Finally, a happy ending. After only 2 hours of sleep and waiting 3.5 hours in the local high school gymnasium with fellow runners for the marathon to start, I beat my own expectations for the first 20 miles of the race and crossed the finish time with almost 2 minutes to spare for Boston qualification.
Stats from race day
Chip time: 3:39:09
Gender place: 51/445
Division place: 11/119
Pace: 8:22
Overall place: 184/998
Join me in Boston in 2012 for the 116th Annual Boston Marathon!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Race Tomorrow!
Daily Total: 0; Weekly Total: 13 + marathon; Per Mile Pace: NA; Days Until Marathon: less than 1
As training comes to a close and the race is mere hours away, I'm feeling nervous, nauseous, confident, anxious, and excited all at once. We are again in the midst of a heat wave which is contributing to my nausea.
The race organizers are accused of being disorganized for expecting runners to shuttle bus to the race start at 4:00am, a whole 2.5 hours before start time, and half-marathoners to walk one mile to the start line. Poor planning indeed.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I have a fun playlist ready to go on my ipod. I'm trying to load up on nutritious food today while staying very hydrated.
These are not the ideal conditions I was hoping for - trying to limit pessimism and focus on the present.
Finish time coming soon.
As training comes to a close and the race is mere hours away, I'm feeling nervous, nauseous, confident, anxious, and excited all at once. We are again in the midst of a heat wave which is contributing to my nausea.
The race organizers are accused of being disorganized for expecting runners to shuttle bus to the race start at 4:00am, a whole 2.5 hours before start time, and half-marathoners to walk one mile to the start line. Poor planning indeed.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I have a fun playlist ready to go on my ipod. I'm trying to load up on nutritious food today while staying very hydrated.
These are not the ideal conditions I was hoping for - trying to limit pessimism and focus on the present.
Finish time coming soon.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Day 79 - Fun Running
Daily Total: 6 miles; Weekly Total: 13 + MARATHON; Per Mile Pace: 8:15; Days Until Marathon: 5
I have yet to find an ideal time of year to train. However, I can easily dismiss the coldest months of winter (which are really quite mild in Santa Barbara) and allergy season from the list. There are always holidays, birthdays, weddings, engagement parties, i.e., reasons to celebrate and digress from the training regimen. This past weekend was Halloween and I wasn't going to skip out on one of my favorite "holidays" in the year 2010 just so that I might qualify for Boston next weekend. I guess these are the hard truths of amateur athletes. Instead of "no pain, no gain", it's "no fun, no gain."
The moral of the story is that conditions will never be ideal. I've been feeling on the edge of a cold/flu for the past week or so, but overcoming it by a hair. I may wake up Saturday, November 2nd at 4:00am feeling ecstatic and energized or like a trainwreck. I at least know that despite any conditional feeling, I'm committed to having fun.
I have yet to find an ideal time of year to train. However, I can easily dismiss the coldest months of winter (which are really quite mild in Santa Barbara) and allergy season from the list. There are always holidays, birthdays, weddings, engagement parties, i.e., reasons to celebrate and digress from the training regimen. This past weekend was Halloween and I wasn't going to skip out on one of my favorite "holidays" in the year 2010 just so that I might qualify for Boston next weekend. I guess these are the hard truths of amateur athletes. Instead of "no pain, no gain", it's "no fun, no gain."
The moral of the story is that conditions will never be ideal. I've been feeling on the edge of a cold/flu for the past week or so, but overcoming it by a hair. I may wake up Saturday, November 2nd at 4:00am feeling ecstatic and energized or like a trainwreck. I at least know that despite any conditional feeling, I'm committed to having fun.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Day 75 - Goodbye to Nike
Daily Total: 5 miles; Weekly Total: 30 miles; Per Mile Pace: 8:30; Days Until Marathon: 9
I've never cared for fancy footgear. Most runners swear by a certain brand and/or model of shoe - unless of course they are a convert to "barefoot" running. The Nike Pegasus had been my shoe of choice for the last three years, mainly because I could use the Nike + ipod pedometer and it was the most economical of the approved running shoes within Nike. Today, I said goodbye to Nike and for all the better.
If you've visited any sporting apparel stores lately, you'd notice the hyper-trendiness of Nike shoes for women recognized by uncomfortably bright colors that seem more fit for a Japanese rock star than an amateur athlete. Not to say that I judge a book by its cover. Actually, my disgust for the recent appearance of Nikes was catalyst for considering alternatives. Apparently, in the world of athletic shoe retail, it is commonly accepted that Nike produces more for style/appearance than functionality. A sales clerk persuaded me into caring about the superior design and performance of Asics and proceeded to bring me several models for my experimentation. To my surprise, each pair of Asics offered way more cushioning and arch support than any pair of Nikes. The difference was honestly night and day.
Although in the past I'd refuse to pay more than $80 for a pair of running shoes (including taxes) due to the need for constant replacement, I ended up purchasing a pair of Asics with asymmetrical lacing (providing extra arch support) for $125. For their level of comfort, these shoes were quite the bargin. So that's it: I'm a traitor to Nike.
I've never cared for fancy footgear. Most runners swear by a certain brand and/or model of shoe - unless of course they are a convert to "barefoot" running. The Nike Pegasus had been my shoe of choice for the last three years, mainly because I could use the Nike + ipod pedometer and it was the most economical of the approved running shoes within Nike. Today, I said goodbye to Nike and for all the better.
If you've visited any sporting apparel stores lately, you'd notice the hyper-trendiness of Nike shoes for women recognized by uncomfortably bright colors that seem more fit for a Japanese rock star than an amateur athlete. Not to say that I judge a book by its cover. Actually, my disgust for the recent appearance of Nikes was catalyst for considering alternatives. Apparently, in the world of athletic shoe retail, it is commonly accepted that Nike produces more for style/appearance than functionality. A sales clerk persuaded me into caring about the superior design and performance of Asics and proceeded to bring me several models for my experimentation. To my surprise, each pair of Asics offered way more cushioning and arch support than any pair of Nikes. The difference was honestly night and day.
Although in the past I'd refuse to pay more than $80 for a pair of running shoes (including taxes) due to the need for constant replacement, I ended up purchasing a pair of Asics with asymmetrical lacing (providing extra arch support) for $125. For their level of comfort, these shoes were quite the bargin. So that's it: I'm a traitor to Nike.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Day 71 - Physical Limits
Daily Total: 9 miles; Weekly Total: 35 miles; Per Mile Pace: 8:40; Days Until Marathon: 13
On a bike ride with my boyfriend some years ago, I shouted in frustration at his audaciously riding through a yellow, almost red stoplight, during rush hour in a busy intersection. In typical righteous girlfriend fashion, I seized the opportunity to categorize this instance into an overly generalized commentary on his reckless behavior when it comes to "adventure" sports, demanding to know "why do you always push it to the edge?" We both laughed at the melodramatic phrasing of my question, although he admittedly thinks that sometimes he's been cast in the real world version of Point Break, Diehard, or some other virility-themed, action blockbuster.
That question came to mind today when I was forwarded the following article by no one else but his thoughtful mother:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130731888&sc=fb&cc=fp
The existence of such science alludes to the fact that we all have a physical limit, despite any training that prepares one for mental nirvana. I often wonder about my physique and heredity, and if these will ever halt me from a particular physical goal. Pushing it to the edge may offer a thrill, but at what cost?
On a bike ride with my boyfriend some years ago, I shouted in frustration at his audaciously riding through a yellow, almost red stoplight, during rush hour in a busy intersection. In typical righteous girlfriend fashion, I seized the opportunity to categorize this instance into an overly generalized commentary on his reckless behavior when it comes to "adventure" sports, demanding to know "why do you always push it to the edge?" We both laughed at the melodramatic phrasing of my question, although he admittedly thinks that sometimes he's been cast in the real world version of Point Break, Diehard, or some other virility-themed, action blockbuster.
That question came to mind today when I was forwarded the following article by no one else but his thoughtful mother:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130731888&sc=fb&cc=fp
The existence of such science alludes to the fact that we all have a physical limit, despite any training that prepares one for mental nirvana. I often wonder about my physique and heredity, and if these will ever halt me from a particular physical goal. Pushing it to the edge may offer a thrill, but at what cost?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
On the Road
Daily Total: 0; Weekly Total: 35 miles; Per Mile Pace: NA; Days Until Marathon: 17
It can be difficult to travel during marathon training. Unknown territory and distances and differences in weather potentially pose many roadblocks to the enthusiastic marathoner. Conversely, I find running is a unique opportunity for sightseeing and learning the feel of a place. I just returned from a 6-day trip to New Orleans and I didn't run outside once. Although I was in love with the city, average daily temperatures of 80 degrees with humidity and endless street traffic translated to utilizing the hotel fitness center on a daily basis.
I never train indoors. I am not a fan of treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters, etc... There is something so mechanical about the whole thing and I find that I actually feel more soreness after using the machines. Thus, I kept my fitness center visits in the Crescent City to a minimum, covering no more than 4 miles per day.
Had I not been dissuaded from running outdoors due to heat and other circumstances, my hotel carried small placards from Runners World detailing suggested routes for the local area. Another resource for running tourists is http://www.mapmyride.com/ which reveals an abundance of routes by regular users in a given area.
It can be difficult to travel during marathon training. Unknown territory and distances and differences in weather potentially pose many roadblocks to the enthusiastic marathoner. Conversely, I find running is a unique opportunity for sightseeing and learning the feel of a place. I just returned from a 6-day trip to New Orleans and I didn't run outside once. Although I was in love with the city, average daily temperatures of 80 degrees with humidity and endless street traffic translated to utilizing the hotel fitness center on a daily basis.
I never train indoors. I am not a fan of treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters, etc... There is something so mechanical about the whole thing and I find that I actually feel more soreness after using the machines. Thus, I kept my fitness center visits in the Crescent City to a minimum, covering no more than 4 miles per day.
Had I not been dissuaded from running outdoors due to heat and other circumstances, my hotel carried small placards from Runners World detailing suggested routes for the local area. Another resource for running tourists is http://www.mapmyride.com/ which reveals an abundance of routes by regular users in a given area.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Day 58 - Tapering Off
Daily Total: 9 miles; Weekly Total: 40 miles; Per Mile Pace: 9:20; Days Until Marathon: 25
It's been 9 weeks since I embarked on this virtual treadmill and sadly I feel that my runner's endurance has actually depleted from past marathons. Needless to say, I'm beginning to freak the $*#@ out about actually qualifying for Boston and I'm revisiting the current worthiness of such a lofty goal. Shedding three minutes off my best marathon time was going to be, ostensibly, a piece of cake, yet has proven to be otherwise.
I've begun to taper off my total weekly mileage. Last week was 45, this week it's 40, next week is 35. For now I'll remain optimistic because there's not an appealing alternative. Who knows what magic may manifest on race day.
It's been 9 weeks since I embarked on this virtual treadmill and sadly I feel that my runner's endurance has actually depleted from past marathons. Needless to say, I'm beginning to freak the $*#@ out about actually qualifying for Boston and I'm revisiting the current worthiness of such a lofty goal. Shedding three minutes off my best marathon time was going to be, ostensibly, a piece of cake, yet has proven to be otherwise.
I've begun to taper off my total weekly mileage. Last week was 45, this week it's 40, next week is 35. For now I'll remain optimistic because there's not an appealing alternative. Who knows what magic may manifest on race day.
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