Girls' Weekend & HM#8

Nancy, Rachel, Kacie and I met up in San Diego last weekend for a girls' weekend!  We wanted somewhere that was warm and where we could do a race together.  Nancy & Kacie did the 10k (they both could have totally done the half, but were being nice to their bodies), and Rachel and I did the half marathon.  We had a great weekend shopping, talking, eating, running & sleeping!!

I never know how a race is going to go for me - so much is determined by how I feel that morning and during the race.  What I did know is that I felt prepared.  I trained by pushing the kids in the stroller for 2.5-3 miles runs during the week, and ran my longer Saturday runs with my college roommate, Sarah Tolman.  We ran 10 miles twice (but right after one of those long runs, I hiked Camelback Mnt with Brandon, so I counted that as my 11.5 mile).  During my training runs (while pushing kids and talking), I was pacing around 10 minute miles.  Then the week before the race, I ran 5 miles everyday by myself and realized that I might be able to pace somewhere around 9:15 to 9:30 miles, but didn't want to psych myself out or get too excited.

The morning came and I always pace a little too fast the first 3 miles (9:00 miles), but I felt good and met a lady named, Julie, who seemed to be running right at my same pace, and my body felt good.  She had already ran 7 miles before the race - it was a training run for her as she is preparing for the Phoenix Marathon at the end of February.  Around mile 8, we hit a few small hills and I felt like I wanted to slow down my pace to about 9:30, but then I realized that my little runner angel, Julie, was not going to leave me, so I pushed through and we kept up a steady pace around 9:05.  Around mile 10 or 11, I started to feel lousy - I had eaten a banana and a baby orange before the race, and that orange was too acidy for my stomach (lesson learned) and I felt like I was going to throw up.  I told Julie to go ahead without me and she said she wouldn't leave me and so I pushed through again.  I was saying continuous prayers and reminding myself that this was much better than child birth - good motivation!  We crossed the finish line and I went right to the side and threw up that dang orange.  Then I felt great!

My final time was 2 hours, 32 seconds (2:00:32)!!  It was a personal record for me, and I don't think I would have done it that fast without my new friend, Julie.  I know it seems silly, but it was very kind of her to take me under her wing on her training run and encourage me to reach my potential.

Half Marathons & Time Completed:
1)  March 2003 Moab, UT  2:03
2)  March 2004 Moab, UT  2:07
3)  March 2005 Moab, UT  2:02 (w/ Brandon 2:02)
4)  May 2007 Racine, WI  2:09 (w/ Brandon 1:55)
5)  May 2009 Kenosha, WI  2:16
6)  June 2011 Wasatch Back Ragnar UT 14.5 miles (Brandon 18.5 miles)
7)  July 2013 Salt Lake City, UT  2:38
8)  February 2015 San Diego, CA  2:00:32 *PR*
9)  February 2015 Phoenix, AZ Time TBD

My new friend, Julie, from San Diego

I love how Kacie is on her tip toes and I am slouching - we are funny and shouldn't care about short/tall, but we do!