St. George marathon, 2009, E's report, now I want to read YOURS

The bonding started at the bonfires, at the beginning of the race, hanging out with other freezing, pee-laden, nervous wrecks


A picture of my famous knee, the one everyone prayed for (or was this my right knee?)


A view from the runner's perspective (mine). I took this picture with my iPhone too. I was actually trying to get a picture of an amazing rock formation to the right but couldn't aim right while I was running. I thought this was cool too.


And a tribute to the weather. Could not have been better! (Unlike last year's rain)



Now for you numbers freaks. Here are the numbers:

Last year my overall time was 3:57:50, this year it was 4:00:18. I qualified for Boston both times, but only by 41 seconds this year.

Other numbers from this year:
3126 finishers behind, 44% of finishers ahead. Overall I got 2492nd place, 809th place for the women, 33% of them ahead of me, 84th place in my age division, 33% of runners ahead. I found how I ranked among the men but can't find it again. Last year I beat 51% of them, this year I think 54% of them beat me. Overall chip time 4:00:18.

Here's what my Garmin said, Average pace 9:08 min/mile, top pace 9.3 mph. The first 7.35 miles I averaged 7.1 mph, the second 4.59 miles I averaged 5.9 mph (I think this was Veyo hill area), the next 5.28 miles I got back on pace at 6.8 mph, then the last 9 I averaged 6.4 mph with a top speed on those last miles of 9.0 mph, probably my finishing "kick". So Jill, I didn't do the death jog at the end, and I didn't start out too fast, at least not too too fast.

I did so poorly because I was wearing braces on both knees, which I am hoping slowed me down a little and I had lost some fitness because of little to no outside training the last six weeks, lots of no running days.

I did so well because duh, it was downhill, my taper went better than my other two marathons, I NEVER stopped at a port-a-potty and was not dehydrated, I only walked through the aid stations and nowhere else, and mostly I did well because everyone prayed for my left knee, which barely even made itself known, the entire race!
Oh, and I had family there, oooooodles of family. Stephen and Nathan yelled at me at mile 16 (or was it 17?), then again at the end of the race. I especially enjoyed Nathan's yelling in the chute. I couldn't even acknowledge it as I was trying to finish a little faster, but it helped me. A lot. Mark and Clint and Daryl and speedy Eric were there too and although I never saw them, it was a boost just knowing they were there.

P.S. The beta blocker worked. My heart did not do its Boston flip flop but stayed appropriately where it should.