Tracking, tracking.... Waiting for Happy's final number.

 

I ran 2:33:01 HM this morning with a nice negative split (was a bit wobbly and sickly in the first 10k). I'm pleased that I salvaged the race. Planning in better fitness for 2015 .

 

A

Congrats on the negative split.  Sounds like a fun time in the first 10 K

She's in 4:37 !!! sweet.

For some reason the video feed stopped and couldn't see anything. :-(

Yes!!! Happy with my race effort and race result!

I'm about ready to plop into bed, having stayed up late downloading photos DH took during the race. He was able to ride his bicycle nearby for much of it, which was nice. Most of the pics he took are not all that clear, but not too bad. I am happy to see my running posture looks better than in years past. For one thing, I'm not breaking at the waist and leaning forward anymore - yay.

About the video put out by Chek TV, I think it is a work in progress. They are saying now there is a full 7 hours of full marathon coverage, but ...there is not.  The clip I saw was only 4 hours long and only showed finishers up to somewhere in the 3-hour mark. Maybe they will get it sorted when they get back to work after their Thanksgiving weekend.

So  -- the race. Oh my! I stuck to my 2-mile warmup and then moved up to target 10:20. That went well and felt easy until about 10 miles when it started to require a bit more effort. I stuck with it until mile 20, with some variable miles, but generally in the ballpark. By the halfway mark though, I was off my target by 30 seconds and by the 30K mark, I was down by 60 seconds. After that, I really couldn't say what happened. I just couldn't maintain the pace from mile 20 on. Finally at mile 24 when things started to tighten up pretty strongly, I pulled off to the side of the road for a little stretch - that's the 12 mpm mile since I didn't stop my watch for it. Perked up for the next mile, and then tanked in the last one. Thought the last 400 m would do me in completely!  When I unpacked after getting back home, I discovered my Camelback had about 10  12 oz of my sports drink (Hammer Perpetuem) still in it. So more than likely I just didn't drink enough.

I had a good time overall, talking with people I was running alongside or passing. I tried not to put all my focus on the watch. Compared to last year on this course when I had a hard time on all the hills (and there are a lot), this year I hardly noticed them until later in the race and even then they did not feel as hard as last year.  So I'm clearly fitter.  Also, I had a spell right before I stretched when my right hip muscles seems to be locking up and my right adductor was starting to cramp, but that all resolved pretty quickly with the stretch break. So really, for the first extra-long run ever, I had no problems other than I guess "leg fatigue." A big hooray for all that.

I continued the fun after I got my medal and was walking around to "cool down from the run" and look for DH, I became hypothermic and nearly fainted on the concrete. I had to lay in the Medic Tent under hot blankets for about 30 minutes. It took 3 attempts to sit up without nearly fainting before I was successful and they walked me out to DH for a lengthy discussion over whether I really should or shouldn't be released. I felt bad for the lady medic who was concerned about how wobbly and faint I was...but we had to get back to the B&B, check out, and catch our ferry within the hour.  I assured her all the walking would help revive me -- and it did. Warm clothes back at the B&B also made a big difference. All's well that ends well.

 

they seemed quite efficient at checking people as they came in.  Saw a couple of people get some "special" attention.

I know! I was one of those people last year and it caused me to miss out on the finish line area like official post-race photo and food line. So this year I was determined to bypass the special attention.  Hah! I got it anyway.

It all started in the final mile when I felt a kind of "chill" go through my body. After that I had recurring bits of dizziness and my pace felt agonizingly slow.  When I crossed the finish line, I felt about the same as usual after an extra-long run when I have to keep walking til my body settles down; so I thought I was alright. So, like a drunk pretending they are sober, I walked carefully and determinedly, one foot in front of the other, to the medal-givers, the chocolate-milk-givers, and the official photographer area. I could only hold still about one second for the photo and then told the guy I had to keep walking. I was feeling worse by the minute and decided whatever food they had wasn't worth it. I went looking for DH at the appointed place, but he wasn't there; so I headed back to the runner finish area to get help. I went inside and nearly fainted at the feet of the first Security guard there. He and his buddy whisked me into the Medic Tent where they said I was fine, just extremely cold and put hot blankets on me.

Correction

I just looked up "hypothermic".  In my ignorance, I thought it just meant extremely cold, but it means a lower than normal body temperature. (You all probably already knew that.) So I was not hypothermic, just extremely cold.

Just looked up Hypothermia in my pre-hospital emergency care notes.

It says for "mild" hypothermia, temperature 35-32 deg C, cold skin, shivering, rapid pulse, gradual depression of level of consciousness, staggering walk.

If I was assessing you then I would have said the patient was exhibiting some of the symptoms of mild hypothermia.  Treatment would have been the same.

Unfortunately the "patient" was also exhibiting signs of diabetes :-)  Treatment would have been a sugary drink.

And finally, the 'patient" was exhibiting some of the symptoms of having just run a bloody long way.  Treatment would be to give them a high five, a medal, and shout them a beer.

Glad they sorted you out.

How is the body feeling now?

Finally got a good night's sleep - wonderful!

Not sure if this link to MarathonFoto will work or not.

MTA: 10/16: I think it does not work. I'll email Ayola from the MarathonFoto website and they'll send her a link that perhaps she can put in here.

http://www.marathonfoto.com/Marathon/Victoria-Marathon-2014/LastName/PETROTTA/BibNumber/799/offering/myMarathonfotos/RaceOID/40232014M1/Language/en?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0%20Proofs%20Online%2010PM%20ENG-FREcan%20%281%29

I'm resting this week too. I might even go to bed early tonight. I'm trying to round someone up to go trail running on Saturday. I think five days off post marathon rest is plenty and I'm dying to get out on the trails. It's been a boring week at work and no running in the evenings - I need some fresh air and exercise!  I'm thinking of doing the Spooky 12K trail race on Sunday Oct. 26. I am not going to repeat last years mistake and try to race everything all winter though. I would be doing it for fun with the gal I paced in the GOAT Run. So anyway I think I should get in at least one trail run before that.

MTA 10/19: Couldn't find anyone to go out on the trails this weekend, so I enjoyed a nice run in the neighborhood yesterday. Lots of orangey-red color to the leafy trees, sun peeking from patchy clouds, short-sleeve temps...IRC! Planning to do it again after yoga.

I am a lurker in another group  and just read some race advice I think is worth passing along:

TWO THINGS:

Everybody take 5 minutes off your goal and don't count your chickens before they hatch.

Personally I think the key to your best performance is just that:
100% confidence that you can hit your goal.   
Any doubts going into the race translates into excuses in the last few miles.

Go race it like it's in the bank and embrace the suffering when it comes.  
It's not about whether you can endure the pain,
but enduring the absolute maximum amount of pain you possibly can.   

Enjoy!

Nice photos Happy.  You sure looked like you were enjoying yourself.

So the link worked for you?

I was enjoying myself. I was so happy to be feeling good that day and able to pursue my chosen pace goal for the first 20 miles. Nothing major went awry in the last 6 miles to mar my experience.  I learned some valuable lessons from that race about pacing, fueling, focus, and enjoying the present moment.

DH rode along - which you saw if you were able to view the MarathonFoto link - and took additional pics, some of which show more of the course and my smiling face :-)  If you PM me your email address, I'll send you the link to my Flickr Photo album.