Category Archives: Race

10.22.13
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Race Report: The Zombie Run – September 29, 2013

Continuing my catchup on race reports…

My friend Lauren talked me into doing the Zombie Run a couple months ago with her and her husband. Neither of them are runners, so I went into it knowing that we would probably be walking a lot.

It was held at Shelby Bottoms with a 4pm starting time to allow the zombies to have their transformations into the undead completed. We were running as humans, as the zombies in this race don’t actually run, but just stand around waiting for runners to come by.

We arrived and went through check-in smoothly. I decided to put on the race tee, so I switched out shirts. There was no bag check, but they had given us all backpacks, so all my stuff got put in there. Note to self: I hate running with a backpack.

The start was a little late, but soon we were off. One thing they did really well was the whole cinematic effect. During the first half mile or so, you run by set-ups of people in lab coats screaming to turn around and go back, that there’s been an infestation! Then you pass by some more people in lab coats lying on the ground, dead. Finally, you reach the zombies.

In this race, each person has three life ribbons hanging off a belt. Once your life ribbons were gone, then I guess you are dead, though you get to keep running. Zombies were positioned across the trail, about three per spot and attempt to grab your ribbons. The ribbons on each side of me got taken pretty quickly, but the one in back eluded the zombies for a while.

After a water stop, we began mile two. My strategy was to casually jog up to the zombies, as if I were out of ribbons, and then sprint past them. This is exactly what I did when a zombie came out of nowhere and got my last ribbon! So with only one mile down and two to go, all three of us were the running dead.

The theming was the best part of the race. The water stations were labeled as “vaccination stations” and there were setups like a school bus full of zombies that we ran by.

I walked with Lauren and Chris most of the way, pushing them to run the downhills at least. With a half mile to go, I took off and left them. Sorry guys! Although that was mostly spent dodging all the other people that were walking and taking up the whole trail walking side-by-side.

Overall it was pretty fun, but I think there were way too many zombies on the course. It would be better if they were more spread out too, instead of clustered in groups. It was pretty impossible to make it all the way through with your life ribbons without cheating and getting more or hiding them in your pockets.

The Zombie Run

10.04.13
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Race Report: Fremont Oktoberfest 5k – September 22, 2013

After three sunny days in Seattle (I must’ve lucked out with the timing of my trip), I woke up Sunday morning to overcast skies and drizzle. The race wasn’t until 10am, so I took my time getting ready and (stupidly) ate a fiber bar for breakfast.

My bestie Sabrina drove us down to Fremont, and we parked and walked down to packet pick-up. They had a board set up with your name and bib number. Once you found your bib number, you got in the pick-up line to get your stuff: a neon green t-shirt, race bib, and shoe timing chip.

As I was putting on my bib and timing chip, I looked around at the other runners. Most of them were dressed much more warmly than me, with pull-overs and long sleeves dominating the crowd. I was wearing a skirt and a tank, of course. It was in the low 60s, so I had a hoodie on for warmth, but handed it over to Sabrina before the start, since it was not anything I wanted to run in.

before the fremont oktoberfest 5k

Tired but ready to start!

As I was waiting at the start line, a man next to me asked if I had run this 5k before. I said that I hadn’t and was actually from Nashville. He looked surprised and then said, “I’m from Tennessee too!” Turns out, he was also running on vacation from Johnson City. Small world!

Soon we were off. It had warmed up considerably and the sun was trying to peak through the clouds. I kind of laughed at all the people who were regretting their long sleeves and stripping off their pull-overs while trying to run.

I ran along at a pretty steady pace of 10:30 min/mile for the first mile, but by that time I was really wanting some water. I had (stupidly) failed to drink any that morning beforehand, and since the day before had been spent at on a wine tour and at Oktoberfest, I was probably pretty dehydrated. I had started to get side stitches, which, for me, is usually a pretty good indicator that I’m in need of water. On top of that, I think the fiber bar was making my stomach ache a bit. Usually a 5k will have a water stop every mile or maybe just one at the halfway point. I passed the one mile point with no water stop. I kept going. Shortly before the halfway point, I paused to catch my breath and hopefully try to see if there was a water stop ahead. There wasn’t. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold my pace without any water, so I started doing run/walk intervals for the remainder. I knew it wasn’t going to be my fastest 5k, but I was a bit disappointed that it also wasn’t going to be my first 5k without walking.

I finished in a little over 35 minutes, which isn’t terrible. It was around what I was expecting to run, especially considering all the walking I’d been doing around Seattle and the imbibing from the day before.

My quarter mile splits:
quarter mile splits

Started too fast, eh?

They gave us a beer at the end, but I was way more interested in the water! So Sabrina downed half my beer and then we left to go check out the Fremont troll. 😀

Thrilled about beer, obviously.

Thrilled about beer, obviously.

the fremont troll

Fremont troll!

Shoes: Skechers GoRun 2

09.09.13
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Race Report: Rockin’ Marathon Relay – September 7, 2013

This was an interesting but very fun race! The course was a 1.88 mile loop around Edwin Warner Park that we had to go around 14 times (the first time being slightly shorter) to complete the 26.2 marathon distance. That meant, with our four person team, two people had to run it three times and two people had to run it four.

Team Aching Bad (ah, my love of punny team names!) consisted of Amanda, my friend Jessica, and my coworker Jeff. Amanda and Jessica are about on the same level running-wise. I’m a little speedier than them, and Jeff is a little speedier than me.

Being one of the two fastest (lol), that means I was one of the lucky four time runners! I did get to do the (only slightly) shorter first lap, so my total official mileage for the day was 7.4 miles. The most I’ve ever run in one day!

Amanda and Jeff

Amanda and Jeff hanging out during Jessica’s first lap

For the first lap, we started about what looked to be a hundred feet in front of the start line, but “officially” was about a tenth of a mile ahead. (I will note that my Garmin did not detect that much of a difference so my watch average pace for the first lap is noticeably different from my official average pace.) The horn sounded and we were off!

The first half of the course is pretty much entirely uphill. The second half is downhill with some flats. The first half is awful. Thankfully, they positioned a water station at the top of the hill, which I took advantage of every single lap.

I felt pretty speedy on the first lap. I ran up much of the hill. (I did walk a few times…that thing was steep!) Then I flew downhill. I had a quick pause on the flat to catch my breath and ran to pass the baton to Jeff, who was running after me. Below is my pace graph for the first lap, where you can see elevation too. The slowdown at the very end was due to me forgetting to turn off my watch!

first lap pacing

I think everyone on our team had about a similar first lap experience: horror at the gigantic hill and a joyous downhill run. It seemed like my second lap came before I knew it! It was a lot tougher. I walked up more of the hill and more on the flats. The third was even harder. By then, it was getting closer to mid-day and the sun was bearing down on us. The temperature had risen nearly twenty degrees since we started.

http://instagram.com/p/d9qhVdklDY/
I was trying to psych myself up for the final lap. Amanda promised me three Fig Newtons from the food station if I did it in 20 minutes. For every minute slower, I would lose a cookie. I pushed as hard as I could and did it in 21 minutes. I got two Fig Newtons (and some crackers and a banana).

http://instagram.com/p/d97jmMklI_/
All in all, we finished our marathon in a little over five hours. So we’re not going to qualify for Boston anytime soon, but it was a blast (except for that hill).

Team Aching Bad

Team Aching Bad!

Here’s our official results with my laps highlighted:
20130908-111040.jpg

Garmin says the average pace for my first lap was around 10:18, and Strava reports my fastest mile was 8:48! I would say all that speed training has helped, but I’m sure a lot of that has to do with gravity. I know downhill running can destroy your quads, but my hamstrings were what was mostly sore the next day, so my downhill form must not be too terrible. But super good news: no hip pain at all!

I’m not quite ready for Ragnar yet, but relays are FUN!

Shoes: Pearl Izumi Road N2

08.13.13
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Race Bucket List

There are times I come across races that I think would just be awesome to do at some point in my running career. Most of them I couldn’t do right now because either (a) they require extensive travel or (b) I don’t have the training.

Ragnar Relay

Source: Ragnar Relay

The first race I added to my bucket list was the Ragnar Relay. It’s a relay race with 11 other people where you alternate running about 200 miles. In Tennessee, this means you run from Chattanooga to Nashville. Clearly, this falls into the “I don’t have the training” category. Each runner takes three legs of the distance, ranging from 3-8 miles each. Oh yeah, it takes over 24 hours and you don’t really get to sleep.

When I saw “Spirit of the Marathon 2”, I knew I had to add the Rome marathon to my bucket list. And that got me thinking of how cool it would be to do a marathon in Paris, as well. I pretty much think that if I ever run a marathon, the first one has to be in Europe. It just seems like an awesome way to sightsee!

Seawheeze

Source: Facebook

My latest addition is the Seawheeze half marathon in Vancouver. It’s put on by Lululemon, so you get lots of awesome swag, plus yoga and a beach party. And it’s in Vancouver! I may try to do it next August if I can swing the travel costs.

What’s on your running bucket list?