Run Random Stranger Run!

...was written on one of a dozen signs being waived in our faces as we crested the peak at mile eight.  We could hear these same girls back at mile 6 screaming at the top of their lungs.  Their cheering and enthusiasm was a perfect culmination to the hardest part of the course... all down hill from here, at least almost.

This morning, three Bastards, a (censored) soon to be Bastard, along with a few other friends, descended on the City of Agoura for my favorite trail race, the Great Race of Agoura's Cheesbro Half Marathon.  It was spectacular weather again this year... as it has been for all four years that I've participated in this race, and the year before when I ran the 5k.  

The race begins at 7am, so we were on the road by 5am and picking up our bibs by 6am... It wasn't even light out yet, and this morning was in the low 30's.  Made for lots of whining on all our parts, but we we back in the car with our bibs with 20 minutes to thaw out before the race began.  By the time we left the car, it was in the mid 40's and climbing quickly.  

We were all wearing our uniforms with a long sleeve to get us through the first 5k.  Amy was so funny, she had picked up a second hand jacket that she wore until race start, then dropped it on the ground, donating it back again... what a great idea!

Speaking of Amy, our Arrogant Bastard judge has amazing initiative... none of us had our phones with us, and couldn't take photos... so Amy asked a stranger to photo us and text her the shot, and the gal did!  

The race consists of a slowly climbing 5k on the roads, leading in the park, followed by 4 miles of rolling bridal trails, then a mile of climbing, then two miles of almost unbroken descent, ending with another road 5k with a nice easy descent... 

At the start, Corlyn and Amy took off, Rose and I stuck together, and Carmen and Michelle were behind us.  The first 5k was easy and a lovely warm up.  At mile 4 I started to feel my left ankle acting up, and it only go worse, and worse, and worse.  I tried loosening the lace, but it didn't help.  I'll check with Eric next week, but I think it might be a shin splint.  I know it felt better when I focused on my technique, making sure to land ball-to-heel, but overall it wasn't making much difference.  The weird part was I've not had any trouble with this foot/ankle for at least a month now.  

For the first 9 miles, Rose and I played a game of Indian Running.  She'd pass me, then I'd pass her, all good fun AND lightyears ahead of where I was last year, when she dusted me at mile 4.  This was even with me taking a fall at mile 5 and again at mile 7. (My next tattoo is going to say "PICK UP YOUR FEET!") It seems 36 hours isn't quite enough recovery for me before running a half marathon, and maybe I should have gone a little easier on the Thursday night hike.  Oh well, no use second guessing.  

Bottom line Results:

Corlyn 2:02 (First time on the course, BAD ASS TIME!!)

Amy  2:28  (Nice time considering it's been five years since she ran this race)

Rose 2:33 (6:00 PR)

Roadkill 2:35 (23:00 faster than last year, but still 20:00 behind 2009 PR)
(Carmen and Michelle were in it for completion, so I've not recorded their times)

Oh, and before we all went our separate ways, The Judge had her way with another stranger!