Running in 2023 was not exactly what I expected when I started the new year. Not in a bad way, just in a different way. When I began 2023, I didn’t think I’d run another marathon, but it made sense. Then, I thought I would run two marathons, but sadly, an injury took me out of the California International Marathon. Have I talked about that enough, for real?
After a hard 2022 due to injury and illness, I was happy to have a fairly decent 2023. I rebuilt, I ran some 5ks faster than I have in a while, and I ran a marathon.
January:
Rose Bowl Half Marathon (1:34.55)
1:34:55 is not one of my fastest half marathons; in fact, it’s one of the slower ones. However, it was my fastest one in a while, and I was pleased that I finally felt like I was running well after a long 2022 and the ‘long flu’ (yes, that’s really a thing). January felt like the first month that I felt ‘normal’ since March or April of 2022.
February:
Surf City Half Marathon (1:36.50)
Boney Mountain Trail Race (2:23)
Great Aloha Run 8 Mile (57:37)
Hawaii Running Lab 10 Miler 1:15.57
February brought a lot of fun races. My goal for Surf City was my first 20-miler before the Los Angeles Marathon, and not only did I do it, but I also felt good too. I finally felt like I was becoming more fit.
We went to Hawaii, and I was lucky enough to find two races in hot weather. This proved to be good training because it helped me get acclimated to the heat, which was beneficial as the Los Angeles Marathon turned out to be on the warmer side. I really enjoyed the Great Aloha Run and would love to have the opportunity to do it again.
March:
Napa Valley Half Marathon 1:33.14
Los Angeles Marathon (3:24.59)
March brought some of my better races of the year. I finished a marathon! But what I’m likely more proud of is my 1:33 at the Napa Valley Half Marathon. While Napa is a slightly downhill course, we ran into a headwind a good amount of the time, and you know who doesn’t run the best in wind? LOL, that would be me.
Running the Los Angeles Marathon was so much fun. It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a marathon, likely due to the amount of fuel I took. I only felt ‘really tired’ in the last couple of miles.
April:
Pt Mugu Trail Race (1:54.33)
Broad Street 10 Miler 1:10.08
After some downtime post-Los Angeles, I decided to get back into shorter races. I kind of wish, for the rest of 2023, I had stuck with shorter races instead of deciding in late summer to run the CIM. But hindsight is 20/20. After my spouse left for a deployment, I decided to make the best of the situation and ran the Broad Street race back east. I love Broad Street and always have so much fun. I was sad to barely miss running under a 7-minute pace, but the rain definitely foiled that.
May:
Cinco De Miles 5 Miler (34:49)
La Jolla Half Marathon (1:37.43)
Menifee Memorial Day 5K (20:37)
May marked a return to shorter races. I was disappointed with the La Jolla Half. In 2022, it was one of my favorite half marathons, but in 2023, I just didn’t feel great. My body did not feel like running a half marathon that day. After that, I began focusing on shorter distances throughout the summer, which is where I feel I gained the most fitness.
June:
Corona Del Mar 5k Recap (20:30)
Long Beach Classic 5k (20:40)
Orenda Winery 5k (21:27)
Twilight 5000 (20:19)
Arroyo Creek 5k (21:30)
My goal for the summer was to break 20 minutes in the 5K, but sadly, I never felt great on the right day or at the right course. I had some really good efforts, like at Corona Del Mar, where if the course had been easier, I might have achieved it. Had I run in the morning for the Twilight 5000, maybe I would have met my goal. But, unfortunately, I never did achieve that goal.
July:
Angels 5k (3 miles?)
Pacific Palisades Will Rogers 10k (45:12)
Run Forest Run 5k 20:19
July felt like I was working hard without seeing a ton of results. Granted, some of the races were tough (like the Pacific Palisades 10K with over 400 feet of elevation gain?). But the combination of heat and hills was not conducive to speed. It wasn’t a bad month; in fact, I had a really great birthday month, but speed-wise, it was just okay.
August:
Twilight 5000 (20:35)
OC Fair Run 5k (20:38)
TransPerfect Victory Lap 5k (20:45)
August was one of my favorite months, but not one of my fastest. I got to go to Dubai and see my husband. Since he had been gone for just over six months, it was a nice change. However, it was not the best for running. Did I care? Not really. The temperatures soared well over 110 degrees and were humid, so I ran inside for every run.
The OC Fair Run was a race where I think I could have broken 20 minutes had it been a ‘fast course,’ but the number of turns made it nearly impossible to run fast (though it was so much fun!).
September:
Conquer the Bridge 5.3 Miles (6:57 pace)
Santa Monica Classic 10k (44:13)
Surf City 10 (1:11.07)
Race-wise, September is one of my favorites. The Conquer the Bridge and Santa Monica Classic are both challenging races but a lot of fun. I was surprised when I placed 3rd overall at Conquer the Bridge. It was a lot of fun. The Santa Monica Classic 10K is always a tough course, and I always forget about the hill at mile 4. But it’s a lot of fun.
October:
RnR San Jose (1:33.36)
Aquarium of the Pacific 5k (20:59)
Long Beach Half Marathon (1:38.20)
SpaceRock Trail Half Marathon (2:39)
Performance-wise, October might have been my best month of the year, although it’s tough to say because all four courses I ran were long. And not just ‘my GPS says they were long,’ but the courses were a good tenth to a quarter mile over in both road halves. I was bummed the Aquarium of the Pacific course was long because I would have been very close to running under 20 minutes. Honestly, the RnR San Jose would have been great if it hadn’t been a quarter mile too long. Running the Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Half in the same weekend was my best double in a while, but it’s tough to evaluate due to the course lengths.
Then, SpaceRocks is a tough trail race. Time doesn’t matter, but finishing a race with 3,000 feet of vertical climb does. I was happy with my finish.
However, the caveat to a good month of running was that it was the month I got injured with my hip issue. Did I push it too far? Possibly, but who knows. The hip issue took me out of running for about three weeks in October and November, but those were the weeks that mattered most for the marathon. So, it made sense to withdraw. I didn’t want to just go run a marathon after taking three critical weeks off due to injury, because my body would not hold up. Possibly another injury and definitely not a result I would want in the marathon.
November:
Antelope Valley Turkey Trot (22:50)
Since I got injured in October with a hip issue, I didn’t race much, and the Turkey Trot was my last race of 2023. I pulled out of every race I was signed up for, including my goal race, the CIM. It was tough, but at least the injury didn’t last long; it was just not great timing. So, most of November was spent resting, running on the treadmill with a lever machine, and just taking some downtime.
December:
Since I got injured in early November with a hip issue, I didn’t race much, and the Turkey Trot was my last race of 2023. I pulled out of every race I was signed up for, including my goal race, the CIM. It was tough, but at least the injury didn’t last long; it was just not great timing. So, most of November was spent resting, running on the treadmill with a lever machine, and just taking some downtime..
What’s in store for 2024?
Ha, I didn’t even mean to rhyme. I have a few goals for 2024 which feels crazy to say out loud.
- Run under 6 minute mile.
- Run under 20 minute 5k.
- Run under 1:30 half.
- Run faster than Los Angeles in 2023 (under 3:24)
All of these goals I’ve done a lot. If you asked me 5 years ago if these would be “good goals,” I would have thought why…I’ve done these all several times. But not recently.
Spring will is tailored towards running faster than Los Angeles last year. My build up has not been great so far and honestly I haven’t felt like I’m building much fitness, but honestly I also haven’t raced either so who really knows. After LA Marathon I plan to take at least 2 weeks off, but it could very well be more. Then I’ll start training for shorter distances 5ks and hopefully running under 6 in the mile. My current plan is to train for a half in the fall. After getting injured last fall, I don’t know if my body can or wants to handle two marathons in a year. So that is the current plan. Maybe things will change depending on how I feel but as of January 2024 those are the goals. Finally, are you looking for a Los Angeles Marathon coupon code? Send me an email at fuelebylolz at gmail dot com and we can run it together. (They don’t want them on coupon websites).
Questions for you:
How was your 2023?
Are you training for anything?
I’m going to try something different this year….I work with our Running Room events crew, we set up and take down the start/finish area, mark out routes, set up the distance markers (I do) and during the race sometimes we do what volunteers should do…direct runners and traffic..and I’m thinking I’m at all these events, why not just do some of them after we have everything set up, and then finish and do the tear down….I did that a few times this past year (one day, I helped set up a race in the morning, ran the 5K option, took off to work another race, and then that evening ran a 5K in the dark and helped with the tear down)…..could be fun…..
I have similar goals (20 minutes in 5k, sub 42 in 10k, sub 3:20). I might try to break six in the mile again, but who knows. Got down to 6:01 last year, which was just obnoxious. But the main race I’m training for is the Foot Traffic Flat Marathon on July 4 outside of Portland, Oregon.
There are two road miles in the Bay Area that I’m aware of–the Lightning Mile that the Dolphin South End Runners put on at the beginning of May. That’s a downhill mile. And the Danville Mile of Truth, which this year is the usatf Masters Road National Champs. But it’s the same day as the Bay to Breakers (which was dumb scheduling from all involved). I might jump in a track mile if I can find a field of people running my pace.