Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

Nookachamps Winter Runs

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Location:

Snoqualmie,WA,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007

5K PR 24:37 2009

10K PR 52:58 2010

Have run 22 marathons to date.

No injuries, ever.   :)

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years.  This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :) 


Long-Term Running Goals:

To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life.   To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs.  To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner.  To enjoy running more and more with every passing year. 

Personal:

Baby boomer generation.  Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's.  Started running seriously in 2002.  Low-carb runner since January 2010. 

I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather.  I don't believe in "junk miles."  I am an optimist.  I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order.  

"As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are."  -- Joan Benoit Samuelson 


Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Brooks ST3 Lifetime Miles: 891.35
Vibram Five Fingers KSO Lifetime Miles: 23.77
Brooks ST3 II Lifetime Miles: 965.17
Lunaracers II Lifetime Miles: 198.23
Mizuno Wave Universe 3 Lifetime Miles: 104.14
Asics Piranha Lifetime Miles: 536.83
RunAmocs (Softstar) Lifetime Miles: 16.23
Piranha II Lifetime Miles: 219.53
Race: Nookachamps Winter Runs (13.1 Miles) 02:04:06
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.4012.100.000.0014.50

Misc. details:  Warm up before race: 1.4 miles easy w/ some short strides.   Low to mid 30's F & very foggy.   First mile of race at easy pace.  Hills at mile 1, 6, 10.5 (big one).  1 gel.  Driving time to race: 1:35 each way.  Time listed above is from my Garmin (haven't checked for official time yet).  No chip timing, old fashioned hand entries.  The race finishes with an up hill climb, hate that.

The good news is that I love fog and it was very foggy. The bad news: no swan sightings. I could hear them out there in the fields but it was just too thick to see them. (This race is known for it's traverse through an area where migrating Trumpeter Swans stop to feed and rest.) 

The very good news is... PR's!!  Six minute course PR and 1 minute PR for the distance.  When I woke this morning I was pretty sure I would race this course at a hard level. I just felt really good.  I can honestly say I left nothing on the course; I worked really hard. 

2:04 does not bode particularly well for a BQ (4:05), but I've got over 3 months of hard work between now and May, so maybe I'll have a shot.   The most exciting aspect of the course PR is that I think it reflects the fact that this is the very first winter where I've really kept my running up.   My 1 minute PR for the half-m is such a wee little thing, but I'll be running the course of my previous PR in March (Mercer Island Half), so we'll see what that race has to say.  :)

Not much to report about the race itself.  This is a well organized but small race, with (imo) a fast field of runners.  (Who else wants to race a Half in the dead of winter here?) This is my third running of this course, and I have always felt that the bulk of the runners are very fast and competitive. Not great for my psyche, being a slow one, but it's also very inspiring to me.

Most of the course runs through farmland, with a bit of woods and small town. There is a pretty lake around mile 6-7.  Not much to see today, due to the fog. 

I had one real problem during the race, and I believe it may have cost me.  There seemed to be a lot more cars on the road this year than I remember.  A police car came through at about mile 3 and warned us all to keep to the right, after which we all went single file while the cars whizzed past us. It was frightening, but the worst consequence was trying to pass people.  After starting the race slowly, I began to steadily pass other runners by about mile 3 [insert crazy happy dance here].  But it really screwed up my pace to do so without being run over.  Trying to keep my pace between 8:55 and 9:10, I'd hover behind someone at 9:30, getting all stressed about having to slow down, then speed up to 8:45 or even 8:30 to pass them, getting winded in the process.  We made a turn around mile 5 and the traffic lessened, but there were still enough cars (going quite fast) to keep us crowded to the side of the road.  So much for practicing steady pacing! Gr.

One thing I love about this race is the gym. The race is held at a small college in Mt. Vernon, WA. The runners get to stay inside in the warmth until it's time to warm up.  After the race, runners may use the showers and locker rooms, and the race provides hot foods in the warm gym -- perfect for a January event.

My splits: 9:56, 9:04 (downhill), 9:24, 8:57, 9:01, 9:19 (small, steep hill), 9:22, 9:14, 9:07, 10:06 (long hill),10:08, 9:46, 9:04, last .1 @ 9:25 (uphill finish).

I've go to scoot. I'll come back for editing and adding later when I have time.  :) Sno  [More details added above.]

With the long driving time, I just had enough time to enter my draft report, take a short nap, and get tidied up for our evening out. We had a lovely dinner in Seattle and went to see The Pearl Fishers.  Excellent production! But even with the nap, I was dead tired by the time we made it home.

Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 14.50
Comments
From Becca on Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 20:13:19

Awesome run...congrats on the PRs! What a great feeling! Sorry you didn't get to see the swans though, that would have been neat!

From Bonnie on Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 20:44:19

Congratulations Snoqualmie!! ... This is early in the cycle for you, Mercer Island will be a much better indicator in for your marathon! I think this is great! I hope you get a chance to celebrate a little tonight.

From JD on Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 22:06:33

Nice job Snoqualmie! That's a great pace! Sounds like a fun event, what with the showers and the food and the gym.

Onward through the fog!

From Carolyn in Colorado on Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 22:11:35

Congratulations on the PR! This proves that you're still climbing that bell curve - you haven't peaked yet. There are bigger and better things to come!

Is the March half marathon your next race?

From Dale on Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 22:38:41

Congrats on the PR! Hopefully you won't be running a BQ attempt on a course with a bunch of hills, so you're probably closer to a 4:05 than you think. Keep up the great training and you will get there. For now, just enjoy a good solid race and a PR!

From Marion on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 10:01:46

Congratulations! That time is awesome! Yipee!

From snoqualmie on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 11:30:00

Thanks everyone! I've updated the report this morning with a little more detail.

Carolyn - next up is a 5K in early March. I've got work to do!

From Carolyn in Colorado on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 11:36:48

I just looked at your split times. Those are great splits. I hope I can do that well at the Canyonlands Half in March.

Way to go!

It seems like you don't do a lot of shorter races. How do you feel about 5Ks? Do they stress you out because you feel like you have to run fast, or do they seem easy because they're short?

From snoqualmie on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 12:21:57

5K's are like the opposite of therapy for me. I finish feeling like a fat, slow, Failure. I can't even remember when I last tried one, so maybe the next will be different. Even yesterday, I felt like I really should be able to go faster for a half; the legs were willing but the lungs were weak. I definitely have oxygen issues. Anyway, to me 5K's are like a spotlight shining on my inadequacy. I'm slow on long distances too, but at least there I have my endurance to be proud of.

From Mark on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 15:36:18

Great job on the race and congrats on the PR! I think you should be able to hit that BQ pretty soon since this wasn't an easy course and you have a lot of training still ahead.

From Kelli on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 19:12:54

YEAH FOR THE PR's!!!! Your work is for sure paying off and I have not doubt that you will get that BQ!

GREAT JOB!

From Metcalf Running on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 22:00:10

YAHOOOO for PR's!!! Congratulations on a great run!

From nicole on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 22:12:58

Congrats on the PR! You rock! What other races are you planning on doing - which 5k? Congrats again - way to dominate!

From snoqualmie on Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 22:19:16

Hi Nicole,

I'm doing a St. Pat's 5K in March (runsnoqualmie.com), Mercer Island Half M. in late March, all building up to the Eugene Marathon in May. I see you are near me here in Washington! Take care! :)

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