Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Wait, there goes the nice weather
Ha ha ha!! The fog has rolled in!! And it's getting cold now! Thank goodness I went running while it was still nice out!!
Today was my easy run day...
...but it seems there is no such thing as an easy run when I have to push the ginormous jogging stroller!!
Don't get me wrong, I love having the stroller. When I first started running in November, I had to go at night when hubby got home because I only had a single stroller and couldn't just leave a kid at home. But sometimes I wish I had a babysitter to watch the kids to I could go running alone. Right now, the only time I get to do that is on the weekend.
Anyway, today was my easy run following Saturday's race. It wasn't too bad, and I was glad to get out. The weather has been awesome this month: lots of sun and almost no rain (very strange for Humboldt County!!). Today was another wonderful weather day. think I may have been a little overdressed because about a mile into it I had to pull my sleeves up because I was getting too hot.
Today's stats:
distance: 2.26 miles
time: 28 minutes, 51 seconds
pace: 12:46 mile/minute
Don't get me wrong, I love having the stroller. When I first started running in November, I had to go at night when hubby got home because I only had a single stroller and couldn't just leave a kid at home. But sometimes I wish I had a babysitter to watch the kids to I could go running alone. Right now, the only time I get to do that is on the weekend.
Anyway, today was my easy run following Saturday's race. It wasn't too bad, and I was glad to get out. The weather has been awesome this month: lots of sun and almost no rain (very strange for Humboldt County!!). Today was another wonderful weather day. think I may have been a little overdressed because about a mile into it I had to pull my sleeves up because I was getting too hot.
Today's stats:
distance: 2.26 miles
time: 28 minutes, 51 seconds
pace: 12:46 mile/minute
Monday, January 29, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
My official race results
Since I didn't really put them in the last post, I thought I'd put them here.
Chip time: 36 minutes, 47 seconds
pace: 12:16 minute/mile
39th out of 117 total three-mile runners
22nd out of 81 female three-mile runners
third (of six)in age division -- received award
Chip time: 36 minutes, 47 seconds
pace: 12:16 minute/mile
39th out of 117 total three-mile runners
22nd out of 81 female three-mile runners
third (of six)in age division -- received award
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Well, I did it!! Race report!!
I'll try not to make this too long, as I am tired and spent most of my day in beautiful Trinidad, CA. :)
I woke up a little before 8 a.m. so I could have a small breakfast before leaving for the race. I had to drive about 50 minutes one-way to get to Trinidad, as our plans to spend the night at the inlaws' fell through. So I left the house around 8:45 a.m. because the information packet said to get to Trinidad by 10:15 to catch a bus to the starting line.
I got there before 10, so I was happy. There's nothing I hate more than being late!! Caught the first bus to the starting line, where I spent more than an hour waiting as other runners trickled in. Our bus arrived before the Porta Potties did! Many of us stood around looking at the ocean view, which was breathtaking. The 3-mile and 8 3/4-mile races both started from the same point, so there were more than 400 people milling around in the cold.
A few minutes before the race was to start, everyone gathered at the starting line. A man was counting down on a loudspeaker: "thirty seconds....fifteen seconds...ten seconds...five seconds..." I was so nervous!!! But I also was tired of waiting and ready to run. I was near the back of the pack at the starting line: blame the long line at the THREE portable toilets. Yes, only three!! I was talking to a couple women who were running the longer race when the gun went off. So I started jogging! It took me more than 30 seconds to get to the real starting line because there were so many people ahead of me.
For the first five minutes or so, many of us were moving in this large crowd. But then people started splintering off from the pack. Some started running really fast, while others started walking. I wanted to run the whole way without walking, and I wasn't changing my game plan now!!
Oh, a little back story on this course. It is situated in the redwoods on the coast, but the longer races end on the beach after crossing a small river. The three-mile finished in the town of Trinidad itself. While waiting for the start, I heard several people who had run this race before comment on how tough of a course it was. Uh oh. Yeah, I was a bit worried. They said there were many hills, and that scared me.
They weren't kidding about the hills. Within the first mile or so, I counted four of them. And they weren't slight inclines. They were pretty large hills that snaked around corners and seemed to never end. But I kept running the whole time. Others around me walked up the hills. By the second hill, I was passing many of the other three-milers. Oh yeah, very cool!! And not many people were passing me. I kept going the same pace and made sure I didn't burn myself out on the downhill portions.
There was no marker for the first mile, so it wasn't until I saw the two-mile marker that I knew how close to the finish I was. I looked at my chronometer: 24 minutes, 34 seconds. Not bad, considering all the hills! It was just before the two-mile mark that I had found my pacer-setter. Her bib number was 3001, one number ahead of mine. She was running fairly fast for a while, but then started slowing down to more of my pace. I locked on her and just stuck to her like glue. I guess it wore her down, because less than 1/2 mile to the finish I overtook her and she never caught up. I hope it's not wrong, but I was so happy about that!
Less than 1/4 mile left, and I see a photographer taking pictures of all the three-milers. Neat! I think I look fairly poised as he snapped my picture. I'll have to wait to see how it turned out, but I think they eventually put them online.
Anyway, I finished the last hill and rounded the turn for the finish line. I saw the clock, and it was almost 37 minutes. Crap. Then it was over 37 minutes. I was a bit upset about that. My finish time was 37 minutes, 19 seconds. But that was the gun time, not my chip time. My chip time was 36 minutes, 47 seconds. I was quite happy with that!!
My poor hubby, though. He got the kids all ready and drove up the Trinidad in hopes of seeing me cross the finish line. He missed it by about one minute. I was cooling down, walking down the sidewalk with a bottle of water, and he pulled up. He felt so bad he missed it! It was OK, stuff like that happens. I told him a photographer took my picture and he seemed to feel better.
I waited around for a couple hours until they posted the official times for each race. Heck, it was a nice day and I didn't want to rush home. At 3 p.m. they finally posted the results. I couldn't believe it. I finished 39th out of 117 in the three-mile race!! And I finished third in my division (out of six). The first three in each age division got a little award, so that was neat. I was so happy when I left that I started to get a little teary. Thank goodness I had sunglasses on!!
I plan to do this race again next year, but I'm aiming for the 5 3/4 mile race. And my hubby said he'd train and do it with me! I had a great time!!!
I woke up a little before 8 a.m. so I could have a small breakfast before leaving for the race. I had to drive about 50 minutes one-way to get to Trinidad, as our plans to spend the night at the inlaws' fell through. So I left the house around 8:45 a.m. because the information packet said to get to Trinidad by 10:15 to catch a bus to the starting line.
I got there before 10, so I was happy. There's nothing I hate more than being late!! Caught the first bus to the starting line, where I spent more than an hour waiting as other runners trickled in. Our bus arrived before the Porta Potties did! Many of us stood around looking at the ocean view, which was breathtaking. The 3-mile and 8 3/4-mile races both started from the same point, so there were more than 400 people milling around in the cold.
A few minutes before the race was to start, everyone gathered at the starting line. A man was counting down on a loudspeaker: "thirty seconds....fifteen seconds...ten seconds...five seconds..." I was so nervous!!! But I also was tired of waiting and ready to run. I was near the back of the pack at the starting line: blame the long line at the THREE portable toilets. Yes, only three!! I was talking to a couple women who were running the longer race when the gun went off. So I started jogging! It took me more than 30 seconds to get to the real starting line because there were so many people ahead of me.
For the first five minutes or so, many of us were moving in this large crowd. But then people started splintering off from the pack. Some started running really fast, while others started walking. I wanted to run the whole way without walking, and I wasn't changing my game plan now!!
Oh, a little back story on this course. It is situated in the redwoods on the coast, but the longer races end on the beach after crossing a small river. The three-mile finished in the town of Trinidad itself. While waiting for the start, I heard several people who had run this race before comment on how tough of a course it was. Uh oh. Yeah, I was a bit worried. They said there were many hills, and that scared me.
They weren't kidding about the hills. Within the first mile or so, I counted four of them. And they weren't slight inclines. They were pretty large hills that snaked around corners and seemed to never end. But I kept running the whole time. Others around me walked up the hills. By the second hill, I was passing many of the other three-milers. Oh yeah, very cool!! And not many people were passing me. I kept going the same pace and made sure I didn't burn myself out on the downhill portions.
There was no marker for the first mile, so it wasn't until I saw the two-mile marker that I knew how close to the finish I was. I looked at my chronometer: 24 minutes, 34 seconds. Not bad, considering all the hills! It was just before the two-mile mark that I had found my pacer-setter. Her bib number was 3001, one number ahead of mine. She was running fairly fast for a while, but then started slowing down to more of my pace. I locked on her and just stuck to her like glue. I guess it wore her down, because less than 1/2 mile to the finish I overtook her and she never caught up. I hope it's not wrong, but I was so happy about that!
Less than 1/4 mile left, and I see a photographer taking pictures of all the three-milers. Neat! I think I look fairly poised as he snapped my picture. I'll have to wait to see how it turned out, but I think they eventually put them online.
Anyway, I finished the last hill and rounded the turn for the finish line. I saw the clock, and it was almost 37 minutes. Crap. Then it was over 37 minutes. I was a bit upset about that. My finish time was 37 minutes, 19 seconds. But that was the gun time, not my chip time. My chip time was 36 minutes, 47 seconds. I was quite happy with that!!
My poor hubby, though. He got the kids all ready and drove up the Trinidad in hopes of seeing me cross the finish line. He missed it by about one minute. I was cooling down, walking down the sidewalk with a bottle of water, and he pulled up. He felt so bad he missed it! It was OK, stuff like that happens. I told him a photographer took my picture and he seemed to feel better.
I waited around for a couple hours until they posted the official times for each race. Heck, it was a nice day and I didn't want to rush home. At 3 p.m. they finally posted the results. I couldn't believe it. I finished 39th out of 117 in the three-mile race!! And I finished third in my division (out of six). The first three in each age division got a little award, so that was neat. I was so happy when I left that I started to get a little teary. Thank goodness I had sunglasses on!!
I plan to do this race again next year, but I'm aiming for the 5 3/4 mile race. And my hubby said he'd train and do it with me! I had a great time!!!
Friday, January 26, 2007
It's almost go time!
Tomorrow is the big day! After two months of training, I will be doing my first race in years. I am excited, but nervous too. I know it will all be fine in the end, though.
I had this bizarre dream last night about the race. First of all, the race transformed from a running race to a swimming race. In the ocean, nonetheless. Three miles of swimming. Mind you, I am NOT a swimmer. So I asked my dad (in the dream) if I could borrow a life jacket because there's no way in hell I could swim three miles without something holding me up. He said no. What??!! So I spent literally hours (in dream time, not real time) looking for either a life jacket or kickboard I could hold onto in the water. I finally found a kickboard for sale at this weird flea market-type sale, but the lady wanted $150 for it!! So I didn't get that, either. I finally looked at my watch and realized I missed the start time for the race. That morphed into me looking for my car so I could get my kids. Strange. So I'm hoping everything goes smoothly tomorrow and I actually make it to the starting line on time. ;)
Tonight I go to pick up my race packet. I can't wait to see the T-shirt. I'm hoping the strap for my timing chip fits around my huge ankles (cankles, if you will) . Even when I was thinner, my ankles have been a problem. I remember one regatta I went to while on the rowing team. We had to wear a plastic band around our ankles to get into the venue. Guess whose band didn't fit around their ankle? Yep, mine. I had to wear it on my wrist. Talk about embarrassing!!!!
OK, enough rambling for now. The hubby, kids and I are planning on spending tonight at his parents' house because it's 30 minutes closer to the race course than our house is. That means I won't have access to the Internet until sometime Saturday afternoon when we get home. I'll post a race report then. :)
Oh, if anyone's interested, here's a link to the race I'm running tomorrow:
www.trinidadtoclambeach.com/index.htm
I had this bizarre dream last night about the race. First of all, the race transformed from a running race to a swimming race. In the ocean, nonetheless. Three miles of swimming. Mind you, I am NOT a swimmer. So I asked my dad (in the dream) if I could borrow a life jacket because there's no way in hell I could swim three miles without something holding me up. He said no. What??!! So I spent literally hours (in dream time, not real time) looking for either a life jacket or kickboard I could hold onto in the water. I finally found a kickboard for sale at this weird flea market-type sale, but the lady wanted $150 for it!! So I didn't get that, either. I finally looked at my watch and realized I missed the start time for the race. That morphed into me looking for my car so I could get my kids. Strange. So I'm hoping everything goes smoothly tomorrow and I actually make it to the starting line on time. ;)
Tonight I go to pick up my race packet. I can't wait to see the T-shirt. I'm hoping the strap for my timing chip fits around my huge ankles (cankles, if you will) . Even when I was thinner, my ankles have been a problem. I remember one regatta I went to while on the rowing team. We had to wear a plastic band around our ankles to get into the venue. Guess whose band didn't fit around their ankle? Yep, mine. I had to wear it on my wrist. Talk about embarrassing!!!!
OK, enough rambling for now. The hubby, kids and I are planning on spending tonight at his parents' house because it's 30 minutes closer to the race course than our house is. That means I won't have access to the Internet until sometime Saturday afternoon when we get home. I'll post a race report then. :)
Oh, if anyone's interested, here's a link to the race I'm running tomorrow:
www.trinidadtoclambeach.com/index.htm
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
They can't all be easy....
Today was a tough run. The weather was getting icky. The rain clouds rolled in today and it got cold. Luckily it didn't rain, but it was still hard to get my head and body to cooperate today. I decided to run to the Rite Aid to pick up a prescription. It's about 1.15 miles one-way. I had an ache in my left hip before I even took a step out the door. Ick. Maybe that's why it felt harder to run today.
There are two big hills on the route I took: one on the way there and one the way back. Of course, that means there are two big hills to run down each way, too. Let me tell you, pushing that heavy jogging stroller up those hills just about killed me!! And going down isn't much easier. Thank goodness there's a hand break on the darn thing.
Anyway, I got there, picked up the 'script, and ran back. It didn't really feel great while I was doing it, but after I had finished running I felt good. I just wanted to get one more run in before my race on Saturday, so I am happy with that.
On a lighter note, I am going shopping for a some new jogging gear tomorrow!! Woo hoo!! Good timing, since one pair of my running pants now have a huge hole in the crotch. And I didn't even notice until I came back from my Monday jog. I was wearing pink underwear, too. Classy. I have decided to wait until after the race to buy new shoes, though. Not long ago I found a pair of Adidas runners in my closet that I wore maybe once a few years ago, then put away. So they're practically brand new. And they seem to be working fairly well for me now. Better than my old, worn-out New Balance shoes were.
Oh, and as of today there are 84 people signed up to do the three-mile race this weekend. And there are only six in my division. LOL! Meanwhile, 250 are currently signed up for the 5 3/4-mile race, 273 for the 8 3/4-mile and 99 for the half-marathon. Crazy that the shortest course would be the least popular!
Wish me luck for Saturday!!
Today's stats:
distance: 2.32 miles
time: 29:32 (slow like molasses!!!)
average: 12:44 minute/mile
There are two big hills on the route I took: one on the way there and one the way back. Of course, that means there are two big hills to run down each way, too. Let me tell you, pushing that heavy jogging stroller up those hills just about killed me!! And going down isn't much easier. Thank goodness there's a hand break on the darn thing.
Anyway, I got there, picked up the 'script, and ran back. It didn't really feel great while I was doing it, but after I had finished running I felt good. I just wanted to get one more run in before my race on Saturday, so I am happy with that.
On a lighter note, I am going shopping for a some new jogging gear tomorrow!! Woo hoo!! Good timing, since one pair of my running pants now have a huge hole in the crotch. And I didn't even notice until I came back from my Monday jog. I was wearing pink underwear, too. Classy. I have decided to wait until after the race to buy new shoes, though. Not long ago I found a pair of Adidas runners in my closet that I wore maybe once a few years ago, then put away. So they're practically brand new. And they seem to be working fairly well for me now. Better than my old, worn-out New Balance shoes were.
Oh, and as of today there are 84 people signed up to do the three-mile race this weekend. And there are only six in my division. LOL! Meanwhile, 250 are currently signed up for the 5 3/4-mile race, 273 for the 8 3/4-mile and 99 for the half-marathon. Crazy that the shortest course would be the least popular!
Wish me luck for Saturday!!
Today's stats:
distance: 2.32 miles
time: 29:32 (slow like molasses!!!)
average: 12:44 minute/mile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
