Windmill 10K

On Sunday morning, I ran another DSE race in San Francisco.  This was a 10K race that went up and back down Golden Gate Park, starting and finishing at the windmills near the Great Highway.  I'd trained quite well for the past few weeks and tried my best to do quality workouts while on blizzard-cation in New Jersey  :> In addition, my coach had planned some tuning-workouts last week that were hard in a very good way.

I ran the race in 46:36 (7:29 pace) and was the 5th overall woman!! This is a personal best for me, and it represents a breakthrough in my race pace since the Fall.  Soooo, what does a breakthrough race feel like?

Well, I did a good warm up and lined up near the front.  It was a clear, cool, and crisp morning for a race. I worked hard but not too hard in the first mile.  I checked my heartrate and trusted my coach that Zone 4 was okay for racing, and that I could hang on for 40+ minutes in Zone 4. I focused on people in front of me and closing the gap. I also paid attention to the terrain---if it was flatter, I pushed myself, if it was the end of an uphill, I'd work my arms, and if it was a downhill, I'd let myself cruise.  I reminded myself it was only 6 miles and celebrated getting to the turnaround at 3.1 miles :) I also reminded myself that it was supposed to hurt and to go that "hurty" place :O

With less than a mile left, I just told myself to bring it in and keep moving.  I was pretty out of it for the last 1/2 mile and really could only concentrate on one stride at a time.  There's something about driving down to the finish line in which your vision ONLY sees the finish line. Woh, I think I might be addicted to 10Ks!

2010 and now 2011

This is what 2010 looked like:

Yup, I was running higher mileage in February and March before the Avenue of the Giants marathon.  I trained hard with my coach in July and August---even PRing at the Santa Rosa 1/2 marathon!!  The last couple months of 2010 were tough for training because I was collecting dissertation data, a crucial step toward completing my PhD (woohoo!).

Now it's time to consider what 2011 will look like.....Well, I'm actually resolving to be open to all possibilities, to go with the flow, and to bequeath control in a nice & calm way :)  Is that zen-enough for you?!???  I'm enjoying training for shorter distances and know that I'm still a runner, even if I'm not training for a marathon. I'd like to try more trail races. And I definitely want to keep on connecting with other runners. So, happy 2011---let's make it a wonderful one!

There's something about running in the snow

My running has been excellent while out east for the holidays!  Today, we're being treated to snow---and lots of it.  There's a magical feeling in the air when snowflakes start falling, blanketing the streets and sidewalks, and making the world quieter and softer.  And my body was content out there.

Angel Island Race

I had a blast running Enviroport's 12K yesterday! The morning began with coffee, breakfast, and driving over to Tiburon. After finding parking and meeting up with a couple running buddies, it was time to get on the ferry.  The boat ride to Angel Island took only 15 minutes, and then we waited at the starting area. It was damp and gray---with tons of fog hanging around.

The first couple of miles involved a lot of uphill.  I felt pretty good and just let my pace vary according to the terrain & the pace of people in front of me :) Part of racing on singletrack trails is dealing with being 'trapped' behind other runners. Due to the fog, our views of the SF Bay were extremely limited :(  But the trees and birds and ups and downs of the course kept it interesting!

Around mile 3, there was some flatter ground, since we were running on a ridge, and I let myself pick up the pace a bit.  But when the course threw in some more uphills around mile 4, I could feel my heartrate shooting up and had to back off a bit.  I reminded myself that there would eventually be some downhill, and when I got to the flatter and downhill segments, I let myself cruise.....That meant relaxing my body, concentrating on the trail and my footing, and just running. I worked hard on the last 1.5 miles, including kicking it in near the finish :)  My finishing time was 1:12, and I finished in the top 25% of women.  I think I'll be doing more trail races in the future!

I learned a few lessons from this race:
1) Trail running is very peaceful
2) Trail races also give me post-race glow
3) It can be tricky to figure out an appropriate racing pace/effort when the terrain varies
4) Extended uphills are tough on your lungs and heart
5) Racing with friends is the BEST way to kick off the holidays!!!

It's December

Training has been good, but not great this month.  My easy pace is getting a bit faster. I've done some yoga. But I haven't tested my endurance in a while, and I think it's gonna take some effort to get set for a February half marathon.  Holiday treats & drinks are also not so helpful for running :O

BUT- I'm really looking forward to this weekend's trail race. My plan is to start strong, have fun, enjoy the scenery, and finish hard---yeehaw!

Pouring

I did a hilly 75 minute run in the rain this afternoon. And, it ended up being a fun, though soaking workout. It was totally my fault for not capitalizing on the clear skies first thing this morning, but I knew I needed to crank out some work.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've squeezed in runs on a hotel treadmill, in the late afternoon, and on Thanksgiving morning!! I know that the next couple of weeks will be very busy and will continue to challenge myself to get in my training time :)