North Olympic Discovery Marathon - June 5, 2011

My first real race of the year had arrived.  I ran a 50k in January and the Tacoma City Marathon in May but neither were time goal races but rather finish and feel good races.  The North Olympic Discovery Marathon first ran in 2003.  I joined in 2006 after running Boston and Tacoma, meaning that this marathon secured my place in the Marathon Maniacs.  Perhaps that is the reason why this race is so special to me.  The course boasts amazing views of the Olympic Mountains, a beautiful trail with foot bridges, and finishes along the Strait of Juan De Fuca.

There are some hills throughout the course, most notably after the 16 mile mark where you are faced with a steep grade coming out of creekbeds.  If you know the course beforehand, you will not let it freak you out because the hills are not long even though they may seem intimidating.  Even walking up these hills you will not lose too much time over the course of the marathon. 

I decided to drive over race morning instead of staying overnight before the race.  I'm fortunate enough to live within 90 minutes of the start and with a 9:00 a.m. start, it was very doable to get there and still get a decent amount of sleep.  I love the later start even though many of my running friends would prefer to be on the road at least 2 hours earlier. 

I had arranged for another Maniac, Tim Bruce, to pick up my packet the day before just in case I was running late.  It turns out that the packets were still available when we arrived so I will remember that next year if we drive over on race morning.  Race morning started with a 5:30 a.m. alarm and believe it or not, I did not jump out of bed singing about bluebirds and rainbows.  Who are those people?  The coffee could not have been perking any slower as I stumbled through the house, trying to gather my race items.  I was so out of it when the alarm sounded, I had to ask Jeff, "What day is it?  What are we doing today?"  My daughter had taken the SAT the day before and I must have been dreaming about it because I thought I needed to get her to the test site. 

After checking my supplies a few times and giving my cat her insulin shot - that's another story - we escaped the house by 6:30 a.m, fifteen minutes later than I intended.  The drive to Sequim was thankfully uneventful and it was already 60 degrees, a temperature we have rarely gone above in months.  It had hit 80 degrees on Saturday in many places and I read with trepidation the marathon reports from other maniacs.  "Hot...brutal...survived...cramp city" were just a few descriptions from their races.  Imagine being holed up in a cold, dark cave for 7 months and suddenly you are thrust out into 80 degrees.  It's not really the 80 degrees that is so horrible but the lack of time to acclimate.  Washington has been the cave. 

Jeff parked maybe half to three-quarters a mile from the start, Carrie Blake Park.  We walked along the back of the park and hoped there would be an entrace.  I was getting a little edgy as we continued to walk and not see an entrance.  We passed a field overrun with campers and dogs, staying at the park for a dog show.  We found a chain link fence and didn't see a gate so Jeff cupped his hands together and umph, over the fence I climbed, in my running skirt.  We crossed the overgrown grassy field and reach the next fence which is locked so again, trying to be discreet as I flung my legs over the fence.  I felt my leg hurt a little, which added to my edginess.  Later I would discover a nice size bruise and a second one appeared the next day.  We also discovered that a trail entrance was just ahead about 10 feet from where we jumped the fence. 

Chain Link fence bruise

I got my packet, snuck into a Marathon Maniac photo shoot and made my way to the start.  I managed to use the porta potties a few times as my stomach was rumbling and rolling.  The ankle timing chip was secured through my laces with a safety pin since I have had bloody ankles when wearing these.  The volunteers don't mind the extra time it takes to unravel them and it saves me from another scar. 

As I walked past the starting line, I note a couple of speedy looking women and resolve not to be disappointed today.  This was something I would have to do repeatedly over the race.  I ran into some Marathon Maniacs and just before the start, Terry Sentinella found me and we decided to run together.  He has a 100 mile race next weekend and he was supposed to pace a 3:40 group.  There weren't any other pacers so he was happy to get a free entry and a long run with no time goals.  That suited me just fine but I was still worried that I might slow him down.  This man will be running the Badwater Ultramarathon in July. If you don't know what it is, here's a Badwater video preview. 

There wasn't much fanfare before the start and before I knew it, we were running.   The course starts out with a little incline and moderately rolling hills.  Our mile splits are in the mid 7s to 8s until mile 17.  I knew by mile 6 that this may not be my day but I had no idea how burnt out my legs would be and how soon.  In the past times I've run this, I may have walked portions of the steep uphills but not through aid stations or anywhere else. 

Terry kept the race fun and we had lots of time to talk about our families, racing and the evils of consuming dairy the night before a race.  I told him to go ahead anytime if I was slowing him but he kep his word and stayed with me through the whole race.  As I watched other women pass me during the race, I had to keep my thoughts in check and not let them control my run.  Terry called me out on my negative thinking a few times and that helped to keep things in perspective.  At some point in the race, the cold, hard reality of not finishing in the top of the field hit me pretty hard.  I wasn't trained for a fast marathon but the hope that my body could still pop one out was in the back of my mind. 

I walked countless times in the second half, nothing too long, but any walking feels like too much when it's something you don't normally do.  I watched people pass me who didn't look like they should be faster than me.  Steve Walters passed me and he ran a marathon on Saturday.  C'mon, Steve, have pity on me!

We had reached the homestretch and even with less than a mile to go, I had to take a short walk break!  My quads had been screaming at me for miles and kept me from running a decent pace in the second half.  I will admit that negative thinking and not having that tough mentality kept me from pushing harder, too. 

A small price to pay for 26.2 miles

I attempted a pathetic sprint at the end and finished in 3:46:45.  My Garmin had me at 26.44 miles and an 8:34 average.  I didn't cry this time and managed to not whine too much out loud.  The recovery area was filled with music, people milling about, some hobbling, others glowing from finishing their first marathon or perhaps a much larger number while others relished in a personal best.  I found my way over to to the results and discovered I was 53rd overall, 5th in my age and the 16th woman, not fast enough to win any awards this year.  A blister on my foot thankfully didn't cause any problems during the race.

We gathered our things, chatted with some friends and made our way to the SUV.  I think I shook my head the whole way home, wishing I could have done something differently.  I had thought a Jack in the Box meal and Snickers bar would make me feel better but it just gave me indigestion.

My next race is the Sound to Narrows 12K next weekend and two weeks later, Seattle Rock and Roll aka the Concrete Jungle. 

Mile Splits:

1. 7:36
2. 8:00
3. 7:39
4. 7:44
5. 7:52
6. 8:06
7. 7:57
8. 8:18
9. 8:09
10. 8:09
11. 8:01
12. 8:05
13. 8:27
14. 8:45
15. 8:23
16. 8:41
17. 9:22
18. 9:21
19. 9:21
20. 9:34
21. 10:26
22. 8:46
23. 9:27
24. 9:14
25. 9:19
26. 8:38

   .2-  7:45 (mile avg.)

Tacoma City Marathon

A few weeks ago, I did my longest training run since returning from my injury.  18 miles.  Torturous, lead-legged, never-ending mile after mile.  Some days are like that and thankfully I've been running long enough to know I will have a good run again.

So of course, with a week until Tacoma City Marathon, the ache of not running a race I've done so many times before haunted my thoughts.  I clicked on the website and felt like I was mourning a friend.  Being so close to race day, I knew the entry fees would be prohibitive for me and as I perused the fee schedule, I happened upon the pacer information page.  I noted that the 4:15 pacer slot was OPEN and the idea niggled in my brain that MAYBE I could run that pace and MAYBE I could finish a full marathon and MAYBE the slot was still open.  I sent an innocent message to my buddy and TCM volunteer coodinator, Tony Seabolt, and asked if they still needed a pacer. 

It's important to phrase questions and requests very carefully to volunteer coordinators.  I was signed up as a pacer in less than 24 hours and Tony reported to Tony Philipi, Race Director Extraordinair, that "I got that!".  Oh man, would I?? 

With no time to "train" for a 4:15 pace, I had to jump in and pray that my legs and mind would cooperate and do better than the prior weekend's 18 miler.  Doing some quick math, a 4:15 averages to 9:43 a mile which doesn't sound too intimidating.  Yet I had doubts. 

After teaching water aerobics at the YMCA on Friday morning, I drove straight to the expo to pick up my race number and timing chip.  There was a table of giveaways and I scored some amazing shirts and finisher's glasses from past races.  Nice!  I saw the Prez, Steven Yee, Tony Philipi, Miguel Galeana, owner of Rt. 16 and running phenom, along with many other running friends.  Of course they all looked fabulous while I was still sweaty from my class.  I don't think my running friends know me any other way!

Sunday morning came quickly and I got out of the house by 6:05 a.m.  The pacers were to meet at Hotel Murano by 6:45 and I knew I was cutting it close if I had a hard time finding a parking spot.  Thankfully the hotel was not right by the finish and I was able to park within 2 blocks of the hotel.   Pacers were lounging on the hotel couches sporting their Marathon Maniac shirts.  Pacers included David Spooner, Terry Sentinella, Scott Krell, Steve The Programmer Pendleton, and Kurt Lauer. 

Tacoma Marathon Pacers

The pace signs arrived and we were called to the limosuine!  I haven't been in a limo since I was 14 at my dad and step-mom's wedding.  A short 5 minute ride later, we arrived at the start line of the race and were introduced to the anxious crowd.  Tony Philipi announced our total marathons/ultra stats and our marathon personal records.  At 36 marathons, I was the "baby" of the group.  In any other circle of people, it sounds impressive.  Not with these runners!

With a little time to spare before the race, I was able to use the porta-potty and find some friends waiting for the start.  Nicole Niemann-Carr, Bill Barmore, and Merita Tromovich (woman's overall winner) were waiting together.  Bill was volunteering for the race.  Nicole was hoping to run a 4 hour marathon and get her personal record.  She did get a personal record but missed 4 hours by a second!  Merita is a competitor and I didn't know what she was planning except to run fast!

As we lined up near our goal paces, a group of about 6 runners let me know they would be attempting to stay with me.  I knew there were others who would be hanging with us but didn't say anything.  My goal was to hit the half way point at 2:05, giving us a little cushion for the second half. I let everyone know we would be hitting the mile splits around 9:13-9:20 at least for the first 5 or 6 miles.  Ideally we would not go over 9:30 until we were in the park.  Anyone who has run this course knows the reasoning here.  I remember my first time running this.  I was on pace for 3:15 and around mile 16, my legs were quivering.  Merita passed me during that time and another male frontrunner desperately grabbed his cramping halmstrings.  Five mile drive through Point Defiance Park, possibly the sister forest of Fangorn Forest from Lord of the Rings, is deceptively hilly.  Just when you think you've reached to top, Treebeard laughs at you and lifts the road up even higher. 

My group of runners who stuck with me the longest were Mike, Mark, Jim, and a woman whose name I didn't know.  She was one of the silent runners until the park.  I was thankful to have such a fun group of people surround me.  We were hitting our miles very consistently and made the half marathon split at 2:04.  Jim was running his first marathon, Mark was hoping to best his personal record of 4:45 or so, and Mike was hoping to hit 4:15 but I don't recall what his other marathon times were.  The woman was also hoping to beat her previous best time.

As we exited the park, I prepared my runners for the long ascent and to my surprise, we turned left and Tony Philipi suddenly became my best friend.  The "what the @&$!" hill that follows the insulting hills through the park was gone!  Mike and the woman were feeling good and able to get ahead of our group during this time.  My legs were feeling the miles and after I did some marathon math, announced that we had time to take little walk breaks if needed and still make the 4:15 finish time.  I still had Jim and Mark with me through mile 20-21.  Mark's hamstring was seizing on him but he kept pushing, using walk breaks and then leapfrogging back to us.  I sent Jim on his way about mile 22 with a reminder that the last 2 miles were golden on this course. 

Mile 23 and I'm alone!  I couldn't see Mark anywhere.  Mile 24 and I literally stop and wait and still don't see him.  I wait until a few runners come along and I encourage them with finish time predictions.  I let them know that if they can just maintain a 9:43 average in the next 2 miles, they will get a 4:15.  Maniac #484 hangs with me through the race, while the other runner is able to push herself to finish in front of us.  We tried to collect one more runner in the last .5 mile but his legs were cramping and he just couldn't do it.  We finished in 4:15:25. 

Mike, the woman, and Jim all finished faster than 4:15!  And Mark finished in 4:18 getting a personal record of almost 30 minutes.  It was a very successful day and the weather had been perfect. 

My next marathon is scheduled for May, the First Call to Run Spring Marathon that I am using as a training run.  North Olympic Discovery Marathon is June 5th followed by the Seattle Rock and Roll on June 25th.  I am working on letting go of my pride during June as I know my legs are not trained up to race fast yet.  I should have completed my 39th marathon by June 25th!

40...going, going, gone!

Me Turning 40

Last year I turned...40.  Okay, there, I said it.  Sigh.  I know, it's just a number.  Whatever.

Just because I know it's "just a number" didn't make the day any easier.  So what did I do to take my mind off of the ominous birthday?  My husband and I drove to Snoqualmie and I ran a little bit the next day.  Like, I don't know, 50 miles.

That helped get my mind off becoming a "master".  Can I ask who thought of the clever idea of calling 40 and over masters, by the way?  As if leaving my 30s wasn't enough, let's mark it with a special category.  It's like when I got called "Ma'am".  Shut up!  I was in my 20s and some grocery attendant still in high school called me ma'am! 

I'm closing in on 41 this Saturday.  It's not quite as tramatic as last year but nonetheless, it marks another year of asking myself, "am I living the life I desire; am I pursuing each day to its fullest?" 

This is something everyone should ask themselves regardless of their age.  Not to be foreboding or pessimistic, but we can't outrun time and no one is guaranteed to live to a certain age.  We need to evaluate ourselves daily, even hourly.  Are we pursuing excellence?

As 40 fades and I am elevated to a more mature 41, my hope is that I will continue to push my limits and not wait for a momentous age or event to pursue big dreams and goals.  I have this moment.  That's all I know for sure. 

Running Again!

Sorry to have left you hanging!  I was given the okay to start running again on March 3rd...woohoo!  My first reunion with running was merely a 2.3 mile faster-than-walking, almost jogging event. I've run 16 times since then totaling about 100 miles.  My longest run has been just over 12 miles.

The first week back to running was awesome and horrible.  I was elated to be back to moving faster than a walk but in the beginning, it was HARD and tough to run faster than 10 minutes per mile.  And it hurt a little.  My injury didn't hurt but my hips were aching!  I can't explain why this happened but thankfully that pain eventually faded but it took some prodding on my part. 

My peroneal tendon and gastrocnemius seem to be adjusting well to running again, thankfully.  Sadly I have lost some muscular strength in my arms as I've slacked off on P90X.  I am definitely going to be hitting body weight exercises and using weights again. 

I think too many women avoid weights or heavier weights because they think they'll get "bigger".   Let me show you a picture:

Gross, right?  Look at it!  Fat is bigger than muscle.  5 pounds of fat takes up more room than 5 pounds of muscle.  Memorize it, stare at it, take it in. 

I'd say lifting weights and/or resistance training should be in everyone's arsenal to better health.  

Racing hasn't been a factor these last few months so I'm sad I haven't been able to give you any awesome reports.  My next scheduled run is the North Olympic Discovery Bay Marathon on June 5th.  I have done all the Tacoma City Marathons and am still debating on whether to sign up this year since I don't feel trained to do the distance but mostly because I think I will, how do I put this nicely (?), suck.   I want to support Tony Phillipi's races (Databar Events) but am not sure I want to pay to run a crummy race - not his race but MY finishing time.

I'll update when I figure out what I'm doing.  In the meantime, I will be increasing the distance of my long runs so I can at least finish the early June marathon.  This had been my goal race but I will need to choose another one to replace it.  Sad.

I do know that I've gone in to some races thinking I was going to kill the course because I had trained like a mad woman only to die in the second half.  And I have also raced a lot faster than my training would predict.  I will go into NODM with the expectation of racing my best given my training.  I like to aim high, oftentimes out of this atmosphere high, and free-fall to my demise.  Why should I put these boundaries on my expectations?  I think most people only live up to what they expect of themselves.  If more people would aim for seemingly out-of-reach goals, they would find that they were only out of reach because they weren't leaning out far enough to grab them.

New Challenges

"I have a dream that one day..." I will run again.  Out of the depths of despair and injury, my feet will rise up and jump over roots and rocks and pavement.  I have a dream that my doctors are full of phooey and will eat their words about March 3rd being an aggressive date to start running again.

I had a dream that I was running through the streets of Seattle.  The streets were crowded but it felt so good to run!  And then I awoke.  Stupid dream. 



Some people who are injured use that time to take it easy, laying off completely from strenuous exercise.  Do you really think I'm one of those people?  My old self; yes. Now?  Might I suggest a full body restraint to keep me from exercising?

It's been nearly three weeks since I've run.  How is that possible?  I'm starting to have thoughts like, "26 miles!  I don't like to drive 26 miles!"  My non-running friends' thoughts are invading my brain.

During the past nearly three weeks, I have relied upon P90X for the majority of my exercise.  I have avoided the plyometrics and cardio workouts but have done the Kenpo, Yoga, Core Synergistics as well as all the upper body workouts.  I had been noticing gains in strength and, being the non-competetive person I am, challenged myself to a 50 push up duel (with myself!).

50 push ups from the toes without a break.  I'm not talking about the modified push ups (if you are thinking "girl" push ups, I may come over and level you with my newfound upper body strength).  I am doing the plank-style, from the toes push ups.  Along with doing the P90X workouts, I have added sets of push ups to aid in my quest.

A friend suggested doing sets, building them up as I go along.  The first was a series of 6 sets of 15 push ups.  That is 90 push ups.  Hello!  I have gotten through those and am on my second day of 4 by 25 push ups.  I will admit that my arms were shaking like jello in an earthquake on the last 25.  The good thing is I KNOW I can do 25 pushups without a break. 



Here are pictures taken of my bicep.  The first is a picture taken in early January before Insanity.  Two things you should know:  do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own bicep?  And second, do you know how vain it feels to take a picture of your own bicep?  I'm doing this only for scientific purposes.  I wanted to see if I am making improvements in my muscular size and I think they are slightly more developed since I started Insanity. 




Before Insanity





P90X and push up challenge.



I have started another challenge in the last few days:  drink one gallon of water daily.  I stocked up on toilet paper before beginning this challenge!  The first day, the water and I had a face-off and I really thought it would take me down.  Just before dinner, all water had been consumed!  I actually found that I normally drink a lot of water.  A gallon looks intimidating but I've been able to consume the whole jug daily as well as my coffee and Shakeology. 



I can't run?  What will I do with my time?





My challenger!

I'm ready to take on the challenge!

I started physical therapy last week and my calf is extremely sore!  I had to do a lot of heel lifts and that is the most work my calves have done since I've run.  I'm hopeful that I can begin running soon!

Week Three- Now what?

Two weeks of not running!  I haven't had a panic attack, yelling fit or pity party (well, not a big one).  Each day I have found a workout to do, mostly from P90X.  My upper body has been getting quite a workout these past two weeks.



Before



After!

After- it was full of writing utensils that may or may not have worked.  Ta-da!  Now they are separated :)  Small victories.

Kitchen:  I have cleaned out two junk drawers!  Not much, but it's two organized drawers I didn't have before my injury.  The kitchen still has a lot of work and I have a goal to get at least two more drawers or cabinets organized and decluttered.

Push ups!  I have done so many push ups in the last two weeks I decided to make a challenge for myself.  My goal is to do 50 push ups from my toes by mid-March.  I know I can do 25 without pausing and have been doing sets of push ups to improve my strength. 

Physical therapy begins tomorrow and I am not excited about it.  I will do what they tell me and pray that I am close to complete healing.  I feel great walking and feel like I could run right now.  I actually cannot figure out what hurts anymore.  I would like to find out more about my injury.  The peroneal tendon and gastrocnemius appear to be strained. 

I will update next week on my injury status. 

Week Two - The meltdown

February 7th-
Monday - today's 17 mile run (to make up for the run I didn't get to yesterday) was a disaster.  Mile 3, I felt my right ankle or achilles area start a dull ache.  As I progressed through the run, my form disintigrated into a flat-footed, guerrilla style run as I attempted inclines.  Walking down stairs on part of the run, I felt a stab of pain and contemplated calling my husband to rescue me.  Instead, I decided I could run the flats and I would walk the uphills. 

I got to mile 12 and faced 1/2 to 3/4 mile of gradual uphill.  I walked all of it and tried to remain composed.  Finally reaching the top, I attempted to run again but my ankle felt extremely stiff so I called home and said I wanted a ride home.  And then I said, "nevermind".  I only had 2.5 miles to go!  I made it another tenth of a mile and called home again. 

I have been icing, elevating, wrapping and crying.  I do not have time to get injured.   I know, nobody does.  Of course I didn't get to do my Insanity workout either.  And my kitchen project?  I did do some dishes.  My emotional state was not its best.  A doctor's visit on Tuesday will hopefully give me some answers.  I'm praying my injury is very minor and with a little rest, I will be able to run again soon.  I feel like my world has come unglued.  It's time for me to focus on cleaning the kitchen.

2/15 - Awaiting the MRI results.  I have an appointment Thursday.  It "seems" like it's healing.  I have a boot I'm supposed to wear but don't wear it very often.  It's annoying!  I have to wear a heel on my other foot.  If I don't, my walk is very lop-sided and actually hurts my hips after awhile. 

Obviously my plan is out of whack right now. The only thing I can work on is my kitchen.  My freezer is clean!  Woo-hoo!  The oldest item I found was a frozen chicken from 2005.  Please, I don't KNOW how that stayed hidden in there for so long.  I do know that I qualified for Boston in 2005 and have been training like crazy since.  So that's my excuse.

In place of running and Insanity, I have been doing P90X (modified) workouts, including:  Back and Biceps, Yoga X, Kenpo, Chest and Back, Shoulders and Arms, and Chest, Shoulders and Triceps.  My upper body is getting a workout!  Even with these workouts, my weight is creeping upwards and I need to focus on nutrition even more than usual. 

And just in case you don't believe me about the freezer, I'm attaching gross pictures to show you what I haven't been doing while I was out running.

Gross!

Exploding orange juice can in the freezer...yuck!

ALL OF THIS was tossed.  Some old, some ruined from prior power outages this season.

It's clean!  Happy Dance :)

Next Project:  the "what the %$#@! is in here?" drawer