11-11-11 Marathon of Sarasota Whitiker Gateway Park, Sarasota, FL

The morning started off cold and windy. I was back in FL and not expecting Savannah race conditions! I picked up my bibs, one with numbers for front and one with my name for my back. I also got my timing chip. I hung out with all the Marathon Maniacs who were in town for the race. There were 7 of us that would qualify for Maniacs today and two runners who were running their first marathon. We got lots of photos taken near the water and once the bathrooms were opened (yeah!) we started the race. It got started at 7:30, a little late, but we needed to wait on the bathrooms.

Gina, Stephanie, Dawn, Jeff and I all started off together running 3/1 intervals. I had no time expectations. I just wanted to finish. Really, I hoped for a sub 5 hour finish, but wasn’t going to push it. It was a lot of fun through those first few miles. Dave Mari was taking photos all the time. Endorphin dude was there and entertained us by stopping to sing on the DJ’s microphone. Liz and Renee stopped by to cheer for a while. It was great seeing their smiling faces every lap.
Somewhere around mile 6, Gina slowed down and we all got ahead of her. Soon Jeff and Dawn started running a bit faster, so Stephanie and I held back. I didn’t want to push the pace too hard. We ran the first 13.1 in 2:15, which was only 4 minutes slower than last weekend.

Miles 1 through 7: 9:51/10:07/10:00/10:35/10:14/10:42/10:29Miles 8 through 13: 10:13/10:44/10:22/10:26/10:40/10:18

We definitely slowed down during the second half, but for the most part I felt good. Everyone was friendly. Many people said my name as they ran by and wished me luck. The volunteers, some of whom are friends, were great. They had a table set up by the water with anything a runner could need. I tried a half a banana during the race for the first time. My friend Susan sprayed sunscreen on me at one point. The temps stayed cool and very dry. I was hardly sweating and I tend to sweat a lot! I could feel the saltiness on my face for most of the race. Stephanie is a hoot. Her friends brought her a bloody mary and she drank from it each time we passed it. We came up to Leah, who was running her first time marathon, when she had 10 laps to go (we had 15 I think). She was struggling, but decided to hang with us and take walking breaks. She ended up with a great finish and a time of 4:08!

Miles 14 to 18: 10:53/11:28/11:06/10:47/11:23

I caught up with Dawn at some point during this time. She was not having a good race and saying she was never running a marathon again. She ran NYC last weekend and it wasn’t a great race for her. We went back and forth for a bit, but soon she pulled ahead again. She ended up finishing a couple of minutes before me and feeling pretty good about it.

Miles 19 through 23: 11:24/11:33/11:53/11:55/11:49

The last 3 miles were very painful. The side of my left knee hurt a lot. It felt like someone was stabbing me with a knife! But, I kept going. A very slow shuffle. I did get to see the couple from England get married and have photos taken. I think I passed by them 3 times during this process. The woman came in first overall woman and the man was second overall man.
I was so ready for the last lap. I tried to speed up my pace a little, but couldn’t do it. My knee almost collapsed a couple of times. I was so happy to finish!! I got my finishers medal and my 2^nd place age group award. There were only 3 people in it, but so what! I’ll take it. J

Miles 24 through 26: 13:19/13:17/14:08

Finish time: 4:49:08 for 25.96 total miles. It’s still a marathon to me! J

I didn’t hang around too long before making my way to the medical tent. They taped a bag of ice to my knee and gave me some Tylenol. I hobbled over to the food area and then on to where I had left my bag. We saw Gina pass by a couple of times. She was not happy, her knee was hurting a lot too, but she didn’t want to give up. I made it back to the finish line in time to see her finish. I got a couple of photos taken with my medals and my “I just qualified for Marathon Maniacs” sign, before heading home to spend a relaxing afternoon on the sofa.

It is now a few hours post race and my knee is feeling tender but better. I will take it easy this week and will decide by Friday if I will run the Women’s Half Marathon on Sunday! What was I thinking??? J

One thing I’ve realized post race is that I didn’t encounter any stomach issues and for the most part I didn’t cramp up. I think the two halves of banana I had, one around mile 18 and the other a few miles later, really helped. I also didn’t wear a waist pack today, so nothing compressing on my stomach. I was pretty good about eating when I should and taking the endurolytes when I should. I drank more water today too.

Rock N Roll Savannah Marathon
November 5, 2011

Race morning started off early. Brenda and I got up at 5:30am and had plenty of time to get layered up for the cold morning walk over to the start line. So happy we were staying so close to the start. Gina, Donna, Stephanie and Charlotte stopped by on their walk from the hotel they got moved to. (long story) We got there in plenty of time for the big maniac/fanatic group shot. It was so fun to be in a race with a large group of them. I hope to be joining the maniacs next weekend! I also got to meet Kate, one of my team marathon bar members. After the photo, we went in search of the baggage check and then bathroom breaks. The lines were so long for the porta potties, so we decided to go down this ally and squat behind some cars. A couple of women came riding by on their bikes and told us that we could get in a lot of trouble for urinating in public. She was very nice though, and offered the bathroom in her office, which was right there! We made it into the corral area about 10 minutes before race start. Most of us were in corral 12. After the first wave start, we slowly made our way closer to the starting mat. It was about 15 minutes after official race start that our group got going.

Gina and I decided to stick together as long as we could. We were running 4/1 intervals, which seemed very doable in this cold temp (45ish). The first mile was straight running and it felt great. The runners had about 4 lanes of road to run on, so we were not too packed in. The first few miles were a little fast, but I wasn’t out of breath and I was feeling good, so we kept up the pace. We ran through some rough looking areas outside of the historic savannah district, but the people were friendly. Lots of people came out of their houses to cheer us on. Bands were at about every mile, which was a big energy boost to the crowd of runners. One woman in front of me ran up to the front of the band and did a cartwheel! Funny.

Miles 1 to 6- 9:18/9:29/9:47/9:54/10:03/10:04

It was great to be back into the historic district. Lots of crowd support here. At one point Gina yells to me, “There’s Dave!” I look all around me and then spot him to my side. He runs over and puts his camera in front of us to take a photo. Then asks who is with me. I tell him Gina is and runs over and snaps a photo of the tow of them, then he runs in front of us to take a photo of us. He tells us we are running fast and falls back. We yell to him to “have a great race” and continue on. Lots of great characters running in the race including a guy dressed up in a Beeker (from The Muppets) suit. Crazy! Lots of great signs being held up too, like “Run, Stranger, Run.” My favorite said: Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much ass! Around mile 9 the course started to head out of the historic district and into a nice neighborhood with beautiful older houses and tall trees that provided some shade.

Miles 7 to 9- 10:20/9:58/10:12

By mile 10, we are both wondering where the split for the half marathoners was. We didn’t want to miss it! Thankfully it was hard to miss. Around mile 11 there were signs on the road and volunteers on the course yelling out which way to go. It was nice to see the half marathoners break away, since most of the runners were running that distance. Once we were on our own, we had a lot more space to run and it was easy to get to the side to take our walk breaks. Mile 12 was run on a highway. We could see mile 24 on the other side of the road. Soon police cars started driving down it and following them was the first marathon runner heading home! He was smokin fast and looked like he was out for an easy run. Just before mile 13, we took the off ramp from the highway and ran through more neighborhoods. We hit the 13.1 mile mark at 2:11. That was a pretty good pace and ahead of our goal pace.

Miles 10 to 13- 9:58/10:14/10:05/10:12

The rest of the race was a large loop through the southern part of town. By mile 15, I noticed my left Achilles tendon was feeling strange when I stopped to walk. At mile 16 we passed the Savannah State University campus. That was a lot of fun. Lots of students were out cheering. The band was there playing too.  I decided to stop and use the porta pottie at mile 17. I told Gina to go ahead and I would try to catch up with her. There was someone in the bathroom already and one guy waiting. While I stood there, I stretched a bit, which felt good. I waited for a couple of minutes and the first person was still in there, so I decided to just keep running. It was really cold still. It seemed like the wind was getting stronger. I still had on my arm sleeves and kept ahold of my gloves in case I needed them later. I decided to run through every other walking break in hopes I could catch up with Gina. Eventually I saw her up ahead and slowly caught up to her after a couple of miles. It was good to have my running buddy back by my side! My Achilles felt better after the stretch, but I could tell I was slowing down. My muscles were really stiffening up. I need to figure out how to stop this from happening! I was eating my cliff blocks when I was supposed to and taking my endurolytes on schedule too.

Miles 14 to 19- 10:13/10:40/10:36/10:32/10:52/10:22

I managed to plod along and a decent pace for the next few miles. I don’t feel like I hit the “wall” until mile 22. My stomach was bothering me. It felt bloated and my waist pack made it worse because it felt so tight. I ate my last cliff clock around mile 24 and within a minute I thought I was going to throw up! It hit my stomach hard. I took of my waist pack and immediately felt better. I thought of just tossing it since I got it on sale for $10, it wasn’t a big waste, but decided to hold on to it for a bit. It wasn’t too bad carrying it. Gina started pulling ahead of me during these last few miles. I told her to go ahead, but thankfully she stayed near me. I think I might have really struggled to stay running if she hadn’t been there. Running directly into the wind and having to run over so many over passes was really taking it out of me! Soon we left behind the highway and started running towards the historic district and the finish. Gina pulled ahead again around mile 25, which was fine with me. She looked strong and I didn’t want to hold her back any longer. I grabbed a bottle of water from the medical tent just before the next water stop and ended up drinking half the bottle! I guess I was thirstier than I thought! This last bit was tough, but knowing the finish line wasn’t too far away, kept me plodding along. I managed to run through the last walk break and even pick up my pace a little just before the finish line. So happy to be done! And with a PR!

Mile 20 26.2- 11:09/10:54/11:37/11:12/11:16/11:57/12:29/3:29

Finish 4:37:07 a PR of 28 minutes!
Overall: 2619 out of 4722
Division: 207 out of 421
Gender: 1156 out of 2473

Gina was waiting for me after I crossed the finish line. We were both so happy about our PRs! We got out photos taken with our bling then grabbed some food and drink. I really needed to sit down and get off of my feet, so we walked over to get our bags, meet up with Brenda and then Stephanie and then walked over to the large grassy park to hang out and listen to the band playing. Within a couple of minutes of trying to stretch my legs, my calf muscles seized up. And then the front of them did too when I flexed my foot. I couldn’t unflex my foot! Brenda rolled my water bottle over the spot for me until it loosened up. I’ve never had that happen before. It hurt!

So happy I ran this race! We had some issues with housing and hotels during this trip, but the race and spending time with friends was so fun. Look forward to the next girls racing weekend!

Bill's Beer Run Casey Key, FL October 30, 2011

I had a great time at my 5 mile race this morning. I crushed my previous PR by 5 minutes and got 4th in my age group.

I got to the race site super early, because the parking lot (at the beach) is small and I wanted to make sure I got a good spot. I hung out in my car for about 40 mins and then met up with my friend and we hit the bathrooms. Lots of friendly faces at this race, so we chatted with people for the next 45 minutes until the race start. A lot of my ragnar team was there dressed up as 80s fitness stars. Suzanne Sommers, Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons and Suzanne Powers.

A guy sang the National Anthem and messed it up big time. I felt so bad for him, but he tried to recover and we all gave him a big cheer at the end. All of a sudden the gun went off. I hit my watch about 8 seconds after the official start (so my official time is a bit off). I felt really good going out. I had to weave through a bunch of people, but soon had some good space. I made sure I didn't start to far back today because I knew I wanted to go for that PR.

Mile 1- 7:55

I was surprised when I saw my first mile time! Even though I felt good, I thought maybe I should pull back a little, but ended up keeping pretty close to the first mile pace. There was a water stop at mile 1.5. I grabbed a cup and tried to drink a little without stopping. I got a little in my mouth and a lot on my hand. :)

Mile 2- 8:06

Starting to feel the hard pace here, but seeing all the runners coming back my way kept me going. Soon I see speedy Renee and yell out encouragement to her. She is about the 10th woman heading back. I hit the turn around and I’m happy to start seeing people on the other side of the road behind me. I see Gina and she tells me to keep up the pace. With that encouragement and seeing all my competition behind me, I keep at it. Just before mile 3 I finally pass and leave behind this speedy little girl. I was wondering if this 10 year old was going to stay with me the whole way! She was fast.

Mile 3- 8:14

I spot a woman in an orange tank top and decide she is a good one to try and pass. Before we get even a half a mile down the road, I have past her. Still feeling good, but decide I should slow it down a little so that I have something left at the end.

Mile 4: 8:19

I pick out an older guy in a bright green shirt to pass next. I gradually gain on him and end up passing him before getting to the water stop. Again I grab a cup of water and try drinking it without stopping. It slightly wets my throat. :D Not so good at that. Now I start to notice my bottom lip is going numb. This happens to me on cold, windy days sometimes. I think it’s a combo of being hot and sweaty and then getting a cold blast. The last quarter mile was a little scary because my top lip was also starting to go numb. I was breathing deeply, so it wasn’t lack of oxygen. As I was about to finish, I could hear a guy just to my back left. He tried to pass me at the end, but I got across the line just before him! Once I stopped and drank half my bottle of water, I felt much better and my lips went back to normal. I stood on the sidelines and watched some of my friends come in.

Mile 5- 8:14
Total: 5.04 miles in 41:08

I hung out for a long time to find out the race results. They gave awards 10 deep in age groups! I thought I had a chance of placing. I ended up with 4th in my age group. A few of my friends placed in their age groups too. It was a great day for a race!

Florida 1-Day Relay

Bradenton to Venice, 50plus miles.

Team Sisters with Blisters was made up of me, Dawn, Gina, Stephanie and Linda. We all arrived in downtown Bradenton at 7 am. Race start was 8am, but we needed to be there early for the race directions meeting and to decorate Dawn’s car. The hour went by quickly, and before we knew it, Linda was lined up at the starting line with about 14 other runners. The race had a little over 50 teams. There were staggered starts of 7, 8, 9 and 10 am.

After loading into the car, we followed the path Linda had just run. She was the third woman and hot on the heels of the woman in front of her. We drove on to the exchange point to wait for her and write a few more things on the car windows. Soon, Linda came in and slapped the bracelet on Dawn. We all loaded into the car and I drove us to the next exchange point at Palma Sola Causeway Park. It was here, out in the open, with water on both sides, that we noticed how very windy it was. It was great for the people running toward the island because the wind was at their backs. I knew for me, when I was running off the island later this morning, I was going to have the wind coming at me. Dawn came in at a good pace and Stephanie ran off. Stephanie just ran a marathon last weekend! She did great on this leg, running a good pace. We all loaded back into the car and drove to the next exchange at Bradenton Beach were I would start my first run.

For some reason I was so nervous to run! Maybe because it was a team event, I felt like I needed to run a good pace. My run started off great. My garmin was having issues with the signal, so every time I looked at it the display would show anywhere from 10 min mile to 7 min mile pace! I ran down a curved neighborhood street that put me out onto the main road of the Island. I had to cross to the other side. I lucked out here as the light was already green, so I didn’t have to stop. I ran in the bike lane, no sidewalk, facing traffic. First mile was 8:14! A little fast, but I figured I’d push hard for this first leg. About a half mile later, I had to cross the street again at a pedestrian cross walk. Thankfully, the cars in both directions stopped for me right away, so that I could cross the street. Lots of team vehicles out on the road honking and yelling in support of all the runners. It was great. They strange part was being out there pretty much on my own. I saw one guy way up ahead of me and that was it. It was fun running this route, since I used to live on the island and would run this all the time. I passed by my old place at one point too. Mile 2: 8:32. I caught up to the runner in front of me at about mile 3: 8:38. The last .8 was all under the trees on a path next to the beach. It was beautiful out. I finished strong and handed off to Gina. Total time for 3.8 miles: 32:21 with an average pace of 8:30!

I changed into a dry shirt and stretched a little before we loaded into the car to head towards the next exchange. We stopped a little ways down to get out and cheer Gina on as she ran by. She didn’t have much shade on this section, so she was pretty hot when she came into the next exchange and handed off to Linda. We again got into the car and drove down the road a bit to find a good spot to cheer on Linda as she ran by. Then headed to Ken Thompson Park for the next exchange were I would be running again. I changed back into my race shirt and then we all hung out on the swings while we waited for Linda to come in. It was still pretty windy with partly cloudy skies. I decided to leave my visor in the car so I wouldn’t have to fight the wind to keep the visor on my head. Linda came in and I took off!

My second leg of the race started around noon. Thankfully the temperature didn’t feel too bad because it was so windy. I had the wind at my back for a very short distance, but then I changed direction and it came at me from the side. Mile 1: 8:44. When I ran over a small bridge and got the full force of the wind, it was so strong that my skirt lifted up around my waist. Good thing there are built in shorts under it. :) Just past the bridge I turned into a neighborhood that went along the water and ended at the major road leading to and from the Island. This is where I started running straight into the wind. Mile 2: 9:00. It wasn’t too bad for the first half mile because of trees and buildings on my left that helped to block a little of the wind. But then I got to the open and the flat bridge and got slammed. I powered through it to get to Bird Key Park were my team was waiting to cheer me on. We had to cross the street here and use the light. I was so lucky that a truck was already waiting at the light so that when I got near the cross walk, it had turned green. I ran fast through the intersection because the light didn’t stay green for long. Now I had to power up the bridge. Running up that bridge into the wind was so tough! But I did it! Top of the bridge was end of mile 3: 9:49. Running down the bridge felt great! Even with the wind hitting me, I felt my pace pick up. I passed a runner going down the bridge and then passed another as we ran near the Kissing Statue. I ran into Marina Jacks for the hand off to Dawn. Last 1.09 mile was 8:58. Total miles 4.09 in 37:17 with a 9 minute mile average pace.

I was tired after this leg. It was really hard. I stretched a bit before we loaded into the car. We drove down to Southside Elementary to park and wait for Dawn to run by. While Linda, Gina and Stephanie played on the playground, I hid behind the car door and changed out of my sweaty sports bra and top into dry stuff. I got into the car to change my bottoms though.  We stopped at another spot on Siesta Key to watch Dawn run by before heading to Siesta Beach to wait for her to run in. This was the longest leg of the day with 7 miles. We hung out with some other teams at the transition spot waiting for Dawn to run in. She made great time and soon we were on our mandatory 45 minute break. At this point all teams needed to load into their cars and drive to the next exchange just over 9 miles down the road. It’s not a great area of 41 for runners to run on, so the race organizers cut this section out of the race. My teammates were nice enough to stop at the gluten free bakery for sandwiches on our way to the next exchange. I got a yummy turkey and avocado sandwich and a brownie to save for after the race. By the time we left the bakery and drove to the next exchange, we had only a few minutes to wait before Stephanie took off on her last run.

This part of the race was run down Casey Key. The runners were warned to run against traffic and to be very careful because there were no sidewalks and the road is very narrow. The roads were extremely narrow! So happy that Stephanie made it through that section safe and sound. It was pretty crazy with all the team cars on the road, plus other cars on the road heading towards our runners. Soon Stephanie was handing off to Gina. We all used the bathrooms here and then took off to find Gina on the course. We got worried after a while when we couldn’t find her and noticed missing signs on the road. Stephanie noticed a friend of hers in his front yard, so we stopped to talk with him for a while before driving on. We kept looking for Gina, but could not find her, so we drove to the next exchange point at Nokomis Park. The runners had to run down part of the Legacy Trail (rails to trails path) so we couldn’t drive on that section of the course. Soon we saw some runners that had started after Gina at the last exchange, so we got worried that she was lost. Dawn and I left Linda (the next runner) and Stephanie at the exchange and then drove back along the course looking for Gina. We still couldn’t find her, but just before getting back to the exchange, I called Stephanie, who said Gina had made it in and Linda was off and running. We picked them up and headed to the next and last exchange by the Venice Airport. Gina said some of the runners that we saw come in ahead of her had missed a turn and ended up running a shorter distance, that’s why they ended up ahead of her. We grumbled about that for a little while waiting for Linda to come in. I got my gear on and got ready for my last leg. It was now about 4:30 and the wind was even stronger now, but I didn’t think I would be running into it much. Linda came in strong and handed off to me for the last leg of the race.

I started off my last leg way to fast. I got a side cramp right away, so slowed down a little in hopes it would go away. I noticed a guy from another team a ways behind me, so my goal was to keep him there (and I did). :) The first mile was along the intercoastal waterway. Not much to see here, but it’s a quiet, peaceful place to run. Mile 1: 8:38. Soon, the course curved to the right, and we ran past a playground and through the beach parking area. Then we turned again to the right and headed into the wind once again. Mile 2: 8:56. This last 1.3 was tough. I was so ready to be done! Running hard 3 times in one day takes a toll on the body! I was so happy to see my team waiting for me at the turn into Sharky’s restaurant. We all got together and headed across a grassy area to the finish. Yeah!! Mile 3: 9:22 and last .34: 2.5 for a total of 3.34 in 29.48. Average mile pace of 8:56.
Sisters with Blisters came in 4th out of 20 in the women’s category! So proud of my team! I hope we can all run it again next year. :)

Running Skirts

I love running in skirts! Pretty much all I run in now. Skirts sports "Happy Girl" and "Happy Hour" (grey skirt on the right)styles have always worked the best for me. Since I am taller and suffer from "chub rub", I need a longer skirt with longer shorties underneath. The skirt sports brand does it for me.
I used to wear the Running Skirts brand, but would have to add longer compression shorts under to cover more of my legs. This morning I decided to try out the Running Skirt (white print on the left) during a short run to see how I did with it. The run went pretty good! The skirt (athletic stye, slightly longer than their normal style) is still a bit shorter than I feel comfortable with, but the shorties under did not ride up. The best thing about this brand is that they have lots of fun prints to choose from. I might be adventurous and wear this shorter skirt out more in the future. :)

Firecracker Triple - 4th of July Weekend

Stars and Stripes Half Marathon, Beaverton, OR
July 2, 2011

I had a great time running the first of three half marathons this morning. Met lots of fanatics, maniacs and another Team Marathon Bar member. And of course I got to meet Ruthie from the WW Marathoners Board! I was chatting with a couple of people when I see this woman holding up a big sign that says "go jenna" I say "hey that's my name" and start walking over there. I then notice Ruthie HOLDING the sign! :) It was great of her to come out for the race. She ended up going to get her camera from home while I was running my third lap. She was like my own personal race photographer!

I ran 3/1 intervals during this 5 lap course, so that I wouldn't be tempted to run too fast. :) I started out wearing my waist pack, but decided to drop it by my car as I ran by it after 2 laps. Each lap was a little over 2.5 miles, so I figured getting water once each lap would be enough and it was. I kept a pretty fast pace for the first 4 laps during my running portions, then I slowed it down a lot during the 5th and final lap.

Although it was a course that we had to run 5 times, I didn't get bored with it at all. It was fun to see familiar faces many times on the course. There were lots of shady parts and also stretches were you could enjoy some of the sunshine.

I stretched out a lot after the race, so I think I'll be ready for tomorrow's Freedom Half marathon! My time was slower than normal. 2:19, but I am cool with that. It's not about the time, it's all about getting to MARS status in the Half Fanatics! :D
Time: 2:19:50
18th out of 51 overall


Freedom Half Marathon, Greshem, OR.
July 3, 2011

The Second half marathon of the weekend is done! A lot cooler this morning. I ran 3/1 intervals again today. I felt great going into the run, but by mile 2 I felt hungry! I realized I probably didn't eat enough yesterday, specially low on carbs.

First 7 miles went by at a good pace, about the same as yesterday. Around mile 7.5, I sped up to try and catch the green light at the cross street (there were 2 busy streets we had to cross each way). I made it, but I used a lot of my extra energy for that surge. I started to feel very light headed and began sweating even more than normal. I walked a little bit then tried to run again, but got dizzy again. So I decided to walk to the next water station that was about a half a mile further. I got there, ate 2 cliff blocks, drank water and then walked a little more. I did start running again, but kept the pace slow. This worked and I kept the slow pace going for the rest of the run.

This was an out and back course on a rails to trails paved path. Because the race was so small, at times, it felt like I was the only one out there! Interesting sight of the day. Two big peacocks. One with it's feathers spread out. Pretty impressive. :)

Lots of great food at the finish. I don't normally eat after a race, but I got a plate and put chips, hot dog and beans on there! Plus 2 pieces of watermelon. Did I mention I was hungry? :)

Time: 2:26:09
32 out of 59 overall



Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon, Sauvie Island, OR
July 4, 2011

What a beautiful morning for running a race! Temps in the 50s with clear skies. I got to the start area super early. I couldn't sleep, so decided to head out early and get a good parking spot. It gave me plenty of time to finish my pre race organizing in the car before heading over to meet with other runners competing the Triple. We had a group photo taken for the maniacs/fanatics and then for all those running the Triple.

I made one last trip to the car to get my mp3 and drop off my coat before heading to the start. I set up my garmin for 2:15/1 intervals because I figured my body was tired, so I wouldn't push it. Well, the race started a bit late, so when we got going, I realized my Garmin had set back to watch mode! I crossed the starting line and then set my watch back to intervals while running slowly.

I skipped the first interval because I wanted to let the crowd thin out a bit before taking a walk break. After the first few walking intervals, I realized I was feeling pretty good, so decided to run 5:30/1 and then go back to 2:15/1 for a while. I ended up running most of the rest of the race at 5:30/1 intervals because I was feeling so good and not pushing the pace while running.

During the race I had a chance to talk to fellow fanatics Marie and Stephanie for a little bit before they ran on ahead of me when I walked. They both had great races too. this race was pretty flat. I was amazed because it was in hilly Oregon! I took my endurolytes and Cliff blocks right on schedule, which also helped me to have a good race. Plus, I didn't hold back on eating yesterday!

I was so happy to come into the finish and see the clock at just over 2:16! The fasted time I had of all 3 races! I got my medal for the race and then found Steve (race director for the Triple) and got my special Firecracker Triple medal also. I enjoyed a yummy Strawberry Shortcake (minus the cake) after stretching out in a grassy, shady spot. I also remembered to eat my Marathon Bar protein bar soon after finishing too. Recovery eating is important!

Time: 2:16:20; 62/113 age group; 979/1639 overall; 535/1068 female overall


Thoughts on the Triple:
I went into these races thinking I could definitely run them, but did worry about injury. I think what helped me the most was making sure I ate and hydrated properly during the runs and after. I wore compression sleeves on my calves during the races and I wore my Saucony recovery tights each night.

Zombie Runner Half Marathon

Trail race in San Francisco, June 18, 2011

What a challenging race for my first trail half marathon. I didn't see the elevation chart until a couple of days before the race. If I knew what it was going to be when I found this race a few months ago, I might not have signed up!

I drove from Aptos to San Francisco very early this morning. I ended up making pretty good time, getting there at 6:45 am. I had to sit in my car for a little bit until packet pickup opened at 7. When I got out of my car, I saw that Jen and Jenni (two other half fanatics) had just arrived too. We picked up our gear, then hung out near our cars for a bit. After a couple of photos, I went in search of a bathroom. They had just 3 porta potties for us, but it was a small race. I am glad I went early, because as I walked to the race start at 7:50, there was a huge line.

The race director gave us some instructions about looking for flags before starting the race. We headed south for a little bit, then turned around and headed back towards the Golden Gate bridge. About a mile into the race, a large group of runners merged in with us. It became hard to see who was part of the race and who was just out running. I've never had that in a race before!


Around mile 3, I was running along at a great pace and enjoying the nice flat, gravel surface, when I realized I hadn't seen a course marker for a while. Lots of people running in front of me, so I kept going toward the base of bridge. I get towards the end when I discover that it's a dead end. Lots of other racers were in the same boat as me. We started running back the way we came, figuring we missed a turn some where. As other racers came towards us, we would tell them to turn around. A lot of people who had been behind me caught up to me. :( This detour added half a mile. Bummer. Around Mile 4 we started to climb up the mountain. Steep dirt trails and steep steps. Great views though. At the top, we ran through a path right under the bridge to the other side. A bit of flat trail for a while until we encountered more steps. There was a stretch for about a mile or so that was single track (very narrow) that didn't allow passing. I got caught behind some runners here. It was frustrating not being able to get around them! It was also scary because there were parts were there were no bushes or trees on the right side of us. Just steep cliff.

I'm a little hazy on some of the descriptions at certain mile markers. We did encounter about half a mile of deep sand that we had to run through. This ended at the first aid station. I thought we would turn around here, but no. Only the 10K runners headed back. The half marathoners continued on. A climb up a hill lead us to a neighborhood. We stayed on the paved streets for a bit until we entered the Lands End part of the Coastal Trail. Many, many up and downs for the next 4 miles. Very steep climbs and downhills that I couldn't even run down because they were so steep. We turned around just before The Cliff House and then ran all the wonderful steps and hills again. :)












When I got back to the aid station near the sand. I filled up with water and grabbed a handful of M&Ms. I walked the sand portion back. Just didn't have it in my legs to run it. I ran the short, flat part, then had to walk the next mile that was all up hill. I managed to run at a good pace all the rest of the flat parts. A few people passed me on the steep down hill leading from the bridge, but I managed to catch up to the during the last mile, which was nice and flat. :)


Time: 2:41:40 for 13.6miles (extra .5 because of the wrong turn)
127 out of 156; 11 out of 16 in age group

Overall I am happy that I ran this race. The time is no where near my normal half marathon time, but as I understand it, most people are slower on trails. I would like to run another trail race one day, but I'll train for it next time! :)