My mom called at 4 a.m. to tell me she was sick all night and wouldn't be coming to race...That got me out of bed for the usual pre-race oatmeal and toast. I left around 5 a.m. to go to my sister's house and get a warm up in before the start. We ended up running around Ft. Douglas and research park for a bit. Mile 1 and 2 were screaming down the hills, both were 5:55. I knew this wouldn't last as the course headed north. Mile 3 was 6:12, Mile 4 was 6:15ish, and I ran right past the mile 5 marker and aid station. I was more interested in sprinklers on the other side of the street. I haven't run this race since 2008, and the course changed a bit. I didn't know how the finish went, so I just kept running, pushing as hard as I could. I felt a bit dizzy in the last mile, and one guy, the other placer in my age division not named Walter, probably passed me. He only had me by 7 seconds, while Walter had 7 minutes. I came through the finish, immediately went to the temporary fencing, and puked my guts out. I won't trouble you about the color and consistency, but I hadn't eaten anything green, so it must have been all bile mixed with wheat toast and oatmeal. While sorting myself out, I missed seeing my sister come in at 41:30, then walked back down the course and watched my BIL finish strong, and a nephew win the 11 and under age group. I had a creamie, visited with JD, and headed for the shuttle, where I ran into my sister. We discussed the race and got up to Research Park, but not in time to see Fritz. A little while later, allie came by, and I ran by her for a mile, but being a true sport, she refused to let that continue. I watched the runners come by for an hour, feeling the pain of the final 10k of a marathon. I saw lots of bloggers, and even recognized a few. I ran into the finish with Amber, then walk/ran back to my car in Federal Heights. Today I'm a bit sore, but not too much. The race was a full effort, and I'm pleased with the outcome. Hobblecreek Half is next on the list, and as yet I remain unregistered for a fall marathon. I thought my mojo was missing last week when I missed all those days for a scout trip, and the thought crossed my mind that I could just quit running, but it appears to be intact.
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