The last time I won a race outright was high school, when girls raced separately. The last time I won a race with both men and women or, more accurately, boys and girls was when I outkicked everyone in the 3rd grade gym mile trial wearing a jean skirt and white keds. 80s style. So when they announced me as the outright winner of the Whidbey Half Marathon I was all...
After this winter of hard training alone and missing my San Diego half because of the flu I was so happy to cross a finish line in victory! I hadn't tucked under 1:20 in the half since last April. This course was brutal and for the first 6 miles it was raining so hard it felt like I was running under a waterfall... so to cross in 1:19:47 made me very happy.
started raining just before the start and got worse before it cleared (erica and caryn to my right, your left)
unknowingly taking the lead at mile 8, motorcycle escort just in front of me.
caryn and me, tired #oiselleteam
It was also great to hang out withOiselle Teammates, Erica Hill and Caryn Heffernan. They were both just doing a little tune up for Vancouver BC marathon! Two weeks out!
Of course the hills and chopped up gravel in my racing flats gave my calves something to think about all last week. My mechanic (PT) was on vacation. So I treated it with some icing, rolling, stretching
and Merlot
. Now just some residual achilles soreness remains, and I hope to get on the track tomorrow for some 800s.
Last week was a hard week not to be able to run. No pavement therapy is tough on my runner spirit. It didn't help to be constantly aware that I was 6 weeks out from the marathon and should have been doing big work. Luckily we have two Elliptigos in the office. I got my crosstraining done outside.
JJ and I rode them to West Seattle last Wednesday.
ready to ride!
I'm looking forward to my training this week and continued recovery of my legs. Thank goodness I'm seeing my healer on Thursday. 5 weeks out!
