Postcards from the Weekend: LaceUp Irvine 10k Race Weekend Recap

As an Ambassador for the Lexus LaceUp Running Series, I received a complimentary race entry and accommodations for the LaceUp Irvine 10k. All opinions are my own.

Where to begin? I had such a great experience at the LaceUp Irvine 10k that I want to tell you everything that happened this weekend (hopefully without boring you!)! Well, let’s start with this (if you follow me on Instagram you already know):

Yes, you read that right! Age group winner at the #LexusLaceUp 10k in Irvine! Now I will eat!

A photo posted by Debbie Woodruff (@coachdebbieruns) on Sep 3, 2016 at 9:29am PDT

I know it’s kind of like giving away the ending of a movie, but I couldn’t hold it in. Now, let’s go back to the beginning.

I drove to Irvine on Friday afternoon.  I had a couple clients in the morning and I was trying as much as possible to miss the usually horrid traffic that I expected on the drive to Orange County, especially on the first day of a holiday weekend. Unfortunately, Alan couldn’t join me, so I was on my own for the ride.

Amazingly, I had great traffic the whole way, with the exception of a backup while I was still close to home. I made it to Roadrunner Sports in Costa Mesa in record time for packet pickup. While I was there I also picked up a much need pair of Wave Riders. Shopping done, I headed south to Irvine and my hotel. Again, the traffic was light.

I was staying at the Hotel Irvine, a very nice hotel located right off the freeway and several miles from the race venue. After checking in, I called Alan, set up my race day outfit, then headed to dinner (more on the food below).

When I returned from eating, I prepared a few more details then headed to bed. I did not sleep very well. Whether that was from pre-race nerves or the unusual experience of not sharing my bed with seven dogs, I’m not sure. Probably the latter, since I don’t really have pre-race nerves these days!

The LaceUp Irvine 10k

The race was scheduled to start at 7:05, so I was up by 5:00 with plenty of time to have coffee, dress, and drive to the park where the race would start. They had a 5k, my race, the LaceUp Irvine 10k, and, new this year, a marathon relay. I think this was a pretty cool idea. Teams of two to five ran a full 26.2 miles!

I arrived early enough to wander around the venue before the race. The weather was perfect. It was overcast and in the mid-60s, quite chilly for this desert rat. On my last run in the desert just two days before it was 85 and very humid!

There were quite a few booths including the sponsors Lexus and Saucony, massage, physical therapists, nutrition, plus a post-race beer garden and food trucks. Time went quickly, and soon it was time for the races to start. The relay started first, followed by the 5k at 7:00, then the LaceUp Irvine 10k at 7:05.

I lined up toward the middle of the pack. I was feeling pretty good. I’d been pretty faithful for all four weeks of my Faster 10k Training Plan, so I figured that my race would actually be faster than my last 10k time of 1:05:53, for which I’d done no special preparation.

Then we were off. The entire race was on the park path and the San Diego Creek Trail and it was a little narrow at the start. It felt a little slow because of that, but in retrospect, I think it helped me from going out too fast. But, if I were a speedster, I would definitely place myself to the front of the pack at the start.

The course was an out and back along the creek trail, mostly concrete and asphalt. I could feel the pounding, reminding me that when I’m training for a road race I need to train more on the roads than the trails. I did this for the most part, but it was only four weeks after a summer of trail running.

It was kind of a rolling route, the “hills” mostly coming when running under bridges. There was a net 477-foot drop on the first half (and the opposite on the return). I didn’t really feel that, but my mile time reflected it. My first two miles were both 9:40 and mile three was 9:50. I was happy with that. While I think if I had trained more I could do better, it was faster than my last 10k, and that was the point.

After the turnaround, I could feel that I was slowing down. Whether I was just getting tired or that gradual uphill, my fourth mile was 10:03, followed by 10:13 and the last mile was 10:20. It might have been even slower, but I played back and forth with a young woman during the last mile, which encouraged me to keep up.

I didn’t have much of a kick at the end, but I finished in 1:01:49, more than four minutes faster than my last race! And I managed to keep it under a 10-minute mile (by three seconds), which was about 30 seconds faster per mile than my last 10k. I’ll take that!

Oh, and of course this:

I’ll take that too!

I really enjoyed the LaceUp Irvine 10k. It was well organized, it started on time, there was a nice expo, and a beer garden. Plus the pictures are free, which is an awesome perk in an era where a 5″ x 7″ can run you about $25. It’s a family oriented event, including kids’ races and a fun activity booth for children.

And I can’t forget the plank challenge, in which I did not participate. The winners took home a pair of Saucony running shoes so there was a lot of motivation for the female winner who lasted about eight minutes! The man who won was somewhere in the six minute range.

Don’t forget, even if you missed this first race in the LaceUp Running Series, you can still save 15% any or all of the other three with my code debbieruns15. That includes Ventura on October 22, Palos Verdes on November 19, or Riverside on December 4. They all include a half marathon, 5k, 10k, and Ventura and Riverside have kids’ races!

Postcards from the Weekend: The Food

As I told you the other day, I was very excited to be in Irvine where there were many vegan food options. I love trying new places, but on Friday night I stuck with an old favorite, the Veggie Grill. It was about three miles from my hotel (though I wandered around a little in the dark before I found it).

Whenever I’m at a favorite restaurant I have to watch that my eyes aren’t bigger than my stomach (as my mom used to say), but I will say that I was pretty full when I left. That was mainly because I had to have the Smoky Corn Bisque. I’d had it once before and I remembered how good it was. It lived up to my expectations.

I also had to have fries, simply because they are my weakness and I rarely indulge (and at many restaurants they are not vegan, having been cooked in a multi-purpose fryer).

Try as I might, I always tend to order some variation on chicken. I ordered the Grillin’ Chickin’ sandwich. It comes with avocado, cilantro pesto, and chipotle ranch. It was really good.

After dinner I stepped over to Trader Joes, which was next door, to pick up a couple things for the morning. Then back to the hotel and bed. Fortunately, I didn’t get lost this time!

After the LaceUp Irvine 10k I kept it simple with a banana, bagel, and an awesome new Clif Bar. It is filled with peanut butter! They have several types of these new bars, which I can’t wait to investigate, but I picked this one up after the race and it was so good!

On the way home I had to choose between going to (a different) Veggie Grill or trying a new restaurant, the Free Soul Caffe. I try to expand my vegan horizons, so I chose the latter. I was there too late for the full breakfast menu, which was too bad because I had the craving for something sweet. That’s rare for me, I usually go for the savory at breakfast.

I was intrigued when I saw on the menu “Ham and Scrambled Eggs.” This was a vegan restaurant after all. I was told that they made all of their items from scratch in-house, and the “eggs” were made with a variety of seasonings and organic soy. I decided to go for it.

I was glad that I did, though I would have preferred some type of potato instead of a salad with my meal. Still, both the vegan ham and “eggs” tasted amazingly like the real thing and I completely enjoyed my meal. I recommend the Free Soul Caffe if you are ever in the Orange County/Irvine/Tustin area.

Postcards from the Weekend: The Hotel

I wouldn’t generally add to the length of this post by writing about the hotel, but I just want to share some fun that was going on there. They were hosting a ballroom dance competition and the hotel was filled with competitors, photographers, and their supporters. Even at 6:00 am when I was heading to my race, I spotted women in full makeup heading to a photo shoot. Talking about feeling underdressed!

When I returned after the race, the competition was still going on. While each couple was being judged, other contestants would use the music and practice in the hallway. In full ballroom costume of course.

There was also an “expo” of sorts going on. I was reminded of a running expo, but instead of running clothing and accessories, there were ballroom dance gowns, hair accessories, and jewelry being displayed. It was all pretty amazing and awesome.

As a huge fan of Dancing with the Stars (which starts next Monday!) I would have loved to watch some of the competition, but I didn’t have the time. Instead, I just enjoyed the spectacle as I walked through the hotel.

What’s Next?

After my experience at the LaceUp Irvine 10k, I am ready to get started training for my next race! I have quite a full schedule, but I’ll pick a couple target races and use the others for fun and training.

October

October 22: I’m afraid I’m going to have to make a choice here. This is the date for the LaceUp Running Series Ventura Half Marathon, which I really wanted to do. But, I just found out that is also the date for the Tram Road Challenge. That race is quite special to me since it is the one at which I got married (17 years ago as of the day after the race). Also, Alan announces it, which always makes my racing even more special. So I suspect I’ll be staying close to home.

October 30: Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon. The day before Halloween. That has to be great, right? Save $15 on registration with the code COACHDEBBIERUNS.

November

November 6: The Malibu Half Marathon. I’m not completely sure I’ll run this one but Alan is announcing it so I’ll be there. They have a 5k too, so I might go that way since I have two other half marathons in November (!).

November 13: Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas. I really want to run the strip at night! I’m doing the half because I’m not that crazy. Save $15 on registration with the code COACHDEBBIERUNS.

November 19: LaceUp Running Series Palos Verdes Half Marathon. I may be tired after three weekends in a row, but I know this will be such a beautiful race that I’m going to push myself to make it. Save 15% with the code debbieruns15.

November 24: The Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5k in La Quinta. I’m actually not running this, because my husband is the race director, but I’m working it and that is harder. If you want to join us, contact me directly and I’ll give you a $5 discount.

December

December 4: LaceUp Running Series Riverside Half Marathon. It’s the last race in the LaceUp Running Series and it’s the closest to home, so I’ll be there with (holiday) bells on! Save 15% with the code debbieruns15.

Whew! Congratulations if you held on until the end. That was a long one. Here’s the TL;DR: Great 10k in Irvine. Won my division. Great vegan food on the road. Ballroom dancing spectacle at the Hotel Irvine. Upcoming race schedule. Who says you need 2,000 words?

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! I’d love to hear about your family fun, races, BBQs and other weekend events!

 

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My weekly linkups! Please stop by and check out all of the great recipes, workouts, and information that all these awesome bloggers share every week!

Meatless Monday with Sarah and Deborah
Meatless Monday with Annmarie  and Rachel
Inspire Me Monday with Janice
Anything Goes with Marilyn
Wild Workout Wednesday with Annmarie, Michelle, Jen, and Nicole
The Plant Based Potluck Party with Deborah
The Running Coaches’ Corner with Rachel, Suz, Lora Marie, and Me!
Giveaway Roundup and Try Out Thursdays with Smitha
The Blogger’s Pit Stop with Kathleen, Janice, Julie and Me!
Living a Life of Fitness, Health and Happiness with Jill