Race Report: Juana Run 8K

Today I got a little creative with my long run. I decided to sign up for The Juana Run 8K (5 mile) in Palo Alto. I ran 4 miles before the race. It was supposed to be 5 miles, but their course map sucked! I was trying to run the course backwards and then I would run it the right way when the race started. Because the map was so bad and they had drawn the arrows over the street names I got lost and it took longer than I planned. I didn't want to get too lost and miss the start, so I left it at 4 miles, then I ran the 5 mile race, then I ran an additional mile after the race for a grand total of 10 miles this morning. I went to the gym tonight to run again 3-5, but my knee was sore in the first 1/2 mile, so I decided to be conservative and I didn't run. The knee has been a little touchy since the 30K.

So let's get to the race report. It was a pretty uneventful run, so it should be brief.

Juana Run 8K - Palo Alto, CA

The packet pick up started at 7 am with an 8:30am start of the actual race. I was there right at 7 and they weren't quite ready, but the volunteers were cheerful anyway (except the t-shirt guy, he was a little grouchy when I went back because they hadn't given me a race bag, they just gave me the t-shirt by itself. I didn't even know there was a race bag until I saw other people holding it. It had coupons in it, for crying out loud! I had to go back!)

I ran my four miles and ended up at the start which was a seemingly random location in the middle of a neighborhood street. There were probably about 150 runners I would guess. Then without out any fanfare, or signal of any kind for that matter, the race started.
As usual, the pack left at a pace faster than I wanted to run and a pace faster than most could maintain. I did end up passing quite a few people later on. I even passed some men! And they weren't all over 80.

The first mile was a little painful because after the 4 mile run I had to stand around and wait for the 8K to start. My legs felt like lead. After about a mile, a mile and a half I found my legs and my pace picked up. Miles 3-5 (which were really miles 7 -9 for me) I was flying, well, flying for me. It felt good.

Here are my splits for the 8K:
Mile 1 10:53
Mile 2 10:16
Mile 3 9:18
Mile 4 9:55
Mile 5 9:04 (holy shit!)

Are those actually nines?! I can't believe I have a race with all nines in the the last 3 miles! The mile I ran after the race was like a cool down since I had pushed so hard at the end of the 8K.

Alright, let's get to the BEST part of this race. The coup de gras that ensures that I will run this race next year: PANCAKES! The Original Pancake House in Los Altos donated pancakes. Not only did they donate all the food, they cooked the pancakes fresh for every runner! Rock on! Hobee's also donated their famous coffee cake (that I LOVE) so I had some of that as well.







The rest of my day was complete shit. I have been fighting with my husband. Not really fighting, more like I am being a complete psycho over stupid shit that he has no control over and he is not being sensitive enough (he isn't really a sensitive guy, so for me to expect sensitivity to my psychosis after 17 years is a bit stupid on my part. Hello! Did I just meet him?)

Then, I was supposed to have a lab today for my AP biology students and the fucking bacteria that I plated yesterday did not grow. Are you kidding me? The fucking bacteria DID. NOT. GROW! Needless to say, no bacteria, no lab. You can't really do a bacterial transformation lab without bacteria. Aaaaahhhhh!

I had to call the kids to cancel. Some of them showed up because I couldn't get a hold of them and I had to have then call their parents pick them back up. I felt like a idiot. Now, with everyone's nightmare schedules (mine and the kids, you would not believe some of these kids' schedules. They are crazy) we have to reschedule the damn thing.