St George Marathon 2014

St George Marathon 2014

Have you ever wondered how fast you could walk a marathon? Have you ever wondered if you had the patience to walk 26+ miles? I had the unique opportunity to find out last weekend. Granted I jogged a little of the race. But not very much of it. I mostly had to dig deep to just walk the race.

My Hamstring Injury:

On August 21^st I decided that I could manage some speed training. So I started with 2 intervals of half mile each, and added one more every week to top off with 6 on September 17^th. My running still felt strained from other problems I’ve had this year. But I really wanted to see what my goal should be for the upcoming marathon. The speed intervals have always been a very accurate indicator for me of what pace I could accomplish on Race day. The intervals were telling me that a marathon in the 3:40-50 range would be possible. But the last 2 interval sessions were hard on my hamstring. After the Sept 11^th session my hamstring bothered me, and then on Sept. 17^th my hamstring was screaming at me. On the track I kept thinking, just one more, and then after that…just one more…until I got to the 6 I wanted. Well this was a big mistake. Now my hamstring was shot. Really painful. I took days off. Then when I tried to do my final long run (20+ miles) that Saturday, my hamstring was in allot of pain. I only got 9 miles and then went home. I pretty much only ran 6 and then walked to freestone to get a ride home. So I took more days off. And more days off. And more days off. I took the final 2 weeks off. I would sometimes run across the living room to see what was going on. But it still hurt. And then 3 days before the marathon I did a little test on the treadmill. It didn’t seem good. All indications were that my injury was still very real. I kept thinking that maybe I’d skip the race. But Noah kept saying that maybe if I just tried to run the race, that maybe my leg would warm up and be fine after a few miles. I know that sometimes this happens…and it’s easy to give me hope.

The Race:

I decided to toe the line and hope for a miracle. And maybe after doing no exercise at all on Thursday and Friday, maybe I would be healed for Saturday. But there was no miracle for me this time.

So I started the marathon with the 4 hour pace group. Still hoping that my hamstring was better now. It wasn’t. I made it to .65 before I started to walk. It really hurt. I thought I’d walk a little and see if I could warm up the muscle and then be able to run. Any time I tried to run it was so painful that I figured if I had any chance to finish that I needed to stop running at all. So I walked for a really long time. Over half the marathon. In the middle of the marathon my pace was 15 minute mile average.

At some point in the second half I started to feel that I could jog a little bit sometimes. Mostly just a jog in place and then barely moving forward. One thing I learned in this marathon was that even a slow jog is faster than a walk. This isn’t true for everyone. One of my sisters can walk very very fast. But for me, if I could jog very very slowly, my pace would start to improve from walking pace. And when I was walking, the slowest joggers were passing me by.

It was interesting to walk because I could take pictures and I could observe people. People back here were working so hard to accomplish this marathon. It was a very determined and impressive group of people. I was also very impressed with the crowd support. People who cheered and clapped and encouraged me. I was walking. But they seemed very impressed with me and yelled wonderful words of encouragement. I was glad that they didn’t go home after the fasties had passed. And then there were the volunteers. They would rub icy hot on the back of my legs at every aid station. I needed it. I was so grateful. And the guy who sits in his back yard playing “Eye of the Tiger”…he was still there for me. I yelled “Thank you” to him, “I needed you today!” His back yard backs up to the race course, with a slope in between, but I’ve come to count on him being there every time. I anticipate it.

As I was walking along I almost stepped on a fist size spider. He was all brown and fuzzy and gigantic. I jumped back in alarm. I’ve never see a guy like him out of a cage. It seemed surreal. I wish I had taken a picture of him. It would have been worth an extra minute of time.

Noah was texting me that he’d come get me at Snow Valley, but I decided to see how far I could go. I tried to get my salt tabs and some Tylenol out of my pack and dropped them. I texted Noah that it would be really great if he could bring me some more before 12:00.

When I was about 15 miles in, I noticed by the time on my watch that my friends might be finishing. This was a little hard to think about, that I still had so far to go. But I was happy for them and hoping that they all made their goals. Noah texted me that he saw Karen come in. Then he took the girls back to the hotel and headed out on his bike to find me.

He got to mile 23 and then waited for me. I was so happy to see him. He rode alongside me and it gave me such a boost that I was able to find a steady jog that I could keep till the end. So I jogged the last 3 miles in. Noah stayed with me for 2 miles and then he parted ways to go get the girls again.

Before he left I refilled my back pack with water, for the first time during the race. I was feeling so much better the last few miles that I forgot to take my last gu. I take them on a 5 mile schedule.

I was glad that I got to experience the race in a different way. I was glad that Karen came back to see me finish. I was glad that my husband made the effort to help me finish. I was glad for good volunteers and crowd support. I was happy to share another training and marathon season with some of the Sweat Sisters. My friends ran so well and that brought me joy. 

I am now paying for this experience. Even walking this race led me to have a huge bruised, swollen hamstring the next day. And now 4 days later I still feel like I couldn’t even cross-train, not even swim. I can barely walk around. So I may not have done the right thing. These are hard decisions to make. I am committing to take some real time off running now. At least 4 weeks without even attempting to run. Not even across the living room. I have to try this. It’s time for a reset.

Thank you St George for another beautiful day in your Canyon. The Vitamin D was good for me and I have a very valuable experience to remember. 

My off season

So just a little recap of the past several months. I find comfort and closure in journaling my races or running adventures.

Back in middle February I got a pretty intense hip flexor injury. The Zane Grey race was my A race for 2014 and I couldn't bear to let it go. So I decided to do whatever I could to get through this race before I could take serious time off running. I saw my Physical Therapist NS and he helped nurse me through a preparation race for ZG (Mesquite Canyon 30 miles) and got me to Zane. Maybe you have read how Zane didn't go as I planned. Not at all. But in some ways I felt that dropping out with 17 miles was the perfect solution for me. I got a taste of this Zane Grey race but I also saved my injured legs from 33 more miles of stress.

So now, Zane Grey over, time to focus on some real recovery.

BUT, first. My running group, the Sweat Sisters, were all doing a half marathon in Laguna Hills Half in May. I wouldn't put allot of training in, and I wouldn't worry about it being one of my fastest races. But I had to go have my girls weekend. I couldn't pass up this time with my running gals. This was Memorial Weekend. May 26th. My legs were starting to improve. But now my Awesome PT was going on leave for a few years. Maybe I was improving enough to get by on my own now. The pace I was hoping would feel manageable at LHH ended up being 30 seconds faster than the pace that actually felt manageable. I still felt happy with the final average pace though. This race was very hilly. A difficult course. At first I was disappointed that it was one of my slowest half marathons. But then I made peace with it. After all, Id rather run a challenging and interesting course than to nail a number.

After LHH I had a hard time recovering and I could feel that the race had cost me much of the improvement that I had started to make with my injury. I had tried to run a very manageable pace, but lets face it...in a race setting the excitement will always make me go faster than on a normal running day. And now my PT wasn't around to help me.

So I figured that Id take some time off and get better. BUT, first. My birthday was June 8th. I was turning 40. You only turn 40 once. It seems like a big number. I really felt the need to commemorate this birthday with a 40 mile run. Aravaipa was offering a 40 mile distance in their Adrenaline race which would take place on June 14th. Just 6 days after birthday. Close enough. What a great way to get support for my 40 miles. I just needed 40 miles. I didn't need to be speedy. I had been going to do it on a Saturday morning, mostly on my own. That wouldn't have been fast. So I convinced myself to let go all need for speed on this night run and just get my miles. Run as slow as my body wanted. This wouldn't set me back too much with my injury. Hec, maybe Id even walk allot of it.

My friends VC and EC signed up for one of the shorter distances of the same race. I was sad that we couldn't do some of the miles together, because our distances started at different times. But I was happy to see them at the beginning and to feel some support and talk with them about the race later.
I really liked the race format. There were 2 loops, one of them around 6 miles and one around 10 miles. We started with the shorter loop and then alternated short, long, short, etc.

I never looked up my final stats but when my watch quit it said 21.75 at 12:28 pace. I know I slowed down after that though. I think my final time was 8:20. Some of the highlights of the night, good and bad:
*I didn't feel like getting sentimental over the last 40 years of my life. I just felt like running. I like my life and I;m happy with where I'm at.
*I love running trails at night. It is scary and exciting. Id be too scared to go on a trail run by myself alone at night. But if its a race setting, then I feel that animals or any kind of danger will be respectful of the race and let me live.
*I saw a snake crossing the trail in front of me at one point and he was really taking his time. I stopped and patiently waited for him to cross the trail. No snake hurdling for me.
*I was painfully bloated for the last loop. I think that I may have overdosed on Imodium. Lesson learned.
*I memorized a couple of country songs to play in my head during the race. Every time since the race that I'm driving and hear "Letting the night roll" in the car, I sing it loudly and cry a little. Because it brings me back to my trail night. I'm not sure why I'm emotional about it, or if it is happy or sad emotion. Maybe both. It might have to do with how much I liked the night run, but also something to do with the emotional struggles I've had this year with my compromised running.
*Noah dropped me off at the race and I told him to sleep in til 4 am. Asking him to get up before that seemed kind of like asking him to not sleep at all. And I figured that would give me plenty of time to finish. I finished before 3:30 so I hung out with Pati Coury (the race directors Mom) until Noah got up and drove out to the McDowells to get me. She was fun and interesting to listen to. She is the lady who is always cooking up made to order quesadillas and burritos at the finish line.

So now I was able to run my birthday 40 and it was definitely time to take some time off and rest. BUT, first. Just one more thing. My Utah trip. Every 4th of July. I love running the different mountains and trails in Utah. I love having hills right outside my parents door. I love a change of scenery and elevation. Last year, 2013 trip to Utah, I was not able to run. I had some health issues and spent some time in the Urgent Care. This year I was not gonna pass up the opportunity to run in the nice Utah weather. I ran every day except Sundays. I got 4 trail runs and 3 nice road runs. I took it slow and easy so my hip injury wouldn't suffer. I got a 40 mile week in. I enjoyed every mile, every moment.

I got home from Utah and felt kind of okay for about a week and a half. And then I really didn't feel okay. I really couldn't run in any kind of normal form. I felt really broken. I took a week off and then tried 3 miles. It didn't feel good. I took another week off and then tried to run. Still didn't feel great. I started running again, slowly but with walk breaks. I found a new Physical Therapist close to home. I have been trying to come back. Slowly. A little more mileage when ever it feels possible. A little more intensity whenever it seems possible. I am trying to mend. I have been building my weekend mileage for St George Marathon. The time for my summer "off-season" is over. I am feeling tiny bits of improvement all the time. But it is still frustrating and I am just waiting for running to feel like my comfort zone again. When running is bad its okay. But I remember that when running is good, its fabulous. There is nothing like it.

So there is the story of my 2014 off season. Next blog will be about SG marathon. Unless I decide to skip it. Getting better has to be first priority. I will see how I feel as it gets close.

Zane Grey: Attempt #1 in 2014.

The day before Zane Grey 50 I received an email that due to weather conditions this year, they would be rerouting the race from the Fish Hatchery (mile 33) to the end. They may even end the race at Mile 33. The forecast was for a cold front that would include rain and cold weather. Maybe even some snow...

I stressed out about whether to change my plans about what I was going to wear (shorts and a tank). My past experience has suggested to me that extra clothing, when wet, is really not helpful. So I was thinking that I should just stick with my shorts. After consulting with other runners and with a good friend, I decided to add arm warmers, change my shorts to tights, and to wear my rain jacket. I knew from past experience that if I kept moving that I can stay warm. I have run in rain before. I have run in cold before. I have run in wind before (also part of the forecast). I have even run in snow before. I could do this.

What didn't really click in my mind is that I haven't ever run in rain, cold, sleet, hail, snow, wind, and on mud. All at the same time. And on a very technical trail. What a treat.

At the beginning of the race things seemed very calm and normal. Not even very cold.

We started in the dark at 5:00 am and I thought well maybe the forecast had been an over-exaggeration, as often it can be where I live...

A few miles in started up with some rain. Not too big of a deal. I was taking an easy pace. Still figuring that I was in for a 50 mile day. I was starting to get cold and my rain jacket isn't great. A $100 rain jacket from Nike a few years ago. It doesn't keep rain out. And my gloves were getting wet all the way through. And it was getting colder. I was glad for the tights I had changed into. Even if it wasn't for the cold, they were protecting me from all the brush crowding me on both sides of the trail.

There was a beautiful sunrise I tried to look at as much as I could while I maneuvered the rocks. The trail opened up to a beautiful sweeping view that I was glad to take in. I was enjoying the views and the woodsy atmosphere and the challenging trail. I like how the trail would wind down down down and take a sharp turn and wind up up up...It was fun and interesting. Sometimes you would run fast feeling like the side of the trail was dropping off the earth...

Before the first aid station (mile 8) I was already soaked through. I grabbed a bunch to eat and put my headlamp and flashlight into my drop bag so as to not carry the unnecessary weight. And then it was on toward mile 17 aid station.

Leaving the aid station I noticed that the trail was getting so muddy. I was dragging a ton of heavy mud on my shoes and stopped to scrape off the some of the mud. I noticed that other people were struggling with heavy muddy shoes also. I was making a strong effort to stay close to people. Speed up or slow down, but don't end up alone. Noah was worried about me doing this race and I promised him that I would put safety above speed or anything else. I followed a group of people up a hill. Then some people behind us yelled that we had blown through a blue ribbon. Blue ribbons were to mark the WRONG way. So a bunch of us yelled up to others who had went off the course "Come back! Wrong way!" And we turned around and took the correct turn. I got called back very quickly and wasn't off course long enough to even feel like I 'got lost' or got off course. I later learned that a couple of people had gotten way off course, and I wonder if that spot was where they took the wrong turn. Blue ribbons were bad, yellow were good. There were several places during the day where I couldn't see the trail and I had to look around until I found a pile of helpful rocks or a yellow ribbon. I have heard in years past that this trail can be tricky to stay on course. So I was doing my best to be alert. I really feel like the trail markings were good. I was comforted to see a yellow ribbon probably every mile....

So the weather took another interesting turn. The rain was getting thicker, slushy, snow and then hail. This happened at least by mile 12 for me. I was running along and sometimes chuckling. Because it seemed a little hilarious...and cool...to be running along in a wicked hail storm. On a Crazy trail. On a crazy day. It somehow all seemed ridiculous, in a fun way. If only my hands and feet weren't so darn cold!!! I kept telling myself to make the most of this coldness. I kept telling myself 'this is your year!' because I do better with cold then heat. All along I had been expecting heat to be what I struggled with at ZG. But here I had this wonderful cold weather. But....my hands and feet were not loving the degree of coldness that was being delivered here.

There was a beautiful misty fog everywhere. Everything about this race was starting to feel surreal. My thoughts went to Princess Bride...Was it just a dream??? So beautiful and fun but so painful.

I came across a runner who asked me to tuck her jacket into the strings in the back of her pack. I was trying to do what she asked but my fingers were so stiff and I couldn't make them be helpful at all. She said never mind and sent me on my way.  My gloves were so icy cold. I had my hands in balls inside of my wet gloves, without my fingers in the finger pockets. I wondered if I should take the wet gloves off. I didn't know if it was helpful to have them or not. I knew I was getting close to the 17 mile aid station. I tried to cross a little creek on the rocks but slipped and stepped fully into very cold water. Oh well...my feet were already wet and cold anyway. What did it matter? And then there was a big drop off in the trail and I stepped down cautiously but slipped on the rock and fell and hurt my tailbone. I got up and yelled a bad word and kept going.  I started to wonder what I should do at the 17 aid station. Washington Park. I couldn't feel half my fingers and the other half hurt. My feet hurt with the cold. I wasn't at my breaking point. But if I continued on after mile 17...the next aid station was remote and you couldn't even have people drive in to see you there. I didn't think I could conveniently drop there. I kind of figured that the next time you could conveniently get an exit from the race would not be until the Fish Hatchery, mile 33. I knew that my change of clothes was in the drop bag for mile 44. When I thought it would be getting cool for the evening...all my mile 17 drop bag had to offer me was sunscreen, and a cold towel! I definitely didn't need a cold towel. If my guardian angel could just show up with a pair of waterproof gloves...but perhaps my guardian angel was saving me from something in the next miles to come.

At the aid station I waited while a volunteer helped retrieve my drop bag. As soon as I stopped running I turned into a mess of convulsive shivering. I saw MP, who was with me at Aid 8 (Geronimo) also. "How can we possibly get warmed up at this point?" I asked her. She seemed shaken up and was trying to make the decision that we didn't want to make. Her boyfriend told her that she looked "pretty good, better than most..." so off she went! I admired and coveted her toughness. I coudn't make my hands work to get my new gu's out of my drop bag. I looked around for help but everyone seemed so busy and everything was so crazy...I asked one volunteer if there was anywhere we could go to get warm just for a minute...he said that I could go sit in his truck. It took a long time to get my shaking shivering body under control. He moved me to his front seat, which was heated. This helped. He brought me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I saw them start to clean up the aid station. They were about to shut this aid station down soon. Another guy from Pennsylvania was in the truck getting warmed up. He asked the volunteer to tell them that he was dropping. I asked him to tell them that I was dropping too. I knew that I would suffer mental trauma about this decision. And I did. I played it out so many times in my head...if I had just kept going and not stopped then I would've stayed warm enough...but then I wouldn't have any nutrition with me for then next bunch of miles ahead. I wasn't at my breaking point, but would I be in 3 more miles??? I have had a hip injury...if my injury took a bad turn, would I be stuck walking or crawling through the blizzard??? I knew this was the decision I had to make because I had promised Noah that safety would be my first priority.

I sent a bunch of texts through and just one made it to Noah: I'm getting a ride the the fish hatchery. I dropped.

The 2 guys who gave me and Pennsylvania a ride were very nice. They were out there supporting a friend, Dean, who I think finished. They bought me a soda and got me to the fish hatchery. I spent the rest of the day at our friends trailer close to Christopher Creek. I watched movies and snuggled with my kids to stay warm. I always enjoy my time hanging out with my husband and children. But I couldn't help being a little honery because the day had not played out as I had planned. For a few days I muddled over in my mind if I could've done things differently. But then I came across some blog reports from other runners. Runners who had finished the Zane Grey 50k. (They did indeed shorten the race and end it at the Fish Hatchery 33 miles). The blog reports validated my experience. As I read them, I did get the feeling that I had made the right decision. I already knew I had, but now I finally felt some peace about my decision.

I am very glad that I got to experience and be a part of the Epic 2014 Zane Grey. I did get the 25K option. This was a good taste of the brutality and the awesomeness that is Zane Grey. It was the adventure that I long for and crave...experiences beyond the ordinary! Those awesome misty foggy foresty trails I will not forget. I will return and next time I will get more than 17 miles. It might be too much to say that I've found my calling in life....but I do feel that I have a mission to complete this race! It calls to me! It haunts me! It tantalizes me! I see why some runners return to Zane over and over...it is magical and wonderful. The experience that I had was worth every penny I spent in registration and hotel. It was worth every trip to the Physical Therapist to work through my injury. It was worth all my planning and training. The experience I had was priceless and worth it all. I have other plans for 2015, but ZG I will face you again in 2016...all 50 miles of you!!!