runner's high

So despite being outrun by this guy and his dog (only temporarily and on a downhill, though, I'd like to point out), the Carneros Vineyard Run 10K was an all-around success. I finished with a chip time of 58:44 -- a 9:27-minute mile pace, which is really great for me, the girl who runs like a turtle.

The course was incredibly hilly. It started at Artesa, which is on a hill so massive that it actually has a view of the San Pablo Bay. I have also been told that if zombies were to attack, Artesa is the ideal place to evacuate to because said hill makes it like a fortress and you would easily see any approaching undead and could defend yourself from above, perhaps with harpoons and hot lead. (Does hot lead work on zombies?)

But I digress. As I was saying, the race started at Artesa, wound its way down with a quad-burning descent, flattened out a bit, went up a small hill out of the winery's driveway and then turned left down a very hilly country road lined with cows and vineyards for an out-and-back, which meant having to climb back up the gigantic hill to get to the finish line.

Laura and I ran the 5K on the same course last year, so we knew what was ahead of us. To prepare, we spent the past few months meeting in Carneros on the weekends to run hills. It was tough, but it paid off in a big way. While the hills didn't seem easier, we knew what we needed to do to get over them. The result? PRs for both of us!

To celebrate, we went to Boon Fly afterward for Bloody Mary's and doughnuts. Talk about post-race glow.