My time in Santa Cruz has run out

I ran through the final stretch of my time in Santa Cruz.  My students went home on Friday, with some tears and smiles - bittersweet for sure.  They had a great time at camp, and the staff did too.  7 weeks went by really quickly.  In that time:

• 424 students came
• I worked with 38 instructors and TAs
• Supervised 16 different courses, ranging from astronomy to psych to writing
• The kids were in class for 100 hours per 3 week session
• I logged over 200 miles, swam about 60,000 yards
• Ran and won one race: San Francisco 5k with a PR

It was a great summer.  There were a lot of challenges and the program requires a lot of time and effort, but totally worth it.  I learned a lot, and it is a job that I love doing.  I love working with these kids and staff so much, and I always find this to be a rejuvenating experience.  

I got in 7 weeks of stellar running in.  I don't think I ever ran in temperatures higher than 70 degrees.  I did so much running on hills - tempo runs, easy runs, long runs.  And these were great runs.  My times were not always much to write home about, but I think once I get back to flatter courses and getting in more sleep, things will really click.  I haven't done any track work yet, and won't until cycle 3 of training.  But last summer, I came back from the West Coast and later in the fall had some good races.  But early in the fall, I had a tough rust-buster 5k, and I didn't feel like it was showing my work yet.  Sarah thinks that from now on, I should be able to run under 20 for the 5k consistently.  I did it for the first time in March, but then in 2 subsequent 5ks I ran 20:xx, but then ran under 20 again in July.  Hoping to know be consistent with that too, even in a not so fast race.  I am feeling a bit more confident this point. I also am starting to alternate weeks of 4 days of running with weeks of 5 days of running.  We are testing that out to see if I can handle a little more mileage, particularly since I am doing enough strength training to stay strong.  I am looking forward to that - while cross training and swimming is nice, running is my true passion and it is great to get more runs in.

My last weekend in Santa Cruz included 2 solid runs.  On Saturday: 2.5 mile warm up, Fartlek ladder run, 5x4x3x2x1x1x2x3x4x5min.  Take 3 minutes easy after the 5 minute fartleks, 2:30 after the 4 minute ones, 2 minutes after the 3 minutes ones, 90 seconds after the 2 minutes fartleks and 1 minute after the 1 minute fartleks.  2.5 mile cool-down.  Total=10 miles  These road workouts, while they don't have the same feel as a track workout, are also challenging and sometimes feel never ending.  You never step off the road or grab a bottle, you just keep going and going.  I was pretty pleased with this one - lots of undulating hills.  And then on Sunday, I ran 13.5 miles.  I hope I never take for granted that I can "bang out" a half marathon in under 1:50 as part of a training run.  I am very away that that is a distance many people are training to run some day - my mom included!  She is training for the Rochester Half Marathon in September, and has already gotten up to 9.75 miles in her long runs.  Very exciting!  But I digress.  I covered my over half marathon distance fairly easily.  I will never take that for granted.  But I will say, it is pretty cool to run a half marathon on a Sunday and then just move on with the day.  It has taken years of training to get to this point.  A few years ago (2009), 13 miles would have had me seeking out the couch for the rest of the day.  But with more practice and more mileage, I know how to get in that kind of run and then go on with my day without being sidelined.  It goes back to that 10,000 hours concept - that it takes that much time of practice to excel at something.  I think I have gotten maybe a couple of thousand hours in so far, but am nowhere near 10,000 hours yet.  I wonder how long it takes Olympians to get to 10,000 hours?

But my West Coast time is running out.  I am sitting in the SFO airport, waiting to fly back to Rochester.  I am leaving the most beautiful running place in the world, but in return, I get to go home to my family.  Sounds like a good trade to me.

Day in and day out, plus in and out

I think at this point, all of the confetti and fanfare have settled since last week's 5k.  There's still a part of me that is looking back with some disbelief.  After all, it was a race where I was not planning on winning nor PRing, and somehow both happened.  And, to my greater surprise, it did not feel like an all-out sprint, either.  My two best 5ks that I've run, this and the Scope it out 5k in March (first time I broke 20:00), I felt light and able like I was able to just fly down the road.  Other times, I've felt more like I've gutted it out, but not in this case.  All of that has been added into the joyful feeling.  It was fun to go back to work, and when people asked about the race or saw the flowers, to say that I won.  I don't think some of my colleagues knew that I took running/racing seriously - but they do now.  My office also got a bit more fragrant and beautiful with another bouquet sent in from my grandparents.  The card read, "Congratulations - see you at the 2016 Olympics!"  That's a bit far off in dreamland, but speaking of...a few thoughts on this year's Olympics so far:

• While it was a bummer that the American women didn't place higher in the 10k, it was great that they all set PRs in the race!  It was all of their Olympic debuts too, so you wonder what they'll be like in 2016.
• I was so excited by watching Mo Farrah and Galen Rupp go 1-2 in the men's 10k and seeing an American medal for the first time since 1964 (as if I've been watching the Games since then).  The final lap was tremendous, and the look on their faces really demonstrated the pure shock and awe that they felt.  And how cool that two best friends were able to share that Olympic joy together.
• I was very sad to see that the American women did not do as well in the marathon as everyone had hoped.  With Desi Davila's injury, it was not surprising that she DNF. Even still, it was heroic that she started the race.  And based on everything I read about Kara Goucher's and Shalane Flanagan's training, I think everyone expected (including themselves) a medal to come home with them.  Fearing that being in the group could cause a fall, they lead for a good portion of the race, which that, combined with the heavy rain and challenging course, ultimately got the best of them.  Even though they finished 10th and 11th place, there is still so much pride for what they've done for American running on the international stage.  And in reading about all of their training that they've done together, you can't help but root for them.

And of course, I have been doing some of my own running, too.  Sunday wrapped up Cycle 1 of my Fall 2012 racing plan.  Other than one run and one cross training session that I missed, the 4 week cycle went very well.  I've been really consistent with my strength training, and doing that 2-3 times a week without missing them I think has made a significant difference.

Sunday was an in and out tempo run.  2.5 mile warm-up, then 6 alternating harder-hard miles (7:00, 7:15, 6:57: 7:23, 7:00, 7:15), 2.5 mile cool-down for a total of 11 miles.  This is a good workout to work on changing gears during a run, and the slower miles aren't really that slow.  And then today, I ran 12 miles with 6 miles of tempo thrown in.    The mileage is adding up.  My big fall race, the Army Ten Miler in DC, is not until October 21st, so I am just looking to get in some good training right now.  No other races lined up for the coming month.  I am hoping to get in at least a 5k and 10k in September/October so I can do some more damage to my PRs.

But ultimately, day in and day out, I am just trying to get in these runs.  The sand in my Santa Cruz hourglass is slipping by - I leave on Monday to head back to the East Coast.  I remember someone once telling me that it takes 2 years of consistent running to really see improvement.  I feel like I am continuing to hone in on consistency and improve on it each year.  After all, that's what the Olympians are doing, and why shouldn't we take a few cues from them?  

San Francisco Won Me Over: San Francisco 5k

Saturday at the Golden Gate Vista Point

The getaway house

I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend in Los Gatos and San Francisco.  A friend from my running blogging community was in town for the weekend, and offered to pick me up from Santa Cruz and take me to San Francisco.  While I have spent now two summers in Santa Cruz, I had yet to visit SF, so I jumped at the opportunity.  Plus, the SF Marathon/Half/5k races were on Sunday.  The half was a bit expensive ($110), but I felt like I could afford the 5k.  Why not - it would be a great way to see the town and catch up with some friends.
We had an amazing weekend.  We spent Friday night and Saturday morning in Santa Cruz, and I got to show off my UCSC trails.  Then, we headed out to SF for the day, both to go to the expo and to do some sight seeing.  It was great going over the Golden Gate Bridge, and stopping to see the town.  So beautiful!  I had never been there before, and I really enjoyed exploring another new city and part of the country.

The Golden Gate Bridge was so beautiful!

It was also great at the house we stayed at.  My friend's brother-in-law has a lot of money and has built an ellegant summer home.  We enjoyed the hot tub, the view, everything!  It definitely allowed for a relaxing weekend, and got everyone relaxed and ready to go for the race.  We even did a pasta dinner (w/gluten free spaghetti), which was a lot of fun.

Look for the yellow shoes...working my way to the front

I woke up on my own just minutes before my 4:40AM alarm went off, which I took to be a good sign.  I was amazed at how just a couple of good nights sleep (improved from last week, which was very hectic at work) could do the trick.  We pretty much rolled out of bed and got in the car, and ate breakfast on the road.  I had more than enough extra time to warm up and get settled in.  The weather was perfect: 55, cloudy, a little misty, and just a little wind.  I got in my 2.5 mile warm up, and took my place at the start.  I had looked at the result times from the past few years, and figured that I was likely to place in the top 10, so I might as well take a spot near the front.  There were only a few girls who "looked fast," so I was fairly optimistic.  While I have been running regularly, I haven't done any track work and was not looking to PR.  After all, 19:39 only came after months of hard and intentional work.
The gun went off, and when I went to start my watch, the memory was full!  I had forgotten to clear it.  Silly me (seriously - this is the 3rd watch issue I've had in a race).  Oh well.  I decided to just run by feel, which has worked before, and see what happens.
I quickly found myself in about 5th place, and felt really good.  At this point, it was my goal to get in the top 3, and take it from there.  Within the first mile, I was in third, and feeling like I still had another gear to move.  Then, I moved to second place, and was within 100 feet of first.  Oh my gosh, could I actually win this race?  I've only won one race before, which was really cool, but it would be amazing to do it again.
I really felt that while the pace was hard, it wasn't grueling, and that I could shift gears a bit.  I finally pushed hard enough that about halfway through the race (remember, I am running by feel, not checking mile markers or anything), I took the lead.  Man oh man, I hope I can keep this, this feels awesome.  I could hear a woman breathing behind me, but she wasn't right on my shoulder.  I felt like rather than pressing the pace, I should just hold steady, and if she kicks, I'll have enough energy to respond.  But she didn't, and I could hear her less and less.  Finally, we had a turnaround, and at this point, I could see that I had at least 100 feet between me and the next woman.  And the people on the other side of the turnaround started to yell, "First woman" and clap their hands for me.  I'm not going to lie - that felt good and was encouragement for me to keep going.  I peeked back a couple of times (which I know tactically is bad, but I wanted to make sure I was keeping first place - I was not going to have anyone blow by me).  As I could see the finish line in the distance, I was getting excited, as I could actually envision myself winning the race.  And while there was no tape to hit as I crossed the finish line, I yelled out a huge "YEAH!" while I finished because not only did I win the race, I PRed!
19:33 (6:18 pace)
1st woman out of 618
19th overall out of 1018

A marathoner, a 5k winner, and a half marathoner all walk into a bar...

Oh my gosh, what a cool feeling!  I had won a race in San Francisco and PRed at the same time.  I was so happy.  There was no one at the finish who I knew, but it didn't matter - I was smiling all the same.  I then wanted to make sure that I got in my 12 miles for the day, so I ran around the pier/wharf area for over an hour.  No music, nobody else, just a little inner knowledge that I had accomplished something pretty cool in the morning.  It was my own private tour of SF, and I just took it all in, with a little smile. I then met up with some of my friends (including one who ran a 1:34 half), and gleefully told them about my victory.  We all went to the award ceremony, where I was presented with a huge bouquet of flowers, and an IOU about a plaque.  I've never won a plaque before, so that will be cool.  And Mr. Peanut presented me with my award.  After that, I caught up with more friends, including a breast cancer survivor who finished the marathon in 4:46.  We had a great time just celebrating each other's accomplishments.  After we left San Francisco, we did lunch at an In and Out (a burger place on the West Coast), which tasted so good!  Then when we arrived at the Los Gatos house, we did some relaxing in the hot tub and enjoyed a little California wine.

Big smile after the award ceremony

What an amazing experience.  One of my favorite things about a good race is then catching up with my important people: parents, grandparents, boyfriend, best friend - even though they weren't physically there to share in the experience, I chatted with them and they shared in my joy.  Somehow, it means more when others are excited too.  Having that support system in place can really make a difference.  I tend to make an effort to also talk to my loved ones the night before a race, in order to relax and settle down, and I do believed that it has helped my performances on race day.
It is hard to articulate in words how I am feeling right now.  There is a ton of joy.  My day turned out so much better than I could have expected, in part because I surpassed all of my own expectations.  The whole weekend was amazing.  San Francisco won me over...and I won it back!

Find your strength and the extra mile

You know I must be busy because it has been over 2 weeks since my last blog.  Ah well.  Some running stories got lost in the shuffle, others will fit in here.

The UC Santa Cruz campus is hilly...understatement of the year.  It is not a college on a hill, it is a hill.  Where I am staying is at the top, so, whenever you go down for a run, you always have to remember to save enough energy to come back up again!  Last year, when I first arrived to Santa Cruz, I struggled to adjust to the hills.  And I had done hill training before, but this was something new.  And I found an excerpt from a post I wrote last year:

But the hills I am dealing with here in Santa Cruz are like nothing I have ever seen before. In Boston, the hills are hard. I know this, I have conquered the Boston Marathon twice. But honestly, the hills in Santa Cruz make the Newton Hills look almost easy. I have now been humbled in California. To run the perimeter of campus, you both descend and ascend 600 feet during a 5 mile loop. I supplement this with a 5 mile out and back run to Wilder State Park and back.

The first few weeks I was here, I would get so fatigued from the climbs, that I would have to walk for a minute midway. Walk? Me? I haven't walked during a run for years. It seemed as if that was the only way: I just needed a moment's rest before continuing on.

But things have finally clicked! Conditioning takes time! And now, I can take to these hills with some semblance of speed. I have been here 5 week exactly, and it was just a week ago that I felt as if I finally got the hang of these hills.

This year, things have been a bit different.  While the hills presented some challenges in the beginning, it took much less time time to adapt to the hills.  I never needed to walk, and some of the long climbs have not proved to be as debilitating as last year.  The last year must've really helped condition me, because I thought I would need to re-learn how to train/run in Santa Cruz.  I really surprised myself - I did not expect that I would feel this good already.

I have been having some really good weekend runs.  As per usual, I do some sort of tempo run on Saturday and then a long run on Sunday.  On Saturday, I had a 10 mile run of 5 miles easy (8:30 pace), followed by 5 miles moderate (7:30ish).  Overall, I was pleased with the run - I felt like I was able to do the steep climbs with relative ease.  Last week, I had a good fartlek run when I was running close to 6:00 pace for 10 x 90 second bursts.  And likewise, this one felt strong as well.  While these paces, in terms of numbers, are nothing to write about, but the feelings of strength and power that accompany them do feel significant.

In terms of my summer camp, our first session ended on Friday and our second session began on Sunday.  The interim period, known as intersession, is really busy because within 48 hours, one session ends and another begins.  Nonetheless, the 10 mile run made it in (even after a late night showing of Dark Knight Rises), and I was hoping that on Sunday morning, I would be able to get in my 12 mile long run - the longest run I've done since April.  Saturday night workwise picked up considerably, and I kept looking at that 12 mile run on Sunday with some doubt and trepidation.  After all, I had to be at work for Opening Day at 9AM, could I really fit the long run in before then?  I was chatting about it with a friend/colleague, and was saying that I might just cut it down to 10 miles.  Her response: "What is the difference, really?  You just need another 15 minutes or so to get it done."  After all, I don't really ever chicken out on runs.  And while I knew I was going to be cutting sleep in place of the run, I didn’t want to chicken out.  I left my office at midnight, slept for about 5.5 hours, and then got up for the 12 mile run before Opening Day of Session 2.  6AM in Santa Cruz in not necessarily dark, but it is foggy.  It certainly made things feel extra quiet.  As I started to trot out, I felt tired and a little sore, and 12 miles seemed like a long way to go.  I got through my warm-up, running through the woods for 2.5 miles.  I then turned onto this really steep road – I tried to take a picture to show how steep it was, but it didn’t do justice.  I was really just hoping my quads would carry me through this part.  Parts were slow-going – I was not concerned about pace, but I was getting through it.  And I got so lost in the run tht in this stretch of the run (my long runs are run on a few parts of Santa Cruz: trails, roads, and the perimeter road of UCSC), that I added on a little bit extra.  I headed back to the woods for the 2.5 back, and felt like I was finally starting to wake up.

It is times like that when I know I am a distance runner – because it can take a few miles or up to 20-30 minutes for me to warm up or wake up.  For some people, that would be enough time of a whole workout, but for me, it can take a while to settle in.  I’ve had people ask, because on race day and speed workouts, I always do a 2.5 mile warm up (roughly 20 mintues), and people say, “isn’t that a bit long?” No – it really does do the job for getting my legs moving.

But I digress.  The last part of my run is the perimeter of the campus – 5 miles.  It goes downhill for 2.5, and then is followed by a steep climb back to the top for 2.5 miles.  I call it the anti-gravity campus: because what goes down must come back up.  I was really starting to move at this point, and felt like I was really conquering the run.  The whole thing felt so cleansing - I was working through stress from work and really putting it all behind me.  The climb to the top of campus is quite spectacular, and I was taking in all of it.  

I emerged from the run not having done the planned 12, which I had even thought of cutting down to 10...but 13.4 miles.  Over a half marathon done before 8AM, giving me more than enough time to clean up and go to work to open the second session of my camp.

All in all, I got in 45 miles - the most I've run in a week since April.  I found inner strength to take on the hills of Santa Cruz, and was rewarded with some spectacular views.  I really feel fortunate to be running here, because this job gives me 7 weeks of great places to train.  The hills are so hard, but they really do teach me a lot about conditioning and toughening up.  I found strength from within and went the extra mile, literally.  While the times and paces of these runs may not be especially noteworthy, they've taught me a lot about pushing through and finding new layers of strength and strong.  It is my hope that with more intentional speed work down the road (pun intended), it will all coalesce into some good fall races.

In the meanwhile, getting very excited about my Northern California running weekend!  Meeting up with some runners and running the San Francisco 5k on Sunday.  Looking forward to my West Coast/San Fran debut!

This was while kayaking in Santa Cruz

Me and my friend Katie on our day off

Finally, just putting in a few pictures from Santa Cruz, including of beach day and kayaking day (both a lot of fun).  Again, feeling very fortunate that I get to be here for 7 weeks.

Base Training Camp and Olympic-Sized Dreams

Short of moving somewhere with altitude and an official olympic training center, I feel like I've hit the motherload in terms of places to run.  I arrived in Santa Cruz, California on June 24th for a seven-week stint.  I am the Academic Dean of a summer program for gifted children.  It is an awesome program, and this is my seventh year working for it.  Last summer, I had the opportunity to get transformed to our Santa Cruz site, and loved it so much that I requested to stay at this site.
I have to admit, things are going really well here.  The kids arrived on Sunday, and we have been very busy with classes ranging from engineering to writing to game theory to philosophy.  I've been really pleased with my staff and team, and while things are crazy busy, I also feel really fulfilled with my work.  It can feel stressful at times, but I also find myself so energized from it all.
And it doesn't hurt that Santa Cruz is absolutely gorgeous.  I feel bad saying this, since the rest of the country is burning up, but it is nice and cool here.  It has been in the 50s in the morning, with some fog, and then the fog burns off and the weather is beautiful.  And the view doesn't hurt either.  There are some amazing trails right on campus (we are operating out of UCSC and I am living on campus too), literally, right in my back yard.  I feel incredibly fortunate, because it seems like I moved into the sea-level equivalent of Mammoth Lakes (which houses one of the power-house running training camps).  Additionally, the gym facilities on campus are pretty good.  On Thursday I got into the outdoor pool for a nice 2000 meter swim.  While there is still that black line at the bottom, it is a lot more fun to swim in an outdoor pool.  I also even got a tan while swimming - I guess the sun reflected a lot.  But I was really loving it.
And I am getting in some good base miles.  While I didn't start official training until Monday, it has been great to just get in some good runs.  So maybe I have pretended that this is training camp for me.  After all, the kids are at camp for the summer - why shouldn't I?
I've also taken a lot of inspiration from the Olympic Trials as well.  I was so happy for Dathan Ritzenheim and Amy Hastings, who had both came in 4th at the Marathon Trials in January, that they finally punched their tickets to London.  They went back to the drawing board, trained and adjusted for 5 months, and then finally earned their Olympic status.  Talk about a dream come true.

Right before I left for California, I read Dara Torres’ book.  While I am a new swimmer and other than Michael Phelps, it is fun to read about a sport and hear someone describe the training.  Her story is really inspiring – she’s gone to 5 Olympic Games and earned 12 medals.  I was sad to hear that she didn’t qualify for London, but you can still take a lot from her.  She has made multiple comebacks, proving that despite aging, you can still compete with the best.

While I am just watching London from afar, I think we can all have Olympic sized dreams.  I am hoping for my own form of redepmption – particularly with my dissertation proposal.  I am currently back at the drawing board – doing some research and brainstorming.  I have no medal or ticket to ABD (all but dissertation status), but it is in the future, and like it must’ve been for Dathan and Amy, redemption will be so sweet.

The Day I beat Frank Shorter - Airport 5k

My mom and I in front of one of the old airplanes

Today was the Airport 5k in Rochester, NY - my last race for a while.  I have not done any serious training since my track race 2 weeks ago.  A few runs here and there, but no speedwork.  I just wanted to go out and have a good run.  It was my hope to run under 21 minutes, but that was it.  My mom ran too, and it was her second race back after ITBS issues since last fall.  She has been running consistently, and was hoping for a PR.  She came pretty close in her first race back, but was now ready.

Way too smug about being so close to Frank Shorter

Thursday night I did a 5 mile run in 91 degree weather at 7:46 pace with my friend Jen (running friend since 7th grade) and her friends.  So hot!  So, I was hoping that with a shorter race and at least twenty-degree-cooler weather, that would help.  I did my warm-up at home, and then hopped in the car with my mom to the race, which was at the Rochester Airport.  The staging area was in a hangar and the race was on the runway!  Pretty cool experience - you don't get to run around there often!  Frank Shorter was the race marshall, so he spoke beforehand.  At the race, I lined up near the front (had looked at old results and was pretty sure I'd finish in the top 10 women)...and near Frank Shorter.  As you can see, I look pretty smug standing so close to him.  In case you missed the memo, Frank Shorter is a 2 time Olympian in the marathon - Gold in '72 and Silver in '76.  Don't think I'll ever be able to start so close to him...so I took advantage!  And then the gun went off!

So warm!  We were off and things spread out fairly quickly.  I ran 6:34 for the first mile, which was fine with me.  My friend Jen and her dad were both volunteering, so I got to see them each twice throughout the race - and Jen was at the first mile marker.  There was a turnaround, and I counted women - I was 6th.  That worked for me - the other women were way ahead, and I didn't really think I could make progress to catch anyone else.  But I was running my own race.  Mile 2 - 6:38.  At this point, running on the runway was cool in theory, but hot.  I wished there was a second water station so I could dump more water on my head.  Oh well.  2.5 miles in, a woman runs up along side of me.  I put a couple of yards on her, but she made a decisive pass.  At that point, I just wanted to finish.  I got to see my friend Jen's dad again.  Now, this man was my softball coach in 5th and 6th grade when I was a very timid catcher (I've since stepped away from ball sports).  So, I have heard this man cheering "Go Vanessa" for over half of my life.  His cheers (and my dad's) helped me bring me in, and I was very pleased to come across the finish line.

20:31 - 6:37 pace

Go Mom! En route to 29:35 5k PR!

Not a PR, but my 3rd fastest 5k.  Not too shabby for minimal training!  But while my race was over, it was my turn to play the role of spectator, as I was waiting for my mom to come in.  The cool thing was that I saw her twice during the race because of the two out-and-back parts.  I had a fair estimate of when she was going to finish, so I stood and cheered the other runners while waiting for her to come in.  Yes, that meant cheering for Frank Shorter.  Now, he is 64 and long retired, but still, for one day, I beat Frank Shorter.  He ran it in about 27 minutes.  And then, not too long after, my mom came in!  She ran 29:35 - a 20 second PR!  It was very exciting watching her come in.

Frank and I - he doesn't seem to be too upset.
 He did say when I met him, "You beat me, eh?

Afterwards,  I got to meet Frank Shorter and speak to him, which was very cool.  Very nice guy and fun to speak with.  I also won my age group, so Frank Shorter gave me my award - a gift certificate to a local salon/spa.

We had a really fun day.  My mom and I had a great time at the race, and then afterwards we saw the new movie Brave (come on, I'm a medievalist - how could I not?).  Very cute, and maybe will spark a new generation of kids to fall in love with medieval history.  After that, my dad and I played 9 holes of golf.  Let's just say that my athletic talent lies with running - but I did have a couple of good holes.

Me and my friend Jen
We started running together in middle school

And tomorrow I'll be back at the airport to fly to California!  But today goes down as the Day I Beat Frank Shorter in a road race.  I'm sure he's not too bothered about it - I'm sure his two Olympic medals are keeping him happy.

A Happy Place

Paddling around the Tidal Basin

While running has not been the focus lately of my life - only 25 miles logged last week, life has been good.  I'm at the tail end of "summer vacation" before I head off to Santa Cruz on Sunday to work at my beloved summer camp for 7 weeks.
I got good health news.  Last December, I finally got my bloodwork numbers for Celiac Disease out of the 100s, and to a 98, which is still really high.  At this point, I need to get it done every six months until there is significant improvement.  I made a few changes to my diet - knocked out some labeled seasonings and stepping things up at restaurants.  That is such a strange thing ordering at restaurants - being insistent about verifying that they understand the importance of having an uncontaminated area for cooking my food.  Anyways, I got my results back last week - 68!  I knocked 30 points off, which was the largest improvement I've made so far!  I still need to get down to about 20, but I was really happy with the big jump.

Me, my dad, and my grandpa at the Iwo Jima Memorial

I went to DC for a long weekend - my now second home.  I moved to DC to start grad school in 2008, and I don't think I ever thought it would be my home.  But each year I've been there, I've fallen more and more in love with the city.  I realize now that I have created my own life there- that's where I started running, ran 3 of my 6 marathons there, and have had my entire graduate career there - it is a great place.

One of my favorite spots of DC

So, I went for a long weekend trip there.  My grandfather, a WWII vet (stationed in England), got to participate in one of the Honor Flight trips, and my dad was his guardian.  We met up with them at the Iwo Jima Memorial - a place where I've only been before at the end of the Marine Corps Marathon!  It was nice to be able to see them on the trip.  My grandpa said the trip was one of the best weekends of his life.

Sweet 16th Birthday - 2002

I also celebrated a birthday - 26!  I though 25 sounded like the grown up age, but 26 definitely is.  It was a great day.  We went paddle-boating on the Tidal Basin - near the Jefferson Memorial.  So pretty! This is also a great place for running!  It is definitely one of my favorite places in DC.

On the Georgetown Waterfront

I also found this - from my sweet 16 party 10 years ago.  Still lucky to be friends with a lot of the girls in the picture - some are still my closest girl friends in the world.


I also got to spend it with someone special (if you had been reading into the "we" - that's who).  Not going into the details (identity hidden to protect the wonderful), but he's a great guy who made the day very special.  
So, I've started out 26 on a terrific note.  I am running a 5k with my mom on Saturday and flying out to California on Saturday.  Happy places/peaks/highs, whatever you call them - they are here right now.  Many reasons to be smiling.

Hodgepodge: aka out of season

After my mile race last week, Sarah told me to take a few days off from running and just do what I wanted - no running schedule, no plan at all.  I took 4 days off from running, which at this point, it has been over a year since I've had that much of a break.  I found some other good ways to get out and about:
Biking - biking is my favorite summertime cross-training.  It is hard for me to do more than 30 minutes of it on a machine, but if I can go on the open road, it is a lot of fun.  So, each of my off-days from running I biked between 10-13 miles.  Nothing to brag about, but a good way to go burn off some energy.  Plus, the thing that is nice about biking during the summer is that I don't get as hot doing it as running.  Biking in 90 degree weather doesn't feel like the Bataan Death March like running.  On a related note, my dad completed a 62 mile bike ride as part of the Tour de Cure!  Very impressive - I could not bike that far.

Ye Olde Golf

Golf - I am not a good golfer, but last year I asked my dad to teach me how to play.  I feel like it's one of those sports that knowing how to play, at least a little, can be beneficial down the road.  Granted, it's not like medievalists get together on the green as part of business ventures, but you never know...this is what "medieval golf" on Google comes up with.  Anyways, we went on Saturday and had a lot of fun, and I had some of my best holes yet.  Granted, they were double bogies, but that was an improvement.  We also went to the driving range Monday night, which was more fun than my first time doing that last year.  I had better success with the driver and am finally starting to hit a bit more consistently.  I think the ultimate challenge for me is that with golfing, each time it comes down to about 3 seconds.  That's a lot of precision!  There's just so much more room for adjustment in running!
I also got in a few good session as the gym.  I've been meaning to write a blog about weight/strength/core training, but I think it's going to have to wait till next week.

Talk about a view!

I started running again on Tuesday.  Just did an easy 3.4, which felt like enough for a first day back.  Then on Wednesday, drove out to Canandaigua to catch up with my old triathlete buddy, Mark.  We did a lot of summer running together a few seasons, but haven't seen each other since he moved.  His house's view is incredible, by the way.  So, we did a 5.5 mile run around his house, which was super hilly.  The final hill on the way back had a 17% grade to it - felt just like a step above walking.  But it was super fun, and I was so happy to have a running buddy for a day.
But on Thursday, I was fortunate enough to get another running buddy - two days in a row?  I had gone over a month without running with anyone, so this was exciting.  I ran with one of my oldest friends, Jen.  We go all the way back to 7th grade cross country.  She went on to run in high school and college, so there was definitely an 8-10 year gap period when we didn't run together.  While we've done some running since then, this was the first time in a while.  I met up with her and another running friend of hers, and we ran through downtown Rochester, which was a lot of fun.  While I've lived outside of Rochester my entire life, I've only done a couple of runs through the city (including the Rochester Marathon in 2010).  We had a great time!  7.5 miles flew by - just chatting and taking in the scenery.
In a nutshell (not sure if that was sort enough for a nutshell - maybe coconut), that's been the past week without a running schedule!  It is nice not to have the pressure of getting every single run in and just have fun.  Speaking of fun, I am off to DC in the afternoon for a long weekend visit.  Going to be fun!

Debuting in the Mile: McMullen Mile Race

While I have done a number of time trials, I had never actually run an outdoor track race.  I say outdoor because I did have one season of indoor track in 9th grade, which was less than stellar.  By that I mean, my 1500 PR was 7:25, and I repeatedly finished last in the races.  I would say I was due for a fresh start.  Incidentally, I bumped into my old gym teacher yesterday before the race, and we were having a laugh, because I never demonstrated any indication in middle school/high school gym that I had any semblance of talent as a runner.  Things have changed a little!

Heather is on the left, I am in the blue top

The McMullen Mile is in honor of a local elite runner, Charlie McMullen, who ran sub 4 in the mile in the 70s and 2:15 in the marathon.  It was at Nazareth College, and it was very cool to actually run in a stadium.  There were seven heats, and I was actually seeded in the elite women's heat (sub 6), which felt very cool.  I mean, how often does that happen?  Originally, there only 4 women listed in it, included me and a friend of mine from the area (and RWOL Boston Forum Friend).  So, we were actually fairly hopeful - maybe we could finish in the top 3 (which had prize money).  We were the second to last heat, which I was happy about, because it gave us the chance to watch a few races and let the sun go down a little (it was an evening race).  I watched the first two heats, so I could get a handle on how the race was going to be structured.  I then did my usual 2.5 mile warm up, and it felt good to finally get the legs moving, and the weather had cooled down a little.  Got back to watch one or two more heats, and then we were called to get our numbers (not quite a bib, but a little number that we stuck on our hips).  I wish they had safety pins, because I could tell that it might fall off, oh well.  So, as I said, there only four of us who had pre-registered, but there were 4 more women added to our heat: the GVH runners.  The Genesee Valley Harriers is a local Olympic development team that you have to qualify for (i.e 18:58 5k to be on the B team, 18:05 for the A team), and they co-sponsored the race.  So, once 3 girls with the GVH uniforms showed up, Heather and I both knew that winning or placing was not a possibility - we just ad to hang on.  I was number 6, Heather, number 7.  Here we are before the call to the start, and then this is the entire field.

So many fast GVH girls!

And then the gun (an actual gun, not a siren - and that is loud!) was off.  Immediately, the field spread out.  These girls were not messing around.  Bu the nice thing was that we had a lot of room - no one was crowded for space.  I tucked behind Heather for a little bit, then decided I was going to go a little faster.  I went through the first lap in 1:25, which was perfect.  The other girls were really far in front, and so it felt more like a time trial than a race.  I knew I could not catch anyone, so I just had to focus on hanging on and running for my goal time.  2:52 for halfway, and I was feeling pretty good.  I didn't die too much in the third lap, but it definitely felt hard to move/kick in the final lap.  Plus, the winner and some of the other girls had finished by the time I came up on the last 100m, so it was harder to motivate.  But I kept going and just resolved to get through this...
5:51

Couple of strides away from the finish

An official sub 6 race and a new PR!  My lungs were burning after for a bit, and we were all just trying to catch our breath.  It was not the sub 5:50 I was hoping for, but a PR all the same.  I had knocked 2 seconds off from my time trial in early May, and had successfully had my first outdoor track race and did not get lapped.  And, I got to run in the elite, seeded field of a race, a very cool opportunity.  When you think about the Olympic women who can run 5:15s for 26.2 miles, it is a bit humbling and mid-boggling.  But for a night, I got to be in the fast heat, and by going under 6, I showed that I deserved to be in that one - it was not a miscalculation, it was right.  Since there were a bunch of heats, and some people ran faster in the slower heats than predicted, it took a while for them to tabulate the results for the age group awards.  I came in 3rd for my age group, so I got a bronze medal.  I need to thank Heather (who won her category) for this, because the race officials had only listed the top 2 in my category.  She actually went to the officials on my behalf and made sure that I got my medal too.  Who says running isn't a team effort?  She did a great job herself, and ran a 5:58 while in the process of training for a 50 miler.  All in all, it was a very good night.
I texted Sarah, and she was pleased with how it went.  She also added, "The mile is a race that feels less crazy the more you do it."  And that's true - it did just feel crazy.  So, maybe some summer I will do a few mile races and get more experience in it.

At home with my new medal.  Wrists are glowing
from the safety bracelets I wore on my cooldown
once it got dark.  They almost look like
Wonder Woman bracelets - maybe that's
this year's Halloween costume?

My parents were at the race, which was cool, since normally I am in DC for my races.  They are so supportive and great.  They go to all of my Rochester races, and have also traveled to DC/Boston for my marathons.  But, as we were recalling before the race, this is only the second track race they've ever attended.  In 9th grade, they attended my first indoor track meet (at the University of Rochester), and I actually got lapped in the 1500 and came in last.  I told them to never come to a meet again.  Things have changed!
This spring, I was fortunate enough to crack through 2 mythical running barriers: sub 20 in the 5k and sub 6 in the mile.  I am sure that to a degree, the two go hand in hand, if you can break one, you can break the other, but it was still very cool to have both happen in the same season.  I was really pleased with how this racing season went - I was able to PR in the mile, 5k, and 10k.  A lot of that has to do with Sarah's coaching and scheduling.  She put together 5 good months of training for me, and knew how to schedule races and workouts in a way that led to some strong performances!
But the McMullen Mile meant an official end to my spring racing season.  I have been on a formal training schedule since January 9th.  I am going off of a schedule for the next month or so.  Sarah told me to take a few days off from running, and then just run when I want to.  I will be doing another race (Airport 5k in Rochester) in a couple of weeks, but won't be doing any focused training for it.
Mile training was a good experience for me.  The workouts were very hard and require a different type of skill/focus than the longer stuff.  I'm looking forward to giving it a go again down the road, but also looking forward to running for fun right now!

Sharpening - Not in Vain

The last week has been a week of sharpening and preparing all around.
My first outdoor track race is Thursday night, which I have been training for for about 5 weeks.  This has been a great experience for me, but it also has been really hard.  The majority of the workouts are at my limit - they are at an all-out effort.  But, it has been a good learning endeavor - I have pushed a lot harder for the shorter distance.  It is my hope that when I go back to the 5k/10k training in the fall, the paces for those goal times won't seem as fast!
Tuesday was my last workout before Thursday's race, and it was great.  Probably in part because it was so short, and probably in part because it went so well:
2.5 mile warmup, 6x150 meter strides, 4 x 400 (84-87 seconds for each, jog 30 seconds in between), 2.5 mile cool down = 6.5 miles
These went really well: 85, 85, 85, 84.  Yes, they felt fast, and that was the fastest set of 400s I've ever done, but it was a really good effort.  Sarah said that this is a classic workout, and if you can do it slightly faster than goal pace, than it is a good indicator for the race itself!  And today was just an easy 2 miles with 4 x 150 meter strides.  That flew by.  Perfect running weather for National Running Day!

One of the trails on the UCSC campus

I also spent last weekend at a training session/meeting for my summer program for gifted children.  It was a great meeting, and I got a lot of great ideas for the summer.  I had this job last year (Academic Dean), but it was my first time in the position.  With some experience now, I have some new ideas as to how to better run the program and make it a better experience for everyone - staff and students alike.  I cannot wait - and the fact that it's in beautiful Santa Cruz doesn't hurt either!
On the dissertation front, I am doing my best.  But by far, coming up with a viable dissertation topic is the hardest academic thing I've ever done.  I had a good idea that I was running with (pun intended) for a few months, but then my advisor met an advanced professor in the field writing a book on a similar topic.  Goodbye idea.  Then, for the last month or so, I was doing reading on a new topic and had come up with an exciting idea.  When I went to check something on a history dissertation database, I found my idea with my sources in a 2006 dissertation.  Are you kidding me?  I was so upset - it was like being kicked in the stomach and the brain at the same time.  But I took a few days away and went back to the library and drawing board.  I wrote to my advisor, explaining the situation and my new plan.  Not the best feeling - I was hoping to write her with good news, not a roadblock.  Her response included this, "Your reading won't be in vain."
I am holding onto that thought.  Not in vain will I read, not in vain will I run, and not in vain will I plan for a good program this summer.  All of this is a process - of sharpening, of preparing, of hard work.  It wouldn't feel as worthwhile if it was all an easy snap, right?  And in looking back to some of the other hurdles I've gotten over: coursework, comps, BQing, etc., that final victory after the all of the hard work has been so sweet.  So, in the meanwhile, I am in the middle stretch, and although the finish line may be in the distance, the road to getting there will not be in vain.