Category: Race Day

little less conversation, a little more action

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Holy crap people, it’s Vegas weekend!!

How did that happen?

My bags are packed, I’ve purchased my monorail pass, my race confirmations have been printed- twice, once for each bag- I’ve checked into my flight, I’ve charged all my devices.

What have I forgotten?😛 How did I pack wrong?

I am heading into my first double digit double race weekend- while I’ve run 2 races the same weekend before, once I ran 3, but I’ve never crossed the 10 mile mark when combining those races. This weekend I will run 16.2 miles along the Las Vegas Strip. And I recently discovered that the Strip is not flat. Not sure why I thought it was.😛 Oh well, I don’t like flat anyways.

This will also be my first time in Las Vegas so this will probably be very much “small town girl lost in the bright lights” situation. Whatever am I going to do with myself? Luckily Kate is coming in on Saturday. Yay!!! Follow along on Instagram as we run 13.1 miles of lights and sounds and Kate runs her first half marathon!

I am also having a shoe dilemma. I think my Ultra Boost are dead. But I’ve never run more than 5 miles in any other pair of shoes. Do I take 2 pairs of shoes? Can I fit two pairs of shoes? Even then that would leave me running the half in the Ultra Boost. My last 8 miles in them left me with screaming shins for 4 days. More on that in my weekly recap. Or lack there of. 😛 So do I wear old shoes that definitely hurt me or newer shoes that could hurt me?

I am looking forward to the expo. However I am hoping to not spend too much. Rock n Roll knows how to do an expo and I can be very easily tempted. Shiny new gear! Except I have to remember that I have to be able to pack it all and bring it all back. Bummer.

Plus I get to meet more BibRave peeps! Yay! And hopefully some blog buddies too!

Any tips for Las Vegas?

New shoes or old shoes?

2017 City to the Sea 13.1 Recap

What do you do when need to run a long run and need the motivation to get up early? Sign up for a race!

Let’s count the things that did not go like planned-

Had stomach issues on Saturday but hoped they would go away by race morning.
It didn’t, it was even worse. To the point where I had a complete change in wardrobe plans. If I could have run in a dress I would have. I needed the least amount of pressure possible.
Ran in a skirt I haven’t worn in 2 years, probably qualified as something new on race day. Ditto to the Camelbak I decided to use.
I was late leaving the house, then spent too much time at a Chevron station using the facilities due to above mentioned GI issue.
Lost one of the zip ties for the timing chip. Found it again after tearing apart car.
Strolled up to the start with 3 minutes to spare.
Ran the race on Zero calories.
With my back issues, I was thinking this would be slower than long run pace. My parents were meeting me at the finish line- I told them over a 2:30 finish.

And yet-

Miles 1-4 9:38, 9:39, 9:44, 9:58

The race starts off downhill so I figured the first few miles would be my fastest but I had been thinking high 10’s. Mile 1 clocked in and I remember thinking “what the hell legs? We can’t maintain that”. Then mile 2 took freakin’ forever. I’ve run this course 5 times and I couldn’t figure why the hell it was taking so long so I finally looked at my watch. Mile 2.86. Oh I missed the mile marker, good to know I am not crazy. I was trying to not look at my watch but I knew my legs were still running a pace they had no business running. My friend Bix came up behind a little after mile 3. We chatted a bit before she pulled ahead a little after mile 4. I had to crash soon right?

Miles 5-8 10:20, 10:44, 11:13, 9:34

Mile 5 starts a long slow climb which I like as it loosens up any leg tightness I may have. I also took my first walk break as my back gave a tiny twinge. Mile 6 saw lots of walking as those stupid stomach issues came rearing back. Are you kidding me?!?! The last aid station at mile 4 and the next one wasn’t until past mile 7. I also was suddenly surrounded by people. What the hell? It was the 2:15 pace group. Wait, I was in front of the 2:15 pace group for 6 miles? What year is this? 2015? 😛 They pulled ahead but I kept them in my sights until the bigger hill on mile 7- more walking thanks to a cranky back. I wasn’t worried as I knew there was a downhill coming and I love downhills. As you can see by that mile 8 up there.

Miles 9-11 10:48, 12:34, 10:26

Catching up to the pace group was short lived. I lost them on the Bob Jones Trail. I was slowing down but what else do you expect when your longest run in 2 months has been 8 miles? I ran on the dirt on the side of the trail hoping it would lessen some of the pavement pounding but by mile 10- the biggest hill- my back was very not happy. I walked a lot and it shows in my mile time. I tried to stretch it out as I walked. Mile 11 was pretty good actually but I felt like I was crawling.

Miles 12-13.1 10:51, 11:40

Come on back, I’m so close! 2 miles to go! Run til I feel a twinge, walk it out, repeat. Ran alongside a woman for a bit, we commiserated over pains. She was having Plantar issues. She pulled ahead. Finally I hit mile 13 and all I had left was the longest .1 ever. Seriously- I swear this .1 is longer than any other race I have other run.

Finish- 2:18:59

How, now? Under trained, messed up back, hot mess of a morning and I finish my fastest race in 2 years? In fact, my fastest race since City to the Sea 2015? How does that even make sense? I just decided to let my legs and back fight it out. I took my head out of the equation.

Maybe I need to try that more often? 😛🙂

Week 40- Plot Twist

Upcoming Races-

~~Rock n Roll San Jose 13.1?????????~~
Rock N Roll Las Vegas 5K
Rock N Roll Las Vegas 13.1!!!!!

People, I ran twice last week. Twice! That was not the plan. Not all.

Although last weekend’s long run of 8- should have been 10- had gone well and my back wasn’t any worse after it, I was doubting San Jose. The idea of sitting in a car for hours, then sleeping on a hotel bed then running a race on a course that is purported to flat and fast ( I hate flat) just sounded bad. So I let the registration window lapse and canceled both of those hotels that I had booked.

It was the right decision. That’s not to say I didn’t race last week. No one ever said I was that smart. 😛

In all honesty, I needed more miles than I got in last week. I took a chance on something work wise and didn’t get the best news. I needed to get out of my head for a while. Still do, so hopefully that can happen this week.

Monday- Rest I planned on running- it was Monday after all and I try not to miss Mondays but work ran almost an hour late and I haven’t quite prepared myself for night runs yet. I need to find and charge both Knuckle Lights and get a better reflective vest.

Tuesday- Rest Oh crap, ouch. I was trying to show something to a customer when I felt a sharp pull in my back. I spent the next 5 minutes helping them and trying not to cry actual tears. When it still hurt even more than the normal level these days at closing, I took another rest day.

Wednesday- 3 miles Nice and easy miles. Running actually makes my back feel a little looser, I wish I could have run a few more miles last week. And funnily enough, the sharp pain of the day before seemed to have really loosened things up in my back. Who knew?

Thursday- Rest Sometimes life happens and running doesn’t. I may have done something a little last minute too.

Friday- Haha. Another open to close so no to running. Although I did think about it and that was before the not so good news dropped. Then I really thought about it but ending up indulging in a giant quesadilla at a Mexican restaurant instead.

Saturday- Packet Pickup And some wandering around SLO doing some shopping. While I didn’t get in a shakeout run, I definitely got my steps in for the day. Packet pickup was at the Running Warehouse and the place was nuts. Of course I had to go inside- I somehow lost my Body Glide and I needed to replace it. 😛 Then I may have done a thing at Best Buy on the way home. Who said you needed to relax before a race? Besides I was treating it like a training run, right?

Sunday- City to the Sea 13.1 Race recap will be up Thursday but let’s just say nothing went how I thought it would. 🙂

16.2 miles for the week. Which over only 2 runs doesn’t suck but isn’t exactly smart either. My Slacker handle really fits these days. Maybe I should rename myself- Confessions of a Chaotic Runner. 😛

In other news, I did get my PT referral started last week so I am finally on track that way. We are also changing the dosage on my thyroid medication so it’s time to ride that roller coaster again. That said, fingers crossed I have a more consistent running week. The thoughts in my head still need it.

How was your week?

Any head clearing tips?

SLO Ultra 5 Mile Recap

I say my legs love hills but this tested that theory.

I didn’t look at the elevation chart until the Friday before the race.

Walking to the start line, I could see the half marathoners on the first climb– no one was running.

At one point during the race, I heard a woman huff out- “rolling hills, my ass”.

At the end, a woman wearing a Leadville jacket is talking to another 5 mile finisher asking how she’s feeling. She then says she would never do these races because if you are under trained they’ll wreck you. Ummm, what??!

Ok, backing up. SLO Ultra is a trail races that offers a 50 mile, marathon, half marathon and 5 mile. I had originally planned on running the half but then conversion month and the stupid antibiotic non running episode derailed me. I figured I would downshift to the 5 miler. I’ve done multiple trail races, how could this be worse than the 25K? I could handle 5 miles.

Then I checked the website the Friday before and saw the elevation profile. 1500 feet and change over 5 miles, WTF? Combine that with the abnormally busy Saturday I had ahead and I almost considered a DNS. But I followed through.

The race was run on trails on private property out by Avila Beach but they all had staggered start times so my race didn’t start until 9:30. I was able to still get parking on site about an hour before the start and slowly made my way the 1/2 mile or so further in. As I said, I could see the half marathoners on the first real climb and it was not reassuring. Hanging out near the start didn’t help. I saw runners coming back through the start and they looked rough so I figured they were the marathoners finishing a loop (didn’t have enough gear to be 50 milers). Nope. Just the half marathoners finishing mile 3. Oh crap. Then it was time, so we all lined up. Only to be warned the first 3 miles were Hard. Yay.

Mile 1- 16:37

We were off! And we ran for all of .25 miles. If that. I take consolation that 95% of us slammed to a crawl. There were still some speedy people out there (Pepe, Racheal I’m looking at you) but us mortals all were struggling just to power hike the damn mountain. Like hands pushing down on knees trying to get leverage going up the hill. We were all breathing so hard, it was a symphony of wheezing and gasping. But the views halfway up? Awesome. But damn that thing was steep.

Mile 2-11:41

Does this climb ever end?! Oh damn, I think something is in my shoe. Oh look, downhill! I shouldn’t run fast but, on your left! Hey, this woodsy part is cool, let’s take a pic. While running down a hillside. Looks at watch- at a 9:20 pace- living dangerously. 😛 Oh- my first water crossing! Ok, it was tiny but it still counts! Then there was a portion of single track where some people didn’t have the best trail etiquette. Stay on the trail! This is why we can’t have nice things.

Mile 3-16.53

Another climb. Not long but steep. I made friends. We were commiserating. One woman asked her friend is she was doing the mountain bike races the next day, (same course) she was no longer sure. Another asked if these hills were worse than those of the San Francisco Marathon, 3 of us shouted out Yes! I cracked a joke that I don’t think this is what my doctor meant when he said to return to running slow and easy. We had a downhill and I ran on to the flat and back to the start to the aid station but I was noticing a problem. I couldn’t run the flats. My legs were shot. My Achilles’s were the tightest they have ever been and the flat surface felt like it stretched them out too much, kind of like they were going to tear. So I backed it off and walked.

Mile 4- 17:02

Ok, maybe I backed off too much. Yes, there was another big climb in this mile but I think I lost the most time on the flat section truthfully. I chatted with a man I had been yo-yo’ing with most of the race. My GPS had also been off since the tree covered section in mile 2 so I really had no idea how far I had left in the race. Oops!

Mile 5- 8:40 pace

By mile 3.8ish I could see the turn around point at the aid station and I was done. I jogged up to it, grabbed a cup of water, drank and then decided my legs had wings. I almost ate trail in a section that was like running through a sandbox. I hit the flat section and my legs suddenly felt ok so I kept going. Slowed down so as not to face plant over the rickety bridge over the stream right before the finish line- almost did anyways- and ran through the finish.

1:09:43

So much slower than I would have liked but I survived! And I was still in the top half of the pack so that’s how damn hard this freakin’ course was. I am also having trouble walking 3 days later. 😛 Good thing about slower? I never got misdirected like more than a few of the lead runners did. Oops.

I will run this again, stronger and faster. I think I can, I think I can. Plus, that’s the only way I can get back on those trails.😊

Salinas Valley Half Marathon Recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Salinas Valley Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

The morning dawned dark and early. With the race starting at the Soledad Mission, I was up early and heading north. After getting a little turned around (all my fault- it was literally straight up the freeway) I arrived early enough to pick up my bib, debate what pack to use and use the port a potties. I had woken to a very angry stomach and had to use the facilities a few times before the race. Lovely. I headed to the start line to the beat of an ipod and an upbeat announcer. The weather had been predicted to start in the 70’s and be in the high 80’s by race end so I was very excited to see a heavy cloud cover that kept the temps about 10* cooler.

Miles 1-3- 10:01, 10:07, 11:04

The course started off nice and flat. Which I appreciated for about 1/2 a mile. My legs were already fussy so by mile 2, I was running in the dirt on the side of the road. If there’s dirt, I will find it. 🙂 My shoelaces on my right shoe came untied in mile 2 as well. I was moving surprisingly faster than I thought I was going to be though. Mile 3 saw my first walk break as well as my shoelaces coming untied again. What gives?! I was enjoying the scenery. We ran past crop fields of Cauliflower and Peas. I was taking pictures while running.

Miles 4-6- 10:44, 11:01, 10:45

Here’s my main gripe- the first water station wasn’t until mile 3.3. For a race in CA in August, I thought that was too far in. I carried a larger bottle of BeachBody with me but I still like water at each station. We started into a little rolling section of the course which was giving me slight downhills which was slightly helping my pace. This was cool because the walk breaks were becoming more regular. My legs were starting to get super stiff though. My brain may have seen the road as slightly rolling but legs were telling me it was flat. I needed a hill!

Miles 7-9- 12:47, 11:59, 10:48

A hill! My legs were thankful, the rest of me not so much. I walked all of it. No shame, I knew this was going to be a slower race so there was no point in making my heart rate go crazy. 🙂 That climb started in 7 into 8 and partly into 9. Honestly it wasn’t even a big one, I just took it easy. The sun had also come out and temp instantly jumped 10*. Yikes! Water! I was still taking in the sights of the course and enjoying the music stations along the course. Then in mile 9, I got a little downhill to enjoy.

Miles 10-12- 11:58, 11:49, 11:36

The sun was shining in full force which made the scenery awesome but did no favors for my pace. I started rocking out. Literally. We came upon a hill the race calls the “Beast of Eden” and I ran up it playing an air guitar the whole way. It was also the only hill I ran up. 😛 I then sang and played an air guitar or drums for the next 3 miles. I gave thumbs up to race photographers (which actually turned out to be a terrible picture). There was a strawberry station at mile 10.2 and while they looked amazing, my stomach was starting to cramp up and I passed on them in fear of a repeat of the morning.

Mile 13- 11:42

Ok, I was done. I felt like this mile took 20 minutes. The finish line was never getting closer. I was hot, thirsty and tired. We ran past the buses to take us back to the start and man they looked tempting. I was walking so much. We turned left but still no finish line. Just an uphill. Waah. I was walking towards the last little turn to the finish and the announcer called me out! Seriously! Just make it obvious when I start running. Thanks dude.

Finish 2:28:44

Considering how I thought this race was going to go, hell yeah! If the sun had stayed away, I think I may have been about 5 minutes speedier. It warmed up really fast once the sun came out and I wish there had been another water station or 2. I drank water at every station and had my bottle. Once across the finish line, I downed a chocolate milk and a bottle of water. Normally drinking that much that fast would have me feeling very ill but I felt fine. Like I said, it was kind of warm those last miles.

Overall, I really enjoyed the race. It was kind of nice to go into a race mostly relaxed and barely even glance at my watch. I enjoyed the backroads, and the crop signs and Steinbeck were an added touch, The only thing I would change is more water stations.

Half marathon #27 done. 😀