4/30/17 Tacoma City Marathon

My 9th time here.  A few course changes.  Fewer old Maniac friends.  I have been thinking that this might be my last time here.  Packet pickup is a hassle, so early to get to the start, high price unless you register very early which I did, now it is the same weekend as Capitol Peak.  CP is now 50 miles or 25K so not the marathon or 50K that I prefer, but still the trails I love.  Jody was doing her own running on Saturday and now I will be gone on Sunday so it is almost a lost weekend for us.  But I am here now, I might as well enjoy it.

Except it is so darn cold again.  Bus drops me off just before 6AM so I have an hour to shiver in the cold and wind.  Got to find a place out of the wind.  Some runners are huddling just behind the port-o-potties, yuck.  I venture off to a building.  There are two other running hobos there next to the dumpster, across the broken glass, scrounging for some place to sit.  I find a small but sturdy plastic cart on its side and can sit on it with back support on the wall.  Pretend to chase away other shelter seekers, I tell them that this area is for elite athletes only.  Hunkered down and shivering despite the hat, light jacket and long pants.  Feel sorry for those in shorts and short sleeves.  It can't be that cold but I feel like it is zapping my energy.

6:30 head over to the main area and find the Rogue Wave.  We wait till the last minute to drop our gear bags, then find a patch of rising sun to stand in.  Just before the start a bald eagle lands on the ground, not far at all from some people.  And it stays there as our race starts.

Start - RW and I head out together.  We have a plan to keep it just under 10 minute miles and hope to not slow too much, ending under 4:30.  Fun to be at the same level as her and it has been a year since we have run together!  Out of the airport and left instead of the out and back to the right.  First of many course changes.  Maybe I should have studied the map a little better, but I doubt we will take a wrong turn.  So many volunteers to direct the way.

Mile 2 - Beautiful but windy morning on the Narrows Bridge.  Strong side winds.  By the time we are 2/3rd of the way across we are both ready to be done with it.  Now the long uphill and the first aid station not until mile 4.  From here on the aid will be closer together and I will be fine without carrying water.

Mile 10 - Tour of North Tacoma. Nice quiet neighborhoods mostly.  Hills but keeping the average pace at about 9:42/mile.  This is the fastest I have gone out in a marathon in ages.  Hope I can hold it.  Hip and groin feel pulled on.  Hope it does not get worse.  Meanwhile it is sunny and cool, but very comfortable for running.

Mile 13.1 - 2:07 something on the clock.  I can do a 2:20 second half and still beat 4:30 easy.  RW needs a quick break, but there is a short line.  I keep walking, then run a slow pace.  I could wait for her, but I don't know how long she will be, plus I fear that I may get real tired and slow at any point, just to see her go on ahead. 

Mile 14.5 - A little surprised when she calls to me on the steepest part of the uphill before Point Defiance Park.  Great time to walk and let her catch up.  Now we enter the park and some confusion as we are told to go right, but here comes speedy Robert Bondurant towards us from the left.  Oh he is 5 miles ahead of us and finishing the long loop that overlaps for a short distance.  Soon we are directed left and onto 5 mile drive, after some constructions side route, grass and mud.

Mile 17 - Going counter clock wise through the park (different from previous years) means the long twisting hill.  Pace is slowing.  Approaching the famous Blues Brothers aid station.  Suddenly I feel a little dizzy and it is not easy to run.  Somewhat scared, I walk it into the aid station.  Take off my sunglasses and focus on overcoming the situation.  It passes very quickly and I am soon back on pace.

Mile 18 - Ravens calling.  Now just like on the bridge, this is a spectacular place to run, but I am ready to move on.  Out of the park it will be a mostly straight shot along Ruston Way to the end and it will be nice when we hit mile 20.

Mile 20 - Nice to be here.  Legs are tired but no pains.  Upper legs and hip have not gotten any worse.  New course goes left then onto the very start of the Point Ruston walkway.  Wide curving path.  A little breeze in my face at times and some warm pockets of air, but not bad at all.  Three miles right along the water on a pleasant morning.  People and dogs out walking, but not so crowded.

Mile 21 - RW has her music in and picks up the pace some.  I do not try to keep up.  I have a nice slow groove going, with very short walk breaks and just don't feel a need to push it.

Mile 22 - I do catch a young guy and he says yes when I guess that this is his first marathon.  He is in good spirits and I don't chat him up too much.  But we run step in step for about a mile before I pull ahead.

Mile 23 - Super Sabrina sighting.  Alone, spectating, like she has been banished from the event.  My 4:30 buddy from Blooms to Brews.  We will run together soon I hope.  Now the big hump on Ruston Way.  I run the whole thing and only slow at the water station at the bottom.

Mile 25 - 4:13 on the clock ensures a sub 4:30 finish.  No desire to push it.  I am running, just slowly.  Plenty of runners around, we are getting excited for the finish.  Grinding metal sound as we are next to a slow moving train.  So slow that I am running faster than it.  Up and over the tracks and the final stretch.

Mile 26 - Oh darn it, one more hill.  Up and around to the final turn and pick it up for a nice looking finish.

Mile 26.2 - Immediate recovery is much better than at Blooms to Brews where I worked so hard at the end.  Happy enough with my time.  And the event was really great as always.  Really tempting to come back again next year.  I should at least do an even ten times here.

4:25:26
151st of 298
Race#416 Marathon or Ultra#153 Tacoma City Marathon#9
***** 

4/22/17 Traveler 5.5K

When the snow starts to melt in the Olympics an image appears of the Traveler, and maybe his dog.




The best view is from Alderbrook in Union, so the town puts on a Traveler Days weekend.  Last year there was a 5K that I missed.  But today I am here for the very rare 5.5K event.  I am guessing that last year the course was a little long and to be fair, they have called it 5.5K for this year.  Registered and got my number and goody bag last night.  Family friend Shannon was there to help and will be out on the course today.  Registering in person was cheaper than through the website.  With the fees saved, I could not resist paying an extra $12 for the shirt. Pre shirt it was $39, pricey for a short race.  But chip timed, great swag bag including a poncho, and proceeds to Kirk and Friends charity and the local Fire Department.




Start time at 11AM?  Yes it is.  At the Alderbrook clubhouse.  And about 4 miles from our cabin on the Hood Canal.  The location was a big draw for me. I have run on these roads before but not very often.   So I sleep in, have a nice breakfast and leave home after 10AM.  I thought about running to the start but the 500 foot hill would probably not be a great way to warm up. 


Volunteer directs me to a parking spot, right between the start/finish and the community fair.  Local groups with booths set up.  I get in a decent warm up.  Too bad it is raining.  Traveler is not out.  Many folks are wearing their new ponchos.  I decide to just get wet.




Start - Assess the competition.  I looked at last years results and am pretty sure I would have been in the top ten.  Mostly walkers, a couple of fast looking kids and a few runner types.  RD gives directions ( I did study the map that was posted online, but there will be lots of turns) and says to look for the signs on the right side of the road with arrows.  A little crowded but I am almost at the front and we soon have the whole road to run on.




Mile 0.10 - Road curves to the right and then up a steep hill.  Guy in a Mariners shirt is already way ahead of everyone else.  Amazing how he gets up that hill and is gone.  I try to count and am in maybe 8th place.  Pass one on the hill but also get passed.

Mile 0.5 - Around and down the hill, out to a short lollipop section.  Wonder why they did not just cut off the lollipop and call it a 5K.  Road has lots of curves.  I try to run the tangents.  Watching a kid ahead of me to see if there are turns ahead.  Some are staying on the right side of the road, but there is no traffic and there will be left turns so I might as well run the shortest route.  Pass one kid and the front woman.

Mile 2 - It has been a long well deserved downhill after more ups.  Feeling good and picking up the pace.  It wavers between 7:35 and 7:55 depending on whether I have just come up or down.  Road does not have potholes, but it is cambered and there are little dips and spots to watch for.  Most steps I am wondering what my feet will do and how they will adjust.  Not smooth running, especially with the little hills.  But this long downhill has been awesome.  Sharp turn and OMG a steep long uphill.  Such a good time spoiler.  Trudge up and I can hear a guy talking to first woman behind me, not struggling like I am.  He passes me on the hill and encourages me.  Then the woman catches up.  I recognize the guy, he was the one giving directions at the start.  Run with first place woman for a bit, trying to not let her get ahead.

Mile 2.5 - Ahead of first place woman, now with the guy who has slowed a bit.  He clearly could be going faster.  It has not clicked in my mind yet that he is the race director and not so interested in a fast finish time.  His focus seems to be on getting me a fast time.  Gaining a little on a 13 year old ahead of us, the RD wants me to make a run for it.  In the mean time, I am just trying to hang on.

Mile 3 - Give the best surge that I have and it is not enough.  Clear that the kid will beat me.  I tell the RD to go for it and pass the kid.  He finally leaves me and goes forward.  I am happy to hold my place and not let the first woman catch me.

3.5 - 3.50 on the GPS, sprint to the end feeling good with the effort and my place.  Walk over to the timing van and get an immediate print out that lists me as 4th overall and first in my division.  It has my pace at 8:02 per mile, but my watch reads 7:49.








My brother in law is here with his food truck, so I go say hi to him and get a plate of truck fries.  Then a few minutes later I see the guy with the Mariners shirt, who went out so fast.  There were two kids ahead of me, plus Jeff the RD.  That is what put me at 4th.  What happened to this guy?  I ask him if he did start with us and go out fast.  Yes and later on he went straight and missed a turn adding about 2 miles to his race.  So sad, he came in after me.  The RD thought that he was finishing in 4th, he did not want to take a prize from the top 3.  When he found out that the super fast guy was not ahead of us, he insists that I take the 3rd place prize.  I do not argue and come home with a nice gift basket from the Cameo shop that included peanut brittle and a port wine chocolate sauce.

The rain has stopped so I stick around for a little while.  Definitely plan to come back next year.


27:24
4th place of 90
Race#415, 5.5K#1
*****

4/9/17 Blooms to Brews Marathon

 


First time here at this 3rd annual event. Jody and I drove to Woodland WA the afternoon before, so I could save 90 minutes of driving in the morning and not pay $20 for day of race packet pick up.  Hotel is nice, but sure does not save us money.  Expo was very small and we were out of there in just a few minutes.  Morning of, I get up in plenty of time and it is an easy less than a mile walk to the start, so Jody can have the car and pick me up at the finish.

Weather is cool and cloudy, not as windy as it had been.  Course is super flat.  Skagit flat.  It is scenic, but does not change much at all.  Farmland and river views.  The tulips are not blooming yet and most of the fields look to me like they are growing crab grass.

Intend to stay with the 4:30 pacer and hopefully pick it up in the second half.  I ran 4:26 at Cupcake with the second half much slower and a solo effort.  This is the largest marathon I have run in some time and will have company just about the whole way.  I intend to give it a good effort.  But since the marathon two weeks ago, my running has been blah with travel interruptions.  Hip discomfort lasted a few days and I am worried that it will flare up some miles into today.  I carry ibuprofen just in case and will walk it in if needed.

Start - Super Pacers are here and I get Super Sabrina as my 4:30 workhorse.  Prayer, National Anthem and then we are off.  Wide road parallel I-5 then over to the warehouses and meat packing plant.  Then the country roads and fields.

Mile 2- Nice little group at 4:30.  One woman will carry her phone in one hand and car keys in the other the whole way, because that is what she did in training.  She and friend from SF are running their first marathon.  Half marathon started ten minutes ago and eventually the front runners pass us.

Mile 5 - Chatting with Sabrina.  It was one year ago that she paced 4:30 at Whidbey and I stayed with her till mile 20, then moved forward for a solid finish.  Same plan today.  Long out and back here.  Surprise Tracy Marshall sighting, going so speedy!  Then Marie pacing 5:00 after we turn around.

Mile 13.1 - Really uneventful run and course.  So flat.  I get to hold the pacer pole while Sabrina takes a break.  Just like at Whidbey.  We reach the half in 2:13:30, so are a little ahead of schedule.

Mile 14 - I decide to ease on ahead a little faster, not knowing that I will regret that a later.  Pick up the pace.  Jody is at an aid station.  I try to untie the jacket around my waist but it is knotted so tight I end up slipping it down my legs to get it off.  It takes so long, that Sabrina almost catches me.  But off I go, a little lighter.

Mile 16 - A 6 mile loop.  Past a heron rookery that Jody also saw and photographed.  Gradually passing people, trying to run just under 10 minute miles.  Feeling good and mile 17 goes by in 9:32.

Mile 20 - Back on the course overlap part.  Run with a mother and daughter who will be at CCM and the Trials Legacy in Oly later this year.  Animal cookies at the aid station do not go well with gatorade that is so concentrated there are solid slushy sugar bits at the bottom.  But my stomach feels ok otherwise.

Mile 21 - Jody again at this part of the loop.  Now out onto a gravel road and it all falls apart.

Mile 23 - Tight and tired legs.  Short walk breaks start up.  The gravel road has big potholes and the wind picks up and is blowing in my face.  Pace has slowed a lot and I start to fear Sabrina.  Mile 23 marker is a tenth longer than the GPS taking away a minute I had in the bank.  I shuffle up to two walkers and complain that it is getting hard.  The woman says "it is a marathon, its supposed to be hard"  I like that line and it encourages me.  On to pavement but still into the wind for a short out and back.

Mile 24 - Now heading with the wind and it is easier but still horrible.  Saw Sabrina on the out and back and she is struggling and tried to hand me the pacer pole.  I declined with fear that I will not make 4:30 now ( I regret not taking it from her).  Discouraging but what can I do.  Just keep at it.  Now the advertised run through the flowers, but really it is on the road past a tulip farm.  A few blooms in the distance, but nothing I would name a race after.

Mile 25 - Passing me is SF woman.  Finishing so strong in her first marathon and now encouraging me.  I do get a bit of energy and am able to keep running.  Sure going to be close to 4:30.  But nothing really hurts.  The hip is doing great so I am thankful.

Mile 26 - 4:27:52 on the watch.  So a 10/mile will just get me in if it is 0.2 to go.  Looks really far.  Try to go faster.  Make the last turn and think I just might make it, but I have to sprint.

Finish - Mile 26.2 - 26.40 on the GPS.  turn off my watch at 4:29:58 but my chip time will come in at 4:29:54.  So I guess that I am all set to pace 4:30 in May :)

Recovery right after the race is tough.  Stomach hurts and I feel like sitting down.  Much harder second half and feeling than at Cupcake two weeks ago.  But there I ran a slower second half and certainly did not sprint like that at the end.  Really happy to have Jody to drive us home.

Nice little event.  But April has been my month to always try a new race, so I may not come back for a while.








4:29:54
109th place of 190
Race#414, marathon or ultra#152
****