Race Report: Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon

A month or two ago, I decided it would be a good idea to run the Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon as a tune up for the Big Sur Marathon, which is coming up April 24th. Up until the morning of the race, I hadn't really decided how to approach it, however. Marathon pace? Try to race it? What do those even mean? Ack!

The last half I raced was in October 2012, about 8 weeks out from the California International Marathon, and 2 weeks before I broke my leg. I finished in 1:39:43 and was very pleased. Fast forward to fall 2014, when I was finally able to train for the City of Oaks Marathon, and ran the Bull City Race Fest Half as a tune up. At the time, I had the same quandary as with Wrightsville: what does race pace mean for me right now? I finished that race in 1:46:23.

Fancy new singlet! Yay!

So, back to Wrightsville. As Big Sur is a hilly marathon, and my mileage base was absent leading up to this training cycle (you guessed it, injury), I have opted to focus on quality miles and some hills over dedicating the time to track workouts. Is this a good strategy? I'm not sure. I do know that I'm unlikely to run fast at Big Sur due to the killer hills and killer views, so neglecting track is what I'm going with.

My tempo-ish runs have been in the 8:30 range, and my long runs have been pretty strong, so I was confident that I could likely hold 8:15 for the half. I know, not fast, but that is where I am. Could I do faster? Maybe. Ellen and Anna were planning on marathon pace or faster, so I decided to go out with them to see what I could do. 

Going out too fast? Yeah, kinda. But it sure felt good. It was rainy and cold, but it sure felt nice to keep a pace well under 8:00 for the first time in a while (i.e. since I was 28). I was a bit stressed about going too fast, and quickly succumbed to the (very slight) hill on the Trask Drawbridge, slowing down ever so slightly and falling behind my fast friends at the mile 3.3 Wolf Pack aid station. 

Mile 1: 7:53

Mile 2: 7:46

Mile 3: 7:46 

For the next several miles, I still managed to keep my pace under/right at 8:00. I felt fine. I had Ellen and Anna, and their lovely BCTC singlets, in my sights for some of this time. 

Mile 4: 7:48

Mile 5: 7:58

Mile 6: 8:02

Mile 7: 8:03

Up until the halfway point(ish), I really felt that I would be able to pull off an 8:00 per mile pace, which I was pretty excited about. I've doubted my fitness and ability as a runner since I began trying to come back from my broken leg in early 2013. It has been tough to build speed when I'm constantly having some recurring issues. I digress. 

To further digress, I was pretty starving by the time we got to dinner on Saturday. I hadn't brought enough snacks, and didn't bother to buy any before dinner. I was hungry when I woke up before the race, and still felt hungry after eating my oatmeal. Even after a Gu at mile 4 or so, I didn't feel properly fueled. At about the 8 mile mark, I started to feel nauseous. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly slowed me down.

Mile 8: 8:11

Mile 9: 8:15

Mile 10: 8:08

I kept at it, took another Gu, and hoped for the best. When we were winding out of Landfall, the 1:45 pace group swallowed me up. I'm not a big fan of pace groups. I seem to get caught up in them and can't find my way out. Needless to say, I wasn't upset when I wrenched my way free, aside from the fact that they passed me, taking with them my hope of a strong (for me) finish. I slogged out onto the main road, into the headwind, and ran a few disappointing miles to the finish. 

Mile 11: 8:26

Mile 12: 8:19

Mile 13: 8:27

I had enough left to put some gas into the finish, and was happy to be done. 1:46:59 for an official pace of 8:10/mile, or 8:04 according to my watch (which said I ran 13.27). Either way, it was just about 25 seconds shy of my fall 2014 Race Fest finish, and not too shabby for my lack of trackwork. I'm not thrilled, but I'm happy to have run a decent workout with lovely friends, and stuffed my face with good food over the weekend. 

Onward to Big Sur!

Race Report: Charleston Half Marathon

As you may remember, I registered for the Charleston Marathon quite some time ago, around the same time I registered for the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon. Eleven weeks apart was no problem to this non-planning, sometimes injured runner. Well, Raleigh came and went, and I limped away with a sore hip that just won't quit. I decided to step it back and run the half at Charleston, and try not to make things worse.

Switching down to the half allowed me to not feel so bad when my runs around the holidays were less consistent, and when I took a few extra days off after driving 12 hours to/from Michigan (wow, did that make my hip sore!). It also allowed me to not make a real plan, and arrive at the starting line with a vague idea of what I wanted to do that day.

My initial thought was, of course, to run fast. I knew close to my PR (1:39) wasn't happening, but maybe 1:45? Luckily, I thought better of that plan, and settled on something closer to 1:50.

Amy, Lara and I before the race.

Searching the crowd Saturday morning, I found Lara and Amy, ready to run Amy to a new PR. The goal was a few comfortable minutes past my 1:50 idea, so I decided running a 1:55 with friends would be a much more fun time than potentially struggling through a 1:50 alone.

The first few miles of the course were very pretty, along the waterfront and historic section of Charleston. We ran through the shopping district on King Street, where I started in envy at the latte-clutching spectators. Someday, I'd like to have a coffee mug that I can run with.

After maybe mile 6, the course gets not so scenic, which may have contributed to Lara backing off a bit. Amy and I chugged along, hitting or exceeding the pace for a 1:55 finish every mile.

But... we noticed that our miles were not matching up with the course markers... at all. After about mile two, our watched beeped exactly .3 miles before the mile marker was posted. And so did everyone else's. Since I wasn't going for a PR, I didn't think much of it, and chalked it up to someone putting the signs in the wrong place. But the mistakes continued all the way through the finish line, where we hit 13.4. Let's just say Amy was not pleased.

We finished just under 1:55, for an average of around 8:33 per mile for the 13.4 distance. Shiny PR for Amy, frothy beer for Kendra! Lara came in soon after, and we found our guys up to no good cheering us on at the finish.

As for the extra distance, lo and behold, the lead car took us down the wrong street in the first few miles, adding distance. To the race's credit, they are certifying the course we ran and adjusting our times soon. I know Amy will be happy with an even shinier new PR!

We had a great weekend in Charleston, and I had a fun time running a race with friends! Cheers!

Race Report: Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon

This medal is almost as big as my face!

I came, I saw, I conquered? 

No, that isn't accurate.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times?

No, though more accurate. I think I'll go with a gem from James Joyce:

Mistakes are the portals of discovery.

On Sunday, November 2 (two years and eleven days after breaking my leg), I finished the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon in 3:57:55. This finish was not my goal (meeting my PR of 3:50), but another finish under four hours is always welcomed. Here is how it happened.

I set out in the 42 degree chill at 7AM, planning to run around 8:45 for the first half of the race and speed up later if I could. 8:45 put me exactly on track for a 3:50 finish, and didn't seem too far fetched considering my training. I wish I had my Garmin summary so I could be more accurate, but that was lost in the ether when I tried to upload it.

I ran the first eight miles around 8:25 to 8:30, too fast as always. I felt great. It seemed that there were more downhills than up, or at least the uphills weren't as bad as I'd anticipated. I stuck to my nutrition plan (for maybe the first time ever!), having a Gu or Clif Bloks at two miles, then every five miles after. I drank water, but not too much.

Around miles 9 through 11, I slowed a bit, to 8:45 to 9:00 or so. More hills had appeared. I still felt fine, and felt good about being closer to my goal pace. I continued right around 8:45 through the half marathon point, and reached the 15 mile marker, where Neil was waiting, two minutes ahead of target.

The first half or so of the race snakes through downtown Raleigh, which was very exciting to run through. I especially enjoyed passing all of the historical markers at a pace that allowed me to actually read them for once. After heading out of downtown, the race hits the Greenway, where I knew to expect both beautiful scenery and some killer hills.

Heading out along the Greenway, the course goes past Meredith College toward the North Carolina Museum of Art. I realized early on in this segment that being in downtown had been shielding some not insignificant wind, which was now making the run a bit more challenging. No matter, I felt fine.

Unfortunately for me and my grand plans, just after I hit the 16 mile mark, my right hip started screaming with pain. Right hip? But I thought the left was the injured leg? Well, the series of injuries (both my broken leg and an earlier car accident in June 2012) have caused me to favor my left, putting strain on my right. As a result, my right hip is soooo tight that I can barely sit cross-legged. During mile 16, I thought I'd quit when I got back to the spot I'd seen Neil, which would be mile 20. Through 17 and 18, I thought I might stop at the next aid station and quit there. I was going well past 9:00 per mile, and was crossing my fingers that the pain didn't indicate permanent damage.

Luckily, by mile 19 or so the sharp shooting pain retreated a bit, and I was able to speed up. Still hurting, but much less so. Needless to say, my 3:50 goal had flown the coop.

Coming in to the 20 mile mark.

Seeing Neil at mile 20 was a relief, and helped me slog on back towards downtown along the Greenway. Mile 22 brought the worst hill, but I was expecting it. (Side note: The San Francisco Marathon is way hiller than this race.) We exited the Greenway after Meredith College, and made our way along a short out before turing back and heading into downtown.

The last few miles were tough, but I knew I still had a chance at a sub-4:00 finish. I reeeaallly didn't want to go over 4:00. I'll forgive my terrible first marathon, and even my 4:02 at Rome (due to a packed course that stopped dead several times), but I will not accept another finish over 4:00! My strategy involved math right before every mile marker, subtracting the appropriate number of miles from 26.2 and calculating that, at each mile, I could run as slow as 10:00 miles and still make it.

Make it, I did. I crossed the finish in a bit over 3:58 gun time, and headed over to Neil just past the finish. He helped me grab my sweat check bag, and helped me limp to the food area, where I downed a donut and two pieces of pizza before grabbing my delicious Lonerider Peacemaker Pale Ale.

Almost there!

So, getting back to the quote I began with, what mistakes did I make, and what did I discover? My main mistakes, as always, centered around not doing enough PT, both for my injuries and for preventative maintenance. I didn't really foam roll that much. I taped my leg religiously, but that wasn't enough. If I want to continue to run marathons and not feel like my leg is about to fall off, I need to stick to an aggressive stretching and strength regimen that deals with my hip and joint issues. Lesson learned!

Now, to decide if I have enough time to remedy these issues before my next marathon, which is January 17th!

Race Report: Bull City Race Fest Half Marathon

The reward: A shiny new metal and a koozie to boot!

My return to racing is complete! I ran my first road half marathon on Sunday, slightly shy of two years after I broke my leg and derailed my running obsession. While it wasn't my fastest half marathon, it does rank 4th out of my 12 attempts, despite being the hilliest road half I've done yet!

It would be an understatement to say that I was nervous leading up to the Bull City Race Fest on Sunday. I've been less than confident about my training, after a few small setbacks and generally feeling the cumulative fatigue big time throughout the past month or so. Not having raced for two years, I was a bit rusty on race strategy, and was wondering how fast I should go and what I should eat.

I showed up in my shiny new Bull City Track Club singlet at 6:30 on Sunday, found the lovely array of Port-A-Johns as they are called here, and then found some friendly faces. As 7:30 approached, I ditched my jacket and headed for the start line.

My original plan, being two weeks from marathon day and all, was to run this as a tempo run, so around 8:20-8:25 per mile. My marathon goal will be somewhere in the 8:40/mile range (I think), so that has been my tempo pace. On Saturday night, after thinking about my numerous long runs under 8:20 so far, I figured that I could go faster. I decided on 8:00 or so for the first half, with the goal of dropping down to 7:50 or so for the second half.

The race started, and it was a fast start! I clocked a few miles under 7:55, and felt fine, so I figured I'd go with it. It felt manageable. Knowing that the race is supposed to be hilly, I assumed that I would lose those banked seconds later anyway.

The first eight miles felt fine. The course seemed to this flatlander to be rolling hills, and I seemed to take them all in stride. Around mile eight, I felt a bit tired, and queasy. That passed, as did a slightly slower mile. No matter, I had this one.

Once miles nine and ten came, I realized that I had arrived in the hill zone. I just couldn't seem to get back up to speed at the top of each hill before I hit the next one. The few downhills helped, but I still logged several 8:30 miles.

I had enough left in the tank to finish strong-ish, but with seriously aching feet. That one was new for me, and has me a bit worried for the marathon. I decided to take today off, since my left foot still doesn't feel right. I hope it is better by tomorrow, because I need to get back to it!

All in all, the Bull City Race Fest half marathon did not disappoint. It was fun to run through Durham, actually through several places that I've done many of my solo shorter runs on since moving here. I wouldn't mind to try my hand at a flat half right now, to see how my fitness compares to two years ago, but I think I performed well, considering.

Final result: 1:46:23, or 8:07/mile.

Race Report: Tar Heel 10 Miler

This post is a bit belated; running this morning's NCRC Half Marathon reminded me I was delinquint. Better late than never...

Not finding any half marathons with openings in April or May, I settled on the Tar Heel 10 Miler for my first "real race" since breaking my leg and not really running for a year and a half. Being in late April, I had the tail end of March and half of April to get my mileage up.

I picked up with the Bull City Running Group, a nice group of (mainly) women who run from the South Durham area, usually from Bull City Running Company. The standard is 8 miles at 8 every Saturday. I managed that, plus 2-3 days of 3-5 miles during the week, without needing to backtrack or stop completely like this time last year.

With school and rugby, Neil wasn't able to run as much, but came out for the 8 miles most weekends. We decided not to push it too much at the race, but aim for 8:45 to 9:00 average pace. Of course, I wanted to go faster, but I mostly wanted us to run together.

We started out at the Bell Tower on UNC Chapel Hill's campus at 7:30 on April 26th, and easily settled into our goal pace. In fact, despite rolling hills through Chapel Hill, I pushed us a bit faster. Once we started doing sub-8:30 miles, I stopped telling Neil our splits, so that he wouldn't think I was having us go too fast. I knew we could do it.

The Tar Heel 10 Miler is known for the Laurel Hill Challenge, which is a section near the end of the race that is allegedly a hill a mile long. In our estimation, it is a mile and a half of uphill, with some short flatish sections. In either case, there is a chip timing mat at the start and finish of this section, so you know your pace for that section, plus your overall pace at the end of the race.

The race winds through UNC's campus, and through some very nice neighborhoods in Chapel Hill. It finished in the stadium on campus, which reminded me of the Shamrock'n Half Marathon, my very fist half marathon, in West Sacramento.

Nearing the stadium, we sped up, and finished in 1:26:34, or 8:39 average per mile. Our pace for the Laurel Hill section was 9:39, so not too bad for a few flatlanders on a long hill!

Throughout the race, I felt like I could go faster. I didn't, because I wanted to run with Neil. But I knew that I could do a bit more. Two days later, this ambition pushed me to register for the NCRC Classic Half Marathon, set to be my first half marathon since October 2012! Exciting!

My Garmin details for the race:

Race Report: NCRC Classic Half Marathon

After about a month of running about four days a week, with 8 miles every Saturday, I started itching to run a race. Several reasons: to see what I could do, to see how I would fare on the hills, and really to know how far I still had to go to "be back" from my injury. Neil and I had signed up for the Tar Heel 10 Miler, but since we'd be running together, I felt it would be a good test of my abilities.

The trouble is, I couldn't find any late spring or early summer races that were close by and didn't cost an arm and a leg. I settled on a fall half.

Fast forward a few weeks to mid-April. Neil and I ran the Tar Heel 10 Miler. He hadn't been running too much, mainly just the Saturday 8 milers and weekdays when he could. School and rugby take priority. We had planned to run together, so I settled on an achievable goal of 8:45 per mile average. I wanted to be closer to 8:30, but didn't want to go too fast, for both of our sakes.

To make a long story short (and I need to write a race report still anyway), I kept us under 8:45. We finished in 1:26, at an average of 8:39 including the 1.5 mile hill towards the end. And I'd felt like I could have gone faster, and further.

I needed a race. Soon. To test myself.

Coming in for the finish. Photo credit: Kate F.

Luckily, several of the ladies I run with on Saturdays had decided (after watching Boston) to run the NCRC Classic Half Marathon, which I didn't know existed. So I signed up.

The race came early this morning, with carpool from Lara's at 6. I initially wavered, thinking I'd run with the group. Just doing the 13.1 would be a test. The starting gun sounded, and my body made the decision for me. I went for it.

First off, the course is beautiful. The race is mostly inside Umstead State Park, which has a fairly even bridle trail that is small gravel most of the time, larger stones some of the time. The course is shaded by lush green trees, with the forest all around. The rolling hills, and several steeper hills, pose a challenge, but that seems to be par for the course in this part of North Carolina.

My goal had been 8:30 to 8:45 like the last race, but I not-so-secretly wanted to go faster. You know, testing myself and coming home with a PR would be nice. Knowing that would not be happening, I thought anything under 8:30 average would be a nice result.

The early hills were a bit challenging, but aside from a minor side cramp I did better than anticipated. I even maintained a pace that allowed me to pass the 1:50 pace group for a time. Leading up towards the halfway mark, more than a mile of hill slowed me down. The 1:50 group overtook me; though I hung on for a while, they left me behind around mile 8 or so.

One of my main "findings" from my test is that my hips are tight. Really tight. At some points, I felt as though they would just pop out of the sockets if I sat cross-legged on the ground. I need to work on flexibility in a major way if I want to make it "all the way back" to pre-leg-break fitness.

In the final miles, motivated by beautiful scenery and generally feeling good, I pushed through at a decent pace. Not sure what it was because the pretty trees gave my Garmin a hard time, but in the upper 8 minute per mile to low 9 minute per mile range. With some early quick miles banked, that seemed fine.

I turned the last corner, saw 1:54 on the clock, and sprinted in for a not-too-shabby 1:54:27. Good enough for 5th in my age group, of 58. Not a PR by any means, but a decent finish for a hilly race on cautious, low-mileage training with no speedwork.

I think I have my work cut out for me for my fall race schedule!!

In case you're interested, here is my Garmin snapshot:

Don't Stop Believin'

Thanksgiving morning, a few miles north of Detroit. The temperature read 22 degrees Fahrenheit. We bundled up and drove to Cobo Hall in downtown and prepare to run. For the hour before the race, we waited in Cobo Hall to stay warm, then headed out onto the streets around 8:15AM.

It was actively snowing, and there is a good amount of snow and ice on the ground!

My first 5k since breaking my leg, I ran in a crowd of 11,000 (22,000 for both the 5 and 10k), on snow filled icy streets. I think the temperature maxed out at 23 degrees. It was absolutely beautiful. 

Downtown Detroit has such pretty old buildings, and the crowd waiting for the Thanksgiving parade cheered for the runners while they waited. We had decided not to try for any time, which was a good call since there was black ice. 

We came in at 28:33, my third slowest 5k time. We had a blast! It was great running with Neil, seeing a new city, and hanging out with Neil and Judy before the race, making fun of people in turkey hats.

I think next year, I'll try the Drumstick Double, where you run the 10k then the 5k...

Race Report: Urban Cow Half Marathon

I was a little nervous going into the Urban Cow Half Marathon yesterday morning. It is well into CIM training season, so this race would be a great test of my fitness. But have I trained enough? If my training is going well, I should easily PR, and potential break 1:40. But if my 7:51 average pace for the Buffalo Stampede two weeks ago is any indication, I would be hard pressed to PR...

I started the race, thinking about a 7:37 pace (to get in at 1:40). I ran the first few miles well under that, closer to 7:20. Early in the race, we took a left turn towards the Sacramento Zoo. A fellow Buffalo Chip mentioned that we were off-course, that we had turned onto the 5k course. Trusting the race organizers, I assumed he was wrong, until we rounded the last part of the loop, met back up with the rest of Wave 1, and saw a second 1 mile marker. Already, a little over a mile into the race, I knew I wouldn't PR due to the extra distance.

At first, I was pissed. I wanted the test, I thought a PR might be in the cards if my training has been as good as I think it has. But thanks to a mistake by someone else, I wouldn't get that test. This made me go faster.

After a few minutes, I realized that the race could still be a test. Usually I start to regulate my speed, after going out too fast, so that I can not bonk towards the end and slow down too much (which I tend to do). My plan became keeping up as fast as I could manage for the distance, without worrying about bonking. It would be a test of how far I could run around the 7:30 mark, or lower if I could manage. I stopped really checking my watch, or worrying about total elapsed time.

Despite the disappointment that I wouldn't end up with a comparable time or a PR, I enjoyed the race, and the challenge of a 14 or so mile tempo run. It is at least a good Sunday long run!

I came in strong, with a time of 1:44 for 13.85 miles (on my Garmin). After consulting a few Chips, most found a 4 and a half minute difference, which would have put my at a PR, and under 1:40. I was a bit disappointed that it wouldn't be official, but happy with my performance on my "test."

This morning, Capitol Road Race Management announced they had recalculated the times for Wave 1 participants based on the measured distance of 13.74. That made my time 1:39:43, a PR and under 1:40! While I would feel better about a PR achieved without calculations after the fact, I am happy to be the owner of a new PR, and happy that I achieved my goals!

A Good Week

After returning from six days of conferences and a fun weekend sandwiched in the middle, I felt doughy, lazy, and anxious to kick my training into high gear. A work-filled Wednesday paused my return, but Thursday I got to it.

Tempo Thursday started at 6AM, with a quick run including 3 miles at half. marathon pace. I quickly took off to work for a 7:30 meeting, and was pleasantly surprised that my strategy of baby wipes worked well enough that I didn't feel gross.

Lunchtime yoga followed, and it was a welcome return. After work, climbing rounded our my return to the world of the fit.

Friday I got in a few easy miles, but mostly relaxed and got caught up at work before another out of town trip I'm on today.

Saturday started with what was supposed to be an easy 6. It turned into almost 8, but at least still easy. I went to yoga at 9:30, and man was it challenging. I really like the Saturday instructor at Pipeworks. He is very focused, calls you on your bad form and laziness, much like my favorite spin instructor. Plus, he ends he class with some deep ideas (ones that make you think, not the usual banal stuff).

Running and yoga would have been plenty, especially considering the Buffalo Stampede I was set to run Sunday. But I didn't stop there. I climbed hard until about 1:30, and got excited to try some really challenging routes.

Needless to say, I was spent by the time I went home, nearly 6 hours after starting my workouts!

After all that, I was concerned about how well I would do in the Stampede 10 Miler on Sunday. I started the race with the idea of just running about half marathon pace, maybe 7:45/mile. Of course, my first few miles were under 7:30, I got a little tired and slowed a bit. I saved some energy for the last we miles, and finished strong in 1:18:30, good for second in my age group.

All in all, it was a productive week. Now I need to ramp up weekend mileage and get my weekly count closer to 50.

Miles this week: 33
Total miles in 2012: 1001

Oh, I passed 1000 this week, about three months ahead of that mark last year!

Race Report: Susan B. Anthony 5k

Sometimes, race day comes, I am unprepared, and things go poorly. My inner pessimist usually expects this to happen, no matter what my training. Sometimes, the opposite happens, and I get to enjoy the unexpected success.

Being on the race planning committee for the Buffalo Chips own Susan B. Anthony 5k, I've been excited for this race for months. I have not been training for it, however, and actually went into the race not having run at all in two weeks, and having stopped speedwork maybe a month ago. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much.

To top of my expected perfect storm of bad performance, I haven't gotten back to a normal sleeping schedule since my awesome roadtrip, and my Garmin decided to die this morning. Yes, it was charged to 100% this morning- it just didn't work.

I wasn't expecting a great performance, so I decided to just keep up a steady pace, try to follow someone I know who is about my speed, and just see what I can do on my lack of race-specific training and other circumstances.

I was amazed to actually feel great during the race- no side cramps like at the Women's Fitness Festival. I came across the line in 22:20, just 13 seconds shy of my June PR, and even in this heat (85 degrees maybe). To top things off, the time was good for third in my age group, and let me tell you, the award gift bags Carol and everyone coordinated are awesome!

Most of all, it was great to see so many women and girls out running, having friendly competition, and having fun. This really is a great event for the running community, and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Race Report: San Francisco Marathon

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco on Saturday, clear and cool, and not very windy. The impending race early on Sunday, coupled with being in a different city, made it difficult to get to bed at a time befitting our early start. 

We woke up at 3:30 to get ready for the race- a bit earlier than needed- and went down to the Embarcadero a few minutes after five to get into Corral 3. We passed the long port-a-potty line, and were glad we stayed across the street at the race hotel. We went into our corral and admired the bay in the dark morning, balloons with lights on them stretching across the water.

The first and second waves started, and we worked out way into the crowd to get ready. At 5:42, we started the San Francisco Marathon, working our way down the Embarcadero, up into the Presidio, with the sun rising as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge.

What an exciting landmark to run across! The bridge was clouded in fog, but the bright red of the enormous structure, the water below, and the shores on the Marin side were visible. It was a bit crowded, but not too bad at all. It was fun to see the faster runners doubling back toward San Francisco on the way over, morphing into mid-packers like us as we got closer to Marin. A short loop in Marin, and we headed back across a clearer, brighter bridge.

After the bridge, we continued on through the Presidio. The course thus far had been a challenge, with many steep uphills as well as some steeper downhills, We approached Golden Gate Park, and embarked on a nice tour of the park from a rare vantage point. The rolling hills, this far into the race, felt more and more challenging.

John and I had not planned initially to run together, due to our wildly different training over the past few months. He had been injured prior to running Rome, and has been doing more on the bike and at the gym since then. On the opposite end, I've trained like I've never trained before. But at the start, John said he'd keep up as long as he could. He actually did a fantastic job, staying with me and even helping me get up the hills over the first half of the course. It was great to run together, talk, and enjoy the sights with him.

Right before the mile 18 aid station, John told me that he would likely be slowing a bit, and I should keep going on my goal pace. He stopped for water at the aid station, and I waved goodbye. As I left the park, now alone for the last 8.2 miles, I continued on the pace we'd been going, anticipating the end of the rolling hills in my immediate future.

Out of the park and into the Haight, we did have some significant downhills. But, contrary to what John saw on the course elevation profile, there were uphills! Since I'd thought those were over, I felt it a bit more challenging to keep pace. I also felt my knees and hips tightening, and even started to struggle on the flats and downhills. I slowed from my goal pace for several miles, even topping 9:00 per mile for the first time since our bathroom stop in the park. Eventually, I got close to back on pace, and calculated that I'd still achieve my goal of finishing under 4:00.

I hot some more downhills after 20 miles, and picked it back up a bit. I saw Rachelle and her kids around 21 or so, and it was nice to see a friendly face. As I approached 24, my knees were screaming, but I realized that not only was I likely to beat 4:00, but a PR might be possible as well.

From mile 24 on, I really gave it everything. This was the first race that I actually passed a significant number of people in the last three miles instead of getting passed. I was hurting, but I wanted that PR! As I got to the waterfront, I sped up. It helped that through that stretch, the lead 2nd Half Marathoners started to pass me (about 15 men and one woman), giving me some added motivation. I passed Chris from the Chips shortly before AT&T Park, and was sorry to see that he was suffering from cramping.

From mile 25 on, I sprinted. I left everything out there. Mile 26 was my fastest since mile 11, and my 6th fastest of the race. I screamed past people, even causing some close calls. I had to maneuver around the walking wounded, and several times had to warn people to watch out. In the finishing chute, I nearly got clotheslined and had to get around an idiot who decided to cut me off to high-five spectators, and I nearly slammed into two guys posing for a finish photo before actually crossing the mat! I couldn't believe it.

What I really couldn't believe was that not only did I break 4:00, not only did I PR, but I almost broke 3:50! I came in at 3:50:25, a PR by over six minutes! The PR, on such a significant, meaningful, and challenging course, means so much. Suffice it to say that I really needed this victory, and I am so elated that I achieved everything I wanted to during this race.

John finished in a PR also, in 4:10:29. I unfortunately had marathon brain, went to somewhere other than where we said we'd meet, and didn't see him until I got back to the hotel.

We celebrated our finish with beer and burgers at Rogue Public House in North Beach, overlooking Washington Square Park.

Race Report: Fair Oaks Sun Run

I joined several of the Chips at the Fair Oaks Sun Run last Sunday, and had a great time. It was the first race where I really had an opportunity to warm up and cool down with the group, and that was actually helpful. The extra miles helped me not feel so bad for replacing my long run with a 5 miles race.

The race itself was challenging, but actually pretty fun. It winds through Old Fair Oaks, up and down hills on quiet residential streets. It goes out and back on Sailor Bar, an unkempt potion of the parkway rife with ruts and rocks. The nice part of the Bar- it is mostly flat!

I went out too fast as usual, keeping to my 10k pace for the first two miles of hills. I slowed way down after that, and finished in 41:32, around 8:19 or so average per mile. I felt challenged, so I'm happy with that finish. I wasn't trying to achieve a particular time, so much as get more experience racing on hills. I think that will ultimately help me prepare for the San Francisco marathon.

The best part was lunch after. Some of the Chips met at Denny's, and I had a huge plate of blueberry banana wheat pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes and turkey bacon. Yum! I really enjoy being part of such a fun group.

Here is a race picture:

Crossing the finish line!

Race Report: Zoo Zoom

When I started training for my first marathon, I pretty much threw shorter distance races out the window. Sure, I ran a 5k or two over the past year and a half, but I really focused on the half and full marathon distances. That strategy left me with a pretty old, and pretty dismal, 10k PR from two years ago. On Sunday, I corrected that.

I signed up for the Zoo Zoom 10k a while back, knowing that it would be an easy race about a month after the Rome marathon, and before running a short race on a Sunday would derail my long run plans. I didn't really train for it, but figured that I would PR if I showed up, since my last 10k was the same race in 2010. The good news for me is that I was right!

My old 10k PR, which earned me third place in my age group, was 49:33, or a sad 7:58 per mile. My half marathon PR is faster than that pace now! I did 7:20 per mile overall in the Valentine 4 Miler, so I figured the 7:30 to 7:45 range would be doable. My bottom line, after a PR, was to break 48:00.

I started out too fast as usual, doing my first mile in 7:23. I followed that up with 7:33, 7:43, then hovered in the mid-7:40s for the remainder. I finished strong in 47:42, at 7:42 per mile average. Apparently the field at this race has improved, because this finish only earned my 7th in my division (19-29 for this event), which netted me no hardware.

All told, I'm glad I have a respectable 10k PR, and hope to keep improving. I'm getting more serious about marathon training this time around, so that should help me improve in all distances.

Photo credit: John Blue, Sacramento Running News

Race Report: Maratona di Roma

In front of the Colosseum before the race

All roads lead to Rome, or at least that is what the shirt says. While you may not see all the roads in Rome during this 42,195 m race (or 26.2 mi), you will see many important cultural and historic sites, all while having spectators yell "die, die, die" as you pass. Don't worry, it means something like 'go forth' in Italian.

Aside from the tourist-dream of a race course (what other race can boast sites like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, or Saint Peter's Square?), there are several important things to note about the Rome Marathon. First, the cobblestones. There are only 7k worth, and they really aren't so bad. Second, the narrow roads. Serious and repeated bottlenecks at the start, and some throughout the race as well. Third, and most importantly, the start time. The race starts at 9AM for the wheelchair division and elites. Mortals start closer to 9:10. The late start time, paired with the warm climate of Rome, makes the heat a major drawback. They do provide 'sponging stations' every 5k or so, but the heat gets bad between them on sunny streets when the wind isn't blowing.

This was John's first marathon, and my first marathon outside northern California, so we decided early on in our training to take it easy and enjoy the sights. In late January, John started suffering from a variety of leg ailments, starting with his left foot and culminating in IT band issues. Needless to say, we decided to take this race very easy so that John could finish his first marathon healthy, and we could enjoy our remaining vacation when the race ended.

We started out at the Colosseum, in the midst of nearly 20,000 runners. The initial bottlenecks forced a few complete stops, and had us at a snail's pace for a while. Once we got going, we held a comfortable 3:50 pace, while  we snaked through the city, seeing landmarks like the Pyramid, Castel Sant'Angelo, Saint Peter's Basilica, Piazza Navona, and the Spanish Steps.

The combination of heat, lingering jet lag, and our vacation diet took it's toll by mile 17 or so, and we slowed to about 3:55-3:58 pace. At mile 20, John got the dreaded hamstring cramps, and we stopped to stretch. We threw in a few walk breaks from there to mile 22. At the 22 mark, we were still within reach of a 4:00 finish, if we held around a 9:00 per mile pace. John needed to stretch again, so he (very kindly) encouraged me to try for the 4:00 finish, and he would be close behind.

That 4:00 finish wasn't in the cards for me this time. I just didn't have the strength to power up the unexpected (though admittedly small)  hills in the last two miles. I came in at 4:02:02, with John not far behind in 4:12:27.

All told, we had a great race, together, seeing some beautiful and historic sites along the way. Finishing by circling the Colosseum, and then walking along the road next to some of the most historically significant places I've been to, made the finish all the more meaningful.

John after finishing his first marathon!

Links to our results (with splits at each 5k and video) are at these links: Kendra and John

 My Garmin report, showing the course, is below:

Race Report: Valentine Run

Ah, the Valentine Run. A nice, 4 mile race in an out-of-the-way corner of Sacramento County, all to benefit our friends at Legal Services. This race clashes somewhat with my marathon training, but I went anyway to help raise funds for LSNC and represent the Buffalo Chips in a local race.

Since I am more accustomed to longer-distance races (I hardly did anything less than a half last year), I find it challenging to set goals for a 4 mile race. My last 5k was last June, and I did it in 7:20 per mile. I'm speed training now (wasn't then), so I should be faster, even over the longer distance. Accordingly, I decided to go for about 7:15 per mile, or under 29 minutes.

I started out well, hitting 7:08 and 7:09 for the first two. I was struggling, but keeping up. I did the third mile in 7:19, but picked it back up for a while at around 7:10. I even saw on my Garmin that I hit a bit more than 5k (3.17) in a bit under my current 5k PR (22:40), so that was a bonus.

Then...

The dreaded right-side cramp. I've been having these pains under my right lower ribs since our mile repeats at Chips two Tuesdays ago. Maybe I pulled something? This could have also been a cramp from not breathing correctly, due to over-exertion. Either way, for the last half mile, I was struggling to breathe. I slowed down. That mile took 7:35 overall.

Overall, I'm happy with my 29:20 finish. It is at my 7:20 pace from my 5k PR, which bodes well for my next 5k. I would have liked to stick with 7:10 to 7:15, but it didn't happen. It wouldn't have been good enough for 3rd in my age group anyway (that person came in just under 7:10 average, I think). Fourth in my age group is good enough.

Race Report: Davis Stampede

The Course
Last year, I did the half marathon at the Davis Stampede, and thoroughly disliked the course. While much of it wound through the Davis Greenbelt, a good portion followed the freeway, which meant less than ideal scenery and no wind (or sun) protection during the race. Because the date makes sense in my training, I signed up to try again this year.

Lucky for me, the Davis Stampede offered a new course for its' 30th anniversary run. The course started out the same, going east out of downtown Davis along 2nd Street, veering sharply to go into the northern neighborhoods. This year, runners enjoyed a more meandering tour of the north east side of Davis, going through a park and neighborhoods, then around the Wildhorse Golf Course. I could gripe about the gravel trail (I prefer paved ground for a road race), but I'll let it be.

Back south through Mace Ranch Park, the course crosses I-80 after the nine mile mark this year, when it previously covered this landmark much earlier. A quick jaunt through Willow Creek Park, and the course goes onto the Greenbelt, enjoying its' scenery (and some underpass hills) until it hits Research Park Drive around 11.5 miles. Then, it is a quick sprint by the Commons, skirting the University, and on to the finish line.

The new course is a big improvement on the previous course. I would still prefer not to go over the killer pedestrian overpass, but otherwise the course is relatively flat. The course support is decent, though the race does suffer from the common ailment of high schooler-staffed aid stations- inattentive beverage handlers all having the same drink or not paying attention to passing runners. I'd recommend it as a first of the season half marathon, or a marathon tune up run.

My Race
Now that I've given my two cents on the course, what do I have to say about my race performance? Well, I had a fantastic race, to be honest. I have struggled for the past year to live up to my 1:43:16 PR at the 2010 Urban Cow, and had started to think the race was a fluke and I wouldn't make it to that speed again. I hadn't even made it under 1:45 since that race, with my 1:46 at the 2011 Davis Stampede being the closest.

My lack of achievement in the past year was due to several factors. When I ran the Urban Cow in 2010, I had recently started speed training with my Fleet Feet CIM group, and reaped the reward at that race. After CIM, I slacked a bit. I went to Buffalo Chips workouts leading up to the Napa Marathon, but didn't stick with it for long. Then I tried to go for 1:40 at Urban Cow this year, burned out and got a 1:49.

Coming in to the Davis Stampede, I wanted to get back under 1:45. I've been diligently doing speedwork with the Chips on Tuesdays for months, though I have been a bit slow on my long runs until a few weeks ago. I figured I could do 1:45, so I started out with a goal of running miles between 7:40 (a bit over 1:40 pace) and 8:00 (1:45 pace).

I ran the first five miles between 7:43 and 7:46. Then came the gravel (I think), and I slowed a bit to 7:53 to 7:54 for miles six through eight. On mile nine I did 7:57, and during 10 I crossed the pedestrian overpass, slowing me to 8:05. I struggled to stay on target for a bit, going from 7:56 on mile 11, to 8:02 for mile 12. Then, for mile 13 I got back down to 7:44, and sprinted to the finish at a 6:32 average for the final 0.1.

Throughout the race, I was behind the 1:40 pace group, but far ahead of the 1:45. I felt strong, though I did struggle a bit after about halfway through. I was mostly able to keep on pace, though I did run a positive split for the last half.

I experienced something during this race that I rarely experience. In the last four or five miles, I actually passed  quite a few people. Usually, I am the one getting passed while I curse myself for going out too fast. Sure, I was still passed by maybe five people during that time, but that is a huge improvement over previous performances.

Overall, I am so happy to have been able to sprint to the finish with all I had left, and PR by 45 seconds!

My new half marathon PR: 1:42:31!

Race Report: CIM (or, another one bites the dust)

What can I say about the 2011 California International Marathon, my third attempt at the distance? "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." No, that has been used before. How about: "I left it all on the field"? Nope, not that one either. Let us try this one (from my not-so-favorite, Woody Allen): "Eighty percent of success is showing up." Yep, that is a good start.

As I mentioned in my last post, I woke up Saturday with a cold. Or the beginnings of a cold. My throat was tight, but I didn't yet have a fever, headache, cough, etc. So it would still be fine if I ran the marathon, right? On Sunday morning, I was not so sure. I didn't sleep very well, and was near delirium when I got up at 3:30AM. I couldn't decide what to eat, I felt awful, I was tired. But I went anyway. On the bus to the start in Folsom, I wasn't sure how much longer I could stay awake. When we finally arrived at the start, it was so cold I thought I might freeze.

But at 6:55 or so, I took off my jacket, packed it in my gear check bag, and lined up at the start. I felt better, at least a little bit. And ready to run.

The first half went pretty well. I got through Folsom, the outskirts, and Fair Oaks just fine. I kept a stead 8:35-8:50 or so pace, well within my goal of 8:45 overall (for a 3:50 finish). I felt good. At the hour mark, I forgot to take my Day Quill, but I remembered about twenty minutes later. I kept taking my Gu and drinking water about when I should.

My average time for the first 5.9 miles was a too-fast 8:25 per mile, well under my goal pace. I figured this was okay, due to the downhill of the first few miles. I got to the halfway point at 1:53, for 8:37 average to that point, which was well within my goal of finishing in 3:50.

Things went downhill from there, pun intended. By the 20 mile mark, I was at 2:58:14, or 8:54 average pace. At that point, it was still possible to come in within a good range of my second goal, around 3:55.

Well, the last 10k was not my friend, to say the least. I really started to feel the effects of my cold, and just couldn't get back to my goal speed of 8:45, or even the slow end of my speed range, 9:00 per mile. I was checking my watch, seeing my speed slowing, and trying to pull it back in, but I just couldn't seem to maintain. At the H Street Bridge, the 3:55 group came and went, though I did stay with them for a mile or so. I was fine with that. I don't need to PR every race, especially with a cold.

John made a good assessment of my running issues yesterday after the race. I am a bit of a quitter. I can go out a train and get a good time in a race, but usually just when conditions are right. At CIM last year for example, I felt sick, and I just couldn't mentally come to terms with the ten miles I had left to run, so I walked them. I probably could have physically run, but mentally I gave up. Yesterday, this was not the case. I didn't quit, for once.

I haven't looked at my Garmin results, but I know that I did the last half much slower than the first, and I ran the last 10k well below my goal. But I kept running, and I made sure that I kept enough speed up that the 4:00 pace group wouldn't pass me (or that I could hang on to them if they caught me). Once I saw the park, I picked it up, and that really made the difference. I don't know how much faster I ran in that last half mile or so, but I know that it helped me come in twenty seconds under the four hour mark. And that 20 seconds is everything!

The bottom line is, I could have done better, had I not been sick. I actually was pretty well prepared. But I was sick, so I didn't get a PR. But I also didn't quit, which helped me at least finish under four hours. I call that a victory.

For the books, here are my results:
Chip time: 3:59:40
Average Speed: 9:09/mile

Race Report: Clarksburg Country Run 20 Miler

Yesterday, I did my last 20 mile run of 2011 CIM training, and finished my first 20 mile race. It was the Clarksburg Country Run 20 Miler, and it went very well!

I started out a few days before the race, thinking about what my goals should be. I have been struggling a bit with my training this season, and didn't do as well in the Urban Cow half as I had wanted. My speed training hasn't been as solid as it was last year, and my long runs have been a bit more leisurely than they have been in the past. I decided that I should go for a pace at the Clarksburg run that would get me in at CIM in around my time for Napa: 8:58 per mile, or 3:55 for a full marathon.

I started the race with 8:58 per mile or better in mind. If course, at the start it was difficult to go that slowly. I was being passed left and right by people who started at the same place in the start, then sped up after a half mile or so. But that was fine. I kept my pace between 8:35 to 8:45 for the most part, careful not to go too fast, but not making myself stay to 8:58 exactly.

The first ten miles or so were easy. I enjoyed the scenery, and I was very comfortable. It was easy to keep the pace under 9, despite the fact that I've been trying for that in my 20s in previous weeks, and haven't been able to. I guess a race will do that. It was really nice to have a pace that was really comfortable, and that allowed me to stay solid. I wasn't struggling, or taking it easy.

Around the half marathon mark, I had to check my watch more often to stay on pace. A tailwind made it a bit more difficult to stay on target, but I managed. Around 15, the fun started. I started passing the folks who went out fast and were gradually slowing down. Unlike most of my races, I passed a good number of people, and only got passed by two people in the last few miles.

Adding to my solid last few miles, I had the unique pleasure and confidence booster of passing the back of the pack half-marathoners who were still on the course. Most were run-walking or running at a pretty slow pace. It is always nice to zoom past people.

I didn't keep my goal pace in miles 17 and 18, when my pace crept just above 9 minutes. The headwind was strong, and I think I kept the same level of effort but didn't manage to keep my speed consistent. I sped up in the last mile, and finished very strong.

I was a little sad that I came in 4th in my age group (20-29) by only 40 seconds. I think it was one of the two women who passed me in the last two miles. It is a bit of a consolation that if the age brackets had been in five year increments, I would have been 2nd in 25-29 (to the person who beat me by 40 seconds).

Overall, it was a great race. I ran my fist really consistent race ever, keeping my goal pace throughout. I think 8:58 or faster is a good goal for CIM, and it would put me in around 3:55. I think I have a plan!

Here are my Garmin results:

Race Report: Urban Cow Half Marathon

Well, now I know that if I'm going to skip the speed part of my speed workouts for two months, that I shouldn't be surprised when I can't keep up with the 1:40 pace leader.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a hard time determining if I am better trained than last year or not. Overall I'm stronger, but I think the lack of real speedwork was a real hindrance today. I also didn't feel fantastic, but I think a majority of my issue  today was my training.

I decided to go out with the 1:40 pace group. Keep in mind, my PR is 1:43, so 1:40 was ambitious on its face. I held on for about two miles, then really felt the kind of cramp coming on that requires walking. So I slowed down gradually. The 1:45 pace group caught me at about mile 6, right before an uphill. At the uphill, I let them go, and figured I'd try to keep them in my sights, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if I matched my time from my most recent two half marathons (in the 1:46-1:49 range). At least that is a good long run, faster than I'd normally go on a long run.

And I did just that. I didn't really worry about my time, and ran at a somewhat comfortable pace. I felt a little crummy, but tried to maintain in the ballpark of 8 minutes per mile. Coming in towards Land Park (mile 11 or so), I started worrying that the 1:50 group might be close behind.I picked it up a bit, and they didn't catch me.

I came in at a somewhat respectable 1:49:12, or 8:20 average per mile. It is actually my slowest time in a half this year, but only by 18 seconds. So it counts as a good tempo long run.

Now, I need to dedicate myself to speedwork if I plan to have a good race in December.

Race Report: Blood, Sweat and Beers

This morning, John and I went to Auburn to do our first trail race- Blood, Sweat and Beers. We did the short course, which was 5.9 miles. We decided that for our first trail race, without really training for the race, we would not be too ambitious.

Despite our stated lack of ambition, we did check out the results from last year, as well as the course elevation profile, yesterday to make a race plan. I noticed that the top five in my age group last year (20-29 for this race), came in under 1:01. At over ten minutes a mile, I figured maybe I could come in in the top five, though I wasn't betting on it because I didn't know how big the difference would be between trail and road. I decided not to be disappointed if I didn't place.

John's age group is much more competitive than mine-a good portion of the top ten in every race we do is his age group. He knows that no matter how well he does, he isn't 130 pounds and on a racing team, so he probably won't finish in the top 3 or even 5. But he did want to finish in the top ten if he could.

We decided not to run together, because he would be better at the uphills than me, and I wasn't as concerned with my finish. So I saw John run off about 200 yards after the start, when I decided not to push too hard. The first half mile or so was downhill on fire roads, then straight uphill on single track trail. I was a bit winded through this section, after having tried to keep up with John at the start.

Suddenly, there was a switchback with someone posted to tell people to take small steps. It was straight downhill, windy single track, with one edge too close to the edge of the trail for comfort (a wrong step and they might need a helicopter to get you home). I tried to reel it in a bit and not coast down, since any loss of footing or difficulty stopping when needed would be dangerous. I think I held my breath, because at the bottom of the hill- at the first aid station- I had a huge cramp in my side. I walked for a minute, then started running again.

The next mile was fine, then we started a long series of long uphill stretches. The inclines were so steep that no one ran up them. I did my best to run until I was winded and my legs wanted to give out, then I would walk to catch my breath.

Photo credit: Flickr User kittyz202

At about three and a half or so miles, we came to an uphill marked "Cardiac Bypass Hill." I ran about half of this section of the course.

After this section, we got another aid station, a bit of relief from the hills, then right back to uphills again.

I thought we were close to the finish, and got out of one trail and onto the fire road again. I thought I'd make it in under an hour, and possibly place. My Garmin read 5.33, but a marker on the road said 5, so I got a little disheartened. Plus, I quickly noticed that the fire road was straight uphill. So I ran, then walked, then ran.

At this point, I thought I had no chance of coming in under an hour, and I was bummed. But at least I would finish strong.

And then, I heard the announcer, and realized how close the finish was. I rounded the corner back toward the park, and ran in.

Chip Time 56.25.7
Avg Pace 9:34/Mile
Age Group Place FIRST (of 40) in F 20-29
Overall Place 36 (of 371)

Man, am I excited about this finish! The next person in my age group was a full six minutes behind me. Six minutes!

John did a great job as well, smoking me by four minutes.
Chip Time 52.29.4
Avg Pace 8:54/Mile
Age Group Place 9 of 54
Overall Place 19 of 371

After we both caught our breath, we went over and got our beer from Hoppy Brewing. Yum! It was just what we needed. The barbeque was fantastic as well. We walked around, had out two beers each, ate, and then started home...

But not before I collected my award.