Paavo Nurmi 2011 [2011 Running]

Saturday, 8/13/11
5:00 AM
Bright and early out of bed to shower, eat some oatmeal and drink some eye-opening coffee.
Temperature: 60 degrees F, mostly cloudy

5:45 AM
Hitting the road to pick up Bethann's dad, who lives 5 minutes away from the farm up in Ashland, and then settling in for the hour drive to Upson, WI, the start of the Paavo Nurmi Marathon and Marathon relays.

6:45 AM
Arrival at Upson, and smiling for the happy-smiling-before-race picture
Temperature: 61 degrees F, mostly cloudy


After a little bit of loosening up with a walk after that long ride, a bit of Fatherly advice was passed along to daughter. Jerry (Bethann's dad) is a former marathon runner; his marathon of choice being Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, WI.

In the background is the lovely shuttle bus that transports the 2nd-leg runner to the mile 5 marker for those participating in the 5-person relay. These groups ALWAYS keep the course lively, having exchanges at miles 5, 10, 15 and 20.

And what's a race without the lovely porta-potty lines!! :0)

By the time the race was to start, I think the caption for Bethann here is......."ummm.......time to get this show on the road already?!?!?!?" ;0) **rubbing her hands together impatiently?**

7:30 AM
Right on the spot, the gun sounded to start the race, and Bethann was off!

All we could do was give her a hoot-n-hollar and send her on her way. The first 6 miles of the course is closed to vehicles.......so she was on her own, along with the other 555 marathon runners and 66 relay teams (that added another 300+ individuals to the course sidelines).

In addition to Bethann's dad joining us, Ryan also played along as chauffeur for the day.

8:40 AM
After skirting around for an hour trying to pass the time, we were so excited to see Bethann in the distance coming off of mile 6.

With two cameras going (ya see mine in my hands?), it was nice to have shots of both of us supporting the other. As the pictures tell, the clouds were breaking up; mostly cloudy turned into partly cloudy, with temperatures holding around 65 degrees F.

It was cute seeing the high-five between Ryan and BA....just bummed that I missed it in this picture. :(

9:01 AM
Just passing mile 8 a few moments back, she shared later on that this was the best she was feeling. She had a moment of "oh my goodness....8 already?" The miles were flying by......in her own words.

9:15 AM
Just past mile 10, she was still looking strong, not having walked once.

9:28
We were able to give her one more HURRAH at mile 11 to push her to her finish before needing to get me to the hand-off point.

9:47
The little town of Gile, WI was the host of the Half-marathon start and the point of the 2-person relay handoff. Banners and flags were strewn along all the streets; a festive looking moment for Bethann to finish to.

AND 2:19 (10:36 pace!) after she started, she was handed 2 dozen baby roses by DH Ryan, but sadly no pic. Awesome PR for Bethann, who ran her first Half in 2:24!!!!

And with skies clearing :(, temperatures reaching 69 degrees F, I was off.

9:58 AM
The first time I expected to see them was at mile 15, NOT mile 14. What a fun little surprise, not even a full mile into my run {{later to find out that BA needed to pee, so they stopped at the gas station that just happened to be at mile 14, so the boys snapped a picture}} :0) I don't try to be a gadgety runner......ipod strapped to upper arm; Garmin Forerunner on wrist....and I elected to run with my favorite water bottle not really knowing if the temps were going to keep climbing. The visor is wonderful for sunny running days; with my eyes being so light-sensitive, most of the direct light doesn't need to hit my sunglasses.

10:09 AM
Moments after mile 15, a high-5 exchange between BA and myself was captured. With only 2 miles into my run and relatively flat roads, I was doing alright. Holding right around 10:30's.....

And at this point, the course is once again closed to vehicles ...... until mile 21 (mile 8 for my Half).
Okay....so what can I remember about miles 15-21?
Sun, LOTS of sun
Wind; a nice breeze on any other day, but a bit too strong for my running convenience today
Hills; my legs just AREN't trained strong enough (yet)
:/

Mile 16 (mile 3) had a nice down hill and I capitalized by hitting 9:15 pace for much of the 300-400 meters (according to my Garmin).
Mile 17 (mile 4)----psht......it's a blur. I don't even remember seeing a mile marker......must have been zoning out
Mile 18 (mile 5) I DO recall because I knew there would be an aid station. And yup...there was....right at the top of another climb. The sponges that were shared were PERFECT! And ICE BAGS!!!! I had forgotten completely about ice bags at these aid stations from running back in 2006. At least once nice thing about miles 18-21 is the aid stations at every mile, and actually an aid station every mile to the finish line. But the ice bags and sponges.....and there was a fire-hose out somewhere around mile 18......it was at least nice to be able to stay relatively cool! The breeze finally was able to be relieving once I dumped water on me and sponged down; it offered its cooling effect on the skin.

Ummm...miles 19 and 20....I just remember too many hills that I had forgotten about. Bigger hills than what are present on my training roads at home. There were a few men that I ended up piggy-backing with since we all were taking on a run-walk pace; all at different paces and times. THEY, however, were running the full-marathon.....and were actually HITTING miles 19-20, whereas I was only hitting miles 6-7. WHAT?!?!?!? 6 and 7 only?!!?!?!? Oh boy! BUT.......at 6.55 (MY half-way point), I looked at my watch and saw 1:14 ticking. HEY! Alright.......that's good! Even if I continue at this pace, I'll finish at 2:28, which is sub-2:30 (my goal time).

11:22 AM
Ahhhhhhh.......coming around a curve after mile 21 (mile 8 for me).......what a sight!
Bethann saw me walking and came out greeting me, trying to get me running again. Nahhh.....nahhh...Bethann. A walk'll do me good right now! GOOD TO SEE YOU, THOUGH!!!!!! I handed my water bottle over to her since there was going to be an Aid Station every mile now until the finish.

And for the next 2 miles...I was on my own again. At least a few things had now changed since the course veered North...
The sun was behind me; and the cloud cover was picking back up
The wind/breeze seemed to be gone
The hills....yeah.....they were pretty non-existent too!!! :0)

11:47 AM
The fan-crew caught back up with me just after the mile 23 aid station. There are so many thoughts that run through my head while running.....being a math person, I usually run my numbers. But since I purchased my Garmin, the numbers didn't take much effort. However, I DO run the numbers that would be needed to make my goal time. With about 40 minutes left before reaching my goal time of 2:30, and a little over 3 miles left.....I figured I was sitting pretty good!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh.....those poor marathon runners!!!!!!! EVERY one that I trudged past, I gave a "WAY TO GO! My hat goes off to you for running this whole marathon!!!"

And shortly after passing this gentleman at mile 23......my legs said....."hey! That was 10 miles! Good job! We're done." LOL.....oh, I laugh about it now, but at the time......I kept saying....only a little walk! Only a little.....or I'll lose my 2:30 time....

and....hey! Where did this head-strong breeze come from??? :/

12:06 PM
SO.....a walk turned into a power walk all the way to mile 24 (at about a 14:10 pace, according to my buddy Garmin). And there's something about this picture that I absolutely LOVE! Jerry (BA's dad) snapped this one. I love the CAUTION sign right next to me.......the runners all lined up along the road. Oh....and the traffic! There were some GREAT horn honks (ALL GOOD!) and yells out the windows from the passing-by traffic. Traffic was much better this year than I remember in years past. Although Jerry has different thoughts....which are understandable. But....Hwy 51 is a major highway into Hurley; it simply can't be shut-down on race days. Hmmm......maybe a 45MPH sign would be nice (kinda like 'Men-at-Work; construction speed limits'. **shrug** It didn't bother me this year like it did in years past.

And after mile 24 (11 of my stretch).....my legs still were on vacation. With about 20 minutes left before my 2:30 goal time.....I simply shrugged and shouted to Bethann.....I'll see you in 30 minutes at the finish line, having full intentions of just power-walking to the finish.

Somewhere between miles 24 and 25 (miles 11-12), I made a mental connection with my legs to just run a little bit. And they did....for about 2 telephone pole lengths, and then I was back to power-walking. Heading out of Mile 25, a climb was ahead of me, and I power-walked it the best I could....watching the 2:30 tick away on my clock. **shrug**....I'm really okay with it all....truly!

And then....at the crest of the hill...with 12.6 miles showing on my distance-traveled window on the Garmin....I convinced my legs to find a little something again. And they did ..... for a little while at least :0)

Just before the corner leading to the final stretch of the race, Bethann met up with me. She did the best she could to get me running again, and once we turned the corner....I did :0)


If you've never run a race before......I wish I could explain the exhilaration you feel when you hear .....first, the music blaring......and then.....the crowd cheering.....and then...with a BOOMING voice...."And coming down the stretch we have Amy Skattebo, part of the 2-person relay "BOO x2" from Shell Lake, Wisconsin." BOY! If THAT isn't enough for the legs to find energy to run the final 400 meters....!



So, OFFICIAL finishing time: 5:02:12 for our marathon relay. My watch showing 2:42:50 (12:25 pace) for my half :\

My legs were SO HAPPY to just be able to stop...... ;0)

All-in-All; the day was fabulous! I'll openly admit that the conditions weren't the ideal for me (INCLUDING not being back to the running-shape I was three years ago after 9 weeks of training and two years off).

BUT......I CAN run. And I DID run. And I did it with BETHANN, who had an AMAZING run and got my butt back INTO running!!!

{{LOL...and for my former running buddy, Julie-----There was NO hurling in Hurley this year!}}


So....was this enough motivation to keep me running and improving to the next race????

T'scha!!! You bet'cha!!!!!

August 27: 12-mile rutabega fest
Sept 3: 5K OR 15K (Lake Run) in hometown, Shell Lake
Sept. 17: Half-marathon in Barron, WI
Oct. 15: Half-Marathon in Ashland, WI; the same course that I have run my marathon on three times. I would LOVE to try for a PR since it's an ideal course! But, I don't know if (realistically) I'll be physically there yet.

More packages (delayed) and a run

A couple of weeks ago, Natalie (Piece-n-quilt) posted some scrap boxes she was selling. For WHATEVER reason....I liked the look of the fabrics AND the idea of having more fabrics.......

It arrived two weeks ago (I think?)...but just haven't gotten to unpacking it yet. Hmm....is that a sign of TOO MUCH fabric? Or a sign of a busy life?? ;0)

A good amount of yardage was included; I'll have to determine how much when I find the motivation later on. Some magazines.....a couple of Moda nickles (solids); some FQs. All-in-all, I'm pleased with the box of unknown "scraps". :0)

Some ACTUAL scraps were thrown in too; some good sized light scraps.


Also, a couple of weeks ago, Julie Me-n-My Stitches was requesting some of the lighter QOV fabric that I purchased and blogged about here. So, rather than sending $$, she was open to the idea of swapping fabric-for-fabric. Here are the two YUMMY FQs she sent me; civil war repros :0)

Paul just arrived home, early from work, already done with what needed to be finished off today. He is outside tinkering with the boat. Cassie is finishing up the dishes (she's new to washing dishes, so it's a honeymoon period!!! We'll milk it out for what it's worth!). Caitlyn and Candace are feeding the chickens. I'm working on laundry. **shrug** Pretty normal, huh?

We will be heading out to the farm later on; we don't really have a schedule "must-leave" time. Bethann is already up there with FIL & MIL; she's heading over to the race registration booth today to pick up our race-packets for tomorrow AM. The race (Hurley, WI) is about an hour from the farm, which resides in Ashland, WI. It'll be an early morning for sure! Up around 5:15; heading out around 6:00 in order to arrive at start by 7:00; race starts at 7:30. Bethann is running the first half (remember-----HILLS!!!!) :]

Here is the elevation map I had posted about back in 2008 when I ran with Julie. The yellow highlights are when aid stations are planned. Bethann has the first 13......gah! I REMEMBER that MONSTER starting at mile 6 and lasting till just after 9. She hasn't seen the map (yet); she's trying not to get panicked about the whole thing!!! ;0) Ah......she'll be fine! I simply keep telling her that she'll live and hang in there for mile 12. Almost allllllll downhill before coming into the hand-off area. :0) I figure I'll be starting my part around 9:45ish (give or take 15 minutes), so by noon-12:30, I should be finishing up. I haven't really paid attention to the forecast for up there....it is what it is!

I ran my final 5 miles last night at what I anticipate to be my "race pace." I ended up averaging 10:35, so......**shrug**.....we'll see. I'm hoping to stay around 11:00's as the average, which would bring me to the finish at 2hr 24min. Anyway......

what to do...what to do. Quilt? Load a quilt to the frame? yeah.....that worked well last time! That might have to be the ticket!!!!

Running log - The beginning of training

Saturday ended my running drought.

The last time I hit the road was on March 18. Nothing like a 2 1/2 month dry spell to remind one's self how extremely out of condition one's cardiovascular system becomes, one's leg's muscle tone, and one's mental toughness.



<--Julie and myself, July 2006, MACC 5K
My running buddy (Julie) and I started a pact 4 years ago (2006) to make it a year of running, leading up to a final race: The Ashland Marathon. I did not start blogging until 2008, so "the running year of 2006" was not recorded other than in my hand written journals.

Then 2007 came along, and we again made it a year of running, completing many of the same races we did the year before; and again, ending the season with the Ashland Marathon (both of us improving our time). Definitely, our BEST YEAR OF RUNNING TO DATE!!!

2008 came and went; with a little bit of life getting in the way of training. Our annual Paavo Nurmi Marathon relay (2008 blog) kicked both our butts, but we still held to our pact....sort of. Julie's life held her back from running the Ashland Marathon that year, but I persevered and ALMOST had a PR.

And then.....2009 hit.
UGH!
All you need to do is do a quick once-over on my 2009 Running recap to realize that my running STALLED, BIG TIME! And sadly, I did NOT hold to my internal goal of running one marathon every year.

BUT.....

now, it's 2010!
Sure, sure, the year is half over.....but we've (Julie and I) pacted again......

2010 Paavo Nurmi...
HERE WE COME!
With 11 weeks before the event, I have PLENTY of time to get serious with my training in order to handle those hills again!


But lemme tell ya!...... I've got a LONNNNNG WAAAYYY to go before I'm back in any decent running shape!



Happy Tuesday!

Paavo Nurmi Marathon Relay

Paavo Nurmi Marathon: A yearly tradition of "the before shot" wasn't forgotten this year, although we didn't allow ourselves as much time as usual. The morning conditions were picture perfect! When we woke at 5:20am, the temps were low 60's. By the time we got the starting line, the temps had risen to maybe low 70's?? There was a nice amount of cloud cover; not a lot, but enough to keep me happy for the time being.


I was feeling pretty good at the start, but I didn't allow that to persuade my game-plan, which essentially was "keep it reigned in!". I knew my training had not prepared me to run my ideal PR goal of 10 min/miles, so I used my experience to make a smart plan (I think....). The race started just a bit behind schedule; only 5 minutes, so by 7:35am we were underway. I don't know how many runners total there were, and one of these years I have to remember to have Julie get a shot of all the people as they descend the first hill at the half-mile mark, which is where this first shot was taken.

The course from miles 1 through 6 is "off-limits" for vehicles, so Julie was not able to meet up with me until then (a good hour later). Cloud cover decreased quite a bit during this first hour, however, I had forgotten about all the tree cover (shade) that was present. The temps were very manageable---nothing excessively hot! Whew! This shot is my coming off of mile-6, about a mile into the "long slow climb" that ends just after 9 miles. I was staying positive and smart, averaging 10:15-10:30's, but slowing a bit on this first mile climb.


*chuckle* Yup.....this shots speaks the TRUTH! I was realllllly starting to feel the climb once I came into mile 7 (2 miles into the "climb"). I couldn't resist a little goofy-ness since I wasn't going for a PR this year.




Trudging along, just coming into mile 8 here. I suppose I can't brag about being in front of our Buddy here, huh?? *grin*











Just crossing the Mile 9 marker, with the summit looming very close-----I was definitely running out of gas. I have taken my share of walk-breaks, limiting them to one for each mile stretch, but.....I really started loosing track after mile 8. One nice bonus though: cloud cover was now almost 100%! It actually had been "threatening" a possible rain since about mile 7.






Typically, after the "Summit" cheer, Julie heads directly to the 13.1 "half-start" to start preparing herself for her part, while I trudge on during the last 4 miles on my own. However, I did somewhat beg for her to meet me at Mile-11 as one final "you can do it" cheers. I was surviving on "mental toughness" because my legs were verifying what I already knew---they weren't ready for this course this year. And then, of course, the GLORIOUS Mile 12 is what I live for!!!!! It was sheer JOY to coast for about half a mile!!! I came into the Hand-off at 2:27:42; satisfactory for the lack of training, but still disappointing.

After taking a short cool-down; (and panicking searching for the vehicle!!!!), I was now in the driver's seat, cruising to the first "meet-point" for Julie; Mile 15. She was having a great first 2 mile run, averaging 10's--yeah :0) But this part of the course is similar to my first 6 mile stretch---no vehicles allowed. So after snapping this shot, and stocking her up with some Halls Fruit Flavored cough drops (SUPER way to keep the mouth hydrated AND a few sugars); I sent her on her way; while I drove the long way around to meet up with her at mile 21.

The clouds remained to fill the sky, although now the possible rain threat had clearly passed and the clouds cleared up some. Temps still felt like they were in the mid-high 70's; with a slight wind picking up; not enough to complain about because it WAS a nice way to have some cooling-effect.

Although Julie's half isn't considered "hilly," there are some climbs that are enough to zap some energy from you!! Here she is just after mile 21, climbing a short, but SHARP hill stretching about 200m. ---Smiling all the way. I hadn't really been doing any calculations to see what her average mile pace was, but she had to be in the low 10's based on when I met up with her.


After the mile-21 station, the course veers onto a main Highway, and although there is some Police patrolling, there are Idiots that just don't "get it!" I had people literally "on my bumper" as I drove along going 40MPH (which I felt was still a bit fast when the side of the road is lined with runners, spectators, and parked cars.) However, now that I've voiced THAT frustration, here is Julie coming into mile 22.....

....and mile 23. I met up with her at mile 24 but didn't snap a photo. She was still smiling, having run 11 miles of her stretch. She was also just kicking back, enjoying, not killing herself nor beating herself up by pushing her body beyond what it could take. In fact, when she met up with me at my mile 11, and inbetween my "I'm sorry that I'm not ready for this race today" comments, she simply said "Hey! At least I'm running today and not in a body cast! No biggy---just enjoy!" Ya see, almost a month and half ago, Julie was in a rather severe car accident. This may seem like a cliche, BUT, she seriously had a Guardian Angel watching over her that day!!! Her car essentially wrapped itself around a tree after she had been clipped by a passing semi and flung into the air and off the road. She walked away from the accident with bumps and bruises (one NASTY seat-belt burn). I still can't believe how she survived it after seeing pics of the damaged car!


She came into the Finish Chute smiling. Once she found me in the crowd, she let out a cute little wave that brought many of the race fans to laughter, and she crossed the finish line at 4:46:24 (her leg being, 2:18:42). We hugged, congratulated each other, and .................... rested!!! *laugh!* Julie wasn't ready for anything to drink or eat yet, so we sat and watched other finishers come across the finish line. Finally, after about 20 minutes, we started to make our way to the Post-race refreshments (nope---no beer for us!!! I don't see how ANYONE can drink alcohol after running that far!!!) Instead, we had some sugar-ladened Mountain Dew and we ate some of the traditional Mojakka, "Finnish stew." We debated what the meat in the stew was since neither of us really knew, and we never agreed on it either----she says beef and I said venison (deer meat). So, if anyone has heard of Mojakka, please enlighten us?????

And, of course, we need our "after shot." We decided to wear the race t-shirts this year in the after photo----we called it "Orange Sherbet" color!!! (not quite Orange Crush) *wink* So, after cooling down, relaxing and all the such, we hit the road to head back home (about an hour drive), stopped at the local grocery store for Orange Sherbet (laugh)!!! We shared race-day stories with DH and other family members via phone, and relaxed Saturday evening watching the Olympics.

So----I have 3 weeks until my 9-mile race, 3 more weeks after that is my next Half-marathon, and finally 3 weeks after that is my Full Marathon. Yesterday's "non-trained-for race" was motivation enough to strive me to push a bit harder during these next 9 weeks. I can't wait until the Track-n-Field coverage of the Olympics too to steal some motivation from the World-Class athletes. The marathon usually doesn't get full coverage, but I'll do what I need to do to see as much of it as possible! AND (although Angela thinks I'm crazy---and I'm kinda agreeing with her), Julie and I are still keep our mind open for the 50-miler which is two weeks after our marathon. We clearly have no Super-Fast race in mind, but it's just the next step in the mind of wacko-goal-orientated-runners!

Happy Olympic Spirit!!!
-Amy

Marathon relay update; Cathy's Aunt Sukey Pillows

As promised, (and mostly so others can have pity on me :0) ), here is the elevation map of the Marathon course this weekend. As a full marathon, this course is a monster! (MPO-my personal opinion). Two years ago, Julie ran the first 13.1 miles and I ran the second; last year we reversed roles. After completing our course in 4:24 last year (we were 4:50 two years ago--the first time we ran it), we instantly made plans for the "game-plan" this year. Amazingly, we both loved the parts we ran last year, so we decided to keep roles the same: I will be running the first HILLY half, and she'll be running the second HOT half. And HOT it will be!!! Temps are forecasted in the 80's for Saturday-----oh I hope they drop some! Angela has asked about this race; There are a few options of running. You could
a) Run the whole marathon (YIKERS!!!!!!) Maybe, someday!
b) Run as a 2-person relay (which is what Julie and I do)
c) Run as a 5-person relay. The first 4 runners each run 5 miles, and the 5th runner runs the remaining 6.2 miles (10K). THESE are the individuals that really make the race fun! They bring in the spectators, essentially because there are LOTS of 5-person teams, and imagine only the "4-waiting-runners" cheering the whole gang on; that's A LOT of people!!! Besides, some of these relay teams are absolutely crazy!!! Two years ago, there was a group of males; each dressed in a dress; and their "pact" was to each drink at least 2 beers along their section of the race. What a riot they were!!!

Anyway, the yellow high-lights at 3, 6, 9, 11, 13 are where my water-stations are. Julie, running the last half, will have stations at 15, 18, and then every mile from 20 to the finish. Last year, we BOTH amazed ourselves at our times! We both were hoping to maintain 10/min miles, and we both JUST about did! I came to the half-way-point at 2:11:30, and she crossed the finished lined at 4:24:07 (which means she ran a 2:12:37). We both are very realistic this year, and since neither of us has really dedicated ourselves completely to our training plans, we both just hope to enjoy the day and each come in at at least 2:30.

This morning, I set to finish up Cathy's Birthday present completely by putting together two pillows. The pillow forms are 16", and the finished block sizes of the quilt are 15". HOW PERFECT! I added a small border, and I whipped out two blocks in no time since I had most of the pieces already cut (left over from making the quilt.) I then spent the next 20 minutes quilting the first one and putting it all together. My "please oil" light came on, but I chose to ignore it until after I finished both pillows. However, upon starting my second one, I had "tension" issues and the "eye-lashes" showed up. So, a good cleaning and oiling followed a "ripping-out" session. Lo-n-behold, once I quilted it again, no problems what-so-ever! So----lesson learned! Oil the machine when it says so!!! :0) I didn't think of taking any pics of the completed pillows, but those'll come soon!

The girls decided to fight the heat of the upstairs by coming downstairs with me. They plopped down and watched Ice Age---this photo-op was too cute to pass up. It's one of the few times they've actually all sat quietly around that teeny-tiny DVD player....

I suppose---it's time to get ready for Round #2 of Principal interviews tonight. 4 down last night; 2 more to go tonight. Whew---tough choice!