I was highly motivated after my Christmas brunch champagne consumption, and I knocked out my family's 2011 Happy New Year's card. In the evening, Cliff and I went over to a friend's house and saw some of my friends from high school and their significant others. It was great catching up with everyone... I hadn't seen some of those girls since high school. Plus Cliff and I were amazed at the jumbo shrimp (two thumbs up for the snack food).
The next day was full of eating and drinking. Cliff and I went to Rudy's (Mexican restaurant in Monrovia) with my parents. I got a gigantic (think Chipotle-sized) seafood burrito. After dinner, Cliff and I checked out the Wine Detective on Green/Lake. It was a pretty neat place. We each tried about three 1-ounce samples (about $3) and then we committed to a glass. They hooked us up with a little bit of free wine since we were the only ones there. We also tried some cheese, and the blue buffalo cheese was amazing. Before we racked up a huge tab, we switched locations and headed over to the Yard House on Colorado Blvd. We sat at the bar, and Cliff tried the super stout beer. I had a lemon drop martini and a pear cider and then insisted on ordering an appetizer (half-off) pizza. We had a great time, and it was fun to check out some different places.
Cliff and I attempted a trip to the Santa Anita Mall. My first stop was H&M, and I walked out with NOTHING. I think I'm more successful when my mom is there to tell me what to try on. I have a hard time finding flattering stuff in there. I tend to pick out horizontal stripes and big, poofy sleeves. In the evening we went to dinner with my dad at Di Pilla's on Valley in Rosemead. All three of us ordered the same thing (spinach fettuccine noodles with spinach, Italian sausage, garlic, and olive oil) and gorged on garlic bread. The food was delicious, but the services was pretty bad (but my parents said it's usually good, so I guess it was an off night). Cliff and I rented the Wall Street sequel at Blockbuster and had a lazy night.
Yesterday Cliff and I enjoyed brunch at Twohey's. We had an amazing Egg Beater omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese. We tried to stay out of the house so my mom could sleep (she worked the previous night), and we went to an early movie. We saw the Little Fockers, and it was surprisingly good and funny. In the evening we went to Applebee's to watch the OSU game, and my brother met us there for dinner and drinks.
I coughed all night and decided to go to urgent care today. So now I'm on antibiotics, and I'm hoping to fight off this congestion stuff before the New Years Eve and New Years Day festivities. I've been lounging around this afternoon, and I just inhaled a gigantic bean and cheese burrito from Pepe's. I am going to have to hit the diet and exercise HARD come January. These last two weeks have been full of gluttony.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas Festivities
On Christmas Eve we went to my Aunt Sally, Uncle Bob, and Cousin Christy's house and had Christmas Eve dinner with the extended family (on my Dad's side). It was fun to catch up with everyone, and dinner was scrumptious. I am seriously hooked on that Costco broccoli salad (with the cashews and raisins). My aunt made a yummy spinach salad, and we also had green beans, ham, tri-tip, homemade buns, and mashed potatoes. I had three helpings of the broccoli salad and three buns (carbs are obviously my weakness). I topped off the meal with some of my cousin's sugar cookies with chocolate and toffee chunks and my aunt's brownies. My uncle also made a really impressive four(?)-layer chocolate cake. And of course there was plenty of wine to wash everything down.
The Family Picture:
Cousin Evan, Brother Aaron, and I with Grandma Marion:
The Cousins (I put my frumpy cardigan on after I realized my shirt was see-through in the pics!):
Cliff arrived at noon on Christmas, so we enjoyed some wine and snacks in the afternoon and then had our traditional prime rib Christmas dinner. My mom does an amazing job. We enjoyed prime rib (cooked perfectly!), twice-baked potatoes, green jello, rolls, green beans, and Christmas cookies.
Family Photo Time:
The lovely ladies (my Grandma Esther stayed with us over Christmas):
We moved the regular Christmas morning activities to the 26th. It worked out well to have the champagne brunch and prime rib dinner on different days. Once again, my mom made a fantastic meal... egg casserole, creamed spinach, fruit salad, and bread (pumpkin & cranberry). There were even frozen fresh strawberries for our champagne. After brunch, we took a few more photos and opened presents.
Spousal Christmas Photo:
Another Family Christmas Portrait:
Christmas Gangsta':
The Family Picture:
Cousin Evan, Brother Aaron, and I with Grandma Marion:
The Cousins (I put my frumpy cardigan on after I realized my shirt was see-through in the pics!):
Cliff arrived at noon on Christmas, so we enjoyed some wine and snacks in the afternoon and then had our traditional prime rib Christmas dinner. My mom does an amazing job. We enjoyed prime rib (cooked perfectly!), twice-baked potatoes, green jello, rolls, green beans, and Christmas cookies.
Family Photo Time:
The lovely ladies (my Grandma Esther stayed with us over Christmas):
We moved the regular Christmas morning activities to the 26th. It worked out well to have the champagne brunch and prime rib dinner on different days. Once again, my mom made a fantastic meal... egg casserole, creamed spinach, fruit salad, and bread (pumpkin & cranberry). There were even frozen fresh strawberries for our champagne. After brunch, we took a few more photos and opened presents.
Spousal Christmas Photo:
Another Family Christmas Portrait:
Christmas Gangsta':
Week #3 (December 20 - 26)... Trying not to break my hip
Run #1 (Monday afternoon): 6.18 miles @ 9:24 (58:04); Downtown/Trinity Trail; Great negative split (out in 29:30-ish, back in 28:30-ish). Ran with a friend, and she wasn't feeling too swell, so we just kept it at an easy pace... pleasantly surprised by the 9:24 average.
Run #3 (Wednesday afternoon): 5 miles @ 8:46 (43:54); Lake Country; Great descend (9:10, 9:01, 8:54, 8:36, 8:12).
Run #4 (Saturday morning): 9.07 miles @ 9:14 (1:23:53); San Marino & San Gabriel; Fun, nostalgic run. Passed by my old elementary, junior high, and high schools and our old house. My right hip was still bothering me though.
Run #5 (Sunday morning): 4.30 miles @ 9:26 (40:38); San Gabriel, San Marino, & Alhambra; I started off super slow and got going after a mile or two. I just wanted to get a short run in before our family's champagne brunch. My hip was still bothering me, but I needed to burn some calories.
Total Weekly Mileage: 31.60 miles
Other Workouts:
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Stationary Bike 20 min
Weights & Abs 20 min
Total Workout Time for the Week: 6:01:58
Run #4 (Saturday morning): 9.07 miles @ 9:14 (1:23:53); San Marino & San Gabriel; Fun, nostalgic run. Passed by my old elementary, junior high, and high schools and our old house. My right hip was still bothering me though.
Run #5 (Sunday morning): 4.30 miles @ 9:26 (40:38); San Gabriel, San Marino, & Alhambra; I started off super slow and got going after a mile or two. I just wanted to get a short run in before our family's champagne brunch. My hip was still bothering me, but I needed to burn some calories.
Total Weekly Mileage: 31.60 miles
Other Workouts:
Elliptical Machine 30 min
Stationary Bike 20 min
Weights & Abs 20 min
Total Workout Time for the Week: 6:01:58
Friday, December 24, 2010
California Pre-Christmas Festivities
Cliff drove me to the airport on Wednesday and we stopped at Italianni's for dinner. They have a nice bar atmosphere there, and the happy hour prices are reasonable ($3.50 for the house red). I ordered the vegetable lasagna for dinner, and I was a little disappointed that it was set in a cream sauce. The vegetable lasagna at Zio's the previous night was better. My flight left at 8:00 pm, and I slept most of the way and tried to ignore my tummy ache. My dad picked me up at the airport, and I didn't get to bed until around midnight (2 am Texas time).
Thursday was full of activities. My mom and I went to PetCo to buy presents for Hank, Lucy, and GusGus. Then we grocery shopped at Trader Joe's, Howie's, and Howe's. After we dropped the groceries off, we headed to the Nordstrom Rack and I spent my $50 Groupon (my first Groupon purchase, and it was quite smooth!). I bought a pair of brown gladiator sandals and a Calvin Klein top. Then I went to TJ Max and bought some picture frames (for gifts) and a couple cheap tops for me, picked up some photos at CVS, and met a friend at Kathleen's for lunch. I hadn't seen her since high school (hooray for Facebook), and it was fun to catch up. I squeezed in a nap in the late afternoon before dinner. My brother and I went out to a club in Hollywood until about 1 am, so it was a pretty late night. We had a good time, and I got to see his new ride and his office. I slept in until 10:30 this morning and felt pretty decent. I hit the gym (24 Hour) for a little over an hour. I am trying to lay off the running for a few days and let my hip flexor heal, although it was still bothering me doing the elliptical, stationary bike, and arm weights. Boooo!
Now time to get ready for some Christmas festivities. Have a merry one!
Thursday was full of activities. My mom and I went to PetCo to buy presents for Hank, Lucy, and GusGus. Then we grocery shopped at Trader Joe's, Howie's, and Howe's. After we dropped the groceries off, we headed to the Nordstrom Rack and I spent my $50 Groupon (my first Groupon purchase, and it was quite smooth!). I bought a pair of brown gladiator sandals and a Calvin Klein top. Then I went to TJ Max and bought some picture frames (for gifts) and a couple cheap tops for me, picked up some photos at CVS, and met a friend at Kathleen's for lunch. I hadn't seen her since high school (hooray for Facebook), and it was fun to catch up. I squeezed in a nap in the late afternoon before dinner. My brother and I went out to a club in Hollywood until about 1 am, so it was a pretty late night. We had a good time, and I got to see his new ride and his office. I slept in until 10:30 this morning and felt pretty decent. I hit the gym (24 Hour) for a little over an hour. I am trying to lay off the running for a few days and let my hip flexor heal, although it was still bothering me doing the elliptical, stationary bike, and arm weights. Boooo!
Now time to get ready for some Christmas festivities. Have a merry one!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Beginning the 50-mile training plan (or lack thereof) - Weeks 1 & 2
So now I’m turning my attention to the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler on February 5. I don’t have a training plan in place, but my goal is to churn out some mileage and build on the Saturday and Sunday runs (12 miles each) that I did this weekend. I am injury prone, so I’d rather load the mileage on the weekend (2 days) versus one long run. I didn't write a training plan because I want some flexibility through the holidays. This was a great start though… 40 miles for the week with a 12-miler on Saturday and Sunday. Plus I traveled to Louisiana Tuesday-Thursday for work, so that threw a wrench in the normal routine.
It's been a bit of a struggle to maintain my weight since I'm back on the sauce, and this is the celebration (eating) season. Hopefully some high mileage will help offset the food and drink!
Week 2 (Monday, December 13 – Sunday, December 19):
Run #1 (Tuesday morning) – 7 miles @ 9:23/mile (1:05:43); Lake Country; I did the hilly Golf Club/Lake Country route and then an additional 3.5 miles around my neighborhood before I headed to the airport.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning) – 4 miles @ 10:00/mile (40:00); Treadmill; Holy hangover. I felt like crud in the morning after too much wine and a bad night of hotel sleep, but I sweated it out!
Run #3 (Friday morning) – 5 miles @ 9:35/mile (47:57); Lake Country; Easy run around the neighborhood. I felt a little sluggish, but I was glad I got it done.
Run #4 (Saturday afternoon) – 12 miles @ 9:21/mile (1:52:12); Trinity Trail (from 7th and Collier); Felt really good and wanted to keep going.
Run #5 (Sunday morning) – 12 miles @ 9:40/mile (1:56:01); Colonial/Overton Park/Foster Park/Trinity Trail; I was feeling a bit sluggish after Saturday’s run, but things got better as I knocked off the mileage.
Total weekly mileage: 40
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 17 minutes
Elliptical Machine 50 minutes
Stationary Bike 53 minutes
Walked Dogs 1.5 miles
Total weekly workout time: 8 hours, 22 minutes
Week 1 (Monday, December 6 – Sunday, December 12):
Run #1 (Thursday evening) – 1.75 miles @ 9:29/mile (16:36); Lake Country; This was just a test run to see how my post-marathon recovery was shaking up. My right foot was talking to me!
Run #2 (Saturday morning) – 6 miles @ 9:58/mile (59:48); Trinity Trail; This was an easy run with Stacy and her dogs. I just wanted to get some mileage in, and I felt pretty good considering I did Bikram yoga for 90 minutes before the run.
Run #3 (Sunday afternoon) – 4.25 miles @ 8:55/mile (37:54); Lake Country; I ran this at a good tempo (my body seems to be way more awake in the afternoon/evening) and hit my 1,000th mile for the year.
Total weekly miles: 12
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 37 minutes
Elliptical Machine 20 minutes
Walked Dogs 3 miles
Bikram Yoga 90 minutes
Total weekly workout time: 4 hours, 21 minutes
It's been a bit of a struggle to maintain my weight since I'm back on the sauce, and this is the celebration (eating) season. Hopefully some high mileage will help offset the food and drink!
Week 2 (Monday, December 13 – Sunday, December 19):
Run #1 (Tuesday morning) – 7 miles @ 9:23/mile (1:05:43); Lake Country; I did the hilly Golf Club/Lake Country route and then an additional 3.5 miles around my neighborhood before I headed to the airport.
Run #2 (Wednesday morning) – 4 miles @ 10:00/mile (40:00); Treadmill; Holy hangover. I felt like crud in the morning after too much wine and a bad night of hotel sleep, but I sweated it out!
Run #3 (Friday morning) – 5 miles @ 9:35/mile (47:57); Lake Country; Easy run around the neighborhood. I felt a little sluggish, but I was glad I got it done.
Run #4 (Saturday afternoon) – 12 miles @ 9:21/mile (1:52:12); Trinity Trail (from 7th and Collier); Felt really good and wanted to keep going.
Run #5 (Sunday morning) – 12 miles @ 9:40/mile (1:56:01); Colonial/Overton Park/Foster Park/Trinity Trail; I was feeling a bit sluggish after Saturday’s run, but things got better as I knocked off the mileage.
Total weekly mileage: 40
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 17 minutes
Elliptical Machine 50 minutes
Stationary Bike 53 minutes
Walked Dogs 1.5 miles
Total weekly workout time: 8 hours, 22 minutes
Week 1 (Monday, December 6 – Sunday, December 12):
Run #1 (Thursday evening) – 1.75 miles @ 9:29/mile (16:36); Lake Country; This was just a test run to see how my post-marathon recovery was shaking up. My right foot was talking to me!
Run #2 (Saturday morning) – 6 miles @ 9:58/mile (59:48); Trinity Trail; This was an easy run with Stacy and her dogs. I just wanted to get some mileage in, and I felt pretty good considering I did Bikram yoga for 90 minutes before the run.
Run #3 (Sunday afternoon) – 4.25 miles @ 8:55/mile (37:54); Lake Country; I ran this at a good tempo (my body seems to be way more awake in the afternoon/evening) and hit my 1,000th mile for the year.
Total weekly miles: 12
Other Workouts:
Weights & Abs 37 minutes
Elliptical Machine 20 minutes
Walked Dogs 3 miles
Bikram Yoga 90 minutes
Total weekly workout time: 4 hours, 21 minutes
Monday, December 13, 2010
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
There is no sign of Christmas in our house... no Christmas tree, no lights, no presents. But I did get mighty festive with the Christmas cards this year. We did a family picture (with four humans and three dogs) on Saturday. My friend Stacy had the photography duties, and I reciprocated for her on Sunday. Fortunately the dogs were pretty good (once we chased down the Bassets). GusGus is such a ham.
I also wrote a newsletter for the first time.
Christmas cards are turning out to be an expensive endeavor. I addressed nearly 100 envelopes last night, and I have about 40 to go. I still need to buy stamps and make color copies of the newsletter. I'm hoping to mail everything tomorrow morning before I head to Louisiana for work. It takes a lot of effort to be so domestic!
I also wrote a newsletter for the first time.
Christmas cards are turning out to be an expensive endeavor. I addressed nearly 100 envelopes last night, and I have about 40 to go. I still need to buy stamps and make color copies of the newsletter. I'm hoping to mail everything tomorrow morning before I head to Louisiana for work. It takes a lot of effort to be so domestic!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Four Things Friday
1. I'm happy to be back from Vegas, and I had enough second-hand smoke to last me a lifetime. We agreed that our next Vegas trip will be shorter (maybe 3 nights instead of 5). Now I'm back to the normal schedule of working (teleworking today... woohoo) and squeezing in some workouts.
2. I felt like I have recovered well from the marathon. Yesterday I did 35 minutes of weights and 20 minutes on the elliptical during my lunch break. The weight workout included a few minutes on the "treadwall" (a climbing wall that revolves like a treadmill), and my right quad started talking to me. I tried a short run after work. I only did a 1.75-mile loop around the neighborhood, and the bottom of my right foot had a tingling pain. That was pretty odd since usually the top (not the bottom of my foot) bothers me. I have an appointment with Dr. Brian today, so hopefully that will work out the kinks!
3. We had a nice evening out yesterday. We got all gussied (GusGus likes when I use that term) up and went to dinner at O I I Sushi in our neck of the woods and then went to a Christmas party with some friends. I pretty much ate two dinners. I wasn't expecting to eat at the party, but the food was sooooo yummy. Whoever thought to put blue cheese in a biscuit... friggin genius. The red wine and I were a little too chummy, but tis the season.
Spousal Photo:
Stacy and I:
Stacy, Shawna, and I:
4. I'm looking forward to taking a family photo for the Christmas card on Saturday. I think a friend (Stacy) and I are going to swap photography duties, and I will go over to her place on Sunday. Cliff's son/my bonus son (Jordan) is coming in town today, so we will have all four humans and three dogs... wow, that is 20 legs!
2. I felt like I have recovered well from the marathon. Yesterday I did 35 minutes of weights and 20 minutes on the elliptical during my lunch break. The weight workout included a few minutes on the "treadwall" (a climbing wall that revolves like a treadmill), and my right quad started talking to me. I tried a short run after work. I only did a 1.75-mile loop around the neighborhood, and the bottom of my right foot had a tingling pain. That was pretty odd since usually the top (not the bottom of my foot) bothers me. I have an appointment with Dr. Brian today, so hopefully that will work out the kinks!
3. We had a nice evening out yesterday. We got all gussied (GusGus likes when I use that term) up and went to dinner at O I I Sushi in our neck of the woods and then went to a Christmas party with some friends. I pretty much ate two dinners. I wasn't expecting to eat at the party, but the food was sooooo yummy. Whoever thought to put blue cheese in a biscuit... friggin genius. The red wine and I were a little too chummy, but tis the season.
Spousal Photo:
Stacy and I:
Stacy, Shawna, and I:
4. I'm looking forward to taking a family photo for the Christmas card on Saturday. I think a friend (Stacy) and I are going to swap photography duties, and I will go over to her place on Sunday. Cliff's son/my bonus son (Jordan) is coming in town today, so we will have all four humans and three dogs... wow, that is 20 legs!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Las Vegas Marathon Race Report
Leading up to the big day...
Cliff and I flew from DFW to Las Vegas on Friday after work. Everything went smoothly, and we were glad we paid the extra $24 (round-trip total) for the CLS shuttle to and from the airport. We checked in (Fitzgerald's Downtown) and then decided to try the $5.99 prime rib special at the Golden Spike. It was risky putting my life in jeopardy for a $6 dinner, but it made for interesting people watching (including a homeless man at the restaurant counter who tried to pull down his pants to go to the bathroom and a person at the bar who literally fell off the stool unconscious). Saturday was packet pickup, so we took the bus to the Venetian. I didn't buy anything at the expo, but it was fun to look around and try a few free samples. We had a buy one/get one lunch at Four Queens (I tried to stick with something fairly light - a salad, teriyaki chicken, rice, and veggies), and we watched some of the football games and played some blackjack. My shin had been bothering me since Wednesday (when I wore boots to work and did too much walking). I did a good job icing my leg (even at the hotel), and I tried to stay off it as much as I could. It's really hard not to walk around in Vegas though! For dinner we went to Main Street Station. Cliff feasted on the prime rib, and I had a weird mix (pasta, pizza, chow mein, Mexican lasagna, etc.) of carbs. I was proud of myself for making it through two nights in Vegas without drinking, but it was pretty easy to do with my goal in mind (and 5 weeks of sobriety, which gave me plenty of momentum).
Race day...
I got a pretty good night's sleep (I just tried to ignore all of the crazy noise on Freemont) and woke up at 4:30 am, shortly before the alarm went off. I took a hot shower to loosen up a bit, and I ate a banana and a wheat bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. At around 5:30, we walked outside to find a cab. When we did the marathon in 2007, it was much easier logistically because we stayed at the Excalibur, which was a walk away from the Mandalay Bay start line. We figured a cab wouldn't be a big deal, but the cab driver was totally stressing us out about the street closures (even though I had the directions from the race director with me). He did a fairly good job though, and we got to the Mandalay Bay a little after 6 am. It was a perfect amount of time to relax a bit, potty a few times, and get to my coral without too much down time.
I decided on Saturday that I would try running with the 3:50 pace group. I was very confident with my training, and I felt like if I had a fantastic day, 3:50 was within reach. Looking back on it, I wish I had paced with the 4:00 group (or maybe the 3:55 group, if there was one). Just like in 2007, I went out too fast. Of course it felt comfortable and maintable at the time, but I was hurting around mile 11. I really hope I learn my lesson one of these days and try to start conservatively and maybe even negative split to reduce the "I might vomit all over myself" feeling to maybe the last 6 miles instead of the last 15 miles. I am proud of myself for going after a lofty goal and also trying the pace group for the first time. It was fun, and I would love to try running with a 3:55 or 4:00 group in my next marathon. The downside of the pacer was that he ran like the Energizer Bunny through the water stops, and it took a lot of my energy to catch up. I never walked either, but I was slowed down by the congestion/traffic. So here are my splits, and they pretty much tell the story of my race:
Mile 1 - 8:44
Mile 2 - 8:48
Mile 3 - 8:38
Mile 4 - 8:35
Mile 5 - 8:40
Mile 6 - 8:33
Mile 7 - 8:37
Mile 8 - 8:39
Mile 9 - 8:45
Mile 10 - 8:52
Mile 11 - 8:52
Mile 12 - 8:42
Mile 13 - 9:19
Mile 14 - 9:34
Mile 15 - 9:08
Mile 16 - 9:10
Mile 17 - 9:45
Mile 18 - 9:04
Mile 19 - 9:24
Mile 20 - 9:38
Mile 21 - 9:48
Mile 22 - 9:33
Mile 23 - 10:39
Mile 24 - 10:49
Mile 25 - 9:51
Mile 26 - 9:37
Last 0.42 (Garmin) - 4:03 (9:36 pace)
Garmin Total - 26.42 miles, 4:03:56, 9:14/mile pace
Actual results:
Chip Time: 4:03:54
Overall Place: 1616/5106
Division Place: 77/358
Gender Place: 431/2146
My take on my results...
Of course I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, including some pretty low low-points, during the 26.2 miles. My main goal was to break 4 hours. By going after my "in the back of my mind but not talking about it much" goal of 3:50, it hurt my chances of breaking 4 hours. But if I had run with the 4:00 pace group and broken the 4-hour mark, I might have regretted not trying the 3:50 pace group. I am very happy that I beat my previous best time of 4:16:58 by 13 minutes. I am grateful that my shin held up and that I have recovered well. Since only a few days have past and I'm already excited about training again, I consider that a success. My mind is in a great place right now. I am looking forward to building on my hard work and achieving some exciting goals in 2011. I have my first "ultra," the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler, in early February. I also want to find a spring marathon where I can go after a sub-4 performance.
A little more personal...
I gave up drinking for about 5 weeks leading up to the race. I also replaced my normal desserts (about 150-200 calories) with sugar-free popsicles. I realized that giving up drinking wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I'm not sure how much it contributed to my weight loss (since I was running, eating healthy, etc.), but I know it definitely helped. I want to continue working on this goal of drinking less and enjoy social functions without feeling the need to drink. I was very pleased with my weight loss. I got down to 146 pounds before the marathon, which is just one pound over my ideal body weight of 145 (since I'm 5'9"). I got down to 150 before our wedding in Mexico, and I hadn't seen 14X on the scale in over a decade. I've gotten a few comments about being "too skinny," but I shrug those off. I was 135 when I was in top swimming shape, and I know I have some fluff to spare. I think 140 would be an optimal distance running weight for me... that would give me 5 pounds extra for leg muscle (because my legs were little twigs when I was swimming). I would like to get to a point where I can maintain a healthy weight and not stress out about it... but is that even possible for a female? I hope so.
Race nutrition:
I ate an expresso Gu at mile 5, a chocolate Gu at mile 10, a strawberry banana gel at mile 15, and a strawberry banana gel at mile 20. I mostly drank water at the aid stations, with the occasional Cytomax. I was a little annoyed at the sponsorship stuff. There were tables and tables of Cytomax before the water at every aid station. I felt like I was stuck in a Cytomax commercial. I think my nutrition was pretty good though. I still need to try training (and racing) with salt tablets. I had a ton of salt on my forehead after the race, and it was pretty warm out there (considering we were running in the desert in December). I didn't have to go to the bathroom at all, and my tummy cooperated. I took two of my anti-acid prescription pills before the race (like I experimented with for my last 20-mile training run), and I think that helps. This was the first time running with the spi belt, and it worked very well. It held all four gel packets and my chapstick, and it was pretty easy to open and close. It jostled during the first 100 feet or so until I got it positioned correctly (glad it cooperated since I didn't experiment with it during training).
Some other random race observations:
The first half of the course was amazing... nearly all on the Strip. I was surprised that we ran the first 12-13 miles with the half marathon runners, because they split off earlier in 2007 (and the course was way different... we went out on the strip and came back down the back alley of the strip). The second half of this race was pretty horrible. I'm not very familiar with Las Vegas streets/geography, but I think we spent a long time on Hacienda. I was anticipating the rolling hills. You can tell from my splits that miles 13 and 14 were uphill, 15 and 16 were relatively flat (we went down a different street), 17 was uphill, and 18-20 were downhill. It perked up my spirits towards mile 20, but miles 23 and 24 were my low point. Around mile 20 I still thought I could break 4:00, but then I started seeing 11:xx on my Garmin. The scenery was horrible. We were in some sort of commercial area near the highway, and I felt like we kept looping around different streets. I turned it around on mile 25 though and was back under 10:00 pace. I really did give it everything I had though. When I saw Cliff around mile 26, the finish line couldn't come soon enough. I don't think I could have gone much futher. I know a lot of that had to do with going out so fast.
My cheerleader...
My husband was a fantastic supporter, and we had a great vacation together. He took care of me on race day, and it was wonderful to see him cheering me on when I felt like death. I hope we can run the half marathon together in the near future and renew our vows (dressed up as Elvis, of coursee).
Cliff and I flew from DFW to Las Vegas on Friday after work. Everything went smoothly, and we were glad we paid the extra $24 (round-trip total) for the CLS shuttle to and from the airport. We checked in (Fitzgerald's Downtown) and then decided to try the $5.99 prime rib special at the Golden Spike. It was risky putting my life in jeopardy for a $6 dinner, but it made for interesting people watching (including a homeless man at the restaurant counter who tried to pull down his pants to go to the bathroom and a person at the bar who literally fell off the stool unconscious). Saturday was packet pickup, so we took the bus to the Venetian. I didn't buy anything at the expo, but it was fun to look around and try a few free samples. We had a buy one/get one lunch at Four Queens (I tried to stick with something fairly light - a salad, teriyaki chicken, rice, and veggies), and we watched some of the football games and played some blackjack. My shin had been bothering me since Wednesday (when I wore boots to work and did too much walking). I did a good job icing my leg (even at the hotel), and I tried to stay off it as much as I could. It's really hard not to walk around in Vegas though! For dinner we went to Main Street Station. Cliff feasted on the prime rib, and I had a weird mix (pasta, pizza, chow mein, Mexican lasagna, etc.) of carbs. I was proud of myself for making it through two nights in Vegas without drinking, but it was pretty easy to do with my goal in mind (and 5 weeks of sobriety, which gave me plenty of momentum).
Race day...
I got a pretty good night's sleep (I just tried to ignore all of the crazy noise on Freemont) and woke up at 4:30 am, shortly before the alarm went off. I took a hot shower to loosen up a bit, and I ate a banana and a wheat bagel with peanut butter for breakfast. At around 5:30, we walked outside to find a cab. When we did the marathon in 2007, it was much easier logistically because we stayed at the Excalibur, which was a walk away from the Mandalay Bay start line. We figured a cab wouldn't be a big deal, but the cab driver was totally stressing us out about the street closures (even though I had the directions from the race director with me). He did a fairly good job though, and we got to the Mandalay Bay a little after 6 am. It was a perfect amount of time to relax a bit, potty a few times, and get to my coral without too much down time.
I decided on Saturday that I would try running with the 3:50 pace group. I was very confident with my training, and I felt like if I had a fantastic day, 3:50 was within reach. Looking back on it, I wish I had paced with the 4:00 group (or maybe the 3:55 group, if there was one). Just like in 2007, I went out too fast. Of course it felt comfortable and maintable at the time, but I was hurting around mile 11. I really hope I learn my lesson one of these days and try to start conservatively and maybe even negative split to reduce the "I might vomit all over myself" feeling to maybe the last 6 miles instead of the last 15 miles. I am proud of myself for going after a lofty goal and also trying the pace group for the first time. It was fun, and I would love to try running with a 3:55 or 4:00 group in my next marathon. The downside of the pacer was that he ran like the Energizer Bunny through the water stops, and it took a lot of my energy to catch up. I never walked either, but I was slowed down by the congestion/traffic. So here are my splits, and they pretty much tell the story of my race:
Mile 1 - 8:44
Mile 2 - 8:48
Mile 3 - 8:38
Mile 4 - 8:35
Mile 5 - 8:40
Mile 6 - 8:33
Mile 7 - 8:37
Mile 8 - 8:39
Mile 9 - 8:45
Mile 10 - 8:52
Mile 11 - 8:52
Mile 12 - 8:42
Mile 13 - 9:19
Mile 14 - 9:34
Mile 15 - 9:08
Mile 16 - 9:10
Mile 17 - 9:45
Mile 18 - 9:04
Mile 19 - 9:24
Mile 20 - 9:38
Mile 21 - 9:48
Mile 22 - 9:33
Mile 23 - 10:39
Mile 24 - 10:49
Mile 25 - 9:51
Mile 26 - 9:37
Last 0.42 (Garmin) - 4:03 (9:36 pace)
Garmin Total - 26.42 miles, 4:03:56, 9:14/mile pace
Actual results:
Chip Time: 4:03:54
Overall Place: 1616/5106
Division Place: 77/358
Gender Place: 431/2146
My take on my results...
Of course I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, including some pretty low low-points, during the 26.2 miles. My main goal was to break 4 hours. By going after my "in the back of my mind but not talking about it much" goal of 3:50, it hurt my chances of breaking 4 hours. But if I had run with the 4:00 pace group and broken the 4-hour mark, I might have regretted not trying the 3:50 pace group. I am very happy that I beat my previous best time of 4:16:58 by 13 minutes. I am grateful that my shin held up and that I have recovered well. Since only a few days have past and I'm already excited about training again, I consider that a success. My mind is in a great place right now. I am looking forward to building on my hard work and achieving some exciting goals in 2011. I have my first "ultra," the Rocky Raccoon 50-miler, in early February. I also want to find a spring marathon where I can go after a sub-4 performance.
A little more personal...
I gave up drinking for about 5 weeks leading up to the race. I also replaced my normal desserts (about 150-200 calories) with sugar-free popsicles. I realized that giving up drinking wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I'm not sure how much it contributed to my weight loss (since I was running, eating healthy, etc.), but I know it definitely helped. I want to continue working on this goal of drinking less and enjoy social functions without feeling the need to drink. I was very pleased with my weight loss. I got down to 146 pounds before the marathon, which is just one pound over my ideal body weight of 145 (since I'm 5'9"). I got down to 150 before our wedding in Mexico, and I hadn't seen 14X on the scale in over a decade. I've gotten a few comments about being "too skinny," but I shrug those off. I was 135 when I was in top swimming shape, and I know I have some fluff to spare. I think 140 would be an optimal distance running weight for me... that would give me 5 pounds extra for leg muscle (because my legs were little twigs when I was swimming). I would like to get to a point where I can maintain a healthy weight and not stress out about it... but is that even possible for a female? I hope so.
Race nutrition:
I ate an expresso Gu at mile 5, a chocolate Gu at mile 10, a strawberry banana gel at mile 15, and a strawberry banana gel at mile 20. I mostly drank water at the aid stations, with the occasional Cytomax. I was a little annoyed at the sponsorship stuff. There were tables and tables of Cytomax before the water at every aid station. I felt like I was stuck in a Cytomax commercial. I think my nutrition was pretty good though. I still need to try training (and racing) with salt tablets. I had a ton of salt on my forehead after the race, and it was pretty warm out there (considering we were running in the desert in December). I didn't have to go to the bathroom at all, and my tummy cooperated. I took two of my anti-acid prescription pills before the race (like I experimented with for my last 20-mile training run), and I think that helps. This was the first time running with the spi belt, and it worked very well. It held all four gel packets and my chapstick, and it was pretty easy to open and close. It jostled during the first 100 feet or so until I got it positioned correctly (glad it cooperated since I didn't experiment with it during training).
Some other random race observations:
The first half of the course was amazing... nearly all on the Strip. I was surprised that we ran the first 12-13 miles with the half marathon runners, because they split off earlier in 2007 (and the course was way different... we went out on the strip and came back down the back alley of the strip). The second half of this race was pretty horrible. I'm not very familiar with Las Vegas streets/geography, but I think we spent a long time on Hacienda. I was anticipating the rolling hills. You can tell from my splits that miles 13 and 14 were uphill, 15 and 16 were relatively flat (we went down a different street), 17 was uphill, and 18-20 were downhill. It perked up my spirits towards mile 20, but miles 23 and 24 were my low point. Around mile 20 I still thought I could break 4:00, but then I started seeing 11:xx on my Garmin. The scenery was horrible. We were in some sort of commercial area near the highway, and I felt like we kept looping around different streets. I turned it around on mile 25 though and was back under 10:00 pace. I really did give it everything I had though. When I saw Cliff around mile 26, the finish line couldn't come soon enough. I don't think I could have gone much futher. I know a lot of that had to do with going out so fast.
My cheerleader...
My husband was a fantastic supporter, and we had a great vacation together. He took care of me on race day, and it was wonderful to see him cheering me on when I felt like death. I hope we can run the half marathon together in the near future and renew our vows (dressed up as Elvis, of coursee).
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