April Showers ...

[OakLeaf]

bring new PRs! :D

My first ever wet marathon. Actually my first wet race longer than 5K! Thankfully the rain was intermittent and mostly light so that I was able to avoid most of the puddles, my shoes and socks didn't get super heavy, and lube protected the usual spots from chafing. It didn't rain at all while I was in the staging area, which was one of my biggest worries, I brought a ton of warm clothes and disposable plastic for pre-race. It started raining just as my wave was being loaded into our corrals. I think some people struggled with the weather a WHOLE lot more than I did, but I also think it depended quite a bit on exactly when someone started and what pace they were running, just because there was so much variation in the rain.

I had 15,000 people breaking the wind for me, so I only even noticed it in a few places, and it really wasn't bad. Must have been pretty brutal for the pros though, as the winning times showed.

Best sign of the day, in the Wellesley scream tunnel, where most of the signs were still legible but badly smeared by the rain: "This Sign Is Laminated." :D

3:47:04, and I'm just absolutely delighted.

[emily_in_nc]

WOW! That is an amazing time, Oak. You rock beyond belief.

Congratulations and humble bows coming your way! :D

[thekarens]

WOW! That is an amazing time, Oak. You rock beyond belief.

Congratulations and humble bows coming your way! :D

Ditto!

[Crankin]

Heck, the weather bothered me, just going to CVS, yesterday....
Big congrats and looking forward to hearing all about it tomorrow.

[salsabike]

Oak, that is a FABULOUS time. I always liked running in the rain, myself.

[rocknrollgirl]

When I saw the forecast for Monday I did a big...UT OH.....

I am glad it did not impact your race too badly. Congrats on great finish.

I have a friend in my neighborhood that ran too. I have not seen her yet to get the details.

[Catrin]

So glad that it was fun and the weather didn't really cause problems!

[ny biker]

Congrats!! I'm glad things went well for you.

[OakLeaf]

Thanks all!

I think I lucked out with the weather, a lot. I kind of enjoy running in a warm rain, don't much mind it when it's above 50°, but I realized last night I'd never, ever before, run in rain and low 40°s. So I gambled with my clothes and I think I would've been into hypothermia if the wind had been much stronger and/or the rain much heavier - I've heard that some runners did have to deal with pretty heavy rain. I don't have a lot of choice in shoes because my feet are so wide, so I'm lucky that the pair I'm in now don't take up a lot of water - I've had shoes before that got super heavy when they were wet. Picked my socks carefully for a pair that I thought wouldn't take on too much water, would give me enough cushion for 26.2, wouldn't stretch and bunch, but since I'd never done that distance in the wet, it was an educated guess. It was an ancient pair of SmartWool socks that they haven't made that style for years - hope they keep lasting!

My biggest lesson was in fueling, though. I learned the hard way last year, when I bonked hard, and so I pushed a LOT of Gatorade on the course this year (couldn't get any gel after about halfway because my fingers were so numb, it took me probably 1/4 mile each getting the last two I did take, so I gave up on the rest. I'd completely forgotten the wad of toilet paper I'd stuffed into my belt, which I'm sure made it tighter and harder to get anything out!). It was a revelation to me how much better my BRAIN was working in the last few miles, way better than any goal marathon before, even though it was only last year's Boston that I knew (afterward) I was under-fueled.

If you haven't seen it already, watch the video of Meb crossing the line. Sorry I can't pull up a link easily on mobile. Sad he didn't win, but the guy's a class act.

[katluvr]

Oak, FANTASTIC! Amazing time considering the conditions. Amazing time even with perfect conditions!

K

[emily_in_nc]

Did my 5K this morning...well, they actually short-changed us a bit as the course was only 2.7 miles long per my GPS. Kinda disappointed in that, but everything else about it was excellent. It was extremely well-run, well-supported, and well organized! Tons of sponsors, volunteers, police guarding every street intersection. We got running jerseys, t-shirts, beverages, fruit, medals, and a pin. And it was all for a great cause -- kids on the autism spectrum. Except for the fact that all announcements were in Spanish, I could definitely have been in the US. I honestly had no idea Mexico would put on an event of this caliber, but I was VERY pleasantly surprised! First class all around.

I had my fastest pace since I started running here right at the first of the year. If I'd been able to do a full 5K, my time would have been around 29 minutes, extrapolating since I only ran 2.71 miles. I was VERY happy with this as I never thought I could break 30 minutes on the road, only on the track. Race-day adrenaline for sure. :D

What fun -- I can see how folks get hooked on events!

17602 17603 17604

[Catrin]

Looking great Emily! Somehow I missed that you are back in Mexico but glad you found it such a well run event, even if it was a little short. I've been starting to hear complaints on local events that haven't been near as well run as yours.

[Crankin]

You look like a pro, Emily. Congrats.

[OakLeaf]

Very nice Emily! Looking good! Congratulations.

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks!

Catrin, actually we never left Mexico! We have been here since Nov. 1. We head back to the US on Thursday. We are loving it here, but it's time to visit with family for awhile. They are having some pretty chilly weather in NC (for late April anyway), so it's going to be a rude awakening after dewpoints in the upper 70s. But I suspect it will feel great. It's going to be an adjustment getting back to the road bike after months riding a beach cruiser. Gonna try to keep up the running as well. :)

[Catrin]

Have fun Emily! Hopefully the weather will warmup for your return :)