Activity
Christmas Marathon 2007-12-16 Olympia, Washington United States 42F / 6C Overcast Run - Marathon Total Time = 5h 11m 39s Overall Rank = / Age Group = 40-44 Age Group Rank = 0/ Pre-race routine: Saturday I woke up with a lot of plans. I needed to run some errands, finish some Christmas shopping, and carbo load! I was looking forward to a fun day, but it wasn't to be so. Hank hit again. I ended up spending much of the afternoon and evening with a high fever, moaning on the couch. On Tuesday I have surgery that will keep me in the hospital for 4-7 days and off running for six weeks. So this marathon was very important to me! I was so frustrated and flat out angry. Why do I have to deal with this? I'm a good person. I work SO hard to live a healthy life and limit the impact my diet might have on my health. And yet every 4-6 weeks (and sometimes more often) I end up with this. But even so, I decided to prep for the race just in case. I set out my gu, running belt, mixed up the gatorade, and laid out my clothing. If I couldn't run the marathon, it wasn't going to be because I wasn't ready. Sometimes the next morning I'll wake up feeling totally normal. So I decided to go with that plan. My pre-race routine was anything but normal. I was under-fueled the day before (I was feeling slightly better in the evening and downed some granola bars trying to get some carbs in). I was definitely under-hydrated. I was, however, very well rested! Got up Sunday morning feeling great! Aches and pains and fever, gone! I knew the race started a little later, so I had a big bowl of cereal and brought a breakfast cookie with me so I could eat that an hour before the start. Event warmup: What a low-key event! My last race was the New York Marathon and this was the complete opposite. We arrived for packet pickup at 8:30 after driving around Millersylvania campground for awhile looking for the registration. Got my packet; a cute t-shirt with Santa on it, a generic race number, and that was it! Not elite runners signing autographs, no racks of goodies to buy, no free samples of Soy Joy (always a good thing, in my book...nothing like reconstituted cardboard for a snack). Just a shirt, a number, and the great outdoors! I decided to take the early start since I wasn't entirely sure I would be able to run the entire thing at all, much less in under five hours. Curiously, about half the runners took the first start, and well over half were Marathon Maniacs. I was prepared to be one of the last, if not the last runner in. At 9:30 we congregated around a chalk start line. No bands, no anthem, no Sinatra, no throngs. Just a bunch of people standing around, stepping aside for cars going through, and one guy saying, "Okay...Go." and we were off! Run Comments: I am so glad I did this marathon. It was what it was. It wasn't flashy or fancy. It was just "nice". I loved my experiences this year in New York and San Diego. There was never a dull moment! There was also rarely a point where I could just get into my head and think. This was a thinking marathon. I ran alone for the first eight miles thinking about my upcoming surgery and how I was going to feel being off running for six weeks. I thought about people I love and dedicated miles to them. I try to do that in every marathon, but this one was "quiet" enough to really get to do that. I listened to music and the birds singing and looked at the scenery. (I did keep the volume low and one ear open to listen for traffic.) At mile eight I ran past a man who commented on my hat. I was wearing a Stitch Santa Hat. He was running my pace so we fell in together and for the rest of the race I had a partner! I love running with other people, but I also love running alone. I was blessed to get to do both on this race. I particularly like meeting new people on races. I don't think we planned to finish the race together, but once we started talking we just kept a pace and kept going. My run/walk was out the window, but that was okay. His pace was very well matched to mine, although I imagine that I might not have slowed as much at the end if I'd kept the run/walk going. Oh well! He was an older man who had lots of great stories, so he was very pleasant to run with. The last three miles were tough. Both of us were having significant knee pain. We hit the water stop at mile 24 and he asked if I minded walking for awhile. I didn't mind at all, so we walked much of the last two miles. At that point I wasn't going to abandon him! Mile 26 we headed back into the park. My Roy was there to cheer me in! He was the ONLY cheer I got on the entire route (unless you count barking and mooing). What a welcome sight! We ran into the park and almost immediately took a wrong turn! It added almost half a mile to our race because we got completely turned around! It was only when I saw Roy's coat through the trees that I figured out where we went wrong. Oh well! It added about 5 minutes onto our time because we entered the park at 5:03 and ended at 5:11:39! Oh well! What would you do differently?: I think pace-wise I would have done the run/walk the entire time if the speed concerned me. It didn't. I actually just wanted to have one last hurrah before my surgery. Post race Warm down: The finish was hilarious. We ran towards the "finish line" which was another chalk line on the ground. We kind of stood there looking around and a girl looked up and said, "Oh! Here! I need your tags." No cheers, not a single soul to welcome us. Just "Oh! Here! I need your tags." Roy was behind us, so he wasn't there to cheer me in (we passed him running in, which confused him since we were ahead of him when he started back, then behind him after we got lost...yes, he is still teasing me about this). There was a table that had been mostly picked over (by the kids of volunteers and runners...thanks a lot. I'm sure the RACERS didn't need food you selfish bastards...bring your own damn food for your kids...that is one of my MAJOR pet peeves. Roy said he saw one lady take her two fat little boys back to the table THREE times where each time they filled up on cookies, candy, and chili). There was no chili left (thanks again, jerks), and very few cookies (another thank you). There was, however, lunch meats and bread so I slapped two pieces of Wonder Bread together with some ham and honey mustard and it was the BEST thing ever! It's a darn good thing that Mother of the Year wasn't too concerned that her little chubs get some nutritious food! There were also bananas and a giant bag of pretzels. There had been donuts, chips, and candy as well. Thanks again. I don't blame the organizers for this. I blame the people who are ignorant and selfish and completely thoughtless. I swear if even ONE person reads my race reports and says to themselves, "Oh wow, I never thought of that. I won't feed my kids off the racers' food ever again" it thrills me. My own husband hadn't thought to bring food with him (because he thought I'd never run) and there was nothing around, so he sat in the car starving for five hours. He didn't eat anything! I even offered him something and he said "No, I didn't pay the entry fee so that's not for me." Exactly. If you didn't pay $70 to run the race, the food IS NOT FOR YOU! What limited your ability to perform faster: Being slow, being sick yesterday, just having run a marathon in the last five weeks. Mostly being slow. Event comments: I am going to be laid up for the next six weeks so this race was very important to me. Running is more than just a way to keep my body fat low. It is my mental health break. It is my meditation. It is the time I think through problems, make plans, and reflect. It is also a big part of my personal identity. I am a runner. So who will I be when I can't run? I know I'll suffer from a bit of depression. Even short term illnesses find me depressed. I know I'll feel a little lost. I know I'll be a lot cranky. You may want to pray for my poor husband. So running a marathon two days before surgery, and a day after my nasty bout of pancreatitis was a personal coup. I am going to take my shirt to the hospital to remind me that I am STILL a runner and marathoner. I know in my head that I have years of running ahead of me. But my heart fears "this is it." I *know* that isn't true. I just wish I knew it weren't true.
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Sunday, December 16, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Activity
Very strange readings, but it was your basic 5k. The time on the clock was 26:45, which was not as fast as I was hoping! It is a FUN run, though. Most everyone wears bells on their toes and many do have rings on their fingers, but no one was naked as far as I know. I started in the 8:00 mile group and suprisingly, there were STILL walkers ahead of me! No, I'm not THAT slow. Why don't people learn how to seed themselves? Okay...rant... If you are going to participate in a 5k, read the directions and listen to the announcements, please. I want everyone to participate in a race at least once in their life, so this isn't "Get out of my way, slowbee" rant. It's a "Learn how to follow the rules so everyone has fun and is safe" rant. Before the race there were no less than 15 announcements that the first wave is for people who run an 8:00 mile or faster (which I can do in a 5k), and everyone else should wait for their waves. Waves take off 10 minutes apart. We had red bibs, wave two had green, and wave three (for walkers) had white. So how come I still had to run around walls of walkers! I love walkers. I think anyone who sets a personal goal to finish a 5k or any other race is awesome. But it is dangerous to walk 5 abreast when you have actual runners behind you and it's a narrow roadway! It's also unfair to those of us who are trying for a pace! I had two goals: 1. Beat my previous PR of 23:50. 2. Finish on time to get to the Street Scramble by 9:30. I didn't do number one, but I did number two (which was pretty easy since I had 40 minutes to do 3.1 miles, grab some water, and run or walk a mile to the scramble). I could have done number one if I didn't have to dodge people who were walking at the start, and green and white bibs in the wrong pace group! GRRRRR! I am slow enough as it is! I don't need others slowing me down!
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www.streetscramble.com Activity
Wheeee! Grab a map that has no street names, and 30 circles. Navigate from the start to as many of the 30 places in 2 hours using ONLY your feet. Answer a question at each place to prove you were there. Run back to the start. If you're late, you are penalized 10 points per minute! Street Scrambles ROCK! We earned 830 points in our scramble, out of a possible 1000. Unfortunately we still didn't place. (We are convinced some teams cheat since how the HECK do you cover that much ground in 2 hours on feet if you don't split up?) We were pretty pleased with our score, though. We rock! According to our actual extrapolated data, we really hit about 7.5 miles. It was a lot of fun, although maybe not the best choice one week before a marathon.
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Activity
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Water *YAWN* Jogging
So Sunday I ran a 5k and then I ran a Street Scramble, for a total of ten miles. I was sensible. I have a marathon in one week, so of course I took it nice and easy on the 5k and didn't sign up in the fastest group and didn't push myself the entire way hoping for a PR.
Right?
And in the Street Scramble, I walked rather than ran from spot to spot because I knew I had a marathon in a week. So it would be silly for me to run, wouldn't it? Of course it would.
And I certainly did NOT totally push it trying to get 30 more points before time was called, racing hell bent for leather to the last clue.
Right?
Okay...so I lied and right at the end my knee said, "Hey! You know what? You ran a marathon four weeks ago and you haven't exactly been taking it easy since then, Einstein. I'm sick of your abuse. I won't have it! I will NOT HAVE IT!"
Owie...
So yesterday I did not run. Let me repeat. Yesterday I
did
not
run.
For those who know me, that's generally the time people put their hand to my head and say "Are you feeling okay? Do you need an aspirin? Should I call 9-1-1?"
So instead I water jogged. Water jogging is FUN! You get to "run" in WATER for 25 yards!
Then, you turn around and you run back for 25 yards.
Then, you turn around, and you run BACK for 25 MORE yards!
Then, for shits and giggles, you run BACKWARDS for 25 yards.
Lather
Rinse
Repeat
Roy and I went to the Y last night to water jog. We can't deep water jog because the pool is only 4 feet at its deepest. When we got there some chunky little kid was playing in the only lap lane. Rule is, no kids under 14 in the lap lane, but the rules weren't meant for THIS kid and his snorkel and his doting mother, nor for the lifeguard who is supposed to enforce the rules. They were meant for regular folk like you, like me.
We sat on the bleachers for a bit fuming, "When is that kid going to get out? Don't these people know it's against the rule? Good lord if I have to see his crack ONE more time, I'm filing harrassment!"
Finally we said, "Let's just get in. What will they do?" It's not like we smacked the kid or called him names. We just got in and started walking. Momsie did not like that and every time we'd hit the end of the lane where she was we'd overhear her passive aggressive snarking.
Hey, don't pull passive aggressive with me, Sweets. I wrote the book on passive aggressiveness!
So we just ignored her, and walked around kid each time we passed him, and did our jog. We did an entire hour of this, which should earn us some sort of medal. Water jogging is worse than the treadmill...at least on the treadmill you can go nowhere fast! In the water you go nowhere slow and there's nothing worse than the slow road to nowhere.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Explain, Please.
Would someone please explain to me why I see so many teenage girls wearing big ugly basketball shorts under their asses like some loser gangster wanna be? It's like "I think I'd like to look like an idiot, so I'll put on these shiny shorts that go down to my knees and look like the Church Lady's dress."
"Wait no. Not quite stupid looking enough. Let's see...what else could I do?"
"OH I KNOW! I'll pull the waistband down so that it's BELOW my ass! Oh yeah Baby! That looks HAWT!"
I don't get it.
Is it me?
Is it them?
OH! Okay! www.urbandictionary.com provides a clue:
jockster
jock + gangster
Usually seen running down the basketball court with their ass hanging out of their shorts.
Mike is a jockster.. Look at him with his backwards hat and low basketball shorts.
Sorry, but to me it looks like you have a load in your shorts and makes me want to say, in a "Mom" voice, "Honey, did you do a doodie?"
"Wait no. Not quite stupid looking enough. Let's see...what else could I do?"
"OH I KNOW! I'll pull the waistband down so that it's BELOW my ass! Oh yeah Baby! That looks HAWT!"
I don't get it.
Is it me?
Is it them?
OH! Okay! www.urbandictionary.com provides a clue:
jockster
jock + gangster
Usually seen running down the basketball court with their ass hanging out of their shorts.
Mike is a jockster.. Look at him with his backwards hat and low basketball shorts.
Sorry, but to me it looks like you have a load in your shorts and makes me want to say, in a "Mom" voice, "Honey, did you do a doodie?"
Okay who turned off the heat in Washington?!
I woke up this morning to the sound of *plunk* *plunk* *plunk*. WT?
Finally realized someone was messaging me on Gmail, so I got up because I knew it had to be Ryan, my nephew. Since I heart Ryan berry berry much and I hardly ever get to talk to him because he's 3 hours difference from me, I got up to chat.
It was about 20 degrees out! AIEEE! I was considering going to run a 5k this morning, but I thought, "I'll have to stand outside and wait and then I'll have to wait after and I'd rather just get out and run so I can warm up."
By the time we left the sun was starting to come up, so it was up to a sweltering 25 degrees. I have to say, I think I lost three toes in the process, but dang it's beautiful when it's this cold. The sky was SO clear and the mountains looked really really close.
So Roy rode his bike and I ran and we made our way the "long way" to Starbucks. We didn't talk much. I find I talk to him when he runs or walks with me, but when he bikes he's just far enough away that it's an exercise in frustration. For you see, I am married to a "Low Talker." So it's "mumble mumble mmmph"
"What?"
"MUMBLE mmph mphm"
"WHAT!?"
"I SAID MU MB LE mmmph mpmmphmp mpph."
See he will increase the volume on the first three or four syllables then drop his volume again down to mumble town. Drives me INsaNE!
So we ran to Sbux, where I got a coffee and he picked up a bagel from the store next door and had tea. Warmed up and read the paper together. It's a nice weekend tradition we've been doing for about three years.
Ran home in about 35 degree weather, which was a LOT nicer. Yes, I know other people have colder weather, but it's relative. For us, this is very very cold. For people in Los Angeles, they would curl up and die.
I have a marathon in a week and I'm in some form of denial. I haven't started tapering. My hip hurts. My knee was bugging me, but I don't care. I feel so much stress right now over other things that I think I'm in denial. In a way this is a good thing. I have surgery two days later and all these stressy things are keeping me from over focusing on any one thing.
Activity
Performance
Map
Elevation (ft)
Pace (min/mile)
Splits
I woke up this morning to the sound of *plunk* *plunk* *plunk*. WT?
Finally realized someone was messaging me on Gmail, so I got up because I knew it had to be Ryan, my nephew. Since I heart Ryan berry berry much and I hardly ever get to talk to him because he's 3 hours difference from me, I got up to chat.
It was about 20 degrees out! AIEEE! I was considering going to run a 5k this morning, but I thought, "I'll have to stand outside and wait and then I'll have to wait after and I'd rather just get out and run so I can warm up."
By the time we left the sun was starting to come up, so it was up to a sweltering 25 degrees. I have to say, I think I lost three toes in the process, but dang it's beautiful when it's this cold. The sky was SO clear and the mountains looked really really close.
So Roy rode his bike and I ran and we made our way the "long way" to Starbucks. We didn't talk much. I find I talk to him when he runs or walks with me, but when he bikes he's just far enough away that it's an exercise in frustration. For you see, I am married to a "Low Talker." So it's "mumble mumble mmmph"
"What?"
"MUMBLE mmph mphm"
"WHAT!?"
"I SAID MU MB LE mmmph mpmmphmp mpph."
See he will increase the volume on the first three or four syllables then drop his volume again down to mumble town. Drives me INsaNE!
So we ran to Sbux, where I got a coffee and he picked up a bagel from the store next door and had tea. Warmed up and read the paper together. It's a nice weekend tradition we've been doing for about three years.
Ran home in about 35 degree weather, which was a LOT nicer. Yes, I know other people have colder weather, but it's relative. For us, this is very very cold. For people in Los Angeles, they would curl up and die.
I have a marathon in a week and I'm in some form of denial. I haven't started tapering. My hip hurts. My knee was bugging me, but I don't care. I feel so much stress right now over other things that I think I'm in denial. In a way this is a good thing. I have surgery two days later and all these stressy things are keeping me from over focusing on any one thing.
Activity
| Route: | -- | Elev. Avg: | 51 ft |
| Location: | Marysville, WA | Elev. Gain: | +0 ft |
| Date: | 12/08/07 | Up/Downhill: | [+118/-118] |
| Time: | 08:07 AM | Difficulty: | 2.6 / 5.0 |
| Weather: | Fair | ||
| 25 F temp; 84% humidity | |||
| 25 F heat index; winds Calm | |||
| Distance: | 6.09 miles | ||
| Time: | 1:02:00 | ||
| Speed: | 5.9 mph | ||
| Pace: | 10' 11 /mi | ||
| Calories: | 735 |
| Mile | Pace (min/mile) | Speed (mph) | Elevation Gain | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| actual | +/- avg | actual | +/- avg | ||
| 1 | 9' 51 | -0' 20 | 6.1 | +0.2 | +16 ft |
| 2 | 9' 57 | -0' 14 | 6.0 | +0.1 | +6 ft |
| 3 | 01' 04' 30 | +54' 19 | 0.9 | -5.0 | -16 ft |
| 4 | 10' 41 | +0' 30 | 5.6 | -0.3 | +16 ft |
| 5 | 10' 08 | -0' 03 | 5.9 | +0.0 | -6 ft |
| 6 | 10' 42 | +0' 31 | 5.6 | -0.3 | -19 ft |
| end | 20' 00 | +9' 49 | 3.0 | -2.9 | +3 ft |
| Versus average of 10' 11 min/mile | |||||
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