Drunken race report

One of my prizes for 3rd place!

Okay, so maybe I'm not completely drunk, but I have enjoyed a bit of wine and beer today, because it is my birthday after all. I turned 46 today and that has made all the difference in how I feel about the race I ran. The thing is: I race pretty darn fast for a freakin' 46 year old. That was confirmed when they announced my result at the awards ceremony and mentioned it was my 46th birthday. The gasps from the crowd were audible and the cheers were overwhelming. I think, because I'm surrounded by other masters that are so amazing on a consistent enough basis, I forget how remarkable it is to place as high as I do in races at my age. I really, really tried to soak it in despite my general disappointment in my race performance.

The stats: 3rd place female, 18th overall with a time of 1:25:29.

I did not go into this race thinking it would be a stinker. I had two very bad, short, training runs leading up to the race, but that is pretty much par for the course. In fact, sometimes it seems as though the worse I feel in the couple of days leading up to a race, the better I preform on race day. Bottom line: I did not let the heavy-legged feeling I had the last two days bring me down.

We stayed in Sonoma last night and that was great. No crazy early morning wake up call, just the usual 5 a.m. I will report one thing that was out of whack, though I have been enduring this for a couple of months. I have been retaining water like a mofo. For those of you who have suffered from this, you know it can lead to some really awful feelings during workouts and races. I have been retaining between 3-5 pounds of water weight and generally experiencing miserable GI issues for the past few months. More on that later, but just know that I woke feeling like I had a camelbak installed around my middle. Since this has been how I have felt for the past two months, I didn't feel like it was particularly strange, so I am hesitant to use it as an excuse.

The race start was not ideal. The busses were packed and we arrived later than we wanted to the start area. The portable toilets had 30-40 minute lines with only 20 minutes to the start, so I went in search of farm worker portables with success. The line was much shorter for these!

I jogged back to the start and after a few minutes we were off. The course starts with a brutal uphill right away. Supposedly, then it runs downhill for a couple of miles before flattening out. However, those next few miles were definitely rolling pretty nicely. It was in those first few miles that I realized my breathing was labored far more than it should be for the paces I was doing. I was patient and just tried to run by effort. I ordered myself not to look at my Garmin until mile 6. At mile 6, I was running somewhere around 6:25 pace. And, I was breathing hard!

I then did something I've never done in a race before: I shut off my watch. I didn't want to know the details any more. I didn't want my expectations interfering with my experience. I wanted to enjoy this long run through a beautiful countryside on my birthday. I slowed to an effort I knew I could hold, and I just crossed my fingers that the 4th place woman wouldn't catch up to me. Several men caught me and passed me, but no women did.

I feel really ambivalent about how I ran this race. I know that I couldn't have pushed myself harder without risking dropping out. Mentally, I held my shit together, I think. I could have broken down at mile 6, but I made the decision that enjoying the race and finishing were higher priorities. The story I was concocting while in the race wasn't nearly as positive as the one I'm telling now. I guess I've run enough races to know that perspective changes after a race is over.

What I thought about the last 7 miles of this race was what I should do next week. Should I start marathon training for my first attempt at an OTQ in Chicago? Should I go with Plan B and run CIM? I feel like I am leaning pretty hard towards punting to CIM and right now is the time to make that decision. There are a lot of benefits to going that direction: I am currently leading the Pacific Association Masters Long Race Series and CIM is on the list of focus races. So are two other races that I couldn't do if I ran Chicago. I know several runners shooting for the OTQ at CIM. It's in my backyard, literally. Chicago requires financing to get there though the payoff for placing well in the masters' race is very lucrative. I also have this history with Chicago and therefore a certain magical feeling about the place.

Tough decisions ahead for me. Coach Hadley and I are in discussions about this currently, but no decisions have been made.

So, here I sit. Typing away at my keyboard with some seriously droopy eyelids. All in all, it's been a great day. The Genius has treated me well and I got to hang out with some of my Impala Racing Team peeps today in a beautiful place.            

Just look at that handsome couple!

The birthday girls: Michelle and Jaymee. We both turned 21 today! Just in time to enjoy some yummy champaign cocktails!
 

Thanks to everyone for sending me good wishes on my birthday. It really has been a great day!

I just need a 12 mile warm up

I have been neglecting my blog lately, and I apologize to those of you who have been waiting to hear how my 5000m race on the track went two Sundays ago. Bottom line: it sucked in a major way. I tried to search for some little crumb of positive that came from driving 2 hours each way to run a 19:00 5k, but you know what? There isn't one and there doesn't have to be. I didn't feel good from the very beginning of the race, and it just didn't get any better. So there you go.

Coach Hadley may have summed it up best by saying that I must just need a 12 mile warm up given that I ran a workout within my long run the weekend before with the last 3 miles faster than I raced this 5k. So, basically I'm not dwelling on the race. Sometimes you have a bad race. The sun still came up the next morning and nobody took away my birthday.

Since that race, I've had some good workouts. I ran 5 x 1 mile repeats on the bike trail Wednesday morning. I averaged 6:01 for the set which is a 5-7 second improvement over the last time I did the workout. And, I think the last time I did the workout I spent a lot more time lollygagging between repeats (though I wasn't supposed to). The most brilliant thing about that workout was that I ran it with friends! This is something that I have needed for a while--a posse of runners to meet up with so I can get my hind quarters out the door for workouts. It also helps to push me during the workout and keeps me honest. I love that I have so many fast ladies in the area to run with and that they are willing to do some of my workouts! I'm looking forward to 12 x 400m with the group Wednesday.

Yesterday, I had my first 20 mile day of the cycle. I ran 5 miles in the morning with my puppies and then jumped on the treadmill for 15 in the evening. My disdain for the treadmill has oddly turned into excitement. I seem to run so well on the thing and it has some distinct advantages for me right now:

1. It is helping me to learn to negative split and really push my effort at the end of workouts. For whatever reason, I have had trouble lately starting out too fast on the roads in my workouts and have been positively splitting or taking a longer rest period during the workout than prescribed.
2. I can see how my heart rate is affected by increased/decreased pace and recovery. What else is there to focus on?
3. Mentally, this is much tougher for me than running on a trail or road. It takes so much mental effort to stay on the treadmill for 15 miles. I always feel like I have accomplished something monumental when I'm done.
4. It's cool inside the gym. It's not outside.

There are also some distinct disadvantages:

1. I feel like I'm cheating. I never believe the paces I see on the treadmill. Even adjusting for lack of wind resistance by upping the incline, I still won't believe it is the same or even close to the same.
2. I don't race on the treadmill. It is an ideal environment, so what I can do on the treadmill doesn't necessarily equate to paces I can run on the roads in a "real world" environment.
3. It engages musculature differently. We use less of our hamstrings when running on a treadmill since the whirring belt helps finish our stride for us.
4. It. Is. Boring.  

This treadmill workout had a 5 mile warm up, 5 mile tempo, and 5 mile cool down. I ran the first 5 at a steadily decreasing pace from 8:00 down to 6:45. I took the opportunity to listen to a book I am currently fascinated by, Top Dog, by Bronson and Merryman. This book is really helping me understand how our brains work especially related to competitive situations. I am developing curriculum for a runner-specific mind training program right now, and this book (along with all of the citations it's packed with) is really helping shape it. This stuff fascinates me to no end! I've been surprised numerous times in reading the book how out of date the common thinking is about how our minds work in training and competition.

At 5 miles in, I stopped the mill and switched to some power music for the next 5 mile tempo section. I started out conservatively with a 6:15-6:20* pace (*Take all paces with a grain of salt. I cite them only for comparative purposes) first mile. The last time I did this workout a month or so ago, I ran the 5 miles at 6:29 pace. I was pretty sure I would run faster than that! I was itching to increase the pace right off the bat, but I was patient. I'm sure that made a huge difference. I cranked down the next two miles until I was around 6:03. Mile 4 was 6:00 pace and I let myself crank the pace down for the last mile every minute until I was running 5:18 pace for the last minute. My heart rate got up to 90% of max which is right in the middle of the typical tempo range according to Daniels.

The last 5 miles were the hardest for me mentally. I was dreading them actually. I switched back to my audiobook and set my mind to focus on the task at hand. I started this section at 7:30 pace and ended it at 6:30 pace. I ran it faster and faster because I wanted to finish it! I was tired by the end, but I don't feel like I overdid it.

I have a race coming up. It's a half marathon. I am tapering for it. I have no idea what I will run there. I know now, after reading Top Dog, that just "thinking positively" about it will likely lead to a poor performance. Instead, I have realistic expectations that I could have a very good day if I feel good and everything lines up, including some planets. I've run the race a couple of times before, so I know what to expect. The weather may be warm but not miserable. So, the external factors appear to be lining up. Now, we'll just have to see how the physical and mental pieces fall in place. I have had some good workouts that tell me I am fairly fit, though not in top shape. I also just ran a 19:00 5k, so there you go.

I promise to write a race report right after the half marathon regardless of how it goes! I will likely be drunk since I'll be running from Napa to Sonoma and staying the night in Sonoma. It should be entertaining if nothing else.

RAF gets a face lift

I've spent a bit of time freshening up this blog site. A spiffy new logo, tagline and overall look. Seems much happier to me. Let me know what you think!

In the mean time, I'm continuing to train and race like a she devil. I will run my first 5k in a long time tomorrow on the track. It should be a lung-opening experience. I'll post the deets after she's done.

A Coffee Mystery and a Training Update

http://www.coffee-cereal.com

A couple of months ago, I woke up and didn't want coffee. So what, you say? So what? I am THE coffee queen! I want coffee as soon as I rise in the morning and love to drink it all day long. I love the taste, the smell and the feeling I get from coffee. It goes beyond the caffeine, too. I have nearly every device made by man for  preparing coffee: two espresso machines, a stove top espresso maker, a Chemex glass filter, the AeroPress, the Cold-filtered Coffee Toddy, multiple french presses, and even a Belgian style syphon coffee maker. That's how much I love coffee. So, you can imagine how shaken up I was that morning and the months that followed.

I initially wrote it off as me coming down with a cold. I have disliked coffee in the past when sick. However, I never got sick and still did not like coffee. For months, I have forced myself to drink it, even though I didn't really want it or like it. I was embarrassed to reveal my new aversion to anyone who knew me. Why was this happening?! Was I going through some weird mid-life change that all women experienced? One coworker asked if I had had a stroke. Maybe? was my answer.

I am happy to report that the culprit was the allergy medicine I was taking. I stopped taking it Monday, and bam! Love coffee again. I also started craving my usual yogurt, fruit and granola parfait that I have had nearly every morning for the last three years. That's right, I couldn't stomach the stuff while on the allergy meds. Weird, right?

I also have been feeling a lot stronger this week. One of the reasons I stopped taking the allergy meds was that I wondered whether they might be responsible for a lethargic feeling I had been dealing with for the past few weeks. I had been feeling so poorly, in fact, that I went in for more lab tests to see if my electrolytes were out of balance or if my iron stores were low again. Actually, my blood work was amazingly normal. Electrolytes right in the normal range and my ferritin was a shocking 71 ng/ml! 71!! I have never had levels higher than 40. I am very happy with that. This is all good news leading into a hot summer of training.

Speaking of training...this week was all about building strength. I have been good about doing my strength work again--something I lost touch with in my last training cycle after about 8 weeks. I have added plyometrics, drills, sprints and strides back into my weekly routine. I did 12 x 400 meter hill repeats on Wednesday in the midday heat and felt particularly strong. I ran at altitude in Yosemite on Friday on a trail that was labeled as "moderate". It started with a 1300 foot climb. Tonight, I have to admit I wimped out and hopped on a treadmill for a tempo run to avoid the 109-degree heat. I sacrificed boredom for running 6 miles at actual tempo pace within my 15 mile long run.

Except, I didn't run 6 miles at tempo pace. I ran 9! I felt so incredible that I just wanted to keep going. The workout was supposed to be 3 x 2 miles between 6:10-6:20 pace. I started on the slower end with the first repeat and then increased my tempo to 6:10 pace for the last 2 miles. I didn't feel tired at that point and had 4 more miles to run on the machine. So, I decided it would be easier to run at 6:10 pace for another repeat than 7:00-7:30 pace, recognizing I could stop at any point if I felt tired. I ran 1 mile at 6:09 pace, then bumped it down to 6:00 pace. At the end of two miles, I still felt great and my HR was still in the lower end of the tempo zone. So, I cranked her down to 5:50 pace and rode out the last mile there. I could have gone longer, but I figured 9 miles of tempo work was enough.

I know that paces on the treadmill are a joke, and I don't take them seriously at all. To keep things fun, I hopped around to different treadmills for each different repeat. There was hardly anyone in the gym and I just really needed to spice things up. What I did like was staring at the wall with the words "Change Your Life" printed in enormous letters. When I run strong, I feel like I can change my life in a positive way.  

Most importantly, instead of feeling exhausted with all of this work, I feel myself getting stronger and more energized. My speed is taking its own sweet time catching up this training cycle, but I know it will eventually arrive. I originally had some 5k races scheduled for June, but I just haven't felt up to the task. I do have a 5000m track race on my calendar for next weekend, so we'll see how that goes. I will also be racing a half marathon on my birthday in late July. I hope I am able to improve both strength and speed so I make a good showing there.

My weekly mileage is nudging back up into the 70s and that feels good too. I am getting lots of run time with my critters these days. I even started running the legendary Coach T. She is 12 now and can only do 1-2 miles at 10:30-11:00 pace, but I love watching her trot along next to me. She's actually helped me see the value in a very slow cool down run. Always the coach.

It seems hard to believe that Chicago is only 15 weeks away. I have some long, hot weeks of training ahead, but I am looking forward to seeing how fit I can become in that time.

It's going to be a hot one!!!

BIG NEWS!

No, I am not having a baby. Thank goodness!

I did however, retire from the military at the end of last month which means I have a little more time to…

Wait for it…

Coach runners!

That's right. I am officially looking for crazy athletes to work with to achieve their craziest goals. I have a website and everything. Check it out here and let me know if you are crazy or interested!

I'll post an update on my training soon, I promise! But for now, just know that it's going well.

confessions of a former badass

I’m not sure I’ve ever asked this question after a race before: 

How did I run that fast?

It’s not like I blitzed the Eugene course in some incredible time. However, when I took a hard look at my training and work life in the 4-5 weeks leading up to the race, it seemed like a pretty fair question. I also found that answering the question revealed some critical lessons about how to balance work and recovery.

Runners are crazy. Read about us in any magazine story, blog post or running-related tweet and you'll see that. We love to talk about how tough we are; running the hardest workouts as fast as possible without puking (though puking often scores bonus points). We feel like complete slackers if we don’t get in our recommended daily allowance of miles.

We live for our numbers: lap splits, mile paces, weekly mileage totals. The numbers make us feel prepared. We get a special feeling of satisfaction from surviving the brutal training that we put our minds and bodies through on a regular basis. 

 This is the focus and drive that makes us bad ass.

Anything, be it injury, illness or other life obligations, that keeps us from getting in our RDA of mileage is like kryptonite, depriving us of our running superpowers. This for me is the hardest thing about running: tempering my natural drive to push myself harder with smart decisions about rest and recovery. It is, in fact, one of the great reasons to have a coach. Having someone else make you take a break is much more palatable than having to make the decision yourself.

I've mentioned too many times before that my training was not ideal leading up to Eugene. I didn't allow myself to look very closely at my training log in the weeks leading up to the race, because I knew it would mess with my brain. That was a good decision because this is what I would have seen:

My four weeks of training (incl.  some work info) leading up to the Eugene Marathon (click to enlarge).  

  

It ain't pretty. Even worse was looking at the average weekly mileage for the 20 weeks of training leading up to the race and including race week: 53 miles per week. Executing my plan as written would have had me around 65-70 mpw.

Those last 4 weeks were mental torture for me. Every day that I made the (smart) decision to forgo my run or workout brought my confidence down a notch. I tried to justify to myself that all the hiking and climbing I was doing was a good substitute for training all the while hearing voices in my head saying, "the only thing that makes a runner faster is more running".

Then, there were the low iron levels discovered 5 weeks out from the race. I felt pretty confident that I could get the numbers up with heavy supplementation in the weeks before race day, but it was just another reason why I would probably not have a good race.

My marathon paced workout the week before the race was supposed to be that last chance to get the feel for marathon pace, except that I felt like stopping multiple times during the 8 mile workout and did. I ran about 6:22 pace for the whole thing, but I stopped so many times, I lost the value of feeling the pace. It was just one more nail in the fast-marathon-time coffin I had built. The final week of the race, I didn't even get a chance to run my workout of 2 x 2 miles @ GMP.

Oh, and that 3-4 pounds I was expecting to slough right off during my hard training? Never happened. I weighed in 3 pounds over my typical marathon racing weight in the weeks leading up to the race. 

So, why did I run within a few minutes of my PR at this race? I think it's precisely because I took the rest I needed when I needed it. I listened to that little whiny voice in my head telling me I was too tired to get out the door, and I did not open the door. I opted to stay on the couch or sleep instead. Wow, that's hard to admit.

Coach Hadley and I exchanged some thoughts on this, and we agreed that I had done a good job of letting my body dictate my running schedule. It was a tough thing to have to report week after week-- that I had failed to run the workouts he planned for me, or that I had not run at all for a few days. I was making these decisions, and I felt like a failure. He never made me feel that way, of course. I just felt horrible having to admit I didn't get the work done. Coach Hadley did a remarkable job of adjusting my schedule around all of this craziness.

We also agreed that I had completed a block of really solid training up until about the last 6 weeks of my program. By allowing for lots of recovery, I kept from getting overtrained or injured and thus preserved the fitness I had gained. I also ran the race well. I went out a bit fast, but I ran within myself the whole time. I stayed focused and determined. Having 19 other marathons under my belt was a real advantage. I know how I should feel at different points in the race and was able to use that to my advantage. 

Each marathon race is a lesson and I've always tried to take the time after the fact to learn from it. I've probably spent a lot more time than normal on this one because it was so anomalous. Those can be the most important ones to dissect. 

I guess the main reason I wanted to write this post was to show you (and me when I look back on this) that you can have a crappy training cycle and still have a great race. It is possible to run a decent marathon on 53 miles per week and with race times that don't come close to predicting a 2:48 finish.  

There's something else that characterizes successful runners: the never-ending desire to improve. So, I'm making my plans for a fall marathon and start my new training plan in earnest next week. Next stop, Chicago and my first attempt at 2:43!

I love that trait.

Winning

Okay, this is one of the dumbest finish line photos ever. I was trying to honor Boston and break the tape after running 26.2 miles. Glad I didn't fall over doing that move! Photos by Kelly Barten.

No wait. This one's worse. Second Place finisher did start to fall down and was put in a wheelchair. That's giving it everything you have!

I'm pleased to report, for those of you who haven't already been bombarded by facebook posts and tweets with the news, that I won the Eugene Marathon women's race! I met my goal of winning and raced faster than I thought I would crossing the line in 2:48:50: both very cool achievements. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has sent me messages, Facebook comments and tweets congratulating me. It means a ton to have such fantastic support from friends, family and the running community at large.

The Guard Register did a nice post-race write up that you can find here.

Eugene is a great place to run and race. I have run the Eugene Marathon twice before, so I knew what the course looked like and what to expect. This time, the race finished in Hayward Field rather than Autzen Stadium where it had both times I ran it before, and I was really looking forward to that.  The thought of possibly breaking the tape while running down that track to the finish seemed a little too good to be true.

If you read my Marathon Eve post, then you know that I wasn't terribly confident heading into the race. My goal all along was to win, but I also knew that depended heavily on who showed up to race. The Elite Coordinator sent a message to the elite athletes last week, and I noticed a lot of very fast women on the list. I will admit that I was intimidated. Even more intimidating was actually seeing these young, fit competitors in the elite tent the morning of the race.

Race weather was absolutely perfect: mid-50s and overcast at the start and little to no wind. I ate my normal pre-race meal and felt pretty decent. I milled around in the elite tent and did an uncharacteristic little warm up (hip flexibility exercises, light jogging, a few drills) about 30 minutes before. I did this mostly because I needed to burn off a little energy. I was never anxious or nervous before the race. In fact, I was a little worried that I would have a hard time getting into the race simply because I didn't feel much of anything beforehand. As we headed to the start line, I realized I needed to pee. It felt kind of urgent, but I usually feel that way right before the race and my body resorbs the excess fluids somehow. Unfortunately for me and another girl with the same need, there were no facilities close enough to the start to relieve ourselves so we both just held it in.

We assembled for the start and listened to a poignant message from Stephanie Rothstein-Bruce who reminded us to cross our hands over our hearts as we crossed the finish line in support of the Boston victims. I made a mental note of that.

And then we were off. This race starts both the half and marathon runners together. I found out that it is very easy to get drawn out by the speedy half marathoners and impossible to know where you rank in the marathon with everyone mixed together until the two races split at about the 10 mile mark. My race plan was to start out at 6:30 pace for the first 10 miles. That was the pace I felt I could definitely hold for this race based on my training. I would then try to pick it up the next 10 and hold my shit together for the last 10k.

Well, I started a little hot that first 10 miles mostly due to finding a couple of great groups to pace off of. I also felt fantastic at the pace we were doing. The only real hills in the race come during that first 10 miles, so my paces were slightly erratic, but I averaged around 6:18-6:19 for that first part. As soon as the race split, I saw all of my speedster pacers head off in the direction of the half finish line and I was headed out to the Willamette River for the scenic tour.

It became clear to me within the first couple of miles after the split that I was the first woman because people were telling me that. It's always hard to know exactly, because you don't know whether people are really paying attention. Then, right before the 1/2 marathon point, a man who I could tell was paying attention, rode up on his bike and told me that the second place woman was right behind me. She had me in her sites and she was a strong runner. He also told me there was a chase pack behind her, but they were not a threat "unless I decided to run back towards them". I guess I must have looked strong too.

And I was feeling very strong at that point. I was just concentrating on keeping each mile faster than 6:30 pace. I am not sure why my chip didn't register at the half and 20 mile stations, but I did look at the clock at the half and it read 1:23:05. Now I know that second place was only 10-15 seconds behind me at that point! Even without that information, I had no reason to doubt that she was right behind me. I tried to just concentrate on running my race. I admit I was running scared the entire second half knowing I would probably slow down and just waiting for her to catch me.

Around mile 18 or 19, I realized that my body had not resorbed my excess fluid and I really had to go pee. It was getting very uncomfortable. I could pull a Paula Radcliffe and slip off to the side for a quick one, but I didn't want to give up any time with speedy on my tail. There was a nice stretch on the trail where there were no spectators or other runners (that I could see) and I just let go. It was gross and a bit humiliating, but I felt so much better afterward even with my soggy shorts, socks and shoes! I was shocked at how much I really had to go! This turned out to be a very smart decision. Had I pulled off to go pee, I almost certainly would have given up my lead and possibly lost the race. Judge if you will, but I'll take the win any day of the week.

Everything dried out quickly, and I felt much better for the next few miles. The race then headed up and over the River to make its way back to Hayward. I was still concentrating on holding my pace under 6:30, but that became increasingly difficult as I got past 20 miles. My paces slipped into the high 6:30s and then hovered around 6:40-6:45 for the last few miles before I turned onto the streets of Eugene headed back to Hayward Field. Those last few miles were torturous. There were very few runners ahead of me, and with the winding trail, I would go for 5-10 minutes without seeing anyone. There were few if any spectators on that stretch except for some very cheerful volunteers at the water stations. I was gulping water by this point. I really don't know why I was so thirsty, but I couldn't get enough water.

I knew I was fading in those last few miles and my legs were just dead. For whatever reason, all I could think to tell myself was, "this is your race to lose." What does that even mean? I had nothing left to give at that point should my nemesis have somehow managed to catch me. The couple of guys that did catch me gave me a good scare. I finally realized I was going to win the race when I rounded the turn to enter Hayward and heard the crowd going nuts. I heard my name announced shortly after that and saw the banner being held for me to break. I barely had time to wrap my brain around what was happening but somehow got my hand to my heart and managed to stay upright across the line. Wow.

I was immediately greeted by the elite coordinator, Ken, who congratulated me and got me some water.  I then talked with a few reporters and was finally able to find the Genius beyond the finish line holding area. He had finished in 2:43 and was not allowed to stick around to watch. He didn't even know I had won!

I promised a friend I would post my fueling strategy for this race. It has remained pretty much unchanged for the past 15 marathons I've done. I take one gel with a little water (Gu Roctane blueberry pomegranate flavor) about 15 minutes before the race starts and then one every 5 miles (miles 5.5, 10, 16 and 21 in this race) always with a cup of water at a water station. I plan this out ahead of time based on where the water stations are and never mix sports drinks with the gel. I like being self sufficient and not having to rely on elite fluids. This recipe has worked perfectly for me year after year. Hope that helps!

I had a beer post race with the Genius and then got a bottle of wine and 5-lb bag of Krusteaz Pancake Mix as a prize. I'm supposed to get a year's supply of pancake mix, though I don't know how many 5-lb bags that equals. I got a quick massage which I think really helped to work out the kinks in my calf muscles. Overall, I felt great during the race with only a few twinges in my right hip flexor and gluteal muscles. Nothing that a little lacrosse ball action can't hammer out! My shoes definitely need washing!

The Genius and I drove and ate our way home that afternoon. We had huge burgers in Eugene and then two over-sized meals with two big milkshakes for dinner at a Black Bear Diner.

I am finally letting the glory of this experience sink in. It still seems like it happened to someone else, but I keep seeing my face in that photo. I guess this 45-year-old mother of 5 (cats and dogs) did just kick all those young girls' butts all over Eugene, didn't she? Feels kind of good.