Ready to start!

Nearing the registration deadline and misremembering Chapel Hill as a shorter commute, I decided a couple nights prior to the event to sign up for the historic Tar Heel 10 Miler, held on April 22, 2023, and commencing by the Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower. Had I known my drive to packet pickup from my office in downtown Raleigh would take an hour and a half due to traffic the day before, I may not have registered. I primarily planned to use this as a training run for a bigger race hopefully soon. I have consistently heard about the relentless hills of the event town, and many highlighted the giant one-mile climb on Laurel Hill toward the end.

This race too, like my most recent half marathon, had a mass start of thousands of runners, but thankfully I did not find challenging maneuvering around people and keeping my intended pace. The entire course comprised rolling hills but nothing extreme for the most part; hills generally look worse than they feel, the reason I often look down when running up so that my mind does not deceive me into believing they are more daunting than they are. Even in this hotter-than-ideal temperature, I for the first eight miles ran every mile significantly under nine minutes, with the fastest clocking in at just under 8:24, but the anticipation of the final climb remained. Unlike in many instances, people were not exaggerating about this monster that started around 8.5 miles in all the way to the finish with hardly any flat breaks in-between, which slowed me down drastically and ruined my overall performance. I only cared about not walking at any point, which I managed, and crossed the finish with an official time of 1:31:33.54, with my COROS PACE 2 reading 614 feet of elevation gain in 10.16 miles. Ten minutes following, officials asked runners to take shelter for a thunderstorm that never appeared, which had me worrying about the thousands of runners still on the course and if they would be allowed to finish.

Ready to start!

Planning to squeeze in a race in March, I casually set my eyes on the renowned Asheville Half Marathon, taking place in the eponymous city on the 18th, thanks to its seemingly ideal condition for a fast time, with the net downhill and temperature in the low 30s; nevertheless, I struggled to decide if my would-be-53rd half marathon was worth driving four hours out and four hours back and spending even more money on a hotel overnight. The morning before race day, having already taken a PTO from work, I finally pulled the trigger on this runcation and headed out for the event Expo.

PC: Asheville Marathon

I have raced in the vicinity twice in previous years and again was captivated by the breathtaking scenery and nature of Western North Carolina. Following waiting in line for a porta potty for nearly half an hour, I stepped up toward the front for a mass start of 2,500 participants, trying to minimize my chances of being stuck at a slower-than-intended pace due to the human barricade, which happened anyway. In spite of pacers with clear signs, an infinite number of slower runners clogged up the front, forcing me to maneuver around them and commence at an eleven-minute-mile pace when I planned to go out between upper seven-minute and lower eight-minute. Albeit I would typically appreciate this 31-degree start with the feels-like in the 10s, I did not foresee the nonstop vicious headwind and its impact on my running. Furthermore, as I suspected, the course opening up primarily downhill for the first two miles took more out of my legs than normally at this point. As I slowed down significantly the last several miles, specifically from the short climb and trail portion forward, I went from thinking I could realistically run between 1:52 and 1:55 to doubting I could even finish under two hours, as I saw the 2:00 pacers pass me with just over a mile to go; amusingly, while they stayed in proximity, they blocked the headwind and made the run less unpleasant. They left my sight with half a mile to go, then nearing the finish line, I saw them drastically slowing their pace, prompting me to look at my watch to see if sub-two hours was still within reach. I sped up as much as my legs let me, crossing the finish in 1:59:27 at 13.22 miles on my COROS PACE 2. Considering how weak I felt approaching the final stage, I was thrilled I managed to at least salvage a sub-two-hour 13.1, even if I did not run close to my potential perhaps due to the spontaneity of this trip, lack of sleep, and/or simply not having the best day.

At the Expo the day before, I stood by a backdrop runners sign that asked what inspired us to run, on which I wrote, after pondering for a while, “Community!” I often wonder this myself, as I still do not know if I truly enjoy running itself but certainly love connecting with humble and disciplined individuals who share the same hobby before, during, and after any running event. I doubt I would run as frequently as I do without the availability of races or community.

PC: Fit & Able

Half an hour before online registration closed, I decided to sign up for another semi-spontaneous short race of 6.5 miles at Sole Mates, hosted by Fit & Able Productions in Cary, North Carolina, on February 18, 2023, due to the event’s taking place in my neighborhood, the lack of nearby options in my preferred distances, and that I planned to run this day anyway and did not have to wake up extra early thanks to its later-than-usual starting time. I ran this exact cross-country course half a year prior in a different event with the same group, and having felt these nonstop hills and turns, I only mildly cared to run faster than I did previously and more so accepted this as a light training run for a longer race hopefully soon.

PC: Fit & Able

With the organization’s highly discouraging the use of headphones, I ditched music once again, which has somewhat become the norm nowadays. I perplexingly clocked a 7:53 first mile and, no matter how short, reminded myself to chill out for the next several miles and push at the end depending on my remaining energy level. Because of the heavy rain the day before, I had to navigate around mud at times, nothing severe nonetheless. I crossed the finish in 58:08.65 and third in my age group of 30-34, with my COROS PACE 2 reading 6.58 miles and 476 feet of elevation gain. I did not have any expectations or serious goal coming in, but I am content I managed to beat my time from last year, albeit by a small margin, on this exact course.

Kelly and Andrea’s second 5K!

Emma blew past me with a mile to go and I could not keep up!

I opened my 2023 racing season in Greenville, North Carolina, with an impromptu 10K at the Cupid’s Crawl on February 11, confirming my entry half a day prior and uncharacteristically committing to a one-and-a-half-hour drive the morning of for such a short run. Commencing with a minor climb, the course remained primarily flat and, with the help of a cool weather of 50 degrees, ideal for a fast time. Immediately I was struck by the enduring revolting weed odor that seems prevalent everywhere I go nowadays and is extra irritating when I have to run through the disgust. Around a mile in, a fit middle-aged woman popped up next to my shoulder in my peripheral vision and stuck with me like glue for the following four miles, likely using me as her pacer, while I looked straight ahead and distracted myself with music. Then, just over a mile to go, I increased my speed drastically and left her behind and passed numerous runners, both 10K and 5K, concluding the race with a sprint to, in a cordial competition, hold off another lady who passed me for a brief moment. Considering the spontaneity and aware of my current fitness, I am content with an official (gun) time of 53:38.75 at 6.31 miles based on my COROS PACE 2.

As I typically do, following a complimentary stretch, I endlessly spotted and conversed with humble and dedicated strangers, one of the main reasons I participate in so many running events. My obsessive personality almost never allows me to shut off work or what happened at work from my mind, and I am grateful for running that somewhat lets me balance out where my energy is spent, why I decided to join this race last-minute and which worked.

Awesome volunteer!

I remembered the Raleigh (Holiday) Half Marathon being mostly flat from last year, but this year, thanks to the unseasonable heat and humidity, I felt I was running on a different course. I started confident and full of energy, anticipating a strong performance with my recent consistency. Just a couple of miles in, a young lady, whether intentionally or not, came up and stayed almost shoulder to shoulder with me for the following five miles, after which she no longer kept up and had me worry if she inadvertently pushed too hard too early. I too began slowing down around here, going from a mid-eight-minute-mile pace to wondering if I could even finish under two hours. In retrospect, I should have hydrated more regularly. Approaching the second-to-last aid station just over two miles to go, I desperately asked for water five or six times, each time more loudly, but the volunteer paid no attention and I missed it, which irritated me in spite of my general gratitude towards all volunteers. The biggest climb of the race that destroyed me last year awaited, and I decided this time to sluggishly jog up to conserve energy rather than going all out and having almost nothing left with over a mile to go like the previous year. I do not know whether this new strategy helped or hurt me in the end, as I was still exhausted.

Based on my COROS PACE 2, I still managed to finish the half marathon distance under a couple of hours, except I could not even see the finish line at this point and ended up concluding my race at 13.29 miles, in 2:00:21 officially. I understand there will almost always be discrepancies between the course and the watch, especially considering the tangents, but the distance being off this much really confuses the pace calculation. Regardless, I am grateful for another race and opportunity to connect with humble and disciplined individuals.

Thanksgiving does not yet feel like Thanksgiving without starting out with a turkey trot, as has been my tradition for years, since my time in Nebraska. I had difficulty locating a sufficiently long race in the vicinity, and when the Skinny Turkey event, hosted by FS Series, confirmed I could still sign up on-site race morning the late night before, I figured I would probably go but still did not fully commit mentally. Thanks to my insomnia, waking up around 4:30 AM, I decided to get ready and head out. I chose the 10K and was made aware its notorious hills. The run kicked off with a short climb, and as told, the entire race repeated ups and downs with almost no flat. Thanks to the cool temperature, however, I was not impacted by these hills in terms of endurance and did not find them overly challenging. I maintained a decent and consistent pace throughout the entirety and crossed the finish line in 53:30.743, with my COROS PACE 2 reading 446 feet of elevation gain in 6.30 miles.

Back at Golden Corral!

Because I did not listen to music and consequently my mind was not occupied, I made myself, in light of Thanksgiving, take some time counting my blessings, which naturally led to thanking and praising God. I am grateful to my Father for His love, grace, and mercy for me that I do not deserve, my God-fearing family, my comfortable life that lacks nothing, and of course running. I am truly blessed. Happy Thanksgiving!

PC: VMA Studios

As per usual, I at the last minute decided to register for an appealing running event, this time the Holly Springs Half Marathon taking place on November 19, 2022, in the eponymous city of North Carolina, primarily thanks to its proximity to my residence. I, nevertheless, having done research on the course, understood I likely would not have an ideal finish time given its relentless hills that accumulated to 640 feet of elevation gain according to my COROS PACE 2, much of it on a trail, although a 31-degree start added to my confidence.

Ran into a colleague post-race!

For the first half of the race, even with the rolling hills I remained on pace to comfortably finish around 1:56, then at the midpoint in a nearly two-mile trail portion, I encountered two lengthy steep climbs, the second of which significantly sapped my energy and my speed never fully returned following. On a course like this, running the whole way without a walking break could be considered a win in itself, but I could not help but become dispirited with my mile pace plummeting tens of seconds just after these back-to-back trail climbs. Five miles to go, with continuing hills yet not as daunting due to their being on concrete and no longer on a soggy trail, I tried not to look at my watch in order not to demoralize myself further. Crossing the finish line in 2:02:09.1, I did not dwell on my less-than-ideal finish time but instead felt grateful to my Father for another fun race morning, half marathon #51, and this awesome metaphor-for-life hobby.

Sophie’s first ultra and she finished in the top ten!

Casually browsing through UltraSignup, I came across TrailAdventure’s High Bridge Ultra 50K, in Virginia, that covers a large portion of the Night Train 50K course. This event however being point to point appealed to me and, combined with an ideal forecast, lured me into registering a few nights prior to race day on October 8, 2022. The participants would park in Pamplin, be bused to the start near Burkeville, and run through Rice, Farmville, Prospect, and back to Pamplin.

I quietly hoped to redeem myself from my recent horrendous ultra a few months ago and believed this to be inevitable with improved weather conditions. I maintained a steady nine-minute-mile pace and did not consider mixing in walking until approximately 14 miles in to allow for some wiggle room in case I bonked at the latter stage, already a significantly better start than my previous ultra. Perhaps undertrained, my left knee began to act up halfway through, and each time, uncertain whether I was verging on an injury or my muscle was shocked running so much out of the blue, I prayed to God to heal me and took a short walking break. Albeit still cautious, I felt restored enough to carry on running. Somewhere around here, as I kept my head up and marched forward, I came a couple of feet away from inadvertently kicking a large snake coiled up, having to spread my legs in an uncomfortable position that could have caused a cramp but fortunately did not. When I reached the conclusion of the High Bridge Trail nearly 30 miles in, I had just over a mile to go, and I was frankly nervous about the navigation. I put my earphones away to focus more clearly and remove any potential distractions and was able to figure out the pattern of these signs, ribbons, and chalked arrows, with the exception of the cones, whether I was supposed to stay to the left or to the right; as I normally do when unclear, I chose the farther route every time so that I could do more and not potentially less. Every runner was required to check in at each of the six aid stations, and, although the volunteers could see our bibs to check us off, I made sure to ask each of them if they checked me in; one volunteer was unaware she had to do this and had to skip this for everyone. The most memorable conversation during an aid respite would be at 19 miles, when the volunteer attempted to convince me to sign up for a more challenging 50K happening next month, to which I laughed and replied, “Let me finish this first.” Due to the impromptu nature of my eleventh ultramarathon, I was pleasantly surprised to achieve my second-fastest official 50K race of 6:25:13. As always, I thank God for providing me with strength and endurance to enjoy another one of these unique adventures, none of which I take for granted.

PC: Fit & Able

Perhaps due to the suffocating heat of 100+ degrees and humidity that perpetuated, I had trouble locating running events that intrigued me throughout the summer, and with my mother’s visit from Korea, our both contracting Covid during that time, and attending my best friend’s wedding last weekend, I felt I had been away from racing for infinity, albeit I still ran as frequently as I always have outside racing. With September too coming to an end, although I typically do not sign up for races under a half marathon, I decided last-minute, thanks to its proximity, to enter Fit & Able Productions’ Pups & Pastries 6.5-Miler, which took place on September 24, 2022, in Cary, North Carolina.

As the event name suggests, many dogs participated, even though my run started an hour later. The weather finally felt runnable, which helped in this moderately hilly cross country course of 6.59 miles and 453 feet of elevation gain according to my COROS PACE 2. I would complete the same big loop three times before moving to a smaller loop, all of which concluded with a lengthy climb. With young volunteers cheering me on from many sections, I continued to talk and wave back while trying to catch my breath. My first mile clocked in at just over 8:06, which slightly concerned me because I have not been running anywhere near an 8:06-mile recently. I maintained a consistent pace throughout and crossed the finish line with an official (gun) time of 58:29.97. (My initial posted time was off by nearly 1:30, which I told a member of the event staff and he swiftly fixed and explained to me how, although I do not remember exactly what he said.) I have missed this feeling of racing for too long, but maybe this respite refreshed me because I really felt burned out at my latest ultramarathon a few months ago but nothing but excitement here.