Some days, things just don't go your way.

Here's an email I sent a co-worker that sums up my race.

Half marathon totally sucked. I was so sick. So sick. It was such a mental battle and all I wanted was to go home but my body wouldn't let me run faster to get home faster. At the end I was so frustrated I wanted to cry and I hurt so much.

I couldn't do anything. Totally sucked.

Some days, things just don't go your way, and this day was one of those days. I had one of my worst races ever. EVER! Don't get me wrong. It wasn't the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon, it was me.

I'll post more later. I promise!

Nike Women's Marathon San Francisco 2010

Finally!  I'm posting my race report. Soooooo...

On October 17, 2010 I completed my first marathon, the Nike San Francisco Women's Marathon!

I came. I saw, I conquered. Wooo! I ran my first marathon! The end. Ha! Just kidding.

So the day started at 5 a.m. I stayed at the Parc 55, so it was a short walk up to the start line. Neeks came and met me in the lobby at 6 and we both set off. Nervous and excited.

The night before I almost bailed on the race. At the end of the day I couldn't walk on my feet because of pain and it had been that way for over a week. I planned to start with Neeks, bail at a first-aid station along the race route and catch a medic ride to the finish, cry and wait.

Looks like I'm having too much fun doesn't it?

The first first-aid station didn't even have a tent! No way was I bailing at mile 2. NO WAY! I kept going. I decided to just keep going until I couldn't. It hurt my feet less to run than walk and the Nike music stations were too good anyway. I was even running faster than Neeks! Wow. I became her personal cheerleader. I'd run ahead and then stop and wait and when I saw her coming up I'd start cheering her on.

Mile 6 - The not-so-big hill. Thanks to WWU10KRUNNER who helped with training (WWU10KRUNNER called me the night before to wish me luck - Thanks DS!! It meant so much. AF was really impressed too!). This hill was easy. Yah, easy! I just zipped up it. I did so many hills on the Sunshine Coast that this hill was NOTHING!!!

Mile 11 - I ran off on Neeks. She gave me a really uplifting pep talk the night before. "We'll finish it together even if you have to crawl!" I felt sooooo bad. But I saw my pace-bunny pass me. And then another, and another, and another. FRIK! So I told myself, "Winnie, this is no silly, little game of hopscotch. Go, go, go!" 

Thank you Neeks and Duane for being there! I really, really appreciate you two. AF too. It's hard rushing from cheer-station to cheer-station, standing in the rain and waiting. Thank you.

Mile 18 - Oh yah! My feet hurt. Heck!!! They hurt! I finally stopped at a first-aid tent at mile 18. Chatted with a volunteer, signed a waiver and took 2 Tylenol.

Miles 19 or 20 thru to 23 were the hardest. This part of the route takes you around Lake Merced. At about mile 22 there were men practicing shooting. There's shooting practice. Shooting! Guns! That was kind of neat.

Mile 23-24 has got to be my favourite. There was a cheer-station hosted by Power Balance. They had the BEST music. I just wanted to stop there and dance.

I finished 5:32:19 which is WAY over my goal time but gosh! This crazy girl finished!!! I got my blue Tiffany box from a very handsome fireman in a tux and Nike sneakers. I put my necklace on right away. 

I really hope to get into the Nike Marathon again if not I hope to get into NYC marathon. For now I start training for the April Fools day half on the Sunshine Coast and the BMO Vancouver Marathon :-D

PS. I found the best fast food place at Westfield. It's called the Loving Hut. Vegan! But not gluten-free. (This was before I found out I was allergic.) I highly recommend it. I was so impressed! A vegan fast food joint in a SHOPPING MALL!

Seattle Rock N Roll Race Report: NOT YET!

I haven't got around to writing my race report from the sidelines yet so read my training buddy's race report at Confessions of  Lazy Athlete.

Note to MJ: Thank you so much for your patience and humour and for driving us around to wherever we wished! You are GREAT!!!

Race Report: BMO Vancouver Half Marathon 2010

Laid out my race wear 4 days before race day. Yep, I was that excited. My favourite sports bra, TNT tank top, favourite shorts, Asics running shoes, favourite socks, Nike+ running pod and watch. Not shown, my fuelbelt with 2 bottles of water and 2 bottles of blue Powerade. (I didn't need this in the end because the weather was so cool but I carried it anyway)

Went to pick up my race packet with Anna on the Thursday before the race.
Side-note: Drove up to Budgies Burritos after race pack pickup to get burritos for lunch. Yum! BIG yummy burritos for cheap!

The night before the race Neeks, her bf, my bf and I went and pasta-piggy-partied it up at Cactus Club. Mmm mmm! Drank lots of water. Oh, and the Canucks won! I got a good night's sleep, my douchebag neighbours didn't party and keep me up, yay!!

On the morning of the big BMO Vancouver Half Marathon day, I woke up at 5am, drank more water, ate 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and jam which was enough to get me through the entire race. Walked over to meet Bonbons and Neeks at 6:30am. The weather was the way I like it, cool and overcast.

I should introduce Bonbons and Neeks. I met Bonbons and Neeks last year through Team In Training. The three of us trained for our first half marathons and ran our first halfs at the BMO Vancouver. We've continued train together and in fact, Neeks and I went to run the Disneyland Half Marathon last year and the three of us are signed up to run the Seattle RnR Marathon. ALSO Neeks and I won entries through the lotto for the Nike Women's Marathon San Francisco!!! Yes WE ARE RUNNING TWO MARATHONS this year!!!! We also swim together and hopefully we'll be biking together too.

Back to my race report, I was still in the porto-potty line-up when the race started but that's ok. I have this nervous pee thing where I always have to pee lots before running, and only for running. Anyway better to empty than to run while needing the pee after I've activated my time-chip. So, we counted down with the announcer and cheered everyone on. "Woot woot!"

We ran together till about for about 10 minutes or so. Neeks runs a slower pace but Bonbons and I run about the same pace so we went on pacing each other throughout the entire race.

Miles 3 and 4 run through what used to be Japantown and Gastown. Somewhere between 3 and 4 I remember smelling pot. That's so Vancouver. I wonder what visiting participants thought.

At mile 5 the route goes through Stanley Park, a beautiful forest park just over 1,000 acres at the edge of the city and surrounded by ocean water (and it's practically my backyard!). As I enter the park I can smell the trees and earth immediately, I love this part of the run. The air cools a bit and it just smells fresh and there's always a nice breeze coming off the water. I also note that there is a bit of a stabbing pain going up the bottom of the arch of my right foot. The route leads up to Prospect Point. I used to think that this was a pretty big hill but I ran it - no stopping!!! I met a woman named Laura from TNT NYC chapter and ran up with her. We ran together up until the top and then she had to pause because she was having what she called, "a moment." I remember last year I couldn't run up this hill. I walked a good portion of it. One girl raced up the hill passing everyone yelling, "It's just a small hill! You can do it! Come on! It's just a small hiiiill!!!" and that became my hill-climbing mantra. "it's just a small hill... it's just a small hill..." at the top I saw the girl again and yelled back at her, "Thanks! You were right, it was a small hill!" Glad coach made up run up that hill on our training runs.

After Prospect Point everything is easy. I remember wondering if I should pick up my pace, I do a little bit but hold back in case I need more energy later. My pain in my right foot is still coming and going.

I picked up my pace a little bit more at the 17km mark and then I think a bit more at the 19km. At the 19km mark last year, my legs didn't want to go anymore. This is why I was conservative with my pace. But this time I felt like I could run another 10 more kilometres. I don't know for sure because I didn't try.

When I saw the last 3 or 400m marker sign I began to run fast and really gunned for it when I saw the finish line. I was sooooo excited and happy and felt like I was running on air "weeeeeeeeeee! weeeeeee!" I was saying in my mind and then suddenly as I was coming up on the finish line right there just before it. A race marshall let a big group of spectators cross RIGHT in front of me! My lovely flying "WEEEEEEE!" came to a halt. :-( boooo! So I started yelling at the group, "Go, GO GO!!!!" My feet didn't want to stop! I was Speedy Gonzales! The slow-poke group picked up their pace a bit and hustled on across my path. I continued across the finish line, I pumped my fist in the air. "Beep beep beep!" as I run over the time-chip mats. I'm done! Woooooo!

In the finish area I picked up my medal (yay!) I think I got some water and then walked over towards the TNT tent where my boyfriend was supposed to meet me. He greeted me with, "You yelled at me! You were so angry!" (I might say I'm feisty) "I even get in trouble when you're racing." It seems that he was in that slow-poke group who crossed my angry race path.

How I knew I was too conservative with my pace: I cheered and jumped around a lot and thanked volunteers all along the route. I wanted to go and run 6km more so that I was on top of my marathon training schedule but my boyfriend (like at every run event) was adamant that we get me a proper breakfast. I just did run a half-marathon after all. But really, it's him that's hungry, not me. hahaha! We walked home, I cleaned and then we walked over to one of my favourite breakfast joints, Deacon's Corner. I ordered my usual classic breakfast but with a side of biscuit and gravy. MMMMMmmmm!

Funny thing, my boyfriend got sore feet from walking to and from home and race and then to and from home and Deacon's.

Chiptime

2:14:32

Next up Neeks, Bonbons and I will be running our first FULL marathons at the Seattle Rock 'N' Roll Marathon!!!

To do in Seattle: Buy new runners and check out a pair of Newton running shoes

To do leading up to race day: For two weeks leading up to the BMO Vancouver I rolled my IT band on a foam roller and also used my rolling pin. Gotta keep it up.