Coach and I had finally settled on my next marathon which was 12 weeks away from race day. It was my job to find a couple half marathons and a 5K to run before the big race. I decided to run the Santa to the Sea half in Oxnard, a very small, fast course just about an hour away. I knew a lot of friends who have raced it and who would be running this year so I was pretty excited. As race day approached, I quickly realized I wasn’t in race shape as I was finding myself struggling with my shorter tempo run (4-5 miles @ 6:40 pace) and coach told me to use this race as a tempo training run, “…and maybe surprise yourself.”

As I toed the starting line, with 7 full weeks of base training under my belt, I felt relieved that I wouldn’t be hitting the wall somewhere out there on the course but also full of stress because my Garmin wasn’t catching a signal and I was very rushed to get to the starting line. My plan was to run with my friends Radell and Mike who would be pace leaders for the 1:30:00 group. I figured I would do my best to stay with them and pick-up later if I felt good.

At the start of the race, I stayed with them and early on I was able to count the females in front of me as they made their way around a right turn: 13th place. No big deal, only a training run. Early on I felt I would be disappointed if I didn’t pick up my pace and show a little more effort so I started to focus on the runners in front of me, trying to catch them one at a time.

By the time my Garmin got reception, I found myself near mile 4 and quickly hit the lap button so I could at least start to check my mile splits. Mile 4 was WAY off and I found myself reaching mile 5 way before my watch did. I was feeling really good and comfortable, opting to listen to my ipod thinking it would help distract me from negative thoughts and block out any potential hard breathing.

By the time I got to mile 11, I had passed 8 women and there was a blonde girl in front of us that was pretty consistent and nearly out of reach. I felt very strong, mad at myself for all the negative thoughts and self-doubt as I turned into the finish line and noticing I better speed up if I wanted to break 1:27:00. Wow, I couldn’t believe it — just this February I ran a balls out race to run 1:26:18. I quickly called my coach who congratulated me and told me to continue running so I could get in 18 for the day. Overall I was the 5th women and 5th in my age group. Some pretty good gals out there with the winner coming in at 1:14:00.

Time to focus, time to tough it out mentally.

Finish Time: 1:26:57

Track workouts really, really helped.

It seems like the summer came and went while I was still blinking.  Well, technically it is still summer but we are already in August and the time is flying by! I guess running-wise summer was dedicated to speed training and mastering the 5K, a race I have managed to avoid for nearly a decade.

I started training with my coach in early February after running a balls-out (see race post here) 1:26 half at Surf City.  At that point she was living in Vegas and our training was more virtual — phone, emails and text messages. She knew my only goal was to run sub-3  (2:59:59) and after several discussions and a few workouts under my belt, we decided we would get me through LA Marathon (only 6 weeks away) and then focus on that goal. Before long I found myself injured the week of the marathon by either freak massage accident or some other weird and unexplained anomaly.  My training went on hold for 8 weeks before we started training again, this time she had moved to Los Angeles to train with our group and we started at a much slower and easier rate to ensure my injury stayed away!

As soon as we had established a base and felt safe that I had recovered, my coach met me at the track to see what I could do. I dreaded this day and I was not surprised that this track workout would kick my butt.  It was tough, at least for me:  1600 (5:48), 1200 (5:48p), 800 (5:24p) and 400 (:78s).  Coach ran directly in front of me and I just had to shadow her and not pay attention to my watch.  The first 1600 felt great and I was excited upon hearing my split the next two were torturous because my coach got out ahead of me, really far, and since I was instructed to not look at my watch, I had assumed that I was hitting the wall only to find out that I was on pace and she had just darted ahead.  After the 1200, I just hunched over and I swear to this day that my eyes wanted to roll and stick to the back of my head. By then I knew the hard part was over and I just had to get in the last shorter repeats.

As dreadful as that day was, it was also a new chapter in my running “life” or whatever you want to call it because I discovered that I always had the potential to run faster but never really challenged myself in a way to see how fast I could go because I was a marathon runner — marathoners don’t have speed right? In my own training programs (Hal Higdon modified), I did nearly every run at my marathon pace 7:30 and during track my mile splits were mid 6:00’s and I thought that was borderline too fast.  (Just writing that last line makes me cringe to think of all the mistakes I was making trying to train myself.) It was also great for my coach to see this so she could give me workouts that would help me improve and reach more realistic goals, one of which would be breaking 18:00 during the summer since we had some time before marathon training would begin.

Soon enough our small group of 4-5 runners were meeting every week for track and long runs. I found these run to be invaluable because we were able to push together (or me rather, me chase) and of course bond.  Everything seems a little easier with very inspiring and motivating people around you.

We started training in early May and I ran one 5K per month from June to August running  a 19:11 (Magic Shoe ), 16:59 (Every Child Matters – short course and very disappointing), 18:32 (Northgate Downtown Anaheim), 18:04 (City of Cypress) and finally 18:18 (Pride of the Valley).

I was devastated when I caught a severe cold just a few days before Pride of the Valley because this was the last 5K coach was going to let me run this year and also because this is a FAST PR course — I should have no problem breaking 18:00! As I always say, you can never predict what will happen in a marathon but now I firmly believe that rings true for most competitions with so many factors leading up to the race and of course during.   I crossed that last 5K finish line a little disappointed at first but then I realized I was so happy to say that I am really an 18-something minute 5K runner — sick or not!  My day got so much better that evening when I received a few text messages from coach:  You still ran well. If you weren’t sick you would have gotten a PR no doubt, to be able to do what you did today, I am proud of you.  You and I will run a 5K together so you can go under 18. I was so excited — one more chance! Hooray, there is still hope!  :D

If this is what 18:04 looks like, I am not sure I want to go much faster!

My Goose, always there for me at every race (with his camera at hand). <3

One of the best things about planning races with friends - lots of fun. (Marathon Mitch, Dominic, Me, Ashley, Don't know, Vick and Indeeka)

Oh, and we managed to do SF (Ash ran the full, I ran the first half). Pictured here with us: BART YASSO

No complaints, just happy. 18:04

Time: 18:04, 2nd W, 1st in AG. Click HERE for complete results.

Feeling super excited after my last race performance at the 30th Annual City of Cypress 5K.  My goal for the day was to try and reach an 18:10 time but after disastrous morning up to the race start, I just hoped to finish without jumping into a porta-potty along the course.  I guess mentally everything seemed to be going wrong even though it wasn’t SUCH a big deal that I had waited forever in the port-potty line only to jump in and realize there wasn’t any toilet paper (so didn’t use it) and after that I didn’t have any time left for warming-up. I did a few strides before I found my coach and teammates at the starting line. I simply went up to my coach and told her, “Tell me I am going to be fine even though I didn’t warm up.”  She simply hugged me, gave me this kind smile and look directly in my eye and told me to get in a few more strides and I would be fine. I felt better but was still worried about my stomach that was still making all kinds of crazy noises!

I look quite relaxed but I was really freaking out at this point!

This venue hosted both a 5K and 10K with cash prizes available for the 10K winners. I always expect fast competition at these events and I don’t mind getting my butt kicked if it could possibly mean faster race times for me.  As you can see from the first line of this post, I took second overall in the 5K but because the both races started simultaneously, with the looping the 5K twice, I was surprised (pleasantly) when my boyfriend told me I was the second woman finisher behind my coach – SCORE!  I remembered there at least a few gals in front of me as I headed down the dreadfully long mile finish but it made sense that they had kept going around for the second loop. Geez, they were pretty darn good. I only had enough fuel in me to get to the shoot before I hunched over in exhaustion.

Anyway, I just planned on consistent 5:52 splits to get me to that 18:10 but as soon as the gun went off, and I am noticing this in every 5K that I am running, EVERYONE takes off like a bat out of hell. Seriously, I glanced at my watch and we were running 5:36 and there were tons of runners in front going even faster (even kids)! It seems really fast but when you are in the race momentum, it really doesn’t seem that crazy until you pay for it later when you hit the wall. I made the hardest effort to slow down to stay on MY target pace and found myself right on at the first mile mark. A little after the mile marker, we turned right into a residential area and I totally got sidetracked, my mind was wandering all over the place. It was a good thing I caught that quickly enough to avoid losing  precious seconds during that mile. My teammate Radell was near me at the point where I jumped back on pace and told me to hold my pace and not push it just yet. I was grateful for that although I knew I was only making up for the seconds I had just lost.

It seems that we had a few more turns in a residential area before we hit the final mile stretch and I was feeling pretty good. I kept glancing at my watch to check my average pace and knew I was right around my goal but I had to keep pushing if I was going to make it. By this time Radell had pushed ahead of me and I just kept my sights on him and down the road searching for the finish line balloon banner. The final stretch was pretty uncomfortable and I started to question my strength when I realized that this mile seemed so long! Thankfully I had adjusted my bezel settings earlier to see my overall time and I realized I was going to finish faster than 18:10 (no way!) and before I knew it, I was staring down the timer that was still showing under 18:00. I just kicked and kept my eye on it, finishing in 18:04. So close to breaking 18:00 and for a split second I questioned myself as to why I started to give up when I was so close but then I remembered that I had achieved my goal and to “always be grateful.”

Overall a great race venue that I would definitely race again.

Here’s to breaking 18:00 (next time)…

My teammates did so good! Left to right: Radell Hutchens 17:54, me, Coach Sylvia Mosqueda 17:20, Lydia (cheerleader for the day). Bottom: Mohammed Abed 17:16

Wow. A Snails Pace really represented this past weekend in the 12^th Northgate Downtown Anaheim 5K. Actually, this race attracted A LOT of fast runners in general, very impressive.  Loved it! I ran an 18:32 and was the 9^th female finisher, 3^rd in age group and 41 out of 1231. The winning F finished in 17:19 while the winning M time was 15:03 — talk about crazy fast!

Click HERE for full results.

Anyway, I really wanted to run another race after leaving my  last 5K race uncertain of my real time since the course was cut short (2.85 miles).  I asked my coach if I could give it a shot and she was more than happy to re-work out my schedule for the week so I could squeeze it in. I was really excited to see her show up to the event along with two other teammates Radell and Bill. My boyfriend also decided to be spectator instead of racing so he could support me and act as photographer (thank you Goose).

Now I don’t really know how to set goals for this type of short race right now but I am going to see if eventually I can break 18:00 this year. For this race, I figured I would try to hit a 5:52 pace to finish around an 18:10.  The only stern direction I got from my coach was that I make sure I don’t go out too fast. Noted. She didn’t have to really convince me though, these races are exhausting and the last thing I want to do is hit the wall too early.

Those arms are tired and apparently I am a heel striker. :/

Anyway, during my typical pre-track/race warm-up, I was feeling fatigued but once the race started, I was just fine.  As the gun went off, I tried to keep an eye on my watch to check my pace. It’s not easy to stay on any kind of pace when you are training faster than you are used to and have to stare at your watch just to make sure you are where you need to be. I tend to find myself looking at it a little too much during races, track and tempos and I actually wear the watch with the bezel at the back of my wrist so I can inconspicuously view it without notice.

I came through the first mile around 5:53 (perfect) and started to feel tired around halfway.  To my surprise my coach was waiting for me at the two mile mark ready to run me in to the finish and keep me on pace. She had started the race with us to do her own personal time trial for two miles and boy was she was flying!  As I saw her I was both happy and worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up my pace.  Luckily she didn’t say much, she just stayed right in front of me hoping I’d try to shadow as I do during track practice. Mentally that helped, it was a common feeling and although I was slowing down, and my arms again felt like dead weight and I knew I might be in trouble when a woman who had been only a few feet in front of me until about 2.5, started to get further ahead without any sort of struggle on my end to prevent it.

I managed to hang on and run the last two miles in 6:03 and 6:05 and was extremely happy to see the finish line and remembered what my coach told me when I had finished: BE PATIENT AND ALWAYS GRATEFUL.

Twenty more days until the next one. I don’t want to think about hitting a goal just yet, I just want to training hard and smart and let my legs carry to the finish.

Radell ran a personal best today! It was always fun to run with him at LA Roadrunners and now I am lucky to run with him while training with Sylvia.

Radell - 17:53 (3rd in AG), Bill - 18:12 (2nd in AG) and me - 18:32 (3rd in AG)

My Athlinks profile. My fastest 5K time was in high school - 14 years ago. OMG, that doesn't sound right but it is! Anyway, I stopped racing in 1999 after injuries, work and boyfriends. It would be awesome to beat that time in my old age!

First Overall Woman - Every Child Matters 5K

The past week has been dreadfully long and pretty painful for more reasons than I will elaborate publicly. Doing everything in my power to dig deep and not slumber into that bat cave that I currently long for.

 
Running-wise, another solid week! Five weeks in and I am feeling very strong mentally and physically.  I am also taking note of the change of my energy while 5K training (compared to mary training).  So much more energy, so much more time on my hands – can’t complain, gotta enjoy it while I can.  Had a few good runs in this week – most notably track (see workout here), the Every Child Matters 5K (see workout here)  and today’s long run (see workout here). Just keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that they will continue to get better all the while avoiding injuries.

I ran that 5K yesterday and really, it wasn’t 5K, it was about 2.85 miles, nearly a quarter mile short! I found that rather disappointing because I am so eager to see where I will land at the finish line so I can determine a really 5K goal moving forward. I crossed the line at 16:59, first female and rather pissed off. I was really annoyed when on camera I was asked to say my name, finishing place and time because I wanted to throw that “but” in there right after saying, “Hi, my name is Tracy Bowling, I was the first female finisher with a time of 16:59.” Kind of felt like I was lying…oh well, not my fault. I know it is safe to say I would have ran low 18′s and that pushes my goal to break 18:00 this year. This is much easier than a mary just simply due to statistics – I can race a 5K every weekend and get lots of practice and experience without taking a major toll on my body. I guess we will just have to keep plugging away at it, I say “we” because my coach is 100% in to help make all my running goals realistic.

Not much else to say…I am typing from bed while I procrastinate packing my bags for NYC tonight.  All work I am afraid, and a little play that will surely equal one nice run in Central Park. Oh, I can’t forget hitting up all my favorite bead stores and restaurants!! I seriously LOVE New York.

PS – RIP Remy.  He must have been visiting because I had never met him or any other rat for that matter at my place before. Apparently he had such a wild fiesta while I was away, gorging on my Tostitos chips, that he decided to stay permanently.  He only lasted two days here before the exterminator caught him. Gross right? Well I only tell you so you won’t ever ask to stay at my place when you have a marathon in my area… JK

Team Mosqueda - 2nd Place

Another week down in the books – Week #3! Finished this week up with a 5K race in Corona del Mar. The race wasn’t a real race for me – a good training run to get an idea of my fitness and to test my hip since my injury. My coach mentioned this race and I was excited to register and got our group of women (including coach) to register not only as individuals, as a team. I get excited over things like that and I always like running with people I know so it sounded like a good plan. As for myself, I didn’t have any great plans or expectations…just run. The plan was to run 6:20 pace and if I am feeling up to it, pick it up. Nothing too special to report, I felt great and ran a 19:12 (6:11 pace). The only thing that did bother me and always bothers me are my heavy arms. They feel like lead during most and I need to figure something out because it is really annoying! Overall a great day for all – coach came in to finish first (W) running a 17:32 and we finished second overall as a team. NEXT TIME!

Vendors were trying to get rid of all their stuff before they left the event. I was more than happy to take all these. Talk about money in my pocket!

After running a 5K, I had to get some new shoes for these shorter events. So cute AND pink!

Love these! Only $60

Big Sur International Marathon 2011 -- 9-mile race

I am so happy to say that this is my third week running – hooray! I still can’t believe it. The setback really felt like it took forever!  My first week back was pretty laid back, mostly test runs and by that Sunday, coach let me race the 9 mile run at Big Sur.  It was more like a training run – nothing fast to brag about (Click here for a quick recap). Last week was my second real week back and I got in around 46 miles, pilates and one spin class.  This week I feel much stronger than last and I was exhausting myself just worrying about how much fitness I lost in six weeks. Right now I am just trying to focus on staying healthy and I am not really talking marathons at this point.

I spoke to my coach today and she told me to start thinking of some goals and (short) races so we can get me on track.  I have been very curious how quickly I can run a 5k because right before my injury while training for a marathon, I would have bet that I could run around 18:00 because I was consistently running good tempo and hard track workouts. Now anything in the 19:00 range seems scary.  I know that these short races will also help me improve in the mary so I am willing to do them even though they are way more painful than 26.2.

Besides running, I haven’t been up to much — well except stockpiling new gear. I have a problem, I know. But I am really excited about the two newest purchases which include Oakley sunglasses and little 6oz bottle that I can add to my favorite running belt (click here for my marathon must-haves). I have wanted running glasses forever but I am not a fan of anything masculine on me. As it is, when I am deep in training, I kind of get a complex that I look like a boy. Note: I ALWAYS wear earrings, pink and I never race without my Mac Fluidline eyeliner! Say what you want but I love being a woman… Anyway, I have already wore them in a few of my runs and they are awesome. LOVE them. Problem is that I found out I can buy different colored lenses to switch things up a bit and I really shouldn’t buy anything else.  The belt bottles are really cool because they are small and I don’t like to carry things when I run. Last time I ran with my coach, she wouldn’t let me run with my huge bottle because she said it would mess up my running form and she carried for me (after first pouring out some liquid so it wouldn’t be too heavy). Thanks coach!   I never liked fuel belts because they look really dorky (sorry, they do) and they bounce around a lot.  I think when I add the bottle or two to it, it will look exactly like one but I don’t care anymore.  As long as it works – right?

Anyway, as always, THANK YOU for all the kind words of encouragement!!!!

Trace

Love these! You see red in the lenses and I only see pink. $200

Can't wait to test these out. $18 for two 60z bottles.

Big Sur bling. Besides the ocean views, I come for the medals!

Me and Goose. He ran the marathon while I went to CVS to buy more shampoo. At least I was there at the finish! Big Sur

Me, Ahsley, Dom and Randy. I saw Randy's trashbag at mile two on the ground on my way in to the finish! Big Sur

These pictures are showing up more often! This is how I get real sleep - in the car!

David P - This is the third race where we ended up running into each other. He ran fast this day -- 3:28 Big Sur Marathon!

I told you. They think it's funny. So mean. BTW, my next hurt the following week.

Oxy Invitational 2011 - My coach, my inspiration and my motivator. She ran the 5000 in 17:20 but she will run 16:20 or faster in July when it matters!

Oxy Inviational - Eli Rodriguez. Speed demon. He ran 14-something for the 5000. Ouch!

My Boston race experience was not what I expected and it went something like this:

Start. Run for 40 minutes. Walk. Walk. Walk. Walk. *Smile* (camera). Bar stop. Walk. Walk. Run (there’s another camera). Walk. *Kiss* (Wellesley) Walk. *Smile* (camera). Walk. Walk. Walk. *complain* Walk. Walk some more and finally, FINISH! Read the rest of this entry »

Boston is literally just around the corner and I just decided last week that I would suck up all my anger and frustration and just go and enjoy my time there without running. This was a hard decision but like everything in life, time makes you less sensitive and eventually you realize that whatever you are going through will not last forever. So there.
I had recently asked all you if you thought I could still wear all the Boston gear I bought without actually racing and the overall consensus was “YES.”  I qualified to run it and I deserve to wear it proudly. I dare you to say something mean. I loved reading everyone’s opinions and it was obvious that we are all very passionate about that opinion too. I finally decided that I would return all the stuff (jacket and two pair of shorts) I purchased since I ordered them online through adidas.com.  When I went to grab the stuff to package, I realized I ripped off the tag of one pair of shorts so I guess I am keeping those – I must have been excited when I tried them on or something. I think I made the right decision – I will have an extra $100 in my account PLUS I am going to get a long sleeve race shirt when I pick up my bib anyway. That turned out well.

Now that I know I am not running and no longer have to worry about “resting” before the race, mind has shifted to all the things I want to do while in Boston. Besides visiting my long lost cousin for a few days, I want to be a tourist and have been accumulating a long list of things to do. I am just starting to put the list together and I would love to get your suggestions!  I will be flying out on Friday morning and returning Tuesday night.

Now it’s time for me to pack. I hate packing more than anything else. I don’t know why but I think I don’t like having to commit to what I am gonna wear. I like to have all the options in my closet available and that can’t happen – at least not with all these increased bag-check rates. Today I bought my very first suitcase simply because I hate packing and usually just toss stuff into duffle bags and head out. Nothing too expensive and I think it is bright enough to immediately recognize when coming around the conveyor belt.  Right?

How old am I again? Oh, yeah...13!

Also, I am trading my LA Marathon racing shirt to a fellow DM’r (Michael P.) from Singapore. He is swapping me for a racing singlet – really excited to get this singlet and glad to get rid of that dreadful race shirt! Michael – I will ship it out tomorrow!

Anyway, I have so many things and have to get offline soon. I am so excited for everyone that is racing on Monday and look forward to hearing everyone’s stories. I am sure I will have my own to tell and can’t wait to get there.

I am taking two weeks completely off with zero running. It’s the only right thing to do right now. Taking baby running steps is only taking me back a few more and getting me nowhere. Boston is for the most part not happening unless miraculously something happens and changes in the other direction.

Coach and I discussed this and decided to put it out of my mind and not attempt to make it up (right away) by running a different so soon. Step one is to get better and the next step is setting shorter-termed goals with shorter distances.

Boston is not completely out of my mind though and I didn’t tell my coach this.  Boston is a dream we all have as marathoners. I realized that I will hate every moment running Boston if I am not going to run it fast. Maybe you don’t agree but I will never forget the moment during LA when I stopped and how I felt as the slower pace groups passed me.  I wasn’t tired at all – I was trapped in this injured body and couldn’t do anything to change that. Heartbreaking.  I can’t imagine running Boston just to finish and still crack a smile and enjoy the amazing experience of being there. Everyone is telling me how positive I am – I don’t feel that way all the time. I have these up and down bouts of emotion that are driving me crazy. Like super crazy.  I will run Boston if I think it is safe and I am not injured…it is the only way.  So if I do, I do, and if I don’t then I don’t. It is not the end of the world (although it feels like it in some weird way).  I can always cancel my hotel, get a credit for my Virgin Airlines flight, sell my Redsox tix and sell or trade all the Boston gear that I already bought if necessary. That last part is funny and I will never buy race branded gear before I get to that starting line!  So if you are running Boston and I don’t, I have some nice Boston gear in a size small that I am willing to barter with. J

Anyway, for now get better. Then train for 5ks and 10ks. Get some PRs and then do some half marys. My next marathon will be in November. Well, I hope that I will be able to run a marathon in November. I am starting to learn that with marathons whether training for them or during the races themselves, are so unpredictable – anything can happen.

Sometimes I actually do think a little clearly during this whole fiasco and I do think that increasing those shorter distances will only improve my marathon time and maybe that is what I should have done first. Don’t know but I am up for it.  Don’t tell me I told you so. I am constantly beating myself up as it is trying to figure out what happened.

What a crazy marathon!  I knew that going into the race there was a chance that I might have that pain that I had been complaining the week before the race.  I tried to stay positive but that could only get me so far.

I had so many crazy experiences in one race – it would take me forever to get it all out in this post so I will just get to the point.  First, I’d like to say thanks to everyone that encouraged me before/during/after the race.  This was by far one of the worst race experiences both mentally and physically. This makes the stress fracture pain seem like a joke.

The evening before the race my coach called me and told me not to attempt a 3-hour marathon dealing with these crazy forecasted weather conditions and the recent pains I had been experiencing. “No problem coach.” LOL The plan was to run sub-7 until the half and then pick up gradually. The sub-7 plan was perfect up until a little past the half – I felt like I was in great shape.  The pain in my hip/butt/back hurt from the first step and unfortunately I knew that it was a matter of how long I could endure it.

The morning weather conditions kind of threw me off a little. It was chilly, not too cold and I made a last minute decision to leave my warm Nike jacket in bag-check because I knew that on a whim I would throw it on the street when I felt a little too warm and I don’t really want to give up a jacket that I have held onto for 10 years.  Luckily a friend brought me a long sleeve top and a rain poncho to use and stay warm. I can’t thank her enough because looking back, the poncho was one of the only things that kept me semi-protected from the rain and wind.  Thanks Ashley! XO

The calm before the storm!

After the hill at 1^st and Grand, a lot of runners began to strip themselves of their warm clothes and ponchos which makes sense just getting over that hill and feeling a little heated. I also took of my poncho but I heard a guy say, “I’d hold on to that if I were you,” so I balled it up and tucked it into my waistband.  Smart move, good advice!  Around mile 5 it started pouring and I put it back on and never took it off again during the race.

Around mile 13 I decided that I needed to ease off the gas and walk to avoid any additional injuries but I couldn’t stop immediately (I have to admit). It was so humiliating to stop in front of cheering spectators – I felt like a total quitter. I slowed my pace for an additional 3 miles before I realized that I shouldn’t do that so I took my first walking step at around mile 17 just passed the Concern Foundation booth.  Immediately as I stopped, I let out a crybaby kind of cry and someone was there immediately to comfort me – my boyfriend. He was running 7:30 splits and was able to catch me as I fell off after 13.  He was very concerned and didn’t want to leave me. I sort of sucked in my cry and asked how he felt, he said he was feeling great so I told him to leave and chase that PR.  I later found out that he felt so bad and couldn’t get over leaving me. There was nothing he could have done for me at that point and I had no idea what was in store for me later.

Me and Nyron at mile 9 before things fell apart.

When I stopped, I really thought that a 10-mile walk wouldn’t be that bad but I soon realized that was not the case because I was not moving very well and the cold temperatures were making me completely stiff all over.  Once I hit Santa Monica near Century City, I was barely moving. I could barely shuffle and finally, I could barely walk.

Getting into the VA Hospital area, I realized that 5 miles would take me about 2.5 hours at the rate I was going and I literally stopped kneeled over and cried. I stopped three or four times and finally, upon realizing that the huge tent around the corner was NOT a medical tent, I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I was so cold and shivering – my jaw was about to lock, I had bitten the heck out of my tongue with my molars from all the chattering, my back was tightening up (lower back and in between my shoulders) when Jon Li from LA Roadrunners caught up to me and walked with me for what seemed like ¾’s of a mile.  He couldn’t have helped me at a more critical time, really.  I had nothing in me; I couldn’t see a way out of this disaster.  He helped push me forward and helped me get my breathing under control, literally walking me through breathing steps all the way to San Vicente. Before he left, I had to tell him that I was OK and that I would make it to the finish.  I can’t thank him enough. Thank you Jon!

The rain never died down and although I only had four miles by the time I was on San Vicente, I wasn’t really getting anywhere. I must have looked like a zombie. I could only put one foot right in front of the other, I didn’t look around, or ahead, I just looked down now stopping every 100 meters or so to regroup.  Around mile 22, I saw a Whole Foods market so I headed over there and got under the awning. I asked a spectator if I could use his phone and I called my boyfriend assuming he had finished and could rescue me.  I left the Whole Foods before I realized that could have bought a sweatshirt to try and stay warm. A little later I spotted a Lululemon and I was in a zone to get in that store. I asked a guy to help me get inside and I just handed the clerk my credit card and asked her to help get me something warm. I ended up leaving with a $106.00 sweatshirt and again was on my way.  I remember leaving excited and then immediately disappointed to find myself freezing again. I couldn’t believe that I made it that far without it!

My breaking point happened when I spotted a big mile marker realizing it was NOT mile 25 but mile 24! Oh no!  I was completely demoralized. Mentally I thought I could go the last 1.2 miles and everyone kept trying to encourage me by saying, “you can do it, you are almost there…” I heard it so much that I lost track of my distance and I knew that there was no way I could push at that slow pace for the remaining distance.  A woman had noticed me stopping and attempting to go again without much success and asked me to consider sitting in a cop car to get warm. As I finally agreed to this, some gentlemen approached the car and invited me into his home with his family. They had been watching the marathon all morning and by this time, the clock on my watch indicated that I had been out there for nearly 5 hours! Almost immediately after noticing this, the watch battery died.

Once inside, I was offered dry clothes, breakfast pizza, water, hot tea and coffee. I shyly said no to most offers as I felt I was intruding enough already.  Slowly but surely I started to relax and my nightmare turned into a very pleasant moment of appreciation from their generosity. They really saved my day. At that point, I was no longer upset or disappointed, I was so thankful.  It was a touching moment for me. I called my boyfriend again and waited for him and my friends to come get me. As I waited I enjoyed my coffee, watched part of Superman and was handed a laptop so I could read about the men’s winner who had ran an unbelievable record time.

Once I was picked up, the day continued with post race celebrations at the Viceroy hotel. It was nice to see Angel (Happy Birthday) and Adrian before my group settled down for the evening with nice food, drinks and better conversations. It was nice to be together again.

I can’t say thank you enough – I received so many emails, texts and voicemails yesterday and today. Shame on me for not posting or updating sooner but I felt like I was hit by a bus this morning when I woke up.  I shouldn’t have gone to work but I did and I think that helped get me through the day, staying focused and distracted. Thanks to Janese for bringing me a change of clothes including the blanket that was used as a sarong!

My workout scheduled for today was to walk for 20 minutes and managed to get in .68 miles.  Tomorrow I go back for PT with the chiropractor and I think I still have enough time for Boston.  Oddly enough, I am excited about LA Marathon next year after this year’s experience and running a smart half.  I really feel confident and less stressed about those hills. It wasn’t as bad as it was last year, assuming it was from staying reserved early in the race.

Click here for my Garmin splits.

Interesting quote from Wesley Korir after finishing the race:

Two-time defending champion Wesley Korir, who had set the race record of 2:08:24 in 2009, finished fourth in 2:13:23. He said his legs gave out at the 21st mile.

”First of all, I’d like to thank God that I’m still alive,” said Korir, smiling. “I thought it was the end of my life.”

Glad to know us “average” runners weren’t the only ones thinking this way!

Congratulations to Dom, Jen L., Jen F., Paul, Adrian, Angel, Ashley, Teresa, Maria and everyone else who finished and powered through!

I want to look this happy after this year's race!

The countdown begins. It seems like that timer has been ticking in my head for quite some time and it is exhausting. I keep trying to analyze why I am such a freakazoid about this race and no matter what excuse I find I guess it is just because I expect a lot from me. I wouldn’t try for a 3:00:00 marathon in 2011 if I didn’t think I had it in me, I am just nervous. The biggest reason that I feel anxious about it unlike last year when I was doing the 12/12 is because I didn’t have any pressure and if I had a bad race, I could try again the next month. If I learned anything, I don’t want to run just any marathon anymore, they need to be pretty darn important to put my life and body on that schedule.  Besides doing LA and Boston in March and April, I won’t get near another until November (more to come about this later) but will instead work on my speed and try to get some quicker PRs in 10ks and 5ks.  I have yet to discuss this part with my coach but I am sure she will agree since she didn’t even want me to run Boston so close after LA. Boston was a go this year no matter what anyone said. I want this experience and I don’t know where I will want to be in 2012.

Today my coach and I more or less finalized my race day plans. I say more or less because I have THE plan (Plan A) and then I have Plan B and C. She was adamant about having other plans ready because she said you can’t every really predict race conditions.  My goal for 2011 is to break 3:00:00 but I don’t really know when and where it will happen.  In the reality of things, it is a big leap to jump from 3:16:16 to 2:59:59 so I have to be ready to do it or do it later this year.  Right now I also don’t think taking 8 seconds off 7:00 miles will be hard but that again is not really that easy when you start doing the math. With that said, I have been waiting to hear the verdict of what my racing plans will be and now I know. Plan A for the first half of the race will include 7:00 splits and try to make my move from there, picking it up gradually.  Gradually. This pace for the entire distance will put me at 3:03:00 so any amount of seconds per mile will get that time down even further.  Plan B and C I don’t even want to get into and I am not trying to think about them because I don’t want to immediately jump into another plan in the race when and if I start feeling bad.  I am afraid that when the going gets tough I might tell myself it is OK  to go there because in a way they are part of the plan. Must not go there unless I absolutely need to.  I will be doing my typical track workout warm-up which includes a two mile jog, specific drills and 6×100 strides to get my heart rate up.  I will also have my training partner run with me for the first half so I don’t have to think about my times or splits, I will just have to decide what to do once I am at the half. Additionally, knowing the dreadful course, especially at the beginning I asked what happens if 7:00 seems to fast? Basically it is up to me to slow down a little knowing I have a lot of time to make it up but I don’t like the sound of making up too much time. I have enjoyed almost all my previous marys because I trained at MRP and didn’t think they were too hard. I hope I say that after Sunday. Let’s see.

I know going into the race anything can happen and you can bet that no matter what happens, I will be proud of myself.  I can’t imagine anything worse than what happened at OC marathon last year and even that wasn’t so bad (pain and mental-wise).  Like most of you have said, trust your training, think positive and just go with it. Thank you for all your advice, support and motivation – I owe you a big thank you!

As I mentioned earlier, my calf spasm went away – woot woot! Unfortunately after my run my foot hurt like a mofo! I needed a foot adjustment bad – you know that feeling where your foot needs to pop but it won’t? That kind of pain.  I went to the chiropractor today and got adjusted. He immediately noticed my let was jammed and my left leg was having some major issues that he “fixed” by popping all kinds of stuff (neck, hip, feet). I also asked for Cold Laser Therapy which is just some red light that sends waves through the infected area and does something that I don’t entirely believe in.  At this point, I am willing to believe it to get through the week and on the starting line with positive thoughts.  Whatever works right?

I snapped this quick pic before the doc came in the room.

I am also almost through a complete day of carb depleting and in my opinion it hasn’t been a big deal. Today I ate two hard-boiled eggs, banana, a slice of Muenster cheese and coconut water (breakfast), Beef/veggie stir-fry (lunch), Fage yogurt, almonds (snacks), salmon and squash (dinner).  I am eating one apple, orange and yogurt a day for some sort of balance. I can also enjoy my Starbuck’s drink in the morning – thank goodness I asked about that instead of assuming I can’t have it! Happy Trace.  I just spent $100 on some random food that will help me get to Thursday when I can finally have carbs (brown rice), yay!  I am really loving that coconut water – it has more potassium than a banana and is a great electrolyte drink. I need to stay hydrated this week – super important.  It is quite possible that I don’t have that starving feeling because I am actually hydrating. Let’s see how I feel tomorrow at the track when I have to run 3×1 mile at 5:50 pace…hahah

Not bad at all! I thought it would be hard to skip the rice but it wasn't!

Nothing like sour cream tasting yogurt! This yogurt has tons of protein.

Speaking of money, I am spending way too much lately. I have gotten three massages in two weeks, got new shoes, spent over $100 on some running clothes that I may or may not wear on race day (not including the $150 I spent on the Boston gear), booked a hotel in my home town, spent $75 at the chiropractor and so much more on crap I can’t even list. Way to go Trace, good thing you work hard for your money!  Oh, but don’t think I don’t have that extra $100 tucked in my pocket for an LA Marathon jacket – that is a must. When I am 80 years old wearing it, I will feel so cool!

Anyway, time to think positive, time to relax and time to believe in myself.

XOXO,

Trace

I was fortunate enough to meet my friend Adrian last year training with LA Roadrunners (LARR). Embarrassingly enough, I happened to be the one who blurted out loud, “What’s that?” while realizing simultaneously time that this thing I was referring to was actually a tether (shoestring) that was being used to guide Adrian, a blind runner during our run.  Oh man, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. A few runners looked at me but didn’t say anything, knowing I realized the answer to my question.

I will be honest and say that this was not the only time I would want to crawl into that hole…like a few weeks ago at the track when I asked him why was wearing two different shoes.

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I am still feeling the effects from last weekend’s festivities — mostly good memories but also a lot of fatigue. 

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Me and Dom at the finish in front of our state's capital.

Week 5 treated me very well which could be from a combination of things including yoga, chiropractic visits and plenty of rest. Maybe too much rest – my mileage is still considerably low but I am blaming that on the early setting sun (think safety first).  I will continue to add a few extra miles to my recovery days and try to wake up earlier to pull off longer runs during the week.  Good luck to me.  The pain I was experiencing previously is almost completely gone and this week there isn’t a pain to complain about. Let’s see how long that lasts.  

The real highlight of my week was Sunday, the California International Marathon Relay.  I had been anticipating this race for quite some time looking forward to meeting my partner Maryam G. whom I met on Dailymile last year.  We both made commitments to run this race together but both experienced major injuries that kept us guessing if we would ever actually make it to the starting line.  Fortunately, we were good to go on race day and removed any and all pressures to perform well, we just wanted to finish healthy.

Happy Holidays! Me and Maryam G. before heading out the door.

My portion of the relay included Legs 1 and 2 totaling 13.5 miles.  It was really nice showing up to the race with only about 1 minute before the gun went off and not stressing about it at all.  My plan was to run quickly but not to the point of exhaustion.  As the gun went off I found myself between the 3:10 and 3:15 pace groups.  Since I didn’t care so much about running the race competitively, I didn’t care that I was completely boxed in and around mile 3, I felt pretty warm and decided to park myself in front of the 3:10 pace group and stay ahead the rest of the way.  It was during the first two miles of the race that I realized we had perfect race conditions – cool temperatures unlike last year where the temperature was 22 degrees at the start with headwinds almost the entire way.  Unfortunately my calves felt like they were on fire, very, very tight but I managed to finish without any problems.  Immediately after my run, I jumped into my car and headed to mile 26 so I could cheer on my teammates other running friends as they headed into the finish. This was my favorite part of the day, to see the expressions of joy, happiness, exhaustion and fatigue on the faces of the runners as they gave their all to finish the race.  I’ll admit I can be very tough physically but as soon as I take note in other’s emotion, it’s almost like it rolls off of them and into me.  Almost immediately I experienced bouts of joy and tears, so much so that I missed my team and other friends as they passed by. I only managed to see one pass by, noting he had reached his goal of running under 3:15 – way to go Cameron!

Running a relay during the actual marathon race did have me feeling a little uneasy. I almost felt guilty since I was only running a little more than half while they would run the entire distance of the marathon.  At times I felt bad when runners who were noticeably running the full (they didn’t have to wear a Lindsay Lohan type of apparatus around their ankle) pulled up next to me to run by my side.  I worried they may pace with me, not realizing I was only running a portion and become discouraged knowing that.  I was happy to finally reach the exchange point, I was mentally warped from all the hills I encountered during my legs – I hadn’t really noticed them last year when I ran the full. Seriously, I am either weak and need more hills or they were tough. Still can’t decide but I would say I am weak and need hill training so the next time I run there, I can call them small speed bumps.

Anyway, here is what happened this week:

WEEK 5 OF 20
Total Mileage:  26.54
Cross Training: Yoga
Therapy:  Chiropractic

Monday – Recovery Run (4 mi)

Tuesday – Track (6 mi total including warm-up and cool-down), chiropractor
                  The workout: 1 x 2,000m, 1 x 1,600m, 1 x 1,200m
                   2,000m – 8:01 (6:24 pace)
                   1,600m – 6:11
                   1,200m – 4:17 (5:42 pace)
                       

Wednesday – Recovery Run (3.14 mi), chiropractor

Thursday – Yoga

Friday – Rest day (0 mi)

Saturday – Travelling (0 mi)

Sunday – Long Run (13.46 mi)
                 California International Marathon Relay – 2010
                 1:35:49 (7:07 avg)
                Garmin Stats: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/59008892

Post-run beverage. Bud - disgusting! *spits on floor*

I never thought I would run a marathon, let alone Boston.  It seems like an immediate goal for most marathoners and I too had that in mind after hearing so much about it.  Boston. Boston. Boston. Blah blah blah.  Happy to say I qualified December ’09, but unfortunately it was just a few weeks after registration closed (I had no idea before I even finished the race that it was sold out).  At the time I was disappointed because Boston 2011 seemed light-years away.  Well as most of us adults know, time doesn’t slack – it speeds by, almost too fast, and I found myself already looking into hotel accommodations (booked!) and flights (still need to do) before registration even opened.  I had read somewhere that Boston was expected to sell out well before NY (11/07/10) so not wanting to wait another whole year, I set a few alarms, Google calendar reminders and even someone else’s alarm to make sure I was up at 0600 on the 18^th to register.

Scurrying to my computer, I immediately felt the lag of the website and upon filling out required fields on the registration page and hitting submit, I was taken back to the registration page again.  I repeated this process over ten times before stomping my (healthy) foot on the floor and heading out the door to work.  At work I had the same issue until finally I tried with Safari and got in – Phew!

*Happy Dance*

So now I am in – well, they still have to verify my qualifying race and time and I don’t expect that to be an issue.  Heck, I don’t even know if I will make it to the starting line that day – I could get injured again or something but I am still excited…qualify for Boston…CHECK!  This excitement lasted only one whole day because as luck would have it, I receive this lovely email from Marathon Tours:

“We are sorry to hear that Boston online entry had closed out online before you had time to register.  As the official travel agency for the Boston marathon we are working to secure race entry to the 2011 Boston Marathon for clients who have a name on a pre-existing hotel reservation with us for the2011 year prior to October 18, 2011 and who are currently qualified to participate in the race.”

Just lovely!

Talk about a low blow, I already imagined how much I wold hate Heartbreak Hill and I could now understand the frustration of many other runners who qualified for 2011 but couldn’t get in because the race sold out in less than 8 hours – really, really sad.  I immediately called Marathon Tours and was informed that the webmaster had sent out the email too soon and it was supposed to say, “If you were unable to register…”  THANK YOU running Gods, I will just pretend I never got that that email – I am still in (I hope).

What really excites me more than anything is that I will be able to see my cousin Amy who lives with her family in Millbury.  We are nearly the same age and only met once when we were five years old (we didn’t get along very well that ONE time) and have a lot of things in common, one of them happens to be running.  She is excited to have me in town and we can finally catch up on life and each other.  This is the exact reason I will be in Boston regardless if I race or not.

This is what I looked like the last time I saw my cousin.

Sweet - what a surprise!

Time: 3:16:25
Overall: 75 out of 1495
Women: 10 out of 544
F 30-34: 3 out of 72
Click Here for Elevation Map

5 of 12…THE END

This marathon weekend was really great – close to home, lots of friends, great weather and zero pressure.  I was happy that I had decided to ditch Avenue of the Giants Marathon to run this race instead.

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 I Can Think Clearly Now…

I haven’t stopped smiling since mile 23 of this race.  I am extremely happy for so many reasons but mostly because this race is now behind me and no longer controlling me.

The 41 days following Surf City to the day of the race, I encountered every obstacle possible including a nearly three week break from running (or working out) due to a painful right IT band to almost walking and crying at mile 20.  Mentally I was a wreck, completely exhausted, doubting my ability and already forecasting a slow race performance.   When all was said and done and I crossed the finish line (injury free – YAY!), I was very happy with both the race results and performance even though it was an A Event without a PR.

In retrospect, and finally being able to think clearly and logically, I realized that I could have really jeopardized my performance simply for letting my mind control me during these 41 days.  It wouldn’t have mattered if Steve Prefontaine took me by the hand and set me on the bleacher stairs to give me a pep talk, I just wouldn’t have believed him; I was beyond help.  The good news is that I can learn from this mistake and remember, exactly read from one spectator sign during the course:  “TRUST YOUR TRAINING.” 

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Time: 3:16:16 (PR)
Overall: 81 out of 2353
Women: 5 out of 963
F 30-34: 1 out of 137
Click Here for Garmin stats
Click Here for Elevation Map

Another month.  Another marathon.

I am happy to have this race behind me because as you know, one of the obvious challenges of running one marathon per month is the amount of rest I get in between races – hardly any. This race however, was 42 days away from my next race, LA Marathon (LAM) which will be the longest break I’ll have all year.  The timing couldn’t be better (duh, rest is always needed) since LAM is one of my two A Events, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, I am experiencing some sort of pain around my right knee (IT maybe?).  I will definitely utilize this rest to focus on getting healthy.

We had a rainy week leading up to the race and I was relieved to find that it wasn’t going to rain on race day. Rain on race day is disastrous for me since I have plantar fasciitis and tape my feet – I worry that wet feet equals ripped skin and a lot of pain. I also don’t want my hair and make-up to get all messed up, go ahead roll your eyes, but remember Brightroom does post race pictures publicly…  It was raining quite heavily when I arrived to the expo on Saturday to pick up my bib – raining enough to flood the floors from the leaky tented/tarped makeshift roofs.  It was nearly impossible to keep my feet dry so I got in and out as fast as I could.

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I just finished an easy four mile run after taking a few days off. My right knee is nagging me since Carlsbad — nothing painful, just annoying and out of place.  It felt really good to get out there and clear my mind and I didn’t feel any discomfort until the last half mile of the run.  I will continue to ice, stretch and just take it easy for my race on Sunday.  Keep reminding myself it’s a B Event, and I just need to be ready for LA.

Time: 3:21:15 (PR)
Overall: 79 out of 1194
Women: 14 out of 496
F 30-34: 2 out of 96
Click Here for Garmin stats
Click Here for Elevation Map

I knew from Day 1 that Carlsbad would be an amazing race/experience. The whole experience was surreal – not a moment of anxiety, everything happened so perfectly.  I am glad this would be the opening race of my year-long adventure.

I heard about this BEAUTIFUL course from a few friends and I was eager to add it to my list of marathons this year. I was rather disappointed (just like Boston) to find the race sold out when I tried to register, yet surprised to find that you can race if another registered runner will transfer their bib on to you for an additional $20 transfer fee (unlike Boston). Excited, I hopped over to the Carlsbad Marathon FB page to post my interest for a bib.  So many people were posting all over the place looking for one and my chances looked grim. I continued posting every 4 hours or so (so my post would remain at the top of the list) and was contacted the next day by someone who couldn’t make it to the race. I got in and I was elated (thanks Mike and Hudson)!

Since I had categorized this race as a B Event in my 12 Marathons. 12 Months. post, I had put less emphasis on this race completely. This was a totally different experience, compared to CIM, like the pressure to PR, not to mention the list of things I shouldn’t have done:  going to bed VERY late two nights before the event, throwing random items into my race day bag, showing up to the start line with 3 minutes before the race and even making phone calls during the race!  Those were bad decisions and I am lucky that nothing went wrong, anyone of those things could have very well prevented me from running well or accomplishing my goal… Lesson learned.

My friend Janel R. and I arrived to Carlsbad the day before, and immediately headed to the expo. I was hoping to find some racing gear and a 26.2 sticker for my back car window. I only found the sticker but I was happy to run into my new friend Dane Rauschenberg – he had a booth and was signing copies of one of his books, See Dane Run. I hopped over there for a quick chat and of course to snap a photo (and I totally forgot to pick up one of his books).  He was pleasant as ever and his gregarious personality radiated across the hall. I look forward to getting to know him better as he such an inspiration for runners of all goals.  After the expo, I checked into the hotel, went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to find something to wear and then headed out to Vigalucci’s for dinner. Dinner was funny to say the least – I normally wouldn’t drink, but again, disregarding my focus for the race, I had a couple glasses of wine in addition to two pasta dinners (I was hungry).  The hospitality at this place was a great addition to the yummy food.

Dane and me at the expo.
www.seedanerun.com

Race morning went very well — I slept like a baby. I think the wine idea will become my pre-race tradition but I will make sure to limit myself to one glass.  The 6am start time wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, it was a little odd to run the first few miles in the dark but totally worth it when we were able to catch the sunrise while running parallel to the ocean on Carlsbad Blvd – so beautiful.  This was a peaceful run – running next to crashing waves and tons of running space; I had a lot of time to think about things and clear my head.

When I contacted my friends that were eagerly awaiting my results, the first thing they said was, “so much for a B Event!”  As I had mentioned earlier, this race was considered a B Event, a race that is ran smart and conservatively, mostly to avoid injuries, but mainly so I can focus on my two A Events later in the year.  I did reference approximate goal times but my way of categorizing the races have more to do with a level of pushing myself physically and mentally – the time will speak for itself.  Today I didn’t set a timed goal, of course I used my Garmin, and yes I PR’d, but I ran according to how my body felt. I felt great, the only thing that annoyed me was a tight knee – it never seemed to warm-up and I’ll have to consider wearing capris during my next cold race.  I will definitely be back next year!

Cheese!

Me and Janel R. after the race - my wing-gal!

I know...BUT my knee hurt!

Suddenly I hear the ticking clock – only 10 days until my first marathon of 2010!

I delayed posting about my upcoming races because I was trying to finalize my race calendar while determining which of my 12 marathons will be considered “A Events” (to be discussed later).

I almost have my entire race calendar penned but I am still searching for a California marathon for the months of August and September.  I may change my she dule as I find more interesting races, but I won’t deviate from my goal of 12 marathons in 12 months.

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Wow. It feels light a lot of pressure has been taken off my chest since finishing CIM. Until yesterday, that was my only focus and I was a anxious trying to understand what it would be like, what would happen and so on.  Now I can put the focus on LA and relax…a little.

I would have to first say thanks to all of you who gave me marathon tips — they really helped!

I went into the race confident; I was proud of my training and I really spent a lot of time preparing for the race.  This preparation also included an understanding that anything can happen in a marathon no matter how you prepare.  I wasn’t nervous like I normally would be in a competition, but I did think on occasion what it would be like when I got past mile 20 (since that was the longest distance I covered in training).

The night before I prepared all my gear for the morning so I could wake up early to actually enjoy my breakfast and stay focused instead of worrying about my lost socks or my Garmin being charged. When I went to get on the bus that took us to the course, I couldn’t find the bus ticket that I purchased the day before at the expo – I was so scared but luckily, they never checked.  Race time was 7 and our bus arrive a little after six. It was FREEZING — I am talking 28 degrees with wind!  There was only enough time for one port-a-potty break before it was show time. I downed one Gu and was off.

My original goal for this race was 3:40 and I knew that I could run faster since most of my long runs were just over 8:00 pace, but I knew a part of that thinking was my ego so I decided to start near the 3:35 pace group. I must mention that three months ago I had changed most of my PW’s for various personal accounts that included something to do with my really deep-down goal of 3:30. That reminder kept pulling at me…3:30, 3:30, it would be so nice if I could just run 3:30…  After three miles I decided to change groups and ran near the 3:30 pace group.  This pace was really comfortable and for the longest time the combined average pace was 8:01. I ran with them until mile 10. I decided then, that the race was starting to feel like a normal training day, so I threw off my sweatshirt picked it up.  I knew that every time I picked it up, there was a chance I could hit the wall, but I wasn’t laboring at all — I was so relaxed, looking straight ahead and I kept saying, “please legs, be nice to Tracy.”  After I left them, I didn’t think about my finishing time whatsoever, I just looked at my pace and tried to stay between 7:40 and 7:45. By mile 20 I decided that again I would pick it up and try to stay around 7:30 pace. I was waiting for my legs to get tired but luckily they never did. I just tried to catch any woman I saw in front of me and tried not to get passed by anyone. I was smiling (at least in my mind) when I made the last turn to the women’s side of the chute. I couldn’t wait to see my friends that had traveled so far to see me.

Let me make one thing clear — I know this was a fast course.  Carlsbad, LA, Big Sur or any other race could be a totally different experience.  For me, I am most excited that I didn’t hit the wall, cramp-up or injure myself. That was enough for me to feel accomplished.

Here is what I think helped me the most:

• Sticking with a program. Until RR (LA Roadrunners), I was following Hal Higdon’s Advanced II workouts. The point here is not which program I followed, it was that I followed them as much as I could, only adjusting where I felt necessary. This was something that reminded me that I was ready. I didn’t even think once about what I didn’t do in preparation, it was more about what I DID do. It kept the negative thoughts out of my head.

• Hydration/Fuel. I made sure to hydrate appropriately at most of the drink stations and used about four Gu’s (not too mention  salty margarita Clif Shot Blocks).

• Training partners/Running groups.  Every runner that I have encountered, especially RR, had had a wonderful impact on me. It really helps to be around positive influences.

• Mileage/pace tracking device.  My Garmin Forerunner (405) is by far the best purchase I have made. Like a training schedule, it really helps you know where you are in training. Before this, I felt like I tried to convince myself that I ran X amount of miles in X amount of time. Deep down I knew I could be full sh_t because I couldn’t really track it.

• Race preparation.  I tried to eliminate small things that could have big repercussions the day of the race – like preparing gear ahead of time, Gu, etc.

Oh, and I cannot forget my sweet friend Janel who ran the relay, not to mention Emory who drove from Los Angeles and Asi who drove from San Francisco to watch me run.

Click here to view my race splits.

Pure fun. With the marathon only 10 days away, I decided that I would just “trot” this run. I tried to run as close to 8:00 a mile and I was close — 24:03. I like the shirt — what do you think?