My old bike I used for the Brick workout..

Initially, I planned to run Lake Miramar, which is 5 miles and then immediately right after the run grab my bike out of the car and do that same 5 mile loop on the car. From what I’ve briefly read about the Brick workout, you’re supposed to bike first then run. But considering it’s my first ever Brick workout, I don’t even think I would be able to finish the run after biking, since I heard it was so hard in the first place. But as I got closer and closer to bedtime the night before the run, I decided to bike to the lake as a warm-up, run the 5 miles, bike the same 5 miles and then bike home. Now that was the plan, here’s what really happened:

Warm-Up: 3.2 mile bike ride, 24:53, HR: 122 bpm, peak: 164 bpm, 255 calories
Run: 5 miles, 40:13 8:02 min/mile, HR: 173 bpm, peak: 189 bpm, 775 calories
Cool-Down: 3.2 mile bike ride, 22:09, HR: 117 bpm, peak: 138, 95 calories

Warm-up Bike Ride to the Lake

I wanted to make sure that I didn’t miss the workout this morning since I haven’t been getting as much sleep as I wanted this past week. I took my water bottle out of the fridge, grabbed the bike out of the balcony and headed downstairs. Right when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I checked to make sure there was enough air in the tires..completely flat! I guess that’s what happens when you don’t ride an older bike for a whole year. To make matters worse, I think the heat bent the part of the wheel where you add the air so it took me like 5 minutes just to add air to one of the tires. I finally took off for my warm-up bike. Even though it wasn’t really part of the workout, I wanted to see how long it would take and see what my heart rate was during the warm-up.

The distance from my place to the lake is about 3.2 miles and most of it is on a main street. I was able to ride on the sidewalk for most of the time, but there was a point where I had to cross the entrance to a freeway, and there was no pedestrian crosswalk! So as I was approaching that very point, I kept looking back to make sure there were no cars approaching. It wasn’t that bad; I just pedaled like crazy while crossing that freeway intersection. After I passed that point though, there was a bus waiting at a red light. This next part of the road had no sidewalk and the light had just turned green! I was literally racing against the bus to get to the sidewalk!! I was able to out pedal the bus, but I was wearing a sweater and had started breaking a sweat and the sun was breaking through the clouds. Immediately after that part of the road, I noticed a gradual uphill. I have driven to the lake numerous times and have never noticed said hill. Because this is an old bike, it is stuck on the middle gear, so I wasn’t able to change it to make it easier to pedal. It wasn’t too bad, but definitely not the heart rate or warm-up that I was hoping to have. I rode a little more and then made another turn and found another hill! This one was definitely a lot harder. At the end of this one, I was sweating as much as I usually do at the end of a run. There was one steeper hill at the very end of the ride, but it was fairly short and got through it easily. All of this was just my warm-up!

The Run

I heard that your legs feel very heavy when you try to run after biking, so I was sort of anticipating it, but would not understand how it feels until I actually started to run. I think they get the name because your legs feel like bricks or something to that nature. Either way, that intense warm-up killed me for the run. I just wanted to get it over with at that point. And during the run, I came to the conclusion that biking another 5 miles would be too much. Since it’s too dangerous to bike to the lake and the hills are too killer for a warm-up, I probably will just drive to the lake next time and actually bike the loop around the lake.

Cooldown Back Home

The bike home was actually pretty fun since I did all the hard work coming up. I was going down the hills so fast that I had to use the brakes a lot and I didn’t even get to pedal for most of the ride. It was a good way to just get the wind to blow in my face and cool down. I would have been home a lot faster than the time says, but there were a lot more cars on the road and I had to wait at every stop light to cross. On a higher note, I did burn over 1000 calories for the very first time (1125). I’m sure all other runners that run 10+ miles on a semi-daily basis do it very often, but not me! Hopefully, if I get the hang of these Brick workouts, I will be able to run more miles and get to that marathon mileage stage of my training.

This was the first time running a 10K, so I didn’t know what to expect coming into the race. I knew I wasn’t in shape to run it as competitively as I would run a 5K, so I took it more like a hard workout. I also wanted to try and work on my pace and make sure that I would be able to finish all 6.2 miles. Race Results: 42:29, 6:51 pace. Avg HR: 185 bpm, peak 199 bpm, total calories: 909. Splits: Mile 1: 7:04, mile 2: 6:51, mile 3: 6:50, mile 4: 7:04, mile 5: 7:00, mile 6: 6:22. Placing: 29^th out of 78 in my age group, 153^rd out of 1500+ overall. Some neat features of the Scripps Ranch 10K and Fun Run: USA T&F sanctioned 10K course around scenic Miramar Lake – This is where I’ve been having my ‘long runs’, so I was very familiar with this course. The 10K will use ChampionChip timing for unsurpassed accuracy – This is my first time racing with these chips, I think it can tell when you actually pass the start and finish lines, but I could be wrong. Each subsequent race I’ve been doing has gotten bigger and bigger. First race was like 2-3 hundred, and this race was over 1500! But like all previous races, men and women runners of all ages, including very young runners not even 12 years old!

The first 6 rows of the starting line were reserved for ‘elite runners’, not sure if you had to sign up to become one of those or if you think you can hang with all of them then you can go there. I’m sure it’s so that the ultra competitive runners won’t have to waste time and energy dodging slower runners in front of them. I sort of had to do that at the beginning of the race too! Anyways, I got a quick warm-up in and then stole a prime spot right behind the ‘elite runners’ which is good because it would have been tough to zig and zag around so many other runners. I was hoping I wouldn’t try to hang with those runners and just go at my own pace and try to be consistent throughout the whole race. So the race finally started, but because there were so many runners ahead of me when the gun went off, I didn’t even get to cross the starting line yet!

Because of that issue, I tried to stop my watch and reset it to start when I actually crossed the starting line, but it took a while to configure and I ended up starting the watch a little after I cross the start, but not too much to actually make me question my time. Compared to Bonita 5000 5K Race, where I tried to hang with the faster runners and died for the rest of the run, I made a conscious effort not to start off too fast and the fact that this was twice the distance as any race I’ve ran, I had to make sure I would have enough energy to finish the race. I ended up running a 7:04 first mile, big difference compared to the 5:55 in the previous race. I was able to pass a fair amount of runners (young/old, men/women) throughout the race, which was a huge confidence boost. I remember in the last race, I was so dead, I didn’t care who was passing me. This time, because I paced myself, I had energy to make little surges at turns and small down/up hills.

Side Note: It makes a really big difference to have others around you during a race. There were points in the race where there wasn’t really anyone around me and I bet that is when I was running the slowest. You can use the other runners around you for a number of things: drafting to help you keep the pace, have someone ahead of you to work towards catching, and working to not allow another runner to pass you as they try to surge past you. It’s nice to get the medals and schwag and whatnot, but I think it is the opportunity to compete with others is what makes the registration fee worth it.

So the race was about a quarter mile away from Miramar Lake, which is 5 miles, and then the last .5-.75 miles is “an exciting down-hill finish that delivers you to Hoyt Park, where you’ll realize the fun is just beginning.” Looking at my splits for each mile, I was very pleased and how consistent the times were. Each lap from before didn’t fluctuate too much and because I didn’t start off too fast, I had the energy to keep at that same pace. The downhill at the end of the race wasn’t that steep, but pretty long and I was literally flying toward the finish line! That is probably what contributed to my fast last mile+, which I am totally not complaining about J I felt pretty fatigued the last mile or two of the race, but apparently so was everybody else, because I was passed by maybe one or two other runners. I also picked off a couple too, so it sort of balanced out. Even though it was a grueling 6.2 miles, I was still able to muster out a finishing kick and passed one or two other runners at the end of the race. I was very pleased with the overall race and time that I ran. I didn’t start off too fast and was able to pace myself for the whole race, I wasn’t breathing too hard during the race which is also a good sign. I believe the next race on the agenda is going to be the 32^nd America’s Finest City Half Marathon and 5K. This 10K was a pretty long distance for me to run and I don’t think I would be able to run double that (half marathon), so I settled to sign up for the 5K instead. This will be a good time to try and improve on my 5K time and hopefully break 20!

The Bonita 5000 5K Race is the 2^nd race of my ‘season’ and I finished at 20:05 at 6:29 pace, 74^th out of 387, and 9^th in my age group. Looking at the finishing time, you can say that it was a pretty good run. But if you read on, you’ll see that I probably could have run a lot smarter and faster! So the last few workouts that I’ve ran before this race have not been that great. I would start off ok, but after each mile, I would just feel really tired and not be able to keep up the pace. I was afraid that I would come into this race and not run as fast as I was able to to run in the UCSD Grove Run 5K. And the fact that it was a 30 minute drive to this race would have made it even more disappointing to not run well. But I guess that didn’t really happen since I improved my time by about 15 seconds, and again, it probably could have been faster if I were a smarter runner..

So the Bonita 5000 5K Race was being run for its 25^th year, which is one of the reasons why I was drawn to this race, among other things. The race description said it was fast and flat which is a change from the last race I ran which was quite hilly. Because the previous race was hilly, I thought that I would have run a lot faster today than I did since it was a flat course. Again, I could have.

So I warmed up and stretched like normal and felt pretty good so far. This race was a lot bigger than the previous one and it was pretty packed up at the starting line, but I was able to get a good position at about the 3^rd or 4^th row. Looking at the other runners in this race, I noticed a wide variety of runners: young high schoolers, older people and many more. With any race, there are going to be some studs in there and today was no different. I just wasn’t sure how tough the other runners that I would be racing against were going to be. So we got started and I got a pretty good start and wasn’t boxed in or anything. I remember in my last race, I got a good start but slowed down to go to a more comfortable pace within the first 100 meters. This time, I don’t think I slowed down (if I did at all) to a pace that I would be able to keep for the whole race. What happened was that I ran a 5:55 first mile! If you look at the one time I ran a mile on the track all out, I hit a 6:01. That just shows how much I improved and how fast I started off in this race. But all runners should know, if you start off too fast, nothing good will come from it.

What happened after that fast first mile was that my split for mile 2 and 3 dropped significantly. I don’t even want to say it, but will: 6:38, 6:58. I ran positive splits!! So I wore headphones during the race, but did not play any music so that I could ‘focus’ and not get distracted from the music. I think if I update my iPod and put some more inspirational songs, it’ll actually help during a race. Anyways, it was like I had earplugs on and I could hear myself breathing the whole time. And I know when you run a race you’re a lot more tired than you are during a regular workout, but I could hear myself breathing a lot and very hard. I was pretty tired at mile 2 and definitely at mile 3. If I only slowed down during that first mile, I would have had more energy during the rest of the race and actually put up a fight when others were passing me (which happened often!).

So there were some things that I noticed after running this race. First, there was this young kid with the beginnings of a Mohawk that really didn’t want to beat me. But he did pass me a little after the first mile and we sort of went back and forth throughout the race, but I’m going to have to say that I passed him for the last time right before the finish, which I was happy about. There were a couple of women who picked me off during the race but what surprised me a little were the older runners. Looking at the 5K race results, there were quite a few older runners that ran very fast times. I was very impressed with that, hoping that when I get that old, I’ll still be able to run that competitively and even beat the younger runners (which happened to me today!) I finished in front of one of those older runners and as we were waiting in the finishing shoot to give our bibs, he told me ‘good job’ which I did the same and also shook his hand. Runners seem to have the best sportsmanship in my mind.

Despite the fast start and dumb running, I was still pleased with the overall time, considering the poor workouts I had before that. For the next race, possibly the 32^nd Annual Scripps Ranch 10K (a distance I’ve never raced before), I will have to try harder to hold back in that first mile, even though I will want to try and keep up with the rest of the other runners up ahead very badly. I just need to get it in my head that it will benefit me and my overall race time to run a smart race.

This was a race schwag that I got in my "goodie bag". Seriously!?

Race Pictures: UCSD Grove Run 5K

So the race pictures for the UCSD Grove Run 5K has been available online for a while now, I just didn’t have time to actually post them on the blog. These aren’t even all of them, just the ones that summarize the race and ones that I’m (sort of) in. Read the UCSD Grove Run 5K Race Report or view all the pictures from the race.

Note: I wanted the gallery to display using Lightbox (like the race banner), but I can’t get it to work. Maybe for the next race..

The Look

Skullcandy Smokin' Bud Ink'd Earbud Headphones

The original ones that I purchased were white which from far away looks exactly like iPod headphones. For some reason that I can’t think of now, I wanted to let people know that I was listening to an iPod and not any other type of music player. Looking back, it doesn’t really matter to me about that, in fact it may be better to make others think you’re not using an iPod after reading these articles about people getting mugged because the white headphones showed that they had iPods. The ones I got this time are “metallic blue” which sounds cool, but looks more like baby blue.

The Feel

One feature I like about these Skullcandy Ink’d earbud headphones, which is probably available to all in-ear headphones is the 3 different-sized cushions. They all fit in my ear fine, but the middle and larger ones do feel like they are less likely to fall out of my ear while running.

What’s annoying in other headphones is that they are made specifically for each ear (left and right). It’s a waste of time to have to look at each earbud headphone and determine whether they go in your right or left ear. The Skullcandy’s can go in either ear, which makes putting them on that much faster.

Sound Quality

When I really sit back and just listen to music, I can actually hear all the little things like a random instrument in the chorus. I really need to do this more often. Another cool feature about these and other in-ear headphones is it’s ability to drown outside noise whether or not music is even on. So they work just like regular earplugs when you’re trying to concetrate and want to just hear your own thoughts. They by no means are Bose earbud headphones that cancel all outside noise (or a jet engine!), but they do a great job and will not cost you an arm an a leg!

Other Features

Something that I liked about my previous Sony earbud headphones that the Skullcandy earbud headphones lack is the way the length of the cord in one earbud headphone was significantly longer than the other, so you can wrap that one around the back of your neck. By having it rest on your neck, it feels like it won’t be trying to pull itself out of your ears while in use. And when you’re not using them, you can just unplug the earbud headphones and let them hang over your neck. That’s not really an issue with the Skullcandy’s since they’ve never came out of my ears before and I never need to let them rest on my neck because once I’m done, I just put them away.

Recommendation

Overall, the Skullcandy Ink’d earbud headphones are a very comfortable pair of headphones that offer clear audio with a hint of bass and good noise reduction. They are ideal earbud headphones that will give you more than what you are paying for and I definitely recommend these to runners, athletes or and anybody on a budget.

Where to Buy

The last time I ran on the track, I ran one mile all out just to see what kind of shape I was in. I was pretty happy with running a 6:02 considering it wasn’t that long after I started running again. Fast forward a couple of months after a lot more miles and even an actual race under my belt, I decided to try mile repeats on the track, which is an interval workout which I used to do in high school all the time.

Like a race, I tried the same routine that I would do when I ran in high school cross country and track. So I got a good one mile warm up on the track and did my whole routine of stretches before. I guess I should have done strides before the mile repeats too, since we used to do that before as well. Now since this is the first time doing mile repeats in so long, I wasn’t even sure if 6:40 was a reasonable pace. Now I have ran around 6:40 on some of my workouts and in the one race I ran, but I wasn’t sure If I would be able to run another mile after the first one at that pace.

Mile Repeats Splits-Pace Tattoo

I actually wrote down the splits for each 400 meters I was supposed to be at for a 6:40 pace. Like anybody starting a race, I started the mile repeat really fast, just because I had so much energy to start with (not the same situation at the end). So my first 100 meters was actually 5 seconds ahead of pace. However, each subsequent 100 meters was about 4-5 seconds ahead, which meant I was running at the correct 6:40. But toward the end of each mile, I was getting closer and closer to the actual 6:40 time which meant I was running a little slower too. Either way I was able to hit below the 6:40 mile mark for each interval workout.

The first two miles were alright, it wasn’t that difficult to hit the mark, but the third one I was a little bit ahead of pace for the first lap or two and knowing that I might have slowed down a bit because I finished just before 6:40. I was quite surprised about that. The final one I wanted to hit pace the first three laps and then just go all out and see how fast I would run it. I was pretty pleased with the last lap time: 1:24, overall mile time: 6:23. It was really tough jogging the cool down though, since I was so tired. But it felt good running it, knowing how well I did during the actual workout. I got some great comments and feedback about the workout on DailyMile about the mile repeats, specifically saying that “Mile repeats are one of my love/hate workouts. I hate doing them, but love the results.” This is totally true, in high school this was one of the workouts I dreaded doing, but here I am running on my own and still doing it, just because I know it will help me in the future. I plan on doing this workout again the next chance I get and hopefully it will pay off for the Bonita 5000 coming up in two weeks!

Running in the Rain

I just got back from a run this morning and I’m hoping this will be my first post right after a run. I’ve always been a fan of running in the rain and feel that there are many positive benefits for many reasons. Now don’t get me wrong, it is never safe to be running in the rain when it is pouring outside. Even though today was just drizzling, my New Balance 768’s weren’t gripping to the road as well as I would have wanted them to. In fact, there were sharp turns on the road where I felt like I was going to slip a little. So you definitely need running shoes that will be able to grip the slippery roads. And you need to know when it is raining too hard to run because running with soaked clothes and shoes is just like running with added weights. But other than that, I think that the benefits of running in the run outweigh the disadvantages.

Why you should run in the rain:

• You Run Faster – Seriously, I almost always run faster when it’s raining, probably because I’m more focused on the rain than how tired I am.
• You Won’t Get Heat Exhaustion – It is way harder to run in the heat than during cooler temperatures and the rain will help you keep cool too.
• The Sun Won’t Bother You – Hasn’t there been more than one occasion where you finish your run to find awkward looking tan lines around your ankles, arms, neck, etc?
• It’s Refreshing – Unless you live in an area where it rains all the time, rain won’t happen too often. So when it does, take advantage of the change in weather.
• It’s Fun – Don’t we all wish we could go back to when we were kids and would run and jump in puddles like there was no tomorrow?

I thought I had more reasons than this, but that’s still more than enough for me I think I like running in the rain almost as much as I like running in the dark, which I’ll talk about next time.

Timex Ironman Road Trainer Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Here are some of the main features for the Timex Ironman Road Trainer Heart Monitor Watch:

•          Water resistant watch and chest sensor – 100m
•          Chrono start/split – 100 hours, 50 lap recall
•          Various modes: countdown, alarm, review and recovery
•          INDIGLO® night-light with NIGHT-MODE® feature
•          5 training modes and 1 custom

Getting Started

The instructions were pretty straight-forward and I was able to set up and add my height and weight so that it counts my calories correctly. The chest sensor is very easy to put on and works right away. If it doesn’t get a reading right away, all you have to do is wet it very lightly.

Chrono Mode

I’ve had the watch for a couple of weeks now and have been only using it for a couple of features. I’ve only been going on 3-5 mile runs, so I haven’t utilized the 50-lap recall feature. But the watch has done a great job in tracking each one-mile split so that I don’t have to worry about remembering each split. This will really come in handy when I start running a lot more miles. Imagine trying to run 10 miles and trying to remember the splits for each one.

Review Mode

In the review mode, it tells you: the average heart rate, minimum and peak heart rate, total calories burned, each split time and average heart rate for that split, and some other numbers I don’t really look at. It’s very easy to get all the numbers that you need in this mode.

Recovery Mode

Once you finish your run or workout, you can go to recovery mode and it will measure your heart rate for 1 or 2 minutes. Seeing how fast your heart rate goes back to normal is a good way to see how hard you ran and how much you are improving. If one week it takes you 2 minutes to get back to your normal heart rate, but the next week, it only takes you one minute, then it shows that you are getting better.

Heart Rate Zones

There are 5 training modes and one custom one that you could set up on your own. You can make the watch alert you when your heart rate is too high or low and out of a certain zone that you should be at. I have not really utilized this feature yet, but it’s good to know that it’s there.

Overall

This is a very easy-to-use, good looking watch that does pretty much everything I want in a watch. It keeps track of my splits and can track my heart rate accurately to know how hard I am running each time. The only drawback is the lack of GPS, which is one other feature I would want in a watch. But looking at other GPS watches, you are sacrificing look and feel for functionality. I don’t think I would ever wear a GPS watch out if I weren’t running, but I would definitely wear my Timex Ironman Road Trainer watch. It just looks very sleek and can be used on an everyday basis. It is definitely a step up from my old stopwatch and I can definitely see myself using this watch for all my future runs and races for a while now.

Where You Can Get One
 

Race Report: UCSD Grove Run 5K

Course: 5K with hills during mile 2 & 3
Time: 20:19
Splits: Mile 1: 6:06 HR: 179; Mile 2: 7:13 HR: 192; Mile 3: 6:17 HR:193
Total Calories Burned: 446

The last time I competed in an official race was during the Track & Field season of my senior year in high school…2003! That is a very long hiatus from racing if you ask me. After that last race, I ran on and off the first and second year of college, but not very often and definitely not training for any competitive races. Working out at the gym helped keep me from gaining that infamous freshman 15.

I finally started running again a couple of months ago and to keep myself from being bored running the same distance every day and alone, I decided to also compete in a race, so that I was actually training for something. So I heard about a race at UCSD, called the UCSD Grove Run 5K, which is “Socal’s First Sustainable Race”. They were trying to run the greenest race ever: by not having race bibs (just writing your race # on your hand), having appropriate recycling receptacles, and even organic fruit picked straight from local farms. They also had something called the “Greenest Athlete Award” where you get a certain number of points for doing things to help reduce your carbon footprint. For example, if you biked to the race, you would get some points. Or if you carpooled or brought your own water bottle or donated any type of running gear too. That was a pretty cool idea, too bad I did almost nothing that was green.

The race description already warned everybody that the course had a number of hills and the director of the race actually told me that I should not be too discouraged about the time, especially since this was my first time racing in such a long time. I didn’t want it to feel that much like a race, but still wanted to prepare for it, as if it were a race. So like almost all of my previous races in high school, I had a regular spaghetti dinner the night before the race. I tried to get there early enough to warm-up and stretch, even though I haven’t done it that often since I started running.

I got a good enough warm-up that I started to sweat and feel a little warm, which was harder than usual since it was still cold out. Everybody around me was pretty calm and relaxed about the race, probably because they weren’t really there to win the race or anything. I, on the other hand, was a little nervous, but excited at the same time. I actually did some strides before the start of the race and felt pretty good about it. My heart rate went up after each one, but dropped back down to normal while resting. We finally got the heads up to head over to the starting line. Now high school cross country races are a lot different than these types of races. In high school, the number one runner on each team would be near the front of the starting line, while #2 and the rest lined up following them, alternating between each team. In this race, it was sort of a free-for-all, whoever got to the front first, that was there spot. However, logically, it wouldn’t have made sense to be in the very front of the pack, since I would have gotten trampled by all the faster runners behind me. I still wanted a good position and by running with these faster runners, I would be able to push myself to a faster time, but be aware that I will not be able to keep that pace, which I am completely aware of.

So I positioned myself around the 2^nd or 3^rd row and got my watch ready. It was funny because there were other runners around me talking very casually, first noting that there was only one “barefoot runner” today and right before they started the race, how funny it looked that everybody had their finger on the start button on their watches. The race finally started and I was able to get a pretty good start and not run over anybody (or get ran over myself). It was sort of too good to be true at how far up I was compared to everyone else in the race. I felt pretty comfortable at the beginning of the race, which is a change from some of the runs I have had recently, where I start off too fast and was not able to pace myself for the rest of the run. The first mile of the race actually didn’t have any uphills, which is probably why I was able to run such a fast first mile (6:06). But even better than the fast time, I felt really good and prepared for the ensuing hills (even though I had not done any prior hill training).

Throughout the rest of the race, I was running around a few other runners: a runner from UC Irvine, the barefoot runner, another guy, and another other women. I would either pass one of these runners or they would pass me, depending on the situation. For example, during uphills, I passed one of the runners as well as on the downhill where the barefoot runner would slowdown to avoid cracks and random objects on the ground. But I would also get passed at other times too. But more or less it was just a small group of runners going back and forth.

The coordinators of this race was very good at displaying the first and second mile markers, but I didn’t see the 3^rd mile marker, which should have been right before the end. But I was able to hear the announcer at the track, which meant that we were almost finished. Once I turned the corner, we were on the track, which was the final stretch of the race. As onlookers were cheering on, I began my finishing kick. I noticed the woman that I was running back and forth with up ahead and made her my target. As I approached her and began to pass her, I actually heard the announcer say, “here comes our first woman finisher!”. So I just finished ahead of the first woman. But what surprised me more was my time, 20:19 and if it indeed was a 5K on a course with hills, that is a very good first race, in my own eyes. And what was even more surprising was my place, which according to the results, was 30^th out of 155!

I think the one mile run/time trial that I did over a month ago and definitely this past race was a good starting point for me on my way to training for additional races. I now know where I stand when it comes to how fast I can run, and I can use these numbers to determine how hard I should be training and running on a per day basis. I can’t wait for the next race, which should be within a month, which means, I have keep up the hard work!

Race pictures will be uploaded soon!

As I arrived at the lake, I noticed that there were significantly more cars today. I didn’t have the prime parking space like I did last time I ran at Lake Miramar. I noticed that there were two tents by the start of the loop. Apparently there was an event that was happening this morning called, “Ray of Sunshine Miramar Lake Walk”. The walk was going to start at 8, so I had more than enough time to finish before it started.

So, last time I tried to run along with another runner to keep me on pace, but that backfired on me because that runner was way too fast for me. I ended up running a lot slower for the rest of the run. This time, there was no one to start with me, so I was on my own this time. There were a lot of walkers and joggers this morning and I kept passing them one by one. I still started at a pretty fast pace (7:15 first mile). This was a very good start, not too slow and not too fast. I was hoping that I could keep up that same pace, maybe a little slower, for the rest of the run.

Around this time, I noticed another runner up ahead that was going at a pretty good pace. I surged a little to try and run with him (only if he wasn’t running too fast) but I ended up just passing him. So for the next 3-4 miles, that same runner was trailing behind me. At one point, he did catch up to me, but not long after, he dropped back behind me once again. Either he surged and caught up to me or I slowed down enough for him to catch up to me. During random sharp turns, I could actually see the other runner in my peripheral vision; he was so close behind me! I kept thinking to myself, “is he using me to keep up the pace and then pass me at the end?” I so didn’t want that to happen.

Finally at mile 5 (right before the dam, thanks anne for clarifying), I tried to pick it up a little. Because what I hate more than anything is getting beat at the end, and that has happened way too often in many races that I’ve ran in high school. There was a good amount of people on the dam and I just kept passing them. I finished the run, breathing the hardest that I ever have on any run for quite some time. I looked at my watch and found that I hit 35:59, over two minutes faster than the last time I ran the Lake Miramar Loop. My last lap was a whopping 6:30 which can only be explained from two things: I didn’t start off too fast so that I was too tired for the rest of the run, and I was afraid of the runner passing me right at the end. Obviously it won’t apply to everybody, but running with fear is almost always a good motivator. And if doesn’t work, then pacing yourself will also work too!