Running in the Rockies

Well, I'm not sure what happened to my morning run blog, so I'll just add it on to my race report.

I went running in the morning and got in 3.33 miles in this lovely flat terrain of Phoenix!  My average pace was 10:57, which is faster than in Colorado but slower than my Phx run on Saturday.  In the afternoon, Lybi convinced me to run a race that night (which is crazy for both of us - I had already run today and she was still hurting from her 12 miler on Saturday, but it sounded too run to be able to run together!!!) 

We showed up an hour before the race and I registered (while Lybi ran "bandit" - shh! don't tell).  It was surprisingly cold for Phoenix, or at least my nerves made it feel cold.  The temperature was only 49, but we kept getting in the car to warm up.  Lybi recommended we jog around and do strides for a warm up, so I added .5 miles to my total distance. 

When the race finally started, Lybi had the Garmin and she would check it for our pace periodically.  Our goal had been 10:00 for the 1st mile, and then 9:30 for the next 2.  I had the best pacer in the world!!!!  Lybi talked the ENTIRE way!  :)  She rattled on about running technique, how I was doing great, or goals that she had for the coming year.  I seriously don't know how she did it!  I love her!!!  The first mile was good; I could tell it was faster than usual, but it wasn't demanding too much up front.  The second mile felt harder (as it should), but Lybi kept talking and stayed 1 step ahead of me but still to the side - so I was always reaching to keep up with her.  During the third mile, Lybi had us pick up the pace and we tried to play "games" to keep me from winding down.  She would race ahead of me and I had to catch up and pass her, then she would pass me.  I was surprised I had any energy left to pass her.  My breathing was getting very heavy and a cramp in my back was hurting with each breath.  I kept wanting to swing me head and flail my arms (what a wimp, I know!).  When we finally turned for the home stretch (Lybi said it was about half a lap), we tried to pick up the pace again.  I couldn't keep it up for long and started slacking, but then I heard footsteps behind me and found more energy!  The last 50 yards, I heard some fast footsteps behind me, and as Lybi peeled off away from the course, I laid everything on the line so this person couldn't pass me.  I sprinted as fast as I could, but he had more momentum and passed me within 10 feet of the finish line.  Grrr.  And, it turns out, he was 67 years old.  Grrr.  Oh well, he got me to pick it up at the very end, so I can't begrudge him too much.  ;o)

Overall, it was a great race - I wish I could always race with Lybi!!!!  She kept me diverted and focused on giving more.  And my pace really showed her help:

mile 1 - 9:30

mile 2 - 9:46

mile 3 - 9:22

I don't think those numbers quite add up, so Lybi will have to put the accurate numbers.  But my official time was 28:50!!!!!!  We were trying to figure out how to compare that to my last 5K and I think it means that I would've been sub-30 for a 5K and shaved off 6 minutes from my last time of 36:37!!!!!!!!!!!!  Woohoo!!!!!  (I'll let Sasha correct the comparison, if I was wrong)

So, flat terrain, lower altitute, and a great sister made for a very fun race to ring in the new year!  HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRB!!!

I got to run with my husband for the first time today!!!  It was very fun to have a running partner for a regular run.  I think it was also good for him to go slow because he usually goes too fast and comes home with a pain in his back or knee.  Having just run with Lybi on Monday, it was very different to run with someone with such a different gait than me.  He's a foot taller than me, so going at my normal pace was slightly awkward for him - although it was injury-free.  We ran on a dirt path, so it was easy on the joints.  What's up with people and having a ton of dogs, though?  We passed this one house that had 7-8 large dogs - luckily they were safely within 2 different fences.  I hate barking dogs while I'm running.  At the end of the run, Mike wanted to sprint to the end.  He was very kind, though, and didn't leave me in the dust (literally) with his long legs.  :o)

 
So, since I've been blogging my runs and races on other people's computers, I've discovered that my Mac can't change fonts or colors like everyone else's PC can.  I always thought Lybi knew some great technical trick to change font size and color.  I didn't know that it was this easy.

This is my first entry for sleep time, but I don't know how to add how many times I was interrupted during the night - which was 3 times last night! ;o)

I'm finally home!!! We stayed a day in NM with my parents yesterday. We have to split up the drive from AZ to CO because my kids (and I) can't handle long travel days. So, we always stop at my parents house which is about half way to my in-laws. As we drove into town at 5:00, the thermostat in our car said it was 55 degrees!!! I couldn't believe it! So, as soon as we unpacked the car and listened to our phone messages, my husband let me go running while he got dinner on for the kids. (I know, I am the luckiest woman!) He also did most of the bathing as I was running around putting things away and trying to locate clean pajamas.

The run was great. It was nice to be home and back to familiar streets; even though it was dusk by the time I headed out and stars were shining bright by the time I got home.

So, I have a question ... Lybi said that I should use quick steps instead of long strides for my race because they are more efficient. Is that true for running in general or just for races when you are running more anaerobic? Since I've never had a running coach, I have running technique questions that I've always felt too silly to ask, like: should my arms be down by my waist when I run or just relaxed and high where they feel comfortable? And should they swing in front of me or at my sides? Is it bad to look down at the ground 5 feet ahead of me - should I always look far ahead? How do you know if your shoulders are too tense when you're running? When should I start adding tempo runs and is there any technique I should be aware of? What about Chi running or the Lydiard techniques? Does anyone have any input for a newbie?