Run4Kids 24 Hour & PFTW

From the website: The Run4Kids 24 Hour Ultramarathon, Relay, & BIG Running Party! (R4K24) takes place on a one-half mile loop track at Auburndale Intermediate School in Corona, California. It will run directly in conjunction with our Annual Run4Kids event where our 100 Mile Club® Kids will be running to earn miles throughout the day.

Rose initially wanted to run with a relay team, but she had some trouble rounding up runners - I'm assuming the same weekend as LA Marathon makes this tricky. She reached out to the RD, Kara, she collected the runners who wanted to participate, but didn't have a team, and could only commit to specific blocks of time, and then filled in around them.

And that's how we ended up running as Team Rag Tag...

That's also how I ended up with a 4 hour block of running from 10pm-2am.

The event was really fun, and the 100 Miles Club is a fantastic organization - the kids were SO jazzed about running and counting up their mileage.

If I were looking for a timed ultra (........), this is an excellent choice. The course was a half mile loop, mostly packed dirt, and FLAT. The weather was kind of warm during the day, but only really HOT for a few hours. The rest of the day was comfortable, and cool overnight. Course support was fantastic, there was plenty of food to choose from, and bathroom access.

The half mile distance is pretty nice - it's just long enough to make some headway in your mileage, I think, but not so long that it feels insurmountable when you're tired.

hour 18.....

There were a variety of food vendors out throughout the day....

Note: 4 hours is NOT ENOUGH TIME to digest this. It was a really, really poor fueling choice on my part.

It was a great day, it was a fun way to get my mileage in, and everyone there was so, so nice and friendly. It's such a different vibe from road racing, and I really like it.

Despite this.

Thanks to Rose for letting me on her team!!
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Plan for the week!

Last week, hold on to your hats, I ACTUALLY DID STUFF.

Monday: 30 minutes yoga, leg strength
Tuesday: 3.5 with a friend (no Garmin, so no time, just an easy pace)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 7 miles  - 2 at "eh, am I REALLY going to do this?" + 5 easy
Friday: 30 minutes yoga, easy flow
Saturday/Sunday: 3.5 am miles with PCRF, easy pace. 4 afternoon miles at R4K, easy pace. 15 overnight miles, easy pace. 5 miles walking. (Total for Saturday-2am Sunday = 27.5).

Weekly total = 33 running, 5 walking.

Not too shabby. I still don't know that I'd say my excitement for running is back - in fact, I'm really 1. dreading running a full marathon in just 6 weeks, and 2. Really excited for no marathons on my calendar after that.

This week:

Monday: easy yoga (I am TIGHT and ACHY)
Tuesday: 7 miles
Wednesday: Track Party?, yoga, strength
Thursday: 8 miles
Friday: rest?
Saturday: 20 miles
Sunday: 3-4 easy/yoga

It's pretty yoga heavy around here lately, and I'm not sure why... I'm just really enjoying it recently, so I figure I should keep doing it?

Don't forget March is PCRF month for BIC Bands!! Have you ordered any yet??

Plan for the Week

In case you missed it..... this is the best blog post I've ever gotten to write, ever.

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Last week, I spent a LOT of time doing prep for the Team Gab (not) Virtual Race/Gab's End of Chemo Party. A LOT of time. A LOT. I've never been one to throw a party, but the internet makes party-throwing look so very easy.

The party was a huge success, and I'll recap that separately, because that isht is full of pinterest-worthy ideas, should you ever feel the need to throw a Dinosaur themed party.

Last week...
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 7 miles, 7x800 - awful.
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: 15 minutes core, 15 minutes sun salutations
Friday: frantic party organizing
Saturday: more partying
Sunday: rest.

I know. Pretty heavy on the "rest", and awfully light on the "running", particularly since I'm 47 days from Eugene?

You can only go up from 7 miles a week, right?

Monday: 30 minutes yoga
Tuesday: 7 miles, with RIDICULOUS CRAZY FAST 800's. I might die dead.
Wednesday: Track Party with PCRF
Thursday: 8 easy (if possible, Gab's port removal is scheduled for this day)
Friday: rest up, because tomorrow....
Saturday: SURPRISE! 24 hour relay. Oops.
Sunday: rest.

Provided all goes well with Gab's surgery on Thursday (and it seems like it's very routine and will not be a big deal at all), I'm running a 24 hour relay for run4kids with Rose. The weather looks hooooot hot hot, but any excuse to hang out with Rose is a good one.

It's as if I'm ignoring the upcoming marathon...

Chino Hills Trail Half Marathon - Recap

Quick PFTW...
Last week:
Monday: Bob Harper Live 2 week challenge, Day 1 - Lower Body Burn
Tuesday: BHL Day 2 - Upper Body and Arms
Wednesday: Scheduled for 8 actually did 4 easy; BHL Day 3 - (Not really) 5 minute workout - Kettle balls, lunges, high knee tucks
Thursday: Yasso 800's! **
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Trail half
Sunday: BHL Day 4 and 5 (burpees, jumping jacks, push ups, squats, lunges, tricep dips); 1.5 mile slog, 1.5 mile walk of shame home

This week:
Monday: BHL
Tuesday: BHL, 8 miles fartleks
Wednesday: BHL
Thursday: 8 miles, BHL
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6 easy, BHL
Sunday: 20-22 easy


**The Yasso's were probably the best training run I've had in WEEKS. Goal pace 4:30 (9mm). Actual splits: 4:27, 4:28, 4:29, 4:29, 4:28, 4:27, 4:28, 4:28, 4:28, 4:20. WHAT.

Now, I know that implies that I can run a 4:30 marathon.

I call bullshit. 4:30 seems incredibly unlikely in my current state. Which is, the state where I decide 1.5 into a 6 mile recovery run that my body is rebelling against running ENTIRELY, and I suck, and I'm never, ever doing it again, and spend the rest of the 1.5 mile walk home crying a little and being extra whiny. LAME.

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Chino Hills Trail Race - this race had been on my radar for awhile. Then Rose said she was running, and we decided to run together. And then I was super lame and forgot to register, and it was sold out. So I emailed the RD, and they were AWESOME and said they could let one more runner in. Reason #47,000 I love smaller races.

Saturday's run also had a 10K, full marathon, and 50K available. In the spring, it looks like they do several different distances over a few week period.

This was probably one of the most well organized events I've EVER run. And for the registration costs ($45 for the LATE registration, I think it was, like, $25 if you registered early), the swag was fantastic - long sleeve shirt, great aid station, awesome finish line food, and a medal (okay, so the medal MIGHT have said "Chino Hills Spring Race Series", but I wasn't expecting a medal at all!).

Jerk Shin got a little sketchy. I forgot to bring Nuun, so I picked up PowerAde Zero, because I forgot that it makes me feel like someone is stabbing my side every time I drink it, so that was less than fun for miles 10-13. The trails were beautiful, and I thought they were well marked for the half marathoners.

First aid station (around mile 3.5) had fluids only. The second (and last) aid station had EVERYTHING. Coke, pb&j, grapes (THE BEST), oranges... And at the finish line, pizza, tons of berries (BEST FINISH LINE FOOD EVER), and watermelon.

The course was uphill the first half (I think Garmin stats ended up with about 3,000' overall gain, but that's totally not official, and I could be misremembering) - a couple of good climbs, then some rollers, then down some single track (SO FUN), and then through a canyon, and gradual downhill to the finish. The first half is SUPER exposed, so if it's hot, it's REALLY hot. The second half had some shade, and parts of the canyon were straight chilly.

It was an excellent time. I had so much fun, I almost forgot how much I've hated running lately. Trail races are where it's at, man.

I feel like we finished in a decent time (2:42, I think?), and it didn't suck AT ALL that we passed a fuckton of people, and no one passed us. That really doesn't happen very often to me.

Rose KILLED it. I think she has super powers. And, the funnest runner. I'm so glad we were able to both make it!

Anyway, the pictures...

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Hey there, mile 1,000.34!

And now, what you've all been waiting for......

The FUNNEST HALF MARATHON EVER

Looking for just the facts? I liked the corral systems. It made a HUGE difference for me to be in Corral C instead of Corral Z like in Princess. Race started on time. Course support was fantastic. Tons of water stations. REAL bathrooms if you know where to look. Course entertainment was great - IMO, not quite as good as at Princess, but ONLY because I would have preferred characters to cheerleaders and bands, but had it been a non-Disney race, I would have considered the entertainment great. The course? Meh. I was not a huge fan, but again, because I would have preferred a more Disney-centric course... and that's a tough thing to pull off in Anaheim. Flat, fast course - I think the last 3 miles or so are a slight downhill even, so even though I would advise NOT to go out with a PR on your mind, it's totally a PR friendly course.


I've been putting this recap off, because I don't even know where to begin.

I was also kind of waiting to have the "official" finishers pictures with Team Jam and our medals, but apparently.... Brightroom has lost them.

Cute. But not really.

So, I guess the best place to start is where I left off on the 5K/Bloggy Breakfast/Bloggy Dinner post (did you miss it? Link HERE).

After the Bloggy Dinner at Cheesecake Factory (Freaking YUM), The H took allllll of the kids for a slumber party.

If you're keeping track, that's our three (12, 10, and 4 yrs old), A (5) and H (4). That is 5 against 1. He's a brave, brave soul.

Becka was awesome enough to let me crash in her room, so we were super duper close to the start.

And man. She was not joking when she said the fireworks were, like, 2 inches from their room. Holy smokes.

Got our stuff together, and was in bed shortly after 10. And I was utterly calm - not nervous at all, and as a result, slept like a baby, until that damn alarm at 4:03am.

While I was getting dressed and ready to head out, I realized that I sucked at packing stuff - I forgot my handheld, my inhaler, my arm strappy thing for my phone, my camera (hence the "borrowing" of some of Rose's pictures)... All of which made me really commit to running for fun with Fruit Fly and Rose.

Anyway, we headed over across the street to Disneyland. Obviously some of these folks that were speedwalking past us had never raced with RunDisney before, because... if you have, you know it's a whole lot of hurry up to wait.

Becka and L were hoping to hit the Half Fanatics group picture, but we didn't quite make it in time... but we did immediately run into Fruit Fly and Biker Boy! Considering how many people were at Disneyland this weekend, it's SHOCKING how easy it was to find each other all weekend. Crazy!

Then, we literally ran into Rose heading towards the starting corrals. B and L were in corral A, but FF and I were in corral C... and somehow, speedy Rose was in D!

She totally crashed our corral, though, and took advantage of someone sneaking in a bunch of TNT runners.

Team Jam!
Please don't ask me where that name came from. It's not appropriate for sensitive eyes.

Fierce, right?

Unlike Princess Half, there were no fireworks for the Disneyland half start! Booo!

But we were off, and busy dodging folks throughout the first mile.

I wasn't a huge fan of the course, but I seem to be in the minority. I just thought it was kind of weird, and in general I dig Disney and would have loved a more Disney-ish race. But, I knew the course going in, so not a complaint, just an observation.

The first mile was outside of the parks, then headed back in around mile 2. There were not a ton of characters out, compared to Princess, but we sure took advantage of every photo op we could imagine....

And, really, we all know this is what you've been waiting for. The Funnest Half Marathon EVER, in pictures...

Don't hump the dog......


GOATSIE!
Also, of note, this is where the cast member got snotty and asked why we needed three pictures. "Don't you guys have Facebook? Can't you just.... tag?" Shut Up, Sucky Castmember.

Darth Vader bailed. Jerk. According to the Castmember, we could wait... if we wanted to. He'd "be back". I'm also pretty sure this is where the Castmember rolled her eyes at being asked to take three pictures with three cameras. Lame.

REAL bathrooms!


Evil genius = Rose

Zebra skins? That's not creepy. Not at all.

Somewhere around mile 5-6... man down!

So close!!!

Rose also = Sun Shade

Done. And, for some reason, eating our medals?

And, finally, my favorite picture, possibly in the history of always...

Followed immediately by us laughing like we're the most hysterical chicks ever.

Why? Because, we missed the photographer the first time, stopped everything, went back, and re-did the picture.

Funnest Half Marathon EVER.

Rose's recap is HERE, and FruitFly's recap is HERE.