MIA and a Race Report

I have been out of bloggy land! So much has happened over the past month or so! We have moved back to Utah! Sunny St. George. Hubby and I grew up here and we have always said we would never live here...well, here we are. There are several reasons we came back to the mainland, but the number one reason is family. BUT my #1 selfish reason is my 40 by 40 is ON! ( : I'm so excited!

Although I miss Kauai, the beauty, the friends I've made, the ocean, the trade winds, the tropical rain showers, the plumerias, the waterfalls, just to name a few things. It is good to be back on the mainland.

We finally found a house and moved in last week. I am still not completely put away, but that is okay, I ran the Mesquite marathon yesterday and it was great!

First of all I have to say, I haven't been able to run over three miles at a time for several weeks. I have had plantar faciitis in my right foot and my outer calves have been giving me grief, so much so that my form has been off and I can barely lift my feet...crazy! So, going to the sports doc was a must when we got back. And it doesn't hurt that he is cute! ( : He gave me a plastic cup to put in my shoe for the PF and he said that for my calves, the new Kayanos are not as supportive for my high arches as the older versions...so I tried the Asics 2140s. They didn't make any difference. Luckily, the St. George Running Company took them back. That is service! So, Friday night, the night before the marathon, I called my friend, who is a nurse, and asked her what she thought. She said it sounded like a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Could it possibly be that easy??? No calf pain...and no nausea! It was a two-fer. I'll tell you what I did a little later in the post.

The marathon started just outside of St. George, although we drove down to Mesquite to ride the bus and pick up our packets. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold and blue skies! The scenery was a bit desolate, being a desert and all, but it was beautiful in its own right!

There were only 189 marathoners, so it was a small race.

The first 10 miles just flew by. The course was relatively flat and slightly downhill. At mile 11 the rolling hills started, which I didn't think were that bad.. after running the Kauai marathon, no hills are that bad! ( : At mile 15 my quads started cramping, I have never done that before, but I also haven't been running very much! (My last long run was 12 miles, mid October). I realized that it hurt more to walk than to just keep running, so that is what I did. At mile 20, I still didn't have any nausea, I was feeling great! I'll take cramping over nausea any day!

I crossed the finish line before my family even got there. I knew at the halfway mark that this would be the case. My husband was shocked and impressed! heehee. But with no nausea, I was able to sit and enjoy eating post race food. I ate 2 yogurts, a banana, 3 waters and a powdered donut! ~ Normally, I can't choke down anything, let alone something sweet!

The race was pretty organized. They ran out of water at the mile 15 aid station, but they were on top of it and got some there as fast as they could. (that is why I always carry some with me). The medal was a little cheesy, my husband hit it right on the head by saying, "Did they pull that thing out of a cracker jacks box?" Funny. But for the most part, I really liked it. I would run it again.

The B-12...I took 17 drops under my tongue before the race..

Mile 10 ~ 7 drops

Mile 17 ~ 3 drops

Mile 20 ~ 1 drop

I actually didn't count the drops during the race, I just guessed. I forgot to take it immediately after the race, and during the drive home I started feeling a little sick, so I took some and a few minutes later I felt great.

Keep running!

UGH!

Last night as I was getting into my bed, I felt the urge to go to the bathroom, not an uncommon thing for a girl who drinks lots of water! Got back to bed and was almost asleep when that urge hit yet again. The urge continued for an hour....then I noticed there was some blood. That is NOT normal! and I was a little freaked out. By now I had spend about an hour and a half on the potty and it was 12:30, WAY past my bedtime. I was finally able to go to sleep and then I woke at 4:30-ish to go and it was bright red. I am probably giving you way more info than you want, but it freaked my freak! I called the doc's office and the receptionist said, "We don't have any openings until next week." And I said, "Well, I was hoping to come in today, since I AM PEEING BLOOD!" " Oh, can you come in an hour?"

I am on anti-biotics for 10 days. This is my first ever bladder infection/UTI. Yay, me. I am thirty something and I have never had one of these. I guess I have been really lucky! I guess I should be drinking more of this...

On a happier note, Candice over at I Have Run is having a great giveaway! Go check it out!

St. George Marathon

I have been a slackah this week. I had a fabulous trip to Utah. When I got to LAX, I took a deep breath, ahhhh, the mainland! The smells were nostalgic. It was nice to rejuvenate. It was nice to visit with family and friends. It was nice to be able to do my hair without sweating from my elbows! ( : I have really missed the dry weather. But it was also nice to get back home to my family!

Last Saturday was a beautiful day for a run, the weather was nice and it just felt good to get back to my "roots." (St. George was my first marathon). At the start, I ran into a couple of old friends from high school. It was fun to catch up.

It felt good to be running in the cold, dry air. I ate my honey every 5 miles, the first couple were really cold, not as easy to suck down, but they still worked like a charm. I love it when you find something that works for you! The race was just as well organized as usual, the aid stations were great, as usual. The scenery was beautiful, as usual. St. George really is a fantastic marathon.

At mile 26 my brother in law and 2 nephews ran with me the last couple of blocks, it was nice to see them and it gave me a real boost! I felt strong the entire race. I attained my goals: I had fun and enjoyed everything!

What's next, you ask? You'll just have to wait and see. ( :

6 Days!

Can I just say how much I love the St. George Marathon! I am flying out on Wednesday night and I am soooooo excited!

This is the Veyo hill at mile 7 of the marathon. It really is incredible to see all those runners on the road.

I love this part of the course, the sun hits those mountains in Snow Canyon just right.

I am feeling really positive about this upcoming race. Apparently there is a 7% rule. Runners from Hawaii run 7% faster when they travel to the mainland. I like that rule!

Many of you asked how I carried the honey with me on my run. I put about a tablespoon of honey in a sandwich baggie, tied a knot in the end and when I needed it, bit it open and sucked it out. Simple. I must say, the honey goes down much easier than Gu. And I don't feel icky. Used it again this morning on my 8 mile run. Again with great results! AND it's cheaper than buying the little packets! ( :

Oliver Shagnasty's

I tried something new on my long run yesterday! Oliver Shagnasty's (I had to laugh at the name) Kauai Natural Raw Honey. And It Was Awesome! Sure beats GU!! I didn't get those icky throw-up hicups! And I had the energy that I needed. I am sold. (I tried to order HoneyStingers, and shipping to Hawaii was 3 times the amount I would've spent on the packets...so I made my own!) Worked like a charm too! I had a great 15 mile run. It was a beautiful morning. I ran the main highway and down to Anini beach. I love running Anini! It is so beautiful, the road is right next to the ocean most of the way, and there are bathrooms/water at the half way point. Can't beat that! I am ready for St. George...12 days!

The Race Report

I always like to think about the race for a couple of days before I actually sit down to write my race report....This was my first "island" marathon. And boy, did it exceed my expectations. It was full of the aloha spirit!

It was a relatively small race, only about 1800 entrants, including Dean Karnazes. The starting line was great, there was a lot of energy, music, and of course, tiki torches. The race started at 6:00 am sharp! The start was lined with tiki torches and conch shell blowers dressed in the traditional Hawaiian attire. The gun went off and then they blew the conch shells, it was so cool! "The blowing of the conch shell" is an ancient Hawaiian ritual. It is supposed to give thanks, bring people together in harmony and receive blessings. When they are blown strongly, the sound can be heard for miles. It is common for the conch shell blower to blow the shell once in four directions to symbolize the four elements of the universe; blowing the shell to the East greets the sunrise; to the West honors the setting sun; to the North pays respect to the stars; and to the South pays respect to the forefathers. I love Hawaiian traditions!

It was a perfect day for a run, there was great cloud coverage and it rained for a lot of the race, which I was so grateful for! The first of MANY hills came fairly early in the race. They weren't kidding when they said it was a hilly course!

At about mile 14-15 I saw Dean, my new best friend, hehehe, he was on his 20-21st mile, it was just him and me running toward each other....and we "shaka'd" (hang loose sign) each other. Ya, it was the highlight, I was a little star struck, but I can say, I ran with Dean Karnazes! And come to find out, my friend's husband went to high school with him...who knew?

The start line

Along the course

There were hula dancers at several different spots on the course

The day was great, I did not get a PR, but I finished the race and I had a great time doing it. I met a lot of nice people and I was really impressed with the organization/preparation for the race. Jeff Sacchini and his staff did an excellent job! The course was absolutely beautiful! How could it not be, it's Kauai!

Aloha!

Look Who It Is....

Dean Karnazes!!

Dean is the host of the Kauai marathon and he was at the expo this afternoon signing posters. Of course, I had to take a photo op.

I was impressed with the expo...it was very small, but we got great stuff! A Kauai Marathon tote bag, an aluminum water bottle, another tote bag, and a great race shirt.

I am excited to race in the morning. My goals for this one are very simple:

*Have fun

*Finish

I am not putting time restraints on myself, I am not sure what to expect with the humidity/weather. We drove part of the course today, and it is definitely a hilly course!

I'm off to the races~wish me luck!