I was shocked to see I ran seven races in 2011!
The best part is it's not hard to remember my stats and the particulars of each race because I have a journal where I record notes about each race, including pace, ranking, who I ran with, or any other memorable details.
So straight from that little journal, here are the specs on my races this year! Definitely memorable, and eventful. It's hard to say which one was the best. It's definitely a toss up between running a half marathon for my 27th birthday or running in the pouring rain on the Golden Gate Bridge only to find a rainbow after reaching halfway across the bridge!
The stats:
- My First 5k - January 2011 - Not my first 5k, just the title of the race. This was my first race in the rain, though it was mostly sprinkling by the time the race began. I remember sitting in the car debating if I should even run it in the rain, but of course I did! I hit a personal best for a 5k at 28:15 with a 9:06 pace.
- Shamrockin' Half Marathon - March 2011 - Hosted at the home of the Sacramento River Cats at Raley Field, this was my second time running the Shamrock. A good friend convinced me to run it last year after I swore I'd never run a half, and here was my 2nd half! I went with my other friend Lyndsay and hit another personal best for a half marathon at 2:12. I do remember my knee was killing me by mile 10, thanks to a poor choice in shoes...
- 12K Across the Bay - March 2011- Just a week later, I ran this race with a coworker and good friend Leanna in San Francisco. This was the weekend of the crazy storms and I remember debating with her the night before if we should even go. The weather forecast was nothing but 100% chance of rain all morning. Well, we did go, and we had an AWESOME time! The coast was clear as we waited for the start, yet as soon as we started, pouring rain! Yep, we trekked through that rain all the way up to the Golden Gate Bridge, but halfway through the bridge we were greeted with a rainbow and a parting of the clouds. Ahhhh! From there, its was a great race. And just as we got in the car to hunt down food, more rain! :) This was a leisurely run, as I had just run a half marathon the weekend before, so my time was 1:24.
- Zoo Zoom - April 2011 - I had the pleasure of coaching some junior high students in track this spring, and as a team bonding event we did a 1 mile "kid race" with the Zoo Zoom. I guess this doesn't really count as a "race" but it was a fun memory.
- Buzz Oates No Excuses 5k - May 2011 - This marked the 3rd time I've done this race on Memorial Day. This year I did it with two coworkers, Lisa and Colleen. They walked and I ran it. This marked another personal best to date for a 5k race at 28:04. As of today, that record still stands because I haven't run another 5k since. Let's see what 2012 will hold for this record.
- Urban Cow Half Marathon - October 2011 - This was a special one! I ran a half marathon for my 27th birthday! Let me tell you, it was a great motivator when it came to training. "Hmmm I can skip this run, but then I'll run like crap on my birthday..." Haha, let's just say I missed few workouts in preparation for this one. And it did me good! I beat my personal record by four minutes and finished in 2:08! Chris ran the 5k (his first) and he and my parents cheered for me at the finish line!
- California International Marathon: Relay Challenge - December 2011 - What an inspiring race!!! Though I only ran 5.7 miles of the race, it definitely inspired me to try something I have not yet tried before: a full marathon. I ran this one with some 20/30 friends: Kellie, Amanda, and Frank. Man we were fast! Our team ranked 12th in the co-ed open teams, finishing in 3:35! Yowza! It was a thrill to watch all the full marathoners and to run beside them! I hope that's me next year, but hopefully it's as nice a day as this race! It was chilly, but sunny and clear! Let's pray it doesn't rain when I run my first 26.2!
Here's to lots and lots more PRs and races in 2012!
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