Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile Race: Santa Cruz to Capitola

The Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile (not a 10k) race has been on my bucket list since I started spending my summers in Santa Cruz back in 2011. But because of timing with work, I've never been able to do it, until this year! I was pumped to get in (it sold out in 2 days) and looking forward to some company too.
It was to be a Loop weekend, when me and some of the other running bloggers would get together. We had some good meals together, my friend Brad and I toured Stanford University for fun on Saturday, and just enjoyed the company of people who are as jazzed about running as I am! I was particularly psyched that my friend Brad and I got to hang out - we had such a great time in our San Francisco meet up last year that it was great to do it again.

Brad and I in my office - check out the Boston jackets and race #s

Sunday was a no-excuses morning. It was 55, cloudy/foggy with no wind. We had driven the course the night before and knew how to anticipate the hills and when to make the big moves. I had gotten a decent night's sleep - even good for some pre-race jitters. I even woke up before my alarm went off - a sign that my body was just ready to go. I did my usual 2.5 mile warm up, which allowed me to preview physically (and not just in the car this time) the first set of hills on the course. I even saw elite athletes Stephanie Rothstein-Bruce, Brett Gotcher, and Chris Solinsky warming up - this was a big deal race with plenty of star talent.
I was ready for this. All of my Santa Cruz running had paid off - I had been running on the hills of UCSC for 5 weeks. My most recent tempo run of 3 miles at 6:40 pace showed me I could hit my goal pace of 6:40, which would put me at my goal of 40 minutes for the 6 mile (not 10k) race.  I was in the elite corral (me and 1,000 others) and was happy to be able to be near the front of a big race. I knew I would't be too crowded and would be able to get out early.
And BANG! With a huge start gun (which made my heart leap), we were off. I was hoping I wouldn't go out too hard for the first mile, as there were some turns and climbing a bridge and a hill, but boom, 6:40.  The bands were out and playing, and it was hard to just slow down. I felt like I had a lot of energy and wasn't going all out. 2 miles in, and I had cut down into the low 6:30s. I was thinking back to my runs where I was climbing 600-800 feet in my runs - I could tackle these short 50 foot climbs. I figured I would structure my pacing like a 10k, hold steady for the first half, pick it up slightly 3-4, then push a little more 4-5, then all out through the finish. I really am starting to think it is my most successful distance - even though I love the longer stuff, I know how to strategize this one.
But I digress. We were running alongside (but not on) the beach, and it was just a really pretty course.  came through 3 miles in under 20 minutes, so I knew I had some time in the bank, and I had also already conquered the big hills. There was a Japanese drummer band and I was just trying to keep time with them - those and bagpipes (which were also out on the course) give me chills and always make me go faster. At the 4 mile mark I wasn't sure if I would get my goal of sub 40 - it was starting to feel like a lot of work. But at the 5 mile mark, I came in around 32:40, which again meant that I had time in the bank - even if I died a little, I would still get it. I was working hard to pass women - one of my strengths is to pass people toward the end of the race.

Last downhill - almost over!

It is a great confidence booster and it helps me to pick up the pace toward the end. I was trying to fly in the final mile, especially once I hit the last downhill. As I approached the finish line, I could see the clock displaying a time better than I expected. There was a gap between me and the other people around me, so it felt like my personal finish. I lifted my hands to encourage a little clapping, and was positively rewarded with cheers.
38:35

6:26 pace
228th overall out of 12,665
46th woman out of 7,896
30 in my age group out of 1,367
Beyond better than expected. Not only did I get my goal of top 50, I slid in well under. I also smashed the sub-40 goal. By being in the top 100 women, they will mail a jacket to me later on in the summer.

Wahoo! First pumping for victory!

Walking around after, we bumped into Chris Solinsky (first on African to run under27 for the 10k) and actually had a chance to chat  him. No picture, since our cameras were back in Santa Cruz, but he was very friendly, even though he wasn't happy with his race (10th). We also chatted with Stephanie Rothstein-Bruce, one of the top American road racers. She came in fourth, and was hoping to win, but it was very cool to meet her. She has Celiac Disease as well, and we had actually been emailing back and forth prior to the race. It is amazing how gracious the top distance runners can be - so open and friendly. I can't think of another sport that even compares.

The race, the whole weekend was better than I could have imagined. It wasn't just great because of the great race, but because of the whole experience. Spending time with friends, participating in such a large event, and just truly enjoying being in California was what made it great.

On my apartment porch after the race

July running is coming to an end, and this was the perfect way to cap it all off...and the mimosas helped too.

Toasting our successes!

Comfortable getting your feet wet: lessons from SUP (Stand Up Paddle-boarding)

I went stand up paddle boarding for the first time last Saturday on my day off in Santa Cruz. This is what it looks like (I'm not in this one, but this was my view). It's really hard to do - you are balancing on a board and pushing around, trying to paddle and not get knocked off by the waves. I was grateful for all of the balancing work and strength work I've done - I could feel it in my legs as I was paddling around near the wharf. Now, I have a pretty good sense of balance, and also ice skated a lot as a child, so I was  hoping that I wouldn't fall down at all. It took a little while for me to get into the groove and feel comfortable standing, but soon enough I was motoring around.
You have to be comfortable getting your feet wet. Sometimes the waves sloshed water on my board, and you truly just have to roll with the punches. You can't fight the waves either. If you get to rigid, I think that's when you risk getting knocked over. But if you relax a bit when the wave comes and just let it move you a little, you don't fall down.
Surely we can all take a lesson from this. When changes or challenges come, you can't go rigid, or they'll overcome you. But if you prepare yourself to get moved around, you can emerge still standing. You have be prepared for those waves, those challenges, in life to rock you around a little.
I did fall once - the waves started to pick up and I fell off. I grabbed the board, paddle around on my knees for a few minutes, rested, and then stood up again (albeit with shaking legs). And I got back into the groove again, and really enjoyed the whole thing. 90 minutes of paddling around the Santa Cruz wharf/boardwalk area all alone. No friends, no phone, no connection to things back on land. Just me and the water.
And then the next day it was back to running, but it was something different. I hope to do it again in August. It gave me a chance to be uncomfortable while trying something new, and getting pleasure from the success that ultimately followed. It's what I'll tell my next group of students when they arrive on campus on Sunday to commence their 3 week intensive summer program. We just finished our first group today, and with 226 students gone (and 212 on their way), I'm going to enjoy this brief respite (aka blogging on Friday night and running tomorrow morning) before getting back into work groove.

The view from above

This blog started in December 2008, when I was about to start training for my first marathon. I was 22, a new master's student, new to DC, new to most things, including regular running. 4.5 years later, the blogging is still happening, albeit on a less frequent basis. Why? I've got a couple of thoughts on it:

• Now that I've learned what kind of training works for me, there aren't as many new stories to share about kinds of workouts, long runs, etc.
• I still love to blog about races (particularly since they serve as good notes for me when I come back to repeat races) and so those tend to be the more regular posts.
• I've just gotten busy. I started this when I was brand new to DC and still trying to make friends. Blogging and the Loop became part of my social life and the writing process was a hobby. Now, I'm well into my doctoral program and certainly have my hands full!
• But I still love writing about running, and when I go back and look at old posts, I still can easily recall the emotions that went into those runs and races. So, even if the blog posts are infrequent, it is still something I want to continue doing.

But while the running has stayed the same, so much has also changed in that time frame. Mainly, it has all been for the better, and even the difficult changes brought many lessons that have had an influential impact on my life.

But the big thing that is the newest change: 

My now-fiance proposed on May 10 - the same day that my dad proposed to my mom in 1980. We were at the Lincoln Memorial and it was just perfect. I spent the first few days doing this. We are just over the moon happy and looking forward to truly starting our lives together. Slightly more tricky while I'm in California for the summer, but still, this is the beginning of the big journey. 

Best night ever: May 10, 2013 at the Lincoln Memorial

You can see now why my mile times didn't improve - too much bling!

So really, a lot has changed. I had done the dating thing and the single thing, and I still just knew more was out there. And even though I was still happy in the single days and had a great group of friends and family...I was still hoping for more.

Happily ever after may not exist, but I am very happy. I waited and waited to find the right guy and the wait was well worth it.
And the view from above the valleys, up here at a peak of life and love, is quite spectacular.

Can you keep raising the bar? Another Santa Cruz summer

I am back in Santa Cruz for year 3 as academic dean of my program for gifted children and couldn’t be happier to be back. This is a beautiful campus, the program is fantastic, and I feel really fortunate to be with a great team of staff and group of energetic, intellectually curious students. The kids have been here for almost week, and things are off to a good start.

One of the things we tell the families of our program is that we raise the bar in terms of expectations in the classroom. These students, who may have maxed out their schools at home, now come to our program, where the bar is raised so much higher. So, they have been the top student at home, but they have to recalibrate expectations as they take on a much more challenging workload.

That raised bar goes for us as staff and administration as well. We have to work more each year to make sure that our students are getting those challenges and are adjusting to the learning curve. For all of us, nearly 300 of us on site, staff and students alike, we watch the bar go up higher and higher, and each year prepare to clear it.

The bar is raised for running as well. Each year, even though I am now well-versed in the trails and routes, that bar is set high again. The learning curve in adjusting to the terrain is always there, proving that even through several years of consistent running, the bar keeps on climbing.

For the sake of this blog, the running that comes with being in Santa Cruz is a big sell. I think it is the best seven weeks of running that I do all year. With that in mind, I am really doing my best to get the runs in and not hit snooze. And that’s tempting  - these are long days at camp – we not only have class in the morning and afternoon, but evening as well. That in of itself is an endurance event, so it sometimes presents a challenge to get training in as well. But I’ve been able to train nearly every single day I’ve been here, so that is a good track record (pun intended ) so far.

Of course, Santa Cruz gives me some of the best running not just because of the cooler temperatures but because of its hills. Rolling hills in the trails, and then 2.5 miles of steady climbs of 600 feet on the perimeter road of campus. No matter what kind of shape I'm in, it is always an adjustment to take those hills on. But the view is just so beautiful and every run I still feel like I have to pinch myself that I get to do it here. The climbs can be hard, but the view from above is just spectacular.

Another birthday, another bridge, another run

June 19, 2003

I turned 17 and my mom made a delicious pork tenderloin dinner - my favorite. I decided soon after dinner that I wanted to go for a birthday run. I was in my little hometown of Spencerport, NY. Now, I was a weekend warrior at bet - I would go out and run 2 miles at a time, maybe a couple of times a week very sporadically. But I decided to run. I remember wearing this thin purple top that wasn't really a running short and big gym shorts. It was about 7:30 or so, and I remember running over the bridge near the Erie Canal. As I climbed over the bridge, at a pace much slower than I run now, I began to cramp up and it was very painful. Clearly, my dinner was too heavy. I know I got through that run, but I still to this day remember the deep stitch in my side, and I've never felt that bad.

I have since conquered that bridge and also figured out the timing between eating and running. That bridge nearly always figures into my runs at home. And I have to laugh now when I think of that run. I was just so inexperienced but obviously still felt some reason to go and and run.

Flash forward to June 19, 2013

I turned 27 in Washington, DC and also wanted to get in a run. I did it this time before dinner. It was just 3 miles, over 300 miles away from that other birthday run. But I also went over another bridge (going over I-495), so instead of crossing the historic Erie Canal, I crossed over highway traffic. It was just for fun, my little me time. No cramps, no worries. Just fun and enjoying the beauty of the run.

 No particular milestones associated with turning 27, nor the end of 26. It was a great year but it also presented challenges and tough moments as well. Getting through those hard parts were also rewarding too.
My time is running out on the East Coast. I fly out to Santa Cruz on Sunday for seven weeks of rip roaring fun with gifted children and faculty in an intense academic exploration program. And I am excited - I love this program very much and it is incredibly stimulating and rewarding. And fun too! But I am sad too, and feeling the crunch now of fitting in time with everyone: family, friends, Pat before I go.

I am very much enjoying the fun runs right now. I've been picking the mileage and pace as I go. Some days the watch stays behind, other days I try and press the pace. I won't do another race until the Wharf to Wharf 6 mile at the end of July. It won't be a goal race for sure, as I won't follow a schedule again until early July. But it will be after a month of Santa Cruz running. This is where I do my best running all year, mainly because it is all hills all the time and perfect weather (50-75 degrees each day). But I am getting ahead of myself. Still here and hot in DC! 

One more shot at the mile: McMullen Mile

Admittedly, my track prep for the mile has been probably one of the worst build-ups ever. I think I missed at least one workout a week. To be honest, I didn't care. My big road races (10 mile and 10k) of the spring went so well, that the mile seemed more like an afterthought. Maybe I was letting go of some of my type A personality: I didn't have to be rigid.
I did have some good track workouts. I've been able to consistently run 200s in 40 seconds, and 400s in  84, with a lot more ease than last year. That was a big improvement. But I also have done a lot of traveling. We went to NYC for Memorial weekend to visit family. Last weekend I was in Baltimore for a work conference. All of this meant that not all runs fit into the schedule. Letting go? Loosening up? Prioritizing? You be the judge.
In non running related news, my dissertation proposal passed last month! If you don't remember, last year, I hit some stumbling blocks trying to come up with a dissertation topic. I held onto the mantra "not in vain" - that all of the work would eventually pay off. After a year of hitting the books really hard and working with my committee, the proposal passed. It was a big milestone - it makes me now ABD (All But Dissertation). There are no other official benchmarks in the doctoral program until the dissertation passed and ABD turns into Ph.D. Needless to say, I had worked my butt off to get that, and that victory mattered more than any running one.
The weather in Rochester (yes, I'm home in Rochester visiting my parents - more traveling!) has been rather iffy. Granted, the much cooler temperatures have been a warm welcome after last week's 90 degree days, but the rain I could do without. Now, I have been fairly blessed in terms of race weather conditions. Sometimes it has been cold or windy or even a little rain, but I've never really raced in pouring weather. It was time for me to get what was coming to me. You pay your dues, right? I've had beautiful marathon weather - time to get drenched.
In a nutshell, it was a steeplechase. Huge puddles were all around the track. I lined up in the elite heat (sub 6) for women, threw my goals for the PR our the window, and was ready to go. And we were off in the rain. Lap 1: 1:28 - most of the girls were way ahead of me, and I was just trying to hang on. Feet were already drenched, and I was debated getting closer to lane 2 where it was less puddly. Lap 2: 2:56 or 8 - I'll really have to dig in, but can I? 4:28 for Lap 3 and I am feeling so over this. I finished in 5:59, just under the 6:00 heat, and happy to be done. With the warm up and cool down for the race, I totalled 8.5 miles for the day. Bring on the (gluten-free) beer!
So what I can I take away from all of this? Lessons learned (from the professor):

• I am not a miler and I knew that going into this. But it is still a good experiment to try that shorter distance stuff.
• These track races were not goal races. My big races of the 10k and 10 mile of the spring were the big ones. This was just - gravy? Another opportunity to get some racing?
• Consistent training leads to better racing. I admittedly slacked off in the past month. It had been a challenging semester and I needed something to give. Normally, I am consistent as anything and it pays off.
• But is it really slacking off? I'm starting to think it was a lesson in letting go. Not all races are perfect, and nor should they be. I had a banner season - I had ran 39:28 for the 10k and 1:05:52 for 10 miles. Those are great. We don't get it all, and I will take what I worked for.

And now it's time for just fun runs. No schedule - just enjoying the game for what it is.
And that's why we all got into it, right?

• 

Potomac Valley Track Club All-Comers Meet

If I had to define myself as a runner, it would be a middle distance road racer. People still call me a marathoner, even though it has been 2 years since my last one. But I would say now that I'm a distance racer, focusing on everything from the 5k to the 10 mile. But now once a year I switch gears and try the track for a month. It is more to work on speed than anything. So, May 19 was my first mile race of the year. My PR is 5:51 (from June 2012). But I wasn't aiming to PR this time - just get in some more practice in the event. The last time I had a real track season with multiple races was 9th grade 2000-2001. It was indoor track, and my best 1500 was 7:25. I did not like track, and that was the last time I ran consistently until fall 2008. But I digress. Last year, my mile was at a mile only event, not a full out track meet. But the Potomac Valley Track Club has a series of all-comer meets that go all day and have all of the major track events. I was happy that the mile was early on. I got to watch the hurdlers first. My warm up was okay. Sarah said that it probably wouldn't be a PR day - it was kind of drizzly out and i was in the middle of training. I really just wanted to go under 6, but I also didn't sweat it out. My dad was in town, and we even had some bubbly the night before (yes, I was totally breaking one of my cardinal rules) - I was going to have fun. Because if you let running dictate your life all of the time, where is the fun? I wanted to have fun.
They called the milers out, and divided us into 3 heats. The first was 5-5:25- no thank you. The second was 5:25-6:00. I slid into this one, figuring that even if I was near the end, I'd rather hang on behind the fast people, than lead the heat and probably not go as fast. It was great watching the first heat. A couple of women ran under 5:20 , which was remarkable. Some of the girls in both heats were on one of the local racing teams, and it was intimidating hearing them talk about their workouts. It reminded me of high school, when we stood outside before a final exam and talked about our studying. Then we were called by the start and lined up. There were about 15 people in my heat (mixed gender) - I never had run with so many people on the track. The gun went off and we were off. It took a while to really get moving, as it was crowded! I actually felt boxed in at one point, but I thought that might actually be a good thing. It would keep me from going out too hard and blowing up. I think I went through the first lap in about 1:28 (and that is factoring the 8 meters extra to make it a full mile, not 1600m) and felt pretty good. It was at this point that I felt like I could move out a bit more. I think the second lap was about 2:54 or 2:56. At this point, I was in the dreaded third lap, but hanging on just fine and came through that in 4:24. I could hear someone behind me and she just took off. I was not dying but definitely didn't have any gears left. Nonetheless, I was really pleased as I saw the clock when I ran by.
5:51! I tied my PR. And for a first race in awhile, I was really pleased. It showed that if I lock in and have a few strong weeks of training, I can smash the PR and go under 5:50. Lots of exciting things happening, and this is just one of them!

After lap 1

Time Trial and Back in Track Mode

After writing about the break from schedules, last week I got back into a running schedule. Once road racing ended, I am turning my focus to the track. I did this last year, and did one mile track race in June. This year, I've got 2 1 mile track races scheduled, 1 for May, 1 for June. My year-round focus is not the track - I just don't have that fast-twitch speed. I started training last week. And on Tuesday, I had my first time trial of the year.

It had been raining for a couple of days, and there was some wind, but we were going to do the workout anyways, which was going to include an 800m (2 lap) time trial. While I won't ever compete in an 800m race, the idea was that this would jump start my mile training. Last year, I did it in 2:46, and this year we were hoping for 2:40. Plus, it would in theory make the mile not seem as painful, at least not as fast. So we did our usual 2.5 mile warmup, and then threw in a few 200s, just to warm up the legs (both in 40 seconds) before rolling into the 800. I did have some nervousness about this, and I usually don't get nervous for track workouts. But this was going to be so hard and fast. Sarah told me to tuck in behind her, and we were off. Now, she is a 36 10k runner - this pace is not all out for her. Which is good, because she made it look effortless, and I could just hang on behind her. We went thought the first lap in 80 (1:20), right on pace, but I was doubting my ability to hang onto this. With 300m to go, it just felt so uncomfortable and hard. I ended up finishing in 2:44, all out of breath and that feeling of blood in my throat. You just don't get that feeling in the longer races, but this was a sprint. We took a few easy laps of VERY slow jogging, and then continued the workout with 3x400. These were descending: 88, 85, 84. The first one felt more like a trot after the 800, but by the second 2, I could feel the 800 from earlier. And it just kept raining. It felt as if it would let up every other interval, and then start raining again. A couple of easy laps, and then 4x200m. The first 3 were in 39, and then she said to go all out for the last one - 38! I had never run a 200 that fast. Last year, it took me a while to run 39, and this year, i was doing it consistently in week 2 of training. All promising. It poured during our 2.5 mile cooldown, and we were just soaked, muddy, drenched, you name it. But it was also exhilarating. I so rarely get to do the hard workouts with a partner, and this made it a lot of fun. During the easy parts, we chatted about grad school (we are in the same program - she just defended her dissertation), running, teaching, etc. The workout was a great confidence booster. Even though I didn't hit that 2:40, I'm still chipping away at it. These shorter distances require a different skill set, and I'm just in experienced there. But I am looking forward to getting in more practice at it!

Enjoying the unscheduled runs

Last weekend's Pike's Peek 10k was the end of my spring racing season - a great way to end it. Before gearing up for the next adventure, I've been enjoying a gap between schedules. And I love schedules - I can check things off my list and roll with it. But for brief periods of time, I do appreciate the unscheduled runs.
I can dictate the runs, how long they are, and not get caught up in meeting any formal expectations. Now, all runs should be fun, and they mainly are, but there is something liberating about just going out for a run without thinking how it is an important building block in training. I got in 37 miles last week in just fun runs. And I felt like each run was appreciated for its own sake. It wasn't phoned in to make it fit in, it happened because I wanted to run.
Lately, because I'm more productive in the mornings, I've been doing most of my runs in the late afternoon. But after a sleepless night on Tuesday, I found myself up working very early. Why not get in a morning run, since I was already awake? I took to the mall, and after a Cherry Blossom season of tourists, was welcomed to a peaceful, quiet Mall. As I approached the WWII memorial, I could hear a lot of shouting. It was the local ROTC battalion, carrying flags, chanting out commands, as they got their morning run in. To see them en masse like that was so moving. I continued on, passing the Lincoln Memorial and then crossing the bridge to Arlington. That bridge is part of so many big races here that I've done: Marine Corps Marathon, Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, Army 10 Miler, and so a whole host of memories came flooding back. I was also just moved by how lush everything was: the grass so green, and the blooming flowers so bright. Everything was fresh, just like it should be in Spring. After getting near the Arlington cemetery, I headed back to DC. Instead of following the Mall path precisely, I detoured and ran along the Constitutional Pond. Very beautiful landscaping, and even more quiet. An oasis in a bustling city. I could hear myself think, and instead of the thousand thoughts running through my head as usual, there was peace. And as I embarked back on the path, towards the Washington Monument, the ROTC battalion emerged yet again, vigorously chanting and running. The sun was slowly rising, brightening the mall. No photograph could capture this beauty justly. In the end, I had covered about 8.5 miles, and had my breath taken away, not from the labor, but the pure sensory experience. It was perfect - nothing could have been better.I have also had great experiences beyond the mall, but DC's great running trails, like the Capital Crescent and Mount Vernon trails. But there is another which I had yet to enjoy: the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad trail. In total, it stretches about 40 miles, with markers every half mile. And lucky for me, where I'm moving to soon, it is only a mile away from my new apartment! I had a chance to try it out over the weekend, and I am completely in love. It is much hillier than some of the other DC trails, and so it can simulate better racing conditions than just a flat, straight path. Now, instead of taking the metro to get to a trail for tempo runs, it is nearly in my backyard. Plus, it has lots of opportunities to hop off and run through the local neighborhoods as well. I look forward to exploring and seeing all of these new places. I tend to only create a couple of routes (mainly because I am so bad at directions and fear getting lost on the run), so these areas will give me more flexibility.And at the end of the day, that's a good thing for me - more flexibility. I cannot become rigid and entrenched in my ways. So for the time being, in this gap between seasons, I am flexible in the run and hoping that will help me to loosen up in life in general.

I ran for Boston: Pike's Peek 10k

Sunday was the Pike's Peek 10k. And no, not the one in Colorado. The Rockville Pike - this 10k is a 3,000 person race and $1,000 on the line for the winner. Spoiler alert: it's not me. But, what it means is that the competitive is incredibly fierce, and a lot of big runners come out to score a good pay day. And for me, it meant there were a lot of fast runners to hang onto!
After the Cherry Blossom 10 miler 2 weeks ago, I had done a few workouts to keep the speed intact, but basically the hay was already in the barn. My PR from the fall was 39:50, and I was hoping to chip about 10 seconds off of it. After all, I had knocked off 18 seconds in my 10 mile time, so I probably wasn't going to be able to milk much more out of the 10k. I was a woman on a mission, and Boston only added fuel to the fire. I was going to run well for my adopted city and put everything out there to make that happen. They gave out blue and gold ribbons, which I attached to my 2011 Boston shirt. Boston Boston Boston.
My boyfriend had driven me to the race, and I do really love that he's embraced and supported my running as much as he has. It was a cold morning for April - 35 at the start! I was actually glad that the hot streak had fizzled out. I got in my warm up, and took my spot in the first wave (yes, they actually break this up into corrals with separate starts, which is pretty cool). I was fairly far back, as the bigwigs were out there. Even my coach/trainer/grad school friend Sarah was racing too - although beyond the start, I knew I wouldn't see her for the rest of the race. We bowed our heads for a moment of silence, which it was definitely hard to keep emotions in check. Another pause, and we were off.
This is a point to point race. We made one turn out of the parking lot, and then it is straight for the last 6 miles. There are a lot of rolling hills, but because it is relatively straight, you can just push hard and not have to ease off for so many turns. Things felt so fast going out - and that's because they were - 6:12 for the first mile. I could ease off and relax, because that way too fast. Yet, I also had in my ear a loud breather named Hector (his name was on his shirt), whose breathing was so distracting that I just wanted to get away.

Getting away from Hector (in bright blue)

Less than .2 to go!

Have you ever ran alongside someone whose breathing (or moaning, as it were) just made you yourself feel sick? I needed to get away, but that wasn't a good reason to press the pace either. I picked things up just enough to get out of earshot, and continued on. There were a few steep uphills, although nothing harder than what I had trained on. I just aimed to be not too aggressive on these. I came through mile 3 in about 19:12 - and while there wasn't a 5k mark, I knew I was right under 20 minutes for the 5k, and needed to pick things up in the second half. 
The 10k is my favorite race in terms of pacing. I can really determine how much to put in, and how to just pick things up a little at 5k, 4 (little more), 5 (throw it all down), in order to negative split (second half faster). Damn it, I was going to push hard - this was for Boston! Things had spread out with the people, so I was working to try to catch up with the next pack. I didn't feel the sense that I could blow up. Unlike Cherry Blossom, when I felt just awful the whole time (even though en route to a PR), I felt strong this time and consistent with the pace. I was getting a lot of cheers with my Boston shirt of "Go Boston" and there were a lot of other Boston alumni out there too. 
This was the first time in a while where I didn't write on hands my expected splits - I was hoping that I could just go and not be fixated on the numbers. Bad choice - here I was, running 9+ mph trying to do math in my head to see if I was on track. I thought I was pretty close, but math is hard while running!
After cresting the last hill, someone shouted, "It's all downhill from here," and really, it meant half of a mile of just going for it. I just put everything I had with the finish in sight. Right after I got through the 6 mile mark, there was Pat cheering for me (you can actually see him in the picture - he's taking a picture - very meta), giving me that final boost for the end. I was all in, and my eyes widened in shock as I crossed the finish line.
39:28
6:22 pace
Overall: 148/2446
Women: 32/1276 (you can tell how competitive it is!)

Student and Coach (or PhD candidate and PhD)

Age group: 14/150
To put it into perspective, I ran 2 5ks and an 8k earlier this spring all at a slower pace than this 10k - proof that it takes time to build up speed. Goal races are there for a reason, and it takes a season to get there.
This was a big victory - for me and for Boston. It was faster than I believed I could go, and really, that's what Boston stands for at its best - conquering the insurmountable. 
I caught up with Sarah after and she ran very well (36:32) - once we started, she was so ahead of me, I didn't see her until the end. She just defended her dissertation on Tuesday - showing that the PhD is achievable. Really, she's showing me how to get both done: fast times and a successful dissertation. 
It was a phenomenal morning - better than I could have imagined. And Boston was very much on all of our minds that morning, as it will be for months to come. Boston is a place where heroes are made, and this weekend was a salute to Beantown's heroes.

A run to remember