Saturday, September 11, 2010

Get Ready To Rock 20 Mile Race Report!

Hi everyone! I would like to apologize for being a bad blogger as of late! Life has been so hectic and busy that I feel like my head is going to spin off! There are several reasons for my lack of blogging. First of all, work has been so crazy and when I get home...I am spent! I am tired and still need to make time for a few runs each week. Secondly, my daughter Kay has cross country practice every night after school and I am her transportation. She has also had a few weeks of drivers training. Kay now has her driver's permit:) God, please help me! I have also lost my computer rights because my hubby has taken it over with his 6 fantasy football teams! Last weekend I ran a 17 miler and it went okay. I was pretty tired after mile ten. I stopped at a SA to purchase a water and to take a bathroom break. I continued on and did the final seven. This morning I ran my first 20 miler race! I ran the Get Ready To Rock 20 miler in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The picture above is me with my pacers Scott and Juli:) I was pondering what pace group to go with. I looked at the 10 minute, the 9:30 and the 9 minute mile paces. When I run my half marathons I usually can finish in a little under that 9 minute mile pace. It was my plan to run this bad boy easy....one of the pacers talked me into the 9:30 pace with a goal time of 3:10.
There was also a 5K and 10K race going on this morning. Oh boy, I can't believe that I am typing this...I was actually a little chilly before the start. It was in the low 60's, cloudy and a bit windy.

The Minnesota Pacers before the race. I love this pacing group and have used them for several of my past half marathons! They are the best:)
This was my view of the people in front of me about 5 minutes before the start. The 10K and 20 mile racers started out together.
This is the view of the runners behind me. We were told to start our watches at the gun. We moved up a few feet and we were off! The first few miles were along roads in White Bear Lake.
It was right before mile 5 that the 10K runners took a different road. The 20 mile group started to make our way around Bald Eagle Lake for the first time. We had to run around the lake twice:)
I was pretty quiet just listening to the other runners chat. I was trying to get in my happy running place:) I was thinking positive thoughts and secretly hoping that this would be a good run for me. There was part of me that was scared to death of the potential GI disaster! I was thinking about what my doctor told me about the possibility of another blood clot and what that could do to me. I knew that I would have to take this one slow and listen to my body.
Mile six was where I experienced my first little wall. WTH! This was mile six not mile 15 or 16! I kept on going and the wall went away after a few minutes. We were keeping perfect time and all was well! I needed to make a Biffy stop at mile 8 and ran ahead so that I could have an easier time catching back up to my group. I did have to wait in line...but thankfully...not long:) I busted butt and cheek to catch up to my group:)
Here they are:) It took me a few minutes to recover from my little sprint....about 400 meters:) At mile 13 we ran around the lake once. We needed to go around one more time....Oh Lordy! I was doing pretty good and feeling fine. I made sure to walk through all of the water stops and took my gel at mile 5, 10, 15 and 18.
Here is my pacer Juli:)
I ran a little ahead to get a picture of who was left of my group at mile 18:) This was where my second little wall hit. I hurt my ankle earlier this week..stupid me! I was walking into my parent's garage with my sunglasses on and couldn't see a damn thing! I ended up walking into cement steps and fell onto the steps crushing my left ankle! I am still black and blue and a tad bit swollen. My ankle started to throb but I wasn't going to stop! My pacers kept up conversation and I was able to get through my little wall within a minute or two:) At mile 19 they both encouraged anyone who was left in our group to move ahead and finish before our goal time of 3:10. I made my move at about mile 19.5....I didn't go all gang busters, I just picked it up a bit:) When I made that right hand turn into the final stetch I was smiling:) I was almost done with my first 20 mile race and I was going to finish a little under my goal! I ran into the finisher's chute and I could see the clock:) It read 3:08 something! It must have taken me some time to run to the finish mats because my final time turned out to be 3:09 flat. Wouldn't you know...I flipping forgot to stop my Garmin again!!! I drank a whole bottle of water and slowly walked over to the table with post race food. I was hurting....my legs were cramping up and I had to take at least 15 minutes to stretch! Holy crap, I can honestly say that my legs have never cramped that bad after a race!
After the race I caught up with blogger Mark again! He finished before me and came in a little under his goal time too:)
After I got home I turned on my hose and ran cold water over my legs for about 15 minutes:) I felt so much better after a good soaking and I plan on doing this after all of my longer runs.
Official stats...
Final Time...3:09
I placed 122 out of 210.
I placed 12 out of 23 for my age group.
Now, I have blogs to catch up on! Happy running, biking, swimming and lifting! Cheers to you all:)

74 comments:

  1. And she's back!!! =) I miss your posts and comments!

    If hubby's hogging the computer (seriously, SIX fantasy leagues???) it's time for Jules to get a laptop!

    I'm so glad to see that you're able to keep running. I was really worried about you when you told us about how serious your GI problems were/could be. Please be careful!

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  2. What a way to return to bloggy land! Way to go! It's so cool that they have 20-mile events. That's a great distance and it sounds like it liked you. Glad the GI issues were in check!

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  3. awesome run and great report. nice pics too!

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  4. WTG Julie! You did a great job.

    I was supposed to be doing that race this morning but due to all of my sicknesses over the past few weeks I had to bail. Next year!

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  5. Great first 20.

    I used to run the Bear Water 20 every year. Almost looks like the same race. That must be the one around Bald Eagle lake.

    Great stuff. Good TCM training.

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  6. Wow Julie, you just keep cranking out these races like no one's business - and doing such a fabulous job, too! I can't even tell you if I've ever run a 20-mile race in the several hundreds I've ever done over the years...that might almost be worth a trip up North to see you sometime :). Anyway, I think if you can run a 20-miler at that fast pace wiht no GI issues, then you can certainly do a marathon. But heck, dont listen to me!!! You do what you feel is in you heart!

    XOXO

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  7. Congratulations on a good race! I have never done a 20 miler and that sounds like a long distance. You are my inspiration running and racing as you should. Keep it up and keep blogging please! Did you buy a bike?

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  8. Sounds like you had a good race! Congrats on beating your goal time! :D I hope your ankle heals quickly!!

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  9. OMG, the beginning of your post totally cracked me up. My daughter is 16 and taking her driving test on Monday! My brain just does not compute that she will have her license. Please, someone invent a way to turn back time. Then, the whole Fantasy Football thing. I was so into Fantasy Football last year that I was embarrassed for myself. Nice job on 20 miles Julie. You rocked it.

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  10. Yay Julie! So glad to hear you had a great race without tummy troubles! That's great news!

    I hope your ankle is better soon!

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  11. Woohoo! Congrats on your race! You did awesome!!! I was glad to hear that you didn't have any GI problems like you've had in the past! That must have been such a relief! Yay!

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  12. Great race report and contrats for the 20 miler. I did 8 today and felt good. Don't you just LOVE the cooler temp's - they are so great for running.

    Glad you are back - make sure to check out my blog - I am hosting my first giveaway.

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  13. Awesome job, Julie! I'm glad you didn't have any GI issues and that you finished under your goal time! I hope your ankle heals quickly!

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  14. Hey, congrats on a successful race. I love that you went thru your personal walls and finished so strong. Good to hear from you.

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  15. Great job, Julie! Sounds like a good race :) Yay for cool weather!

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  16. 6leagues?! I thought my bf was insane with 4! Congrats a on great 20 miler!

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  17. Great job! You sound like your health is good and you look great after a 20 miler!

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  18. Yay, Julie's back!! Awesome race and - as always - excellent race report!! I love all the pics. Hooray for beating your time goal!

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  19. Nice work! You have such great determination - I admire that!

    And a teenager with a permit - scary!! Best of luck with that. I don't have my one child yet, but I already dread the day he/she starts driving!
    ~RR

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  20. Great to hear from you Julie. I knew you had to be up to something good. Super-duper job on the race and getting past your "walls". The mental part is the hardest. You had a super time too! Rest up you deserve it. My niece is in CC and she has her learners permit as well, you and my bro are in the same boat. He is so happy that his girl will be driving herself next year. Cheers!

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  21. Congrats and fun RR! I feel much better about only having 2 fantasy leagues now. geesh!

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  22. Julie, what a great race and with injured ankle too. I am impressed. Congratulations and hope your life becomes less hectic so you can post more. - That is selfish me talking.

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  23. Awesome job Julie! You are so speedy! I hope that your ankle feels better- that sounds really painful. Way to rock out 20 freaking miles! You are a rock star!

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  24. Well done! And glad you had time to post. :-)

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  25. First let me just say a HUGE...WAY TO GO GIRL! Next...I'm loving that cool start. That means some cool whether will be heading South sometime soon. Yippee!

    So happy you are still running. You will need it more than ever with teenagers driving. :)

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  26. Glad to see you back! Life sounds pretty hectic in your house at the moment, that's a lot of cross country practice for Kay, I bet she's getting really fast!

    Great 20 miler, I still can't imagine running that far!

    Hope you have a little more relaxation next week, Laura x

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  27. awesome pace! great pics too...congrats!

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  28. You are so amazing that you run 20 miles with an ankle that hurts. Truly an inspiration. Well done Julie.

    About being busy: tell me about it. I'm not responding immediately anymore too especially on working days. So I totally understand you and don't feel bad if you don't have time to make comments. Life is more important than blogging although blogging is much fun and you can find great friends through it.

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  29. You are BACK! :)

    Congrats on your 20 miler, you ran an awesome race!!! I hope your GI issues are under control and you can enjoy racing again.

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  30. Nice run Julie - glad the "issues" stayed in check. Looked like a very scenic course, too. It is too early to have to start thinking of being chilly, isn't it...?

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  31. Julie,
    Congrats on your 20 mile race! It sounds like you came in under your goal - woo hoo!!! I hope your legs are feeling better.

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  32. Congrats on your first 20-miler; way to go, doesn't it feel awesome? Rest up and get ready to tackle the week.

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  33. How fun to see the run on your blog. It was great to run with you! Good luck at TCM - Pacer Juli

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  34. I'm impressed with your running and your picture taking as you run!!
    So can you replace the ice bath with the cold hose spray? That sounds easier to tolerate.

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  35. Congrats on a great 20-miler! You did good being careful :) Sorry about the ankle...do take care Julie.

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  36. Excellent race report. Hopefully with the cooler weather, you can also think to ditch the shades and avoid another little inconvenience.
    Ya know, I've never even heard of a 20-miler race, that is an impressive distance and you rocked it.
    Enjoy those cold soaks, your legs will thank you!

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  37. nice work on the 20 mile race!!!! So much for being sidelined w/ your illness!! :)

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  38. Cool report! I've never run in a race with pacers, but I think my next one does so I'll be looking forward to it.

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  39. girl how do you always have a race to run? i wish i had so many to choose from ;) i can certainly believe how busy it gets once school and all the activities start up so don't feel bad!

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  40. Wya to go! Bummer about your ankle, I hope it's feeling better soon! I want to use a pacer at my next half and shoot for around 2 hours!

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  41. Great job Julie! Way to keep the faith. Those cramps suck, but you will persevere!

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  42. GReat job Jewels! such great pics to! I always feel like I was there!!

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  43. Julie,

    I love your blog! I'm impressed you can run and take photos at the same time! Congrats on your first 20 miler, AND coming in under your goal! You are officially marathon ready! Thanks for the kind word for the MN Pacers too!

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  44. Great job on the race! I wanted to do that one as a prep for Twin Cities, but we were out of town this weekend. :)

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  45. AWESOME! coming in a little under goal time is special!

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  46. Great job! You came back to blogging world with a bang! Take care of that ankle though - that trip up sounds like it was painful!

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  47. I'm so proud that you hit 20 miles, making your goal and with a throbbing ankle to boot! Great job!!!!

    And thank you for all the encouraging comments you've left me these last few weeks of training, you don't know how helpful it is to have friends like you to think of when you're down in the thick of it!!

    have a great week Julie!

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  48. Congrats on your first 20 mile race! Good time taken of 3:08 :)

    You wrote a detailed and beautiful report Julie and you took interesting photos while you were running. I'm sure you enjoyed running around that nice lake twice. Wonderful landscape!

    I'm sorry your legs were cramping up :( As you've seen, I wrote a post about the linkage between salt and cramping (Thanks for your kind comment)

    Happy running Julie!

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  49. What a cool race! Congrats, Julie! I've been thinking of you lately!!

    xoxo,
    A

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  50. Congrats on the 20-miler! I wish we had more of that scenery around here! It's just WONDERFUL!

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  51. What a FUN way to run 20 miles, Julie! Totally fun and I bet the time passed quickly!
    Welcome back to blogging, I'm back as well and it's nice to hear what's going on in your life. Is your College Boy back to school as well?
    Big hugs!

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  52. Fantastic Julie! That is a good time as well! You know, I thought about you when I was taking photos during my race Saturday. 20 Milers are great. Just as you start feeling tired they end. It is such a big step up from half marathons. Not long ago I was worried that you might have to stick to the 5 and 10k races and here you are! I’m really happy for you!

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  53. yeah I have missed you :)

    As always, you take amazing photos!!!

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  54. Nice job chica! And i just wrote my GFTW about how I don't know HOW people like you DO it all??? I don't know how you work, feed kids, train for crazy races AND blog?!! takes some serious effort;-)

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  55. Under the goal, great job! It looks like a wonderful place, perfect for the workouts but I don't know if during a race it is possible to enjoy the landscape. However, for you, nothing is impossible, you succeed in taking pictures also while racing! And amzing pictures too! Brava Julie.

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  56. Congratulations and great job on the race!!

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  57. Wow!! Awesome 20 miler!! AND you beat your goal time!! Sounds like a great race! And way to push through your mini-wall at mile 6 - don't you hate those early ones??

    I know about those leg cramps of which you speak. Ugh.

    AND I always love your photos and race reports!!

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  58. I think I would love a 20 miler!

    Great job once again! You are amazing!

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  59. Great job, Julie! I've done that race as a prep for TC and it is a tough course. You are ready, that is for sure. Great that you got to see Mark, too.

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  60. Nice job on the 20-miler! Also, belated congrats on the Gopher to Badger. I heard it was a hot and humid race. Nice finish!

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  61. Congrats on the 20 miler! Great race recap as usual. And, welcome back to Blogger Land :)

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  62. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
    Way to go!

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  63. Congratulation, you're doing great. Looking forward for your next race!!!

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  64. Julie are you from Roccori? We go there next week. Apparently the winning team gets a cake at that meet. Amelia has high hopes, lol! Have a great weekend!

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  65. Julie-
    Totally thought of you this weekend as I was running with my camera yesterday:)
    You always give awesome race reports accompanied by pictures. I'm going to try and do the same in Nov or for Frozen Half.
    No more sunglasses in the garage!

    Have a great week
    -Derek

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  66. Fantastic race Julie, and an equally fantastic report. Wish I could still race twenty miles, you make me exceedingly jealous!
    Well done, and keep it going.

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  67. About Starbucks: unfortunately we have only a few: 4 on train stations of which 2 are in Amsterdam and 4 at the airport. That's a pity because I love their coffee.

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  68. Julie, I cant remember if i commented or not. But fantastic race. Great job! woohooo

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