Legs felt cold and tight at beginning (had cooled down). Planned to run 10:30s for sub-33 on 4:1 run/walk (having not done continuous running, didn't think today would be a good time to start). 1st mile dead-on. Exercise-induced asthma mid-mile 2, had to take 2-min very slow walk break to breathe and ride out panic. Ran 3rd mile straight through.

Post Edit: It was great to hit my goal and PR, but mostly I am just really, really pleased with how I recovered from what was a pretty intense and scary asthma attack (people around me stopped to ask if I was okay) to put in a blistering 3rd mile and chase down the time I wanted.

Continue warming up to start of race, or time arrival closer to start time (but that'd make me too nervous). BRING AN INHALER (the best extra weight I can carry). Drink less water (kept drinking 'cause throat was dry and irritated, but fingers wound up swelling), but bring a cough drop or two. Train to run continuously (or today, done 3:1--might have averted asthma as well as run faster overall); actually do some 5K-pace short running segments during long runs.

Oh yeah, sunblock and shades would have been a good idea too.

Overran finish line, past chip-cutters (who start fluttering and panicking), decelerated and walked back. Walked down to pier (5 min), had chocolate milk, pancakes, and grapes. Hung around the pier party, walked 3.5 mi back home.


Asthma mid-mile 2, not racing/pacing 5Ks or being able to run through, coming off 26-mile distance last weekend


Ran inaugural last year--it was already good and this year it was great. I was sad to see less people in costume, with dogs, strollers, kids, etc. ... last year was more like a party, this year was more like a race. Fast lines for goody bags and breakfast. Great live band. Just a super, super post-race party on the pier.
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FUN OBSERVATIONS (for those still reading)

Left my house before the azz crack of dawn (as Bunny would say, stupid o'clock) and saw stars. On the horizon I could see what appeared to be the sun rising behind the mountains--the sliver of a ball of fire--but it was an actual ball of fire burning in Malibu. Very eerie. Within minutes--and it happened in a split second, because I watched it--the sky turned from blue-black to grey.

As for the race--I BEAT THE KENYANS YET AGAIN!! TWO YEARS IN A ROW! (Okay, so they were running the 10K and started 1/2 hour after me, but so what).

Nesquik was a race sponsor, and during the run, I kept following bunny azz--I nearly beat the guy running in bunny costume. I did yell GO BUNNY! as he ran by me after the turnaround and he looked like he wanted to either kill me or himself (probably both). HA! HA!

As I neared the finish line, I saw a guy with Bruins splashed all over the back of his shirt--no way am I gonna let a Bruin beat me. Bruins may use Trojans, but Trojans always go over the top. So I turned to the rickety old guy who'd been pacing me most of the way and I said, "We gotta take that guy." Both of us started speeding up and the old guy wound up slingshooting me over the finish line, cutting right in front of the Bruin who looked hella surprised. YES! Later I ran into the old guy on the pier and he nodded and said, "You sure took him, didn't you?" and winked. I laughed and thanked and congratulated him.

The pinnacle of the day was when I talked to a sizzling redhead who had (I'm sure, gotta see final results) just won his age group ... he told me how good I looked and I told him it's because I'M A TRIATHLETE (Gail, I want my points AND bonus points!!!)

A little background. At last year's race I literally walked into this same gorgeous redhead after the race--I said "excuse me," then we looked at each other, he said, "Yanti?" and I said, "Mike?" We'd been childhood friends, and our mothers were friends, when we were in kindergarten through middle school. We lost touch after that, and then I just bumped into him after the 2006 race. We chatted, but his girlfriend was with him and giving me snake eyes (and I was in a LTR at the time), so we parted ways and exchanged a few e-mails. I'd completely forgotten about him until ...

He remembered our conversation verbatim from last year and had my e-mail address memorized (and I vice versa). He asked if he could take me to lunch (not, "Let's do lunch," but "Hey, can I take you to lunch next week?") I talked about my recent trip to Indonesia ... he look into my eyes and said, "You're going to move back, aren't you?" I nodded. He said, "Yeah, I know it's home for you ... well, it's home for me, too. I'm planning to take a trip back, and stay for a year, if I can."

I laughed. "That's not a trip. You go back for a year, you're gonna stay."

He smiled and said, "Maybe."