Seattle Half Marathon Recap. I paid a lot of money to run up that huge hill.

Half marathon #2 has come and gone

13.1 miles

2 hr 4 min

4 minutes off my goal time of 2 hours. I'm a little disappointed I didn't hit goal but still proud of my effort. I was seriously deflated at miles 8,9 but lit a mental fire under my ass for the last miles. I'm pretty sure that's what salvaged the race for me. If this training did anything for me, it was to help me finish strong. At least I can say I did that.

Race outfit. I probably should have closed the toilet lid.

Pre-race outfit. Fat boy sweats and an old Gap sweatshirt. Was planning on using those clothes as throw away clothes but at the last second, couldn’t bear to part with the sweats so I left them in the car.

The sweatshirt twas left on a table in the Seattle Center House and they were there when we went back after the race so we wore them home!  It all worked out in the end.

Who loves them some ugly Garmin splits?! I don't do!

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	2:04:53.0	13.29	9:23
1	9:01.5	1.00	9:01
2	9:11.5	1.00	9:12
3	9:33.3	1.00	9:33
4	8:53.9	1.00	8:54
5	9:25.7	1.00	9:26
6	9:02.1	1.00	9:02
7	9:24.1	1.00	9:24
8	10:37.9	1.00	10:38
9	9:49.3	1.00	9:49
10	9:50.8	1.00	9:51
11	9:36.9	1.00	9:37
12	9:02.6	1.00	9:03
13	8:51.0	1.00	8:51
14	2:32.1	0.29	8:37

Apparently I ran a little further than 13.1? Hence the difference in overall pace - Garmin (9:23) Vs. Chip (9:32)

***

Thoughts/pace per mile:

Waiting for start: no corrals? Why are we behind the 2:30 pacer? I'm so cold. 

Mile 1:  9:01

Why are people walking? We've been running for 2 seconds. Everyone move pls.

Mile 2: 9:12

Hmm, two GU packets in my back shorts pocket means my pants feel like falling to my knees. Need to start sweating soon so my shorts can adhere to my body.

Also, missed water stop. Too small, only on one side of street. Eh...

Mile 3: 9:33. Stuck behind people. ANNOY!

I-90 express way entrance. Slight uphill. People. Do we need to walk in a horizontal line and block the people (me) who are trying to get away from the crowds?

Wow... This bridge is kind of long

Mile 4: 8:54

Tunnel! Much easier to run east on I-90 than west (RnR sea)

Another missed water stop. Too many people!

Another observation. So far I've seen plenty of Port O Potties, with long lines at all of them.

Mile 5: 9:26

Onto Lake Washington Blvd.

Smile at random cute old Asian couple. Feel like they are my kindred spirit grandparents cheering me on. And yes, it's only because they are Asian.

GU station at mile 5.5 but I take my own. Feel like it does nothing. Great.

See JB in my sights! He took off once we started. Run next to him in silence for a while.

Water at next station. Have to push through. Too crowded.

Mile 6: 9:02

Start to kind of feel in the groove, and simultaneous mild dread. We're starting to head uphill into the woods. 

Mile 7: 9:24

Slog slog. And then we're back out into LWBlvd.

Oh! And saw a group of oiselle ladies running in the opposite direction; gazelle like and sweat free. And smiling.

Sometimes life is not fair.

Mile 8: 10:38. UGH

Holy. Shit.

Mt Rainier... Aka Galer St.

At this rate my pace has slowed considerably. My legs.. They seem to not want to work. I see JB slowly but steadily motor his way up. Halfway up, I just decide I am pretty much running in place. So I do something I have NEVER done in any race.

I walk.

It is just enough to quell the feeling of wanting to die. 5, maybe 10 seconds? I see JB, smile weakly, shake my head, take a deep breath... And get going again.

After about 3 hours (exaggeration), we finally crest to the top of the hill.

Water station mile 8.5

And I see some of my favorite people!

Sam! Emily! Rachel! (Didn't see Rachel but couldn't leave her out. Actually, I've technically never met her). Girls are working feverishly to provide tiny cups of life, in water and Gatorade form. I scream in their faces, throw some water in the air (sorry to the girl next to me) and motor on.

Pretty much the best part of the race.

Mile 9: 9:49

I think we head into the arboretum?

After a slight downhill at the end of mile 8, it's back up through tree lined switchbacks which feel like we're on a never ending mountain road that leads to hell heaven. Exaggerating again. Feeling dramatic.

Take another GU out of desperation. Not sure if it does anything. At least my pockets are empty now. 

Please end, mile 9

Felt like I spent the majority of my race running miles 8,9. Makes no sense really and yet, totally does.

Miles 10: 9:51

When is this over? I'm never doing this again.

Mile 11: 9:37

The mile I had anticipated dreading but turns out to be almost enjoyable. It is a slight uphill that leads to the top of the I-5 overpass, which then is the downhill and beginning of the final mile point 1.

See cute old Asian couple again! Try to avoid eye contact, as I do not want to scare them with my seemingly stalkerish tendencies.

Mile 12: 9:03

I “fly” past a bunch of runners as I approach the bridge. Force my legs to speed up to motor down the ramp and onto republican. I see the straight shot down west to where the finish lies right around the corner.

Bonus, I smell someone’s crop dusting wonders during the last mile. It is not awesome but makes me run faster to escape the plume.

Play a game of "follow that lady" and am determined to keep up with, or pass, her. I slow slightly as I near the 13th mile and blond girl wearing stupid wings on her shoes passes me. At the corner of Mercer St, I see a lady sitting on the ground with a race volunteer. I found out later she had passed out with almost .2 left to go. Devastating, I'm sure.

FYI - Totally pass the "Follow that lady" lady.

Points for me.

Earlier, I also pass a lady wearing a sign that said "23 weeks pregnant"

Strangely, feel slightly less smug about this.

Also, When is this over? I'm never doing this again.

Mile 13! 8:51

Turn left onto Mercer. See Oiselle runner Sarah Chan and her cute doggie. Glide down mercer and then sloooog up as it inclined sharply at the end. So mean, Hate when races end that way.

Mile .1 (.29?): 8:37

Turn left into Memorial Stadium. Seriously, this race is NOT OVER YET?

Burst into the stadium and decide I can sprint at least the last. 005 if I have to. So I do.

Cross the finish line, get my medal and realize the sound I hear is a lady puking right next to me.

Seattle Half Marathon, I’m done with you.

Already planning for my next race....


(wrote most of this on my ghetto ass phone so sorry for typos and weird fonts etc... and for it being kind of extra boring)

One week from today

11/18: Rest
11/19: Rest (UGH)
11/20: 5 Miles, TM. 43:48 (8:45 pace)
11/21: 4 Miles, TM. 35:36 (8:53 pace)
11/22: Rest (UGH!)
11/23: 6 Miles, outside. 51:47 (8:34 pace)
11:24: 5 Miles, TM. 44:05 (8:48 pace)

***

Well...

This week sucked donkey balls was weird. I accidentally skipped Tuesday's workout and then it threw off all my mojo for the rest of the week. Also, I was incredibly sore ALL. WEEK. from Sunday's NTC workout. My thighs felt broken. Not working. Defunct.

ALL. WEEK.

It didn't help matters that I was just really tired all week long. I could barely make it until 9pm on most nights, and even with all the sleep, I could not face getting out of bed in the mornings. Also, Friday morning I woke up to a bedside  pant-less, gagging 5 yr old. Stomach bug, anyone? Not my idea of morning fun. I took the vomitous moment as a sign to just give in and sleep in the extra hour until 5am.

***

Woke up to a frozen tundra on Saturday and almost talked myself out of an outdoor run.

But.

It was to be most likely my last outdoor run before this Sunday's half, so I bundled up in tights, a half zip and a ridiculous head/ear band, and got myself motoring onto the streets, with the sun shining and the streets still shimmering with frost.

Look! My Fave!

Garmin Splits!

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	51:47.0	6.00	8:34
1	8:44.7	1.00	8:45
2	8:59.2	1.00	8:59
3	8:48.5	1.00	8:48
4	8:38.1	1.00	8:38
5	8:24.3	1.00	8:24
6	8:12.1	1.00	8:12

Look. To never be proven wrong, my 2nd/3rd mile theory of slow poke running continues to ring true. The first three miles were tough, as my legs just felt heavy. I didn't eat much beforehand, which I realize now was not a great idea. Lots of coffee, a couple sips of water and.... oh wait, that's it.

Whoops.

The entire run was a mental game, and I kept telling myself to push and run as briskly as I could. I mean, it's only 6 miles, right? Mile 6... I've never seen that number before as mile pace, and I didn't feel like I was even going as fast as the previous miles but I remember thinking, for just one more mile, I could burn rubber until I felt like exploding. Which is exactly what I did.

*KABOOM*

***

One week from today.

13.1.. I'm coming for you..



Someone hold me...

That was a close one...

Was T H I S close to using this pic as my wallpaper at work but then someone talked me out of it.

Just barely...

I feel like we've done this before

11/11: Rest
11/12: 4 Miles, TM. 35:49 (8:56)
11/13: 5 Miles, TM. 45:10 (9:01)
11/14: Rest. OOPS.
11/15: Rest 5 Miles, TM. 43:41 (8:44)
11/16: 8 Miles, TM. 1:09 (8:37)
11/17: NTC, 45 min. Fast&Fierce. 1 Mile, TM. (8:33)

***

Anyone getting bored with these recaps yet? Yup, that's what I thought. It's like groundhog day. Run. Recap, blah blah.

And then we begin again.

I've been doing more speed work this time around since I didn't do any neglected that part of the training last time around, and I feel like it is making a difference. A small difference, but still...a difference.

J and I had grand plans to run outside on Saturday but we were running short on time and it looked windy (WIMP) and he had a few errands to run, so I decided to jump on the treaddie and start a new episode of Extreme Weight Loss.

Sadly, no Garmin splits for this week, but I've got this for you:

8 mi

distance

0.5 ft

elevation gain

1191

calories

1:09:03

total time

8:37

pace

My fastest 8 miles yet. Sure they were on a treadmill with little incline but STILL. I'll take it.

***

First week of runs in my pretty new shoes. They have yet to grace the road.

Taking pics of my shoes at work instead of....working.

Weekday treadmill runs still taking place at Dark O'Clock in the morning.

***

Clearly I've run out of interesting things to share with you this week.

Half marathon #2 - Two weeks away.

Running hits me.. so hard. Makes me say, Oh Mah Lawd!

10/4: Rest
10/5: 6 Miles, TM. 53+min
10/6: 5 Miles, TM. 45+ min - Random Speed work thrown in.
10/7: Lazy ass Rest
10/8: 5 Miles, TM. 45+min
10/9: 11 Miles, Outside. 1hr40min
10/10: Rest

***

Last week of the double digit long run in the books!

Treadmill runs this week were average. Watched all 4 episodes of the current season of The Biggest Loser. It's amazing how time seems to pass just a tad bit faster when you're engrossed in a show. J got a new monitor and hooked up a computer in front of the treadmill so now I can watch my shows on a larger screen. Spoiled.

Also, for some godforsaken reason, I see a rogue mosquito taunting me every morning when I run. I end up clapping like a baby seal (while still running) until I kill that sumbitch with my bare hands, and then just wipe on my shirt and carry on with my slog. However, as Sam pointed out today, I am probably just spreading the eggs, which may explain the gremlin affect. Gross.

Speaking of gross, our new coworker started yesterday and he sits right next to my cubicle. I figure I'd try and be on my best behavior all week before letting loose my true personality, filled with burps, farts and random bits of biting sarcasm and venom.

I only lasted  a couple of hours.

I blame Sam, and I blame Bartell Drugs for selling Talking Rain sparkling water with lemon-lime essence. That madness escaped my lips before I could stop it! It was the bubbly bubbles! I just hope.... I hope B is hard of hearing...And lacks a sense of smell....

***

Saturday's Run:

Garmin Time.. can't touch this...

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:40:28.0	11.00	9:05
1	9:12.4	1.00	9:12
2	9:35.8	1.00	9:36
3	9:13.9	1.00	9:14
4	9:15.6	1.00	9:16
5	9:17.9	1.00	9:18
6	8:58.4	1.00	8:58
7	9:13.0	1.00	9:13
8	9:04.6	1.00	9:05
9	9:10.3	1.00	9:10
10	8:53.0	1.00	8:53
11	8:33.0	1.00	8:34

Again, Mile 2? Can kiss my formerly flat Asian ass. WTF. I don't even know.

That aside, this was my fastest double digit long run to date. The weather was perfection - High 30's/ low 40's, no wind (*ahem* LAST WEEK *ahem*). I took a GU at mile 6 and had planned to stop at the water fountain around the same time but you know what? Apparently they turn off the water fountains in the winter.

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

I.. DID NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL SATURDAY.

After swallowing my Peanut Butter GU, I just relied on my lump of coal gum to keep my mouth moist. At this point, I was starting to feel the fatigue - My legs were tired, my arms were sore and I was THIRSTY.

Curse you, water-less fountains!

For the half, I have decided to take a back up GU in case I need an extra kick. I really started to feel the pain around mile 9. Staying at a brisk pace was tough at this point, but I kept telling myself to keep going. I figure if I want to get faster and stronger, it's going to hurt a little.. or a lot, depending on the day. :)

Last run in my pretty purple Mizuno Wave Riders. 450+ miles.

Time for my new black beauties.

11 Miles Done. Last double digit run before the half. This Saturday s 8 Miles. Is it weird that I am kind of relieved... and sad.. at the same time?

Half Marathon #2 - Three. Weeks. Away.

Running in a wind tunnel - Not my idea of a good time.

10/29: 5 Miles, TM. 45.14 (9:02 pace)
10/30: 6 Miles, TM. 53:25 (8:53 pace)
10/31: 3 Miles. TM 27:39/ (9:11 pace)
11/1: Rest (a lot of candy and menchies. WHOOPS)
11/2: 10 Miles. Outside. Windy as shit. 1:35. (9:31 pace)
11/3: 5 Miles, TM*. NTC, 45 Minutes. Adrenaline Hit.
***

Extra tired this week. PMS week, maybe? Let it be known that everyone has been forewarned.

This warning/announcement may be of more use if more than 2 people read this blog. But whatever, I put it out there people. Be careful....

I like to try and get the highest weekday mileage run out of the way, which works well since the plan I'm using happens to have the longest runs be on Tuesdays. However, since I had Wednesday off for O's field trip, I figure I"d sleep in a little but still have time to run 6 before the kids woke up. Tuesday's run was run of the mill, 5 miles. Wednesday I slept in until 5:30 and ironically had a tougher times getting my legs to listen to me. I just remember wanting to stop. A lot. I didn't though and ended up running a faster pace than the previous day's 5 miles. Like I said, I make no sense. My pacing skills are crap questionable.

Thursday, however? I almost skipped. I think I must have gotten in and out of bed about 4 times in the span of 20 minutes but eventually I rolled my ass out of bed with about 30 minutes to spare. I figured I could at least squeeze out 3 lame miles. Surely I could do that, right?  However, I had a momentary lapse in judgement and realized about .4 miles into the run that the first 3 miles of any run kind of blows. Managed to stumble my way through, with a slower pace than the previous two days runs. Pace and consistency fail. Shocker to no one.

Friday's rest was filled with way too much sugar. Such shame. And yet, such deliciousness.

***

Saturday's run: 10 Miles in Hurricane Bonney Lake. GOOD LORD.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:35:29.0	10.00	9:31
1	9:29.7	1.00	9:30
2	9:27.9	1.00	9:28
3	9:25.3	1.00	9:25
4	9:35.5	1.00	9:36
5	9:14.8	1.00	9:15
6	9:36.4	1.00	9:36
7	9:49.0	1.00	9:49
8	9:41.5	1.00	9:42
9	9:36.5	1.00	9:36
10	9:32.0	1.00	9:32

Saturday's run. It was.. HARD. It has been a while since I've struggled so much during a long run. I was able to wrangle J into joining me in the blustery outdoors, with the black clouds floating ominously close to our neighborhood. It felt like every direction we turned was like running into a wind tunnel. My hat even blew off half a mile into our run. I had to go chase it because it kept blowing away from me! Never once in our 10 miles did I feel like I hit a groove, even after a hit of Chocolate Outrage GU at mile 5. I didn't take my water with me, and didn't necessarily miss it but I am sure that I could have used a little hydration. I had planned for us to run by the water fountain about halfway through but we ended up going in a different direction The toughest part of the run was coming back up a long, gradual hill at mile 7. My legs felt heavy, and J even mentioned that I seemed to be dragging my feet a bit.

After my hat blew off, I was very tempted to run home and finish the rest of the 9 miles on the treadmill. I never mentioned this plan to J, and so we trekked on through the neighborhood, with his achy knee and my heavy legs. I remember struggling to stay focused, to not hate every second and to just. keep. going.

Struggle, struggle, struggle.

At one point, J turned to me and said, "you should try smiling. I hear it helps release dopamine and makes you feel good" and my curt response was "shut.... it. Just. run...". We actually did have a good laugh right about then but the laughter slowly faded to silent, inward tears at the thought of four more miles in the raging wind. The wind just. never. stopped. Towards the end of the run, at mile 8-ish, I even had to ask J to slow down and wait for me. As most people know, I would never normally do that. In fact, I have no problem leaving people behind if I have to. I'd make a great soldier, I know.

We both didn't have much left at the end and the last hill towards home was rough. J had to stop for a few seconds because his knee was aching but I wasn't much better. I could have sworn I was running up the hill but nothing seemed to be moving. I looked down at my watch and my pace had slowed to 12 min/mile at that point. With arms pumping like a flailing maniac, I managed to reach the top with .5 miles to go. J and I ran slow circles around our neighborhood until we reached the 10 mile mark. I was relieved to finally hear the BEEP of the mile marker and instantly stopped my Garmin and came to a stand still right in front of our house.

10 rough miles. Windy. Fatigued. DONE.

Saturday's run was a much needed reminder of why I do what I do. If every run and every workout were easy, would I push myself as much as I do to improve and keep going? Sometimes my run is going to be mentally and/or physically tough, and I will want to give up. In the past, I guarantee that I would have. I mean, stopping is easier. It hurts less. Giving up has always been the easy choice for me.

Until now.

Trying. Pushing. Hurting. Struggling. Conquering - that is what helps us get better, right?

***

I will leave you with one of my favorite commercials:

*Forcing myself to do at least 1 day/session of XT a week. Need to build strength in other ways if I want to get stronger and faster. And less flabby... 

Oh and I had Menchies on Wednesday too! Shhhh....