Week Four

My week four:

Week	M	T	W	R	F	Sat	Sun	Total
4	CT	4 mile race pace	Rest	5 x 400	2 miles EZ	Rest	10k race	14.7
4	Done	3.19	Rest	3.22	2.07	Rest	10 k race	14.68

Tuesday was not a good run.  I came home early from work, and ran at about 4 p.m.  It was hot, and windy, and I was miserable, so I cut the run short. 

Sunday was race day.  I did the Dripping Springs Run by the Creek 10k.  We arrived at the race at 7:30 a.m., and it was cold, overcast, and gloomy.  It had rained all day the day before, and there was some concern the creek might be too high to cross over the water crossing, but it ended up being fine.

I only took one picture, but its of me and horrible, and i am too vain to post it here.  So here are some pictures from the event's website. (http://runbythecreek.com/)

The course was relatively easy, except for the last mike. It was up hill, and into the wind. I am afraid I may have started the race a bit fast (at about a 7 minute pace), as I was very sluggish on the last mile.  However, I think the training has paid off, as I set my PR for the 10k!  My chip time was 54:22 with a average pace of 8:46! My average pace for the 1/2 marathon earlier in the month was 9:40, so I am getting faster.  These are my official results:

Name:	Kimberly	Division:	F 30-39	City, State:	Austin, TX
Bib:		Division Place:	3	Total Division:	48
Age:	32	Gender:	F	Gender Place:	18
10K Place:	38	Chip Time:	54:22	Pace:	8:46/M

I was pretty stocked to find that I placed 3rd in my division! Overall, I was happy with the race, even if the last couple miles killed me.

I had a pretty successful September:  56.7 miles total, which is an average of 14 a week.  For comparison, I ran 45.4 in August, 34.6 in July, 36.4 in June, 18.8 in May, 14.4 in April, 14 in March, 23.6 in February, and 12.4 in January.

So, I am optimistic about my progress, and think I am headed to a sub two hour 1/2 marathon in November!

I'm back!

Okay, so that was a long and unintentional break! A lot has happened since February.  I got a new job, in Austin! If you know me, then you know that Dave has been wanting to move back to Texas since the moment we started dating. I got the offer in April, and we moved in May.  Which means that I did almost all of my training in the heat of the Texas summer.


The race was more than I expected. The day before was spent at Disneyland.  We walked all day long, and by bedtime I was concerned that I might be running on tired legs that next morning.

All Smiles Pre Race!

The race started early, at 5:30 a.m.  It was recommended we arrive by 4:30, which means leaving the hotel at 4:00 a.m.  Which means I woke up at 3:30! I did not sleep a wink that night!  However, before the race I read not to worry if you don't get much sleep before the rest, it is the sleeps the days leading up to the race that make the most difference.

In front of the castle

The race itself was more than I expected.  It was so much fun! I loved seeing all the people cheering us on. It really encouraged me to keep running. There was never a point where I felt "I can't do this!"

Running through Angel's stadium

In my training runs, miles 11-13 have always been the hardest.  However, on race day, I focused at mile 11, and thought, I can do this! I picked up the pace, and located a person in front of me.  I concentrated on that person, until I passed them.  I did this over and over, until the finish was in sight, and then gave it everything i got!

All the training paid off! I completed the race in 2:06:45!! My cousin cross the finish line just seconds after me, shaving 16 minutes off his personal record!

I was rewarding and so much fun.  We spent the rest of the day in the park, proudly wearing our medals! It was neat to see all the other participants with their medals as well, and all day long, people stopped to congratulate us!


I had such a great time that when I returned home, I signed up for more races!  My schedule is....

September 30, 2012- 10k race in Dripping Springs.

November 10, 2012 - Disney Wine and Dine 1/2 Marathon, Orlando, Florida

December 8, 2012 - Color Me Rad 5k, Austin, Texas

January 13, 2013 - 3M 1/2 Marathon, Austin, Texas.

Since running my first half, I have been working on getting faster.  I don't know if I can credit my new shoes, the cooler temperatures, or the training program, but I am getting faster.  My goal is to complete the 1.2 marathon in November in under two hours.  Hopefully I can pull this off.

Till then, I am going to try and do a weekly post to track my progress.  This is my plan:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	CT	30 min tempo	Rest or CT	4 mi	Rest	5 mi	3 mi EZ
2	CT	4 x 400 IW	Rest or CT	4 mi	Rest	6 mi	3.5 mi EZ
3	CT	35 min tempo	4 mi	3 mi	Rest	7 mi	3 mi EZ
4	CT	5 x 400 IW	Rest	4 mi race pace	2 miles EZ	Rest	10 k race
5	CT	35 min tempo	5 mi	3 mi race pace	Rest	7 mi	3 mi EZ
6	CT	6 x 400 IW	5 mi	4 mi race pace	Rest	8mi	4 mi EZ
7	CT	40 min tempo	5 mi	4 mi race pace	Rest	9 mi	4 mi EZ
8	CT	6 x 400 IW	6 mi	3 mi race pace	Rest	10 mi	4 mi EZ
9	CT	45 min tempo	5 mi	4 mi race pace	Rest	11 mi	Rest
10	CT	7 x 400 IW	5 mi	3 mi race pace	Rest	12 mi	3 mi EZ
11	CT	45 min tempo	Rest	3 mi race pace	Rest	5 mi	3 mi EZ
12	Rest	4 mi	30 minutes 10K pace	2 mi	Rest	20 minutes	Race Day!

I am currently on week four. Technically did not finish all the training on week two due to an unexpected eye infection, but I am back on track (though in my glasses, which makes for a interesting run).

My past few weeks, I have been running at an average pace of 8:30-8:50. If I can keep this up, I should be able to finish the Disney 1/2 in under two! And who knows, maybe a marathon next (doubtful).

Sushi and Sake and delayed posts!

I've been a bit busy with my real job, so did not get around to updating my progress this week.

On Tuesday, I ran three miles. I'd like to say it was easy, but as I added in some hills, it was not. Hellish, more like it. My pace was 9.47, which of course I attribute to the hills.

On Wednesday evening, I went to my gym classes. Technically it is classes, as I went to the 30 minute abs class before the yoga/pilates/bar class I usually attend. I generally skip out on the gym the month of January, as it gets so crowded with everyone's new years resolutions, so it was nice to be back. I was surprisingly very sore and tired that evening.

Today, after work, I ran another three miles. My pace was a respectable 9.01, which is getting close to my typical average (about 8.40 or so). I did push myself a bit, so hopefully I won't regret it tomorrow.

Tonight, it's date night! Sushi and Sake, with my favorite guy. Speaking of which, I should hop in the shower before he gets home!

A run, and hike, and a tick

I started yesterday morning off with an early morning, three mile run, with a pace of 9:10. It was altogether easy, and enjoyable, and i felt great after.

A few hours later, i went on a two hour hike in Malibu with a good friend. It was beautiful, challenging, and the company was good. However, on the way home I discovered that a tick had hitchhiked a ride back to Santa Monica on my hip! My friend pinched it out, and i still have a little bruise in the area. Despite it's small size, it hurts!

A sunny run

I went for another run last night. Another 2.5 miles under my belt, 9.23 pace. I wanted to go farther, but i am starting slow, in the hopes that I don't end up with the dreaded hip bursitis again. I had left work early, so the run was technically early evening, with the sun still out.

For dinner, I made turkey sweet potato tacos, which were yummy. Dave even wanted seconds (and thirds!) so i guess he enjoyed them.

This weekend the plan is to run a three miler. My biggest problem so far is finding a route that I like. These short runs, while quick and fairly painless, are a bit boring, as I am just running around the neighborhood. Once I get the miles up, I can do beach runs, but since we live about a mile and a half from the beach, I haven't made it there quite yet. But soon!

The Hangries

Went out for another run today. Still starting slow, only two and half miles. I'm still not getting the running high I love and expect, but i usually don't feel that way until after mile three, so hopefully it will come back when i start uping my miles.

Breakfast was small today, and unfortunately lunch did not come until after 3. Which made for a grumpy Kimberly, and a day long headache.

I did make a pack with myself to keep my motivation up. I have small feet, and none of my running socks really fit. I decided after 10 runs, i would buy a pair of fancy lululemon running socks. At $14 a pair, they are stupid expensive, as all lululemon stuff is. But in my experience, worth it.

It Starts

After a long hiatus from running, I have signed up for a half marathon. It is seemingly possible, as millions have done it before me, but seeing as I have never run farther than 10 miles in one stretch, the task seems a bit daunting. To make matters worse, I have technically signed up for two: One in California in September, another in Florida in November. I have many months to train, so today i started short and slow. Two miles, 9.38 pace. It wasn't terrible, as I am not out of shape, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. However, the journey is just beginning, and I am looking forward to the work.