IMS AZ 2013

The weekend flew by as usual...how is it already Monday?

IMS Arizona Marathon 2013

Course: Verrado to Glendale, AZ
Time: 4:09:11



How I felt:
It's a mixed bag here. The first 8 miles were awesome, I felt good mentally and physically, the weather was perfect and the first part of the course was fairly nice.  I experienced some horrendous stomach issues at my last half marathon a couple weeks ago and it came back to haunt me. I think I wasted about 4-5 minutes stopping at various J-Johns along the way and took some extra time walking when the gut/fear of an accident kicked in, good times! I noticed it kicked in after my 1st GU, this has never happened to me before so I think it's time to find a new source of fuel? Wade ran with me until about mile 16 and then took off like a bat outta hell. I was hoping to break the 4:00 mark yesterday and was on course at the halfway mark...but the gut issues, the heat and my hip/back pain were working against me.

 The highlight of my race...My friend Ryan and his buddy rode the ENTIRE course with me on their beach cruisers and it was the best thing I could have ever asked for. Once I realized my goal wasn't going to happen, I decided I was going to have FUN and I really did. We had so much fun talking, laughing, being silly, waving at cops and volunteers, it made the 26.2 fly by and I never felt alone out there. It's a small race and for many stretches I was running alone, so having these 2 guys by my side was amazing. They handed me water, gum and GU along the way, it was like my own personal race crew! Ryan was supposed to run the race, but due to injury he chose not to start so instead, he and I crossed the finish line together, he earned it too!

A failed jumpshot attempt.

I'm really happy I did it, and saw so many familiar faces along the way...which was one of the best parts! Seeing Wade (and lots of friends) at the finish line, with a HUGE smile on his face (this was his 1st full) was worth every ounce of pain .... and I still got a PR. And a sunburn.

Finish line with Ryan, yay buddy!

Wade, sub 4:00!

And I got to finally meet my cute friend ChaCha who also had an awesome PR 3 weeks after running a hilly marathon in her hometown, she's kind of a badass!

Lately. And a PR.

Busy Week. Whew.

{Highlights}

A new baby arrived....and she is amazing, adorable and absolutely perfect.  I'm in love.

We Trick-or-Treated with Cyn, Jeff and little Natalie.

I attended a baby shower (do we sense a theme amongst my girlfriends?)

Wade was gone a few days working on projects at our Cabin, so I had some QT with my puppies.

And the best of all. I got my PR. I am on cloud 9 right now!

I set an intention this race during my first mile. I ran for NYC. I ran for my husband. And I ran for my new "niece" and her Momma...who better get her ass in gear once she is cleared so she can run side by side with me. I stayed out of my own head the entire race which I have NEVER accomplished before. I was happy, I felt good. I stopped smiling at all the cheering spectators at mile 11 because I was so focused on my goal and was feeling like a robot at that point. I hope no one thougth I was a grouchy ahole. I wasn't, I promise.

I almost cried when I looked at my Garmin at mile 12.5 and KNEW I was going to make it. Hard work pays off....what a concept.

Time to celebrate. (and set a new goals)

1.48.55
(Edited to add official results)

Cactus ChaCha Review

First trail run in the books! I didn't sleep a wink last Friday night, I was so nervous about this run for some reason. I don't know if it was because it was something new and I wasn't sure what to expect, or because I was scared to death of the hills and rocky terrain....but probably both.

Me and my Pops

I had a freaking BLAST!

It was a beautiful morning out in the desert and the race had a really cool laid vibe to it. The "gun" went off and Trent and I headed out after saying hi to several people we knew. The first half of the race was pretty much uphill, rocky and was a "single track" (one runner at a time). I used all my concentration picking through the course and trying to land as carefully as possible. My Garmin didn't work out there so I had no clue how fast I was running and that made it much more fun! I hear a few guys behind me talking about the switchbacks that were up again and I got a little nervous but kept plugging away...the people were SO cool and polite and helpful. I ran with the same group most of the race and they were all laughing, yelling and talking each other through the technical parts, it was really helpful and was something I had never experienced before.

 I focused on my breathing up those hills and maintaining the same effort up as I did running flat, and then let it fly downhill all while still being careful so I didn't eat shit or twist an ankle. Nothing like having someone on your heels to keep you moving forward. At one point I lost Trent so I just kept moving and stuck with Hal, an older, very experienced runner and he helped keep me focused on finishing. I really only ran alone for about .50 of the whole course...I can see how people would get lonely out there.

I was really happy to see that finish line and my Dad standing there yelling my name. My official time was 1:09:10 which was a 9:53 pace. I was REALLY happy with that. My feet, ankles and calves hurt in places that have never hurt before, but it makes sense because I didn't run in trail shoes and I hit a lot of rocks using muscles my feet aren't used to using.

My Dad did the Mini ChaCha (3 mile loop) and I was so proud of him. He is not a "runner"  and was pretty nervous at the beginning. He is currently working on losing some weight (down 25lbs whoot!) so this was a big step for him, and he did SO good!

AND I won a $50.00 gift card in the raffle to my favorite running store, The Tortoise and Hare!

I will be trailing running again in the future, it was so much fun.

A Trail Run Attempt

I'm doing THIS tomorrow.

In an attempt to get my feet wet in the world of trail running I signed signed up for this little race. The distance is short at just 7 miles, but the terrain scares the shit out of me.

Rocks, inclines, steep drops, snakes and of course the HUGE potential to fall down. Bloody knees are a common sight in trail running. Gulp. I am NOT looking to segue into trail running, but since I agreed to pace my buddy for 15 miles of his 100 mile Ultra attempt at the end of this month, so I better get my ass in gear.

This race will be sad and emotional as the Race Director and Founder of this race passed away earlier this year while doing some altitude training at Humphrey's Peak in Flagstaff. He was kind and funny and he was the one who really got me excited about picking out a full marathon last Fall.

But there is something I am excited about! My dad is coming out for this run. And not just to watch, he is going to hike/walk the 3 mile loop! This means so much to me for many reasons, mainly because he wants to get his health and his weight under control, but also, to spend time with me doing something I love.

Wish me luck!

RnR SJ Race Recap

I still have a bit of a wedgie about my performance at the RnR on Sunday. I've been stewing over my race the last few days and will chalk it up to this:

1. I was mentally lazy the last 5K
2. I got warm/sun in face half the race (bad excuse from a Phoenician)
3. I wasn't rested (traveling the day before isn't ideal + crappy night's sleep)
4. I was hungry

My biggest issue really....I just need to try harder. I need to make it hurt, push myself. And that means DURING training and DURING the race. Why put all these miles on my legs and then not see improvement? All of this stuff was purely "me".

Yes, I beat my PR from February by seconds, (1:53:41 vs. 1:53:12) but I have put in a lot of miles since then and I should be making strides (pun intended) in my goal times.

But I'm over it now and it's time to move on. To work harder. Maybe I need to run less miles and the ones I do run I need to really push myself on? Ideas anyone? I am happy I can do this, to run and all that jazz....but let's face it, we all want to be better for ourselves. I do anyway.

The race itself was well organized as all RnR's are. Fast and efficient expo, I picked up and my packet and bailed so I can't say how it was from that standpoint. My biggest beef with RnR...not an option to get your bib ANY other way but picking it up. We had to drive to San Jose twice and that could have been avoided if they had a paid option to mail your shit. 

The race start was uneventful...I freaked out a tiny bit when I saw I was in Corral #3 and super close to the start line. I have only ever run the RnR in Phoenix and I was in Corral #7, which was a HUGE corral for a HUGE race. Not that any of this matters. J-Johns were plentiful and it was kind of cold so I stripped my jacket off and handed it Gio right before the gun went off. 

The course was boring and fairly quiet (except all the cute and peppy cheerleaders lining the course) and my splits were pretty good until I hit mile 10 and then they kind of sucked. Looking at them just pisses me off as I could have hit my goal if I would have tried a little harder. I guess it wasn't my day. 

Now that I think about it, I have never had a TERRIBLE race. I read stories about people having horrible, painful (OK Ragnar hurt) or emotional races but I don't, I just have good or OK and I'm alright with that.

I think my mind was not in the race, but with my friend waiting at the finish line and with the streets of San Fran. I couldn't wait to be done. And when I crossed the line, I was done.

Gio asked me "do you want to hang out, sit down or rest?" and I said "nope, let's roll". She was the dream race crew. She woke up early, had my pre-race breakfast on hand, drove my ass around, cheered me on (I saw her 2x on the course and she yelled SO loud and took pictures and gave me the play by play on all the girls outfits and was very perplexed at the amount of makeup she saw on girls faces) and told me she was proud of me even though I was grumpy for like, 5 seconds afterwards.

The End. 

Actually we went and drank a few cocktails and ate some food...and Matt put up with us for 2 solid days, he is angel because I know we are annoying...

Walked around (Fleet Week in SF is awesome) and caught part of the airshow...

I felt super "fall like" (or Lumberjack-ish) in my plaid shirt and you are welcome for this high quality vanity shot...

I soaked up some Cali sun...

 We watched bad TV, I shopped (hello Lululemon), drank wine, ate pizza and ice cream cones on a street side cafe and laughed MY ASS OFF until I went home Monday night.

 And ya know what, good friends are better than "OK" races.

#8 Done

This will be quick because I have an amazing city to walk around in today (and shop, hello) but I wanted to post briefly and let you all know that I got er done.

Time: 1:53:12....a new PR by a mere 30 something seconds.

I am mad at myself for dropping the ball the last few miles, I need to work harder. I got tired and warm and I never really got into the race, and the course was beyond boring. I knew I had it in me, but it will have to wait until next month. That Sub 1:50 will be mine....

Off to check out more of San Fran!

4 Day Weekend

It all started with an 80 minute massage, champagne and the pool....not a bad way to start if I do say so myself. The JW Marriott Desert Ridge is a favorite of ours, so I couldn't pass this one up.

I bought a deal through TravelZoo.com and it did not disappoint!

My bags are packed, my Garmin is charged and I'm heading out to San Fran tomorrow am - can't wait! There is a TON of fun stuff going on throughout the weekend so I have a feeling we will be busy girls.

(From facebook RnR page)

Busy race weekend, best of luck to everyone running/racing!

Tri-ing

I was a cheerleader today.

I shoved GU down his throat, lathered him up in sunscreen and sent him off, yelling my loudest.

So proud.

AFC Recap, 2012 Version

AFC Recap from last year here.

Well. I did it. And it SUCKED. OK, not really.

I'm not going to type out a full play by play because let's be honest...does anyone actually read that? And oh ya, I'm still on vacation!

I was slightly worried going into this race for a few reasons:

1. It was hot. 72 degrees at the start line. And in San Diego, that's hot. And this course is hilly
2. My left knee/muscle thing I have had issues with in the past felt a little off.
3. Being sick a week before the race left me feeling less than confident. (I know, so stupid)

Rockin our Lulu Gear

It was hot. Like all my clothes were soaking wet hot. It was a combo of sweat/water I dumped on my head at every aid station/people hosing down runners from their hoses.

Being an AZ girl, I wasn't too worried about the weather. And I did fine. I drank water at EVERY station (which I don't always do) and plugged along at a comfortable pace. Once I realized how warm it was I settled into the run and just tried to enjoy myself. But holy moly was it hot. I could feel my skin burning. No escaping it either. No shade. No breeze.

And I did. Races are so fun. 13.1 miles goes by so fast. So many people to watch. Signs to read. High fives to give. I knew I wasn't going to PR and I was totally good with that.

That hill at the end was just as ugly as I remembered.

I was crusty and wet at the finish line. But I was smiling. I felt good. No pains. No aches.

I rode my shiny new cruiser the rest of the day. Grubbed on the beach. Oyster Shooters. Had a few beers.

Ended the evening with some delicious pizza. More beers. More cruising.

We are moving rental houses today...rough experience with the one we are in but all things happen for a reason. This reason is, the new place is ONE house back from the beach/boardwalk in Mission Beach. I'm so excited I can't even stand it.

Wade and I have a date tonight at one of our favorite San Diego restaurants, George's. I brought a fancy new dress and I might even wear wedges vs. flip flops.

Off to the beach.

Road Trip, An Epic Start

Hello From Sunny San Diego!

For reals, it's hot as balls here. This air conditioned princess is not used to living in houses without modern day air. #1stworldproblems

We arrived yesterday afternoon after a fantastic drive where we "almost" ran out of gas in the middle of the desert. Not going to name names or anything, but it wasn't my fault. We were suckin fumes and ended up pulling into a scene straight from a bad horror movie flick. (did I hear screams?) Wade bribed some young guy to put a gallon of gas into the truck to get us the 10 miles up the road to a real gas station.

Wade claimed he saved the day. Scuse me?

This was the nice part of it.

So I sat pissed off for 10 whole miles (that's a long time for me) until we hit gas. And Subway. I was more upset about my eating schedule being interrupted.

I have been anxiously awaiting this trip solely for this purpose.

 You bet yo ass I got a new beach cruiser after Pinkie was stolen in Newport Beach earlier this summer.

So after the awesome car ride, we officially started vacation last night. Beer, beach and sushi.

Race tomorrow. I will be a sardine at the end of this thing. So sweaty.

I have zero expectations. (OK I mean very low) This race is fun. Scenic. Hilly. Humid. I don't feel prepared for some reason. Oh well.

Here we go.

I need a new name for my Cruiser....suggestions?

Fall Racing & A Weekly Update

Is it bad that it's only July and I'm already planning my races for the Fall and Winter? Monsoon season has hit AZ and it has me yearning for cooler morning temps and sunny afternoons.

I'm dreaming off cold start lines and running with gloves. Planning my runs around the weather sucks...if I'm not up at 5:00 am, I'm pretty much stuck with running on the treadmill or late at night. Which I don't do well, because that gives me crazy legs.

I have already registered for a couple of races, which makes me super excited to keep plugging away at the miles!

I'm also very excited that Wade signed up for his first Triathlon! He has been talking about it for months and finally took the plunge and registered for an Olympic Distance race here in Tempe. I'm looking forward to be his support crew and #1 cheerleader.

Here is what I have as a "definite" so far:

August 19th, 2012

America's Finest City Half Marathon

San Diego, California

 

October 7th, 2012

Rock 'n' Roll San Jose (yup, I'm a sucker)

San Jose, California

November 4th, 2012

Women's Half Marathon

Scottsdale, Arizona

February 17th, 2013

IMS Arizona Marathon

Glendale, Arizona 

I'm looking to find something (possibly a half) between August and November to keep me motivated and in shape. There is no shortage of races in December, so I just need to pick what I want to do.

I'm really happy with my past week of training...today is the 1st day I have taken off running since last Friday....8 days in a row so I am grateful for a day of nothing! It should work out that I have 6 days on and 1 day off each week, but some juggling of last week's days forced me to switch my rest day which I used as an active rest day and took a Flow/Vinyasa at the gym.

This past week was the first week I accomplished 6 days/week of running, which I have never done before. I was a little worried that I might not be able to hang or that my body might be angry with me, but I actually feel great and stronger than ever! My only struggle continues to be working on speed because I am still experiencing a lot of soreness throughout the week from my workouts with Naydine. This week was the first time I incorporated speed work into my training in weeks...it was really tough trying to amp up my pace with intervals on really sore legs and arms. I'm thinking my pace might be less than desired at my next half  (AFC) but that's OK because I feel good. My new Mizuno's (more on that later) have been amazing and I don't want to jinx myself, but I think I have found another "go-to" pair of distance shoes.

Recap:

Monday: Legs/Abs w/ Naydine + 5 miles easy (treadmill)
Tuesday: 6 miles (outside, hot @ 90 degree temps)
Wednesday: Upper body w/ Naydine + 5 miles easy (treadmill)
Thursday: 5 mile intervals -1 mile w/u,  5 800's at 8:15 with 400 jogs + cool (treadmill)
Friday: 5 miles (outside, humid & hot)
Saturday: 11 mile long run @ cabin + driveway plyo. Hilly, slow and humid + high altitude
Sunday: REST

Total Miles: 37 (yay!)

My Saturday reward was a mini DQ blizzard (yum) and a couple of these:

 (no need to dress up at the cabin, don't judge me)

Next weeks goal is to maintain training schedule with 4 days of weights and increase speed. Wish me luck.

Did anyone else have a successful week training/running/lifting/yoga-ing?