Duration: 5:27:24
Average Pace Per Mile: 10:33
Gender Place in the Ultra: Placed 15 out of 65 women
Age Group: Placed 4th out of 9 women
Average Pace Per Mile: 10:33
Gender Place in the Ultra: Placed 15 out of 65 women
Age Group: Placed 4th out of 9 women
Weather: An hour before the race started it was 66 degrees with a South Wind at 12 mph. The wind got stronger towards the end of the race. At first, it was cool and overcast -- a few hours later the temps rose and the sun came out. I got a nice tan, borderline red.
Breakdown by Major Mile Markers:
10K – 1:01:20 ** 13.1 mile – 2:07:50 ** 30K – 3:01:17 ** 26.2 marathon – 4:23:23
Breakdown by Major Mile Markers:
10K – 1:01:20 ** 13.1 mile – 2:07:50 ** 30K – 3:01:17 ** 26.2 marathon – 4:23:23
Ultra Marathon Eve:
I ate baked ziti and no I did not eat this entire dish by myself. Can you believe I had more pasta?! You could say I went a little crazy with the carb loading this time around, but I must've done something right. I didn't have any stomach issues and didn't have to stop once to use the bathroom during the 5 hour race.
I know a handful of runners who put their clothes and gear out the night before a race. This was my first time to do this. I'm glad I did because this morning I didn't have to scramble to find things. It made it easier to dress while I was half asleep.
Race Details:
I started the race with Lee, ½ of the running couple. We met here (see pic below) and walked to corral three. I didn’t feel nervous at all. When we started, we planned on running a 10 min pace. It took everything in me to hold back and conserve my energy. I'm use to gunning it from the get-go. Not this time. Long distance running is different kind of beast.
Lee and I ran about 5 miles together. He stopped for a bathroom break and I kept moving. I was hoping he’d catch back up, or at least that was the plan, but as I'm learning more and more with racing I have to be flexible, especially because half the things I plan for a race always seem to change on the fly, so we never re-uninted. Bathroom lines were crazy busy too, especially for the first 13.1 miles. Oh, so after Lee went MIA I saw a marathon pacer, his finish goal time was 4:15. I ran on his heels from mile 5 thru 21. Around 21 miles, I started to lose my energy. Pace went from 9:45 a mile to 10 minutes. Then when I parted ways with the Marathoners, there were only a handful of Ultra runners or so it seemed. We (the Ultras) ran a few miles loop/in and out type of route and then met back up with the marathoners to complete the last mile. Oh, I saw Travis and Jennifer during the race. They are the couple I ran the half marathon with a few weeks ago.
The Cowtown course took us to the stockyards. I saw Isis spectating at mile 14. Seeing her was like taking a shot of GU. It gave me some extra energy to pick up the pace.
Sherri ran her first full marathon. She is my Abilene running buddy. She blames me for running. Supposedly it's all my fault, that she is running/racing. Homegirl, is fast! She ran her first marathon under four hours and that's with FOUR bathroom stops! I hate her! HAHA! She met me at the finish line. She watched me cross the line and said I made her cry as I was finishing. I have that effect on people. :)
This is what marathoners look like after a race. Tired with frizzy hair.
I got so much "free" stuff. I guess the organizers had loads of yogurt they needed to get rid of. They were handing out cases of yogurt and I jumped all over it. Now, I have about a months worth of yogurt. Both cases are mine. Sherri got some too, not pictured. Check out the dude in the background sitting on the bench. Whoa.
I got a ton of compliments on my lululemon run skirt. Spectators were yelling out, "Ultra girl, I LOVE your run skirt." "Where did you get that?" "So CUTE." While I was running with the pace group, they were getting a kick out of all the spectators noticing me for another reason, my Ultra bib. The spectators would yell, "Way to go Ultra runner!" "Wow, ultra girl -- you're going the distance." "Or they'd point at me and say, "Look she's running the ULTRA." The pace group was all like...HEY, we're running too! Notice US! At the end of the whole event I got a cool finishers shirt. I'll see about posting that later.
I'll leave you with this video of me crossing the finish line. Watch the entire clip and notice the commentary--random girl tells Trey when she realizes I just ran the Ultra marathon. I LOVE her reaction! Note to self: watch clip if I ever need an ego boost.
P.S. Try not to cry, when watching. JOKING! maybe.
Lee and I ran about 5 miles together. He stopped for a bathroom break and I kept moving. I was hoping he’d catch back up, or at least that was the plan, but as I'm learning more and more with racing I have to be flexible, especially because half the things I plan for a race always seem to change on the fly, so we never re-uninted. Bathroom lines were crazy busy too, especially for the first 13.1 miles. Oh, so after Lee went MIA I saw a marathon pacer, his finish goal time was 4:15. I ran on his heels from mile 5 thru 21. Around 21 miles, I started to lose my energy. Pace went from 9:45 a mile to 10 minutes. Then when I parted ways with the Marathoners, there were only a handful of Ultra runners or so it seemed. We (the Ultras) ran a few miles loop/in and out type of route and then met back up with the marathoners to complete the last mile. Oh, I saw Travis and Jennifer during the race. They are the couple I ran the half marathon with a few weeks ago.
The Cowtown course took us to the stockyards. I saw Isis spectating at mile 14. Seeing her was like taking a shot of GU. It gave me some extra energy to pick up the pace.
Sherri ran her first full marathon. She is my Abilene running buddy. She blames me for running. Supposedly it's all my fault, that she is running/racing. Homegirl, is fast! She ran her first marathon under four hours and that's with FOUR bathroom stops! I hate her! HAHA! She met me at the finish line. She watched me cross the line and said I made her cry as I was finishing. I have that effect on people. :)
This is what marathoners look like after a race. Tired with frizzy hair.
I got so much "free" stuff. I guess the organizers had loads of yogurt they needed to get rid of. They were handing out cases of yogurt and I jumped all over it. Now, I have about a months worth of yogurt. Both cases are mine. Sherri got some too, not pictured. Check out the dude in the background sitting on the bench. Whoa.
I got a ton of compliments on my lululemon run skirt. Spectators were yelling out, "Ultra girl, I LOVE your run skirt." "Where did you get that?" "So CUTE." While I was running with the pace group, they were getting a kick out of all the spectators noticing me for another reason, my Ultra bib. The spectators would yell, "Way to go Ultra runner!" "Wow, ultra girl -- you're going the distance." "Or they'd point at me and say, "Look she's running the ULTRA." The pace group was all like...HEY, we're running too! Notice US! At the end of the whole event I got a cool finishers shirt. I'll see about posting that later.
I'll leave you with this video of me crossing the finish line. Watch the entire clip and notice the commentary--random girl tells Trey when she realizes I just ran the Ultra marathon. I LOVE her reaction! Note to self: watch clip if I ever need an ego boost.
P.S. Try not to cry, when watching. JOKING! maybe.
Loved your re-cap! Amazing... So proud of you! You are a great motivator! :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! The guy behind you is my friend Dat! He was safeguarding stuff for about 5 of us while we went to get our shirts & find restrooms!! That is too hilarious! Yeah, we all have enough yogurt for weeks!!
ReplyDeleteGreat job out there -it was a tough day. We caught up to Lee about mile 16 or so when his blister had just popped.
You did great! congrats!!
How do you not lay your stuff out the night before? I can't sleep if I don't. Not that I really sleep even if I do....
ReplyDeleteThe starting area is LEGIT. The light up stuff is so stinkin' cool. You're kinda making me want to run an ultra and I don't think I like it....