The Road to Ruthenium (or how to become a 5-star Maniac in 8 days)

I’ve been stuck at Marathon Maniac Iridium level (4 spinny stars) for over 2 years. I decided it was time to go for the next level: Ruthenium. This requires the dedicated Maniac to complete one of the following:
26 - 30 Marathons within 1 calendar year or…..
4 Marathons on back to back weekends (within a 9 day window) or….
3 Marathons in 3 separate US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within a 9-day time span or….
13 Marathons in 13 different US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) in one calendar year.

It looked like 3 marathons in 3 states in 9 days was the most doable. So I came up with a plan and entered the races.

I approached the first in this series of marathons feeling weak and under-trained. I had stumbled over a pothole at the Royal Victoria Marathon in October and as a result have had pain in my lower ankle although no swelling or heat. Resting didn’t seem to help much, but running made the pain go away for several hours at a time. Still, I knew better than to try and run hard with such an odd niggle. 10 days before Seattle I came down with the flu. I was so tired I couldn’t get out of bed, then my lungs became congested to the point I couldn’t sleep. All the coughing and hacking caused tightness in my back and rib cage muscles. I was miserable and almost decided to cancel my quest for 5 stars. The Friday before Seattle I took a little 4 mile jog and was surprised that I felt almost normal. The races were back on with one caveat: run easy the first race and ease up from there.

Race 1, State 1: November 29, Seattle Marathon in Washington State

I was going to write a report for this race, but I liked Divechief’s so much, I decided to use his instead:

“Right before the start Dove spotted me. Today was the first of marathons in 3 states in 8 days. She wanted to take it kind of easy today and it turned out our paces were pretty much exactly even so we ran the entire race side by side. Often, we would be talking while the miles streamed by and be surprised at how fast our pace was and realize we needed to back it off a little so we didn't suffer in the later miles, then a few miles later our pace would be right back up there.

The course features a couple out and backs where you can see the runners ahead and behind you. We saw SR Lopez running strong, several miles ahead of us. Barefoot Jon a few miles behind us, and Franc and her friend really close to us, but her friend was having foot problems.

We also spotted Bob Dolphin and Larry Macon, world record holder with 105 marathons in 2008 on the course, more on that later. (They were mentioned in the recent Wall street journal article)

Beautiful overcast day, 50º gentle breeze was enough to keep us cool. I was fine with a throw away at the start, shorts and long sleeve shirt, short sleeve would have worked just as well.

We caught up to Larry Macon at around mile 21 (He started an hour early) Chatted for a few minutes and we discovered that he is going to be in Las Vegas next weekend. One of the same races Dove is running. Larry Proposed to Dove. He said he was going to marry 6 women in Las Vegas!!! Dove accepted. We felt that both Larry's wife, and Dove's Finance will be surprised!! We spent the next mile discussing the appropriate running/wedding wear for her upcoming wedding.

The miles continued to fly by, we didn't negative split, I had to dig a little from about miles 23-25 but I was still feeling OK. Finished under 4:30, Dove felt she still has plenty in the tank for her two marathons next weekend. Fun day.”

After Seattle I rested and tried not to run too much. My ankle was not happy with me, but still no swelling or heat. My hip was acting up again, too. It has decided that a spontaneous collapse without warning keeps things from getting boring. I ended up on the pavement a few times this summer because of such hip antics. The hip threatened in Seattle, but never quite collapsed. I was committed to completing the series, so renewed my vow to go out slow and ease up the next two marathons.

Race 2, State 2: December 4, Death Valley Borax Marathon in California

We flew into Las Vegas Friday morning, drove over to the Rock N Roll expo to pick up my race number for Sunday, then stopped to fuel up at the Mandalay Bay Buffet. The race director of the Death Valley Borax Marathon had warned us that there were few choices for dining once we left Las Vegas, so we decided to eat our big meal before starting the drive.
Driving into Death Valley was breathtaking. I knew that I was in for a special run the next day and couldn’t wait to get started.

The forecast was for a low in the mid 30’s race morning, heating up to the mid 60’s by afternoon. I decided to dress for the finish temps and made my way to the pre-race meeting wearing a Brooks running skirt in black, a white and gold Brooks ID singlet, White Marathon Maniac hat and Adrenaline 10 shoes. As always I wore my double diamond studs and 26.2 lucky necklace. I carried a handheld water bottle since aid stations would be 3.5 to 4 miles apart. The pre-race meeting was one of the highlights of my week. The self-important race director turned out to be quite a ham. He explained the rules “start time is approximately 8:00, you win a rubber chicken if you are the first to cross the line… well it used to be a rubber chicken, but now it’s a chicken purse stuffed with $1,000,000 in shredded bills because of past complaints about no prize purse”… and a few other details like the serve-yourself aid stations and self monitored turn-around points for the various race distances. He concluded the meeting with a heartfelt sing-a-long of America the Beautiful. I couldn’t imagine a more fitting way to start the race.

I really don’t have much to say about the actual run. I was completely enchanted by the magic of the valley. We were running below sea level for the entire race, but it was surprisingly hilly. And exposed. The dry air whisked away sweat before I realized it had formed, so I was careful to keep drinking water and taking electrolyte capsules. Running was effortless, but I mixed in plenty of walk breaks, honoring my promise to go out slow and ease back. The pavement had a softness and smoothness about it that cushioned each footfall. At the halfway point we turned around and headed back to Furnace Creek. A gentle head wind had picked up and cooled me just enough. I don’t really know where the time went, but I swear I was out there for less than an hour. Turns out it was well over four hours when I crossed the finish line, received my medal and shirt and plunged into the warm-spring fed pool. A quick check of the results showed I managed a 2nd in my age group. It didn’t matter one bit though…. I could have been dead last and still felt just as blessed.

Race 3, State 3: December 5, Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas in Nevada

As usual I had a hard time eating after the marathon. I did manage to choke down half an order of fried rice and a beer before calling it a day. I woke and tried to eat a breakfast bar, but could barely choke it down. And since it was Vegas, there was no coffee maker in the room to help get the blood flowing. Oh well.

Today’s race would start at 6:15. My past Rock n’Roll experiences meant I needed to be at the start line at least 30 minutes early to check my bag and work my way to the corrals. I was out the door at 5:15, dressed in a black short sleeve Brooks ID tech shirt, black Brooks skirt, Brooks Infinity shoes and a Marathon Maniacs hat. Double diamond studs, my 26.2 necklace and pink striped disposable arm warmers completed the look. By the time I had walked the 2 miles to the start line, I knew I had under dressed. I was freezing! It was too late to go back and change, and nearly impossible with all the runners walking down the strip.

I was in corral 6, a nice place to start. A few minutes after the gun went off, we moved into position and started off down the strip. Fireworks filled the chilly air and illuminated the broken asphalt they call a street. I picked up my feet carefully, trying to avoid another tumble into a pothole like Victoria. The mass number of runners, the efficient manner of the RnR staff and the too slick race entertainment made me feel like pampered cattle being seductively herded to slaughter. The bands were playing, yes, actually playing! (unlike Seattle where most of the bands were just standing around). The big screen displays that casinos have along the strip were broadcasting the race as it unfolded, allowing the mid-packers to watch the battle going on between front runners, as we ran! Despite my dislike of mega races, this one was fun. It was Las Vegas, baby. We ran down the strip with the half-marathoners, made a loop at the 6 miles mark, then head back up the strip towards the finish line. Water and electrolyte drink was flowing, GU was plentiful, bands every mile as promised. Then it happened….. the marathoners split from the half. We were cast out of the glitzy Vegas and dumped like an ugly Christmas sweater into a seedier section of town. The bands no longer played. The aid stations had dwindled. The few bums staggering down the street looked at us with pity as we began a long and steady climb that started at mile 15 and continued to taunt us for the next 4 miles. My legs were done by that time. They were shaky and felt weak. I had been careful to implement a 10:1, run/walk ratio from the beginning of the race and that was beginning to fail me. I was cold and started to shake. At mile 18 an angel know was Marathon Maniac #1382 found me and gave me a double espresso GU and a few Starbursts. The turn around at mile 20 found me with renewed energy. I dumped the walk breaks and took it home at near marathon pace (it helped that 5 of the remaining 6.2 miles were downhill). I crossed the finish line with body intact and 5 spinny stars reflecting in my eyes.

This series of races provide me with opportunity to run a small (Death Valley: 341 runners), medium (Seattle: 9,500 runners), and Mega (Las Vegas: 30,000 runners) marathon in short succession. They were all fun. Vegas is just too glitzy and polished: really a half marathon event with an additional out and back for the marathoners. Seattle will always be a favorite of mine, but after running it 4 times I was ready for something new. I far preferred the small Death Valley marathon with its devil-may-care attitude, funky awards and colorful race director.

P.S. I didn’t get married in Las Vegas. I lost my intended in a sea of grooms so I decided to just keep running. Sorry Larry.
__________________

Royal Victoria Marathon

Royal Victoria was my last race in a 3 marathons in 6 week push. Skagit was my goal race, Bellingham my back-up and Victoria was supposed to be for fun. Things didn’t unfold the way they were planned: Skagit was a disaster, Bellingham became my goal race, but I wasn’t expecting the long, steep hills and miles of dirt trail. I missed my Boston Qualification by 11 minutes. Now Victoria was the goal race. My summer of focused training had one last chance to pay off and Victoria was it.

The intensity of the summer left me feeling a little achy in the hips and I was tired. I knew the course, though , and thought it suited my strengths. The weather was forecast to be ideal: sunny and mid 40’s. Slight wind (I like a little wind). I planned to hold myself to a 9:00 mpm pace through mile 20, then increase the speed and take it home. To help with my effort, I decided to run with the 4 hour pacer. Only one problem… I couldn’t find him at the start line. I also couldn’t find my usual Maniac friends, so I was on my own. I’m actually quite chatty at races so I made a few instant friends before the gun went off to start the race.

I started slow, then picked it up a bit by mile 4. After that, I had a hard time keeping to my 9:00 goal pace. Every time I took a split, I was hovering around 8:45. I knew I needed to bring it down a notch, and struggled to make that happen. I hit the turn-around well ahead of goal pace, and on my way back towards town caught a glimpse of the 4 hour pacer. He was 2 minutes or so behind me. I slowed down even more so the pace group could catch up, figuring it would be easier to hold myself back if I were in a pack. They caught me at mile 16. I latched on and settled into their stride. I just got comfortable and Mr. Pace Bunny yelled out “walk!” What? We just finished a significant climb, we should reward ourselves by gliding down the backside! Ignoring my intuition, I walked with the group. One minute later the pacer started running again. It took me a moment to get the legs moving again and almost as soon as I was motoring along smoothly, we walked again. He was on the 10 minute run, 1 minute walk routine. No matter where it fell on the course we were walking on the 10 minute mark. I managed to keep with the group until mile 20, though the constant change of rhythm was taking it's toll.

I hit that split perfectly with 3:02 showing on my watch. Now, according to plan, I could turn it on. Right now. Yep, this is it. Legs? Did you hear me? RIGHT NOW….. Nothing….. Again I summoned my inner strength and willed my legs to move faster. 2 seconds per mile faster…. 5 seconds a mile fast….. 10 seconds per mile faster. Perfect. I would hold this pace until mile 24, then increase the speed again. This is what I trained for. This was going to be my fast finish. Then it happened. Mile 22.5 and my quad seized up so bad I couldn’t move. I was dizzy with pain as I inched toward the curb. I stood there, slumped over like an old lady, trying to catch a breath and ease the pain. The EMT’s came by: making sure I was okay and offered a ride. I knew I couldn’t stop or the cramps would get worse. I had to find a way to start walking and move that lactic acid through my muscles. It seemed like minutes passed before I started to hobble towards the finish line. Half a mile later I picked up a slow jog, then when I felt a twinge in my quad, brought it back down to a walk. Once again I picked up a jog. I was too close to deny myself a finish, but time goals had completely disappeared. Somehow I managed a 9-something mile during that final push over the timing mat. To my surprise, I still managed a 4:12 and I completed my 49th marathon just 3½ years after my first.

We finished off the weekend with a lovely Canadian Thanksgiving dinner hosted by one of my friends. I wanted to feel sorry for myself, to make excuses or trivialize the importance of this race for me. None of it would do though. I have to own up to what happened and find a way to prevent it in the future. I can run an easy marathon every other week without problems, but to run with intensity that frequently left me drained. My muscles were fatigued. My system over taxed. Now all I can do is recover, rebuild and refocus.

Bellingham Bay Marathon

My recovery from Skagit Flats didn’t go too well. The first week I was just plain tired. The second week I had a shooting pain in my hip that drastically altered my stride. My general rule is: if it hurts but doesn’t alter my stride and I warm out of it in a few mile… keep training. If it hurts and doesn’t alter my stride, but keeps hurting after mile 3… call it a day. If it alters my stride at any point….quit and take a few days off. So given my rule, I took 5 days off leading up to the Bellingham Bay Marathon. I also modified my goal. Originally this was going to be my second attempt at a fall BQ, instead I decided to just see if I could get through it pain free.

Race morning started out chilly but was supposed to be sunny and warm up by mid-morning. I decided to wear a singlet, gloves and compression shorts. I also decided to carry a water bottle so there would be no chance of dehydrating again. I was going to work on two things this marathon: properly timed nutrition/hydration and not walking when I started to fatigue (a bad habit that I picked up during a year of ultra running). Since my goal was to finish uninjured, I wanted to run around a 9:15 pace and hopefully pick it up the last 3 miles or so. As usual I lined up with the Maniacs at the start, and when we took off I found myself with two friends who are much faster than I am. We were having a nice conversation though, so I failed to pay attention to pace. 2 miles into it I noticed we were running 8:30’s. Too fast, I told them. I would drop off the back to keep my pace slow… then one of my friends would drop back with me, promising to go at my pace. Before I knew it, we would be running too fast again. This continued until the half way point. The pace hovered around 8:45 minutes per mile with the exception of a few big, long hills that I elected to walk. I enjoyed the company, though, and maybe a faster first half will pay off at some future race. I hit the half way point at 1:58. I forced myself to hold back again as my hip pain started to come back. Luckily the course veered onto a lovely dirt trail that eased the jarring at mile 15. I was starting to feel better, but kept my pace slow with hopes of turning on a little speed for the last 6 miles. When I passed the 20 mile marker, I decided now was the time, and worked to push my pace down to 9:00 minutes per mile again. Unfortunately, and wild downhill on a paved surface brought the hip pain back again. I reminded myself the goal was to come out of this marathon without injury, so once again I slowed my pace. I caught up to one of my fast friends from earlier in the race (also suffering from hip pain) and we managed to keep each other going to the finish line. I crossed the line in 4:12:10. I quickly stiffened up and the muscles in my hip area were very tender so I was glad I didn’t push it harder.

Now it’s time to rest again and see if I have anything left for the Royal Victoria Marathon in two weeks.

Skagit Flats Marathon

The race started so beautifully, who knew what would await me?

I was ready. My training leading up to this race went perfectly. I only missed one run, and that was a 16 miler at the beginning of the cycle due to flu. I ran a test race in early August ; a half marathon where my only goal was to put in a good effort the second half. I PR’d that race without much effort. I was feeling good, well rested and well fueled when I took my place at the start line. I started out easy, constantly checking my pace, because it seemed too easy. My watch kept me honest. I would find myself wandering toward 8:30 minute miles, but would catch it early enough to dial it back again. As a result, my miles splits were coming in at 8:58 – 9:02. Perfect. My plan was to run 9 minute miles the first 20 miles, then hammer it in for the last 6.

It was already too warm when we hit the first aid station around mile 1.5. Unfortunately only 2 volunteers were manning the station and couldn’t keep up with the demand of over 600 runners. I passed that station without getting any water. I knew it was a mistake at the time, but figured I would drink well at the next station, two miles down the road. This station was prepared and I got my water. Another two miles, more water, some gel and I was right where I wanted to be. My legs were fresh, my heart rate low but I was starting to really sweat. When I passed mile 8 I realized I hadn’t taken electrolytes yet, so I popped one at the next water stop. By this time I was drenched in sweat. The roads were getting hot and the course offered no shade. My eyes were burning from the amount of salt dripping down my face. Still I was feeling good and my pace was a steady 9:00 minutes per mile. I hit the turn around point in 1:58. As I started the second half of the race I started to feel slightly qu. My head was gently throbbing and I experienced the most demanding thirst. Where is the aid station? My mouth felt like cotton and the aid station was still a mile away. I needed water badly… when I finally hit the aid station (around mile 15) I stopped and chugged 4 cups of water. I expected my stomach to start sloshing after so much water, but it went down amazingly well. I picked up my pace again and my head started to really pound. I slowed down to walk a moment. I was dizzy once I slowed down. I went through my vital check list: heart rate- good, feet- fine, muscles-pleasantly tired, stomach- settled and no sloshing. Then I noticed it – I wasn’t sweating. Me, Miss Sweat Princess, the one blessed with a super efficient cooling system that allows me to run in blistering heat, wasn’t sweating at all. This was bad. I knew if I had any hope of crossing the finish line I had to quit racing. No BQ, no PR for me today. I made a pact with myself that very moment: walk it in and save the legs for another day. pick up a slow jog if I start sweating again, drop out entirely if I kept feeling dizzy or the headache gets worse. I also knew I had to focus on getting the system functioning again. I started working on replacing my electrolytes and getting plenty of liquids down. I would alternate walking with a slow, shuffling jog every ¼ mile or so. By mile 20 I was feeling significantly better and my mile 24 I broke a sweat again. I cautiously jogged the remaining 2.2 miles to the finish line. I quit looking at my watch after I started walking, so was expecting the finish line clock to read 5+ hours. I was amazed to finish in 4:30 minutes. All that practice walking over the summer must have paid off. I walked around for a bit, drank some more water and hit the showers. As I was packing up my race gear I noticed my clothes were coated in a fine dusting of salt. More than the typical sweat rings I usually get. After the shower I started feeling much better. I started reviewing the race and noticed that even though I had gotten so severely dehydrated, I never got leg cramps. Weird.

Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon

I recently joined the newly formed Marathon Maniacs off-shoot: the Half Fanatics. I hadn’t run a half marathon since I stepped up to the marathon distance, but my brief foray into the 13.1 mile world back in 2005 was enough to get me a “Moon” status with the Half Fanatics. And since I am now a card carrying member, I thought I should at least run the local half sponsored by our club.

That’s how I found myself standing at the foggy start line of the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon. My last race was the Seattle Rock and Roll, then I decided to take the summer off and concentrate on my speed and strength. This half marathon fell on a day that I was scheduled to run 16 easy miles with 2 x 3 miles of harder effort. I figured I could run the race then tack on an extra 3 miles after the finish to hit my goal distance. For the actual race, I would run the first 6 miles slowly (as per my training plan), then pick up the 3 miles repeats with a mile jog in between. That plan would bring me flying into the finish, even though my overall effort would be relatively slow. I lined up with my friend Cat, and we took off through the fog. Around mile 4 the course started to climb as we ascended the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This section of the course was appropriately narrow as we dodged and weaved around slower runners. Coming off the bridge, I expected to find the course flatten out. I was surprised to find we were still climbing… and climbing…. and climbing. Cat and I continued to run at a pace that allowed us to chat, I resisted the urge to glance at my watch since I knew pace didn’t matter at this point in the race.

My watch beeper went off and it was time to pick up the pace. I bid Cat farewell, and I strided off, still running uphill. 25 minutes later, I approached the “fun” part of the course… running around the bases and Cheney Stadium. I hoped to hit this section during my jog recovery so I could enjoy it, but unfortunately I was still in my speed phase and concentrating on driving down my average pace. I hit the end of my 3 mile effort the same time I closed in on 3rd base. A glance of the watch indicated an average pace of 8:11 minutes per mile for the first repeat. Fast for me! I jogged my mile recovery and started to wonder if I could even come close to that speed during my second repeat.

I didn’t have to wonder too long before my beeper went off, signaling the start of another hard effort. My watch was set to show me my average pace for the repeat and I made a game out of trying to drive the pace down as the distance passed. I started to pass a lot of runners those last 3 miles, some of which I had leap-frogged with several times during the course of the morning. On one particularly fast section, around mile 12, I passed a very fit looking runner who had passed me several times during my easy run phases and she shouted “just who are you?”. I laughed and responded “just out doing a little training run, see you at the finish” as I left her behind. My second 3 mile effort came in at an 8:04 average. I crossed the finish line in 1:53:20 for a new personal record. I turned around and started running back up the course, but offset by a block so I wouldn’t actually be on the course, and finished my final 3 miles. I was very pleased with my time, especially since I ran the first half at such an easy pace. Hopefully this is a sign that my hard work this summer is paying off and I’ll get that Boston Qualifier in September.

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon

I hate it when marathons get off to a bad start, and this one was shaping up to be one of the worst I’ve experienced. Sure, I’ve missed flights and lost my running gear before… but those things are to be expected when traveling across the country. This race was in my backyard, things are supposed to unfold smoothly.

My mis-adventure started Friday around noon. After getting my son off to camp (his ride was late), I jumped in the car and hit the freeway, or rather something on the freeway. My car pitched strongly to one side and my flat tire light came on. Someone had lost a box full of tools and one had ripped out my sidewall. Three hours later, $300 poorer, I was on the road again. I kept a nervous eye on the clock as traffic became more congested. My 1 hour drive to Seattle was verging on 5 hours (“gee it took you 5 hours to get to Seattle? I can run a marathon faster than that”) and the expo was nearing it’s close. I finally reached Quest Field, pulled into the garage and was promptly asked for $10… the advertised $5 parking fee was wrong, and I was in no mood to fork out yet more money, but I gave in. I rushed to get my number, ignored all the vendors hawking items I’m sure I needed, and went in search of “The House”. I drove right to it… finally a signal that the weekend may turn out o.k. Upon entering I was greeted by the familiar faces of Erika, Peter, Holly, Amy, Tammy and Nancy. I was also introduced to new friends: Tim, Francesca and Laura. I couple of good hugs and a glass of wine, suddenly all was right with the world.

The next morning Holly and I were up before the alarm, making coffee, eating breakfast and mentally preparing for the task at hand. Soon everyone else was up too, and dressed to run. I thought it was fun that all the Maniacs chose yellow singlets and black skirts (except for Amy, but her Race Ready shorts almost looked like a skirt).

At 6:00 am we piled into two cars and headed for the start, thinking we would have plenty of time. Wrong! The freeway was a parking lot, many runners were bailing out of cars to run to the start when it became apparent that we would miss the gun. We still had several miles to go so the group made a decision to just stay in the car and hope we reached the start before the timing mats were rolled up. Our car remained relaxed about the whole thing….we were experienced marathoners and knew we would live to race another day… no big deal. We did wonder how the car full of first timers was holding up, though. By the time we reached the start line it was 7:41, we were 41 minutes late and as a result stuck behind all the runners and walkers of both the full and half marathon. Nancy and I lined up together even though we had different goals for our marathon execution: Nancy wanted to go out fast and see how long she could hold it. I planned on starting out slow, pick it up in the second half and run a fast final few miles.

After the extremely crowded opening miles, I decided that I was running too fast for my plan, so told Nancy to go ahead and run her own race. She surge ahead, I dropped back and we both continued to dodge and weave through the crowds. Our separation lasted maybe a mile. The crowds were slowing Nancy down and the frustration was speeding me up. We rejoined, had a quick conversation and completely changed our race strategy. We decided to just have as much fun as possible. After all, this was the Rock and Roll marathon and that is exactly what we should do! So from that point on, every time we passed a band, we would stop and dance. Sometimes separately, sometimes arm and arm, occasionally hugging each other tight. What a sight we must have been: two skirted Maniacs, laughing and shouting, high fiving the spectators, greeting the other Maniacs, basically having more fun than one could ever expect while running 26.2. In fact there were many points along the course that I forgot we were running a race of significant distance.

At mile 21 I asked Nancy if she had anything left in legs, she responded “yes” so we took off, putting in an 8:14 mile before stopping to dance again. It felt so good to have that kind of energy so late in a marathon. That dance at mile 22 was pure celebration: of running, and friendship, and spontaneous decisions. We joyously continued along, churning out the final few miles and concluding with a sprint to the finish. Our legs and hearts didn’t want to quite, though and we caught ourselves still running after donning our medals, and dancing again at the finish line band.

We looked at our Garmin’s and realized we had put in almost perfectly even splits which included 4:17 of running and 11 minutes of dancing. Textbook execution of a very complicated race.

So to you, our friends, we raise our glasses and celebrate the true Spirit of the Marathon.The same true Spirit which allowed our wings to fly.
Thanks for reading and thanks to our coaches who have to put our training aside so often while we go to visit the "wild" side.

The Green River/NODM Double Marathon Weekend

Living in Western Washington certainly has its perks. For distance runners, it’s the opportunity to run 2 marathons on beautiful courses in the same weekend. Both marathons run along wooded bike paths and finish with 4 miles along the Puget Sound. This is the 3rd time I’ve run this double: the first year day one was a 50k though, not a road marathon. It was my 5th double in 2 years. I love running double marathons.

Sat – Green River Marathon. 26.2 miles on a bike path along the Green River. 1st half is flat and easy , 2nd half hits urban roads. This is a free , but certified course marathon so streets are not closed. We have to wait for lights to cross major intersections. Also a few hills so it’s definitely the slower the 2nd half. I continue to run easy until mile 21, then I pick it up for a mile to get the legs moving. At mile 22 we hit the beach and a headwind but I keep focused and run hard the last 3 miles. ½ spilt is 2:14, mile 21- 9:10, mile 24 -9:10, mile 25 – 8:55, mile 26-9:31. Second ½ split 2:11. Overall time: 4:25. The best part: it was easy! I felt great at the finish. No soreness or fatigue. One hour later I felt like I hadn’t run at all. Huge success in my opinion.

After the race I head out to the ball park to watch a USSSA softball tournament that Mr. Hawk is playing in. I eat a couple of tacos and enjoy a beer. Before long it’s 9:30 pm and we still have a 3 hour drive to Port Angeles. So much for plenty of sleep. We arrive in Port Angeles and remember that we haven’t eaten since lunch. You simply can’t run a double without eating well, so luckily we find a pizza place that’s still open. Hit the sack at 2:00 a.m., up again at 6:00 a.m. I’m not hungry and have a headache, so I force down some dry toast and black coffee. Mr. Hawk takes me to the start line then heads back to bed.

Sun- North Olympic Discovery Marathon. 3rd time running this marathon and always as 2nd marathon of a double weekend, my course PR was 4:47. 1st half is fairly flat and boring through town street and farmland. 2nd half is a tougher run through the forest and has lots of hills: short, steep hills. Last 4 miles are again run along a beach. A feel a little sluggish the first 5 miles but just take it easy. By mile 8 I am warmed up. I continue to feel stronger and stronger throughout the race. I keep waiting for the course to get hard…. I remember how tough this race is from past years. It never gets hard. I run mile 21 fast to wake up the legs and hit the beach feeling like a run-away freight train. Powerful and unstoppable. I pass people like they are standing still the final 4 miles. What fun! 1st half split: 2:12. Mile 21- 8:31, mile 24 – 9:56, mile 25 – 9:49, mile 26 – 8:54. 2nd half split: 2:12. Overall time: 4:24. Good enough for 4th place in my AG, on the second day of a double! 22 minute course PR! Double marathon PR by 23 minutes! Went home and mowed the lawn. It really doesn’t get any better than this. Or does it?