5k through an Orchard

fog at the start of the race

Last week we had two and a half days of rain that only ended about 3 hours before the race started Saturday morning. Which meant that Saturday morning was cold, foggy, and windy up on the mountain, which was just one mountain peak over from my last 5k.

I didn't know what the course was like because there was no course description or map, so I went into it blind, which was a good thing. This was a hard race, almost on a par with my last 5k. I did have a good finish, and I only walked the two steep uphills, but it was still a tough race.

The first half mile was a steep uphill, then we turned around and ran down the hill. From there we looped around over rolling hills through the orchard and vineyard, then back up the steep hill, before running down the hill once more and through the finish.

On the drive to the race I was listening to a podcast episode from Another Mother Runner, and they were talking about the proper way to run trails and down hills. This came in super handy during the race as the gravel roads were in rough shape from all the rain, and there were some significant downhill stretches. I feel like I used the advice to good effect and I was able to run the downhills faster than I might have other wise. I had a good, strong last half mile since it was all downhill.

I ran 3.10 miles in 38:00.
   1st mile- 13:17 (half mile walk uphill)
   2nd mile- 11:20
   3rd mile- 12:36 (half mile walk uphill, but fast half mile downhill)

the fog blew off for some great views

My half marathon training plan called for 8 miles on Saturday, so I needed 5 more after the race. Starting up again after stopping at the end of the race was a bit rough, but there was no way I was running this race backward, so my only option was to run somewhere else.

I had planned on running the trail since it was so close, but parts are still closed, so I was going to be restricted to running 1.5 mile loops. That didn't appeal to me, so I drove to a nearby park and ran on a bike path instead. I ran 5 miles followed by a .8 mile cool down. The bike path was fairly flat, so I was able to keep a fairly consistent pace, despite the hard 5k I'd already run.

I ran 5.00 in 57:28. It wasn't a race, so I wasn't running all out, which is good, since I'd like to bring my overall pace down to the 10 minute range, but I'm pleased with the consistency.
   1st mile-11:07
   2nd mile- 11:07
   3rd mile- 11:36
   4th mile- 12:21(.25 mile walk break)
   5th mile- 11:15

After getting home from my run, I spent the afternoon walking back and forth around the chicken run as Mr M and I worked on the run. I should have left my Garmin on, but I took it off, so I don't know how much extra mileage I put in. A couple miles, I'm sure.

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I ran 5 miles with my friend C on Wednesday. It was her first time running more than 4 miles (we've both run several 4 mile races), but she didn't tell me that until after we ran. She did great though and is now thinking about training for a half marathon!

I've discovered I need to change up my training schedule. As my mileage gets higher, some issues are showing up. Friday is supposed to be a rest or easy day, but it's not for me. This meant that I walked 5 miles on Friday followed by 8+ miles on Saturday and it didn't feel that great. Mostly fatigue is the issue, but I'm also still dealing with plantar fasciitis in both feet and they don't appreciate the higher mileage in such a short time period.

Our Thursday hikes are on the short side right now, so I need to supplement with some more mileage on the treadmill so I can have easier workouts on Fridays. My easy Mondays have fallen by the wayside as well and have increased from 2 miles to 5.

I don't actually mind the mileage, other than when they aggravate my plantar fasciitis. The issue is the time involved- especially when I'm walking instead of running. It's been a few years since I last trained for a half, and I'd forgotten about the time commitment. And of course, time is always in short supply....

Weekly Mileage
Monday: 5.12 mile treadmill walk
Wednesday: 5.08 mile outdoor run
Thursday: 1.18 mile hike
Friday: 5.12 treadmill walk
Saturday: 3.1 mile race + 5.8 mile outdoor run/walk
         total miles: 25.40

hike #16 toward my #52hikechallenge
223.36 miles toward my #365milechallenge
race #46 towards my 40 by 40 goal