Upcoming race plans

Only one race left for 2010, pretty crazy to think how fast this year has flown by and how much has happened in it!


December - Jingle Bell Run 5K
January - Resolution Run 5K
Lake Youngs Pigtails race (19.6 miles)

February - Port Gamble 25K
Last Call Marathon

March - Chuckanut 50K

April - Wenatchee Marathon


And then switching focus to tri season for the summer. Pretty ambitious, I know, but I'll just take it one step at a time and do the best I can. I'll have to start hitting the trails at Tiger Mountain, Cougar Mountain, etc soon to get some more practice in!

Seattle 1/2 Marathon race report

There weren't very many good pictures of me from this race because it was so crowded... oh well.

Background - I trained a lot better for this half than the last few I've ran, including a few tempo runs, a few good hill runs, and long runs of up to 12 miles.

The race - So glad the weather cooperated after all the snow of the past week - it ended up being cool and overcast, with the sun coming out right at the finish line. I started the race off with my friend T, who was aiming for a sub 2 half - we stuck together for almost the first mile until the 2 hour pace group caught us (we started in a really weird spot) and he took off with them.

The first 4-5 miles were strong and steady, keeping a pretty decent pace without pushing too hard. A nice change from those other halfs that I hadn't trained for at all! When I hit mile 5-6, my left inner thigh/groin/hip and the inside of my left knee started cramping up so badly I could barely run. This happens occasionally, but usually I can just run it off in a few minutes. This one lasted for almost an entire mile, and at some points I was literally kind of just dragging my left leg along. I started getting kind of frustrated - NO WAY would this happen during this race that I'd actually trained for!

I was really thankful to hit the uphill part of the course starting with the Galer Street hill. I ran up it, and up Madison, with no walk breaks, and it really helped seem to loosen up that hip/thigh. They still never really felt 100% for the rest of the race, but at least I was able to run steadily again. I maintained my pace pretty well up Interlaken hills (despite an extra mile or so back to the med tent to get help for a runner that passed out on the course in front of me - YIKES - I think he ended up being ok though), and over the rolling hills over the freeway and back towards downtown. I hit the mile 12 marker and pushed pretty hard through the downhills and up that steep, obnoxious hill on Mercer Street to the finish. My mom and DBF were at the top of the Mercer Street hill, so that gave me a nice little boost to the finish.

Final time - 2:18:52 for ~14 miles. That's only 6 minutes off my PR time for 13.1 miles, so I'll definitely take it. I also negative split the course by 2 minutes, which I am pretty pleased with given all the hills in the second half! Definitely one of the strongest halfs I've run aside from that stupid leg cramp - I need to figure out how to avoid those once and for all (more strength training, probably).

Snow in Seattle!

Gotta love what happens when it snows around here... Glad I am not sitting in that!!

Got my last long run (8 miles) in yesterday before the Seattle half marathon this Sunday - I am definitely a lot better prepared than I have been for the last few halfs I've run! Can't wait to go kick some ass on those hills!

Also finally getting settled in at my new place on Green Lake - a little sore from moving furniture yesterday, but it's so nice and cozy and I LOVE the location!

Just a few more short/easy/quick runs this week, then heading to Silverdale to spend Thanksgiving with the boyfriend's family, and then the half on Sunday!

I love hills

In the spirit of getting ready for the Seattle 1/2 Marathon on November 28, I did a mid-length run on the hilly part of the marathon course (from Galer/Madison up Interlaken almost to Seattle Center) this morning. It was beautiful running weather, and I think everyone else had the same idea I did - I saw at least 30-40 other runners out running the course. I am really appreciating living and running on Queen Anne - I know the hills are tougher when they come at mile 20 of the marathon, but coming earlier than that, they barely bothered me.

Now all that's left is to keep up with some quality midweek mileage, one more long run of 12 miles, and then a little taper before race day! Keeping my fingers crossed that the nice weather holds out, or at least returns for race day!

Full of Updates!

I will try to update more frequently now that I will have semi-regular access to the Internet on a computer instead of just on my phone! I've missed it!

First news: I got a job!! It is something that (so far) I really enjoy doing, it fits perfectly with my schedule, it's laidback, AND it pays really well (which I'm sure my bank and my landlord will appreciate!). Now I can finally start getting back to some semblance of a normal budget and not have an ucler by the time I turn 25!!

Second news: I have a fantastic DBF!! :)

And now for the running update...

I am signed up for the Seattle 1/2 Marathon on November 28. I had wanted to make the full marathon a yearly tradition, but I just didn't feel like I had the base to build up for it properly after the crazy summer I had. So, I am going to try for a PR, which is unlikely given the hills, but I am still going to run it as hard as I can. I'll be happy with anything under 2:25 or so on that course!

Training has been going well (knock on wood) - I've been consistently putting in long runs, easy runs, hill runs, and tempo runs. I ran 11 miles on Monday, and I'll do 6-8 on the hilly part of the course on Sunday as a cutback week. Can't wait! After that, my next big goal is the Chuckanut Mountain 50K in March, and then getting my revenge on the Wenatchee Marathon in April. Then I'll start gearing back up for summer tri season and get that 1/2 Ironman under my belt!

Starting Over Yet Again

Any Sex and the City fans out there might get that reference!

It's been a hectic summer and fall, and I haven't had Internet except on my phone, so my blog has kinda fallen off the face of the earth! But I am ramping up my running training for the Seattle half (I've decided to go for a half PR there and build up mileage for my first 50K in March), so I figured that I should get it going again whenever I have a computer to post on!

Job-wise, I'm still working at the Tavern on Friday and Saturday nights, and it's still fun - but I definitely need another job, stat! I've managed to scrap by for rent, etc. so far, but it's super stressful and it'd be so nice to not have to panic every time the first of the month rolls around!

I'm also in need of $ in order to run races! I haven't signed up for the Seattle half yet, or for the Chuckanut Mountain 50K, or anything else. Hopefully I'll have a job soon enough that I won't have to rely on other people's generosity!!

I know it probably seems silly to go for a half PR on such a hilly course, but I actually ran faster at the San Francisco half (much hillier than Seattle) than I did at Eugene. Short legs come in handy sometimes!

Mini-break

My internet has decided not to work for the past few weeks, so I probably won't be able to post much until we get it back! It's been weird not having it!