Route 66 Marathon! First (ultra)marathon

The experience of running a marathon is definitely overwhelming.  It takes up so much more then race day - you are committed to running the marathon for 18+ weeks of your life, and it really does become part of your life.  A day later I sit here with a whole in my daily life because I am no longer training for the event and no longer have this race to look forward too.  It is understandable why we runners become addicted to these races - when you do something for so long it becomes ingrained in us.

My original first marathon was suppose to be the Maui Oceanfront Marathon last January   When injury delayed this marathon, my goal became to run a marathon before the end of the year.  After the OU football schedule widdled down my selections I was left with Route 66 and the Dallas Marathon.  Since I'm an Oklahoman, I decided to stay in-state.  Backwards 18 weeks from the Sunday before Thanksgiving is known as hell in Oklahoma (otherwise known as late July/ early August).  I started my training in the hottest part of the year, including long runs that started at 5:30 am to beat the heat.  I used Hal Higdon Novice II plan - the mileage was good to get me back into 30 mpw that I was struggling to achieve on my own.  Like with my experiences on half marathons, if you want to have better times you need a plan that has more mpw built in.  Maxing at 36mpw just doesn't get you there.  But it worked for me.

We headed to Tulsa Saturday before the race, hit up the expo for my bib and some pictures of the experience.  I did an extended carb load plan - I started Friday night with pasta at Olive Garden.  Saturday while we were driving we stopped at IHOP for pumpkin pancakes, and Saturday night we went to Charleston's for steak, mashed potatoes and vegetables.  I had noticed in training that some of my best runs I ate steak the night before.  It seemed to work well for the marathon as well.  And the line for the restaurant was soooo much shorter!

Race morning I met up with my racing team friends to hang out pre-race and get a group picture.  Hit the port-o-john right before race time, slipped into the corral and waited for the gun.  The first mile I spent catching up to some friends that I felt would be running a good pace for me.  Once I caught them we feel into a nice rhythm.  I enjoyed their company and the fun they were having during the race.  It made me smile and kept the air light.  I kept a solid 10:15ish pace for the first half of the race.  I really had no problems except for a small side cramp around mile 10 that I had to breathe out.  I lost my running buds around mile 9, but I still had a large group of people around me from the half race so I was good.

Once we hit mile 13 and the half marathoner peeled off, it became real.  There were significantly less people on the course and there was little support along the side of the course.  There had been hills in the first 7 miles, it became flat till mile 14, then we started climbing again, and that's when I hit the wall.  I think it was a mix of the mental fact that I no longer had people to run with and that I still have almost half the race to go.  I started a run/ walk regimen where I walked up the hills and attempted to run as much of the down and flats as I could.  I don't know how successfully I accomplished this, but I felt I did a good job.  The highlights of miles 14-21 were seeing my friends twice and the Center of the Universe detour which made the race an "ultra"marathon.  That extra .3 miles played mind tricks with me the rest of the race because it added mileage to the Garmin, but I wouldn't take back doing it for anything!

Center of the Universe Detour (photos by Snaps by Erin)

Around the 20 mile mark, I came out of my fog and was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  With only a 10K left to race, I knew I could do it.  My mood started to improve, and while I still walked the uphills, I had more energy on my runs (this does not mean they were faster!).  I had two blisters, one on each foot, that became apparent around mile 24 and they were pretty painful for the end of the race.  My focus became just making it to the finish.  When I could finally hear the cheers of the finish line, I knew that I could make it.  We had climbed the last hill at that point so I just cruised as fast as I could.  There were almost tears as I crossed that line with a huge smile on my face.  It was definitely an amazing feeling to be a marathoner.  I didn't finish the race in the 4:30 that I had originally planned, but I was happy to cross the line in just over 5 hours (5:00:33 to be exact!).  As they always say, the first race is an instant PR!

Would I do another race?  The only reason I would say yes is because I don't think the first marathon really gives you a good view of what running a marathon is like.  I would like to give it ONE more chance knowing what to expect.  I already have the race picked out (Flying Pig - another super hilly course) I just have to let time slip a bit and make sure that I am ready to once again commit my life to this non-sense!

Expo Fun & Pre-Race jitters

Racing Team picture, Corral, Race buddies, Fun on the course, & Bling!

Photos throughout the day (Photos by Eric Bloemers and Heath Tate)

Patriot Half Marathon - Rockwall, TX

The final of my series of half marathons this spring ended in Rockwall, TX for the inaugural Patriot Half Marathon.  The race was on Memorial Day - it seemed like a good day to race, trip to Texas for the long weekend, a new smaller race, the heat of the end of May (dang forgot to think of that).   Anyways.  I just have to say I always wonder why more people don't try and do small 1/2 marathons in Oklahoma, we don't seem to have many and they are all crowded into one time of year - we need more and more spread out.  Guess I just don't realize how many road bumps and difficulties you have getting one off the ground.  The Rockwall Running Center did a great job pulling this off, but a few things I can think of - 15 water stops and 1 porta potty on the route (doesn't equal out in my mind, how about yours), no water or Gatorade at the finish line excepts for a small glass they hand you as your cross the finish line, the guy who forgot safety pins for same day packet pickup...

Race morning was beautiful.  We saw a beautiful sunrise as we drove from our hotel on the other side of the lake and by the time I got to packet pickup it was a nice 72* or so and great breeze.  Packet pickup was fairly uneventful excepts for worrying about not having safety pins before the race started (the one time I didn't have a group of them in the car!).  There was a very moving presentation of the National Anthem where veterans released balloons - all very well done and moving.  And then we were off!

The first 4 miles of the race was through some of the parks in Rockwall.  We got to see some nice little areas, housing editions, a nice lake.  There were some gentle rolling hills but nothing to terrible.  My legs felt great, my ankle was a little tight, but besides that everything felt great.  I tucked in-between the 2:00 and 2:10 pace group to keep myself on track.  I didn't have my Garmin on, but I had my phone logged onto RunKeeper in my pouch to keep my splits.  First 4 miles were 9:23, 9:18, 9:14, 9:33.

The next 3 miles we turned out to a small connection highway between towns.  We were headed North to the turn around point so the wind was at my back.  There were definitely some bigger hills out here, but I was still running good.  Took gel around 5.5, saw my friends around 6 and kept chugging along.  At this point I started thinking about how the first half of this race and the second half were going to separate people.  The second half would be reliving all the grueling hills on tired legs - I wasn't looking forward to it but I hoped I wouldn't fall victim.  Miles 5-7 were 9:47, 9:34, 9:40.

Mile 7 was the turn around and suddenly we were running into a pretty strong wind.  The first 1/2 mile of the back was flat and the wind wasn't that much of a factor, but then we came to the steepest hill of the course - it was a rough climb, but I still had control and pushed pass several other runners and was still very neutral between my two pace groups.  As I kept pushing through the hills the stamina in my legs started to fail.  Around 9 I had to start taking significant walk breaks and I started noticing some of the runners I had passed long ago passing me.  I turned around to see the horror of the 2:10 pace group a few feet behind me.  I started running again, but quickly gave in to the chase and stopped to let them pass.  I knew I didn't have the strength to out run them.  I tried to run with them, but I also didn't have the strength for that.  I kept wishing that we would turn off the highway (we were well pass the point where we initially entered) but we just kept running south.  And of all times not to have a Garmin, the mile markers were all sorts of messed up so the distance from marker 10 to 11 was actually 2 miles - that is detrimental at this point!  Miles 8-10 were 10:28, 10:25, 10:27.

The final 5K was just will to not stop.  I walked, I ran, I cursed running, I swore I would never run another race over 3 miles, I contemplated quitting, the same thing that always happens at mile 10.  I walked a good deal of these miles, which was good because I don't think I would have finished the race otherwise.  When I crossed the finish line (which I did have enough energy saved to "sprint" the final 100m) I could barely move my legs anymore.  Final splits were 10:58, 11:44, 12:01.  Overall time was 2:13:49 (exactly 1 minute slower then A2A)

It just sums up that I speedy half marathon cannot be run on 20 mpw in my world.  It just doesn't give the legs enough endurance and stamina in the end to sustain distance and speed.  Hopefully with longer runs over the fall I will feel back to normal.  It's been a tough spring to manage, but I've done some great things - walked a half with my best friend, paced the 2:30 at the OKC memorial, run races on back to back weekends, and added 5 medals to my collection in 4 months.  I'll take what I've been giving and see where the wind leads me in the future!

OKC Memorial Half Marathon - from a new view

I took a new approach to the OKC Memorial Half Marathon this weekend.  Several years ago when I didn't run the race, I volunteered at the expo and had a great time.  I decided this year I wanted to help out again, to help others enjoy and have a wonderful marathon experience.
I started the weekend out on Saturday helping out at the Red Coyote booth at the expo.  It was a lot of fun to talk to racers as they wandered around the expo - and I enjoyed helping out the running store the sponsors the race team.

The real job started early on Sunday morning however.  I decided instead of trying to race the half marathon while still getting myself back into running shape that I would pace a half marathon group and help someone else achieve their goals while I continued my comeback.  I decided on the 2:30 group so that I would be able to take it really slow since I still hadn't run 13 miles straight without stopping.  Decked out in my very neon orange pacer jersey I headed downtown at 4:30 in the morning.  After meeting up with the rest of the group we headed over to the starting corrals.  It's been a long time since I've run a race at this pace and it felt weird to head so far back in the corrals, but once we got back there the excitement of all the first time half marathons and those looking to achieve a pace goal for the first time was contagious.  After a moving 168 seconds of silence we were off.
I enjoy the new route through downtown that has us running straight towards the Devon tower, it's a cool view in the early morning light.  I was worried about being able to keep the slower pace, worried about speeding up to much along the way, about wearing out the runners with us, or not coming in on time.  I don't think I have focused on the time coming from my Garmin this much in years.  I was constantly fiddling with it, making sure we were running the right splits, trying speed up on the flats, and take it easy on the hills.  I also wanted to make sure that everyone running knew what was coming up so I tried to yell out water stops, turns, and obstacles (like hills) coming up.  I had a great pacing partner who kept the conversation going and talked to several of the people with us.  I think the first 7 miles, the hardest in my opinion, went by very well and all our runners looked great.  Around mile 8 I realized that we were a little behind pace because of how much extra I had run along the course weaving in and out.  I had to increase the pace just a little to get us back on track, but luckily the second half of the course was fairly flat.
The real job started around mile 10.5 when our runners started hitting the wall.  Yelling out encouragement, miles left, one more turn this way, last water stop helped to keep everyone focused.  I'm so proud of one of my runners who several times wanted to give up and stop and just when I figured we had lost her I would turn around and she would be back at my side, made me feel awesome!  At the final turn to the 1/2 mile straight-away to the finish I just started encouraging everyone around me to finish strong and do what they needed to finish.  It was joyous crossing the finish line and seeing everyone so excited to hit their goal.
It was an amazing feeling this weekend - as wonderful as it feels to hit your own PR at a race, it is just as amazing to see someone else hit theirs and know you helped the achieve it against all odds.  I would pace another race in a heartbeat - it was a wonderful weekend!

A2A - A lesson in crazy

This story starts the Saturday before the race as we were driving to Dallas for the Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon. We took to back roads to Texas which happen to be the same road that the A2A race is run on.  As we drove along the first 2 miles of the race route, the red buds were bright purple and the green was just starting to bud on the trees, it was beautiful.  I remembered how much I loved the race and the sceneray from the year before, and suddenly I knew I had to do this race again.  I posted quickly on facebook to see if anyone else was crazy enough to want to do this race at the last minute.  Luckily one other person (also running the 1/2 marathon the next day) was interested in possibly doing it.  

It took us the entire week to decide if we were up to running a 1/2 marathon on back to back weeks, and if the weather would cooperate enough to not be a miserable race.  The online registration closed at midnight on Friday, I signed up at 10pm.  The first time I have ever done something crazy like that - this was so not me.

That's what I said at 5am as the two of us set out to Ardmore for packet pick-up and shuttle to the race start...random half marathon that we haven't trained months for? What is this? What happened to carefully planned out long runs and a week of waiting for the race and preparing?  This was crazy.  So we made it to Ardmore, picked up packets, assembled our race day gear (ie pulled it all out of plastic bags instead of having it nicely placed the night before for pictures) and jumped on the shuttle to the start.  The start line was a white line on the road with 10 or so porta johns beside it.  They did eventually put a start flag next to the line - and the American Flag for the anthem was a small one they sell at Walmart for Memorial Day.  It was all small town, small scale, but completely organized and thought out to every last detail.

As we were standing around talking the race gun sounds (girl next to me jumped 5 feet in the air, it took us all by surprise...), no fireworks, no loud crazy music, just the sound of shoes hitting the pavement - and we're off!  The first 2 miles were on a fairly steep downhill, rolling rolling rolling - yep those were some fast easy miles (9:30, 9:17).  My race strategy this week was to run by feeling - but stopping to walk at every water stop.  If I had fast miles in me I would run them, if I didn't it would be a LSR.  First water stop was around mile 3 which became my first walk break.  I was feeling great - there was still a nice fog covering the sun, temperature in the high 60s, and a brisk breeze.  I continued my run walk pattern at a pretty fast pace through mile 7 with no problem  (9:29, 9:49, 9:40, 9:47, 9:31) - even with a 10-15 second walk break I was keeping under a 9:30 pace of running and I felt great.  Around mile 8 the sun started coming out in full force and the temperature and the road started warming up fast.  Along with this the wind started to pick up and we were coming up on some fairly steep inclines.  As my pace and legs started to fail I decided it was time to just change it to an easy long run, walking when I needed to and being smart.  I ended up walking 2 times a mile for most of the race of the race, my pace would slow dramatically, but there wasn't much more that I could do.  I don't think it was a product of the fast miles at the beginning, I think it was a product of the heat and wind and just not having the weekly mileage to keep up that type of pace for 13 miles yet.  But it was better then last week - I felt so much better.  Final mile splits were (9:47, 9:51, 11:09, 11:00, 11:26, 11:00, 9:25).  
I finished in 2:12:49 - it was 3 minutes faster then the week before and it wasn't on fresh legs.  It was just a smarter race on my part. The conditions weren't better - I just ran what I knew not some new scheme I was trying out.  I'm so happy that I signed up for this race. Just like the year before it was a wonderful race, well run, and gorgeous.  I really like these smaller races without the craziness - they are just about running, not about everything else.

Oh and I was so excited that my partner in crime for the whole thing ran an awesome PR breaking the 2 hour mark.  I definitely would call this a successful last minute crazy effort!!!

Rock and Roll - Crash and Burn

The Dallas Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon was a race I signed up for 11 days after I found out I had a stress fracture in my foot. I think I signed up because I wanted to feel well and not injured. I had no clue what my comeback plan would be like or how quickly I would be able to come back.
After all was said and done, I had about 7 weeks to build enough mileage to complete a 13.1 race. Since that is not much time to just work up to the mileage, not even think about racing I decided to use the Galloway method mixing running with walk breaks - I used a 4:1 ratio. It worked beautifully and I was able to complete 11 miles 6 weeks after being able to run again. What I didn't take into account was the overall weekly mileage and how it would impact game day performance. I was only doing a 3 miler and a short 2-3 miler during the week, my weekly mileage was only at 18 or so, barely over the 13.1 race distance. I looked at some of my quality workouts and a 5K race and saw that I was running well at 9:00 pace and thought "I can do this for 13.1 with the Galloway method..." WRONG!
Race morning was beautiful - which translated into a really hot race day. Temperature was already 60* at the start of the race and it only climbed from there. I felt good the first few miles. It was tough to stop and walk with everyone running around me but I forced myself from the start. I didn't really focus on my interval paces, only on my overall which was staying around a 9:40 pace. There were some killer hills in the first 3 miles and I really started to feel them on my legs around mile 4. That with the heat and it all started unraveling quickly. I ran with a new friend for about 1.5 miles in here which was great for keeping my mind off the conditions.
I was really feeling the length of the course and the 13.1 miles after the 10K mark. There were some long stretches on straight roads - and while there were lots of spectators, there wasn't much to look at, and no shade. My pace on the runs started to drop drastically, and my walks got slower and slower. I kept telling myself that I would complete this race 4 minutes at a time - which got me through the race. I don't remember much of the last 3 miles of the course, just the road and the people in front of me. I was really doing a death march by the end, my head was pounding and I was so thristy - definitely had some dehydration and heat exhaustion there.
I finished the race in 2:15:53. I'm proud of that time. I know that I was crazy thinking I could keep a great pace after being off for so long, and looking back on my training I didn't have enough miles to keep a good pace either. I'm just grateful that I finished with a smile on my face. I enjoyed running with fellow Red Coyote racers. I've decided that I just don't mesh well with the Dallas RnR course though - not sure why but I've crashed there twice. Make me wonder if Dallas White Rock is a bad idea for a marathon...
I will regroup - I'm going to focus on running the full 13 now. Cutting out the walk breaks. While they are benefical, I don't really like them. I need to accept my current training load and run my paces to it. I'm not down, I just hope that I learned from this!

Guideance from an Elite for Run Lucky 5K

Some the name of this blog is to encompass three non-related items I'm going to talk about - they just went into the title nicely like this!

Guidance
So at the weekly Pack the Pint Run at Red Coyote last week, the Brooks rep was there with Ravenna shoes for us to try on and take out for a test run.  I had wondered in the past if I need a shoe with a little more guidance to wear on longer runs and give me a little more support so I was happy to put on a pair.  After a few minutes of getting my foot use to the extra support under the arch I was able to settle in and really critique the shoe.  First I loved the lighter feel (compared to my Glycerins) which reminded me of the Brooks Ghost 3 (my favorite shoe all time); after I got use to the extra support it was actually very comfortable (on my long run 2 days later I could immediately feel that the support wasn't there in my normal shoes); and overall I just liked the way they feel. 
From this run I decided that I need to get a new pair of lighter shoes to start running in.  Before the stress fracture I was slowly getting away from the heavy cushioned shoes, and I went back to them to help cushion my foot as I got back into running.  But now I'm wanting to transition away from these big shoes again.  I also decided that I need to do the gait analysis and make sure that I get either the neutral or cushion as it suggests.  I was scared to do this before because I didn't want to lose my Ghosts, but if the Ravenna is going to give me the same warm fuzzies then I can go out on a limb...

Dinner with an Elite
So my friend Jane from college was having a birthday party at a local restaurant, and a night out having a margarita and catching up with old friends sounded like a lot of fun.  Now I knew that her sister is an elite marathoner (Camille Herron), but I didn't realize she would be at dinner till the day before.  I didn't want to come off as a crazy stalker so I decided to play it cool and pretend like I didn't know (even though I had been messaging her about stress fractures just that week).  Well for the first part of dinner my plan went off without a hitch - but midway through dinner when everyone turned to stories about their children, the two of us broke off into our own world and started talking running.  I can't tell you how excited I was to get to chat to an elite about running! 
We talked about a wide range of things.  Talked some about coming back from stress fractures and what type of training is best to prevent future injuries along with how quickly to come back (she of course was back up to 100 miles in two weeks, but since I was only running 30 to begin with I won't be there any time soon!).  We then turned to talking about different destination races (for me vacations, for her a job) and where some of the best ones were.  Of course the Maui race was thrown in there and she talked about one in Alaska.  Finally we talked about how running creates such a small world (like how Rebecca was having dinner with her just last week) and how meeting someone at a race on one side of the US can translate to an experience with the same person at a race on the opposite coast - and other similar stories.  I felt like a rockstar after dinner - it's like eating dinner with a famous movie star and having a one on one conversation with them!!!

Run Lucky 5K
Well my training schedule had me racing a 5K the day after my longest long run of this training cycle (11 miler), so I had to take the 5K in stride.  I didn't mind this too much because really the Run Lucky is just a huge costume party with beer at the end - so party on!  I decided to just run the way I felt - not push the pace too much (started back at the 10:00 pace banner) and have fun.  The beginning of the race was slow going - it had rained alot that weekend and people didn't want to get their shoes wet (really???) so we had to puddle dodge for awhile. That with a crowded lane at the start, it took me a good 1K to get out of the pack and find a pace.  Once I did I felt great and just ran for fun.  First mile split was 9:35, not bad for as slow going as the start was.  Around this time we were going into a gradual uphill and I dug in and enjoyed the uphill.  I was starting to pass all the people that went flying out of the gate and didn't understand pacing...I love passing people!  Next split was 8:51! Really!!! Didn't even feel like I was running that hard.  I knew the next mile would start getting tough, but the run actually felt really short so I wasn't too concerned about how long I had left.  The last mile had a pretty steep uphill and I really pushed it and passed a lot of people (someone that was chasing me actually told me after the race that he thought he would catch up to me on the hill before I smoked it!) and was rewarded with a gentle down hill towards the finish line.  With the crowds cheering I was able to dig in and push just a little more.  Mile 3 split was 8:46 and 7:28 for the last .1. 
Final time was 28:03 - while this was a good 90 seconds off my PR, I was very proud.  I have only been back running for 6 weeks and I haven't done much speed training at all.  I finished the race with alot left in the legs and the lungs, so I know with a few more weeks of recovery that I will be able to start working on the speed and hopefully tackle the PR this summer!  Finish = drinking up the green beer!

"Frigid" Five - first race back

After 3-1/2 months off from running and racing, I have finally returned.  For the first time in as long as I can remember I woke up with butterflies in my stomach...what's up with that? I think it was a mix of noting being up so early to run on a Saturday in a while, and the thought of getting out there and running again - uncertain of the outcome and how my foot would handle.
After a tame winter laced with 60* temps and warm weather running, mother nature blew in an Arctic front for race day.  Race time temp was 18*, 16mph winds, and wind chill of around 4*.  Wow, hello winter.  I over bundled so I could stay nice and warm till race time (and through the race if I chickened out of my running tights).  After check-in, warm up mile, and some stretching I decided I could be strong and ditch the warm-up pants.  After all I have run in much colder then that before, just not this year.  And in the end - I was happy that I ditched the pants, while my legs were a bit numb at the end of the race - they would have been burning if I hadn't.
I decided to do the race like a long run (it was a 5 mile race and I had 6 on slate for the day, so worked out great) and test out the galloway method in a race. See how I handled it mentally to stop and walk as I was passing people.  I ended up lining up at the very back (bad idea) and spent the first mile picking off runners on a small paved path, wide enough for 3 people.  It was slow going, lots of running on the grass, and quickly passing when there was a break in on-coming traffic.  Since I was running so slow (around 10:45 pace) for that first bit, I ditched the walk breaks in lieu of trying to gain a little more ground and not lose it.  Finally at 1.5 miles, I was able to shed enough people that I felt comfortable settling into my pace and intervals.  The path was rolling hills (see steep ups and downs, great for the quads and hammies...).  I did what I do best and pushed up the hills and floated down the back side.  Each 1 minute break came at a great time on the hills - usually at the crest so I could catch my breath for a moment.  I didn't really pay attention to the pace I was running or walking. I knew for galloway to work you had to push your running pace more then normal to make up for the walking so I pushed outside of my comfort zone just a tad, but that was all.  Not knowing where I was going or how the trail laid out, I really had no clue how far into each mile I was - so it kept me guessing and from getting bored on the run.  I did start feeling fatigued around mile 4 so I pulled back the pace just a tad, but not too much.  I knew I only had 2 intervals left and I had no intention of walking at the finish line so I knew I needed to make each step count.
The last 1/2 mile was a killer. You passed by the finish line as you went out on a loop - really, that close to a heater and you make me run another 1/2 mile????  I didn't think I would ever make it, but I finally made it to the last turn and headed to the finish.  My lack of speed work kept me from sprinting to the end, but I did end at exactly 49:00!  Nice. 
One look at my splits below, and I can't help but smile.  It's amazing what type of speed you can put in each interval when you walk every 4 minutes.  And I was able to make a game out of it towards the end, picking out the person I wanted to catch before the next walk - knowing they would pass me again momentarily but then I would be back off.  I think if I can keep myself away from the idea of being passed is bad, then this might really work in Dallas - I'm excited to try it out on a longer race!!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/148772308

Maui Oceanfront Marathon (1/2 version)

This will be a different type of race report - since this was not an ideal style of race for me.  After a stress fracture in November, I had to drop the full marathon and create a new type of goal - just enjoy the race.  This was a hard goal for me. I love to compete and was really looking forward to this race.  In my mind I had to battle the lose of what I wanted and come to grips with what I was given.  So instead of talking about the miles of the race and the splits I will share some pictures along the course that I took and talk on a more emotional level.
The race course was beautiful.  The course ran along a costal highway and about 80% of the course ran on the oceanfront.  We started in a residential area with some really nice houses and views of the ocean through peoples back yards.  A quick turn and up hill put us on the course for the race.  Like I said the route was oceanfront so we were greeted with views of waves and beach most of the way.  We passed several beaches, some rocky shores, and plenty of views.  The only bad part was that we were running on the shoulder of the highway the entire race so we were crowded and I was always nervous about the traffic at my back.
 Unfortunately I didn't see any whales during the race like I wanted, but I did see this guy sunning himself on the beach.  (it's a sea lion).

The weather was humid and sunny (in comparison to the winter weather we came from in Oklahoma) so a mile or so section in a tree canopy was much appreciated. That about sums up the views of the course (it was an out and back) so here are some pictures of the scenery to enjoy.

 Sunrise around mile 1.5

View of the rocky shore from the edge of the highway 

 Who wouldn't like to run with this beside them?

 Some nice tree cover around mile 5

So emotionally this race was tough.  Like I said it was supposed to be my first marathon so the days leading up to the race as we drove over the full course, all I could think was "I wish I got to run this route".  The view was gorgeous and mentally I had always prepared for it.  During the race I had to face watching all the marathoners running toward us before we hit the turn around point.  This is when I really lost it.  For the first time I broke down and cried during a race - it was so overwhelming how much it affected me.  I hated myself so much for not taking care of my injury early enough and being able to get back for this race.  Thankfully my race buddy was able to keep me grounded and promise me another trip to do the marathon.  Around mile 8 I finally pulled it together and was able to concentrate on the goal of the race - helping Sandy finish the race since she graciously said she would do it with me.
Time wasn't an issue - I'm not even going to post it.  It was a PR for the longest time, but I took several good things from it.  I was able to put 13 miles on my feet and work on my calluses that had gone away after several weeks off, and because of the amount of time we were out - it really gave me a taste of what the amount of time on my feet for a marathon would be like - without the stress on my joints.  I think that will pay off for me greatly when I go after that marathon later.
In the end we finished and got our medals - and a cool down in the ocean!

Resolutions of 2012

Well here we are, 2 days into 2012. I guess this means it is time to post these resolutions I've had knocking around in my head for a few days. While some of my goals for 2012 are numbers and things I want to accomplish, I also want to focus on a mental and emotional level this year also.

I just finished reading this article on things to quit doing to yourself to create unhappiness or sabotage self confidence. I think it had some great points, and several of them really hit home for me.  I'm going to print out the bullet points and put them up to read every morning. I think I will go back and read the whole article once a week or once a month also just to reinforce the ideas in my head. I've spent so much of my life trying to make someone else happy or doing what someone wants me to do that I'm not sure how to put myself first. I've also let the past dictate the future for far to long. It's time to put the past behind me and live for today and tomorrow.

Now putting the mental stuff behind me, my physical goals for 2012 are:
~focus on self control in eating and what I eat. In this I want to lose about 10-15 pounds and be in the 130s finally.
~after my foot is better, I want to focus on my short distance speed. I would like to have a 5K time of 25:xx and a 10K time of 53:xx.
~if I do a fall 1/2 marathon, I want to try and get a sub2 hour time.
~i'd like another shot at the marathon this year. Maybe in November.
~run over 1000 miles for the year.

I think these are some doable goals and definitely some that will challenge me in all aspects this year. A friend suggested reviewing goals once a month to critic progress and make adjustments if necessary. I think this is a great idea and its my hope to do this also.

Happy New Year to everyone and good luck in your resolutions!