St. George Marathon Race Report—Marathon Redemption v2

My marathon journey has not been an easy one. My first sub-four attempt (marathon #2) was a crash and burn in San Diego. The marathon after that (marathon #3) was my “marathon redemption” in Huntington Beach. My first Boston attempt (marathon #4) was a crash and burn in Long Beach. On Saturday I had my second “marathon redemption” in St. George (marathon #6).

We drove to the race, which is about six hours away. While traveling like that right before a race isn’t ideal, it worked out well for me. I think my carbo loading was much better than it has been in the past. Normally, I am running around like a crazy woman the day before a race. That is my normal routine, which sometimes doesn’t give me time for lunch, let alone constant snacking.  Sitting in a car allowed me to snack and drink the entire time. We drank so much that we had to stop three times during the drive!

We hit the expo and then headed to our friends’ family’s home for a fun pasta dinner. Since I had been eating all day, I didn’t feel tempted to eat a huge plate full of pasta.  I had a normal portion of pasta, piece of garlic bread and dessert. It was Heidi’s birthday and Rod’s in a few weeks, so we had several types of birthday cake.  The coolest thing was that Heidi was turning 26 and then running 26.2 the next day.  It was her first marathon.
We went back to Whitney’s family condo to sleep.  Did I mention how great it is running with people who seem to know everyone in Utah? No restaurant or hotel the night before a marathon?  Such a relaxing way to prepare for a race!!

I had one moment of panic while setting my stuff out for the next morning. I had my list at home that included my Garmin.  I brought my Garmin, BUT I failed to bring the wrist band that it snaps onto. I was contemplating keeping my Garmin in my hydration belt and lamenting at this unfortunate twist added to my race plan.  Whitney brought several spools of hair ribbon and had a great idea. We tied the Garmin to my wrist! It slid around my wrist a bit, but it was better than having to get it out of my belt to see my pace.  Crisis averted!  Thanks, Whitney!

We went to bed and I was super tired, convinced I would sleep like a rock. But, alas, I laid awake for a couple of hours. I wasn’t thinking about the race and I didn’t think I was that nervous, but my brain would not turn off!  I probably ended up getting a couple of hours, but when the alarm went off at 3:30 I was excited!

We caught the bus to the start line just before 5 a.m.. The only part of the course we could preview was the rise and fall of the road. It was pitch black. You could definitely tell there were a lot of hills in this race.

Runners who have run this race before had told us to bring gloves, throwaway sweatshirts, garbage sacks etc. because the start line, at 5200 feet in elevation, is very chilly. They even had many fires built at the start line to keep runners warm. They also gave everyone mylar blankets to wrap around ourselves. But we didn’t need any of that.  It was plenty warm. I think it was already in the 60’s when we started the race. Rumor has it that it was the warmest starting temperature in St. George’s 35 year history.  Yikes.

We were ready to go! (pictured are: Adam, Rod, Kelly, Kay, Kirsten, Heidi, Whitney, Me and Kim)

We used the porta potties several times.  My plan in a big race is to spend the entire time in potty lines. Once I get done, I get right back in line. This has been a key to my best races. Once I “emptied” everything, I took my Imodium. I took one and a half pills (after playing around with the dosage at various half marathons). This was a bit of a risk considering the fact that it can dehydrate you.  However, I was carrying water and planned on drinking throughout the race.  I had no dehydration issues. Phew!

Before we new it, it was time to start! 


I had a plan. My plan involved pacing myself. We found a GREAT pacing tool online that weighted each mile based upon the elevation changes and terrain of that race. The author has recorded splits from many runners from many years. This pace band was the KEY to my successful race. I kept my splits at or under these times. It took all my anxiety over the Veyo hill away. I knew that I could slow down quite a bit up that hill without hurting my overall time. Throughout the race, I could check and see where I was and what kind of cushion I had. It was awesome.

Miles 1-7—8:38, 8:43, 8:29, 8:15, 8:32, 8:18, 8:20 My friend, Sharron, texted me a good luck wish on Friday that said, “Have a great race tomorrow! Don’t forget to enjoy the view.” That text stuck with me.  It was dark when the race started but dawn came on around mile two. The sky was a beautiful color and while the sun was hidden by the mountains for quite a while, its affects could be seen on the red rocks in the distance. It was beautiful.  I made sure that I ran with my head up rather than watching the pavement in front of me. I was enjoying myself so much. The only thing I was missing was company. I would make a comment about the scenery and not get much interaction. But that was ok. It was the prettiest race I have ever run. Had I not had a specific time goal, I would have taken a ton of gorgeous pictures.  Instead, I stole borrowed a couple from another runner who was kind enough to post them on his blog. The pictures don’t do the scenery justice.

photos courtesy of fastcory.com

I ran and clicked off the miles…one at a time.  It was amazing how fast they clicked by. Before I knew it, I was running through the little town of Veyo. The spectators were pretty sparse on the course, but when there were spectators, they were super supportive and enthusiastic. Veyo was the greatest. I high fived about twenty kids and read a bunch of great signs.  There were signs that made me laugh like “Mommy, did you pee your pants?”  and “Running a Marathon is all mental and you are all INSANE.”


I felt surprisingly relaxed. I felt good and I was really enjoying myself. At one point I looked down and saw my name. Someone had painted “Relax, Lisa, Relax! You can DO it” I knew it was for another Lisa, but I chose to believe that they were writing it for me. There was another message with the same sentiment later on in the race.  Thank you, random stranger!

photo courtesy of MarathonFoto

Miles 7-13 —9:31, 9:13, 8:50, 9:06, 8:37, 8:33 Then we hit the infamous hill. But it was more than just the steep hill out of Veyo. Once you get to the top of the hill, you get a deceptive flat section and then it continues uphill for another three miles.  The good news was that the worst of the hills were over.

I was still clicking off the miles, one by one. I was shocked how fast things were going.  As I reached for my Gu at mile 12, I realized that one of them had fallen out of its elastic strap. Oh crap!  There goes my nutrition plan. I knew I should have stashed an extra one.  I was feeling good, so I decided not to take a Gu yet and to wait until mile 13.  I figured that I could find another gel somewhere to get me by later on, but I needed to be smart about it. At one point I was looking for full, unused gels on the ground. I saw a couple, but not until I passed them and it would have looked pretty silly to turn around to pick up a discarded gel. But I knew that I would need more nutrition. I took a chance and grabbed a banana at an aid station at mile 13. It tasted delicious and did great in my tummy!

Miles 14-18—8:55, 8:15, 8:53, 8:18, 8:48 It was starting to get pretty hot. It had been warm for most of the race, but the sun was behind the mountains or clouds for much of the first half of the race.  By mile 14 the sun was out in full force.

The heat didn’t affect me as badly as I thought it would.  One thing that helped a lot was a cute little trick that Whitney shared with me.  I took some knee socks and tied them around my neck.  At one of the early water stops (probably around mile 7) I soaked it in cold water. At every water stop I poured water on the socks. They kept my neck nice and cool and I never felt overheated. It was a risk running with something I hadn’t tried before.  I figured that I could toss the $2 socks if they bugged me.

Unfortunately, it was during these long hot middle miles that my IT Band started bothering me. A LOT. I had a long way to go and I didn’t know how much worse it was going to get. I stopped at a medical tent (which were very plentiful—at nearly every water station, which were every two miles). They rubbed my knee with Icy Hot. I think I did this at mile 17.

Miles 19-22—9:46, 9:11, 8:30, 9:49  These were the toughest miles of the race. I was in serious pain. I had to stop to stretch or walk in order to get the pain on the side of my leg to ease up.

Going into mile 19, I had close to a two minute cushion on my A+ goal. I was averaging an 8:41 pace.  But mile 19 was one of my slowest miles. I hurt, it was hot. I knew my cushion was dwindling away every time I stopped. During mile 19 there was an overpass with a traffic barrier off to the side under it. It was something to lean on and it was in the shade. I didn’t check, but I may have used up a good chunk of a minute there.

My IT Band hurt as much that day as it did during the Long Beach Marathon a year earlier. Last year, it was the nail in my coffin that I couldn’t push through. This year, I was SO close to my goal. Somehow, I was able to push through. I learned, maybe for the first time, just how much of a mental challenge a marathon is. I have always wondered if I could have pushed through that pain last year, but since my goals were completely gone, I never really tried. This year, with my goal still within reach, I found the strength. This is the strongest I have ever felt in a race.

Miles 23-26.2--8:35, 8:18, 8:35, 8:37 (pace for .2 was 8:17)                           
Miraculously, somewhere around mile 23, my IT Band stopped hurting so acutely. In fact, my knee went numb. I felt nothing.  Well…I can’t say nothing. It was the last miles of a marathon in 80-degree weather. I felt all sorts of things. 

These miles had some great spectator support. The course wound through residential streets where crowds cheered me on. There were cold washcloths at mile 25 that felt fantastic. There was finally some shade and I was smiling. I knew I was going to finish within my goal. My Boston qualifying time of 3:55 was in the bag. I knew my A++ (3:48 or faster) goal was out of reach, but my A+ goal (sub 3:50) was still possible. I pushed as hard as I could.

photo proof courtesy of MarathonFoto.com


I ran through the chute with a grin on my face. After crossing the finish line, I looked down and saw that I didn’t quite make that A+ goal (3:50:17).  However, I was not disappointed. I was overcome with emotion and as I covered my face as the tears came, a volunteer asked if I was ok.  I was more than ok. Then he asked if it was my first marathon.  “No, but my first time qualifying for Boston.”  I got a few congratulations from those around me.  I have never felt so proud after a race.

Official Time--

3:50:13

overall- 1578/5735

gender- 439/2554

women 40-44- 71/367

Thanks everyone for the positive thoughts and well wishes.

Coming soon…after the race, thoughts, and lessons learned.

BQ, baby!!!!

I went to Utah and kicked some serious booty! I ran a smart race, battled the weather, pushed through some major pain and owned that marathon.

My goal was to clear my Boston qualifying time by five minutes. I missed doing that by 13 seconds. But four minutes and 47 seconds is pretty awesome. Oh, and it was a PR by over seven minutes!!!

3:50:13!!

The full race report will be coming soon.

Happy Running… (I won’t be running today, but I am walking around pretty darn happy)

Q & A—part 3

Margot asked: What is one running goal you most want to achieve? I REALLY want to qualify for Boston. Because of my advanced age, my qualifying time is much more achievable than for younger women.  I tried for my “perfect storm” in October of 2010, but had a bad race.  I am trying again this October.  My goal for last year is the same—sub 3:50.  I will be moving up in age groups soon and even with the new Boston qualifying times, a 3:50 would give me a five minute buffer.

In addition, I will run a 50K one of these days.  I had planned to run one last summer, but I had budget and scheduling issues.

Jess asked: What do you look forward to most following a hard training run? It is usually something cold and sweet.  I LOVE Otter Pops right after a run (I have packed them in a cooler for the group before) or an ice cold Pepsi.

Favorite running outfit? I don’t really have one favorite outfit.  I am pretty cheap when it comes to running clothes and my outfits are a collection of clearance items, gifts and C9 from Target. Half the time I wear race shirts and whatever shorts are clean.  After participating and teaching Body Back, I am in probably the best shape of my life. I am getting more and more comfortable showing my shape.  I just started rockin’ the booty shorts and love how comfy they are. My current favorite has been my Roadrunner Velocity Compression Shorts and my Roadrunner Every Day Tank in neon yellow/green.  However, I am beginning to think that my cammo Running Skirt with pink Roadrunner tank might become my favorite.
Favorite mileage? The half marathon is my favorite. I am even a Half Fanatic(#1205)! It is long enough to be an accomplishment, but not so long that it overtakes your training. My running fitness goal has been to be in half marathon shape no matter what I am training for, which means running at least 8-10 miles on the weekend.  This has come in handy as I have been able to do several last minute half marathons over the past year or so. For random runs, I still like the longer distances. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like I get into much of a groove until mile 7 or 8. It seems like most of my bad runs are under six miles.

Tricia asked the all-important question: What's your favorite kind of beer? Maybe I should have included this with the Hood to Coast-related questions. I have already told Tricia that I would buy her a beer for sending me my running skirt. Hopefully, this question means that I have a teammate who likes beer.   Having my roots in Oregon, I am a fan of micro brewery craft beers. Everywhere you look in Oregon, there is a small brewery with yummy beer. My taste in beer depends on my mood.  I usually like Irish red ale, since they rarely have a distinct hops flavor (I’m not a big fan of “hoppy” beer).  Sometimes, especially in the summer, I like the fruit or wheat or Belgian White beer.  I have never been a fan of strong porters, IPA’s or stouts (although there is an oatmeal stout that I had once that was pretty good.)  hee hee….more info on my beer tastes than you expected, eh?

Lindsay asked: what is your ideal number of blog posts per week? (for you to write, or what you think others should post max)  I have no idea what ideal is, but I sometimes struggle to do one per week, which is far from ideal.  I would love to post 3-4 times a week.  I take a long time to compose blog posts, so I just don’t have time to do that.  I feel that posting every day is a bit of overkill and I have a hard time following anyone that posts that often. 

How many now-real-life friends have you met through blogging? (real life as in met up with).  I am a big fan of meeting people on the internet.  I have met five people I got to know from blogs.  I have met Alice, Penny, Alissa, Jill, Aron, Irene and LB.  LB and I met accidentally at the beach one day. I have also met Danica a couple of times.  Does talking on the phone count as real life friend? Terri and I have spoken to on the phone, texted etc and interact on Facebook regularly.  Before I ever knew what blogging was, I was involved in a couple online message board communities. I have friends who I consider very close that I met while trying to get pregnant nine years ago with my first child as well as a couple I met while pregnant with my second. I no longer participate in message boards, but we all stay well connected through Facebook.  I am sure after Hood to Coast, I will be able to update that list.  I am already becoming friends with a few of my teammates.

Ideal place to go on vacation? I love the Caribbean. The water is warm and crystal clear and the weather is balmy. I want to repeat the best vacation I ever had, which was chartering a sailboat called Cat Maudy. The captain and his wife spoiled my husband and I to a fantastic week of sailing around the Virgin Islands.  It was incredibly relaxing, and we could snorkel, swim, explore as much as we wanted. We met with them at the beginning of our voyage and decided on the itinerary and they knew our likes and dislikes in terms of food, drink etc.  We didn’t have to make another decision for the rest of the week.  It was incredible.

What activity would you do (money is not an issue).  I would have to say travel. Almost everything on my “bucket list” have to do with things in other parts of the world. I want to hike the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu. I want to do a trek in the Himalayas. I want to cycle through Europe. I want to go to the Olympics and the World Cup (wherever they might be). I would also like to run along the Great Wall of China (that marathon/half marathon looks awesome!)

Did you enjoy high school? I did. I participated in a lot of things in high school (student government, speech team, drama club, newspaper), yet had plenty of time to hang out with friends.  However, I am not a “glory days” kind of gal.  I don’t look back at high school with melancholy thinking about the “best days of my life.” I grew a lot in high school and enjoyed it, but would not want to go back.  Ever.

Thanks for playing!  I hope you were able to learn a little bit about me.

Happy Running…

Bye, bye Boston...

If you are a runner and haven't been under a rock today, you have probably heard about Boston Marathon's new registration process and new qualifying times.  They are giving preference to those who blow away their qualifying times and runners who make it by the skin of their teeth will most likely not make it in.


They are starting the registration early, leaving October marathons out (so much for qualifying this year in St. George).  The first two days are reserved for runners who beat their qualifying times by twenty minutes or more.  The next two days are for those running ten minutes faster than posted BQ times.  Two days later, those beating their times by five minutes are allowed to register.  A week after registration opens the rest of the qualifiers can register.  In addition, the times in 2013 will be reduced by five minutes.


It is a good move for the Boston Marathon, which thrives on its reputation as the "race to run."  Boston is a prestigious race for the mere fact that runners have to qualify to get in.*  The harder it is to get in, the more impressive it is if you do.  To maintain this elite status in the wake of increase in the popularity of running marathons, changes had to be made.


However, it bums me out a little.  I was hoping that 2012 would be my year.  I turn 45 and my qualifying time goes up to four hours.  That extra ten minutes is huge!  My 3:50 goal that I was so sure I could run last fall is now an elusive target.  Long Beach really did a number on my confidence.  I  know I can run under four hours, since I did it at Surf City last year.  For 2112, to guarantee the ability to register, I'd have to run 3:40.  To get a decent chance, it looks like 3:50 is back on the table. I'm pretty sure 3:55 is already the minimum time (if the race isn't full before the five minute people are allowed to enter), new standards or not.


I still wonder why they have the same qualifying time for runners between 18-34.  I think creating new age groups for BQ times might change the field a bit.  But then again, they know the demographics of their runners better than I do.


Only time will tell how this will affect Boston.  I'm pretty sure it will help it.  My own running career?  I'm not so sure Boston is in the cards for me.  But we'll just have to see about that as well.  What are your thoughts on the changes in the Boston Marathon??


Happy running...




*except, of course, the charity and corporate runners.

Goals for the Long Beach Marathon

I know I have alluded to my goals for this weekend’s Long Beach Marathon, but I am not sure if I have spelled them out.  Honestly, I thought that if I admitted my goal I would be that much more disappointed if it doesn’t happen.  But as I get closer, I realize that knowing that I have people pulling for me will be a big boost out there on the course.

I am going to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon.


There, I said it.  I can’t take it back.  It is out here in cyberspace. 

Long Beach is the perfect timed race for me.  It sits right in the “Perfect Storm” for me for qualifying for Boston.  October of this year is the only time where I can qualify for two different Boston Marathons in two different age divisions*.  I will be 44 years old for 2011 and will turn 45 two days before the 2012 race.  Boston uses qualifying times from races eighteen months back.  2012 Boston Marathon will take times from races as early as late-September 2010** which includes Sunday’s race.  The Boston Marathon sold out in November last year, so this is it for 2011.

My number one goal is to run this marathon under 3:50.***  That will qualify me to run the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2011.  My plan is to run right under 8:45 per mile.  My pace for my last marathon was 9:03.  Eighteen seconds per mile is achievable, but not easy.

My second goal is to PR.  My current PR is 3:57:17.  That will qualify me to run the Boston Marathon in April, 2012.  In fact, anything under 4:00 would qualify for Boston 2012. 

I am looking forward to really enjoying myself on Sunday.  A marathon is a tough thing to do when you aren’t having fun.  I want to keep a smile on my face, and take in the great course.  The weather is predicted to be perfect running weather and I can’t wait.

I am running the marathon with my friend, Marci.  She and I are really well matched in terms of our pace.  Most of the time I feel like she is faster than I am.  However, we ran a 10K in July together and I had a bit more kick at the end. We push each other well.  I am really looking forward to having the company and sharing this with her.  I do need to focus on running my own race.  In the past, I have let someone else dictate my pace and I regretted it as I struggled through the last half of the race.  Luckily, Marci and I have a great understanding that we are both there to run our own race.  I hope that we can run the entire thing together.

I know a ton of people who are running the half.  I have written two training plans for friends running their first half marathons and I am super excited for them.  I am looking forward to celebrating after the race with my friend Stacey who has run many of my midweek runs with me the past few months.  I also know quite a few bloggers who will be running the half.  AKA Alice, Aron, Luis, Glenn are all bloggers who will be there (I hope I am not missing someone).  There are several out-and-back sections of the course and I am hoping to see some friends along the way.

I am trying to stay positive and ignore all the taper demons screaming at me.  I am going to trust my training and stick to my plan. 

Happy Running…

*Obviously, this will also happen in five years, but this year is my first opportunity.
**This year, they will accept times run on or after September 20, 2009
***Qualifying time for Women 40-44 is 3:50:59; Women 45-49 is 4:00:59

25 Days

That is how long before the Long Beach Marathon.  I feel good.  I have the endurance.  I could run a marathon tomorrow.  The question is: can I run a marathon in 3:49 or less?

I began training in April with the St. George Marathon  as my goal.  After a slow start and a failed St. George lottery attempt, I ramped up my mileage.  I had plans to run a 50K in August, but that didn’t work out, so I put my focus on a marathon and a BQ attempt.  I decided to run Long Beach when I met a friend who had a similar pace and goal and was running it.  I had heard good things about the race from other runners I have met, as well as other bloggers like Danica. 

I have already run two twenty-milers and a couple eighteens*.  I ran four half marathons (well, three half marathons and a 22K).  During this training cycle, I set PRs in the half, 10K and 5K distances.  I have run over 800 miles, gone through several pairs of shoes and had two sports massages.  But as I sit here reflecting on it all, I can’t help wondering:  is it enough?
 
I have one more long run before I start to taper.  I am planning on running twenty-two miles this weekend.  I have never run that distance in training.  I wonder if having such a long training plan (26 weeks) had me peaking too early.  There is something to be said for the Higdon program I did for my first marathon where I built mileage each week, culminating in one twenty mile run right before the taper.  However, I really wanted to get in three or four twenty+ mile runs this time.

This morning I went to the track to do some 800m repeats.  My friend couldn’t make it, so I was on my own.  It is harder to motivate yourself to go that fast by yourself, especially when your running partner is just a little bit faster. Our plan is to use Yasso as our guide.  The goal pace is 3:45 and we are building up to ten repeats.  Two weeks ago we did four.  This morning, I only had time for six.  While my times were slower this time than my previous track workout,** all six repeats were at or below my goal pace and my recovery time was shorter.***  I’m not going to lie; they weren’t easy.  I am pretty sure that I could have pushed out a few more given the time, but who knows.  As it was, I kept fighting with myself to keep going.  First, I told myself that four repeats would be plenty.  But I kept going. Then I justified that five would be one more than last time.  I still kept going.  On the last repeat, I told myself that a 400 for the last interval would be fine.  Then I heard my thoughts wonder if 600m would give the same benefit as 800.  I finished all six repeats, feeling pretty spent at the end of each of them.  My 800m times were: 3:45, 3:41, 3:42, 3:35, 3:38 and 3:43.  I walked 200m between each interval.

So I am basically at a point where I have to trust in my training.  Did I stick to my plan completely?  No.  But I did come pretty close.  I kept the mileage higher than any of my previous marathons.  I had hoped to do a bit more tempo runs and speedwork, but as you can see above, when I have done them, I have been able to hit my marks.  If I am obsessing about all this now, what kind of a mess am I going to be during my taper?

25 days.  Bring it on.

Happy Running…


*We averaged 9:00 minutes on my eighteen miler last weekend!
**Two weeks ago we did four 800m repeats with 400m recovery with times of: 3:24, 3:28, 3:38 and 3:30.
***This morning I recovered for 200m instead of 400m.

43

Today I am 43.  Yikes… seeing it in writing makes me feel OLD.

I ran my first race at age 40 (the Iron Girl 10K in San Diego).  I ran my first marathon at age 41 (as well as my first and second half marathons).  I ran my second and third marathons when I was 42 years old (along with various other fun races).

So what does this next year hold? 

This year I hope to run my first ultra marathon, a 50k.  I also hope to qualify for Boston.  Those are some pretty big goals.   Wish me luck!

Some thoughts on my marathon goals...

First of all... THANK YOU! I really appreciate the supportive comments on my last post. I am happy that anyone read such a whiny thing. Your words of encouragement really mean a lot. I would never have been able to objectively think about my marathon goals the way I was feeling the other day.

I am stealing an idea from a blog I read. However, for the life of me, I can't remember whose blog it was. *blush* If it was you, please let me know in the comments so I can give you plenty of credit. I have been mentally categorizing my goals. I am ready to...gulp...share them with the world. I am not sure if this will motivate me more or just make me more disappointed if I don't achieve them. Stating my goals here worked for Carlsbad and La Jolla, so I am going to give it a shot. Here goes:

Finisher's Medal-- A PR (4:30-4:53). I ran the Rock-n-Roll Marathon last year in 4:54:23. It was close to a half an hour slower than my goal of 4:30.* I ran it a full minute per mile slower than any of my training runs. No matter what, I need to finish faster than last year. Anything slower will feel almost like a DNF.**
Bronze-- 4:15-4:29 This would represent right around the ten-minute-mile pace. I wouldn't be super thrilled, but it is a huge improvement over last year.
Silver--4:00-4:14 This is not my goal, but I will be happy if this is my time. In fact, when I started this training cycle, this was my goal. It wasn't until I started having faster and faster workouts that I started believing that I can do a sub-four. This goal is probably the likeliest scenario. This time represents my pace on the vast majority of my long runs. I would make it my initial goal, but there is something in me that wants to strive for the gold. In my corporate life, this result would be equivalent to hitting bonus targets-- always a good thing. Anything better than your target puts you into "stretch" bonus. Obviously, we always wanted to hit stretch, but were very happy to hit our target goals.
Gold-- 3:51-3:59 Finishing under four hours would be AWESOME. Just thinking about it makes me giddy. Icing on the cake would be if I saw a three on the finish line clock. But even if my gun time is over four, a chip time under four would make me ecstatic. The ultimate would be if I could finish in 3:54:23, taking an hour off last year's time. Can you imagine a one hour PR??? Ah... to dream. I know that I am able to achieve a sub-four marathon. HOWEVER, it has to be one of those days when everything clicks.
Platinum (pie in the sky)-- 3:50:59 (BQ). This is one of those things that I can't really even hope for. It would be a very, very unlikely thing to happen. In fact, I don't think it is possible to achieve such a strong finish without setting out to do so. I won't let myself go out fast enough to average the right pace. However, it is fun to think that if the stars aligned, I could have some serious negative splits. Heck, I was over seven minutes faster than my goal at Carlsbad, who knows what could happen. Yeah right. I felt that my list of possible scenarios wouldn't be complete without listing the ultimate goal. Maybe next marathon??


* Ultimately, my goal was to finish and that was what I told everyone. However, deep down I had hopes of running it in 4:30.
**I know that a five hour marathon is a perfectly good time. I should be happy to finish at all. I just know myself and I know that I will be devastated to run slower than last year, after these past few months of training.