O.C. Half Marathon Report..

Pre-Race:

Allison and her new boyfriend came over to our home away from home for dinner. H made his usual pasta with spaghetti sauce with my one token piece of chicken. We ate around 5:30 to give our tummies time to digest all before the AM. I was in bed by 9:00 CA time, which is 10:00 NM time so all was well. H & I both woke up at 4:00 AM. I took a warm bath-perhaps my new pre-race strategy to warm my muscles up. It seemed to help me wake up my legs. I had felt like crap the night before, sore throat, feeling like I was coming down with something..In the AM was all gone and I was ready to run! Bagel with PB, half bagel with cream cheese, one WIRED drink and off we went!

We met Allison and Scott at the finish line, where we left one car and drove to the start line. As usual, my anal retentive self had us there 45 minutes before we ever had to be, which left us standing in porta potty lines and nervously jogging around trying to stay warm. It was perfect weather. 50 degrees, cloudy. The ocean air always agrees with my hair, skin and general breathing capabilities..SEA LEVEL IS AWESOME!! All that extra O2. More about that later..

Race:

With 8000 of our California friends, we started the race with our chips. It took H & I about 5 min to get to the start line-not too bad. This race allowed ipods-yes even officially! I was stoked about this. I run better with music..So on came my Ipod..H & I ran together for about 5 minutes and he drifted off in front of me. I planned to race: the 1st 5 miles kind of easy, the 2nd 5 miles picking it up and the last 5k as fast as I could run. It was a bit difficult to start out this way because it was downhill the first few miles..but I held back anyway. Of course had to go to the bathroom about mile 3. I asked some poor unsuspecting teenager who was guarding the alleyway from runners who were going to cut the course, if I could use the alley to do my thing. I think she was too afraid to say no. The second bathroom stop I made at a store where I was practically screaming at the person in the BR ahead of me this is a race-hurry up!  WTF is this lady doing in there? The porta potty lines were ridiculous. My last stop was in the bushes around mile 10-all in all lost about 5 minutes...Geez!!  It seems no matter what I eat, don't eat. It is always the same deal..I ran faster after each stop, willing myself to make up for lost time...

After 5 miles, I looked at my watch and damn, it said 55 minutes! I was stoked. So I picked it up and felt like a rock star. I was feeling the best I have ever felt, certainly in  a running race. I felt all O2 blasting my legs into gear. I thought of all the speed work I have done the last 5 months. It works-duh! At one point at a turning point, I saw H first, then Allison and Scott-all about 10 min ahead of me. That meant Allison was having a good race! I was so happy about this..I thought If I keep up this pace, I will have a PR-no doubt! The run was so beautiful-around a bay in the ocean. I could feel the ocean air just bathing my skin and lungs. It was so awesome..I took in a total of 4 Carbooms. The water stops were not quite every mile and I think I saw one water stop with Power Ade. Good thing I was not counting on that for nutrition! I was still passing people..alot. Then around mile 9 there was a small steep hill. I walked as fast as I could up the short hill. Mile 10-I started to feel my legs, a very slight cramp beginning in my left hamstring-Oh no!! I ran through it, took a Tylenol just in case...I don't remember ever pushing this hard in a half marathon before so the cramp thing was new. The last 5k took forever! My Garmin says we ran 13.4 and so does Allison's. So the course was long I think...We finally rounded the bend to get to the fairgrounds and it seemed like forever and bam! I was done! My leg by now was almost a full on cramp so I was so lucky it was over! Garmin said 2:17 but I knew the bathroom stops made it longer. I ran a half marathon in the late 90s or early 2000s in 2:19 although I cannot find the results anywhere on  line. So I think it was almost a PR for me at:
Bib: 7745
Name: Debi Wess
Gender: F
Age: 54
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Overall: 2491 out of 4554
Women: 1184 out of 2666
F 50-54: 52 out of 175
Age/Grade: 57.52% Place: 780
Finish: 2:20:24 Pace: 10:43

I found H quickly at the end. He rocked the race on a bum leg and finished in the top 20 of his AG. Allison completed her first running race in the top 3rd of her AG!! I was so proud of her!!!

Post Race:

We went to a great breakfast place, where I PIGGED out on pancakes and eggs. The afternoon was spent resting then we all had a huge pizza and chocolate cake at our place for the evening meal. I was wiped out! This AM, I dreamt I was at the doctor with a dramatic pain in my left leg. I woke up to a dramatic pain in my left leg and hip. When I stood to walk I realized,  My am I sore!! 

Thoughts: 

Speed work does what it is suppose to do..makes you faster..

There is hope for me getting faster,even at my age.

I wish I could run this fast at Buffalo Springs half Ironman in June..that is my goal..

It is the best feeling to see your kid go from non-athlete to athlete in 6 months!

I run faster with music..that is all there is to it..

I love my life! Soreness and all!

Chillin' in Chama..

The view from our deck, where we took off to run this AM:

This is me in my very special "Dollar Store" cabin outfit. Sexy, huh?

These are the Brazos Cliffs..another view from our place..

Hartley and Mocha's favorite place to be on a typical Chama afternoon:





















As we enjoy our first of a couple of days of "R&R" or whatever you call it when you are retired and want to get away from "it all"..

A few things have changed:

1. Chucky is gone! Oh thank you God for that!

2. The firehouse that exploded last year has been completely rebuilt.

3. The Chama store that collapsed from the snow last year is also rebuilt (last year not a good year for this area).

4. Our 14 year old beloved Mocha can no longer get up the stairs by herself. She can only occasionally jump up on the couch, where she sleeps up here. Yesterday, H carried her up the stairs to the main floor, put her down and she promptly fell and didn't look like she was going to get up. She falls from time to time now, just out of the blue. So H & I were having the talk that neither one of us wants to talk about-Mocha's last trip to the vet.. and all. Of course we got up this morning and not only was she able to get off the couch to go pee on the floor, she also managed to jump back up on the couch. Then she was jumping around like a puppy after we got up as if to say nope, not ready for that trip to the vet yet! I am ready for my walk now!

We took a run this AM up the road. I felt like I had rocket fuel in my shoes today. Somehow all this speed work I have been doing is making me faster. How about that! It is only a little faster but I feel stronger than ever these days, with the extra 10 lbs-must be muscle-(right)!

I am in search for what to do to train for IMWA. I have choices of course:
A. Self training with Beginner Triathlete IM program.
B. Use Mark Allen Online program without the one on one coaching part.
C. Ironguides..a new training plan I found online that emphasizes I think more higher intensity workouts. Hard to tell until you actually purchase the program which is already suspect to me..

I seem to be in charge of the decision although of course H has input. He thinks the Ironguide thing sounds a bit gimmicky. Also he has a tendency to get hurt with speed work so is not particularly in favor of that. Mark Allen training is great for us older athletes but in reality I will probably never get faster at IM distance with that plan. So do we go the safer route and stick with MAO? Or take a risk and try a new way to train for IMWA...choices, choices..

We will meet with Coach Eric next week, who will be taking us down the stretch to Buffalo Springs Lake half IM at the end of June...then July we will start Ironman training for IMWA. H is busy this weekend researching the rest of our 2 month adventure down under. I can't wait!

Sometimes when I am up here, I think I could just chuck city living and live up here. This is one of those times. So quiet, so simple..not much happening here at all..we are 15 miles from Chama itself, which is a town of say 500 people? Much different living up here. But..then I think what about our friends, our kids and grandkids? How we we see them as much.

It is not as if I cannot have all the alone time I want at home. It just feels different up here..All Walden's Pond or something. I remember reading that book and envying the guy in the book. Solitude was his friend!

Chances are slim we will be Chama-ites any time soon. I love my tri-biking with friends every weekend too much. Wednesday rides with bike friends. I love Starbucks and Albertsons too much. And then there is Kohls. There is not even a Walmart up here!

Funniest Facebook story ever..

I have to tell this story..

Dread Pirate, Mark and I went running the other day for 2 hours. Or shall we say we started running and ended running together.

Mark-first running 8-9 min/mile

DP-next running 9-10 min/mile

Me-last running 11-12 min/mile

We met up every now and then as the route we took had us crossing paths every once in awhile. At one point DP hands me her IPOD earphones and says Listen to this-a funny song.. I proceed to hear a rap song for a bit, called "I'm in Miami Bitch". We laughed about said song and the BAD lyrics..should moms be listening to these words? OK, but NEVER tell the children..

So the next day, I think it is funny when I see a card on Facebook that says this:











After receiving my card, DP writes on FB: I'm in Miami bitch!
You know, playing on the words of the song.

Along comes an unsuspecting acquaintance that we ride with occasionally, sees this post and says:
I hope the weather there is nice. My wife and I were in Panama Beach a week ago and it was frigid.
I read this with horror..Oh no, he thinks we actually call each other "Bitch"
I am laughing out loud now even thinking about this..

I email DP and she is laughing too and posts this:



Just to separate us from those bitches who actually call each other that!

My world continues to change...

Yep-it is snowing here in the "Q" after Easter..The heater is on..

Been a long time since I remember this late of a "winter"

Of course this is directly related to the fact I planted ALOT of flowers this past week..I fancy myself to be a gardener right now.



Today is Lane, my grand-daughter's 5th birthday. I was there when she entered the world, or a few minutes afterwards anyway. She is such a joy, words cannot describe. I called her this morning and she told me she really wanted to turn 5! She is hilarious...

This week I connected with my Coach and we are on for a 8 week program probably starting in May..This will give me a chance to improve, well everything in time for Buffalo Springs. There are now TEN women in my AG. I really don't care anymore..they all just keep aging up so it is impossible to win by attrition anymore!

Weight issues abound this week. Without elaborating, I have decided:

1. It is not rational...never has been about weight..
2. As Dr. Phil says, I would not be so concerned what people think of me if I realized how little they do.
3. With age comes pounds..there is pretty much nothing you can do about that except starve yourself, which I will not be doing..
4. Obsessing about weight is a very selfish, self-centered thing to do..
5. It is all about control and keeping things the same.."Nothing's Going to Change my World" I feel a Beatle's song coming on..
6. No one really knows how to treat someone who has an eating disorder. It is "multifaceted" and has many layers, is on a spectrum.
7. I have a mild case, although have been pretty bad at some points of my life. I will never probably go back there.
8. There are probably folks in this world who do not give a crap about their weight..ever..

Ok, 'nuff said..today..

I give up..

I think I need a coach now..I am feeling less motivated this week so took 3 days off..Biked today in the rain to start out with, then just cold and actually not so bad for 30 miles. Now I do not know if my lack of motivation has to do with the weather but it SUCKS lately here in the "Q". I have not even donned my bike shorts here yet and it is Easter..Easter folks! Also the big "A" that has hit us all (allergies) with a vengeance this year...WTF?

I have a running race in 3 weeks and a half Ironman triathlon in 11 weeks. I feel like I am falling behind because basically I am following my own training plan and guidance..Is this a good idea? I sense not. Because now H is following me too and I may be leading us down the wrong path altogether. We are loosely following Beginner Triathlete's plans for the half marathon and half IM. I just do not feel the same about race season this year. Maybe it is because the big one is so far away...I have no heart in Sprints this year and I know they are good for me to practice..

H pulled a calf muscle this week again..poor thing has this weakness in his legs that just seems to put up a fuss when he trains alot (imagine that!). Soooo he is out for running for awhile which makes it even more difficult to get my engine going...

Yes Coach Eric will be hearing from me soon..I just do not trust myself after all these years..

Today is Easter. I miss my kids..remembering when they were really small and we use to dye Easter eggs and hide them. This seems like another life ago and now they are having traditions with their own families..I even remember the family of origin and back in the day when my parents thought it was a good idea to dress us all up in matching dresses (5 girls) on Easter Sunday. Now that is just a little weird..no wonder I question my autonomy..