Callie, if we feel up to it, we can certainly *TRY* to run the Pac Shoreline marathon together after CIM. I really liked that course and the weather was lovely!! whaddya think? are you doing Saddleback this weekend? I am... just for fun... need to burn more calories I've been hogging out too much

I had AF during this exact HM last year. Actually I woke up that morning and was like oh no... well... it hurts like hell, time to take some Advil and hit the race! I PR'd on it... but then again it was my 2nd half-marathon and my first one was about 6 months earlier with zero training. I PR'd by 15 minutes from there after, it was a long slooooooow process of hacking a minute or so off each race. Anyhow I've run 2 PR's during AF. She keeps ya tough! Stomach virus... not sure what to say there... sorry! That really sucks. Maybe not a good time to run in the heat with the virus. Sounds like a recipe for something that could be bad. Can you talk to a doctor? I just need more exercise... that's the point of this race. Oh yeah, and to test my fitness level. It would be cool to know I'm fitter, but, I kind of doubt it.

Race Report I lined up toward the "8 min mile" pace sign... I did a little warm up which basically was me avoiding the wretched stench of the portopotties (not sure why these ones were so bad but they were awful and the lines were longer than any race I've ever seen). So I took myself on a neighborhood jog to the local gas station to find a bathroom. Low and behold about 7 or 8 min into my run I found a gas station. My own private bathroom, beautiful and stenchless! Damn I'm good! haha Then I jog back to the start line. I see a guy in from one of the running clubs. He was gonna be a training buddy with me a while ago. It was me that was supposed to initiate the whole thing but I kind of lost touch with him after not knowing what to do about this Ultra I was going to run. Anyhow, he did the little head nod to me. And goes "so I haven't seen you around." He kind of looked all tough... (snickering)... boys... anyhow... I'm wondering what kind of race he'll do. I know his style of running and he normally does the soar, crash, burn thing. So I just am curious. We'll call him "C"... My first mile I have no idea how fast it was 'cause there was no mile marker and we were all around a parking lot doing loop-dee-loop and so my Garmin was cranky. It said I did a 6:55 mile so you can imagine that's not true 'cause I just don't run a 1/2 marathon my first mile like a 5k. Anyhow I think it was about 8 or so minutes. I just was waking up then. I see "C" just take off like a jack rabbit. I'm like... okay buddy. So, if you refer to the chart (which I'm kinda bummed it's not a good link to make a picture of) there is a nice hill right at mile 2. It is a pretty decent hill and if you run it right the pay off was a seriously large downhill ... Lots of people were rushing up the hill passing me and I just kind of shrugged it off. I still see "C" far in the distance and I wonder wow, he's gonna have his day if he keeps running like this pace. (think: a 1:41 1/2 marathon pace for someone who's PR is a 1:55). So I just kind of watch him... I'm interested... So then mile 4 is really tricky. There are tons of ups and downs and they are all pretty sharply inclined hills. So you gotta know your body. This is a tough part for a first part of a race... After the hill in mile 4 we descend into a wooded park... I know from last year that it's kind of rolling but pretty much down hill and to run smart. I hit the 6 mile mark in seriously jet-fast time (46:30) and I was totally shocked. I was aiming for a 49 flat time at the 6 mile mark but I didn't know... anyhow... Suddenly I realize that I can't see "C" anymore... I start to really wonder how far ahead of me he is... there is a turn about at mile 7 ish and I look for him coming back the way I'm going. I don't see him. So round the turn about... next thing you know I'm ahead of him. I was shocked! I lapped him? That actually put a ton of gas in my tank! It was seriously perfect timing because we made our final descent (spelling?) before we did the incline the way back. From mile 8 to the finish it's all uphill. Gradual or totally uphill, it's just uphill. Then at the end there is a stupid hill that is about 200 yards long and totally just a big ole lump. Anyhow... back to mile 9. I knew this was a biggie but somehow, I have no idea I just went on. I didn't look at my Garmin I just went. I chatted to some people, said "good job!" to others, and then sometimes I grunted and groaned... One guy wanted to have a full on conversation with me... he is a track club dude and is an ultra runner. He was telling me his whole training and racing schedule. I was thinking... hmmmnnn did I ask ya? haha... must be an ultra runner thing. Literally we were on the big hill in mile 9 and this guy keeps talking to me. I'm wondering if my ringless fingers made me a target? Sooooo I was like "uhm okay nice to talk to ya, gotta focus now!" I really didn't want to chat it up, UP that hill so I tried to kick it up as far as pacing to get away from the chatter ( ) once I got to the top my facial expression was ugly and people were saying "good job!" haha... thank god there was a downhill portion at the end of mile 9 to save me momentarily I dropped an unused GU on the ground at mile 6 (and said the "S" word)... So I was bummed about that... I was going to use it but thank god they were back with more at mile 10. I didn't really want it and my tummy was sloshy but I just wanted it for good measure. For a while I ran with the GU pack hanging from my mouth sucking little bits out and breathing through my nose but that kind of got laborious so I stopped and just shot the rest of it and prayed for no nausea I was so grateful for that pick-me-up about 2-3 min later! We wove around the park and began to make our exit out of it through a bunch of trails and basically a paved river trail that's all up hill. This is where endurance certainly helps. I haven't done anything longer than around 10 miles in months (or at least it seems that way) so I was wondering how I'd do. I saw that my split for the 10 mile mark was 1:20:02 and I started to get emotional. I was like "okay don't cry this is just silly.." but it was a darn good 10 mile time considering my route from here out was uphill and it wasn't over yet. I thought "gosh, if I can just hold onto this feeling for 3.2 miles (the last part being it's own entity of "hillage") I'm good." So I just focused. This is where the race started to feel like I wanted it to end... oddly it went fast! I was happy. The last hill came and I saw the finish line up above around the corner while I was on the hill because I knew where it was from last year so I just grunted and groaned. I was thinking "wow if I can magically become a jet-airplane I may make it to the finish in 1:44..." but I just didn't have the legs for it and I was getting a little from pushing. I didn't feel like puking on people... so I took my 1:46:?? time with pride. I got to the finish in 1:46:35 according to my Garmin (not exactly sure yet but it could be sooner or later by 2-3 seconds) and I threw my arms waaaay up and smiled for the cameras. I kind of wimpered with my emotions a little. I felt such a huge accomplishment I didn't even expect to happen and I seriously felt so rejuvinated after the race! Now I am sleepy as I got up at 5:20 this morning and got very little sleep due to socializing last night. My house needs serious cleaning. I have another poopy day at work but heck I got a PR... as far as my division results go, I am unsure... maybe like 9th or 10 out of 100 or so... it was a medium sized race... just perfect for the trails 'cause they did get a little crowded sometimes... (but NOT like the Long Beach marathon which is a crowded mess) I'm happy to see myself finding the social part of running. I like talking here and there to people during races. okay that's all now.... Jen just decided it's time to shut down the brain and take a power nap so she can clean her house, make dinner and have some seriously yummy cheap vino!!!!

WTG on your PR!!! Great race report Jenn!

Mikey-- I'm almost there huh! Too excited about that. I love rolling courses. I think I realized that today. Flat pavement hurts. My last 10k had more uphill than downhill. I think the hills just make you concentrate so much you get lost in that... I always thought I hated hills but now I realize I really don't. However, I'll take a fast marathon course any day! Still considering Long Beach... totally flat as a pancake. Problem is it's really overcrowded I wish Pac Shoreline were sooner! I guess I'll just do CIM & Pac Shoreline in case I miss BQing by a few minutes... Pam--thanks for the compliments... I'm totally happy. Just fuels my running fire! I do have a bum foot so that sucks. Icing it now ...

Aww thanx Chic! I'm super happy. I have been just floating on cloud9 for a while. It makes it easier to get through my week which will be yuckie and filled with work and frustrations. I'm going for a walk today. Just a brief one. Tomorrow will be a 4-5 mile recovery jog. I should feel back to normal by Wednesday. I don't feel sore but I just am trying to be smart about things from here out. Just taking a little extra measure for things like recovery. The last thing I want to do is injure myself during my pre-basebuilding period. I'm kind of on the hunt for a 10k. I have one that is CHIP TIMED!! On 4th of July. Looks like we'll be home then so I want to do that one. But the big thing for me is having my swim suit and beers ready after the race. Last year I ran a 5k only and it was cool but I think a 10k will make the burgers and beer go down easier!

Awesome race....looks to me like you have learned the value of rest and recovery after your last down period and it has paid off. This is just the beginning! Steve PS: I don't know who that ultrarunner guy is, but we ultrarunners absolutely do not talk about our schedules and races. One of the reasons many of us get into ultrarunning is to get away from all the schedules and such. I think he was just trying to impress the pretty lady without the ring

no no no no! Stop tryin g to jinx us by already planning for Pac Shore. But I was kinda thinking the same thing. I don't know if I have the training or the ability to run 2 back to back like that. It took me a seriously long time to get back into longer distances after the first marathon, both physically and mentally. I won't even register for PS until after CIM, because I don't know if I have it in me. Great job on the HM! Especially on a hilly course, that's awesome! And just in case you don't see in in my thread I am doing a copy and paste about the walking entries. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Under the "new run entry" is a pull down menu with weights, biking, and walking. I'm not as good at logging it as I am with the running, but it's nice to have activities accounted for even on my 'days off'. Hope that helps!