Marathon 9 - Check...Surf City!!!

Surf City Marathon - The Recap in Pictures...

and a few words...

This is the line to get into the Expo!  We arrived in Huntington Beach in the late afternoon and the Expo was packed!  We made our way through and picked up my bib and goodies as well as picked up my GU necessities for race day...  Once we made it out of the tented, hot Expo we enjoyed the beach a bit...it was a warm day of 72 degrees!!!

Then on to the EAP meet-up...I had the chance to meet Patrick and Chris.  Both great guys and we chatted things of training, flu, BQ's and such.  Chris actually sold me on a product that he bought at the Expo so we headed back in to browse a bit and to get me one of my own...  I'll let him tell about the exciting product!

J thinks this looks like the cover of an album...We got P-funk on the drums with crazy solos...C-Rock on bass jammin' his blues riffs...and aRDy on tambourine... I can play a mean tambourine...  Band names??

Patrick offered up some great suggestions for pre-race meals, so J and I headed off for dinner and early lights out.  That night I had a dream that I was running the race and at mile 13 I realized that I was running in house slippers.  I saw J on the sideline and told him to go back to the start to get my runner's, that I had forgotten to switch, and to bring them back to me.  He said, 'Aaaahh you're fine.  You're already half done.  Just finish it up.'  Thanks babe.

I woke up after that dream without an alarm going off, looked at my watch and it was 5:15 am.  My alarm was supposed to go off at 5:00!  So I got up, changed super fast, gathered all my stuff together and while lacing up my shoes I noticed the clock on the sidetable...4:25 am.  Oh yeah...Pacific time...deep breath...I had another hour... : )

It was a perfect foggy morning in Huntington Beach.  20,000 runners. 

No signs of the flu.  I felt rested.  I felt strong.  I just knew it was going to be a great run.  I was secretly, well probably not so secretly, hoping for a PR even though I'd had a rough week.  I set out running 9:00/mi and it felt great.  I hit the halfway mark at 2:03.  Felt exceptional about that.  I didn't take pictures during the race but the course is just absolutely spectacular.  The majority of the course is literally along the ocean.  Views of the Pacific and surfers in and out the whole morning.  I was in heaven.  Like clockwork I slowed in the late teen miles and then the last 5 miles I was trying to stay around 11's.  So frustrating.  I felt aerobically very strong, not a problem, but legs just didn't have it in them once again.  Still I finished with a 4:25, my fastest time since Logan back in September!  So that, I was happy about.

The race was extremely well organized and a zillion volunteers that went above and beyond.  I LOVED this race.  The course wasn't completely flat...a few little rollers and one baby hill...which I love having a few little things to shake it up.  The finish area was crazy but great and of course I love my surfboard finisher's medal!

We were lucky to be able to spend an extra day and enjoy some beach time...

We came home to this...

But still thinking about this today...

I now live in Surf City...

but I altitude train 52 weeks a year in Snowville, USA... : )