April Marathon of the Month: Yakima River Canyon

Next April (most likely the first Sunday) will mark the 13th annual Yakima River Canyon marathon in Washington state. The 15 mile Yakima River Canyon lies in central Washington between the towns Yakima and Ellensburg. The area is designated as a nature preserve, home to the densest population of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state. The canyon walls rise as much as 2000 feet above the river that carved it. Just shy of a 2 hour drive from Seattle, it makes for a great destination. The marathon course is described as follows: "This point-to-point marathon course is exceptionally scenic as it offers spectacular views of the Yakima River Canyon. It starts on Canyon Road .2 mile south of the Berry Road intersection in Ellensburg, Washington. After two loops, it proceeds directly south to the canyon. There are two major hills and many curves as the course follows the Yakima River downstream on the asphalt surfaced highway. The long downhill just before the finish in rural Selah, Washington, near the canyon’s mouth contributes to the net elevation loss of a few hundred feet as it brings the runners to the Yakima Valley orchard and ranch country".

The marathon headcount is around 400 participants, and offers no alternative distances. The pre-race pasta feed appears to be the most optimum pre-race dinner location. Attending marathon pasta feeds are a nice diversion, as you get the opportunity to mingle with one another, and Bart Yasso is typically the guest speaker, who's very entertaining on and off the stage. (For those that don't know Bart, he works for Runner's World and wrote a book called, "My Life on the Run". We became friends when he ran on our relay team at Hood to Coast one year). Hey, for $8 a person, what a deal! I wouldn't expect an expo--just a packet pick-up at the civic center is mentioned. With a point-to-point course there appears to be a few moving parts to work through: shuttles, whether to stay near the start or finish, etc, but since it's small it's probably a lot easier to work through the logistics. Obviously, this is not a course for those who like a lot of spectators out on the course, nor does it appear to offer a lot of "swag". No, based on the reviews I've read from marathonquide.com the biggest draw is the scenery. Truly majestic. They offer a free awards ceremony/dinner late afternoon, which a lot of people said was great, but not sure how much "ruralness" I can take...I figure I'd be well on my way back to Seattle by then...who knows? Anyhow, this marathon truly falls into the "unique" category, so I'm considering it. How about you?

Easter Walk

Flagpole Hill

On Easter Sunday I decided to go for a walk! Everyone knows I typically hate walking, but my legs were still sore from the "too long" run the day prior, the gym was closed, it was too cold and windy for a bike ride (by my standards), and I wasn't in the mood to get on the elliptical at home. I decided to walk to Flagpole Hill and back, a route that partially included my solo "hood" run that I do about once a week and also some of the Tuesday Hill Run course.  It turned out to be quite an interesting walk! It's amazing what you notice when you walk instead of run...here are some highlights.

Rocco's Tree

I can't even count how many times we've ran past this tree, planted at the base of Flagpole Hill. I remember noticing that it was planted a few years ago in memory of someone, but until now never took the time to find out who. His name was Rocco, who apparently loved motorcycles, was a cool dude, and greatly loved.

My buddy

During the hill run we hear the peacocks squawk in the darkness as we head into the neighborhood. On some of my morning  runs I pass them as they walk about on Eagle road. There are probably about 15 or so, but one white peacock in particular is almost always out, as he was on this day. He always reminds me of my Aunt Mary, who loved peacocks, especially white ones.

Armadillo

I heard some rustling in the bushes, which is common to hear while running, but this time I was able to investigate the noise. To my surprise it was this big guy. I heard they're blind. Once he stuck his nose in the air and sniffed me out he ran off. No comment!

I think I'll get out for some more walks in the future to see what else I come across...

Marathon #30: Boston Marathon 2011

Following is my race recap from 2011's Boston marathon. Currently, this is the only marathon I have ever repeated. I ran it in 2003, and to date it is my slowest and worst marathon performance ever. Coincidentally, it's Toby's worst too. We vowed to return in 2010 for redemption, which Toby succeeded, but I had to defer due to injury until the following year. Will I ever run Boston again? No. I will always get excited as the marathon approaches, and if I'm ever in Boston along the Charles River I will smile as I see the CITGO sign in the distance, but I have too many marathons to get to, and am running out of time. What do I think of the Boston marathon? I think it's a marathon that needs to be on your list, but personally, not one of my top favorites. My CONS are: the qualifying process to get into it creates too much drama, it's a big marathon, which are not my favorites anyhow, and the course terrain is especially hard for me, particularly in the first half of the course with the downhills. My body hates running downhill courses! Strange, but true!
As far as my list of PROS go: Boston is a fun town, especially during marathon week-end, and being a part of the marathon is a big deal, and of course, the frigging jacket. I don't care if it is 80 degrees in Dallas when I return home: I'm wearing the jacket.

OK, so here is the race recap from 2011....

It was a sheer test of endurance. It seemed to go on an on forever and we never thought we'd make it....I'm talking about our flight home! We arrived in DFW (mid-air) around 5:15 PM, but didn't land at DFW until 10:00 PM. And no medal. But other than that fiasco, the trip was a blast! 

Being in Boston itself on marathon week-end is a blast. No other city embraces the event and the runners like Boston, and I can't think of any other marathon where the entire city seems to be taken over by runners. My roomies at the Park Plaza (Diane Golden's hotel, which is AWESOME) were the Steen-P sisters, Laura and Lisa, and James (Lisa's friend from California) was part of our crew, and also staying at the Park Plaza. We went to the expo together, ate, had beers together, rode the bus to the start together, hobbled about in the hotel room together, toured Boston on foot together (Holocaust exhibit and North end's Regina Pizza a must), and even shopped at H&M together. Great great travel buddies!!!

Ok...marathon specific...DIANE ROCKS! Her buses picked us up right outside the hotel.  We got to the start at Hopkington really quickly and set up our little camp out of the wind. Yes the two hour wait was dreadful--you just want to run already!! But it was entertaining too. We enjoyed watching the wave 1 and 2 people scramble to prepare. (Seriously, some of these guys needed their wives--what a mess). It was sunny, in the 50's, with a cold strong wind, which luckily for us, was out of the west, i.e, tailwind for the race! Gonna be a good good day...

Before you knew it, wave 3 was heading to the corrals. A little hysteria from some..."I only have 9 MINUTES TO GET TO MY CORRAL!!!!" This lady was losing it, and of course we were laughing at her. Good times already! And we're off! It took us less than 2 minutes to cross the start. I say the addition of the third wave was a success. We tried to stay together, but it was pretty crowded, so when Laura went ahead she was gone. We couldn't see her in the crowd. Lisa and I stayed together though, for a good long way, and it was really nice to get to know her and share stories. It helped me to take my focus away from all my inner fears of the course, which chewed me up and spit me out at mile 15 back in 2003...

It would feel a little warm, but then a strong cold gust would hit your back and cool you off from time to time. I was starting to struggle and slow down, so when we hit the hills Lisa looked back at me and I motioned for her to go on. (Not sure where--mile 18?) At that point I was ready to be alone--I knew I was going to have a much better finish than 2003, physically and mentally...

My stomach was nauseous after mile 20, so I didn't take any more gels and kind of fought off that burpy urge (ew). I afforded myself a walk break just before mile 25, with the CITGO sign looming--I had seen that sign last year from the Charles River when I was injured. I wanted to take it in, and take in the last mile as you turn onto Boylston street to the finish, because it's a finish like no other...I imagined I would get all emotional when I crossed the line, but I was more like, "Holy crap that was a kick in the pants!"!

James ran a 3:28, Laura ran a 3:57, Lisa ran a 3:59, and I ran a 4:05. 

Boston marathon...I don't know what I think of it. It's magical at moments. The screaming is relentless and LOUD! It's annoying at times. It's hysterical. The Wellesley girls and their signs...the crowds are huge...people are lined up on both sides, moving in, gauntlet like...Heartbreak Hill...it's lined with chalk messages...big hearts...It's a circus...it's interactive...the brief tunnel is so blissfully peaceful...On the one hand it's overwhelming and almost "too big", but then again it's so unique that everyone needs to experience it for themselves.

Thanks to all the training buddies, ESPECIALLY LAURA, Ah the memories: the ice slush run, Cowtown, epic journey to AA center, howling wind run, Loving hills over and over...in the end it paid off!!!

Boylston Street finish, a finish like no other

March Marathon of the Month: LA Marathon

The LA marathon has been added, removed, then re-added to my marathon wish list more than any other marathon. It was on my original list from back in the early 90's, but has had organizational issues, date changes, and course changes (not always good changes), so I was never really sure I wanted to run it. I'm almost scared to say it, but I think they finally got it together, so back on the wish list it goes!

The latest course layout appears to be the best course they've ever had, and they don't appear to be making any changes to it for 2013. It is a scenic point to point course, starting at the Dodger Stadium and finishing along the beach in Santa Monica. Some landmarks include: Little Tokyo, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Chateau Marmont, Rodeo Drive, and the Santa Monica Pier. It appears to be a great tour of the city, as it travels through downtown LA, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, West LA, and finally, Santa Monica. Terrain-wise, the course is far from flat, which is hard to tell from the elevation chart, as some reviewers on marathonguide.com pointed out. Still, the last 3 miles are downhill, which is always welcomed.  There's the added bonus of possibly bumping elbows with a movie star or two, as celebrities often run this race.

Be forewarned that this is a large marathon, with over 20,000 runners, so expect all the logistical craziness that goes with large marathons! The point to point adds the element of shuttle buses, which seems to work out best if you stay in Santa Monica as opposed to downtown LA, but there are hotel shuttles for those that do stay in the city. There were complaints on marathonguide.com about the expo being held in a tent, but it appears to be held indoors this year. Traffic issues getting to the expo? YOU ARE IN LA. You will be dealing with traffic during your stay in LA, and that's a promise. 

The main drawback would be the weather. Southern California gets a lot of rain in March, and a few years back they had monsoon-like conditions during the marathon. Not fun! It could potentially be warm, but with a 7:00 AM start and a coastal finish I think that wouldn't be too hard to handle.

The other drawbacks would include the high registration cost ($175 now), the crowded start; although they do provide seeded corrals if you're fast enough, and the crowded finish area in Santa Monica, which seems to be managed well enough, but crowded finishes aren't much fun in general.

I'm not sure when I will get around to running the LA marathon, but it is back on the list, so unless they change things for the worse, I will eventually run it! 

Get in the car, fool!

"Get in the car, fool" was my mantra for this past Sunday...Although I was signed up for the Lost Dutchman marathon, I had been injured and couldn't train for it. A 13 mile test run in January set back my stress fracture from healing. That's when I decided I would not run the marathon. Decision made. As my injury healed I started running "long" runs again, including an 18 mile run one week before the marathon. Still, in my mind, the decision had been made, as this 18 mile run was week 4 into training for the next marathon, in April.

The Lost Dutchman had a half marathon, but the course was lack-luster, just running out and back from Apache Junction. Toby pointed out that the best part of the full marathon was the first half, so why not run the first half of the marathon and drop out? My initial reaction to this idea was pretty vile, as DNF's in the running world are not highly regarded, but given some thought I realized this was a good plan. I could position the car near the half-way point the night prior, run the first half of the marathon,drop out at the car, then go check on Toby and Jamie on the course, and hopefully watch them finish too. That's when my brain went crazy. Could I drop out? Wait, with my 18 mile run could I actually finish? Did I want to try to finish on sub-par training? It didn't help that Mark Saxton was in the same boat, fitfully trying to make his mind up too.  What was worse in Mark's case was 1, his longest run (due to injury) was 12 miles, and 2, his brother was registered for the marathon too. If I thought Mark was having a hard time making up his mind, his brother Pete was worse, because at the start of the marathon I asked him if he was running the whole thing and he said, "I don't know". I am pretty sure that by race day morning Mark's mind was made up to run the whole thing. The night before the race I gathered up all the spare gels we had and seriously considered it. I worked through all the scenarios, but the final clincher was the car. It was already in place, and we would probably need the car to be at the finish. We'd get by if not, but it would make things more difficult, since we were checking out and leaving after the race. That's when my mind was made up to stick with my original plan, and in the end it turned out to be the right decision.

Ok, so race recap, here we go....The Lost Dutchman marathon in Apache Junction....an awesome marathon that should be on every marathoner's bucket list. Apache Junction is about 30 minutes east of Phoenix, and truth be told, it lacks charm. So don't expect much, except the fact that all the people associated with the race (mostly senior citizens) are extremely nice people. From the bus drivers to the volunteers camped out at the race start--all of them genuinely happy to be working the race for us.

The expo was small, which was to be expected, with only about 400 marathoners, along with a half marathon, 10K, and 8K. Runners got long sleeved tech tops, which were pretty nice.

The race is point to point, with the runners bused to the start at the base of the Superstition mountain before sunrise. As you arrive by bus there are individual little bonfires and carpet mats to situate yourself before the race start at 7:00 AM. I have to say this is probably my favorite marathon start. Very cool!

The race start was very low key. Toby commented that nobody wanted to be on the front line! So look for Toby on the race start photo when they come out. It did look like a lot of the runners were "seasoned" runners--some marathon maniacs and 50 staters in there for sure.

The race started without any fanfare, so peaceful and quiet! Really unusual!

The first 7 miles were on a dirt trail through the desert. The scenery was amazing. The sky had a pink hue to it at first, then the sun began its ascent. The air was dry to the bone and there was little to no wind. It felt really pleasant. I found running on the dirt required a little more effort, due to some traction loss, but nobody else complained about this. I am not known to be a good trail runner, so take that with a grain of salt. I just felt like on the uphills I slid a little. At any rate, I was happy to hit the asphalt. ;)

The course meandered through residential areas as it made its way to Apache Junction. The first neighborhood stretch was a steady uphill for a few miles, which surprisingly knocked the wind out of my sails. I really struggled at first, until I got into the groove, but I have to admit, the hilliness caught me off guard. Toby said it was the more of the same throughout the run, so be prepared for a hilly course throughout, not just on the Peralta trail. The neighborhood was really pretty though--still great scenery all around, with a few spectators here and there, some handing out bottled water or vaseline. Just all around nice people everywhere!

The car was actually parked along the 15th mile of the course, just as it turned onto the highway. Right before I got to the car there was an aid station with people cheering for me, which made me feel sick, as I grabbed a cup of water and walked off the course. It's really is hard to do this folks, even if it's planned beforehand, or even if you are sick or injured and it's the right thing to do. It is never easy! But...I did it...walked to the car as I took off my race bib (I am sure people were eyeballing me as a potential Rosie Ruiz). Off I drove to the 21-22 mile area to spot Toby and Jamie. I knew I was cutting it close for Toby. My cell phone alerted me of his 21 mile split as I pulled into position. I only had 5 minutes to spare! The course looked pretty desolate and not very attractive at this spot, so I seriously hoped they were enjoying themselves and not hating me for choosing this marathon!  Toby approached me and said something about "just surviving", and off he went. I got the mango Gatorade ready for Jamie and, while waiting, checked the updates I was getting on Mark. He and his brother had checked into mile 19 at a 4:33 pace! They were running the whole thing!

Jamie's image appeared in the distance, so I started jumping up and down. So cool to see your peeps on the course! She really tore into the Gatorade, said she was loving the course (whew), and having a great run. (I need to point out that after the race both of them said the last 4 miles were pretty boring). I made my way to the finish to hunt down Toby, as the phone told me he had finished with a 3:18. I found him sitting on a curb with white gauze all around his right fist like he had been in a bar fight. WTH?
He told me as he rounded the corner near the finish he whacked his hand hard on a barricade, slicing his hand open. That's when I noticed all the blood on his shorts and right shoe! Ew! What a gruesome finish line photo he'll have!

Jamie finished with a 3:53 and still had energy to spare, so we wandered over to the finish area to check out the food status. Just the usual snacks, some little breakfast burritos, but no fluids other than water, not even beer. Still, the finish area was laid out nicely enough. All in all, the organization of the race was great! There were no glitches that I can think of.

We had to miss Mark's finish because Toby had to go get stitches and we had to get ready to head out of town, but we all did meet up later to share war stories over burgers and beer. I was really impressed with Mark's run. He ran a 4:43 on no training on a difficult course. Zelda, Mark's wife, ran an impressive 10K as well!

Overall, it was a great trip. It was really nice to hang with Zelda and Mark, especially since they are from Arizona, and were able to point out a lot of interesting things about living in the desert. There's a lot of beauty to be seen here, and I'd love to go back and run the whole thing, so if you are reading this and want to run it let me know!

The world of "non-running"

Yes, it's been awhile. It's hard to blog about running when you aren't running all that much. What I thought was a tendon issue turned out to be a calcaneal stress fracture. (A stress fracture in the heel). I was able to run a little bit, but my main source of cardio had to come from other forms. Ugh. 

My "go-to" back-up cardio is cycling, and with that I mean OUTDOOR cycling, not mind-numbing spinning on my trainer while watching TV, or holed up in my torture chamber (wine room/cycling room/cat litter box room) strapped up to the Computrainer software --after a few winters of that I can honestly say I will never do any of that again...At least this has been an unseasonably warm January, so I have had a few good opportunities to get out on the bike, but not enough!

My next choice of cardio is the "stairmaster" at the gym. This is the contraption that has the revolving staircase, and it is a monster machine. There is nothing else in the gym as "badass" as this thing (with the exception of the dust-covered Nordic climber in the corner, which is downright scary looking). What do you get when you put an injured runner in need of a serious endorphin fix on this machine? 45 minutes of level 8 on the fat burner plus mode. Sweat everywhere. Not pretty, but very effective. Still, I can only take so much of the "gym scene". People preening about, the bodies draped across the cardio equipment with their legs flailing out of control, the crap music that I am trying to drown out with my own...just the whole scene is a bit depressing. Every once in awhile I spot another injured runner and we give each other that knowing look. We really want nothing more than to be outside, running. Pitiful.

So I tried a "fitness elements" class, which is a ramp-up to "Crossfit"....
I only did the one class, and I think this needs more research, as in actually going to a Crossfit gym and giving it a try. I liked the "circuit weight" aspect of the class, but my main problem was in trying to label this as "cardio". Did this actually count as cardio? Because I am so OCD about counting cardio I could not get past the fact that I was not taxed enough cardio-wise, long enough. So does it count as weight-lifting? What is it? I wanted to label it, put it in a box, but like yoga, it is its own category. Like yoga, it will benefit me in some way that running can't, of that I am sure. 

I thought about getting back in the pool. For about a second. My elliptical trainer at home has been convenient. I thought about trying out one of those P90X or Insanity tapes. Or maybe a class at the gym. Sigh. I can see how people become demotivated. It all comes down to doing something that you enjoy! Thank God I love to run! 

Anyhow, I'm happy to report I'm back to my regular running routine, more grateful than ever! So when's the next marathon? 

Top 10 Runs of 2012

One of many fun times in 2012

2012 was yet another great year of running of which I am very thankful for. I had very few injuries and managed to train for and finish all the races I had planned on. (With the exception of the Jogger Egg Nogger 15K a few weeks ago). We all shared our stories as we looped around the lake and up and over the hills in our neighborhoods. We had some highs and lows in our lives, per usual, but in summary, it was a great year overall.

Here are my top 10 runs, in calendar order.

1. Jan 8th: The First Light marathon in Mobile, Alabama. Although I had wanted to run this marathon for a long time, I was pleasantly surprised by the charm of Mobile, and the beauty of the course. Jamie and I ran, while Toby followed us along the course, providing us with mango Gatorade from time to time! (Yes, even in January it was a little warm). The residents of L'Arche Mobile (L'Arche is an international federation of communities in which people with an intellectual disability and those who help them can live, work, and share their lives together) hand-made our medals and handed them to us at the finish line! Even though our visit to Mobile was brief, it was a great one.

Jamie and I placed in our age groups!

2. Jan 28th: The Texas Half marathon. I'm always happy to survive a marathon and resume running and make a local race, such as this half marathon at White Rock Lake. Although the race itself wasn't all that spectacular, Laura Patterson and I had a good time running it. Afterwards we realized they had ran out of medals with finishers still on the course. We went to the finish line and gave our medals to two finishers who came in last.  It was a good day to be a runner!

3. March 3: Trinity River Levee Run. The race started and finished across the city's new Margaret Hunt Hill bridge. Seeing this bridge's construction from afar, I thought it was ugly, sticking up into the sky like a plastic straw, but up close I realized this bridge is spectacular! This was the first time in a long time that I'd ran a 10K, which used to be my favorite distance back in the day. I forgot how much I loved running 10K's. Even if these days the best I could do is get in under 50 minutes, it still felt "fast" and exciting! I vowed to do more 10K's during the year, but that never happened!

Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge race day morning

4. April 20th: The La Jolla Half Marathon in San Diego. Jamie trained on hills for this race, as I told her how hard it was 12 years ago when I had run it, but I had no idea that I would be going to run the race myself at the last minute. A month prior to the race they removed a cancerous mole from my foot, and since it was melanoma they cut a hole big enough to hold two quarters. (No, I didn't confirm this). With bandages still on my foot and no hill training to speak of I was in no shape for this race, but what the hell, it's San Diego, and I didn't want Jamie to go all by herself to San Diego! This course is stunning. It's a kick in the pants, but well worth it. I will not wait 12 years before I run this race again!

5. June 16th: Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Wow, what an incredible trip this was. Jamie, Laura, and I loved everything about this marathon. In fact, this marathon is now one of my all-time favorites. I still well up with tears when I think about running that stretch through downtown Duluth with all the locals cheering their hearts out for us.

Marathon finish line marker

6. July 15th: Trail running out at Oak Cliff Nature Preserve: This ended up being my only trail run of the year, as there is just too little time to do it all! Cindy and Michael took Jamie and I out there for a loop around the preserve, and it was really fun! We planned to go out there again, but that didn't happen! Next year, we must get back out there!

Trail running is dirty!

7. Sept 2nd: My 17 mile solo "journey", of which I blogged about. I ventured out from my front door to get a long run in and it seemed like an eternity of running. Not that it was fun, so much as it was memorable. I certainly prefer to do my long runs with others, but every once in a while a long solo run is just good for my soul.

8. Oct 20th: "Susan's 20". Susan mapped out a 20 mile route that would give us a much needed break from White Rock lake. Heading out into the darkness, several of us, down the Katy trail to the American Airlines Center, with the Dallas skylight above us, that was cool, and having Kelly with us for her first 20 mile run: "When do we get to eat", and "I'm feeling not so good right now. I feel weird", and later, "I think I'm going to make it"...I really loved the diversion, and this stands out as one of my more favorite training runs of the summer. (And yes, it was still summer in October!)

9. Nov 19th: Tulsa's Route 66 marathon: Although this was not one of my favorite marathons, I had to list it, because even ugly marathons are a blessing and I am always grateful that I have the ability to run them. I know I won't be able to run marathons forever, so I consider every one a gift. I didn't have a disastrous marathon either, and some of it was enjoyable, but mostly it was work. Marathons can be like that! It was great to be on the course with lots of friends, especially Laura Hebert, who ran her first marathon!

Priceless moment of 2012

10: Dec 25th, Christmas Day.Toby and I watched radar all morning until we thought we saw a window of opportunity to get a loop around the lake in. Well my friends, that was a really small window. Rain, small hail, strong bitterly cold north winds, and just after we finished-snow! Still, it was a top 10 run of the year, as this was my first loop since the Tulsa marathon because I had been injured with a strained tendon on my foot. So, no matter the weather, I was right where I wanted to be!

Here's to 2013 and many more great runs for all of us! Below are a few more priceless 2012 moments caught on film:

At the start of First Light, but we are always like this!

Ouch!

Beautiful bridge!

Pre-race dinner in Duluth

Pit-stop on yet another hot training run!

Getting it done!

Oak Cliff Nature Preserve on a beautiful morning

Finally, a marathon together, well at the start anyway...