Life Lately...

Good morning! First, let me just say Happy November!!! I seriously can't believe that we are already getting close to wrapping up 2015. It's been a whirlwind of a year that's for sure...but we're still not done yet!!

November is actually probably my favorite month of the year...the holiday season is officially in the swing of things and my favorite holidays are right around the corner! It doesn't hurt that there's lots of holidays from work on the schedule either! hahaha Many times I'm more excited for the time off than I am for the actual holiday. Kind of sad, but I'm just being honest here. LOL

I have a few races coming up too - this weekend is the Mission Inn 10k. I've done it the past three years as part of the Run Riverside Challenge and as challenging as it is, I do find myself looking forward to it each year. You can read the previous race recap here, and if you want to learn how I did the opposite of preparing for this race last year you can read that here. News Flash: I didn't beat my previous PR at last year's race and felt like I barely survived it really. I don't remember having fun that's for sure. LOL

From the race website - click picture to go to site.

But I will say that I'm going into this year's race feeling much more prepared for it! So there's that...the coaching has been very beneficial and that kick in the gut that I got at the completion of October's training cycle has proven to be very motivating. That and the fact that I really want a PR at the next race on the schedule...more on that in just a moment.

My plan for this weekend is to treat the race like a training run. It's a very hilly course so I'm going to do my best to control my running on the hills and focus on my form and hydration/fueling throughout. Because the following weekend is the Surfer's Point 10k in Ventura and that one is going to be my PR push!!

This is the first time I will be doing races on back-to-back weekends, but I do feel prepared for it especially since I'm using the first race as a training run for the second one that will be the push. My biggest goal for this weekend is to focus on how I feel at each mile and visualizing running faster and stronger the next weekend. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that the Surfer's Point 10k will be mostly flat...something I can't say ANY of my other 10k races have been! I'm looking forward to a flat race, finally. LOL

The rest of life lately consists of spending time with the family and just soaking in all that life has to offer. Oh, and work...can't forget the thing that pays the bills. LOL

It really is, friends...it really is!! Now get out there and have an awesome weekend and go crunch some leaves under your feet while you're at it!!

Stay in pursuit of a quality life!

Idyllwild 10k Race Recap

This past Saturday, June 6, 2015, I participated in the Idyllwild 5k/10k run in Idyllwild, CA. Idyllwild is a small mountain community in the San Bernardino Mountains just above the valley where I live and is a place that me and my family have enjoyed visiting pretty much as long as I can remember. This is the sixth consecutive year that I've participated in this race doing the 10k five of those times, and the 5k once while I was still recovering from my knee disaster and illness. This race is small and challenging, but I absolutely LOVE it and look forward to it every year. Last year's race recap can be found here.

One of the most exciting parts of this year's race was that my daughter, Michelle, was running her very first 5k! She had begun with Couch to 5k and then kind of winged it on her own running a couple times a week. She hadn't necessarily "trained" for the race, but she was excited to participate in one and was ready as she was going to be at that point in time. My sister also had one of her daughters running the 5k race as her first as well! Now, I should point out that my daughter is 21, and her daughter is 8 and had done the kids races previously but had aged out of them this year. My sister also had her other daughter Kaylie participating for the second year in a row, and her husband, Stephen. My running friend, Sally, was also running the 10k and on top of that, my Mom was also doing the 5k and I had a couple of coworkers that would be running the 5k or 10k. In other words, we had a pretty good group up there participating in some fashion this year!!

Me & My Daughter, Michelle at the Subaru Selfie Station before the race!

It was a pretty chilly morning up in the mountains, but standing in the sunshine before the race started made it bearable. Me & Chellie rode up with Sally and met my family there. Check-in was super easy and quick as this is such a small, local race. It was nice to see a Subaru selfie station and tent set up as this race really doesn't have any extra frills at all. So seeing any group there handing out goodies was a nice surprise. Another local company was handing out trail mix samples as well.

The 5k race starts 45 minutes before the 10k as there are multiple runners that compete in both distances, so after warming up in the sun for a bit I was able to send Michelle and my family off on their 5k races!

Off and Running!

I actually really enjoy that the 10k starts after the 5 because it allows me to see the early 5k runners returning and it is always so amazing and inspiring as this race attracts some serious competitors, many from local track teams. And this year did not disappoint as the first runner came in at just under 15 minutes! Keep in mind that this race is at over 5,000 ft elevation and has some hills. There were also some older runners and little itty bitty tykes coming in at around 20 minutes. These people are crazy fast, yo!! My daughter had anticipated that it would take her around 45 minutes, so I was anxiously hoping I would get to see her come in before having to take off for my race start, so imagine my surprise when my coworker ran over and pointed out that my daughter had just passed me while I wasn't paying attention because I wasn't expecting her for several more minutes! She finished in 37 minutes and some change and was super proud of that - as she should be!!! She totally rocked it and did even better than she expected. And her first comment to me once she could breathe again - when can we do another one?!? HUZZAH!!!!

Another pre-race selfie...Sally on the left, me in the middle, Michelle on the right.

It was finally time for me & Sally to get started...I mentioned before that I had co-workers that would also be running the race; Jennifer from the Business Office and Brian from Information Technology. Well, it turns out that Jennifer overslept and never made it, but Brian did fabulous for such a challenging 10k! He and Jennifer are both currently training for their first half marathons. Hers is the Disneyland in September and his is in October in Temecula. So finally all the 10k runners got started and were off in a flash! It's a downhill start and runners always take off super fast in this one. I always seem to get caught up in it and then pay for it about a mile in with tight shins. This year I really restrained myself and just enjoyed falling into an easy pace with Sally. We were definitely towards the back of the pack though.

The first several miles went super smooth and passed quickly. I really feel bad that I hold Sally back because she's a little speedster, but boy do I enjoy running with her!! It sure does make the miles fly. I did get a little tight around Mile 2.5 but not enough to require stretching. Taking some walk breaks was enough to loosen me up. Around mile 3.5 Sally asked if we had gone past 2 miles yet and I couldn't help laughing because we were at mile 3.6!! That's how smooth the early miles went. LOL

We eventually made it to "the hill" that is such a freaking killer in this race. Seriously, it is a hike and I know people run it, but there's no way at my current level that I could. I would surely die!!

Course Elevation Profile

But you know what? This year was much easier than previous years and I think I owe it all to Sally! Having someone beside me talking when I could barely breathe made a world of difference. I could just focus on what she was saying instead of the fact that I wanted to die or quit, or maybe both.

Once we tackled the hill we put it into gear and enjoyed the heck out of the downhill portion! That's one thing I love about this race - you totally EARN that downhill! Another bonus was finding some Ca$hMoneyYeahYeah on the ground!!! $20!!!! That's the second time (in 6 years whomp-whomp) that I've found a Jackson while running!

Blurry, but you get the idea...

We kept up a fairly nice pace until the final hill, walked that little bad boy, and then kicked it into high gear for the finish!! I crossed the line at 1:19 which is better than last year, but not a PR (current 10k PR is 1:16). But I am totally okay with that because, honestly, this race felt pretty darn good. I know I could do even better if I actually put in the training. My coworker finished in about 1:05 which is fabulous!! I will note that the road traffic seemed to be more than usual this year. We started about 15 minutes behind schedule due to an accident at the bottom of the hill that was delaying participants. They do have the two roads where you have to actually cross the street manned by crossing guards that stop traffic, but while you're out on the other roads traffic is wide open and there were lots of cars out there. Several large diesel trucks spewed their nasty exhaust as they went by which was less than enjoyable especially when you're already sucking wind. Minor complaint there - if this race gets any bigger they should consider closing roads entirely IMHO.

Co-worker's friend, Kenny on the left, me in the center sporting my SkirtSports Jaguar Skirt, and Brian on the right.

We double checked the times that were posted and found out that my daughter only had three people in her age group, so she actually came away with a 3rd place AG finish!! We walked over to the award ceremony so she could pick up her "trophy" which is a glass mug etched with the design. Interesting side story here: This race doesn't have medals, but it does have a long sleeve shirt with an artist's drawing of various woodland creatures/trees/etc. The artist is a local and she does an awesome job each year. I don't usually have much cause to wear the shirts since they are long sleeve, but they are so unique and I treasure all of them that I have. My previous ones are all in the quilt my sister is making for me!! This year was a fox on a black shirt. You can kind of see it on several people in the picture above of my daughter off and running at the start of the 5k.

3rd Place Age Group Finish! Not bad for her first race...Next one she wants a beer garden! hahaha

 After touching base with everyone and picking up that awesome mug we stopped in at the little coffee shop, Higher Grounds, and I used my found Jackson to get me, Sally, and Chellie a coffee and Veggie Muffin to split that was absolutely delicious!! Well, Michelle might have thought it was a little too "earthy or fresh"...hahaha. I would probably say it was more of a Frittata in a muffin paper, but I don't even care - it was so yummy they can call it whatever they want! I actually want to find a recipe and make it myself. It had mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, red onion, spinach, cheese, eggs and probably some other stuff that I can't remember. We sat for a few and just enjoyed our accomplishments before heading back down the hill.

All in all, I love this race. It is definitely one of my favorites and I love that it is so challenging, I love that it is a gorgeous location, and I love that it supports a great cause (local PE programs). There isn't a doubt that I will be back again next year!! One area that they could improve upon though is the timing. It's not chip timed and results aren't always accurate. I was listed as 21 years old on the finishing results which made my time 2/2 in that age group. HA! Sally was listed as 53 which is nowhere close to accurate and even though she was right behind me coming into the finish, they have her time listed as two minutes after mine. Don't think that's correct...LOL But really, for me as a non-competitor, it is a non-issue. It is simply something that could be improved, but won't keep me from going back again next year. This is definitely a race I can recommend especially if you're looking for a challenge and enjoy fresh mountain air.

What I Wore:

• Skirt Sports Kelly Bra - no issues whatsoever...seriously the most comfortable sports bra I've ever owned
• Skirt Sports Jaguar Skirt - I LOVE THIS SKIRT!!!!
• Saucony PE Short Sleeve Top - so lightweight and no rubbing whatsoever
• SmartWool PhD Socks - my favorites...no sweating, no blisters...LOVE
• Mizuno Wave Rider 17's

How to NOT Prepare for a Race...

So I have a race coming up this weekend on Sunday - the Riverside Mission Inn 10k in Riverside, CA. This is a race that I have participated in previously; in fact it was my very FIRST half marathon and then I did the 10k last year as well. It's also the second in a 3-part race series.

Half Marathon at Riverside Mission Inn in 2010

Now, I've mentioned multiple times that my plan is to PR in every race distance this year. So since I've only run one other 10k this year and ended up coming in far below a PR because I was battling a stomach bug, this is basically my last chance to meet that goal. No pressure, right?

Not feeling too great, but ready to run the Idyllwild 10k in June 2014

And let me tell you exactly how I'm ensuring I am going to be successful in meeting that goal! Because it's pretty awesome...

1. Sleeping in a LOT - yep, the alarm goes off and I hit snooze for close to an hour until the time for working out has passed and I am now rushing to get ready for work instead.

2. Getting sick - yep, my last 10k I ended up battling a stomach bug; this time I'm battling a nasty cold. I swear I've had it for a week and a half and it still isn't showing signs of letting up. I tried running last Thursday and the congestion in my chest was such that it just didn't feel good at all so I walked it instead.

3. Skipping workouts - I haven't worked out since last Thursday when I somewhat attempted to run, but ended up doing a brisk stroll instead. I skipped working out on Friday; I skipped long run on Saturday; I skipped Monday; and then I skipped today. So that means I have 3 days to get some quality workouts in before the race.

4. Eating ALL the candy - Usually I can skip the candy jar for the most part but the last two weeks I have been acting like I live off of the stuff. It's terrible.

So Dangerous!!!

5. Forgetting repeatedly that I even have a race this weekend - I should be thinking strategy and figuring out my game plan, and instead I was actually surprised when my co-worker mentioned the race this weekend because it was the FURTHEST thing from my mind.

So there you have it - five surefire ways to ensure your race is a not very pleasant experience! Sounds like a great plan, huh?

Seriously though, I'm going to go out and do my best. I recognize that I have a fairly decent training base under my belt so a week of missed workouts isn't going to kill me and that by the end of this week I should be back to feeling 100% from this cold. And I also know that if I don't meet my goal, it isn't the end of the world. The economy won't crumble and millions of fans won't be disappointed. At least I hope not...ha. ;) Kidding...

I still think it is entirely within reason to walk away with a PR for this race. My previous best is 1:16 and some change so really all I need to do is maintain a 12 minute/mile pace for 6 miles. I think that is totally within reason and attainable. I'm not looking to crush my PR, I just need to beat it.

I'll let you know how it all goes! Send me good vibes!

2014 Idyllwild 10k Race Report

So I need to give a little bit of background before I get into the actual nitty-gritty of the race. As I mentioned in my previous post (here) we were renting a cabin with the family and staying the entire weekend. My son and DIL were driving up from LA and then we would head to the cabin to get everything settled in and the rest of the kids would join us that night after work/school obligations.

So mid-afternoon my son & DIL show up at the house and my DIL is immediately struck with severe stomach cramps and the need to visit the restroom STAT! She starts feeling quite off so we take a little break and allow her some time to just curl up in a ball on the couch while giving her some crackers. She finally starts to feel well enough to go and we head on up the hill to the cabin. The cabin is FABULOUS!! Like seriously perfect for us. A lot of times the cabins tend to be a little on the smaller side and we are a big family - with the babies we had 11 people! This cabin had 5 rooms so everyone got their own space. Win! My DIL continued to feel "off" the entire night, but never really let it keep her from having a good time...she was a super trooper! So we ate dinner and went to bed at a later than I wished time of 10:30 PM or so. That is WAY past my regular bedtime...but when in Rome, right?

A majority of the family...you don't see here my other daughter Melissa, her SO, Curtis (Melissa had to go to work so they met back up with us after dinner) and my DIL Tasha that is taking the pic. Let's go clockwise around the table starting with my lovely son with the cheesy grin right there in front (haha): Robert, his wife Auxi, the Hubster, empty chair (Tasha), Angie in the high chair, her daddy (and my son) Brandon, me, the bubbies Joshua and his mom (my daughter) Michelle.

I slept fairly well until about 2:30 AM when I woke up with horrible stomach pains. GAH!!! Off to the bathroom I went where, okay totally TMI, I was so glad there was a trash can because I was so nauseous I thought I might just have to use it as getting off the toilet was out of the question. And there I stayed for probably about an hour. No bueno. I was able to go back to sleep, but I was exhausted and still not quite feeling 100%. I woke up with the alarm but hit snooze a few times and then went reallllly sloooooooow getting ready. Way slower than I had wanted to. I ate some toast and coffee, but I can't say it was all that appealing to me. But I was bound and determined so I headed off to the race with about 30 minutes to spare before the start. I actually had to drive PAST the 5k runners because they were already close to finishing. Understand that I usually prefer at least an hour before the race start to get all checked in and settled. That obviously didn't come close to happening on this one. Okay, so now we are finally to where I can get into the nitty-gritty of the race.

The weather was actually pretty good in comparison to what we might have in the valley down below, but it was already shaping up to be extremely warm with a projected high of 85. Now the thing you have to keep in mind is that you are at elevation (about 6,000 feet above sea level) so the air is thin and that means that the sun pretty much has a direct shot at ya. So any cooling effect of being in the mountains is negated by that sun hitting you in full force. But I was prepared and had slathered on the sunscreen and was decked in shorts, a singlet and no compression sleeves. In past years at this race I have been overdressed and paid for it dearly while sweating buckets in the later half.

Right before the start...ready to go but feeling a little less than stellar. That's the "I really hope I don't puke, face".

There was a small group running the 10k - 79 participants total finished. I was able to take down a GU Espresso Love right before starting, but it definitely didn't go down as easy as I would have wanted. I was still feeling a little queasy, but at least didn't feel too shaky. Finally our little ragtag group lined up and then we were off! I had to really remind myself at the beginning to run my own race and not get caught up in the pack. I didn't care that people were whizzing by me or widening the gap in front of me. I was out there competing with me, myself and I. I kept it at a nice easy pace and, honestly, I felt great for the first several miles! I felt strong, nothing hurt, and I was able to pass some folks that were already showing signs of struggling. I was able to take on the slow rolling hills with no problems and I even realized that the part where I usually start to feel my calves cramping I was able to continue running through. Everything was great. I was probably a good 2 miles in before I took a short walk break.

I got right back to running and was truly enjoying the scenery. For the most part I was by myself but was keeping pace with a couple ladies in front of me. I hadn't even turned my music on because I was enjoying the peace and quiet. The hills started to get a little bigger and I started to get a little slower. And then every time I started to get a good jog going I would alternately feel like either puking or passing out. I just wasn't feeling great anymore and I started to walk more and more. Instead of worrying about it, I just decided to Instagram enjoy the scenery instead.

I was at least happy that even though I was mostly walking, I was keeping up a pretty decent walking pace! I was also happy that even though I was mostly walking, I was still keeping up with the lady in the purple tank top in front of me! It's the little things...

I attempted to take a Chocolate Outrage GU as I started up the worst of the hills, but I was only able to get a couple little mouthfuls down - probably about half of the packet. I'm going to take a little side route here for a moment...my Mom & Sister were also both participating in the 10k race. My sister had done it back in 2010 when it was both of our first times tackling it, and my Mom had been doing the 5k race each year along with my sister in 2011-2013. They both knew that it was going to take them a fairly significant chunk of time to complete the race and they also knew that with it being such a small race, the race organizers shut it all down fairly quickly. Even though they don't have a time limit posted, the announcer leaves to do the kids races, the volunteers all take off, etc. and if you aren't careful you are coming in to a completely normal town center instead of into a race finish line. Have you ever been at the back of the pack? There's a great blog post about it here that I think every runner, spectator or race organizer should read!! Okay, PSA over and back to the story. Since my Mom & Sis knew it was going to take them a long time to finish, they were cleared to begin the race with the 5k runners 45 minutes before the 10k start to give them a little head start.

Here's another pic, just because...this is right before you hit the "Big Hill"

Okay, so back to my story: As I was nearing the top of the big hill I finally caught my Mom so it was nice to see her for a few moments! I was also able to pass the lady in the purple tank top on the hill. And I need to note, it isn't necessarily that the big hill is super steep, because it isn't, it is that it goes on for FOREVER. No, like seriously...FOR-EV-ERRRRR.

You get to a curve and think - okay, this is it, I've got to see the top of this hill...and no. Then another curve and you foolishly think the same thing just to be denied again. And it goes on and on like that for a ridiculously long time. It is a cruel joke...

Elevation Profile from my Garmin stats

But finally there it was, the crest of the hill! From there I knew that it was downhill for a good little while and I was ready to give it a worthy effort. So off I went and I was able to go for a good bit before a new sensation entered the equation. As I was coming down the hill I got to now feel like I was going to either Puke, Pass Out, or Pee! Downhill running is not a friend of the bladder...I seriously considered ducking into the bushes, but there were a lot of houses, not a lot of brush, and I, of course, worried about ducking into a patch of poison oak or poison ivy. That just would NOT be a nice thing to subject the hoo-hah too, so I held it and did the best I could to finish strong! I finally caught my sister and wished her well after taking a short walk break with her and then got moving again. At this point I just wanted to finish so I could be done feeling like dookie.

The rest of the race was fairly uneventful. I was thrilled to see my Son & DIL cheering me in at the finish line and I was thrilled that there was still cold water left (I think this is the first year I actually was able to grab a cold bottle!).

Final Finish Time: 1:20:12

So it wasn't a PR, but you know what? It also wasn't my slowest time either and I felt like serious crud for a lot of this race. So I totally consider it a win!! And it did leave me feeling fairly confident that I can get a PR at the Mission Inn Race in November. So my dream isn't dead, yet!

My splits are honest in telling the story of this race:

Mile 1 - 11:18
Mile 2 - 11:12 (see, feeling good and keeping a nice casual pace!)
Mile 3 - 14:17 (slowing down)
Mile 4 - 15:12 (gain 174 feet of elevation in this mile)
Mile 5 - 15:27 (gain another 251 feet of elevation)
Mile 6 - 12:16 (lose 253 feet!)
Mile .2 - 0:14 (okay, my Garmin shows it as only .03 miles so who knows...)

So there you have it - it was a successful, challenging, and crazy race! I have a lot of mixed emotions about it because I wanted it to be a great race but the stomach thing really crossed that want off of the list. I did continue to feel pretty icky the rest of the weekend and was glad that we only spent a little bit of time walking through town on Saturday afternoon and that Sunday morning was full of relaxing. I was also super glad when we got home that evening and I could crank the air conditioner because it was toasty warm! My stomach sickness was not isolated either, my hubby ended up being sick all day on Sunday and let's just say his tummy is not as strong as mine so he got the joy of actually puking instead of only feeling nauseous. Poor guy... :-(

Even though this race is so challenging and it does have some areas for improvement it is one I look forward to every year and I can't wait to go back in 2015! I have a funny story to tell about a little post-race adventure, but I will have to get to that another day since this is already more than wordy enough. Look for it soon though!

I will close with this last pic just because it cracks me up to no end! Can you tell she loves to take pictures???

Race Talk and Happy National Running Day!

First things first, Happy National Running Day! June 4th of each year is the day dedicated to the sport that I have come to know and love. So if you love it too - go celebrate! If you don't, then that's okay too; go celebrate what you do love! :-)

Feel free to make your own badge, pledge your miles and more on the national running day webpage.

So did I run today? Nope...it's one of my cross-training/rest days and even though I heavily debated doing some type of run in celebration I decided that I celebrate running just about every other day and the fact that I didn't run today doesn't mean I'm not a runner. Instead, today I apparently decided to celebrate with some extra sleep. haha

I guess you could say that I'll be celebrating this upcoming weekend when I participate for the 5th straight year in the Idyllwild 5k/10k race in our local mountain community.

It's a tough race, for me anyways, for a lot of reasons. 1) It is in the mountains so at altitude - thinner air to breathe; 2) It has a LOT of hills; 3) Not a lot of course support as it is tiny, tiny, tiny; 4) Did I mention the hills???

Here's a pic of the course elevation:

Yeah, you see that downhill start followed by a massive climb for a few miles? It gets me every time. As I mentioned, this is my fifth straight year participating in this race, and my 4th time doing the 10k. Last year I was forced to do the 5k as I was still recovering from my knee surgery and rather than even attempting to run it, I planned on walking the entire thing; which I did.

So let's look at my previous finish times:
2010 - 1.22.12
2011 - 1.16.20
2012 - 1:22:15
2013 - did the 5k and didn't really care about time

The first year the race totally kicked my butt. So I headed to the local hill, that I still continue to use as a warm-up now at Diamond Valley Lake, and had my first introductions to "The Beast". I put in a lot of hill work that year because I was bound and determined to do better the next time around; and you can see that I did!! Then I slacked off in 2011/12 and returned to my flatlander ways and you can see that I went right back to where I was that first year.

My goal this year is to PR in every race distance and this is my first shot at getting a new personal best in the 10k! I'm really hoping to feel strong and confident on those hills, but I also already have my doubts. Let's talk strategy for a moment...

You can see that it is a downhill start, and that is actually part of the problem! It is a small race so it is easy to get caught up in the start line excitement especially because if you slack at the beginning you'll quickly find yourself all alone out there. I absolutely love running downhill, but I also tend to cramp up in my shins/calves if I go out too quickly and then I find myself losing time because I'm stopping to stretch my legs out. So it is imperative that I start off slowly. I want to spend the first mile or two getting in the groove and saving my energy for the hill.

At least you can't say it won't be scenic!!

As far as the hill goes I want to run if I can, but will walk it most more likely. It goes on for a really long time and the concern here is that if my heart rate gets too elevated I'll never be able to bring it back down and finish strong.

That downhill after the big ass hill - I plan on really capitalizing on it! I want to completely take off there and keep a run up the entire time until the final little hill close to the finish. I might walk that hill, I might run it - really it depends on how I'm feeling. But then I'll throw on the burners and sprint to the finish to quickly shut off the Garmin. This is not a chip timed race, but they do have folks recording the times at the end and they seem to usually be fairly accurate since you pretty much cross over the start line as soon as the horn goes off because it is so small.

In the past I've been able to really utilize fishing in this race, so I'll do that here as much as possible. There's just something so rewarding about picking a person and then passing them. I know that as much as I have struggled with this race, there are others that also do too so if I can capitalize on that in the later miles I will! hahaha

My big concerns for this weekend:

• It's looking like it is going to be toasty warm this weekend! 
• It's at altitude
• I'm on my first week of 10-hour days for work so the fatigue usually really sets in by the end of the first week until I acclimate to the new hours by about week 3
• We are renting a cabin so I won't be sleeping in my own bed which means I may not be as rested as I would like to be
• My running has not been as stellar as I would like it to be lately...I haven't been pushing as much as I could/should and even though I've done a lot of hill walking, I haven't done a ton of hill running. That might bite me in the rear.

So with all that taken into consideration all I can do at this point is do my best! I'll go out there and put in the best effort that I can...I'll let you know how it all goes next week!

Race Recap - Riverside Mission Inn 10k

This past Sunday I participated in the 36th Annual Riverside Mission Inn Run in Riverside, CA. This run includes a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and 1/2k and 1k kids races all benefiting the Mission Inn Foundation and Museum. This was the second time I have participated in one of the Mission Inn Run's; the previous time was for my first half marathon back in 2010. This year I opted for the 10k.

The Mission Inn Run is what I consider a "local" race as it is about 45 minutes away from my hometown. There are a good amount of participants and they really put on a pretty good event that definitely showed some improvements since 2010. This was also the second race in the Run Riverside Challenge that began with the Hometown Heroes Honor Run back in October.

A little background...

The Mission Inn is a hotel, a historical site, a museum, and an arts center all in one. I have had the opportunity of staying at the Mission Inn several times, as well as visiting their day spa on one occasion. It really is a beautiful building and is a centerpiece in the downtown Riverside area. Every holiday season they also do a Festival of Lights and deck out the hotel, along with the downtown shopping district that is pedestrian traffic only. Another cool feature of the hotel is they have horse-drawn carriage rides available.

Here are a couple pictures of the hotel:

It really is an absolutely AMAZING hotel and historical site. Absolutely breathtaking and full of all kinds of charm. I haven't had the opportunity to explore, but they even have some catacombs that run below the hotel that guests can check out. And their spa? To die for! (And no, they haven't paid me for these statements. haha). If you want to learn more go check out The Mission Inn Hotel and Spa's Website and if you are interested in the history you can click here to view the Mission Inn Museum's site.

The Actual Race...

So I shared my goals and strategy for the race last week and I went into it fully planning on sticking to that plan and pacing - basically I wanted to finish at no more than 1:16. I woke up with plenty of time Sunday morning after getting all my clothes laid out the night before and setting up the coffeepot to get started without me. I wrote my pacing out on my forearm then ate my regular breakfast of Maple Brown Sugar Frosted Mini-Wheats and a cup of coffee and had plenty of time to gather my items together before heading out to pick up my sister's kids just up the street (we had to travel in two cars since it was my mom, my sister, her hubby, and her three kids and both mine and my mom's cars fit only 5 people each). We still needed to do packet pick-up and my Mom's race - the 5k - started at 7:30 AM. We got there with time to spare and got everybody checked in. My sister ended up bumping down to the 5k race as well since she had been dealing with some sickness and wasn't quite up to par for tackling the 10k. So that meant I would see them off then be on my own for an hour before the 10k geared up. I hung out with my Brother-in-Law for a bit and my nephew and nieces then left them to their own devices to head over and get ready to go.

Here is where I had mistake #1 - I had gone to the bathroom soon after sending off my mom & sister, but didn't make another potty stop before lining up for my race that had a start time of 8:30 AM. So by the time I started running, it had probably been close to an hour since I had last gone. Even though I hadn't been drinking water yet, I definitely could have used that extra stop. I do not know what I was (or wasn't in this case!) thinking!

I had a GU Tri-Berry gel on my way to the start line and was feeling anxious to get going. The day was shaping up to be quite nice and I was super glad I had gone with a short-sleeve shirt and compression shorts because that is one of the really big mistakes I had made back in 2010 at this race - I wore a long-sleeve shirt and pants and it was HOT! Okay, it was probably in the 70's, but nowhere near warm enough to run in long-sleeves and pants. I was miserable; so lesson learned and it made a difference!

The gun finally went off and I stuck to my plan to start off slow, but I was still going faster than I wanted to. There was a very slight uphill at the beginning and then a good downhill and I was cruising. I think I was probably a high 10-minute/mile through there. The biggest thing that threw me off during this first mile was how steeply cambered the streets were, so I tried to stay towards the middle of the road as much as possible. Just before the Mile 1 marker we left the streets and headed into Fairmount Park which is quite pretty, but the road we were running on was not in terrific condition, but I was determined to just keep an even pace.

Mile 1: 11:16 - a little faster than the planned 11:38, but I wasn't too worried; however, in retrospect, this was the ONLY split that was anywhere close to my "plan"

Here is where things start to go sideways. After leaving the park we hit our second water stop and it really got congested, but I should have just settled down because after the congestion cleared there was the first hill and it was a doozy. I ran for part of it, but quickly realized that I was going to spend all of my energy if I kept it up like that, so I ended up walking. Looking at the elevation information from my Garmin it starts at 785 feet at 1.21 miles then climbs over 100 feet to 890 by 2.19 miles. I really realized here Mistake #2: I have not had nearly enough recent hill training and I should have been more diligent in keeping that up. I enjoyed the downhill that followed all the up, but was being super cautious because of my knee and not wanting to put too much pressure there especially since I can feel the downs more than the ups in that regard.

Mile 2: 12:27 - way slower than the planned 11:30
Mile 3: 11:46

We finally evened out for miles 3-5, but I was still struggling with keeping my motivation going and there were multiple times that my Garmin yelled at me because my heart rate was too high. That seems to be one area I have a really hard time with in races - during training runs my heart rate usually stays in a nice even range, but when I race it ends up going high. Not sure what I can do to change that, so any suggestions are welcome!!! However, I do realize that it probably coincides with Mistake #3: I really need to drop some pounds. I felt heavy and sluggish and I know it is because I'm carrying around way more than I need and am about 10 pounds heavier than I was when I ran my previous 10k PR. It makes a difference...

Mile 4: 11:53
Mile 5: 12:53

After a long mellow stretch we made our way back into Fairmount Park and I definitely enjoyed the scenery, but then as we exited the park I realized that we had to hit the hill AGAIN!! I don't know why I hadn't made this correlation earlier, but after passing the water stop again from Mile 1, there it was...taunting me. And I just didn't have it in me to even run a little bit of it at this point. So you can see from my Mile 5 split, I walked a lot during that mile taking my time up to a full minute more per mile.

The picture doesn't do the hill justice...but a hill at all was definitely NOT welcome at this point!

As I was walking up it I said out loud "I'm so DONE with these hills!!" and the couple behind me chuckled...I think they were feeling them too. Finally it was time to head more towards the city streets and the final stretch. I tried to keep a slow jog going but ended up walking several times anyways.

Mile 6: 12:45

Just as we were coming up on the final turn I was near a gal that I had been leap-frogging with the entire race (I called her purple tank top in my head as I would keep my eye on her when she was out in front) and she was walking so I said "come on, girl - we are almost there - let's finish this thing!" and she said in reply "thanks, I needed that" and started running again. She passed ahead of me, but I saw from the finish line photos that I must have passed her in my final delirious sprint to the finish line.

Mile .2 (actually shows as .3): 10:49

I'm there in the blue shirt and black hat - See the girl in purple tank to the right of the picture? Yep - that's her!

Final Garmin Time: 1:16:14
Final Chip Time: 1:17:10 (I did make a brief potty stop and the Garmin auto-paused so that accounts for the difference there)

Final Thoughts...

So, in other words, I did not meet my Good, Better or Best goals and even though I did RUN pain-free, my knee was definitely achy the rest of that day and into the next which made me very nervous. I actually didn't even tell anyone outside of my bestie on Tuesday that my knee had even been a little achy because I didn't want the family to panic. And I definitely didn't want my hubby to put a possible limit on my running out of fear that I would injure myself again. So this is just between us; don't tell him any of that...mmmkay? But I will say that now that I am several days out, my knee is feeling just fine again so no worries there, but it is definitely something I'm going to be keeping a close watch on.

Okay, so let me go back a little bit - you see the picture above of the hill? You see the guy in it wearing the blue hat and blue compression socks? Well, he was definitely one of my rabbits! We passed by each other throughout the ENTIRE race. I never got a chance to talk to him at all...we were both very much in our own zones, but I did see him afterwards posing with his medal and told him that he had kept me going out there and that he was one of my rabbits and he said the same thing! He said between keeping up with me and purple tank top (apparently he called her the same thing! hahaha) that we kept him going. It's always so fun to see how we all motivate each other and even when we are personally struggling that we very well may be the inspiration that gets someone else to the finish line! You can never discount that...no matter how you personally feel about your performance. AWESOME, right?!?

I know this is overly long, but just a couple take-away's before I wrap it up. My previous 10k PR of 1:16:20 at the Idyllwild 10k in 2011? Wow - I really did NOT give myself enough credit for how good that time was considering the elevation and altitude factors! Here I was on relatively flat ground in the valley and I couldn't beat that previous PR (my Garmin shows a new PR, but if you go by gun time it is just shy). Second, even though I didn't meet my goals, I'm still happy with how I did because all things considering and what I've been through over the past year I am super blessed to even be out there running at all! And to just go bang out 6.2 miles after being in miserable pain and suffering just 9 months ago? Yeah...that's a big deal. Finally, I definitely need to have more runs at goal pace so I'm better prepared to step it up in a race environment.

Next on the schedule? The Holiday 5k in Pomona on December 14! I'm looking forward to it!