tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62206435217566172302024-02-07T08:09:39.063-05:00Rusted RunnerI was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2001 when I was 32, and have been struggling to maintain control of my body ever since. I began running in 2007 and have gone from not being able to run for a minute to running a full marathon. I hope my story will inspire others to reach for the stars, even if they feel chained to the depths.WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-69930794068775037832016-01-15T19:14:00.000-05:002016-01-16T10:02:17.238-05:00Disney World Marathon 2016<br />
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disney World Marathon
2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> This fall</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> my running training totally fell apart,
but that was okay, sometimes other things in life are more important than
running. I headed to </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Disney World</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> with my only expectation being to have fun and
it came through for me in spades. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I have to admit that by the time I crossed the start
line, I was sure I would never run Disney again. It is expensive and the
logistics are mind boggling, but once we got moving, it truly was a rolling
party. From the very start, I stopped in nearly every character line I saw,
(skipping only those that were long and for a common character like Goofy.) Needless
to say, this made for a very long time on the course, but it was so fun I didn't care. My second 5 miles took
over an hour and 20 minutes, LOL. It was worth it though. Through the whole
race I was texting my daughter about what line I was in and she was amazed at
the characters, (she works in costuming at
Disney World so she is hard to impress!</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still dark</td></tr>
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to running from character to character, walking water and snack stops, and
occasionally walking with people to chat with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally!</td></tr>
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We entered the Magic Kingdom with cheers and lots of spectators! The next 5 miles were my slowest as I stopped at the many character spots.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I told Alice I felt bad because we all smell so bad, LOL. The camera lady said, "No comment."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was hoping for Sebastian, but he walked off set just as I got to the front of the line :-( </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is there something behind me?<br />
Out the back door and into the behind the scenes area with parade floats.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hades' line had just closed so this was the best I could do</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparing our gnarly hands</td></tr>
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Not sure if Shan Yu was confused or trying to scare me, LOL</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a major score, Barbosa never does meet and greets, only parades. When I walked up I said, "Pirates! The only people that smell worse than runners :-D " Barbosa said, "That would be you, Jackie!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some characters had really elaborate back drops</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our only character stop in Animal Kingdom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother Bear characters. My daughter didn't think these costumes existed anymore!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1vxhoXaasmVjv98d3oUlXeUCHBMfTLjBUJbFuOftf6kpc2qtPYJRXYAGS1zR1cy7f69V5cCdGKZoPXlR27PdUtAeccmjBUiqSrsjSzJ02mHQgnQSFklclgoP7e8oEiQb_QI4P3TW9R9z/s1600/IMG_2945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1vxhoXaasmVjv98d3oUlXeUCHBMfTLjBUJbFuOftf6kpc2qtPYJRXYAGS1zR1cy7f69V5cCdGKZoPXlR27PdUtAeccmjBUiqSrsjSzJ02mHQgnQSFklclgoP7e8oEiQb_QI4P3TW9R9z/s320/IMG_2945.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">It got tough about half way through, not quite a wall, but my lack of training kicked in. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopped for these guys because I needed a break :-) Disney did an amazing job of making the lines go fast so it wasn't much of a break.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys were awesome! There was one with green face paint that was doing a full drill sergeant routine on the people that were walking up a small hill. Some were even dropping to give him 10 push ups!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I almost missed this one because there was no line. The runners were getting tired of stopping I guess.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollywood Studios! Getting close to the end!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I choked up a little.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No clue, but she waved her wand to make the pain go away. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to help</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epcot at last!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last character</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ba-Bling!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> I finally looked up my
results two days later, LOL. I finished with a 5:55:49.
This, hysterically, put me in the top half of my field for my age group and gender
and nearly so in the over all! So, if you want to feel REALLY good about your
finish time, run Disney, hahahahahaha. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;">Granted, it is nearly
impossible to actually run because of all the people walking. I heard some
discussion about some huge snafu where many people with confirmed marathon
finishes got stuck in way back corrals so I wasn't the only one with this
issue. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> After a shower and nap, we headed to Magic Kindgom to ride some rides, stuff ourselves stupid at the Liberty Tree Tavern (one of my favorites,) and visited Mickey.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mickey and I played cards and had a great time</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my first time seeing the fully animated, talking Mikey. He is pretty cool and gives loads of hugs :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to take my lecture seriously</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hehe, Vader selfie</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 13.5pt;"> Monday we spent the morning at Hollywood Studios and stopped into the Star Wars Launch Bay where both my daughter and son in law have been working long hours. It is awesome when Lord Vader recognizes your daughter as one of his personal servants!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awwww, Wookie hugs</td></tr>
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<br />
I'm thinking I'll run Goofy next year :-)<br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-52909212801380473072015-10-05T10:55:00.006-04:002016-10-31T04:58:14.857-04:00London Marathon<br />
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The following is the race report I wrote immediately after the London Marathon. It was one of the worst weekends in my life thanks to an incident that foretold the end of my 27 year marriage. When running a marathon, you get boiled down to crude bodily functions and raw emotions, unchecked and bouncing around your brain like a rubber ball shot out of a cannon into a small room. Reading back over this a year and a half later, I realize it isn't one of my better examples of prose, but it is real, it is heartfelt, and it is me; imperfect, over-exuberant, emotional, and wearing my heart on my sleeve.<br />
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<span class="s1"><b>London Marathon race report</b></span></h2>
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<span class="s1">Pre-race: I’M FREEZING TO DEATH! Tea, yes, hot tea is good! Must drink hot tea</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 1 Really? Seriously? I forgot my Garmin for LONDON!!! Okay, no biggie, they have kilometer markers, I’ll walk one minute at each kilometer marker.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 2 Crap, what did the clock say when I crossed. Was it 10 minutes, 8 minutes?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1_SIfqQzVjSPPLJMvgZQoaJZaKQ_zmXCMeO3BInYKVAvO_3G2u7p02_2x78eRHeDfBEI8gJz4mSb2cdWfW5IOd8Yw4G7OQXolfoXiBUIVl2zd8wDDtvcOQWTu43nUFvlPd0qQP4pPGI4/s1600/DSCF0530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1_SIfqQzVjSPPLJMvgZQoaJZaKQ_zmXCMeO3BInYKVAvO_3G2u7p02_2x78eRHeDfBEI8gJz4mSb2cdWfW5IOd8Yw4G7OQXolfoXiBUIVl2zd8wDDtvcOQWTu43nUFvlPd0qQP4pPGI4/s320/DSCF0530.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="s1"></span></div>
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Mile 3 Hot tea was BAD, now I’m going to have to find a pit stop. All the porta-potties have really long lines. Okay, I can wait for shorter lines.<br />
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<span class="s1">Mile 4 First 5K done, whoo-hoo, handing out bracelets is fun!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 5 Okay, tossing bracelets to the crowd is a bad idea, they all ended up in the bushes :-p</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 6 Oooo, running low on bracelets, better slow down on handing them out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOQKYhKz2Hi0f0BNb4jfY_Ju-G2V7z9bxf5LTWxpTB2F0ZLXP8UR6KxQvggHAmtPDB48S0x8QRPjcs_MDJjpgLSs5E9coZuF7SbuJQ4Q8H8dagQApEQnwvhjxdjAtvmQKuq7iCfPp52Sa/s1600/DSCF0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOQKYhKz2Hi0f0BNb4jfY_Ju-G2V7z9bxf5LTWxpTB2F0ZLXP8UR6KxQvggHAmtPDB48S0x8QRPjcs_MDJjpgLSs5E9coZuF7SbuJQ4Q8H8dagQApEQnwvhjxdjAtvmQKuq7iCfPp52Sa/s320/DSCF0537.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="s1">Mile 7 Wow, some of these kids are really out to lunch. I can press it right into their open high-5 hand and they look at me like I’m from outer space and let it fall. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 8 Those kilometer markers are really tiny. How many have I missed?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 9 Sports drink would be really nice. Shame they are handing out crap with artificial sweeteners. Like, who is worried about calories in a marathon? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 10 Okay, I’ve passed the 5:00 or 4:30 pacers for all the start groups. That’s good, very good. I hope I don’t see those 4:30 guys again. Doubt I’ll ever see the 4:15 guys. That would be awesome though. I’ll have to shoot for that next time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rd9ndk37DZet712WQ4OCOka49irSjDKpyiP7J-l0CcR-s-3W3mmxW8GjMk7C-pPrg-cPS6SKOnp-iTwSAUkAR7PWvoSt1wAvl_rNyLdOdarwnxDufyxrqxpABC4oNhvbp1mXrXepjRWU/s1600/DSCF0549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Rd9ndk37DZet712WQ4OCOka49irSjDKpyiP7J-l0CcR-s-3W3mmxW8GjMk7C-pPrg-cPS6SKOnp-iTwSAUkAR7PWvoSt1wAvl_rNyLdOdarwnxDufyxrqxpABC4oNhvbp1mXrXepjRWU/s320/DSCF0549.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLZQOTw4-DN9Zb6XMyl8df1mo57upGE_8MzVJaOQXcwaV0-sgcrllMP_QO1VLWYjuEjlhABg8I9G194H_AzsLJV93iIno5Ll1_KJxGW1a3A-Km7l2yHrtjhs-mAjIGIu4FK2L3xbBbiTj/s1600/DSCF0552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLZQOTw4-DN9Zb6XMyl8df1mo57upGE_8MzVJaOQXcwaV0-sgcrllMP_QO1VLWYjuEjlhABg8I9G194H_AzsLJV93iIno5Ll1_KJxGW1a3A-Km7l2yHrtjhs-mAjIGIu4FK2L3xbBbiTj/s320/DSCF0552.JPG" width="240" /></a><span class="s1">Mile 11 I really have to pee now! Don’t want to stop in the second half, it will mess up my negative split! Yes, a place to hide and pee in tall weeds. There certainly are enough men watering the weeds. Great, now I can’t pee. Come on, you can do it, AAAAhhhhhhhhhhhh</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 12 Wow, the Tower Bridge! “London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,………..” OOooooooohhhhhh, there is the big bullet thing. Hmmm, how do I get pictures that include the bridge. Click, click, click, click…..</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 13 Okay, charged and ready to roll! Nearly out of bracelets, but the kids have lost interest in being spectators and aren’t even looking at runners anymore. I need eye contact if they are going to grasp it.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 14 The tough miles. Past the half way point, but not yet to the final stretch. Focus, Wendy, focus!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZj6uwxemhlMEgh99EuEwy8vHbBD9cUlrIOOa5AbMonBKbjJ3In-XylaOUH_g6idPjLfQiSKwyPM21JKOQZL4SBPHfaaJaUXhwT6MvCTGtgtgRNqtTOGr08nlSKxPLGYZ37Fy5P__bAod2/s1600/DSCF0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZj6uwxemhlMEgh99EuEwy8vHbBD9cUlrIOOa5AbMonBKbjJ3In-XylaOUH_g6idPjLfQiSKwyPM21JKOQZL4SBPHfaaJaUXhwT6MvCTGtgtgRNqtTOGr08nlSKxPLGYZ37Fy5P__bAod2/s320/DSCF0572.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="s1">Mile 15 There are some spectacularly funny costumes around here. How do they run in those get-ups?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 16 Family drama is starting to creep into my mind. Must….fight….the …..drama! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 17 Cool, a bag pipe band, hey, I’m really going fast. I may PR if I can keep this up, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 18 Drama, drama, drama, drama, I can’t control the demons any more. Focus, Wendy, one step at a time. Run to the next kilometer marker. Run Run Run, push push push, right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 19 Dang, where are those stupid kilometer markers. Ah, there is one, but I’m on a down hill. Okay, keep running, it buys you a walk break on the next incline. Yea, right, flat my butt. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 20 Good grief, I’ve never been stepped on, tripped over, kicked, or body checked so many times in my life.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 21 Wow, still on track for a PR, WHOOOOOTTTT!!!! Focus, Wendy, Focus.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 22 Hmmm, big walls, really big walls. Was that the Tower or London?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 23 Yes, that was definitely the Tower of London. I probably should be paying attention to a few things.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawx7HTNT1Zav-CiS_e5iACmhqdPSPrJze7ZIJhQzeMWMeadAYwcVr81m36VET2ZmCtTOcjR_M-9egN20ApHznxxujRFcWQ4oZyK-8tkRKaUJp9qq96P2Sx7_WrGNmsK-P130HkByFSFVt/s1600/DSCF0579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawx7HTNT1Zav-CiS_e5iACmhqdPSPrJze7ZIJhQzeMWMeadAYwcVr81m36VET2ZmCtTOcjR_M-9egN20ApHznxxujRFcWQ4oZyK-8tkRKaUJp9qq96P2Sx7_WrGNmsK-P130HkByFSFVt/s320/DSCF0579.JPG" width="320" /></a><span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 24 Something big ahead, little voice in the back of my head saying, “Notice this, it is important, brain is starving, need glycogen, can’t function, what IS that?” </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 25 BIG BEN!! Knew it was something important, LOL. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 26 Wow, crazy thick crowds. They are pressing into the course, packing the runners tight. Cheering, whistles, horns, so many people!.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Mile 26.2 Crazy noise, packed runners,elbow to elbow, a din of yelling, announcers, “The good news is it will feel better soon, the bad news is it won’t be until Thursday…."laughter of the crowd.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I did it. I’m done. My legs feel like jello, I think I PR’d but I’m not sure by how much. Waves of tears wash over me, sobbing until I can’t catch my breath. No one notices. No one cares. If they notice they just think I’m overwhelmed by having finished a marathon. They don’t know the pain, they don’t know the fear. They don’t know what is tearing my life to pieces. They don’t care. Medal, t-shirt, water, wrap in a space blanket. Stop to ask directions, enter the sea of bodies trying to get over the race. Across the foot bridge, through the crowd, up the street to my hotel. The 10 minute walk took an hour. So tired, but I did it. More than a 5 minute PR. It was supposed to be fun, it was supposed to be a sight seeing marathon. It became a drive to finish, to put it behind me, a way to make my body hurt more than my heart. To make my pounding heart work for me instead of against me. No euphoria, only exhaustion. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGeKAMX6Qz2SVgeRQJlP7ycablQl4GTmdfDqlk5aNyF9rwWo-vtzqc0RurqOubDFea3N0aS-N6J5bAuNlxcJ0DG32If4aQnh4k23lgePjsZF_ShyphenhyphenYIRDR-iUjOrZvlOVTY-I5lFL1SQJE/s1600/DSCF0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGeKAMX6Qz2SVgeRQJlP7ycablQl4GTmdfDqlk5aNyF9rwWo-vtzqc0RurqOubDFea3N0aS-N6J5bAuNlxcJ0DG32If4aQnh4k23lgePjsZF_ShyphenhyphenYIRDR-iUjOrZvlOVTY-I5lFL1SQJE/s320/DSCF0528.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can always find another Maniac :-)</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"> It has been quite a while since I wrote that. Okay, months. The brain does funny things when it is totally depleted of the sugar it runs on. My swag bag had an apple, just a normal Pink Lady apple, the kind I buy in the store every week. But when I bit into it at the end of the race, it exploded in my mouth with the most amazing flavor I had ever tasted. Nothing makes simple things burst to life, take on new meaning, and show you how the tiny, insignificant moments of every day life are the truly amazing ones. Crossing the finish line at London was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. But I also hope I will never forget how amazing it made an apple taste. </span></div>
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-64687893047533355992015-01-10T09:18:00.000-05:002015-01-10T09:22:36.315-05:00Athens Marathon 2014<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Athens Marathon</span></b></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> I had the great privilege of running the Athens Marathon in November 2014 with many wonderful friends, both running and spectating. I have been overwhelmed by emotion at t he end of many marathons, but this is the only one so far where I have cried at the start. Being there was so spectacular!!!!!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite the thousands of people that swarmed the expo, I managed to spot one of my favorite Marathon Maniacs, Lichu Sloan. Lichu is an inspiration in so many ways!! Athens was her 170th marathon and she went on to run the Istanbul marathon the next weekend.<br /><br /></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The start of the race was so exciting. The swarms of people, the Olympic flame burning, and beautiful, clear sky promised a wonderful experience.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> People were hiking up and getting pictures with the Olympic flame!!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Every race start is nuts and this was no exception. Trying to get my bag to the transport van was one of the bigger challenges of the day! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDoWlvk1NOcqKc7snvVfmCZxmbLmp5sARVBlu95EHq5Ud5boTMGaxNiD7GTzRbjkXyCvHG2cA5KHnyjx8p67kJ-k4fLORbjiDJJK5cde2kNfqQo0WXgmomHPFXH1pUXcGkTLUEcv-zUr6/s1600/IMG_2149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDoWlvk1NOcqKc7snvVfmCZxmbLmp5sARVBlu95EHq5Ud5boTMGaxNiD7GTzRbjkXyCvHG2cA5KHnyjx8p67kJ-k4fLORbjiDJJK5cde2kNfqQo0WXgmomHPFXH1pUXcGkTLUEcv-zUr6/s1600/IMG_2149.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I ran into a fantastic number of Maniacs. It was such great fun!!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gMqcBB4LtHoVxW16cOWkH3cM2YwaYuhK4C4_ePJY1ESeXqVp4MJYXG6OxNsdUnSx8vlmF4rRP8583xCoNRmsqhsdpnlJPs5n7YagUgd7rjXmcdo9tp0Fs4f_med4tCzdLYjk92aGN_k0/s1600/20141109_142141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9gMqcBB4LtHoVxW16cOWkH3cM2YwaYuhK4C4_ePJY1ESeXqVp4MJYXG6OxNsdUnSx8vlmF4rRP8583xCoNRmsqhsdpnlJPs5n7YagUgd7rjXmcdo9tp0Fs4f_med4tCzdLYjk92aGN_k0/s1600/20141109_142141.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> All along the race route people were handing olive sprigs to the runners. I took one early on and managed to finish with 2 out of my 3 olives, LOL. You can see one just below the white of the hat band. </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JoX3MhkeWQtVERxxCkg7JNRiVuhcTK2_AsMENPYFddTHmuu_ywiNWKOZZVZ8NYZng4FblFfnrD1wRPdAeLXs0ypSyjBWmZeGlGTVl70Swg3fLgmNRdtMQIyeYQ6LIXDRljz37NWXypSd/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JoX3MhkeWQtVERxxCkg7JNRiVuhcTK2_AsMENPYFddTHmuu_ywiNWKOZZVZ8NYZng4FblFfnrD1wRPdAeLXs0ypSyjBWmZeGlGTVl70Swg3fLgmNRdtMQIyeYQ6LIXDRljz37NWXypSd/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> When we stopped to get pictures with the statue, a Greek yelled at us, something about "no photos, MARATHON!!!" I guess he hasn't heard of Maniacs yet, LOL. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwm_NbN4_Zxx1lZoXwNZ6wDoqCKrKdKkVqgDVobBP-ALIkhiD8DqJP4LXwkqk3_OvbPg5xETSfScOdW3axYu6MbojqUkiQkUR1Im2EpOP0wCxXficAUINcsTPvXHL7YCPkyJmhq87eOmX/s1600/IMG_2157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwm_NbN4_Zxx1lZoXwNZ6wDoqCKrKdKkVqgDVobBP-ALIkhiD8DqJP4LXwkqk3_OvbPg5xETSfScOdW3axYu6MbojqUkiQkUR1Im2EpOP0wCxXficAUINcsTPvXHL7YCPkyJmhq87eOmX/s1600/IMG_2157.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't resist stopping for this shot. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcDQ4kniDmhyCssgpW3N0fcyPuMRE5AM8HxGDVu-GiH-VUFVt44Sht_n5-6eGFO9qXdmeiyvWoKHFvbd15awmhEoNkw8j3kKppSISJQFvdehijuNuceKDGurnbhygkz4NmMGCuf5VD6hR/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcDQ4kniDmhyCssgpW3N0fcyPuMRE5AM8HxGDVu-GiH-VUFVt44Sht_n5-6eGFO9qXdmeiyvWoKHFvbd15awmhEoNkw8j3kKppSISJQFvdehijuNuceKDGurnbhygkz4NmMGCuf5VD6hR/s1600/IMG_2163.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I can't imagine running pushing a baby in a stroller, let alone a nearly grown child! These runners are amazing!!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yA_Rph9XKGqYTxOCuI3ctiMQdEkL8gIAhm7IlnT49qHKjDwn9YysXaGCVYBwRN90J0VWdvaaFjsboU-LPGd3wiVd9wvXw-EhHdnRgDvuOHBqUjr9hU6v8IkSMGNugUf6nTRjb1gZtZjo/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yA_Rph9XKGqYTxOCuI3ctiMQdEkL8gIAhm7IlnT49qHKjDwn9YysXaGCVYBwRN90J0VWdvaaFjsboU-LPGd3wiVd9wvXw-EhHdnRgDvuOHBqUjr9hU6v8IkSMGNugUf6nTRjb1gZtZjo/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> I don't think I've run a marathon yet where there weren't at least a few people in costume. Athens did not dissapoint. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oNya3P_wp4y_pKRCWXt7pGp8W_bL6hTgjfOMNU2qlgzYPbsg9dvHKT35yEIXhPbNlF-_VNQ72WnZYoUtuc2seShw30fX5ifeLT30Mmfmq-kaaXxmVcRYT09TxhspPVaqjYX2VePaA8-J/s1600/IMG_2165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oNya3P_wp4y_pKRCWXt7pGp8W_bL6hTgjfOMNU2qlgzYPbsg9dvHKT35yEIXhPbNlF-_VNQ72WnZYoUtuc2seShw30fX5ifeLT30Mmfmq-kaaXxmVcRYT09TxhspPVaqjYX2VePaA8-J/s1600/IMG_2165.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This sweet priest was so patient with me! My phone was not cooperating at all for pictures, but he just kept smiling again and again :-) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cbtv1JEmyG3iWzE6CSBk9kAQlf88PTxJPMRaMtyXcN0B7HDWVpQncCvVsl3upAZIkMjlKtDxAgceGBQKg1QqcYzIG8KPKXWzM3NBrsDSY1K7Li4-bEpqWHyi_MuiZmUyGYRQrFKQE1sZ/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cbtv1JEmyG3iWzE6CSBk9kAQlf88PTxJPMRaMtyXcN0B7HDWVpQncCvVsl3upAZIkMjlKtDxAgceGBQKg1QqcYzIG8KPKXWzM3NBrsDSY1K7Li4-bEpqWHyi_MuiZmUyGYRQrFKQE1sZ/s1600/IMG_2167.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> There is great signage alone the entire route. These aren't the usual temporary distance signs, these are permanent signs that are up all year long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Athens is well known for its 13 mile uphill slog. I trained for it by doing most of my mileage on either a 4% incline on the treadmill or on a nearby hill with a nice 2% grade that matched the average for Athens. Thanks to that preparation, it wasn't bad. Not that I wasn't very happy for my walking intervals, but other than a couple of short bits, (up from an underpass, etc.) I was never forced to walk by the angel of incline. It definitely added 10-15 minutes to my finish time, but considering how much time I spent stopped for pictures, it didn't matter much. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysTVIjVThf7U7AUjYQA0S1WbmE6KKjehmGd7d3bIsgdn8_KWn7r9QvZgD8NWQtOuoSTCFgA0tzAMGUaqbp3iluLcxME3Pk9lxD5BthXcK780K7zcvJx2wW0BHCMJgjPvlgzk3nO2SZB2q/s1600/20141109_135440-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysTVIjVThf7U7AUjYQA0S1WbmE6KKjehmGd7d3bIsgdn8_KWn7r9QvZgD8NWQtOuoSTCFgA0tzAMGUaqbp3iluLcxME3Pk9lxD5BthXcK780K7zcvJx2wW0BHCMJgjPvlgzk3nO2SZB2q/s1600/20141109_135440-1.jpg" height="320" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Nothing beats a great camera man on the side lines! Big thanks to my parents for waiting for me in the sun to get a perfect race shot. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3Yh5AKh4lmZzcwoKs2tMC34B5Kq21dKy4GQtZKDvfMpLVLpM0tmElVkaTarfSk_EHnrmFxrsO5Quzq9llcMi_0j4TbeGP1rOm33mwAUHxMdDNFXoDHMhDVTfB_Dx9r_YSOjhkSHJwMJH/s1600/IMG_2168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3Yh5AKh4lmZzcwoKs2tMC34B5Kq21dKy4GQtZKDvfMpLVLpM0tmElVkaTarfSk_EHnrmFxrsO5Quzq9llcMi_0j4TbeGP1rOm33mwAUHxMdDNFXoDHMhDVTfB_Dx9r_YSOjhkSHJwMJH/s1600/IMG_2168.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Coming into the stadium is so incredible! So much history, so much emotion, and so much cheering!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasFZWhv0NIvSKwgrghaG9ufW9xuHnVq5j2i6oQOzOCdOoWTv1OAgo1eFs-uZDgLsVED_cVijW1nOFoMViY1l6wQm33qUrXh0-ogZP6wnH2oyxmJxVp6l7QtaBMYFb7mdJ9RsGoUOeXmiP/s1600/IMG_2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasFZWhv0NIvSKwgrghaG9ufW9xuHnVq5j2i6oQOzOCdOoWTv1OAgo1eFs-uZDgLsVED_cVijW1nOFoMViY1l6wQm33qUrXh0-ogZP6wnH2oyxmJxVp6l7QtaBMYFb7mdJ9RsGoUOeXmiP/s1600/IMG_2170.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Yes! I stopped for a selfie right before the finish, LOL. After all the time I had spent taking pictures, another minute wasn't going to matter. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeoit9kCll6oQM85Jz2NLDwDaam34CQNIOOMdZOhFxv5NCvYCZtLa-Pj3lZxLIgLolnbayxkNjFLAvSnkuj3oWFoN1U8v3yCNvn_v0vnrIb0QTfk6gs6xYdbfgEygV8izMXu5OFcVKgXh/s1600/20141109_143052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeoit9kCll6oQM85Jz2NLDwDaam34CQNIOOMdZOhFxv5NCvYCZtLa-Pj3lZxLIgLolnbayxkNjFLAvSnkuj3oWFoN1U8v3yCNvn_v0vnrIb0QTfk6gs6xYdbfgEygV8izMXu5OFcVKgXh/s1600/20141109_143052.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> My good friend Elizabeth and her Husband Antonis were waiting for me at the finish too! Elizabeth assure me next year she will be IN the marathon instead of watching it. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vSz0uD_myOQJXNzBuDKUmL3tSdiylUSraG7qlznoTwztWBb5_kRQE2XWVVzU-xPH3paMK46w30WiA42plLeiMnHreu4w8fi3Ju48rjWxORKJ2fKjFQzDLBE4ZwVONoqk1zRWj6cf8jeI/s1600/10003507_298659406997104_5910668032946261535_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vSz0uD_myOQJXNzBuDKUmL3tSdiylUSraG7qlznoTwztWBb5_kRQE2XWVVzU-xPH3paMK46w30WiA42plLeiMnHreu4w8fi3Ju48rjWxORKJ2fKjFQzDLBE4ZwVONoqk1zRWj6cf8jeI/s1600/10003507_298659406997104_5910668032946261535_n.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This will definitely remain one of my favorite medals and memories.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_QrY_FCNpFMb3rpdppOKN_pO1zRB1vTBkL3ySwa-L0ahKQciGtNkZLMAhyucfrJZu5TbyP6l1ER-yLf7tiTxoe4ydRrldbtOCKD0EBud5t-s3TqXmVDIVmHCVd0bTI1u6kWyZGeFTxd0/s1600/IMG_2172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_QrY_FCNpFMb3rpdppOKN_pO1zRB1vTBkL3ySwa-L0ahKQciGtNkZLMAhyucfrJZu5TbyP6l1ER-yLf7tiTxoe4ydRrldbtOCKD0EBud5t-s3TqXmVDIVmHCVd0bTI1u6kWyZGeFTxd0/s1600/IMG_2172.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiS2HnI35sEv67ywIU9zeL4Lp9xn7tO6agxXurJwl0sW45tn_ZRWWhUSiyaS6Nd6ntP6RpDpFiJmSvGWwOJ9hd5kL4FF6xB-IAbUih5SdrBl4ZQuUWvhK6wyYyhR1I2v3ZOp3cSY0DK52y/s1600/IMG_2177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiS2HnI35sEv67ywIU9zeL4Lp9xn7tO6agxXurJwl0sW45tn_ZRWWhUSiyaS6Nd6ntP6RpDpFiJmSvGWwOJ9hd5kL4FF6xB-IAbUih5SdrBl4ZQuUWvhK6wyYyhR1I2v3ZOp3cSY0DK52y/s1600/IMG_2177.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Walking around town that night was so cool. Nothing like the acropolis lit up on a clear night! </span></td></tr>
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<br />WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-86959477446728509122014-11-17T09:49:00.000-05:002015-01-10T09:23:39.499-05:00Yorkshire Marathon 2014<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yorkshire Marathon 2014</span></b></div>
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In October of 2013, Yorkshire held its very first marathon. It sold out almost immediately and was a huge success. This year, 2014, the race sold out the 4,000 or so slots in a few hours after opening. Yorkshire is shaping up to be a key event for running in England! It is a fast, flat course in an incredibly beautiful setting. Definitely a worthy destination race!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4Lk6OK36EAbSe0n-Vc6uMG6sX4ohCxQxGMalXWMUQMpK_PSkNzrP0qYB8AN_d1yGLtGV9CgXP2ssvSqCm4k1VgC2zKjW_-ratc9nkaYA1OBnZ06nf1C2kVpgFVt1prAha0fYICP53OIZ/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4Lk6OK36EAbSe0n-Vc6uMG6sX4ohCxQxGMalXWMUQMpK_PSkNzrP0qYB8AN_d1yGLtGV9CgXP2ssvSqCm4k1VgC2zKjW_-ratc9nkaYA1OBnZ06nf1C2kVpgFVt1prAha0fYICP53OIZ/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking so excited to be here.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6gJ24uPbSe6K2e2RbfzH_DokiuCHgxABiIyxKn1zpQresi8axh9ur2tFS3GdnluGLvWCpVs9Dx_bj9qtbaOjfUG2iha1aBu6FylR_L0EtcTh4QJZfrAasD7DfxdMI0xDqbESRHLYZoSa/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6gJ24uPbSe6K2e2RbfzH_DokiuCHgxABiIyxKn1zpQresi8axh9ur2tFS3GdnluGLvWCpVs9Dx_bj9qtbaOjfUG2iha1aBu6FylR_L0EtcTh4QJZfrAasD7DfxdMI0xDqbESRHLYZoSa/s1600/photo+1+(2).JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the Jumbotron from the start corral in the fog.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">York is a great tourist destination, filled with history, museums, and events all year long.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medieval buildings attract huge crowds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jorvic museum is a Disneyland worthy ride and museum that teaches about Viking life in York.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYO0QOLp-6x2YrTOG7iY7jZ0xQtznNylqUfbQBBzipDBuLgfqC0w5KRAubAvoWvc3UO3O2ZIZs24Pe_0sUKgqAh-WbWIw4mMQAWss2H8pSYHAB5Kw0qGBwSrdpCCnmJx3_IFEGzvVWgsC_/s1600/13+Clifford's%2BTower%2C%2BYork.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYO0QOLp-6x2YrTOG7iY7jZ0xQtznNylqUfbQBBzipDBuLgfqC0w5KRAubAvoWvc3UO3O2ZIZs24Pe_0sUKgqAh-WbWIw4mMQAWss2H8pSYHAB5Kw0qGBwSrdpCCnmJx3_IFEGzvVWgsC_/s1600/13+Clifford's%2BTower%2C%2BYork.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old fortifications are everywhere</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The River Ouse runs through York and is still a very busy waterway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6x1dkZrEe-7Vz-pD5Ug7i7iM93-eB_iLMJWPXiyMhqiA1Uq44pcoLgqz_w3zW2672_nBh527Cup3Z9lhrmFmTaAcZSk5VxG_A8WVVGSsXSu97IKTTNXzENK2cFcAyFV4QdhlhOi0xeeV/s1600/18+American+indian,+Peruvian+flute,+downtown+York,+Hmmm.....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6x1dkZrEe-7Vz-pD5Ug7i7iM93-eB_iLMJWPXiyMhqiA1Uq44pcoLgqz_w3zW2672_nBh527Cup3Z9lhrmFmTaAcZSk5VxG_A8WVVGSsXSu97IKTTNXzENK2cFcAyFV4QdhlhOi0xeeV/s1600/18+American+indian,+Peruvian+flute,+downtown+York,+Hmmm.....jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourism attracts a bit of hilarious Kitsch. I've never seen a "native American" dressed in Pheasant feathers, or looking so Peruvian, LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitting the wall can be a bit different here. I've run trail races that included climbing over these walls more than once. Not and easy thing to do when you are past the 20 mile point! The Yorkshire Marathon was, thankfully, free of walls.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> Since I live about 25 miles from York, this was a must do race for me, but it was also very low key. I didn't carry a camera because I already have hundreds of pictures of York, no one came with me, and despite the fact that this was a milestone race for me, (30th marathon/ultra,) I didn't have any fanfare or celebration planned. The last couple of months of my life have been an emotional and mental train wreck so while running has been a good escape, I wasn't enjoying my training at all and every mile was forced and hard. I toughed out Loch Ness in September on painfully low mileage and did not have high hopes for Yorkshire. Despite really not wanting to run, I knew I either had to do this race, or do a 20+ mile training run alone in order to be prepared for Athens in November. Running with thousands of people, cheering spectators, water stations, timing mats, and a well laid out, traffic free course, that I have already paid for, will always be preferable to running alone so I headed for the race start.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> The set up at the university was great. They took wonderful care of the runners, there were an incredible number of volunteers, and the campus is stunning. It was just as well that I didn't carry a camera as we ran in a thick fog the whole way that covered everyone and everything in tiny drops of water until we looked like we were all covered in watery pixie dust. It was perfect running weather though. Having so much water to breathe meant I needed very little water to drink and my lungs weren't parched dry at the end. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> Although my heart wasn't in the race at the start, the spectators, views though the mist, and the other runners carried me along in the flow. I socialized, helped cramping runners with salt, checked on people that had stopped, and ran at a comfortable 4/1 run/walk pace. Since I wasn't in a hurry, I too it east at the start, which lead me to a nice negative half split :-D I shocked myself by being able to maintain my pace throughout and realized, with a few miles left to go, that I had a shot at a personal record. Apparently, between the speed work for the half marathon in early September and the marathon in Loch Ness two weeks before, my training was just what I needed. Not orthodox, but good enough to sharpen both my speed and endurance.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> I felt great after the race. Of course, I was tired and hungry, but nothing felt injured or wildly over used. Even the day after I was not sore, only a little stiff the next morning, but by Tuesday I was totally over it. To me, that is the biggest win! At the rate I am improving, it will still be a long time before I run the coveted sub-4, but as long as I keep improving and my rheumatoid arthritis stays under control, that is enough for me :-) </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> Next up, Athens Classic Marathon!</span></div>
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-39776835088476047622014-10-28T13:57:00.000-04:002014-10-28T14:01:10.414-04:00Loch Ness Marathon <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Loch Ness Marathon 2014</div>
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I was really excited about the opportunity to run the Loch Ness Marathon. I had heard so many wonderful things about the race and it was a great excuse to venture farther north into Scotland.</div>
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The race and the city of Inverness was everything that was promised!</div>
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To begin the race, all the 2,500 or so runners were loaded on buses of every sort and shipped up around Loch Ness to the race start. It took nearly an hour, but the mood was wonderful and it is always fun to be on a bus full of runners!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSZ1m2UW9TEFvpmckeo0Nlqi4UX9lEcXiRxLcjquwCqG32Q8Fqo9HOOFiV-VfpoH9Dm1pc2fP8KbzUx5YDlgtPzbDO4e36lwvEbT3nOZsBuyFLyHZYlJ0X8vl8Yxo4EAgOCRnInWPyAEP/s1600/DSCF0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSZ1m2UW9TEFvpmckeo0Nlqi4UX9lEcXiRxLcjquwCqG32Q8Fqo9HOOFiV-VfpoH9Dm1pc2fP8KbzUx5YDlgtPzbDO4e36lwvEbT3nOZsBuyFLyHZYlJ0X8vl8Yxo4EAgOCRnInWPyAEP/s1600/DSCF0490.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> When we arrived at the start area, there were lots of porta-potties and, of course, free hot tea with all the appropriate fixings.</div>
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I was quickly hailed by a group of Maniacs, two from the US, and another from Canada. Later we found a 5th from Edinburgh that was running her first race as a Maniac.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6O2zeIiu-t5P5TtIGPHakAA0Du2D2cgZMno-0t3zmXkLQnmvNxQ0gfEGAHWIxlsIJfVKN0KDxj8WD6_QhIQ2jSeq0T-hvxVmpV_wsFHSOEn3UnH0S1TH0TbAr_D3RbI9dB8zoRKylDTS/s1600/DSCF0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6O2zeIiu-t5P5TtIGPHakAA0Du2D2cgZMno-0t3zmXkLQnmvNxQ0gfEGAHWIxlsIJfVKN0KDxj8WD6_QhIQ2jSeq0T-hvxVmpV_wsFHSOEn3UnH0S1TH0TbAr_D3RbI9dB8zoRKylDTS/s1600/DSCF0501.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the start gun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvFwaTTVrW2VUgH0TTW6K6PeJFbeMXpsEL4PgZJeJ18uocoRDgVwjgVfCBMJr9EFOZN9f5p9vlu3EoQ12fqudmM_GEDltFP5QwT0OS62KmVulKNGPMEF_P74Nq4ijwcn3nVA5fZzfzSjf/s1600/DSCF0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzvFwaTTVrW2VUgH0TTW6K6PeJFbeMXpsEL4PgZJeJ18uocoRDgVwjgVfCBMJr9EFOZN9f5p9vlu3EoQ12fqudmM_GEDltFP5QwT0OS62KmVulKNGPMEF_P74Nq4ijwcn3nVA5fZzfzSjf/s1600/DSCF0505.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">En Route entertainment was great!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7DVujsc0yTrpBkb936RwdIl7M_Cq5GqfYS_ApeKm_cbPhuqJoyiWPmRaM_KAysyQ1D2yLQhPX8ryGLhC_niDSHXExsUtSQpoE21sVVrzLV6L4iigAFDqMGAfcG6zRjK5dYfmMZduXB2w/s1600/DSCF0507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7DVujsc0yTrpBkb936RwdIl7M_Cq5GqfYS_ApeKm_cbPhuqJoyiWPmRaM_KAysyQ1D2yLQhPX8ryGLhC_niDSHXExsUtSQpoE21sVVrzLV6L4iigAFDqMGAfcG6zRjK5dYfmMZduXB2w/s1600/DSCF0507.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This silly horse was trotting up and down the fence matching the pace of the runners. He would hit the end of his pasture, race back to the other end, and do it again.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVI-QuMkyZhlSm3o2aVakLIRki-pi88ntfABnP2XXPMdqtH3z82bY0_Pt26SChEhKH4woLyqXeU3SF0hiTxlZOin-pEEIZ7WbSRFOtTvm8sTkFBBHFGaR_8ObMsZpGG02AN_MaFVdVE2Bp/s1600/DSCF0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVI-QuMkyZhlSm3o2aVakLIRki-pi88ntfABnP2XXPMdqtH3z82bY0_Pt26SChEhKH4woLyqXeU3SF0hiTxlZOin-pEEIZ7WbSRFOtTvm8sTkFBBHFGaR_8ObMsZpGG02AN_MaFVdVE2Bp/s1600/DSCF0509.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maniacs are always fun :-) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeEoxkMgXqH1HWnGi_-aFaZcODXXFXWYJxBuMm6leeO9WgxcU_Jpr9tnFBs4HkPlfHOL26MkN2pgGsclm61Hvu-JXn4-vjNBRrOd_vNhiKJrmU_RJb1oK0sjx4LVoQ0WLW2EgADlNsbJ1/s1600/DSCF0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeEoxkMgXqH1HWnGi_-aFaZcODXXFXWYJxBuMm6leeO9WgxcU_Jpr9tnFBs4HkPlfHOL26MkN2pgGsclm61Hvu-JXn4-vjNBRrOd_vNhiKJrmU_RJb1oK0sjx4LVoQ0WLW2EgADlNsbJ1/s1600/DSCF0510.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather brightened as we wound our way through the country side.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_IJwHILkYDdWOhwe1Svq1_pcIi8p_VBV2aeijM0yZCSdnRLWMdfuc3yh8oV4kgga5KRK9aY6GsRtlRDMiaUFywuy3rCNsTEQdzQerDZKJrL7redfunAH1CDGhiPvzygVQq-ybFeYbFSJ/s1600/DSCF0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_IJwHILkYDdWOhwe1Svq1_pcIi8p_VBV2aeijM0yZCSdnRLWMdfuc3yh8oV4kgga5KRK9aY6GsRtlRDMiaUFywuy3rCNsTEQdzQerDZKJrL7redfunAH1CDGhiPvzygVQq-ybFeYbFSJ/s1600/DSCF0514.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loch Ness</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD5_kfdOGsBs7CyMkGqaHNuLpftwBiPEBDxCZaVGB9r0Qa41MyxThkM_-j6KasB0gwPthDgImJS9OWAbBq3qoDF-Pt5jHp2yXeArVJE1ept2RaDX15eJUPuyL1idPI-N4RQLjxTWYq0ds/s1600/DSCF0515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD5_kfdOGsBs7CyMkGqaHNuLpftwBiPEBDxCZaVGB9r0Qa41MyxThkM_-j6KasB0gwPthDgImJS9OWAbBq3qoDF-Pt5jHp2yXeArVJE1ept2RaDX15eJUPuyL1idPI-N4RQLjxTWYq0ds/s1600/DSCF0515.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jQMhsa1eqNybSFK6Q_2CW0X5h8h83bGXR708hrWhCEfu_DW2kgjp_zr61tHAvm4IozcQ54fgTZ4PAnUHhprA5FwNIKY0-dFCg-va5N5sy8L_Xjd3XBeOfYJkbNwIWwCN97qa4dSJgfip/s1600/DSCF0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jQMhsa1eqNybSFK6Q_2CW0X5h8h83bGXR708hrWhCEfu_DW2kgjp_zr61tHAvm4IozcQ54fgTZ4PAnUHhprA5FwNIKY0-dFCg-va5N5sy8L_Xjd3XBeOfYJkbNwIWwCN97qa4dSJgfip/s1600/DSCF0516.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dark, mysterious, loch looked just like I expected!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrDsm86iHHzjW5WekOUj6kQ1fZ5F-67DZ-dTNiEfNEZO68-zALaWOG4LkXROHN3NOZMS3GyyWoBmItHnuHd64Hjcu9sTpkbm7Qds3e3LKFZmxGYt-_9YCZSu5oH9J83Yc8gLhfR5u-3xx/s1600/DSCF0522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrDsm86iHHzjW5WekOUj6kQ1fZ5F-67DZ-dTNiEfNEZO68-zALaWOG4LkXROHN3NOZMS3GyyWoBmItHnuHd64Hjcu9sTpkbm7Qds3e3LKFZmxGYt-_9YCZSu5oH9J83Yc8gLhfR5u-3xx/s1600/DSCF0522.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, the course is a "Wee Bit Hilly", but it is far more downhill than up so still a reasonably fast course and there were always lots of people to chat with during the uphill marches</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoUT0ZVxpT4V4o0J-DEVyJWWGXG2JcmGvsIetRjDdfQWJNsianNz4y6JdjY1KCmKED41UJxluuhet5wKY5EXAn418zToOauAWBvjTgxnp_Wnpk68hfJElNAEHdjwacJMCKiwdDM90fxY7/s1600/DSCF0523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoUT0ZVxpT4V4o0J-DEVyJWWGXG2JcmGvsIetRjDdfQWJNsianNz4y6JdjY1KCmKED41UJxluuhet5wKY5EXAn418zToOauAWBvjTgxnp_Wnpk68hfJElNAEHdjwacJMCKiwdDM90fxY7/s1600/DSCF0523.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Humpty Dumpty had Wall Issues" The signs were very creative!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3OMdmH0ODKWMue8nyKu95EsQuS0GkFdpGPMB38oQV6aZJRiaAWsQNbruYhgidSXU_3JACgtdI2aUfwCe23I2Did9Eo7ZeKro3ZR_6VIM683q_mgax9Uu_9PGwJSy6LdUeHyZhAoghyphenhyphenqv/s1600/DSCF0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3OMdmH0ODKWMue8nyKu95EsQuS0GkFdpGPMB38oQV6aZJRiaAWsQNbruYhgidSXU_3JACgtdI2aUfwCe23I2Did9Eo7ZeKro3ZR_6VIM683q_mgax9Uu_9PGwJSy6LdUeHyZhAoghyphenhyphenqv/s1600/DSCF0524.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to stop for a spectator photo with the "Invisible Boy" LOL</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3OZ8K0ds3S6iqsD5Tf1gcvPnoO2qz23_vtSJYqawO90C7VDQzz-87h-K4mcWrctqSwbiP-uDRsbFFIKStuUa6BVfg-zST1_PvZpcfvoz_ggnxeTJ3dfQ37m31NG4Ftr2cKEZTn3-0qUE/s1600/DSCF0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3OZ8K0ds3S6iqsD5Tf1gcvPnoO2qz23_vtSJYqawO90C7VDQzz-87h-K4mcWrctqSwbiP-uDRsbFFIKStuUa6BVfg-zST1_PvZpcfvoz_ggnxeTJ3dfQ37m31NG4Ftr2cKEZTn3-0qUE/s1600/DSCF0526.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was great having my daughter at the finish line with the camera ready</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIulQUYQ-xyo54fgUGZXGn44GSuJZk4EqSseyn6AkxPVIHqCXXjICdIGc1K57fw7ClaTQjCKhmpymd6aD1HxM2SuMcgBevstlaL1IRhxMkcOM1W43mf276icniEj9yyURc6S1aQoHZdfp/s1600/DSCF2118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIulQUYQ-xyo54fgUGZXGn44GSuJZk4EqSseyn6AkxPVIHqCXXjICdIGc1K57fw7ClaTQjCKhmpymd6aD1HxM2SuMcgBevstlaL1IRhxMkcOM1W43mf276icniEj9yyURc6S1aQoHZdfp/s1600/DSCF2118.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few more yards.......</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZ4zrLe_Mrzy-sai9TK6Z8_-rb5MwituM3_i9Xeb882wzFLtCfDbzHOfUXJLWEJqD63lb7CcDdE0Tx7OKPweWBuBJNE21NBTgrM8V_KQuMtjsmhw8pjtDlR84h12cWLMK2aZ6cpaAfYC2/s1600/DSCF2115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZ4zrLe_Mrzy-sai9TK6Z8_-rb5MwituM3_i9Xeb882wzFLtCfDbzHOfUXJLWEJqD63lb7CcDdE0Tx7OKPweWBuBJNE21NBTgrM8V_KQuMtjsmhw8pjtDlR84h12cWLMK2aZ6cpaAfYC2/s1600/DSCF2115.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a spectacularly beautiful town alone the River Ness</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonWXUsxW6dz_R6D93KbLhsHLJoToUP-a33mC2AyLxjDORalJk6mZy_lMj-pLZAz5UWkbLZ-f83LlUkAm72QP760DvIvDJAI0TAtRfERSJgE3cttWGO_hhXDdxpTLxlSFJcUVKDe8VSxc_/s1600/DSCF2120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonWXUsxW6dz_R6D93KbLhsHLJoToUP-a33mC2AyLxjDORalJk6mZy_lMj-pLZAz5UWkbLZ-f83LlUkAm72QP760DvIvDJAI0TAtRfERSJgE3cttWGO_hhXDdxpTLxlSFJcUVKDe8VSxc_/s1600/DSCF2120.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tah-Dah! All done</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_YFq2OJz7KewOLwfEMAfRemBIgRcvUV0QiZWlzkHZeVlRV72TGLAg4FS8pWponIXl5kRt_NegOUFIMLWNTHBfj1wHZX1Sp9rQKMnZVQ7CnjczdSpmd2k5g0dB5VwV8uTyhDRFWYzjtj5/s1600/DSCF2121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_YFq2OJz7KewOLwfEMAfRemBIgRcvUV0QiZWlzkHZeVlRV72TGLAg4FS8pWponIXl5kRt_NegOUFIMLWNTHBfj1wHZX1Sp9rQKMnZVQ7CnjczdSpmd2k5g0dB5VwV8uTyhDRFWYzjtj5/s1600/DSCF2121.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of local color</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdxAaq5YptqAQL04-yaLt-aYrRIXQtIeZk83RPQgmD_lH8Qcs4zqYr_6-y7ukuUGQ5yx9Iave0A52JbEnBMAbuEd-UbCL9J7UpZ7h_0e1TuvUK1lXwUd_8PVrAfDItDbOQZjp90yxd3Fx/s1600/DSCF2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdxAaq5YptqAQL04-yaLt-aYrRIXQtIeZk83RPQgmD_lH8Qcs4zqYr_6-y7ukuUGQ5yx9Iave0A52JbEnBMAbuEd-UbCL9J7UpZ7h_0e1TuvUK1lXwUd_8PVrAfDItDbOQZjp90yxd3Fx/s1600/DSCF2122.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wee Nessy looks a bit like a dinosaur, hmmmmmm<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
It really was a great race and wonderfully managed. Even the safety pins for our bibs were great quality, (a first!) The expo was nice and the town really turned out for the runners. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP23jGV5UdLeIoqf75lx2It74rVkjKbLH-nDHzjxtHXC7oj4PeCUx6Bsv-2dMgA1FHlscDIGNTGB9oious5OvTOD1qsiZBG9FAmwRE3-Rzk27p2vsxESbp5FB8AhtYOs2-tqUaHwiYoq6k/s1600/10687084_285012731695105_7408475590867397823_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP23jGV5UdLeIoqf75lx2It74rVkjKbLH-nDHzjxtHXC7oj4PeCUx6Bsv-2dMgA1FHlscDIGNTGB9oious5OvTOD1qsiZBG9FAmwRE3-Rzk27p2vsxESbp5FB8AhtYOs2-tqUaHwiYoq6k/s1600/10687084_285012731695105_7408475590867397823_n.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-60086124156245146732014-10-06T08:10:00.001-04:002014-10-06T08:12:26.562-04:00The Great North Run, Newcastle, UK half marathon<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf13OYqxcwW7XTitplIX8bPgNT6EKromX8O9GV33JdrllRErj3q0L01Ev1sKzMJwJ2-vwKCr7iDZxDkL7QJY5YAGM7cXk6X9zn8HGl3Vyr_j4Hfn8D__9XOhLnNriItVtl_DCX0GwDR31Y/s1600/10551056_954267507932177_3096225392669964132_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf13OYqxcwW7XTitplIX8bPgNT6EKromX8O9GV33JdrllRErj3q0L01Ev1sKzMJwJ2-vwKCr7iDZxDkL7QJY5YAGM7cXk6X9zn8HGl3Vyr_j4Hfn8D__9XOhLnNriItVtl_DCX0GwDR31Y/s1600/10551056_954267507932177_3096225392669964132_n.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stock picture from the website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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The Great North
Run in Northern England is one of the biggest races in the world. Since it
started in 1981 with its first 12,000 runners, over 1 million finishers have
crossed the line. It is the first IAAF race to reach this milestone. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq_2Q-hBmpfuxn4JVTcREbJhkxz4lrnkncsdL79dVrNxMNSnS_icGE3kiRHLaS0MxNDOhfg_B3gtkpfm53Fo3thjsfgicPWeSY0yJgrobHsxW4u1iV-FKoJRo5yFrHXdhvpENVVPOuR8R/s1600/10616508_954533734572221_7214490027379142602_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNq_2Q-hBmpfuxn4JVTcREbJhkxz4lrnkncsdL79dVrNxMNSnS_icGE3kiRHLaS0MxNDOhfg_B3gtkpfm53Fo3thjsfgicPWeSY0yJgrobHsxW4u1iV-FKoJRo5yFrHXdhvpENVVPOuR8R/s1600/10616508_954533734572221_7214490027379142602_n.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from the paper. The runners were thin at this point!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The 13.1 half marathon route runs from Newcastle, over the
Tyne Bridge and, after some surprising hills, ends in South Shields on the
coast. The route was lined with spectators the whole way and seemed to fulfill
the descriptions I have read of the top marathons in places like London,
Chicago, and New York. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBwpcxvRZXC0en8RInJCWbrWWzxey7AhqxmS8CIIiStpnyKk0qibV8-9TRGv1BmwSMsj-pcePiHWQzg5b7xkK4QKazMKjRgf1b_Ka6DSZsRrymuK_MD7PTRD35skch0NbqX8NuQY9Tir8/s1600/IMG_2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBwpcxvRZXC0en8RInJCWbrWWzxey7AhqxmS8CIIiStpnyKk0qibV8-9TRGv1BmwSMsj-pcePiHWQzg5b7xkK4QKazMKjRgf1b_Ka6DSZsRrymuK_MD7PTRD35skch0NbqX8NuQY9Tir8/s1600/IMG_2052.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So British to have red, double decker buses as our baggage transport :-) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYtfzIvC70Rm2_hxphG61M0HpP0-qq8XY87JCmQ98t2rI-2FsUiDSCC9t2EICUPcn11lN4wxLZGRMFoM7lgKV__4Njnmoo5cE-fxC9KnYg0Fn7tFOhbo00Bgog6fzPeepx0kafz61C_A6/s1600/IMG_2054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYtfzIvC70Rm2_hxphG61M0HpP0-qq8XY87JCmQ98t2rI-2FsUiDSCC9t2EICUPcn11lN4wxLZGRMFoM7lgKV__4Njnmoo5cE-fxC9KnYg0Fn7tFOhbo00Bgog6fzPeepx0kafz61C_A6/s1600/IMG_2054.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patient bus drivers that gave up their Sunday morning <br />
off to haul bags for us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It was amazing
being in that big of a field and despite the crowds I was able to stay on pace
pretty well. There is always a few walkers to get around, but for the most part
I was seeded extremely well in my corral and felt like I was just carried along
on the tide. There were a couple of bottlenecks, but we never came to a
complete halt. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfozkyAWUsOc_TQHGP7Dm62jBj21aUAdHlS2_OHX790uQYYdN6xIPKlg1G_n_DeLNtlesu8EqN-g8eKz8rXvawrtAyYxQzmaZnghlFL2z2STG6TGMlxsIjh3tuiiW5g19-bA1abeNc0XWk/s1600/IMG_2057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfozkyAWUsOc_TQHGP7Dm62jBj21aUAdHlS2_OHX790uQYYdN6xIPKlg1G_n_DeLNtlesu8EqN-g8eKz8rXvawrtAyYxQzmaZnghlFL2z2STG6TGMlxsIjh3tuiiW5g19-bA1abeNc0XWk/s1600/IMG_2057.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entertainment in the start corrals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My pace was the
best it has been in years. Although it wasn’t a PR, it was my fastest finish in
3 ½ years and my second fastest over all. I supposed if it had been cooler, the
course had been flatter, or the crowds had been thinner, it might have been a
PR, but I don’t really care, it was my 3<sup>rd</sup> sub 2-hour finish out of
14 half marathons, I wasn’t going to worry about the details. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh770Q1T3f75Ku8DoQaIMLd-259kUE-bgQCmLC0-Zyb_x2Mb8mJYpuat9Rcf1bwzP9Nc3TPQCuJIgoOLMOmJjsqepwHYFQjbcHY832aRxKwTNYLMb2woYSos5ri1xgQNv66E7Z-on7Twxp-/s1600/IMG_2067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh770Q1T3f75Ku8DoQaIMLd-259kUE-bgQCmLC0-Zyb_x2Mb8mJYpuat9Rcf1bwzP9Nc3TPQCuJIgoOLMOmJjsqepwHYFQjbcHY832aRxKwTNYLMb2woYSos5ri1xgQNv66E7Z-on7Twxp-/s1600/IMG_2067.JPG" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He actually finished the race in that!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYiUOz4IQ40yMOGVjbOoVr9mxcamayLqdM5SwYbmG02aBM4B4U8cCR5YcCGeRI7cpbF7UZS3_sncjfcqsBySU1rGADdGI9TrcLnYA_jbalSl6wtGltYvwZxUlcNVsl90Ah9Uu5Hahaoqq/s1600/IMG_2053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggYiUOz4IQ40yMOGVjbOoVr9mxcamayLqdM5SwYbmG02aBM4B4U8cCR5YcCGeRI7cpbF7UZS3_sncjfcqsBySU1rGADdGI9TrcLnYA_jbalSl6wtGltYvwZxUlcNVsl90Ah9Uu5Hahaoqq/s1600/IMG_2053.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wondering why all the crazy people <br />
are on his street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I didn’t take
pictures on the course since I don’t take walk breaks in half marathons, but I
wish I could show everything some of the crazy people and things I saw. There
were costumes, funny signs, and fantastic spectators, (especially the ones
handing out orange slices!) Everything from “Elvis” in full regalia crooning as
we passed and the Pink Lady for Breast Cancer, to a 7 member steel drum band
without a drop of ethnic blood amongst them. They all whizzed by as I pressed
myself to maintain my heart rate, basing my pace off of that, rather than how
many minutes it was taking me to cover a mile. <o:p></o:p></div>
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By the time we hit
the finish, the crowds had really not thinned out. I was in the thick of it as
hundreds of runners crowded to get across the finish line. Owing to the chip
collection, there was already a backup bad enough that we were having to wiggle
in like sardines to actually get our body over the final timing mat! I guess crossing it slowly is why my Garmin
and my official time agree to the second.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA_-E3LQRzxrF6woOac2Ux-lgdrujTNl5dteafzh3Q8jlU_1gW1JsXf8LzPtj-sMhq_hnoL9XRtGd8YeQSPm-04KmP5SqFYbNDvoq6o4VgosxW9YDiq9IxDDxlDoqHCaiLLE1Kye0qQrT/s1600/IMG_2056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqA_-E3LQRzxrF6woOac2Ux-lgdrujTNl5dteafzh3Q8jlU_1gW1JsXf8LzPtj-sMhq_hnoL9XRtGd8YeQSPm-04KmP5SqFYbNDvoq6o4VgosxW9YDiq9IxDDxlDoqHCaiLLE1Kye0qQrT/s1600/IMG_2056.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I went
through the usual steps; turned in my chip, got my goodie bag, stopped for my
finisher photo, and followed the crowd on our march to the baggage busses.
Along the way I managed to score a pint, and a seat on a hay bale in front of a
live band playing American Western Music, long enough to cool down and enjoy my
tasty beverage. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfffleduiH3Wt579HCpQSd5Jw_wwh4wzffUW65Sg-VXmcjonH_7_VIossGOEKl26eeBOIEUdT8ikH_kqyNRD71qUyVcb1u63WhecvwTXmq3kNDkQDyeETiZfzyS_9T_V0KDCqlj2a_Dxh/s1600/IMG_2074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfffleduiH3Wt579HCpQSd5Jw_wwh4wzffUW65Sg-VXmcjonH_7_VIossGOEKl26eeBOIEUdT8ikH_kqyNRD71qUyVcb1u63WhecvwTXmq3kNDkQDyeETiZfzyS_9T_V0KDCqlj2a_Dxh/s1600/IMG_2074.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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One big cultural
different that surprised me was that British runners are even less body conscious
than American runners. I’m used to runners being a bit more comfortable, women
stripping down to sports bras, everyone in revealing compression shorts, but I
was caught a little off guard by women stripping naked to the waist in full
public view and guys stripping down to less than a Speedo. Not that I mind, but
my run-addled brain took a little more time than usual to process the images.
“Did I just see that?” “Did Winnie the Pooh just disrobe to a thong?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKVMdTrBVSygpEOt9P7x10IBuS6prZGsISi-HYvax9cD-uEjrImBFScB9rI9WVtK0B9eqe_zcYe7BbAH8qr2EtPY_Y-1QrLOqtu0ZFHN_jFMAtkr1LkwX84gv4YGB0oFJa9CjnrlJt7_5/s1600/IMG_2080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKVMdTrBVSygpEOt9P7x10IBuS6prZGsISi-HYvax9cD-uEjrImBFScB9rI9WVtK0B9eqe_zcYe7BbAH8qr2EtPY_Y-1QrLOqtu0ZFHN_jFMAtkr1LkwX84gv4YGB0oFJa9CjnrlJt7_5/s1600/IMG_2080.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to see here, but there are solid people all the way to the finish arch and beyond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Eventually I made my
way to the bus that would carry me back to my car in Leeds. It was a long day,
but well worth it to have been part of this great race! <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsPbtF2p-dlTIxzz8xZVC3EzXgWTqEKmG35yeTAa6MGEaJgt-e1reF4d5grySAsAlzMKK-wgmmvFE7hfZZJaVotvJYzq0VvEvqg8L7UHsLFI8CuCUETeOhEnTwuyeYeW6zTJUJj2qAwg2/s1600/IMG_2083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsPbtF2p-dlTIxzz8xZVC3EzXgWTqEKmG35yeTAa6MGEaJgt-e1reF4d5grySAsAlzMKK-wgmmvFE7hfZZJaVotvJYzq0VvEvqg8L7UHsLFI8CuCUETeOhEnTwuyeYeW6zTJUJj2qAwg2/s1600/IMG_2083.JPG" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The calm beyond the storm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvVumJadRPGHGGrr7wF6Xq_XwZ1pu2RuV4pEXH8WxY0aQ-ImeDDWslaeRJQnyW3ERsdb9XSMSMnuNsuYJq42v5_ZUKmD3j5_XrF6flwZ0l8Si-9weoAcA7bR7Phmy0Acm7x8lYHYs9dgU/s1600/FcertA4.tmpl-31094-EY9Q.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvVumJadRPGHGGrr7wF6Xq_XwZ1pu2RuV4pEXH8WxY0aQ-ImeDDWslaeRJQnyW3ERsdb9XSMSMnuNsuYJq42v5_ZUKmD3j5_XrF6flwZ0l8Si-9weoAcA7bR7Phmy0Acm7x8lYHYs9dgU/s1600/FcertA4.tmpl-31094-EY9Q.jpeg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-38681993948838216222014-08-23T11:27:00.001-04:002014-08-23T11:27:10.140-04:00Wales Marathon, Tenby, UK<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Wales Marathon, Tenby, 2014</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP5jDeYxIdE_QMqctWMROzyrD0GHKroGa-vc8IIQo8yqu9FD7ae5JffUcDec3Tx76E7Rt6CvfeM65OJkPgYtONXognN52LSbnYnzG2z14WdxmAPrlwG-bWcpAZ7bHDsKpNLIoTJNxCVPG/s1600/cDSCF1983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP5jDeYxIdE_QMqctWMROzyrD0GHKroGa-vc8IIQo8yqu9FD7ae5JffUcDec3Tx76E7Rt6CvfeM65OJkPgYtONXognN52LSbnYnzG2z14WdxmAPrlwG-bWcpAZ7bHDsKpNLIoTJNxCVPG/s1600/cDSCF1983.jpg" height="481" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiyEWt5wcy27P1qIVRo1YPybUvPHOwsSJS0p_uR58ZhKUgMTxrMhyphenhyphen6NcqjBtbJd8VZtUOvpOJapZTaT1okFocbu0EwGrr8ED0KGc-FHzlALL312TujxlHwzFhSGsrJ6yjxem-Dlzg6RQc/s1600/cDSCF1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiyEWt5wcy27P1qIVRo1YPybUvPHOwsSJS0p_uR58ZhKUgMTxrMhyphenhyphen6NcqjBtbJd8VZtUOvpOJapZTaT1okFocbu0EwGrr8ED0KGc-FHzlALL312TujxlHwzFhSGsrJ6yjxem-Dlzg6RQc/s1600/cDSCF1997.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tide out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDH2U-Ioka457KvP2KRMhHtRJK6TTeWUFpMDVYzhw3EINffeXYN3P4pabkz6HBTVIleTtqSItfru4wsJuKg1kZ8ffHDay5l51ZxFi57f-WM-w7yKUdJgTsKEzK32j7p8udP6CifPkM_4F/s1600/10559193_10153462944282619_798588685_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDH2U-Ioka457KvP2KRMhHtRJK6TTeWUFpMDVYzhw3EINffeXYN3P4pabkz6HBTVIleTtqSItfru4wsJuKg1kZ8ffHDay5l51ZxFi57f-WM-w7yKUdJgTsKEzK32j7p8udP6CifPkM_4F/s1600/10559193_10153462944282619_798588685_n.jpg" height="320" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Military wives at the race start :-) </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6VleqhNDiddV8f4SBdcYWZ-2Iw245GWY12wRo94PrzgirBAZrj39WJUCB5aPXpDrkJkHNU4ILdve131ChaKdNoX-oXIvvZ68E8oaNliw53-meGHcFAP1a3Nek6sZe5UPfs7_zpmigyF4/s1600/DSCF0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6VleqhNDiddV8f4SBdcYWZ-2Iw245GWY12wRo94PrzgirBAZrj39WJUCB5aPXpDrkJkHNU4ILdve131ChaKdNoX-oXIvvZ68E8oaNliw53-meGHcFAP1a3Nek6sZe5UPfs7_zpmigyF4/s1600/DSCF0465.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Wales Marathon
is part of Tenby’s Long Course Weekend. It is a series of races that mirror the
Ironman, but the swim is on Friday, Cycle on Saturday, and run on Sunday.
Needless to say the whole town was packed with amazing athletes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lWMtf0EeKN2FjrXwWIV8-YDU2YzsIAsE8OhQqsdLFyWgWJ2ypVkK7zyFyX1bpw1w4zRJRrjXp_cVaBYVH3H_x9i0cov6iNEHR0d_g1XM1ox5awRiHZ7__g2A1yEBlmueLw3-CCZdwo14/s1600/10593189_10152583929574764_4620577845469196922_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lWMtf0EeKN2FjrXwWIV8-YDU2YzsIAsE8OhQqsdLFyWgWJ2ypVkK7zyFyX1bpw1w4zRJRrjXp_cVaBYVH3H_x9i0cov6iNEHR0d_g1XM1ox5awRiHZ7__g2A1yEBlmueLw3-CCZdwo14/s1600/10593189_10152583929574764_4620577845469196922_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing the Asian salute with Katrina who had just arrived from Okinawa, Japan</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSUw1vZBWby0t_SUN7GUQlRAzu1OvzwKfRq46IL5vaoR2DX_4LyL4yIsAQskwXevs2PPchWS64pQRw1dR7_qaoR04A3nZs0Exmn1_DZIxF1W5sKduhCwWz4fK3WdDlUZezmhxK5qWXhkN/s1600/cS0010480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLSUw1vZBWby0t_SUN7GUQlRAzu1OvzwKfRq46IL5vaoR2DX_4LyL4yIsAQskwXevs2PPchWS64pQRw1dR7_qaoR04A3nZs0Exmn1_DZIxF1W5sKduhCwWz4fK3WdDlUZezmhxK5qWXhkN/s1600/cS0010480.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a> The Marathon course was lovely. It was a
tough one with lots of hills, but with about 600 runners and gorgeous scenery,
even the low hung skies could not dampen our spirits. We were fortunate in that
it never really rained on us and the clouds never really cleared so it stayed
in a comfortable zone. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqjDdYQRQbmf_rzrSplc9WoXGz9LuCEzo_AlAyrcVcN29Lgg47HLvU32HR4s0vG7J4KNw6M0jye7aKc5Ok4OGr8qz01MOcEf3rS47ztMhCDV0VOzU_5bpC0J-PBjniGrQAVyyhGlgz8my/s1600/cDSCF0475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqjDdYQRQbmf_rzrSplc9WoXGz9LuCEzo_AlAyrcVcN29Lgg47HLvU32HR4s0vG7J4KNw6M0jye7aKc5Ok4OGr8qz01MOcEf3rS47ztMhCDV0VOzU_5bpC0J-PBjniGrQAVyyhGlgz8my/s1600/cDSCF0475.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> The support
was great from the crowds, spectators and the race organizers. Gels were in
abundance, as was water and porta potties. Everything was well marked and the
red carpet finish at the end was really cool. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I did
reasonably well considering the hills, and two days of driving and sightseeing
beforehand. I was tired, but in no hurry and enjoyed chatting with the people I
met on the course. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6yhvzI1EAFLsVg8W6uWQ_mpBtf6tv7yhpbsCOup_HH2HhyhijFmxtowUTGaq4my1aMQ-pL6QuOLlti-klOiI5_DRNIcW8GXeAyvgdKDo23U45Vhxf4qR5zZ5PJOhI11nDpQMFrfaRy7z/s1600/cDSCF0481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6yhvzI1EAFLsVg8W6uWQ_mpBtf6tv7yhpbsCOup_HH2HhyhijFmxtowUTGaq4my1aMQ-pL6QuOLlti-klOiI5_DRNIcW8GXeAyvgdKDo23U45Vhxf4qR5zZ5PJOhI11nDpQMFrfaRy7z/s1600/cDSCF0481.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has my smile :-) </td></tr>
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I know my
race reports have gotten shorter, but it is less frequent that a race really
stands out or has a story. It was great to see a new area and we had fun being
tourists. The food was wonderful, as were the people. Other than that, it was a
peaceful, lovely race <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70YHqZzBt_sFT1EMX4M-phsR7BaLooFrdQowAXVX2zJ2HmXqhcbOoQcb4fScKMKH6cUsL8P-BZUIVIruMTag0JBe1L_bcD_7l25t4oNe13bbbxo-xxy0JnCoYn-z6mPmgp6cYHS4sYWIk/s1600/cDSCF0485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70YHqZzBt_sFT1EMX4M-phsR7BaLooFrdQowAXVX2zJ2HmXqhcbOoQcb4fScKMKH6cUsL8P-BZUIVIruMTag0JBe1L_bcD_7l25t4oNe13bbbxo-xxy0JnCoYn-z6mPmgp6cYHS4sYWIk/s1600/cDSCF0485.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Endless coasts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWyzqKIf7aRL4TAuFvngWJpPMktZdYhcS4Chr5-Z78q3dLIoY7hloy8sU5uSr9qTaNmdiKLafsyvT_3gt-M9x-YEqiUYvex56ojUu0vVqonDFnTwA95YYRVXY0TTY73znFlHDQ9o9B18a/s1600/cDSCF0487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWyzqKIf7aRL4TAuFvngWJpPMktZdYhcS4Chr5-Z78q3dLIoY7hloy8sU5uSr9qTaNmdiKLafsyvT_3gt-M9x-YEqiUYvex56ojUu0vVqonDFnTwA95YYRVXY0TTY73znFlHDQ9o9B18a/s1600/cDSCF0487.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and Castles!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdQzr3FjCybVkpJsdV9HIOho3wQocIVmGYtkW8DKblqtdY3wfKI6EWIwTl9K6f_o1ujIa_XnKdzdWrqyyxx_7Ln4PRvhrW-rwAzsMis6RiwKbFQQxpsbvtbjwNrLJFYpnzHEhlfebztFF/s1600/cDSCF0488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdQzr3FjCybVkpJsdV9HIOho3wQocIVmGYtkW8DKblqtdY3wfKI6EWIwTl9K6f_o1ujIa_XnKdzdWrqyyxx_7Ln4PRvhrW-rwAzsMis6RiwKbFQQxpsbvtbjwNrLJFYpnzHEhlfebztFF/s1600/cDSCF0488.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXllye-DzmVNoOMSVjf8qXV_FYz-VJ8-FI1yVc4nwdO41G7jPoz0-W4dQ832jPaEpUeyQgiYA0_Yu7zrs9BfDcwQg5bj3CwlDTATvjSvlPpB-pRbngeomK2JfZmnTBuv5LjnfVH3v4GD2/s1600/10550947_272106289655833_500860042833453911_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXllye-DzmVNoOMSVjf8qXV_FYz-VJ8-FI1yVc4nwdO41G7jPoz0-W4dQ832jPaEpUeyQgiYA0_Yu7zrs9BfDcwQg5bj3CwlDTATvjSvlPpB-pRbngeomK2JfZmnTBuv5LjnfVH3v4GD2/s1600/10550947_272106289655833_500860042833453911_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red carpet finish</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIW3mHJe2WloHXhRgfXHQEGKwZ9AGPrY9T2NWznZ8eQF2S6PGsgLubGnCiqHn-Gbin4xHZ5nkIDLSkdoY21JgTjkdbwtwcKnZEJ5hVA6n4y74xqjiI2_ZoYTAGHTUbBG_iP_VT04zf8KD/s1600/cDSCF1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIW3mHJe2WloHXhRgfXHQEGKwZ9AGPrY9T2NWznZ8eQF2S6PGsgLubGnCiqHn-Gbin4xHZ5nkIDLSkdoY21JgTjkdbwtwcKnZEJ5hVA6n4y74xqjiI2_ZoYTAGHTUbBG_iP_VT04zf8KD/s1600/cDSCF1960.jpg" height="572" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sight seeing on the "sort of" way to Wales, and representing my Charity</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lQTBTbugGGuzWF9J9Ltf_OWvs01X5rvQJkXfV_GeO_QIr7N9koa4k5RkfUbZWo7g_ZjNEM53PyzgYxOPNHVXeZBRUKDaTRtEnhs4GwGLt55EL2QlaDRW1jL7Z9vx3-dg8aPwBYo9W9Fi/s1600/cDSCF1987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1lQTBTbugGGuzWF9J9Ltf_OWvs01X5rvQJkXfV_GeO_QIr7N9koa4k5RkfUbZWo7g_ZjNEM53PyzgYxOPNHVXeZBRUKDaTRtEnhs4GwGLt55EL2QlaDRW1jL7Z9vx3-dg8aPwBYo9W9Fi/s1600/cDSCF1987.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning moon on the evening after the swim.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVTWi5_pQBuJRlxTwp9PQfK_04K0WUbYvqoDNaHISJGqkW4D-As3zO5eHvVJq8yfxCYDPtRQRUEMO4r29IZP3DP1qTXt3YHYMkXdeK9_ac460lBVXHEw2zN8BNGYVf9gozpPQdkymqv3R/s1600/cDSCF2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVTWi5_pQBuJRlxTwp9PQfK_04K0WUbYvqoDNaHISJGqkW4D-As3zO5eHvVJq8yfxCYDPtRQRUEMO4r29IZP3DP1qTXt3YHYMkXdeK9_ac460lBVXHEw2zN8BNGYVf9gozpPQdkymqv3R/s1600/cDSCF2008.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very rural drive home through Eastern Wales (Cows crossing holding up traffic). </td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p>WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-44699208773662277762014-06-30T03:04:00.003-04:002014-06-30T03:04:50.921-04:00Midnight Sun Marathon, Tromsø, Norway<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33b93w6rkfuRo8QiuKWBKgVexGlbutmh5dETdeKBeTOgxOLc5J4N4caGFQmBd37DJW_1ng1VNLrKjs9vA0ofteWfC9CX5DojbKREle39vdzKES8Sg8a8ovbqWnIIdhOA9SojCKgHDPe0X/s1600/1200px-Panorama_fjellheisen-improved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33b93w6rkfuRo8QiuKWBKgVexGlbutmh5dETdeKBeTOgxOLc5J4N4caGFQmBd37DJW_1ng1VNLrKjs9vA0ofteWfC9CX5DojbKREle39vdzKES8Sg8a8ovbqWnIIdhOA9SojCKgHDPe0X/s1600/1200px-Panorama_fjellheisen-improved.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from Wiki, scroll right to see it all!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_KV9MMveEJ4EiFADd32h5J9UvriQKc2_V6Z7uIR4lF_HgsWl_zgLHG_X5Adev4hwbAO7rXaeULJH79veS-pAXz6zWLNKbitGO_846mTs2oD8yEmSg7fbudxVeI-m0B6J_qgmF62_DH6m/s1600/cDSCF0402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_KV9MMveEJ4EiFADd32h5J9UvriQKc2_V6Z7uIR4lF_HgsWl_zgLHG_X5Adev4hwbAO7rXaeULJH79veS-pAXz6zWLNKbitGO_846mTs2oD8yEmSg7fbudxVeI-m0B6J_qgmF62_DH6m/s1600/cDSCF0402.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamming it up for Race4ACure</td></tr>
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The
Midnight Sun marathon in Tromsø, Norway caught my eye as soon as I knew we were
moving to Europe. A full marathon, inside the Arctic Circle, during the Summer
Solstice, how cool is that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZLw1X7ie71EDB8jYOCzmue19RJpimo1ufDzTFO2geltuTcKGnXbxfiXzdy5pC1UTrbtpNdRILOPsoG018UkBqAnmziF7ZLmBp31_7Of7w6fz3HnR-6g65UL1vR4b8qHfo5hSDoRQFx0E/s1600/cDSCF0403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZLw1X7ie71EDB8jYOCzmue19RJpimo1ufDzTFO2geltuTcKGnXbxfiXzdy5pC1UTrbtpNdRILOPsoG018UkBqAnmziF7ZLmBp31_7Of7w6fz3HnR-6g65UL1vR4b8qHfo5hSDoRQFx0E/s1600/cDSCF0403.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cadets that had fun the 10K earlier in the day</td></tr>
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It was every bit as spectacular as I had hoped! Tromsø is a darling town with a rich history and thriving present. Fishing, fur trading, ship building, down collecting, and Arctic Exploration got this town off to a booming start. Now tourism, university, and other industries keep it going strong. Thanks to The Gulf Stream, Tromsø is much warmer than you expect with average summer highs in the 50’s (F) and average winter lows in the 20’s (F), quite temperate for being almost 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAb_jIzRVXRpHpRRt8w9pbgA3na2UjI6dQdxjSmYcuYDMUYnSiEDQVc5OTibcZQULyXUBUsRLeGz6nVcYHavZh7ExjMQUwSDkUsO4uTOlt_0S-kCnMy6JUz01g82AFK66d3Fa8qTT0mvR/s1600/cDSCF0428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAb_jIzRVXRpHpRRt8w9pbgA3na2UjI6dQdxjSmYcuYDMUYnSiEDQVc5OTibcZQULyXUBUsRLeGz6nVcYHavZh7ExjMQUwSDkUsO4uTOlt_0S-kCnMy6JUz01g82AFK66d3Fa8qTT0mvR/s1600/cDSCF0428.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were lots of cute traditional houses lining the course</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOkWwMyszTQdIUcKd0mwetkIj4DQ3kYmr8-1nZs0bPVk4r6AiYYb7epQxSQrrgjqxyQ76hj3qlzBrzvDzBgqCu7lyOe0zSGX7QqctI4YvZ2-iAWIIVv6L6kTmdtWImoF1yyUleCDg8UNI/s1600/cDSCF0430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOkWwMyszTQdIUcKd0mwetkIj4DQ3kYmr8-1nZs0bPVk4r6AiYYb7epQxSQrrgjqxyQ76hj3qlzBrzvDzBgqCu7lyOe0zSGX7QqctI4YvZ2-iAWIIVv6L6kTmdtWImoF1yyUleCDg8UNI/s1600/cDSCF0430.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the sod roofs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90KTZ97pYg_jK6xq5252BqzULpCnW2EjIAUgqciobNrJipuS-uBqWYjsRi0lvLo02122PiympR0e76wTJJpJmPMajyrwg42vmKtRyRhxN_NrINkCVMXZqNVXZHuSOUlB-X2VkJFWlTKgX/s1600/cDSCF0433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90KTZ97pYg_jK6xq5252BqzULpCnW2EjIAUgqciobNrJipuS-uBqWYjsRi0lvLo02122PiympR0e76wTJJpJmPMajyrwg42vmKtRyRhxN_NrINkCVMXZqNVXZHuSOUlB-X2VkJFWlTKgX/s1600/cDSCF0433.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His parents were so tickled I stopped for a picture :-) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0Q7u4W5IZZqlCHvTnKBYDWo7KMpFfOButIIZZU9Fv3JBA0kwZQjAFSToBD4yxK3fE0NDn5lFp3Q9cSOWcHHlPqWGWbqBbjsYDlmESG5GmRUgsaJvm1vEqkajXvNbnQRsrEi6_J7rx3Pn/s1600/cDSCF0436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0Q7u4W5IZZqlCHvTnKBYDWo7KMpFfOButIIZZU9Fv3JBA0kwZQjAFSToBD4yxK3fE0NDn5lFp3Q9cSOWcHHlPqWGWbqBbjsYDlmESG5GmRUgsaJvm1vEqkajXvNbnQRsrEi6_J7rx3Pn/s1600/cDSCF0436.jpg" height="366" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly, blurry, but it gives a good idea of what most of the course looked like with the green grass and snowy mountains.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy4G-Xi2svrms2GSwXljckmxCLniXzfo2SS-XCHqqYiUar6_qRlmJlYDPUwfvvCqW4uqZrcxmtHT3AMd9UAMYgNNoPxKrWl-Io25p4Bfbd69P74uqn1ugsFa0NWwAX7r02CYhzDc5MjEF/s1600/cDSCF0437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXy4G-Xi2svrms2GSwXljckmxCLniXzfo2SS-XCHqqYiUar6_qRlmJlYDPUwfvvCqW4uqZrcxmtHT3AMd9UAMYgNNoPxKrWl-Io25p4Bfbd69P74uqn1ugsFa0NWwAX7r02CYhzDc5MjEF/s1600/cDSCF0437.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FC1qUwH9bEFQ8pZs2Ofl0ayORiyAI_A0NYqr8rN2hFdwAVNpdDa92PGI2fLH5iY8wcPS2bfmzjUkn3G6G_NuQAtc28CcRjb3O1W6mlGFg4Xpx819VeNGUYL9-tJgLRa9JLS35NakTs_g/s1600/cDSCF0439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FC1qUwH9bEFQ8pZs2Ofl0ayORiyAI_A0NYqr8rN2hFdwAVNpdDa92PGI2fLH5iY8wcPS2bfmzjUkn3G6G_NuQAtc28CcRjb3O1W6mlGFg4Xpx819VeNGUYL9-tJgLRa9JLS35NakTs_g/s1600/cDSCF0439.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzgEfAwU_-oAidL5GaAOZBmms0TtfVW6juIpVZ1OcEyYaUoULJiPiv8_fqZOtIedGXIq0VUaHe6NTx-w6IvZq-g1g0z1ud2f5G97RsxhljeHYwn-byHfPzhkQacBN4MYj0o6O_DpWA7Ja/s1600/cDSCF0441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzgEfAwU_-oAidL5GaAOZBmms0TtfVW6juIpVZ1OcEyYaUoULJiPiv8_fqZOtIedGXIq0VUaHe6NTx-w6IvZq-g1g0z1ud2f5G97RsxhljeHYwn-byHfPzhkQacBN4MYj0o6O_DpWA7Ja/s1600/cDSCF0441.jpg" height="640" width="558" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the second half I spotted the lad on the right, his companion had dropped out, but Jakob finished with a few minutes to spare :-) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYGbP_HfkEFka6IvYQrPBvJF0ObGWU6tZEGI2MaMOZ6nh1qCaeBu93oiionJSSPUmdC7b_Sl4flM9-ECFLASMtW1OcXo1rpiaNXSYiIyKhQKEoUefPX0e20Aphcw4WpxQIOTTcdyssFC6/s1600/cDSCF0442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYGbP_HfkEFka6IvYQrPBvJF0ObGWU6tZEGI2MaMOZ6nh1qCaeBu93oiionJSSPUmdC7b_Sl4flM9-ECFLASMtW1OcXo1rpiaNXSYiIyKhQKEoUefPX0e20Aphcw4WpxQIOTTcdyssFC6/s1600/cDSCF0442.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't imagine those slate steps covered in ice!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYtriNLKewXk9xdqQtB2DolTq2GMWKmGH7hVbrxC7I2YYHCmDDwrCKpcL7loy6q85rnLFA6WWfwh24wvyoDXuBpwofw2JJbyVR4vDIrtvjrnC3rXE-zuQAz0WZg_1DmKZUbfMJ6P4gVAS/s1600/cDSCF0443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYtriNLKewXk9xdqQtB2DolTq2GMWKmGH7hVbrxC7I2YYHCmDDwrCKpcL7loy6q85rnLFA6WWfwh24wvyoDXuBpwofw2JJbyVR4vDIrtvjrnC3rXE-zuQAz0WZg_1DmKZUbfMJ6P4gVAS/s1600/cDSCF0443.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the manhole covers are cute</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20fE3RO5RQsiRWrP7brid5k7JULjP0OEL5w-IQWe4MMkvd6vlSFC-BUmBnSGDaE-F2aqZIlK4BhtP4HhyphenhyphenHDMbqejcHbinxIG64yB6hJqa8aPcmwzFRAZtpU9T-1eRMOya3h9PuehyphenhyphenOfO9/s1600/cDSCF0446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20fE3RO5RQsiRWrP7brid5k7JULjP0OEL5w-IQWe4MMkvd6vlSFC-BUmBnSGDaE-F2aqZIlK4BhtP4HhyphenhyphenHDMbqejcHbinxIG64yB6hJqa8aPcmwzFRAZtpU9T-1eRMOya3h9PuehyphenhyphenOfO9/s1600/cDSCF0446.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water was crystal clear everywhere!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pLqP-7plwqy1YqlZxgJmWxMzB7KqJcrlYSW7P5zGXHzz1tbwYfYwTQON743EU99utvX0VBqEOc5AEFUgOgVUWRmvfnaF2_6kX5VE73fXWqJ9a-rHUPNtmN6Yh6_GifjbFpqFzVreQHqh/s1600/cDSCF0452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pLqP-7plwqy1YqlZxgJmWxMzB7KqJcrlYSW7P5zGXHzz1tbwYfYwTQON743EU99utvX0VBqEOc5AEFUgOgVUWRmvfnaF2_6kX5VE73fXWqJ9a-rHUPNtmN6Yh6_GifjbFpqFzVreQHqh/s1600/cDSCF0452.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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To experience the Midnight Sun, the full marathon starts at 8:30 pm and immediately heads over a huge bridge to the Arctic Cathedral for an out-and-back before going back over the bridge and passing through Main Street. The second half is around the edge of the island for a second out-and-back, with the half marathoners that were started off 2 hours after the full start. The course was beautiful and there were a surprising number of spectators for so late at night, but then time seems to be irrelevant when the sun is up around the clock. Thankfully, I had managed to take an afternoon nap so between it staying bright out and being rested, running until just after 1 am did not bother me like it has during past night runs.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs63JxM64NeFSuskKXHG10EqUl3Qm-JNOXPrHXbjvopfCa0LGQDN_78msVVVaJ_gq4OlfjmQ5ZSK5_gkAWgAxz7iBL6xjuQNDp-x9NLFWAqtKvMXPhPTsqjDKD3KOAPZ2zNSgwLae_TMU/s1600/cDSCF0458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhs63JxM64NeFSuskKXHG10EqUl3Qm-JNOXPrHXbjvopfCa0LGQDN_78msVVVaJ_gq4OlfjmQ5ZSK5_gkAWgAxz7iBL6xjuQNDp-x9NLFWAqtKvMXPhPTsqjDKD3KOAPZ2zNSgwLae_TMU/s1600/cDSCF0458.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the southern edge of the island</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW_knCRwEQ4mbzT7JVq7lDI58i_cIWvBFTOp-yhGaJQfM91UxTx-aWDBIUYpJzmPLLpulDEZVFizJGbl1iO75lsM3EQ6c2gkklfBXqXmQcOO95TTuPLC1peRZB0zgEk6sy3xQwM0AuX8a/s1600/cS0030457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW_knCRwEQ4mbzT7JVq7lDI58i_cIWvBFTOp-yhGaJQfM91UxTx-aWDBIUYpJzmPLLpulDEZVFizJGbl1iO75lsM3EQ6c2gkklfBXqXmQcOO95TTuPLC1peRZB0zgEk6sy3xQwM0AuX8a/s1600/cS0030457.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the race I hung out, chatting with other runners and sipping at a beer before heading back to my room for a quick 3 hour nap before my shuttle pick up for the airport. (I’ll leave out the debacle of being bumped from my flight and adding an 8 hour bus ride that made a 7 hour journey into a 16 hour journey.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a wonderfully operated race with a beautiful course, in an unforgettable place. This should be a bucket list race for everyone!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzUJe0jgFEcgqhtgsEP5CRb3Yc7Qc7grLdPIy_1QBo0Jf7CY3v72sbX5-LY7Hsg7f9CG2mPj6-Sm12owO0ohoZqlukcJ1k4eGRNMkJmFPX4qQaTpyTJvxLmJYXjyziUviraRUjOYPBPOt/s1600/cDSCF1806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzUJe0jgFEcgqhtgsEP5CRb3Yc7Qc7grLdPIy_1QBo0Jf7CY3v72sbX5-LY7Hsg7f9CG2mPj6-Sm12owO0ohoZqlukcJ1k4eGRNMkJmFPX4qQaTpyTJvxLmJYXjyziUviraRUjOYPBPOt/s1600/cDSCF1806.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXDGpmPbIuaFTz5NvW0hGkGopYkkDgpijKaRDf9ILr9a6yEF3TVTywbWaiUHRaRF3sUsXlhiVka5yMPrq8hi7kox2YlG31sirLbC9WDCWqXxeLa0CyalQyL_6CXjQk7kQp6uWCJXdt0Re/s1600/cDSCF1812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXDGpmPbIuaFTz5NvW0hGkGopYkkDgpijKaRDf9ILr9a6yEF3TVTywbWaiUHRaRF3sUsXlhiVka5yMPrq8hi7kox2YlG31sirLbC9WDCWqXxeLa0CyalQyL_6CXjQk7kQp6uWCJXdt0Re/s1600/cDSCF1812.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arctic Cathedral, inspired by ice flows</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLxv-g-alMP3TUDtnTL5QPFyUsDozN6D4BjEZ1jB0XZgVklyaUcJqIvh7n1OBcnpmXtqYrIafMDhrLcNZ1CRRAXG-5wUPVZa3uUp227uWLLfldNkfsVG_uReyJo8zrHVNPbWXaEIGMp_9/s1600/cDSCF1813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLxv-g-alMP3TUDtnTL5QPFyUsDozN6D4BjEZ1jB0XZgVklyaUcJqIvh7n1OBcnpmXtqYrIafMDhrLcNZ1CRRAXG-5wUPVZa3uUp227uWLLfldNkfsVG_uReyJo8zrHVNPbWXaEIGMp_9/s1600/cDSCF1813.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many charming boats in the harbor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoKcGf6NIqhx9RoIVzwvkJvoPi-B6ZB54sv23T8QFYLn3yHTKHEvaoQm22Vx63zxGQMnTIjDzLmj6h_efZ2520Bmo7DHDuDArmfzp45Z2z03uNbUcs2ROoUwKKaSasddVh1QcfTDdqbDt/s1600/cDSCF1823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoKcGf6NIqhx9RoIVzwvkJvoPi-B6ZB54sv23T8QFYLn3yHTKHEvaoQm22Vx63zxGQMnTIjDzLmj6h_efZ2520Bmo7DHDuDArmfzp45Z2z03uNbUcs2ROoUwKKaSasddVh1QcfTDdqbDt/s1600/cDSCF1823.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aboard a (now retired) seal hunting ship</td></tr>
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<br />WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-65495993293349808812014-06-30T02:05:00.000-04:002014-06-30T02:05:17.203-04:00Edinburgh Marathon 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
Edinburgh Marathon<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2T3Zg-BmK1OVVP5kGsXaLgcDgvnvGVuzGHqpU6ilcpMRaKBFST-SQz0AEdLQsJpqFjVWEntf6lGSXEe37U7vHQbm7zEWcMbq7O4bbbJR-tHzo00gmuhJkw-ZzWLlzQF5yBotObjX1L2rE/s1600/cDSCF0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2T3Zg-BmK1OVVP5kGsXaLgcDgvnvGVuzGHqpU6ilcpMRaKBFST-SQz0AEdLQsJpqFjVWEntf6lGSXEe37U7vHQbm7zEWcMbq7O4bbbJR-tHzo00gmuhJkw-ZzWLlzQF5yBotObjX1L2rE/s1600/cDSCF0343.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A fine Scottish Morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome photobomb by Elizabeth's sister in the start corral</td></tr>
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I had heard a lot
about the Edinburgh Marathon and none of it was good, but when a long time
running friend of mine asked me to train and pace her for her first marathon I
could not resist her request. The training would be via email as she lives in
Greece and I am in England, but we would meet for race day in Edinburgh while
she was home visiting family in Glasgow.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Her training went
great! I was so proud of how she stuck to her schedule, got past minor aches
and pains, and only missed a couple of short runs. Her heart was absolutely in
it from day one and never flagged. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy, excited runners at the start</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs7nr2rMr1Nhy71pxk7R7F-pe8bajy92shhEwCAP05OOlNwAzu3c6aOb8qtRJB-SBiFmNL2RjxnbHE8Su4sR2zRxOAj2k-GXphyQwitS9ke-BboNVNSfZTxfCm6-aA635gTYqwQ16EFTG/s1600/cDSCF0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs7nr2rMr1Nhy71pxk7R7F-pe8bajy92shhEwCAP05OOlNwAzu3c6aOb8qtRJB-SBiFmNL2RjxnbHE8Su4sR2zRxOAj2k-GXphyQwitS9ke-BboNVNSfZTxfCm6-aA635gTYqwQ16EFTG/s1600/cDSCF0348.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off to a good start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the time we met,
the Edinburgh Marathon Festival was in full swing. All over town were people
wearing their 5K and 10K medals and shirts from the Saturday races and the
happy parade of runners with their expo purchases were streaming away from the
Hub. My trainee, Elizabeth, was very excited to see her first expo.
Unfortunately, it was comprised of one tent with a weak assortment of items
pulled from a local running store. She was able to pick up a couple of items though and
we were having fun taking pictures and chatting about our plans for race day.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Race
morning went fine. We met to walk to the start with what seemed like the usual
butterflies in our tummies. Despite dozens of races, I still get butterflies at
the start line, especially with a big crowd and this one had about 8,000
runners in 4 corrals. It was a bit grey, but the low hung sky and mist was beginning to break
up with the promise of a nice day.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth blending in with all the runners</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2gw0LWXWqjvzs3zQHZnxUOTstZTU_v-Rr61MQ3ypgedxEjHNSTq3P8rfLmJK0-av95tR2S3yYUhwES4l5ZANpuwu6Jj9gMtZMlvSSk6Lr_Xa4YVcta4uIGVjsqt_LeOYzYrlU9IcTDW3/s1600/cDSCF0354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2gw0LWXWqjvzs3zQHZnxUOTstZTU_v-Rr61MQ3ypgedxEjHNSTq3P8rfLmJK0-av95tR2S3yYUhwES4l5ZANpuwu6Jj9gMtZMlvSSk6Lr_Xa4YVcta4uIGVjsqt_LeOYzYrlU9IcTDW3/s1600/cDSCF0354.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the coast</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBGVS0Zya7l7ApgTEy3g-u6Qn6kEU_wPDuUYR0rc1mQ2rJ_TRkee-2JFD2rId-D7kqd_6mY-eviTcvF6dHJR6cnwDDu9D6HrDjub9BkqaIYZ7ka3_Lwvlss23j1EWcmruuEMZVNiaBxbq/s1600/cDSCF0362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBGVS0Zya7l7ApgTEy3g-u6Qn6kEU_wPDuUYR0rc1mQ2rJ_TRkee-2JFD2rId-D7kqd_6mY-eviTcvF6dHJR6cnwDDu9D6HrDjub9BkqaIYZ7ka3_Lwvlss23j1EWcmruuEMZVNiaBxbq/s1600/cDSCF0362.jpg" height="400" width="390" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of cool waterfront houses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzWNlakHJ9ec1f8Z382hQ-xki2JEhzxgRrsgXD7MeAfmT28gT7DAN3uMZzGZOXhr09vmEE0PdSawF_i7mlRyNLB44d8hFg-rwMmqGVeOP7-YMiFxulk1gOzd5UBJPbCjV8Ywx3OhdkJv5/s1600/cDSCF0368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzWNlakHJ9ec1f8Z382hQ-xki2JEhzxgRrsgXD7MeAfmT28gT7DAN3uMZzGZOXhr09vmEE0PdSawF_i7mlRyNLB44d8hFg-rwMmqGVeOP7-YMiFxulk1gOzd5UBJPbCjV8Ywx3OhdkJv5/s1600/cDSCF0368.jpg" height="283" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running strong!</td></tr>
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Then
the trouble started. As we approached the half way mark, Elizabeth was
beginning to flag. I thought this was odd since her training should have
carried her much farther at her planned pace. It turned out that the fluttering
stomach that morning was not only nerves, but also either a virus or food
poisoning taking hold. She kept plugging away though, not wanting to stop. I
stopped at a porta potty at one point and was horrified to find 2 out of the 4
over flowing to the point where waste was piled higher than the seat! This
became a consistent theme on the course, much to our dismay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYOz9__p5lD8Ir-g6h1Cj1yFEBZTIeY7MzAlCiU5sCK5woQaHFv-JFU5Fu3O7OqWnNyXO7-VBh2uluRXcZMfs01y3LuoZZibdogxlw767cZBLjD7T0q0C_GLf8giLJH3Ug3KvMv94AWn1/s1600/cDSCF0376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYOz9__p5lD8Ir-g6h1Cj1yFEBZTIeY7MzAlCiU5sCK5woQaHFv-JFU5Fu3O7OqWnNyXO7-VBh2uluRXcZMfs01y3LuoZZibdogxlw767cZBLjD7T0q0C_GLf8giLJH3Ug3KvMv94AWn1/s1600/cDSCF0376.jpg" height="400" width="347" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threatening skies</td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gosford House</td></tr>
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The
course itself was better than I expected. Pretty ocean views and the loop past
Gosford House were lovely, but the wind off the North Sea was stiff and this
was a good day. I would not want to run this course on a bad day! The
volunteers were wonderful, as was the crowd support. </div>
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I won’t
go into detail about the events on the course, but suffice it to say Elizabeth
was amazing. She became more ill and distressed (but not in danger of
dehydration, I would have made her stop if that had been the case,) but refused
to give up. She told me to go ahead and leave her, but there was no way I was
going to abandon a sick runner on the course. We passed many aid stations, but
she pressed forward. Thankfully, I was in contact with her sister, via cell phone, who was
waiting at the finish line. She was worried sick, but ready and waiting with
everything her sister could need. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth perked up for a picture with the 20 mile sign</td></tr>
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We were
down to a walk as we approached the 20 mile marker. So close, and yet so far to
go. My heart was breaking for my friend. She had worked so hard and was ready
to meet her finish time goals, but it just was not going to happen. She had
worried and fretted about so many things, but <i>this </i>had never even occurred to her! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDtbESimiLfAOullecXNXzIjIwkARNpK0Y0evEAXu3DBlvPgqJXoTpUFi7dnNwHh4PSmS29Agtq1ZS6R1bMpdVBez1R1UKoPv3h5r8MrksFXNDAPclcBShiA07sB56p3rebb_d4-72GAv/s1600/cDSCF0386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDtbESimiLfAOullecXNXzIjIwkARNpK0Y0evEAXu3DBlvPgqJXoTpUFi7dnNwHh4PSmS29Agtq1ZS6R1bMpdVBez1R1UKoPv3h5r8MrksFXNDAPclcBShiA07sB56p3rebb_d4-72GAv/s1600/cDSCF0386.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love sections of out and back where you get to see the lead runners! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtPqU0DTlh113lKxDV_DmaAZjwDUUzZ23AH601Hayp2uhiszqVmf_7JJRsEupD0WLLG_mzQ_hp1FXyE85fn1ZIKTeqMfY9dkjsa35dWhR2jHOQPs9iBhcQmGA4ze-2SftEPto4y2PoOkv/s1600/cDSCF0387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtPqU0DTlh113lKxDV_DmaAZjwDUUzZ23AH601Hayp2uhiszqVmf_7JJRsEupD0WLLG_mzQ_hp1FXyE85fn1ZIKTeqMfY9dkjsa35dWhR2jHOQPs9iBhcQmGA4ze-2SftEPto4y2PoOkv/s1600/cDSCF0387.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfH_-Ewhq16CWNYtcZmdLKqHYA5PB46ZyD8OeVTTcNbzf4tCbzGYqXl3TGCCI2QZSMfx-Xq7fl98YkgVfdE6_W2hb7LCtbkJklBHUYKjmOd4ao-ow14pUqWN0T5CXg0biPFUyOV5IVtY5/s1600/cDSCF0390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfH_-Ewhq16CWNYtcZmdLKqHYA5PB46ZyD8OeVTTcNbzf4tCbzGYqXl3TGCCI2QZSMfx-Xq7fl98YkgVfdE6_W2hb7LCtbkJklBHUYKjmOd4ao-ow14pUqWN0T5CXg0biPFUyOV5IVtY5/s1600/cDSCF0390.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The course definitely had its moments</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We
counted down the final miles with Elizabeth breaking into a running stride as
often as she dared. Despite her awful circumstances, she remained more cheerful
than I would ever have been. Sadly, though, the race finish was terribly
anticlimactic. We managed to finish well under 6 hours and with more than 40
minutes left before the course closed, yet they were already out of all but XS
shirts and goody bags, and did not so much as hand us a bottle of water. I was
shocked, but more worried about Elizabeth. When we went to get our bags, we
discovered they had been unloaded from the transport trucks and left in a
field, in the pouring rain. My bag was totally soaked through. Thankfully,
Elizabeth’s sister had brought her clothes and she was able to shower and get
cleaned up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOvoIAA7oi2GQGEUspeFOgiQyOUTkdc8rYk7sGzJu_QWnJwMrztPkGyh6zfK5az4203H36Y602ZCuDllTPDkoetA5M_PCtIJ1JcyPXEXvRIshaQbEOzcrxJCfy_NQ6-62OU9TyMVRiDwF/s1600/20x30-MEDD0671_zpsf0217c9a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOvoIAA7oi2GQGEUspeFOgiQyOUTkdc8rYk7sGzJu_QWnJwMrztPkGyh6zfK5az4203H36Y602ZCuDllTPDkoetA5M_PCtIJ1JcyPXEXvRIshaQbEOzcrxJCfy_NQ6-62OU9TyMVRiDwF/s1600/20x30-MEDD0671_zpsf0217c9a.jpeg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth really didn't want to post for this picture, but I pulled her<br /> into it anyway, knowing she would want it someday :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
race is a point to point with shuttle buses that bring you back to Edinburgh. I
had prepaid for the shuttle tickets, but it was a waste of money since there
were not charging anyone for the shuttles or even looking at tickets. The walk from the finish to the shuttles took about 30 minutes, which was ridiculous! Then, when the
rain started, water was pouring in from holes in the roof. The drive back to
the city was something like 45 minutes, and we were dropped off way at the edge
of town and had to walk a considerable way to get back to the center. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
race is clearly being managed by non-runners that do not even bother to look at
other races to see how they are run. The most shocking announcement being that
they had decided not to publish race results. The uproar this caused was
unbelievable and there were calls by top runners to boycott the race in the
future. A few days later, they give runners the choice of signing in and opting
to have their results made public. So many people did so that they ended up
publishing all the results. They also say they are sending out appropriately
sized race shirts to those that did not get one, (not holding my breath on
that as it has been a month and no shirt has shown up.)<br />
All in all, I do not recommend this race. There are so many wonderful places to run in the UK and so many races that are properly managed that I would skip this one and just enjoy visiting Edinburgh on a non-race day. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-29518859296862523992014-06-13T04:50:00.003-04:002014-06-13T04:50:42.079-04:00Brathay Windermere Marathon 2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd51xs0MDQIBCi7dreIOCsDNcvjJby-1CQq_Ok6uAMcLmsKnrh_nVh2hdFjyRrADPTqpk7wqk3_OzGMv1FDuzRwkEp1Z8NfGRo_6xEk8TeIgrhUpwBe-hUU67WsortYsWxu0TJpx5XV4bp/s1600/image+(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd51xs0MDQIBCi7dreIOCsDNcvjJby-1CQq_Ok6uAMcLmsKnrh_nVh2hdFjyRrADPTqpk7wqk3_OzGMv1FDuzRwkEp1Z8NfGRo_6xEk8TeIgrhUpwBe-hUU67WsortYsWxu0TJpx5XV4bp/s1600/image+(1).jpeg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
When my alarm went on at 5:30 am on
May the 18<sup>th</sup>, I was not mentally ready to run a marathon. I still
feel like I have not fully recovered from South Africa and the 3 weeks of high
activity that went along with it. My
body had a laundry list of physical and mental complaints, but I knew that if I
missed this race I would regret it deeply. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcL1dL0fisyKGapFinCp-WaO69C0mQvODv9arUh613cMU7qRlSQLqJMhc81UrquC8OmLKbz8Z_M3eMouW-gjJzAZOHpTXiHgbPdFItKkjhNpZqTuwfO3c3HxZIcPzk1XeiEjugDmfFLS5/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcL1dL0fisyKGapFinCp-WaO69C0mQvODv9arUh613cMU7qRlSQLqJMhc81UrquC8OmLKbz8Z_M3eMouW-gjJzAZOHpTXiHgbPdFItKkjhNpZqTuwfO3c3HxZIcPzk1XeiEjugDmfFLS5/s1600/image.jpeg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot air balloon rides! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The grounds for Brathay house are
extensive and they were put to good use for race day. The Brathay Trust is a
charity for helping and inspiring at risk youth and this is their big fund
raiser for the year. In addition to the nearly 1,000 runner that ran the
Marathon on Sunday, there was a small group that had been running the marathon
course daily for 10 straight days! To celebrate their big finish, the Trust
held a family fun day with food and activities that even included a hot air
balloon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Lake Windermere is in the heart of
the English Lake District and its namesake marathon goes all the way around it,
including the nearby Esthwaite Water. The numerous old manor houses with mature
English gardens are wonderfully charming, set on the backdrop of the lake which
was a riot of sailboats zipping past one another in the stiff breeze. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
marathon itself was a tough course. We were always either going uphill or
downhill so, of course, it seemed like it was 80% up and 20% down. Towards the
end the volunteers would solemnly tell me the hills were behind me and it was
flat for the rest of the way. Clearly we have different definitions of flat. A
fun moment on the course came when I was running with a chatty group and after
overhearing me a guy yelled, “Hey, I remember you! You were at Malta!” LOL. The
British running world is small indeed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagi1gsI6kRlBjlnS0YBZcNSYxZp347kHzp0FUvxYwkOV4YA6GUut2foen5gGy-_wGhofMrwFBoUfY6bnm9D32WaH3-je2s_RlwcqSHArBs5Rc4UXaEKXSbBiW7TYEYKvEMfH_VBquNouK/s1600/image+(4).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagi1gsI6kRlBjlnS0YBZcNSYxZp347kHzp0FUvxYwkOV4YA6GUut2foen5gGy-_wGhofMrwFBoUfY6bnm9D32WaH3-je2s_RlwcqSHArBs5Rc4UXaEKXSbBiW7TYEYKvEMfH_VBquNouK/s1600/image+(4).jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect preparation for Edinburgh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I
have Edinburgh next week, I did not want to make myself particularly sore or
wear myself out too badly so I tried to keep my heart rate under 80% of max by
walking up the hills. It slowed me down a bit, but also made it easier to enjoy
my beautiful surroundings and keep from overheating. The temps were in the
70’s, which would normally be just fine, but after a long, cold, English
winter, the runners were not acclimated to the warmth and there were an awful
lot of ambulances on the course. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next
up, Edinburgh!<o:p></o:p></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-4295037817359535662014-05-08T07:59:00.002-04:002014-05-08T07:59:39.734-04:00Two Oceans Ultra Marathon 2014<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpJ9nUfYHtVZQrPuiYZkc06jwzhazxY8we1MK-wQRlSqCqtcDNMedGP6OvgKn8Jl85c-2p3sTNCBuMzstezbCqe_5EyYQ4wbtNvCjnNbFbR5gecVBYhlsp5AoPOOoM8v9hVziknSqK9f6/s1600/cDSCF0276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpJ9nUfYHtVZQrPuiYZkc06jwzhazxY8we1MK-wQRlSqCqtcDNMedGP6OvgKn8Jl85c-2p3sTNCBuMzstezbCqe_5EyYQ4wbtNvCjnNbFbR5gecVBYhlsp5AoPOOoM8v9hVziknSqK9f6/s1600/cDSCF0276.jpg" height="348" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Two Oceans Marathon</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We
arrived in Cape Town almost a week before the race to do some sightseeing and
soak up the atmosphere. It was absolutely fantastic! We saw wildlife, toured
wineries, and gazed at the end of the continent. I won’t pretend I got much
running in, but I did a lot of walking and early mornings.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Race
day was so exciting! The runners at the start sang popular folk songs and they
took cell phone pictures in the dark. The vast majority of runners were South
African, yet they were just as excited to be there as I was. Finally, they
whole group fell silent before belting out their national anthem. I have been
brought to tears many times at race starts from singing my own national anthem,
(yes, I am a patriotic mush,) but it was no less moving to hear the South
Africans raise their voices in song. If anything, it was more powerful knowing
their own freedom is so recently won! <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnioJCDudfYSBPWKTnO-Xt4SG5r3zJCYoHZGperCi7BoKPBYiih3ICN5tv67OzKb7kBZJWEpNGYPBYwTHQUfCMFkn1t0UUaIY53HX_xrHNmzMoEUBpQgKTCryiti0JM5VzlGbGJi3dRrGf/s1600/cDSCF0266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnioJCDudfYSBPWKTnO-Xt4SG5r3zJCYoHZGperCi7BoKPBYiih3ICN5tv67OzKb7kBZJWEpNGYPBYwTHQUfCMFkn1t0UUaIY53HX_xrHNmzMoEUBpQgKTCryiti0JM5VzlGbGJi3dRrGf/s1600/cDSCF0266.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
always hang back at the start of a race because warming up is very important with my rheumatoid arthritis. Knowing I would be finishing close to the end of
the time limit, I kept an eye on how many runners were behind me. At first,
there were not many and I was spooked into picking up my pace, but within a
couple of miles I made myself relax and ran the pace I had planned. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamjcKJkK5fuv3LZ8v7wDudh2J19097iRf2xuiab4Bg3dQ5SZ4gcXFL2CQGQuC58rqVkU9YYQidKMLf0aSsNXdDqvJ8YUiNe-b3VRRnsO1vt61ALsfkJVZWcAdHsFh2dNh_ZqBa7YTKPrI/s1600/cDSCF0270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamjcKJkK5fuv3LZ8v7wDudh2J19097iRf2xuiab4Bg3dQ5SZ4gcXFL2CQGQuC58rqVkU9YYQidKMLf0aSsNXdDqvJ8YUiNe-b3VRRnsO1vt61ALsfkJVZWcAdHsFh2dNh_ZqBa7YTKPrI/s1600/cDSCF0270.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> The
first 18 miles were kind of a blur. We ran through cities and farms, waving at
spectators, and getting our early miles in at a brisk pace. There was an
occasional slight incline or decline, but no hint of the hills that lie ahead. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of
the really fun things about this race were the bibs. Each runner had one in the
front and on the back. Along with the number were the runners first name, how
many times they had completed the race before, (half or full), and if they were
over 30, their age group. I don’t think I have ever been in the company of so
many 40 year olds at once, LOL.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mqueP9u9HqTAk2TH_EJZDf7g3NC7ZjZq3Xy8WiawhiWDXpHrghvZYjqjUeyB7gkNFsxyxmSeiZzKuZvt7ME-mWK_BajH3SjDio13iVc9FYrOOxB9c9cNVwb_25E0vBxMsWVj8bYo-WwC/s1600/cDSCF0321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mqueP9u9HqTAk2TH_EJZDf7g3NC7ZjZq3Xy8WiawhiWDXpHrghvZYjqjUeyB7gkNFsxyxmSeiZzKuZvt7ME-mWK_BajH3SjDio13iVc9FYrOOxB9c9cNVwb_25E0vBxMsWVj8bYo-WwC/s1600/cDSCF0321.jpg" height="320" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> This was Johns 29th ultra run!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbTqggiTAJcuCOt_66yCYh1wzqmAgS98d7xRDQ79vzJdCg_nQhjH4GOXYTGquZ0OHpUn75Vikc91rPEKbeSYRERWRpZBrQFQqmfYgF56fhyphenhyphenku5XI2aFOZtiex0GItxnFZfxp7QeISVd6n/s1600/cDSCF0267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbTqggiTAJcuCOt_66yCYh1wzqmAgS98d7xRDQ79vzJdCg_nQhjH4GOXYTGquZ0OHpUn75Vikc91rPEKbeSYRERWRpZBrQFQqmfYgF56fhyphenhyphenku5XI2aFOZtiex0GItxnFZfxp7QeISVd6n/s1600/cDSCF0267.jpg" height="320" width="139" /></a> I did
meet a barefoot runner on the course. He was from Amsterdam and this was his
first time going over 50k barefoot. I was a little worried about him when we
hit a patch of older pavement. He seemed to have a hard time with it, but I saw
him again many times on the course and that seemed to be the only time he
struggled. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
water packets were a bit of a surprise. When I heard the description of them, I
thought they would be like the ones I have seen in England, but these were much
smaller and simpler. Each one had about 2 ounces of water in it and the bag had
no designated opening. To get the water out, you had to rip into it with your
teeth and hope that, in the process, you did not lose most of the water. I
did not mind getting covered in half a baggie of water when I blew it opening
the bag. I did not even mind all that much when a runner next to me would squirt
half of it on me opening his own bag, or even when someone stepped on a full one and
it sprayed 3 or 4 runners since it was hot and the water was generally cool and
refreshing. The baggies of Powerade were another story. That stuff made
everything it got near sticky!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBSxydswNSVxTLKvMq0G0vRX-2ecTon3PTZvixh1BkynwMHnqweeYuViBuIPD_biviqBUQCElrl7jW16Kv33E-ZFMlS4BmmR6L2KQy3U46hI8I4QVnOoyqRxCLJFQjlOv8pNeSJsr8ONl/s1600/cDSCF0271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBSxydswNSVxTLKvMq0G0vRX-2ecTon3PTZvixh1BkynwMHnqweeYuViBuIPD_biviqBUQCElrl7jW16Kv33E-ZFMlS4BmmR6L2KQy3U46hI8I4QVnOoyqRxCLJFQjlOv8pNeSJsr8ONl/s1600/cDSCF0271.jpg" height="320" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water baggies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We dipped down and made our pass along the
Indian Ocean enjoying a cool breeze off the water and watching the beach goers relaxing in the autumn weather. It was lovely and I was enjoying myself while
keeping an eye on my pace. Up to that point I was exactly on track. To finish
the race before the course closed, 7 hours after the gun, I needed to maintain a
12 mpm average across the whole race. Giving myself 11 mpm in the first half
and 13 for the hilly second half was shaping up to be a good plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwTHSZPc4to2TZ_V3nkHaNTnWvZydzXqpRuFIYVAFw1KxqXDvOObeWNvnfl-dx_NZklxWeYMwyQ52pW7aNuJhkeNZZ5BlH_1H01a0uXca2ESSw6IQR6fzJlaMaS-M6VO-027BW1ggHk7q/s1600/cDSCF0286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwTHSZPc4to2TZ_V3nkHaNTnWvZydzXqpRuFIYVAFw1KxqXDvOObeWNvnfl-dx_NZklxWeYMwyQ52pW7aNuJhkeNZZ5BlH_1H01a0uXca2ESSw6IQR6fzJlaMaS-M6VO-027BW1ggHk7q/s1600/cDSCF0286.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slogging up Chapman's Peak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I could live with the bags of
water, but there was an understandable issue with the litter they created.
Since they did not want baggies all over the national park, they decided to use
water trucks and biodegradable cups. This sounds like a great idea, but did not
go as smoothly as planned. They did not
count on the number of runners that would take more than one cup to drink or
dump over their head. They also could not fill them very far ahead of time
without the cups disintegrating. This resulted in a lot of people trying to get
water from a hose that was dribbling it out of the truck. People desperate for
water are pushy and aggressive, but I only saw one person being outright rude.
The official word was that they did not run out of water, but really, if you
can’t get the water out to the runners, you might as well be bone dry. That was
my only complaint about the race though. Thankfully I was carrying a couple of
bottles and was able to snag some ice cubes at one stop and follow a couple of
other runners to a spigot a little ways off the course so I was okay. I feel
bad for the people behind me though as I am sure the situation got progressively
worse rather than better.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_3QEVlBqbPZEr8pF753NXl2H9jMbpiIgqtrx9e__w19hBlaxEljgZFLsmkrkGj6sne8cHQfsL7Ot7VCpd6kvZ86vIoG36dEXCqUSPmQT39Y_mNh71KBeUUncrc0r7ftq3_LNNhX3FdmZ/s1600/cDSCF0287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_3QEVlBqbPZEr8pF753NXl2H9jMbpiIgqtrx9e__w19hBlaxEljgZFLsmkrkGj6sne8cHQfsL7Ot7VCpd6kvZ86vIoG36dEXCqUSPmQT39Y_mNh71KBeUUncrc0r7ftq3_LNNhX3FdmZ/s1600/cDSCF0287.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome spectator!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFbAiyXbRWzmB9yMbyiZcvtsxMkYs9XLuLepVFZwX0GL9dPMPH-sdJRK9E5Y8bRo-_qS-OFfLEDSZp78xMX17n8oW08u0Y0HjxXPKI7Y2yAFiOduUxpOK8dhuf-vkTdwv3MhzmiX5Sk9g/s1600/cDSCF0288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFbAiyXbRWzmB9yMbyiZcvtsxMkYs9XLuLepVFZwX0GL9dPMPH-sdJRK9E5Y8bRo-_qS-OFfLEDSZp78xMX17n8oW08u0Y0HjxXPKI7Y2yAFiOduUxpOK8dhuf-vkTdwv3MhzmiX5Sk9g/s1600/cDSCF0288.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The views were so spectacular!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbIMlUEFnoUmJMCPOXWMMNwcluUm1FohGYwFryHMXodgj4Y7-WVjotErv6dauKhy85aIdcz0z4K7HahfT3SX4uJ2OBNp5xMXlue2-ioWyaJTZX8sNwe4rCfvyH6wQ_VbU976XscbBa7FS/s1600/cDSCF0291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbIMlUEFnoUmJMCPOXWMMNwcluUm1FohGYwFryHMXodgj4Y7-WVjotErv6dauKhy85aIdcz0z4K7HahfT3SX4uJ2OBNp5xMXlue2-ioWyaJTZX8sNwe4rCfvyH6wQ_VbU976XscbBa7FS/s1600/cDSCF0291.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQrdJ1FZTkcwKXXsRPIpcv6aeMegUuvv8rvZLwckwdIjcuVr27XhZJKfI9frBvrpcrNHmVmYwuuERA_788uDnYfAJ2AAUAugN8Nt4EFcEyAIJih7ToLsDgB4LuuCBR0E-YB3K48WejCQ8/s1600/cDSCF0295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQrdJ1FZTkcwKXXsRPIpcv6aeMegUuvv8rvZLwckwdIjcuVr27XhZJKfI9frBvrpcrNHmVmYwuuERA_788uDnYfAJ2AAUAugN8Nt4EFcEyAIJih7ToLsDgB4LuuCBR0E-YB3K48WejCQ8/s1600/cDSCF0295.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little black dots on the beach are horses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgOim8Y2l7YIZ-GRflFNoDbul2Q17IbJyXJGUDuULgXASLii_01KVL0B7QP_nTiAXNsLZVH0UOSpFEns-MFqf11WniVwZVGyZAKeECYRPMVHHSat_c0wBME-CHCtr3W3yGGnzvghXD3tD/s1600/cDSCF0298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgOim8Y2l7YIZ-GRflFNoDbul2Q17IbJyXJGUDuULgXASLii_01KVL0B7QP_nTiAXNsLZVH0UOSpFEns-MFqf11WniVwZVGyZAKeECYRPMVHHSat_c0wBME-CHCtr3W3yGGnzvghXD3tD/s1600/cDSCF0298.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching The Sentinel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D6pgi9cSASf0Yc8c851Mi_YoagTuNupBeOrC3ts02oJqf7KdFAraWMmN3jaFs1Gfpu3ThsdGuDc_0CLdCeR9SN9qpoUOKOjCKCwyGTNrGNBxUY04DLeNXo73btTF-ZAwUcsk5Xk0dg2p/s1600/cDSCF0299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D6pgi9cSASf0Yc8c851Mi_YoagTuNupBeOrC3ts02oJqf7KdFAraWMmN3jaFs1Gfpu3ThsdGuDc_0CLdCeR9SN9qpoUOKOjCKCwyGTNrGNBxUY04DLeNXo73btTF-ZAwUcsk5Xk0dg2p/s1600/cDSCF0299.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvORfDXBuIuzSjb326Y0f9veSAsRr1Zm0qSfN35j-gEHZTHe4BbgBh6h8H-20ukbpm342JZKOf6kbAf8nxTmbDbSP-1jLSrd7v9MxeTpfiX2vw7FExRp2ObotwdWpIk64pc-TC5UBpaOq/s1600/cDSCF0301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvORfDXBuIuzSjb326Y0f9veSAsRr1Zm0qSfN35j-gEHZTHe4BbgBh6h8H-20ukbpm342JZKOf6kbAf8nxTmbDbSP-1jLSrd7v9MxeTpfiX2vw7FExRp2ObotwdWpIk64pc-TC5UBpaOq/s1600/cDSCF0301.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun was intense</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu4wwm5BRwjat-pNodpGWslTedrJTYdcdHqPjfqPUjuVK3qHSv-DnUn72rnfobnd9hkNH5MiNbPfA1HKDmb38VH8ElbEOm9cT32g2YAa6L97TBhrhuYKL06jvVk7mK9l4JczA1ey0trFH/s1600/cDSCF0302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu4wwm5BRwjat-pNodpGWslTedrJTYdcdHqPjfqPUjuVK3qHSv-DnUn72rnfobnd9hkNH5MiNbPfA1HKDmb38VH8ElbEOm9cT32g2YAa6L97TBhrhuYKL06jvVk7mK9l4JczA1ey0trFH/s1600/cDSCF0302.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabS3tu-3kmzRYZ-wnG_pe4bf_QiR0d-d3I9ieAo-4puiKnN_Q1Kwb3v1RXchrVHqVAuQZAqVnSvBMBeyAdn8Tl6z6ICQj-iIYi99UIji02JK1IguzupuhJ6bc1lbtmMzQ0-bzNppU-fGX/s1600/cDSCF0303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabS3tu-3kmzRYZ-wnG_pe4bf_QiR0d-d3I9ieAo-4puiKnN_Q1Kwb3v1RXchrVHqVAuQZAqVnSvBMBeyAdn8Tl6z6ICQj-iIYi99UIji02JK1IguzupuhJ6bc1lbtmMzQ0-bzNppU-fGX/s1600/cDSCF0303.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming up on our first water stop without water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2LjUFySvssjRAB1ZKAe09Oymf4zdyVwiLBX2oish1RwXdCJS9EvykVS-g1Kn8q-OwwytFwwVkx0dDg04vUt3EGcfqXic9bKgA4-BRIzY2GzWLvwWaC7vRcBhC8RCr_72HqZaDcKI5kyc/s1600/cDSCF0306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2LjUFySvssjRAB1ZKAe09Oymf4zdyVwiLBX2oish1RwXdCJS9EvykVS-g1Kn8q-OwwytFwwVkx0dDg04vUt3EGcfqXic9bKgA4-BRIzY2GzWLvwWaC7vRcBhC8RCr_72HqZaDcKI5kyc/s1600/cDSCF0306.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same as above from a different vantage point. I was shocked to see runners stretched out so far behind me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDtfWVv4LBPgM8gV6vPIuWkXzZZV3f6rExIMs0913IVM3aa39PGbjVMQcmjGescFY0bSic9TjSWiIexnEKiBa54H6CqZp17X-XcAYFmXPdclWVkNObOTRRuJB4-XrgS9g5iPDhVVtq63i/s1600/cDSCF0310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDtfWVv4LBPgM8gV6vPIuWkXzZZV3f6rExIMs0913IVM3aa39PGbjVMQcmjGescFY0bSic9TjSWiIexnEKiBa54H6CqZp17X-XcAYFmXPdclWVkNObOTRRuJB4-XrgS9g5iPDhVVtq63i/s1600/cDSCF0310.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun band in the middle of nowhere</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjDxSB7zmHErwKYWTUxfUetDQ80azGSy3tCv7yXkPukHTSVlP7p-nzS95-vQAoTzkDOZfG30331uutC7x5ZqZNhCuI2Effgp-ctddxRH4xM-b27YZpt_4EDID0w_XyTJT6PKsbFnZ0ZHI/s1600/cDSCF0312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjDxSB7zmHErwKYWTUxfUetDQ80azGSy3tCv7yXkPukHTSVlP7p-nzS95-vQAoTzkDOZfG30331uutC7x5ZqZNhCuI2Effgp-ctddxRH4xM-b27YZpt_4EDID0w_XyTJT6PKsbFnZ0ZHI/s1600/cDSCF0312.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sentinal, Haut Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Despite the water shortage,
Chapman’s Peak was absolutely breathtaking! The views of the ocean were
amazing. There were even bands and supporters far up the mountain who had to
have hiked there on their own. One lady was standing in the brush on the side
of the road playing the violin for us! We had lots of time to enjoy the view
since everyone around me was reduced to a walk. No matter, we had made good
time to the hill, we could take our time going up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After Chapman’s peak we picked up
the pace back down to the Atlantic Ocean. A short bit of flat was a reprieve
before the next climb up Constantia neck. The population of spectators was
really picking up. People were cheering, kids were running along collecting the
foam visors we had been given in our swag bags and they were thrilled when I
stopped for a picture. It was turning into a real party atmosphere just when we
needed it the most. There was lots of music, live and recorded, and drink stops
were coming about one per mile. Constantia neck was much more wooded so we had
wonderful shade to go with the great entertainment. Finally, we crested the top with great
fanfare before heading down. Other than one short uphill bit, it was all downhill
to the finish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL5uJuM2I4j5-kiZjAXBXV4s7m1FMBH9S3rULLE_HAvYlN3psdPX8nvoXRvsrg24JZi9VKCVyjAZ0Zx95FWFriNdU7F5If3aaCVWBcwsXxgVzmGiKKoLQAVsaMxQaHFzDLhh4GUDqPNCO/s1600/942815ec0f84fb6b6308b2b9b6e80786_DSC_7634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL5uJuM2I4j5-kiZjAXBXV4s7m1FMBH9S3rULLE_HAvYlN3psdPX8nvoXRvsrg24JZi9VKCVyjAZ0Zx95FWFriNdU7F5If3aaCVWBcwsXxgVzmGiKKoLQAVsaMxQaHFzDLhh4GUDqPNCO/s1600/942815ec0f84fb6b6308b2b9b6e80786_DSC_7634.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down hill time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The feeling of finally hitting the
50K mark and having an hour left on the clock was fantastic! The runners around
me discussed the fact that we could walk the rest of the way if we had to and
still finish. I love that moment in a race <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
I had no intention of just walking, but I admit, I did more than necessary
simply because I was going to be happy to finish. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJ0F6aml-F03zFIYuDcNCARxOdIzt-ZCDcqF-0DbFOc_EDUXrrXVrn0fgTUK71tI-JRRtHq403L1B9y1oUmMi4YOpzIsMxgTu95fUv6h_Q9NsNRB4aMjEl3qMoYLWgR_la7c8gJsBBogH/s1600/cDSCF0316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJ0F6aml-F03zFIYuDcNCARxOdIzt-ZCDcqF-0DbFOc_EDUXrrXVrn0fgTUK71tI-JRRtHq403L1B9y1oUmMi4YOpzIsMxgTu95fUv6h_Q9NsNRB4aMjEl3qMoYLWgR_la7c8gJsBBogH/s1600/cDSCF0316.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids were so thrilled a runner stopped for them :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8gXeW1YzfVkn-LaIhNOUzQoZUzk4kkOc_HAae_VI4i63b8ksZeffC5hx63DJjI3l6WTLZjL5esOZRbtml7wy0HQMXYjP5VVQg9UtIPtMS_E7aOhIhTYKCQdYjHo5GmxOFyctJzm-f-m2/s1600/cDSCF0318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8gXeW1YzfVkn-LaIhNOUzQoZUzk4kkOc_HAae_VI4i63b8ksZeffC5hx63DJjI3l6WTLZjL5esOZRbtml7wy0HQMXYjP5VVQg9UtIPtMS_E7aOhIhTYKCQdYjHo5GmxOFyctJzm-f-m2/s1600/cDSCF0318.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay! Shade!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEFtfimR-dew-hGHR61t34sZ23LmteqfnBoUXU-fN4NEgGKjQV4UDysDLLYGbvK42lEqujvK-3taPUiKp2X7r4JW6Vl-NxkkjxuMuxmR4gouQRs3BdT2MsrxY9NlWr5eFLgHoS_MOOxu3/s1600/cDSCF0322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEFtfimR-dew-hGHR61t34sZ23LmteqfnBoUXU-fN4NEgGKjQV4UDysDLLYGbvK42lEqujvK-3taPUiKp2X7r4JW6Vl-NxkkjxuMuxmR4gouQRs3BdT2MsrxY9NlWr5eFLgHoS_MOOxu3/s1600/cDSCF0322.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the collection of foam visors. He actually asked for my hat, LOL. I told him I still needed it.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iVtJ0mnsxhf5dz1wTk6ie9rJbG2SyWmI-cW4IVldY7QxxQ4eb6Ohw8ZBjy-oj-tG52BXR04E3TSUNYqDYZcxQtZiz25gY80zI5JRvuIU7itN7OeLWhNf3G911XvCgONYqHW0xRXNxsHa/s1600/cDSCF0324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iVtJ0mnsxhf5dz1wTk6ie9rJbG2SyWmI-cW4IVldY7QxxQ4eb6Ohw8ZBjy-oj-tG52BXR04E3TSUNYqDYZcxQtZiz25gY80zI5JRvuIU7itN7OeLWhNf3G911XvCgONYqHW0xRXNxsHa/s1600/cDSCF0324.jpg" height="400" width="395" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I laughed out loud :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskln_NYoclXpi3_u0Isc8vUBKXl4TjnLNBFf6_elD4UJ7GFk1A4zUMsTknfXfkynpmAiyKVJFLkJ7tg8052gbd2mcFcpRxbG5zz82te0zKsQFh1eAMqXWpuTbmtwlUTJumXnMShAkjsXB/s1600/cDSCF0325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskln_NYoclXpi3_u0Isc8vUBKXl4TjnLNBFf6_elD4UJ7GFk1A4zUMsTknfXfkynpmAiyKVJFLkJ7tg8052gbd2mcFcpRxbG5zz82te0zKsQFh1eAMqXWpuTbmtwlUTJumXnMShAkjsXB/s1600/cDSCF0325.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cresting the top of Constantia Nek </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">Coming into the final stretch I managed to have enough left in the tank for a good running finish. It was done. My first ultra that was not a “24-hour run what you can”, this was a run to beat the clock or lose. Wandering around the finish area I heard the announce shout, “5 minutes left and there are still 800-1,000 runners left on the course!” I found a place to watch the last few minutes of the race, with anguished runners making their last gasp at the finish line. My heart broke for all the runners still on the course, including a fellow Marathon Maniac that had succumbed to the South African sun, her winter training in Michigan being no match for the warmth we faced.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHTM2vkQSnbu2Up2zhlBP5cIdPHneC3rYzPGKuDPZRRgZAyP_LLGyUgAkHrmE9kVbRbYzpXGy9y-wA_WiMcS155FDh1IpbtjFLhClmW1u8L9cRLzRcXcNc-ZypokK1UKYCAm2QjiRTbh0/s1600/cDSCF0333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHTM2vkQSnbu2Up2zhlBP5cIdPHneC3rYzPGKuDPZRRgZAyP_LLGyUgAkHrmE9kVbRbYzpXGy9y-wA_WiMcS155FDh1IpbtjFLhClmW1u8L9cRLzRcXcNc-ZypokK1UKYCAm2QjiRTbh0/s1600/cDSCF0333.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful sight! The most welcome view on the course</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60TkzBnt7FsjfdGtqILeh2onogzWvzaMncRRffk1AqLW4ALoy0EAO8FiRdhB6RUI8KaBXdFjfbPtQFeaw_R7dHy6t6jdfAqX8qNCt4tDxI_tkOnrq7z8XzOxx1JeVF62O_Z288BdMtYGi/s1600/cDSCF0334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60TkzBnt7FsjfdGtqILeh2onogzWvzaMncRRffk1AqLW4ALoy0EAO8FiRdhB6RUI8KaBXdFjfbPtQFeaw_R7dHy6t6jdfAqX8qNCt4tDxI_tkOnrq7z8XzOxx1JeVF62O_Z288BdMtYGi/s1600/cDSCF0334.jpg" height="317" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I couldn't believe I actually caught the clock in an over-the-shoulder shot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3Lk0zWAYCLyYTxhqsSzYNkavMZEkyUoxS2k8myDSF3whzeMGOlURw9UQ0rHvln9OEojteNP2_QItnF6LohjY-uJk0hyH3kLAzBqACvLMOJTUwbh4De4JMoPf8jjVnmBZIEo0wFeOfxW4/s1600/c2DSCF0339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3Lk0zWAYCLyYTxhqsSzYNkavMZEkyUoxS2k8myDSF3whzeMGOlURw9UQ0rHvln9OEojteNP2_QItnF6LohjY-uJk0hyH3kLAzBqACvLMOJTUwbh4De4JMoPf8jjVnmBZIEo0wFeOfxW4/s1600/c2DSCF0339.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runners scrambling to get through the finish arch as the crowd counted down the last 10 seconds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The day after the race we took the
cable car up Table Mountain. It was a gorgeous day and the light hiking around
the top washed away the soreness from the previous day. I felt so calm and
thrilled at the same time. I had a new love for South Africa, its people, its
history, and its great strength. I can’t wait to go back! <o:p></o:p><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7Onlc8pqOWmdDdkQlFhCAYyniaXsTBCrLPcmbsNoUlAEaEyfH6Y49HKsk6qvleaekgvfg5SnuhPgjnz4jCXC5kpiHwVLbzF9JzLWvIaqkpaUAj3w8O3zLvSShVCSVZe90_oKmhBxHXxo/s1600/cDSCF1618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7Onlc8pqOWmdDdkQlFhCAYyniaXsTBCrLPcmbsNoUlAEaEyfH6Y49HKsk6qvleaekgvfg5SnuhPgjnz4jCXC5kpiHwVLbzF9JzLWvIaqkpaUAj3w8O3zLvSShVCSVZe90_oKmhBxHXxo/s1600/cDSCF1618.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of Table Mountain with Robben Island in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO2-IvlJtd-_THgZwZbvPPg8QP2TPfvStYhKKjaWIbksl9RZCqmL8-QYcMGPzlbVILbeBD0GFtfE9t-KS26w-Z-SsqrdkdcWqy7prGNlNBiU2791PKgEeCKbGW91gb6PKdzi3RF7o4QPV/s1600/cDSCF1345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO2-IvlJtd-_THgZwZbvPPg8QP2TPfvStYhKKjaWIbksl9RZCqmL8-QYcMGPzlbVILbeBD0GFtfE9t-KS26w-Z-SsqrdkdcWqy7prGNlNBiU2791PKgEeCKbGW91gb6PKdzi3RF7o4QPV/s1600/cDSCF1345.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqFkEN_vzdiHsGgyvMRQ2EBkXHC8M2qNdH2VkUThtHaazIBvmxfOBE8rQjft-ss2AvP5Fb-obKTtaX23Hh9eOlk7N-GNrLHtf-HdKsWzl0gD27B32LutMToy3w5rEys0k-q8mpVkvIUuw/s1600/c109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqFkEN_vzdiHsGgyvMRQ2EBkXHC8M2qNdH2VkUThtHaazIBvmxfOBE8rQjft-ss2AvP5Fb-obKTtaX23Hh9eOlk7N-GNrLHtf-HdKsWzl0gD27B32LutMToy3w5rEys0k-q8mpVkvIUuw/s1600/c109.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDR7_wKYg8YyQJM_8axeMs7buYYdmfsjRH9LJDyX5OTwMuXRIXYLSxIpYTZYb4Ogh3S96Qx5vGJo81yWex9C-GorQrEFl7HXWjYM8rpqjTk5jMm42cuJpdxEE4Kxtm_tgH0E1m7eoMyVN/s1600/c054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDR7_wKYg8YyQJM_8axeMs7buYYdmfsjRH9LJDyX5OTwMuXRIXYLSxIpYTZYb4Ogh3S96Qx5vGJo81yWex9C-GorQrEFl7HXWjYM8rpqjTk5jMm42cuJpdxEE4Kxtm_tgH0E1m7eoMyVN/s1600/c054.jpg" height="640" width="534" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4l4YdaD4-j7gi3Xd8O6_hNOAxS4LdFpRWI2b-6RWyLX82Aiul0DqBcZ4hdeIy75x-IRe9As85CETt9QFLaFwe6TvzF-0LJ2dHdIOYs4Amq4k5epVHxfhj3wEXU_jHLgpw8kflM8SZ4saP/s1600/c055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4l4YdaD4-j7gi3Xd8O6_hNOAxS4LdFpRWI2b-6RWyLX82Aiul0DqBcZ4hdeIy75x-IRe9As85CETt9QFLaFwe6TvzF-0LJ2dHdIOYs4Amq4k5epVHxfhj3wEXU_jHLgpw8kflM8SZ4saP/s1600/c055.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Dunp5Kxwg7fNnfCztODAyIr2tLgCcLD4d3rkE0GIleVgvGQo06Aj17GwQkuvaYnOuIeF6xzptvvBcq7g33u0KIfs4oKe3lSd3GY_li3dtUWjTE4ZBYkKrnZI9dit3c63E-IwRltg4aD/s1600/c042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1Dunp5Kxwg7fNnfCztODAyIr2tLgCcLD4d3rkE0GIleVgvGQo06Aj17GwQkuvaYnOuIeF6xzptvvBcq7g33u0KIfs4oKe3lSd3GY_li3dtUWjTE4ZBYkKrnZI9dit3c63E-IwRltg4aD/s1600/c042.jpg" height="640" width="578" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I asked to take her pictures, she said, "Only if you are in it with me," and then hugged me tight :-) </td></tr>
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-980223232005140292014-04-28T10:47:00.002-04:002014-04-28T10:47:27.812-04:00Manchester Marathon 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuCV-jWHIfGQFDfs5BAiUbCIO-8yBQ3-svG-NPPhYfuXnsxUGZp_Kls60gziSllF5YVOzX_-cIBHKziu1B5Aa8cPKcpwxYFtLKnF8kzkWbDAo8XVbkQi3TMo08KjM7c2H-klzCvv8NtLC/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuuCV-jWHIfGQFDfs5BAiUbCIO-8yBQ3-svG-NPPhYfuXnsxUGZp_Kls60gziSllF5YVOzX_-cIBHKziu1B5Aa8cPKcpwxYFtLKnF8kzkWbDAo8XVbkQi3TMo08KjM7c2H-klzCvv8NtLC/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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2014 Great Manchester Marathon<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX1VknQuHAB5vLA0evkdcuhtrcu5i8jaCLtfQRbJzyMta7oQzQ6MrbkiE-XQWeZ6hcHo2swTBk2ILVvW8inYZ3r4r_JI5YNWrcyWFt11EzAcufhHh0VD6o1QH0gBy8kCOmM1d5TMcZaar/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX1VknQuHAB5vLA0evkdcuhtrcu5i8jaCLtfQRbJzyMta7oQzQ6MrbkiE-XQWeZ6hcHo2swTBk2ILVvW8inYZ3r4r_JI5YNWrcyWFt11EzAcufhHh0VD6o1QH0gBy8kCOmM1d5TMcZaar/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I registered
for the Manchester Marathon, I was not expecting much. Manchester is not exactly
a top tourist destination, but it fit my schedule and I had a friend that
wanted me to pace her through her first full. Despite this, driving to the race
and hearing the radio DJs wish all the runners luck, gave me nervous
butterflies in my stomach. Running marathons hasn't gotten old yet! Despite my excitement, I wanted to run this one at a comfortable pace to practice my splits for Two Oceans 2 weeks later, and log the needed miles while
looking for friends from my on-line running groups.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSDkQwv2_ue-zrvW470d_etWr0FpZLKLXizuJ-uUrG4NQ-S5OxT0vFotS1YlqZlWBwIkI6B1phueAy_Li_XqnN-gDF73Qq3nGUBvs_qLs6S720WZ4TiLwk-517aWvlXdQcLJ9KXMfeNjS/s1600/cDSCF0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSDkQwv2_ue-zrvW470d_etWr0FpZLKLXizuJ-uUrG4NQ-S5OxT0vFotS1YlqZlWBwIkI6B1phueAy_Li_XqnN-gDF73Qq3nGUBvs_qLs6S720WZ4TiLwk-517aWvlXdQcLJ9KXMfeNjS/s1600/cDSCF0014.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love a bold look! To an American, this is gritty, city, England, LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyIF8JsBRIHmdIFQrZBfEoMSTBd2KMEzMyBLLlNbvF7NYf6Ip_UWckubLxfasZWbNrEaeBFAsUfvAOS_S448aWl8tZvlyvlCGn7weANcUo7WxCwtwa2_JtQc9gNk36NwJKZrySni4_zIa/s1600/cDSCF0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyIF8JsBRIHmdIFQrZBfEoMSTBd2KMEzMyBLLlNbvF7NYf6Ip_UWckubLxfasZWbNrEaeBFAsUfvAOS_S448aWl8tZvlyvlCGn7weANcUo7WxCwtwa2_JtQc9gNk36NwJKZrySni4_zIa/s1600/cDSCF0028.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So cool meeting Jay who was taking pictures and cheering<br />
from the sidelines for his wife and her friends</td></tr>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij5MmWh791uXbrTTOUzcBgf_GGljsalQY3rdYwo1bpurFUBbnXJPzG5dw17tydUIiT0GeE6TCXtg7FcFxWxGzLLasFuP88iuh2Ug8NLxAK3fAaX018rxFuu6JWLxKn2CaHf5VKbknYz4u/s1600/cDSCF0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij5MmWh791uXbrTTOUzcBgf_GGljsalQY3rdYwo1bpurFUBbnXJPzG5dw17tydUIiT0GeE6TCXtg7FcFxWxGzLLasFuP88iuh2Ug8NLxAK3fAaX018rxFuu6JWLxKn2CaHf5VKbknYz4u/s1600/cDSCF0022.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark went on to have a fantastic run in London! <br />
Thumbs up to his buddy on a great photo bomb, LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Queuing
up for the race was a bit of a zoo. There was no clear organization for where
to stand for your corral and as the start approached, the MC kept calling the
runners forward so we would be close for the gun. Somehow, this resulted in me
being WAY to far up in the crowd. I took off at a pace I knew I could never
sustain, but the crowd of 8,000 runners was so thick I could not really slow
down without causing people trouble. Fortunately, by the time my first 1 minute
walk came up, I was able to get off to the side, but each time I ran, I was
jumping back in with people moving too fast for me. I even ran through my second walk break because I could not hear the timer beep. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvf7c2vEA4Tg9F9Mz6eoCTgA0cOhip8h1sHeVZnf1-lTH8jam1TGzffRHnE7CsxZTaL2Y8x0-xIZve3uzQQwaWPMC0lK-PDwPwFytuX718_F_dH0SS2maA7wbk1O1Wau7UDSl1dr2a9zn/s1600/1610054_10151982828195756_4155184083295160818_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvf7c2vEA4Tg9F9Mz6eoCTgA0cOhip8h1sHeVZnf1-lTH8jam1TGzffRHnE7CsxZTaL2Y8x0-xIZve3uzQQwaWPMC0lK-PDwPwFytuX718_F_dH0SS2maA7wbk1O1Wau7UDSl1dr2a9zn/s1600/1610054_10151982828195756_4155184083295160818_n.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best camera angle ever in a race photo, thanks to Jay!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the
pace, the race was a ton of fun. I found friends, met new ones, and enjoyed the scenery in a surprisingly charming city. It also had a few
out and back sections so we got to see the front runners, I love that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite
my way too fast start, I managed to hang onto to some of my speed and ended up
finishing at 4:25:14! That is within a minute of my finish in Malta that I had
attributed to the last half of the race being downhill. Although I pushed too
hard for a race that was only 2 weeks before my big ultra, I think it gave me huge
confidence towards finishing Two Oceans. I finished 26.2 in near record time
without feeling totally spent so I knew that backing off on my pace would give
me what I needed to add an extra 9 miles.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pTAazol-XNjXAWFkYgwBTmCzxCeCJjaQSV_IFt47_y2WBg_8Psx7iNaANKhy7JyukzL_9giKSqqRMpJXCZm19o_svxpX2cwUP6ZKWLEfCIEOiMw3YcEWuTasLxzx8btVrr_xE1O0IwBv/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pTAazol-XNjXAWFkYgwBTmCzxCeCJjaQSV_IFt47_y2WBg_8Psx7iNaANKhy7JyukzL_9giKSqqRMpJXCZm19o_svxpX2cwUP6ZKWLEfCIEOiMw3YcEWuTasLxzx8btVrr_xE1O0IwBv/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute cadets helping with our bags. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BfesiO6u72zLZvod3fuLc-ZfqnVxAejcYx-QG7lZPOE_l7T4c5jVpPP8_vyp05BAJrrHDheEbA8mb-anBvCe6_bqnicZ43r6JdDrE-gmgoJIN8RPgXhtso04vqc3-ZMKXxiTyKn5Qf_7/s1600/cDSCF0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BfesiO6u72zLZvod3fuLc-ZfqnVxAejcYx-QG7lZPOE_l7T4c5jVpPP8_vyp05BAJrrHDheEbA8mb-anBvCe6_bqnicZ43r6JdDrE-gmgoJIN8RPgXhtso04vqc3-ZMKXxiTyKn5Qf_7/s1600/cDSCF0016.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manchester has an arch?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu8wf5x4OlduchLzvKp2-3TwreWPqCO8_xGRrVi334B4Vyb-B9IxCDBnlaITFSiPjViTS10I7Qtz4so2HitAATuhCb2jl3Gng0NXdfz5YfKfN6EpKhAEy32PSXlF0xOfgpQ9qv3tN5VwG/s1600/cDSCF0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtu8wf5x4OlduchLzvKp2-3TwreWPqCO8_xGRrVi334B4Vyb-B9IxCDBnlaITFSiPjViTS10I7Qtz4so2HitAATuhCb2jl3Gng0NXdfz5YfKfN6EpKhAEy32PSXlF0xOfgpQ9qv3tN5VwG/s1600/cDSCF0017.jpg" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buildings along the canal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNmMfLAsl8utxGLat7rzrYD9xglvOW4Dhv10cpALy9FtAFGWseJFZvxb2Ct0xvOG8lASYfT6Ksd0V8WhZ9VhFkmW-CY20fCE7GrJS0zKrt772h0omIaMb_cryqGf7KAvOipOcf7G1Em4r/s1600/cDSCF0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNmMfLAsl8utxGLat7rzrYD9xglvOW4Dhv10cpALy9FtAFGWseJFZvxb2Ct0xvOG8lASYfT6Ksd0V8WhZ9VhFkmW-CY20fCE7GrJS0zKrt772h0omIaMb_cryqGf7KAvOipOcf7G1Em4r/s1600/cDSCF0024.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the elites run by</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2opPeIC62tUuGGEJlyeW-4Dm97EoOcgZgH5Ce-1JXpFscSkurZS5woel1B3pi8-6jPIcD6xYjtiqVY_YdPrUbtztIxCE7tpgihv0waCXYtAjYXfW1H0XHkZFSHv9DPYpc4dUAITlix5MU/s1600/cDSCF0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2opPeIC62tUuGGEJlyeW-4Dm97EoOcgZgH5Ce-1JXpFscSkurZS5woel1B3pi8-6jPIcD6xYjtiqVY_YdPrUbtztIxCE7tpgihv0waCXYtAjYXfW1H0XHkZFSHv9DPYpc4dUAITlix5MU/s1600/cDSCF0029.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the city</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZqgoSym788teA5rllAgo-XUhOFvA6Gx9bwKwdpG6WHvi74UQkdycwX6WP8FqbpAyoTO1FD8ZGsMd2P07gLhwcr3CBLeff-uJCgwA533-6QUDM8YvQUBsInmDxqvnHi6JUFcDVkIr0qHd/s1600/cDSCF0034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZqgoSym788teA5rllAgo-XUhOFvA6Gx9bwKwdpG6WHvi74UQkdycwX6WP8FqbpAyoTO1FD8ZGsMd2P07gLhwcr3CBLeff-uJCgwA533-6QUDM8YvQUBsInmDxqvnHi6JUFcDVkIr0qHd/s1600/cDSCF0034.jpg" height="395" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bummed this was blurry, he was swinging fireballs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDILX7rIk9eTCwLU6BwbENxaOIIp56hvsD7199A1KDvVD11i6IyFZYAEAYw-ydPpMLTaBMP36ENLoxD2uG2eLDHLx0fuk_BRSW19uPdEIKgbjlGhY8MyosS0ipT1234Y2LYuKg4mAiNXvk/s1600/cDSCF0035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDILX7rIk9eTCwLU6BwbENxaOIIp56hvsD7199A1KDvVD11i6IyFZYAEAYw-ydPpMLTaBMP36ENLoxD2uG2eLDHLx0fuk_BRSW19uPdEIKgbjlGhY8MyosS0ipT1234Y2LYuKg4mAiNXvk/s1600/cDSCF0035.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patient, and a few not so patient, cars sitting at a dead <br />
stop waiting for the runners to clear.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfj94PvxTMpZGif_aD66ISgWmbHR6jgNzaDsiJlWYeAej70iEnWT7B1IwzAO5oecJ1eWHL-uNBdY2VJ4dVqyB5aDAMK9vGY-TfkikkoINkwIM3OM4Km1nWynGqY8lSAxiZnTDsn_nlE4N/s1600/cDSCF0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfj94PvxTMpZGif_aD66ISgWmbHR6jgNzaDsiJlWYeAej70iEnWT7B1IwzAO5oecJ1eWHL-uNBdY2VJ4dVqyB5aDAMK9vGY-TfkikkoINkwIM3OM4Km1nWynGqY8lSAxiZnTDsn_nlE4N/s1600/cDSCF0036.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finish line, YAY!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMB0ITGoTqVQBGi-AxgztP-jDIE052x_2lLbzMEi_QUHJIebM1E-uhrH7IfeyGpKfWQIIHYKzLuuO45L3z4geeDIUTitSBcg07cMlMgxy6n9IQxXUtmNE7AnT6WYHBJI2bgZuInKwVnSl/s1600/10157268_10151982828870756_4947902066417484998_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMB0ITGoTqVQBGi-AxgztP-jDIE052x_2lLbzMEi_QUHJIebM1E-uhrH7IfeyGpKfWQIIHYKzLuuO45L3z4geeDIUTitSBcg07cMlMgxy6n9IQxXUtmNE7AnT6WYHBJI2bgZuInKwVnSl/s1600/10157268_10151982828870756_4947902066417484998_n.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slogging through the finishing chute.<br />
That is my post race "ecstatic" look, compliments of Jay<br />
and his magic camera that makes me look good :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all, Manchester is a great
marathon and I highly recommend it! A big city race with a small town feel.<o:p></o:p></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-73712449947432447402014-04-02T03:39:00.002-04:002014-04-02T03:39:45.046-04:00Coastal Trail Series: Sussex<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyjSwDH-CfixWvzqkietgkjHmHyqFltpejs-TOL90ri1FwVYi3ftQcAA7VGyLwkJM9ZG4SL6wBh-GONDi8Dfw60cz9n5I8EO87JV_dABMo7s3p62s5nqgkiBc3moWb6G2InwbCtcIPIHR/s1600/cimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyjSwDH-CfixWvzqkietgkjHmHyqFltpejs-TOL90ri1FwVYi3ftQcAA7VGyLwkJM9ZG4SL6wBh-GONDi8Dfw60cz9n5I8EO87JV_dABMo7s3p62s5nqgkiBc3moWb6G2InwbCtcIPIHR/s1600/cimage.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Saturday Sunrise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coastal Trail Series: Sussex <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was pretty excited about this
race on the Southern coast in Sussex, across the Seven Sisters. Not only did I
want to run a March marathon, but I wanted to see this area, and it fit
perfectly in my training plan. If I said to my husband, “Hey, let’s drive all
day on Friday, walk around on Saturday, and drive all day back on Sunday to see
some pretty cliffs,” he would have looked at me like I was crazy and said, “No
way.” Fortunately, if I say, “I want to go run a marathon in Sussex,” his
response is, “Have fun, I’ll see you when you get back.” So off I went.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtisoGndwta58W83oYui_rmpuKdbzFOw_YdATntdz-KLtLDqdzJasauPGFREeOC2Tr1M5fJNOtxa2phKnjQFwGxrXanxr8pPfzOZPwDYBIiV_o6-Z49lOH0q7P7vxmiQ0T9s8g5jwYFl8/s1600/cDSCF1146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtisoGndwta58W83oYui_rmpuKdbzFOw_YdATntdz-KLtLDqdzJasauPGFREeOC2Tr1M5fJNOtxa2phKnjQFwGxrXanxr8pPfzOZPwDYBIiV_o6-Z49lOH0q7P7vxmiQ0T9s8g5jwYFl8/s1600/cDSCF1146.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm brewing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It was a lot colder and windier
than the weather report had proclaimed, but I was prepared for every
contingency. At the race start I was bundled up with multiple layers and
looking around at the people with me, some of whom were bare legged and
hatless, thinking half the group was nuts, but I was not sure yet which half,
the over-dressed half or the under dressed half.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIndifEypqdp3ZLN7gwGBCRsVhMHBwnvfioQkADPiLscVO12dOlI4M4g8dLd9ofNCqYSIpS_WCZdY8aBUEDiO2VNi9QhOfKJqukOtYemv0Oygj8rWvgv0AP-dbFhFLCwmn-3wzI7UEjgEm/s1600/cDSCF1143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIndifEypqdp3ZLN7gwGBCRsVhMHBwnvfioQkADPiLscVO12dOlI4M4g8dLd9ofNCqYSIpS_WCZdY8aBUEDiO2VNi9QhOfKJqukOtYemv0Oygj8rWvgv0AP-dbFhFLCwmn-3wzI7UEjgEm/s1600/cDSCF1143.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
We took off and things were going
well. I went right into my power walk for the up hills and laughed at all the
people that had taken off at a fast trot and were now lined up waiting for a
turn to go through a small gate. (English trail races include a multitude of livestock
corralling, narrow gates to pass through and fences to climb over, via an
assortment of slats and steps.) Everyone stood around waiting their turn and
even the walkers with trekking poles caught the runners. From the take off
though, I realized it was going to be a definitely “back of the pack” day. Oh
well, I was not here to prove anything to anyone but me. I watched the line of
runners stretch out before me, thinking either they were all very ambitious, or
I am a horrible trail racer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ycX5oTAUemHdRQ3SNR3UGdQdD1vkUY1wV3tvw2CzMT5DEqnphf1PbjoRVxgqcJz7YbB5IpgzD75AiJDXmxrLuBIHKnDdJ0oMVdsPIrsCU_BrJWdGx9IdeNQw2xESVfX_taF0NciQwlZY/s1600/cDSCF1148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ycX5oTAUemHdRQ3SNR3UGdQdD1vkUY1wV3tvw2CzMT5DEqnphf1PbjoRVxgqcJz7YbB5IpgzD75AiJDXmxrLuBIHKnDdJ0oMVdsPIrsCU_BrJWdGx9IdeNQw2xESVfX_taF0NciQwlZY/s1600/cDSCF1148.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then the storm hit. I had decided
to wear my gloves, ear band, and buff and was very glad I did. We had watched
it coming across the ocean, bringing winds that knocked us backwards. Ice
pellets and rain hammered us as we slogged up the first set of hills. Up is
usually good when you can run down the other side, but running down was very
dicey. The grass was slick with rain and ice, and very steep and uneven, so we
were picking our way down trying not to fall, rather than galloping down like we
wanted. At one point, I lifted my foot to take a step up and a wind gust hit so
hard I was suspended in mid air, unable to move forward to put my foot down
ahead of the other, and desperately trying not to get tipped backward for a
tumble back down the hill I just climbed. This seemed like it went on forever.
Finally, the rain stopped and the sky began to clear. That is when I realized
we had been out there 40 minutes, and had gone 2.5 miles. Not a good sign!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnU6SoPOozYjdirhzzkizf1RHVI9ug0dTuvMQVsqpj6tHhMPlkvBu36wpE2JgBYcVftPdZ_v0R9t4w5hAydggl0zxG8VidOZAYkZeiPMBXovwZScqmuQS21U2Lffi0DrpnU5GiAmncVnN/s1600/cDSCF1150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnU6SoPOozYjdirhzzkizf1RHVI9ug0dTuvMQVsqpj6tHhMPlkvBu36wpE2JgBYcVftPdZ_v0R9t4w5hAydggl0zxG8VidOZAYkZeiPMBXovwZScqmuQS21U2Lffi0DrpnU5GiAmncVnN/s1600/cDSCF1150.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next few miles were kind of a blur. Cute towns and villages with
cute buildings and pretty flowers. I ran for a couple of miles with a young
graduate student from Malaysia. It was his first full marathon and he was
soaked and freezing in his sweats. He did not finish. England never ceases to
amaze me in its ability to be totally stormy and over cast one minute, and have
nearly clear blue skies the next, but that is how it went. Looking back at
pictures, it is hard to imagine they were all taken within a few hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHEIKvXiT9MPaoEk7mGQ6g6pa-wyoFcXg2AJfwnAXzXmjwMfOtTnk65svY8TIM97vIRrP8gF4otEU8nUH3c9Xb_xRgIdcJeI1K_l1vs8Z0ofW28Osw-z8R4yFFPumylnAG6ZdFuxqyOnf/s1600/cDSCF1155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHEIKvXiT9MPaoEk7mGQ6g6pa-wyoFcXg2AJfwnAXzXmjwMfOtTnk65svY8TIM97vIRrP8gF4otEU8nUH3c9Xb_xRgIdcJeI1K_l1vs8Z0ofW28Osw-z8R4yFFPumylnAG6ZdFuxqyOnf/s1600/cDSCF1155.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The grass and dirt isn't thick, chalk is just beneath the surface<br /> and makes the stickiest mud I have every encountered</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Back out into farm country I was
battling with the mud made of chalk that hangs onto your shoes like super glue
and is the consistence of potter’s clay. On the up side, the clouds had moved
off and it seemed like the weather would finally be decent, and maybe my camera
would dry out enough to start working properly again. I rounded a corner and
suddenly remembered something they said during the briefing about, “You will
run past the _______so be sure and look up to see it.” I had no idea what they
had said until the sun broke through the clouds and the Long Man of Wilmington
was shining like it was made of mirrors!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-8QWuDZVZ88NXE6qOVywxbtGJvtR9E_3F7yTmkSBCF7NuoCNkT_p8As91w4jN3yMpW9EQ48y-B-7rFZTfObZC5mcd2FhpToK7EO2dsCayXrTSY2OeUXfYYc7o424KdU01w1b6_cLjm-V/s1600/cDSCF1160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-8QWuDZVZ88NXE6qOVywxbtGJvtR9E_3F7yTmkSBCF7NuoCNkT_p8As91w4jN3yMpW9EQ48y-B-7rFZTfObZC5mcd2FhpToK7EO2dsCayXrTSY2OeUXfYYc7o424KdU01w1b6_cLjm-V/s1600/cDSCF1160.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hill figure lifted my spirits and
carried me for a while as I slogged through more mud, trying not to lose a shoe
or twist an ankle. Surprisingly, I could see runners ahead of and behind me.
Usually in a race like this I’m pretty much alone by about 10 miles in, so it
was nice, especially since I was worried about missing a turn. The race was
extremely well marked, but one can never completely account for “running brain.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxhL9eb618kDj9usTrPCx36s3ybCIxLu6G82wCKwmoiCLsqE8YYONwNec_gM2En8EG_2HdyJtcCZUA6WRax-kiw6TgVRnlmqSGLl7Y74VfZ3lvU0fTC4ihCN1r6pPgB2IZdQWgkDcgLp5/s1600/cDSCF1162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxhL9eb618kDj9usTrPCx36s3ybCIxLu6G82wCKwmoiCLsqE8YYONwNec_gM2En8EG_2HdyJtcCZUA6WRax-kiw6TgVRnlmqSGLl7Y74VfZ3lvU0fTC4ihCN1r6pPgB2IZdQWgkDcgLp5/s1600/cDSCF1162.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even in the tire ruts, the mud was deep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Finally, in a steady drizzle, but
thankfully sheltered from the wind for a few moments, we dipped down to the
half way mark. I had been running, hiking, and slogging for 3 whole hours! My
dreams of a 5:00 or even 5:30 finish were long gone and I was not even totally
sure I would bother finishing at all. I was so tired, cold, and wet that my
thoughts kept drifting back to a hot shower and dry clothes. I would think,
“Okay, I’ll bag it at 20 and call it a training run,” but then I would remember
the 35 mile ultra just 4 short weeks away, and the need to finish all 26 miles
would reassert itself. It was the only thing that kept me going when I passed
within 100 yards of my car at around 17 miles, what a terrible tease!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4aPEk0uwlHGZNLgevFKSiDf_qWznjO0tAmqYp6H68aCDJ2421sJtfChEu7FvgzrikUIy6Yks2QbKBa_-ZOyb82KJxzsW_YG2zafqe0nK18ciuQVkUCHFEfv0nNVayiORVBlmeA6hBZSG/s1600/cDSCF1164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4aPEk0uwlHGZNLgevFKSiDf_qWznjO0tAmqYp6H68aCDJ2421sJtfChEu7FvgzrikUIy6Yks2QbKBa_-ZOyb82KJxzsW_YG2zafqe0nK18ciuQVkUCHFEfv0nNVayiORVBlmeA6hBZSG/s1600/cDSCF1164.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the little white sign with red arrows, these were our trail markers.<br /> Perfect for spotting under a lowered cap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Oddly at this point I started passing
people. My power walk was paying off and everyone was done in. The tourists
were out and about, which would be a good sign about the weather, except these
English folk are tough as nails and go out hiking and sightseeing is crazy
weather! Around this time I came upon the steepest hill of all. It looks vertical
in my elevation profile, and felt nearly that steep when I was on it. I was
just going to walk down, since my time was shot and my legs were buckling, but
it was too steep to walk. It was also too steep to run and we ended up just
sort of shuffling down in a controlled fall, praying not to LOSE that control and
roll down ass over tea-kettles. This one decent was really hard on my knees. My
quads tightened into rocks and I felt the familiar ripping sensation that goes
with the injury I have been battling. Tight quads also pull your knee caps of
track so the next mile or so was spent stopping to stretch in an attempt to get
everything back on track.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffxGIoiKFeuHxBpYuFtuHsldHAIzqkcxKOtWahr_B12Kr3vACP241N4-yF2LeFTWLTRRnUya_AqjJdH2tKQrMUhCaeI2wvR7Kupgou-dRk7Pa0Xw60f99d-RcHkMxnCHweOSC7zOAaRWR/s1600/cDSCF1163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffxGIoiKFeuHxBpYuFtuHsldHAIzqkcxKOtWahr_B12Kr3vACP241N4-yF2LeFTWLTRRnUya_AqjJdH2tKQrMUhCaeI2wvR7Kupgou-dRk7Pa0Xw60f99d-RcHkMxnCHweOSC7zOAaRWR/s1600/cDSCF1163.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor tree didn't stand a chance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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With just a couple of miles to go, I felt much
better and did not even care about the wind, I was nearly done and with plenty
of time before the cut off. My finish time was 6:02, which I won’t hold up in
comparison to road races, but I certainly got in a lot of hill training and
more important, I made a hard effort for 6 hours which brings me closer to the
7 hour expectation for Two Oceans. I truly only want to finish that one.
Anything under 7 hours will be pure frosting on my happy cake!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next up, Manchester Marathon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A few pictures from Eastbourne</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLWDjU6f7IJskA47y9KRPDYXys3qLSQS2RhSU4mBx43OXvjR8tFq20dvi4gOdz4zYT0C7l7JDqaCr0VnZvEyUGCvnNs5t5rdNYIpr1pEQLsYh-VBa0bIaGAHv8sjeAXTiRVE297fA5DmY/s1600/cimage%255B6%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLWDjU6f7IJskA47y9KRPDYXys3qLSQS2RhSU4mBx43OXvjR8tFq20dvi4gOdz4zYT0C7l7JDqaCr0VnZvEyUGCvnNs5t5rdNYIpr1pEQLsYh-VBa0bIaGAHv8sjeAXTiRVE297fA5DmY/s1600/cimage%255B6%255D.jpg" height="224" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The low dark hills on the right are France</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido2DdipatazcjDWtsZE_vPF5iOgFsWoWt_vnjqc3pCRSP6UYJmGkIyTJ4mvCmJQutdpJ03faha75MXK5rt8rzIZI44WYy2mVdJ2EGUbhCZJuLWj_VUyfkoYI2FBbGNTVwR-zuYqoQs8a8/s1600/cimage%255B7%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido2DdipatazcjDWtsZE_vPF5iOgFsWoWt_vnjqc3pCRSP6UYJmGkIyTJ4mvCmJQutdpJ03faha75MXK5rt8rzIZI44WYy2mVdJ2EGUbhCZJuLWj_VUyfkoYI2FBbGNTVwR-zuYqoQs8a8/s1600/cimage%255B7%255D.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaDZ37x-GuiJBRtaa0_QWurx44TT9yhUzVBUooB2uroU2qq0GsTacV_TDVoYGNCI1COeZqILJ-jMLmJ1e2sAUQOSSOBYq17bq2NBZ5w833F0aGiq4wmr9ZCK4m9ZoR5gJxpv7tj1abZjT/s1600/cimage%255B5%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaDZ37x-GuiJBRtaa0_QWurx44TT9yhUzVBUooB2uroU2qq0GsTacV_TDVoYGNCI1COeZqILJ-jMLmJ1e2sAUQOSSOBYq17bq2NBZ5w833F0aGiq4wmr9ZCK4m9ZoR5gJxpv7tj1abZjT/s1600/cimage%255B5%255D.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83q8qyTeJwrKJsfT7o3k6DStajQSbG5hgsXMBTW0lGdHQNwrrwSVHjwh_TKI-lmqY6rC-TWXRsKey5QfCt8RNkqkYEjsS265aufaY2boOq5l-zh26NNDOfbbOdYw0Vc2m5AVrGu7A80cQ/s1600/cimage%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83q8qyTeJwrKJsfT7o3k6DStajQSbG5hgsXMBTW0lGdHQNwrrwSVHjwh_TKI-lmqY6rC-TWXRsKey5QfCt8RNkqkYEjsS265aufaY2boOq5l-zh26NNDOfbbOdYw0Vc2m5AVrGu7A80cQ/s1600/cimage%255B1%255D.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-16381169019615075542014-02-28T13:01:00.001-05:002014-02-28T13:08:56.591-05:00Malta Marathon 2014<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5szpBNfXVq0P-l5MslTbDOgExDp5b7irIaiU1wgKg74IgaQ8Px8ZhLODDnhZ7feRg7cnUy8Y6dYtY8yr1oQaZ53NuyvVpSs8cJ4SQCXyL_GU4YBRWlPKaZOdApt9Z0Aoi9FdSToN3_Sz/s1600/cDSCF1046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5szpBNfXVq0P-l5MslTbDOgExDp5b7irIaiU1wgKg74IgaQ8Px8ZhLODDnhZ7feRg7cnUy8Y6dYtY8yr1oQaZ53NuyvVpSs8cJ4SQCXyL_GU4YBRWlPKaZOdApt9Z0Aoi9FdSToN3_Sz/s1600/cDSCF1046.jpg" height="352" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a way to start the day!</td></tr>
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I am struggling with where to begin for this one. We had spent two days touring the island nation of Malt and although we barely scratched the surface, we fell in love with it. I looked forward to race day with a mix of elation and the normal anxiety of race day. The views promised to be wonderful, but the wind was wild and black clouds skittered at the edges of the sky threatening to envelop us in a dismal storm.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbON3ORFsymD7JzlFlHIcpJtkU1YiBd_u8q8Sm1PwUhnnNNZ431Gc_fJ-Wd9DEzM2fNXfg70L4uXjlWVqytEwhCWTDBm3HEbJ7s_hUOB2s7hZrrYC4agByuYAWIM0utDfROOnwwqz4VQ-o/s1600/c1920619_10203104757690652_1593266018_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbON3ORFsymD7JzlFlHIcpJtkU1YiBd_u8q8Sm1PwUhnnNNZ431Gc_fJ-Wd9DEzM2fNXfg70L4uXjlWVqytEwhCWTDBm3HEbJ7s_hUOB2s7hZrrYC4agByuYAWIM0utDfROOnwwqz4VQ-o/s1600/c1920619_10203104757690652_1593266018_n.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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I was determined to be prepared for any event so with my camera in one hand and a rain poncho in the other, I ran while enjoying and documenting the course</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5g2ahbssgAcF8ecEc8F4m28OQEFDlcAjldln5tGHD2pzcEV8AxaXPzd4a0QNuQpDjmWn64rYugxrAn1-Sy7z8ROdC4Ngq7FGPiMco03IY93OuPvdt_0TUySNFibVA5lQWiYXna5i-tfA/s1600/cDSCF1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5g2ahbssgAcF8ecEc8F4m28OQEFDlcAjldln5tGHD2pzcEV8AxaXPzd4a0QNuQpDjmWn64rYugxrAn1-Sy7z8ROdC4Ngq7FGPiMco03IY93OuPvdt_0TUySNFibVA5lQWiYXna5i-tfA/s1600/cDSCF1054.jpg" height="320" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> I hid from the wind up on the Mdina waiting for all the runners to be shuttled up from the port. Reluctant to give up my windbreaker pants and long sleeve t-shirt,</span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> I put off checking checking my bag to the last minute,</span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> .</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LDdbJzZ2WzTcB-Fv274oKpBfVBG4lr9aBILeZPF1S82pP5sNfZkuJBcPc_b4lEJrJY3e2TbgJceKYGqJlDqHukqQcVQKn3L4vheGaf63MhhNKVmv2vEWrtSv7oACIiiVKldUhmzPq4ex/s1600/cDSCF1055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LDdbJzZ2WzTcB-Fv274oKpBfVBG4lr9aBILeZPF1S82pP5sNfZkuJBcPc_b4lEJrJY3e2TbgJceKYGqJlDqHukqQcVQKn3L4vheGaf63MhhNKVmv2vEWrtSv7oACIiiVKldUhmzPq4ex/s1600/cDSCF1055.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> I found Donald, a fellow member of both Marathon Maniacs and the Marathon Globetrotters so at least I wasn't alone with my chattering teeth :-) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9Z5pSzf7ljo5ZKTC-DPZU4vaefHsKQgrOp0fRueLtN0r4uJ7yQmY13GMpx7yYkc64M2Hw4j_FXSn74l0W4qai3U3PWhVN21DpFRj3G9bBSYiSiESAFObKJVBJKhJ2dpsoIIuhakfrnFj/s1600/cDSCF1062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9Z5pSzf7ljo5ZKTC-DPZU4vaefHsKQgrOp0fRueLtN0r4uJ7yQmY13GMpx7yYkc64M2Hw4j_FXSn74l0W4qai3U3PWhVN21DpFRj3G9bBSYiSiESAFObKJVBJKhJ2dpsoIIuhakfrnFj/s1600/cDSCF1062.jpg" height="320" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we're off! Winding our way through tiny streets full of cute windows and doorways</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBz_ri2VV6z6mbC_h4GCzYlH1d37fFsIsLRbNK14H49SHzMG9kqAtT_-uj0ivtb_7AJT_cbqd6La9Zm5rSlGtuTo3d_3ejyzqwx6WNttOlKie5sjWhkrFcNfrJFrCYA2ifx3c6ep9VeDq/s1600/cDSCF1065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBz_ri2VV6z6mbC_h4GCzYlH1d37fFsIsLRbNK14H49SHzMG9kqAtT_-uj0ivtb_7AJT_cbqd6La9Zm5rSlGtuTo3d_3ejyzqwx6WNttOlKie5sjWhkrFcNfrJFrCYA2ifx3c6ep9VeDq/s1600/cDSCF1065.jpg" height="291" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy was resplendent in his new jeans and fashionable collared shirt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqFfBVNBAsgC66krK4yNsVZfi40Z8CaYI1VBCS8pVRmUZy46wfw4jxESZzzolZ3BWmiEOhMMsdZdIVwXDQIQ6ZobMSy59UxlW_TIeMmZ4qWqnESE5J7jBX3N8En1KZsmjAZtpNBTiA9i1/s1600/cDSCF1066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqFfBVNBAsgC66krK4yNsVZfi40Z8CaYI1VBCS8pVRmUZy46wfw4jxESZzzolZ3BWmiEOhMMsdZdIVwXDQIQ6ZobMSy59UxlW_TIeMmZ4qWqnESE5J7jBX3N8En1KZsmjAZtpNBTiA9i1/s1600/cDSCF1066.jpg" height="320" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I could look him up by his bib number because I'm dying to know what his finish time was! I think he finished shortly before I did :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7vwz_oRU8tbutrn28tdSq46NSWz7j0haikPZlGxBdZoztbtoV11J7160e6F8UWtXUJZJZWVqskXq4Pvhcx6igZ8_FYmZlxNLAcfLkBK8YXQLBmcAQzcuZnzVQSYf2MY2iTWGV73VqW66/s1600/cDSCF1070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7vwz_oRU8tbutrn28tdSq46NSWz7j0haikPZlGxBdZoztbtoV11J7160e6F8UWtXUJZJZWVqskXq4Pvhcx6igZ8_FYmZlxNLAcfLkBK8YXQLBmcAQzcuZnzVQSYf2MY2iTWGV73VqW66/s1600/cDSCF1070.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The views of the Mdina were wonderful, but those black clouds were a little scary. I was sure we would get rained on before the end, which explains the yellow rain poncho in my hand in all my race photos, LOL.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEjWoJG5ath3mLjQX6EIispIMI3wD3nbMmLiLq1Y-ykcOcCHbym_TXRXnqcI9svQfStJHN3F919m6sp2aqk1wfRys-ZHE9JiD_v360zTBWmQAB3dmeuNErZvqrYvNhd-p15Yb6f0uaMrV/s1600/cDSCF1072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEjWoJG5ath3mLjQX6EIispIMI3wD3nbMmLiLq1Y-ykcOcCHbym_TXRXnqcI9svQfStJHN3F919m6sp2aqk1wfRys-ZHE9JiD_v360zTBWmQAB3dmeuNErZvqrYvNhd-p15Yb6f0uaMrV/s1600/cDSCF1072.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the Portsmouth runners. There were a lot of them and I heard their flight was a rollicking good time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKSQLYWbSs8RWqUwcHuWaZMpF0DovG8yHtc1VqpN8GSfyDDF6ulrnROJy-qyr6qahj1QkV-RTvLmYfRBUs56Bo5xzu6I3-VK5OODs8SRwqvXpnqNvo9GL4J1QtmnB0z815N7ogTKvuuYR/s1600/cDSCF1073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKSQLYWbSs8RWqUwcHuWaZMpF0DovG8yHtc1VqpN8GSfyDDF6ulrnROJy-qyr6qahj1QkV-RTvLmYfRBUs56Bo5xzu6I3-VK5OODs8SRwqvXpnqNvo9GL4J1QtmnB0z815N7ogTKvuuYR/s1600/cDSCF1073.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa in his jeans is still keeping up with the whipper snappers. I hope I can run half as well at his age!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphDtYI9V0833mKuAUCam7gvoQo0AwyoBU53DF7TIH521wz19cDieldL5HA8F-T0ZckhIsOHQfJ0jwh3L63FPHqjh1cP4ocR_2pYS3skHDLKOWMffqh8aJU0S60w9sgeEBzYUSrzcOO2l4/s1600/cDSCF1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphDtYI9V0833mKuAUCam7gvoQo0AwyoBU53DF7TIH521wz19cDieldL5HA8F-T0ZckhIsOHQfJ0jwh3L63FPHqjh1cP4ocR_2pYS3skHDLKOWMffqh8aJU0S60w9sgeEBzYUSrzcOO2l4/s1600/cDSCF1080.jpg" height="472" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stink at selfies, but I try :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrvqi75o8E4b1WjWCd7StvKdk7trrSKIYpw_EuDLciJhBT-cvdx3aBr9iFbZrE5wH0LXJoCyva5F_Wzmj0E7ejF1EewbLA5fGq3pj8zsNvQ16HWwxyLIoTwmLS7yFYO-6t1ofBMYpjxQy/s1600/cDSCF1084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrvqi75o8E4b1WjWCd7StvKdk7trrSKIYpw_EuDLciJhBT-cvdx3aBr9iFbZrE5wH0LXJoCyva5F_Wzmj0E7ejF1EewbLA5fGq3pj8zsNvQ16HWwxyLIoTwmLS7yFYO-6t1ofBMYpjxQy/s1600/cDSCF1084.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was tempted to take a snack break!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrr9AubHJHqYi_iztFoTboYiIz31vGOkfgtFYasqCJrw1CHS4YCz-KIQy8jATNbyF80q9zuYpWKg2r-ELVdyraCbILyGLMCSnxn7RnteEn2nQovmBL9E4_Fbv6XOr_Icu4SISKg7txEtt/s1600/cDSCF1085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrr9AubHJHqYi_iztFoTboYiIz31vGOkfgtFYasqCJrw1CHS4YCz-KIQy8jATNbyF80q9zuYpWKg2r-ELVdyraCbILyGLMCSnxn7RnteEn2nQovmBL9E4_Fbv6XOr_Icu4SISKg7txEtt/s1600/cDSCF1085.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a trio of runners from Greece and the guy in the group kept insisting on taking my camera to run ahead and take pictures of me. This is my "can we get this over with please" smile. I think he was pacing the two ladies behind me bored with their slow shuffle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI37jAA-630te8Si2N95FW6Jh8UqkqcaADwR4Y-Irc6ATr21roF0g567UzckQjcdm-zDHYzFGhGpUJFiqGoBv_gr8dRUxEBytIMFlLvEZsASpCMsBCMgGQVCoxfNm46FIIRCn6BhqUA2YQ/s1600/cDSCF1089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI37jAA-630te8Si2N95FW6Jh8UqkqcaADwR4Y-Irc6ATr21roF0g567UzckQjcdm-zDHYzFGhGpUJFiqGoBv_gr8dRUxEBytIMFlLvEZsASpCMsBCMgGQVCoxfNm46FIIRCn6BhqUA2YQ/s1600/cDSCF1089.jpg" height="376" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scary clouds getting scarier. The cacti, which are all over the island, are to break the wind.</td></tr>
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It didn't take long for the approximately 500 runners to thin out. I was lost in thought and enjoying the scenery when I passed the 21K sign along with another pair of runners. I heard one say we had been running just over two hours, WHAT? I looked at my interval timer and then, in disbelief, asked what time it was. At 10:10 am we had been on the road for 2 hours and 10 minutes, the fastest I have ever hit the halfway mark in a marathon. I was worried, knowing I had gone out WAY too fast, but I also knew the second half was almost entirely downhill. The negative split ship had sailed, but the PR was coming into view!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4RorJYuLfFrsF9awAawImRGCXz9zcwRxZMbRiX0ieko42KqlL5LegGKfoFBcvUDw2eTkuhGzocRaSE7eSfJLgosTj547KWDYoAcU5A-r80rggTPVSSEckAya-i2WZw1CFs1u8vSq08Yp/s1600/cDSCF1091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4RorJYuLfFrsF9awAawImRGCXz9zcwRxZMbRiX0ieko42KqlL5LegGKfoFBcvUDw2eTkuhGzocRaSE7eSfJLgosTj547KWDYoAcU5A-r80rggTPVSSEckAya-i2WZw1CFs1u8vSq08Yp/s1600/cDSCF1091.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids handing out sponges were adorable. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoF9cfFhsWz4Sk3Ru-CEW4PryU9lMSrmB7ojOSB4PNHyrWH4tti1XaheCk7ORBCvjSqGVtkmaxts84SSssS4zXEKW2Z3W2N55i4BnB6Yw3c8ZtRr0np5x2ZTCxnyetBfu_-9erfMnWNgD/s1600/cDSCF1099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoF9cfFhsWz4Sk3Ru-CEW4PryU9lMSrmB7ojOSB4PNHyrWH4tti1XaheCk7ORBCvjSqGVtkmaxts84SSssS4zXEKW2Z3W2N55i4BnB6Yw3c8ZtRr0np5x2ZTCxnyetBfu_-9erfMnWNgD/s1600/cDSCF1099.jpg" height="356" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These three took their marshaling and cheering very seriously!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGMMWxMzzpZkyr3pK362_A9troLC_7QilvS1Js1IHLvGat_xNrVTEnJcxLP3ajb8Vh2hxtXJ8N3d5px51FGkhBPI2qIjDixnOQZDs9YKV26tUU_cAudfA-8ZrIG57bO3liPqDoh_3kAgE/s1600/cDSCF1100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGMMWxMzzpZkyr3pK362_A9troLC_7QilvS1Js1IHLvGat_xNrVTEnJcxLP3ajb8Vh2hxtXJ8N3d5px51FGkhBPI2qIjDixnOQZDs9YKV26tUU_cAudfA-8ZrIG57bO3liPqDoh_3kAgE/s1600/cDSCF1100.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of our running zig-zags and loops were in Mosta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5RFJE_otj7QhSxkULSPhsbS-_mp0OwOgem9FbEQeCd8impn5Beqzj8dOOpNqzsuOwILAinzQiys1bVOX7isYDx84Nt8_oGs6rWJdsxs1bMGAJqagtUWhqV-WHOPIGCQsF73uxsvYArI9/s1600/1899919_216495211880191_264606813_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5RFJE_otj7QhSxkULSPhsbS-_mp0OwOgem9FbEQeCd8impn5Beqzj8dOOpNqzsuOwILAinzQiys1bVOX7isYDx84Nt8_oGs6rWJdsxs1bMGAJqagtUWhqV-WHOPIGCQsF73uxsvYArI9/s1600/1899919_216495211880191_264606813_n.jpg" height="270" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The map worried me since that is a lot of potential for missed turns, but it was very well marked and marshalled so there were no problems at all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7mBXyj9cYtYP1ZMIIAe4CygzHQi8MRfsakBx-4-erfVdaSSu4NAlmm_YrKZXC0-ZKbNotzd4G3IFgH8Cud_2BIKCZ8GyKXJwcDeDp1xhNtXlCFaqlgwd8wIQJau09YaE3MPblosYmjhk/s1600/cDSCF1101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7mBXyj9cYtYP1ZMIIAe4CygzHQi8MRfsakBx-4-erfVdaSSu4NAlmm_YrKZXC0-ZKbNotzd4G3IFgH8Cud_2BIKCZ8GyKXJwcDeDp1xhNtXlCFaqlgwd8wIQJau09YaE3MPblosYmjhk/s1600/cDSCF1101.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The whole race was a swirl of things to look at. Every inch of Malta seemed exhotic, from the carefully tended vegetable gardens and vineyards to the spires of the many churches, it was all new and interesting. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lNQn-5U1Ztq0Anunzyt7io7O9M6m_d-gii5gnRkHxBZAGYwgs6Mauku1oj1D52pZR2ptIS0OyNhGKpV_DbLkH4p2pr-bhFOxu1XzfCETJEkKVDOh3HkoRaeiwZ2WS_304_AFLy5E24hB/s1600/cDSCF1105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lNQn-5U1Ztq0Anunzyt7io7O9M6m_d-gii5gnRkHxBZAGYwgs6Mauku1oj1D52pZR2ptIS0OyNhGKpV_DbLkH4p2pr-bhFOxu1XzfCETJEkKVDOh3HkoRaeiwZ2WS_304_AFLy5E24hB/s1600/cDSCF1105.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture because it has everything, the Mdina, the cactus, the grape vines, and the stone walls</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWc-kRLcSwuY5o3oC-bEXqE0mBDiE6cORot2VCSlye7DcHZVZOXf4rUhYVGRixzyUOfOFAztx2qyEoy_8jrV-QRKIM2D9fGztz_K-GyoEzou6UhIq5-L4rymrcYtYRIxjs41kxFbjShfG/s1600/cDSCF1106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWc-kRLcSwuY5o3oC-bEXqE0mBDiE6cORot2VCSlye7DcHZVZOXf4rUhYVGRixzyUOfOFAztx2qyEoy_8jrV-QRKIM2D9fGztz_K-GyoEzou6UhIq5-L4rymrcYtYRIxjs41kxFbjShfG/s1600/cDSCF1106.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malta is the most bombed place on earth, thanks to the Nazi's in WWII. A bomb dropped through the roof of this church in Mosta and landed in the middle of 300 people waiting for Mass to start. IT DID NOT EXPLODE!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXTB521wTVvkMGe9NhwpbAkotpdmfpR5PzE0qN3HYy6Vo3ql1ItcaI1Adt6jsWLSeyh6B1pjeTjkDxtMOVHOuuXAx4lBLkAAxcJ4r2dIj3sHsGdGTD2mPvvckDrTq5j9xkvMD9y4WkMjB/s1600/cDSCF1110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXTB521wTVvkMGe9NhwpbAkotpdmfpR5PzE0qN3HYy6Vo3ql1ItcaI1Adt6jsWLSeyh6B1pjeTjkDxtMOVHOuuXAx4lBLkAAxcJ4r2dIj3sHsGdGTD2mPvvckDrTq5j9xkvMD9y4WkMjB/s1600/cDSCF1110.jpg" height="247" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viewing the Mdina again and getting ready to turn towards the harbor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvLdm42C1q6pWlssKTVvJYBJEgC23aALu5t5cl4STu-O_3dmNd88e7i65PjitbF6uyl5ps8Lw9nbpVtdaHBy6vLjSOvRajk2MwD6zeIDmq1t99EaJd0h5GGmdKolEwx17gcV1xE5Rqxvh/s1600/cDSCF1118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvLdm42C1q6pWlssKTVvJYBJEgC23aALu5t5cl4STu-O_3dmNd88e7i65PjitbF6uyl5ps8Lw9nbpVtdaHBy6vLjSOvRajk2MwD6zeIDmq1t99EaJd0h5GGmdKolEwx17gcV1xE5Rqxvh/s1600/cDSCF1118.jpg" height="320" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesomeness!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkKJyVpVea2jlM3YDDburm6GyVa3htrkIQwkfbycFI_I-ANoTQVi5-sduRoHlHFm5S4h5OpdYOVMiXIrS3H_VLbF4cydDxcf0HXRblpIiy-H18oaIw6DbIHAT4rP56VPo5zVmRbWqc6Ke/s1600/cDSCF1126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkKJyVpVea2jlM3YDDburm6GyVa3htrkIQwkfbycFI_I-ANoTQVi5-sduRoHlHFm5S4h5OpdYOVMiXIrS3H_VLbF4cydDxcf0HXRblpIiy-H18oaIw6DbIHAT4rP56VPo5zVmRbWqc6Ke/s1600/cDSCF1126.jpg" height="314" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmmm, speed kills, that must be why the walk-a-thon people were out in force</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfjRZQconELHz7_a9iI89gWIfLJbksSPLblk74lEaiHWu23_fLLbcR_zNSTVDLrnLEeAcXeQXFRxrTly6Y0Xam88Yj2Xmo_G7_IkERkj108BdBVrpaVgOToSBXgoke0XwDlG6nnPF9UFF/s1600/cDSCF1128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfjRZQconELHz7_a9iI89gWIfLJbksSPLblk74lEaiHWu23_fLLbcR_zNSTVDLrnLEeAcXeQXFRxrTly6Y0Xam88Yj2Xmo_G7_IkERkj108BdBVrpaVgOToSBXgoke0XwDlG6nnPF9UFF/s1600/cDSCF1128.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I caught up to the Greeks again, LOL. I was happier this time since we were getting close to the finish and I was making record time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3st9JlrbTeBI2Y4AUy1u8LptbX3_o0ugAoHvXSBw5-yxDM2p2y4sIYWGuNGHAaQcWpF1wqvZaLUtUQkyLL6-X6mn2svMYRfBBw0kZ_UDZu8QlXiQ-Mk3eleYGRIIRAl3TtxKQ-INk7cY/s1600/cDSCF1130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3st9JlrbTeBI2Y4AUy1u8LptbX3_o0ugAoHvXSBw5-yxDM2p2y4sIYWGuNGHAaQcWpF1wqvZaLUtUQkyLL6-X6mn2svMYRfBBw0kZ_UDZu8QlXiQ-Mk3eleYGRIIRAl3TtxKQ-INk7cY/s1600/cDSCF1130.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In addition to the marathon, there was a half marathon and a walk-a-thon. The walk-a-thon people drove the runners crazy because they kept blocking the way! It wasn't so bad at this point, but once we were down to a single lane of road it was maddening. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A8npRXea5-Zizj794JYBsOpmbIMyxN6Ew5S1RyZl1HWMbocH2t2RFq9_uJQJ_cHTNwQlkRRl_KN6eCcfUjnQTsxTtHFNmNnMsV4iYMdlA6YgLS6NRoxO7g2EfEIBHVzaQ2w87JOvXYpF/s1600/cDSCF1131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A8npRXea5-Zizj794JYBsOpmbIMyxN6Ew5S1RyZl1HWMbocH2t2RFq9_uJQJ_cHTNwQlkRRl_KN6eCcfUjnQTsxTtHFNmNnMsV4iYMdlA6YgLS6NRoxO7g2EfEIBHVzaQ2w87JOvXYpF/s1600/cDSCF1131.jpg" height="640" width="364" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Black Pearl, not a Disney rip off, but the original that was owned by Errol Flynn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYSVJrMVVaeaoFl9AE1BqwViT4mMj0VoYxXBWopqE408S_ekGGwfeuLm8RLFuhnL-1nUizFOeO1B_2lomyQRLGFxGYUNspBbJ964oMzqtWoDNYD4affCzy7lSn4DNTmmXPW9PkOXc8Ye_/s1600/cDSCF1132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYSVJrMVVaeaoFl9AE1BqwViT4mMj0VoYxXBWopqE408S_ekGGwfeuLm8RLFuhnL-1nUizFOeO1B_2lomyQRLGFxGYUNspBbJ964oMzqtWoDNYD4affCzy7lSn4DNTmmXPW9PkOXc8Ye_/s1600/cDSCF1132.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Valletta as we neared the finish line in Sliema</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7JG0fHsZb0B03B1j4_rz6OTi0XPjqY6MwRN55UkrhsAP0BwliQj4xk-OWCylSSmMjRAwYGe5JqUj4DnHRDzhxnw_P9qU5DTRsCmq70_F4eo4R6IXcAwU_rmVAJE4mJQ6j5Rzc5toiqul/s1600/cDSCF1134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7JG0fHsZb0B03B1j4_rz6OTi0XPjqY6MwRN55UkrhsAP0BwliQj4xk-OWCylSSmMjRAwYGe5JqUj4DnHRDzhxnw_P9qU5DTRsCmq70_F4eo4R6IXcAwU_rmVAJE4mJQ6j5Rzc5toiqul/s1600/cDSCF1134.jpg" height="169" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was cool, they had an arch at the 1km to go mark!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last 5K was really rough. My fast time was catching up with me full force and my legs felt like rubber from all the downhill miles. I was still running though, slowly, but without walk breaks, grinding my way through the walkers to get to the finish line knowing that unless lightening struck in the way of a cramp or sudden painful disaster, my PR was locked in.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxk1I1eXXGWaxuBb1inZDNlBxgw6eLy-RwgDUMjeWs1UGww_dlAKwdy7tSISt1Zx4ZYOi3da-BH8oOqwhLZbIwfKM6IhDlNMOB16__ldULsBqK7xynk8GhJc1y2YpKqIPqAMDEpbTj4qO/s1600/cDSCF1136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxk1I1eXXGWaxuBb1inZDNlBxgw6eLy-RwgDUMjeWs1UGww_dlAKwdy7tSISt1Zx4ZYOi3da-BH8oOqwhLZbIwfKM6IhDlNMOB16__ldULsBqK7xynk8GhJc1y2YpKqIPqAMDEpbTj4qO/s1600/cDSCF1136.jpg" height="504" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy finishers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I hobbled my way through the finish line gauntlet, I saw a little girl held by her father leaning over the rail to touch her mother's medal. She yelled over the crowd, "Mamma, did you win!?" I wanted to say, "Yes! Yes she did!" :-)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTak4nVHotzFqW7iTJq09resE7W9qTo2924c2PSNCmwlRs9b8gV_3RNTvgkYoEU54twzQmOmdHMaDzBZwCc3W9x01k_Zd08MWMaHIHy99UxA_J5LoszfInTERm3ktBQbOX91auI4KcJCx3/s1600/1724248_10203104757970659_1607459345_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTak4nVHotzFqW7iTJq09resE7W9qTo2924c2PSNCmwlRs9b8gV_3RNTvgkYoEU54twzQmOmdHMaDzBZwCc3W9x01k_Zd08MWMaHIHy99UxA_J5LoszfInTERm3ktBQbOX91auI4KcJCx3/s1600/1724248_10203104757970659_1607459345_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vodafone was set up to automatically upload race pictures to Facebook, including having a whole team of people to sort through them and post just the best pictures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEhyphenhyphenFVkDLxXM4V2o9tNLjpqF_oEGQdLgzkVXwxCptnGzsr3XLy4lkmzG6Yno_K8KgqwmvaGQMMwJKlZLEVOizL31-uN7xOTdwgtrhS7RbYB3R9In1xacKn2X2Lfd11X-7mOsYm2D8UPS9/s1600/1891266_10203102966365870_482977333_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEhyphenhyphenFVkDLxXM4V2o9tNLjpqF_oEGQdLgzkVXwxCptnGzsr3XLy4lkmzG6Yno_K8KgqwmvaGQMMwJKlZLEVOizL31-uN7xOTdwgtrhS7RbYB3R9In1xacKn2X2Lfd11X-7mOsYm2D8UPS9/s1600/1891266_10203102966365870_482977333_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole race was a party atmosphere!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Malta Marathon was truly one of my top races. Not just because I FINALLY broke 4:30 (still awaiting an official time, but right now it looks like my chip time was 4:24:50,) <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, arial, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">or because it was nearly all downhill,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, arial, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span>but because I enjoyed all of it and would do it again in a heartbeat. I am shocked that it isn't better known. There were only about 500 runners and the race never filled to capacity. The Island itself needs at least a week of exploration. Temples older than the Pyramids, the last remaining dialect of the Phoenicians (although everyone speaks English and all the signs are in English,) stunning water and beaches, amazing food, reasonable prices for everything, low crime rate, and a mixture of people so rich everyone is welcome. It is truly a fusion of all things Mediterranean.WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-66826990892363959572014-01-27T00:33:00.001-05:002014-01-27T00:33:05.462-05:00Newcastle Racecourse Marathon 2013<div class="MsoNormal">
I realized today that I never wrote a race report for the
Newcastle Racecourse! Although, considering the experience I had, it is not
particularly surprising that I would try to forget it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The race was held
December 8<sup>th</sup> on the High Gosforth Park Racecourse. The competitors,
all 100 or so of us, ran around the service road that is normally reserved for
ambulances and grounds keepers. To get in the appropriate mileage, we started
part way around the track with different start lines for the half, full, and
50K so that everyone would finish up at the same place. It was almost 16 laps
for the full marathon, 19 for the 50K runners.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You really get to
know the terrain when you go around so many times. I tend to stop looking
around and focus only on what is on or next to the track; the hay bale that is
½ way around, the billboard that is ¾ of the way around, the crest of the hill,
the beginning and end of the section into the wind. It all becomes very
redundant. It was not an ugly course, there were trees and hills, but it was
foggy with occasional rain and incessant wind. I would get a bit too warm
running with the wind, and then freeze running into it so I was shucking or
donning my jacket every 10 minutes or less. There were also golfers in the center of the
track. I don’t know how anyone could
play in that wind, but these folks North England folks are tough and a little
bad weather does not keep them from their weekend golf game! On many occasions
I would hear that sickening <i>thwak</i>
that sounds like impending doom, but to the best of my knowledge, none of the
runners were hit with golf balls.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 50K
runners really impressed me. All of them finished their 19 laps before I
finished my 16, whizzing past me in happy chatty groups. My head and my heart
were simply not in this race and it showed in my slogging steps and downcast
eyes. I ran it just to run it, an intermediary step between Dublin and Anglesey
in January (which I did not end up running at all.) I think 26 miles on the
treadmill would have been easier mentally and certain logistically and
financially. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
nasty surprise came when I realized the drink I had been chugging each lap had
artificial sweeteners in it. They make me very sick and normally I can taste
them in the first sip, but everything tastes odd to me in England so I did not
think much of the flavor. It never occurred to me that anyone would give low
sugar drinks to runners, but after asking about it on the Marathon Maniacs’
page, it seems this is becoming more common so I will have to keep a sharp eye
out for it. It really crippled me for the race. My stomach was killing me and
my mood turned even darker and angrier. The food dye Red-40, and artificial
sweeteners have the same effect on me. They do something to my nervous system
that makes me want to jump out of my skin and rip peoples’ faces off. It is a
horrible feeling and one that is very hard to overcome in order to finish a
marathon. A very hard day turned into a completely miserable one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
really only needed to run 20 miles to get in the time I needed on my feet so I
could easily have walked away after 12 or 13 laps, but I was so mad at how
poorly I was doing that I was determined to stick it out and get my lousy
medal. When I finally finished there were only 4 or 5 people left on the track,
all full marathoners duking it out with the wind. I really appreciated the
volunteers that stayed at the finish line/lap station, making off runners as
they came through and manning the drink table. The emergency workers on
bicycles had long since retreated to the hut where it was warm and out of the
wind, which really made me angry because I saw a runner nearly collapse. She
had bent down to retie her shoe and set off a vasovagal response. Fortunately,
she was not running alone. I stopped to make sure she was okay and then went
ahead to alert the volunteers while her partner took care of her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I
finally finished, I hung around for a few minutes to watch the girl that had
been struggling to come in and cheer her on. While chatting with the volunteers,
the race director told me I was the only woman in my age group to finish the
race so, Tah-Dah! I had a little first place plaque to go with my medal. It always
seems kind of silly to get an award with such a painfully slow finish time
(5:16:17), but considering the conditions and that fact that others in my group
had registered, but not shown up to run, means I’m just a little tougher than
they are so I will take the win. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYFH65v16_UOax5MGwcKpExyzPkFAZYko2DMFCTDtkuOjdmu4dy0j4ZMXjwchTAKZbyU-lbpLqX8B4MiKzDXvRBceJ3sqlZZ0_oZTCk95uGjhTglk9YxiDNS1J4SLpyKT5KxYLHTJduha/s1600/1461849_184001175129595_1037611944_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYFH65v16_UOax5MGwcKpExyzPkFAZYko2DMFCTDtkuOjdmu4dy0j4ZMXjwchTAKZbyU-lbpLqX8B4MiKzDXvRBceJ3sqlZZ0_oZTCk95uGjhTglk9YxiDNS1J4SLpyKT5KxYLHTJduha/s1600/1461849_184001175129595_1037611944_n.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
I believe I am done running races
just to run a race. If there is no reason to look forward to the course or the
race in general, it is just miserable. I ended up not running the Coastal Trail
Series race in Holyhead (on Anglesey Is.) because I just could not face another
freezing cold race in high winds. Jacksonville was awesome and Malta will be
awesome in February. In the meantime, I’ll run outside when it suits me and run
on the treadmill to get the bulk of my mileage in. Thank goodness for a home
treadmill with an incline!WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-48283465145754907422014-01-17T03:23:00.000-05:002014-01-17T03:23:40.032-05:00Jacksonville Bank Marathon 2014<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQe0GFQ3y0dlf8yjMZIhLnai2XgOch5xq5h2TPGDOReMnRkFkwvMA2Vr0iIaJ3IKXaJTEGC_4KpIycsE6iBta-BlLg_jBXDtGvtlP5MQOU-mBPRvDsjZeoelsksrJzOMjSsasc5rnvMaUu/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQe0GFQ3y0dlf8yjMZIhLnai2XgOch5xq5h2TPGDOReMnRkFkwvMA2Vr0iIaJ3IKXaJTEGC_4KpIycsE6iBta-BlLg_jBXDtGvtlP5MQOU-mBPRvDsjZeoelsksrJzOMjSsasc5rnvMaUu/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+140.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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It has been a
while since I had a really great race, but Jacksonville was one of them! Since
I had been on the road for a week, living in a hotel and eating in restaurants,
I did not have high hopes for a great finish, but I knew it would be fun with
lots of fellow Marathon Maniacs and it was my 20th lifetime race of marathon or longer distance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BGZ0tFjH87kpyMCeJuAIuPXthnAlhfQV9ZgIyKMq8b6oudvZDqKBZth0mcgMfizowfUGCjzwW3-kwfbYzWn9m0GRhSa9-DWQoc_103PH9Y0lom2nRHkq9OtIQHUeXpqGdT33_tOAg5MM/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BGZ0tFjH87kpyMCeJuAIuPXthnAlhfQV9ZgIyKMq8b6oudvZDqKBZth0mcgMfizowfUGCjzwW3-kwfbYzWn9m0GRhSa9-DWQoc_103PH9Y0lom2nRHkq9OtIQHUeXpqGdT33_tOAg5MM/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+145.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pouring rain, but beautiful<br />Photo credit: J<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">urgen Englerth</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A few days
before the race, my husband checked the weather forecast and told me, in a very
grave tone, that it would be in the upper 60’s (F) and raining. Clearly he is
not a runner because that is an awesome forecast for a marathon! Near the beginning of the race it was a bit
warm, but I never felt over heated or cold, just excited, it was awesome!
Several times we got a full on Florida downpour, but once you are soaked with
sweat, rain water, or both, it hardly makes a difference to get soaked again
when you are warm. I did have a bit more chafing than usual in some pretty
unpredictable places, but nothing that was a problem during the race. The one
down side being the weight added to our shoes from running through ankle deep
water. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jacksonville
is a truly beautiful city and the race course did not disappoint. We ran
through gorgeous residential areas of multi-million dollar homes, lined with
ancient trees that were hanging with Spanish moss. Often, I am so focused in
races that I hardly look at where I am, but this time I enjoyed the views
immensely. Although there were quite a
few turns, it was a pancake flat course and is a Boston Qualifier so a good one
for folks with an eye on qualifying. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTmkXZDW-ZR_XqKv4AqSxijaMaAd6JpqvP9kEUpCDCboheLz-fncp-3lVl08eKuRj1E311v6W74jBcixkkrOwCf4mraoNDRbBRV0lx06fjEPRo_hDLQA7x2Hj3Hwax3Y4Bz0HHZp-5Y6d/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTmkXZDW-ZR_XqKv4AqSxijaMaAd6JpqvP9kEUpCDCboheLz-fncp-3lVl08eKuRj1E311v6W74jBcixkkrOwCf4mraoNDRbBRV0lx06fjEPRo_hDLQA7x2Hj3Hwax3Y4Bz0HHZp-5Y6d/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+141.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: J<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">urgen Englerth</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Of
course, one of the best parts of the race for me was the Marathon Maniacs! Being able to look ahead and see 3 MM
singlets at once was such fun! When you see that shirt, you know you will find
a good attitude, a smile, and all the encouragement you need. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsdw1ASgzdVzs7WxQn0kFYUStL-UB1ttQTLDVkbjTuk5BNBvU-WKn4hHSLq5xQE_ctbpXfsWemjUch1H23VT053lRlO5VgVz9-MDrKIuhOTf8pjUl5oSIosjTntJap7C8PuPtE3mLmWDn/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsdw1ASgzdVzs7WxQn0kFYUStL-UB1ttQTLDVkbjTuk5BNBvU-WKn4hHSLq5xQE_ctbpXfsWemjUch1H23VT053lRlO5VgVz9-MDrKIuhOTf8pjUl5oSIosjTntJap7C8PuPtE3mLmWDn/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+143.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jurgen himself! It was awesome to meet him in person finally, <br />but better to beat him to the finish line :-D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once again, I used my Galloway
style run/walk with a 4 minute run and 1 minute walk. I spotted a couple of
official Galloway pace groups, but when they run they run too fast for me so I
stuck to my own pace and intervals and it worked really well. Jacksonville was my 4<sup>th</sup> fastest
marathon to date and my second fastest for the year (my all-time personal
record having been set in March.) I ha<o:p></o:p>ve tried dropping to a 3/1 interval, which is closer to the interval recommend by Jeff Galloway, but it just slows me down and does not help me recover any faster.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
My last
couple of marathons have been plagued with a weird soreness on the top of my
ankle, but I seem to have resolved it as there was no tenderness there at all
this time. Matter of fact, I was only a little sore from the race and the
soreness was spread evenly over my body, including my core muscles. That is my
next focus area, abs and back! I have been terrible with my training the last
few months, particularly my core training, so it is time to get my plank time
back up and start hitting the stability ball more often.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsMKaXsbouS_Xs1qp43RbleANYUrej3LnYYdAXHkGil1eEuyK49ofzzqLukgK74hQmBI9rD9uN4PUcbR71RS56DxOCjBf0oIr1Zr8bRpdSd1Mb2n70TVHkDUKzRiOg0aEgF0TVTb5Pxga/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsMKaXsbouS_Xs1qp43RbleANYUrej3LnYYdAXHkGil1eEuyK49ofzzqLukgK74hQmBI9rD9uN4PUcbR71RS56DxOCjBf0oIr1Zr8bRpdSd1Mb2n70TVHkDUKzRiOg0aEgF0TVTb5Pxga/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+144.jpg" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loads of MM's and HF's on the course<br />Photo credit: J<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">urgen Englerth</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The
main reason this race went particularly well was my mental state. I was happy
to be there, happy with all the people around me, rested, and excited to be
running. Normally, miles 13-20 are
brutal and it is all I can do to keep myself moving, but this time I hit mile
15 and realized that I still felt great physically <i>and</i> I was still in a really positive place mentally. That is highly
unusual for me! The second half went so
well I almost managed my first negative split for the halves (missed it by 8
seconds, LOL.) <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2zXxrFyDY2SqgYq7LzLchrpbyYB0FhJ5Pq0BPbr2Iy-z6o04nVRWAWMZpnlvAKAJcoAocKYht-yUmXS6Jl-pKr7QLS_mlWbNhrk2DXxrqICI83XDH8DADnBVE8yDL1XW8nKuOcYl_K6_/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+149.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2zXxrFyDY2SqgYq7LzLchrpbyYB0FhJ5Pq0BPbr2Iy-z6o04nVRWAWMZpnlvAKAJcoAocKYht-yUmXS6Jl-pKr7QLS_mlWbNhrk2DXxrqICI83XDH8DADnBVE8yDL1XW8nKuOcYl_K6_/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+149.png" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhh, warm rain!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It was
a ton of fun and I’m primed and excited for my next marathon in Malta. I was
supposed to run a January marathon in England, but life got in the way and I am
taking a pass. As much as I hate to miss a scheduled race, it will allow me the
time to build my paces back up for Malta and maybe hit a new PR. More important
is my need to focus for Two Oceans in April. I have a lot of running to do!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuN3PbA6evU1Ke7BJm7FUrL5lLGrflq4kc6kdT0Ocf595mHEkNVRpaZ8KLZyvvOlq3zzkkNLFSqS2E_268fakgpVEKFE0dt4wNLwJ52OeHlnKBwMYgnQ5DKYN3zKJMtpOUBNG6uV8EMs3/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuN3PbA6evU1Ke7BJm7FUrL5lLGrflq4kc6kdT0Ocf595mHEkNVRpaZ8KLZyvvOlq3zzkkNLFSqS2E_268fakgpVEKFE0dt4wNLwJ52OeHlnKBwMYgnQ5DKYN3zKJMtpOUBNG6uV8EMs3/s1600/2013+ipad+mini+pics+146.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacksonville loves it's runners!<br />Photo credit: J<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;">urgen Englerth</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-84645046121727758372013-11-04T04:06:00.000-05:002013-11-04T04:06:03.466-05:00Dublin Marathon<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Dublin Marathon</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Pxiqgs-5J7wM554P-LhyphenhyphenQSt9wAYaS8CBpk1UStbfZd-xfenl1vMDSeCtQejjY1bhl6nLVhZ2Jem2J2BxBvCIsEaq6FWIAF_Vlr3EhWJkHDFCeWm9c_zF01A7R6TOZPjmdwalzVnMsfv/s1600/cDSCF0654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6Pxiqgs-5J7wM554P-LhyphenhyphenQSt9wAYaS8CBpk1UStbfZd-xfenl1vMDSeCtQejjY1bhl6nLVhZ2Jem2J2BxBvCIsEaq6FWIAF_Vlr3EhWJkHDFCeWm9c_zF01A7R6TOZPjmdwalzVnMsfv/s320/cDSCF0654.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sight seeing before the marathon and learning to draw our own Guinness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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We had a good couple of days before the race seeing the sights, but the weather was awful so I have almost no pictures. It rained, the wind blew, and it was COLD! I was
seriously worried about this race. There was a storm brewing that had the news
channels all warning everyone to batten down the hatches, they were saying it would be the worst storm since 1987. I had not packed particularly warm running
gear and thought perhaps I would have to drop out with hypothermia. I bought a
pack of disposable rain ponchos and headed for the start line. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VKMCKbxXY3bNl1vb3J36FLIvBHbSxoguZfpkRmmr6B-51hccnW4U1JaOH4Qk11mAMzUw1UoGlSSYT5x9bATNg8RF15GzwO5pCk-7OKxPuLbnD2N0UOWlzdewQYQZ4b-yFEjpj0K_Kcug/s1600/cDSCF0674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VKMCKbxXY3bNl1vb3J36FLIvBHbSxoguZfpkRmmr6B-51hccnW4U1JaOH4Qk11mAMzUw1UoGlSSYT5x9bATNg8RF15GzwO5pCk-7OKxPuLbnD2N0UOWlzdewQYQZ4b-yFEjpj0K_Kcug/s320/cDSCF0674.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fearing rain, I was prepared with a poncho, <br />if I could get it open!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vRhZbSLBz2uKN87tm-igwgPLFxZfpUbgtfw81v3yKCbDgcu4mfzmJW2pj2s0sgyCrnxAvsVVxZblNM5IHQVsq8-XKv-TIq6ci2pXIPJ6-H5gJ99RFHh5ob_P98yh-ZRjrwRMqk9EQe4I/s1600/cDSCF0670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vRhZbSLBz2uKN87tm-igwgPLFxZfpUbgtfw81v3yKCbDgcu4mfzmJW2pj2s0sgyCrnxAvsVVxZblNM5IHQVsq8-XKv-TIq6ci2pXIPJ6-H5gJ99RFHh5ob_P98yh-ZRjrwRMqk9EQe4I/s320/cDSCF0670.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reluctantly shucking my coat <br />and revealing my goofy outfit </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite
the dire warnings, the morning dawned brisk, but beautiful with the promise of
a great race. My husband stayed with me at the start until the last minute so I
could keep a coat on as long as possible and then waved me off to join the
throng of the third and final wave. I was a little sad that I had missed the
group picture for the Marathon Maniacs, but I spotted Anders in his red shirt,
standing up on an island, surrounded by a sea of people. Even though he had a
bib for the first wave, he had waited to look for other Maniacs (have I
mentioned what awesome people Marathon Maniacs are?) Anders had run Frankfurt the
day before so he was ready to take it easy and hang with the slow pokes at the
back. Dublin was his 112<sup>th</sup> marathon and also rounded out 12
marathons in 12 countries in 12 weeks. (At the writing of this blog, he just
finished the New York Marathon so that all bumps to 13!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"> ALL of the following photos were taken by Anders Forselius. He is an awesome Marathon Maniac and writer for Runner’s World Sweden! He was such fun to run with and totally kept me going with his boundless energy, (despite his having run the Frankfurt Marathon the day before!)</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5HMLi9zYD9syHk2NGv3rpO2JMRcBsUr6PojLQ-GqBrgsLemr4XFxH1wPoLTszt0nk6_1A2lJGVQ_8Be-QfpOi7ArqCzwdLZDoeXrKE9iiPXA4uDp7Nwy4KYQfOX7iYuBYOkIMIvIw3f6/s1600/541421_10151833684949681_339528396_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5HMLi9zYD9syHk2NGv3rpO2JMRcBsUr6PojLQ-GqBrgsLemr4XFxH1wPoLTszt0nk6_1A2lJGVQ_8Be-QfpOi7ArqCzwdLZDoeXrKE9iiPXA4uDp7Nwy4KYQfOX7iYuBYOkIMIvIw3f6/s320/541421_10151833684949681_339528396_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anders has fun with the spectators and helpers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A short
time later, we heard a shout and found Danielle “T-Rex” Hastings catching us
up. Wow, another legend in the Maniac community! This was shaping up to be an
amazing day! Not for my running though, I seemed to be struggling from the get
go. Thanks to two days of speed walking though rain and wind to get from one
tourist attraction to the next, my legs were far from fresh and I was totally
exhausted. Anders and Danielle, on the other hand, were fresh and daisies and
chatted along like they were out for a walk in the park, LOL. It was so awesome
to just be able to listen to them. They stuck with my through my Galloway style
run/walk with 3 minutes of running to 1 minute of walking even though they
could have gone much faster.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZy41oDlGNCxGBTL6SGBcUBk6k_Dv-fELCWX052dyr9BxGib2ZQ_8G_IDJ6J4XRJ87IVNZnSBTRQcvlBKlfwr_7vbsJVNezbA4tDgZKAczidg9nt1vVJEZA1s4me2ZK6gAfqpKQBsTG7Vn/s1600/993737_10151833684784681_1706605225_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZy41oDlGNCxGBTL6SGBcUBk6k_Dv-fELCWX052dyr9BxGib2ZQ_8G_IDJ6J4XRJ87IVNZnSBTRQcvlBKlfwr_7vbsJVNezbA4tDgZKAczidg9nt1vVJEZA1s4me2ZK6gAfqpKQBsTG7Vn/s320/993737_10151833684784681_1706605225_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also met Lichu
Sloan. She has run over 150 marathons all over the world, including the amazing
feat of 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 weeks (I’m seeing a trend here, LOL)! I can’t wait to see her again in Florida when
we run the Jacksonville Marathon!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF5x484bOJHs-gnJZ13Rm9NImdwxOl8Uxpteq0sa9QWTnqZjSBTJiW1gDFMEapE6YwWwFzmsQOD4TprRBC8aLifNpA3JO98GbaaD5mXoV4J_C7_7HFTHQNjCLsDdD6BbBIT0xUSh8ibLp/s1600/1378743_10151833684804681_548070052_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF5x484bOJHs-gnJZ13Rm9NImdwxOl8Uxpteq0sa9QWTnqZjSBTJiW1gDFMEapE6YwWwFzmsQOD4TprRBC8aLifNpA3JO98GbaaD5mXoV4J_C7_7HFTHQNjCLsDdD6BbBIT0xUSh8ibLp/s320/1378743_10151833684804681_548070052_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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There
were so many Maniacs on the course it was fantastic, I met another when I was
looking for my start coral, and ran a
bit with James Daly who was having a blast taking in the sights. I really do
love finding Maniacs at races, they are always so friendly and upbeat!<o:p></o:p></div>
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At
about 18.5 miles I really started to struggle. Since the wicked bouts of
bronchitis in Korea, my lungs have not been the same. I was hoping moving the
clean air of Yorkshire would help, but it looks like the problem will be with
me longer term. I have had great results with taking Singular, but of course, in
the race morning excitement I forgot to take it. I do carry a dose of
Sudafed to deal with allergies en route so I took that, along with a good
dose of salt and pushed forward. It made a huge difference and by mile 20 I was
ready to get it done! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anders
and I caught up to the 5:00 pace group and then started moving ahead, still
maintaining that 3/1 run walk. When I stopped to take my salt and Sudafed we
fell behind the 5 hour pace group so Danielle decided to go on ahead. Her
boyfriend was expecting her to finish in 5 hours and she did not want to miss
him. It was so awesome of her to stick with me for so long! She is such an
amazing young woman, very accomplished in her work life, not to mention running
43 marathons in her young 27 years! Danielle’s is a great writer and blogs here, (finding her boyfriend did not end up going so well): <a href="http://trexrunner.com/2013/11/03/t-rex-goes-international-dublin-marathon-race-report/" target="_blank">T-Rex Goes International</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spectator support was great!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2RgBlPKho0_ISvB-n6OLS2U5ujlVpWjok5marD_3QXH9GerGfObvQVCVKwFkBq6BxtY0GixHAfCicI_SPaIor1t0OmxLAyydSLD5WR0Pwj8hucmXCcfxyBLXv_I5M2xa2IU6tBZSTcFL/s1600/65608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2RgBlPKho0_ISvB-n6OLS2U5ujlVpWjok5marD_3QXH9GerGfObvQVCVKwFkBq6BxtY0GixHAfCicI_SPaIor1t0OmxLAyydSLD5WR0Pwj8hucmXCcfxyBLXv_I5M2xa2IU6tBZSTcFL/s320/65608.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think Anders ate his weight in candy during the race, LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjr-8Fb4GK9HG9fIFJ5iM2zXjmt9Hm64uW9iRCaXOS3SpR3drbLJ5FMHCa2AulID_I_u48G4SMLrw3L6aCmcXYoo8m-_KMTRxP_HY_6aE3qGIFwf9Axyl7NBn4LNulRHfAOevL7_XhuPl/s1600/65606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjr-8Fb4GK9HG9fIFJ5iM2zXjmt9Hm64uW9iRCaXOS3SpR3drbLJ5FMHCa2AulID_I_u48G4SMLrw3L6aCmcXYoo8m-_KMTRxP_HY_6aE3qGIFwf9Axyl7NBn4LNulRHfAOevL7_XhuPl/s320/65606.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danielle was having a bit of knee trouble <br />so I showed her my favorite mid race stretch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_0kz2-0KTWsvhbVeXc9Qcg-tRL6PaDtdxkA_I3SoFZIqR7tkg0sB8lJyMNarQRl3H37P_H1skKReeRIrJvQbXvM726enf_Ez849p67J6jCC2Hc5S3NFUUsRfNIeQKPEu6pA7J4qe0B80/s1600/65602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_0kz2-0KTWsvhbVeXc9Qcg-tRL6PaDtdxkA_I3SoFZIqR7tkg0sB8lJyMNarQRl3H37P_H1skKReeRIrJvQbXvM726enf_Ez849p67J6jCC2Hc5S3NFUUsRfNIeQKPEu6pA7J4qe0B80/s320/65602.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were some impressive costumes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35cToJ6o0w23rR5XBt_ETEvhbS5KUq3OcI2Aexi6ebTs8kuPx05eQUcfwx7OgybqTxNzBLJ7qxjsqWy9OmB8jZ2wzeqVWc6B3FgiChxP4XEPkNLXsIgJ8NStGyEMiCsxzls4oV9bNYE0w/s1600/65593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35cToJ6o0w23rR5XBt_ETEvhbS5KUq3OcI2Aexi6ebTs8kuPx05eQUcfwx7OgybqTxNzBLJ7qxjsqWy9OmB8jZ2wzeqVWc6B3FgiChxP4XEPkNLXsIgJ8NStGyEMiCsxzls4oV9bNYE0w/s320/65593.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOL</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crossing
the finish line I gave Anders a huge hug for all his help and motivation and we
ambled though the gauntlet collecting our medal, shirt, and goody bag. I had not spotted my family yet, but the crowds were thick and it was getting colder by
the minute so I went straight for my check bag where I had smartly stowed
sweats that I could throw on over everything. Eventually, my husband and
daughter found me and we headed back to the hotel for a hot shower and a cold Guinness,
YUM! Guinness is totally different in Ireland;
it is fresh and has no preservatives so it is smooth as silk with a light
sweetness and no bitterness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even
though the running did not go as well as I hoped, the weather was better and the
company was extraordinary! I had such a good time making new friends and seeing
Dublin in the way that only marathoners do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 72.0pt;">'Sláinte!' <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
(pronounced 'slawn-cha', meaning Health! ‘Cheers’)<span style="color: #0d0d0d; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #0D0D0D; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: "lumm=95000 lumo=5000"; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b>RA report:</b> Despite the cold, exhaustion, being on my feet for two days, and living on tourist junk food, my RA was tolerable. I definitely felt the fatigue that came with eating too much junk and I was stiff and sore before I got to the start line, but I did not have any acute joint flare ups and even the knee that has been bugging me stayed quiet. I did use KT Tape on the knee, and even tried taping my hip, but I managed to pull it mostly off the first time I dropped my tights to go to the bathroom, LOL. It is time to stop slacking and get more serious with my training! I've been lazy with the move and not gotten back on track like I should, but I have a month before the next race and it will be an easy one so my focus is on doing a good job at Jacksonville! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Onward and upward! Next race is Newcastle Race Course with the North East Marathon Club and then on to the Jacksonville Bank Marathon in Florida.</div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-57496062620071031262013-10-20T04:55:00.002-04:002013-10-20T04:57:08.556-04:00Robin Hood Marathon, Nottingham<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Robin Hood Marathon in Nottingham</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This run sounded
like so much fun! Unfortunately it ended up being pretty run of the mill. The
scenery was so-so. We had some nice park mileage, but mostly it was industrial.
I thought they would play up the Sherwood Forest theme and that there would be
more people dressed as Merry Men, but it was not so. They sold costumes
inexpensively, but they were fleece and it was a warm day. Anyone in a fleece
tunic and hat would have been pretty miserable in it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
weather was pretty good. Mild temps, but with a stiff breeze at times. A lot of
people were cramping, probably because you do not realize how much you are
sweating when the wind blows it all away. I went through way more water than
usual and was very glad I had carried a few doses of Salt Stiks. I gave away
one dose about half way through to a kid that was already cramping. It was his
first marathon and he was clueless. I hope it got him to the end, but I’ll
never know since I do not remember his number. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One interesting feature of this race
was the way they handed out water, in Iconiq water bags. At first I thought
this was kind of cool. Less waste, easy to hang onto when the water stops were
3 miles apart, and fast to hand out which kept the water stops from being such
a bad choke point. With the wind, I ended up going through 15-20 ounces of
water every 3 miles so my small hand bottle was no<o:p></o:p></div>
t enough by itself. With the
baggies of water, I was able to grab two at a water station and wait until the
next scheduled walk break to empty one into my hand bottle, and drink the other
on the run. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeFF72BtY6TvlTaPbm1sRmoUonOr_onN3FKeUGm6JofmN0PZOvGRYaj-jMe9yctimVPE7HYulwOyBSzJuTv6tPQtBe9cqTVLS-QNjpT-_fOYND34Rb0n4OPAgaVFaFnSGEonFznpsIjTa/s1600/droppedImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeFF72BtY6TvlTaPbm1sRmoUonOr_onN3FKeUGm6JofmN0PZOvGRYaj-jMe9yctimVPE7HYulwOyBSzJuTv6tPQtBe9cqTVLS-QNjpT-_fOYND34Rb0n4OPAgaVFaFnSGEonFznpsIjTa/s320/droppedImage.jpg" width="163" /></a> There
were some serious down sides though. Near the beginning, when the course was
still packed with half marathon runners that had taken off with us, someone
stepped on a full water bag and it exploded, spraying me from head to foot in
water! I was very glad it was not something with sugar in it and I dried out
pretty quickly, but it still sucked to be sprayed down like that. Next, they
are not easy to get the water out of. You have to squeeze hard and make sure the
little tab/spout stands up right. Once you get the water flowing, it squirts
out with such force that more than once I managed to shoot it straight down my
throat and into my lungs! At one point I did such a nifty job of it that I had
to stop until I could catch my breath while every muscle around my ribs cramped
up from the coughing spasms. My ribs were still sore the day after. I supposed
they take less plastic and so should be more eco-friendly than bottles, but the
way they were blowing about and lying in the gutters, I could not help but think
about how much harder they would be to pick up and how easily they would wash
down the storm drains. It was an interesting innovation, but one I hope not to
see in a race again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Near
the end we ran around a lake that was man made, so not very interesting, but it
had more swans than I have ever seen at once. A pair came in for a landing very
near me and that was pretty cool. They sound like helicopters and skied for a
good 30 feet before settling down on the water. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
race ended pretty uneventfully, I was ahead of the 4:45 pacer, but he finished
late. The last out and back of about half a mile (it stinks to see the finish
line and then have to run the other way for another 5 minutes,) allowed me to
wave at and give thumbs up to a few people I had talked to during the race. I
gathered my medal and goodies and headed for the massage therapy tent I had
been eyeing at the start. All they wanted were donation so I emptied what I had
in my SPI belt (which was less than $10) and got a wonderful workout of my
calves, hamstrings, and glutes. It was awesome! I thanked them profusely,
especially for being willing to work on sweaty, stinky runners. I cannot
imagine how they kept from gagging, LOL. Marathon finishers do not smell good
under the best of conditions!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Considering how
pathetic my mileage has been, I was very happy to finish under 5 hours (which
qualified me for Two Oceans,) and without any major pain or issues. All and
all, I am glad I ran it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Future races that I am already registered for:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dublin Marathon Oct 28th<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Newcastle Race Course Dec 8<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jacksonville Bank Marathon Dec 29<sup>th<o:p></o:p></sup></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coastal Trail Series, Anglesey Jan 18<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Malta Marathon Feb 23<sup>rd<o:p></o:p></sup></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manchester Marathon March 6th<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coastal Trail Series Sussex March 22<sup>nd</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two Oceans Ultra 56K April 19<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Windmere Marathon May 18<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wales Marathon July 13<sup>th</sup><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-28032981204703040082013-09-26T05:15:00.000-04:002013-09-26T05:15:00.071-04:00Yorkshire Tough Mudder 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> Yorkshire Tough Mudder 2013</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wall we climbed to GET to the start!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUNNVZ5WeHJNbTe9NZ2-pTi_3YAAk30Fzqq1vBpsvi0GREHGM4eCenOYGCDDe4FGPLVCL0Bo_pPYK2LQSOM5bHURY66UMwdRdXiMT5He8lKe4BJfffzgU0dBmcdTWSS8WcYCGqlz6bn5v/s1600/cDSCF0498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUNNVZ5WeHJNbTe9NZ2-pTi_3YAAk30Fzqq1vBpsvi0GREHGM4eCenOYGCDDe4FGPLVCL0Bo_pPYK2LQSOM5bHURY66UMwdRdXiMT5He8lKe4BJfffzgU0dBmcdTWSS8WcYCGqlz6bn5v/s320/cDSCF0498.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My game face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6NKoDyKPnH8E74OvQfnWljueO-d7uJlZkrvs7TobIONgFY0r9dFJvhH0zbtPG-k1mCtsIOaCboq3n958K-DkYkkwnPyPo-bWxzhVsZyUNvmb-1MesOq1xT8-5PojIUHURDYSgWTwRe6S/s1600/cDSCF0499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6NKoDyKPnH8E74OvQfnWljueO-d7uJlZkrvs7TobIONgFY0r9dFJvhH0zbtPG-k1mCtsIOaCboq3n958K-DkYkkwnPyPo-bWxzhVsZyUNvmb-1MesOq1xT8-5PojIUHURDYSgWTwRe6S/s320/cDSCF0499.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "OMG, what am I doing?!" face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1ZeXB8gXRpu3-zeyv69X-AVxoPyqzq66i579HoTD95u_1wLBYVbxQMO9IrN8K3UEXc3hVI9lEM5-OA_ZI3nf0ds6Gh4WEgdMpaGXTR2YEa8qhthvX7bIWCIISxGPNdEqZLWeNQQUhboo/s1600/DSCF0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1ZeXB8gXRpu3-zeyv69X-AVxoPyqzq66i579HoTD95u_1wLBYVbxQMO9IrN8K3UEXc3hVI9lEM5-OA_ZI3nf0ds6Gh4WEgdMpaGXTR2YEa8qhthvX7bIWCIISxGPNdEqZLWeNQQUhboo/s320/DSCF0516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean and smiling :-) I kept smiling, but definitely did not stay clean long</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Yorkshire Tough Mudder was a blast! I won’t do a blow by blow of
each obstacle, since you can easily Google images and descriptions for each
one, but I will say that, despite the difficulty of some of them, the hardest
part was the mental aspects of talking myself into continuing on when I was
cold, wet, exhausted, and spent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMNneAJdEiEdBTUAzfcfU3nH1L-wCIj3JkDupVKVwAWHzQ0w6kr3vQtbrUH0zT4MP8k7hMOVxUjW8ey66jBuNv5CK6jsvVK8LbGzUbtIpnAu8pvOYAddFP8gtDIYZgm3r13M7G1y0W8q5/s1600/cDSCF0521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMNneAJdEiEdBTUAzfcfU3nH1L-wCIj3JkDupVKVwAWHzQ0w6kr3vQtbrUH0zT4MP8k7hMOVxUjW8ey66jBuNv5CK6jsvVK8LbGzUbtIpnAu8pvOYAddFP8gtDIYZgm3r13M7G1y0W8q5/s320/cDSCF0521.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice being added to the water for Arctic Enema, <br />the second obstacle of the morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGGvb2b6E84sBhtlO333iToQennaYbcLePMUl_5N-bVWMnIXFGTfMkLyJyTsOz7Gt3yL_xwEUaGCYMkHFpXcbGU99uUqkl81v8dI705aaUHX8Ipaq5vgxbedbUmnyDXCmo5RfAX86OatP/s1600/cDSCF0524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGGvb2b6E84sBhtlO333iToQennaYbcLePMUl_5N-bVWMnIXFGTfMkLyJyTsOz7Gt3yL_xwEUaGCYMkHFpXcbGU99uUqkl81v8dI705aaUHX8Ipaq5vgxbedbUmnyDXCmo5RfAX86OatP/s320/cDSCF0524.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "OMG that was cold!" face</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know it sounds
crazy to voluntarily put yourself though something like this, but it is one of
the many ways to test your metal in a non-threatening, and fun atmosphere!
Knowing you can quit at any time and be picked up and driven to the finish
(minus the t-shirt and head band,) give you a safety net that can be good and
bad. Good because if you truly can’t go on, you have an exit, but bad because
you have any easy way to quit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though I was
a lone runner, I had plenty of help when I needed it and everyone was
wonderful. That being said, I don’t know that I will do it again alone. Listening
to the banter of the teams made me feel a bit lonely at times, wishing I had a
team of my own, but it is tough to get involved when you register from half a
world away! I was invited to join a couple of teams, but they had very
different start times. So nice of them to invite me though :-)<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjm_gy5KDY_YdKw8qx2Yq-vN0czfxrUGJCcgE2fl3VtjNT64m5Ir9DZJ39pbfx33v-l9_K-x8ZGXSOrlRpphk97A5Sz7HqsF5LqtKTjgcy2kfAJd2SJgAm2FIGQUW5a1KjCBSuCYIUm3Hh/s1600/cDSCF0542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjm_gy5KDY_YdKw8qx2Yq-vN0czfxrUGJCcgE2fl3VtjNT64m5Ir9DZJ39pbfx33v-l9_K-x8ZGXSOrlRpphk97A5Sz7HqsF5LqtKTjgcy2kfAJd2SJgAm2FIGQUW5a1KjCBSuCYIUm3Hh/s320/cDSCF0542.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another lone runner that I teamed up with for the "Buddy Carry"<br />Yes, I carried this guy piggy-back for a good 25 yards!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for doing a Tough
Mudder with RA, I won’t lie to you, it was not easy. Cold makes my joints ache
and I spent a lot of time in icy water. Plus, I was covered in bruises by then
end. Bruised elbows from pulling myself along on them through pipes, bruised
knees and thighs from climbing over walls, and other assorted bruises that I
can’t even guess the origin. I don’t know how it could all have been worth it,
but it absolutely was. I supposed proving to myself that RA does not stop me
from joining in on the fun stuff is the big draw. I like scaring myself with
new challenges and some of the obstacles were definitely scary! I have not jumped off a high dive in years
and I have certainly never pulled myself along a horizontal fence with just
inches between it and muddy water! I
only really failed at one obstacle, the monkey bars. I was just too cold, numb,
and tired to grip the bars and hold myself up, so I fell off the second rung and swam across. Hey, at least I tried! I also only
made it to about the second block on the one where there are floating squares,
strung across water on a rope. It did not occur to me to climb back up and try
again, probably because I was so shocked when I went straight in the water and
never touched the bottom, with a huge rush of mud up my sinuses. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG4TnIMteuwNPWWDdf5PX9Q0qDdPWJXTDo6e9YHcC4X58S1OuEk0gVFZ_QAnAbUIycODu5AJ_m05RxKFjK-aR5tH7up9lzSCltfsdcHsM1Cg3HK4NoZ34FjEG2aif8NHpcXZdjP2oURTs/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXG4TnIMteuwNPWWDdf5PX9Q0qDdPWJXTDo6e9YHcC4X58S1OuEk0gVFZ_QAnAbUIycODu5AJ_m05RxKFjK-aR5tH7up9lzSCltfsdcHsM1Cg3HK4NoZ34FjEG2aif8NHpcXZdjP2oURTs/s320/Untitled-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How this company
makes being totally miserable so much fun is beyond me, but they have
definitely found a gold mine! While I’m at it, I should point out that my
husband, who is specializes in logistics in the Air Force, said it was
incredibly well organized and operated, and he is a tough guy to impress!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRkgNyk9_1-Q1Buebn8T3udxdMpYwHbphF0nkyIx765yMD-AjEwIE0p9f_5nY4W4yueFgBjrzjwgTrnRw4LNlfPdzmxJP3BIqTrW6vKeqlJzL-lHIlNdrqygwU8adWtDvjXOAtkUQVZyB/s1600/cDSCF0529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRkgNyk9_1-Q1Buebn8T3udxdMpYwHbphF0nkyIx765yMD-AjEwIE0p9f_5nY4W4yueFgBjrzjwgTrnRw4LNlfPdzmxJP3BIqTrW6vKeqlJzL-lHIlNdrqygwU8adWtDvjXOAtkUQVZyB/s320/cDSCF0529.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting zapped</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioBYhPascJrbhUv8ZwbGouuFsSkqTlkRqh3pv3io6qtf9nEvC_uJMmiRQy9SGpoqFk68G-65o3M5Jhv7ojF9PHavrECXkf7jvpLESMdYt7o6YhaXyCt2KjJX1ijSt2ZIVh7NjCsIHnzCM/s1600/cDSCF0532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioBYhPascJrbhUv8ZwbGouuFsSkqTlkRqh3pv3io6qtf9nEvC_uJMmiRQy9SGpoqFk68G-65o3M5Jhv7ojF9PHavrECXkf7jvpLESMdYt7o6YhaXyCt2KjJX1ijSt2ZIVh7NjCsIHnzCM/s320/cDSCF0532.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished at last!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ5YeVoOsofNBcuwHkMQS82CuGeF077nX3HDY4cZXbZvzjNl1r194WOmqDB5K1sQSif9_QI6JQZInVrq76GT90YIrnLNHntYc1SkPKr8a78PmSYaNQlfTckvUdDYpuq9iMjP2buKn8qhl/s1600/cDSCF0537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJ5YeVoOsofNBcuwHkMQS82CuGeF077nX3HDY4cZXbZvzjNl1r194WOmqDB5K1sQSif9_QI6JQZInVrq76GT90YIrnLNHntYc1SkPKr8a78PmSYaNQlfTckvUdDYpuq9iMjP2buKn8qhl/s320/cDSCF0537.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You are the first woman across the finish line"<br />"Seriously???"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeVOkIwb3sjnfbtC1T3hcQkh3GpRuoxLqGinbU62Zx_JwBytRjN2-H9kLBbxVDnv68b8-38oWjXZNyfk7H1pnsl_5lnKg5qxUDDsvFJI_oI_pNHK4ki3mD9IT2IJnQ4NDZ0N4vsxhc_9d/s1600/cDSCF0540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeVOkIwb3sjnfbtC1T3hcQkh3GpRuoxLqGinbU62Zx_JwBytRjN2-H9kLBbxVDnv68b8-38oWjXZNyfk7H1pnsl_5lnKg5qxUDDsvFJI_oI_pNHK4ki3mD9IT2IJnQ4NDZ0N4vsxhc_9d/s320/cDSCF0540.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-59044111802633871312013-09-08T12:11:00.002-04:002013-09-08T12:15:34.898-04:00Northumberland Coast Marathon, UK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Northumberland Coast Marathon</span></b></div>
The minute we found out we were moving to England, I started
looking for marathons. In my search, I managed to stumble across the
Northumberland Coast Marathon, which was a small club race put on by The
Northeast Marathon Club. The race was billed as the most scenic in England and
was capped at 100 runners. I signed up immediately since the fee was small and
I was afraid it would fill up. It was a smart move since it definitely filled
up quickly.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was my first
trail marathon and since my mileage had been paltry at best during the move
from South Korea to England I didn't have high hopes, but I figured I could
finish inside the 6 hour cut off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I won’t type much
about the race, I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9ZGLJYYRwpnxoKCaMrA8Wq6aUQYA0ONRv5lG8dZXOextMbDOaBBsLKwiBnuAtQ8bLWnrAD2hKF_tLU0PO_XZ4kNEDUqGE8narQ12-vc_a6oCfsnuHKkY78PadXN7SN4Qp1Q-UmvuJVpl/s1600/DSCF0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9ZGLJYYRwpnxoKCaMrA8Wq6aUQYA0ONRv5lG8dZXOextMbDOaBBsLKwiBnuAtQ8bLWnrAD2hKF_tLU0PO_XZ4kNEDUqGE8narQ12-vc_a6oCfsnuHKkY78PadXN7SN4Qp1Q-UmvuJVpl/s640/DSCF0382.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start and finish area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhChsZg-bTc9rre049FKJq84zG2YLEktFzxn4gBzxoKVE8NyI-tK_XHpIIueVJbHuu_zb9_ArtI1kFFbEadVCxbOMc7_RTCN-5CgdbFFiK8ZtslGgjdu4p-W5lMzVB8fFgqSD0g-eUwYoK/s1600/DSCF0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhChsZg-bTc9rre049FKJq84zG2YLEktFzxn4gBzxoKVE8NyI-tK_XHpIIueVJbHuu_zb9_ArtI1kFFbEadVCxbOMc7_RTCN-5CgdbFFiK8ZtslGgjdu4p-W5lMzVB8fFgqSD0g-eUwYoK/s640/DSCF0389.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 - 2 - 1 GO!<br />
All 72 of us :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmurOyyxZQ6HShVLYbSI4lU18jVN0gfBnWOhm-7YmX6GvsjAVcS-X33iRDKKlxSQg6VmYJ2kIpYkejeY1DMlbcyqSIweCV6DSTtnYGD6h7CpBgfcCpCjJOdvFZ0xPCO6U2PjgNbgUddJGS/s1600/DSCF0395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmurOyyxZQ6HShVLYbSI4lU18jVN0gfBnWOhm-7YmX6GvsjAVcS-X33iRDKKlxSQg6VmYJ2kIpYkejeY1DMlbcyqSIweCV6DSTtnYGD6h7CpBgfcCpCjJOdvFZ0xPCO6U2PjgNbgUddJGS/s640/DSCF0395.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a muddy start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U3Mb5d9XeLdbX0JIIlTz0b9ZwWhoiF6m_RJebXZkLNMxqamXnACkiRvqWIK_P1h8ylg5pFNaT9iELuFArP6CKr7bHyZCDQ6RW8d3X29jSA3Itu3URHZwinIQ4xiT16VgH9vrXuqSlQyn/s1600/race+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U3Mb5d9XeLdbX0JIIlTz0b9ZwWhoiF6m_RJebXZkLNMxqamXnACkiRvqWIK_P1h8ylg5pFNaT9iELuFArP6CKr7bHyZCDQ6RW8d3X29jSA3Itu3URHZwinIQ4xiT16VgH9vrXuqSlQyn/s640/race+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down the first of many beaches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3P5AHfEfnw2lF3CuIWV0VpZfCD8jevc6TEFwdjx8zL6IL3XKXEWNMQxiHfaP6X6YgIDtSiwo36J4Cj7RvCthfzH-vNiXAobQPYIgOVsocydvdGeWtagSxTRYxAL2kTG6_K4qFkD2vIsc/s1600/race+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3P5AHfEfnw2lF3CuIWV0VpZfCD8jevc6TEFwdjx8zL6IL3XKXEWNMQxiHfaP6X6YgIDtSiwo36J4Cj7RvCthfzH-vNiXAobQPYIgOVsocydvdGeWtagSxTRYxAL2kTG6_K4qFkD2vIsc/s640/race+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunstan Castle </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vYwc6k7u9emlsbsyD8rnRo1K1QyecTzz-p68EIMvP57crFj_Ig_E7JiSY0Xp2R1194MVJaGyBjrhcG0MnW2f7gYr6fX0KY82FBti5tVRn6XsEYIX6oVA-D6xWAEVGAb4owWmFcjzHNPR/s1600/race+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vYwc6k7u9emlsbsyD8rnRo1K1QyecTzz-p68EIMvP57crFj_Ig_E7JiSY0Xp2R1194MVJaGyBjrhcG0MnW2f7gYr6fX0KY82FBti5tVRn6XsEYIX6oVA-D6xWAEVGAb4owWmFcjzHNPR/s640/race+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ridges in the sand were deep and brutal, I turned my ankle on every step</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I don't have any finish line photos since my husband was in the pub enjoying a pint (phone reception was terrible so he missed my 1 mile out text.) It was a fabulous race though, and it truly was one of the most beautiful races I have ever
run. I’m so glad I didn't blow it off when my training had shriveled so badly. Despite the terrain and poor preparation, I managed a 5:15 finish so I had maintained at least a little of my
conditioning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjll30zMyuNf2QX-N_60Me1EeRkqfZNc-ck4mcgGy7O41crNaFYJsZQUvIAO3-w0ZxgYTJ9XHGhB_-riDOy7gSlW0GuYm-vI9S0_y6LQEdPvzyhTF7kqjglB6lsfaHvAn1Q82r039JfThuL/s1600/DSCF0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjll30zMyuNf2QX-N_60Me1EeRkqfZNc-ck4mcgGy7O41crNaFYJsZQUvIAO3-w0ZxgYTJ9XHGhB_-riDOy7gSlW0GuYm-vI9S0_y6LQEdPvzyhTF7kqjglB6lsfaHvAn1Q82r039JfThuL/s640/DSCF0332.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Also in the area is the Alnwick Castle where several movies have been filmed, including the scenes where Harry Potter learns to ride his broom. We decided to have a go at it ourselves.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_UWaxXCCb_RtfIA2J_qJQRijvYbAIHDDplGQuzNYrzIgqGxzxyGA2H_AVHS5tso0ZE68qCpSUSK71Jy_14Y2Og9fpZC5arC8iM0by3Jqcaz3-ET7FK113U_viJe9urusAlFnnb_EyHcm/s1600/DSCF0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_UWaxXCCb_RtfIA2J_qJQRijvYbAIHDDplGQuzNYrzIgqGxzxyGA2H_AVHS5tso0ZE68qCpSUSK71Jy_14Y2Og9fpZC5arC8iM0by3Jqcaz3-ET7FK113U_viJe9urusAlFnnb_EyHcm/s640/DSCF0329.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick up your broom...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a wonderful
introduction to England and running through the English country side. I can't wait for my next trail marathon, Anglesey at Holyhead in January! In the mean time, I have several road races planned and next up is my Tough Mudder race report!<o:p></o:p></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-13908750548066924912013-08-12T07:08:00.000-04:002014-03-10T10:08:13.149-04:0075 Miles for Cancer<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R_-273v8FSEg2h1sfLHRZk0f8btD_WVgAILoov6yDBMgkPL-TwFZ6PDD8fTr3hdhPPN3SJGyJjCZN677ReggLU-9xQnZVronL-cSQx_ggp-ygFRFvudNc61JOBrnGfutA4LInEe1KWyP/s1600/Bruce+Robinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R_-273v8FSEg2h1sfLHRZk0f8btD_WVgAILoov6yDBMgkPL-TwFZ6PDD8fTr3hdhPPN3SJGyJjCZN677ReggLU-9xQnZVronL-cSQx_ggp-ygFRFvudNc61JOBrnGfutA4LInEe1KWyP/s1600/Bruce+Robinson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Memory of Bruce Robinson<br />
Feb. 7 1952 - Jan. 29 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After
two previous Relay 4 Life events, my third effort came on May 5<sup>th</sup>,
2013. Since the last Relay 4 Life, my good friend and running mentor, Bruce Robinson
had passed away from cancer. It gave a new level of purpose to my run to have
him and his family in my thoughts and prayers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
track it was to be held on was not really a track, but cones laid out on a
football field so I knew it would be small. What I did not know was the field
would be lined with tents, and more tents down the middle so that we were
running on a track that was about 7 laps to the mile, YIKES! I was immediately
concerned knowing the problems I have had before with track running and
constant, tight turns in the same direction. Oh well, nothing to it but to do
it! I was also a bit worried about the mental aspect of running the same little
circle hundreds of times, it would be a challenging race indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE-VcKOW91HGAd6LGopI7-bfQNx8Di6vYqtz4kBoGm7_got_jAi5wuWyJefPkpEYByJ4vBJFXtBOBnQV7gIzTMbJDITwLLclmMEujmkPRqCmLjNzpViCpyeRelCnT24sseexmQObGC_fZ/s1600/198953_608250789204763_303690664_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNE-VcKOW91HGAd6LGopI7-bfQNx8Di6vYqtz4kBoGm7_got_jAi5wuWyJefPkpEYByJ4vBJFXtBOBnQV7gIzTMbJDITwLLclmMEujmkPRqCmLjNzpViCpyeRelCnT24sseexmQObGC_fZ/s320/198953_608250789204763_303690664_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
0900 0 laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike
the Relay in Virginia where the ceremony/explanation of the rules started at
0700 and the running started at 0730, this event is not run by Ultra-Marathon
runners so things went off a bit differently. The opening ceremony was lovely,
but did not start until 0900 and the running could not begin until the ceremony
ended so the run did not really get started until almost 0930. Despite the late beginning, it was off to a
fun start. We had a stage set up with lots going on, live music, games,
announcements, and constant barrage of sound and activity. The track was packed
and the walkers, who vastly outnumbered the runners, at times were hard to get
past as they kept drifting into the inside “lane.” I don’t really blame them
since it was not really marked. They were pretty good about gracefully getting
out of the way when asked, but at one point I was walking myself and yelled at
a whole group because I guy running and wearing a 70 lb. Explosive Ordinance
suit was having to go out and around the walkers in a turn! The other road
hazards included small children darting through the runners and walkers, and
flying footballs and Frisbees. It was total mayhem, but very entertaining.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1224 100 Laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By noon it was
starting to heat up, but the enthusiasm had not slowed down one bit. My
daughter had been dropped off after an overnight camp and hung out to support
me (by cheering, not running.) I sent her to make a Luminary for Bruce and then
she hung out and ate my snacks until her dad came to pick her up. I got a pat
on the back and a peck on the cheek from Hubby as they went home to relax.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1715 200 laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the
crowd thinned out it got easier to run, but after about 200 laps, my knee was
beginning to balk at the tight turns. I
changed gears and began running the straights and walking the curves, which
meant a lot of stopping and starting, but helped. Then I figured out that my
knee did not hurt if I ran at least a 9:15 pace. I certainly could not maintain
that pace for dozens of miles, but I could between walks! So my running got
faster and my sit down to eat or drink breaks drug out a bit, but I kept at it.
When I could not run, I walked fast, probably a little too fast since I am not
trained at all for walking long distances. About this time I turned to my med
kit for some Tums to counter act the Coke and coffee. I was horrified to
realize I had forgotten it! I was able to acquire some, plus some Tylenol and
Aleve for later (just in case) and was back in business. I was feeling pretty
good about my pace. At 100 laps every 3 or so hours, I had a shot at my 75 mile goal, if I could
just keep going. Even if I slowed down I still had a chance…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1929 250 laps <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By 7:30 pm, I had
slowed down a lot. Two hours to do just 50 laps meant I was going to be out
there a very long time if I wanted to finish. As a general rule, I never take
anti-inflammatories during a race, but 24 hour runs are different and I figured
I could risk a little boost. My right knee had calmed down but my left knee was
now complaining from compensating and my arch was acting up. I KT taped both
and popped some Aleve. The KT tape was great for my foot, it never bothered me
again, but it did not do anything for my knee and peeled off pretty quickly. (KT
tape does not work over sunscreen and sweat :-P ) By this time the sun had gone down, the
lights had come up, and the volunteers were busy lining the track with the
Luminary bags in preparation for the ceremony to honor the current fighters,
survivors, and those was had lost. For the first 200 laps, I had zeroed my
Garmin each hundred, at 250 I switched to zeroing every 50. I was counting laps
with a series of 25 rubber bands, moving one from my right wrist to my left
every lap. Sometimes I got off, but my Garmin reconciled it. A couple of times
I stopped my Garmin to go to the bathroom or eat and forgot for a lap or two to
restart, but having so much data made it easy to extrapolate accurately. When
in doubt, I went short so likely I traveled farther in the end than I had
recorded.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Around 9:30 pm
they held the Luminary Ceremony and all movement on the track stopped as the
lights were lowered. It was the only time I stretched out, but I did not sleep.
I lay there, under the tent, watching the video on the big screen that was
playing survivor stories. Then I listened to the roll call for the people the
lights were dedicated too. When they called out Bruce’s name, my exhaustion
overwhelmed me and I wept. All thoughts of giving up and going home left me. I
was going to see it through and do the best that I could. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2152 300 Laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After over 12 hours
of running and walking I was numb. I was only 50 laps away from matching my
previous record, but so very very far away from my goal. I just could not think
about it. Every 25 laps I recorded my distance, elapsed time, and cumulative
laps on paper, and by now people were noticing me. My friends knew my goal and word was
spreading. People that had gone home for naps or dinner returned to find me still
on the track, still walking and running. I had lots of people to talk to and
when I did not have someone to talk to I listened to the conversations around
me. My favorite was the guy that said to his buddy, “Did you hear about the guy
that has been out here the whole time? I wanted to beat him, but it is too late
now.” I wanted so badly to turn around and say, “By the way, that GUY is a 44
year old CHICK!” LOL. At another point I was walking with a gentleman from
Puerto Rico, we must have talked about food for a good 10 laps, another young
man talked at length about growing up with a cleft pallet. They were all great
and kept me very entertained and motivated, but as the hours crept by I found myself turning
inward more and just not thinking at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2359 350 Laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing special
happened to mark the passing of midnight, but I watched the clock roll over as
I choked down a bit of food and recorded my 50<sup>th</sup> mile. Every step
was now a new record. Every mile was closer to my goal. I was two thirds of the
way there, but I absolutely could not let myself think about the 25 miles or
175 laps left to go, it was just too much to think about. Things were still
going on around me. There were Zumba classes, CrossFit challenges and something
where a person on their knees had their face covered whip cream while their
partner competed by throwing cheese puffs and getting them to stick to the
fluff covered face (I may have been hallucinating this one, but my daughter
assures me it is a common party game.) Now the real challenge began. Staying
awake and continuing to move. There was no way I was lying down, I knew once I
did that my journey would be over, so on I went. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0215 400 laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t
remember much at this point but I think this is around when the director
decided I was the clear winner for the night and started talking to me about
what they could do better for next year, asking if I needed anything and
generally questions about me, my purpose, and my life. It is all a pretty big
blur from here on out. People would ask me how far I had gone and I could not
even come up with an answer because I could not remember which 25 laps I was
working on or what milestone I had passed last.
Thank goodness I was writing it all down and my Garmin was recording it!
By now I was getting to the end of my Garmin’s battery so I started zeroing it
out every 25 laps and writing down the distance and elapsed time on every lap.
My hand were so swollen and my head was so fogged that it took me almost the
whole lap to get the info read, recorded and the rubber band moved!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Somewhere around
this time I passed a tall runner who said, “You are STILL OUT HERE? Go home and
take a nap so I can catch you!” LOL He had been right on my heels for hours,
but had caved in and slept for a while in his tent. Ya’ snooze ya’ lose!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0338 434 laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Garmin finally
went to sleep. At this point on it was all about the rubber bands. I knew from
all my tracking that I had to move a rubber band at precisely the same point on
the track every time or I would get mixed up. In my fatigue, I had on more than
one occasion moved a rubber band and then checked my Garmin and confirmed that
I had already moved it for that lap and just forgotten. From here on out, if I
was even 10 steps past my check point and thought I had not moved the band, then
it was not moving until the next lap. It was the only way I could be sure my
count was honest. Failing to count a lap I could live with, adding in an
unearned lap was unacceptable. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By now my knees were
a real problem, my other arch was hurting, and my heels had started to balk.
This is the sticking point when you are reaching for a goal. I was indeed
listening to my body, I knew exactly what it was saying and it was definitely
asking me to stop. Every lap was a decision. Do I go on or do I stop? Is the
pain in my knee something that will be sore for a few days or something with
the potential to be much more complicated? The pain in my left knee was from
walking and that concerned me more, but it was a manageable pain so far. I
would listen and barter for a few more miles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0430 450 Laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right, Left, Right,
Left, Right, Left…….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0537 475 Laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sun coming up
made a huge difference. I noticed when the stadium lights went out, but I
would not say it was exactly light out. The fog was thick with a pale glow and
people were offering me food. NOTHING sounded even remotely palatable. My
stomach was empty and growling, but threatening to toss back anything I
presented it with. The last thing I wanted anyone to see was weakness on my
part. I did not want anyone to point and me and say, “See? That is why you
should not try a stunt like that.” I wanted them to see me strong and capable,
not sick or limping. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0745 500 Laps<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hallelujah! Only 25
laps to go and I had over 2 hours to do them in! Then the announcement came
over the loud speaker, all laps had to be turned over and we would be done at
0800. WHAT!?! It turned out that their idea of a 24 hour run was start at 9 and
end at 9, including awards, closing ceremony, and clean up. I panicked! I knew
though that I could walk 25 laps in an hour and 15 minutes, I would just squeak
it in. I set off at a blistering walk passing people as fast as I could, but
making way for the speedy runners that had been home sleeping in their warm,
comfortable beds all night and were back out on the track racking up miles for
their teams. Left-right-left-right-left-right</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzHsl-mt2s7nXLf2AIni2WdMYIPzl7KMgXhch9GXSFo_atYuoVtpfWHuKP1VUrPJYiand711AcO3zDBiklIuUBSLNICTm7yWKut-IzGXfdmz8M_0hCFiRgI4XpXtqRAYjNOCF20mPs1wR/s1600/943408_10151433038559562_952776377_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzHsl-mt2s7nXLf2AIni2WdMYIPzl7KMgXhch9GXSFo_atYuoVtpfWHuKP1VUrPJYiand711AcO3zDBiklIuUBSLNICTm7yWKut-IzGXfdmz8M_0hCFiRgI4XpXtqRAYjNOCF20mPs1wR/s320/943408_10151433038559562_952776377_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> When I got down to
10 laps, the director was counting. He caught up with me and said he wanted to
announce my final lap and have everyone run it with me. Did you catch that? He
wanted me to RUN the last lap. I looked at him like he had three heads and said
I would do what I could. As I rounded the turn for my last lap, I heard the
announcement and broke into a run. Shockingly, either because I was totally
numb, or full of adrenaline, it did not hurt and I coasted around the track at a
great pace. It felt AMAZING after the hours of walking and I was in no pain!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
0748 525 Laps, 75 Miles<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I won
the award for most miles run and was over 30 miles ahead of my next closest competitor.
After the awards were given, we were all sent out for one more lap together. I
ran around the track and then did it again, running the last part holding hands
high with the 8 year old boy that had run 40 miles (he drives his parents nuts
running all the time so they told him he had 24 hours to run all he wanted!) We
were champions!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
What I
did was hard, but it was nothing compared to what someone fighting cancer
faces. I could quit any time I wanted, Bruce had to keep up the fight for 2
years. My run was dedicated to Bruce and his memory. He was with me every step
of the way with all his good advice and his mantra of, “Baby steps, baby
steps.” When I wanted to stop, I thought
of him and took another step. When the miles and laps ahead of me seemed too
overwhelming I thought about Bruce and how he must have felt when he was told the
cancer was back and he would have to start fighting all over again. He never
quit, he never gave up, he never showed us the despair in his heart, and he
just kept moving forward one baby step at a time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9fZDQEYN3tZBS8S2s-X2mHxAdmWaA9qPmnjqTxycHGmS03axwFuD-cVmwApEJ1YeqZXuqzjKDlWMnz3QZFgie89wpODQ270HAUcooU7Bjr44FvtWnNTUBsOXvH3xFxmTpjbqia37ttv6/s1600/229782_10151439998368034_617031879_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9fZDQEYN3tZBS8S2s-X2mHxAdmWaA9qPmnjqTxycHGmS03axwFuD-cVmwApEJ1YeqZXuqzjKDlWMnz3QZFgie89wpODQ270HAUcooU7Bjr44FvtWnNTUBsOXvH3xFxmTpjbqia37ttv6/s320/229782_10151439998368034_617031879_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Post Script: The 8 year old boy that I finished with was chastised
by his teacher the next day for being a “liar” when he told his friends how far
he and I ran. The teacher even went so far as to get the other kids
to tease him for his lies telling them no one could have gone that far. He was devastated at the time, but fully redeemed when his trophy was presented to him in front of his class. I
expect to see his name in the ultra records some day!<o:p></o:p></div>
WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-91665357741162544612013-05-07T20:05:00.003-04:002013-05-07T20:05:58.504-04:00Bundang Half Marathon<br />
<br />
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On some race days everything comes together. On some race days everything falls apart. Sometimes things start falling apart long before race day! All runners know the agony of an injury a week or two before a major race, or some annoying person scheduling a wedding last minute the same weekend as that marathon you had to register for 10 months in advance and had to book non-refundable rooms and flights around. Sometimes it just seems like the cards are really stacked against a race. The Gungpo Bundang race was one of those for me.
<br />
<br />
Part of the problem was me. I went on vacation for a couple of weeks and didn’t run a step. I did power walk a couple of times, went kayaking, and swam, but I totally failed at getting a run in. Okay, no big deal, it is just a half marathon, and didn’t I just PR a marathon a few weeks ago? That should count for something. The trip was great, the flight home was rough; it was one of those cheap all-nighters where we left the hotel at noon (10 am home time), had a 6 hour layover in the Bangkok airport, and didn’t get home until 10 am the next day. So needless to say, by Tuesday, April 16th, I was pretty beat.<br />
<br />
Then things started going downhill. The day I got home I heard about Boston and like all runners, it really hit me, I spent the day poring over news reports on the edge of my seat waiting to hear if my friends were okay. Then, although totally trivial by comparison, but no less stressful for me, I found out one of my email accounts had been hacked by someone in Bulgaria who had the correct password. I then set out to change pretty much every password in my life, while keeping one window on the news.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, we finally got our long awaited orders. For you non-military types, this is the little piece of paper our whole life was on hold for. With this paper magical things happen, you get to arrange dates to have movers come take all your stuff away, for other movers to bring borrowed stuff, what day you will fly, and it all takes a lot of running from office to office and making stressful decisions. The biggest twist with this was that we would be packing up in 9 days, UGH! Not a good weekend to be headed out for a race!<br />
<br />
Next, on Friday, I found out my credit card number had been stolen while on vacation. Thankfully, the bank figured I probably didn’t apparate to New York and charge $5,000 at a chocolate factory so it didn’t go through, but it did mean I had to wait for a new credit card to be sent to Korea. I know exactly where the card was stolen, it was the restaurant I ate in in the Bangkok airport. I guess that is what I get for pointing out that my food wasn’t cooked. I use my credit card like a debit card so I was really hamstrung and worst of all, missed entering the lottery for the London Marathon, ARG! I was only going to have 3 chances to begin with so now my chances of getting in are significantly lower. Anyway…<br />
<br />
Did you catch that part about the food? The veggies in the curry were raw. Okay, no big deal, I don’t mind raw veggies. However, food that has not been cooked, in a third world country, tends to have things living in it that one is better off not ingesting. So yes, the symptoms to Giardia surfaced within a couple of days. I am now up to a 50/50 average on Giardia and third world countries in Asia so I should know better, but the symptoms weren’t all that bad and I hoped maybe it wasn’t really a parasite and I would feel better in a few days. Yea, I know, bad gamble. Besides, I couldn’t get in to see the doc on a Friday afternoon so it would wait until Monday…. I staged all my gear for the next morning and, big surprise, failed to get to bed at a decent hour.<br />
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<br />
Saturday morning I awoke to pouring rain and thunder at about 3am. I still got up at 4:30 and my husband who was taking me to meet my ride got up at 5. At 5:30 I decided I felt like crud and it wasn’t worth running in a cold rain storm when I was already exhausted and not feeling well so I called the head of my car pool to let him know not to wait for me. He didn’t answer so I texted another person who promptly texted me back to say the race was the next day! GROAN! My husband shot me one of those looks and went back to bed. I was already pumped on caffeine so I went about my day and again, staged my gear for the next morning since the weather was supposed to be great, and the cherry blossoms were in bloom, and the clouds were farting unicorns and rainbows. <br />
<br />
Race day take two. I decided to take my own car and follow the caravan of cars to the race. This was a very good idea since I was able to follow them right to a place to park that I would never have found otherwise. I was a little queasy from the stomach thing, but otherwise things were looking up. I showed up at the table to pick up my packed and, surprise/surprise, they have no record of me registering. Seriously, SERIOUSLY! I said, “fine, I give up, I’m going home.” The race director went into a panic (this race had really been campaigning to get as many foreigners as possible to run), “Don’t give up!” he says, “write down all your information again and we will reregister you, you just won’t get your back pack (race swag) until you mail us the receipt from the bank wire you sent in to register.” Okay, well, at least I had a bib. I headed off to warm up, check my bag, etc.<br />
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<br />
The race itself was lovely. There were cherry blossoms everywhere, the weather was great, and although the course was crowded, the support was good and it was well managed and marked. Bizarrely, I still thought I could run a PR for the day and that is what I fixated on. I supposed with everything that had gone wrong all week, I just really needed a good race. It wasn’t in the cards though. I was stressed, tired, and my stomach was not happy sharing space with breakfast and a host of unwanted visitors. I made it through the race, finishing with a 2:01:53. A good time, but nowhere near a PR. I know, I should be thrilled with that, but I just wasn’t in the mood for it.<br />
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<br />
My caravan all decided to go out for lunch and since they are all young, single, military kids and I was exhausted, I begged off and headed home. Or at least I tried to head home. I never did find the freeway entrance and ended up take surface streets, turning a 45 minute drive into a 2 hour fun fest, blarg!<br />
<br />
When I got home, I found that in an effort to begin readying the house for the movers, I had thrown out my receipt for the race. Oh well, I didn’t really need another back pack anyway :-P <br />
<br />
I hung up my medal, logged the race on my Half Fanatics page and then put it behind me. Next up? American Cancer Society 24-Hour Relay for life and a very ambitious goal.<br />
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-79049605604346677292013-04-19T20:05:00.001-04:002013-04-19T20:05:49.705-04:00Seoul International Marathon What a fantastic and crazy race the Seoul International Marathon was! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOyLpwPt4_jpasV1E1XRA2hHpXAjICd83bMfK2xdBO4sHSsbggess6CumCL23Zgp7YtoOcMrWfqBH7Tx0Vz7tpVuNQ1JSGJu0BBgVOdBQGUpYXRFgwQfh_ZU68GOchbf2euHTjfuPufgy/s1600/mm2photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOyLpwPt4_jpasV1E1XRA2hHpXAjICd83bMfK2xdBO4sHSsbggess6CumCL23Zgp7YtoOcMrWfqBH7Tx0Vz7tpVuNQ1JSGJu0BBgVOdBQGUpYXRFgwQfh_ZU68GOchbf2euHTjfuPufgy/s320/mm2photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon Maniacs group photo, I know we missed at least 2 </td></tr>
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The day started early, as usual, and my friends Diane and Rhonda drove up to the finish area, parked the van, and then hopped a cab to the start. The timing went perfectly and we weren’t rushed to get drop bags in, group pictures taken, or hit the porta-potties.<br />
<br />
I wish I had gone with throw away clothes instead of the plastic bag I was wearing over my running clothes because I was shivering violently by the time our wave started. It was about 20 minutes after the initial start so we had been standing around for an hour in too little clothes at that point. I kept thinking about how much glycogen I was burning with all the shivering!<br />
<br />
Once we were on our way I started immediately into the Jeff Galloway run/walk with a 4:1 ratio. It was slow at the start with all the people so tightly packed and dodging runners and walkers was a constant battle that got a little better, but not much. It didn’t take long to be warmed up and in the end I was dressed perfectly for the weather. A few times I started feeling a bit warm, but then we would pass into the shadow of another sky scraper and I was glad for all I had on. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a1aDDJyiZBc17FlKtkm_qwxS5M5Y_uwuLghX7V3dPz8xjWvppjsN42VTcJWd5uzpfKUdG7dNCwMQfvzH2u9L6vwv4PCLYlNfYpX-T6jYMrB0Sx_okcqIfREjXeBHT_tX1x7vz9ZSE_Y8/s1600/seoul130317_24795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7a1aDDJyiZBc17FlKtkm_qwxS5M5Y_uwuLghX7V3dPz8xjWvppjsN42VTcJWd5uzpfKUdG7dNCwMQfvzH2u9L6vwv4PCLYlNfYpX-T6jYMrB0Sx_okcqIfREjXeBHT_tX1x7vz9ZSE_Y8/s320/seoul130317_24795.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She had too be on the warm side!<br />
This is really typical here, it is all about protection from the sun to stay young looking</td></tr>
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I was so focused on running and following my intervals that I didn’t even see a distance marker until the 14 km sign! I was surprised and happy to be well on the way. The next one I saw was 24! I had my Garmin set so I could glance at it and see how much time I had on my interval, but I purposely didn’t want to look at my pace, time, or distance covered. Once I happened to look down as it flashed 8:23 for my run interval and thought I’d better take it down a notch, but that was the only split I saw. It really helped with the mental struggle I usually fight during the teen miles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLHaGZbjhytJP-RRhgh1lqLWXQKIBpZfXgDlhBIyFzvttsroNJxb-z00yDnqdB4I8Vd4iwwUpva-NSVZ4mFgO5s1RNzJ8k5CKsZH9Nsjs8YvqIDsHy__SrOJjBIwF60w6HFxYKfFglxPB/s1600/seoul130317_52211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLHaGZbjhytJP-RRhgh1lqLWXQKIBpZfXgDlhBIyFzvttsroNJxb-z00yDnqdB4I8Vd4iwwUpva-NSVZ4mFgO5s1RNzJ8k5CKsZH9Nsjs8YvqIDsHy__SrOJjBIwF60w6HFxYKfFglxPB/s320/seoul130317_52211.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy was close to me the whole race, no idea how he ran in that costume!</td></tr>
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Somewhere around 25 km I had to make a restroom stop. I had been looking for porta potties, but quickly realized there were not going to be any on the route. Instead, people were ducking into coffee shops and gas stations. I followed suit into a gas station and stretched while I waited for my turn. I lost over 2 minutes at that stop that I would regret later, but I really had no choice. I’m not sure where I went wrong since I don’t usually have to stop, but I was definitely over hydrated. I was also queasy and my tummy was threatening to revolt one way or another. I really worried that my great start would be ruined by G.I. distress, but I kept plugging on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbNyCIsy4ZapLhNy0WNhHd915LU6olQnbr7VHGRIa4b2tYfDdXHoTNpBi6fQUAXjYwux59RA-3O-pbNltz910oXk25Iw_TLF8yJVOyUlFOaEEH_e3flmTo1z96XEH_MvJiyRRBt4_l1-i/s1600/seoul518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbNyCIsy4ZapLhNy0WNhHd915LU6olQnbr7VHGRIa4b2tYfDdXHoTNpBi6fQUAXjYwux59RA-3O-pbNltz910oXk25Iw_TLF8yJVOyUlFOaEEH_e3flmTo1z96XEH_MvJiyRRBt4_l1-i/s320/seoul518.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love seeing older runners, it gives me hope that my days as a runner <br />
are not as limited and people would have me think</td></tr>
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Around the 32km point I spotted another Maniac singlet. The poor kid, who I later learned is from Singapore, had totally hit the wall and really fought for the last 10K. I saw a ton of other people I knew on the course from our base, the Seoul Flyers club, Marathon Maniacs, and other runners that have been in many of the same races. It was so much fun to see so many familiar faces! They are all credited with spotting me though. I could run past my own mother and not recognize her because of how focused I am when I run. <br />
<br />
I thought that we would cross the Han River at about 32km, but I was wrong, it wasn’t until 35km, but that 3 km wait messed with my head. Every turn I kept thinking I should see the bridge. I did know once we crossed the river I was in the home stretch, but it seemed like I was never going to get there. Crossing the bridge I spotted a clock. I had seen a couple of other clocks at that point, but since I never knew where I was distance wise, they didn’t mean a thing to me. Not to mention I couldn’t remember how long it took us to get to the start mats.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRNg1fceZ2MnxrLBoMYoWgE_CL3ldgFZbBDmf_PhUIySzNWGXrC5a278jZToXzShnq-IxTvSJw3NpQuY9DrsD4z6v7Uon1I-HDq3BOfNM_x5-A8cjy4OfpG6MDtVychGGj9UcCuPTFKzk/s1600/seoul130317_11807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRNg1fceZ2MnxrLBoMYoWgE_CL3ldgFZbBDmf_PhUIySzNWGXrC5a278jZToXzShnq-IxTvSJw3NpQuY9DrsD4z6v7Uon1I-HDq3BOfNM_x5-A8cjy4OfpG6MDtVychGGj9UcCuPTFKzk/s320/seoul130317_11807.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The octopus hat guy has been in almost every race I have run in Korea!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoopKeeI1yyvVXau-io0Da-X12exggvMgo6aP-4ylzZI5P5wElvktkb3A5XHqkUtDY3Kt-CIiBRaDB0iRLwyq-PVuuxgq8EfS_NJmleA8Gj76ES1vlXgwWZJUOpkVXOVnR0DG-X7KFJtv/s1600/seoul130317_24103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoopKeeI1yyvVXau-io0Da-X12exggvMgo6aP-4ylzZI5P5wElvktkb3A5XHqkUtDY3Kt-CIiBRaDB0iRLwyq-PVuuxgq8EfS_NJmleA8Gj76ES1vlXgwWZJUOpkVXOVnR0DG-X7KFJtv/s320/seoul130317_24103.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In classic Korean "not quite right" fashion, <br />
this young woman doesn't quite get that fake boobs and butts are funnier on men</td></tr>
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<br />
FINALLY I was crossing the river! As I crested the bridge, I glanced down at my Garmin to see where I was in my run interval and was horrified to see a blank screen! I have never been let down by my Garmin so I was really shocked. I turned it on again and it seemed to work fine and had plenty of battery. Unfortunately, it has lost all the data on my run to that point so I have no clue what any of my splits where as far as my intervals go. I was really peeved about that since that was my first race using Galloway where I really pushed for a time. If I had bumped the off button, it would at least have saved all my data.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM-lgOJEeIDP83_lTUZwE5Sq2RAt-GRKxUrb70Jx6Cu7gv1JLkgZTXeuEB70N4gUwpJaCHn0-OGTGcEggcXjZNuO5skYCrnR2zUvgopYnsmtyBQAb0_8FfXWoUcf2jcODZrOfyHAq-i7k/s1600/seoul130317_25612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM-lgOJEeIDP83_lTUZwE5Sq2RAt-GRKxUrb70Jx6Cu7gv1JLkgZTXeuEB70N4gUwpJaCHn0-OGTGcEggcXjZNuO5skYCrnR2zUvgopYnsmtyBQAb0_8FfXWoUcf2jcODZrOfyHAq-i7k/s320/seoul130317_25612.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Usually when people bandit a race, it isn't so obvious, LOL</td></tr>
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At least past the bridge I knew I was down to my last couple of miles. At 40Km I spotted another clock that said 4:41:xx. I knew I only had less than a mile and a half (brains are not good at math at this point in a marathon,) and that I had a shot at a PR, but probably not a sub-4:30. More importantly, I didn’t want to finish feeling like I could have done better, I wanted to leave it all on the course! At that point I let go of the run/walk plan and just ran. It hurt more to walk by then anyway since I haven’t trained properly for walking (note to self: start power walking a couple of times a week!) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIZ0EVPyR51OjR9KMLSPEuBMvNwhl-7_6TQ1Q-CUT1eReZ5_ztb9Xwq0JuEiJ7B4e3ef-59EWVdM_mrfPoWLPmNDu7z9p_h6dvRd2uFcQbM4fuW0jtZYgVW9kvBBf6ejromU1OyFaoimU/s1600/seoul130317_36430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIZ0EVPyR51OjR9KMLSPEuBMvNwhl-7_6TQ1Q-CUT1eReZ5_ztb9Xwq0JuEiJ7B4e3ef-59EWVdM_mrfPoWLPmNDu7z9p_h6dvRd2uFcQbM4fuW0jtZYgVW9kvBBf6ejromU1OyFaoimU/s320/seoul130317_36430.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure what the point to this group was, <br />
but they stuck together and had a nice finish time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As I reached the finish arch, the clock said 4:55:xx. I kept wracking my brain for some shred of memory about what time we crossed the start mats but I just couldn’t remember, was it 18 minutes or 22 or something else. With my Garmin record lost I would have to wait for my text. (One of the coolest things about races in Korea is that every race, no matter how big or small, texts your official finish time to your phone, usually within an hour.) I went through the motions of turning in my chip, getting my snacks and medal and then stretched out on the ground with my feet propped up on a wall to let the blood return to my brain. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZM87F8zuk0P_Kzr0LCRxA7YCtUvLAPRL4JCO0PMl8wXiUbpxAorZHtV6a_ZhKYp8kzP_rJoMykiLqm-J6G_mSW0aLJ7kvMLD8zfwLGb-5vZijk-YedfstLsAcHawBtFbtkK6r8ysdAa3/s1600/seoul130317_55817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZM87F8zuk0P_Kzr0LCRxA7YCtUvLAPRL4JCO0PMl8wXiUbpxAorZHtV6a_ZhKYp8kzP_rJoMykiLqm-J6G_mSW0aLJ7kvMLD8zfwLGb-5vZijk-YedfstLsAcHawBtFbtkK6r8ysdAa3/s320/seoul130317_55817.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attitude at the finish line :-) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Eventually I dragged myself up and found Rhonda. She had passed Diane a mile or two back where she found her down to a walk with bad cramps in her quads. I headed on to pick up my drop bag with another Maniac who was in from Hong Kong, he had graciously brought me two Runner’s World magazines from the UK with info on the best races of the year so I can plan my first year in England! Thanks Mike Cartwright!!<br />
<br />
In review, it was over all a very good race. I liked the mental aspect of taking it one interval at a time and not worrying about where I was in the race. I would really have liked to see the breakdown of my splits, but I guess I can get that next time. I confirmed that chattering teeth at the beginning means a comfortable race temp wise and also confirmed that I need less and less GU as I get farther off carbs, but I still need caffeine. <br />
<br />
My official splits weren’t too shabby:<br />
<br />
5K 33:19<br />
<br />
10K 30:44<br />
<br />
20K 30:55<br />
<br />
Half 2:12:13<br />
<br />
25K 31:42<br />
<br />
30K 34:55 (potty break)<br />
<br />
35K 33:45<br />
<br />
40K 33:12<br />
<br />
Finish: 4:32:37<br />
<br />
All and all I was over the moon happy with how the race went. Yes, skipping the potty stop would have but me at or under 4:30, but it was still a PR and leaves the elusive 4:30 for another day. Usually everything falls apart for me if it is a major race so I couldn't have asked for more!<br />
<br />
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This finished blog has been sitting in my files for weeks and now, we are several days past the bombings at The Boston Marathon. I can’t imagine the horror of such an event. I know that if my family were hurt because they were waiting at the finish line for me, I would be beyond devastated and wracked with guilt. My heart and prayers go out to everyone touched by this event. <br />
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-88292809735937715032013-02-11T23:37:00.001-05:002013-02-11T23:46:20.532-05:00New Year's Day: The Marathon that Wasn'tIn the blogging world, everyone is quick to post about their successes, struggles, triumphs and utter disasters so we rarely hear about those moments when things just didn’t work out. I had one of those lately and it has taken me almost 6 weeks to finally blog about it, but I still think the tale is worth telling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88B7Ky3SVJ_Sko1AtEqFYTQH8QRIAE2k3w4x4YvJopDavyQAAc3g0VB302JyRotZYyNLP1YVBI7H5YhwgDe73j84tL-vgOSVoS6sJN7WWr7MS7PBT3dJDqvynRwYce7nTM1-kpxeblzis/s1600/418652_10200128025751741_1874303148_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88B7Ky3SVJ_Sko1AtEqFYTQH8QRIAE2k3w4x4YvJopDavyQAAc3g0VB302JyRotZYyNLP1YVBI7H5YhwgDe73j84tL-vgOSVoS6sJN7WWr7MS7PBT3dJDqvynRwYce7nTM1-kpxeblzis/s320/418652_10200128025751741_1874303148_n.jpg" uea="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to start. The man on the left was headed back to sit in his car, LOL</td></tr>
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For 2012, I was riding a real crest, marathoning at the drop of a hat and having a blast. Unfortunately, I got a little burned out when it started getting cold and the only races were on the same old bike path along the Han River is Seoul, South Korea. When I cut back on my mileage, my sinuses acted up, which turned into my lungs crudding up, and then I got the stomach flu that was wiping out the military community where I live (seriously, one afternoon at the child care center 17 kids started puking at the same time, ACK!)</div>
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Needless to say, when the New Year’s Day marathon rolled around I was not in peak condition. It was bitter cold, the sky was slate grey, and my head was barely in the game. Then, they changed the course. Instead of 13.1 out and 13.1 back, the marathoners would turn around with the half marathoners and do it twice. Granted, it is the same distance either way, but somehow that was the final blow that took the wind out of my sails. Then it started snowing, UGH! From the start, each step we slipped back half a step so it was battle royal just to keep moving forward. I was toast 8 miles in and decided there was no way my body was going to take this one gracefully, even if I slowed down. I sent my buddies ahead secretly hoping they would decide to quit at the half way point when they had to go back out into the wind. Of course, they didn’t and they handed me the key to the van so I could wait for them to finish. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznsILYjuabS4WgOnGTGrW5M-qkdwlt5KJnry7PL7KTT13a951u19VKPAIye6lr47-R2EQQUh2j17uX9RkTWHHsj6tBs7Nyw7XKCZS-BXIqKs7MB5HK1hyphenhyphenIcyZy1GryR5bgbegXikWkbHS/s1600/cDSCN3218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznsILYjuabS4WgOnGTGrW5M-qkdwlt5KJnry7PL7KTT13a951u19VKPAIye6lr47-R2EQQUh2j17uX9RkTWHHsj6tBs7Nyw7XKCZS-BXIqKs7MB5HK1hyphenhyphenIcyZy1GryR5bgbegXikWkbHS/s320/cDSCN3218.jpg" uea="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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I kept myself busy. A friend was running the half so I got to see her finish, hobbling because the Yack Trax she was wearing messed with her gait. Then I got the frozen wiper fluid going again so our drive home wouldn’t be as scary as the one there with all the muck splashing up from the road and obscuring the driver’s vision (we also saw a van spin out on the ice and slam into a guard rail, facing traffic by the time it was done.) </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BcFJorIJqKBFNEtmC8SHRUkBssi47NhYM_Oq4doB7TgIqQzJD-5D9jj4fWP5MVUGfMXktmle5NNvIH7qQfeXbfEv2MeEGtB-Eb-wzarniY5UYPtQU0E5s-35a9WZFNE3avSS3kGC942m/s1600/cDSCN3227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BcFJorIJqKBFNEtmC8SHRUkBssi47NhYM_Oq4doB7TgIqQzJD-5D9jj4fWP5MVUGfMXktmle5NNvIH7qQfeXbfEv2MeEGtB-Eb-wzarniY5UYPtQU0E5s-35a9WZFNE3avSS3kGC942m/s320/cDSCN3227.jpg" uea="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One good thing was the fantastic, traditional New Year's Soup being served</td></tr>
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All in all, it was a miserable race. Diane, who has run marathons in thick mud and on the beach, said the slushy snow was the worst. So, I walked away without a finisher’s medal for the first time. Fortunately, I didn’t have much invested in the race so I didn’t really care all that much, other than it threw off my marathon-a-month plan. February was a bust too, both available races fall on days that I am already committed to something else, but I have my sights set on the Seoul International in March. I got in a good 20 miler a couple of weeks ago and plan another this week so I’ll keep moving forward! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My buddies enjoying hot soup after their successful finish</td></tr>
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Everyone has a bad day once in a while and knowing that something is not the best thing for your body and listening to that inner voice is an achievement of its own. I don’t regret my decision, and I still got in a nice 13 miler.</div>
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6220643521756617230.post-69039127960353155352012-12-19T21:31:00.004-05:002012-12-19T21:31:50.913-05:002 Marathons in 2 Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8F64ncLDCbTHeBFu-Luc8pmou403QxchXaaxaAinngJKp7sIWXxEVDjxReUDLNrzMt4r0EGHIYPUvNNiAOSQhizd_uOziYsw5h2Cllj-C3gD9Aftz_49pqhq1KAYIXPrQhJNerm4X-bm/s1600/5+maniacs+labled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8F64ncLDCbTHeBFu-Luc8pmou403QxchXaaxaAinngJKp7sIWXxEVDjxReUDLNrzMt4r0EGHIYPUvNNiAOSQhizd_uOziYsw5h2Cllj-C3gD9Aftz_49pqhq1KAYIXPrQhJNerm4X-bm/s320/5+maniacs+labled.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Maniacs of South Korea <br />
(one more was added shortly after this pic was taken, Congrats Cate!)</td></tr>
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Insanity is definitely contagious and the arrival of two more Marathon Maniacs at my base made the contagions overwhelming. Somehow I found myself toeing the marathon start line two days in a row, EEK! I would never have considered this if I had been on my own, but having a veteran of the challenge with me and a buddy to run with the whole way both days, made all the difference in the world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9q-lRCqmZey5Rjru68RMs9FfOrrNqgZ_UAU-Faygt_D0pa5SohGe3zADuesF3wskDMpXO_j0NYMMffZqyrnX4l2fCvj6xkWjoBNINs9E8KVoOzH_cz4h_NHqYK_VmyPur1DIqWEuJHeJ/s1600/115279959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9q-lRCqmZey5Rjru68RMs9FfOrrNqgZ_UAU-Faygt_D0pa5SohGe3zADuesF3wskDMpXO_j0NYMMffZqyrnX4l2fCvj6xkWjoBNINs9E8KVoOzH_cz4h_NHqYK_VmyPur1DIqWEuJHeJ/s320/115279959.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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The races themselves were not particularly interesting, but doubling is a special event. Both races were along the Han River in Seoul, South Korea, in very brisk conditions. Our first started with the thermometer dipping to 23F. I think it may have made it slightly above freezing in the afternoon since the puddles started to thaw, which slowed my, “Slip and nearly bust my behind” ratio. The second day was warmer, but the wind was a bit sharper so it was pretty much a wash. Both days were very cold, but manageable with the right layers and the cheerful sunshine made it seem a bit better.</div>
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Rhonda and I decided that even though we hadn’t trained with a run/walk plan, we would take it easy on Saturday and take a one minute walking break after each 5 minutes of running. The plan was a Godsend because not only did we manage to keep it up the whole way, we finished way faster than expected (4:48), feeling very good, with minimal soreness and energy for day two. We were served Tofu Gruel with a spicy salty sauce, which I gobble up with alacrity before digging into the food stashed in the car. I ate my 2 boiled and salted eggs with my Salt & Vinegar Pringles, washing them down with coconut water and then green tea with tart cherry juice. Dinner was steak and salad with lots more salt even though I had gone through 10 Salt Stix caps and 4 or 5 gels during the race. I really thought I would need less electrolytes in the colder weather, but I took as many as ever. Perhaps I just finished less depleted than I do during the summer. <br />
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That evening we kept each other laughing with our Facebook messages about ice baths, dinner, and planning for the next day. Having the first race behind us really lifted our confidence. We just had to get to the start on Sunday and let inertia take over.<br />
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Thankfully, Sunday’s race started an hour later than Saturday’s had so we didn’t have to be on the road until just before 8am for our 10am start. Using the same 5/1 run/walk ratio, we managed to keep moving forward, albeit at a significantly slower pace than the day before. There was no published cut off time for the race, but Korean marathons tend to roll up the sidewalks around 5 ½ hours after the start so we didn’t want to be too terribly slow. Our finish time for day two was a pleasant 5:02:58, YAY!! Diane beat Rhonda and me to the finish line by about 15-20 minutes both days. We are very proud of her!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlrYMxTG7S3pAIEzLdPTZjYJXvEUc7zJu6Zzl5KKWQHgTqGsFxSemQ0ei_hhXob9oD7ryHQSOCk6_UjYk36tkveMHzs6dvp6i-tbDfsHTS_b8gIzQz15KQSjGFhH8I3LVePhRHRIYuvNk/s1600/115271947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlrYMxTG7S3pAIEzLdPTZjYJXvEUc7zJu6Zzl5KKWQHgTqGsFxSemQ0ei_hhXob9oD7ryHQSOCk6_UjYk36tkveMHzs6dvp6i-tbDfsHTS_b8gIzQz15KQSjGFhH8I3LVePhRHRIYuvNk/s320/115271947.jpg" width="212" /></a> I did a few things different over the weekend. The run/walk combo felt so good and was so successful that I doubt I’ll run another marathon without walking every 4 or 5 minutes! I’ve heard for years from people that swore Jeff Galloway’s methods made them faster, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Rhonda and I never intended to finish either race faster than 5 hours so our finish was a real surprise. For Rhonda, it was 12 seconds faster than her previous race, which had been a PR if you didn’t count the one marathon she ran in her early 20’s. I never felt the “I can’t do this” feelings that I usually have during the “teen” miles, and I felt better at 20 than I usually do. I admit, the last two miles on Saturday were pretty stinky, we both were ready for it to be over, but that feeling never hit on Sunday.</div>
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Another difference was my shoes. Obviously, it was too cold to go barefoot, and my last race was a half marathon where I tested my Newtons for distance. I’ve decided I do not like them at all. My foot rolls off the lugs at the front funny and it caused knee pain in a part of my knee that has never hurt before. They also make my arches sore, which is odd since I am so accustomed to running without any arch support. I suspect the make the arch overwork to get up and over the “lugs” on the front. They may have helped keep my ankles from being too sore, but the tradeoff was not positively balanced. For the second day I went back to my old style leather Vibram Treks. My feet were warmer and my whole body was more comfortable. <br />
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My food intake was different pre and post-race. I have cut way back on carbohydrates lately, not necessarily going fully Paleo, but not eating bread or cereal and cutting out carb heavy snacks. I do still eat carbs with dinner most nights and love my spaghetti, but I did not carb load in the days before the race. My breakfast both mornings consisted of sautéed spinach scrambled with eggs and a little blue cheese and a. Despite this lack of classic carbohydrates, I did not hit a glycogen wall of any sort on either race day. I ate most of my breakfast 3 hours before the race start and the banana 30 minutes before, so it all head plenty of time to digest. More importantly, I never felt hungry during the race and usually by about half way through my stomach is growling and my blood sugar is crashing. I also usually go through more gels during the race, but found myself needing less than one per hour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27ztDdBlWQDl2RQoHaO_MCJbGVlXW-QoveMXx8fsqHhTY8ox-uQQ0F74UCdWLNfhFPDCfbenkRAdcsWRjstGzxGxoPVYzsHWCQrf2GOHHKvFSypspaGizTDuKX0vOJgJc2inX-6pNQqCK/s1600/21764_10151278335069648_1218832295_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27ztDdBlWQDl2RQoHaO_MCJbGVlXW-QoveMXx8fsqHhTY8ox-uQQ0F74UCdWLNfhFPDCfbenkRAdcsWRjstGzxGxoPVYzsHWCQrf2GOHHKvFSypspaGizTDuKX0vOJgJc2inX-6pNQqCK/s320/21764_10151278335069648_1218832295_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the nearly deserted finish area and stacked equipment on the right.<br />
This is what a 5 hour finish looks like in South Korea! </td></tr>
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For recovery I went with anything I even suspected would help and repeated the ritual after Sunday’s race too. Ice bath, thigh high compression stockings (available at your local drug store under the name of diabetic or anti-embolism stockings) foam rolling and marathon stick usage, antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatories in the form of green and rooibos tea, with tart cherry juice concentrate. I did also take Naproxen right after the race. As wonderful as a glass of wine sounded on Saturday night, I passed on the alcohol and went with water and tea. I may have had a glass of wine Sunday night, but honestly I don’t really remember Sunday night much, LOL.<br />
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Looking back it was a rousing success and I will be willing to do it again if the opportunity to run awesome races back to back presents itself, although warmer conditions would be a big improvement. At least now I know the ropes for a double and will not hesitate to sign up for the Disney World Goofy! I think next I’ll look for back to back half marathons so I can level up in the Half Fanatics <br />
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WendyBirdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10118478530527972078noreply@blogger.com0