OK, so now it's time to talk about my 2010 race targets.
January 9-10th: Goofy Race and a Half Challenge
A half and a full in one weekend? In freezing cold temps? (again) Sounds fun to me! No, seriously, I'm actually looking forward to heading to Florida this weekend for the ultimate running challenge!
April 11th: Cherry Blossom 10 miler (DC)
I've always heard great things about this race. It's tough to get in but luckily I got selected in the lottery (a first!) What's even more special is that my brother and sister-in-law are walking the 5K that day as well.
September 5th: Disneyland Half
I ran this in 2008 and it's fun but really the only reason I'm running it this year is to get the Coast-to-Coast medal which you get for running both the WDW full and Disneyland half the same year.
October 17th: Nike Women's Half Marathon (if I get in)
It's tradition for me now and I really love the course. Also a lottery but as long as I continue running with the Nike Club Run SF, I should be able to earn a spot.
November 7th: NYC Marathon (if I get in)
Right now, this is the only other marathon I want to run! I would love to run NYC :) I've been entering the lottery for awhile so if it doesn't happen this year, I should be locked in for 2011.
Finally, some kind of biking event - I've been neglecting Gigi for too long. Maybe a century??? That would be something new for me!
I'm sure I will squeeze in other races here and there but for now, this is all I have planned for now. Wow, I just realized most of these are destination races. Yay for my pocketbook! :)
Let me know if you have any of these on your race calendar!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Review of 2009 in Pictures!
I thought it would be fun to do a little recap of the races I did in 2009. It was definitely a fun mix!
1) Mermaid Run 10K: First race of the year! I love Mermaid events - a wonderful supportive all-women crowd plus you get a nice necklace and a pancake breakfast!
2) Big Sur Mud Run: Oh boy, what a crazy, hilarious race! I joined four other lovely ladies to be the "Dirty Divas" for a 5 mile trail race that included obstacles and mud pits. It was a fun experience but if I ever do this race again (and that's a big IF), I think I'm better off finding a team that doesn't include BQ qualifiers. :P
3) Cinderella Classic: My longest bike ride to date - a metric century (i.e. 65miles/100km). It was so much fun to ride in a massive bike ride with women all dressed up in costumes. Highly recommend this to any female road biker in the bay area, no matter what your skill level is!
4) Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon: Hometown race - cheered on by mom and dad :)
5) Muddy Buddy - San Jose: I guess Julianne and I were itching to get muddy again! This time we combined running AND mountain biking AND costumes! Team "Tutu Hot to Handle" got down and dirty. Again. :)
6) Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon: Friends, running, wine... need I say more?
7) Nike Women's Half Marathon: Still my all-time favorite half despite having the hardest course. This year was special because I ran with my cuz.
8) Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley Half Marathon: Nothing too special here but it was nice to run a local race even if the course was not too exciting for me.
9) Cleveland 5Mi Turkey Trot: Third time running this race. I love running races on days you know you're going to eat a lot. Makes the eating much more enjoyable!
10) California International Marathon: Well in case you missed the news, 2009 wasn't all about having fun and getting muddy (ha). That's right, I finally PR'd. In the MARATHON! Woot woot for hitting sub-5:00 :)
All in all, I had some very memorable races in 2009. And with the Goofy Challenge just around the corner, I know 2010 will be just as awesome!
1) Mermaid Run 10K: First race of the year! I love Mermaid events - a wonderful supportive all-women crowd plus you get a nice necklace and a pancake breakfast!
2) Big Sur Mud Run: Oh boy, what a crazy, hilarious race! I joined four other lovely ladies to be the "Dirty Divas" for a 5 mile trail race that included obstacles and mud pits. It was a fun experience but if I ever do this race again (and that's a big IF), I think I'm better off finding a team that doesn't include BQ qualifiers. :P
3) Cinderella Classic: My longest bike ride to date - a metric century (i.e. 65miles/100km). It was so much fun to ride in a massive bike ride with women all dressed up in costumes. Highly recommend this to any female road biker in the bay area, no matter what your skill level is!
4) Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon: Hometown race - cheered on by mom and dad :)
5) Muddy Buddy - San Jose: I guess Julianne and I were itching to get muddy again! This time we combined running AND mountain biking AND costumes! Team "Tutu Hot to Handle" got down and dirty. Again. :)
6) Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon: Friends, running, wine... need I say more?
7) Nike Women's Half Marathon: Still my all-time favorite half despite having the hardest course. This year was special because I ran with my cuz.
8) Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley Half Marathon: Nothing too special here but it was nice to run a local race even if the course was not too exciting for me.
9) Cleveland 5Mi Turkey Trot: Third time running this race. I love running races on days you know you're going to eat a lot. Makes the eating much more enjoyable!
10) California International Marathon: Well in case you missed the news, 2009 wasn't all about having fun and getting muddy (ha). That's right, I finally PR'd. In the MARATHON! Woot woot for hitting sub-5:00 :)
All in all, I had some very memorable races in 2009. And with the Goofy Challenge just around the corner, I know 2010 will be just as awesome!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Mini Race Reports: Napa-to-Sonoma, Nike, & Silicon Valley Half Marathons
I'm going to cheat a little here and do mini race reports for my last three half marathons to close out the year. Here we go!
July 19th - Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon
Race Recap: My friend Pam flew out from Chicago to run this with me. Who wouldn't want to run a half through wine country with wine tasting at the end? We both ran this for "fun" but it wasn't too fun for me at the end with all the rolling hills and the hot sunshine. The wine afterward helped :) As did the later stop at the Bouchon bakery for some sweets. Also nice as I got to see a bunch of the ROHOs.
Official chip time: 2:36:28
October 18th - Nike Women's Half Marathon
Race Recap: My fourth year running Nike, third time running the half. This time I got to run it with my cousin who first introduced me to the event in 2006. We had a blast and took lots of pictures along the way. Saw lots of familiar faces at this race - Tara and Aron at the pre-race VIP tent, Alisa and Kristen several times along the course, and Roadbunner cheering us on!
Official chip time: 2:39:16 (A new personal worst, heehee!)
October 25th - The Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley Half Marathon
Race Recap: Nothing too special to report about this one. It was a week after Nike and I had a 14 miler scheduled for CIM. Found out this half was taking over my local running trail so I figured I might as well join it. Definitely a lot easier to get the miles in with all the other runners! Ran the Human Race 10K the day before so legs weren't feeling so fresh but were able to get the job done.
Official chip time: 2:30:31
Happy New Year everyone! Coming up... 2009 review and goals for 2010 :)
July 19th - Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon
Race Recap: My friend Pam flew out from Chicago to run this with me. Who wouldn't want to run a half through wine country with wine tasting at the end? We both ran this for "fun" but it wasn't too fun for me at the end with all the rolling hills and the hot sunshine. The wine afterward helped :) As did the later stop at the Bouchon bakery for some sweets. Also nice as I got to see a bunch of the ROHOs.
Official chip time: 2:36:28
October 18th - Nike Women's Half Marathon
Race Recap: My fourth year running Nike, third time running the half. This time I got to run it with my cousin who first introduced me to the event in 2006. We had a blast and took lots of pictures along the way. Saw lots of familiar faces at this race - Tara and Aron at the pre-race VIP tent, Alisa and Kristen several times along the course, and Roadbunner cheering us on!
Official chip time: 2:39:16 (A new personal worst, heehee!)
October 25th - The Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley Half Marathon
Race Recap: Nothing too special to report about this one. It was a week after Nike and I had a 14 miler scheduled for CIM. Found out this half was taking over my local running trail so I figured I might as well join it. Definitely a lot easier to get the miles in with all the other runners! Ran the Human Race 10K the day before so legs weren't feeling so fresh but were able to get the job done.
Official chip time: 2:30:31
Happy New Year everyone! Coming up... 2009 review and goals for 2010 :)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Race Report: California International Marathon
Hello? Hello? Is anyone still out there?
OK, I know I have been a bad blogger. This might actually be my longest gap between posts. Well, let me catch you up. I ran a marathon!
A Little Background
A year ago, I listed my 2009 race targets and I specifically stated that I would try to hit my sub-5:00 marathon goal (a PR of 25 minutes) at the California International Marathon. So easy to make such goals when they're a year away, right?
And what a year it was... I spent most of 2009 purely doing races for FUN. No time goals at all and wow, did it show. I got muddy a couple of times and then spent the summer and fall doing a bunch of half marathons where I repeatedly hit new personal worsts. But again, most of them were for fun so I wasn't surprised by the outcomes. At the same time, I realized PRs of any kind were not very likely.
The "Training"
I basically was in denial about CIM and anything related to training for a full marathon (which I had not done for almost two years). I spent the summer training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon which was held in mid-October. After that, I knew I couldn't ignore it any longer - I had only 7 weeks to train for CIM!
I whipped together a Runners World-based training plan and I tried to follow it... OK, who am I kidding? I totally blew it off. I averaged about two runs a week. I literally walked almost half of my 16 miler. My 20 miler turned into a 14 miler. My paces were not my best. I was definitely doing the bare minimum. And thus, I had such low expectations for CIM, assuming I would once again hit a new personal worst.
In my last week of training, things surprisingly started to turn around because yay, it got cold! And maybe those long runs were finally starting to kick in, too. The week before the marathon, I was home for Thanksgiving and did the 5 mile Turkey Trot. And surprisingly, I did better than I did in 2007 when I was fresh off from training for the Chicago and Nike marathons! It had been awhile since I ran with a sub-10:00 pace so I was happy. And then my last long run was a 7 miler (also at home) where I took it easy and had my usual walking breaks. But I was surprised to see my overall pace was still pretty decent (for me, anyway). I guess my running pace was faster than it normally was.
Because of this, I decided to go for it and try to hit sub-5:00 for CIM.
Race Day Eve
I was starting to get a little bit more excited about the marathon once I made the 2 hour drive up to Sacramento. Upon my arrival, I immediately hit the expo. Thanks to Twitter and texting, I was able to meet up with Danica, Maritza, Nicole, and Tara. It was really nice to see some familiar faces, especially since it was the first time I got to meet Nicole :) Awesome group of girls!
Afterward, I checked into my luxurious hotel and relaxed. I totally wanted to nap but I fought it off and instead worked on my marathon playlist while I watched Harry Potter. I also got all my race day gear ready to go. That evening, I loaded on carbs with RoadBunner and her BF. FYI - Pizza is always my carb of choice before race day.
After dinner, I immediately got ready for bed and was finally able to pass out just after 10PM. This never happens as I'm typically a late owl. I guess fighting off that nap worked out well for me!
Race Day
Race morning started at 4AM (I'm still shocked I've never overslept on race day - knock on wood!). Got myself ready to go and met RoadBunner by the lobby a little before 5AM. We had to board a shuttle bus to take us to the start in Folsom and lucky for us, our bus stop was just across the street. We squeezed onto the first bus and were on our way!
As a lot of other runners had mentioned, it was a loooooong bus ride. I'm guessing it took us about 40 minutes on the highway. We arrived at the race start a little before 6AM. RoadBunner and I were not in a rush at all to deal with the freezing weather (literally freezing - I think it was 32 out there) so we just hung out on the bus and figured out our clothing strategy. I think we finally ventured out there at 6:30AM - we hit the potties, checked our bags and then separated to find our pace groups.
I quickly found the 5:00 pace group and met the leader, Barb. I asked her about her pacing style (even splits) and her plans regarding aid stations (on our own because she doesn't stop). I am quite fascinated by Barb - I only ran alongside her for half the race, but I'm pretty sure she did not eat or drink anything during the entire race. She's like a freakish camel of some sort! Apparently, she's also the female recordholder for most ultramarathons under her belt so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.
Off We Go!
I don't know what happened at the race start but I seemed to have missed the whole thing. One second we were standing there getting ready to go, next second it was all "Oh look, they're already running!". Was there a national anthem? A gun? I have no idea. Regardless, off we went!
The first 10 miles or so were pretty uneventful. I was doing OK with staying with my pace group and we were running at a pretty consistent pace. I wasn't sure how long I could keep it up though because I'm one of those runners that likes to take short walk breaks every now and then, especially if I'm going to be out there for a long time. I also managed to skip most of the aid stations and just drank from my fuel belt as we ran. As Barb had advised me, I actually didn't need too much water but I did make sure to take my Gu's every 4 miles or so.
I think it was around mile 11 when I was surprised to hear someone say my name. Sure enough, there was Maritza! It was nice to see her and chat with her for a little bit.
Not too much later, I decided to split from the pace group and go back to Audrey style running. I basically would run at a slightly faster pace than the pace group (which was more comfortable for me) and then take a short walk break at the mile markers. I usually would walk until I could see my pace group and then pick it up again. It worked really well for keeping me on track while still allowing for those walk breaks, which were helpful during the fueling and stuff.
Yeah, I always look out for the race photographers! Here's me "flashing" the photographer to show my bib number.
Too bad I wasn't still smiling when I was right in their focal spot. Oops!
I was very amused that the halfway marker was sponsored by TNT who was promoting their new show, "Men of a Certain Age". I think the banner read "You've Reached the Mid-point" or something like that. Get it??? I was excited because when I crossed the halfway marker, the clock read 2:29 which was a better time than my last three half marathons! And considering I started at least three minutes after the gun start, I was feeling somewhat good about meeting my goal time.
So I did my run/walk thing and it was working pretty well for the next several miles. I was curious how long I could keep it up. I checked my pace from time to time and so far I was OK. Until... I glanced down and my watch was off!!! Grrrr... I had been having problems with my Garmin spontaneously turning off during my training but it had been working OK in my last few long runs so I thought I was OK. Apparently not. I found someone in my pace group that I started with and asked what his watch said and used that to figure out how long my watch had been off. Not an exact science but it would have to do.
Unfortunately, my Garmin was in full flaky mode and turned off at least 5 times during the marathon. Luckily, they had timers at each mile marker that would announce the clock time and the related average pace. I only had that and my position with the 5:00 pace group to check my pace.
Once I got to mile 18, I could tell my legs were losing some steam. I wasn't able to run much faster than the pace group, thus my walk breaks were getting shorter and shorter. I never ran more than 23 miles in a week during training so I knew I would be feeling it in the latter part of the marathon. I tried to hang on but then it all fell apart at what I like to call the...
Debacle at Mile 21
It was freezing cold for most of the marathon but at mile 21, the sun finally started to appear and I felt it was time to shed my long sleeve shirt. I decided to do this at my next walk break. I was wearing a half zip shirt which was my first mistake (always full zip! always!) I'm not sure why I didn't just stop to take it off but for some reason I thought I could easily slip it off over my hat, over my ear buds, over my fat Garmin while walking with no problems at all. WRONG! First it got stuck on the rim of my hat. So my hat came off as did my ponytail. And even though my ear buds were under the long sleeve shirt, they still somehow got tangled up and got unplugged from my iPod which was tucked deep into the built in pocket of my running capris. When I finally managed to get the shirt off, I realized my Garmin had turned off. AGAIN. I, basically, was a mess. So I eventually pulled over to the side to put myself back together again :P Meanwhile, guess who passed me by? Yep, the 5:00 pace group. Drats!
I finally got going again but it was a huge bummer to be trailing the group that I had been staying ahead of for most of the race. I kept trying to catch them but it was just too hard at that stage of the game. I still had them in sight for a little bit, which was somewhat comforting.
Post costume change:
Eventually, I lost sight of my pace group and with that, I had assumed my chance of hitting sub-5:00 was gone. My legs were getting more and more tired so I took a few extra walking breaks. Even though I was bummed about not hitting my goal, I was still pretty happy that I would be getting a PR anyway. It's been awhile since I've had that feeling!
Around mile 25, I once again heard someone say my name. Sure enough, there was Roadbunner and her BF on the sidelines! It was so nice to see them (although I was slightly jealous that she was already done, haha!) and I really think it helped me push through the last 1.2 miles. Here are the pics they took:
Once I made that last turn, the finish line was right in sight and I was completely shocked that the clock still started with a 4!!! I seriously was all, "What the what???" As I "sprinted" to cross that finish line, I saw good ole Barb standing to the side slapping hands with us runners. I don't know if she remembered me, but I was so excited to see her, yelling "Hey Barb! I did it!!!"
(I knew she had been banking time, I just didn't realize how much! I am dying to know when she actually did hit that finish line. I'm guessing around 4:50.)
Crossing the finish line! So happy that even my clock time is sub-5:00 :)
Ta-daaaaaa!
Official chip time: 4:54:49
(Just as a reminder, that would be, ahem, a 30 minute PR!!!)
While I was stretching, I started checking out Twitter to see how everyone else had done. And I don't know if it was because I was already so exhausted, but I practically started tearing up at seeing tweets like this:
I've never been so touched to be "stalked" before. Thank you girls!!!
Right before I left, I made sure to get a pic with the capitol. Happy Holidays!
On the way out, I ran into Maritza, Nicole, and Tara again. It was nice to see them and chat about the race for a bit before I headed back to my hotel. The manager was so nice to allow me a late late checkout so that I could shower before my 2 hour drive home.
Overall, I liked CIM and would definitely recommend to a fellow runner. You're pretty much guaranteed perfect running temps which is very important to me. The scenery isn't awesome but I kind of liked the small-ish, hometown feel of the race. And don't let the website fool you, this did not feel like a fast, downhill course. There are lots and lots of hills. Maybe not Nike hills, but they are there.
Final Thoughts
I am thrilled to finally hit my sub-5:00 goal. I really couldn't care less how I do in future marathons. But I'll admit that I hit my goal mostly by luck. Who knows how well I could have done if I actually followed a real training plan? (Something also brought to my attention by Roadbunner, heehee) And sure, I probably am capable of something much faster than 4:55 BUT if I'm being honest with myself, I am not a fan of training. (I just like the thrill of the actual race day!) So with that, I'm happy with what I have accomplished.
Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday and thank you so much to those that actually read my entire blog post :D Hopefully, it won't be three months until the next one!
OK, I know I have been a bad blogger. This might actually be my longest gap between posts. Well, let me catch you up. I ran a marathon!
A Little Background
A year ago, I listed my 2009 race targets and I specifically stated that I would try to hit my sub-5:00 marathon goal (a PR of 25 minutes) at the California International Marathon. So easy to make such goals when they're a year away, right?
And what a year it was... I spent most of 2009 purely doing races for FUN. No time goals at all and wow, did it show. I got muddy a couple of times and then spent the summer and fall doing a bunch of half marathons where I repeatedly hit new personal worsts. But again, most of them were for fun so I wasn't surprised by the outcomes. At the same time, I realized PRs of any kind were not very likely.
The "Training"
I basically was in denial about CIM and anything related to training for a full marathon (which I had not done for almost two years). I spent the summer training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon which was held in mid-October. After that, I knew I couldn't ignore it any longer - I had only 7 weeks to train for CIM!
I whipped together a Runners World-based training plan and I tried to follow it... OK, who am I kidding? I totally blew it off. I averaged about two runs a week. I literally walked almost half of my 16 miler. My 20 miler turned into a 14 miler. My paces were not my best. I was definitely doing the bare minimum. And thus, I had such low expectations for CIM, assuming I would once again hit a new personal worst.
In my last week of training, things surprisingly started to turn around because yay, it got cold! And maybe those long runs were finally starting to kick in, too. The week before the marathon, I was home for Thanksgiving and did the 5 mile Turkey Trot. And surprisingly, I did better than I did in 2007 when I was fresh off from training for the Chicago and Nike marathons! It had been awhile since I ran with a sub-10:00 pace so I was happy. And then my last long run was a 7 miler (also at home) where I took it easy and had my usual walking breaks. But I was surprised to see my overall pace was still pretty decent (for me, anyway). I guess my running pace was faster than it normally was.
Because of this, I decided to go for it and try to hit sub-5:00 for CIM.
Race Day Eve
I was starting to get a little bit more excited about the marathon once I made the 2 hour drive up to Sacramento. Upon my arrival, I immediately hit the expo. Thanks to Twitter and texting, I was able to meet up with Danica, Maritza, Nicole, and Tara. It was really nice to see some familiar faces, especially since it was the first time I got to meet Nicole :) Awesome group of girls!
Afterward, I checked into my luxurious hotel and relaxed. I totally wanted to nap but I fought it off and instead worked on my marathon playlist while I watched Harry Potter. I also got all my race day gear ready to go. That evening, I loaded on carbs with RoadBunner and her BF. FYI - Pizza is always my carb of choice before race day.
After dinner, I immediately got ready for bed and was finally able to pass out just after 10PM. This never happens as I'm typically a late owl. I guess fighting off that nap worked out well for me!
Race Day
Race morning started at 4AM (I'm still shocked I've never overslept on race day - knock on wood!). Got myself ready to go and met RoadBunner by the lobby a little before 5AM. We had to board a shuttle bus to take us to the start in Folsom and lucky for us, our bus stop was just across the street. We squeezed onto the first bus and were on our way!
As a lot of other runners had mentioned, it was a loooooong bus ride. I'm guessing it took us about 40 minutes on the highway. We arrived at the race start a little before 6AM. RoadBunner and I were not in a rush at all to deal with the freezing weather (literally freezing - I think it was 32 out there) so we just hung out on the bus and figured out our clothing strategy. I think we finally ventured out there at 6:30AM - we hit the potties, checked our bags and then separated to find our pace groups.
I quickly found the 5:00 pace group and met the leader, Barb. I asked her about her pacing style (even splits) and her plans regarding aid stations (on our own because she doesn't stop). I am quite fascinated by Barb - I only ran alongside her for half the race, but I'm pretty sure she did not eat or drink anything during the entire race. She's like a freakish camel of some sort! Apparently, she's also the female recordholder for most ultramarathons under her belt so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.
Off We Go!
I don't know what happened at the race start but I seemed to have missed the whole thing. One second we were standing there getting ready to go, next second it was all "Oh look, they're already running!". Was there a national anthem? A gun? I have no idea. Regardless, off we went!
The first 10 miles or so were pretty uneventful. I was doing OK with staying with my pace group and we were running at a pretty consistent pace. I wasn't sure how long I could keep it up though because I'm one of those runners that likes to take short walk breaks every now and then, especially if I'm going to be out there for a long time. I also managed to skip most of the aid stations and just drank from my fuel belt as we ran. As Barb had advised me, I actually didn't need too much water but I did make sure to take my Gu's every 4 miles or so.
I think it was around mile 11 when I was surprised to hear someone say my name. Sure enough, there was Maritza! It was nice to see her and chat with her for a little bit.
Not too much later, I decided to split from the pace group and go back to Audrey style running. I basically would run at a slightly faster pace than the pace group (which was more comfortable for me) and then take a short walk break at the mile markers. I usually would walk until I could see my pace group and then pick it up again. It worked really well for keeping me on track while still allowing for those walk breaks, which were helpful during the fueling and stuff.
Yeah, I always look out for the race photographers! Here's me "flashing" the photographer to show my bib number.
Too bad I wasn't still smiling when I was right in their focal spot. Oops!
I was very amused that the halfway marker was sponsored by TNT who was promoting their new show, "Men of a Certain Age". I think the banner read "You've Reached the Mid-point" or something like that. Get it??? I was excited because when I crossed the halfway marker, the clock read 2:29 which was a better time than my last three half marathons! And considering I started at least three minutes after the gun start, I was feeling somewhat good about meeting my goal time.
So I did my run/walk thing and it was working pretty well for the next several miles. I was curious how long I could keep it up. I checked my pace from time to time and so far I was OK. Until... I glanced down and my watch was off!!! Grrrr... I had been having problems with my Garmin spontaneously turning off during my training but it had been working OK in my last few long runs so I thought I was OK. Apparently not. I found someone in my pace group that I started with and asked what his watch said and used that to figure out how long my watch had been off. Not an exact science but it would have to do.
Unfortunately, my Garmin was in full flaky mode and turned off at least 5 times during the marathon. Luckily, they had timers at each mile marker that would announce the clock time and the related average pace. I only had that and my position with the 5:00 pace group to check my pace.
Once I got to mile 18, I could tell my legs were losing some steam. I wasn't able to run much faster than the pace group, thus my walk breaks were getting shorter and shorter. I never ran more than 23 miles in a week during training so I knew I would be feeling it in the latter part of the marathon. I tried to hang on but then it all fell apart at what I like to call the...
Debacle at Mile 21
It was freezing cold for most of the marathon but at mile 21, the sun finally started to appear and I felt it was time to shed my long sleeve shirt. I decided to do this at my next walk break. I was wearing a half zip shirt which was my first mistake (always full zip! always!) I'm not sure why I didn't just stop to take it off but for some reason I thought I could easily slip it off over my hat, over my ear buds, over my fat Garmin while walking with no problems at all. WRONG! First it got stuck on the rim of my hat. So my hat came off as did my ponytail. And even though my ear buds were under the long sleeve shirt, they still somehow got tangled up and got unplugged from my iPod which was tucked deep into the built in pocket of my running capris. When I finally managed to get the shirt off, I realized my Garmin had turned off. AGAIN. I, basically, was a mess. So I eventually pulled over to the side to put myself back together again :P Meanwhile, guess who passed me by? Yep, the 5:00 pace group. Drats!
I finally got going again but it was a huge bummer to be trailing the group that I had been staying ahead of for most of the race. I kept trying to catch them but it was just too hard at that stage of the game. I still had them in sight for a little bit, which was somewhat comforting.
Post costume change:
Eventually, I lost sight of my pace group and with that, I had assumed my chance of hitting sub-5:00 was gone. My legs were getting more and more tired so I took a few extra walking breaks. Even though I was bummed about not hitting my goal, I was still pretty happy that I would be getting a PR anyway. It's been awhile since I've had that feeling!
Around mile 25, I once again heard someone say my name. Sure enough, there was Roadbunner and her BF on the sidelines! It was so nice to see them (although I was slightly jealous that she was already done, haha!) and I really think it helped me push through the last 1.2 miles. Here are the pics they took:
Once I made that last turn, the finish line was right in sight and I was completely shocked that the clock still started with a 4!!! I seriously was all, "What the what???" As I "sprinted" to cross that finish line, I saw good ole Barb standing to the side slapping hands with us runners. I don't know if she remembered me, but I was so excited to see her, yelling "Hey Barb! I did it!!!"
(I knew she had been banking time, I just didn't realize how much! I am dying to know when she actually did hit that finish line. I'm guessing around 4:50.)
Crossing the finish line! So happy that even my clock time is sub-5:00 :)
Ta-daaaaaa!
Official chip time: 4:54:49
(Just as a reminder, that would be, ahem, a 30 minute PR!!!)
While I was stretching, I started checking out Twitter to see how everyone else had done. And I don't know if it was because I was already so exhausted, but I practically started tearing up at seeing tweets like this:
I've never been so touched to be "stalked" before. Thank you girls!!!
Right before I left, I made sure to get a pic with the capitol. Happy Holidays!
On the way out, I ran into Maritza, Nicole, and Tara again. It was nice to see them and chat about the race for a bit before I headed back to my hotel. The manager was so nice to allow me a late late checkout so that I could shower before my 2 hour drive home.
Overall, I liked CIM and would definitely recommend to a fellow runner. You're pretty much guaranteed perfect running temps which is very important to me. The scenery isn't awesome but I kind of liked the small-ish, hometown feel of the race. And don't let the website fool you, this did not feel like a fast, downhill course. There are lots and lots of hills. Maybe not Nike hills, but they are there.
Final Thoughts
I am thrilled to finally hit my sub-5:00 goal. I really couldn't care less how I do in future marathons. But I'll admit that I hit my goal mostly by luck. Who knows how well I could have done if I actually followed a real training plan? (Something also brought to my attention by Roadbunner, heehee) And sure, I probably am capable of something much faster than 4:55 BUT if I'm being honest with myself, I am not a fan of training. (I just like the thrill of the actual race day!) So with that, I'm happy with what I have accomplished.
Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday and thank you so much to those that actually read my entire blog post :D Hopefully, it won't be three months until the next one!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The winner of the Nike lottery is...
Kristen from It's not the Destination . . . It is the Journey.
Loved all the suggestions for the PowerSongs! I only had some of them so I can't wait to add more tunes to my running mix :)
Kristen - hope to meet you at the Nike race!
Thanks to all for participating!
Loved all the suggestions for the PowerSongs! I only had some of them so I can't wait to add more tunes to my running mix :)
Kristen - hope to meet you at the Nike race!
Thanks to all for participating!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Do you want to run the Nike Women's Marathon?
So I have a dilemma... because of my participation with the Nike club runs in SF, I am now in possession of one entry code that will get you access to a highly coveted spot in the sold out Nike Women's Marathon being held in San Francisco on October 18th. What should I do with this? Does anyone want this?
NOTE: You still have to pay the registration fee ($100 for the half, not sure what it is for the full) - I can only offer the registration code that will allow you to purchase the race entry and secure your spot. Yes, it's pricey but I definitely think it's worth it!
You can run either the half or the full. I will be running the half. The half is walker friendly as well. I love this event and this will be my fourth year running it. You can read last year's race report here.
So if you want to run a beautiful course and be given a Tiffany necklace by a handsome fireman at the finish line, here's what you should do:
Post a comment below and in the spirit of Nike, tell me your current favorite PowerSong. I'll then use those random number selector things to pick a winner.
I will accept entries until Wed, September 30th, 11:59PM PST. I will contact the winner by Thursday morning. Winner must register using the code by Sunday, October 4th (last day for registrations!)
Good luck!
Monday, September 14, 2009
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