He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.
Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)
I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.
Mia Hamm
The Goal: Run Fast, Get Strong, Get Organized
The Plan: Train Smart, Complete Insanity, Follow Flylady (sort of!)
Goal One: Get Fast!
In an effort to keep myself accountable with a "real" training plan, I will be chronicalling my training leading up to the North Olympic Discovery Marathon set for June 5th. What happens on that day will be the result of my planning or lack thereof. After watching my race times slow last year, I determined to set a goal other than just finishing races this year.
For those "just" finishing races, my imaginary hat goes off to you! I'm only saying "just" to compare it to finishing in a certain time range. Finishing races without goal times is a huge accomplishment and please know how much I appreciate all the training and effort that goes into finishing races.
Many friends have been curious as to how I train (or not train) so this will be a glimpse into my daily training goals and what actually happens.
Goal Two: Get Strong!
I have completed Month One of Insanity while still running daily. The last week of Insanity was also the first week of my official Marathon plan. I have noticed gains in strength since I've started!
Get Organized:
Reality check! My home suffers from my training schedule. It's not that I don't have time; it's more that I put things off around the house because I'm either tired, busy with family stuff, or just am being rebellious and "don't wan't to." I do love a clean house. And sometimes I enjoy cleaning house. Most of the time, however, I get a little snarky (I've been watching Doctor Who) about having to clean AGAIN! It's an endless, mostly thankless job.
Flylady http://flylady.net/ has helped me in the past and I'm relying on her FREE motivation to get my act together at home. She has different "tricks" to help you get some cleaning accomplished without feeling too overwhelmed. The house is divided into "zones" and this week it's the kitchen. Every day you check the list and do the assigned "chores" in those room. In addition, you can add 15 minute "declutter" sessions.
My goals breakdown for the week:
Get fast, Week Two:
Total Miles: 68
Yassos: 8 x 800
Strides: 10 x 100 in an 8 mile run
Long run: Fishline 50k (long run only needs to be 18 miles this week)
Get Strong:
Insanity Cardio Core & Balance Recovery week. Group workouts T/Th might be the harder workouts.
Get organized:
15 minutes daily of focused decluttering of current "zone"
Follow Kelly's Daily Missions
Detailed Cleaning Lists for Zones
Summary of last week:
I did nothing to get organized last week. Moving on!
Completed my first week of marathon training with 54 weekly miles. I didn't get in my 17 mile long run as I slept 12 hours Friday night and woke up late in addition to just feeling crummy. Managed a slow 6 miles Saturday. Sunday was all day soccer and the Superbowl. Another 6 miles. I should have had 64 miles.
I finished the first month of Insanity with a whimper. My last two workouts were about 80% effort as my body just felt like it needed to sleep and sleep. I hope this week has me feeling stronger!
Running blog about marathons, ultras, 5ks and everything in between. Race recaps, running stories, things runners don't tell you when you start your running journey.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Cedar River 50k
January 30, 2011
Free! I love free! Free samples at Costco, buy one get one free, free applications and downloads, but especially I love free races!
The Yours Truly Cedar River 50k is a free marathon and 50k event associated with the world wide Yours Truly event. After the Yukon Do It Marathon on December 31st, my plan was to have unscheduled running and start Insanity on January 10th. I decided to become a Beachbody coach this year because I love helping people and love being healthy. It was a perfect fit. Here is My Beachbody Website if you want to see what I'm up to with Insanity.
I ran every day in January, keeping my "streaker" status alive. January 15th was the Capital Peak 17 mile trail run, my longest run of the year. My unstructured running schedule was nice break from the constant "how many days/weeks until...race".
February 1st would be my first official day of an 18 week training plan leading up to the North Olympic Discovery Bay Marathon. I have other races planned before then but this is my "goal" race. Wow, do I want to race well on June 5th. Somehow I have managed to come in 2nd overall three years in a row. Last year I had given up my quest about mile 16 as there were four women ahead of me and I was struggling. In the last couple of miles I passed three women and secured 2nd place again with no room to spare. I realize that race day can present circumstances out of your control like weather, illness, injury and having someone super speedy show up you weren't expecting. My goal is to run my best and be happy with the outcome regardless of place.
I finished 3 weeks of Insanity workouts, ending with plyometrics and an easy 4 miler, the day before Cedar River. I contemplated taking an "off" day from Insanity but then read about my running friends running a 50k on Saturday and the Cedar River on Sunday. And another friend who ran 41 miles on Saturday and another 41 on Tuesday, all under a 9:00 minute pace. I decided 40 minutes of jumping around was doable.
I had everything laid out the night before, and after an uneventful morning, left at 6:30 a.m. and was at the Landsberg trailhead by 7:45 a.m.
Exiting the porta-pottie, who should I see but the infamous Annie Thiessen and her friend, Danita Erickson. If you asked, "Who?", you must not be from the Northwest or you haven't followed local racing results. I've met Annie before and she's as sweet as she is fast. I hadn't met Danita but have witnessed her running prowess at the races. As we walked toward the start together, the Sesame Street song, "One of these things is not like the other..." Really? Why does my brain tell me things like that?
The race started very casually as we meandered by the trailhead and began running when we were ready. I started a few minutes after 8:00 am. after getting my music set and clothing adjusted. The course intermittently ran next to the Cedar River, allowing runners a visual distraction. We crossed over foot bridges and ran through underpasses. The trail was wide and a dirt/gravel surface, making it very easy to run without any technical aspects. It is a well-used trail within the community with many trailheads from residential neighborhoods. I saw numerous families with strollers, bikes, walkers, runners, and potential trouble-makers sitting on a cement wall.
After the turn-around on the first out and back, I caught up with Brian Pendleton aka The Programmer and we were able to distract each other with stories about work, family and training. I hadn't met Brian before and it was great to finally put a face to the name. I finished the first out and back in 2 1/2 hours and my legs were not happy. The trail was easy, little elevation, so I have no excuse other than I haven't been running longer mileage consistently. I accepted the pain as a reminder that being consistent with longer runs is necessary to improvement. With my long runs limited to the Seattle Marathon in November and Yukon at the end of December, it wasn't surprising they felt so heavy and tired. This is all part of the process.
The second out and back was slower and I found myself taking some walk breaks while I contemplated heading back at the marathon turnaround. I convinced myself that if I was going that far, I could keep going, even if I had to walk. I saw a lot of runners already heading back to the finish and wished that I had been able to keep up with their pace.
 |
| The amazing Mel Preedy (photo by Takao Suzuki) |
I made it to the 50k turnaround and about 6 miles to go, Mel Preedy was heading toward me and I asked him how he was doing. He gave a thumbs up and declared, "I'm about to start my sprint to the finish!" What a guy!
I finished the trail run in 5:23 approximately. My Garmin said 5:20 but my Garmin had stopped during the run but thankfully I noticed it not too long after having looked at it. I knew it hadn't been off very long. My Garmin map shows a straight line along a curve on the trail, making it look like I swam in the river part of the race.
Brian's wife was a the finish and helped me get some food as my hands were frozen and I couldn't seem to get them to work properly. I visited a little with Steve Walters (finished his second 50k in 2 days, 4:36 and 4:31), Marie Zornes, and Betsy Rogers. I needed to hurry off to get to my daughter's soccer game.
I would definitely recommend this trail system as it is easy to get to, easy to run on and difficult to get lost. There are a lot of trailheads and if you have a friend who likes to bike while you run, they will love it as well.
 |
| First half of Cedar River 50k (photo by Takao Suzuki) |
Monday, January 24, 2011
Capital Peak Mega Fat Ass 17 Miles
January 15, 2011
It had been two weeks since the Yukon Do It Marathon and during that time, I successfully registered for the Chuckanaut 50k set for March 19th. I had tried to regisister last year and it had sold out the day it opened. With some quick thinking and nimble fingers, I hit “submit” on the registration form online before the race filled in two hours! Chuckanaut 50k website
And then I looked at the course description: "This is a potentially dangerous part of the course! While not continuously exposed, be very careful, especially since the rocks may be wet...the cliff occasionally precariously close to your right is over 150 feet straight down! Watch for and heed danger signs placed in strategic places where there are sudden dropoffs or slippery slabs."
Okay then!
With two months until Chuckanaut, I don’t have time to slack off on my long runs. Trail running is great fun but I don’t have a lot of experience off-road. Getting in some trail running before March 19th is crucial.
After some prodding, I convinced my friend, Beverly, to join me for a little 17 mile trail run through Capital Forest. The Capital Peak Mega Fat Ass 17 or 34 mile run was held on January 15, 2011. My mileage has been miniscule for the year but since I had done the marathon on December 31, I knew 17 was doable.
I met Bev about 6:00 a.m. at her house and we made the drive to Capital Forest, arriving 25 minutes before race start. After we dropped off our minimal donation and a roll of toilet paper at the registration table, we made our way to a bathroom. Well, bathroom is really too pleasant a word. It was more four walls, a ceiling, and a smelly hole in the ground. Yuck.
After a breath-holding session, we made our way to the starting line, settling in to the back of the crowd. Neither one of us felt like “racing” today and didn’t want to impede other runners. At 8:00 a.m., a herd of runners took off into the endless trails of Capital Forest.
The road was wide for a short while and quickly narrowed, forcing runners to stop/start running. It was easier to relax and not run but wait until there was more clearance to begin running. The weather was thankfully mild once we set off on the trail. I am usually freezing before fall/winter races and chose to wear long pants (mostly in case I fell on the trail), a tank top covered by a long sleeve technical shirt. And gloves. I ditched my coat at the last minute as it felt like it must be in the upper 40s. We climbed and descended trails and within two miles, I had to stop and wrap my long sleeve shirt around my waist. I was overheating! Splish, splash, splish, splash…my camel pack was constantly reminding me of its’ presence. I chose not to listen to music because I wanted to be aware of my surroundings and the people near me.
Somewhere in the first five miles, Bev had fallen behind me on the trail and we were on our own. We sludged our way around puddles and muck, some runners barreling through while others tiptoed around the edges. I have to be honest and say that I was tiptoeing more than barreling. I don’t care if I get dirty; it was more a concern with falling! This mud was slick. Imagine wearing heels (okay guys, really try hard to imagine this), begin walking on marble, and now, add some Vaseline to the bottom of your heels and continue across the floor. Ooh! Now the floor is tilted! Do you get it now?
On narrow trails, I was “forced” to slow or walk due to the long line of people in front of me. There were some hills that I was okay with walking but others, I felt I was able to continue moving forward. Unfortunately with narrow trails, passing people isn’t always easy or considerate. If it’s one person, you can get by fairly easily, but you need to do it with decisiveness. If you pass them only to slow down, well, that is just rude. Passing a line of more than two people on a narrow trail is very tricky. I haven’t mustered up the courage to attempt it as I think I could easily end up breaking my ankle squeezing past runners on an uneven, narrow trail.
About mile seven, I saw a runner go down in agony! She had hurt her ankle, and at her insistence, I continued on the path toward the turnaround. Down and down we ran, runners came back toward me already past the turnaround and a few miles in front of me. It’s exciting AND discouraging. The frontrunner was a woman, Linda Huyck. Her arms flailed about her as she had recklessly pummeled past me. And that’s how you run a trail fast…let go of your fear and fly!
At the turnaround, I took in some water before heading back out. Marilyn, the woman who twisted her ankle, was arriving and did finish the race shortly after me.
Going down, down, down meant going UP! As I neared the crest of one of the hills, an older man had fallen and was bleeding, but like most trail runners, he got up and kept running down the hill, assuring everyone he was “fine!” Finally about mile 11, the seemingly endless uphill battle ended and I could feel myself getting a rhythm in my running. I was alone on the trail and that helped me run at my own pace instead of walking when others walked or moving along at their pace. My arms always seemed in the “airplane”position as I ran down the trail, ready to fall at a moment’s notice. Puddle! I gave up running around them and wow, it felt awesome to splash through the middle of the water and mud! I began to hunt them down, daring puddles and mud to get in my way. I was sure my body would careen and skid on the trail at some point but was undeterred. My shoes nearly were sucked off my feet in one particularly thick section of mud. Yum!
I ran without walking all the way to the finish, falling one time but caught myself at the last moment. In the last mile and I crossed a foot bridge only to be faced with a big uphill. Thankfully it wasn’t too long. I heard cowbells and hoofed it up the hill, splashed through puddles on purpose and crossed the finish line in 3:23. Wow, I’ve run marathons in that amount of time!
Despite my finish time, I did have fun and when I got home, I confirmed on the Garmin that indeed, I ran faster the second half. It felt like I was flying on the trail when my fastest mile was around 10 minutes.
The next day I was so sore! But not in places that usually hurt…ankles, calves and shoulders. I think my arms were almost always extended out to catch myself and that’s why my shoulders were sore. My ankles are not used to the constant variation of trails either.
This is definitely a race I would recommend to others. I’ve been told the race start has had different locations every year.
Next race is up in the air but some choices: Cedar River Trail (1/30), West Seattle Fat Ass (2/6), 4 miler in Gig Harbor, (3/5) Centennial Trail Run, Spokane 37 miles.
It had been two weeks since the Yukon Do It Marathon and during that time, I successfully registered for the Chuckanaut 50k set for March 19th. I had tried to regisister last year and it had sold out the day it opened. With some quick thinking and nimble fingers, I hit “submit” on the registration form online before the race filled in two hours! Chuckanaut 50k website
And then I looked at the course description: "This is a potentially dangerous part of the course! While not continuously exposed, be very careful, especially since the rocks may be wet...the cliff occasionally precariously close to your right is over 150 feet straight down! Watch for and heed danger signs placed in strategic places where there are sudden dropoffs or slippery slabs."
Okay then!
With two months until Chuckanaut, I don’t have time to slack off on my long runs. Trail running is great fun but I don’t have a lot of experience off-road. Getting in some trail running before March 19th is crucial.
After some prodding, I convinced my friend, Beverly, to join me for a little 17 mile trail run through Capital Forest. The Capital Peak Mega Fat Ass 17 or 34 mile run was held on January 15, 2011. My mileage has been miniscule for the year but since I had done the marathon on December 31, I knew 17 was doable.
I met Bev about 6:00 a.m. at her house and we made the drive to Capital Forest, arriving 25 minutes before race start. After we dropped off our minimal donation and a roll of toilet paper at the registration table, we made our way to a bathroom. Well, bathroom is really too pleasant a word. It was more four walls, a ceiling, and a smelly hole in the ground. Yuck.
After a breath-holding session, we made our way to the starting line, settling in to the back of the crowd. Neither one of us felt like “racing” today and didn’t want to impede other runners. At 8:00 a.m., a herd of runners took off into the endless trails of Capital Forest.
The road was wide for a short while and quickly narrowed, forcing runners to stop/start running. It was easier to relax and not run but wait until there was more clearance to begin running. The weather was thankfully mild once we set off on the trail. I am usually freezing before fall/winter races and chose to wear long pants (mostly in case I fell on the trail), a tank top covered by a long sleeve technical shirt. And gloves. I ditched my coat at the last minute as it felt like it must be in the upper 40s. We climbed and descended trails and within two miles, I had to stop and wrap my long sleeve shirt around my waist. I was overheating! Splish, splash, splish, splash…my camel pack was constantly reminding me of its’ presence. I chose not to listen to music because I wanted to be aware of my surroundings and the people near me.
Somewhere in the first five miles, Bev had fallen behind me on the trail and we were on our own. We sludged our way around puddles and muck, some runners barreling through while others tiptoed around the edges. I have to be honest and say that I was tiptoeing more than barreling. I don’t care if I get dirty; it was more a concern with falling! This mud was slick. Imagine wearing heels (okay guys, really try hard to imagine this), begin walking on marble, and now, add some Vaseline to the bottom of your heels and continue across the floor. Ooh! Now the floor is tilted! Do you get it now?
On narrow trails, I was “forced” to slow or walk due to the long line of people in front of me. There were some hills that I was okay with walking but others, I felt I was able to continue moving forward. Unfortunately with narrow trails, passing people isn’t always easy or considerate. If it’s one person, you can get by fairly easily, but you need to do it with decisiveness. If you pass them only to slow down, well, that is just rude. Passing a line of more than two people on a narrow trail is very tricky. I haven’t mustered up the courage to attempt it as I think I could easily end up breaking my ankle squeezing past runners on an uneven, narrow trail.
About mile seven, I saw a runner go down in agony! She had hurt her ankle, and at her insistence, I continued on the path toward the turnaround. Down and down we ran, runners came back toward me already past the turnaround and a few miles in front of me. It’s exciting AND discouraging. The frontrunner was a woman, Linda Huyck. Her arms flailed about her as she had recklessly pummeled past me. And that’s how you run a trail fast…let go of your fear and fly!
At the turnaround, I took in some water before heading back out. Marilyn, the woman who twisted her ankle, was arriving and did finish the race shortly after me.
Going down, down, down meant going UP! As I neared the crest of one of the hills, an older man had fallen and was bleeding, but like most trail runners, he got up and kept running down the hill, assuring everyone he was “fine!” Finally about mile 11, the seemingly endless uphill battle ended and I could feel myself getting a rhythm in my running. I was alone on the trail and that helped me run at my own pace instead of walking when others walked or moving along at their pace. My arms always seemed in the “airplane”position as I ran down the trail, ready to fall at a moment’s notice. Puddle! I gave up running around them and wow, it felt awesome to splash through the middle of the water and mud! I began to hunt them down, daring puddles and mud to get in my way. I was sure my body would careen and skid on the trail at some point but was undeterred. My shoes nearly were sucked off my feet in one particularly thick section of mud. Yum!
 |
| Finished! |
I ran without walking all the way to the finish, falling one time but caught myself at the last moment. In the last mile and I crossed a foot bridge only to be faced with a big uphill. Thankfully it wasn’t too long. I heard cowbells and hoofed it up the hill, splashed through puddles on purpose and crossed the finish line in 3:23. Wow, I’ve run marathons in that amount of time!
Despite my finish time, I did have fun and when I got home, I confirmed on the Garmin that indeed, I ran faster the second half. It felt like I was flying on the trail when my fastest mile was around 10 minutes.
The next day I was so sore! But not in places that usually hurt…ankles, calves and shoulders. I think my arms were almost always extended out to catch myself and that’s why my shoulders were sore. My ankles are not used to the constant variation of trails either.
This is definitely a race I would recommend to others. I’ve been told the race start has had different locations every year.
Next race is up in the air but some choices: Cedar River Trail (1/30), West Seattle Fat Ass (2/6), 4 miler in Gig Harbor, (3/5) Centennial Trail Run, Spokane 37 miles.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Yukon Do It! Race Day Part 2
As we began to run en masse, I had to let all the planning go and trust that everything would work out fine. I couldn't believe how many people were around me! We traversed the park roads, including the campground before exiting Hilldale onto Beach Drive. As we turned right on a side road, I could hear gasps and people talking about the camels. Haha! So I guess not everyone knew there were camels on the route even though I did mention it on the website. That was a fun surprise seeing camels in 26 degree weather.
Back on Beach Drive, we headed toward the waterfront and I was disappointed to see a thick layer of fog over the water. Hidden in the fog was Bremerton, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Olympic Mountains. I had been running comfortably and was able to catch up with Nicole (she would earn Maniac status at the finish of this race).
We see the first aid station and the Fritz family was doing a spectacular job for the runners. Boy, they looked cold!
The leaders of the half-marathon, Miguel and Jeff, flew by us at our 5 mile mark as they passed 8 miles! They used the race as a tempo run and intentionally paced each other the entire race. We had come across patches of ice but the road had been mostly dry. We turned around in a parking lot and as we headed out toward the park, I saw the fog lifting! Bremerton was partly in view and a little while later, a ferry was crossing the Sound . Hooray!
Sadly we had to leave the flat waterfront about mile 10 and head inland toward Manchester. My legs told me that a half-marathon was a super idea but I ran them into submission. We entered the park and looped our way around back to the start. It was a little tough, mentally, to push my way back out of the park when I saw the party in the Torpedo House.
Nicole and I kept pace with each other and it was wonderful to have a friend by my side during the long miles. We exited the park and later found out that some marathoners turned back toward Beach Drive and did the first half of the course twice. We didn't have a volunteer at the turn and they didn't see the arrows. They were the lucky marathoners as that half was A LOT flatter than the second half!
Manchester was absolutely georgeous with clear views of the Seattle skyline. We plodded up and down Colchester and finally reached Yukon Harbor. I made a pit stop and told Nicole to go ahead without me. This was about mile 18. We saw the leaders heading back toward the park and I tried not to think about how many miles ahead they were.
I continued on along Southworth Drive and enjoyed the clear, sunny skies. The half marathoners really missed out on some spectacular scenery! At the turnaround, I saw my daughter and husband and didn't want to leave them. They were my comfort zone and I told myself that I only had about 6.5 miles to go.
It was fun to encourage other runners as we passed each other along Southworth Drive and seeing happy smiles helped ease some of my own pain. Up Yukon Harbor I saw a couple of loose dogs and eased down to a walk and waited for another male runner catch up with me. I figured it would be safer to pass the dogs together rather than alone. Once clear of the dogs, I pushed on and somehow made it to the top of Colchester and aptly named, "Miracle Mile Drive".
As I rounded the corner of the park entrance, I saw my good friend, Pedro! He finished 3rd overall. He told me the second half was hard! Yup, that's no lie. It's not too bad on a training run but when you're racing, holy schmoly!
Finally I began the descent into the park, passing runners who have finished and already enjoyed the post-run food. The clock sadly read 4:16 but I still was happy to be finished and knew that today was not about me.
There was so much food to eat! I think I overestimated how much food we needed. My beautiful daughter, Jessica, was alone at the food line. Her and my friend, Ruth, somehow managed the food together for most of the race. Jessica was freezing but stayed positive throughout the day. We had the most amazing volunteers helping with the race.
There was some confusion on age group awards but in the end, most everyone had a great, although cold, time and appreciated the effort that went into putting the race together on such short notice.
Next year will see a new start location and it is sure to be an event not to be missed!
 |
| Torpedo House at Manchester State Park |
 |
| Camel! |
 |
| Another camel! |
Back on Beach Drive, we headed toward the waterfront and I was disappointed to see a thick layer of fog over the water. Hidden in the fog was Bremerton, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Olympic Mountains. I had been running comfortably and was able to catch up with Nicole (she would earn Maniac status at the finish of this race).
We see the first aid station and the Fritz family was doing a spectacular job for the runners. Boy, they looked cold!
The leaders of the half-marathon, Miguel and Jeff, flew by us at our 5 mile mark as they passed 8 miles! They used the race as a tempo run and intentionally paced each other the entire race. We had come across patches of ice but the road had been mostly dry. We turned around in a parking lot and as we headed out toward the park, I saw the fog lifting! Bremerton was partly in view and a little while later, a ferry was crossing the Sound . Hooray!
 |
| Too foggy to see on race day |
 |
| View along Beach Drive |
Sadly we had to leave the flat waterfront about mile 10 and head inland toward Manchester. My legs told me that a half-marathon was a super idea but I ran them into submission. We entered the park and looped our way around back to the start. It was a little tough, mentally, to push my way back out of the park when I saw the party in the Torpedo House.
Nicole and I kept pace with each other and it was wonderful to have a friend by my side during the long miles. We exited the park and later found out that some marathoners turned back toward Beach Drive and did the first half of the course twice. We didn't have a volunteer at the turn and they didn't see the arrows. They were the lucky marathoners as that half was A LOT flatter than the second half!
Manchester was absolutely georgeous with clear views of the Seattle skyline. We plodded up and down Colchester and finally reached Yukon Harbor. I made a pit stop and told Nicole to go ahead without me. This was about mile 18. We saw the leaders heading back toward the park and I tried not to think about how many miles ahead they were.
 |
| Yukon Harbor |
 |
| Southworth Drive |
I continued on along Southworth Drive and enjoyed the clear, sunny skies. The half marathoners really missed out on some spectacular scenery! At the turnaround, I saw my daughter and husband and didn't want to leave them. They were my comfort zone and I told myself that I only had about 6.5 miles to go.
It was fun to encourage other runners as we passed each other along Southworth Drive and seeing happy smiles helped ease some of my own pain. Up Yukon Harbor I saw a couple of loose dogs and eased down to a walk and waited for another male runner catch up with me. I figured it would be safer to pass the dogs together rather than alone. Once clear of the dogs, I pushed on and somehow made it to the top of Colchester and aptly named, "Miracle Mile Drive".
As I rounded the corner of the park entrance, I saw my good friend, Pedro! He finished 3rd overall. He told me the second half was hard! Yup, that's no lie. It's not too bad on a training run but when you're racing, holy schmoly!
Finally I began the descent into the park, passing runners who have finished and already enjoyed the post-run food. The clock sadly read 4:16 but I still was happy to be finished and knew that today was not about me.
There was so much food to eat! I think I overestimated how much food we needed. My beautiful daughter, Jessica, was alone at the food line. Her and my friend, Ruth, somehow managed the food together for most of the race. Jessica was freezing but stayed positive throughout the day. We had the most amazing volunteers helping with the race.
There was some confusion on age group awards but in the end, most everyone had a great, although cold, time and appreciated the effort that went into putting the race together on such short notice.
Next year will see a new start location and it is sure to be an event not to be missed!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Yukon Do It! Race Day!!!
Forgive my overuse of exclamation mark but I'm supers excited! All my grammar buddies are cringing to see my overzealous use of shift 1.
December 31st- You had finally arrived.
My alarm sounded at 5:15 a.m. and I was instantly alert, something that rarely happens to me. I love the mornings but they don't love me. Yes the sunrise is georgeous and the earth is hushed, awaiting the possibilities of TODAY, the air fresh and the birds sing. But my body and brain have a hard time shutting off at night, making the mornings appear too rapidly and I don't appreciate all that mornings offer. My racings friends have no idea what forces are at play for me to get up early and to the start line on time. Some of you are roosters crowing to wake others while I am more like a coyote keeping you awake at night. We all have our place.
My heartrate was skyrocketing as I thought about what was about to take place. The night before, I threw a multitude of racing clothes in a pile and hoped there was something in there to wear for today's weather. I creaked open my front door to see the weather Real Time. Brrr! Frost and ice covered everything and I quickly closed the door. 18 degrees. You thought I would use an exclamation mark, didn't you?
The forecast called for a clear day so I knew snow was not going to cause any issues. I did worry about ice and my runners getting hurt. Since I have zero control over the weather, I continued to get ready and said a quick prayer that everything would be okay and the runners had a fun day.
With my family packed in two cars, it was time to face the day. I stopped at a restroom along the way for fear that I wouldn't have a chance to use one before the race. When we arrived, there were numerous people ready to help unload all the race supplies. My fingers were going numb as the Torpedo House at Manchester State Park was being filled with volunteers and runners. Word came to us that the little league gate had not been opened. With approximately 60 parking spaces in the park and 266 registered runners, this was not good news. The field parking was big enough to contain all the runners' vehicles. Finally at 8:30 a.m., news came back to us that the gate had been opened. I found out later that a neighbor had unlocked it after being convinced that we did have authorization to use their land.
A fire was started in the fireplace and coals were also lit in the barbeques. Runners huddled around the blazing coals trying to dethaw their fingers. Volunteers were sent out to their aid stations or road crossings after helping prepare food for after the race.
A few volunteers didn't make it, unfortunately, and this left two people to handle the food preparation, one of them my younger daughter, Jessica, and a friend, Ruth. Thank you both!
I snuck off to the restroom minutes before race start. As I exited the bathroom, groups of runners were walking up a hill and I realized I didn't know where we were starting. Tony and I worked out the course together but he had finalized the details to make the course 26.2 miles.
I walked up the hill with my husband, Jeff, and he commented on how most race directors don't actually run the race. Ha-ha. The whole reason I started this was so I could get one more marathon for the year. So there. I know a couple of things would have gone smoother if I had stayed during the run and I should have at least had my cell phone with me to answer questions from volunteers. I have learned my lesson.
As I approached the start, the reality set in. I was in awe of all the runners and thrilled to see so many happy runners. Familiar faces surrounded me and I was able to get my picture at the start line. Jeff from Route 16 Running and Tony Seabolt made some announcements and the countdown began...3, 2, 1...GO!
December 31st- You had finally arrived.
 |
| Getting supplies ready to load |
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| One of many boxes to be loaded pre-race |
My alarm sounded at 5:15 a.m. and I was instantly alert, something that rarely happens to me. I love the mornings but they don't love me. Yes the sunrise is georgeous and the earth is hushed, awaiting the possibilities of TODAY, the air fresh and the birds sing. But my body and brain have a hard time shutting off at night, making the mornings appear too rapidly and I don't appreciate all that mornings offer. My racings friends have no idea what forces are at play for me to get up early and to the start line on time. Some of you are roosters crowing to wake others while I am more like a coyote keeping you awake at night. We all have our place.
My heartrate was skyrocketing as I thought about what was about to take place. The night before, I threw a multitude of racing clothes in a pile and hoped there was something in there to wear for today's weather. I creaked open my front door to see the weather Real Time. Brrr! Frost and ice covered everything and I quickly closed the door. 18 degrees. You thought I would use an exclamation mark, didn't you?
The forecast called for a clear day so I knew snow was not going to cause any issues. I did worry about ice and my runners getting hurt. Since I have zero control over the weather, I continued to get ready and said a quick prayer that everything would be okay and the runners had a fun day.
With my family packed in two cars, it was time to face the day. I stopped at a restroom along the way for fear that I wouldn't have a chance to use one before the race. When we arrived, there were numerous people ready to help unload all the race supplies. My fingers were going numb as the Torpedo House at Manchester State Park was being filled with volunteers and runners. Word came to us that the little league gate had not been opened. With approximately 60 parking spaces in the park and 266 registered runners, this was not good news. The field parking was big enough to contain all the runners' vehicles. Finally at 8:30 a.m., news came back to us that the gate had been opened. I found out later that a neighbor had unlocked it after being convinced that we did have authorization to use their land.
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| Heat! We need heat! Thank you, Jeff! |
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| Sisters and volunteers |
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| Ruth like a deer in headlights...sorry! |
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| Tony Seabolt and I going over last minute details |
I snuck off to the restroom minutes before race start. As I exited the bathroom, groups of runners were walking up a hill and I realized I didn't know where we were starting. Tony and I worked out the course together but he had finalized the details to make the course 26.2 miles.
I walked up the hill with my husband, Jeff, and he commented on how most race directors don't actually run the race. Ha-ha. The whole reason I started this was so I could get one more marathon for the year. So there. I know a couple of things would have gone smoother if I had stayed during the run and I should have at least had my cell phone with me to answer questions from volunteers. I have learned my lesson.
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| Walking to the start with my husband, Jeff, and running friend and eventual Overall Winner, Terry Fritz |
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| Almost time to start |
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| At the starting line of the Yukon Do It Marathon and Half Marathon |
As I approached the start, the reality set in. I was in awe of all the runners and thrilled to see so many happy runners. Familiar faces surrounded me and I was able to get my picture at the start line. Jeff from Route 16 Running and Tony Seabolt made some announcements and the countdown began...3, 2, 1...GO!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Yukon Do It! Pre-Race
I know, I know, I've missed you, too!
The month of December found me scrambling with to-do lists. I've been so busy living life I haven't had time to write about it!
To do:
It was early November when it occurred to me that I could get 10 marathons in for the year if there was one more within a short driving distance. I had planned on doing a marathon on November 13th but I had a scheduling conflict. I also bailed on a December 18th marathon. If I had done those, I would have 9 for the year and thus would need one more to make in an even 10 in 2010. I did 9 in 2009 so I thought it would be a good idea.
I posed the question on Facebook: Who wants to run a marathon on December 31st in Port Orchard? I received a few responses and knew if I could get 5 starters and 3 finishers, my "marathon" would count toward Maniac statistics.
Tony Seabolt of the Narrows Bridge Running Club Click here to find out more about the Narrows Bridge Running Club contacted me and offered to help me put the run together. We started out with ideas of a group run, keep it simple, and we'd be extremely surprised if 50 people signed up on such short notice.
I created a webpage for free on Google.
Yukon Do It!
I had the priviledge of coming up with a race name! How cool is that! My thought process went like this: it's cold, it's the last day of the year, it's the last chance to run a marathon in 2010, we're in Manchester, Pugest Sound Shipyard, bodies of water names, sea life, etc. I wanted to have a name representing SOMETHING.
Initially we thought it would be a free event. As more and more people expressed interest, it was agreed a small fee would help cover some basic necessities for the race. Tony suggested we add a half marathon to the schedule. Since we wouldn't want a "profit" from the proceeds, I decided to donate to a local charity if any funds remained. Backpacks Feed Kids was chosen as the local charity.
We began with an event that had no medals, shirts, timing system, bibs, sponsors, photographer. One by one, each of these were added as different people offered to help with our event.
As we grew in volunteers and entries, word spread in the running community about the race. I am not the only crazy person willing to run a marathon on New Year's Eve!
Christmas with our family came and went and somehow I manage to have the house presentable for guests. That was quite a feat as we had been accumulating food and other items for the race, adding to my already cluttered home. Yes, decluttering is a major resolution of mine. If you homeschool and are NOT one of the seemingly perfect, orderly families, you will understand. To answer your questions to my daughters if you don't homeschool:
One week! I forgot to mention that on December 23rd, my husband had shoulder surgery. I hadn't realized how much I was relying on his physical strength to help me move and pack things for the race.
My running life had been minimalistic during the last week but I managed at least 1.2 miles the day before the race and did my longest training run since the Seattle Marathon on Tuesday, a 12.3 miler! What? You have a problem with this?
December 29th, Tony Seabolt spent most of his 10 year wedding anniversary prepping for the race. We finally had arrived at December 30th and began packing up two vehicles with food and other supplies. Tony had finalized and marked the course and we both went over lists to make sure we were ready for race day.
Time to sleep and see what the morning brings!
The month of December found me scrambling with to-do lists. I've been so busy living life I haven't had time to write about it!
To do:
- Plan for big family Christmas party
- Execute plan for party - much harder than planning
- Plan a marathon for December 31st.
It was early November when it occurred to me that I could get 10 marathons in for the year if there was one more within a short driving distance. I had planned on doing a marathon on November 13th but I had a scheduling conflict. I also bailed on a December 18th marathon. If I had done those, I would have 9 for the year and thus would need one more to make in an even 10 in 2010. I did 9 in 2009 so I thought it would be a good idea.
I posed the question on Facebook: Who wants to run a marathon on December 31st in Port Orchard? I received a few responses and knew if I could get 5 starters and 3 finishers, my "marathon" would count toward Maniac statistics.
Tony Seabolt of the Narrows Bridge Running Club Click here to find out more about the Narrows Bridge Running Club contacted me and offered to help me put the run together. We started out with ideas of a group run, keep it simple, and we'd be extremely surprised if 50 people signed up on such short notice.
Yukon Do It!
I had the priviledge of coming up with a race name! How cool is that! My thought process went like this: it's cold, it's the last day of the year, it's the last chance to run a marathon in 2010, we're in Manchester, Pugest Sound Shipyard, bodies of water names, sea life, etc. I wanted to have a name representing SOMETHING.
Last Chance MarathonAlready taken by an amazing runner, Terry Sentinella, for his Bellingham race- Snowflake Shuffle - cute
- Frozen Assets Marathon - hmmm, not sure if this is "family friendly" enough although it did make me chuckle
- Manchester Marathon - this sounds like a marathon in England or numerous soccer games
- Port Orchard Marathon - BORING!
- And then...
- My older daughter, Crystal, pumped her fist in the air and shouted, "Yukon Do It!" because I had mentioned Yukon Harbor. Hey, that could work!
Initially we thought it would be a free event. As more and more people expressed interest, it was agreed a small fee would help cover some basic necessities for the race. Tony suggested we add a half marathon to the schedule. Since we wouldn't want a "profit" from the proceeds, I decided to donate to a local charity if any funds remained. Backpacks Feed Kids was chosen as the local charity.
We began with an event that had no medals, shirts, timing system, bibs, sponsors, photographer. One by one, each of these were added as different people offered to help with our event.
As we grew in volunteers and entries, word spread in the running community about the race. I am not the only crazy person willing to run a marathon on New Year's Eve!
Christmas with our family came and went and somehow I manage to have the house presentable for guests. That was quite a feat as we had been accumulating food and other items for the race, adding to my already cluttered home. Yes, decluttering is a major resolution of mine. If you homeschool and are NOT one of the seemingly perfect, orderly families, you will understand. To answer your questions to my daughters if you don't homeschool:
One week! I forgot to mention that on December 23rd, my husband had shoulder surgery. I hadn't realized how much I was relying on his physical strength to help me move and pack things for the race.
My running life had been minimalistic during the last week but I managed at least 1.2 miles the day before the race and did my longest training run since the Seattle Marathon on Tuesday, a 12.3 miler! What? You have a problem with this?
December 29th, Tony Seabolt spent most of his 10 year wedding anniversary prepping for the race. We finally had arrived at December 30th and began packing up two vehicles with food and other supplies. Tony had finalized and marked the course and we both went over lists to make sure we were ready for race day.
Time to sleep and see what the morning brings!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Seattle Marathon
The Seattle Marathon turned 40 years old this year, something I have in common with the event.
"The Seattle Marathon began modestly in 1970 when a group of friends from the University of Washington decided to hold their own running event. 38 runners started the first annual event, with 31 of them completing the full 26.2 miles." Seattle Marathon Website
It had been a crazy week leading up to the marathon. The Pacific Northwest was slammed with a winter storm Monday, November 22nd, leaving us with snow and ice on the roads and took away electricty for 3 days at our home. Commute times that normally took 45 minutes had people stuck on the roads for 6 hours! It was insane!
Running outside was difficult with the ice on roads. Thankfully I bought Sno-trax from Costco a month prior and used them to get 2 to 4 miles in daily that week. It was slow-going but I was pleased to keep my running streak alive.
By Friday, the weather was relenting and the ice and snow melted and my SnoTrax were back on the shelf. The Seattle Marathon Expo was on Friday and Saturday before the marathon. I finished my easy run of 4 miles and headed to the expo. I love going to Seattle since I live in a fairly small town, but I hate parking and sometimes worry about turning down a one-way street the wrong way.
I entered the Westin Hotel and followed the crowd of nervous runners to the expo on the third floor. Packet pick up was complete and I made my way through crowds to get my goodie bag and shirt. It's funny to see people already wearing their Seattle shirts. I've never been able to wear my shirt until after the race! When I wear it, it's because I finished the race!
Super Jock N Jill, a local Running company with super informative staff, had a good sale on some running items. I bought myself and my husband running pants and one pair of arm warmers. I've never worn arm warmers but decided I'd give them a try.
Saturday night, I emptied my running drawers once again to find THE outfit. Out came the tights, shorts, tanks, tech long sleeve, jacket, gloves, arm warmers, socks and hats. I climbed into bed at 10:00 p.m. and waited for my alarm to sound at 5:00 a.m.
Jeff was already up and getting ready to work when my "Oriental Sounds" alarm went off. It is such a nice way to wake up as opposed to the obnoxious BEEP BEEP BEEP alarms.
I felt nauseous all morning and forced myself to eat a piece of bread with peanut butter. I held back the food after gagging on each bite. 26.2 miles is a long way to go and I've never done well with nothing for breakfast. All runners have to experiment with what food works for them during races and some things I've learned about myself: I must eat something, dairy doesn't settle well, oatmeal makes me burp, 2 cups of coffee gives me an acidic stomach, two pieces of bread with peanut butter is pushing the limits, and one piece with peanut butter is just right. This is trial and error that all runners have to figure out for themselves.
6:20 a.m. and I finally made my way out of the house. Late as usual but I had spent the night before combing google maps to find the best route and parking situation. The traffic was minimal and I chose to take Alaskan Way to Mercer and avoid the exits closest to the Seattle Center. It was super easy with light traffic as I entered Mercer. My plan was to find street parking and if that didn't work, I would scarf up the money to pay for a lot near the stadium. I did one loop of the neighborhood and chose a parking lot as the start time was drawing near and I needed time to get into a porta-potty.
As I stepped outside my car, the air felt cold but not icy and the skies were clear and the wind was non-existent. I left my coat and long sleaves in the car along with my longer tights. Today it would be a tank, arm warmers, a fleece hat to keep my ears warm, gloves, and shorts with a running skirt. I needed to cover up the cheesecake from Thanksgiving!
As I jogged toward the start, I found a lone porta-potty and thanked the Lord for providing me with my own secret toilet. Twenty minutes until the start and I found my running family. I met Steve Walters who will be making the Yukon Do It! medals. He also was completing his fourth marathon in four days to complete the Quadzilla that started on Thanksgiving. There were other Marathon Maniacs loitering around, getting psyched to finish their 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th marathon of the weekend.
My plan was to meet my friend, Beachbody mentor and Maniac buddy, Jessica Bienvenue at the start. She was going for a 3:40 today and we planned to start together, each running our own race but if we ran together, that would be awesome. I had no real time goal except to hopefully come in front of the Quadzillas! Jessica had forgotten her timing chip at home and found a race official who saved the day by giving her a 1/2 marathon walk number and chip.
She found me at the start, I helped her lace the velcro ankle band through her laces and we nervously waited for the countdown. My Garmin waited until the last minute to locate...argh!
We're off and I can see Main Maniac Tony Phillipi up ahead. I know he's faster than me but I tried and tried to catch him just to say hi. No luck. I lost sight of him sometime after the 2nd mile. I think I took off too fast given my training. The first mile had me at 6:44 which didn't seem possible.
We entered the Tunnel at about mile 3.8 and lo and behold, Maniac Steve Walters passes me. I tell him he's moving pretty fast for this being his fourth marathon of the weekend. He says he's not sure how long he can keep it up. He kept it up the entire race and finished in 3:23- that's a 7:44 average!
We headed across the Mercer Island bridge and turned around which gave everyone a great view of all the runners and cheered on fellow Maniacs. I was incognito today so I received a lot less "Go Maniac!" cheers. As I neared the end of the bridge, another runner told me I was doing great and she had been trying to catch me for awhile. We talked and what do you know? She's from Port Orchard and her dad had put on a local race that ended a few years ago. She was surprised I knew who she was...small world! I knew her because of her running accolades and told her about the Yukon Marathon. Her friend told her about it and hopefully she'll be running the half-marathon.
I felt pretty comfortable running and until mile 9, most of my miles are under an 8:00 pace. After that, all but three miles are in the 8+ minute range.
I hit the half-way point at about 1:45 exactly, right at the 3:30 finish time pace. I'm no fool and know what's coming my way so I accept that a 3:35 is more likely.
Mile 14 and I heard a stampede of runners...the 3:30 group is roaring by and I attempted to keep step with them. It didn't last very long.
Around mile 16, I made a pit-stop and lost a couple of minutes. During that time, Pedro, another Quadzilla had passed me and he ended up finishing in 3:31! Absolutely amazing!
A young (20 years?) runner caught up with me about mile 17 and asked me what pace we were running. This was her first marathon after having only done one half-marathon at a 10:30 average pace. She was moving lightening fast in comparison. She wanted to run together for a while and we did some math to figure out what she would need to run to get a 3:40 for a Boston qualifying time. Her friend jumped in to run with her and at an aid station, she ran ahead while I slowed for gatorade. I found her friend at mile 23 and he said she was still up ahead and doing great! I think she must have BQ'd on her first marathon!
Somewhere along Lake Washington Boulevard, I caught up with Jae-Byung Jung, another Maniac. This was his only marathon of the weekend. As we ran stride-for-stride, we both agreed that we had bonked, aka hit the wall. Now if you don't know what this means:
BONK (running terminology):
"hitting the wall"
The dreaded point (and awful feeling similar to what your body would feel like if you ran into a wall) during a race when your muscle glycogen stores become depleted and a feeling of fatigue engulfs you.
Example: Your legs change molecular structure from muscle to lead, one of your lungs apparently has stopped working, and you are unable to figure out what mile you're in or what your finish time will be if you run 10 minute miles.
We talked a little but mostly were silent partners in our quest to finish. Somewhere along the way, we arrived at 3:45 as an acceptable finishing time so long as we just kept up our easy pace. Whether this was before or after a flash of pink ran by, I don't recall. Maniac Robert Lopez ran by us so fast at mile 23 or 24 and went on to finish in 3:35...another Quadzilla runner. As he passed, my mouth shouted, "You suck, Robert!" before I could stop it. Now I meant it in good humor and he laughed like a mad man as he went on his way. I'm pretty sure I wanted to say, "Wow! Way to go, Robert!"
Sometime around the pink flash, my right calf was tightening and warning me that if I dared to "toe-off", it would not be pretty. Heel-toe, heel-toe. This is definitely not an economical way of running but after suffering calf-cramps in the past, I would do anything to avoid them.
We made it to the last mile! Running down a hill was painful in my quads and I skipped the last aid station. As we rounded a corner onto Mercer, I hear a very chirpy voice behind me telling me to "Let's go!" Jessica! I had 3:36 on my watch with maybe .3 to go. She looked so strong and determined. I tried to "go!" but my legs left their spring somewhere in Lake Washington. She flew by me on the uphill and when I crested the top, I gave it everything I had. The crowds on this last stretch are amazing!
As I ran into the stadium, the soft turf under my feet and cheering all around me, suddenly I felt I could run fast! I sprinted to the finish line and saw 3:40:09 and my watch read 3:39:54! So Jessica got her qualifying time! I saw Bill Barmore and Matt Hagen, Maniac volunteers at the finish. Jessica was in front of me and she was crying happy tears.
My parents were there too! What a wonderful surprise! Why is it you can run for so long and the moment you start walking, your legs go on strike?
We made our way to the finisher's area and found our Maniac family telling their race stories and basking in the glow of finishing one or more marathons.
This year's Seattle Marathon is one of my slower marathons of the year but at the end, I was happy and loved having my friends to share in the experience but I missed seeing my husband at the end.
Next up is Pigtails Marathon on December 18th!
GARMIN DETAILS OF MY RUN
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event_video.asp?EVENTID=67735&BIB=1047
"The Seattle Marathon began modestly in 1970 when a group of friends from the University of Washington decided to hold their own running event. 38 runners started the first annual event, with 31 of them completing the full 26.2 miles." Seattle Marathon Website
It had been a crazy week leading up to the marathon. The Pacific Northwest was slammed with a winter storm Monday, November 22nd, leaving us with snow and ice on the roads and took away electricty for 3 days at our home. Commute times that normally took 45 minutes had people stuck on the roads for 6 hours! It was insane!
 |
| It just felt that cold!!! |
Running outside was difficult with the ice on roads. Thankfully I bought Sno-trax from Costco a month prior and used them to get 2 to 4 miles in daily that week. It was slow-going but I was pleased to keep my running streak alive.
By Friday, the weather was relenting and the ice and snow melted and my SnoTrax were back on the shelf. The Seattle Marathon Expo was on Friday and Saturday before the marathon. I finished my easy run of 4 miles and headed to the expo. I love going to Seattle since I live in a fairly small town, but I hate parking and sometimes worry about turning down a one-way street the wrong way.
I entered the Westin Hotel and followed the crowd of nervous runners to the expo on the third floor. Packet pick up was complete and I made my way through crowds to get my goodie bag and shirt. It's funny to see people already wearing their Seattle shirts. I've never been able to wear my shirt until after the race! When I wear it, it's because I finished the race!
Super Jock N Jill, a local Running company with super informative staff, had a good sale on some running items. I bought myself and my husband running pants and one pair of arm warmers. I've never worn arm warmers but decided I'd give them a try.
Saturday night, I emptied my running drawers once again to find THE outfit. Out came the tights, shorts, tanks, tech long sleeve, jacket, gloves, arm warmers, socks and hats. I climbed into bed at 10:00 p.m. and waited for my alarm to sound at 5:00 a.m.
Jeff was already up and getting ready to work when my "Oriental Sounds" alarm went off. It is such a nice way to wake up as opposed to the obnoxious BEEP BEEP BEEP alarms.
I felt nauseous all morning and forced myself to eat a piece of bread with peanut butter. I held back the food after gagging on each bite. 26.2 miles is a long way to go and I've never done well with nothing for breakfast. All runners have to experiment with what food works for them during races and some things I've learned about myself: I must eat something, dairy doesn't settle well, oatmeal makes me burp, 2 cups of coffee gives me an acidic stomach, two pieces of bread with peanut butter is pushing the limits, and one piece with peanut butter is just right. This is trial and error that all runners have to figure out for themselves.
6:20 a.m. and I finally made my way out of the house. Late as usual but I had spent the night before combing google maps to find the best route and parking situation. The traffic was minimal and I chose to take Alaskan Way to Mercer and avoid the exits closest to the Seattle Center. It was super easy with light traffic as I entered Mercer. My plan was to find street parking and if that didn't work, I would scarf up the money to pay for a lot near the stadium. I did one loop of the neighborhood and chose a parking lot as the start time was drawing near and I needed time to get into a porta-potty.
As I stepped outside my car, the air felt cold but not icy and the skies were clear and the wind was non-existent. I left my coat and long sleaves in the car along with my longer tights. Today it would be a tank, arm warmers, a fleece hat to keep my ears warm, gloves, and shorts with a running skirt. I needed to cover up the cheesecake from Thanksgiving!
As I jogged toward the start, I found a lone porta-potty and thanked the Lord for providing me with my own secret toilet. Twenty minutes until the start and I found my running family. I met Steve Walters who will be making the Yukon Do It! medals. He also was completing his fourth marathon in four days to complete the Quadzilla that started on Thanksgiving. There were other Marathon Maniacs loitering around, getting psyched to finish their 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th marathon of the weekend.
My plan was to meet my friend, Beachbody mentor and Maniac buddy, Jessica Bienvenue at the start. She was going for a 3:40 today and we planned to start together, each running our own race but if we ran together, that would be awesome. I had no real time goal except to hopefully come in front of the Quadzillas! Jessica had forgotten her timing chip at home and found a race official who saved the day by giving her a 1/2 marathon walk number and chip.
She found me at the start, I helped her lace the velcro ankle band through her laces and we nervously waited for the countdown. My Garmin waited until the last minute to locate...argh!
We're off and I can see Main Maniac Tony Phillipi up ahead. I know he's faster than me but I tried and tried to catch him just to say hi. No luck. I lost sight of him sometime after the 2nd mile. I think I took off too fast given my training. The first mile had me at 6:44 which didn't seem possible.
We entered the Tunnel at about mile 3.8 and lo and behold, Maniac Steve Walters passes me. I tell him he's moving pretty fast for this being his fourth marathon of the weekend. He says he's not sure how long he can keep it up. He kept it up the entire race and finished in 3:23- that's a 7:44 average!
We headed across the Mercer Island bridge and turned around which gave everyone a great view of all the runners and cheered on fellow Maniacs. I was incognito today so I received a lot less "Go Maniac!" cheers. As I neared the end of the bridge, another runner told me I was doing great and she had been trying to catch me for awhile. We talked and what do you know? She's from Port Orchard and her dad had put on a local race that ended a few years ago. She was surprised I knew who she was...small world! I knew her because of her running accolades and told her about the Yukon Marathon. Her friend told her about it and hopefully she'll be running the half-marathon.
I felt pretty comfortable running and until mile 9, most of my miles are under an 8:00 pace. After that, all but three miles are in the 8+ minute range.
I hit the half-way point at about 1:45 exactly, right at the 3:30 finish time pace. I'm no fool and know what's coming my way so I accept that a 3:35 is more likely.
Mile 14 and I heard a stampede of runners...the 3:30 group is roaring by and I attempted to keep step with them. It didn't last very long.
Around mile 16, I made a pit-stop and lost a couple of minutes. During that time, Pedro, another Quadzilla had passed me and he ended up finishing in 3:31! Absolutely amazing!
A young (20 years?) runner caught up with me about mile 17 and asked me what pace we were running. This was her first marathon after having only done one half-marathon at a 10:30 average pace. She was moving lightening fast in comparison. She wanted to run together for a while and we did some math to figure out what she would need to run to get a 3:40 for a Boston qualifying time. Her friend jumped in to run with her and at an aid station, she ran ahead while I slowed for gatorade. I found her friend at mile 23 and he said she was still up ahead and doing great! I think she must have BQ'd on her first marathon!
Somewhere along Lake Washington Boulevard, I caught up with Jae-Byung Jung, another Maniac. This was his only marathon of the weekend. As we ran stride-for-stride, we both agreed that we had bonked, aka hit the wall. Now if you don't know what this means:
BONK (running terminology):
The dreaded point (and awful feeling similar to what your body would feel like if you ran into a wall) during a race when your muscle glycogen stores become depleted and a feeling of fatigue engulfs you.
Example: Your legs change molecular structure from muscle to lead, one of your lungs apparently has stopped working, and you are unable to figure out what mile you're in or what your finish time will be if you run 10 minute miles.
We talked a little but mostly were silent partners in our quest to finish. Somewhere along the way, we arrived at 3:45 as an acceptable finishing time so long as we just kept up our easy pace. Whether this was before or after a flash of pink ran by, I don't recall. Maniac Robert Lopez ran by us so fast at mile 23 or 24 and went on to finish in 3:35...another Quadzilla runner. As he passed, my mouth shouted, "You suck, Robert!" before I could stop it. Now I meant it in good humor and he laughed like a mad man as he went on his way. I'm pretty sure I wanted to say, "Wow! Way to go, Robert!"
Sometime around the pink flash, my right calf was tightening and warning me that if I dared to "toe-off", it would not be pretty. Heel-toe, heel-toe. This is definitely not an economical way of running but after suffering calf-cramps in the past, I would do anything to avoid them.
We made it to the last mile! Running down a hill was painful in my quads and I skipped the last aid station. As we rounded a corner onto Mercer, I hear a very chirpy voice behind me telling me to "Let's go!" Jessica! I had 3:36 on my watch with maybe .3 to go. She looked so strong and determined. I tried to "go!" but my legs left their spring somewhere in Lake Washington. She flew by me on the uphill and when I crested the top, I gave it everything I had. The crowds on this last stretch are amazing!
As I ran into the stadium, the soft turf under my feet and cheering all around me, suddenly I felt I could run fast! I sprinted to the finish line and saw 3:40:09 and my watch read 3:39:54! So Jessica got her qualifying time! I saw Bill Barmore and Matt Hagen, Maniac volunteers at the finish. Jessica was in front of me and she was crying happy tears.
My parents were there too! What a wonderful surprise! Why is it you can run for so long and the moment you start walking, your legs go on strike?
We made our way to the finisher's area and found our Maniac family telling their race stories and basking in the glow of finishing one or more marathons.
This year's Seattle Marathon is one of my slower marathons of the year but at the end, I was happy and loved having my friends to share in the experience but I missed seeing my husband at the end.
Next up is Pigtails Marathon on December 18th!
GARMIN DETAILS OF MY RUN
http://www.asiorders.com/view_user_event_video.asp?EVENTID=67735&BIB=1047
Past Seattle Marathon times:
- 2002- 3:51:47
- 2003- 3:47:20
- 2004- 4:05:15
- 2005- 3:42:25 (First Boston Qualifying Time!)
- 2006- 3:50:39
- 2007- 3:20:05
- 2008- 3:29:12
- 2009- Did not run
- 2010: 3:39:53
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| Me, Jessica Bienvenue (Boston Qualifying Time) and Melissa Williams (Quadzilla) |
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