November 03, 2013 - 0700 - Two Cities Marathon - DONE! :D

Marathon Success !

Definition:  Crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles on foot and I'm still alive!!

Pre-race 0600 - when we were still whole

OMG - I have never been so happy to cross a finish line in my life lol. Huge kudos and shout outs to my marathon training friends at Sierra Running Company.  Could NOT have done it without seeing all of you out on the race course at the switchbacks. 

Thank you for the coaches, John/Katie/Jason for running with us and cheering us on after having run 1/2 and whole marathons right before ours.  It was awesome to see Anita who ran the Marine Corp marathon the week before and I was soooo envious that she was done already but she still joined us at Two Cities to cheer us on.  Thank you to Nicole! for being my pace partner on our 10 min run/1 mile walk strategy to success:)

 I swear, despite this being my sixth marathon - the pain is still the same, the questioning of life after mile 18 remains as deep as it did in 2005 at my first marathon in Long Beach, and the best part of all --> the sense of wonder and accomplishment that I ran (walked and ran whatever hehe) the distance from Clovis to past-Kingsburg is priceless!

I never know how I did it but I knew that I COULD do it.  And yes, literally I do not remember how I got from mile 19 when my legs started rebelling and freezing up on me to the turn on Audubon and across the finish line.

So its post-race day #2 and I'm getting plenty of an upper body work from lifting myself from sitting to standing and then back down again but I'm still on my runner's high and getting a kick from laughing at myself for walking like a duck:)  I didn't reach my PR goal of sub-4:59 (hr:min) but I am perfectly okay with that considering was able to cross the finish line upright.

Only one question left... when's the next race?  (yep still a little hypoxic hehe:)

Two Cities Marathon Fresno, CA    

Nov 3, 2013 6:00AM

ANN VU Marathon » Clovis, CA  

Finished  05:15:58

• Overall: 401st of 484
• Female: 145th of 200
• F30-34: 27th of 37

Interval	Time of Day	Chip Time	Chip Pace	Gun Time	Gun Pace
Start	7:03:09AM
10K	8:08:46AM	01:05:38	10:35 min/mi	01:06:40	10:45 min/mi
Half Marathon	9:27:37AM	02:24:29	11:02 min/mi	02:25:31	11:07 min/mi
20 Miles	10:51:59AM	03:48:51	11:27 min/mi	03:49:53	11:30 min/mi
Finish	12:19:06PM	05:15:58	12:04 min/mi	05:17:00	12:06 min/mi

Week 16 (October 27 - November 02): Good luck marathoners!!!

This week's activities:

See you on the other side...:)

And to mentally prepare for just another long distance 26.2 mile 'training' run this Sunday, I watched the 'Spirit of the Marathon' :)

Reminds me of all reasons that I run.. Except for the prize money lol

Spirit of the Marathon trailer:

http://youtu.be/Dzp77MELPUQ

Tomorrow will be legend...wait for it.. dARY!!  So track suit up runners... It's been a pleasure training with you at Sierra  Running Company.

And thank you Coaches John and Katie and Jason!

Week 15 (October 20 - October 26): Prelude to a Marathon

Omg!!! Lol I was so excited - I won't lie- to take a (this) week off  from running to rest my Achilles until.....it was pointed out that the marathon was in 2 weeks!!!! I thought that I had 3 hahaha .. Go figure.

So now the nerves have set in and it was a lot harder to sit around/'rest' and NOT run than I originally anticipated:

1.  Not super exciting to watch your teammates run their best timed mile of the season at the Clovis West track on Tuesday while you have to postpone yours indefinitely.  

- Positives: Pasta night at Coach John's and feeling motivated after being surrounded by literally over a hundred marathon race medals and inspiration race posters like one of Prefontaine:)

(There's a 100 marathon plaque too!!!)

2.  After sitting out my usual Tuesday and Thursday runs, I actually felt stif-FER if that's possible.  I had also been compensating for my rt. ankle/Achilles by shifting my weight to my left hip/leg/foot when walking and now my Left side was getting sore ... Wth?!

- Positives: heehee Yay lots of pity candy and people opening doors for me at work:D. And flowers!!! (J/k flowers just happened to come this week coincidentally:)

3.  The nerves... Will I be healed enough to run the marathon? Will not finishing the  last 2 weeks of training affect my ability to finish the race?

- Positives: Did more stretching and core strengthening exercises on my own initiative than I ever did in the season just to cute my restlessness.  Had the time to get a sports massage (45 min on my legs and 15min rest of body) in the place of my Saturday run from Delilah at Muses salon which totally de-stiffed me yay:) Actually I slept in first for the 1st Saturday in fifteen weeks and it was glorious!!! 

Plan for Week 16 

-Continue resting my injury but keeping mobile and reverting my walk back to 'normal' so I don't end up injury my left side.

-Get lots of sleep and lots of pre-race hydration.

-Hang up my Attendance Award!!!

 -  Most importantly plan out my race day outfit to ensure maximal cuteness!

Week 14 (October 13 - October 19): The Wall #2 and invoking the Power of Rest

Tuesday -
I must admit that I didn't see it coming but this week may have been one of the hardest of the training season both mentally and physically.  What the heck?

Lol the mental wall (#2 for me) had an easy cause of explanation.  After conquering my longest run to date last Saturday, this was my brain's interpretation/definition of Coach John's announcement that we would now be TAPERING our runs til the race.

To taper (verb) - To not run ever again until the morning of the 2Cities marathon on November 3rd.

You can understand my shock then when I found myself at SRC once more on the regularly scheduled Tuesday night and had to...run.

Getting through practice was like running through molasses but luckily one of my marathon running buddies, Rosa let me distract myself by chatting her ear off for six miles that we jogged.  She had just raced the Long Beach half-marathon and I was recovering from the 22-miler so we took it easy and yay 6 miles done!

Thursday -  Fun Run night at SRC

Grace! My friend who introduced me to SRC:)

 Two days later and my brain was still getting used to the idea that I was still expected to be mobile and completing training runs.  Survived Thursday's jog by meeting up with the Fun Run group and actually running the same route we ran for marathon training on Tuesday - yay no thinking required to navigate the route.

Always very spirit lifting to see my friend Grace and some familiar faces of my fellow marathon runners at the Thursday runs :)

 
Saturday -
I had come to terms that I would still be completing regular mileage up until 2 Cities and I was excited to be taking very leisurely 12 -13 mile scenic job up to Pill Hill and back to SRC.

And then the physical wall hit - my achilles heel...literally haha.  I had been ignoring my ankle for the past 1-2 weeks since this "injury" as I am loathe to label it creeped up on me.  In retrospect, it was pretty similar to my knee pain in July which I chalked up due to "increased in intensity or duration of workout".  My ankle would have a sharp pain at start of the run but disappear while jogging and then reappear whenever I stopped or started.

Google internet search that matched my sports injury symptoms best --> achilles tendinitis.
The outcome?  Stopped dead in my tracks at mile 11 when my right foot/heel landed "wrong" upon restarting the 10 minute job/1 min rest pace I was using.  Arg!!!  I walked pretty much the rest of the way back to SRC and my car.

Coach John! (by the Coke house before I took a walking "break"...note the boundless optimism soon to be shattered - j/k!!! :D )

Will be taking Coach John's advice to rest - ice - rest - ice and more rest....it will be hard but I accomplished so much to date that I think I would rather take a week off to rest than miss my race! :p *knock on wood*
Darn foot!!  Plus the more I read the scarier my injury could get: normal -> tendinitis -> micro tears -> rupture!  I WILL invoke the power of REST and continue to imbibe my favorite of course...the healing powers of WAAA-TAAAHHHH lol.

The positive - whoo hoo more time to catch up on "How I Met Your Mother"...I'm halfway through Season 3 on Netflix :D!!!

Will see how my achilles feels this Tuesday....here's hoping it's a little better.

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Run stats:
WEEK 14		Mileage	Duration (hr:min:sec)	Pace (min/mile)
Sun	13-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Mon	14-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Tues	15-Oct	6.24	1:19:45	12:47
Wed	16-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Thurs	17-Oct	5.15	00:49:12	09:32
Fri	18-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Sat	19-Oct	13	2:37:23	12:06
Total weekly mileage		24.39 miles

Week 13 (October 6 - October 12): When the mighty fall......they rise again even stronger! :)

Tuesday

- Everyone still recovering from Saturday.  Me, I'm aching and my left leg just couldn't sit still under my desk today.  No amount of stretching helped so I finally just had to get up and walk it off.

Our goal today was to complete 8 Yasso-800 meter runs.  I ran my Yassos a little faster with the 4min:30sec per 800m group since my Garmin Forerunner 201 continues to be MIA and my iPhone MapMyRun app doesn't track my pace well for these short intervals.

As Coach John pointed out after each 800 m we completed, we are definitely getting stronger and faster.  All I know is had I not been pacing with the group Tuesday, I mentally would have siked myself out of any decent workout because I was pretty tired still from Saturday.

Thursday Fun Run night at SRC

- Haven't been able to make the Thursday nights in a month so was glad to be back to a night I could meet up with a group of runners but run at my own pace (for real) lol... Sorry coach!!

Initially wanted to take it easy to save myself for our 22-mile this Saturday but ended up having to jog a little faster/push myself a little harder to beat the sunset that's making it dark by 7pm.  I did NOT want to be stuck on the Cow Loop trail in the dark:( plus it's getting cold in Fresno!!! Lows of 52s brrr ... Must find my winter running gear, oh wait I own none haha arg!

Saturday - the 22-miler (longest run before the race) - 6:00 am start ...it's still dark out!

When the mighty fall (in this scenario ME lol), I fell hard.  Lets just say that I'm glad all the things that could have gone wrong with my body - they went wrong today and not on race day.

Lessons learned: 

- I definitely need to stick to solid foods before the race/long runs.  Tried a smoothie type breakfast (PowerBar Performance Energy Blend) 30 min before run and by mile 3 ... It was out of my system :p. Thank you to Nelson for helping locate the nearest restroom as the 1st one had no TP in all 5 stalls due to races going on at Woodward Park that morning.

Mile 7-10... Views on Pill Hill

Down Pill Hill - overlooking the new Friant  incline..

By mile 10 I was feeling a little back on track and my stomach had settled but unfortunately not enough for me to feel safe to use my cliff shots and Gu gels... Made myself take at least one anyway so I wouldn't starve/pass out later.  Plus mile 13 would provide a pit stop at SRC if needed ... It's all about the planning:)

- Lesson 2 

If you know that your cohabitating furry canine friend that sheds  a lot and has sharp fur that pokes you from time to time... Make sure your socks are fur free before wearing.

*sigh* yes eventually (for me @mile 12) one of those pesky sharp hairs had worked its way through my sock and manifested itself as a sharp shooting pain between 2 of my right toes.  Luckily my first guess was right and after shaking out my sock and re-shoe'ing... Pain cured! Yay!:)  

Furry onlookers as I leave the SRC parking lot pit stop (only nine more miles!!!)

Fastforward to mile 16 - thank you to Tish and her daughters for their water and pretzel Aid Station!  Life savers!:)

Level 2's Ashley & Diane passing me on their way back to SRC... Hi!!

Mile 18 - maybe a second wind? I'm thinking I can actually finish this run today:) a far cry from Mile 2 when I was considering settling for 18 or 20 miles.

Mile 20 - on my way back to SRC whoo hoo... Home stretch and now loving my CEP calf compression sleeves that I was trialing for the first time ever.  They held my calves AND me together when I mentally struggling to put one foot in front of the other:).   

Lol did not like them at the start of the run even though the kept my legs warm... Found out later I had put them on wrong... Go figure 

Final stretch on Champlain heading to Fort Washington...I think I can!!!

Mile 22 - done and done! Chocolate milk and the cheers of my marathon training buddies - priceless:)
  Looking forward to the ice bath (what's wrong with me?! haha... it works)

Til next Tuesday...

*************************************************

Run stats:
WEEK 13		Mileage	Duration (hr:min:sec)	Pace (min/mile)
Sun	6-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Mon	7-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Tues	8-Oct	7.02	1:22:47	11:48
Wed	9-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Thurs	10-Oct	4.73	00:47:21	10:01
Fri	11-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Sat	12-Oct	22.71	4:19:59	11:27
Total weekly mileage		34.46 miles!

Week 12 (September 29 - October 05): The first 20-miles...a humbling experience

Due to a ridiculous amount of rest with all of my skipped training last week, I was en fuego at this Tuesday's warm-up run.  I kept up with the faster group for the warm-up (2 miles) and....yeah that was it lol.

The rest of Tuesday's training run was an easy work-out (for those who raced the 10K Smokey Bear run Saturday).  We jogged 20 minutes (timed) down the Eaton Trail at a pace between that our Yasso and marathon pace and then just had to jog back a little faster at goal 19 minutes covering the same distance.

On the way back I felt that I was running faster but upon checking my timewatch, found that I had to speed it up the last 1/2 mile to meet our goal 19 minute return.

Overall, good workout:D

***sigh*** Thursdays, thursdays, thursdays - missed this Thursday's Fun Run (again) but this week trying out the Greyhound bus for the 1st time at 2:55am (omg) to hammer out some Standards of Practice at our state's capitol :) Whoo hoo!

And yes, I could have run after I returned at 11pm (um, no thank you) OR Friday - but I, alas, did not.  This made me very nervous for the upcoming Saturday long run - the dreaded....20 -miler.

Long story short - OMG - the 20-miler put me back in my place AND I did survive...barely it felt - I think I may have even cried a little at mile 17 as the sun beat down on my back and the cows along the way did little in the way of offering any sort of concilatory mooooos  or head acknowledgments.

How did I do it?  How did I get it done?

• Forced myself to sleep early at 10pm Friday night - forgoing just one more! episode of "How I Met Your Mother" on a current Netflix watching catch-up marathon.
• Laid out my running outfit and gel packs and post-run clothes before snoozing.
• Made the commitment to my training program and got my butt out of bed to carpool to Exeter, CA at 5:30am on a lovely weekend Saturday morning
• Drove my carpool of awesome SRC marathon training co-athletes (Tish, Derrick and Diane) the hour drive to Exeter.  We are the biggest WINNERS!
• Joined yet more of my fellow marathon trainees at the course and strategized to use the 10min run/1min walk pace to conquer this week's long run.  Thanks Rosa & Connie!
  
• Just did it!!!
• Never gave up!! Well, lol, had to get back to the start/my car no matter if I walked or ran.   The course was pretty much 10 miles down a country road and then the same 10 miles back.
• Scenery was beautiful - Thanks Coach John for setting up the field trip.  I shudder to even think of having to had to try to run 20 miles on my own in Fresno hehe...glad I made it this Saturday!
  
  Mile 17 - Found myself Talking to the cows... Whatever it takes!!
  
• SUPER shout out to Bernard, Connie's husband who volunteered to be our aid/water stations:D  I re-filled twice! 
  

 Only 4 more weekends and then....Race Day!
At least the nerves are a little more settled...but after that 20 miler - my body felt it...and 6.2 more???

We shall see...:D

Run stats:
WEEK 12		Mileage	Duration (hr:min:sec)	Pace (min/mile)
Sun	29-Sep	rest	n/a	n/a
Mon	30-Sep	rest	n/a	n/a
Tues	1-Oct	6.59	n/a	9:52 to 15:42	interval training
Wed	2-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Thurs	3-Oct	rest	n/a
Fri	4-Oct	rest	n/a	n/a
Sat	5-Oct	20	3:55:11	11:45	Exeter, CA
Total weekly mileage		26.59 miles

Week 11 (September 22 - September 28): Making up the mileage

Sunday
 Very proud of myself this week for coming back early from a San Francisco wedding weekend to complete my long run for the week on Sunday.  I did it! 14 miles basically from my house - out 7 miles and then back - done.

I know I'll run once I get out the door but its the getting out the door that is hard lol.  So my strategy (which has been working yay) for making it to the early 6 am long runs is laying out all the gear I need the night before:

• 1 super cute running outfit - check
• 1 good pair of quality running socks that keep my feet from blistering - check
• Body glide stick to prevent chafing - check
• 1 pair running shoes - check
• 1 to 5 energy gels depending on distance to be run - check
• Sunscreen - check
• Hat/visor - check
• Water bottle - check
• Long-sleeve technical shirt in case it's cold - check
  

 That's it!  

Tuesday
  Did some interval training at the track at Clovis North high school today and had our second timed mile of the training.  I improved by over 30 seconds yay!  Felt just as tired with heart pounding rapidly in my chest at the end but the training must be working.  Thanks Coach John!

Friday
Haven't been able to make the Thursday Fun Runs for a couple weeks now so headed out on my own before work to try to make up some mileage.  Definitely felt energized the rest of the day!

Saturday
Bummed to be missing another training "field trip" but Good luck to all my marathon buddies that are running Smokey Bear this weekend at Bass Lake!  Wish I could have been there!

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Run stats:
WEEK 11		Mileage	Duration (hr:min:sec)	Pace (min/mile)
Sun	22-Sep	13.84	2:30:01	10:50
Mon	23-Sep	rest	n/a	n/a
Tues	24-Sep	5.18	0:39:43	*timed mile = 7:52
Wed	25-Sep	rest	n/a	n/a
Thurs	26-Sep	life	n/a	Eye check due!
Fri	27-Sep	3.1	0:30:15	n/a
Sat	28-Sep	*hookey!	0	SF drive	(Smokey Bear 10K)
Total weekly mileage		22.12 miles