Portland Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Portland Marathon.  It has been on my bucket list since I first began racing 12 years ago.  Two babies, two out-of-state moves, blah, blah, blah... it was a race I just never got around to doing.

Almost a full year ago my sister-in-law decided to sign up to run Portland.  It would be her first marathon and she was nervous and excited about the idea.  I thought it would be a fun bonding experience.  We met 14 or so years ago but I still couldn't tell you much about her.  It's one of those relationships.  I thought training for a marathon together could start to change that.

Then a couple of friends from California decided to also run the Portland Marathon.  All good, until my SIL moved to the Bay Area several months ago and then two weeks before the race my two friends also bailed (due to injuries).  Not that I really need someone to run a race with me, but it is always fun to share a race with a friend or two.

So, that's the background as to how I found myself at the starting line of the Portland Marathon yesterday.  Two months leading up to race day I dealt with a cranky ankle.  More specifically, a really sore Achilles.  I adjusted my running form to run more comfortably.  I avoided hills, both up and down, and stuck to flats as much as possible.  I also wore shoes with more arch support.  Anything to decrease stretching the Achilles seemed to help.  It still hurt to run, but after a mile or two the pain would subside enough to run.  I figured this might hurt really bad after the marathon (and it does!).

Marathon morning: I decided to stay at my mom's house in Oregon City for the weekend with the family.  The kids have their own room and for things like this Mike will sleep on the sofa until I leave so I can get a good night sleep (he tends to snore).  I don't sleep well at my mom's house because the mattress is simply too firm for me but I got a pretty decent night of sleep before the marathon.  When my alarm sounded at 4:30am, I was wide awake and ready to go.

I arrived downtown pretty early, maybe 5:45am for the 7am start.  Parking is a breeze at that hour.  I found on-street parking (meters are free until 1pm) on the same block as a Starbucks just two blocks from the race starts.  Of course, my corral was around the corner so maybe 5 blocks away but not an issue with the crowds. 

Two years ago I ran the Portland Half Marathon at this same event.  Shhh.  It wasn't my bib but a friend's who was injured.  We're in the same age/sex division so I didn't feel too bad about running it for her and snagging 3rd in my age group.  Anyway, so I knew the first 11 miles of this course well.  It's blazing fast, even with a good climb early around mile 2.  I set a half marathon PR at this race two years ago and I know that yesterday I could have done it again.  Easily.

I hung out at Starbucks chatting with a couple of different people, drinking a smaller coffee than usual, and using the restroom.  About 30 minutes before the race start I headed back to my car to get my race things, lube up, apply sunscreen, etc. Once that was done, I did an easy jog over to my race corral.

The B and A corrals are right next to each other.  No one is checking bibs so there were many runners with bibs that indicated were in the wrong corrals.  There are also a gazillion port-a-potties between the two corrals, but about three gazillion runners lined up for them.  I had just used the restroom at Starbucks but got in line anyway for one last go.  At 6:58am, I was still in the port-a-potty line.  Good thing I've gotten pretty good at going quickly! 

Upon leaving the port-a-potty area, I headed into corral B as my bib indicated.  I think it starts with the 3 hour marathoners so I started walking down the block to find my 3:45 pacer.  I had decided that if I started with the 3:45 group, I could probably run the whole thing in with them.  Maybe pick it up at the end, but at the very least finish with them.  Unfortunately, I was unable to find them.  Maybe I registered for a faster time that put me in corral B and the 3:45 group were the first in corral C?  I don't know but I didn't have time to figure it out.  The race was starting and I was standing smack dab between the 3:35 and 3:40 groups.

I love running in Portland but I don't love running on the city streets.  I found myself starting at the ground directly in front of me as we began the race and headed into Chinatown.  Before the race began, I realized I had some garbage in my pocket that I needed to throw into a trash can.  It wasn't the kind of garbage I wanted to "throw to the curb" so in Chinatown I jumped up onto the curb and tossed it into the can.  I then stepped back down into the street but must have stepped wrong because I was sent reeling.  Visions of my recent trip on a Seattle street immediately came to mind.  I don't know how I managed to catch myself from face planting right then and there but I did.  Nothing hurt so I forced myself to push it aside.  This was about .75 miles into the race.  Can you imagine?

Pretty much right from the start I found myself behind two girls and a guy who were clearly running together.  They looked like they were all business with a clear agenda.  They were running an even pace.  It wasn't a hard pace so I fell in step with them and ran with them until they pulled away around mile 15 or 16. 

I did some snooping around to see how they did.  I saw one later around mile 21 but wasn't able to catch up with her.  Anyway, from what I could find they were all from Houston.  The girl I talked to is a very experienced marathoner and ironman (it was tattooed on her back, right above the waist band).  She and the other girl's husband were pacing the other girl.  Their goal: 3:38 to get her under the 3:40 she needed to qualify for Boston.  It would have been a big PR for her, too, if they had succeeded.  Unfortunately, they all finished together around 3:48.  I felt bad for her because I know how disappointing that can be.  But, I was also happy to see that even if I had managed to stay with them I would have still missed that 3:45.  I'd still be kicking myself today if they had finished under 3:45. 

Not many costumed runners at Portland.  The one guy who will always stand out was the one in a Gingerbread Cookie costume.  He must have been so hot!  I saw him on the out & back portion of the course and he was miles ahead of me.  However, I passed him before the 13 mile mark so he was falling flat fast.  I chuckled when I passed him and heard him squeal, "Hee hee hee.  You can't catch me!"  Clearly I did.

This race was the first time I didn't carry any fluids.  And although it was a warm day, I don't think it hurt me.  I drank from every single aid station and I think it was adequate.  Early on, I didn't stop but grabbed and drank as I went.  I need to practice this because I kept getting water and ultima up my nose.  Later on, I simply stopped, guzzled, and then moved on.  I don't think much time is wasted doing that.  I alternated between water and ultima in the first 10 miles but after that I took both.  I also took 4 Gu gels and 8 salt tablets over the course of the marathon.  I still ended the race with my legs covered in salt.  Yuck.

"The Bridge".  Not as bad as people make it out to be.  I didn't stop and walk until mile 23.  I slowed going up and over the St. John's Bridge, but I wouldn't call it hard.  Even with it's placement within the miles (17 is at the very top of the bridge), it still wasn't difficult.  Immediately following the bridge, there is a big dip and then another climb.  Those hurt a little. 

Overall, the course starts fast.  I think it's a fast HM and all the marathoners and half marathoners start together.  I'm not a fan of the industrial areas of Portland and quite a few miles are spent in this area.  Once the marathoners split from the half marathoners around mile 11, we started climbing.  It was never hard but a slow, steady climb.  There's one relief near Montgomery Park and a few flat miles running on Hwy 30 (yuck!), but there's a good incline from mile 11 until you crest the bridge at mile 17.  I was not expecting any of that.  Once over the bridge, it's up and down for a little while.  You flatten out along the bluff near the University of Portland but that's pretty short.  At mile 22 you run down the steep street that passes the Adidas campus.  Then a little more flat before climbing to get over the Steel Bridge.  The final stretch running along the waterfront and into the finish chute is also an incline.  Overall, more hills than I was expecting.  Maybe if I'd started with the 3:45 group then the hills wouldn't have been an issue?  Who knows.  The last mile was torture but running into the finish area is pretty cool.  The crowd is deep and wildly cheering for everyone.  Loved that. 

Will I run Portland again?  No. 

Crowd support good?  Awesome. 

Organization good?  Top notch.  Portland does a fantastic job, just wish the course was more scenic.
Weather?  Beautiful but too warm for me.  It was 62* at the start and we were in full sun about an hour in.  I just can't run in temps that high.  I envied all the men who were removing their shirts.  I wasn't dripping with sweat, it was pouring off of me.  After I finished and found a Starbucks restroom to clean myself up in, I saw I had chafed in places no one should ever chafe in.  Ouch.

Overall, I ran strong until the last few miles and am pleased with my effort.  It took me years to get under that 4:00 mark.  This past year I have done it several times and I think it's becoming my new "sure thing".  I still hope to make 3:45 my "sure thing" but I'm happy with how I've progressed as a runner.  I'm more consistent.  I'm stronger.  I now have no doubt a 4 hour is in the bag.


OFFICIAL FINISH TIME:  3:58:23 (9:05 pace)

5 Km:	25:03 Pace: 8:04
10 Km:	50:21 Pace: 8:06
8.9 Mi:	1:10:54 Pace: 7:58
Half:	1:46:40 Pace: 8:08
17.5 Mi:	2:27:16 Pace: 8:24
21.1 Mi:	3:02:06 Pace: 8:37

September: 208.90 miles

August: 230.15 miles

July: 200.25 miles

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon at Sauvie Island

June: 200.08 miles

Had to run a second time on the last day of the month but I got my monthly total over 200 miles for the second time ever.  Wow!

Vancouver USA Marathon

Yesterday I ran the Vancouver USA Marathon in Vancouver, Washington.  I signed Mike and I up many months ago because I thought it would be a fun way to spend Father's Day.  He would run the Half Marathon and I would run the full 26.2 miles.  Since the HM starts 2 hours after the marathon, I figured he would "catch up" to me around mile 7 or 8 and then we could finish together, him "pulling me in" since I know from marathon experience that those last miles are a killer for me.


I had just started ramping up mileage and was running really strong when I was involved in a car accident on 4/9.  I knew at that point that my goals for this race needed to be adjusted.  It would be weeks before I could really run again.  I knew several weeks lost in training would require new goals.


Goal one: Get to the starting line.  I had to reclaim my healthy, active life.  I missed me during those weeks immediately following the accident.  I was unhappy, angry, and recovering from injuries sustained in the accident.  My top goal was then decided.  I didn't care if I had to walk the whole 26.2 miles, I wasn't going to change to the HM and I wasn't going to opt out altogether.  At times, people thought I was crazy and rushing my recovery, but I needed it for me.


Goal two: Once I started getting back into training and knew my body was going to be okay, I realized that my Hansons training was going very well.  Maybe due to my strong desire to be at the race?  Paces were spot on.  Distances were covered.  I felt really good.  I wasn't able to do any strength training (and I still haven't done any yet, post-accident), unfortunately, but everything with running was going really well.  Goal two was to run a new personal best. 


Goal three: Run so well that I qualify for Boston.  That would be a 3:45 finish for me.  My previous best was a 3:53:50-something at Eugene.  I knew it would be a stretch to knock almost 9 minutes off my time, but I also knew running was going well and I wanted it more than anything. 


Goal one: check!
Goal two: check!!
Goal three: will have to wait for another day, and that's okay. 


I'm so thrilled to have not only made it back to the starting line but also to run as well as I did.  The last 5 miles were quite painful with bad cramping from my ankles to my butt.  I suspected I might have issues when I began sweating profusely at mile 2.  Mile Two!  Yikes.  I didn't notice anyone else around the 3:45 pace group sweating like I did.  Was it extra humid?  I don't know.  All I know is there was a lot of sweating already happening.  I carried nuun in my hydration bottle and sipped from that the whole race, even filling up again around mile 16.  There were aid stations every two miles so I just made sure I was drinking at those intervals, at a minimum.  Still, the cramping was pretty bad in those last miles.  Down hills were the worst!


Mike dropped me off at the race start.  I had just enough time to use the Hilton's restroom and check my gear.  I found the 3:45 group and was happy to see an old friend from our Portland neighborhood also in the group.  We were both hoping for BQs (note: neither of us got that today -- she ran a 3:45:52 or something).  I ran with the 3:45 group for the first 6 miles.  They were running just under 8:30 to "bank some time" before the hills that start at mile 14.  Around mile 6, they started to slow and I moved slightly ahead of them.  They remained just a few steps behind me for the next 13 miles.  When I hit the hill around mile 19.5 or 20, my pace started to fall.  Splits from my watch:


1-   8:23
2-   8:35
3-   8:18
4-   8:24
5-   8:23
6-   8:32
7-   8:18
8-   8:17
9-   8:23
10- 8:25
11- 8:22
12- 8:28
13- 8:17
14- 8:25
15- 8:38
16- 8:35
17- 8:52
18- 8:23
19- 8:47
20- 10:23*
21- 9:10
22- 8:45
23- 8:50
24- 9:07
25- 11:03*
26- 10:50


Note: First half is pretty flat and straight.  Second half has lots of turns and hills, most noticeably at miles 20 and 25. (*)


Once I hit the hills, I had a hard time maintaining a good pace.  The first hill is pretty long.  My legs were cramping and this part of the race has a lot of turns, some pretty sharp.  If it weren't for the cramping, I probably could have finished a lot stronger and with an even bigger PR.  Mike caught up to me around mile 21.  The 3:45 group had just passed and I was cramping going down a hill.  It was really nice to have him there beside me for the remainder of the race.  I stopped a few times to catch my breath and tray to shake out the cramps, but I know I would have stopped more if he hadn't been there, encouraging me all the way. 


Hansons Training Method: I love this way of training!  I worried a little about the long runs and only running a max of 16 miles in a single run.  However, I repeated to myself many times over the weeks to trust the training.  I really think it made a difference in how I felt on this run.  Until the late cramping, I felt really strong and it felt comfortably hard.  I'm looking forward to training with Hansons again for the next marathon! 




Chip Time: 3:52:16
Pace: 8:52
Age Division: 16 / 61
Place Overall: 226 / 757
Sex Overall: 78 / 364

7.6 mile split: 1:04:04, 8:26 pace

20.7 mile split:
2:58:44, 8:38 pace

May: 261.43

What an amazing month of running!!  Highest mileage ever -- by almost 80 miles!!  Crazy.  I feel good and have been running strong all month.  Can't wait to see what I do at Vancouver in two weeks!!

April: 133.17 miles

I began this month running so strong.  I even estimated early on what my monthly total might be for April and it was looking to be above 200 miles.  Crazy!  However, a major car accident on the 9th changed everything.

I ran the morning of the 9th.  Greta and I went out for an easy 3 miles.  I was stopped halfway through by a phone call from my mom.  My SIL had had surgery the day before (kidney transplant) and I wanted to hear how she was doing.  Overall, not a stellar run.

The afternoon of the 9th, on my way home to Corvallis from Albany, I was involved in a head-on collision.  Although I continued my "one mile every day" steak even after the accident, it would be 2 weeks before I ran again and a full 3 weeks before my run was a "hard effort".  I'm just getting back into running this week.  It's been better than I thought it would be but it's still disappointing.  I was running so strong before the accident.  I'm still being very careful and checking in with myself constantly when I run.  I don't want any lingering soreness from the accident to lead to running injuries.

I'm glad that month is over.  I'm looking forward to a fresh new month!

March: 178.77 miles

It normally kills me to be this close to a new record high month and not go for it, but this month I felt good with what I had run.  I had a solid 6.8 miles in the morning and was happy with that and the month total overall.  It's like a new me!

February: 182.61 miles

Yippity skippity!  Another month done, another high one month total.  It feels especially good knowing this was also the shortest month of the year.  Amazing!


I've been running very well, trying some new things and pushing myself in different ways.  I'm loving the challenge that this sort of training brings.  I'm excited to see what this means for the races I have lined up in the coming months!

January: 181.77 miles

Most miles in one month!  Ever!

Cascade Half Marathon

I knew the Cascade Half Marathon in Turner, Oregon (near Salem) would be a great race for me.  The last time I raced that distance was in October 2012, so well over a year!  It's my favorite distance to train and race so I was super excited to be running it again.  I had also been running strong -- both in terms of pace and overall mileage.  I started a running streak in November (the day after Thanksgiving, the 29th) and I really think that has a lot to do with my improved running.
 
Anyway, lots of strong miles and no injuries gave me the confidence to run Cascade well.  My previous best was at the Foot Traffic Flat HM in 2011.  Finish time there was 1:44:57.  The thing about that race though is that the course measured short on my watch.  So although I had this great new PR for the distance, I didn't really feel like I had earned it.  I don't remember how far short it was, but I know my finish time would have been another minute, at least.

The Cascade HM is an awesome race.  It's the perfect size for me with only 429 HM finishers.  The route is flatter than flat and has very few turns.  The race is in a very rural part of Oregon so nothing but wide open country.  There was considerable fog and the start temperature was 32*.  A little cool, but otherwise perfect running conditions for me.

The first half of the race I paced off two high school aged boys.  They were tall, lanky and easily ran the 7:30-7:40 pace.  They were probably members of the local high school xc team, the group that benefits from this race.  Last year the school was able to purchase several new pieces of gym equipment.  In a town with population 1853, I can see how this race is a huge event and huge fundraiser.  I love that.

The boys (I called them my "show ponies") started to lose me at the turn around point.  At this point I also noticed that my watch was not measuring the course the same as the mile markers.  It appeared to be long.  I've raced enough to know how to run the curves.  I do everything possible to run the shortest distance and in a race with so few people, this was very easy to do.  At the finish line, however, my watch had the course at 13.4 miles.  And I started my watch 5 seconds into the race so I really probably had something just over that.  Crazy.

The second half of the race was run equally strong and consistent but the pace did slow a little here and there.  With just over 1.5 miles to go, Paula Harkin (owner of Portland Running Company) passed me.  I knew she ran a 1:40 last year and was probably on pace to do something similar so that kept me moving along.  I'm not going to lie: that last 1/2 mile was tough.  Throughout the race I repeated to myself:  Be Fearless. Be Confident.  Those words kept me running a "comfortably hard" pace throughout the race.  Yet, you wouldn't know the last bit was tough because I crossed the finish line at a 7:20 pace.  Crazy. 

I know it's almost impossible to race a distance the exact distance they say it is.  It just isn't.  And I've run in races that have been long (Del Mar Iron Girl's 10K showed up as 6.54 miles on my watch -- .34 over!?) and since I run as much as I do, I know during the race when a course is long.

The Cascade HM course was long.  And I find this so frustrating because I had been running so strong and came into this race ready for a new PR.  Yes, it was a PR even with the official time but not the 1:42 I wanted so badly.  According to my watch, I made my goal and ran a under 1:42!  But, not officially.  Boo.

After the race I approached a woman who had out-kicked me in that final stretch to tell her Good Job.  She had passed me right before the turn-around and I saw her in front the remainder of the race.  I could see she was slowing beginning around mile 8 or 9 so I made it my mission to catch up and pass her.  I did just that somewhere late in the race but then her kick at the end was stronger than my kick and she flew past me, finishing just 7 seconds before me.  Later I learned she is in my division.  Oh, that stings!  Especially since that was the second race recently where I've been out-kicked in the final stretch.  At the Corvallis Fall Festival 5K, a woman in my division came flying out of nowhere to beat me by 5 seconds.  Ouch.

Overall, I loved this race.  I love the ease, simplicity, route, seeing a school benefit...  It's very well done and with a cap of 1,000 participants total, I can see word spreading about this fast and flat course and it's popularity increasing.  I think it already has after Runner's World profiled it.  Next year I'll need to be sure to sign up as soon as they open for registration!

Official finish time: 1:44:26
Pace: 7:59
Division Place: 5

However, I'm taking this race off my own watch.  I killed my previous best and am super happy with my efforts, even if the official time doesn't reflect it.  New PR for me! 

Cascade Half Marathon: 1:41:14
Pace: 7:47
Fuel Notes: one GU gel 10 minutes before race start, one ShotBlock around mile 7, no water

December: 165.32 miles

November: 139.60 miles

October: 105.45 miles

Nike Women's Marathon San Francisco

Official Finish Time:  4:14:10
Pace:  9:43
Overall Place:  873 / approximately 32,000
Division Place:  77 / 433

5k-  27:58
10k-  55:21
15k-  1:25:05
21k-  2:00:39
25k-  2:23:29
30k-  2:53:54
35k-  3:26:26
40k-  3:59:55

I went into NWM for the experience.  I knew it would be a race unlike any other -- and it was.  From the race expo (which is nothing like any other race expo I've been to) to the craziness at Niketown to the race itself.  This race was not like the others.  I knew it would be a great experience and fun.

I had no expectations or time goals for NWM.  I remember being asked just one week ago while running with a local woman what my finish goal was.  I had nothing.  I told her I was running for the experience and looking forward to a weekend in San Francisco with my San Diego girlfriends.  It was going to be an awesome weekend, with a marathon thrown in.

NWM was my 3rd marathon in six months.  I knew the course would have hills but I still wanted to run a decent race.  I had incorporated hills on all my training runs but was ill-prepared for the onslaught that is the San Francisco course.  Very little of this course is flat.  You are constantly climbing or descending, both of which were severe at times.  It felt like a roller coaster.

I had imagined how I might run this race.  I was going to start slow (9:10-9:20 pace), pick it up after the course splits around mile 11 and finish strong.  I wanted to enjoy the whole race environment, take in the views, feel the others' energy.  I didn't wear a watch or listen to music.  I wanted to take it all in and a slow start would allow me to do that and still finish strong.  It didn't work like that.

I began the race at a comfortable 9:10 pace.  The weather was a cool but comfortable 50.  For me, this is perfect.  There was heavy fog so not much to look at (this was the case nearly all the course) but I imagine the views are spectacular as we made our way along the marina and around the bay.  The hills along the course were more than I expected so when mile 11 came along I thought I should keep it slow until the halfway point.  Quite honestly, I had to fight the urge to take the right turn with the Half Marathoners.  I would have been perfectly happy finishing.  However, I hadn't pushed the first 11 so I would not have been happy with my HM time.  This thought kept me left and on the path of the marathon.

After the split, we continued to climb into Golden Gate Park.  There were some rollers and I was not recovering well from the hills in the first half of the course.  At mile 13, I decided I need to keep it slow until I hit the Great Highway.  I knew at that point it would be a flat approx. 4 miles out and back.  This was not the case.

Around mile 15.5 for us, we merged with the half marathoners.  This does awful things to a runner when you are knee deep into the miles with a long way to go and the girls beside you are hammering it home because their finish line is around the corner.  For a moment I wish I had known (and taken) this short cut.  Ha!  I could have taken the split and merged back into the marathon and skipped about 4 miles.  Of course, this is not something I would ever do but it's always a thought that runs through my head after 15 miles of running.

Mile 18 began a dark period.  Did you know the bottoms of your feet can cramp?  They can.  And did.  Everything began to hurt.  I hadn't stopped until this but did stop for a minute.  When I did, I considered stopping altogether.  I could barely stand and at that point feared that a medical person would see me and pull me aside.  It was better to keep moving forward, no matter how slow the moving forward became. 

The dark period subsided and I was able to continue at a decent but slow pace.  I'd have to confirm on a map, but around mile 19 began more rolling hills.  Not anything to complain about but they were coming late and that always makes them feel hard.  The turn around at mile 21 was at the bottom of a hill.  It was at this point that I unloaded.  My bottles were empty and I had taken my last GU.  The fuel belt came off, my gloves were thrown into the trash, my handkerchief was left alongside the street. 

After the turn around climb, we began a gradual descent back to the Great Highway straightaway.  I watched the runners I passed who were making their way up that same hill.  Some had stopped to stretch, some looked absolutely miserable.  I felt sorry for them because I figured most had no idea how long that climb is or of the steeper hill at the mile 21 turn around still to come. 

The finish was flat and didn't feel as long as it did on the way out (remember mile 18 was dark?).  There were spectators cheering, surfers crossing to get to the beach and the fog was beginning to lift along the coastline.  I could barely make out the finish line (due to fog) but once I saw that I felt energized again.  The streets were lined with people in those last few blocks, at some points they really narrowed the course.  It made the finish fun to see all the people out cheering us on.  One older man, in particular, stepped out and gave me encouragement.  I don't know if spectators know just how much that means to a runner, esp. in those last miles.  I'll never forget the preppy gentleman in a bright yellow sweater.

Finish line: Very well organized with reusable water bottles handed to you immediately, the firefighter and Tiffany necklace waiting, other firefighters posing for photos, mylar blankets handed out, gift bags with food, and then gear checks beyond that.  Cell service was crappy so I worried I wouldn't find my friends who had all run the half marathon, but eventually service worked for 30 seconds and I was able to call one friend. 

This was a great race experience.  It is not a PR course.  It isn't a typical race.  It's hillier than you're going to imagine.  It's an expensive race.  And a weekend in San Francisco is not cheap.  I don't need to do it again.  It's a bucket list item that has now been checked off.  However, it is (and was) a fabulous girls' weekend -- with a marathon thrown in!  

September: 172.61 miles

Fall Festival 5k

Official Finish Time:  23:15
Pace: 7:29
Division Place:  3/33
Overall Female Place:  10/202

The Fall Festival 5k is a small, local race with a 9:10am start.  The course is run all around the OSU campus.  Stormy weather last night left us with some wet conditions, including rain, for today's race.  Solid race for me but not a PR.  I thought I might be able to pull off a PR today despite having just run my last long run for NWM two days ago (22 miles!) but my legs were tired.  I started much too fast and half a mile into the race I could feel the tiredness in my legs.  I decided a PR was not going to happen today about a mile into it but thought I'd hang on the best I could for something around 23 minutes.  I finished in 23:15.  I was totally out kicked in the last block of the race which was disappointing but I feel good knowing I gave it my all to the end.  Fun and fast!  Love 5k races!!

August: 181.72 miles

Most miles ever.  Ever!  I love months with five Saturdays to run!!

July: 117.88 miles

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon

Finish time:  4:01:20
Pace:  9:12
Age group: 13/33
Women: 79/233
Overall: 198/441

Third time running the Sauvie Island Flat but my first time running the full marathon event.  Great course and fantastic race!  I hadn't been able to train much with the busy months of May and June so I pretty much piggy backed off my Eugene Marathon training (April race).  I definitely was not prepared or well-trained for this race but still felt pretty good and had a great time.  A chunk of miles (9 to 22?) were run alongside another woman.  It was nice to have some company!

I got to the race start late.  I was actually in my car when the race started.  I scrambled to get my stuff together and ran to the start line.  Not an ideal way to start a marathon.  The weather had been hot but race morning wasn't bad.  It did warm up as the morning went on but it wasn't as hot as I was expecting.  Still, I stopped at probably 10 of the (13?) aid stations to drink a cup and pour another water cup on my bandana.  I even carried fluids so it was definitely a warm race for me.

But, I do love this race.  I love starting a long holiday weekend with a great accomplishment like this!  And again, no watch for this race either!

June: 114.49 miles

May: 131.85 miles

April: 125.36

Eugene Marathon

Official time:  3:53:56

Great race, good weather, enough variety in the course to keep it interesting, awesome spectator support, well-organized overall and the parts of the course along the river were beautiful.

I had forgotten my watch at home so I decided to run as I feel.  This translated into classic Cherl: too fast to start and a slow death after mile 22.  I suspected I might be in trouble when the 3:35 pacer came up alongside me at mile 11 (this is way too fast for me to maintain).  I stayed with them until a small hill at mile 16, passing the halfway point around 1:42 (faster than my HM times).  I started to really fall off track around mile 22-23 and basically shuffled my way to the finish.  Running up from the bike path, along Agate and into Hayward Field was incredible.  Great way to finish a marathon!

The Good:  My official finish time was 3:53:56.  That's an ELEVEN minute PR for me.  I'll be over the moon for days!

The Bad:  I ran the first half in about 1:42 and the second half in 2:10.  Oops.  That's ugly.

March: 172.31

172.31: The most miles I've run in a single month.  Ever.

That feels pretty amazing.  This month's total exceeded my April 2011 total.  I was close a couple of times but it took me two years to run more miles for a new high.  Awesome.

Shamrock 15k

Finish- 1:16:12
Pace- 8:11

February: 115.23 miles

January: 102.52 miles

Motivation has been low since CIM in early December.  The second half of January my running finally began to turn around.  Not as many miles as I would like this month, but all were quality (fast!) miles.  That's been feeling pretty good.  Most of my miles have also been solo or with Mike, not with the local running group.  I just can't do the 5am wakeup call more than once a week when it's so cold outside.  Sill not sure just how ready I'll be for Eugene at this point, but I'll be as ready as I can be!

December: 68.50 miles

California International Marathon

November: 121.62 miles

October: 120.27 miles

Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon

Portland Half Marathon

September: 136.21 miles

August: 109.77 miles

Every Girl's Half Marathon

July: 97.20 miles

I've started running with a new group in Corvallis.  As always, these runners are friendly, inspiring and encouraging.  Several have signed up to run CIM this year (as have I).  I'm looking forward to being pushed and improving these next few months especially.

June: 54.75 miles

Yikes. Moving has completely messed up my regular routine.

Camp Pendleton Mud Run

Ojai 2 Ocean Marathon

 a dork at the start line -- oh wait! that's me

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 cool "recycled materials" finisher's medal that doubles as a bottle opener

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that bike path is the course!

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at the finish with friends

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This morning friends and I ran the Ojai 2 Ocean Marathon.  The race starts in the mountains of Ojai, runs along the bike path for much of the course, and ends 700' lower at the Ventura Pier.  It is an amazing race!  The first half is almost all downhill.  Not a steep decline but a beautifully slight downhill that feels awesome.  Around mile 15 it flattens out and remains pretty flat all the way to the finish line.  The first 5 or 6 miles are run around Ojai and the last 5 or 6 are run along the beach.  This morning it was lightly misting at the start and around 53*.  It continued to mist until around mile 10, stopped, and began again when we were closer to the ocean around mile 19 or 20.  The temperature around the finish line at 10am was about 57* thanks to the marine layer.  Perfect race conditions all around!  My race was a good effort.  I held back initially because I didn't want to start off too fast.  The bike path's downhill sped me up a bit but I was still doing great until my right leg began to cramp.  Not just the calf or the quad, but the entire leg from quad to my toes.  Ouch!  That started near mile 24 and continued with me until the finish.  I had hit 20 miles at 2:57 so I was hoping to finish under 4 hours even at a slow pace but my pace got slower and slower until the cramping left me doing a run-walk to the finish.  I missed a new marathon PR by less than a minute!

Finish Time: 4:06:00

Average Pace: 9:23

Overall Place: 478 out of roughly 1000 (the race is capped and had sold out)

Sex Place: 191 out of 409

Division Place: 61 out of 132

I'm pleased with my effort.  Being so close to a new PR and not getting it is heartbreaking but that's what makes the challenge fun.  I knew I'd be somewhere in the middle of all places.  This year's race was only the second running and there were twice as many runners this year as last year.  It's a Boston Qualifier and I know competitive runners with Boston on their minds will be flocking to this race in the years to come!  There was definitely a more serious crowd here today than in other races I've done recently. 

May: 128.02 miles

Vista Strawberry 5K

This morning three friends and I ran the Vista Strawberry Festival 5K.  I hadn't heard good things about the race and hadn't even thought to run it until one of these girls sent me a Schwaggle for the race.  The deal was $13.  No other fees so a flat $13 to run a local 5K complete with technical tee, finisher's medal and fresh strawberries at the finish.  I couldn't say no! 

And I'm glad I didn't.  The race itself isn't terribly exciting.  A long stretch, some hills, several turnarounds, nothing special... but the finish through the festival booths area was really fun!  It reminded me of finishing at the Chicago Marathon when you run through the finish area with so many people on either side cheering you on.  This was like that, but a much smaller version since there weren't hundreds of spectators but a few exhibitors instead.  But they were so great!  It was a fun way to finish a race! 

My PR for a 5K race is 22:50.  With the Ojai Marathon coming up next week I had planned to run this race at a comfortable pace and just have fun.  I ended up running it at a comfortably hard pace (7:10s) but slowed on the downhill stretch to an 8:06.  Ugh.  I really need to work on my downhill running.  I can crank up the hills and pass people, but I'm always passed on the downhills.  I don't know why I brake like I do.  Anyway, after that there were a bunch of turns that slowed my pace, too.  When I came into the final stretch I could see my time was close to 23 minutes.  I sprinted as fast as I could to get in under 23 but missed it by 2 seconds.  Heartbreaking!

Overall, very pleased with my effort today!

Finish Time: 23:02
Pace: 7:25
Division Place: 5
Sex Place: 17
Overall Place: 107

April: 164.85 miles

Last night I realized I was just under 5 miles to reaching my highest monthly mileage ever.  If you know me at all, then you know I thought long and hard about getting in those miles last night on the treadmill.  I had run a solid 9 in the morning, but came close to doing a double with the extra 5.  In the end, I decided it had been a long day and a certain book was calling my name...  Maybe next month I'll take another stab at it.  Excellent month for running!!

Carlsbad 5000

Me in the middle, just where I belong: somewhere between a tortoise and a hare!

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Yesterday I ran the Carlsbad 5000.  The race touts itself as "the World's Fastest 5K" and it is.  There have been 16 world records set on this course.  It's relatively flat (gradual hills both up and down that are small), most of it is run along 101, the weather is always great, and there's a slight downhill to the finish.  At yesterday's race, there were 4 or 5 elite men finishing faster than 13:17.  Holy cow!  It's an amazing event that everyone from the first timer to the elite can participate in and have fun. 

At this event, the runners are put into divisions by age and sex.  Those are the people you run against.  Not all thousands of runners, but only those in your specific division.  For me, that meant running with the Masters Women this year (40+ year olds).  Oh, but don't be thinking the older ladies can't run because let me tell you, they are wicked fast.  It's unbelievable how speedy these women are.  I find it very inspirational to toe the line with 55 year old women who can outrun me.  Amazing!  

My Masters race started at 8am.  I picked up a friend and we headed down to the race start early.  We ran a few blocks to warm up and then settled in towards the front of our race.  We ended up being three women back from the start which was perfect.  There's no running around slower people and there's also the excitement of being in the front of the race.  About a 1/4 mile into the race I looked down at my Garmin and saw I was running a 6:33 pace.  Holy smokes!  That's way too fast so I backed it off a bit but continued to push it.  I hit mile 2 in 14:22.  I knew this was fast for me but kept telling myself to hang in there, the finish is around the corner, it's a downhill finish, you got this, etc.  The last mile was tough though because of the pace and I must have slowed a bit because I crossed the finish line in 22:50.  However, this is a shiny new PR for me -- by a full minute!

My friend came in steps behind me and together we walked through the finisher's chute and then on over to the beer garden.  Yes, my race started at 8am.  Yes, I was having a beer by 8:30am.  Every finisher gets two free beers from a local (awesome!) brewery.  In the past I've been in a later race start (30-39 year old women) and by the time I was done at 11am, the beer garden would already be packed and the line to get in too long.  That's not the case when you run the 8am race so I was going to enjoy it for once!  I had my two beers while chatting with friends and other people who had run that morning.

Fantastic event and a fantastic day yesterday.  Many friends also walked away with new PRs and some fast times!  Definitely a favorite race of mine!!

March: 131.83 miles

LA Marathon

I ran the LA Marathon yesterday. I'm trying to focus on the positives about this race and my effort but I'm having a hard time doing that right now. Maybe later this week or next weekend I'll be in a better place but today I'm not happy with it. I know it was the best I could do yesterday. However, it was my 7th marathon and my 7th disappointing finish that was 4+ hours. I can't seem to get in under that 4 hour mark and I find that incredibly disappointing.

One positive about the LA Marathon was their tracking system for the runners. Both my husband's and my cell phone received five texts over the course of the event. These were the texts received:

• 10K in 0:57:40. Pace: 9:17. Est: 4:03:23. ETA: 11:37:44.
• 20K in 1:53:17. Pace: 9:07. Est: 3:59:01. ETA: 11:33:23.
• 30K in 2:54:42. Pace: 9:22. Est: 4:05:34. ETA: 11:40:07.
• 40K in 3:57:54. Pace: 9:34. Est: 4:10:49. ETA: 11:45:22.
• Finish in 4:08:19. Pace: 9:28. At 11:42:44.

It's pretty cool to see my race like this. My plan was to stay under 9:00 until Mile 20 and then pick it up to finish in under 4 hours. Obviously, that didn't happen. Too much jockeying for space for many miles, too many bigger-than-I-was-expecting rolling hills in the first half, some severe calf cramping late in the race... it all adds up to a disappointment for me. I had plans to sign up for another marathon soon -- either Ojai (Ca) in June or the Foot Traffic Flat in Portland (Or) in July -- but now I'm rethinking marathons. I don't know that they are really for me. I love the sense of accomplishment, I'm just tired of the disappointment. I don't think adjusting my goals is the answer either. I always have trouble late in the race. I've got some major blues happening today.
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The Start Line at Dodger Stadium.  The City of Los Angeles Mayor and the owner of the Dodgers were both there.  A woman from the band the Pussycat Dolls sang the National Anthem.  Another group of singers sang something else.  Three helicopters flew overhead since the race was being televised locally.  It was cool but dry.  I thought I was in the Corral start, but apparently I wasn't and I ended up starting behind the 5:00 runners.  I eventually caught up to the 4:00 group about mid-race, but a few miles later things spiraled out of my control and I lost them...
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The Finish Line along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica.  The headwind gusts that we experienced for some of the race seemed to disappear in Brentwood but then roared its ugly head at the finish.  It isn't a long finish along Ocean, maybe a full mile total, but the winds were crazy strong.  No one was hanging out in the finish area longer than absolutely necessary, which is unfortunate because I would have loved to have laid out on the pavement and taken a nap.

February: 155.95 miles

I blew February's mileage out of the water.  Love that!  And yes, I did briefly consider making a go at netting my highest mileage yet in one month a few days ago.  It would have meant several long runs on already tired legs, but I did think about it.  Yes, I'm that crazy.  Instead I decided to be smart - there is a little thing called a marathon coming up in two short weeks! - and settled for making this month my 2nd highest mileage in a single month.  Ever.  Yay me!

January: 107.83 miles

Ouch.  Not nearly enough miles this month to be on track for my 2012 goal.  The first 10 days of January were tough to get runs in since my kids were on their holiday break.  Hoping to pick it up in February.  I already started today with a great long-ish run!

Carlsbad Half Marathon 2012

pre-race: no nervous energy, just excitement!

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I love the Carlsbad Marathon and all of its events.  We moved here in February '08 so I had just missed it that year but swore I would participate in this awesome hometown event every year that we are here.  I almost missed it this year due to timing of other races, but I'm glad I found a way to participate at the last minute!  This year, I ran the Half Marathon event.  It was my second time and, as always, it proved again to be my favorite race distance.  The day before I had run the Kids Marathon Mile through Legoland with my children.  I love that it's a fun, family weekend of running!

I felt comfortable going into the race and knew it would be a solid effort but definitely not a PR race for me.  The course is primarily up and down Pacific Coast Highway which is just that - up and down.  The hills aren't terrible but there are enough of them that a PR was not in the books for today.  However, I knew that going in and had my goal set on beating my previous time at the Carlsbad Half (1:52:30 in 2009). 

The day before the race it poured.  It also poured the day after the race.  For Southern California, these were "stormy" days and it really was quite heavy at times.  Yet, by the luck of the draw, race day for Carlsbad was absolutely perfect.  It didn't rain, the sun stayed away for most of the race and there was no wind worth mentioning. 

I was in Wave 2 for the Half Marathon and ended up starting in the back of that wave due to getting to the corrals late.  The first few miles were a bit congested and I had to do a lot of passing.  It forced me to start at a slower pace; the first few miles were run at an 8:30-8:45 pace.  Miles 3 to about 10 were picked up and kept steady at a 7:50 to 8:00 pace.  I felt pretty good, not working terribly hard but pushing it a little.  The last few miles felt harder than my pace reflects.  I knew I was starting to tire and the course at that point was climbing to get over the 5.  The finish was as fast as I could muster.  It's a little deceiving because once over the 5 you begin to descend and people will often push it.  However, you're still more than 3/4 of a mile away so it's way too soon for me to push.  If I do, the flat finish feels extra hard.  I waited until the last turn (under 1/2 a mile) to give it all I had.  It felt great to finish having met my goal for this race!

2011 mileage: 1505.50 miles!

Whew.  I was a little concerned making the 1500 goal would be difficult with these last two weeks of December being such a busy time.  Fortunately the weather in Portland was cool but dry so I could get in some great runs.  It sure feels good to set a goal, work towards it all year long, and then actually see myself achieve it.

December: 105.50 miles

November: 120.76 miles

Whoo hoo!  I'm getting closer to my annual mileage goal of 1500 this year!!

October: 120.22 miles

LB finisher photos

I always look so dorky in race photos.  These finisher photos actually aren't all that bad.  The Long Beach Marathon/Half Marathon event handed out mylar blankets -- even for the half marathon finishers and we didn't even need them given the warm day.  What a great event to treat its runners so well.  Seriously, this event is top notch.

Long Beach International Marathon (HALF MARATHON)

I've learned over the years that I'm just not a warm weather runner.  If it's over 60 or 65 degrees, it's simply too warm for me.  I sweat excessively.  I cramp if I'm not religiously taking in fluids and popping sodium tablets.  I love the sunshine but not during a race.  I didn't know what the weather would be like for today's Long Beach Marathon events when I threw my name into a contest for a free bib.  I hadn't even considered running LB but when I saw an opportunity to get a completely comped bib... well, I couldn't NOT TRY.  And I got it.  So today I ran the Half Marathon event.  It's a gorgeous course and very well-supported, but the 1.5 to 2 hour drive (each way) and the warm day are tough to deny.  I was glad to be done when I finished today.  I wish I could have remained strong to the end, but overall I'm happy with today's run.  New age group, new category (I'm now a "Masters") and a good solid effort today... 

Half Marathon

Runner Details	Race Results
Bib: Name: Cherl Gender: F Age: 40 Hometown: CA	Overall: 1118 out of 10626 Women: 280 out of 6234 F 40-44: 57 out of 969 Age/Grade: 61.57% Place: 832 Finish: 1:50:29 Pace: 8:26 Tag Time: 1:50:29 Gun Time: 1:51:48
Split Times
10 Km: 48:15 Pace: 7:46

September: 130.06 miles

the Lemon Run

This morning I had the great honor of participating in a fundraising event for two charities that raise money for pediatric cancer research.  It's a wonderful cause and participating in such a small, but very good, event was really fun today.  The course was the most supported of any race I've ever done, the route was scenic circling the lake and everyone was so friendly and fun.  I loved it.  I'm glad I participated in this event today and I'm glad I did it with three mama friends.  It's an event that I won't forget anytime soon.

Distance: 4.6 miles
Time: doesn't matter
Fun factor: 10+

August: 126.72 miles

Yay!  My monthly goal is 125 -- reaching that is always satisfying!

America's Finest City Half Marathon

America's Finest City Half Marathon ~ San Diego, Calif.

post-race photo with my running pals

America's Finest City Half Marathon (AFC) was this past weekend.  Not my favorite half marathon event, but one that I ran two years ago and one that I've wanted to run again, only because I knew I could run it better.  Two years ago I started much too fast and totally ran out of gas at the bottom of the hill.  At that point, I was about halfway through the race so the second half was incredibly long and slow.  I didn't make it under 2 hours that year.  I knew I could run it better (smarter on those hills!) so I ran it again this year.  A little better on the hills and flat portion of the course, but the hill at the end still kicked my butt.  It's a long, slow climb for 1.5 miles at the very end of this race.  For a half marathon, this event requires a lot of effort with its shuttle to the start, early race start, and event location.  I do not plan to run this one again because of that (too much work for a half!).  It would have been great to finish in under 1:50 at this race but the course is a tough one.  I'm happy with my 1:53 finish! 

Race Results
Overall: 1508 out of 6753
Women: 456 out of 3543
F 35-39: 84 out of 603
Finish: 1:53:46
Pace: 8:41

 

Why can't these race photos ever be good??

July: 98.89 miles

Yes, the 1.11 miles that I'm shy of an even 100 miles kills me.  It makes me absolutely, positively, certifiably nuts... 

Foot Traffic Flat 2011

finisher's medal -- unique, fun, and totally Portland

Five years ago I ran this same Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon with friends and had a great time.  It was my second time running this race (2003 was the first) and I loved it - totally flat, super fast and a lot of fun.  I wanted to run it again but then I got pregnant and moved out of the state so I haven't been able to until this year.  I took almost a full 10 minutes off my previous best time on this course this year and set a new personal record for myself, by over 4 minutes!  What an awesome way to start the July 4th holiday!
 

Why can't race photos ever be good?

post race with my husband who ran a blistering 1:33 today (new PR for him, too)

Race Results
Overall: 261 out of 1641
Women: 77 out of 1070
F 35-39: 10 out of 148
Finish: 1:44:57
Pace: 8:00

June: 119.37 miles

Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathon

This morning I ran the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathon. Three days ago I had no desire to run this race. I'm not a fan of this race series -- that's a whole other post, but basically the "circus" environment I imagined is very, very real -- and never gave it a second thought. However, my friend called me Thursday evening to say, "I think I can get us bibs for this weekend's race. Are you in?" The more I thought it over, the more I liked the idea. Friday I thought it might be iffy and I actually felt disappointed -- I really did want to run this race! Saturday morning, she texted me around 11am to let me know that she had two bibs in her hands and that we were all set to run. So this morning I woke at 3am (couldn't sleep) and we headed downtown for the 6:15am race start.

Our bibs were for the full marathon but we agreed that doing the full today wouldn't be prudent. I'd only run one 11 miler since the OC Marathon and she hadn't run much at all since Boston due to tight hamstrings. So we decided to run the half marathon. The first four miles we weaved around slower runners and walkers. Around this point we became separated and didn't see each other again the whole race. I continued to weave around people pretty much the whole race but it did ease up a bit after mile 6. Around mile 8 the guy in front of me came to a dead stop and I totally nailed him. Again around mile 12 a female on the side also wanted to weave around the same 4 slower runners that I was weaving around and we collided. Had I not held her arm up, she totally would have bit it. She apologized (it was her fault) but it still felt pretty good to take off at that point and leave her and her white tutu behind. The crowd support was amazing and I was able to pick it up to a 7:40 pace as I headed into the finish. It was a new PR for the half marathon distance (took off almost 3 minutes to finish in 1:49 -- woot!) but it isn't official since it wasn't my bib. I'm not the 32 year old female I pretended to be today. Nor is my friend the 26 year old female she pretended to be today.

Usually the races we enter are planned so far in advance. It was a different experience to "jump in at the last minute" and really a fun way to do it. We were planning to run 12 miles this weekend anyway and with the gorgeous weekend weather and bibs for 1/3 of their original prices, well... how could we possibly pass that up!? 

May: 113.50 miles

OC Marathon

Race Results
Overall: 507 out of 1657
Women: 145 out of 675
F 35-39: 28 out of 103
Finish: 4:13:01
Pace: 9:40

Split Times
5k: 27:15 (8:47)
10m 1:28:06 (8:49)
Half: 1:54:12 (8:43)
15.5: 2:14:13 (8:40)
18.6: 2:44:49 (8:52)

Yesterday I ran the OC Marathon. The race is interesting in that it actually goes through 4 Orange County cities - Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine and Santa Ana. It was my 3rd marathon in less than 7 months and my 5th marathon total. Not my best finish time yesterday, but my best effort in a marathon to date.

Waking at 3am and driving up made for an early morning but the OC Fairground parking was easy and the shuttle was pretty uneventful. I overheard one man complain about the shuttles but after St. George, all other shuttles seem extremely well-organized and run very smoothly. The shuttle ride is relatively short in distance, but the bus seemed to be moving in slow motion. It took about 35 minutes to make the 6.5 mile drive -- crazy! The race itself started out great. I like their corral system because I ended up being right at the start line when the race began for Corral B.

For the first several miles I took my friend Clare's advice (she ran it last year) and kept it slow and controlled because of the hills. Not only are there hills (both up and down), but there are also a lot of twists and turns in the first half of the race. Around mile 7.5 there is a bigger hill so I basically kept my pace around 9:00 until after that hill.

Once we were on the bike path, I picked it up to an 8:45 and figured I would keep it there until the half marathoners split. After the split, I picked it up again and kept it between 8:30 and 8:45 until mile 22. I felt awesome, steady and totally in control.

The second half is not scenic unless you like business parks and running around the Costa Mesa Mall (?). There weren't many runners and very few crowd support. But it was comfortable and I was running with a few different people. The pace felt great and at one point I saw that if I continued, I could finish in 3:50 which would be a fantastic new PR for me. But it was a warm day and very windy in the second half. Blown up arches for the event that spanned the road were being blown over -- that's pretty windy! And regardless of direction that we turned, it was always a strong headwind. How is that possible??

I had taken a salt tablet before the race and was drinking fluids up until the start. I continued drinking Gatorade during the race, taking GU, and swallowing a salt tablet every hour. It didn't add up to be enough though and in the last 4.2 miles I felt it. I didn't realize I was dehydrated until an hour after the race when I went into the restroom to clean myself up and change for the drive home. I was covered in salt -- on my skin, my face, my clothes. It's no wonder I cramped up badly. The last 4 miles were torture. It took me an hour to cover that distance (15 min. miles!?!?!?!). I would try to shuffle along but every time I would cramp up in my calves, my butt, thighs, everywhere. The last 1.5 miles my right ankle gave me grief and was painful to apply much pressure to. So, a bummer ending to what was shaping up to be a fantastic for me. I'm not disappointed because the first 22 were so awesome and I'm really happy with that. I can see how much I've improved over the last year.

The short story: Great first 22 miles, sucky last 4.2 miles to end the race in 4:13. Dehydration was the culprit. It was hot and windy. A guy passed me at mile 1 dripping in sweat. I was pretty warm by mile 1 also. Overall, I'm very pleased with my effort and proud of how I ran the race.

April: 131.43 miles

March: 169.48 miles

Just when I think I couldn't possibly run more miles in a single month, I do! Highest month yet and I feel great. Whoo hoo!

February: 147.99 miles

My highest one week mileage has capped off my highest monthly mileage -- ever!

January: 112.75 miles

Not the 125 mile goal for the month, but better than expected given the marathon this month and all the tapering and resting afterwards... An excellent month of running!

Carlsbad Marathon

the running gang post Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon races

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I ran the Carlsbad Marathon this morning and finished in 4:05. It was my fourth marathon over the course of 9 years (!!) and today's time was 22 minutes faster than my previous best which I got in St. George just three months ago.

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I was really nervous going into this race, probably more so than any race I've ever done. STG was a disaster. I had trained really well for months, but that day none of it mattered. It was certainly not what I was expecting and incredibly disappointing. I knew I had to redeem myself soon and quietly almost all of us exchanged our Carlsbad Half Marathon bibs for the (full) Marathon.

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The training started out great because we had already been in training. The weekend after STG I ran 10 miles and that kicked off the new training session for Carlsbad. But winter marathons are tough, esp. when they are right after the holidays. I was sick for several weeks and had a cough that took 5 or 6 weeks to shake. There was also a week of travel in November and frigid conditions in Portland. My training got off track and I was very concerned. I started really wishing I hadn't exchanged my bib because I was not feeling ready at all.

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Tapering was a nightmare. I began to have difficulty sleeping, I couldn't think of anything else but the marathon, I lacked patience... all the typical behavior but it hit me harder this time than in previous races. But suddenly just 4 days before the marathon I felt a sense of calm. All the self-doubt went away. Despite some spotty training, I began to think that maybe I could finish this one okay.

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Running the hometown marathon is a much different experience. I had been waking at 4:50am to run with the group for 7 months. I knew what to eat, when to wake, what things I needed to lay out ahead of time. I also knew the course like I know the back of my hand. I know when to ease up, when to give a little more, which hills I needed to mentally prepare for, etc. I carbo-loaded with friends the evening before and woke marathon morning feel fresh and ready.

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The 6am start meant the first hour of the marathon was dark. It also meant the miles flew past. I was totally suprised every time I approached a mile marker. I couldn't believe how fast the first 11 miles went by! Miles 14 to 16 are run with the half marathon racers. They were all fresh since it was miles 5-7 for them while some of us were beginning to look a bit more ragged. The hill at 15 is along the coast and I knew it would be a tough one. It's really not a tough one, but 15 miles into the race it feels really big. I shuffled up that one and was so happy once I got to the top.

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I had run races with my husband and friends before and during those shorter events we had even run together. But for the marathon, it's always been just me by myself. At Chicago, Mike and I split up pretty early on. And at STG, my friends trudged up the killer hill at mile 7 while I had to slow to a walk due to breathing difficulty. I was very relieved and happy to see my husband waiting for me at mile 16.5, ready to run the last 10 miles with me.

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Miles 18-21 were the toughest. All along I had kept an incredibly steady 9:00 pace. I wanted to maintain this pace the entire race to finish in just under 4 hours. However, just before the turn around at mile 18 I started feeling sick. Like really, really sick. I thought I might vomit. My stomach was in knots. I had to take my first walk break for a minute to calm my stomach. It didn't help so I shuffled along until it eventually passed -- three miles later! That was a little disappointing but I'm so thankful it passed.

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From that point on, the last 5 miles were really slow. They were steady and strong, but very slow. I couldn't get myself to move faster than a 9:45 pace. At this point we were once again running alongside the half marathoners all the way to the finish and this helped tremendously. For them, they were looking at a 2.5 hour+ finish so their pace was like 11 or 12 minute miles. Many of them were walking and stopping to stretch. Despite my slow pace, I was passing people and that felt incredible! It was a huge motivator and kept me moving because nothing is better than picking out a person, passing them, and then picking the next person to pass.

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I gave it my all in the end. I had hoped a strong, steady pace would bring me home in under 4 hours but today that strong, steady pace in the final miles were just way too slow. Regardless, I'm absolutely thrilled with my 4:05 finish. I finally have a finish time that reflects my running ability (or non-ability, depending on who you are!). I couldn't be happier with the finish time or the fact that I felt great after the race. No injuries. No lost toenails. No blisters or chafing. And really, can you ask for much more than that?

2010: 1241.17 miles

Love that my running has been taken to a new level. Enjoying the great running weather all year long down here and love the group I started running with in June. I've had running groups on and off throughout the years and I've always enjoyed the social part of it. Some of my best conversations with friends have been during runs. Life's problems get figured out, ideas are bounced off each other, solutions for something totally minor are found... The folks you run with are there 3x a week, rain or shine, cold or hot. There's nothing better than battling out some tough miles with others who love it as much as you do -- and then to top it off with some hot coffee, breakfast, a cool dip in the ocean, or even just 15 minutes of stretching and talking about what we just accomplished. I absolutely love it.
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My goal for 2010 was to run 1200 miles. An average of 100 miles per month seemed realistic given unexpected things in life, vacations, etc. I'm thrilled with this year's total miles run!
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Goal for 2011: 1500 miles. Bring it.

December: 139.28 miles

November: 122.38 miles

Turkey Trot at the Oregon Zoo

Note: This is not a photo of me.
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This morning Mike and I ran a very cold Turkey Trot at the Oregon Zoo. The course is a 4 mile out and back that ends with the last .5 to .75 miles zipping down inside the zoo. There were snowflakes falling when we arrived an hour before the start. The temperature never got above freezing which made for some slick conditions on the forested, leaf-covered roads. Despite the cold and slippery conditions, it was a great way to start the holiday! My time was just under 33 minutes. Mike ran a quick one, finishing about 1.5 minutes ahead of me!

October: 115.57 miles

St. George Marathon

St. George (Utah) Marathon

4:27:11

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Not even close to the finish time I had envisioned but nothing about this race was what I expected. I didn't think altitude would be as big of an issue as it was, but it definitely played a big part in my race day. Running up hills was very tough and when I hit the first big one around mile 7, I realized then and there that it wouldn't be the race I had hoped it would be. I stopped at nearly every water station because of the warm weather, was rubbed down with Icy Hot when my calves started to cramp, had to re-apply Vaseline, lost my running peeps on the hill at mile 7 and was plagued with an obnoxious side stitch the last 8 miles of the race. I tried everything I know to do but was unable to get the stitch to go away. The whole race was just not a good one for me. My next one will definitely be local and at sea-level. I'm pretty sure the four others I train and ran STG with feel exactly the same way. It was a tough day all around -- only one of us made our goal and two were left feeling very disappointed. Three other friends who ran that day also missed their goals. Boo. Onward and upward, right?

my SoCal running peeps

September: 136.18 miles

August: 147.88

Highest month ever. Woo-hoo!!

July: 133.70 miles

Training with this new running group is definitely pushing me! This is the most miles I've ever run in a single month. And probably the fastest miles, too! The marathon is just 61 days away!!