alt.fan.cthulhia

Sigh, backsliding back to 2007. At least hopefully off the last column of the last page, per my stated goal.

Year	15K Total Time (pace)	5K split	10K split
2010	1:53:02 (12:09), last 5K 39:16(12:38)	36:18 (11:41)	1:13:47 (11:52) / 37:29 (12:04)
2009	1:42:49 (11:02)	33:25 (10:45)	1:07:22 (10:50) / 33:57 (10:55)
2008	(1:56:25-7:20) est. net: 1:49:05 (11:42)	(42:15-7:20) est. net: 34:55 (11:14)	(1:18:46-7:20) est. net: 1:11:26 (11:30)
2007	chip/net: 1:54:48 (12:19)	35:01 (11:17)	1:13:16 (11:48)
2006	chip/net: 1:48:40 (11:39)
2005	chip/net: 1:47:02 (11:29)
2004	chip/net: 2:03:53 (13:17)
2003	chip/net: 2:04:51 (13:24)
2002	chip/net: 2:06:18 (13:33)
2001	1:59:00 (probably chip/net time)
2000	01:57:38 (probably chip/net time)
1999	01:58:43 (probably chip/net time)
1998	Gun 1:58:54 (-0:04:30)
1997	Gun 2:01:11 (-0:05:30, i.e. when I crossed the starting line)

FAIL theories:

• Definitely slacking on my training plan. I suspect it was that I'd get so into the nice weather, or so trainwrecked by the ridiculously hot weather, I didn't dutifully do treadmill sprints at least weekly.
• I overslept and hence bailed on going to the dragonboat races in Ithaca. Now I'm wondering if having the sprint-y crosstraining the day before is actually helping my time. Also, I was getting to 2-3 practices a week last year, and I'm down to 0-1 now. (mostly due to rehearsals.) So, if I do less DB practices, I need to add some other cross training.
• I'm heavier than I was last year. Crept back up from all my progress with the photo food diary. I may need to take that up again. (If nothing else, to avoid wardrobe replacement obligations.)

Other notes:
it was very humid, felt worst the first 5K, but I am not sure if that was because I hadn't adjusted to it yet.
still managed to only take breaks at the 5K points.
spent much of mile 4-6 having to dodge a wheelchair runner who was just coasting, and... should've been able to at least sprint enough to annoy progressively faster blocks of foot runners, certainly after the mile 4 of all downhill coasting.
was right behind the Blues Brothers when they ran past the Elvis Impersonator. (Jake & Elwood have been running longer than I have. Not sure if it's the same guys, tho.)
A lot of the usual landmarks have changed. I didn't see the leprechaun at all. (and he usually manages to be at both mile 1 & mile 8.5). I wonder if the event site would know what happened to him.
Didn't hear any greets during the run (not even "Go Pigtails", and I even wrote my name on my shirt), but had people waiting at the finish line, who bought me a beer in one of the bars between the finish line and the (free beer at the) after party, because they wanted better bathrooms. Still managed to get there later and get sufficient loot before all the camp-followers did.

late edit:
also, somehow after carefully lubing all the usual chafing spots, I missed under my left boob and it's dreadful
also, remind me that Indian food within 24 hours of the race is a phenomenally bad idea.

Year	15K Total Time (pace)	5K split	10K split
2009	1:42:49 (11:02)	33:25 (10:45)	1:07:22 (10:50) / 33:57 (10:55)
2008	(1:56:25-7:20) est. net: 1:49:05 (11:42)	(42:15-7:20) est. net: 34:55 (11:14)	(1:18:46-7:20) est. net: 1:11:26 (11:30)
2007	chip/net: 1:54:48 (12:19)	35:01 (11:17)	1:13:16 (11:48)
2006	chip/net: 1:48:40 (11:39)
2005	chip/net: 1:47:02 (11:29)
2004	chip/net: 2:03:53 (13:17)
2003	chip/net: 2:04:51 (13:24)
2002	chip/net: 2:06:18 (13:33)
2001	1:59:00 (probably chip/net time)
2000	01:57:38 (probably chip/net time)
1999	01:58:43 (probably chip/net time)
1998	Gun 1:58:54 (-0:04:30)
1997	Gun 2:01:11 (-0:05:30, i.e. when I crossed the starting line)

My left foot had blisters (from the new sandals?), cracks (from those otherwise adorable finger-shoes?) & was generally sore (from the old sneakers & sandals?), plus I had apparently completely failed to pack socks (and discovered this as I was setting out my race clothes before bed on Saturday. It's possible they escaped the car during the dragon boat race in Ithaca). All this stressed me out enough the night before that I considered bailing altogether on the run. (Except, it's my 13th year... and it looks better to write Our Plebe and tell him to stick it out if I do the same, right?)

I borrowed my sister's socks, slathered the aquaphor (ointment) on the parts of the foot not already under a bandaid (and along all the reachable seams of my shiny new bra and shorts), took a full dose of advil and hoped that maybe if my foot is Already Hurting then pain won't slow me down in the 7th mile, like it always does.

It worked!

delcavallo could not meet me at the finish line party, since Whore's Lay Manor is consuming every free moment before Pennsic. And... the number I have for KH no longer works. I at least remembered to bring my cell phone, which caused the race to pass in many fine "is this twitterable?" moments (which, in general, does make me find my own life more interesting, I can only hope people on twit|book agree). I was managing to only stop after each 5K split -- giving extra motivation to Not stop and text. Probably the first time ever that I ran steadily from the post-10K water stop to the finish line, and what a difference that made! At 11:25, the last 5K pace was still significantly higher than the first 2, but better than the total pace of any of my previous years!

So, yay! And that's without strictly following the Hal Higdon plan, but with the discovery of the pretty ~9 mile route around Mystic Lakes, which has helped me get used to running that length far more regularly, even though it's also introduced me to the Danish Pastry shop. As long as I take the Long Way, I can indulge. (o:

::

More notes as I recall them, but, for starters: I've been wearing braids for a couple years now, why all of a sudden start in with the "Go... er, Pigtails!"? Seriously, people.

Also, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that I really was sprinting to out of earshot every time some well-meaning spectators blasted Michael Jackson at us. I hope that's not the only reason this year's time is so improved.

(Or, getting past the woman whose handmade shirt indicated that she was running in memory of the King of Pop. Someone else had a poorly lettered memorial shirt that seemed to say "1553-1998". I was wondering what finally killed off her vampire friend who probably never came out to watch the race anyway... Running can be the Most Boring Tedium ever, so... it can take very little data to build an entire story with which to entertain yourself for, well, not so much miles, as a few hundred yards, until the next amusing shirt or sign or whathaveyou. If I could record my thoughts during a race, convert them into sharable data, it'd be awesome!)

32nd Tufts 10K for Women

Year	gun time	chip time	Pace
2008	1:14:22	1:11:31	11:31
2007	1:12:31	1:10:01	11:17
2006	did not register
2005	did not start
2004	1:18:39	1:14:39	12:01

fangirl715 was my cabana babe/pack mule. surrealestate joined me for the last 4 miles.

Losing only 1:30 from last year is not bad, considering that I haven't run more than a 5K for months, and... my weekend.

Breaking in my patent leather shoes with 10 hours of HONK on Saturday was... ill-advised. Followed by the HONK parade. 2 concerts (Jim's Big Ego on Friday, Residents on Sunday). Also, getting up early Sunday to re-acquaint myself with weight training after a summer off dragonboating instead.

Ti(red).

not as bad as I feared, what with recovering from the black death and all. I managed to save my massive coughing fit til after the race.

year	pace	total	race
2008	11:19	35:08	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K
2007	10:40	33:07	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K
2006	--	--	--
2005	11:00	34:08	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K
2004	12:34	42:41	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 3.4 miles
2003	12:18	41:46	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 3.4 miles
2002	12:08	48:30	An Ras Mor 4 Miler
2001	12:34	50:13	An Ras Mor 4 Miler

and then proceeded to get schnockered on proper black velvets (champagne sparkling wine and guinness, as opposed to cider and guinness) with surrealestate  , until I sobered up enough to get a scone and stagger home.

Wow, I guess I haven't actually made it to this race in a while. Wasn't expecting that time to be an improvement.
I felt like I was running nervously, because the ground was slick. V. thankful to not slip and fall and have catastrophe with bones breaking through the skin and all that.

Gobble Gobble Gobble 4 mile
year	total	pace
2007	46:24	11:36
2006	untimed solo run
2005	untimed solo run
2004	no run (health issue)
2003	51:04	12:46
2002	50:22	12:36
2001	54:18	13:35

The Burren line only gets longer, and the one person I recognized at the race, pheromone, was a volunteer, hence allowed to cut the line. (Other folks I know were apparently there, but I never saw them.) The last time she volunteered for a race, she had to steal an extra bib-number to even get into the post-race parties, because (off-duty) volunteers weren't allowed at all. No way was I going to make her wait with me, but I didn't want beer enough to wait alone in the line.

Bailed on the Pie Breakfast. Good plan, as this barely gave me enough goof-off time for showering, listening to Alice's Resturant, and cooking up a side and a quick dessert for dinner(s). Both hosts implied low dessert expectations, but, apparently, they knew that too much dessert is inevitable, and were merely trying to reduce the avalanche. (I picked a portable, storable, skip-able dessert: oatmeal cookies. Just in case.)

The first dinner crew wouldn't let me leave unless I took one of Zarf's spare Berry Lime tarts, which was a major hit with the dragonboaters, since all the other pies were pecan. Granted, one of them was from Lulu's, although I was too full to be tempted last night. There's a slice of it in my fridge, just taunting me... except... I'm still not hungry.

31st Tufts 10K for Women

Year	gun time	chip time	Pace
2007	1:12:31	1:10:01	11:17
2006	did not register
2005	did not start
2004	1:18:39	1:14:39	12:01

Lesson number 1: fine, I can run on wet pavement. I just don't like it. No sir, not one bit. I did probably slow myself in some spots because the ground felt slimy. (Slimier than the bananas at the finish line, which was pretty slimy, I tell you what.) But, the cool temperature probably brought my pace up, so, it evened out.

Lesson number 2: I can do this one without an escort. At least when it's cool enough that I am willing to run with everything I brought with me. There was an enormous line at the finish line festival thingie that turned out to be BAG CHECK. However, it would've been more fun with an escort.

mwerble ended up on the train downtown with me, but continued onto dimsumland. rawrin and I found each other at the start line, but then I lost her within the first mile. My time probably would've been better if I'd managed to not lose her until the second mile. I didn't find her at the end tho'.

Like the Ramble back in the days of yore, I may have recouped the entry fee on loot:

• 6 bottles of smartwater
• 3 bottles of vitaminwater
• 2 mini-bottles of vitaminwater
• 3 bags bearnaked granola
• 2 luna sport chews
• 2 luna recovery smoothie mixes
• 5 mini-luna bars
• 1 individually wrapped sharp cheddar slice thingie
• $50 discount to some spa in southboro. (I was thinking, you know, massages and aromatherapy, but, they seem more focused on botox and lipo. about the only thing they offer that sounds vaguely interesting is laser hair removal.)

I could've doubled that amount with better bags or an extra pair of hands, or... less pride.

Now I crave hot tub... and an enormous bowl of noodles from porter exchange.

My 8th Somerville 5K for the Homeless. (Wow! I didn't realize it's been that many years).

Year	Total time	Pace
2007	34:08	11:01
2006	34:00	10:58
2005	34:41	11:11
2004	35:38	11:30
2003	38:57	12:34
2002	39:40	12:48
2001	39:15	12:38
2000	36:42	11:49

Hello Global Warming?
Usually this race is comfy to cold.
It was almost too hot for OATMEAL!

Also, when most of your neighborhood cronies were up until 1 am at a Jonathan Coulton Concert with you, and all the other people you know who get up early on Saturday are at the Dragon-boat practice you skipped to run the race, it's unlikely that any of them will come down to watch you run, cheer you on, and, most importantly, perhaps buy you a cup of coffee (preferably iced, in this heat) when you realize there is none at this particular post-race and you brought no cash.

For the energy I may have lost from sleep deprivation, mojitos and JohnnyD's molten chocolate volcano death torte (or whatever it's called), I made it up by bumping into folks I knew well enough to try to pace. And, also, the show was N kinds of awesome (where N = "Z1 be Z squared plus C, And Z2 is Z1 squared plus C, And Z3 is Z2 squared plus C and so on") , especially since, thanks to the cat-herding efforts of hahathor , I managed to win the show, and got a front row seat. (Julia was totally Set!)

No, I have not eaten that snowball tastycake-like thing that Paul & Storm threw at me. Wondering if I should build a shrine for it, (mostly to get out of eating it).

Now off to wrangle marching bands for the day. Between them and the unseasonably warm weather, it's a perfect chance to dress playa-style. (o:

My 11th boilermaker. (That's ridiculous, it's not even funny).

Year	15K Total Time (pace)	5K split	10K split
2007	chip: 1:54:48 (12:19)	35:01 (11:17)	1:13:16 (11:48)
2006	chip: 1:48:40 (11:39)
2005	chip: 1:47:02 (11:29)
2004	chip: 2:03:53 (13:17)
2003	chip: 2:04:51 (13:24)
2002	chip: 2:06:18
2001	1:59:00 (probably chip time)
2000	01:57:38 (probably chip time)
1999	01:58:43 (probably chip time)
1998	Gun 1:58:54 (-0:04:30)
1997	Gun 2:01:11 (-0:05:30, i.e. when I crossed the starting line)

What's really not even funny is that I lost 40 seconds a mile, and I don't know why.
( wingeing analysis )

So, I need to train myself back up to as fast, hopefully faster:

• lose more weight. (and I'm clearly at a motivational wall, so I need handholding here. HELP.)
  
• weekly timed training (treadmill). no matter how awesome the weather. I can't trust my own sense of pace outdoors.
  
• Hills. I need more hills.
  
• distance. I need to work on my speed at miles 6-9, which means I need to get to those miles more often.
  
• timed distance with hills, i.e., another 15K, or, more feasibly, a half-marathon. Ideally, one that happens between Thanksgiving and christmas. No earlier than the 2nd weekend in November. And, the dozen or so half marathons that happen on MLK weekend are Right Out.

EDIT: Woot! I improved on my time from 2005. I was not expecting that. YAY!

year	pace	total	race
2007	10:40 TBA (I'm guessing under 11:30)	33:07 TBA	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K
2006	--	--	--
2005	11:00	34:08	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 5K
2004	12:34	42:41	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 3.4 miles
2003	12:18	41:46	Ras na hEireann U.S.A. 3.4 miles
2002	12:08	48:30	An Ras Mor 4 Miler
2001	12:34	50:13	An Ras Mor 4 Miler

pheromone was initially going to bandit (the ras sold out) but instead volunteered and saved my life, or at least my ears, with a loan of her ninja runner hat (balaclava?) (I also discovered this morning that I no longer own a turtleneck. My old ones went to goodwill last year because they were two sizes too big.)

This is the coldest I've run (below freezing), and no sir, I don't like it, not one bit. Except for the part about how it kept me from slowing down much, to avoid feeling the cold again. (I'd peeled off jacket, mittens and ninja hat by the last mile).

rawrin outran me in spite of herself. Mostly because she dodged the slow runners better. By the time I had an opening, I'd started cramping (presumably from breathing in such frozen air), and the surface had gotten very slushy. The slip-potential of the surface bothers me more than the temperature, assuming I have the proper attire. I don't like running on wet surfaces even when it's above freezing.

Even at my pace, the field was clogged. I felt it was mostly due to the snow/slush accumulation narrowing the road width by 2-3 runners worth (and mostly eliminating the sidewalk as an option for slow runners trying to get out of our way). According to pheromone, a significant percentage of the bib numbers went unclaimed (which meant, among other things, most of the volunteers could snag a leftover bib so they could at least get a free beer for their troubles), so, had the weather been better, the clogging probably would still have been an issue. Getting ankled several times by baby jogger wheels was really annoying. I understand why the Boilermaker bans them. Naturally, at the finish line, I mention my irritation in time to see dilletante and wife turn up with their baby in a jogger. "O, but not you, of course." /headsmack

Thanks to dictator555, hahathor and ron_newman for coming out to cheer us on. Apparently, I missed a few others. Thanks for making the sacrifice of STANDING STILL when it was so cold out.

2006	34:00	10:58
2005	34:41	11:11
2004	35:38	11:30
2003	38:57	12:34
2002	39:40	12:48
2001	39:15	12:38
2000	36:42	11:49

Johnny D's is back as a sponsor! You know what that means...

OATMEAL!

This year had more runners (and hence I was unable to snag a T-shirt despite not pre-registering) in part due to the HONK! festival. A bunch of activist marching bands turned up, including at least one that clearly goes to the Billion Bunny March. And they weren't even the band that caused so much controversy on the Boston Burners List. And, someone else on that list showed up for the run, in bunny ears, hasn't run in decades and STILL BEAT ME BY SIX MINUTES! AAAAAAAAAARGH!

But, it got me thinking, maybe there could be a Black Rock Running Club: Boston Chapter. I'll run in bunny ears and a tutu off playa... as long as I don't have to do it alone.

Speaking of alone, I made a semi-promise to myself to reconsider doing Monday's 10K if I managed to run under 35 minutes on this race.

What I need is someone to escort me to Park street, by 11ish, to the race start, and hold my assorted crap (mostly extra clothing) while I run. Several someones is better, then you can entertain one another. I'll be a while. I haven't run more than 5K since July, (which is why I was thinking of bailing on this one), but, I can probably run at least that much of it, and easily walk the rest of it.

No, I won't be too tired to geocache afterwards, as long as I don't need to run. But, if someone escorts me to the race and wants to do something else, I'm with them.

So, wanna be my escort(s)?