Updates Running for the House 5k Race Report and my weekend visit to Oxnard

I don't want too much time to pass before I post again.... I should be writing a paper but, I'm blogging instead.

Since my last post I have raced a 5k, and then last weekend I went to Oxnard to visit family.

Running for the House 5k.  

Other than the weather being totally crappy. I'm pretty happy with how the race went.  

I'm right behind Ronald McDonald in the green shirt.

I got to the race site a little early to pick up my bib, and to do a proper warm up. I jogged two miles, and during the second mile, I did quite a few strides. The wind was insane.

The course was a bit challenging.  The first mile climbed 70 feet, and we were greeted with 40mph headwinds.  My goal was to go out hard and hang on for as long as possible.  I was also hoping to go sub 22 minutes.

I liked the fact that the course didn't have too many turns.  We started off on an uphill grade and against the wind, and then we made a right turn into much stronger headwinds I tried to tuck in behind other runners, but we were already spaced far apart.  

Mile 1-   7:13 (This mile climbed about 70 feet) Strava measured it as 50 feet, but Map my run measured it as 74 feet.

The severe headwind part only lasted for about a half mile (it just felt much longer), and then we turned the corner.  My goal was to regroup and pick up the pace.

Mile 2  7:02

We started heading down the grade and the wind was at my back.  I heard someone breathing right behind me, and eventually, he went around me.

Mile 3 7:04

The last part of the race is back up the grade and into the wind, I'm starting to close the gap on the runner that passed me, but I wasn't quite able to catch him.

.15-1:01 (7:02 pace)

Garmin time 22:20

Official Time-22:18

3rd in my Age Group

5th Woman overall

Here's the Strava data

I think I could have gone a little bit faster if the wind hadn't sucked all the life out of me early on.  This is a 10-second improvement over my time in January... So maybe this is progress... I did want to make note that I have recently gained about 5lbs back from what I was weighing earlier in the year..... Some of it is fluff, but I hope most of it is muscle.... I had been feeling really run down at the beginning of the year.  I had assumed that running at a lower weight would equal faster times... That wasn't the case... I actually feel stronger now with a few extra pounds on my stocky frame. 

Weekend Trip to Oxnard

Over the weekend, my family and I went back to Ventura County to visit family.   We left on Friday morning, and we came back on Sunday.  I managed to run twice while I was there.... 

On Friday night, we went "camping" in my parent's backyard.  I know it sounds corny but my 3 and 5 year olds loved it.

Roasting marshmallows in a makeshift fire pit.

Sleeping in a tent... There were two tents, but all four of us
crammed into a single tent, I was so sore on Saturday morning. lol.

My first run was at Arroyo Verde Park in Ventura... This park brings back so many fond memories.   I used to run there often when I was a teenager, and this was also the site of a few my high school cross country meets.  Before my husband and I started having children we would stop here to run during our Christmas visits to Ventura County.  My husband was super nice to watch our kids while I went for a short run.  I ran about three miles up some pretty and challenging trails, and then I met up with my family, and my little boy wanted to run some of the trails with me.  Here are the pictures.

Then all four of us went on a short hike.

Later on that day, we visited my husband's family, and we made a quick stop at the beach.

We got back to my parent's house, and I had time for another quick run.  I figured that I wouldn't be able to run on Sunday, and I was feeling a little antsy.  I did a short tempo run, around my parent's neighborhood.  I love running at sea level.  I don't notice the elevation while I'm out running in Las Vegas, but I really notice it when I run at sea level.  The air is not as dry either.

Yesterday went by in a blur.... between the drive, laundry, and chores, I'm wiped out.  I did make a sort of healthy dinner last night.

Chopped Salad, Fried Tofu, and leftover Vegetable Rice.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I have two term papers to write, and the procrastination is killing me right now.  I hope I can focus better later.

Thank you for reading :)