2011 in Review

It's always interesting to take a look back on a calendar year to review and reflect a bit. I began this blog at the start of 2011. I'd already run my fist half marathon a few weeks before and was hooked big time by the running bug. My goals for 2011 were:

"I think I've figured it out.  Here are my carefully thought out plans, as of today.  (Subject to change on a whim of course.)

January
Yeti Chase 5K
February
Frozen Foot 5K
or
Snowman Stampede 5M
March 
Running of the Green 7K
May
Colfax Marathon Relay
June
Estes Park Half Marathon
October
Denver Rock and Roll Half Marathon

My one goal is to run the Denver Rock and Roll Half Marathon faster than I ran the 2010 Vegas Half.  Estes Park is on the list because it was originally the first half I registered for but failed to attend (for work related reasons).  It's at a higher altitude so will be quite the challenge.  The Colfax Marathon Relay will be a training run on the way to Estes.  I'm running it with my book club girls.  The other runs, and any others that turn up, will also be training runs."

So, how did I do? I ran all of the events I listed except for the Running of the Green. I did the Yeti 5K instead of the Snowman Stampede 5M. I did not meet my goal to run the R&R Denver faster than the R&R Las Vegas but, I did run the Estes Park half faster than both of those! Estes is my fastest half marathon so far. :-) In 2011 I participated in 12 events - seven 5Ks (walked 2 of them), two 10Ks, two half marathons, and one marathon relay. Wow! That's a lot! Go me! :-)

Here are my personal bests for the year (and to date):
5K - 00:32:36
10K - 01:10:28
Half - 02:45:22

I did fail in my attempt to train more consistently in order to run a better half marathon at the R&R Denver. I never did get into a regular training plan or regimen. I'll roll that goal into 2012. I did manage to keep a running log pretty consistently. That, combined with dailymile.com and mapmyrun.com helped me to see the bit of progress I'd made. So, with that, on to my goals for 2012...

#1 - Run R&R New Orleans (March 4th) in under 2:30.
#2 - Run 3 half marathons including at least 1 trail half.
#3 - Train consistently throughout the year to maintain conditioning for the half marathon distance.

Secondary goals are to continue running with the Arvada Running Club, participate in more trail running and races, and find a yoga class. All of those things will, I hope, make me faster. I also invested in a Garmin sports watch.

Last year I also ran quite a few races with my sister. I really hope we can do more of that too. That was lots of fun to watch her enjoy running. And so far, she is the only person who runs with me who also enjoys a celebratory beer afterward! :-)

So far, I am registered for 5 races next year:
Resolution Run 5K
Frosty's Frozen 10M
Snowman Stampede 10M
R&R New Orleans Half Marathon
NCAA 4Kay

Others I'm considering include the Greenland Trail 25K, Colfax Marathon Relay, Estes Park Half, Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half, the Bear Chase Half or 10K. But, for now I am focusing only on New Orleans and my goal to be faster and more focused. Well, trying anyway.

Here are some of the spoils I accumulated this year. :-)

Rock on!!

12 weeks --> R&R NOLA

Long run today ended up being 6.8 miles or so (according to my app.) We were aiming for 6 so were happy with the result. It was, again, a nice easy conversational pace. Sarah chatted almost the whole way, which made the run go by a bit faster and kept us distracted from the fact that we were running almost a mile over our goal. But, that was ok too. It's good to overachieve.

Next weekend is the Rudolph's Revenge 10K. It's on Saturday, so no long run on Sunday.

I did two days of boot camp this week. I'm not terribly impressed with it just yet. Or, maybe I'm just too tired. I passed on Friday's session because I wanted to run instead since I missed my Thursday maintenance run. But, I forgot my sports bra so did a short walk instead. I was bummed about that. I didn't realize it until I grabbed my bag to get ready for the short run. I did manage a 35 minute run on Tuesday though. Better than nothing miles I guess.

My plan for this week:
Monday - boot camp or rest (ARC party!)
Tuesday - 3 miles or 30 minutes
Wednesday - boot camp
Thursday - 3 miles or 30 minutes
Friday - boot camp
Saturday - 10K
Sunday - rest/walk (depends on if the Saints game is on TV)

I'm also investigating a yoga class in Olde Town....

12 weeks to go!!

13 weeks --> R&R NOLA

I knew I'd have to train through the Colorado winter in order to reach my goal in New Orleans. But, usually that does involve sunshine, even if it's cold. Sunshine makes the cold temperatures bearable. Today is was about 20 degrees and cloudy for the long run with the club. Brrrr!!!

We met at the Arvada reservoir (or Blunn reservoir) to preview part of the route for the Ralston Creek half marathon in February. I won't be running in that event because it's just two weeks before the New Orleans race. Maybe I'll volunteer instead since it's a race in the neighborhood.

On the plan was 6 miles. The loop around the reservoir however was a little over 5 miles. We decided to see how we felt at the end of it and back track a half mile if we felt the need to get all 6 miles in. I'd never run the res before and had always wanted to so it was nice to get it done today. The start of the run was very cold. My fingers were freezing and felt a little painful even though I was wearing gloves. Luckily my sleeves on my jacket were long enough to wrap around my hands. That helped. Running more also helped. My feet were cold as well but at the time I couldn't tell if my laces were too tight or if it was the cold. I changed my laces last night so I wasn't sure if they were properly laced. After a while my feet started feeling a lot better so I guess it really was the cold.

I think it took at least 2 miles for us to warm up. Once we hit the bike path, which was totally clear of snow and ice, we trudged on and got into a groove. There are really nice views on this trail and the snow on the foothills and table mountains made things quite beautiful. And then we hit the uphill. I've often wondered what it would be like to run this stretch. I can see it when I commute on highway 93 and it looks quite intimidating. I was pleased to find out I could handle it. :-) I ran (slowly but, still ran) the whole way. Yay! According to my app, it's over half a mile of climbing.

On the downhill portion, we just tried to turn on the cruise control and coast the rest of the way. We weren't entirely sure of the route once it put us back on the road. That was too bad because we were ready to be done at that point. I think the long stop at the aid station killed my momentum a bit. My legs definitely felt stiff and sore when we started up again after getting Gatorade. But, knowing we were almost done was good.

I liked this run because most of it was on the bike path trail and not on the road running against traffic. That's starting to make me a little nervous, especially now that there is snow and ice on the shoulder. I also liked that I still felt strong even after taking about 2 weeks off because of birthdays and holidays. My hip did start to hurt in the last mile. I'm not sure I would have been happy running the 6th mile so I'm glad we didn't.

Next Sunday we will do at least 6 miles. There are hills planned. And I really must figure out how to get some maintenance miles in during the week.

13 weeks to go!

Half & Half

So, it occurred to me, while I was reviewing my 2012 race options, that there are two races centered around Georgetown that I'd like to participate in.

The Slacker Half Marathon starts at the Loveland Ski Area and finishes in Georgetown. It is on June 23rd next year. The Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon, well, starts in Georgetown and ends in Idaho Springs. That one is August 11th next year. I think that's pretty cool. :-)

Thanksgiving

So, no running happened for me during the Thanksgiving week. Bummer. But, thanksgiving is a big deal for my family. I decided not to sweat it and just enjoy spending the time with my in-laws. I'm happy with that. Running will come. I had an awesome time with the family! :-)

Next up... long run on Sunday with the ARC. On schedule for 6 miles. I still need to figure out my weekly maintenance miles.

15 Weeks --> R&R NOLA

15 weeks to go! I had an awesome run this morning with the Arvada Running Club and my running buddy Sarah. We seem to run well together. She asked if I run faster or slower when I run alone. She says she runs slower. I tend to run too fast which results in walking part of the run. I'm trying to work on that because I'd really love to run the entire half marathon. I haven't done that yet. Maybe that should be my secondary goal.

Goal #1 - Finish under 2:30
Goal #2 - Run the whole race (not run/walk)

This past week I managed 2 of my 3 running training days, and only 1 of my 3 boot camp days. I missed one run and one boot camp day because of a workshop at work. No biggie. I missed the other boot camp day because I was tired. Lame.

My long run this morning was 6 miles. The long slow distance days are supposed to be very easy and gradually get longer. (The last two Sundays I did about 5 miles each day.) Sarah has a Garmin which helped to keep us on track and make sure we get all our miles done. I still use my iPhone app MapMyRun. (Maybe I'll pick up a Garmin of my own some day.) It was a good run for me. I felt strong and the work felt easy. At the end I felt like I could go a bit longer. I am thinking this is how I want my body to feel during the race. But faster.

Thanksgiving is next week. My plan is to do boot camp on Monday, try to get a run in on Tuesday and to run 6 miles again on Sunday with the ARC. I'll be happy with that.

16 weeks --> R&R NOLA

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!!

I planned to run with the ARC this morning like I have for the past two Sundays but I really felt like going solo today. Not that I don't enjoy the club, because I do. But, having some time to myself was looking more and more enjoyable. So, I did my 5 mile route from home to Starbucks. And I met my lovely hubby there! I like when we do that. I got an earlier start than I would have with the club too. This gave me more time to shower, relax and prepare for my friends and family who were coming over to celebrate with me. Yay!

So, I'm still on track with my training. My plan is to start the actual training plan when we get back from Thanksgiving in New Mexico.

The week looked like this:
Monday - skipped on the boot camp but did a short arm workout
Tuesday - muddy trail run on the path at work (3.46 miles)
Wednesday - mini boot camp (30 min)
Thursday - brisk walk on a busy day (40 min)
Friday - Boot camp with the Angels (600 workout)
Saturday - rest
Sunday - 5.29 miles

Next week's plan:
Monday - yoga with the Angels
Tuesday - 3-5 miles
Wednesday - boot camp
Thursday - 3-5 miles
Friday - boot camp or rest
Saturday - rest
Sunday - ARC LSD

I'm still trying to figure out the rest days. If we can do one day a week of yoga that would help.

And the Saints won! What a great birthday

R&R NOLA Route Published!

http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/files/2011/03/MG_12_CourseMap_CR-small.pdf

I am so pumped!! Just after the 2 mile mark and the again just after the 6 mile mark, I'll be running right past my aunt's apartment on St. Charles Avenue. At about the 12.5 mile mark I'll run right past my high school!

I can't wait! I'm super super excited! :-)

I ran about 3.5 miles yesterday. Today I have plans for a run at 3pm. Sunday with the club for 5 miles. Sunday is my birthday. :-)

17 weeks --> R&R NOLA

I didn't get any runs in during the week. Not sure how that happened. Oh, wait, I remember. Snow storm Wednesday followed by life. Anyway...  I did manage to run with the ARC today. I did a slow and easy 4.67 miles. It was billed as 5 miles. Next Sunday I think I'll make sure to get 5 miles. Coach suggested to stay at 5 miles next week as well. The following weekend I'll bump up the mileage. I also chatted with her on the last mile of our run. She said that hill workouts could replace speed workouts. She suggested the Carr St. hill as a great workout and that I should build up to 8 repeats of that hill. 8?! Ok. Something to strive for to meet my goal.

I'm still not sure of my "official" training plan to meet my 2:30 goal. But, right now I'm focusing on making training a habit. It wasn't last week. This weekend the time changed. I'm hoping that helps. My plan for the week is 30 minutes on the treadmill on Tuesday. Maybe a Thursday trail run or a lunch run of about 3-4 miles. Sunday long run with the ARC. One week at a time. Taking care of my own business.

18 Weeks --> R&R NOLA

Saturday I ran a neighborhood 5K - Campbell Ghost Chase - that was so close I could have walked to the start. I didn't but, I could have. My friend and neighbor told me about it. It was a small event, less than 200, maybe even less than 100. It was a fund raiser for the elementary school to put technology in the classrooms. The course started out on the creek path and then meandered through the neighborhood, looping back to the creek path finishing where we started. It wasn't chip timed but my clock time was about 31:45. That would make it my fastest 5K, assuming the time and distance were correct. Woo hoo! I did start out way too fast for some reason. I think because I was so cold. It did warm up nicely though. After the run, we didn't hang out for very long. There was another hour to kill before the drawings which seemed too long. So, I got a lift home and called it good.

Sunday, I met up (finally) with the Arvada Running Club. Sunday was the official start of their winter season. No more speed nights, only Sunday long runs. Since I'm training for the R&R half in March, I'm hoping to stay on target by running with them each weekend. That's my plan. I'm sticking to it. I did 4 miles at about a 13 minute pace. Cool. I was happy with that. The ARC also has plans to run the winter distance series which was also on my calendar to help keep me on track. I'm really looking forward to running with them through the winter. This will be my first winter season of focused training.

I am a little worried about fitting in some recovery time. I was pretty tired. I did some sort of workout every day this week except Thursday and I was tired by the weekend. I did boot camp Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesday I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. I skipped a run on Thursday even though I'd planned to run. I'll have to figure that bit out. Maybe skipping a boot camp day. We'll see.

What's Up Next?

What's next? March 4, 2012, New Orleans, Rock and Roll Half Marathon - that's what's up next.

I registered on Monday. I've had this one on my tentative calendar for a while now. I actually waited until Monday to register because of a special promotion they have going on right now. Because it's football season, R&R New Orleans has been offering discounts based on when the Saints win. The day following a win, the registration fee is discounted by the number of points they win by. I had the Oct. 23rd game highlighted because we played the Indianapolis Colts. I was rewarded greatly for my patience as the final score was Saints 62 and Colts 7!! Yes!! That's $55 off the registration fee!

(New Orleans Saints photo)
WHO DAT!!!!!

This will be my first race where I've given myself a time goal. My goal is 2:30. I have completed 3 half marathons so far. In order of completion my times were 2:49:03 (Vegas), 2:45:22 (Estes Park), and 2:51:09 (Denver). 2:30 would be a huge improvement. I'm justifying it this way:
1.) Training - has been haphazard so far. A more focused effort will produce a better result.
2.) Altitude - training at altitude will give me an edge in New Orleans.
3.) Cheering section - my family and friends can be strategically placed along the route to cheer me on.
4.) Familiarity - I will know the route, part of it passes in front of my aunt's home (well, it did last time.)
5.) Reward - I can't wait to celebrate with food and drink when it's over!

I trained about the same for the first two. I was pleased with Estes because it was the most challenging so far. I did suffer a little in the last mile with a headache. I'm going to say it was altitude but, it may have been dehydration. I ran with my camelbak and ran out of water shortly after finishing. I also drank gatorade at the aid stations. I also took a long potty break. So, my time could have been even faster, closer to 2:40, if it weren't for that break and walking the last mile. So, I don't think 2:30 is that far out of reach.

The last half, just a few weeks ago, was amazing for what I didn't do. I didn't train very well at all. I really thought it would suck, and even though it is my slowest to date, I am quite proud of it as well. It taught me a lot. I learned that I do have a decent running base. I learned that I can be consistent. I learned that I can push myself harder. I learned that finishing is really fun. I learned that I should train more and train better.

I purchased the Jeff Galloway book "Half-Marathon - You Can Do It". I checked it out from the library as I prepared for the Las Vegas race. I checked it out again right after the Denver race. I decided to buy it so that I can use it to prepare a training plan. There is a 2:30-3:00 training plan and also a 1:59-2:29 training plan. I'm going to evaluate both and also incorporate the Runner's World SmartCoach app in order to come up with my own plan. I could ask a few people for some training advice but I kinda wanna do this one on my own. I just want to see what I can accomplish on my own.

My strategy is Tuesdays on the treadmill, Thursdays on the trail or at the "track", Sundays for my long run. Some of my known obstacles are:
1.) Cold/Snow/Ice - I'll need to train through the Colorado winter.
2. Speed work - My "track" will be a nearby park that has a paved path that's about a third of a mile. I'll do my speed work there.
3.) Stress - I have really been having a hard time managing stress. That was really what stalled my training for the Denver race. I'm working on that. I'm also looking into a yoga class.

19 weeks. I'm working on building my base up to 6-7 miles for my easy long run before I start my focused 16 week training plan. Week 16 is the week of Thanksgiving. I'm also looking for some races of appropriate distances to keep me on track. The Winter Distance Series is on my calendar. (Dec. 17 - 10K, Jan. 21 - 10mi, Feb. 18 - 10mi) Unfortunately, it's in Littleton which could be problematic if the weather is bad.

19 weeks to go.

:-)

Run the Rocks 5K & new shoes

 The weekend after the Rock & Roll Denver half marathon I participated in the Run the Rocks 5K. My sister and I planned to do it together but she injured her ankle and has been recovering from that. So, I recruited my friend and neighbor Renea to run with me instead. This is a run I've been wanting to do since last year. It seems really scenic and also quite challenging. I can't remember why I didn't run it last year. Maybe I wasn't ready for the challenge at that point in my running "career". This year I wasn't ready either but it was because I'd just run a half marathon the weekend before. :-)

 The run didn't start until 9:30am! It felt so nice to sleep in to a regular hour and still have time to race. I think the hardest part about running for me is the early hour. Anyway, the sun was up as I drove to pick up Renea which did not make me grumpy. We arrived pretty early in order to pick up our bibs. I was glad we were so early because apparently the traffic became so backed up they had to delay the start. I don't know how many runners they had last year but this year there were almost 2,500! When we arrived it was pretty chilly. By the start we were quite overdressed.

We started towards the back of the pack which was difficult when we tried to get past the walkers, dog walkers, babies, etc. We both agreed not to wait for each other and had a predetermined meet up spot after the finish. The first half was all downhill. (And you know what that means.) I decided to take advantage of the downhill and took off pretty fast. I figured I'd use my half marathon mantra - the faster you move the sooner it'll be over. (There was chocolate fondue at the finish.) I was enjoying my ability to move fast downhill, all the while knowing I was going to suffer on the way back up. But, I didn't care. I wanted to fly however briefly.

I think it was almost half and half. At about the aid station we started going uphill. keep in mind, this is Red Rocks. The finish was up the stairs of the amphitheater. But, to get to the amphitheater, we had to run uphill, then run up a ramp, then run up some stairs, just to get to the amphitheater. At least it was a beautiful morning for it!

Ok. I was wrong. I just checked the course map and it was mostly uphill. Anyway... I walked most of the uphill parts. I wanted to try to run the stairs so I told myself I was conserving energy if I walked the uphill before I got to the amphitheater. And, I believed myself. My legs however were not fooled. Once I got to the amphitheater stairs, I started to run a little. Well, it was more like quickly climbing. I ran a set, walked the flat part, ran a level, walked a flat section, until my legs finally said no more. I walked. Barely. My legs were quite wobbly. As I approached the finish line I heard the announcer say to the group just ahead of me they had 20 seconds to finish in under 45 minutes. Oh no, I thought! I can make it too. As the words formed in my brain and moved to activate my legs, nothing happened. I could not move my legs any faster even if I'd tried. It was all I could do to keep moving up the last few flights. Ha! It was hard! It didn't dawn on me until I got home that the announcer was going by the gun start not my chip time. Yep, I was tired.

I ended up finishing in 42:10! I was very happy with that! And I can't wait to do it again! And, best of all, we got finishers medals!! Sweet! 2 medals in 2 weekends. That's some nice positive reinforcement! Woot!

I went with my new shoes for the run and they felt ok during the event. I think my left foot fell asleep but I wasn't sure if that was because it was the first time I'd worn them and just hadn't figured out the lacing yet. The next day, my ankles were really really sore. I attributed that to my hard downhill running, which is something I never do, especially on pavement. But now I'm wondering if it had to do with the shoes. I did a training run this weekend and had similar issues with my toes and foot falling asleep. It's only been my left foot. I think I'm going to return these shoes and try out another pair. I have 90 days to return the shoes to Road Runner Sports even after I run in them. That's a nice policy. I hope they don't mind a little dirt on them.

Rock & Roll Denver Half Marathon

I did it! In spite of myself and my haphazard training schedule, I managed to finish the half marathon. :-) How crazy is that?! I'm not sure if that's really a good thing, to know that I have enough of a running base to roll out of bed and finish a half marathon. Ok, there was some training involved. And, ok, it was painful. And, yeah, I really wish I'd put more effort into my training so that I would have finished faster than my first half marathon (Vegas R&R.) But, it is what it is, and it ain't so bad.

I was quite worried about and perplexed by the day's forecast.

On Saturday, we had rain and snow all day. And it was very cold. I don't mind cold. I've run in highs of 20 degrees F. But, it was very sunny that day. Cold and wet would simply be miserable. I don't have any wet weather running gear. You'd think I would as much as I like shopping for gear. I guess I should work on that. Anyway, the day turned out to be quite comfortable. The rain subsided Saturday evening so the roads were dry by the morning. And the sun was going to be out as well. I layered and was just fine.

Why do these events have to start so darn early? I guess, maybe the better question is, why I continue to sign up for these early events. I am always worried I'll be late for these events so I over compensate by getting there really early. I left my house in the dark at 5:30am.

It was still pretty chilly but not unbearably so. The bad part was that I knew I wanted to wear my sunglasses, which are prescription, but didn't want to carry my regular glasses during the run. So, I was really having a hard time seeing until the sun came up. Which it did just before the start of the race. The good part about that is that I was easily able to find a close parking spot. That came in handy later while I waited for my friend to finish the full marathon.

I found my friend Natasha at the bag check area. She was in corral 14 and I was in corral 15 so we wandered over to take out places. I also ran into another friend who was running the half from corral 14 as well. It was just luck that I walked right in front of her. Pretty cool. Later as the corral began to move to the start, I ran into another friend also running the half. She took this photo at the start line!

She took off like a shot when the gun went off for our corral to start! It was her first half marathon and the adrenalin was running high. I managed to start off very slow, which is what I planned to do. And I kept that slow and steady pace for the duration - mostly.

My main goal was to finish and not injure myself. I really didn't know how I'd feel because my longest run had only been about 6 miles. I knew I could suffer through it.. I just didn't know how long I'd be suffering. My secret secondary goal was to finish under 3 hours. My previous two times were 2:49 and 2:45 so I had that in my head. I figured I'd be slower but really, I had no idea how slow.

The first 3 miles were basically a warm up for me. I tried not to push it so that I'd be properly warmed up and not feel too sore for at least the first 6 miles. I thought if I could be comfortable for the first 6 miles, I'd be ok. I also forgot to turn my watch on, so I really didn't know what my pace was. That turned out to be a good thing though. At about mile 6 I felt like I was in a groove and was quite happy and comfortable. Nothing really hurt yet. The sun was out. I was drinking and eating enough. I took short walk breaks at the aid stations as planned. I think I may have even skipped one, running through in the groove.

About mile 8 or 9 I started feeling the miles and lack of training. :-) The usual things started to hurt, which didn't worry me so much. I would have been worried if something I didn't think should hurt started to hurt. I probably slowed down a bit and made sure to walk at the aid stations. I also stopped to stretch a bit. While stretching, my hip popped, which was great. I knew it wouldn't hurt any more than it already was so I was good to go at that point. :-)

Mile 11 - something happened there that made everything seem much harder. At mile 11, I really felt like I was done. I was really tired and I was slowing down more. It didn't seem like an unusually tough part of the course so I chalked it up to the mileage and lack of training. (Later I found out from my other two friends that they felt the same way about mile 11. One friend said she looked back at the course map and mile 11 had the highest elevation gain, even though it didn't look like a hill.) I walked more at this point but I also knew the end was near.

One weird thing about the course, it was mainly in and around downtown Denver, on roads that I was familiar with. But, for some reason, I was very disoriented. I couldn't tell where I was in relation to the start/finish line. So, because of that, I felt like there was so much farther to go, even though I knew by the mile markers that there wasn't. It was probably because I was so tired and so focused on running. But, it was very disorienting.

I told myself, between mile 11 and 12, the quicker I moved the sooner I'd be done. That was my mantra to the finish. Don't stop, keep moving, steady on, the quicker I moved the sooner it'd be over. Some how my feet agreed and kept moving. :-)

At mile 12 I was still very confused about where I was on the course and even though I knew it was almost over, I couldn't see the finish line or hear the finish line. It's the Rock & Roll series so there should be loud music going on! I can't remember now if I saw a mile 13 marker or not but there had to have been one. All I remember is turning a corner and seeing the straight for the finish line. I kicked it and started to sprint. Well, I thought and felt like I was sprinting anyway. LOL! I pushed as hard as I could knowing the end was so close!

I didn't know it until I got home to look it up but, I finished in 02:51:09!! That's only about 2 minutes slower than my Vegas time! Woo hoo!! I was so exhausted at the finish. My legs even felt wobbly. I also needed some ice for my right knee. I grabbed as much food as I could carry once I crossed the finish line. I also grabbed a foil blanket so that I could stretch out on the grass. Icing the knee, eating some snacks, chatting with my hubby on the phone, and stretching a little, I felt elated and exhausted that I finished my 3rd half marathon!

Technical shirt...

And...bling!

ROCK & ROLL!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!

Up next.... Rock & Roll New Orleans - March 4th.  :-)

Road Runner Sports 5K

My sister and I signed up for the free Wednesday evening 5K offered at Road Runner Sports in Westminster. Apparently they had been having these races all season, once a month. Today was their last one of the season so the winner would be the person who came closest to predicting their finish time. And that meant we were on more equal ground with all the other runners. :-) The prize was a pair of shoes. Cool!

The last run I did was last Tuesday. I had such high hopes for last week's training schedule. But, I failed. Actually, I fell down the stairs on Thursday. I am ok, and really I was from the beginning. I did bruise my behind where I landed, and my head, where I must have hit the railing, and also my shoulder and elbow a little too. Hmm. As I write all of that, maybe I was a little more injured than I wanted to admit. Anyway, I didn't run at all, feeling a little injured and feeling a little sorry for myself. Whatever. I just didn't get it done. So, I didn't have very high hopes for being fast tonight. But, my sister has been training. When I asked her what her prediction was going to be she said 37:21. That seemed fast for me at this point so I said I'd give the same time and we could run together. I was really hoping she'd pace me. She was hoping I'd pace her. :-)

This was the very first time we've actually run together. We did a 4th of July run together but I ran faster than she did that day. I was feeling strong and fast back then. (Sigh.) We started out and she wanted to run faster than I did but she slowed to my pace. I've never been a fast starter. Except for the very 1st half I did. I sort of had a feel for my slow pace and have learned what a true conversational pace (for me) is. That's what I was shooting for. So, we ran and talked pretty much the whole way. There were two women behind us. When we stopped for a short walk break, one of them passed us. She said she had been using us as pacers. We laughed and said she could be ours now. We did actually keep pace with her. Even after stopping for a short second break. Towards the last stretch, she slowed to run with us and we learned her predicted time was 37:10. So we all felt very good about running together.

My sister pulled away a little as we approached the finish line. And even though we were second to last, there was still hope that we could win. Haha! I like this race. But, it wasn't to be. We actually ran too fast! Ha! We lost because we ran too fast. I can live with that. 36:06 for my sister and 36:11 for me! Woot! I felt very good about that time. I felt very good that we ran practically the whole time. My sister was super excited too. This was her fastest 5K time by quite a bit.

My left foot did fall asleep at some point. Painfully so. Once we stopped running, it immediately came back. Weird. I'm not sure what that's about. Maybe my laces were too tight? I am pretty sure I'll need new shoes after the Denver Rock and Roll Half. But, I hope they at least get me through that one.

This Saturday we are running again. This one will be chip timed. We are planning to run side-by-side again and plan to best today's time. I'm feeling good about the half again. Maybe I'll walk most of this one, but that's ok. Maybe I won't. We'll just take it as it comes.

After the run, there was a drawing. I won some running socks! Cool! I shared my winnings with my sister since it was a pack of three. :-)

 

Oh, and BTW, this was unofficially my 2nd fastest timed 5K finish.Only unofficially because it wasn't an official or chip timed event. Stay tuned for an update on that front after Saturday's Blue Shoe 5K.

And, we finished the evening at BJ's Brewery thus continuing the post race beer tradition. Very important. :-)

Week's update...

Ran Sunday. Monday I ran without timing myself. I did a 3 mile loop out the door from work in about 37 minutes. Tuesday evening I met the Arvada Running Club at Oberon Middle School. Tuesday's they do speed work at the middle school track. But, everyone is welcome to attend even if they don't want to do speed work. I ran laps on the outside and got in about 3 miles. That makes three days in a row. Wow. It felt hard but awesome when it was done.

My Wednesday boot camp work out hasn't happened. Maybe when I get home I'll do a fast abs set and the pushups and dips ladder. That will feel good. My abs are certainly very flabby these days. Sigh. It's my tough area for sure.

I'm starting to get that running feeling back again. I'm remembering what it's like to move my feet. Even running 12 laps at the track felt meditative. I've never run with music. I just enjoy the scenery and my efforts. Some times I look at my feet (easy to do on a track) and am in awe that they are moving. And I think about how I won't be able to do this some day. And I'm grateful for now.

Just keep moving.... Ndank, ndank*...





*Slowly, slowly in Wolof. I should put that on a running t-shirt.

That running feeling...

I'd lost that running feeling. Life got in the way. All good things. My sister got married. I had lots of vacation trips. That's all good for my mental health but not so great for my running health. And boot camp is over. Well, the paying for it is over. My trainer has moved to Utah so I've decided not to register for more classes. The idea is to get my workouts in on my own. (That's not going so well.) Now I'm feeling fat and slow. The good news is I ran yesterday (5 miles) and today (3 miles). That's quite a feat these days. I'm planning to run tomorrow evening with the Arvada Running Club. That'll make it three in a row. Wednesday I'm planning to workout, boot camp style, with a friend and her neighbors. Thursday I can run trails. Maybe Friday I'll rest or boot camp it again. Rest Saturday with a walk to Starbucks. Sunday, 3 weeks from the half marathon, I'll do 6-7 miles as a long run. 

I want to feel like this again:

And this:

I am remembering my original half marathon goals - finish and not pass out. I can do that. I don't have to break any time goals. I will add to my total number of half marathons finished. That's all that matters. Finish. Have fun. Don't pass out. :-) I can do that!

Not running...

Ok. I've decided not to do the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half on Saturday. I could try to do it, simply because I've already registered. But, I don't think I'd feel very good after it was over. And I have too much to do between the end of it and the following weekend. My sister is getting married! I have a house to clean, a tent to put up in the yard, a BBQ dinner to prepare, shopping to do, etc. If I'd actually trained for the half and thought I'd recover well, that would be a different story. But, there is no way I am even close to being ready to run 13 miles and feel good about it. Which, on any other weekend, I'd be ok with. I'd be ok suffering through just to say I did it. But, I don't want to be leaning all crazy while standing next to my sister on her big day. I want to be able to stand up straight and proud right next to her. So, there. It's decided.

The next one is October 9th...Rock and Roll Denver. I've got 2 months to get back at it.

Game face...starting August 23rd.

You'd think I'd have figured this out by now...

I have fallen off the running wagon again. I did 6 miles last weekend and 50 minutes on the treadmill this weekend. Didn't get any runs in during the weekdays. How am I going to get myself ready for the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half? Sigh.

4th of July race with my sister!

My sister's birthday is July 3rd. On the 4th, we ran the 4 on the 4th race sponsored by Avery Brewing company. Here we are at the start.

It's a 4K and the course is about a mile from the brewery. The first place male and female finishers each win their weight in beer. Here is the female first place winner. The male winner got 5 cases. :-)

Oh yeah! It was a fun time. The top three in each age group (5 year increments) also each won a case of beer. I'm not fast enough to compete, I finished 13th in my age group, but was happy to partake in the post race festivities.There was free cold beer being poured, huge hot breakfast burritos and fruit salad. Yum!

It was really stinking hot too. It was especially hot walking nearly a mile back to the brewery after the race. But, once we got there, it was all good. We got a seat inside and cooled off while eating and toasting our successful 4K. My sister is just getting into running. She did really well, too. We are in the same age group. She finished just 5 places behind me. Yay! It was a fun loop course so we got to high five each other about 3 times along the way. Here's her game face at the start.

Way to finish strong sista!! Woot! When's the next one? :-)

Do I need a Running Training Group?

Today I did a drop in group run with the training group Runner's Edge of the Rockies. RER gets their runs started at 6:30 in the AM. Today's run was in Greenwood Village, quite a haul for me. They design their runs as an out and back so folks can run their distance by hitting the appropriate turn around marker. I went as far as the 6 mile turn around. The long run was 20 miles. There were 6 new folks, including myself, in attendance. I'm guessing there were at least 150 maybe 200 people milling about at the start. They split the group up into various pace groups and a walker group. I went out with the slowest pace group, the 4:45 marathon/2:13 half marathon pace. That was a bit faster than I was looking to run but oh well.

The run was a mix of neighborhood streets, paved bike paths and crushed gravel trails. The slowest pace group had two pacers so they split the group in half. I set out with the first group at the back of the pack. The second group caught us at the first water station. I'm not sure if they were going faster than us or if we were going slower than the pace. It sure didn't feel very slow. It was a little disconcerting to have all of us in this large group taking up the whole path or sidewalk but the leaders would call out when bikes or other runners were coming towards us and the group would move to the proper side to allow them by. Two folks did get caught behind us for a short time but they were able to pass when we all turned the corner towards the trail.

It was nice to have a supported run. I'd forgotten to bring any Clif Bars so decided against going the 8 miles that I'd hoped for. I think that would have been ambitious considering my lack of runs since Estes. I ate two orange wedges - the candy and sugar kind - that was at the first aid station. I also brought my own water bottle since they try to be cupless on the long runs. So, I was able to also take on some Gatorade as well. That helped a lot. It was hot even that early.

There wasn't a lot of instruction at the start which kind of bothered me. I wasn't sure if I needed to check in or anything. Apparently not. There were some announcements at about 6:15, some stretching after that, and then the group leader started sending out the pace groups. Since I was in the last pace group, I got to finish all the stretching exercises.

Most everyone seemed to know other folks in the larger group. Not all ran together in the same pace groups. Some who ran with the same pace groups didn't all run the same distances. But, our group seemed to like to chit chat during the run. The woman I ran alongside wasn't very chatty which was fine with me. She was going for 10 miles and had a pretty similar pace to mine. She left ahead of me at the first aid station though and I didn't see her again after that.

Once I hit the 6 mile turn around, I ran the rest of my run pretty much alone. I did stop to chat with David, the leader of RER. He was parked near one of the trail heads I think just encouraging folks along or perhaps checking to see when the first runners might make it back to the finish. I didn't know who he was as we'd only communicated via email. When I saw him there next to a RER SUV I asked if he was David. We chatted for a little longer than I'd anticipated but I was glad for the rest and time to stretch a bit.

When I made it back to Panera where we started, a few folks were milling about. I sort of hung around a bit as I had some questions for David but others were taking up his time. So, I headed home instead.

My alarm went off at 5am. I hit the snooze until about 5:15. I brushed my teeth, dressed, and hit the road by about 5:30. I got to Panera right about 6:10am. Announcements began about 6:15 and the run started about 6:30. My pace group went out about 6:40. I finished my run at 8am. I got home about 9am. That's a really long day for about an hour or so of actual running. I think that sealed it for me. I don't think I will join this training group. I'm sure there would be benefits and improvements but, that's just too much of my weekend and way to early. I think I'll do a couple of $20 drop in runs when they are convenient and I feel I need some pacing or a particular distance.

Otherwise, I just need to set myself up for early morning runs out my front door every weekend. I've already got a good route to run. I can pick my distance very easily as the miles are marked clearly by the stop lights along the route. I just have to commit and get it done. That's it.

I think I'll spend that money on a motorcycle safety training class. :-)

Bling!

Here are the medals I've collected so far. :-) Left to right: Rock and Roll Las Vegas half marathon (my first!), Colfax Marathon Relay, Boulder Spring Half and 10K (I did the 10K but we all got the same medal), and the Estes Park half. Yay!

Happy Trails!

Wow! I hadn't run since the half on the 12th. Has it really been that long? How did I let that happen? Well, it doesn't matter anymore because I had a very nice run in Chautauqua. We did about 3.26 miles in about an hour and 13 minutes. I was so looking forward to this run since it had been so long for me. And the trail is a nice place to get your groove back.

What I like about trail runs is that you get more bang for your buck. We only ran about 3 miles or so but put in over an hour of time. We moved slowly at times but also pushed up some hills for a short time. Navigating the rocks and roots makes for a multifaceted workout that I don't get in even an hour long road run. My glutes were happy! I also think I have better running form on the trails. I hold my head up straighter to look ahead for obstacles and turns. My arms are looser as I bound from one spot to the next over rocks. I think I even move my feet quicker because of the obstacle. I also think my shoes make a difference. I bought an inexpensive pair of Adidas trail shoes at Sports Authority. There isn't much rise in the heel and there isn't much cushion either. And they feel great! I'm going to adjust the shoe strings a little tighter next time so my foot doesn't move around so much in them. I really like them. I haven't done much distance with them yet but, I'm sure I will at some point.

At the start of our run, another hiker warned us of a bear on one of the trails. We weren't planning to go that way so we carried on. We made it as far as the NCAR connector trail before heading back. Some day we'll bring two cars and some food and extra water to make the complete trek. That'll be fun. :-)

Next week my mini trail running group from work moves our runs to Tuesdays instead of Thursdays. 

Estes Park Half Marathon Race Report

I was super excited for this event! Last year, this was the race I'd originally registered for when I decided to start training for a half marathon. It was scheduled for June 13th so I wanted to run 13 on the 13th. But, it turned out I had to miss the race that year. I ended up going to Germany for work for a conference. I'm not complaining. Germany was awesome. But, I missed my goal, my first running goal failed. I lost my mojo a bit after that and didn't get it back until the Rock and Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon last December. So, I felt a bit of redemption last weekend as I crossed the finish line. And it felt great!

The Estes Park Marathon is a pretty low key but well organized event. It's a family friendly event with a kids fun run the day before, a 5K, 10K, half, full and relay marathons. It's also a cup free event using the Hydrapouch system. Marathoners received a free Hydrapouch cup. I opted not to buy my own but to carry my water via my Camelbak 1.5L pack. I also bought an Amphipod fanny pack, without water bottles, to carry my Clif Bars. I forgot my iPhone belt clip so ended up carrying my phone in the tiny pocket on the Camelbak. I'd planned to bring some Sport Beans but forgot to buy more. But, I learned there would be Gatorade at the aid stations so decided that was just as good.

I also decided, that week, that I wanted to spend the night in Estes Park so I wouldn't have to get up so freaking early if I was leaving from home. I looked around and was planning to stay at the Rocky Mountain Park Inn when I had two offers from friends to stay with them. I ended up staying with my professor and mentor from library school. I always feel right at home there so it was perfect!

Race morning couldn't come soon enough!

 I found a close parking spot, gathered my race number and settled in to wait for the start. It was a little chilly but not cold so I debated on whether or not to wear my long sleeve shirt. I often carry it around my waist when I run so I knew I'd be comfortable if I had to take it off. I decided to wear it. I'd decided the night before to wear my running skirt and my compression sleeves on my legs, mostly for warmth, although, turns out they are quite comfortable using them as they were intended.

As I mentioned, this is a pretty low key event, which means not nearly as many people as the Colfax race a month ago. The lines for the port-a-potty were manageable. They were oddly located very close to the start of the half marathon, which was convenient on the one hand, but there were also people waiting for the 10K start (in the same location) who were in line for the port-a-potty who got caught up in the crowd for the start of the half. Not a big deal but I thought they could have been moved a bit farther away from the start line. Here is a photo to illustrate that. I took this while standing in the port-a-potty line. The start line is the blue carpet near the orange cones.

No worries really because off we went! I decided not to run my iMapMyRun app because it would drain my iPhone battery and I wanted to be able to take photos along the route. I also didn't want to be able to check my time or pace because I wasn't shooting for anything but to have fun and finish feeling good. A race strategy I heard at the start was "I'm going to start slow and then ease up." I thought that was a brilliant idea.

As we made our way onto highway 36, the other back of the packers and I noticed a group of vultures sitting on the tower on the side of the road. It seemed as though they were waiting for us. "That's not a good omen!" some one said. We all laughed as the vultures all took off at once.

It was warm enough at the start that I opted to take the long sleeve over shirt off right away. That meant unhooking and removing my Camelbak. I had to slow to a walk to get this accomplished and then sprint a little to catch up to the folks I was planning to be my pace group. I managed all of that ok and didn't feel too stressed after catching up. I then was able to settle into a groove, find my pace, and begin to enjoy the run.

Have I mentioned that I love being in Estes Park? It's one of my most favorite places in Colorado. I am familiar enough with the town to know where I am on the course. I'd also driving the course once so sort of knew what to expect. I was feeling good. The weather was perfect. The sun was shinning, the sky was blue, and I was finally meeting my goal to run this half.

Here is the official course description:

"The half marathon course starts in front of the Estes Park middle school, heading West towards Manford Avenue. Turn right onto Community Drive, descending towards Lake Estes. Turn left onto Highway 36, keeping to the right of the highway within the coned section. Take a right at Highway 34, passing the visitor center on your right.Head up the hill, joining the last half of the marathon course. Take a left onto Elk Trail Court. The course winds through an open residential area that is mostly flat to downhill. Take a left onto North Lake Avenue, which is a downhill paralleling Hwy 34. Turn left onto Dry Gulch Road. The course climbs gradually for 3 miles and turns south onto Devils Gulch Road. The course is mostly downhill to mile 10, with a steep climb around mile 8. Mixed terrain takes you past the Stanley Hotel and down to Hwy 34. The course goes through the coned visitor center parking lot onto the bike trail around Lake Estes. The last 2 miles travels along the south side of Lake Estes, through the tunnel under Hwy 36, past the Stanley Fairgrounds and sports areas, and up to Brodie Avenue, turning right for a very short uphill before entering the Estes Park High School track and field at the SE corner. Complete less than one lap of the track counter clockwise and be greeted by enthusiastic crowds at the finish line!"

"The course climbs gradually for 3 miles..."  I was ready for this gradual climb. When I drove the route earlier, I noticed red fire hydrants spaced along this stretch. My plan was to use them as my run/walk markers. There was an aid station at the bottom of the climb so I took in some Gatorade and settled in for the uphill 5K. I found myself paying more attention to my pace group than to my own strategy. That actually ended up working ok. There was a group of about 8 of us who leap-frogged up this part of the course. We all alternated between walking and running.

Where Dry Gulch Road headed south, at what I initially thought was the top of this climb, was another aid station and a port-a-potty with no line. I thought it best to utilize it so I wouldn't be second guessing and possibly suffering later. I'd been faithfully hydrating for several days leading up to race day, and had continued to take in fluids all of the day before and into the morning of the race. And I had plenty to carry me through the race. Stopping was a good idea. It was probably a 2 minute stop as I had to take off my waist pack and untie my shirt from my waist and then rearrange it all again, in addition to getting more Gatorade. After my long pit stop, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself catching my pace group on the downhill! Woo hoo!

 About mile 9, when I stopped to take some photos, I was finally able to properly adjust the left shoulder strap on the Camelbak. It had been bouncing and in the process, rubbing my neck. It was quite annoying but I didn't want to stop to fix it. But, I stopped for a photo op of the Twin Owls.

There was a couple in a minivan parked there cheering some of us on. That was cool. It was also where I learned I was on pace to meet or beat my Vegas time. I heard one of the people call out to some one that it wasn't yet 9:00. When I took out my phone for the photo, I did check the clock time. That made me feel very good. I considered pushing it a bit to try to improve my time but thought better of it and settled back into my same pace.

I started to get a little tired, heavy in my legs, shortly after mile 10. I had a triumphant feeling when I say the 10 mile marker and I may have tried then to pick up my pace. But, I couldn't really go any faster and continued to take my walk breaks. We ran onto the Stanley Hotel property for a short bit of the course. That was fun but a little uphill. Once we got to highway 34 and crossed over it and onto the bike path, I knew we were in the home stretch! I knew then that I'd be able to finish strong. I picked it up just a little. But, right at the 12 mile marker I started to get a headache. And it felt like an altitude sickness headache, quite painful. So, I slowed to a walk and drank more water. I started to wish I had the sport beans. But, I did have the Clif Bars so I also ate another one of those. I'd eaten a few during the run but maybe I should have had more. I felt fine walking so, after a second attempt to continue my running pace, I decided to just continue to walk until I got to the high school track. I definitely wanted to run through the field and to the finish line. It turned out to be a good strategy.

Hooray!! My friend Florence was there to take these finish line photos! It was awesome! I stretched, finished off my water, had a Mix1 protein shake, ate half a banana, and watched a few more runners come in. Florence and I hung around a little and listened to some of the awards being presented. Then she went into town and I went back to the house to shower and pack. Nancy and Jim weren't able to make it to the finish line but were waiting to hear all about it when I got back to their place. Yay!! What an awesome day! After saying my goodbyes to them, I met Florence for some celebratory ice cream.

I felt very good after this run, much better than I did after Vegas, my first half. I grabbed some grub before heading back home. Once I was home I got very sleepy and took a nap before enjoying a nice steak dinner that my hubby had prepared for us. He's the best! Thanks love!

My finish time was 2:45:22. I was very pleased that it was faster than my Vegas time (2:49:03). Even though it wasn't very much faster, it certainly had more hills and altitude than Vegas so I'm happy with that. It's all good. My goals were met - keep moving, enjoy the scenery, don't pass out from the altitude. Hooray!! I'm so proud of myself! Thanks everyone for your support especially Florence for taking photos and celebrating with me, Nancy and Jim for letting me stay with them and for their encouragement, Natasha for her on going support, encouragement, and advice, and of course to Tim, my love, for everything.

When's the next one? :-)

Estes Park Half Marathon...

New personal best half marathon time. 2:45:22 including a potty break. So much fun! Race report coming soon!

Colfax Marathon Relay 2011

My team rocks!!

It was a very cold, very early, and very dark start to the day yesterday. I ran leg #2 and met O, who ran leg #1, at 5am at her house. I traded with A because she is perpetually late (no secret) and she thought she was the one who had trained the least. Double whammy. As team captain, I really just wanted everyone to have fun at this event, so I traded. It would be more fun for A that way. And, I'd be done sooner which I certainly didn't mind. Of course, at the time the forecast looked a lot better than what reality had set up for us.

The gun start was at 6am. The first exchange was in city park which was why we both had to be there so early. We found our spots and settled in for the wait. Oh, did I also mention that it was raining? It was raining, not terribly hard but it certainly made it much colder for us. Brrrrrrr!!

Here is a shot of the start line. O's in there some where!

A view across the lake. Very dreary looking because it was.

And they're off!! The first leg passed the exchange point once before making their tour of city park and returning for the hand off. (These are the bicycle pacers.)

I huddled with the female masses in the pavilion bathroom which was heated. No doors on those stalls by the way. Awkward! But warm. I made my way back to the exchange after the guesstimated amount of time for O to complete her leg had passed. We high fived and I was off!! I was going to say off and running but it was more like off and hobbling. I'd gone to boot camp on Friday and my hamstrings had been screaming at me ever since. The cold wet weather and standing around for an hour didn't help either. I could barely stretch out my legs to walk. Running came very slowly. But, I was dressed appropriately and knew that I'd warm up eventually so I pressed on. I think it took about a mile to get myself warm and another mile to get my legs warmed up enough to feel like I was actually running and not shuffling. I thought for sure my time would be much slower than I'd guesstimated.

B had leg #3 and we met at the exchange point at Invesco Field. It's a cruel route coming up to Invesco off the bike path. I can see the stadium but not the finish/exchange. But I can also see runners going in the opposite direction on the upper level. Ugh. That meant there was an uphill in my future. And of course, that turn around point came within view of the finish/exchange point. But, we had to run all the way around Mile High. Ugh.

I pushed on. At some point along Colfax I'd taken my rain jacket off and tied it around my waist. It had stopped raining then and I was getting too warm and wanted to show off my team shirt too. By the time I got to the stadium, it'd started raining again. I felt ok though as long as I was moving. I saw B at the exchange and also saw O there too!  Yay!! She'd come to pick me up for the ride back to city park! I was soooo glad to see her!! I high fived B and she was off!!

O and I walked to her car and headed to Starbucks!! Woo hoo! That was the best soy vanilla chai ever! We sat for a while since we had lots of time to kill before the team finish. It was nice and warm inside Starbucks and O was still cold & wet from her run. After finishing our treats we drove back to city park.

My friend Nat was also running in the Colfax Half and we were planning to all celebrate together at the finish. So, we waited for her text and then met up with her as well. We walked around the park so Nat could get some food and then the three of us watched the runners cross the finish line. We kept moving around to be close to larger groups on the side line because they produced the most body heat and warmth. LOL! We were really cold.

Here is a photo of O and me. (Did I mention we were cold?)

And here's a photo of me and Nat with her finishers medal! Go Nat!

While we were waiting, B text us to say I, leg #4, wasn't at the exchange! What?! She'd called to say she was caught in traffic and was trying to make her way there as quickly as she could. We couldn't believe it! We felt instantly colder knowing we may have to wait longer at the finish line. Meanwhile, B hopped on the bus to head back to Invesco where she was planning to wait for I to drive her back to city park for the finish. While there she ran into A, leg #5, who was waiting for I to make it to the exchange. As we talked it over back at the finish, O thought A shouldn't wait longer than the guesstimated original arrival time we'd planned on and I agreed. We text back that A should just leave and not wait for I. And that's what she did.

Eventually, I arrived at Invesco and she and B met up with O, Nat and me at the finish line to wait for A.  A was hauling ass and finished her 6+ mile leg in about 55 minutes!! So much for being the one who trained the least! I'm so glad we'd switched legs so she could give us that strong finish! As she came down the road to the finish, the 4 of us jumped in beside her to cross the finish line together! B's mom was there too! Awesome!! Our official finish time was 4:48:16!  Woo hoo!!

The weather was so horribly wet and cold we decided not to hang around for the after party. It was pretty lame anyway. The 6 of us all met up at El Diablo for some grub. (Note: El Diablo is not very tasty.) Great company! Good times! Thanks team!! Can't wait for the next one!!

Bling!!