How I Ran a 33-Minute Marathon PR

I'm two weeks out from the OC Marathon, home of my new marathon PR of 4:19:20, which demolished my past PR of 4:52:52. A 33:32 PR, a time I'd dreamed of but wondered if it were possible. Was my heart in it? Were my legs capable? What if I can't? I think these are all games we runners play in our head (really, anyone with a goal or dream in mind). 

I had gone into the Phoenix Marathon knowing I was well under-trained and unprepared, but was determined to make the most of the race day that was handed to me. Recap: I felt pretty awesome until mile 20 where I was on track for a 4:30ish finish, my stomach flared, and I spent 1:38 walking the last 10K to finish in 4:55. Not the day I'd had in my head, as I was hoping for at least some kind of PR, but I learned a lot that day, too. 

When I got home from Phoenix, I took a full week off. I walked, did yoga, but didn't allow myself to run for a full week. And I missed it. I yearned for a run, but told myself that I need a week to rest, recuperate and fuel the fire that I knew I had. I treated Phoenix like a good long training run heading into OC. Mind you, I'd run two fulls two years apart and now I here I am running two just nine weeks apart. What was am I thinking?

Looking back at the struggle that my first marathon was in 2013, it's amazing to say I've come this far. I ran Surf City that year with a simple goal of finishing sub-5 and still standing upright. 4:58:42 later, I got to call myself a marathoner! I met both goals but was pretty certain it would be a long time before I got there again. Two years later, I was toeing the line of my second full, LA Marathon 2015, feeling infinitely more confident, prepared and trained, many thanks to the run club I'd joined and spent every Saturday with. The heat knocked me off my feet in the end, but still achieved a PR by 6 minutes. That's still a win, right?

So now here I am, jumping from a 4:58 first marathon to a 4:19, I've figured out how to make it all count. These are six things that - especially in this OC Marathon training cycle - I believe are the key to how I had the success that I did at OC a few weeks ago. I had 3 main points that I wanted to focus on during this cycle, some of which are reflected here. Shall we? 

1. Respect the Distance

I'm some 40-something half marathons into my running career and can confidently say I can run a half in my sleep, comfortably. I'm regularly running sub-2 halfs now, also comfortably. Throughout this training, there were several folks who mentioned that if I could run a sub-2 half so easily now, surely I could bust out a sub-4 or 4:00 marathon. Not gonna lie, while that idea sounded so great in my head, it was important to remember to be real - with myself, and with the race - that running a 2-hour half is a lot different than running a 4-hour full. Respect the distance. 26.2 is not the same as 13.1. 

2. Higher Weekday Mileage 

Throughout my other full training, I struggled with not only making it through more long distance (14+ miles) runs, but also didn't pack on miles during the week, which I thought worked. However, after completing this cycle and seeing how many runs were on plenty-tired legs but I pushed on and had some amazing runs in the process, I see the benefit of tacking in those miles during the week. I remember early on in the cycle when I had a #tenmiletuesday (also achieving a personal mid-week distance record), Catherine commented how much of a difference it made to feel prepared for a marathon by not neglecting the mid-week mileage. 

A #tenmiletuesday with Sandy!

3. Yoga

While only four months into yoga at this point, I admittedly suck at cross-training. Like, I'll be great at it for a week and then give up or get bored (mostly bored, let's be real). Yoga became a great place to not only use my muscles in different ways, but also to get my stretch on, because the other thing I suck at worse than cross-training is stretching. I'm a terrible runner, let's be honest. Though I only practice at my local Fleet Feet once a week and on some good weeks, once at home, is something I really do believe helped me immensely through this cycle: stretching out my chronically tight hamstrings and IT, forcing me to relax and breathe and focus on me just being me. 

4. More Quality Long Runs 

For my three previous fulls (Surf City, LA, Phoenix), my longest runs in training had been 16 miles. While 16 is a lot, there's a long way between 16 and 26. One of my major goals for OC was to ensure that I was packing on the miles and getting in the distance past 16 mles, my wall. I can say I successfully:

• 15 miles (2:15 half marathon pacer + 2 miles)
• 16 miles (9:50 pace)
• 22 miles (Ragnar So Cal)
• 21 miles (9:12 pace)

And many more weekends inbetween with runs ranging from 10 - 12. Feeling these extra miles out was most important for me mentally, as I allowed myself to break past the "13.1 is my happy place" mentality and fight for miles beyond that. 

5. Food Logging

Okay, so add one more thing that I suck at: food. I eat terribly, and regularly joke that I run so I can eat. If I ate the way I should  for the way I run, I'd weigh probably 15 pounds less. By no means am I overweight and know that I have muscle to show for 15 years of soccer and now long distance running) and that 5'6" and 145 is perfectly healthy. However, I am a little conscious about my weight and wanted to be more mindful of what I was fueling my body with and how it added up to race day. Logging my food on MyFitnessPal  from the end of February (just before Phoenix) all the way through OC did not necessarily lead up to weight loss (I don't know a scale), but it did make me more conscious about what I was putting in my mouth and fueling myself just a little bit better.

6. Believe 

It's so cliched and so true. But for the first time, I see where it got me and how much it meant on race day. After my 21-mile run and the energizer bunny that was my pacer Eric, and recognizing that we are our own worst enemies and that you, we, I  are more capable than we think. On race day, when I was at mile 17 on my own and still had energy to go, I had that 21-mile day in my head. If you can do it then, you can do it now... ... hey! Look! Mile 21 and you're still kickin'. Now finish those last 5. Al. Most. There. For once I had that belief, I had something to hang on to and knew that I had it in me from the start. 

Believe in yourself. You are more capable than you realize. 

For more tips and ideas for your training, also check out Run Far Girl's post of a similar nature. I love her tips and ideas and shares how she earned a 23-minute PR too. 

What are your best tips for marathon training?

Race Recap: OC Marathon

OC Marathon | May 1, 2016

Newport Beach to Costa Mesa, CA

Have you ever had one of those races where two three four (this is how long it's taken me to write this) days later, you're still not sure what happened? And you keep going back to the race results page to make sure it's a real thing and that you in fact achieved it? That's what this race is. Like, I seriously have no idea where to start because I'm still in disbelief - but then I get up and walk again and am reminded that yeah, that happened.

I don't know where to start.

But we'll start here. Mandatory race day essentials:

Garmin | Road ID | You Got This! | PureConnects | Pro Compression | Hydraquiver | Sparkly Soul

I think it's important to note that the Monday prior to race day, the high for Sunday was forecasted at 91 degrees. When I woke up Saturday morning to head to the expo in the rain, I knew we were better off. The high had dropped to 68, and then by Sunday morning had jumped a little to 70 or so. I went back and forth for a while on using my Hydraquiver or not, but ultimately determined that I had trained with it, so I was better off taking it and having it as a resource should I need.

Doug and I were up about 3:30 to be out the door about 4. He was going to drop me at the start line and then head over to the Orange County Fairgrounds, home of the expo, finish line, and 5K, which he was running. The full started at 5:30, half at 6:30 and 5K at 7:30, so he unfortunately had a boatload of time to kill. Thanks, babe! We were at the start right about 5, and by the time I walked from my drop off to the corrals, convinced a nice guy to let me cut in the porto line, and found my way to the corrals, I had less than 10 minutes to kill until the gun. Timing at its best. 

Noteworthy: reader Jennifer and I have been emailing back and forth for the last month about our long runs and how things were going. We knew what each other was wearing on race morning, but I was so scrambled at the start, I hardly saw anyone! Two minutes before gun time, I got a tap on my shoulder: "Are you Megan?" Found! So fun! She started with me in the group below... 

Yeah, you see that pace time? IERC friends!

After my 21-miler a few weeks ago where I managed a 9:12 pace (yeah, what?!), I decided that I could at least start with Jen and the 4:00 group. What did I have to lose (I mean, besides all my energy, but that's whatever)? I'd give it a shot. Mind you, my goals for this race may or may not have been in line with this, but remember that my marathon PR is a 4:52 heading into this morning! Jen's a regular pacer with Beast and I know her from around IERC and Fleet Feet, so I knew she'd hold me tight and help me get to a finish - a pacer I trust, fo sho. 

9:10 - All the weaving! I thought I'd sputter out there. No lie.

8:38

8:53

8:50

It was already about mile 4 that Jen and I both noticed that our watches were about a tenth of a mile further than the mile-markers. Throughout the entire race, this varied anywhere from .10 miles to .30 miles further on my watch (i.e. when I crossed the halfway mat, my watch read 13.4). 

Photo cred: Michael, because for once I wasn't taking photos mid-run.

8:49

8:54

8:50

9:08 - Not a hill but a long gradual incline up to the trail. I remembered this part from the half last year and hated it, but remembered the views at the top. 

Proof that I was there. For more than the start line photo.

8:49

8:58

8:50 - It's THE hill. I hate this hill. Oh look, there goes team 4:00. Okay, well, I can still see Jen clearly. Keep them in your eyesight, Megan, they're not far ahead.

9:45

9:28 / Half Marathon in 1:57 (Garmin), 2:00 (chip)

9:49

11:17 - The last real climb of the course, an overpass. My stomach flared here so I managed, walked the overpass, and moved up, ready to see some club supporters at South Coast Plaza.

8:54

9:58 - Energy. Just tons of energy, and it's mile 17? 

I was banking on seeing some club people at mile 17, just to learn that they had been turned away from actually parking in South Coast Plaza, so were just outside with no banner so I missed them all completely! Oh well. 

10:06 - Shoot, there's 4:10 guy.

4:10 guy was a minute fast, and his Garmin and mine read the exact same time, so I knew I was in okay shape to still carry on.

9:42

10:34 - 20! This is where you started to feel like crap at Phoenix and look at you! You're still golden! The 4:10 pacer is still behind you, you feel good, you look good, keep rockin'. Just a 10K to go! And only three miles until Jacky. 

Tina texted me the image of my splits and at 20, I was on track for a 4:08. What the what?!

11:28

10:53

11:01 - Jacky! There's that bounding, smiling ball of energy. Just what I need.

I had told Jacky that from about 20 on, I'd been walking the first minute of each mile, and then running the rest of each mile. My miles were getting notably slower, but I felt good. I told her I was happy, and I just wanted to stay happy until the finish.

10:48 - Mental math: you're at 24, and you could walk these next two miles and still come under a 4:30. That's HUGE. But maybe you should run.

I was at that point where shuffling just sounded best. I found Eric, my 21-mile buddy, told Jacky I just needed to keep moving and maybe we'd give Eric a boost if he saw us come up from behind (sorry, Eric!). 

12:13

10:57

Running the last 3/4 mile through the fairgrounds is beyond awesome. The last quarter-mile is even more awesome because you run through a tunnel of people, dozens handing out high fives and yelling for you - I teared up. I couldn't cry, because there was nothing left, but definitely teared up.

8:55 (.52 mi)

Do you see that?

4:19:20

That, my friends, is a 33:32 PR. Huge. Admittedly, this isn't what my A goal was. It's actually a little shy of it. But when you beast your B goal with a 33 minute PR, who the hell cares?! Not this girl. 

The moment of realization.

GUYS! I did it! Massive PR in the books, awesome race in the books. 250+ miles in eight weeks pays off. hard work pays off and a little belief pays off. HELL YEAH.

Did you run the OC this year?

PS. If you read all this... thank you!

Race Report: Fontana Days Half Marathon

About 53 weeks ago, I was dreaming of finally getting rid of the 2 in the front of my half-marathon times. That maybe that elusive sub-2 dream would finally become a reality. And it did! Sub-2 was mine, with a smokin’ 1:56:31, I finally got to check off a major running goal.

I missed Fontana's registration this year, as it sold out faster than before (early April), but thankfully on the same day it closed, Caroline offered her bib to me! Win. She was going to be just coming back from Canada that day, so I bought her bib and ran as a 45-49 year old female. Whatever. 

While I’ve done lots of races since then, I haven’t technically run a sub-2 half since. I ran 2:00:19 at the RnR LA and 2:00:22 at the San Diego Holiday Half race and everything since then has been about a 2:10 average. Fontana is a course that is just about set up for a PR, should you be in shape enough to pull it off. Frankly, I didn’t think I was, even with all the running I’ve been doing as part of this year’s #RWRunStreak… I just had a sub-2 in mind. That was all I wanted.

Saturday morning came, though, and I thought that maybe – just maybe – I’d have a go at a PR. Heck, even if it was a 1:55, a PR is a PR and I’d be happy knowing that I gave it my all to make that happen. I figured I’d put it all out on the line and just see what came of it. I left home about 5:20 and was in Fontana at the start line by 5:45. Because this course is a point-to-point, you park at the finish and are bussed to the top. While hanging around, I found Richard, Jessica and some other folks, all of whom were gunning for that PR.


Last year, we hovered around a campfire for warmth because it was freezing at the top. I was going to find a throwaway shirt or sweatshirt at home, but Richard had the genius idea of a trash bag instead. Lo and behold, tons of folks were rockin' their own plasticware... and it wasn't as cold at the top this year! Fontana is small enough (only 1,000 half marathoners) that there's simply a mat at the start. This year we all commented on, "Look! They at least have flags this year!" to spruce up the start line a little. Simple touches.

After finding all kinds of IERC people, Sandy, and others, we started to hover over towards the start line to get ahead of the crowd. 7:30 came and we still hadn't started... so a few minutes late, but again, the morning was cool enough and the crowd small enough that it doesn't super affect the race. We were just all freaking antsy and ready to get movin'. Finally... 'gun' time!

Sandy and I found each other not even a mile in and talked about our strategy - thankfully it was the same: push it on bulk of the downhill (mile 8ish) so that if we bottomed out once we got into town, it'd be okay and we'd still have time to spare. For some, this is the exact opposite strategy, but what did we have to lose?

We hung together a little ways, but being that this lady is speedier than me, I let her do her thing. I kept her in sight until well past mile 7, so I was happy about that for me - but also because it meant she must've been feeling good! With all her hip and body drama lately, I figured it was the oomph she needed, so fly with it, lady!

The course is far from exciting. Pretty scenery coming out of the foothills, but if you're the type that thrives on course support, this isn't for you. If you need scenic and landmark distractions, also not entirely for you. I flew - flew into mile 7.5 and walked for 10 seconds to get into a Gu and water and keep moving. I PRed my 5K split (by 10 seconds). PRed my 10K split (~4 minutes). And PRed my 15K split (~18 minutes). I felt amazing and though I pushed hard on the super downhill, I wasn't feeling it, I was feeling good! Last year, about mile 9 is where it start to hurt, bad. And I thought I was in better racing shape last year than this year, so that leaves me a little confused on the shape I'm in currently!

We pass the 5K start and then you know it's home from there - I shuffled for a bit through that start line, but once I got into the mile 11 banner, I knew this was it. Mind you, my goal was just a PR (I had 1:55 in my head as a happy point), and this point I was close to enough to hit close to a 1:50? WHAT. 

Photo courtesy Michael. 

Boom. And that's how it's done apparently. I flew through the finish, egging some guy on who was just sloshing his way to the finish so he passed me and then in the last .2, I pulled out my last kicks and flew by him. Sorry, guy. I found Sandy right at the finish, and was still huffing and puffing when I stammered out that new time - a near 6-minute PR! Holy whoa.

I went and found Michael and Richard (who was just a minute off a PR), hung out for a bit to chat last folks in. I finally got to meet Juliene who was snagging my Galaxy tickets for the night. Tons of IERC folks at the race - it's nice to finally see and meet faces everywhere that I know that are familiar. It makes racing all the more fun!

Oh, right, that time...

BAM.

Official: 1:50:39

Finisher 290/1058 (27%)

Females 110/591 (18%)

Last year, never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd finally have a half marathon time starting in a 1... and now I've got one with an almost 1:4... holy smokes. I love Fontana. Too bad this PR won't ever be registered under my name. :)

Did you run Fontana? How about PR?

Race Report | LA Marathon

I told you to bear with me while I got up and going at the new job... but more on that soon! I figure that given LA was a MONTH ago now (WHAT?), it was high time to finish this post that I've been working on for three+ weeks.

Even so far out from the race, I'm very much still contemplating the what happened, what if, and this is where it went wrong game in my head. I'll preface it with this: I had some BIG goals in mind. Were they attainable? Probably. Were they realistic? Probably. Was I open to the idea that race day could totally mess with me and throw other plans my way? Totally. Was I still disappointed? A little bit.

The Expo

I worked the expo Friday evening and Saturday morning for Sparkly Soul. So while I love making expos about fun, and cruising through and checking out vendors and things, my mission was really to get in, get my bib and swag, and get to the table so I could get to work! Truth be told, I was actually pretty disappointed in the expo - it being such a huge race, I expected a little bit... more... out of it, whereas it was the same vendors I saw at Long Beach, and nothing uber-exciting. Oh well.

The Wall of Fame is a fun highlight, though - who doesn't love finding their name among 26,000 others? The light blue you see above is part of the lettering that spelled out CELEBRATE - the theme for this year's 30th Edition of the LA Marathon. 

So cool, right?

What I am disappointed about missing is the Asics light show. On Friday night, thousands of lights were aligned along all 26.2 miles of the course. If you were up in the hills above the city, you could see them everywhere. I knew they were happening, I saw all the announcements about it, but I was so tired by the time I left the expo Friday night, I drove home, carb-loaded, got to bed... and then saw everyone's posts about it. Sad times.

The Race

A 2:30 am alarm clock comes stupid early, FYI. I was in bed by 9:35 on Saturday night, ready to get up, get dressed, get going and pick up Monica and make our way to Dodgers Stadium. I jolted awake with the first alarm, got up, made my bagel and headed out the door early to get her. To Monica's by 3:10, on the road at 3:15. Early. Just early. We were at Dodgers and parked by hardly 4 am. I'm glad I opted for the non-shuttle way. We slept/snoozed in the car for another hour, and about 5, got our ish together to meet up with the IERC folks. There were so many of us, and our meet up spot was just abuzz with excitement and race day nerves.

With the race starting half an hour earlier (open corrals at 6:55), we were in a corral by 6:15. I don't think there is a single race where I've been in a corral more than 10 minutes before the start of the race. That's just not how I roll! So lots of standing around - I am not sure if it made me more excited or more anxious, but you could certainly feel the buzz about people in getting our 26.2 mile from the stadium to the sea started.

Could you even ask for a more gorgeous morning?

Our pace leaders' original plans were to run the first six miles at about a 9:45 pace, run the middle miles at race pace (9:30), and then see who was hanging on for the last six miles. With the heat warning, however, they scaled it back again to a 10:00 pace for the first six, see how folks were doing for the middle, and re-assess again going into the last 10K. Sounds good to me - I know I can handle 10:00 and even with race-day excitement, we knew we'd hit a little faster than that for some pieces, surely.

There were probably 10 or so of us starting out as Team Beast Mode (9:30 pace group that trained together), but in the crowd, we quickly dispersed some all over the place. I stuck with our leaders, Brenda and Jackie, knowing that my training heavily relied on them for some motivation and support, but camaraderie along the way too.

Hollywood Boulevard. El Capitan in the back!

My parents, sister and Doug were camped out at mile 8 - and truthfully, the first miles flew by. Gates of Chinatown, mariachi band at Olvera Street, and tons and tons of spectators. By far the best part about running this course is that nearly every inch of sidewalk has someone out there to cheer you on. It was great to see them, cowbells and cheering and high fives, but I felt so good at that point, I didn't want to slow and let my head catch up to my legs. I was ready to roll! Their plan was to book to the finish after seeing me early on so they could fight their way to Santa Monica and get parked and settled.

Before I knew it, we were headed down Hollywood Boulevard for the full running tour of LA. Much like Georgia's Publix race, if you're not from LA, this is the best way to get the full experience on foot and see it all! Hollywood features Pantages, El Capitan, the Chinese Theatre - all things that I've experienced, albeit like 20 years ago! That was definitely a perk.

Chinese Theatre selfie. 

We hit the 20K split in 2:06, just on target and doing pretty well. There was an awesome breeze coming down Hollywood Boulevard for two or three miles, and I figured that if that could keep up, we'd be okay. A few blocks later: the breeze stopped. Boo.

The IERC had planned tents at miles 17, 20, and 23. In the weeks leading up to the race, you could prep drop-bags for certain tents, and they'd have your goodies ready to go. I certainly slowed in mile 16, ready to see some friends camped out on Rodeo Drive (thank you Carlee & Michael!), and ready for our first support tent. This is where it all went south - feeling pretty good through our support tent, but ready for some run club love. At 17, I grabbed a ton of ice, shoved it in my sports bra (I tell you, it's never felt so good to have so much ice on bare skin), got Biofreezed (totally a verb), and got Tiger-Tailed (also a verb) a little bit on my right quad and calf.

I'm convinced that getting Tiger-Tailed is partially what sent me over the edge - while it felt hurt so good getting rolled, I physically fell apart after we left the tent. The stretch to mile 20 truthfully felt like the longest 3 miles I'd run ever and here is where I legitimately walked for the first time in a decent stretch. Jackie, bless her heart, stuck by me and kept coaching me on: "Three miles to 20! Just three! Next tent is there!"

Mile 20 tent. Ragged. 

Miles 20 to 23 dragged - I was walking more than I was running, and my big goal dreams quickly dissipated. At that point, I was happy to be doing it, happy to be almost done, and ready to just call it a day. Mile 20 is where the heat really kicked in for me, which is funny given that we were closest to the coast than we'd been yet. We loaded up on more ice, cold water and Otter Pops (re: heaven) and went on our way. Mile 23, check.

Despite the long stretch between 20 and 23 having tons of trees, it wasn't super shaded through the whole road, maybe half of it, and the heat really sank in. Jackie kept reminding me that the more I walked, the longer it'd take to get there! At that point, I just wanted to be done. Quick mental math told me that even if I shuffled to the finish at this point, I'd have a PR even if it was only by a minute or two, and really... that was my last goal. I could be okay with that, right?

The crew was waiting for me just before the 26 mile marker and finally, the finish line. A finish line has never felt so far away! I shuffled, truly, because that was all I had left. Jackie and I crossed the finish line at 4:52:52, almost an exact 6-minute PR. Goal C, accomplished.

Wouldn't have made it without this girl!

After sitting in the finishers' chute for a few minutes and fighting my way through the madness of the family reunion area, I finally found my sister and Doug, who is pretty much the best guy ever for carrying me back to the car like three blocks away. And just like that... it was over. Sore legs, medal, salt lines everywhere proved that I had done it, but all of a sudden, it was just over. I did it again - 26.2 or bust!

Recovery this time was nothing like the first time around - I think much of the heat to blame. On Monday, I was okay. Tired and sore, but nothing like I hadn't just run hard the day before. Tuesday, however, was a different story - the post-marathon sickness creeped in and I was so sore, I literally almost fell out of bed because it hurt so bad to stand on my own two legs. I got through Tuesday (substitute teaching) on 3 Aleve in one dose, and kept popping 'em just to feel alive. By Thursday, I was doing okay.

So, a month later, here's what I've got: still convinced getting Tiger-Tailed is what did my leg in. The heat sucked and certainly affected me more than I was going to give it credit for. If you're looking for a race with amazing course support, LA is for you. If you're not from LA and want to check the city out and conveniently like running marathons, LA is for you. Marathon recovery sucks, but more on that soon and how my injury is doing (see how far behind I am?!).

Thanks for sticking with me - long freaking post, and a long break after getting settled into work!

Did you run LA this year? How'd that heat treat ya?!

Race Report: The Coaster Run 10K

The Coaster Run 10K | 10th Anniversary | March 8, 2015

Knotts Berry Farm, Buena Park, California

YOU GUYS. Two whole race recaps in one weekend?! Who am I? Well (spoiler alert), I'm the girl that just PRed two different race distances at two different races in one weekend. I'm on fiiiiiiire.

I desperately wanted to run the Coaster Run last year, but it sold out before I got my act together to get registered and stuff, so as soon as I had the cash for it (slash, it was on sale at the Surf City expo), we jumped on it. Doug wanted another shot at a 10K, and I just wanted to do this race! Even being the week before LA, and the day after Dairy Aire, I knew I had to make it happen. Snoopy everywhere? Yes please!

Rise and shine!

The time change hurt a little bit, no lie, but we made it work - in the car at 5:45, down to Knotts-ish by 6:10, dressed and out of the car by 6:30 to make the short walk across the street, into the Knotts parking lot and the madness that was race day pick up, gear check, and the like. I had no idea how many runners would be there today, but it's safe to say that it's one of Renegade's biggest events, if not the biggest. 

Both the 5K and 10K were separated into corrals (see! Tons of people!) and Doug and I were both in Corral 2. Corrals were to be separated by 3 minutes. The race started a few minutes late, but no sweat, as we still had time to push-and-shove our way into the right corral. And then like that, we were off!

I had no real goal for the race - run smart, see what you're made of, but if your legs are tired from yesterday don't push too hard, you've got a big race next Sunday! Enjoy it and let's see where this run takes you! 

Heading into the park at the main gates!

Mile 1 - 8:53 - I honestly thought it'd have been slower than that because of the early congestion in getting out of the corrals, around the first few corners, and underneath the Beach Boulevard tunnel and into the park. Apparently I was still chugging along pretty good, even when turns got tight! This was entirely through the park, which I just love. Who doesn't love running through amusement parks before the rest of the world gets to come in?!

Mile 2 - 8:44 - This even included a stop with Lucy and Charlie Brown! I wish I had gotten it on my phone, but I didn't have my phone out at that moment and I literally ran right into their arms, snapped the photo and kept going. I'll have to wait until the official race photos are out! 

Mile 3 - 8:40 - Just after you pass the mile 3 marker is where it gets boring for real, as you've run all the paths for the main park and Soak City by now, and are officially on nothing but city streets. Lucky for me, I knew exactly where I was - except for a few turns in the park, the Santa Hustle Half took me on the exact same route (and then some), so I knew everything that was up ahead. It was about here though, that I realized my watch was about .10 of a mile behind. No biggie, just hoped it wouldn't be too off at the finish.  

Mile 4 - 8:36 - Nothing but loooong stretches of city streets ahead. Yawn. Again, luckily I knew it was all coming, so I just geared myself up and gave myself a little pep - two more miles! That's nothing! Keep pushing. Mile 4 is by far the worst, as it turns you into the backside of the mall parking lot, runs the length, and doubles-back to put you out on the road again. Snooze! Thankfully, there were tons of people cheering at the U-turn, since it literally ends up being across the street from the finish line, so they could cheer at 4.75ish and then walk across Stanton to the finsh and festival. Easy peasy for spectating! 

Somewhere in here I started doing math for this potential PR. Unfortunately for me, though, I couldn't remember my 10K time - 52:50? Nope, that was the split during the LA RnR. 54:something at Dino Dash, that's all I know. Just beat 54 and you've got this made. 

Adorable, no?

Mile 5 - 8:24 - Last stretch of roads. Cheered for people, kept myself motivated by trying to give others the boost along the way too. Apparently it works wonders for your own confidence! A woman I'd been leapfrogging with the whole way finally passed me at 5.5 and I made it my goal to make her my bunny until the end - she finished just ahead, but not by much! Apparently she works for Brooks (jealous; hi Toni!) and loves to pace people who are wearing Brooks shoes in races... lucky she found me! 

Mile 6 - 8:15 - Um, hi? Where did that mile marker come from? It's almost over already? Let's do this thing. 

52:39. Stoked to have a new 10K PR in the bag, just about 24 hours after setting that new 5K PR too! What an amazing race weekend! To boot, I finished 4th in my age group of 35 ... by 25 seconds. Serves me right for taking that photo with Lucy and Charlie. But still, killer overall and I'm beyond happy. 2:13 off my time from the Dino Dash! BOOM.

I waited for Doug to get in, and afterward made our way to the other coveted finish line token - a free slice of Knotts' boysenberry pie! Truth be told, while it's delicious, it was way more tart than I had expected and not what I wanted post-race. Oh well, it was good and a fun bonus. 

Final course map, per Garmin.

Turns out when I said there were a ton of people ... try 2800+ for the 5K, 1500 for the 10K and all the kids who did the 1K fun run! When I left the park for good outside Soak City at mile 3-ish, they were still counting down corrals to leave! Holy moly. 

So glad I got to make this race this year - and won't hesitate to make it part of the plan every year! 

Pros 

- Great course! Even the city streets, which get boring, had great volunteers cheering and high-fiving

- Easy course at that (see elevation below)

- Awesome finish festival, tons of vendors

- Adorable medal & shirt (Snoopy everywhere!)

Cons

- Just the congestion... but can't be helped with a race so large!

- Oh, and the Nesquick truck ran out of milk. Just a bummer. :( 

Please observe those mile splits closely because I have never, ever run such perfectly progressive miles during a race - not to mention that save for looking at my watch at mile 1, 3, and 4ish, I wasn't clock-watching and going solely based off "feel." I had no idea I was moving quicker with each mile! Bring it on, LA Marathon!

Renegade does some of my favorite races around here (like the trail races I did all summer last year), and I'm planning on supporting as many of their events as I can! Thanks Renegade and team for another great event! See you next year!

What's your favorite post-race treat?

Race Report: Dairy Aire 5K

Chino Youth Museum Dairy Aire 5K

Chino, CA | March 7, 2015

I haven't done a 5K recap in so long, even though I'm still racing them, but I feel like today's deserves a post all on its own (even with another race coming up tomorrow morning!). This was the last race of the Chino Triple Crown series again (Reindeer Romp and Run for Russ being the other two).

With the big race just 8 days away, I wasn't sure how hard I wanted to go on this one. I knew that I wanted to push it, but maintain a solid pace so that I wouldn't burn out in mile 1 like I did in December at the Reindeer Romp. With a PR of 25:10 from just September, I wanted to aim for something around there - but whatever it was, I wanted to be consistent. With that, I wanted to be uncomfortable. An usual word, I know, especially when it comes to racing, but here's the way I looked at it: I can be uncomfortable for 3 miles, easy. Because it's over soon. But next weekend, at some point during those 26.2 miles, I will be plenty uncomfortable - tired, sweaty, hot, sore - and I want to know that I can break through the mental tired. Can I make it happen?

Post-race happy.

Mile 1 - 7:48
A little too fast, but when I was not even a quarter-mile in, I was banking a 7:07 mile. That'll be trouble. So I backed off, tried to control myself from booking it with all the elementary school kids and keep me legs under control. So in the end, a little too fast, but not dentrimental.

Mile 2 - 8:17
I walked through grabbing a cup of water, though I knew I didn't really need it. Mental excuse, I guess, to slow down for a hot second.

Mile 3 - 8:18
Well, at least now I'm a little consistent, right? It was here that I caught up to a mom and her daughter (maybe 7, 8 years old?) who I had trailed for a bit at the Reindeer Romp in December. Her mom was pushing her along pretty good, but you could also tell the sheer determination in this girl's face. If I only had that sort of determination that young! But anyway, turned the last double-back, walked for a second to gather any last momentum and made my way to the end. At the double-back, I had just .4 miles to go and just over 3 minutes to make the PR time cut-off.

.10 miles - 6:25
At least I know I can still book at the end!

A solid 25:00 (dead even) finish (25:07 per gun time, which is how this race rolls, boo!), but we all go by Garmin time, duh. Better yet, once I got my results text (I love Race Wire for that), I saw that not only had I PRed, but came in first in my age group too!

Age group winner.. holla! 

I definitely hit a point where I was uncomfortable - I'm a little disappointed in the fact that I stopped to walk, even if it was for all of 10 seconds, but I know that next weekend, I'll be able to push past that mental barrier and settle into the uncomfortable for a bit. God willing, this pays off next Sunday!

I love this race for so many reasons, and would encourage you, if you're in the Chino area, to make this a family-fun race with you and your kiddos. It benefits the Chino Youth Museum, and there's both the 5K and kids fun run offered. You get adorable tech tees (the cow design changes every year!), medals, and age group medals on top of that. For a race that's just $30, you really can't beat it.

Better yet? All the chocolate milk you can drink afterwards. It pays to be from Chino, sometimes. Mmmm... chocolate milk.

Tech shirt (complete with punk cow), finisher medal (black), age group medal (blue). 

What's your 5K PR? Have you ever PRed during marathon training? I feel like you're not supposed to... :)

Race Report: St. Paul Harvest Festival 5K

St. Paul Harvest Festival 5K

Chino Hills, CA | September 27, 2014

It was only because my mom and I happened to drive up to Trader Joe's, right by St. Paul's, that I even saw that this 5K was happening. I knew it'd run a course similar to what I was eye-balling for the 5K I'm planning, so I wanted to see for myself what it was and how it actually wove its way through the community around the church. The Harvest Festival comes annually, right around my birthday, but little did I know that there is a 5K attached to it on the Saturday morning of the carnival! Count me in.

Empty carnivals are sort of eerie first thing in the morning.

I signed up Thursday night when we got home for a whopping $30 (yay local races!), and geared myself up for an early alarm on Saturday morning. Despite the race not starting until 7:30 am, they asked you be there at 6:30 - I was there, checked in, and was back at my car by 6:45 to sit, finish eating my peanut butter toast, and relax for a few before making my way back to the start.

I was texting Sandy before the race, and boldly stated that I was gunning for a PR (since last December), and that because medals were only given to age group winners, I told her I wanted to leave with a medal. Go big or go home, right? Sandy told me to stay strong and push it until it hurt. (Spoiler: I did)

 The race was based off clock time - no mats at start or finish - so I started in the middle-front of the pack - beind all the high school kids in their cross country gear, but in front of enough gung-ho kids that I wouldn't run them over once we were on the road. At least I'm aware of my surroundings, right?

Ready to go. Let's do this!

The course isn't scenic, but is flat, with one nice downhill and one slight uphill going through Boys' Republic. I was chugging along well, tailing a guy in an LA Marathon shirt and thought I'd at least hang on to him as my bunny for as long as I could muster. First mile 7:57. Well, shit, this is not going to go well later! I met a lady just about here who asked if that was really mile 1, and what time did I have on my watch, because she was aiming for a 24-minute race (off her 26:30ish PR too). I told her we could stick together and make it happen. She left me later.

The Boys' Republic roads hits their fire road entrance, comes out on the main city streets again where they have us cross into a flat neighborhood and make a loop around the housing track, and back eventually across the street towards the school. Mile 2: 8:05. Huh, okay... I guess I can push this pretty well when I really want to! 

Into Mile 3, I definitely felt the first two miles catch up with me, but heck, at this point, it's just a mile to go. Go get this PR, because even if I walked the last mile, I could take 12 minutes and still have a decent PR. For the longest time, I've wanted to break my 26-minute barrier, and today just might be the day. My legs were toast at 2.5, and I sludged along, trying to keep quick steps but already feeling the burn. Mile 3: 8:30something. Ok, .10 left. Get this. 6:34 pace for the last sprint and a final time of

Holy crap. That burns. But holy crap, that's 1:02 off my previous PR and a damn good race for me. I don't think I've ever felt that tired after a 5K, which also tells me I was doing it right. Woo! I was desperately trying to get to IERC before they left for their group runs, so I stalked the placing boards as they plowed through results.

Bam. Second in age group, and she let me walk away with my medal since I couldn't hang around for the awards ceremony. Thank you, St Paul, for a great little race and a sweet finish to boot!

Did you race this weekend? How'd you do?