San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon 5/31/09

5/31/09

When I was in San Diego in visiting my friend Jeanette, she convinced me to sign up for my 5th marathon...the San Diego Rock N Roll!

Training was pretty brutal in Wisconsin during February, March, April, and even the majority of May, but I got out there when I could and even when it wasn't so pleasant!




Jeanette, Ken, and I stayed at the cutest little B&B 2 blocks from the start both the night before and the night after. The night before was a little loud for awhile cause there was a wedding and we were the only ones staying there that weren't with the wedding, but I got plenty of sleep the night before so I was ready race morning.












The morning started out with stretching with San Diego Track Club,










meeting up with our AMAZING cheering crew (Robe and Jen on their beach cruisers), getting my knee taped by Robe (I tweaked it on the plane when I was coming off),










heading over to our Coral...#15!










Getting pumped up by the pre-race Rock n Roll tunes...










Waiting for the Elvi to get their start...















Getting one last picture (and mistakenly skipping the a final bathroom stop through all of this)...


















And then, we were off and running!









At about mile 8 (on the evil Hwy 163 portion of the marathon) Jeanette and I parted ways, but both of us kept on keepin' on! It was easier to do when you had bands almost every mile (although most seemed to be "slowing it down" or "taking a break" when I went by...what the heck...I don't get to take a break during the marathon...why do they???)

But Robe and Jen met me randomly around the course to cheer me on! Robe with his power meg and Jen with her beach cruiser bell infused me with energy everytime!!! They even rode with me on the course a couple of times...cheering other runners around me on as well.
















At one point, Robe even jumped onto the course to run with me!
















And once they got me to the entrance to MCRD, Robe and Jen went back to find Jeanette and Ken and ride them in! (see Jen in the background on her beach cruiser bike?)





Now, the last eighth of a mile was horrible for me...remember when I said I made the mistake of not using the restroom when I started the race?!? Well, that caught up with me bit by bit during the marathon and by mile 25 my bladder was screaming at me...so much in fact that I found the energy to somehow sprint the last .2 to the finish!!! People looked bewildered as I passed them at full stride!

I ran right to a bank of Port-O-Potties where everyone was standing in line for TP! I skipped them all...to hell with the TP at that point! I had been holding it for miles and miles and miles!!!

But, more importantly than the potty story is the fact that both Jeanette and I PR'd (set personal records)...both of us blowing our previous times out of the water...me by 17 minutes and I believe Jeanette by 24 minutes!!!




Robe and Jen ditched their bikes at the local firehouse (Robe is a Federal Firefighter) and met us on base at the finish...








We didn't hang around long at the end cause the weather was unseasonably cold...check out how happy we look...and those hot outfits we are wearing!!!


















Now, we both just have to keep it up for Milwaukee Marathon on October 4th! (our goal: PR again...and its my sister's birthday so maybe she will send some luck my way!!!) Better get to training!