Mizuno Running Shoe Giveaway! Also Desi.

Today is a big day.  I'm a fan of Devi Davila.  She's bad-ass, doesn't make a big deal over herself and is faster than wildfire on steroids.

Sarah and Alyssa have told me that I remind them of Desi (whoa flattering x 1000) and today Sarah took it upon herself to provide a side by side and twitter it to the world:

I loved it. 

Poor Desi was included on these exchanges as well and rather than blocking all of us on twitter and filing for a restraining order she TWEETED BACK AT US!!

#lifenowcomplete.

On an entirely less self-absorbed note, I have a pair of shoes to give away!!  Mizunos specifically!

A couple weeks ago, Lori at Mizuno told me they were starting a new marketing project that would be more of a grass-roots campaign where their greatest fans (me me me) would be able to send shoes to people they thought would enjoy them!

The campaign is called the "Mezamashii Project". Mezamashii means "brilliant" in Japanese and the goal of the campaign is to "deliver more ecstatic, electric, wind-in-your heart running".  Hell yes I'd like that. 

I'm planning on getting the new Elixir for myself and already sent a pair of Inspires to Anthony because he is training for a 5k in July.  

I'd also like to give a pair away on the blog.  Whoever wins will get a code where they can go to the website to enter their code and then call a number to get almost any pair of Mizunos (up to $150 in value) they want for free!

Pretty cool huh?

There are three ways to enter the drawing:

1 Entry:  Leave a comment telling me you want new Mizunos!

2 Entries:  Leave two comments: one saying you want the shoes and one saying you've tweeted at me (@FasterBunny) and Mizuno (@MizunoRunning) about the Mezamashii Project giveaway AND followed @MizunoRunning.

You don't have to follow me if you don't want.  I don't want to subject anyone to that crap by force.     

3 Entries:  Write a comment in Haiku form and write a comment saying you've done all the twitter requirements above.  Yes you are DQ'd if you get the Haiku syllables wrong.

*edit - if you're not coming from your own blog please leave some sort of identifier like a last name / email / whatever so that your entry is unique and no one else with your name claims your prize!

Enter by Midnight PST next Thursday night (the 14th).  Good luck and tell all of your shoe deficient friends! 

2nd Place Is The First Happy Loser (10k Recap!)

This weekend, I decided to to race a 10k. This was for a couple reasons:

1) There was a Schwaggle for running both the 10k and 5k of the Wrigley River Run 10k/5k in Long Beach.  I like Long Beach and I like cheap stuff so...

2) My 10k PR  (44:45) was one I thought I could most likely break since it was set when I wasn't very well trained. Rational or not, my running confidence has taken a beating lately so I figured this was a good way to build confidence and avoid having a giant running shoe bonfire.

Saturday morning, I woke up at 5:30 AM feeling surprisingly non-ticked off at being up that early. I was ridiculously nervous like usual and dressed in all of the running clothes I associate with good races. Superstition... can't hurt, right ?

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I drove up to Long Beach, parked and walked over.  We were right in the middle of some busy streets with neighborhoods right next door so I'm pretty sure the people living there enjoyed the crowds waking them up at 7AM. 

At the start line, I scoped out the girls, and it didn't look like any were wearing racers.  Not that this is a 100% indicator, but I've found this to be the best indicator of spotting super elite talented people.   I'd say I'm ashamed of scoping out women at the start but I am not! 

We lined up and we were off!  For the first half mile I kept looking at my Garmin and seeing paces like 6:18 so I forced myself to slow down to the mid to upper 6's.  Preventing my sprinting at the start of races is the whole reason I own a Garmin.  

At mile 1 (6:40) there was a water stop and the volunteers weren't really ready for the crowds so I took like four cups from the table.  Then I frantically apologized to the volunteers who were understandably looking at me like a crazy person!  

That was also right around the time that the guys around me starting pointing out the woman about 10 meters ahead of me and saying "That's the first woman.  Go get her.".   I'm not one to say no to something like that and I felt pretty good so I passed her.  

I've never been in the lead of a race  (even a small one like this), and it was instantly a terrifying experience.  At that point you're just being chased down, right?   But a small voice in my head said "KEEP THIS UP AND YOU MIGHT WIN THE 1st PLACE $100 SHOE GIFT CERTIFICATE!!!". 

Mile 2 and 3 clicked off in 6:45 and 6:47.  A couple people said things to me like "First woman!  The second woman is close!".  Yikes.  

By mile 4, I was starting to get tired.  Some dude started running next to me and he sounded like he was near death.  He was making so much noise I could have sworn he was Chewbacca in another life.  

I kept looking at my Garmin and telling myself to keep the pace below 7.   But this was getting harder and harder to do.  Some other mantras I told myself through the race were "Of course you're hurting, dumbass!  You're running a race.  Embrace your discomfort!".  And more embarrassingly "Pretend you're a Game Of Thrones character!".  

Yes...I even race like a nerd.

At mile 5 (34:10ish split), I heard some heavy but distinctly woman-ly sounding heavy breathing behind me.  I was getting passed.  As she passed me, I said something like "Go get it, but I'm going to try to hang with you.".  

Hang with her I did not.  But still, as she ran further and further ahead of me, I tried to catch her for the rest of the race.  I have no doubt she pushed me to run harder than I would have otherwise. 

"Just one 800 left.  Pretend you're running an 800.  You do damn 800s in your sleep" 

So I ran in, and to my surprise, the clock read in the low 42s.  

42:22.  6:49 pace.  2nd woman overall.  (Which of course means...no free shoes.)

Who cares though, I was so happy.  I get that I'm not breaking any records, but according to the running calculators, this is the best race I've ever run.  I'm thankful to still be improving.  

I went to go find the first place woman and she was pretty cool.  I told her she'd won a gift certificate and she seemed pretty pumped about that.

A really cool thing about the race, is that there's a 5k right after the 10k and you can sign up for both for almost the same price!  So I lined back up for the 5k and took it as a cooldown.  It was pretty cool to be more relaxed, for once.  Turns out...#1 in the 10k went out and ran a 21 flat 5k right afterwards.  But who's stalking her?  Certainly not me.

You know what the best part of the race was?  

They are not playing around when it comes to the after race food spread!  Wrigley had countless oranges and watermelons (Monica you must do this next year) and delicious pizza.  Call me old fashioned, but this kicks the butt of the random nutritional stuff they serve at most races.  The greasy pizza and juicy watermelon was a dream come true!  

On a lark, I went to a couple of the guys in charge of the race and asked them if there was a prize for 2nd place.  They said something along the lines that I got a high five.  We all laughed and I appreciated them putting me a little in my place. Somehow that was the cherry on top of this awesome, old-school, and well-run race.  

So thank you, Wrigley:  You gave me a PR, renewed confidence, and a crapload of watermelon.  And really, that's all a girl like me needs. 

If you dream it, you can do it in your dreams

A couple things first:  Check out Hanna's blog!
She interviewed me the other day which is...ridiculously good for my ego.  The last time I was interviewed, I was stuck in an elevator at a school dance.
So thanks, Hanna!

Also, I have a running blog roll on the right of my blog.  Through different iterations of the blog, various blogs I love have fallen on and off of the list.  This is for no reason other than laziness and I certainly don't mean to exclude.  So if you want to be there and you have a running blog and we get along and stuff, email me. 

Main Post

In high school, I raced the 3200m in the District championship.  I didn't remotely belong in that race and I felt very intimidated prior to the meet.  The caliber of runners in this meet were far better than me and I was seeded somewhere in the middle of the slow heat. 

My coach took me and my teammate aside the day before and told us to go out in 6:15 to 6:20 pace.

I thought he was crazy.  My PR at the time was a 12:58 and knocking 20-30 seconds off a 2 miler is not easy stuff.

But the next day, I took his advice, and clicked off each 200 meter lap on pace. 
I ran a 12:39 and my teammate ran somewhere around a 12:25 and even though I didn't score any points in the meet, I felt like I'd we'd both won the damn Olympics. 

It was cool to run such a great race and I know I wouldn't have been so aggressive in my pacing if it weren't for the advice of my coach.  His words gave me the confidence to run faster.


So how much of a part does confidence play in running performance?

Most of the time I think "dream big" type confidence building mantras are dumb.  Detrimental even.  I believe in being pragmatic and keeping expectations in check.

I mean...it's just the people who made it against all odds who say these things, right? 

Right????

But it's hard to say.  I have no doubt that Olympic and professional caliber athletes have to have a huge amount of confidence and belief in themselves.  (I mean come on...Ryan Hall thinks he is being coached by God.)  Don't even get me started on Steve Prefontaine!   Kara Goucher has spoken about how a lack of confidence has sabotaged many of her races.  

I wouldn't consider myself to be a particularly confident person.   Just ask a slew of annoyed ex-boyfriends of mine who got tired of providing validation.

I've tried to build my confidence in and outside of running.

I've done race visualization.  I've visualized myself running crazy PRs. I started too fast in races chasing crazy PRs and seldom seen it materialize how I wanted it to. I mean, I will try just about anything that someone says worked for them. 

Having big goals can often mean big disappointment.

But, I have no doubt that people often run to the ability they think they have.  I'm convinced this is why runners (myself included) run almost exactly the same time over and over again even if their fitness is at different levels. 

What works for me is putting in the confidence building workouts before racing- it's hard for me to dream big until I feel physically ready.  I have no doubt that my couch in high school told us to go out fast because he saw us running workouts and knew we had PRs in us, not the other way around.

Speaking of goals, I'm running a 10k this weekend.  I've felt pretty good in the past couple weeks, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. 

Here's the snapshot of McMillan prediction based on a 5 miler I ran back in November. 

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If I even come close to that, I'll be a happy girl.   Of course, I'm already dreaming of some crazy PR but I've gotta accept it's unlikely.  Plus I don't even think this 10k is USATF certified, so I might end up running closer to a 5 miler anyways!

Has confidence played a role in your race performances?   If people dream it can they do it, or is that unrealistic?

Brightroom gets useful

A couple days after most races, that dreaded email shows up in my inbox that says "Your Race Photos Are Now Available!".

Even though the race is over, I always get a few butterflies in my stomach fueled purely by vanity as I click through to the pics.  

"God, I hope the camera really does add ten pounds". 

Basically my goal is to not look like a Yeti.

It's sometimes achieved. 

Lately though, I've been thinking there are some other thoughts to take from Brightroom.   Thoughts like "What the F is up with my form?".

There are all sort of advice that you can read about having good form.  Keep a quick cadence, drive your knees forward, try to minimize vertical motion, don't twist too much, and keep your elbows at 90 degrees.

Improving your form can help prevent injury and make you a faster runner. 
It'll make you look like these super fast looking dudes with great form:

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After looking at my race pictures online, it's pretty clear I'm doing at least 78% of it wrong.  Granted, most of these bad pictures are near the end of the race when my form breaks down.  But that doesn't mean it's not a problem.

Let's take a look at exhibit A from the Eugene marathon.

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Unless I was trying to push the person to the right out of my way or run the slowest marathon possible, I'm pretty sure it's time to stop twisting and flailing my arms around.

But that's not the only problem:

TRYING OUT FOR THE BALLET??? source

You know that part about having a short but fast stride and minimizing vertical motion?  Guess I missed the memo on that one too.

So I've decided it's time to do something about it.  I'm not sure I'm going to get much faster without trying to iron out some kinks anyways.

When I run, I've been focusing on keeping a short and quick stride.  This has added benefits of helping my right knee that's been sore for a while.  One of these days, I'll start doing high knee and butt kick drills too, but only after my neighbors agree not to have me committed when they see me doing drills outside their door.

I've also been doing some very minor strength training.  Really minor like pushups and situps before bed.  I've also made a deal with myself that if I go to the gym, I have to pick up a free weight, even if it's for 30 seconds.

I'm not 100% sure this will make me a better runner, but it can't hurt, right?

And if it does hurt, I can go back to my Batman meets Chubby Checker style of running. 

Have you ever tried to improve your form?  With any decent results? 

Running Stuff I've Tried Lately!

Over the past couple months, I've either received or bought a lot of running related stuff.  I thought it would be nice to give a quick review to some of it.  I hope this post doesn't bore the crap out of you.  If it does, tell me, and I won't do it again.=)  Also, I'd love to hear about any awesome running gear you've tried out lately in the comments!

I want to be as transparent and honest as I can be about what I got for free and what I purchased.   So, a "*" means it was sent to me.    

Running-wise, everything is going ok.  My legs are still recovering from Eugene/Ragnar and I've done a couple very relaxed speed sessions.  I also signed up for a 10k in three weeks, but I'm unsure of whether I'll be ready for it.  I don't want to disappoint myself by setting expectations that are too high, but it would also be fun to run a shorter race.  Guess I'll see what my legs decide in the next couple weeks!

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Running Gear 


Run Pretty Far Tank* ($36)

What I Like:  This tank is pretty awesome.  It fits really well and the rest of the girls on the relay team agreed that it was very flattering.  The fabric is light and skims the body.   I also like that it isn't too tight fitting (I have a small), strappy or low cut.
What I'd Change: As cute as the saying "j'adore hardcore" is, I'm just not one for words on my shirts.
Bottom Line: 8/10. A cute and unique running shirt that could be worn casually as well.  A buy.  

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Mizuno Rider Tee* (On sale for $20, regularly $40)

What I Like:  This is a good staple running shirt with simple styling and a flattering fit (especially if you are curvy because it definitely comes in at the waist!).
What I'd Change:  While this is a good basic and does everything you'd want in a sport shirt, the styling is almost too simple for me.
Bottom Line: 7/10 A good addition if you're looking for running basics. 

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Mizuno Maverick Split Short* ($15 - $36)

What I Like: This is a really great racing short (I wore it for Eugene).  The 2" inseam, the slight split, and the light fabric makes it perfect for me.  I also like that it doesn't come up on the sides as much as other shorts (like Nike Tempos), which is way more flattering on my hips.
What I'd Change: More pockets.  The little key one is not enough.
Bottom Line: 9/10. Favorite shorts for racing.




Lululemon TaTa Tamer Sports Bra ($58)

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What I Like: Keeps you in place even if you are endowed and is really cute.  I don't care too much about padding and separation and stuff, but let me say this bra might make you look like you have fake boobs.  If that's your goal, this is a must have.
What I'd Change: Not a fan of the clasps in back or the absurd price ($58).
Bottom Line: 7.5/10. Cute and very functional but be prepared to pay 2x of a normal sports bra price.




Lululemon Recognition Pant ($98)

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What I Like: Um pretty much everything.  The little top and bottom ties make it so that this pant is actually the right length on me.  There are front seams that look nice.  It's also ridiculously flattering on athletic legs.
What I'd Change: The absurd Lululemon price.  More pockets.
Bottom Line: 9.5/10.  I am convinced this is the best offering at Lululemon, period.  If you only buy one thing, get these.




Compression Gear


ProCompression Socks (and shorties)* ($50)

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What I Like: There are a lot of crappy compression socks out there on the market (like random tube socks), and these are the real deal.  Good for taller and bigger runners due to the length of the sock.  There are cute argyle designs as well!
What I'd Change:  I felt like the socks should be a little tighter on me, and I had an XS.
Bottom Line: 7.5/10.  A great compression sock, especially if there's a a coupon out there (sometimes there are!) and if you're tall.

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SL3S Compression Socks ($60)

What I like: The butterfly design option is honestly what sold me.  They also have a legit compression feeling that is great for me.
What I'd Change: The price is pretty high unless there is a discount. They can get uncomfortable if you wear them all day.
Bottom Line:  8/10.  Tight fit, feels nice, cute butterflies.


Aspaeris Compression Shorts* ($60)

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What I Like: These are great for lounging around in post race.  They really make it easier for me to walk when I'm super sore. Guess the shorts are holding something in right. (technical, I know).  I enjoy sitting in them more than running in them.
What I'd Change: The design.  I'm not sure why, but I don't look that cute in them.   Also, they don't hold up well in the drier.
Bottom Line:  6.5/10. Great if you're looking for a reasonably priced compression short for recovery (compression is expensive!).  





Food

Click Coffee Protein Drink* (~$3 per serving)


What I Like: The nutrition facts.  I'm a huge fan of stuff with protein and caffeine.  Sounds like a good way to start the day not hungry.
What I'd Change:  This review is a bit unfair because I don't like powdered drinks much or sweet coffee.  That said, the drink is kind of clumpy and too sweet for me.
Bottom Line: 5.5/10.  Good if you're looking for a quick pick-me-up that's better than 5-hour energy.




Honey Stinger Energy Chews ($2.19 per packet)

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What I Like: I could eat these as candy.  They seem more natural/organic than many other energy foods on the market.
What I Don't:  The price point is a little higher than other comparables.  The 160 calorie mark is sort of awkward for me (is this one gel or two?).   
Bottom Line: 9/10.  My favorite energy food out there.  Perfect if you like honey and fruit flavors.


Accessories 

 

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Bic Bands* ($10-$12 each,I got a couple sent to me and I've already purchased more!)

What I Like:  There are a lot of no-slip headbands on the market and Bic Bands are my favorite. There's a huge selection of colors and designs, the price point is relatively low, and they donate a lot to charities.   There're also some reflective headbands that I love.
What I Don't:  There's not a whole lot they could improve, in my opinion.  
Bottom Line:  10/10.  These don't slip, are cute, and the company gives to great causes. 


RoadRunner Sports The Stick($22+ depending on size)

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What I Like:  This stick changed my world after Ragnar Ultra.  It feels great and gets the knots out of muscles. Everyone I've talked to likes it better than a foam roller.
What I Don't: I'm not convinced I actually recover faster using this.  Also, if you try to carry it on a plane, the TSA might not let you.
Bottom Line: 8.5/10.  A better investment than getting a massage. 

I had a weekend.

I've resolved to have more fun, and this weekend, I did.  Running has taken a temporary backseat and the living is easy.  (Thanks for the suggestions to do RLRF next training cycle though.  I agree). 

My pants are already tighter, and I don't even care. Ok...I care a little bit, but I'll be back at it soon enough.   It was the weekend of beer and doing running stuff with other people. 

Part 1:  Beer

My roommate and a coworker of hers decided they were going to the OC Beerfest on Saturday.  And they wanted to get the VIP tickets for $50 and four hours of uninterrupted beer tasting.  Sounded like the perfect post-marathon week Saturday. 

And it was.

Mini cups in hand, we toured the dozens of breweries with offerings available.  A surprise favorite was the Inland Empire brewing company!  909, baby!  

And the absolute best was the ShockTop Lemon Shandy.  I know it's not a microbrew but I couldn't help myself.  It was like all the refreshment of lemonade and all the taste of a beer. Sigh....

 Unfortunately, I did not get the memo that it was plaid skirt and fishnets day..

Some of the pros at the Beerfest were wearing pretzel necklaces to eat with the beer.  We didn't come that prepared, but didn't stop us from having a fantastic time. 

After several hours of beer sampling, and eating things like kangaroo sausage (it's actually not that good, by the way), it was time to call a cab to get back home. 

2) Neon Blonde + Me

The issue we failed to consider was that hundreds of other people were also counting on catching cabs to take them home.   I needed to get back to my place so I could meet up with Neon Blonde Runner who was in town to run the OC marathon and was staying with me.  I called her to tell her I'd be a bit late, and she graciously offered to come pick us up. 

While I was on the phone with her, several fights started breaking out around us amongst the drunk-angry-cab seekers.  I assured Katherine that I was indeed a classy human being, and waited for her and her boyfriend to save us from this mess.

A half hour later, and after witnessing more gross things than I've care to blog about, NeonBlonde and her boyfriend came to save us!  A heroic end to a fun afternoon.

Remember how Sweaty Emily and Oual met in a fortuitous cross country trip and then became best friends forever?

Well meet "Neon Blast Bunny".

No, of course it is not weird to have random strangers stay at your place if you've already met them on the internet! 

Katherine, her bf, and me drove around Newport and settled in at the Newport Brewery company.  She was exactly how I expected her to be on her blog.  In a very good way. Probably closer to my expectations than anyone else I've met! 

We found out we had some random things in common (grew up in neighboring DC suburbs, almost went to the same high school, had mutual friends, etc.).   I was also focusing on staying awake at this point.  I wasn't drunk, but the wonderful combination of many kinds of beer and kangaroo sausage brewing in my stomach wasn't exactly making things easy. 

I was excited when it was time to go home and Katherine and her bf were soon fast asleep due to a 4:30 AM wakeup call.   (she ended up running a 3:26 the next morning!!). 

3) A Massive PR

Long story short (because this blog entry is getting very TLDR), I ran the last four miles of the PCRF half marathon with my friend Heather the next morning.

I ran to mile 9 of the course and wandered around like a vagrant for a while, randomly cheering on people on the course.  I saw my friends Chiara, Monica, and Pam killing it.  Then I saw Heather. 

She looked uncomfortable but determined.  I tried to be as good of a pacer/companion as possible and to be motivating without being mean or annoying.  Hard to saw whether I accomplished that, and the second half of the course was a gradual uphill which did not help.   I have to say, I was feeling a bit like a douchey version of Bob Harper when I said things like "It's supposed to hurt!  That means you're doing it right!". 

But Heather raced like a champ, and pulled in the race with a massive 19 minute PR.  She also raised something like 6k for pediatric cancer research but you know.....NBD....

It was really cool to be a part of her race and to see her lay it down at the end.  Conclusion:  Heather's a dang champ.

Lessons I'm Trying To Learn

During my orientation week of business school (almost four years ago, holy crap), a marketing professor made a presentation about Nike and Reebok in the 1980s.

Both came out with campaigns with catchy slogans.
Reebok's was "Let U. B. U.", and Nike's was "Just Do It".  You can probably guess which one was the success and which one was the huge failure.

The Nike campaign featured some of the best athletes on the planet kicking butt and then the "Just Do It" slogan.  (The best athletes wearing Nike is still a thing! Ahem Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan).  


The Reebok commercials?  They were kinda weird.  Well see for yourself:

 

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The commercial featured a bunch of people who look like they escaped from an insane asylum doing crazy things and wearing Reeboks.  Kind of fun to watch, but doesn't really make me want to buy the shoes.  No wonder the thing bombed, right?

But I like the slogan.

"Let You Be You".  (or U. B. U. if you use their ridiculous spelling). 

I totally didn't do that when I was training for Eugene / Ragnar.  

It's important to understand what works for your body and I spent most of the time telling my body that it was an asshole.  

I spent most of the last couple months really disliking running and feeling sore all the time.  Pushing harder than I should.  This definitely didn't work for me physically or mentally.  I felt myself get slower.   Or at least less motivated. 

I really want to improve as a runner.  I want to be faster, love it more, be able to push harder.  So here's what I'm trying to learn.   Basically I want to take a more balanced approach to training in the future and hopefully that will pay off in loving running more and faster times! 

Lessons:

1)  Recovery: It takes forever for my legs to feel ok after a race.  So I need to let my legs recover after working out.  It seems like so many of my blogger friends are able to bang out race after race and be ok.  I'm totally jealous they are so awesome but I gotta remember that's not me. 

2) Mileage:  Right now, it doesn't seem like I can handle 50+ mile weeks without having really heavy legs.  Maybe I could gradually increase my mileage, but a jump from around 30 to 50 in a couple months was too much for me.

3)  Cross Training:  Not only do I think road biking is a blast, I also think it makes me a better runner.  In the interest of increasing running miles, I stopped biking as much.  Bad idea.  Cross training is a good mental and physical recovery for me.

4) Treat an A race like an A race:   I am the world's worst planner.  This may sound crazy, but it wasn't until a couple months back that SarahOual pointed out that Ragnar Ultra and Eugene were a week apart that I realized it.  Accidental bad planning or not, I didn't treat either as an A race.  And yet I expected an A results.  My bad ;-).

5) Races are not like a Pop Tart: As Sarah so cleverly pointed out, marathons (and other races as well...and life), are not like a Pop Tart.   Insert hard training into microwave and pull out deliciously toasty race of life?  Doesn't always work that way.  That's life, right?

6) Keeping Up With the Badasses: Stop looking at other people's training and thinking "if they are doing that, I should be doing more".  A quick recipe to feel crappy about your own training and abilities.

7) Getting A Life: I forgot to get a life. I need to have more fun in a training cycle.   That means more going out with friends, finding cool events, hanging out with Tupac holograms, and going to the OC Beer Fest. Some of those things might not be true, but you get the idea.

What works for you in your training?  Any other suggestions for how I can become a better (but not stressed out) runner?

A quick shout out to everyone running tomorrow at PCRF and the OC marathon.

And if you haven't given to Team Gab yet, go do it!