This is rated as one of the Top 10ks in the country so I knew I wanted to do it. A colleague at work had told me about it last year and I was definitely interested in it so when Mallory told me she was running it, I was all in! Here is Mallory's recap!
The night before we had a nice dinner at a cute Italian restaurant across the street from the hotel. It was so nice to walk to and from dinner and we even had a glass of wine! We headed back and were asleep by 10:00 for a 5:50 wake up call.
Got up and I was feeling good and positive. According to my fitbit, I slept 7 hours and 42 minutes! That's a new record for me. I was also very positive today was going to be my day, I would PR!
Got dressed, made a quick cup of tea and peanut butter sandwich and off to catch the shuttle. It was so nice to have a shuttle and so relaxing. We got off and walked over to bag check, bathroom break and up to the starting line.
It was the most interesting course start I have ever seen. As we walked up the hill (on a residential street nonetheless) we heard the national anthem and then someone screaming to move. the half marathon people were coming TOWARDS us. People were shocked by this as was I but it was nice to see them off. We had about a 25 minute wait until we started.
It was getting warm so I took off my long sleeve shirts and was debating if wearing pants were the best choice but not much more I could do now! I double tied it around my waist so it couldnt fall.
We had a good DJ. I am still shocked that they let there be a DJ and announcer on a residential street before the race.
It was 7:30 and wave 1 took off and then 1 minute later, we did! I knew I wanted to try my hardest to PR (even though I knew there were lots of hills and the announcer even said this is not the race to PR) so I ran 2:10/30 seconds (thank goodness I tested this interval this week).
OFF WE WENT! downhill-woo-hoo! I tried my hardest to stay steady and not go out too fast like everyone around me was. I was ready to run my race and I knew to get those hills between mile 4 and 5, i would need to be slow.
I decided my motto for the race would be "conceal dont feel" as Elsa says. Conceal my speed for a bit, don't feel the need to go out to hard or fast.
Mile 1 was pretty flat, and we headed back into the mountains and parks for 2 and 3. it was insanely gorgeous but also really dangerous as there were cars everywhere. we had one small water stop with 5 volunteers that got crowded quickly but did the trick.
I was checking my mile splits at every mile marker and was hitting 11:20, 11:03 and then I DONT KNOW FOR THE THIRD MILE BECAUSE MY IPOD RESET. i was calm and just reset it for a 5k knowing i had done 34 minutes. yeah, i need a garmin (and to take my ipod to the genius bar!).
At the 5k, i took out my citrus shot and started taking a bit of it. we hit another water stop and i knew i would be good to go minus the fact my big toe on my left foot with numb and then my calf. i knew i needed to will it away and it worked (listening to let it go also helps!)
After that we got to mile 4 and i knew it was do or die. the mile with the hills and magically let it go came on! i listened to it twice in a row and i knew it was what i needed for the hills.
And were the hills ever tough! i decided i would go up as much as I could, and then walk briskly and then run the downhills regardless of interval. and it worked-i was flying past people (including the people with strollers! that was insanity to watch). at one point A CAR WAS LEAVING. i knew i had to pass it as we were about to hit mile 5 and the water station and i did not want ot get stuck behind it.
the car eventually left and it was pretty downhill from there. i was pretty tired from hills so I walked a bit more to recover here. i knew my time was good and I was going to PR! i heard the 1K warning and knew the PR was mine. i had to remember to take good walk breaks to not burn out and to hold back the tears.
I waved at all the people outside their houses (the kids were so cute!) and headed back towards agoura hills high school where the finish line was. we hit gravel and I knew i needed ot be careful but then it would all be downhill from there. I could feel it on the downhill, i felt GREAT and could give it a bit more so I was going. i decided to insert a final 10 second walk break because you never know. We turned and saw the finish line (in the grass-kinda weird) and that was it. I GUNNED IT (I know you arent supposed to do this but I have never had the opportunity and felt great) and was behind happy to cross.
i saw the finish line clock said 1:08! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! I didnt know what time i crossed but soon found out I PRed with 1:07:09 and I could not be prouder. my goal was 1:09 the whole time and i was so happy! I worked so hard on this and was so excited to be able to celebrate. Considering the killer hills-it was a huge accomplishment! I waited for Mallory and we headed to the After Party and it was EPIC!
When I got home, I did laundry, prepped dinner and caught up on magazines. and of course I watched Frozen as Elsa was my girl of the day!
I still can't believed I PRed and as big as I did with hills! I am very tempted to try and run another 10k,a flat one, within the next month to see what I am capable of. I think it would be super fun as well :)
Tomorrow I will post about the after party as it was EPIC!
How do you celebrate after a PR?
The night before we had a nice dinner at a cute Italian restaurant across the street from the hotel. It was so nice to walk to and from dinner and we even had a glass of wine! We headed back and were asleep by 10:00 for a 5:50 wake up call.
Got up and I was feeling good and positive. According to my fitbit, I slept 7 hours and 42 minutes! That's a new record for me. I was also very positive today was going to be my day, I would PR!
Got dressed, made a quick cup of tea and peanut butter sandwich and off to catch the shuttle. It was so nice to have a shuttle and so relaxing. We got off and walked over to bag check, bathroom break and up to the starting line.
It was the most interesting course start I have ever seen. As we walked up the hill (on a residential street nonetheless) we heard the national anthem and then someone screaming to move. the half marathon people were coming TOWARDS us. People were shocked by this as was I but it was nice to see them off. We had about a 25 minute wait until we started.
It was getting warm so I took off my long sleeve shirts and was debating if wearing pants were the best choice but not much more I could do now! I double tied it around my waist so it couldnt fall.
We had a good DJ. I am still shocked that they let there be a DJ and announcer on a residential street before the race.
It was 7:30 and wave 1 took off and then 1 minute later, we did! I knew I wanted to try my hardest to PR (even though I knew there were lots of hills and the announcer even said this is not the race to PR) so I ran 2:10/30 seconds (thank goodness I tested this interval this week).
OFF WE WENT! downhill-woo-hoo! I tried my hardest to stay steady and not go out too fast like everyone around me was. I was ready to run my race and I knew to get those hills between mile 4 and 5, i would need to be slow.
I decided my motto for the race would be "conceal dont feel" as Elsa says. Conceal my speed for a bit, don't feel the need to go out to hard or fast.
Mile 1 was pretty flat, and we headed back into the mountains and parks for 2 and 3. it was insanely gorgeous but also really dangerous as there were cars everywhere. we had one small water stop with 5 volunteers that got crowded quickly but did the trick.
I was checking my mile splits at every mile marker and was hitting 11:20, 11:03 and then I DONT KNOW FOR THE THIRD MILE BECAUSE MY IPOD RESET. i was calm and just reset it for a 5k knowing i had done 34 minutes. yeah, i need a garmin (and to take my ipod to the genius bar!).
At the 5k, i took out my citrus shot and started taking a bit of it. we hit another water stop and i knew i would be good to go minus the fact my big toe on my left foot with numb and then my calf. i knew i needed to will it away and it worked (listening to let it go also helps!)
After that we got to mile 4 and i knew it was do or die. the mile with the hills and magically let it go came on! i listened to it twice in a row and i knew it was what i needed for the hills.
And were the hills ever tough! i decided i would go up as much as I could, and then walk briskly and then run the downhills regardless of interval. and it worked-i was flying past people (including the people with strollers! that was insanity to watch). at one point A CAR WAS LEAVING. i knew i had to pass it as we were about to hit mile 5 and the water station and i did not want ot get stuck behind it.
the car eventually left and it was pretty downhill from there. i was pretty tired from hills so I walked a bit more to recover here. i knew my time was good and I was going to PR! i heard the 1K warning and knew the PR was mine. i had to remember to take good walk breaks to not burn out and to hold back the tears.
I waved at all the people outside their houses (the kids were so cute!) and headed back towards agoura hills high school where the finish line was. we hit gravel and I knew i needed ot be careful but then it would all be downhill from there. I could feel it on the downhill, i felt GREAT and could give it a bit more so I was going. i decided to insert a final 10 second walk break because you never know. We turned and saw the finish line (in the grass-kinda weird) and that was it. I GUNNED IT (I know you arent supposed to do this but I have never had the opportunity and felt great) and was behind happy to cross.
i saw the finish line clock said 1:08! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! I didnt know what time i crossed but soon found out I PRed with 1:07:09 and I could not be prouder. my goal was 1:09 the whole time and i was so happy! I worked so hard on this and was so excited to be able to celebrate. Considering the killer hills-it was a huge accomplishment! I waited for Mallory and we headed to the After Party and it was EPIC!
When I got home, I did laundry, prepped dinner and caught up on magazines. and of course I watched Frozen as Elsa was my girl of the day!
I still can't believed I PRed and as big as I did with hills! I am very tempted to try and run another 10k,a flat one, within the next month to see what I am capable of. I think it would be super fun as well :)
Tomorrow I will post about the after party as it was EPIC!
How do you celebrate after a PR?
Mile 1
Beautiful ranches we past
Amazing mountains around mile 3
GRAVEL! mile 5.5
Awful pic but I'm SO excited I PRed! I couldn't believe it!
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