Tag Archives: races

Lexus LaceUp 5K Race Recap

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A couple of months ago I was selected as a Lexus LaceUp Race Ambassador and had decided that the Lexus LaceUp 10K in Irvine would finally be the race where I broke my 2-year old 10K PR. Well, between the massive heat that we’ve had for the past 2 months as well as getting a bad allergic reaction and a stomach bug within a month of each other, my 10K training didn’t go as planned and at the last minute I dropped down to the 5K race since I wasn’t feeling fully confident in my training. Spoiler alert: the race turned out to be awesome.

lexus-laceup-running-5k-irvineI have a love-hate with 5K races. They are great because they are short, but they are also SO HARD because you are basically sprinting for 3.1 miles. My current race 5K PR was 22:45, so I decided to go into this race running somewhere between 23-24 minutes.

When I woke up on race morning, I was NOT in the mood to run. I was coming off a busy week of work, had managed to spill something on my ambassador shirt before leaving and was quite frankly, pretty tired. But I was excited to run with the Englishman and my friend and see all the other LaceUp Ambassadors so I put on my game face.

Fortunately when we arrived in Irvine the weather was much cooler than it has been in weeks and the positive energy from all the other runners was infectious. I decided to just go in, have fun and have a great race.

The horn blared and we were off. The first 1/2 mile felt tough per usual, but then I started to get into a groove and slowly started passing people. I had no idea where I was place wise throughout the entire race, but I just kept my head down and kept running.

lexus-laceup-running-5k-irvineAfter the halfway mark my legs started feeling pretty good and my competitive fire kicked in so I decided to try and hit as close to my PR as possible. Next thing I knew I was running through the chute and the announcer said “Allie Fisher, 2nd overall woman!.” Um what?

I ran over to my friend who was acting as our race photographer and he confirmed that was indeed what the announcer had said. Moments later I was astonished to find out that my chip time was faster than the woman in front of me, making me the 1st overall woman in the 5K division. This immediately called for a jumping into the air picture.

lexus-laceup-running-5k-irvineTo be honest, I was completely shocked. I’ve run a ton of races and never in a million years ever thought I’d be on a podium, especially in first place. As someone who has only been running for about 6 or so years, I consider myself to be fairly decent at this point but am always in awe at other runners who make it look effortless.

After cooling off, we made our way over to the awards podium where I was presented with a first place trophy. I’m still finding the whole thing surreal. I also managed to squeak across the finish line in 22:28, which I was pretty happy about.

lexus-laceup-running-5k-irivneIf anything, the racing spirit has been reignited and I can’t wait to sign up for my next one! Thanks to Lexus LaceUp for hosting such an awesome event. If you are looking to run any of the races in the Lexus LaceUp Running series, be sure to use code LACEUPALLIE for 15% off! (plus the medal is pretty sweet).

Surf City Run 5K Recap

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It’s been a long time since I wrote a race recap hasn’t it?  In fact, until the 4th of July, I hadn’t raced since December.  Between wedding planning, getting married and going on a honeymoon, there just wasn’t time to commit to any races.  But in between all the madness the Englishman and I have still been running on a consistent basis, so we decided to revisit the Huntington Beach Surf City Run to see if we could beat our times from 2012.  Here is the Surf City Run 5K Recap.

I have a complicated history with the Surf City Run.  I first ran it in 2011 and crashed and burned two miles in and ended up taking multiple walking breaks throughout.  In 2012 the Englishman and I ran it together, but he had only just started running regularly so we took it easy and finished in a respectable 29:30.  I skipped out on the race in 2013 and was finally ready to revisit it in 2014.

Thanks to crossfit and consistent running, I’ve noticed that my running paces have been getting faster and faster, and began to believe that I could smash my old 5K PR of 28:02.  After completing a training run in Maui in 24:00 and a mile time trial in crossfit in 6:54, I began to realize that a fast 5K just might be in the cards.

I went into the Surf City Run with no expectations but to come in sub-25.  I had been doing longer runs consistently with an 8:00 minute mile average, so I figured a sub-25 was possible.

The night before the race I did everything you weren’t supposed to do – had wine, ate different food, and stayed up way too late enjoying the company of my husband and friends.  When I woke up in the morning I felt tired but not too bad, so I decided to give the race my all.  We even managed to look bright and cheery for a pre-race picture (note the sweet photobomb).

Joe and Allie Surf City RunWe got to the race a little before the start and had time to stretch and use the bathroom.  Soon enough we were lining up and the National Anthem started playing.  The Englishman and I agreed we would stick together at the start, but since he knew I was gunning for a PR, he told me to just go ahead if I was feeling strong.

The horn blared, I started my garmin and we were off.  The first mile was pretty congested and I spent a lot of time weaving in and out of people (I need to learn to run the tangents better), but finally I got into a groove and was on my way.  After the first mile my watch beeped with a 7:49 pace and I knew a PR just might be in the cards for the day.  And judging by my face in all these race pictures, I was definitely giving it my all.

Surf City Run Second MileAs we moved into the second mile, my legs were feeling strong and I started to slowly pass people one by one.  I’d spot my “rabbit” and work towards them until I could pass them comfortably.  My watch beeped again.  7:01.  What? I couldn’t believe I was running that fast.

Surf City Run Last MileThe third mile was by far the hardest – the race ends on a small incline so I knew I had to leave a little in the tank to get up the hill at the end.  My lungs were burning by this point and I felt like I might throw up but I kept pushing on.  Finally, I rounded the curve and saw the finishing mat.  I sprinted as best as I could across the line and crossed it in 22:45, a new PR by over 6 minutes.

Surf City Run FinishingThe Englishman wasn’t too far behind, crossing in 24:57 which was also a new PR for him.  Both of us were red faced and gasping for air but feeling incredibly proud of our progress in two short years.  Racing 5Ks are no joke!

Surf City Run 5KAfter years of running around a 9:30 pace for races I was finally able to break through that elusive 28 minute barrier and really give it my all.  I attribute this to the following:

Smarter Training – I stopped running as many miles per week and when I did run, I made those miles count

Crossfit – Crossfit for sure has made me a faster runner.  Strength training really pays off and I think it’s crucial to becoming a stronger runner.

Speedwork – The Englishman and I really started to focus on speed.  Sprints during crossfit, running 400s on the track and fast tempo runs.  I plan on incorporating a lot of speedwork into my half marathon training plan.

This race was the perfect confidence booster I needed as I prepare to dive into half marathon training again.  Big Sur Half on Monterey Bay I’m coming for you.  Sub-2 or bust! (I get heart palpitations just thinking about it).