Rain and wind, yet somehow we feel fortunate, because we are in the lull between two more serious storms. Happy to be back at what continues to be the best overall marathon experience that I have run. The rain will not dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic kid volunteers. Other than our bus taking a couple of wrong turns on the way to the start, everything goes smoothly today. But how will my running go?
Start - I have had very bad second halves here the past two years. I decide to set out even slower than last year and hope for a good split time. Rain, but the wind is at our backs for now. Bald eagle sighting, then its all seagulls along the water.
Mile 3 - Dan and Tom are running together and are ahead of me. I gradually catch up, then see that I am going faster than I would like and I ease off. Catch up again. This time we run together for a little while, before I slow back to my pace.
Mile 4 - Mel Preedy sighting
Mile 8 - Off the water, out of the woods and onto the flat farmland. Heavier rain and I consider putting the trash bag on over my jacket. Strong wind blowing sideways. Up ahead we will turn into the wind. Here it is. Strong wind right in the face. I am with Robert Jacobsen. We run side by side and close together to tackle the wind. It is not so hard, but I know that it is sucking my energy.
Mile 12 - Back with Tom and Dan for a while. I see the halfway marker ahead and know that I am a little ahead of pace. I let them go ahead, hoping that I will catch up later.
Mile 13.1 - 2:07
Mile 13.5 - Over the Nooksak River. High and brown with big branches and whole trees floating by.
Mile 14 - I have seen two runners with matching "Lost Dutchman" shirts off an on for the whole race. Now I am with them. One of my favorite parts of the course is coming up, when the large half marathon joins us and the race gets crowded and full of energy. I wonder if these two know what will happen soon? I ask the woman, "Have you run this before?" "Yes, every year", she replies. "Oh you must be Celina Coombs! I have been wanting to meet you!" She is surprised that I would know her name. And her running partner is Eric Stacy! These are the other two "legacy" runners. The three of us are the only remaining people to have run the full marathon here each year. We talk about the various year's T-shirts (the red one was the worst), how good this race is, racing goals, Boston, Lost Dutchman....and the miles and two large hills go by easily and then we hit the merge.
Mile 17 - The merge. At my slower pace this year I am now running with hundreds who are going 10 to 10:30 per mile. I stay relaxed and very gradually pass people as I get the chance. I lose Celina and Eric. Tom and Dan are so far ahead that I have lost sight of them.
Mile 21 - In to town. They have us mostly on the sidewalk, though I think it is OK to run on the side of the road. Feeling pretty good and holding back, hoping that I can make it last. Right leg is tightening up some. Quads are starting to feel it too. Uphill and a Nancy Szoke sighting (halfing). So fun to see a friendly face at this point. I keep chugging along. Now the section right by the finish line. My watch says 3:38 so I know that the runners zooming toward me are trying to beat 3:40. I yell to encourage them and it helps me forget about the fact that I still have 4.5 miles to go.
Mile 22 - On the crushed gravel with a little clay mud trail. All halfers around me. Still passing them gradually and hoping that I will not need a walk break. Quads getting worse. Rain has stopped. Hat comes off.
Mile 24 - Down to the water and onto the boardwalk over the water with a very strong headwind. I am in good spirits, especially since I have not had to walk yet. I have slowed but I am plugging along. The wind is so strong that we have to laugh. Now the sharp turn and steep uphill. One goal that I had was to run all of the hills today. I declare my goal and charge up the hill. Woman next to me says that she had planned pre race to walk up this hill and that is exactly what she was going to do. I don't think that I was much faster than her, but I am able to keep running and reach the top without much difficulty.
Mile 25 - A few more small hills here but we are close now. I am not going to break 4:20, but that is OK. New goal is to not take any walk breaks. Jacket comes off and goes around the waist. I can run, just not very fast. Still passing clumps of half marathoners and that makes me feel like I am doing well.
Mile 26.2 - 26.2 on the GPS. Good sustained effort to the end. No walking! Cupcake from PK
Finish time is better than last year, but not near what I would like. With the positive split again I really should not try going any faster. In fact I start thinking of a new strategy for pacing. I think that I will take my finish time from the previous race and make sure that my half point matches half of that finish time. So for my next road marathon I should run a 2:11 first half (since I ran 4:22 today). That should make for a strong second half and if I can negative split I can set out faster next time.
If I recover well I might run the Shuck and Run in Shelton next weekend. Otherwise I for sure plan on the Defiance 50K on October 12.
4:22:35
189th of 373
Marathon or ultra#101
7th Bellingham Bay Marathon (Legacy)
Race#303
*****
Monday, September 30, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
9/21/13 Cooks Hill Challenge 10 miler
Centralia WA, my first time at this event. A while back I was looking for a race on this date and found this one that I had not hear of. Apparently it has been run for some years, but is a small event. The 10 mile race is billed as a very challenging course with two major hills. There is also a 5K "fun run". I looked at the results from the 5K of last year and saw that the fastest person ran it in 21:51 and second place was over 25 minutes. If the 21:51 guy does not show up, I could have an easy "win". Except that it is billed as a fun run....but it is timed. This week I was reminded of the distinction between group run and race.....
.....On Tuesday I went to Priest Point Park for the Oly Trail 5K run. It was a fund raiser for a local family that has extraordinary medical bills to deal with. A 5K run though is not a race. In fact the City of Olympia will at this time allow races to go through the park but only group runs, not races may be held entirely in the park. The event was fun, despite the rain, and was a good fund raiser. No real time goal on the trails here. I started off well and picked up the pace. A couple of young kids were very hard to pass but I finally caught all but one of them. Martino was ahead of me the whole way. There was a clock (27 something I ran) but no record of times, otherwise that would be a race. I was in the top 50 and got an Oly Trail Runners bandana. Good hard run, but I will not count that as a race on my "official" list. It did make me want to run a real race today, so I signed up for the 10 miler.......
.......and then I looked at last year's results from that race. The winner was 1:33:21, second place in 1:35:11. That is over a 9/mile and three weeks ago I ran a ten mile race in 1:20 something. Unless the course is that hard, I have a better chance of winning this than the 5K. I should not get my hopes up, there is a very good chance that some fast people will show up this year. But until the race starts I can dream about it.
The course is billed as being challenging. Two hills, one of 200 feet and another "the hill to beat all hills" according to the race brochure, of 250 feet. Any of my ultra running friends who are reading this must be chuckling. As long as I do not go all out, these hills should be manageable. In fact after the hilly Narrows ten miler, I have been on a hill quest and this race is another part of it. Bring on the hills! In the past two weeks I have run up 2,300 feet at Mount Rainier, plus another 1,300 foot run there three days ago. I also did a tempo run that included a 400 foot climb. The hill out of the Narrows must be more that 250 feet as well. So this will not be a PR course, but I think that I can manage the hills.
$30 online registration two days before the race. No T-shirt but I don't need one. The 5K is a legit race with timing and finisher ribbons. For ten miles we will get a finishers medal. Everyone gets a goody bag with lots of fun items like glass cleaner, a toothbrush and numerous pens. The race is sponsored by the Rotary Club and is happening at the same time as a large Health and Wellness Fair. Proceeds from the race go to the National Rotary's fight to eliminate Polio worldwide.
Plenty of volunteers and a well marked and beautiful course. It is foggy and perfect running weather. Nice to see Barb Johnson. I will drive the course after the race and take some pictures.
Start - One fast guy that I recognize is here. He asks my predicted time (I tell him 1:22) and he says that I will win, but as soon as we start he is off like a rocket and dissapears into the fog, never to be seen again.
Mile 0.25 - So I hope for second, place but now another guy catches up to me. We chat a little and I am worried because he has no trouble talking and I am gasping for air. We both think that we are going to fast and will slow eventually and neither of us think that we can get to number 1.
Mile 2 - My running buddy decides to go a little faster and he takes off. He will get about 100 feet ahead of me quickly, but then stay that way for a long time. Now the first steep uphill. It is tough but manageable.
Mile 5 - The second place guy is gradually coming back to me. But now I hear a little talk behind me. I am by no means locked into 3rd. Nice flat road, feeling pretty good. Then the left turn and the biggest steepest hill. The hill has a little break in the middle. I make it up the first half OK, but the last part beats me. Near the top I am still pumping my arms and going as fast as I can, but I think that if I were walking I might be able to move faster. I really want to walk. I should not have made light of these hills. Fortunately the top of the hill arrives and the running gets easier.
Mile 6 - Running better now, but so are the two guys behind me. They pass me with ease and move ahead. One of them will take off from the other in a few minutes and really pick up the pace. In the mean time I am able to catch the guy who was number 2. He fades out and for the last three miles I pretty much have a lock on 4th place.
Mile 8 - Very welcome downhill, except that I am slapping on the pavement. This can not be good for my knees or feet. I need to relax and make it to next weeks race without injury. But if I can hold this pace I have a shot at getting under 1:20Mile 9 - About an 8:30 mile would get me in under 1:20. But there are some uphills and some 5K walkers to pass and the running is getting more difficult. When I see the finish clock and see that I will not beat 1:20 I relax some more and cruise on in.
Finish - 10.11 on the GPS. The course might be a little long, but not so off. The ten mile marker is placed well in front of the finish line too and I don't know what that means. Simple tag board timing and very fast results. A nice awards ceremony where the Mayor of Centralia presents me with my 1st in age group super sized ribbon. Very well organized, great course, good price and worthy cause. I must do this one again.
1:20:33
4th place of 18
Race#302
*****
Saturday, August 31, 2013
8-31-13 Over the Narrows Ten Mile Race
Fourth annual event and my 4th time here. I am a legacy runner. Last year I was having foot issues and took it nice and easy, having a fun time with some friends. Today I would like to run faster. Not PR fast, but hopefully in the 1:18-1:19 time frame. I surprised myself at the 5K two weeks ago, hopefully I can set it up here too.
Easy parking this year. Bright sunshine at the start. Martinho and I compare sunglasses.
Start - I know that the course will narrow down soon after the start, so I line up close to the front. Chip timing only at the finish is another reason to be near the front, but the race is not huge, so it really does not make much of a difference. Smooth start even with the turns in the parking lot.
Mile 1 - Gentle downhill in 7:15. Run with Martinho
Mile 2 - Still going downhill and running too fast. I do not feel at my best today. Working hard to keep this pace. And now the sharp turn and instant steep uphill. Steepest hill of the race and it gets me good. Hang on and keep going. Martinho gets ahead of me and I will watch him gradually extend his lead for the next 8 miles.
Mile 3.5 - On to the bridge. Bright sun and warm. Sweating and feeling the heat. Long down hill.
Mile 4.8 - Lead runner coming back. It is Miguel and he has a tremendous lead.
Mile 4.9 - No Pedro, no Ginger. Big uphill. Hills!! That last 5K was so flat. That 12 hour race was so flat. That speed work I have been doing was largely on flats. I need to get back to the hills. Well today will help.
Mile 5.3 - Here is the turn around. I had forgotten about the shorter way back. Great downhill but still not feeling so good. Worried about the last hills. Judy Fischer sighting.
Mile 7 - See the 5K runners coming toward me. They have a different start and finish area which must make logistics difficult. Still a well organized event put on by the Rotary Club. $30 with medal and chip timing and a no T-shirt option. Proceeds to aid school children.
Mile 8 - Holding on OK. Nobody is passing me though there are two guys on my tail and now after the steep downhill, we have a two mile climb. Both guys pass me and I wonder how many more will get me on this uphill. I have slowed a lot since the start, but I am not losing it completely. Keep working hard. I don't think that I will beat 1:20, that is a bit slower than I had wanted today.
Mile 8.5 - Wondering if anyone is behind me. I do not want to look back, as that is such a sign of weakness. A woman in a car is giving a "woot, woot, woot" for the two guys who are ahead of me. Now silence, then she gives me the "woot woot woot". Now I will be able to tell how far back the next person is without looking back. As I am running hard, I am also listening and waiting for it.....good it has been at least ten seconds....now "woot, woot woot". The next runner should not be a challenge for me if I can keep up this pace. In fact no one else does pass me as I cruise on in.
Mile 10 - 10.0 on the GPS. Not even close to 1:20 but I am happy with the workout. Just not my day, but not so far off from where I should/would like to be. I think that the lack of hill training did me in and I can work on that for the next races.
Maybe a 5K in the near future, then the Bellingham Bay Marathon on 9/29
1:20:43
47th place of 325
Race#301, Over the Narrows #4
****
Saturday, August 17, 2013
8-17-13 Thunder Rumble 5K - Tumwater
My 300th race, but after the hoopla of six days ago, lets just keep it low key. First time event. I had not planned to race today, but found myself with free time this morning. The race benefits military and their families. It was not largely advertised so I expect a small turn out. It looks to be pretty well organized with Rich Brown doing the timing. The porta-potties do not arrive until after the race is over, but luckily it is not a problem for me. Day of race entry is $30 and I get what I believe to be my 131st race T-shirt.
How are the legs? I ran 50.2 miles six days ago. I took three days off and did and easy 2.1 miles on Thursday. That run included walk breaks. No real stiffness or soreness just tired. I am just here to get in a couple of miles and have fun. Small race with good raffles. I was going to run a few miles anyway, might as well join the fun here. I expect a 25-26 minute finish time.
My arches are fully recovered from the plantar faciitis of last winter. It was a year ago that they started acting up. One cause was too many miles in a different shoe. I love the feel of the Brooks Launch, but it does not have the arch support that I need. I have not worn them since the disastrous Portland Marathon of last October. But I wear them today for this short race. I promise that I will never wear them for long runs though.
When I arrive at the site, the flat roads near the airport, I see that the Army has sent a large force. Good thing they are not in my age group, I think. I am worried that it will be a jam up and a much larger event, but only a handful of soldiers will be registered runners. Most will start in the back and stay in formation, all coming in right at the 30 minute mark.
I see Tammy. Third race in a row where I have seen here. She wants to do a warm up mile or so. We have a half hour to the start and we set off at an easy pace. Wow, my legs feel much better than expected. I warm up easily and I love these shoes. I am able to get in some surges and sprints before the start. Everything feels great. I don't have a single part of me that is nagging or worrisome in any way. This is very rare. I might as well run as fast as I can and dial it back if anything comes up.
Start - We all line up and start right on time. Thanks to the city of Tumwater we should not get lost. Just follow the cones.
I am behind Mike Henderson. I am running way faster than I should. Small race with plenty of room to do my own thing. At about 0.75 miles I pass Mike. He stays right behind me though.
Mile 1 - 7:16 Mike has coached High School track and cross country for many years and now I am one of his students. He is encouraging me and advising me to relax my arms. "Don't slow down, just keep tapping away...tap tap tap".
Mile 1.5 - Aid station. I think about some water and decide that I probably do not need it. But then I see that my friend Tina is handing out cups. I take one, sloshing most on my face and shirt, but a little goes in my mouth. Gentle headwind and starting to slow. Gasping for air.
Mile 2 - Legs are fine, I just do not have breath. Mike still coaching me. Ugh, I did tell him about the 50 miles I just ran. Why won't he pass me and leave me alone! Then I could just ease back.
Mile 2.5 - I wish that I could just slow down, this is so hard. Nothing hurts and I am not quite at the pace where I think I will vomit, so I push on. In a way I am glad that Mike is with me as I know that I will slow if/when he does get past me. In fact he soon turns it on for a sprint to the finish and I try to go faster but simply can not. Another guy comes zooming past me and then it is the final turn.
Mile 3.1 - Finished. 3.08 on the GPS. 22:54 on the clock. Quite a bit faster than my last 5K in June, I am ecstatic about that finish time. It is so much fun to run fast, I really felt like I was flying for the first part anyway. Very unexpected. It makes me want to work harder to get faster and with my next marathon more than six weeks away, I do have time to work on faster paces.
Great raffle prizes but alas I do not win any. I do get a first place in my age group medal. So does Tammy. Strange age group groupings. There is a 31-33 age group. Mine is 45-50. Great to see Richard Olafson take command of the 80+ age group.
Next up, I hope to run the Over the Narrows 10 miler in two weeks.
22:54
13th place of 105
race#300
*****
How are the legs? I ran 50.2 miles six days ago. I took three days off and did and easy 2.1 miles on Thursday. That run included walk breaks. No real stiffness or soreness just tired. I am just here to get in a couple of miles and have fun. Small race with good raffles. I was going to run a few miles anyway, might as well join the fun here. I expect a 25-26 minute finish time.
My arches are fully recovered from the plantar faciitis of last winter. It was a year ago that they started acting up. One cause was too many miles in a different shoe. I love the feel of the Brooks Launch, but it does not have the arch support that I need. I have not worn them since the disastrous Portland Marathon of last October. But I wear them today for this short race. I promise that I will never wear them for long runs though.
When I arrive at the site, the flat roads near the airport, I see that the Army has sent a large force. Good thing they are not in my age group, I think. I am worried that it will be a jam up and a much larger event, but only a handful of soldiers will be registered runners. Most will start in the back and stay in formation, all coming in right at the 30 minute mark.
I see Tammy. Third race in a row where I have seen here. She wants to do a warm up mile or so. We have a half hour to the start and we set off at an easy pace. Wow, my legs feel much better than expected. I warm up easily and I love these shoes. I am able to get in some surges and sprints before the start. Everything feels great. I don't have a single part of me that is nagging or worrisome in any way. This is very rare. I might as well run as fast as I can and dial it back if anything comes up.
Start - We all line up and start right on time. Thanks to the city of Tumwater we should not get lost. Just follow the cones.
I am behind Mike Henderson. I am running way faster than I should. Small race with plenty of room to do my own thing. At about 0.75 miles I pass Mike. He stays right behind me though.
Mile 1 - 7:16 Mike has coached High School track and cross country for many years and now I am one of his students. He is encouraging me and advising me to relax my arms. "Don't slow down, just keep tapping away...tap tap tap".
Mile 1.5 - Aid station. I think about some water and decide that I probably do not need it. But then I see that my friend Tina is handing out cups. I take one, sloshing most on my face and shirt, but a little goes in my mouth. Gentle headwind and starting to slow. Gasping for air.
Mile 2 - Legs are fine, I just do not have breath. Mike still coaching me. Ugh, I did tell him about the 50 miles I just ran. Why won't he pass me and leave me alone! Then I could just ease back.
Mile 2.5 - I wish that I could just slow down, this is so hard. Nothing hurts and I am not quite at the pace where I think I will vomit, so I push on. In a way I am glad that Mike is with me as I know that I will slow if/when he does get past me. In fact he soon turns it on for a sprint to the finish and I try to go faster but simply can not. Another guy comes zooming past me and then it is the final turn.
Mile 3.1 - Finished. 3.08 on the GPS. 22:54 on the clock. Quite a bit faster than my last 5K in June, I am ecstatic about that finish time. It is so much fun to run fast, I really felt like I was flying for the first part anyway. Very unexpected. It makes me want to work harder to get faster and with my next marathon more than six weeks away, I do have time to work on faster paces.
Great raffle prizes but alas I do not win any. I do get a first place in my age group medal. So does Tammy. Strange age group groupings. There is a 31-33 age group. Mine is 45-50. Great to see Richard Olafson take command of the 80+ age group.
Next up, I hope to run the Over the Narrows 10 miler in two weeks.
22:54
13th place of 105
race#300
*****
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
8/11/13 Transcendence 12 hour Olympia
My 100th marathon or ultra! About 5 years ago I made the ambitious goal of running 50 marathons by age 50. Now I am at 100 and three years early. A year ago I mapped it all out and was planning for number 100 at Tacoma in May. But my plantar had other ideas and I missed a couple of months of racing. The feet are fine now. In fact everything feels good and since it has been a month since my last marathon, I have even been able to incorporate some speed workouts with the regular runs. Nothing speedy about today though. Today it is all about the endurance to keep moving and about celebrating number 100.
My 4th time here. I am a "legacy" runner, having completed all of the previous events.
It is a small event, capped at 70, but many of the runners are my Marathon Maniac friends. I do not train with the local clubs, so races are my running social outlet. A few miles a the end of a marathon is all it takes to bond with a fellow sufferer. Years ago it was all about finish time and what I could accomplish. Now I look forward to sharing the adventure with others and seeing how it will unfold.
When I heard that Ginger had to be in Portland the day before the race and was asking about where she might sleep in her car for a few hours, or find a cheap hotel, I said "nonsense" and invited her to stay with us. She is one of my favorite Maniacs and it was fun to start my celebration by hosting her. I gave her the "medal room" and put out various running relating comfort items like a banana and bottle of gatorade so she would feel at home. She will go on to run 68 miles, win the women's race and break the course record that she set last year. Since the race starts 15 minutes from home and I have done this before, it is logistically very easy and it is no trouble to host her.
I suspected that I would be given bib #100, but I had no idea that it would be decorated so nicely.
Dixie, an old friend who now lives in Canada was passing through town and I was hoping to see her at some point during the race. But her plans changed and she came through in the middle of the night. But she put this poster up for me and I got to see it at every lap. Marie made a giant card for people to sign and that was really nice.
My other Canadian friend, Maniac Tracy, is here. I see her just before the start. I hope that we get to run together some. With this race I tend to see the same people over and over, or if they are running right at my pace and just ahead or behind, I might hardly see them at all. Linda is here and will run all day and I won't see her until we are all done.
We start just as the sun is rising and around and around we go. I do start off with Tracy and it is a great way to start things off. We talk and get caught up, running an easy ten minute mile. Before I know it four loops have passed, and we have run 6 miles before 7AM. I try to be quick through the end of each loop, but it seems like there is always something to do. Grab some fluid and or food, maybe take an S!Cap, apply sunscreen, or dig out the sunglasses. I lose Tracy after 4 laps but pick up Maniac Paige. Our first time running together and it is another nice loop. Lose Paige and pick up MM#1 the president Steve Yee. I tell him that it is all his fault. Without this club I would never have considered running so many marathons. He says that he thinks I could be one to eventually make it into the hall of fame. Talk about long range goals, I will have to complete another 233 marathons to achieve than rank. At a reasonable 10-15 a year it just could happen eventually. I see no need to quit this lifestyle. Lose Steve and keep going around in loops.
Mile 21 - Jody comes for a visit. She can not run with me due to a calf strain, but I walk a bit with her and enjoy seeing her a couple of times throughout the day. I glance at my watch and see that the battery has died. It does not matter and really it frees me up to just keep moving and not worry about time. As long as I do not stop, the miles will add up. Now Tammy joins me for a while and of course she turns it into a party.
Tammy wants to be there when I complete enough miles to count it as a marathon. Most would think that it is 26.2 miles, but in a longer timed event, the Maniac Club requires that I complete at least 50K. I am tiring and running slowly but reach 26.2 in good spirits. I am presented with a cowboy hat to go with my pony.
Bill has joined me and he will pace me for 15 miles.
Kern and Lori sighting:
Maniac Katie sighting just before completing the 50K:
And then I run into the history books; enough miles that if I quit now I can call it my 100th marathon:
But it is only noon. I have six more hours to run if I want to. Bill is patient as I am shuffling and taking lots of walk breaks. At times it gets quite hot out. Fortunately there are some clouds off on on to cool things off. My right heel/achilles has been acting up and I change stride and it seems to get better. Miles 20 -34 are not easy. We talk about it and I decide to take a bit of a break and change shoes. I soak my feet in an ice bath, have a slice of pizza and drink a lot of Carbo Pro. Fresh socks and shoes feel good and now we walk a bit while my feet thaw and I digest. Bill does two more laps with me and I am feeling much better.
Mile 36 - Now on my own, but often a little while with others. I do not have a GPS but I get a mileage update to confirm where I think I am at each loop. Ginger keeps passing me, then Steve who will complete 74 miles!
Mile 41 - The clock at the check in tells me that I have three hours left and 9 miles to go to reach 50 miles. Should be no problem. The actual distance will be 50.3. Anything over 50 miles would be fine. Last year I did one more loop, covering 51.8 miles. Some people will run the 50.3 and stop, so if I do one more lap it will make my finishing place higher.
Tom and Katie walking around the lake. Tom's first ultra.
Mile 46.5 - Deb and I fall in together. We walk. She is not highly motivated at this point. We are excited for Marie though who is working very hard to reach 50 miles, but she is two laps behind me. I know that I could walk it in and reach 50, but I am unsure that Marie can do it. The bottoms of my feet are really starting to feel the pavement and gravel. I think that I might be getting giant blisters on the bottoms of my feet. Should I push on and try to get in that one more lap, or should I just enjoy the end of this day and walk with Deb. She suggests that I not injure myself and it is easy to stay and enjoy her company. Marie catches up and I plan to pace her to the end. We run about a third of a loop, but then I just can not keep up! I have to walk. Then I see that Deb is walking and Marie has gone on. I catch Deb and we finish together.
Mile 50.3 - Done! But the race drama is not over. I sit and drink for a bit then go just ahead of the finish to watch Steve and Ginger's winning last laps. Lisa gets 50.3 miles on her 50th marathon. Niki completes 51.8 miles! Joe has been encouraging her and offering me water,watermellon and other goodies all day. Marie makes it to 50.3 with 6 minutes to spare. Monte gets his 50 miles in with about 2 minutes to go.
Thanks to Rachel, Craig, and all the Guerilla Running volunteers. This was the perfect race to celebrate number 100 and it was a fantastic day.
50.3 miles
11 hours 17 minutes 18 seconds
Race#299
Marathon or ultra#100
*****
My 4th time here. I am a "legacy" runner, having completed all of the previous events.
It is a small event, capped at 70, but many of the runners are my Marathon Maniac friends. I do not train with the local clubs, so races are my running social outlet. A few miles a the end of a marathon is all it takes to bond with a fellow sufferer. Years ago it was all about finish time and what I could accomplish. Now I look forward to sharing the adventure with others and seeing how it will unfold.
When I heard that Ginger had to be in Portland the day before the race and was asking about where she might sleep in her car for a few hours, or find a cheap hotel, I said "nonsense" and invited her to stay with us. She is one of my favorite Maniacs and it was fun to start my celebration by hosting her. I gave her the "medal room" and put out various running relating comfort items like a banana and bottle of gatorade so she would feel at home. She will go on to run 68 miles, win the women's race and break the course record that she set last year. Since the race starts 15 minutes from home and I have done this before, it is logistically very easy and it is no trouble to host her.
I suspected that I would be given bib #100, but I had no idea that it would be decorated so nicely.
Dixie, an old friend who now lives in Canada was passing through town and I was hoping to see her at some point during the race. But her plans changed and she came through in the middle of the night. But she put this poster up for me and I got to see it at every lap. Marie made a giant card for people to sign and that was really nice.
We start just as the sun is rising and around and around we go. I do start off with Tracy and it is a great way to start things off. We talk and get caught up, running an easy ten minute mile. Before I know it four loops have passed, and we have run 6 miles before 7AM. I try to be quick through the end of each loop, but it seems like there is always something to do. Grab some fluid and or food, maybe take an S!Cap, apply sunscreen, or dig out the sunglasses. I lose Tracy after 4 laps but pick up Maniac Paige. Our first time running together and it is another nice loop. Lose Paige and pick up MM#1 the president Steve Yee. I tell him that it is all his fault. Without this club I would never have considered running so many marathons. He says that he thinks I could be one to eventually make it into the hall of fame. Talk about long range goals, I will have to complete another 233 marathons to achieve than rank. At a reasonable 10-15 a year it just could happen eventually. I see no need to quit this lifestyle. Lose Steve and keep going around in loops.
Mile 21 - Jody comes for a visit. She can not run with me due to a calf strain, but I walk a bit with her and enjoy seeing her a couple of times throughout the day. I glance at my watch and see that the battery has died. It does not matter and really it frees me up to just keep moving and not worry about time. As long as I do not stop, the miles will add up. Now Tammy joins me for a while and of course she turns it into a party.
Tammy wants to be there when I complete enough miles to count it as a marathon. Most would think that it is 26.2 miles, but in a longer timed event, the Maniac Club requires that I complete at least 50K. I am tiring and running slowly but reach 26.2 in good spirits. I am presented with a cowboy hat to go with my pony.
Bill has joined me and he will pace me for 15 miles.
Kern and Lori sighting:
Maniac Katie sighting just before completing the 50K:
And then I run into the history books; enough miles that if I quit now I can call it my 100th marathon:
But it is only noon. I have six more hours to run if I want to. Bill is patient as I am shuffling and taking lots of walk breaks. At times it gets quite hot out. Fortunately there are some clouds off on on to cool things off. My right heel/achilles has been acting up and I change stride and it seems to get better. Miles 20 -34 are not easy. We talk about it and I decide to take a bit of a break and change shoes. I soak my feet in an ice bath, have a slice of pizza and drink a lot of Carbo Pro. Fresh socks and shoes feel good and now we walk a bit while my feet thaw and I digest. Bill does two more laps with me and I am feeling much better.
Mile 36 - Now on my own, but often a little while with others. I do not have a GPS but I get a mileage update to confirm where I think I am at each loop. Ginger keeps passing me, then Steve who will complete 74 miles!
Mile 41 - The clock at the check in tells me that I have three hours left and 9 miles to go to reach 50 miles. Should be no problem. The actual distance will be 50.3. Anything over 50 miles would be fine. Last year I did one more loop, covering 51.8 miles. Some people will run the 50.3 and stop, so if I do one more lap it will make my finishing place higher.
Tom and Katie walking around the lake. Tom's first ultra.
Mile 46.5 - Deb and I fall in together. We walk. She is not highly motivated at this point. We are excited for Marie though who is working very hard to reach 50 miles, but she is two laps behind me. I know that I could walk it in and reach 50, but I am unsure that Marie can do it. The bottoms of my feet are really starting to feel the pavement and gravel. I think that I might be getting giant blisters on the bottoms of my feet. Should I push on and try to get in that one more lap, or should I just enjoy the end of this day and walk with Deb. She suggests that I not injure myself and it is easy to stay and enjoy her company. Marie catches up and I plan to pace her to the end. We run about a third of a loop, but then I just can not keep up! I have to walk. Then I see that Deb is walking and Marie has gone on. I catch Deb and we finish together.
Mile 50.3 - Done! But the race drama is not over. I sit and drink for a bit then go just ahead of the finish to watch Steve and Ginger's winning last laps. Lisa gets 50.3 miles on her 50th marathon. Niki completes 51.8 miles! Joe has been encouraging her and offering me water,watermellon and other goodies all day. Marie makes it to 50.3 with 6 minutes to spare. Monte gets his 50 miles in with about 2 minutes to go.
Thanks to Rachel, Craig, and all the Guerilla Running volunteers. This was the perfect race to celebrate number 100 and it was a fantastic day.
50.3 miles
11 hours 17 minutes 18 seconds
Race#299
Marathon or ultra#100
*****
Monday, July 22, 2013
7/20/13 Lakefair Half Marathon
Second year in a row with this dilemma of having two great races within six days of each other. I gave it my all at the Tunnel Marathon on Sunday, so there is no way that I can be fast today. Last year I did run this race hard on tired legs and it was not great fun. I will take it easy today and just enjoy the event. I will go sub 2 hours, but not sub 1:50. 1:58 sounds good to me. Jared bailed at the last minute but Tammy is here and she has the same time goal. It will be fun to run with her. We have a long history. In fact I coached her a little for her first race which was so long ago that she wore a cassette walkman while running it.
It is 7AM and cool and grey with no wind. The clouds will burn off later, but not until after the race. Ideal running conditions. I have not run a half marathon since this race last year.
Start - I find Tammy just before the start and we cross the start line together. Gradual uphill with turns to get things going. Crowded but we are at a good pace.
Mile 2 - On the Eastside paved trail. First water stop is overwhelmed, but I get a cup without much wait. The trail is just a little narrow for this race. It can hold 4 across and there are a lot of runners at this pace. We work our way around some, and others pass us. It is nicer when we have some room in front of us.
Mile 3 - Steady 8:50 per mile pace. It is a little faster than I had planned. Tammy is feeling good and I convince her to relax and hold back for now. I assume that she will be able to beat 2 hours but that it could be a struggle.
Mile 5 - Now on the Chehalis Western Trail where I run often. Very familiar territory and a gradual downhill. Dawn Schuler sighting.
Mile 7 - Feeling hungry right when Tammy offers me a small cookie. My legs feel tired and tight off and on. We are still holding an even pace. We are on a long straight section of country road, maybe 36th street. I hear a small "ping" sound on the ground behind us. It only registers in my brain because a runner 20 feet back yells up to us that Tammy had dropped a key. She had her car key in her pocket and it had fallen out. We never would have known or been able to find it, had the runner not seen it and picked it up fer her. Tammy secures the key in the zipper pocket of her hand held water bottle and we continue on pace.
Mile 9.5 - Volunteer Bill is there and Kari snaps this photo of Tammy and I
Mile 10 - Llama sighting. Steepest uphill of the course. Tammy is struggling and I am worried that she is hitting the wall. I am prepared to stay with her until my two hour finish is threatened, but she toughs it out and tops the hill. Now she is running well again.
Mile 11 - Through Priest Point Park and then a gentle downhill on Eastbay drive. Picking up the pace, we are at 8:49 and running well.
Mile 12 - Tammy says that I could go on ahead. I had thought about running the last mile as fast as possible, but there are only a few people ahead of us that I think I could catch and I really do not want to injure myself just to take a minute or two off my time. I will stay with Tammy to the end. Club Oly is staffing the mile 12 aid station and Tammy drops her water bottle there, for a friend to return later in the week. Neither of us remember that her car key is in the pouch with the bottle until after the race finish.
Mile 12.5 - Pass Judy Fisher
Mile 13.1 - 13.05 on the GPS. Being the gentleman, I let Tammy cross ahead of me. We ran very even splits the whole way. The sprint to the finish gave us a slightly negative split. I drive Tammy back to mile 12 to pick up her key.
Nice wooden medal again this year. Rogue Race Timing has laptops set up so I can check my chip timed results right away.
I am thinking that I might skip the Tunnel Marathon next year and try to be fast at this half. But I love the Tunnel. I have time to decide. Next race is August 11, my 100th marathon.
1:54:49
129th of 375
Race# 298, Lakefair Half #2
*****
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
7/14/13 The Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon
A marathon on my birthday! Bib #47 to honor the event. My 4th time at this race. Up at 4AM. Park the car in North Bend at 5:45AM. On the bus and at the start line by 6:30AM. Ninety minutes to chat with friends and try to stay warm. Finally the sun peeks out from over the mountain and it starts to warm up. It is going to be another bright sunny and warm day. Seems like I am on a streak of warm sunny weather for my races lately. Maniac Monte's 300th marathon. My 99th.
Start - Packed in thick but the short out and back sorts us out well. Into the tunnel. Going in I see and inscription with the dates 1912-1914. Is this tunnel really 100 years old?
Mile 1 - Lost GPS signal and it is dark. Mile marker of chalk with glow sticks. Seems wetter than previous years. The ground is mostly dry, but I get splattered on a couple of times by something dripping from above. Now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Mostly looking at the ground but once when I look up, it appears that a runner is coming toward me. Just as I am about to get out of the way, I realize that he is going in the same direction as me, the light at the end of the tunnel made it look like a head lamp and something about his stride made me think he was about to run into me.
Mile 2.2 - Almost out of the tunnel. I take a look back as the RD had suggested and it is a very cool sight to see all the lights. Now out of the tunnel and a kind volunteer helps me with my drop bag as the long sleeves come off and I store the knuckle lights.
Mile 3.0 - GPS has snapped into place and I am on 8:55 pace. Gentle downhill now for many miles. I get a little faster and am feeling good.
Mile 8 - Average pace is now 8:45 and I won't let it get any faster than that.I am going to try to run sub 4 hours today and that puts me well into that range and perhaps too fast. It has been one year since I last went sub 4 and it was at this race. The great news is that I have no injuries, everything has felt fine for a while now. I may not have the training in, but I will go for it and see what happens.
Mile 15 - Getting warmer out. Warm breeze swirling around at times. Funny in this race with so many people I know, I end up running mostly alone or with strangers. Nice folks though. Focus on the running, try to not get caught up in the amazing scenery. I appreciate the gift of being able to run up here.
Mile 20 - 8:50 overall pace and hoping it can continue, but I am just starting to stiffen up and tire some. Warm.
Mile 21 - The one turn on the course and all of a sudden I am out of energy. Oh so hard to keep going. Run becomes a shuffle with walk breaks.
Mile 22 - 4 hour finish slips away. Lots of people passing me. Hot and tired. Pass a woman who is staggering but says that she is OK.
Mile 23 - Maniac S passes me and will go on to beat me by 8 minutes. What a strong finish for her.
Mile 24 - I am going to have to step it up if I want to beat my 4:09 from my last marathon. I get in behind a guy and follow on his heels as he is running at a nice pace. I expect this to last about a quarter mile, but I get into a groove and actually pass him. Now I am able to keep running much longer than I thought possible.
Mile 25 - Too bad I had that horrible bad patch from 21-24. I now feel much more energetic. Stiff but I can keep running. I have rallied like this before a few times and it is frustrating to not understand what is happening with my energy levels. Well this one is almost over and mentally I know that I can push on. Stay even with a woman for pacing support and then pass her.
Mile 26.2 - 26.44 on the GPS. Stop running and now I feel very hot. The woman who finished right in front of me is being escorted to the medical tent. I look for some shade. It takes a few minutes and some ice on the head before I feel better. I should feel happier with this finish time. It sure was a fun way to start my birthday. Now home to celebrate more and eat whatever I want.
My next marathon will be number 100!! Transcendence 12 hour in Olympia. It will be another celebration.
Before then though, I am signed up for the Lakefair Half Marathon in six days. I plan to take it easy on these tired legs and just get in under 2 hours. Hopefully I will be somewhat recovered by then.
4:06:44
193rd of 390
Race#297
Marathon or ultra #99!
*****
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