Bay 2 Breakers is a HUGE (50k+ people), partying, 12k race from the Bay Bridge to the ocean, East to West, across San Francisco. Every year my running team fields at least 2 centipede teams. Each consists of 13 runners tied together by our super-secret-patented-speed tie system and 2 floating runners in case someone has a bad day or trips over a salmon-runner or gets hit by a rogue flying tortilla. Only one 3-block steep hill slows the runners at about 2.5 miles and the rest of the race is mostly downhill to the coast.
I've wanted to be a part of the women's centipede since I started with the Aggies in late 2004. It took 6 years of running, injury, time-off, self-coaching and finally hiring a coach to get my first chance, and it was definitely an experience. I'm not a fan of the 5-9 mile race distance yet, and wanted to see if this 12k would inch me toward liking it. Here's how it went:
I was hooked into the middle of the centipede, and was so glad I wasn't a floater! When the countdown clock hit 00:00, we were really close to the start, all lined up in a long column, so our front runner (wearing the antennae!) was about 3 rows back and I was about 6-10. We started out at 6:30 and I thought I may be able to keep up, but it was going to be hard. Some crazy was running back to the start in the first half mile and collided with us. A young naked guy ran past a little later. Tortillas were flying. Red Coats fired party-popper rifles. The hill caused my belt to squeeze me because the 'peders in front and behind me were too far away. At mile 4, I thought, "We are over halfway there!" And then I thought, "And the distance left is more than most of my running races!" A little after that marker, the ladies sped up and I was pulled for the rest of the race. We finished together! And finished first in the women's centipede division.
I had a lot of people encouraging me the whole way and making sure I stayed hooked in, and without them I likely would have bailed. I'm so happy I didn't. It was hard and a blast and I was sore for over a week.
But, I still am not keen on that race distance.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Kauai Loves You
First Olympic Triathlon
Lessons Learned:
- Asking a ton of questions at the packet pickup the day before makes me feel a lot better.
- Running and biking and swimming the course beforehand also makes me feel better.
- Shoelaces make OK race belts in a pinch.
- Taking a look at competitors on the start line at a small race might be a good idea.
- Kauai is full of micro-climates.
- Try to eat more during olympic distance tris than just 267 calories.
When signing up for the Kauai Loves You Triathlon, one had a choice of olympic or sprint distance. This benefitted the Kauai Aquatic Club, so a ton of the competitors were swimmers by nature. The olympic course consisted of a 2-lap open ocean swim in a "bay" with waves and swells. It went almost parallel to the beach back and forth, and measured about 100+ meters short of the traditional olympic distance of 1500m. The way out was aided by a current, so the way back was much slower. The bike portion was almost 4 miles short. It too was 2 laps. We went over a big hill and a fun little dip with a one-way bridge at the bottom, then slightly uphill until a turnaround when the backroad reached the highway. The run was through the Marriott golf course and by the Lihue airport. It went uphill for about 1.5 miles and then ever-so-slowly lost elevation until the turn around a smidge after 5k. Once back near the main Marriott road, we took a left and finished at the opposite end of the beach from which we started.
Triathlons in Hawaii need to be thought about differently than those in California. First of all, the water is much warmer, so wetsuits are not necessary. I usually put my number on my skinsuit under my wetsuit, but no wetsuit meant a number would be draggy in the water. I wanted to put it on for the run, but I didn't have a race belt. So, after futilely trying to take belts off of hiking pants, I finally pinned the number onto a shoelace and that worked ok.
My goals for this race were A) to swim hard, but survive the waves without a wetsuit and B) to bike time-trial hard.
My parents were my cheering section and the main job of the cheering section is not to cheer, but to yell out placing. I estimated there were about 8 women in the olympic distance race of 29 total participants. We started the swim briefly after the sprint-distance athletes, and soon we were really spread out. I had a hard time breathing with more than 2 strokes. The only thing notable about the swim, besides the quick swim to the far bouy and the slow swim back was that they moved the far buoy in closer during the second lap for some odd reason. As I ran toward transition, my parents notified me that there were 5 women in the olympic race who had already exited the water, and my declaration that I would be one of the slowest swimmers seemed to have come true.
Shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and I started out on the first mile, passing a lot of ladies. I didn’t know whether they were slower sprint swimmers or in my race. When I reached the first turnaround at the far end, it was pouring and my sunglasses were splotched. After lap 1, my parents said, “I think you’re in first?” I shrugged. I passed 2 more competitors in the second lap, we were spread out by then. The rain moved to the midpoint on the course during the out portion and then settled for pouring in transition when I completed the bike leg. Woo!
Now soaking, I tied my running shoes, grabbed the shoelace belt and my hat and headed out for the 10k. The rain ceased after about half a mile. The sun came out and started baking us and converting the rainwater to super-humidity. Yucko. A guy left transition a few seconds ahead of me and he was the only place I swapped with during the run, which felt great until about the 5k. The air felt still and sticky and warm after the turnaround and seemed to suck out energy. Every incline provided achy legs. Another guy in front of me probably felt the same way because he looked back at me at one point to see how far away I was. Fortunately, the finishing mile-plus was down hill and partially shady.
This was the longest race time-wise I've ever time-trialed. All my energy was gone at the finish, and I just wanted to take a nap on the grass and not move. Battles with the 10k run distance are now 0-2. I'm losing.
On a more pleasant note, it turns out that we had 12 women in the olympic distance race, so I was smack in the middle of the competition for the swim. I ended up placing 6th overall and 1st woman, thus winning a triathlon for the first time.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Humboldt Half 2009
Even though I didn't really race this one, I want to write a quick report as it was my first half marathon that I've actually entered in, and there are some points that I'd like to capture. First of all, this was the most gorgeous race I've run. It probably helped that it was longer and that I wasn't focused on running fast, so I could enjoy the scenery. The course was out and back along a road that took us through giant redwoods. Most of the time we were in their shade, but sometimes the light would filter through the needles and it was lovely. *sigh*
Second, it is important to note that no matter how much talking and mental prep-work I do beforehand, I'll still get a thrill out of passing people. The goal was to run between 8 and 8:30 minutes/mile pace. I believe I ran 51:25 for the out-leg (about 7:50/mile), and I only was able to do that by making a deal that if I stayed at an 'easy' pace back I could run faster on the way back. Of course, the return leg was about 49 minutes even though it was slightly farther. Weee!
Third, having a gel at the turnaround was great and the first time I've ever taken food while running faster than easy pace. So, that was cool.
Lastly, they have BEER as an age group prize! I was so lucky that very few fast people were in my age group and I got one. Local brewery too. Yum!
All in all, I don't hate half marathons like I hate 10ks. It all depends on the first experience.
Second, it is important to note that no matter how much talking and mental prep-work I do beforehand, I'll still get a thrill out of passing people. The goal was to run between 8 and 8:30 minutes/mile pace. I believe I ran 51:25 for the out-leg (about 7:50/mile), and I only was able to do that by making a deal that if I stayed at an 'easy' pace back I could run faster on the way back. Of course, the return leg was about 49 minutes even though it was slightly farther. Weee!
Third, having a gel at the turnaround was great and the first time I've ever taken food while running faster than easy pace. So, that was cool.
Lastly, they have BEER as an age group prize! I was so lucky that very few fast people were in my age group and I got one. Local brewery too. Yum!
All in all, I don't hate half marathons like I hate 10ks. It all depends on the first experience.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Willow Hills XC Challenge 2009
I was totally wavering on whether to run this race or not. Because it was so far away, I told myself that I'd go if I found a carpool buddy. Found one on Friday, but Friday night I really didn't want to race. Too bad for me, now I was stuck. I think I'm mentally burnt from racing every weekend.
Another YouTube video, this time of the start and finish:
This course was two loops of about 2 longer hills and one really short, really steep bump, and some rollers. My first lap was about 10:28 and I finished in 21:03, which now seems better than if I said I positive-splitted in 6:30, 6:42 and 7:00 min/mile. Maybe the two laps weren't really that equal as we went around a lake two different ways for the two laps. I thought that my best time for this course was in the high 20s, so I was disappointed with a time of 21:03 but looking back, it seems that I was mistaken and it was in the high 21s instead. Two people I'd been finishing near beat me by several seconds. Gotta get them next time. Must note that I got a weird side-ache before the last long hill, but it went away in about a minute.
Another YouTube video, this time of the start and finish:
This course was two loops of about 2 longer hills and one really short, really steep bump, and some rollers. My first lap was about 10:28 and I finished in 21:03, which now seems better than if I said I positive-splitted in 6:30, 6:42 and 7:00 min/mile. Maybe the two laps weren't really that equal as we went around a lake two different ways for the two laps. I thought that my best time for this course was in the high 20s, so I was disappointed with a time of 21:03 but looking back, it seems that I was mistaken and it was in the high 21s instead. Two people I'd been finishing near beat me by several seconds. Gotta get them next time. Must note that I got a weird side-ache before the last long hill, but it went away in about a minute.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Presidio XC Challenge 2009
I was guessing that I'd probably finish around 26:30 by looking at past performances of others, so I was hoping to hit near that time. I didn't. Here's how it went.
So, the Presidio course is the most challenging of all the races in the PAUSATF XC series. It races like a 4-mile cross country course, except that it is only 3.55. I was going to write that nobody is fond of this race, however, one of my teammates says this is her favorite race. Not sure if she counts though, as she is a total "mountain goat". The course does two-ish loops of sandy-hill, long-hill-along-road, steep-downhill, and steep-hill. Those are my names for them of course. Then, we finished going backwards down sandy-hill, and around a big grass field. All I can say is, "PAIN."
Found a video of the first time up the steep-hill! Thanks walkerfamilymedia!
This time was better than all the other times I've raced this course, so I was happy with the result. I beat my predicted time by almost 30 seconds! The flats and slight downhill were where people would pass me, but I seemed to do the passing on the steep ups and downs. Totally pooped out at the end and like 5 people passed me in the last 400m.
So, the Presidio course is the most challenging of all the races in the PAUSATF XC series. It races like a 4-mile cross country course, except that it is only 3.55. I was going to write that nobody is fond of this race, however, one of my teammates says this is her favorite race. Not sure if she counts though, as she is a total "mountain goat". The course does two-ish loops of sandy-hill, long-hill-along-road, steep-downhill, and steep-hill. Those are my names for them of course. Then, we finished going backwards down sandy-hill, and around a big grass field. All I can say is, "PAIN."
Found a video of the first time up the steep-hill! Thanks walkerfamilymedia!
This time was better than all the other times I've raced this course, so I was happy with the result. I beat my predicted time by almost 30 seconds! The flats and slight downhill were where people would pass me, but I seemed to do the passing on the steep ups and downs. Totally pooped out at the end and like 5 people passed me in the last 400m.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Garin Park XC Challenge 2009
I wasn't really focusing on this race with as much intensity as the previous XC races this season. Perhaps that was because I just wasn't as nervous for this one. I've proved to myself that I can race faster than prior years; I'm in the middle of my hard training and have been tired from it recently, and we weren't going to have a full team. Then, we got the e-mail that we had 5 gals! It didn't hit me that now I had pressure to run fast until I walked to registration this morning. "They are counting on me to get as many places as possible in the end," I thought. Nervousness ensued. I saw one teammate and we warmed up together, but we didn't see any more until about 15 minutes before the race. Only 2 more. We didn't have a 5th. So, the race started and the pressure was off... all of us.
Garin is pretty hilly in the middle miles. You start out in a valley and after about a half mile, the course climbs until the mile mark, then there is a slight downhill until a hairpin turn that takes you up a steep incline that eases out, brings you into a dip and then takes you up a shorter steep hill. Then we went careening down hill (FUN!) and into a loop with less steep inclines and declines. At about 2.5 miles, we lose all that elevation gain in a quarter mile or less and race back through the valley to the finish.
My splits from the Garmin were: 7:04, 7:09, 6:41, extra time to get to the finish. I don't have my official time yet, but my watch said 21:46. That is 5 seconds faster than my PR on that course. My legs aren't feeling wasted yet, so I didn't obliterate myself. Last weekend, I did a tempo interval workout at Garin and I could barely walk after. Either that helped, or I didn't push the hills as hard. Or both. This was mostly of the time-trial sort of race for me mentally than a competitive session.
Garin is pretty hilly in the middle miles. You start out in a valley and after about a half mile, the course climbs until the mile mark, then there is a slight downhill until a hairpin turn that takes you up a steep incline that eases out, brings you into a dip and then takes you up a shorter steep hill. Then we went careening down hill (FUN!) and into a loop with less steep inclines and declines. At about 2.5 miles, we lose all that elevation gain in a quarter mile or less and race back through the valley to the finish.
My splits from the Garmin were: 7:04, 7:09, 6:41, extra time to get to the finish. I don't have my official time yet, but my watch said 21:46. That is 5 seconds faster than my PR on that course. My legs aren't feeling wasted yet, so I didn't obliterate myself. Last weekend, I did a tempo interval workout at Garin and I could barely walk after. Either that helped, or I didn't push the hills as hard. Or both. This was mostly of the time-trial sort of race for me mentally than a competitive session.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge 2009
Woo! I wasn't really focusing on this race and decided to use it as a workout, doing about tempo pace. The race is a super flat 3.5 miles around Chrissy Field in San Francisco. Here were my random goals/wants:
In the end I finished 18th woman at 22:57, a full minute faster than my goal, and good thing, because otherwise I wouldn't have made it in the top 20. This race (especially that first mile) was definitely a confidence booster.
- Break 24 minutes (6:51 pace)
- Finish in the top 20 women
In the end I finished 18th woman at 22:57, a full minute faster than my goal, and good thing, because otherwise I wouldn't have made it in the top 20. This race (especially that first mile) was definitely a confidence booster.
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