Déjà vu Marathon

Déjà vu Marathon

November 9, 2013

147 total, 15 marathoners

Time: 4:10:58

1 mile loop...26+ times.. I don’t know seemed kinda cool to me.. at least when I signed up for it way back in the summer when it was nice and warm.  It was 36 degrees when I arrived at the starting line of the Deja Vu Marathon and I was cold... I was cold to the bone cold... and really crabby about having to run long.. in the COLD.. did I mention I was cold?!  

You will see in the race reports below I mention about being mentally tougher...  SCRATCH that out... My tolerance for adversity GONE... I don’t know, perhaps I am getting soft.. or maybe the old bones are just sick and tired of the FNING COLD.

So step back a moment... yeah I said it right.. I would be running for about 4+ hours on a figure 8 loop to complete a marathon.. yeah that’s right.. thats 26+ laps and not so many people smile when they do that.. and there is a reason for that. So lets picture this... a small pathway used for recreational walkers, joggers at a park, perhaps about 4-5 people wide at best.. and lets picture 147 people+ on the course, marathoners, half marathoners and teams of relay runners.. all looping around a one mile course...  I want to emphasis that walking is OK>. .but walking three across on a narrow path when you are LARGE individuals and not moving out of the way for the people trying to run for a time, IS NOT OK!...

I am trying to remember if I saw much of anything during my run...other than the chalk lines on the pavement pointing us in the correct direction.. really after you do it once.. I think you kind of get it..  I was kinda worried though that the direction they were taking us (clockwise) would put an increase pressure on my rehabbed right hip since I was banking to the right on my turns... I mean it wasn’t a track with hard banks but it still had that general lean in on the bad leg...

I remember a volunteer calling out that #20 girl was in the lead... and other than that I have no recollection of how you could determine who was what (a half marathoner or marathoner) and or who was on what lap!.... although you could tell relay because they had to carry a baton... so round and round we go...At mile 16, I decided I would never do marathons again.  EVER....At mile 21 I decided perhaps I would.. thank goodness because I already paid for Rehoboth Marathon on December 7^th...

I found that running a loop was very pleasing to me.. something about the comfort that I didn’t have to think .. and just do... and I finished in a favorable 4:10:58... I point out that when I was done.. I was frozen solid... and could barely walk... but I was done!

Oh and I think I failed to mention that I wore a sassy Minnie Mouse skort.. yeah... how could I forget that... especially when I was called up to get the first place women's masters award...yipee!!!.. oh and they said oh Minnie Mouse won!  (after calling my name)..Déjà vu I love you.

Race reports for the last few weeks:

Free to Breathe

November 3, 2013

Time: 22:52

For mom... every step I take is for her...  Somehow out of the many weeks of hard marathon training I developed into a mentally tougher runner... I can sustain more pain now.. A first place win for my age group... and a beautiful third place win for Joe...

Black Cat 5K

October 26, 2013

Time: 22:24

Unexpected overall women’s win.  There was over a 100 folks in the race and some of them warming up with sprints.. I held no aspiration of doing anything but having a nice fast run... and so I lined up a few rows back from the start.. I let the other “sprinting” women line up in the front... and so we were off. Funny how sometimes the engine just goes.  I am not sure what happen but I broke into the lead... and couldn’t stop.  Running like my hair was on fire and I was going to hurl... at the turn around.. I was still  in shock that no one else had challenged my lead and when people started screaming first woman and pointing at me... .. I ran even faster... I scored a PR this day 22:24... with a first mile at 6:49... dude...

USATF Masters XC Championships

October 20, 2013
Time: 24:09

A week off of the marathon and the legs were just super tired.. but our team did well... I was happy with my overall time as the course was grass and had a hill...

Steamtown Marathon

October 13, 2013

Time: AH CRAP... 4:17:32... not the break 4 hours that I expected after training for 20 weeks... and def not a Boston Qualifier... and there really was no explanation... I felt great.. I ran strong but around mile 18.. I just petered out... and had to walk... WALK.. Sigh... I am kinda really mad about that.... I cried.... I finished... and went home.. Seems like a lot of work to spend 5 months of your life training for something and it not go as planned...I am sure there is a lesson in there somewhere..

Heart & Soul 5K

September 21th

Time: 23:31

For the cancer center... I ran ... and won third overall woman... won a little cash and donated it to the organization... I just love to run...

Philly RockNRoll Half Marathon (13.1 Miles)

September 15, 2013

Time: 1:45:13....still in awe that this old body can run.....and set a PR at Age 47..  I got to say though I worked d-mn hard these last few months with my marathon training and I knew I had a chance to PR (Personal record)...but you really never know until you are in a race whether things are going well or not.. and I knew right away things were going well... everything was clicking.. the legs felt good.. the breathing felt good.... and I felt strong... and sometimes you just need a friend to keep an eye on ...