Shamrock 8K 2013

Pooh…

Perhaps the grandeur that I build up in my head weighed down my legs?...

Or perhaps sometimes, just sometimes... a race is well just...

POOH??!

But what I thought would happen at Saturday's Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach did not... and that simple undisputed fact pisses me off..

I was ready to run a PR.... I was hoping for a top 5 age group placing or at least no worse than a top 10 age group placing....I was hoping to crack into the 37's.  I am a strong 5 miler.... I was hoping for confetti and flashbulbs..I was hoping for a magnificent moment... and well...

What I delivered to myself.... was my second worst 8K time ever, an over 40 min time and a 20th age group placing......

POOH!

No... I was not willing to accept the fact that this will be the 6th time i have run this race and have (sans the first year) never placed over a 40 min time or less than a 10th age group placing. 

No...I will not accept the fact that this course was one of the fastest flattest courses out there and even given wind running in the 38's should not be a problem for me, let alone the idea of dipping into the 37's.

No...it's not that i think of myself as a superstar, perhaps a star-twinkle... but not a superstar... and I know better than to think I am better than the really good girls... but I do have confidence in myself and know what I can do... and my mind knew what i could do... but the body... well the body just did not comply.

POOH!

Perhaps it was the extra “sprint warm up” that Joe and I did prior to the race when we realized he forgot his race timing chip and we were already walking to the race and then had to turn around  and “SPRINT” like mad men back to the hotel, get his timing chip and then sprint the 2 miles back to the start of the race.. yeah perhaps that little handy adrenalin rush didn't help.

Or perhaps it was that I was technically still rehabbing the quad/hip I had pulled two weeks prior at the 400 Meter USATF Mid Atlantic Masters Championships?

Or perhaps it was because I haven’t really slept well in a few weeks, trying to prepare for interviews for a new position and the thoughts of actually how to land the new position?

OR MAYBE I am just getting old and slowing down or maybe I didn't train enough, or maybe I trained too much?

Maybe it was a combination of all of the above... but the fact is.. I could go after excuse after excuse and that would not change the fact that mid run, after only two miles… I was exhausted.. I WAS flat out all body exhausted.. like lay down in the middle of the race and take a nap exhausted.

I tried everything I could think of to conjure up a good old fashioned ass kicking and came up short.

I tried to tell my mind I was NOT tired..

I tried to tell my body I felt AMAZING, powerful and fast…

I tried to rationale with my legs...but that damn body did not wish to comply.

And NOTHING pisses me off more than NON COMPLIANCE!

So after careful reflection... I realized that sometimes.. just sometimes..a race is just....

POOH!!!...

That there will be other races...and that you just have to flush the pooh… 

I am going to get me my magnificent moment... you just wait..and see...

Mid-Atlantic USATF Masters Indoor Championships 2013

SNAP, CRACKLE, POP...

Well it really wasn’t a snap, nor a crackle, nor really a pop… but more like being electrocuted....

..... that sensation of accidentally touching an electrical wire, when wet, and then as your teeth shake and you recoil, a dagger is thrust into your quad.. yeah.. kinda like that… All forward motion attempted to cease and resist... 

Let's go back a few minutes. I am at Delaware University's indoor track and was getting ready to run my first event of the day... I was debating about how to warm up since half the track was closed off for the 60 meter sprints and if I should wear spikes or not… hmmm..

Running in spikes is such a wondrous feeling ….like running barefoot with claws..but no support...hmmm...

First call for the mile and I was getting eyed up and down by the gals in my heat… 

One of the ladies walks over to me seeing my #6, she is #5 and said, "There is no way i am faster than you"...Indicating that I should be #5 and she #6.....

I told her I hadn’t run the mile in a few years and didn’t have a qualifying mark to put down.

See they make you fill in your qualifying time so they can sort you by time.. lane 1 fastest, lane 6 slowest… it usually makes the heats a bit more fair and thus you don’t get the faster runners bunching up with the slower runners…

Our heat of 6 gals consisted of all Masters runners (over 40) … and I knew the specs of two of the gals, that they ran under a 6:15 mile… I knew a few years ago I could do a 6:45-6:50 mile but honestly wasn’t sure if it was still in me to do so .. so I was totally ok with being considered the slowest runner…

I didn’t know the times of the other gals in my heat and I learned a long time ago that looks can be very deceiving, just because someone may look older and more frail doesn’t mean they can't put down the whoop arsh .. 8 laps.. here we go.

I started off conservative, following the pack…unable to determine my pacing.. and then i started to pick off people... #5 gal, #4 gal, #3 gal.. and i was still accelerating... I  could see the other two ahead… but the bell was rung..last lap.. and i was still a half lap behind... 

6:50 mile finish time.. YAHOO!

NOW that is what I am talking about… to run a race, to feel good, and to do it well!

SO I probably should have warmed down a bit… or maybe warmed up a bit… but the 400 was next… as soon as they finished the men's heats for the mile.

I usually run a decent 400, and so was very hopeful that today I could land a great time. I was coming off the mile and feeling quite confident, perhaps too confident.

We lined up.. set… and go….. two steps .. TWO lousy STEPS.. and I am incapacitated… one, two, and please remove the knife from my quad...!!!

Within a nano second I was thinking a gazillion things.. the extreme pain, ...why my damn leg wasn’t moving… knowing I would place in my age group and get points for my team if I just finished …and how the heck was I actually GOING to finish?… !

I instantly went into what I call Ironman preserve mode… I am hardwired to keep going forward. Was that a smart thing to do for a 400 meter race?.. probably not.

Probably why I am not a smart runner, but I knew that I wanted to finish.. and shunning the embarrassment of jogging in the remaining 400 meter laps I limped in and quickly went to lick my paw.

A bag of ice and some laughs. The rest of the day would be a scratch, no 200 meter, no 3000 meter, heck… no more running today... so my grand illusions of multiple records and medals.. POOF...

BUT the smile was still there.. because..

I got me a medal..and I love me some speed! 

Widener Track Meet – February 24, 2013

So there comes a day when, as a distance runner, you say... I need speed.

I can't recall remembering much about my high school outdoor track, although I am most certain I do remember my high school “coach” screaming at me at the end of the 2 miler that if I had enough energy to sprint the last 200 yards that I didn’t utilize my energy correctly.. thus is born what I still continue to do today.. my ending sprint. It's fairly epic.. and it's probably terribly inefficient, but heck in 95% of the races I do, of any length, I end up sprinting the last 100 or 200 yards.. and very rarely do I get out paced from that point on. Inefficient?  Probably...

In high school, I was an immature, unwilling runner. I only joined cross country because they canned my ass off the field hockey team. Never mind that I scored a goal in try outs and that I was an exceptional runner as the left wing but my motor coordination needed work.. X gets the spot.. off to join the cross country team I go.

I don’t know.... maybe if I actually trained and applied myself I could have been good... but I was still sulking about being cut from my beloved field hockey. Something that I had played since the 3rd grade and now in 10th grade i'm getting cut, that’s just crazy talk.

So I would have to say that when the coach sent us out for a nice "long" run in cross country practice, of maybe 6 miles, we on more than one occasion cut the course.. seriously who really runs that far anyhow and WHY!?

This was back in the day when you didn’t hear much about road racing and it wasn’t until my graduation year of 1984 that the women's marathon was allowed in the Olympics... but again no one in my realm of existence spoke of THAT kind of distance. Ever.

So back to the track.. so given that I was now a “runner” in high school, I opted for something I thought would be more fun.. short and fast... I will do TRACK!

We didn't really have much of a girl's track team, again this was back in the day, and i was one of three girls who tried indoor. 

We didn’t have a girls indoor team and I thought perhaps maybe I could learn something new and the track guys were kinda hot... so heck im going to run with the guys!

The guys were so great, they didn’t see us girls as something of a nuisance, they embraced their new “sisters” and helped me become who I am today.

After my first official indoor meet I was in love, in love with speed. The smell of bengay, watching the way the muscles moved when the men ran as fast as their legs could take them, I wanted to do that.

I remember they allowed me to run, even though there wasn't another girls team to compete against at this particular meet.. and I don’t recall if I did the 400 or the 800 or what, but it was fantastic, I felt part of a great team and all the guys made me feel special. This solidified my love for track.

Fast forward 20+ years and I stumbling upon the Philadelphia Masters Track and Field Association. A team for people (men and women) over 40... I just had to join. And have worn their colors ever since.

On Sunday, I was running indoors for the first time in a long time and I was nervous. Nervous because I would be competing against women who are really good, exceptionally good and I knew I would be one of the slowest runners out there .....but I was so thrilled to be a part of something that I loved, and was so welcome by the young, the old, the men and the women of the track circuit. This just solidifies my feelings about track and the people who do track, they truly are a blessed bunch of peeps.

Perhaps, track people are considered more friendly because they are stuck together all day in a small space as they wait for their event, or perhaps the people that are drawn to competing in track are a different breed, but whatever it is, track people are some of the nicest people out there.

My first event on Sunday was the 400 meter and I was assigned to lane one and didn’t have to worry about breaking.. (meaning I didn’t have to worry about waiting until the prescribed spot to move to the inside lane, I could just stay in lane 1)... so the 400 went well for about the first 200 meters. Then I totally forgot about the monkey.. the monkey that jumps on your back .... and it was a heavy monkey... and OMFG speed kills. I finished in 1:23 and was thrilled that my legs were still attached to my torso.

So back to my rest spot to check on my friends and to silently cry because I was so freaking tired... irongirl can only do 400 meters and she crys!

I kinda screwed myself by saying I would do the 200 meter.. since it was the race directly before “MY” race of the 3000 meter... but my skewed logic was maybe it will make me tougher...um Yeah?

The 200 meter is a rocking fun race.. you just go out as fast as your little leggies take you until you drop over dead.. k?

So I am in lane 4... and since it’s the 200 meter you are instructed to stay in your lane... lane 4 is no good.. this means that.. YUP wtf.. I just get passed by a rocket ship... dude its only 200 meters.. and I am almost spinning around in a circle as lanes 2 and 3 pass me... OH HELL that hurt.. 36 seconds... and the old lady still has it. MY GOD that 3000 meter race is going to F-n HURT in a few minutes.

So its now time for “my” race.. yeah the 3000 meter.  Which is a little less than 2 miles.  OH, I can tell you the names and specs of at least 4 of the 7 runners I am running with.. and I am going to tell you..

Its GOING TO BE A ROMP FEST.. i I am going to get romped... I am a 13-14 min 3000 meter gal and these gals run in the 11’s... uh oh..

We get our final instructions.. and off we go... it will be 18-1/2 laps on this tiny indoor track.. and they informed us to keep count just in case they mess up the laps... oh and you count backwards.. yeah... ok.. 18 to go.. 17 to go.. and so on... round and round and OMG i think i am going to die... I stay with a group of three until about 5 laps left... the front pack has already lapped me too many times to say.. but I keep these other gals in my sight until I feel like I cannot run one step more.

I can run for 24 hours.. but I am now thinking I may NOT finish a less than 2 mile race...!!  it took every bit of concentration to convince myself that I could actually make it to the finish line.. and then I was done... one of my worse 3000 meter times ever 14:38 but I tell you.. I get a button and a gold star for that one. I think I will lay down and die now... speed kills.

So lets go back to the "I love track" thingy.. because it's now three days out and well.. my quads feel like hamburger.. and I can't wait until Sunday for my next meet!

So the Madness continues...

SWIM ANALYSIS

Trust only what you know..

You know in those horror movies where you scream at the stupid person (usually a woman), “DO NOT LOOK DOWN THE OLD ABANDONED WELL!!!!”...

Well, it was something like that… I had scheduled a swim analysis on Saturday and was anxiously waiting in the lobby of the corporate office of Endless Pools in Aston, Pa for my turn when a (I am sure had too much coffee) middle aged man with a jovial ski hat comes barreling in...

“Sorry I am late”….he is wildly exclaiming in his NOT INSIDE VOICE… pointing his arm left and right as he explains to the receptionist and everyone now watching him in the lobby his tale of woe that his car broke down, that it was actually not his normal car he had loaned out his car to one of his workers and had taken the work truck, and that thank goodness a friend lived nearby… that he made it..whew… because he lived an hour or so away.. above Marsh Creek he says..

UH OH.. my ears perked up.. So let’s go back to the point where you scream.. “DO NOT LOOK DOWN THE ABANDON WELL!!!..”. Of course if I could control what comes out of my mouth I may actually get a gold star but no.. of course I say.. THAT’S where I LIVE!!! I live out there near Marsh Creek too! (Like I was suppose to win a prize by announcing to everyone in the lobby where I live.)

This stops the jovial man and he gives me a nice nod.. i shrink and look away as this really served no purpose in the grand scheme of things.. um yeah.. little peanut I am … just going to sit over here and … next group… they call my group for our analysis… whew.. oh no.. guess who’s in my group.. yeah.. ok.. sh-t… .

So it’s me, LIVELY MAN (L Man), Mary (a middle aged woman like me), and the kid (thinking he was like 12?)… we are a group and we headed to the back for our swim analysis. Two to a pool they say and Mary and I quickly pair up leaving the kid and L Man to attend to themselves.

Mary and I put on goggles, a swim cap, she her nose plug and me my ear plugs.. and in the pool we go.. I SAY KINDA LOUDLY to our two analysis people that I have ear plugs in (pointing to MY ears)… and I MAY TALK TOO LOUDLY (still pointing to my ears).. so IF I AM YELLING I AM SORRY I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR...sorry… WHAT WAS THAT!??

I get the big sigh…

HMPH… the endless pool has a mirror on the bottom and cameras positioned on the side, top and bottom so you could see yourself swim… we get to do a test swim so they could calculate our pace. I think the one analysis man enjoyed much too intensely hitting me on the head with the swim noodle while yelling STOP... Yes I HEARD THAT.. EVERYONE HEARD THAT..

So now was the time to actually record our strokes and Mary went first. Two minutes later it was my turn…OK>. MY TURN! Swim, Swim.. and..the bastard is hitting me on the head again with the noodle… STOPPPPPPPPPPP.. I CAN HEAR YOU I AM NOT DEAF!!!! ..I smile and they say there is a problem ..the system is locked up… it appears that mid MY swim the computer system filming just LOCKED UP.. froze..

I think about this for a second and told them it MUST BE MY ELECTRO MAGNETIC PERSONALITY… oh yeah and then I remembered I still had my earplugs in… so now EVERYONE in the next room and down the hall heard that too. OOPS sorry.. inside voice..

So I sit in the pool with just my little head sticking out of the water… doe eyed… fahlahaalhaahlaaa… I float on my back.. I look back over and then float on my side.. and back over… So they bring in the big guns.. the owners and such and the analysis dude says it’s her fault.. pointing to me… she’s trouble.. and they proceed to then all look at me....:( Mary at this point had given up ALL hope of ever getting back in and proceeded for her towel.

They did the best they could. They got the machine back and running and told me that I could finish my swim session, that I had great cadence, that it looks like I learned some swimming skills from Total Immersion (not that that was bad but just different) and they gave me a few pointers to help… and off to the drill pool Mary and I go… oh.. that’s it?

HMPH… so we are reunited with L Man and the kid and all four of take turns doing the drills prescribed… ….OH yeah forgot to mention right before our analysis we had to sit for a 10 min demo on endless pools.. a pitch for the sale of the pools and L Man asks loudly over the table if I can drive him home since I live near him.

F- me … why did I open my big old mouth!!. I hope he didn’t see my head go down and sigh.. UGH! Of course I said smiling in my nice voice…. SO L Man says to me after our drill session I will see you out front! Great..cant wait.

As we are walking out the owner of the midatlantic multi sports is there talking with us and I said to the owner….. OH btw if I end of dead.. he (pointing to L Man) has killed me.. I just met him and now I have to take him home… EEP

If they at Midatlantic multisport and/or Endless pools don’t remember me I don’t know who ever will… … I just wish and pray that my hand stays over my mouth in the future..

JUST KILL ME NOW…

I have to admit, there was something that I liked about my passenger… during the hour ride home he proceeded to tell me a bit about himself but not in an arrogant bullish way but just casually answering my questions which you all know are all centered around racing, training, and pace and such…

I personally don’t believe much of what people say until I look up their results because people tend to have a habit of over exaggerating a bit so when he said he was a 7:30ish pace runner, almost placed in a half ironman, and biked to his NJ beach house I was like sure.. cool.. (thinking you know damn well I am going to look this up)

But what I found out later after my curiosity got to me that not only was he truthful, he underestimated things, not only did he almost place in a very large half ironman, in fact did it in a time that surpasses many age groupers I know and he didn’t just build houses he OWNED the company that built the houses.

Funny… when he stepped foot into my car he had to move stuff off the passenger seat including a pheasant feather and he said to me.. a pheasant feather? I said yup…

Trust only what you know..

I hope that the life I live makes an impact on people.

PS: I am sure there is a reason that I met this unique individual and perhaps one day he and his family will cross paths with me and my family.. and perhaps maybe in a way that will reshape our lives...

Rehoboth Marathon 2012

So what can you say when your confidence bucket overflows… but the body.. well just does not comply with the request of the mind?

There is no doubt in my mind that I could and should be running under 4 hours for a marathon.. my best time was just a few months ago, and it was a 4:01:50 (9:13 pace).. my fall training.. adequate.. my racing.. faster than I have been in years…my long runs and weekly miles on target... I am truly in an exceptional place in my life right now… I can feel it…I AM STRONG!

But .. the legs got tired quickly… the happy dance became a skipped record, as the pace slipped into a trudge… into a deep, dark hole of nothingness…

The legs would not lift....carefully the mind goes through the process of accessing the situation…. 

Did I start too fast? ....Was I injured?... Was there a fuel problem?... Was the weather bad?.... Did I do too many races?... Or not enough?... Did I taper enough?… What lessons am I to learn!?

I struggled to finish and crossed the line with a 4:42:53 (10:48 average pace).. 42 minutes after what I thought... this is clearly not what my mind set up it to be…

Day three now after the marathon …and I am struggling to find something that I have learned..

What?  That I have no quit?

I have already completed many marathons, ultras, and Ironmans under worse conditions, injuries, lack of nutrition, horrific weather, etc … and never gave up… I am fairly sure my mind is quite strong.. I am fairly SURE I HAVE NO QUIT… ..

I have finished dead ass last in a race before.. and I have won some races before.. its not about that…

I know.. I don’t need the lectures.. some people can't run, my mother couldn’t… not that she would have if she could but that’s besides the point, .. I am quite aware there are many people who can't...but it's not about that.. I get that… I truly do..

…something is missing… something … that I need to learn ..

….So I had myself a little cry at about mile 17… one of those I feel sorry for myself cries..

.. and then again at about mile 24-1/2 when I saw Joe … because I felt that perhaps I may have let him down…

BUT.. There has to be something...  that I need to learn.. A LESSON…on why I believe myself to be so much better than I am...  

So I caulk up another marathon… and sit and contemplate this… and when that light bulb hits…

LOOK OUT…

Run for Diamonds – 9 Miler

Thanksgiving Day - November 22nd
Berwick, PA... I can’t imagine a more properly executed race. Sure it was cold, and sure it was far away, and sure it was Thanksgiving but it is one of those races where you go ...and fall in love.

Was it the elevation changes? .....Was it the 2 hour drive on Thanksgiving?..... Was it the beautiful mountain views?...... Was it the VFW veterans who volunteer and warm you heart?..... Or was it the world class competition that seems to find this out in nowhere race?

This was the 103rd running of The Run for Diamonds and it draws over 1,000 competitors, this year there will be 1,400 people running in “milder” conditions. It is one of those races that draws out the really FAST runners, the super freaks who run up and down mountains in a 4 and 5 min pace.... to make it into the top 5 of the older peeps groups you have to be in the 6’s or 7’s.. ouch.

At mile 2 there is a hill.. it’s one of those hills that you say ... oh yeah that is SOME HILL... it’s over a mile long. In fact, it’s one of those hills that well, just doesn’t seem to ever stop and people walk. It’s SOME HILL.

Waiting for the start, thankful that this year, it was not snowing, recalling how I fell in love with this race in 2009 when I trekked up here that year alone, and how I brought Joe back in 2010 despite the snow and sleet.. and he too fell in love.

This year Joe and I had a competition going, who would beat who? Joe, the uphill runner? Or..Wendy, the downhill runner? SOMEONE was going home crying...

My strategy was to go out at a decent clip, hold the best pace I could for the hill, recover and then let it rip. Unfortunately, I think that was Joe’s plan too. Joe it’s time to meet your maker...GAME ON!

So I take off my warm ups, do some jumping jacks.. and go secure a good starting position. Lost Joe in the crowd, and then we are off. It’s crowded for the first mile, always, but I have a small space to work with and since I lined up fairly close to the front I am with people who are traveling the same rate as I.

At around mile 1, I saw Joe slither past me.. I don’t think he saw me, he later said he didn’t, but I am not sure HOW you can miss me ....!

At mile 2 is the base of the hill, and I knew to keep the breathing calm, keep quiet, keep smooth. I always see people walking portions of the hill and this year was no different. It’s SOME HILL.

As you crest the hill you think, relief I can breathe a bit, but uh no.. I almost for a fairly quick second thought I am not sure I am going to make it ...but I was determined..GOT to catch Joe.

What I won’t realize until after the race, that this year I actually went up that DAMN HILL at a min faster than normal, sure didn’t feel like that WHEN I WAS DOING THE HILL... Once we got to the half way point, I picked up the pace and started screaming and spitting asphalt out my backend... I was going to bring this race HOME and catch Joe!

The miles were clicking off and still no sight of Joe... at mile 8 with one mile to go, a woman passes me. UH oh.. I worked so hard for this.....She is trolling and I force myself to keep her within my sight... and she is gaining a strong lead... I think about it for a sec and realize ...

What do you have to lose? Your legs will fall off? You will die? Really what? So what....!?

So I proceed to push... this is where knowing your skills and belief in yourself can help tremendously. I had now been watching her for the last quarter mile and realized she too was tired... and I was going to execute my race end and unless she too was a sprinter I would win. I WOULD WIN.

I knew even exhausted that I can sprint the last 100 to 200 meters of any race (usually).. and depending on the competition and the course would determine when I would start. Unfortunately, if I made the wrong call out and sprinted past my competition and they matched me, I may run out of air before the finish line and be over taken... so it’s really a precise calculation and sometimes just a risk you must take.

I am back behind her 5-6 feet, and calculated... don’t know.. too soon..i think there is more than 200 meters... I don’t know.. its may be too soon.. I don’t know... and so I made the call out... its like all the blood pulls from your extremities and moves inward and you go... I knew the challenge would be tough I would have to recoup the 5-6 feet between us and then pass her and get a large distance ahead of her...

And I GO... that fire that burns within my soul, FUELS...THAT FIRE... And I put forth a sprint of EPIC proportions...I recouping the distance AND PASSED HER ...I don’t feel she is there.. she didn’t come ...but I don’t know and I cant stop... I see the finish... my lungs are on FIRE... there is that tunnel .. the world is closing in... I see that finish... my right leg hits and falters...the land didn’t support the weight but I’m midair the other leg handles the falter... and I cross the line. 1:13:12 (8:08 pace) A new PR!!!

I can walk now... as I move to the side and put my head between my legs...breathing is good.... the girl I outsprinted stopped by and congratulated me on a well run race. Joe commented on my leg falter and great race and....

Now that is how its done...

Running is SO UNHEALTHY 

OH yeah and back to the Wendy and Joe competition... Joe had gotten in at 1:08:19 (7:39 pace) clearly kicking my arsh in a well executed race..

OH AND YES..we will be back...

Race Results:

http://www.runfordiamonds.com/result.html

My Splits:

 

Philly 8K, Saturday, November 17th

Was jumping up and down on the finish line...

Sometimes things just go so right.

The weather is perfect, the legs feel perfect, the mind feels perfect..

Yesterday I ran what I consider a perfect race

Although things started off a bit skurry... as I forgot my beloved watch and had to circle back to the house at 5:30am... thankfully... I had only traveled a few miles when I realized that the beloved lifeline of specs was not attached to my wrist..jeez us how could I forget the WATCH!!??!

Thankfully,  Route 76 didn’t give me the normal hassles and I arrived in Philly with a quick park and jog to the start. I had plenty of time to start, in fact, I had time to walk in giant circles for 45 minutes. I saw Cecile Tynan, she and her husband were wearing matching warm ups.. I smiled and she smiled back... I think.

It was plenty cold and I couldn’t wait to get this party started. I love shorter races because I can go all out and be done with it. But perhaps I should step BACK OFF THE START LINE.. I check out the handsome super thin Ethiopian/Kenyan dude on my left... YEAH stepping back would be a really great idea... only I WOULD line up next to an elite athlete in the front row... yeah Wendy... let's reanalyze my seeding arrangements and STEP BACK A few feet.

A couple of the Philly Masters Peeps showed up and hung out with me... and then the track girls.. the really GOOD girls lined up and I slipped in behind them. Because I am such a geek I know everyone of their names and stats... I know EXACTLY how fast they can run... and how to proceed accordingly... can anyone say stalker?

The national anthem and then some crazy hippy runner dude screaming, “NO MORE WAR, NO MORE WAR”.. dude will someone kick the Muther-F’r in the head please...

Right before the start Lou (60+ masters runner who is one of our faster masters track runners) looks over and nods to me.. and I nod back.. it was that kinda of nod that says, “Take no prisoners and getter done”... and then we were off... it got a bit crunchy at first and I took a couple of elbows and gave a couple...but I cleared the pack and whipped in the first mile.. thinking perhaps I should RETHINK trying to run with the BIG GIRLS..as I approached the first mile marker I saw 6’s.. high 6’s but still.. OMFG.. I toned it down and hit the 1 mile marker at exactly 7 mins.. STILL too fast.. the goal was to keep up a consistent 7:30-7:45 pace not a 7 min mile..oops

Mile 2 my legs felt good... stabilized the pace..and toned it down... .nothing makes the heart more happy then to be still in the game when you start to feel tired... my head was strong today and so was my heart and I pushed it... it was cold enough this year that at mile 4 I wasn’t overheated and I could push in for a strong finish... I saw Lou who had been ahead of me, he was starting to walk and only had a ¼ mile to go.. I ran up to him and as I passed yelled.. “YO, BABY LETS GET THIS DONE”... and his footsteps behind me... he had restarted to run... Lou will place first in his age group with a smashing time... I don’t remember anything of the last 200 yards or so.. I have soo programmed my body to sprint as hard as I can at the end of races that I get tunnel vision..

For those that are sprinters they probably feel this.. for those that are not....it's like having an out of body experience... at the time when your body hits the plane where you are running completely without oxygen you feel a heightened sense of floating on air.. until you realize that you truly ARE OUT OF AIR ..

FINISH!

38:04 was the official chip time.. a 7:39 average pace...

MY race...

Is done!

(PS: found out that I placed 4th in age group so will be stalking my mailman for my 4th place award... CANNOT WAIT!  Awards are given out to the top 5 in each age bracket in this race.. WAHOOO)

BRING ON REHOBOTH MARATHON... so then i can rest