Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured

Avg Pace 9:16

AM:  3 easy miles

PM:   Running while my daughter was at volleyball practice.   She practices in an industrial area and I have been nervous about running there, but I was not alone  - another fellow runner out on the streets.     It was a lot of dodging cars during mile 1 & 4 (same street on an out and back run) and then cooled down for a mile.

Splits:  8:02, 7:51, 7:35, 8:02

Avg Pace: 8:06

Early & easy.

Met the running group at the store and new I wanted some faster miles, but no real plan.    I headed out with the fast group and fell a little back from the leaders  between miles 2-3 but caught up to them at the water stops.    We ran part of the Cowtown course today and it was so nice to be off the trails.   I love the trail system but we run it so much.    Felt really good and talked to a few people about Houston and the plan......

A:  Start with the 3:40 pacer and try to hang on

B:  Start with the 3:50 pacer and pick it up after the half

I will most likely go with option B and I have come to terms with the fact that I have done the best I could with everything on my plate the past 8-10 weeks.   Bottom line, I want to run it hard enough that I am sore enough on Monday.......I do not want to finish knowing I did not give it my all.

Splits:   9:09, 8:13, 7:43, 7:43, 7:45, 7:51, 7:55, 8:04, 8:15

Avg Pace 8:06

7 miles in the rain......actually very nice!

Today was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.   Watching the trials was just an experience that will never be repeated.   I am here with my husband, my 11 year old who we brought for her birthday and then Saskia & Jenny.   We had a great location and were able to see the runners at miles 1, 1.5, 3, 9, 17 & 25.  There was crowd support but we were able to be right in the action most the time.   When we got to our spot at mile 9, we decided to stick it out and stay because we were right on the tangent corner and the athletes flew by as they made the turn.    It was interesting to watch the race unfold and observe the changes as they looped the course.   For both the men and women races the lead pack did not change much through out the race, just got smaller with each loop.  

Sara Hall, Ryan Hall's wife, watched with us for about 20 - 25 min while she waited for him to come at mile 17.   She was so kind and is absolutely beautiful.   It was great to watch her get so excited when she saw him coming down and making the turn.    

We saw Paul Peterson with each loop and cheered him on and watched him get stronger as the race went on - he looked really good just before the 25 mile mark.   

I walked away from the race so excited to train....not to race, just train more.   

We spent the rest of our day resting, drove the course, had dinner and now just preparing for tomorrow.    The excitement is setting in and I still have no plan but no expectations other than to have a great time, run the best I can and take it all in.

Where to start.....I knew I did not have a good training cycle and that my plan was for a 3:45 - 4:00 training run.  I had the time right but it really wasn't a training run.   

I had the absolutely, most perfect pre-race morning.  Woke up feeling great, things took care of them self, got ready and reached the start issue free - that is a rarity for me.   Thought it is going to be a good day and that lasted until about .5 mile into the race.    I really struggled finding my groove and getting into the flow of a long run and the whole thing felt really forced even though the pace and effort was easy.   Saw my husband at mile 7 and told him it wasn't good and I was contemplating how to not finish this thing.   Stopped during mile 8 and used the POP and actually started feeling a little better and thought if I could get to the halfway point I would be fine.   Previously that has been the turning point and I love the second half of marathons, not today.   I started having lower back spasms between 12 & 13 that lasted up through about 17 and my calves started cramping right about 13.   I stopped to stretch them at one point and got a charlie horse in my shin.....not a good sign.  It was here that I started taking walk breaks of about 20 sec and then would run again.  My running pace was fine, but the calves were killing me.   At mile 18 they started being at least every 1/2 mile and the death march was on.   I reached mile 20 and had a complete breakdown and cried for a mile and tried to just compose myself.  I started actually having short spurts of feeling better but the cramping would return.    When I reached the sign stating 1.5 miles left, my watch said 3:44 and I told myself to get my act together and finish before 4 hours.   Just barely, but I finished.  I was a wreck for the next 1/2 hour while I went through all the finishing stuff and fell apart again when I reached my husband.   Bottom line, the time and experience was reflective of the training I put in and I am okay with that.   I am dissapointed with my training but it was the best I could do with what was on my plate at that time.    No regrets.  

Now to the interesting/fun stuff:

 - the Trials were amazing, see my Saturday post.....Can't say enough and I am in awe.   Words cannot describe that experience.  

- They have a system of weighing runners pre/post marathon.  I thought it was completely dorky and now I am completely fascinated.   I lost 9 lbs during the race, despite drinking both water or gatorade at each stop.    I want to know others details and differences during races.....

-The city and citizens were extremely supportive of runners.   We had people out cheering the entire time and great support, even for the crier - it was mortifying.  

- This was the most well organized race I have participated in, they did a great job managing 25,000 runners.   

Houston and I are not done, we will do this dance again with a much better outcome.    I have a feeling there is a picture of me walking and I am tempted to buy it to remind myself of what I will not do again.    It was an amazing weekend, I learned a lot and I left the trials Saturday inspired to train more, which is good because Sunday I realized how much more I need to train.  

Four nice slow miles. Things were very tight the first mile but everything loosened up, with the exception of my left quad, during the rest of the run.

Six easy miles with Saskia. Tried to avoid the headwind and stuck to an East/West route.

We are in San Antonio for my daughters volleyball tournament and staying on the Riverwalk.    I always look forward to running in new places and this was great.  I headed out just before 7 and it was colder than I expected but I soon warmed up.   I had planned on heading into the wind on the way out and then running with the wind on the way back and that worked until the last mile and the wind shifted.   I made it to the end of the Riverwalk and then picked up a bike trail for another 1.5 miles and then turned around and headed back and added on 1 mile around the loop to equal 8.   I felt good for the most part and picked up the pace a little but nothing to great.  My garmin struggled during the first 1.5 mile and from 5.5 to 7.  The pace was all over the place 13's and 5's but avg for the run was 9:08.  Slower than I had thought but I am also not worried.   

I was late to meet the group so had to run the 1.5 to the meeting spot much faster than I like, given I was not warmed up.  Ran 4 with Saskia and Jenny, it was nice chatting and going slow.   When it was time to head back, I was later than I wanted to be so another 1.5 speedy back.   

I am still having a hard time figuring out how to dress/layer for the temps.   Today I was too warm with a base layer and top, but with the base layer alone I was somewhat cool.   Gloves on, gloves off...couldn't make up my mind.  

A 10k of hills around our neighborhood.  It was chilly again and the legs were tired.

I had to go to Denver and had an early flight out but thought I would get in what I could.  I went down to the fitness center and the treadmill was occupied so I ended up on the eliptical for 20 long minutes....Not a fan.

7 easy miles with Saskia.   My right hip bothered me quite a bit during the run and most the day at the office.  Lots of foam roller, stick and massage in the evening.

Went to go meet the group and it was considered a success because it was windy, and most of you know how a feel about wind.   We were running the first part of the CowTown course today and due to running in some less than desirable areas they had encouraged us to stay with our groups today - especially the first half.    I started with the 8:00 min group knowing I could not keep up, but there was no 9:00 min group and usually there are a handful that drop back to 8:30.  No 8:30's today, so I just worked on keeping the group in sight and we would catch up and check in with each other at the water stops.   We ran through the Stockyards  (a Fort Worth landmark), which was fun but the cobblestones made me nervous.   Ran through a 5K for the other running store and then through downtown and back to the store.  There is a big hill as you cross the bridge into downtown and I used it to work on my mental strength - much needed after Houston.   Finished the 11 mile route and added on a cool down mile as a reward - slow as I wanted.   I really liked being off the trails and on the streets.  The change of scenery was very nice and I would rather run a hilly route and push than flat, flat, flat.

I was very worried about my hip going into today, it had really bothered me yesterday, but once I was warmed, no issues at all.   I can tell that I am still not fully recovered from the marathon, while I felt good today and the effort did not seem overly taxing, I was wiped out the rest of the day.  

Splits:  9:28, 8:12, 8:14, 7:59, 8:04, 7:57, 7:55, 8:30, 8:00, 8:12, 8:09, 8:33

Avg Pace 8:16

6 easy with Jenny.