Second week of the new program that will hopefully get me through the Seattle marathon in personal record time. The best thing about this one is that the speed work is doable. So this is also my second consecutive week of actually doing the speedwork listed in the program. This is a first for me I hardly ever do speedwork and never manage the amount posted in a plan. So today 6 short hills at 5k pace, or as fast as I could manage anyway.
Tomorrow I meet D from the Eugene race 2007. We are die to meet up for a run around Greenlake at 6am - which means I probably need to leave before 5.30am....those hills along 65th will be a killer.

Quite a while

...since my last post, though I have been thinking about you. Very busy with the end of school. Busy at work with talk about the lab moving away from Seattle. Never really got the running going well again after Eugene. Still plodding away but less interest for a while "marathon blues' it's called. Great trip to Florida in June, not much running done there, either blistering hot, too lazy or spectacular thunderstorms. raced the Seafair half the week we got back. Not a great time or a good race. Very hot...reaching up into the 90s, poor organisers, they moved the race into mid-June to avoid the heat in July and look what happened. Lots of runners packing th course for the first 4 miles at least, unable to find my pace. Woman with a clippy camelback for goodness sake that sound almost drove a few people insane! This combined with brutal hills...but really only 2 mins slower than last year so not desperate really. Lots of Gleukos to drink...upset my belly for days afterwards. Poured water over my head, ran through hoses, sprinklers. Most proud that I managed to stay out of the medical tent. Have got my act together now think for Seattle 26.2 Thanksgiving WE. New plan, goes right upto 26 in training, must follow the speedwork. First of these sessions tomorrow. P and T away right now for a couple of weeks. Getting some mundane cleaning and tidying done, otherwise enjoying the time with R. We ran 3 miles this morning, fast for me slow for him.

Race Report -2nd Eugene Marathon

It has been a week now and I know that there are things that I have forgotten about the race but in fact I couldn't probably have recorded it all anyway. Here is a distilled but not 'absolute proof' version of events. The single most different thing about his race for me compared with every other was that R was able to leave our boys in heavenly Fall Creek while he followed me around the course. In the past he's been brilliant at figuring out my mile splits and managed to catch me going past. So we relied upon his abilities to do the same here. The day dawned overcast and actually rather chilly. I wore two long sleeved shirts over my tank on the way to Hayward Field, the start. The race set up is fantastic and R was able to park the car just on the street parallel to the start line, down the road from the port-a- loss. This is something I had planned on doing so I joined a line and started pre-race people watching as I waited. With that taken care of, I met R by the race line-up. There were still about ten minutes to go. I handed him my second long-sleeve top and threaded my way somewhere around the 4:45 and 5:01 pace cards...but no pacer anywhere, no matter, I've never run with a pacer before anyway.
I positioned myself near a couple who looked as though they knew what they were doing. She was wearing a blue Seattle Marathon 2006 shirt (one of my favourites) and she also sounded quite English...comforting in this big crowd. National anthem and then we were off, pretty much right on time. I always enjoy the feeling of starting a race. I felt fresh and ready to run, the cool air was a good thing for me. Soon enough the crowd began to thin a little and I found a group that were running my pace, though in all honesty I did think they all looked as though they were already pushing it a bit. At the 1/4 mile mark my friend's sister, to whom I'd been introduced at the expo, greeted me, she said hi and then zoomed off to hook up with a couple of friends just ahead. I knew she was trying to beat 5 hours too and I half wanted to run with her but it was okay, in any case I was sure that 'zooming' was not on the cards for me today. I didn't see her for the rest of the race and was sure that she'd got a really good time. In fact I must have passed her at some point, since I came in about 10 minutes ahead of her. I'm not gloating, but after all my hours and miles of training I have to tell you that she is the first person I actually know that is slower than me, I feel a little more justified about my 50 miles a week and 5.30am starts in the dark.
2, 3 and 4 miles were spent trying to lose a largish guy in a black cotton t-shirt bearing the phrase 'God is Love'. This guy was carrying a large wooden flagpole with a full-size US flag which flapped at anyone within five metres of him, and the pole threatened to skewer anyone who happened to be behind him. He huffed and puffed and wheezed. He ran and stopped and walked and sprinted, all the time moving the flag from one shoulder to the other. As he turned the corners the crowds cheered more loudly for him and snapped away. So desperate to not be in those pictures I let my pace go and left him behind me. Very annoying person, for the first time in a race I felt at mile 4 that I was just too tired and needed to not do this thing at all. Anyway we had just seen the leaders looping back, that is beautiful inspiration so I continued against the brisk wind through miles 5 and 6 to mile 7 where I stopped for my chocolate AccelGel with caffeine. I felt the difference quite soon and cruised to mile 8 and somewhere along there was R waiting for me. I passed him my other long sleeved shirt which had been tied around my middle since about mile 5. R kept me company and jogged alongside me for a bit. We chatted, it was so lovely to see him. Then it was over the footbridge which apparently was bouncing with all the runners on it and over to Springfield. This was a pretty nice part of the course through parks and fields. I remembered it fairly well from last year too. There was a DJ playing loud good 70's tunes which helped me to loosen my stride. All of a sudden I realised that I had hit the halfway point 13.1. Though I had thought I was reining myself in, this was my best half time ever. I felt great about this, yet nervous that I may not be able to keep it up. At 14 I took another gel. At mile 15 R was there again and jogged along for a bit longer this time. The course is pretty at this point and there was a dirt trail along the side that he was able to use. I still felt able to chat and my pace was strong. The next few miles, all the way to about 20 miles were against the wind. There are some very short steep step-ups and downs, not much in the way of music but the river is serene alongside and the promise of heading over a bridge again to the other side where we could see the faster runners, kept me going, in a hypnotic state. Mile marker 21 just did not want to arrive. I tried some of the cherry beans that I had taken along at the last minute but I tore the packet through and several beans rolled along the bridge. The two I tasted had an artificial almond taste that just lingered. No more gels for me now, my tummy felt fragile. I started on the Gleukos energy drink at the next station. I walked through this one with a cup of water too and R was there again taking a picture before I headed off again. Mile 22 R ran with me and this time I couldn't talk much. The course was all familiar to me now. Pretty parks with supporters along them. Lawns pink and white with fallen blossom. I looked at my watch and saw that I had 50 minutes to make the last 4.2 miles. I knew that this was theoretically very possible yet also didn't allow any time to walk. So I continued to run and occasionally walk as fast as I could (not very). I was hoping that R would be able to figure out some way to run the last bit with me. My mind wanted to give up, but I was so close. No real pain but numbness in my head and attention seeking toes. Just at mile 25 there was R this time in his running gear. He quickly realised that I was an automaton and needed appropriate encouragement. 'Just one foot in front of the other' etc. I wouldn't let him leave me until the crush barriers started up to mark the finish chute and then something happened and I let my legs glide and float to the finish...an end surge? I raised my arms at the finish line (for reference see earlier post).
I got my blanket and water bottle, for the first time ever I was not hungry after a race. I grabbed a bag of cookies for later or for the boys who were going to come to the finish. Medical staff asked if I was okay as I stopped and then weaved out of the gate. I said "Yes, I'm just enjoying the moment!"
Thanks to R I got my time goal..by just one second.

Result

I'll have to fill you in properly later, I'm still figuring out what to say and what my impressions were.
1. I finished
2. Under five hours
3. By one single solitary second 4:59:59
Eugene is still a lovely place and our hosts N and D provided a slice of heaven for our too brief stay.

May 4th, 2008 - Eugene, OR

Summary number of finishers: 1743 number of females: 770 number of males: 972 average time: 04:17:42

bib number:	1669
age:	37
gender:	F
location:	Seattle, WA
overall place:	1441 out of 1743
division place:	108 out of 129
gender place:	577 out of 770
time:	4:59:59
pace:	11:27
half:	2:22:54
20 mile:	3:41:57

Angels

Yesterday I was talking to a friend also running Eugene. We came up with the concept of Marathon Angels. The only other person I know who really has looked into the angel phenomenon is my sister's friend who wrote a PhD thesis and then I think, a book about them. My experience was last year at the inaugural Eugene Marathon. The last mile consisted of a loop around the back of Autzen Stadium which just happened to turn into a wind tunnel that day. A long-legged 'real runner' wearing proper racing kit appeared from nowhere all of a sudden, tucked in front of me and called out over his shoulder for me to follow him...draft off him! He kept checking over his shoulder to make sure that his pace matched my crippled slow shuffle, he saved me! At some point the wind subsided and he zoomed off. R didn't see him cross the finish...he couldn't possibly have been finishing in the slow set anyway. I didn't see him again.
My friend told me about someone she knew who had a similar experience with a guy who just found her and chatted to her through the last two miles when she had been ready to give-up. She crossed the finish line, looked around and he was gone! Well, I hope there is an angel sent for me on Sunday if I need one again.
Just a few more things to pack and then I'm ready to pick up all my people and head down to the deep southern part of Oregon. Can't wait to see N and D down in Little Fall Creek. The boys are beside themselves with excitement.

Countdown

Less than four days to go before I set off on the Oregon trail...I mean the Eugene Marathon. I'm trying to focus at work but between checking the weather predicted in Eugene that day and rethinking my race 'strategy' there is not much left of my soul for talk writing. Yes, I agreed to give a talk this Friday to the Northwest Genetics Exchange group. It will be short and I'm scheduled first in the day so then I can get my things together (my things are my people R, J and T), and head on out to Eugene. The traffic had better not be the mess it was last year...Friday afternoons are always terrible though in my experience.
My last week has been 12 on Saturday...nice run, nice weather. 3 on Sunday. No swim or bike or anything on Monday - rest I think it's called. Tuesday a very fast 4.5. Today I toned it back down to 3 easy. Tomorrow another rest day (though I will bike to work). Friday 2 or 3, I don't think anybody is counting anymore, rest on Saturday and then the big day itself!
Strategy. I'd like to finish, and think I can finish, in several minutes before the clock strikes five hours. This would require the temp to be perfect, me to feel perfect etc. There is a 4.5 hour pacer and a 5 hour pacer. I think I'll play it safe (boring you mean?) and stick with the five hour pacer, if by some miracle I feel fantastic in the later parts of the race I can kick it up a notch...and then fall by the wayside perhaps? Nerves, nerves. Can't wait for the race, I'm expecting to enjoy it, can't wait to have done it, worried about what next.

Pre

Finally got to see Prefontaine the movie. Meant to watch it last time before the Eugene marathon but it didn't happen. I think they really just want us to see how cerebral a sport elite running really is. Everybody gets dealt their own random hand when it comes to bodies but then it is up to your mind to decide where that body needs to go and how quickly it should get there. My only criticism of the film is that it focussed more on his youthful beer consumption than on the hard core training day after day that must have got him to that level. I just want to know that I'm not suffering more than he did in training, in order to still be slow.

Speaking of training...I'm truly tapering. I swam on Monday and today, no running. During the week was 4.5, 6, 4.5. Tomorrow is just to PCC and back 12 miles, I'm not expecting too much I'll take it nice and easy. On Sunday J and R will run the Boardwalk 5K, T and I will be cheering them on. This time next week we'll be in Oregon...not long now till the race.

Oompa Loompa

Reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to T right now...I love that story so much. J has read it a billion times himself but he can still be heard sniggering from the top bunk at the jokes and more often than not he's hanging over the side in a scary way to see the pictures too. We just read about the square sweets (candies over here) that look round and then the chapter where Veruca and her parents are sent down the 'bad nut' chute. The only problem is with the songs, I have to sing them out loud with no idea of what kind of tune I should be singing them to...the boys don't mind my meandering tunelesness though so it's okay.
15 miles yesterday to start my taper...the first seven - yes seven, miles were absolutely dire. It was cold and windy with hail, rain and snow vying for a place in each mile. Spring in Seattle! My left calf felt like a canon ball. Everything eased up at the half way mark and I made it home merely disgruntled. 3 miles today...in the afternoon really a bit too soon after lunch, went swimmingly. Really sped along. What is going on?
The boys have started doing track and field again...I love the fact that they run fast, some part of that must have come from my side of the family, maybe it just skips a generation.
So I was looking to see if that really is my best running picture (it is). I found pictures of my finish at last years Seattle Marathon and then suddenly realised the guy sharing my finish line photo not only looks young but actually also looks like a runner. Several maneuvers later I figured out that he was 32 years old on race day and finished the same time as I did. Instead of just glad to be finished while knowing that his time was sort of rubbish he had his arms in the air as though he'd just won. Of course he had...the marathon is a challenge of mind against matter and his mind had hauled all his matter 26 miles and then some to that finish line. It made me think that I should be more proud of my achievement rather than squashing my herculean efforts in training and on race day with the sad old 'slow' word.

on the crest of the hill

Looking forward to the taper which officially began as of Sunday's last long run of 23 miles. Had to be Sunday this week since Spring Skiing could not be missed according to R. Our first and maybe last warm spring day happened this past Saturday and we hit the slopes down at Crystal (see video). Jackets and gloves were unnecessary but of course we took them along anyway and tied it all around our middles while the sweat trickled it's way down our backs. My first ever trip up the Rainier Express lift when the view was out. Corrr! mountains everywhere and Mt. Rainier just one step and a hop away. I proceeded to awkwardly descend. Never gone on a blue first thing, my legs were wobbly from nerves and too much running...(50 miles this past week). But I got down with not too much trouble. The rest of the afternoon was spent mostly T and myself skiing Forest Queen Express while R and J took on a couple of double blacks. So we've graduated from being able to do Discovery by ourselves to being left alone together on the proper mountain...hurrah!
Not blogging so much this week, computer is still making strange noises.
So far though the taper has not really happened. The weekday mileage this week is much the same as before 2, 6, 8, 6, 3, I'll only see the difference on Saturday with a long run of only 15 miles, better go well cos this morning's run was slow and choppy. 23 miles on Sunday went absurdly well. Didn't take too long (for me) and the weather was fine, read cool, with no rain. Took a couple of Accelgels along, key lime and chocolate at last something that tastes decent. Helped out the crumply man on Sunday morning. he wasn't at the bus stop as I approached, I reasoned that it was Saturday after all. then a bus swung past the stop and around the corner and I heard a familiar voice yelling out. There was the crumply old man, he'd missed his bus. I waved at the bus driver and pointed to C.O.M. Seattle metro drivers are such a nice bunch, he stopped the bus and waited.

21 miles 27 days

The best run of my life yesterday. Long run of ~21 miles give or take a foot or two - maybe take my toes since they are still sore. Under 4 hours...on a training run let's hope this bodes well for Eugene in just 27 days time! I'm not sure what was particularly good about yesterday but I cruised the entire distance. Food was right, temp and clothing was right, belly did not fail me. No walking breaks and fair skimming along at times. A 49 mile week in all...the most ever.

R tells me that the cake I made today needs to be written up. J wants to know if it has a name, I will call it the 'left over fruit - cake'.

Recipe: 2 mashed bananas, 2 oranges peeled and cored and cut into small pieces, a cup of oatmeal, a cup of almond meal, half a cup of date sugar, half a cup of honey, 2 large eggs, some milk, 1/4 cup oil, 2 cups gluten free baking mix, crushed seeds from a cardamom, vanilla essence. Mix it all together with milk to spreadable consistency, and spread on a large baking sheet. Top with three leftover apples that have been cored, skinned and sliced. Finally take another cup of gluten free pancake mix add an egg, 2 oz melted butter, tablespoon of sugar and a very large handful of golden raisins. Mix this up separately and then spread over the apples in a randomish sort of way. Put the tray in the oven at 375 until baked and golden looking. Serve dredged with powdered sugar and cut into rectangles.

running fast

A bit of an anomaly for me...the title that is. As you know I don't run fast so in fact the term is used in a relative sense. Saw pink lady with blond frizzy hair again on the trail today. Got to run later in the mornings when it is light this week on account of J and T being on Spring break, no buses to catch or lunches to make most days. Back when I first started this running thing I would run on Tues and Thurs mornings, almost always on the trail. More often than not I would see a woman dressed in a pink fleece sweatshirt, with permed blond hair running along at an equally excruciatingly slow pace as mine. I see her sometimes now and we always greet each other with a 'morning' or 'have a nice day'. In all the years I've seen her out there we have always somehow been running in opposite directions. Yesterday in the last but one mile of my six I saw her ahead of me...she's lost quite a lot of weight but she doesn't run any faster. I didn't feel like spoiling my story of her being the mother of five kids, bored at home, she runs to forget. I didn't want to talk to her and find out anything real about her. I like my made-up stories just as they are. So I put on the racing brain and sped (all relative remember) along, turned to say 'Hi' and then did a serious tempo run, a breath to every two steps until I turned off the trail. I'd left her way behind and you know I think that's the first time that has happened. It felt really good to be running 'fast'.
Still plodded my way through the two miler this morning...what is it that I need to motivate me to a faster pace? Pink lady with fuzzy blond hair?

If you can hear me

Spent the last couple of days at the Ataxia Investigators meeting in Las Vegas. My first...perhaps last trip to the most plastic city on the planet. However 50+ degrees in the morning at 6.30 am makes for perfect running weather. First day I set off in one direction up 'The Strip' northwards from The Flamingo where I was staying. It is extraordinary to see the length that people will go to to replicate Venice at 'The Venetian' hotel, a treasure island at the hotel of the same name....
I ran for about 40 minutes, out and back music still blaring from the casinos, people either running fresh and early or staggering really, really late. It's clean, feels very safe and there is plenty to look at. The rest of the day was spent in the meeting, some really good talks but long and endless until 9pm when we were allowed outside again. This time the crowds weave slowly, managing their spreading forms without any grace. The penny slots have people sitting forever their bodies moulding their way around the edges of their seats dripping greasily down onto the floor.
At the airport on the way home to the 'gastric flu haven' it has turned into since I left. Overhead announcement as I wait for my plane -
"Will the gentleman who left his false teeth and hearing aid please return to the washroom where he left them....if you can hear me, please return to the washroom."

Dogs

Back at home, anybody reading this might think I'm going to tell you about ugly girls but no I am going to write a few lines about the fluffy four-legged variety. It surprised me a few weeks ago when J, after having known his mother for over nine years, calmly informed me that I don't really like animals/pets. I thought long and hard about why his once 'I want to be a vet' turned zoologist/biologist parent could have given him such an impression. Finally I came to the conclusion that I rarely point out the lovely creatures around us anymore since there are such a huge number of dogs with parents that just haven't brought them up very well. I've tried to redress the balance in my comments in front of J now. Then of course this morning I decide to do the Greenlake loop. 8.5 miles or thereabouts. A bunch of hills on the way and the same bunch on the way back. I arrived at the lake at around 6:10 am...still dark. As I started to run along the inner (shorter path) there were a fair number of people walking or running towards me each with at least one canine friend and perhaps one or more human friends (plus their canines...you get the picture?) too. I ask you, is it too much to ask that they keep the dogs on a leash that is shorter than the entire circumference of the lake. Needless to say that with all the detours around the pooches I probably ran more than 8.5 this morning. You'll be proud of me, I didn't use any 'square' words out loud.

old guy at the bus stop

Skiing was fantastic. I so hope that wasn't the last this season, though mid-March we're stretching our luck hoping for the snow to last. Twice down Gold Hills what a rush! So I have to tell you about T. At 5 and a half the kid is steady on his skis but last time we were up there we had quite the moment with him. Having decided that he really can ski now we decided to take away the reins. All went well. A beautiful day, sun, snow, friends waiting for us at the Campbell Basin Lodge. T got dressed, no fussing getting out of the car. At the top of Forest Queen he lost it and would not ski down. "I'm not skiing", "I want to be on my own", "Just leave me here". We skied down a little way hoping that would encourage him to follow but no. In the end R had to ski down to the lift, get back to the top and then carry a screaming kicking kid down the hill. Obviously time for a ski lesson.
So back to last Sunday. T can now ski down Forest Queen...and Gold Hills in fact anything, doesn't matter if it's green or blue, smooth or bumpy. I asked him what the instructor had shown him....apparently nothing. Money well spent?
Running, I'm back in! Despite a sore throat last night I managed to peel myself out of bed in the morning for my usual 6 miler 'to Meadowbrook and back'. Around 75th and 40th there is a bus shelter and most mornings as I run past there an old crumpled up man with a flat cap yells out 'Good Morning'. Quite startling the first few times but now I look for the bent-over figure at the bus stop around 6am, did I say it's still dark at that time? Whenever he isn't there I have the awful thought that he must have died. Dramatic I know but he's old and it's dark.
He wasn't there this morning.
About 50 yards further on a loud voice yelled at me from the other side of the road 'Good morning'. After the fright wore off I realised it was crumply man, yelled a response and continued to lumber up the hill, happy that he's still okay.

The second toenail...

12 miles it was. All in daylight for a change. I left well after 7am and ran along the trail. Never carry water but rely on water fountains, Starbucks, PCC etc. Nice morning, cool, overcast, slight drizzle...you know I like this kind of weather. I took along a Strawberry Banana GU. I've owned several of these flavour for over a year now. They were free samples but I haven't dared to taste them yet. Didn't happen today either, maybe I need to just throw them out. It seems I'd rather starve (or run very very slowly) than taste the GU attempt at banana flavour. Legs were nicely rested, lungs clear...ribcage tired from all that coughing. A new discovery is the filing of the second toenail on each foot. The hilly Seafair half marathon 2006 left me with very bruised toenails (you may need to skip the next bit if squeamish). Both toenails eventually parted company with their respective toes. The grown back version has been thicker and easily bruised again. Last week after my 20 miler I finally took action and filed them down to the normal thickness of my other toenails. Not only do my feet look normal again but even after 12 miles the toes are not even slightly sensitive - genius!
Nice restful Saturday, maybe to Crystal tomorrow for a spot of Spring skiing.

Here goes!

I imagine that this will take some time. I'll start with the running. Silly me, built to walk and sit, decided to take up running to shed a few pounds (more would be better). Never really been overweight but not skinny either. So here I am just over two years later and half a dozen half marathons, two full marathons and a number of shorter races have been entered, run and completed. I start with all this because it is a surprise to myself each time I think about it. I am still 'not a runner' though I run almost every day. I am still built to sit or walk. I run rather slowly.
Had to start writing today since this week I haven't run at all. For the first time since I started up this whole craziness I have been hit by the local flu virus. There is light however, and tomorrow I return to the roads, early in the morning, to shuffle through a twelve miler. This is the test to see whether my lungs (and legs) are still up to it as I train for the second Eugene Marathon on the 4th May.