Running Journal Month 12 (December 2008)

YEAR ONE OF RUNNING - COMPLETE~!
Week 52 (12/22-12/31)
Week 52 mileage: 20.5
2008 mileage: 1401.7
2008 race miles: 624.89
2008 races: 69

And so my first year of running comes to an end! I really feel like it flew by in a heartbeat! Here are some '08 highlights:

Series Finish: PCTR Trail Running Series - 2nd Age (20-29), 3rd Overall

Club Finish: DSE [Stats to come]

Ultras: 2 (PCTR Skyline to the Sea and the Quad Dipsea)

Goal Race Sequence Completed: Dipsea; Double Dipsea: Quad Dipsea!

Road Marathon (CIM): Qualified for Boston!

Favorite Races of '08:

Mt. Tam Hill Climb (straight up Tam to summit finish, anyway you want to go)

Golden Hills Trail Marathon (loved the course in the fall season, first technical marathon distance)

CIM (first road marathon, qualified for Boston)

Dipsea and Quad Dipsea (loved both, the double was too hot! Quad was the most climbing per mile by far)

DSE Daly City Scenic Run (straight up and back down, loved it)

Other notable races of '08:

PCTR Pirate's Cove 30k (gorgeous scenery, first longer race), Quicksilver 25k (awesome course), Bay to Breakers 12K (thought I'd hate it, but loved it!), Mt. Madonna Challenge 12k (mysteriously won race and prize money, plus awesome course), Skyline to the Sea 50k (first ultra, nice course, minus the bees), PCTR Santa Cruz 21K (love river crossing), DSE Sawyer Camp (fast! PR'd by more than a minute), Enviro Angel Island 25K (met a great friend)

Some other year end numbers:

Ultras: 2; Trail Marathon: 1; Road Marathon: 1; Road Half-Marathon: 1; Trail 30-33Ks: 5; Trail 25Ks: 5; Trail 20-23Ks: 6; Trail less than 20ks: 10; Road 12Ks: 4; Road 10Ks: 11; Road 4-4.5Ms: 6; Road 5Ks: 10; Road Mile: 1; Track Mile: 1

12/28 Race Stats:
DSE Mission Rock 5K - 22:29; 30/118; 7:14/M; 3rd F; 2nd Age

Week 51 (12/15-12/21)
Week 51 mileage: 19
2008 mileage: 1,381.2
2008 race miles: 605.29
2008 races 68

I'm happy with this week's races. Saturday I finally felt up to actually really racing a PCTR race - it helped to have some close competition and legs not in total recovery mode! Finally, I broke 2 hours and by a lot so I was happy. I really felt I could not have gone faster than I did when I finished. Sunday's races were ...interesting. Although some claim I cannot count it because it's a downhill course, the 1 mile distance was certified, so I'll at least mention that I beat my mile PR by a whopping 21 seconds. I've only run two timed miles, but was pretty happy when I got around a 6:08 (the race clocks were messed up so I'm not entirely sure to the second). The 5k that came right after was not as good, but who cares? I probably won't do this race again next year as it was so disorganized, but it was good for one time. I only have one more race this year and I'm looking forward to a little r&r.

Race Stats:
PCTR Rodeo Beach 20k - 1:52:42; 9:10/M; 28/100; 4th F; 3rd Age - PR
Miracle Mile - 6:08; 20/97; 4th F
Christmas Classic 5k - [stats to come]


Week 50 (12/8-12/14)
Week 50 mileage: 26.7
2008 mileage: 1,362.3
2008 race miles: 604.5
2008 races: 65

Have to say my legs were pretty tired after CIM, but I was able to run on Saturday and since I had already signed up for the 33k, I went ahead and did it knowing it would be a slow and somewhat painful race - the scenery on Muir Beach course, however, is so amazing, I was able to enjoy at least some parts of the race. I must have warmed up my legs because on Sunday, even though I started off very slow, I almost beat my PR without really aiming for it. I think that this is due to three things: 1) I do run better if I run the day before even if my legs are tired from it; 2) I started off slow not caring about the race, which always results in a better time; and 3) I think I'm actually overdue for a significant 5k PR and as soon as my legs are somewhat fresh I'll be able to shave off major time (since I recently did so in my 10ks). Other than the PCTR race next Saturday, I think things will be a bit calmer race-wise during the holidays (there just aren't as many good ones going on) and I guess my next task is planning what to do in 2009. I'm thinking it will be a road/trail marathon year...hitting phoenix, Boston, maybe Anchorage, maybe even Pike's Peak (we'll see).

Race Stats:
PCTR Muir Beach 33k - 4:05:31; 38/70 overall; 9th F; 6th Age
DSE Conservatory 5k - 22:28 [stats to come]

Week 49 (12/1-12/7)
Week 49 mileage: 29.7
2008 mileage: 1,335.6
2008 race miles: 580.9
2008 races: 63 - First Road Marathon!

Well, able to check another goal that wasn't even really a goal off the list. Actually, two non-goal goals in this case: running a road marathon and qualifying for Boston. Got both, unexpectedly, in one fell swoop the week after the Quad Dipsea. I must say my legs are more sore after the marathon than the Quad, but that's not that suprising. CIM has got to be the ugliest course I've ever run (can't imagine much worse), but it was a fast course with many gradual downhills, which was nice for a first marathon. I just stayed with the pacer and I felt that the pace needed for the 3:40:59 qualifying time wasn't that hard to keep up - I was able to chat some with the girls next to me, one of whom is the lead in broadway tour of Phantom of the Opera and the other of whom was an air traffic controller (making sure planes don't crash into each other)! My friend Lisa who I went up with also qualified for Boston, so we'll both be going there in '09 I guess. Congrats to Lisa! The whole road marathoning thing wasn't really a goal or something I trained for specifically, it just kind of happened along the way, which is great. I'd like to get a faster time at Boston if possible, but I'd really like to get faster without taking my focus away from the trails too much.



Race Stats:

CIM - 3:39:28 -8:22/M; 1576/5198 (clock time); 347/2183; 82/355 Age (clock time)