several reasons.
1- 8:22
2- 8:57
3- 8:39
4- 8:28
5- 8:32
6- 9:26
7- 8:50
8- 8:27
9- 8:40
10- 8:34
11- 8:49
12- 9:12
13- 9:13
14- 8:35
15- 9:20
16- 9:25
17- 9:33
18- 9:22
19- 9:20
20- 9:52
21- 10:30
22- 8:33
23- 10:15
24- 11:00
25- 11:40
26- 11:21
27- 9:29
Final- 26.90 miles, 4:12:17
Several things about this race were different for me.
1. Carpool... I usually go alone and if I do go with another person I'm still the one dictating when, where, and how. Not so this time. When I registered I looked at the parking situation and figured there was ample parking and not to worry. I didn't know about Parking Panda -- a pre-purchase parking plan. Weeks ahead of time there were lots of spaces, but when I looked to actually book a spot there were few left and they were all around $50 and over a mile from the start/finish. No kidding! The race starts early and walking around downtown San Francisco by myself at 5am didn't seem like a good idea. I asked everyone I knew (which wasn't very many since we had just moved here). Finally, I found a woman in the running group who had an extra seat for the ride up. Ride down would be on my own (they were running the half marathon and would be done long before I finished), but that was okay since the family was coming up. We figured out a plan. Another guy and I would meet at her house, she would drive to another guy's house, and he would take over from there. Halfway to this guy's house she questioned which way to go. Oh boy. Fortunately that all went off pretty easily and we were in the City in no time. There was no traffic at that time of day which was awesome and strange. He drove us as close to the start as he could and we hopped out. We had less than 25 minutes until race start. Having to go by another person's schedule was not ideal for race nerves.
2. Port-a-potty... I found the port-a-potties quickly but the line went on forever. I don't know the area and nothing else was coming up on my iPhone (hotels?) so I got in line. Only problem was the line didn't move. In fact, it appeared to be getting longer with folks making new lines or something. I'm not sure what was going on but I knew I needed to use the toilet. I hadn't been able to have a B.M. at home because I don't normally wake at 3:10am. It would be a nightmare if I didn't go before the marathon. I decided to do the thing everyone hates the most: ask to cut. I hated myself for doing it but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. I walked up to the front and asked the couple who were #2 and #3 in line if I could please go in front of them. I explained that I was in a weird carpool for an hour, still needed to check my bag, and my wave was starting in 5 minutes. The guy didn't say anything but the woman said they had been waiting for 30 minutes and basically it was too bad for me. I hated to ask and then to have them say no? Ugh. Fortunately, the woman in front of them grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the port-a-potty that had just opened. I wish I could have hugged her and thanked her properly. When I came out, the guy who had been part of the couple went into my port-a-potty. Our line was waiting for 5 port-a-potties so I apparently moved pretty fast and did not make them any worse off than they (we all) were already.
3. Gum... After that, I sprinted to the gear check. Of course it had to be the last truck. It was so far. I got to the truck, threw my bag at them, and ran back to the start line. My wave started as I was heading back. I also realized during this run to the start that I had forgotten gum. I never run without gum. Ever. My throat gets dry and I find breathing labored. Gum helps keep my throat wet. And I didn't have any. I asked a woman but she just stared at me like she didn't understand my question. I don't think she spoke English. So, off I went to the start line. By the time I got to my corral, they were all gone and the next wave was moving forward. I tied my keys to my shoe, waited for my GPS to kick on, and started the marathon.
4. Keys... Keys should not be tied on shoelaces. If it's one key, it's okay. A fob is okay. A key ring with a fob and many keys is not okay. I had planned to leave all the keys in the Explorer at Tammi's house and only carry the fob but my morning was not my usual and things were forgotten. Two miles of jangling and annoying people went by. Then a guy ran up alongside me and held out my keys. Yes, the same keys I had tied to my shoelaces. ?!?! He said they had fallen off and the fob was still in the street "back there". What?? I had to swim upstream, locate my keys, and move to the side out of everyone's way. I put my keys and fob all back together and carried them in my hand the remainder of the race.
5. Bib... It was windy along the bay. I had secured my bib on my fancy bib holder. Safety pins are so last year. Ha! My bib flapped and flapped in the wind. Around mile 3 I looked down to find my bib was attached at one end only. It almost came off and blew away. Away! Juggling a water bottle, my phone, and my keys, I reattached my bib very, very tightly. I put my hand on it from time to time throughout the race to make sure it was still fastened securely.
But there were also all the other typical race issues that are just part of the game...
7. Golden Gate Bridge... This is the highlight of the race. Unfortunately, one doesn't get to really enjoy that part of the course. It comes up pretty early (mile 3? 4?) and there's a hill going up so that thins the crowd slightly. Crossing over the bridge we are limited to one lane each direction. There's still cars whizzing past but there is a little separation. Still, the crowd that had thinned on the uphill to the bridge are now funneled across the bridge. And, it's San Francisco, so the bridge is wet and the metal plates that are evenly spaced on the bridge are slippery. And, it's San Francisco and it wasn't totally fogged over, so runners were stopping to snap photos. Seriously. It's a slow and careful run across and then again back over. You really had to be paying attention to what was happening in front of you and to the surface in front of you. It was still awesome, but I really wish it was at the end of the marathon course when one could really enjoy it.
8. Split... After crossing the GGB, you run a few more hills before finally descending into Golden Gate Park. At that point, half marathoners move to the left and marathoners move to the right. We can see their finish line.
9. Second Half Marathoners... The cool thing about this race is the option to run either the first half or the second half of the marathon course for your Half Marathon. If you choose the second half, your start line is soon after we split from the first Half runners. And since they start their race about 2+ hours in (for me), I was able to run past them before they began. Maybe it's 2.5 hours. Anyway, to have this awesome cheering section in the middle of GGP at the midpoint of our race was really cool. And they are runners so their cheers mean a little bit more than Average Joe who doesn't even know what a marathon distance is. This was one of my favorite parts of the race.
10. Course Monitors... San Francisco has THE BEST course monitors. A Harley motorcycle club volunteers. Yes, you heard that right. Harley Bikers in their motorcycle attire and attitude were directing us and cheering. That was pretty awesome. Apparently they do it every single year. Sweet!
11. Golden Gate Park... After circling and running the length of GGP, you enter back thru Haight Ashbury and run towards downtown. Haight Ashbury smells and is dirty but it's also at the top. This is good and bad. Great if you love steep downhills, but bad if you don't. And my tired legs were not happy about the steep descent coming out of that neighborhood. But the other really cool part about having a Second Half Marathon is that while I was descending the hills, the leaders of that race were flying past me. It was crazy how fast they were running down these very steep hills. I love watching people race as much as I love racing so this was a thrill for me.
12. Street closures... Even the SF Marathon cannot ask the City to close all streets all morning long. Their compromise is the close certain blocks and reroute runners occasionally. It's a little odd to approach a merging of runners but at one point the road closure happened right in front of me so I was the first people to run past an intersection. The very funny course monitor yelled out, "You are in the lead! Go for it!" I'll never be "in the lead" so that was fun.
13. Diane... One thing I really love about running is the ability to pick out runners from behind. I know exactly what my running friends look like by their form. Around mile 22, I saw Diane whiz past me. That was fun. And then to bump into her again at the finish line? That's kind of crazy in such a big race, but there she was when I entered the beer garden.
14. Finish line... Regular finish line activities and stuff. But a beer garden off to the side was pretty nice. Finishers received a complimentary Lagunitas Brewing beer (one of my favorites!). And as I slowly managed to sit myself down against a temporary metal fence with a "little Sumpin'" in my hand, the sun came out. The awesome, warm, radiant sun came out to warm us up. It was the perfect finish.
Post race, I found a bathroom at a nearby shopping center to give myself a sponge bath and change. Best idea I'd had all day! Then I stopped a guy on the street to ask where he got the sandwich he was eating. I was famished and that falafel sandwich hit the spot. Then I made my way to the train station, bought my ticket and waited maybe 5 minutes for the next southbound train to take me to Daly City. My family magically arrived at that train station at the same time. They picked me up and we drove back into the City to watch the SF Ballet perform at Stern Grove. Absolutely perfect.
Official race stats:
- No specific training for this hilly course. During the last three months nearly all my runs have been on tracks. That kind of training is not going to get one far on the streets of San Francisco.
- The course itself is tough. Races like these are often thought of as "hilly in the first half, flat in the second". That's not entirely true. My experience has shown that these are even more difficult (for me!) because your energy and legs are spent by the time you get to that "flat part of the course". It doesn't seem to matter how conservative you are in the beginning miles, you can't underestimate the beating of relentless hills -- often steep, too!
- Third, race size. I don't care how many waves there are or where you are in your wave, in a race this size it's going to be hard to find your groove. Crossing over the Golden Gate Bridge and back is an incredible experience, except at this race everyone is squeezed into one lane of traffic, the metal connector plates are slick, and you are pretty much stuck running with whomever you are next to when you start the bridge. And you are just hoping that no one is walking or stopping to take photos -- but they are.
1- 8:22
2- 8:57
3- 8:39
4- 8:28
5- 8:32
6- 9:26
7- 8:50
8- 8:27
9- 8:40
10- 8:34
11- 8:49
12- 9:12
13- 9:13
14- 8:35
15- 9:20
16- 9:25
17- 9:33
18- 9:22
19- 9:20
20- 9:52
21- 10:30
22- 8:33
23- 10:15
24- 11:00
25- 11:40
26- 11:21
27- 9:29
Final- 26.90 miles, 4:12:17
Several things about this race were different for me.
1. Carpool... I usually go alone and if I do go with another person I'm still the one dictating when, where, and how. Not so this time. When I registered I looked at the parking situation and figured there was ample parking and not to worry. I didn't know about Parking Panda -- a pre-purchase parking plan. Weeks ahead of time there were lots of spaces, but when I looked to actually book a spot there were few left and they were all around $50 and over a mile from the start/finish. No kidding! The race starts early and walking around downtown San Francisco by myself at 5am didn't seem like a good idea. I asked everyone I knew (which wasn't very many since we had just moved here). Finally, I found a woman in the running group who had an extra seat for the ride up. Ride down would be on my own (they were running the half marathon and would be done long before I finished), but that was okay since the family was coming up. We figured out a plan. Another guy and I would meet at her house, she would drive to another guy's house, and he would take over from there. Halfway to this guy's house she questioned which way to go. Oh boy. Fortunately that all went off pretty easily and we were in the City in no time. There was no traffic at that time of day which was awesome and strange. He drove us as close to the start as he could and we hopped out. We had less than 25 minutes until race start. Having to go by another person's schedule was not ideal for race nerves.
2. Port-a-potty... I found the port-a-potties quickly but the line went on forever. I don't know the area and nothing else was coming up on my iPhone (hotels?) so I got in line. Only problem was the line didn't move. In fact, it appeared to be getting longer with folks making new lines or something. I'm not sure what was going on but I knew I needed to use the toilet. I hadn't been able to have a B.M. at home because I don't normally wake at 3:10am. It would be a nightmare if I didn't go before the marathon. I decided to do the thing everyone hates the most: ask to cut. I hated myself for doing it but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. I walked up to the front and asked the couple who were #2 and #3 in line if I could please go in front of them. I explained that I was in a weird carpool for an hour, still needed to check my bag, and my wave was starting in 5 minutes. The guy didn't say anything but the woman said they had been waiting for 30 minutes and basically it was too bad for me. I hated to ask and then to have them say no? Ugh. Fortunately, the woman in front of them grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the port-a-potty that had just opened. I wish I could have hugged her and thanked her properly. When I came out, the guy who had been part of the couple went into my port-a-potty. Our line was waiting for 5 port-a-potties so I apparently moved pretty fast and did not make them any worse off than they (we all) were already.
3. Gum... After that, I sprinted to the gear check. Of course it had to be the last truck. It was so far. I got to the truck, threw my bag at them, and ran back to the start line. My wave started as I was heading back. I also realized during this run to the start that I had forgotten gum. I never run without gum. Ever. My throat gets dry and I find breathing labored. Gum helps keep my throat wet. And I didn't have any. I asked a woman but she just stared at me like she didn't understand my question. I don't think she spoke English. So, off I went to the start line. By the time I got to my corral, they were all gone and the next wave was moving forward. I tied my keys to my shoe, waited for my GPS to kick on, and started the marathon.
4. Keys... Keys should not be tied on shoelaces. If it's one key, it's okay. A fob is okay. A key ring with a fob and many keys is not okay. I had planned to leave all the keys in the Explorer at Tammi's house and only carry the fob but my morning was not my usual and things were forgotten. Two miles of jangling and annoying people went by. Then a guy ran up alongside me and held out my keys. Yes, the same keys I had tied to my shoelaces. ?!?! He said they had fallen off and the fob was still in the street "back there". What?? I had to swim upstream, locate my keys, and move to the side out of everyone's way. I put my keys and fob all back together and carried them in my hand the remainder of the race.
5. Bib... It was windy along the bay. I had secured my bib on my fancy bib holder. Safety pins are so last year. Ha! My bib flapped and flapped in the wind. Around mile 3 I looked down to find my bib was attached at one end only. It almost came off and blew away. Away! Juggling a water bottle, my phone, and my keys, I reattached my bib very, very tightly. I put my hand on it from time to time throughout the race to make sure it was still fastened securely.
But there were also all the other typical race issues that are just part of the game...
7. Golden Gate Bridge... This is the highlight of the race. Unfortunately, one doesn't get to really enjoy that part of the course. It comes up pretty early (mile 3? 4?) and there's a hill going up so that thins the crowd slightly. Crossing over the bridge we are limited to one lane each direction. There's still cars whizzing past but there is a little separation. Still, the crowd that had thinned on the uphill to the bridge are now funneled across the bridge. And, it's San Francisco, so the bridge is wet and the metal plates that are evenly spaced on the bridge are slippery. And, it's San Francisco and it wasn't totally fogged over, so runners were stopping to snap photos. Seriously. It's a slow and careful run across and then again back over. You really had to be paying attention to what was happening in front of you and to the surface in front of you. It was still awesome, but I really wish it was at the end of the marathon course when one could really enjoy it.
8. Split... After crossing the GGB, you run a few more hills before finally descending into Golden Gate Park. At that point, half marathoners move to the left and marathoners move to the right. We can see their finish line.
9. Second Half Marathoners... The cool thing about this race is the option to run either the first half or the second half of the marathon course for your Half Marathon. If you choose the second half, your start line is soon after we split from the first Half runners. And since they start their race about 2+ hours in (for me), I was able to run past them before they began. Maybe it's 2.5 hours. Anyway, to have this awesome cheering section in the middle of GGP at the midpoint of our race was really cool. And they are runners so their cheers mean a little bit more than Average Joe who doesn't even know what a marathon distance is. This was one of my favorite parts of the race.
10. Course Monitors... San Francisco has THE BEST course monitors. A Harley motorcycle club volunteers. Yes, you heard that right. Harley Bikers in their motorcycle attire and attitude were directing us and cheering. That was pretty awesome. Apparently they do it every single year. Sweet!
11. Golden Gate Park... After circling and running the length of GGP, you enter back thru Haight Ashbury and run towards downtown. Haight Ashbury smells and is dirty but it's also at the top. This is good and bad. Great if you love steep downhills, but bad if you don't. And my tired legs were not happy about the steep descent coming out of that neighborhood. But the other really cool part about having a Second Half Marathon is that while I was descending the hills, the leaders of that race were flying past me. It was crazy how fast they were running down these very steep hills. I love watching people race as much as I love racing so this was a thrill for me.
12. Street closures... Even the SF Marathon cannot ask the City to close all streets all morning long. Their compromise is the close certain blocks and reroute runners occasionally. It's a little odd to approach a merging of runners but at one point the road closure happened right in front of me so I was the first people to run past an intersection. The very funny course monitor yelled out, "You are in the lead! Go for it!" I'll never be "in the lead" so that was fun.
13. Diane... One thing I really love about running is the ability to pick out runners from behind. I know exactly what my running friends look like by their form. Around mile 22, I saw Diane whiz past me. That was fun. And then to bump into her again at the finish line? That's kind of crazy in such a big race, but there she was when I entered the beer garden.
14. Finish line... Regular finish line activities and stuff. But a beer garden off to the side was pretty nice. Finishers received a complimentary Lagunitas Brewing beer (one of my favorites!). And as I slowly managed to sit myself down against a temporary metal fence with a "little Sumpin'" in my hand, the sun came out. The awesome, warm, radiant sun came out to warm us up. It was the perfect finish.
Post race, I found a bathroom at a nearby shopping center to give myself a sponge bath and change. Best idea I'd had all day! Then I stopped a guy on the street to ask where he got the sandwich he was eating. I was famished and that falafel sandwich hit the spot. Then I made my way to the train station, bought my ticket and waited maybe 5 minutes for the next southbound train to take me to Daly City. My family magically arrived at that train station at the same time. They picked me up and we drove back into the City to watch the SF Ballet perform at Stern Grove. Absolutely perfect.
Official race stats:
| Full Marathon |
| Runner Details | Race Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Split Times | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Monday, June 01, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, May 03, 2015
Pacific Northwest Marathon
The Pacific Northwest Marathon on Saturday, May 2nd, in Eugene, Oregon was finally the one! I ran a Boston Marathon qualifying race and made my goal! Amazing.
This was a race I was really excited to sign up for. I have run the Eugene Marathon and loved it. But since the year I ran it, they had moved it to the summer and it looked like they would continue to hold it in the summer. Well, knowing how I don't run well in the heat, I was really happy to see this new offering in Eugene during the Spring. And since it was the inaugural race, they offered the marsthon for just $60. Sixty bucks! You can't beat that price.
Training kicked off well. I've enjoyed following the Hansons plan for the past year and knew that it was the plan that I would follow again. Something about those tough and long tempo runs sandwiched between days of other long runs really gives me confidence. I was training well and even kicked it up a notch after I ran Roaring Run Half Marathon in January and finished in 1:41 (a new PR). Another PR at the Portland Shamrock 15K (1:12 on a challenging course!) in March sealed the deal. I was going for it. I started following the 3:30 marathon workout.
Now, I knew a 3:30 was a bit of a stretch but I questioned whether that was just a mental block. Like, I hadn't run a marathon faster than 3:52 and in my mind, I first had to run a 3:50, then a 3:45, you know... baby steps to reach my Boston time of 3:45. Yet, I had a great HM time and thought I should at least try. If nothing else, training for a 3:30 would leave me with a 15 minute cushion for those later miles that are always so tough for me.
In the weeks leading up to the marathon, family life started to get messy. A new opportunity for Mike meant that we would likely be moving to an unknown, unfamiliar area and all the stuff that moving a family entails is a lot of work and so stressful. I started finding my runs to be an even more needed outlet. I really began to give my runs and the quality of those runs priority. I needed them for my mental state!
The week of the marathon was not one of my best and more relaxing tapers. We told our extended family that we are moving faraway to another state. I did not drink fluids obsessively, like I always do to hydrate well before a big effort. I did not abstain from alcohol. Nothing tastes better to me after a hard day's work than a cold beer. Two a night felt like a good amount. I did not get to bed early. I went out one night with friends to hear another friend's band play. I did not always make the best decisions regarding what I ate. A huge plate of tater tots all by myself? Sure! I painted the patio on my hands and knees. I weeded the entire yard, including all the ivy sneaking in from my neighbor's yard. I spread an entire trailer load of bark. I spent hours packing up things, organizing, anything to declutter our house in preparation to list it. I helped move out furniture that had sold at our garage sale and on craigslist. I prepared out house to be listed for sale Thursday morning. Race day was Saturday.
Thursday, I was tired. Like, just plain physically and emotionally exhausted. I had a few minor freak outs. Most notably to the young gas attendant when he asked how my day was going. I'm pretty sure he didn't ask anyone else that that day. He cleaned my windows and that made my day a little better. I appreciated that and thanked him.
Friday, I limited myself to one hour first thing in the morning to tidying up the house. I made beds, cleaned the bathrooms, changed the linens on my bed, cleaned up the kitchen... basically spent an hour working furiously, but then that was it. I got a pedicure, picked up the kids early from school and took them out to a nice lunch, and spent the afternoon in the hammock listening to the kids play on the patio with one of Meredith's friends. It was all very relaxing, and peaceful. I started to actually think about this marathon and what my strategy should be.
I decided I would copy my friend Kelly and run the first 20 at an "easier" pace. The last 6.2/10k I would pick it up if I could but the earlier 20 would give me just a little in the bank that I could use in the end, if needed. So my plan was to start at an 8:30 pace for 20 miles. I ate a lot of pasta and bread at dinner, gulped down more electrolytes, laid out my race stuff, and got into bed at 8pm. I was fast asleep before 8:30pm and did not wake again until just before my 4:30am alarm. I think the physical work all week had taken its toll. Thursday and Friday nights were SOLID sleep nights. I rarely have those before a race.
My friend Evelyn came over just before 5am race morning so we could drive together. It was her first marathon and that just makes me giddy. She's a trail runner and has run up to 18 and 20 mile races but road racing a marathon was new territory for her. We stopped by Starbucks to get some coffee and then headed down to Eugene.
We had an hour to get ourselves ready, use the port-o-potties, meet up with friends, etc. before the 7am race start. Temperature was perfect for me. A little cool when I stripped off my warm clothes, but I knew a mile into the race I would appreciate having worn a tank top and shorts. I carried 4 GU packs in my belt and carried a 20oz sport top water bottle. I do this on longer warms and/or warmer days so I'm used to carrying the weight and shifting it from one hand to the other.
Race morning was perfect. When I saw that it was optimal temperature for me, and that my GPS watch was actually going to work, and that my iPod was actually going to play music for me... well, it looked like my stars were aligning. Yay!
I started too fast. I fell in behind Kelly because I knew she'd be running 8:20s for the first 20 miles. It was race morning and I was excited so ignoring my 8:30s plan for her faster pace sounded perfectly reasonable. Before the race I had talked to a Corvallis friend whose plan was to run 8s and she was trying to convince me to run that pace with her. We had both run the Portland Marathon last October and finished within a minute of each other. Since we had both been training with the Hansons 3:30 plan, she thought I should man up and run with her. In the end, she finished in 3:36. So anyway, when she passed me at mile 7 or 8, she told me I was running 8:05s. What!? I knew Kelly had started fast but I wasn't paying that close attention to what that actually meant. I began to step it down a notch.
My splits:
1- 8:05
2- 8:02
3- 8:10
4- 8:06
5- 8:06
6- 8:06
7- 8:02
8- 8:10
9- 8:17
10- 8:21
11- 8:23
12- 8:19
13- 8:23
14- 8:18
15- 8:17
16- 8:18
17- 8:20
18- 8:23
19- 8:17
20- 8:25
21- 8:26
22- 8:45
23- 8:55
24- 9:07
25- 9:17
26- 9:10
27- 5:25 (.63 miles)
TOTAL 26.63 miles, 3:43:56 (official was 3:43:50)
I felt really strong and confident until mile 22. Miles 0-8 were pure excitement and joy to be running and just trying to find my pace. Miles 9-15 were run solely to get the miles done, enjoy the river view, and do the turn around. Mile 16-23 were run with this woman Kate. She told me she was very competitive and since I caught her from behind, I think it really helped her because she stuck with me until mile 23 when I stopped every so briefly for a cup of Gatorade (she went on and finished a little before me -- I think she realized her goal of 3:40 may not happen unless she gave it all she had). I could feel my calves tightening and knew I hadn't had enough electrolytes. Each GU made my stomach churn for a mile so I stopped taking them after the third one. When I "stopped" for Gatorade (honestly, I wouldn't even call it a stop... it was a pause), I stumbled. I started to fall forward so I grabbed the cup and kept running. At that point, I knew I had better not stop no matter how hard it got. And it got hard.
Mile 24 was misplaced. A woman came charging up behind me at that marker and asked me if my watch was reading the course long, too. At that point, my watch read 24.79 miles. Soon after, we crossed mile 25 and my watch read 25.30. Mile 24 was in the wrong spot. The entire course read long on my watch. So when I crossed mile 25 in 3:30, I knew I had 15 minutes to get in under my goal but I didn't know if I needed to cover 1.2 miles or 1.8 miles because my watch was reading the course long. It was crazy.
A Corvallis friend who is an incredible runner came running towards me around mile 26.3 (by my watch). She stayed two feet ahead of me, encouraging me the whole time. She only ran with me for less than a 1/4 of a mile, but it made a huge difference. When she peeled off she said, "Girl, you've got this! It's just one loop on the track. That's all you have left. ONE LOOP OF THE TRACK." And I picked it up, got one last encouragement when I passed another runner at the last corner ("Go for it! Finish strong!"), and finished as strong as I could. I saw Kelly's friends cheering and snapping photos on the side and that made me smile. I watched the clock the whole time as I passed under the finish.
With so many Corvallis runners there, it really felt like a party at the finish line. Everyone ran so well, many ran BQs and PRs. Female friends swept the podium. It was really great! Reflecting back now a day after the race, I really enjoyed it and appreciate all the effort that went into making this race happen. I hope it returns next year for others to enjoy.
** Official results have my time at 3:43:50 with an average overall pace of 8:30. When I plug those numbers into a pace calculator, I get a distance of 26.33 miles. I guess that's legit but I would have preferred a slightly shorter race.
** Best part of this race: running it with so many friends. Corvallis had a very large (and fast) contingent show up from our HOTV running group. My dear running friend Evelyn ran her first marathon and that's always exciting. I was happy to be a part of that experience. And, of course, my long time running friend Kelly was there and ran a fantastic race. She's always pushing me and I know for a fact that it has improved my running.
This was a race I was really excited to sign up for. I have run the Eugene Marathon and loved it. But since the year I ran it, they had moved it to the summer and it looked like they would continue to hold it in the summer. Well, knowing how I don't run well in the heat, I was really happy to see this new offering in Eugene during the Spring. And since it was the inaugural race, they offered the marsthon for just $60. Sixty bucks! You can't beat that price.
Training kicked off well. I've enjoyed following the Hansons plan for the past year and knew that it was the plan that I would follow again. Something about those tough and long tempo runs sandwiched between days of other long runs really gives me confidence. I was training well and even kicked it up a notch after I ran Roaring Run Half Marathon in January and finished in 1:41 (a new PR). Another PR at the Portland Shamrock 15K (1:12 on a challenging course!) in March sealed the deal. I was going for it. I started following the 3:30 marathon workout.
Now, I knew a 3:30 was a bit of a stretch but I questioned whether that was just a mental block. Like, I hadn't run a marathon faster than 3:52 and in my mind, I first had to run a 3:50, then a 3:45, you know... baby steps to reach my Boston time of 3:45. Yet, I had a great HM time and thought I should at least try. If nothing else, training for a 3:30 would leave me with a 15 minute cushion for those later miles that are always so tough for me.
In the weeks leading up to the marathon, family life started to get messy. A new opportunity for Mike meant that we would likely be moving to an unknown, unfamiliar area and all the stuff that moving a family entails is a lot of work and so stressful. I started finding my runs to be an even more needed outlet. I really began to give my runs and the quality of those runs priority. I needed them for my mental state!
The week of the marathon was not one of my best and more relaxing tapers. We told our extended family that we are moving faraway to another state. I did not drink fluids obsessively, like I always do to hydrate well before a big effort. I did not abstain from alcohol. Nothing tastes better to me after a hard day's work than a cold beer. Two a night felt like a good amount. I did not get to bed early. I went out one night with friends to hear another friend's band play. I did not always make the best decisions regarding what I ate. A huge plate of tater tots all by myself? Sure! I painted the patio on my hands and knees. I weeded the entire yard, including all the ivy sneaking in from my neighbor's yard. I spread an entire trailer load of bark. I spent hours packing up things, organizing, anything to declutter our house in preparation to list it. I helped move out furniture that had sold at our garage sale and on craigslist. I prepared out house to be listed for sale Thursday morning. Race day was Saturday.
Thursday, I was tired. Like, just plain physically and emotionally exhausted. I had a few minor freak outs. Most notably to the young gas attendant when he asked how my day was going. I'm pretty sure he didn't ask anyone else that that day. He cleaned my windows and that made my day a little better. I appreciated that and thanked him.
Friday, I limited myself to one hour first thing in the morning to tidying up the house. I made beds, cleaned the bathrooms, changed the linens on my bed, cleaned up the kitchen... basically spent an hour working furiously, but then that was it. I got a pedicure, picked up the kids early from school and took them out to a nice lunch, and spent the afternoon in the hammock listening to the kids play on the patio with one of Meredith's friends. It was all very relaxing, and peaceful. I started to actually think about this marathon and what my strategy should be.
I decided I would copy my friend Kelly and run the first 20 at an "easier" pace. The last 6.2/10k I would pick it up if I could but the earlier 20 would give me just a little in the bank that I could use in the end, if needed. So my plan was to start at an 8:30 pace for 20 miles. I ate a lot of pasta and bread at dinner, gulped down more electrolytes, laid out my race stuff, and got into bed at 8pm. I was fast asleep before 8:30pm and did not wake again until just before my 4:30am alarm. I think the physical work all week had taken its toll. Thursday and Friday nights were SOLID sleep nights. I rarely have those before a race.
My friend Evelyn came over just before 5am race morning so we could drive together. It was her first marathon and that just makes me giddy. She's a trail runner and has run up to 18 and 20 mile races but road racing a marathon was new territory for her. We stopped by Starbucks to get some coffee and then headed down to Eugene.
We had an hour to get ourselves ready, use the port-o-potties, meet up with friends, etc. before the 7am race start. Temperature was perfect for me. A little cool when I stripped off my warm clothes, but I knew a mile into the race I would appreciate having worn a tank top and shorts. I carried 4 GU packs in my belt and carried a 20oz sport top water bottle. I do this on longer warms and/or warmer days so I'm used to carrying the weight and shifting it from one hand to the other.
Race morning was perfect. When I saw that it was optimal temperature for me, and that my GPS watch was actually going to work, and that my iPod was actually going to play music for me... well, it looked like my stars were aligning. Yay!
I started too fast. I fell in behind Kelly because I knew she'd be running 8:20s for the first 20 miles. It was race morning and I was excited so ignoring my 8:30s plan for her faster pace sounded perfectly reasonable. Before the race I had talked to a Corvallis friend whose plan was to run 8s and she was trying to convince me to run that pace with her. We had both run the Portland Marathon last October and finished within a minute of each other. Since we had both been training with the Hansons 3:30 plan, she thought I should man up and run with her. In the end, she finished in 3:36. So anyway, when she passed me at mile 7 or 8, she told me I was running 8:05s. What!? I knew Kelly had started fast but I wasn't paying that close attention to what that actually meant. I began to step it down a notch.
My splits:
1- 8:05
2- 8:02
3- 8:10
4- 8:06
5- 8:06
6- 8:06
7- 8:02
8- 8:10
9- 8:17
10- 8:21
11- 8:23
12- 8:19
13- 8:23
14- 8:18
15- 8:17
16- 8:18
17- 8:20
18- 8:23
19- 8:17
20- 8:25
21- 8:26
22- 8:45
23- 8:55
24- 9:07
25- 9:17
26- 9:10
27- 5:25 (.63 miles)
TOTAL 26.63 miles, 3:43:56 (official was 3:43:50)
I felt really strong and confident until mile 22. Miles 0-8 were pure excitement and joy to be running and just trying to find my pace. Miles 9-15 were run solely to get the miles done, enjoy the river view, and do the turn around. Mile 16-23 were run with this woman Kate. She told me she was very competitive and since I caught her from behind, I think it really helped her because she stuck with me until mile 23 when I stopped every so briefly for a cup of Gatorade (she went on and finished a little before me -- I think she realized her goal of 3:40 may not happen unless she gave it all she had). I could feel my calves tightening and knew I hadn't had enough electrolytes. Each GU made my stomach churn for a mile so I stopped taking them after the third one. When I "stopped" for Gatorade (honestly, I wouldn't even call it a stop... it was a pause), I stumbled. I started to fall forward so I grabbed the cup and kept running. At that point, I knew I had better not stop no matter how hard it got. And it got hard.
Mile 24 was misplaced. A woman came charging up behind me at that marker and asked me if my watch was reading the course long, too. At that point, my watch read 24.79 miles. Soon after, we crossed mile 25 and my watch read 25.30. Mile 24 was in the wrong spot. The entire course read long on my watch. So when I crossed mile 25 in 3:30, I knew I had 15 minutes to get in under my goal but I didn't know if I needed to cover 1.2 miles or 1.8 miles because my watch was reading the course long. It was crazy.
A Corvallis friend who is an incredible runner came running towards me around mile 26.3 (by my watch). She stayed two feet ahead of me, encouraging me the whole time. She only ran with me for less than a 1/4 of a mile, but it made a huge difference. When she peeled off she said, "Girl, you've got this! It's just one loop on the track. That's all you have left. ONE LOOP OF THE TRACK." And I picked it up, got one last encouragement when I passed another runner at the last corner ("Go for it! Finish strong!"), and finished as strong as I could. I saw Kelly's friends cheering and snapping photos on the side and that made me smile. I watched the clock the whole time as I passed under the finish.
With so many Corvallis runners there, it really felt like a party at the finish line. Everyone ran so well, many ran BQs and PRs. Female friends swept the podium. It was really great! Reflecting back now a day after the race, I really enjoyed it and appreciate all the effort that went into making this race happen. I hope it returns next year for others to enjoy.
** Official results have my time at 3:43:50 with an average overall pace of 8:30. When I plug those numbers into a pace calculator, I get a distance of 26.33 miles. I guess that's legit but I would have preferred a slightly shorter race.
** Best part of this race: running it with so many friends. Corvallis had a very large (and fast) contingent show up from our HOTV running group. My dear running friend Evelyn ran her first marathon and that's always exciting. I was happy to be a part of that experience. And, of course, my long time running friend Kelly was there and ran a fantastic race. She's always pushing me and I know for a fact that it has improved my running.
Friday, May 01, 2015
April: 229.76 miles
Average pace this month: 8:23 minutes per mile! Love that I keep slowly improving!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Portland Shamrock 15k
Official: 1:12:16
Pace: 7:46
* F40-44 division place: 16/467
This race has been a favorite since I began running races. Sure, some are serious and racing but overall there's such a party, festive vibe to this race. If you don't dress up, you feel kind of silly. And I love that there is a race for anyone and everyone. With 35,000 participants, it's also a very large race but you never feel squished because there are so many different race options and pace groups. I love this race!
The 15k challenge is also one of my favorite races, ever. It's a tough course but that's what is so great about it. When you crest the Terwilliger hill you feel like a million bucks. Before the race this year I met some friends at a Starbucks downtown. A girl standing near us told us it's all downtown after the bagpipes. I hadn't made that connection before (I always think "down hill after Chart House") but smiled during the race when I heard the bagpipes as I came around the last dip and curve in the road before reaching the Chart House.
A friend asked me the day before what I planned to do for this race. She was trying to figure out what pace she and her husband would do. This was their first Shamrock 15k. My response, "Something like 7:30s on the flats, slower for the hills, and then bring it home with everything I have left." And that's exactly what I did.
I mentally break the 15k down into three sections. The first 3 miles are around downtown and get you across Burnside. Once across Burnside, you start to climb Broadway but it's still fine until around Pioneer Square. I wanted to do this first part in under 23:00. The second part is the hilly section. It pretty much feels like you are climbing from Burnside to the Chart House. There are some relief blocks and the top of Terwilliger is more rolling than climbing, but the hills do feel endless. I figured 25:00 for this section. Right after the Chart House, you pass Mile 6. I was under 48:00 so I knew I was looking at a new PR with the downhill finish and if I could maintain a good pace. I have to say though, I'm not great at downhills. In fact, I tend to "brake" which causes my pace to slow and allows others to pass me. And some of the downhill areas are fairly steep. Once it started to flatten out again at Naito Parkway, I decided to step up the pace to something I could maintain. I crossed the finish feeling very strong.
My official time was 1.5 minutes faster than last year. A 7:46 pace is what I ran the Roaring River HM in just a few weeks ago so to run that pace with these hills felt awesome. Who knows what I might have done if the course had been more flat!
Weather: WET. I waited 10 minutes before getting into the corrals because I was wearing a cotton t-shirt and thought it best to stay dry as long as possible. I was soaked by the time the race began. It poured most of the race but did start to let up toward the end. Still raining, but not quite so heavy. A little wind south of Burnside (always!) and some really large puddles that you just had to plow through. I don't know how I didn't chafe!
In all, a favorite that will continue to be a favorite!
Pace: 7:46
* F40-44 division place: 16/467
This race has been a favorite since I began running races. Sure, some are serious and racing but overall there's such a party, festive vibe to this race. If you don't dress up, you feel kind of silly. And I love that there is a race for anyone and everyone. With 35,000 participants, it's also a very large race but you never feel squished because there are so many different race options and pace groups. I love this race!
The 15k challenge is also one of my favorite races, ever. It's a tough course but that's what is so great about it. When you crest the Terwilliger hill you feel like a million bucks. Before the race this year I met some friends at a Starbucks downtown. A girl standing near us told us it's all downtown after the bagpipes. I hadn't made that connection before (I always think "down hill after Chart House") but smiled during the race when I heard the bagpipes as I came around the last dip and curve in the road before reaching the Chart House.
A friend asked me the day before what I planned to do for this race. She was trying to figure out what pace she and her husband would do. This was their first Shamrock 15k. My response, "Something like 7:30s on the flats, slower for the hills, and then bring it home with everything I have left." And that's exactly what I did.
I mentally break the 15k down into three sections. The first 3 miles are around downtown and get you across Burnside. Once across Burnside, you start to climb Broadway but it's still fine until around Pioneer Square. I wanted to do this first part in under 23:00. The second part is the hilly section. It pretty much feels like you are climbing from Burnside to the Chart House. There are some relief blocks and the top of Terwilliger is more rolling than climbing, but the hills do feel endless. I figured 25:00 for this section. Right after the Chart House, you pass Mile 6. I was under 48:00 so I knew I was looking at a new PR with the downhill finish and if I could maintain a good pace. I have to say though, I'm not great at downhills. In fact, I tend to "brake" which causes my pace to slow and allows others to pass me. And some of the downhill areas are fairly steep. Once it started to flatten out again at Naito Parkway, I decided to step up the pace to something I could maintain. I crossed the finish feeling very strong.
My official time was 1.5 minutes faster than last year. A 7:46 pace is what I ran the Roaring River HM in just a few weeks ago so to run that pace with these hills felt awesome. Who knows what I might have done if the course had been more flat!
Weather: WET. I waited 10 minutes before getting into the corrals because I was wearing a cotton t-shirt and thought it best to stay dry as long as possible. I was soaked by the time the race began. It poured most of the race but did start to let up toward the end. Still raining, but not quite so heavy. A little wind south of Burnside (always!) and some really large puddles that you just had to plow through. I don't know how I didn't chafe!
In all, a favorite that will continue to be a favorite!
Sunday, March 01, 2015
Sunday, February 01, 2015
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Roaring Run Half Marathon
Today's race feels extra good. A new official PR for a race time I feel like I've already hit twice in recent years. At the Eugene Marathon in 2013 I passed the halfway point in 1:42. At the Cascade Half Marathon last year my phone measured the course long and had my time at under 1:42. Twice, yet neither was official. Today, it was official and this makes me so happy!
Official time: 1:41:47
Pace: 7:46
Division Rank: 1
Overall: 35/156
Official time: 1:41:47
Pace: 7:46
Division Rank: 1
Overall: 35/156
Thursday, January 01, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)