xterra malibu creek challenge trail run 6k 2012

so...another race in the books for me.  this was my 1st trail race, called the xterra malibu creek challenge trail run.  they offer a 22k and a 6k.  bein' that this was my 1st trail race, and the fact that i hate hills...i opted for the 6k.  my finish time was 45:29, with an average mile pace of 12:12 (like i said, i hate hills).  i had guesstimated that i would finish around 50 minutes, so finishing in the 45's i was quite content with.

the organization was great.  something new i had to get used to was placing the timing chip onto my shoe (along the shoelaces), and had to make sure i stepped/landed on the timing pad(s) at the start and finish lines.  only minor complaint in terms of organization might be that they had only 1 aid station at the 1 and 3 mile markers (same station, just passing it by 2x).  oh, and also the concept of "single track" with trails was all new/foreign to me.  it's when people are literally in a single-file line one behind the other (think 1 lane highway, but it's super traffic/gridlocked).  and i especially found it quite frustrating/annoying to not really be able to pass slower folks goin' downhill, as i tend to be all-out when runnin' downhill.  maybe i should've been more pushy/vocal about wanting to pass, but oh well...live and learn.

upon crossing the finish, everyone received a finisher medal.  everyone also got a legit forest green-colored tech-t that's 100% polyester.  after the race, they served scrambled eggs, croissants, muffins, oranges, bananas, watermelon to all race participants as well.  they even had a dos equis beer area (yes, i partook in 1 beer in celebration, plus, i needed replacement calories), and branded beer bottle opening keychains.  i chose not to wait 45 minutes for the free sports massage, nor did i want to climb the rock wall that lil' kids were all over.  but i did walk away with some more swag from various sponsors present.  since i excelled at the "memory game" at the northface booth, i walked away with a branded water bottle.  then i grabbed another water bottle from the moto-activ booth, along with one of their branded "balance" wristbands (i didn't feel any more balanced after wearing it though, but that may have been more to do with the lager/ale i had).  powerbar reps were on-hand to provide "gu-like" gels, but these were "double latte" flavored (it's initially a bit repulsive, but i eventually got used to the taste).

all in all, i would definitely do this race again.  i may even try the 22k next year!

xterra malibu creek challenge trail race 6k 2012 gear:

shoes - new balance 110

shirt - nike x undercover gyakusou dri-fit 3/4 sleeve shirt (spring 2012 collection)

shorts - new balance 7" tempo shorts

socks - new balance nbx cocona low cut

compression sleeves - cep allsports compression calf sleeves

compression tights - cw-x stabilyx ventilator shorts

hat - new balance momentum stride cap (white)

underwear - ruez brief

nike air diamond turf 2 / ii

i'm pretty much a full blown sneakerhead these days...and one set of kicks that i've been crushin' on lately is the nike air diamond turf 2's. these are deion "primetime" sanders' retro signature shoes, which he initially rocked while he was playin' football with the san francisco 49ers. because of that, the varsity red/white-metallic gold-black colorway by far is the most popular amongst trainer fans and the sneaker community in general (and it happens to match quite well with azrael's costume/outfit).

my preference however, leans more towards the so called "freshwater" colorway, which is officially stealth/white freshwater in colors. the colorblocking on this shoe while not officially associated with any teams that mr. sanders played for, has some people calling it "griffey-like" in colors, as-in ken griffey jr. with his seattle mariners days.

for those who don't know (but bo does), primetime was a 2-sport pro, as he not only played football, but also pro baseball with several teams, including the new york yankees, atlanta braves, cincinnati reds, and san francisco giants. that's why you see the unique logo on the back of the shoe, which is a football field goal post sticking out of a baseball homeplate base.

another colorway that i'm crushin' on is the "cool grey," which is officially cool grey/white soar black. this colorblocking of the shoe is reminescent of the dallas cowboys, another pro football team that deion played for.

along with the san francisco 49ers and dallas cowboys, the remaining teams that he played football with were the washington redskins, atlanta falcons, and baltimore ravens.

what are your thoughts/opinions on this shoe? cop or not? and what's your favorite colorway?

she runs la 10k 2012

so...i've been runnin' lately...a lot. so much so, that i actually signed up for and completed my 1st official race since high school. it was a 10k called "she runs la" which was organized by nike. ran out of paramount studios, down/west on melrose to harper and back. my finish time was 1:03:16, with an average mile pace of 10:11. not too shabby for my first time out as my 5'6" 175lbs self. my 5k split was averaging 9:02 per mile though (knew i shouldn't have sprinted out of the gates that fast).

the organization of the race was top-notch (or what i'd assume to be top-notch, since this was my 1st organized race in a long time), the mile markers were easy to read, they had a decent amount of aid stations with water scattered along the course, security personnel and they even had live entertainment during certain points of the track. i recall some breakdancers/b-boys, 80's aerobics/dance, high school marching band, 80's music cover rock band, and an all black gospel choir.

hopefully next race, i'll be 15lbs lighter and will be better about maintaining a steady pace throughout. my ultimate goal though, is to train enough to be in prime shape to run the 2013 la marathon. there...i said it. now i gots to make it happen!

she runs la 10k 2012 gear:

shoes - saucony kinvara 2

shirt - mizuno rider tee

shorts - new balance 7" tempo shorts

socks - new balance nbx cocona low cut

compression sleeves - cep allsports compression calf sleeves

hat - new balance momentum stride cap

underwear - ruez brief

vid of me crossing the finish line!!! look for me starting off in the distance to the right side in bright orange starting around 11 secs in...