Seattle Rock-n-Roll Marathon 6/25/11

26.1 miles!  Photo by Tony Seabolt

Somewhere along the monster hill- photo by Bob Satko

26.1 miles!  Photo by Takao Suzuki

It had been 20 days since my disappointing North Olympic Discovery Marathon finish of 3:46.  My quads felt trashed for a solid week after the race. 

Trashed: the feeling that your muscles have been repeatedly rolled over by a dump truck at the end of garbage pickup day. 

During the next 2 weeks before the Rock n Roll Marathon, something miraculous happened.  I was able to run faster than previous training runs.  The competetive monster that had lain dormant for a season was awakening.  I won't say that suddenly I could pop out 6 minute miles but I was feeling lighter on my feet and the strideouts weren't as hideous.

With a week to go before the marthon, I found myself alone during the days.  My daughters were at camp and Jeff was working.  As I reduced my mileage on the roads, I spent my energy cleaning house.  I missed my girls but it was nice to see the entire carpet minus clothing, books, papers, etc. 

Jeff and I drove over Friday morning to pick up our race packets and cruise the expo.  We saw some running friends, Pedro, Tony, Kristin, and got our picture taken at the Northwest Runner booth.  Picture from the Northwest Runner booth.  I found some new shorts and socks at Super Jock and Jill and Jeff got a steal on a running shirt.  We got hoardes of samples and entered contests.  These expos are free to the public so even if you don't run the race, you should attend one of these for the awesome deals and giveaways.  We decided to sign up for next year's race at a discount price and saved $80 combined.  Jeff and I will have done the Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon (and half-marathon for Jeff) four years in a row. 

We hit up The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner and assembled our racing outfits that night.  The race started at 7:00 am which pushed the wake up time in the 4:00 hour.  Yuck.  Many, many people were up even earlier. 

From 4-6 am were shuttle buses leaving from Qwest Field as well as The Westin.  We escaped our room by 5:30, later than anticipated.  My body was not cooperating and that's all I want to say about that issue.  The lines for the buses were astronomically long.  As we approached McDonalds near the Westin, we had a choice between 2 lines, we thought.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.  The other line seemed to always get the buses and other people who were just arriving seemed to have better luck than we were having.  Most of the bibs were blue, which indicated half marathoners.  One girl was wearing a banana suit (?) and others were in sparkly attire.  Most runners chose convention over originality. 

Across the street, an endless line of runners kept wrapping itself around a building and Jeff and I couldn't understand what line they were in.  At 6:15 am, we finally scored seats on a bus and as we drove by the other lines, we realized that they were in OUR line.  Wow, they would never get to the start line by 7:00 am. 

The bus ride was uneventful and we were in line for the portapotty by 6:30.  It looked as if Runner's World vomited up all it's contents in Tukwila.  Maniac Robert Lopez clad in his pink "Breast Cancers Sucks" outfit walked by and told me I missed the Marathon Maniac photo shoot.  Bathroom activities take precedence over pictures. 

Temperatures would be very mild and as Jeff dropped off my sweatshirt at the bag drop, I began to shiver uncontrollably.  This happens to me a lot so I tried to ignore the chattering teeth and made my way through the expanse of runners and walkers.  Asian Elvis sighting!

My bib allowed me to enter into the second corral and Jeff's was the sixth corral.  Last year I put 3:12 as an anticipated finish time but reality sometimes hits you square in the eyes.  I could hit 3:12 if I caught a cab for a few miles.  As I inhaled every bit of competetive pride in me, I stepped into Corral 4.  Lo and behold, Terry Sentinella was a corral BEHIND me pacing the 3:30 group.  High hopes and lack of sleep kept me from moving back and I decided that a couple minutes lead on that group would be motivation for me to keep up my pace.  Realistically I knew that finishing in 3:30 was a little beyond my current reach but I don't like to give in even before the gun fires. 

Music was blaring and the crowds were anxious to get the party started.  7:00 am and the elite runners were sent on their way.  Every one or two minutes the next corral was released.  My corral pushed up to the start and 3, 2, 1...go!  My wrist bore my watch rather than my Garmin since I knew there were tunnels that would cause it to lose the satellite signal.  Not having my Garmin was a little unnerving since I can set it to keep track of current and overall mile averages.  With a watch, I have to do on the run math and in the later miles, my brain doesn't calculate nearly as quickly or accurately as I would hope. 

Within a couple of miles, I knew I had to use the portapotty.  I prolonged it hoping I could get away with not stopping but I soon realized I couldn't continue for 24 miles this way.  I lost about a minute or two.    I saw a bootcamper cheering for me around mile 4 which surprised both of us! 

After a longish ascent that wasn't too bad, we headed down and down and down to Seward Park.  I noticed a lot of male runners were more focused on women runners than the race they were running.  Various comments about the women around me floated in my ears as I passed them.  I'm pretty sure I was called a jolly green giant as I passed a very petite yet beautiful woman.  I guess I do look "large" next to these cruel women.  Whatever.  I passed the guys and they couldn't keep up so eat my green beans, boys!

Turning left at Seward Park brought us to a long, flat portion run along Lake Washington.  American flags lined the course along with pictures of fallen soldiers.  Any joy I had was set aside as I looked at the faces of soldiers that gave their lives protecting our freedom.  It was hard to keep from crying and put the race into perspective. 

We made our way along Lake Washington, the sun shined down on us and we really couldn't have had much better weather.  I stayed just in front of the 1:45 half marathon group for much of this stretch.  At mile 9 after ascending up a steep yet short hill, marathoners veered right to cross the Mercer Island Bridge while half-marathoners entered a tunnel to the left.  Suddenly the course seemed fairly empty of runners as the majority of people were running the half marathon. 

After the turnaround at the end of the bridge, I saw all the runners behind me.  The 3:30 group was closing in and just past mile 11, I heard Terry's voice and a pack of runners overtake me.  I had told David Spooner my plan was to race until my legs blew up.  I had to give it another try despite how I felt at Sequim. 

As we entered the tunnel, a sauna-like atmosphere swelled around me, noises and heat overtaking my senses.  My shirt quickly elevated to my armpits as I worked my way down the tunnel.  Tunnels are terrible places to have bands.  Doesn't anyone know this?  Running the Rock N Roll marathon sounds like it would be a huge party but for me, I barely hear the music as we go by the stages fairly quickly.  The cheerleaders were motivating and I loved the spectators cheering. 

As we exited the tunnel, marathoners were approaching mile 14 and the half marathoners were at 11 miles.  We could see Safeco Field directly in front of us and then we headed into the streets of Seattle.  I love this portion of the course because there are so many spectators and distractions that the miles seem to go by faster.  The downside to this part is that the roads have more hazards and you may trip over something while waving to your adoring fans.  A half marathoner husband and wife were running alongside me and he told me I was making him look bad in front of his wife since I was really 3 miles in front of him.  Another couple were running as part of their honeymoon.  

Soon the marathoners were directed away from Qwest Field as the adrenaline rush of the half marathoners filled the air.  We ran along the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and as we approached a tunnel, someone yelled "Ginger!" and waved maniacally from the top of a building.  I still don't know who it was and I just waved but didn't have the extra lung capacity to yell, "Who ARE you?"

The next part of the course is uphill.  It is cruel.  It is evil.  It holds you in it's grips and throws you to the pavement.  If you've raced this course, you KNOW I'm not lying.  I know it's maybe one or two miles but it feels like it's the longest hill in the world.  I had already seen leaders returning on the other side of the tunnel which means they are at least 5 miles in front of me, probably more like 7 miles.  I'm positive I'm running 10 minute miles.  I emerged from the incline, crossed the bridge over Lake Union and it felt like Christmas at the turnaround.  Suddenly my legs felt the heaviness of the pavement lift and by the middle of the bridge, I began to smile.  Yeah, I'm the goofy runner who sometimes smiles and you wonder if they have a mental condition.  I had "runner's high" or whatever you'd like to call it.  For two miles, I couldn't stop smiling as we headed back down into Seattle.  I watched runners coming at me facing their own demons as they pushed themselves up the hill.  I told a runner next to me that we were on the happy side of the barrier. 

Okay, two miles later and I was back to the reality of 20 miles of running on pavement.  We headed back to the Alaskan Way Viaduct and numerous runners were stopping to grab their hamstrings, calves, glutes, etc. and I tried not to think how much they must be hurting.  Mile 23 finally arrived and Qwest Field sadistically is placed next to the course.  Marathoners run past the finish area - ugh - and head out to what feels like the Sahara Desert.  With one S because this is not sweet.

These last few miles are a test to see who is the least cranky.  I didn't win but I didn't come in last, either.  About mile 24.5, a woman runner said to me or anyone who would listen as we climbed a hill, "Are you freakin' kidding me?  This is crap!" I'm pretty sure she was referring to the hill we had to climb to get to mile 25.  I will admit that I had taken 10-30 second walk breaks at various hilly points in the marathon.  It's hard on my psyche to take a small walk break in the last mile of a marathon but I did it anyway.  I get to the mile 26 sign, the ground has leveled and with everything I have, I force my legs to sprint the rest of the way to the finish.  The downhill and the crowds pulled me faster and faster.  A photographer rolled out from the crowd and took my picture and then Tony Seabolt's face appeared behind the camera.   I rounded another corner and there was the finish line!  3:37!  I was 9 minutes faster than NODM! 

I got my medal, water, smiled for the camera, and found Jeff who finished the half in 1:51, a personal best for this course.  We went through the recovery area, music blaring with Everclear.  After relaxing for a little bit, we made our way out of the recovery area and began our walk back to the Holiday Inn, about 3 miles away.  Our plan was to walk unless we were injured.  Thankfully both of us felt good and had no problems walking that far after our races. 

I have felt suprisingly good since the race, a far cry from how badly my quads hurt after NODM.  My next marathon is on September 25th, just under 12 weeks from now.  I hope to be in better racing shape by then and will be doing shorter races in preparation for the big day.

Next up:  Dirty Dash 10k!

Here are my mile splits:

1. 7:31
2. 7:50
3. 8:35 (portapotty stop)
4. 7:45
5. 8:24
6. 7:26
7. 8:06
8. 8:16
9. (and 10) 16:26 - got distracted at the 1/2 and full split
10.  
11. 8:00
12. 8:16
13. 8:40
14. 7:11
15. 9:56 -these last 2 miles were off for sure
16. 8:20
17. 8:50
18. 8:59
19. 7:36
20. 8:26
21. 8:30
22. 8:32
23. 8:29
24. 8:26
25. 7:44
26. 11:18 - including .2 to finish

3:37:43 finishing time

8:18 per mile average

Sound to Narrows 12k

Sound to Narrows 12k

 (7.4564544 miles for the metrically challenged)

Sound to Narrows 12k, June 11, 2011

Saturday, 6:30 a.m....beep...beep...beep!  "What day is it?" I sat up startled as the alarm screached.  I have to stop waking up like this.  Maybe this is the beginning of senility, waking up not knowing what day it is or why the alarm would be sounding.

In a few moments, I remembered why I was waking up and quickly headed to the coffee pot, hoping to be revived by it's caffeinated magic wonders.  Okay, I gave myself 45 minutes to get out of the house.  The race started at 8:45 am and a group of us were meeting at 8:15 for the paparazzi.  I signed up under the Narrows Bridge Running Club team and was finally going to meet teammates for an upcoming relay in July. 

I decided to wear my running skirt and running "skivvies" underneath.  That's underwear  for those that are not OLD like me.  Grabbed my pink tank and my Discovery Marathon long sleeve shirt.  My race packet would be waiting for me at the Route 16 booth.  http://www.route16runwalk.com/ 

My family stayed home and cheered me on from their beds.  **Well, not really.  They were helping my parents while I played.  I was a good girl and went to help right after the race.**

 The race started at  Vassault Park in Tacoma.  I parked 3/4th a mile from the start and did a happy dance straight into an empty porta-potty that manifested itself along my walk.  I slipped inside the box of wonders and prayed the apartment complex residents weren't watching.

NOT the port-a-potty I found

 8:00 a.m. and I was already at the Route 16 booth...early!!!  Tony Seabolt had a Dirty Girls singlet I could wear for the race and I spent the pre-race time talking with a lot of running friends and posing for pictures. 

8:40 a.m arrived and I headed up to the race start, seeing other friends along the way. This is perhaps the largest attended community event in Tacoma.  I lined up with the green wave (first wave), with the other waves released in 5 minute increments.  The green wave is supposed to be able to run 7:30 minute miles so I set off with a goal to get in under 7:30 for my first 2 miles and see what my legs were willing to do after that. 

Cruising downhill for the first mile gave me a one mile split of 6:45 which I was extremely happy to see.  Ruth Perkins, the eventual overall woman's winner, passed me in the first 1/2 mile and I knew that something had gone wrong with her start as she should have been at the front of the pack.  She must have been running in the 5's and I tried not to think about how slow she made everyone look. 

One of the markers along 5 mile drive through Point Defiance Park

We entered the park and the up/down hills of Point Defiance slapped everyone into reality.  I ran this at Tacoma City Marathon but racing Sound to Narrows and pacing the 4:15 marathon group make this road two different animals. 

Uphills my quads would catch fire and I had to let other runners pass me.  I took advantage of the flats and downhills as much as I could, passing the strong uphill runners.  Somewhere along the drive, a woman asked if I was Ginger.  I was absorbed in thoughts of flaming torches and loved the distraction.  It turns out that I met a reader of my blog, Amanda!  Hi Amanda!  Thank you for saying hey to me and helping me to not think about my quads internally combusting for a couple of minutes.

We escaped the park to be faced with North Mildred Street, which should have been named Evil Canyon.  I literally felt like Jack (from Jack and Jill) falling down the hill and when I recovered from the pounding of the downhill, I hit semi-truck mode on an uphill.  As we rounded the corner from the hill, we had a nice stretch of road before hitting the last big ascent of the race, Vassault Street. 

I've found the best strategy on this road is to break it down into sections.  Hill #1, hill #2, short hill, long hill, etc.  This would be my slowest mile of the day, 8:19.  The last half mile I pushed myself as hard as I could knowing the finish line was just around the corner.  As I turned left off Vassault onto a downhill and right toward the grassy finish (being careful not to trip over a curb!), I saw the clock and was thrilled to see I would finish under one hour.

My Garmin read 57:03 with my last .5 at a 7:00 pace.  The Sound to Narrows site has me at 56:39, but that unfortunately doesn't seem right.  I believe this is my second fastest Sound to Narrows, with my fastest around 55 minutes.  I think I have only run this 4 times but will need to look at my running logs to confirm.

Overall results:

4/164 age group

27/1276 overall women

222/2478 overall men and women

Post-Race:  I ran through Point Defiance the next day with my husband but this time through the trail system.  We ran 10 miles at a leisurely pace, and with 4 miles to go, I told Jeff, "Okay, 6 done.  Now we can have fun!" and on the word "fun" I heard a KER-THUNK!  Well, at least one of us had fun.

I forgot to add that after the race, our team met at a restaurant for food, fun and prizes.  I wasn't able to attend but found a message on Facebook telling me I had won a bib for the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon set for August 6th!  Awesome!!!

Hanging out with the Original Narrows Bridge Running Club

Dirty Girls and Rhubarb

Tony Seabolt and his Dirty Girls harem

Does anyone else think I must be on stilts??

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/91862916  Garmin Race Data

A Different Life

Zero.  That's how much exercise I did on Monday.  Usually I will run 2-4 miles the day after a marathon and then 4-6 by Tuesday.  So Monday I lived a sedentary lifestyle.  Knowing that sedentary lifestyles increase risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and overall crankiness, I knew Tuesday would mean getting the legs back on the road. 

My husband, Jeff, and I headed out for 4-6 miles in a local neighborhood.  After warning him that my quads still felt trashed from Sunday's run, we began our run at a moderate pace.  "You know this will be close to 10 -12 minutes a mile," I informed Jeff.  It turns out we hit our first mile at 9:21.  The second mile split was 9:17. 

Mile 3- well, I actually never hit it.  The molecular structure of concrete absorbed into my quadriceps during the second mile and after my legs literally buckling under me, I eased into a walk.  I sent Jeff on his way and I continued to walk to the finish, about 1.75 miles.  He got his 5 miles and I strolled through a beautiful neighborhood. 

This short time of walking gave me time to reflect upon my life and where I would be without running.  I present to you now the top 10 ways my life would be different if I wasn't a runner (as composed by me during my 30 minutes walk):

1. I would have a garden.  I had one once upon a time.  Raised beds, slug repellant, nets, flowers, etc.  We finally leveled out that area this past year after having it sit dormant and overflowing with weeds since 2001.
2. I would have a food-related business.  Believe it or not, I did have a business license to sell baked goods at the local farmers market.  The Gingerbread House.  Really.
3. I would have attempted to show either food or a hand-sewn item at the local fair.  Once upon a time, I used my sewing machine and actually have made dresses for my girls.  They were toddlers at the time.  
4. I'd be a best selling author.  Well, maybe.  I love writing and have started many projects over the years but you know, running takes a lot of time!
5. My closet would be organized.  And my cupboards, and...a lot of other things.  And I would have liners and dividers and whatever else organized people use to make their homes look nice and function at top speed.
6. I would have one pair of "workout" shoes. 
7. My house would have a lot more space without a treadmill, weights, running shoes, and my drawers would have room for regular clothing.
8. I would be fat.  Probably.  I don't want to know.
9. I would feel like something was missing but not sure what it is.
10. I would have scrapbooks filled with creative displays of my family's adventures instead of digital pictures stored away on our computers.

So there you have it.  This is the short list.  How would your life be different if you weren't a runner?

I made this before I discovered running. 

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.