5/15/05 Capital City Marathon

Goal = beat 4 hours. I've had the best training yet and 4 hours should be within reach. Besides, I have a secret weapon, Raymond Miles will meet me at mile 16 and pace me to the end. Dumping heavy rain just before the start, but with just a few minutes before the start, the rain stops.

Start - Got my rain jacket with me just in case.
Mile 2 - It has been a nice run around Capitol Lake. Now up the hill and I am at the Fall's Terrace Resturant. I discard my jacket into some bushes, hoping it will still be there after the race.
Mile 7 - There is Hannah with a fresh bottle of gatorade. I have my fuel belt with me, for some reason I do not trust the water stops to provide me with enough fluids. I have already downed one gatorade and I start in on the second.
Mile 13 - There is Lori with my third gatorade. I am drinking plenty of fluids and feeling good.
Mile 16 - Raymond looks funny to me. He is standing there reading the Sunday paper in his running gear while everyone is passing by. I yell to him and he joins me. I inform him that I have about 4 minutes in the bank, so we are really on a good pace.
Mile 18 - Fun running with Raymond. He is chatty and thanking the spectators. More than one person comments on how fresh he looks. Strong headwind on one section.....no problem.....just have Raymond block it for me.
Mile 20 - Feeling sick to my stomach. All that gatorade is just sloshing around in there.
Mile 21 - Starting to slow.
Mile 23 - Really hard time now. Feel sick. I want to walk, but Raymond say's "walk? THERE IS NO WALKING!!". I comply and keep shuffling along. He is looking at his watch with some concern. Not much either of us can do at this point. I want to vomit.
Mile 26.2 - I should be happy and I am, I took 5 minutes off of my previous best time, but I just could not beat the 4 hour challenge.

4:03:21 PR
234 of 485
****

5/7/05 Public Agency Challenge 2 Miles

Marathon next weekend, it would be crazy to do a race today right? Well how about the little two miler, while my friends run the 10K? Cloudy and cool.
Start - Uphill on Capitol
Mile 1 - Turn around and head downhill all the way to the finish.
Finish - At the "winged victory statue". Nice finish area. Over so fast, but a fun time and fun to run quickly.
13:30
10th place of 79
****

4/30/05 Bulldog's Unleashed 5K

Small fundraiser for Washington Middle School in Olympia. Piling on the miles this month so I decided to run the whole course once as a warm up. Then rest a bit before the start. Cool and misty.
Mile 3.1 - Pretty good even pacing and happy with time. Running two more miles after the race was tough but it gives me 175 miles for the month a new record. 3rd place in my age group dog bone ribbon and $25 raffle win tops of a great morning.
21:57
13 of 65 race #75
****

3/5/05 Run for Luck 10K

Chehalis Western Trail = Flat and Fast. Too bad I am not quite as fast as I used to be. Am getting faster though after that long break. In heavy marathon training mode, good time to hop in for a low key 10K. Cool and nice weather.
Race - Good run and good pacing. Nothing special, except that during the last two miles I passed five runners and was not passed myself. GPS watch kept close to the mile markers and was great for helping with pace.
47:12
34th of 87
***

2/26/05 Saint Martins Homecoming 5K

Has it really been three months since my last race? I have been training for CCM and the work has gone well. Also got a GPS watch that has been very fun to use. Cool and foggy.
Start - A few serious runners here and I do not really know anybody. I feel a little out of place. After a short warm up I toe the line.
Finish - GPS says that the course was 3.226, a tenth of a mile long. Race director is sure that it is accurate. Problem was I was pacing based on watch and thought I was going faster. A little dissapointed with my time and the course seemed tough. Won a cool picnic basket stuffed with goodies in the raffle that went a long way in appeasing me though.
23:12
25 of 78
**

10/30/04 Tenino Ghostmuster 5K

Jared with me for the one miler. Billy and Tammy running too. Heavy windswept rain.
Mile 1 - started too fast, I can feel it.
Mile 2- there is Mark Anderson up ahead, I wonder if I can catch him
Mile 3 - I just passed Mark and we are battling it out, back and forth. I pass him at mile 3.1 and then hear him say "oh maybe not" and he surges forward getting in a fraction of a second ahead of me.
Finish - What a great battle. I love having a new arch enemy to fight. Run a faster time when competing hard trying to beat someone. Now dry off and hope to win a raffle
22:16 24th of 117 runners
72nd race
****

10/16/04 Roman Meal Glove Run 5K

Rain and wind. Soggy conditions.
Mile 2 - No mile markers today. No idea what my pace is, but I think I am running steady.
Mile 3.1 - Good finish, fine with my time considering the conditions. Go dry off.
22:57
1st in age group ribbon
22nd of 88
****