Race report: Tallahassee Marathon

Marathon #3 is in now in the record books!  I'm excited to report that the 2013 Tallahassee Marathon was much more enjoyable than either of my previous two had been.  Experience is a great teacher.  I have so many wonderful memories to share that I hardly know where to begin.  However, for those of you who only have time to read the Readers' Digest version, I'll report the basic stats before diving into the details.




Official time:  3:40:42!

Standings:
2 out of 21 for women 45-49 (9.5%)
15 out of 117 for all women (12.8%)
80 out of 308 overall (26.0%)

My finish time was a 13-minute marathon PR, and, as icing on a most delicious marathon cake, I took home the 1st place award for my age group.  Major bling!  This race felt like a huge victory in so many ways.  Even more important than the numbers, though, was the race experience.

Just a note about the finisher medal...the little furry creature standing beside the capitol building is actually a groundhog, in honor of Groundhog's Day the Saturday before the race.  They probably should have included a football instead, because the race was held right on Superbowl Sunday!

To provide some perspective on this race, my first marathon involved thunder, lightning, high winds, tornado sirens, and massive puddles.  My second marathon didn't offer much better conditions.  Infamous Hurricane Sandy was just getting geared up to slam the Northeast, and the winds that morning made for some brutal last few miles.  Tallahassee, by contrast, graciously served up sunny skies, low humidity, and a cool starting temperature of 47 degrees.  Yep, I deserved to have good weather at least once!  It helped destroy my growing reputation as a magnet for bad marathon weather conditions.

In addition to the cooperation of the weather, the Tallahassee Marathon offers one of the top ten Boston-Qualifying courses.  Take a look at the elevation chart below and you'll see why.  To say that the course is flat, straight, and shaded is no exaggeration.  Notice the scale of +/- 100 feet on the elevation chart?  Truly flat as a fritter!  Not only was it flat, but most of it was shaded with the most beautiful foliage imaginable.  One could truly get lost in the wonder of the majestic live oaks, bowing to each other across the St. Marks Trail and providing a welcoming canopy of shade.

Topping all of these factors, though, was the true joy of being surrounded on race day by five of the most wonderful, supportive friends, each of whom claimed their own victories!  My good friend, Rachelle (AKA Mighty Mouse), runs as an ambassador for Oiselle and blogs too.  She blazed through her very first marathon in a whopping 3:31 and took second place in her age group!  Very few can claim such a stupendous first marathon time.  My wonderful regular running buddy, Rodney, pulled a 26-minute marathon PR and felt great the whole time.  My awesome ultra friend, Gary, from Tallahassee, who just conquered a brutal, mountainous 50K the week before, ran a 3:37 and took first place in his age group yet again.  My high school friend, Steve, who ran the Marine Corps Marathon with me, and my funny and uplifting Daily Mile friend, Keith, both pulled PRs and blasted through the 4:00 barrier.  With all these triumphs, plus a finish-line reception involving wonderfully supportive parents, family members, and friends, there was some serious celebrating going on!

Special thanks:

Before I describe the weekend, I'd like to say a few words of thanks to all those who have supported me.  This includes some very special people.  First, I'd like to thank Mike B. for all his coaching support!  Out of shear kindness, or maybe pity for my crazy training regimen, Mike set out a plan for me to follow and spent loads of time following my training and listening to my zillion notes of worry and self-doubt.  He taught me that I don't have to do every run at the fastest pace possible, and that I should "listen to my heart" - literally to my heart rate - as a guide to running effort.  Because of him, I went in with fresh legs and confidence I would have a good experience.  The guy is an incredible athlete himself and is starting to coach others.  He's really good at telling it like it is.  If you want his contact information, send me a note.

Second, I'd like to thank Rachelle's uber-supportive parents for popping up all over the race course and capturing some fabulous photos and video.  How often does one get awesome photo coverage of such a big event for free?!  You guys rock!  I'd also like to thank my parents for coming out to support me and to celebrate with me after the race.  Though Mom's standard answer when I tell her I'm going to run 26.2 miles is, "Just kill me now!" I know that she's very happy for me.  Rodney, my faithful running buddy for months, has been a steadfast friend.  He listens to all my non-sense, picks me up when I'm down, and gives me wonderful advice when I need it.  Rachelle, you are the running rock star in my life.  It was such an incredible experience spending this weekend with you!  I see an elite running status in your future!  Kristin, though we have never met in person, I feel like I have known you for a long time.  Your kindness and generosity overflows, and I know we will one day get to run together.  Gary, you epitomize "the ultimate runner."  There's really nothing you can't do!  Finally, my dear sweet Francis, you have been such a blessing in my life!  I can't thank you enough for all your encouraging words, cheers. and prayers.  Not only are you one of the most awesome runners I know, but your faith is a shining example to me constantly!

Pre-Race:

Rachelle & I shared a chilly hug before shouting "Tally-Ho!!"

Saturday morning before the race, Rachelle came by to pick me up at 8:00am so we could ride down together.  My son snapped a quick "before" photo as we loaded the car.  As runners will do, we spent a great deal of time talking about all things running.  Our conversation was very uplifting and made the 4 1/2 hour trip fly by.

When we got into town, we first dropped our bags off at my sister's house, where we would be staying, and had a quick bite to eat.  Then we headed straight to the expo.  I was not quite prepared for the heavy traffic in little ol' Tallahassee on a Saturday afternoon.  However, with nearly 1,200 runners registered between the half and the full marathon, I can see why it was a bit congested.

Race number - check!

We took a few photos as we picked up our race numbers.  Everyone there had a running story to tell, and although the expo was small, I really enjoyed strolling around and chatting with others.  After a few minutes, I spied our esteemed guest speaker, Mike Wardian.  I immediately recognized him from his photo and video on his web site.  His record is extremely impressive, to say the least.  As if the fact that he came in 3rd place at Badwater isn't amazing enough, he ran a 3:17 at Grandma's Marathon in 2011!  The guy has run with the likes of elites such as Meb and Ryan and Abdi.  He gave a hilarious presentation and was very friendly and helpful in person as well.

 

1s and 6s MUST be lucky!

I got to chat with Mike Wardian & Nick Nichols, a retired US Army Col. who has logged 77,000 total miles!

After the expo, we visited Rachelle's parents at the hotel and then all went over to visit my parents.  Dinner that night for me was spaghetti and meatballs at Anthony's with Rachelle and her parents.  I must have been hungry because I finished off my plate and scarfed down four slices of bread.  Carb loading - check!

Back at my sister's house, Rachelle and I laid out our race gear and had some final water and Nuun to hydrate.  A trip to the restroom revealed another example of my niece's wry humor...very funny, Casey!

By 10:00, I was ready to hit the sack.  For me, that meant crashing on my sister's totally comfortable couch where I have spent many a night during holiday visits.  Unfortunately, I had a little trouble getting to sleep.  Finally, by 11:00, I managed to doze off.  After a few hours of peaceful slumber, though, I woke up with a start, realizing that my niece's GI-normous Doberman "puppy" had managed to open the door and had leaped on top of me!  She lay there, panting, drooling, and pawing me all over.  Sheesh!  It was 3:30am.  Needless to say, I never did quite make it back to sleep after that.  At least I had rested well the night before.

Race Day:

After my "breakfast of the champions," consisting of toast with peanut butter, 1/2 banana, and 16 ounces of water with a Nuun tablet, Rachelle and I were fueled and ready.  We did a quick gear check (yay for my race bib being right where I placed it!) and headed out for Florida State University's campus at 6:00am.  The race started right next to Doke Campbell Stadium and ended nearby at FSU's Mile Long Track.  It was quite chilly out, but luckily Tully Gym was open.  We met up with Rodney, Gary, and Steve.  Each of us then took our last-minute potty stops and posed for a few pre-race photos.

I'm sure I was telling Rodney how excited I was (while looking nervous)!

Gary had invited us to join an FCA prayer circle just before the start of the race.  We huddled up to keep warm and then joined in prayer and fellowship.  It was really nice.  Finally, we lined up fairly close to the start and listened while the national anthem was sung so beautifully.  It was hard not to shiver, but I knew that within sixty seconds of starting, I would warm up.





Rachelle, Rodney and I started out together, encouraging each other to GO SLOW for our first mile.  I kept Gary, who was just ahead of us, in view, thinking he would be starting out slowly too.  He stayed just out of range for the whole race, though.

There was so much spring in our step as Rachelle, Rodney, and I crossed that starting line!

My original goal for this race had been to finish in 3:30.  However, after a scare with my blood pressure plummeting during a recent 19-mile training run, I sort of grew a little fonder of the idea that an 8:15 pace would feel a lot more comfortable, and that I could still speed up at the end and run a very respectable 3:36 or less.  Therefore, I set out run the first half at slightly under 8:15, and then check to see how I was feeling.  I really intended, though, to keep the 8:15 pace for the whole first 20 and then decide if I could speed up.  What a mind game pacing can be...

Overarching all of these thoughts was the very strong desire to have a more comfortable experience than I had in my previous two marathons.  At the Albany Marathon in Albany, GA, I ran a 4:00.  I had aimed for 3:45.  However, after running at an 8:35 pace for half the race, I realized I was miserable and still had a looooong way to go.  My slowest mile in that race was 11:03, with five miles over a 10:00 pace.  It was not pleasant for any of the second half.  It's a wonder that I ran another marathon at all.

At the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, I aimed even more ambitiously for 3:30...and trained for it too.  Again, I ran the first half very close to the required 8:00 pace, but again fell apart at about the half-way point.  If you think the last 10K of a marathon is hard, try feeling "done" when you still have 13.1 miles to go!  My slowest mile there was 11:00, but at least this time only one other mile was a dismal 10:55.  Unfortunately, I gave up six whole minutes in those two incredibly grueling miles and finished in a somewhat disappointing 3:53.

This time, my A+ goal was 3:30, but my more realistic A goal was really between 3:30 and 3:36.  My B goal was 3:40.  I was truly glad I at least hit that.  Although my pace suffered once again at the end, my slowest mile this time was a much improved (though still disappointing) 9:37.  In addition, only three of the miles were over 9:00.

More important than all these numbers, though, is the way I felt at the halfway point.  I was ON TOP OF THE WORLD!!!  As I saw Rachelle and Gary who had just turned around and were heading back, I slapped hands with them and told them how great I felt.  In fact, I smiled so much through most of this race that almost everyone volunteering or cheering commented on how happy I looked.  During the race, I thought often about so many of my running friends who I knew were cheering for me.  You all know who you are!  I prayed and counted my blessings, often out loud, and I just kept locked in to that relaxed and thankful feeling.  My time at the half-marathon split was 1:48:09, exactly an 8:15 pace!

Rachelle, Rodney, & I (and even the sun) are all beaming!

By this time, we had hit the beautiful St. Marks Trail

The only minor issue I had during the first half was that my bladder wasn't quite empty.  I wasn't too uncomfortable, though, and I certainly didn't want to take time to stop.  As the miles accumulated, it fortunately became less of a problem.  Meanwhile, I followed my plan of stopping at the aid stations every two miles and taking a few sips of water or Gatorade to keep me hydrated.

Even my hair is smiling here at about Mile 8!
photo courtesy of Herb Wills and his awesome blog

That 8:15 pace actually felt very comfortable for a good 18 miles.  At some points, it was just automatic and I could get lost in my thoughts.  In fact, I felt so good that I decided I could ramp it up just a little during the next mile.  In retrospect, this was not such a good decision.  It's hard to know if this slight acceleration spelled out my doom in miles 24 and 25, or if that would have happened anyway.

This photo, also by Herb Wills, was in Mile 19 when I was
picking up speed and passing a few folks

Mile 19 was a 7:53, and I felt strong.  I clocked an 8:04 for the next mile and still felt good.  Hallelujah!  I even let out a little squeal with how awesome I felt AT MILE 20!!!  I slurped down my last Accel gel, and that's just about the moment when I decided that I don't like those gels any more.  It was really hard to get down, not because my stomach had problems, but because it just sat in my mouth, feeling yucky.  The Gu gels are thicker, but I like their sweetness better.  I washed the remains of the gel down with some water, knowing that the calories would maybe give me a small boost for the last few miles.


Mile 21 was a tiny bit slower at 8:10.  Just after Mile 22 the paved trail part of the race ended and I started heading back toward campus.  Fatigue started to set in gradually during that mile, and I was slightly resentful that my euphoria had somehow evaporated, leaving me with 4.2 miles left to run.  My legs were not the problem.  I had no issues with aching quads like I've had before.  My calves and left Achilles tendon were a little tight, but I knew they would make it.  Mainly, I just began to feel weary and unfocused.  I stopped looking at my watch because I could tell my pace was slipping.

The earlier pace blips were mostly for water stops, things got, um, rough in Miles 22-26!

Miles 22 and 23 were 8:59 and 8:53, and I could tell I was losing pace.  Those two faster miles were coming back to bite me.  At one point I passed a guy walking and then I stopped just ahead of him to walk for a tiny bit.  I looked back, pumping my arms and, continuing to walk, said jokingly, "Race ya!"  He claimed that he couldn't catch me because I had a 10-step lead on him!  I had to chuckle, and then I invited him to do a slow jog with me, but I guess he was spent.  I did actually pass 6-8 runners there at the end, even with my diminished pace.  I kept telling myself how close I was to the end, but it did not help.

This is my favorite happy picture of all time!  Though I was fading, I was able to smile & lift arms AT MILE 23!!

I had to cross a busy intersection at Mile 24, and the folks directing traffic were not paying any attention to me.  As I started to run into the street, they shouted, "No, run this way!"  I couldn't quite understand them and almost got creamed by a car.  My brain wasn't working too well then.  That was my worst mile at 9:37.  No one was around, so it was hard to lock on to someone to follow.  I did keep passing folks here and there, but every quarter mile seemed to take forever.  Mile 25 was a slow 9:27.

Finally, when I reached the campus, some guys started screaming loudly at me and jumping up and down.  That helped motivate me pick up the pace just a little.  It was fortunate because all my strategic good thoughts had left my brain.  I so wish I had had someone beside me to offer verbal support.  I think it could have made a difference.  I once saw a quote about how success in a marathon is in who can stay focused the longest.  Mental focus becomes incredibly hard!

The race ended with a 3/4 trip around the track.  I had visualized this with excitement for weeks and weeks.  I heard them call out my name at the beginning of the track, and I made one final attempt to lay on the gas.  Then, out of nowhere a guy whizzed past me at break-neck speed.  Although I couldn't quite catch him, it made me push hard for a few steps so I at least "looked good" crossing the finish line.

Just...a...few...more...steps!!

I could feel the grimace on my face as I charged across the finish line

Gary smiles as I hug Mom & Rachelle gets a pat on the back from Dad

The first people I saw after I crossed the line were my parents!  Although I had no salt left in me for tears, I cried a dry sob, and collapsed gently into their arms.  That was a really special moment.

A hug with Rachelle

Then I smiled as the volunteers placed the finisher medal around my neck.  In fact, hugs and smiles were to be found everywhere.  It really surprised me that I recovered my breath within 2 minutes.  The second thing I noticed, to my amazement, was that my legs and back hardly ached at all.  That never happens after a long run!

A hug with Rodney

With Steve from high school

Dad, me, and Mom sharing a happy moment

As an added bonus, I won a beautiful hand-made mug for my 1st place age group award.  Everyone else walked up in a dignified manner to receive their award, but I had to saunter out squealing as if I had won the jackpot on The Price Is Right!  No WAY I was going to remain calm after winning an award at a marathon!  Success was even sweeter because every single friend there had had a good race and had achieved at least one of their race goals.  Celebrations are especially magical when everyone there feels like a winner!

BLING!!

Rachelle and I posed with another AG winner with our lovely mugs

Gary and I took another opportunity to smile, clink mugs, and share hugs 

After the race, I took a quick shower at my sister's house.  Then, some of us met up for a juicy double cheeseburger at Five Guys.  Pre-burning over 2,000 calories sure has a way of making things taste good.  Yes, I believe I'll have fries with that!

Those celebrating included Rodney's family, Rachelle's family, my family, and my friend, Keith

Finally, for those of you interested in the details, here are my splits with a few comments where appropriate.

Mile 1:  8:24 Perfect start!
Mile 2:  7:57 Oops.
Mile 3:  8:09 Back to a better pace...
Mile 4:  8:12
Mile 5:  8:19
Mile 6:  8:19

Mile 7:  8:13
Mile 8:  8:14
Mile 9:  8:07
Mile 10:  8:08
Mile 11:  8:22
Mile 12:  8:09
Mile 13:  8:19
Half way split: 1:48:09 - 8:15 pace - perfect!
Mile 14:  8:28
Mile 15:  8:20
Mile 16:  8:14
Mile 17:  8:13
Mile 18:  8:13 I was feeling SO good here!
Mile 19:  7:53 so I did this,
Mile 20:  8:04 and this,
Mile 21:  8:10 and this.
Mile 22:  8:59 That's when it dawned on me that I might have been a little hasty...
Mile 23:  8:53 Drat!
Mile 24:  9:37 It got really lonely and all my good thoughts melted away.
Mile 25:  9:27 For three miles I kind of drooped and suffered.
Mile 26:  9:23 Just as I hit the campus near the end of this mile, I picked it up again,
last 0.26:  8:02 and at least I finished strong!

From Devastation to Delight

Those of you who know me well know that I was fairly disappointed in my finish time at the Marine Corps Marathon last October.  You can read the race report here.  It's not that I wasn't thankful for a PR and a Boston-Qualifying time on my second marathon.  It's just that I had trained to run a 3:30, not a 3:53!  I had followed the 18-week, 55-70 mile/week, training plan from Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning.  It's a good, solid plan, and it led to great improvements in both my endurance and speed.  I had gone in fairly confident of hitting my goal within 5-10 minutes.  The disappointment of missing my goal by 23 minutes was a bitter pill to swallow.

I don't stay down for long though!  We had not even driven halfway home from Washington, D.C., before I was plotting my "come-back/revenge" race.  I briefly considered running the Jacksonville Marathon in December, but it only allowed one month of recovery time.  In retrospect, I'm glad I held off.

Instead, I set my sights on the Tallahassee Marathon on February 3, 2013.  The race had several things going for it. The first and biggest was that Tallahassee is my home town.  Instead of hauling the family on a 10-hour car trip, staying in three different hotels, walking through museums for three days, and navigating DC traffic, I would be staying with my parents or sister, having a short and easy drive, and avoiding the general stress of a family vacation.

Another advantage to the Tallahassee Marathon is that the course is pancake flat.  I like that.  Don't get me wrong - hills are good for you (really, they are!).  However, I train on a flat trail near home, so this was the best course I could hope for.  The weather is typically fairly dry in February, and the 5-year temperatures for race day appeared to be in a very good range as well.  Therefore, all I had to do was to get ready to run another 26.2 - this time without starting to fall apart half-way through the race and then totally falling apart in the last four miles.

Although I took a slightly different approach this cycle, training went fairly well until last Saturday, two weeks before race day.  The plan that day was to run a dress rehearsal.  I aimed to run little over 19 miles at somewhere very close to marathon goal pace (8:00/mile).  Although the stats for that day showed I ran an average pace of about 8:17, the experience was (as the title of this post indicates)...devastating.

The first half of the run went fine until just before the turn-around.  I could tell I was breathing kind of hard.  However, I reasoned that the trail had a slight incline there, and that with a10-minute break at a slower pace, I would rally.  When the ten minutes were up, I was not at all eager to run 60 more minutes at pace.  I had fueled that morning with a slice of toast with peanut butter, a half a banana, and 8-oz water.  I carried 23-oz of G2 (actually, it was the Kirkland brand - from Costco - of a sports drink, containing 40 calories) and 3 Accel gels.  The temperature was just above freezing, so I wasn't worried too much about becoming dehydrated.

In the second half of the run, I experienced several symptoms that gradually worsened: blurred vision, graying out around the edges of my vision, headache, disorientation, inability to focus, nausea, heavy breathing, and extreme fatigue.  Keep in mind, I'm sort of used to hard runs.  I know what it is to be tired.  This was far worse.  I felt like I could drop onto the grass and instantly fall into a deep sleep.  However, I am not one to quit.  Even when my running buddies noticed that I was not looking or sounding good, I kept going.  I think I would have run until I actually passed out.  Fortunately, that did not happen.  In looking at my stats, I saw that I had almost hit my goal pace for the run (I ran about an 8:17 average pace).  However, I had felt completely spent with still four miles to go.  It was truly grueling.

I stopped running about a third of a mile short of the end, turned off my watch, and walked the remaining distance.  Even that was very, very hard.  I got in my car and drove 5 minutes home, noting that my vision was extremely blurry.  As soon as I opened the door, I requested that my husband get me some Advil, very quickly!  Something made me decide to take my blood pressure.  To my utter amazement, it was almost a coma-inducing low of 76/55!  No wonder I felt like passing out!  My head throbbed for about an hour after that, but after a couple of hours, I was glad to see my blood pressure rise to about 100/61.  By that night, it was back in the normal range at 124/77.

For the next few days, as I stroked my wounded ego and dealt with an incredibly low confidence level, I undertook the task of thoroughly research blood pressure and running.  Because I take 10mg Lisinopril nightly (a low dose) to combat a mild, but persistent case of hypertension, I also checked into how that drug might impact my running.  Friends and family urged me to see a doctor, but something told me that the only things a doctor would do are 1) tell me not to run so hard, which is completely unacceptable, 2) adjust my dose of medicine, or 3) try a new medicine.

I decided I would get to know my BP range very well.  For the next few days, I took a reading first thing in the morning, another at 9:00 at night, and one I track separately after every run.  My morning BP is much lower than my evening BP (this is typical).  I also decided to do a test (totally NOT doctor recommended or approved) of going off the medicine for two days.  After two days, my BP rose to just in the "mildly elevated" range.  When I went back on the med,  my BP returned to normal by the next day.  Therefore, taking this approach seemed like a good strategy to ensure my BP stayed high enough on very long runs, and especially for the marathon.

Since I planned to run another 19-miler the next Saturday (this morning), I stopped taking the medicine two days ahead of time.  My BP this morning was 147/83.  That's a bit high, but I know that it's not scary high.  Again, I fueled about the same.  The only difference was that I drank 16-oz of water with a Nuun tablet about an hour before the run.  I wanted to make sure hydration wasn't an issue.

I gave myself full permission to adjust pace to how I felt.  I was not going to push it.  However, because last week's run was pretty devastating, I seriously hoped this run would provide some sort of psychological boost.  I'll cut to the chase; it went incredibly well!!  Although I was not aiming to run as fast as I did last week, my pace was actually a tiny bit faster (an 8:15 average).  What's even better is that I felt comfortable the whole time.  By mile 15, I was feeling downright frisky!  Therefore I loosened the reins a little.  Miles 16 and 17 were at just over a 7:30 pace.  I then decided to slow down a little at the end (because the marathon is in a week, and I really shouldn't have run this far or fast).  However, I still coasted in very comfortably with times just under an 8:00 pace.  Best of all, when I got back, my BP was a fairly decent 106/69.

The med strategy appears to have worked well to keep my BP from plummeting drastically at the end of a long run (again, I'm sure any doctors reading this would heartily frown upon this approach).  I doubt I'll ever get off the Lisinopril totally because my weight, nutrition, and fitness level are already very good and my average BP runs a little high.  However, I got the desired boost of confidence I need for next Sunday.  I plan to go out slow and listen to my body.  I would so much rather have a negative split than a heavily positive one, and I really, really don't want to feel like crying or passing out during the last 10K of the race.  If I can avoid these two things, I don't mind if I miss my goal by a little.  As a good friend says, a marathon finish time is just one more data point in life.  I am proud and happy about what my body can do when I run.  A good run delivers some of the best endorphins imaginable and does wonders for my self-esteem, even if/when I suffer a disappointment.

So, be on the lookout for a race report in the next couple of weeks!

Year-end Review

This has been a year like no other in my life!  Running has become a huge part of me, and it has begun to define me in wonderful and unexpected ways.  It's the best medicine I could ever ask for, both physically and mentally.  My only regret is that I waited until I was in my mid-40s to discover my deep passion for all things running and for all who enjoy the sport as much as I do!

I'll try my best to summarize the year of running through the lists, bullet points, and photos below...

The Stats:

Total miles run in 2012:  2,432
Most miles run in a week:  70
Most miles run in a month:  258
Number of 18+ mile training runs:  14
Total number of racing events:  19
Weight: 112.5 beginning of the year; 112.0 end of year

The Races:

Marathons:  2 - Albany Marathon (4:00:16) and Marine Corps Marathon (3:53:56)
Trail Marathons:  1 - Twisted Ankle Marathon (5:43:01)
196-mile Ultra Relay Race (team of 12):  1 - Southern Odyssey Relay
Half Marathons:  5 (1:40:13 PR)
15Ks:  1 (1:10:15 PR)
10Ks:  5 (45:23 PR)
5Ks:  4 (24:30 PR)
For full details on the races, please see my race history page.

The Highlights:

• earning a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon during my second marathon (a sweet bonus that was not even a blip on my radar screen at the beginning of the year)
• earning a spot in Corral A of the Peachtree Road Race 10K for the first time on my 20th year running it
• running the Peachtree Road Race with my husband (whose time I actually beat this year!) and with SO many of my best buddies
• experiencing the joy of success in winning PRs on every single distance of race this year
• earning several race awards
• having some training days where I felt truly fabulous from start to finish
• training with my 9-year-old daughter and running her first 5K with her
• meeting so many wonderful running friends online and in person
• running long runs and training daily with several very special friends (you all know who you are!)
• traveling to Charlotte, NC, to run a half marathon with a friend I met online through her blog, and then having her visit me to run the Twisted Ankle marathon
• having a tremendous support group via Daily Mile; being inspired there by some truly terrific athletes; and seeing everyone who stuck with their running throughout the year make progress
• participating in racing events with Adventure Runners and Running Divas, as well as many Daily Mile and Tallahassee friends
• frolicking around and running at all hours of the day and night with the five other people in my van at the Southern Odyssey Relay
• walking into the choir room the day after both my marathons and being treated like a celebrity!
• praying with Francis before our runs and races
• talking with other runners about anything and everything (Hello, nice to meet you.  So, we're going to be doing this run for a looong time.  Time me your life's story!)
• getting gloriously and severely spray-painted in bright multi-colors as I dashed through the Color Run 5K
• running with new friends from different countries and enjoying listening to their super-cool accents as the miles melted away
• attending an event hosted by the ladies of Another Mother Runner and being spotlighted on Sarah and Dimity's wonderful blog
• purchasing a flowery double-ruffle running skirt from Lululemon after seeing Sarah display it on a tweet (LOVE that skirt!)
• keeping myself injury-free, even when the miles piled on, and seeing my legs get slim and toned, even while getting to eat more calories
• experiencing an eagerness to run at an extremely high level all year long, through any kind of weather and even in the early, dark, cold winter mornings
• celebrating with friends on their successes, commiserating them on letdowns, and motivating them as best I could through training
• enjoying watching the seasons change on my beloved Silver Comet Trail
• feeling strong support and love from my family as I pursued goal after goal

Race Bling!

There were only a few of what I'd consider low-lights:

• running my first marathon through a severe thunderstorm with buckets of rain, thunder, high winds, and puddles everywhere :-(
• leaping over what I thought was a gnarly root in the trail marathon and discovering in mid-air that it was a 3' rattlesnake!  Still having nightmares....
• losing my MCM race number in a prior hotel, discovering it the night before the marathon, suffering anguish, lack of sleep, and less-than-stellar race results
• falling several times on trails and busting up hands and knees
• tripping over a speed hump (of all things) and severely bending back two fingers a week before my first marathon

Major OUCH!!!

2012 Goals:

1. Run at least 1,800 miles this year.  BLOWN AWAY at 2,436!
2. Run in at least 1 race per month.  Got in at least one a month, for 19 total!
3. Run a marathon.  Did two!
4. Run a time that served as a qualifier for Corral A in the Peachtree Road Race 10K. Qualified via a 10K, but later even qualified in every race distance except the 5K (What can I say?  Short runs are just not my thing.).
5. Stay injury-free.  Managed to do this!  Hallelujah!
6. Have fun.  Had way more fun than I even dared hope!

It has been such a successful year that, in looking ahead, I'm not at all sure what to hope for in 2013.  These goals are almost all going to be stupendously challenging, but I am daring to aim high!

2013 Goals:

1. Run 2,500 miles in 2013.
2. Run two marathons.  (The first one is coming up in early February.  My A goal is a 3:30.)
3. Run an ultra distance race.
4. Run a 1:38 half marathon, preferably at the Berry Half since a friend and I sort of have a friendly challenge going on.  :-)
5. Earn a mug at the Peachtree Road Race 10K.  To do that, I need to aim for a sub-43-minute 10K.  Yikes.
6. Train for another 5K with my daughter and help her place in her age group.

Having fun and staying injury-free are, of course, on my list for every year!

Photo Review

Starting the year off right, racing beside John at the Resolution 10K

Tartan Trot 10K where I met sweet & hilarious Tad

Berry Half Marathon where I shaved 16 minutes of my half marathon time & won 3rd in my AG

Hanging with Adventure Runners after the race

Flashing some leg before the Albany Marathon

Getting to meet super-inspiring Danielle & running the NC Half with her!

Getting light-headed & pink-toothed at the Color Run 5K

Meeting Sarah of Another Mother Runner in person!

Winning 3rd place & earning Peachtree-qualifying time at the Run the River 10K

Training with my daughter on the Silver Comet Trail

Watching her mighty dash to the finish line of her first 5K!

Trail running with buds (12 miles were completed after I bloodied my knee in a fall)

Three Musketeers (Danielle, Tom, & I) at the Twisted Ankle Marathon

Francis, looking serene, after generously pacing me to a new PR on the Dawsonville Half (truly, a highlight of my year!)

Tad, helping me through the excruciating last quarter mile of the Possum Trot 10K

1st Place AG & 10K PR of 45:23 at the Possum Trot!!

Hubby & friends, ALL in Corral A before the Peachtree 10K  (I got to run with the big kids!)

Hanging out with the gang in Piedmont Park

Enjoyable moment with fellow Running Divas, reuniting at last with sorority sister, Laura!

Feeling the heat at the Alien Half on a late August afternoon

2nd place Master's female at the Chick-fil-A 5K

Smiling after pulling a 1:40:15 at the hilly Allstate Half!

At the start line of the Southern Odyssey Ultra Relay

At the finish line of the relay, 28 hours later, and still smiling!

Digging deep for some mojo at mile 18 of the Marine Corps Marathon

Showing off gorgeous marathon medals with fellow Leon HS grad, Steve

Running in the Tallahassee Turkey Trot 15K with awesome ultra buddy, Gary