Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

Cinco de Mayo Mini Marathon

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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: Cinco de Mayo Mini Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:56:46, Place in age division: 3
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.0813.100.000.0015.18

Finish time (chip) 1:56:46. Thirty seconds off my PR.  

Splits: 8:45, 8:49, 8:51, 8:51, 8:50, 8:52, 8:42, 8:42, 9:02, 9:04, 9:06, 9:07, 8:44, last .1 @ 8:09. 


2.08 warm up with strides


Prelude….  No, I didn't abandon my daughter on the day of her first horse show. The show was postponed yet again.  Upside: I get to do my half-m. Downside: so not ready mentally, and no proper taper - just a couple of panicky days off. 


Weather: mid 40s and raining.  Course: mostly flat with a few small ups and downs, never seemed more than 1-3% grade.  Beautiful, forested, rural course.  Road surface a little rough sometimes.  Nice finish on springy high school track. 


I imagine getting my head around this race was similar to turning one of those big tanker ships in the ocean.  I woke up thinking, "not ready, not ready."   During the warm up, I had come around to "well, it won't kill me."  I saw many friends at the starting area and began to remember that I do, indeed, actually know how to run and have done a bit of running lately.  By the start time, I felt like I just might like to do this race.


The first mile was mentally confusing as I kept getting caught up in the frenzy.  "8:00? No. Slow down. Not that slow! Faster. No! Slower! ...." 


Once we got through town and the field thinned out I was able to settle in and make the final decision on what pace would be right for me today:  try to keep it under 9:00.  


After meandering through some roads I know well, we split off into new territory for couple miles of out and back.  Here, I saw many familiar faces coming my way and enjoyed cheering them on.  Knowing people on race day is probably the thing about my running club that I enjoy the most.  


At the turn around, my legs started to complain and I had to work harder to go -- well, slower.  About this time I started to realize that I was chafing badly too.  Just all kinds of spots under my clothing.  The truth is, I am too much of an optimist and I did not believe it would really rain.  I have to put body glide all over if it rains, which I failed to do.  Punishment = the shower I will take after I finish typing this.  OUCH. 


I think my favorite moment in the race was around the time I saw the mile 12 marker. I had been having a hard time and felt like I was "laboring" at the pace.  I remembered something just then that I read last night in Your Performing Edge by Joanne Dahlkoetter.  She was talking about relaxation.  This is a concept that always had made my eyes roll.  "Right. Relax.  Why don't I just lie down a spell while I'm at it?"   But Dahlkoetter's explanation was the first that ever made sense to me.  Relaxation makes the opposing muscle groups "give" so that the contracting muscle group can contract farther.  All at once, I was surging forward, and easily passed a couple who had been right in front of me for at least 3 miles.  Still hard work, but just a lot more bang for the buck.  


As I entered the track for the last 300 meters, I saw my friends on the side cheering.  That was a great moment too.  The track is of a fantastic quality and I flew around it - albeit somewhat painfully.  Great happiness.   Finishers received a very cool running hat with the race logo on the front.  The AG placement got me a medal with my placement printed on the back, and the applause of my friends, which meant so much to me.  


As I mentioned on my blog the other day, this past week has been a real roller coaster of emotions.  I am still mourning the loss of a very dear friend, and had to forcefully turn that off a couple of times this morning.  But life goes on, and to run and race is a wonderful way to celebrate being alive.  We walk the line between carrying on, and feeling left behind.  "Every day above ground is a good day," said a man I know of who became a quadriplegic, severe burn victim after an horrific motorcycle accident.  I want to change my blog title to that quote, but I'm afraid it's too morbid.  Besides, my playful title is more like what life is made of.  


Rants & raves…  

Rants:  only 4 gym bathrooms for all the women in a field of about a thousand runners;  some confusion about which lane to run in after the turnaround;  crowded spot to run through as we entered the track at the finish. 

Raves: excellent race organization; mariachi bands on the course; awesome volunteers standing in the rain, breathtakingly beautiful course; the faces of friends all around me.  

Asics Piranha Miles: 15.18
Comments
From jun on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 16:57:07 from 97.126.225.138

Woohoo! Top 3 in your AG. Awesome!!!!

From Snoqualmie Ridge Runner on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 17:08:51 from 24.16.49.114

I forgot about the LONG lines for the bathroom...they could have opened the locker rooms my daughter said.

Nice work...AND you got some hardware...I never get that stuff! Pretty darn good without prep...

Mark got a 2nd place though. Good times! Did you get to meet Nova as well as my wife?

From rAtTLeTrAp on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 17:09:22 from 72.102.182.247

Good job! 30 sec. off your PR and an AG award! I told ya, two days rest before raceday has worked well for me every time. I hope it holds true this weekend. I'm writing this in the car on my way to Eugene. no, I'm not driving :)

From SnoFlake on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 17:23:31 from 24.18.192.33

Great race, mom, and congrats on the PR and age group award!!!! You did awesome. Great splits, too! Wow! Amazing!

Good job!

From JD on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 18:08:40 from 209.183.51.43

Congrats on a race well run and enjoyed for all the right reasons. And the AG award too!

From Carolyn in Colorado on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 18:20:11 from 24.8.167.243

Congratulation! You really managed to pull out a great race on short notice. Congratulations on the AG award.

I'm sorry about the chafing. I've been dealing with some of that lately. It is not fun, especially in the shower.

From Dale on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 19:00:10 from 69.10.215.11

Hey, great finish! Maybe that minimal taper was a good idea. Another pearl to remember in a race.....if you fell like garbage and don't think you can maintain pace, try speeding up first. Sometimes it's just the pace your running and anything faster or slower is better. Relaxing is good too, but I'd guess your mind let you go because you *thought* you could if you just relaxed more than just relaxing would. Get your mind out of your own way :). Nice job.

From auntieem on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 19:01:54 from 24.18.77.246

Sounds fun; I am so happy you got to not only do the race, but PR also! So sorry I was not able to run that one. The course sounds really beautiful. Congratulations on the medal, and the PR, and on being able to pull this one off on a moment's notice. I hope the small sno is not too unhappy about the horse show.

From CookieLegs on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 19:26:55 from 71.36.87.104

Awesome running today, Sno! Congratulations on the PR and placing 3rd in your AG!!

From Snoqualmie on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 22:43:38 from 24.18.192.33

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. I survived the shower.

Jeff - I think Nova was asleep but I did enjoy your other little girl. So cute!

I think I may have mispoken. "Off my PR" meant "less than," as in the British usage. No PR today, sorry.

From Snoqualmie on Sat, May 01, 2010 at 22:45:20 from 24.18.192.33

PS Good look at Eugene, Rattletrap!

From april27 on Sun, May 02, 2010 at 02:58:59 from 99.188.251.180

I have to say I'm a little jealous that you have a cinco de mayo 1/2!

I think you are soooo cool to place in a half marathon race...Very cool!

From Snoqualmie on Sun, May 02, 2010 at 12:36:54 from 24.18.192.33

I just checked the website to make sure there weren't only 3 people in my AG. That HAS happened to me once before, in a small marathon. Seventeen women 50-54 - ahh. :) Technically, I was 4th however. The first place in my AG won a masters placement and was therefore not eligible to take the AG award. I'm not sure that's fair, but it got me my little piece of hardware.

Legs feel horrible today. I'm taking them for a walk in a bit.

Dale- I've been thinking over what you said. So much of this business of racing really is mental. Reminds me of the Matrix (movie). lol I think I have a hangup about hurting myself or blowing it all and coming apart (which has happened at least 3 times in marathons). I am not a big risk taker in general. I guess more experience will help me learn how far I can push the envelope.

From Running Donkey on Sun, May 02, 2010 at 13:14:10 from 24.16.37.204

Nice race Sno! Congrats on the AG placing. Wish I would have seen you so we could finally say hello :)

From Dale on Sun, May 02, 2010 at 17:30:31 from 69.10.215.11

Next time just remember there is no spoon...

From Metcalf Running on Mon, May 03, 2010 at 12:41:29 from 207.225.192.66

Congrats!! Sounds like a wonderful race, and great to hear you are feeling a bit better. Walking the line on caring on and feeling left behind, is a great statement.

From Barb on Tue, May 04, 2010 at 03:39:36 from 196.200.54.130

Hi Sno...great race! I'm Barb and I'm writing you back after you wrote on by blog. I haven't responded as I traveled to a neighboring country and have been gone for 2 weeks and the internet was lousy there. I've been looking at your blog as you train toward your goal of qualifying for Boston. Any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated! How many miles per week/month do you try to get in? Do you find that you need more recovery time as we're aging :-)? I found that the last 2 weeks when it was hard to run consistently, in coming back my Saturday run was painful! I felt so out of shape. I thought that maybe now that I'm over 50 I can get out of shape faster. Anyway, any advice you can send my way would be appreciated.

Barb

From Snoqualmie on Tue, May 04, 2010 at 08:45:33 from 24.18.192.33

Hi Barb! Nice to hear from you. When I'm not tapering or recovering from something, I like to get in the 50-55 mpw range. My body likes easy distance running (not speed), so as long as I can get my butt out of bed I don't have any trouble with the miles. I don't get injured, thank goodness. My biggest challenges are mental, as I lived through decades of non-athletic life before I found my running self. My recovery time doesn't seem to be changing as I age, but in my opinion it's always been kind of crappy, especially as I compare myself to others here on the blog. (I know, we're all different, blah, blah- but I can't help noticing.)

Rebuilding fitness is such a pain that I keep my long runs high year round and try to stay consistent. I have always felt I lose fitness quickly, so I keep my marathon tapers to 2 weeks only, with a severe taper only in the last week.

What I sincerely believe is that we can do much more than 50+ y.o. women are "supposed" to be able to do. I love to read about senior runners, especially the ones who were not athletic in their younger days (that's me). It gives me a good perspective and keeps me from sabotaging myself. Let's keep in touch. Best wishes!!!

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