Puyallup to past Orting mostly on the paved river trail. Out and back, much of this route I have not been on previously. Cool an damp with a little drizzle but not real wet. I will wear my jacket the whole way.
Should have brought my camera, but I was able to get some photos that others posted.
Start - 8AM at the cider farm. Easy enough to find and parking was no problem. So nice to see lots of friends here. Rikki and I have no clue about the course and ask around. I figure we will be with enough people until we hit the trail and then it should be straightforward. Hope to remember how to get back at the end of the race. I start with no real time goal, though a sub 4:30 would be great. I could just run with Deb and Marie, but I think they are really taking their time today and I do want to put in a decent effort. Instead I fall into pace with Rikki who is generally quite a bit faster than me.
Mile 4 - After a 9:49 warm up mile then an 8:58 second mile, we have settled in about 9:20/mile pace. I feel just a little off. Legs are somewhat stiff, overall I am not so comfortable. Hope it works itself out. Rikki stops at the aid station and I move ahead, solo. She will pass me in a couple of miles. At least I get to see folks on the out and back, other than that I will be alone the rest of the race.
Mile 8 - I like the long sections of flat straight paved trail. A little pain between two of my left toes. I think a nail is digging in there. In a few miles I will not notice it and I won't think about it again until after the race when I take off my socks and find a large red blister.
Mile 10 - Planned walk break every 2 miles to make sure I drink and take a cliff shot. This spacing of short walks and nutrition has helped fend of the wall lately. A little boring out here. My game is to look for a landmark (like a big tree or traffic light) that I think is a half mile ahead, then check with the GPS when I get there to see if I was right, always hoping that I underestimated the distance.
Mile 12 - Wendy Hawthorn sighting
Mile 13 - Extra walk break here. One guy passes me. No one will pass me after that. Half in 2:09. Now I get serious about my goal. I have 96 sub 4:30 marathons so the push is on to get to number 100. No reason why I should not go for it today. A 2:20 second half gets me there. About 11 minutes per mile and should be doable if I don't walk much.
Mile 16 - Quick hi to Deb, then a bit later I see Marie S, who I know but have not met officially. Introduce myself and am on my way.
Mile 18 - Aid station, bottle is full enough, I just grab some chips and move on. Tiring and stiffer. Worried about the pace.
Mile 22 - Really going to be close. Now a minor dizzy spell. Walking and a tiny beat of weaving along. Need to play it safe here so I walk until it passes. Afraid of pushing to pace. But not so much farther to go.
Mile 23 - Off the trail onto a road through a farm. Long straightaway, I look back at the end of it and no one is behind me. On to the river trail again and pass two doing the half.
Mile 24 - Back to the road and over the river, then over the highway. Course might be just a little long and my 4:30 goal is very tight. No backing off now, I wish I could make my legs go faster. So hard to run fast, at least I am not walking. Flour arrows and a volunteer at one corner point to way to the finish, keeping me from taking a wrong turn.
Mile 26 - Now I can see the turn to the cider farm, and I really want that sub 4:30. But it is 4:28 and not looking good, and the course will be long by a bit.
Mile 26.1 - Turn into the driveway and there is a clock with the time counting up 4:29:54, 4:29:55, 4:29:56.....I am not going to make it, it is just too far. Finish 13 seconds past my goal.
Finish - 26.30 on the GPS - A brief moment of severe disappointment. I tell Rikki that I want to cry. I am really upset about it, but I think only because I was working so hard the last miles and that was my one driving force keeping me moving as best I could. My last two races I made that goal and was able to slow and relax toward the finish. This was stress the whole way, with no payoff at the end. Think about how many ways I could have cut 13 seconds off my time had I known.....
In a short bit of time I am able to get over it and be happy with my effort and the accomplishment of another marathon done.
Finishers stone and pint glass. Great food options.
Results pending
4:30:13
Race#431, Marathon or Ultra#162
*****
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