The Blue Eyed Warrior
The Adventures of the Norse Goddess of WarArchive for September, 2011
2011 Kauai Marathon
Finished in 5:47:43 (0fficial). Not a PR, but not a PW either. That was the hardest race I’ve ever run in my life. The hills were RIDICULOUS and never ending. Longest, steepest hills I’ve ever seen in my life. I think I was basically running up and down a volcano. That was a seriously challenging course, but I’m glad I did it. Here is the elevation chart:
The elevation gain was 2,020 feet. Need I say more???? That race hurt…bad! The hills were CRAZY!!! My calves were hurting in the first 2 miles and took a while to warm up. After the first two miles they were feeling good. Then, by mile 15, my calves were crying and were completely shot. By mile 20 my left hamstring was hurting bad and was completely trashed. Still, I tried to manage smiles for the photographers — all of whom were perched at the top of hills, thank you very much! Sheesh!
Mile 9 was all downhill! LOL, That’s why it only took 9:54 to complete.
Toward the end of the race in the final 2 miles they had the gall to put another race photographer at the top of another hill. I didn’t want to be walking when I was photographed so I ran up the hill to look good in the photo. That hurt bad!!! LOL The woman next to me in the photo below caught up to me and saw me run that. She made me laugh–she said she didn’t think I had it in me. LOL Then she explained that she told herself, ‘Screw it! She was going to walk up that hill. She didn’t care about the photographer. She wasn’t buying the photos anyway.” Haha.
I’m happy I did this race. I really feel like I accomplished something extraordinary. My PR is 5:26 and my PW is 6:27. I really thought that with all the hills, this was going to be a 6:15 or 6:30 marathon for me. I’m astonished that I finished in less than 6 hours. I’m proud that i finished in 5:47. That was a tough race.
Great Quote From Runner’s World Quote of the Day
“As an actor, you spend your whole life pretending. Completing a marathon was the first time in my adult life I had done something that had a huge physical attachment to it. It required everything, not just my imagination.”
-Anthony Edwards, Actor
Great Quote From Runner’s World Quote of the Day…
“I ran as hard as I could. In fact, I hobbled past two people in the last two laps. I was 13th, and way off a PR, but I hit the goal I had set for myself. I absolutely never gave up in the race.”
-Kara Goucher on her performance at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea
Runner’s World Quote of the Day
“Most people never get there. They’re afraid or unwilling to demand enough of themselves and take the easy road, the path of least resistance. But struggling and suffering, as I now saw it, were the essence of a life worth living. If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not constantly demanding more from yourself—expanding and learning as you go—you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip.”
-Dean Karnazes
Runner’s World Quote of the Day
“I definitely want to show how beautiful the marathon can be. I am the opponent of all those who find the marathon bad: the psychologists, the physiologists, the doubters. I make the marathon beautiful for myself and for others. That’s why I’m here.”
-Uta Pippig, the first woman to win the Boston Marathon three consecutive times
Runner’s World Quote of the Day
“Relish the bad training runs. Without them it’s difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones.” -Pat Teske
The Blue Eyed Warrior 