Running – Page 16 – East Coast Appetite

UAE Healthy Kidney 10K Recap

May 20, 2016May 20, 2016Posted in Race Recaps, RunningTagged 10K, NYC, Races, Running1 Comment

When I realized back in March that I maybe was really sort of mostly healed and could run again, I signed up for this race, hoping for redemption from the 2015 version. That day was a sweaty slog through 6.2 miles of humidity and strong sun (historical weather site says 75 and 71% humidity). This Saturday was luckily 68 degrees with 70% humidity. I was unprepared for the sun (time to start running with a visor?) but the temperature felt pleasant overall.

The view of Bethesda Terrace was very different than last week’s pouring rain and features many adorable off-leash dogs.

I arrived early (around an hour before the start) and got my on-demand bib very quick. I spent my last $3 cash on a blue Gatorade from a cart then checked my bag and ran into some friends and teammates. I forgot how big this race was and how far the start was from the race village. I headed to the corrals 16 minutes before the start and luckily met up with and spotted many similarly paced teammates. We had a nice little pod of 5 that started together and got called out by the announcer.

The first 5K went really well but I remember this also being the strongest part last year before I fell apart in the second half.

I eschewed water the first few miles which was probably unwise, but I really had to pee and was feeling quite hydrated already thanks to the first half of that blue Gatorade (blue is the only flavor I like, but either the regular or the frosty blue will do).

My first mile was slow as planned and I was very proud of my second and third miles because they still felt pretty loose and easy. My tangents were getting worse each mile from the tangents and running around people in the crowd so I tried to remind myself there would likely be an extra 0.2 total.

Screen Shot 2016-05-19 at 9.42.52 PM — My splits make a W shape but the grade-adjusted tell more of a story

The fourth mile is where the semi-struggle began. I knew I couldn’t hang on to my breezy lower 9:00 paces and there were lots of sunny spots, so I slowed my roll. I grabbed some water at each of the last 3 water stations and managed to dump some on the top of my head in the worst of the sun. After the Mile 5 marker, I knew I could push the pace a bit more and try to enjoy the rolling hills. Crowds increased on the South side of the park but it was mainly confused tourists hoping to cross the road. I sprinted in the last 0.2 in part because I saw a teammate and wanted to reel her in.

Happily reunited with teammates after collecting our medals

Overall, this UAE 10K went much better than last year’s where I had my worst 10K ever. I like this distance and am hoping to whittle down my PR for the Mini 10K next month. More reporting on my workouts (McMillan’s and otherwise) to come.

I’m going to be out of town this weekend and have the biggest Brooklyn Half FOMO. To everyone racing (and to those cheering), have so much fun! I hope to get in next year but might also volunteer for a guaranteed spot in 2018 (it feels so weird to type out dates that far in advance. Let’s figure out when I’m running this darn marathon first).

Training and General Update Post and brief Japan Day Run race recap

May 13, 2016May 13, 2016Posted in ClassPass, Race Recaps, Running, TrainingTagged 4 Miler, ClassPass, Races, Running, Training2 Comments

Now that I’m in better physical health and running semi-regularly again and racing, I feel very energized about the next few months of running. Jazzed, even. But I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, knowing that I need to prioritize preventing re-injury and trying to make it to the start of mid-July marathon training for NYCM, much less that November 6th actual date. I ran (haha) an analysis via my data on Strava and MapMyRun (which I used for a few years before getting my Garmin 220 in June 2015) to see what my highest weekly and monthly mileage is historically. I knew that my mileage never got as high as it should have been for any of my half marathons in 2015 due to both injury and falling off my training plans. I have a tendency to cut long runs short and skip that 3rd or 4th run of the week, even when uninjured. I also don’t document my cross-training particularly well digitally, but all those ClassPass spin sessions and strength at Blink lives on in my paper planners, Google Calendar, and vaguely in my memory. All of the apps are interconnected in that Garmin uploads to Strava and Strava uploads to MapMyRun and MyFitnessPal. I’m going to try to increase the inputting of my spin sessions going forward since FlyWheel tells you how many miles you biked.

For my paper planner, I bought a couple sets of these running and barbell stickers from FayeCreates’ Etsy. This is the only decoration my planner (a $15 one from Sugar Paper’s Target collection, I might add) receives. But it’s so satisfying to see an array of pastel running stick figures and weights fill up my calendar, especially now that I’m running more frequently. This is also where I let you all know that I’m fascinated by planner communities, having once been part of (but never posting to) the LiveJournal community for organizers and sometimes browsing the YouTube planner gurus.

The general update is that I DNS the Run As One 4 Miler.I was coming off a very busy week and hadn’t slept well that Friday night (the night before the night before the race is a crucial sleep night, right?) and was dogsitting Elle’s pup Bandit and just wasn’t feeling it. Had much more fun sleeping in and doing a brief run on my way to Smorgasburg with some runner friends in Prospect Park. I got to eat my beloved Outer Borough again, try some fries with duck confit on top, and sample a few flavors of Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Still on my must-try list are Big Mozz’s mozzerella sticks, Jianbing, and Wowfulls. I think I can skip the rainbow cake, but let me know if it’s any good.

I did, however, end up completing the Japan Run on Sunday, May 8th. The skies opened up and poured down rain as I was picking up my bib at 7:15AM. A bunch of us hung out under the Bethesda Terrace and I ran into a PPTC Teammate then checked my bag and hid in the Meet Hello Kitty tent. Sadly, Hello Kitty didn’t appear until after the race and I wasn’t feeling very photogenic.

They let up for the first couple miles of the race, then began pouring again during the final mile. My third mile had been slower than I planned and I knew I was no longer in the running for a PR (had been feeling hopeful after the first 2 miles but my fitness just isn’t there yet). I had to remove my glasses and put them in my jacket pocket because they became too foggy and streaky for me to see. I managed not to run into any fellow racers since my vision isn’t too bad, and had a great sprint finish. NYRR and MarathonFoto did not capture any pictures of me (probably for the best). There was a guy running with his long hair down and in only a leopard-print Speedo who passed me on the third mile. I had hoped to be in some of his pictures but didn’t make it.

My next race is the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K. I had originally wanted this to be a PR attempt, but I think I’m going to instead shoot for the Mini 10K on June 11th instead. That’ll give me enough time to increase my long, slow runs and also try some of the mile repeat 10K workouts from McMillan. I’ll be gambling with the weather but am hoping to be out there more often in heat and humidity in the next month anyway. I feel like my barre and strength classes and spin are helping me get stronger (I kind of love forearm plank pushups now?), so we will see.

Training Update

April 15, 2016April 14, 2016Posted in TrainingTagged Manhattan, Running1 Comment

Several days after the high from the Cherry Blossom 5K wore off, I was feeling pretty good. Aggressively ignoring the 10% rule, I joined my team for a Brooklyn Half training run on Saturday, April 9th. There were 5 mile and 8 mile options and free swag from New Balance, so I showed up at 7:50am, already having done my PT-prescribed dynamic warm-up and foam rolling. I obviously chose the 5 mile run and jumped in the 10:30 mile pace group with some friends. And it went really well! The hill was rough but I had been chatting with a potential member for the third and fourth miles, so it was a nice distraction. I forgot to stop my Garmin at the top after we paused to coordinate breaking off and heading to the coffee shop, but my splits seemed pretty even. I foam rolled and stretched plenty after, bookmarked a 9am spin class for Sunday, and rested on the couch, feeling accomplished and optimistic and full of endorphins.

So obviously I signed up for some races.

I’m of course already signed up for this year’s NYC Marathon, since you have to pay NYRR the big buck$ in February. I hope to know early on in training whether or not I’ll be able to run it and plan to consult with a sports doctor and my PT accordingly. So I figured I should set my sights on some shorter distances for spring.

I’ll be running the Run as One 4 Miler on Sunday, April 24th in honor of my late Uncle Werner. I hadn’t realized last year that this race’s charitable contributions go toward a foundation that supports lung cancer research, specifically named in honor of a never-smoker like my uncle. I donated some extra money to the cause in my NYRR cart. The Run as One is a 4-miler, which I feel tentatively positive about, training-wise. I can probably PR (my last one was February 2015), but hopefully just have a positive race with a meaningful (and personal) cause.

I also want to try for a new 10K PR. I just missed out on the Queens 10K signup, so I bought in to the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K on May 14. I had such a miserable time last year and am hoping for redemption. It’s 2 weeks earlier this year, but I will still try to prepare for potential humidity and the waterless mile 5 water station. I might take a crack at the Mini 10K as well, but mid-June feels like an awful long ways from here. I’m sort of surprised this weekend’s More/Shape Women’s Half Marathon hasn’t sold out yet. I’d been hoping that would be my spring goal half (or the NYC Runs Queens Half on the same day) after a strong showing at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile, but obviously that didn’t come to fruition. Maybe a fall half will happen? Maybe I’ll fall in love with summer racing? Possibly I’ll travel 3,000 miles for a race again? No telling.

Weekly training recaps to come, I suppose. When did I even start my weeks again?

Cherry Blossom 5K Recap

April 11, 2016April 11, 2016Posted in Race RecapsTagged 10 Miles, Cherry Blossom, Races, RunningLeave a comment

Yes, you read that correctly. I ran a race. Also, it was not the race I originally signed up for (that would be the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, not the “5K Run/Walk”). But after 5 months of no racing (time has flown! and yet gone so slowly), it felt great to race again.

It was free to switch to the 5K ahead of time, but my bib from the 10 Miler remained the same. I would have been in the light blue corral because I was planning to go for a (high) 1:20something time back when I entered the lottery in December. I had foolishly assumed that regular physical therapy in addition to a grueling ClassPass schedule and gym time could help me shave a minute per mile off my Bronx 10 Mile time or keep my 10K pace for an additional 4. We may never know! I deferred my Broad Street Run entry to 2017 and am no longer planning on a spring half, so the 10 mile distance will have to wait until I am marathon training this summer and fall (or not).

Back to the recap. I went with two teammates from NYC and we hopped to the expo late morning. One was also running the 5K with me and the other was completing the 10.

The National Building Museum was beautiful and I need to come back to see the regular exhibits.

Meb was speaking, so we watched him then picked up our bibs, sadly missing the cutoff to get in the line for his autograph. We had paid extra for the tech tshirt and they’re so nice! A well-fitting maroon New Balance v-neck (for ladies) with a Capitol building visually constructed out of cherry blossoms. We had also paid extra for race medals, assuming we would be running the 10 Miler. Oh well.

Hi Meb!

Then there was shopping. This race expo, held at the National Building Museum, had over a dozen vendors of the usual performance wear, shoes, and accessories. I made a stop at The Stick’s booth for some muscle relief, then we bought coordinating long-sleeve New Balance tech shirts with the logo. I’m still reasonably well stocked with the basics for spring running and didn’t end up needing a vest or down-filled jacket for winter training since I wasn’t really running. I do have a cool new running backpack for run commuting and bringing essentials to the gym, but that’s been my only 2016 gear purchase so far.

Running backpack picture not in action on Saturday at the National Portrait Gallery.

Bought this and wore it on the cold bus ride home.

Morning of the race, the winds were whipping. I wore a tech long-sleeve with a windbreaker (Lululemon Go the Distance) over it, and longer Nike crops. I brought and wore my Brooks Ravennas because I usually run shorter distances (4 miles and under) in my Brooks Pure Cadences, but figured I could use the extra support of the Ravennas for my first race back. I found myself really wishing I had purchased a pair of running gloves this winter. Or just some throwaway gloves. I had my bare hands jammed in my jacket pockets during most of the walk to the start and pre-race time, but it wasn’t enough.

“Corral” selfie (there were no corrals). They let people have heat sheets before the race but then they had to give them back. Also, dude to the left was in 4th as of the bridge, so I guess we weren’t too, too far back.

We waited until the 10 mile runners were off the 5K part of the course and the gun went off right at 8:40am. The 5K was a short and simple out-and-back from the staging area, over the bridge, a small loop then return. My teammate Tanya lined up not too far from the start and apparently had an 18 second delay from the gun to our start. We’re both coming back from injuries and kept the pace slow for the first mile how our respective knees and butt/hamstring felt. Once on the bridge, we were feeling pretty good (there was only a tiny slope to get on it). We saw the leaders pass us after the turnaround with huge lead times (the Belgian guy was flying and won the race). I had been “drafting” a couple for about half a mile, but finally decided to pass. We pressed the pace pretty easily from 10:00 to 9:25 for the second mile.

Once off the bridge and after our second mile, we knew we could pick up the pace safely. And we did. I was breathing a bit more heavily but held steady close to 8:30 then figured 8:00 for the last half mile should be fine, reasoning to myself that all my spin classes were at least this long and I always have something left in the tank for the final sprints there. Tanya suggested I go on ahead in the last quarter mile, then I flagged a bit before sprinting in the finish. I ended up with a 28:16 which is a couple minutes off from my PR, but still pretty amazing considering my injury status.

There were many other folks in this race who also had 10 mile bibs as well, but I assume we were a fun mix of injured and untrained. I was the 70th female and 159th total out of 1,770. RunPix has no photos of me from the race, but they have a fun little infographic showing me way toward the front of the pack. Top 5% of women in a race? I’ll take it. Now to actually recover and get faster.

We walked back to our hotel as a cooldown and I was honestly thinking about running it in, as my energy was still pretty high and I wasn’t sore yet. We’d had Nando’s for lunch Saturday and I’d stuffed myself with pretzel bread at District Commons the night before, so a huge plate of Roti at Union Station ended up being my main meal after. It felt good to eat something lighter and full of veggies after a race. I also partook in my recent favorite DC-area Starbucks tradition of getting Sweet Potato Loaf with my iced coffee before getting on the bus home. I wish we had this stuff in NYC Starbucks, but I usually content myself with cinnamon swirl coffee cake.

Desserts and snacks posts to come along with ClassPass updates.

January-March Injury Update

March 6, 2016Posted in ClassPass, RunningTagged ClassPass, Running2 Comments

I think the title of this post says it all. I started drafting it in January during twice-weekly physical therapy. I tried a 0.75 mile jog in early January and felt fine during (great, even!) but despite stretching after, my hamstring was very aggravated the next couple days. I gave it another 4 weeks and tried a mile on Super Bowl Sunday but was met with the same effects the week after. In the time since, I read something, somewhere, about people performing marathon training on largely on an elliptical just to reduce impact. While I have no plans to take it that far in terms of mileage, I’ve decided to incorporate the elliptical and hopefully a super cushioned treadmill into my game plan, along with the Alter-G at my PT’s office. I’m happy to report that I ran 6.5 miles on the elliptical this week (with 2 runs and around a 6 mph pace). Pain-free.

I downgraded my Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (in DC) entry to the 5K and while I may not PR, I’m really excited to be doing a race for the first time since Halloween. After that, I can better assess my ability to run the Broad Street Run (also a 10 miler, in Philadelphia) on May 1.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2016:

the possibility of a late spring half (Brooklyn is out but maybe something else in that time period)
Run commuting to/from work (new job has showers! Also it’s about time I get a running backpack with a water bladder.)
NYCM training? I had to pay for the registration (goodbye $$), but am still a ways out from being able to assess whether it’s going to happen or not
Trying more of the workouts and moves from (Dr.) Jordan Metzl’s book Running Strong.

ClassPass updates and reviews to come. The new job has made me switch up my gym and class routine and locations quite a bit and I’ve struggled to get into my preferred spin days and times. On the plus side, I’ve been trying more yoga classes and have improved my planking and push-ups thanks to barre classes.

December Injury Update

December 18, 2015January 28, 2016Posted in ClassPass, Cycling, RunningTagged ClassPass, cycling, Running1 Comment

So, the rest of November and all of December has been busy for me, but not with running. I stopped after the 10/31 10K to give my Achilles tendinitis some rest. I’m delighted to report that pain there has eased off, but unfortunately I have been experiencing more pain in my right hamstring and glute (and piriformis). I finally went to a renowned sports doctor (musculoskeletal care and all) and he diagnosed me with ischeogluteal bursitis. So I’m not running for the rest of the year. Come January 1, 2016, I plan to dip my toe back into it (or do a Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island, effectively dipping my toes into the Atlantic Ocean after a quick sprint on the beach) slowly.

I wisely did not sign up for any winter races or early spring ones. I’m hoping to be well enough to do the Cherry Blossom 10 miler (I won lottery entry) in early April, then squeeze in either a later April half or the Brooklyn Half May 21. My new physical therapist assures me this is all quite possible.

I’ve been filling my running time with other fitness, mainly through ClassPass. I’m at the 3 times a month maximum at RowHouse and approaching it at Flywheel. I’ve also taken a few dance classes with friends. Despite my few years dabbling in ballet, tap, and jazz back in elementary school, picking up hip hop dance choreography is not one of my strong suits. It’s more fun with friends because I can laugh at myself and my inability to shake it during the Hotline Bling Remix.

I also have hopped on a real bicycle (not just stationary ones in spin class). I rode from TriBeCa to 125th St. and back with a friend during the amazing weather this past weekend, where I took the picture above. I’m coming for you, George Washington Bridge and Little Red Kighthouse! I rode 15.5 miles roundtrip (and usually hit over 20 miles during spin class), so actually going somewhere will feel great in that distance will feel great. I just had to add a cycling tag to this post because this was only my 4th time out on the bike this fall, but I foresee more of it in my future (weather cooperating).

Friday Link Post (featuring cold weather running)

November 13, 2015Posted in Links, RunningTagged Links, RunningLeave a comment

Winter 2014-2015 was my first “real” winter of running and training outside. I still hopped on the treadmill when it was particularly blizzard-y outside, but I invested in real tights (Sugoi Midzero Tights), an ear warming headband, and a running jacket (which is a little too big at the bottom, so I’m still on the hunt for the Goldilocks of running jackets). This year, I’m looking at toques to keep my head head trapped in, plus gloves that will wick sweat, since my wool blend touchscreen ones tend to let the sweat marinate. Since I’m on a low-mileage plan for the rest of 2015, it’s going to be sort of a shock when I hit the road in January to start training for the NYC Half. I find the following links very helpful with regard to colder-weather running.

Running on Lentils’ Guide to Cold-Weather Running Gear

For the 32-40 degrees Fahrenheit range. Looking forward to the next step down, as it were.

Runner’s World What to Wear

This is helpful no matter the season. With experience comes better ‘feel’ for knowing how your body responds to different temperatures and conditions, but this tool is a really good place to start.

The Cost of Winter Running

This article intimidated me a bit at first last year until I realized the author is an Alaskan. In NYC, most of my usual routes remain pretty defrosted throughout the winter, so I’m not quite in YakTrax territory yet.

Running Starter Kit

In slightly less frigid running gear, I loved Gretchen’s recommended running starter kit. It was only a couple of years ago that I was jogging along the East River in my cotton t-shirts and chafe-heavy Champion via Target gym shorts.

Five Fitness Bloggers Share Their Favorite Tights

Tights galore! I mainly have crops in my running arsenal (and a few pairs of shorts), so this guide shows a few more tights and leggings options.

Bonus, non-weather related link:

What Happens to Your Body During an Ultramarathon

To those running the NYRR 60K this weekend, I salute you. I’m just hoping to make it to and through the marathon next fall.

NYC Runs Haunted Island Halloween 10K Race Recap

November 5, 2015Posted in NYC, Race Recaps, RunningTagged 10K, Races, Running8 Comments

Since I had bonked in the last mile of the Staten Island 5K and had a ‘take it easy’ half marathon in San Francisco, I really wanted just one PR this fall. My last two 10Ks (UAE Health Kidney on 5/30 and Queens 10K on 6/21) were painful, humid slogs. This 10K featured slightly more crisp weather and the experience of more speed training and cross-training.

I came up with A, B, and C goals in 2-minute increments (55-57, 57-59, and 59-1:01) based on mental math, and my C goal would have me PR. I had ran the 5K version of this race last year, a 10K last December, and another 5K on Roosevelt Island on Memorial Day (where I got my 5K PR of 26:16), but the course had changed just slightly based on construction. Roosevelt Island is very flat, which really helps in the PR department. NYC Runs doesn’t have corrals for this race, so there is some definite bottlenecking at the start of the course, but it gets a lot less crowded by mile 2. I knew to be aware of sidewalk dipping and some uneven footing, but overall I’m a big fan of races on Roosevelt Island and it feels like a pretty known entity.

I took a 70-minute restorative yoga class on Friday night, so I felt pretty relaxed going into this race. The 9:30am start time really helped, too. I had my usual breakfast of 2 mini frozen waffles with cookie butter, some iced coffee, and plenty of water. I sometimes use almond butter if I’m feeling healthy, but speculoos works just as well. It also tastes great with bananas and I have Wafels & Dinges to thank for this combination.

I entered the start corral toward the middle/back with some friends, one of whom (Gabby of Marathons & Macarons) wasn’t shooting for a PR but was still going to race it a lot faster than me. Our teammate Johnny was way in the front, where he rightly deserved to be (coming in 4th overall and 1st in the 20-29 age group). I wasn’t running with music because I wanted to be hyper vigilant of my breathing and my body.

This being a race held on Halloween, there were some great costumes. But I was glad not to be wearing one. I wore my long-sleeved team shirt and planned to roll up the sleeves as needed. I definitely could not have handled the extra bulk of a tutu or the head warmth of a character hat. A teammate who ran the 5K kindly took photos of us 10K runners. I didn’t see her the first time, but then I caught on to where she would be.

I was stuck behind several couples on miles 1 and 2, but decided to keep drafting them until the path got wider. Then came the Minions and the penguins. I noticed 3 separate groups of people dressed up as Minions and am delighted to say that I only finished behind 1 group of them who passed me around mile 4.5. The couple dressed in full-body penguin suits kept with me during their selfies, then sped up and stayed ahead.

I saw some teammates after the 5K, which gave me a little juice for the fourth mile before I inevitable slowed during the fifth. My splits had been looking so good, but my overall average pace from this was 9:30 which means my Garmin (Forerunner 220) and I have some issues to work out.

My Achilles felt ok and my breathing was fine, so I finally took it up a notch on the final mile. My Garmin was off by 0.2, so when my watch beeped for mile 6, I knew that I really had 0.4 miles to go. I managed to stay ahead of a pack of piñatas, much to my relief, then caught and passed the girl in front of me before attempting a sprint finish. My watch had somehow gotten so off time (I saw splits of 9:10-9:24 but nothing slower), that my final time of 59:04 felt a little slow. But it is a PR! And a negative split! I’ll take it!

The finish line photos are not taken from a flattering angle.

I got 48th out of 137 ladies in the 30-39 age group (and 307 out of 646 total finishers). Top half, all right! I grabbed a lot of candy for immediate and later consumption, then we got a very filling brunch. I rested my laurels the rest of the day and foam rolled so that I could make my Halloween debut as Angelina Ballerina later that night, then cheer on NYC marathoners all day Sunday.

Post-race celebrations with candy in my backpack. We are not in costume.

Look at that flatness! I know my first pace spike was in response to cheerers, but I have no idea why I picked it up so much at the 4 mile mark. I think that was when I was struggling with water and tried to take an unnecessary ShotBlok and dropped it.

The shirt for this race was the same logo as last year’s tech t-shirt but was a cotton long-sleeved shirt and I love it. They ran out of (unisex) mediums so I grabbed a small. It’s very fitted but I can still wear it over a tank, as seen below before my rowing class.

This was possibly my final race of 2015 because I need to heal my tendons, so it was nice to go out on a PR.

Training Recap 10/12-10/18 and 10/19-10/25

October 27, 2015Posted in ClassPass, TrainingTagged TrainingLeave a comment

Current activity levels post-half pictured above.

I tapered pretty hard before Nike Women’s SF Half, then got back to NYC and had a 3-day doctor’s order moratorium on intense exercise. I’m taking this time to deal with my Achilles tendon pain and try more cross-training (like hopping on a real bike). I’ve decided not sign up for the Richmond Half Marathon this year (11/14), but did choose to do the NYC Runs Haunted Island 10K on 10/31. I’d like to hit a 10K PR, weather and body permitting, but it’s ok if it turns into a fun run. I don’t want to not run any more races this winter, but am going to follow medical advice until my tendons and right hamstring/glute feel better. So I have my eye on some early December local 10Ks and Halfs just in case.

The week before SF, I just did a quick 2-mile run on the West Side Highway Tuesday morning and a “Ripped Ride” at Crunch on 38th. Those bikes have cages so you don’t have to wear cycling shoes, but I definitely prefer the clip-ins. I felt like my feet kept slipping into weird angles. The music and blacklight effects were good, but I was distracted, trying not to rub my heel against the bike. I wisely stretched and foam rolled before the class after a warm-up but had to rush off to join friends for Umami Burger. I had signed up for a dance class Thursday night but canceled it so I could pack.

In SF, I had signed up for 2 of the optional race weekend events; a tune-up/training session Friday at 5pm, then a 7:30am shakeout run. The 5pm workout was a lot of fun and got my heart rate up with side planks and HIIT work, but didn’t test my body too hard. I decided to cancel my shakeout run since I had walked about 5 miles Friday and developed a blister on my left heel. I walked around 5 miles on Saturday as well, but use Lyft Line to get to dinner and back and get off my feet for the last 12 hours before the race.

I signed up for a post-race yoga class early on Monday morning, but canceled that as well. Sleeping in was a great idea since I had hung out with friends after the race, watching the Mets game and eating a few meals. I got a Thai massage with a friend the day after, which was a good call. I hadn’t had this type of massage before and it was really cool to feel the masseuse walking on me. We felt noodley after and took a walk to see the Painted Ladies, which involved some hills, but I was fine. My flight was a redeye and I think the massage really helped me sleep (I’m a terrible airplane sleeper) and not wake up feeling too sore.

After my 3-day exercise break, I did my semi-regular spin class at BYKlyn. I pushed myself harder than usual, which felt really good. And that’s it for 2 weeks. My Achilles are feeling pretty good most days, but my hamstring pain persists. Over the weekend, I went to the Village Halloween Dog Parade, attended a grants committee meeting for my running club, and went on a wine tasting tour of the North Fork. I was hoping to squeeze in 3 miles before the dog parade, but it didn’t happen. But I met a lot of dogs, tried a lot of wine, and obtained half a dozen apple cider donuts.

Not my winery bike.

Nike San Francisco Women’s Half Race Recap

October 23, 2015October 27, 2015Posted in Destinations, Race Recaps, San FranciscoTagged Half Marathon, Nike Womens Half, Races, Running, San Francisco3 Comments

I found out that I got into this race via lottery in early July and decided to take the plunge. I wanted at least one fall half (and was still planning on running the Richmond Half). This was my first destination race and my first that wasn’t NYRR or NYC Runs. I asked around and everyone who had run the race before said it was an amazing course and that they had a great time. I felt overdue for a trip to the Bay Area, so I decided to make it a full 4-day trip, from Friday morning to the last red-eye out Monday night. I’ll make this post focus on the race and other activities (and swag), then make a separate “what I ate” post because y’all know I went HAM out there before and after the race.

The pre-race activities were fun and helped instill a bit of the ‘community’ feel for such a big race. I enjoyed the Friday Get Focused workout and bonded with my Airbnb housemates who were also running. I ended up skipping the Saturday morning shakeout run because I had walked over 5 miles Friday and close to that on Saturday.

Posing after packet pick-up during the swag purchasing point #1 at Niketown. I needed a Dri-fit hat anyway.

I found my name on the Niketown store window pretty quickly as well as a friend’s who I didn’t know was running the race.

Stretching to Hotline Bling with my housemates during the Get Focused workout.

My goal for this half was just to finish without Achilles pain, since I knew a PR was out of the question and my eventual goal for sub-2 will have to wait a little longer. I ended up going even slower than I planned on and after the first few miles and hills, decided to not have qualms about stopping for pictures or walking through water and snack stops. I don’t usually race with my phone (just my Garmin Forerunner 220), but used both so I could enjoy some tunes and snap some shots. I ran my running club’s singlet with Lululemon Top Speed Crops because they have a zippered pocket as well as smaller waistband pockets. I wanted to bring shot-blocks with caffeine and keep the free gel along the course in there in case I didn’t need it.

I was at the front of Wave 2 because my housemate was going for a 9:10 pace, but I wisely decided to step to the side and drink more Nuun (cup #2 of 3 pictured below), so I ended up more in the middle of the pack. The first wave took off right at 6:30, and I crossed the start line around 6:41am.

The first few miles had some uphills and I was trying to reconcile the course map in my head with the neighborhoods I had already visited Friday and Saturday. This was a pleasant distraction for the first 5K or so.

We entered Golden Gate Park, which was my favorite part of the run. I had hung out there before when visiting and loved the waterfalls and bison, so I actually did take some quick shots this time. There was some crowd support and bands, along with ample enough water/Nuun stops. I grabbed a small peanut butter bar close to the 10K mark but didn’t eat it because I was a smidge thirsty. As seen below, I was clearly grooving to my tunes.

I felt pretty strong exiting the park and took a Vanilla Gu I had grabbed, but definitely slowed on the first of the 2 hills out. The crowds were picking up a bit as we headed to the Presidio. I remember passing the 10K mark back in the park, but not the 15K mark. There were lots of twists and turns through the neighborhood; if I had been really racing this, I would have tried to run the tangents better.

I tried to focus more on making it past THE hill and enjoying the downhills, along with admiring the scenery. I’m not good at running selfies and didn’t want to mess up a high-five or pass my sweat to a stranger, so I kept my arms to myself but grabbed a few shots at good pause points.

After the hill, I knew there were only 2 miles to go and that they would be a mix of downhill and flat. What joy! I felt strong during these, took my final 2 shot blocks, and shoved the chocolate truffle into my zippered pocket for later. I definitely wasn’t flying by the water by any means, but I had a pretty good pace going here. There were a few music groups out, including taiko drums and a Chinese dragon dance.

The finish was around a corner and snuck up on me a bit because my watch was over 0.2 miles ahead. I went for the flat-out sprint for the finish but moved myself into the middle so I could have a good finish photo (not usually my strong suit).

Nailed it (but please do not look at the knees of the poor guy behind me). I finished in 2:25:34, which is over a minute per mile slower than my previous two halfs (NYC and Brooklyn, both this year). But I guess I did stop for a picture of the bison paddock in Golden Gate Park. And I did shuffle slowly up those hills. So, my sub-2 hour half might have to wait until 2016.

The exit went really smoothly in part because they handed us large reusable grocery bags from Whole Foods (with lots of goodies inside), so I could throw everything else into there. Tiffany’s necklace in a box? Throw it in the bag. Hot pink water bottle full of cold water? Drank a lot of it, then threw it in the bag. There was no wait for the Portapotties, so I headed there first. I then got into what would be closer to a 1-hour line for Finisher gear, not knowing everything would be available back at Niketown or on the website. Fortunately, I befriended a couple of other ladies in line and they got the following picture of me. I did not want to wait in line for the official finish photos in front of the light teal backdrop. These motivational words would just have to do.

Then there was a long, slow, painful walk to the shuttles. I snacked on my banana, chocolate milk, and peanut butter bar before the bus, then was able to shower and nap and move on with my 3 post-race meals.

I would try another Nike Women’s event for sure, especially if running with friends. In fact, I might enter for their Toronto 15K next June. I’m planning to run the NYC full marathon next November, so I probably won’t be able to race SF next year at that point in my marathon training, but we’ll see.