5-1-11 Tacoma Marathon

Previous times here are 3:57, 3:58 and 3:58. I ran 3:56 at Yakima four weeks ago and then had to not race at Mt Si due to being sick. Looking forward to a good run today. And we sure have awesome weather. Bright sun. Cool at the start but it will warm up. No wind. The plan is to run with Kurt, the 3:50 pacer as long as I can. Hopefully I will not crash too bad, and just maybe I'll feel good and be able to go ahead of him at some point. My PR is 3:48:01, so I would have to leave him with enough time to knock off two minutes.....but I am just speculating and hoping. Most likely I'll sneak in under 4 hours and I'll be fine with that. But I have been doing some specific training and maybe it will pay off today.


Start - Meet my Maniac friends and line up near Kurt. Start and finish are now at the same location, the course has been altered slightly but retains all the great hills. Feeling good and relaxed.


Mile 1- Kurt likes to go out a little ahead of pace to bank some time before the hills. Plus there is a hill right here at the start. So it feels like work from the beginning.


Mile 2 - Flatter. Warming up. Getting in the groove. A little crowded behind the pacer so I move just in front. M761 follows and we run together for a little bit. Unicorn sighting.


Mile 3 - Getting ahead of the pace group. I let M761 go on ahead and I settle back. She will go on to run a 3:38 so I am glad that I did not try to keep up and I am happy for her. Soon I am running with her brother, who will also pull ahead to run his own terrific race. I really need to stay with 3:50, because we are going faster than that (still banking time) and I know that 3:50 is a stretch for me. I have only ever run sub 3:50 two previous times.


Mile 8 - Beautiful day down on Ruston Way. Nice pack of Maniacs and two first time marathoners. Running comfortably. With Lesa Overfield who is running her 100th marathon today. Last weekend I ran 16 miles at 8:30/mile pace without trouble, so this 8:35 pace is fine.


Mile 9 - Traditional loon call in the Ruston tunnel. Now the steepest uphill of the course. I have gone just ahead of 3:50 pacer. The hill is fine. Into Point Defiance Park and as I pass Judy Fisher I tell her that it looks like I am going ahead of my pace group, but they will probably catch me.


Mile 13.1 - That is such a long uphill in the park. Nice and cool in the shade these five miles. Hit the half at 1:53 which would give me a 3:46 if I can maintain. Doubt it but I feel good at the half and have been drinking well and downing some fuel.


Mile 17 - Out of the park. Down then up then a long gradual uphill that goes forever. Getting tired of these up hills. Pace slowed a little but I'm doing OK. Always interesting to see if/when I will run out of energy and really slow down. All I can do is keep taking nutrients and run within myself. I think that the course is a little different here, winding through some neighborhoods. Two guys have been running near me for a while and they are yapping away. Constant talk that I will not get sucked in to. It nice to have a little diversion. Plus this course is so interesting, the miles are sliding by.


Mile 19 - A little more tired. Need some downhills and there they are. Bad patch gets better. I think that I can keep going at this pace, but for how much longer?


Mile 20 - On to the paved trail that parallels Highway 16. Pass Guy Yogi. This is a little sad for me. For years he has been faster than me and always a few minutes out of reach. Today he is slower than usual and I am faster than usual, at least at this point. It just does not seem right to be passing him. But I do. Little do I know that he will stay right on me and finish just behind me. Being careful to not get carried away just yet. Really though it is only about 4 miles until the long downhill to the end. If I can hold on for four more miles....


Mile 23 - Chugging along at the same pace. Cheney Stadium, Target (I focus on the bulls eye for a half mile) and the golf course. I am now confident of beating 3:50. There is a chance that I could get under 3:48. I am still afraid to pick it up for fear of crashing. Coming off the trail there is a bit of a hill and my legs stiffen up considerably. First real discomfort. Woman is walking the hill and I moan that I want to walk but I will not as I shuffle past her. Make the turn onto the road and she starts running. We run together off and on to the finish.


Mile 24 - Oh the downhill is not for a little longer. I can see an aid station in the distance but I am really thirsty so I veer to the other side of the road and get a cup from a homeowner who has set up her own table. Perfect. I like this neighborhood. Boom box playing and people dancing and cheering. Now on to the real aid station where I get more water for my head and Gatorade to drink. Very helpful volunteer, as have all the volunteers been.


Mile 24.5 - Finally the turn downhill. Terry Fritz (the fast Fritz) is cheering. This hill is just a little too steep. Down to the bottom OK though and now turn onto the nice gradual downhill. A PR still looks possible. It is going to be very close. Running with that woman still. We love this finish. I am running faster for sure. When to sprint/give it my all? Still a half mile to go. I do not go all out quite yet.


Mile 26 - Merge with half marathon walkers but there is plenty of room to run. Watch at 3:46 something...I can not see the seconds. Go all out. Did not know that I had that much speed/energy left. The quest for the PR took a lot of the enjoyment away from the last miles. If I was under 3:50 but not near 3:48:01 I would have run happy and easier and been very pleased. Instead I worked so hard, crossed the finish line and let out a swear as I saw 3:48 on the watch. Watch time 3:48:05. I'll find out my official chip time in a few minutes and it will be 3:48:02, one second off my PR. Honestly some frustration, but really I should be pleased and I am. Terrific day all around. Just after getting my chip off, M761 and bro call me over where they are sitting. I share my frustration, then start to cough. Fortunately I turn away and walk over to a secluded area as my cough turns into a puke. Three or four retchings and then I feel surprising well. Not sick although I pass on the post race pizza. Feeling fine and so happy with the day. Now I have to plan when and where to try to PR. Couple of options coming up soon.


3:48:02
77th place of 342
9 minutes faster than last year
Marathon or Ultra #64, Tacoma Marathon #4 Race# 234
*****

4-2-11 Yakima River Canyon Marathon

Third time here. I really like this race. With all the rain we have had I am looking forward to driving to the east side of the mountains and getting some sunshine. With a point to point course this race offers a variety of logistical choices. The first two years Jody came with me and met me at the finish. That worked out well. This year, she is in Italy so I am solo. I decide to have the convenient part on the front end of the race. I stay in Ellensburg, a shorter drive from home. I can sleep in, then get my race packet and go back to my room till just before the start. It is cold and windy but sunny. I See lots of Maniac friends as I eventually walk over to the start area. Start - Hat, gloves, jacket and sunglasses. I feel good, my lingering cough/cold is pretty much gone. This being my third marathon or ultra in three weeks I wonder what will happen but I am not nervous. When I signed up for Dizzy Daze, the race I ran last week, I resigned myself to the fact that it would hurt my Yakima time. I'll just have fun and do my best. Smooth start, this is my favorite sized race. Mile 1-13.1 - Before the start I had been looking for Half Fanatic Jennifer Seward who is running her first marathon, though she did walk a couple some years ago. I could not find her but at about the half mile mark she finds me and we run together. We run a steady 8:55 pace being careful to not go any faster than that. Around the big block, see a very excited horse, then into the canyon proper. Up and down "Baby Bear" hill. This course is so scenic, I really need to come back here every year. Feeling good, diligent with the pacing, drinking fluids, and alternating fig newtons and S!Caps at the aid stations. At mile 9 there is a blast of wind in our face. The next half mile is into the wind and if this keeps up it will really zap my energy. It does die down and even becomes a nice tailwind. We hit the halfway mark in 1:57:09 Mile 13.1 to Mile 17 - At 13.1 I strike out just a little faster and leave Jennifer behind. About a mile of flat and then the "Mama Bear" hill. It is long but not steep. At about mile 16 I begin to feel soreness in my quads. I have had this before when I run marathons on back to back weekend or just log a lot of miles. Not only did I run long the last two weekends, the month of March was my highest mileage month ever, topping out just over 200 miles. My legs are feeling it now. But I have energy enough and I also have some experience with this so I know that I can keep going without having to slow too much. Big downhill is tougher on the quads. Strong tailwind or side wind at times. Mile 17-21.5 - With 9 miles to go I am feeling good other than the quads. I have a couple of miles of flat, then a big hill, then down hill three miles to the finish. I mentally divide the rest of the race into these three sections and it all seems very doable. Passing some people, briefly run with a couple of Maniacs. Bob Dolphin sighting. Strong blast of head wind at mile 21. So strong I can barely move forward. I see that the road curves along a cliff and shortly the wind is no longer in my face. Mile 21.5-23 - "Papa Bear" hill. Not nearly as steep or difficult as in previous years. The uphill gives my quads a break. I run the whole thing, passing walkers. Near the top I remember to pump my arms and that helps me get up the last bit. My pace has slowed with the hill but I am very confident of beating 4 hours. Mile 23-26.2 - Downhill. Tougher on the quads. Really achy now. I maintain pace. Still a long way to go, but energy level is good. Goal now is to run the whole race with no walk breaks. I wish that I could pick up the pace but I just can not do it. The flat last mile is actually easier. Final two tenths seems super long, but I plug away and have a little sprint left. Very pleased with how I felt and how consistently I ran for the whole race. This is one of my favorites and I vow to return with fresher legs. Now the downside to staying near the start line: After walking through the finish area I see two buses ready to take runners back to the start. The driver of the front bus says that they will leave in 15-20 minutes. Great, I walk back to watch runners come in to the finish, then ten minutes later try to board the bus. But it is full and leaving now. I am first on the next bus but we wait here a long time, then go to the shower facility, the race HQ, then back to the finish line, back to the showers and back to the race HQ/Civic Center to wait for stragglers. I am on that bus for three hours before I get back to my car. It all worked out in the end and I had a great day. 3:56:33 Results Pending Race#233, Marathon or Ultra#63 *****

3/26/11 Dizzy Daze Marathon

"Easy" week in my quest for a 4th Maniac Star. Pac Rim, Dizzy Daze, Yakima and Mt. Si will give me 4 marathons or ultras in 4 weeks. Also it will be 19 marathons or ultras within 365 days another way to earn 4 stars. I ran 50 miles at Pac Rim last week. My cough/cold gradually got better but is still bugging me. Some chest congestion, but not enough to stop me from running. Dizzy Daze is a real low key event. Small enough that the RDs allow folks to start pretty much whenever they want. Most marathoners will start at 7AM. There is a half marathon, full marathon, 50K and 100K. The Rogue Wave is attempting her first 100K. I beat her to the 50 mile mark by running Pac Rim, but it looks like that bragging will be short lived. She will start at 6AM. I will sleep in a bit, make the easy drive to Green Lake in Seattle and start running when she gets to the start/finish of the lake loop. Its a 3.2 mile loop that I will run 8 times, plus two little loops around a parking lot to get the exact 26.2 miles. Rogue Wave has to do 19 loops plus a two mile out and back. Showers are forecast but it is dry when I arrive a little after 7AM. I had expected to start after 8AM, but I got up here so fast. Only a few minutes after pinning my number on, RW comes through finishing her second loop. Many ultra runners use pacers to help them get through the second half of a race, to offer support and encouragement and a brain that is at least halfway working. Because RW was only six miles into her race, she did not need my support at all. But we like running together and ran seven loops together. My first time at Green Lake. Small race with mostly Maniacs. With the long loops there was little passing of others, but I will hang around after and enjoy the food and company. Not much to say about the run. The course has more to see than Capitol Lake or Lake Sacajawea, every loop I would notice something new. A mini golf course, a famous running store, two ducks trying to cross the road and almost getting hit by a car before flying away, Jennifer Seward, at least a dozen guys with metal detectors. Bill Herzog joined us for one loop. Our pace slowed from 9:40/mile to 10:25/mile as RW would take walk breaks and stop for adjustments at the aid station. I would walk on ahead after the aid station and let her catch up before trotting along. Ending the 7th loop (22.4 miles) I saw that my time was almost 4 hours. I decided to strike out alone and to see how fast I could run the last loop. Starting to drizzle. My marathon PR pace is 8:40/mile. I wanted to run the last loop in 8:30 and get in under 4 hours 30 minutes. Can I run that fast after already covering so many miles? Yes! The first two miles were fast and relatively easy. I held 8:22 pace, then it slipped to 8:28 in the last mile but I felt like I had really good energy the whole way. The loop seemed to go by so fast. Next thing I new I was circling the parking lot two times and running back to the finish. Well that took it out of me. Terrific bout of coughing, but it only lasted a few minutes. Raining harder now. Change clothes, eat pizza. Great support from Matt and Betsy. Nice event. Nice key chain medal. I hope that I did not blow my chance at a fast Yakima time, I'll try to really rest up this week and finally get over that cold. I stay long enough to see RW hit mile 40. She is in the capable hands of her brother and will go on to run the 100K (62 miles) in 11:25. After Pac Rim (9 hours 44 minutes) and the Mountain Marathon (6 hours 19 minutes) this race went by so quickly. Perhaps the easiest marathon that I have done. 4:28:50 15th place of 39 Race#232 Race#12 of 2011 Marathon or Ultra#62 *****

3-19-11 Pacific Rim 24 hour

No I do not plan to run for 24 hours. Some people are though. My goal is to get to 50 miles in a decent time and then stop. The race is in Longview WA at Lake Sacajawea Park. It is a one mile loop around part of the lake. Flat with a couple of bumps getting up to the two bridges. Crushed gravel and some concrete sidewalk. At mile 25 I will have to take off my shoe to get a rock out, so I recommend gaiters for this one. Although 50 times around this loop sounds boring, it sure is convenient. I don't have to carry anything. Restroom every half mile. Just make sure that as I enter the start/finish area, the lap counter gets my number on the sheet. Jody and I will keep our own tally marks at our little station, sharing a table with M30 and MLaura. And as the day progresses, the course never gets too boring. Lots of people walking dogs, little kids learning to bike ride, families walking along the trail. Not so crowded, but I have to keep both eyes open.

Start - Long intro from the RD gets us starting about 7 minutes late, but it is a nice atmosphere and smaller event than I expected. It is cool and I have my jacket on. Once I get running it warms up to very nice weather. A little warm on the sunny side of the lake and a little cool with headwind on the shaded side. No rain, just big clouds with sun breaks.

Mile 1-10 - I have had a cough/cold for a couple of days. The last two nights were miserable with coughing and I was still coughing up until I started running. Now I am barely coughing at all. Problem is that I just do not feel very strong. By mile 10 I am running out of steam despite going at a very conservative pace.

Mile 10-19 - Getting worse. Not sure at all that I can reach my goals. Maybe I will really slow down and just finish 50K so the race can count for Maniac stats. Going alone. Everyone takes so many walk breaks and stops for who knows how long at the aid station, I am never with anyone for more than a few minutes. Still great to see my Maniac pals and meet some new ones.

Mile 19-25 - I know that I will be in bad shape soon. I invite Jody to run a few laps with me before I get into jogging/shuffling/walking. Maybe we can get into some kind of steady pace. In fact we do and it is great to have her with me till mile 25. I know that I will make the 50K mark now. Despite not feeling well, my spirits are fine and I am enjoying the day.

Mile 26-33 - Hit the marathon mark at about 4:30. Plenty of time in the bank if I want to keep going at a slower pace. Round and round. 50K in 5:29. That earns me the right to put the race on my Maniac page, and gets me Cowlitz County for my county collection. Also I have earned the race swag, a pair of Pac Rim pants. I don't think of stopping just yet though. But by the end of mile 33 I have hit a second wall. Wow, I am really out of it, low on energy. For a while now I have had trouble holding my head up. This happens sometimes late in the marathon, I realize that I am staring at the road/trail in front of my feet. I try to correct, but soon am back looking down. I hope that no pedestrians are coming toward me and not paying attention. Neck and shoulders hurt eventually and I know that this is bad form so I keep fighting to keep my head straight. Nearing the aid station I share my misery with a more experienced ultra runner. She says that I really need to eat something. I am sure that she is right, I have had a few fig newtons and pretzels but little else. Oh there were some really tasty salty baked potato pieces a few miles back. Hopefully there will be more of them out now, otherwise I don't know what to eat. I check in at the mile 33 mark and see that they have just set out hot pizza slices! I grab a slice and walk toward our chairs. Pass Maniac Heidi at her spot and she encourages me to at least get to my all time distance record of 34 miles before I sit down and perhaps drop out. I consider that as I walk the 50 feet to our little camp, but then I am just overwhelmed with exhaustion. I did not want to sit for fear of tightening up and not being able to move again, but I really need to rest and get some food in me. So I sit and Heidi gives me an incredulous look as she passes by. I force down half a slice of pizza and sit for less that five minutes. I can at least walk two more laps and get my distance record. I get on my feet, start walking and ease into a jog without too much trouble.

Mile 33-37 - Within a half mile I am feeling much better. Running long stretches and feeling like I have energy. That short break with food was just the thing I needed. Blow through mile 35, my all time distance for a day. Next up will be mile 40, tying my all time weekly mileage of 65 miles in 7 days.

Mile 38-45 - Cross that bridge and think, hey I only have to do this twelve more times. Is it too early to start counting down? Getting tired again. See three young women ahead, one a Brooks runner, who are having way too much fun. I join their little group for the distraction. They are going a little slower than I want to, but I am fine with passing the next couple of miles with them. At some point we do get separated and I go on mostly alone again. Now seriously thinking about making it to 50 miles and beating 10 hours. Looks like I can do 15 minute miles and reach that goal. I am able to do each mile a little faster than that putting a little time in the bank each loop.

Mile 44-48 - Jody joins me for a lap, sits out a lap, then joins me for one more. She has been so helpful and supportive, so glad that she came along. Last two laps I will do alone. Getting colder and the sun will be setting soon. I can't believe that some people will go on to run another 50 miles or more.

Mile 48-50 - I know that I will finish 50 and that I will beat 10 hours meeting all of my goals so the last two loops are a celebration. After 49 I go to our spot and sit in the chair telling Jody that I can not go on. She knows that I am joking, so I get up and get moving. Now feeling emotional. I tell Maniac Scott that this is my last lap and of course he encourages me to do one more. That would put me ahead in the standings of others who quit at 50. But I like the round number. I might like to do another 50 some time and then I could go for the PR. Not going to think about that just yet. Thankful that I have had little in the way of aches or pains. Right foot was tender for a while but not too bad. Lower back hurt some a while back, then I could feel it in my abs. Then there is the neck/head issue. But these will all be fine in a few days. Find energy to run fast the last bit and then I am done. Thank the lap checker woman who was tracking me just about the whole day and did such a great job. Get my pants from Wild Man Willet and head on home as many folks keep going round and round.

50 Miles - New distance record by 16 miles

9:44:46 - longest time running by over three hours

75 miles in 7 days - Highest weekly mileage by ten miles

Other results pending

Marathon or ultra #61

Race#231

*****

3/5/11 Mountain Marathon

First time event put on by the Guerrilla Running Club. Designed to be a very tough trail marathon in the Capitol Forest just south of Olympia. Elevation ranges from 500 to 2,000 feet up there and many times when we are having rain in town, it is snowing up in the hills. Last week we had snow in the lowlands and then days of cold rain, meaning tons of snow on the higher elevations. In fact when Craig went to mark the course the day before the race he found that the upper trail was impassable. He devised an alternate route that will be a double out and back and promises to be tough. This lowers the chance of getting lost, but also takes some of the adventure out of the race. Plus we will have some crowding on the trail with the larger half marathon starting 30 minutes behind us.

Start - Rock Candy Mountain trail head. It is sunny but cold with black ice on the parking lot. Great swag including a truckers hat and shirt. Dog tag medal if I finish. Line up with some Marathon Maniac friends and after a brief speech by the director of the state Department of Natural Resources the race starts on time. We run about 100 yards and there is the first aid station. That was funny, but makes sense based on the new course. We will hit this spot five times during the race, the new course having 4 out and backs leaving from this fork in the road.

Mile 1.5 - At the fork we turn and start up a steep hill. I'll call this section the "lower snow road". It is a logging road with 5-7 inches of snow. Some tire tracks. When it gets real steep we all slow down. Aid station at mile 1. That is as far as any vehicles could get. The footing is worse now. Some of the snow is hard and turns the ankles a little, some is soft and squishy, never quite sure when and how my feet will hit the ground.

Mile 1.5 to Mile 2.5 - Single track trail, switchbacking uphill steeply. Less snow in the forest, but now we have puddles. The puddles are often covered under the snow and very hard to judge. Lots of ankle turning here. Nothing painful, just slipping and stretching foot and ankle muscles that usually do not get stretched. Pass two volunteers who are hiking up with water and cups to make a small aid station.

Mile 2.5 to Mile 4 - "Upper snow road" more snow here. About 8 inches I would guess. Following in tracks is difficult on the feet. Making my own route on the untouched snow (post holing) is easier. Well it gives more consistent footing, but I know that I will not be able to run like that for very long. Eventually our road is more of a trail. It is generally flat and filled with packed snow. I can almost get in a groove, but then every so often there are big puddles lurking below. M761 is the first to go down with a splash.

Mile 4 to Mile 5.5 - Mile 4 is an abrupt turn around on the narrow trail. It took about an hour to get here, doing 16 minute miles. For a while I had three runners right behind me. I let them pass here and plan to stay with them on the way back down. But each of them is better able to handle these conditions. This is getting frustrating. The big muscles in my legs are fine, my breathing is fine, I should be able to run faster. But with most steps I slide sideways and lose my forward motion. I fear the large rocks or deep holes that could lie beneath the snow. I also know that I am working hard and I have such a long way to go. I really should not waste my energy slogging through this mess and risk falling. Sadly I see my friends pull away and more runners passing me. Every so often I slip to the side and pull on some ankle muscles a little bit. If this gets worse I will have to drop out so as to not really injure myself. For now I will monitor it as I run.

Mile 5.5 to Mile 6.5 - Downhill on the single track trail. Now with 150 half marathoners coming up. Trail us muddier now. Jenny Seward sighting. She asks if I am having fun and I say "no". That is so unlike me. Gets me thinking about why and how to turn my attitude around. Get passed but stay with a female runner. She is also a little discouraged at not being able to move quickly, wondering if we are in close to last place. Then she slips into a puddle and I reach out with one hand to steady her on her elbow. Now we are both about to fall over so with the other hand I grab the nearest branch. We manage to stay upright but the branch that I took hold of was a devils club (Oplopanax horridus). Tomorrow I will be picking nine tiny thorns out of my thumb.

Mile 6.5 to Mile 8 - Lower snow road. Downhill. Slushy and impossible to get into a groove. At mile 8 I see the aid station. Flying uphill toward me is the front runner, Jesse Stevick. He is already five miles ahead of me. A little silly looking with his truckers hat on, he comments to me that they are serving cupcakes at the aid station. Amazing athlete. People cheer for me as I enter the aid area and everyone is so encouraging. My mood is improving and only gets better after that.

Mile 8 to Mile 10.5 - Dirt road out and back - Originally I figured that I would run fast on the roads and just be more careful on the trails. At the start we were told that one road had snow, the other one just some mud. Now is my chance to get into a rhythm and maybe even catch up to some people. But no, this road is uphill, then a long steep uphill, then more uphill. Have to take some walk breaks. My feet have dried out though. I do catch a Maniac friend. We run together for a while, neither of us is having the funnest time. He will go on to drop out at about mile 15.

Mile 10.5 to Mile 13 - Back down the dirt road. Lots of halfers coming up and it is easier to cross paths and say hi on the wide road. I try to tell Jenny that I am doing better. Dave, Betsy and Ruhama sightings. Still taking some walk breaks now and then, realizing that I have to do this whole thing again.

Mile 13 to mile 14.5 - Repeating the course now. Lower snow road is slushier. Thank the awesome volunteers. Oh my, I have not been eating or taking any electrolyte other than in my drink. Pop an S!Cap and eat a fig newton. My supply of Gatorade is gone so I switch to the Nuun that is offered to me.

Mile 14.5 to Mile 15.5 - Single track trail. Much muddier now. Just go through some of the puddles. Feet get so cold but it actually feels nice. The water drains away soon enough and I don't think that I am getting any blisters.

Mile 15.5 to Mile 17 - Upper snow road - a super short stride seems to work OK here. It is safer and I move at a steady pace. Lots of baby steps. Getting darker, almost like the day is ending. Just clouds and now a sprinkle of rain. Feet are wet and a little cold, but not too bad.

Mile 17 to Mile 18.5 - At the turn around I was surprised to see a couple of runners close to me. Two are right behind me and two are ahead of me. They are walking and I am able to pass them. Now there is no one else coming up the the trail. I am very close to being in last place!! I intend to keep entering races as long as they will let me and I know that someday I will come in last. Might as well be today and get that over with. One of the guys who was walking catches up to me and we consider whether we might finish last. Then we see one lone guy coming up the trail. He must be a half hour behind us, so we are relieved.

Mile 18.5 to Mile 19.5 - Downhill on the sloppy muddy snowy trail. Pick my way over the fallen tree. Slip and slide down the trail but do not fall.

Mile 19.5 to Mile 21 - On the lower snow road. Linger a bit at the aid station, filling my empty bottles. Trek down wears on me and I am glad to see the bottom of this hill.

Mile 21 to Mile 23.5- On the dirt road and I have hit the wall. Oh well, I have run out of energy plenty of times at mile 21 of marathons. Footing will be OK, I know that I will finish. Just have to shuffle/tough out the last miles. Except that at mile 21 of a marathon I have never had to climb a 500ft hill. Lots of walk breaks and encouraging those coming back get me through. At the turn around aid station I joke that I think they have moved it a half mile back since the last time I was there.

Mile 23.5 to Mile 26.2 - Screaming downhill, expect that now my right ankle is really bugging me. I could run hard and probably cut five to ten minutes off of my finish, but I really do not want to risk further injury. So every time I feel it nag, I take a nice long walk break. This also restores my energy levels. When I do get to the bottom I am able to run strong the last bit to the finish. Thanks to those who waited around for me. This was a crazy crazy event. Not sure that I will do it again, but maybe I should not decide that right now. It was great to try the tough trails and I am glad that I did it, but technical trail running is not my strong suit and I still fear that falling and breaking a bone. Maybe I will volunteer next year. It sure was fun to be a part of.

6:19:11 (slowest marathon by 85 minutes, and that one was pacing Jody)

36th of 42 finishers

Race #230

Marathon or ultra#60

*****

2-26-11 Steilacoom ResolutionRun 15 miles

I had not planned on being here today. I ran a marathon six days ago and I have many races coming up soon. One of my minor goals is to run 151 miles this month. I ran 150.9 last month, so just beating that, with three less days seems like a building of the mileage base that should be doable. With three days left in the month I could run 15 miles today, 6 tomorrow and then have a day off. And there just happens to be the 15 miler in Steilacoom....so here I am. It will be more fun than running alone, get me another half for the Half Fanatics club and provide gatorade and support along the way. I did not expect to see many friends here, but lots of them do show up and it will be a fun and encouraging time. My times here have been in the 1:59 to 2:02 range but I have no intention of being anywhere near that today.

We had some snow this week and then it turned super cold. It was 16F when I left the house and 23 or so at start time. I have all the layers on, especially since this is a long one and I plan to run on the slow side. The roads are mostly clear and footing should not be an issue. There is some blue sky and some clouds, dry but frigid.

Start - See a bunch of friends and talk with them instead of warming up. I'll just ease into it the first minutes. I am way in the back when we start and that is fine. Smooth start and no hurry for me around the track and up the hill.

Mile 0.5 - Catch up to HF#199. She usually a little slower than me and this is more of a training run for her too, so I decide to run with her for the company. It will be a comfortable pace somewhere between 9 and 9:30 per mile. Maybe I'll leave her if she really slows, or maybe she will ditch me if I hit the wall, who knows what will happen, but I think that we will stay together for most of this.

Mile 7.5 - Turn around at 1:08:43. It has been a pleasant time. MM1480 has run with us most of the time and it was nice to meet him. Same old course I have done so many times. Our pace on the faster side of what we had talked about, can we hold it for the way back?

Mile 10.2 - I get to tell my story of my most miserable run with the dizzy spell and meeting my guardian angel right at the spot where it happened.

Mile 11.5 - Last real uphill. M199 has to walk just a bit. Other than that we have held a very steady pace. I wonder if she is tiring, she did mention "running out of steam" a few minutes ago. I will try to encourage her and I guess at this point just stick with her to the end, but I hope that she can tap some energy reserves and finish strong. In the meantime, I feel great. No aches or pains, just a little heavy legged as I hit 50 miles for the week. I also feel a profound sense of gratitude to be able to be here, to be able to run 15 miles comfortably. We may be far back in the pack and I never win ribbons in Steilacoom, but at least I am out here doing this and having fun.

Mile 13.1 - HF199 has come back strong and I am impressed. She asks the time and I see that we are at 1:58. She does not often run halfs under 2:00 and it dawns on me that she is running well and probably pushing herself hard. We have passed two runners in the second half of this race and no one has passed us. I love negative splits, partially because they are so uncommon. I hope that we can have one here.

Mile 15 -Finish - We held a steady pace and I could sense the finish line and was ready to put on some speed, but HF199 was not quite there yet. Finally down to the track and she does her best sprint actually running quite fast. Very even pacing and great run. We ran the second half under 1:08 getting that negative split. In to the school to warm up and have a baked potato.


2:16:21
Results pending
race #229
15 mile race #6 - all at Steilacoom
****

2-20-11 Birch Bay Marathon

43rd running of this event, but my first time here. Jody and Niki are running the half and we enjoyed our stay with Jody's Dad last night. We got our numbers yesterday, so I am comfortable arriving a little later than I usually like to for a race. I like the personalized bib. We arrive at about 7:30 for the 8:00 AM start and I am glad that we did not get there sooner. It is so cold that I just wait in the car until closer to race time. Wind has died down from yesterday but it is cold (about 30 degrees) and sunny. I am cold in my shorts, but have multi layers on top that I hope will keep me warm enough.









Start - With Jody and Niki, Team Kuhl, and a couple other Maniacs, but as soon as we start moving I find myself running alone. Well not alone, just not with anyone I know. Great to be moving and hopefully warm up some.

Mile 1 - About 9 minutes. Crowd is thinning out and I feel good. I am getting warmer, but the hat and gloves will stay on for now. Bit of a head wind.


Mile 3 - Aid station and then up a little hill. Course is on open to traffic roads, some with little shoulder. Great views of the Bay and the mountains. Here the course does a ten mile loop that we will do twice before heading back to the start/finish at Birch Bay State Park.



Mile 5-6 Down a gradual hill to an aid station. The half course splits off shortly and now the crowd has really thinned out. Running by myself. Huge eagle. All black though, so it must be a juvenile. Long big uphill now. Good thing that I scoped this out yesterday, before then I had no idea that there would be such a hill. Two ahead of me are walking. I pass them near the top.


Mile 7 - Now a nice gentle downhill. The pavement has changed to that chip seal stuff that is somewhat uneven on my feet. I can feel the little stones that are glued into the cement. We will have to run on this for about three miles, two times.



Mile 9 - Pass three runners. I am holding a nice pace, not letting myself go too fast. Every time that I pass someone I wonder if it is a bad idea, they will probably catch me later. I am running alone and it is sort of boring. Just waiting to see how it will play out when it gets difficult. There are spray painted mile markers on the road, sometimes with orange cones to see in the distance. The loop is not exactly ten miles, therefore I see the mile 18 marker, then the mile 8 marker about a quarter of a mile down the road. Run for a while, then I can expect to see the mile 19 sign followed by the mile 9 posting. One gripe, but at least I knew about it before hand, is that on this back half of the loop the aid stations are about 3.5 miles apart. I am used to drinking a little every 2 or 2.5 miles. I decided to carry a small bottle and only fill it half way, just to get me through the longer sections. I have it in my jacket pocket and it is bouncing around some, but better than not having the fluids. I also have new shorts that are longish and have a pocket that is down on my thigh. Four fig newtons and one gu gel are swinging around in there at times. Well I'll just eat a newton and try to reposition the stuff as needed.



Mile 13 - Meet back up with the half course. Pass a couple of the slower runners. Mile 10 of the half and I think that Jody must be up ahead a little, but I do not see her. I do pass Mel Preedy who took an hour early start on the marathon.



Mile 14 - Second time on the big loop. Strange "campfire" still burning in somebody's yard. Two big logs and a large electric fan blowing the smoke away from the road. Nobody tending it.



Mile 16 - I've been looking forward to my second time up this long hill. After this there really are no more ups. Can I run the whole hill? I see someone walking ahead of me. I have been worried that a big hill like this at mile 16 could zap my energy for good. I let the pace slow a bit, but keep at it and it really is not hard at all. Soon at the top and passing a couple of people.



Mile 18 - Things are going very well. Hat comes off, then back on. Its cold but I am running well and relaxed. Tick the miles off and hold a steady pace. I feel like I am still holding back and that is a great feeling.



Mile 19 - Still holding back



Mile 21 - This is going to be a good one. Two more miles on the loop,then three to the finish. Little bit downhill, then flat. Stomach feels good so I eat that gu I was saving.



Mile 23 - Final aid station. One runner passes me there, but other than that I was not passed at all after mile 8. Jody is there to cheer me and take pictures. Now my legs start to tighten up a bit. No pain, no cramping, just tightness. I am not holding back anymore, but it is not so difficult either. I do the math and realize that I will beat 4 hours easy. I also have no chance at a PR. Remember to stop looking at the watch now and just run strong.



Mile 24.5 - Debate whether to give Jody my jacket and hat, but decide that the jacket will be a minor struggle to get off with my big GPS watch and I do not feel like stopping to have someone yank on my arm. I drink the last from my bottle and sense a woman runner just behind me. Incentive to get moving faster and she is not able to catch me. The last mile seems really long, but eventually I am in the park and nearing the finish.



Mile 25.9 - Pass a runner who is walking it in. I encourage him to get moving but he just walks. See the clock and am happy with my time, although I expected to be a little lower since I felt so good. Cross the line and walk a bit to recover.



Mile 26.2 - No immediate stiffness as I walk around and encourage those just coming in. It took about 18 miles of feeling like I was just out for a long run, but after that I was so happy to run the whole race and feel strong all the way to the finish. Now I need to figure out how that happened and how to make it happen again. Unfortunately the training regime that I have been diligently following for about two months is going to be difficult to continue with, now that marathon and ultra season is in full swing.



Next is the Mountain Marathon on March 5th. Goal is to finish this tough course with no injury that makes me unable to participate in any of the other races that I am registered for.



3:55:45
36th place of 96
Marathon #50
Marathon or Ultra #59
Race#228
*****