Jana's Joint

I finally signed up for a marathon in 2008. I will be running the San Francisco Marathon on August 3, 2008, in where else, San Fran. This marathon will be a bit different. I will not be going for a PR time (personal best), but for the first time in my marathon career, I will be running with a first-time marathon runner helping to coach them through the finish. I am sure they will be coaching me along the way as well. I think it will be a rewarding and fun experience; less stress too...no worries or pressure of beating previous times. My running partner is surely an inspiration and has battled through a lot. This is their victory and I am just glad & humbled to be a part of their journey.

 

Well, T-164 days.

 

PS.  I am sure I could have chosen a more forgiving course for a first time runner..I apologize in advance for the hills :-)

I don't know why I do these things, but I found myself signing up for another marathon. I thought I was done for the year (aside from the Seattle 1/2 marathon Nov 25), but alas, it appears I will have one more left on the year. I signed up to run the California International Marathon on December 2nd (one week after the Seattle 1/2). I am not particularly ready for another marathon, but what the heck. My goal is to qualify for Boston someday and I will use this marathon to stay in running shape to hopefully qualify at a marathon in January (Phoenix Rock 'N' Roll maybe). To qualify, I need to shave 15 minutes off of my PR (personal best). While that might sound easy over the course of 26 miles, it is actually quite difficult. I am not a speed running, but rather, excel more at endurance, so for me to pick up speed is not easy.

 

So, here it to marathon #5 on the year!

The people you meet in Starbucks…

 

Have you ever wondered about the people around you? You know, the strangers you pass on the street, in the halls, at the store? I often times wonder who they are, what problems they are dealing with, what motivates them and do they ever stop and wonder the same about me. Call it egotistical, but we pass so many people on a daily basis it makes me wonder if we are ever noticed.

 

This morning, I chatted with a guy in line at my Starbucks (Kirkland Bridle Trails Sbux). I had recognized this person as someone who works in the store and has greeted with me a smile many a mornings. His name is Thomas. I admit, prior to our encounter this morning, he was the friendly barista on the other side of the counter who supplied me with my morning fuel. Today, I realized he works three jobs and appears to be very happy and content with life. Not only does he dole out coffee 4 days a week, but he is also a general contractor and realtor.

 

He took the time this morning to talk with me. Not the kind of rubbish we normally do when trying to be polite, but we had a conversation. Just reminds me that I should take notice of those around me. Make an effort to recognize them. I have often sat in this very Starbucks and wondered about those around me; the group of mothers who meet regularly, the elderly man who comes in alone with his hand carved wooden vases and the familiar faces I recognize from work.

 

The people you meet in Starbucks…maybe I will stop, take a moment and try and notice those around me more.

Overall: Highly recommend this marathon to newbies & advanced runners (perhaps I will see Mikey's Mom at the next one ;)

 

Despite the odds leading up to this weekend (sick all week), I finished the Portland Marathon! Yes, I do feel proud of that. That makes marathon #3 on the year; #4 overall.

 

I ran a personal best of 3hrs 53 minutes 52 seconds. I ended up placing 1520 out of 7232 runners (69th in my age division). Having been sick leading up to race day, I was very pleased with this finish. There was a small part of me that hoped I could run a Boston qualifier, but the reality part of me knew this was not the race (nor am I quite fast enough yet). I surprised myself however and ran a better than Boston qualifying time up until mile 17. Then, the 3hr 40min pace runner ran by me. I looked up, waved and said goodbye to that dream.

 

It is always a mixed emotions day - the day after the marathon. There is a huge part of me that is just relieved to have it over with and to know I finished, but the other side of me misses the training, the anticipation and the spectacle that leads up to the race. I realize now why I am so quick to sign-up for the next marathon.

 

The weather could not have cooperated more in Portland on race day. I had anticipated rain showers the entire race. However, we had not a drop of rain, the blue sky peaked out and the sun greeted me around mile 19. We did experience some severe head wind a few places along the course, but all-in-all; the weather was perfect. When I see what occured at the Chicago marathon yesterday - we were indeed very lucky.

 

The course itself was fairly tame. We had a few hills (namely the St James bridge around mile 17), but the majority of the course was flat; which can be almost as brutal (especially on the psyche). Many parts of the course felt very long and runners could see miles ahead; which makes it feel endless.

 

Race spectators were fantastic. They were out in force. I haven’t seen such spectator participation before. There were kids wanting their hands slapped, bands, cheerleaders, event coordinators cheering us on, and a ton of dogs. They readily cheered my name and/or number and it was great motivation.

 

The aid stations, for the most part, were great. I could have used a few more in the first half – seemed to be spaced 2 miles apart. The second half aid stations were about every mile. They handed out a replacement drink, energy drink and water at every aid stations. I admit having an energy drink & replacement drink made it confusing as to which to take at which mile. At miles 12 & 18, they handed out honey Gu. In addition to that, gummy bears, bananas and beer were also seen along the course. Yes, I partook in the beer & oddly enough, it gave me the burst of energy I needed during miles 24-finish.

 

For me, my calves really starting screaming around mile 19 and I had to mentally run the race at that point. I did do a ton of mental running early in the marathon, telling myself mile 17 is my magic mile. Once I hit 17, the last major hill is behind me and it is flat & downhill after that. Once I hit mile 19, the rest is an easy training run. Once I hit mile 24, the rest is an easy jog around my block, etc. I am not sure if I hit a wall this time, nothing like the SeaFair marathon in July. I did struggle in the last 7 miles though.

 

The greatest feeling, aside from crossing the finish line, is seeing mile marker #25. You know you are almost done. I think I run the 24 previous miles just in anticipation of seeing #25. This race was no different. The minute I saw that sign, I kicked it into high gear and ran faster than I thought my body could take me. Then, there was the finish.

 

Those who haven't run don't realize the emotion a runner feels when they cross under the finish line. It is so overwhelming. I again choked up when I entered the runners chute and all the spectators were cheering me on. I was in agony, mentally drained and overjoyed.

 

At the finish, they gave each runner a medal, towel, Portland Marathon pin, rose & a tree to plant. We were quickly greeted with volunteers draping us in space blankets (runners body temperatures can drop very quickly), taking the timing chip off our shoe & congratulation us on our accomplishment. The finish area was well stocked with food & fluids. Although I took only a bite of a bagel and realized I wasn't ready to choke down food yet.

 

Today I am not feeling that sore aside from my knees. My iliotibian band is acting up again and that is about my only issue.

 

What marathon is next? I am not sure I am ready to say yet. I have two I am deliberating between. For now, I think I will enjoy this one for a bit. And yes, I am proudly wearing my finishers shirt today :)

 

Place Overall:	1520	out of   7232
Women:	433	out of   3790
F 30-34:	69	out of   559
AgeGrade:	59.35%	Place:  1466
FINISH:	3:53:52	pace:   8:56
10k:	50:31	pace:   8:08
Turn-9.1Mi:	1:13:23	pace:   8:04
Half:	1:48:21	pace:   8:16
17.2 M:	2:31:37	pace:   8:49
20 Mile:	2:51:58	pace:   8:36
35K:	3:09:41	pace:   5:26

 

My Food Consumption:

1.       Day before - Still feeling the effects of the flu, I downed only a few pieces of bread at dinner

2.       Morning of - Ate part of a performance bar around 3am & took water throughout the night

3.       Fluids During - Water/energy drink at every aid station except the first one & during mile 25

4.       Food During - Gu at mile 11 & 18 (I somehow missed the mile 12 gu station)

 

What could have been better:

1.       Mile markers were signs sitting on the ground & easy to miss. I would have liked to see them higher up for easier visibility.

2.       Pace callers were not at every mile (except in the 2^nd half) and they called out elapsed time vs avg pace & expected finish time

3.       More aid stations early on.

4.       The baggage check was about ¾ mile walk from the finish line, they should have had it in the post-race area. Walking that far to get the bags only to walk back was not easy.

5.       Finish line should have been visible to runners at least 100 yards in advance to build excitement.

6.       The bibs seemed larger than normal

7.       Expo was small and non-eventful

Portland Marathon is now less than 24 hours away. My running partner and I will head down to Portland shortly and hopefully we are both ready for what lies ahead. The weather appears to be in the low 50s and showers; not the best start for what is sure to be hours of agony.

 

Health: About 70% (was out sick much of this week)

Mental Preparedness: About 80%

 

I leave you with my favorite running quotes:

So the Portland Marathon is just 3 days away and I have only one thing to say: I'M SICK! This is the worst possible time to get the flu. If the marathon were today, there is no way I could run it. I will have to take it day by day and make it a race day decision.

 

That is all I have to say for today.

T-12 days, 20hrs

 

Someone asked me over the weekend what it felt like to cross the finish line at a marathon. It is a feeling that I cannot recreate in any other realm of my life. Oddly enough, it is a fleeting feeling, lasting only a few minutes. Months of training and many agonizing days are culminating into that one moment. It truly is overwhelming. The minute I see the finishing chute I immediately think about the hours that led to that moment. I tend to get quite emotional when I enter the chute – amid the many spectators all cheering you on, you realize that it really is a great feat. And when it is all over? You forget the pain of running 26.2 miles and decide which race is next.

 

On a side note, I had a great trail run over the weekend. I did a 7-hour trail run/hike/climb beginning at Alpental and ending at the Mailbox trailhead. It was probably the most challenging event to date. Probably not the smartest move to do this 2 weeks prior to the marathon, but I tend to be a bit crazy. Thanks to my running entourage for keeping me safe (and catching me more than once when I slipped over the edge) - Jerry, Matt, Andy, Jon, Kevin & Chul.

 

It’s that time again. Another marathon is approaching.

 

I am nearing my next marathon, T-16 days, and it is time to start blogging about it. I will be running in the Portland Marathon on October 7^th (that’s Oregon, not Maine).  I cannot say I have been preparing for this one as much as my last one (SeaFair July 2007). I am sure I will be paying for it during the race. I have been averaging only about 30 miles per week, plus two days in the gym. I was able to get in a 27-mile trail run in late August and am planning a 20+ mile trail run this coming Saturday.

 

Why do I run marathons?

That is a question I am not sure I can even answer. I believe it is a combination of habit, wanting to push myself and seeing if I can improve over time. I thrive on the adrenalin of the moments leading up to the race and then run the 26.2 miles to simply see the runners chute at the end. There is no greater feeling than standing among the runners waiting for that gun to go off.  At that moment, everything is in harmony and emotions begin to take over. I usually get choked up standing there thinking about the work that led up to that moment, what lies ahead for 26 miles and the euphoria I will feel at the end. Running is such a personal sport for me. Unlike most part of my life where I rely on a team, when I am running a marathon, it is all me. I carry the weight and can choose to succeed or fail. Although, I don’t truly believe anyone can fail at running. Even if you run 20 yards, that is 20 yards more than many.

 

What do I think about during a marathon?

I have been asked this question many times by others. What can I simply think about for 4+ hours while my body feels in agony? I describe it like a dream; I know I thought about various things throughout the race, but I have a hard time recalling exactly what I thought about. I know I do think about my friends and family. I spend a great deal of time in ‘strategy mode’. Whether it is my strategy on when to take my next energy Gu, or how I will approach and navigate the next drink station to identifying people throughout the race that I want to keep on pace with. One thing I make a habit of doing is dedicating miles to people in my life. For that mile, I will think about them. I am pretty good about remembering to think about them when the mile approaches, although I admit I have forgotten a mile or two. Hey, it is hard to keep track out there!

 

Progress since my last marathon?

I had not planned on running another marathon since I ran the SeaFair in July of this year. Heck, I hadn’t planned on running the SeaFair Marathon after I ran Big Sur in April. Somehow, I find myself signing up for my next marathon almost before the pain from the last marathon subsides. I chose the Portland Marathon for its proximity to Seattle, the date in which it was occurring and because it was a course I was not familiar with. Much has occurred in my life since I ran SeaFair and I wonder how that will impact this next race. I feel as though I am not the same person and I wonder if I will run the same type of race. I have had my share of good and bad over the past 3 months and I only hope I have come out stronger and that it will reflect in my finishing time. I will also be running with another runner for the first time in a marathon. I am not sure how long he and I will stay on pace with one another; he is like lightening, but it will be fun to have someone to share in the angst, nerves and excitement in the day and morning leading up to the race and then someone to discuss at length post-race.

 

Plan between now & Race Day?

Running. Tapering. Preparing. I will begin tapering my runs down over the next week and will log my last long run this Saturday (20+ trail run). I have also switched over to my pre-race diet with the goal of dropping a few pounds to save my knees during the race. Nothing big, about 3lbs. I also need to prepare my race day outfit. This is very important. One must look color coordinated when running a marathon. Not so much the shoes, but the shorts, shirt & hat must all coordinate. I typically buy a new Nike hat for each race, but I might recycle an old hat for the Portland. There are not many great colors out that are peaking my interest. I will have to plan on two outfits; one for warmer weather on race morning (high 50s, low 60s) and one for colder weather (40s-50s). I will carpool down with my racing partner the day before the race. We will do the normal race activities: pick up race packet, interact with other runners and then have an early meal.

 

T-16 days…