WOOAH!!! HOW could I forget Dean & Bart?!?!

Woah woah woah in my post race thoughts I COMPLETELY forgot to mention that I DID make ONE of my goals for the day-- well I guess finishing a marathon is always a goal, so really TWO goals for the day. I TOTALLY met Dean AND Bart and got their autographs on my pace T-Shirt. If you don't remember, I wrote about stalking meeting them in an old post.

Sorry, I don't have a picture of the shirt yet (it had to be washed-- I used wash proof markers of course). So, thought-- how much would YOU pay for a TShirt signed by Dean and Bart? What if the money was going to charity??? I am contemplating, putting the shirt up for a lottery. If you donate $5 or more to the fundraiser in honor of my running grandma (to the right) then you can be entered into the lottery (all $ goes to the fight against ovarian cancer). Would this be something others would be interested in??? Leave your thoughts! While you think it over... Picture time!!!

Dean and I-- he asked me if I wanted to trot the globe with him and run 1 million miles. I declined, I'm much too busy for all that fancy stuff. Running for me is all about the adventure, not the publicity and all the $ from the books. (pssshhh)

Bart and I-- Yassy asked for advice for his new book. "Yass-mister!," I said, "If you don't figure out the secrets of running on your own, you'll never be proud of your accomplishments."

(None of the above conversations ever happened... except in my own head.)

"Who is this familiar elite-class runner?" you may be asking yourself. You may remember him from the Hyde Park Blast Post... It's KYLE! Kyle saw his first big marathon and was a kick-butt fan AND photographer! All the pictures posted were taken by him and NO, I'm not sharing any of my proceeds with him. Oh wait, I'm doing this for free... damn.

San Francisco Marathon~ Post Race Thoughts (Delayed)

Sorry for the delay. This week I started my new job and I've been trying to catch up on sleep from this weekend all week! Also-- I've taken an indirect challenge from a fellow blogger and I've obtained a Wii! I plan on using this to help me in my fitness goals for marathon training! I'll keep you posted when I've settled on what those goals are. Anywhoo...

Post Race Thoughts...

Double Pacer Snaffoo...

Well my first attempt at pacing had some issues. My fellow pacer and I were unable to meet up before the start. We had one of the largest waves to go off and couldn't connect. This meant there were two, 3:50 groups running at once. You can see how this would be difficult mentally for runners who pass him then approach my sign saying they're still only running a 3:50 pace. Well obviously that didn't work. And that's just the start...

Garmin Issues...

How is San Francisco? One word... FOG! And boy did Garmin NOT like it. Garmin hated the fog and started flipping out then eventually reset itself. This happened on the golden gate bridge (actual race pictured left). Garmy was probably getting too wet from the dense fog :( Poor Garmy. Luckily the last I checked (about a minute prior) I was just about exactly on pace (phew). So after it reset I had to try and make sure I was as close as possible to the pace we needed ... even though it would be adjusted for 18 miles instead of 26.

Leg Cramps- Just what I needed...

I had my group on pace (for the second time) and hit around mile 18/19 then I started getting those same strange leg cramps I've been getting in recent races. I assumed I was getting cramps because I was attempting to run 8 min/mile pace but even after slowing to an 8:45 for this race, the cramps were still there! A horrible stabbing pain starts poking at my hamstrings and it puts me in unbelievable pain.

Now I know what you're thinking... "Stephanie, maybe it has something to do with running 26 miles... just a thought!" Yes I agree, you do get leg "pain" normally but this was something different. My legs weren't sore, just cramped. I'm going to make a post next week regarding this, but I'm looking for a solution to this dilemma! MB has suggested pickle juice-- claiming the leg cramps are a result of low sodium and the pickle juice is a good source. We'll see... I'll try anything because I have a goal marathon coming up!

Delirious Miles...

Anyways... along with the leg cramps we were hitting what I like to call "delirious miles"-- starting around mile 19/20. I don't know if its the miles, the heat, lack of water, or lack of oxygen to the brain-- but after about 20 miles people get a little loopy and its sort of like being REALLY drunk but still functional. Remember the people I mentioned above that were thrown off by the double pace group??? Well that mixed with water/oxygen deprivation really got them confused. At this point you could probably convince a person running a 11 min/mile race that they are actually running an 8 min/mile race just by holding up a sign.

Enough is enough...

So right about now I have leg cramps, a faltering garmy and about a million people and their brothers freaking out-- "OMG I thought I was going faster than 3:30!!!!!" I told my group where they were and that they were going to coast downhill and flat for the rest of the race and slowed up to meet back with my other pace partner. Once I had my pace goal off my mind the cramps set in even more. I met back with him and he has a small contingency following-- mostly young girls. Hmmm... that's a shocker. I was a little surprised that there were no 35- year old women as that is the BQ pace for that age group. I think most of them were up with me and looked pretty strong! I hope they made it!!!

BQ WHAT????

Bascuse me??? Now keep in mind I was pacing for a 3:50 and I backed off. Soooo... clearly I did NOT run a 3:25. I'm no math major, but even I know 3:25 is less than (faster than) 3:50. This is the wrong direction. They still have no idea what happened to my time and I'm not even sure myself what my time is. I guess this is a mystery that will stay unsolved. :(

Pacing...

Would I pace again? Yes, but not in such a large race. I feel like there is so much more that can go wrong and the pacing group can get a little crazy.

Other post race thoughts...

I mentioned in my Race RUNdown that this race was going green, which included earth friendly cups. Well but this they actually meant earth friendly shots of water. The cups were TINY. This made is especially hard for me because I was carrying a small fuel belt bottle and planned to fill it up once or twice. Since I was only able to get a shot of water in it at a stop, I needed to slow down at nearly every water stop!

More to come in my official Race Ratings!!!... (Coming soon)

Quick post race thought... let's clear this up

1) Let me start by saying I'm EXHAUSTED-- after the marathon we walked alllllll around SF then took at 9:30 pm plane to land in Cinci at 7:40 am-- so if this isn't coherent I'm sorry
2) My garmin failed-- fog! Thought I was pacing the 3:50 group well until about mile 18... REALLY bad hamstring cramps at miles 18/19 had to slow down
3) SF has my finishing time at 3:25 and it is SO wrong! At least I believe it is! With my garmin off there is no way of telling. That is obviously SMASHING BQ time for me and would be just lovely if I did but I did not...
4) A guy may or may not have died on our plane on the way home...

... more to tell later. So tired.

San Francisco Marathon (#11)... Race RUNdown

This weekend I'll be completing my California Marathon- in San Francisco!





Inspiration Points...
1. This will be the first marathon I've officially paced! 3:50 groupies contact me!!!
2. This is my FIRST trip to California! (Really, I've never been...)
3. If I complete this race then the next one I'll make Iridium level of marathon maniacs (and 4 spinny stars!!!) by completing 9 marathons in 9 states this year!
4. This is Kyle's first BIG marathon spectating! He liked HM and I think he'll love seeing such a big race and some of the super fast athletes (not including myself of course!)
5. The hosts: My fav speed work man- Bart Yasso, & my fav super hero- Dean Karnazes!!!

The RUNdown #11 The San Francisco Marathon
When: Sunday July 26, 2009
Where: San Francisco, CA
Year Running: 10th!
2008 Field: 4,354
...Females: 1,480
...Age Group: 206
2008 Avg. Finish Time: 4:33:06
Weather: From what I can tell SF usually has idea running conditions-- especially for a summer marathon. Last year they had 50's and beautiful. Right now we're looking at mid 50's to mid 60's temperature. Hopefully the lack of humidity and the amount of shade in the parks will keep this race cool!
Course:
This is a hilly course with a more difficult first half than second half. There are a few quick climbs but also a few long slow climbs-- like the golden gate bridge-- twice! This is going to be a small pacing challenge but the goal is to make even splits, making up time on the downhills.

Race 411:
~ Go Green! This race is one of the new "go green" races. The shirts and compostable cups are just two examples how they're going green. For those of us that feel bad dropping 1 gel packet then seeing about 30,000 in front of us- well this race may leave you a little more guilt free.. Saving the Earth, One Road Race at a Time
~ Halfies! The half-marathoners have the option to run the first or second half and from what I can tell there are a LOT of them... I hate the idea of a halfie starting after we're exhausted from our first half. Hopefully this won't make anybody feel let down at their half points! I will NOT let MY group feel that way!!!
~ Spectators! No spectators? In San Francisco?? C'est na Possible! I've been reading reviews of the race and all sings point to limited spectators. I'll have to find a way to entertain my pace group... Can anybody teach me to juggle by Sunday?!!?! How about strapping a radio to my back???

Race Plan: Run no faster than 3:48 and no slower than 3:50! Phew no pressure there! And get some 35 year old women their Boston qualifying time!!! Also, 3rd goal: be the MOST inspiring/energetic pace team at the 2009 San Francisco Marathon!!!

The only thing I hate more than tapering is H20!... Bad week ahead!

Tapering- in the context of sports, refers to the practice of reducing, or tapering off, exercise in the days just before an important competition.[1] Tapering is customary in many endurance sports, such as the marathon, athletics and swimming. For many athletes, a significant period of tapering is essential for optimal performance. The tapering period frequently lasts as much as a week or more. (Wikipedia)

Tapering- A week before a marathon of no exercise, excluding 1-2 low mileage, slow, days. Hence, the runner feels like they're gaining weight, eating too much, loosing their "fit" level, and overall is being mentally drained. IT SUCKS! (Stephanie)

Water- is a ubiquitous chemical substance, composed of hydrogen and oxygen, that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life (Wikepedia)

Water- Gross tasting, stomach bloating, "necessary" substance that "needs" to be consumed the week before a race. AKA... NASTY! (Stephanie)

I have an extreme distaste for both tapering and water...
You: REALLY? You HATE water??
Me: Yes, I'm serious I hate the taste of water. It's disgusting...
You: But it doesn't taste like anything
Me: Exactly... GROSS
You: But... you NEED water to run
Me: Yes, but unlike you (probably) my body doesn't like to sweat and retains the water in my skin. My face, hands, arms, & feet blow up if I have too much water-- And by "too much" I mean the normal amount people consume during a marathon. Sigh... I'm broken!
You: But... NOBODY hates water
Me: I never claimed to be normal!!!

Ok so now that we have that cleared up... I have The San Francisco Marathon this week so it's tapering week!!! Which means I only get to run like twice and at that only for 3 slow miles. I'll fill the rest of my week with stretching during the time I normally work out and LOTS of my roller to break up any leftover muscle cramps and get any remaining lactic acid out.



I'll be on the pacing team for SF so my race plan is obvious... be no more than 2 minutes in front of 3:50! I'm really excited to pace people and help them to get their time. I'm hoping the weather won't be too hot as the course is already fairly hilly! We'll see though. I'll post my race RUNdown as we get closer to the end of the week! Wish me luck on keeping my cool over the week and not getting completely strung out. I'll do my best to avoid any sort of scale and focus on carbo-loading!

Happy Running,
Stephanie

Runner Blog Recommendations... from YOU!!!

I'm looking for a few good blogs! I love the ones I follow already and try to catch up every day. But, I'm hoping to get a few more and maybe broaden my Runner Blog scope! So please keep your eyes peeled and if you see any that fit the following leave me a comment!!!

Requirements...
1) Must be related to running (especially distance running): Marathons, Ultras, Distance Running in general, Triathlons
2) Should provide some sort of insight (ie. Tips on running, great deals on apparel, running techniques, race ratings, etc) or inspiration (motivational, funny, compelling story)-- Why do YOU follow it???

Some Examples...
1) Maybe runners who have done a LOT of marathons and have reviews of them
2) Runners from different parts of the US or the world
3) Very active bloggers-- often comment and provide feedback/insight
4) ***Other 50-state attemptees??*** (Especially current)
5) Blogs that have a lot of product reviews- shoes, run accessories, run companies, clothing etc
6) Blogs that get YOU excited to turn on that computer monday morning just so you can hear what someone was up to over the weekend.
7) YOUR blog??? If I'm not already following it-- let me know!

DWD Devil's Lake... Race Ratings & Results

Ratings...
Overall Race Rating (weighted): 4.2/5.0
Average Calculated Rating: 4.5
~ I'm gonna give the weighted average a 4.2... although you should note, I'm probably being a LITTLE partial to my first trail marathon! The lack of medals was HUGE here, and I know I was able to finish with only a few extra miles added on. However, since I'm trying for 50 states, I know I would have been quite angry if I missed a turn and came up short-- missing 26.2 miles and wasting a weekend. Also, I wish the marathon was advertised more! The only reason I knew about it was because somebody put it on the Marathon Maniacs website! Overall though, a great race! Definitely has me hooked on trail races and maybe even an ultra or 2?... we'll see!

Organization: 3.8/5.0
~ The nature of the beast is guiding this rating. Although the course markers were difficult to follow, they WERE laid out correctly... there is no avoiding trail runners getting lost high in the mileage. AND there's always stops to find your way back. Also, they sent out a PACKET of information describing each leg of the course- Elevation, Footing, any misc. odds and ends. Also, at each of the legs runners had to check-in to ensure no runners were lost. AND ther were cookies, candy, treats, even SODA (which I found out helps to settle the stomach).

~Point loss: MEDALS!!! Apprently a LOT of half-marathoners signed up last minute. This is a problem because the marathoners/half-marathoners shared medals and the ultras shared medals. Well since the Halfies finished first they took up all our medals and ours are being mailed to us. If they knew how many of us started they should have held THAT many marathon medals for us! I think any Halfie would understand if they said "sorry the only ones we have left we need to save for the FULL marathoners!" (.2 point loss because I still managed to get lost...)

Course: 5.0/5.0
~ Depending on what you're expecting you would either rate this as very good or very bad! We were fully warned that the course was difficult, there was terrain that would be hard to navigate, and that if we were wimpy we shouldn't go (read an exerpt from the DWD website left). So... the course was just THAT! They were burtally honest and provided us with a challanging course. I would rate this as a 5 because ... if you signed up for this, it was exactly what you're looking for!

Spectators: 3.7/5.0
~ The spectators get a good rating for doing what we needed... NOT being on the course! These small courses couldn't handle any more people besides the runners. Downside? Random people in the park who (from what I could tell) knew a race was going on and would stand on the path in the way. Also, when there were spots spectators could be, they were kind of dead. Being such a small race I can't really BLAME the race, but it is what it is...

Pace Group: DNE and didn't need...

Runner/Corrals: 5.0/5.0
~ No corrals of course, but the runners were awesome! The night prior they pregamed! They're insane athletes (the woman that ran an ironman the week before the ultra), and they're very talkative and encouraging- minus the guy that made fun of me for being a road runner.

Expo: 5.0/5.0
~ No Expo but I'm giving this section a 5 for T-shirts!!!! AWESOME (check out my post-race thoughts post for a pic)

Results... Results are in!

Only THIRTY people finished this race and only 6 women! I know I saw 1 woman WAY lost, looks like she wasn't alone!
Time: 5:05:05 (now THAT is kind of creepy... guess better than triple 6's!)

Place: 9/30

Gender: 1/6

Division: 1/2