Masters Running

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jura-running the 2008 belly mary. (Read 277 times)


MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

    From college days of spring carousing, . . I mean skiing and hiking/climbing in the Mt. Baker area, I've always liked Bellingham, Washington and last year's inaugural Bellingham Bay Marathon just served to make it even better <>mariposai/evan/soundie/opie)>>> However, I remained alone in ilene's Intrepid all year long this year for the what-mari-affectionately called te. . I mean belly mary, so I couldn't I have been happier when it looked like jura might be able to redeem last year's DNS due to chronic injuries and become a marathon goddess at long, well-deserved, last. Better yet, at the carbo-meet at the Olive Garden <>thanks gordon & dw sharon)>>>, jura revealed that she had been avoiding injuries by regular walk breaks recommended by her Gallowalk coach and she hoped to be able to maintain a 4:1 run/walk ratio for a possible sub-five marathon in her very first try. "That's nice," I thought, "sweet youthful innocence for sure" . . . , especially in light of my own hope for getting under 5.5 hours if at all possible. In particular, I had just learned this year that regular walk breaks make it possible for even fitness runners who don't like to train that much to be able to meet the cutoff times in several ultras I'd DNF/DQ'ed when I first tried to run all the way in them last year. Nevertheless, I've always considered walking to be something to be avoided at all costs and only done at the last minute when I'm forced to admit I'm not in good enough shape to run all the way as I've always believed I should. Or, as as one of the all-time great running gurus-recently-turned-semi-walker noted, "(i)n certain running circles, walk is a four-letter word, . . . only for the untalented and undedicated."www.JoeHenderson.com/archive@Running Commentary 386(12/07/01) However, with only a mary and 5K in August and half mary and last-minute ten mile desperation training run in September, it was appearing that the belly mary would be one of those times to swallow my pride and walk a little. Therefore, I vowed to get in a rhythm with jura for as long as possible from the start. We started out at 7:30 am with her coach leading the way with an entourage of mary and half mary goddesses. Jura kindly paced me along the smooth paved streets of downtown B-ham and through some residential areas with her running smoothly and elegantly full of confidence knowing exactly what she was doing in running four minutes and then, like clockwork, not even having to look at the electronics on her wrist, briskly walking for a minute at a time. It sure wasn't like the rest walking I'd been doing in this year's ultras and I could have kept running and have had a hard time keeping up but she pointed out how the change in run/walk muscles economized valuable energy savings for the latter miles when most needed. The early miles were new from last year and, when we were suddenly diverted off the pavement onto a scenic rails-to-trails, I had to stop to slip on a pair of trail thongs I'd tucked into my waist band. As I waved her out of sight, she said, "you better be still 4:1'ing when I see you on the out-and-back!" It wasn't with quite the same brisk race-walking style she was doing but I was still doing it when I saw her at the crest of one of the many short and steep pitches along the rails-to-trails section (her mile 16, my 14). She wore a smile you could see a mile and, with a "This is FUN!", cheered me on. She would have had a gold medal in smiling if it were an Olympic event. me too probably. Out of her sight though, I couldn't help but trying to run for all of a couple of the scenic miles along the bluffs over Chuckanut Drive overlooking the azure blue waters of Bellingham Bay below. No surprise here but I more than paid for it by having to walk up most of mile 24-25 angling back up the bluffs towards the downtown finish. According to the bulletin board results, jura's coach took his age group (one below me) with jura and her other mary friend right behind. I jura'ed in to a very pleasing 5:23. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful marathon with a beautiful goddess who came to us from afar to call the Pacific Northwest her home. It was my 105th marathon but I learned more from her virgin outing than I've absorbed in any of mine before this. I can hardly wait to jura-run when I'm in shape and want to and not because I have to. Thank you so much jura. ======================= beautiful boardwalk near finish this year Last year Monday, Oct. 08, 2007 Runners brave wind, rain during first Bellingham Bay Marathon DOUG PACEY of the Bellingham Herald BELLINGHAM — For most runners in the inaugural Bellingham Bay Marathon, the biggest obstacle wasn’t dehydration, fatigue or a drained i Pod battery. It was the wind. “The wind was really bad running along the water,” said Jeff Caba, 37, of Bend, Ore., who won the men’s division. “It’s in your face, pushing you back.” . . . Minutes before the first marathon runners crossed the finish line a gust grabbed the portable canopy covering the race announcer and computer equipment, sending it into the sky and tumbling across the lawn in front of the Hotel Bellwether like a giant mechanical spider. Strong winds also forced the cancellation of awards ceremonies and knocked back barriers near the finish line at Squalicum Harbor.

    "Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)

    coastwalker


      Hi Tet, Congratulations on beating your goat time, and on spending some quality race time with yet another goddess. It sounds like Jura did a great job of sticking to her plan for the race. I'm glad that mixing walking in with your running is still yielding some good results for you. Keep up the good work! Jay

      Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos.

      Mariposai


        Jura-running, I love that term!!!!. I am so happy to hear that Jura is no longer an marathon virgin!!! She sure is an example to many of us. I hope to hear her report someday. As for you, my dear taper boy, congratulations on achieving your goal of having fun and for arriving to the finish line in such a good time. One of this days I will follow your "for fitness" marathon training program jiijij. Now, what if you jura-run the Autumn Leaf Run?

        "Champions are everywhereall you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard


        MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

          Jura-running, I love that term!!!!
          actually, though her coach had proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that G-walking is way faster for most of us than trying to run all the way for 26.2 and more miles, what I was learning to do from jura had about as much to do with walking as me writing short, succinct sentences so we struggled for a better name without knowing that it was right in front of us.
          Now, what if you jura-run the Autumn Leaf Run?
          only hopin' do something else <(rvm>>> prevents it from happening this year.Sad</(rvm>

          "Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)


          MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803

            I'm glad that mixing walking in with your running is still yielding some good results for you. Keep up the good work!
            thanks again to you very much coaster; it's been working all year and I love, and appreciate, it.

            "Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)

              You seem to attract all the goddesses! Love the Jura-walking. So glad you both had a great time, and great weather too.

              "During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."