Weekly Mileage: 60
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Pacing the Riverside Reindeer Run Half Marathon
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On Sunday, I woke up bright and early at 5:15 am to pace the Riverside Reindeer Run Half Marathon. I hardly got any sleep because I was so excited for the race. This time, there was only one pacer for each time mark, so I was the only 1 hr 30 min pacer and runners relied on me to finish in that time. As I ran, I constantly checked my watch and aimed for 6:50 per mile. It was lots of fun encouraging runners to stay with me. I smiled as runners and volunteers cheered "Go 1:30 pacer!"
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1st Overall Female
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I ended up finishing in 1:29:31, which is good timing (I needed to finish between 1:29 and 1:30). Also, I placed 1st overall female! There were a few runners who tried to stay close behind me throughout the race, but only one of those runners stayed with me the entire time and finished just under 1 hr 30 min and I am so happy to have helped him accomplish his goal (he is in the top right photo)! Afterwards, we were given a voucher towards a free food item at the food trucks. I chose a delicious whole grain avocado toast topped with cherry tomatoes, and a berry protein smoothie! The course had some small ups and downs, the weather was about 50 degrees, and overall was well organized. People dressed as Santa, reindeer, and elves. I saw friends that I knew and I made new friends!
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| Morning Run (there is a runner in the light) |
During my runs this week, which were all under 7 min pace, my body has been feeling fresh; my legs don't feel heavy or sore and my stride feels smooth, as if I am gliding along. I tie the knot on my running shoes just before sunrise because I enjoy jumping out of bed to do what I love most while watching the beautiful sky transform and breathing in the cool crisp air. I met up with a running friend who I haven't seen in 2 yrs because he was in New York, and we went for a run and caught up a bit. It was great to hear that he just set a new PR at the Berlin Marathon in Sept that was 2 min faster than my marathon time in LA!
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| Hoka Clifton 4 |
I got a much needed new pair of Hoka Clifton 4 shoes and running gloves! The new Clifton 4 model feels just like the Clifton 3's but they are reflective which is good for cars to see me when it is dark out. In a couple weeks, after final exams, I will increase the weekly mileage, and add speed workouts and longer runs in preparation for the LA Marathon.
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