tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33494639630341148392024-03-05T08:39:17.593-08:00RoadBunnerRoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.comBlogger552125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-22540639019223688252018-09-04T11:55:00.000-07:002018-09-04T11:55:33.127-07:00Big Sur International Marathon<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived as usual to the expo on Saturday about an hour before closing. The last two years there has been construction at the convention center so this was the first year the expo was fully back in its normal site. Because of the larger space it felt much less chaotic than previous years, though you do have to go up and down a few floors to get your bib, shuttle ticket, and shirt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFMM-WRpWFUOZoHk4o_IZoNI1y6zqt3Vx41u6w4Au6Vk6kNqNfdLDhg5lHbbt811VfAoTtwx2iS4FddropGtGeH9LePWejWM_-DZj3OJtwu07b_klU4Kn4ByWvL77mBge60WUCL3MGnPh/s1600/IMG_5670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFMM-WRpWFUOZoHk4o_IZoNI1y6zqt3Vx41u6w4Au6Vk6kNqNfdLDhg5lHbbt811VfAoTtwx2iS4FddropGtGeH9LePWejWM_-DZj3OJtwu07b_klU4Kn4ByWvL77mBge60WUCL3MGnPh/s400/IMG_5670.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The race took on Hoka as a sponsor this year supplanting their usual merchandise sponsor of Asics. I've learned over the years that Asics shirts run small. I am even fairly certain this year on the registration page for the race they recommended sizing up. So size up I did and their new generic shirt sponsor shirts definitely ran true to size. My own fault for not carefully trying it on at the expo, but my race shirt is a touch big and by race day I was told they were all out of the size down. So that was a little bit of a bummer for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Sur also revamped their logo this year to be a little more modern. I love the new look though do miss their signature "Run on the jagged edge of the Western world." They said they will bring back pieces with the vintage feel so I hope they do that in the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdW2sP1YQGhYlwUbeaqi1acruFoEh7mzV2wCBhKIs5PXqsHt8QPL18MSyxOw_cdXkjHZenqTwL-VRmGnAfhqIO6jW1xpxDKkJZgZACkoSFeN8oDR0Z7Z_ibqjAMnePivat8GGV2KnEGHLq/s1600/IMG_5669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdW2sP1YQGhYlwUbeaqi1acruFoEh7mzV2wCBhKIs5PXqsHt8QPL18MSyxOw_cdXkjHZenqTwL-VRmGnAfhqIO6jW1xpxDKkJZgZACkoSFeN8oDR0Z7Z_ibqjAMnePivat8GGV2KnEGHLq/s400/IMG_5669.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I stopped by Michael Martinez's booth to say hello and get a photo. I told him how he had played "What A Wonderful World" last year when I crossed the Bixby which pretty much made my Big Sur running life. I always check the CD he has for sale but it has been the same the last few years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8ZUubGMQbnXgyTOKSl3XPQeuzJCqQenZX3EAibVb4OnoCrc7lVuoJjflTfg0NHqJ4vPDQ8GVxy2PH_IHvwbc8lMWqOHGy0PlbRC5I_80fNVSg-6MPItrAJIVLsSzZaz4flB4tu1l0yz6/s1600/IMG_5656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="1600" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8ZUubGMQbnXgyTOKSl3XPQeuzJCqQenZX3EAibVb4OnoCrc7lVuoJjflTfg0NHqJ4vPDQ8GVxy2PH_IHvwbc8lMWqOHGy0PlbRC5I_80fNVSg-6MPItrAJIVLsSzZaz4flB4tu1l0yz6/s400/IMG_5656.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I planned to wake up at 3:30 am and sadly did not get a great night's sleep. My son took forever to fall asleep which kept me up. Not too terrible, but I also didn't have a good night's sleep the day before so was dragging a little. I thought for sure my son would sleep through my getting ready but he woke up once I got out of bed and was fairly chipper talking to me while I got ready. I didn't mind that but I was trying to be quiet so as not to wake my husband.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I left my hotel room I noted there was a relatively strong wind and the flags at the hotel were moving about. I hopped onto the shuttle bus which picks up right next door to my hotel. This year it was a luxury tour bus (some years you get yellow school busses). I'm always concerned about getting motion sickness on the long, windy bus trip to the start line. Some years I score the entire seat to myself which helps so I can lie down. Someone sat next to me so no such luck this year. I stripped off my jacket as soon as I got on the bus since motion sickness seems to be exacerbated by being warm. The bus had its air on and was fairly cool and I don't know if that was it, but I luckily did not feel even a little sick this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40NYyRKG87RP5wQBijzMlq8NemxjlXGnu673_NeuyRYOKVmdiOmga_V-mMg70NwRvleMetoOfBt3_Kb6t9HkQsPfPKvyPNCCbO1UEkyjpWGJVbusIt44xjabnEYOVmewcjncPK0OT1tAW/s1600/IMG_5683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40NYyRKG87RP5wQBijzMlq8NemxjlXGnu673_NeuyRYOKVmdiOmga_V-mMg70NwRvleMetoOfBt3_Kb6t9HkQsPfPKvyPNCCbO1UEkyjpWGJVbusIt44xjabnEYOVmewcjncPK0OT1tAW/s400/IMG_5683.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I chatted briefly with my seat mate before the bus left. But I closed my eyes and leaned against the window most of the trip to try to sleep, or pretend to sleep, or fool my body into thinking we were sleeping. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We eventually rolled to a stop in what I imagine was a long line of busses on Highway 1 near the start. This was sort of odd as I never recall ever being stuck in a traffic jam. I looked out the window and the trees and tall grasses were swaying in a breeze which I thought was a bad omen as usually in the tree areas you can't feel much wind on even the windiest days. Usually we pass the start area and turnaround almost a mile farther down the road before driving back up by the start and getting dropped off. So I was really surprised when the bus driver turned on the lights, opened the door and set us out into the day. I told my seatmate we were still pretty far from the start. I estimate we walked about half a mile to the start area. We did this the year the bridge farther up the road was not in service but the race warned us ahead of time this would be happening. So that was a little shocking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a little chilly but by no means cold and I thought it was going to be a really warm day out there. I headed up to the announcer booth area to meet Angela. She arrived not long after I got there and we found a place to sit down to wait out the masses using the portapotties so we could hop into the start area last minute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A note on my race day plan: When I started working with my coach I told her I had no time goal for Big Sur and my goal this cycle was to build on CIM 2017 fitness and lay a good foundation for CIM 2018 work. After a few weeks of working together I asked her what she considered marathon goal pace to be this cycle. I wanted a framework for viewing the tempo and speed work we were doing. She wrote back and said as we moved closer to the marathon we would be doing more work at goal pace of 8:20. Frankly, I consider 8:20 to be my CIM 2018 goal pace so I was a little surprised she was moving in that direction so soon. We discussed that and ultimately I told her I'd trust her. I'm glad I did as we did a lot of really confidence building work this training block.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So as Big Sur loomed I realized I was in arguably the second best if not the best marathoning shape of my life and should I really just go out there and run easy peasy miles the entire way? Obviously I wasn't going to run anything close to a PR at Big Sur, but I started thinking maybe I could go out in the low-9:00s and maybe just maybe snag a sub-4 finish. At the end of this training block a 9:00 minute mile is the pace I would have pegged as the fastest pace I could say with confidence, "Yes, I can definitely hold that for 26.2." For perspective, any time I have PRd a marathon I was not confident at all I could hold the pace I held the whole way. So confidence pace was just that, full of confidence and had a healthy dose of break-glass-in-case-of-emergen<wbr></wbr>cy reserves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I discussed this with my coach who thought sub-4 was doable, but she recommended running by feel since it was so hilly. Comfortable the first 5, kick it up a click over the next 10, kick it up a click over the next 5, have fun the last 10K. I thought about it and comfortable for the first downhill 5 of Big Sur was pretty much probably going to be at sub-4 pace, so I thought I'd go out at that and see what happened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Tj5LDJMIdiqy5ftbylTyfu8iJinAKWBh8WZnSD3xKvVnXV3_cKgMrJKVuUSfGAjNqcx6fBHpCXBXL5xR1-IGyDYNVGZw03q6h7R1XjC6rd7F1_WuICI2f6knkpP_JP4QTO6vIrfOl_Et/s1600/IMG_5684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Tj5LDJMIdiqy5ftbylTyfu8iJinAKWBh8WZnSD3xKvVnXV3_cKgMrJKVuUSfGAjNqcx6fBHpCXBXL5xR1-IGyDYNVGZw03q6h7R1XjC6rd7F1_WuICI2f6knkpP_JP4QTO6vIrfOl_Et/s400/IMG_5684.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Angela and I took off with the second wave. The 3:50 pace group passed us after a bit and I felt she was holding on at their pace which was definitely not my 9:00s so I held back. I was hoping to stay around 9:05 for the early miles. I let myself slow on the inclines and pick up a little speed on the downhills and my average pace was right where it should be with effort at comfortable. I had been really worried about beating myself up on the downhills at Big Sur. I wanted to let myself go with the downhill flow a little bit but had told myself I wouldn't go faster than 8:20-8:30 on any downhill. I figured if I had trained with that as goal pace then running that pace downhill wasn't exactly bombing down a hill.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We hit the coast at mile 5 and that is where I always say you will know what the weather will be like that day. When we were waiting at the start area, I swear it was blue clear skies. I even told Angela that Big Sur is its most gorgeous on blue sky days (Sorry, Angela). Angela -- who had just run the ridiculous weather Boston Marathon -- joked there was 0% chance of rain. I was sort of psyched up for some warmer final miles. But at the coast it was densely overcast and fairly windy. I've run Big Sur in some truly horrid wind conditions. This year it was definitely a strong headwind but just below the amount you'd define as soul-crushing. Don't mistake, there were times I held onto my hat and tucked behind people, but I won't say it was a Year of Wind. It even misty drizzled on and off here and there.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My pace strategy worked really well the first 10 miles of Big Sur which has inclines at that point I would liken to general road marathon hills. The first more sustained climb comes at about mile 8 and it did slow me a bit but I knew there would be a nice descent down to the base of Hurricane Point to even that out. I had a minor side stitch in the early miles and it came on full force as I started the downhill pickup towards the Hurricane Point climb. It was sort of reminiscent of the game-ending stitch of the Humboldt Half the other year. I rarely get side stitches when I run so it was frustrating. I couldn't take a deep breath in it hurt so badly and I contemplated walking to work it out. But I was coasting downhill at sub-9:00 pace and I knew Hurricane Point was coming up and I'd need this faster running time to help me smooth out the slowness that was to come. So I kept running but I couldn't go quite as quick as I would have if the stitch hadn't been an issue. I was hoping since it worsened so badly on the downhill it was ease up on the uphill which turned out to be the case.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we made that descent you pass through a relay station and normally you can hear the taiko drums as you come down that hill. I didn't hear anything. As we got closer I didn't see anything. Where were the taiko drummers? I always love how they fire me up for the two mile climb. They are so iconic to Big Sur I couldn't believe they would omit them. A little bit of sadness here.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hit the climb and told myself I could slow as much as needed but to just keep running. The downshifting continued and continued and I was trudging up the hill. The climb to Hurricane Point is fairly steep the first third, probably a little easier the middle third, then steepens up again the last third. As we went up I thought I could hear taiko drummers and they soon appeared about halfway up the hill. It was nice to get the boost when it was more needed mid-hill, though I think I prefer them at the bottom of the hill. I'm curious if this new placement will be permanent or not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is normally quite windy at the top of Hurricane Point during even non-windy years and it was howling this year. I held onto my hat and leaned into it as we rounded the bend. And then there was Bixby! God, I love this part of the race. You round the bend and see the most glorious view and after two miles of climbing you get to run a mile downhill. The wind was just right that I could hear the piano music from a mile away. My legs appreciated the down and I coasted on a high to the the bridge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This year Michael Martinez was playing "Bad" (as in Michael Jackson) which was sort of a surprise as usually there are more dulcet tunes being played. But I guess this is the year of Big Sur suprises. Or Big SURprises. Ha ha, hardy har har. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the first time ever I didn't stop for a photo with Michael. Actually, for the first time ever I didn't take one photo the entire race. I made the decision this year was about running, so I left my GoPro at home. I had my cell phone in my Orange Mud pack but it isn't accessible while on the run. I figured if it was a gorgeous day or something truly unique presented itself I would stop for a photo but overcast Big Sur is not as pretty as blue sky Big Sur and I had plenty of blue sky Big Sur photos already. And frankly, I have a library of overcast Big Sur photos from previous races so I figured I was covered. The perks of running a race for the 8th time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a little more of a decline after Bixby and then the real working miles of the race start. They aren't as pretty, the hills get more serious and you get more tired. As I departed the Bixby high my overall pace was at about a 9:22 after my trudge up to Hurricane Point. I look back at the next few miles and am still not quite sure what happened. I certainly felt pretty low at that point from a sub-4 perspective. I doubted I could bring that down almost 20 seconds a mile the rest of the race as I already had an idea of how much the hills were going to slow me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Somewhere in mile 15 where the climbs start up again, I stopped trying to run my A goal time. I remember thinking I wasn't even sure if I had mentally given up or if my body was physically shutting down and saying nope. I had the feeling I probably could have dug into it a bit longer but at the same time it would have been a losing proposition from a physical standpoint.<br /><br />As we hit hill after hill I felt really silly for even contemplating a time goal on this course. I did realize I was well on my way to a hefty course PR. I doubted I would ever be in this shape before Big Sur again and also that I would ever try to run it at any designated pace again. I told myself to just keep running as much as possible because whatever time I put down today would likely be my lifetime Big Sur course PR.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted though, so badly, to take short walking breaks on the hills. I knew once I let myself do that it would be a hard habit to break the rest of the race. I think it started with walking for short periods through aid stations. Then eventually here and there I'd walk a little on the hills. I tried to keep them short just to get some pep back all the time with the course PR goal in the back of my mind.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The last few times I've done Big Sur I did it with a run-walk strategy due to lack of training. I have to say doing it that way the last few times really skewed my perception of the Big Sur hills. I remember they were nasty but the nasty factor seemed like a distant dream and in more recent years I thought the hills were totally okay. Challenging yes, but not demoralizing. These suckers were demoralizing and challenging and far steeper than I recalled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At one point I started walking on an uphill and I passed a woman who was running. I don't mean to knock her running pace because good on her for keeping it one foot at a time. But I had this feeling when I passed her while walking at a business casual pace that there was a point of diminishing returns from an energy standpoint. If you can walk up a hill faster than you can run up it, I vote walk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I took a gel at miles 5, 10, 16 and the rest of the race I grabbed orange slices bananas, and strawberries from aid stations. Maybe a gel would have brought me a little more life but at the time I was craving some real food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Somewhere in the high teens, I heard a chatter behind me. I could tell instantly it was a pace group. The pace leader was saying he had paced a 3:45 group last week, had run Boston the week before that, and next week he was running some other marathon. Unreal. As they passed I looked at their sign and it said, "4:05." This really surprised me as I swore I got run over by the 4:05 group at mile 1 or 2 and couldn't for the life of me figure out why they were running so fast. But here they were making their move on me. In hindsight I wish I had tried to go with them. It was windy at that point and the pace leader was even joking to a tall guy running with him that he was sorry he couldn't completely block the wind for him. I should have tucked behind that tall guy and held on. But they passed me not slowly but rather definitively and I could tell they were going much faster than I was moving at that point. But in hindsight I wish I had tried for at least a little while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we got into the 20s I knew there was the last really scary hill at mile 22. I knew I'd probably have to walk up that one a little. So through the low 20s I told myself to run up all the hills and then I could walk a teeny bit on 22. I thought about a podcast with Desi Linden I had heard recently where she said sometimes during races she says to just keep the pace until that lamp post or that tree and I started playing that game in my head. For a brief time I counted my steps and told myself to run to 10. Then run to 10 again. And so on. I had two gears at this point in the race. Run or Walk. I didn't feel like Run had any sort speed options.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My average pace was slowly creeping up and though I was still far in the clear of a course PR, I had visions of dissolving into a walking mess and losing that shiny star. So I kept on trudging along. I'm super proud I got over those hills in the early 20s and the 22 hill showed up. I picked a point on it I wanted to run to before walking. Then picked another point. Then finally took a break. My calves were burning on the uphills at this point and I realized my body was not conditioned for these types of hills.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's a nice descent after 22, another little climb, and another nice descent. There's actually a fair bit of downhill running towards the end there. The camber was pretty noticeable in these miles which made me feel I was almost running horizontal a few times. But I kept the pace going and tried to capitalize on the final downhills.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I knew the last real hill was at mile 25 and as we approached it I realized it looked much worse than I had remembered. I had told Angela it looked bad but wasn't actually that bad. I'm here to tell you it was actually fairly bad. I have only ever run up this hill without walking twice before. I told myself this would be the third time. As I started up the rise at what felt like a barely moving running pace I did tell myself that if someone passed me while they were walking I would just walk. You know, diminishing returns and all. Up I went and it was so hard to not walk. It felt like everyone around me was walking. If there's anything that is tough it is continuing to run when you really want to walk and everyone else is walking so you won't feel bad about it. My calves were burning, my hamstrings were burning, even my glutes were burning and getting in on the action. If you want to fire up your posterior chain, run some hills!</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I almost walked probably four times but kept chugging. And then the last time I contemplated walking I was practically at the top and had no choice but to keep going. Mile 25 hill mini victory! After the actual hill, there is still a very slight incline as you approach the finish area. I started to pick up the pace as I could hear the race announcer in the distance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTL9e9Ry9aXia1B3uR83N4FPb8O9unt2BdtUldqMicbnyKFa66rfDR9har9g-tKgcunijJLh1MoO44OYX_kUrW2n_ZyOec7eReUnaJejeIbiLBmhbAJjLOrwmN6t2lOaLO9Y4NGBKRqI0/s1600/IMG_1876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTL9e9Ry9aXia1B3uR83N4FPb8O9unt2BdtUldqMicbnyKFa66rfDR9har9g-tKgcunijJLh1MoO44OYX_kUrW2n_ZyOec7eReUnaJejeIbiLBmhbAJjLOrwmN6t2lOaLO9Y4NGBKRqI0/s400/IMG_1876.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runners approaching the finish, you can get an idea for the weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">As I passed the mile 26 mile marker I got a text notification on my Garmin from my husband. "Did I miss you?" Man, way to make me feel good. Lol. I love the Big Sur finish because you turn the corner and finally see the finish arch. It isn't too far away but just enough of some distance that</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>you<span style="font-family: inherit;"> can get your finish kick going strong. I pushed as much as I could, heard but did not see my husband cheering, and crossed the line in 4:16, an 11 minute course PR.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">At first, I won't lie, I was disappointed with the way I ran. There's a nagging voice of doubt which wonders if you really weren't trained as you thought you were or maybe your coach has no idea what she was talking about. My dad sent me an email a couple of hours after the race congratulating me and he asked if I was happy with the result. Without skipping a beat I wrote back that given the fact that the course was much hillier than anything I normally run and that a time goal was a very last minute decision I was okay with the result. And as soon as I typed it, I knew it was true. If I had told my coach I wanted to run <i>well</i> at Big Sur I would have done a lot more hill prep. My hilliest longer routes will have maybe 620 feet of elevation gain and Big Sur clocked 1,588 feet of elevation gain. Maybe for some people running slower than the pace you trained at will sustain them over hills, but I am not one of those people. Lesson learned.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktF0MryFWo0Zl-eYRRRfXnc0jrZdahY7ek34ZJJNPKvd4W0zJTgNh8FGbEPHDkEQfJQTDe_dLqsj_tWZQO8-5pXp-LfdlKU_ZUv9i6MXA07zv4-9AnYrclkj1HhVgmH01duSrU3FAldn9/s1600/IMG_6950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhktF0MryFWo0Zl-eYRRRfXnc0jrZdahY7ek34ZJJNPKvd4W0zJTgNh8FGbEPHDkEQfJQTDe_dLqsj_tWZQO8-5pXp-LfdlKU_ZUv9i6MXA07zv4-9AnYrclkj1HhVgmH01duSrU3FAldn9/s400/IMG_6950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">If you've followed this blog at all you know that this race has my heart. With my extreme tardiness in race reports I can happily report that I have secured a spot in Big Sur for 2019 and will be back for my 9th running.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222;">For more course photos/info check out prior race reports:</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2009/04/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2009</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2010/04/big-sur-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2010</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2011/05/big-sur-inernational-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2011</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2012/05/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2012</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2015/09/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2015</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2016/09/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2016</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2017/12/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2017</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-35016823527767273892018-06-05T11:49:00.000-07:002018-06-05T11:56:39.742-07:00Dopey ChallengeI decided to sign up for my one and done Dopey Challenge this year. You'll recall I've been sort of a grump about the whole Dopey thing. I don't think it is much more of a physical achievement over Goofy and it costs about two arms and two legs more in both registration fees and time away from work/time at the parks. However, I did want to do it once and this year seemed as good as any to make it a big bang trip.<br />
<br />
Last year I was unusually very salty about the on-property transportation system to and from the parks from my usual home base of Pop Century. Everything seemed so slow and so crowded and I felt my internal monologue saying, "I'm not a broke student anymore. I deserve to treat myself to something a little closer to the parks." It ended up that last year was supposedly a slightly more crowded time of year with the proximity to the holiday crowds as well. I got a little alarmed when I realized 2018 Marathon Weekend pretty much coincided with New Year's and I didn't want to even imagine what it would be like to fight those crowds on busses and in the parks.<br />
<br />
So I decided for 2018 to stay at the Contemporary which is the next door neighbor to my favorite park, Magic Kingdom. You can walk from Contemporary to Magic Kingdom if you want or can catch the monorail. By the time I got around to booking my hotel only the park view rooms were available. $$$$$. I balked at first, but figured, "What the heck, treat yo self." And so I did. I justified it with the anticipated huge crowds the extra time in the parks versus sitting on a bus was worth the cost and I could easily get home quickly and into bed for the races.<br />
<br />
I ended up flying out on New Year's Day to get to Florida on time. You have to be there by Wednesday to pick up your bibs for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday races. I wanted to fly in on Tuesday so if there were any travel snafus I had a little bit of a buffer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Determined not to check a bag, I managed to stuff into my carry-ons 4 race outfits, 4 throwaway outfit layers, two pairs of running shoes, and all the usual travel stuff.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoISjko1N6QLAKY79_LjLJkjdIztqsLDH_X-XfegH8gvdZ0Fp74zZ6bvIIlOadQk5JtkWErrSE78GvDCcZcbfyWB1sW5r9Tq1bpWYYYyvRM6Uc6zu5n_XXZLcr34hHPCp_xOKr1kF05_kM/s1600/IMG_4562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoISjko1N6QLAKY79_LjLJkjdIztqsLDH_X-XfegH8gvdZ0Fp74zZ6bvIIlOadQk5JtkWErrSE78GvDCcZcbfyWB1sW5r9Tq1bpWYYYyvRM6Uc6zu5n_XXZLcr34hHPCp_xOKr1kF05_kM/s400/IMG_4562.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luggage for 4 races and a week in the parks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had heard there were generally monster lines at the expo at opening so I planned to hit it later in the day on Wednesday. Bib pick-up and shirt pick-up was very easy but the merchandise line was out of control. I had heard earlier in the day people waited HOURS to get into the area with official merchandise. I'd say by the time I got there the wait was about 45 minutes and I did brave the line to check out the gear.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxIzTfvlT1OqatjE57HwTrWaOGoS5STUJACDKcq8BVSH6i5GHESpevSUT2FsJQ3f7Y8u7T2ikXUDW3pNTC4pdfdhDvHbawsGClJk7ZZgiQMBYQ5B2LHzSGdTpF5oGA445w8xFe4YEBlOc/s1600/IMG_4696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxIzTfvlT1OqatjE57HwTrWaOGoS5STUJACDKcq8BVSH6i5GHESpevSUT2FsJQ3f7Y8u7T2ikXUDW3pNTC4pdfdhDvHbawsGClJk7ZZgiQMBYQ5B2LHzSGdTpF5oGA445w8xFe4YEBlOc/s400/IMG_4696.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line to get into into the snaking queue line which then waits to get into the building, which leads to another bit of line to get into the merchandise area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It seemed as if there were fewer vendors in the expo area this year, but that may just be because they now also have some of the vendors in an outdoor area.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vAxnK_4hL6LRRJqjo5oi04vwPASQlBdCqlydg27HsF6Av5WrhO-uR5-zUzQMOM1x5YwWQYImdigt-sKowyBUHhUcn-R4bgcE-hF9N6c8puJPwp6pr1s5c7NBW11QhBzK5g0_Oe14tDYH/s1600/IMG_4706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vAxnK_4hL6LRRJqjo5oi04vwPASQlBdCqlydg27HsF6Av5WrhO-uR5-zUzQMOM1x5YwWQYImdigt-sKowyBUHhUcn-R4bgcE-hF9N6c8puJPwp6pr1s5c7NBW11QhBzK5g0_Oe14tDYH/s400/IMG_4706.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last year with my peroneal tendinitis this booth was the MVP of the weekend. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So glad I didn't need their services this year.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Walt Disney World 5K</b><br />
<br />
It was ridiculously cold with a feels like 28 temperature. The sweatshirt I had intended to chuck at the start of the race became my lifeline. I realized as I froze at the start I did not have anything to wear post-race if I ditched my throwaway sweatshirt. So I planned to keep it the entire race. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbqiPJen8hhG_2PzBSUWUvX_QORpbI5HbC0lLZU4K74voW1E4AE2_0HknP6-4HsmOAQFJRFCpCfwRSRcjGTaO99UK9scKwn0T3fanN2I4fcpgvflHXUFaXVbop4DFM4BbWZrGyjfsLPXC/s1600/IMG_4725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbqiPJen8hhG_2PzBSUWUvX_QORpbI5HbC0lLZU4K74voW1E4AE2_0HknP6-4HsmOAQFJRFCpCfwRSRcjGTaO99UK9scKwn0T3fanN2I4fcpgvflHXUFaXVbop4DFM4BbWZrGyjfsLPXC/s400/IMG_4725.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-5K weather report. It was actually going to get colder as the sun came up. Note the time, 12:48 am. I actually took this photo before I went to sleep and had to wake up at 3:00 am. Jet lag and park night problems.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I ran into the first photo stop at mile 1 after I was just starting to feel my toes and warm up a bit (Chip and Dale) and stood in the 15 minute long line. I'd take the sweatshirt off at the last possible moment, get my photo taken, then try to get it back on as I ran onward dodging the hoards of people who bypassed me while I waited. <br />
<br />
I stopped for five photos during this race and it took me over an hour and half to finish the 5K (I even skipped two photo stops because I realized time-wise it was getting a little ridiculous). I didn't break a sweat and didn't even feel as though I went for a run. It was absurd but I was excited to do it again the next day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrLn_Uu0zNWn76nN226M_lZMsT0DHxbMPMrqcgeK2wh2ng52dMCh_rhYv1lzju1oWD5NngNe4QsMRchayNZeYxuCOTmr66ENsxv222qAeCDGNElVYZ7kgF1-l591UeAIwvobbwc2N50cp/s1600/IMG_E4734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrLn_Uu0zNWn76nN226M_lZMsT0DHxbMPMrqcgeK2wh2ng52dMCh_rhYv1lzju1oWD5NngNe4QsMRchayNZeYxuCOTmr66ENsxv222qAeCDGNElVYZ7kgF1-l591UeAIwvobbwc2N50cp/s400/IMG_E4734.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5K motivation; 3:45 am depart room time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FHH-JdsboLvPawv9ZumCfA6nodMyQlmVmUXxGmp4je333ieWAKx231AYxQBz9aXFS6EIET4-LIyJ7RGaAX1kq0hcpLa8Ygdn84DJVWknuIdXYGB_3TLb8WSYAyXg_flI6Gl4HGLxCI3r/s1600/IMG_4876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FHH-JdsboLvPawv9ZumCfA6nodMyQlmVmUXxGmp4je333ieWAKx231AYxQBz9aXFS6EIET4-LIyJ7RGaAX1kq0hcpLa8Ygdn84DJVWknuIdXYGB_3TLb8WSYAyXg_flI6Gl4HGLxCI3r/s400/IMG_4876.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Walt Disney World 10K</b><br />
<br />
I got smart this day and packed an extra jacket to check to be able to wear at the finish. I didn't want to travel home with my 4 throwaway jackets so I planned to ditch the sweatshirt at some point during the race. It was slightly less cold this day than the previous. I didn't feel so bad waiting around as I wore the two jackets, a set of pants I checked every day, a blanket... you get the idea.<br />
<br />
The previous day I realized you couldn't wait until the last minute to get into the corrals. I was supposed to be in corral B but had to run with C the day before since I took so long to get to the starting area. I headed over a little earlier this day to be able to queue up in corral B and hopefully get the jump on people in the photos lines.<br />
<br />
I spent so much time standing around in Epcot during the race the day before waiting for photos, I realized they looped the same songs over and over in the park. I was impressed and thankful when I realized they chose different songs for the 10K day than the 5K day.<br />
<br />
It was still plenty cold and I debated not throwing out the sweatshirt but I finally did around mile 4.5. I left it by a trashcan in Epcot and I really hope it got added to the donation pile instead of the trash pile. I owe that sweatshirt for my survival the 5K and 10K days.<br />
<br />
Both the 5K and 10K days I ran without water which only worked because it was so cold. I figured I didn't need it for the 5K being so short and cold and by the 10K day I realized that the on-off of the sweatshirt layer would be impossibly hard with my Orange Mud backpack on. It was a good call to run without fluids which is VERY rare for me. I will note there was an actual water stop INSIDE Epcot during the 10K which is the only water stop I have ever encountered on-stage at a Disney theme park ever during a race. Usually they'll have them backstage I imagine so that the mess can be contained more easily.<br />
<br />
The longer distance meant runners got spaced out a bit more (I didn't stop for a photo until mile 4). I was a bit more selective with photo stops and even with the long photo lines I finished the 5K faster than the 10K the previous day.<br />
<br />
I had a 8:05 am breakfast reservation at Kona at the Polynesian after the race. Months before my thought process was that the race started at 5:30, figure about an hour to run which left plenty of time to get back to the hotel, shower and get to the reservation. And then I ran a 1.5 hour 5K. I have to say that reservation was on my mind and I decided I would plan to head directly from the race to the Polynesian. I finished and had about an hour until my reservation. I gambled and stood in line to get a photo with Minnie at the finish. Everything worked out perfectly and I arrived at the Polynesian at 8:01 am! Phew. I have to say nothing was better than having a nice hot sit-down breakfast after the race. Not sure I'd plan it so tight again but that was quite nice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZSs2eTogugHKcM90FKAkled-LqvLsDTacayhhhiVoH6rdxdmvY3LiKAibnFS9lV2hC1H19HA1YFpqu6D3LpPCpPmW5ruJfGbWeM8Ax-tH2_3wJRqqVg0gWvqbpZQXCqLXDiZGWTuNBzQ/s1600/IMG_4780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZSs2eTogugHKcM90FKAkled-LqvLsDTacayhhhiVoH6rdxdmvY3LiKAibnFS9lV2hC1H19HA1YFpqu6D3LpPCpPmW5ruJfGbWeM8Ax-tH2_3wJRqqVg0gWvqbpZQXCqLXDiZGWTuNBzQ/s400/IMG_4780.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmlsnj2PkLoQ6kJLvxrXrt8Weq0KuhmW9CjyimFvOl35V1ZbsAkesLIajFZRXpK6aq2vXDCYabhxFDdzICXcR5r3aSKFzlcpAEvL0vG0uuUtjqb3jUPrZ0LWs7lJceE_shaNsfnlNVmia/s1600/IMG_4875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmlsnj2PkLoQ6kJLvxrXrt8Weq0KuhmW9CjyimFvOl35V1ZbsAkesLIajFZRXpK6aq2vXDCYabhxFDdzICXcR5r3aSKFzlcpAEvL0vG0uuUtjqb3jUPrZ0LWs7lJceE_shaNsfnlNVmia/s400/IMG_4875.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Walt Disney World Half Marathon</b><br />
<br />
This was the first day I got to take advantage of staying at a monorail resort and rode the monorail to the start area instead of catching a bus. Frankly, I can't say it was any more convenient though I suppose you don't have to worry about getting stuck in traffic or your bus getting lost.<br />
<br />
There were tons more people at the half marathon than the 5K or 10K. They reconfigured the security lines into snake-like queues to accommodate the additional people. I was excited because I finally got to meet up with Leana at the start. I consider her my first internet friend as her blog inspired me to start my own in 2008 and she was the very first person to comment on this blog. She is also a Disney runner fan and we have been at the parks at the same time in the past but never got it together. It was nice to meet her and have some company as we waited for the race to start.<br />
<br />
It actually didn't feel all that cold when we were waiting for the start. I didn't even nip into some of my extra pre-race layers this day. My hands weren't cold without gloves so I decided to check them to save them for another day. In my distraction of talking to Leana as I checked my bag I forgot to take off the fleecy hat I was wearing over my race hat before I checked my bag. I really wanted it for the next morning and future cold runs so didn't want to throw it away but couldn't run with it on because my whole race outfit sort of revolved around the Monsters University hat I had made. I was able to cram it into my Orange Mud pack during the race. Phew.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62cHRvNlBrBMlz0Hle6tz6BtSI3vuwMtslBNCY8U3z0txS60OfU_YGw54BRQ7ozi2p0lz7dcEzzQ92RNCQpv2_ppExQyna6WJxLdfYZp6GsR-tF4FPN5erkImTi3byFPjPMymeOj1DFIl/s1600/IMG_4845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62cHRvNlBrBMlz0Hle6tz6BtSI3vuwMtslBNCY8U3z0txS60OfU_YGw54BRQ7ozi2p0lz7dcEzzQ92RNCQpv2_ppExQyna6WJxLdfYZp6GsR-tF4FPN5erkImTi3byFPjPMymeOj1DFIl/s400/IMG_4845.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Leana and I parted ways when we got into our corrals and before I knew it we were off. I don't know know what happened, but the first few miles were bitterly cold. I deeply regretted not wearing my gloves. My hands were freezing and stinging from the cold. But after a few miles it seemed to warm up a little.<br />
<br />
I was again selective about photos stops, not wanting to extrapolate out a 1.5 hour 5K over a 13.1 mile course. I saw Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars and stopped to get in line. Normally I would have skipped them, but my son loves vehicles and I thought he would get a kick out of that photo. F, that was all for you.<br />
<br />
The course was slightly different this year and we took a new approach to Magic Kingdom entering through the front instead of a side entrance. I thought that was a nice improvement. I saw a restroom right outside Magic Kingdom and decided to hop in line.<br />
<br />
The run up Main Street is my favorite part of the race and it didn't disappoint. When I hit Tomorrowland I saw Mike and Sully and circled back to get into line since I was dressed as Mike. Lo and behold Leana appeared! So I got a photo with her (she was dressed as Sully) and Mike and Sully which was fun. She was a lady on a mission and we parted ways shortly after as I hopped into another photo line.<br />
<br />
Within Magic Kingdom before even running through the castle I stopped for photos with Mike and Sully, Goofy, Sebastian, and the Cinderella mice. I logged a 51:35 min/mile half-mile split the first part of Magic Kingdom! Gah.<br />
<br />
The Cinderella mice left to take a break while I was in line so I started chatting with the women who were by me in line. One lady shared how years ago Dopey was out on the course and she didn't stop for a photo and has regretted it ever since (especially now that he is never on the course). She said after that if there is any inkling she stops for the photos. I had to agree with her. I'd love to one day run Disney with a mini time-goal (perhaps sub-4) but another part of me feels it is a waste of the experience to run this race that way.<br />
<br />
By the time I made it out of Magic Kingdom with all the photo stops and that 51:35 pace half mile, I was once again behind much slower runners. The area after Magic Kingdom is affectionately known as "Cone Alley" where Disney lines up cones side by side along the road to keep runners on one side of the street. It is very narrow and it was frustrating to be stuck behind people moving at a slower pace than my legs wanted to move.<br />
<br />
Disney's fuel sponsor changed this year from Clif to the sports jelly beans. Those suckers were frozen solid and so hard to eat. If you're ever planning on running a planned pace I would practice with the jelly beans. I imagine it would be hard to consume them if you were running hard, especially during cold years when your hands are frozen in addition to the beans.<br />
<br />
The 5K and the 10K they didn't have characters out giving high fives at the finish line. This was disappointing for me and I thought maybe they had stopped doing that. Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, and Dopey were all in the finish area for photos ops so it sort of made sense none of them were out giving high fives. So I was thrilled when I saw Chip standing by the finish line giving out high fives! It is my favorite thing to get a high five from a character before crossing the finish. I was all lined up to run by him and then a group in front of me stopped by him and turned around to get a selfie with him. Blah!! They so they ruined my high five :( Sadness.<br />
<br />
The med team was telling people to hydrate as we walked through the finisher area. They were even taking the caps off of bottles for people as we walked by. I chugged a Powerade and ate a Clif Builder Bar I had packed to refuel right away with at the finish area. Eyes on the marathon the next day. I waited about half an hour to get a photo with Donald Duck with my medal and was freezing in the wind.<br />
<br />
The shuttle bus back to the hotel took so incredibly long. There was so much traffic approaching Magic Kingdom.<br />
<br />
I was able to nap about an hour before I headed out to the parks. I had a Fast Pass for Flights of Passage that I wasn't about to not use. The wait time posted when I walked right onto the ride was 4 hours. FOUR HOURS. It was a great ride but I would not wait four hours to get on it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmlsnj2PkLoQ6kJLvxrXrt8Weq0KuhmW9CjyimFvOl35V1ZbsAkesLIajFZRXpK6aq2vXDCYabhxFDdzICXcR5r3aSKFzlcpAEvL0vG0uuUtjqb3jUPrZ0LWs7lJceE_shaNsfnlNVmia/s1600/IMG_4875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmlsnj2PkLoQ6kJLvxrXrt8Weq0KuhmW9CjyimFvOl35V1ZbsAkesLIajFZRXpK6aq2vXDCYabhxFDdzICXcR5r3aSKFzlcpAEvL0vG0uuUtjqb3jUPrZ0LWs7lJceE_shaNsfnlNVmia/s400/IMG_4875.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Walt Disney World Marathon</b><br />
<br />
Ah, the last 2:55 am wake-up call.<br />
<br />
The previous three days I had worn two long sleeve shirts. I debated for a little bit but decided to go with a single long sleeve shirt for the full marathon. It was supposed to be 39 at the start, warming up to the 40s/50s. Basically perfect weather. I threw my compression sleeves and gloves into my gear check bag and decided I would make the call at the race start if I wanted to wear them or not.<br />
<br />
The security line to check bags was pretty long on marathon morning but it moved quickly. I was meeting up with another friend this morning and found her quickly at our appointed spot. Talking with her I decided to run with the compression sleeves so wrestled them on before checking our bags.<br />
<br />
We used the portapotties at the exit of the staging area before you head out to the corrals and there were no lines in that area. This year for the half and full they had less corrals but did mini-wave releases within the corrals.<br />
<br />
I ran with a throwaway blanket draped around my shoulders and didn't get rid of it until right before entering Magic Kingdom. I decided not to use the restroom before entering Magic Kingdom in order to not get pushed back farther in the line of runners at all of the photo stops. I figured I'd grab a restroom before exiting the park instead.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6q1u6uqFAMoNFN-943buLJP8K3huuzt647uSTGc0ZD6w9mvjS2NqFy1wRwy03W_k56UhOMcF1tCxzhlTVZqYWWutsFsUERbO9543L7MPG2odchiqvEmH4k60sHrkhjPGhE8TQwURPvt8O/s1600/GOPR2880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6q1u6uqFAMoNFN-943buLJP8K3huuzt647uSTGc0ZD6w9mvjS2NqFy1wRwy03W_k56UhOMcF1tCxzhlTVZqYWWutsFsUERbO9543L7MPG2odchiqvEmH4k60sHrkhjPGhE8TQwURPvt8O/s400/GOPR2880.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in line for Donald</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was a bit more selective this day for photo stops and only stopped for photos with Donald Duck, the castle and Woody in this park. In all of the Magic Kingdom excitement I missed my first gel and realized I was feeling sort of hungry. My legs still felt good as we left Magic Kingdom. During the half the day before I had tried to take a short walk break at every mile marker to save my legs. During the full I didn't do this though I did walk briefly through water stations as I drank water. I probably could have run without my hydration pack during the full since it was cold and Disney has so many water stations on course. I may consider running without it if there is ever another year the temps are in the 30s/40s.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPneuteITLIApkxDpZwbwMxHT2OGtej5bRpbttu-Kjt-hrYcXWpXOrdQiNodpHEFRX5wpOFuLrv9_NRNyR51mNPsDzpaI6lLKTB1ylg5UHofSNmzlCVvTXW0MSn0sZIBIHR6cnI2iWh2u/s1600/GOPR2885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPneuteITLIApkxDpZwbwMxHT2OGtej5bRpbttu-Kjt-hrYcXWpXOrdQiNodpHEFRX5wpOFuLrv9_NRNyR51mNPsDzpaI6lLKTB1ylg5UHofSNmzlCVvTXW0MSn0sZIBIHR6cnI2iWh2u/s400/GOPR2885.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in line for some Hercules characters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As we ran the long stretch to Animal Kingdom I had the thought that I had seen on the hotel television that morning that there were extra magic hours at Animal Kingdom that day. So in my head I thought that the park opened at 8 am if you were a resort guest instead of 9 am. I asked a cast member when we entered a park and he informed me that I was mistaken and that the park opened for everyone at 9 am. My one major Disney Marathon regret is that I never rode Everest during the race. Years ago I would pass by and the park was already open and the ride was up and running. Nowadays with the earlier start time and the earlier placement of Animal Kingdom on the course the park is closed when I run through. I hit Everest 40 minutes before the park opened.<br />
<br />
I contemplated briefly about waiting around but after the last three days of finishing with runners much slower than myself I didn't want the frustration of trying to get around people for 13 more miles, especially once you factored in future photo stops. I thought about the conversation I had with the woman the day prior and realized that Everest is my Dopey.<br />
<br />
As I left the Animal Kingdom area I passed two men who were handing out Red Vines. I am staunchly in the Red Vine camp in the Red Vine vs. Twizzler debate. I took one and yelled, "Red Vines are better than Twizzlers!" as I ran away. The two men cheered which made me laugh.<br />
<br />
I ate a lot of food on course which I usually do at Disney. Jelly beans, multiple bananas, and spectator supplied candy. I carried 3 gels intending to eat enough on-course food to account for the 4th gel I'd usually consume. But I ate so much food I ended up using only two of my gels during the race.<br />
<br />
As we headed towards Wide World of Sports for the first time during the race I felt ever so slightly warm. My hands were getting sweaty in my gloves which I fully intended to ditch at some point. I decided to keep them on just a bit longer in case it got cold again. The approach to Wide World of Sports is slightly uphill which I had never realized in the past. I greatly dislike running at the Wide World of Sports. There are so many twists and turns and it comes at a low morale-point in the race as you tick off the early 20s miles. There were a lot of character stop opportunities in this area but none of them spoke to me and I skipped them all. Three cheers for being able to use a real restroom with no line in this area.<br />
<br />
We finally made it to Disney Studios where I was eagerly anticipating the official chocolate/candy aid station. This year I grabbed a package of M&Ms and malted balls. I also dumped my gloves at about this time and nipped into another restroom. Something about the slower pace or all the aid stations but I just always need to pee so many times at Disney! They're doing a lot of construction at Disney Studios this year so we were barely in the park before we were headed towards Epcot.<br />
<br />
My favorite sign I saw this race: "Mile 23 is not the happiest place on Earth."<br />
<br />
One of the aid stations had a sign that said, "Volunteers: The cold never bothered us anyway." That gave me a laugh. It was cold all weekend and the volunteers were so awesome to be out there for us.<br />
<br />
My Twitter friend, Jen, was going to be out cheering at mile 24 and I kept my eyes peeled for her. I told her later that expecting to see her was what kept me going that mile and I ran over for a quick hug when I saw her.<br />
<br />
I entered Epcot and encountered what was the last water stop. I walked and took some sips and told myself I'd run all the way to the finish. That idea was short lived as I encountered a photo stop at the mile 25 mile marker which was special for the 25th anniversary and Snow White who had no one waiting to take photos with her (I generally don't stop for face characters).<br />
<br />
At the bottom of World Showcase I bumped up a gear and tapped into some dormant CIM speed. Chip was out again giving high fives and this time I slapped paw with enthusiasm as I crossed the finish. So fun!<br />
<br />
There were extremely long longs for character photo ops at the finish. I think I waited in Dopey's line for 45 minutes to 1 hour! Luckily it wasn't horribly cold on marathon day so it was as pleasant as standing on your feet can be after a marathon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBvEJLepZhxxKSgsaVdBj8XO-GfOgNOb3FjjPyeI6Oc2_D-OsucMsgT_T9kV3zaKaqMZKQQEPQW3MefEHIlU_olSqqdJWyeBkOUYt0YJe4AR6X-8BmWxnsvLyo4v5lJZWNE9B55WJrAxO/s1600/IMG_4924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBvEJLepZhxxKSgsaVdBj8XO-GfOgNOb3FjjPyeI6Oc2_D-OsucMsgT_T9kV3zaKaqMZKQQEPQW3MefEHIlU_olSqqdJWyeBkOUYt0YJe4AR6X-8BmWxnsvLyo4v5lJZWNE9B55WJrAxO/s400/IMG_4924.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the one to take a photo with Dopey; back and forth snaking properties of the line not captured</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For the 25th Anniversary they gave everyone a set of Mickey Mouse ears commemorating the event. I thought that was a great touch!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0vXJsg5VDtUbQzH344X_W3Yn1qR3ZIpKk-jnGasSZMgMG3YyDH6myqi9LBxca60xwMIaTtDSN_B9BE9HpLu9a1KaYZM1aLohR1O4ePVeaCAtp-vVQ3pQQrbWZR-8mw4VhyDNVyiW93-C/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0vXJsg5VDtUbQzH344X_W3Yn1qR3ZIpKk-jnGasSZMgMG3YyDH6myqi9LBxca60xwMIaTtDSN_B9BE9HpLu9a1KaYZM1aLohR1O4ePVeaCAtp-vVQ3pQQrbWZR-8mw4VhyDNVyiW93-C/s400/image1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
My overall race comments are probably redundant from years' past: Disney does aid stations better than any other race. They are plentiful and there are a couple that are very close together (in the sense they could probably delete one and get away with it, but they don't because they are awesome). They clearly have things set up with water at certain tables and energy drink at others and the volunteers call out what they are holding. As mentioned, if I run this race again during a 30-40 degree year I may not even bother running with my own fluids which is a HUGE statement from me since I will take a bottle of water out on a 2 mile 50 degree run.<br />
<br />
Disney also rules when it comes to on-course bathrooms. They have portapotties galore on the course but they bathrooms in all the theme parks are also available to use. I stopped to pee four times during the marathon and got to use a real flushing toilet every single time. If you plan appropriately you can utilize real bathrooms instead of portapotties for sure.<br />
<br />
After running 4 races in one weekend, I do wish they would mix up the on-course characters a little more. For example, Vacation Genie was out on the course at every single race. I always say it seems that they have less character stops than in years far gone, but I don't know if that is just my perception or reality.<br />
<br />
It helped I met up with friends two of the four days, but the long morning waits in the start area just didn't seem quite so long this year. And since it was freezing that is a big statement. I was proud of myself for finally packing enough pre-race layers to combat the weather. Gear check was created for a reason, people.<br />
<br />
Disney now has their own photographers on course taking photos and I have to say they do a GREAT job. This trip I actually bought the Memory Maker package where you get all the photos photographers take of you for something like 30 days. So for me, that was all the photos around the parks and on attractions, AND four races worth of on-course photos. So worth it not to have to haggle with my own camera on course which can't take nearly as great photographs. Highly recommend.<br />
<br />
I stand by my opinion that Dopey isn't more physically challenging than Goofy. However I will say having to wake up early 4 days in a row is much harder than only 2 days. I planned each day to run the race, get back to the room and shower, and I took about a one hour nap before hitting the parks. I never really got into the groove of getting to sleep early. Coming from the west coast it is just too hard with the time change.<br />
<br />
I love the Disney Marathon. Every year Disney does something that riles up the masses and makes us shake our fists but we always go back for more. I am always filled with joy during this race. I feel like a kid running through the parks and love stopping to take photos with the characters. Even through the tough patches this race keeps me smiling. You never forget your first and this race always feels like coming home.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIf8uB6cz3zTZKKsWHu8BT3NhAIGmdDvuTogvzx9Q476rvWnsjd1KXXrCthvV5ymiWbalMUbXvky1Hmu2UJts7MoDkw4rmvrG8tAdAG19Qy4NVqoPQOL1H6q-7MZ9oem6KrJb8zxMeVMwl/s1600/IMG_5336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIf8uB6cz3zTZKKsWHu8BT3NhAIGmdDvuTogvzx9Q476rvWnsjd1KXXrCthvV5ymiWbalMUbXvky1Hmu2UJts7MoDkw4rmvrG8tAdAG19Qy4NVqoPQOL1H6q-7MZ9oem6KrJb8zxMeVMwl/s400/IMG_5336.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaABiEvjfai80VdwS_gnavzRCbINFJlTHgA1O2U4UNbO4TACq8cD11MAzUuqGtc_S3MjPqZ1ZVBPM-LpCAwPSlyWN62tqxMOCekr7KFCiB6ofLRpfi3CoSax4jpwCZrM3p4zOeJ3u1-tS/s1600/IMG_5337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaABiEvjfai80VdwS_gnavzRCbINFJlTHgA1O2U4UNbO4TACq8cD11MAzUuqGtc_S3MjPqZ1ZVBPM-LpCAwPSlyWN62tqxMOCekr7KFCiB6ofLRpfi3CoSax4jpwCZrM3p4zOeJ3u1-tS/s400/IMG_5337.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCJdnc-1aXGeP6fpTedrnsmUIDBrp0z7vlQTSEwv-pGBklWT-mLDI63PJYpgblDDfhxbcUnlOUEp-2drlSf2LaneoLlROEunVJEgCiDI-UAXQweiFR134qz-bagJ42UG68fGkNh5IBCEY/s1600/image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCJdnc-1aXGeP6fpTedrnsmUIDBrp0z7vlQTSEwv-pGBklWT-mLDI63PJYpgblDDfhxbcUnlOUEp-2drlSf2LaneoLlROEunVJEgCiDI-UAXQweiFR134qz-bagJ42UG68fGkNh5IBCEY/s400/image2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIVKX2_Arh9tNdiZ36g8UfKLQTFVTiX3cfy6cm6w1WEaGEB4LUkE-BPiia-So11JOONhAORjxLTr5xNL0Bm3tQlq3LEL6lDo1M0ODFH4YiMaHQznHyZIf4BsX5MFlaqPFTz0HHev7u9-G/s1600/IMG_E4941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIVKX2_Arh9tNdiZ36g8UfKLQTFVTiX3cfy6cm6w1WEaGEB4LUkE-BPiia-So11JOONhAORjxLTr5xNL0Bm3tQlq3LEL6lDo1M0ODFH4YiMaHQznHyZIf4BsX5MFlaqPFTz0HHev7u9-G/s400/IMG_E4941.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
I wanted to make a few notes on the hotel (Contemporary) I stayed at this year in case anyone was researching that aspect.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMMcmbA4-DyOH14I2ZzjbIOgYwMe-9SvQnmm1ZBSI68Oa1UM5tbV2etCMHzt30EsbKBQ77fml63HgP2zmFHiyfBjm-qVUGW8KbGd9MLZM7mUTwekJLy8oUKBxtivsKXLtJl0_qOr3T8-i/s1600/IMG_4573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMMcmbA4-DyOH14I2ZzjbIOgYwMe-9SvQnmm1ZBSI68Oa1UM5tbV2etCMHzt30EsbKBQ77fml63HgP2zmFHiyfBjm-qVUGW8KbGd9MLZM7mUTwekJLy8oUKBxtivsKXLtJl0_qOr3T8-i/s400/IMG_4573.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Things I disliked: </b></i><br />
The food court at the Contemporary for quick service meals is quite limited in selection and there is a very long wait to get your food. At Pop there are tons of food court stations and the food is more or less already prepared cafeteria style so you get it very quickly. I always sat on a bench for 15-20 minutes waiting for my order at Contemporary. <br />
<br />
I also really disliked that all of the race shuttles were shared with other resorts. And of course Contemporary was the last stop. So leaving the expo or finish area we'd have to go to two other hotels to drop off guests before getting to my hotel. Huge pain and time suck. As a side note, the one morning I took the bus from the race to the Polynesian their bus stopped at their hotel first, so if you ware in the market for a Deluxe monorail hotel, that may be the better option from a post-race transport standpoint.<br />
<br />
It is <i>so</i> expensive. I realized I could have probably taken a one month cruise for the amount of money I spent for one week's lodging here.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Things I loved: </i></b><br />
The toiletries at Contemporary are definitely a step above the Value resorts (though not at all a cost justifier).<br />
<br />
I loved the room service option at Contemporary mainly because I hated their palsy quick service food court. But it was awesome to order a quesadilla post marathon and have it delivered to my room.<br />
<br />
By far the biggest perk of staying at the Contemporary was the ability to walk to Magic Kingdom. When staying at Pop in order to get home I would walk almost 10 minutes to the shuttle stop. Stand waiting for 10-20 minutes. Stand on a crowded bus another 10-15 minutes during the ride. Then walk from the shuttle stop to my hotel room sometimes almost a quarter mile away. Major energy and time suck when you're dealing with the races. I set my GPS one night and it was a 0.6 mi walk from the hub by the castle to my hotel and from there just an elevator ride up to my room. On my last day I was even able to utilize my 1:50 pm Mine Train Fast Pass and was on my 2:30 pm Magical Express bus to the airport! So that's the reason I spent a small fortune on the Contemporary this trip. I wanted to maximize my time in the parks given my desire to stay off my feet as much as possible and also knowing there would be higher crowds due to the timing of the races this year.<br />
<br />
Another great thing about the Contemporary is when you do have to utilize the shuttles I found I was always able to get a seat on the bus whether I was leaving the Contemporary or returning from the parks. Also, the shuttle stop seemed to often be slightly closer to the parks than the Pop stop which helped a little to minimize walking. <br />
<br />
I didn't do this as much as I thought I would, but I did take the monorail to the Polynesian to utilize their food court. The Polynesian had a really nice quick service counter but I only made it over once the whole trip and I never got around to go to the Grand Floridian to try their food options.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBFIVMnESvMIynZRUFrqVsWzMp1McFGC8Kik9Kwqwt6SGzMTgAgFm1iRN_awEkDxoIFkWng2-G4FyV6ObeVmf9SW7lqhxiwWhMezVndAtKwSci-ZykmVKxQTlAs74F3vX_QgLNMVMl1rj/s1600/IMG_4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBFIVMnESvMIynZRUFrqVsWzMp1McFGC8Kik9Kwqwt6SGzMTgAgFm1iRN_awEkDxoIFkWng2-G4FyV6ObeVmf9SW7lqhxiwWhMezVndAtKwSci-ZykmVKxQTlAs74F3vX_QgLNMVMl1rj/s400/IMG_4777.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My balcony view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I can't decide if this is a pro or con given the fact I ran the races, but I had a room with a view of Magic Kingdom which was amazing. It was freezing cold the first half of the trip so I was barely out there, but the last couple of days I would sit on the balcony and take it all in. I thought it would be fun to see the fireworks from my room. It was great, but it also prevented me from sleeping early. One night I tried to get in bed before 9 and was just dozing off when BOOM BOOM BOOM! So you won't be asleep before 9:30 any night if that is priority the nights before the races. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbgqClhZmOPJ3gv5JSpvaPxqi9zfgBP82SEANIv5YZaeyRne5wykNE9ThWxmyF8bZqfihADyBPhRPk7NbSNmT-6vveYjFEY3mhd1DcX5VX4yfukuuSI4LQtu5SaM4jQvEIzQnriZj6thN/s1600/IMG_5059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbgqClhZmOPJ3gv5JSpvaPxqi9zfgBP82SEANIv5YZaeyRne5wykNE9ThWxmyF8bZqfihADyBPhRPk7NbSNmT-6vveYjFEY3mhd1DcX5VX4yfukuuSI4LQtu5SaM4jQvEIzQnriZj6thN/s400/IMG_5059.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-49122324453285452532018-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:002018-03-04T20:07:03.226-08:00Hansons Marathon Method & CIM Post-Mortem<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">First, I want to say "HI!" to Rabbits' Guy. Hope you are all doing well! I'm always excited when I see a comment from you :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs07pM0hVS4vOY8Yg0C18cuGInxkunzIybPz_V1dOYEgq3s9kab2CDjGcUmYX88RAXxSdfIEBWH5MP2xAdJ3kJHG1LD9Fmug7bp53x7mL6w5hJmjHuHG_SvilNTFnatwThQ-Su-9RaJUwB/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs07pM0hVS4vOY8Yg0C18cuGInxkunzIybPz_V1dOYEgq3s9kab2CDjGcUmYX88RAXxSdfIEBWH5MP2xAdJ3kJHG1LD9Fmug7bp53x7mL6w5hJmjHuHG_SvilNTFnatwThQ-Su-9RaJUwB/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
I tried to do lots of blog reading about Hansons before I took the plunge so I thought I would post my own thoughts. If you're seriously interested in Hansons I recommend you get a copy of the book as it goes through a lot of the thought process behind the training. Hansons is probably most known for its 16 mile long run. I think because of this people think the plan is easy. It is not easy. It's been a few years since I trained seriously for a marathon but I felt as though Hansons was a lot more intense than anything I had done in the past.<br />
<br />
The basic premise for Hansons is something they call cumulative fatigue. You never really get to rest your legs so you teach them to run when they are tired. They say the 16 mile long run simulates the last 16 miles of the race while other plans have you running the first 20.<br />
<br />
<b>The Plan</b><br />
<br />
There are three major workouts a week which are called "something of substance" (SOS) runs:<br />
1. "Speed" which is traditional interval work. This day later transitions to "Strength" which has you doing 6 miles of slightly faster than goal pace running in variable chunks.<br />
2. "Tempo" which for Hansons is extended work at marathon goal pace.<br />
3. "Long Run" which for Hansons is not done at your slow easy pace. They prescribe them to be done at basically the faster side of easy. <br />
It is a 6 day a week plan so the other days you run easy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Beginner vs. Advanced</b><br />
<br />
As I noted in my previous post I attempted to do the Advanced plan in late 2016 but got injured halfway through. I stepped down to the beginner plan for CIM. I think that "advanced" and "beginner" are a little misleading. Hansons overall is not a beginner marathon training program. They also have a "just finish" plan which I would liken more to your typical first marathon training plan. Plenty of people run very fast times off of the beginner plan. The main difference between beginner and advanced is that the mileage for the advanced plan is higher and there are more weeks of SOS runs.<br />
<br />
The one thing I did not like about the beginner plan is that the first five weeks has very low mileage and no SOS runs. I don't mind the lack of SOS runs, but the low mileage seems a rather poor start to a marathon training plan. Week 2 has you running 15 miles total. I sort of did my own thing instead of following the first 5 weeks of the plan as I was already running more base mileage. Week 6 you jump to not only speed and tempo runs but you also jump up to 6 days of running. As I noted in my CIM race report it was a bit of a rough transition for me. I did a few weeks of introducing some very basic speed back into my routine before week 6 came around, but it was still a bit of a shock to my system that took a few weeks to adjust into. There was another dubious jump in the plan between weeks 8 and 9, but I survived that okay so it ended up being more mental than physical.<br />
<br />
When I did the advanced plan the increases seemed much more incremental and sensible. If you have a good base of 40ish miles I don't think the advanced plan is as much of a shock to your system. Having done the first half of both plans it almost feels as if the beginner plan starts you off easier but then has to make much larger jumps at a time to sort of catch up to the advanced plan. By the end of the plan the SOS runs are identical between advanced and beginner plans. The easy day runs are a couple of miles shorter per day in the beginner plan (hence the overall less mileage even though the SOS days become identical as the plan goes on).<br />
<br />
That said, if I ever did it again I would choose the advanced plan and decide if I wanted to maybe step down the easy day run lengths a click. So sort of a hybrid of advanced and beginner. I'd also consider doing an 18 or even 20 miler if I could run it at a pace that keeps it under the Hansons 3-hour as the longest run length rule.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Why it was a good fit for me</b><br />
<br />
If you take a look at my race PRs, you'll see my 5K and 10K PRs do no line up with my marathon and half PRs. My 10K PR pace is slower than my half or marathon PR pace. I haven't spent a lot of time training for shorter distances because frankly I don't like running at that end of fast. I think that is why Hansons ended up appealing to me. Even the 400m repeats are done at only 10K pace (which for me feels sort of crazy fast on any day) and by the last half of the plan you are doing only marathon pace or marathon pace minus 10 sec/mile which is a very safe place for speed haters like myself. So in that regard this plan definitely catered to my strengths.<br />
<br />
I'm the type of person who orders the same thing at a restaurant every single time. I thrive on consistency and predictability. The workouts for Hansons are very similar week to week, just progressing a bit on the distance of the hard stuff. I loved this about the plan. It was great for my confidence to see how I could run farther each week at a certain pace during the Speed segment. It was easy to tell myself, "Okay, you did that pace for 8 miles last week, what is one more mile this week?" when the Tempos bumped up. <br />
<br />
If you spend any amount of time chatting with Hansons runners they will talk about how taking the easy days EASY is so important. I think this probably true of any training plan. However this point was driven home to me with Hansons and very much appeals to the type of runner I am. I love to run easy and default to the slow end of easy on any day without a specified pace. I know some people have a hard time running slow but I am definitely not one of those people.<br />
<br />
I'm a member of a couple of Hansons online groups and so many people post saying, "Oh my goodness, I can't run as slow as the book says I am supposed to run on easy days!" A) I have no understanding of how this could be a problem and B) everyone always responds with, "don't worry eventually you'll slow down from the cumulative fatigue," if the true answer isn't C) maybe your goal time is too slow for you.<br />
<br />
I can say from my own personal experience B is totally true. Pre-Hansons when my legs were fresher my easy pace runs were 9:40s. By the end of the plan I was running very close (over or under) to 11:00 pace on easy days which sounds alarmingly slow to even myself. But the other three days a week I was nailing all my SOS runs so I didn't let it bother me. I think if you have a hard time running truly slowly on easy days Hansons may be a little tough to swallow.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Did it work?</b><br />
<br />
As far as my performance at CIM vs. how training went, I took the most stock in how I did during my weekly tempo run. In the beginner plan you start with 5 miles at goal pace and over the weeks it slowly increases to 10 miles. The tempo portion is sandwiched by a warm-up/cool-down which I usually did 1-1.5 miles. So my 10 mile tempo run was a 13 mile run with the middle 10 miles at goal pace. You'll recall I had a less aggressive goal when I started out (was originally hoping to run sub-9:00 for CIM). <br />
<br />
Here's how my pace for the tempo portion of my run shook out over the course of training:<br />
5 miles 8:58<br />
5 miles 8:58<br />
5 miles 8:44<br />
8 miles 8:44<br />
8 miles 8:44<br />
8 miles 8:38<br />
9 miles 8:41<br />
9 miles 8:39<br />
9 miles 8:38<br />
9 miles 8:37 (I had added in a buffer week for injury/life which I didn't need so had an extra week)<br />
10 miles 8:37.8<br />
10 miles 8:37.8<br />
10 miles 8:35.7<br />
<br />
When I looked at the above info I settled on 8:44 as my goal pace (which was revised to 8:43 to help ensure a sub-3:50 finish). I didn't start training at 8:44 so I'm not entirely sure how to assess whether or not holding that pace at CIM was a success or not. One could argue maybe I was capable of 8:40 pace which may or may not have panned out (I'm thinking not, but who knows). Someone once told me the pace you put down your last 10 mile tempo was pretty indicative of performance on race day in which case I utterly underperformed (I think I was wise enough to not get greedy/silly and to see that 8:36 pace wasn't going to happen). I should note I tried to be really cognizant not to race these tempo runs. After the first 4 runs I changed my goal tempo pace from 8:58 to 8:44 and I was always trying to hit 8:44 on subsequent runs.<br />
<br />
That's the tricky thing with marathon training. Your fitness improves over the course of training but that doesn't mean your goal needs to quicken. I started the training cycle off at a pretty poor fitness level for myself and saw major gains which made goal pace setting a little harder. I would be very curious to do another round of Hansons with a better feel for my current fitness and train for a time consistently the whole cycle to see how that worked. The plan is designed for you to pick a goal pace in the beginning and to stick with it the whole training cycle.<br />
<br />
One thing I questioned during training was that the tempo run pace (which remember is goal marathon pace) never felt the way I assume marathon pace should feel. I was working to keep the pace every single week. I think a pace you want to hold for 26.2 miles shouldn't feel too challenging for say, 8 miles. Other people using the training method would say that the tempo run simulates the last 10 miles and after running a marathon using Hansons I agree. On race day goal pace did NOT feel the way it felt during the training runs. It was a working pace but not hard the first 16 miles. I was definitely working the last 10, but as others said you channel your 10 mile tempos and dig deep to get the race finished. So the cumulative fatigue really does make everything seem harder and teaches you to run on tired legs.<br />
<br />
My two faster marathons were done with a Brad Hudson plan where I ran three 20+ milers during the training cycle. It's a little bit of comparing apples to oranges as I had a much stronger base going into the Hudson training cycles and therefore obviously felt a bit stronger the whole cycle. But I think if you truly detest 20 milers Hansons is a great answer. The Hudson plan had an "easy 23 miles" which seemed to take forever. Hansons is 16 miles at the faster end of easy (which for me felt like a pace I had to work for, but it wasn't hard to keep) and this made the run go by much faster both mentally and time-wise. I'm going to say my official stance on this is that it is probably in your interest to run farther than 16 if you can tolerate it physically, but it may not be entirely necessary. I should in full disclosure also state the last time I did Hudsons I got a PR and also a stress fracture so the claim Hansons has that people get injured less on their plan may have some merit.<br />
<br />
Another aspect of Hansons is that there are no true cutback weeks. The tempo length only increases or holds steady. There is a slight decrease in mileage every other week by virtue of the fact that the long run is done only every other week. However weeks without the long run the length of the easy runs increases so you don't really feel as if you're getting a huge break. I might have run 3 miles less a week I didn't do a long run versus a week that I did. Even the effort doesn't truly peak as the hardest strength workout occurs during a 9 mile tempo week and not a 10 mile tempo week. The whole plan just feels sort of consistent.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8qV0YCwnTNxq6AJUkS87UE7m18WA6XH8HNz3gUYQu1nFeVBZIogmm_6cDYuVZ14CpmXyPKi5dZ8D9C2sg5F9CjN0AR1HNDOr-OModBO7tE3h4DeDvtYygqoUAY82w5UMcy0ok6nBZMrN/s1600/CIM2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="52" data-original-width="773" height="26" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8qV0YCwnTNxq6AJUkS87UE7m18WA6XH8HNz3gUYQu1nFeVBZIogmm_6cDYuVZ14CpmXyPKi5dZ8D9C2sg5F9CjN0AR1HNDOr-OModBO7tE3h4DeDvtYygqoUAY82w5UMcy0ok6nBZMrN/s400/CIM2.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7jmAF_9WsP8N-MQu_wLHORj4VrBUqxz0N8DH4YG8Mhv99G3DdocOqEY50fkLmUvJQej0nMnt3AGGomILdgZVad8U6jhL9_Ln2r3BWgx8VyH_vNErGtfkZRvciHJ1m5PdZVaLvP3JsbrG/s1600/CIM2017.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="773" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7jmAF_9WsP8N-MQu_wLHORj4VrBUqxz0N8DH4YG8Mhv99G3DdocOqEY50fkLmUvJQej0nMnt3AGGomILdgZVad8U6jhL9_Ln2r3BWgx8VyH_vNErGtfkZRvciHJ1m5PdZVaLvP3JsbrG/s400/CIM2017.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My weekly mileage this training cycle. Weekly totals in red.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hansons also has an almost non-existent taper. You don't get a decrease in mileage/effort until 7 days before the race. I had one day less between my last SOS workout and race day because I shifted all the run days one day to accommodate what day of the week worked better for me to do certain types of runs. I actually asked Luke Humphrey about this who said that one day wasn't a big deal. But if I had to do it over again I would have shifted my last SOS day back to where it belonged to have an extra day to recover from hard efforts. I only didn't do this because it would have meant doing my last 13 mile tempo run the morning of Thanksgiving which I would have had to do very early in order to get to the Turkey Trot the rest of my family participated in on time. And I decided that a few hours extra sleep and being able to fully stretch and recover post-run equaled or trumped one extra day of recovery.<br />
<br />
While I was running CIM I had the distinct feeling the last 3 miles that my entire race was spiraling downhill. It was really rough to keep the pace and I felt certain that the lack of 20 milers was catching up to my poor legs which must be in shock. I just remember that average pace ticking up from 8:43 to 8:44 in the last miles and it made me feel defeated. Obviously I met my goal and I was truly over-the-moon with my result, but while running the last 5K I had a different gut reaction to what was happening. If you look at my actual paces though, the race looks pretty good:<br />
<br />
I have my Garmin set to record splits every 0.5 miles:<br />
8:52<br />
8:43<br />
9:08<br />
8:43<br />
8:39<br />
8:40<br />
8:45<br />
8:49<br />
8:38<br />
8:40<br />
8:45<br />
8:48<br />
8:38<br />
8:48<br />
8:41<br />
8:50<br />
8:40<br />
8:48<br />
8:43<br />
8:40<br />
8:33<br />
8:32<br />
8:52<br />
8:26<br />
8:45<br />
8:36<br />
8:37<br />
8:42<br />
8:58 (refill water bottle)<br />
8:51<br />
8:38<br />
8:39<br />
8:35<br />
8:37<br />
8:49<br />
8:36<br />
8:43<br />
8:45<br />
8:42<br />
8:43<br />
8:39<br />
8:47<br />
8:49<br />
8:48<br />
8:44<br />
8:47<br />
8:44<br />
8:52<br />
8:40<br />
8:43<br />
9:04<br />
8:53<br />
8:28<br />
<br />
The splits are all over the place because of the rolling terrain but I was really surprised when I looked at the numbers. That last full mile was my slowest, but it wasn't as much of a crash and burn deceleration as I felt I was going through at the time. I think Hansons really gave me a very solid race.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1fwytiJu0XcGeZhojlaKVlY1lwokWDFnNIpXtYR5oJIXjlsEdOvRvIBOjcEWacYbnsapaX73HtbXIaQI1bk-7jPKQ5ZCT-VdUUXY3wwNSqvm9ZX0wJ0Kwbh8Za2i2uGbHxUclM9zDtCj/s1600/CIM3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="730" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1fwytiJu0XcGeZhojlaKVlY1lwokWDFnNIpXtYR5oJIXjlsEdOvRvIBOjcEWacYbnsapaX73HtbXIaQI1bk-7jPKQ5ZCT-VdUUXY3wwNSqvm9ZX0wJ0Kwbh8Za2i2uGbHxUclM9zDtCj/s400/CIM3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official stats, very nearly even split race.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This plan didn't get me into the best shape of my life, but that wouldn't have been a realistic goal given where I started fitness-wise. I do think the fact it took me from doing 2 mile easy runs every other day in June to my third fastest marathon six months later is very impressive. I am curious what the advanced plan could do with a stronger starting base. I wouldn't hesitate to endorse or to use Hansons again in the future.<br />
<br />
That said, after a lot of soul searching I decided to not use Hansons for my next marathon. My big goal for 2018 and beyond is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I'm running Big Sur for mainly funsies in April then wanted to work on speed before starting up marathon training for CIM in December. <br />
<br />
I wanted to bring a coach on board for many reasons and the idea of bringing a Hansons coach to the table didn't seem to make a lot of sense. I could be totally wrong, but my perception of Hansons coaching is that they pull you a plan from a bunch of pre-fabricated plans. I am sure they adjust things as needed, but it doesn't seem to have the level of personalization of other coaching offerings (and it is pricey when you consider this, probably because Hansons Running takes a cut of the profits before the rest trickles down to the actual coach). I was happy with Hansons but I also didn't want to pigeonhole myself into one training philosophy for an entire year. The coach I am working with is familiar with Hansons and said she would be happy to discuss incorporating elements I enjoyed from Hansons. That was all I needed to hear to put the "Hansons coach vs. non-Hansons coach" debate in my head to rest.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-91832659730559769732018-01-28T21:15:00.001-08:002018-02-20T12:58:03.768-08:00California International MarathonMarathon #44:<br />
<br />
After Big Sur I took 4 weeks off from running. I wasn't going to take such an extended break but Meb tweeted about how he took 4 weeks off from Boston and I figured if Meb could rest for 4 weeks, I could (and should), too. I needed that time to really settle the funk out of my left ankle and that bowl-dropping incident on top of my left foot appreciated the extra down time as well.<br />
<br />
I went on a 2 mile run after those 4 weeks off and thought I was going to pass out. I was running easy and practically seeing stars at the end of the run. I lose fitness so quickly. But my ankle was behaving and I was excited to be able to get back to training and to be able to increase more sensibly this time around.<br />
<br />
I targeted CIM at the end of the year as my next race. My main goal was to get through a training cycle and not get injured. I had been training really hard and was running really well last fall for Modesto when the peroneal tendinitis sidelined me and I was determined that wouldn't happen again. I decided it would be nice to target a finish time which was challenging in the sense that I had to do some speed work and really train but not so challenging that I was running at my limit in training.<br />
<br />
When I was training for Modesto my long run pace with Hansons was 8:58. Hansons long runs are supposed to be done at the faster end of your easy. That pace ended up being one I had to monitor and push a little, but it wasn't excruciating. When I was training that pace felt like one I was fairly certain I could hold over a marathon distance and not feel like it was terribly difficult. So I decided I would target sub-9:00 as my goal pace for CIM. For reference, the Modesto cycle which had 8:58 as a long run pace my goal marathon pace work had been done at 8:16.<br />
<br />
There was a bit of a problem with this thinking, though. When I started training for Modesto I was in pretty good shape coming off of my Humboldt Half training cycle where I was routinely running 6 miles in the low 8:00s. So while sliding goal pace from 8:16 to 8:58 sounded like taking it easier, coming off of a 4 week lay-off after months of sub-par running meant 8:58 did not feel as easy as it did the year before. Duh, RoadBunner.<br />
<br />
I also decided to step it down from the Advanced Hansons plan I had followed last year to the Beginner Hansons plan. Mainly there is less weekly mileage in the Beginner plan but there is also a few less weeks of speed work in the early weeks. The Beginner Hansons plan is certainly not a beginner marathon training program, however, and I knew it would be plenty challenging.<br />
<br />
The first few weeks on the program were pretty tough. I bumped to 6 days a week of runs and started throwing in specific pace work twice a week. The first few weeks of training I felt like I got hit by a train. My legs were so heavy on easy days, it was really hard to hit goal paces and I was extremely tired all the time. But after a few weeks my body got with the program and things started clicking.<br />
<br />
I'll do a post on Hansons later so won't get into the gritty details of that in this post.<br />
<br />
I had a solid training cycle. I hit all my goal paces for every workout. I missed one 8 mile easy run but otherwise got every single run on the plan done. There were some terrible fires north of San Francisco during this training cycle and I moved a few runs onto the treadmill. I usually never run on the treadmill but I even did one of my 16 milers on the 'mill. Early on I had targeted 8:55 as my goal pace and as the weeks went by I started to naturally run 8:44s for those runs. By the end I was doing 8:38s give or take for goal pace runs.<br />
<br />
I realized that a sub-9 goal pace for the pace was highly doable and I started to readjust my goal. I enjoyed Hansons a lot and another goal for CIM was to assess how I liked their training plan. I was thinking of hiring a Hansons coach for 2018 if the plan worked well for me. I waffled a bit between wanting to have a strong and more conservative result (the original goal) versus running to what I thought was my current ability. I thought about it, and if I didn't run CIM to the best of my ability how would I know Hansons worked?<br />
<br />
So after some thinking I pegged 8:44 as my goal pace for the race. I plugged this into my pace calculator. The <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2009/12/california-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">last time</a> I ran this race my Garmin registered 26.33 miles so I put 8:44 pace for 26.33 miles and realized that it was cutting it <b>really</b> close to a sub 3:50, especially if I ran something longer than 26.33 (I ran that year with a pace group whose leaders were aware of turns and set us up well for running the tangents). These arbitrary time goals are such fun. Wouldn't everyone prefer running a 3:4X vs a 3:5X? So like a sucker for the $X.99 pricing I decided 8:43 pace on my Garmin with the goal of a sub 3:50 finish was the goal of the day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgjzd3JT26mWnCVbNVkEe42d5paqIYm_xgaR8TlN2x9A4Bky9ca9IK8msnI_BI0GV9XeLf6o8w8vofMRzCMJ3dFOma9lpUthErvSaymjr_BMas9Qz2r9pIpJtA_BIZXdp57EpXDWY7w7m/s1600/IMG_4010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgjzd3JT26mWnCVbNVkEe42d5paqIYm_xgaR8TlN2x9A4Bky9ca9IK8msnI_BI0GV9XeLf6o8w8vofMRzCMJ3dFOma9lpUthErvSaymjr_BMas9Qz2r9pIpJtA_BIZXdp57EpXDWY7w7m/s320/IMG_4010.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calculations I made the night before the race. 8:44 pace JUST barely gets it, shoot for 8:43 to be safe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had decided to make this a solo trip, telling the husband months ago I wasn't going for a PR or anything so it wasn't a big deal. At the time I didn't think I was even going to be truly racing it, just running a little harder than easy but not hard. When I switched gears to racing it I sort of wished I had my support crew coming to Sacramento with me, but it was too late for my husband to take off work the day before the race.<br />
<br />
I got up to Sacramento, was able to check into my hotel early, and went to the expo to get my stuff. My hotel was a relatively short walk to the expo which was really convenient. I bought a severely overpriced race-branded Headsweats hat I had been coveting during training.<br />
<br />
I figured the pasta joints would all be hammered so I had the brilliant idea of ordering take-out. I called Paesanos and ordered a spaghetti with meatballs for pick-up. They said 10-15 minutes. I hopped in the car and lucked into an amazingly close parking spot. The entire sidewalk was jammed with people waiting but I bypassed that noise and was told to go to the bar. This is going just swimmingly! I was brilliant for thinking of this option. Got to the bar and told the bartender my order, he rang me up then said, "I'll bring you your order out when it's ready." When he said this, my heart sank and I just knew it was going downhill. In his defense he was really swamped and didn't stop working for a second the next 30 minutes I stood there annoyed that I was standing when I should be lounging in my hotel room. <br />
<br />
There were eventually two take out orders on the back counter and he was even pouring drinks right over them every now and then. Some tall men had gotten in front of me at the bar so I wasn't able to get anyone's attention. I finally got another bartender's eye and told him the situation. He went to check and lo and behold my order was right there in one of the bags that had been sitting there for at least 20 minutes. Bah! The food ended up being good, though, and I'd eat there again.<br />
<br />
I had a nice night watching TV and lounging in bed. The days leading up until the race I started to get a little nervous. It had been a long time since I ran a marathon for a time goal. I hadn't raced a marathon since the end of 2012. It had been a long time since I made a marathon hurt. I was excited but I was also scared. There's a fair bit of suffering usually when you're pushing for a time goal and I was trying to mentally wrap my brain around that type of effort. Devon Yanko posted a <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/blog/do-not-open-until-race-day-cim-marathon" target="_blank">blog</a> for Oiselle entitled, "Do Not Open Until Race Day - CIM." It is the perfect read before a hard-effort race. My favorite part:<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> "<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-size: 14px;">We know there will be pain. We know it will be hard. But what I want you to also remember is that there is huge capacity for joy, for bravery."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: "gotham a" , "gotham b" , "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
All of that rung true for what I wanted out of this race. I wanted to push myself to run the best I could but I also wanted to celebrate that I had made it to this starting line injury free.<br />
<br />
The night before I set my alarm for 4:30 thinking the busses left at 5:30 am. When I woke up at 4:30 I looked at Instagram and noticed one of my IG friends had posted an IG story from the shuttle bus pick-up. Why in the world was he there an hour early? Then the slow realization that I had it all wrong and the busses left at 5 am, not 5:30. Gah. I knew it would take a long time to load all the runners so not a huge deal, but didn't have as leisurely a morning getting ready as I had planned.<br />
<br />
Usually when you stay at a hotel within walking distance of the shuttle pick-up there are loads of runners leaving the hotel when you head out. When I got downstairs there was not one other runner in the lobby. I started walking to the shuttle bus stop and not one other runner was out on the streets. I started to get a little nervous. Finally two other runners emerged from the darkness and as we got closer I saw the massive line of busses and runners and knew it was okay.<br />
<br />
A comment here on the weather. I had a hard time deciding what to wear. I used to default to a singlet when racing but I had done all my goal pace runs in long sleeve shirts and it was shaping up to be colder at CIM than SF during training. In the end I went with the singlet for speedy vibes. I had debated about arm warmers but had decided not to wear them. It was 100% the right call. It was supposed to be in the high 40s and it felt like it was in the mid 50s when I hopped on the bus. It was colder up in Folsom, but even then it was chilly, not cold.<br />
<br />
I got on a bus after about a 10-15 minute wait. The bus driver was very awake and peppy and gave us a safety talk about the bus. First the exits, then the safety glass we could kick out, then the deal about the emergency brake up front which we could pull and bus would come to a gentle stop. Uh.... Not sure I want to be in a situation where she wasn't the one pulling the emergency brake. It was a little disconcerting. I think the race required it because she had someone outside the bus sign off that she had given us the talk.<br />
<br />
We drove up to the start and while it wasn't a short drive, it was a much faster drive on the freeway vs. the windy road you take to get to the Big Sur start. There was a beautiful full moon out. When we got to the start area another volunteer got on the bus and gave us the lay of the land. Portapotties that way, bag check this way, the start over there. It was very helpful. She also said we were welcome to stay on the busses as long as possible. I think this is the only race that has this awesome perk.<br />
<br />
I ate two honey stingers pre-race while on the bus. I did a little something different with my fueling this race. Typically I'll consume 4 gels on-course (5, 10, 15, 20 miles roughly). For this race I had one gel pre-race right before the gun fired and then again at 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21. I'm not sure if the extra fuel had any positive effect, but I don't think it had any negative effect (at least while running, my tummy was sort of grumbly the rest of the afternoon after lunch).<br />
<br />
After a while I figured I should head out of the bus to hit the portapotties. The lines weren't bad at all. Then I decided since it was chilly but not COLD I'd check my throwaways so I could use them again. I figured I could muster shivering for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
This race doesn't have any controlled corrals but I lined up in-between the 3:52 pacer and the 3:42 pacer. When the race started I realized that people had been released from both sides of the road. I was completely oblivious to the fact that there had been two sides of the road open. The start felt congested and I had a hard time getting to my goal pace. I was passed very early on by the 3:52 pace group but I let them go.<br />
<br />
A man running by me remarked to his friend that the "biggest hill was at mile 2." There was a right turn and an immediate uphill grade. I'd say it was probably the steepest grade hill of the course but I'm not sure I'd consider it the biggest hill as it was fairly short and so early in the race it feels like a blip.<br />
<br />
My average pace was above goal early on and I started putting my head down to work to get it where it should be. I tended to run in the middle of the road and was very cognizant of the reflectors so as not to twist an ankle or trip.<br />
<br />
I could see the 3:52 pace group up ahead. Sometimes they opened up quite a bit of distance on me. Like at Big Sur it was frustrating because as I settled into goal pace I didn't understand why I wasn't gaining on them. I know pace groups are human and who knows what pace they are actually holding. But it plays with your mind a bit when you see a finish time slower than your goal up ahead in the distance (and I also knew I started in front of them).<br />
<br />
Eventually I did come up behind the 3:52 but the pace I was moving at wasn't taking me in front of them. A few people running by me were commenting that the pace group seemed to be going too fast which made me feel a little better. "Well, the people who lead the groups are capable of going much faster so it's hard for them to run the slower time," a woman by me said to her friends. Then they shouldn't be leading a pace group, I thought!<br />
<br />
I disliked feeling so boxed in and on a downhill portion I stepped on the gas and passed the pace group. I never saw them again. I really dislike running in tight spaces with people and once the group was behind me, I felt like the road opened up and I felt so good. I think I passed them around mile 10.<br />
<br />
On my Garmin I had current lap pace as the largest shown field on top, and then average pace and last lap pace on the bottom. I don't bother showing distance during time-goal races because the distances never match up and it just makes me angry. The mile markers are all I need to know where I am on course. I don't think this has ever happened to me before, but it was wonderful: I thought I was coming up to mile 10 and SURPRISE! it turned out to be mile 11. Best feeling ever. And it also shows how focused I get during time-goal races on the actual in the moment effort vs. the overall race.<br />
<br />
One thing I changed up for race day was the water bottle I used. I wear an Orange Mud HydraQuiver single barrel on every single one of my runs unless I am stroller running. In an attempt to decrease plastic exposure I've been running with a stainless steel water bottle the last few years. I actually really like it because it is a bit taller than most plastic bottles and has a ring on the lid that makes it easier to grab out of the Orange Mud pack. I always lament the fact that I am packing so much extra weight between the bottle and the water on race day. My water strategy for race efforts is always to carry my own liquids. I don't slow or stop at aid stations unless I need to refill the bottle or supplement the water I am carrying. I'm not sure if the extra weight or slowing to drink at aid stations costs me more time over the long run. But I train carrying water and so am used to the luxury of drinking on demand so I continue to race this way. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwfaYrWqehM_KWqOK38yeMsDShHBjT3lIrgEV5Feh8xlYv9F2ft81mKuLGC5_g6fvcI0kcbRyEOS996P_DnhJ1TDW75GLJ-x_38ymg3lvQJxgUWUqrlhAlr4ab1Ji89qDL_hnLjn4m5wk/s1600/IMG_5144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwfaYrWqehM_KWqOK38yeMsDShHBjT3lIrgEV5Feh8xlYv9F2ft81mKuLGC5_g6fvcI0kcbRyEOS996P_DnhJ1TDW75GLJ-x_38ymg3lvQJxgUWUqrlhAlr4ab1Ji89qDL_hnLjn4m5wk/s400/IMG_5144.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My usual bottle on the left, bottle I used for the race on the right. And I did actually weigh the two before deciding if the change-up was worth the hassle. Spoiler: Stainless steel weighs a lot more than plastic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If I'm not pushing the pace I'll often run with a smaller bottle but for race efforts I carry a big bottle to minimize the number of times I need to refill. The stainless steel bottle is heavier than a plastic one so I decided to use a plastic one on race day to cut down on weight. I did not do a practice run with the plastic bottle and the first time I reached back for some water had a brief moment of panic when I thought I couldn't reach the shorter bottle. The plastic bottle was also wider and did not have a ring I could grab on the lid like my stainless steel bottle. So I had to both reach around a little more and grasp much more firmly with my hand to get the thing out. But after the first few grabs I had it figured out.<br />
<br />
I want to take a moment to comment on how I felt during the race. Hansons has you doing weekly runs of extended marathon pace effort. It was always a challenge to hold that pace for the distance. I was working every single week during those marathon pace runs. As I previously mentioned, the long run for Hansons is done at the faster end of easy. This was a pace I had to concentrate on working a little, but it was very comfortable and a fun level of exertion. On race day my goal pace felt like my long run pace had during training. I remember when I hit mile 11 I thought about all those horribly challenging 10 mile runs of marathon pace and I marveled at how I had just completed one of those and then some and still felt so fresh. Taper and training magic.<br />
<br />
Best sign I saw at the race: "At least you aren't at work" And yes, I thought about it and the discomfort and decided that yes, at least I wasn't at work. Ha ha.<br />
<br />
I knew about it going in because I have told people myself that CIM has constant, unrelenting rollers for the majority of the race. But man, they still made me angry. Up and down and up and down. I found this made it sort of hard for me to judge my pace. Should I ease-up on the ups and allow myself to speed up on the downs? But then my lap pace for that downhill segment seemed way too fast so should I slow down there? My average pace was pretty dead-on the entire race but I am so used to honing in on current lap pace and making that "right" and it was difficult with the ups and downs. My Garmin clocked a 666 foot elevation gain (though there is a 994 foot elevation loss) which is close to the elevation gain seen in two loops of Golden Gate Park. I do not consider Golden Gate Park flat.<br />
<br />
I'll note this for myself but there was an especially long gradual uphill grade which made me irrationally angry around 14-15. My water bottle was close to empty after the half and I pulled over at a water stop to get a refill. Luckily a volunteer with a pitcher saw me running up to the table with my water bottle sans top in my hand and she very quickly topped me off. I so appreciate not losing time refilling my bottle. Those steps to and away from her were the only walking steps I took the whole race.<br />
<br />
I hit 16 miles and thought about how I hadn't run farther than this in training. I still felt decent and just kept plugging away. Overall I'd say the pace started to feel like work at about 18 miles and got HARD at 23. At one point I thought for sure I had missed the mile 24 mile marker. I thought maybe like at mile 10/11 I would magically hit the mile 25 marker and it would all make sense. But no, that mile just felt like it was 1.5 miles long.<br />
<br />
Those last three miles were pretty rough. My average pace which I had hoped to keep at 8:43 crept up to 8:44 on my Garmin. I started to feel like my lack of 20 milers was catching up to my poor legs. My internal monologue the last three miles was pretty much, "Oh my god, where's the finish? Oh my god, where's the finish? Oh my god, where's the mile marker? Oh my god, this is the longest mile ever!" When my average pace crept up a second I thought about how I have big time goals in the future and how quickly those slip away in the final miles. I also thought about how in those moments you don't even care about the finish time and just want to finish. Finally, we took the last turns to the finish and I kicked it up as much as I could down the straightaway and crossed with a time of 3:49:58. I squeaked under my goal time by 2 seconds!<br />
<br />
The night before the race I reread the race reports for my last three or four marathon PRs and a common theme was that I almost hurled coming down to or after the finish. Not to disappoint, I walked over to get my medal and was not bothered by the fact I was handed it by the volunteer as I was mildy nauseated for a minute. A major race pet peeve of mine is when people hand you your medal instead of placing it around your neck. I think this stems from me being from Hawaii where someone would never ever not put a lei directly on your neck themselves.<br />
<br />
We were given water, gummies, chips, a banana and a painter jacket thing to keep us warm. Getting my checked bag back was super quick. I didn't have anyone at the finish and didn't run with my phone. I would have loved a photo in front of the Christmas tree and capitol but I guess that will have to wait for another year.<br />
<br />
Some general notes about the race: CIM is touted as being a fast course and lots of people post PRs and really great times here. It isn't a slow course, but it also isn't slam-dunk downhill ride that pony home to the finish, either. <b> Personally I think people do so well at CIM not because of the actual course, but because the weather is generally very good for marathoning.</b> I would have liked it to be maybe 5 degrees cooler, but overall it was really perfect running weather. Even when the sun came out it wasn't hot. I recall being worried when the sun came out that it would warm up, but I was aware my uncovered hands were still slightly chilled which means it was still fairly cool.<br />
<br />
The up and down rolling terrain actually really ticked me off during the race and immediately after I was thinking I didn't want to run this one again for time. But after a day of thought I decided I would rather run a rolling course in 40 degree weather vs. a flat course in 60 degree weather and I'm all signed up again for 2018. I'll just have to train on hills and mentally prepare for the ups and downs.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREJEwF9WcX2YBqnHjCQXK0pYLdbvdmnuwsbgdD715EIIQYhJDj_XBDG3aIVy4sPv2mbBfHzLwBsd90SZ0d_WTHMxKsPW1rGe-L4Nr6GADqNUUUNWX5d_y-lCSUY93AJFfUTMng19wEaS8/s1600/CIM4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1203" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREJEwF9WcX2YBqnHjCQXK0pYLdbvdmnuwsbgdD715EIIQYhJDj_XBDG3aIVy4sPv2mbBfHzLwBsd90SZ0d_WTHMxKsPW1rGe-L4Nr6GADqNUUUNWX5d_y-lCSUY93AJFfUTMng19wEaS8/s400/CIM4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevation per my Garmin. Up and down and up and down. Yes, mainly down but look at all those ups!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When I was pregnant we went to a birthing class and the woman said, "If a friend tells you that labor is like bad menstrual cramps, she is not your friend." (I actually <i>would </i>describe labor as bad menstrual cramps, but I digress) I sort of feel the same way about CIM. I have heard people describe it as "not that hilly," and I think they are doing you a huge disservice to describe it that way. If you're a trail runner, it isn't hilly. If you're a road runner I'd describe it as rolling. Though no Big Sur in height of hills, I actually thought to myself while running CIM, "I dub thee F*&@er, Little Big Sur," (Sorry, I get a potty brain when racing) because it just went up and down and up and down as Big Sur does in a much smaller scale. There's never really an incline you come up to and think, "Wow, that is going to suck!" but the inclines are just enough that goal paces feels rougher. Since most people run CIM for fast times I think the rolling terrain does make a big impact and I would not describe it as mainly downhill to anyone. If you live in a place you cannot train on hills, I would actually not recommend this one as a time-goal course.<br />
<br />
The day of and after the race I felt like an 18-wheeler had hit me. I was so incredibly beat up. The last time I ran CIM in 2009 I recall I was extraordinarily sore then as well. I remember I wanted to bend down to get something out of a lower kitchen cabinet and I had to actually pause and contemplate how I was going to lower myself into kneeling. I've run faster marathons and been less sore so I think there's something about the downhills that just gets you. So don't neglect the uphill training but also don't neglect the downhill training!<br />
<br />
In the future I think I would try to memorize the turns on the course so I could set myself up to run the tangents. I'm debating if I would utilize a pace group here in the future. I had a great experience with a CIM pace group in 2009 but I also really disliked when I was stuck in the pace group crowd.<br />
<br />
I thought for a race that likes to toot its horn as being a great BQ and Olympic qualifying time course it had a strange lack of on-course clocks. There were clocks up at only mile 13 and 20. I'd think they'd put them up at every single mile marker. I also really dislike that they have a relay. If you want to say you're great for marathoning, please just concentrate on the marathon. There's something about people jumping in who are not running the pace you are doing (whether faster or slower) that just throws me off later in the race. Also, maybe I am just spoiled by Disney but I didn't feel as if there were tons of aid stations. They felt pretty spaced out. I run with my own fluids so this wasn't an issue, but it was something that struck me.<br />
<br />
The swag this year was a half-zip shirt. Apparently this was a step up for the anniversary year. The shirt fits really well so it is a huge bummer that the zipper is super cheap and scratchy. It doesn't have a zipper garage so it constantly scratches my neck. I may try to see if I can file down the pointy bits otherwise I won't be wearing it much.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQjlAzWxqe9K-RyeY5nyOAlwOvF8-TaxvyMIik0k_G8l-CtB7l3YjqqVAI7KWmaenmI84ToDCPM-fyLb2btdhn-CkO6BBTV209JtKtYRoj4lAuJme7ZmGzC-LqWWmXGnpNXFgtgtN7s8y/s1600/IMG_5140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQjlAzWxqe9K-RyeY5nyOAlwOvF8-TaxvyMIik0k_G8l-CtB7l3YjqqVAI7KWmaenmI84ToDCPM-fyLb2btdhn-CkO6BBTV209JtKtYRoj4lAuJme7ZmGzC-LqWWmXGnpNXFgtgtN7s8y/s400/IMG_5140.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyUyaFZKTL2s7CrBz1WZqPfBaHo97Pe74eeyAV03zkNcAgNv1_fQtHtUTqU6TqhL5IUM4n85CbaWwx2KxJ987V9dZ9702JaNHdf6w2EX_I6Ne2c7LxuvAVSRScaa1ezgXu776oBj2M4Hg/s1600/IMG_5141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyUyaFZKTL2s7CrBz1WZqPfBaHo97Pe74eeyAV03zkNcAgNv1_fQtHtUTqU6TqhL5IUM4n85CbaWwx2KxJ987V9dZ9702JaNHdf6w2EX_I6Ne2c7LxuvAVSRScaa1ezgXu776oBj2M4Hg/s400/IMG_5141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also got socks I won't be wearing and some sort of stretchy headband/wannabe-Buff thing .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My showing at CIM was my third fastest marathon. When I finished I actually thought it was my second fastest marathon, but go me, I ran another sub-3:50 that I had forgotten about. While not a PR this race honestly felt like a PR to me. After 5 years off from serious marathon training and racing I feel so accomplished to get through a training cycle and to execute a goal time. I have big dreams for the future and I needed to crack into the sub-4 range to prove to myself they aren't just pipe dreams.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa9qxc87Bc1O2a4xnfwi63DRq4pEakREEmtz7inUGZuguhuDooCfTDDmyex5Kq_9zD3I7kOHJ6CPdcES5AMcn4wjRMO644qBsUl0kyCYnoLU8WcpxfECgFE0TXl4avUFaHAz9PZhP9aKz/s1600/IMG_5142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEa9qxc87Bc1O2a4xnfwi63DRq4pEakREEmtz7inUGZuguhuDooCfTDDmyex5Kq_9zD3I7kOHJ6CPdcES5AMcn4wjRMO644qBsUl0kyCYnoLU8WcpxfECgFE0TXl4avUFaHAz9PZhP9aKz/s400/IMG_5142.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-83663371968078813182017-12-05T14:39:00.000-08:002017-12-05T14:39:27.625-08:00Big Sur International MarathonMarathon #43:<br />
<br />
After Disney I went on a very short test run the week after the race and decided that my ankle definitely needed an extended break before any regular running. I took 3 weeks off. When I got injured in December I got very serious (finally!!) about core/strength/balance training. I made it my goal to every day do one thing for my running that wasn't running. I can proudly say that I have been doing all those things regularly for the last 5 months. I don't know if it is my age, my own physical quirks, or the accumulation of a myriad of injuries over the years but I think I am safely in a place where just running won't work for me anymore.<br />
<br />
I got back to running after my break and my ankle was a lot better. I eased into it with run/walks and every other day runs. My ankle would occasionally talk to me but it generally didn't hurt during or immediately after runs. With Big Sur looming I was unfortunately forced to increase distance faster than I would have liked. I worked up to a 9 mile long run and then switched to a run-walk strategy for all of my long runs through race day. There was no way I was going to be trained to run 26.2 by April and with Big Sur being such a difficult course I knew walking was inevitable. So I decided to go into it with a set strategy of run-walking and to practice that on my long runs.<br />
<br />
My mileage was pretty low. I didn't hit even 20 miles a week in February and in March/April capped off with weekly mileage in the low 30s. Hardly marathon shape. I got two 16 mile runs done utilizing a run 6 minute, walk 2 minute strategy. The weeks before race day my ankle was definitely getting cranky and I had to really baby it and cross my fingers. I did try to run as many hills as possible to get prepared for Big Sur. While I'll normally add mileage onto runs at my favorite (flat) Stow Lake I instead would run repeats up and down MLK in Golden Gate Park to get more hills whenever I could.<br />
<br />
Three days before the race I dropped a glass bowl onto my left foot from freezer height. In my alarm to get my toddler away from the shards of glass I ended up slicing my foot up a little. The cuts bled a lot but were thankfully pretty shallow. I was a little concerned about them opening up during the race. I had a bruise on the top of my foot but I didn't think it would bother me during the race. Famous last words.<br />
<br />
My whole family headed down to Monterey the day before the race. I have been lucky enough to secure a spot every year since my son was born and it is starting to feel a little bit like a family tradition. I have such vivid snapshots of my son on each Big Sur day and it a benchmark for me to marvel at how much he grows every year.<br />
<br />
The expo this year felt more disorganized than in years past. They were squished into a smaller ballroom since the normal location is still under renovation and this might have been one factor in my feeling. After the major success of KT Tape at Disney I was hoping there would be a KT Tape booth at Big Sur. The race was unresponsive to my queries of whether or not KT Tape was a vendor but like an oasis in a desert they magically appeared as the very last vendor I encountered at the expo. Unlike Disney where you had to fork over $5 for a taping they were doing it for free at Big Sur!<br />
<br />
There was also physical therapist at a booth talking to people and I stopped to chat to him for a bit. I would love to find a run-focused PT to get ideas from to help me stay injury free. He videoed me doing some single leg squats and I realized that while improved, I have a way to go to improve my stability. I had brought my CD from a previous year for Michael Martinez, the pianist, to sign but I forgot it in the glove box of the car. So that will have to wait for another year. My one major disappointment: Haribo was a sponsor this year. From social media I know they gave GIANT bags of gummy bears to people who stayed at the host hotel with a cute little note. We weren't at the host hotel but I was hoping to get a photo with the Haribo bear. But he was no where to be seen :(<br />
<br />
For the first time I stayed at the Embassy Suites. I've stayed at a neighboring hotel before and utilized their race morning shuttle bus. With my son being older I thought it would be nice to have a suite so that I would be able to get ready in a separate room and not wake him. This worked out great and having extra room for him to run around in was much appreciated. We could also put him down for his naps and still be able to hang out in the other room without having to be too quiet. I can't wait for him to be old enough where staying in hotels won't be a logistical headache but this year things couldn't have gone better with the suite.<br />
<br />
You cannot spectate at Big Sur because the road is closed to most traffic. So generally the only way for family to see you is at the finish. With a toddler in hand I wanted to give my husband the most accurate finish predication time possible. Last year I was a little optimistic with my finishing time and he was worried about getting parking and he ended up waiting a long time since he got there early. I didn't want him to have to wait this year. He said to give him the best case scenario time. I figured that time was probably my 16 miler run-walk pace extrapolated out to 26.2 miles. This turned out to be 4:42. Given this was based off of a 16 mile distance that wasn't nearly as hilly as the race I figured this was a highly unlikely finish time. But I gave that to my husband and told him best case 4:42 but most likely 10-15 minutes after that. I looked up my time from last year figuring I had been in better shape last year and that was a 4:48.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfmPsBYt_rOy6Uicv4PfkILykN20MceUWA5LNNQ4JrPfq9yknxNrdTL61Ke-vUGt3eU5K8S72u6MHshdp_l-MF9AyvCkNpQner4Ju_xTrdj_I4Jc1mK3pq0zQfqBTlP02w8NN-gQ9Dsf6/s1600/IMG_1679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfmPsBYt_rOy6Uicv4PfkILykN20MceUWA5LNNQ4JrPfq9yknxNrdTL61Ke-vUGt3eU5K8S72u6MHshdp_l-MF9AyvCkNpQner4Ju_xTrdj_I4Jc1mK3pq0zQfqBTlP02w8NN-gQ9Dsf6/s400/IMG_1679.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The calculations and note I left for my husband so he could time getting to the finish line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I made two very last minute decisions on race morning: 1) Should I wear the ankle compression sleeve I had been training in over the KT Tape (the Big Sur tape job was not nearly as supportive feeling as the Disney tape job and I was doubting it would help the same)? and 2) Should I wear a new pair of shorts (new brand in fact) I had never worn for a single mile? I decided to wear the ankle sleeve, figuring it was easy enough to take off and stash in my Orange Mud pack if things went amiss. The shorts if they failed would pose a bigger challenge but I decided to BodyGlide copiously and cross my fingers.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghai7LLx5ineKmgAC5zWDeeN1PKKUyM24EGBkUS4Tn1sAVTp3zKsv4ItaZrrQSUB3drO-qh1QMCAJoRRi9m9g-IoKuZ1YyJuTNs04jVaaCEfB7jo0fIyhfzH0SwPxf9WnbpIm457ZqbxLB/s1600/IMG_1641.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghai7LLx5ineKmgAC5zWDeeN1PKKUyM24EGBkUS4Tn1sAVTp3zKsv4ItaZrrQSUB3drO-qh1QMCAJoRRi9m9g-IoKuZ1YyJuTNs04jVaaCEfB7jo0fIyhfzH0SwPxf9WnbpIm457ZqbxLB/s400/IMG_1641.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I snuck quietly out of the suite without waking the toddler and headed down to the shuttle bus pick up right in front of my hotel's doors. It was chilly outside but definitely not cold. I got onto the bus fairly quickly and a gentleman asked if the seat next to me was taken. I said it wasn't and he sat down next to me. Strangely, he had other friends sitting across the aisle and within a couple of minutes he went to sit next to his friend who had an open seat next to him. I have no idea why he didn't just sit with his friend to begin with. But bless him for his indecision because the net result was I had the ENTIRE ROW TO MYSELF. This is pretty much me winning the lottery a second time at Big Sur. In my older age I suffer more and more from motion sickness and the long windy bus ride the start often makes me nauseous. The best way to remedy this is for me to lie down which is impossible if you have someone sitting next to you.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND15xneBaYE3Wx4OKBPfgv-yaRRcXovDYGQZt0MAAV6lVpP4VlpMuaE50sqji3b7lqIGYfp1r6ely0gWfVeuX9N7prvAEU9wnpg1UivUxv3OBCH0CQt3eppRnjKgqjwjmZ4YGnFgvXkV9/s1600/IMG_1648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiND15xneBaYE3Wx4OKBPfgv-yaRRcXovDYGQZt0MAAV6lVpP4VlpMuaE50sqji3b7lqIGYfp1r6ely0gWfVeuX9N7prvAEU9wnpg1UivUxv3OBCH0CQt3eppRnjKgqjwjmZ4YGnFgvXkV9/s400/IMG_1648.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to tell, but that's the EMPTY seat next to me with my drop bog sitting on top of it. Big Sur GOLD.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
The bus was pretty quiet overall. There's a point you pass the finish line and you think to yourself, "Right, I'll be running back the entire distance from here on out." Big Sur is the only race I have done which shuttles you to the start along the entire <i>actual</i> race route. I contemplated the absurdity of paying someone to drive you out 26.2 miles, drop you off, and make you run back.<br />
<br />
We were on a fancy tour bus and after a while busses making the return trip started passing us. There were tons of yellow school busses so we got lucky with our plush seats. Once we passed the Bixby bridge at mile 13 I lay down on the seats and closed my eyes. I didn't sleep but I also didn't get sick so overall a win for the shuttle bus this year.<br />
<br />
The bus usually passes the start line, drives a bit farther down the road and then turns around to drop you off at the start on its return trip. A bridge south of the start was demolished this year so instead of doing that the busses dropped us off 0.5 miles north of the start line and we had to walk the rest of the way. The one thing I'll say about this experience is that you don't realize how downhill the start is until you have to walk up the hill to get there. It was chilly enough that I wrapped my throwaway space sheet around my legs as I walked, but it definitely wasn't toe/finger numbing cold.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3VGGWrTDAWL_zRr0Istt6eDo0Mb7Lqxpmp0YhAFPl7WrDf9ghRfx-mHFXKPeXFDJWYWmAZ-u7kJ1Vvy7v5AfS-2mx2b5NdjSh-ZB0UUUgN-QACMw3Tl7YXZ-4bETLyz9ddr6wgZ0qFG7/s1600/IMG_1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3VGGWrTDAWL_zRr0Istt6eDo0Mb7Lqxpmp0YhAFPl7WrDf9ghRfx-mHFXKPeXFDJWYWmAZ-u7kJ1Vvy7v5AfS-2mx2b5NdjSh-ZB0UUUgN-QACMw3Tl7YXZ-4bETLyz9ddr6wgZ0qFG7/s400/IMG_1653.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start staging area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The race has coffee and bagels at the start (one year they even had instant hot chocolate!). I sort of find this strange because I don't think I would be willing to put all of my eggs in that basket and say that I would plan to rely on a bagel at the start. But it is nice perk. I was actually tummy rumbly hungry on the bus so thought about trying to get my hands on a bagel to supplement my usual pre-race Clif Bar. But when I arrived at the start I decided to jump into a portapotty line instead of what appeared to be the line for refreshments.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJwd3tIXEpH783teuX8wYaIY_yOfEux6mJUyd6Vg34-U_QtxhwMJs_Eog76Wq91YXyEJG2TwlodLlR3jhBknVR9XaUUFG0CX_ggjexYoHDD2EpLY2C37rhAfAwMN4mYmabUdHs7py28VJ/s1600/IMG_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJwd3tIXEpH783teuX8wYaIY_yOfEux6mJUyd6Vg34-U_QtxhwMJs_Eog76Wq91YXyEJG2TwlodLlR3jhBknVR9XaUUFG0CX_ggjexYoHDD2EpLY2C37rhAfAwMN4mYmabUdHs7py28VJ/s400/IMG_1654.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packed with people</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The lines weren't so terrible especially if you walked all the way to the back. Afterwards I found a curb to sit on. It seemed easier than usual to find a place to sit, maybe because it was a warmer year and people weren't hunkered down as much. As usual I waited for most of the runners to head up to the start line and then jumped into a portapotty for one last line-free visit.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BMhzb1k5K8vByVmR2YWWUImssRa0fxDyfolI-T7CWgzIgOCOKZevEhKXPk5XmkqDALTw8W6GhsT7JOptPeciyR281fQR19iGWge7_NBHbAtmpx74ecZ7uyn6HHHFPLzBvHE7VBK01OVP/s1600/IMG_1655.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BMhzb1k5K8vByVmR2YWWUImssRa0fxDyfolI-T7CWgzIgOCOKZevEhKXPk5XmkqDALTw8W6GhsT7JOptPeciyR281fQR19iGWge7_NBHbAtmpx74ecZ7uyn6HHHFPLzBvHE7VBK01OVP/s400/IMG_1655.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
With my loitering, it seemed this year I was the last person to leave the staging area. I dumped all of my throwaways into my gear check bag and chucked that into the truck. The one awesome thing about Big Sur if the gear check truck is right by the start line entrance so if it isn't terribly cold it is easy to check and reuse on a later date anything you brought. I wasn't even chilly after I took off my jacket.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhWdvUCp4fZwwX9_mAPFD-8IhKLsA2rjebRJ5ITRwgGe5x0WwZF27HwGBiMUWcEBwwi77NwjNmFQ51MT8D_JI8SKadKjxkqcD4bA4hi96lxzeznvSS-HqEMJungpebxuIZafI4__mX3HO/s1600/IMG_1657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhWdvUCp4fZwwX9_mAPFD-8IhKLsA2rjebRJ5ITRwgGe5x0WwZF27HwGBiMUWcEBwwi77NwjNmFQ51MT8D_JI8SKadKjxkqcD4bA4hi96lxzeznvSS-HqEMJungpebxuIZafI4__mX3HO/s400/IMG_1657.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cue tumbleweeds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I waited for the 4:45 pace group to go by during wave 2 and jumped into the race. I self seeded myself honestly based on my predicted finish time but I probably should have left a little sooner. I forgot to take into account the fact that my pace was based on a run-walk strategy. This means my running pace was faster than those around me and I found it incredibly frustrating to hit my stride. There was so much side to side movement as I tried to get around people the first few miles.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxudJNSqoU2CJL3s6iThdlSLEwZz1QHI3svNzSaOMvEs3M7oLzgMQJe-kKLQY42Q_bK2T8AiJZSu5B4FkbLoeRKWeiKeIZgZGe1Up6f5TTdOKGZqTsHglmAjOEnC_jdRZikQQ1GlcVhO8/s1600/IMG_1659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxudJNSqoU2CJL3s6iThdlSLEwZz1QHI3svNzSaOMvEs3M7oLzgMQJe-kKLQY42Q_bK2T8AiJZSu5B4FkbLoeRKWeiKeIZgZGe1Up6f5TTdOKGZqTsHglmAjOEnC_jdRZikQQ1GlcVhO8/s400/IMG_1659.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the early wave depart.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Even more frustrating was that I found myself leap-frogging with the 5 hour pace group for a few miles. This totally confused me because they weren't supposed to leave until 5 minutes after the 4:45 group (Big Sur has three waves and the 5:00 group starts off wave 3) and I was moving faster than a 5:00 pace. They were a pretty big group and the leader was doing annoying army chants and I just couldn't deal. They were walking 30 seconds every mile and with my more frequent walking I just couldn't shake them. Again, this confused me because I was not moving overall at a 5:00 pace. I skipped the first aid station and then I skipped the walk break after that station to be sure I left them behind for good.<br />
<br />
A person in a group of runners by me yelled, "Why do we run hills?" And the rest of the group yelled back, "So we can run Big Sur!" Must have been their training mantra.<br />
<br />
It seemed so much more congested in the early miles, but this may just be my imagination. I remember thinking this last year, too. It took about 5 miles to open up and for me to relax into my groove. In the early miles all of my walk breaks seemed to occur right as I crested a hill which was mildly annoying. I took my first gel at mile 5.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHogVaKFf3P5mY80gjzBoQnnTCJnHfPGS4Uqb5jYh9aywkpQ8ys_Dn_cZySzCS6u3kO-IWSXMcBYeTpGzIDyR3anuPphr07t3KPNRFtUqs9tKxqjoOTvvh24appGK3B3WazvwFIR8x7Lv6/s1600/GOPR0528.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHogVaKFf3P5mY80gjzBoQnnTCJnHfPGS4Uqb5jYh9aywkpQ8ys_Dn_cZySzCS6u3kO-IWSXMcBYeTpGzIDyR3anuPphr07t3KPNRFtUqs9tKxqjoOTvvh24appGK3B3WazvwFIR8x7Lv6/s400/GOPR0528.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
At mile 8 we were hit with an awesome headwind. It wasn't nearly as terrible as last year but it was definitely a headwind and definitely made it hard work. I shook my fist at the announcers who earlier at the start had said it was going to be a perfect day with no wind. Liars! The wind as an obstacle ceased at around mile 12 so the announcers were back in my corner again.<br />
<br />
I passed a runner who was running with a group of friends. This guy was carrying a DSLR camera. A <i>DSLR</i> camera at a <i>marathon</i>. I hoped his friends were grateful about all the awesome photos they were getting. I also wondered how he got stuck with the short stick to be carrying that thing around his neck.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbfDgFlSxOJrfitQv609Cocd2CZYh0LB4VyUIEbuumlLqAp_T0cT4zfPwxBHAHzFztZ3iaI2MKTLGxkUkCXaV6IoTPPXlEgncJ3IHstss42TjJdM-p7Fu1c7E4KcvrRxpJNQZK-70fEIC/s1600/GOPR0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbfDgFlSxOJrfitQv609Cocd2CZYh0LB4VyUIEbuumlLqAp_T0cT4zfPwxBHAHzFztZ3iaI2MKTLGxkUkCXaV6IoTPPXlEgncJ3IHstss42TjJdM-p7Fu1c7E4KcvrRxpJNQZK-70fEIC/s400/GOPR0529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second guy from left, that's a DSLR camera looped around him that he is cradling in his left arm. The entire group of runners in red would stop for photos that he seemed to be happily taking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
At mile 9 the descent to the base of Hurricane Point started. I LOVE miles 9-14 so much. I live for these miles. The hill going up to mile 9 is one of the first real hills and can feel a little rough, but right as you crest it the views open up and the anticipation of Hurricane Point and Bixby just fires me up. These miles just fly by and I consider them free miles because I blink and they are over. I decided to skip the walk breaks running down to the base of Hurricane Point.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20XK7AYXsqgIgidTn9clXbwDODVdwVKbJVxUvD1NtVGEC77ON7ISZ8WmcnDZccRqXf1v2DMVcerYguz93wfILOWleg1ZU9PCsb_8hCbewWHubFBKcKO3Mj1adttakPP2kxL0k0xD3NsGq/s1600/GOPR0536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20XK7AYXsqgIgidTn9clXbwDODVdwVKbJVxUvD1NtVGEC77ON7ISZ8WmcnDZccRqXf1v2DMVcerYguz93wfILOWleg1ZU9PCsb_8hCbewWHubFBKcKO3Mj1adttakPP2kxL0k0xD3NsGq/s400/GOPR0536.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurricane Point winds up that hill ahead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This year it struck me that the taiko drummers seemed to all be women! I am not sure if this is always the case or who showed up today but that was neat.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/231315539?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
We started the ascent to Hurricane Point which is a solid 2 mile uphill climb. My impressions from being out of marathon shape the year: The first third was rough, the second third highly runnable, the last third was rough. But I kept with my run-walk plan and only walked at scheduled times. I took myself second gel at the closest walk break after mile 10.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObY6yy3CvOPMHUDB8OYL0IpRFI6bsONgWj9hVXhXqiVETIuA-4VcDeidupOid8l_CyUZ8TApR-TAMZxeN-Gwujn6Nfv-mjXazfpmPzUialmPxMBcVqE5-9bD8wU0Grc3-bPcVIuF2NOto/s1600/GOPR0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhObY6yy3CvOPMHUDB8OYL0IpRFI6bsONgWj9hVXhXqiVETIuA-4VcDeidupOid8l_CyUZ8TApR-TAMZxeN-Gwujn6Nfv-mjXazfpmPzUialmPxMBcVqE5-9bD8wU0Grc3-bPcVIuF2NOto/s400/GOPR0540.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up, up, up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN5S-MXlia5I2HjpLTEAYglAtKWz_59rbpPp7i9ZRewCR6sCmzXmCtoRogd4ZeOoNzMBDsWyr4Gd_jpfUpoX-jAfD51xu05-0JauKs41BgWgdKoXo_Jov2Mg3jMcnW9VQMqwMOw5oecbb/s1600/GOPR0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN5S-MXlia5I2HjpLTEAYglAtKWz_59rbpPp7i9ZRewCR6sCmzXmCtoRogd4ZeOoNzMBDsWyr4Gd_jpfUpoX-jAfD51xu05-0JauKs41BgWgdKoXo_Jov2Mg3jMcnW9VQMqwMOw5oecbb/s400/GOPR0542.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Big Sur, sometimes it is a good idea to look back at where you came from.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrQx7PdYaiE1f_tWqzF-BXfPNnJ-EXnR3xS__wXsuV1OODa9np4A80iZl_9iLGvr-0yg3_pwGW0ituJESvkqzokGu6oRILzbsTCDZ2B0-6RQf3cm-FIIDGCCKsXK0CxF7nU4Is_JFjU5I/s1600/GOPR0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrQx7PdYaiE1f_tWqzF-BXfPNnJ-EXnR3xS__wXsuV1OODa9np4A80iZl_9iLGvr-0yg3_pwGW0ituJESvkqzokGu6oRILzbsTCDZ2B0-6RQf3cm-FIIDGCCKsXK0CxF7nU4Is_JFjU5I/s400/GOPR0543.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still heading up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I had planned to stop and get a picture with the Hurricane Point sign this year but there was an ambulance parked right behind it and I didn't think that was going to be the most stop-worthy photo. There is usually a short line to take pictures by the sign and this year there as nobody stopping so I guess the ambulance is a good photo deterrent.<br />
<br />
The top of Hurricane Point is at mile 12 and after that you have an awesome downhill mile to Bixby. I again skipped the walk breaks on the descent. I had started the race with 3 gels and had planned to pick up the fourth at one of the aid stations. The aid station around mile 12 was the first to hand out gels. I knew the available flavors beforehand and was searching for the caramel gel. But it was never offered and by the time I realized that flavor wasn't at this station I wasn't about to turn around and double back to pick up another flavor. So I mentally made a note that at the mile 18 gel station I had to be sure to grab something.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Xoy9ZTAVWbXUx36xS5iTcrNrXnno3N5wZN1gJppy2Fp1Kl8HbhieT1kC6xKBx8pD8yFcA2_RRKTOErismHwyoS35BLe-HbC_OigNXhxjg1C3GIvxx9mnxGtZKRWWmFC9amCp7JXG7Xg1/s1600/GOPR0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Xoy9ZTAVWbXUx36xS5iTcrNrXnno3N5wZN1gJppy2Fp1Kl8HbhieT1kC6xKBx8pD8yFcA2_RRKTOErismHwyoS35BLe-HbC_OigNXhxjg1C3GIvxx9mnxGtZKRWWmFC9amCp7JXG7Xg1/s400/GOPR0550.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running down towards Bixby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw6crz-NcAVZcvq-kbttokwN7mXr9Vj3YJ5dqfJ6rUXM7sKhTlcd7MCUla_RY4MXvyPf9Q-Tp-dTvctINyqlkP6WvJ7Z4CHQhiX70wWbn1MGq7AHLddk5vU3vES40_sUSgkE8xWTcos7z/s1600/GOPR0555.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOw6crz-NcAVZcvq-kbttokwN7mXr9Vj3YJ5dqfJ6rUXM7sKhTlcd7MCUla_RY4MXvyPf9Q-Tp-dTvctINyqlkP6WvJ7Z4CHQhiX70wWbn1MGq7AHLddk5vU3vES40_sUSgkE8xWTcos7z/s400/GOPR0555.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t4U_TJ0_9r4n75rfe_aMpuAQ0RNd_PCcxx10oYCb22JFLMqFQ00GQ8ZRzwDQfGpXLOqoZ7qdgsNHp3yDHKjivxyPfxbngNcI8ijfwmW_KuDksB9EbuH70Ox2lT-fghwNpTJsc6beKLcx/s1600/GOPR0557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t4U_TJ0_9r4n75rfe_aMpuAQ0RNd_PCcxx10oYCb22JFLMqFQ00GQ8ZRzwDQfGpXLOqoZ7qdgsNHp3yDHKjivxyPfxbngNcI8ijfwmW_KuDksB9EbuH70Ox2lT-fghwNpTJsc6beKLcx/s400/GOPR0557.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, Lover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The first piano song which was playing as I started crossing the bridge was Con Te Partiro which is a song I love and I was satisfied and happy it was my song this year. But as I approached the halfway point of the bridge my life as a Big Sur runner was made whole as Michael Martinez started playing "What a Wonderful World." Years ago, probably after my first running of the race or even shortly before I saw a video of a man crossing Bixby during the race while "What a Wonderful World" was playing. It moved me to tears and I decided I couldn't die a happy runner until I experienced that, too. Last year at the expo I even asked Michael to throw it into the rotation a few times.<br />
<br />
I got choked up at the beauty of the moment. I had planned a very quick in and out departure from the piano this year but I stopped to film Michael playing and couldn't leave until the song was over. As I headed away he started playing "Hallelujah" which was my piano song from another year and one I also enjoy. Three awesome songs, including the one song to rule them all :) Day, year, life MADE.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/245974609" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
You can see in the video the full on people pollution at this point in the race. My first running I got a photo with Michael, the piano, and that beautiful backdrop with no other runner in sight. I doubt that is possible ever again unless you are very fast or very slow.<br />
<br />
I always ride the Bixby high for another mile after the bridge which is conveniently downhill. And then the real work starts. The highlights of the race are over after these miles and the hills and pain starts to set in.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHCrUamjXlrJlUaE-iH43WkKm7tC02RLnHh2MeLjvJXmKR7h3bFkxDGfKV-IFse8_5B4WsVkCEFCg6hB3kOmo3tLkT6YlqSMx4EysB9-3r0VHKKKOeNkPwywwc_pxq2PDWtnZWvRzltze/s1600/GOPR0572.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHCrUamjXlrJlUaE-iH43WkKm7tC02RLnHh2MeLjvJXmKR7h3bFkxDGfKV-IFse8_5B4WsVkCEFCg6hB3kOmo3tLkT6YlqSMx4EysB9-3r0VHKKKOeNkPwywwc_pxq2PDWtnZWvRzltze/s400/GOPR0572.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I knew I had lost a lot of time stopping for videos/photos at the bridge so I cut back a lot of photos the rest of the race. I tried to take them on the go or when I was walking.<br />
<br />
I had planned to take my next gel at mile 15 but they were handing out bananas at that aid station so I decided I would hold off on the gel until mile 16. I was drinking lots of water and even supplementing with Gatorade at the aid stations. In my former runner life I used to run with Gatorade so I knew it would work for me.<br />
<br />
It was a pretty warm day and the sun was out in full force. That headwind which had been pesky for a few miles earlier in the race became the MVP of the day as it kept me cool enough that I never melted into a puddle of despair. Without the wind which was more of a strong breeze at the end, it would have been a pretty miserable hot day.<br />
<br />
In the latter half of the race the walk breaks seemed to synch better with the hills where the downhill portions seemed to occur when I was running and the walking portions hit uphill grades. At mile 17 as I was running uphill, I got a very sudden, very localized stabbing pain in my left foot right where the glass bowl had hit a few days earlier. My first thought was that I had damaged the bone with the bowl impact and 17 miles of running had fractured something. It honestly hurt that bad. For a half a mile it was a little touch and go where it would stab for a few steps here or there and then subside. Eventually the stabbing pain stopped and my foot just ached dully like a bruise in that area especially the last 5 miles of the race.<br />
<br />
They had my preferred gel flavor at a mile 18 aid station and I made sure to grab it for my planned gel at mile 20. But before mile 20 came I had another banana at another stop and Gatorade and then I knew strawberries would be at mile 23 so I ended up not having that fourth gel during the race.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Vg6c8br1jJSHH_nmwT90ArhFn17cqxlQoKjAONDR_Y83wUHOx5kbJBcUBmObR9pVXO7gYikPgcIPYGgQ66lFuQt8a528dGCYddw6SefEXgJquu7N1qkXeDgz8oT16yBNTk3U7NsI33rQ/s1600/GOPR0584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Vg6c8br1jJSHH_nmwT90ArhFn17cqxlQoKjAONDR_Y83wUHOx5kbJBcUBmObR9pVXO7gYikPgcIPYGgQ66lFuQt8a528dGCYddw6SefEXgJquu7N1qkXeDgz8oT16yBNTk3U7NsI33rQ/s400/GOPR0584.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a parent, I totally sympathize.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYo6g68XABIXhcjNuWTTtjkCeFrBnlNnVNTYGo9KV4rYExy4mV3PKbLJwuHthxHT9V0Lqf1_4YStaYlqgBMUveDeWkALdXlGt6q5JEzzB67atmiKyf36P-u1e74gz2k5WJA13UdJpaCNX/s1600/GOPR0586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYo6g68XABIXhcjNuWTTtjkCeFrBnlNnVNTYGo9KV4rYExy4mV3PKbLJwuHthxHT9V0Lqf1_4YStaYlqgBMUveDeWkALdXlGt6q5JEzzB67atmiKyf36P-u1e74gz2k5WJA13UdJpaCNX/s400/GOPR0586.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to tell, but the last significant hill of the course. And it is a doozy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The last really big hill is at mile 22 and I was delighted to get to the top of that one. There is a very long downhill after the mile 22 hill and I skipped walk breaks coming down the other side. The whole race I stuck with my 6:2 run:walk ratio. I did skip some walking breaks but if I did that I just ran 14 minutes, then picked up the next walk break. I never walked if I was supposed to be running.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZPdbqenSXxIk0PjqG2bvFi8XspYdFauY6_8zj6h1KtEABvuKVx5jX7v59QRPQYYLG0c-WnF4WeeCfi4DvFDpk-fZTq8WspxvCpZcTta978Ou7aCMlauGqlSRO96_M0GQG_vEeDTRuRhc/s1600/GOPR0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZPdbqenSXxIk0PjqG2bvFi8XspYdFauY6_8zj6h1KtEABvuKVx5jX7v59QRPQYYLG0c-WnF4WeeCfi4DvFDpk-fZTq8WspxvCpZcTta978Ou7aCMlauGqlSRO96_M0GQG_vEeDTRuRhc/s400/GOPR0587.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signs of civilization</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU5lHLFGI0uHNDiFf3TkpNH6zxuqMylXkbJQT0crm5bl409MhoNT0N8Q6sJMVGNk51ZFQ1kqiEFVqNHg34EdXu1h6kyigKBSoN5B_BwIeREzLMmNYytYgEzZzvlBj97kyax3wZeZyY-o1/s1600/GOPR0589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU5lHLFGI0uHNDiFf3TkpNH6zxuqMylXkbJQT0crm5bl409MhoNT0N8Q6sJMVGNk51ZFQ1kqiEFVqNHg34EdXu1h6kyigKBSoN5B_BwIeREzLMmNYytYgEzZzvlBj97kyax3wZeZyY-o1/s400/GOPR0589.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous strawberry stop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1_oEqAJujKmzpPS24DmQRlh4vHIkbzYcv8kAq3ehzLrxafrJQi-w-RSWt_9Un5HRJ93pFW9S6VoC3w2caAdls_xBqkTG4e3IGzRKMSUNfWUdiXnXSdn1vQ7KjEOwhmCRZ4s6t8Hor9jz/s1600/GOPR0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1_oEqAJujKmzpPS24DmQRlh4vHIkbzYcv8kAq3ehzLrxafrJQi-w-RSWt_9Un5HRJ93pFW9S6VoC3w2caAdls_xBqkTG4e3IGzRKMSUNfWUdiXnXSdn1vQ7KjEOwhmCRZ4s6t8Hor9jz/s400/GOPR0591.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
When I got to mile 24 I considered trying to run all the way to the finish. I got to mile 25 and the last hill on the course appeared. It isn't a terribly big or long hill by San Francisco standards but it looks intimidating as you approach it and the placement in the race is pretty insulting. As I approached the hill one of the race directors was standing there cheering. He said "That's it! I'm out of hills!" which gave me a chuckle. I decided before starting the hill that I wasn't going to run all the way up it. I took my last walking break on part of the hill. This is my 7th time running Big Sur and I have only managed to run up this hill without walking twice.<br />
<br />
I switched my watch over to time and saw 4:3X. I realized that I was way under 5 hours and was going to finish pretty close to my best case scenario 4:42! As I approached the finish I started scanning the crowd to try to find my husband and son. I heard him yell to me right before the finish and I blew them a kiss before crossing the finish line.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTchpgeD_iVDvftVGVIFu7c0lpnkIZP5q2lphH562KSnKOYy-fbzlusoSRCNk3tDRHJbIwLvr6Wz1uWV68cUP4aNoJhgHIhMkTPzwJuW-pKwlkDCLfZ0lEHdtJHcgwVHQUgbN_GLgdSIQa/s1600/GOPR0594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTchpgeD_iVDvftVGVIFu7c0lpnkIZP5q2lphH562KSnKOYy-fbzlusoSRCNk3tDRHJbIwLvr6Wz1uWV68cUP4aNoJhgHIhMkTPzwJuW-pKwlkDCLfZ0lEHdtJHcgwVHQUgbN_GLgdSIQa/s400/GOPR0594.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turned around and shot this after I crossed the finish. That's a guy proposing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvVCAmzaIzSMBQ9wd7NTikIlZgmkE5GKrUQcccGjfEwRQ1_tG5LgyE1aN8Qap9IWvyrDfSBLoKzPAG5AkEPNww5X-Dopyb9ijcNNSjBBBHuzapFXSjtBcqveVV4QXGoeQVIwzBGoEnDPM/s1600/GOPR0595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvVCAmzaIzSMBQ9wd7NTikIlZgmkE5GKrUQcccGjfEwRQ1_tG5LgyE1aN8Qap9IWvyrDfSBLoKzPAG5AkEPNww5X-Dopyb9ijcNNSjBBBHuzapFXSjtBcqveVV4QXGoeQVIwzBGoEnDPM/s400/GOPR0595.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The medal greeters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
They have liquid aid stations set up right after the finish and I chugged 2 cups of Gatorade and 1 cup of water right away. I was pretty thirsty. I regretted walking on the mile 25 hill a bit, but my husband said he had arrived at his spot only minutes before I came through so I figured if I hadn't walked I might have missed them at the finish line.<br />
<br />
I finished in 4:44 and given the video and photos stops along the course, I figure that translates into roughly my best case finish time of 4:42. I was actually pretty shocked I came so close to that time. I didn't think I'd keep my 16 miler pace up for the full 26.2, especially given the hills. At mile 21/22 I was certainly ready to be done. I barely maxed out at 30ish miles a week in my training and wasn't marathon trained. But with the run/walk strategy I just kept ticking and my running pace held up pretty well the whole way. This was my third fastest Big Sur which isn't necessarily saying a lot but for the amount of preparation I put into it, I'm pleased with that.<br />
<br />
I surveyed the damage to my foot after the race. There had been a bruise there the day after I dropped the bowl on my foot, but race morning as I put on my compression sleeve and Body Glided the toes I don't recall even noticing a bruise. But after the race I had a very nice bruise on the top of my foot and some swelling in the area. I was a little concerned that I had damaged the bone but I did end up seeing a podiatrist who assured me it wasn't broken. Phew. But I still find it odd that I had that stabbing pain so suddenly in the race.<br />
<br />
I didn't really practice before the race but I also certainly made strides with my GoPro which I used to get videos and photos. After the photo failure of Disney I almost returned it, but it fits so easily into my Orange Mud pocket that is accessible I decided to give it another go and will keep it for future races.<br />
<br />
I prefer my marathons overcast and cool but I have to say Big Sur really shines in the bright sun. We really lucked out that the winds, while pesky for a few miles, ended up being just the right strength to keep us cool without slowing us down.<br />
<br />
I wore my glovers this race (basically arm warmers that only go halfway up your arms) so that I would have someplace to wipe snot off my face and for some UV protection for my hands. They worked great for this and I'll do it again. When Big Sur gets windy you need something for the inevitable snot issue.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3hcVbCe7P929Mq2Yo8rKAJbRqJfGbnL4_SwbTdEaatgVKVFeAs8mxZlIztOXnpmtMtEC63ODiaqh4b1tqFX9_uX3z9D0ef_cwsqCcAdutui-MD217XQL5aG84qdy5xc4mjLY4fuxiz1A/s1600/IMG_4050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3hcVbCe7P929Mq2Yo8rKAJbRqJfGbnL4_SwbTdEaatgVKVFeAs8mxZlIztOXnpmtMtEC63ODiaqh4b1tqFX9_uX3z9D0ef_cwsqCcAdutui-MD217XQL5aG84qdy5xc4mjLY4fuxiz1A/s400/IMG_4050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The next time I run I want to try to go behind the piano to get a photo with Bixby. I saw someone's photo of this after the race and I don't think I've ever tried that location because I'm so dazzled by the piano.<br />
<br />
Once again with my tardiness of getting this report posted, I already know that I've been accepted in the lottery for the 2018 running. This race has my heart and I'll attempt to run it every year they take me. You are squandering your running life if you don't do it at least once.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-53452784114921280152017-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:002017-06-19T21:10:46.497-07:00Disney World MarathonMarathon #42:<br />
<br />
I wasn't originally planning on running Disney this year since I just ran it last year and had hopes to do it in 2018 for the 25th anniversary. But then they revealed the medal and I couldn't say no. I've probably mentioned this strange phenomena before and I still don't understand it: I don't display my medals. I have three or so out and the rest come home and go straight into a box. So you would think the bling wasn't a big motivator for me. But for some reason really awesome medals are still a hook for me to sign up for a race. So in September I signed up to run Disney. I debated for a short time about whether or not to do the Goofy Challenge. I've always thought if I'm flying across the country I should do two races. But I had my sights set on a fast marathon in March so I decided to just do the stand alone marathon to minimize the race's impact on my training. In the end, this turned out to be a serendipitous decision because A) I got injured in December and B) the half marathon got canceled due to bad weather.<br />
<br />
After Humboldt I took some time off and eased back into marathon training. The slow increase paid off and I got a zip back into my step which solidified my thoughts that I was overtrained for Humboldt. I decided to try the Hanson Marathon Method for the first time. I was going to follow the plan, do Disney easy, then reboot for the remaining weeks until Modesto. <br />
<br />
I got through 8 weeks of my training plan and things were going well. Then three weeks before Disney a tiny ache that I had felt for maybe the previous 4 weeks for just a few steps of every other run became an injury. I've self diagnosed peroneal tendinitis of my left ankle. It hurt just below the left outer ankle bone. My left ankle is the one I have chronically sprained in the past over and over and I'm sure my ankle instability is a big cause of the issue. I ran on it three times more than I should have and knew it blew up into an issue that was a game-over for Modesto in March.<br />
<br />
I did a week of no running (I did pool run a couple of times), did another two test runs which told me it wasn't going away any time soon, then didn't run again until the race. Oh, Disney. One year I will show up not undertrained/injured or right after a hard PR effort elsewhere. But this was obviously not going to be that year.<br />
<br />
So I did an extreme taper of 6 miles total of running the last 2.5 weeks before the race.<br />
<br />
Just walking around the airport, my resort, and the expo the day I arrived in Orlando made my ankle ache. I knew KT Tape would be at the expo and though I have never done it myself, I knew they would tape you up at their booth. I stood in a Disneyesque queue for over 45 minutes and handed over $5 for a PT to tape my ankle. It was the best $5 I have spent for injury issues the last decade. She gave me a 5 minute PT consult while she taped and told me to do some exercises. I was skeptical the tape would last until the race (it was Friday afternoon for a Sunday race) but she said to blow dry the tape after showering and to sleep with sock on and it should be okay.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9WS7sAr8GujBHFma-NP7SPZqUrmeSM9kGWYebBkHCs16h_2YrL7wJGzJ5Ja8kKg4LcBxXIdY02gsk21IFfArJozIrtLPQi-fhfe-ZJVp2VUDtO211EGZYem-roesMuKKn1_ZmnAJJ3Md/s1600/IMG_0864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9WS7sAr8GujBHFma-NP7SPZqUrmeSM9kGWYebBkHCs16h_2YrL7wJGzJ5Ja8kKg4LcBxXIdY02gsk21IFfArJozIrtLPQi-fhfe-ZJVp2VUDtO211EGZYem-roesMuKKn1_ZmnAJJ3Md/s400/IMG_0864.jpg" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MVP of the weekend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
The tape job was tight in a few places and I worried it would cause problems. I had to loosen up a few small areas but it stretched out just slightly and didn't give me any issues. Spoiler alert: I ran 26.2 miles and walked the parks the next 4 days and I didn't feel a thing in my ankle the entire time. In fact, the tape job lasted a week and I then peeled it off on my own to figure out the actual state of the injury when I got home (it was a bit stretched by then and not alleviating 100% pain by then).<br />
<br />
I picked up a few goodies at the expo, too. New Balance now makes some Disney themed apparel and they had one shirt left in my size I grabbed. I also splurged and got a race jacket. Overall I am never a fan of the official race merchandise. Champion is not the greatest fit or quality for me and the graphics always seem sort of subpar considering the available man power at Disney's disposable to come up with something snazzy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmve4kFzoTiGeT8EAf1hJLquVekvdjkKY_8xkyjeIMQUvsUhQRA9A6XLJn9D2csQiqDVFShCK5lZIb3u05gJqsPsznOpd-pZcgMgnxONTa4WjkY8zKmtxtFOyIxHxyYfCzG3LvSB8wtEfU/s1600/IMG_2354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmve4kFzoTiGeT8EAf1hJLquVekvdjkKY_8xkyjeIMQUvsUhQRA9A6XLJn9D2csQiqDVFShCK5lZIb3u05gJqsPsznOpd-pZcgMgnxONTa4WjkY8zKmtxtFOyIxHxyYfCzG3LvSB8wtEfU/s400/IMG_2354.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It has been a long time since official race merchandise tempted me. I also got a short sleeve RunDisney shirt since I've always wanted one and the one available looked like it would fit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
After the expo I hit the parks and didn't have to worry about getting back to my room early to get to sleep before the half marathon on Saturday. This was so freeing! Usually I take the red eye Thursday night to Orlando and am knackered on Friday but don't want to waste the park day so always hit at least one after the expo. Then I wake up at 2:30 am for the race Saturday (which with the time change is really waking up at 11:30 pm). But this time I figured even though I was so sleepy I was going to get to sleep in Saturday so I didn't worry about when I got back to the room Friday night.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned, Saturday's race got canceled due to lightning. I woke up on Saturday morning and heard cowbells and cheering. I stepped out of my room and saw hordes of runners doing their own 13.1 around the lake by my resort. I got ready to leave then went downstairs to cheer the people running for a little bit before heading out to the parks. It was so inspiring to see the runners getting it done despite what must have been a major disappointment for the official race being canceled. And everyone out cheering and handing out water was also heart warming.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkPWS4aeCjU8A1mPChvLlP_uZowVEoEe9vqecaK98_5OAiflJsNPEWDL2XfKAl7R9V73M8cUemJvoeHZuIGeuhVwD6Gb5ywUYNwCfmaMGClYhXI4QhiIkutWdvw6PGsyTLj_0Hmj2V1wB/s1600/IMG_0879.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkPWS4aeCjU8A1mPChvLlP_uZowVEoEe9vqecaK98_5OAiflJsNPEWDL2XfKAl7R9V73M8cUemJvoeHZuIGeuhVwD6Gb5ywUYNwCfmaMGClYhXI4QhiIkutWdvw6PGsyTLj_0Hmj2V1wB/s400/IMG_0879.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNPfwY6ftY3aTpozAfHwiWBXl8s17Jl-MdxtHKYHbBpEL47vmtZKih7vpL1tqyXyTM0lKkjpZV0foxdO8qr_RNbMtCUPScRDGX3MV8sLJX77iMRkv0K8F_E7XVANYz096nTQyZr2N_CFp/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNPfwY6ftY3aTpozAfHwiWBXl8s17Jl-MdxtHKYHbBpEL47vmtZKih7vpL1tqyXyTM0lKkjpZV0foxdO8qr_RNbMtCUPScRDGX3MV8sLJX77iMRkv0K8F_E7XVANYz096nTQyZr2N_CFp/s400/IMG_0882.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I normally do a half park day on Saturday then catch a movie at Disney Springs to stay off my feet before the full. But this year I decided not to do the movie and instead stayed at the parks. I am a pretty fast walker naturally and while at Disney I really kick it up a notch to cover as much distance as possible quickly. But I made a concerted effort the whole weekend to walk leisurely to save my legs and especially my ankle.<br />
<br />
The one downside I ran into not doing Goofy was that because I had gotten to sleep in Saturday, I was not overly tired that day but I had still not gotten adapted to the time change. This meant that Saturday night when I tried to go to bed early so I could make the 2:30 am wake-up for the marathon (which again, is 11:30 pm in my habitual time zone -- so I was trying to be awake only about an hour after when I would often go to sleep), I was wide awake. For the first time ever I did not sleep <i>at all </i>before a marathon. Ugh. <br />
<br />
This year the marathon day was cold and windy. They were projecting feels like temps in the low 30s which actually then dipped to the high 20s as the morning progressed. I did not pack for this weather. I saw the week before it was going to be chilly and I threw arm warmers into my bag. I don't know what I was thinking. If it dips into the 40s I'll sometimes wear capris and a thick long sleeve top when running at home. But I packed shorts and a short sleeve top for my race outfit. I didn't consider that I wasn't going to be pushing the pace at all in this race (read: Walking a good deal of it) and I'd need to dress warmer than I normally would when going out for run.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDa4O2XvJfruJWdy-aTl5Oev_sUu2FbKK7LJ2wylOxOZhQ-VwR9U03btEJvpIAK2kjXfNZOq79Q90BBNfqvxWnacAC257U5Y6Um0cjucMoxDWqTJPLCveroy3xzTT9F9mfE8gYaDug9yK/s1600/IMG_0900.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDa4O2XvJfruJWdy-aTl5Oev_sUu2FbKK7LJ2wylOxOZhQ-VwR9U03btEJvpIAK2kjXfNZOq79Q90BBNfqvxWnacAC257U5Y6Um0cjucMoxDWqTJPLCveroy3xzTT9F9mfE8gYaDug9yK/s640/IMG_0900.PNG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to 2:31 AM marathon morning. Yes, you didn't sleep a second and yes, it is freezing outside.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
I scrambled the night before and ended up wearing the new RunDisney short sleeve top I had bought at the expo underneath my planned top. I also decided to wear my compression sleeves I normally wear post-race during the race to keep my legs warm. My throwaway gloves became my running gloves for the entire race.<br />
<br />
I was meeting a friend at the start area and when I got there I looked for a good place to hunker down. There were barrels anchoring a bag drop tent and I sat right next to one so it would block some of the biting wind. The actual air temperature wasn't too terrible but the wind made it horrible. This wasn't as cold as the 2010 race, but it wasn't very pleasant. I had brought a throwaway sweatshirt and a mylar blanket which I wrapped around my legs.<br />
<br />
We sat there as long as possible trying to keep warm before starting on the long walk to the corrals. We jumped into a portapotty line by the start staging area exit which was a really smart move -- no lines! This year they changed the corral set-up. Last year they seemed to be in one long line, but this year they had two parallel lines of corrals set up. So while last year I had a seat on the road outside my corral entrance, this year there was just a space of a strip of grass outside the entrance since another corral holding area was set up on the road. So no more chance of just sitting on the ground outside the corral then jumping in before the start at the last minute.<br />
<br />
The wind was blowing solidly in a headwind direction. The smoke from the fireworks at the starting line blew towards us. Disney is a fairly meandering course so that didn't concern me too much. I decided I would keep my sweatshirt on until I warmed up. I considered running with the mylar blanket for a little while but the announcer said that a mylar blanket could interfere with the chip timing. No idea if this is true or if they just didn't want mylar blankets fluttering down the road when they were subsequently dumped. But I listened and tossed my mylar right before the start line.<br />
<br />
As I bopped down the road when the race started I felt SO good. My legs felt so fresh which was sort of a strange feeling for me at Disney. I then realized I hadn't done a half marathon the day before which was the usual case and hadn't run much at all the last 2.5 weeks. I knew it was going to be a short-lived feeling, but it felt great.<br />
<br />
I kept my sweatshirt on until about mile 4. I wasn't exactly warm in it, but I didn't feel like it was a necessity and I wanted to ditch it so I could reach my camera and water bottle which was strapped to my back.<br />
<br />
I wasn't feeling so motivated to stop for photos this year. I was very picky with my character stops. I've done this race so many times and I tried to mentally remember if I had gotten a photo with a character in the past. I ran without stopping until I reached the castle where I tried (in vain) to get a photo with the castle in the dark. I ran with a GoPro for the first time (not strapped on, but taken out and held like a camera) and of course I hadn't practiced at all with it before the race. Major photo fails. The setting I had it on was pretty terrible even for photos when I gave the camera to someone else to hold. Disney made a change where the photographers on the course are Disney photographers and not your typical race photographers. Because of this, if you buy the photo pass you get all of your photos. I may opt to do this for my next trip. For one fee I can get all my race photos and all of my park photos. Not a bad deal if you are doing multiple races. The photos the Disney photographers took were pretty great, too.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh398whp9E6-6xHRVwsYAsw70n2ca6utQv_kr5Upcy4EWRjNhiqKidScE3eGO1_whWD0ZvVYTBuaKfpw7t-Lh8Ykaz8YFQNwigQwRwUlpFzVUA-jR1Lup3OI6TbOmy3fe2YPFWqjUbfjI91/s1600/GOPR0378.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh398whp9E6-6xHRVwsYAsw70n2ca6utQv_kr5Upcy4EWRjNhiqKidScE3eGO1_whWD0ZvVYTBuaKfpw7t-Lh8Ykaz8YFQNwigQwRwUlpFzVUA-jR1Lup3OI6TbOmy3fe2YPFWqjUbfjI91/s400/GOPR0378.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I was pretty thirsty this race. I'm not sure if it was because those first 4 miles I hardly drank any water. My sweatshirt was blocking my access to my small bottle in my Orange Mud pack. Also, with my gloves, I didn't really trust myself to reach behind my back and not drop my bottle. So I relied on the water stops. They are pretty plentiful on the course so that wasn't a problem. But considering the cool temperature I was drinking quite a bit of water and subsequently had to stop to use the bathroom multiple times during the race. No idea why that happened but if you have to pee during a race Disney is the best for portapotties and real bathrooms easily accessible on the course.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrZbCvBAFKtKNEoz8k9yVvWcKU0FJEkbGFIPKBJAEp7WzLLltMQOsXBPTlPWxtuU6PEc4h9UtNT-Hl6fqNUjVKjavxsVIG4gXJY7BBPqiZDlPJtO90fZwrBJkFRxbCanxQXu-Kh0jK3l3/s1600/GOPR0394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrZbCvBAFKtKNEoz8k9yVvWcKU0FJEkbGFIPKBJAEp7WzLLltMQOsXBPTlPWxtuU6PEc4h9UtNT-Hl6fqNUjVKjavxsVIG4gXJY7BBPqiZDlPJtO90fZwrBJkFRxbCanxQXu-Kh0jK3l3/s400/GOPR0394.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing in line for a Donald photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
As we left the Magic Kingdom and hit mile 8ish my body suddenly realized that we had only run a total of 6 miles in the last 2.5 weeks and started to shut it down. The first thing to start hurting were my arms. Yes, my arms. Both my biceps got sore from holding my arms at a 90 degree angle. Then my left quad started hurting (sort of ached as if I had run a marathon the day before) and all these things didn't stop talking to me until the race was over. But happily my bum ankle was 100% pain free. My ever nagging pelvis started buzzing for about half a mile at mile 18 but that went away and didn't return.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5ixJo868d0n-iQO0kZsdlW3L3vHLJ7CLOB8iInaGIng9gMCdrTM6R9nXXg6h1_W6gkBtSKKCHnWo_vDqEDeWsoUlXG2WzUUQtKLAJxO10WQLU19xpXsh4wADHa-SHyvF_vSoubF4_BvL/s1600/GOPR0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5ixJo868d0n-iQO0kZsdlW3L3vHLJ7CLOB8iInaGIng9gMCdrTM6R9nXXg6h1_W6gkBtSKKCHnWo_vDqEDeWsoUlXG2WzUUQtKLAJxO10WQLU19xpXsh4wADHa-SHyvF_vSoubF4_BvL/s400/GOPR0400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timon photo line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
As I said I was picky about stopping for characters. At Wide World of Sports I stopped for Sport Goofy. While I was in line, he left to take a break! The characters often take breaks or switch out with another character. I suppose the poor person inside needs to breathe some fresh air or scratch their nose. But at a race it is so annoying when this happens. I had only been in line for about a minute, and I debated if it was worth sticking around for Goofy to come back out. I aborted the mission and started running again. The next character I stopped for was Joy and Sadness from "Inside Out." I'm not a huge Joy and Sadness fan, but I was loosely dressed as Bing Bong so of course had to stop. And when I was second to the front of the line they took a break, too! Agh! I stuck around for this one though and lost a few minutes.<br />
<br />
I've run this race 7 times and the course has changed a bit over the years. I know I've spoken about my dislike of the changes in the past. But I just want to say that I really, really, really dislike the miles in the Wide World of Sports. It doesn't help they come in the high teens/low twenties miles when you want to just want to be done but still have a ways to go. <br />
<br />
Wide World of Sports is where happiness goes to die. Put that slogan on a shirt and become a millionaire.<br />
<br />
There was a lot of construction in the form of dug up land along the stretch by Wide World of Sports. I thought they did a cute job of putting character paleontologists with dinosaur bones out to turn the unsightly into a stage. They had cleared out all the large trucks for the race. When we passed it prerace I was wondering if they were going to leave the heavy machinery out.<br />
<br />
The green army men from Toy Story were there as usual to whip us into running shape up the last major incline of the course. The army man will yell things like, "Why are you walking? Drop down and give me 10 pushups!" which always sort of scares me because I can barely do 10 pushups when I'm not at mile 22++ of a marathon. I did see a few runners who were better good sports than me doing pushups on the side of the road. I ran far enough up the hill to not be a pushup victim then snuck in a little walk break.<br />
<br />
I always look forward to the chocolate stop in Disney Studios. They normally hand out little snack-size Crunch bars or Dove chocolate. This year they handed out Snickers bars and FULL size M&M packets. A) I was stunned, B) Who can eat all this while running? C) OMG. This is awesome. Since I had my Orange Mud pack on I grabbed a pack of M&Ms and shoved them in a pocket to eat later and ate the Snickers while I ran. On a side note, I think they ran out of the candy. I was in an attraction line later that weekend and a man was telling a woman that he heard they had passed out full size candy at the race. She replied that she hadn't seen it on the course. So that is a bummer for back of the packers.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFYjXBLycjmzU3K2d2rtFblQHftA3ubNI4aM_2G52T4qoXWhSbnv7GnYKiMYQRZJVJWcCC1evdJFAF4wm1-46eM2B_BmvExCJyILk8sJ9DbD_EgGYQm_kYBizmgWDGyWmZllAPt7Dw42a/s1600/G0030408.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFYjXBLycjmzU3K2d2rtFblQHftA3ubNI4aM_2G52T4qoXWhSbnv7GnYKiMYQRZJVJWcCC1evdJFAF4wm1-46eM2B_BmvExCJyILk8sJ9DbD_EgGYQm_kYBizmgWDGyWmZllAPt7Dw42a/s400/G0030408.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Slow but steady was the name of the game for this race. After running Disney in very cold conditions and very hot conditions a few times each, it is my official stance that even when you are slow as snails cold trumps hot every single time. In the future, I'll be sure to dress for the weather a little better.<br />
<br />
As I crossed the finish I got a high-five from Mickey which is always a special treat.<br />
<br />
When I headed through the snack tent I was given a banana with my snack box. I passed by another volunteer who asked if I wanted another banana. "No thanks," I said. "Here, just take them." And he piled three more bananas onto my box. As I walked out with my box and four bananas I was a little confused but then I realized with the cancelled half they probably had thousands of ripe bananas they needed to get rid of on marathon day.<br />
<br />
I hung around the finish area to get a few photos, but was happy to get on the bus and head back to the hotel since it was a cold day. Overall, I was glad to have survived the race without freezing solid and with no injury pain. There are areas I feel Disney has slid a little over the years but they still put on a very solid race experience.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7QHl1n30z0oINbuHrjOV5i6rDRtMT3oMDfeAcuv-ZF84iRGl01Ezwcms6VG-Ad6TW93U_PExPD_ZW1_SJDAzEcHHH1LR2UuNc_mX3lyiCxRzWFzv0ecSUgJLEd4KZQH4ygGEqEcnyBi3/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7QHl1n30z0oINbuHrjOV5i6rDRtMT3oMDfeAcuv-ZF84iRGl01Ezwcms6VG-Ad6TW93U_PExPD_ZW1_SJDAzEcHHH1LR2UuNc_mX3lyiCxRzWFzv0ecSUgJLEd4KZQH4ygGEqEcnyBi3/s400/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The race shirts are starting to look the same year after year. They tore down the Sorcerer's hat at Disney Studios so it was interesting to see they picked the Tower of Terror as the new symbol for that park. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdW5FSUkyyvDr7t0Ww9RcK9_lfMtFRfsI5EWQlFUTWr1RqyMgdo4RNmFBYATAFHBjMtflDC7r9SrjIvO91XJ3ENZvrchQYz9yaJ9i0h4eMS-htarjvGnmoDu3Up36s_gEsrj9mr2mgY1f/s1600/IMG_1018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdW5FSUkyyvDr7t0Ww9RcK9_lfMtFRfsI5EWQlFUTWr1RqyMgdo4RNmFBYATAFHBjMtflDC7r9SrjIvO91XJ3ENZvrchQYz9yaJ9i0h4eMS-htarjvGnmoDu3Up36s_gEsrj9mr2mgY1f/s400/IMG_1018.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The medal that inspired the whole thing. 100% worth it. Hands down my favorite Disney medal of all time. I can't even imagine anything else I'd like to see from them. I've alway been a fan of the mouse ear shaped ones and I love the simplicity of the design.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jvX9TmuPxFeejDgUKk2VxZXVX0mSZC368OHRZW32zKyyjsIjuVi3gLUQBz3Sbd1DhO_Pz1fB25OuGWyylW0Awh_sRYfmh7zyjfa0wOdGFR65STwqpAWcuvo-XIkPbF58UMghpb-95p9R/s1600/IMG_2356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5jvX9TmuPxFeejDgUKk2VxZXVX0mSZC368OHRZW32zKyyjsIjuVi3gLUQBz3Sbd1DhO_Pz1fB25OuGWyylW0Awh_sRYfmh7zyjfa0wOdGFR65STwqpAWcuvo-XIkPbF58UMghpb-95p9R/s400/IMG_2356.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I did display this one next to my first 2005 Disney Marathon medal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-1684415749897512232017-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:002017-04-24T12:30:08.521-07:00Humboldt Half MarathonAfter the Lake Merced Half Marathon, I got back into serious training again for the first time post-stress fracture-pregnancy-postpartum recovery-we have a kid now!? changes. I used to have a lot of time to schedule my running so it did not affect my sleep. I am not a morning person. I used to rarely wake up early to run on days it wasn't necessary. I would often start my 23 mile long runs at 11 am. Living in San Francisco the weather is usually agreeable any time of day and I definitely milked this luxury.<br />
<br />
Having a child changed all of this. At first I worked him into my running by taking him along with me. But I knew if I wanted to chase time goals I would have to run without the stroller for key workouts. In order to make this work I had to start doing the one thing I hate which is running early in the morning.<br />
<br />
My last two fastest 13.1 times were run in the middle of marathon training on the plan I used to use. That plan called for a 13.1 specific test where you ran your marathon goal pace for 13.1 miles in the middle of a 17 mile run. Obviously my half PR was pretty old since my goal marathon pace the last two times was faster than current half marathon PR pace. For a brief time I contemplated just following the marathon training plan and seeing what I could do in a stand-alone 13.1 when the specific test workout came up. But I didn't have the heart to run 20+ mile runs before work.<br />
<br />
So I instead decided to follow a half plan that sort of mimicked marathon training in mileage but the longest run was only 15 miles. I've always felt you had to run farther than 13 as a long run if you really wanted to race a half so that gelled well with my thinking. The plan had you running 6-7 days a week which I felt was too many since I was only getting back to speed and pace work. So I cut out two of the easy running days and ran 5 days a week.<br />
<br />
I haven't trained specifically for a half marathon time goal since 2009 when I went for a sub-2 hour finish. I've changed a lot as a runner since 2009. I have never trained this hard for a half marathon before both in terms of mileage (capped out at 55+ miles which rivals some good marathon plans I've done) and in terms of sacrifice (I often ran 12, up to 15 miles before work, twice a week). One thing I liked about the plan was that the easy paced longer run (10-12 miles) fell on the day I kept to run with my son. I had come to love stroller running and was sad at the idea of not doing longer distances with him anymore after our stroller half. Of course, it also felt extremely anti-climatic to have trained for a stroller half marathon and to then turn around and eventually run 12 miles with him once a week.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXKud8BwXIAGFTvEnOxKlF2vvNBdlMay78Q6Ip-2kiZYV8I5M0lPliH91Ezabxw4UukHMKQmWZCr9TLOkxmw5A5gOkX-b-vmBlsAXurhyykMvjz6RF0K_MFU69GBnF9AsgEGKjOo-kUjp/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXKud8BwXIAGFTvEnOxKlF2vvNBdlMay78Q6Ip-2kiZYV8I5M0lPliH91Ezabxw4UukHMKQmWZCr9TLOkxmw5A5gOkX-b-vmBlsAXurhyykMvjz6RF0K_MFU69GBnF9AsgEGKjOo-kUjp/s400/IMG_0066.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What might be our last double-digit stroller run together 1.5 weeks before the race.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Training went pretty well overall. I learned how to deal with the early wake-ups. I actually really appreciate getting a run done early in the day now. Initially it was hard to run in the 8:30s and by the end of the cycle the low 8:00s felt like a good working pace. I started to question whether the plan was too hard the last month or so when I had trouble hitting paces during the speed/track sessions. Unlike track work for marathon training in the past I found I had to walk or even extend the recovery portion of the workouts. But after the hard track workouts, I'd run 10-12 miles with the stroller the next day, take a rest day, and then always hit my extended goal pace run the following day. So for two weeks I wrote this cycle off as a bad days at the track or I'm just not cut out for 5K pace work.<br />
<br />
Then I had a really bad speed workout that told me loud and clear my body was tired. In retrospect I didn't respond appropriately. I should have backed down on mileage overall immediately but instead I decided to omit the final speed workout and slightly shorten some of the final taper week runs. Honestly even doing this, for me, is a big step. I am a slave to training plans once they are plugged into my schedule -- my biggest weakness I think as a runner. I nailed my last workout at goal pace (2x1.9 miles @ goal half pace with a 1 minute recovery) 10 days before the race and felt that those 10 days of easier running would be enough to have fresh legs.<br />
<br />
Originally my goal was to run in the 8:20s-8:30s for the half. But as things came together I decided something around 8:16 (my eventual goal marathon pace) was my A-goal (if I ran slightly faster than this I would beat my fastest 13.1 done during a training run previously). B-goal was sub-1:50, C-goal was sub-1:53 (my official half PR). I had done up to 6 miles of half marathon goal pace running in the middle of 12 mile runs and usually was about 10 seconds faster than my A-goal pace. Those days I felt I could have run a couple more miles at that pace that day. So I figured, 10 seconds/mile slower should buy me a few more miles, fresh legs another couple, then heart would get me to the finish.<br />
<br />
My parents were in town for the race so my husband and I drove up to Redding, CA the day before the race. Two storm systems were passing through the area and it was pouring rain for much of the 4+ hour car trip. With the giant redwoods, I figured we had a little cushion to the weather forecast -- perhaps they would shield us from rain and wind -- so I tried to not get too caught up on what the weather was going to be like. We didn't make it up in time to get our bibs the day before, but this race always has race day pick-up so that was a minor issue.<br />
<br />
I've done a race at this venue two times in the past. The first time we stayed at a super horrible motel. I had initially planned to return to it post-marathon to take a shower before the long drive home. But it was so bad, I actually opted to not go back for the post-race shower. With this in mind, the next time we ran up there I wanted to go with a national chain hotel. The only one I could book was 1.5 hours south of the race and we woke up early to drive up. This time I checked the only national chain hotel that was located closer to the race VERY early in the year and they were already 100% booked. So I ended up finding a little independent place to stay and crossed my fingers it would work out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-8UPStms6XJyrgHNyJtc4rM1PuJR04Jql24TMlHxB4Iq7VGkTqZxmqEpqH4jnFUCyAQXDDlFV0wVHmtbQV1BIuYfDR3bIzhmPKBnvi7IUyf4pwyEzwULcfOD4wYhdPQ5Vsxzybou2nNa/s1600/IMG_0121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-8UPStms6XJyrgHNyJtc4rM1PuJR04Jql24TMlHxB4Iq7VGkTqZxmqEpqH4jnFUCyAQXDDlFV0wVHmtbQV1BIuYfDR3bIzhmPKBnvi7IUyf4pwyEzwULcfOD4wYhdPQ5Vsxzybou2nNa/s400/IMG_0121.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ever stay at a place with brown towels? Questionable.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSjs3gQSs3Y3su2Kwg-juh0oL4rXbH7Y1Eou4tOlCKjWtJ8e45GdSQYx0vj0koFcdx1PjujpWG9Drs-zskXVGgiR2P579TuXBP8mY66N_vjUX3hR1n-77eRSQ6DJMDVC9fH_6CNQTUQ1N/s1600/IMG_0123.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSjs3gQSs3Y3su2Kwg-juh0oL4rXbH7Y1Eou4tOlCKjWtJ8e45GdSQYx0vj0koFcdx1PjujpWG9Drs-zskXVGgiR2P579TuXBP8mY66N_vjUX3hR1n-77eRSQ6DJMDVC9fH_6CNQTUQ1N/s320/IMG_0123.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also, I washed my hair with this because no complimentary toiletries.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we checked in we found out that the power was out at our motel due to the storm. We had been upgraded to a cabin and no power meant no heat, no hot water, no lights. It was a poorly insulated place. My husband commented on how cold it was going to be that night. We left to get dinner and while we were out contemplated finding another place to stay. We did price out another motel but called our powerless place first and they said the power was back on. So we stuck with it. Side-note: I have already booked a room at the national chain hotel close to the race for next year in case I decide to run again.<br />
<br />
We were still about a 30 minute drive from the race venue so left shortly after 7 am for the 9 am start. This worked out great as I had time to get my bib, use the portapotty, return to the car to pin on my bib and drop off things, then head back up to the start area for another quick pee. The portapotty line the second time seemed rather long, but it moved quickly. I do wish the race started at 8 am instead of 9 am because I think my body runs a little better earlier in the day in race situations. I think I noted this is especially true for the marathon distance that I ran here years ago. But I think they give everyone more time to get up there since everyone has to park and there aren't many places to stay immediately nearby.<br />
<br />
I made sure to not be too far back in the starting pack so I could hit my pace. I should have started a little more forward as I had a hard time the first quarter mile or so dodging people. My pacing plan was to go out at or slightly slower than race pace for the first 8 miles (was hoping to be in the 8:16-8:25 range), then ratchet down slightly from 8-10, and put it all out there at 10-13.<br />
<br />
Within the first few minutes of the race, I recall my first thought being: "I do not want to do this today." The idea of pushing the pace for 13.1 miles just did not seem appealing. But I tried to tell myself it was race day and we were here to get it done.<br />
<br />
First half mile split: 8:16. Dead on.<br />
Next mile split: 8:20. Right on target<br />
<br />
Then somewhere after 1.5 miles I got a mean side stitch. My entire left side was tight and I couldn't breath normally. I had to slow down. For a few seconds I couldn't believe this was happening at a goal race. I don't often get side stitches. And then I felt relieved because it meant I had a<i> reason</i> to not run fast today. I soldiered on in the high 8:00s waiting to see if it would clear. After a couple of miles it became apparent that it wasn't going to magically go away. I was supposed to take a gel at mile 4 so started working on that and contemplated whether I should continue to run as fast as I could with the stitch or take a walk break and see if that would clear it faster. I know often with side stitches if you walk for a bit it goes away and I thought maybe I would actually lose less time walking for a short while versus the gimpy running I was pulling off trying to run through it.<br />
<br />
So I walked.<br />
<br />
When I started back up running again the stitch was not as sharp, but I could tell it was still just under the surface and I wasn't about to hit goal pace again anytime soon. I looked at my average pace and I knew immediately I didn't have the mental strength to even try to tackle bringing that back down. Oddly enough, I had no clue what pace my B and C goals were though I had a pretty good idea those weren't in the cards for the day. I sort of settled on, maybe we can bring this home in under 2 hours since I knew that was a 9:09 pace and continued running comfortably hard, but no where near racing hard.<br />
<br />
As time went on the stitch eventually faded away. My will to dig deep for any significant pace increase was totally non-existent. I even walked through aid stations and took little walking breaks here and then. I watched as my sub-2 slowly faded away. I definitely could have held onto that finish goal but I just didn't have any heart to try. <br />
<br />
I decided to enjoy the gorgeous course and marveled at the giant trees. I had reread my Humboldt Marathon race report the night before so remembered that the course appeared downhill both directions of the out and back. I was very surprised at just how downhill it appeared. I even started to doubt my past self thinking there was no way this thing was going to look downhill when I turned around and ran in the opposite direction.<br />
<br />
The leaders started coming back and I had fun cheering for them. There are close to zero spectators on the course besides the aid station volunteers and I thought they'd appreciate the boost. <br />
<br />
I hit the turnaround and sure enough, in the opposite direction it also appeared to be going downhill. This is the strangest thing and it sort of plays with your mind. It obviously is not majorly downhill in either direction and it starts to feel odd in that you feel like you should be running faster because your brain says you are headed down an incline, but you get no free speed. Also, it made it really difficult to tell what the incline really was. I felt like I ran downhill almost the entire time on an out-and-back course. I'm sure most of it was flat, and there were probably little undulations here and there but I couldn't tell you what was what.<br />
<br />
I tried to pay attention to all the things I like to know about a race if I'm going to push for a time goal for my future reference. After the first few miles the course opened up a lot and there were even times on the return trip I was running all by myself. Aid stations were advertised at 2.5 miles apart so not plentiful, but enough. They had water and Gatorade and the volunteers were great at calling out what they were holding. The road winds gently like a snake so you have to be careful about running tangents. With all the room it would be possible to cross over the middle line of the road to run the best tangents if you wanted. I am curious if they measure the course on the right side of the road in both directions or if they measure on the tangent considering both sides of the road fair game. <br />
<br />
The trees provide a lot of shelter from sun, wind and rain. There are a few exposed portions here and there and I could feel the wind more in those areas. There are only two significant inclines on the course. The first is a little bridge right after the start/before the finish. It is just a tiny little bridge and not a big deal and if the course wasn't otherwise flat I wouldn't even mention it. The second is also in the beginning/end of the race at mile 1 and 12. This one is also not very long or high. Overall it is a very fast half course. <br />
<br />
As for the weather, it did rain the entire time but it was mainly a drizzle or the giant trees dampened a lot of the rain fall. I did notice at mile 10 or so that my socks were absolutely soaked and there was a little spot on one toe I would have been worried about if it had been a longer race. About 1 mile from the finish a steadier rain started which continued until I was almost back to the car.<br />
<br />
I fretted about my husband at the finish and wish I had a way to let him know I was way off my expected arrival time but that I was doing okay. I figured I would finish right around my Santa Rosa Half time from last year. I thought that was ironic since I had barely done much training for that one and had trained my heart out for this one. But I reminded myself that time was on a good day last year and today was a bad day. A woman was running behind me and I heard her tell her running mate, "We're not running sub 8:00s. It's gone. Time to enjoy it." I assumed they had thought maybe they could squeak out a sub-2, too, but had just seen that goal dissipate. She said, "Time to enjoy it," in a very positive way, and I thought, "Yes! That's what I think, too. That is what today is about now."<br />
<br />
Suddenly the trees opened up and you could see the little bridge in the distance. I heard my husband cheering as I rounded the corner to finish in a little over 2 hours. He came up to me and I could tell he wasn't sure if I was going to be a horrible sad mess over my finish time. I gave him a "it is what it is" look and said something like, "Today wasn't the day."<br />
<br />
I got my medal which is much improved over the full medal years ago. We took a quick portapotty break in case we couldn't get back in to our hotel cabin before starting the drive back home.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvNeD9cRQEcEqD9WzZYXECOcIkijUsb9FL5od44yd1ydGj95fZy0JoxQCF67XkKqpeut3my5gFwbB9l8jaYKXBhB1zr5x8ncGTQhHbDBN-E7_8XuD_l7JvWE3FE3qEZ0a6A6E2fPT6pMl/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvNeD9cRQEcEqD9WzZYXECOcIkijUsb9FL5od44yd1ydGj95fZy0JoxQCF67XkKqpeut3my5gFwbB9l8jaYKXBhB1zr5x8ncGTQhHbDBN-E7_8XuD_l7JvWE3FE3qEZ0a6A6E2fPT6pMl/s320/IMG_1609.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a sticker on a cheap medal like they did in the past.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEpk_zieNzahjutMaQ8OYlk2f-iOaoC-Ghvbs3V5UkV8Qp_3TbceoHkvQ7nXysDcspAzzBjJUAD8pXlpbZ7yFd5oPc-BQEwKjnJCwC5f7IPMNb6gAu0DbSTdT-ZEiMcT5F8xpttzZXhwX/s1600/IMG_1608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEpk_zieNzahjutMaQ8OYlk2f-iOaoC-Ghvbs3V5UkV8Qp_3TbceoHkvQ7nXysDcspAzzBjJUAD8pXlpbZ7yFd5oPc-BQEwKjnJCwC5f7IPMNb6gAu0DbSTdT-ZEiMcT5F8xpttzZXhwX/s320/IMG_1608.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They have gender specific shirts and a good size range. The brand they used this year ran a little large. It seemed it would be very easy to exchange shirt sizes at shirt pick-up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I really am not sure what happened this race. The side stitch really got things going on a downward spiral but if I'm being honest I am not sure I had it in me to push hard the whole way even if that hadn't happened. I had no heart to give at all in this race which is really unusual for me. I usually don't give up like that in the middle of goal races. After the race when I was talking with my husband he commented that I had seemed really flat before the race. He said I wasn't as excited as I normally am before goal races. I didn't feel this myself that morning, but he's pretty perceptive to my moods so it does say something.<br />
<br />
It's hard to comment on your body when your heart couldn't get it to try very hard, but I also felt as if I didn't have the pace in my legs. Even after my stitch went away, I'd try to pick things up and just didn't get much response. Again, I'm not sure if that was mind issue vs. a legs issue. Maybe it was a little bit of both. I had some red flags in my training that I wasn't recovering enough between hard efforts. I thought I had given myself enough time in the taper to address this issue and who knows if it was part of the problem.<br />
<br />
I keep reminding myself that I truly accomplished everything I wanted out of this training cycle. I know I can make changes to my schedule and life to accommodate serious training. I know I can run high mileage with high quality and not feel injured. I can run low 8:00s/high 7:00s for extended periods of time again. All WONDERFUL things I am so proud about. As the training cycle went on I was hoping to PR and I am disappointed it panned out the way it did. I tinkered with the idea of running another half in the next month since I know I have the training done. As of now, I'm going to let this half goal-time go and move on to marathon training as planned. It's a bit of a ding in my confidence but I'll take what I've learned and apply it moving forward.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TeHzf_fKBQFzVs65-V76qeU9npPZSsv7T7G2SyIUZ3QbG1KXhTQBLW_b_s5JaUCU2MNztNVdVNmyU17Woy3n_WVjLtz-m92535flt6tTekEkXr4bTfUeuwevyQwwrX0Maqb2821MgCSI/s1600/IMG_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TeHzf_fKBQFzVs65-V76qeU9npPZSsv7T7G2SyIUZ3QbG1KXhTQBLW_b_s5JaUCU2MNztNVdVNmyU17Woy3n_WVjLtz-m92535flt6tTekEkXr4bTfUeuwevyQwwrX0Maqb2821MgCSI/s320/IMG_0014.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training cycle win. My 10K PR is very soft and out-dated, but this 10K in the middle of a 12 miler is over a minute per mile faster than my standing 10K PR.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One thing I did this training cycle which I have never done in the past was to incorporate strength training into my routine. I still have a lot of room for improvement in this area, but I tried at least twice a week to do some strength work and core work. My husband got a video of me running to the finish. I've always had a strange tilt in my shoulders and I sort of throw my left shoulder higher and forward when I run. It isn't perfect but that quirk is noticeably improved and I'm really tickled about that change. Hopefully it can motivate me to keep it up and to commit to some sort of schedule when it comes to the strength and core work.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-79990321997504592462016-12-03T17:42:00.000-08:002016-12-03T17:42:15.362-08:00Lake Merced Half MarathonWhen I pictured stroller running when I was pregnant, it didn't look anything like it ended up being in reality. I think when I was pregnant I imagined maybe I would go for a 4 mile run every now and then with the stroller. I remember telling my husband that if I wanted to run 10 miles I would just schedule it to be done without the stroller. I might have even said "Why would I <i>choose</i> to run 10 miles with the stroller?"<br />
<br />
Oh, for the good old days of rookie pre-parenting.<br />
<br />
I wasn't able to run much right away after giving birth. It took me 8-9 months to even attempt to run a continuous mile. But once I got back into the swing of things it was evident that if I wanted to run, I had to take my son with me. I think when I was pregnant I thought maybe I would run before he was up. But when you are breastfeeding you cannot just wake up and go for a run. Forget the fact that there is a human who demands breakfast upon erratic waking schedules. Even that notwithstanding you have to get some milk out before bouncing yourself around. So your choices are A) wait for the baby to wake up, feed him and then run or B) wake up earlier and pump.<br />
<br />
On the days my husband was home I did Choice A. But that didn't work for days he worked and I was home alone with the baby because my son got up for his morning feed around the time my husband had to get ready to leave. Plenty of moms do Choice B and bless their committed hearts. I had to pump at least once, sometimes 3 times a day and you had better believe I wasn't doing it any more than absolutely required. Also sleep is a premium comodity and I wasn't about to wake up and spend 30 minutes doing what the baby could get done in half that time.<br />
<br />
So the days I was home alone with my son that I wanted to run, he ended up coming along with me. We started off at just one mile. Then two. Then two and a half. We ran twice a week together. I had set that 4 mile run as some sort of benchmark where the distance was long enough it had been worth it to go out for a run. We busted through 4 miles and kept adding on. At the same time I got more confident with both running with the stroller on hills and more confident that my son wasn't going to pitch a fit when we were miles from home. It took almost 5 months of running together before I was brave enough to venture up and into Golden Gate Park with him and that was so freeing to be able to run on my old running routes again. Almost 7 months after our first 1 mile run together we ran our first 10 mile stroller run. <br />
<br />
Stroller running gives me such a feeling of satisfaction. Runners know how good it feels to go out in the pouring rain and get a run done. Stroller running is the same thing. You didn't have to, but you did it anyway and you end with such a feeling of accomplishment.<br />
<br />
After that we continued to do a double digit run usually at least once, sometimes twice a week. I learned very quickly that going out for a stroller run was the easiest way for me to get some me-time on his-time. I wasn't sacrificing sleep to get my runs done. It was a win-win situation. I was very lucky that my son was very cooperative with the whole song and dance, too. I learned to bring snacks and to present them strategically. As he got older I would tell him we would stop to look at trucks and ducks. I call us the Trucks and Ducks Running Club. Today if I tell him we're going for a run he will sometimes say, "Trucks and ducks!"<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOXp-fO9Js-TvXiqwjaHe21Tfei_0-VPWXlyiIMqEiTqIFfwRpYTSHOMsb2qD1sQJig-_m7oay-Uito7_Io4mLxx2XDgvlWiWI6M8b2FjUff-J4FxnIYwezccccWYFV-Xamqn31hlnhsD/s1600/IMG_4454.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOXp-fO9Js-TvXiqwjaHe21Tfei_0-VPWXlyiIMqEiTqIFfwRpYTSHOMsb2qD1sQJig-_m7oay-Uito7_Io4mLxx2XDgvlWiWI6M8b2FjUff-J4FxnIYwezccccWYFV-Xamqn31hlnhsD/s400/IMG_4454.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't remember when, but I decided since we could run 10 miles + the 0.5 mi walk to and from our starting/end point + the time it took me to do 40 box jumps and 40 calf raises, my son could definitely last the amount of time in the stroller it would take me to run 13.1 miles. We were so close to that distance anyhow. And I thought years from now I would look back and just be so wowed that I got up to that distance during my stint as a stroller runner.<br />
<br />
I settled on a small local half which was perfect for many reasons. 1) It was cheap. $10. This meant if something happened and we had to DNF it wasn't as if we had a lot of money invested. 2) It was very close to home. 3) It was a looped course which meant if my son was throwing a fit it would be very easy to drop out and have the car right there to head home. 4) They were stroller friendly. <br />
<br />
The half marathon also ended up falling on my son's 2nd birthday. I actually saw this as a negative because my parents were going to be in town. The idea of stealing my son away to push him for 2+ hours on his birthday seemed a little selfish. Frankly, I still feel a little selfish about it. But in the end, all those above reasons were too good to pass up and the timing worked well for my next race. I decided to look at it as a celebration of how far I've come back to running two years after the day in my life I was probably least able to run at all.<br />
<br />
I had originally planned to do lots of training runs around Lake Merced because I can easily run there from my home. I took the stroller on one 8 mile run that involved one loop of Lake Merced and decided I wasn't going to do that again until race day. Lake Merced running is decidedly much less desirable than running in Golden Gate Park. There is not much shade, only one water fountain, and way more foot traffic to dodge which is a major negative with the stroller. My running pace for that Lake Merced run was a bit faster than my average pace for a Golden Gate Park run so I decided Lake Merced was also less hilly and therefore training in Golden Gate Park was better preparation. Running the loop once with the stroller made me aware that there weren't any nasty elevation surprises and I was content with that small bit of race prep.<br />
<br />
I did quite a few 10 mile stroller runs before the race and a solo 14 miler just to ensure 13.1 wasn't the farthest distance I had run in the recent past. I even took a 35 lb kettle bell out for a 7 mile run the last week of training because my parents were already in town and I didn't want to cut into their time with my son. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU8bT_GGlkZHOtDgygNQpgRVcqXpILMkL43shh5zTtEuOTrP3jUkMk14_cdzaLxZCWR9ehl9yPTlvl7qe-cLusHNPov-SgaYZ8Z-SK60DMhWVIv0iG9UoT46Jj4hStWapUTPhFeegeWxK/s1600/IMG_4516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSU8bT_GGlkZHOtDgygNQpgRVcqXpILMkL43shh5zTtEuOTrP3jUkMk14_cdzaLxZCWR9ehl9yPTlvl7qe-cLusHNPov-SgaYZ8Z-SK60DMhWVIv0iG9UoT46Jj4hStWapUTPhFeegeWxK/s400/IMG_4516.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the record, the kettle bell is heavier than my son and the dense weight centered where it was made it very hard to steer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Race day came and I was really nervous. I had butterflies in my stomach. I have no idea why as this was probably the most low-key race with low-key expectations. The course was three loops around Lake Merced. The first loop was truncated by running over a bridge and the last two loops were the full 4.5 miles. For some reason I thought we were doing the truncated loop last which I liked because it would make the last loop the shortest which I thought would be mentally helpful. They changed things up and had us run the truncated loop first. Logistically this makes sense so they know to just direct everyone the first time out to the shortcut but I disliked the idea of having the longer loops last.<br />
<br />
My strategy going in was to run the first loop easy, the second loop with just a little more kick, and then to put on the gas the third loop. I usually stopped at about mile 5 to give my son a snack and I had brought along his usual cereal treat along with his water bottle.<br />
<br />
My parents and husband had decided to drop me off and see me start but then leave and return to see us finish. We had bought my son a kitchen set for his birthday and I had wanted it to be a surprise when we came home. So my husband and father put it together while I ran loops around the lake.<br />
<br />
I started way at the back of the pack so I wouldn't make anyone upset. I was a little worried about getting on pace because the Lake Merced pathway is not very wide. It was a little touch and go in the very beginning (and looking at the photo below I don't know how I got around so many people) but I found my space and stride within the first mile.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFC83YBpiedOAsb7CVtGVE5-dw7oxuHXg2tYs9hN6zUQBgRjFo4gWs_9oRHgbuG_ooYbK6L-O6HfU90mpMjsMxfdyCJu1OtWJ6ikwxnRFW1v7iod71rLtPhaaY-XHjmmho-o_GcGsDImSG/s1600/Merced.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFC83YBpiedOAsb7CVtGVE5-dw7oxuHXg2tYs9hN6zUQBgRjFo4gWs_9oRHgbuG_ooYbK6L-O6HfU90mpMjsMxfdyCJu1OtWJ6ikwxnRFW1v7iod71rLtPhaaY-XHjmmho-o_GcGsDImSG/s400/Merced.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's us taking off at the back of the pack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had made it my rough goal to come in faster than my first ever half marathon time. I thought it would be neat to run my first stroller half faster than my first ever half marathon. My first half was 2:19 and I was pretty sure coming in faster than that wouldn't be an issue. My average stroller running pace was usually in the area of 10:20. It wasn't a lofty goal, but it was a goal.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the direction we were running, Lake Merced has an overall downhill grade the first half of a loop and an overall uphill grade the second half. I was a little bit concerned about how we were going to make our way down to the bridge which shortened the first loop. It definitely would involve a little bit of off-road action as there are trail sections leading from the path down to the bridge. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We hit the turn for the bridge and I stopped to let two runners who were just behind me pass me before I navigated the packed dirt descent. It wasn't as horrible as I had dreaded and soon we were on the paved path again.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I was averaging a sub-10:00 pace which generally only happens on downhill splits of a stroller run. Before I knew it we had finished a whole loop and were headed back out for the second. Somewhere around mile 7 I looked down and saw that my son had fallen asleep. Once he falls asleep on runs he usually stays knocked out for about 45 minutes so I knew we probably wouldn't have any problems. As I finished up the second loop we came through one of two aid stations. I was running with my own bottle but was running low on water. I had to stop to refill. I really didn't want to wake up my son so I kept the stroller constantly moving while the volunteer at the aid station filled up my bottle.<br />
<br />
I couldn't believe how quickly the miles were ticking away. The last loop I averaged about a 9:06 pace with 1.5 miles worth of sub 9:00 running. My son woke up at just before mile 12. I heard him ask for his snack and I told him we were almost done could he pretty please wait? He didn't protest so I kept pushing. About a mile from the finish my family passed me in the car and honked and cheered for us. I gave it one final effort up to the finish area and finished in 2:03. I was really tickled with our 9:27 overall pace which is almost a minute per mile faster than most of our training stroller runs. My son did his part for race day magic and I didn't have to stop once for him the entire time. We often stop 2 or 3 times on a 10 mile training run for snacks and water breaks.<br />
<br />
The distance on my Garmin read 13.06 and after I crossed the finish I really wanted to go back out for the extra 0.04 miles. I am totally on board with courses measuring long with GPS but am super skeptical about ones which measure short. But it was obvious that my family wanted to get back home and on with the birthday festivities so I didn't bother appeasing my neurosis.<br />
<br />
This race closed out a long chapter in my running story. I had spent the last two years building back up to being able to run and then getting lots of base mileage done. I had spent the last year+ doing <i>so many</i> easy miles with my son and the stroller. My plan for after this half was to get back to more serious training with speed work and time goals. I was planning to drop down to one day a week stroller running after this race and it made me sad to think that our twice a week Trucks and Ducks tradition was coming to an end. Who knows what the future brings but I was pretty sure this was the end of the chapter titled, "Stroller Running" in my story. Stroller running is about to become a footnote instead of a main character.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7USZip8DRZd-1N-MKK3YSGamThsxxUkHKI5Ur8pxEn3pLj5ApMIEexUGazxUUL718X2BGW-L3sMmyOdQEqasdLK1pnlNa4FwDp9utSkVhQ5O446fGE1Zio7Ny755NSi_kDZqJFOgOUuB/s1600/DSC_3942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7USZip8DRZd-1N-MKK3YSGamThsxxUkHKI5Ur8pxEn3pLj5ApMIEexUGazxUUL718X2BGW-L3sMmyOdQEqasdLK1pnlNa4FwDp9utSkVhQ5O446fGE1Zio7Ny755NSi_kDZqJFOgOUuB/s400/DSC_3942.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My family got this all set up while we were out running.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ij_ngb0CjfigajIL9oKag_RDrNlgW0usGAfc_rUxgQQrELs2UQvwsAqu-s9Iy_cOLKhT8riqXAT5h_kQxqo4-xQoYzSOCWaLcSdOrgVlRNqxHZFs61d-Qc32NiB3kWUBgDfI7kguqy1Y/s1600/IMG_0381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ij_ngb0CjfigajIL9oKag_RDrNlgW0usGAfc_rUxgQQrELs2UQvwsAqu-s9Iy_cOLKhT8riqXAT5h_kQxqo4-xQoYzSOCWaLcSdOrgVlRNqxHZFs61d-Qc32NiB3kWUBgDfI7kguqy1Y/s400/IMG_0381.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The loot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-22208754467834268412016-09-12T18:01:00.001-07:002016-09-13T18:43:01.473-07:00Big Sur International Marathon<b>Marathon #41:</b><br />
<br />
This was my sixth running of the Big Sur Marathon. After Modesto my body needed a break and I wasn't able to give it one due to the timing between the races. Modesto was a little too far out to count as a last long run for Big Sur. I caught a nasty bug from my son immediately after the race. Modesto was on Sunday and by Tuesday I had a fever for the first time in years. This forced me to take a week off from running entirely. For 2-3 weeks after that I still felt extremely sluggish when running. I am not sure if it was Modesto or being sick or a combo but if I could have taken time off I probably wouldn't have run more than a few miles here and there. Instead, after a week off I jumped back into 6-10 mile runs pushing my son twice a week and built up to a 17 miler on my long run day. I did drop the fourth day of running with speed work I had been doing up until Modesto. I started to feel a little more like myself two weeks before Big Sur but I went into it looking forward to some down time afterwards.<br />
<br />
We drove down to Monterey a tad earlier than in years past so I wouldn't be stressed about making it by expo closing to get my bib. They are renovating the usual expo location at the hotel so it was located outside in giant tents this year. I was disappointed at the official merchandise (as usual) so I didn't grab anything. I stopped for a photo with Michael Martinez, the pianist. I told him my life's dream was for him to be playing "What a Wonderful World" as I cross Bixby so if he could please throw it into the rotation tomorrow that would be awesome. He said he would. Spoiler: It wasn't playing when I was there. I had planned to buy his CD if he had a new one this year but he didn't.<br />
<br />
We had early dinner reservations so that my son would be human while we ate so the expo was a quick stop. For the first time I stayed at a hotel across the street from the host hotel and I think I may do this more often in the future. I thought I would have to walk to the garages for the bus which would have been totally fine, but they surprised me with a bus ticket at the Mariott which was just one block away.<br />
<br />
My bus ticket was for 4-4:15 am departure so I left my hotel about 3:50 am. A couple of years ago I got totally motion sick on the drive down to the start and the only thing that saved me was the fact I had a whole seat to myself and could curl up and lie down. So I'm always a little nervous about this now. I was hoping to be at the front of the bus so I could see out the front window to keep me from feeling sick, but I ended up towards the middle and there was no chance of having your own seat as they were packing the busses full. <br />
<br />
The woman I sat next to wasn't particularly chatty, but that was okay because I wasn't in a chatty mood, either. We talked briefly and when she found out I had run the race 5 times previously asked if I had any advice. I told her two things: 1. Enjoy the views 2. Every up has an equal down. She also asked about the wind and I told her that it had been really windy in the past but the nice thing is the course meanders and you get some protection from the wind every now and then. I felt a tiny bit sick for a few moments but nothing terrible and I made it to the start okay. I was trying to think if there is any other race that busses you to the start while you ride the <i>entire actual course</i> and I couldn't think of another that I have done.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bu-t4ypmAWEY0FisyeXZyAmbphilLK5536vALhbIjPXsJluGYx_rqxmxu0Crc9s2N2y9xxMFJbIRiAPoYp8ORSgrARAQlvul9Tg3U-upvZXI8Ua4r69bdvT1UwZdSj8viIlKBPOBpi7y/s1600/IMG_4122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bu-t4ypmAWEY0FisyeXZyAmbphilLK5536vALhbIjPXsJluGYx_rqxmxu0Crc9s2N2y9xxMFJbIRiAPoYp8ORSgrARAQlvul9Tg3U-upvZXI8Ua4r69bdvT1UwZdSj8viIlKBPOBpi7y/s400/IMG_4122.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portapotty humor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The start area was not as horrible as it has been in the past but it was definitely very congested. I do not think they can increase the size of the field purely for the limit of how many bodies they can cram in the start area. The portapotty lines actually went through areas of people who had sat down on the ground. It was pretty hard to find a spot to sit. It wasn't nearly as cold this year as it has been in the past and I second guessed my choice of wearing a long sleeve shirt. I thought it was going to be a windy day but the announcers were saying that there was very little wind up on their perch and that it was going to be a perfect day to run.<br />
<br />
The portapotty lines weren't so long and I used them three times since they were accessible. They encourage people to get up on the road very early but I've learned to linger as long as possible. There is a gear check bag right by the start line and I usually check my sweats to reuse again. That is one nice thing about this race. You can bring things you want to use at the start vs. just things you want to have at the finish. At Disney, for example, gear check is probably a mile from the corrals so you have to give your bag up pretty early before the race starts.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCAUneptK7W3Z6MLYMFiXqe9p4eYk05A1HME1PA7makfiaXNujVSbp4ODMu-1o5XT2fprY3pcdgvACG5Aj07PcvpqcoIWz4FObM-9oeEsFqqFNgVU5oX9hQ_ct6cuxLVe0jPbgnN43ze/s1600/IMG_4123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUCAUneptK7W3Z6MLYMFiXqe9p4eYk05A1HME1PA7makfiaXNujVSbp4ODMu-1o5XT2fprY3pcdgvACG5Aj07PcvpqcoIWz4FObM-9oeEsFqqFNgVU5oX9hQ_ct6cuxLVe0jPbgnN43ze/s400/IMG_4123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd heading up to the start. Note the check bag truck to the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
I took off somewhere in the middle of wave 2 once the 4:30 pace group had passed me. There was a man dribbling a basketball and I prayed he would not be around me the entire race. He mentioned to someone that he was thinking of a 6:00 finish so I tried to ignore the sound of the bouncing ball and figured sooner or later he'd be a memory. The early miles in the trees were uneventful but once we hit the coast the weather for the day was revealed. Cloudy and WINDY. Man alive, I don't know what those announcers were smoking but it was very, very windy and hitting you full force in the face. We passed a flagpole at one point and a man running by me said "There's a picture!" and stopped to take a photo of the flag whipping full horizontal in the wind.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI7TUi3QoNCRFT2-JWOBCnEDxp_M237zeMyEBVYUv_ChJyC-Oh4PQHhYnK59oeXQ0TD2fIy_I4l8ik6hi5IpNILzTmVpGC_meQ6mpK9q9ord6shBHCTlgDVyGnkIesjmSbnv3T408TIBa/s1600/IMG_4126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVI7TUi3QoNCRFT2-JWOBCnEDxp_M237zeMyEBVYUv_ChJyC-Oh4PQHhYnK59oeXQ0TD2fIy_I4l8ik6hi5IpNILzTmVpGC_meQ6mpK9q9ord6shBHCTlgDVyGnkIesjmSbnv3T408TIBa/s400/IMG_4126.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to see, but "San Francisco 143." I always think "I love you, San Francisco" whenever I pass this sign.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
I do recall thinking in the early miles that the course seemed a lot more congested than it had in the past. I don't know if this is just my memory playing tricks on me or an actual thing. I was running near a pace group which might have made things feel more crowded but I definitely felt more boxed in than in the past. I walked at the second water stop to eat a gel at around mile 5 and after that things really opened up for the rest of the race.<br />
<br />
The hill at mile 9 struck me as being harder than I remembered, but there was a nice descent on the other side which swept me towards my absolute favorite miles in marathoning. The road winds down to the Taiko drummers at the base of Hurricane Point. I was straining in the blasting wind to hear the drums but it was very hard this year. I stopped for a photo op with the drummers then buckled up for the 2 mile climb up to Hurricane Point.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="1138" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/182326269" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="550"></iframe></div>
<br />
My strategy for the race was to walk when eating gels, walk through aid stations, and run easy the rest of the time until that became impossible. I had planned to take my gels at miles 5, 10, 15, and 20. Mile 10 is just past the beginning of Hurricane Point so I took a nice breather there. I recalled all the false summits to the top and at last year's race when I told a poor guy who asked that I thought the summit was just around the bend, d'oh. The top of the hill is firmly at mile 12 so until you are there, you aren't there yet!<br />
<br />
The wind was wicked. Even non-windy years Hurricane Point tends to be windy. I cinched my hat tighter to prevent it from blowing away (I wore my favorite, now forever unavailable vintage JackRabbit hat) as I had seen a few people chasing their hats down the road earlier in the race. Then down the other side of the hill towards Bixby Bridge. There are always people agape during the descent stopping on the side of the road to get photos with the bridge. Whenever there was a break from the wind I tried to hear the piano playing.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/182326380" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It is a very short video, but you can get a sense of how windy it was by looking at people's clothes (check out the guy in the white shirt taking the photo)</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfECYLUv6GJV-TJzMaPqCMnZ8YWtu8Qi-74eIFO2yJ6hIhZaUap0SShiiZRscZS4H8_p6T4HOvjOuq5MiPCqgveJMObKwKmBX2bvQrHzPLx8AZb-0fHO-oVD6zr5VgF0k7NvJ77M0YMNo/s1600/IMG_4136.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfECYLUv6GJV-TJzMaPqCMnZ8YWtu8Qi-74eIFO2yJ6hIhZaUap0SShiiZRscZS4H8_p6T4HOvjOuq5MiPCqgveJMObKwKmBX2bvQrHzPLx8AZb-0fHO-oVD6zr5VgF0k7NvJ77M0YMNo/s400/IMG_4136.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I got a little choked up as I approached Bixby. I love, love, love this marathon and I kept reminding myself how lucky I was to be here this year. I thought about how far my running has come in the past year and how grateful I was for all of that. With the lottery nothing is guaranteed and I kept telling myself to savor every view and footstep.<br />
<br />
This year "Linus and Lucy" was playing as I crossed the bridge. The song always makes me a little sad because I regret not using it as our recessional song at our wedding. But now hopefully instead of that thought I'll think of Bixby whenever I hear it playing. I stopped for a photo with the piano which is almost a futile thing. My first year I ran I have a photo with the piano and pianist with a beautiful backdrop and not one other runner in the photo with us. This year, there were people taking photos with him from both sides and the photos I got are just not special. Imagine 6 people taking photos with the piano at the same time with people standing behind it taking pictures of the scenery. I think this is a direct result of camera cellphones increasing the number of people with cameras on the course. Back in 2009 most people had to carry their digital cameras and I guess not as many people were willing to do that. Or people got rude. I tend to think it is the first.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfSuK6uKseEHm5PD7otElo4rQlgzwG6mGZayYaRcBmkXSJpBbX0xWFqjeFWpdSDBUTv8htRiVeEBIy-jpMStZcp9wdXtfj3DHnSn3AA5Es_4HtfPNnChRLzgyIZh7vTtbr3MsMgk6dI63/s1600/IMG_4141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfSuK6uKseEHm5PD7otElo4rQlgzwG6mGZayYaRcBmkXSJpBbX0xWFqjeFWpdSDBUTv8htRiVeEBIy-jpMStZcp9wdXtfj3DHnSn3AA5Es_4HtfPNnChRLzgyIZh7vTtbr3MsMgk6dI63/s400/IMG_4141.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The situation around the piano does not look too crowded above, but all the photos of me and the piano have people taking selfies from every angle all around me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
I also grabbed some shots with the scenery farther down the road. For about a mile after Bixby the scenery remains magical and there is a downhill that makes your Bixby high give you wings. I couldn't believe I had already run 14 miles. Then the harder miles come and the scenery drops a notch in impressiveness. I buckled on my big girl pants for the working part of this marathon.<br />
<br />
The wind was pretty brutal and I was hoping my busmate wasn't shaking her fist at me for what I had said. I mean, it is true that the course winds a bit and the hills will occasionally block some of the headwind but most of the time it just felt like you were running straight into it. At one point we wound around a hill that protected us and my pace immediately felt so much easier even though we were going uphill. For a short stretch there were some scattered drops and I thought for a few minutes it might actually drizzle. That coupled with the wind made me happy with my long sleeve shirt selection for the day. It wasn't a cold cutting wind, but it was a little chilly. I even saw one runner pick up a discarded sweatshirt on the side of the road to use.<br />
<br />
At mile 16 when I stopped for a photo-op I tried to text my husband to let him know my ETA but there was no cell service. I was getting worried about him having to wait at the finish with a toddler for so long but there was no way for me to let him know. A woman was giving out free hugs at mile 18. In the past the hug station was at mile 23 or so, but I took it when I could get it. Always fun.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXSjQUMrI9MHXltmmfhXr0RpLTR1-xKLmnyvFlgcZzJoX_fTuTfaziQo3c5na4M0eBoORo3Zc6vGyOHSRbYhzPBprudxHjNQQ0aFjay9pWzIsSKIQh5iS3dV5Q__QkG8HKh8EWvETObJt/s1600/IMG_4158.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXSjQUMrI9MHXltmmfhXr0RpLTR1-xKLmnyvFlgcZzJoX_fTuTfaziQo3c5na4M0eBoORo3Zc6vGyOHSRbYhzPBprudxHjNQQ0aFjay9pWzIsSKIQh5iS3dV5Q__QkG8HKh8EWvETObJt/s400/IMG_4158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I had read a previous race report the night before the race that there had been a hill at mile 21. So I saved my last gel for mile 21 so that I could take a little bit of a walk break there. I remembered that there was one last big hill on the course and for some reason I thought that mile 21 hill was it. Turns out, the last big uphill is at mile 22.<br />
<br />
At this point I was walking a portion of the uphills and starting to fret more and more about my husband and toddler at the finish line. I had been leap frogging for most of the race with a gentleman. I remembered him because he had the quote, "Life is short but running makes it feel longer" written on the back of his shirt. At one point he passed me as I was walking uphill and made a comment to me. Then later when I started running on the downhill I caught up to him and he struck up a conversation.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I wasn't looking for a chat buddy. I was engrossed in savoring every bit of this race on the chance I didn't get accepted again for 10 years. But the conversation was so good I couldn't not run with him. This guy had run every single Big Sur Marathon. He was also on the Board of Directors. It was so neat to ask him questions and pick his brain about the race and living in the area. I have a dream goal of one day retiring in Pacific Grove. This man was living my dream. <br />
<br />
Up until running with me he had been doing run-walk intervals (which explained all the leap-frogging we had done) but he had decided to run it in the last 4 miles to the finish. And because I was enjoying our conversation I ran those last 4 miles, too. We minimally walked through aid stations or not at all. I even ran up the entire mile 25 hill (which isn't so big but feels like a mountain at that point) for only the second time ever. My race had been spiraling more and more into a run-walk finish but having a friend to run with gave me new wings and I felt great. I read somewhere once that the people you meet on a race course feel like lifetime friends for the miles you share and this was definitely the case.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
As we approached the finish line I saw my husband and son off to the side cheering. It is always the best boost to get over the finish line. We finished at 4:48. Not the best Big Sur time, not the slowest Big Sur time, but definitely a memorable finish.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm07EwN5Y6cdzxfzDAM7Ca9g4H7z5cR3nNv3bW7EYZZOhoIvHnvEd3Eo1cLFwXwkFMnplIdQ-jg31ZPTvDhfNvONQ8WtqCK2nJDzdcA5tNXJPNvDqIRM_oqpH_s4aYXFc3zmoNsYLKFFb/s1600/IMG_4167.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm07EwN5Y6cdzxfzDAM7Ca9g4H7z5cR3nNv3bW7EYZZOhoIvHnvEd3Eo1cLFwXwkFMnplIdQ-jg31ZPTvDhfNvONQ8WtqCK2nJDzdcA5tNXJPNvDqIRM_oqpH_s4aYXFc3zmoNsYLKFFb/s400/IMG_4167.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
My husband actually made the above sign for the 2015 Big Sur Marathon, my first marathon post-baby. But at the finish he couldn't figure out how to hold the sign AND the 9 month old so it stayed rolled up under the stroller. And believe it or not I never saw it. So he brought it for the 2016 race. That is our son's 9 month old (1 year and 9 months old at this year's race)"signature" at the bottom right.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBVEFKSQ4HlOMHdTMXeYVz251JtVIT6PD_aoLMZRbXFprJdFrRfF10qysomxy3dImBIJ0OtWd_Q-iJPR9mOLzY3uXMJoKCRC5drv0YcwWDAB8-Q3EbJts2hu64ncavdPDSs3n0ZgaIKme/s1600/DSC_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBVEFKSQ4HlOMHdTMXeYVz251JtVIT6PD_aoLMZRbXFprJdFrRfF10qysomxy3dImBIJ0OtWd_Q-iJPR9mOLzY3uXMJoKCRC5drv0YcwWDAB8-Q3EbJts2hu64ncavdPDSs3n0ZgaIKme/s400/DSC_4102.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">The shirt this year looks just like the </span><a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2011/05/big-sur-inernational-marathon.html" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">2011 shirt</a><span style="text-align: start;"> which is a bit of a let down. Big Sur used to do really nice graphics on their shirts. Admittedly, they weren't great for sweating because they are like giant plastic patches on the back of the shirt, but they were so pretty. They could definitely up their graphic design a bit if only to be able to read the words easier.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As always, my favorite marathon did not disappoint. I was told by my new friend that he thought this year's wind was one of the top 3 windiest years at Big Sur. I ran <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2012/05/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">another year</a> which was pretty windy which makes me suspicious that I have run for 2 of the 3 windiest years. At any rate, that bit of news made me feel like quite the survivor.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I am happy to report that I was accepted in the lottery to run in 2017 so I'll be back again next year. I had no clue this was the case until my lively chat during the race, but the more times you have run Big Sur, the better your odds in the Loyalty lottery. I am hoping to keep on adding finishes until I cross some magical guaranteed accepted threshold. This is the one I want to run every year until I don't run these any more.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2009/04/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2009</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2010/04/big-sur-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2010</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2011/05/big-sur-inernational-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2011</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2012/05/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2012</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2015/09/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">Big Sur 2015</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-29653096479370633502016-07-24T16:26:00.001-07:002016-07-24T16:26:33.880-07:00Modesto Marathon<b>Marathon #40:</b><br />
<br />
I signed up for this race for two reasons. One, I thought the medal and shirt were really sweet. Two, I consider Modesto to be the best PR course in driveable distance to SF and wanted to check it out again. I raced it 4 years ago (and did PR) but I couldn't remember a lot about it and wanted to refresh my memory. I am not in PR shape at the moment but am hoping maybe next year I will be and I may target Modesto as my next PR attempt.<br />
<br />
I wedged this into the schedule after Disney and figured it would be sort of a nice long run for Big Sur. We will see how that works out. It was a bit too far out from Big Sur to stand in as a last long run but a little too close for me to possibly fit another 20 miler into the schedule.<br />
<br />
The one thing I really like about this race is that the host hotel is both the site for the expo and is a couple of blocks away from the start/finish. Staying at this hotel worked out really well the first time I ran this race so I booked a room there again. For a Modesto hotel it may not be the cheapest, but in the grand scheme of hotel prices it is a decent price. I just made it to the expo before it closed and easily picked up all my race stuff. It is a small race so it has a small expo and you can be in and out really quickly.<br />
<br />
I went to collect my free bottle of wine that the race was giving out from a restaurant across the street from the hotel. I noticed there was a movie theatre across the street from the restaurant so ended up catching a movie that night. Such a treat after having a kid. I also ended up eating dinner at that restaurant after the movie since they were offering "free pasta with beverage purchase (limit one per table)" to runners. I don't think they counted on single me coming in and getting a $3.50 orange juice.<br />
<br />
I had one thing going on this race which made me 5% nervous. I decided to run with my Orange Mud hydration pack with a tank top on. I've run loads of miles in long sleeve/short sleeve shirts but this was the first time I was going to try it with the straps touching bare skin. I put enough body glide on the area to move an elephant down a tube slide but it was one of those "never try anything new on race morning" things that could have been a really bad idea. I also decided to use a smaller than normal bottle with the Orange Mud pack. I usually run with a tall bottle that is easy to reach but I like to run with smaller bottles at races since there are aid stations along the way. I bought myself a smaller Kleen Kanteen the day before the race -- I tested to make sure I could still get it in and out even though it was shorter but I didn't know if it would cause issues on a run.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GovYf_-uhA8cbehZwfATwVLLEOhPrdwwh0jr6Sj9bu1-FNw6WMNWN_sLNxPrCh_bO1IhcbJUqHQLcC7zwoPALmJWqr2I_FDpkCoQhIWCpTHlhR-zmq7JCveVJbfL_pphivHdVpDh-jI4/s1600/Trey-5288+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GovYf_-uhA8cbehZwfATwVLLEOhPrdwwh0jr6Sj9bu1-FNw6WMNWN_sLNxPrCh_bO1IhcbJUqHQLcC7zwoPALmJWqr2I_FDpkCoQhIWCpTHlhR-zmq7JCveVJbfL_pphivHdVpDh-jI4/s400/Trey-5288+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orange Mud situation. Staps on bare skin -- potentially day ruining, but I gambled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
This was probably only the third or fourth time I could walk to the race start on race morning. I was meeting a friend in the lobby and we planned to get going about 15 minutes before the race. Getting a little more sleep, using your own private bathroom -- luxuries on race morning, people! The last time I ran this race the weather was marathon awesome: It was overcast and in the 40s the entire race. Perfect. This year was not to be a repeat. It was in the mid-50s at the start and they were forecasting 70s by the finish. The start ended up being delayed for almost 20 minutes due to road closures not happening on time. This was annoying from a temperature perspective but since I had good company it was not a total loss.</div>
<br />
This was the first marathon I have done in a while that I was in shape to actually run all the way through. Goofy was done on tired legs and involved a lot of photo stops. Big Sur I couldn't run much during training. As such I decided it might be fun to have some very loose goals. My easy running pace these days is about 9:45-10:00 so I decided it was realistic to do a marathon at that pace. a 9:45ish pace puts you at a 4:15 finish and a 10:00 pace a 4:20 finish. I decided to make a sub-4:20 my B-goal and a sub-4:15 my A-goal.<br />
<br />
Since my target pace is my easy running pace I just went out easy and natural. I remembered that the roads in town had been pretty chewed up the last time I ran. They must have repaved in the last four years because I didn't notice this being an issue at all this year. The first 4 miles or so you are in the town portion of Modesto. There are lots of turns in this area before you pop over an overpass bridge (they had a sign that said, "Mount Modesto 113'"), the first of two hills on the course. There were a few people out playing music in these areas which was a nice boost. It would be awesome if the race would bring music out into the long out-and-back areas of the course.<br />
<br />
I was pleasantly surprised that there was actually decent shade on the course through mile 9ish. It was warm, yes, but it wasn't a factor as early as I expected because of the shade. I only remembered long open stretches of road on this course and didn't think there would be much shade at all.<br />
<br />
The half marathoners peeled of a little before mile 8 and you start the long out and back that is the rest of the race. This is not the most interesting course but even taking it easy I didn't find it boring or uninspiring. There are lots of agriculture fields, cows, horses, and houses. At one point we ran by a field of kale and it smelled divine. Kale. Who knew? There are spectators occasionally but this is not the race for you if you are externally motivated when running. The aid stations were plenty plentiful and the volunteers overall did a great job of calling out if they were holding Gatorade or water. Only once I grabbed a Gatorade thinking it was water. Because of the expected heat I did take a cup through every aid station but I didn't dawdle, and got back running as soon as possible.<br />
<br />
One small thing I appreciated was that the race advertised that there would be trash cans at every mile marker. Because of the out and back nature of the race the mile markers came up more than every mile. This was really helpful since I take a gel at miles 5, 10, 15, and 20 and that timing does not always coincide with an aid station to throw away my wrapper. When you know a trash can is coming up it makes it a lot easier to hold onto your trash. At lots of races people will toss wrappers at mile markers (assuming correctly that someone from the race will have to come to collect the marker and why not the trash) and it felt like such an easy yet small touch to have a trash can for us.<br />
<br />
When I hit mile 10.5 or 11 the leaders started coming back in the opposite direction. I had a lot of fun cheering for them. As I mentioned there are not a lot of spectators at this race and I figured they could use the boost. For a short while I was running by two men who were also hearty cheerers for the returning runners and that got me running energized for a while. The low-3:00s pace groups were coming back and they would yell "That's Boston!" which got some smiles from otherwise pained faces. The men had way too much energy (one was even jumping over marathon signage that came up to my waist) but somehow I pulled ahead of them after a short while and lost my cheering buddies.<br />
<br />
The race feels pancake flat but technically has a very slight downhill trend the first half and a very slight uphill trend the second if you look at elevation charts. I don't know if it was cheering for the returning runners or that the downhill portion really has an effect but my pace was fastest right before the turnaround going into the 9:20s or 9:30s without my even trying. It also felt slightly harder on the return after the turnaround but maybe I just used up all my extra gas on the approach.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5rE1YRWD_4hDrS54LJjWqOWHVFuv2dQHzo9O48kkVGjuxk6svIx6gGaniNUZvySpv6tsYrFtqTHsCedgaZNfXBLMqJdiODGUfazNj0_5ix7xKg6m9MUYzf9qapOcr-qcz3BPJ1yIRHZW/s1600/Elevation.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5rE1YRWD_4hDrS54LJjWqOWHVFuv2dQHzo9O48kkVGjuxk6svIx6gGaniNUZvySpv6tsYrFtqTHsCedgaZNfXBLMqJdiODGUfazNj0_5ix7xKg6m9MUYzf9qapOcr-qcz3BPJ1yIRHZW/s400/Elevation.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevation per my Garmin. Really flat. But you can see the slight downhill/uphill trend and the little blips for the overpass.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Everyone loves the turnaround of an out and back and it felt good to be heading home. I was still feeling peppy at this point and even had a thought that maybe I would get through this whole marathon and just feel like it was a normal long run. Those have of late been ending at 20 miles. Spoiler: It didn't quite pan out.<br />
<br />
My hydration pack wasn't giving me any issues which I was very thankful about. It was a calculated and probably a poor risk but it was working out. However I kept thinking to myself, "you don't feel chafing until you feel it..." The smaller water bottle was a touch harder to reach to remove from the pack but it was worth the trade off for less weight, I think. Though I suppose I could use my larger bottle and just fill it only a quarter full or so. Ideas to ponder for the future.<br />
<br />
Even though there are long straightaways on this course it is so flat you can't see that far ahead in the distance. So that aspect of the course did not bother me mentally at all. I tried to note when it started to actually feel hot and for me it was around mile 17 or 18. I cursed the 20 minute late start around this time and imagined how nice it would have been to be 2 miles farther down the road. But really, I expected the heat to be a factor much sooner in the day so I can't complain about this. There was a light breeze here and there that helped to keep you cool. I had mentioned in the past that on a windy day this would be a horrible course with the long straightaways but that wasn't an issue this year.<br />
<br />
I did start to feel off right around when the heat became noticeable. One strange thing that happened was that I got a very tight ball in my stomach just below my ribs. It wasn't a side stitch but felt more like a huge air bubble. It made me uncomfortable and stopped me from feeling motivated to pick up the pace. Originally I had wanted to run a little stronger the last 5 miles. As I got closer to that time and my desire to run any faster was low I cut down on the distance. Okay, maybe the last 4 miles. Maybe the last 3 miles. Maybe just hold this pace until the end. I was slowing down slightly and knew I had to give it a honest kick if I wanted to come under 4:15. With my air bubble and the heat I decided it wasn't something I was willing to dig for today.<br />
<br />
There was a woman cheering with a spray bottle asking runners if they wanted to be misted. Sweet coolness for 5 seconds! I need to remember this if I'm ever cheering at a hot race in the future. I took advantage of all of the aid stations. Since it is small race the aid stations are not that long so you have to be sure to grab everything you need in one go. I only had to refill the water bottle I was carrying once. A volunteer saw me (I thought) running up to the table as I unscrewed my bottle and she picked up the pitcher. I was so glad. I hate having to try to find the large bottle myself or pouring cup after cup into my bottle to fill it. This won't take but two seconds! At the last moment I realized that a runner right in front of me had the same idea so I had to stand there while her (giant) bottle got filled. Not as efficient as I had hoped.<br />
<br />
As we got towards the end I was scanning the horizon for my hotel. It is the only tall building in the area and I knew the finish line was just a few blocks from the building. I have to say, mercifully, you can't spot the hotel when you are still 4 miles out. I can't remember when exactly you could see it, but not so early that it seems so far away in the distance.<br />
<br />
The overpass was a welcome hill. I am to used to running on such flat terrain and it felt good to use some different muscles for a stretch. Given my state of when-is-this-over-how-did-I-think-it-would-feel-like-a-training-run-at-the-end feelings I decided the last mile I would bump it up and press on the gas a little. I switched my Garmin over to time vs. distance and realized I was actually a lot closer to running a sub-4:15 than I thought I had been. With only a mile to go I knew there was no way I would get it done, though. But I still pushed as much as I could the last mile and change. I actually felt better than I thought I was going to when I stepped on the gas so in hindsight probably could have upped the effort a mile or two sooner.<br />
<br />
4:15:38<br />
26.33 miles per Garmin<br />
<br />
They had Doritos at the finish which is probably the best post race food ever. They also had a tent which was printing out free finish line photos. They were currently printing photos from over an hour before my finish time when I stopped by it and I didn't have time to wait around. They also provide free race photos online to download after the race which is an awesome perk I wish more races would consider offering.<br />
<br />
Out of 40 marathons, this was my 8th fastest finish which I was fairly tickled about. That statistic really just speaks to the easy-running nature of the majority of my marathon career. But the faster finishes came off of very dedicated marathon training cycles. It was nice to know I could hit this mark off of only 3-4 runs a week with most of the miles very easy. I had started doing very short interval work once a week and threw in some fast finish long runs a few times but I never was on a rigid training cycle.<br />
<br />
I personally really loved the swag and it was quite a motivating factor in me signing up for Modesto this year:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqbSBvpFK1KJDXW2yaUlYMUHiZ1FYKBQh0M1ia13BQSLOpm5ufHOwuX4xrS7t8fN88kwAdhk6VGwhNntZVcZFuZDS8qOGrNyEMNsjEtRSUHb-3GB7t9QoeW1Hqhl3Pc0mn8UOivuT4tPf/s1600/IMG_3986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqbSBvpFK1KJDXW2yaUlYMUHiZ1FYKBQh0M1ia13BQSLOpm5ufHOwuX4xrS7t8fN88kwAdhk6VGwhNntZVcZFuZDS8qOGrNyEMNsjEtRSUHb-3GB7t9QoeW1Hqhl3Pc0mn8UOivuT4tPf/s400/IMG_3986.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am not a comic book/superhero person, but I really loved the theming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyDKl9NdlyVl7_663LBeRGgG11t4v1pwAJV0p65NN4ivgUTc8OrEZJ1czz_sCmPs52TYraWHJ0DCYHyyGpfhjr1n-e7zJjqYCrbkxNxORx4tj4Zaz-ABqkOyI7MnRs7sdCi2qBUcnR4uM/s1600/DSC_4039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyDKl9NdlyVl7_663LBeRGgG11t4v1pwAJV0p65NN4ivgUTc8OrEZJ1czz_sCmPs52TYraWHJ0DCYHyyGpfhjr1n-e7zJjqYCrbkxNxORx4tj4Zaz-ABqkOyI7MnRs7sdCi2qBUcnR4uM/s320/DSC_4039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The medal had magnets and a kickstand on the back so you could display it easier. I have a gazillion race medals and have never encountered this before. Genius (though mine is in a box under the bed).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfxaMnO4LgmqYLjaD8sTPwVEfYMb8KtHsrpkPQ8es-k9cMgXsi0C6fVTYZ8TMDINon_adMvXBHp0dvmLg3QgLoJcGvahtcfVaaSOjit9P9UspeAzINMtRrduiKXKmFMEeIRHmWMYNYmUP/s1600/DSC_4041.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfxaMnO4LgmqYLjaD8sTPwVEfYMb8KtHsrpkPQ8es-k9cMgXsi0C6fVTYZ8TMDINon_adMvXBHp0dvmLg3QgLoJcGvahtcfVaaSOjit9P9UspeAzINMtRrduiKXKmFMEeIRHmWMYNYmUP/s400/DSC_4041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN8W9M5kmxL0h0YXUV_hS3UjLL_2NXIKMes-2ckER_xEHdgpRrJoiVwTPwlgcxl10hmQtERK2Myuu6Kuan1exPoO5PHWdbgDUk2haGhuOHvHN6bIP8t_S-Mmi4pXYu4bNtwkbmEbnyNuH/s1600/DSC_4042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN8W9M5kmxL0h0YXUV_hS3UjLL_2NXIKMes-2ckER_xEHdgpRrJoiVwTPwlgcxl10hmQtERK2Myuu6Kuan1exPoO5PHWdbgDUk2haGhuOHvHN6bIP8t_S-Mmi4pXYu4bNtwkbmEbnyNuH/s320/DSC_4042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They had different sizes available, but the smallest size is still way too big for me. Probably shouldn't have even bothered taking the arm warmers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm glad I fit this into the schedule. I wouldn't hesitate to consider it for a PR race. The weather is the biggest gamble, but that is always the case. Even with the warmer temps this year, the course had more shade than I expected in the early miles and it wasn't as big of an issue as early as I had expected it to be (though on a warm day the latter miles are going to be really dreadful). It is well organized and very convenient logistically with the host hotel so close to the start line. I personally prefer races which are smaller like this when I am going for a time goal so I can really concentrate on the running. There aren't tons of spectators, but the pockets of cheerers were enthusiastic. The <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2012/03/modesto-marathon.html" target="_blank">last time</a> I ran it, my husband was out on the course cheering and it was very easy for him to see me at various points along the course.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note to self: Take the San Mateo bridge when coming home. Every year you think the Bay Bridge will be faster and I don't think that has ever worked out. You spent AN HOUR just driving over the Bay Bridge to get home. Also, do yourself a favor and take the rolling suitcase.</span>RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-73606228693161018392016-03-24T13:47:00.000-07:002016-09-12T20:13:40.499-07:00Half Marathon of the Treasure CoastIn the beginning of March we took a whirlwind trip to Florida and New York to visit family. We are all still traumatized from traveling with a toddler so let us not speak of that again. I had a 16 mile run on the schedule and no idea where I would get it done in Florida. My husband suggested I look to see if there were any running clubs in the area. I did a quick search and realized that there was going to be a half marathon in the town we were in the exact day I needed to do my long run. What were the chances? Huzzah!!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We did not arrive at our hotel in Florida until around 10:00 pm and the race started at 6:30 am. I was completely exhausted and my alarm went off at the California equivalent time of 2 am. Not cool. I somehow managed to sneak out of the hotel room without waking my husband or son and my cab was downstairs waiting to take me to the race (Sidenote: When we arrived at the hotel I asked the guy at the front desk if they had Uber in the area and he looked at me like I had two heads).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had written to the race director beforehand about a good area to knock out my 3 miles pre-race and he assured me the whole area was safe and well-lit. I ended up just going out a block or two and coming back and then eventually found a parking lot that I circled until I logged 3 miles. My main concern about running in Florida was that it was going to be warm. The low temp was already at the equivalent of an average San Francisco day. A few runners were parking in or near the lot I was running around and heading in to the race. I was probably only a quarter mile from the race start and I found it really odd that there weren't more cars coming into the parking lot. I guess it has been a while since I ran a small race. Or more accurately, it has been a long time since I ran a race that had lots of free parking close to the start.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I got back to the start area with about 10 minutes to spare which had been my plan. It wasn't urgent but I figured I should use the portapotty before lining up for the start. For a while I didn't think I would make it but I was able to get in and out before the gun went off. So kudos to them for having just enough toilets. They had on-your-honor start corrals based on your pace. My goal for the day was to run the first 8 miles easy (about 10:00 pace) and then pick-up the pace for the last 5 miles. I had been doing these fast finish long runs since Disney. I alternated a week of a long slow run, then the next week I would cut-back on mileage a little bit but do the last 3-4 miles hard. In my training runs I had been averaging a low-8:00 pace for the last few miles of 14-15 mile runs which for me nowadays is pretty phenomenal. I was looking forward to doing this in a race setting.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfO9RytMqE-ewBg5AwuwMkfhCIWar5e_6xr7aykl6jGQ-OPVOBAdnkaY_3jDztkz-YT4bso1Zc8ZBNen3D4Mr5Bqj7Rthk8v-BLCBjMXs3RZ41VHq0S7ZYDtf7AucMu5KuY6GB1R_oxiE/s1600/IMG_3846.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfO9RytMqE-ewBg5AwuwMkfhCIWar5e_6xr7aykl6jGQ-OPVOBAdnkaY_3jDztkz-YT4bso1Zc8ZBNen3D4Mr5Bqj7Rthk8v-BLCBjMXs3RZ41VHq0S7ZYDtf7AucMu5KuY6GB1R_oxiE/s320/IMG_3846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They let us off in waves in a very low-key start. The race sort of criss-crosses through downtown Stuart, through residential roads, over a bridge (the only notable hill), more residential roads, back over the bridge to the finish. There were A LOT of turns which doesn't make it the fastest course I have run. My favorite part was the boardwalk. It was a wooden walkway about 7 feet across that had no railings and was suspended over the water. The sun was coming up over the water and the view was gorgeous. I wondered if anyone had ever fallen over the side into the water trying to get around someone.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyz8ePgC9hYJJehldL57L6foK5g_6AsQQOQkSHZoASTBvr8DwG-AffdNGx5bZH0F7n4DOKA2SEcEWMf_JGnVdQS-oQeUEoqDzumL-Q5WsKFnI0iuGFEhMSWEbt_3iU4uWR4UH9hqx3O2ic/s1600/Treasure.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyz8ePgC9hYJJehldL57L6foK5g_6AsQQOQkSHZoASTBvr8DwG-AffdNGx5bZH0F7n4DOKA2SEcEWMf_JGnVdQS-oQeUEoqDzumL-Q5WsKFnI0iuGFEhMSWEbt_3iU4uWR4UH9hqx3O2ic/s400/Treasure.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am not sure if the temperature stamp is from the beginning or end of the run, but I call foul if that is the end temp. Felt like 70s at the end to me. Edited to add: Yes, that is the start temp. Phew, I'm not crazy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
I had a water bottle on me, but I also walked through every aid station to keep hydrated. It was warm for this San Franciscan. I kept my running pace in the high-9:00s, low-10:00s which was right where I wanted to be. Honestly, it felt just right in the heat. I had been feeling so awesome on my long runs recently I had been worried about holding back in a race setting but that wasn't a problem.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As we were running by some houses, a woman by me said, "Now there is a piece of social history!" There was a Trump sign on the lawn. "We should knock on their door," she joked. "Come on out and let us see who you are!" We passed two Trump signs on lawns I remember during the race. No comment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The course had tons of turns but also had excellent signage. There was a full marathon also going on and it was easy to tell where we should be headed. The full marathoners peeled off right as we crossed the bridge. I didn't envy them. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and I couldn't imagine what it would be like to run a full on this day. There was thankfully a nice breeze which kept the temperature from feeling too horrible.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Everything in life is relative and it is neat to see this in full effect when you take yourself out of your element. At the start people looked downright cold as they huddled crossing their arms to keep warm. Coming from San Francisco I thought it was quite pleasant. One person out cheering yelled that there was a downhill coming up. It was the teeniest dip but a woman running by me was so excited about the decline.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I do think the race can work a little on traffic control. For the most part through the residential areas it is an open course. I guess the race is early enough in the day that there are very few people trying to leave their houses. However, there was one point when runners were going in both directions on a narrow shoulder and cars were trying to come from both directions when I thought it would have been nice if someone had been controlling vehicle traffic to allow for travel just one direction at a time.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I approached mile 8 and the work was about to start, I can't say I was very excited about it. I told myself to run by effort and to not get too concerned about the paces that I saw. My pick-up conveniently started before the bridge-hill. My pace those last five miles hovered in the high-8:00s to low-9:00s which is about a minute per mile off the pace I was hoping to run. But in the heat it felt plenty tough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There was a long straightaway to the finish which I find rare for races. Knowing exactly where the line was I put up a good effort the last 3/4 of a mile. I don't know why, but I got confused as to where the actual finish line was located. They had an arch with a timer on it so of course that is the finish, right? But for some reason I thought it was around the corner (there was a sharp turn of the finish chute right after the line) and I ran hard until the turn when I realized that there were people standing there ready to adorn me with water bottles and medals. Sheepish me. In retrospect I thought the finish was in the same location as the start which would have been around the corner. But how often do races start and finish at the same line? So again, I have idea what I was thinking. I blame it on the heat.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I got an ice-cold bottle of orange juice and completely downed that. It was now about just before 9 am and I wasn't expecting my son to wake up until about 10 am (we keep him on California time when traveling to the east coast). So I had some time to kill in the finish area before I could go back to the hotel. I have to say, this race does finish areas right. I was planning on taking advantage of the free finish line massage for the first time ever, but I was such a soppy sweaty mess I didn't really feel like forcing someone to touch me. The race had one of the most amazing food spreads. I took advantage of the pizza station but they also had salad, pasta and a burrito station, I think.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30HYLcIq77A1ohSgAoIo8WZdmFc5cEvyoZd4Rx5t3S-KLH7Lw8jehju1-sGUqqQZTaKK_TObe_D7D1gHJYD1v9T0QXtBqZuXpKfglKmMOFAcinCr0Ej2zenqMlSgK38bwbjpp88TXYM7P/s1600/IMG_3849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30HYLcIq77A1ohSgAoIo8WZdmFc5cEvyoZd4Rx5t3S-KLH7Lw8jehju1-sGUqqQZTaKK_TObe_D7D1gHJYD1v9T0QXtBqZuXpKfglKmMOFAcinCr0Ej2zenqMlSgK38bwbjpp88TXYM7P/s320/IMG_3849.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piles of cold pizza!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
A vendor had adirondack chairs outside their mobile home and I camped out on one to wait until my husband texted me the all-clear to come back to the hotel. A woman affiliated with the company asked that I like them on FB in exchange for sitting on their chair. They were an IV company. They actually administered IVs at the finish which were supposedly souped up with all kinds of stuff to help you recover. Kind of strange, but I saw two men take the bait while I was sitting there so I guess there must be a market for this type of thing. I'm not sure I am into letting non-medical people stick needles into me and inject me with magic soup, but that is just me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvA163-PHD7H6S4wlN43Vu4hxkh4dj9_XVUcOqC-Wa6ZGYmKp6ojVdSbTgCaklrxttAvdx6tNqJHMVLYSxiQgCqL5f5GqhgpXlr59A88fghgxvxOU-YQvrQaPp5I7NfAMrXIUFb8yASoY/s1600/IMG_3852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvA163-PHD7H6S4wlN43Vu4hxkh4dj9_XVUcOqC-Wa6ZGYmKp6ojVdSbTgCaklrxttAvdx6tNqJHMVLYSxiQgCqL5f5GqhgpXlr59A88fghgxvxOU-YQvrQaPp5I7NfAMrXIUFb8yASoY/s320/IMG_3852.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I sold my FB soul to sit on this chair. Which reminds me, I don't think I have unliked them yet...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was also the first race I ran that had a PR bell. I've seen photo of these things at other races and I always thought it was a genius idea. I truly believe that every single race should have one. All things being equal I would choose a race with a PR bell over one which didn't have one if I was trying to PR. I mean, can you imagine the satisfaction from ringing that sucker? Every time the bell rang it felt like a fairy got their wings and it just made you happy for the person. Right when I finished it was especially fun to see people who had been running by me through the race ring the bell. When you are out there together you don't know who is on PR pace or who is out for a training run. I was really happy for the people I was running with who PRd. I didn't realize that a PR bell could bring such happiness to a finish area even if you never got to ring it yourself. Seriously race people, get on this. This race's bell was fancy, but even a plain one would do. How much could it possibly cost?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk877jo1s6V9xXYiZN4G3x_gTo8wYksOi5VqcHJ24v__-EjswwR7vNG8ksWuVmm7ctYgIu2JU4FptqJesWNm8YYskKyYATfonz_yaTCA2qQidGKgiZeDlosOBC9hXsl96gVDz2FtFl7sWT/s1600/IMG_3855.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk877jo1s6V9xXYiZN4G3x_gTo8wYksOi5VqcHJ24v__-EjswwR7vNG8ksWuVmm7ctYgIu2JU4FptqJesWNm8YYskKyYATfonz_yaTCA2qQidGKgiZeDlosOBC9hXsl96gVDz2FtFl7sWT/s320/IMG_3855.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The swag was fun. I didn't take a photo of the stuff in the bag before I left most of it in Florida (a pink whisk for one, which I gave to my niece) but I did keep a cowbell they handed out. Now that I think of it, considering they handed out cowbells there weren't really that many out on the course.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsRoqa02YTn_Q2ZEDh4VnkrTHR2jcwj4gHCmadDxS3dnIQkOO25b6x7sAbXx21cKiQ9uTlXoLzk69BcqzvFS_SFDxI-_LBWaAG4y6_WhlcJlDFIH0gtq39AOOZzPfd0YtrzUC4dEC-7B1/s1600/IMG_3992.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsRoqa02YTn_Q2ZEDh4VnkrTHR2jcwj4gHCmadDxS3dnIQkOO25b6x7sAbXx21cKiQ9uTlXoLzk69BcqzvFS_SFDxI-_LBWaAG4y6_WhlcJlDFIH0gtq39AOOZzPfd0YtrzUC4dEC-7B1/s320/IMG_3992.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I stashed my medal in my carry-on after the race. No issues leaving Florida. A week later when we were leaving NY for CA we got stopped at the TSA checkpoint. They kept rummaging through the bag taking out this and that and rerunning it through the scanner. The guy who read the bag scan kept shaking his head when the TSA agent would pull out something to see if that was what he had seen. They kept asking if we had a bottle opener and I was racking my brain to think of what could be flagging the bag. Of course, when you are on vacation one week and one state ago is like an eternity. Finally the TSA woman found the medal (which was in a pocket in a pocket type deal in the outer layers of the bag). When I explained what it was she said, "We thought it was a gun." So yes, State of Floridas look like guns.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVqLqWLptW48uHg0t1y3uf-lIZcYnWiS1NI8V74ATZ2Ap3QTPm_yLc585xiIEfBmMD-nRhOVFILzSdVbMWinUY9smE1inot214qEa3X6t4U3ZLj6OjSRHoB0BBu5AKLo12iGG-aVtEzH7/s1600/IMG_3994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVqLqWLptW48uHg0t1y3uf-lIZcYnWiS1NI8V74ATZ2Ap3QTPm_yLc585xiIEfBmMD-nRhOVFILzSdVbMWinUY9smE1inot214qEa3X6t4U3ZLj6OjSRHoB0BBu5AKLo12iGG-aVtEzH7/s320/IMG_3994.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband really liked the gun, err, medal. The sun spins around which he thought was cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Overall, if you find yourself in Stuart, Florida during this event I definitely recommend it. It was well-organized and I thought the quality of it was excellent. I am a fan of smaller races myself and it was nice to take part in this. If you are a Floridian and acclimated to the temperatures I imagine it is a fast course (though with all the turns it rings up long on GPS if you know what I mean). I am so thankful for this race if only because it got me running early. Two days later I didn't get started on my run until after 11 am and it was the most miserable 7 miles in the heat I have experienced in a long time. I don't think I would have made it 16 miles if I had started later than 6 am.</div>
RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-59403773021383564462016-02-08T15:04:00.000-08:002016-02-08T15:04:40.863-08:00Walt Disney World Half Marathon & Marathon (Goofy Challenge 2016)After the Santa Rosa Half Marathon I set my sights on Goofy training. A couple of weeks after Santa Rosa I added in a fourth day of running. I do this run solo and I ended up alternating every other week doing either interval work or tempo work on this day. I still nurse my son in the mornings and evenings so I can't leave the house early before he gets up. Due to time constraints of waiting for him to wake up and needing to get to work I can only fit in about 35-40 minutes of running this day. With a warm-up and cool-down factored in I get about 2 miles worth of quality running done. Two tempo miles aren't going to significantly improve my long distance running speed, but I look at it as priming my body for more speed work and it is nice to see some faster paces every now and then. Two other days a week I run pushing my son in the BOB. When I ran Santa Rosa we were up to 6 mile runs together and over the course of training for Goofy we built up to 10 mile runs. Then the last running day of the week is a solo long run.<br />
<br />
My pelvis still feels achy (I believe due to pregnancy issues vs. the stress fracture) sometimes so I was hesitant to do back-to-back long runs that serious Goofy prep demands. I think only once I actually trained for Goofy doing back-to-back long runs so I knew base marathon training was enough to get it done. Due to scheduling issues I once did a 16 miler followed by a 10 miler the next day, didn't combust, and deemed that an adequate test for Goofy. I also continued the pattern of cutting back my long run distance every other week to play it safe.<br />
<br />
During Goofy training I also finally got brave enough to do stroller runs all around Golden Gate Park. I was nervous about the longer hills (and also being so far from home with a toddler) but after doing my training wheels hill on the west side of the park over and over and over I decided to venture into the park. I am so glad I did! I get to do my old running routes and don't have to repeat segments.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUyAnOfOFjZGHsDS8EEN_Dty3_rsmFNuHOMEj8YBD_SlpcOcAEw4r_QbBQzP4-gQhm1jhWMPrq76ie0Jb5kocqZyKzpadQp5y7Oq9kiEVRURf1-cKK2PzA8B4fJH-PPiza0-VFP01vyrZ/s1600/wind.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUyAnOfOFjZGHsDS8EEN_Dty3_rsmFNuHOMEj8YBD_SlpcOcAEw4r_QbBQzP4-gQhm1jhWMPrq76ie0Jb5kocqZyKzpadQp5y7Oq9kiEVRURf1-cKK2PzA8B4fJH-PPiza0-VFP01vyrZ/s400/wind.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used to do that triangle loop (about 1.3 miles) at the top over and over and over. The bottom leg of the triangle is uphill and I called it my "training wheels hill"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiLvOayNSfqL-U6APrqDEO7rdl0_dd3IBam9fjF0h2hHDI7bDnu5t8Yu9ZGmIBbj6hBYzNVB0gN9WgbOCAPJgnKy5Pey10kYrhJtk0UijBRqoQbCzv5Q5om0RyqRwBBa5L7Uv2NxYT63y/s1600/10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiLvOayNSfqL-U6APrqDEO7rdl0_dd3IBam9fjF0h2hHDI7bDnu5t8Yu9ZGmIBbj6hBYzNVB0gN9WgbOCAPJgnKy5Pey10kYrhJtk0UijBRqoQbCzv5Q5om0RyqRwBBa5L7Uv2NxYT63y/s400/10.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now we run up and into GGP. As a runner this is mentally so much easier to do one large loop but at the same time we end up very far from home if something goes wrong. Knock on wood, so far so good. I haven't had to do a 4 mile run home with a screaming toddler in tow yet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was my sixth Disney Marathon and my fifth Goofy Challenge. This race has changed a lot through the years of my participation -- some things good, some things not so good. I'll break down the weekend by days mainly for my own benefit down the road of remembering how I spent the time.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday Night:</b><br />
I caught a red eye out of San Francisco to Atlanta and then connected to Orlando. The flight took off at about 11pm and I was mighty tired at that point. I rarely sleep well on flights but can usually count on 2 hours or so on a red eye. I think maybe I fell asleep for 10 minutes the first flight. Probably less. That was unfortunate. Luckily I was in and out of sleep the second flight so got a little over an hour there. But I landed in Orlando extremely tired with a long day (and weekend) staring me in the face.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday:</b><br />
<br />
I caught the Magical Express out to my hotel on Disney property. I've come to love Pop Century as my home base at Disney. I waited a little too long to make my hotel reservations this time around and had to cobble together three different reservations in order to get all the days I needed at Pop for the marathon weekend. I was told they would try to get me in the same room the whole time but there was a possibility I would have to check-in and out of rooms twice while I was there.<br />
<br />
When I checked in I was told that they had managed to get me in the same room the whole time (HUGE relief) but that I was still technically on three different reservations so should call to make sure they were aware of this and I shouldn't have to vacate the room each time. No problem!<br />
<br />
I headed to my room, got settled, and got ready to go to the expo to pick up my bib. I hopped on a bus headed to the expo at Wide World of Sports. There were a ton of cars trying to get into the facility which surprised me since Dopey runners had to be there two days earlier and I thought that would mitigate a lot of the high traffic on Thursday. I later learned that the kids races were being held which explained the large amount of traffic.<br />
<br />
It was a lot of fun to watch all the kids streaming in and I took this video to send to my husband (with some note about how maybe our son would have fun doing this if it interested him in the future).<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="888" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/154513674" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
One way the race has changed over the last decade is that the expo is spread out over three different locations at Wide World of Sports. I think the last time it was in two buildings. It was originally all crunched into one building. They made me take a photo with my bib for the Goofy Challenge. Previously you had a wristband you had to switch out after the half to prove you did both races but they have since change the system to photo comparison.<br />
<br />
Another change: GENDER SPECIFIC RACE SHIRTS! My biggest gripe about Disney races, hands down, was the fact that they still utilized unisex shirts. And this was despite the fact that the majority of the runners at their events are now female. I have never gotten a shirt from a Disney race that fit me well. But the shirts this year fit me great and I'll wear them all the time.<br />
<br />
I wound through the expo but wasn't too impressed with anything this year. It felt like there were less outside vendors than usual. I did pick up a Headsweats hat but one item is definitely the least amount of loot I've picked up at this expo. None of the official race merchandise was tantalizing, either. For all their designers Disney race merchandise is usually lackluster and just plain ugly. Champion is the official apparel brand of the event and their stuff is just not great quality either. Champion had their own booth set up with some cute designs: the running Mickey, Run/Sleep/Repeat with Mickeyeqsque pictures, Run your Ears off, etc. But all of these designs were on Men's clothing. The Women's selections were horribly gender-skewed and girlyfied which was insulting: Girls run the world (with Minnie Ears) and a few others I have apparently wiped from my memory.<br />
<br />
I headed back to my hotel to drop off my stuff and then headed out again to hit up the parks. I always save the Magic Kingdom (my favorite) for marathon Sunday so I headed over to Animal Kingdom. Another change to Disney World in general since my last visit: Fast Pass+. Before you had to get fast passes from kiosks by attractions but now you can pre-book them in advance of your visit. You are limited to three in one park for any given day. Once you use them up you can select one more at a time. I am a little mixed about this new system. One on hand it does cut down on criss-crossing all over the park, but it also squashes any possibility of flying by the seat of your pants on any given day. You can also adjust your Fast passes from an app on your phone which is great but all the main attractions are probably booked up before that day even arrives so in a sense there is little flexibility.<br />
<br />
I hit up everything I wanted to at Animal Kingdom (including the most amazing black bean burger with fries at my favorite counter-service restaurant by Dinosaur) and debated whether I should head back to the hotel or go to a second park for the day.<br />
<br />
The biggest crux of being at Disney for races is that you have to balance time on your feet with not being stupid for the races. Going to a park involves walking to and from transportation which is usually a trek from the park itself. In the past I would go to Orlando for a full week for the races but with being a mother and leaving my husband to play single father this weekend, I was only there this year for a little over 4 days. This meant I had to be selective about how I spent my time in the parks. My least favorite park is Epcot but I do like visiting about three attractions there. I figured I could jet over there, knock out my favorites, and then cross Epcot off my list on Day 1!<br />
<br />
I was exhausted at this point (I walked off the plane at 9:30 am Orlando time after not sleeping all night) and had a half marathon the next morning. But I love me my Disney parks so an Epcot visit beat out sanity. I was actually nodding in and out of sleep on Spaceship Earth but was happy to get all my Epcot good feels finished. My goal was to be back at the hotel by 7 pm so I could be asleep by 8 pm. I don't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure I wasn't back until after 8 which pushed getting into bed to 9:30 or even 10 pm by the time I got my race stuff all ready to go.<br />
<br />
I had a message on my room telephone from the front desk. I called them and verified that I would be in the same room the next day and that my magic band (another new thing, you wear your room key on your wrist) would not need to be rekeyed the next day. I was told I would be fine. I verified that I would not need to make this call to the front desk the next day and was told I was set for the rest of my stay (sinister foreshadowing).<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday:</b><br />
<b>DISNEY HALF MARATHON</b><br />
<br />
In case you weren't aware, Disney races require you to wake up insanely early. The last time I did this race there was a huge line at the bus to get to the race and also horrible traffic to get to the staging area. I decided to play it safe and try to get to the bus shortly after 3 am (I used at aim for 3:30 am) I set my alarm for 2:40 am. That is 11:40 pm California time. Luckily with my horrid sleep the night before on the plane I pretty much crashed as soon as I got in bed. I woke up at 2:40 am bright-eyed and bushy tailed which totally surprised me. I usually nurse my son around 7 am so decided with the time change I wouldn't pump before the half. The race starts at 5:30 am which meant I would be done by 8 am which is only 5 am California time.<br />
<br />
They must have improved the system from the last time I ran because there was zero line for the bus when I arrived. I hopped on board and made an unremarkable trip to the Epcot parking lot. Another first was a security checkpoint before entering the staging area. They had one side for runners without bags and a longer line for runners with bags. I didn't have a bag to check so went through the without bags side but I learned the next day that my Fitletic belt qualifies as a bag and I should have gone through the bag line. Oops.<br />
<br />
Another new development was character photo-ops in the start area! They had four stations set up. I grabbed a photo with Pluto and then Chip & Dale. I skipped Daisy and I think Dopey was out for the Dopey runners. Then I found a nice place to sit and hunkered down for the long wait. It was a little chilly and I was happy for the heat sheet I had brought along for my throwaway. They have a great DJ in the area and I stayed by the stage to be entertained for as long as I thought wise. There is a half a mile or so walk out to the start line from the staging area.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl761A54zvy40Nd4QigDXT5aGgrBTxs71iN3s3hAtK_CmV_CGsuHkgBoot26LI8L3v2uzNKI7V4G4NKGu0pO4hXUuwlhx0WbNEh-f528VmkKq7y6IbMgsaBLuSkAZFFHIonvVxYtSvk82W/s1600/IMG_3563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl761A54zvy40Nd4QigDXT5aGgrBTxs71iN3s3hAtK_CmV_CGsuHkgBoot26LI8L3v2uzNKI7V4G4NKGu0pO4hXUuwlhx0WbNEh-f528VmkKq7y6IbMgsaBLuSkAZFFHIonvVxYtSvk82W/s400/IMG_3563.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People waiting for the Daisy photo-op at the start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
One major change from the last time I ran is the way they divvy up the corrals. Historically my qualifying times (which really aren't all that superb in the grand scheme of running) were enough to put me in Corral A. It was awesome to actually get to start running with the official countdown and to have the option to run your pace from the very beginning. Those days are long gone. My time got me into Corral F this year. I heard on a podcast that they penalize Dopey and Goofy runners because they assume you will not be running optimally. I am not sure if this is true or not but I doubt it made a huge difference in my placement. The 4:15 marathon pacer was in my corral for the full which is probably a realistic finish time with my 2:02ish half qualifying time. I don't know where the corrals ended previously but this year they went all the way up to P! With a couple of minutes hold between corral releases that is a long, long wait if you find yourself in P. Word to the wise, if you can run faster than P, definitely get a qualifying time in! While sad I will never be in A again (it said for the marathon it was for sub-3 hour marathoners!) I think this is a great move for Disney which is notorious for congestion.<br />
<br />
I got to watch five fireworks shows as each corral before us was released. I heard that they were not letting late comers enter corrals up front once they had been released. So if you were a B corral runner and B wave had left, they were making you enter the masses much farther back. I thought this was dumb. If they have a bib with a letter that has released, let them enter at the front. There were several panicked runners running along the fences trying to find the entry point. As we headed closer to the start I passed a guy sitting on the ground surrounded by medical bikes. I saw that his knees were both really bloody. I assume he tried to hop the fence and ate it. A man next to me said, "Oh gosh!" in such a way that made me think maybe there was more blood than just his knees. I can't recall what type of bib he had on, but I couldn't help but think that if he were a Dopey or Goofy runner much bigger dreams may have died hopping that fence. So Disney, let people enter at the front if their corral has already released!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikw8ha22AEaZRmEqwgc515lMajX7YNAETzmIJlMZ17I7FcubE1YOUXOErhfcjbIJr6ydARGqBKy6kWpAsw5Zu8lBxj9cTS6DMAmR27yTMXtSe6mXD7toaE80FlX7HNdbGhtov61xKNTAWv/s1600/IMG_3573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikw8ha22AEaZRmEqwgc515lMajX7YNAETzmIJlMZ17I7FcubE1YOUXOErhfcjbIJr6ydARGqBKy6kWpAsw5Zu8lBxj9cTS6DMAmR27yTMXtSe6mXD7toaE80FlX7HNdbGhtov61xKNTAWv/s400/IMG_3573.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start line and Donald wishing us a great race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
For the first time I ran with my phone as my camera. When I first ran this race back in 2005 I didn't even own a digital camera. In 2008 Disney gave us disposable film cameras in our race bag to use during the race. Amazing how much technology has changed, right?<br />
<br />
One thing that being a repeat participant has done to me is I am much pickier about stopping for photos. If I already have a nice photo with a character I may not stop anymore. If I don't know or care about a character, I don't stop anymore. I can't say for sure if there were less than usual characters out, I'm leaning towards there being a few less than I remember, but I only ended up stopping for four photos (not counting castle photos). It was foggy and overcast and really nice running weather for a non-racing effort. It might have been in the upper 50s? I love running in the 40s but not when I am taking my time and stopping for photos. <br />
<br />
My strategy was to take it easy and walk a little bit every mile or two. I carried a very small bottle on my Fitletic belt so had planned to utilize the aid stations heavily. As usual, I was having a total blast. It has been three years since I've run this event and I was soaking it all in. One disappointment -- the first real bathrooms come up at the Ticket and Transportation Center and I was counting on ducking in there as we ran by. But they had fenced off the area and had a cast member standing by the entrances telling runners there were portapotties further down the road. Boo!!<br />
<br />
Soon enough were in the Magic Kingdom which is hands down one of my favorite miles in marathoning. Turning the corner at Main street, seeing the castle, and having all the people cheering can't be beat. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltRGoyXtVBMIY4ewPJTYYG8tP7tT9NFliNqP0kltce5lxnFdtkR-AfAOHIauMReYuu1tnNQLDmA9y86LHRkSg1VvjZbKonsUOCRB0_8qpCvI0mJG2xLH5ACz-KXyDS0hqafMNEi3n7PWB/s1600/IMG_3574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltRGoyXtVBMIY4ewPJTYYG8tP7tT9NFliNqP0kltce5lxnFdtkR-AfAOHIauMReYuu1tnNQLDmA9y86LHRkSg1VvjZbKonsUOCRB0_8qpCvI0mJG2xLH5ACz-KXyDS0hqafMNEi3n7PWB/s400/IMG_3574.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, Gorgeous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I never learn my lesson. In the dark it is impossible to get a photo with the castle. I tried despite knowing this and after seeing the results didn't bother trying the next day during the full.<br />
<br />
I may be wrong, but I don't think I am -- I am fairly certain that in the past they had the rides running during the marathon even though the park was closed. So Dumbo was flying around and the teacups were spinning. None of that was going on this year. It made for a less festive feeling.<br />
<br />
I don't remember when exactly, but sometime after Magic Kingdom my gut started talking to me. I thought my skipped pee at the TTC may be partly to blame so I ducked into a portapotty but that didn't help matters much. My happy mood was slightly dampened by the idea of <i>needing</i> a portapotty for something more urgent than a pee stop while out on the course. Because of this I cut out all of my non-aid station walk breaks the rest of the race. There went taking it easy for the marathon the next day.<br />
<br />
Around mile 9 or so my left foot started to hurt. About 2 hours after my last 20 miler I had an ache in that foot that was so acute I had stress fracture fears for 24 hours. It cleared up the next morning but I met a friend at the zoo the day after that 20 miler and by the time we were done walking around it was just a little achy. After that I was really careful about not doing too much on it two days in a row. It tweaked here and there over the next two weeks but was overall cooperative. This half was the first time it really started to hurt during a run and I was really concerned about my ability to run a marathon on it the next day.<br />
<br />
I kept telling my gut, "Just three more miles... Just two more miles... Just one more mile..." I was really hoping there weren't any good characters out in Epcot since I feared my body would think we were done if I stopped running and release the floodgates. I couldn't pass up Genie in his Goofy hat, though, and since there wasn't a long line I took the chance.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuAT6bzpZ2psiBSf1H3Jx5oRrzT1V9MmSaln2Jc1OjLHugbKphZLEmCCT0Jmsvmb7Mgve_UQG5Oo_eaqng8cg62XUvQIA5sSPKhj3eE1TSt-JjS2wEUeo4f8zyHR3MyzlV9ITjv2rZmLJ/s1600/IMG_3588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuAT6bzpZ2psiBSf1H3Jx5oRrzT1V9MmSaln2Jc1OjLHugbKphZLEmCCT0Jmsvmb7Mgve_UQG5Oo_eaqng8cg62XUvQIA5sSPKhj3eE1TSt-JjS2wEUeo4f8zyHR3MyzlV9ITjv2rZmLJ/s400/IMG_3588.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This outtake meets RoadBunner anonymity standards. Also, you can see how foggy it was that day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I rounded the corner, and saw Mickey was out giving high fives right before the finish. I hung to the right so I could high-five The Mouse before crossing the finish. I had bargained with my bowels that I would head straight to the portapotty after the finish if they would just be team players a little bit longer, but my gut issue felt completely better once I crossed the line. Go figure.<br />
<br />
I got my Donald medal, box of food, Powerade bottle, water bottle, wet towel (this is new) and went looking for my heat sheet. It was warm enough that I didn't NEED a heat sheet but cool enough that it would certainly have been welcome. I mainly wanted one to have to use as a throwaway the next morning. I had brought two from home but wouldn't pass up the chance to replenish the supply if they were handing them out. I didn't see any and figured perhaps the med tent had them if you asked. I asked some med tent people who said that Disney had switched things up today (I suppose vs. the 10K the day before) and that in order to get a heat sheet today you had to get a $5 massage in the massage tent. O-kay. No free heat sheet for me. Grumble on. This left a sour taste in my mouth because Disney events are not cheap and the least Disney could do is to hand out a heat sheet if you wanted one. Grumble off.<br />
<br />
I went back to my hotel room (my magic band worked to get me back into the room, Huzzah!) and got to work on refueling, rehydrating, compressing, stretching, and legs up the walling to maximize my leg recovery for the full marathon the next day.<br />
<br />
My goal for Saturday is always to not be on my feet at the parks all day. So I'll generally hit up one or two for a selective few stops and then head to Downtown Disney (now called Disney Springs) for a movie in the afternoon. I had a fast pass for my favorite Disney Studios attraction, Toy Story Mania, before lunchtime. So I headed out to Disney Studios and was able to hop on the ride. I debated riding it a second time but the posted wait time was over an hour and I decided I would rather jet over to Animal Kingdom and catch a showing of Finding Nemo, The Musical (another huge favorite of mine). I did think about not going to a second park since staying off my foot was now front and center in my mind, but my love for the parks won out over common sense. After doing my Animal Kingdom top stops I headed over to Disney Springs for my movie.<br />
<br />
In the past I learned the hard way it takes about an hour to use Disney transportation to get from Animal Kingdom to Disney Springs. First you have to take a bus to any of the hotel resorts. Then from a hotel you transfer to a bus to Disney Springs. In the past there were two bus stops at Disney Springs -- on on each end. I was horrified to learn that they had done away with the stop closest to the movie theaters. It is a far walk from one end to the other and I was trying to stay off my feet as much as possible. I learned you could now take a boat from one end to the other so jumped on this option when I got there. I had pre-bought a ticket to see "The Good Dinosaur." I was talking to someone who said they had heard it wasn't that great and I regretted not joining the masses and getting a ticket to the new Star Wars movie. I thought I could switch my ticket over if I got there before showtime. Long story short, the boat took FOREVER and by the time I got to the theatre the previews for my movie had already started and my window to ticket switch had passed. So with the boat, 1.5 hours to get from a Disney park to Springs.<br />
<br />
After the movie I usually get a plain pasta dish from Planet Hollywood. But with the long commute back to the hotel I decided to just get on the boat and eat at my hotel instead. I think in the future I would consider getting a cab back to the hotel so I can get in bed a little faster. I managed lights out a smidgen earlier than the night before and set my alarm for 2:20 am so that I could pump before heading out to the bus.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday:</b><br />
<b>DISNEY MARATHON</b><br />
<br />
I was not quite as chipper Sunday morning as I had been Saturday morning. Groundhog Day ensued as I got ready again and headed out to the buses. It was noticeably warmer Sunday than Saturday which did not bode well for marathon weather. I had brought a throwaway jacket as well as my heat sheet for Sunday's throwaways and probably should have sacrificed the jacket Saturday instead. It was a lot emptier at the start area when I got there and I secured a seat on some bleachers vs. sitting on the pavement.<br />
<br />
The same characters were out this morning as the day before and I didn't bother to stand in any lines since I was concerned about my foot. The DJ in the start area was the same as the day before and he was great. He was getting people dancing at 4 am. He mentioned he would be there until 1 pm or something and I thought he was amazing to have that energy level two days (at least, maybe he was there for the 5K or 10K, too) in a row for so long.<br />
<br />
I made the long walk out to the corrals again. They have done away with the traffic light sign that says, "Have a magical race" which I always loved seeing. I left a little earlier than the day before to enjoy the start line entertainment. I had learned the day before that once I got into the corrals the next jumbotron was so far forward I couldn't really see the action. There was a jumbotron right by the entrance to corral F so instead of entering I sat outside my corral to watch the screen up close.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6eqqz0H4gR5RWyepAaC9oq0tiO7gi3t6qI-86vKDle4nrydC2oYH-jACE23RW2FMQZ2oIz7o6yl1Ggh_oQGUD9VEgdqEbYVkOf32oe7V8ZjhB5z7dT2KggqHqpdgrQ_WuGHEAeVvTOyq/s1600/IMG_3595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6eqqz0H4gR5RWyepAaC9oq0tiO7gi3t6qI-86vKDle4nrydC2oYH-jACE23RW2FMQZ2oIz7o6yl1Ggh_oQGUD9VEgdqEbYVkOf32oe7V8ZjhB5z7dT2KggqHqpdgrQ_WuGHEAeVvTOyq/s400/IMG_3595.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the show by Corral F</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I stayed outside my corral even after the first few corrals were released. By that time it was standing room only and if I could stay sitting a few minutes more, why not? If I had been smart I would have realized that there were portapotties off to the side right by me with no lines and had hopped in for a quick visit but I didn't see them until it was obvious I should be getting into the corral.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAxKEmBD-WsgR1VspeO3ACIHGUy7vbUHSuFL5P5G0mdo_cKeo63XKflLi1ZFHRNRzraBEZR_Zi5mwpbim8rB3j8PfBr1xcH0vD682B6U2fSPSVSej3BYRmbRgsrpVd-eAZwuVAXwnwVqH/s1600/IMG_3597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAxKEmBD-WsgR1VspeO3ACIHGUy7vbUHSuFL5P5G0mdo_cKeo63XKflLi1ZFHRNRzraBEZR_Zi5mwpbim8rB3j8PfBr1xcH0vD682B6U2fSPSVSej3BYRmbRgsrpVd-eAZwuVAXwnwVqH/s400/IMG_3597.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we go again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFajOSLy3xHz6hhG03b5NUWQPM3F5ztRT3BzTn-AEcDDV0oy92Iz1rorEav0iTXR36sIjoUlve8YO6wfFZGXDEqH1xNMvHGvm_i3giYk734lxwXP3yT0l5cJbcMnMu6NG-MTMZhhrjYV8/s1600/IMG_3596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFajOSLy3xHz6hhG03b5NUWQPM3F5ztRT3BzTn-AEcDDV0oy92Iz1rorEav0iTXR36sIjoUlve8YO6wfFZGXDEqH1xNMvHGvm_i3giYk734lxwXP3yT0l5cJbcMnMu6NG-MTMZhhrjYV8/s400/IMG_3596.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, Mickey!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We took off and immediately I realized it was humid and warm and not nearly as pleasant as the day before. About 1.5 miles in a man by me even asked out loud if he was the only one who was drenched in sweat already. My left foot hurt from the beginning of the run and slowly talked to me louder and louder as the miles went by. I was getting really worried about how it would hold up over a marathon. I have no explanation for this, but somewhere around mile 8 I realized that it didn't hurt at all. It never hurt another step of the whole marathon nor has it bothered me in the slightest ever since. I chocked it up to the shoes I ran in during the half and have taken those out of rotation. I really don't know how it cleared up so quickly in the middle of a marathon no less, but I won't question good outcomes too much.<br />
<br />
The first 8 miles is more or less a repeat of the half marathon. The Magic Kingdom did not disappoint and I snagged a quick video running up Main Street.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="889" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/154524999" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Since the first few runnings of the marathon that I participated in, they have moved the start time back by an hour, I believe. This means that I now never run through Magic Kingdom in the sunlight. As I mentioned before it is impossible to get a photo with the castle in the dark and this has been a great sadness for me the last couple of runnings. Luckily a few years ago I got a great photo with the castle so I suppose I am good for the rest of my life.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Being in the dark also complicates people taking your photo. I learned the hard way after two failed character photo-ops. Cogsworth was out and I don't think I have ever gotten a photo with him so I stopped and that one turned out blurry because the cast member didn't realize there was a delay with the flash. Then I stopped for Briar Rabbit because, duh, RoadBUNNER -- and that one was also a major fail with the flash.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp6b3nOvfLxHkDmXCC_F8iDN3wn5kPpfAuNQw3W2THx8h6-9iXfZT5ITx9eSBCzpwn-eJwQtYyULawvne_WbZdbF7GjU4UjDdjWj-yl6kEeLK9N2ccCnMhg0rJVsGs-HXz66yaevVc0tn/s1600/IMG_3653.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihp6b3nOvfLxHkDmXCC_F8iDN3wn5kPpfAuNQw3W2THx8h6-9iXfZT5ITx9eSBCzpwn-eJwQtYyULawvne_WbZdbF7GjU4UjDdjWj-yl6kEeLK9N2ccCnMhg0rJVsGs-HXz66yaevVc0tn/s400/IMG_3653.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Major bummers. That is five minutes of my marathon time I'll never get back. I have to say I much prefer the days I carried my digital camera. Uncertain if I'll go back to that in the future vs. my iPhone which seemed to give people issues and was less convenient for me to capture photos or videos on the fly.<br />
<br />
Just like the half I was picky about my character stops and hardly stopped at all this race. Plus with my two failed stops I was reluctant to chance whether the photo would even turn out. I only had five character stops the whole race (including the two blurry ones). I haven't gone back to look but I'm pretty sure I took 20+ photos in the past. There were definitely less characters out this year than in the past. Usually there are a quite a few inside and after Animal Kingdom, but this year Timon was by the entrance and there was not one more the entire Animal Kingdom area.<br />
<br />
A major Disney marathon regret of mine is never stopping to ride Everest during the race. With the earlier start time and course changes Animal Kingdom comes about 4 miles earlier and an extra hour earlier on top of that and the park is not officially open when I run through. We got there around 8:15 am. The park opens at 9 am. Two girls by me debated stopping and waiting 45 minutes to ride Everest. They decided not to but I wanted to say, YES DO IT! even if I wasn't willing wait myself. If you start in a later corral or are slower you can still ride the ride but I am not sure that is worth dealing with the aggravation of starting farther back the rest of the race.<br />
<br />
I did nip into a real restroom in Animal Kingdom that was right by the course. No lines, a flushing toilet, a sink -- luxury! I will say that even if you don't count real restrooms in the park, Disney has the most portapotties out of any race I have run. You never have to worry about that at Disney. They also have awesome aid stations. They came so frequently (about every 1.5 miles) even in the warm weather I skipped a few. They are run so well -- always Powerade first, followed by water, people yelling out what they are offering, and lots and lots of tables.<br />
<br />
I gambled a little and only started off the race with two gels. I normally eat four in a marathon. There were two gel stops on the course and I planned to pick up gels at both of them. They also had two banana stops and I ate half a banana at each stop. In past years they had half bananas but this year they handed out a whole banana. I think that is a bit of a waste. I imagine most people didn't eat a whole one. But I guess it is one less things for the volunteers to have to do. Before there would be volunteers chopping the bananas in half.<br />
<br />
When I entered Animal Kingdom the sun finally peeked out and I buckled up for a hot day. But sometime soon some cloud cover rolled in and that kept it from being a total bakefest. So humid yes, but not terribly hot which was a blessing.<br />
<br />
The course had a major change from the last time I ran it in 2013. You used to run around a car track but they demolished that. So they added some extra distance in the parks and a new short out and back. They also still have the Wide World of Sports detour which I detest. DETEST. That was the most horrid course change to have happened since I started running Disney. A DJ outside Magic Kingdom was saying, "You'll enter Wide World of Sports and emerge two weeks later. Believe me, I was where you are last year. You'll think of me when you get there!" It wasn't very positive but it is so true. In my opinion Wide World of Sports is a monstrous out and back. Bleh. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_stcVASU3q_2JgNzdkm7wcitXivVVzLaC3lcIKwWL7UMCHzUe4VUJke4dGLVUlprqNi8eyYYkLrghGC2x_LAxi4rDujlN111erBAzXNTy0amfJYRdz_r-7D-NrMKVQnmBVsT6OBrb6fF/s1600/Marathon.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_stcVASU3q_2JgNzdkm7wcitXivVVzLaC3lcIKwWL7UMCHzUe4VUJke4dGLVUlprqNi8eyYYkLrghGC2x_LAxi4rDujlN111erBAzXNTy0amfJYRdz_r-7D-NrMKVQnmBVsT6OBrb6fF/s400/Marathon.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see that horrible squiggle in the lower right, that is Wide World of Sports -- glorified nasty out and back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I was happy to leave that area and head towards Disney Studios. Around mile 20 I did some math and realized that I could come in under 5 hours if I didn't slow down and make too many photo stops. For some reason I thought I was on course for a 5+ hour finish. Not that it matters much, but I decided to go for a sub-5. I had been taking occasional walk breaks up until that point. Every few miles I would walk for a minute. I decided to cut those out.<br />
<br />
A few miles later I realized that I was really close to having a sub-4:50 finish. I always do this to myself. Realize at the last moment I am close to some sort of time and decide to try to make it. The time itself doesn't mean anything and if it had I should have known the pace beforehand. But as it were, I decided wouldn't that be neat, and picked up the pace. I did stop in Studios for a photo with Boo but was actually glad there weren't many other characters out to tempt me. Those last few miles I really felt like a marathoner again. You're tired, it hurts, it would be nice to stop... But somehow your body just keeps going and you don't stop. And you think wow, all that training really did work! And then you even find it in you to go a little bit faster.<br />
<br />
I really put on the jets outside of Studios and into Epcot. I was running sub-9 at one point which felt like an absolute sprint on my Goofy legs. I told myself the only way I would stop would be if Remy was out for photos (my character unicorn). There was no Remy in Epcot. Then as I got closer to mile 26 I realized I was going to miss the sub-4:50 by less than a minute. Too late in the game to make that one. I reined in the effort at that point.<br />
<br />
Donald was out giving high fives this day, and I crossed the finish line after slapping his wing. Same goodies collected as the day before and lo and behold there were heat sheets out! What prompted them to hand them out on marathon day, I don't know, but I grabbed one and used it to hold all my food since it was warm enough to not need one.<br />
<br />
I went to the Goofy tent to get my extra medal. As I walked in they did check my photo against the one they snapped at the expo. But they didn't check on half marathon day. So I'll just say that the whole system was pointless. A great pleasure was receiving my Goofy medal from Michelle from The Mickey Miles Podcast. I had heard they were going to be volunteering at the Goofy/Dopey medal tent but it wasn't at the forefront of my mind at the time. When I looked up after she placed it on me I saw her hat which said, "Mickey Milers," and I got all excited and said something corny like, "It's you!" She introduced me to Mike who shook my hand. I love their podcast and that was a neat treat. I didn't want to bother them for photos but wish I had.<br />
<br />
After some photos I made my way back to my hotel room. I was eager to get bathed, fed, and into the Magic Kingdom. I hobbled up to my room and my magic band did not open my hotel door. Are you kidding me? I hobbled over to the lobby and chose a line which was twice as short but moved twice as slowly as a different line I could have chosen to get the issue resolved. It took <i>forever</i>. I'm sure I smelled amazing and I don't think the people checking in even knew there was a race going on. I was getting cold as well but all my food was wrapped up in my heat sheet so I couldn't use it. Eventually they got it sorted but that was a huge annoyance, especially after being told it wouldn't be an issue.<br />
<br />
I eventually made it to Magic Kingdom and really got my vacation started. There is something stressful about knowing you shouldn't be walking extra miles and yet not being able to sit down and stay still. I stayed until closing that night and was exhausted by the time I got to bed around 11 pm.<br />
<br />
Monday: The temperature dropped 15+ degrees and it was downright chilly the rest of my vacation. One day too late. Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom<br />
Tuesday: Quick nip into Magic Kingdom before my flight<br />
(As someone who has visited the parks many times before, this shortened trip was enough to get all the highlights accomplished. I would have liked to have done Toy Story Mania a second time and there were a few attractions I usually visit I didn't have a chance to see at all, but overall I was happy with what I got done in the parks)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15zhGmka5liQguR62SnBwbswWdWgM2K3cCm9O9gcTXS-X6aXtnzGRqNRtCiQvy78tRNg3nWzNdjYlrGbOeFUmQF2kh3oRHpbITT4iUmA2n-s1ULf7RNwLvSHAxcqG2IH085vgsO2mU6ES/s1600/DSC_3604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15zhGmka5liQguR62SnBwbswWdWgM2K3cCm9O9gcTXS-X6aXtnzGRqNRtCiQvy78tRNg3nWzNdjYlrGbOeFUmQF2kh3oRHpbITT4iUmA2n-s1ULf7RNwLvSHAxcqG2IH085vgsO2mU6ES/s400/DSC_3604.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half (Donald), Goofy Challenge, Full (Mickey)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbrzaW_uGDxocs6ZHGeuwm-ABiFLBt01SYgqqGd0J2uulTwKvBfL5Wmn5lywEzuOGKn4vw8vjtgidf3XAIg7Dx3RlpcEaDu1JNb0YV0Um9fJ_Y98evnNFCJUry30EUOGiOF9gxsK2RAMV/s1600/DSC_3607.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbrzaW_uGDxocs6ZHGeuwm-ABiFLBt01SYgqqGd0J2uulTwKvBfL5Wmn5lywEzuOGKn4vw8vjtgidf3XAIg7Dx3RlpcEaDu1JNb0YV0Um9fJ_Y98evnNFCJUry30EUOGiOF9gxsK2RAMV/s400/DSC_3607.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFGSKlNGgPWFhfMg2tFRZgz1WvX6nA14f3RnQqzK24qGVAI-fBWLNNO2Yr5ZvDdDWV0L4TLEFD1bhrJC9BnSacRIbUR9KmEEHzIfQQGhxV9lqaj60Y6XWbPTgFh6mJIOrZhfkDdqP8Hfm/s1600/IMG_3647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFGSKlNGgPWFhfMg2tFRZgz1WvX6nA14f3RnQqzK24qGVAI-fBWLNNO2Yr5ZvDdDWV0L4TLEFD1bhrJC9BnSacRIbUR9KmEEHzIfQQGhxV9lqaj60Y6XWbPTgFh6mJIOrZhfkDdqP8Hfm/s400/IMG_3647.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The marathon shirt was in the wash for the previous photo. The shirts FIT! I usually put the Goofy lanyard on the Mickey medal on marathon Sunday when I visit the park. I much prefer the Mickey medal but want the street cred of the Goofy :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
A commentary on the Dopey Challenge:<br />
This was the first year I ran Goofy when the Dopey Challenge also existed. Goofy is the half and the full on consecutive days. Prior to the official Dopey Challenge, there was also a 5K on Friday and people who ran Goofy and also did the 5K unofficially called it the Dopey. Disney is not one to leave money on the table and they created the official Dopey Challenge where you run a 5K, 10K, half, and full on consecutive days and earn yourself a Dopey medal.<br />
<br />
It is my personal opinion that when comparing the Dopey Challenge to the Goofy Challenge it is not a physical accomplishment so much as a logistical and financial challenge. Dopey requires you to arrive 3 days earlier which means more time off of work and more hotel fees. It also costs an arm and a leg (vs. just the arm it costs to run Goofy). Financial challenge. You have to wake up early 4 days a row instead of 2. You have to figure out how to be at Disney on vacation and balance time on your feet with time off your feet. Logistical challenge. Running an extra 5K and 10K to me is just not that much more than Goofy. I hazard to guess that most Goofy runners will run about a 5K shakeout run on Thursday two days before the race anyhow. I ran 2 miles this year myself. I don't think an extra mile that day and a 10K the next day would have been that huge of a difference. I did the unofficial Dopey Challenge a few years back and didn't think it would prove anything to myself to add in the 10K.<br />
<br />
So for me, it just didn't make sense to do Dopey. Does Goofy feel less special with Dopey runners around? Hands down, yes. There were twice as many Dopey runners as Goofy runners. Running "just" Goofy sounds cute to Dopey runners. Do I want to run Dopey one day? Maybe. I love Disney races and if I could carve the time out I think I would. I personally thought Disney jumped the shark with Dopey and I still think that. Definitely for longterm participation Goofy is probably where I will live.<br />
<br />
A commentary on running just the marathon for time:<br />
I had made it a goal to one day train specifically for Disney and try to run a sub-4 hour Disney marathon. No Goofy, just a decent, honest, working effort at the marathon. I ran this year imagining what it would be like to run Disney for time. Quite frankly, I'm not sure I want to anymore. With the change in corrals it could be hard to hit your effort level quickly. Disney is also impossible to run the tangents. There are areas of the course that are 4 lane roads and other areas that narrow down to three people abreast in Wide World of Sports. There is a lot of weaving for character stops. The curvy paths in the parks complicate things and the course probably runs "longer" than your typical marathon because of all of this. The weather at Disney is notoriously unpredictable. I've run it in sweltering 80 degree heat and I've run it when it was so cold the water was freezing at the water stops. I may still pursue this if there is a year running Goofy doesn't make sense, but I don't think it is a major bucket list goal at the moment.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-39438636942785733412015-11-13T13:45:00.000-08:002015-11-13T13:45:35.869-08:00Santa Rosa Half MarathonI was really disappointed to not run the Disney Marathon in 2015. It was my 10 year marathoniversary and I wanted to go back to the race that had started it all. So I did the next best thing -- I signed up to run it in 2016. I have no illusions of a fast time. My main goal is to build endurance vs. speed the next few months. I signed up for my fifth Goofy Challenge. Knowing I am heading out to Orlando in hopefully mileage but not speed shape, I figured I should get the most bang for my buck and run both races again. I would love one day to run a sub-4:00 Disney Marathon but 2016 isn't going to be the year. I am not interested in the Dopey Challenge. It is rather pricey and I did the former unofficial Dopey Challenge a few years back (5K, half, then full) and throwing a 10K in the mix doesn't really interest me.<br />
<br />
Disney has a corral system and requires a proof of time to seed you appropriately. I wanted to run a half marathon this summer in order to have a proof of time to submit. I also figured it would be a good thing to get up to a half marathon distance during the summer in order to feel confident moving forward with Goofy training.<br />
<br />
I chose to run Santa Rosa mainly because of the timing of the race and it actually got me excited to run. There were closer to home races that gave me a blah feeling or ones that took place a little too late. My first choice race was a month earlier than Santa Rosa -- it got cancelled and I am happy I had and extra month to train. I was able to do cut-back long run weeks every other week which I think helped me stay injury free.<br />
<br />
After Big Sur I cut out the walk breaks and started at scratch at 1 mile runs. I was able to fit in two double-digit long runs before the race. I started pushing my son in the BOB stroller for runs in June. We started off with just one mile runs and by the time the race rolled around I was pushing him 6 miles twice a week. I only ran three time a week: Two stroller runs and one solo long run.<br />
<br />
My main goal for this race was to clock a time that represented I ran the entire thing. After utilizing walk breaks all through Big Sur training I wanted to get back to continuous running.<br />
<br />
I ran the Santa Rosa Marathon <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2010/08/santa-rosa-marathon.html" target="_blank">five (!?!)</a> years ago. The race has evolved a lot since then. They have since changed the course (the current half marathon course seems to be almost exactly the same as half of the original marathon course), now have an expo, start an hour earlier, and generally are trying to feel much more "big-race" with the deletion of race-day bib pick-up. This was a real thorn in my side. Santa Rosa is not that far away from San Francisco but it is also not so close that you want to drive out there two days in a row.<br />
<br />
My friend graciously agreed to help me with bib pick-up since getting to the expo in time with my schedule would have been close to impossible. We thought we would make a little family get-away trip out of the whole thing but logistics squashed that as a sane possibility. We thought maybe I could head up there myself for a night. I had images of languishing in a lush hotel bed with cable TV and eating proverbial bonbons saluting my postpartum night away from baby (never mind the race started so early I'd be getting up earlier than I would if I had stayed home with the baby). But I hadn't really started committing to a hotel until a month before the race in case I got injured. Ye of little faith. So when I started looking, anything that fit into my hotel fantasy was decidedly sold out or $$$$$. I'm not that picky. A good 'ole Comfort Inn would have fit the bill. Everything available was still $$$ and had reviews that were not so palatable. So I drove up there two days in a row.<br />
<br />
Parking was a breeze in a parking structure a short walk to the race start. I had to pump on the drive up and after I parked. The portapotty line wasn't very long and moved quickly and I got to the start area with no stress. I lined up right in front of the 2:10 pacer. I would definitely recommend that if you are looking to run a good time for yourself to get to the start on time. The course is narrow the first few miles and there were a few obviously faster runners who must have started late who were looking frustrated trying to get through the crowd.<br />
<br />
My run pace had been in the 9:50 range the weeks prior to the race. I occasionally got down into the 9:30s for average pace on a couple of runs. I decided on a great day I could probably squeak a sub-9:30 pace for the race but would have been pleased with anything under 10:00 and was shooting for at least a 9:45 pace.<br />
<br />
Mile 1 9:26 pace<br />
Mile 2 9:20 pace<br />
<br />
The first two miles I got caught up in all the race excitement and went out a bit faster than I had intended. I was slightly confused since I thought I had lined up appropriately for a slower pace and yet I seemed to be going with the flow. I decided to slow it down a little to play it conservatively.<br />
<br />
Mile 3 9:35 pace<br />
<br />
Oh, heck. I was feeling good and naturally seemed to be falling into a faster than expected rhythm. I decided to go with it.<br />
<br />
Mile 4 9:20 pace<br />
Mile 5 9:26 pace<br />
Mile 6 9:16 pace<br />
<br />
I decided to hold this comfortable-yet-working pace until mile 10 where I'd start to let myself push a little.<br />
<br />
The marathon started an hour prior to the half marathon and the faster runners started passing us as we made our way to the finish. Also about this time slower half-marathoners (and one elderly gentleman who was walking the full) were still coming back out and it made it a lot of fun to cheer for everyone.<br />
<br />
The race was mainly paved but there were a few unpaved trail sections. They weren't as troublesome as the year I ran the marathon but still not my favorite. <br />
<br />
Mile 7 9:25 pace<br />
Mile 8 9:22 pace<br />
Mile 9 9:25 pace<br />
<br />
Let's go!<br />
<br />
Mile 10 9:15<br />
Mile 11 9:32 (refilled water bottle and chugged three or four half-filled water cups)<br />
<br />
I haven't run a sub-9:00 pace since February 2013.<br />
<br />
Mile 12 8:51<br />
Mile 13 8:30<br />
Mile 13.1 7:08<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzj8K704_PxJRFUHaF4h1qoajV3R_rMu_TDe6ZPm9I1-EChfZ5f-9tWhzZcKMUooDFZfoJYLj7UDr5m99A9vVSJQvoaABQvuJRvO9nNKgwjDyAMQEu1NXxa_S9M2oV4LoU4_qeiSGjdge/s1600/IMG_3039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzj8K704_PxJRFUHaF4h1qoajV3R_rMu_TDe6ZPm9I1-EChfZ5f-9tWhzZcKMUooDFZfoJYLj7UDr5m99A9vVSJQvoaABQvuJRvO9nNKgwjDyAMQEu1NXxa_S9M2oV4LoU4_qeiSGjdge/s400/IMG_3039.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Official finish: 2:01:58, 9:19 pace<br />
<br />
I have run something like 29 half marathons but only three times have I run faster than a 2:01. So this is my fourth fastest half marathon. I have run four full marathons at a pace faster than this half so it only sounds impressive by virtue of the fact that I haven't really been focusing on the half marathon distance much. But since I don't run a lot of halves at a good effort I'm not used to seeing low 2 hour finish times much and it felt pretty great.<br />
<br />
The same effort a few years ago would have yielded about a minute per mile faster pace. That is humbling and shows me how much work I have left to do. But at the same time, I felt like a runner again during this race. It felt great to keep myself at the edge of comfort and save enough to finish strong. It has been almost three years since I raced and I forgot how awesome it feels. <br />
<br />
I had not done any speed work training for Santa Rosa except for pushing my son in the BOB stroller. My fastest run training for Santa Rosa had been a 7 miler at a 9:30 pace and it sort of blows my mind I was able to run 13.1 at 9:19 pace. Resistance running for the win.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7NUNGEWcoGEpAIdd6l_kDhmVMTYTsnvGjNdRzUBdcVKNa73K5sBzcsVGhpFJQjXszC9goqvzT1RKFc9mgC6l60s1kLB84byUjBSqtVopMoy2gwfs2RSE3JPeDmZEgi8N53FsC19VJApd/s1600/IMG_3045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7NUNGEWcoGEpAIdd6l_kDhmVMTYTsnvGjNdRzUBdcVKNa73K5sBzcsVGhpFJQjXszC9goqvzT1RKFc9mgC6l60s1kLB84byUjBSqtVopMoy2gwfs2RSE3JPeDmZEgi8N53FsC19VJApd/s400/IMG_3045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I followed up the race with a visit to the <a href="http://schulzmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Charles M. Schulz Museum</a>. It is a small museum but worth a visit. I love getting food at The Warm Puppy Cafe which is adjacent to an iceskating rink Schulz built. Meh food but the atmosphere always makes me wish I was a local who could come by every weekend.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1wUqkRBJSD3wCk4tkkBN06O8RLIaA7VNyx7BAysxTAIxvO2CJ3zj-q9bcfSFIgAYr1tQd8__wUJxDfLmqpgU2rGKj2L6tyAGPoCtPIqkZ7dw1Wqyruh0BrkjEDg4reEef72WcjQ4m0Wr/s1600/IMG_3066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1wUqkRBJSD3wCk4tkkBN06O8RLIaA7VNyx7BAysxTAIxvO2CJ3zj-q9bcfSFIgAYr1tQd8__wUJxDfLmqpgU2rGKj2L6tyAGPoCtPIqkZ7dw1Wqyruh0BrkjEDg4reEef72WcjQ4m0Wr/s400/IMG_3066.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this was genius. At the Schulz Museum, they have solar panels you park your car under. Keeps your car cool and creates energy. Every place should do this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A lot of people run Santa Rosa for fast times and a lot are successful. The course has changed but I did PR the marathon here years ago. This year the cloud cover stuck around during the race so while it wasn't cool, it was never hot. Personally, I think it is a big gamble weather-wise to train for a goal race that is held in August. They start the races relatively early which helps, though. I am sort of curious about the new full course and may consider it down the road as a non-goal race. I would race the half again here if only because there probably aren't a whole lot of other great summer options for a fast one.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-22176992405672205522015-09-13T22:27:00.001-07:002015-09-13T22:27:30.556-07:00Big Sur International MarathonMarathon #38:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cjwN4ido1ljJnxEMaVFsTE6wyeDBczC6GvuaU66w-KJMvHCLZeF7yS24JJjHny1BcdjzGt1qLWP3Xznq7zwSoTLRyv7idpWA-SU0aa-j8W0VXcZoUTuPA-u_Q2eG7bLHTFo74-nI64MG/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cjwN4ido1ljJnxEMaVFsTE6wyeDBczC6GvuaU66w-KJMvHCLZeF7yS24JJjHny1BcdjzGt1qLWP3Xznq7zwSoTLRyv7idpWA-SU0aa-j8W0VXcZoUTuPA-u_Q2eG7bLHTFo74-nI64MG/s320/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I signed up for the 2015 Big Sur Marathon on July 15, 2014 less than 24 hours before I went into labor. For the 2015 race they decided to open up a few different days of registration due to a 24 hour sell-out the year before. July 15th was the first day and all the available slots for this day sold out in just a few minutes. I was so delighted to have nabbed a spot.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to my postpartum days and my return to running was anything but smooth or quick. My post-baby race goal was supposed to be a slow and meandering Disney 2015 race weekend in January and I had to totally scrap that idea. When I was pregnant my lower back used to kill me. Postpartum I had a repeat MRI to be sure that my pelvic stress fractures had healed since I was still getting some discomfort that was eerily similar to what I used to feel when it was fractured. The MRI showed that my pelvis was healed (woo-hoo!) but my doctor commented on the fact that I had swollen SI joints on both sides.<br />
<br />
During pregnancy your body releases relaxin which loosens ligaments and allows the pelvis to open during childbirth. With my pelvis all loose and wonky my SI joints were experiencing a greater range of movement which caused the swelling. If I was a couch potato just giving birth would have alleviated my SI joint pain. But if I went on even a 1-2 mile walk my lower back pain would flare up again. I've been told that it could take 6 months or even until I stopped breastfeeding for the effects of relaxin to 100% leave my body. It took about 7-8 months for things to get back to relative normalcy but even today longer runs still make my pelvis achy.<br />
<br />
Up until January I was hoping to be able to train for Big Sur as I would a normal non-goal marathon. I decided with less than four months to go and no running in sight if I wanted to experience the race I had to be open to the idea of walking. If I could get to the Bixby bridge I didn't care if I got swept due to time limits. With the way Big Sur sold out I knew going forward a spot in the race wasn't guaranteed and who knew when I would have a chance to be there again. Any other race I would have passed but I was willing to walk to mile 13 and get pulled off the course just to experience what I could. I love this race so much and the thought of missing it another year -- what could be my final year with an entry -- was not an option.<br />
<br />
So I started walking. I think I was occasionally doing 4 mile walks with the baby and that weekend I went out and walked 6 miles. The next weekend I walked 10. At the same time I slowly worked on my running. I would do 30 second running segments with walk breaks. After that didn't break me I did 45 second run segments, then 60 second run segments and so on. Eventually I was able to start doing some running on my longer distance day. I started off running for a minute every mile. Then a minute every half mile. I eventually settled on a run 4:00, walk 2:00 pattern for my longer run.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUtb5sIAfAnMo9peGri48sk4WbwRm8nyEtXc90t_Vdo_UY_cesbCQSHn0PC7QS4xCpyorSBm27EcgJ9drugCvhLvFB8wa00sl9uIQ980CM51WZUekmqDijAuLKyefm2ycR2BIHvcm-ZzU/s1600/IMG_2205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpUtb5sIAfAnMo9peGri48sk4WbwRm8nyEtXc90t_Vdo_UY_cesbCQSHn0PC7QS4xCpyorSBm27EcgJ9drugCvhLvFB8wa00sl9uIQ980CM51WZUekmqDijAuLKyefm2ycR2BIHvcm-ZzU/s400/IMG_2205.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first 10 mile walk. It took forever. Also, meet my new running watch, Gaston Garmin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I did two short run-walks during the week (capped off at about 4 miles each) and one long run-walk on the weekend (built up to one 20 miler). I also walked pushing my son in the stroller twice a week. We usually went about 4 miles but occasionally did up to six. I tried to find as many hills as I could on our walking days together.<br />
<br />
By the time race day came I knew I could generally keep a pace that would allow me to finish before the 6 hour cut-off. The big unknown was that Big Sur is a fairly challenging course and I wasn't sure how my walk-run plan was going to hold up over the day. I may end up walking all the ups and running the downs. But then running the downs is actually tougher on your body and I wasn't sure my pelvis was going to stand that. I decided to have my watch vibrate instead of doing an audible alert so that it wouldn't be too distracting if my run-walk plan went down the drain. I was going to stick to the plan from the beginning and keep it up as long as possible.<br />
<br />
I almost didn't take a camera with me during the race. I had done this race four times previously and stopped to take photos of EVERYTHING and figured I had documented what I wanted at some point in the past. With the cut-off being an issue I didn't want to waste any time with photos. I did end up taking my phone so that I would be able to call my husband if I got swept and I figured I couldn't miss just the one photo opportunity with Michael Martinez by the Bixby Bridge.<br />
<br />
One thing I was nervous about was pumping for as long as possible as close to the start of the race as possible. I left my hotel before 4 am and wasn't going to see my son again until 1 pm. If you've ever breastfed you can understand my anxiety. For my weekend long runs I was able to nurse him and leave right after to run. But at the race there was going to be a 3 hour or so delay between when I left him and the start of the race. I reached out to the race and they allowed me to sit in the cab of one of the sweat bag trucks to pump. When I got to the start area I made a beeline to the portapotties to use them before meeting up with the race director to find the truck.<br />
<br />
Years ago I stood in line for 1.5 hours to get to a portapotty. I wanted to pump for half an hour so if this happened again I was going to have to choose between having to pee the first few miles or trucking extra milk 26.2 miles. Luckily I got into a fast moving line and was in a portapotty within a few minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5amVMj5fmtEhf2Dbbrhc0Rti8PAYQVpDlCL3DPk18J0Zu7Ht7oEtAjT19CDfZmx6PdkH2pjmA6b5FktqS9aXT8DunqGg89CCjDIhOvxo3wAb9LwvFsAstOeyoVSb2RzVx165byW2pq65/s1600/IMG_2574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ5amVMj5fmtEhf2Dbbrhc0Rti8PAYQVpDlCL3DPk18J0Zu7Ht7oEtAjT19CDfZmx6PdkH2pjmA6b5FktqS9aXT8DunqGg89CCjDIhOvxo3wAb9LwvFsAstOeyoVSb2RzVx165byW2pq65/s400/IMG_2574.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
It wasn't terribly cold this year but another perk of being in the truck was that I didn't have to sit in the chilly air outside. I stayed in the truck as long as possible before heading to the start.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzsyHGwj49RpX616Ah9Kzb0OhVRq_30-Gw4749Yssw8yP7IXNfEWzkc5sejWZvO7vmIRdA8rn1n9PhvsnRPdjDTqvk0Plj58jBf1F-cUffEfz9EDn-fQLBgdTLZsNToi2x-BuMKJfjOUT/s1600/IMG_2580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzsyHGwj49RpX616Ah9Kzb0OhVRq_30-Gw4749Yssw8yP7IXNfEWzkc5sejWZvO7vmIRdA8rn1n9PhvsnRPdjDTqvk0Plj58jBf1F-cUffEfz9EDn-fQLBgdTLZsNToi2x-BuMKJfjOUT/s400/IMG_2580.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I fired up my watch and started off doing 4:00 run, 2:00 walk from the very beginning. It was tempting to run a little longer in the beginning but I hadn't trained that way and was going to do what I knew worked.<br />
<br />
The weather this year -- beautiful blue skies and a nice head wind. I was happy the views would be great this year. I ran once in fog and it was really disappointing. This race feels like an old friend after running it so many times. With my lack of running it the last couple of years it felt like an old friend you hadn't seen in a while.<br />
<br />
There were a few times I would be approaching an aid station as a walk break would start and I would continue running a little longer knowing I would have an extended walk through the aid station. I allowed myself to walk extra through aid stations while I drank water. I got a little carried away as we descended towards the base of Hurricane Point and missed a walk break. Otherwise I stuck to my run-walk plan.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite miles in marathoning is the approach and ascent up Hurricane Point, and then down the other side to cross the Bixby Bridge. Hurricane Point has a lot of false summits and even knowing this I was surprised once or twice when the top wasn't the top at all. I kept straining to hear Michael Martinez on the piano as we reached the top of Hurricane Point. This year he was playing an unknown song as I crossed the bridge. My hope of him playing "What a Wonderful World" as I cross the bridge will have to keep on keeping on.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIusEsWKPaKxb1vo0nG1rg_Vxe5qaYU4Xm1qn_WIdpXaoQnIRB1hB-Czzb_vLq0K8cLzJTEHC-sUBG1POAhmhjU6q3s4AHa4mRz5_rJheUkmFKafE2G3vMUT-hGj5aGlZC6VAIcJfdBB3T/s1600/IMG_2589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIusEsWKPaKxb1vo0nG1rg_Vxe5qaYU4Xm1qn_WIdpXaoQnIRB1hB-Czzb_vLq0K8cLzJTEHC-sUBG1POAhmhjU6q3s4AHa4mRz5_rJheUkmFKafE2G3vMUT-hGj5aGlZC6VAIcJfdBB3T/s400/IMG_2589.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I stopped for a quick shot with the pianist then got down to business for the day. The second half of Big Sur is not quite as scenic as the first and you are getting worn down and tired. With my walk breaks I was feeling surprisingly fresh. I guess there is something to this method after all. The hills didn't seem nearly so numerous or long or high this year. In short, I was feeling a lot better than I thought I would be and I knew I was going to finish.<br />
<br />
I ran past a gentleman wearing a shirt that said "Grizzly 30" and I asked him if he had run all thirty Big Sur Marathons. "Well, twenty-nine...." he said as he pointed down the road. Amazing.<br />
<br />
I kept up with my run-walk intervals until shortly after mile 25 when I decided to run all the way to the finish. I didn't look at the distance on Gaston but I consider this to be my first consecutive mile of running since sometime in early 2014. It felt glorious.<br />
<br />
I heard my husband cheering off to the side shortly before the finish line. I pulled over to give him and my son a kiss and then finished my fifth Big Sur Marathon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvPJbUHK8zWwyxS4xUhAS9LeYCpv1GeVN6UZkAPW9HQs3iQT0xr4evcykpPZvMUwlmJh2SQuaAHeswT0lNdvdQhS_h90nOoA8ghMuwcsIaSYNFT5PAKSX-he71CaINcLHVE0qVVZjYD-z/s1600/DSC_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvPJbUHK8zWwyxS4xUhAS9LeYCpv1GeVN6UZkAPW9HQs3iQT0xr4evcykpPZvMUwlmJh2SQuaAHeswT0lNdvdQhS_h90nOoA8ghMuwcsIaSYNFT5PAKSX-he71CaINcLHVE0qVVZjYD-z/s400/DSC_2197.JPG" width="392" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I soaked up as much of this race as I could. Both for what it was and what it represented. It was my first real race of any kind since May 2013 and my first marathon since January 2013. If you had told me in January 2013 that I wouldn't run another marathon for almost 2.5 years and that I would be a mother the next time it happened I would have told you that you were insane. I thought about everything that had happened since the last time I ran a marathon. I thought about everything that had happened for me to be on the course today. I was incredibly grateful for both everything in my life and the chance to do what I love again.<br />
<br />
I've run this race in <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2009/04/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">2009</a>, <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2010/04/big-sur-marathon.html" target="_blank">2010</a>, <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2011/05/big-sur-inernational-marathon.html" target="_blank">2011</a>, <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2012/05/big-sur-international-marathon.html" target="_blank">2012</a>, and 2015. I was registered in 2013 but had pelvic stress fractures. I was registered in 2014 but was pregnant. I told myself years ago that this was the race I would do every year until I couldn't do this anymore. For 2009 I signed up leisurely months before the race. For 2014 it sold out in less than an hour. They switched to the lottery system for 2016 onward so there is no guarantee of entry anymore. I got incredibly lucky this year and did get in via the lottery for 2016. It makes me sad that I may get to run this one more time or ten more times but you'd better believe I'll be there every year they'll take me.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-74084181823500887792015-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:002015-08-17T13:04:31.852-07:00Monday Mario -- Fin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifr6_O4Cfwd7Vef6KikdQankACNf4Ur_xzVv_BldQPUaFDD0rZEmDobPUslurixO5N-8KsbH7At6PYpZ1BibPHicaxjb_d7tutkIj_sLd0iHK0RmZWTMtsbYxQiXjYhTUQRA_pco5tNyVO/s1600/P6190177.JPG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifr6_O4Cfwd7Vef6KikdQankACNf4Ur_xzVv_BldQPUaFDD0rZEmDobPUslurixO5N-8KsbH7At6PYpZ1BibPHicaxjb_d7tutkIj_sLd0iHK0RmZWTMtsbYxQiXjYhTUQRA_pco5tNyVO/s400/P6190177.JPG.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 6, 2004 (Gotcha Day) -- August 18, 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">10/01/2014</span><br />
This blog had been grossly neglected the last year. It is hard to have a running blog when you aren't running. I wish I had kept up with the "Monday Marios" because I love looking back and reading them myself and I know Mario had a lot of friends out there who looked forward to seeing his handsome mug.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am heartbroken to share the news that we put Mario to sleep on August 18th. He was declining slowly over the course of this past year. He didn't do his Bunny 500 zooms around the living room anymore. He didn't really care too much for coming out and exploring as much. Eventually I noticed he couldn't support himself on any surface that didn't have adequate traction. He couldn't bend around to groom himself or eat his cecals. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
His veterinarian and I tweaked all sorts of things to keep him happy. He was put on supplements and pain meds for arthritis. I did warm compresses on his eyes to help that issue. We changed his diet. I modified his pen set up when he couldn't always make it into the litter box. My veterinarian said to keep perspective: If he was a person he would be grandpa in a nursing home in a wheelchair and diapers. We started to have to give him baths. Everyone who has followed this blog knows how <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2010/11/monday-mario.html">fastidiously clean</a> Mario was and I can only imagine how annoyed he was to be soiled.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All of this became the new norm the last 6 months or so and it seemed to work for everyone. Then in his last 2.5 weeks Mario started to have major difficulties walking. The final couple of days he was totally immobile and I made the heartbreaking decision I hoped I would never have to make. I always wanted Mario to go peacefully in his sleep on his own terms. After the major health scare and hospitalization we had a few years ago I didn't think I had it in me to make that choice for him. It is hands down the hardest thing I have had to do and I am not sure pet ownership is for me anymore knowing it could end that way.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After over 10 years together life is very different without him. I was in my mid-twenties when I adopted Mario and am now in my mid-thirties. I would argue that is the decade the most drastic change in your life occurs. Mario was with me through my final years as a student, my first job, a cross-country move, a wedding, and a baby. He was up with me when I burned the midnight oil studying for Boards. He was up with me when I would wake at dark o'clock for races. He was up with me the night before my wedding when I couldn't fall asleep. When my newborn was crying at 4 am he was up with me wondering what all the racket was about.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">08/16/15</span><br />
Mario was the heart and soul of this blog. I started this as a running blog and it truly evolved into Mario's little corner of cyberspace. More than anything else, I am thankful I had this blog to compel me to document his life and my memories with him.<br />
<br />
After going to the veterinarian on Mario's final day, my husband parked by the ocean so I could regroup before going back to the craziness of a 4 week old and visiting relatives. It was beautiful, somber, peaceful, and everything I was feeling.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuo5IS87xcAYGZkRynAfgI6Hhcl6WhHkLbc9BBeG3yEpYwRn3LuFVgiGajphHb4FKpv58nlMTfLRqIkuzW2BJmMqHk14U9b3m-YnS4G7LxH7i9SJvdhYkfRSGdl2diUXIKqMjoUQfO2b7/s1600/IMG_0885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfuo5IS87xcAYGZkRynAfgI6Hhcl6WhHkLbc9BBeG3yEpYwRn3LuFVgiGajphHb4FKpv58nlMTfLRqIkuzW2BJmMqHk14U9b3m-YnS4G7LxH7i9SJvdhYkfRSGdl2diUXIKqMjoUQfO2b7/s400/IMG_0885.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea." -- Karen Blixen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It took me a year to get this posted. Thank you to everyone who ever admired Mario from afar and laughed at his antics with me. There is a rabbit-shaped hole in my heart.<br />
<br />
The day I adopted Mario I met him and an animal shelter worker at a Connecticut train station. He was in a carrier and looked a little distressed. "Poor guy," I said. "He's having a rough day." The young woman looked at me and replied, "But he'll have a great rest of his life." <br />
<br />
I can only hope this was the truth.<br />
<br />
<br />
Every post I ever tagged with "Mario" can be found <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/search/label/Mario">here</a>.</div>
RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-29715189402281262332013-09-30T14:02:00.002-07:002013-09-30T14:02:47.993-07:00Monday MarioPerhaps more rare than the elusive <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2011/09/monday-mario.html">bunny yawn</a>, I present <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Bunny Sneezes</span>. Turn up the volume and enjoy eighteen high quality Mario sneezes.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/75807788" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe>RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-78808364098739590852013-09-09T00:00:00.000-07:002013-09-09T00:00:01.657-07:00Monday Mario<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWICIJkAPqIMDq-79cdGr0BOv6uCc91VasPiLSxnbOm3yeVoS6yBGn8TK8Fkmx5i81J8uiHPSDbaa2cJFWgSN26uFMAaDBT07CHmizzr7TfjCQfpiyi_rnkEN9JHi-R7wIgNKZnamtiiIp/s1600/DSC_9851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWICIJkAPqIMDq-79cdGr0BOv6uCc91VasPiLSxnbOm3yeVoS6yBGn8TK8Fkmx5i81J8uiHPSDbaa2cJFWgSN26uFMAaDBT07CHmizzr7TfjCQfpiyi_rnkEN9JHi-R7wIgNKZnamtiiIp/s400/DSC_9851.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I smell BANANA!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-5656711804333879572013-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:002013-08-27T11:13:28.027-07:00Injury Favorites: In The MeantimeI have been keeping busy ever since I got my stress fracture diagnosis. I try to maintain this schedule: Bikram yoga 3x a week, strength 4x a week, pool running 2x a week, spin 2x a week, and a sprinkling of additional core workouts here and there. I am doing all of this with the hope of coming back a smarter and stronger runner.<br />
<br />
I talked a little bit about my trainer and my bike trainer before, but thought I'd elaborate a little on the other new things that this stress fracture has introduced into my life:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>1) TRX</b><br />
<br />
My trainer incorporates TRX a lot when she is working with me. It is a suspension device which utilizes your own body weight to do exercises. I think the fact that this piece of equipment is respected so much in the fitness community and not relegated to a "one piece of equipment does it all!" infomercial-type offering is nothing short of marketing genius. Because really, it could have gone either way.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr430_S-PZj3lBzvWHOiOF59EUJFgk86QGISUHjBI90Po22FtBoGS_GffhOGQd_HDicUijbmOGyiyDqT68kqrSJfXd8Q8V34zflqp9OLUItDWk4tjPScRbfZT3UR0YslBCsxAcPsN91B_/s1600/trx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr430_S-PZj3lBzvWHOiOF59EUJFgk86QGISUHjBI90Po22FtBoGS_GffhOGQd_HDicUijbmOGyiyDqT68kqrSJfXd8Q8V34zflqp9OLUItDWk4tjPScRbfZT3UR0YslBCsxAcPsN91B_/s400/trx.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.centeredworkout.com/trx">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
You can get a full body workout with these straps. Legs, core, upper body, and stretching. I decided to get my own TRX so I could train at home when I wasn't seeing my trainer. I bought the <a href="http://www.trxtraining.com/products/trx-force-kit-tactical">Force Kit</a> which came with a booklet and an app that has a 12 week program complete with videos demonstrating all of the moves and how to progress them as you get better. The app is amazing and I highly recommend it. We have a chin-up bar I hang the system from, but you can also use an attachment to make any door an anchor point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dBlLKBfqS_U9TQFCUzXXYQX2SlhYPDqHMsz7rgJiYH-FUkbZLz1a9dT2K9lteEH5q4mUv7lu10VTS2he3nzgX91IZ0GUiNlyzeBMU4gj-eH-AVkwsV6QuKGO6P-yuch6dl1C5dJ2aYvM/s1600/DSC_9818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dBlLKBfqS_U9TQFCUzXXYQX2SlhYPDqHMsz7rgJiYH-FUkbZLz1a9dT2K9lteEH5q4mUv7lu10VTS2he3nzgX91IZ0GUiNlyzeBMU4gj-eH-AVkwsV6QuKGO6P-yuch6dl1C5dJ2aYvM/s400/DSC_9818.JPG" width="217" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm in the 7th week of the program and am really enjoying it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2) Pool Running</b><br />
<br />
Pool running goes by a lot of names (deep water running, aquajogging) and involves running in deep water. I have read differing opinions on whether or not you should use a flotation belt but for now I am using one. I have also read differing opinions on what sort of leg motion is the best to do. I have personally settled on mimicking the normal running stride as much as possible and I try to spend time concentrating on the kick back which is something that is lacking in my running form.<br />
<br />
Pool running was one of the first things my sports medicine doctor suggested I try when I was first diagnosed with my stress fracture. Unfortunately, I did not have access to a pool and I did not intend to just go buy a belt and show up at a pool and give it a go with no idea of what I was doing. I kept hearing such awesome things about how pool running is a great option for runners that my fears and the lack of convenience were overcome by my desire to elevate my heart rate.<br />
<br />
I first ventured into the pool running scene by attending a 6:30 am Deep Water Running class at UCSF. For the record, I am not a morning person. To be in a pool by 6:30 am was nothing short of a Christmas miracle. The fact that one of my classmates and the instructor helped me pick a belt and told me how I wanted it to fit was worth the $15 admission price. This is great because the class was not quite what I was expecting. I was the youngest person there by at least 25 years. It felt more like a water aerobics class than a water running class. Not to knock it, but I was there to get my heart rate up, not to pretend I was stepping over barrels or to do jumping jacks in the deep water. Class fail.<br />
<br />
I decided after a second class that I needed to do pool running on my own. I had read a lot about how interval work was the way to go in the water and there didn't seem to be any sort of class geared towards people who wanted to do that sort of a thing. I decided to check out my local YMCA. It was serendipitous as I actually went to try out their Water Running class but I ended up looking at the wrong schedule and stumbled in on open recreational swim. I was told I could strap on a belt and do whatever I liked in the deep end. I was talking to another pool runner in the locker room after. She said she taught water running classes at other locations and confirmed my suspicion that they were mainly geared towards the geriatric or overweight crowd. She told me if cardio fitness was my goal I had to just do hard interval work on my own.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtX5735pzNh-t1qOQNSeAubFvjALymh650hivzH9KZVj9Fc3WKc7b6v5GBlXOfeEwXzrOjXiJDettwiiHd47Vb09KDSuVl1mfwIS8AcbnBb8h9yj7slQsoFM0UuAaO_71R1kmL87GAGjOR/s1600/DSC_9826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtX5735pzNh-t1qOQNSeAubFvjALymh650hivzH9KZVj9Fc3WKc7b6v5GBlXOfeEwXzrOjXiJDettwiiHd47Vb09KDSuVl1mfwIS8AcbnBb8h9yj7slQsoFM0UuAaO_71R1kmL87GAGjOR/s400/DSC_9826.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The next time I went back I did a few things differently: 1) I remembered that Garfield the Garmin was the waterproof triathlon model. I programmed in workouts like I do when I run and he will vibrate to let me know when an interval is starting or ending. The first time I did my own workout I watched the clock on the wall which was hard because eventually I'd have to turn around and find the clock on the opposite wall and figure out how much time I had left. 2) I loaded an ipod with my favorite running music and podcasts. I bought my husband a waterproof ipod case a while back and it is finally getting some use. 3) I put on a running hat. I need it to have something to attach the ipod case to but psychologically it makes me feel like I am actually out for a run. I know, I'm strange. But I miss wearing my running hats! And I secretly like how it screams, "poor injured runner" when you wear your running hat in the pool. It also doubles as a splash protector when the guy swimming laps slaps his arm down heavily right by your face as he passes you.<br />
<br />
Ever since I started doing the above, I LOVE me my pool running. I'm using Garfield, I have my running hat -- it is the next best thing to real running. It is tough when you up the intensity and it gets my heart rate going. My head even breaks a sweat. I try to really concentrate on engaging my core and moving my legs and arms independently of my torso. I'm hoping some of that muscle memory will translate onto the road later. I am planning on using the pool running in my training even after I am back to regular running again. I may swap out an easy day for a day in the pool or use it as cross training or double days. I've been doing a lot of reading about the pool running online and it seems to work for a lot of people.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3) Gym membership</b><br />
<br />
Related to the above -- I joined a gym so I could have pool access. I've started attending a core strength class once a week and tried out a pilates class as well. I haven't spent any time in the actual weight/cardio gym since I have my TRX at home and have been working with a trainer thus far. But I think it is something I will get into more, especially when my fracture is healed up. After a pool run I'll take a medicine ball outside and do some additional core work.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I am excited about all of the above for a couple of reasons. First, as I mentioned, I think it is important to have strength in order to be the best runner you can be. The "Anatomy for Runners" book talks about how you need to have a strong chassis in order to tap into the power your legs generate. His analogy was firing a cannon from a row boat -- obviously this is disastrous. But if you had a cannon on firm ground you'd get a lot more power. Second, I got into this whole mess because all I wanted to do was run. I am extremely Type A when it comes to training plans. If it is written down I will do everything in my power to get that run workout completed. This leads me to run through aches and pains and niggles. I think down the road if I am experiencing an issue I will be much more likely to skip a run or three if I had another outlet -- get in the pool or on an elliptical or on the bike.<br />
<br />
I used to really worry about what would become of me if the day came when I could no longer run. I still worry about it a little -- I don't consider myself an exerciser -- even all this stuff I am doing is for the end game of running. But I feel a little more assured there are other things out there to help fill the void. This year has been a good rehearsal for a show I hope never takes place. And quite possibly all this extra stuff will prolong or prevent that from ever happening.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-8900082129205016242013-08-26T18:18:00.004-07:002013-08-26T18:18:48.176-07:00Monday Mario<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dj7ZleQ_qNQoPWmbKh6THQ7jM9eOKRD4zPG5khV1FgpBFSfZNLv6-vxvfBOUKWaKI-IAJ9vq4GBT4EzqNAVcJ8XrUTPxZ3HWCY-mM8o1DlQG6K38NHsBaA1TFFxy9eWmCa8BEcUoDrQJ/s1600/DSC_9829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Dj7ZleQ_qNQoPWmbKh6THQ7jM9eOKRD4zPG5khV1FgpBFSfZNLv6-vxvfBOUKWaKI-IAJ9vq4GBT4EzqNAVcJ8XrUTPxZ3HWCY-mM8o1DlQG6K38NHsBaA1TFFxy9eWmCa8BEcUoDrQJ/s400/DSC_9829.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Mario is at the tail end of a huge shed. Usually it is his fluffy soft under coat which comes out, but about two or three a year he'll shed out the longer overcoat hairs. They come out by the handful and he'll have varying lengths of fur here and there. He's shedding out in a male pattern baldness ring this time around. Not nearly as cute of a look as the time he <a href="http://roadbunner.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-mario.html">sported a heart</a>.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-67857376414391286222013-08-19T10:31:00.001-07:002013-08-19T10:31:49.614-07:00Monday MarioI'm sorry, I know we've beaten the hay rack to death but I just love watching Mario eat from it. You can see his brain working it out. I love that it gives him some enrichment activity and it tickles me to death I actually got something for him he uses.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S7wDhyphenhyphenQilw2jEXAnA28J_telG16jKpEr3oHyK6fKuXzDc3OVybiDbmTo6VNiLGo1G-P8q0V09qDFlcrAEAdq0TijkmuvX0wl6ISIXAgvgUyui9xPsivmhybVckLnxbpfIrF_DjdindPS/s1600/DSC_9790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8S7wDhyphenhyphenQilw2jEXAnA28J_telG16jKpEr3oHyK6fKuXzDc3OVybiDbmTo6VNiLGo1G-P8q0V09qDFlcrAEAdq0TijkmuvX0wl6ISIXAgvgUyui9xPsivmhybVckLnxbpfIrF_DjdindPS/s400/DSC_9790.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnEQIW_VvZD21Es5qF20YdY83DMeZfUvIO6JbsDnevU7GbJa7Fai1RZXiGvHA9jjgLNOdXuQz2hGLJlDwlzPk6rtpbyyZUosuru1MSk69y0m0MSqzhAHt7gmz1eHMe15pzfuvsvZw4qKS/s1600/DSC_9792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnEQIW_VvZD21Es5qF20YdY83DMeZfUvIO6JbsDnevU7GbJa7Fai1RZXiGvHA9jjgLNOdXuQz2hGLJlDwlzPk6rtpbyyZUosuru1MSk69y0m0MSqzhAHt7gmz1eHMe15pzfuvsvZw4qKS/s400/DSC_9792.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgR3mId2hdVuGjPL-iUq6ddBWwAVK1M4dTvKqIry2qg_jXgfNsBgIbcXyldBBXurCWluHQ6EldB0Fcu-qQwMXso2HyT434ThvX8tpdoeyWjnHbXCmwD86Lz9J8npA0dnwMRxuytaF0v9c/s1600/DSC_9794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgR3mId2hdVuGjPL-iUq6ddBWwAVK1M4dTvKqIry2qg_jXgfNsBgIbcXyldBBXurCWluHQ6EldB0Fcu-qQwMXso2HyT434ThvX8tpdoeyWjnHbXCmwD86Lz9J8npA0dnwMRxuytaF0v9c/s400/DSC_9794.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-h_CAK0Obg3NBbfPOZdtZa9H-QdDz3bjyDCH-RDgQb5Q-jaKp6HRGOBYvedTJcvSMPO9O09fEW9F_npNIHBhb0G1BVYntmvE1zSbUzhUV5KAY1j7m5P5RyeQH7Fol83_KGyOO_ks_43x/s1600/DSC_9796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-h_CAK0Obg3NBbfPOZdtZa9H-QdDz3bjyDCH-RDgQb5Q-jaKp6HRGOBYvedTJcvSMPO9O09fEW9F_npNIHBhb0G1BVYntmvE1zSbUzhUV5KAY1j7m5P5RyeQH7Fol83_KGyOO_ks_43x/s400/DSC_9796.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrizY9EFBIMoiyloPKQ9Mu-1zxulhyphenhyphenFVuRBmVDZmyrYa2E8dJxrxvQEwjth0YzZp3_-4xw1pBDnK1cAFXQOgocK-IpKWPLLIalbC_NckwzxPuMClDM2jG8Qv6Yv8uoUDCoxwXA5vfCt8w/s1600/DSC_9789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrizY9EFBIMoiyloPKQ9Mu-1zxulhyphenhyphenFVuRBmVDZmyrYa2E8dJxrxvQEwjth0YzZp3_-4xw1pBDnK1cAFXQOgocK-IpKWPLLIalbC_NckwzxPuMClDM2jG8Qv6Yv8uoUDCoxwXA5vfCt8w/s400/DSC_9789.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSA6gWh71FkhofzA2_TO72PCByeFsa9jzbnErkVTREE6zU7Zbz-QGAYI1StBqW0Nrva55RjQ34-BQv6issJXkc2pc-xC-itI-8JMPHr5uyvAqdfnx4cL090fHTghgr-_DRng8CXpSsbnL/s1600/DSC_9789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSA6gWh71FkhofzA2_TO72PCByeFsa9jzbnErkVTREE6zU7Zbz-QGAYI1StBqW0Nrva55RjQ34-BQv6issJXkc2pc-xC-itI-8JMPHr5uyvAqdfnx4cL090fHTghgr-_DRng8CXpSsbnL/s400/DSC_9789.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twitchy lips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-60230466741403168262013-08-12T11:17:00.001-07:002013-08-12T11:17:58.851-07:00Monday Mario<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ1eJatMauqSjta3qBD5MuKRy3pF4Qf5MGPM9l7eWuFopGKdHacmGC0TRxzn2w3BjY-wd8m0LDSsTG-XlVUZW0EB2UGRyWmi341D2vqV3dUtTDcmKYUgeN3t8kz5MH44MbHyMnEPhUA5q/s1600/DSC_9756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQ1eJatMauqSjta3qBD5MuKRy3pF4Qf5MGPM9l7eWuFopGKdHacmGC0TRxzn2w3BjY-wd8m0LDSsTG-XlVUZW0EB2UGRyWmi341D2vqV3dUtTDcmKYUgeN3t8kz5MH44MbHyMnEPhUA5q/s400/DSC_9756.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Lest you think the hay rack has been 100% sunshine and roses, there is a dark underbelly to the device. Mario is apparently a prima donna with his hay choice and is quite picky about what gets eaten and what gets left behind. The above represents 2.5 days of hay selection carnage. I've started scooping the above into a fresh litter box as the bottom layer so nothing gets wasted in the end.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-6197769467239624262013-08-08T21:58:00.000-07:002013-08-08T22:00:38.644-07:00Injury Favorites: Maintenance & Damage ControlContinuing on the "Injury Favorites" series, I'd like to highlight new gadgets I found to help keep myself from combusting.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b><b>1) R8 from Roll Recovery</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I own pretty much every major trigger point/roller device known to runnerkind. When I first saw <a href="http://www.rollrecovery.com/r8/">this one</a>, I was really intrigued. The device applies its own pressure so you don't have to press down with a lot of force like The Stick or use your own body weight like you do with a foam roller. I'm not saying having to support your own body weight is a bad aspect of foam rolling, but it is often a limiting factor (especially in my pre-injury weenie upper body strength days). Also, there is no way to travel with a Stick or foam roller easily. I have heard mixed stories about whether TSA will confiscate Sticks (for the record, I have gotten my Kid Stick through security once with no issues) and there is no way a standard foam roller is going to fit in my carry-on. This thing was fairly pricey, but I figured it was comparable to a sports massage that keeps giving.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJpexe9zWQGF-k5nVSertI9vO7KxWxOh0vp_V0jmlfXcaNj2n-5sU7UWaS3N0qm227QjDq2oyUzDTuLL4a9KGKOMYmmFeB7R1ArG5L_WTNKsmq3jgk_GNdZi1r4Q_8aVinmoNClNHE5a9/s1600/DSC_9770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJpexe9zWQGF-k5nVSertI9vO7KxWxOh0vp_V0jmlfXcaNj2n-5sU7UWaS3N0qm227QjDq2oyUzDTuLL4a9KGKOMYmmFeB7R1ArG5L_WTNKsmq3jgk_GNdZi1r4Q_8aVinmoNClNHE5a9/s400/DSC_9770.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The first time I used it, the only thing I could thing was, "Oww!" My husband claims the pressure is so great, it hurts too much to use. I disagree. I think it does a good job of applying needed pressure. When I thoroughly roll my upper legs I get the "loose and free" sensation I have only ever experienced after first standing up after a sports massage.<br />
<br />
My adductors were a big problem area for me and it is pretty much impossible to get in there good with a foam roller. The R8 is amazing for the inner thigh area. It also does a great job on hamstrings, quads, and the IT band. Pretty much the entire upper leg. With the double-sided action you are also rolling two areas at the same time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HbSSqJIwYheNcQdj9iYwqmURVQ0jGT6O2RHYdXECx_Nw3AgHQm_INFHxw_qgJNGdoMp-uXzq4fJTksZYLWGvJkMc_vwMXXejhzBBlkXu8Mi3X83fVNeYAT9d5K310ARN59u9_HWF76Qm/s1600/DSC_9772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HbSSqJIwYheNcQdj9iYwqmURVQ0jGT6O2RHYdXECx_Nw3AgHQm_INFHxw_qgJNGdoMp-uXzq4fJTksZYLWGvJkMc_vwMXXejhzBBlkXu8Mi3X83fVNeYAT9d5K310ARN59u9_HWF76Qm/s400/DSC_9772.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've found using it this way vs. the above way applies a different type of pressure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I am petite and I can <i>just</i> get this sucker up onto my glute area. It is enough of a challenge that I prefer to use the foam roller for my glutes instead (rolling your glutes with a foam roller is really just sitting on a foam roller so that is easy enough). I believe this is an invaluable part the arsenal, I don't think it is going to totally replace every self-massage device. But I really believe it gets the job done better and easier than any other self-massage device for all the areas you can use it on.<br />
<br />
I have not tried this on my lower legs because you have to find a way to protect your shin bone while you are rolling your calves. I've heard of people putting towels there to protect the shin, but I have other rolling devices that work well for the calves so I haven't bothered to try that yet. I have had to tighten the bolts up a few times with a screwdriver but the R8 seems like a solid piece of equipment that will last a long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2) Grid Mini</b><br />
<br />
After I purchased my R8, Trigger Point Therapy came out with the <a href="http://www.tptherapy.com/Shop-Online/All-TPPT-Products/The-GRID-Mini.html">Grid Mini</a>. I have had a regular size <a href="http://www.tptherapy.com/Shop-Online/All-TPPT-Products/The-GRID-Foam-Roller.html">Grid</a> for several years and it is far superior to your cheap styrofoam roller. I rarely check any luggage when I travel and there is no way to take The Grid with me. I had purchased the R8 with the intent to use it as my traveling tool. But around the time the Grid Mini was released, we had a trip planned and my problem area was my glutes. So I snapped one of these guys up to take with me on the trip. You can attach it to the exterior of your bag so it won't take up any space at all. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19tfrphNJh-tzJSY_zPA0nb9NOixDQWxpF6JzTFYrOih0JkcYJtUXHPxOShhWqXGyX2sWZuy5ttjRB9jWBrZK533fp4rr05Xj1C4-pzaNb2DAUq6ZctrNrWssrHs5poAT7dkt2CFtF82j/s1600/IMG_20130510_083824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19tfrphNJh-tzJSY_zPA0nb9NOixDQWxpF6JzTFYrOih0JkcYJtUXHPxOShhWqXGyX2sWZuy5ttjRB9jWBrZK533fp4rr05Xj1C4-pzaNb2DAUq6ZctrNrWssrHs5poAT7dkt2CFtF82j/s400/IMG_20130510_083824.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grid Mini Hawaii bound (And this photo also shows the two best pieces of race swag I have ever gotten: Backpack from the Austin Marathon and a water bottle from the US Half Marathon -- I've used both regularly for years)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The downsides to the Mini vs. the regular Grid are: 1) Because it is not as long, it is also less rigid and I can tell there is more flex than with the regular Grid. This means the pressure you get from it is not as great. 2) Because it is skinny you have to have the line of direction you want to roll exactly parallel to the roller or you will fall off (this makes areas like adductors which are on a diagonal roll pattern very difficult).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9_Wav1G2yih_eyYtRHmDNN-fG6Cioej2kyCRIXMAckuJir1N2vNQInGKZ7xMrM3vYHPH6oFg2txh5Whuiy7AtIWZrgPIfkHeuYrhBKHQsC8uhkBmPnD3fYRumHv7-BNs95mF4g6tGXRB/s1600/DSC_9768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9_Wav1G2yih_eyYtRHmDNN-fG6Cioej2kyCRIXMAckuJir1N2vNQInGKZ7xMrM3vYHPH6oFg2txh5Whuiy7AtIWZrgPIfkHeuYrhBKHQsC8uhkBmPnD3fYRumHv7-BNs95mF4g6tGXRB/s400/DSC_9768.JPG" width="373" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I consider the cons to be tolerable given to ability to take your roller with you on the go easily. I would not say it is a substitute to owning a regular size roller, though.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>3) Pro-Tec Hot/Cold Therapy Wrap</b><br />
I have been plagued with chronic shin splints since 2005. All these years when I wanted to ice them, I would wrap an Ace bandage around and around and around and around my shin to hold a frozen pack there. The wrap wouldn't always hold secure and when you give yourself 5 minutes after a run pre-work to do what needs 10 minutes, it was a major pain to spend time wrapping it on and then taking it off again. The <a href="http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpage-PTHCTWM.html">Pro-Tec Hot/Cold Therapy Wrap</a> probably comes in many different variations from oodles of companies. But it is the one I found and I wish I had gotten one sooner. There is a pocket you can slide your gel pack into (it can be frozen or heated) and then you just velcro the sucker on wherever you need it. Two seconds on, one second off, and very easy to adjust the tightness and compression factor.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vRJr3EIz3gsvUEBCf7OPlVh4ulOngLj1FSF6DZKJQNeh0UjsVbu3lvDxYjwhtLCSE29_MSGTyhrEtjtILhJvMAWEWBwnzeYz_FAODs3uWFZcmRs39Sm0YIqMUuzWaXyA3Vgqqva5L1kF/s1600/DSC_9788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vRJr3EIz3gsvUEBCf7OPlVh4ulOngLj1FSF6DZKJQNeh0UjsVbu3lvDxYjwhtLCSE29_MSGTyhrEtjtILhJvMAWEWBwnzeYz_FAODs3uWFZcmRs39Sm0YIqMUuzWaXyA3Vgqqva5L1kF/s400/DSC_9788.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So simple. Don't ask why I didn't get one earlier.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My massage therapist recommended I heat, massage, ice, and then heat my adductor. I had a few of the gel packs already that can be frozen or microwaved so I have one that stays thawed and a couple that stay frozen all the time. At one point I was using it so much that I bought a second one so I could ice my adductor and knee at the same time. I took one with me on my above mentioned Hawaii trip. My dad rolled his ankle on a run while I was home so I let him have my second one since he had lots of ice packs but no way to attach them to his body. So I'm down to one again and hopefully I'll never have a need to ice two places at the same time again!RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-10840191354984531712013-08-05T01:18:00.000-07:002013-08-05T01:18:20.607-07:00Monday Mario<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxK8qmc4W5LGExkrT2CeHt-WGYOpwkVucoQwQ33cjSacO7CZwAeHO1idla55AjYeD2VtYJxPW2L5stoiAvGQsgnXI3YFF7i57Cv_OD2dar2cDt7RqD26yVB3k9xVKvbp15LO2tq8LKZh6M/s1600/DSC_9679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxK8qmc4W5LGExkrT2CeHt-WGYOpwkVucoQwQ33cjSacO7CZwAeHO1idla55AjYeD2VtYJxPW2L5stoiAvGQsgnXI3YFF7i57Cv_OD2dar2cDt7RqD26yVB3k9xVKvbp15LO2tq8LKZh6M/s400/DSC_9679.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The super soft fur on the top of Mario's head is my favorite place to put my nose and inhale. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-71357355019944634222013-08-02T21:49:00.001-07:002013-08-02T22:23:01.380-07:00Injury Favorites: Knowledge Is PowerI've been meaning to do this for quite a while and finally got inspired to get it done. I've been injured for a long time now. I haven't run in a quarter of a year. I haven't run injury free in almost ten months. This means I have been spending a lot of time dealing with injury. That is the downside. There are actually quite a few upsides to this whole thing and I decided to document those as well.<br />
<br />
First up on the agenda is how I have spent this time beefing up on my understanding of the way a body should work and how my body is deficient.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gvECcy8wzu7E4nYY20adZMBnKGCg2dUyGazNeuVyj61IzuyLHKPUAjsFaDn4RzkYo3wcisYduSq2hzSiMgTYVgZG2gAbyMTy4vvARKLuYAH9mJ3kkXzcqHqfJ9yc2QD7JfPl4GTbEbqn/s1600/DSC_9755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gvECcy8wzu7E4nYY20adZMBnKGCg2dUyGazNeuVyj61IzuyLHKPUAjsFaDn4RzkYo3wcisYduSq2hzSiMgTYVgZG2gAbyMTy4vvARKLuYAH9mJ3kkXzcqHqfJ9yc2QD7JfPl4GTbEbqn/s400/DSC_9755.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>1) Mobility WOD and "Becoming a Supple Leopard" by Kelly Starrett</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I stumbled onto the <a href="http://www.mobilitywod.com/">Mobility WOD website</a> about half a year ago. The site has since gone to a pay-to-view format for some of their videos but a ton of great stuff is still up there for free. Starrett is a physical therapist and a pretty big person in the CrossFit world. When I first found the website I couldn't bookmark videos for future reference fast enough.<br />
<br />
For example, this gem:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tMpdl9cfMrg?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
The first lesson I learned from my physical therapists and especially personal trainer was, "KNEES OUT!" I swear I hear my trainer saying "KNEES OUT!" in my head every time I squat, stand up, and walk up and down stairs. Hopefully later when I start running again this will all translate. I used to have to really concentrate on it and I find it is pretty much second nature for me now. Both my knees are super crunchy because of sheer forces and I want to keep them happy for as long as I can.<br />
<br />
After creeping the videos for a bit I learned that there was going to be a book released! I got my hands on a copy right away. <a href="http://sfroadwarrior.blogspot.com/">Angela</a> and I were discussing this a while back. We both moaned over the odd title and I found myself hugging it tightly to my body as I walked to work so people wouldn't wonder about it. The book encapsulates what is covered in his videos. Good form for all types of movements, why it is important, and how to keep your body mobile.<br />
<br />
I can't say I have read the whole thing as it is quite the monster, but it is a great reference and I highly recommend it. Runners will probably delight in the extensive sections which teach you how to roll, stretch, and trigger point out tight areas in all parts of the body (he refers to it as smashing and flossing).<br />
<br />
Starrett recently announced he is collaborating on a book focused for running which is coming out early next year. I'll be keeping an ear to the ground to see if it is as good as I hope it will be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2) "Anatomy for Runners" by Jay Dicharry</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Oiselle pro runner, Lauren Fleshman, <a href="http://asklaurenfleshman.com/2013/07/one-month-later/">blogged</a> about this book and after reading the reviews I got myself a copy. I devoured it in just a few days. Whenever a new runner asks how they should start out, the knee-jerk answer is usually, "Get professionally fitted for shoes." My new answer is going to be to get a copy of this book and read it cover to cover. <br />
<br />
If I had read this book over ten years ago when I first started running -- and had I the maturity to take it seriously -- I really believe I would never have had any serious injuries in my running life. I admit it would take a pretty forward thinking person to read this book and apply what is in it when they are not in any pain. But there were multiple scenarios in this book that described all types of things I have experienced over the years and I wanted to bang my head into the wall and scream, "If I only knew then what I know now!"<br />
<br />
The book is not without flaws -- it sorely needs an index (this applies to the above book, too), they could have utilized photographs better, and I think the what-is-wrong to the how-do-you-fix-it link is not as strong as it could have been. BUT, if you have a functioning brain you can fill in these gaps and turn this into an amazing reference.<br />
<br />
This book pretty much sums up everything I have learned about what I have been doing wrong. After describing the science behind everything, the book goes through assessments so that you can find your weak links and then provides exercises to fix them. The information in the book is not new but to have it in a tidy little package is priceless.<br />
<br />
If you run and want to run long-term, get this. I am planning to read it again and put little stickies all over it the second time.<br />
<br />
<b>3) Kinetic Revolution</b><br />
<br />
I can't remember how I found this <a href="http://www.kinetic-revolution.com/">website</a>. I followed them on twitter and I literally favorite 4/5 of every tweet they send because the article it links to is that great. For example, I had a major aha moment with <a href="http://www.kinetic-revolution.com/why-are-my-hamstrings-always-tight/">this one</a> about chronically tight hamstrings. My hamstrings always feel tight but I can get 90 degrees or more of flexion with them. I have a weak core. Aha!<br />
<br />
<br />
These are the top three things I have been utilizing for my understanding of my injuries. It is so much easier to put the work into fixing issues when I have a full understanding of why those issues are important to my running. Everyone knows it is important to have a strong core, but why? I've been doing all sorts of exercises for my gluteus medius, but why? Planks and clamshells and squats get really old when you aren't sure why you are doing them and can't visualize exactly how they are going to keep you safe down the road. Knowledge isn't just power, it is the best form of motivation.RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349463963034114839.post-45259189103203247082013-07-29T22:40:00.002-07:002013-07-29T22:40:54.335-07:00Monday Mario<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4plML_Izeaz0zBaiuyB1bD1hgJDw1LSlpK-AZKT-eZ3d-fXP8BhBZf7THYr0smPkArtI3wULrXkAELpyx1wDW8hSheLs5o-LKNhMwUzGyHUUdh8Z1Tr5pR5a9aAAIBzTYRrKgT5YIUD7K/s1600/DSC_9683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4plML_Izeaz0zBaiuyB1bD1hgJDw1LSlpK-AZKT-eZ3d-fXP8BhBZf7THYr0smPkArtI3wULrXkAELpyx1wDW8hSheLs5o-LKNhMwUzGyHUUdh8Z1Tr5pR5a9aAAIBzTYRrKgT5YIUD7K/s400/DSC_9683.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mario assumes his typical daytime position.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />RoadBunnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628262932938865868noreply@blogger.com3