The course was much hillier than I'd expected. . . see below
Let's just say that the incline was solid & lasted for miles between 3 & 6, I think. Although, honestly, that part is a blur. It's like child birth - I've already blocked out the super difficult part, because it was all 100% worth it in the end. The great news? once we peaked, it was downhill for the final miles & I felt like a million bucks. The smile on my face when I crossed the finish line lasted *all day*. :-)
Before the race:
Backing up a bit, I woke up at five to eat a package of oatmeal mixed with almond butter that I'd brought (surprisingly good), a package of Starbucks VIA instant coffee (not so good, but did the trick) & hydrate, as the race started at 7:45 am. Well, it was supposed to. Unfortunately, a train was running behind, & the course goes over the train tracks, so we had to wait. It was incredibly cold, so the 40 minute delay was sad times. My fingers were swollen, & my lips were purple until about two hours after the race.
During the run:
I took a couple of shot blocks during the run, & only walked through the water stops, making this by far the best run I've ever had. Ever. Talk about bringing it on the right day. The weather sucked - it was raining/snowing/sleeting for about 75% of the race, and the sun came out right as we started heading downhill. All of the stars aligned for that final stretch to be amazing, & it was!
Post run:
We met up with my sister, mom & nephews, who were doing a 5K walk. We walked about another 3-4 miles total hooking up with the crew & retrieving the car, so that served as a nice cool down.
I may have possibly cried in the bathroom at Deschutes Brewery, because I was just so happy & thrilled with finishing. A year ago, I was trying to complete a 5K, & today was such a milestone. I'm thrilled. I've never considered myself a runner, so this just feels like I'm in new territory. . . And, I'm trying to convince Michael that I should sign up for another 15K at the end of the month. Just because it sounds so fun. :-)
The lunch at Deschutes was amazing - beer, a slice of walnut/pear/goat cheese pizza, part of a cheeseburger, & a little salad, just to health things up a bit. Again, the beer. Yum. Just what was needed after the race.
And, because I can't resist a couple of pictures of Nick's 5th birthday party yesterday . . .
Sam & Nick - brotherly love :-)
The birthday boy, giddy with anticipation for his party:
Me with my crazy boys
Mommy & the birthday boy
All in all, this weekend rocked!
Now, questions. . . I'm really not sore yet, but my abs are crazy sore? I've never gotten sore abs from running before? I also got a side ache about half way through the race? Is that generally caused by gulping water too quickly?
How was your St. Patrick's Day??
Great job on your race and beating your goal!
ReplyDeleteAwww great job! I'm so glad that you had a great experience! I think one of my former teammates/friends from college ran that race today too!
ReplyDeleteAs for sore abs, it can definitely happen! When you push yourself, your core tires very easily, especially if your form begins to fall apart. I often have a sore lower back after a distance race.
Oh my - GREAT job! That 15k is TOUGH - and you did so well! Congratulations. I often feel it in my abs when I run - I think a lot of people use their legs to power themselves, but I use my core more, so I think that's the cause - completely unscientific opinion for what it's worth! :) Thanks for stopping by my blog! Love meeting Pac NW runners!
ReplyDeleteAwesome job! A side ache can be caused by drinking too much, but can also happen when your breathing is off. Sometimes if I go from an incline to a downhill, my breathing goes from heavy to easy and I will get a side ache. Just make sure to control your breathing and keep the in and out rhythm consistent and see if that helps. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy for you! Wow that is great. Side aches can be from drinking too little or too much (I've had experience with both). Glad it was so much fun!
ReplyDeleteMy abs get sore from running! Not all the time but definitely on hill workouts
ReplyDeleteAll I need to say is that I LOVE your hair the way it's growing out! The color is really cool-looking. : )
ReplyDeleteThanks. :-) Totally unintentional, but it looks SO much better than it did last year at this time. :-)
DeleteHello! Thanks for the nice comments on my blog... I had to come check your out too! Kudos on the 15k! I wasn't jealous of anyone having to run up Terwilliger on that freezing cold and rainy morning. Maybe I'll see ya at a race soon. Have you heard about the Run Like a Mother 5k, on Mother's Day?
ReplyDeleteI'm doing my first half marathon in Kirkland on Mother's Day! :-) I'm actually close to Seattle (my family is in Portland - so they convinced me to join them for the Shamrock after my son's birthday party).
DeleteTerwilliger was BRUTAL. I won't lie - there was some cursing going on, but once I saw the Charthouse, I knew the rest of the run would be all downhill/flat, so I was in heaven. :-)
Nice job on the 15k! I hadn't looked at the elevation before, yikes! What a beast of a course. Your time was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you for beating all of your goals for the 15K! You rock!
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