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Heather Daniel: Run n' Blog About It

Run to Eat

CIM 2008 Race ReportDecember 9 2008

They say that the California International Marathon is a  flat,  fast course. A perfect race if you’re looking to qualify for Boston or set a new PR.  It’s true. CIM is flat…ish. And it is fast, but no matter how you cut it, running 26.2 miles is just plain HARD!

Yesterday’s CIM was  my sixth marathon. Read on for all the tasty race report details. But if you don’t have the time or patience to sit through the novel of a race report that is to come. Let me just say it right here:

I rocked it.

No, no. I smoked it

No, no. I rocked it AND  I smoked it.

I went for it. I did it.

Time: 3:14:54

NEW Personal Record (Previous Marathon PR was 3:36, set in October)

Avg Pace: 7:27/mile

Place: 76th woman

13th in my age division

I am lucky for two reasons:  1.  The CIM is my hometown marathon. I didn’t have to deal with any  of the annoying logistics of finding a hotel and coordinating transportation to the start line.  And 2. My parents  are awesome. They picked me up from the airport Friday night. My mom stocked the fridge with pre-race food.  My dad shuttled me to the start line and they were both there to cheer me on during the race.  I couldn’t have asked f

California International Marathon ResultsDecember 8 2008

Whew! That was hard!

Time: 3:14:54

New personal record by 21 minutes

Race Report Coming Soon!

      

Pre-marathon nerves and a letter to my watchDecember 5 2008

Phil - My Garmin Forerunner 405

Dear Phil (a.k.a Garmin 405),

We need to talk. For months we’ve been getting closer - and you have some many of the characteristics I cherish (in a watch).

You listen to me and my heart. You understand me. You communicate so well. All I have to do is look at you, and there you are - giving me feedback, letting me know where we’re at and how far we’ve been. I appreciate it all so much.

But lately you’ve been a jerk. A real jerk.

Here’s the situation. You never complain when I have to get up early for my pre-work runs. You never fail me on my long runs on the weekend. You are super on target most of the time. But then - then (!!) RACE DAY arrives. I assume, perhaps foolishly, that you will stick with me through the race as you have in my training runs. That doesn’t happen. You quit on me, Phil. And that makes me angry.

Do you have performance anxiety? Everyone gets nervous on race day, Phil. But you’re a Garmin 405 - the most sophisticated GPS/Heartrate Monitor on the market. You are the best and brightest watch out there - and yet you fail me.

No, no. I’m not going to argue with you. Just listen.

The Evidence:

Lacamas Lake 4 Miler: Our first race together. I admit it was my fault. I forgot to start you. I was unfamil

Tapering MadnessDecember 3 2008

The California International Marathon is only a few days away (Sunday, December 7th, y’all!). I’ve dramatically cut my mileage. I am resting. I am getting ready for the big day. And sadly, I am suffering from severe Taper Madness.

Just what is Taper Madness, you might ask?  I’m glad you asked. Really. I’ve been looking for someone with whom to lament, and you, lucky you, have become just the person. Listen. Please. Allow me to list my Top 5 Taper Complaints.

1. I feel FAT. Enormous. Bloated as a beach ball. I said I wasn’t going to overeat at Thanksgiving. I said I was going to be reasonable, but I believe there is saying about the road to gastrointestinal hell being paved with the best of dietary intentions. I spent Thanksgiving with my parents and their well-equipped pantry - that thing is chock full of nuts and rice crackers and kit-kat bars (oh, Kit Kat bars!! you make me so angry!). My brother took me to In-n-Out Burger for lunch (we don’t have In-n-Out in Oregon, folks). Then on T-Day there was the stuffing, and the turkey and the homemade cranberry sauce, and really, who can say no to a spread like that when you’ve been subsisting on canned sardines and salmon for weeks?  So I indulged and indugled some more. I regret my actions heartily as it’s taken over four days to feel like I’m not one of the floats from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. CIM, couldn’t you have been BEFORE Thanksgiving?

2. I feel SLOW. Slothf

The Perfect 18-MilerNovember 23 2008

Anatomy of the Perfect Long Run:

Yesterday’s long run didn’t start out perfectly. I woke up tired. Tired and groggy and very lazy. I rolled around in bed for at least a half an hour before I could even muster the courage to get up. When I did, and when I finally peeked through the curtains I saw cold, gray skies.

Do I really want to go running?

I looked at my running shoes. I looked outside. I looked at my running shoes. I looked outside again. And then I shuffled to the kitchen. I made coffee.  And then I took out the garbage. And then I took a shower and ate breakfast. And then I puttered. I read a book. I called my mom. I positively dawdled away the morning. Then it was 11 AM, the sun was just beginning to peek between the clouds and finally running didn’t seem like such a bad idea anymore. So did I run?

No.

I dawdled.

I plugged in Phil (Garmin 405), made another cup of coffee and thought about where I could run. Mostly I stick to long trail runs. It’s great and the trails have given me powerful but gigantic thigh muscles (I call them my Sequoias). Running on the road is a different animal. It’s faster, but harder on my body. I weighed my options and decided on a 18-mile road route that was relatively flat, but that had some rollers at the beginning and the end. It would be a good last training run before CIM. I lazily got out my running gear. I put on some Tupac Shakur. I danced around my apartment. I tuc