Category: Slacker

Slacking it at Harvest

As I had to work yesterday, I ended up getting off early on Friday. However this was not planned and as such I was unprepared. As I was driving past the lake path, I was cursing my lack of foresight, because I totally could have gone for a run. But all I had in my car was my old pair of Inspire’s and my belt and earphones. Think I could run in old shoes and a dress? I might have received some interesting stares. I also knew that being it was Friday I would lose the eagerness to run by the time I got home. And I did. So I ran errands and caught up on some reading instead. Slacker!

Driving to work on Saturday, the weather was perfect for a run. As evidenced by the numerous people that I saw running on the sides of the highway. My Saturday commute takes me along 2 rural highways, both with wide paved shoulders. There were quite a few people taking advantage of that that morning. I was so jealous. Even though rationally I knew that even if I didn’t have to work, I would probably be sleeping in instead, I was still jealous. Runner’s logic, right? It was interesting to see how some people were just running in shorts and shirts and others looked like they were wearing a parka. It was a lovely crisp 45 degrees. 🙂 Ha! I had the heater in my car cranked up. The fog never stays gone for long though and rolled in by 11:30 so I got to drive home in the fog, oh boy!

I did make it to the track for a good run though. I did 4 miles with an average pace of 10:07. Usually my track times are a little faster than this, but I was brilliant and ate a large lunch about an hour before running. I had been craving a hot dog as I hadn’t had one in almost a year. After yesterday, it will probably be another year before I want another hot dog. It was super yummy but it did not make my run fun at all. On the plus side, I still love my new shoes!

This weekend was the Harvest Marathon in my home town. It is actually the combo of what in previous years was 2 races: the Harvest Marathon and the Wine Vine Run. I had participated in both events in the 5K in years past. I really wanted to run the half marathon this year but since it was so close to the City to the Sea half marathon I was planning on extremely late registration. I figured I would to see how I felt. I felt great but my pocket book did not. It came down to shoes or the race and shoes won. Plus my left foot has been making itself known to me. It still doesn’t hurt, but something is not right. 😦

However, I did participate in a way. The race works as a fundraiser for the local high school’s athletic department. My mother is head tennis coach there and all sports teams had to volunteer. So I was up at 5AM to head out and help her and the team work a water table. We had station #4 which was at mile 8.7 of the marathon. The half marathoners had a different course. We had the table up and ready to go by 7:00. We had people to hand out water, a guy for traffic control and 2 athletic trainers. We were ready to go but the race started at 7. We had 40 minutes until we would see the first runner and it was so cold. 😦 I went and sat in my car until 7:35. So very social of me.

Mother and me :) So damn cold!!! — Mother and me 🙂
So damn cold!!!

The first runner came through around 7:50. Woo hoo!!! The first 5 people were men, then finally the first girl! Actually I think she was another blogger that I just started following but not sure. This was a hometown race so the marathon only had around 60 people registered, so there was a fair amount of time between people running by. I was surprised by how much the runners were drinking though. I have worked aid stations before and people always sipped and then threw the cups. These runners were guzzling water down. We started to think that we were going to run out of cups, most runners were taking 3 each! Also half of them walked the cups to the trash bag on the opposite side of the street, even when we said they could just toss it and we would pick up after. Also we were not a station that provided Gatorade but so many people wanted it. I felt horrible every time we said that we didn’t have it!

The runners and the course :) — The runners and the course 🙂

In between the first pack and the second, the boys decided to play with branches they found on the side of the road. Really? I could see the runners coming so I told them to put the sticks down, that we didn’t need to have the approaching runners think we were going to pull a Tonya Harding on them. Every single teenager just stared at me. They had no idea what I was talking about. Am I really that old?!?!

Good group but man I feel old now :) — Good group but man I feel old now 🙂

The last runner passed at around 9:00 and we were done! We packed up our stuff and headed out.

While I felt lazy that I did not run the half marathon this morning, I was also not inspired to run a marathon. They all looked so damn tired when they ran through and they still had 17 miles to go. Do I like that at mile 8 when I run half’s? No wonder people think runners are slightly crazy. Still it was rewarding to work the other side this morning and it’s probably not the last time I will do it. I may even put this race on the schedule for next year, but I may try for Nike in SF instead. 🙂

Anyone race or volunteer this weekend?

Am I the only one feeling my age? ha!

Sun and scarecrows

I managed to get in a run on Thursday before heading to school for my exam. Oops, sorry mixer!!! I’ll go next month- it’ll be too dark to run then 😦

I wanted to take it a little easy, so I set Mr. Nike for a 3 mile run. I love the distance mode. He comes on and tells you at the halfway point, great way when to know to turn around. Otherwise I get distracted and just keep running. Which if it wasn’t my first run after my half or if I didn’t have an exam that I should have been studying for, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing. 🙂

The halfway point is just inside the state park, I barely get to breathe in the Eucalyptus before I had to head back. I take a slight detour on the way back just to see this-

Bonus, the weather was amazing! 70 and shining sun! Usually by this time of evening the marine layer rolls in and it’s just gray. All in all, finished a nice 5k when I made it back to my car. And I averaged a 9:46 pace, fine by me.

Since I work 3 of the upcoming 4 Saturdays, I admit to a little whining. But I have an awesome boss, so I got a few extra hours to sleep in on Friday. I have been so tired; I just wanted some time with a few less alarms. Yeah, I set 5 daily. Usually sleep through the first 2 and snooze the rest repeatedly. While a better person may have snuck in a Friday morning run, I am a Slacker. I chose to sleep. It was so nice. Then I headed into work, picking up a birthday cake along the way for the afore mentioned awesome boss. I really need to stop eating junk. This has been a very indulgent week.

This morning’s commute actually wasn’t that foggy! As I drove into town, I tried to take a few pictures. This town has an annual Scarecrow festival that I never knew about. Last time I worked there, the fog was so heavy and zombie like, then creatures were just popping out the mist. WTF? The first 2 scared the crap out of me before I figured it out. This time, I was prepared and snapped a few pictures along the way. Yes, I should have gotten out of the car, but I am lazy.

I really did plan to run today but the Slacker in me finally beat out the twitchy feet. After work and lunch and errands, I was tired and lazy. No lies, I was just a Slacker. Tomorrow, I get back on track. Literally- track Sunday!!!!! Woo hoo!!!! I love the track. It’s supposed to be over 90, but hey, soon I will be complaining that it will too cold, so I may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

Today wasn’t totally running free, I did finish my scrapbook page for my City to the Sea bib. Yes, I keep a scrapbook of all my bibs. Cheesy but I love it. Wish they made better embellishments though.

To anyone who ran or raced today, you’re awesome!!!!

Anyone’s towns have any interesting Harvest traditions?

And another one…

A little email alert told me that City to the Sea photos were ready. Yikes!!! I was really hoping for a good one this time 😦 Below is the least scary one, well, they were all pretty bad. And what is with my damn ponytail?! It is bouncing around like a dang cheerleader in every picture.

This morning, when I checked Facebook, I saw a familiar sight. Run The Edge had posted the following picture-

Photo: No political agenda here. Just a funny sign and a shout out to all those runners who still believe that they are slow or "no good." You guys are running and that is all that matters!Poster seen on From Fat To Finish Line - the documentary

That’s my race! That is the same girl and the poster I was talking about during the race. That was the halfway point, leading up to the overpass, the bridge in the background. Not sure how it got to their attention, but woo hoo for a little local shout out! And if you have never checked out their site, you should! I am currently reading their book, too.

Didn’t get in a run today 😦 but enjoyed lots of yummy homemade Beef Stroganoff and birthday cake with the family. Happy birthday brother! Have to figure out how to run that off tomorrow!!

Getting twitchy

Normally, the first few days after a big race, I feel sore and achy and look forward to rest days. This time around, I have twitchy feet. I want to run so badly, but haven’t worked it out yet.

Monday was a holiday and a day off for me, so I thought I would be able to get in a very, very easy 2-3. But between physical therapy, running errands and the sudden urge to overhaul my entire closet, I ran out of daylight. I had a short amount of time when I may have been able to squeeze in a run but my guilty conscience reminded me that I have a big exam that I needed to study for. 😦

Tonight was volleyball and I wanted to run instead. However, I have never missed a game (5 years!), so I followed through. I am glad I did, it was fun and we played really well. I finally ponied up and bought new shoes, actual volleyball shoes this time. Not sure if it was because I don’t have a big race on the horizon (less fear of injury) or if it was the shoes but I was like a freakin’ jumping bean. I didn’t know I could block like that. Hopefully, that skill sticks around.

Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday (27, I feel so old) so it will be a speed race back to town for dinner with the family. Thursday is supposed to be a business mixer after work, then off to school for the big exam. So, short of dragging myself out bed at 4:00 in the morning, I have a schedule problem. No lie; I am a huge Slacker in the AM. Big time. The bed is so warm and comfy, yay for flannel sheets! Transitioning to a daily commute was hard enough.

I want to run and I want to race. I am a procrastinator when it comes to registering for races; you never know when life may throw a speed bump. There is a half locally on the 27^th that I kind of want to do, but it’s freaky expensive. There are 3 races in November I am contemplating and I am still looking for December options.

Two of the November options are Turkey Trots. The other November race sounds awesome, it’s a 7 mile trail run at a nearby state park. What makes me leery is this:

Yep, that says a 1700 foot elevation gain. I have actually done the incline portion before. Now, granted, I walked a lot of it last time, but my splits looked something like this-

And I almost took a header on the way down. Hmm, decisions decisions. There are also 3 half marathons in the beginning of 2014 I am interested in. Those will be determined around finances. I will admit it, races cost money!!!!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far! How is it almost Wednesday?

Any thoughts on what to get a 27 year old with expensive taste for their birthday? (yeah, I procrastinated that too.)

Slacker to the Sea

City to the Sea race recap!!

Today, I had a 2 part goal. Goal 1 was stated on this blog under my Goals, Gear, Stats page and what I publicly told people. I was aiming to finish at 2:10:00 or below. However, what I kept to myself was that the crazy in me wanted to try and hit 2:04:00.

So damn close!!!! Official time -2:05:53

Also because the course is flat to downhill for the first 5 miles before changing to hills, I was intentionally aiming for a positive split. So backwards I know, but I knew I could bank sometime in the beginning for when I knew I was going to slow down. It worked!

It was dark when I left my house this morning. And cold. The start line is about 30-35 minutes away so I made sure to head out with plenty of time. Found a very nice Chevron and they were nice enough to let me use their restroom when I got into town. The starting line is literally in front of the Abercrombie and Fitch and I was able to get a parking spot 2 blocks away. I could see the starting line and crowd from my car. Since it was so close and cold and dark, I stayed in my car until the last possible moment.

Once I joined the masses (2500 runners plus spectators in a half block space) I tried to find the right pacer. Since I was aiming for 2:10, I figured between the 2:00 pacer and the 2:15 pacer would be a good idea. The pacers wear costumes so I figured they would be easy to spot. Spotted 2:15, he was a pirate, but couldn’t find 2:00. By then it was a little past 7 and only just starting to lighten up, and we were off!

We crawled over the start line and the next 1.5 miles were chaos. This pack of runners did not separate like usual. It was 1.5 miles of dodging left and right, falling back and surging ahead. The 2:15 pacer was about a block ahead of me, what the heck? Mile 1 clocked in at 9:08, so what pace was he running? Too fast. 😦 It had just started to even out when we hit the first water station at mile 2, time to dodge the obstacle course. I passed up the 2:15 pacer here. It got better after that but I have to say that course seemed more crowded than last year, or maybe it was just the difference in my pace compared to last year.

Miles 1-5 were what I had planned to be my fastest miles and by mile 4.5 I was on track. At this point, it was the first crossover, so under the freeway we went. Coming up the other side, there was the second aid station but I was feeling ok. Hit mile 5 and now it was rolling hills time and time to lose the arm sleeves. I just kept running. I told myself I could take a walk break at mile 8 if need be. After just shy of 2 miles, it was crossover time again, this time over the freeway we went.

Mile 7 was another aid station, this time I took some water. Now was the part of the race I dreaded, the out and back. Running down a street and then back up may add miles but it also bites when you see all the other runners coming back and they are so much faster than you. It should work in reverse when I am running back but it doesn’t. I thought I remembered the out and back only being ¾ of a mile… nope, it was 1.5! Ugh, mile 8 was part of that out and back. Normally mile 8 is my favorite mile. This is the point when I know that even if I have to crawl, I will be finishing the race, and there are just 5 miles to go. Having 8 hit in the out and back, just didn’t hold the usual excitement. 😦 This where I finally saw the 2:00 pacer, turns out he was behind me until that point. He was dressed as a cyclist. Passed the aid station on the way out and was heading towards 9. And I was still running!!!

Up a hill and across a wooden bridge and it was mile 9, time to lose the gloves. I was still running but slowing down. Mile 10 was at downhill slope and then it was the last crossover, back under the freeway. Here I picked up the pace a lot because I did not want to be stopped for traffic like I was last year. Powered through the intersection and was met with the last uphill.

This is also where I started wheezing. Um, what? I haven’t used an inhaler in years, not to mention, I don’t even have one. So I took a walk break. 😦 I was so close to running the whole thing!!! I told myself that I would walk for 2 minutes. I got my breathing under control, made it to the top of the slope and started running. My toes were hurting and my knees were cranky but I was so close! I just kept pushing. I hit mile 12 at 1:53:something. Hell yeah! Only 1.1 to go. 12-13 I picked up the pace. Then just the .1 left to go. I swear this race seems like the longest .1 ever.

The finish line was crowded and people were cheering as I ran past. Not for me, but I can be in denial, right? Crossed the finish line and the clock said 2:06:54. Goal #1 done and done! Just shy of goal #2 and I knew that my chip time would be different than gun time since it did take a while to get across the starting line.

My mom and dad were at this finish line, so we took advantage of some photo opportunities and I took the chance to stretch. Since this was a point to point race, I was also very glad to have them there so I could hitch a ride back. It was really cold and my mom (race photographer) was not feeling well at all so we didn’t stay too long and chose to bypass the expo.

What you can't see is that my legs are shaking! — What you can’t see is that my legs are shaking!

I am so pumped that I hit 2:05:53. It was something that I wasn’t sure I could do, and its great knowing that I succeeded. My next goal is to break 2:00, eek!!! That’s scary. I feel pretty good right now, just some pain in my knees. The real question will be how I feel tomorrow and Tuesday- always the worst day. 😦

Highlights-

Best race sign I saw today- I had just hit the halfway point and was beginning to drag. I saw some people standing to the side with a sign that read “Keep going, you’re running better than our government”. I don’t care what political affiliation you are, that was just the touch of smart ass sense of humor that I needed at that point. The liquid awesome ones were pretty good too.

Best improvement– My medal was handed to me ready to go at the finish line. Last year they handed it to me folded and wrapped in plastic. Thanks killjoy.

And– I ran all but 2 minutes of a half marathon!! I had no idea I could do that! 🙂

Hope everyone had an absolutely fantastic weekend, and if you ran or raced- awesome!