Better Safe, than Sorry

Or in my case.. better off undertrained and healthy, than injured.. (does that even make sense?)

I thought I would be good to go this week.. or atleast somewhat good. Yesterdays run proved to me that I wasn't going to be able to get in a good run before the marathon (if there was even going to be a marathon).

Yep... I'm contemplating the idea of not showing up. Why? Because I had goals in mind. As arrogant and as self absorbed as it sounds, I had goals I wanted to strive for... despite not being able to finish my training... despite this being my first marathon where my only goal is suppose to be to finish. I had goals that included a sub 4 hour marathon.

And at this point I really think they are out of my reach. Unable to finish a measly 2 miles yesterday without any pain... I cried. I never pictured myself unable to run 2 miles the week before my first marathon. And I am broken. I am completely shattered at the thought that my is body not ready for this... although mentally I am.

No marathon day shoes yet..
No nutrition plan set...
No hydration plan set..
No race day outfit picked out yet..
No Plan.

Although I could easily just skip this marathon.. and pick out another. But it's in a completely new city and state.. the plane tickets are set, the hotel reserved. The money fundraised... I could also just wing it..

At this point. I have one goal. Get better.

If I cannot run 3 miles without any pain days before the marathon... I will not be lining up that morning. Why run a marathon in pain.. at a horrible pace.. and make my injury worse?

Long ago I read a blog somewhere  about a guy finishing his first marathon under four hours without ever completing a long run... all he did was cross fit workouts. Amazing as it seems, it probably is do-able. It even gives me hope. Something he had that I don't... a healthy foot. I won't be trying to run anymore.. I am done trying. I think it hurts me more mentally, getting out there and coming back.. limping.. and in tears, with my dreams gone out the window. It hurts to read about everyone else long runs or workouts.. so I'm avoiding dailymile, blogger, twitter and facebook as much as possible.
All I'm hoping for now is a miracle. That I wake up strong and healthy one day... and ready to conquer that marathon.

But as of right now... I am not ready for it.

Why attempt something I know I'm going to fail?

TAPER TIME! (Marathon Training Week 14 + 15)

Week 14 + 15 went like this...

Week 14
Monday: Rest after 20 miler
Tues/Weds/Thurs: painful 5 milers
Fri/Saturday:  I gave in... painful foot is not going away. Rest!
Sunday: 12 miles... last few miles were painful

Week 15

No running :)
yes, that is a smiley face. I fought the urge every morning to try out my foot. I was miserable (and im still partly miserable).

Monday and Tuesday were the worst... I was suppose to go out marathon shoe shopping but I refuse to walk into a running store without being able to run. That was like a meth addict walking into a... well.. you know what I mean lol. So i was pretty depressed the first few days of the week (and having withdrawals).

By Wednesday or Thursday? I snapped out of it. Partly because I felt sorry for myself. I had stuffed my face over the weekend and just ate my feelings away. I had too much time on my hands.. so I decided my mood wasn't going to get any better unless I did SOMETHING. I was only making things worst.. So I did p90x along with Insanity and actually went to the gym the rest of the week. I forget exactly what I did but I worked out :) it was a combination of cycling and elliptical and I felt 100% times better (mentally). Insanity KILLED ME (and my quads). After the marathon I'm hoping to finish a whole round of Insanity (or some workout plan) and incorporate some running into it.

Anyways. besides cross training and eating anything and everything in site (mostly cereal out of the box) I also studied during my free time and aced all my midterms! Hurray for free time :)

Today I finally went to see a foot doctor.. got x-rays.. got a foot injection (ouch) and got some meds perscribed so the inflammation can go down. Going to go back within a week to see how my foot is holding up. Doctor said I could run as soon as my foot feels 100%.. and only 100%

3 weeks to heal.. and anything that may disturb the healing would be cutting it close.

For now... I'm thinking positive. I may have missed last long run yesterday.. and only ran one 20 miler during marathon training.. but I did what I could. I'm a big believer of mind over matter and i really think that our mind is very powerful.. I gave it my 100% before my injury and will give it my 110% the day of the marathon.

What i learned?: things happen for a reason..
So maybe I injured myself at the total inappropriate time.. but I'm going to learn my lesson and not over train (and remember to stretch and ice and listen to my body next time). Yes, next time! I am looking into a fall marathon... more on that later

So umm.. taper time? :D

Update on fundraising: My mom is a lifesaver! She went to Wisconsin over the weekend where half my family lives and raised $360 for me! AHH! i love her so much :)



Im wondering "how am I suppose to adjust to my running schedule once I do come back?" Hmm.. im guessing nice and slow.. but im suppose to decrease my mileage... ah. anywho..

19 days until L.A.!!!!

SpiBelt Giveaway winner!

Winner: Ginger Foxxx!

Thank you all for the donations! I'm well on my way to reaching my fundraising goal. Be on the lookout for another giveaway soon :)


Update on thee injury: Not running yet. Today will be day 5.. I feel a tinsy bit better.. but I'm not taking any chances.

LA Marathon: 22 Days

Runner Down...

I hate to admit it.. I really do. But I think I may have to take time off.

How did this happen?
I'm not exactly sure. After last weekends 20 miler I noticed the top of my foot bothering me right after and during the last few miles of that run. I ignored it. 
All last week I noticed it, didn't pay much attention to it until last Thursday. I knew it wasn't going to get better because even walking triggered pain and I noticed some inflammation. 

So I listened.. and rested. Friday and Saturday. No Running. Rest ice massage heat

Sunday morning I was feeling good. No pain when I walked. It was long run day and I wanted to test out the waters.. see how far I could go without feeling any pain. Mentally I wanted to run 13+mi... My legs felt well rested but not my foot. Past mile 9, I knew I needed more rest. And part of me regretted Sundays run.

I googled and self-diagnosed myself with Extensor Tendonitis
everything matched what I had... pain on the top of my foot, inflammation... 

I came across something that broke my heart..
"The joint should be rested until all signs of pain have disappeared; this could take several weeks"

several weeks?!

Today is definitely rest day.
Now the question is... to go see someone (a foot doctor, Accelerate..?) or try to just stay off it and ice it? With my last 20 miler this weekend... I'm not sure what to do. Avoid running all week and wing it on Sunday? I'm honestly about to have a full on panic attack. I can't imagine taking more than 3 days off from running. Especially now.. week 15 of marathon training. Tapering is suppose to start next Monday... Help?

Have you ever injured yourself and NOT went to see a doctor? 
Have you tried out Accelerate? 


I should really listen to Deena Kastor's advice...  but I'm just too stubborn.

SpiBelt & Goodies GIVEAWAY!**

As you all know by now, I am running the LA Marathon next month. One thing I have not focused on was fundraising the money for the charity I'm running the marathon for (Susan G. Komen foundation). First Marathon... and I hardly know what to do in terms of fueling, imagine trying to fund raise money :D

I decided well why not host a giveaway?

I will be giving away a SpiBelt along with a pink* Pepper Spray (safety comes first!) and (my current addiction) 3 packs of Sport Jelly Beans. When I was thinking up items to giveaway I thought of an incident that happened to me last year. I was harassed during one of my runs in the early morning before sunrise. I had no cellphone on me or anyone close by. It shook me up that now I run with my cell phone at all times. So I thought, why not giveaway a SpiBelt (and to go along with the Komen foundation color theme, in the color pink). You could fit anything compact in it. I usually carry my cellphone, cash, bus card with me in case I get stranded somewhere.

I will be giving away these 3 items to the one lucky winner. Winner will be selected by random number generator and announced on Friday February 22nd at 9am! 

*Also available in Black, if you don't like the pink Pepper Spray

(3) packs of Sport Beans, choice of flavor Fruit Punch or Assorted
both taste AMAZING!

To enter leave a separate comment for each of the following, 1 comment = 1 entry:

• Required: Donate to my Charity Page HERE! (please leave your first and last name where it indicates to Personalize Gift, you don't have to show the gift amount)

For bonus entries:

• Leave a comment telling me what your current running goal is
  and/or
  any running items you would like to see me giveaway next
• Leave a comment telling me you followed me on Twitter
• Share this giveaway link on your FB/Blog/Twitter. Leave a separate comment for each letting me know where you shared and include URL link
  --You can share daily for extra entries! Just include your URL link every time you share
• Sign up by email to this blog for upcoming giveaways!
  
  
  
  ALSO --> any other ideas of how I can fund raise my minimum ($500), 30 something days away and I am not close to it at all... *sad face*

Marathon Training Week 13

I just realized I ran too many miles.. oops.

Monday: Complete rest.. foot issues
Tuesday: Planned 5mi, executed 4.5 Treadmill miles  + Arms&Abs
Wednesday: Overslept, so I ran 5mi in the morning, and 3 TM miles in the evening = 8mi
Thursday: 3 mi outside, 2 mi on TM (intervals) + Arms&Abs = 5mi
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 10mi @ 8:09 the weather was just too damn perfect to pass up + Arms&Abs
Sunday: 20 miles

Total Miles= 47.5 (peak of marathon training)
Times on treadmill = 3 days this week! Woahhh. Thanks to New Girl, I survived

So I thought Saturday's run called for 8 miles when actually I was suppose to run 5.. my bad. Now I know why I felt so tired on Sunday..

The Weather: I feel like I don't even know what to wear anymore..
Thursday was crazy icy outside.
Saturday felt like it was Spring
Sunday's weather sucked compared to Saturday. (high 30s, strong winds, rain)

It was raining when we first started running... As soon as it stopped, it felt 5-10 degrees warmer.. and we started seeing more runners on the path (with shorts) haha, we were no longer the only ones on it.

I had packed skittles and a granola bar in case we got hungry and by mile 7, they were gone haha oops. At one point on the path, there was still snow and ice... apparently they hadn't gotten around to plowing it.. It was def a tough run and took more walking breaks than I would have liked to but at least it's done.

Update on my foot: NO PAIN! woohoo.. I guess the treadmill runs this week helped.. less impact on my foot.

Note to self:
-no skittles or juju fish before a run. Stomach cramps started after mile 12.. or maybe it was the granola bar. Need to keep experimenting with food. ASAP
-Don't drink 24oz of Gatorade before a 20 miler... had to stop twice.
-Look at the marathon plan before going on for a run.. lol
-I think I'm going to need to buy a pair of shoes for the marathon... my Adidas don't feel very comfortable past mile 15. My feet are feeling it today.

34 DAYS TILL THE MARATHON!

*panic attack*

2 weeks till tapering starts! 2 more weeeeeeks!!!!!!

January & Marathon Training Wk 12

First things first.

To describe January in one word would be... hard to put into one word.
But I could use a picture. (...or 3)

pictures from the f^3 Lake Half Marathon

I cannot believe they actually shot that picture where it looks like I'm about to cry. haha.. awkward...
I was just celebrating in disbelief. I promise, there was no tears lol I really really like the other two tho. Anyways January was filled with an amazing PR, highest mileage and just a great overall training month.

Mileage: 170 miles (WOOH! last February of 2012 I peaked at 142, so this is a new record)
PRs: 3
Races: 3 (one 5k, 2 half-marathons)

DietBet January Weight-Loss Challege: I signed up for the weight-loss challenge, paid $10 took my weigh in pictures and cleaned up my diet.

The Good: I managed to lose 5 pounds! And won $21
The Bad: Now that the challenge is over, I'm slacking off.. I knew this was going to happen. And I'm not paying $10 to do it again (even though I earned ~$21 for losing, my $10 were given back to me so technically earned myself 10 bucks). Should I do it again? Meh.. It gets me motivated not to slack but what if this time I can't lose 4% of my starting weight? I will keep debating.

I also have a streak going so far for half-marathon and 5k's... every single race I've done in that distance, I have PRed. I don't want to jinx it now..  I've started to develop some pain on my foot after yesterdays long run, so I'm planning to take it easy this week and maybe even take some time off (and get new shoes). The last thing I need is an injury 13 weeks into marathon training.

That being said, as soon as January was over, my workouts have sucked.
______________________________________________________________

Marathon Training Week 12

Monday-Rest
Tuesday- 5 fartlek miles + Spin (50min) + Arms (tried out spin at my gym, loved it! Crossed off #22 on my to-do list)
Wednesday - 5.08 miles in the rain
Thursday - 4.02 miles (semi-intervals) --> (suppose to be 5mi, but got lazy)
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 8 mi @ "marathon pace" went slower than I should've, I blame the snow
Sunday - 12.7 (painful) miles

Total: 34.8mi

How I felt: ...like crap. This week was "step back" week and I literally did the least I was suppose to and even cut back on Thursday's 5miler to 4. I had no motivation in the mornings to go out in the cold but I would still drag myself. I think I've hit a wall. Or I'm burning out...I HATE the cold and the snow at the moment.. It doesn't help that it's dark and freezing at 6am and I have to crap out 5 milers.. ahh. (I refuse to jump on the TM for more than 3)

Sunday I felt good in the beginning, but I had to cut down the 13miler because my foot had been really hurting. The last 6 miles were painful. I took a million walking breaks. Me and JV decided to park near McCormick and run 6.5 miles south and run back to the car to make it 13 (smart buuut not so smart today), so we had no way of getting back to the car, but to run (or walk). Every time my left foot would hit the ground, I felt my arch explode. We were hungry, we were COLD, my foot was in pain but my legs were fine...

My best guess why it hurts:
A) Running too much (peaked in weekly/monthly miles in January)
or
B) I need new shoes, my long run shoes are 4-5 months old

Today will be complete rest. Depending how I feel Tuesday morning, I'm def going to take extra good care of my foot. Especially if I have a 20 miler this weekend (womp..womp...) Not excited..

I have to remind myself 5 more weeks.. only 5 more weeks..

I don't know how I went from feeling super good to feeling like crap.. but Hey, marathon training isn't suppose to be easy. And I was bound to feel some kind of pain eventually. I just have to be smart about it. I also have to be realistic, I'm not going to enjoy every single run. I'm going to tough these next 2 high mileage weeks out. The snow isn't going to help one bit, or my arch..
I just have to stay positive.

40 days until the marathon...

During Saturday's 8 miler, glad they plowed around Midway
i don't know where else I would run.

Marathon Training Week 10 + 11

I'm starting to panic.. just a little.


Week 12 begins today. With a well deserved rest day. I will do absolutely nothing (I'm doing my body a favor and letting it recover) .

NO Crosstraining
NO treadmill
NO abs
(just a slow mile bike commute to class)

Even if the weather is tempting me... (NOW it decides to warm up.. sheesh)

I am feeling sore this morning, and this week is "step-back" week! Yes! I love it.. because it couldn't have come in a better time. I need to rest and catch up on school work haha.

Week 10

Monday: Cross-training 10.5mi on the bike, short swim, and p90x Shoulders+Arms
Tuesday: 4 slow miles + abs
Wednesday: 8mi
Thursday: Intervals! 1mile warm-up, 6x400s at 5k pace. p90x Arms + Abs
Friday: switch my Saturday run (8miles) to today. Need to rest before Sunday's 5k/Long Run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Midwinter Cruise 5k (22:57) + 14miles @ 8:42pace = 17.1miles

Total Running Miles: 41
Total Bike Miles: 10.5
How I felt: Good, for the most part. A little sluggish during the week, but made up for it Thursday and Sunday with some speed.

Week 11

Monday: Rest Day (biked ~4mi to school)
Tuesday: 5 miles in the COLD 0 degress but feels like -16 degree weather.+ p90x arms & abs
Wednesday: Felt sluggish, so I opted for 5 No Garmin miles instead of 8.
Thursday: I felt better, so I did 4 miles outside, but the snow slowed me down. Treadmill Intervals 6 miles (Total 10miles) + 'Flex' Drop-in Fitness Class
Friday: Rest
Saturday: f^3 Lake Half Marathon (PR!) + 5 mi = 18miles
Sunday: Slow 7 miler

Total Running Miles: 45
Total Bike Miles: ~9
How I felt: Sore from the half, and the extra 12 miles after the race but overall, I feel good. I'm at the point in the marathon plan where my weekly mileage peaks. (I even added a mile or two this week and last just because I felt comfortable) And so far, my legs have been holding up pretty well. I'm trying to fit in cross training and strength workouts.. and sometimes I forget to log them. Oops. But I've been sticking to it! I've also started biking from one campus to the other (~1mi) everyday instead of the bus, does that count as cross-training? lol

According to dailymile... the f^3 Half was intense haha (my heart rate)


Week 12, prepare to be demolished!
I'm going to take it relatively easy this week. and maybe even try out the cycling class I've been curious about. Don't want to get injured, burn out or lose motivation. I'm really excited for the weeks to come

F^3 Half Marathon Race Recap

(This might be long... ) haha

24 hours later, I am still in disbelief at what happened yesterday. Mainly because I did not anticipate the outcome (spoiler: an amazing PR). 

My morning was the opposite.. like always, I'm doing everything last minute. I was running late, the CTA bus I needed to take to the train station was delayed by 20 mins.. I was better off walking to the station. I realized too late I had forgotten my ipod at home :( but I had brought everything else in my bag (even a banana for my pre-race snack). I wasn't worried, I guess I would have to run with my iPhone.

I was meeting up with Marisa from the UIC Run Club and hitch a ride from the loop to the start line. Once we arrived I looked for Christina (this was going to be her first half!) And we were warming up in the warming tents. I was so glad they had these. I was shaking the entire time, I don't know if it was because I was nervous or really really cold. Christina was able to calm me down a little by telling me I had nothing to worry about. (Which I really didn't, but idk what i was thinking). I had worn 2 pairs of tights, a tank, my Nike zip-up, Saucony jacket, gloves, and a hat. I knew I would warm up once we started running. I also took my first Shot Blok while waiting.

My goal for the race was to run a sub 1:45... I was skeptical. My calves were sore from my 10-miler & fitness drop-in class on Thursday. I had rolled and wore my compression sleeves to sleep in the night before so I was hoping it would help. 

"The cold is good for speed". 

Part of me believed it, I love running in the cold because I can't feel my legs most of the time. All I had to do was trust my legs, believe that I could do it and go through with it.

Me and Marisa lined up right behind the 1:45 corral. Got ready, and prayed for a good race.
_____________________________________________

Finish Time
1:43.13

Mile 1-3
The first mile and a half was congested (not a surprise) I weaved around alot. Then we got off the paved path and onto mud/snow unpaved (?) road. Are you fucking kidding me.  
Mile 1 (7:58)
 
I didn't want to sprain anything/fall on my ass/use too much energy so I played it safe. they had warned us about this and I know they tried to keep it at a minimum, since it had snowed the days leading up to the race so I wasn't too pissed. I noticed the 2 mile marker on the side. What the? So I manually lapped this mile.
 Mile 2 (8:08)

The next mile was a little off, I couldn't trust the mile markers and relied on my watch.
 Mile 3 (7:46)

Mile 4-8
I don't remember much from these miles. I just kept looking at my lap pace, and tried my best to keep it consistent. For the most part, I did. I felt great. I wasn't hot and I wasn't cold. Took Shot Blok #2 Mile 4 (7:51)
Mile 5 (7:48)

I had my phone, so I took a picture during the race just for the hell of it.  
Mile 6 (7:56) 

I started to see runners coming back! Pit-stop: Gatorade and another Shot Blok 

Mile 7 (7:56)

I see it! I see it! I switched my garmin over to see my overall pace so far, I was surprised. 7:53 and I had finished my 8 miles in 1:02.
Mile 8 (7:47)

Mile 9-13
I knew I was going to get tired soon. I kept thinking, just one more sub 8 mile.
Mile 9 (7:56)

Mile 10 is usually around the time I start getting a little tired. Come on... one more sub-8 mile. I thought about the marathon, and those last 6.2 miles that are going to kill me. I needed to be prepared for that day.  
Mile 10 (7:59)

10 down, 3.1 to go.. I was starting to feel my calves cramp up a little
Mile 11 (8:03)

I was careful at this point, 2.1 miles.. I had to conserve atleast one more before going all out. My calves were tight and as I ran, I tried adjusting my stride so that I was able to stretch out my calves a bit. At the 11.5 mark, there was an aid station, the last one. I walked, touched my toes and stretched out my hamstrings in less than 10 seconds and gulped down some gatorade. After mile 12 is where I need to give it my all.  
Mile 12 (8:08)

Passing mile 12, I had 1.1 miles. It's GO time! I started picking up my pace. At about mile 12.7ish I switched over my garmin to overall pace and looked at my overall time. HOLY SHIT! It was in the 1:41s. I had about .4 to go. I could do this. What kind of time was I on pace for? I had no idea. So I pushed it.   
Mile 13 (7:53)

I saw the finish line.. my stomach was feeling iffy at this point. I was going faster than my stomach wanted me to. I kept my eye on my watch. 1:42:30. At this point I wanted to try to run a 1:42:59 and I was counting down in my head. I was soooo close. I ran my heart out. I crossed at 1:43:13. I was just in disbelief. I was feeling great!

Finish Time 1:43:13
Overall Pace 7:53

11th out of 56 Female 20-24

60th Female Overall

(2 min 35 sec PR,
2 weeks after PRing during Polar Dash)

Crossed off goal #23 from my 2013 Goals List 

I scooped up my medal, downed a clif bar with some gatorade... I still had 5 miles to cover (womp, womp) haha. Marathon plan called for an 18 miler... but I wanted to stick around to see Marisa finish. 
_____________________________________________________

After
Clif Bars, bagels, gatorade, coconut water.. more than enough for everyone. The Clif bars were delicious and I took 2 since I needed to recovery food for the extra 5 miles and Sundays run. I learned the hard way to always eat after a workout. My muscles needed food.
I ran the 5 miles at an easy pace and Marisa was nice enough to wait for me while I went. By the time I came back to the finish line, there was still enough food! A good perk about running training runs during a half. haha I had gatorade on the course and goodies after the 5 miles. I got more than what I paid for. A good ass race, followed by training run and goodies for both.

Marisa & Me before the race

Once in the car and on our way home, I noticed my tummy hurting/burning. I had chafed. BIG time. All around my abdomen, and my sides. The 2 pairs of tights I wore were tied on too tight, and had cut into my skin, badly. I will not post pictures because it looks like someone beat me up haha. Ofcouse I cursed out loud when I jumped into the shower. But that race was worth it.

Back to reality: 48 days till the Marathon. I'm starting to feel really confident in my training and how hard I've been working. Next week is cut-back week and 13 miles for the long run. After that, the long run will be the 20 miler.. I don't know yet if I'll run a half marathon and then add 7 miles. I haven't looked around to see if there's anything in the area... if I do, hopefully I'll shave those 13 seconds off. :D but no plans or goals yet. 

At the moment, next race will be on March 17. LA Marathon. 

What I thought of the race itself:
-loved the t-shirt
-Interesting medal, something different
-enough goodies and food
-fast gear check
-warming tents (almost a must during the winter)
-great volunteers and even had gels on course
-free photo downloads (still haven't seen them)

I didn't get to check out the after goodies too much or any of the sponsors but I'm very satisfied  with what I saw. Def will be on my to-do list next year.

____________________________________________________
updated 2/4/13
Look what I found! Woohoo! 

Race Recap: Midwinter Cruise 5k

Ahh! So I seriously have like 5 minutes to type this because class is about to start and I know if I keep delaying it, I'm never going to type this thing up.

First things first. I don't know why I signed up for this race knowing I had to crap out a 17 miler that day but we signed up either way. Race started at 10:30am, which would've been a great thing if it wasn't for the long run, (we typically set out early on Sundays so by the time 10 o'clock comes around, we're back in our PJs and having a delicious breakfast at home). Last Sunday was different. We were on time, early actually. It was chilly but not extremely cold like TODAY! OMG!

My goal: sub 23

Race Morning
The morning of, I got hungry, since it was already 9 and I had nothing to do but wait until start time. I ate half a slice of pizza the night before, and then I finished it in the morning. Bam. Race Breakfast: cold pizza and half a banana. Not a good idea... I was also trying out some jelly beans for the long run and my smart ass decided to take them before the 5k (my excuse: the package said take them atleast 30 mins in advance)

Finish Time: 22:57
1st Place 20-24
3rd Overall F

The dude says go.. we shoot off. Literally, I just sprinted off. (--->)

I felt good the first mile and half way thru the 2nd, my best friend decides to die (my ipod). I cannot race without music. Nope. Not even a 5k. I hate my breathing, I have no motivation, it's just BORING. So ofcourse my 2nd split sucked.. and the fact that i kept trying to rescue my ipod by fumbling with the buttons, I was just distracting myself... I wasn't able to save it :(
Then I gagged. Out of no where. FML. Do NOT puke.
I kept running and my stomach was telling me to slow down before i hurled.. So I did (slow down).
As I got near the finish line, I saw JV! and he ran with me towards the finish. I was trying to catch deep breathes... not just because i was tired but because i was getting gaggy all over again.

We went inside and drank some gatorade, which helped a little. And I was able to get a few pancakes down.. since we had 14 miles to cover after this. Boo. I never actaully puked, which is a good thing,  but after the 14 miler, (got gaggy again during the long run) I wasn't able to get a meal down all day. Note to self: no pizza, or jelly beans

Anywho, back to the race itself.
Nice small local race. I loved loved loved the pancakes! So delicious. And they had plenty for everyone. Everyone received an award for finishing. There was age group awards and even random prizes being given out to runners. Overall, I would probably do it again (just for the pancakes and the prizes).


Luz
____________________________________________________________________________

Pre-Race:

We arrived about 30 minutes prior to the start.  They had free parking and enough room, which is always great.  The bib numbers were being distributed inside the school’s cafeteria.  They also gave all the participants the option to pick blue, gray, or black gloves.  As the race time got closer, all the runners went outside to start getting ready to line up.   As we lined up, I noticed that there was no timed mat at the starting line.  They told us that we would have to run two laps then make a left turn to finish.  I was confused, but didn’t really mind because ill be following.

Race:

There was a man who was doing countdown, but after the countdown ended everybody seemed confused.  It seemed like everybody was unsure whether to go or not. I started my Garmin as soon as the man finished counting down and took off.  But for some reason the guy in front of me didn’t and I ended up crashing with him and pushing him from behind haha.  After this happened, everybody took off!  As the race took off, we both laughed it off saying how usually there’s a gun or a horn.   After we took off, I quickly felt that we were definitely going at a fast pace.  I was with 5 other guys in the front just trying to my best to keep up.  These guys were obviously fast and were competitive.  Four of them were ahead in front of me and one was behind me, but I didn’t mind.  I did mile 1 at 5:58 and felt okay.  As we were going for our second lap, I noticed behind there was one guy from the group of 5 who was trying to catch up to me.  I did my best to keep him off.  Mile 2 was done at 6:30.  This made me feel a bit discouraged, but I didn’t let it bother me.  It was during this time I told myself that I better start pushing it.  I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure nobody would pass me.  I managed to do my 3^rd mile in 19 minutes.  This is when the finish line came in sight and I did my best to sprint towards it.   When I crossed the finish line I saw 19:37, but for some reason the results said 19:42.  Either way, I shaved a few seconds of my total time and PRed.  I also managed to get first place in 20-24 age group , which is always great.

Post-Race:

After the race we headed back to the school’s cafeteria were they were giving out free pancakes and sausage links. Yummy!   

Pros

-Free pancakes !!

-Finishers award for all participants

-They had raffles and were giving out awards to the winners

-Age group awards

-Race day pick up

-Free parking

-Timed course

-They had volunteers at each mile marker telling you, your total time.

-Free gloves

Cons

-No timing mat at start line

JV