May 2013

MAY 25, 2013
I have run 2 races in the month of May, 2013.
The first one , May 5, was the Bloomsday 12K in Spokane, WA. It was a warm day but not too hot. The course has a  couple of long hills. One is called the Doomsday Hill. There is a vulture waiting at the top of the hill to get people who die before they reach the top. My time for the course was 1 hour and 91 minutes. My slowest time since I first ran it in 2005. I was 3rd place in the 80 to 84 age division.
My next race was the Rhody Run which was also a 12K race, 7.46 miles. This race was in Port Townsend, WA. I did a little better on this one. I set a record for the 80 to 89 age group division. The old record was 1 hour, 24 minutes and 46 seconds. I ran it in 1 hour and 24 minutes and 19 seconds. I set the new record by 27 seconds. It also was a hot muggy day. And it is just as hilly as the Bloomsday run.

I am holding a book that was given to all of the 1rst place winners for the Rhody Run.The author is Kim Jones who was one of the excellent U.S. marathoners in the late 80's and early 90's. She was autographing each copy that she gave to the winners of their age divisin. As you can see from the picture, I am tired and hungry and thirsty and tired and hungry and thirsty.

Last Thursday I ran a 16 mile training run in prepration for a marathon that I am running on June 2, 2013. I am still recovering from that run. I started out too fast and it was a hot day for here. The temperature was 67. The last 3 miles were stumbling slow. I was in my survival shuffle and made it back to the car.
 I was running on the last 16 miles of the Marathon course that I am running in June. It is the North Olympic Discovery Trail Marathon. The Marathon will start in Sequim and end in Port Angeles, WA.. 18 miles of the marathon is on the Discovery Trail. The first 8 miles is on the road. It is a mildly hilly course and will be tough for a person who has not trained on hills.

You can look up the course on the web. WWW.NODTM.COM

I hope to average 13 minutes per mile for the race. That is a 5 hour and 40 minute time. When I was in my 40's and 50's I was running right at 3 hours and 30 minutes
But that was several years ago. After the marathon I am then going to go back to my training for the Pole Vault, Sprinting, High Jump and Long Jump.
I am still having trouble motivating myself to get out the door. But am still going...
The weather has finally been half way decent. The rain has let up a little. Who knows what the weather will be on June 2. It could be 45 degrees or 75 degrees.

I am going to go to Flagstaff, Arizona in August and run a 50K race. I will train down there for a few weeks before the race. I am going from sea level to 7000 plus feet. It will be a challenge!!!!!!
 FINIS