Another Racing Weekend in the Books!

Why do weekends have to go by sooo fast?  I am always in a funk come Sunday afternoon, remembering how awesome I felt leaving work on Friday afternoon, thinking I had all the time in the world! Then Sunday afternoon comes and I am deflated.  Oh well, I am thankful for my job and my time off, just always wish it was longer!

I had an awesome weekend!  I wasn't able to get everything done that I wanted to, though.  My brother and my nephew decided to come down from Sacramento on Saturday and spend the weekend with us while his wife was away on a girly weekend.  Even though they are really quite close, about an hour and a half away, we don't get to see them too often as my brother travels a ton for work.  His little visit put a kink in my movie plans, so I wasn't able to see Paranormal Activity, but I was happy to spend the Saturday afternoon with everyone.  I got up early Saturday, got my hair cut and my nails done then had lunch with the fam.  That afternoon I ran by the expo to pick up my bib and chip.  This was the most disorganized race expo I have ever been to!  No body knew where anything was and by the time I got there, they were out of dropbags!  Needless to say, I grabbed my bib, chip and got the hell out of there.  I was a bit worried by the expo, hoping that the disorganization wouldn't flow over to race day.  By 5 o'clock, my hubbs and I were hitting up our Indian food restaurant and heading home for an early bed time.

Sunday was just awesome.  I had the Silicon Valley Marathon on my schedule.  When I woke up Sunday I actually wasn't really feeling like racing.  I almost felt burnt out.  I had had a great 8 mile speed session on Friday and Sunday a great 5 miler and when I woke up on Sunday, that 13.1 mile race just sounded exhausting.  But I do love me a race, and my fam was planning on meeting me at the finish so I couldn't let them down.  My bro was excited as seeing me race, as he hasn't had the chance yet!  My hubbs had decided to ride his bike next to me to ensure that I could hydrate and eat properly during this race.  The plan was to race at a 7:45 pace, quite a bit faster than my needed 8:20 for my BQ.  I have been running that pace for the past few weeks with no probs and often dipping into the low 7 min mile range.  I knew I could do it, and with him along side me just made me more confident.

The race started in downtown San Jose and ended up at a high school in Los Gatos.  We had arrived about an hour before the race start so that I could get all my pre-race rituals out of the way.  My dad came along so that he could take the car to the finish and meet us so we could get the bike back.  We were also early enough to see them "attempt" to put up the race banner that blows up and everyone runs under.  Well, they couldn't get it up and decided to forgo that little race item.  Ha!  I could see already that the disorganization was falling over to race day.  They had plenty of portta potties and some pre-race drinks.  And before we knew it I was at the start line.  The start was quite a let down.  They played the national anthem off a boom box and then just counted down from 5 to "Go!"  Yes, you have that right, no gun or anything!  Just a guy who said, go!  This race felt like the 5K I ran last week, only this was supposed to be a big production with 3,000 runners!

They had a full and half marathon for race day.  Of course we all started together.  The half was a one way ticked to the high school and the full looped back the same way to the finish.  I started out very strong.  My first mile was 7:34, and my second mile I hit at 15:30, followed by my 3rd mile at 22:20.  I was going out a bit fast and my hubbs quickly set me back to my pace.  By the third mile it was pretty well strung out with the runners and he had no problem keeping me paced.  Miles 4 and 5 were in the 7:40 range.  Then all of a sudden, I had tummy probs!  I hadn't had these in forever!  I was so mad!  I was trying to run through them, but I knew I couldn't.  I had to stop.  At the mile 6 water station they had a portta potty and I hit it up.  I was soooo mad!  I felt so defeated!  I didn't want to come out and finish, I know crazy!  I was shooting for a 1:40 finish and I knew that just went out the window.  When I came out I felt like I had no energy.  I started running 8 min miles and contemplated telling my hubbs I was done.  Somehow, I kept going.  And within a 1/2 mile my hubbs had me back at a 7:15 pace and I was back in it.  I was trying to do the math in my head to see how I could make those 2 or 3 mins but I was worried.  I couldn't keep that 7:15 pace for that long.

By mile 8, I was back at 7:35's through 10.  I had hit mile 8 at 1:03:03 which was my goal.  Side note, from mile 6 on, it is pretty much up hill.  We hit the Los Gatos Creek trail going south, and anyone who knows this trail knows this is the hardest direction.  I was loosing momentum on the hills, dropping to 8 min miles and trying to get back to 7:30's at the top.  Again, in this course, just because you go up doesn't mean you go down.  The hills were killing my pace.  But my hubbs kept me on track and I was feeling pretty good when we finally hit mile 12.  Mile 12 we had a 1/2 mile climb up then all down hill to the track at the high school.  I was almost all alone at this point, only one other runner with me.  I had managed to pick off the peeps I was originally with before my potty break wich made me feel awesome and give me the final push.  I saw the track, which was the same ending of the Jungle Run I had done back in July and thought that was the end.  But it wasn't!  I had done a 6:30 pace around that track only to find out they had us loop onto the football field grass to finish the last .10!  I was mad! I lost all my stamina on that damn grass!  But I could hear my fam and the cowbells and ran across that finish strong!  My garmin said 13.15 miles, 1:43:30 and my official chip time managed to be 1:43:26!

13.1 miles 1:43:26  7:51/mile pace 
I was 82nd overall, 14th female finisher, and 3rd in my age group!  I won a fuel belt! Ha!

I was actually quite happy with my time considering I had kept up pretty well after that potty break.  I kept thinking about if I hadn't stopped what my time would have been.  I think it was the coffee that morning.  I had a cup while we were waiting around before the start, something I never do - and now will never do AGAIN!  I honestly could have kept going another 13.1 miles.  My legs felt great, I wasn't tired and I knew I could have knocked out at BQ if I had done the full seeing how the back to the finish was all downhill.  Oh well.  It was a great race.  Another side note...there was no water at the finish!  Do you believe that!

It was sooo nice to see my fam at the end!  They were great supporters but no one managed to remember a camera!  After I grabbed a two bananans we got in the car and headed back to down town for my award.  First we stopped at Peet's and all got a cup of coffee and a muffin!  That muffin and coffee tasted sooo good!

The finish line for the full marathon was sad, too.  Very un-organized, too.  I felt bad for the finishers...they just handed out some bottled gatorade, a few bagels and bananas.  Very un-climatic.  We didn't stick around there too long and then headed home. 

At the finish for the Full - taken on my Blackberry phone!

At least we're smiling!

My hubbs did a great job!  He is awesome! He has big plans for me with CIM, and my brother called him yesterday my very own Bella Koroli! (sp?)  You know, that crazy gymnastic coach from the 90's?  Hahaha!  Well, it was funny then! 

By yesterday evening, my running group posted a marathon in Fresno.  Yes, Fresno.  It looks pretty good, it's very FLAT and looks well organized.  It's on Nov. 8.  I think I should do it, but my coach, a.k.a. my hubbs, thinks I should just focus on CIM.  I am worried though.  I am only giving myself one shot at a BQ with CIM.  I think that I may need to give myself two.  Fresno is a BQer, too.  I am going to decide today.  I really want to give it a shot.  If I run like I did Sunday, my second half I would only have to keep like an 8:40 pace and still BQ!  I know I can do it!  And it would take the pressure off CIM.  I have to say though, I was dreaming about that Fresno race all night.  Decisions, decisions.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Sorry this was soo long!  Lots to get in there!  I have an easy 6 mile recovery run on the books.  And next weekend I have the Heldsburg Wine Country Half Marathon.  Very excited about that!  Wine at the finish!

Happy Running!