I'm heading to the Big Apple tomorrow night. I'm excited, but I don't *feel* excited yet. I'm more excited about not having to work for 7 days since I took the week after the marathon off....waaaahhhhhooooooooo!!!! I've been feeling pretty good in terms of running...my 17 miler this past weekend wasn't fabulous. It was hot out, I got sunburned, and my foot was acting up :( I resorted to this run walk strategy 10 miles in. I hope the time on my feet will do me some good come Sunday! Wishing everyone a very safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Don't do anything I wouldn't do ;)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Nike Women's Marathon Recap
This past weekend I ran the Nike Women's Marathon. I signed up for the half and was really looking forward to the course that kicked my a$$ last year when I ran the full! Luckily, this time I have much fonder memories and was able to spend a great weekend with lots of runner chicks :)
The weekend started off by getting to hang out and spend a lovely time with Petra who was staying with Maritza over the weekend. It was so great to finally meet her and she is just as fabulous in person as she is on her blog! Plus her accent is to die for :)
Saturday Aron and I headed to the city to pick up our bibs at the expotique as Nike likes to call it. This is typically a huge cluster and it was no exception this year. We quickly got our bibs and were ready to get out of there. I had a minor issue where I was placed in the wheelchair division and I joked that Aron was going to have to push me in a stroller, but luckily for her it was resolved quickly! We met up with Alisa and Sarah who had just gotten their race packets as well. It was great to chat with them and it was so nice to meet Sarah for the 1st time. She ran the full and did a great job on such a tough course! She was also sweet enough to hook us up with VIP wristbands that allowed us into a special area the morning of which was AMAZING and greatly appreciated! Thanks again!!!!!
Race day morning was another EARLY one! Aron and I drove into the city and found ourselves in a relatively empty Union Square, which was a bit shocking since last year it was jammed packed. There were no lines at the port-o-potties, so we took advantage of that. Soon it began to fill in a bit and we headed over to the Run Club (aka VIP) tent. This was definitely a treat. We were able to check our bags separately from the rest of the runners that day. It also had everything you could need in case you forgot something that morning. Plus they had water, Gatorade, coffee, tea, Luna moons...the list goes on and on! Next we bumped into Audrey who is always SO cute and bubbly :) Loved getting to see her before the race! Soon we met back up with Alisa, Sarah, and this time Kristen was with them as well. Perfect time for a photo op! In case you haven't noticed we all definitely LOVE Nike tempo shorts :)
Race time! Well, more like non-race time. Going into this 1/2 I wasn't trying to race since it was my 1st long run back post-Cowtown. I remember all the hills and had taken them into consideration when I was predicting my finish time. I figured I could finish comfortably around 2 hours. Aron and I had planned on sticking together so I obviously didn't want to slow her down too much either ;) The 1st mile or so of the course is on this nice gradual downhill, which led to a pretty speedy 1st mile (8:36) . I had to go to the bathroom so we made a quick pit stop early on since we were just out to enjoy the course. I was feeling really good. My legs were happy and we were clipping along at a pretty decent pace. Then the hills start coming. These are the same hills that you run during SFM for the most part, so I knew what to expect. It's never any different...they are tough! This course also has some extra hills and downhills that SF does not, which makes this the toughest course I've ran hands down! However, the thing with the hills is that you get some pretty sweet views of SF :)
We finally winded our way into Golden Gate Park where the full and 1/2 split. For a second and let me stress the second part...I was a little regretful I wasn't running the full, so I could avenge my poor performance last year :( This soon went away as I remembered running around Lake Merced....haha Moving along we were back onto the Great Highway where the finish line is located. Just beyond the finish line are hottie firemen with Tiffany's finisher necklaces...now if that doesn't make you want to run 13.1 hilly miles I don't know what will! Official time was 2:05:49...eh I was a little off and now have a new PW...oh well you can't PR them all! I had such a great day and was so happy to cross another finishline with Aron!
After we were done we met up with some other friends, Shelly & Christine, and were headed to go get some grub. Somehow we ended up on a party bus complete with naked chick posters, disco lights, and a stripper pole....oh and don't forget the Bud Light! LOL This was the icing on the cake for the day and made for an interesting ride to brunch. Once we finally arrived at brunch I got to enjoy the company of so many other runners...what a wonderful day :)
The weekend started off by getting to hang out and spend a lovely time with Petra who was staying with Maritza over the weekend. It was so great to finally meet her and she is just as fabulous in person as she is on her blog! Plus her accent is to die for :)
Saturday Aron and I headed to the city to pick up our bibs at the expotique as Nike likes to call it. This is typically a huge cluster and it was no exception this year. We quickly got our bibs and were ready to get out of there. I had a minor issue where I was placed in the wheelchair division and I joked that Aron was going to have to push me in a stroller, but luckily for her it was resolved quickly! We met up with Alisa and Sarah who had just gotten their race packets as well. It was great to chat with them and it was so nice to meet Sarah for the 1st time. She ran the full and did a great job on such a tough course! She was also sweet enough to hook us up with VIP wristbands that allowed us into a special area the morning of which was AMAZING and greatly appreciated! Thanks again!!!!!
Race day morning was another EARLY one! Aron and I drove into the city and found ourselves in a relatively empty Union Square, which was a bit shocking since last year it was jammed packed. There were no lines at the port-o-potties, so we took advantage of that. Soon it began to fill in a bit and we headed over to the Run Club (aka VIP) tent. This was definitely a treat. We were able to check our bags separately from the rest of the runners that day. It also had everything you could need in case you forgot something that morning. Plus they had water, Gatorade, coffee, tea, Luna moons...the list goes on and on! Next we bumped into Audrey who is always SO cute and bubbly :) Loved getting to see her before the race! Soon we met back up with Alisa, Sarah, and this time Kristen was with them as well. Perfect time for a photo op! In case you haven't noticed we all definitely LOVE Nike tempo shorts :)
Race time! Well, more like non-race time. Going into this 1/2 I wasn't trying to race since it was my 1st long run back post-Cowtown. I remember all the hills and had taken them into consideration when I was predicting my finish time. I figured I could finish comfortably around 2 hours. Aron and I had planned on sticking together so I obviously didn't want to slow her down too much either ;) The 1st mile or so of the course is on this nice gradual downhill, which led to a pretty speedy 1st mile (8:36) . I had to go to the bathroom so we made a quick pit stop early on since we were just out to enjoy the course. I was feeling really good. My legs were happy and we were clipping along at a pretty decent pace. Then the hills start coming. These are the same hills that you run during SFM for the most part, so I knew what to expect. It's never any different...they are tough! This course also has some extra hills and downhills that SF does not, which makes this the toughest course I've ran hands down! However, the thing with the hills is that you get some pretty sweet views of SF :)We finally winded our way into Golden Gate Park where the full and 1/2 split. For a second and let me stress the second part...I was a little regretful I wasn't running the full, so I could avenge my poor performance last year :( This soon went away as I remembered running around Lake Merced....haha Moving along we were back onto the Great Highway where the finish line is located. Just beyond the finish line are hottie firemen with Tiffany's finisher necklaces...now if that doesn't make you want to run 13.1 hilly miles I don't know what will! Official time was 2:05:49...eh I was a little off and now have a new PW...oh well you can't PR them all! I had such a great day and was so happy to cross another finishline with Aron!
After we were done we met up with some other friends, Shelly & Christine, and were headed to go get some grub. Somehow we ended up on a party bus complete with naked chick posters, disco lights, and a stripper pole....oh and don't forget the Bud Light! LOL This was the icing on the cake for the day and made for an interesting ride to brunch. Once we finally arrived at brunch I got to enjoy the company of so many other runners...what a wonderful day :)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Trifecta Training
The trifecta is as follows...
1. New York City Marathon- November 1st
2. Malibu International Marathon- November 15th
3. California International Marathon- Dec 6th
and in the infamous words of Miss Britney Spears "Threes a charm, two is not the same, I don't see the harm, are you game?" Why yes, I am game...for running 3 marathons...not for what she is actually talking about in the song....lol
Week 1 has been good. I've been having some nagging ITB and foot issues, but what's new ;) I definitely need to stretch a LOT more and also get in some cross training. For some reason I find this much easier to do in the fall/winter months, so I shouldn't have a problem working this into my routine. However, I am going to have a problem with being carless for the next week or so.
Last week I was rearended on my way to work and my lovely car suffered some major damages :( I was ok thank goodness! I've had a rental car this past week, but won't be having it any longer since I'm paying for it out of pocket and I feel I should utilize the public transportation I have such easy access to. This will be interesting and I'm sure provide for some very entertaining stories!
This weekend I'm running the Nike Women's Marathon...only the half...don't worry I'm not that crazy! I need to do 14 miles, but will easily be able to tact on the extra 0.9. Can't wait to see everyone who will be out there. I plan on taking lots of pics and perhaps some videos, so look forward to a fun post next week :)
Happy racing to everyone this weekend!
1. New York City Marathon- November 1st
2. Malibu International Marathon- November 15th
3. California International Marathon- Dec 6th
and in the infamous words of Miss Britney Spears "Threes a charm, two is not the same, I don't see the harm, are you game?" Why yes, I am game...for running 3 marathons...not for what she is actually talking about in the song....lol
Week 1 has been good. I've been having some nagging ITB and foot issues, but what's new ;) I definitely need to stretch a LOT more and also get in some cross training. For some reason I find this much easier to do in the fall/winter months, so I shouldn't have a problem working this into my routine. However, I am going to have a problem with being carless for the next week or so.
Last week I was rearended on my way to work and my lovely car suffered some major damages :( I was ok thank goodness! I've had a rental car this past week, but won't be having it any longer since I'm paying for it out of pocket and I feel I should utilize the public transportation I have such easy access to. This will be interesting and I'm sure provide for some very entertaining stories!
This weekend I'm running the Nike Women's Marathon...only the half...don't worry I'm not that crazy! I need to do 14 miles, but will easily be able to tact on the extra 0.9. Can't wait to see everyone who will be out there. I plan on taking lots of pics and perhaps some videos, so look forward to a fun post next week :)
Happy racing to everyone this weekend!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Cowtown Marathon Race Report
The quick and dirty version. I squeaked out a PR and my official time is 4:14:39.... yay! I did not break 4 hours like I wanted...booooooo :(
Leading up to race day I felt calm, cool, collected and dare I say excited. I felt nothing like the disaster I was before SD. I was able to sleep fairly well. I wasn't feeling any pressure put on myself. I just felt like I had reached a whole new level mentally with respect to the marathon and all that it can throw at you. I was ready.
Saturday I was able to sleep in and was so happy that Sacramento is just a quick trip from where I live. After Maritza finished her long run that morning she came and picked me up and we were on our way. We got to our hotel got settled in and then headed over to the "expo" with Aron. The "expo" was basically a tent with our bibs and 2-3 booths. It was a very small race and it was kind of nice to have that simplicity the day before. We made our way back to the hotel and hung out in the hot tub for a bit and waited for our other friend who was also racing the full, Shelly, to arrive. Once Shelly arrived we hung out in Aron's spacious room and watched some football and just chatted about all things running...what's new :) It was time for dinner so me, Maritza, and Shelly headed to get some grub. We ended up at CPK and I indulged in a very yummy pizza and a beer. Once we got back to the hotel it was time to get all my race gear situated for the next morning. I had been having stomach issues since SD in regards to taking GU/salt tabs. It finally came to the point where I decided I needed to make a change. It's not something I would do so close to a race, but I felt like it was my only choice. After trying a few other gels/chews I finally tried poptarts. They have a ton of carbs and sodium in them and about half of a poptart is the equivalent to one GU. I made sure to pack a GU and a salt tab with each hand held I was going to be using during the race just in case and I am very glad I did!
Race morning came fast. This was the best I've ever slept before a race. I got ready quickly and we headed to the race around 6:20. Normally I feel the need to be at a race way earlier than is probably necessary, but I thought since this was such a small race it wouldn't be too crowded at the start. Once we all arrived we met up with Kristin who was running the half and made our way to the port-o-potties. For some reason the line was not moving and we were starting to cut it close to the start time. We were all able to get one trip in and before you know it we were waiting for the start. Amy met up with us at this point and we were all ready to go. I felt very confident as the race started and proud of myself for making it through this past training schedule.
It was very hard during the first 10 miles of this race to hold back. The majority of runners at this race were running the half marathon. It said on the website that the half had sold out at 3,500. The full wasn't sold out, but in previous years had around 300 participants give or take. The full marathoners were definitely outnumbered and that would become oh so evident my 2nd time around. This course was a double loop. I was sticking to my plan the 1st half. I wanted to have my average pace be between 9:10-9:15, so that I would be able to pick it up the 2nd half. I was running with the 4:00 hour pace group for awhile, but I kept seeing my pace dropping and soon I decided I needed to back off. As I made my way back into the park I saw Aron's husband and her mom, which was nice since spectators were far and few between along the course. I then saw Maritza and was SO happy too see her :) She's the BEST race support!!!! I felt very comfortable and as I crossed the half way point I was a little slower than I had wanted to be. My average pace had dropped to around 9:19, but I kicked it into gear as I made my way back through the park. I ran by Maritza again and switched out my handheld for a new one. The poptarts were not working for me during the 1st half. It was way too hard to eat them while running. They were dry and even when I added some water it just created this pasty poptart cesspool in my mouth. I think I maybe ate 3/4 of a poptart during the 1st half and at mile 12 I resorted to the GU I had stashed in my handheld.
I was plugging away the next few miles and by mile 16 I was on target and my pace was a solid 9:11. I was having a very hard time finding my groove during those miles. I was struggling to get comfortable. I felt like my running form was off and I was compensating for something. Not sure what. My knee had a brief moment where I was afraid my ITB would rear it's ugly head, but that soon went away. I had been having foot issues the past few weeks (plantar fasciitis), but I didn't notice my foot in any pain during the 1st 16 miles. I did have to pee. I struggled with whether or not I should stop. I finally decided to stop and took a bathroom break. It was a very quick one and I was back on the course in no time. I had been running with a small pack of people for awhile, but they were starting to drop off as people walked through water stops. I finally felt my pace start to slip and I knew I wasn't going to be able to rise to the occasion today. I began walking through water stops because my foot finally realized I was running a marathon and it decided to bring on the pain. Before I knew it I was at mile 20 and I was feeling strong...not fast, but strong. I knew with each water stop I walked through my pace would slip more, but I was okay with that. I was essentially alone for the last 6.2. I was passing people the entire time. Everyone was walking. I kept plugging away and eventually I saw Aron and we both kind of gave each other the look of defeat, but I was really happy to see her at that point! She was the last person I saw for quite awhile as I made my way through a cute, but deserted neighborhood. I was getting down to the final 3 miles and I felt decent. My foot was causing me some grief, but I knew in the back of my head I might be able to squeeze out a PR if I didn't walk through anymore water stops and that's what I did. I was glad to see the park again. However, I was slightly worried I was running the wrong way since there wasn't really anyone around. I finally caught up to a few runners and finally saw the finish line in the far distance. It was still about a little over a mile away. I had been yo-yo-ing back and forth with this one lady for about the last mile and as soon as I saw my friends on the side line I tossed my water bottle to them and started sprinting. The lady running near me did the same. We were racing. Hopefully, it'll be caught on camera because I am pretty sure it looked ridiculous. I saw the clock as I crossed...4:15....I PR'd...really...yes, I did! I thought I was going to beat my SF time by exactly one minute, but was glad I was able to take off a little bit more than that :)
Results
Time: 4:14:39
Age Group: 10/22
Overall: 161/337
Leading up to race day I felt calm, cool, collected and dare I say excited. I felt nothing like the disaster I was before SD. I was able to sleep fairly well. I wasn't feeling any pressure put on myself. I just felt like I had reached a whole new level mentally with respect to the marathon and all that it can throw at you. I was ready.
Saturday I was able to sleep in and was so happy that Sacramento is just a quick trip from where I live. After Maritza finished her long run that morning she came and picked me up and we were on our way. We got to our hotel got settled in and then headed over to the "expo" with Aron. The "expo" was basically a tent with our bibs and 2-3 booths. It was a very small race and it was kind of nice to have that simplicity the day before. We made our way back to the hotel and hung out in the hot tub for a bit and waited for our other friend who was also racing the full, Shelly, to arrive. Once Shelly arrived we hung out in Aron's spacious room and watched some football and just chatted about all things running...what's new :) It was time for dinner so me, Maritza, and Shelly headed to get some grub. We ended up at CPK and I indulged in a very yummy pizza and a beer. Once we got back to the hotel it was time to get all my race gear situated for the next morning. I had been having stomach issues since SD in regards to taking GU/salt tabs. It finally came to the point where I decided I needed to make a change. It's not something I would do so close to a race, but I felt like it was my only choice. After trying a few other gels/chews I finally tried poptarts. They have a ton of carbs and sodium in them and about half of a poptart is the equivalent to one GU. I made sure to pack a GU and a salt tab with each hand held I was going to be using during the race just in case and I am very glad I did!
Race morning came fast. This was the best I've ever slept before a race. I got ready quickly and we headed to the race around 6:20. Normally I feel the need to be at a race way earlier than is probably necessary, but I thought since this was such a small race it wouldn't be too crowded at the start. Once we all arrived we met up with Kristin who was running the half and made our way to the port-o-potties. For some reason the line was not moving and we were starting to cut it close to the start time. We were all able to get one trip in and before you know it we were waiting for the start. Amy met up with us at this point and we were all ready to go. I felt very confident as the race started and proud of myself for making it through this past training schedule.
It was very hard during the first 10 miles of this race to hold back. The majority of runners at this race were running the half marathon. It said on the website that the half had sold out at 3,500. The full wasn't sold out, but in previous years had around 300 participants give or take. The full marathoners were definitely outnumbered and that would become oh so evident my 2nd time around. This course was a double loop. I was sticking to my plan the 1st half. I wanted to have my average pace be between 9:10-9:15, so that I would be able to pick it up the 2nd half. I was running with the 4:00 hour pace group for awhile, but I kept seeing my pace dropping and soon I decided I needed to back off. As I made my way back into the park I saw Aron's husband and her mom, which was nice since spectators were far and few between along the course. I then saw Maritza and was SO happy too see her :) She's the BEST race support!!!! I felt very comfortable and as I crossed the half way point I was a little slower than I had wanted to be. My average pace had dropped to around 9:19, but I kicked it into gear as I made my way back through the park. I ran by Maritza again and switched out my handheld for a new one. The poptarts were not working for me during the 1st half. It was way too hard to eat them while running. They were dry and even when I added some water it just created this pasty poptart cesspool in my mouth. I think I maybe ate 3/4 of a poptart during the 1st half and at mile 12 I resorted to the GU I had stashed in my handheld.
I was plugging away the next few miles and by mile 16 I was on target and my pace was a solid 9:11. I was having a very hard time finding my groove during those miles. I was struggling to get comfortable. I felt like my running form was off and I was compensating for something. Not sure what. My knee had a brief moment where I was afraid my ITB would rear it's ugly head, but that soon went away. I had been having foot issues the past few weeks (plantar fasciitis), but I didn't notice my foot in any pain during the 1st 16 miles. I did have to pee. I struggled with whether or not I should stop. I finally decided to stop and took a bathroom break. It was a very quick one and I was back on the course in no time. I had been running with a small pack of people for awhile, but they were starting to drop off as people walked through water stops. I finally felt my pace start to slip and I knew I wasn't going to be able to rise to the occasion today. I began walking through water stops because my foot finally realized I was running a marathon and it decided to bring on the pain. Before I knew it I was at mile 20 and I was feeling strong...not fast, but strong. I knew with each water stop I walked through my pace would slip more, but I was okay with that. I was essentially alone for the last 6.2. I was passing people the entire time. Everyone was walking. I kept plugging away and eventually I saw Aron and we both kind of gave each other the look of defeat, but I was really happy to see her at that point! She was the last person I saw for quite awhile as I made my way through a cute, but deserted neighborhood. I was getting down to the final 3 miles and I felt decent. My foot was causing me some grief, but I knew in the back of my head I might be able to squeeze out a PR if I didn't walk through anymore water stops and that's what I did. I was glad to see the park again. However, I was slightly worried I was running the wrong way since there wasn't really anyone around. I finally caught up to a few runners and finally saw the finish line in the far distance. It was still about a little over a mile away. I had been yo-yo-ing back and forth with this one lady for about the last mile and as soon as I saw my friends on the side line I tossed my water bottle to them and started sprinting. The lady running near me did the same. We were racing. Hopefully, it'll be caught on camera because I am pretty sure it looked ridiculous. I saw the clock as I crossed...4:15....I PR'd...really...yes, I did! I thought I was going to beat my SF time by exactly one minute, but was glad I was able to take off a little bit more than that :)
Results
Time: 4:14:39
Age Group: 10/22
Overall: 161/337
I love that the cow's bib is #5 since this was my 5th marathon!
I am not disappointed in the least. This race didn't feel like a race to me at all. It felt like a training run. I never realized how much I rely on others around me during a race to push myself and keep pace. Consciously I made the decision today (and of course my body didn't object) that I was going to back down. I thought to myself "do I really want to break 4 hours here???" It seemed somewhat anti-climatic to reach such a big race goal here where there was hardly anyone running. I know in a sense I gave up, but once again I've learned a lot from this race. Sometimes it's just not your day, but one day it will be and when that day comes it will be well worth the wait!
Congrats to everyone who raced this past weekend!!! I love marathon season :)
Friday, October 2, 2009
MOOOOOOOOOve over
Sacramento 'cause Aron and Tara are coming through!!! We're ready to take the bull by the horns and make hamburger outta this course! I've got my race face on and I am ready to rock marathon #5! I am not going to let any pesky little doubts creep into this head of mine because what's done is done and all I can do on Sunday is my best. I know so many people are racing this weekend and I am sending speedy, happy race day vibes your way! Oh and no pre-race blog post would be complete without this little gem...behold my fabulous creation.....
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