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Moab Half Marathon

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Location:

UT,

Member Since:

Dec 31, 2007

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Marathon Finish

Running Accomplishments:

I ran my first marathon as a teenager in 1981 with my Dad (The Coronado Marathon). Since then I've run St, George (3x) Utah Valley (3x) Ogden (1 full, 2 halves) Park City (1 x) Boston Marathon (1x) Washington DC (1x) Moab Half Marathon (6x) ,Ye Old Freedom Festival 5 & 10K (a million x) and many others.

But I'm all done with that now.  I'm officially a jogger.

Short-Term Running Goals:

My running goal is to keep on keepin' on.

 

Long-Term Running Goals:

Jog into the sunset.

Personal:

I like being outside.

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony ProGrid V Lifetime Miles: 479.51
Saucony Ride Lifetime Miles: 841.34
Saucony Tangent Lifetime Miles: 150.93
Saucony Ride Lifetime Miles: 307.50
Race: Moab Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:53:44, Place overall: 1014, Place in age division: 50
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.0011.1013.10

13.1/ 8:40 ap, 3281 total runners, 1941 women runners (I ranked 376th of women runners, 50th of the 221 in my Age Division). 

I went up fairly early and ran a 3 mile warm up behind the start.  The day was gorgeous, clear, and windless.  Friday had been miserable hiking through arches (it felt like 20 degrees, snow piled on top of red sand, and it blew sand and snow into our hair and faces up at delicate arch).  But as soon as I warmed up (30 degrees, but no wind) I felt great. The worry over my stiff hips and lower back disappeared. I waited about 6 minutes till the road was cleared to cross the starting matt.  Wanted to take advantage of running easy downhill 8:34/8:24.  Mile 2 I stopped to drink, take off my thermal shirt, fix my hair/ear band that was acting crazy. 9:04/8:29/8:23 fairly downhill, when there were spots of sun on the road peeking through the canyon walls people would erupt into cheering--it was still pretty cold. 8:10/8:43/8:21  these were gentle the uphill miles, and as you can see the splits were really consistent.  I felt strong going up those hills and kept thinking of my daughter who during a tough treadmill run a couple weeks ago sat on the spin bike next to the treadmill and 'rode alongside the treadmill' saying really encouraging things.  I repeated the things she said in my mind "Go Mama!  You're doing good getting ready for Boston!".  She's really excited to go with me.  I thought of being 'a diamond & titanium girl.  I thought about the huge plate of rigatoni I'd eaten the night before--the thoughts of the rigatoni were especially encouraging.  I allowed myself to slow down between miles 9-10 (9:23) where that last  big hill  about kills you coming out of the canyon--right before the drum ladies who beat those huge skin drums--that always gives me the chills.  Then coming out of the canyon onto the road, I kept saying Smooth's "smooth-strong-fast" and "smooth to the finish".  I hate running on that road and it was especially heinous today with all the construction.  8:45/8:41/8:43  I surprised myself on the finish--I could have maybe even gone faster but I just wanted to maintain a strong & steady finish.  At least 3 people had warned me not to overdo the race today.  I thought an 8:40 average (only about 10 seconds behind my best half race pace) was reasonable effort.  After I finished (1:53), I ran back 1.5 miles to find my sister and ran her into the finish.  The sunlight, the red rock, the Colorado River, the company, the air quality, the clear sky--it was a Spring Equinox extraordinaire. We talked with Walter (who came in 7th overall) and Misty for a bit, chatted about Boston, who was going, what everyone was going to do.  It was a really nice day.  I feel I can do my best training in the next two weeks, and feel much more confident about my steps toward a strong finish at Boston.  Got home around 5:30-- going to do my pushups and sit ups-- I have not done them since Wednesday.  19 miles total, 7 or more miles at Race Pace.  It was a good day.

Comments
From Smooth on Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 23:14:09 from 174.23.198.220

YaHoo! Luz! You rocked that race! CONGRATS on such an AWESOME run and Smoothfastrong finish! Check out those pace and you had even juice to run back to run your sister in! Sounds like a FANTASTIC FUN time! Man, I'm gonna have to do that race next year.

I must have run past your house 4 times today on the Provo River Parkway. The first 2 times we walked around the fence. The last 2 times we ran on 470N/370N on the detour. I kept thinking about you while running there and sent positive vibes to you down in Moab! You're gonna ROCK Boston! :)

SO PROUD of your race today! GOOD JOB to your sister too!

From LuzyLew on Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 23:22:45 from 69.169.167.157

I knew it wasn't 'all me'. You were helping me from afar (even though I messed up your mantra). Sorry I missed the Provo River Run. But you ARE GOING to this race next year. It's so much more 'just a race.' It's breathtaking. It was so beautiful, you will love it. It was a great run. I gave a good effort-- and it was my best time, a PR, on this course ( a lot of up hill). I felt strong, which was a releif from these weeks of bronchitis, and exhaustion. Thanks again for the good vibes, they certainly found their way!

From MichelleL on Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 15:34:32 from 67.41.167.145

Wow, you were right on! Nice job Luz. We should make a tape of Smoothisms. . .

From LuzyLew on Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 18:08:22 from 69.169.167.157

Thanks Michelle. This is such a fun trip with my sister & her DC friends (when the weather cooperates). I wish more FRB friends went down for this, but it is more an 'experience' than a race. Super fun. Smooth does give us a lot of inspiring 'Smoothisms'. But I collect everyone's special phrases. January 26th I blogged the ones I've been using lately. Yours I save for special occasion efforts. It is: "I'd like to vomit or at least dry heave at the end, that way I know I've given my all". I don't often push myself to the limit, so your's was saved for the end of a marathon--and it was a biggie for my finish at Hobble Creek this year (finished with a big PR for me on a half-- 1:47 -- and it did require about 3 minutes of dry heaving after). Also, I took a good look at the picture of you finishing your first marathon in 3:00 hours recently, and the look on your face of having given everything as you cross the finish line is also now tucked away in my memory bank. If Boston get's rough, I know where I'll be withdrawing my currency....Kelli gave me a new one recently "I CAN do this!" The thing is, it's not just the words--when these phrases repeat in my head, I hear the voice of the person who said it to me. It's like taking a piece of their strength for myself in that moment. Moab is a great race, really inspirational (all that primal strenth radiating from the red cliffs and Colorado River). Plan it if you can. It's just amazing.

From Walter on Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 20:35:17 from 24.10.169.110

Luz, so fun getting with you and your sis. We really need to woop it up in Boston for sure! We lucked out on good weather. Although it couldve been 10 degrees warmer I thought. Still loved being down for a getaway.

From Maurine/Miles on Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 23:40:46 from 97.117.73.228

Sounds like a great race. I always love your writeups. How many days to Boston?

From LuzyLew on Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 12:45:32 from 208.187.197.42

Walter- you run too fast and finish too early... That's why you were colder than the rest of us :) It was WAAAAY nicer Sat. than Friday.

Hey Miles (!) -- you would totally dig this race. If you have never been, I can't promote it enough. It's amazing scenery, Moab this time of year is delicious, and there are a group of women drum players at mile 10 that seriously make the whole experience worth it. It's awesome. My sister's friends have been flying in from DC for 9-10 years to do this race and they come down early to hike arches the day before. Twenty-Nine days to Boston!!!!!!

From RAD on Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 15:36:16 from 67.172.229.125

What an amazing race!! You did a wonderful job - easy, steady pace - but a near PR on a hilly course? Wow, you're going to do GREAT at Boston!!

Moab is my favorite place in the world and I've always wanted to do this race, but for some reason or another it's never worked out!

You are a truly inspirational woman yourself! keep up all your hard work.

From Kelli on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 20:01:09 from 71.219.89.155

AWESOME DAY!!!! Nice long warm-up before the race, too! I am glad it was a great trip for you, that the race went well, and that you had FUN!

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