Some 2011 Race Reports

Blah. I am just not a good blogger. I've actually had a lot to say in the past year, but for some reason the motivation to write would initially surge and then quickly vanish by the time I sat down at my computer. So by now, probably no one is reading this blog anymore (Mommy? Andrew? Are you still there...?)

Anyway, as a frustrated and somewhat unfulfilled runner, I thought it would be therapeutic to reflect on some of my 2011 races. This blog post actually began as a Richmond Marathon race report, but the writing was going slowly because the race was a disappointment. As the weeks passed I ran three additional races which went pretty well (as I had no expectations), so I decided to blog about those, too. All in all, I think I ran 10 races in 2011 - three marathons, one 12 miler, and a bunch of smaller races.

Richmond Marathon

Allow me to rant and ramble a bit. One of my running friends and I used to have the same marathon PR of 3:58. In the last couple years we have both improved on this PR. For me, it's been a "chipping away" process, getting down to a 3:57 last fall and then a 3:53 last spring. My friend, on the other hand, blew things out of the water when she dropped 18 minutes off her previous time and qualified for Boston. "How?" I asked her. "You just have to really want it," she said. She said diligent training that included speedwork and other quality workouts was key.

Well, damn it, I want it! I don't even mean qualifying for Boston - I just want to get below 3:50. I first broke the 4:00 milestone in the October 2007 Columbus marathon, and I haven't seen significant improvement since then. I must be in a running rut - time to try something new. I decided a good "something new" would be this Hanson Marathon Training Plan (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-13791-0,00.html), AKA the "less is more plan," which makes no sense because there’s nothing “less” about it. Average weekly milage is 40+ miles, with a peak at 50+ miles. One of the key weekly workouts is an 8-10 mile marathon goal pace run, which for me is 8:45 min/mile. I had been rocking these workouts, running 10 miles at 8:29, 9 miles at 8:35, 9 miles at 8:40, and 9 miles at 8:29 in the four weeks before tapering – hilly routes, too! Long interval speed work is also emphasized - my workouts included 6 x 1 mile repeats (~8:20), 3 x 2 mile repeats (~16:40), Yasso 800s (at 3:45), and various types of ladders and pyramids. The "less" part of the training plan apparently refers to the fact that the longest long run is only 16 miles. BUT we're talking 16 miles after 6 consecutive days of running hour-plus long workouts. And endurance has never really been a problem for me - speed is what I need. I had run 13 marathons, but never trained for one like this before. I was confident that 3:49 was mine!

Race morning was sunny, chilly, and windy. Andrew was running the 8K, which started an hour before the marathon, so after seeing his race start, I had a lot of time to kill (we had not been able to score one of the many hotels walking distance to the race start.) I was happy to find an unlocked VCU building where I could hang out and escape from the cold and was thrilled to find clean, line-free bathrooms and a water fountain. Awesome! I hung out here until 10 min before the start, when I checked my bag and headed to the starting corral.

For some reason, I wasn't feeling as mentally psyched as I usually am at a marathon start. I actually felt a tiny sense of...well, dread. I knew I was essentially trapped for the next 26.2 miles and that the last 5-6 miles of that would be hell. I tried to shake off these thoughts and told myself to focus on the scenery of this new course and the energy of the crowds. We were off, and I settled right into my goal pace, though just a tad slow. Here are my splits for first 7 miles:
Mile 1 - 8:44
Mile 2 - 8:42
Mile 3 - 8:50
Mile 4 - 8:47
Mile 5 - 8:48
Mile 6 - 8:55
Mile 7 - 8:07 (all downhill)


Miles 8-11 were a pretty scenic part of the course along the James River and through some wooded neighborhoods. However, the end of this section is also where I really felt the hills start to slow me down. Between miles 10-11 someone had a sign that said "Remember your reasons for doing this." Um, reasons? Is meeting a self-centered somewhat arbitrary goal a good reason? I think I understand why people run for charity.

Mile 8 - 8:44
Mile 9 -8:45
Mile 10 - 8:48
Mile 11 - 9:11 (uphill)
Mile 12 - 9:03 (also some hills)
Mile 13 - 8:54

By the halfway point, I realized that it was gonna be really really really difficult to make my goal. I reminded myself of that time I ran something like an 8:30 mile 23. The 20's don't have to be a slow down - I can do this! "You trained for this," I told myself. But as the mile markers ticked by, I became more disheartened. I didn't hit a wall or anything, but I just couldn't keep up the pace I thought I had trained so hard to maintain:

Mile 14 - 8:52
Mile 15 - 8:44
Mile 16 - 9:23 (nasty bridge)
Mile 17 - 9:03
Mile 18 - 9:29
Mile 19 - 9:24
Mile 20 - 8:57
Mile 21 - 9:34
Mile 22 - 9:45
Mile 23 - 9:45
Mile 24 - 9:23
Mile 25 - 9:50
Mile 26 - 8:39 (Andrew and the downhill helped out here!)
Finish - 1:32 (3:56:48)

I finished with tears in my eyes (I didn't actually cry because I was SO GLAD to not be running anymore). I thought of all those nights I was at the track and everyone else had cut the workout short and gone home; those 10 mile tempo runs where I wanted to slow down but didn't; and especially those Friday morning runs, sandwiched between Thursday night's 8-10 mile tempo run and Saturday's 12-16 mile long run. I wanted to skip those Friday runs so badly! But I didn't, and I told myself "this will all be worth it - it's making you stronger and faster." WTF? So, I'm still feeling down on marathoning and haven't decided my spring racing plans yet. When I do decide to run another marathon, I probably won't tell anyone about it, another strategy my aforementioned friend used that may have helped her, at least mentally. Maybe I'll also run for charity or something. Probably not overtly or officially, but some sort of thing where I make a pact with myself that I'll donate a certain amount of money if I make my goal. I really believe that a large part of marathoning is mental, and this might help.

Education for Eve 5K

Speaking of racing for charity, the Education for Eve 5K in Chapel Hill is certainly a worthy cause. I'm not much of a 5K runner, and when I do run them, I promptly forget about them. Andrew wanted to run this race because a few of his coworkers were doing it. I decided to run it, too, even though it was only one week after Richmond. Short race report here - I'll cut to the end: I actually passed Andrew a few hundred meters before the finish (haha!) and finished in 23:56, a 7:43 pace on a hilly course. So, maybe all that marathon training did something for my speed after all. I can't remember my 5-K PR, but this might be close to it.

Run at the Rock 7-miler

The Run at the Rock trail race was just plain fun and had yummy soup at the finish. Andrew and I ran it together in ~1:11. We picked up the pace toward the end, but for most of the race we were in no hurry. I liked that we got sweatshirts instead of tee-shirts. Also, my race number was 69.

Couch Mountain 5-miler

The Couch Mountain 5-miler is also a fun race, part of the Carolina Godiva Track Club Winter Series. The course heads to the top of "Couch Mountain," allegedly the highest point in Orange County, then winds through more Duke Forest trails and country roads. There are burgers at the finish line and like all Winter Series races the entry fee is $5. This year I somehow managed to finish in 41:10, a 8:23 pace. Not bad for a hilly course and no recent speed training! Although, it's not as much an improvement over my previous time as I thought: I finished in 41:54 three years ago.

Now Andrew and I are getting ready to kick off the new year with another Winter Series race: the New Years 8K, which also winds through Duke Forest. I still haven't decided what running goals, if any, (or life goals, if any) I'd like to set for 2012. Maybe I'll just take things easy this year. Happy New Year, everyone!

Second Wind Beer

Sweet Delights

A few weekends ago, Andrew and I made it out to the Carolina Godiva run at Umstead State Park. Some of the runners were talking about figs and what to do with them. So after the run when we headed over to the teeny tiny Cary Farmers Market, we were delighted to find figs! There were only 3 of them, and at $0.25 each we grabbed them all. We simply halved them, spread on some local goat cheese (also from the farmers market), drizzled some balsamic vinegar, and baked ~10 min at 350. They turned out really yummy! I think we paired them with some type of semi-sweet white wine, either from Biltmore or Andrew's dad's friend's vineyard in WV, and it was an excellent combo. The one downside was we only had 6 fig halves, but there were a whole bunch of figs at the Durham farmer's market this morning - along with goat cheese - so we're definitely doing this again!



Last weekend was Andrew's birthday, and he requested peach cobbler after our fantastic lunch at Lexington Barbeque in Lexington, NC (on our way to Asheville). I don't think my cobbler turned out as well as theirs, but it was still pretty damn good, especially for my first attempt, if I do say so myself. Fresh, delicious peaches from the farmers market certainly helped.



We were impressed with Lexington BBQ, by the way. I haven't liked any BBQ I've tried in NC until this. The meat wasn't overly salty (just the right flavor), the hush puppies were very tasty, and you could order everything in reasonably sized portions, leaving room for dessert!

More on NC's new anti-choice law and abortion rights

Today I listened to "The State of Things," a local public radio program here in NC. I wanted to catch today's show because host Frank Stasio moderated a conversation on NC's new anti-choice law and the history of family planning in the U.S. The guests included Senator Warren Daniel (R-Burke & Caldwell), who is a primary sponsor of the bill; Dr. Charles Monteith, Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina; and Bebe Anderson, senior counsel with the Center for Reproductive Rights. So here are a few additional tidbits I learned about this new law and abortion access in NC:

• Under this new law women seeking abortion are required to have an ADDITIONAL ultrasound. It's already standard procedure to get one ultrasound, but now, as I understand it, she'll be required to wait and get a second one within 72 hours of the first. She can choose to avert her eyes during the procedure, but if she does, she must sign a piece of paper that is kept by the provider for 7 years (no idea why).
  
• Who will pay for this second ultrasound? In many cases, the woman herself will. If she can't afford it, she may have to go to a "crisis pregnancy center," which are anti-choice institutions that provide ultrasounds that won't cost you anything in dollars but will cost you significantly in dignity, self-respect, and emotional burden.
• NC already has informed consent laws that require doctors to provide information about a patient's options before any procedure, including abortion. Dr. Monteith made this very clear.
• There are similar laws in other states, but in most of these states - even TEXAS! - exceptions are granted in the case of rape, incest, fetal anomaly, and other exceptional circumstances. The only exception of the NC law is life-or-death emergency.
  

This terrible, terrible law is based on assumption that women are not thinking about their decision at all. It is based entirely on politics, not on medicine - in fact, it goes AGAINST medical recommendations. According to Dr. Monteith,"making women wait and delay endangers their lives." He points out that doctors are already professionally and legally obligated to provide a woman who is seeking an abortion the necessary and medically-appropriate information. He further points out that many women in NC have limited access to a family planning clinic or abortion provider. For many women, it's a burden and inconvenience to take off work and find someone to watch her kids so she can make the 2-4 hours drive to the clinic in the first place; being forced to wait an additional period and have multiple ultrasounds just further burdens her. Dr. Monteith also points out that the state is dictating to the doctor what to tell every single women who desires an abortion, no matter what the circumstances are (age, whether or not they're already a parent, medical history, etc.). It's the same, politically-motivated, medically-unsound, anti-choice script for every single woman. Doctors already provide individualized, medically-sound guidance to women seeking an abortion, and this new law "forces government speech into the doctor's mouth," "violates medical ethics," and "hijacks doctor-patient relationship and inserts [the] government in between." (these were all said by Stasio's guests, but I missed which quote belongs to which guest). There are some legal challenges underway to remove similar laws in other states (they are attempting to argue that it's unconstitutional to require a woman to listen to government-mandated speech in the privacy of her doctor's office), but I'm not sure how optimistic I am about these challenges succeeding.

Senator Warren Daniel's defense of this law made me want to throw my radio (actually my computer) against a wall. I'm not kidding - he actually compared this new law to refinancing a house or getting a divorce! He defended the fact that women will now be forced to wait for an abortion by pointing out there are government-mandated waiting periods for receiving a divorce or refinancing a house. He also stated that this new law is expected to reduce the abortion rate by ~10%, resulting in 3,000 extra new lives (per year, I think - I missed the details on this). I want Senator Daniels on my dodgeball team, because when Stasio asked (twice!) if there would be an increase in social services and public education spending to pay for these 3,000 new lives, Senator Daniel rambled a bit about how great it was that 3,000 lives would be saved and that public education costs are calculated on a per student basis. So, it was crystal-clear that his true answer to this question is "NO."

Toward the end of the conversation, I think it was Bebe Anderson who noted that there is no such imposition on men seeking medical procedures related to their reproductive health. So this gets me thinking...hey Senator Daniels! Why don't you introduce a bill that forces men to listen to anti-choice speech and wait 24 hours before having a vasectomy? Or forces men to listen to feminist, men-are-pigs rhetoric and wait 72 hours before purchasing Viagra? Or that forces gun buyers to listen to liberal anti-gun spew and view violent images of gun crime victims and wait 96 hours before purchasing a weapon? None of these scenarios are any more ridiculous, intrusive, and oppressive than the one you and your anti-choice cronies have inflicted upon the women of North Carolina.

North Carolina's new anti-choice law

This pisses me off to no end. The N.C. legislature and senate have overridden Governor Bev Perdue's veto of H.B. 854, the "Women Know Nothing" Act (that's what I call it!) This bill undermines the doctor-patient relationship and interferes in a woman's ability to make her own health-care decisions. Here are just some of the restrictions that women will now face when they try to access abortion in NC:

• Women will be forced to wait 24 hours before they can access abortion care.
• Doctors will be required to perform ultrasounds, even if they are not medically necessary, before providing abortion care.
• Physicians must read a script written by anti-choice legislators that includes medical inaccuracies to women prior to the procedure.

What’s worse, there are no exceptions to any of these provisions, including in instances of rape, incest, or fetal anomaly. These politically motivated attacks will have very real and devastating consequences on North Carolina women.

This infuriates me so much that I think if I ever found myself in a situation where I needed an abortion I would cross state lines to do it. Or find an NC doctor willing to break this stupid, harmful law. Honestly.

Watch out, ladies - governments at both the state and federal levels are barging in on our exam rooms and uteruses, eroding away at our rights and dignity as mightily as they know how.

Pizza dough recipe

I started making this pizza dough a few months ago when I came across the recipe in a Lutheran church cookbook (thanks Mommy!) I've been raving about it to anyone who will listen, and so I thought I'd post the recipe here. Full disclosure: it's not quite as yummy as yeast pizza dough, but it's very good considering how quick and easy it is!

Healthy Pizza Dough
submitted by Tom Kern for "Grace Our Table," a cookbook of Trinity Lutheran Church, North Bethesda, MD

1 c. whole-wheat flour (*I've only used all-purpose)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c. natural plain yogurt (*I've used both Greek and normal low-fat)
**This is for a 9 inch pie. I usually double or increase by 50% to sufficiently cover my 12 inch pizza pan. I prefer thick over thin crust.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Make a depression in the flour and add oil and yogurt. Mix and then knead lightly until smooth. Roll out for a 9 inch pie. Bake 400 F for 10 min; remove from over. Add toppings and bake an additional 20 min. *I only bake 20 min total, max - sometimes I just add the toppings right away and bake ~15 min.

So quick and easy!

NARAL Day of Action!

Today is NARAL's "Day of Action," and they have encouraged all of us concerned, pro-choice women everywhere to "blog for women's health!" Okay! I am happy to do that. Especially after hearing this troubling news piece on NPR today. Yes, it's true: anti-choice, anti-birth-control activists want to define "personhood" as the entity that results after a sperm has fertilized an egg. So, I guess instead of issuing birth certificates all states would issue conception certificates? Julie Rovner's report nicely covers why this definition would have potentially dangerous, far-reaching consequences "by legally separating a woman from her pregnancy." What scares me, personally, is how this personhood definition would reclassify my own family-planning regimen: instead of taking birth control pills, these anti-choice activists would say that I take abortion pills because, according to the consumer labeling for Necon (my generic pill of choice), Necon works by "changing the womb lining, making it difficult for a fertilized egg to attach to the lining of the womb (implantation)," in addition to preventing ovulation in the first place. I have been on Necon (or similar drugs) for over a decade, and only God knows how many fertilized eggs have expired in my body. The fact that Personhood USA would call me a murderer and wants to force me to identify my own 2N eggs as potential babies is indeed scary, but it's also so outrageous and unrealistic that we intelligent, clear-thinking, empowered citizens can be confident that they will never succeed in governing our uteruses (and American society) in this way.

Slight change of subject...sometimes, for some reason, I feel a little disheartened, like the pro-choice movement is losing energy. But you know what? IT IS NOT. From the historic 2004 March for Women's Lives to the current defeated attempts to dismantle Planned Parenthood in Indiana to the work of organizations that you wouldn't expect to be involved in this movement (e.g., here and here), reasons for hope abound. My son and daughter will have the freedom and the resources to plan their families and manage their reproductive health just as I have and just as women in less fortunate situations are gradually gaining.

On the lighter side, check out this Onion article. This is, in my opinion, superbly executed satire. And although deconstructing and over-analyzing satire can sometimes ruin its intended effect, I must point out the part of the article where it mentions that certain features of the Abortionplex are designed "to foster a sense of community and make abortion more of a social event." Because this is precisely what the toxic anti-choice movement seeks to do - turn a private, medical issue into a social issue subject to government involvement.

For more related gems from the Onion, check out this, this, this, and also, this (may need to scroll down a bit for that last one).

Happy Day of Action, everyone!

Yet Another Faulty Argument by Conservative Activists

This one regarding Prop. 8 judge Vaughn Walker, who has spilled the beans about being gay and in a same-sex relationship. Judge Walker overturned Prop. 8 (the prop. outlawing same-sex marriage in CA), and Prop. 8 supporters (anti-gay-marriage folks) argue now that his sexual orientation makes him impartial because he would stand to personally gain by the decision he makes. But blogger Adam Serwer makes an excellent point that it can be argued the other way, too. A visit to www.protectmarriage.com takes you to a document published by the Witherspoon Institute (whatever that is) that identifies same-sex marriage as one of the four "threats" to marriage. According to this report, same-sex marriage "would further undercut the idea that procreation is intrinsically connected to marriage,"..."would undermine the idea that children need both a mother and a father,"...and "would likely corrode marital norms of sexual fidelity" (I know, I'm shaking my head at the unsubstantiated silliness, too!) They sum up by saying that "embracing same-sex marriage would further weaken marriage itself." If this is their argument, then that means that judges in heterosexual marriages should all recuse themselves from the Prop. 8 case or any other ruling that has to do with gay marriage because, just as Judge Walker might stand to gain from legalizing gay marriage, these married judges would stand to lose and watch their own marriages crumble before their very eyes. It would be just as bad as - maybe worse than! - the Great Marriage Crumbling that occurred in MA, CT, IA, NH, VT, DC, Canada, Belgium, and other immoral places that are going to hell in a hand basket.

Sun time

Yesterday I commented that I pretty much just blog about food and running, especially when I'm too busy to blog. But the month of May reminded me of another favorite topic because guess what May 14th is? That's right - it's the one-year anniversary of the day Madeline sprung into the limelight of internet fame! It's a bit early, but we'll celebrate anyway by featuring her new favorite place on the deck:



What should the capshun be, cheezburger fans?

Softshell crabs

It seems my blogging has been reduced to food and running. So be it.

On Saturday night Andrew and I had a lovely dinner of softshell crabs, clams, and tomato/mozzarella/basil things:







Also, note the flowers my sweetie bought for me! Could this be a result of my pouty "you-could-be-more-romantic" complaints prompted by the two April weddings I attended? Regardless, it was very sweet and impromptu of him :) So in return, on Sunday I took him fishing at Lake Michie (or maybe he took me fishing...he had the equipment and I was the one who knew how to get to the lake!)

Shamrockin' to a PR

Marathon #12 is in the books. I don't usually do these big, beer company-sponsored races, but the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon's flat course, decent proximity to Durham, and new state (I've now run marathons in 8 states) were good reasons to make this my Spring marathon. My dear friend Kate came down from MD to cheer me on and enjoy a brief weekend getaway in Virginia Beach during the off-season. Kate is the best spectator ever with her cowbells, posters, and cheers!

I registered for the race and booked the hotel in December, which you think would be far enough in advance to have a varied choice in places to stay, but most of the race-sponsored hotels were booked. But I found a good deal at the Travelodge, which was walking distance to the start/finish, situated along the race course, and had waterfront rooms. I was pleased that the room had a little kitchenette so I could have my pre-race breakfast...but the advantages end there. You know your hotel is not sponsoring the marathon when...
1) You ask about late checkout because you're running the marathon and they ask you "what time does the marathon end?" (my response: "it depends how fast I run"). The latest checkout they could offer us was noon, which was not gonna work for an 8 am start, even if I made my goal.
2) They give you a room on the top floor (7th) and the elevator is broken.
3) There is dance club music and karaoke across the street, but it sounds like it's right next to your bed, and it goes on until 1 am (I know, it's Virginia Beach on a Saturday night, so what should I expect).

Anyway, I slept well enough, and my pre-race excitement woke me before my alarm. I had my oatmeal, coffee, and half an orange, and headed out a little after 7 am for the 15 minute walk to the start. And Jesus Christ was it COLD and WINDY! I had planned to wear my shortest shorts (they hold three gels) and my lightest singlet. I was shivering under heavy warm-up pants and a hooded sweatshirt, and my toes were beginning to get numb. I arrived at the starting corrals where even the crowds and tall buildings on both sides of the street were minimal protection from the wind gusts. After going through the porta-potty line, I headed over the gear-bag check trucks to see if there was a line (the 2007 Saint Louis Marathon had an incredibly long gear-bag check line, and now I always worry about having enough time if I check a bag). No line, so I decided to wait until as close to the start as possible to take off my warm-ups and check my bag. At 7:50, after a nice lady opened my bag of sport beans for me (my fingers were too cold for fine motor tasks), I was weaving through the crowds in my singlet and shorts FREEZING my ASS off when they announced that there was a delay, and the marathon would start at 8:15 instead of 8! WTF? I found a semi-sheltered place near Corral 2 (which had no warm bodies in it yet) and decided to wait there when I heard someone behind me say "Sandra?" Momentarily forgetting that I had my name on the front and back of my shirt, I turned around expecting a familiar face. Instead, a stranger wrapped a glorious fleece coat around my shoulders. "You look really cold," he said. What a lifesaver! I wore the coat until it was time to enter corrals and thanked him profusely.

When the race finally got started I made sure I was near the 3:50 pacers. I spoke with one of them - I think her name was Melissa - at the race expo, and she said they'd be running an 8:43 pace. That was just a little faster than I wanted, but I decided if I ran behind them and kept them in sight, I should be good. Pacer Melissa wore a bright green tutu and pigtails; Pacer Dan wore normal running clothes and held the green 3:50 sign up on a stick. It was a smooth start, but all of a sudden around mile 2 the green 3:50 sign was nowhere to be seen. I know I didn't pass them...how did I lose them already? We were heading over a bridge (the course's only hill), and it was difficult to see the crowds ahead of me. But when the course leveled out after the bridge I spotted the green tutu. I asked Dan about the sign, and he held up the broken stick. Damn, it might be harder than I thought to follow them...unless I ran right up there WITH them. So that's what I decided to do.

Until both pacers had to pee. Shouldn't pacers be marathon pros who know how to avoid needing a mid-race porta-potty stop? Anyway, I made sure not to lose Pacer Dan in the crowd as the green tutu sprinted ahead to the porta-potties at the next aid station before we caught up; then Dan lagged behind and caught up with the 3:50 pack a few minutes later. So I think our pace was a bit uneven around miles 3-7, though I missed a few mile markers so it's hard to tell:

Miles 1-2 - 17:25
Mile 3 - 8:47 (I was plenty warm by now and glad I had opted for the singlet and short shorts!)
Mile 4-5 - 16:58
Mile 6 - 9:15
Mile 7 - 8:37

I wanted to stick with the pacers because for my past few marathons I've been a little obsessed with my inability to run even mile splits. This course was flat with the exception of the bridge that we crossed twice - at miles 2 and 10. Miles ~10.5-12 were on the boardwalk headed north, and the NW wind was quite strong (but thankfully had weakened since the race's start), so I was expecting a slower pace there. But this race has made me realize that it's not reasonable to expect even splits because of the way my body responds to energy gels. In past races, the gels' effects were subtle, if noticeable at all, but maybe my faster pace made this race different. I had several "oh shit" moments when it was almost like I had hit a mini-wall, but then the gel would kick in - I would distinctly recognize the moments - and my legs would have life again. I took 5 gels at 0:45, 1:30, 2:17, 3:00, and 3:20 (actually can't remember exactly when I took the last two). Anyway, there were some miles when I ran right next to Pacer Dan, and other where I could barely keep him in sight and was afraid I'd lose him; I'm pretty sure the mini-walls-and-gel-induced-second-winds are the explanation (e.g., miles 12 vs. 13):

Mile 8-9 - 17:18
Mile 10-11 - 17:32
Mile 12 - 9:00
Mile 13 - 8:28

At mile 14 Pacer Dan needed ANOTHER porta-potty break. Pacer Melissa was so far ahead we couldn't even see her (someone said she was aiming for "a fast 3:50.") Dan said he'd catch up with us, but I was afraid I'd fall off pace. But, I didn't do too bad:

Mile 14 - 8:49

The middle miles were a bit of a blur. This part of the course was pretty, but the crowds were thin or non-existent. I focused on staying right with Pacer Dan and his pack. But everyone was so quiet! I tried to initiate some cheers, but it only elicited a short, feeble response. And when we passed a band playing Sweet Caroline, I was the only one who sang the "bah bah bahs! WTF? Anyway, I did pretty well staying with the group until I got behind filling my water bottle at an aid station about mile 20.

Mile 15 - 8:41
Mile 16 - 8:59
Mile 17 - 8:37
Mile 18 - 8:53
Mile 19 - 8:47
Mile 20 - 9:19

I could still see Dan, but he was so far ahead I had given up hope of a sub-3:50. But then to my surprise, Dan wheeled around and headed back toward me and a few other lagging former 3:50 packers. He said that he was ahead of pace, and wanted to get the group back on track for 3:50 on the dot. "Really?" I said. I knew that the pacers had crossed the start line around the same time I had. "If you're ahead of me, 3:50 is definitely doable." I wasn't in a state to do the math, but I was hitting another mini-wall and decided I should relax a little:

Mile 21 - 9:17
Mile 22 - 9:20
Mile 23 - 9:00

Dan still hadn't passed me, but now the math was a little easier, and I knew I wasn't going to make 3:50. I still don't know what happened to Pacer Dan (I wonder if he was having GI issues). Anyway, the last gel kicked in for mile 24, but then it wore off and I had to dig really deep to get through the last 2.2:

Mile 24 - 8:52
Mile 25 - 9:39
Mile 26 - 9:52
Mile 0.2 - 1:52

Official finish time: 3:53:29!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Equivalent to an 8:54 pace.

My third marathon PR in 12 months - not bad! I trained, but had no written training plan. During the 59 days of January and February I spent 16 nights in a hotel and got on an airplane 8 times (not counting connecting flights separately). Bottom line, it was a hectic winter. I scheduled my long runs mainly based on when I was in town instead of what standard training plans dictate. I ran less miles than I did during my fall marathon training, and did very little cross-training, but I made sure the workouts I did do were high quality and purposeful. Guess it paid off! Now it's time to start thinking about a fall marathon :) I gagged trying to down those 5 gels, but I'm thinking of trying to up my intake to every 30 min for the last 2 hours of the race. Or maybe rigging a portable gel-IV drip...?

Some photos courtesy of Kate (thanks, Kate!):

Me at mile 26. I bite my lips when my mouth is dry. And can you tell I forgot sunblock?



SO happy to be finished!



The sunshine is deceiving - I was freezing at the finish, too!

Oysters - Fried and Raw

Andrew and I have happily started off 2011 with lots of oyster-eating! It started with fried oysters from New Years (thanks, Aunt Betty):





...and then continued with Walking Fish, who is offering winter season shares for the first time ever. Here's Andrew shucking:





and here are the yummy raw oysters on the half shell:





This past weekend we brought a quart of oysters back from Andrew's family in southern MD and made a nice, creamy oyster stew (no picture).

And the oyster fest continues - we're getting more oysters from Walking Fish tomorrow, but Andrew will be on his way to China (!), so I'll need to figure out the shucking myself.

2010 Out, 2011 In

According to Dave Barry, there were only three bright spots of 2010, one of which was that "the Yankees did not even get into the World Series." (heehee!) My 2010 was not too bad, but it wasn't particularly notable, either. Of my various 2010 resolutions (some which were indeed resolute, others not so much), I managed to solidly keep one - I ran more than 1500 miles (1,555.5 to be exact). We won't talk about the others, but I'll use them as rationale for keeping my 2011 resolutions much simpler:

1) Be less selfish.
2) Be a better listener.
3) Be more patient.
4) Run a 3:49 marathon

My friends and family will have to let me know how I do for 1-3!