I run therefore, I am!

I started this race with reluctance just as a few of my friends I know did. I exceeded my expectations with my horrible luck for this years training. A bad wakeboard accident fractured 3 ribs a few days before Top of Utah half. I ran with pain. 2 weeks later with no training at all, just healing up I run a PR half on a fast course of 1:07:56. It messed my calves up and I think I ran 2 times after that and did another fast course with a 1:09:29 two weeks before St. George. I knew my speed was ok but my training going into a marathon was pathetic. I ran with Clyde and Dave to mile 7 which is Veyo and pretty much saw them do their rocket running up it. I always choose to take it easy for these 4 miles and when I do it rewards me with a faster push downhill at the end miles. I felt good from 15 on and was hittin low 5's which was good. I really wanted to hit the 16 mile marker at 1:30 but I hit it in 1:36.  I thought for sure I could get low 1:32 when I was there because the downhill would help me out more then the first half. I felt great to mile 23 and when I hit 24 and turned the corner the brakes just smacked me! I couldnt get my legs to turn over for nothing. I was 19th and lost 5 spots in those last two miles as I was fading fast. The home stretch was difficult as well, I had a guy about 100 yards behind me as I hit the gates closing in on me fast. I gave it all and beat him with a photo finish. Man it was close! My calves are punished! Time to let them heal and regroup and train for Rock and Roll Arizona in Jan.  I opted out of the Boston for next year. It was great to see Fritz win and Amber win and Ian win Masters! What a smoking fast day! Congrats to all those and to Fritz, I do have a passport and would love to be your partner if you cant find one! :) 

I decided late Thursday night after some talk with Josse about switching from the Half to the full marathon as I thought even being able to run nice and easy I could take top three and some cash home. I met Josse going up on the bus. We had a good pep talk and she even wrote Focus on my hand to help me stay in the game. The race started and I didnt push to hard at the start to see who would go and try and take the lead. Nobody would. My first mile was 6 even so I decided to try and stay at 5:45 pace. It wasnt hard to do as its mostly downhill the first 3-4. Then you get the dreaded hill that gets pretty steep in parts all the way to mile 7. I really didnt push it at all and fell to about a 7:30 pace. I felt this would give me more leg at the end. At mile 10 I really started feeling my calves a bit and my time stayed at about 6:10 pace with a slight downhill. I figured I was doomed at this point because we had some serious head wind on all the uphill parts! go figure. So Mile 16 came and this was my breaking point. I could not get my body to push up this last hill with wind. I got to mile 18 and saw the 2nd place guy closing in on me. He caught me right at mile 19 and I was fading fast. I had to do a potty stop and came out and saw no one behind for a mile!  I tried to get going but could only get to a run for 20 seconds at a time and I had to stop. I walked a bit and tried to change my running style a bit.  I was done. It hurt to walk and run. I saw Erica, Josse's sister at mile 20 and agreed to get a ride with her after she saw Josse come through. She was the 3rd women at this point.  I really think Erica and Josse are a class act! They are a great family! Thanks for saving me at that point. I went home after watching Josse come in. Then got ready to go to moab to pace the half.  

I paced the 1:30 group for my American Flyers Race Pacers. I could feel my legs right from the start. I was a bit ahead of time to mile 8 and then this serious head wind came in and slowed me down more than I could handle with all I had to stay on track. I missed it by 1:50 which made me a little upset but It was nice to help those around me try to bust it on a hard day. Fun course and very scenic. 

Met my pacers up at the heated tent on this very butt cold morning! I got them organized and singlets handed out and signs and pace bands.  Then I saw Josse and Rachelle and Candice. I wasnt going to race this but just have fun and enjoy the scenery. I got talked into helping Candice and running with her. We got started and the starting first half mile was extremely slick and steep. I kept hearing people falling around me. They threw salt and gravel down which made is more slick. We got to mile 1 and hit 6:45. lol a bit quick for her so we hit the brakes a bit. When I run downhill I never hit the brakes so this was hard for me as I kept creeping ahead of her.  It was super cold and I had long running pants and a zipper hoodie on the entire way to mile 8. The sun finally hit the trail. It was so beautiful and scenic. I have never run a race and taken in so much!  We broke the 1:50 time and came into the finish. Candice was a sport the last few miles of me pushing her. I hope she talks to me again. lol Very fun day and tons of incredibly cool costumes!