This Girl is Going to Boston!

Yeah haw!  Just in case you hadn't heard ... I was about to die by the time I reached the finish line yesterday ... I qualified to run the (THE) Boston Marathon next April.  Actually, I qualified to run it this April, but registration is closed and the field of 25,000 runners is full.  So, next year it is.  And, that is OKAY by me because I am not sure I could run it this coming April even if I wanted to.

The race/marathon event that I chose to use as my qualifying race was here in Tallahassee.  It was chosen by Runner's World magazine as one of the top 10 marathons to run for those looking to qualify.  By all noticeable accounts, it is "flat," straight, and "fast."  I have run the half marathon distance of this event several times, but this is the first time I picked it for the full 26.22 miles.

It was a challenge and difficult run in that I knew I had to run "hard" early on in order to build a cushion so I would have time to back off and slow down if I needed it towards the end.  In hindsight, it being 20/20 and all, I probably could have laid back just a bit in the earlier miles and had something left to give at the end, but who knows.  And, to be honest, it doesn't really matter now.  It is done; I have my time to run the Boston Marathon; and it really was a good run overall.

This first picture (shirt tied around my waist) is some where between miles 6 and 7.  The next picture (no shirt around my waist) is just about the 30K (18.6 miles) mark.

Training for this has been an exceptionally lengthy process.  And my family and friends have been more than supportive, accommodating, and understanding.  My "plan" started 16 weeks ago in October, but I really started in August with my friend Cathy who was training for a November marathon.  I am not sure that I would go through that many weeks/months of training for the next marathon, but I can tell you that I was completely prepared for race day.  We had put in plenty of hill training; an abundance of tempo and pace runs; and goo-gobs of long runs not-to-mention the all dreaded speed work.  As much as I hate to admit it, because I despise it, speed work helps.  Not every week, and not all year long.  I truly believe you only run WHAT THE PLAN SAYS TO RUN AND WHEN IT SAYS TO RUN IT.  No deviations - and that includes the cross training.   I am confident when I say that cross training is an all important factor of "fast" marathon running.  Road cycling and high intensity spin classes teach/train the fast twitch muscles to move even when they don't  want to , particularly going up hill.  Now, I would mix up the days that things occurred, but I did not change the workouts themselves.  I am glad for that now as I have a wicked great time (at least for me) to show for it.

I did learn along the way to make sure the YOU are ready for the race and to not rely too heavily on anyone person being a part of your training or race day plans.  Colin begrudgingly agreed to meet me at Mile 20 and "run me in" for the last 10K.  By that time I was nearly run out and moving almost entirely on steam and determination.  He did a great job of keeping my feet going one foot in front of the other and by setting little bitty goals for me:  "Mom, you are going to catch that guy in the blue shirt."  "Mom, we are going to pass that guy in the blue shirt."  "Mom, you can't walk the finish line is right over there....."  "Go! Go! Go. Go. Go. I am not going to be quiet until you pick it up a little."  He really was a good kid to have for the last 6+ miles.  It would have been even harder than it was with out him.

My most wonderful,  very supportive, encouraging, loving,

understanding husband met me at the finish (after completing his first Half Marathon)  I could hear him as I made the last tenth of a mile or so, "Hello, Boston!"  he was shouting. I could see the clock was well below my goal time of 3:50:59 and I was so happy.  It won't show it in the pictures, but I was ecstatic that I had not only made the time, but torn it up just a little bit.  My fantastic running partner Cathy was there waiting for me, and Michelle, my newest "Life" friend, was there.  The three of them had all the right things to say and do for me.  It was truly a blessing to have them at the finish and to then hear my 15 year-old say out loud in front of complete strangers, "I love you, Mom.  I'm going to get Maggie."  And off he ran, back out onto the course to find and pick up Maggie who was on her way in to finish as well.  Not too long after that Maggie and Sherrie, with an entire entourage of escorts, arrived at the track.  Church bells began ringing the hour just as they crossed under the finish arch.  

It was fabulous.  Truly fabulous.  Except for the aching muscles, I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything.  Look out Boston!  You have 434 days to prepare for us to descend upon you.  We will leave our mark, I promise.

What a Reunion...

When my ten year high school reunion rolled around (in 1996), I had a one and a half-year old and Mike was trying valiantly to convince the DEA (federal Drug Enforcement Administration) to hire him.  When it came time for the 20 year reunion in 2006 not enough of my/our class was interested in that and all plans sort of just melted away into the dust and shadows.  I have said before that I don't have many "lifetime" friends, and those I do have I hold very dear.  These three girls (ladies, I suppose, now that we are in our 40's) have been near and dear to my heart since 1982 when I moved to Montevallo, Alabama, and sort of schlepped into their tightly knit cluster.  They re-wove to accommodate me and we have been friends ever since.  The three of them live within 30 miles of each other and have far more opportunity to get together as a group than the four of us.  But, it seems that no matter how long it has been and how far apart we make our homes and raise our families, we are close again immediately upon our reunion.

Saturday night we sat for HOURS in this "mom and pop" Italian bistro (Joe's Italian) in the Alabaster "sector" of Alabama.  We laughed, and talked, and ate, and drank some wine, and laughed until we cried and talked some more.  It was the best of evenings.  One of those evenings spent with friends who truly know ALL ABOUT you and love you until the end of times.

WOW!

Thanks, Ladies!  You make the entire 1,100+ miles this week more than worth it.

Holidays and Hopes

As the year 2009 draws to a close, I once again find myself looking ahead to the coming year with anxiety and anticipation of the goals I have set and hope to accomplish.  Briefly, this is what a portion of 2010 may or may not turn out to include...

January, 2010
1.6.2010 - Colin leaves for the BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, California
1.8.2010 - Colin's 15th Birthday - OMG, he can get his driving permit...
1.16.2010 - GWTC 15K/30K
1.29-31.2010 - ATAC Short Course Invitational

February, 2010
2.7.2010 - Tallahassee Marathon and Half - Hoping to qualify for Boston 2011 here......
2.18.2010 - Mom-in-luv (Nancy's) Birthday!
2.21.2010 - 26.2 with Donna (3rd Time's the Charm) or Hope to qualify for Boston 2011 here......
2.25-28.2010 - Short Course Florida Swimming Senior Championships

March, 2010
3.6.2010 - TRBC 10K
3.7.2010 - Seaside Half Marathon - I most likely will not make this race, but who knows.
3.27.2010 - Springtime Tallahassee 10K
3.28.2010 - Blue Line 100 Century Ride


April, 2010
4.17-18.2010 - TOSRV Double Century Ride
Rose City Run (10K)

Small Quizzes - Just as Important as the Tests

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and its wake left two minor quizzes  with a Passing grade.  Every Thanksgiving for last seven (yes, 7) years I get up early, usually with Colin, and head to Southwood for the annual running of the Tallahassee Turkey Trot.  In the beginning I ran the 5K with my friend Cathy and we worked our way up to the 15K where we have settled in the last 4 years.  This year's "Trot" was a personal challenge in two ways:  I wanted to beat last year's time which was phenomenal (then), and I had a time goal in mind.  That is something I very rarely do - set a time goal.  However, I have begun setting them for the shorter distances to see just how long I can hold onto that elusive Boston-qualifying pace that I need in a couple of months.

So, off we went with me a bit more nervous about 9.3 miles than in the past.  Colin sees friends right off the bat and falls into place with them, knowing that he will see me at the finish when I am done ... some 30 minutes after he completes the 10K race (which he did this year in 41:57 - a personal record by more than 3 minutes).  I chat with some friends and other runners as nearly 3,600 of us wait for the gun to sound and be on our way.  Better late than never, the horn sounds and we get moving.  Gosh, it takes a while to get out and around the crowds who didn't follow the corralling directions, but soon enough I am in my own bubble clipping along at a nice pace.  I guess about Mile 1 or so, Robin Safley eases up behind me and then next to me, and settles in with me for the next 8+ miles.  We chat a good bit until about mile 7, and then the conversation gets really one-sided:  only me talking.  I don't know if Robin was trying to give me a hint, or if we were at that point in a run where only one us should be talking at a time - not enough oxygen for both of us...  Ha!  Robin is one of those athletes who even when she is about to die on the course never looks like she is in distress, or working hard, or even sweating.  It can be somewhat disheartening if you let it get to you.  Thankfully, Robin is bubbly and fun, and chatty (most of the time) and always appreciative of company on the course - even when it's me.

We go on to put up two personal records (PRs) in fabulous style and we are both in great spirits when we finish.  It is always amazing to me to know that a running partner can make all the difference in a so-so run and a fantastic finish (1:17:55 for a 15K+).

Speaking of running partners, Monday morphed into the long run day this week by virtue of the holiday preceding it.  Family, turkey, football, church they just don't leave a lot of room in the day for an 18-mile jaunt down the St. Mark's Trail.  Nor should they.  So, after getting both the boys off to school, I zipped down to the south-side of town to meet my running buddies, Maggie and Michelle.  We started off in the cool, not quite 50 degree misty morning for our latest endurance test.  I knew that 18 was a long way, and I needed to be conservative, but not too slow, in my miles.  Michelle was just out because she and Maggie got a bug in their panties last weekend and decided to run the Tallahassee Marathon in February.  We had a great run:  18 miles at just about 9:10 pace and a bit better in some places.  I was happy because I can see that it might actually be a reasonable goal for me to attempt that whole Boston Qualifying thing in February.  Lots of prayers, and with God's grace I will get there.  Woo Hoo!

For Everything, A Season

You know the e-mail that floats around spouting  on and on about how friends come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime?  I sat in the mall this morning with the newest addition to my "lifetime" of friends.  I say she is the newest of my "lifetime" friends, because I can simply tell that she (her name is really Michelle) is "gonna be around for a while, honey."  I just love her.

In the picture to the right she is the one in the black triathlon get up.  This was taken about two miles into the 26.2 mile run portion of Ironman Florida on November 7, 2009.  She was racing her first Ironman, and boy did she do a bang up job.

Anyway, back to friends who flit and float into our lives.....

I don't have a ton of "lifetime" girl friends.  But those that I do have, I cherish and hold near and dear to my heart.  These are my friends that no matter how long it has been since we last saw each other or spoke on the phone (or even "Facebooked" each other) we immediately fall back into that comfortable togetherness of being with a friend.  It is a blessing to know that on any given day, I could call one of them or show up in their driveway and I would be as welcome as if I had only been there the night before at the school play.

We are beginning the Advent season which, by divine planning, always includes Thanksgiving.  What a blessing to have friends of all kinds to share with me and our Lord the wonder, beauty, and majesty of Thanksgiving which then gives way to the glorious season of CHRISTmas.

Test Number 1 is a PASS!!!

When I originally "came out of the shoe closet" and told my little world that I was going to try "for Boston," I knew there would be hurdles and tests along the way.  The first "quiz" was the Red Cross Hurricane 5K in September (Labor Day).  I managed to pass that one okay.  But, I knew it was a very small step on the journey to 26.2 miles.  The first "real" test (not exam) was going to be the Boston (Georgia) Mini Marathon.  This small Georgia town hosts a half marathon race on the last Saturday of October every year.  Just for me to run near my birthday .... Ha!  Anyway, as in the last few years, I had planned to run this race.  It is scenic; well attended; fairly well supported; and not so far away from home that I can't get there, run, and get back all before lunch.

So, at 6:00 a.m. off I went to the little burg of Boston.  I arrived at "the" Presbyterian church where the out-of-towners park a bit before 7:00 a.m.; met up with my friend and training partner Cathy; and walked to the Community Center to retrieve my race number and shirt.  We walked back to the car(s), gathered our gear, and headed back to the center of town to be closer to the starting area.  The temperature was a bit warmer than I would have liked, but one of the few items I cannot control during a 13.1 mile race, therefore I vowed to just deal with it.  I pulled up my big girl panties and got ready to run.  After the invocation and the singing of the Star Spangled Banner the pack started out...  In the last couple of years the field has been between 200 and 250 runners.  I will be interested to see how many turned out this year for the race.  I know I finished 62nd over all because that is why my chute card said on it.  I don't know which place female I was or how I may (or may not) have placed in my age group, but I know I was less than the 15th female as Cathy said that was her.

My official finish time was 1:51:24 for what Boston measures at 13.1 miles (Garmin Forerunner 305 says 13.18 miles, but who is counting?).  That puts me at roughly 8:27 minutes/mile.   That makes my pace a full 20 seconds per mile FASTER than I need for a Boston Qualifying time in the 26.2 distance.  Not to mention, that is a personal best (a.k.a. PR) by more than 6 minutes (last year's time 1:57:10).  Hooray!

I did learn an important and very valuable lesson on Saturday:  I do not find it hard or difficult to run 13 miles.  I did find it challenging to run 13 miles in what is a FAST time FOR me.  Yikes!  I definitely needed the off day Sunday to rest and walk.  No strenuous anything was going on with these legs.  Today, however, is a different story.  I will be on the bike soon for about 35-45 miles depending on time.  Gotta love it!

Blessings!

Not So Random Thoughts

I spent last weekend serving on a team for the Big Bend Walk to Emmaus Community (Women's Walk #54), and it was fabulous.  As such, I was away from my computer, e-mail, cell phone, TV, radio, newspaper, and family for the duration of the walk.  It was GREAT!  The women who participated on this walk were truly blessed by their experiences.  I was culling through my e-mail, and the Runner's World Quotes of the Day had stacked up considerably.  There are three that I think quite worthy of archiving and sharing and I thought this would be a good forum in which to do that.

Without further adieu, here they are:

Friday, October 23:  Spirit has fifty times the strength and staying power of brawn and muscle.

- anonymous

Monday, October 26:  We all have dreams.  But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort. - Jesse Ownes, American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold-medalist

Tuesday, October 27:  You train best where you are the happiest. - Frank Shorter, American distance runner and Olympic gold-medalist