Sunday, April 12, 2009

two weeks to 'm' day and proper race reports (with pictures)...

Dear Interwebs. In less than two weeks I will be on my way to OKC for a fabulous weekend with friends and family. The weekend will be a blast thanks to all the other excitement going on, to be explained at later date! Although I get butterflies lately every time I think of running the marathon, I'm ready to get it over with and look to the next challenge, which I'll tell you about after said race. All in all my calf is doing just okay, hopefully some more massage and PT will help with that. I plan to play my training by ear the next two weeks depending on the whole calf thing. That said, I'm still scared enough to poo my pants that I have only gotten in one 20 miler and it was weeks ago.
*Liz and I before the race, and yes that is a gigantic old school Garmin*

On to the proper race report. It was the Easter Sun Run 10K and it was a beautiful day here in Wichita, FINALLY, after a horrid spring so far we couldn't have asked for a better day. Sunny, low wind, I think it put everyone out there in a good mood. This race was at the Sedgwick County Zoo park, the park I often run at, so it was comfy territory for us. So I met up with Liz and Kristen the running lawyer and we did our thing!

*Liz and I around the 5k mark, I clearly need to work on my arm positioning... and I notice my stride looks really long, is that good or bad? FYI I am the one in the blue shirt ;)*

Overall it was a good race. I intended to go out and just have a good time, and I have to say I had a blast. I forgot my
iPod but I didn't care, and actually I found running without it wasn't too bad. I even talked to a few people, got to enjoy the live band and the Derby High School marching band (that was a HUGE pick me up, a lot of fun), it was killer! Like I mentioned no predatory rabbits for me, but I did get a much faster time than I thought, considering I was planning to run it around 9:15 minute miles.

My Splits:
Mile 1 8:46
Mile 2 8:24
Mile 3 8:34
Mile 4 8:37
Mile 5 8:17
Mile 6 8:06
Mile 6.2 2:01
(as you might notice, it takes me awhile to hit my stride, this is the frustrating case in every single run, I don't hit stride until about mile 4 or 5!)

This wasn't a chip timed race so I'm not able to check that and they didn't have stats up on the website yet. But my Garmin said 52:47 and the race clock said 52:59, either way I'm happy with it.

Race Highlights:
  • Running the 2-miler with Ed (who I should explain is actually my husband, although I do consider him a friend as well, I think I've confused the interwebs). And running the 10K with Liz and Kristen.
  • I was mortified by some HORRIBLE woman in front of me who literally yelled and threw her hands up in the air and continued screaming at the poor kid at the 6K mark whose timer watch was messed up so he couldn't offer splits. This woman was an embarrassment to all runners, I wanted to punch her in her saggy gross pantyline showing stupid gray tights... or maybe just give her a straight shot to her ovary, how horrid!Instead I just shot past her, I know this didn't really prove any point to her, but it made me feel better to get away from her.
  • Getting my second fastest 10K time, which I know isn't all that fast, but I never really trained for a 10K (that will change this summer).
  • Finishing the race with some random kid who didn't want to get chicked (but I edged him out at the last second) I think that was hands down the most fun I've ever had at a race finish. We did the last .2 together and kept each other going faster and faster. Ed said I looked like Phoebe in the episode when she taught Rachel to run in the park, flailing all over the place. He said I looked like a big dork. Newsflash interwebs, I am, point of fact, an enormous dork. It was FUN!
*Last sprint to the finish with the random guy, flailing like Pheobe*

*Me beating the guy! It was really fun having him at the end, he kept yelling, COME ON, COME ON. Hilarious, yet VERY motivational*

*Liz bringing it home*

*Liz, myself and Kristen the Running Lawyer, post race*

*Ed and I after the 10K, but before the 2-mile. He is warm, but he was pissed. I sort of lost track of time between the two races and we didn't have much time to get to the start line. I felt ReaLLY bad about that. But he still took a picture with me!*

Rachel's Marathon Number Two True Rockstar!
Like I said my cousin Rachel did the Illinois Marathon. She raced it with her dad (I should state Rachel actually married my cousin, so we aren't actually related, although she is every bit my cousin as any other cousin I have, but just want to clarify that I don't really know her Dad) who is a veteran 18-time marathoner. And she beat him! AWESOME. Rocksta
r status right there. Not to mention she moved from Atlanta to Chicago mid-training and had to go on a work trip to the Caribbean (yeah, rough life indeed) last week and got back the day before the marathon. She still managed to beat her dad and beat her last marathon time by 10 minutes.

Here is a photo of her dad and her at the finish. Awesome job to both. I quite enjoyed the race report, including the person who apparently ran the half as a banana (nice) and all the people out cheering them on, and it sounds like an amazing finish down into the stadium. Her Dad's alma mater is Illinois, so I can imagine how great it felt for him to run into that stadium. It sounded like a great race. Hopefully Rachel and I will be doing Chicago together... I am actually more excited about tapping my cousins kegerator during my stint there, than the actual race... what does this say about our family? We rock? You are correct, we do!

Oh and I should mention only 500 women finished the Illinois Marathon and she was 84th. YAY!

This was another long post, but hopefully the fun pictures made it worth it, especially the one of me flailing all about.


Cheers to a great running week my friends!

18 comments:

californiameaghan said...

did you know i went to high school with liz? her brother was in my class...

IzzyBubbles said...

Um, I still think my story about the lady in front of me being attacked by a goose is the best one from that race.

J said...

Great job on the 10k. My arms look the same way when I run. It is really weird - I can run great with them for sprinting but when it comes time for longer mileage runs, my arms are just weird!

Anonymous said...

Great job!!

All this time, I didn't realize your marathon was the OKC Memorial Race. I hope to do that race one day.

Ashley said...

At the end when you were about to beat that guy, did you yell out "That's not running! Come on!!" like Phoebe? ;)

Great pics, awesome post all around. Oh, and I love how Kristen is never just Kristen, she's "Kristen the running lawyer." LOL I'm going to start referring to my friends as "Melissa the running realtor" and "Jennifer the running new business coordinator" <--except that last one is a mouthfull! Haha

Oh, and I thought you said you didn't run that fast?? There is NO WAY I could ever keep up with you in a race!!!

RunToTheFinish said...

hey it's a good thing you aren't going out too fast!! so be glad you work in to your stride most people fade at the end!

can't wait to hear what you think of OKC, I really loved it

Marlene said...

Awesome pics! You're looking strong.

Ace said...

I feel the pain of flailing guy... ;)Chicked in front of friends and family, way to go!

Unknown said...

It's hard to tell much about form from a still photo, but your form looks good to me. But if your stride is really long and you are landing on your heal, that might explain the calf problems you are having. A shorter, quicker stride might take some of the pressure off the calf, but now is not the time to tinker with your form. Save that for after the marathon.

Great job in the race!

running man said...

I did read somewhere that a shorter stride is common amongst more seasoned runners. Haven't looked into why that is...I tend to have a short stride, but hey, your a better runner than I, so let's get that straight. Lol...see ya in OKC

The Gibsons said...

thanks for the fleeting second of stardom...makes me smile for sure!

(and sometime you should meet the pops...he's pretty much the coolest old guy ever)

i can't believe your splits--wowza! mine look the exact opposite (which is bad)--start fast and end slooooooow. so awesome job on the race...not long 'till OKC! woo woo!

Mel -Tall Mom on the Run said...

Fun long post and I LOVE the photos. Your form looks good to me, of course I am a 6'0 goomba who looks crazy while running.

18 marathons, WOW! I repeat WOW!

Good luck, 2 weeks. I hope your calf and all other parts hold up.

Your split times were good, keep it up!!

Mel

Irish Cream said...

Awesome job! Loved the race report and the fantastic photos!! I hope your calf hangs in there over the next couple of weeks!

try running said...

Continue to hit your stride at the same point in the marathon...and then enjoy the next 20 miles just cruising right along!
Good work!

Ashley said...

Hey girlie, I just TAGGED you!! Check out my blog & play along! :)

Oz Runner said...

wow, that garmin is BIG...and it uses BATTERIES??..hey, as long as it does the trick.....awesome job on your splits...and that horrible lady, you should have given her the split off your watch but added like 10 minutes to it, so she'd be off the whole race...counting it down to OKC....

Aron said...

LOVE the pics :) great job again!!

you are going to do GREAT in 2 weeks! just continue to let those legs rest and get fresh for race day!!!

Mica said...

Hahaha, did you notice the collapsed lady in the background the picture of your cousin and her dad? She had a little too much finish line.