Perfect Recovery Workout

Wow, it was just what I needed. A lot of huffing and puffing, sweat and even some nausea towards the end, but a lot to be proud of afterward.

So soon after a marathon, you ask?

Yes. But it was not me who did it. It was K, a new person at our tri club run workout tonight.

I really didn't have a workout scheduled but showed up just to say 'hi' to my tri club buddies whom I love dearly and miss since I've been unable to do as much with them recently with all my marathoning. I had some new running shoes that I wanted to give a test spin anyway. Knowing I shouldn't be doing any of the speed work that was assigned, I told the coach I'd be bringing up the rear.

It was hot, really hot, like 90 degs F at 5pm when we headed out for our "warm up." There were 10-12 of us and the group spread out quickly as folks settled into their easy run paces. My legs and butt felt fine (YAY!) but I forced myself to run super easy. I chatted away with some folks at the back of the pack whom I don't usually get to run with often. Then I turned around and saw K running by herself falling further and further behind.

We'd only gone perhaps a quarter mile and I could tell she was really struggling. Have I mentioned it was hot? She began walking and I fell back to check on her since the coach was further up with others. K said she was OK but really out of shape. She mentioned maybe being able to go on if she could do 1 minute of running and 2 minutes of walking. I said fine. Let's do it together.

Initially, K didn't want to hold me back and encouraged me to go on without her but I told her I needed to take it easy because I'd just run a marathon. We walked on for a bit more so she could catch her breath and the coach came by. She too suggested run-walking but doing 1 minute intervals of each. I looked at K and told her let's give it a try. I'll keep track of time.

So we set out running again. I kept chatting away as we were when we were walking not realizing at first how hard poor K was working. We were running at probably a 12-13 minute per mile pace but for her that was really hard. I told her not to talk. I'd talk when we were running and I told her about my Delaware Marathon.

3 - 2 - 1, time to walk. She told me she'd quit smoking 5 months ago and this was her first time running. She mentioned again how very out of shape she was and asked whether she should maybe do something else to get started.

3 - 2 - 1, time to run. I told her that I thought the best way to get started running was to do exactly what we're doing, just go slow and do as much as she could, unless she had any knee or joint issues. She shook her head. Then I proceeded to babble on about how some people actually run-walked marathons this way.

We got to the mile 1 marker on the bike path doing the 1-1 run-walk and then decided to turn around and go back. Others in the club were supposed to run to the 2-mile marker and turn around so we'd see them coming back.

K didn't think she'd be able to do what we did to get out here. I suggested we go as far as we could doing the 1-1 thing and then walk the rest of the way in if needed. K was OK with that so off we went.

It was still 90 degs but felt a bit cooler going back with the wind in our face. The sun also went behind a big cloud for a while which was nice. I was doing pretty much all of the talking now as K was having a hard time talking even during the walk breaks. She was just barely making it to the end of the one minute runs.

With about a quarter mile to go, I pointed out where we'd started, which was where we were to finish. K had never been on this bike path before and had no idea how much further we had to go. Knowing the end was near was a huge relief to her.

Now only a couple hundred yards left and a large sign by the end is clearly in sight. K tells me she's feeling a bit nauseous. I knew she was staying hydrated as she had a large bottle of water with her and was drinking often. It must be due to a very high heart rate. But she surprised me by saying, "The worst thing that could happen is that I'd throw up." Wow, this girl is a real trooper!

I may have given her an extra 5 seconds of rest but we began running again. It was our last run interval and I encouraged her as much as I could to keep her going. As we got closer to the sign, I realized it was going to take a little more than a minute to get there, maybe 1:05, 1:10 max. Should I tell her?

I glanced over at her at the minute mark and saw there was no need. She was gunning for the sign.

Afterwards, we gave each other a high-five and walked around a bit while waiting for the others to return. Later she gave me a hug and thanked me for running with her. She told me she never would have gone so far or pushed herself as hard on her own. I thanked her for giving me the perfect recovery workout.

Winter Park 10K

Alternative titles for this post:

46:05, I Survived!
Slip & Slide
Twist & Turn
B Race, Be Careful
Zone 4, Ouch

I gave myself an extra day before writing this race report to allow me to gain some perspective. Because I was not really pleased right after my race. I'd hoped to run a negative split and finish in 46:00 or better. Instead, I ended up with a positive split and 5 seconds over my time goal. 5 SECONDS!!!

BUT, when I set that time goal awhile ago, I had no idea how technical the course would be: 25 turns (click on the map above to enlarge), half on uneven brick roads (yuck!) and quite wet and slippery thanks to two days of heavy rain. Have I mentioned that I train almost exclusively on fairly straight, smooth roads and bike paths that are relatively free of puddles, slick leaves, slimy algae/moss and toe-catching surfaces?

Man, my heart rate was over 100 just waiting at the start. Coach's last instructions to me echoed in my head:

Be very careful with the cobbles and the crowds - this race is a tough one because of the course and people - stay out of harms way.

Plus, he'd assigned me a 60-mile bike ride to do after the race and a 10-mile run the next day. Gee, thanks Coach ... Perhaps that was his way of making sure I didn't overdo things at this 10K. After all, it was only a "B" race while the half iron tri next week is my "A" race.

Yet, at least I'd made it to the start line. Since my last post, I actually had some serious doubts. On Wednesday my left calf mysteriously began feeling like I'd done a hundred heel raises. WTF? I haven't a clue why but it was same calf that bothered me most from the half marathon back in December and I was quite worried. I bailed on all runs this week and only swam, stretched and foam rolled hoping I could run by the weekend. By Friday it was better, thankfully.



Before the race began I found Running Geezer 26.2 and Sheri (photo of us above but from after the race), who'd run 10Ks before and this particular course a couple times. I wanted to make sure I didn't start out too fast and hoped to run with Jim the first mile or so as he'd told me he'd be shooting to run 7:30-ish pace. But, that was before we knew the course was going to be slick. At the start he told me he was going to back off his original pace to make sure he didn't slip and fall. The gun went off and I followed him for about the first half mile through two 90-degree turns until the crowd thinned out. I hit mile marker one where the course clock said 7:30. Right on target.

But how long did it take for me to get across the start line?

Of course, that answer would have been easy if I'd just looked at my Garmin and computed the time difference but I was WAY too busy. Avoid running on slippery leaves! Don't run on the painted line! Pick your feet up on that brick! Watch out for sneaky depressions! Stay clear of puddles! Whoa, felt a little slide on that last step -- be careful! Don't slip, don't trip and whatever you do, DON'T FALL!

And all the twists and turns on the course were driving me nuts. I never felt like I could get into a rhythm. Ack, another turn! Which line to take? Hop up on the grass to avoid the big puddle? No, go wide, go wide! No, don't go wide, there's someone passing on that side! Slow down and get up on that grass! Eeks, it's squishy. Don't roll an ankle! Whew, made it. Now speed back up!

So they say this is a very scenic course but all I saw was the ground below me. I ran mainly by effort but began feeling like I was working way too hard by mile 5. There wasn't much shade on this stretch of road we were on and the temperature was now about 60 degs F, which with 90% humidity felt hot (esp. having run in cooler, drier conditions much of this year). Blech! To make matters worse, we went around a traffic circle that made me think I was still somewhere back on mile 4 (I got it mixed up with a lake we were supposed to go around, a lake that I missed seeing!). AHHHH! Slow down, you've still got 2 more miles to go!

Obviously, I'd lost my mind at this point in the race. I'd lost count of the miles. I'd forgotten the last course clock time. I finally glanced down at my Garmin, saw 83 and assumed it was 4.83 miles (it was HR 183!). I glanced down again a little while later and it still said 83. Gah, screw it, just keep running!

But a couple turns later I saw a familiar stretch of brick (like the road we started on) and glanced up to see finish line straight ahead -- Woohoo! There were two women not far ahead of me, one further front who was in her 20's and another one who was possibly in my age group (AG). Is it just me who wishes people's ages are written on their calfs at every race? The second one kept turning around to see where I was and made me decide to drop the hammer and leave nothing out on the course. I'll figure out how to do the bike ride later!

As I passed her she told me "good job" and I tried to say "thanks" but I think all that came out was a grunt. After that I just focused on the bricks to make sure I didn't do a face plant on the final stretch. I didn't even see the finish line clock as I ran under it!

Gun time: 46:12
Net time: 46:05 (7:25 pace), 5/113 F45-49, 41/979 Female

FWIW, here are my Garmin splits:
mi 1, 7:23, AHR 165
mi 2, 7:21, AHR 177
mi 3, 7:15, AHR 184
mi 4, 7:19, AHR 185
mi 5, 7:29, AHR 183
mi 6, 7:35, AHR 183
0.27 mi, 6:34 pace, AHR 184
Tot 6.27 mi in 46:07, 7:21 pace, AHR 180 - zone 4*
*Ouch. Perhaps I started out a bit too fast but I think the slippery, twisty course really made me work a LOT harder than I expected!

Whatever, being my first 10K, it's a PR either way :-)

I stuck around afterwards to watch my friend Marathon Chris finish with a 2:32 PR. Congrats, Chris!

Then a couple hours later, Dave and I rode 60 miles on one of the windiest days this year (steady winds shown in the left, gusts in the right). Averaged only 16.9 mph, but I'm just glad we were able to get it done.

Sunday (today), 10 miles run on a cool, breezy, low humidity day. 9:10 avg pace, AHR 153. Zone 1 bliss!

Next Sunday, the Gator Half Iron Tri!!!

Fun 5K and Indoor Marathon Afterthoughts

Saturday I ran the Deerwood 5K, a small out-and-back race held just 2 miles from my house. YAY! But having run a marathon the weekend before, I had no plans to run it hard so I brought my camera to take some photos and video of my awesome fellow Blanchard Y Tri/Running Club members. The event was NOT chip timed so they let me watch the race start from the spectator side and then I went around to be one of the last starters. That was a first!

Below is what I got. To hide the video controls, move your cursor outside the window. To view a larger version directly on the Vimeo website, click here. (TRT 2:16)




Sorry for the bouncy running segments. Obviously, I don't have as smooth a stride as I thought!

Blanchard Y Tri/Running Club (Click to enlarge)

Me and a couple coworkers from Track Shack, one of the race sponsors.

Final race time: 22:54 (7:22 pace). Shh, Don't tell Coach ;-)
1/23 F40-49, 5/89 Females.

_____________________

Also, there were a couple of good questions in the comments of my previous InStep Icebreaker Indoor Marathon race report that I thought I'd post here in case anyone else might have been curious:

1. Which indoor marathon did I like better, Instep or Zoom Yah Yah (ZYY)? (from Lindsay & RoadBunner)
Ooh, TOUGH question. Both are GREAT events but I'd have to say I liked Instep a bit more, because of the bigger track, more interesting venue, automated lap count/timing system and volunteers handing you fluids & fuel (vs. self serve). But ZYY's runner camaraderie and spectator enthusiasm are unmatched.

2. Do you do anything specific in training to get ready for them? (from Petra)
In training for ZYY last year, I ran quite a few laps during my long runs thinking I'd have to prepare myself mentally, but the laps flew by during the race and I realized I didn't have to. So for Instep this year, I did just my usual marathon training.

3. Do you find them harder? Easier? (also from Petra)
Easier! No worries about the weather, hills, when the next aid station or porta potty will be and much more runner & spectator interaction (--> fun!). Just put your legs in automatic and enjoy the ride :-)

Happy February, ya'll!

Ouch, That Hurt

First of all, thank you for the comments on my previous post. For sure, Dave & I are a team and will be working together on his new diet. Right now, I'm getting a kick out of receiving emails from him (he's in DC now) telling me how "good" he's been. Traveling for work so often is where his biggest challenges lie, I think. I'll keep you posted on his progress, if for no other reason than to keep him accountable. I keep telling him he needs to start a blog!

Anyway, now on to my pain ...

Fortunately, it's not my calf again or some other injury, but it hurt nonetheless. What, you say?

A hard 5-miler yesterday.

With a marathon on tap for this weekend, I had to be super duper careful not to overdo things, yet I had to be honest about working hard. Since my calf fiasco last month, I've done mostly long & slow runs. That is, after I could even run again (there was no running to speak of as I hobbled around for 2 weeks). But, of course, I'm working with Coach Bill again and, well, I did not hire him to let me do what I want, did I???

No.

So "5 miles Hard" was what he wrote and that's what had to be done. Wah, I'd rather run 20 miles easy!

I started out with a mile warm-up. Then I stretched my legs. Then I stretched my arms. Then I checked my Garmin to make sure it was going to record what I was going to do (you'd be surprised how many times I've accidently stopped it instead of started it -- doh!). Then I took some deep breathes. Then I checked my Garmin again. Jeez, get on with it already!!

OK, here we go. Beep!

1st mile, 7:31 - Well, I didn't want to start out too fast anyway.

2nd mile, 7:22 - Better, and no word from Mr. or Mrs. Calf. Doubly good.

3rd mile, 7:15 - Ran past a group of Navy guys chatting & stretching. Had to look strong.

4th mile, 7:20 - Darn. Starting to feel the burn.

5th mile, 7:14 - OMG, how much further, how much further, how much further?!?!?!!!

Beep! Thank god!!

5 miles in 36:42, a 7:20 avg pace.

TBH, I was a little disappointed. But not bad for a solo effort and so early in the season and coming off an injury. There's definitely some work to do to meet some TBA goals I also have this year, though.

Mind: HA, you thought we were just going to do 8 marathons, 2 half
         marathons, a 10K, a 5K and a couple half irons and leave it at that?
Body: Gulp, yeah.
Mind: Silly body! Mwhahahahaha.

Anyway, it's all systems go. My first marathon of the year is in Wisconsin on Sunday. It's another crazy indoor one :-)

Kona Half Marathon

One word: Magical.

This is where it all began for me 7 years ago. I toed the start line of my first-ever race and made a startling discovery: I was no longer one of the slowest girls in PE!

I'm going to let my pics do most of the talking about my 2009 Kona Half Marathon experience but here's the nitty gritty for those who are fond of numbers:

1:40:26 (7:40 avg pace)
1/57 F40-49, 5th Overall Female.

What a coincidence! The day before the race at packet pickup, I saw Robyn and Art, fellow Floridians and 50 State Marathoners. Robyn used to work with me at Track Shack but recently moved. Miss you, Robyn!

Also met Olympian running legend Frank Shorter there and I told him it was all his fault. He handed me my first race medal back in 2002 and I haven't been able to stop racing since.

I got to the start line just 5 minutes before the race was to begin. No big deal, no nervousness, just another training run ... HA! By mile 4, I was well under my intended 8 min/mile pace for the first half. Good thing Dave was out on our lanai early to see me go by (and one of these days he going to take a pole saw and cut those ugly power lines).

He was actually expecting to see me with a white visor, though, not a red one. I told him RED. Whatever, there were only about 500 half marathoners and the field had spread out considerably by then.

Nearing the turnaround, I gave a big cheer for Bree Wee, my favorite tri pro and friend who was headed the other way already with a huge smile on her face. She was in second place overall and the lead female. So happy to see her having fun!

But who wouldn't have fun in paradise and with wonderful volunteers like this?

Before I knew it, I'd gabbed my way to the turnaround with Rob (just behind me), who was also a triathlete and from the S.F. Bay Area, where I'm originally from. If I could talk fairly easily, that means I wasn't going too fast, right? 6.45 miles in 49:54 (7:44 pace).

So unless I totally bonk, I'm going to make my sub-1:45 time goal easily. Why not shoot for a negative split anyway? This is the best part of the course, IMO, mile 7, heading back along Alii Drive and Kailua Bay. Just to the right is where the Kona Ironman swim starts.

But now it's well over 80 degrees and getting hot. Aid stations were only a mile apart but I prefer carrying my own fluids as I drink better from a bottle, plus the extra weight usually helps keep me from running the first half of a race too fast. Usually.

At mile 9, I chatted briefly with this guy from Colorado who told me he has no probs running in heat or at altitude but the humidity here was killing him. Dude, don't ever come to Florida in the summer.

Mile 13, nearly done. Caught 3 women in the second half. Enough to place? Who knows ...

Just make sure not to trip over the speed bump and do a face plant in front of everyone.

Hawaiian shave ice, a very welcome treat after a hot race!

Early on pacer Rob finished a couple minutes behind me. He'd not run for 3 weeks before the race because of the flu yet did well.

Yes, a new coffee mug award! The small black one in my hand, not the big one, silly.

Hanging out with greatness after the race (R to L after moi): Olympian Frank Shorter, pro triathlete Bree Wee (with son on her lap), race sponsor and founder, 70-year-old running phenom Jon Kunitake.

Total race time: 1:40:26 (7:40 pace). Last 6.65 miles run in 50:32 (7:36 pace) -- Woohoo!

Top 5 differences between 2002 and 2009:
5. Results
2002: 1:43:59, 2nd F40-49. 2009: 1:40:26, 1st F40-49.
4. Hydration & nutrition
2002: 6 oz water. 2009: 22-24 oz Nuun plus 2 gels.
3. Pacing
2002: No watch, no idea what pacing meant, really. 2009: Sports watch, a pretty good feel for what I'm capable of and a Coach to answer to.
2. The big question on my mind the last few miles
2002: Will I die of a heart attack? 2009: How many women are ahead of me?
1. Post-race recovery
2002: Food and a nap; quads hammered for days. 2009: Food, ice bath, nap and a 35 mi bike ride in the afternoon. Did I just run a half marathon?

Top 5 things that were the same:
5. Same beautiful course.
4. Frank Shorter was here.
3. Heat & humidity, but less than Florida.
2. I LOVE running and racing in Kona and still want to retire here.
1. Dave's still taking pictures of me. Thanks Dave!

Being the spouse of a runner is hard work.

Fargo Marathon

The real question, though, for me at the Fargo Marathon was:
How FAST Will You Go?

Yet, I kept my promise ...

Coach Bill's pre-race instructions: The object of the race is to get through it without putting your body through too much trauma or getting hurt. Roger that, Coach.

But the voice in my head was saying: It's been 3 years since you've run a sub-3:50 marathon and Coach thinks you're in shape to run a 3:35-3:40. Hell, let's GO FOR IT!!

Well, the only way I could do both was to run a smart race. My plan was to shoot for a 3:45 early on and play things by ear on the second half. This was the first time I'd done no runs further than 16 miles in training and a small part of me was worried that I might turn into a pumpkin at mile 20. But if I could keep the party going strong till then, I could possibly pick up the pace and race only the last few miles hard, which would not take much out of me and should allow me to race well at the RnR Half Iron Tri in 3 weeks. Basically, it all boiled down to good self-management.

To help with that, I brought along my trusty camera and one 10oz Fuel Belt bottle (also 5 gels and 2 salt caps). Carrying the extra weight would help slow me down initially and there were a couple places along the course where aid stations looked to be over 2 miles apart, which is further than I'd like being someone who doesn't usually slow down going through aid stations and drink a lot, unless it's really hot. I also figured that fumbling with a camera and taking pictures would help distract me from obsessing about my pace every mile so I could run primarily by feel and stay in better tune with my body. Sorry, Garmin, you can't come, just my sports watch.

And, well, obviously, I must have needed a LOT of distracting as I took nearly 70 pictures while running! But fortunately (for you), only 20-25% were decent. Still, I have plenty to share and so this race report will be heavy on pictures :-)

For those who didn't know, last month (April) the Fargo community was busy sandbagging and saving homes from the floodwaters of Red River. The race organizers did an extraordinary job to come up with a new double loop course in time for the fifth running of the race and they even got it certified to be a Boston qualifier too. Some people may not have been thrilled that the course was largely out and back, and out and back again, but I was just ecstatic that the race had not been canceled altogether!

And that the thoughtful organizers still staged the start and finish of the race at the nice, big warm Fargodome, a popular site for concerts and various sporting events. Thus, any wimpy tropical birds like me who are not used to 35-40 deg weather would not die of hypothermia before or after the race. I got there about an hour before the 8am race start, hit one of the many restrooms and then checked out the finish line area which was indoors. Nice!

Soon it was time to don the TWO garbage bags I brought with me for short term warmth and get my butt to the start line which was just outside. The announcer mentioned 10,000 runners being there, ~1500 full marathoners, the rest half marathoners and a whole bunch of relay folks. It was definitely one of the bigger races I'd done in a while and the extra huddling warmth was appreciated as TWO national anthems were sung, one for Canada followed by the U.S. one. Then with a 3-2-1 countdown the wheelchair racers were off and 5 minutes later so was everyone else.

At mile 2 (below), I actually still had my garbage bags on and was sneaking my arm outside to take pictures. Swish-swish, click, swish-swish, click. The course was still pretty crowded and I resisted temptations to do much surging or weaving around past slower folks who hadn't lined up properly at the start (there were pace signs but no official corrals). Surely, the crowd will thin out soon, won't it?

We got to the first of four "major" elevation changes at mile 2.5 on the course. These were where the road dipped down maybe 30' and back up to go underneath another cross road, nothing to cause much quad or hammy anguish but some caution was needed: Get out of the way, wheelchair racer coming through!

Man, these wheelchair folks really got up some speed going down those dips, a good reason not to have one's headphones turned up too loud (I don't run with them in races but a lot of people were wearing them here). Unbelievably, though, the guy above was in one of those regular wheelchairs you might see at a hospital, not one of those special racing ones. I gave him a big cheer as I went by him and many others on the upslope.

Then at mile 3 we went through what appeared to be downtown Fargo (Broadway St) and I'd finally warmed enough to ditch my bag lady garb. The road was also nice and wide so I could begin slowly making up for a little time lost running the first couple congested miles at around a 9-minute pace (not that I was paying much attention ;-).

Coming up on mile 4, I spied the 3:45 pace group ahead and ran with them for a bit but then decided against it. The pace leader was doing a great job of telling everyone what their pace was, what turns were coming up, what to look out for, etc., but I was trying to stay relaxed and NOT think much about all that. So I ran on a bit ahead to get away from them.

But there was no getting away from the FANTASTIC spectators. Like Boston, it seemed like the entire town, young and old, were either running in the race, working the race as volunteers or cheering for us from the sidelines. By mile 5, I'd given out more high-fives than I've ever given out in a race. How could I turn down kids all bundled up in that cold holding out their little gloved and mittened hands?

Nearing the mile 6, I saw a familiar figure (photo below). Unmistakably, it was the Lipstick Lady! A fellow 50-stater (and Marathon Maniac, which I am not officially, although I qualify) who I've seen at many of my races. How she runs with all that long loose hair I have no idea but she got her nickname when Runner's World did a profile on her mentioning her odd habit of stopping at mile 26 to apply a fresh coat of lipstick to make sure she looked good for her finish line photos.

But can you believe I've actually been mistaken for her??? Wait a minute ... (her vs. me at the Maine Marathon last October where I saw her last) ...

OK, I guess if you don't know us well, the only way to tell us apart for sure is to see who stops at mile 26 and who doesn't :-)

First 10K in 52:51 (8:29 avg pace).
A bit under a 3:45 finish (3:42) but the pace is feeling super easy as it should. Close enough.

So now we're heading back to the Fargodome and my only regret thus far was that I wasn't fast enough to pull out my camera and take pictures of some other interesting things I saw, but I know I'll be back again and would have a second chance. Here we are at mile 8.5 going through downtown Fargo again. This time I notice a theater sign welcoming runners, Dr. Dick (Beardsley?) and 50-state marathoners. And how about a little self portrait like last time I was here?

Yep, not much change for me the last 5 miles. Will I ever start sweating?

At mile 11, we ran past a big park which was probably the most scenic part of the course, actually, being that most of it was through residential and commercial areas. This park was where the fewest and mellowest spectators were located so we got a little break from all the cheering and high-fiving.

But not for long. Just around corner we're back in another neighborhood and there are more people outside their homes clapping and cheering, including a very friendly Buffalo Wild Wings mascot. Have I mentioned how wonderful the community support was for this race???

The halfway point was, of course, back at the Fargodome. There was a well marked course split and several volunteers yelling which way to go if you were finishing the half marathon or going for your second lap of the marathon. I went LEFT with a few others while most others went right. If anyone missed the course split, they must have been deaf and blind ... or dyslexic.

13.1 miles in 1:50:51 (8:28 cumulative pace).
Still on target for a 3:42 finish and feeling fresh as a flower.

So back out we go for a second lap. This time the miles flew by much faster with much fewer people on the course and the wind at our backs most of the way. Before I knew it I was at the southern turnaround point again, mile 19.5, but this time I remembered to pull out my camera to capture some of the unusual spectators I saw last time I was here: a dog watching us from the roof(!), a terminator robot, Batman and Robin? No, an alien!

And a couple blocks later, some other nice things that helped keep runners' spirits high, even if you had to make a pit stop, which fortunately I did not.

A little closer look at those signs on the trees and a few more shots of the wonderful spectators because, really, the amount of grassroots support at this race was I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E. (again, this was only the 5th running and the community had been dealing with all that terrible flooding just recently, plus it was freaking COLD outside!).

20 miles in 2:47:56 (8:24 cumulative pace).
Whoops, now I'm on track for a 3:40 marathon!

But before dropping the hammer, I first had to get a shot of some of these signs at mile 21 that had been on my mind since ~mile 7.5. Still can't figure out that Fish Cough one. Anyone know what that means?

OK, now it's time to put the camera away and get down to business!

Back through downtown, past the park and at mile 25, finally, I caught up to the 3:40 pace group. There were only few folks in this group and just as I ran by them I heard the pace leader say: Go ahead and leave nothing out on the course -- Oh no!!

Now I had to summon what final kick I had left too and began flying past people. OK, some were half marathon walkers but still ... We went by the course split again and I made sure to go to the RIGHT this time. Then just after we made what I thought was the final turn towards the Fargodome and finish line, I made my move past this gal in green, who was also running strong. Only it wasn't the final turn!

Nope, there were a couple more that I'd forgotten about -- Darn it!! Now I'd have to do my best hold her off. I dared not look back to see where she was. We made the remaining turns and then went down a little ramp into the stadium and saw the finish line straight ahead.

I sprinted hard imagining she was right on my heels as I heard the announcer's voice and crowds echoing. Just before crossing the timing mat, though, a different young lady buzzed past me -- Where the heck did she come from?!?

Oh well, no regrets. I'd run a race that I was very happy with and one that I knew Coach would be happy with too.

Total race time 3:38:05 (8:20 avg pace), 4/60 F45-49.
Last 10K in 50:10 (8:04 avg pace).
Last 1.21875 mi in 9:18 according to my watch (a 7:38 pace!).

So now a total of 52 marathons completed, 42 states done, 8 left in my 50 states marathon quest. And, I have renewed hope that a new marathon PR next year or the following year, when I'm 49 or 50, might be possible for me yet (Fargo is the one and only standalone marathon I'm running this year).

Thanks for reading!

Shirley Can't Surf

True, but I totally ripped last week's monster training wave:

M: REST
Tu: Swim 3000 yds (my "fast" 100 times are back!); Bike intervals.
W: Swim 3000 yds (best 300s workout to date!); Weights.
Th: Bike 40 mi negative split.
F: Run 16 mi @ 9:04 marathon pace; Easy Swim.
Sa: Run 10 mi incl 12K race (results below); Weights.
Su: Bike 60.8 mi (flat course, 18mph avg)/6 mi run @ 9:04 pace; Easy Swim.

Total hrs: 19:44. No dead legs -- W00T!!

I also got to enjoy some time with my sister who came to visit with her family this weekend before heading out on a cruise (the photo above is from their first stop in Key West; it's actually a very popular surf & skateboard store).

Sis and niece taking a dip in my backyard pool.

My niece just challenged me to a kicking contest. AGHHH!

Our pre-cruise/pre-race dinner where I made sure to fuel myself well. Read: I ate nearly everything in sight!

Before the 12K race not thinking about the 16 miles run the day before. LIAR!

Race plan: Start out conservatively and aim to finish strong. Here are my Garmin splits:

mi 1: 7:44, AHR 130;
mi 2: 7:44, AHR 169;
mi 3: 7:37, AHR 172;
mi 4: 7:30, AHR 175;
mi 5: 7:20, AHR 178;
mi 6: 7:31, AHR 178 (headwind);
mi 7: 7:15, AHR 180;
mi 7.4: 7:16 pace, AHR 181;

12K (7.4 mi) Race result: 56:20, 7:34 pace, 3rd Female (3/100, small race). Got a coffee mug and a $10 gift certificate -- Nice!!

Lisa, the woman I was chasing, is a well known sports nutritionist and former pro runner/triathlete. I don't mind her beating me. Seriously, she still looks like a freaking track star!

Next up, Fargo Marathon this Saturday, 5/9. Originally, I was hoping to run a 4-hourish marathon but based on my 12K race result, Coach Bill thinks a 3:35-3:40 marathon is doable, especially with a little more rest and 20-30 deg cooler temps. With the higher priority RnR Half Iron Tri just 3 weeks later, though, I'm going to shoot for a 3:45 and see how things go. Wish me luck.

PS - Today is hubby Dave's birthday!!