 posted Oct-09-2007 04:07 PM
   
Yes, there was wine. Yes, there was good food. Yes, there was a birthday celebration (in fact, evanflein and I discovered we were born the same day, different years). Yes, there was debauchery. How could there not be with Tet around? But, most importantly, there was good running!Bellingham pulled off a terrific event for an inaugural marathon/half marathon. No glitches at all, as best I know. (So what there was no expo full of stuff no one needs but merely a packet pick-up? The nice tech shirt made up for it.) This was my first race post stress fracture I suffered (or, rather, was finally diagnosed with) in mid-August. I had planned to run the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon this past weekend before injury. So glad I didnt. Milwaukee is just 90 miles north of Chicago and so the weather was essentially the same as Chicago. My Boston 2004 experience in 86 degrees is something I never want to repeat. Id been back running about 3 weeks, working on safely building back up my base. Had a few longer runs of 8-9 miles and one 13-mile run the weekend before Bellingham which went very well. My goal was to simply enjoy this and use it as another base-building run and provide support for the boomer marathoners. Id been sick earlier in the week but by Friday felt much better, even better Saturday and Sunday I was definitely ready to run again. I had a wonderful time being able to spend more time with dear mariposa, Tet, Lynden and his doll of a daughter, and finally meeting sassy, beautiful evanflein, her very funny husband (who graciously took a lot of ribbing over the weekend for lost keys, lost wallet), and sweet Opie (who's much more outgoing and funny than I thought he'd be.  ) Weather was typical PNW weather heading into Sunday Fridays sun was gone, temps had dropped and clouds had moved in and were building up toward something. We just had to wait until Sunday morning to see what that something was. Tramps, you have no idea how closely mariposa and I came to attaining your prediction in the race thread. Had Opie not knocked on our door at 6:45 a.m. to ask a question, mariposa and I would have still been in dreamland when the race started (our room phone allegedly coming up busy when the front desk was to wake us at 6:00). No comment on who may or may not have been half naked. I didn't care so much that we overslept. But running without coffee as both of us did? It could have been disastrous.  Bellingham was fully enveloped in clouds Sunday morning, but no rain. It was a matter of how long it would hold off. What was readily noticeable as soon as we exited the hotel was the wind. Wed run in wind gusts of up to 44 mph, with wind speed in the 20-25 range. The worst was right along the waterfront. The half marathon and fulls courses both followed the water for several miles (out and back), veering off onto trail and into pretty residential neighborhoods for the remainder of the miles. Bellingham/Mt. Baker National Forest area is one of my favorite places in Washington. (I say this half in jest, because I think I say this about every place in Washington). I absolutely loved the course. It had a little of everything I love about running in the Northwest -- rolling hills, soft trail, pretty evergreen-lined residential road, and, perhaps the most fun, a boardwalk section. Not often in a race you can literally run on a blustery bay. I wore my ipod (a tsk for me), and think it helped me not notice the wind so much until the final two miles when it was an outright fight to move forward along the water. I felt very, very good. Just plugged away on the hills and let my body enjoy the coasts down which usually followed. Lynden found me about Mile 3 and we ran a few miles together. Drank my Nuun drink; a few sports beans at about Mile 6. No tummy troubles or stops. Final time: 1:50:44. If not for the ridiculous wind at the end (mile 12 was 9:35) I would have easily broken 1:50. I had a lot left at the end. But, my quads are a bit sore, so I know that I still worked my body pretty darn well. After I finished, I walked several blocks to the car, drove back to the hotel, showered and drove back to the host hotel/race start. I hauled the mountain bike out from the back of the car and started backtracking on the road and then onto the trail section looking for any and all boomers I could find. I missed evanflein, but found mariposa much sooner than I thought I would. She looked fantastic, but was all business after greetings, passing me some clothing she didnt want. Pedaled with her for a while, then it was time to go find Tet. He was easy to spot, with leaves tucked into his t-shirt. (I took his thongs when I passed by the second time.) Opie was next. I stayed with him the longest, worried Id bother him with too much talking; he assured me I wasnt. Took his music. By the time I left the trail, I had my jacket stuffed with boomer treasures. I was really enjoying just being back on the course, cheering on runners as I pedaled, but I had to get back to see mariposa finish. As I pedaled back, the rain was starting to come down. Within 15 minutes, it was coming down hard and the wind had picked up even more. But, then she was suddenly there in the windstorm. Oh boy. What a hug I got! And what a beautiful smile on her face. I was so glad I was there to see it. We found Erika and her husband inside the "expo" building waiting in line for a massage (she looked like she hadnt even run 26.2 miles.  ), but didnt stay very long to congratulate her before I whisked mariposa back to the hotel before she became too cold. I also had to get on the road home to relieve a babysitter there for the day. I was sorry not to be able to see Tet and Opie come through the finish. To wrap up, Bellingham was all Id hoped it would be and much more. Thanks so much to all the boomers who made it that way. Biggest thanks to mariposa who was the official birthday party planner. We even had balloons, streamers and party hats. She has a heart of gold. I hope we can all do it again next year and convince more boomers to join. Im in much better shape than I thought I was and even more excited to get back to work in meeting some goals. Ill work on building my base up toward 50 mpw and then have made up a 12-week plan for Carlsbad. Whew. This is much longer than I intended. Thanks for reading. [This message has been edited by Soundrunner (edited Oct-09-2007).]
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And then on to your bike to support the rest of the gang. You have a hugh heart.
That's funny.
