Race Recap: 2015 City of Cypress 5K

On Saturday morning, I raced my first 5K of 2015, the City of Cypress 5K. I had been looking for a 5K to race as a fitness check-in for a couple of weeks. I figured it would be good to know where I stood speed-wise before I start marathon training.

The race was only the second time I've raced in 2015. I was honestly not sure I wanted to run the race, since I had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. on Friday to drive up to Downtown Los Angeles for a pro bono hearing (I'm doing an asylum case; as a corporate lawyer, appearing in court is not something I ever do). The closest 5K I could find was in Cypress, which is a 30 minute drive from my apartment, and I'd need to get there before 7:00 a.m. to register for the race and get in a warm-up.

I was still undecided about running the 5K on Friday night. Sourabh had a Mexican food craving (specifically for queso fundido; apparently studying for the bar exam gives you weirdly specific cravings like being pregnant does), and since he was just four days out from the bar on Friday, I wasn't about to turn him down. Also it's very difficult for me to turn down Mexican food...

When I went to bed Friday night, I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., but thought I probably wouldn't want to race. Only I naturally woke up at 4:58 a.m. and felt pretty awake, and I knew if I did try to go back to sleep I'd just sit there in the dark feeling annoyed at myself for not racing. So I hauled my ass out of bed and got ready.

I ate half a Picky Bar, picked up an iced coffee from McDonald's for the 30 minute drive (this is totally a Lazy American cliche, but I really love the convenience of drive-thrus, especially early in the morning), and hit the 405 to head north to Cypress.

Once I got there, I registered, which took about 5 minutes since the organization was fantastic, then hit the bathroom. There were three real bathrooms by the registration area, and then about 15-20 porta potties near the start line.

I stretched a bit, jogged around for 15 minutes, did my dynamic warm-up routine, ran a couple strides, then hit the bathroom two more times because, ahem, Mexican food (sorry).

I ate a salted caramel Gu and sipped some water since the water station was before the finish line (it was meant for the 10K runners, but they were offering water to everyone before the race). Then I headed to the start line and listened to my psych-up playlist, which includes such gems as Fort Minor's "Remember the Name" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself". Fun story: I listened to this playlist before the first day of the California bar exam.

No corrals, but it was easy to get to the front.

As soon as the race started, I immediately regretted my decision to run with a shirt on. It had been cloudy up until about five minutes before the race started, but the sun had finally broken through the marine layer, and I was HOT.

Mentally, I just wasn't "right" for the whole race. I never felt like I pushed hard enough, but when I tried to get myself to kick it into another gear, I just couldn't find the mental discipline to do so. I almost always start races thinking, "why am I about to do this?" But this time that mentality didn't go away in the first half mile like it normally does.

The course is basically a large square through residential streets of Cypress, and it's all flat, so it wasn't super interesting, but plenty of families came out to watch so there were distractions. I mainly tried to pick people ahead of me to catch up to and then pick new ones.

Extremely sweaty post-race.

I ended up finishing in 24:06, which is 17 seconds off my PR of 23:49. My splits were: (1) 7:31, (2) 7:50, (3) 7:56, (.11) 0:47 (6:53 pace) <--- positive splitting like a champ.

I started the race well and just could not keep it up. I can't possibly blame the heat or the Mexican food or anything else for my failure to PR on Saturday because it was 100% a mental issue. I know that physically a 5K PR is within my ability, and Saturday's race was all about my inability to stay mentally strong in the latter half of the race.

I plan to run several more short course races in the next few months (with Coach Jess's blessing, of course) so that I can focus on the mental aspect of racing. I've definitely been a lot mentally stronger in races in the past, but I haven't raced much in the past year. I think more races can only be a good thing as long as they're shorter and aren't putting me at risk of injury.

One big, shining positive, however: I was first in my age group! I think most of the "fast" runners were running the 10K, but hey, any time you can end up with an age group win, the race can't be a total bust, right?

I hung around to eat a popsicle and cheer on the lead women for the 10K before jogging for 8 minutes or so as a cool-down, then drove home and took a nap.

First woman in the 10K coming in like a boss. Look at that gorgeous stride.

Now, I'm on the hunt for another 5K to try to redeem myself and PR. 

Race Facts

• Parking: Free. I think as long as you arrived 30 minutes before you'd be able to park relatively close to the start line.  
• Course: Loop of closed roads. This is not a scenic route. You're running on neighborhood streets, but it's kind of fun because a lot of families were sitting outside their homes, watching the runners. The 10K runs two loops of the 5K course. I would not personally be a fan of this because the idea of doing a loop and seeing the finish line so close then veering to the right to do the loop all over again would mentally kill me.
• Bathroom situation: Six real bathrooms (three for men, three for women) near the registration/finish line area, and plenty of porta potties near the start. 
• Swag: No medal unless you're doing the race as part of a series of Orange County races. Cotton t-shirt is included in registration price.
• Price: $25 early registration (until roughly two weeks before), $35 "late" registration.
• Corrals: No corrals, but I had no problem situating myself close to the front, and the race takes up about half a city street so it doesn't get too congested if you're towards the front.
• Post-Race Food: Popsicles, bagels, bananas, and water bottles. The race is also part of the City of Cypress Festival, which has a pancake breakfast.

I would 100% recommend the City of Cypress 5K/10K if you're looking for a late July short course race. The organization was superb and the course was flat and fast.

Race Recap: 2014 Orange County Turkey Trot 5K

(source)

Yesterday I ran my fourth 5K! The Orange County Turkey Trot 5K had some issues -- it started late because there weren't enough porta-potties or people to check in morning-of registrants. I overheard that it was the first year of the race so it makes sense there would be kinks to iron out. All the volunteers and coordinators were very nice, too. It was a nice and flat out-and-back course with a medal at the end and lots of food and drinks, so I was happy with the race. And... I PR'd so I have nothing to complain about!

PR smiles

I was dreading the race the night before. My parents and I went to see Aziz Ansari (he was fantastic -- really funny and insightful -- and the tickets were only $35, thank you, Orange County!) and we didn't get home till 11:30 p.m., which is after my bedtime on a normal night, let alone the night before a race. I was so tempted to bag the race entirely since my legs felt a bit sore and I knew I was coming off not a lot of sleep. And in all honesty, I wondered if I could hit a similar pace to my July 2013 PR (7:59 avg) and didn't want to run the race at all if I'd be way off. 

But thankfully I didn't give in to my lazier/cowardly urges because the race went fantastically! I PR'd, I got to cheer my dad on through the finish line, and I had my mom and Mason there cheering.

The cheer squad

I hate having much in my stomach for short runs, so all I ate was a tiny end-piece of bread with some almond butter and honey at about 7 a.m., an hour before the start, and a salted caramel Gu right before the start.

The course was an out-and-back that took us around the Irvine Valley College campus. There were quite a few kids running and one of the top 15 was an 8 year-old boy who ran a 19:18! The little girl running a 7:30 pace in front of me was my inspiration for the first two miles.

Irvine Valley Campus includes some pretty farmland that we raced around.

I've written before about the mental side of running, and while I didn't initially want to be running, I just refused to let that affect me mentally once I started. (It helped that it was only a 5K.) I kept my mental game very positive the whole time and focused on the fact that Tuesday I had just run six 800m repeats at a 7:00 pace. I thought of this as a longer version of that workout and it helped me push the pace.

It was a gorgeous day for a 5K.

Splits
(1) 7:44
(2) 7:55 <-- always the hardest mile for me in 5Ks
(3) 7:28

Finish Time -- 23:49

(The race started without much warning so I didn't start my Garmin right away and only have 3 miles of splits.)

"Can't-talk-about-to-puke" snapshot

I nearly threw up after crossing the finish line so I think that's a pretty good sign I ran the last mile hard.

Gear

• Oiselle distance shorts
• My beloved Saucony Kinvara 4's
• Nike dri fit tank and sports bra
• Sparkly Soul thin headband
• Sunglasses I picked up for free from a Sweet'N Low booth two years ago and still feel guilty for wearing because Sweet'N Low is gross but they just work so well for running...

Mason had to be in every picture, obviously.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, Americans! Hope everyone had a great day filled with fun, food, family, and friends.

Race Recap: 2013 Dash to the Finish Line 5K

On the day before the ING New York City Marathon, New York Road Runners holds a 5K that takes you through the streets of Midtown up to Central Park and through the marathon finish line.

As soon as I saw the route, I wanted to run this race. My favorite part of the NYC Half was running through Midtown, and getting to pass under the marathon finish line would be an awesome preview of what so many of my friends would be doing the next day.

The race is a bit expensive ($40 I think?), but when you consider how many major streets are shut down for the race, including part of 42nd Street, I considered it fair.

We were lucky, and after a couple of gloomy days last week, Saturday was gorgeous running weather. High 50s and sunny. I was surprised by how many runners were in long sleeves and tights! I wore shorts and a tee shirt and ended up feeling warm during the race (but I also "run hot").

HUGE thanks to Gianna, who made running the race possible! The only place you could pick up your bib was at the NYC Marathon Expo at Javits Center, which is on the far west side of Midtown, about 4 long avenue blocks from the subway, and the hours were 10 AM - 7 PM Thursday and Friday. Since I work in Midtown East and a typical day runs from 9 AM to 7 or 8 PM, there was no way I could have gotten my bib if not for Gianna. She volunteered to pick it up for me while picking up her own, which was so helpful. Thanks so much, Gianna!

We met up at the start line around 8 AM and chatted about our "race strategies." Neither one of us was out to PR -- I ran my first marathon three weeks ago and she was running NYC the next day, so it would have been a bad idea for either of us to race this.

I decided my goal was going to be to beat my previous New York Road Runners pace PR (an 8:55) and Gianna was using the race as a shakeout run before the marathon.

I think a lot of runners were doing the same thing, since the race was surprisingly crowded. It's a great option if families travel in from out of town to cheer at the marathon and want something fun to do the day before. I saw a lot of people who seemed to be in groups running together.

The race course starts you off right in front of the UN building on the East River. Is it shocking to say that I'd never been there? I've seen it in many movies (notably, the 1966 Batman movie, which was a favorite of mine when I was an oh-so-cool little kid), so it made the start line extra fun.

As soon as we took off, I realized that this was not a race to "race." The course was incredibly packed, despite taking up all of 42nd Street. I think that for a lot of runners visiting from out of town, they use this race as a fun run pre-marathon to check out the city and the sights. Lots of runners had flags painted on their faces (or hanging down their backs) and I saw so many people stopping in the middle of the road to take pictures. I couldn't be annoyed, though, because how can you hate on so much enthusiasm for your city?

This is a race to be enjoyed. You run by iconic sites like the UN building, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall. I loved seeing so many people having fun on the streets of Manhattan.

And of course, the race concludes with the finish line of the NYC Marathon.

I finished in 26:58. Not a PR by a long shot, but I did chop 13 seconds off my NYRR pace PR (from 8:55 to 8:42 average pace). Woot! 

This race is such a fun celebration of running and NYC, and even better, it's one that doesn't require you to train for a marathon! 

Did you run a race this weekend? Do you like races that celebrate the city they're in?

Race Recap: 2013 Northwest Raspberry Festival 5K

Call me an addict, but the minute I booked my ticket to Washington to study for the bar in a nice quiet, rural place, I also looked up local races. Nothing crazy like a half marathon, but I figured the shot of endorphins a nice 5K or 10K would give me would be worth the break from studying.

When I saw the Northwest Raspberry Festival 5K Fun Run and Walk, I added it to my race calendar and got psyched for a fun race. Honestly I didn't think I had it in me to PR by myself. When I ran my first 5K in December, I had the fabulous Abby pacing me, and there were so many times during that race I thought I was going to pass out or give up. Could I possibly run even faster than that without someone keeping me going? Probably not. 

While seeing the Ragnar Relay runners on Friday left me feeling race-inspired, I didn't actually wake up Saturday wanting to run. I haven't been getting much sleep lately so another hour sounded heavenly. (Combination anxiety and studying equals poor sleep. It's all the bar exam's fault -- think I have a tort claim against the bar for intentional infliction of emotional distress? Haha, law joke, not funny, I know... delirious rambling will stop, I promise).

Still, I told Coach Jess I'd be running it, and she'd given me a race plan and everything, so I hauled my ass out of bed and got ready. I'd also put together a kickass 5K playlist that I wanted to try out, so clearly I had to run it.

I love local races so much. I hadn't registered beforehand and arrived there at 8:15, thinking I was a bit late to register since registration "closed" at 8:45. Um... this is what I arrived to see. Everyone ended up coming right at 8:45! I didn't mind the extra time, however, since I used it to run a mile warm-up and listen to my "Race Psych-Up" playlist.

A few things I've learned -- first, warming up for short races is essential. I used to think that a warm-up before a short race would waste my energy or strength, but that's not true at all. Instead, it warms up your muscles (hence the term warm-up) and gets them primed for speed. Plus, Coach Jess hasn't steered me wrong yet, so when I had a 15 minute warm-up, I set out to get it down (it ended up being about 12 minutes).

I find that the first mile or so of any run typically feels hard for me, but my body settles down after that. By doing a warm-up, you get that out of the way and your body is ready to race!

The second thing I've learned: I'm truly in love with my current fueling. I used to have a normal-sized breakfast before short races, meaning a piece of whole wheat toast, peanut butter, and a banana. It often left me feeling full while running the race, which isn't ideal for a short distance.

Now, I've switched to my normal, everyday run fueling -- half a Picky Bar for a distance under 6 miles (AKA an hour) and a full Picky Bar for anything more than that. The fueling felt perfect for a 9 AM 5K!

I finished my short loop warm-up, waved at my mom and sister who came to cheer me on, then headed to the start line. At precisely 9:00 AM (seriously, check my Garmin!), we lined up for the "ready, set, go!"

The first mile seemed effortless. I checked my watch to see where in the mile we were and was shocked to see a pace in the 7's! Since my watch can be so inaccurate in the first quarter mile, I ignored it. Jess's plan was for me to run 85% for mile 1, 90% for mile 2, 95% for 2/3 of mile 3, and 100% for the last bit. Gauging what 85% was seemed difficult when the pace felt so effortless, so I just held on and figured I'd see what happened.

A few men passed me in that first mile, and one young girl, but I didn't want to blow myself up so I didn't try to catch up. Plus, I knew there were only three or four women ahead of me at that point, so I made it my goal not to let any other women pass me.

When the first mile beeped and I saw 7:49, I was shocked and delighted -- I figured as long as I didn't completely crash in the next two miles, I could definitely PR, but I think that I let myself pull back a bit in the second mile because I was worried I'd crash. It clocked in at 8:20. I knew I could have pushed a bit harder, so as soon as I hit 2.00, I started pumping my arms faster to try to speed up.

It helped that in the third mile, I saw the girl who had initially passed me. I flashed her a big smile and thumbs up as I passed, and she shouted good job as I surged ahead. I was actually racing?? This felt awesome.

Until I ran up the short incline leading back to the finish line. It was the last quarter mile and at that point my legs were about ready to give out. Still, I saw the third woman ahead of me and pushed hard, trying to catch up. Apparently she had more in the tank than I did, since what turned out to be a 13 year-old took off when she saw me, leaving me dry heaving in the chute with a 7:54 mile 3 and 6:32 pace for the last .05 miles. I high fived the girl for being freaking amazing after I'd bent over a trash can and confirmed that I was not, in fact, going to puke before 10 AM on a Saturday morning. If I dry heaved at the finish line, I think I ran the 5K right?

(Yes, I think the course was a bit short, since my Garmin read 3.05. I generally trust the course over my Garmin, but for a casual race like this, I'm guessing that the course probably was a bit under 3.1)

Still, this race was a huge PR for me! My splits were: (1) 7:49, (2) 8:20, (3) 7:54, (.05) 6:32 for a 7:59 average pace. For context, I had trouble running a 7:30 timed mile back in February.

Sparkly Soul headband, Oiselle Winona Tank and Diamond Roga Shorts, Saucony Kinvara 4's, and Nike sports bra (I think it's this one)

Post-PR -- can you tell how happy I am? I hadn't heard about my place yet -- I just honestly couldn't believe that I was able to push myself so hard without anyone running with me.

I think a huge part of it was the competitive element. In a NYC race, there are thousands of people. I'm lucky to be in the top half! But when I knew I was racing for a top 10 finish? I was able to push myself so much harder. I could set my sights on one woman to "pick off" then move on to the next, rather than being surrounded by a sea of runners. That difference felt incredibly important for such a short race.

What made this PR extra sweet?

Coming in first in my age group (19-29 women) and fourth woman overall. Ecstatic is an understatement.

Seriously, local races are the best!! This was such a great confidence booster before I take some time to focus on bar studying. Jess's concentration on easy effort mileage is making me a lot stronger (more to say about this) and still keeping my legs fresh enough to run 14 miles Sunday, 4 miles Tuesday, 15 miles Wednesday, and a huge 5K PR on Saturday.

So excited for post-bar return to intense training, and for exciting things to come this fall!!


2B Drink Winner

Congratulations to Heather, the winner of the 2B drinks giveaway! Ironically, when I announced the giveaway, I also mentioned what an awesome hill repeat partner Heather had been. I guess it was good karma since the random.org pulled up Heather's name Saturday when I ran the numbers!

Clearly people should run with me then play the lottery. Congrats, Heather! Email me and I'll put you in contact with 2B Drinks :)

Tell me something awesome that happened to you recently, whether running-related or not. Did it give you confidence in another area of your life?

What are your thoughts on easy-paced mileage -- love it or hate it?

Weekly Goals and Workout Recap: Beating the Blues

Hello and happy Monday!

Last week, despite being my spring break, was kind of rough. After Katie left on Tuesday, my mood just plummeted. I was really sore and my pinkeye came back in the other eye, along with nasty cold symptoms, so I was SUCH A GRUMP. We had another friend come visit for four days, and while I loved seeing him, having a guest in our 600 sq ft apartment for 8 days straight was kind of tough.

Guests in my home = I can't chill like Mason.
It's not polite to lie like this when you have guests since open-air genitals are a bit awkward. 

Are you ever a bitch (or dick, let's be gender-neutral) and hate yourself for acting that way? I was there a lot last week. I was desperate for a nap by 3 PM. I was snappy and irritable and just did not want to be in NYC. I was such a delight. And every time I'd snap, almost entirely at Sourabh, I'd be like, "ahhh why am I being like this?"

Normally I go for a run when I'm in a bad mood and that clears it up immediately. I call those runs my "therapy runs." But since my body was in no shape to be running on Tuesday or Wednesday, that just wasn't an option.

Thankfully my ghoulish mood went away by Friday morning. I think my body was just really exhausted and sick, and the grey and cold weather didn't help. Clearly I'm recovered from my bitchy blues since today there is snow on the forecast and I am nevertheless feeling pretty cheerful.

It also helped that the weekend was lots of fun! Sourabh and I went to Boulud Sud to take advantage of their weekday lunch deal, which was really tasty, and I got to spend the rest of Friday decompressing and resting since he went to NJ for the weekend to visit his parents.

Saturday I did a ton of decorating (post on that to come!) before having dinner with Ashley and then heading to Dori's birthday party. So much blog friend fun!!

Beth, Dori, Leticia, Theodora, me, Liz
(credit: Dori)

And the perfect conclusion to the weekend? Sourabh getting home on Sunday with eight containers of homemade Indian food. COME TO MAMA.

Some of it is stuff you've probably never seen unless you've eaten in an Indian home, since most Indian restaurants are much creamier and less veggie-heavy than normal Indian cooking. It's actually a lot healthier than most of the stuff you see in restaurants!

Since I was recovering from the NYC Half, I have no real workout recap, so I'm just posting my goals for this week. But first, a quick announcement!


Kick Ass Virtual 5K
Abby of Run Stronger Every Day is hosting a virtual 5K to benefit Team Challenge on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. Abby's blogs about running, training, and her personal experience with ulcerative colitis. She is SO inspiring, and I am so excited to participate in her virtual 5K!

Please join me in donating $15 and supporting Team Challenge, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's fundraising and endurance training program. Check it out here!


This Week's Goals
Unfortunately, during Sunday's short run with Katherine I experienced some knee pain. I'd felt it a bit on my 1 mile run on Saturday to test out the legs, but it only occurred after I stopped running. This time, the nagging knee pain started after a mile and wouldn't go away, growing a bit worse even, so I called the run short at 3.7 miles.

So this week will be focused on cross-training -- yoga, strength training, and potentially a spin class -- and hopefully by the weekend I'll be recovered and able to run!

• 2-3 yoga classes/practices (based on how my knee feels in today's class)
• 3 strength training sessions (nothing involving jumping)
• 2 cross-training sessions (elliptical, spin, etc. - whatever feels ok on the knee)

As you might have noticed, I'm being super cautious! I've never had knee pain so I'm hoping it's just tired and that more rest and ice should have it cured quickly.





How long does it take you to recover from a goal race? Have you ever had a nasty mood you couldn't shake for a few days?

Race Recap: 2012 NYC Runs Hot Chocolate 5K

Sunday was my last short race of 2013 and my first official 5K! I'd never run a 5K before, so I was a bit nervous. You're supposed to go all out for such a short distance, but I wasn't sure what "all out" would be for me. To make matters worse, I was still sore from a Refine Method class I took Friday evening.

Course Map!
(source)

The day did not dawn bright and sunny. It was that kind of misty not-quite-rain that permeates everything with a damp cold. I met Abby at the subway since we live near each other and we headed down together. She had generously agreed to pace me to my goal -- whatever that was. I wasn't quite sure, but I told her I wanted to keep my pace under 8:30 if possible.

We met up with Beth, Jenny, and Liz on Roosevelt Island and we hung out in Duane Reade for 15 minutes to stay warm. This may sound lame, but hanging out in the Safeway parking lot was the coolest thing to do for highschoolers my hometown. I can't speak to how cool it actually is because I never went. I hung out at a coffee shop and played board games and did not have a boyfriend. This was probably a good thing in retrospect.

We headed out to the race line a few minutes before the race was supposed to start and grabbed Ashley,  who was pacing Beth. So many fast runners willing to help out on Sunday! I love how supportive the running community is. I hope someday I can pay it forward by pacing someone.

This was my first NYC Runs race and I was impressed with the race. The organization is nowhere near the size of NYRR, but I liked that -- it meant the race felt like a local affair instead of a giant sea of runners. Sure, it wasn't as organized and there didn't seem to be specific corrals, but I felt like the race process went smoothly, and for $25 who could ask for more?

These were basically my thoughts during the race:

This feels fine! This will be great! Oh wait, this is feeling hard. Why is running so hard? Why does this feel so terrible? OH HEY THERE'S ABBY CHEERING (other Abby)! HI ABBY!! Ok, ow, what is happening. Must keep up with Pacer Abby. I might pass out. I might not finish. There's no way I'm making this. 3.1 miles is the longest distance ever. I will clearly never finish running. There's a puddle, I wonder if I could convincingly fake a fall and then lie down.

I know. Diehard winner here. I legitimately thought, "it would be nice to fall and lie down" around mile 2.75.

BUT. I kept going. I used a bunch of mantras. I had my Erica Sara Say It Do It bracelet engraved to say "Run Faster Be Stronger." It's inspired me many times and it worked again; I repeated it as I breathed in and out. Once that got too repetitive to have meaning, I started pumping myself up by telling myself increasingly embarrassing things: "You are strong! You are fierce! You are a warrior woman!" I am admitting this only because I think it actually helped me as I ran.

I have to give huge thanks to the best pacer ever. Abby didn't try to talk to me (because I was breathing too hard to be able to talk much), but she let me know as we hit various distance points, pointed out a few things, and encouraged me when I needed it most in the last mile.

Here are my splits according to Abby's Garmin:

Perfect negative splits! An 8:22 pace according to NYC Runs and an 8:15 pace according to Abby's Garmin. I actually started breathing asthmatically during that 7:11 paced .11 mile and Abby later said she was a bit worried I might die. But I didn't!

Best. Pacer. Ever.
(also, I have totally hot chipmunk face here)

And not only did I not die, I placed 12th in my age division out of 137!! I didn't learn this until later and was ecstatic. Like I said... BEST PACER EVER.

After we finished, Abby and I cheered on the sidelines before we all gathered together for the delicious hot chocolate. We also met up with Fiona after the race as -- she placed 4th in her age division!!

Racers! L-R:  Fiona, Ashley, Liz, Beth, me, Jenny, and Abby
(thanks for the picture, Beth!)

This race was SO hard to run, but I am incredibly happy with the results. Less than a year and a half ago I was telling my trainer that I was incapable of running. Her advice then, as I mentioned in my year-end running survey, was the best running advice I've gotten: yes, you can.

Did you race last weekend or do you have an upcoming race? What was your best race experience in 2012?