Category Archives: 13.1

tinkerbell escape weekend. and a half marathon.

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A few weeks ago, someone I know happened to ask, “Does anyone want my Tinkerbell bib?”  As with everything else, first I looked at the calendar.  Free.  Then, my dog sitter.  Free.  I was the first to respond…Yes.  Yes I want it.

Warning.  This is super long.

It was going to be what got me through the rest of January, ending 30 days of relationship psychosis, where everything is questioned, and realities come to pass.  Unreal.  My family asked me, “Are you okay?”  And of course, if you know my family, you say…

They knew.  And they said get in the car.

On Thursday, I packed up my office laptop, drove to have a meeting and lunch in Fresno with a girlfriend, and barely got out of town before I had some now familiar anxiety when it comes to this particular addiction.  I got my sponsor on the phone, and down the 99 I traveled, to that place that we all love.  Our childhood home.  It’s here where my Mom and Dad will provide me with that most precious quality of love.  The kind that asks no questions.  My sisters came.  Everyone knew why I was there.  And, it wasn’t to run a half marathon.

Of course, the weekend was made ever so special by my sweet niece, who brought over the love of my life…aka Jack.  I am so in love with this baby.  Seriously, when I would get sad, I would just look at this picture and swoon.

My gal pal Penny then invited me on the set of GLEE, and I was all pretending not to be star struck, but she pulled me over to meet some of the cast, and I was simply tongue tied. She bought me the most wonderful dinner at the Larchmont Grill, and we made plans for the Tinkerbell Half…HELLO Mac and Cheese with bacon.  OMG.


All in all a seriously fun night.  Especially when I ALMOST got to be in the episode.  Watching Penny work was a major treat for me.  I love her!

I spent the expo day with friends, and was really feeling the absence.  Letting myself feel it, but couldn’t stand it, so I thought I’d run away to a meeting, when here in front of me was the exact, um, model of Harley I’d been racing from.  I couldn’t even believe it.  I walked in the meeting and was near tears…as usual when I shared, we all started laughing…cuz you know, you can’t outrun pain.  You just gotta go through it after all.

Okay.  So the escape was over.  I faced my fears.

TINKERBELL RACE REPORT

So finally, here is the report.

I make it to Yas’ house, and lay out my stuff.  No.  I’m not Jill.  4am requisite “WTF are we doing up at this hour?” pose.I’m at the back of the corral.  Like the very end.  I suddenly have to hop over the fence and do a little last minute pee.  There went my dollar store gloves.  I was laughing with these girls, who pulled out of their bras baby wipes.  I had remembered my coach telling me about the necessity of these, but do I listen?  (Do we not remember the Potomac River?)  So, she gives me one to put in my pack, which oddly would come in VERY handy at mile 8.  So, we are standing there, and I recognize Jeff Galloway, having been at the Expo the day before with Gina.  So of course, like the truly star struck person I am, I get the pictures snapped and he looks at my garbage bag and says, “I’m sure envious of that bag right now.”  (He glazes over as I explain my love of the Hanson Training Plan LOL)Actual Race Report right here:

Mile 1-3 I simply could not get in the groove.  I was chilly and my stomach was a little fussy…but mostly I was weaving in and out of the TNTers who walk 6 abreast (really, TNT?  We haven’t had this talk, like a million times before?)  We are running in and around Disneyland.  Back in the back, where workers have a smoke, and hey here’s our toilets, and there’s the cafeteria…and I was starting to get pissy about Tinkerbell…so much of the beginning reminded me of Rock N Roll marathons.  Lotta money for a little reward because it’s such a big MACHINE.

We go in and out of the park, which was really cool…Main Street, Pirates of the Caribbean…places that reminded me of my babies (I actually nursed one of them at midnight standing in front of the castle).  BUT.  I was starting to get irritated for reals.  We were WALKING through the Castle…by the Merry Go Round, and people were stopping to take pictures with characters.  And I thought, well, you just have to do the best you can.

My plan had been to go at HMP for 7 miles, because I knew that 13.1 would be tough.  I wasn’t trained, and as we know, I was only there to outrun some heartache.  We were going around Anaheim, in and out of city streets, and by mile 4, I finally FINALLY got in a groove, where I knew I would be around 11:30…And I looked at my watch which had a low battery, so I never knew where I was.

At mile 8, my stomach SPOKE to me.  Like, get off the course now.  Lucky for me, I had wipes.  Found a bush, got right back on the course.  I have no shame about this.  Thank God for the wipes, is all I have to say.

At mile 9, I lost Garmin power.  I ran by the Hula girls, and started throwing the Shaka for my girl Row, for every camera that I happened to see.  I was shocked that at Mile 9, I still hadn’t walked, even a little bit.  There were Clif Shots at Mile 9, and for the first time, took a drink and nutrition.  Perhaps I waited too long.

Mile 10-13.1, we went back through California Adventure, where I remember being with my boys when they were little.  A million years and miles ago.  Some bittersweet memories that collided with times gone by that were not so good.

Finally, I am just starting to enjoy Disneyland.  Thinking, I would do the TINK again.  The crowds were amazing.  AND THEN.  The medal.  As big as my hand.  And heavy.  They hand us a dry bagel and a bottle of water.  Full price for the bib, and I would NOT have been happy.

But, the MEDAL.  I got that thing in my hand, and I forgot all pain.  The smallish pop of my knee at Mile 7 that I tried to ignore…the lousy bagel, and the crowds, and the stupid walkers that rudely stood in my way.  All in all, a 12:19 pace for a 2:45 and change race, for something I wasn’t trained for…not even a little bit.

The Medal.  Seriously.  I am in love.  Tinkerbell, that lil angry cuss.  She rocked my world.

Tinkerbell. And just in time.

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Though sometimes ill-tempered, spoiled, and very jealous  and vindictive… at other times she is helpful and kind to Peter Pan. The extremes in her personality are explained in-story by the fact that a fairy’s size prevents her from holding more than one feeling at a time, so when she is angry she has no counterbalancing compassion. Fairies cannot fly in the rain but can enable others to fly by sprinkling them with fairy dust .  

And so I go.  To the Happiest Place On Earth, to run my first half marathon of this training season…thanks to another running angel.

I’m needing the Pixie Dust right about now.

Hollywood Half Marathon Christmas Giveaway

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Did you say you want to run with the stars?

I’ve been given a free entry to the Hollywood Half Marathon, on April 7, 2012.

You want to win?  

It’s simple.  You know that I’m running the full San Luis Obispo Marathon

for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on April 22, 2012.

Each time you donate $20, I will enter you in the drawing

for a free bib for the Hollywood Half Marathon.

San Luis Obispo or BUST!  Donate here ~~~

I will be drawing the name of the lucky winner on Christmas Eve, and YOU get ready to run 13.1

PS-The winner will get his/her $20 refunded to them by me…so it’s a totally free bib!

Good luck, and let’s do this!!

NIKE Women’s Race Report x 3

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I was given a bib for this year’s NIKE marathon. A half marathon bib. I hadn’t trained and had to drop out of TNT after raising $800, and various niggling injuries. I was seriously done with training.

And then. I got this bib in my hand.

After a great dinner the night before with Cory, Shiloh, Chris and Row that included cupcake carb loading, Shiloh and I proceeded to try to sleep.

I uncharacteristically slept great. Because I wasn’t really racing.

We woke on time, ate, and made our way to Union Square. I already was panicking because my bib clearly stated that I was to run the full marathon. I has visions of race directors taking me off the course.

I soon lost Shiloh on the way to the only open hotel restroom. After 3 years, you know these things. I even yelled, “I’m pregnant!”, so as to get people to move out of the way. I figured I already had started lying so what more could it hurt?

The race started in beautiful Union square, and it took 25 minutes to get across the start line.

I had no plan. Did not plan on running much. Did not want to hurt. I had run only 7 miles, 2 weeks before and this makes for ugly running.

I ran. Then kept running. I ran 3.5 miles, down the Piers. I started walking at mile 4…enjoyed myself tremendously. At mile 5 I ran again…knowing that I would walk mile 6. That hill.

Miles 7-9 took me on a run-walk schedule…but it was the first time I texted, Facebooked and snapped pictures doing a race. There was a CVS on the course, and I had an urgent need to take care of womanly business (they should have those things on the course…now THAT’S an Aid Station)… I had no money and broke into a box and told the owner I would send him some money but he said NO WAY! Keep going! (thank you!)

At mile 10, there is a steep downhill. I was like a little kid. Light on my feet, new Nike ZOOMS, and raced all the way down and then some.

At this point my quads were signaling for attention. Hey Linda. Remember us? You will!

Mile 10-13.1 I found a new friend. We ran and walked the rest together. Took more pics on Facebook.

Had a blast. Ran in. Got my Tiffany. I saw the bus line and told the last lie of the day: I hopped on the TNT bus an minutes, and was shuttled to the hotel. I have a few complaints like TNT walkers walking 5 deep across. If they do that, they should know I will squeeze through them. The Tiffany is getting smaller. There was a bagel and a bottle of water post race. Small complaints.

However…i am grateful…A great time…gifted to me by people I love and some I don’t even know. Today is Thursday and I finally have made peace with my thighs.

I thank you! I will be back…

Every Runner Has A Story (SF Half Mary Report)

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Here are my stats from yesterday’s San Francisco Half Marathon.  They are stats.  Let’s remember this as we proceed.  They only tell part of the story, because by my recollection, this is probably the PW in a Half Marathon.  I will have to check.

1st Half Marathon
Runner Details Race Results
Bib: 63346
Name: Linda Vermeulen
Gender: F
Age: 51
Hometown: Ripon, CA
Overall: 6838 out of 8394
Women: 3823 out of 4989
F 50-59: 298 out of 492
Age/Grade: 46.75% Place: 4432
Finish: 2:46:07 Pace: 12:41
Tag Time: 2:46:07
Gun Time: 3:47:17
Split Times
7.6 M: 1:30:33 Pace: 11:55

 

My story begins as a 47 year old single Mom of a 10 and 7 year old boy on Halloween 2007…and has been told many times here on this blog.  I started running because I was a PE teacher, then because I was getting a divorce, then because I fell in love with the sport.  I soon was reading everything I could get my hands on…and there are countless posts about this on this site (just go to the Archives section for October).

And every race I want a PR.  I want to improve, and I think that means improve my time.  And until yesterday, I truly believed that was what I wanted.

My PR for a half marathon was set at the Davis Stampede earlier this year with a 2:24 and change.  It was a horrid race, and an even worse course, but we finished it.  If you are supposed to be happy with a mere number, I wasn’t.  But, I digress.

Kim and I ran the race as planned with a very conservative first half.  We hit it for five miles.  I did something I had been challenged to do, which was run without music.  Most of my readers know that I love playlists and songs that will pump me up…but recently my coach has been directing me to naked running.  I balked, as I usually do.

The first mile I ran without music, and all I heard was the light padding of people’s feet all around me.  I could feel my heart and lungs starting to gear up…and I liked it.  I put in my earphones because a group of girls were gossiping about their friend who took a lot of vacations and had a lot of money.  I just didn’t need the negative energy.

We passed 2-3-4 and started up the hill at 5 to what was to be a series of undulating hills.  For the rest of the course.  The hill at mile 2 or so is the same hill that Nike uses, so I’ve seen that mother before.  But, it was easy.  Nothing like the end of the course.  At mile 6 or so you start the 3000 ft ascent to the Golden Gate Bridge…which looks flat but is so … not.

I ran the bridge on the Emerald 12K in 2008, but we were on the other side, it was sunny, and running traffice only one way.  In this half marathon, runners looped so your side was going one way, and you had another group coming back.  And it was a long slow incline…I wish I had taken water at mile 5, and kicked myself knowing there wouldn’t be water on the bridge.  By the time we got to the water station, one person was pouring water, and a few were handing out GUs.  I brought a Honey Stinger, but the fact remains:  I cannot do these things.  So, Kim waited for me…we walked, got water and I tried to settle my stomach.  There was one band.  Still, at this point, no music except for Til I Collapse by Eminem as I tried to reach the entrance to the bridge.

What comes up…must come down, so back over the bridge we go.  And it was no more pleasant, except the other runners were now on the sidewalk which made it a bit easier.  At the exit of the bridge, I was at 9.3 miles, and felt strong.  Even though my numbers were off.  I was strong…and that was joyous.

Miles 10-13.1 were a different story.  I knew San Francisco was hilly.  What I didn’t know was exactly HOW hilly.  Mile 10 downhill was a nightmare.  Like a long, never ending nightmare.  I had no music, and I was paying attention to my legs that were starting to cramp, along with my shoulders.  The up was bad, but the down was worse.  Once I got off that, I knew it would be better.  It wasn’t better.  But, I was listening to my body…and THAT is better.

Mile 11-13 seemed to be one long set of hills.  Mini inclines.  Turn corner.  Incline.  Turn corner.  Repeat.  I walked a bit, because the Honey Stinger was not working for me.  I saw very little support on the side.  Just a lot of runners.  In listening to my body, I also noticed it wasn’t working very hard…so I got to get it moving a little bit.

Finished.  Stand in long long line to go back to the start line, and Kim has a raging tooth infection, so she is not good.  We grab something to eat.  My requisite coffee and her Diet Coke.  And we get a pen, and we write on the tablecloth.  Not on the blog or on a text.  But really dissecting…and this has become my favorite part of racing:  really connecting with the people who ran it with me.  The journey, if nothing else.  And we laugh about the people elbowing us to stay with their pace group, and the gossipers and the loud talkers and the cell phone users.  And, we just laugh.

My story?  It’s on the paper.  Good and bad.  We draw the course as we remember it, and talk about the events leading up to the medal. And, even though the time was not a PR, there was much gained in this race.  From the crazy fun BART ride into San Francisco, to the 3am wakeup call (which is on the right side as negative) to the shivering under a mylar blanket, you just don’t define your race by the numbers.  My story is told in the details.  A fun race.  Hard, but worth it in the end.

Race Season Begins

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San Francisco Half Marathon, here I come.

This half will be the first half I’ve done since February’s Davis Stampede, in which I PR’d 2:24 and change.  I ran LA Marathon earlier and then have done a handful of little races since then.

Tomorrow will be the first Half Marathon on the March to my full Marathon on Halloween.  I don’t have any real specific goals, except for an 11:15ish mile pace the first half, and 10:40 the second half.  It’s a few miles up and back on the Golden Gate bridge, which is one of my favorite places to race.  The wind in your hair, the mist, the people…all spectacular, even to this California girl.

Last night I went to the Expo, which was actually very pleasant, and saw only a few people I knew, but then went to the Tweetup at a local bar.  This turned out to be incredibly fun.  I knew a few people beforehand, but mostly everyone else was new to me.  We had the pleasure of Bart Yasso also stopping by, but he’s one of those guys that doesn’t really go for the name treatment.  It was just as fun meeting Joe, Penny and her sister, Kimberly, Michael (a couple I met in San Diego), John HellaSound, and others. 

I got home, and got the map out.  This morning, I’m hydrating and sitting in the pool.  I speak at a local AA meeting tonight, then Kim and I race out of here at 3am to make a 6am race start.

My hopes are for the Half Marathon to go well.  Haven’t run that far since LA.  But, what I’m really hoping for is the renewed energy and hope that comes in the beginning of a training cycle…that maybe THIS time.  THIS marathon will be the one that edges me over the wall…that solidifies that I’m doing it right. 

Again, I’m thrilled to be a part of this running community.  One that embraces all of us, fast and slow, young and old…and to have made real heart connections in this crazy world.  I am truly blessed.  Now…on to San Francisco…

My season begins…now.

Get your BQ…right here. Yes, in Fresno.

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Fresno Half Marathon Report

Can I write a race report in 15 minutes?  (That’s when a cake comes out of the oven…the Mom treat my boys get when they come home on Sunday).

Okay.  Don’t let the title fool you.  I did not get a BQ, nor did I do the Full Marathon, but today, completed a Half Marathon in FRESNO.  Fresno?  The home of the awesome Championship Baseball team, and my Alma Mater for both BA and MS degrees.  But, you say…nothing ever happens in Fresno.

Well.  That was then, this is now.  This year’s Eye Q Two Cities Marathon was only its second offering.  I missed last year due to PF injury, and the race reporters gave me a free bib for this year.  Kim decided a few weeks ago to run it with me.

I woke at 3:30am, and picked her up at 4, for a 100 mile drive to Fresno.  My eyes were slamming shut at Chowchilla, so she drove us right into the Herndon Starbucks. 

We got to the race about 5:50, and it was starting to get packed with cars.  We parked, and had to find a line to get our bib, since we weren’t able to come down.  No big drama.  Just a few folks in a line, quietly handing out bibs and shirts.  Very nice people.  Chairs.  No table.

I get into the Half Marathon line, and this guy comes to the girl at front saying, “I left my chip at the hotel!!! Can you get me to the race with another chip?”  They stared at him.  I remembered that Danica had run a killer race in Long Beach…without a timing chip, and knew how awful this would be.  I said, “Where’s your hotel?”  He told us, and I said, “We’ll take you!”  It was 6:20, Half Mary started at 7. 

It was then his story started.  He missed his BQ in Long Beach by ONE MINUTE, and wanted to get it in Fresno.  Can’t give you his full name, cuz the best part…He’s sober in AA 4 years, and me with 30…well we had lots to talk about.  Cue up keystone cops, and racing a few miles away ensued.  We got him to his hotel room, and got back to the course just minutes before we lined up …I used the dreaded portapotties with success…and we were off.

Kim and I hit mile 3 at 31:00, which is SHOCKING for me…we walked, and she took off.  I ran and stopped at mile 5.  It was a gently slopping downgrade, then up a little, but VERY pleasant, and I was loving this race.  It was about 48 degrees at race start, so excellent weather.  At mile 6, I took an S!Cap, then Mile 7 took a LONG time to get there.  Turns out that the mile marker was actually aroung 7.87, which is win for everyone.

Drank and stopped, walked a bit…took out music. 

Then a hill which I thought was TOTALLY unnecessary at mile 9.  Then, I remembered Nike, and knew I could take the hill.  My quads were happy, as the run was pretty flat, so they had something to do.

Mile 10-12, I saw these two girls who were TOTALLY in makeup and hair and I was trying to pass these Barbies way back at Mile 7.  They were cramping, and I gave them my last 2 S!CAPS.  You know these things are magical, and they were very happy.  At Mile 12, I heard Josh say to me, “Run till your wheels fall off”, an email he sent earlier in the week.  I passed the Beer stand quickly…which was a little scary in the moment, but then got over to the finish.  I powered pass a couple of people I had been trying to pass for miles.  I suddenly had some fresh legs.

My unofficial time:  2:33:56, a new PR record.  I shaved off 10:36 from the April Half Marathon of Death.

I was thrilled.

People, let me tell you about this schwag.  We got a tech shirt and hat w/registration, but we rounded a corner, and were given a gray sweatshirt, with red stripes down the side, and our medal.  Then.  HOT breakfast.  I have never had a HOT breakfast at a race.  Scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, coffee, potatoes.  Then.  Ice cream sundaes.  It’s like a party for your mouth.  AMAZING people and volunteers, supportive staff, helpful in every way.

We were looking at our clocks.  Our friend Mike M. had to get 3:20 to BQ.  We ran over to the finish line.  Just in time.  He turned the corner, and I was never so happy.  His time?  3:15.  He’s going to Boston.  We saw him and congratulated him.  He was thrilled.

Runners are the best people.  On Twitter, which is where I spend more and more of my time, Anotorias made me a KILLER playlist, and SpeedySasquatch had sent me a running plan for this one week post marathon.  The running community on Twitter is absolutely amazing.  I thought of all of the ones I know there.  Eric and I love the Fatboy Slim Wonderful Night song, parodied by Craig Ferguson, and it always make me laugh when I hear it.  So many people I thought of while running today…

And.  No.  I didn’t get a BQ.  BUT.  I may just run a full at 5:00:00 someday.  Today was a great run.  Great course, flat and fast.  Thank you FRESNO!!! Watching Mike come in was the topper.  Seriously, it made my day.

Next up:  LA Marathon Training plan…because, how could I not run a race that starts in Dodger Stadium??

Modesto Midnight Half Marathon Race Report

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Modesto Half & Six Flags 077

Here we are…at the end, my 9 year old, and me.

Before I start the report, I first want to preface this by saying I adore Fleet Feet in Stockton, and support them generously.  However, the report won’t be favorable, and hopefully they can work out some kinks for next time.

I went down to the Expo at noon.  It was well organized, and I was able to get packets, and register my son and his Dad for the 2 mile race.  Looked like the porta-potties were being set up, the expo, albeit small, was decent.

My concern all day was being rested enough to run from 9-midnight.  I ate approximately at the same time I would if I were sleeping, and getting up.  The difference here may be that I got no sleep at all.  I watched Run, Fat Boy, Run, and relaxed all afternoon.

At 7, we got dressed, and all drove down to the race.  The drama that is my ex-relationship continued, and suffice it to say, this part of my life has to be over.  Although he wanted to take two cars, I’m so glad we didn’t, because I could barely move at the end.  Plus, this was my gig…mine and my 9 year old’s.  He had to run with his dad because of his age…so there.

At the start of the race, everyone was pumped.  It was a great feeling to start. 

And this is all I remember…but I will try to give the highlights & lowlights:

Highlight #1:  I adore Tony from Fleet Feet.  He’s an awesome owner/manager.  Was a delight to see him at the Expo.

Lowlight #1:  I asked specifically about the water stations.  I went to the one in charge, and I said “ARE YOU SURE THERE IS ENOUGH WATER?” and she said of COURSE and I repeated…Because at the Napa2Sonoma Half there was no water at Mile 6, and it was brutal.

(PS-I have no one to blame here…I repeatedly said I would NEVER not take my own water…and I didn’t last night because I believed the race director lady).

Highlight #2: I loved Mile 1-3.  I felt good.  Amazing spectator support with families on the street.  Later, at one point, a whole group was smoking pot, but it was about mile 7, and I was already too whipped to care.

Lowlight #2: Water stations were supposedly at 1.5 miles, 3, 4.5, 6.  This was a loop.  So I expected those places.  I always do the 2 mile/2 min walk thing.  At 1.5 I stopped.  At around mile 3 it was starting to get dark. 

The rest is pretty sketchy, but here’s what I remember.

Lowlight #3:  Light.  There wasn’t any.  People had headlamps on, and those light up bracelets…but there was no light, and the moon wasn’t up yet. 

Lowlight #4: This elderly man fell.  His whole forearm was bleeding.  I stopped to get him back on the path.  He seemed disoriented and wouldn’t leave the trail.  I was really concerned.  He finally got back on.  My mentor CharlieBob was on the side and I alerted him to the man when I ran by him.

Highlight #3: At the beginning, it felt like Halloween, and I remember thinking what a cool idea this was, and how fun it was going to be.  It reminded me of when kids are all dressed up, and all you can see are their light up pumpkins. 

Highlight #4: Boy Scouts at each water station were great.  There was only one time that I accidentally got Powerade, which I can’t drink during races, but they were great kids.

Lowlight #5: The course.  After the very narrow path, we get to the end, and the path becomes dirt.  No warning.  Then you wind around a parking lot and come back to the dirt.

Lowlight #6: A woman falls.  I go to pick her up, as she fell in a hole.  No help, no first aid, just me.  I walk her back to the aid station at Mile 4.5? 6?

Lowlight #7: The mile markers.  Sketchy.  Would have been nice to have a light on top of them.  I never was clear where I was.  And, I kept drinking a little so that by mile 7, I was sloshy AGAIN.  Here is where I insert self kicking.  I knew I should have been in control of when and where and how I drink or get fuel.

Highlight #5: The cops were great.

We came back from the first loop.  We have to go out again, and then it’s very scary.  All of this lumped together.  The crowd is still there, the stations are okay to Mile 10? 9?  I never knew where I was.  The moon was up finally, and I enjoyed the trail…mostly because I was alone.

I met PUNKROCKRUNNER (Ron) before the race.  I saw him and we hugged, since I simply adore his supportive tweets.  Met his wife and daughter.  On my way back out to hell, I got a high five from him, and it made my night.

I will tell you that more than once, I wanted to cut across, and end in a different way…but I carried on.

When I got to the dirt/parking lot, there was one guy there.  “Hang in there” he says.  Up until Mile 3, I was at 10:30 pace.  You can see by my ending stats, that I simply walked.  A lot.

On the way back, I got scared.  Same Lowlight.  From Mile 10-11.5, the trail was completely pitch black dark.  (At Mile 10?, I did not drink.  I thought I would wait because my stomach was hurting.  I let the Boy Scouts drench me!  They liked that…) I was by myself, except for seeing CharlieBob.  I had to keep running, because seriously, I was scared shitless.  What if I had fallen?  There was some animal, and I just continued, not looking.  Really?  This could have been a disaster.  I just had to find the bridge.  The lights had shut off, and it was eerily silent.

Lowlight #8: Sprinklers.  While I love getting misted, I don’t love getting drenched.  They came on for the rest of the trail.  I was soaked to my shoes, and it was not fun.  Plus, I just tried to make it to the next aid station. 

Lowlight #9: The next aid station had no water.  No, they had water, but no cups…and as I had decided not to get water at the previous one, I was in need of it now.

I rounded the corner at Mile 12, and just kept going block by block.  The crowd support was gone, and I was running through the Modesto Nightlife Bar Scene.  I just kept thinking…one foot in front of the other.  Finally I crossed the finish line.  At 3:02:10.  In misery.

So disappointed in this race, and my time.  The lack of safety was my main concern.  I could not see the ground in many places.  I just wanted to finish, and to see my sons.  I did…and you know what?  Punkrockrunner was there too, and it made my night.  Then I saw each kid.  And I have a great pic of my 2 miler and me.  Right after the race.

Got to bed at 1am.  It’s 2pm now, and we are going to Mexican food.  Now.  I read all the reviews on the race online, and they are all right.  It’s a great idea, but so many kinks need to be worked out.

(Another memory resurfaces:  There was a fire truck.  And an ambulance.  On the path.  Taking care of someone.  People with cell phones calling for help.  Yikes.)

Run Your Own Race: Fresh Legs

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*Napa 2 Sonoma Half Marathon race report*

This was my mantra for today.  I’m not 25 anymore, I’m 50.  I can only do what my body can do.  It was on the spur of a moment last week, that I was able to buy a bib from Craigslist for today’s race.  Someone asked on Twitter, and I said, Me!

Finally, locked down the details, and called CB, which I mentioned in my last post.  He knew I would get a new PR, which I did not…but that’s not the point.  He wanted me to do the dreaded 2 mile run, 2 min. walk…in which I panic because for craps sake, I’m already slow…But the goal was to have fresh legs today.

I made that my personal goal, as I set out to run this race today…that no matter what, my legs would hold up until the end…which they did.  The rest of my body?  Not so much.

The Expo:  Literally, I never been to such a small expo.  I mean really, this is a $75 bib I purchased.  I finally was directed to the right person who could transfer my bib for me, at another $20.  And, they seemed sort of put out that they had to do this.  I got the Tshirt, and the logo is pretty weird.  It’s a lamb…on a back of a runner?  Is it jumping?  You tell me:  The Poster is here.  I’m in a hotel lobby, so that will have to do. They were charging people 10 bucks to park for, what, 15 minutes…if that.

Lunch:  This was at Big 3 in Sonoma, and I wanted something really bland…so why did I get Aoli?  Who knows.  Typically, waitresses don’t like singles, and you could tell this girl was bored to death…and I tipped her as such.  She gave my food to me, and never came back.  I’m a pretty good tipper…so that’s different for me.  During the lunch, my ex husband called, and asked to switch a day with me, because he was going out this week.  Apparently with a woman.  It sort of sent me over the edge a bit…I mean, it’s been 2.5 years.  I think it’s time, and someone had to go first, so it’s all good now, but I literally set the phone down and shed a tear.

AA mtg:  I am not a drinker, and haven’t been for 30 years.  That doesn’t mean I don’t get temporarily thrown off balance.  As I’m driving, it’s winery after winery.  I was the type of drinker that would have never left the first one, so wine tasting would never have been my thing…but as usual, I judge my insides by your outsides, and you are having a great time, and I think I’m missing something.

Dinner: At the meeting, I meet a man who’s a mountain biker.  I am going to buy my pre-race dinner of chicken, brown rice & banana, and he offers to fix it at his house.  He was sober a long time, and I was fairly sure I was dealing with an athlete by the looks of him, so I went.  And, it was weird.  It was not a date…but it bordered on one.

RACE DAY!!!
3:50 AM:  I’m awakened by 3 alarms.  I dress, pack and change rooms (kids were joining me today), and leave by 4:15.  It’s completely dark on the drive to Sonoma from Novato.  I arrive at the bus dropoff, and am on the first bus in the front row, at 5am.  We were brought to a winery in Napa, and dropped off.  It was cool and lovely, and I talked with some awesome people that I had never met…they made me feel included and helped me in some pre-race decision making on the Gels, etc.  It’s funny, how the people you share a bus with, or drinks or porta-potty lines with you NEVER see again the rest of the day…

Mile 1-2: Felt strong, at my usual 11 minute pace.  Yes, I’ll say it.  11.  I took my first drink and Jolly Rancher there.

Mile 3-4: After walking 2 minutes, I picked up and did the next 2.  Our first hill was hard and steep, but these miles were rolling hills.  My favorite part was seeing the line of runners ahead of me.  I literally enjoyed being a part of this.  And, I had to remember that the goal was fresh legs, not faster.

Mile 5-6:  Here’s where it get’s a bit dodgy.  At mile 5, I had my second JR, and it was a mess…Sticky, etc.  Lost my chapstick, etc.  Took a long time to get in my mouth.  I was serene, because I knew I could get water at 6.

They were out of water at Mile 6.  This wasn’t the only problem: The volunteers were yelling at the runners that it wasn’t their fault, but the runners before us.  Which seriously didn’t help.  I paid $75, and purposely did not take a fuel belt because of the numerous stations.

Mile 7-8: My resentment carried me through mile 7.  I asked someone for water, and this lady says, “Yes I’m dehydrated!”  This orange guy *more on that later* pops out a drink bottle for me, and she comes out of nowhere and takes it from him.  (I beat her in the chute by about 10 seconds.)  I was not happy.  Finally at Mile 8, I drank and drank and drank…and maybe that’s where my problem came up.  I took my Endurolyte and Power Gel, and I was on my way.

Mile 9-10-11:  All a blur, some walking…lots of turns…and you know how they say never to do anything new on race day?  My running bra, which I love was new…but starting cutting in to me.  I was soaked, having never worn the pink/brown…and had a stitch in my side, etc.  My legs were screaming at me, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Mile 11-13:  Home owners, trying to be supportive, yelling “You’re almost there”, my biggest pet peeve.  Um, no.  We’re not there.  We’re nowhere close to there.  I had walked so much, that I simply was determined to walk no more.  The last aid station, I didn’t stop.  We ran through a park or school…I have no idea.  One of the volunteers yells…You stop at the palm tree!!!!  That palm tree was what I set my sights on the whole rest of the race.

Finish Chute:  This was where I hit the wall.  I had been holding my side much of the last 2 miles, and I came in and saw water…then had to doublecheck to make sure that was not wine.  I drank 4 glasses, grabbed a watermelon slice, and laid down.  This screamer *WHOOHOOO* was yelling to her friend, and the band was playing LOUDLY, and I just wanted to Zen.  I felt like crap, wanted to puke.

But, I had fresh legs.

Good stuff:  Great volunteers at the roadside cheering us on.  Great folks handing out water.  Good food, nice venue and park afterward.  The coach who shared his drink with me.  The cop who asked if I was okay.  The elderly volunteer who brought me water.  The elderly woman I saw with at the bakery…and who gave me a ride to my car.

Bad stuff:  Mile 6, The Orange team…LOTS of orange, and lots of support for the orange…and a separate bbq for the orange…the team thing…which I am now a part of with TNT…but seriously, do you have to scream…all the MFing time?  How about the girls who are chatting about the BMWs and their office gossip.  Didn’t like that so much.  No bus shuttle to the cars at the end.  They say:  It’s only 2 miles down there…you could walk! I almost slapped the guy…really?

All in all, I met my goal.  I’m disappointed I actually went slower, but I listened.

My kids are in the hotel room watching Spongebob after a burrito dinner, and I simply had to come down and chill.  We swam, and it was fun.  My kids’ Dad and I talked about this new situation, and it’s okay.  It just stung. 

Tomorrow:  Six Flags.  If I can walk!

Nourishment for the Spirit.*

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***Thank you BILLY for this YOUTUBE reminder!!!***

 

Words are food. 

They feed the spirits of the despairing and downhearted. 

They create happiness. 

They generate love.  They alter the nature of reality.

Therefore, be generous with your words. 

Tell the people you love,

and even the people who are strangers within your gates,

 the wonderful things you feel about them,

because when it comes to nourishing words,

the world is full of souls that are starving.

Thank you for your kind words on my race report yesterday.

*From 365 Days of Love, by Daphne Rose Kingma

hearts