A few weekends ago I ran the Magnuson Series Halloween 5K, a rather spur of the moment decision that (somewhat surprisingly) paid off. In the weeks preceding the race, I went back and forth a number of times -- should I? shouldn't I? My goal race, the Green Lake Gobble 5K, isn't until late November. The Magnuson race could be a good fitness test, and it's a very cheap race. But: 5Ks hurt. The deadline to turn in my dissertation was a few short days later, and I was worried I might need the time for that instead.

Photo montage courtesy of Emily Brain

In the end it was the presence of the birds that swayed me -- the race was to be a Oiselle Volee meetup, and it looked like it would have a robust group of both racers and cheerers. I pulled the trigger the last day it was possible to register online and used the following 36 hours to mentally prepare myself. It wasn't easy. The forecast for the morning had us in the low 50s, with sometimes heavy rain, and up to 20mph winds. Ugh. This picture from fellow Volee teammate Rebecca Nelson was only a slight exaggeration:

Just a little windy, Rebecca?

Despite the weather, there were quite a few birds that turned out for the event, along with my loyal #1 fan/coach/husband, who ran around the course cheering in several places during the race. I warmed up, changed into my/Greg's racing flats, did a few quick strides, posed for a quick O photo, and we were off! I made a conscious effort to go out a bit harder than I had in recent races, trying to run a more even race. My effort felt hard but controlled, and having Greg and several cheering birds at the top of Kite Hill about 0.6 miles into the race gave me a great boost at a place where I have sometimes lost composure in the past.

After about the first mile, we came out of the sheltered woods and turned directly into the wind. Greg and I had talked about finding someone to draft off of in this stretch, but I was in a no man's land, and the only person around stopped to tie his shoe not long after. So I was on my own. I slowly started moving closer to the group ahead of me, and by mile 3, I was trying to gain contact with them despite that familiar 5K pain. :) I managed a slight kick in the last couple of tenths of a mile, and ended the race in 27:12 by my watch (the Magnuson series doesn't do chip timing, so I like to count my watch time as the "official" one). My Garmin had the course a bit short, but had splits of 8:53, 9:00, 8:55, and 0:24. I was happy with how even the splits were, especially given that mile 2 was almost entirely into the driving wind!

In the end, I was delighted to have a big 5K PR (45 seconds!) on such a cruddy day, and it gave me hope that I could do even better on a "normal" race day at the Green Lake Gobble 5K in a couple of weeks. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a great day despite the rain, wind, and cold, and I can't wait to race with #oisellevolee again soon!

I had three distances that I was targeting this year: the 10K, the 5K, and the mile. My goal was to PR one of these three distances; to this point I already accomplished two out of three of those this year! I decided to tackle the last of these at the eponymous "Leila Invitational Mile" Sunday morning at the Roosevelt High School track. The "meet" was supposed to be held Saturday afternoon, but forbidding skies, a 20mph wind, and a soccer game (complete with fans in lawn chairs on the track) all conspired to postpone the event until the following day.

My goal in the mile was to break 8:00; two years ago I ran 8:21 for 1600m with a brutal head cold, so -- especially given recent workouts -- I thought this could be an achievable goal. I had three secret weapons, aside from all the 200, 400, and 600m repeats I've been running lately.

1. My husband Greg, who agreed to be my rabbit and pace me through at least 1000m.
2. My husband's shoes. We wear the same size shoes (finally, giant feet ftw!), so I availed myself of his vast collection of Brooks shoes, and borrowed some racing flats that had shaved 10 seconds(!) off a 2K repeat earlier in the week.
3. My new Oiselle singlet, which reportedly holds magical PR powers according to the O Facebook group. :)

Our 8yo, Phil, had been gravely instructed that some serious cowbelling needed to occur to get me through the race, so as I jogged around the track warming up he dutifully clanged our new orange cowbell, pictured below. After about 15 minutes of near constant cowbelling, he asked if the race was almost over! We explained that the main event had not yet begun... though I appreciated the support during my thorough warmup. :)

Warning: cowbell may sound louder than it appears! (All photo credits: Joy Dworkin)

I changed into my singlet, did some strides, and then we had the "opening ceremonies". Race director Greg welcomed us to the meet, and my friend Joy (visiting from MO and thus co-opted into these shenanigans) read the following excerpt from Roger Bannister's memoir The Four-Minute Mile, describing the latter part of that historic race, for inspiration:

"My body had long since exhausted all its energy, but it went on running just the same. The physical overdraft came only from greater willpower. This was the crucial moment when my legs were strong enough to carry me over the last few yards as they could never have done in previous years. With five yards to go the tape seemed almost to recede. Would I ever reach it? 

Those last few seconds seemed never-ending. The faint line of the finishing tape stood ahead as a haven of peace, after the struggle. The arms of the world were waiting to receive me if only I reached the tape without slackening my speed. If I faltered, there would be no arms to hold me and the world would be a cold, forbidding place, because I had been so close. I leapt at the tape like a man taking his last spring to save himself from the chasm that threatens to engulf him." 

Now, I like to think there might still be *some* arms that would hold me even if I didn't achieve my goal, but the words were inspiring nonetheless!

Beginning of lap 3: Phil joins us for a 100m dash in the infield.

We took our places, and we were off! Greg called out splits every 200m; the first few laps felt easy and even slow, though we were mostly right on pace. He reminded me that the goal was to get to halfway feeling pretty good (advice he's given me previously for many different distances). It seemed to me that we picked up the pace around 1000m; at some point Greg called out that he was going to stride out a little to give me a target. My effort felt hard but good until the last 200m, when I felt a little nauseated, but I still was able to kick it in for an official time of 7:49.2! I immediately collapsed on the infield and relished the stillness. Phil rushed over to massage my arms (which were clearly taxed by the race) while the official results were tallied.

I felt fairly smooth and controlled for nearly the whole race, and I can't believe how much having a pacer helps! That said, in retrospect I think I could (should?) have gone out faster; according to my Garmin, our half-mile splits were 4:01.7 and 3:47.5, respectively. There's more work to be done, and I can't wait!

Elated but exhausted. 

After catching my breath and receiving the adulation of the adoring crowd, I got up and ran heat two as well. Phil was convinced to get his mandatory 20 minutes of exercise (or a mile of running) out of the way while we were at the track, so he was off! As Greg noted, Phil was "definitely someone who needs a pacer." He would sprint 50m, then slow down to a trot, rinse, and repeat. At one point he walked a little bit, but then rallied with a pretty good kick for an official time of 12:05 for his first mile ever!

Down the homestretch in heat 2.

Apparently Phil took a page from my book, because he immediately went to ground after finishing:

"I'm so tired!"

In summary, it was a great morning! Many thanks to Greg, Joy, and Phil for indulging me in my Once a Runner-inspired quest to train for the mile and for making it an amazing event to participate in, and to friends and family who followed along virtually. Bring back and long live the mile!

I had a few running-related goals this year, but one of the more results-oriented of them was to PR in at least one distance this year. June brought about a successful 5K race in the Magnuson Series, and I decided to capitalize on that fitness by chasing down a 10K PR to boot. Plus, I was excited to take part in the Women of Wonder race; it's a very "up with women" event and takes place on my (very flat) home course around Green Lake, so I was in! I was hoping to be able to debut my Oiselle singlet, but it didn't arrive until a few days later -- but I visualized myself wearing it during the race! :)

I didn't have my new Oiselle singlet yet for this race, but I had it on in my mind!

Training

I decided to do this race about a month out, so I started tailoring my weekly track workouts to longer intervals and doing slightly longer tempos as well. I've decided my new favorite workout is 2K repeats, and now vying for my least favorite workout (with 800s) was a brutal 3 x 2 miler that I did about 10 days before the race. I was slightly concerned about the race distance -- as a frequent run commuter I get plenty of mileage, but often in several 2-3 mile runs a day, so I don't often run 10K in one go. I made sure to do at least a couple of longer (for me) 7-ish mile runs in the weeks leading up to the race. My race goals were: A) break one hour, B) PR (previous PR: 1:04:42), and C) stay mentally tough when things got hard.  

Pickup

Packet pickup was available at Super Jock 'n' Jill the day before the race, which was super convenient. Even more convenient was the fact that I convinced my husband to go pick up my packet for me, since I was "working", and totally not watching "Entourage" while my Very Important Simulations were running. 

Race Day

Race day dawned rather gloomy and grey -- my preferred conditions to run! It was misting ever so slightly as I forced down an egg and chapati (I was awake but my stomach wasn't). After some more bed lounging to refocus, I got dressed and jogged over to the starting line, arriving about 10 minutes before the start.


You know how some days running is just magical and you feel as if you are springing from cloud to cloud? Well, this was not one of those days, to my disappointment. I didn't feel exceedingly horrible or wonderful; instead it was a race where (happily for me, on the day), you get out of it what you've put into the training bank.

Smiling and happy pre-race

Miles 1-3: 9:36, 9:36, 9:33

At the start there were corrals rather unhelpfully labeled "A", "B", "C", and "D", and the announcer clarified not at all by saying "6:00 and under at the front, joggers behind, strollers behind them". As has happened before, I had no clue where to start, but finally decided to stand near the front of the "B" corral. I think perhaps I should have started further up because when the gun went off even I (who usually start very conservatively) wanted to go around the people in front of me.

I quickly locked into my pace and focused on feeling relaxed, running strong, and looking out for the tangents of the road. My plan was to run 9:35's through the first half, so I was pleased with how easy my consistency felt.

Mile 4-5: 9:26, 9:31

The race course was two laps around Green Lake. As I came around the first lap, I saw Greg and Phil cheering, the ladies from Running Evolution giving high fives, and two guys in wigs belting out "Sweet Caroline" karaoke-style; between that and my 5K split (29:47?), I think I got too excited for mile 4. I tried to reel myself back in, partly unsuccessfully.

I wanted to run the first half controlled and race the second 5K, but dang, I was tired. Mile 5 in particular was me trying to rachet down the pace, though it's not necessarily reflected in the split. I latched on to a group of ladies going a bit faster than me to let them pull me along, but then felt intensely irritated that they were running and chatting while I was doing everything to stay with them. By this time the light refreshing mist had also devolved into a pretty substantial rain.

Mile 6: 9:20
Last 0.2 (Garmin says 0.26): 2:07

I was as tired as ever here, but through the fog still tried to give myself a pep talk about how many times have I run intervals when more tired than this? And that were longer than this? And run them faster than this? I passed the group of ladies I had latched onto in Mile 5, and unfortunately had to do some extra work dodging the straggling 5Kers who were uniformly walking 4-5 abreast. By this time it was raining pretty hard, but to their credit, Greg and the 8yo were still out waiting to cheer for me. I kicked as much as I could the last couple of tenths (couldn't muster much) and crossed the finish line in 59:10.

Serious painface and the world's most unflattering photo must mean I'm doing something right?

This was a huge race for me -- more than a five-and-a-half minute PR! Most importantly, I had a race plan and was able to execute it pretty much perfectly, even on a day when I didn't feel sparkly. And, through training, I have managed to become a bit more comfortable being (sometimes quite) uncomfortable during races -- I'm excited to capitalize on my current fitness and work toward some other distances in the coming months (stay tuned). Finally, many thanks to Greg and Phil for coming to cheer in the rain, and especially to my dear husband for the "coaching" and listening to a slow bird obsess over incremental progress!

I never got around to writing a recap of the Magnuson Series 5K that I ran in June, even though I wanted to. I was mostly stumped by my lack of planning, photo-wide: I failed to take a picture pre- or post-race, and the race photos didn't capture me somehow [Note: the Magnuson Series is a great bare-bones but CHEAP series that focuses on being able to track your progress from one month to the next, so I don't blame them at all for this!]. So I'll pad the race recap with some non-running photos of me, and running photos of not-me. :)

I'm a fake fake doctor!

Running the Magnuson 5K was actually a spur-of-the-moment decision; my family was in town for my graduation (the fake one -- I won't defend my dissertation until December) and I was looking for something active for my brother and me to do. A tempo run earlier in the week had me feeling good and I was wondering if I could challenge my PR of 28:55. So we jumped in the race. My goals for the race were: A) break 28:00, B) score a PR, and C) race smart and negative split the race.

We arrived at Magnuson Park in plenty of time for me to do my mile warmup and a few strides to boot. The morning was beautiful: sunny but cool, with temperatures in the low 60's. It's a small race series, so even after the gun went off there wasn't much maneuvering necessary. Gunning for a PR, I went out at a comfortably hard pace, and went through Mile 1 in 9:17. Looking back, it was a bit slower than I really wanted, but I wanted to save some (mental and physical) energy for the hill at about 0.6 miles. It's not a huge hill, but looms large in my head after feeling extremely defeated by it on the second lap of a 10K I ran there last year.

Once over the hill, I started to squeeze down bit by bit. I saw fastie Greg at several points on the course shouting encouragement, but didn't have much breath to waste telling him how I felt. By about the middle of Mile 2, I started feeling a little foggy and couldn't do much except try to maintain contact with the woman in front of me. I knew we had picked up the pace, but didn't know by how much. At certain points I tried to summon the energy to pass her, but I couldn't. I grimly hung on until the last couple of tenths of a mile, when I tried to kick but lost her by a few yards as I didn't have much left. Still, as I clicked off my watch crossing the finish line, I saw that I had run 27:57! The race was only gun timed so my official gun time was 28:03, but I'm counting it by watch time... ;) After catching my breath, I walked over and thanked the woman who I had followed for pulling me through, and she in turn thanked me for pushing her (she said she had heard my footsteps through most of the race).

Happily, my brother Murray also scored a PR (25:27), too: as evidenced by the pain face photo below!

Murph hangs on for a PR; cheers from Mama Z in the background!

Overall, I was quite pleased with the day. I had a race plan and executed it to good effect. I still don't claim to have a lot of mental toughness when things start to hurt, but I was able to hang on and accomplish all three goals that I had for the day. And a PR in at least one race distance was on my list of goals for 2015, so I'm happy to have checked that one off! Next up: I'll be running the Women of Wonder 10K on September 13, where I'll try to put some of these same racing lessons to the test in a longer format.

If you have perused this blog even slightly, you will know that I spent the month of February 2014 in Zimbabwe, studying mbira with various master teachers in Mhondoro and Harare. It was an incredible experience -- one that I would encourage every serious student of traditional Zimbabwean music to make happen -- and both helped my playing and my understanding of its cultural context. However, for various life, logistical, and financial reasons, realistically it may be a long time before I can travel there again.

So instead, I do the next best thing. I study mbira with American teachers who have studied this music and spent time in Zimbabwe, and I make an effort to study with Zimbabwean teachers who are traveling in the U.S. This year I went to an 8-day mbira camp in beautiful Berkeley, CA. There were two teachers: Berkeley native and host Erica Azim, and Zimbabwean teacher "Samaita" Vitalis Botsa. Samaita has a wonderfully complex and dreamy style that I have admired for years, and I was particularly excited to learn from him.

Spending the day near the John Muir woods playing mbira is seriously transcendent!

Life at mbira camp takes on its own rhythms: virtually your only responsibility (aside from doing some dishes) is to learn mbira. This singular focus is both incredibly freeing and incredibly intense. In addition to learning new pieces, I got to brush up on lots of old things I had forgotten, play with some excellent campmates, and learn singing to the pieces we studied (Tadzungaira, Mahororo, and Marenje). We spent a day in the John Muir Woods and a day at Pescadero Beach south of Half Moon Bay; both are beautiful places in their own right only made better by softly tinkling mbira strains. To clear my head, I explored Berkeley on the run and treated myself several times by ending my run at the Hopkins Street Bakery (vanilla cream donut: YUM!). Oh, and I woke up at the crack of dawn each day to cheer on the American athletes participating in the World Championships of Track and Field in Beijing!

Samaita had a sweet tooth just like me! THAT's why I spent so much time at the bakery, sure... ;)

The last day of camp coincided with my 37th birthday; it seemed fitting somehow to be able to reflect on the past year and the year to come in the context of playing mbira, which is how I do my best thinking. There are lots of exciting and possibly stressful things afoot for the coming year, but I felt calm and energized thinking about them. Here's to another great year (full of mbira)!  

In a city like Seattle, any commute that doesn't involve you driving a car is a blessing. When I first moved to Seattle in 2009, I generally opted for walking a mile and a half to work or busing a bit further to school, and every time I passed over I-5 I silently said a prayer of gratitude not to be on it.

Beautiful downtown Seattle, and less beautiful I-5 S. (Photo taken from billgillam.com)

Once I moved near Green Lake, I stuck with the longer bus commute (35 to 40-ish minutes) for a couple of years. Most mornings I would wake up, go for a run around the lake, then catch the bus into school while catching up on my pleasure reading. Eventually, however, I upgraded my bike from a vintage Schwinn with faulty gears to a Cannondale Quick that could nimbly go up most hills, even with a granny like me at the helm. I quickly abandoned my bus commute.

Combining two great loves: mbira and bike commuting

I quickly grew to love many things about bike commuting. The speed, for one: true to its name, the Quick helped me to beat the slow Metro route 48 bus more often than not. The exercise, for another, and the way it was built into my day. And finally, I felt happier being closer to the outdoors at least twice a day, and felt pleased by reducing my carbon footprint ever so slightly. But my bike was stolen -- twice (despite the $120 heavy-duty Kryptonite NY Fahgettaboudit lock I purchased the second time) -- and by the time I finally learned to keep it indoors, it seemed more efficient for Greg to start riding it on his 15+ mile commute rather than me on my 3 mile one. I was back to the mercies of King County Transit.

At the same time, I had resolved to complete the 2014 Runner's World #runstreak. Why commit to running at least a mile a day from Thanksgiving to New Year's? In my case, to have fun, to have a modicum of external accountability, and to shake things up a bit. In the course of runstreaking, I found that, on some days, running to and from work was the easiest way to get that mile in during a hectic December. I had become an accidental run commuter! It has been nine months and counting and I haven't looked back since.

Why should you consider run commuting? Here are my top 5 benefits of run commuting:

1. Expanding the world. Have you ever chosen to not do something based on traffic or parking? Bus schedules? Run commuting (within limits) opens the world in a new way; even if too far to go solely on foot, often a combined bus/run approach can get you pretty much anywhere in Seattle. Conversely, my bit of Seattle (within a 3-4 miles radius of my house) has become known to me in a way that it never could from a car.
2. Learn to love hills. Seattle is hilly, and I am from flat-as-a-pancake Oklahoma. My main criterion for a run used to be (lack of) elevation change. But with run commuting, there are places I need to be, so I suck it up and run -- or sometimes walk -- up those big hills. Do it often enough, and you don't even notice anymore.
3. Efficiency. You build the exercise into your day, get to be outdoors, and all of a sudden have finished your miles for the week. What's not to love?
4. Going home is great motivation. I'll be honest -- I don't always feel like running home at the end of a long day. But knowing I'll have a hot shower/dinner at the end, and that the alternative is to stay and keep working... well, it works wonders for my motivation!
5. Strength training. Most days I run with a running backpack. The Deuter Race X has worked well for me, and these days I don't even notice it when I run. Still, it can add between 5-10 pounds to the weight my legs have to support. I've gotten strong from it, and initially was so amazed at how fast I felt without the backpack. As six-time USATF outdoor 800m champion Alysia Montaño said about running through her pregnancy, "my legs were so much stronger after basically working out with a weight vest on for nine and a half months."

As light as a 5-10 pound bag of air...

Run commuting is not all roses, though. My top 5 disadvantages:

1. Wet. It rains in Seattle (duh). Be prepared on the other end (towel, change of clothes, warm coffee).
2. Smell. I sweat a lot, especially in the summer. I make use of the Shower Pill (or a knockoff) to make things a bit more hygienic. Your office may also have a shower, which leads to...
3. The need to plan ahead. Running clothes, work clothes, soap, shampoo, hairbrush, etc. Things can get complicated quickly! You have to be organized. My schedule changes somewhat frequently, since I have multiple offices, so I tend to schlep things everyday; some people bring everything they will need to the office on the weekend and leave it there for the week.
4. Weight considerations. The difference between carrying 5 and 10 additional pounds is substantial, and you(r back and legs) can tell. Turn a critical eye toward what you carry. Do you need to carry water? Can you leave some clothes at work for the end of the week? If you take your lunch, do you carry it in glass or plastic?  
5. Chafing. With all that wet/sweat/clothes, I sometimes have chafing issues related to the backpack, especially around my collarbones. Use Body Glide if it's a big issue. During the summer I have taken to run commuting every other day, or run without the backpack, to let things heal a bit.

Finally, a few words of advice. Do invest in some gear (backpack, headlamp, reflective vest) that will make your commute a bit easier and/or safer. I wouldn't recommend wearing earbuds of any kind, after a few close shaves with inattentive drivers (PEOPLE GET OFF YOUR DAMN CELL PHONES! Especially you in the white Kia...).  And smile! :) People may well stare at you run commuting, but it's only because they're stuck in their cars, envious.

There's nothing like a family reunion. Especially for a family as far flung as the Oiselle family, who in some cases have never met in the flesh. I had the distinct feeling of a family reunion today -- laughter and hugs at every turn -- when I attended the grand opening of the Oiselle flagship store in University Village.

I have followed the fortunes of this little -- OK, not so little anymore -- women's running apparel company for a few years now, and I have come to care deeply about its success. (My husband would claim that I am contributing directly to its success with the number of O packages that arrive in the mail, but that's another story...) I have interacted with them on Twitter, cheered the Oiselle ladies on in local and national races, and given the "Oiselle nod" to many a gal sporting their duds out on the Green Lake loop. So of course I decided I would be at the opening today. I even pinched part of the dessert I was making for a dinner party tomorrow to make a special #oisellestore themed treat for Sally Bergesen herself!

Oiselle logo, in blue(berry)

Here are some of my impressions, for those who wanted to be here today but couldn't:

• When I arrived, there was quite the crowd, inside and outside the store. There was an enormous line for autographs from Lauren Fleshman and Kara Goucher (duh), plus an enormous line of folks wanting to buy merchandise inside. I said hello to Sally and headed inside to check out the store...
• The store itself was smaller than I expected from photos I had seen on Instagram, but well laid out. There are two dressing rooms at the back of the store, and there seemed to be a good mix of Oiselle products, ranging from pants and capris to shirts and tanks, to bras, and even their swimwear (honestly, I never thought I would say I was excited to try on a swimsuit, but there you go...). There is a widescreen TV behind the register, which I hope means viewing parties in the future! And there was a rather complicated looking system of wires and pulleys that appeared to control the heights and locations of the clothes racks (which didn't touch the floor!). Outside, a bench, and opposite the entrance there is a garden store, Ravenna Bloom, which contributes to a sense of beauty that is unexpected in a shopping mall. 

Lauren's profile and Mac's booty on full display

Store exterior

• The Flight Manual: an elegantly laid out pamphlet declaring the Oiselle manifesto that was handed out I entered the store. More than rules for running, more than a company's mission -- I dare say these are pretty good rules for living. Things like "Build the Sisterhood", "Own the Journey", and "Believe". I like to imagine Sally and Co. nailing these up on their Lululemon and Nike neighbors, a la Martin Luther. He needed 95 theses to get his point across; O just about covers it in only 7. 

Taken from the Oiselle blog

• Stars! In addition to Lauren and Kara, there were Oiselle celebrities like Sally, Lesko, and Mac (all of whom graciously signed my Flight Manual). Little Wing was out in full force, as were other athletic stars such as Adam Goucher, Jesse Thomas, and a preponderance of the Brooks Beasts (including fasties Nick Symmonds, Casimir Loxsom, and Phoebe Wright), plus Picky Bars showerer and middle distance stud Andrew Wheating. I also saw a host of Oiselle Team runners -- famous from the internets, at least to me -- and a whole lot of superfans.

Hanging out with my BFFs Kara and Lauren, as you do... (plus photobomb from Phoebe Wright!)

In summary, I felt a palpable sense of joy and community in those gathered for the grand opening, and came away SO EXCITED for what's to come. Here's to your continued flight and the growth of the sisterhood, Oiselle -- I for one can't wait to come along for the run!