Each Day Is a Gift

St. George Marathon

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesSmooth's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

UT,

Member Since:

Oct 14, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

85 marathons, 5 times Utah Grand Slam finisher (division winner twice).

7 Bostons (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016).

Two 50Ks, one 50 miler (Pony Express).

A handful of AG wins in all distance races.

Marathon PR: 3:57:09 (Boston'08)

Half Marathon PR: 1:48:41 (Bryce Canyon '11)

10K PR: 47:50 (Spectrum 10K '09)

5K PR: 22:31 (Nestle 5K '08)
 

Short-Term Running Goals:

2017 Races:

June 10 - Utah Valley Marathon (5:13:43)

June 24 - Morgan Valley Marathon (5:49:01)

July 8 - Hobbler Half (2:19:37, 2nd AG)

July 24 - Temple to Temple 5K (27:43)

July 29 - Timp Half (2:08:01, 3rd AG)

Aug 26 - Mt. Nebo Marathon (5:16:16, 3rd AG)

Sep 16 - Huntsville Marathon (4:48:53)

Oct 7 - St. Geroge Marathon (4:57:11)

Nov 4 - Canyon City Marathon (5:30:07)

2018 Races:

Jan 13 - St. George Half (2:19:45, 3rd AG)

Mar 3 - The Woodlands Marathon (5:01:35)

Apr 6-7 - Ragnar So. California

June 1-2 - Ragnar Wasatch Back

June 9 - Utah Valley Marathon (5:19:22)

June 30 - Morgan Valley Half

Sep 1 - Pocatello Marathon (6:00:43)

Sep 15 - Huntsville Marathon (5:37:08)

Oct 6 - St. George Marathon (5:25:43)

Oct 20 - SoJo Marathon (5:29:23)

2019 Races:

June 1 - Utah Valley Marathon (5:44:24)

June 22 - Morgan Valley Marathon (6:15:13)

Aug 31 - Pocatello Marathon (5:38:47)

Sep 14 - Big Cottonwood Marathon (6:03:51)

Oct 5 - St. George Marathon (5:57:46)

Oct 12 - SoJo Marathon (5:55:45)

2020 Races:

Jan 18 - St. George Half (2:38:28)

Feb 15 - Sun Marathon (5:51:54)

May 5 - Conquer Covid-19 Virtual Marathon (5:49:07)

May 16 - Clear Creek Canyon Half Marathon (2:32:15)

May 25 - Utah Valley Virtual Marathon (5:33:110

June 9 - Independence Run Virtual Marathon (5:55:22)

 

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run happy and healthy all the days of my life. Be an example and inspiration to my family.

 

Personal:

I'm 64, retired RN, happily married, nana to 14 beautiful grandchildren, mother to 6 children (1 daughter, 5 sons) who are kind, hardworking, caring, wonderful people! Wish they live closer!!!  :)  :)  :)

Picked up running in 2005 at age 50, to stay healthy so I can take care of my husband who had endocarditis resulting in AVR and MVR in 2004, end stage renal failure in 2014, kidney transplant on Dec 30, 2015.  Six months after the kidney transplant, we discovered that he has a rare auto-immune disease that was probably triggered in 2004 with then the undiagnosed infective endocarditis.  The doctors had to make up a name for this rare disease, Monoclono Gammopathy with Renal Significance (MGRS).  It is not curable.  After desperately trying different chemotherapies, the doctor finally found one immuno-therapy, Daratumamab, that works to treat the MGRS.  It is a miracle!!! 

Grateful for the gift of life, blessings, dear friends and loved ones!!! Thankful for the ability to move, walk, jog, and yes run!!!!

 

Favorite Blogs:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Saucony Guide ISO Wide Lifetime Miles: 311.91
Saucony Guide ISO Lifetime Miles: 313.31
Sacony Guide ISO (2) Lifetime Miles: 225.26
Altra Torin (sz 7) Lifetime Miles: 44.49
Saucony Guide 10 (2020) Lifetime Miles: 60.91
Race: St. George Marathon (26.2 Miles) 04:19:43, Place in age division: 40
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
15.2511.000.000.0026.25

9th SGM.  Marathon #52.  5th marathon this year; over the last 4 months.   

Woke up at 3:15, got 2.5 hours sleep.  Drove to Worthen Park at 4:30.  Plan was to meet Teena at 5 by the tennis court. :) The bus lines were very LONG and moving very slowly and there were NO buses!!!  Waited with Kelly and Tyler S, Lowell, Suzette, Seth and Teena for over an hour for the bus to come!  Ate my banana and yogurt, hit the port-a-potty in the park.  The wait was very stressful if not for the company of good friends.   I think we finally got on the bus around 6.  What a sight at the start to see flags waving southward which means tail wind, YAY! Took couple of pictures.  Made a quick trip to the PoP; then it's time to drop off clothing bags.  So bummed that I didn't have a chance to look for MarcE, Kathie, Brad, Lark and RAD.  Lowell and I jumped in with the 4:15 pace group.  Based on my TOU time of 4:18:33 two weeks ago, I have these goals in mind:  Ecstatic (sub 4:10) Happy (4:15) Satisfied (sub 4:25 BQ).  

Lowell and I had a lot of fun making new friends and reading all the signs posted on the road side, some of them were hilarious.  My nose started running almost immediately so it was very annoying.  I could not get in a good rhythm. I'd slow way too much on the ascend and try to make up time on the descend so we were hanging well with the 4:15 group.  On Veyo I tried to run but my lungs would not co-operate so I'd take 10 seconds walk breaks here and there.  It was very disheartening when others were walking as fast as I was running!  5K came in at 29:58.  10K in 57:54.  Got to the half in 2:08:35.  

I started to pull away from the group in the downhill miles of 15 and 16.  It was in the 17th mile that I ran into a dear friend, Lark, whose goal was also to get a BQ of sub 4:25.  He had surgery a year ago when he broke his leg in a bike accident.  I was so proud of how well he was running and pushing through these challenging hilly miles. I felt so grateful for the ability to run and absolutely love love love the beautiful colors and scenery that SGM course is famous for! :)

After walking and taking in fluids at the aid station just before mile 19, I proceeded to run when suddenly my shins started to cramp up bilaterally.  The muscles in my lower legs were convulsing wildly.   Lowell passed me as he cheerfully introduced me to a girl.  I was in so much pain that I could not go with them nor the pace group.  I tried lengthening or shortening my strides to no avail.  I even got a side-stitch like cramp in my left flank so I tried to breath deeply.  The cramps subsided a little on the incline; only to return on the descend at mile 21.  I took my last and 4th Gu with couple of salt caps and ibuprofen.  I had gu'ed at 7, 13, 17 (one salt cap), 21 (2 salt caps & ibuprofen). I prayed with all my heart that charlie horse would stay away.  I'd stomp hard when the calf muscles threaten to cease up.  I tried singing (in my head) "Call to Serve" and repeating my mantra "smoothfastrong" which helped very briefly.  

Saw Susie cheering at the bottom of Bluff.  She asked how I was feeling, I mouthed the word "cramp" pointing to my legs and tried to smile away the pain.  I took a popsicle handed out by a little kid and ate couple of bites which tasted good but the pain was knotting up my stomach.  I willed myself to keep one foot in front of the other as runners passed me left and right....SO different from TOU where I was the one passing other runners.  I was grateful for the spectators' cheers during those painful torturous two miles.  As I passed the mile 26 marker, I attempted to give a little push but my left calf immediately objected and I nearly fell.  I heard hubby cheering and turned to wave to him as I stumbled to the finish putting on a brave smile.  I did not look at my watch during the last 5K so I was very happy to see that I finish in 4:19:43, although a little disappointed that I ran 61 seconds slower than TOU.   

Supper happy to see Brad (Maynard), TJ, RAD at the finish.  EXTRA excited to find out AmberG won!!!  It was a GREAT day and SGM weekend!!!  And hubby did well waiting for 3 hours at the finish...not an easy feat for him!

Some self evaluation and thoughts ~ I did the best I could with the limited and dismal training over the last 19 weeks.  I started back running in the middle of May when I returned home from Australia.  I did the Ogden Half Marathon (on a whim 'cause Lowell got me an entry from the RD at the Expo) on May 17; finished in 2:35 and cramping the last 2 miles.  Then I quickly ramped up the mileage and signed up for some marathons as long runs:  Sogonapmit in July, Park City in Aug. Pocatello and TOU in Sept.  I did no speed work, zero cross training and very very little hill running.  My nutrition was sub-par.  I cannot remmember the last time I had an uninterruped 6 hours sleep.  Life has been rather stressful to say the least.  

OK, enough excuses...now what to do to move forward.  Running will continue to be my therapy and give me joy. I love the marathon distance.  No matter how many marathons one runs, the last 5-10Ks are always the hardest and one always feels a sense of accomplishment or huge relief when one crosses the finish.  I love the challenge of 26.2.  I love the journey.  I love how it makes me a stronger person in all aspects of my life.  The key is to find the right balance and never give up.  Each run, each race is a gift, to be opened and accepted with joy and gratitude! :)

Above all, I am forever grateful for wonderful friends!!!! :) :) :)

Teena can carry someone THREE times her weights/size!!!  :)

 

I can barely lift ONE of Lowell's legs. :)

 

Summary
 
Distance: 26.25 mi
Time: 4:19:49
Avg Pace: 9:54 min/mi
Elevation Gain: 437 ft
Calories: 2,265 C
 
 
Details
 
 
Timing
Time: 4:19:49
Moving Time: 4:19:26
Elapsed Time: 4:19:49
Avg Pace: 9:54 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace: 9:53 min/mi
Best Pace: 7:49 min/mi
Speed
Pace
 
 
Elevation
Elevation Gain: 437 ft
Elevation Loss: 2,986 ft
Min Elevation: 2,688 ft
Max Elevation: 5,243 ft
 
 
Running Dynamics 
Avg Run Cadence: 192 spm
Max Run Cadence: 246 spm
Avg Stride Length: 0.85 m
 
 
Laps27
Split
Time
Distance
Avg Pace
Summary 4:19:49.2 26.25 9:54
1 9:35.4 1.00 9:35
2 9:51.2 1.00 9:51
3 9:13.6 1.00 9:14
4 9:11.3 1.00 9:11
5 9:07.5 1.00 9:08
6 9:10.4 1.00 9:10
7 8:51.4 1.00 8:51
8 11:51.1 1.00 11:51
9 10:13.6 1.00 10:14
10 10:04.9 1.00 10:05
11 10:43.6 1.00 10:44
12 10:09.8 1.00 10:10
13 9:08.3 1.00 9:08
14 9:30.7 1.00 9:31
15 8:45.4 1.00 8:45
16 8:50.1 1.00 8:50
17 9:11.6 1.00 9:12
18 9:40.0 1.00 9:40
19 10:44.6 1.00 10:45
20 10:50.6 1.00 10:51
21 10:08.7 1.00 10:09
22 10:15.3 1.00 10:15
23 10:32.9 1.00 10:33
24 9:41.6 1.00 9:42
25 10:10.2 1.00 10:10
26 11:17.9 1.00 11:18
27 2:57.4 0.25 11:56
 
Weather
Sorry we do not have weather for this activity.
 
Additional Information
Device:
Garmin Forerunner 220, 2.60.0.0
Elevation Corrections 
 :
Enabled
Summary Data:
Original
 
Map
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5 miles10 km
© 2014 Nokia© 2014 Microsoft Corporation
 
 
 
 
Charts
 Average
 
 
Timing

Expand

 
51015202508:0012:0016:0020:0024:00Pace (min/mi)
 
 
Elevation

Expand

 
5101520252,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,500Elevation (ft)
 
 
Cadence

Expand

 
51015202504080120160200Run Cadence (spm)

Inspire 10 (UK) Miles: 26.25
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00
Comments
From MarcE on Tue, Oct 07, 2014 at 13:02:39 from 74.221.106.4

Way to BQ!!! I need to get myself in gear so I can see you in 2016. I too was bummed that I didn't find you. Brad said he saw you after the race. I think Charlie Horse paid a visit to Teena this time (like he did you back at Park City 2008)

From Toby on Wed, Oct 08, 2014 at 10:11:26 from 166.137.246.96

Oh Smooth...way to endure! You are so amazing at overcoming obstacles with a smile. I'm sorry it wasn't TOU quality, but I guess we need a few hard ones thrown in there every once in awhile to make the good ones extra sweet! 😃🎈🎉

It sounds like it was a fun trip and hooray for Larry getting to come! You've run more marathons since you've been home than I've ever run....you are amazing!

Recover well! Any more thoughts on GV?

From Nancy on Thu, Oct 09, 2014 at 05:31:28 from 24.10.168.18

What a great run. Staying strong through all the pain and BQing is great. I am sorry you had such a hard run. You are really amazing.

From Rhett on Thu, Oct 09, 2014 at 19:23:18 from 199.117.154.54

You are tough Smooth, to keep on going with your legs cramping up and still finish with plenty of time to spare for a BQ. Very impressive.

From flatlander on Sat, Oct 11, 2014 at 11:53:37 from 76.31.29.220

Good job, enjoyed the report and that you got the BQ despite all the problems. Not many people can do that, congratulations.

From Smooth on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 10:22:28 from 67.2.102.76

Marc ~ You came all the way here from TX and I missed you!!! Dang! We need to meet up at Boston 2016 for sure!

Toby ~ Oh, I really think it was YOU that made TOU an an amazing quality run for me! I would really really really like to run GV! But am afraid it's gonna be too far and too long for me to be gone from hubby! :( I know he'd rather I run SoJo instead!

Nancy ~ thanks. Like they say, pain is temporary...even though it was 7.5 miles long! :)

Rhett ~ thanks, you are too kind! Only runners can understand the insanity of keep on going with pain and then turn around and sign up for more! :)

Flatlander ~ thank you. Are you running Boston 2015?

From Smooth on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 10:23:32 from 67.2.102.76

Flatlander ~ oh, I forgot to mention! I am coming to run the Woodlands Marathon Feb 28, 2015. It will be Larissa's first marathon! :)

From flatlander on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 10:28:17 from 198.207.244.102

Cool! I am running Boston, finally, but I might do the Woodlands half -- perfect timing just to keep the race muscles moving. (I can't do a marathon every month like you can!) Hopefully I'll see you then. Congratulations to Larissa.

From Smooth on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 10:35:11 from 67.2.102.76

Flat ~ that is awesome! Beantown here you come!!! :)

From Teena Marie on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 22:30:18 from 24.49.99.147

Roses are red

Marathons are quite far

Charlie is evil

But girl you're a STAR!!!!

I love you so much and I love seeing those pictures of us!

Btw, you and I are pretty much the same weight!!! And check it out ... I'm using a large base of support! Widen your stance a bit and you could toss Lowell over your shoulders no sweat!!! :-)

Thank you for making the good and beautiful of the weekend far outweigh the ugly and hard!

You are AMAZING!

Luvs and bubblegum!

From Tom Slick on Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 11:29:32 from 168.179.157.240

Yo Mama, Smooth you are something else. I love how you look and took adversity by the throat and made a "BQ" out of your 9th SGM. Hey, next year at SGM you are in without waiting for the lottery, Yea! All you have to do is sign up and your in! Then you get to go to the 10 year club members dinner! I'm certainly glad you will be doing the 2016 Boston marathon, which I'm planning on attending and running. I will just have to go and run a "BQ" time at Boston in 2015 for the 2016 Boston. Hey, get all rested up and let me know what your next marathon or challenge is going to be. Are you doing the Vegas Ragnar?

Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Recent Comments: