Run Like It's Recess 5k Race Report

The Green Girl ran the Run Like It's Recess 5k this morning at El Dorado East Regional Park along with a number of Sole Runners.

The Run Like It's Recess event featured a 5k run/walk, 1k kids run/walk, and 50-yard Toddler Run.


The race benefited a local school, Newcomb Elementary.

The morning started off with some light drizzles but the sky cleared up as the race start approached.

Run Like It's Recess 5k backpack, shirt, and goodies

The event was well staffed with volunteers and the late registration process went smoothly.

I wasn't expecting a goodie bag so I was thrilled when I received a green Run Like It's Recess backpack containing a race shirt, an anti-bacterial gel from the LBS Financial Credit Union (the bottle fits the holder on my Nathan Trail Mix belt), a Newcomb Elementary water bottle, and a Naked Juice berry blast lip balm.

The Green Girl and the Sole Runners before the Run Like It's Recess 5k

I went into this race without any expectations. I'm still struggling to build up mileage without aggravating the Achilles tendon bursitis (retrocalcaneal bursitis) in my right heel.

Before the race start, they warmed up all the runners with some upbeat music and exercises.

Run Like It's Recess 5k pre-race warm-up

As we crossed the Starting Line, my body felt good so I immediately fell into a brisk pace.

I managed to do the first mile in an even 9 minutes but I couldn't maintain that pace beyond Mile 1.

I slowed down significantly on the second mile but continued to try to push myself.

The Green Girl's 5k PR 32:53:55

I wasn't able to make it to Mile 2 without a walk break. I tried to catch my breath and pull myself together before I started running again.

I dug as deep as I could for the last mile and really engaged that ChiRunning lean.

I couldn't believe it when I got to the Finish Line and the clock read 00:32:xx.

Run Like It's Recess 5k Finisher Pancakes

According to Mr. Orange Garmin, I finished in 32:52:55. I unofficially shaved almost two minutes off my 2011 Wrigley River Run 5k time of 34:41.

As I exited the chute, Coach Steve congratulated me on my PR and advised I keep moving since I was breathing so hard.

Mixing the Run Like It's Recess 5k pancake batter

Fresh pancakes complete with strawberries and whipped cream were served to the finishers.

I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my performance today. And grateful that my Achilles wasn't aggravated.

For the past few months, I've been working with a personal trainer, Chris from Beach Cities Mobile Fitness, to correct my biomechanical running issues through strength training.

It was nice to see that work paying off. Even though I'm not in good running shape, I was able to run a pain-free 5k today and unofficially PR by almost two minutes!

Sole Runners at the Long Beach Marathon

The Green Girl and Moses Waweru joined the Sole Runners for the Long Beach Marathon.

Coach Steve kicked the race weekend off with the Sole Runners group picture in front of the Long Beach Convention Center.

Moses Waweru with the STARTS runners before the Kids 1 Mile Fun Run

Before heading to the race expo, Moses went over to the Aquarium of the Pacific Kids 1 Mile Fun Run to show his support for a group of school children who were participating in the fun run as part of Long Beach's Grace United Methodist Church's Yes We Serve STARTS youth organization.

Moses Waweru with the STARTS runners after the Kids 1 Mile Fun Run

STARTS stands for 'Soaring To Achieve, Reaching To Succeed'.

The non-profit organization provides afterschool activities such as art classes, dance and sports instruction, theatre training, and tutoring for underprivileged first through third graders.

After cheering the SMART runners on the course, Moses congratulated the finishers on a successful race.

The Green Girl test drove her dream car, the Beetle

After the Fun Run, we headed over to the Long Beach Convention Center for the race expo.

The highlight of the expo for me was the opportunity to finally test drive my dream car - a Beetle. Except it wasn't lime green.

Coach Steve leading the ChiRunning Body Looseners

Pre-race Sunday morning, Coach Steve led all the Sole Runners through the ChiRunning body looseners.

Before the runners headed to their respective corrals, the Sole Runners formed the traditional Sole Runners pre-race team huddle.

Coach Steve leading the Sole Runners pre-race team huddle

Once the race started, we headed over to Mile 6 to cheer the Sole Runners as they ran by on the beach path.

In addition to the Kids 1 Mile Fun Run, Marathon and Half-Marathon, there was also a Run Forrest Run 5k which started shortly after the marathon and half-marathon.

Moses Waweru at the Run Forrest Run 5k Starting Line

Moses finished the Run Forrest Run 5k in 15:20.

After the 5k, I headed out onto the course to cheer on the back of the packers.

Other support Sole Runners were out there, including Coach Steve, making sure all our runners were okay.

Sole Runners Charlie, Moses Waweru, and Coach Steve

The Sole Runners tents didn't go down until every last Sole Runner runner had crossed that finish line.

It was the end of another successful season and Long Beach Marathon for the Sole Runners.

ING Runner's Nation - ING Class of 2012

The Green Girl's running coach, Steve Mackel, has been chosen to be an ambassador for the ING New York City Marathon ING Runner's Nation ING Class of 2012.

The ING New York City Marathon ING Runner's Nation is a virtual community for runners. Coach Steve and three other running bloggers will be the official Hosts for the interactive ING Runner's Nation.

The RNG Runner's Nation Hosts were chosen to represent the diversity of the running community.

According to New York City Marathon officials, 50% of the marathon participants are from outside of the US.

Coach Steve from SoCalRunning.com is the Coach. Monica from Run Eat Repeat is the Foodie. Dave from Run Like A Clydesdale is the Clydesdale. Jen from Mad Cool Fitness is the New York City Local.

The ING Runner's Nation ING Class of 2012 hosts: Monica from Run Eat Repeat, Dave from Run Like A Clydesdale, Jen from Mad Cool Fitness, and Coach Steve from SoCalRunning.com

The running hosts recently spent three days in New York City filming footage for the ING Runner's Nation web series.

Coach Steve will have the opportunity to share his some of his expertise and personal experiences through weekly webisodes.

In addition to offering support and advice in the ING Runner's Nation forum, Coach Steve will also train 50 ING Runner's Nation runners virtually through his Sole Runners training program.

Behind the scenes: Coach Steve from SoCalRunning.com filming a yoga segment

Coach Steve is currently training for Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top, Malibu Triathlon, Berlin Marathon, Long Beach Marathon, and the ING New York City Marathon.

If you see Coach Steve at any of these races, stop by and let him know you're a friend of The Running Green Girl.

Here's Coach Steve's introductory video:



If you would like to join the ING Runner's Nation, simply 'Like' them on Facebook or 'Follow' them on Twitter using hashtags #ingclassof2012‬ ‪#ingnycm‬ ‪#ingnation‬.

If you would like to follow Coach Steve, you may 'Friend' him on Facebook or 'Follow' him on Twitter.

Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k Race Report

The Green Girl ran her very first turkey trot when she ran the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k Thanksgiving morning.

The race benefited the Children's Health Initiative of Santa Clara County, the Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k Course

The race took place Downtown San Jose with the Start and Finish near the HP Pavilion.

The morning was chilly but not as cold as I'd expected. There was a 50% chance of rain but there was only a light drizzle when my dad dropped me off early for the last minute bib pick-up.

The Green Girl waiting to pick up her Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k bib

From experience, I expected delays due to the wet conditions.

Based on the number of registration tables, tents, and signage, they were prepared for a lot of runners but there weren't enough volunteers when I arrived to process the runners in a timely manner.

The Green Girl's Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k bib

I appreciated the shirt pickup option at the finish so I didn't have to deal with bag check.

After pinning my bib with attached timing chip on my shirt, I headed over to the Costume Contest.

A giant corn on the cob accidentally bumped into me and apologized profusely as she explained how difficult it was to walk around as an ear of corn. She ended up winning the Costume Contest 'Non-Holiday' category.

A family of Angry Birds won the Costume Contest 'Team' category

There were lots of Indians and Pilgrims. I saw a Turkey toddler.

A family of Angry Birds won the Costume Contest 'Team' category.

I saw Sour Cream and Chives walking around. Someone asked them if they were looking for Mashed Potatoes and they admitted they were lost so they were directed to their missing main dish. That cracked me up.

Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k Course

I laughed even harder when I saw Thanksgiving Dinner. I couldn't imagine walking even a single mile with that spread around my waist.

After I was thoroughly amused by the costumes, I headed to the porta-potties. There were many rows of porta-potties conveniently located all around the Start/Finish area.

Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k Starting Line

I alternated between ChiRunning body looseners and porta-potty visits before I headed to the Starting Line for the 10k. The 5k had a later start time.

The corrals were self-seeding so I lined up near the 10-11 minute per mile sign.

The race took place on flat city streets. There was only one downhill and one uphill - right at the end.

I focused on quick foot turnover and relaxing my body. It was the first time I ran a race where participants actually moved to the right when they slowed down. The race etiquette made a big difference because I wasn't forced to weave in and out.

I started feeling the fatigue around Mile 4. I dug deep and pushed.

As I was sprinting towards the Finish Line, I realized there was a serious runner jam. We all came to a complete stop before we could even cross the mats.

Mr. Green Garmin 01:06:44 Finish Time

I decided I'd go ahead and stop Mr. Green Garmin while I was waiting.

I was thrilled when I saw I'd actually finished in 01:06:44.

When I finally strolled across the finish mat along with the sea of runners, I realized I would be able to calculate just how long it took to actually step across it once I got my official Finish Time since I'd stopped Mr. Green Garmin.

Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10k Finish Line

Unfortunately, when I went to get my official results, they only showed my Mile 4 time, 41:58 (10:30 pace). I immediately assumed there were just too many bibs crossing the mats at once though I wondered how a bib attached to my short body could have been missed.

I was a little disappointed but the lack of official timing couldn't take away from my happiness.

Subsequently, I learned this happened to a lot of runners so we were instructed to send our results to the timing company to have them manually entered. I submitted Mr. Green Garmin's numbers and now my 10k PR is official!

The Green Girl's Long Beach Marathon Race Report

On Sunday, the Green Girl ran the Long Beach Marathon.

My longest training run was scheduled for the evening before I flew out to the East Coast for Tour DaVita. I had planned on doing 20 miles but had to cut my run short to 14 when production issues came up at work.

The Green Girl, Coach Steve, and fellow Sole Runner, Kathleen

When I returned from the bike tour, Coach Steve helped me put together a pacing strategy for the race. Our goal was for me to do a sub-6 marathon. That would require me to shave just over an hour off my marathon PR.

Race morning, I carpooled with my SparkFriend, Jeannie, to the Starting Line.

Coach Steve leading the Sole Runners pre-race body looseners

She lined up for the walker early start and I headed over to the Sole Runners tent.

When it got closer to the race start, Coach Steve assembled the group behind our tent for our body looseners.

We ended with a Sole Runners team huddle before we all headed for our respective corrals.

Pre-race sunrise

True to form, I had to visit the porta-potty a few times before I felt confident enough to line up in my corral.

Mr. Green Garmin was programmed to help keep me under a 13:44 average pace for a 05:59:59 finish.

I chatted with other Sole Runners as we waited for our Corral 5 wave start.

Fellow Sole Runners, Miyuki and Kathleen, with the Green Girl in Corral 5

As soon as I crossed the Starting Line, I turned on my running playlist, zoned out all the other runners so I could find my pace, and tried to convince myself that I didn't need to pee again.

I refused to allow a porta-potty line destroy my sub-6 dreams so I finally gave in around Mile 2 and resorted to ducking behind a vicious bush that stabbed and scraped up my knee.

Fireboat spraying water over Rainbow Harbor

I felt much better after my pit stop and I quickly eased into a comfortable pace.

My body felt really good and my legs felt strong.

I stopped by the Sole Runners Mile 9 aide station briefly and grabbed some of The Green Girl's Famous Salted Potatoes prepared by Sole Runner, Betty.

The Long Beach Half Marathon/Full Marathon split

At the infamous Half/Full Marathon split, I followed the bend to the right.

All of a sudden, I had intense metatarsal pain on my right foot. I had a serious heart-to-heart with my right foot and I let it know I needed it to work with me. It stopped hurting.

I was overjoyed when I saw I had reached Mile 13 in 02:39:16.

The sun was starting to get hot so I increased my sports drink intake at the water stops.

Despite the heat, I was able to maintain a fairly consistent pace and I reached Mile 18 in 03:47:41.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity Einstein

I slammed into the metaphorical wall at Mile 21.

I knew the time had come to pull out my Sole Runners Secret Weapon so I reached into my pocket and opened it up.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. Einstein

This was my opportunity to do a sub-6. I took a deep breath, dug deep, and pushed on.

HillBilly Yoga pacing the Green Girl from Mile 21 to 24

Out of seemingly nowhere, HillBilly Yoga appeared.

I appreciated the fresh legs and easy conversation.

I watched the 05:30 pace group go by but I didn't have it in me to keep up with them.

Mile 23 was the longest mile of my entire life. It was so long that I gave in to one of the hills and walked.

I was suffering from hypoglycemia at this point and it was a struggle for me to maintain any semblance of a conversation. All I could think about was crossing the Finish Line and then getting some sugar - in that order.

The Green Girl and fellow Sole Runner, Kathleen, at Mile 24

Mr. Green Garmin read 05:45:26 when I crossed the Finish Line. My official time was 05:45:21.

Everything came full circle for me when I crossed that Finish Line.

I followed the Couch-to-5k program and completed my very first race at the Long Beach 5k back in 2007. I remember watching the half and full marathoners crossing the Starting Line. I was simply amazed and wondered if I would ever be capable of doing something like that.

I also crossed two items off my Running Bucket List - outrunning Mr. Green Garmin's battery life and running a sub-6 hour marathon.

The Green Girl's Saturday Morning Queen Mary Run

Sole Runners heading out for a Saturday morning run

Last Saturday, the Green Girl joined the Sole Runners at Marina Vista Park for another long run.

My right hamstring was still sore from last week's run so I opted to do this run sans metronome.

The morning warmed quickly and I found myself drinking more sports drink and water than usual.

Sole Runners at the The Queen Mary

For the first time, I ran all the way to Queen Mary and I finally got to partake in the Sole Runners tradition of 'touching the Queen'.

On the way back, I stopped at a convenience store to get something cold and sweet to drink. I also slowed down and walked quite a bit with another Sole Runner, Felicia.

I managed to do 14.17 miles in 3:12.

The Green Girl with Jill from Run With Jill at Yogurtland

In the evening, I met up with Jill from Run With Jill and her son, Brandon.

They were in town to hike Mount Whitney.

After having Pinkberry with Jill in Denver last month, I was looking forward to introducing her to my favorite self-serve frozen yogurt place, Yogurtland.

Keroppi loves Plain Tart (just like the Green Girl!)

Jill and I had a great time catching up and talking about everything and anything.

I'm disappointed I won't be able to make it to Meg from Meg Runs!'s upcoming blogger get together but I have a coworker's wedding to attend up in Camarillo this weekend.

Sole Runners Saturday Morning Run

Coach Steve talking about the Palos-Dena Ultra Challenge 52.4 / 26.2

Last Saturday, the Green Girl joined the Sole Runners for her long run.

Coach Steve handed out Palos-Dena Ultra Challenge 52.4 / 26.2 shirts and honored all the Sole Runners who took on the challenge this year.

Runners who registered and completed both the the Palos Verdes Marathon (full or half) and Pasadena Marathon (full or half) which took place on a consecutive Saturday and Sunday in May, were qualified to join the Ultra Challenge Challenger Club.

Kerri at the Sole Runners aide station

I was anxious to see if my faster times at the track could translate into an improved pace on longer runs.

As we headed out for our run, Coach Steve suggested I increase my cadence. He commented that my foot turnover was looking good at the track and I needed to keep that up.

I had left my metronome in the car so another Sole Runner, Katie, loaned me hers. Coach Steve set it to 58.

The cadence was faster than what I'm used to do I struggled to stay on the beat but when I looked down at Mr. Green Garmin and saw I was consistently under a 12 minute mile pace, I was motivated to keep it up.

Sole Runners post-run yoga

I ended up doing 13 miles in 2:37 - a 12:07 minute pace.

When I got back, I decompressed with some post-run yoga and then headed to breakfast with one of the Sole Runners, Michelle, and her boyfriend, Donovan.

Sole Runners Active Recovery Run

Coach Steve talking to the Sole Runners

The Green Girl joined the Sole Runners for a Saturday morning active recovery run yesterday.

Coach Steve builds active recovery weeks with lower intensity and volume into our training schedule to give our bodies a chance to repair and refresh.

Coach Steve leading the ChiRunning body looseners

For my active recovery week, I cut back on my workouts and didn't double up every day. I also made a conscious effort to stretch as much as possible.

After the usual announcements, Coach Steve went through the ChiRunning body looseners.

The order of the body looseners are from the ground up so we always start with the ankle looseners.

Sole Runners heading out for an active recovery run

Before the Sole Runners head out, we always get into our ChiRunning stance by lengthening our posture, leveling our pelvic floor, and then leaning until we fall into a run.

Since it was an active recovery week, we all ran for an hour before we did our post-run yoga.

Following the run, I attended Coach Steve's Advanced ChiRunning Training for Mentors class. The session was extremely helpful and we learned a number of advanced ChiRunning techniques.

When I was first introduced to ChiRunning, I was unable to incorporate the concepts into my running form.

I wasn't until I signed up for a two hour private ChiRunning Workshop with a ChiRunning Certified Instructor, Coach Steve, that it all came together for me.

I can honestly say attending Coach Steve's workshop transformed my entire Running Green Girl life. It inspired me to join the Sole Runners and ChiRunning has significantly reduced my injuries and recovery time.

I would recommend his Southern California ChiRunning Workshops and Retreats without hesitation to anyone who is interested in learning proper form and techniques.