here yeee! here yee!

hey hey!! so i am back from the sun and the sand and the just near perfect weather of Arizona and Florida!! Man has it been a whirlwind!! I was in AZ for work...and a bit of play...and then headed to Jacksonville, FL for the National Breast Cancer Marathon. So a few notes about the run....it is so well coordinated!! This was the first year they put it together--there were 7,000 runners between the half and the full and ALL the proceeds went towards breast cancer research. The course was just beautiful--winding all through these little towns and neighborhoods. there was a stretch of 4 miles on the beach!! not as tough as you think--packed sand--but it was HELL hot! like so hot and a bit windy--but the challenge was really enjoyable. The winds were on and off but because of the heat--they actually helped to keep you cool. Now mind you--I really didn't prep much to do this. My boyfriend is from Jax and was going back to run as it was a boston qualifier. I was initially going to "support" but Lord knows--i am not one to sit back and watch. I ran a 20 miler on the treadmill 2 weeks prior and it went really well. However, other than that-i had very little prep. Not to mention that the week prior, I was in AZ for work and my training surely suffered--lots of eating and drinking and corporate bologna. SOOO i got to Jville and had an amazing prep up to race day Sunday. Took a nice long HOT epsome (spelling?) salt bath....did a few pickups--ran 40min ez friday and 20 min ez sat both with some pickups. relaxed..massaged...ate well...hydrated hard. all the usual pre race rituals. Got up race morning and felt really good--peppy...ready...but kinda a different feeling as i am not used to rising to go run a marathon...or run anything long with "cold" legs. Gun went off and the race was on...I started up in front in the 3:10 pack....just to avoid having to run through a TON of peeps. I started off really ez...really ez. got passed by the 330 group and let them go but kept them in sight. i clocked the first mile at 8:25 or so. NICE...felt great...smiling...enjoying the weather. kept the 330 pack in sight and slowly reeled them in but never got too close. by mile 4ish i was right with them but running behind them. still felt amazing. mile 5 i hit the beach and ran on sand for a few miles...i felt really really good...high fivin peeps....but CONSTANTLY reminding myself to conserve energy--have fun but conserve. kept reminding myself to have good form and good posture. My nutrition plan was to hit every aid station. take a hammer gel at mile 5 then 10 then i had a 200 calorie bottle of heed and gel and enduralites (spelling?) and some other crap hammer makes--race day boost...antifatigue caps....liquid endurance...race caps...all mixed together in a large water bottle which i was to hold with me and drink through mile 20. another gel at 21 and then if i felt like shit i was to take anything i could to finish from then on out. I was also going to hit every aid station and keep away from the poweraids and gatoraids. I stuck to plan perfectly except i drank everything i could get my hands on at every aid station and kept myself as WET as possible to stay cool cause of the heat. (90 degrees with NO shade on the course) i was drinking blue crap...yellow crap...LOTS of water...then water on my head....in my face...people had sprinklers and hoses out...i was running through them ALL. haha..i was like a wet rat. there were folks handing out wet sponges at mile 11ish--i grabbed two and carried them the whole way. holding them helped to keep my shoulders relaxed and also by keeping them wet-i could keep cool. My HR goes really high when im hot. it all worked. I was running with the 330 pack the whole way and mile by mile someone would drop out. i still felt strong. by mile 18, i was all alone with the 330 pacer. we ran hard--banking minutes-trying to have reserves in case i needed them later on. The whole race comes down to those last 6 miles. By 21 i was moving...clocking 7:40s over and over. i felt like a rockstar...everyone was walking...EVERYONE. i was passing everyone. i almost thought maybe i went off course and that i was on the half marathon course with the walkers finishing....that was the case but i was stil on marathon course--they just overlapped at parts. by 24 i was in bad shape though. i hit the wall pretty hard after a steep causeway hill up onto a bridge. it was rough and i thanked god i had the banked minutes. However, even though i felt like total crap and i felt my legs werent moving at all--i still pulled a 7:51 for that mile. it must have been short-haha-at the end of 24 i saw my boyfriend in the distance--not looking well. :( i also saw a MAJOR uphill onto another MONSTER bridge. i didn't think i was going to make it...but seeing him really gave me strength...i pulled out of it to run up to him...passing him (and CRUSHING his ego--i feel TERRIBLE) and pushed as hard as i could...i think that mile was an 8:20 or so--not bad considering the hill. at the end of the bridge, i rounded the corner and i could see the finish line looming in the distance. i just closed my eyes and gutted it out. GOAL TIME: 3:30:00 FINISH TIME: 3:28:30. PLACE OVERALL: 46/1681 GENDER PLACE: 13/1041 (bummer cause i thought i was 7th haha) AGE GROUP PLACE: 2/109. Am I happy? I'm ectatic. If I can rip a sub 330 in Placid.....I've got a shot at doing some SERIOUS damage to my lovely competitors. I know that everyone is quick to tell you that running on fresh legs is different--and IT IS...but I've gotten the time in now...and i barely trained for a long course run this year. I've got more than 5 months to get my running sharp. Im confident i can have a repeat performance.
So how are you all doing? how is your training? how is your 2008? anyone interested in doing that half with me in april? dont be scared!! it'll be a jolly ole time!!

okay i think im done boring you with my marathon bore. it still isn't an ironman...although i thought often of my ironman race while running...how if i can gut it out for 11+ hours then 3.5 should be cake walk. although marathons are just not easy and its pretty amazing HOW MANY folks complete the distance. It is a true tribute to the human spirit and how powerful the mind can be. Macca said it so sweet--that point when your body goes one way and your mind goes the other...your body says STOP...i want to stop--this SUCKS! and your mind says ....NO WAY MATE! NO way...this is what you worked for...this is what you want. in pursuit. GO GET IT! Go get that dream. LIVE IT.