Celebrating 50 - A reason to rock at Orange County Marathon

From: mbiagioni
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 3:15 PM
To: csayles@sbcglobal.net; ten30pace@yahoogroups.com ; ten30Leggers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Celebrating 50 - A reason to rock at Orange County Marathon

Charles, I am now bright red in a windowless office - red from embarassment, not sunburn!  I haven't trained with the ten30 group in years, but it's great to be an honorary member (or is it lurker??). I'm training with the ElevenThirty pace this season.

Thanks for the applause, it is appreciated but certainly unnecessary! And 'privileged to speak' with me - actually I should thank you and Jay (and fellow Legger Renee) - by chatting with you I ended up being so relaxed. We had plenty of good laughs pre-run!  I never knew that joking about cleaning the Leggers storage unit would bring me such great results (the shirt I was wearing, and months later, a PR)

Yes, I must have been relatively low key in hindsight - my 'shoulder crawl' up to my ears that generally leads to neck ache didn't happen.

What hurts this time?  Quads/calves/left IT band (back to foam roller tonight).

Things just really worked out well on Sunday - My first full marathon in 22 months.

a) Weather was fine (till about mile 18, when it was warm in the sun but later miles were in shade, thank goodness)

b) My clothes were OK (shorts/singlet/long sleeve performance shirt that I wore for first 6 miles or so, then wrapped it around my waist)

c) For a few miles wore my cheapo gloves bought at an expo last season - lost one glove at mile four, and the other at mile 16 (I had pinned it to my shirt).  The only "loss" about the second glove - I had two Clif shots in the glove.

d) fuel - Blox - caffeinated black cherry, then strawberry (not caffeinated), a bit of Orange Cream and Vanilla Shots before they hit the pavement

e) water and Gookinaid. (Support stations were well-staffed, volunteers were friendly, and there seemed to be a water station JUST when you wanted/needed  one). I had water with me as well.

f) I did run with the OC Marathon five-hour pace group.  No walk breaks - except through water stations. But at about mile 19 or so (maybe it was 21), I just needed to walk longer -  much longer - after the water stations.  The freeway overpasses were growing into Himalayan style mountains by then (of course not, but it just seemed that way). We took longer walk breaks near the end of the course.

g) The MENTAL battle - at one point at about mile 22, one of the pacers asked how I was feeling - sure my knees were sore, I kept focusing on posture issues learned from Steve Paulseth and Chris Drozd (who spoke at our programs this season). I then blurted out "it's all mental from here" - she had asked my PR (I didn't tell her, I said I'd let her know at mile 24 - at mile 25, I finally let her  know "we're going at a good pace.")  When we crossed the finish line together, I gave  her a big smile and said, "thanks, I PR'd."  She laughed!

h) Like Sat a.m. Leggers training -- keep it conversational. I hardly talked during the race (you'd never guess by length of this e-mail), but I could talk without completing exhausting myself.

i) The Reward - in the hatchback of my car (I made good time with shuttle, this is a point-to-point course) I had a turkey sandwich (no mayo), an apples,  and a thermos of hot tea.  Just the right refueling before the drive back to Santa Monica .

j) What to keep: Memories, laughter, smile, the medal, and the mylar blanket - for that start of City of Angels half in 07 :)

Wishing everyone great training, and joy in the new year, from your fellow Legger, - Michele