It seems like this is the ultimate race weekend. Chicago, Long Beach, Brooklyn, Hartford, Steamtown, Tyler Rose- and those are just the ones I know of from reading your blogs. I am sure there are numerous more. Congratulations to everyone who ran today and good luck to everyone racing tomorrow!
Then there’s City to the Sea. I’ve run this race twice before, both times were a PR. A pretty big PR each time- around 10 minutes each time. My current half marathon PR was set at City to the Sea in 2013- 2:05:53. No pressure, right?
PR smiles..and trying to hide my shaking legs-2013
Being real though, I am not in PR shape. And then there’s the course. I aim to positive split this course. Intentionally.
That was my plan 2 years ago and it worked. However this year also brings a change in course. The race starts in SLO and ends in Pismo- 2 towns over. The former course had you running down the main drag, under the freeway, up a frontage road then over the freeway, up a frontage road then under the freeway again before heading up another main drag. And roads weren’t closed. This year the course deviates after mile 5. The previous hill towards the end grew in size.
At the start 2012
I didn’t run this race last year due some health issues so I am looking forward to this year. That said, I am going in with minimal goals. They are as follows-
Goal A– No pressure, have fun running what was one of my favorites races. Enjoy the new scenery. Part of the course covers the Bob Jones trail. I’m told it’s a lovely paved trail with great scenery in a nearby beach town but I’ve never run it. Now I get to with a couple thousand runner friends. 😃
Goal B- Sub 2:10 This should be doable. Maybe not comfortable but doable. That said, you never know how race day will go. I think my biggest obstacle with this is new medication I started a week ago that turns me into a walking zombie. If that happens, then I will just be the fastest walking zombie ever. Why is there not a zombie emoji?!!?!
Goal C- Sub 2:05- New PR Highly unlikely but stranger things have happened. I think every starting line brings visions of a PR. Which is fine. I set myself a goal breaking 2:00 someday and every run and every race will bring me closer to that. Even if it takes a little longer. 😏
Did I mention that SLO hit 105* on Friday? Go home weather, you’re drunk. I am suddenly looking forward to the 7AM start time. Well sort of. I am a slacker after all.
Who raced/ races this weekend?
Ever meet a social media friend in real life?
Do you have fall weather?Seriously jealous right now.
Will the real week 16 please stand up? 😉 I am not crazy, well maybe a little, I really did miss a week. I knew I couldn’t be at 16 yet so I went back and checked. It looks like I went straight from week 6 to week 8 a while back. Oops. So let’s recap week 16 and then see how September went.
Monday – Rest
After 2 races the day before, I knew this was going to be a rest day. I was also taking my car to the body shop and getting a rental so I wanted as little as possible to carry so it kind of worked out. I was so excited that the previous weekend was my last busy one that it didn’t occur to me that I had the work week to get through before the coming empty weekend. Doh! 😋
Tuesday- 3.5 miles
I was so damn tired and just not feeling running still. I headed to the lake for a few laps aiming for 4 miles. It wasn’t a fantastic run but it wasn’t bad. I visited a little too much with lake cat on the backside of the lake so I ran out of daylight. But he wouldn’t get out of the street!
Wednesday- 3.5 miles stationary
This probably shouldn’t count. I wasn’t feeling well, my neck and my head have hurt for the last month or ever since my car accident, so I was thinking a rest day. I had to get my race recap up for the HOB Fun Run so I figured I would do that. Until I hit a button and installed Windows 10. I told it to wait!! While I was waiting for the computer to be usable again I got on the bike. It was after 9 and I didn’t want to be up all night so it’s not like I was pedaling all that hard. 😐 Oh! Look what I finally registered for!
Thursday- 1.6 miles
Yeah, it says that. I was still feeling rough and all the vitamin C and Airborne I had been taking all week wasn’t helping. I headed out for a run but had to call it before I got a mile out. My chest hurt- like the kind of pain you have with a really bad chest cold. I turned around and headed back to the car. It wasn’t totally unproductive though, I felt like something moved or popped and some of the neck pain eased.
why do my grimaces look more like smiles than my smile?
Friday- Rest
Race day is too damn close to be pushing things. I would rather go into race day having missed a few workouts than get sick so close to race day. Been there, done that. Bring on the vitamin C and Airborne. I also started a new medication for my stomach which has the side effect of drowsiness. It’s no lie. I was in bed by 11 that night. For me that is freaky early.
Saturday- Rest
Sensing a pattern? No lie, I didn’t get out of bed until 10. I was feeling better but not great so I stuck close to home. I rearranged some furniture and managed to knock myself loopy. I was lying on the ground trying to move something and smacked the left side of my head into my dresser. As I rolled away in pain, I slammed my right temple into the bed frame. Yes, I am that talented. At least I didn’t give myself a concussion this time. 😞
Sunday- 7 Miles
My training plan called for a 60 minute long run with 20 minutes at pace. Smart runners follow the plan… I on the other get lost on a mountain. Truthfully, I needed to get lost and spend some time in the dirt. But more about that next post. 😄😄
Overall it wasn’t great but it wasn’t horrible and I am ok with that. I was feeling really rundown and stressing about it wasn’t helping. My mileage may not look pretty but the rest helped. That weekend with no plans was kind of awesome too.
September Wrap up!!!
Adios September- you kicked my ass. But let’s look at the numbers-
While the numbers aren’t where I want them to be, they are headed in the right direction. Yes, that .4 missing in the running mileage bugs me but it is what is. I would like to see that mileage number grow in the coming months. I looked at my calendar and noticed that October and November are equally busy months and contain 3 races so I need to stay on top of things. Hopefully laying out there will help. 😁
How was your September? Did you have a good weekend?
Is anyone else accident prone?I should be wrapped in bubble wrap.
This was my 9th year participating in the HOB Fun Run. It was my 8th time volunteering and my 6th time running. Breaking it down even further- this would be my 6th time running the 5K and 3rd time running the 10K. Also the 3rd time running both races. As much fun as I have at this race, it’s also one of the most stressful. So many people I know! It kind of freaks me out. Throw in team shirts and you can’t even blend in anymore. 🙂
The Scene-
The race starts and ends downtown. I could walk to the start if I wanted to. I have yet to do that though. The course is a loop around the city park and down the main drag. The 10K is 2 loops and the 5K is one. It’s one of the few races I’ve ever run that is a completely closed course. A kids 1/2 mile race, a 75 yard dash and a diaper dash are also offered. It’s a race known for being flat, fast and still offers prize money. The baby who wins the diaper dash wins a washer and dryer.
The 10K started at 8, so I arrived a little before 7:45. I knew we were attempting a group photo with whoever was there before the 10k. C and C-hub were there- race buddies!!! I haven’t run a race with them since last year’s fun run. I miss my buddies. 😞 There were 6 of us for the first shots. After the standard shot, the race photographer decided he wanted one of the back of our shirts. It was the most awkward picture ever. It’s a total butt shot and I was thankful I was wearing a skirt. 😏 The plan was to race the 10K and just have fun running the 5k. I was still feeling my running funk so I had very basic goals for the 10K-
A- Sub 55- PR- I knew it wasn’t happening but I could dream right?
B- Sub 60
C- Better than last year’s blow up
10K- The one where I was beat by a 30lb dog.
30 seconds to the start I realized I left my water in my bag with my bib change for the 5k. Crap! C rocks, I texted her and she grabbed it and tossed it my way when I ran past. I felt like I started out too fast but I really didn’t. However it was my fastest mile of the race. My stupid headphones refused to play and then wouldn’t stay in my ears so I ran the first loop with them wrapped in my hand. I stayed steady and tried to increase my turn over but it wasn’t happening. I rounded the corner to finish lap 1 and was able to toss my headphones to C-hub. I also saw my time at the 5K mark- 28:something- ouch. Miles 1-3: 9:08, 9:23, 9:23
I tried to pick it up on the second loop but I just couldn’t find another gear. I never felt like I was running hard but I didn’t feel like I could run any faster either. It was odd but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a banner day so I was ok with how I was running. Seeing a less than 30lb dog with little legs outrun me was a little disheartening though. 😃 Seriously, the dog ran the entire 10K with his owner and didn’t even seem phased. Miles 3-6: 9:13, 9:40, 9:31
Finish- 58:54
Goal B successfully accomplished. Time for a quick bib change and the main group shot before the 5K.
C, C-hub and their daughter E were planning on run/ walking the 5K and I was going to join them. C and E bolted from the starting line leaving C-hub and I in the dust. We eventually caught up around .5 mile in when E need a walk break. I could tell C just wanted to bolt so I suggested she and C-hub dash off and E and I would follow along behind. I didn’t have to twist her arm. 😄
It was E’s first race so I let her set the pace. We ran when she wanted to and walked when she needed. There are 3 water stations along the course and you pass 2 of them twice so that means there are 5 water points for a 5K. This was needed as it was very warm morning. I made sure that E got water at each stop. At the second stop, I hung on to my water cup for some reason. That station didn’t have a trash can and I didn’t want to toss onto the clean street so I hung onto it. I’ve never done that before but it turned out to be a good thing. As we were coming up on the third water station I saw that no on was manning it anymore. Where did they go? There were about 100 runners behind us! Once at the table, I realized there were no cups but there was still water in the 5 gallon jugs. Good thing I held onto my cup! I had E hold the cup while I hefted the water. We were able to get water this way here and on the way back. We continued run/ walking until 1 block before the finish and then it was a sprint to the end. E hauled ass and finished strong! Woo hoo!
Finish- E-37:37/ Me- 37:39
We got our medals and headed for water. We also met back up with C and C-hub. They finished just over 30 minutes. Awesome! We chatted a bit while waiting for the kids races. Seriously the kids are so stinking cute when they run. Some of them were so enthusiastic they were literally kicking themselves in the butt. The 75 yard dash was broken into 3 heats since there were so many kids. Unfortunately I had to leave before I could see the diaper dash. 😦
Overall, it was a fun morning and a great way to see a bunch of people I don’t see on a regular basis. I miss my running buddies, hopefully it’s not another year until we race together again. 😃 Water station 3 snafu aside, it was a great race, and always runs smoothly. I’m looking forward to next year.
I really have to go back over these posts, I think I am a week off somewhere. I shouldn’t be on week 16 until next Sunday. Hmmm, maybe I can’t count?
If you read Thursday’s post, you know I got a little emotional last week. I’m still feeling a out of sorts but I’m going to just keep smiling and fake it til I make it. Thank you to everyone who commented. 🙂
Monday- Rest
Harvest Marathon meeting. Where did the time go? Race day is only a month away? Well, crap that’s soon. Unfortunately numbers are down. I’ve noticed that at a lot of races this year. I run a lot of the same races and they all seem smaller this year. Has anyone else noticed that?
Tuesday- 3.8 miles
I really wasn’t feeling a run. I couldn’t really pinpoint why so I made myself change into my running gear. I headed to the river path for an easy run. My mother texted me as I parked and I was hopeful she wanted to meet for dinner and I could ignore the run. I was half right. She did want to meet for dinner but was still at a tennis match. So I went running. Despite my weird funk it was a pretty solid run. It started out slow with a nice progression to a faster finish. I fit in 3.8 miles before I went to meet her.
Wednesday- 11.5 miles bike
Today was rough. I think the bad news about the potential job was the final push and I got a little emotional. At least I made the right choice that night and turned to exercise instead of food. My legs felt a little rubbery when I was done with those miles. 😄
Thursday- 4.77 miles
Once again, I just wasn’t feeling my run. The plan called for speed work but I was having troubles talking myself into even running 2 miles. I headed back to the river path and just figured I would run whatever my head wanted to. I kept it easy and tried to just shut my brain up. I don’t know how well it worked but I feel like it was a solid set of miles. While our temps have been very un-fall like- we have had some amazing sunsets. It’s hard to be mad when you see this-
Friday- Rest
More like chaos. Due to some scheduling issues and a late summer illness, there was only myself and 2 other people at work. Being down 50% of your crew is painful. I knew we could do it, but there were some logistical issues that had me concerned. We did get a some help from other locations for portions of the day and thankfully it was a slightly slower than normal Friday. We got through the day and I have never been so glad to close the doors. 😖 But hey a customer told me I had an amazing attitude so score!
Saturday- Rest
I planned to ride the bike but I was so damn tired I chose a nap instead. Wish it could have been longer. I also worked the registration table for my favorite race of the year. HOB Fun Run! This was the first race I’d ever run. And it turns out it was 5 years ago Saturday and this showed up on my Timehop- Sunday- 10K and 5K
I love this event but it does stress me out. It’s a race where I am guaranteed to know a ton of people. Performance anxiety!!!! Plus the last two years we’ve had a running team with matching shirts. You can’t hide when you’re wearing matching clothes. 😉 Race recap will be up Wednesday.
Oddly enough, for a week when running was the last thing I felt like doing, I turned in one of my highest mileage weeks in months. Which is partially cool and partially sad because I would love to see a higher number. But it is what it is. Despite my funk, I feel like they were all solid miles and solid miles help build a stronger runner. Right? Can’t complain about solid miles.
Paleo– Oh hell, I don’t even want to grade myself. Lunch and breakfast were still good but other choices were not. Let’s just say donuts and pizza happened. Way more often than they should have. Oddly enough it was my nice healthy salads that made me feel sick. I’ve been experimenting with various types of lettuce and some are not winners. But now I know I can add kale to the list of things I can’t eat. I’d never eaten it before so luckily it’s not something I’ll miss.
So yes, last week was rough but I am going to try to look on the bright side. I got all my miles in plus a solid cross training workout. I had a fun (busy) weekend and got to see a bunch of people. Oh and I dyed my hair again. 😏 My boss is back this week- woo hoo!- and I am looking forward to a weekend of nothing. And then taper! Or am I in taper now? How did I mess up my damn race plan so much?
How was your weekend?
What’s your favorite race?
Is taper the week before race week of the week of the race for a half? My brain has turned off.
I feel all over the place this week. Truthfully probably for longer than that. * I started this yesterday but zoned out in front of a Law and Order episode. I don’t even like Law and Order.
I feel like I am falling short pretty much everywhere. I feel like I am over promising and under delivering on a daily basis. I feel inadequate.
Work-I’ve been telling myself that I’m not stressed but that’s denial talking. I can’t even remember to call the doctor on my lunch. I’ve had to make an appointment with my dermatologist for the last 4 months yet I never seem to remember to do that on lunch. I fall asleep instead. I stumble over my words on a daily basis, my hand writing looks like crap. Well, it always did but now it’s worse. 🙂 Don’t get me wrong, I really like my job, I’m just a little fried. I fell like I am short changing the new hires. There is so much I want to show them I just can’t figure out how to.
A few weeks ago I applied for an open internal position. It was different from what I am doing now- more research less people interaction. Something I never thought I’d want but it sounded it so awesome that I couldn’t pass it up. So I applied and then interviewed. Then lived on tenterhooks for 3 weeks. I don’t think I realized how much I wanted the position until I didn’t get it. I started crying on my way home last night. Ugh. I really wanted to shove a pizza in my face. Instead I rode 11.5 miles on the bike and ate some gluten free granola. Then zoned out in front of the computer and ending up eating tortilla chips later.
Running– I haven’t felt like running this week. Like at all. Normally I look forward to my runs. Yes, sometimes as the day wears on I can lose some of that energy but I always start the day looking forward to a run. This week not so much. I have had zero desire to run. Yet, I’ve changed my clothes and gone running just like my plan says. Tuesday evening’s run was pretty good but I just wasn’t feeling it. I was that horrible cranky faced runner who didn’t smile at anyone I passed. And the path was full of people! It wasn’t that I wasn’t trying to smile, it’s that the smile looked more like a growl. That doesn’t bode well for a race weekend.
Let’s be Real– Speaking of races, I feel like I am woefully under trained and not ready for what’s coming. This weekend is one of my favorite races of the year but I can’t forget how badly last year went. When my mother was so pissed that I completed the 5K she walked home. On the upshot- race morning is predicted to be in the 80’s so the chance of heavy fog seems low. I’ll deal with the warmth… hopefully.
Oh and my goal race- let’s be real here. I am not breaking 2. My speed work was hit and miss and running and goal half marathon pace never really happened. Was I stoked about the paces I hit in my intervals? Yes. But hitting a pace for 3-6 minutes followed by a walk break does not bode well for a consistent 9:00 pace for 13 miles. That will be a dream to hang on to for another day.
Ok, enough dreary, I need to dig my way out of the hole I am burrowing into. I need to find my shiny. So here we go-
Work– I have a great crew. Working with them makes the day a little better.
And that viewRunning– I know that I can. I know that I will. It will just take longer. And that sunset up there? I never used to notice those. Oddly enough, running has brought back the photographer in me. I’ve just moved on from wedding pictures and almond blossoms to shoe selfies and sunsets.
Falling short– Yeah, this one’s a little harder. This may take some time. One foot in front of the other right?
Thanks for listening to me whine the state of my head. If you made it this far. 🙂
Slacker Runner 