Jacksonville Bank Marathon 2008

So this was supposed to be a training run for the Goofy Challenge. As I sit here, recovering from my marathon today, I really can't think of anything I would have done any differently. It went well for not being a race I was "supposed to not race", and I am surprised and shocked by the outcome. Please keep in mind my fastest mary is 5:14:00. I was racing that race.

I felt great this morning. I laid off any running for the last 5 days. Did some weights and a little elliptical. Bob and I arrived just before the start, and we found an unoccupied bathroom. YAY US. I started kind of quickly, but I felt strong. Really nothing of any significance until mile 7, where my calves started locking up. I chewed up some new power jellies (cola flavor--they ROCK!). Chatted up with some runners, and carried on.

I arrived to the half-marathon point at 2:15:00, and I thought perhaps I was going too quickly. Bob caught me on a turnaround and waved "hello". I gave him the "thumbs-up".

No shit...everything was great until mile 24, when a blood blister burst on my right foot. I had to sit down and take off my sock, reattach the skin, and re-tie the laces. I never hit a wall. I never suffered.

My finish time will be (with chip)--4:35:something. What a difference a year makes. Don't think for a second I'm not going to improve upon that. Dismantled my PR by over 40 minutes.

LIFE IS GOOD.

Jacksonville Marathon Eve Good Night

1. New playlist on iPod--CHECK
2. Gels (the new ones in the gummy shell with liquid center--cola flavor)--CHECK
3. Brand new running shorts a size smaller so my old ones stop falling off--CHECK.
4. Body Glide--Check

I feel stuffed from the pasta, and flabby from the taper (although I actually lost weight, lol). I will be hitting the hay here in a few. I actually was able to pair up my favorite socks. All is right with the world. Predicition 70's, high humidity with ample cloud cover. I may welcome a misty rain.

I want to do well.

20 done

After last weekend's debacle of only completing half of my 20-mile long run--I finally fueled up the right way last night, and I redeemed myself. I did it in 3:40ish, was stopped by a train and a wardrobe change (weather heated up significantly, so my sweet husband drove up with shorts to replace my tights). So if I keep this up, I will have a respectable marathon time. The quandry will be which marathon I will do that in.

My husband and I have decided to do the Jacksonville Bank marathon as a training run (second year I have done this). It is a fast and flat course I am very familiar with. If I feel good and strong, I may do ok. But then again, we have the Miami full marathon several weeks after the Goofy Challenge. If I take it easy after the Goofy, and limit my runs to nothing more than ten miles--that may be the one I choose. We shall see. I had such a sweet half there last January, and a horrific half there the year before.

Blessings--no injuries, no aches. All I have to contend with are throbbing toenails screaming to fall off my feet. And they will. I have no use for them during marathon season. My only challenges have been improper fueling, poor eating and fatigue. Those are more easily remedied. I just have to remember to do that, lol.

Weight Loss and Other Stuff

OK, so I haven't posted. I have been working and training and working and training. I lost more weight. I completed my 18 miler at about a 9:50 mile--only to bonk on a 20 mile today. I will return and post. The weight is now an issue, as I can't properly fuel beforehand. Long story and something I have to address sooner rather than later. I promise to get here soon.

Sweet Fourteen

But actually 13.98. Close enough. I completed it this morning with a 9.5 min/mile. I feel good, and I know I could have kept going. I am having some hip abductor issues, but they are probably transient and I needn't worry about it. So I face the dreaded 16/17 miler in two weeks. This time last year when I attempted the entire loop around Doctors' Lake, I hit the wall at mile 15. I was crying and staggering homeward. Bob actually came out to look for me, and picked me up at mile 16.5. That was supposed to be a 17 miler. I am going to attempt it again this year. Hopefully the weather will not be as formidable this time around. During that particular morning, the temps were in the upper eighties, with a heavy blanket of humidity weighing on my shoulders. Mother Nature didn't do me any favors by dousing me with a sheet of rain that lasted approximately three minutes as I floundered at mile 14. Can you say "rub"? The irony is, two weeks later I completed 19 miles with absolutely no problem. It's all downhill after that:).

The only complaint I have about my runs lately is the multitude of McCain/Palin signs littering every other front yard. Of course, the Obama signs have all been pilfered (including my own...didn't make it two days in my yard). I keep reminding myself about "sheep" mentality. After all, this is Clay County. Yee Haw.

Fatigue and Good Running

I blew off speed training today. We actually did get up at 4 AM, got in the car, made it halfway there when I realized I didn't have my RUNNING SHOES!!!!!! I nabbed the wrong pair, and these particular shoes hurt my feet (weird that I grabbed them by accident). It wasn't worth the effort. I wasn't about to suffer through the laps with shoes that are too tight, especially with a Saturday run of 7 miles and a Sunday run of fourteen miles coming up. The man was happy to turn around, go home and crash again.

I have done some serious upper body work this last week, and all of my runs have been strong, fluid and effortless. I am sore today, and tired. These late nights working have challenged me somewhat, but when I get a nap in like today, it's not that much of a hindrance. I will do explosive training tomorrow, cycle on Friday, and embark on the all-too-familiar journey over 13.1.

Here I go again.

Walt Disney Marathon Hints For The Novice

Ready? Here goes:

1. Make sure you have your reservations to stay on site if you are coming from far away and/or you don't have a relative nearby. Staying off site is a bit of a pain in the ass for parking (and I promise you, it is). If you stay on site, you have a bus transport from every possible resort. They leave early as hell. Expect to be awake by 4 AM.

2. Be sure and take some extra food/fuel to the holding corral prior to the race, because you will be there FOREVER with a lousy band for your***AHEM***entertainment. The holding corral is a LARGE parking lot. Disney is great about your checked-in goods--so no worries there. There are plenty of port-a-potties.

3. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS register to the corral 30 minutes FASTER than what you expect to finish. For example--if you run a 3:45 marathon...make sure you register as a 3:15. No matter what, there are idiot walkers in the beginning more than a 4:00 marathon. The start is a total cluster fuck of walkers, and you will be easily aggravated. Once you are at the race--you can't advance to a faster corral, you can only go back.

4. NO NEED TO BRING Gu, GATORADE or WATER. There are plenty of water and Gatorade stops. They even have stations of bins of Gu/Gel in every flavor imaginable. You are well taken care of as a runner during this course.

5. REMEMBER--when you run through Cinderella's Castle, your BEST photo opportunity will be RIGHT there as you exit. Exactly when you get out of the tunnel, smile and do your best pose--that will be your stellar photo shot.

6. You will be running on a lot of slanted on and off exits on the road system surrounding the parks. This means you will be running at a slant and your toes will be taking the brunt of it. ONLY for the Disney would I recommend actually tightening your laces a little more than usual and applying Body Glide to your feet. You will thank me later.

7. You will be bottlenecked onto a walkway around mile 24/25--this will be frustrating. Just keep left as much as you can if you are still feeling powerful.

8. Your photo will be taken from above at the finish--so raise your arms and say "Hell Yeah!".

9. Weather is unpredictable--starts have been everywhere from the 40's to the 70's--bring "throwaway" sweats to leave at the side of the road if need be. Almost always, the weather warms up to a gradual warmth by the time you finish. I plan on wearing shorts and an exercise bra by the finish. Hubby will be shirtless.

Happy marathoning to you Disney Freaks!!!!! We will see you at the half and the full that week-end.