tight jeans are OK.

This post isn’t extremely overdue or anything. When will regular blog posting become a part of my daily life again? Ummm, that’s a different story for another time.

* * *

… if it means that your beefy thighs set a new PR.

I knew my jeans were getting increasingly tighter over the past few months for a good reason.

While I’ve fought with myself over why – after weeks and weeks of dedicated training and smart eating – my clothes aren’t fitting as I’d like and why the scale seems to display numbers I had hoped I would never see again, I will own my new PR of 1:39:41 [7:37 pace] and my sexy, muscular legs that got me across the finish line of my 4th half-marathon.

If it wasn’t the thighs that did it, perhaps the new Nike running capris – they just scream fast!

Anyway, I woke up Saturday morning and immediately got an anxious swarm of butterflies in my tummy. Today was the day. I hesitantly looked out my window and said one million and one thank-yous to the clouds as the sky was dry.

Since the weather looked like it was going to cooperate, I thought I might have a chance of reaching my secret time goal and went ahead and “tatted up” my left arm with a Sharpie.

I used CoolRunning.com to calculate my “I’m dreaming” splits: mile 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 respectively.

Yes, to all of those who asked, I sure did use my iPod, and I wore it in the most obvious place possible, haha. I am a rebel with a cause. No one hassled me, and there were many others running with music. I honestly don’t think I could have run the race I did without my pumping playlist.

After a bit of a late start, the first wave [finishing <2 hours] of runners started their strides through the park. The first 3 miles were not fun. I could not figure out my pace because the 5K mile markers were confusing me, and I immediately got a very dry mouth. Dehydrated already!? I took water from the first aid station, around mile 2, which I never do.

Finally, around mile 4, the course thinned out and I was getting into my groove; my pace was steady and I felt like I had things under control now.

I didn’t feel like I was going unusually fast, but I was crossing the mile markers a little ahead of what my tattoo told me I needed to do. As I passed mile 8, my watch read exactly 60 minutes [7:30 pace]. I had 40 minutes to run 5 miles – the positive mantras increased as the pressure was on!

After a while, I observed that there were hardly any other women within my sight. I tried to keep up with a few of the dudes and used them to pace myself. Great work, gentlemen!

Fast forward to mile 12… I was still feeling strong and knew then I could definitely make my goal time. Whoa, where did this competitive character come from?

I soared through the finish line with a smile [inside]. I had just conquered one of my hopes & dreams for 2011 :)

2/38 age group [18-24 year old females]

66/558 overall

I have a lot more to say about the race, running, and life in general – as is expected when posting occurs once in blue moon – but my contacts are getting sticky and my body is apparently pooped from Running Tuesday [8 miles // 64 minutes – TM @ 0.5 incline].

Good thing Spring Break is right around the corner because my blog needs some major attention!

Always,

HILLontherun

Tagged as: Bidwell Classic, Bidwell Park