Getting it DONE in Santa Rosa!

Wow! Is all I can say....

I was looking for a PR...all I wanted in Santa Rosa was a PR...might be a long shot to sub 3:32, but it was all I wanted to do in the race. I knew the course was flat..a lot like the Eugene Marathon where I ran that 3:32...SO I knew I could bring something! (even though I hadn't run anything longer then 10 miles since the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon!)

Here's how my race went...
Got to Santa Rosa around 7PM Saturday night...met up with @gregknottlemond for my pre-race chicken nachos and beer (rituals!) and talked a bit about my race strategy. Planned the meeting points...water...gu, salt...YOU know the whole deal! Finished up and headed to the hotel to meet @solorunner who just got in from Portland!

Went to sleep around 11...YES, I actually slept....this I knew was a sign of a good race...I was happy to wake up to FOG and not the SUN...got some coffee in me, half a bagel and @solorunner and I headed to the start to meet up with @gregknottlemond. QUIET at the race start...much more organized then I thought..not sure who was doing the half or the full..as all the runners walked to the start...

I filed in with the 8 min mile group...set my watch and turned on my play list. Sorta put myself in my zone..whatever that means! Count down and we were off..First mile I was pacing around 6:40..mistake number 1. Pulled myself together finally by mile 4 and was now about 5 mins ahead of my 3:30 pace...Got caught up with all the runners and was getting pissed that I got passed by 4 chicks. I had to fight with myself to slow it down to a 7:45 pace...It was tough...My first half was a PR for me..I ran a 1:38...and was feeling pretty good..I told myself I would race until 20 and then make a decision on incorporating Galloway..

Headed out on my second loop...the thing is with Santa Rosa you do the same thing twice...which I sort of liked..headed into mile 15 feeling strong...kept pushing my 7:40'ish pace. Didn't take water, NuuN..Gu or salt (dumb!)..My IT band stopped hurting and I was just focused on the miles. The half marathoners were coming at me as I was going out and they kept doing the #1 sign...I was clueless and kept saying "NO this is my second loop"...they were trying to tell me I was the first chick heading out for the marathon..WOO HOO! I was too busy yelling "great racing guys! Good run!"....cheerleading 101! KARMA!

I was feeling pretty kick ass until mile 22..saw @solorunner and @gregknottlemond and asked what my pace was...I sooo hit a wall and was seriously DONE! @gregknottlemond says "you're doing just fine!" and I felt like SHIT! If there was a sniper on the course I wished he would have taken me out at mile 22! My race just started for me..Mentally I started messing with myself..I knew I was in the lead...even if I didn't PR I was gonna win the womans overall and my AG..BUT I wasn't here to do that...I was here to PR..I did the Galloway method a little at 23...30 seconds walking...I hit mile 24 and started to have the chills. I needed salt..I was getting fluid but I was pretty depleted..my stomache was aching, a little hallow..

Mile 25 I grabbed a salt tab (a little late I know) for my mental state and pushed on...No more markers...just needed to get thru that last mile...came around the corner...and the park was in sight..I was pretty happy..looked at my watch and I was around a 3:28 as I hit the last few hundred feet thru the park...SAW @solorunner and she was yelling "GO! YOU have it!" SO I picked it up a little so I could stay in the 3:28 range.. @epicbillbradley was announcing for the race and I heard him say "We have the first female finisher, Shelly Centis!" YAY....it was pretty cool to hear everyone cheer...Crossed the finish line at 3:28.51...a 4+ minute PR for me! ALL I wanted.. The win was a bonus!

I did win a bike...and some other swag...BUT most importantly I learned that it doesn't matter if you win, lose or PR it's how you treat the other people on the course...YOU can be the fastest, run the strongest...BUT none of that matters unless you show encouragement to the other runners! I had the most fun yesterday watching the half marathoners push their way to the finish as I was headed out on my second 13.1..To them that half was just as big as my full. Way to go runners...GOOD day in Santa Rosa for ALL the finishers!

Article and pics:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090830/ARTICLES/908309995/1350?Title=Hundreds-turn-out-for-race
http://picasaweb.google.com/GregKnottLeMond/SantaRosaMarathon2009?feat=directlink#

The Taper Sucks!

Kicking off my next races lands me in TAPER week...I hate this tapering crap....it sucks the life out of ME and I feel completely worthless and BITCHY. I try to stick to the training schedule BUT I have a tad more energy then to just do 7.5 miles before race day...

I use Hal Higdons advanced training programs...I know if I stick to it I will be better race day. I constantly ask myself why is a taper important...what's the deal? I don't crave the carbs...I know how much food is good for my body...my issue is that I NEED to do miles...the more miles I can run the more complete I am. The less BITCHY...

What the damn TAPER does to me is makes me THINK way too much about my performance on RACE day. My ability...my goal. Is this bad? Maybe...not sure....I also tend to be more stressed out race week...shorter tempered...haven't gotten violent yet BUT I want to punch stupid people now and then...REST DAYS suck...AND I know I need them...BUT 3 rest days really could kill me...and by rest days does that mean NO bike or swim?

So here I am...5 days from my marathon...I want to PR, sub 3:30 on a flat course...I want to be top 5 in my age group and I need to stay strong the entire race... SO maybe that's why a I should TAPER!

RACE schedule 2009:
8/30 Santa Rosa
9/20 Maui
10/4 Cowtown
10/11 Long Beach
10/18 Nike half
11/15 Malibu
12/7 Vegas
(Does this mean every week is a taper now??)

GOOD reads:
http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/advancedint.htm
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--10201-0,00.html
http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/marathontaper.shtml

Happy Birthday Month to ME!

Yep...I'm in my 40's! Not that concerned...don't feel old...DON'T really care. I'm not giving in...why would I? I'm getting stronger, fitter and faster...I'm not defying anything....NO secrets.

The point is this...Aging doesn't mean you can't be fit. Having kids doesn't mean you have to be FAT! It doesn't mean you have to stop being active...In fact it's completely opposite! I have friends in their 40's and 30's who don't move at all...SIT on their asses and eat too much, don't work out and partake in their own pity parties! It makes my VOMIT!

There are a couple of rules I live by! The most important one is to work hard and play hard! I LOVE life! I try to do all the right things...and I do some things wrong! BUT I also believe moderation is the key. Surround yourself with people like YOU! EAT from the earth...processed food is SO not OK! H2O is important...GET hydrated! OH...enjoy your beer...I do. Most importantly...I do something to make myself SMILE everyday...I laugh at myself...I don't take myself too seriously. I jump off cliffs and I do flips on my trampoline! Don't be a hater..It makes you bitter = OLD. There are NO secrets about staying young...YOU just have to WANT TO! MoVE your A$$!

KEEP MOVING means training for me! Doing something better each time I try...pushing my body to work like a 20 year old (haha..I mean that!)...recovering fast and doing it better! Challenge is good...never surrender. My goal for 2009 is to complete 20 marathons by December 31...a marathon or maybe 2 a month...I made the GOAL and I never QUIT.

So... I promise to never GET OLD...2010 I challenge myself to be an Ironman, Boston Marathon and to get in better shape then I am this year! This is NO New Years Resolution...this is my LIFE!

Getting OLD is an OPTION! What's keeping YOU young?

To RUN or NOT RUN?

I am a RUNNER. That's what I do...I swim. I bike...BUT by nature I'm a RUNNER. I love it the MOST...So when a nagging pain strikes my body out of nowhere it sort of freaks me out. A LOT!

Over the last few months since the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon MY body has not recovered as fast as it normally does. Come on! I did 3 marathons in 13 days and PR'd the 3rd! I'm not sure what happened in San Diego BUT I know my body hasn't been the same since I finished that marathon!

The first issue post race was an IT Band issue...I'm fairly certain it was caused by all of the crowning of the streets and the constant downhill of the SD course. I didn't notice the pain until the following week when I started to increase my miles. Anything over 10 was so painful...SO I iced, stretched, rolled and took ibuprofen...1 week of this and it seemed to be OK! Started the miles again and the pain was back...grrrrrrrrr.

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/itbs.htm

Second issue hit me out of nowhere. Sorta...SI joint...started up again after I got the Quintana Roo TT bike and started out maybe a little to aggressive. OR it might have been the cliff jumping I did while on my road trip! Iced...stretched..you know the normal crap! 3 days and I was running again...This one is with me forever...I need to be good to these joints because mine happen to be defective..YEP, my SI joints are deformed. SO the orthopedic surgeon tells me....

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/buttocks/sacroiliac.htm

The problem I have is listening to my body...When is it OK for me to get back out there and run!? I know cross training is just as good for me BUT I love pounding the pavement...sorta is the thing that takes me away. This week I did the unthinkable...I QUIT in the middle of a 20 mile run..The pain in the IT band was so bad I almost puked...Called for a ride and that was it. For the first time I am listening to my body talk to me...I tend to think I am made of steel most the time so a little pain to me means nothing...BUT I have many races coming up and I don't want to blow it...CROSS training this week has been my escape...BUT today I am feeling a run coming on....the ITB pain is gone and NO SI joint pain...I'd like to keep it that way! The question now; should I run or not run? Wait it out? I have a sprint tri in a week! I have a marathon in 1 and half weeks...WHAT to do???

Here are a couple reads that come in handy for me!

http://tinyurl.com/pr4ttb

http://tinyurl.com/oydczp

HAPPY Training! injury FREE of course!

My New Love AFFAIR!

It was LOVE at first sight...the color, the size....everything about it was PERFECT! Didn't even need to try anything else...I knew the second that I saw the bike it would be mine!

Got to http://www.fitnfanatics.com/ at 10AM...right when the shop opened! My sisters friend owns the place SO I knew I would get the best hook up ever! Robin greeted us immediately....the match making underway! (If you live in the Spokane area this is a great shop..the service was awesome! NOT just for me BUT everyone who walked in there!)

I scoped out the line up of beautiful tri bikes..Cervelo, Felt, Quintana Roo... walking back and forth trying to decide if I should get a P2 or the new P3...Hot hot BIKES! I wanted the Cervelo and was pretty certain I was getting it...BUT the Quintana Roo kept calling my name....so I gave in and on the trainer it went...

My first tri bike...Quintana Roo, Dulce...I'm in LOVE! I picked it for all the wrong reasons..color, cute, name...I'm a complete DORK...BUT when I tested it...It was actually meant to be!

http://www.trisports.com/quintanaroo.html

Now I need to put the swim, bike and run together so I can be fast...WORKING on the damn swim..constant struggle. I hate the water...BUT with my new QR..I'm feeling LOTS more confident that I can get some race MOJO...I know I can run fast and I know I can bike fast...thank GOD...something needs to make up for my lame ass swim!

PS: The shop also hooked me up with this wet suit http://www.trisports.com/zootfuzion.html

Anyone want to be my swim coach...?? let me know..