THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

What a crazy, emotional, day!  If you would have told me I would crack 3 hours 5 months ago when I was walk/running after a time out from stress fractures, I would not have believed you.  I have a lot to be grateful for.  Sasha, for this blog, for the gracious training guidance the last few months, for the vote of confidence in sub-3.  I've got to thank all my FRB friend for their encouragement--to Julie for hanging out with me and and room and board the last 3 days!  To Allie who's words resonated in my ears as I clawed through the last 10K, to Kelli and spouse who drove us around to carbload with pizza and ice cream(and paid for it), and hung out at the hot awards ceremony and called to tell us about awards when we were showered and comfortable.  I got to meet a lot of wonderful people that I've only know "online" for several years now! So, on to the race.

Up at 4am, half a cup of decaf coffee, one piece of peanut butter and toast, and then me and Julie drove down to the finish line and boarded the bus a little after 5.  It was a long bus ride.  We got to the start about 6.  It was enough time to use the bathroom, drink a little water, take some Gatorade chews, pace around a little--talk with blog names that now had faces.  I didn’t bother with any warm up.  At 6:40ish we got in line.  I kinda stayed toward the back of the elite corral, and a little after 6:45, we were off!  Throughout the race I got a swallow of gatorade at each aid station(until the end) and that was it for fueling.

Miles 1-7…6:48, 7:01, 6:46, 6:31, 6:48, 6:22, 6:24—Trying not to get overexcited and hold in the reins.  I feel good and strong.  It is dark at first but the sun begins to rise.  As we finish mile 7 I see Veyo hill looming in the distance.  I have trained for this.  Miles 8-12…7:37, 7:18, 7:12, 7:31,7:09  the climbing begins.  I try to keep it under control and keep my heart rate under control, but despite it everyone is huffing and puffing a lot.  I still feel decent as the climbing levels out. Miles 13-18…6:44, 6:51, 6:25, 6:16, 6:31, 6:35.  This is the fun part!  Going down!  Went through the halfway point in 1:31.  I tell myself I can negative split this.  Sub-3 can still happen.  Miles 19-21…7:12, 6:42, 6:32.  Fun time is over.  After the hill in 19 I suddenly become aware of how hot it is, and how tired I am, and how much my legs are starting to hurt.  Fatigue begins to set in.  I begin to doubt sub-3, but I plug along.  At mile 20 the clock reads 2:17.  I question if I have a 43 minute 10K in me right now.  Miles 22-26…7:00, 6:54, 6:43, 7:07, 7:00.  These miles were hard.  I am in agony.  I’m sick to my stomach, and no longer taking Gatorade at the aid stations—If I put anything in my mouth I will vomit.  I cycle back and forth, wondering if I can keep  it up, wondering if I can get under 3.  I know the pace is slowing, and try desperately to keep my legs turning.  This is torture.  Allie’s words ring in my ear, the ones about tapping into your mental toughness when you have reached your physical limits.  I think about anything I can, my husband, my kids, my wonderful friends, my encouragers, I pray, I see the clock.  I know it will be close.  I feel despairing, I want to walk.  The last two miles I was tapped out. Nothing left.  The words “never give up” become my mantra.  NEVER GIVE UP.  NEVER GIVE UP.  Last .27 at 6:19 pace.  We turn the last corner and I can see the balloons arching over the finish line, but the swell in the road prevents me from seeing the actual line or clock.  Garmin reads 2:58.  I have less than 2 minutes to get to that line.  So this is it.  It’s a blur, I will myself to sprint.  Do or die.  It seems so far away.  NEVER GIVE UP.  And then it’s over.  2:59:49 chip time, 2:59:59 gun time(I was little bit back behind the starting line)!!  By the hair of my chinny chin chin!

Once I crossed I was grateful for the nice man who held me up as I wobbled over to the cool misters, they felt wonderful in the heat but I wobbled through quickly because I needed to barf.  I staggered over to some grass where a few other folks were laying and grunting and layed down, flat on my back, and closed my eyes until the nausea and the near-death feeling subsided.  Eventually I got up and got some iced sprite, which, by the way, is fantastic after a hot marathon!  I lost my rental car and walked around for about 45 minutes finding it--this was probably good for me.  When I finally got into it I did a little tears-of-joy crying.  Showered at Julie's, ate dinner with her lovely family(and boy did I eat, whoa), then off to the Vegas airport, where I get to spend the night since my flight leaves early in the morning.  Lots of internet time, I suppose!

I don't know what's next.  This is a pretty magical day for me.  I think my next order of business will be cracking 3 on an honest course.  Then I can start thinking about 2:55.

Soreness is mostly gone, but I still feel it some.  At least I never got too stiff and creaky--this is actually probably the least sore I have ever been after a marathon...surprising. It's a toss-up between my calves and my quads as to what took the biggest beating.  I guess tossing and turning on the cold airport floor all night does wonders for recovery, or maybe it was the two beers and bag of doritos since the bar was the only thing open at midnight at the airport and I was STARVING.  Or, maybe going to work the next night and carrying people up stairs did the trick.  Rode 10 minutes on the bike to warm up, walked a quarter mile, then ran 4 on the mill at 8:34 pace.  I felt good and wanted to run more but want to be cautious.  Did some situps and pushups afterward.

Went to the Y with Vanessa.  6 at 8:34 pace on the mill then 1 on the indoor track.  Legs are dead but not sore.  I'm sure that feeling will persist, which is fine, since I am not interested in running fast for a little while.

8:49 AP.  The usual stagger between night shifts.  I am deeply contemplating when and where I want to run my next marathon.  

8:26 AP.  All easy breezy on my favorite dirt roads except for some pickups on the good part of the good song.  Couldn't help it.

8:00 ap. The cooler temps felt really good.

7:49 ap.  nice and easy along the river except at the end I was itching and picked it up about half a mile then sprinted the last block.  I kept pace with the car that drove the block.  that was kinda fun!

Nice and easy on the dirt roads between night shifts. No watch.

6:48 ap.  treddy hills!  I am going to keep doing these workouts, I think they make my legs strong and build legspped and turnover.  .5 warm up 8:27 pace, 2.5 up 4%5 7:30 pace, 5 down -2% 6:22, 6:18, 6:15, 6:11, 6:07.  felt good to get my legs moving.

Hit the crazy early circuit today.  2.29 at 10:00 pace with my oldest(who showed up for this at 3:30am!) then 5.78 more on my own 8:30 pace.  Off to a busy day.

8:31 ap. 4:45am.  started at 9:00 pace, sped up only slightly, then ounched the last mile at 6:00 because I was running out of time. felt good to go fast.

7:44 AP.  Paced my buddy Carlos through his last 20 miler before New York.  We ran the first 15 7:50ish pace then dropped into the 7:20s and 7:30s for the closing 5.  Great run.  Good to catch up with Carlos and good to see him running so well and fixing to PR bigtime.

8:17 AP.  First run of the year in long sleeves and gloves.  It was chilly this morning.  Im going to race an 8k on sunday I think.

7:50 AP. Lunchtime by the river with Adam. Windy season is here. The headwind was pretty ridiculous coming back North for the second half of the run, it took about 7:00 effort to run 8:00 miles but we didn't slow down because we had to get back to work.

6:54 AP. Treadmill at the Y. Wanted to get a good strength and turnover building workout. .75 mile warm-up 8:27 pace. 1.25 miles up 4% 7:30 pace. 1 mile down -2% 6:27. 2 miles up 4% 7:30 pace. 7 miles down 6:35, 6:35, 6:31, 6:27, 6:27, 6:22, 6:18. I did abs last night. I want some runner's abs. Of course I will have to move a little more weight of my midsection to see them.

Tired as always between night shifts. Ran 8 really, really slow on the dirt roads, not watch. I think I'll actually run slow the next 2 days since I'm racing on Sunday afternoon. 8k is an awkward distance. It's not really short enough to go out at a suicidal pace but it's not long enough to need to conserve either. I usually don't do well in any race within a month after a marathon, for that matter, so no big aspirations.

Another watchless easy run.  I am trying to save my legs for Sunday.

8:21 AP.  Great run with the GoRun group this morning.  Didn't run the last .05 to make 8 because Adam and Kevin would have made fun of me.  Legs feel good for the race tomorrow.  If only I can get my mind in the right place.

I never run well in the first month after a marathon and today was no exception.  Warmed up 2.63.  First mile 6:19,calves were tight and acid-ey, and minced along the next 4 at marathon pace.  I did get to win and get $100 so can't complain, but am chagrined over the time.    Cooled down 5 miles.  I will try not to pay too much mind to this race but geeeez!  McMillan says I should've run it under 31:00 bwahahaha!

Easy on the dirt roads. No watch. Legs tight at first, felt great after 4 miles.

7:32 AP.  My legs felt awesome today.  It was windy but cool and sunny and I felt amazing, even in the wind .  Last mile in 6:33.  Felt like I was floating.  My legs haven't felt this awesome in a long time.

7:14 AP.  3 mile warm-up, 3 fast-but-controlled 6:09, 6:23, 6:20, 2 mile cooldown.  Now why on earth could I not run this pace in a race 4 days ago?!  I guess it really was a rustbuster.  Legs seem to be really waking up now.

8:36 AP.  Took it nice and easy--not gonna scare my legs off since I just got them back.  It was 31 degrees!  Love!

7:00 AP.  My car broke.  David dropped me off at work at night, and I ran home in the morning.  I didn't intend on running this fast, but I was eager to get home and get to bed, and once I settled into a good rythm in the eerily quiet cold and dark, I was charging steadily home. / I was pretty okay aerobically at sub-7 pace, although my legs were getting tired at the end.  Course was fairly flat, some running on gravel on the shoulder when I got out of the city into the county.  I'm surprised and pleased that it came out like this, and am feeling pretty good about a sub-3 on a flat course in spring.  Splits 7:43, 7:22, 7:21, 7:17, 7:12, 6:52, 7:08, 6:53, 6:56, 6:49, 6:38, 6:42, 6:51, 6:58, 6:45, 6:38, last .25 at 6:23 pace.  

Exhausted. No watch on the dirt roads after 4 refreshing hours of sleep. Legs were dead until about mile 5.   Im a little down today.  16 year old in SRS custody. Davids Grandma...died.  Broke.  Nobody will buy the stupid house we cant afford.  Car...broken.  Computer...broken.  Basement leaking.  People...mean.  Im glad running is going good.  Me and David are going to do like the song and stay up talking all night, drinking cheap wine and smiling although we are close to tears.