Okay, we're on to the next challenge. This Sunday sees Jeff compete in the half-ironman (same race as I did at Wildflower); I'm in for the Olympic distance, and both boys are scheduled, barring injuries, to compete in the sprint race. Wish us luck - heat could be a factor. Jeff's race starts at 6:30, and he won't finish until at least noon - pray for early cloud cover, light rain would be ideal! I start at 7, and hope to be done by 10ish. Boys start at 7:30, and should be done by 9.
My race is 1500 metres in Lake Folsom, then a 24 mile bike ride up into the hills (lots of climbing, apparently) and the a 10k run (6.2 miles) in the hills. I'd really like to do the whole thing in less than 3 hours, but that may be very optimistic. It supposed to be one of the countries' toughest courses. LOTS of climbing.
Well, we'll have rsults Sunday night......keep good thoughts! You can probably check them out at www.auburntriathlon.com. Don't know how quickly they get up.
Thanks for reading me!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wow! Time Flies! Wildflower recap
I've been negligent with my blogging....sorry to those of you who actually read my musings!
Wildflower was quite an event. I've never seen so many tents, trailers, RVs, people and dogs. and BIKES!! It really did have a Woodstock feel to it. It was raining when we arrived. Terry & Obdulia had put up our tents....bless them! We walked down to the race venue and checked in, looked around, and came back up to work on our gourmet (Togo's) dinner. Couple of quick rounds of UNO, a walk in the dark for Jeff and me, and then the kids were off to their tent. We weren't far behind them - and we had a new air mattress!!! Still no mint. ;(
Saturday was cool, but the sky was clear and the rain was gone - yea!! We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up our gear and rode down to the transition area. Zach's ankle was too bad to run on, so Obdulia stepped in for the Nollette relay to go on! They did great. 7th overall.
I got my transition area set up with lots of advice/help from my men. When they left, I fixed it up! Got body-marked, bot my wetsuit on, meandered on down to the starting ramp with about 15 minutes to spare. Learned that not only CAN I pee in my wetsuit, it really does warm you up! The start was rough - lots of kicking and flailing, but I was able to clear out pretty quickly. missed a couple of the bouys, so I added a bit to the 2100 swim, but it wasn't too bad. The finish stunk.....all the big boys that I had been passing from waves 20-25 minutes ahead of me were milling around blocking the exit....frustrating! Swim time was 36. Not far from my 35 goal - I'll beat it next year! I was first one in my rack back - that was exciting!
T1 was, hmmmmm, slow. Took me forever to find my bike (no glasses!) and just as long to get the wetsuit off! Yukky. Did get a quick suncreen on, had all of my equipment, and took off at a run - wanted to get on that bike!
The bike was just fun. I rode faster than I thought I could, stayed aero longer than I thought I could, did a good job with my nutrition and hydration, and only dropped one bottle on a volunteer! Never stopped - not to pee, not to walk the nasty grade....never. weeee! I did the bike in 3:27 - 18 minutes ahead of my goal!
T2 was different.....my family was all there! They'd finished their race, so they became my support crew. It may not have been the most efficient use of my time, but it was so much fun to have them all there. Made me almost cry - thanks, guys!! Still a slow transition, but I didn't forget anything!
The run was hard, much harder than I thought it would be. I had ran part of the course before, but I really wasn't well prepared for all of the dirt/heat/hills. I was hoping for a 2:10, expecially considering I had ran a full marathon 2 months ago in under 4 hours. I finished with a 2:21, but with a smile! It truly was all I had in me that day. It got into the upper 80s in the back hills, and that was tough. Volunteers were pouring water over our heads, and hitting with hoses. It felt SO good!!
Came across the finish line with a large group of fans - man, is my family loud - lots of hugs. I finished in 6:35. I placed 18 of 58 in my age group. Beat my 'public' goal of 6:45, didn't beat my 'private goal of 6:00'. Next time! More training, smarter racing......I can't wait!!
Keep reading.......the road to Wisconsin has a pit stop in Auburn......this weekend!
Wildflower was quite an event. I've never seen so many tents, trailers, RVs, people and dogs. and BIKES!! It really did have a Woodstock feel to it. It was raining when we arrived. Terry & Obdulia had put up our tents....bless them! We walked down to the race venue and checked in, looked around, and came back up to work on our gourmet (Togo's) dinner. Couple of quick rounds of UNO, a walk in the dark for Jeff and me, and then the kids were off to their tent. We weren't far behind them - and we had a new air mattress!!! Still no mint. ;(
Saturday was cool, but the sky was clear and the rain was gone - yea!! We ate a quick breakfast, loaded up our gear and rode down to the transition area. Zach's ankle was too bad to run on, so Obdulia stepped in for the Nollette relay to go on! They did great. 7th overall.
I got my transition area set up with lots of advice/help from my men. When they left, I fixed it up! Got body-marked, bot my wetsuit on, meandered on down to the starting ramp with about 15 minutes to spare. Learned that not only CAN I pee in my wetsuit, it really does warm you up! The start was rough - lots of kicking and flailing, but I was able to clear out pretty quickly. missed a couple of the bouys, so I added a bit to the 2100 swim, but it wasn't too bad. The finish stunk.....all the big boys that I had been passing from waves 20-25 minutes ahead of me were milling around blocking the exit....frustrating! Swim time was 36. Not far from my 35 goal - I'll beat it next year! I was first one in my rack back - that was exciting!
T1 was, hmmmmm, slow. Took me forever to find my bike (no glasses!) and just as long to get the wetsuit off! Yukky. Did get a quick suncreen on, had all of my equipment, and took off at a run - wanted to get on that bike!
The bike was just fun. I rode faster than I thought I could, stayed aero longer than I thought I could, did a good job with my nutrition and hydration, and only dropped one bottle on a volunteer! Never stopped - not to pee, not to walk the nasty grade....never. weeee! I did the bike in 3:27 - 18 minutes ahead of my goal!
T2 was different.....my family was all there! They'd finished their race, so they became my support crew. It may not have been the most efficient use of my time, but it was so much fun to have them all there. Made me almost cry - thanks, guys!! Still a slow transition, but I didn't forget anything!
The run was hard, much harder than I thought it would be. I had ran part of the course before, but I really wasn't well prepared for all of the dirt/heat/hills. I was hoping for a 2:10, expecially considering I had ran a full marathon 2 months ago in under 4 hours. I finished with a 2:21, but with a smile! It truly was all I had in me that day. It got into the upper 80s in the back hills, and that was tough. Volunteers were pouring water over our heads, and hitting with hoses. It felt SO good!!
Came across the finish line with a large group of fans - man, is my family loud - lots of hugs. I finished in 6:35. I placed 18 of 58 in my age group. Beat my 'public' goal of 6:45, didn't beat my 'private goal of 6:00'. Next time! More training, smarter racing......I can't wait!!
Keep reading.......the road to Wisconsin has a pit stop in Auburn......this weekend!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wildflower - 3 weeks!
It's been a while since I posted....been busy training! I overcame my distaste for that four letter word -camp- and Jeff got me new sleeping bag. Time to suck it up and sleep outdoors. The mint on the pillow was missing, and I'm not sure who fell down on the job with that one!! (after we survived HAIL putting up our tent!)
Thumbs up to Zach who went along on the trip to do his run, but had to stay in the campsite bored out of his gourd for the 4+ hours we were gone on our bikes. What a trouper, made me proud!
We did our little practice day yesterday, and it was good. The wetsuit went on and came off fairly easily. The lake was COLD, but not unbearable. For curiosity's sake I looked it up, and it was 65. The suit was comfortable, (and has pretty pink trim!) and I'm much less worried about that part now. We then went back up to the campsite, changed out, got our bikes, and took off. 9 in our group. I stayed with the first 3 or 4 for the first 41 miles. This is new for me, I'm usually at the back of the pack. My first hour I held 15 mph, second hour 18.5 mph. 3 hour 14 mph (nasty grade!!) We were pretty spread out, but we waited 3 times at major intersections for the group to catch up. Then we hit the Nasty Grade, and it lived up to it's name and reputation! I struggled, big time. Dropped to number 8, and Jeff had to circle back for me twice. I HATE feeling like this. Finished up at 7th, but frustrated. It was a hard ride. I stopped my garmin when we stopped, and we only did 54 miles because we went back to our campsite, not the marina, but it took 3:34 - longer than I'd hoped. Then we ran. The plan was for one of they guys (Thanks, Terry!) to do the whole 13 mile loop, with our son. Jeff would do the first half with them, (his knee, IT band, and calf are giving him problems) and I'd do the second. Well, Zach pooped out, so he only did the first half, which is apparently the much tougher one. I came in at the 6 miles point and finished in 54 minutes. Not too bad, and I would be very happy if I could hold that pace for the whole race, but that's not likely.
My official goal is the swim at 35 minutes; the bike at 3:45; and the run at 2:10. Add in the transitions, and I'd really like to finish the whole thing in 6:45. Last year there were 59 women in my division, and a time of under 7:00 would keep me in the top half.
Saturday, May 2, my 'wave' will go off at 9:25. I'll be in a lite purple cap. Start praying hard right around then, and don't stop until 4:30!!! It's going to be a long day!!!
Tyler has the first leg of my men's relay, he starts in a silver cap at 9:30. He'll hand over the chip to Jeff at 9:50 or so, and then Jeff takes off. He'll hand the chip to Zach shortly before 1:00 we think, then Zach starts to boogy! We'll be looking for him at 3:00 or shortly there after. Zach's leg is much more weather dependant, not much shade, and lots of BIG hills.
While you are thinking good thoughts......think highs of 60, lows of 55, no rain and ABSOLUTELY no WIND!! Thank you, thank you!!
Linda ;-)
2 weeks, 5 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
21 weeks, 6 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote is - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Thumbs up to Zach who went along on the trip to do his run, but had to stay in the campsite bored out of his gourd for the 4+ hours we were gone on our bikes. What a trouper, made me proud!
We did our little practice day yesterday, and it was good. The wetsuit went on and came off fairly easily. The lake was COLD, but not unbearable. For curiosity's sake I looked it up, and it was 65. The suit was comfortable, (and has pretty pink trim!) and I'm much less worried about that part now. We then went back up to the campsite, changed out, got our bikes, and took off. 9 in our group. I stayed with the first 3 or 4 for the first 41 miles. This is new for me, I'm usually at the back of the pack. My first hour I held 15 mph, second hour 18.5 mph. 3 hour 14 mph (nasty grade!!) We were pretty spread out, but we waited 3 times at major intersections for the group to catch up. Then we hit the Nasty Grade, and it lived up to it's name and reputation! I struggled, big time. Dropped to number 8, and Jeff had to circle back for me twice. I HATE feeling like this. Finished up at 7th, but frustrated. It was a hard ride. I stopped my garmin when we stopped, and we only did 54 miles because we went back to our campsite, not the marina, but it took 3:34 - longer than I'd hoped. Then we ran. The plan was for one of they guys (Thanks, Terry!) to do the whole 13 mile loop, with our son. Jeff would do the first half with them, (his knee, IT band, and calf are giving him problems) and I'd do the second. Well, Zach pooped out, so he only did the first half, which is apparently the much tougher one. I came in at the 6 miles point and finished in 54 minutes. Not too bad, and I would be very happy if I could hold that pace for the whole race, but that's not likely.
My official goal is the swim at 35 minutes; the bike at 3:45; and the run at 2:10. Add in the transitions, and I'd really like to finish the whole thing in 6:45. Last year there were 59 women in my division, and a time of under 7:00 would keep me in the top half.
Saturday, May 2, my 'wave' will go off at 9:25. I'll be in a lite purple cap. Start praying hard right around then, and don't stop until 4:30!!! It's going to be a long day!!!
Tyler has the first leg of my men's relay, he starts in a silver cap at 9:30. He'll hand over the chip to Jeff at 9:50 or so, and then Jeff takes off. He'll hand the chip to Zach shortly before 1:00 we think, then Zach starts to boogy! We'll be looking for him at 3:00 or shortly there after. Zach's leg is much more weather dependant, not much shade, and lots of BIG hills.
While you are thinking good thoughts......think highs of 60, lows of 55, no rain and ABSOLUTELY no WIND!! Thank you, thank you!!
Linda ;-)
2 weeks, 5 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
21 weeks, 6 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote is - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Added another race
I've been talked into (not difficult, really!) entering the raffle to get a spot in the Nike Women's race in San Francisco. Not too certain about this...it's only 5 weeks post-ironman, and I'm not sure I'll be able to move yet! Connie has assured me that I will be carried if necessary. If I keep my weight down. I'm going to need to make sure that there are no cameras!!
Biked 33 miles hard today - including willow springs - and did it 12 minutes faster than ever, well under 2 hours. Woohoo!! Had to chase Jeff, after all! Ran yesterday, just 4 miles, but did it at race pace of 9:10. I would like to see that at 8:30 for Wildflower, but I think I'm dreaming. Actually, I'd just like to finish it without embarassing myself or my family!!
Tomorrow's a swim day - and a hard one, I think. 1000's for time, and lots of IM. yukky!
6 weeks, 2 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
25 weeks, 3 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote will be - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Biked 33 miles hard today - including willow springs - and did it 12 minutes faster than ever, well under 2 hours. Woohoo!! Had to chase Jeff, after all! Ran yesterday, just 4 miles, but did it at race pace of 9:10. I would like to see that at 8:30 for Wildflower, but I think I'm dreaming. Actually, I'd just like to finish it without embarassing myself or my family!!
Tomorrow's a swim day - and a hard one, I think. 1000's for time, and lots of IM. yukky!
6 weeks, 2 days until I swim, bike & run: 1.2 miles; 56 miles; 13.1 miles......
25 weeks, 3 days until I swim, bike & run: 2.4 miles; 112 miles; 26.2 miles.....
My new quote will be - 'Have an IV bag of champagne waiting at the finish line' - Jim Vance
Monday, March 16, 2009
Time to get ready for ....WILDFLOWER!
Since you may notice that this blog is coming out at 1 in the morning, my sleep is being affected by all of this training for/worrying about Wildflower!
For the uninitiated, Wildflower seems to be much like Woodstock. I wasn't there, wasn't able to walk yet, I don't believe, but I've seen the pictures! So my stressors are multiple....one, we're taking the boys (They are on a relay with Dad) and exposing them to this debauchery that rumor has includes topless co-eds from Cal Poly. Second, this is a long %^&* course, with lots of hills that will surely kick my @#*&.. Egads. Finally, and this part is just sinking in, I've been advised that I need to CAMP. I try very hard to avoid that four-letter word when at all possible. I'd better have a very nice aerobed, with a cozy double bag, a mint on my pillow and a certain hot (showered and clean!) triathlete to share it with. I'm just sayin'.
Rode 45 miles on Saturday, after swimming 5000+ yards Friday. Having a bit of a pity party re: the state of my legs. They hurt, and they seem to resent what I'm putting them through. I'm bumping into things everywhere, and they are starting to look like 12 year old boy legs! I really thought I'd be seeing some solid recovery by week 2. Not so much. Oh well, I'll swim tommorow, that should be easier on them.
6 weeks and 5 days. 1.2 miles in the lake; 56 miles on the bike; 13.1 miles on my feet.......
There had better be champagne in my IV bag at the finish - with all my men present! ;-)
For the uninitiated, Wildflower seems to be much like Woodstock. I wasn't there, wasn't able to walk yet, I don't believe, but I've seen the pictures! So my stressors are multiple....one, we're taking the boys (They are on a relay with Dad) and exposing them to this debauchery that rumor has includes topless co-eds from Cal Poly. Second, this is a long %^&* course, with lots of hills that will surely kick my @#*&.. Egads. Finally, and this part is just sinking in, I've been advised that I need to CAMP. I try very hard to avoid that four-letter word when at all possible. I'd better have a very nice aerobed, with a cozy double bag, a mint on my pillow and a certain hot (showered and clean!) triathlete to share it with. I'm just sayin'.
Rode 45 miles on Saturday, after swimming 5000+ yards Friday. Having a bit of a pity party re: the state of my legs. They hurt, and they seem to resent what I'm putting them through. I'm bumping into things everywhere, and they are starting to look like 12 year old boy legs! I really thought I'd be seeing some solid recovery by week 2. Not so much. Oh well, I'll swim tommorow, that should be easier on them.
6 weeks and 5 days. 1.2 miles in the lake; 56 miles on the bike; 13.1 miles on my feet.......
There had better be champagne in my IV bag at the finish - with all my men present! ;-)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Bike Time!
Well, the marathon is done...and I survived.....so it's time to look forward! I've got 7 weeks and 6 days until Wildflower, so it's probably (over)due that I start spending a lot more time in the saddle. I spent 16 hours at a women-only bike clinic this weekend, and it taught me a lot - most importantly, I think, a bit more confidence in my abilities! Second most important, stay away from newer cyclist that can't unclip before they crash into others! Several more bruises to add to the collection!
So, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians beware...I'm hitting the road! I want to finish the Wildflower bike leg (56 very hilly miles) in less than 4 hours. I've got some training to do!
So, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians beware...I'm hitting the road! I want to finish the Wildflower bike leg (56 very hilly miles) in less than 4 hours. I've got some training to do!
Monday, March 2, 2009
NAPA - Check!
First 'A' race of the year.....done!
We went up Saturday and met up with the other local runners and their support staff (hubbies), had a small snack at the hotel (we NEED the extra calories!) and headed for a great italian dinner of carbo-loading-mania! Probably against all protocol (but, geez, we were in NAPA!) we shared a bottle of wine. The strange part of that sentence would be that 5 of us shared that bottle... and that we only shared ONE! The sacrifices runners must make before a race. sigh.
Back to the hotel for dessert - did I mention that we NEED the extra calories?!?
Spent the rest of the evening checking out our goodie bags, and our snazzy new run bags, and stressing about what to wear and what to pack and where to pack it. Questioning the decision to do this at all..... Okay, I did all that. Jeff watched TV. He gets the 'relax' part of this much better than I do!
5:15 AM in the lobby to meet the bus. IT'S STILL DARK! and rainy...and cold....and windy. We cut holes in our big trash bags, and make a run for the bus. Jeff and the harem, that is. The support hubbies are still asleep! We take the bus to Calistoga. Gotta say, heard many runners on that bus questioning the 45 minute drive.....how could we possibly be running back this far? Aren't we there, yet? The windshield wipers were flying, water was spraying up from the puddles on the road, wind was streaming in the window vents. hmmmm. Is there a bus marathon?
Off the bus, on with the hefty bags. We look like a moving mass of recyclables!! Drop off our run bags, hit the porta-potties, and we're off! The sky is lighter, but the rain is heavier. My garmin isn't working, drat. In the mass start, I lose the other girls....and Jeff's up in the front of the pack - as expected!
People were so friendly - everybody was chatting and comparing notes as we ran, and I met a lot of neat runners! At mile 5 I stopped to get my garmin satelites aligned, and I was finally running with a pace in mind and on my wrist! I knew at that point I was close to holding a 9 minute mile pace, and that was better than I had hoped for. I'm starting to think that I can do this! 21 more miles.....
Mile 12, I stop to swap out my food bottles and visit the porta-potty (yuk!) and was informed by the medic that I was swaying. I responded, in a very mature fashion, that I 'was not!' He amended it to 'listing a bit' and I explained, very politely I thought, that what he was observing is my running style. He let me go, and I vowed not to stop near a medic again! Listing. Hmph.
Mile 13.1 - I'm at 1:57!! I might be able to do this!!
Mile 16 - what the h#$% was I thinking? No human being could do this. And this isn't the downhill course that I was promised! Who can I blame - now?!?
Mile 18 - Okay, maybe I can finish this.....but these are still UPhills!
Mile 22 - cowbells, drums, pots/pans, lots of clapping, horns, umbrellas everywhere - cheerleaders galore! I'm feeling like a RUNNER!
Mile 25 - I can do this!! However, message to the guy who was yelling that it was all in my head now.....this was mental....my body's part was done: My feet, ankles, knees, hams, quads & hips disagree. They were still very much in play!!
It was hard....certainly painful, and there were times I felt the piano on my back (thanks, Patti!). But it was also lots of fun. I really enjoyed passing people (lots!!) and being passed spurred me on. The wet weather kept me cool, but made my feet miserable, and I think I'm going to lose toenails. Oh, well.
Big bummer......wore the jacket for the whole race, and never got to show off my new pink running top. All that indecision for nothing. dang.
Bottom line, I crossed the finish line at 3:59:45 - under four hours, and I am now a BOSTON QUALIFIER! Should I choose to buy the plane ticket, I can race in Boston in 2010. Probably not, but I can if I want to....and that's a thrill!
The funniest part is that I wasn't even up for wine tasting on the way home....made one token stop, at a winery where parking was close to the tasting room (we weren't walking ANYWHERE!) tasted a few good wines, and went home. Very much a first for us, and a loss for the Napa economy. The Nollette Stimulus package didn't come through!
I'm sitting here now trying to figure out how to minimize trips anywhere today, because thos front stteps of mine are killer. Up, not so bad. Down, well, that would be comical if it was somebody ELSE doing it!! I need one of those handicapped chairrail lifts......Mother's Day!!
I'm also wondering how long I get to take off from training......how long can I milk this?!? At least a few days, I would think. I'm participating in a bike clinic next weekend, hope I can walk!!
I think it's time for a nap.......
....and Mom, this one's yours. Love you!
We went up Saturday and met up with the other local runners and their support staff (hubbies), had a small snack at the hotel (we NEED the extra calories!) and headed for a great italian dinner of carbo-loading-mania! Probably against all protocol (but, geez, we were in NAPA!) we shared a bottle of wine. The strange part of that sentence would be that 5 of us shared that bottle... and that we only shared ONE! The sacrifices runners must make before a race. sigh.
Back to the hotel for dessert - did I mention that we NEED the extra calories?!?
Spent the rest of the evening checking out our goodie bags, and our snazzy new run bags, and stressing about what to wear and what to pack and where to pack it. Questioning the decision to do this at all..... Okay, I did all that. Jeff watched TV. He gets the 'relax' part of this much better than I do!
5:15 AM in the lobby to meet the bus. IT'S STILL DARK! and rainy...and cold....and windy. We cut holes in our big trash bags, and make a run for the bus. Jeff and the harem, that is. The support hubbies are still asleep! We take the bus to Calistoga. Gotta say, heard many runners on that bus questioning the 45 minute drive.....how could we possibly be running back this far? Aren't we there, yet? The windshield wipers were flying, water was spraying up from the puddles on the road, wind was streaming in the window vents. hmmmm. Is there a bus marathon?
Off the bus, on with the hefty bags. We look like a moving mass of recyclables!! Drop off our run bags, hit the porta-potties, and we're off! The sky is lighter, but the rain is heavier. My garmin isn't working, drat. In the mass start, I lose the other girls....and Jeff's up in the front of the pack - as expected!
People were so friendly - everybody was chatting and comparing notes as we ran, and I met a lot of neat runners! At mile 5 I stopped to get my garmin satelites aligned, and I was finally running with a pace in mind and on my wrist! I knew at that point I was close to holding a 9 minute mile pace, and that was better than I had hoped for. I'm starting to think that I can do this! 21 more miles.....
Mile 12, I stop to swap out my food bottles and visit the porta-potty (yuk!) and was informed by the medic that I was swaying. I responded, in a very mature fashion, that I 'was not!' He amended it to 'listing a bit' and I explained, very politely I thought, that what he was observing is my running style. He let me go, and I vowed not to stop near a medic again! Listing. Hmph.
Mile 13.1 - I'm at 1:57!! I might be able to do this!!
Mile 16 - what the h#$% was I thinking? No human being could do this. And this isn't the downhill course that I was promised! Who can I blame - now?!?
Mile 18 - Okay, maybe I can finish this.....but these are still UPhills!
Mile 22 - cowbells, drums, pots/pans, lots of clapping, horns, umbrellas everywhere - cheerleaders galore! I'm feeling like a RUNNER!
Mile 25 - I can do this!! However, message to the guy who was yelling that it was all in my head now.....this was mental....my body's part was done: My feet, ankles, knees, hams, quads & hips disagree. They were still very much in play!!
It was hard....certainly painful, and there were times I felt the piano on my back (thanks, Patti!). But it was also lots of fun. I really enjoyed passing people (lots!!) and being passed spurred me on. The wet weather kept me cool, but made my feet miserable, and I think I'm going to lose toenails. Oh, well.
Big bummer......wore the jacket for the whole race, and never got to show off my new pink running top. All that indecision for nothing. dang.
Bottom line, I crossed the finish line at 3:59:45 - under four hours, and I am now a BOSTON QUALIFIER! Should I choose to buy the plane ticket, I can race in Boston in 2010. Probably not, but I can if I want to....and that's a thrill!
The funniest part is that I wasn't even up for wine tasting on the way home....made one token stop, at a winery where parking was close to the tasting room (we weren't walking ANYWHERE!) tasted a few good wines, and went home. Very much a first for us, and a loss for the Napa economy. The Nollette Stimulus package didn't come through!
I'm sitting here now trying to figure out how to minimize trips anywhere today, because thos front stteps of mine are killer. Up, not so bad. Down, well, that would be comical if it was somebody ELSE doing it!! I need one of those handicapped chairrail lifts......Mother's Day!!
I'm also wondering how long I get to take off from training......how long can I milk this?!? At least a few days, I would think. I'm participating in a bike clinic next weekend, hope I can walk!!
I think it's time for a nap.......
....and Mom, this one's yours. Love you!
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