tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84012952422248322312024-03-05T06:07:09.696-08:00SLOultrarunnerRelentless forward motion from a slothlike ultrarunner, a blog about my adventures in marathon-training, trail-running and SLO transition to ultra-runningAileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-40440611293468804902015-03-15T23:28:00.001-07:002015-03-17T09:04:20.837-07:00Napa Valley Marathon 2015The 37th Annual Napa Valley Marathon (NVM) is my 9th NVM, my 38th career marathon, and my first marathon for 2015. It was simply unbelievable. So far, I have been able to string 3 fantastic races in a row. Starting off my 2015 racing season with an-8 miler, Castle Coast in January, followed by the Kaiser Permanente 1/2 marathon in San Francisco in February, and then this March, NVM. I haven't posted a personal record in any of the three recent races, however, what I've been able to do is hone a stronger finish. I'm happy to report that I am 3 for 3 in this department.<br />
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I had been holding my breath as to how I was going to do in Napa. I have been a little bit laxed with my training with holidays, family visits and life in general. Although I didn't push as hard this training cycle, I believe my training was enough going into the marathon. I was highly satisfied with the way I executed the race. I had 3 goals in mind for Napa. Goal "C" was to PR, of course, but if that didn't happen I was not going to be heartbroken. Goal "B" was a accomplishing a sub-four finish. Again, if it didn't materialize, I was not going to be disappointed. Finally, goal "A" was what intended to do: to have a strong finish. Let me explain.<br />
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In February for the 1/2 in San Francisco, I was able to kick it in a higher gear in the last 5k. I had a strong finish and passed a number of runners, where normally I would fade due to fatigue or cramping, whichever came first. I knew that I may not be able to replicate that kind of strong finish in the marathon, however, what I was capable of, was to resist the incredible urge to walk in the last 6 miles. I accomplished just that. I only walked at the water stops to drink for 5-7 seconds. This was a huge accomplishment for me. I typically lose about 6-7 minutes in the last 10k. As a result, I've produced my 2nd best time on this course today at 4:07:01.<br />
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I may have mentioned this before, NVM was my 2nd marathon ever. I have been in love with the course since running it for the first time in 2003. I've been back 9 times since then and each time I forget that it's a rolling hills course until I'm on it. I had deferred last year due to a plantar fasciitis (PF) injury. I couldn't complete the training so sadly I had to withdraw. Thankfully, I am now back on track and the PF is completely gone. It knocked me out for 6 weeks with a self imposed no running. I thought I was going to be a basket case for not being able to run those 6 weeks, but when your heel hurt so much when all you're trying to do is walk or stand still, then there's not much grieving you can do. Getting back into running took a lot of patience. it took me the better part of the 2014. It was upsetting not being able to get back to the same fitness level before the injury, but I learned quickly that it takes time and you can't hurry "it" where the consequences might be back to possibly being injured again. I digress, I will tell you the reasons why I keep coming back to Napa at the end of this report. For now, let's get to the nitty gritty, shall we?<br />
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The expo's theme this year was a celebration of the 1976 U.S. Olympic team which consisted of Don Kardong, Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter. We got to the Expo late so we missed all of it. It was my fault; I took a wrong turn, believing I knew a better shortcut. Thank goodness my passenger, Heidi was patient as I tried to download an app to help us get back on track to Napa. No pun intended.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgOSByTLofQ3NFHui4NR8ZUEA80h1PrFnkKi9hmTa926hE_gpZqr_cGWBimSt7QUitlhhlAHOpnBTPdrjT0qmy5OM1I9e5zY89QFGHbA90nSe2qZofaIRBUQs_1XcSua-10nSydxFybk/s1600/Napa2015.3.Goody.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgOSByTLofQ3NFHui4NR8ZUEA80h1PrFnkKi9hmTa926hE_gpZqr_cGWBimSt7QUitlhhlAHOpnBTPdrjT0qmy5OM1I9e5zY89QFGHbA90nSe2qZofaIRBUQs_1XcSua-10nSydxFybk/s1600/Napa2015.3.Goody.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three amigos...sorry I miss seeing ya'll.</td></tr>
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We saved some money by staying at Motel 6. The rest of the Napa hotels got a little "smarter" by insisting on a two-night minimum stay. "Ah no, thanks, I have to get back to work the next day."<br />
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Motel 6 was recently renovated so it was clean and had all the necessary requirements a marathoner needs...microwave, bed, toilet paper. Yes, I said TP. This harkens back memories from 6 months ago in the Ventura Marathon. America's Best Quality Inn in Oxnard was rationing TP like we're in a zombie apocalypse. Can you say never again?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0cixpswkP-oBJLpow4fhGfOkq9w74eY-JXA-xZfAWyv8dPwwqpQtocf3MYirY_rFZsKRwF1XQyeFHcG4T2VHG3FHcbW36Zrp0ZH3Q-VaO9WuDba4DBAMI7DMkD0P2v_k-RejlgobqNQ/s1600/Napa2015.13.Expo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0cixpswkP-oBJLpow4fhGfOkq9w74eY-JXA-xZfAWyv8dPwwqpQtocf3MYirY_rFZsKRwF1XQyeFHcG4T2VHG3FHcbW36Zrp0ZH3Q-VaO9WuDba4DBAMI7DMkD0P2v_k-RejlgobqNQ/s1600/Napa2015.13.Expo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...sporting my new duffel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_qZq-NkoUGKPVFjXSXxgIRkUx3nFhBIOGHglmQugLAr8EsMet_ykMfewp-3-XQODBy9LwOS-9xdpq8Pt80edUSmZ4gjqwXgtIDpmMcFoz1_c9UhLd79r8aNFR3n4eQgAuFBepoWLkaU/s1600/Napa2015.18.Goody.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_qZq-NkoUGKPVFjXSXxgIRkUx3nFhBIOGHglmQugLAr8EsMet_ykMfewp-3-XQODBy9LwOS-9xdpq8Pt80edUSmZ4gjqwXgtIDpmMcFoz1_c9UhLd79r8aNFR3n4eQgAuFBepoWLkaU/s1600/Napa2015.18.Goody.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am so happy that the shirt is not white for a change. I love this cobalt blue!</td></tr>
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After securing our room, we headed to the Expo to get my duffel bag, shirts, and bib and for Heidi to sign in as a volunteer. It was a quick and painless process. After the pickup, we headed to carbo-load to our favorite Italian restaurant called Ristaurante Allegria in downtown Napa. Since we were 1/2 hour late, we lost our "inside" reservation. We had to settle to sit outside. Thank goodness we had heat lamps. It was still freezing even with the heat lamps. We had our fill of pasta. Even Heidi carbo-loaded for her 5K race.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1pEuh_wvUDS_tV5THl7s9Wzf-_C74FoHF-CGb1oRvof-RJsvLGLnPwSvxIR6WDk1bltUnS1WLt8ua0FmIWCP6KeBfFqOp-nPUan-I_ekZHYL-gn1FvUeth54wTsicapw2DXw9QFAbfo/s1600/Napa2015.22.Carbo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1pEuh_wvUDS_tV5THl7s9Wzf-_C74FoHF-CGb1oRvof-RJsvLGLnPwSvxIR6WDk1bltUnS1WLt8ua0FmIWCP6KeBfFqOp-nPUan-I_ekZHYL-gn1FvUeth54wTsicapw2DXw9QFAbfo/s1600/Napa2015.22.Carbo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linguini with Manila clams, fabuloso!</td></tr>
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Around 7 pm, we got back to the motel to get our usual eve-of-race day-rituals, laying out our race clothes, pinning the bib on our shirts, getting the timing chip on the shoes, filling water bottles, and preparing race day nutrition.<br />
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This is the first time in 9 years, that I have decided to take full advantage of the BYOB (bring your own bottles) service, that NVM offers. I guess it took me this long to get serious about my race day nutrition. I've been plagued with late race day cramping. So what I did was plan to use 4 aide stations that would give me what I want to drink. I purchased 4 throwaway water bottles from the dollar store. I could have used the regular water bottles I guess, but I needed something to "pop" and grab my attention when I am running tired. I don't want to be searching for my water bottles in the middle of a race. I need to see it right away way before I approach the aide station. So my bottles were green and I tied a red balloon on it. From 50 yards away I should be able to spot my personal drink. Glad to report that it worked perfect. At one point, I was not even thinking, I almost missed my bottle if it weren't for the balloon. I passed the table and it was an afterthought, "Oh there's another balloon. Wait that's mine!" I had to run back to get it. I liked using this service. It makes you feel like an elite.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBw6JExC77aPgT48COwcegfs6huv79mJnNGc3_DrXsiP9BnAxXEighJbthx4G5uvYkIzlwu3EFYrYLrTFvc7_ffYrDnbo9hsz9WKymXIDYOarUPQK_6szP2HiwnQUA4WUZS1UXAVUb6k/s1600/Napa2015.2.Balloon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBw6JExC77aPgT48COwcegfs6huv79mJnNGc3_DrXsiP9BnAxXEighJbthx4G5uvYkIzlwu3EFYrYLrTFvc7_ffYrDnbo9hsz9WKymXIDYOarUPQK_6szP2HiwnQUA4WUZS1UXAVUb6k/s1600/Napa2015.2.Balloon.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The special drinks to be transported to the aid stations. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gZO2BOPrulZnyXjEKQ0WpZlcwN9aGOvDuWiqe3zWuK1_o_cLMO-OD6NPvK-QoEnKvB5sf2EG9Qn4H5jn4nIaGdF8sREm2UrSGArMhdSC6eAT_aMQWOppM4ibnkIiWGuYgExbIzaVZKg/s1600/Napa2015.26.Balloon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gZO2BOPrulZnyXjEKQ0WpZlcwN9aGOvDuWiqe3zWuK1_o_cLMO-OD6NPvK-QoEnKvB5sf2EG9Qn4H5jn4nIaGdF8sREm2UrSGArMhdSC6eAT_aMQWOppM4ibnkIiWGuYgExbIzaVZKg/s1600/Napa2015.26.Balloon.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot my drinks?</td></tr>
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As I was preparing my water bottles, Heidi jokingly, asked how hard it would be to drink from it, if I had that silly balloon in my face. Valid question. You might be curious to know too. I already thought about that. As I'm grabbing my drink, my plan was to pop it with the safety pin from my bib. You're probably asking what's inside my bottles. One bottle had pickle juice in it. The other two bottles have cola Nuun. One other bottle have beet juice. The pickle juice was the best. 8 oz. was not enough. I gulped it like there was no tomorrow. I wished my bottle was bigger. It may sound weird but it was refreshing after running 16 miles. The best part, it prevented my cramps.<br />
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The weather was perfect. It was around high 30's at the start to about 66 at the finish. We had winds about 9mph, from the North, which i thought would be a slight tailwind, but sadly it was the opposite. nonetheless it couldn't have gone any better.the Napa course winds from Calistoga to Napa along the Silverado Trail. The first 6 miles have slight rollers but not quad-crushing bad.<br />
One of the advantages of staying in the hotel sponsored by the marathon is that you get VIP treatment. To me that means, breakfast, specifically, coffee, before we board the buses. Our motel weren't serving coffee until the 5 am. The problem was we had to be at the high school at 5 am! So smart Heidi and Aileen decided to go to the Marriott and try to snag free coffee. Can you tell how this is going to end? We entered the hotel with confidence. From 50 yards away, I spotted see the easel with complementary to NVP "marathoners only" --or something to that effect. The exact wording, I couldn't remember. As we walked closer, I advised Heidi with "Let's walk confidently, and try not to look guilty, like we don't belong here." Wel,l the coffee attendant must have read my lips as we walked, unwittingly towards her and attempted to enter the room with shiny silver coffee urn that seems to have halo all around it. She stopped us in our tracks and asked, as if she knew, "May I see you room key?" <br />
"Ah we don't have it." (I think I had the deer in the headlights look.)<br />
"Show me your bib."<br />
"It's in the car."<br />
"Coffee is for Marriott guests only."<br />
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We laughed all the way to the car. Really? "Heidi, how could our bibs be in the car?" Even she knows we should have it pinned on our shirts. I swear we are not good liars. It was way too early in the morning and we clearly needed coffee to be sharper. By this time, it was already 5 am, so we drove back to Motel 6 and grabbed their piping hot coffee! Have you see the Seinfeld episode with the Soup Nazi? Yeah, this one was close.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi30ZZIc6L5TBW06K2ZSw5HG5w8srwg7gu9PcGRqTvwqmphZV5EZZ3LoCHcPhg6tNhu32SptSk54BlCTxyfSXYO89qEgNH3PhhWWEJ2ZEXpPwHP4LSuPMzM8ZSuPrSe9LLEM6Es3mfja0/s1600/Napa2015.1.Selfie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi30ZZIc6L5TBW06K2ZSw5HG5w8srwg7gu9PcGRqTvwqmphZV5EZZ3LoCHcPhg6tNhu32SptSk54BlCTxyfSXYO89qEgNH3PhhWWEJ2ZEXpPwHP4LSuPMzM8ZSuPrSe9LLEM6Es3mfja0/s1600/Napa2015.1.Selfie.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An obligatory selfie...oh wait, Heidi is flagging her hands up and down...she thinks I'm taking her picture...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeeW0Byv70u1yuM7rCiABDP_KKZCpPFYi46zLmCOH8HYQMFMc1rqXNYyAb8Ck847kidsMwQIMGPmDTpiLacGPElKxZz5bRiVM8HA8T3StLnMcBECXTTLc-g6fj0oOe8jM-PwJpQaPP34/s1600/Napa2015.4..Heidi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeeW0Byv70u1yuM7rCiABDP_KKZCpPFYi46zLmCOH8HYQMFMc1rqXNYyAb8Ck847kidsMwQIMGPmDTpiLacGPElKxZz5bRiVM8HA8T3StLnMcBECXTTLc-g6fj0oOe8jM-PwJpQaPP34/s1600/Napa2015.4..Heidi.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...thank goodness I was quick to take hers...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOlyEW8tbq9PVnbwcExg-gAxHzanvJ8V9IssOyIHugOVxVHjvZ87hURM3CX4gf2Ki6Cg5DAU0DJZYJfNwEpYogQ7-g2S1Nv_y8y7VeMmYH572UQ6mV1UYcdHe7mtk1JezriNFowLSx2o/s1600/Napa2015.12.Bus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOlyEW8tbq9PVnbwcExg-gAxHzanvJ8V9IssOyIHugOVxVHjvZ87hURM3CX4gf2Ki6Cg5DAU0DJZYJfNwEpYogQ7-g2S1Nv_y8y7VeMmYH572UQ6mV1UYcdHe7mtk1JezriNFowLSx2o/s1600/Napa2015.12.Bus.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...sending me off to my bus...see y'all in a couple of hours...</td></tr>
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The runners boarded the buses at Vintage High School in Napa which took us to Calistoga. The buses were prompt. If you were late, you were out of luck. You had to find your own way to Calistoga. I only know this because Heidi was a volunteer at the race day bib pick-up and that's exactly what happened to this English lady who was late. She missed the bus. Incidentally, the boss of the bus drivers was in my bus and she radio-ed all the bus drivers who were parked by the school waiting on the wings and she ordered them to start driving back to the yard. The ride took about 50 minutes and the usual nervous chatter of other runners filled the air. I sat quietly to finish my breakfast of banana, bagel and Gatorade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6ke6-LRr9gX46TSHUY4sc7CG2PTS56Rr661Yd7Mm4wLDQetoH81I6Z9u-lHReNhMcK0SbUaWeOUqDstTK6BIlDfIUHFrA654-qFoMY3ZDVKQX6tOvb-KEAXEqSYtUlil9ymgykU7Wwg/s1600/Napa2015.9.Start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6ke6-LRr9gX46TSHUY4sc7CG2PTS56Rr661Yd7Mm4wLDQetoH81I6Z9u-lHReNhMcK0SbUaWeOUqDstTK6BIlDfIUHFrA654-qFoMY3ZDVKQX6tOvb-KEAXEqSYtUlil9ymgykU7Wwg/s1600/Napa2015.9.Start.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...thank you stranger for taking my picture at the start...</td></tr>
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Once we got to Calistoga, we were allowed to stay warm inside the bus for as long as we wanted. I stayed for a few minutes then I got off to walk to the start line to drop off my special drinks and visit the porta potty. I then located my bus associated with my bib number to drop off my drop bag. I had about 10 minutes to do some abbreviated warm up and form drills way in the back of the start line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJzKnqLN0ABNU4yW3zPD1x1y3riReNmANBx7oLssWmbuIHlL_5RxHWpexn4yD8zOZuMONfP8fer5-vem7f76c-wNKIuUYLi6mfsJUMvirIVkE2eyCpY4dKATW1a7S3LcpqP4ArOExPsI/s1600/Napa2015.15.Start.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJzKnqLN0ABNU4yW3zPD1x1y3riReNmANBx7oLssWmbuIHlL_5RxHWpexn4yD8zOZuMONfP8fer5-vem7f76c-wNKIuUYLi6mfsJUMvirIVkE2eyCpY4dKATW1a7S3LcpqP4ArOExPsI/s1600/Napa2015.15.Start.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...last bathroom stop...they are singing the anthem...</td></tr>
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Then we were off. This race is punctual. I let the runners go but not before I made a second stop at the porta-potties. It was a good start for me being in the back again. I avoid a bad start by going out too fast. Being in the back secured a slower start for me. I relish being among the walkers.<br />
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After a good first two mile warm-up, I started picking up speed to get to my happy pace. I was comfortable. I was glad that I had a thin long sleeve on with a half zip. When it got warm all I had to do is pull zipper down. I was also thankful I decided to go with shorts rather than capris. I would have been too hot. One note about dressing up for these marathons, I always over dress. It's hard to convince myself before hand to under dress when I am shivering in the cold, but once I get moving, I always regret bringing more clothes. Then the bad side is trying to tie the extra shirt around my waist and act like a wind drag. So I have learned to trust that I will be fine with just a shorts and light shirt if it's anything between 40-60 degrees. Today was perfect.<br />
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The miles ticked away quicker than usual this time around. This was a good sign. It meant I must have been enjoying myself. I was surprised since, it has been a while since I have ran a marathon without my iPod shuffle. I thought it was going to be a mental hurdle. One of the NVM rules are no head sets, for runners' safety. <br />
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Once I was over the last significant hill, between 19 and 20, I knew I was homeward bound. Mile 20 was when my race started. I reminded myself to resist the urge to walk and keep moving. I felt a lot stronger this time around and the urge to walk didn't really come to my head. I felt terrific each time I passed a runner in front of me. At the same time, I was thinking about if Mr. Cramps is going to rear it's ugly head, and when?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66Qu5-T6-RBBNUO4z88sRaySv2y89oEuYZwj9JNjpcc8jdehCQhReIf7UNoTWjlt2JP6AZhp3VWbj8bfZtTfcDhdWtPh3o0rw3vTr5pyx_EI-kVvi2XtH0fxR9-CbJTtcoS-rJpFv0Z4/s1600/Napa2015.23.J.Finish.PG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66Qu5-T6-RBBNUO4z88sRaySv2y89oEuYZwj9JNjpcc8jdehCQhReIf7UNoTWjlt2JP6AZhp3VWbj8bfZtTfcDhdWtPh3o0rw3vTr5pyx_EI-kVvi2XtH0fxR9-CbJTtcoS-rJpFv0Z4/s1600/Napa2015.23.J.Finish.PG.JPG" height="172" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...26th mile marker...one foot in front of the other...</td></tr>
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At the 26th mile, I heard Heidi yelling out my name, and it was awesome, That was what I needed. I had 0.2 to take out one more girl in front of me. The girl in grey has been in front this whole time and she's finally getting closer to me. I didn't know if I had enough distance left to overtake her. So with whatever kick I had left in me, I sprinted. In my head, "Take it, one more girl!"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...can you spot the finish line banner? it's less than a lap away...I'm about to bust a move to take girl in grey in front of me...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and just like that...I am done...</td></tr>
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The high school students as volunteers at the finish line are one of a kind. They help with everything, asking if you are okay, are you able to walk, do you need assistance? They gave me water, hung my medal around my neck and ushered us to the shower, to the bag pick up and hot soup. I don't know know if I was just hungry but the broth was simply amazing. After I had bread and yogurt and had nourishment back in my body, I then showered at the gym. It would have been great but, there was no hot water. It was only cold water. I was feeling a little wimpy so I only did a sponge bath. Give me a break, I just ran a marathon. This was the second time I used the gym. Mind you, in the first time, they did not have cold water, only scalding hot water. Again that was a sponge bath kind of shower. Maybe next year, they will have both?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...bling-bling #38...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...thank you Napa for a race run well...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...Heidi with her 5K medal...</td></tr>
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If you're thinking about running your first marathon, I would highly recommend NVM. The course is net downhill, very much like Cal International Marathon in Sacramento. Rolling hills are concentrated in the first 6 miles. The last significant hill is between 19 and 20. It is a long gradual hill, but soon after that you are rewarded with a flat last 10K. This is a marathoner-friendly course. The volunteers are priceless. Aid stations are well manned and consistent (Gatorade, not watery, not too sweet--just right). The race size is just right because you couldn't get any more personal touch than this. If you do this marathon, don't be too spoiled, no other organization will treat you like an elite. The bigger races (NYC, Marine Corps Marathon) when you finish, you are literally pushed through the chute, told to keep moving. Sad to say, a little "uncaring", "here's your water and nutrition, don't block the way." It's not their fault however for having 44K runners coming through. That's the trade-off in a huge race, you're merely a number. In Napa, you are special. This is one of the reasons why I keep going back. Maybe I'll see you there next year. Happy running!Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-36515147223692380032013-11-10T22:57:00.002-08:002013-11-10T22:57:32.131-08:00Marine Corps Marathon 2013 Race Report<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look close enough, yours truly is on the left side of Mr. Yellow shirt.</td></tr>
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Where do I begin? First of all, I apologize for taking so long to post this report. I would have been finished the night after the race, but the Wi-Fi at the Holiday Inn, cut me off and just like that--my work disappeared. It cut-off me two more times and by then I had enough. So thank you for waiting patiently and taking the time to read. <br />
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There's always something, isn't it? With every marathon, you hope for the best and pray that everything goes as planned. You wish for stars to align and hopefully blast through that finish line strongly with a sub-4, a PR, or maybe even a Boston qualifying time. Through my past experiences, I have come to accept that some things are just beyond my control. I try to do my best to adapt to the situation and not let the 'unexpected' takeover. This was the central theme for my 31st marathon at Marine Corps. Don't get me wrong, this race report is not all about what went wrong-- far from it. This race is all about how a minute issue could have crept up to mess with my head had I let it. It was up to me to tuck that negativity away and dwell on the positives instead. In the big scheme of things, this non-issue played little to no part in my eventual success. Grab a cup of coffee...this might be long. Here goes my race report for the 38th running of the Marine Corps Marathon 2013 (MCM). <br />
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It has been two years since I ran in a huge marathon. In 2010 and 2011, I've had great experiences and got two huge PR's in New York City. I came to love big races and not fear them after that. It used to worry me; variables associated with huge venues, such as: should I rely on fluid and nutrition on the aid stations or bring my own? What if they ran out? Do I check my drop bag at the end? What if they lose it? How will I find my family? Do I need to run with a phone, etc. Armed with experience, MCM being one of the top five big races in America, has been on my bucket list. When registration opened in March 2013, I did everything in my power to get in. Active.com hit a snafu, with their website unable to support the incoming flood of anxious runners trying to register. Long story short, registry closed a little over two hours. I got in, but only after I was kicked out in mid-registration twice. I feverishly tried to get back in and later I found out I was charged three times. Many others experienced the same issue, which caused the MCM organization to drop Active.com for next year. They've announced recently that registration will be solely decided by lottery. <br />
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Washington, D.C. is rich with history. Museums and National Monuments are literally at every street corner. This is part of the reason why I convinced my family for a little 'race-cation'. I have an 8th grader taking American History right now, so it was timely for us to visit our nation's capital. We planned to leave on Friday, go to the expo on Saturday, race on Sunday and tour the city on both Monday and Tuesday. It worked out well. The only hiccup was the expo. More on that later...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make a goofy face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Show me a shocked face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a happy face...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Show me a Jack Nicholson face...there it is!</td></tr>
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Friday was purely a travel day. We left SLO at 6 am, had a connecting flight to SFO, then to O'Hare and finally arrived at Reagan National at 8:30 pm. Most hotels catering to the Marine Corps Marathon had convenient shuttle pickups to and from the Airport. We stayed at Holiday Inn at Crystal City because it was a hop and a skip away from the airport as well as the start at the Pentagon. The temperature was on the nippy side while we waited for our shuttle. We settled in our hotel, walked over to Mexicana Cantina (terrific authentic Mexican food, by the way) and retired fairly quickly after dinner. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reagan National: Waiting for our Holiday Inn shuttle</td></tr>
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Saturday morning we attended a once in a lifetime invitation to see Billy Mills. If you do not know who he is and you're a runner, shame on you. Just kidding. Google or you tube his name along with search words, "Tokyo Olympic Games 1964". He is a living legend and thanks to my running buddy, Julie and her dad, we saw Billy Mills give a moving speech about his experience growing up underprivileged in the reservations, while also being orphaned as a young child and his love of running and eventual running success in college leading to the Olympics. I had the great opportunity to take a picture with him and shake his hands. This my friends, was the highlight of my trip.<br />
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Needless to say, that I tried to dress for this once in a lifetime occasion, i.e., I put on nice shoes. Uncomfortable, work shoes, that is. Can you see where I'm going with this?<br />
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Let me back track for a little bit. In order to get around in D. C., we used the Metro everywhere we went, (as in Bart in the Bay Area or the Subway in NY.) It was convenient. The trains came every few minutes and in the whole time we were there, only one delay occurred. Not bad for five days. However to get to the Metro, you also had to do a <u>lot of walking</u>. Hint: I had my work shoes all day Saturday. So after seeing Billy Mills, we headed to the DC Armory, where the Expo was held. It was a few train stops from the Smithsonian Station. When we got off the Armory/Stadium center, I felt relieved that we were headed in the right direction since I noticed runners with their clear plastic bags and bibs getting on the train. I thought that will be me in a few minutes. So I thought. Little did I know how long they had to wait in line for their bibs, bag and shirt. Wait! It gets better...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6JysGYvhl0fdsUxO_jf5zm-bOMD7OzHAnXxSFigXxZCpGU62NgJ3UK2if8QUSoh4UJpeRo08srVz8SZlhozKfmdn-xG8c7fzpLRqcmK-ZQryImqE3nFrGZrL9EnTLtzz6RRgGhpk8yA/s1600/metro.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6JysGYvhl0fdsUxO_jf5zm-bOMD7OzHAnXxSFigXxZCpGU62NgJ3UK2if8QUSoh4UJpeRo08srVz8SZlhozKfmdn-xG8c7fzpLRqcmK-ZQryImqE3nFrGZrL9EnTLtzz6RRgGhpk8yA/s320/metro.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metro station</td></tr>
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So there I was blindly following runners, in their running shoes and jackets and shirts from past MCM marathons. I was getting giddy with excitement as I neared the entrance. I was taking it all in, taking photo op at every chance to document this piece of history. Then my eyes gazed upon this snaking line. It was zig-zagging. Every one in that line were holding only one thing, their yellow bib# and wearing a not-s- excited looks. How should I say this? Their faces did not express happiness for someone about to run a marathon. It started to occur to me that the looks I've been reading were looks of frustration, possibly associated with standing and waiting in line for what seems to be an eternity! I was right. I knew right away that I had to find another line before I could get into this line. I panned my eyes to the possible end of the line. <em>Where is it?</em> I got worried and finally asked one of the runners. I was pointed to a field with where the tent was. Then she offered more information: "The wait is about an hour long for the bibs, then you line up here to get your shirt and bag check." I said thank you and gave hubby a "are-you-freaking-kidding-me-look." I was glad that we did not delay getting there anymore than we had planned. <br />
<br />
I thought something was amiss. MCM has been doing this for 38 years, they can't possibly hit a snag today. Compared to NYC with 45K runners, I was in and out in no time. Here, we had less than 2/3 of the amount of runners and I had to wait in line for 2 hours? The day before a race to be standing and walking for miles that long is a' no-no.' I already ran my 3-mile shake out run that morning, walked 3 more miles to see Billy Mills, and then this? I was worried even more because we still had to get to dinner, which was another 2-3 miles of walking. All in all it was an easy 10 miles of walking on uncomfortable shoes. <br />
<br />
We walked closer to the huge white tent. The odd thing was, the end of the line was nowhere in sight. We asked a runner where the end was. He pointed to a Marine holding a sign that read "end of line" We followed him. Halfway through the switchbacking line, I turned on my Garmin just for kicks. Mind you this was already halfway through the line. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDoBm1zM4KnscWp45Se8OK0YQzVY1OOjYRYv-IweWfAWCnEolRtAcEmw0CS42MOlQsLEja-PUbjf5PryfXR83gFArW4YC6mRR99-jXtpWqZ4L1ra4JggMgzbVuWR19v5jc2_HdBBJzCM/s1600/Bib+line+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDoBm1zM4KnscWp45Se8OK0YQzVY1OOjYRYv-IweWfAWCnEolRtAcEmw0CS42MOlQsLEja-PUbjf5PryfXR83gFArW4YC6mRR99-jXtpWqZ4L1ra4JggMgzbVuWR19v5jc2_HdBBJzCM/s320/Bib+line+(10).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgdBAez681kjZFKOrH9WF7NQ6JYsn9UCbquV3HAk63RG-XTt9rCySmZqSTY-i1zYYefRadkUZsN_88NqQpRQf_IR_iFMqqx9fR0N7TdEw6C4TVA73kZUNc4GcXDdl-7dFVwjs2TQqvHQ/s1600/Bib+line+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgdBAez681kjZFKOrH9WF7NQ6JYsn9UCbquV3HAk63RG-XTt9rCySmZqSTY-i1zYYefRadkUZsN_88NqQpRQf_IR_iFMqqx9fR0N7TdEw6C4TVA73kZUNc4GcXDdl-7dFVwjs2TQqvHQ/s320/Bib+line+%252811%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the end of the line my friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIAAuGfH1HmL_XQGX1PU13Kjrx4tBDEIKCKGc1ctDp3e4V-5S4fdiZLxwM4LljYgoxPq4ketEOvRDW6EmcSjjEp2Ss5X-lgrf7ILujo7GGgdSxtlcLJj9FcAXeUOIg4vTiAXzavrRQoo/s1600/Bib+line+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIAAuGfH1HmL_XQGX1PU13Kjrx4tBDEIKCKGc1ctDp3e4V-5S4fdiZLxwM4LljYgoxPq4ketEOvRDW6EmcSjjEp2Ss5X-lgrf7ILujo7GGgdSxtlcLJj9FcAXeUOIg4vTiAXzavrRQoo/s320/Bib+line+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The friendly Marines who handed me my bib.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIOxOPnDlIlW-QTWTIfw3P8T1Ekeyze7yI7-qoXqSohsCdbiNCRYTMPm32TbWH11Y4Ce-0MGOkKCuzeZqXuJZX-qmxOHXe8U7GfIxDOgnUzpNdugNr3wyFsrcvGeH_7JVHQX1nIE4tz8/s1600/expo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIOxOPnDlIlW-QTWTIfw3P8T1Ekeyze7yI7-qoXqSohsCdbiNCRYTMPm32TbWH11Y4Ce-0MGOkKCuzeZqXuJZX-qmxOHXe8U7GfIxDOgnUzpNdugNr3wyFsrcvGeH_7JVHQX1nIE4tz8/s320/expo+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally made it in the Expo: Me, Julie and son, Carson</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANeuphXjh23IFdpg0vEuqqwU5UsWXBIcYeExf5KXlV3kJ3KB6SHHFse49Pfz0yMJV1c1MMYJXI4YT-d-eyQEgt0odCWQSRUc4RxQvIG9_-gw1MgTjEC4arHBYikcZa6sqj9R-am_X1zE/s1600/inside+expo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANeuphXjh23IFdpg0vEuqqwU5UsWXBIcYeExf5KXlV3kJ3KB6SHHFse49Pfz0yMJV1c1MMYJXI4YT-d-eyQEgt0odCWQSRUc4RxQvIG9_-gw1MgTjEC4arHBYikcZa6sqj9R-am_X1zE/s320/inside+expo+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CgUhil6Q52LFA-ox5QipDqtInwuxvmTdVCnpAzttgJ4myYTseXGQUSehn_xCoh7BvP4r9UaHtJgbd26cyvxK_D5LJkNPPGNTlA6OGMqF9-A1xVi18LnvjwHMvdqSaYkGd-f5iFSmPVg/s1600/inside+expo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CgUhil6Q52LFA-ox5QipDqtInwuxvmTdVCnpAzttgJ4myYTseXGQUSehn_xCoh7BvP4r9UaHtJgbd26cyvxK_D5LJkNPPGNTlA6OGMqF9-A1xVi18LnvjwHMvdqSaYkGd-f5iFSmPVg/s320/inside+expo+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just showing you how big this place is.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZILKcxV57UoCiI95vADU5TBaPrfbJ0Qyx6aR4UpfMJF4NBbIYjWIrB1Ea3ccqaDiEa7eNtUwtJv-0KbqIBnj813X7bNsCvJVxSMUL547mBRbtmXzRVgA6k3nnvEPiQSCDaDGxFQJq9ZY/s1600/inside+expo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZILKcxV57UoCiI95vADU5TBaPrfbJ0Qyx6aR4UpfMJF4NBbIYjWIrB1Ea3ccqaDiEa7eNtUwtJv-0KbqIBnj813X7bNsCvJVxSMUL547mBRbtmXzRVgA6k3nnvEPiQSCDaDGxFQJq9ZY/s320/inside+expo+(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stick a fork in me...I'm done.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIlhdzeaU7yYBfw07JSIeXhkuA0VbEJax3B6XSCqe0i7HG1Cvaen08KUC-wpGDg91uJVZQnf4FpTWgodHoOwxjfNDhMPpp9cajytuiegWzCoK-jQmBqZdnZyatxiaFXqEK4NlEG6P26U/s1600/inside+expo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIlhdzeaU7yYBfw07JSIeXhkuA0VbEJax3B6XSCqe0i7HG1Cvaen08KUC-wpGDg91uJVZQnf4FpTWgodHoOwxjfNDhMPpp9cajytuiegWzCoK-jQmBqZdnZyatxiaFXqEK4NlEG6P26U/s320/inside+expo+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After all the waiting outside, I ran out of energy to buy.</td></tr>
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Long story short, I was in line for more than 1 hour and 45 minutes. My feet were killing me. The shoes hurt my heel and toes. It was very easy to think about how my race the next day would be severely affected. The negative thoughts invaded my head. I was resolved to think of it just as a long run and not race hard since I felt I was handicapped anyway. Bad Aileen. Thankfully, I shook this off with a good dinner. Carbs seemed to do the job.<br />
<br />
We went to the part of town called Capitol Hill neighborhood where we found an Italian restaurant called, Trattoria Alberto. The aura of the restaurant was dim and very classy. Our pasta was cooked to perfection and we enjoyed the attentive service we received. After a few bites of my linguini a la vongole, my worries about my feet subsided. I thought I would soak them in a tubful of cold water when we got back to our room, and everything would be fine. After dinner, Hubby and Elena got Dunkin' Donuts for their late night dessert. I hopped into a grocery shop and got my bruised banana. That was all they had.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx9Zwhg3WltEVVuEMSpZfoXDIOEJkhAN145kAgiP9fKyPAeQHgZaIEtdtCFErDSktmNNkdOJe6pRrOy4gXhkJ5s5yHFjEK5EbQdMRa8peYJhf2TUo6zaATg3UU-C6GbSJmWes4WLusK4/s1600/carbo+load+2+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEx9Zwhg3WltEVVuEMSpZfoXDIOEJkhAN145kAgiP9fKyPAeQHgZaIEtdtCFErDSktmNNkdOJe6pRrOy4gXhkJ5s5yHFjEK5EbQdMRa8peYJhf2TUo6zaATg3UU-C6GbSJmWes4WLusK4/s320/carbo+load+2+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lasagna for the Hubs and tortellini for the young lady.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiholkaeibLIK-zg3AU3eaVHMcfN4hYLEBUQmlzVe1tm4HvrCrbFRaVcx9EsVHz1TRcBs3wEnJNRbEe4ICu_ciJoTfs4LiZXR5UlpgdJFDvu8QIPcUvCoJ2JhwqiTPSZrYtYKJgDF7yzKw/s1600/Carbo+load.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiholkaeibLIK-zg3AU3eaVHMcfN4hYLEBUQmlzVe1tm4HvrCrbFRaVcx9EsVHz1TRcBs3wEnJNRbEe4ICu_ciJoTfs4LiZXR5UlpgdJFDvu8QIPcUvCoJ2JhwqiTPSZrYtYKJgDF7yzKw/s320/Carbo+load.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linguini a la Vongole. Yum!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFUPbs2_AOcufhVXCsDbEiVw8SMOwIXxMcVAPe1Q82Zeocsd6qcVpgrvzIVcQj2G9BPY6BGE9Ctc2cqXqr_T-K_h-V4bAFKxGLR6pDDWWqOgag51Dgg3Hz0t1L5Xl4AxuUntm7bu2FKs/s1600/mcm+breakfast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFUPbs2_AOcufhVXCsDbEiVw8SMOwIXxMcVAPe1Q82Zeocsd6qcVpgrvzIVcQj2G9BPY6BGE9Ctc2cqXqr_T-K_h-V4bAFKxGLR6pDDWWqOgag51Dgg3Hz0t1L5Xl4AxuUntm7bu2FKs/s320/mcm+breakfast.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast of champions.</td></tr>
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After soaking my feet in cold water, I set up my gear for the next day. I pinned my bib on my new shirt (breaking the rules: nothing new on race day) and stashed five gels in the secret pockets of my beloved Lululemon shorts. Little did I know that this would be very the last time I would wear my favorite pair of shorts, my shirt and my haute pink CEP compression sleeves. It was an honest mistake--more on this later. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyYyj0d4w7WQSTf9GwRzZWVge0NM2jdhOLjjsivav-ApIY-qu-sZJv2fhfs320EL5l1oUSpV_MQdrmhya1rgYjGmtkEfDRSyC-8SluOqnZ-jXAUh3072ZKS151X5jSq92-NqOp0_NSso/s1600/Invisible+Woman+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyYyj0d4w7WQSTf9GwRzZWVge0NM2jdhOLjjsivav-ApIY-qu-sZJv2fhfs320EL5l1oUSpV_MQdrmhya1rgYjGmtkEfDRSyC-8SluOqnZ-jXAUh3072ZKS151X5jSq92-NqOp0_NSso/s320/Invisible+Woman+1.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye my Lululemon shorts, CEP compression sleeves, my dry max socks.</td></tr>
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I planned to wake up at 3:30 and eat breakfast a 4:00 am--ample time to get "stuff" moving. I know TMI, but to a marathoner, this a huge priority. This can make or break a race if you know what I mean.<br />
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<br />
I left the hotel room at 5 am to take the hotel shuttle to the Metro. I was prepared because I bought my ticket the night before so in the morning I wouldn't have to fumble over coins and bills getting to the train. Pressure-free, I zoomed in and out as I watched other runners try to figure out how much the fare to put in. I stayed relaxed. It was not cold, about 50 degrees. To keep me warm, I had on my hubby's old white sweatshirt and sweat pants I bought for $4 bucks at the hospice thrift shop on Higuera Street. <br />
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The Metro ride was only two short stops away. Not enough time to people watch. I was calm and ready to rock and roll. I had a bagel in the bag and Gatorade to top my reserves while I waited for the start. Runners piled in the train. The train was filled with the usual chatter and small talks about running and training. I kept to myself, enjoying the moment as it passes by. I couldn't believe it. In a few hours I would be running MCM. The announcement came on "Pentagon City" I noticed people started to get up even before the train stopped. This was it, I followed. <br />
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It was still dark when we got off the train, and the walk to the start was invigorating and I didn't realize it was two miles long--from the train to that actual check in. The Marines checked my bag and bid me "Have a great race Ma'am." I couldn't get over how polite they were. I thanked them for what they do. They lifted my spirit up just by that one moment of encounter. I believed I was going to have a terrific day. At the same time, while walking though, I was keenly aware of the bottom of my feet. They were sore from the day before walking through the expo inexorably long. I was praying to the hands of god to please let me run with ease. <br />
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I got to the runner's village at the parking lot of the Pentagon around 5:30. After the walk, I got chilled a little so I marched my way inside the tent to keep warm. Runners were already huddle in together with warm blankets, earmuffs, mittens, bathrobes, layers and layers of sweats, again the usual chatter was going on. I observed many connected to their devices, texting, Face-Booking, taking instagram photos and whatever media sharing there was to do, they were on it. Soon, some faith service announcement came on. The loudspeaker was blasting pop music at the same time as the sermon was going on so I moved away and proceeded to take care of "biz". One nice thing about this marathon is there was no shortage of facilities. I give MCM A+ for that effort.<br />
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I was still hovering around the lines for the porta-potties when National Anthem played, sung by an a-Capella group. Then high above, the American flag was parachuted and unfurled as the anthem was about to finish. It was so beautifully done. Then I rushed out to the start at Highway 110. I ran and ducked under a divider to get to the other side of the freeway. Clothes littered the median. I tried to find my way through looking for the pace group. It was self-corralled. I got stuck because the crowd was thick and there was no daylight to squeeze through. I asked a fellow runner what pace we were in and he said 4:10. I was happy with that. I thought that was my happy pace that day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgp7-6pGejPV5uaPdCd0USI5gS3BRGTZJHym3BxJtqkZser9hqevPcrb_zBChVS7cJSbC6ay87jNRJXd0WeV6GxP7Vri9UUxIph3cc6L0IEyL9KeCwoVhvPPfMfEODGVoB4LKGWlMs08/s1600/me+and+white+sweats.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgp7-6pGejPV5uaPdCd0USI5gS3BRGTZJHym3BxJtqkZser9hqevPcrb_zBChVS7cJSbC6ay87jNRJXd0WeV6GxP7Vri9UUxIph3cc6L0IEyL9KeCwoVhvPPfMfEODGVoB4LKGWlMs08/s320/me+and+white+sweats.PNG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wanna know why everyone is looking up?<br />
Because the US flag is unfurling while the National Anthem is being sung.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZKieO8yikrQFW288D-81f38_vQxMHV8e1sr6geOvzlTyohxR1WANSgSaG0bgYbNYSEHN5JY5TsyPBleBUYKCCB_MkNT5RYinjwJhwpVWqjtaPPDggfuF4xMwjy-HswukMFD6T1-qlWA/s1600/me+%2526+total+stranger.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZKieO8yikrQFW288D-81f38_vQxMHV8e1sr6geOvzlTyohxR1WANSgSaG0bgYbNYSEHN5JY5TsyPBleBUYKCCB_MkNT5RYinjwJhwpVWqjtaPPDggfuF4xMwjy-HswukMFD6T1-qlWA/s320/me+%2526+total+stranger.PNG" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Total Stranger and Me<br />
Photographer: You two know each other?<br />
Us: No<br />
Photographer: Want a picture together?<br />
Us: Sure</td></tr>
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The howitzer was fired on time and we were off. It took me six minutes to cross the starting line. I was so excited, I'm actually doing this. Inner monologue: "You got Oprah's time! Do it!"<br />
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I studied the elevation and I knew the first 2 miles are the steepest. I rolled with it, however, I was stuck behind a wall of slower runners--who might have mis "paced" themselves. I refused to go around them because that's how I would end up with longer mileage. I knew this course had an inordinate amount of turns as it was, and to add bobbing and weaving was going to add even more. So I patiently ran behind them. Lesson for next time, just know that self corralled means slower pace. Again, there was no way to anticipate this until I was actually running. I didn't let this bother me. I pushed on. <br />
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The miles were ticking away so quickly, I was enjoying the moment. We ran through Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway and before I knew it, it was time for the first U-turn just before mile 8. The scenery was green and beautiful. Trees lined up the course and it was an uplifting sight. You could see a sea of runners ahead and it seems mind boggling that eventually I would be where they were--it was just a matter of time. Literally. <br />
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We ran along the Potomac River then off to Hains Point which was the midway point of the race. My time was getting faster and faster by the mile. Butt at Hains Point, my breath was taken away by the view. Lining up the left hand side of the course was rows of pictures of our fallen brothers and sisters with their names across the bottom. It seemed endless. As you pass through and read their names, your heart breaks. Some of them looked so young and yet, they are gone. They were someone else's sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters. They were some one else's best friends. They all died to protect you and me so, we can be free. Free to do whatever we want. Free to run. As I kept reading their names, my eyesight got blurry. The day before I was belly aching about my feet. I was complaining about nothing. In the grand scheme of things, my hurt feet didn't matter. Absolutely not. I ran my fingers gently across the placards as I ran through each one. Under my breath I thank them for what they sacrificed. I don't know what happened from here on out, but I felt like I was running with wings. I felt like I was running with purpose. I got a sudden surge of energy I've never felt before.<br />
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Miles 14-20<br />
The most densely populated section of spectators were between these miles. They reminded me of NYC. There must have been 10 deep of onlookers cheering us on. It was such a boost all the hooting and hollering. I felt like I flew by this part of the course. We ran passed the Lincoln Memorial (Mile 16), Washington Monument (Mile 17), Miles 18 & 19 running along the National Mall. Mile 20 sent us back on to the highway. It got mostly quiet here. We were alone for the most part, just runners and Marines who were manning the aid stations. <br />
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Miles 21-24 <br />
We passed through Jefferson memorial at mile 21, but honestly I was too tired to notice that we did.The rollers started again and maintaining pace required more intent focus than ever before. Mile 22 didn't look familiar either as it should have because I passed by our hotel. I didn't realized that I entered Crystal City and that should have given me more boost had I realized that. For once you're in Crystal City you are homeward bound. I knew that Mile 24 we would be on the bridge and it might get windy from past reviews that I've read. Today was not so bad. It must be due to fatigue because I didn't notice that my pace had slowed down until after this mile was over. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1sGZxtfVmYJgDOTiR5xFDhS6ZYLzQrbaHM260Xb2DYvMWT6Yb9KCu3c-3CsV0xRqelru32wfR42tXYP4RcP2hfJ8b-ErXb6KlWhY287uAgHcf2Hq1KCWSq0vAV9AIzGN8O9aaVylfQ4/s1600/official+mcm+(5).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1sGZxtfVmYJgDOTiR5xFDhS6ZYLzQrbaHM260Xb2DYvMWT6Yb9KCu3c-3CsV0xRqelru32wfR42tXYP4RcP2hfJ8b-ErXb6KlWhY287uAgHcf2Hq1KCWSq0vAV9AIzGN8O9aaVylfQ4/s320/official+mcm+(5).PNG" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I honestly didn't even notice the Capitol was behind me.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFyD2rr4zT_S2vr28PJx7Tqqw5MdMY2in3Taki96y2yjA4agLlCH8sm5F-m7c8jxjyECCnqhx0i9oL3PNV_GUEeN_BtowZUXpKq5zyUjBtHF1IsN7eE6HgfjveKhf_TUEpxhMBpbQi8M/s1600/official+mcm+(1).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFyD2rr4zT_S2vr28PJx7Tqqw5MdMY2in3Taki96y2yjA4agLlCH8sm5F-m7c8jxjyECCnqhx0i9oL3PNV_GUEeN_BtowZUXpKq5zyUjBtHF1IsN7eE6HgfjveKhf_TUEpxhMBpbQi8M/s320/official+mcm+(1).PNG" width="222" /></a></div>
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Miles 25-26 <br />
I managed to kick it up to 8:57 and 9:03 for these last two miles. Just after mile 25 we passed by the starting line again. I knew I was home free. When I hit the 26th mile, I had a lumped in my throat with the view from the bottom. <br />
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The last 0.20<br />
Coming around the corner and looking up from the bottom, was a nasty stretch of hill. I had a small voice inside that said, "Forgettaboutit. Walk this $hit." Before I could even continue complaining how irreverent that hill placement was, it was over and done. I did it! I couldn't wait for that medal to be hung around my neck. We passed through the chute and the Marines, congratulated each runner with a salute then the medal came next. We were then handed a box full of recovery food and a warming white jacket. We were guided to walk over to the UPS trucks to pick up our post gear clothes. It was a mighty long walk. My feet didn't bother me at all during the race, but then the moment that I stopped running, I could feel my heels were numb. In my excitement to be reunited with my family, I had forgotten to take a picture at the Iwo Jima Memorial. I had seen some pictures of other runners posing there before and I reminded myself that if I ever I should rum MCM, I would be sure to do that. When you're in delirium after a race, you want nothing more than to see you family again. That's what I did. Iwo Jima would have to wait until next time I come back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8nhBJ5Hy8T_HfoubkYHc9FKt5R6UlC-WZskPAL8v6ZQpp2cb1nd1dqoD8dq5CHh3IdwQ5eAMscL8c8sKi6uoypNVYr3Gu2e13hl3sFOByaaqEUY0z0CBypX0G4Ra7Izm-9hN_lAMmEw/s1600/mcm+post+nutrition.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8nhBJ5Hy8T_HfoubkYHc9FKt5R6UlC-WZskPAL8v6ZQpp2cb1nd1dqoD8dq5CHh3IdwQ5eAMscL8c8sKi6uoypNVYr3Gu2e13hl3sFOByaaqEUY0z0CBypX0G4Ra7Izm-9hN_lAMmEw/s320/mcm+post+nutrition.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's in the box? I forgot, my daughter got into it before I did...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimG7ct1AgZrH42CHuBRoqGcxY9he5P1gXbw5p4hmFrKxsIEGhkeMZAhGBwUpsQJbQMLrM94MSFkx9l7YBUwHPgh456YObjThfkTh3IPOSnfvZ87XyS-t49h7D4Sc0bmW8-6ect3MIutBM/s1600/post+race.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimG7ct1AgZrH42CHuBRoqGcxY9he5P1gXbw5p4hmFrKxsIEGhkeMZAhGBwUpsQJbQMLrM94MSFkx9l7YBUwHPgh456YObjThfkTh3IPOSnfvZ87XyS-t49h7D4Sc0bmW8-6ect3MIutBM/s320/post+race.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally found after 2o minutes of milling around...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_qo4mI4ERh5ztRUvYud6IhYIZ_NT7LWUxpTnP8Zv-JPNFIAmgNXVDazGRGOp397e5h9QoyRsaN1ZBfYVxUAJUomKssv7p7r49Igvysp0OgUepUzes50_Ul8sTzhahmMFA8zKbAAqX6E/s1600/me+&+hubbs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo_qo4mI4ERh5ztRUvYud6IhYIZ_NT7LWUxpTnP8Zv-JPNFIAmgNXVDazGRGOp397e5h9QoyRsaN1ZBfYVxUAJUomKssv7p7r49Igvysp0OgUepUzes50_Ul8sTzhahmMFA8zKbAAqX6E/s320/me+&+hubbs.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the Hubs</td></tr>
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I can't quite express the incredible feeling of finishing this marathon. It was a very emotional race that started at Hains Point. Seeing the pictures of our fallen heroes made me realize that we are so lucky to be alive and be free. Running through rows and rows of American Flags brushing against my cheeks, I couldn't be anymore proud to be an American and free to do whatever I want. Running is something I will never take for granted. Running is a gift and I shall cherish every moment of it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEua276o0lApssZDXAsgGiolSa3NSVp6p7RpDzqhawnNTQp0xHUkaWH8nyB5Zx6FLFXcpKcQwRQN0Wqgq4A-bLCv-6h2nb-nTBl3sWXjiRErNo0tBeeypudEvUPwQ-Had6ji89rjDEgk/s1600/mcm+medal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEua276o0lApssZDXAsgGiolSa3NSVp6p7RpDzqhawnNTQp0xHUkaWH8nyB5Zx6FLFXcpKcQwRQN0Wqgq4A-bLCv-6h2nb-nTBl3sWXjiRErNo0tBeeypudEvUPwQ-Had6ji89rjDEgk/s320/mcm+medal.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon #31, 1st MCM, 4:01:03</td></tr>
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P.S.<br />
After the marathon, I gathered all my soiled running clothes in a clear plastic bag to separate the cleans from the dirties. In the bag was empty water bottles from the Smithsonian. I kept the water bottles as a souvenir from the Billy Mills event. The hotel maid mistakenly threw out the whole bag thinking that it was re-cycling. It didn't help the situation that it was resting next to the recycling bin. So it was easy to make that mistake. That's the story of how my favorite running gear went down the tubes. Even with that loss, I still had fond memories of DC. MCM was a blast! Not only did I pull a 6 minute 5 second negative split for the first time in my whole life, I shook Billy freaking Mill's hands folks! Well okay, I also beat Oprah's time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-C8bA4yP9SGWOlCl3FuQNuBxkKQEs_nBF5avyz8fJ-owzVwBJnzHH2sKesnXy39L1VQ7_IKatpFCh4SryZ-e_mtMBtx38YB5kpFmvMhfLN5WCz5Ej5wOI9miEkCSVvqqYKdFpfMbAj8/s1600/Billy+&+Me.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-C8bA4yP9SGWOlCl3FuQNuBxkKQEs_nBF5avyz8fJ-owzVwBJnzHH2sKesnXy39L1VQ7_IKatpFCh4SryZ-e_mtMBtx38YB5kpFmvMhfLN5WCz5Ej5wOI9miEkCSVvqqYKdFpfMbAj8/s320/Billy+&+Me.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just in case you missed the first picture of Billy and me...</td></tr>
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Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-39244003993874624682013-09-29T18:17:00.000-07:002013-09-29T18:17:01.264-07:00I'm Happy, Wilson's HappyHOB 10K 9/29/13 49:55--That's a PR!<br />
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Worthy of mention here is the Berlin Marathon today. Kenya's Wilson Kipsang just broke the Marathon World Record and lowered it to 2:03:23! I think we will see a sub 2 marathon in the near future. That's mighty incredible. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PFtZNXwP91ZQDxol9aFU5lZl15bR-2JtYc192M7YfdbL3VdlKumDZN4P1H0DjnOsfZNKMaLSzGw5t6Pcargzqeh_KP_TuWwEC8VpvvHHDY_hmLE0WHKQY2jhZF4_0YuvBwePEd_Xino/s1600/a33c852aef7bfb0be7539d05c897425e0e37f1ce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3PFtZNXwP91ZQDxol9aFU5lZl15bR-2JtYc192M7YfdbL3VdlKumDZN4P1H0DjnOsfZNKMaLSzGw5t6Pcargzqeh_KP_TuWwEC8VpvvHHDY_hmLE0WHKQY2jhZF4_0YuvBwePEd_Xino/s320/a33c852aef7bfb0be7539d05c897425e0e37f1ce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo from AFP:</em> Wilson Kipsang 2:03:23</td></tr>
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On to mere mortal feats...<br />
Whoa! Who was that out there today? I finally broke my 10K PR that stood for 16 years. It was the Berkeley Rainbow Run 10K on March 16, 1997 and I was 30 years old when I got my first 10K pr. I ran two loops around the Berkeley Marina and ended with a 50:11 at an 8:05 pace. I remember feeling awful and very weak at the end. I went out like a bat right at the gate. By the end of the first loop, I wished I had signed up for the shorter 5K. I would have been done already. But instead I had to push through the pain to maintain the pace. I distinctly remember wanting to be done already but the last 2 miles felt so long and endless. My legs didn't want to run anymore and my throat felt so dry. At the time, I didn't know about carrying fluids. I don't remember if they even had aide stations back then. Gosh, I sound like I was running in the stone age.<br />
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Today, more than 16 years later, and hopefully much smarter, pacing has gotten much smoother. I think I am finally getting it. I learned to pace myself better at the start. The result, I finished strong with enough kick in the end. I was unchallenged for the most part. From the first loop on 24th Street, I counted how many women were in front of me. I was in the 5th position. There was a young high schooler, with her cross country t-shirt in front of me. She was a good 60 seconds ahead. By the 4th mile, I had closed the gap. She tried to stay with me, but fell off at the 5th mile. Then, I was in 4th. The gal in 3rd was about over a minute ahead and she kicked it even harder. I was never going to catch her as we were nearing the finish. It was too bad, because the prize for 3rd place was $100 in do-re-mi. Shucks! I thought I could really use that to buy my next pair of Newtons. Oh well, I should have ran faster. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOfSDaj2cZLr4SU6H9dG6V3YZkVjRprxxUSewWxdz4WXEmftscqpsQZxyFSWZkeEM908xFlMccFkBfSSai7_YZVYibbjfNIh52uf9zdfQEFW1xQzxm6yCIF2meP_ZYzra552BCwby1Sk/s1600/newtons+Gravity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOfSDaj2cZLr4SU6H9dG6V3YZkVjRprxxUSewWxdz4WXEmftscqpsQZxyFSWZkeEM908xFlMccFkBfSSai7_YZVYibbjfNIh52uf9zdfQEFW1xQzxm6yCIF2meP_ZYzra552BCwby1Sk/s320/newtons+Gravity.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took a serious beating, this pair.</td></tr>
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I felt great throughout the race. This was the first time where I didn't think about or wish it was over already. Most races I feel that way when I haven't paced myself properly. There was no pukey feeling or stabbing pain in my lungs. There was no side stitches as in 2011, or a foxtail inside my socks as in 2009. I was even able to channel my inner Kenyan and sprinted to a 7:32 pace for the last straightaway. I saw the clock turn over to 50:01 when I stepped on the timing mat. I was a little disappointed at first, but then a friend reminded me that I started seconds after the start. So I did have some 6 second cushion. My goal was 49:45 and I was close. I am more than satisfied with my 49:55 finish.<br />
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My quads felt like they can go for another long run. However I didn't. I decided to reward myself with rest and start the training week on Monday. I had such tremendous results I want to celebrate a little while longer. It's been a great training week. I hope you had a great week too.<br />
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Happy Trails!<br />
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Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-29552518637943727052013-08-31T23:54:00.004-07:002013-09-01T00:05:36.085-07:00The Santa Rosa Marathon 2013 Race Recap <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The 30th time was the charm!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It finally happened! I broke 4 hours
in the marathon. It took two years to chase this goal and the last year
worked harder to attain it. The burning desire started with my training
for CIM in 2012 where I devoted 20 weeks to train. Weather thwarted my plans. I
didn't do so well with the rain, the wind and the storm. Bitter about my
CIM results, I signed up for the next nearby marathon: Napa. I worked
harder than I ever did and it paid off where I shaved some two minutes of my
NYC best. While at the Napa Expo, I ran into the SR Marathon booth where they
gave a discount if I signed up right then. I thought, "Why not?"
This was another fast course where I could possibly try again--in case I
couldn't break 4 at Napa or Ojai. This would be my insurance, so to
speak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was excited about the progress
I've made with my Napa training. So for Ojai I went back to what worked
and tweaked my schedule. It paid off once more. Race day came and I shaved two
more minutes. However, I was a little upset because I could have broken
four hours if it were not for the time I've squandered at three pit stops. I
was disappointed at myself. Honestly, I had no desire to re-live that moment
much less motivated to write about it. I wanted a do-over, but I couldn't turn
back time. My next opportunity would have to be Santa Rosa. I was so glad I had
the foresight to sign up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Santa Rosa Marathon was
essentially the last chance for entry into Boston 2014. So many runners had
this goal in mind, I couldn't help but get swept away in the dream. I
knew it might be doable since I have been seeing results in my training, but
deep in my heart I knew that a sub 4 was going to be a little bit more
attainable than the BQ. But still Boston was in the back of my mind.
I had 12 weeks to prepare. On Sunday, all the sacrifices of time spent
away from my family, all the sweat and the hours pounding the pavement
culminated in one moment. On my weekend long runs with hours spent on the road
alone with only my thoughts to entertain me, my mind often drifted to what it
would be like to reach my goal of breaking four hours. I wonder how it
would feel to beat that clock. I visualized myself grinning (or
crying-depends on my mood), arms outstretched in victory like those winners we see
so often in championship races. Or sometimes I have visuals of me
breaking down in hysterics and kissing the ground in disbelief. None of the
above happened on Sunday as I crossed the finish line in Santa Rosa
Marathon--far from it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We had a week of a hot spell in
California, some 6 weeks out from the race. The race director Orhan
Sarabi, proactively moved the start time to 6 am instead of 7
am. He sent out a mass email of the change and a litany of reasons
why a 6 am start would be more advantageous to BQ'ing. I didn't
have to be convinced as I like early starts. I was happy with the time
change. One thing though that they did revised after I had already signed
up was the race course. I prepared my mind for the challenge of two loop course
for a marathon, when it was announced that a new course was under approval. I
was never a fan of double loop courses to begin with, so I was curious to see
how this change might work to my advantage. Now I have the cooler start and no
loops--this would make breaking 4 or my secret quest to BQ more attainable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I woke up at 3:06 am, without
even giving my alarm the chance to go off. I had 4 hours of sleep, but I was
not worried. I slept well two nights ago. I was already up, excited and ready
to go. I ate my oatmeal, banana, coffee, and 3/4 of a bagel. I chugged down an
8 oz of PowerAde. In hindsight, I should have drunk 32 ounces like I normally
would have. It was in my subconscious not to drink too much because it
gave me reminders of Ojai and how I squandered precious minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We left the house at 4:30 am.
As soon as I stepped out the door, I didn't shiver like I normally do.
I was already comfortable and that was bad news. It was going to be warm
and humid, and I hoped that I wouldn't fall apart in that kind of
humidity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My husband and his Aunt dropped me
off at the Juilliard Park, downtown Santa Rosa, the location for both the start
and finish. "This is good, I can get off here." Eric's Aunt
said, "We're not just going let you off here. It's dark and there's no one
around." She ordered Hubby to drive around the block one more time to see
if there would be more runners walking around on the other side. After seeing
other runners, they felt better and let me off. I said my goodbyes, hugged them
and said "See you at the finish--just before 10!" I emphasized the
time confidently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was at the staging area
shortly at 5 am. The organizers were barely getting there. All
the porta potties were still locked. The start arch was still deflated on
the ground. I hopped over it. I don't know why, but I did. I made up a symbolic
superstition by hopping over it, like giving it my blessing. It doesn't mean
anything. It was 5 am, I was high on carbs, apparently I thought of crazy
stuff like this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was 60 degrees at 5 am.
Not the 57 that was forecasted the day before. I could feel some pockets
of hot air. I try not to think about the weather. It was beyond my control. I
had an hour to kill. I used this time to warm up and do some stretching.
I didn't do any slow running which I should have but I just didn't feel
like it since it was still dark. I stayed where the runners are. I was in
unfamiliar territory and I wanted to be safe with other folks. There were a
number of folks who were lucky enough to carry their iPhones with the
flashlight app. It proved to be handy inside the dark porta-potties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ten minutes before the start, they
counted down on the bullhorn, "5 minutes! 2 minutes!" I was
just in time when I got out of my "office" and ran to the staging area. I couldn't find
the way to get inside the fenced off area. Instead of waiting to find an
outlet, I saw some guys hopped over the barricade fence. I figured I
would do the same. "Do it, just don't be clumsy," I thought to
myself. That wouldn't be so funny if I fell again just before the race,
ala-Ojai. Oh, but we won't talk about my fall in Ojai. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once I climbed over the barricade, I
found myself in the 3:10 pacing group. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whoa, wrong spot. I got out of there! </i>I worked my way to
the 4:00 group and shortly decided that I would move up closer to
the 3:50 group. I found the group and we were off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At 6 am, it was barely getting
light. The wind was calm and excitement was in the air. Everyone was hooting
and hollering "Woo hoo!" as they ran. I thought, "Here we go!
In four hours or less I would find out what I am made of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In 2013, the 5th year of the
marathon, the course was changed. In the previous four years it was a two
loop course. Now it is an out and back COURSE which incorporates Downtown
Santa Rosa, the Prince Memorial Greenway stretch and two other wineries
including Deloach Winery where the Expo was held. We passed through Sonoma
county's rural paved roads with sporadic homes, corn fields, horse ranch and
milk dairy. Majestic oak trees covered some parts of the race course. It
was a truly scenic change and advertised as a fast BQ course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksNFPeBDX8zHoF5h385p2dCMtyFQqqeYHjFAwozFgHQeP6IzAWNpdx3_-j-A3tyeQfgGGtJluR4Zt0Oun2tWY4nOfLQ3djQ8pN_zw4EqsLFp4ySZIFtC3xO55dq_paESP2ZoKlOAWmAA/s1600/IMG_1531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksNFPeBDX8zHoF5h385p2dCMtyFQqqeYHjFAwozFgHQeP6IzAWNpdx3_-j-A3tyeQfgGGtJluR4Zt0Oun2tWY4nOfLQ3djQ8pN_zw4EqsLFp4ySZIFtC3xO55dq_paESP2ZoKlOAWmAA/s320/IMG_1531.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I studied the course elevation the
night before and I realized that the first 6 miles and the last 6 miles are on
the same path. Going out was downhill and going in would be uphill.
Sometimes the elevation on paper seems scarier than the actual course. So
I thought nothing of it. No cause for concern. However, as I ran the first 6
miles, I realized that I could feel the downhill. It was not as gradual
as I had hoped. My thinking was, if I could feel the decline then I knew
for a fact that coming back on the last six miles after the fatigue of the
first 20 miles has set in, I would feel this incline. EVERY INCH OF IT.
To maintain any kind of pace would prove to be a challenge. Was I
up for that? I was worried. I did not train on an uphill finish on tired legs,
not at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I hung around
the 3:50 pacer for as long as I was able. She was a phenomenal
woman early 30's. I was amazed in hearing her story. She had an
incredible background where she began running on Jan. 10, 2012 and has lost 50
lbs. She was rocking the pace. She was smooth and effortless. I
knew I may have to let her go at some point, later on in the race, but I wanted
to stay with her for as long as I could. I was not being pessimistic but
only being honest with myself and my ability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After the 6th mile, the undulating
hills came up. We were around the vineyards. The scenery was
beautiful. Lots of trees and cloud cover however, it was around this
area was where the humidity started to affect me. I was sweating profusely and
the 2.5 mile water station seemed too space out for the humidity. It didn't
matter that I had downed an 8 oz of pickle juice the night before. I was losing
electrolytes fast as I could feel the caked on salt on my face. I knew I
would be in trouble later on and cramps would be my enemy. I quickly
ripped a packet of table salt I picked up from "In 'n Out Burger". I
only packed 3 of those. I should have brought more. I was rationing it as if I
were in a calamity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The ups and downs started to also
affect my calves. I started to feel the faint tug every time I pushed the
pace. Just then, our pacer yelled out, "Look! There's Tire Girl!" The
visual entertained me for a short time and took my mind off my rebelling
calves. Tire Girl had a harness around her waist. She was dragging a tire
behind her and as she pulled that rubber, dust billowed behind her.
"Great, that's just what I need--some dust up my lungs," I thought.
Someone asked what pace she was doing. Another runner yelled "She's
trying to beat 4 hours." Geez, there I was on the verge of my 30th
marathon and have yet to break hours while she's carrying that tire behind her.
Thoughts flew in my head as I tried to forget my calves. Thoughts like,
what if I sat on her tire? Clearly, she was doing this for a fund-raiser.
She had some signs around her but I wasn't able to read what her purpose
was. Was that bad of me for my lack of curiosity or sensitivity?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was only on the 12th mile when my
calves started barking. I didn't pay no mind, so I kept pushing. Just then, I
ran into RRCA director George Rehmet. As I came out of the Wine Barrel
Barn, he was shooting a selfie. I yelled out, George! Then he took
a selfie of the both of us. It was great seeing someone you know in this
sea of marathoners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoT_RywUteO5E7TY50IDwS9Dop4XI3nqVDZxaTo5t-poxOMJKaeKr_STtHUXTUkjZNB8Lg91VUUL8ywtQGqW-THI_WxLzIdaG8Q43P5FQCYL_0aqperiz74sypgehX1dncygo0yHGNu48/s1600/rehmet.JPG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1028"
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That's
George on the right taking a self-ie! That's my pacer with the sign!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-BfCAnVxLtH5vhEy3qaiOSkvV97qy2ayYYHXRR-O2Rq4EkhvUljO5g28QogeYL1FrKMoFN7CZOTfvAuiRzad5cBcCnTmIOgO06-5h1kAHQM2yuUqGkLjiwzmuoSLJLIFgS6Cjv-5ZYE/s1600/barrel+room.JPG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1027"
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Excuse
Me! Coming Through the Barrel Room...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had been carrying this 1/4 of a
raisin bagel in a Ziplock for all this time and it was starting to bug me.
I figured I would only spend more energy chewing this bread so I chucked
it. It was hard enough to get the GU down, I didn't need another complication.
With free hands, I ran another two miles right behind the pacer, she was still
in my sights but I gave up catching up to her and risking my calves cramping
prematurely. By the 18th mile, I lost the pacer, and I accepted
that. While my semi-secret BQ dreams faded, I refocused my energy on just
breaking four hours. I knew I was going to make it because by the three
hour mark I had already gone 20.45 miles which meant, I ran an 8:48 pace.
I had about 5.75 miles to go and I roughly estimated that if I ran
anything under 10:25 pace I would still make my goal. I just had to make sure
that I go under that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remember the first 10K was downhill
and that we had to pass through this same route again going the other
direction? What comes down must come up. I prefer the other way around. I had
forgotten about this little info as I struggled to maintain pace in the last
10K. All I could think of was how I was blowing this and slowing way
down, without accounting for what I had known earlier. I saw my Garmin ticked
away with 9:xx. I got a little worried, when I saw 10:xx after I stopped
at the last aid station. But I got it down back to the 9's. Then the 25th
mile came and I posted a 10:23 pace. All of a sudden it just got harder,
my legs started to go downhill from there. They felt tight as if I were lugging
timber. No matter how much I tried to run faster they just would not
cooperate. It did not help when I turned the corner coming close to
the finish. My calves, hamstrings and both my legs started to cramp hard
(ala-Napa this past March). I was too close to the finish to stop and
stretch the cramps. I had not a single second to waste. I kept chanting
to myself, "Don't stop, keep running." While the clock ticked away
just two seemingly short blocks ahead, (normally I could sprint this distance
anytime of the day; this day, not so much) I had the thought of Tire Girl
running in my head. God must be punishing me. Not only was I not lugging
a tire behind me, I felt as if I were pulling two tires, one on each
leg as I hobbled towards the finish. I have this recurring nightmare of
running as fast as I could, but not really getting anywhere--this must be one
of those, only I was living in it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I reminded myself, pain is
temporary. So I pushed and it was the ugliest running form on
earth. I saw Hubby and daughter at the sidelines cheering for my sub-four
finish. Hubby was yelling you're going to make it!" All I could
give them was my grimaced looked. It's all I could do to put one foot in front
of the other. I have no idea what my cumulative time was, as I had my
watch set at the mile/pace I was in. I managed to lift my legs and
step on that timing mat as if I had just learned to walk. My legs were
super stiff and the worst mistake I made was I stopped moving completely.
The moment I stood still, my cramps grabbed so hard I had to be assisted
to the medical tent. Yeah, it was embarrassing. I felt so bad I grabbed the
volunteer's arm so hard, I must have left a bruised. He was only trying to hand
me my medal. Another came to my aid and I was down on the grass with the med
trying to unkink my muscles. I was given a cube of bouillon which I was
assured would fix me up quickly. I also ate a banana and drank water.
While I was sitting down, I realized my Garmin was still on. I forgot to
stop it when I crossed the finish. Now I was even more annoyed that I
don't have my best time accurately recorded! I just can't win. It
must have been shorter than 10 minutes when that miraculous bouillon fixed me
right up. (Good to know for next time.) I asked the med doctor
if it was a good idea to run with the bouillon during a race to alleviate
my cramps. He gave me a disapproving "Are you freaking kidding me look."
<i>Sorry I asked.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All in all, Santa Rosa was a great
experience. I was so grateful for the medical people who assisted me with
my cramps. The course was not my favorite, but it did give me a PR. Ask me
again in a couple of days, I would probably have a different opinion. If
you pace yourself correctly and not get carried away in the first half as in
CIM, then it could potentially be a fast course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyiYgHE8kWDVC3Qk9odpRM_hkJPBW0suDDJJkLOSvIZGkoUUWyDy4U0bq-O9-e-4S2C8eCLyu3y5qvj-fjfg4t051kw0AUnscY989Oi8INYttcH3gplbRXMacMWo1RrpVxUCRSNml36w/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyiYgHE8kWDVC3Qk9odpRM_hkJPBW0suDDJJkLOSvIZGkoUUWyDy4U0bq-O9-e-4S2C8eCLyu3y5qvj-fjfg4t051kw0AUnscY989Oi8INYttcH3gplbRXMacMWo1RrpVxUCRSNml36w/s320/IMG_1534.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Bling is huge!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The double spinner medal is
beautiful and quite substantial. I really like the fact that the medal had
no rings that are attached to the ribbon. NYC's medal are done like that.
Santa Rosa's medals did not disappoint. The other parts of the swag were also
great: a bottle of wine from DeLoach Winery, and a nice jacket which I didn't
received. They ran out of the small sizes by the time we arrived at the
Expo. I was assured I would be mailed one. It does look very cute
and I am embarrassed to admit that my mood became soured when I found out they
ran out. I mean, I signed up back in March and I don't get one because they let
an extra 1500 more entries this year? But that wasn't the case; the vendor
shorted them by less than a hundred. The RD assured me that they will be
settled. I hope so. But hey, I am over it. I would
still recommend this race, even with no jacket. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How does it feel to have a "3" next to my
name? As in 3:58:04. Hmm…not feeling any different. I am still me; still
trying to achieve what so many of us can/can't. That elusive BQ, I
am not done chasing it. If it takes me 2 minutes at a time, so be it. I
can be patient. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7csRcLn8aWVU-5CM6YvTXmnSY5lAW4PRc6nF8DypqilQ8f-S9bBfIlMSOFNTTAq9mCZGGF-_uJYwdb45Z8tQdjGFuww9VrKcaxn5JjPasz_ZBxNnjjaGTfnZSsaHO5vLJso2qb80BxuU/s1600/SR+AC3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7csRcLn8aWVU-5CM6YvTXmnSY5lAW4PRc6nF8DypqilQ8f-S9bBfIlMSOFNTTAq9mCZGGF-_uJYwdb45Z8tQdjGFuww9VrKcaxn5JjPasz_ZBxNnjjaGTfnZSsaHO5vLJso2qb80BxuU/s320/SR+AC3.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want my jacket Santa Rosa!</td></tr>
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</span>Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-71273350695057873292013-08-11T18:15:00.001-07:002013-08-11T21:52:18.447-07:00Salinas Valley 1/2 Marathon Race Review 2013It has been seven days since I ran the Salinas Half Marathon. To bring you up to speed, it's the half marathon that I've been going back and forth over for the past couple of months. <em>Should I do it or should I not?</em> All the while I've missed out on saving registration fees, had I made up my mind sooner. I wasn't sure how well it was going to fit into my training schedule. The decision was not easy as it meant having to miss my final long run which was 3 weeks out from my next marathon. One thing is for sure, I had to be flexible and trust in my training. Logistically, this was the only 1/2 marathon close enough in both distance and time, to be used as my final tune up. <br />
<br />
My running buddy Liz Byrnes has been talking about this 1/2 marathon for over 3 years now. Every year, right around August, she brings it up. She never failed to mentioned the great weather she ran in both years and that it could be a PR setting course (Liz did an impressive 1:54 in 2010.) However, she also underplayed the "little" hill on mile 6. <em>Deal breaker</em>. I'm not a fan of hills especially if it's going to be a PR setting course. I postponed signing up until this year, not exclusively because of the hill, but due to also that I just didn't have the desire to drive to Salinas. As it turned out, the drive was not bad, and it was the best decision ever. Moreover, I gained more confidence going into a marathon with this race under my belt. So here goes the nitty-gritty details about this new half I just ran. I can say that this might be my new favorite half course.<br />
<br />
My other running buddy, Linda S. and I left SLO at 5:00 am. We arrived at Soledad Mission around 6:20 am or thereabouts. We had plenty of time to pick up our bibs, scout the restrooms, and eat some bagels, bananas, oranges and drink water prior to start. Where we had to park our car was about two tenth's of a walk. It was a pretty good warm up. The weather was in the low 50s with cloud cover. Can you say perfect? It is, if you don't mind a little humidity.<br />
<br />
Before the start, I planned to do some dynamic warm ups--the same running drills that Coach Nancy has us perform weekly on Wednesday nights at the track. Coach Nancy's running drills are a staple to my starts now and if I don't get to do them, I get all out of sorts. So I did some high knees, butt kicks, karaoke (no, not the singing kind), pawing, grapevines, strides, arm swings. I added some lunges, leg swings and leg kicks. I wanted to run a mile of slow running but there wasn't enough time. It had to do. <br />
<br />
At the start, some of the SLDC club members who showed up were my running partner, Heidi Harrison, Dave Dunbar, Liz Byrnes and <em>soon to be SLDC club member</em>, Linda Stimson. Dave lined up with the 1:40 pace group, Linda with her pacing group while, Liz, Heidi and I stuck around the 1:55 pacing group. I was tempted to move up with the 1:50 group. I thought about it, but that was as far as I got. I wanted to do an honest race and I felt that I would only be disappointed if I weren't able to keep up. I knew that if I stuck with the 1:55 group, I could handle the pace, and if I had something leftover in the tank, I could maybe squeak on ahead. <br />
<br />
The race promptly started with our National Anthem and some welcoming words from the race director. At 8:05, I hit the start on my Garmin at the same time I stepped onto the timing mat, and we were off. <br />
<br />
The course was point to point from Soledad to Gonzales. The finish was at the local winery called, Pessagno Winery. We ran through vineyards and shaded areas, on asphalt and roads. It was a bit humid and I felt my tank stuck to me early on the race. I made the mistake of dunking water on my neck to cool off. Well my tank top absorbed the water and because it was 88% humid, the tank never dried off. <br />
<br />
I ran very close to the pace leader--too close in fact, I almost stepped on his shoes. <em>Sorry buddy</em>. He held the 1:55 pace sign. While he was in front of me and during the first mile, I heard one of the runners ask him, "Are we on pace?" The leader said, we need to speed up a bit so that we can have some cushion to slow down on the big hill."<br />
<br />
Hmmm, not what I wanted to hear. Experience has shown me that banking time never works. Soon after hearing this, I made a quick decision to peel away from the group. I can't leave my execution plan to someone else, well at least not this day. If I wanted to PR, I needed to take matters into my own hands and have no one else to blame but myself had I failed. I was thankful I heard this revelation when I did. This brings me to the point: before joining a pace group, it might be worth your while to ask in advance (at the expo, where they introduce themselves usually) what their plan is, i.e., are they going to walk to the aide stations or stop every now and then, slow down on the hills, or speed up, etc. It's easy to hitch a ride, let pacers do the pacing work and assume they are going to stay on your pace. Before you know it, you may start to feel too tired because the pace is to fast or realized the pace might be too slow and then you start questioning your fitness. You have to ask questions and take charge of your race. Just my two cents.<br />
<br />
I found my own groove to settle where I was comfortable and then the miles started ticking away. I had my iPod shuffle and my earphones ready in my ear but it was turned off. My plan was to turn it on only for the latter miles when I know it usually gets harder to push the same pace. I listened to my steps, my breathing and glanced at my Garmin from time to time to make sure I was on pace. I kept an even effort and I was pretty proud of myself for doing so. <br />
<br />
Mile 1 - 8:33<br />
Mile 2 - 8:22<br />
Mile 3 - 8:26 rollers<br />
Mile 4 - 8:19<br />
Mile 5 - 8:25 rollers<br />
Mile 6 - 8:28 hill<br />
Mile 7 - 9:22 hill<br />
Mile 8 - 9:00 hill<br />
Mile 9 - 8:19<br />
Mile 10 - 8:39 rollers & water bottle refill<br />
Mile 11 - 8:24<br />
Mile 12 - 8:29<br />
Mile 13 - 8:19<br />
Mile 0.10 - 8:08<br />
<br />
My first taste of the rollers came at Mile 3. I took a deep breath and chugged along. I couldn't help but overhear some conversations behind me about a woman and how she said her strength was the downhill. Another guy exchanged some thoughts about some 1/2 he did and how this other woman passed him and how surprised he was she cooked him. I was amazed at how they were just warming up and could hold conversations on an uphill. Meanwhile, there I was, trying my best to stay focus and not lose pace. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't multi-task and share my experiences with anyone at this time. All I could do was run, breathe and step one foot in front of the other. That was plenty. It just seemed too much energy to talk while at the same time attempting to PR.<br />
<br />
About Mile 5, with more rolling hills, I started to feel that familiar side stitch. The week before at Wednesday night track, it hit me also in the middle of a 1000 meter repeat. I get it from time to time, and when it hits, there's nothing I could do but slow down. Luckily, I remembered one blogger who suggested to stomp the opposite feet where the stitch I,s to get rid of the pain. I did that a couple of times and it worked. By the time it went away, I was faced with the dreaded big hill that began on mile 6 and ended at mile 8. I kept calm and chugged along until I was over it. I knew it was going to slow me down and I thought of keeping the effort even. It seemed endless, but thankfully, I reached the peak. My quads were on fire and it was a welcome relief that I reached the top. I reassured myself with 'only five more miles and the race is over.' The last 5 miles were fairly flat, I am happy to report.<br />
<br />
There were aide stations about every 2.5 miles with water and Gatorade. I remember Gu gels were passed out in two points and I grabbed one to replace the one I just ate in my pocket. This was in case I need it in the end. At mile 10 there was a strawberry aide station and I really wanted to stop and eat it but, there was just no time. They looked so good. I felt bad for not taking them, I hope the volunteers realize that I was not trying to be rude. I love strawberries! Any other time, I would pull up a chair and eat a flat myself. <br />
<br />
There were two other ladies that I remember running with near the end; one seasoned runner with the running skirt and the other 20-something year old, with a bouncing water flask on her back. I wonder how annoyed that would have made me with that thing bouncing everywhere. Earlier on the race, we leap frogged. At miles 11 we were all together. By mile 12, they both took off. My pace kept the same, but they both have enough energy to put it in another gear. Oh how I wished I could do that. All I could do is stay on pace. But was happy to stay there. I turned on my Ipod and listened to <em>'Come on Eileen'</em>--how fitting. I was glad I didn't slow down. I could still see the ladies in front of me and that was enough for me to stay motivated; they were forever my markers of where I could have been. I wasn't feeling sorry for myself being left behind. I was glad I was able to pass other runners as well. <br />
<br />
The last left turn to the finish, where we had about half a mile to go was pretty amazing. You could see the line of runners ahead and my eyes tried to search that finish arch. It was hard to see since the trees almost covered it and it was black and almost hidden in the shadows. Seeing that arch or any other finish line arch, gives me hope and a smile when I am most tired. That's usually where I can gauge to push it, if I have anything left to give or just know how soon I will be done. I saw the digital clock with the seconds ticking away at 47, 48, 49. I kicked to beat the 52 minute from turning over. Afterward,s I realized that I really didn't need to speed up since I had some ~20 seconds cushion at the start. My Garmin matched my official time of 1:52:36, a PR by 1:27 from SFO Kaiser Permanente 1/2 earlier this year. On a side note, I placed 6th place in my age group category. The fifth place finisher was listed with the exact same finish time as I did. But she edged me by one hundredths of a second. Oh, and to make myself feel better (sarcasm) I saw her in front of me. I asked myself, <em>"You're gonna let that knee-band-wearing-lady pass you?"</em> We know what happened next. I am kicking myself! No more Mr. Nice Guy. I've come to realize, every second, every step counts and it's not over until it's over. Can I sound any more cliché than this?<br />
<br />
The end was relief, at the same time, honestly, I was a little disappointed. I received my beautiful medal and tried to catch my breath. I scanned the crowd to see the other two ladies who pulled away from me in the penultimate mile. I couldn't help but think about what could have been had I had enough in me to fight for it. At this point, it hadn't sunk in yet that I had PR'd. I saw the clock but I was so tired that my brain hadn't computed it yet for me. All I could think about was, I should have had more in me to stay closer to them. I could tell a lie and say, "Yeah I was holding back because I don't want to outrace myself before my big marathon in three weeks--but I couldn't, I did my best. It was all I had today and they simply had better kicks than I did. I congratulated the ladies and we exchanged some encouraging words. What awesome runners!<br />
<br />
The finish chute had a tableful of post race nutrients such as, chocolate milk, packaged apple slices, bagels, orange wedges, boxes of raisins, and cut up bananas. Water was plentiful. The post race festivities were super fun. Dave Dunbar and Liz Byrnes ended up as age group winners, taking home a bottle of wine each. Heidi and Linda both did well clearing their best half results this year thus far. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqC_CfJSVPe9TnZCne0nqJjWUNzeEAQeyYpcTbvdXQJa0k5bZNCPM_jHebvRvnVaM_A3M_7408a5kA3qKIxaEwWleLcbbhX9cXIBLZ2P_pRKcv9w9cpjrgqq-zltpi1FkGhA08FegR58/s1600/A+&+H+Salinas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqC_CfJSVPe9TnZCne0nqJjWUNzeEAQeyYpcTbvdXQJa0k5bZNCPM_jHebvRvnVaM_A3M_7408a5kA3qKIxaEwWleLcbbhX9cXIBLZ2P_pRKcv9w9cpjrgqq-zltpi1FkGhA08FegR58/s320/A+&+H+Salinas.JPG" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heidi and I with our medals.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My SLDC shirt was still in the wash...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7rHJ1QiSmH_vX9G-5CZ-b4qlvYwcqc9PXgewcJDWWF51A2yCc5dj2IsdCr0ma-fbe-wpyrbD7ZsuL23wD03bGOlYS0-Bpdwaedni2BvZhgvNTmZtfP2PxX1lKohPU3KZgHV07U7YeZ4/s1600/Salinas+SLDC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7rHJ1QiSmH_vX9G-5CZ-b4qlvYwcqc9PXgewcJDWWF51A2yCc5dj2IsdCr0ma-fbe-wpyrbD7ZsuL23wD03bGOlYS0-Bpdwaedni2BvZhgvNTmZtfP2PxX1lKohPU3KZgHV07U7YeZ4/s320/Salinas+SLDC.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aww, Linda Stimson was taking the picture...</td></tr>
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<br />
I agree with the Liz and Heidi that this is a PR setting course, sans the significant hill. If you want to PR, better make hill workouts a part of your training. There are other rollers on the course but the weather couldn't be beat. The endless flow of food is awesome. I forgot to mention there was a barbeque at the finish. If I am not mistaken you have the option of adding a few dollars to your registration fee to enjoy the goodies. I didn't take advantage of it, since after races my stomach needs something else and BBQ aint' it. But that's just me. (Today I craved menudo! Yummy!)<br />
<br />
After the podium celebration and picture taking, we boarded an air-conditioned bus back to Soledad. The buses were nice and comfortable , unlike the bouncy yellow school buses that CIM , Napa and Big Sur uses. I'm not complaining, just making a comparison.<br />
<br />
If you sign up early like my buddy Liz, you can save more and only pay $65. But if you are wishy-washy, like me, you will end up spending $99 including other fees (okay, hubby probably didn't need to see that)--a little hefty for the half, but well worth it. Knowing this, I will definitely sign up early next year. Also with the fees, we received a long sleeve tech tee (burgundy is the color this year) and a beautiful wine glass. I guess for the 4th year in a row, weather has been perfect. This race draws a lot fast runners, both local and out of town, sub elites and elites. Daniel Tapia, a Salinas native, is currently representing the US in Moscow for the IAFF World Championships, won this race in the past two years. (He also won the stormy marathon at CIM this past December). This year he was understably absent.<br />
<br />
It was a great race, with incredible volunteers and very nice venue. The drive from SLO to Salinas took less than 1 1/2 hours. If you are looking for a new half course, I highly recommended this one.<br />
<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-54332761347959702192013-07-30T13:20:00.005-07:002013-07-30T13:24:33.831-07:00My Garmin 610 is Reverse Charging? You're barely 9 months to be going bonkers on me Garmin 610. Better shape up or I'll ship you out.<br />
<br />
Okay, let me back up...I woke up this morning pumped up and ready to run my tempo workout. I was so excited because my legs were fresh (imagine three days worth of no running) and I was super stoke to see what I could do.<br />
<br />
I got my breakfast, toast, a fried egg with ketchup and super strong Keurig coffee. Yummy! I was caffeinated to the gills. I took my time putting on my gear. When everything was set, my last item was my Garmin 610. I picked it up from the charger and was so disappointed to see it with a blank screen. It had no charge for whatever reason.<br />
<br />
WTF? I had it plugged in all night. I was so bummed. This couldn't be happening today. This was an important workout. Even more important is the race I have this weekend. More panic--OMG, I couldn't race without my Garmin. I was so pathetic. I need to know my splits, my pace and my distance. I can't run without it. Look at me. What have I done to myself? I've become completely reliant on this beast on my wrist. <br />
<br />
I hunted down my old Timex Ironman watch.<br />
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I fumbled over all the buttons. Sad to say I am no longer used to the buttons. I had to re-learn the reset and start/stop buttons. That was so annoying pushing the wrong one in the middle of a lap. To find out that you've reset when you meant to stop it. Aargh! I don't want to run with this watch. I made a call to Garmin. <br />
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I waited on the phone for 7 minutes, my cell phone minutes ticking away. I don't usually mind being on hold but I don't have unlimited minutes, so actually I do mind. Very much. Finally, "Sean" get's on. I explained to him that my watch has been chirping on and off when on the charging cable for weeks. I didn't think anything was wrong. This morning, it cycled through blank screen then the Garmin logo screen, then back to the blank screen. I told him that it had 85% charge after I plugged it back on the wall socket. Then I pulled it off thinking it might just need a little spark of electricity to jar its memories and thinking 85% is enough to go on an 1.5 hour run. But as soon as I put it on my wrist, it gave me a beep with the message "Low Battery" then went blank, completely. Then I thought, okay then my run will be a little delayed, I can't go now so I will wait another half hour and see if it will act okay. I plugged it back. Half hour later, I checked and it read 58% charge. <br />
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<em>Is this normal, Sean? </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Nope. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>So what do we do now? </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Master RESET. </em><br />
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I was so glad I downloaded all my data before I called. Otherwise the master reset would have deleted everything. He asked me to hold down all three buttons at the same time until I heard an audible beep. After the beep I had to let go the top two buttons and hold down just the bottom button until the second beep. I had to try twice, it was tricky letting the two buttons go and hold down just the last. The Garmin logo came up and I had to re-enter my user info starting with the language. Then I was told to plug it back in and pay attention to the charge--it should increase. If it does, leave it on until 100%. Even if it does not increase "Sean" said the watch will know to start back up. Thanks Sean from Garmin!<br />
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Good news, the battery indicator had slowly been creeping up from 43% to 58%. So I was relieved that my watch is not broken and I didn't have to think about packing it up for repair or service in the most crucial weeks of my training for this marathon. The thought of training without a watch in the most important weeks of training gave me a scare.<br />
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So for those of you who have this reverse-charging Garmin problem scare don't panic yet Just do a master reset and all will be well. But before you do the master reset, make sure you save you data in your computer first. <br />
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Further, Sean confirmed that If you see “reverse charging” on your device, it means only that the fuel gauge in your device has lost its calibration.<em> "When gauge state becomes higher than the actual charge of the battery, it will decrease as it recalibrates toward the correct value. If you see this occur, the correct response is to simply let your device continue charging. This issue is most prevalent if your device has automatically shut down due to a low battery."</em><br />
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Well that's my morning so far. It looks like it will be around lunchtime before I can do my run. Time to dig in the fridge for leftovers...<br />
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Yeay! Showing 69%--it's looking promising!<br />
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Happy running!Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-22999649931633265662013-07-06T22:50:00.000-07:002013-07-06T22:50:05.439-07:00July 4th Race - 2013 Semana Nautica 15K RunThis was the second year in a row that I've competed this July 4th event. Both times, I was intimidated by the sheer number of elite runners who flock to this race. You know what I'm talking about, right? The professionals with glorious tans, cut arms, muscular legs and ripped abs? I asked myself, what am I doing here? I am at home with mid-packers and walkers. Anyway, since this race is a USATF sanctioned race, it draws many elite participants both locally and from out of town. (The men's winner finished in a blazing 48 minutes and change and the women's winner in 56 minutes.) This year was a good turnout of about 274 participants. For one thing people come to race this because the course is fantastic. It is somewhat rolling, but not too bad. Two, as was last year, the weather was perfect in the low 60s. It was a little humid but with the breeze and cloud cover the whole time, we couldn't ask for anything better. <br />
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I invited my running buddy, Heidi, along to this race. It was either this race or a local 5K. The draw to this one was the 15K "tempo-ish" distance and the much cooler temperature. The 5K is fast and fast but we would be running in the heat; not an ideal combination. So we decided to run the 15K.<br />
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We left San Luis Obispo about 5:45 am. we got to San Marcos High School to register with about 45 minutes to spare. We picked up our bibs and ran about 0.85 miles as a warm up to the actual staging area. There were no porta-potties at the start so we had to make sure we did our business at the high school. It was no biggie. It looked like a smaller crowd of 300 runners compared to last year. The race promptly started at 8 am with participants donning their best July 4th attire--tops and bottoms in red white and blue with stars and stripes. It was a festive atmosphere. <br />
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Since it was a smaller event, there was no chip timing. I had to remember not to stay too far back like I did last year. This time, it took me 2 seconds to cross the start line. The course for Semana Nautica 15K has somewhat of a keyhole course, which begins at El Camino School, cuts through the Goleta neighborhoods around Kellogg School and finishes on Turnpike road at San Marcos High School. There was a significant incline on Cathedral Hill. Since you had pass through it twice, you get to look forward to it coming back. This last hill was between mile 5 and 6 and this was where I decided to take my one walk break and chomp on my peanut butter sandwich. <br />
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Let's back up a bit. My purpose for this race was to run it like a tempo. At the same time, I wanted to practice drinking using the aid stations where I would pinch the top of the cup and maintain somewhat of a fast pace while gulping as much as I can. I've never really gotten a chance to practice this skill which is very important for a marathon. While drinking I was still running and I had 3 good practice shots at it. I still carried an 8 oz fluid flask just in case I got thirsty where there's no aid station. It turned out I never needed it. I got hungry after the 5th mile. I decided that on the last hill was where I would walk and eat the smashed sandwich stuffed in my back shirt pocket. This was where I wasted 30 seconds to eat and drink. Funny thing is when you're trying to catch your breath after a hard effort up the hill, at the same time, chewing and drinking takes a tremendous amount of skill. I was only able to swallow one bite and had to go, because 20-something year old blondie in red shirt I passed earlier, had caught up to me and passed me. I threw the sandwich in my back pocket and just like that, break time was over. <br />
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Once we entered the bike path, blondie put a 10-second gap between us. Then, what happened in Ojai Marathon, happened here again: I lost focus on my pacing. I wasn't tired, my mind just wandered for a bit. Before I snapped out of it, the gap had increased to 30 seconds. that was it, I was not able to catch up again. I thought I could try and increase my pace to catch up but, I was afraid that I may be risking muscle cramping. I mean I had no cramping at that moment, but running fast might hasten it to come. As long as I can keep focus now and still keep her in my sights I could still stay on pace. I felt pretty good after the bite of sandwich. I was able to hold on to my pace and I was not suffering, meaning, my breathing was under control and I was not panting. There was no feeling of leg cramping sneaking up on me. Around this area last year is when and where the wheels fell off. I slowed down dramatically. I was happy not to see any 9's from my Garmin these last 2 miles. I felt great knowing the finish was not too far. As soon as we got off the bike path, I knew the finish was around the corner. I made an effort to reel in two more people in front of me. <br />
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The most memorable one is the lady in a white ruffled running skirt. We had one sharp U-turn to the finish. I was in full sprint trying to go under 1:19. This lady asked where the finish was. <em>Really, you don't see the cones and the clock ahead?</em> I was not sure if she was directing the question to me or to the guy navigating the runners. I certainly wasn't in the condition to answer her question as I was running in full sprint. She realized that I was going to pass her so she picked it up. It was clear she didn't want me to pass her because she began sprinting too. Stride for stride I matched her. I couldn't gain a step on her nor she me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...can I take one more pass?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finishing at the same time: 1:19:05</td></tr>
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It was fun racing with her even for just 100m. I felt like a kid. We ended up finishing together at 1:19:05. Even though I missed going under 1:19 by six seconds, I have no complaints. Having shaved off 3 minutes and 53 seconds from my results last year, I gained a new 15K personal best and a course record. It couldn't have gone any better than that. Icing on the cake was coming in 4th place in my age group category. Heidi also did wonderful finishing 6th in our age group.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heidi at mile 1.5</td></tr>
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There were plenty of food at the finish: Gatorade, water, muffins, oranges, bananas and Clif bars galore. Semana Nautica has a nice finisher technical shirts, but I opted out, since it knocked off $5 from my entry fee. It's a quick drive from San Luis Obispo to Goleta. It took us no more than hour and half via I-154 (Cachuma Lake Pass). I'm thinking this might become an annual tradition. I'm looking forward to next year already and, maybe even bringing in an SLDC team.<br />
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Happy Running!Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-39476495676332116732013-05-11T18:43:00.000-07:002013-07-06T14:04:30.090-07:00Napa Valley Marathon Race Recap 2013<br />
My race review for the 2013 Napa Valley Marathon is long overdue. Thank you so much for your patience and now...<br />
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The Napa Valley Marathon is near and dear to my heart. Back in the day, when the concept of running 26.2 miles was nothing more than an obscene idea in my head, I only opted to run 5Ks and an occasional 10Ks. It was here in Napa that this seed of possibly running a marathon some day, was planted.<br />
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Exactly 16 years ago, on 3/2/1997, I ran the accompanying 5K to the NV Marathon, called 3Rs, (Reading, 'Riting & 'Rithmetic) which benefited Vintage High School's educational programs. I ran 24:39; good enough for age group 2nd place finish. The course consisted of the last 3 miles of the marathon. I was humbled to think about the distance. I was excited to witness the first man and woman to finish. But even more so, I was inspired to see ordinary people accomplishing their goals. They were normal people like you and me. They were an amazing testament who led by example, that nothing is impossible. My take away that day and I never forgot it--anyone can run a marathon. Anyone.<br />
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Fast forward to 16 years later. After running Napa 7 previous times, I finally earned my personal best and personal course record. Running Napa this year was not my intention. It was my disappointing results at Sacramento that motivated me to sign up for Napa, the day after <a href="http://sloultrarunner.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html" target="_blank">CIM</a>. I knew that with the training cycle in preparation for the December race, I was ready for something big. However as it turned out, weather hindered to my plans.<br />
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I was eager to jump into another cycle of training, but my training took a backseat as I started a new job with a longer commute. I only made it to 3 days of running as opposed to my usual alternating 4-5 days a week. This lower mileage worried me a little as my best times were correlated to higher weekly volume. This time around I was lucky to have ended up between 25-30 mpw. At my peak week, I topped off at 41 miles--a far cry from my typical 50. Going in, I trusted that my training would serve me well, at the same time, I couldn't shake off that one, small lingering doubt lurking in the back of my mind.<br />
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The expo was held at the Napa Valley Marriott. The theme this year was "Women in Marathoning". Legends such as Joan Benoit Samuelson, Nina Kuscsik, Lorraine Moller and Jacki Hansen were the guest speakers. Unfortunately, I missed the presentation, due to the traffic we hit in Oakland.<br />
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The schwagg is never disappointing. We were given a choice between duffel bags or backpacks. The color was navy blue with citron trim or pink trim. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Navy Blue with pink trim. Would have preferred the green trim.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoVAJXODZozwOqVXpQyXZE_IKHwsh2ZnI2A1AxGmCrB4pBWffKhk12zsU8OgSlRf_KeCPBcWYz40lqVYxhue6tP4sx9-Y1ADA1qkRIXTYkCLM2suZPad-L8KcxAkdOoo2BiflHPjI_O0/s1600/IMG_1047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoVAJXODZozwOqVXpQyXZE_IKHwsh2ZnI2A1AxGmCrB4pBWffKhk12zsU8OgSlRf_KeCPBcWYz40lqVYxhue6tP4sx9-Y1ADA1qkRIXTYkCLM2suZPad-L8KcxAkdOoo2BiflHPjI_O0/s320/IMG_1047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slight panic: I thought I left my shoes at home.</td></tr>
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I ended up with pink trim duffel. The citron was too popular. The tech t-shirts are white and a local artist was responsible for the artwork. The shirt's artwork is always colorful against the stark white background and is instantly recognizable. <br />
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The usual suspects were in the goodie bag--bottle opener (not kidding), package of rice (not kidding either), pack of peanut butter, fruit snacks, plus ads for various marathons. I picked up my bib and timing chip, then off we went to our hotel and dinner.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB6X477WwEm8SfY7zJjXMC2Vn6uIpv2WTlQXJndgd-_GV2Dg7Mdg1J0uKxgl_z5YF7sfyK9grxdGtRHUkdyU5CV9qrEg1IqQ0mM4Ioo25hgbzc_zVBMrzKay0QmTacFzlU3M-2eBG-Fg/s1600/IMG_1216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB6X477WwEm8SfY7zJjXMC2Vn6uIpv2WTlQXJndgd-_GV2Dg7Mdg1J0uKxgl_z5YF7sfyK9grxdGtRHUkdyU5CV9qrEg1IqQ0mM4Ioo25hgbzc_zVBMrzKay0QmTacFzlU3M-2eBG-Fg/s320/IMG_1216.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Salonpas, Gu Brew and chips were my fave.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wFMVKAEBF7c4va8zRAub9C51Xj0X54f7kS6W7ngU0A3-FZsA12pXMIdSXAInif2h5wBzdQHMEedefmDisfEhhJ2IDUof7dzPRGZ22754UnvzOCeo7UsfwYS3EspeBoCm94tUPSix7Jk/s1600/IMG_1217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wFMVKAEBF7c4va8zRAub9C51Xj0X54f7kS6W7ngU0A3-FZsA12pXMIdSXAInif2h5wBzdQHMEedefmDisfEhhJ2IDUof7dzPRGZ22754UnvzOCeo7UsfwYS3EspeBoCm94tUPSix7Jk/s320/IMG_1217.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bottle opener doubles as a cork opener.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
We headed to our usual place in old Town Napa, Ristorante Allegria. This Italian restaurant is my favorite in the area. The ambiance is classy and relaxing. Lots of other runners had the same idea as we were leaving, the wait got longer. TIP: It pays off to make reservations early.<br />
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I wanted to retire early for the night so can get up easily at 3 a.m. I performed my pre race ritual and laid everything out before I went to bed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ridQmB-Axe3B9YYIzTGsEu_brPTdT4eMK4zFs_YVvs1HGNsj1S06YvF-YfHDz8gaZUp3wWoR0QEGr5ZucxhsxK2KHzk7ICiT1t0yh3d8fLbtDNWR9-_VvfpZLZ-T6Pj4JoRduW5j9lY/s1600/IMG_1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ridQmB-Axe3B9YYIzTGsEu_brPTdT4eMK4zFs_YVvs1HGNsj1S06YvF-YfHDz8gaZUp3wWoR0QEGr5ZucxhsxK2KHzk7ICiT1t0yh3d8fLbtDNWR9-_VvfpZLZ-T6Pj4JoRduW5j9lY/s320/IMG_1048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bib, chip, shoes, socks, shirt, shorts, gloves, sunglasses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUCn8g3Dqx_jAnOaqE2OpADL4I7lyOKxaAOAv-Ce3lAVhVVTd_zpXlxg_EwzVupNgBJALND66HUG05RHa8AIt7x9f_Pftgo6_ChrS9e-9q-Jy2S1dLAH5FtI9dcPl0CoVOmuCySmPh3s/s1600/IMG_1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIUCn8g3Dqx_jAnOaqE2OpADL4I7lyOKxaAOAv-Ce3lAVhVVTd_zpXlxg_EwzVupNgBJALND66HUG05RHa8AIt7x9f_Pftgo6_ChrS9e-9q-Jy2S1dLAH5FtI9dcPl0CoVOmuCySmPh3s/s320/IMG_1049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sustenance for breakfast and during the race.</td></tr>
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When my alarm went off, I hit the snooze button once and got up. I ate a banana and forced down a Clif Bar. It's hard to eat when you're not hungry. I showered to feel more awake then put on my gear. I checked the weather because that would dictate what I needed to wear. I always bring 3 sets of running outfits. Weather can be unpredictable. Since it was going to be in the upper 50s near the end, I thought I would be fine with shorts and tank. No arm warmers or gloves necessary. It was a good call. I had my hubby's old baggy sweatshirt that I discarded at mile 2 which kept me comfortable at the start. <br />
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Our hotel, The Napa Winery Inn, conveniently served breakfast (coffee, tea, bagel, bananas and yogurt) at 4:30 a.m. for marathoners. It was also a short walk to the high school where the buses were scheduled to leave at 5:15. It only took me 25 minutes. That walk served to be my warm-up. As I walked, a long trail of cars were passing by me, all headed to the H.S. Pretty soon, more runners from my hotel came out to walk as well. I never felt safer walking the dark streets of Napa.<br />
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The bus loading area was well organized and prompt. (TIP: For future reference there was race day pick up available for those runners who aren't able to attend the expo the day before.) The bus ride took approximately an hour. We arrived in Calistoga at 6:15 a.m. The air in Calistoga was a few degrees cooler compared to Napa. That was a good sign. There were plenty of folks milling about, lining up for the porta-johns, warming up, drinking, taking pictures or just sitting down. I used to get nervous while waiting for the start. The butterflies would start fluttering in my stomach, unlike this day, I was calm and relaxed. I had no worries. I didn't think about my goal time nor what I wanted to accomplish. I was just "in" the moment.<br />
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The race promptly started at 6:59. I took my time, meaning when the horn blew and I was still in my "office". There were others who were still lined up. I was not the least bit worried since this race is chip-timed. I was only 2 minutes and 42 seconds behind the rest of the group. I liked being in the back, since I had a bad habit of going out too fast. Being in the back prevented me from blasting off with the fast runners. It never feels like I am going too fast at mile one because everyone else is also going so fast and to top it off, my legs are peppy at the start. <br />
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Race splits<br />
<img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii-hNxaYnEW1WCqurFYsDBw4hw3sV7SnlT9RnmtPIb8NqWRfgTvvgbk9Q-Mh6p2EoDafsedvxqVocbSSwgmL1RycMgtMd2L4YFpCtklfLNUzAYIch0vgmsbiSjjy0d_jGpXYj4TlaAZFM/s400/napa.jpg.png" width="400" /><br />
The course is net downhill as you can see from the elevation presented above. However, I felt the ups and downs more on the first 6 miles as it is littered with little hills that crept up on me. After the 6th mile, it was more manageable. I was very much in tune with who was in front of me I hitched a ride with runners who seemingly held a great pace. I stayed with them to keep from slowing down. In past races, when I didn't pay attention, my pacing slipped and it was discouraging when I fell behind, not because I was hurt or tired, but because of my wandering mind.<br />
Miles 15 to 20 had bigger and longer hills. For whatever reason, it was stuck in my head that a huge hill awaited me at mile 18. I thought that when I get over this hill, everything would be smooth sailing. It was a pleasant surprise that this hill I dreaded came unnoticed. I was already at mile 20 when I realized that I must have gone over that last significant hill. I wish every marathon would be this way, that I've passed a particular landmark without even realizing it. <br />
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The weather was fantastic all the way through. At the latter stages of the marathon, when I would stop to get a drink from the aide station, I would immediately get cold. The sun's rays felt great on my body as it provided a bit of a warmth. This seemed to be the best weather for Napa out of the 8 times I've ran it.<br />
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My toughest mile was between 24-25. I cramped up. Both legs. It brought up distant memories of the biggest Charlie horse that used to plague me in the middle of the night during pregnancy. The cramps were so strong it was scary, I almost toppled over. My right leg--from my hamstrings to my calf--seized up like I never experienced before. I grabbed my leg until it subsided. I had to stop completely. It seemed like an eternity. People whom I passed before were now passing me. One lady in particular, felt so sorry for me that she yelled out "Poor Baby!" as she passed me by.<em> Oh no, there she goes</em>. We've been leap frogging all along. There was nothing I could have done but to stop until the cramps were done. My immediate thought was: I'm not going to finish with a decent time. I may have to walk this last 2.20 miles if I couldn't get rid of the cramps. It would have been added pressure if I glanced at my time, so I didn't. I prayed that the cramps would subside. I tested it for a bit, then I kept going. I was happy that I was able to do a shuffle, ever so gently negotiating the fastest pace at which my legs would let me without waking up the cramps. I also gained on "Poor Baby" one last time. I was simply grateful that I did not squandered too much time on the cramps nor did I have to walk the last two miles. This was my longest mile at 10:48 and still very grateful. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LAKWBThZw1JFxiy5_TPPKiuKDYX3xbguVGztHZ9895eiDwLUIHzaj_2U1xqFWy8mrePgs72ZhaBRep1wzEhdGtyKQZ7LVq-oHIqU8zFx5mn4VbRH8NMyruFZ2n_nmORXaprMrjHVnKI/s1600/IMG_1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3LAKWBThZw1JFxiy5_TPPKiuKDYX3xbguVGztHZ9895eiDwLUIHzaj_2U1xqFWy8mrePgs72ZhaBRep1wzEhdGtyKQZ7LVq-oHIqU8zFx5mn4VbRH8NMyruFZ2n_nmORXaprMrjHVnKI/s320/IMG_1072.JPG" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Immediately after the cramping episode.</td></tr>
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I kept looking for the turns. I knew it was almost over once those turns came to me. And just as I approached Solomon Avenue, the second to the last turn, I saw my husband wind-milling his arms and yelling out to me, "Finish strong, you got a chance at your personal best!" I was unable to compute the information he yelled, because I knew I had lessened my chances from the cramps back at mile 24. Could hubby be right? Moments later, as sure as daylight, the finish line came to me. I was finally done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4b8irqzt1x95Rb_VCOqHbj_WwDn7weJe7fjUA_TBF7nS2gkTu3VQGTQly2AgZApX3XGjmPq3LL8dnS-2uHZk02Fdi8fF3sqddKT0Q0p_yYL1MZG9uVGooN4IvcZlUYM_vNBsW5b5uTtI/s1600/IMG_1074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4b8irqzt1x95Rb_VCOqHbj_WwDn7weJe7fjUA_TBF7nS2gkTu3VQGTQly2AgZApX3XGjmPq3LL8dnS-2uHZk02Fdi8fF3sqddKT0Q0p_yYL1MZG9uVGooN4IvcZlUYM_vNBsW5b5uTtI/s320/IMG_1074.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
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"Please, Please legs don't cramp on me now!"</div>
For the 8th time, that red banner never failed to be a sight for sore eyes. As I stumbled toward the finishing mat, I was greeted by my very own student, who uncapped my water bottle for me, ushered me to picture taking spot and directed me to the food and shower area. The students and volunteers were so helpful. Truly they are the gems of the organization. I couldn't thank them enough. They always make me feel like a superstar. When I finally glanced at my Garmin, it read 4:02:56. Official results were 4:02:37. Hubby was right. I earned a new PR and my personal course record! Thank you Napa! I may see you again next year!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOsdKE2QtloGTXYUl4dmxG_61D8HICfaloleHEj9o3FQCw4IxZG4NXeMKXZ1OkB4GrVS_gYTHongAvgCyFCHOlT_yQmaB154On7KmKvvjwgDYaICzot5VoIu8t-AQApJPJvVeXiNhVTY/s1600/Medal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOsdKE2QtloGTXYUl4dmxG_61D8HICfaloleHEj9o3FQCw4IxZG4NXeMKXZ1OkB4GrVS_gYTHongAvgCyFCHOlT_yQmaB154On7KmKvvjwgDYaICzot5VoIu8t-AQApJPJvVeXiNhVTY/s320/Medal.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 8th time was a charm!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJugpUBovB4NrvyyGKY7zaIT2jz4NX1_7DlFY9Kfrx7pENdIWiRz-Ortms_8aQ0dUJ1kQhyphenhyphena6YI3oQTtMaD-f0urhRJ3xCRj3uARJ0U-VST7-SokyZxhv3vl8Ni_YOEwn8HfmKjsxACG0/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJugpUBovB4NrvyyGKY7zaIT2jz4NX1_7DlFY9Kfrx7pENdIWiRz-Ortms_8aQ0dUJ1kQhyphenhyphena6YI3oQTtMaD-f0urhRJ3xCRj3uARJ0U-VST7-SokyZxhv3vl8Ni_YOEwn8HfmKjsxACG0/s320/IMG_1038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI3zTYgAa4do6m0-sRpbwe52yOERl2burnF_L-fCyETeZr8KXwjnk6cbN4_L0GlI7N-mui9WEfzE9BAn_uiAsA1DEc5JfWfgzeBM-4GQgZgUU3FYHKol30mZorZ0-0iql_VO6n9leeNo/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI3zTYgAa4do6m0-sRpbwe52yOERl2burnF_L-fCyETeZr8KXwjnk6cbN4_L0GlI7N-mui9WEfzE9BAn_uiAsA1DEc5JfWfgzeBM-4GQgZgUU3FYHKol30mZorZ0-0iql_VO6n9leeNo/s320/IMG_1039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little things like this gives me shivers.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHA0tn_v0sVR5nve7U-4BzMPXsyKerl0xT3yHe1xU6B8SLOxlfIL5Ml5n4S3eP7GCFrMGrdKE9zJb5_5xP5zdtAY3BwRwOLbhuR388TkagOcUXLGV4G-GOqL60_JTz3oqLZId8bZ9qAE/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHA0tn_v0sVR5nve7U-4BzMPXsyKerl0xT3yHe1xU6B8SLOxlfIL5Ml5n4S3eP7GCFrMGrdKE9zJb5_5xP5zdtAY3BwRwOLbhuR388TkagOcUXLGV4G-GOqL60_JTz3oqLZId8bZ9qAE/s320/IMG_1040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNBMe-MongCRcxln0vkSsbLm8JxVcrN4jwJ_LatoiHv9SMQuSUxfPvL4H63mR3Mk5WoDyxblkPsJ4X-VJ7yS7d6yuybzrqXwlurwwSe9WNcSKcOV8aRJZBdYJz-TyXvD35IjaiXPkVOg/s1600/IMG_1042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNBMe-MongCRcxln0vkSsbLm8JxVcrN4jwJ_LatoiHv9SMQuSUxfPvL4H63mR3Mk5WoDyxblkPsJ4X-VJ7yS7d6yuybzrqXwlurwwSe9WNcSKcOV8aRJZBdYJz-TyXvD35IjaiXPkVOg/s320/IMG_1042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon Poser.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmbr59_746s29AVNHqx2PmlRi1kIc9BGfIj6r5BffQay_nSPa9fFbX66ttJYdOsIHtDaXefA6jzV__hHtpfnuyWQQBL-ypMGSIeidH9e3DQ3S1VG5NhanbZJy6FJnZ2sHL8j-N42G2i4/s1600/IMG_1043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmbr59_746s29AVNHqx2PmlRi1kIc9BGfIj6r5BffQay_nSPa9fFbX66ttJYdOsIHtDaXefA6jzV__hHtpfnuyWQQBL-ypMGSIeidH9e3DQ3S1VG5NhanbZJy6FJnZ2sHL8j-N42G2i4/s320/IMG_1043.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Previous NVM tees turned into a wonderful quilt.</td></tr>
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<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-63396415983024734482013-03-09T23:32:00.001-08:002013-03-10T17:40:41.343-07:00Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEvlawL48c0llNUVQFGsk82YQj1PUdAuuu6XQ412WXRqdD9LqBXhC49DYinDSWsNaO9j_jWg6a4QfsFXK5To2xIViM2Z1rRUxYv4zfYmalZ3TfpsFesJ-oan2sn5X60_3iIkYy3d3Q_M/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEvlawL48c0llNUVQFGsk82YQj1PUdAuuu6XQ412WXRqdD9LqBXhC49DYinDSWsNaO9j_jWg6a4QfsFXK5To2xIViM2Z1rRUxYv4zfYmalZ3TfpsFesJ-oan2sn5X60_3iIkYy3d3Q_M/s320/IMG_1117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have a new toy! I thought, <em> What would be a great reward for myself for doing such an awesome job in training for Napa?</em> I have been wanting this forever. Thank you me! You shouldn't have.<br />
<br />
The Grid foam roller comes in two colors, black and orange. I picked orange so that I can spot this easily. Black blends too much in the background. Plus, I don't know what it is about me lately. I've been picking super bright colors.<br />
<br />
I decided to get the short 13" as opposed to the 26" since I am small in stature. And yes, it is cheaper if you get the smaller one. I stopped by the <a href="http://www.runningwarehouse.com/fpw.html">RunningWarehouse.com</a> and got a 10% SLDC membership discount.<br />
<br />
I didn't realize just how tight my gluteals/piriformis are again after this last marathon in Napa. Rolling it for a few seconds back and forth--definitely helps iron out the kinks. It also worked great on my tight calves and IT band. I didn't even realize that they were also so tight until I used this grid.<br />
<br />
In the first time I rolled, it was painful. Then after going through back and forth for a minute or two, it was better. If there is no pain, then you can safely assume there is no tightness or kinks to work out. The trick is finding that tight ball and just working it. I find taking a deep breaths helps.<br />
<br />
I'm going to be religious about utilizing this Grid to decrease my risk for injury. After using it for only a day,I already feel the difference. It already released that ball of muscle that has been tight for so long. Why didn't I do this sooner?<br />
<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-2418622943217088392013-03-09T22:25:00.002-08:002013-03-09T22:29:25.197-08:00San Francisco Kaiser Permanente 1/2 Marathon<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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San Francisco Kaiser Permanente ½ Marathon<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>When: Feb 3, 2013 (Super Bowl Sunday)<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Start: 8:03 am (3 minutes late)<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Shuttle to start: Free<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Cost: Early birds are $55<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Official Time: 1:54:03 13.1 pace: 8:42 (Finally broke my 12-Yr PR)<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>My Garmin: 1:54:01 13.22 miles pace: 8:38<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>T-shirt: Cotton long sleeves; extra $ for tech tees<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Medal: First time medals were given to finishers <o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Course: Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway<o:p></o:p><br />
#Runners 1/2: 5,700<br />
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#Runners 5K: 2,500</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Weather: Mid 40s <o:p></o:p><br />
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It was in 2001 when I first
earned my ½ marathon PR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This PR today was
only my 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> PR and it came 12 years after City to the Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My results today has reinvigorated my interest in
running more halves. The half marathon has, for lack of a better analogy, been
like a middle child to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often ignored them because compared to the 5Ks and the 10Ks, which are short enough
to train for-- the ½ distance has been overshadowed by my ‘cheapness’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> The registration fees for some halves are as much as the
marathon itself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Honestly, i</span>f I am going to
train and also pay full price for the entry, I might as well go for the big
one, right? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can run longer then I
see it as getting my money’s worth. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know it doesn’t make any sense to some people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And when I do run my half marathons they are more or less used for my
training as a tune up race. It’s never really my full goal to go all out
because in the back of my mind, I have to save the legs for the real thing, which has always been the marathon. Yeah, the marathon is my 'thang", but maybe not for long.</div>
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This time it was no different.
I was not even planning on running this half and I only had two nights to
think about it. A cousin of mine, had signed up in advance and due to unforeseen circumstances,
plans changed so she offered me her spot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, Rhody Co Productions made it easy to
transfer bibs. I literally walked up to the Will Call table on race morning and
in less than 2 minutes I was squared away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve run this race in 2010 and
loved the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept telling myself
I will do this race again, but the the cheap person inside of me prevailed: if I’m going to have to drive to the Bay Area I might as well make it to the full
marathon. Driving 4 hours for the ½ seemed so wasteful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time, since I have a free entry, why
not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, it fit perfectly well in my
training.</div>
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</div>
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I drove up the day before and I
stayed with cousin. We had sushi and sashimi for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy with that since I love
sashimi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was not worried at all about
lack of carbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My thoughts were, this is not a
marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that serious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Not trying to sound like a snob to
halves here.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was only 15 minutes away from
the start and since I knew exactly where I was headed, I was not nervous at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I woke up at 4:30, drank my Gatorade, had one
plain mini bagel, a banana and a Power Bar. I got ready in hardly anytime. I was so relaxed I didn’t even lay out my gear the night before like I usually
do for marathon preparations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I left the house at 6:00 and it
was still pitch black. The nippy air hit me as I tried to get into my car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I drove down
the Great Highway, I started seeing orange cones that lined the course. Then I
got the fluttering butterfly feelings. Uh-oh, not so relaxed any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I saw more cars looking for parking and
runners walking briskly towards the yellow school buses, it was all the
excitement of racing once again that came over me. I love this feeling! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I found a tight parking space and
I was worried that I would be boxing the person to my right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept moving back and forth to give that
person more room, but in my excitement to get on the bus, I did a poor job of
parking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally the fellow to my left,
helped me out and told me “Yeah, that’s good, there’s enough room for them to
get out.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank goodness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran to the buses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't know what my hurry was because it was only
6:30 and I had an hour and a half to kill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s the way I like to start my races. Get there in plenty of time to
take care of business. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Running to the buses, got me a
little worried. I felt a little wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I knew we would be getting wind in the latter half of the course since
we are by the Pacific Ocean for 6 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ugh! Wind, here we go again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
put it out of my mind. Whatever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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As soon as I got off the bus (the
ride was only two miles long) my first order of business was taking care of the
bib transfer. It was hassle-free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
ripped my cousin’s bib and gave me a new number and a new chip timing tag. The
organizer lady thanked me for taking the time to switch. (I remembered what
Stan said, if anything had happened to me, at least they will know it was not
my cousin.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It started getting crowded
every minute. I did my thing, stretching, hitting the restroom, and chit
chatted it up with a fellow blogger. Before we knew it, it was time to line
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started 3 minutes later than
advertised and I was some 3+ minutes away from crossing the start. It was that
crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do love crowded starts now. I
have a different attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gave me a
chance to slow it down and not go crazy at the gun. It was elbow to elbow, I
was watching closely the way everyone around me was swinging it. After all, I
am just about the right height to get slugged in the face if I was not alert. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Mile 1 was my slowest mile at
10:04. Like I said I was glad it was that slow, for it gave me a chance to warm
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was cold and even with my gloves
on, I was freezing. I had on my capris, a tank and my long sleeve NY marathon
shirt. It was just perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also took
along my water belt, which I didn’t need since water stations were set every 2
miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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We started in the middle of the
park and headed out to the panhandle and made a U-turn back towards the
GG park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it is an urban park, there’s
a lot of little up and downs and it can get deceivingly tiresome if you are not
careful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a conservative pace in
the first 6 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For some reason, this
first 6 miles seemed to go on forever unlike the first time I ran it in
2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt then that it flew by. This
year, it seemed longer. However I was still enjoying myself. I was
looking at running outfits and not really paying that much attention to pace. Lots of folks wearing Lululemon; it could be a San Francisco thing.
From time to time I would zero in on a person ahead of me until I can see that
I am gaining on them, then I would look at my watch to see what my pace
was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not pull back as I felt
strong. As early as mile 6, I started honing in on picking people in front of
me. I was patient however, I knew that if I kept up the pace and the leg turning
over I can catch up. I felt such a boost after each one that I pass. This seldom
happens to me. It seems it’s the opposite that I am always who ends up watching
folks run by me. I would say, oh yeah, I remember that one, now I am eating her
dust. That’s the way it goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love it.
Sometimes you win some, sometimes you lose some. Today the stars are aligning
for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 6 ½ miles, the lead
runner came flying by as he was closing his race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Under a minute behind him, came Jameson Mora,
wearing his Aggies singlet. I was amazed and I got some kind of adrenaline
after seeing these guys pass by. Pretty soon the lead women started rolling by
running with the fast men. Mile 7 and 8 were my fastest miles at 7:58 and
8:10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their energy is infectious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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By the time we got to the Great Highway
(no wind by the way), it was game time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The road was long and I could see the thousand bobbing heads of the sea
of runners ahead of me. It was hard looking up because it gave me an idea of
just how far still I had to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
happy not knowing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would look up to
see every once in a while if I could make out the U-turn. I knew the U-turn was
somewhere past the SF Zoo, on Sloat. But there were no signs of people turning
yet. That meant, the road was still up ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> It was fun for a minute, then when I saw the flag for mile 11, I pushed
it a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, by this time, it
was taking longer for me to completely pass my person of object, unlike earlier
at mile 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However slow I may have been,</span> I was still passing,
so that didn’t matter much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as long
as I was not being passed by—by not too many people, that is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I totally forgot that the last
turn, was uphill. The point ten portion of the 13 miles had a nasty little
incline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I could push it one
more, but as soon as I made that turn, I was deeply reminded of it in
2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em> Are you kidding me?</em> Yes, I had a name for this little hill. </div>
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I was so glad when I got over that last hump. I
looked at the clock above me and it read 1:57. It didn’t hit me yet as I had
not computed the net time from my chip time. I knew it was around 3 minutes. Even
when I looked at my Garmin which read 1:54:01, it still didn’t hit me that I
just broke my 12-year old PR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Nitty-Gritty</div>
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The volunteers were great, they
called out the mile splits however, I really didn’t want to know so, I drowned
their call outs by blaring my iPod. </div>
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The medal was awesome. This is
the 30<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> running of the KP ½ so they presented each finisher a
medal. </div>
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The course didn’t seem all that
hilly at all, contrary to popular belief. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>If you are looking for a cheaper
½, with lots of volunteers, great t-shirts and beautiful medal, try this one.
Typical weather for SFO in February is low 50s to mid 40’s—perfect running
weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shuttle is free. It was only a 2 mile ride, if you were hard-core, you probably could use the 2 miler as a warm up. <br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After passing through the finish chute, volunteers handed each finisher with a medal, a bottle of water, and chocolat</span>e milk .Further down was a tent with previous years t-shirts which they were selling for $5 a piece. It was well worth the price, but I had no cash on me. It was probably a blessing. All in all this is a well-organized half-marathon. I will probably return next year...and bring extra $5.<br />
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</span>Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-18813827698444518352013-01-13T20:30:00.001-08:002013-03-10T17:36:34.536-07:00California International Marathon 2012 Race Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav_C36L__fcvUzYaqtY7uvALK-6ezL9Y9xJa64gQDkVwxpeulYhqeo4trb1GJmO-dsv2z5D7oJc526DEGTZvEtkRH_J0DtPPj5rpXwPxkJbw3NM9wUiWwvAQbTdrW4xWYffS380ge_kM/s1600/medal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgav_C36L__fcvUzYaqtY7uvALK-6ezL9Y9xJa64gQDkVwxpeulYhqeo4trb1GJmO-dsv2z5D7oJc526DEGTZvEtkRH_J0DtPPj5rpXwPxkJbw3NM9wUiWwvAQbTdrW4xWYffS380ge_kM/s200/medal.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Alright, I am done licking my wounds. I wrote this a few days after the marathon but I felt a huge disappointment--so much so that I couldn't bear sharing the post publicly yet. Now that the new year is upon me, the sting somewhat wore off and it is time to get over it. <br />
<br />
I had high hopes for this marathon. It was a PR-setting kind of a course, with rolling hills and net downhill from Folsom to the State Capitol. In the three previous times I ran this marathon, I've set two personal best ('05<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> and '08) and</span> a personal course record in 2011. That goes to show that, even I, can make improvements on this not-so easy course just like anybody else could. Having said that, I devoted a full cycle of marathon training into it, in hopes of breaking four hours. I even turned my eyes away to a few marathons that I could have run before this race so as to increase my chances of coming into CIM fresh and prepared. As I write this the day after, I'm still coming to terms with my emotions. What went wrong? I'm trying to sort out my feelings about all the hard work and preparations that climaxed to a mere 4:17. This will be long, so you better get comfortable, get your feet up and get a cup of coffee. Here it goes...<br />
<br />
Inclement weather had been a such major factor in 2012 for two world stage marathons. First it was the 90-degree heat endured by runners in the Boston Marathon. Then came Hurricane Sandy, barely a month ago from CIM, that ended the 40-year streak at NYC Marathon. Now CIM is faced another not-so perfect running conditions. Runners on Facebook clamored for a postponement or even a cancellation. CIM was was steadfast on their "rain or shine" policy. The show must go on.<br />
<br />
I was glued to Weather.com site two weeks out from the race. I saw showers fore casted and I was the least bit worried. I have run in the rain many times in training and quite recently in the last week or so. I've ran in two previous Napa marathons that included rain and (high winds in one). No big deal, I thought. Just as we got closer to the day, Weather.com upgraded the forecast with 18 mph winds advisory. I've run in that kind of wind on Los Osos Valley Road before: on one of my 20-miler training runs last year for Napa. The next day, my abs were sore from fighting the wind. I know what it takes to run against it. I was a little worried, honestly. One more thing to make the marathon that much more harder: gusty winds.<br />
<br />
A week before the race, the forecast became gloomy, literally and metaphorically. Heavy rains with potential for flooding in the flood prone areas and winds up to 30 mph were now advised. My heart sank. Are you freaking kidding me? I kept a hopeful disposition and tried my very best to stay positive, but deep inside, I know I can't possibly handle such weather extremes. Other people thrive in this, I know that for myself, this will be a matter of survival in the end. I want to run an honest race and not fool myself into thinking I can still PR. The surest question came to my mind. What other marathons in California can I run in the next few weeks with hopefully better weather? That's just it. Weather is unpredictable. I was reserved to go through with this. I planned to run CIM, no matter what.<br />
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My running partner Heidi and I along with a fellow club runner, Dave, drove to Sacramento the day before race day to claim our bibs and runner's packets. It was the 30th year running of CIM, so the giveaways were a bit more substantial than usual. The commemorative year brought us, long sleeve tech tees black for men and green for women, buffs, gloves, and was promised a coaster size finisher's medal. They were beautiful. However that didn't appease my glum attitude about my death march the next day. I sounded so negative, but I didn't let my running friends in on my feelings. I don't want my negativity to rub off on them. I was secretly hoping that the weather will change, at least hope that the third storm in a series of three, weakens by the time it reach Sacramento.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasi4-L3F_rwf8EK5KaZP4YYfi8CDOyXt16xit4LLGx8RhTpMVfB_kzGNHee31W1wyIhXN5RRbz1HCSdluznX2y5oAQWu9yG9CMvnTM35E-204K0htz7VlDsKn0OyjK4sGnbLn2gCZhQ4/s1600/Sbarro+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasi4-L3F_rwf8EK5KaZP4YYfi8CDOyXt16xit4LLGx8RhTpMVfB_kzGNHee31W1wyIhXN5RRbz1HCSdluznX2y5oAQWu9yG9CMvnTM35E-204K0htz7VlDsKn0OyjK4sGnbLn2gCZhQ4/s320/Sbarro+Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fast forward to race morning. We woke up at 3 am. The weather outside looked calm maybe 3 mph winds. Then it became increasingly stronger as the hours passed. Weather.com still has the wind advisory at 28 mph along with heavy rains from 4 am to 10 am. That's the exact running window for us middle of the packers. We'd be running in the rain for 4 hours. Rain I don't mind so much, gusty winds? That's putting it on another plane.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQPLUWFhEemyltPu2gnqcPXoQ-bbEsmjsU_ovrX5MEPbsXWpiojiJ8sibikJzPIdxsDA7Gg6nqsyYdcRSAWaI-tNSE26TOI4VyQeDTeKW2GtNuGBEsZdAOyBi7fs5wIYgoBLh6_HNjwA/s1600/Shoes+ducktaped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQPLUWFhEemyltPu2gnqcPXoQ-bbEsmjsU_ovrX5MEPbsXWpiojiJ8sibikJzPIdxsDA7Gg6nqsyYdcRSAWaI-tNSE26TOI4VyQeDTeKW2GtNuGBEsZdAOyBi7fs5wIYgoBLh6_HNjwA/s320/Shoes+ducktaped.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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Duck tape over shower cap, once and twice around.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gsYwEeIVU4BPBsV1Hs8rsqW10VftaTcjzsPhPRkJEzGnNLJilRewpDJIZhoaCfnpmLGas5l3ZCen1N-EPHFmjoDEhzZHb2mpDekWoV7wT6dDclBwEZs0xiWUyM0vJwJh9Or17MCBaHc/s1600/shoes+sideview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gsYwEeIVU4BPBsV1Hs8rsqW10VftaTcjzsPhPRkJEzGnNLJilRewpDJIZhoaCfnpmLGas5l3ZCen1N-EPHFmjoDEhzZHb2mpDekWoV7wT6dDclBwEZs0xiWUyM0vJwJh9Or17MCBaHc/s320/shoes+sideview.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope I don't slip and fall</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkAy5JMbuUp1shyphenhyphenHYG84AhahzR7_miSZHcG2ek3VDssG5zPBmHYAvkitwWN6Pj_pZN0T0gjOB0iOJHwiY80m-j7dra-RaFZQdj5vSE-m0WQsUW4pm-lPh_v-_KaqHlzGEpDLlfunGp5g/s1600/Shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkAy5JMbuUp1shyphenhyphenHYG84AhahzR7_miSZHcG2ek3VDssG5zPBmHYAvkitwWN6Pj_pZN0T0gjOB0iOJHwiY80m-j7dra-RaFZQdj5vSE-m0WQsUW4pm-lPh_v-_KaqHlzGEpDLlfunGp5g/s320/Shoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A bit paranoid about getting my feet wet?</div>
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Pictures above show how I "MacGyver-ed"my Nike Air Pegasus. I needed shower caps and duck tape to fend off water.<br />
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Our hotel had a shuttle which drove us to the start in Folsom. When we got there, the first order of business was the bathrooms. The minute we stepped off the bus, the wind and rain was so hard that it didn't take but a few seconds for my feet to be soaked. So much for my effort. The thought crossed my mind to take off the duck tape since my feet were wet already, but I didn't. We ran towards the lines of porta potties and got increasingly wet even with our dollar store find of a poncho. It was dark and it was sheer comfort to be inside the porta potties, shielded from the cold wind and rain. I thought of staying in there longer, but there were people waiting. So I got out. Funny thing was I was not the only one who thought of using the porta potties as a shelter. I heard lots of people talking about how they took the time to stay in there. Runners were trying to stay under awnings to keep dry. Lots of runners wore garbage bags and ponchos. Most stayed inside the buses until it was almost time. Just as Heidi and I turned in our bags with dry clothes for the finish, we ran into our other friends Myrna and Linda! How in the world were we able to find them in the dark with these many people. But we did. We gave each other a joyous hug and well wishes, but then along came Dave! We were complete we all found each other. It was a pleasant treat to see familiar faces against these incredible odds we were about to face.<br />
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There was hardly time to warm up. I just didn't have the motivation to go through the paces. But Heidi forced the issue and we tried to run a couple of strides. I got wetter and my shoes squeaked of water. Then everyone started running towards the start. That was our cue to get in line. I said good-luck to Heidi and we went our separate ways.<br />
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As soon as the anthem was sung and the gun was fired, we ran. In the rain. With the wind. I was in the tail end of the 3:55 pace group. It was so crowded, I could not get any closer to the leader. I told him that I would stick with him, for as long as I could. It was disappointing. The day after, he told me that he tried to look for me, didn't see me and wondered what had happened. <br />
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What happened? This CIM start is the most unprepared start of all my races. My head was all over the place. I worried about all the garbage bags that went flying all around me. It was dim and the goal was not to trip on the slippery plastics that littered the course. I was in tune to my feet getting caught in the bags so I slowed down quite a bit. That meant that the 3:55 group ran away from me. By mile two, I adjusted my pace and dropped it to 8:38-8:40. That pace went on for 3 miles. I realized after mile 4 that I was feeling dizzy. Surely I thought, I can't be feeling sick right now. It's way too early. I continued to feel bad. Never mind chasing the pacers that left me, the thought of DNF'ing became appealing. I thought I have an excuse. These were horrid conditions to be running. I wondered how many runners at that moment had the same thoughts of giving up as me. Why not just save the legs for the next marathon? No I could not do that. This was the 30th CIM--the medal is huge. I can't give up yet. I stopped at a restroom to regroup and gather my thoughts. All the negative thoughts so early on in the race--maybe I was just hungry. I fended off the notion, because it was way too early to be getting hungry. I was only at mile 5. I decided to take a gel, hoping it would make me feel better. Just go one more mile.<br />
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After that bathroom stop and the gel, I was able to keep a better handle on the lows. I felt a little better but I got warm so I took off the poncho and threw it on the side of the road. I kept one foot in front of the other. I thought, even if this took me six hours to finish, I would do it. I'd come home with a medal. That was my motivation which kept me going until until the next porta potty break. But I had to stop another time because my duck tape on my left shoe came loose and it was flapping under my feet like a wet tissue. It came off fast, but the right side was on there good and I struggle to tug it off. I must have lost a minute getting the tapes off.<br />
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I must have done something right with my hydration because I was like clockwork for potty stops. This second stop I ran into Heidi. She was coming out as I yelled out her name. Quick hugs then she was off. What a sight for sore eyes!<br />
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I continued to pop the gels sooner than I normally needed because I figured, my body was working extra hard to keep my core temps warm therefore my glycogen stores were depleting fast. I had to replace and top my reserves before I bonked like I did between miles 4 and 5. I was drinking Powerade and water at every other aide station. That seemed to be my saving grace. <br />
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Before I knew it, I was already halfway done. I thought, 2 more hours of this test, then it's all over. I can do this. The roads were wet, there were parts with gushing waters. It rained hard at one point, I thought it was hail pelting me on my quads. When I reached mile 22, the sun had come out. It was like day and night from the start to this point. Why couldn't it have been like this earlier? I was not at all interested in my time. Didn't look at my Garmin at all. At the same time, some markers were blown away by the wind. So I was totally in the dark about the mile I was in. It worked to my advantage though, since not knowing meant I could keep going. That concern about time flew out the window when I bonked at miles 4 and 5. It was a mere survival game plan today. I was happy that a couple of hours ago, I seriously contemplated a DNF. And to think that I was 4 miles away from finishing brought a smile to my face. I consoled myself, "40 more minutes and you're done."<br />
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The last 4 miles, I ran and I ran. I didn't allow myself to walk. I saw a lot of runners walking in the last two miles, I purposely looked away as I don't want my brain to be tempted to walk too. The only stops I made throughout the course was restroom breaks which was a total of 4 stops and one to discard the duck tape off my shoes. I was very happy about the fact that I didn't face the wall at mile 20. I must have done a great job with not missing my gels. I was also glad that I was able to run without any calf cramping although I felt tired and exhausted in the end, but no more than usual.<br />
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I was glad I finished, although 4:17 was not the time I had in mind. My initial reaction was I was way off my mark. But then again, if I hadn't put forth an extra effort in training harder, then my time could have easily swung the other way. As it was, my training probably helped me come out with a decent time. <br />
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I haven't given up. I'm still aiming for that sub-four finish. There's a lot more work to be done. CIM 2012 tested my spirit and my resolve to finish. I'm thankful that Marathon #27 miraculously did not end up in a DNF. I never felt so close to quitting today than any other time in my life. For that very reason, this medal will hold a special place in my heart. Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-38936437237880013912012-11-29T15:41:00.002-08:002012-11-29T15:48:59.766-08:00Race Week To Do List<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Race Week #18 (4 days of running)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span">• Mon: <strike>Yoga 30 min + 2.5 mi w/ 6x8-sec hill sprints</strike> REST </span>Massage</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Tues: <strike>Pilates 10 min gentle</strike> REST</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Wed: <strike>5 w/ 2 @MP</strike> REST</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Thurs: <strike>2.5 mi w/ 6x8-sec hill sprints</strike> 4 miles EZ</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Fri: REST</span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• Sat: 2-4 mi @ 11:00 pace</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Total 6-8 miles)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The list below is my to do list for race week. Hopefully this will help me do all the right things to increase my chances of performing my best come race day.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">1. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Drink more water</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – I will start hydrating on Monday rather than the day before a race. I'm going to keep my bottle of water handy at work and remember to drink throughout the day. Experts say keep urine light yellow in color. Otherwise if your pee is colorless, then you're drinking too much. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">2. <b>Eat</b> </span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">carbohydrate rich foods</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – Start increasing the amount of carbohydrates at the beginning of the week, but not overheat. I'm going to avoid sweets and fatty food. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">3. <b>Limit my caffeine</b> <b>intake</b> <span style="line-height: 15px;">– In the days before the race, I will limit my coffee to one cup a day. No more afternoon and after dinner mugs of coffee. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">4. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Get more beauty rest</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – I will retire an hour early every night in the last week to rest up. I'm typically very restless the night before the race, so this way, I can offset that imbalance. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">5.<b> I may get a foot</b> <strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">massage</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – A foot massage on the Wednesday or Thursday might be due. That will relax me and loosen me up. Time to pamper the feet, because they will be working hard soon. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">6. <strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Focus on pace work and short speed </strong><span style="line-height: 15px;">– No big miles this week, just keep the workouts short and sweet. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">7. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Take rest days</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – Rest means rest! Not going to be lifting any heavy boxes at work. (Sorry Tina, I hope you don't have any files shipping in this week.) </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">8. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Try to relax</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – Focus on all of the preparations that made me get ready for my race by reading my running log which shows how far I've come in 18 weeks. That usually relaxes me and makes me confident and believe in my training. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">9. </span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Have all of my gear prepared a week before the race </strong><span style="line-height: 15px;">– I don’t have to worry about it at the last minute. I put all of my gear in a laundry basket. As I remember them, I throw it in the basket. </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 15px;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">10. <b>Chil</b></span><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">lax</strong><span style="line-height: 15px;"> – The bottom-line is to chill and relax both mentally and physically in the week before the race.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. <b>No</b><strong style="line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> rushing allowed on race morning </strong><span style="line-height: 15px;">– Get up at 3 am, to allow plenty of time to wake-up, eat, and get my pre-race bathroom trips (#2) out of the way.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">What does your race week comprise of?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: black;"></span></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy running!</span>Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-63212947226845457092012-11-29T15:30:00.003-08:002012-11-29T15:30:45.226-08:00CIM Training 2012: Thanksgiving Taper<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><strong>Week #17 (4 days of running)</strong></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">• Mon: Yoga 1 hr</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">• Tues: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">6 mi</span> <strike>(3x1600@5K effort 50-90% interval rest)</strike> w/10x100m strides</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">• Wed: <strike>Pilates 10 min gentle</strike> REST</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span">• Thurs: <strike>Hunger Race: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">8 mi</span> </strike>REST (2 mile walk in the evening) </span></div>
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• Fri: <strike>REST</strike> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">3 mi</span> EZ w/6x hill sprints </div>
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• Sat: <strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">3 mi</span> EZ</strike> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">5 mi </span>(2x2.5 MP)</div>
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<u>• Sun: <strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">5 mi</span> MP</strike> 8 mi EZ</u></div>
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(Total 22 miles)</div>
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This week is coming at me very fast. Tuesday was a fast workout. I joined my fella CIM'ers at the track to run some 10 x 100m after some two mile warm up. It took some getting used to, to run a speed workout first thing in the morning when the body is still cold. I ran the 100s faster than normal. As the day wore on, I realized this was the case. I was lucky I didn't injure myself. Especially having done no drills to start off the fast running. Luckily the next day was a rest day. </div>
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Thursday was The Hunger Run for 8 miles. I was prepared to run it. I even got dressed for it, but after discussing it with my Mom, it became clear to me that I shouldn't run it. I am much too close to race day, and if I know myself, I would race this and would not be able to hold myself back. Mothers know best! (Thank you Mom for steering me right!) Case in point last year, I PR'ed on the course and fell consequently flat for the marathon at CIM. I'm not going to make that same mistake two years in a row. I cheered my friends on and was happy to be on the sidelines helping out my running club, the San Luis Distance Club. We had 412 participants, raised $4,585 and 1,624 pounds of food for the local food bank. Awesome work! </div>
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Friday I got back to work to clear my desk, my computer and wrap up stuff I'm in the middle of. After I come back from the marathon, I will only have two days left before I start my new job. It will be here before I know it. It was a quiet Friday as I anticipated and a perfect day to clean house. The best part is, I got my run out of the way first thing in the morning. I had four easy miles with 3 hill sprints. Had to remember to take it easy. I kept reminding myself, '<i>Not too hard, it's too close to be injured right now</i>.' The sprints felt great, even though I was holding back my effort felt effortless. Compared the same pace I ran earlier in the training, that felt like a challenge. This is a definite sign that I am ready and peaking at the right time. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span> was also another easy day of running 5.5 miles with 2 miles of tempoish/MP pace run. Well okay, you got me. I planned on doing an easier goal pace run, but went a little faster which ended up as tempo. I slept in and headed out at 9 am. It was sunny and I immediately felt hot. I don't like hot weather running. But it turned out okay since it was a short run. I should really be more positive and not carry on this kind of negative thinking. It can carry on to the marathon. It's not allowed.</div>
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So <span style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span>, I planned to run with Linda and Myrna. Nothing fast, we just want to get our legs moving for 8 miles. This is it. The final week is upon us. I still have to figure out what I'm going to wear. Look at me, I sound like I'm going to a party or something! </div>
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Here's to a healthy week ahead! Thanks for reading.</div>
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</span>Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-71499302840398844282012-11-18T19:02:00.000-08:002012-11-18T19:02:06.404-08:00CIM Traning 2012: Week #16Whoa! I'm here already? I can hardly believe it. In the beginning of the training cycle as I read through 18 weeks of workouts that I've laid out, I wonderered if I would survive it. And now here I am still standing and without any injuries. I must say that I credit the cross training combination to a healthy training. Yoga, Power and Pilates certainly strengthened my running. <br />
<br />
This week marks the beginning of my 3-week taper period. Mileage is cut back from my high of 40 miles a week to 20-45-65% (weeks 16, 17, and 18). I am looking forward to the restful 3 weeks. The gameplan is to keep runs short while keeping the intensity at the same time. <br />
<br />
<strong>Week #16 (4 days of running)</strong><br />
• Mon: Yoga 1 hr<br />
• Tues: Power 1 hr +<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 2 mi</span> (w/ hill sprints)<br />
• Wed: Pilates 10 min +<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 6 mi</span> (5x600 with 50-90% of interval for rest)<br />
• Thurs: REST<br />
• Fri: REST<br />
• Sat: <strike>8 mi w/6@MP</strike> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">10 mi</span> MP+30-sec<br />
<u>• Sun: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">14 mi</span> EZ</u><br />
(Total 32 miles)<br />
<br />
<strong>Week #17 (3 days of running)</strong><br />
• Mon: Yoga 1 hr<br />
• Tues: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">6 mi</span> (3x1600@5K effort 50-90% interval rest)<br />
• Wed: Pilates 10 min gentle<br />
• Thurs: Hunger Race:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 8 mi</span> (2 mi @ 9:30; 4 mi @8:50; 2 mi @ 8:40-8:45 pace: 1:11 finish)<br />
• Fri: REST<br />
• Sat: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">3 mi</span> @ 11:00 pace 3-4 pick ups<br />
<u>• Sun: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">5 mi</span> MP</u><br />
(Total 22 miles)<br />
<br />
<strong>Race Week #18 (4 days of running)</strong><br />
• Mon: Yoga 30 min +<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 2.5 mi (</span>hill sprints)<br />
• Tues: Pilates 10 min gentle<br />
• Wed:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 5 mi</span> (2 @MP)<br />
• Thurs:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 2.5 mi (</span>hill sprints)<br />
• Fri: REST<br />
<u>• Sat:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> 4 mi</span> @ 11:00 pace 3-4 pick ups</u><br />
(Total 14 miles)<br />
<br />
• Sun: CIM-26.2 mi<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><strong>Week #16 </strong></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Wednesday</span> was all about keeping the intensity at the same time reducing the volume of the workout. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">With that, I opted to run 5x600s with 90% of the interval for recovery. The group ran 3x1600s with 100m recovery. This very workout is on my schedule for next Tuesday. Tonight I needed something much shorter since I was sore from Power. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">The 600s tonight were short and tiring. Because I did my power routine late in the day on Tuesday, instead of the usual 7 am time. Consequently, I had shortened my recovery leading to the Wednesday night speed work. Hence my quads were a bit sore. It worked out that I was sore otherwise I would have pushed it on the 1600s and I could have hurt myself. It crossed my mind to swap this week to next week since the group was doing the 1600s. Things have a way of working itself out. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
On <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span> I originally planned to do pace work. However since it was raining, my muscles took a long time to warm up. In fact, it was close to the end before I got in the groove. I already had the mileage in and didn't want to add anymore. I ended up running 8 miles at MP +20 seconds after my 2 mile warm up. I couldn't hit my pace so I didn't sweat it. I was not worried since I have next week to work on it some more.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span> was pretty much like the day before: rainy. I ran with fellow CIMer buddies and completed about 14 miles on Turri Road. It was a leisurely pace of 10:45 and we paid attention to the hills and how it compares to the CIM course. I was glad the girls were with me. Last year around this time, I was running this mileage at a faster pace two weeks out from race day. I was glad Linda and Myrna were with me to watch my pace. I have to remember the plan is to stray relaxed. I think we achieved that. After shivering in the rain, we stopped by Starbucks for some much needed hot coffee. Brrrr!<br />
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The hard work is done. I have a final long run of 8 miles next Thursday on Thanksgiving Day. Originally I planned to run this sort of a relaxed pace. But since I am cutting out the 10-mile long run for next Sunday, this 8-mile race will take its place instead. Then on Sunday I will run a 5-mile pace run.<br />
I think it's going to work and I'll be tapered and ready to go. Here's to a fabulous Week #16!<br />
Happy running! </div>
Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-67689326353134223962012-11-17T16:14:00.002-08:002012-11-17T16:14:10.276-08:00CIM Training 2012: Week #15CIM 2012: Week #15<br />
Monday - Yoga<br />
Tuesday - Power<br />
Wednesday - Pilates / Speedwork (6.56 miles)<br />
Thursday - Rest<br />
Friday - Hills 8x (2.40 miles)<br />
Saturday - Tempo (12.34 miles)<br />
<u>Sunday - Long Run (19.90 miles)</u><br />
Total Mileage for Week =41.20 miles<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">The highlight of this week was the Saturday pace run. I ran a comfortable 12 miler which included 8 miles at 8:45 pace. It was better than my MP. With this, I was willing to run the next day's long run at an easier pace. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">My favorite part of the training cycle hands down is right after finishing the last 20 miles. Why? Because it signals the taper period. All the hard work is done, the proverbial "the hay is in the barn" rings true. Now I didn't say the taper period is easy. Actually it is hard. Because now I have to make sure that I don't do too much.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">I say that because, I tend to fall victim to the taper madness. Since the mileage is cut back way down, there's an over supply of energy. I start reading up on the marathon training and sometimes I get overzealous with what I can add. Not falling for that one this time. I've learned that trying to attain a new level of fitness or squeeze in that last magical workout in the taper period could only lead to a flat performance come race day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">I learned today, which happened to be my last long run, that easy does it. All week I've been pondering about what intensity my final 20 miler should be. I thought about inserting a goal paced run in the last third of the run to simulate the marathon. This would have been good if I were five weeks out from race day where there would be cushion to recover. With three weeks out, it's much too close for comfort. (This idea was further enforced by my fellow CIM running buddy, Linda.) This final long run should signal the taper period, not a last ditch effort to crank out a fast paced finish long run. There's a place for that in the marathon training puzzle; certainly does not fit in the taper phase. Man, can you say, I almost sabotaged my 4-month training? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">For my last long run, I said I was going to only run 18 miles. I went back on that and ended up with 20. I thought since I was not adding a fast paced-portion to this run, I could just go the distance. If I were adding a pace run it would be a different story. For the 20 I ran an easy 10:12 pace using the hilly SLO course. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 17px;">Here's to the three week taper period! Happy running!</span></div>
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<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-28177621814997136742012-11-17T15:57:00.002-08:002012-11-17T15:57:26.290-08:00CIM Training 2012: Week #14CIM 2012: Week #14<br />
<br />
Monday - Yoga<br />
Tuesday - Power<br />
Wednesday - Pilates / Speedwork (6.77 miles)<br />
Thursday - Rest<br />
Friday - Hills 5x (6.18 miles)<br />
Saturday - Tempo (9.96 miles)<br />
<u>Sunday - Long Run (16.01 miles)</u><br />
Total Mileage for Week =38.92 miles<br />
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On <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Wednesday</span>, since it was Halloween, I thought I was going to have to take my kid out for trick or treating. Instead, she decided to go out with our neighbor and her family. That meant I was free to do my workout. I decided to run to LOMS track and do some speedwork in the dark. I ran 4x 800s with just my head lamp on. It takes a lot of getting used to running in the dark. I was trying to run as fast as I could, but at the same time was very careful on where I landed. It seemed pretty easy to twist a foot. So yes, my paces for these 800s (4:01/3:59/4:00/4:04) are a bit slow compared to three weeks ago. However, these paces are pretty consistent than in my previous sets, so this can't be all that bad.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Friday</span> was my last sets of long hill repeats. My paces were pretty consistent (7:39/7:48/7:54/7:36/7:55/7:55). I was glad that I was able to get to this point without injuries.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span> was my Hammer workout. I ran 2mi @MP/1mi @5k/1mi @MP/800 for a total workout of 10 miles including warm up and cool down. My paces were: 8:41/7:47/8:23/7:53. My 800 should have been the fastest, but I was tired and this was a very challenging workout. I was glad it was over. I will definitely keep this for future training plans I do. I made sure I ate breakfast for this workout. You can run on a depleted state and expect great times.<br />
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What weird weather we're having here locally and across the nation. I can't help but feel so sad for the people of NYC. I cannot imagine the ruins and the magnitude of what folks have lost. At the aftermath of the storm, a run/race seems so inconsequential to what others have lost: lives, homes, loved ones. The whole NYC marathon that wasn't, have left a lot of emotions stirring on both sides. I hope that NYRR can find some resolution to this mess. We all knew that no matter what decision was made, there would always be unhappy folks on either side.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span> was incredibly hot for a long run. It was also daylight savings time, so I opted to take advantage of the extra hour and slept it. Big mistake. It was already warm when I got out. To make things worse, I ran with no breakfast. There was a little part of me that said be smart and bring some gels "just in case". That 'just in case' time came at about mile four. I had 12 to go. I kept thinking that I should just bag the run and try again next week. But I played mind games, telling myself, "just two more miles, then if you still feel bad, call hubby." It went on like that until I was within steps to home. Thank God! It was done and I didn't give up. </span><br />
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Those bad runs still happens to me. It's not always easy. I'm just glad I came on top and Week #14 is in the books! Happy Running!<br />
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<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-55807942541487573542012-11-17T15:05:00.004-08:002012-11-17T15:05:53.480-08:00CIM Training 2012: Week #13CIM 2012: Week #13<br />
<br />
Monday - Yoga<br />
Tuesday - Power<br />
Wednesday - Pilates / Speedwork (3.95 miles)<br />
Thursday - Rest<br />
Friday - Rest<br />
Saturday - Tempo ( 8.69 miles)<br />
<u>Sunday - Long Run (17.95 miles including 4 mile race 34:01 at 8:30 pace)</u><br />
Total Mileage for Week = 30.59 miles<br />
<br />
I have been without my Garmin and I am anxiously waiting for the pre-order to begin. Everyday I check the RW website, hoping that red warning sign would turn into blue! So the waiting goes on...For now I have to be satisfied with looking at the picture, turning it sideways, backwards and forwards, zooming it so large I can see the screws on the band. Hah! It's a well made Garmin! I can't wait to get my hands on it.<br />
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Speedwork on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Wednesday</span> was about 3x 1600s with lap rest. My splits went well with 7:46/7:56/7:50. Surprisingly it went as well as it did, because I got to the track rather late. I was so late that I had no time to even get a lap of warm up. I usually do 2 miles of warm up or 8 laps around the track. I ran my miles without my iPod.<br />
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On <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thursday</span> I got a bit of good news. RW emailed me with a response that I could go ahead an pre order the Garmin even though the website said it's not ready yet. They took my information down and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">was reassured that they would call me as soon as the watch came in. (Not so, as I would find out the next day...read on.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Friday</span> was a rest day. I got back on the RW site to do my usual twirling and spinning of this Garmin. I just wanted to see how it looks for the umpteenth time. Obssessed much? Well, imagine my surprise when the warning about the preorder was removed. My head was spinning so fast, I immediately thought that it could only mean one thing: that the watch must be here. I got on the phone and told them that I would be down there in 5 minutes! I was so excited!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span> was my maiden run with my Garmin 610! I was so impressed with my new watch. I love the color, the feminine appeal of it and best yet all the features. Watch out for my future post on the review. Back to my run. I ran 2x2 miles which essentially fell into my training tempo pace of 8:18. I love the way it vibrates for every lap. That's just one of the features I was looking forward to try. Sometimes in a race, it is so loud, you can't hear the watch beep especially if you have your iPod turned on. So the vibration helps quite a bit. Anyway, I can't wait to write the review on it. I just need a couple of more weeks to put it to use before I can sit down and give it an honest and thorough review. But let me tell you right now, it had me at "hello".<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span> was my maiden race with my Forerunner 610. I had a 4 miler race scheduled after my 12-mile long run. After the race, I ran a 2 mile cool down which rounded out my 18 miles for today.<br />
Pace for the 12 mile run was 10:02. The pace for the race was 8:38 and the cool down was 10:13. Overall my pace was 9:44. <br />
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Week 13 was done! I was happy that the watch came early and that I was able to use it on a race. I love my gadgets, can't you tell?<br />
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Happy running! I am!<br />
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<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-25178306888009723422012-11-17T14:10:00.002-08:002012-11-17T14:10:46.307-08:00CIM Training 2012: Week #12CIM 2012: Week #12. (Trying to catch you up on my training. This was from the week of 10/15)<br />
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Monday - Yoga<br />
Tuesday - Power<br />
Wednesday - Pilates / Speedwork (5.13 miles)<br />
Thursday - Rest<br />
Friday - Pace (8.56 miles) in the dark<br />
Saturday - Rest<br />
<u>Sunday - Long Run (20.01 miles)</u><br />
Total Mileage for Week = 33.70 miles<br />
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<span style="color: black;">On<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 17px;">because of the heat, Coach Nancy modified our Yasso workout by doing 3 x (400-200 recov-800-200 recov) instead. It </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">turned out well because it gave me more chance to rest and not push it so fast since City to the Sea 1/2 Marathon. Tonight was the first night also for me to be without my Garmin for a while, until the new one arrives. I had an old Timex Iron man watch that had 30 laps. I ended up just replacing the battery and I had to go the old school way. No pace, just time. It was easy on the track since it is measured. It will be a problem when I run on the roads. I'll have to figure out the distance, the old way I used to do it: drive the route and use my odometer. It should work. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #385487; font-size: 17px;"></span> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #385487; font-size: 17px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times;">On <span style="font-size: large;">Thursday </span>I took a rest day. Even with the modified speedwork plan, I felt my body could use this day to recover. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #385487; font-size: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Friday</span> was a glorious day. A lovely running buddy of mine let me borrow her Garmin 405CX until I get my new watch. There is a God. I love you Myrna! Thank you! Incidentally she is training for her 3rd Marathon which is also CIM. She's poised to earn her BQ at CIM.</span> </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #385487; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <div><br />
I had a pace run scheduled this weekend and I was a little worried about how I was going to be able to hit my paces without the Garmin. Since Myrna allowed me to use hers, I was so excited that I decided to move the pace run to Friday and rest Saturday instead. After work I hurried home as the light was getting shorter nowadays. I decided to use my Turri course again since I was happy with my previous results. This weather has been erratic this past few days. Tonight was very cold and windy--not complaining. This is my ideal kind of weather. <br />
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Half a mile into my warm-up, I was chased by 8 turkeys. Out of nowhere they chased me with their gobbling noises. I tried to out run them but they were relentless. It dawned on me that if i continued running, I could possibly outpace them but I still had to pass this way again to go home. If I didn't turn around soon I would be on tired legs. If they were still here, possibly I wouldn't be able to outrun them on fatigued legs. So I sucked it up and yelled to startle them so that I could make my getaway. The leader kept chasing me. Only when I feigned kicking him did he back off, while yelling at him to go home. Then I thought, "Do turkeys even have ears?" <br />
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After this scary episode, I decided, the rush hour LOVR would have to do--I was running out of light but I persevered. I was wishing I had my headlamp with me, but then again the only one I had is busted. so I really need to get a new one soon. This run made me realize that I need one badly for safety reasons. It was hard to run fast in the dark. I was relying on the headlights of oncoming cars to light my path. <br />
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My run was cut short by 1/2 mile, due to the darkness. I wanted to do 9 miles of pace, but I ended up with 8.56 miles at 8:54 pace. It was windy on the way back and I was fighting to keep my form. My eyeglasses were fogging up and I had to do frequent stops to wipe it dry because I couldn't see. Yes, there were a host of issues that should have kept me from running but this is the kind of effort I live for. I'll say this was a successful effort. <br />
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Considering I had such a good run on Friday night, <span style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span> was a rest day. I took this day to make sure I was recovered from my 1/2 marathon race 6 days ago. Afterall, Sunday is going to be a big day. My first 20 miler of the training cycle. <br />
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I met my fellow CIM runnng buddies, Myrna, Linda and Dave for the <span style="font-size: large;">Sunday</span> long run. We decided to run the San Luis Obispo Marathon course. It has some hills that would be good practice for CIM. We started out close to 6:45am. It was still dark. I had somewhat of a restless night, as we experienced a little earthquake in the middle of the night. Nothing big, but enough to rattle my cages. I woke up at 4:30 and had my usual breakfast of oatmeal with banana with raisin and coffee. I took my 20 oz of water and 2 water flasks of 8 oz each. So about 36 oz of water, which turned out to be not enough. Note for next time, bring more. <br />
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I was intending to do 18 miles as my longest mileage for this training cycle. However, I wavered and gave into adding 2 more to make 20 since I was running with others. Upon finishing, I was reminded of why I wanted to run just 18. It seems adding two last miles should be easy. What's 2 more miles, right? The body starts to fatigue after 3 hours of running. I've read that the risk for injury becomes exponential after the 3rd hour and that running beyond the 3rd hour offers little benefit--the law of diminishing returns comes into play. Also, the fatigue you feel after the run can linger on for 2 days,so you are forced to recover and sacrifice quality runs for the rest of the week. With 18, you can bounce back by Tuesday and go for speed workouts by Wednesday. So for the next 2 long runs, I will stick to my 18 that I have originally planned. I don't regret doing the 20. In fact, I'm glad I did. It was a good reminder why I wont want to do it for next time. I have 6 weeks left so there's plenty of recovery time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZkzYx8USGP5BazZ_E4rIHxSgaL-AbpUSOT-Bl5hdg-FvNq-CXeD8E8wLwI0vaatC8URwUzsh6BCBvbIZHXTza6tOhXR8g3U_cDztT6GJMlgOfI_rQbui-K2xK3086_ea7tWQ2J_DaSo/s1600/20milerL&M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZkzYx8USGP5BazZ_E4rIHxSgaL-AbpUSOT-Bl5hdg-FvNq-CXeD8E8wLwI0vaatC8URwUzsh6BCBvbIZHXTza6tOhXR8g3U_cDztT6GJMlgOfI_rQbui-K2xK3086_ea7tWQ2J_DaSo/s320/20milerL&M.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see him?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCN7Ibi_bQ0WKUxc2GWG9bUO7JIEgyKHCPkaokt6i038xRKYcKPjpNBw-Hct1NAjrfxcRjvnqPpq0dCOpvKxft4NnjKKa4UcrWUDJ0avV5gUkbLPnSB-EteEiS8OUDc9Yb-Rmt8UGQAc/s1600/20milerL&M(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCN7Ibi_bQ0WKUxc2GWG9bUO7JIEgyKHCPkaokt6i038xRKYcKPjpNBw-Hct1NAjrfxcRjvnqPpq0dCOpvKxft4NnjKKa4UcrWUDJ0avV5gUkbLPnSB-EteEiS8OUDc9Yb-Rmt8UGQAc/s320/20milerL&M(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't move buddy, I'm just going to take your picture...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WXixFUKUSt4-ap7coyD71oTJyum6CHh68MU1SJPS9RkIxYgdg_YeD7LpExpHubUFyaeMFM5UsjmUhrl2xulVBaqOB-DqcEvpi9b_qJuYxhlDIhCsQrTPfqF7DiZ_G1gDElTNKl8YJPw/s1600/20milerL&M(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WXixFUKUSt4-ap7coyD71oTJyum6CHh68MU1SJPS9RkIxYgdg_YeD7LpExpHubUFyaeMFM5UsjmUhrl2xulVBaqOB-DqcEvpi9b_qJuYxhlDIhCsQrTPfqF7DiZ_G1gDElTNKl8YJPw/s320/20milerL&M(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, is it a llama or what?</td></tr>
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In the end, I completed 20 miles at 9:36 pace with 18 miles at 9:31 pace. Not a shabby effort. I like the fact that we started at 11:00 pace for the first mile and gradually picked it up until we were averaging 9:44 pace by the halfway mark. Closer to the end, I whittled the pace down some more with a negative split long run. <br />
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It was a great week of training. Happy Running!<br />
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Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-84724430291046992582012-11-17T13:56:00.000-08:002012-11-17T13:56:12.256-08:00CIM Training 2012: Week #11CIM 2012: Week #11<br />
Monday - Yoga<br />
Tuesday - Power<br />
Wednesday - Pilates / Speedwork (5.5miles)<br />
Thursday - Rest<br />
Friday - Rest (Good bye Garmin 405)<br />
Saturday - Yoga 90 mins (1.5 miles)<br />
<u>Sunday - City to the Sea 1/2 ( 13.1 miles)</u><br />
Total Mileage for Week = 20miles<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vXTmbGhBZTPciKnV9srYnVXIsvLg-peDa-eJPjcJ5tWM3EkNZA7Ao6sdaDigzC4BFAtK2W7ntmiXGSYFxXgV_PqI_NksmGg8nJfI3aYcbIxDfUY6iH4bGgqbAPRHUfWFpExJ01wakLg/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vXTmbGhBZTPciKnV9srYnVXIsvLg-peDa-eJPjcJ5tWM3EkNZA7Ao6sdaDigzC4BFAtK2W7ntmiXGSYFxXgV_PqI_NksmGg8nJfI3aYcbIxDfUY6iH4bGgqbAPRHUfWFpExJ01wakLg/s320/003.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne and I at the start of City to the Sea 1/2 Marathon</td></tr>
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Oh my! It has been a while since I posted my training results. Life has been busy and full of surprises which I won't bore you with, but let me catch you up on the five weeks of training that has gone by.<br />
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Monday was my Yoga day. My right shoulder was bothering me in the previous week. I know it must have been due to my poor form of "up-dog". I'll have to remember to drop my knees instead of straight up planking prior to getting into the up dog position. That should relieve the pressure from my shoulders. That seemed to help.</div>
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Tuesday was another day of cross training where I did Power. However, my right shoulder was still mad so I lightened up the load on the weights a little. I managed to complete the full hour. </div>
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Wednesday was Pilates. My shoulder was starting to feel better. I am trying to be careful with some of the moves. I found this great Pilates instructor on You Tube and she posts her routine regularly. It's great because you can pick and choose how much you want to do or how so inclined you would be to work hard. She focuses on different muscles, not just the core. The variety keeps me motivated to follow her moves. Check it out: enter Pop Pilates on the You Tube search channel. (I would have linked it here but my iPad won't allow me.) This may not be for everyone. At times, she's a little too chirpy for me, but you just have to get past that and you'll get an awesome workout. Heck, even with one of her 10minute routine, I felt it the next day!<br />
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Wednesday night at the track was uneventful. I ran pyramid of 800/1200/800. There was supposed to be another 1200 in there, but I knocked it to one since I had a 1/2 marathon coming up towards the end of the week and I didn't want to push it. Instead I added some 4x 20 sec strides in the end of my workout.<br />
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Thursday was a rest day. Oh yes! Thank you!<br />
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Friday was the day I decided to let my Garmin 405 go. I've had my eyes on the 610 ever since the touchscreen model came out in 2011. And since I have all kinds of gift cards for my birthday, all I would really need is to sell my current watch to shore up my shortfall with my gifcards. Luckily, my fellow CIM'er, Linda was in the market for a Garmin. She was interested and therefore we made the exchange. It was a win-win! The only caveat was, I won't be able to have my new one until I can pre-order it which may be end of October. Then there would be another week of waiting for it to be shipped. I only hoped it would arrive before CIM!<br />
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Well, let me back up a bit. Just before I were to pull the trigger on the Garmin Forerunner 610, I ran into a picture of a white version of the watch. There was no description whatsoever, I thought " hmm, that's odd, could this be an old picture? Where's the black one?"</div>
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So I waited one day! The next day, Garmin announced the multi color version, marketed especially for women. It's about time Garmin! I was saved by the bell! I was so glad I waited. I had no idea. Again, the only caveat was, it was only available by pre-order through Garmin. All my gift cards were from the Running Warehouse, so I had to wait until the RW could order them. In the meantime, I hunted down my old Timex Ironman watch and replaced the battery. It was a big change. I cant calculate my paces while on the run, I had to wait until I got home to figure it out. Oh how I missed my Garmin! </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Saturday was 90 minutes of Yoga. I decided not to run since the race was tomorrow. I could benefit more from stretching than a run.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Sunday race day! This was the only 1/2 marathon I have planned for the year. It was crucial to my training plan as this would indicate my fitness level at this juncture. The only things was, I had to borrow a watch with a GPS so that I can monitor my pace. Thankfully Jenifer at work, had the same model Garmin as the one I sold. I was able to arrange the fields as I had on my previous one. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Onto the race. The race started in downtown San Luis Obispo and wound its way to Pismo Beach any the Dinosaur Caves. Even though we had an early start of 7am, it soon got hot as we got only into the 3rd mile. I kept a good pace until mile 8 when my overall pace was 8:39. I can't explain it other than the heat got to me. I slowed down dramatically because between mile 8-13, my pace increased to 9:27! Cramps came on mile 10 and 11. They were a different kind of cramps from before. These were sharp shooting pains in my calves. someone told me I may be in need of electrolytes. Salt was not enough. In the end, I was happy with my finish of </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">1:58:26. One of the changes that I was happy about was that I forgot to put my iPod on. I ran without music the entire time. I was surprised. That I didn't even miss it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Well there goes my week of training. Overall it went well but I still have a ways to go. My half marathon finish reminded me that I need to pay attention to my electrolyte consumption. I can't have cramps foiling my plans at CIM. This race offered a good lesson to remember. Until next time, happy running! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first and only downhill I remember...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heat taking its toll; me panting near the finish line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hard earned medal.</td></tr>
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Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-65198935719009615122012-10-31T21:00:00.003-07:002012-10-31T21:00:42.389-07:00Good-Bye My Garmin 405<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Good-bye my dear friend. You and I had our ups and downs. We've had our share of laughter and tears, through triumphs and disappointments. We traveled to NYC together and twice you accompanied me to two PRs. I cannot forget that. Sometimes you came up short, but I still relied on you. There had been times at the track when you blinked out, like you ran out of juice or something. I ran my fastest splits only to find out, you weren't even recording it. But I forgave you for that--It was probably my fault not yours. I took a risk in hoping you had one power for one more night; let's face it you can't go on ticking forever. But each time I gave you rest, you recharge like new. I will always be grateful for our times together. I can't stay with you forever. I have to move on, if I am going to progress. I have to make room for someone new. But I am not abandoning you just like that. Linda promised to take good care of you. However, you also have to take good care of her. She wants you. So I bid you good-bye. I will see you from time to time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good-Bye my dear friend, you're going to a good home. Linda will take care of you. I promise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boxed up like new again...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh hello there...What's your number? 610?</td></tr>
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Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-18487253547995060562012-10-20T16:06:00.001-07:002012-11-02T08:25:47.439-07:00CIM 2012: Week #10Monday - Yoga <br />
Tuesday - Power<br />
Wednesday - Pilates / Speedwork (7.05 miles)<br />
Thursday - Rest<br />
Friday - Hills 5x (5.84 miles)<br />
Saturday - Tempo (11.91 miles)<br />
<u>Sunday - Long Run (14.74 miles)</u><br />
Total Mileage for Week = 39.54 miles<br />
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Week #10 marks the beginning of the second half of my training. I can feel this is going to go by so quickly and before I know it, race day will be upon me. The first half of my training went well. I can feel that the incorporation of the yoga, pilates and the power classes boosted my overall strength. With the gym closing in the last week of September, that was the wrench that put a crinkle in my plans. However, I'm not going to dwell on it. I have moved on and adapted to the change. It's just one of those things life throws at us. It's up to us to go with it and find the positive in it. We can't let something like that ruin the plan, right? As runners we have to be tough and keep on going.<br />
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<strong>Monday -Yoga </strong><br />
Somehow, I tweaked my neck/shoulder region by doing the 'up-dog' from my yoga video. It hurts to raise my arms above my head to do down-dog, overhead presses or do triceps dips. I have to be careful with Yoga now. I didn't realize that as gentle as it is, I can still hurt myself. So, I will probably take a week break from doing the x-training next week to let this heal a bit.<br />
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<strong>Wednesday - 6x Yassos</strong> (3:33/3:37/3:38/3:41/3:44/3:42)<br />
Coach Nancy announced that every other Wednesday from here to December will be devoted to Yasso 800s. This will help tremendously for those doing marathons this fall, especially me. I love Yassos. This is the kind of workout that may predict my marathon time. The goal is to be able to run ten 800s, each in a minute-and-second time that matches your expected hour-and-minute marathon time. So, if you want to run a marathon in 4 hours and 15 minutes, you start with four or five 800-meter repeats and gradually work up to 10, running each in 4 minutes and 15 seconds.<br />
The recovery time has to also match the goal minutes and seconds as in 4:15.<br />
This is our first Yasso workout for this training and it went above and beyond my expectations. Before we got started, I had it drilled in my head that I would be happy with a 3:48 and ecstatic with a 3:45 if I can even achieve it. Well, to my surprise, slowest one was the 2nd to the last one (never fails, it always is that third lap) with a 3:44. I felt comfortable with each one of them. Of course it would have been even sweeter if I had the repeats reversed: where the slowest ones were in the front and the fastest laps at the end. That's what I'll strive for next time. <br />
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<strong>Friday - Hill Repeats 5x</strong> (7:35/8:06/7:49/7:35/7:59)<br />
I took a full day of rest on Thursday to prepare for Friday night's 5x hill repeats. This was to be my second to the last hill repeat before CIM. I went used my trusted Bay Oaks Hill and it was another great effort night. I started with 2 mile warm up and performed my stretches along with lunge matrix stretching I learned from Coach Jay Johnson. After this, I ran my repeats and cooled down with a 2 mile run home. I did a silly little experiment on the side here. As you can tell from second repeat, my pace was off. That was due to the fact that instead of walking down the hill for the recovery, I jogged down slashing the recovery time to half. I was not ready to go for the next repeat but I ran it anyway. The results were telling. For this kind of workout, a full recovery is a must. I knew that, but I just wanted to see how much it would affect my performance. So the next few repeats, I rested and recovered until I was ready. Now I know.<br />
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<strong>Saturday Pace</strong> (8:51)<br />
I was a little worried that my legs would be too tired for a pace run effort today. I only had 7 miles to run at pace plus 5 miles of warm up and cool down. It turned out all right. I was right on pace and everything went as planned. <br />
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<strong>Sunday Trail Run</strong> - (Long Slow Distance 11:54 pace)<br />
I ran with two friends who are also signed up for the Cal Int'l Marathon in December. This was also their recovery week, so we decided to run together along the Bluffs trail and Point Buchon in Montana De Oro State Park. It was a beautiful and clear day. The Pacific Ocean had its beautiful hues of blue green and all shades of blue in between. Our run was truly a recovery run. I expected my legs to be particularly fatigue from yesterday's pace effort but I was okay. I would have been in trouble if we pushed the pace, thankfully, we adhered to our goal today. Another good week: until next time, happy running.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96sofLeiKipR6LGofsechf_yi5xmePLOB2bvtPb6lb89emcVwr3W3TMJI0Tj2hJNph8qRlwG150vwn4S9OjjCAADnN2wCmXhmticDWSy-qwe2T_imNYSbnIQNWs01EntxA4VBw_Arn5g/s1600/CIMG0050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96sofLeiKipR6LGofsechf_yi5xmePLOB2bvtPb6lb89emcVwr3W3TMJI0Tj2hJNph8qRlwG150vwn4S9OjjCAADnN2wCmXhmticDWSy-qwe2T_imNYSbnIQNWs01EntxA4VBw_Arn5g/s400/CIMG0050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friends Myrna & Linda</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJOVBTPkeRv2FAL8DrJ2YX4_m6DrlbfpIAiQhOpWwTtJKjKzp3EJzLtZ6N63P-EIBkl6rLIg2gpEf-9gd5K4CUTXPFapLEKmm97Wkmcfrouvy43WnFcGL3Uv631Yt9XWJE52mR47VrnY/s1600/CIMG0051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJOVBTPkeRv2FAL8DrJ2YX4_m6DrlbfpIAiQhOpWwTtJKjKzp3EJzLtZ6N63P-EIBkl6rLIg2gpEf-9gd5K4CUTXPFapLEKmm97Wkmcfrouvy43WnFcGL3Uv631Yt9XWJE52mR47VrnY/s400/CIMG0051.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my tall friend Linda</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO55Qh3PdMpPHpifLQj4hWi5EFsOCyGoPpWDlE2KGa8Cty6G5j7Ej645bMcLX0VX0sZCyNCYY179PVhXs0wkSdYLLL1nzTMmhyz_pxHPMGSeynFhd8gWz1EzR9Y4oWer1nvGwr9QemiMw/s1600/CIMG0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO55Qh3PdMpPHpifLQj4hWi5EFsOCyGoPpWDlE2KGa8Cty6G5j7Ej645bMcLX0VX0sZCyNCYY179PVhXs0wkSdYLLL1nzTMmhyz_pxHPMGSeynFhd8gWz1EzR9Y4oWer1nvGwr9QemiMw/s400/CIMG0057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my other tall friend Myrna...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9YZrQ6a0YnLv5YkykQt7J4ZWsnfRtIfzN11cL_wfwZkWKqbRx3sMSFyDaTupIf_Mbp2P3HW6oOSch7IOZ4v_c09g2riD4ytvFk6lWP0JLUUoEv84Wnk8CoTQT3HEc5pQqf_HjeJ49kA/s1600/CIMG0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9YZrQ6a0YnLv5YkykQt7J4ZWsnfRtIfzN11cL_wfwZkWKqbRx3sMSFyDaTupIf_Mbp2P3HW6oOSch7IOZ4v_c09g2riD4ytvFk6lWP0JLUUoEv84Wnk8CoTQT3HEc5pQqf_HjeJ49kA/s320/CIMG0058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didn't know there were goats up at Point Buchon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivm9RD2LKybGNkcfKdHN8R3uvX2NJC40XbRbiUgjNOU3Z0Jw-gU0ii1H7-rHmf6VzZDkut_tsUsX7AxxBaPSGAjOcBlfJ9QKlGcIY6tkph3NPzgKc9GQMBuBWOoBIgM0pxkkFad1Orvmk/s1600/CIMG0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivm9RD2LKybGNkcfKdHN8R3uvX2NJC40XbRbiUgjNOU3Z0Jw-gU0ii1H7-rHmf6VzZDkut_tsUsX7AxxBaPSGAjOcBlfJ9QKlGcIY6tkph3NPzgKc9GQMBuBWOoBIgM0pxkkFad1Orvmk/s320/CIMG0059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...Hello friends...</td></tr>
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<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-57110487598672158582012-10-08T16:34:00.001-07:002012-10-08T16:34:58.754-07:00CIM 2012: Week 9Monday – Yoga <br />
Tuesday – Power<br />
Wednesday – Pilates, Speed work 7.19 miles<br />
Thursday – Rest<br />
Friday – 4.42 miles (hill repeats+pace+tempo)<br />
Saturday – 2 miles strides<br />
<u>Sunday – Heritage Oaks Fun Run 10K – 7.34 miles</u><br />
Total Miles – 20 Miles drop back week<br />
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<strong>Sunday's Heritage Oak's Bank Family Fun Run</strong><br />
This was a huge week in terms of my dropping back a few miles in an effort to do my best with the upcoming 10K. The race will serve to be my time trial for the 2nd half of my marathon training. I always read about applying my "10k pace" for such and such workout. Well it's good to know exactly what that is. Up until now, I've been using a rough pace – a recent 10K race, which was hilly, and the course not accurately measured. This weekend's 10k race fit perfectly well into my schedule. It was in the middle of the 18 weeks, which meant it gave me a chance to work on some speed development prior to race day. This course was accurately measured (it was once used as the USA T&F championship course) so I feel good about using this as my benchmark for the next 9 weeks of training where I can base all my future training paces. So now I am confident that my 10K pace is 8:25. <br />
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I felt good coming into this race. I was rested and my legs were surprisingly not fatigue from the training, even with the abbreviated hill repeats two days prior to race day. I did some strides the day before with my daughter on the track. She was so concerned that her race was just half a mile and thought that she didn't need to warm up. I showed her the importance of a proper warm up. We ran around the track twice, after much belly-aching. After she eased into the middle of her first stride, I prompted her when she could let the dogs out. "You mean like this?" She took off like a bullet. I was impressed! She didn't fully realized that what little warm up she did primed her body to run even faster. I know she didn't want to admit it, but I think that warm up made an impression on her.<br />
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My plan for Sunday's race was to hold back at least for the first mile. I hung back until the first hill rolled around, then went for my pace and held it strong. This was the first 10K where I was not gasping for air and gone into oxygen debt in the first mile. I rounded the corner for the second loop and I was still reeling people slowly – mainly those who ran too fast in the first go around – by the way, that was me last year. However, the last three people I was able to catch, caught back up to me and they would not relent. I was in a happy "pace" and I didn't want to go into the "uncomfortable" place until I needed to. It was easy to give into that slower pace. Near the last turn, I noticed the last lady who tried to overtake me looked like she was fading. Her partner left her and took off. She was hanging her head too far back which gave me an indication that I can take her at the last turn. I picked it up but she turned and saw me gaining up on her. She reacted with a second gear. I tried to match her stride. At the mat, I thought she beat me. However, it was chip timed, so I got her by 3 seconds. That was fun. Anytime, I can sprint for the last quarter of a mile or so (my Garmin read 7:32 min/pace for 0.20), is a great racing day! I can't tell you the number of ugly finishes I've had looking like death at the end. This one is for the books. I only shaved 16 seconds from last year, but the way I ran this race is the way I want to race from here on out: finish strong. By the way, my daughter finished her half mile race strongly too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing my warm up drill...</td></tr>
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Pictures taken by Elena<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Elena Cota...between mile 1 and 2</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEP8pOewZh26G8DgFSQ_mYucLL03IsKnomp7g-b3B5Uk8sAPaJc5kFXCp9wngWRDidmR_2scZeYmYmPiUplBdsBTMqEsv-nHI30Nv44es0VDEpl8sQw3G8CIDuEgD3Cbo5PtEjAIOSKo/s1600/Mile+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEP8pOewZh26G8DgFSQ_mYucLL03IsKnomp7g-b3B5Uk8sAPaJc5kFXCp9wngWRDidmR_2scZeYmYmPiUplBdsBTMqEsv-nHI30Nv44es0VDEpl8sQw3G8CIDuEgD3Cbo5PtEjAIOSKo/s640/Mile+3.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On to the 2nd loop...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneDIfdhR5U-as2f_rnUELYz92pl8pB7YimoQQqnzzUvD1OKPvUxAJrh5YKB-uKWab5bwBhklCYGb2RTHg2z7jzsxcjEmgkf2bqS26K162qtBZO9xtCNS0tG4EG1_seyiC69Od810Gg2I/s1600/Sprint2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneDIfdhR5U-as2f_rnUELYz92pl8pB7YimoQQqnzzUvD1OKPvUxAJrh5YKB-uKWab5bwBhklCYGb2RTHg2z7jzsxcjEmgkf2bqS26K162qtBZO9xtCNS0tG4EG1_seyiC69Od810Gg2I/s640/Sprint2.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final turn to the finish...sensing the lady's tiredness, I try to pass one last time...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcqqFrT46fIi2dXAUJfp-v_LzyW4Hn5O8n0bQuMH95cJ8pub-R0NXaodfPNW-8Rhpp4bqBVwweppY_3Y6cAhlx1BI3UQrYPdpS7Mt-T_GPYYDriK3tS7QQ6SocatQBZ0wO8IODP9-w_0/s1600/hobrun+018.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcqqFrT46fIi2dXAUJfp-v_LzyW4Hn5O8n0bQuMH95cJ8pub-R0NXaodfPNW-8Rhpp4bqBVwweppY_3Y6cAhlx1BI3UQrYPdpS7Mt-T_GPYYDriK3tS7QQ6SocatQBZ0wO8IODP9-w_0/s400/hobrun+018.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">darn, she hears my footsteps...and she widens her gait...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIrdu8YtXQOfXjdNT1XVvlYbU9UFf5EN_e6weJHy203ic5t-LTUZc9BU7S942uzhyphenhyphenBDF8cfFkh_eg3bQGyNK3Jq7xmrx0uBjCkSTCLiuEiLluw25yXZlt0lURwg9FNLuRtLzQKjxXOpE/s1600/Sprint4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIrdu8YtXQOfXjdNT1XVvlYbU9UFf5EN_e6weJHy203ic5t-LTUZc9BU7S942uzhyphenhyphenBDF8cfFkh_eg3bQGyNK3Jq7xmrx0uBjCkSTCLiuEiLluw25yXZlt0lURwg9FNLuRtLzQKjxXOpE/s640/Sprint4.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...I tried to match her stride for stride...in the end, I nipped her by 3 seconds...great photos taken by my 12YO!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTrVoKM4_TN9BummY49peXwCiQnaEqfI2m0d41u7KUMVDfiHZCOXtV_BBQZpZWJHFmQnAUct8_EytPXwf6A9_iqADVN5PcLim2CYiv8uUL698ILwntVuh06osY8BkAAEZXyTSEhFveM0/s1600/Elena3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTrVoKM4_TN9BummY49peXwCiQnaEqfI2m0d41u7KUMVDfiHZCOXtV_BBQZpZWJHFmQnAUct8_EytPXwf6A9_iqADVN5PcLim2CYiv8uUL698ILwntVuh06osY8BkAAEZXyTSEhFveM0/s640/Elena3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Brian Lawler: Elena waiting for her 1/2 mile race along with eager kids under 12 years old...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM8FsTbSGGicjAuPojTGFrf3PPXuq4m-p_kKIr9yp6ZbU4P8zH5nIxe6i6kZIWiH2QuJUOEVkKHiExsobyjW6-Z0Zkpo6ShfZMMWaJyC9JZHtIAjckjgWyOGLk-ASOT1tdT1vXB_QkyU/s1600/hobrun+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM8FsTbSGGicjAuPojTGFrf3PPXuq4m-p_kKIr9yp6ZbU4P8zH5nIxe6i6kZIWiH2QuJUOEVkKHiExsobyjW6-Z0Zkpo6ShfZMMWaJyC9JZHtIAjckjgWyOGLk-ASOT1tdT1vXB_QkyU/s640/hobrun+020.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Brian Lawler: Elena's 3:46 half mile finish. Looking Strong!</td></tr>
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Week #9 is done and another successful training week gone by. Until next time, happy running!<br />
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<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-71582285074103819142012-09-30T21:19:00.003-07:002012-09-30T21:19:39.842-07:00CIM 2012: Week 8(Sorry folks, I'm still catching up...this is a week late.)<br />
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Monday – A.M.Yoga <br />
Tuesday – Power<br />
Wednesday – Pilates, speed work (6 miles)<br />
Thursday – REST <br />
Friday – Cardio + hill sprints (2 miles)<br />
Saturday – Alternating tempo 9 miles + (3 mi) walk<br />
<u>Sunday – Long run – 18 miles @ 9:18 pace</u><br />
Total Miles Week 8 – 38 Miles<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday</span><br />
Coach Nancy said that we're going to move more into longer intervals. Last week was the last week of short repeats. I am excited and at the same time, I feel "rusty" about anything longer than 800m. I have to gain a bit more confidence in maintaining that speed for longer intervals. <br />
<br />
The workout assigned tonight was: 1600/1200/800/600/400. (4-3-2-1 1/2, 1 laps) with 400m lap recovery.<br />
<br />
On the 1600m, for some reason, (and I do this all the time), I miscounted the laps. I was trying to avoid looking at my Garmin as much as possible and go by effort. I thought I was wrapping up the last lap, but when I saw the people ahead of me and, not stopping where they should be–that was my first clue. I finally glanced at my watch and the distance read, "0.77". Son of <a href="mailto:#$#@%7">#$#@%7</a>!!! I've gotten into the habit of sprinting the last 200 meters of whatever repeat I'm in. It was no different tonight. What I thought was my last 200 meters, I pressed on the gas. Reality sunk in when I still have to go around 1 more lap and maintain that speed. For a split moment, I had a 10 second tantrum. Screw this!!! I'm only going to do 3 laps, that's good enough! I started walking and was disgusted at myself for ruining a what could have been my fastest mile. At 0.77, I was on 7:20 pace! I kissed my fast mile goodbye. But after catching my breath for 10 seconds, now my watch is showing 8:49 min/mile pace (because of the walk break), I gathered myself up and started running again. By this time the people I was hoping to be right behind of, were now half a lap away. I managed to pick up the pace a bit more and I was surprised that I was not as far back as I thought I would be because of the mistake I made. In the end, my pace for the mile was 7:40. It wasn't all that bad. <br />
<br />
What I learned from this is: when things go awry, it's not as bad as I think. When unexpected things go wrong, next time, I wont think of the worse. It's best to move forward and not dwell on the previous lap. I should keep going because it is still salvageable! The other thing I learned, pay attention to the mile I'm in. I didn't have any music on and I still screwed up. <br />
<br />
With the exception of the 1600m, the rest of the workout went well. Three positive things came out of the workout tonight. I'm getting consistent with longer warm-ups and getting the body gradually primed for the speedier workouts. I dedicated about 50 lunges before the actual workouts to fire my leg muscles to move. Lastly, I only walked 50m on the intervals then jogged for the rest of the way. This is progress: the shorter the "off" interval is, the less colder and stiffer the body gets for the next "on" interval.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Friday</span> was a sad, sad day. I was in mourning for my gym announced that they are closing their doors next Wednesday. I can't even begin to tell you how much this affects my schedule for the whole training cycle. As you may know, I have cut down my running tremendously to capitalize on yoga, power and Pilates and the cardio machines in an effort to become a much more well-rounded runner. In the past three months that I have diligently gone to cross training workouts, I can tell you that it has made huge impact in my performance. My overall flexibility has increased, my core is a lot stronger, and my legs can generate more power than I can ever hope for. Now with the gym gone, I have to figure out a way to continue doing my cross training. I've come too far to give up something good. Anyhow enough of my soapbox. Today's schedule called for 25 minutes of cardio then off to my hill sprints. I performed 7 repeats and I was off to yoga to catch the end of the stretching routine.<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Saturday</span> was a great day for Tempo. I wanted to be on the dirt track today so that I can really hone in on the paces I assigned myself. Trouble is I had to get there relatively early so that I wouldn't be in the way of the soccer games. I was kind of wistful when I got there. This day was picture day and I saw kids getting ready for their pictures and games. My 12YO didn't want to do soccer this year anymore. It's too bad because she's got her daddy's quickness and if I say so myself, she is an excellent forward who could use both her left and right foot when necessary. Oh well, on to newer interests. I hope she finds running in Jr. High exciting. </span><br />
<br />
So I got to the track just as the hustle and bustle were about to begin. I got plenty of warm-up as the track sits about 2.25 miles from my house. I got there and got right down to business. 4 miles of 9:10 pace alternated 8:20 paces. Once I was done, I jogged backed home with 2.25 miles. Odd thing is, I dread this one hill going back. I don't know why, but it always is on my mind every time I pass it, there goes that tough hill again! It's not steep, but it is enough to give the quads the lactic acid burn. This time, I stayed relaxed and reassured my paranoid self that it's just a cool down, there's no pacing involved. So off I went. To my surprise, I was running the hill about 5 seconds slower than my goal pace. As I neared my house, I realized that my pace was not my typical cool-down pace. The hill didn't take no more than 5 seconds. The entire work-out turned out to be a pace run for 9 miles. This was a good day at the office. Now my only worry was the workout tomorrow. Hopefully the legs won't be too fatigue to do the biggest workout ever yet. I keep vacillating back and forth whether I should keep it less intense for the 10K race next week or keep it hard. In the end, my head said the big picture is the marathon, not the 10K, so everything should be geared towards the marathon.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">First thing I checked upon waking up on <span style="font-size: large;">Sunday </span>was my resting heart rate which will give me an indication if was too fatigue. The kind of workout I was going to do hinged upon my HR this morning. If it was 5 beats too high, I would do a long run with a pace run inserted in the end. If it was just a couple beats faster than my normal HR, then the harder workout awaited me. My HR was 57, only two beats higher! It's was a green light for my progression long run. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglrNtro0i41OTciAcLzd6_VjfP9tMHtLcVlUKaaYD4PuAQngbqLuqVQQF6Et6Bqccl4f61uaMfbb4Lc2-x5vnLvJbBK_QMjza_UzAPp7neRJc5nJi43JplAkW_oA_-j1rOuVJF7bOzto/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglrNtro0i41OTciAcLzd6_VjfP9tMHtLcVlUKaaYD4PuAQngbqLuqVQQF6Et6Bqccl4f61uaMfbb4Lc2-x5vnLvJbBK_QMjza_UzAPp7neRJc5nJi43JplAkW_oA_-j1rOuVJF7bOzto/s400/001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloudy and misty for my Sunday long run...perfect.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq2SdpOv3uZxmGa__vOYKFeBm9ZdrFvCCTCqTOEvzWKKNfr4JKlHq9Si9M7NE9jf4vJ7nHPwf0fQqZ62DL3TB8m1d2dQic2oGxA0MUBPIUlcM-l8KNacNIXOL1E7HM8D0V3KJmPqiCJg/s1600/003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq2SdpOv3uZxmGa__vOYKFeBm9ZdrFvCCTCqTOEvzWKKNfr4JKlHq9Si9M7NE9jf4vJ7nHPwf0fQqZ62DL3TB8m1d2dQic2oGxA0MUBPIUlcM-l8KNacNIXOL1E7HM8D0V3KJmPqiCJg/s400/003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">56 degrees with 98% to 100% relative humidity </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BttT4Zu1nckrRtKbCC1nkjzfSn5iHH5SJlf8mkU7FJpwYm2ogNB31qU3LsC8PtlXG3y713FTP86mmg2-PTMA8MX6ARVhlQcJvPjE6KzH36lTx7kkVcnJq4AX7FiVfVG-tANNyJOi0tk/s1600/004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BttT4Zu1nckrRtKbCC1nkjzfSn5iHH5SJlf8mkU7FJpwYm2ogNB31qU3LsC8PtlXG3y713FTP86mmg2-PTMA8MX6ARVhlQcJvPjE6KzH36lTx7kkVcnJq4AX7FiVfVG-tANNyJOi0tk/s400/004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did a quick 4 miler jaunt to Baywood while my ipod recharged...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwF2SvTkfyaYE3fWw5Npr3phZPwHbddQQFir9wUpyVya_nL9ellzgobbP5bc1DwZVwamb4JTY7j4n5tBnsPX18_gAzidUjAUv-0kXY1UJwDZkdKxCOjIIwsZwSK1UiJGFzFMlp5ntIi1c/s1600/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwF2SvTkfyaYE3fWw5Npr3phZPwHbddQQFir9wUpyVya_nL9ellzgobbP5bc1DwZVwamb4JTY7j4n5tBnsPX18_gAzidUjAUv-0kXY1UJwDZkdKxCOjIIwsZwSK1UiJGFzFMlp5ntIi1c/s400/006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...went back home to pick it up, but didn't need to use it after my warm up. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gUR_C-IAsjtI9El_rBBRIs3TDSngAArp2ye2Ib2Wd2VMeQn2xg_d5Ey_v-y0e-zMY7AGv1uTX2t_lG88VcpsqkqSBLV86IFJ0tLFHtjBcEfD_miR1fZHmqSqNlwKoP5jha5oN72rXEg/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gUR_C-IAsjtI9El_rBBRIs3TDSngAArp2ye2Ib2Wd2VMeQn2xg_d5Ey_v-y0e-zMY7AGv1uTX2t_lG88VcpsqkqSBLV86IFJ0tLFHtjBcEfD_miR1fZHmqSqNlwKoP5jha5oN72rXEg/s400/007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finish winds up here for the Baywood Oktoberfest and June Fest 4 miler.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLZqyfaFl6jfX0QeBjiomedGJhFjOmFdVZF1pkd-xqPZkoL4nBFjTbYSXaMjrnuNLYo-fut0fxEnkjoVBpJY8qfrqqaJHW8gNW7tAel7EqFnRUn7Lk0sxr7_zeZpXwaezecWbnR7fCvI/s1600/009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLZqyfaFl6jfX0QeBjiomedGJhFjOmFdVZF1pkd-xqPZkoL4nBFjTbYSXaMjrnuNLYo-fut0fxEnkjoVBpJY8qfrqqaJHW8gNW7tAel7EqFnRUn7Lk0sxr7_zeZpXwaezecWbnR7fCvI/s400/009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite a tranquil scene.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrYKQh3HnmGPpKb5OVkM_krclWwXAGUEfbtz1X_KmyRS3UA9qpZpKo_532DLidUMFa7n3csN9rqybF2FTb_pulo6crTJjF-3orAq6gWtmQB5sAXA06bPJCuenwgwZMFdrYoEFZP2oxD8/s1600/010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrYKQh3HnmGPpKb5OVkM_krclWwXAGUEfbtz1X_KmyRS3UA9qpZpKo_532DLidUMFa7n3csN9rqybF2FTb_pulo6crTJjF-3orAq6gWtmQB5sAXA06bPJCuenwgwZMFdrYoEFZP2oxD8/s400/010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Turri Road: What Mr. Turkey vulture? You gonna let me take your picture?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupkj_rjZxsdcImG24KXe508LaJTp5bWuyg7FuwUEkyyMxfPx9kZCCv0Hblng5LR7Cb8elDq10PRcJjQs2uO6NTtqS9PfpaQceRLmb1THmukISVoRGlcaNQZzY_fwAjfizQawHZiUVD9U/s1600/011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupkj_rjZxsdcImG24KXe508LaJTp5bWuyg7FuwUEkyyMxfPx9kZCCv0Hblng5LR7Cb8elDq10PRcJjQs2uO6NTtqS9PfpaQceRLmb1THmukISVoRGlcaNQZzY_fwAjfizQawHZiUVD9U/s400/011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or not. He flew away. Within yards, a sad, sad scene of a dog, that was the object of Mr. Turkey Vulture's desire... </td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I've been dabbing at trying out different paces for my long runs. In the past few weeks, I've used the 3-1 method and the fast finish long runs. Today was no different. I had a good warm up of 4 miles then I slowly and gradually picked up my pace. Once I reached the 10th mile, I picked it up some more until to my pleasant surprise, I was down to 8:33 pace (for 8 miles). I was drenched in sweat by the time I finished. It was no wonder because weather.com posted the relative humidity was 100% by 9:30am. I was not sure at first how this would affect my run, how it might slow me down. It didn't seem to bother me this time. </span><br />
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Week 8 has been a very good confidence builder kind of week with the tempo run that turned into a pace run on Saturday behind the wonderful progressive 18-miler on Sunday. It was a back to back hard days and (I'm knocking on wood): no injuries so far.<br />
I'm off to face week 9 which will place me in the halfway point of my training plan. I've got a time trial scheduled on Sunday which is the Heritage Oaks Family Fun Run 10K race. Daughter is interested in doing the 1/2 mile race so we'll nourish that interest. Until then, happy running!<br />
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</span>Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-71909087026707352462012-09-23T19:12:00.002-07:002012-09-23T19:12:47.725-07:00CIM 2012: Week 7Monday – Yoga<br />
Tuesday – Hill Sprints + Cross Train <br />
Wednesday – Pilates, Speed Work (pyramids)<br />
Thursday – Power <br />
Friday – <strike>Pace run</strike> Yoga<br />
Saturday – REST<br />
Sunday – Long Run – 18 miles including 5K race, warm-up and cool down<br />
Total Miles – 27.31M<br />
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<br />
Coach Nancy assigned a pyramid workout on <span style="font-size: large;"><em>Wednesday</em></span>. We had to do 300-400-600-400-300 two times with equal recovery. My first set was (6:22/6:36/7:07/6:57/644) and second was (6:51/7:03/7:22/7:01/6:09). I was not listening carefully because at the end of the first set, I thought I was done. I started doing strides on my own, when in the corner of my eye, I saw my track mates, running again. Then it dawned on me. $hit! That's why Nancy said the total volume was 4000m! Duh! So I hustled back to get myself together and restarted my watch. It could have gone worse.<br />
<br />
I was running a 5K team relay on Sunday so I did Yoga on Friday and rested Saturday to keep my legs fresh for the run. I scrubbed my 5 mile pace workout for Friday since I think I did too much power on Thursday. Legs were a little sore the day after. On top of that, I don't know what the course was going to be like. I only know that it going to be held in the vineyards, so I assumed dirt. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Sunday</em></span> was a total fun day at the same time it was a pressure filled day. I was asked to join an all-girl 5K relay team with super fast ladies and I was sure I was not in their league. They've all been to Boston at one point or another. Me? That's still in the bucket list. I'm working up to it. It may take me five more years, but that's soon enough.<br />
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Our Team, The Hashemites ended up finishing in 2:01, first place. We beat another all-gal team by 2 hours. So it's not an exaggeration when I said my teammates were fast. <br />
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It turned out to be a very warm day. I was so glad that I was only doing a 5K. I felt compassion for some of the 1/2 marathoners who don't do so well in the heat. I was in awe of them for gutting it out to the finish. It was in the hundreds. The sun was beating down and this vineyard had no shades at all, just a bunch of rolling hills with soft dirt. It may be a while when I decide to do this again. Maybe if and when they move it back to November when it's cooler or they go back to the original venue, I may be tempted to run it. I said maybe, because I am not a fan of cross-county style courses. It is a challenge to get some kind of rhythm going.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKJWNd5_4qJjyJ6oKf1KKu-XKEdR7JrfKerBMalgZmsnbvVNpVukjVPaUNq8QO-Rj2rk9sLZDkZznXPspZpfY_e1Zvb1tgdD5BL2h4FEuGBnV9wZxCE9MiY1bYlGYcBSndusJmhhzOcw/s1600/aileenmile1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKJWNd5_4qJjyJ6oKf1KKu-XKEdR7JrfKerBMalgZmsnbvVNpVukjVPaUNq8QO-Rj2rk9sLZDkZznXPspZpfY_e1Zvb1tgdD5BL2h4FEuGBnV9wZxCE9MiY1bYlGYcBSndusJmhhzOcw/s400/aileenmile1.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're coming down from the first hill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu3oIR087_tuhQYTd1IH38tdAncTaoWmNzwkKT5a7W2Nrvfh7RU-ukqHTwCE2iDoWcyuQa0I6-wQxCx9XXXnY5h9spJUN5xulmaQTGev-KkJ2rE_9qc54ofcjNEcFlxsm1DbgV6dvKIs/s1600/aileenmile1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyu3oIR087_tuhQYTd1IH38tdAncTaoWmNzwkKT5a7W2Nrvfh7RU-ukqHTwCE2iDoWcyuQa0I6-wQxCx9XXXnY5h9spJUN5xulmaQTGev-KkJ2rE_9qc54ofcjNEcFlxsm1DbgV6dvKIs/s400/aileenmile1a.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still trying to get my bearings, while I pondered whether I would be able to take this kid (well, okay...yes I did).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-8DAU3_M43Bs_u4EJ-kkiWAfNZ2edmuYzISCey-KW7RXVyN0LopDyjrEbI_arklA3TEVn6NHKBjPwTbxdLoSQAVsCm0cBlBzCggt_Vi8xcfCHWL2SrlHgwK1y00trGaU08r-T2Cd4i0/s1600/aileenmile1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-8DAU3_M43Bs_u4EJ-kkiWAfNZ2edmuYzISCey-KW7RXVyN0LopDyjrEbI_arklA3TEVn6NHKBjPwTbxdLoSQAVsCm0cBlBzCggt_Vi8xcfCHWL2SrlHgwK1y00trGaU08r-T2Cd4i0/s400/aileenmile1b.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My thoughts: <em>The lung-busting pain will soon be over in a couple of miles.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbm3MLmUYWHcpAJTYh4pBAtoT7Zm2W6Ll6FDZEbJMbtx0WcghrQ90tQrJg1v1Sy9FKws1L6_71RnkI5v8eTAWjfdrSzrwdXgNajeRxSvT3D_Yto91jWl95njT0-IxTProwGKrq1kNktio/s1600/AileenMedium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbm3MLmUYWHcpAJTYh4pBAtoT7Zm2W6Ll6FDZEbJMbtx0WcghrQ90tQrJg1v1Sy9FKws1L6_71RnkI5v8eTAWjfdrSzrwdXgNajeRxSvT3D_Yto91jWl95njT0-IxTProwGKrq1kNktio/s400/AileenMedium.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easing off the gas pedal after I finally passed Ms. Turquoise, who was ahead of me with 800m to go.</td></tr>
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After the 5K race, my original plan was to run the rest of my long run and use the 1/2 marathon course. But after feeling the temperature rise by the minute, it was not a good idea. I decided to do a few miles of cool-down with my teammates before going home to foggy Los Osos. I was hungry when I got home and was worried about the 2nd workout. I knew after I ate, I would be tired and tempted to nix the run. I had 12 miles left to finish and being cold and stiff, it was extremely hard to get started again. I rested a bit after lunch and took the opportunity re-charge my Garmin. Five hours after I ran the 5K, I got dressed, filled up my water vest and headed out to Turri Road. <br />
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I decided this would be a slow, easy run. No tempo or fast finishes because I was afraid that I could strain my already tired muscles. I just needed to complete the mileage. Turri Road was an added challenge because of the 1.25 mile of steady uphill. I took a 30-second walk break on the steepest part. The rest of the way was flat, however, on South Bay Blvd., there was another set of rolling hills. Once I was back on the main drag, I was glad it was over. Two more miles and I was done. <br />
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<em>Marathon Simulator</em><br />
I may be on to something here. I completed a total of 18 miles today. Granted it was broken up, but having that huge five-hour break in between the 5K race and the 12-miler, made it extremely hard. It felt like the last leg of a marathon. I'll keep this in my back pocket because it seems like it is a good marathon simulator (as far as late stage fatigue is concerned) if you don't have the luxury of running 20+ miles at once, you can break the workout into two. The trick is to get the muscles cold and stiff, then run the second workout. You still get the fatigue feeling in your legs. However, one must be careful about doing this, because you can get injured with cold muscles and pushing it. It's just good to know for the future.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the week ended with 27 miles! I am happy with my longest run this training cycle. All is well, no injuries to report. <br />
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Week #7 in the books, happy running! <br />
<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8401295242224832231.post-80950425000920258742012-09-20T22:02:00.001-07:002012-09-20T22:02:03.283-07:00CIM 2012: Week 6(Sorry for slacking again on this post.)<br />
<br />
Monday – <strike>Yoga </strike> (Labor Day Gym closed! Bah!) Rest Day<br />
Tuesday – Power<br />
Wednesday – Pilates at noon + Evening speed work 10 x 400s<br />
Thursday – Rest <br />
Friday – Hills x 4<br />
Saturday – Tempo<br />
<u>Sunday – Long Run – 12 miles</u><br />
Total Miles– 33.11M<br />
<br />
<br />
This week marks the end of the first six weeks of my training–I'm a third of the way done! I can't believe that essentially I only have 12 weeks left to do the hard work. Well, not really because 3 of those weeks is set aside for the taper period, so really I only have 9 weeks left for the nitty gritty! I am feeling stressed out already! Somebody S-L-O-W- down time for me please!<br />
<br />
Since<strong> Monday</strong> was Labor Day, the gym was closed, therefore my yoga class was cancelled. However our running club had a Club Workout/Breakfast Run that I was invited to which was the highlight of the day. There was a 8, 6, and 4 mile hilly run that went on before breakfast that I would have been interested in partaking had I not ran the previous day. Well that's the story I shared, when asked why I was not running. Any other day I would have been tempted to run, but I'm staying true to my running schedule and take Monday as a rest day.<br />
<br />
<strong>Wednesday Speed </strong><br />
The Workout: 400x4 with 1/2 lap recovery between quarters. Plus, 400x6 with full lap recovery between quarters. My results: (<span style="color: red;">6:59</span>/<span style="color: red;">6:46</span>/7:02/<span style="color: red;">6:42</span>) + (<span style="color: red;">6:59</span>/<span style="color: red;">6:27</span>/<span style="color: red;">6:43</span>/<span style="color: red;">6:52</span>/7:02/<span style="color: red;">6:50</span>)<br />
Notice anything different? Yeah! I'm loving it too. 80% of the laps were done under 7-minute/mile pace quarters. I couldn't be any happier. If this improvement translates over to the 10K at the end of September, that would be key that my training is working.<br />
<br />
I'm doing everything right espectially by warming up properly. I've discovered that I do better with speed workouts if I warm up thoroughly. What a concept! I thought before that one mile warm up was sufficient. It was by accident that I learned this one day. I didn't want to be rude to a fellow runner so I kept going long after my mile was up. To my surprise, I did better on that night's workout. I did an experiment and the next week I tried it again and I performed better. The other thing I started doing differently was to slow the pace of the warm up itself. I started out at 11 minute miles and let the body gradually increase the pace. (Before I jumped right in the 9:30 range.) I used to tire myself out right in the beginning, even before I started the actual workouts. With this slower pace, after the end of 20 or 21 minutes, I would only be at 10:38ish pace.<br />
<br />
<strong>Friday Hill Work-</strong>Long Hill Repeats 4x <br />
In order for me to take account of whether I am improving or not, the best way I thought would be to stay consistent and use the same hill for all of my long hill repeats. Bay Oaks has been my hill of choice because it is 2 miles from my house and that for me is my sweet spot for warm up. Any less is not sufficient. For optimum effort I don't mind the distance. This is my second long hill repeat. Last month, I had great results and I was surprised to see the numbers I posted in Week #2, which is still early on in the training. <br />
<br />
On Week #6, my 4x hill repeats results are (<strike>10:35</strike>/8:11/7:59/7:49/7:59). I ran a 2-mile warm up toward my hill. Notice that there are five repeats and the first one, 10:25 is crossed off? <br />
There is a story to that. Let me explain what happened. <br />
<br />
I got to my hill fully warmed up. I did my final stretches and gulped one final ounce of water, set my watch and turned off my ipod. Just as I was getting ready for my repeats, I spotted a guy coming up the hill. He was going slow as he was probably near the end of his run. I thought, he was going to be in my way. Should I wait and let him clear out or do I just go along the side? I didn't want him to think I was racing him because I will actually be whizzing by him. I didn't want to get cold either by standing around, so I decided to go. In thinking all these out, I didn't even think about the pace I'm supposed to run my repeats. I got sidetracked and since I've been running short hills where I run them all out, well, this turned out to be just that. Halfway through the hill, I puttered out and my quads felt the searing lactic acid creep up fast. I started to slow down even though I was trying my hardest to run hard. Why isn't my watch beeping to stop yet? By now for sure I've reached the two tenths of a mile. I got near the top and had to stop when I still had 0.02 miles left to go. I ended up walking to finish the first repeat. What did I do this week to be this tired? While I recovered for five minutes, the thought of putting this hill workout off for one more week crossed my mind. But my schedule is full, I don't know where else I would squeeze this in. My mind still flooded with questions. Was this fatigue? Could all those fast 400s done me in? I was so mad. I must have pushed the envelope finally.<br />
<br />
After five minutes of recovery, I felt better. It must have been around this time when I realized that I could have ran the wrong pace for the long hill, not that I was fatigue. I thought, I would do a "do-over" and pretend this next hill was my first repeat. If my results were better then I would continue. I restarted my watch and put the bad repeat behind me. When I posted the next repeat at 8:10, I knew exactly what I did and got my confidence back to finish the workout. <br />
<br />
The next few repeats, I consciously paid attention to the pace and even effort up the incline. I told myself this was not a sprint, but a controlled effort. I was proud of the result because I managed to bring down the pace as the repeats progressed, with the exception of the last one. I was tired.<br />
I was proud of myself for not giving up due to the bad first repeat. I regrouped, did a fantastic effort coming back and learned a good lesson. When I ran this same hill repeats while training for NY 2012 marathon, my results were: 9:09/ 9:37/9:17/9:51. That's a big difference this time around with 8:11/7:59/7:49/7:59. I'm happy with the results. (By the way, I'm comparing my results with NY because that's the only marathon I've done that I've devoted a complete 18-weeks of training as well as it is the race that gave me a huge PR.)<br />
<br />
<strong>Saturday Tempo </strong><br />
I wanted to hit my paces so I decided that for this workout, I will need all the help I can get. If it means suffering around the oval so be it. The track is quickly becoming my friend. Well, that was my initial plan. After more thought, running 36 laps around the track would be inhumane. I decided against it. Another option was to find a fairly long road, preferably no stop lights or traffic, where I can do my 6 mile tempo. Turri Road came to my mind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseqvkNDwIOlDPcYCQVejxIx0EuQjM7Dhx6PuAn1hO-fGQW_0I_C8zr9nJ2-bryncMEiK7FmXL_pXp0CmdjM0AheRrNCbInrvg2LGwPWXwMgugvLXHc288o4tR2oElsLWZWwz5AJ7AeYA/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiseqvkNDwIOlDPcYCQVejxIx0EuQjM7Dhx6PuAn1hO-fGQW_0I_C8zr9nJ2-bryncMEiK7FmXL_pXp0CmdjM0AheRrNCbInrvg2LGwPWXwMgugvLXHc288o4tR2oElsLWZWwz5AJ7AeYA/s400/001.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Tempo Spot</td></tr>
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<br />
It's almost long enough, I just have to add a quarter more to make a complete mile. The trouble was that last quarter had a little bit of a hill. It could be good because then I could recruit other muscle for the tempo. That would prove a welcome change of pace.<br />
<br />
The tempo run I planned is a 6-mile cut down where I would start at 9:45 pace and incrementally lower the pace each mile by 10 seconds. So by the time I get to the sixth mile, my pace would be at 8:55. I was a little worried because I ran a great hill workout the night before, meaning I wondered how tired my legs would be upon waking up. Luckily, they were good, no soreness at all which meant I got the green light to run as planned. I don't have to think about revising the plan, or cut down on the mileage. Turri is not totally flat, even the 3/4 mile has some slight gradual incline where it is more noticeable as you are running it fast. The first two miles were easy warm up pace from 11:00 to 10:23 pace. I picked up the pace as I near the end of the two miles including two 30-second strides. Before I started the repeat, I looked at the terrain and I knew that going up would be tougher and coming back would be easier since the downhills. I told myself to take it easy on the return since I'd have to come back on an uphill. It's nice that I'm paying attention finally and giving this more thought, rather than just running like Forrest Gump as before. <br />
<br />
For the most part I hit the paces right on: 9:41/9:34/9:20/9:12/9:04/8:38 and loving the results. I was glad my legs could do this today considering I had a tough hill repeat last night. Now for tomorrow's long run, that's another story. Two hard workouts back to back was a success.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Sunday Long Run</strong><br />
<br />
Thirds! This kind of progression run, I performed 2 weeks ago for the first time. I was hesitant and approached it cautiously. I was very nervous because I don't know if I was good enough to run it in 3 different paces. I've sort of run "uni-pace" all my life. I ran one pace from the beginning to end. Well let me explain, I tried my hardest to maintain a pace, but I would eventually slow down and hit positive splits. (That's when you run the first half faster than the second half.) In a race, if you can do the opposite, run the second half faster than the first would be the most ideal. You save your best effort for the finish and end strong. <br />
<br />
The 12 miles today on paper is harder than two weeks ago since I assigned myself a hard back to back workout. It was going to be a test to see if I can handle it. I always approach these kinds of workout with some form of humility. I find that when I do that, I am able to perform better.<br />
<br />
First of all I decided to go back to Turri. I love the fact that I can use my car as an aide station. I have all my nutrition in the trunk and I go for loops and come back knowing I have something cool waiting for me. Next time I will an ice chest and keep chilled bottles of water. Nothing tastes better than an ice cold water after running. <br />
<br />
The first 4 miles was an easy pace. I decided to not shy away from the the little bit of hill while my legs are still fairly fresh, so I ran it nice and steady. When I got back to my car, my watch read exactly 10:30 pace for 4 miles. I was happy with that because I had that 1 mile of a steady uphill. I concentrated on the next 4 miles which turned out to be 9:18. I was shooting for 9:25, so this was okay. The last 4 miles I dreaded. I knew it was going to give me trouble. It was the fastest of the set and I was aiming for 9:00 pace. It always happens that the second to the last mile I end up slowing down, I was at 9:18. I thought I lost the pace, but I pulled it together in the last mile to run faster and finally I whittle it down to 8:59–mission accomplished! I am slowly learning the art of pacing and I can now speed up and slow down without thinking I will blow up in the end.<br />
<br />
I've had a tremendous workout this week starting from Wednesday with the 400s. The Friday hill work turned out to be cool, when I almost lost it. Saturday was my first attempt to teach my legs pacing as well as the progression run on Sunday where I hit all my paces. I can't complain. I am curious though to see how my legs will feel tomorrow upon waking up. They've been put through the ringer. I'll let you know.<br />
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'Til then, happy running!<br />
<br />
<br />Aileen aka Marathon Maniac #3809http://www.blogger.com/profile/06602915613280012159noreply@blogger.com0