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Newport Marathon

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Location:

Littleton,CO,USA

Member Since:

Aug 04, 2008

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Boston Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

I've run off and on (more off than on) throughout my adult life. Most recently I started running in May of 2007.

5K PR: Colder Bolder in December 2009 in 22:50.

10k PR: Bolder Boulder in May 2009 in 48:06.13.

1/2 Marathon PR: Canyonlands Half-Marathon in March 2010 in 1:43:20.

Marathon PR: Newport (Oregon) Marathon in June 2010 in 3:42:17.

I have completed two full marathons.

Short-Term Running Goals:

Get back to consistent running.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Sub 3:30 marathon.

Personal:

I grew up in Utah, but live in Colorado now.

I am married and am a working mother of four children, ages 9-19.

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Nike Lunarracer Lifetime Miles: 284.91
Brooks Adrenaline Trail Lifetime Miles: 574.62
Brooks Green Silence Lifetime Miles: 681.13
Brooks Adrenaline 10 (2) Lifetime Miles: 424.52
Race: Newport Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:42:17, Place overall: 26, Place in age division: 6
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.0016.2026.20

Finished. Hard. Race. Too. Much. Sun. More Later.

OK. I guess it's later and I'll try to write a proper report.

First of all, I met Snoqualmie and her great family last night. We spent some time on the beach and then went to dinner with Snoqualmie Ridge Runner and some other runners from the Snoqualmie running group. It was a lot of fun. I had salmon since I had salmon the night before the Ogden marathon last year, and that worked out pretty well.

One of the really nice things about this Newport marathon is that you don't have to be bussed to the start. In fact, the start was walking distance from both my and Snoqualmie's hotels. So this morning I got up and spent some quality time in the hotel, and then walked to Sno's hotel and met her there. We headed out walking to the start and even did a wee bit of jogging, but then she realized she had forgotten her Garmin and so we jogged a little back and got it. On our second approach to the start, we met up with Snoqualmie Ridge Runner and his friend. We got to the start about 20 minutes before the race started. None of this waiting at the start line for two hours up in the mountains like you do in Utah. It was cool, but actually quite pleasant at that point. I was comfortable enough in a singlet and shorts, which didn't bode well for later on.

Since this race doesn't use chip timing, I started up fairly near the front, probably about 4-5 rows back with the runners that we had dinner with last night, except for Snoqualmie, who started farther back. I didn't hit the start button on my watch right when the gun went off, but just a couple of seconds later, just before I went under the start banner, so my official time, when it's posted, will probably be just a couple of seconds longer than the time I got from my Garmin. My average pace is also slightly slower than what the Garmin says, because the Garmin measured a tenth of a mile long. I didn't start nearly as fast as the people around me. All kinds of people blew past me at the start, but I didn't want to start this thing as if it were a 5K.

The first 3 or so miles are a little loop in the town. This part was somewhat hilly. They weren't really big hills, but neither was it flat. Then the course goes down to the pay and goes on the road along the bay until a little past mile 15, and then turns around and goes back and ends about a mile or so away from the start. This part was mostly flat, except for a relatively steep up hill at mile 4 and then a gradual downhill for a couple of miles, which later is a gradual up hill for miles 25 and 26, and then a nice downhill for 0.2 to the finish.

There was not a cloud in the sky, but it was fairly shady for about the first half of the race, and then it was sunny and then entirely too warm for some of us who are not used to running in the heat at this point in the year.

I felt pretty good until about mile 16 and from that point on I really wanted to stop. I ran with a couple of guys for probably about miles 6-8. They were doing what was an easy pace to them because one of them is doing a 100 miler next Saturday, or something like that. I kept a pretty good pace while I was with them, but then I failed to keep up. Maybe those miles were a little too fast.

Later on, I ran for a little while with a woman from British Columbia who was originally for New Zealand. She was shooting for 3:40. It was a little strange because her Garmin was set to kilometers, with auto lap on, and so it kept beeping at different times. Her boyfriend or husband was riding a bike along side her supplying her with water and gel and the like. After a while, I failed to keep up with her, but then at about 24 miles, I saw her on the side of the road trying to get up. Her boyfriend/husband was with her, so I didn't stop to help.

I drank more at the aid stations than I usually do, I guess because I was feeling rather warm. But the result was that I took a somewhat longish, probably 2 minute, port-a-potty stop in mile 20.

I really struggled the last 8 or 9 miles and I just tried to run from one aid station to the next and I walked through the aid stations at that point, which I hadn't done earlier in the race. The last two full miles were particularly tough, with the gradual uphill. I wish I could have gone faster, but I was just trying to hang on and keep running. Mercifully, the last 0.2 is downhill and so I was able to pick up the pace and finish fairly strong. But I must have looked bad right after I finished because a couple of race people grabbed a hold of me and then Snoqualmie Ridge Runner, who had finished 12 minutes ahead of me, and seemed to be in really good shape already, escorted me to a chair in the shade and brought me food and water. My calves felt tight, but didn't cramp up like they did at Ogden last year. I stayed in the finish/line recovery area until Snoqualmie finished.

After we had both showered, my husband, my daughter, and I went to lunch with  Snoqualmie's family and then visited a lighthouse, where Sno and I both climbed (and descended!) a whole bunch of stairs. Aren't you impressed. Then we went back to Sno's hotel and our two daughters played together for a while in the pool.

So here are things I liked about this race:

  • It was nice to walk to the start and get there so close to the start of the race rather than having to wait around forever for the race to start.
  • It was nice and shady for the first part of the race.
  • And the best thing of all - it was great to meet Snoqualmie and her family and Snoqualmie Ridge Runner and his friends!

Here's what I didn't like about this race:

  • It got hot and sunny.
  • I didn't run quite as fast as I had hoped to.

Regarding the second item there, I had stated publicly that I wanted to run 3:30, but I really didn't believe that I would. Maybe I could have if I had believed it more and wanted it more, but maybe not. However, I did think that I had a legitimate shot at getting under 3:40, and I did manage that. But I did get a BQ and a PR. So I'm happy, but not ecstatic about my time.

So if you're curious about how hot it was, I'll tell the truth. It was about 49 degrees at the start and about 60 degrees by midway through the race. Maybe 60 degrees isn't very hot to some of you, but the sun was bearing down and it felt very warm. It was about 80% humidity, and there was a slight (maybe 5 mph) wind of the bay, which seemed like a headwind both directions, but was probably more of a cross wind.

Here are my stats, based on the Garmin measurement of 26.3:

AP: 8:26 (official AP is more like 8:29). Splits: 8:42, 8:13, 8:12, 8:07, 8:11, 7:52, 7:55, 7:48, 8:07, 8:07, 8:09, 8:07, 8:14, 8:23, 8:25, 8:27, 8:19, 8:46, 8:30, 10:41 (this was the port-o-potty stop), 8:41, 8:37, 8:47, 8:38, 8:56, 8:50, 0.30 @ 7:37.

So that was definitely not a negative split. Using my arbitrary designation of anything under 8:30 being classified as fast, I had 16 fast miles, and then the last 0.2 (or 0.3) fast. The other 10 miles were slow. But they were hard.

Here are the official placement results:

Overall place (men and women): 133 out of 676
Gender place (all women): 26 out of 355
Division place (women 40-44): 6 out of 52

Brooks Adrenaline 10 Miles: 26.20
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments
From Toby on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 16:30:35 from 216.194.124.36

I've been checking all morning to see how you did! Hooray for a great time! Can't wait to read the details! All those miles and hard work paid off! Hooray for you!

From nicole on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 16:57:33 from 76.115.203.214

Way to go! Can't wait to hear more. The weather is GORGEOUS today in Portland so hopefully it was nice in Newport too!

From Mark on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 17:08:59 from 173.168.88.68

Congratulations on the PR! Can't wait to hear more. Especially impressive time with too much sun.

From auntieem on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 17:13:18 from 24.18.77.246

Whoo Hoo! Congratulations on the PR. It is a PR, right? Can't wait to hear the whole story!

From april27 on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 17:43:21 from 99.188.251.180

Wow great time!!! I think you did PR--well it faster than Ogden 2009...can't wait to read more! OOh we can rest together!

From JD on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 17:49:44 from 209.183.51.43

Congratulations. A. Marathon. PR. In. Spite. Of. Hot. Sun. Hard.

From CookieLegs on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 17:51:25 from 71.32.236.69

Yea Carolyn! Sounds like a hard race with too much sun! Rest up - YOU DESERVE IT - and give us more details when you can!

From Bonnie on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 18:57:37 from 208.54.83.56

Congratulations on the PR Carolyn! Can't wait to hear all about it!

From Jon on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 20:43:08 from 174.19.189.39

Yeah- nice job!

From seeaprilrun on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 21:22:07 from 68.103.243.146

Congrats on the PR--can't wait to hear more!

From Carolyn in Colorado on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 22:06:37 from 68.116.76.234

Thanks everyone. Proper race report is posted now.

From Smooth on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 22:42:27 from 174.23.172.155

GREAT race, Carolyn! CONGRATULATIONS on the PR and BQ! You have trained so hard through the cold dark winter months...that heat and humidity really messed things up!

Glad you had a good time with Sno. Kudos climbing up and down the lighthouse stairs so soon after racing a marathon! Hope you're enjoying some rest and sightseeing with your fam.

From Burt on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 22:45:07 from 68.225.214.248

Way to go Carolyn!! Another marathon in the books. Isn't Jeff totally cool? And how 'bout that Sno? Cool that you got to meet them. Maybe someday I will, too.

From Snoqualmie on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 22:47:41 from 206.192.237.67

Carolyn, you are an awesome, strong runner and a great inspiration! What a pleasure it was to spend time with you.

I'm guessing that the temps in the sun, and radiating off the new, black asphalt, were more like 70s. Yeah, 60s in the fast disappearing shade, but 70 is usually my nausea limit this time of year and I had a doozie.

Enjoy your rest & recovery. You've earned it!

From april27 on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 23:06:02 from 99.188.251.180

Great PR and BQ! I loved the report...so good to be able to meet with friends before the start of a race!

From jun on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 23:07:39 from 97.126.224.79

Congrats on a great and tough race. That must have taken a lot to push through to the end. You should feel really proud.

From RAD on Sat, Jun 05, 2010 at 23:17:03 from 67.172.229.125

YAY!! Congrats on the PR and BQ. It's always a bit 'crazy' in our minds when we set up a "amazing" goal and don't hit it, but I think you have SO much to be proud of!! What a GREAT weekend! It sounds like a wonderful time with friends, even the marathon. It's hard to hit those warm temps when we've been lost in the heat for so long!

Enjoy the reverse taper and getting out of being a 'slave to the plan'!!

From Nancy on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 at 08:32:03 from 76.27.19.206

Great race. I can understand what you mean by 60 degrees being warm. I really have a hard time running in warm weather. Biking is another story. I don't get nearly as hot biking as I do running. I've never run a marathon as fast as you did.

From Michelle on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 at 10:48:08 from 97.118.36.161

Congratulations! I am excited for you that you did well and got a PR. And excited that it is done! I got tired and exhausted just reading your report. I am glad you are having a good time with you family and Sno's family. I hope you have a good recovery day today!

From Tracy on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 at 13:42:25 from 173.23.75.96

I bet you're happy now that it's over! BQ and a PR?! You are my hero! I think that 60 is quite warm--especially when the sun is bearing down on you! That plays a huge role in what you can do.

Great race. I'm glad you had some fun meeting bloggers!

From auntieem on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 at 14:12:10 from 24.18.77.246

Congratulations, Carolyn! Great performance in less than ideal conditions! You are an incredibly strong runner, and I admire your perseverence. Please give me some lessons before my marathon! You bring up an interesting point about "believing" what we can do. I find that very difficult, especially to believe that my marathon pace is my marathon pace. Seems like the mental part of this game is the hardest!

I'm so happy that you got to meet Sno and her family! And, once again, sorry that I wasn't there to share it with you two!

From Brent on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 at 19:32:56 from 66.7.127.219

Car o line - in the Rockies - nice PR, 500 commando points.

Stay Kool, B of BS Rools out

From The Quiet Pirate on Sun, Jun 06, 2010 at 19:59:32 from 65.191.108.72

Carolyn,

Congratulations! You really did wonderful on your run. BQ and a new PR, despite the heat and humidity.

I know first hand how the humidity makes the heat so much more unbearable, and with the temp/humidity you were running in, you were doing awesome.

I see your paces, and I am so impressed. Your training was always so dedicated, and it really paid off for you. NOW..you earned your break. Rest, relax, sleep in, and take the elevator for a couple of days. I can't believe you went up and down a light house after running the marathon. You are amazing.

Job. Well. Done.

From Snoqualmie Ridge Runner on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 at 00:36:53 from 24.16.49.114

Carolyn- Great to hang out with you and the rest of the group! That was a pretty amazing race you ran!!

You beat Mark and he is one tough guy and usually won't give in under any circumstance so I know that it was a hard day. Great job! Are you going to run Boston in 2011?

From Carolyn in Colorado on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 at 00:42:02 from 24.8.167.243

Jeff, I really enjoyed hanging out with you and I especially appreciate the help you gave me right after I finished the race. And I'm amazed that you were recovered enough at that point to help me.

As for Boston 2011, I'm not sure. I'd like to, but my husband can't come with me because of his job. I don't want to go alone. Maybe I'll do it if I can find someone who wants to go with me.

From Barb on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 at 03:56:14 from 196.200.54.130

Congratulations Carolyn on your finish and getting a new PR!

From KP on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 at 09:07:21 from 65.208.22.26

congrats carolyn! great report and great race!

From Metcalf Running on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 at 10:13:54 from 207.225.192.66

Congrats Carolyn!!! Wonderful race! Even if it was not the best of conditions. Way to go... you are amazing!

From Kelli on Tue, Jun 08, 2010 at 00:19:01 from 71.219.93.114

Nice place in the women!!! That is impressive!

I am with you, 60 is pretty hot when you are running for a long time and not used to it.

Great job finishing this one up! I am jealous you got to meet some great bloggers.

From Nan on Tue, Jun 08, 2010 at 17:39:10 from 174.51.250.151

Congrats on the PR! Your stats look pretty darn good if you ask me. And 60 degrees in the sun is hot...especially if you're not acclimated to it.

From Sasha Pachev on Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 17:53:32 from 192.168.1.1

I am finding the temperature is almost irrelevant when you are a dealing with direct sunlight. Even with only 60 F it can be problematic.

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