Eat Drink Run Woman

It really shouldn’t have happened. I’m sure most people thought I was crazy to even THINK it could happen. BQ six weeks after running a 50-miler? Using a 50K as my last long run before my goal race? Coaxing a sub 4-hour out of my aging body at my 20th marathon for the YEAR? That’s crack-smoking talk.

Yet thanks to strategic planning, an impromptu encounter with an elite runner and favorable weather conditions, I managed to smash my goal with nary a toke on the ol’ crack pipe, finishing the 2010 Seattle Rock ‘n Roll Marathon in 3:55:41.

The Plan
Upon returning from Beantown this year I began to set my sights on next year. There’s something about being around such speedy runners that gets me motivated. However, I assumed Boston would sell out even earlier this year, which might make a fall race moot. Given I’d be running the Rainier to Ruston 50-mile on June 5, I didn’t think I’d be recovered in time to try at Seattle Rock ‘n Roll. Missoula was two weeks later; still not ideal, but at least it’d give me more recovery time. And if I didn’t succeed, no big deal. After all, my darling still hadn’t BQ’d, and I wouldn’t have wanted to drag him back again if I were the only one to race.

All that changed on May 2 when he ran a 3:18:28 at the Tacoma City Marathon.

As with my race, the odds of him BQing that day were slim. It’s a particularly hilly course, plus it was his 18th race in so many weeks. But if anyone has the grit and stubborn determination (along with a bit of dumb luck), it’s my hubby. Now the pressure was on.

As we were milling around in the recovery area one of my Maniac friends asked me about my goal for the Redmond Watershed 12-hour two weeks later. I had hoped to get in 35-40 miles as my last long run before Rainier to Ruston, but she wondered why I wouldn’t go for 50. It wasn’t as if I wasn’t ready; if I could run 13 marathons/50Ks in 12 weeks, I could certainly run a 50-miler, especially in 12 hours.

The gears in my head started spinning — what if I ran 50 miles there instead and switched to the 50K option for Rainier to Ruston; could I possibly get into BQ shape for Seattle Rock ‘n Roll? That race was preferable since I knew it, plus Missoula can get quite hot. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.

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While I was thrilled with the opportunity to interview Meb Keflezighi, winner of the 2009 New York Marathon and Olympic silver medalist, I started to panic. I wanted to ask him about running, but I hoped to ask him something I could relate to.  What could we possibly have in common?  Yes, we both ran the 2010 Boston Marathon, but he crossed the finish line more than two hours before I dragged my sorry ass across.

Mind you, I didn’t have much time to prepare — I had only found out about the opportunity two hours before I was to meet him.  Since I hadn’t actually spoken to the Sony PR rep myself, I had no idea if I’d be meeting him one-on-one, or if it would be a group interview.  But my darling and I mulled over a couple of questions as we drove back to the expo.

We arrived at the Sony booth to find a long line snaking around waiting for his autograph.  I spoke to one of the Sony reps who had just found out I’d be coming.  The autograph session was supposed to go until 1 p.m., then he was all mine.  I decided to hop in line myself in order to get my bibs signed (I brought my Boston bib as well).  When I realized the session would go long, I told the Sony rep we could skip the interview as I didn’t want to take even more of his time.  But they kept assuring me it’d happen (perhaps they thought I was some big-shot running blogger!)

When I finally got to sit down with him, I was starstruck; it was as if I was in the presence of royalty (extremely humble royalty!)  He greets you with a warm smile that lights up his face, grasping your hand in both of his.  He’s clearly appreciative of the opportunities his adoptive country has given him, and I couldn’t think of a better ambassador. (He was floored — and extremely honored — when my darling asked him to sign his passport as a patriotic gesture).

When asked what opportunities he sees for his young daughters that he didn’t have in his native Eritrea, he beamed.

“This is a great country, a melting pot,” he said.  “I want them to follow their passions.  If it’s running, great, but if it’s something else, that’s fine.  It’s all about self fulfillment.”

His two oldest daughters, ages 4 and 2 (his youngest is 5 months) are already expressing some interest in running.  They’ll position themselves as if on a starting line for a track race, then yell out “On your mark, get set — GO!” and sprint off.  While he’d love them to follow his passion for running, he simply hopes they’ll stay active.

“Anything to get them off the couch,” he said.  “Sports teaches you a lot about life — accountability, hard work — there are no short cuts.  Same with education; you wouldn’t skip high school and go directly into college.”

In addition to fitness, health and education are his other passions, and to promote and support these causes he is launching the MEB Foundation, which he says stands for “maintaining excellent balance.”

I was also curious how he approached his races in terms of a goal.  I assumed his “A” goal would be to win, but does he come up with secondary or even tertiary goals?  Ever since my blowup at the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in 2008 — where my end all/be all goal was to BQ — I’ve learned to come up with other goals to keep me motivated should my A goal slip away.  Do elites think the same way?

Turns out Meb does.  “You don’t want to make your primary goal untouchable, but you should some up with A-Z goals.  It’s all about self fulfillment.”

As I left the expo clutching my autographed Rock ‘n Roll bib, it dawned on me I blew it with Meb — Food!  THAT’S what we ALL have in common!  Here I am a personal chef and runner, why didn’t I ask him about food?  What does he eat before a race?  Does he allow himself any guilty indulgences afterward?  Is he able to find food from his native country here in the U.S.?

Oh well, perhaps I’ll get a second chance to talk to him in Boston next year

I returned from the Seattle Rock ‘n Roll expo yesterday to a voice mail from a PR contact for Sony who said she wanted to talk to me about my blog. She had an opportunity she thought I might be interested in, yet didn’t elaborate. We traded phone calls, and when I didn’t hear back I figured the opportunity had passed. But as I got out of my dentist appointment this morning I saw a text from my husband — would I be interested in heading back to the expo to interview Meb? HELL YEAH!

I rushed home, jumped into the shower (and my 2010 Boston shirt, natch. After all, the race is probably the ONLY thing Meb and I have in common). I had to wait for almost an hour while he signed autographs (he signed both my Boston bib and the one I’ll wear tomorrow), before I got the chance to sit down one-on-one. While I had hoped to put on my best hardcore journalism hat ala Bob Woodward, it was more of a gush-fest:

I’msohonoredtomeetyou,youmadeussoproudinNewYork,Iwasthrilled toseeyoucrossthefinishline,you’resuchaninspiration.

I’ll post my “interview” with him later this weekend, but for now I’m reveling in the encouragement he provided for tomorrow: “Go for it.”

After running 41 marathons and nine 50Ks, I finally popped my 50-mile cherry by running 50.54 miles at the Watershed Preserve 12-hour race two weeks ago (I finished in 11:23:11, deciding I didn’t need to continue on for the full 12 hours).

This race was originally going to be a training run for the Rainier to Ruston 50-mile on June 5; however, I’ve decided to try to BQ at Seattle Rock ‘n Roll at the end of June and wanted more recovery time (I’ll still be running a 50K at R2R). Besides, I figured Redmond Watershed would be easier on my body as it’s all on trails, while R2R has a lot of road. In addition, given it’s a 12-hour race, even if I didn’t reach my 50-mile goal, I’d still be able to run farther than I ever had (my longest run prior was a 50K).

I didn’t follow a specific training plan; rather, I just ran a sh!tload of marathons and 50Ks (this was my 18th race of marathon distance or longer for the year). While I’d never run more than a 50K in one day, I have run 62 miles in two days and just over 80 in three days. While I was pretty confident I had the endurance, I was still quite nervous.

I knew the key would be too start off conservatively, something I’m used to doing in my marathons. I actually mapped out a pacing strategy for each loop on a spreadsheet, with paces starting at 11 1/2 minutes/mile and increasing by 15-45 seconds every loop, ending with 15-minute miles. My plan had my total running time at just over 11 hours, which would leave almost an hour for breaks at the aid station. Of course, I knew this would all be speculation; I had no idea what race day would bring.

I also received some great tips on nutrition/hydration from one of my ultra-running friends. This race puts out quite the spread at the aid station; in addition to typical ultra-running food (boiled potatoes with salt, cookies, pretzels, fruit, potato chips, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, electrolyte drink, etc.), they also offer sandwiches and soup later in the day. Therefore, the tendency to overeat was great. My friend recommended sticking to gels for the first 20+ miles before imbibing in “real” food.

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I am not a good 5K runner. Or should I say, I’m not a good 5K racer. It takes me about that long just to warm up; when I try to go fast at short distances, inevitably I get injured. Besides, I figure why spend $25-$35 on a 5K race when I can run the distance for free? After all, the outside loop of Green Lake is 3.2 miles, and it’s just down the street from me.

Because of this, I figured my 5K PR of 25:49 from the 2007 Fremont 5K would remain my best. I hadn’t even bothered to run the distance again until I entered the B.A.A. 5K the day before the Boston Marathon (since I had hoped to go fast in the marathon I took the 5K easy, finishing in over 31 minutes). But I recently signed up a new client, and when I found out she’s the executive director of NARAL’s Washington office, I decided to enter their “Run for your Rights” 5k yesterday. It’s held at Green Lake, so it couldn’t have been more convenient.

I didn’t think I had a PR in me, but decided I’d try for 26 minutes. However, I ran a fairly fast 4-miler on Thursday and by Friday my right hamstring was talking to me. I took the day off from running, hoping I’d be fine for the race.

We’ve had an absolutely gorgeous few days in Seattle, so I knew Green Lake would be absolutely packed (we’d be sharing the path with hundreds). We ran over to the check-in (just over half a mile away) and milled around while they held the rally. Just after 11 a.m. they were ready to start; the runners headed out first (there were only 50-75 of us), followed by the walkers and then those with pets/strollers. While we didn’t have bib #s, someone would be at the finish to record our time.

While I didn’t start off at a sprint per se, I also didn’t hold back. The speedy group, including my darling and his brother, got off to a strong lead, but I held my own. A couple of 20-somethings — a guy and a girl — passed me in the first quarter mile, but I kept telling myself I was racing for me; I didn’t feel the need to pass anyone. Although my body felt good the entire time, this was not a comfortable run. I pushed myself the entire way, thrilled to see I ran the first two miles in 8:08 and 8:06 respectively.

I wasn’t sure if I could keep up that pace — it was getting hot and I was wearing the cotton race shirt — but I just kept going. I decided to not even look at my watch; I’d just push on and hope for the best. Just after mile 2 I passed the male 20-something (didn’t see the female, but apparently I had passed her earlier). By then I was ready to finish, but still had just over a mile to go. I kept pushing and was grateful for the slight decline just before the finish. I kicked it into high gear, crossing in 24:54 — third woman overall!

Not sure I’ll ever beat this PR, but that’s okay. It’s actually not the fastest I’ve ever run; when I ran Hood-to-Coast in 2008 I ran my first leg — 4.5 miles — at a 7:52 pace. But I’m now happy to have a 5K time I’m proud of.

My current PRs:

5K: 24:54, NARAL Run for your Rights, May 2010
10K: 50:12, Arlington Walk and Roll, April 2008
Half marathon: 1:53:35, Kirkland, May 2008
Marathon: 3:54:34, Light at the End of the Tunnel, August 2008
50K: 5:42:58, Pigtails Flat Ass 50K, December 2009

Oh my — has it REALLY been more than two months since I’ve blogged? So much for my vow to document my “13-in-12″ journey (not that I have anyone left reading.) Suffice it to say I’m now a 7-star Maniac who managed to complete the stunt injury-free. I’ve included more info below, but wanted to summarize the highlights from the past two months.

The biggest news? We’re going back to Boston in 2011!!! Unfortunately I don’t have an invite to the party (yet), but my darling — after two years and several attempts — ran a BQ race this past Sunday at the Tacoma City Marathon, finishing in 3:18:28 (he needed 3:20). This was a surprise to us both as he’s run even more races this year that I have. But his Achilles heel (so to speak) has been the long run; he starts off strong but fades toward the end. By getting in so many long runs he built up his endurance and it’s paid off. Now I need to get my butt in gear.

Tacoma was not only the capper to my 13-in-12 streak, it also was my 50th race of marathon distance or longer (I even got to wear bib #50). It also was my fastest marathon since Portland.

The Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge was fantastically fun, albeit not particularly challenging given I had already been running a marathon a week. Going in to Boston I toyed with trying to beat last year’s time (4:15:48), but my darling encouraged me to try for a more challenging goal: a BQ. I figured it would be an incredible long-shot, but I also thought I would know when to dial it back once it became clear I wouldn’t reach that goal. Fortunately that happened with the first 5K. In order to make 4 hours I’d have to run each 5K in under 29 minutes; when I hit the first in 29:30, I decided I’d run the rest of the race for fun. I finished in 4:25:19 feeling great.

The next week we headed to Monterey for the Big Sur Marathon where I met up with a woman from the Runner’s World online forum. She’s a speedy runner (she BQ’d at Boston), but this would be her first back-to-back race. Therefore, we decided to run together. It’s an absolutely stunning course, and fortunately we didn’t get as much wind as in other years (in fact, the little wind we had helped cool me down). We ran up ALL the hills — including the 2-mile Hurricane Point — and celebrated our accomplishment with a snort of Laphroaig 10-year single malt scotch at the grand piano just after the Bixbey Bridge (it was surprisingly tasty!)

The other big news? We’re parents again! We welcomed Jasper and Luna into our hearts and home this past Sunday (we rushed home from the marathon to shower and then head north to pick them up). They’re from the same litter and they not only keep themselves entertained, they fill us with happiness and joy. We still miss our sweet Xanthe terribly, but are so thrilled to have the pitter-patter of little paws running around.

Jasper:

Luna:

As for future plans, now that the pressure is on for me to BQ again I’ve made some adjustments to my schedule. I was signed up to run the Rainier to Ruston 50-mile (my first) on June 5, but now that I want to try to BQ at Seattle Rock ‘n Roll on June 26 I’d like to get in some more recovery time. So I’ve switched to the 50K for R2R and will attempt to run 50 miles during the Redmond Watershed 12-hour next Saturday, May 15. This takes some weight off my shoulders as my darling wouldn’t have been available to crew me on the 5th (although one of our running friends offered to do it). And since the Watershed race is a 12-hour, there’s no DNF — I’ll simply run as many miles as I can.

Should I not BQ at Seattle Rock ‘n Roll I may try again at Missoula on July 11, however, it’s only three weeks later and the race can get pretty hot. My last-ditch back-up plan will be Skagit Flats in September, however, that too can get quite hot. Given how quickly Boston filled up last year I doubt it will still be open for an October race (but if it is, perhaps I can try again during the Nike Women’s Marathon). If all else fails then I’ll simply go to Boston as a spectator and will perhaps take over the Hopkinton Hop.

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It’s bonus time in EDRW land — you get THREE race reports in one!

Woolley Trail Marathon, February 20
This was a grief run for me as we had to put our kitty down the day before. Since my darling had a photo shoot in the afternoon we opted for the 6 a.m. early start, which meant we had to leave our house about 4:15 for the hour and a half drive to Sedro-Woolley. We had a rough start to the morning as our kitty’s absence set in; there’d be no strident meowing for breakfast. I broke down in sobs several times, plus I found it hard to concentrate on what I should be packing. As a result we got a late start, but figured the race director would understand. Besides, it wasn’t as if we’d be competing for the top spots.

The early starters took off just as we pulled into the parking lot. We checked in and confirmed with the RD that we could use the time on our Garmins. It was still dark, so my darling decided to run with me for the first few miles until it was light enough to put away the headlamps. Even though it was going to be a sunny day, I fortunately made the wise decision to wear a long-sleeved shirt; however, I forgot to throw on gloves. BRRRR.

This was the inaugural year for the race, which follows the Cascade Trail from Sedro-Woolley to Hamilton and back. It’s a nice wide, flat course that offers great views of the Cascades and local farmland. I started my run listening to a podcast about gastro-intestinal distress in long distance runners, and the eau de cow provided an appropriate olfactory accompaniment.

Although he had intended to start running at his own pace once the sun came up, my darling decided to stick with me. After all, we had another race the next day and there was no need to go fast. Besides, it would only mean he’d have to wait around for me at the end. While we didn’t talk much (I had my iPod, he did not), it was comforting having him close. After my podcast ended the sad songs started (I was in a melancholy mood), as did the tears. We stopped to hug several times. Fortunately the pain in our hearts was the only pain we suffered that day, as the run was quite cathartic. We crossed the finish in 4:51:12, and after an aprés race lunch of chili and hotdogs we headed home, where once again we were overcome with grief from her absence.

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The past few weeks I’ve been an emotional wreck so blogging has been the last thing on my mind.  As I hinted in my last post, our poor kitty had been ailing (chronic renal failure) and we were having to give her subcutaneous fluids.  While we knew we wouldn’t have her for long, I had hoped it would be a matter of months — not weeks or days — before we had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye.

Unfortunately that day came on February 19.

It’s so tough to know when a pet is ready to go.  She certainly was giving us SOME signs — she had pretty much stopped eating and grooming, plus she spent most of the day burrowed under the covers of our bed — but she still would purr when we pet her and would occasionally venture out to hop up on her kitty tree in the front room.  But our once talkative, Rubanesque cat was down to a mere seven pounds and meowed nary peep.  Things came to a head on the 18th when she awoke in our bed disoriented and proceeded to pee on my darling’s foot.

The next morning we discussed whether it was time, but we decided we’d wait until after the weekend.  Thing was, while I wanted to spend one more weekend with her, we had races on both Saturday and Sunday and therefore we’d be gone much of the time.  Besides, I had been having nightmares about her having seizures and being in pain; I couldn’t live with myself if I had waited until it got to that point.

As my darling headed off to work I started reading stories about people having to make that agonizingly painful decision to put a dear pet down, and one of them really spoke to me.  The woman said she too was unsure if the time was right considering her kitty would still purr.  But she said that’s what cats often will do to calm themselves down; it didn’t mean they were happy nor comfortable.  I texted my darling, asking if we should make the appointment that day.

It was a gloriously sunny day (as was the rest of the weekend), so when my darling came home we took Xanthe outside for one last taste of freedom.  Our neighbor and one of my good friends — both of whom had kitty-sat for us — were there to say goodbye.  In looking through the pictures from that day it’s clear the spark had left her.  She didn’t even protest during the ride to the vet (my darling held her tight in his coat; we didn’t want her to suffer the trauma of carrying case).

The end was peaceful, and we were there petting and comforting her the entire time.  We now have her ashes back home with us, which brings us some comfort.  However, it’s still very, very painful.  We will eventually bring another kitty (or two) into our lives, but we’re not ready yet.

We miss you, sweet girl.

If Sunday’s race portends what’s to come in my “13 in 12″ streak I’ve got a LONG road (and sometimes trail) ahead of me.

As I was putting together my list of 13 races (marathon distance or farther) I gravitated toward the free ones.  After all, I’ve already shelled out a bunch of money for Boston and Big Sur (not to mention the Goofy Challenge), so free or almost-free were ideal.  So when I saw the Poulsbo Running Club was hosting the free Fishline 50K on Valentine’s Day, I knew it was the race for me.  How better to celebrate the Hallmark holiday than running the trails with my sweetie?

The race is held on a privately owned tree farm in Port Gamble on the Kitsap Peninsula.  We had run a similar course in August for the Port Gamble half marathon, however, this race started at a different point.  It’s moderately challenging with a mix of single track and forest service roads, with a few hills thrown in (most are fairly runnable).

While we’ve been having some great weather of late, the week leading up the race was quite damp.  In fact, I got caught in a squall while running around Green Lake two days prior (at one point the wind and rain were so strong I could barely move forward).  In addition, my work week was particularly busy (regular clients Monday-Friday, Valentine’s dinner Saturday evening) so I wasn’t as well-rested as I would have liked.   Still, I was looking forward to hitting the trail.

The morning got off to an interesting start.  We’ve been having to give our kitty subcutaneous fluids — not an easy task by any means — but by doing it ourselves we eliminate the traumatic trip to the vet.  While I wrapped her in a towel to keep her from squirming too much, my darling readied the 18-gauge hypodermic needle.  Just as he was about to stick it into her she managed to free her front paws from the towel.  As we once again attempted to get her confined I felt a sharp pin-prick on my left forefinger.  Yee-ouch!  (My darling hadn’t placed the cap back on the needle while I was re-wrapping kitty).  As I fished through our first-aid kit for the antibiotic ointment and a bandage, I noticed two spots of blood on my finger.  Turns out the needle had gone clean through!  (Medical professionals, we are not).

We took that as a sign to abandon the task until we returned from the race and got to packing our race gear.  I also packed a cooler with the fixings for chicken Caesar salad wraps to share afterwards (along with a couple of beers, natch).  I also tossed in a 1-pound box of Sees nuts & chews and a bag of salt & vinegar potato chips (we figured we’d burn our fair share of calories on the trail).

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Ever since I’ve become a Marathon Maniac I’ve heard grumblings from the more traditional, old school marathoners about our group: we care more about quantity than quality, running not to perform at our best or even for the love of the sport, but to simply add another notch in our marathon belts.  This argument even circled among our ranks, as the group’s founders proposed tightening the rules on what counts as a marathon to eliminate what appeared to be glorified training runs that are merely used to pad ones stats.

While there may be a few Maniacs who are guilty of such behavior, I never considered myself one of them.  Sure, I’ve run marathons as training runs, but I’ve always set some sort of goal for myself, whether it be to run all the hills, hone my fueling strategy, run a negative split, etc.  Sometimes my goal was simply to have fun with my friends — both during the race and while mingling afterwards.

I must confess: last Sunday’s 50K was a PYS (pad your stats) run.

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