11/10/17 Veterans Day Marathon at Bothell Landing

Mike Mahanay and Monte have decided to RD and have the First Call races continue, with Adrian Call passing on earlier this year.  It is a Friday, the official holiday, so I am off work.  But many do not get the day off so it will be a small event.  Jody has an early flight to Atlanta, so we decide to get a hotel room the night before, in Seatac.  This makes my morning drive so much easier.

Small parking lot right at the start, but I get a spot. Restrooms open!  Wet yesterday and supposed to get very rainy tomorrow, but today is dry.  Cool, not unlike last Saturday.  It was just six days ago that I had a very good run (4:15) at In Unity We Run.  With that decent race out of my system, I can run 4:45 here and be happy.  I feel good now , but know that the soreness and aches from last week's effort will slow me down at some point today and that is fine.

Start - About 45 runners in the half and full (one in the 50K) but lots of people took early starts.  Official marathon start is 8AM with the half at 9AM, but I think most are already out on the course.  Small group lines up for instruction and off we go.  Over the bridge and I am in first place.  Thankfully it does not last long as a fast guy takes off.

Mile 1 - Wow that was an 8:58 mile.  No wonder I am close to the front.  So much for easing into it.  Run with early Maniac James for a while.  But he is faster than me and will cruise ahead.

Mile 2.2 - Last week my strategy of walking just long enough to take a Cliff Shot Block and drink some water about every two miles seemed to work so well.  I decide to do the same today.  The walk breaks will have me off and on with John Anderson for the first thee quarters of the race.  Other participants took photos and shared them with me.


 

 Familiar course along the Sammamish River paved trail.  This is my fourth time racing out of Bothell Landing Park, in the past five years.  So I know the course but am not tired of it.

Mile 4 - Pigtails sighting!

Mile 6.55 - Turn around for this double out and back.  And here is the bench that we had installed in memory of Adrian Call.  Finishers medal will have the bench and the traditional rainbow turn around markers.  Today it is white chalk only.


 


 Mile 13.1 - Reach the half in 2:04.  That is a minute faster than last week.  Comfortable running, it is weird but great that I have stepped up the pace in marathons the past two outings.  Very sure that I will slow at some point.  But another flat course that is easy to run an even pace on.

Mile 17 - Now it gets harder.  Nice to be running with John.  We make ourselves keep going.  At that point in the course where there is a long straight section with a bridge in the far distance.  We resolve to run all the way to the underpass.  Then a well deserved but short walk break.

Mile 19.7 - Happy to reach the bench for the second time and start heading to the finish.  Pace has been creeping up, but still about where I was last week.

Mile 21 - Now it gets hard.  I left John behind and wonder if he will catch up.  Tired.  A few trouble spots slow me.  Left heel is acting up and I take a few walk breaks to get it under control.  Looks like I can run 13 minute miles and still beat 4:30 so I have confidence but it is not easy.

Mile 24 - Start looking back now and then to see if anyone is gaining on me.  No one in sight and not much motivation to do much other than beat 4:30.  Aches and pains, mostly in my feet, but nothing severe, I just keep plodding along.

Mile 26.2 - Bring it on home and am happy with how it went.  Stay for a little while and with Monte, help celebrate Sabrina's finish.





Tomato soup from Mike is so good.   Nice event that I would do again.  Now a recovery week for sure and probably no race until December.


4:24:53
7th of 18
Race#430, Marathon or Ultra#161, Race out of Bothell Landing#4
*****

11/4/17 In Unity We Run Marathon

Second time here and I really like this event.  Just off I-5 in Kent with plenty of parking, it is so easy to get to.  And $20 donation, a fund raiser, with one of the kindest and best RDs out there.  Nice enough, safe mostly paved trail along the Green River.  Have not run here enought yet to be tired of it.  Low key event with minimal support and a small group, but again this year I seem to know at least half of the marathoners.  Double out and back again, but both times in the upstream first direction.

Last year I ran a decent first half, then convinced Deb to do the full and I ran the rest of the way with her, finishing at a leisurely 5:15.  This year I would at least like to beat 5 hours, but really have no goals.  Probably hook up with someone and just enjoy the morning.  I have plenty of miles in, but have not gone farther than eight miles at a time since BHam at the end of September.

Cold, but dry.  So lucky it is not the rain and wet snow of yesterday.  Hat and glove weather though.  Carrying my big water bottle.




Start - See Deb but can't convince her to run more than the half.  I start near the back.  Ease into the running and get into a comfortable pace.  Mike, then Sabrina and Christie.  Next catch up to Dan Sherman and we stay together for a mile and a half.  Realize that I am running a 9:30 pace and that it feels great, but is probably way too fast.  I let Dan go, but then pass him when he takes a quick stop.




Mile 2 - Run with Stephanie and her dog.  Really nice two miles, I wish it were happening later in the race when I will need the company, but still a nice way to spend 20 minutes.  Then she walks and I continue on.



Mile 4-16 - Steady 9:30 pace.  2:05 at the half and I expect to crash soon.  Math tells me that unless I have an epic bonk I should break 4 hours.  Decide to keep doing my thing and not get into socializing too much.  Strategy of walking just a short bit to sip water and have a Cliff Blok every two miles.  Fill my water bottle at the half and at the turn around.

Mile 16 - Start to tire, but not bad at all.  Nothing hurts.  When I feel a little sluggish I practice picking up the pace for a few steps then easing back to my still somewhat comfortable stride.  Eye on my overall pace and seeing it climb but slowly.  9:36 per mile and I would be happy with a 10:00 per mile finish, so I can slow a little each mile and make my goal.  Just a matter of not taking long walk breaks.  Linda Walter sighting!

Mile 21.5 - Mike, Monte, Rick and Susan coming towards me and just like that I feel really tired.  Say something about hitting the wall now.  At least there is not much more to go.  Very happy with making it this far at this pace.  Mentally break down the landmarks to come and look forward to checking them off.

Mile 24 - Able to run long sections.  Yes the running has slowed, but no walking.  I will take that 10:04 for mile 22 any time.  Got to keep running for a great finish time.  Sharp turn off the trail and onto a rural small road, and there is a semi truck stopped and practically jack knifed across both lanes.  Tires right next to a giant puddle.  The other side of the puddle has about 6 inches of dry "path" next to a wall of blackberries.  In retrospect I guess I could have run through the puddle, but I take the time to edge around it and soon I am running again.  Red shirt woman in the long straight away distance is getting closer.

Mile 25 - Worked hard to catch up to the woman who is just not taking walk breaks.  She is slowing though.  Says that she is going for a PR of 4:24.  I know that we will make that easy but I encourage her to keep running.  After 23 miles of running alone, it is great to be with someone going at a decent pace for me.  Half mile push together.  Then I feel like I could be going faster and I have no commitment to her (plus she is going to crush her PR) so I go out faster and tell her to follow.

Mile 26.2 - Finish!  26.15 on the GPS.  Same great enthusiastic volunteers were there 2 hours and ten minutes ago when I reached the half.  5 minute positive split is amazing.  I am so surprised at how well it went.

Fastest marathon of the year by nine minutes!

I will credit my fast time today with a few things.  Better core strength due to doing yoga session twice a week now for two months, my new running routes are seriously hilly changing up the muscles, injury free for some time now, and a disciplined mental state today to handle any stress and not take walk breaks just because I was tired.

Planning to run the Veteran's Day Marathon in Bothel on Friday, so short turn around for this one.  And I will lower my expectations next week, enjoying how well this one went today.


4:15:42
Race#429, Marathon or ultra#160, IUWR#2
12th place of 30 finishers
*****