Father Joe's Turkey Trot Report

My husband and I did the Father Joe's Turkey Trot in Balboa Park for the first time this year. Typically, I don't like running with my husband, but I figured this was only a 5K and just a fun run, so what could go wrong? In fact, it was fun and nothing (too bad) went wrong. We saw this guy at the start:
What a cute little turkey.
And while all the dogs were cute at the start line, it quickly became annoying once the gun went off. With thousands of people and many of them with dogs, it and was more stressful and chaotic than fun for about the first 10 minutes. There was a weimaraner bark-howling at every other person and trying to break free from it's leash, some kind of little wiry terrier kept jumping on passersby, and then there were multiple owners who let the retractable leash go too far...you can imagine. So, for the first mile my husband and I jogged slow and circumspect while entertaining ourselves by making gobbling sounds and then going "Ppiwww" like a shotgun. The two guys dressed like turkeys did not think it funny when my husband pretended to shoot them...and I was mortified. Which brings me to why I don't like running with him: when he's not actively doing things that he knows will embarrass me (like making farting sounds as he jogs passed someone getting into their car, or walking with their child), he's listening to his headphones shouting observations at me over his music, "DID YOU SEE THAT GUY?!" which is even more embarrassing. So that was the last 2 miles of the race... me being annoyed that he couldn't run a stupid little turkey trot with me without headphones.

I know I shouldn't care. I should let him do whatever makes running easier for him, but it's just not what I imagined when I asked him to run it with me. I always forget that when I ask people to go on runs with me, it's more like asking them to run beside me and ignore me while they listen to music.

Oh well. I'm still thankful for running, and I'm especially thankful for the fact that I can function as a runner without headphones. I know so many runners "incapable" of running without them these days. Running in and of itself is what's enjoyable to me-- not my pace or my finish time or my playlist.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Remember to be thankful that we can run whenever we want!

Santa Barabara Race Report

Santa Barbara is a beautiful city which made for an enjoyable, memorable race on Saturday. Also memorable for another reason seen here:

yep. I ate $h!t during the first mile. My first race fall. I did fall once before on a trail, but it's a little bit more acceptable in that setting. So here's the story: I was in the third wave and about two minutes into the race I saw a woman eat it on the sidewalk. Just before I went down I was thinking, "That would seriously suck...I wonder how I would recover mentally from a fall early in a race..." and then I thought about the movie "Run, Fat Boy, Run," when he falls at the beginning of a marathon and hurts his knee... and then I fell. Fortunately, I'm volleyball-roll trained, so I was back on my feet before the first person could ask if I was OK. I decided to ignore the pain in my hands (they both hurt) by pulling my sleeves down over them for the next mile...but when it was time to ditch my sweatshirt, I finally looked and found my left hand was nasty bloody. I stopped at the mile 5 medic station, dug out a couple pieces of gravel, wiped it dry, took a picture of it, and put on a band-aid (that fell of before mile 6) and sort of got over it. But, it hurts even now--two days later. It was a deep gouge and it's probably infected a little....I don't know... should I dump some frozen peas on it like that British-chick did in Bridesmaids?

So, back to the race: I was surprised by the size of the mountains around Santa Barbara, by the number of oil rigs just off shore (did you know they drilled there?), and that it didn't rain on us during the race--it poured the entire night before, and about an hour after the race it started to rain again.

I hope to do this race again next year AND the Silverstrand.... my goal is to be in such good running shape next year, that I can do two halfers back-to-back. I guess we'll see...

The bike path around miles 4-7








The final mile










View above the finish line at SB City College

AFC

This hasn't been my best running summer ever. In fact, I got hooked on P90X from June-July and unintentionally stopped running for a while. I did a few 3-4 milers here and there, but no long runs which are the staple of a marathoner's diet. Then August rolled around and I made my annual hajj up to Northern California to stay with my family for a couple weeks, to welcome my first niece into the world, and running turned into jogging 2 miles on the treadmill...with a few lunges thrown in about every 1/4 mile. Arduous I tell you.

I drove all day Saturday, got back to San Diego on the 20th at 9pm, went to bed, woke up the Sunday at 4am and was in line to catch the charter bus in Balboa Park by 5:30am. Even as I drove to the busses I debated with myself about turning around and going home or at best parking, taking a sleep in my car until 6:30, and then jogging over to The Hall of Champions for the 5K race instead. But something forced me to walk to the lines at the busses. Maybe the force of habit I don't know. Either way, a ride at the top of the only double decker bus (awesome!) and an hour later, I found myself stretching at the Cabrillo National Monument listening to the cracks and creaks coming from my stiff body that had just spent at total of 13 hours in the car over the last 2 days. My neck wouldn't exactly hold my head straight and my butt still felt like it was asleep. Even when the gun went off and I crossed the start line I was in denial... the race would take me within a mile of my house in the first 4 miles of the run, so if anything I could just ditch out and go back to bed.

I didn't ditch out. I did finish... about 20 minutes slower than my time last year and about 10 minutes slower than my usual "didn't train enough" pace. And despite my snailishness, I paid dearly for the next day and a half: a mostly crippled creature limping and groaning from the couch to the kitchen, couch to the kitchen...

I'm ready now for my first little recovery jog. It's a perfect day for it: cloudy, as it was on the day of the AFC (perfect PR weather, it was). I hope to come back to this post every once in a while as reminder of the importance of not being an idiot.

(On pace at the 10K split... thinking I'll be OK, smiling even.)










(But by mile 10, not feelin' it...or more accurately, feelin' it) bad.

Quote of the Month & AFC

"I'm trying to reclaim my pre-Boston fitness, but my legs feel like pantyhose stuffed with sand."--Kristen Armstrong

Hahahahahahahahah!

My legs feel and look this way right now, but it's definitely NOT because I just ran Boston. If anything I'm getting further and further away from my goal to one day qualify for Boston.

I figure it's time to look to the next race for motivation. So, I signed up for American's Finest City (AFC) Half Marathon this week. If you're looking for a kickass 1/2er to do this August (the 21st actually), then this is a great option. It's $95 from now till it sells out, and it always sells out quick--so jump on it, jump on it. Not kidding. If you're even slightly considering it, sign up today, right now. Here's the link: CLICK ON THIS.

Quick Overview of the Race if you've never done it and are considering.

The Start: Is up at Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma-- you'll take a bus from Balboa Park (zoo area) up to the monument.

Miles 1-4: Contain a lot of downhill stuff--and it's pretty steep. If you struggle with shinsplints or knee issues you may not want to do this one.

Miles 5-10: Mellow, flat along the Harbor by the San Diego airport, to the Embarcadero, and then through part of downtown.

Miles 11-12.5: Slight up hill. The worst of it starts at Mile 11.5 up 6th Avenue to the Laurel Street bridge. Be sure to prepare yourself for the uphillyness or you'll be PISSED. However, this is my favorite race in San Diego--despite the last two miles. Seriously--it's a good run and easy to PR if you can run downhill fast without injury.

Do it.

San Dieguito Race Report (sort of)

Looks like I'll only be posting when I run a race...soooo that's shaping up to be about once a month. With Carlsbad last month and San Dieguito last Sunday, that leaves Washington DC's National Marathon & Half next month (I'm doing the 1/2 for my 30th birthday), then La Jolla in April, and possibly the OC Marathon and/or a couple trail races in May... Yikes.

Yikes-- especially since Sunday's San Dieguito halfer was one of the hardest races I've done in a while. First, the sun was shiny and bright which does me in even if the air is still cool (which it was for a while) and second because of the hills. The person who told me this race has "rolling hills" is now number one on my "Do Not Consult" list. There were plenty of rolls going UP but not so many going down.

The Hash House Harriers and volunteers did their best to make it fun, i.e. Sangria at mile 4 and beer at mile 12,
the Queen of England,


...this guy...


and good scenery (gorgeous, multi-million dollar homes, loads of trees and ponds and horses). But, for all its good looks and the fun it tried to be, I don't see myself doing it again unless I fall in love with hills (which won't happen) or the Hashers start serving Bloody Marys at the start line.

Carlsbad Race Report

I can't even tell you how happy I was when I realized yesterday I'd

be able to sleep until 6am on a race day. Most races I'm out the

door while it's still dark, catch a bus to the start line and then freeze for an hour or so until the gun goes off. But, Carlsbad is superior for many reasons:

1. The staggered start: marathon at 6:00/half at 7:30. Wave starts for the half (I was in Wave 2).

2. The View: all but 4 miles (of the half at

least) is along the water. Just like the picture shows.

3. Organization: loads of water, aid stations, Gu and Vasaline.

If you've got to run an out and back race like this one, at least run one that is well organized and has everything you need or could need. However, because of my lack of training, I knew it'd be rougher than usual...

So, last night I loaded a bunch of Ricky Gervais Show podcasts on

my iphone and laughed my ass off for the first 9 miles.

I must have looked mental to the bystanders on the street, but it helped cover up the slacker-pain I should have felt. In fact, I don't remember feeling uncomfortable until about here (around mile 10):

That's when it became more burdensome than distracting to laugh and my pace began to slow. I don't really know why I took that picture--in fact I don't remember taking it at all. What was I thinking? Maybe it was an accident as I scrolled through my phone to cue up my Flo Rida Pandora station to give me a kick to the finish. It worked.

In other running news, my running buddy, Angie, convinced me to do the OC Marathon this year with her. It's in May. So. Guess I better start a real training program again soon. I also plan to run the Washington DC Halfer, on March 26th, for my 30th birthday. I'll keep you posted on that (since I know you're holding your breath). The only uncertainty is whether or not to register for the La Jolla Half in April and go for the Triple Crown this year. I guess I'll just take it one run (and paycheck) at a time.

The Fall Line-Up

I love November. I consider it the start of my race year. Maybe it's the Turkey Trots, maybe it's the time change, maybe it's because running clubs start new rounds of marathon training. Either way, I'm excited for November 1st. I have three races to look forward to: The Shelter Island 5K, The Silverstrand 5K, and a Turkey Trot 10K in my hometown of Redding.

I'm trying to get faster, but getting no where fast with my current training schedule (running twice a week...not good). It's time to come up with a real plan and make it a priority. However, if I make the plan for myself, I'll never actually do it. Soooo....thanks to my iphone and the Runner's World Smart Coach App I downloaded recently, I can type in the date of my next race and my racing goals. This is my plan for the month of November (I made a slight modification and flip-flopped Tuesdays and Wednesdays so I could include Track Club). If you have any 5Ks or upcoming 1/2 marathons, I hope you find this plan useful too:

If you're 2-4 weeks out from a race, here's what Smart Coach says you should do: (Works for 5K, 10K, Half Marathon)

Monday: 5 mi, easy run
Tuesday: Speedwork (AKA: Track Club for me)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 5 mi, easy run
Friday: XT (for me, Cycle class)
Saturday: 8-10 mi, long run
Sunday: rest

There it is. I wrote it. Now I'll do it.

Fall Racing Season

I love the fall. So many races to choose from... I just couldn't decide, so I signed up for three great ones (and I still need to find a Turkey Trot). They're great. Did I already say that? You should come run them too.

The first is:

The Shelter Island 5K on November 7th: This is a quick one that zooms around Harbor/Shelter Island area and ends at Humphrey's by the Bay for a...wait for it... champagne brunch. Whoo hoo! No need to join the Hash House Harriers with races like this around. I did this one about three years ago, before I acquired my running buddy, and a champagne brunch is just sad and pathetic without someone to toast with. However, this time is a different story. A much happier, drinkier story. If you sign up for this race and need someone to clink glasses with you at the end, let me know. I'll double fist it if I have to.

The second one is the very next weekend:

The Silver Strand 5K on November 14th: I was trying to sign up for the half marathon; however, San Diego is suddenly half marathon obsessed and it's becoming impossible to get into races without planning years in advance. Gone are the days of last minute registration...which means I'm screwed. I do everything last minute: lesson plans, plane tickets, deadlines. Anyway I settled for the 5K which means my goal is to beat whatever time I get in the Shelter Island one.

And finally,

The Carlsbad Half Marathon: I know it's in Winter, not Fall, but we'll ignore that for now. I was debating about whether or not to sign up for the full, but I just didn't feel excited for it like I was for Napa. The problem I've always had with the Carlsbad race is that it's an out-and-back course. Those are just the worst... you'd think they'd do something about that after all these years. It's just cruel is what it is. But, I decided to still sign up for the half because I guess I like being mean to me. I'm hoping to have picked a February or March marathon by then and the halfer will be about 6-8 weeks out and a good gauge for me pace-wise.

That's that.
Keep on truckin'

7 Midsummer Moonlight Runs

An intriguing idea these night races. Unfortunately, I don't live in Utah or I could run one of them. But then... I'd live in Utah.  The last race listed is in my hometown, Redding, but my in-laws will be down here visiting; that would have been a good excuse to take a trip up north. On second thought... the run may be at night, but Redding in August is still 90 degrees at midnight. I'm not acclimated to that. Not even close. I'll leave it to the hardcore locals.

Today I Received...

the postcard to pick up my bib for the La Jolla Half Marathon...
yep.

Oh the Possibilities

I decided last minute to run the OC (Orange County) Half Marathon yesterday. I signed up last Wednesday and it was a whirlwind week, so I have many blogs to read and get caught up on now... but it was worth it.

I wasn't looking forward to doing another half marathon after the La Jolla just one weekend prior (and physically it was not a wise decision); however, a good friend from Rhode Island flew out to run it and I couldn't see myself doing the whole drive-around-and-cheer thing...so I ran too. I'm glad I did because I finally broke 2 hours! Speediness is in sight!

Before yesterday I couldn't imagine myself running faster than a 9:30 pace.

Now I can
Imagine it
and
Believe it.

Race Pace (according to my GPS, not chip time--which I still need to look up) was an 8:59. Just barely broke out of the 9's!
This success means it's official: the time has come for me to decide which running club to join...

My research has come up with:

The Hash House Harriers: The self-proclaimed drinking club with a running problem. Could be fun... but not the type of puking I'm looking for, I think.

Team in Training: A really good cause and I envy those who can raise all that money, but I don't think I'm ready for that sort of commitment yet. I'm still too selfish.

Team VAVi Run Club: Don't know much about it--but am beginning to research it. Looks more social than pace-oriented...but the price is right. They are currently sold out and not advertising for any upcoming races. So... a "no" for now.

San Diego Track Club: Most likely the club I will choose. Someone told me the coaches (or maybe the other runners?) are mean. That's exactly what I need... someone to yell at me and tell me to stop being a baby. Run harder.

I don't need a drink. I don't need a friend. I need speed if I'm ever to going to attempt qualifying for Boston.

Discussion question: What do you need from your runs?

Next weekend: Cinco de Mayo Trail Race 10K
Then I think I should back off of the races for while...save my money and my joints for the track club.

Keep on truckin' my friends.

Never again...for reals this time

I said, "Never again" three years ago when I finished the La Jolla Half Marathon, and here I am saying it again after crossing the finish line only a couple hours ago. The running part actually went well. Really well. However, I hereby swear (with you as my witness) that I will not run this race again. I concede that the course is beautiful, the time of year is usually good and the location couldn't be better. However, there are many reasons to never put yourself through this race.

Most people dislike (or fear) this race is because of the hills. Rightly so. They are gnarly. Seriously, seriously consider this before deciding to sign up for this race on a whim. I saw four ambulances taking people away...and one very disturbing scene at Mile 12. People have died--and every year many people get ill from this course and end up in the ER. However, hills are hills and you can't fault them for being what they be. The challenge of conquering them is rewarding...even if they are bad. Bad. Mean. Evil hills.

So the hills are bad--you get it. But that's nothing new. Something else that's not new is the annoying process of picking up one's race bib. The race organizer must have some old, POS computer system, because apparently it's impossible to find a runner's bib number using proof of ID (like EVERY SINGLE other race does). So for this race, the organizers send out a "postcard" to all participants which you are supposed to bring to the expo. If you don't have said card, then you're sent to wait in a line (a loooong ass line) to get a new "postcard."

I don't believe there really is a postcard... when I did the race three years ago I didn't get anything in the mail. The same is true of this year. Needless to say, I was angered by this pointless hassle. It's almost like they just want to mess with us--that's the illogicalness of this pick-up system (and yes I did make up a word back there. that's what i do).

Oh, and if you wanted to check the race website for any last minute information (as I had to do on Friday--two days before the race), forget about it... they already put up next year's race information. Info for 2010 was obsolete 48-hours before the gun went off! (what's that about? seriously.)

Don't even get me started on the participant t-shirt. All other major races in San Diego (and the modern world), have switched to the technical t's. It's pretty lame to still hand out the old fashioned cotton ones. It says to the participants, "Yes, we're cheap and cheesy and obviously know nothing about running which is why we are giving you this uncomfortably stiff t-shirt with a gaudy logo on it. And oh-- we're going to skimp on the water stations too. Have fun!"

And then we come to race morning.... The organizers sent out these emails warning us to get to the buses by 5:30 AM. These emails stressed that if you weren't in line by 5:30, they couldn't guarantee you a place on a bus, and therefore, you might not get to the start line. Great. So, I show up before 5:30 like I'm supposed to and then get dropped off at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, where there is NO COFFEE, and have to sit around for two hours, smelling the port-o-potties and listening to "Eye of the Tiger" blaring out the sound system.

The needless wasting of my precious time is the number one way to tick me off-- which is why I don't let my students ask questions (just kidding. sort of. no, i'm kidding. sort of.).

While I did well in today's race and enjoyed myself--even the running uphill for 2 miles was OK-- I do not recommend the La Jolla Half Marathon. I may sound like a diva, but come on La Jolla! After 30 years of hosting this race, is it too much to ask that you get your act together?? (You might be thinking, "But at least it's for a good cause." Well...sort of. The proceeds of this race go straight back to La Jolla...)

Since I want to end on a positive note, here are some San Diego races I recommend.
In order of my likefulness:

America's Finest City Half Marathon, August
Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon, January
Silverstand Half Marathon, November

Upcoming Races in San Diego

I signed up for my first-ever trail race a couple weeks ago. I never considered doing trail races until recently...don't know why it never crossed my mind. I like trails. I like running. I like races. Combine=happy.

A friend and I will be doing the Cinco de Mayo Trail Run 10K at Lake Poway on May 8th... (maybe they should change the name since May 5th obviously will not always fall on a Sunday. just a thought.) Since my last experience at Lake Poway was a bit...precarious...I want to use this an opportunity to make some good memories there.

And just in case you live here and are looking for a race this Spring or Summer to train for--or if you are somewhere else and looking for a reason to come to San Diego this Spring or Summer-- here are some upcoming races in which you might be interested:

Trail Races:

Run for San Diego River 5K Trail Run and Walk (May 8)
Location: Lakeside

Mission Gorge Trail Run 5K, 15K (May 30)
Location: Mission Gorge

Dirt Devil Race Series 5K, 10K, 15K (Race 3: August 1, Race 4: October 10)
Location: Mission Trails (Equestrian Center)



Road Races:

The Navy's 24th Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk (May 16)
Location: Gaslamp Quarter downtown and over the bridge to Tidelands Park in Coronado

Riverfest Run 5K, 1K Fun Run (May 18)
Location: Qualcomm/River Trail

America's Finest City Half Marathon and 5K (August 15)
Location: Cabrillo National Monument to Balboa Park

Free To Breathe Lung Cancer 5K Run/Walk (August 21)
Location: Liberty Station, Point Loma



ONLY IF YOU'RE CRAZY (like Ultra Runner Will:

San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run (June 12-13)
Location: Descanso

Back in Biz

PHEW! What a week... things are finally calming down and beginning to return to normal. The week before the Napa Valley Marathon, my husband and I moved out of our tiny, cavelike (moldy) apartment and into a real house! So exciting, but a lot of work right before we left for Napa. And now that we're back, the real work will begin putting it all together. But on to the fun stuff...

Napa was fantastic! (I want to apologize ahead of time for the excessive use of exclamation marks in this post!)
It is hands down the best race I've ever been a part of. It was organized, it wasn't too big and it was gorgeous!
Well...the motel we stayed at left something to be desired (we took to calling it the Bates' Motel!), but we weren't in Napa to sit in a motel all day... during our awake hours we did stuff.

Like... we went to the Marathon Expo where I nearly fell over with shock at the quality schwag we received! All participants were handed a super nice, spacious and durable duffel bag with the Napa Valley Marathon logo embroidered on it. Also, a better-looking-than-usual long sleeve technical T. The "goody bag" wasn't so bad either-- usually they're full of annoying flyers. These had mostly food samples and even a handy velcro arm-pouch for gu or keys or a cell phone. And then there was the free wine!... uh huh.


After that, on Saturday, we took a tour of the Castello di Amorosa winery (aka: The Castle).
It was beautiful. The wine was good, but the tour guide was full of you-know-what. In spite of that guy, it was the perfect way to spend a partly-cloudy day: four stories beneath an enormous castle, made with 1,000 year old bricks from Italy, sipping wine. Yes, I drank some wine before the race. Not much. Maybe the equivalent of a glass. Did no harm (that I'm aware of).

Race day was perfect. The morning was pretty darn cold. I didn't start taking off the layers until about mile 4. I had friends and family cheering for me every hour of the journey. This race, more than any other race I've ever run, showed me how much a strong mind can affect performance. Knowing that about every 6 miles a group of people who love and support me were waiting to cheer for a few seconds as I jogged by gave me something to look forward to and run toward. Of course I was always running toward the finish line, but thinking about the race in hourly cheer increments was so much easier than thinking about mile after mile of solitude.

I also have to say that the mantra "I feel good, I am strong" helped get me out of some nauseous moments and miles when I felt like my right foot was going to explode or break in half (...especially here at mile 25). After repeating it a few dozen times, I started to believe it and then feel it. The human psyche is pretty damn amazing. Oh! And the nagging hip left me alone! (It's sort of back this week...but the marathon was hip-pain free.)

Tomorrow will be one week since the race. I'll be 29 years old. I had a bit of a freak out yesterday. I think some of it had to do with post-marathon depression (which I've learned is very real) and the other part is the realization that I'm an ADULT.
I am almost 30.
I have one more year in the 2's.

So I've been thinking... to fight the post-marathon depression, I need to set my sights on the next hurdle...and the La Jolla Half Marathon coming up at the end of April feels like child's play compared to running a full marathon. Therefore, in the final year of my twenties, I'd like to accomplish these things (in no particular order):

1. go to Europe and see a really real castle
2. Run a marathon in under 4 hours
3. Grow my hair out again
4. Get a paycheck for writing something
5. Take the GRE, apply for grad school


Keep on truckin' onward and upward.

I feel good. I am strong.
I feel good. I am strong.

Spent

It is horrifying what happened to Chelsea King. It makes me sad, disgusted, outraged and sick to my stomach that women can't walk or jog in a quiet, peaceful place without the fear of attack. Men like John Albert Gardner III should be castrated. All the world revolves around that thing between men's legs...without it the world would be a safer more peaceful place. I have to stop talking about it because I am enraged at the moment and I don't have the emotional reserves this week to deal with it.

It's hard to think about the fact that I'll be running a full marathon on Sunday. It seems like such a frivolity after everything that has happened with Chelsea King. But nevertheless, the world keeps spinning. People living... dying. Students learning. Teachers teaching. Runners running. On and on and on.

I am relieved that the marathon is nearly here. Since Monday my husband and I have spent every spare moment between the hours of 3pm (when we get off work) and midnight moving out of our tiny cave of an apartment, and into a beautiful, light-filled, ocean-view home. We are extremely excited and extremely exhausted. We are spent in every possible way: emotionally and physically...probably even spiritually. I am sore in my body-- from the move, in my mind-- which hasn't stopped "running" (even in my sleep), and in my heart-- for a fellow runner who will never run again. I will be relieved when my feet are finally on the roads of Napa. Of all the weeks leading up to the race that felt so long and tedious...this has been the longest week of them all.

When I think of the race this weekend, I don't see the pain I might be in, I don't see the mile after mile after mile monotony I will face. Instead, I see burdens left behind and freedom ahead. I see something managable. Something I know how to deal with... after a week like this one, the marathon will be my escape, my vacation, my rest.

Thank you...

To Speed Struggler: you have been such a wonderful blog-companion these last few months. Thank you for your encouragement and input--it's been invaluable to me. I hope you continue to heal and stay on the road...one day we'll run a race together!

To Linsey: You know. (Camel...)

15K

I did a 15K Resolution Run for Sun Strides-- a renewable energy company that is working on stuff in Africa. I don't really know. I just wanted the miles. The good causes (and they're always good causes) are a footnote in my long book of selfishness. But I have to say, I don't think I'll ever do a race with this organization again. From start to finish it was a clusterf***.

I knew when the website said bib pick-ups were to take place at Road Runner Sports that this was a red-flag situation. (Road Runner Sports is the worst company on the planet ever ever ever. Do not go there. They will sell you crappy shoes and charge you too much and give you bad advice and waste your time. Diatribe done...hopefully you're still reading.) But, I didn't listen to me and nearly reached my boiling point when I showed up at 4pm (the advertised time) to pick up my bib; the little 20-year old twits running the show rolled in with Blackberries blazing at 4:05pm. I had to wait another half an hour for them to set everything up. Then, they didn't even hand out the usual complimentary safety pins with the bibs. Annoying.

Then I find out the race was not time chipped. Not even a clock at the start line (another clusterf***). To top it all off, we had to wait in line to cross the finish line where there was definitely not a water station! What the hell. Those are the plentiful downsides of this race. But, in spite of itself, it was probably one of my favorite races for one reason: I ran gooooood. I'd like to give a special thanks to PowerBar Gel Raspberry Creme and Stride gum in bubblegum flavor. Fantastico.

As you may know, I've been using the Galloway Method (8 minute:1 minute) training strategy. Well, all my rules went out the window during the race. The competitive side of me kicked in and I starting kicking. I did about an 8:45 pace and didn't use my 1 minute walk breaks. I made sure not to push myself too hard, because getting injured right now would be tragic only 7 weeks from Napa. But, I felt so good I didn't want to slow down. And, I ran to the race--an extra 5 miles! I know I'm bragging like a big ol' fat braggart, but I'm so excited about how good I felt. No joke: the last time I trained for a marathon, I got sick and felt terrible during all of my long runs. The fact that I ran before the race and then felt good enough to pick people off* along the way, makes me want to jump around like Tom Cruise on Oprah.

So, Sun Strides Resolution Run, you may have pissed me off to near meltdown level on Thursday and part of Saturday-- but I'll always remember your race as one of my personal bests.

*Pick a person about a 1/4 mile ahead and pass them. Then pick another person up ahead...pass them. Repeat as needed.