Fox valley marathon, a new PR

Stats:
Time: 3:40:18 *A new PR by 25 minutes!!
11/79 AG Top 13 %
40/492 Women Top 8%
208/1060 Overall Top 19 %
Started out Sunday morning with the Blogger Meetup :) It was so lovely meeting new faces and sharing in the running spirit!

Below are some more pre race photos... Coach Britt and I, My Daad and I, Kim and I (she just ran a 50k Saturday!) And me posing with my bib Saturday.
Honestly, after 14 amazing weeks of training I was so excited to run this race- and a little sad it was going to be over. 2 weeks ago my ankle started bothering me on my last long run, so much that I had to take some unexpected rest days. I was training for a BQ (3:35 or better), but after the ankle went AWOL, I was very nervous going into this race.

My plan was to be conservative and abandon any specific time goals since I knew the ankle would be ok for at least half the race. After 13.1, I knew the ankle would be a ticking time bomb. I just hoped it would happen latter in the race. I self diagnosed my ankle as having peroneal tendonitis, or some form of irritation of that tendon because it would warm up on the runs during the past 2 weeks and only hurt while done.
The entire race felt easy. I could have been more aggressive with the pace, but was very concerned about the ankle. As you can see from the photos Kim and my Daad took, I was having a ball out on the course. I felt more than prepared to tackle the distance- and was excited to finally make it to the start line after a solid 14 weeks with Britt's training plan, and an additional 10 weeks before that with base building of 30-40 miles a week.

There were some hills, but nothing too bad. At times I felt like I was the only person on the course. There would be someone 20 yards ahead of me, and no one behind me for 30 yards. It was nice. It was such a stark contrast to the wall to wall people and 20 deep spectators of the giant marathons like Chicago or NYC. I enjoyed the peace and the beauty of running a long the river and seeing the wild flowers.



My splits were very consistent, and it felt entirely too easy!

With about 4 miles to go, the ankle started hurting. I dug deep to try to keep my pace and finish strong. Mile 25 I walked through a water station because I wanted some gatorade.

I was so happy to finish and celebrate the hard work I did to prepare for this race. While I didnt get my BQ for the 2013 race, I know these legs are more than capable of smashing this 3:40 and getting a sweet BQ next year.


If I didnt have the ankle issues, I have no doubt that today I would have broken 3:35.

Ive also had bad allergies for the past 2 weeks and stay up at night coughing until my abs are sore- I even was coughing a bit during the race today. Im sure this also took valuable energy from me. OH WELL. I have NO regrets for this race. I wish I was 100% for the startline, but it's out of my control. The ankle issue came out of nowhere on my last long run, and I also cant help that this was the perfect growing season ragweeds have ever experienced.



You're going to hate me When I say these 26.2 miles were easy. The easiest 26.2 Ive ever run. It was simply amazing and entirely enjoyable.  No wall, no cramps, no pain (minus the ankle) NOTHING. My muscles are not even sore. (Usually my quads are sore for a few days post hard effort). Good quality, focused training certainly pays off and I have Britt to thank for that :) I nailed every workout until the past 2 weeks when I had to back off because of the ankle. I'll probably be a little stiff tomorrow, but Im not anticipating any muscle pain. CRAZINESS!
Whats next?
Im going to take off running for a few days or the rest of the week to let the tendon heal. Then I get to run 26.2 all over again in 3 weeks for the Chicago Marathon. Im excited to run Chicago with my L, for his first marathon. It will be hopefully a very fun experience. 
Post Chicago, Ive got my eye on some 5ks, and a possible half marathon at the end of October if the ankle issue is cleared up.I want to test these legs in some shorter races while I have the fitness and also before Chicago becomes a frozen tundra for the winter. I also plan to re-start the Bikram Hot yoga within the next few weeks.
Pre race portapotty pic :) And Post Race portapotty pic  haha After I finished, I got a bunch of gatorade and then proceeded to the tent to get ice for my ankle. The lady at the tent immediately said "peroneal tendon" when I pointed to where it hurts.  Housekeeping:

• Honey Stinger 1 hour pre race
• Gatorade Prime with a salt stix  20 minutes pre race
• Ran with music the entire time
• Gu at miles (approx) 5, 10, 15, 21
• Salt Stix at 7, 12, 17, 22
• Carried a water bottle with me until mile 24. It was nice not having to stop at water stations, and to be able to drink when I wanted.
• Lululemon top and shorts, Mizuno Wave Elixir shoes, CEP Compression Socks

Fox Valley

 The course was beautiful. Plenty of aid stations. Shade near 100% of the time. Start temps in the low 50's. Volunteers were amazing. Very spectator friendly course. Moments of quiet on the trail where there were no spectators or other runners near me. Excellent organization. I highly recommend this race (13.1, 20 miler or Full) to anyone looking for a quality race. I LOVE THE MEDAL.

Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement through this training cycle. It made a huge difference :)

- xaar