A low down of the race.  The start was cold.  I wore tights, despite the best advise of 2 seasoned marathoners, one of which has done this particular race 7 or so time, I just know, my skin is thin from living in such a warm climate.  Well, the first 9 miles were tough, I was really cold, my legs muscles suffering the most, and my butt was numb.  It was so hard because I couldn’t get into a steady cadence, and my stride felt short.  I was aware of all this but it seemed, despite best efforts, I couldn’t fix it.  By mile 9, I started to warm up, and then, my muscles started to hurt.  I felt pings in my left buttox, quads and right knee.  I was a bit worried, but thought, I was going a good pace, and felt I could keep it up, despite the small pains.  The 3:20 pacer passed me around mile six, but the 3:30 pacers hadn’t yet, so I knew I was keeping my goal pace, I wanted to finish in 3:30.  I was loving the crown, I wrote my name on my arms and wore my Coast Guard shirt and everyone was yelling my name and go coast guard…  I was also egging them on by waving my arms up and down to get them to yell!  That was a blast!  By mile 17 I knew I had a race on my hands, I was on my target pace, but my quads were still tight and my stride still feeling short, but I knew if I kept my nose to the grindstone, pull that determination out, I could reach my goal time!  At mile 22, my right ankle cramped, like how it feels when you need to pop it, and it was still and wouldn’t bend… I tried to loosen it up on each step, but it slowed me down.  In fact, my dad was watching me online and said I was keeping my pace until mile 22.  I watched the 3:30 balloons pass me, and I couldn’t keep up.  Ther went my goal time, but the 3:40 balloons also hadn’t passed me, so I could still beat my personal best of 3:37…  just had to keep it up as best as I could.  The last part of the race is a hill.  I heald my head up high, shoulders back and attacked it… I finished at 3:36:14, clock time, so my chip time should be 3:35 sometime!  I beat my personal best!!!  Another little funny  … at the mile 17 aid station, I got a cup of powerade just as a guy reached in, he elbowed me, made me bite my tongue and pour it all over my face and shirt!  I shook my head, got another one, drank it, then got some water and poured that all over my face, oh boy!

Thanks for follwing my blog.  I will put it to rest for a bit, until I decide on my next event!

Kim

Oct. 13 – OFF

Oct. 14 – 3 Mi.

We;;, now I can’t rememebr the rest of the training, but I will say, it wasn’t much!

I would like to do a soild week of running this week then cut it down next week.  I feel like if I can keep it up for this week then I will have a chance at a new PR,  (Personal Record).  As of now, my PR is 3:37.  I would like to break 3:30.  I have a lot to do for school which I also cannot let up on, so time to study!! 

Oct. 6 – OFF (1 hr. bike)

Oct. 7 – 12 miles (30 min. Bike)

Oct. 8 – OFF (1 hr. bike)

Oct. 9 - 4 mi. ( 30 min. bike)

Oct. 10 - 9 Mi.

Oct. 11 – OFF

Oct. 12 – OFF

I am obviously not doing to well with the running these days.  Of course, I ride my bike to work!!!

Sept. 29 – 17 miles

Sept. 30 – OFF

Oct. 1 – OFF

Oct. 2 – 6 mi.

OCt. 3 – 5 mi.

Oct. 4 – 7 mi.

Oct. 5 – OFF

I didn’t do too well with training this week.  A combination fo school and laziness kept me from running the quantity of miles I would have liked.  Such is life though!

Short – 3 mi.     Medium – 7 mi.             Medium – 11 mi.                 Long – 16 mi.    Bonus _ 7 Mi.

Sept. 22 – 3 mi.

Sept. 23 – 7 mi., Capoeira 1.5 hours

Sept. 24 – Capoeira

Sept. 25 – 16 mi. run (my quads were tight because of Capoeira!!)

Sept. 26 – OFF

Sept. 27 -  (Day Work) 11.5 mi.

Sept. 28 – Day Work

2)  On the plane ride home we were waititng to get off the plane in Puerto Rico and the guy sitting in front of me says “you look familiar, do I know you from somewhere?”.  OK, heard that one before. ButI endulge and ask, do you run, are you in the running club?” No he answers.  SO, here is the kicker, I ask, where do you work?  He says, “I don’t work, I am the LAZIEST GUY EVER!”  OK, conversation OVER.  That maybe how to get gold diggers, so chase, don’t use that pick up line, OK!

Here it is…    Well, the night before, I had a bought with food poisoning.  Oh NO is right.  At dinner, I wasn’t hungry at all.  I also hadn’t eaten much for the day, a smoothie in the morning, I shared a Quizno’s sandwich at around noon with my cousin, then I stopped at the store and got some grapes and munched on them (without washing them) in the afternoon.  So, I thought my stomach was tight because of nerves.  I ordered a meal because I knew I had to eat something, fueling for the next day!  When the food came, I had to announce to the group I wasn’t feeling well and needed to go back to the hotel.  Good thing, I threw up 4 times, in the parking lot on the way to the car.  I got back to the hotel and felt a little better, so thought it was over and went to bed.  About an hour later, I was up and in the bathroom for the next few hours.  It was a definite low.  For awhile I needed to call my aunt but couldn’t get off the bathroom floor because my stomach was so cramped I couldn’t move.  It was hell.  I finally called my cousin and aunt and they got me some Imodium and pepto, which helped, I got to bed around 2am.  I slept a bit but my stomach was still cramped in the morning.  I got a smoothie down and some water in the morning and decided I would start the race and stop if I had to, listening to my body.  I was spitting up, wet burps and throwing up the entire race (even in the water on the swim part–yuck!).  It was difficult to fuel under these circumstances, but on the ride I got down a bar and a Goo.  It was hard to think about anything else but the intense cramps and pain in my stomach.  I smiled big for every picture!  My body felt great, no pain elsewhere.  The run was was the hardest part.  My stomach was so cramped, and hurt so bad.  I knew I had to keep trying to fuel, so I’d get to an aid station, allow myself to walk, drink, start running again, then have to stop to throw up what I just drank, but I knew it wasn’t all coming out and I must be absorbing something.  It was all I could do to get through the run, one foot in front of the other.  I tried to run as much as possible, despite the pain, because it would be done faster.  I did it, my cousins chase and trey met me before the finish line and ran with me, they announced my uncle’s memory, it was so touching!  SO, I am very proud of my 6:18 time and happy to just have finished.  Although I had other expectations, I always ended to sentence, I’d can reach my goal if there aren’t any snafus, well, I think there was a snafu! 

Got over to OKC for check in.  Felt the water and it felt great.  I had to leave my bike in the transition area over night.  Tito wouldn’t have liked that one, but, mine wasn’t the nicest one!!  Tomorrows the big day, yippeee!!!