running: the dawn

Public Service Announcement**This site has been dealing with some technical difficulties that have frustrated the email subscription service….just wanted to let everyone know that for right now there won’t be emails going out.  We are working on that (and by “we” I mean my web guy) and hope to have it fixed or replaced very soon.  Until then you’ll just have to check in every so often to see what’s going on…**

One week into my training cycle and I am feeling full of doubt.  Today I printed off my schedule to hang on my fridge.  This time I decided to also print off my pace goals and interval times so that I wouldn’t always have to look at them on my computer.  There’s something so unnerving about looking at those numbers.  In order to qualify for Boston, I would have to run a 8:27 minutes per mile pace.  For ALL 26.2 miles.  Seriously?  That doesn’t seem doable.  At all…

I clipped up the plan and times then stood there staring at the papers.  What am I thinking?  Who am I kidding?  I’ve been running three times in the past three weeks and while it wasn’t a struggle…I wasn’t breaking any records or flying on air.  Running fast takes so much hard work!  At this point in time, I know that I can run marathons, I know that I can enjoy them, I even know that I can run faster…what I don’t know is if I can get fast enough.  I’m also starting to worry about the training and what training does to me.  I admit it.  I get a little obsessed when I am training with specific time goals in mind.  My poor husband…he really does put up with the brunt of my crazy.

Right now I feel like I could go either way.  I could back off and find a new goal or go for it and risk total failure.  As of yet I haven’t invested yet.  It’s still safe to back off.  Honestly whenever I think about it I feel like a scared little kid.

I used to be a gymnast.  I started when I was in second grade and I LOVED it!  It was so fun to learn new things and hang out with my friends.  But I was always scared to try something new, especially if there was a chance that I would not be good at it.  I remember when my teachers were trying to get me to do a back walkover on the balance beam.  I would stand there paralyzed with fear.  My right leg was extended in front of me, toes pointed in readiness.  My arms were lifted above my head ready to reach back and find the beam.  But I just couldn’t do it.  They had me practice on the floor until I could stay straight and on the line.  Then they moved me to a beam that was just a few inches off the floor.  No matter how much encouragement they gave me, as soon as I got on the real beam I would freeze up and refuse to try.

Now, I know that I can’t go back in time and force the little version of me to man-up and go for it.  But I can choose a different path today.  I can choose to try, even at the risk of failure.  I can put my heart out there and want something that seems impossible to do.  I can fail, recover and try again if I need to.

After a day full of math meetings (admit it, you’re totally jealous!) and torrential rain I barely had time to run home and change before the fabulous duo J-Money and K-Fresh came to pick me up for some fruit picking.  Yes, it is that time of year!  Last summer I stocked up on sweet cherries, raspberries, and blueberries.  Our freezer was not-quite full, but I thought for sure that we’d make it through the winter.  Imagine my horror when I polished off the last of the frozen goodness mid-February.  I am determined to do better this year.

We headed out to the farm, picked up our boxes to fill with the little red jewels.  Raspberries are my favorite summer fruit.  I used to eat them rarely if ever because they were so expensive in the stores and even if you decided to fork over the small fortune to get them they would mold or spoil before you could even get them home to wash and eat.  AND, I never realized how shrunken the raspberries you can find at the grocery-store!  Seriously.  The berries here are the size of large grapes!  Oh, so yummy.

I could not believe how humid and hot it was though.  Within 10 minutes I was sweating so much I could barely see.  All day long I’d been trying to figure out the best plan for my run today.  I had 4 miles on the schedule.  I was going to go this morning but there was a severe thunderstorm.  Then I was going to go after my meetings but that got trumped by the berried.  I had been toying with the idea of going when I was done harvesting but somewhere in the middle of the sweltering heat and humidity I decided to wait until after it cooled off.  NOW, I am in the middle of another huge storm blowing through.  Oh well.  Tomorrow it is.  I’m in my “reverse” taper mode, which means I’m slowly building up my mileage and number of running days per week.  Since there was not a run scheduled for tomorrow I can easily run my 4 miles tomorrow without a problem.

Honestly, I’ve been tempted to run more than I have on the schedule.  I know that I could handle it and my legs are itching to get out there and run.  I’m holding them back though.  I know that I will eventually be running upwards of 50 miles a week and be kicking myself for not enjoying this rest/recovery time.  So, I will reign it in and enjoy all the time off.  Actually I’ve been able to up my Jazzercise attendance since I don’t have to fit it in around work and/or running.  I’ve gone every day this week and it’s been great to be back in class, working and stretching my muscles, lifting weights, and dancing my tail off.

I have made a renewed commitment to wear my heart rate monitor throughout this training cycle.  I will do it!  I don’t know much about the numbers, which means that I tend to ignore them.  But I figure the more I use it and pay attention to my heart rate the more significant and helpful it will be.  I just wish that I could take some sort of fitness test or whatever to figure out what my maximum heart rate is, cause I’m pretty sure I have no idea.

That’s that for now.  I think I’ll go eat some raspberries and watch the lightening…

For the first time in over a month, my suitcase is unpacked, my refrigerator is full and I get to sleep in my own bed.  It is good to be home.  I’ve been on planes and trains, sleeping at friends’ houses and hotels, spending time with family and driving home for the past four weeks.  Man it feels so good to be back where I can relax and just live life.  No travel size shampoo bottles or trying to keep my clean and dirty clothes separate while still in the same suitcase.  But the best part?  Being able to choose from ALL my shoes!

Homecoming can be tricky.  There’s an awkwardness when you return to a place that was once familiar.   Like at high school reunions when you’re faced with all those hard questions like: How much has changed since I’ve been gone?  What did I miss?  Will I still know what to do?

You know, there’s a flow to a reacquainting conversation.  First you usually talk about the weather.  Then there’s a brief question or two about each other’s families and/or work.  The answers are short and mostly uninteresting.  Then you go over the latest information about mutual friends.  Eventually you get back in sync and it feels like no time has passed.

Being home this time means that my rest is over and I’m free to run again!  Last night I got to stay with Andi and we decided we’d go for a little four mile run.  It was crazy hot and humid when we set out.  It was just like having a conversation to get reacquainted with an old friend.  I wasn’t sure how the run would go and it definitely felt awkward during the first mile.  Like those first few questions that old friends ask each other.  I felt uncomfortable and full of kinks.  Doubting my ability to get over the hump.  It was great to have Andi there beside me.  Eventually I felt myself back in stride.  The light switched on and it felt right.  Like no time had passed.

So I’m back at my house, I’m back to running, and back to work.

Welcome home.

Today is my dad’s birthday.  He has always been my biggest fan and loudest supporter.  I got to go to his birthday lunch with all his co-workers.  We got to tell stories and laugh about all the adventures that seem to follow him where ever he goes.  I am so proud to be his daughter.  Over the meal he started talking about coming up to spectate the Grand Rapids Marathon in October!  It’s going to be so fabulous to have him (and his amazing cheering) there for me.

Here he is walking me down the aisle.  Isn’t he adorable?

Happy Birthday Dad!!

I have gotten quite a few questions about the skirt I wore in the marathon (pics here) and why I switched from shorts to skirts.  Well, first of all I LOVED my first skirted experience.

I’ve always had a hate-hate relationship with running in the summertime.  Mainly because it meant that I had to wear shorts.  I have always had a problem with my shorts riding up between my thighs.  I would spend  so much time either adjusting said shorts or feeling self-conscious about what I looked like.  Yes, I tried all the different kinds of shorts: nike, adidas, mizuno.  Loose fitting, spandex, booty shorts.  No matter what I tried I would obsess over how I looked and how I felt.   And…don’t even get me started with race pictures.  While most people see the expression on the face I would only see how ridiculous my thighs look like…

Gross!  So, what’s a girl to do?  Skirts baby!

I was first introduced to the idea of skirts by my running BFF Andi.  She had found a nike skirt a couple years ago and kept telling me how much more comfortable it was and that she never felt self conscious.  Since then I’ve been on the search for the perfect skirt.

Enter runningskirts.com.  Yes, I found their website first by googling “running skirts.”  At first I was more than skeptical of the idea of “briefs” under the skirt as opposed to compression shorts.  I was pretty sure that I would rather have the coverage of shorts.  I kept researching and reading reviews online, became a fan of runningskirts.com on facebook so I could look through pictures of real people wearing the skirts.  Eventually became convinced that I should at least give them a try.

It’s hard though.  Running apparel in general is fairly expensive and skirts in particular seem to range between $50-$60.  Which is a lot to me.  But then. . . .my AMAZING sister-in-law suggested that she and my brother gift me a skirt for my birthday!  Even though my birthday was the day after the marathon they made sure that it got to me in time to take it for a spin before the big day.  I got my adorable pink-dot skirt Wednesday before the race and took it for a little three mile run.

Now, yes, I do know that you’re not supposed to try anything at a marathon that you haven’t first tested out on a long run…but…I did anyway.  And seriously, I’m sure that I could not have been happier.  I loved wearing the skirt every step of the way.  I never once had to adjust anything.  Every time I passed by the medical stations I’d ask myself if I needed any more chafing protection and never needed it.  And as horrifying as the “incident” was after mile 20, I was so thankful that I was wearing a skirt.  The idea of having shorts on to stick to my skin and rub me raw make me cringe even now a week later.  At the end of the race I had poured so much water on myself I was literally dripping wet.  The skirt stayed in place perfectly.

This was a complete trial by fire of a new product and I am happy to say that the running skirt passed with FLYING colors!  Speaking of colors…check out the skirts that I got while I was at the runningskirts.com store:

Yes, I when I left for California I was skirt-less.  Now,thanks to Ann, Jeremy, Sis, and me, I own 5!!!!  Basically I can’t wait for my two weeks of not running to be over so I can rock all my new skirts .  I no longer dread hot summer days.

I know that there are skeptics out there…feel free to ask questions, disagree, or share your skirt-tastic experiences!

Oh, and PS…The running skirts are having a HUGE sale.  Check it out here!  Some of there skirts are $10 and $20!

In order to keep wild imaginations from running loose for too long, it’s time for my big announcement…..

Several people have inquired, “What now?”  All of this training/blogging was for me to try to run the San Diego Marathon in less than four hours.  Now that I’ve crossed that off my goals list will I continue the blog?  Will I switch topics?  Will I fade into the inter-web-space history?

The answer? One word:

BOSTON!!

It is time to step up to the plate of what I really want.  I want to qualify and run the Boston Marathon.  In order to be allowed to run the Boston Marathon I must run on a certified course and finish in 3:40:59.  I’ve been running off and on for the past 6 years and in the back of my head I’ve always harbored the word “Boston.”  As in “Someday I’ll go for a Boston qualifying time,” you know, when I’m more fit, faster, lighter, older, wiser…and the list goes on.  There’s a million excuses to not put that goal out there.  It’s so much easier to just be content with my current success and move on.

But the truth is, I’m not going to be satisfied with that.  It’s only been a week since I crossed the finish line basking in the success of my run and the feelings have faded.  In the place of the excitement is a constant desire to see what I am capable of now.  If I work just that much harder, could I do it?  Am I ready?

I know that I’m ready to try!  So, mark your calendars for the Grand Rapids Marathon on Sunday, October 17 2010, 8:00am (eastern)

Now…being realistic…I’m not sure that I’ll be able to cut off those 18 minutes in the time that I have between now and October.  But no matter how many marathons it takes me to qualify I know that BQ’ing is now my running goal.  I plan to train towards that goal and hold myself accountable to that.  Along those lines, check out the postcards that the Grand Rapids folks are using:

It makes it seem like a higher calling or something…like lives depend on your commitment to the training process.  I’m definitely going to print this off and hang it somewhere I can see it every time I go out for a run.

Speaking of running…I have been spending the past few days figuring out my running life for the next few months.  Here’s the general idea:

• Take two FULL weeks off after San Diego as per: Ryan Hall.  Hey, he’s a world-class marathoner and he doesn’t run or do anything active for two weeks after he’s put in an all-out effort.  One week done and I’m almost half way through the second week…Hopefully I won’t go crazy as a result of these 14 days without running.
• Spend five weeks doing “recovery” and “base building”.  For me this means working back up to at least 40 miles a week and very very minimal speed work (what can I say, I’m pretty excited to get back to the track).  One of the best things I did for myself this past training cycle was build up my mileage gradually and put in some nice slow long runs before I added the intensity of high mileage and speed work.  I want to ensure a nice injury-free season.
• Starting July 25 I enter into the 12-week training process.  I will once again be following the Pfitzinger 12 week plan found in the book Advanced Marathoning.  There were a couple of the marathon-pace runs and two long runs that I wasn’t able to fit in this last time.  I think that I will be able to stick to the plan a little better and hopefully that will help me to not fade away at mile 24…

I must say: Thank you!  Each of you that have been with me through this journey, I can’t thank you enough.  Whether you comment, email, text, or just read, it’s your support that has encouraged me to keep going even when I wasn’t sure I was capable.  I look forward to sharing the next stage of my running journey with you all!  So now…let us commence:

the Quest to Qualify

Ok, so I know I’ve been somewhat narrow-minded in my posts lately, focusing so much on San Diego.  So, this one is going to be the last one, I promise.  I finally got my photos to download!!!!  Here are the pics from the race:

Look out later this week for some awesome product reviews and an announcement.  You should be excited!

Throughout my race on Sunday I repeated the words “Today is the day.”  I didn’t know beforehand that it would become my mantra.  While I was walking to the starting line I said, “Today is the day I learn who I am.”  While crossing the starting mat I said, “Today is the day I find out what I’m made of.”  During the long uphill between miles 7 and 10 I said, “Today is the day I find out if my training was enough.”  When I was still feeling strong at mile 20 I said, “Today is the day I conquer my goals.”  On Fiesta Island when my strength seemed to leave me I said, “Today is the day I will not give up.”  When I was just a mile from the finish I said, “Today is MY day.”  When I crossed the finish line I said, “Today is the day that I DID IT!”

It was hard. It was hot. It was humid.

I still can’t believe that I did it.  There were so many times during my training that I didn’t think this day ever get here. Then I would fear that it would come but go horribly wrong.

I’m going to do a play-by-play of the day, but for those of you who like to read the last page first here are the numbers:
Half: 1:55:59
Mile 20.5: 3:01:12
Finish Time: 3:58:45
Pace: 9:07

Ok…buckle up, this is a long one…I wanted to include pictures, but I haven’t gotten them onto my computer yet, so look forward to them tomorrow!

The Start

My alarm didn’t even need to go off because I was awake after about 3 hours of restless sleep.  I immediately got up and out of bed to begin the readying process.  Skirt–check.  Gigit–check.  Fuel, handheld, ifitness belt–check, check, and check.  I always get nervous when I put on my pace band.  I took a minute to look through the time for miles 1 through 26.2.  Deep Breath.  Time to go.  I grabbed my Gu Chomps, Luna bar, and headed out the door.

I had a 1.5 mile walk to the starting line.  I actually really enjoyed this time.  It was early enough that the sun wasn’t all the way up (although it was cloudy, so it was hard to tell) and there weren’t many people on the streets yet.  It was very peaceful.  By the time I got to the start I felt ready.  I jumped in the first port-a-john line I found.  I figured, I was 45 minutes before the start, so get this out of the way, then I’d find my way to my corral.

Mr. Dawn called me while I was in line and it was so fabulous to have someone to talk to.  This was the first race ever that I was going to be completely on my own from beginning to end.  It was a bit lonely to not have someone else to nervously chat with.  Mr. Dawn was the perfect fill-in for that.  As we chatted I noticed that while the time was ticking by the line I was in was not getting ANY shorter.  In fact by the time 6:15 (official race start) came around I was still in line.  I didn’t know how long it would be before my corral would be released, so I abandoned my restroom attempt and started jogging in the direction I assumed the start line was.  Once I spotted the sign for my coral, I told the Mr. I loved him and that I’d talk to him at the end.

I slipped in right near the front of my coral as the one before us was being released.  I felt so relieved that I got there in time.  We moved up to the start line and we were off!

Start-Mile 7

My plan was to keep my splits right around 9 minute miles, if I could go a little under and bank time even better.  I did a really good job of checking in with myself to ask if I was feeling good and if I’d be able to sustain.  My big concern was sustainability.  Then of course it’s the constant struggle between wanting to “bank” time when you’re feeling good and not wanting to run out of fuel too early.  I don’t think I’ve mastered this yet…it always good to have something to work on right?

While it was still early we had a nice cloud cover. I noticed, however, that even without the sunshine I seemed to be sweating a lot.  Not necessarily extraordinarily more than normal, but it was fairly noticeable.  I mean, it’s a marathon, you expect to sweat, right?  But even by mile one I felt like I was drenched.  I’m pretty sure that the humidity was already pretty high and this had me worried that I would be losing too much fluid and electrolytes.  I went ahead and took a salt cap and decided that I would do that faithfully throughout the race.

My fuel plan was: Gu every 4 miles, salt every hour, water as needed.  Everything was clicking and I was pretty much ahead of schedule.  I got to see my mom and Ann between miles 4 and 5.  Since I was ahead of my predicted time they weren’t quite ready with the camera and they missed getting a picture.  But it was so great to see them!

Miles 7-10

I knew that these were going to be the first of the worst.  From the elevation chart I knew that starting at mile seven there would be a constant gradual rise for the next 3 miles.  I was mentally prepared for that part.  I just put my head down and kept going.  Since I had banked some time I didn’t worry about those slower miles.  Everything was going well until the half marathoners showed back up…

You see, the course was designed so that we ran with the half marathoners until just before mile four, then we split and they jumped across while we looped around downtown a couple times.  We would rejoin the half-ers on highway 163.  So for us what was mile 10 for them was just past mile four.  This meant that by the time we got to the highway we had “caught up” to the back of the pack half marathoners.  I hadn’t thought much about this while looking at the course, but it turned out to me my #2 most hated parts of the race (#1 coming up later).  The half-ers were walking and covering the road and talking in groups making it very hard to pass them.  So combining the last mile of the uphill with the annoyance of the walker-talkers I entered into a negative head-space.  I was frustrated and getting tired.

Miles 11-20

I was so excited to crest the hill and coast down the other side.  I clocked a couple pretty easy fast miles, then eased back to my goal pace.  I was still feeling awesome.  I had been worried that since I didn’t get a chance to use the restroom before the race I would need to stop somewhere along the course.  I kept an eye out for the port-a-johns without lines and every time I passed one I would do an inventory to see if I needed to stop.  The answer always came back negative, so I just kept plugging along.  These were definitely my “cruise control” miles.  I don’t remember much about this part of the race.  I knew I had slowed down some, but I was still on track to finishing around 3:50-3:55.  This kept my spirits high and a smile on my face.

I was so excited to get to mile 20.  There’s something so magical about seeing the mile markers that all start with a 2!  Also I knew that the runningskirts.com girls were going to be somewhere around mile 20 and I was looking forward to some “skirt support.”  They did not disappoint.  They were cheering for everyone, but I felt extra special when they spotted me in my skirt and they lit up.  It was like being part of a family!  So fun.

Warning.  True Confessions of a Marathoner…
***If you have a weak stomach, or have no interest in hearing the TMI moments of marathoning just skip down to the next section***

Just past the runningskirts.com otter pop stand things started to really get interesting.  With NO WARNING whatsoever I started to pee.  It was so unreal.  There had been no signals, no urgency, no nothing! It was truly out of control.  I wondered if I should stop running and/or move off to the side.  I worried that I would have irritation and chaffing.  My water bottle was full, and I just decided to spray my legs off and keep going.  It was so embarrassing.  I knew that it was obvious that the liquid I was producing was not just sweat.  I kept telling myself that I was among friends and that no one would judge me.

Seriously.  I just peed on myself!  I mean common…

I decided that it made me super hard core and that I wouldn’t let it slow me down.

Fiesta Island=Death

I was running strong and feeling good.  Then we turned the corner and headed out to Fiesta Island.  The sun had peaked out around mile 11 and had been shining strong without a cloud in the sky.  I’d taken note of the sun, but didn’t feel like it was killing me.  That is UNTIL I got out on the island.  Once out there, it was like the sun had magic energy-sapping powers.  There were no trees for shade and not even a breath of wind.  The will to run slowly started to leave me.

I’ve never been a “throw water on myself” type of runner.  That’s how faded I was.  I was grabbing cup after cup of water and dumping it on my head, the backs of my legs, my neck, everywhere!  They were also handing out sponges soaked in ice water which was amazing!  I was able to not just get the water, but wipe the salty-sweat from my face.  I LOVED the sponges.

No matter what I did though, it seemed like I couldn’t will myself to move any faster.  My pace started falling into the high 9′s and low 10′s.  Around mile 24 I just caved in and walked.  I knew that I still had a little extra time to play with but I was still freaking out.  How could I possibly be walking? It was so devastating.  The little monsters of doubt and negativity started giving me a list of excuses to explain why I didn’t finish within my goals.  The sun in out.  This island is ridiculous.  Those half-ers cost me precious minutes.  I only slept 3 hours….and the list went on…

After about a quarter mile of walking I knew that if I didn’t get my butt in gear my goals would be gone.  I decided that there was no excuse in the world that would be enough for me to be satisfied with not meeting my goals.  I wanted to do what I set out to do.  I had worked too hard and come too far to just give up now.  I picked it back up and by the time I reached mile 25 I knew I was almost off the dreadful Island and so near the end I just kicked up my heels and pushed with all I had.

The End

I knew it was going to be close.  I had eaten up most of my time cushion and had to get back in control of my emotions, my legs, and my focus.  As I left the terrible Island behind me I felt the breeze coming off the ocean and it was just the boost that I needed.  I got my pace back under 9 and just headed towards the line.

I raised my hands as I crossed the finish mat and then immediately stopped GG.  Glancing down I saw 3:58:xx!!!!  I took a picture with my phone, sent it to Mr. Dawn with the words “We did it!!!!” As soon as the picture was sent my phone started ringing.  It was my dad!  He’d been watching my splits online and had the finish line streaming.  He knew that I had made it under four and was so proud of me.  I started crying immediately.  I couldn’t believe that I’d done it!

I got in line to take my picture in front of the Rock ‘n’ Roll sign and then called my mom so I could find her.  We had no problem meeting up and of course when I saw her I started crying all over.  She claims that I kept saying “I’m amazing!” over and over again.  I don’t remember this.  But I can believe it

Getting Home

The worst part about the experience overall was trying to get back to Mudville Flats.  There was no parking allowed at the finish line.  Instead everyone had to be shuttled in and that implies of course that everyone had to be shuttled OUT.  We stood in a snaking Disney-style line for over an hour and a half waiting for our turn on the buses.  But we survived.  We finally made it back to the hotel and I got to indulge in an ice bath, shower, and pizza.  Yummy!!!!

And…that’s the story of how I ran a marathon in under 4 hours.  Thanks for all the support and encouragement!!!  I feel like this was a community effort because I know that I never would have been able to do it without all of my family, friends, and blogging world.  THANK YOU ALL!!!

p.s. tomorrow I will hopefully have pictured and stats from GG the garmin…

**stay tuned for the next step in this crazy journey…

I’m going to split the story of the weekend into two different posts.  Today will be all the pre-race fun-ness and hopefully tomorrow between the flights and layovers in the airports I’ll have enough time to process and type all the emotions and stories from the race itself…so, here we go!

Train Ride Through SoCal

I hopped on the Amtrack in Camarillo with my over sized bags and snacks all ready for the 5 1/2 hour train ride.  I had forgotten to bring any books or magazines with me, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to pass the time.  I forgot about the obvious entertainment: people watching.  There was a guy in the seats across from me who was really into something on his blackberry, but somehow still managed to be one of the loudest people in our car.  He would laugh at the Cars dvd that a little girl was watching or say something to no one in particular.  By far my favorite commuter was the latino rapper seated two rows behind me.  He was on his phone for most of the time talking to different people, complaining about some mixing on his latest album, and actually “spitting” his “rhymes” for friends.  It was hysterical.  I am now kicking myself for not writing down some of the lyrics.

Friday: Expo/Packet Pick-up

I decided to come into town a day earlier than originally planned and honestly I’m am SO glad that I did.  As soon as I got off the train, I walked the block to the hotel I booked for the night.  Then my mom-in-law, Ann, picked me up and we were off to the convention center.  I was seriously impressed with how effortless it was to park, find the right place, get my race number and all other freebees, and get out.  I did make a quick stop at the runningskirts.com booth to exchange the birthday skirt that my brother and his wife sent me.  I didn’t spend much time hanging around because Ann had made a FABULOUS suggestion.  She said, “Why don’t we drive up to the running skirt store?  I’d love to get you a skirt for your birthday!”  Ummm, Yes Please!  I was so excited to go see the store itself and get out of the craziness of the convention center.

Running Skirts Store

I must admit, this was truly one of my favorite parts of the weekend.  We drove up to Encitnitas and as soon as we parked I was afraid that they might have closed the store in order to focus on the expo down in San Diego.  Thankfully the door was unlocked and there were people inside!  Yay!  Unlike the expo, I felt like I could wander around the store at my leisure and chat with Ann without having to shout over all the other noise.  It was so much fun!  I ended up picking out SO many skirts to try on and I was the only person shopping there, so I got the full attention of the ladies working in the store.  We had such a fantastic time!  I left there with 4 new skirts and 2 new sweaty bands!  I feel fully prepared for summer training now

Our Hotel: Mudville Flats

We picked mom up from the airport around 11am and headed to our little B & B style “botique hotel” Mudville Flats.  It was more than I imagined it would be.  So beautiful, so peaceful.  We had to search high and low to find a reasonably priced place that was walking distance to the start of the race and would be quiet.  I cannot say enough good things about this place.  If you are ever thinking about visiting San Diego, you MUST stay here!  Linda and Mike (the innkeepers) are beyond amazing.

Saturday at the Expo: Ryan Hall

I decided I wanted to run back to the expo for just a little bit.  Ever since I went to Fleet Feet in Chicago with Mr. Dawn, I’ve been wanting to try the Brooks Adrenaline and since Brooks is the official sponsor, I could get them for cheaper at the expo.  WOW.  Saturday was ridiculous!  I thought that the crowds were crazy on Friday, but it was even more out of control on Saturday.  More people, more noise, more everything.  Ann, mom, and I were all walking around the different booths and it just wasn’t any fun as we were getting shoved one way and another.  I started to feel like we should probably leave and go get some rest, but then we walked by the place where they were having all the guest speakers and I noticed the pace leaders were assembling.  I thought for a second that it would be nice to stick around and see what they had to say.  Then I noticed on the schedule that if I stayed for just another 45 minutes or so I would be able to hear Ryan Hall.  I suggested that mom and Ann go and spend some time figuring out their “spectating plan” while I stay and listen to one of my running heroes.

After they left, I met Steve who was so encouraging (read that full story here), then the crowds started gathering for the big Ryan moment.  When he first came out I thought “Wow he’s so skinny! He got a hair cut since Boston…”  It’s funny the things we notice about people who we’ve only seen on TV…It was so much fun to listen to what he had to say.  He was interviewed by someone from competitor magazine, so it was fairly informal and conversational.  They talked about his upbringing and how he was first introduced to the world of running.  They then tracked through his history of running from his work on the “mile” distance through his first half marathon.  He was so interesting and I could tell that he’s fairly analytical.  I loved listening to him talk about the first couple elite level marathons that he ran and how he fell in love with the marathon-distance.

Three things that Ryan said that I’m sure will stay with me for a long time.  First he said that his biggest mistake leading up to the Olympics happened just one week after the trials.  Usually he take 2 full weeks off after a race.  No running, no biking, no swimming, nothing.  This was somewhat shocking to me.  He talked about the importance of recovery and giving our body time to prepare for a hard effort.  For some reason, after he watched the women’s trials he was so jazzed and inspired he wanted to go out for a run, a week before he really should have.  He kept saying it was that decision that negatively affected his Olympic performance.

Second he said that he had a God moment as he finished the marathon at the Olympics.  He had pictured running through the tunnel and into the stadium at the Olympics so many times and when it finally happened and he knew he was going to finish no better than 10th place he said that God met him there in the tunnel.  He felt God say, “this is exactly where you should be.”  He said that there was growth that he still needed and lessons that he needed to learn that would only have come this way.  It sounds funny, but I started to tear up.  I agree with him totally.  I know that some of the hardest lessons I’ve learned came to me in moments when I feel like I’ve failed.  But those moments always seem to be a springboard for the new direction I would otherwise never have taken.

The last thing that Ryan said that stuck out for me was “You have to be yourself when you run.”  he said that he loves to run at the front of the pack and so that’s what he does.  That’s who he is.  He wouldn’t enjoy running as much if he didn’t get to run races his way.  He told us all that we should find out who we are and how we express ourselves through running and just go with it.

I was so inspired by the whole Ryan experience.  It pumped me up and made me feel ready for the race.

Carb-Loading

We decided to meet at Pinkberry after Ryan Hall.  This is my FAVORITE California treat.  The tartness of the yogurt and the sweetness of the fruit is just the perfect combination.  Delicious!

Then we headed over to the Old Spaghetti Factory.  We got there just before the huge rush of runners showed up.  I got spaghetti and mushroom sauce, salad, and bread.  I must have been more hungry than I thought because I sent a picture of my full plate and then my empty plate to Mr. Dawn and there was only 4 minutes between those two messages

As soon as we finished eating I wanted to go straight back to the hotel, lay out my clothes, take a warm bath, and get to bed by 8:30.  I got everything done, and ready for me and hopped in bed.  Where I laid there, not sleeping, for hours.  And hours.  Mom eventually came to bed.  I was still not sleeping.  I kept glancing at the clock.  9:30.  10:30.  1:30.  Ugh!  Are you kidding me?  The most important night in 6 months and I can’t sleep.  I was entertained by pictures from the Holy Half Marathon, and the Lincoln Marathon, and other random moments in time that kept cycling through my mind.

That’s that for now…come back tomorrow night for all the fun that happened race day!!!

I am so thrilled to say that I completed the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll marathon in 3:58:45.  The official result page is now up and it is 100% confirmed that I finished in under 4 hours!!!! UN-real!  I feel tired, and sunburned, and elated, and exhausted.  I will be working on a full report to come soon, but as a little taste, here’s a picture of me at mile 20 enjoy!