Happy Monday!

Rest day for me today

The title pretty much summarizes the race. I just came out of a great race last weekend where I beat my expected time by 1:48 minutes so I didn't think I should race this one. However, it's a race literally in my running route, my running group (FRC!) shows up in droves and the weather was perfect so I couldn't say no.

My plan was to either to race it by effort or chill, as per my coach instructions. I wasn't sure what I would do even as late as when I crossed the start.

This course is hillier than the one I ran last week. But it also contains some nice rollers with nice downhills. Mile 2 is mostly at a slight uphill so I wasn't sure how to race something that goes up half the race and then goes slightly up and down at the end.

My left leg has been pissy for a few weeks but between my upcoming trial (tomorrow) and busy with other cases, I haven't had time to visit the massage therapist again. A staycation is upcoming and I can't wait.

The race starts at 7am and although I could've run the 2 miles to the start, I decided crossing the bridge 4 times wasn't fun so I drove there. Parked 1/2 away and jogged to the FRC tent where I drank my iced caramel coffee and drank my gel before the start. After taking our FRC picture, we headed off to the start. It was still dark and gorgeous 47F.

As I crossed the start and had some cool pictures taken by the race photographers:

I decided my plan right then and there was to try to run/walk 2:30/0:30 for as long as I could with a pressing pace each mile. Last weekend I ran 2:30/0:30 until Mile 2.70 where I switched to 1/0:30 until the end. I was a bit more conservative than at the prior race I think because of the course but I paced this better. My breathing was a bit less strained.

Mile 1 was exactly the same time as last weekend except for 1 second. We headed to a bit of a downhill to start and then straight into the bridge which is flat/1-2% incline all the way to the light near my house. Pace: 11:24.

After Mile 1ish, we head East towards the sun for a bit and then entered one of our hilly neighborhoods to come back out to Olio Road (the main road of the race) with a couple of rollers. I was hitting the 2:30/0:30 fine and not feeling like death like last weekend by this point. Pace was slightly slower than last weekend for this mile: 11:19 (last weekend this one was 11:07).

After that we headed to the new Geist Waterfront Park, which I haven't visited yet (it's not completed but the beach opened this year, the one the news reported a $50 parking fee for non-residents). It is a nice park and we did around 1/2 mile in there (flat). Then we headed back to Olio to tackle the last rolling hill before the downhill to the finish. The finish line was smack just before a huge uphill so I'm glad the course stopped where it did, lol! Pace: 10:56 (last week it was 10:52). I was still doing 2:30/0:30 and felt fine.

The last 0.13 was a bit slower than last week's but last week was smack at 3.099999 as I took the tangents like a boss. This one had a ton of curves so not surprised it was better measured. Pace: 8:45 (last week it was 10:45!).

Finish time: 34:47, 7th in my AG in a much larger race. Super proud of this effort as it was better paced than last week and I was able to perform stronger.

After the race, while hanging out with my friends, a fucking yellowjacket beat me. My sting is now 1' long and 4" wide. Sheesh.

Off next is a 10K in a couple of weeks. Hope this weather remains!