Spectator-ing, and Muzak

Last weekend was the first in a month that I didn't do a race.  However, I still went to watch one (I can't stay away!).  A couple of friends competed in the Muddy Buddy race on Sunday, which is a 5 mile-ish duathlon/obstacle course/good-excuse-to-get-covered-in-mud-from-head-to-toe race.  My friend actually asked me to team up with her many months ago, but I turned her down--the mud just didn't sound that appealing to me at the time, and I can't remember the last time I rode a bike.  However, watching everyone have so much fun (minus the finish-line pukers--I don't think they were enjoying the morning), I may have changed my opinion.  Perhaps I'll try it next year.

Here's the first male team:

They held hands across the finish line. Absolutely. Adorable. Especially since they were manly-looking men.

And the first female team:

 Also adorable!

There were also lots of couples, who were adorable. Adorable-ness all around! :-p I didn't get a picture of my friends (I had to leave and go to work and they started in a later wave), but they finished and sounded like they had a lot of fun, so hooray for them!

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In case anyone was wondering (you know you were), here's some of my fave running tunes:

1. On to the Next One by Jay-Z
2. Boys Boys Boys by Lady Gaga
3. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
4. Video Phone by Beyonce feat. Lady Gaga
5. Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce
6. 3 by Britney Spears
7. Like a Boy by Ciara
8. Do I Do by Stevie Wonder
9. All I Do is Win by DJ Khaled
10. Rockstar by Rihanna feat. Slash
11. Drop the World by Lil Wayne feat. Eminem
12. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (gotta love the Gaga!)
13. Helena by My Chemical Romance
14. Freak on a Leash by Korn
15. Brick by Boring Brick by Paramore
16. Bedrock by Young Money
17. Over by Drake
18. Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
19. Drop It Low by Ester Dean feat. Chris Brown
20. Do It Again by The Fire and Reason

You can see my affinity for hip-hop and heavy bass lines.  And Lady Gaga. ;) 

What tunes keep you going, if any?

Chuy's Hot-to-Trot, and On Being a Grown-Up

This past Saturday I did the Chuy's Hot-to-Trot 5K, which was a last minute decision for me. My biggest lure to sign up? The FREE $10 DICK'S SPORTING GOODS GIFT CARD. That means an addition to my Nike Tempo Shorts collection, of course. ;) The race was on the other side of town, and I had to get my packet before the race, so I made sure I left plenty early. Got there, parked (thanks to the extremely helpful volunteers directing traffic), and got my race packet with no trouble. I then made my way to the starting line via part of a running trail in the area (kinda funny, don't know why).

It was an unusually cool and breezy May morning here in Central Texas (about 65 degrees). I started in the middle of the pack in case they decided to turn off the mats a la the Bun Run last weekend. Started off at a nice pace, and gradually picked it up. The course was fairly flat (as promised), so that was nice. Started to get a little winded with about a half a mile to go, but I was okay with that since it meant that I was leaving it all out there.

Towards the end, I was kinda racing with a guy, and I could tell he was NOT okay with potentially being chicked. :-p I wasn't even planning on trying to pass him, since I was pretty pooped by then. But he kept looking over at me, and then took off. Had I not been trying to finish strong, I think I would have stopped and laughed. Anyway, I finished in 31:35, a PR for me. My slow-poke goal in the future? Break 30 minutes on a 5K! Grabbed a banana and some water, went home, had breakfast, napped, and went shopping for work clothes. Because...

I am now employed full-time.

Before, I was working two part-time jobs (I'm still keeping one of them for the extra funds) . Even though it almost added up to a full-time position, I never really felt like a "real adult." You know, one that gets up, goes to work, does stuff, has lunch, does more stuff, and comes home. This left me feeling a little aimless at times (and still in somewhat of a college/grad student mentality), but it also meant that I could run and workout pretty much whenever I wanted (weather permitting). But now, being a "real adult" and all, I'm going to have to put myself on some sort of schedule, like other real people do. I've got to decide whether I want to chiefly work out in the morning or in the evening, and stick to it. Maybe this fixed schedule will help me get out of a mini-funk I've been in with regards to exercise in the past few weeks. This week, I'll try evenings, and maybe next week I'll try some mornings. I'm not a morning person at all (I sometimes fell asleep in morning classes--in grad school), but it would be nice to have a workout done before starting the day (though it does mean starting said day at 4:40AM. Blech.).

Any thoughts on scheduling oneself?

A Multitude of Race Reports

Since I've done 3 races since my last post (including one this morning), I figured I'd let you lovelies know how I did, and how I'm doing, and all that jazz.

Austin American-Statesman Capitol 10,000 (4/11/10):

(My dad made a point of asking me if the older gentleman on my right beat me. I'm sure he did.)

Good times had by all (or by me, at least). I ran this with some of my friends on a misty April morning, along with a crowd of about 30,000 people (gotta love the Austin running community!). We all signed up for the untimed, and did several segments of run/walking. Some of my favorite sights were the police academy running block and the Chinese dragon (that apparently ran the entire race together--this happens to be a big dress up/party race). We finished together in about 1 hour 35 minutes, and then went for pancakes (pancakes!!!).

Texas Round-Up 10K (4/24/10):

Maintaining my consistency in taking fairly bad race photos--and seemingly running with my eyes closed.

There was a torrential, but brief, rainstorm/cold front the night before, but it dawned to be a lovely, cool Saturday morning. I started off fairly slow (somewhat because of the large number of strollers and walking groups), and was pretty glad when the 5K course split off. This also meant that fewer people would see my panting face on the wicked hills to come, the wicked-est of these being a nearly-vertical three-block-long hill in the LAST MILE. I was really tempted to stop at the base and take a picture (alas, no camera). I'm sure it would have been amusing if someone had got a picture of my face--sheer terror, with a side of annoyance. However, I ran the whole way up, maintaining most of the rhythm that I had gotten into, and finished in 1:09:46. Slower than I hoped for, but it'll do (HILLS!!!). I even managed a negative split between the first and second half of the race. I then went shopping with a friend, which I regretted somewhat because my knees really started hurting. Alas, the pain of fashion.

Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5K (5/2/10):

 Oh look! Another bad photo! Though, admittedly, less bad than the previous one.

I headed down to Lady Bird Lake this morning for the Bun Run (which I ran last year with my dad). My absolute favorite thing about this? The free bottle of hot sauce I got at the packet pick up! I may or may not have gotten my timing bib activated--somehow, they decided that the timed runners were going to start in the front, and they may have turned off the mats (I always like to start towards the back). Normally, they just start everyone at the same time and leave the mats on. Hmmm. However, I think I made it. Update: They just posted the results, and I made it across the mat in time. Woohoo! Started out at a decent pace, didn't make any water stops, and picked it up a bit on the second half. My legs were feeling a little heavy, but that's probably because I was an uber-slacker this week. ;) Finished with a PR of 31:59. I'll take it! My spirits were dampened a little when I returned to find a Big Red exploded on my car (who does that?!?), but I got it washed, and also treated my self to a breakfast taco (or two...).

My March 5K was rescheduled to 5/16, but I don't think I'm going to do it; a couple of my friends are doing a duathlon the same morning, so I figured I go watch them. I'm thinking of doing a 5K next Saturday, but that'll probably be a last-minute decision.

You Want Cheese with that Whine?

Thanks for the support on my last post! It's been an interesting little journey, and one that I hope keeps on giving.

I keep wanting to start working on strength training more, but, to be honest, I just don't find it very interesting or engaging. I don't know why. It's not even the reason many women give of not-feeling-comfortable-lifting-weights-in-front-of-guys (in my mind, I'm not there to look cute, I'm there so I can look cute later. Hi-yo!). Maybe it's because I don't get the same rush I get from running and other cardio. The same feeling of immediate results. I keep meaning to try the Bodypump classes at my gym, which is a sort of group-lifting-in-rhythm (from what I can see through the class window). I'm not sure if I'm interested in a personal trainer, but that's probably because I'm not in a financially-advantaged position at the moment. I've got a couple of books that I could use (New Rules of Lifting for Women and Sculpting Her Body Perfect) sitting on my bookcase, gathering dust. So, at some point, I'm sure I'll just suck it up and cart myself into the weight room. Soon, because it'll be hot enough to swim in about a week or two, and I'm as vain as the next person in wanting to look decent in my swimsuit. But dontcha wanna hear me whine about it just a little bit more...?

So, yeah, my March race = FAIL. Last Saturday rolled around and I just decided that I didn't want to put up with running an impromptu 5K that I hadn't researched much and didn't know anyone who had done it and whose website I wasn't a huge fan of (and, and, and), so I did a 7-miler instead, then had a massive (well, a larger than usual) Tex-Mex breakfast at Juan in a Million (of Man vs. Food fame). As far as 7-milers go, it was pretty enjoyable. Nice spring weather, lots of people out, beautiful scenery...a great time had by all. I'm not feeling too guilty about the lack of a March race since I'm doing two 10Ks this month. The first one is next weekend and is more of a fun run for me. The second, two weeks later, will be a real deal. And I may even race the 5K that I originally signed up for, which has been allegedly rescheduled in May and will give me two races for that month. We shall see.

Any advice on getting oneself into the weight room and/or making it interesting?

Any good cheese-and-wine combos?

Sprrring!

So, I've come up with a little idea for myself this spring: a-race-a-month, or at-least-one-race-a-month. Just to give me something to occupy my running self (and myself, in general). Here's what I've got lined up so far:

1/24/2010: 3M Half-Marathon (done)
2/14/2010: Paramount Break-A-Leg 5K (done)
3/??/2010: ???
4/11/2010: Statesman Cap 10K
4/24/2010: Texas Round-Up 10K
5/2/2010: Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5K
6/5/2010: Taco Shack Freddie Frijole Fun Run 5K*
6/6/2010: Austin Bat Run 5K*
*the last two will be either/or--I doubt I'll do both.

I'm doing two 10Ks in April because for one (Cap 10K), I won't be really running up to speed--I'm doing it with some friends who are beginner runners and we'll probably be doing more walking than running. Thus, the Texas Round-Up 10K, which I'll probably be doing alone (and at my own speed).

I'm still trying to decide on a March race. Right now, it's a toss-up between the Trail Setter 5K (3/7/2010) and the Austin Runners Club Daisy 5K (3/27/2010). The latter is geared towards moms and families, but I'm sure they'll accept a single lady. :-p Part of me wants to do the SARR Prickly Pear 10M Trail Run in San Antonio (3/13/2010). I've never done a trail run (though I've run on trails, at Lady Bird Lake), and I haven't run longer than 6 miles since 3M, but I still think it might be fun. And it's the first weekend of spring break, so I don't think I'd have to work that Saturday. Maybe I can convince my dad to do it with me. I should probably decide soon...or maybe someone can help me decide. Any suggestions?

Not sure what will happen after early June--don't know if I'll feel like racing in the nasty hotness that is summer in central Texas. Especially if it's anything like last summer (consistent 105s, anyone?). We'll see.

If I stick to my runs for today and tomorrow, I should be at 18 for the week. Huzzah!

Paramount Break-A-Leg 5K Race Report and Other Revelations

This morning, I ran the Paramount Break-A-Leg 5K, which is put on in conjunction with Austin Marathon and Half-Marathon. It was kinda chilly this morning (about 43-ish--chilly for Texas), so I wore a technical shirt, a long sleeve t-shirt, and long tights. My plan was that I wouldn't be running long enough to get truly overheated, so I went for warmth. I also wore my new shoes, which are the same model as my old shoes (Brooks Trance 8), but in a different color. The race website made all of these dire warnings about parking difficulty ("You should plan to arrive by 5:30 or be tarred and feathered!" Not really.), so I left my apartment at 5:45 and got downtown at about 6:15 and found parking a few blocks from the starting line without a problem. I then sat in the warmth of my car 'til about 6:40, then went in search of the Porta Potties (which I found successfully).

The 5K started half an hour after the marathon and half (which started at 7), so, theoretically, you could watch the main races start and still be able to get to the 5K start line a few blocks up Congress. However, the fences surrounding the medical tent and finisher's village were set up so weirdly that I decided not to bother, and kinda peered down the road at the fireworks they set off at the beginning. Then the 5Kers lined up, and PRECISELY at 7:30, we were off (lovin' the promptness!).

Now, I should probably fill you in on something I discovered earlier this week: I'm a heck of a lot faster than I thought I was. Still not fast, or even middle-of-the-pack by most standards (maybe back of the mid-pack?), but much faster than I assumed I was. Like, a whole minute-per-mile faster. On Tuesday afternoon, I came home from work and decided to go for a 3-miler. I started out, and about halfway through, I was feeling a little winded. I thought to myself, "Hmm, maybe I just need more sleep...?" and kept going. At the end of my run, I looked at my watch, and was pleasantly surprised. This run clocked in a good 4-5 minutes faster than my usual times on that route. Holy cow! I hadn't run that route in quite a while, and had been doing most of my 3-milers on the treadmill. Subsequent outdoor runs this week confirmed that the 3-miler wasn't a fluke--my pace really is faster than I thought it was. For some reason, I guess I just hadn't been pushing myself for a while (the treadmill really doesn't require you to do that--which can be a crutch). Obviously, I need to get off the 'mill and get outside more, in order to realize my "potential."

Back to the race. I started off at my newly-discovered easy pace for the first mile, then kicked it into gear at around mile 2. I was definitely able to pick off a lot of the people who started out too fast, or started to fade toward the end. It feels weird passing people, because for the longest time I was always the one getting passed. As we neared the finish, I kicked it into gear. I actually had a lot of energy left towards the end, which makes me wonder (as I did in 3M) if I started out too slow. I guess I'll have to work on this "pushing myself" business. I PRed on the last 5K I did (which was in May of last year), by over 3 minutes, so...hooray! It wasn't as fast as my enlightening Tuesday 3-miler, but I'll take it. ;) This puts my mileage this week somewhere around 15 or 16. Tomorrow will be light cross-training (my knees are feeling a little beat-up), then back on to my quest for increased mileage.

Well, back to being an attentive reference librarian (someone's gotta run the joint on Sundays!), then home for minestrone, wine, maybe ice cream, and Jeeves and Wooster! Thanks, Netflix!

I did it again...

...ran another half-marathon, that is!

Almost two weeks ago, on January 24 (the day before my birthday), I ran the 3M Half Marathon. Based on my first half-marathon experience, I was a bit dubious about the whole thing, but I absolutely had a blast! I had been chewing on the idea of an early-2010 half for a while, even before RNRSA. It was down to 3M or the more popular, and more expensive, Austin Half Marathon. It finally came down to cost--3M was $30 cheaper. And it didn't hurt that it boasts a mostly downhill course. So I signed up on New Year's Eve (before the price increased) and got down to some quick training. I got in about 3-4 long runs before the big day, and hoped for the best.

Race day dawned super-windy! So windy, in fact, that the vast majority of the road barricades blew over and the start of the race was delayed for almost an hour while APD reset them all. I must say, I was quite grumpy huddled at the starting line in the 45-degree-with-wind-gusts-up-to-30-mph conditions. But once we got going, it wasn't so bad. I maintained a decent pace for most of the race, and only walked through the water stations. My (infamous) right knee started acting up around mile 5-6, but settled down around mile 10. I took a GU around mile 8, and that definitely helped power me up the one significant uphill section of the race. On the final stretch, I saw a couple of my friends who live in the area, and that was a nice boost. And then...I finished, with an almost 30-minute PR over RNRSA! I think two things can account for that: 1) It wasn't my first long race, so I knew what to expect, in terms of fatigue and nutrition, and 2) the weather was significantly different for the two races. While the balmy, still weather in November drained the life out of me, the chilly winter breeze of January definitely helped push me along, or allowed me to push myself along. Something to remember for future races (including this one, which I hope to do again next year!). After the finish, I grabbed some fruit, got my drop bag, and hopped on a bus to go back to my car. Later in the day, my stomach acted up a bit, but I guess that was just delayed-onset of nerves, or some such business. My friend took me out for pizza later, and then I vegged for the rest of the day.

No time for rest the next day! I worked a textbook-lending event at a local community college library for 10 hours. I was kinda stiff in the beginning, but I think all the moving around, and reaching, and stooping for books really helped me loosen up. In fact I think I would have been much more sore and stiff had I not had to move around so much. That evening, my friends took me out for Thai food and ice cream for my birthday. Overall, I was quite pleased with the productive 48-hours that led into my 26th year of being. :)

For the spring, I've got some 5Ks and 10Ks planned, and I'd also like to work on building my running base to 15-25 miles-per-week. This week will make about 18.5 miles. Next Sunday, I'm running a 5K that's part of the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. This way, I get to feel a bit of the excitement of the big races, but don't have to put too much wear and tear on me olde body, and I can also make it to work by noon. ;)

If you're in the wicked snow storm right now...become one with the treadmill. If you're in Texas right now, enjoy this beautiful weekend! I hear the upcoming week's supposed to be another wet one...

So, About that Half...

I did it! I was way slow (so slow, I don't think I'll mention my time), but I finished! It was super-humid and kind of warm for November; so warm, in fact, I'm not sure I'll do another long fall race, since Texas falls tend to be temperamental and you never know what you'll get (apparently, the 2008 Rock n' Roll San Antonio was extremely cold and rainy). But anyway, I made it, and learned some lessons along the way.

The day before the race (Nov. 14), my dad drove to my place, and then we drove together to San Antonio. My mom and brother were also supposed to go, but, in true teenager fashion, my brother remembered he had a band function at the last minute, so my mom stayed home with him (nerd). When we got there, we first went to the expo at the Alamodome to get my race packet. This was my first full-blown expo experience, so it was a little overwhelming. At one point, I remember kind of turning around in circles in place, trying to figure out where to go (with my dad laughing at me, of course). I did manage to score various granola bars, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Subway lip balm (???). After that, we checked into the hotel, which was really nice and connected to the Riverwalk (I've always wanted to stay in one of the Riverwalk hotels!). We then walked downstairs to get lunch/dinner at about 3. We stopped at a Mexican place along the river, with lots of other race people (there were expo bags everywhere). I got enchiladas and was pretty full, and didn't really eat for the rest of the day (which I would come to regret the next day). We walked around the Rivercenter mall for a little bit, then went back to the hotel and chilled for a little while (Dad napped with the remote, so I had to watch football and read magazines). I then laid out my race gear for the morning (I decided on a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, though it would be in the 50s in the morning), including my iPod, took a shower, and went to bed (meaning I got in bed at about 9, but fell asleep about 11, and proceeded to toss and turn all night).

Race day (Nov. 15)! I got up at 4 and got dressed. I wasn't really nervous, but mostly because I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew that I'd be running for a substantially long time. My dad got up with me and walked me to the shuttle stop, which was a few blocks away. I got there at about 5:15, and the line was already pretty long. However, it magically doubled as soon as I got there! I still wonder how all those people got to the race on time. The shuttle ride was about 10 minutes, and then we had to walk about a mile to the race start area, which was a little annoying. However, there were porta-potties everywhere! So that was a good thing. :) Once we got to the start area, I got a bagel, a banana, and a bottle of water, and sat down for about an hour. I still wasn't particularly hungry, and only ate half the banana, but maybe that was just nerves, or over-caution. Then I went to the porta-potty (the lines were pretty decent, from my limited experience), came back and sat down some more. The race was slated to start at 7:30, so I went over to my corral (22) at about 7:10. A mistake! Since I was so far back, we ended up standing there for about 45 minutes before we actually started, and my lower back started to hurt (as it does when I stand still for a long time). But, at about 8:15, corral 22 finally got to the start, and we were off.

Now, to be honest, the race itself has become a bit of a blur in the past 3 weeks. I ran for the first two miles (through downtown, so the crowds were out and it was pretty exciting), then took my first walk break to preserve energy. The first water station was at about mile 3 (maybe? I'm not sure). I made sure to get a little water at every station, just to keep myself hydrated. I remember thinking that the course was awfully flat for San Antonio (they weren't lying when they said "fast and flat" on website), and we ran through several neighborhoods. It wasn't the most scenic route, but it was relatively flat and there were several residents out cheering us on.

Around mile 6, I think I started walking much more than I wanted to. I was starting to get a little worn down, and the sun was rising in the sky. It was probably almost 70 degrees at that point, and still humid, so it wasn't so great. I tried to run as much as I could, though. Around mile 9 or 10 it got pretty tough, mentally. I remember thinking that I just wanted to stop moving. Propelling yourself forward for 13.1 miles is kind of intense, much more so than I realized. My back was still hurting from standing so long at the start, and I'm sure salt was starting to show on my face (I discovered this particular physical phenom after my 10 miler the week before). The thought of stopping definitely crossed my mind, but I knew I could finish, even if I walked the rest of the way. Somewhere between 11 and 12 we split from the full marathoners, and I remember feeling soooo sad for them, and wanting to give them hugs (delirium, anyone?). However, we also met up with the super-fast marathoners who were almost to the finish, so that was inspiring/annoying. They were also handing out GU at this point. I kinda wanted to take some, but I've never used it before, so I didn't want to risk a stomach upset. At mile 12 we got wet sponges, so away went the salty face. Finally, the Alamodome was in sight, and after an annoying uphill right before the finish (wtf?!?) we were done. Medals, water bottles, wet towels, get your picture taken, get some snacks, and there you go. I found my dad, and we rushed (or, he rushed me and I hobbled) back to the hotel so we could make our check-out time. Some friends of mine had come to watch me, and had seen me finish, but I wasn't able to meet up with them because of the checkout business (if you're reading this, thanks again guys!!! Love you!!!).

Now, I'm 98% sure I fainted sometime after I got back to the hotel. Though I did get some snacks in the after-race area, I didn't really want to eat anything (I have a really hard time eating after I run). My dad was trying to take pictures of me with my medal, and I remember feeling light-heading, breaking into a cold sweat, walking into the bathroom, closing my eyes, opening my eyes, and being on the floor. I got my dad to bring me some sports drink, after which I felt a bit better. I've had these pseudo-panic attacks a few times before, but usually only after someone tells me a really intense medical story (once it happened when someone was telling me about a graphic ski accident). But this is the first time I've lost consciousness. But, I was able to take a shower, pack up, and make it out by checkout time (you're welcome, Dad :-p).
We drove back home, got barbeque, and then my dad left. I think he had a great time being a spectator, for once. ;)

Overall, it was a great first major-race experience. I definitely learned that I need to eat something the night before, even if I'm not particularly hungry. I also shouldn't go stand at the start too early, since it will wear me out a little. And, in the future, I will probably take off my headphones near the finish line. I couldn't hear anyone calling for me, though my dad and my friends said they did. :-D

Since the race, I laid off running for a little bit, but I'm back at it because I'm kind-of, sort-of, maybe training for something in January. However, I'll keep mum on that for now since I haven't actually registered. I went for a super-chilly run on Thursday, for which I regret not wearing gloves, but which was also one of the best runs I've had in a really long time. I'm also trying to focus more on my overall fitness and working on the strength-training business. Although I'm still losing weight (though my grandmother made a point of telling me not to lose anymore at Thanksgiving :-p), I definitely need to work on toning. Tonight I'll hit the gym for some cross-training, and tomorrow will be a long(ish) run.

So, yup, there you go. Epic-ly long post, but epic updates too. :)

Allow me to Reintroduce Myself...

I'm currently in the midst of my half-marathon training, about to start week 8. This weekend, training took on the form of a 10K, specifically, the Run Austin Run 10K (there was also a half-marathon and a 5K). I'd run the 10K distance before, but not in a race, and it was only my 3rd race ever, so I was interested in the outcome. The race was slated to start at 7AM on Sunday morning, so I got up at about 5:15, got dressed, ate a banana, got my stuff together, and drove to the race site. Now, here in Central Texas, we are actually having a fall this year (which we rarely ever have--it usually just sort of stops being hot sometime in November), so it was quite chilly. Chilly enough for me to endlessly debate with myself the previous day about whether or not to wear a long sleeve shirt. After talking to my dad (the uber-runner--and running purist), I decided just to wear a short sleeve shirt, since I would definitely warm up once I got going. Once I parked my car, I sat inside for about 30 minutes because I didn't see any point in standing around being cold for an hour (it was about 55--not cold, but chilly enough for our neck of the woods). About 25 to 7, I got out, put on my race number, reluctantly took off my jacket, and walked over to the starting area.

The start of the race was to be staggered--the half-marathon would start at 7, the 10K would start at 7:10, and the 5K would start at 7:15. However, the police officers working the route ran into a few delays in securing the route, so the half didn't actually start until about 7:15. So, I actually stood outside for about 45 minutes before the 10K actually got going. I put myself towards the back since I know I'm fairly slow. For about the first half mile, my feet were kind of hurting since we had been standing so long prior to starting, but that went away after a little while. Though I started at the back, I managed to begin picking off people that started too fast, so that was kinda fun. At one point, I think I passed a girl I knew in college who was doing the half marathon. However, I really hadn't seen her in about 4 or 5 years, and only knew she had taken up running due to that great bastion of social networking known as Facebook, so I didn't really want to say anything in case she thought I was a weird stalker or something. And I didn't want to slow down and talk (I might send her a message today and mentioned that I saw her and congratulate her).

So, the first 3 miles went by pretty well. I felt good and had warmed up, so I was glad I hadn't worn long sleeves. However, at about mile 4, we got into a hillier, residential section of town. I kind of expected the hills, but didn't really think they'd be that bad. Ha. I do most of my training on relatively flat routes or on the treadmill, so I haven't really dealt with hills too much. But these definitely made me walk more than I wanted to. There was one steep downhill that my knee definitely wasn't happy about. And it didn't help that cars were zooming around us in the neighborhood. I guess they didn't appreciate having a race course on their streets. :-p But there were a few folks outside cheering, so that made up for it.

Once we exited the neighborhood and headed for the last stretch, I remembered someone saying near the race start that it was supposed to be downhill. NOT. It wasn't brutal hills like those in the neighborhood, but it was definitely a steady incline. I ended up running a good portion of the last couple of miles with a lady pushing a stroller. She mentioned she'd never run this far with a stroller, so props to her! I'm sure she would have finished way ahead of me without it. Right before she crossed the line, however, she took her kid out of the stroller and they crossed together--I assume it was adorable, but I was too busy gunning for the line to see it. :-p Overall, my pace was slower than I wanted it to be, but I'll attribute some of that to the hills, and some of it to my slacking-off-in-training (which I'll talk about later). After they cut my chip off, I went in search of water, but couldn't find any (wtf?!?). So I grabbed a random protein drink and headed to my car, since I had brought water with me. It's probably lucky that I left when I did, since it started to pour shortly after I arrived back at my apartment. Very unfortunate for the half-marathoners. I took a quick shower, dressed, and headed out to a brunch with some friends who gave me all sorts of kudos for the race. :-D Then I went home, made chili, and vegged out on the couch for the rest of the day.

I had all sorts of outcomes from this race, other than the soreness in my glutes and hamstrings from those hills. A major thing I learned is that I need to be more focused on my training. A confession: I've been slacking off a bit during the past few weeks--and it definitely showed during the race. It would have been great to been able to tackle the distance with fewer walk breaks, and consistent training definitely would have helped with that. Training has been starting to feel like a bit of a chore, but now that I have a gauge of my current fitness level, I feel excited about where the remainder of my training will take me. I now understand the importance of completing the four weekly runs in my plan (especially the long run!), and also need to work on strength and resistance in both my lower and upper body (those hills!).

I also found out that I enjoy racing. Not necessarily being competitive, but running with other people who have the same goal as me. It inspires a sort of, "We're all in this together" feeling in me, which is fun. Normally I just trudge along on my own, but it was great to be out there with other runners, and not just fitness buffs at the gym. I'm looking forward even more to RNRSA, especially to the camaraderie I'll get to experience with thousands of other runners and spectators. Running really is a community.