tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16986009788155279802024-02-21T04:50:22.935-08:00Chiara Runschiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.comBlogger479125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-57717434541322001762020-12-01T20:34:00.006-08:002020-12-01T20:37:40.683-08:002020 Old Cascadia 50: The Race That Actually Happened<p><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Old Cascadia 50 miler. The race was postponed to October 10th from June 2020 due to COVID-19; the inaugural year it was held in September 2018 and the weather was deemed to be too unpredictable (i.e. cold, rain, etc). So it was moved to June for 2019 and 2020 (well, </span><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">scheduled</span><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for June but then COVID happened).</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As it turns out, it’s the right call to leave it in June… </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And there we were, lining up at the start line in October. In the pouring rain. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All week we watched the forecast leading up to the race and it called for upper 40s and rain. Lots of rain. In true 2020 fashion, it never improved. The day before and day after were glorious. Any day but race day would have been fine.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On its face, upper 40Fs doesn’t seem that cold but when you spend most of the race soaked, it’s a recipe for hypothermia.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My drop bag (which, spoiler alert: I never used) that was available at mile 30, contained hand warmers, trekking poles, extra socks, extra buff, and some nutrition. I’ve learned over the last four (and one DNF’d) 50 mile+ races that I rarely need my drop bag. In fact I have only used a drop bag at Black Canyon 100k where I picked up a long sleeve and a headlamp for the last stretch (almost didn’t need that headlamp, either). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What I wore:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patagonia shorts (sorta compression-ish fit. I figured loose shorts in wet conditions is asking for Chafe City so I went with booty shorts)</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rabbit Tank</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lululemon Swiftly long sleeve shirt</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Injinji socks (thin, with vaselined toes)</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Merino wool buff</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oiselle trucker hat</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Patagonia Houdini</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nathan VaporHowe 12L (first edition)</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brooks Cascadia 15</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dirty Girl gaiters</span></p></span></li><li><span id="docs-internal-guid-50845c4e-7fff-b82e-0877-8b51bc641ed4"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petzel Tikka headlamp</span></p></span></li></ul><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I carried around 500 calories on me and ~1.5L of fluid. I also had my phone in a ziplock baggie.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Race morning I had a bagel with peanut butter, small amount of coffee. It was an uneventful, smooth race morning. I even slept almost 5 hours.</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Race Start to Mile 7</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We arrived at the start around 5:15am and it was raining. We picked up our bibs (mine was #13... which seems appropriate for how things seem to be going this year). I visited the portapotty twice and then we were lining up in the start area, wondering what kind of crazy we were given the conditions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So... I naively thought that I didn’t need to start with my Houdini on and just had a janky throwaway poncho on over a long sleeve as we listened to the RD talk, standing under a tent. I scanned the crowd (and the rain) and thought to myself: “All these folks have some kind of rain jacket on and I’m going to assume they know better than me.” I frantically took off my pack, pulled out the Houdini, and threw it on (and threw out the disposable poncho). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The key thing here is: I missed the RD saying you don’t have to do Pyramid Peak twice (ugh). So... spoiler alert: I did Pyramid Peak twice.</span></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLuotIX0P4o6aSzUktvAkDlX2IlylLS3hlM-9To5yaeNK34SMaDMmV6wqEBYpntaT1-ERLBexmzZH45vmUHva-exJC3rVawbtYmrlEI-CunmiEedIHV_P1AYGMI8t2g3uHI0pa4ni6aE/s2048/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-00173.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLuotIX0P4o6aSzUktvAkDlX2IlylLS3hlM-9To5yaeNK34SMaDMmV6wqEBYpntaT1-ERLBexmzZH45vmUHva-exJC3rVawbtYmrlEI-CunmiEedIHV_P1AYGMI8t2g3uHI0pa4ni6aE/w640-h426/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-00173.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pic: @jamesholk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As you can see, it was dumping on us from the start. I was completely drenched by the end of mile 1. It was also pre-dawn, so we were running with headlamps into a wooded forest. The first mile is road and slightly downhill so I had a fast first mile (I think it was under 8:00). Then it was on to single track trails and it’s a wonder I didn’t wipe out with the mud, roots, and standing water on the trail. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The worst weather we had was in the first 7-8 miles. It was raining hard, and around mile 5 or 6 we were on an exposed ridge. The wind was enough to almost knock me over. A tree fell nearby during this stretch (like, audible boom, crash). This was where I questioned if the weather was going to be like this the whole race, would I actually make it? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7Ey4QGyHRJAivq7sn3S5Yb0r0NC5gtFvTTr1hjF1O5zQCQA2PgaPYpCz8pUm2HENjnvp2Bwoc5R1e7abXw81YFAGcK7Fm9zGWtC4B9qQd_2GSgLm6fN70CGx6HQ7lXP9aPwIZBQdWY8/s2048/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-01320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7Ey4QGyHRJAivq7sn3S5Yb0r0NC5gtFvTTr1hjF1O5zQCQA2PgaPYpCz8pUm2HENjnvp2Bwoc5R1e7abXw81YFAGcK7Fm9zGWtC4B9qQd_2GSgLm6fN70CGx6HQ7lXP9aPwIZBQdWY8/w640-h426/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-01320.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pic: @jamesholk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After summiting Pyramid Peak it seemed to get better; we dropped into the woods, lower in elevation. It was still wet but nothing like what I had experienced on the ridge.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hit the first aid station, popped in, and then said to them: “I don’t think I need anything” and moved along.</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mile 7 to Mile 30</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After 14 miles, it was time I got a refill of fluids. Tailwind was the race’s electrolyte option and I was perfectly happy with that. I filled up maybe 1-1.5L again because we had 7 or 8 miles to the next one which isn’t terribly long. At this point I had been hanging out in first place, but knew there was a speedy runner from southern California from my UltraSignup Stalking and figured it wouldn’t be long before I would run into her. As I was leaving, two women were coming in. I ended up running fairly close to several runners from miles 14 to 18, though the stream crossing. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, the stream crossing. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was supposed to be low. Like NBD, not that much water. Except, you know, when it’s fucking pouring. It varied from ankle to knee deep with round, large river rocks. I nearly fell in at the end of the crossing, but managed to catch myself and just soak my arm up to my bicep. Which, no biggie. I was happy not to submerge my whole body.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the creek, it’s 5 miles of climbing. And man do I wish I my downhill was even 30% as good as my uphill. I’m just not an efficient downhill runner. Short Ass Legs. This is where I pulled ahead of the other female runners.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I climbed and generally felt good considering the weather. I hit the next aid station around mile 22 and filled up a bit more, grabbed some food, continued on.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I got to mile 26 aid station, I realized that this was going to be a race with quite a large number of DNFs. As of race morning, there were 102 registered but only 72 started. Can’t blame them, given the conditions. At this aid station, there were 4-6 folks hanging out in the tent, wrapped in mylar blankets looking like they were quite comfortable to just call it a day. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I peed behind a truck at the aid station, and quickly moved on. I still had plenty of fluids and food so I was good. I figured I’d get to the mile 30 aid station and make a decision on if I would pick up my trekking poles or go without them. At that point, my legs felt great!</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mile 30 to Mile 40</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The aid station at mile 30 was another one where it just looked like DNF carnage. People sitting around heaters with blankets. My hands were super cold at this point (and I had on medium thickness neoprene gloves that were soaked). I refilled my hydration bladder and could not close the connectors on my pack. My fingers didn’t work. The volunteer insisted on helping me after watching me take forever to clip in the first one. She twice offered soup, etc, and my response was: “I gotta get out of here before I get too comfortable and don’t want to leave.”</span></p><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuykdBZ34Dsb9CVZPN0G207oOHl8_9PmbuFfOeR4xKC3FrkBBzV1_d5TLTeEBKGzLDeJId417Z5-DwnaZOb1K2kY4cqQCbHy0sRRnsvtCT1Y5Et-3c3l3hhidCcsYoSKYiSVAVrEy8f4/s2048/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-01400.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuykdBZ34Dsb9CVZPN0G207oOHl8_9PmbuFfOeR4xKC3FrkBBzV1_d5TLTeEBKGzLDeJId417Z5-DwnaZOb1K2kY4cqQCbHy0sRRnsvtCT1Y5Et-3c3l3hhidCcsYoSKYiSVAVrEy8f4/w640-h426/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-01400.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pic: @jamesholk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-NaLLPi9ItiKYE_Hzpf0Hw3tFxAk1kbK5tkHCnFNOXXTtMSDgqfTUKzXQrpgvkwrzAhFHc2PLt_Mw4Y2x8MrLIy-itkNWAXUtIDuX5EQFueA8F6MaoVQJ0SaYcoP3GWK-WV5FpqHh9o/s2048/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-01402.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-NaLLPi9ItiKYE_Hzpf0Hw3tFxAk1kbK5tkHCnFNOXXTtMSDgqfTUKzXQrpgvkwrzAhFHc2PLt_Mw4Y2x8MrLIy-itkNWAXUtIDuX5EQFueA8F6MaoVQJ0SaYcoP3GWK-WV5FpqHh9o/w640-h426/Alpine-Running-Old-Cascadia-20-Mile-50-Mile-2020-01402.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pic: @jamesholk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I decided not to take my poles which I think ended up being a mistake that was only realized around mile 43.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had another aid station 4 miles later around mile 33 or 34 (so many!) and all I did here was pee behind a truck again. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, for some reason, I had convinced myself this was the last big climb of the race. Like, “Just get to mile 40 and you’ll be good.” Sigh. I arrived at the last aid station (mile 40), after a fairly brutal climb (2000 feet over 3 miles) and some steep technical downhill parts. Somehow I was still in first place? But the fatigue was setting in. I refilled on fluids (not too much because given the weather, I wasn’t sweating much), and grabbed a quesadilla for the road.</span></p><br /><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Mile 40 to the Finish</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is when I realized I had misrepresented the last 10 miles in my mind. There was another 1500 feet of climbing over 3 miles (taking the total to more than 12,500 ft) and this was the lowest point for me. Never have I had such a strong desire to just sit down on the trail and cry. I didn’t do either, obviously, but I was just so over the relentless climbing and shitty wet footing. I do think that if I had my poles here, I would have been able to get through these miles a little faster. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other thing that was challenging with this race and this section was how long the stretches were where I found myself alone. And the flags were about a mile apart so I was having moments of paranoia where I wondered if I was actually lost as I hadn’t seen anyone and could not remember the last time I saw a flag (which when they are spaced a mile apart, if you miss one, it seems like an actual eternity before you see another). There was a point where I stopped on the trail, looked around, and considered taking out my phone but decided to trust myself. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At mile 44 I saw the sign for Pyramid Peak indicating to go up it and I think that sign was set up for the 20 milers coming from that direction (that race distance is point-to-point). Had I not missed the instructions from the RD at the start line when I was throwing on my jacket in a massive hurry, I would have known not to go up it again. So I wasted probably 5-ish mins on that section, doing ~150 feet more vert. Yay. More vert. Like I needed it. My total ended up at 12,650 feet of climbing.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then came the final downhill. My legs just hated me. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Around mile 45 we came back down the exposed ridge and were greeted with hail and wind. I am relieved that I am someone who runs warm because it was fucking cold. One guy passed me here, telling me that his legs hurt so bad and I muttered in agreement.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe 1 minute later, I heard more footsteps behind.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now... I had been waiting for the #2 female the entire race. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I really did not expect to win this thing so the fact that it was mile 45 and still, I was first female, didn’t make sense to me. And this was the point where she showed up. Mercifully, I had mentally prepared myself for this, especially knowing that downhills are not my forte. We had a quick friendly exchange and she was off.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It wasn’t like I could have done much more to have changed this outcome. Perhaps grabbed my poles and not done the extra peak? Maybe. But likely not. Ultimately, she finished 17 mins ahead of me so that’s why I say that I don’t think I could have changed the outcome. She really put a lot of time between me and her in that 5 miles. So the poles might have gotten me up the last hills faster and saved my legs a bit more for downhill speed but it would have been tough to make up the time.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway. Back to the race. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I painfully hobbled down the mountain. Around mile 47 I really needed to pee and given I was soaked and alone, I saw no good reason to actually pull over and do a proper potty stop. So I just let it flow. Yep, I peed on myself and it was fine. I was warm for like 20 seconds! And then back to cold and rained on. I figured by the time I finished, the rain would wash off nearly all of it and that turned out to be pretty accurate.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No one else passed me after mile 45. I almost caught a dude up ahead in the last mile but it was tough to convince myself to move any faster on the slightly uphill road stretch.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I pulled into the finish while it was still light out (yay! I was happy about that). </span><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">12 hours, 20 minutes and 37 seconds.</span><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Good enough for 2nd female, 16th overall, and 8th all time fastest (probably will get bumped off to top 10 list next year). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There ended up being only 53 finishers. They did not post the DNFs or DNSs on UltraSignup (they were listed for about 15 mins after the results first posted so I briefly saw all the red and orange, and then POOF! they were gone) which I guess was nice of them for the DNF/S folks? But, it also feels unfair given all the finishers that stuck it out and likely have other race DNFs on their UltraSignup. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Post Race</b></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After about 10 minutes, the shivering set in. I didn’t waste any time milling around. I went straight to the car so I could get the wet clothes off. But when you’re shivering, tired, and your hands barely work, it’s insanely difficult to get your clothes off. Just taking off my gaiters, socks, and shoes took me something absurd like a full 3 minutes moving as quickly as I could. I think the whole process of clothes off and new ones on was a good 15 minutes.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I got dry clothes on and then was walking around the car area realizing that we had forgotten to put post-race food in the car (!!!) and there was no post-race food from the race because of COVID. No bueno.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thankfully, our 20 mile crew drove up maybe 30 minutes after I finished and found me shivering away. Leah scrounged up some kind of food from the race management tent via plea for help. Never was I so grateful for plain tortillas and a 2 liter bottle of Coke. We sat in a running car with heat on full blast waiting for Nick.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I finally stopped shivering and decided I wanted some race swag so I walked over to the finish tent. As I was browsing the merch, Nick finished at 13 hours, 7 minutes looking less destroyed than me. He also took his poles at mile 30 so I am thinking he didn’t have quite the low of lows that I had in the last climb.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We drove back to the AirBnB while Chris waited at the finish for our last 50 miler who was a couple hours behind us. Overall, our group of warm-weather dwellers kind of kicked ass in cold, wet conditions. You would have thought we would have been more messed up but I guess running in miserable heat also works for the mental game of miserable cold. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The bummer of all this is: this race is supposed to have epic views. And we had none because it was raining and overcast/fog the whole time. I think I would do this race again if we get non-shitty conditions. We missed out on some beautiful views of the Oregon Cascades.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took me about 5 days to not be sore from this race. I had a hard time walking down stairs for 3 days. We just finished R2R2R and I wasn’t nearly as sore as I was after Old Cascadia and I think that’s mostly because it was a race effort versus an adventure/training day in the Grand Canyon.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frankly, I was just happy to race. And given the current state of affairs, it might be another 6 months before I see another race again. If Black Canyon 100K actually kicks off, we might get into that depending on capacity. That would be February 2021. Here’s to some vaccines coming out and bringing immunity to the masses.</span></p><div><span face="Nunito, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-31960705279471393462020-01-29T17:21:00.001-08:002020-01-29T17:21:35.955-08:00Surprisingly or Unsurprisingly, This One Hit Me HardI'm having a more difficult time than I expected with the passing of my cousin Becky on Tuesday to brain cancer. It was a steep decline, perhaps a year from diagnosis and a Hail Mary surgery. I was aware she only had weeks left but it doesn't seem to have made it feel less bad.<br />
<br />
My dad has 7 siblings and with my mom's one sibling, I have 26 first cousins. Becky was from my generation, 2 years younger than me. We were part of the original handful of grandchildren on my dad's side before there were so many kids it required renting a hall to have Christmas Eve.<br />
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While I was closer to her older sister, I still remember that I spent quite a bit of time with her as a child. I haven't seen her in years, probably since my cousin Rachel's wedding (possibly it was my own wedding the last time) so we're talking 15 years. My memories of her are not her as an adult, but as a kid.<br />
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I don't know if that's why this hurts so much. If I knew her more as an adult would it hurt less? Does it hurt because I have my own kid now and the thought of losing my kid at any point while I'm alive is horrifying? Or is it because it just proves my own fragility... She had 6 siblings and a husband. The other part of me that aches is for her immediate family. And my dad's siblings and spouses who all watched her grow up. She was really smart and a good person.<br />
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I didn't cry this much when either of my grandfathers died. There really is something truly terrible about losing someone in your family so young. I can't imagine the pain they are feeling and just how broken they must be. I can only hope that they get through this ok.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-38600247145670072682019-12-13T08:25:00.001-08:002019-12-13T08:39:59.866-08:00CIM 2019 Race Recap<br />
I'll start with the TLDR;<br />
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Weather was decent for a marathon. I had no issues, ran even splits (14 seconds positive split), finished 3:20:21 with a PR of 5:18.<br />
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But probably you want detail than that... if not, feel free to stop here :)<br />
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It's been a year mostly dominated by trail running, though somewhere in there I ran a road 10K, a 5 mile, and 3 marathons.<br />
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Up to Boston I had a pretty satisfying year of racing, and then I got cocky with recovery and decided it was smart to run back to back 20 milers (Saturday up the PCT, Sunday down) 6 days after Boston for an 80 mile week. Smart right? Not so much. Part of it may have been the 2 months of minocycline I was on for acne treatment, but probably in equal amounts was my flippancy about recovery. PCT 50 was mediocre (despite coming in 3rd, my finish time was worse than I expected), Black Mountain 50K was equally womp-womp (mostly because I mentally checked out at mile 20 - the lesson learned was that just because you win a free entry doesn't mean you should train and run it. Especially if it was on your list of "Never Do This One Because It Looks Miserable").<br />
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I spent the summer traveling and trail running, rebuilding my base. I was in fighting shape by Cuyamaca 100K. Then Loop-2-Gate happened and I decided to DNF and shift my focus to CIM rather than end up with two shitty outcomes.<br />
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I was pretty concerned that I was on a streak of shit-tastic races and CIM would be no different.<br />
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NYCM rolled around and it was always planned as a training day vs. a racing day, but the weather was so perfect I wondered if I was choosing the wrong A race. But I mostly stuck with the plan to run easy, kept my HR at or under 150 until the end when I decided it would be fun to sneak under my BQ standard for 3:38. I had some piriformis pain starting around mile 13 so probably the choice was right to keep is easy, but the energy at NYCM was so awesome I definitely wanted to run faster!<br />
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My training post Cuyamaca leading up was about a 50/50 split of road and trail. I made sure to do some kind of road speed work almost every week (except the week following a <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2869479690" target="_blank">hard long run</a> where I ran 20 with 8 MP). I ran the <a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/2897380549" target="_blank">Oceanside Turkey Trot 5 miler</a> as a gage for where I should expect my marathon to land... I went out a bit too fast but managed 34:31 and 4th overall (missed 3rd by 11 seconds - also because they do chip time for top 3 so I didn't realize the girl I edged out at the line had actually started 11 seconds after me). Per McMillan's prediction calculator, this suggested 3:22:50. I was a little disappointed by this number. Other calculators were around 3:20 - in the past I've been both faster and slower than McMillan. I was feeling like there was a possibility I wouldn't PR or I would PR by only a little.<br />
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4am alarm, bagel, black coffee, bus + banana -- in that order. We got to the start uneventfully (thankfully, my bus did not get lost like last year).<br />
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Made two porta-john stops, checked our gear, last minute pitstops behind a bush (literally in front of parked police cars! Public indecency!), and then lined up with the 3:25 pace group about 10 minutes before the start. The gun went off and we slowly crawled to the start line; I tried staying with the 3:25 group but it actually felt like they were going too fast. After about a half mile of weaving around and trying to stick to them, I sort of gave up. And then somewhere in mile 2, I ended up ahead of the group and never saw them again.<br />
<br />
I will say right off the bat the pace I was holding felt fast. But I would check my heart rate and it was generally hovering in the high 150s to low 160s the first quarter. So I went with it. But I was definitely concerned. I went through the first 10K at 7:37 pace.<br />
<br />
I hit the half at 1:40:07 (7:39 pace) which was both frightening and encouraging. A fleeting thought popped into my head that if I could run a slightly negative split, I would be sub 3:20. But then a moment later, the next thought was: "1:40 flat half marathon in a marathon is already bananas... then doing it again and faster? Seriously?"<br />
<br />
So I resolved to just hold the same pace for a while and see how I felt at 20 miles. Then in mile 15 the course turned into the wind (as opposed to a crosswind that we had) and it had gotten stronger since the start. I couldn't remember how long we were going to be on this stretch of road as I knew we would eventually turn again but felt that if this was how the rest of the race was going to go, I was definitely going to have to slow down. I drafted quite a bit as 90% of the field around me was significantly taller! Boy, did this help. We turned at the end of mile 16 and the pace went back to feeling more sustainable.<br />
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From 17 to 20 I managed to stay under 7:40, but into mile 21 I started to feel like I was just hanging on... that I would not have extra turbo boost at the end. Mile 22 has that asshole bridge which is hardly a hill at all but somehow is a world of hurt. Those two miles were 7:41 and I had to tell myself that at a minimum I needed to keep the rest of the miles no slower than that.<br />
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The last four miles are basically flat. You lose about 30 feet over 4.2 miles, with some tiny rollers in there. I stopped thinking much at that point. I feel like when my heart rate goes over 175 consistently, thoughts just don't stick. They float in and out, mostly unacknowledged. Mile 23 and 24 were 7:39 and 7:35.<br />
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At this point I was passing people consistently, and some I was just slowly gaining on. I caught up with a little runner (basically my height) and we ended up alternately pulling each other along for 2 miles. Miles 25 and 26 were 7:35 and 7:31. In the last .2 I saw the sign that said 200 meters left and looked down at my watch: 3:19:19. So... 40 seconds to run 200 meters. Considering I haven't run that fast since high school (that would be sub 5:30 mile pace) and have only seen 42 seconds at the fastest for a 200 in the last 4 years of speedwork, I knew it was not going to happen. But I still pushed because then I was concerned I would end up in 3:21:xx instead. I ended up with 7:14 pace for the .2 (which was faster than last year, so I can't complain too much about lack of effort).<br />
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<br />
<br />
I turned around, high-fived and hugged my 5-foot buddy who finished a few seconds behind me.<br />
<br />
At some point CIM will stop delivering me marathon PRs. But as it stands, it's 4 for 4.<br />
<h3>
Little bit of PR history...</h3>
2014 St George Marathon PR: 3:37:14<br />
2015: a year of mediocre racing, don't think I had PRs in any distance<br />
2016 CIM: 3:31:39 (-5:35)<br />
2017 CIM: 3:28:35 (-3:04)<br />
2018 CIM: 3:25:39 (-2:56)<br />
2019 CIM: 3:20:21 (-5:18)<br />
<h3>
What went wrong</h3>
Nothing went really badly for me in this race, but I suppose I would have paid more attention to the potential for rain and brought tight fitting shorts as we did get some rain mid-race. And I did end up with a bit more chaffing than normal. I tried in futility to find something on Saturday at 4pm after we got completely drenched during a 2 mile shakeout. Fleet Feet had nothing except some really long Nike ones, and the expo was a 25 minute drive and would be closed by the time we got there. The expo being at Sleep Train instead of the convention center was definitely less than ideal for everyone, including the vendors.<br />
<h3>
What went right</h3>
After 3 test run marathons using hydration stations and not carrying a bottle (Boston 2018 and 2019, NYCM 2019), I think this is working for me. It got a little hard to drink in the last 6 miles when my breathing was faster and heart rate higher. But overall it was better than hauling around a 20 ounce bottle. As long as the race as wax paper cups that I can pinch for a funnel, then I'm good to go.<br />
<h3>
What's next?</h3>
San Diego 50 on January 18th! Actually immediately next is the Santa Run 5K in Pacific Beach but it's more about debauchery than actually running.<br />
<br />
And I decided to register for CIM again for the $99 re-run special :)<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-63749119536351610722019-10-06T13:36:00.001-07:002019-10-06T13:54:44.207-07:002019 Cuyamaca 100K: My First DNF<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SiVQk7nqbls-6RbMT4blK_xGZeT0AYfx52XggwN0VFBl0BvYlcZ8Zx3DViF3SOTdG2dCgskDg3tjTJmIHg37rx48fRj8RtzXDWboTnbaTJ-rgSlQkW4h4-nihLQrxbalSL08xdvPemM/s1600/IMG_20191006_113715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SiVQk7nqbls-6RbMT4blK_xGZeT0AYfx52XggwN0VFBl0BvYlcZ8Zx3DViF3SOTdG2dCgskDg3tjTJmIHg37rx48fRj8RtzXDWboTnbaTJ-rgSlQkW4h4-nihLQrxbalSL08xdvPemM/s400/IMG_20191006_113715.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of several Cuyamaca Loop 2 parting gifts, acquired while frantically trying to make up time. This toenail is probably a goner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While like everyone else I am guilty of mostly posting the highs, this is probably the quickest race-to-post turn around time and it’s for a low.<br />
<br />
I have run probably close to 100 races from 5Ks to 100Ks. Never have I not finished.* I knew that streak was going to end at some point. It was yesterday.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">* ok, when I was 16 years old I bailed on a Father’s Day 10K in Fairhaven, MA in the summer heat with my friend but I am only counting adulthood races </span><br />
<br />
<b>Why did I DNF?</b><br />
<br />
It wasn’t because I couldn’t physically continue. In fact, I had a lot left in the tank ready to unleash. The short of it: I made a series of errors that left me in a lose-lose situation.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjipGOYSLxwy2Lt0sXDCP2qpAKzuhRqfUHIHmBTWXlGAC2d7_x9_pdLa8hyphenhyphencw2TtO4GxINeZWT2TmAnzTS4qYHJb0Pv9dj4Ij_C6hizrSVUGGsMQvOJctf7U4B6e00ipgMK75e-TyigJo/s1600/IMG_20191005_062335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjipGOYSLxwy2Lt0sXDCP2qpAKzuhRqfUHIHmBTWXlGAC2d7_x9_pdLa8hyphenhyphencw2TtO4GxINeZWT2TmAnzTS4qYHJb0Pv9dj4Ij_C6hizrSVUGGsMQvOJctf7U4B6e00ipgMK75e-TyigJo/s400/IMG_20191005_062335.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura (the 1st place woman), Nick (my other half), Me, Erin (who sadly also missed the same turn I did)</td></tr>
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I got to the starting line in arguably the best shape of my life. I spent loop 1 (50K of the 100K), ping-ponging between 1st and 3rd place and feeling generally awesome. I was crushing the day. Small blister forming on my right foot at mile 20? No problem, slap a bandaid on it and go. Getting warm? Load me up with ice, no problem. My heart rate was low (150s) and by noon it was around 80F without a cloud in the sky. I got onto loop 2 and while I knew it would feel crappy, I didn’t actually feel bad. I was cruising to get loop 2 done in about 2:45 after a 5:50 loop 1.<br />
<br />
And then I screwed up.<br />
<br />
I must have not had my head up or something, but I missed a turn. I realized it about .8 miles in that something wasn’t right. There were no flags. So I turned around and ran into another runner who was convinced it was right. I tried to pull out my phone and see but no service. I ran a little ways with him and decided, no this isn't right and we turned around. Another guy comes down and seems to think it’s right. Now I have two people telling me they think it’s right. My gut is telling me it’s wrong. But after 40 miles, you aren’t thinking quite right. I ran down a bit more with them and the 2nd guys agrees: this doesn't feel right. We turn back. We find a 3rd runner (Colton) who I train with and we both agree, this doesn’t look familiar. As we trudge back up, guess what? A 4th runner. So, while misery loves company, I was angry with myself for (a) the initial mistake, (b) not trusting my gut and doubling down on the mistake because I got swayed by other foggy-headed runners. At that point I was +3 miles and my 2nd place had vanished just like that. I resolved to continue out of anger and adrenaline. But I was on an emotional knife's edge where one more setback was going to be disastrous.<br />
<br />
Well, as it turns out, it was not that clearly marked for loop 2 return to Camp for a foggy headed runner with 47 miles on her legs and an agitated headspace. Having been burned by not following the blue ribbons before, I <i>religiously followed</i> the blue ribbons (loop 2) straight when the turn off said “loop 1 return” and no blue ribbons. Well, that was again wrong and I started to do another loop 2 from hell. When the woman behind me told me she was on mile 33.5 (I had 48.5), that was it. I was done. I walked back to Camp Cuyamaca, in tears, talking to myself about giving zero fucks (when in reality lots of fucks were given).<br />
<br />
<b>My options at that point?</b><br />
<br />
1. Run 68 miles and get maybe a 13.5 hour finish (when I was on pace for a 12 hour finish at 50 miles). Wreck my body completely and be <i>sorely disappointed</i> about a result that didn’t match my effort.<br />
<br />
2. Throw in the towel at 49.3 miles (an extra 5 in loop 2) when I was actually not in any pain and physically fine... and be <i>sorely disappointed</i> about the result.<br />
<br />
Ultimately #2 won. I didn’t need a Western States ticket (I have one from Black Canyon), and I have CIM in December where I am hoping to get my 2021 BQ out of the way for #6. Running 68 miles was going to risk recovery and probably put me out of commission for 3 weeks.<br />
<br />
24 hours post race, I’m only a little bit sore. And that’s because I ran 80K at 100K effort level. 110K at 100K effort level? I would have been physically and emotionally wrecked.<br />
<br />
There was no good option. Just a Least Worst Option. I had to make the best decision considering my future races, even if it meant walking back to Camp with my tail between my legs, licking my wounds.<br />
<br />
The bright spots of the day were watching my training partners have kickass races. It's hard not to smile and feel the contagious happiness. Bittersweet yes, but with the bitter there is always the sweet.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-56503793747423220122019-04-05T21:58:00.001-07:002019-04-07T18:13:21.487-07:00Black Canyon 100K<br />
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<br />
<br />
(Probably I have forgotten some details but better late than never)<br />
<br />
A little over a month ago I ran the Black Canyons 100K. Sometime last September, probably after I finished Noble Canyon 50K - my first 50K in 7 years - I decided that it was mostly reasonable to sign up for 100K having not run anything more than 50K and just a single trail race in 7 years.<br />
<h4>
Some key accomplishments:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Successfully executed the Fart While Running during a race</li>
<li>Avoided another DNF! (I wonder how long this streak will continue)</li>
<li>No falls! And narrowly avoided a major face plant... how I still don't know because I tripped HARD on a rock. Probably in a non-race setting I would have been on my face but my adrenaline and reflexes were in high gear.</li>
<li>Not a single blister and I never changed my socks!</li>
</ol>
<h4>
Some things not avoided:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Chafing. But thankfully it was minimal</li>
<li>Choking on inhaled pieces of Pringles chips. Learned that later in the race I should avoid eating these guys. My ability to walk (nevermind run) and not screw up the eating process of these chips that are easily fractured into spiked shards is supremely degraded.</li>
<li>Extreme overpacking of drop bags. I used maybe 4 or 5 things from all 3 on-the-course drop bags.</li>
</ol>
<h4>
Prologue</h4>
After an evening of obsessing with Laura about what we should pack in our drop bags, I got maybe 3 hours of sleep. Three beers and a melatonin did not knock me out like I hoped it would. The morning basically started with me hitting the toilet early (which, OK, that was probably a good thing) and then watching my Garmin 935 get stuck in a "Software Update" failure loop. I frantically managed to get into the menu after multiple attempts and turn off automatic updates. As it turned out my other running buddy Jamie had the exact same problem, so this is a definite, WTF Garmin, pushing a software update on a Friday night/Saturday morning?<br />
<br />
We eat, get our eleventy zillion bags, and drive to bus loading. Now, over the course of the previous week, the southwest got inundated with what was termed an "atmospheric river" which was really just loads of precipitation. This year in southern California has been crazy - snow at only 1000 feet elevation. Hail! Very few days of sunshine. Anyway, so the atmospheric river complicated things. Aravaipa was hoping not to change the course and didn't... until 4:45am on race morning. We got an email while sitting on the bus, informing us that the High Water Route was in effect (they had outlined this possible course a few days prior). Less point to point, and more run back and forth between Black Canyon City and Gloriana Mine. We would pass through the finish area twice before actually finishing. The consequence of this change was that the course was faster in the back half, but it was a mind-fuck of sorts, including having to negotiate the single track with runners coming in the opposite direction. Often faster runners so the time to execute the Shoulder and Half Body Throwback was fractions of a second.<br />
<h4>
The Start to Bumble Bee (miles 1 - 20)</h4>
So, this was the only part of the race where I was like "WTF guys, this is a mess." They initially told us we had to check-in even if we already picked up our bib at the expo. The line to do that got impossibly long. All the runners in the cold, light sleet, and sticky mud cakes growing on our shoes. At some point they must have realized they weren't going to get everyone checked in and told us we didn't have to do this if we had our bib. I had to pee again so I went behind a water tower. My feet were frozen. While waiting for the starting "gun" the inflatable arch nearly fell over onto us from wind. We were Having Weather. Once we started, it took 3 miles for my feet to thaw out and not feel like I was running with rocks under the balls of my feet.<br />
<br />
I seriously wondered if I would make it past mile 15 the way I was feeling. I'm not being dramatic - this was the toughest part of the race for me, strangely. It wasn't until we got to the one and only creek crossing that things got better. At first I was concerned the water would be frigid and refreeze my feet. While the current did almost knock me over (and convince me Aravaipa was absolutely justified changing the course to the High Water Route), it completely thawed out my feet. It was like some kind of bizarre baptism and I came out of that creek feeling like a 100,000 bucks. Not quite a million because: wet socks. But certainly at least 6 figures.<br />
<br />
The other thing that happened over the course of the first 5 miles was it went from low 30s to mid 50s. So, within an hour it was dry and mostly sunny. I was suddenly wearing far too much clothing (arm sleeves and another long sleeve over them). I got to the first aid station at mile 8, stripped down to my tank and stuffed it into my pack, and then waited 3 minutes to pee (that part annoyed me, but I had to go and this course has nearly no shrubbery to hide behind to do your business). At that point I was probably closer to 50th place for females but I knew most of these folks went out way too fast and I was going to move up if I ran my own race.<br />
<br />
I spent very little time at the next aid stations - so little I hardly remember it. I think I may have had them top off my hydration bladder, grabbed some coke and potatoes. I continued cruising and at one point going up hills, nudged my way ahead of a couple conga lines (because if I'm going to make up time, it's goign to be on hills). I came into Bumble Bee Ranch (19.2) in 41st place. Dumped my clothing into my mostly empty drop bag (so, I planned well here), grabbed my homemade ice bandana because the sun was getting a teensy bit warm and I like to be cool, and loaded it up. I iced until mile 51! And I'm glad I did. I spent about 3 or 4 minutes at this aid station.<br />
<br />
All told, I'd estimate that I spent about 15 minutes total at all aid stations. That part I executed well.<br />
<br />
On the way out, I stopped for another pee break so I was confident I was also hydrating well.<br />
<br />
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<h4>
Bumble Bee to Black Canyon City #1 (miles 20 - 36)</h4>
Bumble Bee to Gloriana Mine was a nice stretch of single track and pretty trails. It had some climbs, and some gentle downhills. I don't remember too much here other than I was feeling pretty good. I chatted some with a girl from DC who I leapfrogged with until the final 10 miles when she laid down the hammer and left me in the dust finishing 11 minutes ahead. Miles 26 to 31 featured lots of downhill jeep and paved road, and I have to say it didn't feel fantastic. It felt kind of crappy.<br />
<br />
I had been told that anything after 50K is just going to hurt and it's all about how to deal with The Suffering. I would say somewhere around 33 miles or so, I realized this was 100% true. I got to 32 and thought: "Well I don't feel horrible... yet." Miles 33 to 36 it became a game of celebrating each mile as a new distance records so as to distract myself from the discomfort! At this point I was in 36th place.<br />
<br />
Coming into Black Canyon City the first time, I ran into Jonathan who gave me some tips and helped me find my drop bag. Also reminded me I'd be back there in like 4 miles! So I decided that was all the time I needed to spend there and I would refill the pack and potty break when I got back which would be mile 40. Still in 36th place.<br />
<h4>
Black Canyon City #2 to Gloriana Mine #2</h4>
The first little out and back of the High Water Route went down to the river we should have crossed and back. The turn around was a can of Hazy Little Thing! I commented to the volunteers that the had great beer taste :) I was oblivious to my surroundings but per my race compadres, the river was really full and definitely impassable.<br />
<br />
On the way back up I made friends with a runner named Daniel and we trudged back up the hill to Black Canyon City commenting on how well we were moving looking at all the folks up ahead mostly walking. Here I noted that I was maybe 1/4 mile behind Jamie. I also saw Robert here going down.<br />
<br />
Bladder refill, potty break, potatoes, gels, started up my music for the first time all day and I was out. Now 29th place. In this stretch alone I moved up 21 overall spots and I think it was largely the amount of time I spent at the aid station. I believe it was 3 minutes at the most. On my way out, my new friend had rejoined me and we ran the next 11 miles together which were road and climbing and the most challenging stretch. I hit mile 40 and I was definitely feeling the distance. Trying not to dwell on the fact that I still had 20 more miles, I mentally framed it: "20 miles is only half what you have already done!"<br />
<br />
Around mile 42 the ache in my legs from the second pass on the road was audible and I decided two acetaminophen was necessary. Either it was placebo or they did their thing because by mile 46 I was feeling quite good. At Soap Creek visit #2 (mile 44), I was 28th place. The jeep road from here was quite an ass kicker - the only way we got up it at 15:00 pace was to negotiate walk and run points with ourselves. I was so relieved to get to the single track trail to Gloriana Mine. We had a nice conga line here of about 6 people including Dan C (who unfortunately got lost for 2 miles) just working up the slight incline. The weather had started turning cold and misty and I knew my time with the ice bandana was done. We pulled into Gloriana Mine and the aid stations volunteers were the best yet! She took my pack and asked me exactly how much I wanted and what, and left me with the time to put on a long sleeve and my headlamp (which I would end up needing for maybe 10 minutes). About 5 minutes spent here. Now 20th place. On the way out I ran into Laura, Jamie, Jonathan coming in.<br />
<h4>
Gloriana Mine #2 to Finish at Black Canyon City</h4>
I saw lots of my San Diego buddies on the way to the finish, Tom, Robert, Maros, Brandon, Greg, etc. We must have had the biggest non-local contingency at this race and it really helped everything feel less foreign.<br />
<br />
In this stretch, I lost almost all of my conga line buddies. Sometimes I really wish I had the downhill turbo that other folks have. I can climb all day, but downhills are not my forte.<br />
<br />
The pain was nearly gone now probably because my mind knew I was almost done. I didn't stop at Soap Creek #3 (mile 58). I was now 19th place.<br />
<br />
I let myself walk some on the road portions because I was just mentally drained. I still managed sub 10:00 on it but it was a hard to tell myself to keep pushing. So I phoned it in just a smidge in the last 3 miles.<br />
<br />
I got to the top of the hill before the final single track into Black Canyon City and realized soon I would have use the headlamp. It was ALMOST a 100K finish with no headlamp. Almost. The last song to come on from my playlist was Tupac's <i>All Eyez On Me</i> which was so good to finish with. I was "singing" along with it (well, just the <i>All Eyez On Me</i> part because anything else would have taken too much energy). Boy, was I happy to see that finish line.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Finish time 11:36:51, 17th female, 3rd in 40-44, 119th overall.</span></b><br />
<br />
I spent the rest of the night lamenting on how tired I was, messaging with my injured BRBF (best running boyfriend), keeping some pals company in the warm med tent, trying to eat pizza, sometimes shivering, talking to some randos who made a fire farther back in the parking lot (it was half for the conversation, half because they had fire... thank God I'm an extrovert).<br />
<br />
I'm quite pleased with this outcome considering my longest distance ever was a 50K, I ran it solo, and it was a Golden Ticket race where all kinds of fast people are hoping to contend for top two. My running buddy conjectures that at least 10 folks of each gender show up with the intention to go for it. So coming in 17th at a race like this in my mind is great. Next up is my 4th Boston! Only 6 more to go for Streaker status :)chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-90069231688250021392017-07-11T12:29:00.001-07:002017-07-11T12:29:51.499-07:00Why I'm Bailing on Ventura, Three Months OutI think I can say that this is the sickest I've been in my life (I'm leaving out appendicitis in this comparison because that isn't a cold/flu; and appendicitis is life threatening, so it trumps everything thus far). I've had more acute illnesses where a single day felt worse. Like when I had the flu in 2004 and sat on the floor in front of the TV shivering under a pile of blankets. But in a few days I was almost back to normal. Today is day 17 of walking pneumonia. Seven-fucking-teen.<br />
<br />
About 10 days before the day this saga began, my husband and I split the day to stay home with Elise who had come down with a cold. No fever, just lots of nasal gunk and whininess/fitful sleep because she didn't feel good. The next day she was mostly better and continued to have a minor cough. I didn't think anything of it and after a week where I didn't have any symptoms, I thought I had dodged a bullet! Yeah, fat chance. After 2 days of 101.5F fever, I went to a Minute Clinic; she checked me out and told me a I had pneumonia, but seemed to think it was minor. I came home with an inhaler and 5-day Azithromycin pack (z-pak). By day 3 of the meds, I was feeling pretty good! Day 4, I took a slow recovery pace run that felt fine. No coughing fits, etc. I continued doing just easy paced runs for another week, and 12 days after I got sick did 10 miler with some steady state work. I was still feeling mostly OK until two days later. Got home from work Friday night and the fever was back. Got as high as 101F before decided to I take an ibuprofen. The next morning I went to Scripps Urgent Care since I figured going to an urgent care that was attached to a hospital was about as legit as urgent care was going to get.<br />
<br />
I had a lung x-ray done and it was clear, though there was one spot on the image obscured by my heart that seemed like it might have some fluid (and that is also where I sometimes feel a twinge of pain when I have a coughing fit with this latest relapse). The diagnosis is walking pneumonia (which I guess is the same as two weeks ago except she didn't use the "walking" term). It has an incubation period of 10-14 days which lines right up with the timeline of when Elise got sick. But she didn't get knocked on her ass like I did. He explained that some people get it and are totally asymptomatic, some just get a minor cough for 6-8 weeks (Elise), and some are like me and get their asses kicked with fever and the works. I explained how I had gone back to running and maybe that's why it relapsed, he said that didn't cause it. Apparently this same thing had happened to him and his wife when his kids were little. After a z-pak, his wife got sick again. It just wasn't enough antibiotics to fully kill everything off. When I told him I was going to take a full week off of running, he seemed to think that was unnecessary, though if I did activity, to keep is very low aerobic effort and avoid doing it in heat.<br />
<br />
Still, I am taking a week off. This resurrection of the bacteria has given me a cough that is the gnarliest I've had in years. Like 30 years. The round of treatment I'm on now is 9 days of Azithromycin with the first two days of 500 mg, followed by 7 days of 250mg. Before I had 500mg on day 1, then 250mg for 4 more days. After 3 days, I'm feeling like maybe 60% better. On the first z-pak I felt about 80% better on day 3. I sure hope this works because I am tired of this thing. I feel like I'll be lucky at this point if I'm feeling good by next week. And I don't think I'll be 100% next week. I'm just hoping to be 80-90% and not coughing like a life-long smoker every morning. Or having a coughing fit where I almost puke.<br />
<br />
I also miss beer and wine. The first week I didn't care too much. And I don't necessarily want to drink at this point (and now I definitely shouldn't because I've been prescribed codeine cough syrup - woo hoo, controlled substance! Actually, it freaked me out and I googled it a bunch before I took the first dose. Apparently it's an opiate, but it's gotta be pretty low dosage because I don't feel much of anything when I take it), but I miss just having a meal with a glass of wine. Just normal shit. I miss just having a normal day.<br />
<br />
<h4>
OK, OK, But What About Running?</h4>
<br />
I've been averaging in the 20s for weekly mileage the last 5 weeks. And it's going to stay this way for another 2 weeks if I'm lucky. If I'm not lucky, it'll be longer. So, I've given up on Ventura. It is 15 weeks out from the Ventura Marathon (October 22). I don't think 12-13 weeks is an adequate build up. Sure, I could probably have a decent race, but I'm not interested in half-assing marathons, especially ones that require travel. The recovery time from marathons is long. It leaves me with no time to attempt another until Boston. If I have only once chance before Boston 2018, then I want to set myself up a little better than 12 weeks to build up from 25 mpw. On Friday night, after seeing 101F pop up on the thermometer, I knew I was done. So I checked on CIM and saw that it was still open! Part of me is annoyed I didn't re-up at the $99 price they offered the 2016 finishers the week after race day but hindsight is 20-20.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-6855461629109105182017-06-04T09:54:00.002-07:002017-06-04T09:57:24.449-07:00Fontana Days Run 2017: Was Worth a Try!I ran this race in 2011 and while it was a little warmer than I was used to, I had a 6+ minute PR thanks to the ridiculous downhill is has (~2000 ft over 13 miles). There are no uphills. Just a couple flat spots and maybe the smallest of incline. I ran 1:41 something back then, when I hadn't yet run a marathon (other than my first 2 in 2003) and my 5K PR was something like 23:xx. Since then, I'm considerably fast in all distances so I figured I could probably do better than 1:37:00 for an NYCM qualification. TL;DR: I didn't even get a course PR yesterday.<br />
<br />
The morning started at 4am, and I hydrated like a champ. I ended up drinking about a liter of water pre-race. The forecast was not looking great - high of 93F, and strangely high humidity for the inland empire. I was expecting my "monthly bill" to come due (if you catch my drift, but it can vary +/- 1 day) so I was checking, checking, checking all morning before I left the hotel. No sign. I take one regular Tampax with me just in case. In the 15 minute drive from the hotel to parking, guess what? It showed up. And I could tell that my one "regular" provision was not going to cover me for 4+ hours.<br />
<br />
I had about 50 minutes before the last bus load to the start, so I started jogging around to find that Stater Bros wasn't yet open. The crossing signals are disabled because the road was closing, yet there are cops everywhere so the only way I can get across is essentially to break the law and jaywalk. I finally just say "f**k it" and jay "run" across the street. First Mobil I go into is the smallest shop ever - has nothing. I see a Circle K across the street so I run across the street again and finally procure an exorbitantly priced mini pack of tampons. Sorry if you're a dude reading this but this is just one extra complication you don't have to worry about - consider yourself lucky!<br />
<br />
At this point, its already warm. I get on a bus and get to the top about 50 minutes before the start. 20 minutes of porta potty line, I go warm up for a mile, do some strides/dynamic stretches. And it is hot. I remember in 2011 I was cold enough to keep my long sleeve on until the start. Not today. I look at the porta potty lines and they are long and decide to find a spot to pop a quick squat. Everyone is doing the same thing! I end up finding a dirt hole that was sunk down enough that you would only see my head - another girl is doing the same thing as me in another hole 30 feet away.<br />
<br />
I peel off my tee shirt to my crop and shorts. It's 69F and 70% humidity, not much wind. At 7:30am we are off. By mile 2, I am sweating fairly heavily. I get through mile 5 around goal pace of 7:25. During the 6th mile is when I knew my goal was not going to happen. It was already hot, I had started dumping water on myself from the 2nd aid station. But in mile 6, you leave the shade of the mountains and the course becomes more and more exposed. I think mile 6 I was over 7:30 and knew that getting the next 7 miles near 7:20 was going to be impossible for me with the heat.<br />
<br />
So I dialed it back because I didn't see a good reason to risk heat exhaustion for not even a PR. There will be other opportunities. There always are. I slowed down to miles ranging from 7:55 to 8:30. Mile 11, I was so hot, I let myself walk through the aid station. Mile 12, an Islamic center had set up an aid station and they were handing out ice cold mini-bottles of water. I downed it and immediately felt better. The cold water cooled my core temperature enough that I felt good enough to finish the last bit of the race in the low 7:00s. Looked at my phone after I crossed and Wunderground said it was 84F. It really was miserably hot.<br />
<br />
Now, here is where it's even funnier with this day. I only have my Garmin time. I crossed 1:44:03 on my watch but when I went to go find my time, online, I'm not listed! My chip didn't register. So, perhaps it all kind of worked out in a weird way? Because how pissed would I have been if I had actually ran my goal and then had no official time?!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxkzNh4lHi-WFShCmsQUJ8E5PxZBimSeTHyw6l3thgF3Ow5lbxoic54qFobV85jff0KyR_DhB9L3HHkNHzLtaNDi6NvEovhQ2Bl1xIHlO6aa2hUJLblbxpi-UAGnsotdCYmWvQuJNrHQ/s1600/IMG_20170603_093745-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxkzNh4lHi-WFShCmsQUJ8E5PxZBimSeTHyw6l3thgF3Ow5lbxoic54qFobV85jff0KyR_DhB9L3HHkNHzLtaNDi6NvEovhQ2Bl1xIHlO6aa2hUJLblbxpi-UAGnsotdCYmWvQuJNrHQ/s320/IMG_20170603_093745-01.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completely drenched from pouring water on myself with my janky malfunctioning bib/chip</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
I don't know if I'll run Fontana again. The heat is too much of a risk - it seems like some years you get good weather but often you don't. Rock n Roll San Diego is today and it's overcast 60s - I'm pretty sure I would have run a faster time today at home than dragging my ass 2 hours north to Fontana. Probably not the 1:37 but not a 1:44. And I wouldn't still have a headache lingering the day after from the heat an dehydration.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-25549422039177188922017-04-22T21:55:00.000-07:002017-04-22T21:55:12.509-07:00Boston 2017 Race RecapI'm really hoping third time's a charm with Boston 2018 because, so far, it been hot and then hotter again this year.<br />
<br />
My training cycle for Boston went really well, and my tune-up 10K (that was short so I had to extrapolate from 5.9 to 6.2) predicted around 3:27:30. What didn't go so well is the usual winter taper cold turned sinus infection. Oh, and the weather.<br />
<br />
Every time I go into taper, my body decides to let down it's defenses and succumb to the latest germs my toddler has brought home from day care. So, just like CIM, come Marathon Monday, I was finishing up a course of antibiotics for a sinus infection. The night before the race, I had sinus pressure strong enough to keep me awake for 2 hours. In desperation, I decided to take a decongestant just to get some sleep. For CIM, I was nearly 100% for the race; Boston, I felt like maybe 80% better (the post-nasal drip continued until about the Thursday after so, clearly, not "all better" on race day).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Race Morning</h3>
<br />
After about 5-6 hours of sleep, I got up and ate an exorbitantly priced bagel from the hotel breakfast ($6.25! WTF. Last time I do that), and about half a cup of hotel room Keurig coffee. Got all my stuff together and headed out to meet my friend from Advanced Running sub-Reddit. About half way to Boston Common I realized I had forgotten my iPod shuffle. If there was ever a race to run sans-music, this is the one, so I was only mildly annoyed. We boarded around 8:15am after hitting up the porta-potties. The bus was stuffy and warm. Not a good sign. Race morning 2016, I was still cold and had on two layers when I got on the bus. Not this year. I could have shed my long sleeve right there but I didn't feel like walking around in a crop top for 2.5 hours before the start.<br />
<br />
We arrived with only enough time to go to the porta-potties one time, sit down and apply sunscreen and eat a bit more before it was time to go to the corrals for one more potty stop. Into the corrals we went and hung out in the only shady spot in corral 2.<br />
<br />
My original internet running buddies Margot (@fasterbunny) and Madison (@madisond77) found me (yay!) and we chatted before the start and ran maybe the first mile together, if that. I figured I would try to go out 8:00 pace and see how it felt.<br />
<br />
<h3>
It's Go Time</h3>
<br />
Mile 1 was super crowded. Mile 2 started to clear up and I was able to pick it up. By mile 5 (splits had been 8:11, 7:58, 7:58, 7:45), I was hot and feeling weird. I touched my face and it was dry which freaked me out. Shouldn't I be sweating? My face felt like it was on fire and I had this feeling that my choice was binary: (a) slow way down right then, or (b) pass out and end up in a med tent.<br />
<br />
It was weird, but this is the first time in a race where my body gave me such clear warning alarms. I think the fact that it was so dry (the day before it had been 85F and 26% humidity in Wellesley - super dry even by my San Diego standards) made me -- and everyone else that had this feeling because it was a common theme in race recaps -- dehydrated and overheated faster than I could figure out and attempt to mitigate.<br />
<br />
I made the common sense choice of (a) slow way down. I kept thinking what a shit-show it would be if I ended up in a med tent and my husband and daughter had to deal with that situation. I started dumping water on myself at every aid station and drinking more water than I ever have in a race (aside from the Harding Hustle 50K which was in July in Orange County and included 6-7K of climbing or more? I can't remember. It was freaking hot).<br />
<br />
Mile 5 split was 8:11. And it just got slower from there.<br />
<br />
By mile 8, I had emptied my 20 ounce handheld and refilled at water stop. At 13, I got totally energized by the Wellesley Scream Tunnel - my arm was ready to fall off from holding it up to slap hands! I was able to stop briefly in Wellesley to say hi to my brother-in-law and his wife, and friends that used to live in LA they were visiting. Just like last year! Wondering if 2018 will make it a tradition :)<br />
<br />
And guess what? My handheld was again empty. Seriously. Still dumping water on myself, running through sprinklers, fire hydrants, and stuffing ice in my sports bra whenever I could get my hands on it. Refilled the handheld and kept on truckin'. Hit the half at 1:50 or so. At this point, I knew it was going to be Positive Split City.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was all the water on me and in me that made me stop feeling so much like death, but, strangely, I started feeling a little better. My feet on the other hand, were feeling worse because I made a rookie mistake of wearing shoes that I had only tested out 3 times. My big toes are still suffering a week later - I wouldn't be surprised if I lose my left big toenail at some point in the near future. I have always had pretty good luck shoes so I took it for granted these would just work. And they mostly did except that the toe box wasn't tall enough to deal with my big toes that like to curl up before my foot plants. So I have two under-the-nail blisters that I can't drain. Lesson (re)learned.<br />
<br />
I hit the Newton Hills and didn't walk any of them(!). But they really are pretty tame as far as hills go. I did get slower but the sun was still out and it was still hot, so, not surprising.<br />
<br />
Mile 18 rolls around and my handheld is empty again! Yep. About 20 ounces every 5 miles/45 minutes. Refilled a third time. And I never had to pee. It was nuts. Somewhere around here I took an ice pop from a spectator (actually, it was being held out by his toddler which was too cute) - it was the best damn grape ice pop I've ever eaten.<br />
<br />
I get to Heartbreak and I had been telling myself I would walk if I wanted to. But I didn't! I found another Instagram buddy, Katie (@phxrunnergirl), who gave me a lift with her enthusiastic cheering! I kept plugging along. Somewhere in mile 21, the sky started to cloud over some. Last year, we got relief from the heat at mile 13-14. This year, no relief until mile 21.<br />
<br />
My toes were still pissed off and I kept looking down to see if maybe they were bleeding or something. I don't know why I thought that, but they just hurt. But not so bad as to make me walk or slow down a lot. I managed to finish the last 5 miles faster and faster with the last two miles 8:29 and 8:28. Just like last year, I got totally swept up in the finish - it is just the best feeling to hit Hereford and then Boyleston.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I plan on buying these photos when they go on <br />sale like last year (usually takes a couple weeks).</td></tr>
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<br />
I finished 3:47:17. Almost 4 minutes slower than last year, 16 minutes slower than my PR, and 18 minutes or so off my goal.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Bye Bye, iPhone</h3>
<br />
Aside from my sub 3:30 goal, the other unfortunate casualty of this race was my iPhone 6. My desire not to pass out from overheating overwhelmed worrying about the state of my phone sitting in my short's side pocket. Had I expected to be dousing myself every 8-10 minutes, I would have put my phone in a baggie. Unfortunately, the iPhone 6 is a delicate flower and even though it was mostly just getting moisture not direct water exposure, it still couldn't handle it. About 2 hours post race the touch screen stopped working (I didn't realize there was a water damage issue until this point). I couldn't power it off. Tried to put it in rice, but it never came back. So we switched to Google Fi and Android phones a bit earlier than I had initially planned.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Final Thoughts</h3>
<br />
Could I have run this race faster? Possibly. Maybe had I realized earlier how quickly I was getting dehydrated in those early miles and started drinking like crazy from mile 1, I might have finished a bit faster. But I don't think I was going to hit my goal in that weather. Drinking nearly 80 ounces of fluid in a marathon is crazy for me. By contrast, I drank maybe 24 ounces at CIM. I never refilled my handheld. This race, I refilled 3 times, poured water all over myself every station, stuffed ice in my sports bra, had an ice pop, etc and I never once had to pee (in fact, I didn't pee until about 2 hours post-finish). If that doesn't explain the conditions we were running under, I don't know what does.<br />
<br />
When we got back to the hotel, we watched some of the live broadcast and they said that they had to submerge about the same number of runners for dangerously high body temperatures that they did in 2012 (the year it was diabolically hot). I'm not saying it was 2012 hot, but there's a lot of data to support that it was worse than last year.<br />
<br />
While I am, obviously, disappointed with my time, I still feel like I ran decently under difficult conditions. I didn't totally fall apart, I managed not to pass out and DNF, and had a fairly strong final push. The training cycle miles are still in the bank and will count towards future races. I plan on running another fall marathon for a 2019 BQ (because no way in hell I'm relying on Boston 2018 to have good weather) and am leaning heavily on Ventura which moved to late October and looks very similar to the Mountains 2 Beach course.<br />
<br />
<br />chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-7877724147765993562017-02-01T11:18:00.002-08:002017-02-01T11:18:46.859-08:00Week 5 Boston Training: Hard Days Hard, Easy Days Easy?This week was an interesting one. On Monday night, I got some kind of one-day stomach bug that kept me up all night and home from work on Tuesday. But by the morning, it was stable. I was able to get my Tuesday workout in and not yak anything up!<br />
<br />
This was the first week back into a WCRR training plan. The paces and mileage are up for this plan compared to CIM and I'm definitely finding it a bit more challenging. By the end of this week, I realized I really need to get a strength training routine down.<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/842039537" target="_blank">Monday: 8 miles @ 9:02</a></h4>
<div>
Ran my usual work route which is hilly (though not as hilly as the Thursday's route). Not much to say about this one other than I was really happy to see how low my HR was for 8 miles with 446 feet of climbing. Only 139 bpm average. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/843397223" target="_blank">Tuesday: 10 x 400 meters</a></h4>
<div>
After maybe getting a couple hours of sleep from the stomach bug, in the late afternoon once my husband got home I went down to the bay to do my "track" workout. The goal pace was 1:30 - 1:35 per repeat. I could not get my legs to run that fast. My HR never got extremely high. I hit 181 bpm but my max is 195-200. I managed one repeat at 1:35. Five of them at 1:37. The rest ranged from 1:38-1:42. I came to the realization that I probably need some kind of strength training, notably in my upper body. I feel like that could help me cover more distance because cadence is definitely not my problem (I was hitting more than 200 steps per minute for the repeats).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/844225876" target="_blank">Wednesday: 8 @ 8:51</a></h4>
<div>
Uneventful 8 easy miles. Was again pleased to see only 140 average HR for this pace on hills.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snagged this lulu skirt NWT on eBay - love the print!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/845249728" target="_blank">Thursday: Tempo Intervals</a></h4>
<div>
I knew that I wasn't ready to hammer out 5 tempo miles from 7:10-7:30 on Aviara and Poinsettia (Aviara is ~180 feet of climbing over a mile). So I looked at the BAA plan which had tempo intervals and I did that instead, with a minute less of rest after the first chunk. I did 3 miles, 3 mins rest, then 2 x 1 mile with 90 seconds rest.</div>
<div>
<br />
3 miles: 7:26, 8:19 (up the hill: +178 feet), 7:35<br />
2 x 1 miles: 7:07 (down the hill: -169 feet), 7:29 (this one had +67 feet, so I was pretty happy with this)<br />
<br />
I'm really digging tempo intervals because it lets you get more time at LT than you normally would. Five straight miles at 15K pace is a lot of effort and can be pretty taxing. Having short rests lets me get in 5 miles without it being too close to a race effort.<br />
<br />
After the run, I did some strength stuff, including single leg deadlifts with weights, squats, etc.<br />
At this point, I realized that I don't necessarily agree with the hard days hard, easy days easy. </div>
<h4>
Friday: Rest!</h4>
<div>
Thank God because my left hamstring was none too happy with me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/847259080" target="_blank">Saturday: 15 @ 8:30</a></h4>
<div>
Started at 6:40am with a WCRR buddy and it was cold - 39! For the first time I wished I had gloves. We did almost 6 miles at a brisk pace (~8:20). She had to run off for family stuff so I ran another 1.5 or so and then met up with the larger WCRR crew. Since it was the beginning of the season, I knew it was going to be quick, we were under 8:30, easily for 6 miles. I finished up with ~1.5 miles at a considerably easier pace. By the end of this run the left hamstring hip was pretty much done with me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBxDcygaV4TEGho7T85mvdlhotS9E6Czk_lGvDRZrjGHhVwCl0HIJXswfkEJX6o8P2wlD3It80aNAq7ZO7PEgM19U4Sz6NrOEw-_f04q96PY928ArvcTxrU2j_SyDT690n4U2o7VHzno/s1600/IMG_1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBxDcygaV4TEGho7T85mvdlhotS9E6Czk_lGvDRZrjGHhVwCl0HIJXswfkEJX6o8P2wlD3It80aNAq7ZO7PEgM19U4Sz6NrOEw-_f04q96PY928ArvcTxrU2j_SyDT690n4U2o7VHzno/s320/IMG_1002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my awkward run selfie</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/848495896" target="_blank">Sunday: 4 @ 9:16</a></h4>
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Went down to the bay for recovery miles and decided to try working on form a bit, adding a slight lean forward. Felt pretty good, but form is a tricky thing. When you're tired, you revert to whatever form feels natural, whatever your body finds is the best use of energy. In my opinion, form in that situation will always revert to the less ideal one unless you do other work to train your body into feeling that the "new" form is more efficient. I don't know exactly how to get there, but that is my theory. I'm thinking it has to do with strength and where you body is carrying said strength. If your arms are weak, well, not likely when you're tired, your arms are going to be of much use to keeping your form together. So I've started working on doing at least pushups and tricep work because I can see that I'm weak there. I have good core strength, but arms and upper boy: fuggedaboutit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDelgP9LDE4SprtzAQ82Gz3qIjuNOWV63ImY5Yu5Cv4gz9Ns1xtpZl7uw0zpEv_8rPMjPvIJFzNoP3szK7vobuRTa549_L6T7gsiJWsG4JRdZtGRJlHgxT-yEx4MVQzlgbv043v9sfUw/s1600/IMG_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDelgP9LDE4SprtzAQ82Gz3qIjuNOWV63ImY5Yu5Cv4gz9Ns1xtpZl7uw0zpEv_8rPMjPvIJFzNoP3szK7vobuRTa549_L6T7gsiJWsG4JRdZtGRJlHgxT-yEx4MVQzlgbv043v9sfUw/s320/IMG_1003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iPhone in dark conditions: bad picture</td></tr>
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The rest of the afternoon was centered mostly around attending Disney On Ice at the Sports Arena which, holy crap, is that place old. San Diego has some old sporting complexes - this is where the Clippers used to play (when they were the San Diego Clippers in their first season). It's now where the minor league hockey team plays. Elise loved the event because it had most of her favorites: Cars, Little Mermaid, and Frozen. The first part was Toy Story which was probably the worst of it. It was just hard to follow with far too many props.<br />
<br />
I think the most ridiculous thing I saw at this even was the venue selling a Bud Light for $11.50. I feel like this is worse than what I've seen at an MLB game. Maybe they figured parents were so unenthused and bored by the event that they would be willing for fork over that absurd price for an alcoholic diversion. IDK, but a 12 pack of Bud is barely worth that much.<br />
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<h4>
Hard Days, Easy Days</h4>
<br />
I've seen this sentiment quite a bit, that you should do strength work on hard days so that you can truly recover on easy days. After Thursday, I can say that I don't agree with this.<br />
<br />
What I noticed was that after a taxing workout of tempo intervals, my ability to (a) maintain proper form in strength repetitions, and (b) discern the appropriate effort level, was totally wack. What ended up happening was that I had subpar form on my single leg deadlifts and I wasn't sure how hard I was actually working because I was fairly gassed from my running workout. This resulted in tweaking my left hamstring and it is only now (one week later) starting to feel normal-ish again.<br />
<br />
Now, perhaps if you have lots of time and can do an AM hard running workout and PM strength work, then you may be able to safely get the two done. But if you only have time to do them back-to-back without some rest in between, I think it's safer to do strength on your easy days (and obviously, not an overly crazy routine where you completely trash your body because you will definitely be sacrificing very important recovery time). </div>
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chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-29048245495990912292017-01-30T17:04:00.002-08:002017-01-30T17:04:25.155-08:00Thinking Aloud Dump of Political FeelsThe current political environment has me ping-ponging around trying to figure out how not to feel this low-level dread about the repercussions of what President Trump is trying to push onto our country. I've been listening to NPR, reading tweets and blog posts, articles. I came across a post on <a href="http://www.runningoffthereeses.com/" target="_blank">Running off the Reeses</a> where she linked to an article about <a href="http://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/1/24/14369914/donald-trump-womens-march-sign" target="_blank">a women who carried a White Women Elected Trump sign</a> at one of the the Womens' Marches.<br />
<br />
While I agree that white women voted in greater proportion for Trump than they did for McCain or Romney in 2008 and 2012, there were things in that article that I think are not leading us to productive conclusions. She wrote about owning this fact. That, we as white women need to own that we elected Trump. I'm white and I'm a woman. But I can't own the fact that there are groups of Americans that seemed to believe in Trump's platform. This isn't a gender thing. This goes beyond gender. We have a polarized situation between large metropolitan areas and more rural, suburban areas. If you look at the map, you don't say: "Well, in California there must not have been any white women." Same goes for Massachusetts, Oregon, Illinois, etc.<br />
<br />
It's great that she made people think, but it doesn't get us to the root of our problem: we have a divide where many of our core values are not lining up,* and we have become increasingly resistant to consider viewpoints that differ from our own.<br />
<br />
Do these groups of people believe that banning Muslims is what is good for the country to keep us safe? Is this how they rationalize not being outraged by this latest executive order? (the alternative is that they are religious bigots and I'm trying to err on giving the benefit of the doubt here).<br />
<br />
Do they seek out information or opinions about the other side of these actions? And I'm not talking about seeking out someone flaming the president. I have no desire to seek out an opposing opinion that is just a flame war intended to rile me up. I'm talking about civilized discourse, usually involving facts (not "alternative facts").<br />
<br />
Is there some satisfaction with standing behind one's initial assessment as the true/righteous one vs seeking out another view point? Humans don't like to be wrong or even admit they made a mistake. I get that. But that doesn't make it a behavior to cultivate and propagate.<br />
<br />
I think Obama alluded to this in several of his last speeches/press releases. That we need to rediscover our ability to really listen to the other side. Rediscover a passion for seeking information, on both sides.<br />
<br />
The ability to admit that what you may have thought/felt before is no longer "right" with you is such an underrated quality. I know that our current President has a very hard time with that. The ability to put your ego on the shelf for a few minutes is a leadership quality we need. But I would hazard to say that these are things we as American citizens desperately need to cultivate. The man we elected is the personification of our recent behavior. Listening to each other and having genuine curiosity is the only way we're going to be able to find common ground and understand each other in a way that is productive.<br />
<br />
Who knows, maybe at the end of this all we will have been forced to get to the point where we listen to each other again. I can only hope.<br />
<br />
*that's not to say that we don't agree on basic principles of being a good human being, because I think we do.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-34398058985554829292017-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:002017-01-24T10:17:28.621-08:00Boston Marathon Training Week 4: Mystery ExplainedI've got a plan from my group. Boiled down to the coach having a completed registration form for me, and subsequently not remembering that I had paid by check like a month ago (I did that to avoid paying Active an additional $8). Membership fees for this group is so reasonable that I suppose these hiccups are to be expected. If I were paying > $100 a month, I would be more annoyed. Anyway, his plan mileage is lining up exactly to where I'm at so I'm shifting over as of Saturday of this week. I had good success with is at CIM and it's a solid plan. I may consider changing the straight tempos to cruise intervals if I feel like I'm having a hard time doing 5 straight tempo miles at like 7:30.<br />
<br />
We're having the rainiest winter since 2005-2006. As I write this we're in day 3 of forecasted 6 days of rain. Seems like next week it'll clear up but at the rate we're going, I'm pretty sure we'll get another storm in the next two weeks. This year I think we'll finally kick the drought. Years like this remind me that maybe I can't live in Seattle because I'm getting a little tired of so many days of rain this last month. The sump pumps under our house have been on a lot, even when it isn't raining. The ground is just saturated. And our grapefruit tree apparently doesn't love the additional rain last season and this season because the fruit is like maybe 40% of the volume of last year, and they are all over the place: some are green, some look like they might be ripe. Nothing like the first two years we lived here where we have huge, sweet grapefruits all ripening at the same time, in late December.<br />
<br />
This week, somehow, I managed to avoid running in the rain, though I think next week I won't be so lucky.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/834241333" target="_blank">Monday: 6 miles @ 9:18</a></h4>
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Elise was sick and awake a lot during the night so I was super tired for this run. It still felt OK, and HR data looks good. </div>
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/835392171/overview" target="_blank">Tuesday: 5 x 1200m</a></h4>
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These felt much easier than last week but I had 400 meter recoveries (~2:20-2:30) which is a totally different ball game than 90 second recovery. Goal paces were 5:23 - 5:37.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">5:27, 5:18, 5:25, 5:21, 5:25</span></div>
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Only 158 average HR.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrKKroCQQwQCs_fTRSauRvFSbGjV5xXT__652JSvyHCo1dyqeXIRTIDFpjUhihY7C7yuO080HlAgyrTG8axLewbB45c2Y0jaQG73e765ESTkjh2knqE86LhRKAgkw_s81jxsuSd4au0U/s1600/IMG_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrKKroCQQwQCs_fTRSauRvFSbGjV5xXT__652JSvyHCo1dyqeXIRTIDFpjUhihY7C7yuO080HlAgyrTG8axLewbB45c2Y0jaQG73e765ESTkjh2knqE86LhRKAgkw_s81jxsuSd4au0U/s320/IMG_0934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/836501850" target="_blank">Wednesday: 6 @ 9:13</a></h4>
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Easy run with some plyometric exercises. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/837598291/overview" target="_blank">Thursday: LT Intervals</a></h4>
<div>
I tend to feel guilty taking too long of a lunch break to get my run in so when I saw LT work, I knew that it was either treadmill, hills, or drive 10 minutes to somewhere flatter. I'm not a treadmill fan so I decided to suck it up and do the hills. It was rough. The plan was 2 x 2 miles at HMP (7:30-7:50), 3 minute recovery, then 1 x 1 mile at HMP. First two miles were mostly up. In fact, the pace on my first mile was 8:28 and a Strava grade adjusted pace of 7:19. 178 feet of climbing. Then it went down and also up and then again down and I hit 7:40. Turned around, and more up, 7:58. Then I got back the down from the first mile 7:14. Last interval mile, 7:32 with more up.<br />
<br />
Basically, I felt like I got my ass kicked good. Average was 7:46, but grade adjusted pace was 7:31. Average HR of 156 - actually thought it was going to be higher with all the hard running up hill.</div>
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<h4>
Friday: Rest!</h4>
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At this point I realized that I had run 15 days straight with no rest days. I think that might be the longest streak for me ever. And I had no desire to continue it. Also, it was raining cats and dogs with winds gusting over 50 mph. No thanks.</div>
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<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/839492854" target="_blank">Saturday: 16 @ 8:46</a></h4>
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The group was running 5-6 miles today since the San Diego Rock n Roll season started. I arrived just before the run was up, and ran a little more than 8 miles before meeting up with the group. As expected, when we're at the beginning of the season, it's full-steam ahead, near 8:00. I was happy that I ran my first 8 miles in the 8:50-9:30 range. Ended up with a fairly low average HR, 149 bpm. Legs felt pretty pooped at the end of it though. At least we didn't get any rain!<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/840730545" target="_blank">Sunday: 5 @ 9:34</a></h4>
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Picked up a pair of Mizuno Wave Creation 17 (last season model) for $59.99 which is like $100 under retail and I figured I would take them for a test run and figure out if I should get another pair. I will say that I'm totally not used to running in higher end cushion shoes. I liked it, though! I mean, I can feel why they are $160 vs the others at $120 (though, retail prices of running shoes are absurd but that's another argument entirely).</div>
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chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-17945390911929819472017-01-16T16:59:00.003-08:002017-01-16T16:59:42.466-08:00Boston Marathon Training Week 3: Legs are getting used to thisStill plugging away at the BAA plan. Not sure if I'm going to leave the plan, though I did ping the coach again as a last ditch effort. The end of this week was the Carlsbad Half Marathon and I had been trying to figure out what to do with it. It's fairly early in the ramping up of mileage and quality work that I didn't think I was in shape to PR and wasn't sure it was worth diverting Boston workout efforts that were just starting up again for the sake of tapering. Spoiler: I ended up running MP, a decision that was make within the first mile of the race.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/826659221" target="_blank">Monday: 5 easy @ 9:16</a></h4>
<br />
Thanks to splitting a liter bottle (not your standard 750ml) of Barolo from Costco (good shit, like 93 points, $34) with my husband on Sunday evening, I had a lingering headache through the late afternoon. Did not make for the most comfortable run, but my legs felt good and HR was low (average 134) so I just had to deal with my head! Ran in my Under Armour Drift shoes - I was on the fence with them but the more I use them, the more I'm kinda digging them.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/827797813" target="_blank">Tuesday: Intervals/track work</a></h4>
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I think this workout is intended to be for VO2Max - it doesn't specify but just the nature of the second half of it leads me to believe that's the intent. Goal pace chart is outlined on the BAA site - I picked the 3:30 finish time goal as it's closest to my last marathon time, and the goal paces are also where I'm at recent races.</div>
<br />
2 mile warm up<br />
4 x 800 @ 10K pace with 90 second recovery jogs (7:10 - 7:30 pace = 3:35 - 3:45)<br />
4 x 400 @ 5K pace with 90 second recovery jogs (6:50 - 7:00 pace = 1:42 - 1:45)<br />
2 mile cool down<br />
<br />
When I first looked at this workout, I was like: "Well this shouldn't be too bad." Famous Last Words.<br />
<br />
It was rough and I'm fairly certain it was thanks to the scant 90 second recoveries (though the fact that it was sunny and 65F - warmer than what we've been seeing recently - didn't help). The shortest recoveries I've had in recent memory have been 2:00. If you jog a 400m at 9:00 pace (which is faster than I usually run my recoveries) that's 2:15: 45 seconds more recovery time. It catches up with you after about 2-3 repeats. By the fourth 800m repeat, I was just praying that the 400s would feel easier because it was half the distance. Even if I had to run them faster.<br />
<br />
In reality they felt worse than the 800s.<br />
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I ran it on the road so there were some small hills to deal with. Ended up with around 200 feet of climbing.<br />
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Splits for 800s: 3:44, 3:34, 3:33, 3:36<br />
Splits for 400s: 1:39, 1:42, 1:45, 1:42<br />
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Was a salty, red-faced mess at the end. Hit a high of 183 HR (not that close to my max, but 10 beats higher than my LT HR), average of 161 over 8.05 miles.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/828854632" target="_blank">Wednesday: 6 easy @ 9:14</a> </h4>
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Used my new rain jacket, Pearl Izumi Pursuit Barrier LT Hoody. It works way better than my other jacket. Acutally kept the water out (my other jacket was a complete failure). Legs recovered fairly well from the beating the day before, and I felt like I had to hold back a bit.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/829875791" target="_blank">Thursday: 5 aerobic @ 8:37</a></h4>
<br />
Managed to get this run in right before the rain started. Did I mention we're getting a lot of rain? Haven't seen this much rain since 2005. Dialed in the goal 8:30-8:50 pace. Felt like work, but just a bit harder than easy - only 147 bpm average.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/830600693" target="_blank">Friday: 9 @ 8:34</a></h4>
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LT work this morning - started this just after the downpour was done. Possibly, the aerobic run the day before made this run feel harder than it should have. The goal was 7:30-7:50 (half marathon pace) for the intervals.<br />
<br />
2 warm up: 9:52, 9:34<br />
2 x 2 miles @ HMP: 7:53, 7:46 (right at 7:50 avg)<br />
3 min recovery jog (9:37)<br />
3 x 1 mile @ HMP: 7:43, 7:31, 7:34<br />
90 second recoveries in between (around 10:00 pace)<br />
1.4 mile cool down @ 9:17<br />
<br />
So, I hit the paces but they were mostly on the upper end of the range. So I guess it was still successful but it felt fairly hard. Remembered my HR strap this time and the average was only 157 for the whole workout so IDK, felt harder than my HR data reflects.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/831866989" target="_blank">Saturday: 4 easy @ 9:00</a></h4>
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Ran Mission Bay and basically had someone on my tail the whole time. I was waiting for her to pass me but she never did. I started out 9:25 and first mile split at 9:02. Still the footsteps continued and seems like this made me subconciously speed up - yet she was still the same distance behind me. Mile 2 at 8:39. I don't know, seems to me like she was pacing off me. I was happy to turn around at mile 2 so I could be without someone 10 steps behind me. Ended with 9:04 and 9:13. Was aiming more for the 9:15 range so this was a little fast for easy. But HR stayed in (Strava) zone 1 and 2.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/833079340" target="_blank">Sunday: Carlsbad Half Marathon 13.1?</a></h4>
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Question mark on the distance because I was so not in the racing mindset that when I stopped to loosen my shoe (which, if I were really "racing" I would have just sucked it up and dealt with the it; not wasted precious seconds on a slightly uncomfortable shoe), I stopped my watch? I've never done that in a race. Then proceeded to forget that I had stopped it until mile 2 when I checked my watch. So from 1.34 until the 2 mile marker, no GPS data.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Pam and I started with the 1:40 group but right away, I knew (a) even if I managed to pull 1:39:xx out of my ass it was going to be very ugly, (b) I was not interested in working that hard. I had the two hard workouts this week (so, no tapering for this). My mind just wasn't into it. So I (and Pam) pulled back. I ran the first 9-10 with Pam, and then did a little drop-down/progression for the last bit, hitting 7:40s for the last 3 miles. I have a feeling my Garmin overall pace was probably under 8:00 but since I spaced during mile 1, not sure on that data. Official finish time was 1:45:23, average of 8:02. I was having a full on conversation with the WCRR coach in the last stretch when he ran next to me. I had lots left. But happy to say as I write this on the following day, I have no soreness. So, I think I'm good to do the other hard workouts this week other than shifting it a day forward (taking today easy). It's also nice to see that a 1:45 half felt fairly easy; I think that MP of 8:00 is still where I'm at (i.e. I haven't lost much since CIM).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5C3U-n6WHauCI7i2polvEisZobQso15n11ub6PNPaIhN7HCZ1FyVATe50TtheOlpYrlCfETUKRV3HPa0RAP4WuOb7jLNfbbqGXTKNESEJDMO-BlnfAOeqXvQxmu0Gma5pCNPu6lkw28/s1600/IMG_0913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5C3U-n6WHauCI7i2polvEisZobQso15n11ub6PNPaIhN7HCZ1FyVATe50TtheOlpYrlCfETUKRV3HPa0RAP4WuOb7jLNfbbqGXTKNESEJDMO-BlnfAOeqXvQxmu0Gma5pCNPu6lkw28/s320/IMG_0913.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
<br />chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-10565477882257000192017-01-09T17:13:00.000-08:002017-01-09T17:13:06.491-08:00Boston Marathon Training Week 2: Let's See if Legs Can Still Do Fast (ish)This week got hard towards the end. I think the too fast miles on Saturday after Friday's harder workout led to Sunday being a slog. I seem to remember feeling like I was getting my ass kicked the first few weeks of my CIM cycle so this isn't necessarily new. It's just not as fun as when your body is more of a well-oiled machine in the middle/end of a training cycle.<br />
<br />
(Strava linked on day headings)<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/819100239" target="_blank">Monday: 6.05 @ 9:10</a></h4>
<div>
This morning I got a group email from my run group coach about training plans coming this week. Interested to see what he provides though I'm glad I've started my backup plan using the BAA plan. I thought about doing Pfitzinger but I feel like I want more than the 55 mile plan, and it's late in the game to do the 18/70 (and the 12/70 kind of freaks me out). The BAA level 4 plan fits well in that is goes up to 64 miles (with a range of 58-64). A little more mileage than 18/55 and I also am intrigued by the LT interval work (I've only ever done continuous tempos which are about as fun to me as getting a tooth scaling from the dental hygienist).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also were one of the only companies working today. We had all last week off so I can't complain (much) but it does feel kinda poopy to be working when everyone else is not.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also I got sucked into reading about Bullet Journals and now I want to start one. Like I don't have enough hobbies (because I know I will get very much into the doodling/artistic part of it).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/820205447" target="_blank">Tuesday: 4 x 1200 meters</a></h4>
Still no questionnaire. Ah well, that's what the BAA plan is for at this point. On deck today was:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2 mile warm up</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>4 x 1200 meters with 400 meter jog rests</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2 mile cool down. </b></span><br />
<br />
In the morning when I was picking out my running clothes, I figured I needed something that would hold my phone in well and I wasn't feeling any kind of pants because 60F is warm enough. So I grabbed my Lululemon Fast Lane shorts which are a tad bit shorter on the sides than the speed shorts so sometimes they make me self conscious. But I figured I wasn't going to be quite a few miles away from the office, so what the heck.<br />
<br />
They were like Magic Shorts today. From the moment I started running, my legs felt very "weee!" and almost made me wonder if maybe I need to get back to the old school 80s split leg shorts. Until I remember how kinda frumpy looking they generally are. Anyway. Warm up went a big fast: 8:49 pace. Towards the end I was trying to slow myself down and I did, but then it was time for the repeats. Goal pace per the 3:30 marathon goal was 10K which they stipulated as 7:10-7:30. The Garmin pace of my last 10K was 7:11 so it's in that range.<br />
<br />
Split 1: Wind at my back, 5:23 (7:11 pace)<br />
Split 2: Running into wind, 5:27 (7:16 pace)<br />
Split 3: Feeling the cumulative effort more but I had the wind to help me, 5:21 (7:08)<br />
Split 4: Last one into the wind where I had to work a bit harder to get the pace down in the last half, 5:26 (7:15).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YgSb31XYpWbjhyacExK120T0-AkhpYJQBwqPYfFbWlgw7XNSFiYlRezEDPAJl109SRM4Pqhx2cwVYVBGaRztAq4dA6NtNPryAYIEw6HwKRBBuwvbaXozX2s7azBKkPKXNoJChMoFN68/s1600/IMG_0857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YgSb31XYpWbjhyacExK120T0-AkhpYJQBwqPYfFbWlgw7XNSFiYlRezEDPAJl109SRM4Pqhx2cwVYVBGaRztAq4dA6NtNPryAYIEw6HwKRBBuwvbaXozX2s7azBKkPKXNoJChMoFN68/s320/IMG_0857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magic Shorts! Also, lots of pink</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Finished up with 2 cool down miles @ 8:59. HR was pretty good too at 159 average, hitting around 177 for the intervals. 175 was my lactate threshold per the Garmin fancy caculator so seems like it was more of an LT workout for me. Not sure if that was the goal of the plan (it doesn't mention if it's intended to be VO2Max or LT).<br />
<br />
<h4>
Wednesday</h4>
<div>
Rest!<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/822359904" target="_blank">Thursday (Noon): 6 miles Aerobic @ 8:53</a></h4>
<div>
<div>
Ran in the rain, varying from misting to moderate and some wind here and there. Actually didn't mind the rain though my the only light rain jacket I had was a Hind model I picked up at TJ Maxx a few years ago. It is fairly useless if you have anything more than mist. My arms were soaked through at the half way point - basically when the rain moved from misting to actual rain. Thankfully, I have a new one on the way (on the delivery truck, so too late for this run, unfortunately) and this just confirms that I didn't make a frivolous purchase. This one sucks. </div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebaXApqPZmGMEFqfid4U2UF8aj5TmYK1Vz8i7M6AuNsL9RPLBPtx8tOO1psVWDbBh1c8X3C2bTIndyxda1wlrUZtUx5qloIQceawFKkcseCqyJvi0ATJUPfBOfNKhNnC5IZSVuj-E_3g/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebaXApqPZmGMEFqfid4U2UF8aj5TmYK1Vz8i7M6AuNsL9RPLBPtx8tOO1psVWDbBh1c8X3C2bTIndyxda1wlrUZtUx5qloIQceawFKkcseCqyJvi0ATJUPfBOfNKhNnC5IZSVuj-E_3g/s320/IMG_0860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craptastic "Rain" Jacket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
I was supposed to hit 8:30-8:50 pace but this is No Man's Land pace for me. It's slower than marathon pace but faster than easy. I rarely run in this range (unless I'm running with WCRR and they are pulling me along) so it's going to take me some attempts to dial it in. I almost hit it - maybe if I didn't have the 400+ feet of climbing it might have happened (in fact, GAP on Strava was 8:44).<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/823151709" target="_blank">Friday AM: 5 x 1 mile @ half marathon pace</a></h4>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>2 mile warm up</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>5 x 1 mile at half marathon pace, 2:00 jog rest</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>1 mile cool down.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<div>
Split 1: Running uphill a bit, feels kinda hard, 7:37</div>
<div>
Split 2: Down a bridge, then up the other bridge, 7:36</div>
<div>
Split 3: Ok, this isn't much fun anymore, 7:35</div>
<div>
Split 4: Don't remember much other than I was surprised when I saw the split time, 7:25</div>
<div>
Split 5: Happy it's the last one, 7:27</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Total 8.84 @ 8:19</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I forgot my HR strap which annoys me just because I like to see where the effort level is. Hitting the paces but working way too hard is not my end goal. It felt pretty hard, but I felt like I could have probably done one more (though it would have been hard - like when I ran too many tempo miles because I misinterpreted the plan). My IT band feels a little angry now so rolling needs to happen.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/824204910" target="_blank">Saturday: 4 @ 8:17</a></h4>
</div>
</div>
<div>
I rolled on Friday night and things were feeling better. It was opening day for WCRR at Road Runner Sports so I ran 4 and change with the group, kinda too fast per usual. Sometimes I wonder if I should drop down into the next pace group (but everyone tells me they are closer to 10:00 pace. I just need 8:45-9:00!). Stuck around longer than I was planning because there was supposed to be a potential member who had questions around breastfeeding and running (which was like all of 2014 for me) but by 9:30am she still hadn't showed and I was about to eat my run club shirt out of hunger. Ah well, I tried.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/825721899" target="_blank">Sunday: 13:09 @ 9:24</a></h4>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg1jlQ2nbhCS5SlOLYryjHWxgV-fMqmXw-T8jXQvhTs0O9jwQniES6vCABycvOZgWEZJi5aYzjPeyjFEvv8BstIGWhIplXV-zcGntpcGLZ3Sz4v8jT0RCHgFE4_Gm0cKQbeHHHfqgrbI/s1600/IMG_0881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg1jlQ2nbhCS5SlOLYryjHWxgV-fMqmXw-T8jXQvhTs0O9jwQniES6vCABycvOZgWEZJi5aYzjPeyjFEvv8BstIGWhIplXV-zcGntpcGLZ3Sz4v8jT0RCHgFE4_Gm0cKQbeHHHfqgrbI/s320/IMG_0881.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solana into Del Mar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<div>
I had legs of stone. I started at 6:35am to do 5 miles solo, and then met up with my best running buddy, Nicole. Lots of hills around Solana Beach and Del Mar and I was happy to have company. I hope I didn't slow her down much, my legs were just not interested in running anything but easy pace. The weather was great and the beach views, fantastic. For fuel at mile 5, I had a fruit rollup stick thingy that my daughter doesn't seem to care for. The rest of the day was grocery shopping, laundry, cooking and drinking too much Barolo (but it's so good). Which I then paid for today (it's Monday as I write this).</div>
<h4>
Total for the Week: 46.5 miles</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
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chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-9747102827444338732017-01-06T17:08:00.004-08:002017-01-06T17:08:28.045-08:00We Own Four Cars Right Now. For Two People. It's ridiculous and I'm almost embarassed that my neighbors probably think we're crazy. Four cars, and only one fits in the garage; we've got three cars parked on the street in an area where street parking seems more in demand than any suburban neighborhood where I've lived. I can just feel the hairy eyeballs pointed at our parking space stealing household.<br />
<br />
Why do we have an absurd number of cars? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal" target="_blank">VW Deiselgate</a>.<br />
<br />
Since October we've been in the process of getting the buyback completed (and it is not a fast process - I submitted my initial documentation October 25th). I got my confirmation to my my apopointment on Christmas (Merry Christmas to me!). New car search time!<br />
<br />
Except we were really good at finding our next cars. Also we apparently couldn't wait to buy them (though no one wants to be dealing with a rental or lots of ubering because you don't already have your new one - I have a 30 mile commute and a toddler to shuttle to daycare. Public transportation is not a viable option - would be faster for me to walk her the 3 miles to daycare). We didn't actually get new cars, we got new-to-us cars. Both are used 2014 BMW X1s; this time my husband copied me! We apparently like to make a habit of getting matching cars (going on 4 years now). I think that makes us uber dorks.<br />
<br />
Just 4 more weeks to go as a quadruple car owner.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-45051646649210204272017-01-02T09:42:00.000-08:002017-01-02T09:42:28.398-08:00Kind of Started Boston Training this WeekI can't believe how often I used to blog and now I'm a total blogging slacker. Two weeks after CIM (sorr, no recap... but I posted a short recap on Instagram!), I ran the SD Holiday Half Marathon and got a new PR (1:39:26) that was probably the most painful half marathon I have ever run thanks to not being fully recovered from CIM. I was sore for 5 days afterwards. Ouch. At this point, I have about fifteen weeks until Boston and it's time to get back on the wagon.<br />
<br />
For CIM, I followed my running group (West Coast Road Runners) coach's plan but he hasn't provided me one yet for Boston and, well, if it's going to be something canned/templated/one-size-fits-all, then I can follow Pfitzinger or the BAA plan. If he ever comes back with one, maybe I'll follow it, I don't know. I'm never on the group's schedule since they train for Carlsbad and Rock 'n Roll San Diego. I'm going to start with the BAA plan, with the days shifted a bit since the long runs with WCRR are on Saturday as opposed to Sunday.<br />
<br />
This week, I tried to squeeze more miles out of a pair of Mizuno Sayonara 3 and that ended up backfiring a bit. In general, the Mizuno shoes I've had have gone at least 250 miles, usually over 300. But these just felt dead at 200. I ran 8 miles on them in that state; the next day ran 8 miles on my Nike Lunar Tempos which I love but only have 8mm heel/toe drop. My shin was pissed after that run and has only started feeling a little better after running the last 3 runs 10-12mm drop shoes. The Lunar Tempos are the last shoe I have in my stash at 8mm and as of this week, I decided they are retiring to casual use only.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Week 1</h3>
(days are linked to my Strava activities)<br />
<br />
<h4>
Monday</h4>
Rest because my shin was angry from Sunday's 8 miles with the Lunar Tempos<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/813010719">Tuesday AM: 8 easy @ 9:25, 75% MHR</a> </h4>
Did a loop around Mission Bay, it was 55F and sunny, i.e. perfect. Shin was cranky post run. Later in the evening, Elise made me chase after her in circles around the couch. For some reason, after doing this for like 10 minutes or so, the ball of my right foot got painful under the 4th toe. Really bizarre. I iced it. Next morning, it was still sore.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/814365123">Wednesday PM: 3.26 @ 10:06, 67% MHR</a></h4>
Because I woke up with my foot still hurting I wasn't planning on running but by noon it was gone. I ran an easy, hilly 3 miles around my neighborhood ending in the dark. 3 miles with 236 feet of climbing. It's why I avoid running a lot in my immediate neighborhood - really steep hills. I hit my Garmin daily climbing goal before the first mile split. -_-<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/815275208">Thursday AM: 8 @ 9:12</a> </h4>
Sunny and warm! 75F. I threw some green Superfeet insoles into my Adidas Boost Glide 8 and they felt good! I am digging Adidas. I bet I'd love the Adidas Ultra Boost but the price is insane ($180) and they aren't actually that easy to find.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6-96SY2QCqbJ8cMMqycBwjei4a4hAW4WwWOq6Un2xUz4NU2vwrc4_THPTsKmFtFg1o8holHWAu_29aggYB8G2fAYhTz7EqNLqHBksJ1Ut5PT0_9Rw9VRlHniB88KMdmRPda22pd5HVA/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6-96SY2QCqbJ8cMMqycBwjei4a4hAW4WwWOq6Un2xUz4NU2vwrc4_THPTsKmFtFg1o8holHWAu_29aggYB8G2fAYhTz7EqNLqHBksJ1Ut5PT0_9Rw9VRlHniB88KMdmRPda22pd5HVA/s320/IMG_0825.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the bridge at Crown Point Shores</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/815850844"><br /></a>
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/815850844">Friday AM: 4 @ 9:39</a></h4>
<br />
Decided to run my neighborhood again because the rain was coming and in case I got caught in a total downpour, I'd be close to home. Managed to only catch some at the end of my run. Still my shin is not thrilled. I ran in my Mizuno Wave Riders, IDK is my legs are needing more cushion right now and the Wave Riders are too firm.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/817034915">Saturday AM: 14 @ 8:37</a></h4>
Ran with the WCRR crew and, I don't know, I really like the group but I find that people run their long runs too fast? Not everyone, but the majority of the people in the pace group I run with are running their long runs faster than me, and their marathon performances are a good bit worse. My heart rate was higher than I would have liked but this is what happens when you get pulled along with the group at a faster pace than you would have liked. Though, I will say that the BAA marathon plan does have some marathon pace miles thrown into long runs so I think, in general, my long runs will have heart rates that are a little more elevated.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<a href="https://www.strava.com/activities/817841712">Sunday AM: 5 @ 8:59</a></h4>
Went down to Mission Bay for an easy-ish 5 miles. Apparently there was either an early morning New Years party or one that was still going from the night before. But it was really bizarre to run by loud party music and people in costume at 8am.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviiF7cMqCjASN23nVkO6P8PdsrrmHLC-2P06Cil0wzzxUDCopu_TnuopPuESrvSuffzVcR6tQp4F0SaYKBSfZk6o80evTqitM1pDqCA9cvM_QpLjkGhodW1_YPjZKzczey7S5DGMkZBs/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviiF7cMqCjASN23nVkO6P8PdsrrmHLC-2P06Cil0wzzxUDCopu_TnuopPuESrvSuffzVcR6tQp4F0SaYKBSfZk6o80evTqitM1pDqCA9cvM_QpLjkGhodW1_YPjZKzczey7S5DGMkZBs/s320/IMG_0851.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CWX compression capris and test run with Under Armour Drift!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<h4>
<b>Total Miles for the Week: 42.3</b></h4>
<br />
What I learned this week, the mostly hard way, is that I can't do low drop shoes. And by low I mean under 10mm. I just can't. After a week of running in regular drop shoes, my shin is approaching normal again. Thank God that the trendy thing of barefoot/low drop shoes has swung back. I was getting concerned that shoe companies were going to shift everything to like 6-8mm. Which, really, Saucony and New Balance have kind of done that. Which is why I have none of their shoes.<br />
<br />
Anyway, after this first week, I'm going to start doing some tempo/speed stuff. I'm feeling pretty recovered from everything, including the shoe debacle so I think I'm ready!<br />
<br />chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-4807826982981459272016-08-24T20:46:00.000-07:002016-08-24T20:48:14.593-07:00Taking a Swiffer Duster to the BlogNot sure anyone still has my blog in their feed reader and/or if blogging is still a "thing" anymore.<br />
<br />
I'm still here! I'm still running! No new little humans and no plans at this point to add any more - one 2 year old is a lot of work!<br />
<br />
So, since I last blogged:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I ran Boston. It was warm (70s) so I ran conservatively and finished with a 3:43. </li>
<li>Changed jobs/employers after nearly 7 years and am now working in the mobile gaming industry (totally different world than genomics/biotech). </li>
<li>Requalified for Boston (2017) at Mountains 2 Beach 6 weeks later (3:37:23 - hope that holds)</li>
<li>Ran Old Pros 10K a little slower than my PR but second fastest 10K for me</li>
<li>Decided to run CIM in December</li>
<li>Joined a local running group</li>
<li>Ran the Balboa 8-Miler again (which I recapped here years ago) and got 3rd in my AG (well, technically 4th, but 3rd place overall was in my AG so I got the 3rd place award)</li>
</ul>
<div>
I want to try to recap my training, weekly. If I can keep it up!</div>
<div>
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This week marked the end of the first week of the plan prescribed by the head coach of my running group. It's a little different from what I'm used to with Pfitzinger. It starts with lower mileage than I've been doing but more speed/tempo days. I'm interested in seeing how it all plays out. </div>
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Long runs with the group are Saturdays so Sunday's I've been working on getting back into yoga, in my garage. Seeing as I used to teach, I really have no excuse as far as practice. </div>
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Sunday: Rest and Yoga</h4>
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Did some garage yoga and boy am I rusty! Need to keep on that!</div>
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Then we went downtown on the Trolley for brunch (someone <i>loves</i> the trolley).</div>
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Monday: Easy</h4>
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6 miles @ 9:02 pace. Ran on the treadmill at 24 Hour Fitness because it was over 80F outside and sunny. </div>
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Tuesday: Hills</h4>
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6 miles with 6 x hill</div>
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I was instructed to find a hill around 8% grade that would take me about a minute to get up at 90-95% effort. I found a hill around 6-7% grade that didn't have any intersections and was safe (i.e. not some road with no sidewalk and cars can't see you). I'm not sure I gave it 90-95% effort - looking at my heart rate, I hit only 180 at the top of the last repeat. My max heart rate is at least 196 (probably more like 198-200 or more if I were to really push to the edge) and I ran the 8 miler at an average of 176, so perhaps the next hill workout I do, I'll try to push a bit more at least in the last ones.</div>
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Wednesday: Recovery</h4>
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5 miles on the treadmill @ 9:15 pace/ 141 bpm avg / 61% of heart rate reserve. Ran inside because it was like 80F out and sunny! Some strength training afterwards. </div>
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Thursday: Tempo</h4>
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7.26 miles @ 8:04 was the average, there were 5 miles of tempo in there ranging 7:17 o 7:41, though the accuracy of these numbers maybe slightly off due to both foot pod and treadmill. My foot pod is calibrated with the shoes I wore, but I don't really trust either the pod or the gym treadmill entirely, since I've recently seen another treadmill have less mileage than the foot pod. That's why having the heart rate strap on works best for gaging effort. I think I started too fast -- I haven't run a tempo in ages and I was following what the coach's pace ranges listed. But when my HR was at 180 at 3 miles (and the top end of threshold zone for me is 183), I knew I had to pull back a bit. And I had a tough/stressful morning at work, so it just panned out to be not the greatest feeling workout.</div>
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Friday: Rest!</h4>
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Saturday: Long Run</h4>
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14 miles @ 8:41, average heart rate 148 (66% max heart rate reserve).</div>
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Ran the first 5 at 6am with a runner in my pace group, then we met up with the larger group at 7am for 8 miles, and then one more mile on our own. The only thing I didn't like about this run was that we were stuck waiting around for the 7am for some of the pace group that was late. And running with a group means there are more bathroom and water breaks to accommodate everyone. So there was 15 minutes of stoppage time. Even considering that, it's a pretty low HR for me for that length and pace. </div>
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Total miles: 38 miles!</h4>
chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-44115308763624082562015-10-26T15:55:00.001-07:002015-10-26T15:55:39.991-07:00What's it been? Like a year?Yeah, I'm still here.<br />
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In case you were wondering, I ran St George last year - a 3:37:14. This year's Boston Marathon application volume was unprecedented. For 9 days, it was torture running hypothetical mathematical scenarios. In the end, the cutoff was higher than most folks predicted but pretty close to the more thorough analysis. I squeaked in with 18 seconds to spare. I never would have thought that 2:46 would be that close to being "out."<br />
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I also ran Houston in January (surprisingly pulled out a 3:42:xx with not the greatest training - I think I had a lot of base built up from STG that carried through). San Diego Rock n Roll was a shit-show for me, 4:09 (slowest marathon time since 2003 - 12 years ago), thanks to many illnesses I got from the little monkey (infants put germ-y thing in their mouths). I ramped back up probably a little too quickly and didn't do really any speed work (and zero racing because it was just disgustingly hot here... and still is - 82 was the high today on the coast which is an improvement to what was in September), so I got just an okay result (3:46:xx) at Chicago.<br />
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I realized as I hobbled around, cramping, for an hour after finishing the Chicago Marathon, that it wasn't worth half-assing training and flying out to a race that costs me a lot of time and money. Half-assing a local race? Sure. But not something big like Chicago.<br />
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Aside from this, I started another blog using my programming skills to do the 2017 Boston Marathon cut off prediction. If you like data, you may like the posts there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.namethatbostonmarathoncutoff.com/">http://www.namethatbostonmarathoncutoff.com</a><br />
<br />
Anyway, hope anyone that is still reading is doing well! I feel like running blogs have lost their pizzazz? Has it jumped The Shark?<br />
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<br />chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-28070782246699010432014-09-19T16:54:00.002-07:002014-09-19T16:54:29.476-07:00Taper Time and Other Stupid House CrapSo, as I'm sitting here contemplating an early escape from work, I get a text from my husband that the neighbors have tented their house. We have Corky's coming tomorrow so you know what that means. Our house will probably get the "you need to tent" verdict as well. I fucking hate tenting. Yes, it deserves that level of curse word.<br />
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When you have two dogs, and now a baby, tenting is a giant inconvenience. Like, <i>Massive Pain in the Ass</i> because you have to clear out of your house for I think 72 hours. I remember last time we did it, it was Friday to Monday. Nevermind it's a couple thousand bucks, but you need to put yourself up somewhere, then you need to also put your dogs somewhere. So then you have to get your dogs all their shots (I always keep up on rabies, but with my 11 year old female, it's fairly unlikely that she suddenly is no longer immune to Distemper/Parvo/etc when she's been vaccinated a bajillion times in her life. After a while it does more harm than good - read up on Hemolytic Anemia and canine vaccines if you are interested).<br />
<br />
Most of my frustration all stems from the original butt holes (Terminix) who gave my house the "all clear" when we were in escrow. Not one week after we moved in, we found frass on the back stoop of our master bedroom. Not just a "tiny bit" like "oh they just moved in like us," but that they have been fully settled in with a large extended family. Again, Terminix does a crap-tastic job. This is par for the course with them. And the previous owners had a subscription-like contract with them where they would come check yearly or more often, and then also treat. So, it's not even like the screwed up once. They screwed up over a period of years. They're only in it for the money, clearly.<br />
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Anywho, so this week I went into taper. 52 miles, down to 28. Sunday, I ran 20 miles with my <a href="http://hauterunningmama.wordpress.com/">buddy</a> and we started at 6am before the sun was even up because it's been so freaking hot here. Like miserably hot and humid. This week it was 99F at my house and felt like 104F because of humidity. I live 1 mile from the bay, and about 3 miles from the ocean. It's not normal and it has made training for this marathon mentally challenging for me because the heat makes it more difficult to hit paces or when those paces are run, it feels harder. Just starting the 20 miler an hour early this last time, it felt 100% better than the previous weekend. But it still was tough with 81F at 9:30am literally on the beach. I just hope I can pull it through on race day. That and we don't get crazy headwind and/or hot weather. If I fail, I don't want that excuse. I want no reason other than myself and my own performance as to why I didn't make it under 3:40.<br />
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Time to go home!chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-50696360672869948692014-09-12T20:27:00.001-07:002014-09-12T20:27:07.983-07:00St George Marathon: Long, Overdue Update<div class="p1">
Looks like the last time I wrote a post was a recap of training week 7 & 8. Man do I suck. I am 2 days away from completing my peak week of 53 miles, including the fifth and final 20 miler. </div>
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Where did 20 miler #6 go? </div>
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There have been some small hiccups over the last 18 weeks. Specifically two missed or altered workouts. 20 miler #3 came at the end of week 11, where it went 20, then 16, then 20. Which, for me, is rough. I had gotten about 2-3 hours of sleep the night before and woke up feeling very much off, but I still went out there. Well, as I was getting through the first 11 mile loop, each mile got slower and slower. Around mile 6 I decided to just try to make to 16 miles. It felt like the last leg of Ragnar Ultra 2012. My body did not want to go. I wanted to lay down on the bike path in Mission Beach, and just sleep there. I finished up the first loop of 11.25 miles and called it. 30 minutes later we had the craziest thunderstorm downpour. In Venice Beach (up in LA) some dude got struck by lighting and died. So yeah. Probably good my body told me to stop that day.</div>
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The other workout I missed was somewhere in the last 4 weeks, I felt that I was teetering on the edge of injury (my back was very unhappy likely from hamstring and IT band tightness). Speed work was not going to work well, so just did regular easy miles. </div>
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And crap. I just plugged today’s lunch-break miles into my spreadsheet and apparently my math didn’t add up right because I am short exactly one mile. So I could run a mile tomorrow, or just call it at 52 miles. FAIL. </div>
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I don’t think a mile is going to drastically change the outcome of the race. If it does, then I’m done with marathoning because that’s dumb and arbitrary.</div>
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So 3 hiccups then. </div>
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Can you tell I’m annoyed with myself? Feh.</div>
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Now, I know it’s summer and all, but holy shit, this has been the sweatiest armpit of a summer ever in San Diego. We have had humidity like I’m back in Massachusetts or something. Any run done outside results in my clothing being entirely soaked through where it takes 8+ hours hanging in my bathroom to dry. For the last 20 miler I did, I went through 70 ounces of fluid (more than 2 liters. Not Liter Cola) and ran out in the last mile. Putting that into perspective, in the past I would run 20 milers with a 28 ounce Fuel Belt and have never had to refill it during the run. I feel like I need to start wearing 80’s terry cloth headbands in addition to my running hat because the hat is not keeping the sweat out of my eyes. And I don’t “do” my eyebrows - they are full-on unplucked and bushy. And they can’t even keep the sweat out of my eyes with a hat.</div>
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It’s been like this since July (hello, down pour thunderstorm in July? Also abnormal). So you can imagine I’m am very much ready to be done with this marathon training. </div>
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<h3>
The stats.</h3>
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As of July 1st, I had run one 20, two 16s, and an 18. </div>
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July: Mileage on the Upswing</h4>
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Long runs: 20 x 1, 16 x 1</div>
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Tempos: usually 5 miles long (excluding warm up/down) ~ 7:55</div>
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Mile Repeats: 4 @ 7:27</div>
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<b>Total Miles: <span style="color: #b45f06;">173 miles</span></b></div>
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August: Wherein It Got Real</h4>
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Long runs: 20 x 1, 16 x 2</div>
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Tempos: 6 miles long ~ 7:55</div>
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Mile Repeats: 4 x 7:17</div>
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<b>Total Miles: <span style="color: red;">195 miles</span></b></div>
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I have never run 195 miles in a month. I think that the 173 miles in July might have been pretty close to the highest monthly mileage I have ever posted. </div>
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In case anyone cares about my walking moo-cow status, I am still nursing, still pumping at work. Is it getting old? Yes. Not the nursing part but more the pumping part. It’s a pain in the ass to have to tack on an extra 30 minutes of time (~20 minutes pumping, and then 5-ish minutes of setup/breakdown/etc) to pump before I can go out for my long run. It’s also a pain in the ass to know that I can’t just get up and run really early in the morning before everyone gets up because I would have to pump. And then I would not be able to feed Elise before I left for work unless it was with a bottle. Another pain in the ass. </div>
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It’s not all bad, though. I can mow through any and all food I care to eat and I still am barely taking in all that I am burning (as evidenced by the fact that I am a pound or two down from pre-baby weight and my boobs for sure weigh more even in “empty” state). I am almost worried that once she weans, I will have to actually pay attention to all that I am shoveling into my face.</div>
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But the big question. Is this all going to pay off? </div>
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I don’t know. I hope so. I haven’t been able to race much. Or at all really. So it’s hard to know where I’m at. I do know that a 6 mile tempo (yes on the treadmill, but still) at 7:50 felt like cake. Like NBD. So I feel like I am probably close to where I was at when I ran my half marathon PR (1:41:02) last January. And I know I was damn close to BQ shape then, if not there with proper rest (since it was pretty dumb to attempt to BQ 3 weeks after running a hard effort at Carlsbad). </div>
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So, I’m feeling cautiously positive. But there are a lot of factors. Will my legs be able to handle the downhill without explicitly training for it? I hope so, I don’t have these big ass quads and hamstrings for nothing. Or maybe they are just for show (weird, because no thigh gap, so not much of a "show"). What if it’s hotter than a monkey’s crotch on race day? I’ve been training in the hottest summer I’ve ever experienced ,but that may not be enough/the same as hot desert heat.</div>
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Well... if it all goes to shit, then there’s always Houston for attempt #2. </div>
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Whatever, in 3 days I get to taper! After 18 weeks I am really looking forward to 28 miles total next week.</div>
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chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-52292620631934855322014-07-09T16:48:00.002-07:002014-07-09T16:48:52.600-07:00St. George Marathon Training - Weeks #7 & 8 and a Race!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So the good thing about having a lot of time to train for marathon is you can build up a pretty good base and work your way up to a 50+ miles per week. The bad thing about having a lot of time to train for a marathon is you get to week 8 and you still have <b>13 weeks</b> of training and <b>five </b>20-milers left. Ugh.</div>
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But for the most part, the 8 weeks have been relatively uneventful and have gone by quickly. The shitty thing about the rest of this plan is that starting in week 10, the shortest midweek runs are 9-10 miles. This makes it nearly impossible to do at lunch and still be able to get home to feed the baby. So I'll probably be splitting one of the days into a two-a-day scenario (run part at lunch and the rest at night on the treadmill or outside). The other one, well, I am going to be taking PTO so I can run them during the workday while Elise is being watched my parents. </div>
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Yes, this is how serious I am about making the BQ happen. I'm using PTO for training.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlxrFlPgO2CuVH7d7v11iYVEzdkEskc-NuvwVFWcxMZrchLps5WSuPWtaxpZkSlmLalkdFfYo6hSeF_aOyoVILkarrUbyssAwDAKcaY8Evwv87LqDztdBgWwINJr7dT7C0wKLZqwjVyI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-09+at+12.10.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlxrFlPgO2CuVH7d7v11iYVEzdkEskc-NuvwVFWcxMZrchLps5WSuPWtaxpZkSlmLalkdFfYo6hSeF_aOyoVILkarrUbyssAwDAKcaY8Evwv87LqDztdBgWwINJr7dT7C0wKLZqwjVyI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-09+at+12.10.06+PM.png" height="107" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SmartCoach: Week 7 & 8</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Week 7: 39 miles</h3>
<h4>
Tuesday</h4>
<div>
8 miles @ 8:51</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lunch run which means that I regularly sweat my ass off and do lots of rolling hill climbing, usually 900-1000 feet. I had to run a smidge into a trail to get to 4 miles, but then I sort of freaked a bit that I would get attacked or something and turned around .15 miles into the bike trail. Then I saw a runner and two coworkers on mountain bikes on my way out! Later when I asked them about the trail, they said it was usually empty. So my instincts were probably accurate and that was the last time I got on that trail.</div>
<h4>
Thursday: Tempo</h4>
<div>
7 miles @ 8:19</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tempo on the treadmill at work - fairly uneventful. I no longer bother with the incline because I find that my achilles and calves get cranky when I run at even .5% for longer than a couple minutes. So I usually end up running a bit faster to make up for the fact that the treadmill on 0% is easier than road. And, really, for me speedwork is like extra bonus. I ran my fastest times at all distances when I was just piling on long slow mileage for 50K training.</div>
<h4>
Friday</h4>
<div>
8 miles @ 8:43</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was blessed with good weather. Humid, but the temps were in the low 70s and it was overcast. And that is clearly reflected in the pace of this run. It actually felt really easy to run 8 miles at that pace - my indicator on if I am pushing to hard is if I am getting close to the point where I need to start breathing through my mouth to maintain pace. This holds true even on hill climbs. If I am getting the the point where I start mouth breathing, then I take it back a notch until my breathing slows down.</div>
<h4>
Sunday: Long Run</h4>
<div>
16 miles @ 8:53</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My <a href="http://hauterunningmama.wordpress.com/">main running squeeze</a> met me down in my hood early (6:45am) and we knocked out 16 miles. In mile 1 a gazelle-like creature floated towards us on the grass in Mission Bay park and we realized it was <a href="https://twitter.com/runmeb">Meb</a>! Nicole then tweeted him later if that was him and he replied yes! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sometimes I really do love my new neighborhood for more than the improved commute.</div>
<h3>
Week 8: 30-ish miles</h3>
<div>
Back down week which coincided with a company holiday week wherein we were shutdown and paid anyway. It was awesome. It also meant I was running miles with the stroller. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elise is 6.5 months now and I figured she was ready to go in the BOB without the car seat. I bought a u-shaped padded headrest from Target for $11 since the stroller doesn't come with that part and really doesn't need to. I'm not even sure she needs it to get honest, I just figured if fell asleep it might be nice for her to have a place to rest her head.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As it turns out, I think she was ready to be without the car seat for a while. Probably since 4 months. She's been standing upright with very good head control since well before 3 months. I actually don't even remember when. I just know that at her baptism, The Husband was holding her arms and she was standing on the counter blabbing and screeching away at 3 months. And this wasn't anything new.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Running without the carseat attachment is like night and day. So much easier to maneuver. So much lighter. It was a pleasure! The only part that was worse was running into wind. It was like pushing a parachute and I was literally huffing and puffing to finish my five miler on flat ground.</div>
<h4>
Tuesday</h4>
<div>
8 miles @ 9:00 pace</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pushed Elise around Mission Bay - temps were great and very little wind!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Wednesday</h4>
<div>
5 miles @ 9:01</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pushed Elise again around the bay but the second half was into the wind and by the end I was pretty miserable and out of breath! Damn you, Wind!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I cut this run short and ran a day early because I was registered to run Scripps Ranch Old Pros 10K on the 4th and I wanted a rest day and fresher legs.<br />
<h4>
Friday: 10k Race</h4>
</div>
<div>
Racing has become quite infrequent just because it's a major hassle. If it's not right down the street, I have to take the pump with me, and then pump in the car. Super awkward, more so physically than socially at this point. I've gotten over people seeing me with the cover, pumping away. Or nursing away if baby is with me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This one was 20 minutes away and big enough that parking is a bit of a pain so I had to leave early. I still got screwed with the parking because effing JROTC dude kicked me out of the spot at Vons (I wonder if they paid him or if it was volunteer work. Anyway.) though there was nothing blocking it when I parked in the first place (and others had too). I just got screwed because I had to pump and was still sitting there when the "rent an officer" showed up. Fun times. Had to find another spot ASAP on the street because the valid spots in the lot were full. I was pissed and vowed not to shop at that specific Vons.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anyway.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I jogged half mile or so to the start. I used the portajohns and had about 4 minutes to get behind the start line. No corrals so I was weaving like crazy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This race is the home of my current 10K PR of 45:41 (7:19 pace). Two years back I had a much stronger base and it was also overcast and cooler. 2014's conditions were around 75 degrees with some humidity and sun.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First mile was 7:53. After that, the miles went 7:36, 7:32, 7:40, 7:41, 7:24, and 1:28 to finish (6:50 pace). I was afraid to start pushing the pace to early, but I think I probably waited a bit too long. I didn't really try picking it up until I was into the 6th mile. As you can see, my pace at the end was significatly faster than the rest of the race. I finished <b>47:16, average pace 7:37</b>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Overall I'm pleased because I am not very far off from my previous PR. Given the conditions, I think I would have run somewhere around 46:00 in 2012 shape. So I'm somewhere around 1 minute and change off. I'll take it.</div>
<h4>
Sunday</h4>
<div>
10 miles @ 9:19 pace</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I tacked on 2 miles to make up for the 3 miles I cut out on Wednesday. I ran the pain in the ass hill - the 270 feet of climbing in .75 miles. I hate that hill. It was also hot and humid (like 70%+ humidity which is very uncharacteristic of San Diego). It was one of the most disgusting runs I've ever done from a sweat perspective, and it's reflected in my pace - the slowest long run of the cycle even though it was the shortest.</div>
<h4>
Other Stuff</h4>
<div>
I'm going to attempt another race on August 3rd. It's a ridiculously hilly course in Balboa Park with quite a bit of trail running, but it's cheap and it'll be good training. I ran it once in 2011 or 2010 - can't remember which year. I'm not looking forward to the ass kicking but at least I'll get to wear my trail shoes.</div>
chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-66164303782012133382014-06-30T12:47:00.000-07:002014-06-30T12:50:47.164-07:00St George Marathon Training Week #6 - First 20 MilerThis week marked my first 20 miler of my training plan. We came back from Baltimore the Monday and I was on leave until Wednesday. Though I had to work from home part of Wednesday due to the Breakmilk Spoliage Crisis of 2014.<br />
<br />
Week #6 plan:<br />
<br />
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<br />
My sidekick, while I write this today, is working on her pushups:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<h4>
Tuesday</h4>
5.5 @ 8:54 around Mission Bay park, pushing stroller with carseat.<br />
<br />
Because I had failed to do 7 miles in the ridiculous Baltimore heat, I added a half mile the to scheduled 5 miles. I would have done more except my back got totally jacked up from all the flying and the driving (600 miles in 5 days) and I was afraid was going to make it worse, so I just did that little bit of extra.<br />
<br />
I also hit up Road Runner Sports because my Brooks Ghost 5's were done. I don't even know how many miles I put on them since February but they felt dead. I tried the Ghost 7's which felt great, but I also tried the Ravennas. I used to run in the Ravenna 1 and 2, religiously. The third version they changed it and, in my opinion, it was for the worse. I tried the fourth on at RRS with quick jaunt on the treadmill and they also felt wrong. But I loved the first and second versions so I felt compelled try the fifth. And, I'm not entirely sure what they did, but they feel similar to the first version. I had a hard time deciding between the Ghost 7 and Ravenna 5 but I ended up going with the Ravenna's because they were a hair light (.1 ounce) and I have had great success with them in the past.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Thursday</h4>
7 miles @ average 8:30.<br />
Mile 1: 7:30, Mile 2 and 3: 7:23, Mile 4: 7:19<br />
<br />
I was back to work, so I ran my speedwork on the treadmill. I figured it could be stupid try the Ravennas on a 20 miler as the first run, I did the first run/test run with them for this workout.<br />
<br />
Shoes were fine, but mile repeats always feel hard to me. I never thought I'd say this but the I'm liking the tempo days better than the mile repeat days. The only kind of speedwork that I don't mind is fartleks. All other forms, for me, are painful. This is especially true for track workouts.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Friday</h4>
5 miles @ 8:59<br />
<br />
I don't remember exactly what was going on but I think I had a pain in the butt day at work and had to run the 5 miles after work. I was able to nurse the baby as soon as I got home and then go down to the bay to tackle the 5. I didn't want to run them on Saturday and then run 20 on Sunday - that rest day in between felt important to me.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Sunday</h4>
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<br />
First 20 miler of training. In new shoes! The shoes were great. But, boy, did the last 3 miles or so hurt. It was the toughest 20 miles in recent memory (i.e. last 3 years or so). I went up to North County to run with <a href="http://hauterunningmama.wordpress.com/">Nicole</a> - we ran from Leucadia to Oceanside and back. We then decided a Slurpee was absolutely required after such an effort. It is really the best post-recovery drink, in my mind. Super cold, icy, sugary drink!<br />
<br />
<h4>
On the Stroller</h4>
This weekend, we tried Elise in the BOB without the car seat for a walk and it looks like she is ready for runs without it. I bought a head support thingy from Target for her to rest her head to the side if she decides to pass out during a run, though I'm not even sure it's necessary. I'm going to try it out tomorrow for 8 miles since I am home (company holiday week!).chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-84086557347700696352014-06-21T08:19:00.000-07:002014-06-21T08:19:41.578-07:00St George Marathon Training - Week #4 & 5 ReviewI'm telling you, now while I think that lots of folks exaggerate how much time or how much harder your life is with kids, I do have to agree that it's tough finding time just to write up weekly training updates! Maybe if I didn't have a full-time job but even then, I don't know. Then I'd probably have to clean the house while I was home, so there goes the free time.<br />
<br />
Anyway, so, this week has been a roller coaster that began with our return back from the East Coast (we had a wedding to attend) wherein I found that someone (either my parents or grandmother) had bumped the finicky chest freezer plug in the garage. I lost 400oz of frozen breast milk, as well as a shit load of food (mahi mahi, chicken, beef, bread, ice cream, etc). The breast milk, though. Man, I ugly cried for 20 minutes. I then had to try to pump anything left over out of my body because I didn't have enough for Elise when I went back to work. It was a fucking disaster. Thankfully, I am a dairy cow and I have caught up and even froze 5 ounces this morning. But I am still heartbroken over the loss - someone could have used it and instead it's sitting in a landfill, spoiled.<br />
<br />
With the trip back east, I knew that I wouldn't be able to run the scheduled 18 miles. So I swapped the back down week with the 18 miler. A bit hesitantly, I must say, because it meant I had 4 consecutive hard weeks rather than 3.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Week 5 became Week 4.<br />
<br />
I was on leave part of for week 4 (I had 4 weeks left over of paid leave, so I took 2 weeks to hang out with Elise, my Italian grandmother who came to see the baby, and then head back east).<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Week 4</b></h3>
<br />
<u>Tuesday:</u> 6 miles, 10:30 pace, work neighborhood<br />
<br />
<u>Thursday:</u> 7 miles @ 8:25 pace<br />
I decided to run this tempo workout around the bay. I forgot my shuffle which wasn't ideal, and holy shit, is running tempos on the road much harder than on the treadmill. The training plan said 5 @ 8:04. I ended up with: 8:00, 8:02, 8:03, 8:10, 7:54. And then I let myself walk for a minute in the cool down mile. Good God, that hurt.<br />
<br />
<u>Saturday:</u> 5 miles, 9:08.<br />
Ran down the giant hill and back up. I miss living where I get a nice downhill finish. Instead I get my ass handed to me for .75 miles of 270 ft of climbing in the last mile.<br />
<br />
<u>Sunday:</u> 18 miles @ 9:05<br />
I ran with my old training partner, <a href="http://hauterunningmama.wordpress.com/">Nicole</a>, and she made the miles tick by so fast! I missed her! But, boy, is running and talking harder than I remembered. That's gotta make me faster. Anyway, I was hurting a bit at the end (temps had crept up to the mid 70s and the breezes were hard to come by), and required a walk break in the last mile. Nicole hadn't run much since Boston to Big Sur, but considering my pace is slower than hers, she got through the 18, no problemo.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Week 5 - Back down!</b></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThRK7DXEfbmWxx_SnTCSgdaMVxNNAeXk2ZyYWuKKvuX4bt1VyVjhA5ZVlP-U64PjLCylJp-yA8k3fxkBILK7w70WYLMAQO0O_sJ7wayVc4vOJAjH7lm4x_7k9kDlBgKm4U4Ozn-zHue0/s1600/photo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThRK7DXEfbmWxx_SnTCSgdaMVxNNAeXk2ZyYWuKKvuX4bt1VyVjhA5ZVlP-U64PjLCylJp-yA8k3fxkBILK7w70WYLMAQO0O_sJ7wayVc4vOJAjH7lm4x_7k9kDlBgKm4U4Ozn-zHue0/s1600/photo4.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In her party dress! $11 on clearance at Target ;-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<u>Tuesday</u>: 7 miles @ 8:57<br />
I was pretty damn happy with this run because I did the hill and managed under 9 pace.<br />
<br />
<u>Wednesday:</u> 7 miles @ 9:01<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission Bay. Not complaining about living in San Diego</td></tr>
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Again with the pain in the ass hill. I squeezed this run in before we left for Baltimore. We were delayed 90 minutes at the airport because of huge thunderstorms and tornado watches out there. We get in the air, and then we are delayed IN THE AIR because of said storms. We did like 30-45 minutes of circles over Indiana. It was weird. And tiring. It was 1am Eastern by the time we got to the hotel and all that was open was McDonald's drive through. So I ate a double hamburger meal at 1am because Southwest doesn't even have food for purchase on flights. Lesson learned on that one.<br />
<br />
<u>Friday:</u> 6 miles @ 9:05<br />
<br />
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<br />
I was determined to get as much of the scheduled miles in as possible so I ran at noon, in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. Holy humidity. I was the sweatiest mofo when I finished. I demolished the 20 ounces of Nuun I had with me. I also felt like I was dancing with death thanks to no good running routes in the area with shoulders or sidewalks. I was running down a country road with about half of a bike lane of shoulder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp7uk9srdMdwoMEnjzBnsFioqw6AgbcKj2qR5TaUmnzpQea7NRQBAfmlKdDWBp8hUruJiRQIC1_tnSRwAB_ehbSCLTrJx2rMCrF6c-T4g0cNv2XxTfCH0EXc3yUtGieagvCBFsBuxgdo/s1600/photo5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXp7uk9srdMdwoMEnjzBnsFioqw6AgbcKj2qR5TaUmnzpQea7NRQBAfmlKdDWBp8hUruJiRQIC1_tnSRwAB_ehbSCLTrJx2rMCrF6c-T4g0cNv2XxTfCH0EXc3yUtGieagvCBFsBuxgdo/s1600/photo5.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much for running in the shoulder. I guess you just deal with this if you live out in the country and have to train for a marathon.</td></tr>
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<u>Monday:</u> 4.27 @ 9:18<br />
I was supposed to run 7 miles on Sunday, but, seriously, I was lucky I got in the four and a quarter. I walked outside the hotel in Baltimore (Admiral Fell Inn, which is supposedly haunted, but we saw no funky spirits!) at 8am and practically melted right there on the spot. What time do you have to go out and run in Baltimore?!?! It was probably 80 degrees at that point with a shit ton of humidity and sunny. I ran up to Patternson Park, around, and then back where I added more miles running around the harbor. I pretty much finished 20 ounces running just 4 miles. I was muttering at stoplights about how I didn't understand how people trained here and how I didn't want to live in Baltimore (this was after saying, the previous night, that I liked the area and the brownstones townhouses, and that I could in fact live there. Yeah).<br />
<br />chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-7958741954015100762014-06-08T18:30:00.002-07:002014-06-08T18:30:48.691-07:00St George Marathon Training - Week #3 ReviewI'm always so damn late with these reviews!<br />
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Anyway. I got through this week, didn't seem especially easy. Not super hard, but certainly not easy.<br />
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SmartCoach's plan:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ4WHqJutNWLnaGNtNTSVfNwFSSKpignleYrRqo7r8o73JTwwvmDCB41nnlwPCEm8FTqilN4Cf4PcYfnhdqVjp2kwKSNplXMLqC9HUP-gpnft2EeV38FWeUGt_I62CdwnBmZmalqJG-I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-06-07+at+10.14.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ4WHqJutNWLnaGNtNTSVfNwFSSKpignleYrRqo7r8o73JTwwvmDCB41nnlwPCEm8FTqilN4Cf4PcYfnhdqVjp2kwKSNplXMLqC9HUP-gpnft2EeV38FWeUGt_I62CdwnBmZmalqJG-I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-06-07+at+10.14.49+AM.png" height="57" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u>Tuesday: 6 miles @ 8:54</u><br />
I had planned to run on the treadmill because I thought it was going to be hot. Then I left my phone convince me it wasn't THAT hot (it said it was 72*. Lies). So I went out on my new work run route - hilly like anything else around that area, 713 ft elevation gain. Turned out to be closer to 80* so it was a smidge miserable but I managed. I sucked down 20oz of Nuun.<br />
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<u>Thursday: 7 miles @ 8:25 (2 mi of warm and 5 mile tempo)</u><br />
Done on the treadmill, nothing interesting to note.<br />
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<u>Saturday: 16.01 @ 9:03</u><br />
I had to run long a day early thank to the Rock 'n Roll Marathon course coming through my neighborhood and usual running route. Around mile 11 in Mission Beach, I ran in Sarah (SkinnyRunner) who I haven't seen in a really long time. We chatted for 5 minutes or so and I told her I'd look for her on the course Sunday.<br />
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The last two miles of this long run were fairly brutal. It starts getting hot on the way to De Anza Cove and Crown Pointe Shores, so I was battling. And I was caked in salt at the end of it. I went through 40 ounces of Nuun. And I probably should have still taken salt tabs.<br />
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<u>Sunday: Spectated SD RnR!</u><br />
I live about a half mile from the course so we went down with baby E to check out the race! We thought we missed most of the leads including the women but as it turned out, none of the super fast runners showed up. So we saw the lead females. They just didn't look like your usual elite marathoner at a big city race. The winning time for the women (or even the men for that matter) wasn't all that fast.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczV-_lhwouR3ZeIm40l-Ip0BK4ok4fQzAcd6Vv_VYmR7aYTiXDWXqGMjNlrWHlAXArka65hHZTI6Chj65m7AKfnFJo9Cn8hPkqm3DtHaM-mPziBkaeSoG27qzg6OK0k9592SQnloeTXw/s1600/lauren_elise_sdrnr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjczV-_lhwouR3ZeIm40l-Ip0BK4ok4fQzAcd6Vv_VYmR7aYTiXDWXqGMjNlrWHlAXArka65hHZTI6Chj65m7AKfnFJo9Cn8hPkqm3DtHaM-mPziBkaeSoG27qzg6OK0k9592SQnloeTXw/s1600/lauren_elise_sdrnr.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papa and E. spectating the race!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5Y9lHCSa8YlMDzRn0HJivTT2eBz8KoaCaL9bRJW7UhSHnyuPePDMJpbkNudag5mmfXuhhPKBegrN9Cn2KJMD1ZHGykIRSOeItnXRUY1AwlN5Z69qg7VNeqiUV4aTy04cMz95NySbE6A/s1600/sdRnR_female2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5Y9lHCSa8YlMDzRn0HJivTT2eBz8KoaCaL9bRJW7UhSHnyuPePDMJpbkNudag5mmfXuhhPKBegrN9Cn2KJMD1ZHGykIRSOeItnXRUY1AwlN5Z69qg7VNeqiUV4aTy04cMz95NySbE6A/s1600/sdRnR_female2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the #2 female. I didn't know at the time I took the pic.</td></tr>
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<br />
<u>Monday (following week): 5 mi @ 8:56</u><br />
I had to make up for my missed easy run and I did not manage to get it done Sunday, so I squeezed it in Monday on the treadmill at work.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-78250649081994864002014-05-30T17:13:00.002-07:002014-05-30T17:13:50.380-07:00St George Marathon Training Week #2 ReviewAnd just like that, week 2 was done, and now I'm in the middle/end of week 3.<br />
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Because I had already been running close to 40 mpw, the first two weeks felt kind of easy, with the exception of the 14 miler. I have not been running long, so whenever I get past 12 miles, I can feel the shallow base I have from taking a 7 month running hiatus.<br />
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The same little aches and pains exist that I had before I was pregnant. My left leg/hip continues to be an asshole. It's like all that time off did shit shinola. Clearly, whatever irks my leg is biomechanical.<br />
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Also, this week I decided to start taking calcium supplements because the monthly witch has yet to show her face (lactational amenorrhea). Better safe than sorry (really don't want to be sidelined with an sfx).<br />
<br />
Anyway.<br />
<br />
In case you care to see it, here is <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ap9f2tglchpQdFRpb1dwRG9fVV93aUJCS21hSG9mS3c&usp=sharing">my training log</a><br />
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<u><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Monday</span></u><br />
Rest<br />
<br />
<u><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Tuesday</span></u><br />
Plan: 7 miles @ 9:30<br />
Actual: 7 miles @ 8:54<br />
I ran around my work neighborhood which is hilly (goes down then up, which is not as fun as up then down). Because I'm nursing, anything more than 4 miles requires carrying hydration. I got through an entire 20 ounce bottle.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Wednesday</span></u><br />
Rest<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>Thursday</u></span><br />
Plan: 6 miles, with 3x1mi at 7:32<br />
Actual: Probably something similar to the above. I don't remember all the details because I was on the treadmill messing around with inclines and speeds a bit so I didn't bore myself to death. Total, 6 miles @ 8:26.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Friday</span></u><br />
Rest (swapped with Sat)<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><u>Saturday</u></span><br />
Plan: 6 mi @ 9:30<br />
Actual: 6 @ 9:16<br />
I swapped Friday for Saturday so I didn't have to run at work. Not sure how long I'll be able to do this as the midweek runs get longer.<br />
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<u><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sunday</span></u><br />
Plan: 14 @ 9:30<br />
Actual: 14 @ 9:09<br />
Went OK, but, man, am I ever going through water. Sure, it got a little toasty (like 72 at the end) but normally (meaning pre-baby, pre-food truck status) all I need is about 20 ounces of fluid. I drank 40. Luckily my routes have plenty of water fountains but I'm thinking when I get to 18 I might try on the big guns - my Nathan hydration vest that holds 70 ounces.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #6aa84f;">Total miles: 33.03</span><br />
<br />
Another cool thing to note about the Garmin 220, it has some snazzy technology to determine your cadence! Now, I suspected I had a really high cadence, mostly because my legs are short and the only way I can get faster is if I speed up my turn over. My average cadence has been around 185. I am digging this new feature, and the bluetooth upload to the mobile app.chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1698600978815527980.post-54587666537999662692014-05-18T18:48:00.001-07:002014-05-18T18:48:25.956-07:00St George Marathon Training Week #1 ReviewI knew it was possible I'd get picked so, obviously, I didn't think it was that crazy to attempt 26.2 10 months post-baby. Maybe I'm delusional, but as of mid March, when I ran a 1:56 half under hot and hilly conditions, I figured it was possible I could BQ on the St George course. So I tossed my name into the hat.<br />
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Plus, I love Zion and we haven't gone to Bryce Canyon yet, so I figured worst case it was going to be a good trip to some very beautiful places.<br />
<br />
As soon as I got that email, I did a quick Googling of marathon training plans and decided I'd stick with Runners World SmartCoach. I like the marathon plans it spits out - the half plans I don't like as much, but I'm usually in agreement with what it recommends for 26.2. And it doesn't have fixed weeks like 12 or 18. It's whenever you want to start, which means it's a 21 week training for me.<br />
<br />
Also, I despise plans with lots of speed work. I've seen that I make really good progress with just running more miles. One day of speed work per week is plenty for me.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><u>Monday</u></span></b><br />
The day I got the email. I had already run 5 miles at lunch which was not on the training plan, so bonus miles. 5 miles easy @ 8:56 pace.<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><u>Tuesday</u></b></span><br />
Training plan: 6 miles @ 9:32<br />
Actual: 5 miles @ 9:10.<br />
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Since I had run 5 the day before, I cut it down to 5.<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><u>Wednesday </u></b></span><br />
Training plan: Rest<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><u><b>Thursday</b></u></span><br />
Training plan: 7 miles with 5 miles at 8:10 pace.<br />
Actual: 7 @ 8:30<br />
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I like to do speed work on the treadmill (lately I do a lot of runs on the 'mill because of time) because of the control over the pace, but I know it's easier to run on it, so I ran the 5 tempo miles at from 0-1%, varying the slope as I ran, and I also kicked up the speed a bit in the last 1.5 miles to 7.4 ending at 7.7. I know, tempo is the same speed, but it felt pretty easy and finishing a bit faster didn't feel that much harder.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><u><b>Friday </b></u></span><br />
Training plan: 6 miles @ 9:32.<br />
Actual: Rest.<br />
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Since it was only 6 and it's easier to run on the weekends with the baby, I decided to shift it to Saturday morning.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><u>Saturday</u></b></span><br />
Training plan: Rest<br />
Actual: 6.27 miles @ 9:06<br />
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I ran down and then up the massive hill by my house (it's like 200+ feet gain in less than a mile - it's pretty steep. Not the steepest, though. There's another hill about a mile away that some cars would definitely scrape the front bottom bumper. Part of me wants to try to charge up it and see just how horrific it surely will feel).<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><u><b>Sunday</b></u></span><br />
Training plan: 12 @ 9:32<br />
Actual: 12 @ 9:08<br />
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Decided not to run The Hill again, and started at Mission Bay, ran around Fiesta Island, and then added some more miles, running around Sea World.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Total miles: 35.28</b></span><br />
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Other things to note, my Garmin Forerunner 110 went mammaries up yesterday, so I had to use Map My Run on my phone for Saturday's run. I picked up the Garmin 220 from Road Runner Sports on Saturday because I have no retail patience, and after quickly researching, it was the best price, anyway, with my VIP discount.<br />
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I've only done one run with it, but so far it's pretty sweet. It's much lighter feeling than the 110. It vibrates on the mile splits, it locked on a satellite very fast (less than 30 seconds) and I apparently it can sync via Bluetooth? I don't care that much about the sync'ing though maybe I should try it. I need to do more research on all its nifty, snazzy features.<br />
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[In case anyone is wondering about the whole breast feeding thing.. During the week, if it's an hour or less, I run on the treadmill at work, or outside. It's usually about 90 minutes after I last pumped to empty, so it's totally comfortable. On weekends, for a shorter run, I will pump enough that I am comfortable (because normally in the morning, it's like a milk bonanza going on). For longer runs, I try to pump close to empty since I know I'll be gone longer. The Husband has the baby while I'm gone and feeds her if she gets hungry, otherwise, I feed her when I get home.]chiarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09597283400851387772noreply@blogger.com2