Thunder Road Marathon - 12/12/2009

Training and running a marathon is a funny thing. Not funny like a joke or cheap laugh. But funny like ironic, crazy, how can I find different ways to be in pain. It is a great teacher. It teaches humility. It teaches friendship. It teaches endurance. It teaches a person to dig down so deep that it is scary. The race itself is difficult, anything can happen. A person learns.....Well, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I can throw up on the side of the road, not be embarrassed, then start running again. I learned Matt will not take me home during the race. I learned that at mile 21, I an kick it in and finish strong.

So here is my story.

I trained 18 weeks. Getting up to 50 mile weeks. Consuming more gels and propel, running more miles, and wearing dorky compression sleeves (I secretly think they are cool.). Tapering perfectly. Restricting my sugar intake. All this for one day. One moment in time. One marathon.

I went and picked up my number and shirt at the expo on Friday afternoon. I saw my buddy Julie there. She is running her 1st marathon. Told her to have fun and enjoy the moment, and make sure you look up at the skyline at mile 25. It is always beautiful and inspires me to finish strong.

I picked up my stuff and checked my chip to see if it worked. It did.

I wasn't really nervous about this race. I was able to sleep well. However, when I woke up the next morning, my tummy was not cooperating. I didn't really think that much about this because my tummy is always a bit upset on race day. I choked down 1/2 a PB&J bagel and some water. We left the house at 0700. This made me have to hurry once I got to the race site. I did not get to line up with the 3:45 pace group. In fact, I was almost in the back. I was behind the 5 hour pace group, but I told myself to put this out of my box. This is something a friend on BeginnerTriathlete.com told me. She is an Iron Man...so I feel like she knows what she is talking about. Anything negative that happens, you put out of your box so it will not negatively effect your race.

My nutrition plan is to take in 2-3oz of propel/H2O per mile. I will start my gels at mile 4 and take 1/2 gel every other mile.

This is a picture of the fast guys. They deserve a shout out. I bet one of these fellas won...WOW!

I started out trying to get past all the walkers and slower than me runners....however, at the same time, I tried not to slam it the first few miles. I was doing around an 8:40 pace. That is OK. I can totally make that up. Put all negative thoughts out of my box. I had to play the passing game for the 1st 4ish miles. I take my 1st half of gel. Around mile 5, I saw my friend Debbie and caught up with the 4 hour pace group. Remember, I am behind the clock so my pace is ahead of 4 hours. I am finally able to run. Debbie and I run together. we do the next 3 miles around an 8:00 pace. At the 10k point, I take the rest of my 1st gel. I start feeling a bit sick to my stomach. I really don't pay much attention to this, but it feels like my gel is still in my stomach. Ugg!

I pass mile 8 and decide to wait a little while before starting my next gel. I am still drinking though. I want to give the other gel time to get down....it doesn't.

Mile 9...10...11...up Morehead.....still on target but feeling sick. I decide I should go ahead and start the next gel because my legs feel dead. I take 1/4 and slowly sip on it until the half mark.
Here is a picture Matt snapped of me at the 1/2 way mark. I didn't know if I should be happy I was 1/2 way done or overwhelmed b/c I have 13.1 more miles to go. I decide to put this out of my box and look forward to the 2nd half of the marathon. I am still within reach of a Boston Qualifying time. And good for a sub 4.

At mile 14, I see my friend Jessie. She asks if I need anything...I say I am fine. I lied. I need her to come and carry me to the end. Every time I try to take my gel or take a drink, I start gagging. Not good. I have to have nutrition to finish this thing. I decide just to hold a gel and walk when I am taking it in. I also decide to go ahead and put on my Ipod. I try to rally myself by dancing to the drummers at Panther's Stadium (mile 16) and thanking the police and the great volunteers. But I am feeling BAD!

Here I come up to Matt at mile 17. I decide to tell him to take me home. I am no longer able to take in anything and I can feel all the stuff sloshing around in my stomach. This is also the point where the 4 hour pace group passes me back. You can see them in the orange. GRRR! I have been churning out a few 10:00 miles. Not cool. This is mainly because I am close to throwing up. However, I am able to hold it somewhat together.

I think a marathon brings out something in you that you did not know you had in you...Matt snaps this picture of me when I am telling him I am going to quit. I am actually saying the word quit in the picture. I tell him I am sick and need him to just take me home. Then to my surprise he says NO! He tells me that I only have 9 more miles and to get my butt out there and finish the race. I had run the last 10 miles of the course for my last long run. He reminded me of this and how a 10 mile run was a short run in my training. Then he pushed me back on the course and told me he would see me at mile 21.

MILE 21!?!?! How am I supposed to make it to mile 21. I told him that I would see him there and we would renegotiate this there. I drink a bit more and start another gel. I pass mile 18, 19, 20....AHHH! Mile 20. I can do 6.2 more miles. I hit this at 3:04, I think. I am starting to feel a little better. I know I will see Matt soon.

This is a picture that Matt snapped of Joseph at mile 21. This was his 1st marathon.

I run up to Matt while drinking a sip of Propel. He yells that he just saw Joseph. I was surprised b/c I had not seen Joseph the whole marathon. I take a gel pack to carry with me.......

and take off. I will run the last 5 miles. I put my mind into racing mode and run. I think I can catch up to Joseph and break 4 hours.

I start doing 9 min miles....and a few 8ish min miles. I pass mile 22 and take another sip of gel. I have to stop and go to the side b/c I am gagging really bad and think I am going to throw up. i hold it together though. I throw the gel in my pocket and decide not to try that again. I could tell that none of my gels or H20 has gotten into me. I can feel it almost coming up. Pass Joseph and we say hello then I continue on. Mile 23, oh that is hilly! Mile 24...more hills. Mile 25....look up and see Charlotte sky line. NICE! I look at my watch and do a bit of figuring in my head. I can totally break 4 hours. I have about 10 minutes. I get to 25.5, have around 7 minutes b/4 the 4:00 mark, and pass through some children at the drink station. I hi 5 them and take a drink b/c I am thirsty. Take a sip...and try to speed up a bit. Now I am not sure if it was that last sip or that last kick...but I start throwing up....I stop then start again...then stop...then start again...and stop...then start again. I blessed about 1/4th mile of McDowell. I have never thrown up b/4 like this....every time I started to run it would start again....but when I finally finished, I felt better. Not good, but better. OK...so the last time I started throwing up, I looked at my watch....it was 4:00. Oh man!

Here is me finishing up the last .2 miles. Just don't throw up again...Just keep it together. My friend Leigh runs the last .2 with. She runs it on the sidewalk so as not to get in any one's way. This really helped me get to the finish.

I go across the line, get my medal, blanket, another shirt, and a wonderful volunteer takes off my chip.....Thank you!

I then see my sister, brother-in-law, and nephews.

This is my sister...no we are not the same person! We have run 2 1/2 marathons together...Read the race reports...they will touch you. Lots of pictures...hey! That's is what it's about!

My buddy Leigh! We have run a 1/2 marathon together!

My sweet hubby, JRT...scream team!

The whole gang! Brother-in-law, Nephews,sister, JRT, Hubby, Me! My youngest nephew told me I was the winner when he saw me.....I choose to believe him.

I finished 1 second more from last year. My time was 4:05.18 this year. I was 4:05.17 last year. The difference was being sick. I am disappointed in my time, but at the same time, I feel like it says a lot about my training that I was able to finish 1 second higher than last year and was sick...in fact, I felt so bad that I wanted to quit.

Now on to Myrtle Beach.

Grand Prix Awards Dinner - 11/16/09

Now I truly know how the father in "Christmas Story" felt when he receives the major award (the leg lamp) in the mail. Then he displays it for the whole neighborhood to see. I am a total cheese and very excited that I placed 3rd in my age group for the Grand Prix Series. So I invited some very important people in my life.
First, I want to thank my parents who raised me. They are awesome! My mom has courageously battled 2 rounds of cancer and has taught me more about endurance than any marathon could. My dad was a runner in high school and is a pillar of strength for our family. They have both supported and encouraged me in everything I do.

Next is my Sister! We share a brain (and I think she got the bigger half). She is not only my sister by blood, but my sister in friendship! We laugh, cry and solve the problems of the world together! We have run 2 half marathons together.
Last, but not least is my sweet husband! He is my soul mate. We have run 3 marathons together and I love him more than I love myself. Bless his heart! He is the one who comes and stands in the heat or cold to cheer me on. He takes my nasty running stuff out of the car after I have ran 20 something miles, so I can go and get into the dreaded ice bath. He supports all my insane running.

My friend Debbie also placed in her AG. We love to chat about running together.

So, If you are wondering what this series is, you can read my last 9 posts on my blog. However, if you have a life, you can just see the recap of the times/pace/dates/races.
March 21
Shamrock 4 Mile 31.20 (7:50 pace) 12th in AG
April 25
Skyline 5K 23.13 (7:28 pace) 5th in AG
May 8
Twilight 5K Run23.41(7:37 pace)9th in AG
June 6
King Tiger 5K23:32(7:34 pace)7th in AG
July 11
RFYL 4 Miler 30.18(7:35 pace) 7th in AG
August 8
Blue Points 5K23:18(7:29 pace)3rd in AG
August 29
Greek Fest 5K23:07(7:26 pace)8th in AG
September 26
Brixx 10K48.21(7:47 pace)6th in AG
October 17
LungStrong 15K1:13.56(7:56 pace)8th in AG

For completing all 9 races, I received this nifty back pack. I was really excited.

For placing 3rd in my age group...I won't tell you how old I am...HaHa! I received a medal, $25.00 check, and a RFYL $20.00 gift certificate. COOL!

I feel like these races have made me a better runner. I pushed myself really hard during the races and feel like I am a better racer and runner because of it. I made lots of new friends and found out that I am competitive! Weird!

With my $$$$ I will buy compression socks so I can run more....Ha! Ironic!

Now on to trying to qualify for Boston!

Lungstrong 15k 10/17/09 9th and LAST race of the Grand Prix Series!

So this is the last race of the series. As think back on the fun, the struggles, the anxiety, the victories, the starts, the finishes, and all the friends I made....it is a bittersweet moment. Everything about this race is surreal. Like a dream. I am not anxious. I feel a quiet confidence.
I got up at 0500. Did my normal prerace routine. Ate a 1/2 PB&J, prayed, packed up. I was going to this race alone. I was kinda bummed about this. However, I cannot expect my family to load up and come watch every race.
Get to the race site early, get my chip then chill in my car. I went to the starting line around 7:30. Saw my friend Debbie and we waited at the start line.
This race was for Lung Cancer. My Bestest friend, Jill, lost her mother to lung cancer. I ran this race for her. We have been through a lot together. I went with her to all her Chemo treatments when she had Breast Cancer. I love this girl! So to say the least, this race was more than just a finishing time to me.
I started running when the race started....early into the 1st mile, I decided to take my long sleeve shirt off....this was not easy b/c I did not stop running.
The 1st mile went quickly. We turned into the park. It was really nice. The weather was perfect. I looked at the lake and enjoyed the run. I loved the course. It had beautiful views. I knew I started out to fast so I tried to slow a bit on mile 2. OOOO, too slow. Now speed it up back to the sub 8mm.
Around mile 6ish, I thought I should take my gel. I was still feeling good, but knew I could not continue sub 8mm w/out any nutrition. As I tried to open my gel...while still running...the gel exploded all over me. I was a mess! It was on my hands, face, legs, and clothes. AHHHH! So I licked it off my face and tried to get more off my hands and shirt. I know I looked like an idiot! Look at my splits...you can see I slowed down at mile 7. No more sub 8mm! =-(
At mile 9, I saw a car coming right at me. WOW! I can't even think about how to get out of this cars way! Oh, glad it moved....where is the finish line. How can .3 be so long....it seems like I have been running this .3 forever!
Finely I see the finish line. And I cross it then almost throw up! Then I watch Debbie cross and go home....then I run 7 more miles (I had a 16 mile run to do today).
Splits:
1-7:32
2-8:02
3-7:53
4-7:51
5-7:57
6-7:53
7-8:00
8-8:07
9-8:04
.3-2:39
My total time was:
chip: 1:13.56
Overall: 116/586
Overall Female: 32/280
Age Group: 8/64

9/26/09 - Hit the Brixx 10k - Race #8 in Grand Prix Series

Pre-race routine:Like normal...I got up at 0500 and ate. But I tried my new/old favorite. A pb and banana sandwich. Well, most of half of it anyway. I spent some time with the Lord then laid back down for a few minutes. I had some time before I had to get ready. Made some coffee then took a few sips. Could not stomach it today. Bree showed up and we left right before 0700. Matt, my sweetheart, was dropping us off at the race site so we did not have to worry about parking.
Matt dropped us off right at the start. I told him that I hoped to run this in around 48 minutes. He went to park at the DOWD YMCA to run. Then he would run to the race and watch us finish. We went to use the bathroom one last time then got our chip. Went to the front of the starting line and waited. I met a guy who was part of the WISH group. A running group who runs the Disney races. We chatted a few minutes then were off.
I liked the course. It was hilly to be expected but a good course. I felt good the whole time. I may have been able to push the pace a bit more, but I tried to stick to my plan of 48 minutes. I did not want to burn up in the last miles of the race.
Splits:
1-7:11 mostly downhill and opps, too fast
2-7:51 I purposely slowed this mile down
3-7:42 Tried to keep it above 7:30 but faster than mile 2
4-8:06 Mostly uphill but too slow! I pick up a friend who will run with me the rest of the way in.
5-7:55 Still going mostly up. I pass a girl I have followed the whole time.
6-7:56 Listening to "The Climb" on my Ipod. This mile is totally uphill but it is the last mile.
.21-1:39 Again, uphill but me and my friend start "racing" to the end. We Tie!
As I was about to finish, I saw Matt. I blew him a kiss then kicked it to finish.
I really liked how I ran this race. I ran uncomfortably comfortable for the most part. I never really tried to race anyone else and I think this helped. I think I like the longer distance. My friend I started running with around mile 4 was great! We never talked until the end. When we came over the finish, he looked at me and said, "Thanks for running with me". I told him I thought he was running with me. We laughed and went our different ways. I thanked most of the volunteers and police. I felt good the whole way and really enjoyed this race.
What would you do differently?:I feel good but if I had to choose....I would that pushed a bit on mile 4. It was a bit over an 8 MPM. My slowest mile of the race.
Post race:Watched Debbie and Bree come in. I ran in with Bree so I got to go over the finish line 2x. HeHe! Got some pizza and pasta. Ran slowly back to the DOWD YMCA (a little over a mile away) and went home to a WARM shower.
Placing:
Time: 48:21 Pace: 07m 47s min/mile
Overall Place: 185/871
Age Group Place: 6/61
Overall Female: 37/454
The only thing that limits me is that I can't run faster...but that is OK.

Greek Fest 5k - #7 Race in Grand Prix - August 29, 2009

First off, I need to say that I love the cheesy, useless stuff that comes in the race goody bags. I picked up my treasure on Wednesday from University Run For Your Life. Then I went to work and had to look at it mocking me. Calling to me for hours, until I saw my last client and tore into it like a child on Christmas morning. Chap stick, a Frisbee, another race shirt (that I will wear with pride) and best of all, 2 tickets to the Greek Fest.
I ran the course just one day prior to picking up the goody bag. I was well pleased with the absence of huge hills normally experienced in Charlotte. I thought this may be a personal best this coming Saturday. Just one problem....Monday, I awoke with some kind of stomach bug. I didn't even run Monday and was very weak feeling on Tuesday. However, no worries, I have a few days to recover.
This is the 7th race in the Grand Prix Series. I am still placed 3rd. Unless I fall over and have to steam roll to the finish line, I think I can hold onto the 3rd place standing.
Like I said, I was sick with a stomach bug. Not pretty. I ran lightly on Tuesday and Wednesday, but could still tell that I was feeling weak. Not bad, but weak. I have been just hurting all over. So Friday, I took a day off and rested. I slept most of the day but was still very tired when I went to bed at 2100. On Saturday, I got up at 0500 and ate a PB&J. Drank coffee and spent some time with the Lord. I was feeling rather calm at this point. Bree got to the house a little after 0600 and we drove to the race. I really was feeling calm, but my stomach was upset.
We parked at Latta Park and I was able to use the bathroom for the last time. My stomach was still not doing well, but I knew that this course was not as hilly as the others I have run. So I was calm. Everything was surreal. I felt like I was watching myself walk to the starting line. I felt like I was watching myself line up and wait. I hate the waiting. It only makes my stomach churn more as I look over the crowd and wonder who is in my AG that I needed to be able to outrun.
The course. No surprises here. Like I said, I ran the course (at a slower pace) on Tuesday. I am glad I did. This helped me to know where I was. I started running and my legs felt like they would give out from under me. I saw the normal people who aways pass me and who I always pass. I do remember that the right turn on Dilworth Rd W from East came quickly. In fact, everything came quick...except the finish line.
My splits are as follows:
Mile 1 - 6:59
Mile 2 - 7:36
Mile 3 - 7:50
11 - 0:39
I Knew that I went out too fast when I hit mile 1. I thought that maybe this would not hurt me too bad. Hey, only 2 more miles. However, I started seeing people pass me, and I was not really passing anyone. ARRRHHH! I could tell that 1st mile effected my 2nd mile. But hey, 7:36 isn't too bad. Just keep the pace. I tried to dig down deep, but came up empty. Not good! I still have 1 more mile! I just tried to hang on the last mile. My stomach was cramping and I was pretty sure I was going to throw up! Turned on East and just ran as fast as I could (at that point) to the finish line. In this race, you can see the finish line FOREVER! I saw the clock counting up...up...up. I tried to run faster, but my body refused. I started gagging, but I did not slow down. So I went through the finish line gagging like I was going to throw up...NICE!
Time: 23:07
Overall finisher: 243/1278
Overall Female: 36/589
Age Group: 8/113
After going through the finish, I went and got some water. I was hoping not to pass out (I didn't). Then I hung out and watched Bree come across the line at 28 something and Matt come across at 29:05. Then we met up with Greg (Bree's husband) and went to IHOP to get our grub on!
It was a fun race. I am ready for cooler weather and the long SLOW distance of the marathon...instead of this fast running. This is the last 5k of the Grand Prix series. I did PR. I do wish I could have gotten rid of about 10 seconds so I would have made it under 23 minutes. But, I have gotten faster. I am able to hit under 24 minutes in a 5k consistently. This is faster than my 5k time from last year.
So now come the 10k and 15k! This should be interesting!

BluePoints 5k 8/8/09 - Race #6 Grand Prix Series

Today I ran the Bluepoints 5k. It is race #6 in the Grand Prix Series. This race, like the others, will keep me or push me out of the Grand Prix Placings. My goal was 22:30...or at least under 23 minutes.
Pre-race routine: Got up at 0500. Ate 1/4 PB&J w/out the J. Drank a poweraid and a few sips of coffee. Prayed and read my Bible. Packed up and left for the DOWD YMCA around 0619. Hubby ran this one too. We met up with Leigh around 0645. The walk from the DOWD was around .57 miles so I count this as a WU.
Leigh and I took a picture b/4 the race. I look like I am going to throw up.

I waited by the starting line with Debbie. I really thought I was going to be sick. Why do I get so anxious? The jogging strollers and wheelchairs took off. About 2 minutes later, we were off. Like I said, they reversed the course. So we were on the "other side" of the start line...headed toward the finish. Really, I crossed over the finish line 30 seconds after I started. The thought did occur to me that this may mess up my chip (It did not). However, I was in the mass of people going toward Morehead. Even going this way, there were lots of up hills. I thought I was running slower than normal and was a bit disoriented b/c we were going the opposite way of what I thought we were going to go. I hit mile 1 at 6:58. Now I am not really sure if this mile marker was right. However, my friend Leigh who has a Garmin, said it was right. I did not keep my splits so I am not sure about the other times....I know I slowed b/c as we turned on Kenelworth the course started up...up.....up. I am NOT KID'N! I was running as hard as I could but the up hill was KILLING ME! I passed a few people and the 2 mile mark fairly quickly. I thought I was going to make under 23 minutes. However, the 3rd mile just kept going up...up...up! NEVER ENDING!. I saw Mint Street where the finish line was. Then I saw the 3 mile marker. The time was 22:30. I think the course was long. I am not just saying this b/c I did not get my sub 23. I just know that it does not take me 1 minute to go .11 miles. I sprinted the last .11. B/c the course ran the opposite way, the finish line/start line was not in the right place. I could be wrong.
After the race, I hung out with some friends and took pictures. This is Leigh, Matt, Me, Debbie.

Me, Sir Purr, and Leigh!

I was very disappointed with my time. I didn't even go and see if I had placed. I told Debbie that I could not take the disappointment of coming in 7th or over. She begged me to go see. She said that I really could have placed. I did not look. But I did place 3rd in my age group. How funny!

Matt, Leigh and I went and ran 2.5 more miles after the race.
Leigh and Me in my SUV!

Me and my Hubby, Matt!

What would you do differently?: I am not sure that I could have done anything any different. I told Matt that I ran hard the whole time. I passed several people I was trying to pass. I finished well.

My Stats:

Gun Time: 23:22

Chip Time: 23:18 (7:29 pace)

Placed 3rd in my AG! WOOT!
Overall Rank = 244/1260

7-11-09 RFYL 4 Miler Race #5 in Grand Prix!

Well here we go again!
Today I ran the 5th race in the Grand Prix series. Like the others, this race had the potential to keep me at 3rd or drop me. So I was a bit anxious.

Training:
I have ran this course several times in training. I ran it a few weeks ago in 32 minutes AFTER running 8 miles. So I expected my time to be around 30 minutes. My goal was 30 or under.

The Morning of:
I have to figure out something other than PB&J to eat on race morning. I have learned that my nerves are killing my stomach....so eating anything just makes me feel sick. So I normally do not get the nutrition I need to race. So if anyone has some suggestions for a good prerace drink...let me know.
So I got up at 0500, prayed, read my Bible, and tried to eat. I could only get 1/4th of the PB&J down. My sweet hubby and best scream teamer came with me today. So we loaded up the car and at 0637 we were off. We also brought our JRT with us. She loves the races....she could beat everyone.

The Race!
What can I say? It was hilly. I personally don't think it was as bad as the 1st 4 miler of the series, but My friend Debbie does not agree. I also think the weather was good...I mean for July. It could have been bad.
But anywho...back to the race.
MILE 1 - I started at the front. That means I really did not have to fight to pass people, but it seemed that EVERYONE passed me. The 1st mile, and I am not lying, was totally uphill. However, it was over b/4 I knew it. I thought I had started out slower, but as I passed the 1st clock it said 7:26. Opps!
Mile 2 was almost all down hill. As we were running DOWN East Blvd, I thought, this should be easier. Then I passed the mile marker and saw my time. Mile 2 was in 7:24. This means I hit mile 2 at 14:50.
Mile 3 was totally up hill again. I thought I was pushing but apparently I wasn't. I finished mile 3 in 7:51 (I am at 22:42 for a total time.) I briefly thought that I wished this was a 5k...I would only have .11 to go. STOP THAT! Pain is fear leaving the body....I'm afraid!
Mile 4 was mostly down so I started booking it. Then I started gagging....OH NO! I started feeling that PB&J coming back to visit....so I slowed down a bit. Several girls passed me but I knew it was better to slow than to have to stop to puke. I rounded the corner and saw the finish.

Matt took this picture of me as I was getting ready to cross the finish line. I saw him out of the corner of my eye, but had to keep my eye on the finish. This mile, even with the slowing as not to barf, was 7:35.
Total time was 30:18 chip time.
Gun time: 30:20 (7:35 ave pace)
7th in my AG out of 62
37th female out of 283
202nd finisher out of 678

After finishing I just needed a cool drink! Do you think they would mind if I jumped in that ice pool? Better not.

I just hope this drink stays down!

Me and my Scream Teamer Matt!

After:

Matt and I went and ran 3 more miles. Then went home to pack for Disney! WOOT!

Thoughts:

I regret not pushing harder on the 2nd mile. I think I could have broken 30 minutes. But that will be for another day. I am faster now. My last 4 miler I ran with a 7:50 pace....so that's cool. However, not fast enough to place in my AG!

King Tiger 5k - 6/6/09-Race #4

So I did the #4 race in the Grand Prix series this morning. I knew that b/4 this race, I was placed 3rd in my AG in the series, so this would either hold me there or drop me....or a very slim chance put me higher...LOL! No pressure, huh.
Prerace Morning Routine:
Set the alarm for 0600 but woke up, wide awake, at 0500. So me and JRT went downstairs. I let her out and fixed my coffee. After letting her back in, I spent some time with God. I asked Him to give me the strength to run well. I forced down a PB&J without the J....HaHa! Then I took some Advil. My head (due to allergies I assume) has been hurting the past few days. I don't run well with a headache.
Got dressed and headed to the race around 0645. My goal was to be there around 0700. This would be no problem b/c this race was on my side of town. Got there and met up with Bree. Got my chip and realized there would be no potty break even though I had to go.
The Race:
Lined up very close to the start line with Debbie and Bree. We were talking then everyone started running. That was the start! So I ran!
1st mile: The normal weaving but not too bad. Then I started thinking....I want to quit...I didn't feel good. WHAT? OK, that is not acceptable so I turned up my Ipod and listened to "Welcome to the Jungle" then "She's Country". Passed mile 1 at 7:21. OOOO, this makes me feel better.
2nd mile: At this point the song "Now or Never" came on. Now if you you do not have preteen girls, you will not know this song. It is from "High School Musical 3". I played it b/c I knew I had less than 16 minutes and it basically says...Man up and do it! It helped b/c I hit mile 2 at 14:47. That means I did the 2nd mile in 7:26 minutes. WOOT!
Mile 3: Arrrr....Mile 3 did not go too well. It was mainly uphill and I must have just quit racing....or something. Don't remember much about this mile except it was 7:57. WHAT?!?! I hit mile 3 at 22:44.
Last .11 took 48 seconds and that is out of control.
I always loose it the last mile and it costs me the race. I may start out too fast, but not sure if starting slower would make me finish faster. Oh well.
After Race:
Finished then saw Gygy cross the finish line. We hung out. Then saw Debbie and Bree. Found Sommer and Tim and Jeremy. Hung out and ate some of the post race stuff. Did not place, but the girl who came in 3rd in my AG only came in 1 minute faster than me....so I know what I need to do...TAKE A WHOLE MINUTE OFF MY TIME....AHHHH! Not that easy!
So, my
Total time was 23:32 chip time
Gun time 23:40
Ave pace: 7:37 (based on gun time)
Total Place: 170 out of 775
Age group Place: 7 out of 73
Gender Place: 31 out of 366

Twilight 5k-5/8/09 - Race #3 Grand Prix

Pre-race routine:
With this being a night race, my whole routine went out the window. Matt (hubby) ran this race too! That excites me! Matt and I drove to downtown, parked, met up with Ron, Bree, and Lucas. We walked to the race and went to pick up our chip. There I saw Gygy and Rusty from BT! It was great to get to chat with them. It helped to calm my normal prerace gitters. There was no WU. Just went to the start and waited with Matt, Gygy, and Rusty. It was a crowded race and I knew already that I would have to be passing lots of peolpe who lined up wrong.
Run
The Fire Fighters raised a huge flag b/4 the start. This was cool!
It took me almost 30 seconds to get past the starting line. Then the first mile was playing the passing game. When will I learn to get near the starting line? I was feeling pretty good. Passed mile 1 at 7:49 clock time. I think I yelled, and speeded up. Mile 2 I hit at 15:06 so I think I did speed up a bit. I have to say the 3rd mile was hard. I wanted to walk SO bad. It was a mind game. I was glad to see the finish line.
Post race
After I finished, I waited at the finish line for Gygy, Rusty, Matt, Bree, and Ron. Never did see Gygy and Rusty finish. They may have come across while I was walking to find a good spot. Then saw Matt come across with a PR. 29.06, WOOT! Saw Bree and Ron cross then chatted with them and some other friends....Ron's grandaughter ran the kid's fun run, so we cheered her on. Then went to Brix and grubbed.
What limited your ability to perform faster:
ME! I had panned for rocks all day with Maggie (my 8 yo) on a field trip. This was lots of hiking and squatting so I went into the race tired. But I would not change going on the field trip....it was worth the seconds I lost in the race.
Came in 54th out of 843 females! WOOT!
Total Time = 23m 41s
Overall Rank = 276/1696
Age Group = 35 - 40F
Age Group Rank = 9/135

Skyline 5k 4/25/09 - #2 race in Grand Prix

So is this why my truck won't start?
Prerace
Got up around 0500 and got coffee. Drank it while I prayed for this race and my friends who were doing the race. Went to make my PB&J and found I was out of bread....NOOOOOO! So I heated up a Eggo Waffle and put P-nut butter on it. I think this hurt me in the long run...no pun intended. Drove to the DOWD YMCA to meet my buddy. We were going to meet there so we would be sure to be together. As I pulled into the DOWD, something happened in my car....It ended up a belt broke. I knew the car was acting weird on I77, so I had prayed that God just get me to the DOWD. He did...thanks God! She drove up and I hopped in her car then drove to the start.
I would say I really did not need a WU due to the heat. I was warm. However, I think holding my breath and then smelling the stinch in the port-o-jon....then gagging and almost throwing up could count for a warmup.
The Race!
The start was very crowded due to the small amout of space that was avalable. Even though I lined up near the start, I had to fight my way around all the people who lined up wrong. I think this could have zapped some energy because I had to jump upon the sidewalk a few times to pass people. Finally I made it past and got into a pretty fast pace for me. I went through my 1st song, my second, then the 3rd came on. I had not seen the 1st mile marker and I thought I may be going slower than normal. I try to time out my songs so I can guestimate my pace. This worried me a bit. I upped the pace a bit to find the 1 mile mark. After a few minutes of this I started gagging...like I was going to throw up. At this point, I went back to the previous pace. I started to doubt myself a bit, then in the distance, I saw the mile 2 marker. It said 15.08. OK, I am good now. I am OK on pace, but Oh no, I have 1 more mile.....OK, only 7ish more minutes. This isn't suppose to be easy. I do wish this pace was easy for me. When we started going down hill, a few people passed me. I feel like up hills....even though I hate them...are a strong point for me. I could not get the leg turnover I needed to pass the 2 girls (in my AG) back. I had been ahead of them the whole time. DRATS!!!!! I got to mile 3 and started gagging again. I thought, OH NO! If I throw up, this will mess up my time for sure. I saw the finish line and went in.
After Race!
After passing the finish line, I just walked around a bit. After a few minutes, I took off my chip. Then I went to cheer in Leigh....She came in at 29.08...WOOT! We met a few other friends and exchanged hellos. Then got a drink. Waited to see what our official time was then went back to the DOWD and ran 4 more miles. I called AAA and had my car towed and it is being worked on as I type this.
Not sure if hydration and breakfast hurt or not. I ran this faster than I ever have ran a 5k....so can I really expect more?
My Chip time was: 23.13
Overall Rank: 156/843
Age Group Rank: 5/13?
I did not like how we were crammed in at the start. However, it was a fun race. The volunteers were cheerful and helpful. So it was cool!

Matt came all the way to the DOWD to help his wife....thats a good man!

Leigh and I ran 4 more miles then she waited with me. Good friend!

Shamrock 4 Miler - Race #1 Grand Prix 3/21/09

Me and Leigh after the race!

Me, Bree, and Leigh

Today I ran the Shamrock 4 miler in Charlotte NC. It is the 1st race in the Grand Prix Races. There are 9 races in the series. Basically on average one a month. There are a few months where there are 2. Anyway. Had a friend do the series last year and she placed in the Athena Category. So I thought....maybe I could win some hardware.....So I am going into this wanting to run...FAST. (well fast for me).
I have to admit I did not know what to expect. I have not run a shorter race in over a year. This made me nervous!
THE MORNING OF:
I got up at 0500 and went through my normal prerace routine. Spent some time with God, ate, then Bree picked me up and we went to the race. It was COLD!
THE RACE
I lined up at the starting line with Gygy, Debbie, and myself. The starting gun went off and I turned on my Ipod. The 1st song was "Welcome To The Jungle" to remind me of the pain I would experience in this race. I was having some issues with my pants. They kept falling down. So I had to keep pulling them up. I hit the 1st mile at 7:34. It was a pleasant surprise. I remember pointing this out to Debbie and kept running.
The race was an out and back course. Right before we hit mile 2 we turned to start heading back. I am not even lying when I say that the rest of the race was uphill. At mile 2 the song "No Air" came on. This reminded me that I probably went out too fast. But too late to think about that now. I was really trying to book it and just focus on my breathing so I would not cramp up....or throw up.
Mile 3 came around 23 minutes and some change. At this point I did think it would be embarrassing if I threw up on the side of the road. But I know when I cross the finish line, all the pain will be worth it.
Turned the corner on the way to the 4 miles and saw the finish line. I also saw 4 speed bumps that I have to get over. This was cruel.....Just don't fall, Just don't fall. I see the clock and book it. I want to get there before 32 minutes. I did.
Here are my stats:
I was 201 out of 850 total
12th out of 74 in my Age group
43rd out of 417 females
Chip time - 31:18 Gun time - 31:25 Ave Pace - 7:52
OTHERS STATS
Debbie finished around 32.15 minutes and came in 3rd in her AG! WOOT
Bree and Leigh also PRed....40 minutes. WOOT!
We packed up and left after the race because we were so cold! Well I was anyway. Debbie stayed for the festivities and got lots of FREE stuff.
THOUGHTS
I wanted to place in my AG, but that did not happen today. I did go as fast as I could so it was not for a lack of trying. I will now start some speed work so I can compete.

Bree, Leigh, and me....freezing!

Myrtle Beach Marathon 2/14/09

How do I celebrate Valentines Day?
Well, 11 years ago, I brought my sweet little girl into the world.
This year, I ran a marathon.........
In Charlotte, I did not meet my goal of sub-4, so I thought I would give it another chance. To do this, I had to recover from the Thunder Road Marathon, ramp back up my miles, and taper......all in 8 weeks.

FRIDAY!
Well here I am. Packing up for my 9th marathon. I have to admit I do not feel prepared for this marathon. However, looking back, I am more prepared for this than ever.
The phone rings. It is the school calling me to tell me my 11 year old baby girl is in the nurses office.....with a fever. AHHHHHH! Now I may be stressed. Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out.
We drop off the dog, pick up the girls, pick up Peggy (my Mother-in-law), and head over to Myrtle Beach. I eat pasta with very little marinara and chicken. Then around 1950, I head to bed.

THE MORNING OF:
Well my alarm was set for 0400. It did not go off! I wake up in a panic at 0418. I fix some coffee and spend some time with the Lord asking for His blessings on this day. I pray for a sub 4 for me and Ricky, who I will be running with. Then I realize....I HAVE A HEADACHE! I make the decision to take some Advil. My head is killing me and I will have to chance an upset stomach b/c I cannot run with my head hurting.
I pack up everything and my sweet husband, Matt, gets up and we head out. We get to the race start and begin the search for Ricky and his crew. I then get sidetracked by the port-a-jons. One last stop to the potty b/4 the race.
Find Ricky and friends, kiss Matt goodbye, then lineup at the start. I look at Ricky and say, "It may not be a good sign that we are standing here in shorts and a t-shirt at 0630 and we are nice and warm."

BRING IT ON:

Here is the course layout!
At 0630, we begin the race. It takes us a few seconds to get across the starting line so my chip time is behind my clock time. I am running with Ricky, and a friend of his named Jason. Like always, there are tons of people who have lined up wrong. So the passing, weaving, and trying to keep up with Ricky begins. We pass mile 1, mile 2....Starting to warm up. Well it is warm and humid so we were warm when we started. By mile 3 we were in our groove and it was starting to get light out. We passed the mile 14 mark and I looked at Ricky and Jason and said, we will have to pass this again.
Mile 4, I took my 1st 1/2 of a gel. We turned on Ocean Blvd and started toward the Pavilion. I really enjoyed this part of the run. Lots of things to look at and lots of crowd support. Jason and I have now started a game. At the water stops, we try to throw our cups into the trash can. We both got several "rim shots". I even had an assist with a volunteer.
At mile 8ish, we turn and head back to the 1/2 marathon mark. The official results show I hit mile 8 at 1:14.....however, I don't think this is right. I hit mile 7 around 59 minutes and I know it did not take me another 15 minutes to get to mile 8. Also, at this point, Ricky had just looked at me and said we were doing 8:34 MPM....So not sure what was up with this.
At mile 8ish a girl runs up beside me and Jason and asks if she can run with us. Oh yeah, the more the merrier! We hang the rest of the marathon together. Her name is Gay.
I hit mile 13.1 at 1:54. This is correct. I saw it on my watch. This is about the same time I hit the 1/2 way mark in Charlotte.

However, I feel good this time.
At this point, Gay and I start counting down. At each mile marker, we yell out how many miles we have left.
We pass the mile 14 marker...again. Gay and I yell 12 more miles. I look at Ricky and say we are passing mile 14 marker again, but this time we are really at mile 14. WOOT!
At this point, I think Gay and I pick up the pace. She was listening to her Ipod. I had mine, but decided not to turn it on until the hard times hit. The miles start passing by quickly....at mile 16 I look at Gay and say, now we get to single numbers.
At mile 17, I know I have been running at a faster pace than normal. I make the decision to break out the Ipod. Oh, yeah baby. Take another gel and suck it up and run.
At mile 19 Gay looks at me and asks if I think we can finish this thing in an hour. The clock says we hit this at 2:45. I told her that if we do this, I will qualify for Boston. Now the goal changes. My BQ is 3:45. I really feel good and look at Gay and say, "Why not, the worst that can happen is that we throw up".
Hit mile 20 at 2:54.57 clock time. WOW! Mile 20. I finish up a gel with caffeine and get H2O at the water stop. Gay and I yell, "6 more miles!"
At this point the miles start to get long. I say a prayer that God will give me the strength to finish well. I know that these miles can make or break the race.....so I decide to break down the wall! It isn't supposed to be easy!
At mile 22, I walk through the water stop b/c I am thirsty. Gay runs on. I can see her, but thought I can't catch up. I start to feel a cramp in my left calf. I knew if I did not slow down, I would cramp up and not finish the race. So I slowed down a bit. I knew I was right on the edge of a BQ, but that could wait until another day. It had started sprinkling a bit but I was hot and thirsty so this felt good.
At mile 25 the bottom drops out. It starts pouring the rain. I was ready to finish this thing and my calf was doing OK so I start running. I pass several people. I even catch up to Gay, who I had lost sight of. She tells me to run on and not wait for her.
I run past mile 26 and start through the finishing chute. I can see the finish line and I run as fast as my legs would go. I am smiling and laughing as I pass the finish line. My clock time was 3:51.40.
My chip time is 3:51.11! SUB 4 BABY!
Gay finishes right behind me. We hug and get a picture taken together.
Ricky also gets his sub 4! What a wonderful day! I see Ricky then loose him again. It is still pouring the rain and Matt has found me by now. So we go to the car and go eat! And that is why I run!
My ave pace was 8:51. I started out much faster, but as always, I slow a bit.

THOUGHTS!
I thought this was a much easier course than Charlotte. I hydrated well during the race, even when I did not feel like it. I took my gels and drank my HEED. The Lord was with me every step of the way. I left it all on the course. WOW! I cannot believe I went sub 4! Am I dreaming?
NOW, Can I shave 6 minutes off my time for a BQ?