Last Sunday I ran the Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Las Vegas, Nevada. I originally signed up for this particular race because 1) I love the Biggest Loser (although I stopped watching several years ago) and 2) because I knew I could convince my mom to do the 5k. My mom is super awesome and beyond supportive of my running, however she will be the first to tell you she doesn't understand the concept of paying to run when I can run for free anywhere I want. *shrugs*
Anyhoo, I knew I could convince her because she doesn't enjoy running, but she does like to walk, and will only consider doing a race if other people will be walking too (she doesn't want to be the last person coming in, which I totally understand!!). This is called the Biggest Loser Run/Walk Race series, and I've been waiting for one to come to California. When I found out this was going to be in Vegas, I figured it was close enough to not pass up and then I'd be guaranteed a travelling buddy, because #priorities. Well, my mom was all in until she got her retired butt a job!!! Its temporary, at the LA County Fair, but since she had to request off the last weekend of the fair due to my San Jose running trip (plane tickers already purchased) she felt bad asking for two weekends off in a row. Which I get, but I was bummed for sure.
Anyhoo, it was a super short trip and definitely not your typical "Vegas" trip, but I think that's what convinced my friend Mary to come with me in the first place. We spent Saturday laying around our hotel room watching Friends, after a delicious lunch of pizza and breadsticks. Yum. And then dinner was pasta and bread with pistachio chocolate chip cannoli for dessert. Yeah, she's got this carbo-loading thing down!
The race has a 7am start time, which concerned me since it was supposed to be a high of 100* that day. The race started and ended at Circus Circus, which is where I stayed, and that mean I got to sleep in a whole lot later than I normally do on race mornings! Yay! It was another out and back course (lame) which had a loop at the end, so you got to the end of the course, turned around and went back to the 5ish mile marker, got a bracelet, and turned around and went back to the end of the course, and then turned around again and could continue on to the finish line. Kinda weird, and possibly more boring because we saw that portion of course 4 times! And the race was down Industrial Rd, so while there was much more shade than there was at the Ventura Marathon, it was the backs of buildings on one side and the freeway on the other. Still better than last week, but not incredibly exciting. Oh well. The volunteers were all super nice and they had a ton of different flavors of Gu at the fuel station, so I got to try the caramel macchiato one. So good!
Side note: I like Gu's and gels, but tend to gravitate towards the chocolate and coffee flavored ones. The first one I had during the race was espresso, the second was mocha, and the third was the caramel macchiato. My coffee addiction has integrated itself into my running addiction!
I Periscope'd the last half mile-ish of my race which was super fun but also incredibly awkward to watch afterwards. Heavy breathing and shaky video aside, I totally messed up like half my words! I mean, it makes sense that my brain would go on strike after 12.5 miles of running, but I didn't realize just how many words I pronounced wrong, misused, or completely omitted! Haha, oh well.
Anyhoo, I felt so much better this race than last week. I don't know if it was the shade or just being better prepared, but I finished a good 30 minutes sooner than I did last week! Hopefully I can keep that up the next few races. While I don't necessarily race for time, I definitely want to get faster. In fact, I just hired a running coach! I love running and it is super fun, but I would like to be a more efficient runner, which means actually training. Races are fun and I enjoy talking to people and getting the most out of my entry fee, and I will continue to do that, but I know I've got some untapped potential somewhere in me and I want to explore where that takes me. Exciting things coming up and I can't wait to see where running takes me!
Friday, September 25, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
Ventura (Half)Marathon Recap
Yesterday was the Ventura Marathon. This was my 8th half marathon of 2015 and my 18th lifetime half. That being said, no matter how many races you've done, every race is different and you never know what will come up or what to expect. Now, if I'm being truthful, I didn't train as well as I could have. I had a minor foot injury (irritation?) during my last half marathon so I took a couple weeks off. I've been back into it, but my long runs have definitely suffered. But I still felt pretty good about myself crossing the start line Sunday morning.
They always say not to trust the first mile of a race. That first mile is always a liar. You cannot judge a long run by the first mile, especially during a race. Your adrenaline is up, the energy of all the other runners starting is pretty contagious and you feel invincible. This was the case for my first mile. But then the second mile was pretty awesome too! And then the third mile wasn't too bad. And then BAM! It was downhill from there (figuratively of course, because literally would have made it super awesome).
The race was an out and back course, which means you go out for half the distance and then turn around and come back the same way. I'm not a huge fan of these courses because you see the same things twice. When I signed up, I figured I'd have ocean views, so it wouldn't be too bad. Well no. It was beach city for maybe the first 2.5 miles and then marsh-like land. With no shade. None.
Running is a mental sport. Your brain is yelling at you to stop torturing yourself and makes you think your lungs are going to give out and your legs will turn to jelly any minute. But if you can get out of your head for just a few seconds, running is peaceful. At least for me it is. I rarely get the "runner's high" people will tell you about. But on a good day, I shut off my mind so that I'm almost on autopilot. My legs are going, my asthmatic lungs are kicking butt, and everything falls into place. Granted, that feeling never lasts long. But its my own runner's high and when your brain goes at the speed of light at all times, its nice to have a break. This race though? Could. Not. Shut. It. Off.
It's hot. There's no shade. I forgot my sunglasses. I hope the cute guy doesn't see me like this. I have to go to the bathroom. Why is there no shade? Dude, that mile marker can't be right; my watch said I hit that mile ten minutes ago. Why is it so hot? I need water with my GU. My legs hurt. My feet hurt. Is my knee acting funny? How long until I have to check out of my hotel? I hope they have good beer. I think I have a blister. Do I need to retire these shoes already? OMG I have 9 more of these races coming up! UGH!!!!!
Yeah, those were just some of the thoughts going through my head. And if you thought those were annoying, trust me, it got 100x worse. I couldn't shut it off for the life of me, so I ended up walking quite a bit more than I should have.
Also, not to give TMI but I had some minor stomach issues. Have you ever tried to run when your tummy threatens to go on strike? Running is just about impossible.
FINALLY I got to the finish line chute and I was the only runner! As much as I like attention, being the only runner that last tenth of a mile was actually super intimidating. Lots of people cheering, which was great. But knowing all eyes were on me was weird! Probably why my eyes were down in this picture. And also, I was just super relieved to be done.
The race organizers sent an apology email with our pictures today. The turnaround spot for the half marathon was placed in the wrong spot so yeah, it was roughly one kilometer longer than it should have been. I know that doesn't sound like much. But I ran my required race distance. I wasn't looking to be on my feet any longer than I needed to! I don't have my official time yet, but I guarantee it will be slow. Next week will be better.
Things I learned from this weekend...
1. Eating a huge lunch the day before is a bad idea if it means your dinner will be small. Keep it balanced and more protein with dinner. (Secret: you actually don't need to carb load for a half marathon....usually).
2. Almond milk is not good pre-race food.
3. Remember to smile. I think I'm smiling in 1 out of 20 race pics. Yes, I was irritated. But I pay to do this to myself. I need to remember to enjoy the journey.
They always say not to trust the first mile of a race. That first mile is always a liar. You cannot judge a long run by the first mile, especially during a race. Your adrenaline is up, the energy of all the other runners starting is pretty contagious and you feel invincible. This was the case for my first mile. But then the second mile was pretty awesome too! And then the third mile wasn't too bad. And then BAM! It was downhill from there (figuratively of course, because literally would have made it super awesome).
The race was an out and back course, which means you go out for half the distance and then turn around and come back the same way. I'm not a huge fan of these courses because you see the same things twice. When I signed up, I figured I'd have ocean views, so it wouldn't be too bad. Well no. It was beach city for maybe the first 2.5 miles and then marsh-like land. With no shade. None.
Running is a mental sport. Your brain is yelling at you to stop torturing yourself and makes you think your lungs are going to give out and your legs will turn to jelly any minute. But if you can get out of your head for just a few seconds, running is peaceful. At least for me it is. I rarely get the "runner's high" people will tell you about. But on a good day, I shut off my mind so that I'm almost on autopilot. My legs are going, my asthmatic lungs are kicking butt, and everything falls into place. Granted, that feeling never lasts long. But its my own runner's high and when your brain goes at the speed of light at all times, its nice to have a break. This race though? Could. Not. Shut. It. Off.
It's hot. There's no shade. I forgot my sunglasses. I hope the cute guy doesn't see me like this. I have to go to the bathroom. Why is there no shade? Dude, that mile marker can't be right; my watch said I hit that mile ten minutes ago. Why is it so hot? I need water with my GU. My legs hurt. My feet hurt. Is my knee acting funny? How long until I have to check out of my hotel? I hope they have good beer. I think I have a blister. Do I need to retire these shoes already? OMG I have 9 more of these races coming up! UGH!!!!!
Yeah, those were just some of the thoughts going through my head. And if you thought those were annoying, trust me, it got 100x worse. I couldn't shut it off for the life of me, so I ended up walking quite a bit more than I should have.
Also, not to give TMI but I had some minor stomach issues. Have you ever tried to run when your tummy threatens to go on strike? Running is just about impossible. FINALLY I got to the finish line chute and I was the only runner! As much as I like attention, being the only runner that last tenth of a mile was actually super intimidating. Lots of people cheering, which was great. But knowing all eyes were on me was weird! Probably why my eyes were down in this picture. And also, I was just super relieved to be done.
The race organizers sent an apology email with our pictures today. The turnaround spot for the half marathon was placed in the wrong spot so yeah, it was roughly one kilometer longer than it should have been. I know that doesn't sound like much. But I ran my required race distance. I wasn't looking to be on my feet any longer than I needed to! I don't have my official time yet, but I guarantee it will be slow. Next week will be better.
1. Eating a huge lunch the day before is a bad idea if it means your dinner will be small. Keep it balanced and more protein with dinner. (Secret: you actually don't need to carb load for a half marathon....usually).
2. Almond milk is not good pre-race food.
3. Remember to smile. I think I'm smiling in 1 out of 20 race pics. Yes, I was irritated. But I pay to do this to myself. I need to remember to enjoy the journey.
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