Some pics from the Hollywood Half Marathon

Jane Kibii and I

Patience

Patience.

Marisa, Matt, Me, Lukas after the Carlsbad 5000

Wow, last year at this time, I was going through one helluva time. I wasn’t racing well and my run log was filled with ‘blah’ runs. I had a hard time hitting workouts from January until May. All of my races until the 25k Championships in mid-May were awful! Today, I was reading my old blog posts from that time and I sure was a downer.

Reading my current run log, I am feeling so blessed to feel so good! My energy has been up, I have been hitting most of my workouts...and they are SO much faster than last year! I remember last year, being in awe of girls running the splits and times that I am running now. It is amazing how if you just stick with it through the rough patches, great things will happen!

It is hard mentally to not perform well. I have shed many a tear going through this process, mostly out of frustration. I feel that staying relaxed, getting all of my vitamins, and eating mostly whole foods have really helped. I am very lucky to not have a stressful job, but I know how hard it is. When I was teaching, I sacrificed a lot of sleep to get 10-12 milers in before 7am so I have been there and can relate!

I guess the point of this is that the tides will always turn. Put the work in. Stick with it, and don’t give up on yourself or your goals when the going gets tough.

Start of the race

I finally broke 17:00 in the 5k on April 1 at the Carlsbad 5000. I surged right after mile 1 and took the lead. I was alone the rest of the race, so it was a little rough fighting the wind. but I did it! I feel like I can run faster in a good, competitive, pack. I am looking forward to racing a 5k again...dare I say I may even enjoy it! I ran 16:59, so I barely made it, but I am pretty confident that I can run faster.

My first time ever breaking a tape!!! So fun!

This past weekend I ran the inaugural Hollywood Half Marathon. They were very generous and flew me out to the race and put me up at the host hotel, so I am very thankful to have the experience. I went in thinking I could make a good go at running under 1:15 or at least 1:15:xx. The course was challenging, you have to run it smart. The first 2.5 miles are a severe downhill, but you have to end the race going up that same hill. Holy cats! There was some talk about taking the hill out for next year, but I hope they leave it in. It was challenging and set the course apart from others. If they could find some way to do without the headwind though...that would be great.

Garmin:

Untitled by runari12 at Garmin Connect - Details.
I ran in a pack with 3 other girls until mile 10.5. I lead for awhile, and looking back now, I should have just tucked in and not pushed the pace. I wanted to win and was just wanting to go for it, but boy did that bite me in the @$$! But, that was a good learning experience for me. The gal that tucked in for most of the beginning parts of the race won! Our pack disintegrated at the beginning of the hill and we became very strung out. I honestly felt like I was barely moving, the headwind was so strong! I passed a few men, and I didn’t get passed at all, so that was good! I was trying to reel in Jane Kibii as much as I could and just couldn’t catch her. She finished 6 seconds ahead of me and I was 3rd in 1:17:03. Not a PR, but I am happy with how great I felt running a 5:42 avg pace until we hit the hill! I foresee a big PR in the half marathon coming up at the OC Half on May 6th! The Hollywood Half has some organization stuff to work on, but I feel like once they do that, the race will shine. It was a good course, and I love the 6am start time. I would definitely come back to race this....once my quads stop hurting. results

After 2 weekends of racing and mileage in the 80’s, I am back to 102 this week and will climb from there. I am really looking forward to running the OC half and then....Grandmas!

Bandido 15k

On Saturday, I ran the Bandido 15k put on by my running club. Last year I ran just under 60 minutes and it was one of the worst races of my life. Emotions were high that day as the running community had just lost a shining star in Sally Meyerhoff. I know that my emotions played in to my state of mind and in my physical state that day. It was a rough day for many.

This year I had a goal of under 53:30 (5:44 pace) and I was confident that I could place high. Coach John had me back off my weekly mileage to 78 for the week after coming off of a few 100+ mile weeks. Race morning, I was feeling fresh and zippy!

I had also received a mental training CD from Dr. Asp. It came a few days before the race and I was able to listen to it 3 times before the race. It helped me to relax and Dr. Asp personalized it with key phrases and techniques to strengthen my weaknesses. This was quite possibly the best running purchase I have made in a long time. I highly recommend contacting Dr. Asp at daasp@charter.net if you would like help breaking through mental barriers as they relate to your racing.

My plan for the race was to run the first mile in 5:50, 5:35 through 5k (downhill) and then just stay around 5:40-5:45 pace. Well, again I went out a little too fast. Gah! I felt great going up the hills after the 10k but struggled with getting my turnover back at the end of the race. I finished with a time of 53:38 which is a 5:45 average pace. Splits below, as you can see, I forgot to turn my Garmin off at the finish line!

Untitled by runari12 at Garmin Connect - Details.

I am super  happy with my time, however I need to work on my later stage racing skills. I allowed myself to get passed 2x in the last mile. Again. It is something I know I need to work on, so that is what I am focusing on during training this month. I ended up finishing 6th female, so a little disappointed in my placing, that was my own fault. But again, I am really happy with my time. Check out race results here and my pics from brightroom here. (I am too cheap to buy them, haha!) It was an AWESOME race, with great competition!

I have been feeling great these last few weeks. I feel like I am heading into the best shape I have been in a long time. Interestingly enough, my weight  is also higher than it has been in a long time! I have been running really well, so I am not going to worry about it. I have been doing strength work in the gym and I feel like that is helping.

Lastly, Matt and I had a date day yesterday. We went to go see the Padre's play the Diamondbacks at a Spring Training game. We may not be going to one for a long time, so we decided to take advantage of a beautiful Arizona spring day! We had so much fun!

Padre's won! Yay!

Next up....Carlsbad 5000 on 4/1!

On My Way

I have been reading Dr. Seuss' Oh The Places You'll Go! and have been feeling such great excitement and nervousness about the future.

Trying to figure out the most strategic way to pack all of my Perfect foods Bars!

Last week, Matt and I flew to Milwaukee and then drove to Detroit, MI from Tuesday-Thursday. During this time we met with Keith and Kevin Hanson of the Hanson's Brooks Distance Project. It was awesome meeting them and discussing their coaching views and the successes of the team. I was also able to run with the girls and get to know them a little bit. They were all so nice and humble, this is what I love the most about the team!

We drove back to Milwaukee and spent time with my parents until Sunday. I did a lot of running, a lot of eating, and a lot of nervous waiting to see if we would be making a move to Michigan.

Long run on the Hank Aaron trail in Milwaukee

Yesterday afternoon, I found out that I was accepted on to the Hanson's Brooks Olympic Distance Team. I am so honored to be a part of the team. I remember when I first started running in 2007, I saw videos on Runners World.com about the team and was so impressed and in awe of the women's team. For me to now be a part of it is a dream come true. I still can't believe it. I am ready to work hard and to see my team mates every morning!
It will be very hard to leave our family and friends in Arizona, but Matt and I are very excited for this next chapter in our lives. We own our home here in Arizona, so once we look into selling it, we will have a better timeline of when we are leaving. Dreams do come true! Always believe in yourself!

What makes you come alive?