Double Bridge Run Race Recap

Hi friends!

Apparently I am back to my once a week posting regimen. Lots has happened since last time we talked … let’s catch up with some week-end highlights!

I got some new shoes and y’all, I love them. I finally see what all the fuss is about with the Hokas. They may look like shape-ups, but they feel like pure bliss. Hokas are cushiony soled running shoes for distance runners and are known for their light weight and maximal cushioning. They are basically “maximalist shoes,” as opposed to minimalist shoes.

My feet are really appreciating the extra love and support. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ve been dealing with plantar fasciitis on my right foot and also some extensor tendonitis on my left foot. I saw Dr. Justin last week about it. He recently got a new pressure wave machine. It sends pulses of high-pressure waves through the skin. The soft tissue and bone that are subjected to these pulses heal back stronger, due to the growth of new blood vessels in the affected areas (that is my understanding of it, at least).

 Are you guys liking my feet pictures?

Rebecca and I finished the #runlovechallenge Thursday evening. We ran 8 miles Monday morning and 5 miles Thursday evening, which gave us exactly 214. We even had a few days to spare! We both really enjoyed the challenge and it was great to spend some quality miles together over the last month and a half. We are both busy, but we stayed accountable to each other and completed the challenge. 214 miles together was a pretty lofty goal (in my opinion), so go us! Haha.

Saturday morning I ran the Pensacola Double Bridge Run. This race has been on my running “wish list” for years, but I hadn’t ever been able to do it until this year. I really enjoyed the race and will definitely be back again!

The race has an early start time of 7 a.m., which meant that we had to leave at 4:30 a.m. in order to get there and get on the bus to the start. The course is a point to point course, so you park at the finish and take a bus to the start. The busses stop running at 6 a.m., so you have to be prompt! There were five of us who all met up and rode together, which made for a fun race-day experience. Running friends are the best.

The course is unbelievable. It starts in downtown Pensacola at the Vince Whibbs Community Maritime Park, winds through historic Pensacola, over the 3-mile bridge spanning Escambia Bay, through Gulf Breeze, over the Bob Sikes Bridge and the Intercostal Waterway, and finishes at the Pensacola Beach boardwalk.

I made a conscious effort to start out a little bit more conservatively than I have in the past few races. My goal pace was 6:30 to 6:35, so I planned to start out at around 6:45 and then was going to drop the pace down if I felt good. My first two miles were 6:39 and then I dropped it down to 6:33 for the next two. We went over the first bridge during mile 5, and my pace slowed to 6:37. I got back into a groove during miles 6 and 7, which were 6:29 and 6:33.

I settled in with a pack of three or four girls and we worked together for most of the race. One really nice thing about bigger races, is that you have people to pace with. Here we are coming across the first bridge.

We went over the second bridge during mile 8, and my pace slowed down a lot more to 6:54. I was able to regroup and I finished the ninth mile at 6:35. The last 0.3 was 2:12, for a total time of 61:44. I placed 46th overall and 10th for the women. This was a pretty competitive field, so I am happy with a top 10 finish. There were over 3,000 runners!

Jessica, Lizzie and I did a 6 mile cool down. They are both training for Boston and needed to do their long run Saturday, so of course I joined in for the fun.

I got home from the race just in time to catch the second half of the U.S. Olympic marathon trials, which were run in Los Angeles, CA. I was so happy for Amy, Desi and Shalane! It was really cool to watch Amy and Shalane work together to make the team. Their teamwork and friendship is truly inspirational and really made appreciative of the running friendships that I have. I was also stoked for Meb! He is just legendary. This is the 4th Olympic marathon team that he has made. That is 16 years of marathoning!

We enjoyed a fairly uneventful Valentine’s Day. Daniel had to work Sunday morning, but he made sure to get my card and flowers ahead of time. He got me the cutest card with roadrunner on it. You make my heart beep-beep fast. I love it.

When he got home from work, we got in a run together, picked up dinner to-go from Vinny’s and watched Friends. It was a perfect evening!

I hope you guys had a great Valentine’s Day and have a wonderful week! Gotta run!