11 Memories in 2011

1. The Rose Parade
The Rose Parade is ten times better when your school is playing in the game!  Also, it is way more convenient when you have a brother who lives about a block from the parade route.

2. The Rose Bowl
TCU wins the Rose Bowl in dramatic fashion.   Go, Frogs!

3. New Job

The most suitable picture for this is my dogs making me feel super guilty for giving up telework.

4. Marathon Maniac

I become a Marathon Maniac after running the Cowtown 50K (31 miles), Ardmore Marathon, and Oklahoma City Marathon.  I definitely deserved the "Maniac" title after being hailed on during the OKC Marathon.  This feat resulted in a bit of marathon burnout (and subsequent weight gain).

5. Weddings

I made two separate trips to California for weddings (Cousin Dana's in April and Cousin Holly's in May).  It was fun to visit with family that I hadn't seen in ages and see my cousins rock the wedding dress.  My date to Dana and Jason's wedding:

6. Anniversary

Before Holly and Ryan's wedding, Cliff and I celebrated our anniversary in Santa Barbara.  It was an amazing time (and kudos to me for planning such a memorable trip).

7. Vacation Station

Our big vacation of the year was a trip to the El Dorado Seaside (Playa del Carmen) this summer.  It completed the El Dorado trifecta.  The highlight of the trip was our private dining room (and maybe the fried ice cream too!). 

8. Belated Birthday

I had a belated birthday party with some of my friends at the Gaylord Resort/Glass Cactus.  The big Three-Ohhhhhh.

9. Familia en Tejas

My parents came to visit over Labor Day Weekend, and my brother was here over Veteran's Day Weekend.  I'm glad they made it out here to meet their grandson/nephew Hank before he passed away rather unexpectedly in December.  GusGus gets TREATS?!?!

10. Susan G Komen 3-Day Walk

I wasn't sure what to think about this when I signed up, but it turned out to be an amazing experience.  So amazing that we're going to do it again in 2012.  Hooray for spending time with old friends and meeting new friends.

11. Christmas in California

It was a very much-needed break... not working, running in the beautiful weather, and spending time with family and friends.  My mom makes a better Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner than your mom.

Merry Christmas Eve from California!

It's been a great trip so far... a nice break from work while spending time with my family and friends and enjoying this perfect weather.  I flew in on Wednesday night after a super hectic day at work.  I treated myself to a Bloody Mary at the airport, and the bartender was very generous with the pour and I was asleep before the plane even took off.  My dad picked me up at the airport, and my mom made dinner (salmon, broccoli, and rice). 

I got Thursday off to a good start with a 6.15-mile run around the neighborhood in perfect weather (50s and sunny).  Then my mom and I did some grocery shopping and went to TJ Max.  I got some picture frames for Christmas presents, and I also bought a Columbia sweatshirt (which I pretty much haven't taken off) and a Columbia neon green lightweight jacket.  Those two purchases were only $45... what a steal!  My mom made us a yummy turkey and avocado sandwich for lunch, and I had a nice 3-hour slumber to prepare for a night out with my brother (he didn't pick me up until 10:15, so I knew it would be a late night).  I had a glass of wine with my parents and my mom made a pasta casserole dish for dinner.  I puttered around for a few hours (and even made my family's New Years card) until my brother arrived.  We went out to a club in Hollywood.  We parked at his garage at work and he told me it would be a 5-block walk.  In brother speak, this translated into about 3/4 of a mile in a hoochy dress and sandals when it was rather chilly outside!  We had a good time though, and the walk back was much better with some alcohol in me.  I was going to post a picture or too, but it's probably best that they just hibernate in my Canon. 

I didn't get home until 3:45 (yikes, 5:45 Texas time!) and my dad was leaving for work.  I only slept about 4 hours, and then my mom and I went to PetCo (I love their treat bar!) and Trader Joe's.  I met some high school friends at Corner Bakery for lunch, and then I tried to take a nap but I think my body was all out of whack from the time change, the naps, and the late night/morning out.  Last night we went to Rudy's in Monrovia for dinner (fish tacos).  I wasn't even in the mood for a margarita (weird, I know).  After dinner, we walked around the farmer's market/street fair and my mom and I each bought a bracelet.

Now I'm chillin' in my gym clothes (that translates into "I'm really playing Zuma Blitz on Facebook and drinking coffee") and trying to motivate myself to workout, either a run or the gym, before we head out to spend Christmas Eve with the extended family.  Merry Christmas Eve!

Christmas Makes Me Phat.

It's been just over a week since Hanky Panky passed.  We have been trying to spoil GusGus and Lucy with plenty of walks (over 10 miles so far!), and even a trip to see "Santa Claws" (where GusGus inevitably pooped in poor Santa's lap and Lucy shook uncontrollably).

The dogs are doing pretty well, except Lucy stares out the front window, which she never used to do.  One of my co-workers bought me a nice stone for outside that says "My Beloved Pet."  I put that in the backyard near the swing, which was one of Hank's favorite spots. 

This week has been full of food, and my tummy is yelling at me to stop.  On Tuesday we did our work Christmas lunch at the Omni buffet, where I ate a salad, the main course with a separate plate for Salmon Wellington, and two desserts (bread pudding and some kind of frosted cake).  Then I went back for short ribs and scalloped potatoes, which I totally didn't need.  It was super yummy though.  On Wednesday night, we went to a Betsy and James's annual Christmas party.  Pesto mashed potatoes and sharing two plates of cheesecake and chocolate cake?  Yes, please. 

My friend Melissa (who lives in Tulsa) visited this weekend.  We went out to dinner (the Italian restaurant up the road) with Cliff and Leslie and had a drink at the Eagle's Nest (and watched all of the drunk elderly folk cut a rug on the dance floor).  On Saturday we treated ourselves to a pedi, had a late lunch at Boo Ray's, and then drove to Addison for dinner and a comedy show.  I took one for the team when the waiter spilled iced tea on my pants and shoe, and we ended up with a free appetizer, free dessert, and free round of drinks.  I'm assuming the skinny margaritas were more than offset by the Spicy Fritos Burger that I ordered.  After dinner we went to the Improv in Addison to see Loni Love (from Chelsea Lately).  It was a really good show.  I didn't know what to think going into it (since I read Chelsea's books but don't watch her show, so I had no idea who Loni Love was).  We were seated in the front row at a table with a lesbian couple, and Loni Love made a joke about our table being the lesbian table. 

Today Melissa and I went to lunch with our friend Jamie, and I tried to tackle a burrito that I totally didn't need.  I really need to workout, but all I want to do is sleep.  I have less than 30 miles to run to hit 1,000 miles for the year, so I need to hop to it.    

In Memory of Hank Willingham

Dear Hanky,
It was October 20, 2010, and I had a crazy morning at work.  I was out for a jog on the Trinity Trail during my lunch break when I saw you and your sister.  When I passed you again on my way back, I knew I couldn’t leave you.  We treated your worms and fleas, got you neutered, and put some weight back on your skinny frame.  Fortunately when I tried to find you and your sister a forever home, Dad agreed you had already found one. 

I will always wonder where you came from and how someone could mistreat you.  When you first moved in, you were afraid to come into our house from the backyard.  You would inch closer to the back door, but you were afraid to cross the threshold.  You would run off into the patio or outside when we had a guest (especially a man!), and you were so quick to flinch because you thought you might get hurt.  As Grandpa told me, “I hope there’s a special place in Hell for the person who mistreated Hank and Lucy.”

I wish I knew how bad you were hurting when you first cried to me the night before Thanksgiving.  Could we have done anything differently to get you through this?  Were you just sick of fighting it?  Did you feel abandoned at the hospital?  Most of all, I wish Dad and I could have been there at the end to rub your belly, look into your big, droopy eyes, and kiss you goodbye.

It’s hard seeing the reminders – three dog beds, three bowls, and, the toughest of all, Lucy.  I know how much you loved your sister, and it breaks my heart to know I’ll never get to see you two walk side by side again.  GusGus, Dad, and I will take extra good care of your sister.  There will be plenty of walks, petting, snuggles, and treats (and maybe an occasional squirrel or rat).

We will always remember you and your funny quirks.  The way you would sneak your nose under our arm and lift up, to remind us to pet you.  The way you would roll over on your back wanting belly rubs.  Your shit-eating grin (literally)… now GusGus is wondering why is poop is no longer good enough to eat.  How you loved to go for walks (just like your brother and sister) and how you would trip on your own feet (just like your mom).  How you would jump up and down, in all your awkward glory, when it was time to eat.  Most of all, we will remember how much love you brought into our home and we will value the year we had with you.  Hopefully the time with us more than made up for whatever you endured prior to becoming a Willingham. 

October 20, 2010: Finding You and Lucy on the Trinity Trails

You and Lucy staying at Aunt Shawna's for a few days

You were still hesistant about coming into the house!  One of my favorite photos.

Losing some of your manhood and temporarily gaining a cone.

Quickly learning how comfortable the couch was!

It was a lesson you never forgot.

Bedtime in the patio (not nearly as comfortable as the couch)

Snow day!  (I think this was way more fun for me than it was for you!)

You had the best Basset features...

You weren't a swimmer like your brother, but you were a cute spectator!

And you loved getting your tan on...

Your first Willingham Christmas

And your last :(

We miss you and we love you.  Rest in peace, Hanky Panky.

Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot 10K

It was a semi last minute decision... Stacy and I decided to run the 10K this year "for fun."  I was thinking I could average about a 9-minute pace, but I came to terms with my fluffiness and my wee bit of out-of-shapeness when I hit about the 5K mark. 

Splits: 9:39, 8:51, 8:59, 9:28, 9:21, 9:52, 2:46 (9:04 pace on the 0.3)
Total Time: 58:59 (9:21 average for 6.3 miles)

Age Group: 60/109
Gender: 247/508
Overall: 674/1097

We didn't realize just how many people did the 10K.  It was super congested at the beginning and remained fairly congested throughout the race.  We started in the middle or back, so we did a lot of runner dodging the first few miles.  I wanted to push it, but I think sub-9 pace was a little too fast for me.  Those hills took me by surprise!  It was a good challenge (especially before stuffing my face), and it was fun to see a lot of friends out there on the course. 

My Very First "WOD"

My friend Shawna opened up her own Cross Fit gym... check out Shag Fitness!  So on Saturday morning, I attended my very first "Workout of the Day" (WOD).  It was pretty short - about 5 minutes of warm-up and warm-down, and the main set was 20:30 (timed). 

Warm up:
3 rounds of Tabata (20 seconds on 10 seconds off) – Squat- Push-ups- Tuck Jumps

PARTNER- WOD:
30 Deadlifts
15 Burpees*
30 Box Jumps
15 Burpees*
30 Thrusters
15 Burpees*
30 KBS
15 Burpees*
30 SDHP (sumo deadlift high pull)
15 Burpees*
*The original workout was 20, but I had a modification to 15. 

It was a good feeling to push myself so hard (compared to going through the motions when I do a run or the elliptical machine).  I am excited to add this to my normal routine and get stronger.  I woke up this morning, and my legs felt like they had run a marathon yesterday! 

And not to brag or anything, but there is a "Nasty Girl" workout named after me (which I assume means I'll have to do it at some point haha):
Nicole

• 400m Run
• Max Rep Pull Ups
• As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 Minutes – Note the pull ups completed in each round.

Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk

Stacy and I headed to Plano on Thursday evening and made a dinner pit stop at BJ's for some yummy salad, pizza, and wine.  We stayed at the Best Western with some of our teammates so we could take the shuttle to the starting line in the morning.  After we scarfed down some continental breakfast, the shuttle left around 6 am.  There was A LOT of estrogen surrounding us... lots of "woohoos," squeals, etc.  But there was excitement in the air, and we were ready to get the walk started.  It was a very cold morning.  I was pretty under dressed since I didn't want to hold on to a lot of layers once the sun came out.

The opening ceremonies were pretty neat.  The lady from Susan G Komen sounds like a preacher (in a cool, inspiring kind of way).  We were standing towards the front, but somehow we were some of the last people out of the gate.  We hit the first pit stop and I grabbed a couple snacks, and that foreshadowed the gorge fest that was about to follow!  We all ate way too much the first day since we were pretty bored and the food was free.  My favorite was these graham cracker sandwiches - 2 graham crackers with PB&J in the middle.  Nom nom nom.  We didn't realize that the "60 mile walk" was actually 17 miles on Day 1, 21.3 miles on Day 2, and 15.2 miles on Day 3.  So that was a nice little surprise (but don't tell anyone).  The walk took a very long time.  I wasn't expecting the amount of congestion from walking on the sidewalk and stopping at the lights.  Plus we took long breaks at the pit stops and at lunch.  We started around 8:30 am and got done at 4:30 pm.  I ended up walking with my two BFFs (Stacy and Shawna), and two of Shawna's friends (Sarah and Elizabeth) that I hadn't met before.  The five of us had an amazing time together, and I made two new (and super!) friends. 

After the walk, we pitched our tents (fortunately our neighbor was a pro, and she helped us out), showered in the trailers, and ate some dinner (which was surprisingly tasty).  I didn't need the huge piece of carrot cake that I shoved in my pie hole, but yummmmmmm.  After dinner we walked over to the Doubletree across the street and had some much needed drinks and relaxation.  We may or may not have passed a bottle of Bailey's around our circle of 5 girls sitting inside a tent designed for 2 people.

We made the decision on Friday night that we would stay at the Doubletree the next night.  I made the mistake of not bringing an air matress, and I didn't sleep well the first night.  Plus my tummy was so upset with me after consuming mass quantities of processed food.  We got up on Saturday morning and intended on getting to the starting line early, but we ended up standing in line and not starting until about 8:30 am.  This was our big day (21.3 miles), so we tried to take shorter breaks so we wouldn't get done super late.  We finished around 5:30 pm. 

It was a long day, but we were over the hump and we had a nice night at the Doubletree to look forward to.  We ordered takeout food - pizza and a salad - and watched some college football at the bar.  It was so much nicer to sleep in a bed... glorious, glorious bed.  On the third day we took a shuttle to Ursaline Academy and walked to Fair Park.  We were on one of the first shuttles, and it made a HUGE difference starting early.  We breezed through the miles.  We treated ourselves to lunch at the House of Blues... we couldn't stomach another Panera sandwich, and we were ready to celebrate. 

We had about 4 or 5 miles to go after that.  We made another unofficial pit stop at a bar about a mile from the finish line for a celebratory pink shot.  So we were feeling no pain at the finish line. 

Somehow Shawna ended up getting interviewed by the CBS News (it was on TV that night at 10:30 pm) and we all jumped in.

Check it out!
http://video.ak.fbcdn.net/cfs-ak-ash4/341546/228/10150436459601639_43521.mp4?oh=e69d9b8a3a8003348e3d
Some of our friends met up with us at the finish line and we had a champagne celebration in the parking lot while we waited for the closing ceremonies to start.  The closing ceremonies was the most emotional part of the weekend.  Maybe that's because we had walked (nearly) 60 miles and we hadn't slept much ;)  They did a great job honoring the survivors.  The Ta Ta Girls got together for one more team photo.

I went into this not knowing what to expect.  Walking with Stacy, Shawna, Elizabeth, and Sarah made the weekend so incredible.  We thought about ways to make this better next year, and it sounds like we will be repeat walkers!

A few lessons learned:
-It's totally worth it to stay in a hotel.  I know camping is "part of the experience," but I'm all about being comfortable and having a good night's sleep.  It was only $89 at the Doubletree... such a steal (especially with 5 of us in the room!).
-Get to the front of the starting line or it's a L-O-N-G day!
-Don't continuously stuff your face.  Try to take breaks between the stuffing, just so it's not continuous ;)
-Find awesome girls to walk with.  This made the walk infinitely better!
-Have some awesome flair.  I looked pretty lame in comparison to some of these super spirited girls.

A Lil' Soul Searching

I did the Honored Hero 20-mile run last month and it didn't go well. I ran a little over 10 miles at a pretty good pace before I crashed and had to start walking. Two weeks before that, I had a very tough 16-mile run. I tried to prepare well for both of them. I gradually increased my mileage, I got enough sleep, I was good about reducing the alcohol intake, etc. I thought I would have a good 16-mile run (especially after the 14-miler the weekend before went okay), but I was a little demoralized after it, and it shook my confidence for the 20-mile Honored Hero Run. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the weight issue (or maybe partially the mental aspect associated with the weight issue). Running is way more difficult when you weigh 15-20 pounds more. I did a great job last year of getting down to 146.5 pounds (a few pounds less than wedding weight) before the Las Vegas Marathon. I followed a training plan pretty strictly, and I did a good job with my nutrition. The most important factor was giving up alcohol about two months before the marathon though.

Now I'm in such a different place than I was last year. I changed jobs in February after I got a promotion to a supervisory position in another office. I am much more challenged than I was before, and it's a great opportunity career-wise. But on the flip side, I gave up telework, I put in way more than 40 hours a week, I have much more stress, and I have a lot less time to workout, sleep, recover, etc. Plus the stress really makes me want to unwind with a glass (or three!) of wine.

I struggled with wanting to go after it and break 4 hours in the marathon versus not having the commitment (and just working out and trying to stay somewhat healthy). With that said, I signed up for the full marathan (and I signed Cliff up for the half marathon) in Las Vegas the first weekend of December. That was a $400 commitment. I don't feel ready to do well (I'm thinking I could probably break the 4:30 time limit, but I have no faith in finishing near my 4:03 PR) and the trip would cost us about a grand (we haven't booked it yet). We just bought an elliptical machine, we have our property taxes due, and we're paying for college expenses. So we made the decision to skip the Vegas trip, and that leaves me marathonless. I am somewhat relieved, so I guess it was probably a good decision.

So now it's time to decide what the future holds. I know the most important thing is to be happy and healthy, but I'm so goal oriented, that it's hard to just go day in and day out without having something to work for. Hmmmm.....

A sprinkle of this and a dash of that.

This is a crazy month that kicked off with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on Sunday, May 1. I worked in the Beaumont area this past week (Monday-Thursday), and I made the mistake of flying to Houston and taking a jet plane to Beaumont. I am seriously the worst business traveler ever. Our team stayed in three different hotels right next to each other, and I picked the one that DID NOT offer free breakfast or free dinner. Fortunately I know how to take advantage of free stuff at other hotels. Oh, and apparently I'm the one person in the government who didn't get the memo to decline car insurance. So I had to repay about $30 for a trip I took a few months ago. This week I'm heading to Albuquerque (another Monday-Thursday trip), and the following week I'm going to DC for new supervisor training. This all translates into TWO days in the office in three weeks.

Apparently when you run a marathon in wind, rain, and hail, you run the risk of getting sick. I started coughing early in the week, and I haven't slept much these past two nights. Even with FOUR pillows last night, I still hacked my lungs out. So this morning I went to urgent care and got a cortisone shot and a prescription for a Z-pack and cough syrup with hydrocodone (it looks like a party in a very small bottle).

I didn't workout much this week and replaced exercise with food and drink. I did 80 minutes on the stationary bike in the shoebox hotel gym on Wednesday morning, and yesterday morning I walked to dogs and ran the 5K route around my neighborhood before work. I need to get on the ball with the diet and exercise so I can sport the $exy "cheeky" bikini bottoms that I bought from VS. All of this travel stuff is hard on the regular routine though. It's too tempting to have some drinks after work and sleep in longer the next morning.

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

My registration with the Marathon Maniacs is pending! Woohoo! I did my three marathons in <90 days (Cowtown 50K in February, Ardmore Marathon in March, and then OKC). Mother Nature was very non-cooperative with me though. I got heat and humidy for Cowtown, a crazy headwind for Ardmore, and cold temps, wind, rain, and HAIL for OKC. I realized that I really lucked out with the weather for my marathon "A" races in Las Vegas in 2007 and 2010. Yikes!

Pre-race:
I picked up Christie and we grabbed some Which Wich and hit the road. We got to the expo at around 4:00 and picked up our packets and bought some sweaty and bondi bands. We checked into the hotel (Clarion Suites on Meridian, about 5 miles away from downtown) and met some new friends (including Corina) for dinner at Zio's. My friend Melissa drove down from Tulsa too, so she met up with us for dinner and stayed with us at the Clarion.

Some dinner pics:




We woke up pretty early (4:10) on Sunday morning and easily found free parking near the start line. I had two sandwich rounds with peanut butter on one (about 400 calories) total for breakfast. As we got towards the start line at 5:40, it started pouring rain and they delayed the start from 6:30 to 7:00. We sought cover under a building, but Christie and I were cold (we both had our legs exposed). After we made a bathroom trip, we headed back to the car to enjoy the heater and we decided to put on pants. I also put a dry fit long-sleeve shirt on over my short-sleeve shirt and I put a sweatshirt over that. That was a great call, because the weather got even worse as the day went on. I also grabbed another sandwich round (for about 500 calories total), but I should have packed other food (like a banana or something) to get my calories from something other than wheat bread. Oh, well.

Christie and I (totally naive about what the weather gods could do to us):


What I can remember:
Wow, it seems a bit hazy looking back on it now. We tried to start off conservatively. It felt easy, any ways. There was a lot of congestion until the half marathons split off at around mile 7. I really dislike marathons with a "marathon relay" option. I know I should be positive about the opportunity for more people to enter the race, but it's a mental beat down when someone STARTS at mile 20 and jaunts by you with a bouncy pony tail.

I threw my sweatshirt off around mile 2. I ate a Gu at about mile 5 and a Gel at about mile 10. That was all of the gel gunk I could stomach. After that I ate some random food (pretzels and peanuts) and managed to get down the Sports Beans at mile 20. Of course my stomach started hating me around mile 17, which is typical. I felt quite barfy, especially around mile 24 or 25.

The run felt pretty consistent until I started to fade off at around mile 17 (which is typical when I don't train as much as I should). We desperately needed that potty break during mile 9, so it was worth the two minutes. The course was pretty nice. There were some GORGEOUS neighborhoods, and it was nice running along the lake (especially when the rain gave us a brief respite from miles 14-18). I started feeling pretty bad around mile 17, but I hung with Christie until about mile 22 and then she went ahead of me. Melissa was there cheering for me at around mile 22, and that was a much-needed boost.

The picture Melissa took (I did a great job of hiding my misery):


I started walking a bit around 22.5 or 23 miles. Around mile 24 or 25, I hit a low point, and then I got pelted in the head with hail. When it rains, it pours (haha). I managed to pick it up with about 3/4 of a mile to go and I jogged to the finish line and felt better.

Post-race:
If you run with a friend, ALWAYS have a plan where you will meet, or you both might die from hypothermia. Lesson learned. But damn, that Carl's Jr cheeseburger tasted good. That long walk to the car in the freezing cold rain and hail sure did me in though. Christie and I couldn't find each other, but luckily she came to the car about 10 minutes after I did. I think we both cried at some point.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 10:20
Mile 2 - 10:10
Mile 3 - 10:00
Mile 4 - 9:46
Mile 5 - 9:52
Mile 6 - 9:49
Mile 7 - 10:20
Mile 8 - 10:04
Mile 9 - 12:11 (bathroom break)
Mile 10 - 10:30
Mile 11 - 10:30
Mile 12 - 10:29
Mile 13 - 10:16
Mile 14 - 10:30
Mile 15 - 10:35
Mile 16 - 10:28
Mile 17 - 11:04
Mile 18 - 11:19
Mile 19 - 11:29
Mile 20 - 11:09
Mile 21 - 11:43
Mile 22 - 12:23
Mile 23 - 12:45
Mile 24 - 13:48
Mile 25 - 14:09
Mile 26 - 14:37
Remaining 0.55 miles - 6:30 (11:46/mile pace)
Garmin Time: 4:56:58
Garmin Distance: 26.55 miles
Garmin Average Pace per Mile: 11:11

Actual results:
Time: 4:56:54
Division Place: 120/205
Gender Place: 503/980
Half Marathon Splits: 2:16:31, 2:40:23

The future:
I joke about being fat, and I am not fishing for compliments. I'm about 13.5 pounds heavier than I was for the Vegas marathon in December. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this translates into slower running. But the flip side is that my job is a lot more stressful now, and I like to "unwind" more and workout less. Right now I need a little break from marathons and organized races. I need to get back on the diet and exercise wagon, stay healthy, and get excited about running a sub-4-hour marathon (probably Vegas in December?). Considering I ate chicken fingers and tater tots for dinner and washed it down with Chardonnay (it was free at the hotel... don't judge me), I have a ways to go. So I just need to work on balancing life... my marriage, my job, my health... all that good stuff. Then when I'm ready, I need to go after a goal (which is a 3:50-3:59 marathon). That's the plan.

Arbuckles to Ardmore Marathon Race Report

Flashback:
Last year I ran the half marathon. I was under-trained, but I was aided by some nice downhills at the front-end of the race and a hefty tailwind. I was telling people on the bus about the tailwind when I was promptly informed that the winds were head out of the South this year, and since the point-to-point race was on I-77, we were in for a CHALLENGING run. My goal was to even or negative split and finish in a comfortable 4:15. Mother Nature (she was a lil' grumpy) had other plans for me though.

Race Morning:
I woke up at 4:00 am (my husband was in Ardmore all weekend, but I stayed in Fort Worth on Saturday night so I could feed the dogs on Sunday morning) and scarfed down a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. I hit the road at 4:30 with a large coffee, and I made it to Ardmore High School at about 6:15 am. Everything worked out great logistically, just like last year. I picked up my race packet, made a "pit stop," and boarded the bus. I sat next to a few of the Marathon Maniacs (including #12, #40-something, and #94(?) - he had run the Antarctica Marathon) and I was pretty humbled. It's funny how so many accomplished runners found a marathon in small-town Oklahoma.

The Start:
This was the first time I had seen pink and blue port-a-potties. Some boys were breaking the rules, but it was nice to have our own set of port-a-potties that weren't as defiled! I took two potty breaks before the start since I had plenty of liquids the past 24 hours. They had a timing mat at the start this year (getting all technological!), but fortunately the starter still used a great big ol' shotgun/rifle thing (promptly at 8 am... I swear, these people are soooo organized). I tried to keep things nice, easy, and controlled. I kept checking my Garmin to try to stay sub-10 (but close to 10).

The Course:
The run began at the Turner Falls Overlook in the Arbuckle Mountains... definitely a beautiful nature moment! We ran down some rolling hills and met up with the half marathon course at around 3.5 miles. That's when we hit a mile or two of some good downhills.


Mile 1 - 9:41
Mile 2 - 9:54
Mile 3 - 9:36
Mile 4 - 9:56
Mile 5 - 8:44(!)
Mile 6 - 9:20
Mile 7 - 9:49

At around mile 7 we turned east for an out-and-back leg through the Bar Nothin' Horse Ranch. This was a nice break, both physically and mentally, since we didn't have to run straight into the headwind. Also, everyone was in pretty good spirits at this point, and I chatted it up with a few people. This made the miles fly by. I looked down at my Garmin and saw a sub-9:40 average.


Mile 8 - 9:47
Mile 9 - 9:54
Mile 10 - 9:44
Mile 11 - 9:55

After that detour, we rejoined the half marathoners on Hwy 77. We had some rollers from around miles 11-15, and then we began a shallow climb before turning west at mile 20. I hit the wall mentally at around 17.3 miles. That's when I began walking. It was just so depressing to get excited for a downhill only to be smacked with a headwind. I'm sure the previous 17 miles caught up with me a bit too, especially as I picked up the pace in the middle of the race.

Mile 12 - 10:26
Mile 13 - 10:28
Mile 14 - 10:29
Mile 15 - 10:15
Mile 16 - 10:32
Mile 17 - 11:15
Mile 18 - 12:50
Mile 19 - 12:38
Mile 20 - 13:32

The right turn towards the park at mile 20 (instead of turning left towards the finish line at the stadium) reminded me of the Fort Worth Marathon when the marathoners turned at mile 25 and us ultra runners had to tackle an additional 5 miles on the Trinity Trail. I had run at Regional Park before, but I had always done the small loops around the park. I didn't realize there was a longer road that takes you out quite a ways. There were a lot of small rollers at the park as well, but at least there were a few breaks from running into the south winds! The first 2.5 or 3 miles was really tough mentally since it was an out-and-back. Once I hit the turn-around, it perked me up a bit. Although I think I still battled some very negative internal dialogue during the last few miles! After the detour at the park, we finished at Noble Stadium with a lap around the track. I was so happy to see the finish line that I had no trouble running the last half mile or so. Also, it was a nice surprise to see Cliff, my mother-in-law, and my sisters-in-law cheering me on at the finish! They took a few photos of me, so I tried to hide my suffering!

Mile 21 - 11:47
Mile 22 - 12:22
Mile 23 - 11:38
Mile 24 - 15:10
Mile 25 - 12:56
Mile 26 - 12:19
Last 0.4 on the Garmin - 3:56 (9:42 pace)

Total Time: 4:49:09 (11:02/mile)
4th out of 5 (Womens 25-29)
24th out of 44 (All Women)