Race report: Last Chance BQ.2 Marathon, Geneva, IL

State: 6 of 50

BQ margin: 12:27 faster than age group requirement of 3:55

I had previously run a Boston Qualifying Time in March, but with a scant 52-second margin, I was not about to risk missing getting in to next Spring's Boston Marathon, so I did the sensible thing and set out to train through the swampy sweltering summer in Atlanta. I wanted my “last chance” to lock in a better time and improve my odds. The Boston Athletic Association accepts the fastest runners within each age group first, and when the race fills up, even if you technically "qualified," you might still not make the cut because of the limited race size. It has gotten tougher each year. I guess that makes us want it all the more. People actually go nuts over this.

One aspect that makes the Last Chance Marathon special is that it’s currently one of only two races in the U.S. that qualifies you for not just one, but two, years of Boston entries. Big Cottonwood in Utah is the other race. It also means that if you don’t get your time here, you will definitely not be running Boston the following Spring because it's on the last day of sign-ups.

Even the race bibs are meaningful. The first three digits of the number (in my case - 355) indicate the finish time needed to qualify you to enter the Boston Marathon based on your gender and age. The next number is the table position of a "special water bottle" you can fill with whatever you like and have waiting for you at the beginning of each lap. The last number is the number of the table it will be placed on. So I was the "0" table, which was last. I looked forward to seeing my squeeze bottle waiting for me each time I complete a lap. The number beside the name indicates the number of times each participant has run the Boston Marathon. I think mine actually deserves to get a 2.3 because in 2015 I lasted until mile 10 before getting violently ill, throwing up all over the place, and getting hauled off in the medical bus back into town. I earned every step of that 0.3! Now the word "Elite" at the top. well...I don't know how to tell you this, but...I'm kind of a big deal! LOL

Because of its focus on Boston qualifying and because all entrants are required to have raced another marathon in the prior twelve months in which the finish time was less than a minute slower than the time needed to BQ, the race attracts a pretty specific and fairly elite crowd. This race is not one just "for fun." It's filled with 300 people who have their hearts set on going to Boston in April and who have a decent chance of accomplishing that goal. In fact, it felt like I was looking at a subset of the exact crowd that I would see in Boston. Everyone was very fit, and all were obviously anxious to achieve the required finish time. It's not surprising that I finished first in my age group because I was aiming for a tougher margin than most. It's also not surprising that my gender and overall results look much less impressive because there were many younger men and women trying to BQ, whereas this is not the case at many marathons.

Look, even my Adidas Boston shoes are in the spirit of the race!

The site of the race was Geneva, IL, and the town of Geneva is about 45 minutes west of Chicago. It is quite suburban and very charming. The Fox River runs through the town and is the focal point of the race. The course is along a roughly three-mile paved, flat trail which flanks both sides of the river and requires 8 loops to complete. This is, of course, not everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it scenic and with long enough loops not to be too monotonous. The course was breezy and tree-lined, thereby providing shade for about 3/4 of each loop.






I flew up Friday morning with my friend and training partner, Linda. We are the same age, so we had the same goal. We also run about the same pace, so it was very nice to have company for this race. We had a very early flight, and so we were able to meet up with my good friend, Eliot, from Chicago for breakfast on his way out to Washington to run a marathon of his own. He is on a mission to run all 50 states, each in less than 3:30. He only has 4 to go!

After breakfast we headed out to the suburbs and entered the town of Geneva. It didn't take long to find the running store where we picked up our race bibs. Then we headed to the course to take a preview walk around the three-mile loop. We could quickly see why this location is the scene of many weddings and other events. We passed a beautiful Japanese garden and walked through canopy trees along our way. The river was visible for almost the entire course. We then checked into our room and had an early dinner before retiring to our room to rest up for the race.

         

The race was supposed to have started at 6:30, though the gun didn't actually go off until 6:36. The temperature at the start was 54 degrees and the air was less humid than it was in Atlanta. After sizing up the pacing crew, I decided I would just strike out on my own. Though I technically only needed a 3:50 to have a 5-minute Boston cushion, I was aiming for a 3:39 as my A goal. I had trained for that, but I also knew there was no pressure if that didn't happen. My training had been pretty solid, so I aimed high.

My spirits were up at the start, and my generous taper had left me with seemingly endless energy. So I floated across the start line with pep in my step and optimism in my soul.

I recently purchased a Garmin 245-music watch, so that meant I had tunes already loaded on my watch (without needing to carry my phone). As the gun went off I was listening to Tom Petty's Runnin' Down a Dream. I charged out, a bundle of extra energy. I knew my pace was too fast for the start, but I was swept away with a feeling of euphoria in running with this elite crowd and by the beautiful scenery.

As we went down the first stretch dawn was just breaking and a mist was rising from the river. I could see the elite runners ahead as they turned right to cross the land bridge across the river. It was such a beautiful sight that I got completely choked up. In fact, I'm choking up again as I write this. It's an amazing feeling running a marathon. Or at least it can be.

There were three water stations along the course, which meant we had water every mile. At the beginning/ending of the loop there was the "special water station" where we each could have our own drink waiting on a table set up for us (just like the elites have at Boston!). So I grabbed my drink and got a few squirts at each lap. Then they have a "discard pad" where you toss the drink away and they carefully place it back on the table for you at the next lap. This was very handy!

The mile markers along the course were all portable. Each marker had the mile number and a meaningful word on a banner. These were words like unstoppable, stamina, float, form, trained, determined, etc. It was fun to read each one. As we got to later laps, they had removed the earlier markers so that you could focus more on those later miles. I thought: so this is where I'm going to hit mile 20...

About at mile 10, I saw a very surprising sight. There, just standing on the side of the road, less than a foot away, was a young fox! It was quite beautiful and vibrant red. I wish I had been holding my phone so I could have taken a photo. I guess it makes sense why they call this area Fox Valley.

Although the path was quite narrow, we didn't seem to have any crowding problems. In fact, much of the time there were only a few people in my sight. However, before I finished my third of eight laps, the race front runner passed me. He just came floating by as if running were completely effortless! I think he ran a 2:38. Just amazing.

I stayed focused on my music and on being positive. I knew my 18 weeks of training had been solid, and that the weather was as good as could be expected this time of year.

My feet kept up with the beat of the music I played. I made a special soundtrack of songs that each have around 188 beats per minute so that they would match my natural running cadence. This is the first time I have run a marathon with music, and I think it worked out well. Both my watch and my earphones held their battery power for the duration of the race.

My pace was slightly faster than planned and fairly steady for the first half. I didn't worry too much , though, because I was feeling very good. I have run enough marathons to know that it's important to save energy for those last tough miles. I slurped down my Gu packs every 6 miles. I have practiced using it on all my long runs.

I did face one unfortunate circumstance which proved to be problematic in the last 5 miles of the race. By only halfway through the race, my left quad had already begun to feel a bit achy. I generally take Advil halfway through the race to help with general soreness, but to my chagrin, I discovered it was not in the pocket of my "special cup" where I had tucked it away. It had apparently rolled out when I had tossed the cup on the discard mat. I knew that the last few miles were going to be rough without it.

After the first three laps, the volunteers placed arching sign posts designed to look like all the official town signs from Hopkinton to Boston that runners always pass along the Boston Marathon route. Having already run Boston twice before, I was very familiar with these towns, and once again, as I ran under these archways, I got choked up. I knew there was a very good chance I would be there again next April.

I knew the last two laps (roughly mile 20 to the end) were going to be tough, both physically and mentally. I was getting passed by many other runners, but I reminded myself that most of these runners were probably a lap (or more) ahead of me, and that I shouldn't be disheartened. Cheering from the sidelines were many supporters wearing their Boston swag from previous years. They were very encouraging as they knew each of us was giving it all we had.

One lap to go...

My pace really started to slip after I hit mile 21. However, I was determined to fight for every second and to not get lazy, knowing that I was well ahead of the minimum time needed, but still wanting to get the best time possible. My stamina seemed to be holding well, but the pesky issues that have been plaguing my left leg became a major issue. As I walked briefly through one water stop, I could feel my quad start to buckle. It was very frustrating and extremely painful. I tried to just manage the soreness and not give up any more pace than I had to. But I'll admit to lapsing into the ugly run/walk that hits so many at the end. The results are evident in the splits above. I tired to think about my friends and happy places, but the pain dulled my thoughts and I just had to manage the best I could. As the sun had risen, so had the temperature. It felt pretty hot in the sunny places, and I was wishing for 55 degrees again.

For the last two miles, I pulled out my earphones and just listened to outside noises and my inner voice instead of my playlist, which was already into its second cycle. One girl in front of me sounded terrible! She was wailing with every breath. I felt sorry for her, but I also wondered if all that noise wasn't counterproductive. I kept pushing on, knowing that I was going to make it and that it would all be over soon. The times I broke into a walk, I almost hobbled. So I tried to limit that as much as possible.

Finally the finish line was just ahead and although the pain from my leg was very intense, my heart still skipped a beat as I ran under that giant blue and yellow banner. They called out my name and said that I had indeed qualified for Boston! They ring a giant "Boston bell" for each runner if they make the required time. It was very exciting!!

Ouch, just ouch!!! I think that's the most despairing I've ever looked after a race.
Zoom in on this photo and you can see my true agony.

But I sure know how to plaster on a smile when I realize I'm done!!

After the race I went to the medical tent to get some delayed pain relief from ibuprofen. Later I met up with Linda for a celebration and a couple of photos. She had qualified too! It was a completely satisfying thought to know we would both being going to Boston and likely training for it together.

The race is so specifically focused on the BQ goal that they did not do age group awards. However, that did not stop me from being pleased that I was first out of twelve in my age group, and that I had a sizable lead over second place. Linda and I signed up for Boston as soon as we got back from the hotel. Registration closed at 5:00pm, so we did not waste any time.

After that, Linda and I showered up, checked out, and headed back to Chicago to catch our flight home. It was certainly a short trip, but we accomplished what we had come to do, and now I have my 6th state's marathon completed and my 17th overall. Next up is the Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama (state #7!), on December 14. Nine friends will also be running that day, and it promises to be a great girly road trip. Time to get back to the training after a rest day or two!

Hi there. This is my first post in 4-5 years! Yes, I'm still running, and even still running marathons. When I first started running (and when I started this blog), I was younger. I was also ever-eager to run farther and faster. I was hungry for shiny new PRs and the glorious euphoria that comes with earning them. In recent times, I've traded in some of my exuberance for a bit more maturity and perspective.

I won't say that I've completely ruled out a marathon PR. After all, who can, in good conscience, "retire" with a 3:30 (OH ONE!) as their record. I mean, the detail of that race always make for a good story, but the two seconds it would have taken me to break through that 3:30 barrier will haunt me until my dying day.

My most recent marathon was on 3/2/2019. I ran the same course I did at the PR race. My time was 3:54:08. It was good enough to earn the coveted Boston Marathon Qualifier time, but not good enough to actually get me in for next spring. Therefore, I'm six weeks in to training for the Last Chance Marathon which will be September 14 in Chicago. I've already trained more diligently for this one that I did for the March race, and I have a soft goal of 3:45. This will be plenty enough for that BQ I seek.

Back when I blogged before, my runs were not only motivated by having fun. They were also an escape from certain things. Since that time, I have lost some of my running intensity, but I have more fun with it. And I've settled in to run until the day I die.

So, this is just a brief "I'm back" post. I hope to keep up with these posts as a diary of sorts. Thanks for reading!

Race Report: Possum Trot 10K

Before I begin this report, I need to fill in some background details in order to provide some perspective.

Instead of a possum, I was the roadkill!

On March 17th I was delighted when I set a surprising new PR on the Publix Georgia Half Marathon, which I ran in 1:38:58 (average pace of 7:33). That started me thinking hard about one of the six goals I set for 2013: Earn a mug at the Peachtree Road Race 10K. In order to meet this goal, I would need to run 6.2 miles on July 4 in heat and up hills at an average pace of 6:55. It seemed nearly impossible, but I decided to go for it anyway. I planned to devote three months to speed training.

Smiling after taking home 3rd place female at
Run the River, just a month earlier!

After a month of training, I tackled the Historic Roswell 10-Miler at a pace of 7:27, and a week later I set another new 10K PR of 44:21 (7:10 average pace) at Run the River (but I never got the race report done).  One might think these races demonstrated my potential for success on reaching my Peachtree goal. However, as most experienced runners know, many complex factors come into play in racing. Some are physical (type and amount of training, nutrition, experience, etc.). Others are psychological (size of race, pacing with friends or groups, general outlook for race success, etc.). Still others are outside of our direct control (weather, difficulty of the course, etc.). Success depends on these all coming together nicely on race day. Even sometimes when they don't, one of the factors will outweigh the others and still cause the experience to be especially good or bad.

Yesterday, June 1 (two months into training and a month away from the Peachtree), I ran another 10K, the Possum Trot. To say things did not go well is an understatement. I spent much of yesterday afternoon wallowing in self-pity and trying to understand where I went wrong. The good news is that even in my darkest tunnels, there is always light. I am one of those people who is blessed to experience tremendous emotional ups and downs. Although that may sound scary, I would not trade this aspect of my personality for the world. I went to bed last night still feeling down, but I decided to quickly glance at my Daily Mile account where all my runner friends hang out. Upon glancing at the page, a big fat tear trickled down my cheek, not because I was sad, but because I had been so incredibly uplifted by a slough of tremendously supportive comments from people who really understood how I felt! It was such a powerfully positive experience that I went to bed a few minutes later happier than ever.

This morning when I woke up, I could tell that I was out of the tunnel and felt emotionally stronger than ever. I firmly believe that the failures in life (and especially in running races) teach us more about ourselves and about the world than any successes do. I'm certainly thankful for all the success I have enjoyed, but failures keep me humble and guide me to dig deeper and analyze more. They also keep me hungry to try harder (and smarter) the next time, and they especially remind me to put things into perspective. This is a small thing in the scheme of life. However, those who run also know how painful of an experience races can be, and they know it's about more than just the number at the end. It represents an investment of time, energy, determination, and pure hard work too.

So, on to the nitty-gritty of the race...

Now wouldn't you feel confident running with this guy?

My coach, Mike Buteau of TriCoachGeorgia.com, told me he was going to run this one with me, and I was excited at the chance to have a personal pacer. Our plan was to go out "conservatively" at a 7:10 for the first two miles, hit 7:00 for the second two, speed it up to 6:50 for last two, and then sprint to the finish for a PR of just under 44 minutes. Although my overall average pace for the last 10K had been 7:10, I was skeptical as to whether I could hold this pace. All of my important training runs have included some pace miles, but they were not just hard, they always felt "nearly impossible." Also, it was 25 degrees warmer this morning than it was for Run the River.

We ran about a mile together before the race to get warmed up, and then we headed to the start line. I tried not to think about what was ahead, but I just tried to crack jokes and fake-act looking relaxed. I had not eaten that morning except for slurping down an Accel gel and 16 ounces of water with Nuun an hour before the race. I'm not sure why I had made that decision, but I run most mornings without breakfast and did not think about how this might affect the race.

Hanging out with my friend, Elise, looking like Easter bunnies!

A worried look already

As the gun went off, we sprang into action. Mike tried to getting a pace reading for us, but it was hard with everyone around. After a half mile or so, we settled into what he said was our goal pace. It felt scarily fast. Our 1 mile split per Garmin was 6:52 (18 seconds ahead of schedule). I was already mentally banishing the thoughts of tiredness from the back of my mind. I thought, "At least we have a tiny bit of cushion, which I'm definitely going to need."

Some time during mile 2, Mike told me to pull it back a little. I thanked him profusely (at least in my mind) and tried to back off. I guess I wasn't totally successful because a short time later I felt a tug on the back of my tank top as he was reining me in. We hit the 2 mile mark at 7:07, thankfully much closer to the goal for that mile, but still leaving us a net cushion of 21 seconds. I passed up Mike's suggestion to get water when we passed the station. After that, we started up a slight incline toward a turn-around point. I had to chug really hard to get to the top, and I remember gasping for breath as soon as I rounded the corner. At least I knew we would enjoy a slight decline. The 3 mile marker showed us at something like 22 minutes, which I knew was wrong. Our watches both showed 7:08 for the third mile. It was a bit slower than our planned 7:00 pace for that mile, but still left us 13 seconds ahead.


The fourth mile got particularly tough as we started a roughly 70-foot incline over half a mile. I could feel my pace slip a bit and was helpless to remedy that. Mile 4 was 7:13.  Now, there was no wiggle room in the plan. I was going to need to hold a 6:50 pace for what I felt would be an eternally long 2.2 miles.  In the back of my mind, I already knew that was not going to happen. I was giving it everything I had.  My breathing turned into verbal huffing and puffing as it has done in past races during the last half mile of a race. I was trying so hard to keep myself moving! My lungs just couldn't process the oxygen. Mike calmly directed me to slow my breathing and to focus on form. I was successful for a few seconds and then I faltered. This happened again and again. If someone can tell me how get get control without slowing down, I'd love to know the secret. I'm sure some of it is mental, and if I had only had half a mile to go, I could have made it. However, I was a long, long way from the finish and had two short, steep hills to tackle. All my mental tricks were dulled. It was not as if I could just tell the pain to go away. It was just beyond what I had the capability to do.

 In all three photos, I have the look of despair. My form is poor. Even my hair is not happy.  

In retrospect, I should have just slowed down to get my breathing under control and then maybe I could have rallied a little. I did not do that, however. I just kept pushing and pushing. Finally I started to babble. About half way into mile 5, I broke into a walk. I think it was at a water station. Mike quickly downed his sip of water, but I dawdled a little, partly because I can't drink water fast and partly to give myself a second or two of rest. I wanted to tell him to just leave me in a puddle and come back for me later. When I did start back up a couple seconds later, I slowed the pace a little, hoping to get control again.

Mile 5 was a dreadful 8:13. By that time, there was no need to calculate how far off I was. I knew I was toast and still had 1.2 hilly miles to go. To say I didn't recover at all would be an understatement. I got really dizzy, sobby, and just could not keep going. Mike steadied me and tried to get me to calm down, but I kept insisting that I had to keep running. I walked three times during that mile.

By mile 6, I was feeling like 0.2 miles was infinitely long. That last full mile was 10:06!  During that time, Mike was really worried about me.  He asked what I ate that morning. When I told him I had not eaten before the race, he said that was probably a big reason for my symptoms. He tried hard to get me to just stop and leave the course, but I stubbornly kept on running/walking more. I am not one to quit, even when it's probably not medically and sensibly the right thing. Right at mile 6, I must have stopped completely, though, because my watch is missing about 38 seconds of "moving time."  It was then that a sweet girl named Andrea stopped and offered her water to me. I remember screaming at her, "Go! GO, don't you know this is a race?!" I think she reluctantly went on, but a couple of minutes later when I hobbled across the finish line and immediately turned to the side of the road, she was right there with Mike, and both were trying to help me!

They found a place for me to sit and grabbed a cold Propel to help me hydrate. Then, they started packing M&Ms in my cheeks like I was a hamster! I tried to slowly let them melt, but my stomach said no, so I spit them out. There were no medics to be found, but I knew I needed to get up and walk around. We took a short walk and headed to a bench.  By then I was feeling better. My friends, Elise and Rachelle and Adam came to check on me too. However, the paramedics insisted that I go into their van to check me out. My blood pressure was 127/80, and my pulse was 86 (still a bit high). Strangely, my blood sugar was a very high 212. That seemed a bit odd. They tried to take me to the hospital for observation, but I quickly and strongly declined. Finally, they let me go, and I was able to join my friends at the awards area.

I had crossed the finish line in 49:11, my worst 10K time in a year and a half. I had run the same course last year in 45:23. In spite of all of the drama, I somehow came in 3rd in my age group (really 4th, but the 1st place must have won the masters award). Mike jokingly said the headline of my report should read, "From Ambulance to Podium!" It seemed like an extremely hollow victory, but then Elise reminded me that many would love to run a race in the time I ran it in.

The race was definitely a huge disappointment, and I feel that I let my coach down in a way. He has believed in me all along and has helped me to run faster than I ever thought possible. However, like I said, there are many factors that feed into a race. No outcome is guaranteed. The process will always be more important than one individual result. It is a process of self-discovery and of learning to push the limits. I am growing wiser daily, and yet have only just begun!

Race Report: Historic Roswell 10-Miler

What a fun race! Held in the town of Roswell in their charming Historic District, this event offered two different race distances.  Previously the race included a 5K only. This year, however, they decided to shake things up and add in a 10-Miler race as well.  It's a bit of an unusual distance, and, being my first race of that length, I automatically scored a PR - woo hoo!

Official time: 1:14:32 (7:28 pace)
Women 45-49:  3 out of 43 (7.0%)
All Women:  4 out of 294 (1.4%)
Overall:  20 out of 466 (4.3%)

The event was very well organized, with plenty of nearby parking, convenient race number pick-up both the day before and the day of the race, and a nice stretchy tee shirt that came in both men's and women's sizes.  They even donned beautiful finisher medals on all who completed the 10-Miler!  After the race, area instructors held complimentary yoga sessions.

I first learned of this race from a friend, Bill, who as a race sponsor, had some race passes to offer a few friends.  He was so kind to bestow two of these upon my friend, Rachelle, and me.  We thank you, Bill!  Although we had not previously heard of the event, as race day approached, we saw that it had become very popular.  It even sold out in its inaugural year.

I woke at 4:45 Saturday morning, leaving just enough time to do the bare essentials before I headed over.  One of these tasks was to drop a Nuun tab into my squeeze water bottle.  I even remembered to prop the lid on top gently so that the fizzing of the dissolving tab would not cause the lid to get too tight.  I headed out, feeling calm and confident.  A couple minutes later, though, I grabbed my water bottle to drink some of the Nuun drink.   Oops.  The lid came tumbling into my lap, along with half the contents of the bottle!  I quickly screeched to a halt, made a U-turn, and headed back home to get a towel.  I was literally marinating in a puddle of Nuun.  Luckily, my tank top was black and my skirt was dark.  I decided to just blot myself off the best I could and to make do without changing.  With my mood (and my clothes) a bit dampened, I headed back out again.

Shortly after I arrived, I saw Bill and then Rachelle.  Rachelle and I hung out in my van so we could stay warm until right before the race.  When we got to the start line, we soon realized that we were in the 5K line-up and that the start to the 10-Miler was a fairly long way up the road.  With just seconds to spare, I reached the starting line and headed out.  Rachelle was still doing some final stretching when the gun went off.

My plan was to take this race at about a 7:42 pace.  One reason I wanted to play it conservatively is that I had another race coming up the next Saturday.  It's a 10K on a mostly flat course where the goal is to break 45 minutes.  That is one of my intermediate steps toward a bigger goal of running the hot, hilly Peachtree Road Race 10K in under 43 minutes.  Taking two minutes off a 10K time sounds like a huge undertaking, but the faster I can run next weekend, the less of a difference I'll need to shave off in the next two months.

Sometimes I stop and wonder why in the world I get caught up in all these numbers and goals, and not just run for fun.  However, I am a numbers person, so figuring out paces and other running statistics is actually fun to me.  Also, I love to set and work toward goals.  When they are hard to reach, I find that I rise to the challenge with even more determination.  Each time I run a PR, I reflect on it with disbelief and wonder how I managed to pull off a certain pace.  Then I realize it's because I love running and because I love to work hard!  The results accompany the work that goes into them.  I certainly don't reach every goal, but I do learn a valuable lesson with each failure.  Then I just reassess, smile, and move on!

Since the first part of this particular race was downhill, I went ahead and allowed myself to have a fast start.  There were plenty of hills to navigate, so I wanted to enjoy the parts that were easy.  I noticed my watch read 1.1 miles as I passed their 1-mile marker.  Either the marker was placed incorrectly or my watch was off.  Because of this, I did not get to see my split.

At about halfway through the second mile, I heard very rapid footsteps coming up behind me.  Without even looking, I just knew it had to be Rachelle.  It was!  As she caught up to me, we gave each other a little cheer and then she sauntered on ahead.  I didn't even try to keep up with her because I knew I was supposed to be running conservatively.  No other females passed me the rest of the race and I did not pass any of them.  I had guys on my right and guys on my left, the whole way!

The race had thinned out significantly by mile 3, so I looked around for people to run with.  I saw a young guy in a red shirt and told him I liked his pace.  We chatted for a couple of minutes because we were going downhill.  Eventually, I passed him as the downhill got steeper.  I can really fly on the way down!  I just get very relaxed and lean just a little forward and let gravity pull me - just like my friend, Francis taught me.  I noticed a couple of my mile splits were a bit faster than I had planned, but I told myself that meant I could be very conservative in the second half.  Right.

It was a bit daunting going down because I knew this course was an oval and that we would be going up the exact same terrain on the mirror side of that oval.  However, I figured I might as well enjoy it while it lasted.  About the time it flattened out again, heading into the second half.  I was running between two other guys and we were all discussing what was in store for us around the bend.  It seems they had not studied the course map.  Gotta do your homework, guys!  I told them we were in for the reverse of that lovely hill we just came down.  They groaned, I chuckled, and we all chugged on.

As I hit the first big hill at mile 6, I spotted a guy in a blue shirt and just decided to stay with him as best as I could and follow him up the hill.  As my lungs began to scream a bit, I thought of my friends who would be running the awful hills of the Boston Marathon Monday, and it gave me heart to keep on working my way up.  When I got to the top of one of the last hills, I thanked the blue shirt guy for leading the way.  He grinned and replied, "Too old to run, too young to die!"

Just before the last mile, the young red shirt guy, who I could hear on my heels the whole time, caught up and said, "My goal this whole race was to keep up with you."  Aw!  That just made me feel so good.  I sort of backed off as we hit the very final hill and let him go.  I guess I was feeling guilty for having gone too fast.  I even walked a few steps, and then picked it back up so I could at least look strong going across the finish line.

As soon as I crossed, I saw Rachelle, who had run the course a little over a minute faster.  We shared a celebratory hug, got our medals and shirts, and then dropped them off in our cars so we could go do some yoga.

Since I had never done yoga before, I was itching to check it out.  The lady who led us had set out rubber mats for us.  Unfortunately, I happened to be on my bad knee (the one that got skinned a while back) when I made a sharp twist.  I caught it exactly at the worst place!  Ouch!  Other than that, though, everything felt really good.

When we finished, we caught up with Bill and thanked him again for his generosity.  He told us about some of his running experience doing speed drills on the track.  We clicked off a few photos and enjoyed the sunshine.  Then we walked to where they were having awards.  Rachelle and I had already kind of sized it up that she had come in 2nd place for the females.  She had passed one other female during the race, so I knew that I was probably 4th, but I wasn't sure.

What was odd is that they called out the top three females.  Sure enough, it was the three we expected.  I was excited because I figured I must have won my age group.  What I didn't realize is that the first and third place winners were *both* in my age group!  Unlike other races I've run, this race gave multiple awards to the same person.  Therefore, the first place female also won the master's female title and 1st place in her age group.  I was a bit disappointed to come in 3rd in my age group, but those ladies really ran a great race.  We 45-49 year-olds are competitive!

I was still excited to be the 4th female and was glad that Bill and Rachelle and I each came home with a beautiful Roswell drinking glass as an award!

The morning was fun and the best part is that my legs don't feel tired or sore at all like they did after my last hilly half marathon.  That's a good thing because I have speed work on Tuesday and a 10K on Saturday!

Race Report: Publix Georgia Half Marathon

Yes, I had a "luck o' the Irish" kind of day Sunday!  I came home smiling big after sharing a amazing morning with many happy runner friends.  I also surprised myself with a bright shiny new half marathon PR on the maiden voyage run of the Publix Georgia Half Marathon course.

Official time: 1:38:58 (7:33 pace)
10K Split: 46:06 (7:25 pace)
8 Mile Split: 1:00:10 (7:31 pace)

Field Placement:
Women 45-49:  4 out of 510 (0.8%)
All Women:  86 out of 4,954 (1.7%)
Overall:  400 out of 8,743 (4.6%)

Early Saturday, the day before the race, I met up with my most screamin' fast runner girlfriend, Rachelle (AKA Mighty Mouse), to have a delicious breakfast at West Egg.  It was so refreshing to be able to talk face-to-face with her without having to agonize over where my next breath would be coming from!  We caught up on the various stuff of our personal lives and then discussed race strategy.  Since Rachelle had run this course several times, she helped me visualize the tough spots and told me where I was likely to have the best chance for a few "zen" moments.

After breakfast, we drove down to the Georgia World Congress Center together to enjoy the expo and pick up our race bibs.  We were glad to both be in the A corral for this event so we could at least start together.  While we were there, I got a little crazy and bought a pair of limited edition Newton Gravity shoes (my latest go-to shoes since the PureFlow 2s just didn't work).  As you can see, they are quite...um...PINK!  The guy at the Newton tent revealed (when we asked him) that his marathon PR was 2:18.  That's some serious stuff!

When I first signed up for this race, I knew it would be only a week before I had another half marathon (the Berry Half) on an easier course.  Berry was to be my goal race.  Therefore, I decided this race would sort of serve as a dress rehearsal.  Somewhere along the way, I got this crazy idea to try to run a sub-1:38 at Berry.  I reasoned that this first race would help me know whether I stood a chance at that lofty goal or not.  My most recent half marathon PR was a 1:40:13 back in October, but this was supposed to be a harder course, so I really had no idea what I might do.  While at the expo, Rachelle and I both signed up to run with the 1:40 pace group, though I secretly knew she would be way ahead of that (and she was!), and reasoned that I would feel satisfied to come in at 1:42ish.

The day before the race, I drank 4 Nuun All Day caplets to ensure I was properly hydrated.  It had seemed to help before the last marathon.  I also laid out my new splurge outfit from lululemon.  I figured the green would be great for both St. Patrick's Day AND for the Alien Half in August.  Bonus!

On race morning, I first found my friend, Shawna, after playing a game of warmer/colder on the phone to locate each other.  She introduced me to another friend who is training for Boston.  When I suggested I might try for a 1:42 time, she suggested we start out running together.

Next, I met up with Rachelle in the A corral.  We looked around for two other friends, Mike and Tad, but without success.  Later I learned they were incredibly busy hamming it up for the camera!  Rachelle was being smart and stretching, bouncing, and doing the things I saw all the other A corral runners doing, but I was way too itchy to do anything strategic at that time.  Sometimes I feel like I'm only impersonating a "real runner!"



As the gun went off, I could tell the crowds were going to make the first mile tedious and slow-going.  To make matters worse, the pavement was cracked and wrinkled and filled with median dividers that seemingly came up out of nowhere.  For a moment, my mind wondered back to a little accident I had a couple weeks ago where my cheek and knees had an unfortunate meeting with the sidewalk.  I let out a little audible gasp, and Shawna's friend asked if I was okay.  I told her about my flashback to the accident and then kept my eyes glued to the ground.



One strategy that seems to work well for me is to sail down hills at a very rapid speed with my arms and shoulders relaxed and my legs just letting gravity take over.  It seemed to pay off nicely as I zoomed down several hills in the beginning while still resting my lungs.  Going up was tough, but the hills were fairly short, so I was able to keep a good pace.  At Mile 4, I was pleased to see the 1:40 pace group just up ahead.  Though I had not stayed with them at the start, I decided to try to stick with them for the rest of the race or as long as I could hold on.

At Mile 6, I was sort of joking (to no one in particular) about how it would be really nice if the earth could be tilted just a fraction of a degree for about the last 20 minutes of the race.  A guy heard me and laughed.  Then, he smiled over at me and looked at the name on my bib.  "Gail!" he exclaimed.  "Randy!" I exclaimed back.  Of all things, I ran into a high school classmate I hadn't seen in [...mumble, mumble] years!  He said he was running the full and aiming for a 3:20 (I later learned he hit 3:22 and qualified for Boston on that hilly, awful course!).  We plowed up the next hill together and he made it seem effortless.  Soon after that, he had to turn right and I had to turn left.  I can't tell you how glad I was NOT to be running the full marathon that morning.

Next, I saw a girl who was wearing the exact same black lulu skirt I had on and who looked very pretty and fit.  I was inspired to catch up with her, so I sped up a little.  Just as I complimented her on her awesome skirt, she looked up and said, "Gail!" and I looked back and said, "Renee!"  Though we had never met, she and I are both in this Running Divas group on Facebook, and we had talked about running together as recently as the night before.  It was wonderful to meet a new friend in person and run together a while.  We both stayed right behind those same two 1:40 pace girls and felt like our pace was very comfortable.  I reasoned that if I could keep up with them for 9 miles, maybe I could still hit 1:42.

I knew the worst hills were in miles 9 through 12, so I was bracing myself.  As we started up Juniper street, Renee kept a great pace and I decided to take it a little slower to ensure I didn't walk.  It was a long, tough hill.  I remember praying about it in my mind.  I asked God to keep me humble.  I knew I had a constant friend beside me all the way who understood.  It helped a whole lot.  However, more hills were still before me.  Luckily, there was always a downhill patch just in time where I caught my breath and made up a little time.

Those next hills are sort of a blur in my mind, but I remember that the wind picked up and added to the challenge.  Once again, I looked over at a guy beside me and cracked a joke about how much fun we were having.  It always helps when you realize that others around you know, in a very deep and personal way, how you are suffering!

At mile 12, I was floored to find that if I merely maintained an easy an 8:00 pace, I could break 1:40!  Really?!!  Then I spotted the 1:40 pace group again.  I had lost them somewhere in those hills.  They said they were running almost a minute fast - a 1:39!  After thanking them for being my rock, I dug in deep and managed to pull slightly ahead of them, plowing up the last incline.  With 0.4 miles to go, I looked at my watch and desperately wished to be done.  The crowds had picked up; they urged me on.  With a huge sigh of relief, I rounded the corner and saw that the very end was downhill.  I cannot express how nice a feeling that was!  I guess I sprinted up to and across the finish line because I managed to assume a fierce floater pose at the end.  My expression sort of says it all!  I saw the clock and knew I had hit a new PR by over a minute.  Even better, it was on this hilly course!  As my friend, Francis, reminds me, "To God be the glory!"

I excitedly texted Rachelle to exchange happy news.  She had run a 1:35!!!  We met up at one of the tents and shared a huge sweaty happy hug!  Then we headed over to pick up our little "tickets" with our official finish time like you see me holding below.  I would be tempted to frame mine except I hope to beat it again in a week. Ha ha.  It's so wonderful when two friends both have great races and can be happy for each other at the same time.

Having trained almost exclusively on a flat trail, I didn't think this course would be kind to my time.  However, the good thing about uphills is that there are also downhills.  I guess it all evened out.  However, writing this a couple days later, I find that my legs are more sore than they have ever been after any race.  I will certainly need a lot of rest this week to ensure I can run fast and happy again Saturday!