Napa Trip Day 1 - Let's get it started!

This trip was a birthday celebration for my friend J, who turns 40 this month.  11 of us, all coming from the east coast, flew to San Francisco Thursday morning.  Once we all arrived and met at the car rental center, we hit the ground running.  We had two cars and a plan.  Head across the Golden Gate

and stop at IN-n-Out

Hess was a great way to start our wine tasting because Larry was very informative.  We listened, we asked some questions, and we finally got to taste.

We then made our way to check-in at the Silverado Resort.  It was great.  We had two condos, close to each other, and the resort had lots of options for fitness stuff for me and lounging stuff for my friends. 

Dinner Thursday nite was at the Grill right at the resort, which worked very well for us to be able to have a few drinks and not have to drive anywhere, and since it was a long travel day, we called it an early night to get ready for the first big day of wineries.

A Cool Morning Run

I spent last Thursday through Monday in Napa and San Francisco.  It was a fantastic weekend with friends, and there's a lot to tell.  But one of the best things was the run I took my first morning there.  Coming from NJ, where the temps were hovering around 100*, I was in heaven waking up to 58*.  I set out to explore the area around our Napa resort, and though I didn't get to run on this road, I passed several vineyards that looked just as inviting as this one.  It was an amazing way to get the weekend started.

Back on My Feet 20in24 Relay Challenge 2011

Running through the night in Philadelphia is a crazy idea.  Yet there I was, at 8:15pm, waiting for my first leg of the 6pm Silver Relay.  My team of 5 ladies had to run two 8.5 mile loops each, and we'd be running through the night around the Art Museum Loop.  Run a leg, wait for the next 4 runners to go, run again.  We could have chosen to run the 10am relay start, but for several reasons we chose the overnight run.  This would prove to be a crazy but smart choice...

We met several times over drinks (!) to decide our team name, team uniform, order of run, etc.  We decided on the name LEGS and got singlets printed and cool Phillies socks to bring the outfit together.  We were the only team to go all out, and we definitely got noticed! 

Ready to run! 

We got a cool campsite set up right across from the start/finish area where we were able to chill out while we waited for our turns to run and still be able to watch the race unfold. 

We checked in just before the 6pm start, did some searching for our friends running the 24 hour ultra race (they started at 10am and ran solo loops until 10am the next morning), and calmed any pre-race jitters. We had talked about the possibility of winning our relay, but decided to just be safe and run fun. We'd let the race play out, and be happy with how we did as long as everyone finished safely.

At 6pm we all headed to the start and cheered our first runner off!  We figured she'd take about 63 minutes, so the next runner got ready, we chilled for a bit, and then soon it was ready for her.  I would run third.  I was excited but ready!  I knew it would be getting dark mid-way through my run, and I was nervous about certain parts of the route being dark and secluded.  I carried my little flashlight and wore my reflective belt and waited for my teammate.  We got the announcement that our runner was 2 miles out and soon I was off! 

That first run was solid -- the weather was great -- and I held a pretty consistent and steady 8 minute pace the whole way.  I felt like I could go a little quicker, but I knew I'd have another 8.5 miles to race in just 4ish short hours.  I stayed fast but somewhat comfortable.  I took water on the go at two stops, and I giggled at everyone who commented on  my socks.  I wished the runners well, and I took note of the darkening path.  As I came through the checkpoint two miles out where they noted your team number to call ahead for your next runner, I felt good about finishing this leg strong. 

I came into the finish, passed off to my next teammate, and then went into recovery mode.  Drank well, changed into dry clothes, put on my compression socks, and stretched out and rolled on the foam roller.  I took a migraine pill to ward off the as-of-late-inevitable headaches I've been getting after hard/long runs, ate a soft pretzel, and I relaxed at camp.  Every so often we'd see some Lone Ranger friends come thru (that's the ultra race) and chat with them as they checked in for that lap.  So far, so good!

For each teammate, we'd make our way over to the start/finish, cheer each other on, and then wait.  Too much adrenaline to get any naps in between legs!  I realized pretty quickly there'd be no sleep tonight.  The later runs became more to think about.  It was DARK on the backside of the loop, and to be honest, I was a little nervous.  There definitely was not enough light on this loop, but I hoped the volunteers on bikes would be out in full force to keep an eye on things.

By 1:30am, I was getting ready for my next leg.  Put my singlet and fun socks back on, got my light and reflector stuff and put my phone in my spibelt.  Walking to the start, I was nervous about running through the city park in the middle of the night, but I pushed that aside.  I was noticing my legs feeling a little worked, but felt I'd be ok.  In came my teammate, and off I went. 

This run would be a bit more interesting than the first.  Within the first mile, I noticed someone off my back right shoulder.  He was running about 2-3 steps behind me, and staying there.  I tried to speed up, he stayed.  I tried to slow down, he slowed.  I couldn't shake him.  I knew he wasn't an ultra runner because they weren't running a 7:40 pace like I was this long into their run.  I wondered if I should be nervous as I headed to the darker, back side of the loop.  I peeked back a couple times to let him know I could feel him off my shoulder, and I ran fast.  By mile 2 I decided to say something.  I wanted to know if I should worry about this the whole way, or if I could find comfort in a fellow racer to run with at 2:15am.  I looked back and asked what relay he was doing. 

"The platinum," he answered.  "Sorry for trailing you." 

Ok, while I wasn't totally comforted, I at least felt like I didn't need to be consumed with anxiety that he was going to jump me in one of the dark, desolate areas.  When I came into the first aid station, I slowed, took a cup, and let him pass by.  He did, and I let some space come between us.  By now I was aware that I'd started this leg fast and wondered how long I could hold this sub-8 pace.  My desire to get done this mid-night run was the catalyst for me to run as fast as my legs would allow, for as long as I could.  While I was enjoying the fun and thrill of this relay race, and the oddity of running through Philly in the middle of the night, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't freaked.  I definitely was uncomfortable about it.  There just weren't enough volunteers and lighting to make this safe and comfortable for the racers.  I told the officials about this later. 

But back to the run...  I made it up and over Falls Bridge (about the halfway mark of the leg) and headed back up the river to the finish.  I was glad my legs were strong enough to run fast and keep a solid pace, and I looked forward to that 2-miles-out checkpoint.  There weren't a lot of people on the course at this point in the race -- even the aid stations were unmanned at times -- and I knew I'd see a friendly face there.  I yelled out my team number and was excited to know I had less than 2 to go.  By now, my legs were tightening up and I was hoping to keep my pace to the finish.  I knew our first two racers had slowed in their second legs and I was psyched to think I'd actually have a faster run for mine!  I willed my hamstrings -- mainly my left one -- to hold up, and I smiled as I approached boathouse row.  Less than half a mile to go! 

As I came into the start/finish and my teammate took off, I noted my time:  40 seconds faster on this leg than my first!  WooHoo!  I grabbed a cold towel, water, and a pretzel, and headed back to camp.  Changed into dry clothes and woke my teammate that was to run the last, our next, leg.  The drama began.  She had been vomiting since her first run.  Wha???  From what?  It wasn't that hot, she was a good runner, and her pace was solid, but nothing extreme.  Whatever the cause, her body shut down.  I took her to the med tent and found out our 4th runner, the one out on the course now, would be running two loops to cover for the sick teammate.  Uh, oh.  17 miles straight after an 8.5 miler just a few hours before?  None of us were prepared for that.  But since we were in the lead, we didn't want to quit and we didn't want to be disqualified.  We worked it out. 

Since I had just run (fast!) and CM was with one of our ultra-runner friends, I'd stay with C in the med tent while L and A did the last loop.  I felt bad about not doing that last loop with the other girls, but we didn't want to leave C alone.  Eventually, her boyfriend came to accompany her to the hospital (she'd eventually be ok -- dehydration?) and CM and I started packing up the campsite.  As the sun came up, we planted ourselves at the finish and bubbled about the fun experience and the fact that we'd actually win this thing! 

When L and A arrived, we knew we'd done it.  We hadn't slept, we'd had some drama, but all of us were (relatively) safe and that's what mattered.  We'd raised money for a great cause and we'd fostered new friendships.  Awesome. 

I drove home, took about a 45 minute power nap, showered and picked up CM, and headed to the awards ceremony.  C was still not well, so she missed the post-race picture and celebration as we were awarded our prize. 

 

We had cool race outfits, a fun attitude, and went home with aluminum batons marked with our relay win info and a sweet $1500 cash prize. 

I'm not sure I'd do this event again unless they got better lighting and security on the loop overnight, but it really was a blast being part of this relay team.  Another fun running experience, and the win made it that much sweeter!

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The stats:  Our overall time was something around 11:52, though I'm still waiting for the official results to be posted.  Here are my times:

First leg:  started at 8:13pm  8.52 miles.  1:08:11  8:00 pace
Second leg:  started at 1:53am  8.52 miles.  1:07:30  7:56 pace

Legs today feel WORKED!  But it's a good hurt :) 

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I did some light fundraising for this event, and I want to send HUGE thanks to my sponsors:
Kevin
Lori
Maria
Joe
Amy

You guys put some extra special oomph into my participation in this event, and I can't thank you enough! 

Running Through the Night

Tomorrow night, I will join 4 friends for a relay race around the Art Museum loop in Philadelphia.  We will each run 2 loops (8.4 mi each leg), and our race starts at 6pm.  It's all a part of the Back on My Feet 20in24 race.

I will run my first leg sometime around 8:15pm, and then my second leg sometime between 2 and 3am. 

No sleep, lots of fun.  We've got cool uniforms and a great team name:  LEGS!  Pix and reports to follow!

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Lots of luck to Charisa at Vineman!  I know she's gonna kick some booty! 

And on the 66th day, she rested.

I haven't taken a full rest day since the week after the Broad Street Run.  May 4th was the last day I didn't swim, bike, run, do yoga, or anything else exercise-oriented. Since then, not a day has passed without some sort of workout.  Many days have been doubles.  I've been good about taking legs-rest days (when I'll just swim and/or take a yoga class), and I've been good about paying attention to when my legs need a running-free day (when I'll just bike and/or swim, etc.). 

But today, for the first time since May 4th, I did no exercise.  I didn't choose this, and it really frustrated me, but I couldn't help it.  I went to bed Thursday night with my stomach not feeling right and awoke Friday with the start of a two day bout with some sort of bug.  Ugh.

I made it through a 5 mile run with my sister and then a 1 mile run with my nephew, but the whole way I just kept hoping I wouldn't need the bathroom.  I didn't, but when we were done, I felt done.  I somehow got a bowl of cereal in me, but by mid-day, I was down for the count.  Couldn't eat anything.  I forced some watered-down Gatorade and a couple pieces of toast in me, and even some chicken soup broth throughout the day/night.  But that was it.  I went to bed at 8pm.  I was worn out from so many trips to the bathroom and my body having no fuel in it.  Eww, I know.  Sorry. 

I woke up this morning (after a fitful night) and was hoping I was better.  I wasn't.  The sun was shining, the temps were cool, and I couldn't enjoy it.  There was no way I'd be able to run, and even biking would require more energy than my depleted body would handle.  Again I kept trying to get something in me -- chicken broth, Gatorade, dry toast -- but I didn't feel any better.  I thought, maybe I'll feel better by the evening and I'll be able to get a short ride in then. 

By 2pm, I was out of my mind.  I was wasting an entire day curled up on the sofa.  I was antsy, but I couldn't do anything.  That's when I looked at my workout calendar. 

May 4th. Wednesday.  It was a rainy, raw day, and my knee was bothering me.  I was heading to the Phillies game after work, and I had just raced on Sunday and only taken Monday off.  I decided to take the day off.  Knew it was probably smart after the race, anyway.  So that was a rest day.  The last one until today. 

I was finally able to get a small amount of bland gnocchi into my system tonight, but a run or ride was not going to happen.  I will do something easy in the morning.  I know I can -- in my first year of real running, I had been violently ill for a 24 hour period between Friday and Saturday and somehow made it through a 17 mile run that Sunday.  I'm just more in-tune to my body now, and I realize how weak I am tonight.  But I can't take another full day off. 

Rest is good -- I know that.   But another full day off is something I don't want right now.  :)  I want to get out there and enjoy the beautiful weather. 

Long rides, stormy skies, beach time

In the past week and a half since my last post, I rode my first 50 mile bike ride and then worked a lot at the running store.  And finally, this week, I got some lazy summer days at the beach. 

Last Monday I set out for my weekly long bike ride, intending to do a 40 miler.  I was at the shore, so it was easy to figure the route -- head north on the island from my parents' house, turn around at the end, then back past the house and head to the south end, then back.  Add some extra loops in there and an easy 40 is done.  But then I got back to the house and realized I was actually at 41 miles, and decided that was a stupid number to end on so I headed back out for 9 more miles.  According to my bike computer I finished with 50, according to my Garmin it was more like 51.5 miles.  Something's off with my bike computer I guess, but as long as it's short, I'm fine with that. 

On that ride, and often recently, I've begun to wonder how the heck to bike faster.  It's like my legs suck or my bike sucks or they both suck.  I get passed by people in races and just riding in general who fly by me while I'm riding at about 18mph and I wonder how the heck they do it!  My race paces aren't terrible, but they aren't fast.  I can't seem to make riding easier for me.  I've been riding more, but I don't think I'm getting any faster.  I do some interval stuff, a bunch of easy stuff, and more miles than ever.  I suppose I'll get there, but it sort of boggles my mind. 

So, a 50 miler done, the rest of that week was a bit easier on the legs.  A little step-back week in the running and biking, but a solid swim on Thursday.

At the open water swim, I elected to swim without my wetsuit and had a plan to swim a warm-up lap and then a mile without stopping.  Well, as I finished that first lap, I felt smooth and solid, so I just kept going.  Lap after lap, in a groove and feeling good, I just kept going.  At the end of 1.2 miles, I stopped.  I was covered in gross, brown slime from the lake, but I felt accomplished.  1.2 miles without stopping, and I felt solid.  I kept the pace at a place where my breathing was good and working, but not wearing me out.  I looked at my watch -- which I hadn't stopped right away -- and figured it took me about 38 or 39 minutes to swim that.  That's pretty good for me! 

After working a bunch at the store, I headed to the beach on Saturday for a handful of work-free days.  A storm rolled in while I was at happy hour with some friends:

But the skies quickly cleared:

And allowed for a great day on the beach the next day.  Fun swimming time with my nephews in the powerful ocean, and even a little time fishing with Poppie:

This lazy beach day was MUCH needed after a long, hot brick workout that morning.  More on that in the next post... 

Queen of the Hill Sprint Triathlon

There is a local women's triathlon club just south of me that started a couple (I think?) years ago.  The club is the Mullica Hill Women's Triathlon Club. 

The club is several hundred strong, and is made up of a mix of newbies to seasoned triathletes.  I'm not a member of the club, but working in the running store I've become aware of all sorts of cool activities that this club has hosted for their members.  This year, they decided to put on their very own women's-only sprint triathlon. 

Named the Queen of the Hill, the RD's put lots and lots of thought into the female-driven details of this race.  It was a great event, on a beautiful summer day, and to top it off, I raced pretty well!

I had two goals for this race:  to have a stronger T1 than the Hammonton race, and to feel successful/not  fall on the bike with my new pedals.  I met up with a couple friends race morning and as we set up our transition spots, we giggled at the full-length mirror outside the line of porta-potties and the pink accents everywhere.  There was certainly a female focus here.  At one point, I giggled because it was so over-the-top, but I simmered that because I could tell how many of these women were doing this for the first time and how excited/nervous/full of wonder they were, and that was kinda cool. 

I got there early enough to get a great transition spot -- right next to the bike in/bike out.  I was happy to have a longer run from the swim to the bike, a short run with the bike out and then in, and then a bit more of a run through transition to the run out.  Perfect spot.  Then I got body marked. 

I walked over to the young girls who were weilding the markers, and told them my race number.  That went on both arms.  Then they asked how old I'll be on December 31st. 

Um, what?

How old will you be as of December 31st?  the cute, mid-teenage, perky girl asked. 

Um, what?  I looked around.  I'm 39. 

And that's how old you'll be at the end of this year?

Oh, God.  I forgot that's how the USAT rules are for age-grouping.  They messed up at Hammonton!  (not that it would've mattered in the standings)

Um, I'll be 40, I said quietly.  I wasn't prepared to be there yet, I confided to the girl.  The mid-50's woman next to me told me to shut it.  Sort of -- she said it nicer than that, but that's what she was saying.  The perky high-schooler, oblivious to the fact that I'll remember this moment forever, directed me to turn around and there it was:  a big, black, 40 on the back of my left calf. 

ugh. 

Ok, here I go.  First race in a new age-group.  Let's see how it goes. 

With my age weighing me down a bit, we got set, got our wetsuits (they weren't necessary at all -- warm water, 1/4 mile swim -- but I'm wearing mine any time I can since this is my first racing season with one and I need the practice with it!), and headed over for the pre-race meeting and the national anthem.  The RD kept asking us to "stay standing" for another minute; there was "something special" that was going to happen.  We laughed at every time she said that -- um, we're all standing.  Where would would we sit?  But then, she announced the military fly-over. 

I knew it was coming -- we'd heard about it at the store and thought it was a bit hokey for a small sprint tri -- but standing there, as the race was about to start, it was pretty cool. 

We had just a few minutes to get a warm-up swim done in the lake, and the race began.  I was in the 3rd (of 4) waves, and I positioned myself off to the side, away from the rest of the wave.  They all lined up in the deeper water and had to tread for a couple minutes before we were off.  I stayed in the shallower water, and as the wave began, I had a straight line to the first buoy.  I swam hard.  I wanted to get out in front -- fewer people to deal with until I caught up to the stragglers from the first wave -- and I did.  There was one other woman right near me until about a third of the way through the swim, but we never got in each other's way.  I kept swimming.  I swam hard.  And I passed women from the wave in front of me.  And then, although I kept repeating pace yourself, I was swimming hard -- and all of a sudden I couldn't breathe.  I had just made the last turn past the buoy that put us on the straightaway to the swim exit, and I couldn't breathe.  Keep calm! I repeated.  But I couldn't help it -- I eventually had to turn onto my back and catch my breath for a few seconds.  I did, and then I swam to the exit.  I wasn't happy about that, but I thought I had swam hard and probably had a good time anyway. 

The water got shallow well before the exit, and though it would've been faster to keep swimming, I couldn't.  There were about 10 woment stopped and walking through the knee-deep water with about 10 yards to go.  I had no choice, I had to do the same.  As I ran out up the steps and across the mat, I worked to get my breathing in control and my wetsuit off.  I got to my bike, got out of the suit, threw on my helmet and my sunglasses, and grabbed my bike.  I knew I accomplished goal #1 -- that T1 time would definitely be faster than 4:06!

My bike shoes were already clipped onto my pedals, so I ran out in my barefeet, got my right foot into the shoe and started to ride.  Got the left foot in, and off I went.  So far, so good for goal #2!

The bike leg was 10 miles of rolling hills.  Nothing too exciting on the bike -- I started to look for women in my age group and see how strong I could ride.  I got passed by a few, then passed a few, and overall felt like my bike was decent. 

Until the last 2 miles.  I knew I had a run coming up, and I knew I had the first race dismount with these pedals coming up, and I started to prepare mentally.  Then 2 women in my age group flew by me.  AGH!  How are they going so fast???!!!  I tried to keep up, but they dropped my quickly.  I was a bit distracted now as I safely dismounted at the base of a hill and then had a long run into the parking lot and into transition for the run leg.  (They had, at the last minute, decided it would be better to have everyone dismount at the hill, rather than turning into the lot.  Really? Safer to have everyone stop at the base of the hill and get off their bikes?  okay....) For me, it was fine.  Goal #2 accomplished!

Into T2, I racked my bike, dropped my helmet, and quickly cleaned off my feet, threw socks on, tied my shoes, grabbed my visor, and off I went for the 5k run.  Legs weren't bad!  But huh -- there's a hill right there to start the run.  Ok, let's go!  My friend J (who sponsors the OWS) was there, and as I ran out he yelled -- this is your strength, Lora!  You've got at least 15 people you can pick off!

I gave him the thumbs up and started to count. 

I passed more than 15.  I settled into a decent pace that I felt I could hold, and went to work.  I saw the eventual winner coming back, and I counted.  I counted how far back I was from her, and I counted how many women I passed.  We all passed "Good job!"'s onto each other, shouted words of encouragement, and I counted.  

As I made my way to the finish, I felt pretty good about my run.  I knew the time was solid, and I felt good about doing what J told me I should do out there.  As I crossed the line, I was happy with the day, even though I didn't feel great about what happened in the swim. 

After meeting up with my friends, cheering on other racers, and going for a cool-down jog, the results were posted. 

22 OA/185 finishers

4/46 AG (agh!  4th!)

1:10:33

swim: 7:25  (8th fastest swim on the day!)

T1: 1:45!

bike: nothing impressive 35:06

T2:  1:58

run: 24:20

For my first race in a new age-group, it was a pretty decent showing.  A well-run race, a solid effort, and two goals accomplished.  I should note that if I were in the 35-39 AG, I would've been 6th... 

Still tons to improve on, but I'll take it!