Monday, November 26, 2018

Run to Stay Warm - 10K

In 2010 I did the 5K, 2012 was the half, so in 2018 I went for the 10K! Just like the Monster Mash 5K last month, this was on my calendar solely because the half marathon training plan I'm totally not following anymore said to do a 10K on this date. When I registered I had planned on having Katura do the kid races before my race ... I hadn't planned on the freezing cold weather. Take that weather and add it to the fact that for the last few days we had been in warm sunny California ... yeah, no way was I making my adorable little girl get up to come freeze and do a kid race with me! In the end this was a solo trip for me!

It wasn't until right before I went to bed the night before the race that I had mostly decided what I would wear. Before my Disneyland vacation Oregon had been warm. It was 31 degrees when I started the race, so yeah, I just didn't know how to prepare for this one! Fortunately it was a dry forecast, just very cold. I never even thought of bringing gloves with me, so that's how out of cold weather practice I am! Around 6:15am I left my house, leaving everyone else home and warm in their beds. In no time at all I was in Eugene with a great parking spot at EWEB, heading to get my bib and shirt. 

OH MY GOSH. IT WAS SO COLD!!! Even with a sweatshirt on over my clothes I was shivering. Would I even survive this race?? I got my things and went straight back to my car. Aside from a potty visit before the lines appeared, I stayed in my car up until about 7 minutes before the race started. This was good and bad. 

Good: I stayed warm and got to listen to some fun podcasts and not think about race nerve.
Bad: I didn't prepare my body to run AT ALL.


The race start was very narrow, so I tried to slide my way into an opening out of the shade. I half ass tried to stretch out my legs as much as I could in the confined area, and a minute early we were off and racing! It was pointless to try to run at the beginning. It was so congested that I could walk fast and keep up with the pack. After a couple tenths of a mile it was finally open enough to run, although still very congested for probably the first half mile.

Once I was able to run the pain started. My legs were frozen! I was so darn cold and my muscles just froze. I was running with a limp, each step hurting more than the last. I think around the mile and a half mark I finally had to pull over at a pole and use it to help really stretch my calves. That hurts like a son of a gun, but afterward it feels so much better. I had to do this twice during the first two miles - from there I was golden!


The race got extra nice when the 5K runners took their big turn to head toward the finish. The course became very quiet and empty, with just us 10K runners and a few fast half marathon runners coming through. Around our half way point, eh, maybe father along, the 10K course crossed the river so we could start our trek to the finish line. This part of the course was so pretty! I really got in the zone. Just as I would feel good about myself, slowly picking off people one at a time, I'd get passed and set back in reality. But who was passing me?? The half marathon course winner, followed by the next 3 fastest guys. Dang, they are so impressive! I mean they seem like they are just floating along barely touching the ground!

I had a couple final people I was sure to pass before I crossed the finish, so I just stared straight ahead, focused on my breathing, and let my legs do their thing. Fortunately I can usually pull out a strong finish in races since I almost always practicing pushing hard at the end of my training runs. It works for me anyway. The finish line was in my sights and I just went for it. I felt awesome! And I was very happy and surprised when I saw my finish. I mean I ran with a limp for two miles and had to stop twice to fix my legs, and I was still shocked at my time?!? Not bad!


After the race I didn't really linger at all. I grabbed a bite of a grilled cheese sandwich, took a bagel and cream cheese for the road and went straight to my car. I never did warm up on that entire hour+ drive home. But that shower once I did make it home? Ahhhh-mazing!

So that's that. Nothing fancy to report. Next up, half marathon number 32!


Friday, November 2, 2018

Monster Mash 5K - An Unexpected Victory!


It was nearly a decade ago the last time I participated in the Monster Mash 5K. My mom got an epic finish line photo that I will probably never be able to top, so I'm not even gonna try! I think I got a PR that day. Well this time, doing my first 5K without a stroller since becoming a mom, had a strange victory of its own!

I don't typically do 5K races, but the half marathon training plan I'm sort of following said to do a 5K race on this day, and this was the one I chose. It was super fun last time, so I knew this would be a good choice. I was right!

My mom, daughter and I made a day of it, and on the way I recall saying to my mom "I'm not racing this, so don't expect to see me finishing really fast. It is just a good way to force me to do a training run and I can't say no to racing in a costume!" We got to Alton Baker Park while the kids were lining up for their race. I rushed over to grab my shirt and bib and hurried back to the car so I could finish up my costume and braid my hair. We had enough spare time to see the kids finishing their race while I did very minor stretching. Crazy enough during all of this I was given a gift card just for having a fun costume! Yay!

All of us racers and spectators walked over to our start area together, which was fun because it gave us time to check out the costumes on the people and dogs! That's right - this race caters to dogs and it is so adorable! I did my quick stretches while holding an adorable toddler I created, and that helped me not have any pre-race nerves. Nice, I must remember this!

We were all lined up and in a matter of a couple minutes the race began and I was off for an absolutely beautiful, run training race. I had to force myself to slow down when I looked and realized I was going faster than what my race pace would have been. No way would I maintain that! I'd crash and burn. So I slowed up a bit and kept on my way. Some people passed, but by probably a half of a mile in I was pretty much in my spot and there was minimal passing and being passed. I did pass a dog once ... thanks to it taking a potty break!


I had a fun moment near the end of the race. A guy was running just for fun and before we diverted in different directions he asked me what race we were doing. I answered and asked if that was a Hood to Coast shirt he had on. Sure was! So we had a mini chat about how awesome HTC is before he wished me well and we parted ways. That was pretty cool!


The course couldn't have been any flatter. The only minor inclines were just to get you up and over the river. Nothing at all to complain about. All of the green grass was glistening with left over rain (of which we had none!) and the path was completely covered with orange, yellow and red leaves. It was perfection! I was very thankful for all of the volunteers. The end had so many little twists and turns, I certainly would have either missed some or veered completely off path and in the wrong direction. But before I knew it those turns were done and in the near distance I spotted a familiar stroller, mother and daughter.  I was near the end! My cheer squad was waiting for me!



As per usual I finished with a strong kick... and never even bothered to look at the clock. I just hit stop on my Garmin and called it good. I never care about finish times and don't discuss them, so why look? I was just happy to get a quick finish line photo and head to the covered area for some water. How fun was it that they not only had water, but full sized donuts!!?? I passed on those, crazy enough, but I did have a couple donut holes. THAT I can't resist! Katura enjoyed those as well, and a Halloween pumpkin cookie. Before we started to leave I made her a little bag of prizes from all of the pumpkins they had out. I felt that was a pretty good reward for a race I was really happy with.


We were walking near the finish line again and I heard them say you could pick up a slip with your results from the van at the finish. Okay, cool! So I grabbed mine. And then I stared at it, feeling very confused. My mom thought something was wrong. I practically whispered to her, still in shock, that it said I was third in my division! WHAT??!!! "Well let's go back and get your award!" my mom excitedly said. I have never been so shocked and happy to get a little orange ribbon. This was my final race in this division, so I was the old lady getting a ribbon! From now on I'll be the young one having my ass handed to me by even older women. But this one time I was the one winning something! I didn't even finish anywhere near my PR, heck I wasn't even trying! I was just running. Funny - I got 1st in my age group once. That time I WAS trying and told the race organizers of my goal... and that still wasn't my PR either. So really who needs to run their fastest?!? Maybe the key is to not care and just have fun!


Seriously such an enjoyable race! I don't know why it took me so long to come back. I'm already planning next year ... this time running with my brother - a handsome blond lab named Buddy! He and I are brainstorming costume ideas. You can't prepare too soon!