(We're gonna) Rock This Country
Pocatello, ID - State 18
September 4, 2010
3:50:17
I am not officially in the 50 state club. It takes just mailing in a piece of paper, which if you know me, you know that I'm the worst at snail mail. I'm getting a little better at it, but still not great. (Thank goodness for online banking, or my bills would probably never be paid on time). Though I'm not officially in the club, the goal is there, and I'm tackiling it faster than I originally set out for.
Some think my goals for the 50 states is ridiculous, but as my blog headline says: "I'm just your average endurance runner." I might even be below average for the 50 state club. We are all rocking this country in our own ways. This state was tackled with one of my great friends: Ultra Jen. She is who I would place in the above average group. We started almost at the same point. We started at the same speed, and I was her pace leader. Somewhere down the road, her running surpassed me imensely. Early on, she was into the Ultra Marathons and trail running. She talked me into my first Ultra which was by far the hardest state I have accomplished. I think Alaska will be worse, and of course she's the one to talk me into signing up for the 50K rather than the marathon.
Though Jen started with Ultras and loved them because you could take it slow, something happened and she changed her focus. She no longer is just running Ultras and Marathons, she said she wants to master all distances, this includes speed runs. Now most people are either short distance and fast or long distance (and slower). She wants the 5K in under 20 minutes, while still running her 100 mile runs and taking home first place. She went out and conquered the Western States 100, which if you read Dean Karnazes' book, you would know, that is quite the race. She paced someone 50 miles in the Leadville 100(which if you read Born to Run you would learn that is in the toughest and roughest altitudes up to 12,620 feet). And when I'm out in Alaska, she'll be at Nationals. I'm telling you, she's going to become a known runner soon enough.
So...when Jen said "Tara, lets go out and do Idaho together" I said what I always seem to say when someone says "lets run this" ... I said, 'Okay' This race is a milestone race for me, as it's my first marathon in the mountains. Pine Mountain was in the foothills of the Appalacians, but it also was on trail, which I've learned, I'm not too big of a fan of trails because it makes you walk and always focus down concentrating on not falling, so Pine Mountain and Idaho are two whole different feels for me. I was actually racing Idaho. I was unsure what 1,500 feet of down in the first 14 miles would do to my body, but of course, I had to at least push it and try to see if this could be a Boston Qualifier.
Though I ran on a marathon training schedule prior to the Racine Half Ironman, I didn't focus on MY marathons and the distance until after Racine. Once Racine was over the goal was to make it to the gym and treadmill run twice a week. Part of this is for the Alaska training, and part was for Idaho. I started my runs on a -3% decline for two miles at a 9minute mile, and then I would go flat and run 1 mile at a 8minute mile, and from there i'd begin an incline run, completing a total of 6 to 8 miles. Prior to this, I struggled at a 5% incline, and with this training, I've learned after pushing 10% + run/walking, going down to 5% was pretty 'easy'
Jen and I flew out to Idaho early Friday morning. Her friend, Tony was on a different flight, that was actually supposed to get in before us, but due to someone passing out on the plane, he didn't get into Pocatello until 8pm. We landed in Salt Lake City and had a 2.5 hour drive to Pocatello. The drive was fairly uneventful but it was beautiful, driving by all the Mountains.
A neat thing for me about Pocatello, is my Grandfather once lived just outside of there. He would go to church and summer school at the church there. It's a Greek Orthodox Church, and it's still there. We got to drive by it many times and eventually stopped there to take pictures. We also went by the railroad where he had his first job, and the race ended in Ross Park, the park which he shared some stories with me on how he would spend many family outtings in that park.
In the morning, we left the hotel at 4am, parked the car at the finish, and took a bus to the start...26.2 miles away and up. As we took the bus on the mountain that we would soon be going down, the Bus was struggling a bit going up. I thought "oh boy, the quads are going to be shot!" We started at 6,000 feet.
It was still dark when we got to the top, which was just about 5:45. There were only 350 runners in this race so the start wasn't like any city marathon. Tony and Jen made waiting for the start fun. Tony is also one Rocking this Country with the 50 states. He is completing his Michigan next weekend for a 50 miler horrible trail run (in Hell, Michigan), so he took this run extremely easy. Jen, ran with me for the first 11 miles. When we started, it was still pretty dark, and as we ran down the Mountain, we got to watch the sun rise above the other mountains in front of us. It was extremely beautiful, and Jen and I tried to entertain eachother. We started at a comfortable 8:30 and worked our way to an 8:00 ...because we were going down, the plan was not to kill ourselves but get as much speed on the down trying to make it natural and not kill the quads. Already around mile 6 I was feeling it, so I figured I'd take some Ibprofen early on, I didn't think slowing down would have much impact, because the pounding would be there all the same. Around mile seven we had a break from the down and went up. I actually pushed that one in the sub 8 minute miles because it was just so great to be doing something other than down. Then...it was back to the down.
We saw a beautiful black horse running 'freely' on a large field. I turned on the music to take my mind off what I was feeling. I was also trying to just take in the surroundings. I saw a man wearing a shirt that said he did the 50 states all in sub 4 hours. So I said hi to him. We started talking, just as Jen decided she wanted to make a bathroom stop. So we parted ways. It was nice to talk to this guy but then he just latched on and kept talking, and i really just wanted to get in a zone. I learned he is on his 2nd round of the 50 states (so he's Rocking this Country TWICE!), and again in sub 4 hours, and he was headed to Colorado for another marathon on Monday so he figured this run would be a 3:50ish marathon (he finished about 3:58). We were nearing the bottom of the mountain and had some incline to take on. I told him I wanted to listen to my music so I didn't have to hear my breathing, and we parted ways.
I powered up the ups and then took it easy on the downs. I passed some younger guys, and then one of them caught up with me, and though I was happy with my music, he decided I looked like I wanted to talk. So, we started chatting and he told me this is his second time doing this race and he is from Pocatello. We chatted for a mile or so, and in this time, we met up with the half marathoners, so the race just got a little crowded and it was time to start weaving the slower half marathons. (This race was set up so the marathoners started at 6:15, the half marathoners started and joined the marathoners at mile 13.1 around 8am and then there were also 10Ks to join and 5Ks...all ending at the same place).
When it came to weaving, I left the guy and made my way through the half-ers.
We reached the bottom of the hill around mile 14 and it was time for some gradual ups ('only' 50-100 feet at a time and always hovering around 4,000feet). I wasn't feeling that great but I took some gu and powered on through. I had to stop twice to tighten my shoe laces as they weren't undone but coming loose and made my feet uncomfortable. I started to feel better and just kept a slow and steady pace around a 9 to 9:20 mile. The local guy I was talking to told me around mile 21 was the steepest of the ups. I made it to 20 and was feeling alright. I didn't know if Boston was still in sight, but I was taking in my surroundings and I turned my watch to a setting so I couldn't obsess. (3 horses were 'horsing' around it was very fun to watch).
As I made it to the turn and the steep hill at 21, I decided I would walk for a minute, when a girl said "I've been trying to catch up with you, I finally caught you, now run with me" So I did, but it was slow. Then about that same time, Jen started to pass me. Now, Jen didn't mean harm in what she said, but her words are when I lost my positive mental game. She asked me "what happened, did I push you too much on the down?" Up until that point, I was still thinking I was doing alright if I just took it easy and pushed through the pain in my quads. But then, somewhere around mile 22, I let the pain take over. I slowed down significantly and walked some, and just tried not to think. I turned off my music with about a half mile left since there were even crowds in Pocatello and I crossed the finish in 3:50
Alison got the call where I was upset, but then she managed to remind me that even 3:50 is great especially out on a course where I had my quads beat up on the first half. My mom also reminded me of the Triathlon the week earlier, and with the two of them lifting me back up, I allowed to push away the negativity.
Tony, Jen and I met up once Tony finished (Jen went back to find him on the course and ran with him to the finish). We cracked some beers (we brought), and sat out around the finish for a few hours. We were probably hanging out in the same grass where my Grandfather enjoyed my Great Grandmother's Strawberry Cakes.
We learned I was one off from receiving an award for my age group. I placed fourth, and though there were less than 20 in my age group, I am pretty happy with being number four.
Of course, because Jen is a SUPER rockstar, we ended up going out to Mount Borah the next day so she could also cross Idaho off her list for "Climbed to highest point of state" Something I'm not doing, but I told her I would join her on the adventure (on Marathon Legs). I managed going up for 2 hours, in the dark, but I really wasn't enjoying myself and didn't think I had it in me for the complete 6 hour trip up, so I decided once it got light out, I would turn around. That down was so hard on my beat up quads, yet Jen, managed the full up which included trekking through snow, loose gravel where you are on all fours trying to crawl (they call that scrambling I think?), and some vertical climb. This year two people have already gotten stuck at the top and had to be rescued by helicopters. I'm pretty sure if I would have gone to the top, I would have been the third.
50 staters all have their own reasons for wanting to run all 50 states. Most don't JUST complete the 50 states, but they have more add ons that make it more interesting and difficult. For me, I added on the triathlons and want to complete an Ironman. The one constnat thing about completing the 50 states, is all the traveling you do. There is alot of ground to cover, and so much to see around the Country. Most people don't get the chance to travel to all 50 sates, but if you are a 50 Stater, you are guaranteed to Rock this Country!
(And PS- When Jen and I travel together, we have a rule about the Radio selection, and Country is one of the offlimit Cs, so the fact that my title is a Country Music song, was an additional bit of satisfaction for me to have Jen roll her eyes).
Pocatello, ID - State 18
September 4, 2010
3:50:17
I am not officially in the 50 state club. It takes just mailing in a piece of paper, which if you know me, you know that I'm the worst at snail mail. I'm getting a little better at it, but still not great. (Thank goodness for online banking, or my bills would probably never be paid on time). Though I'm not officially in the club, the goal is there, and I'm tackiling it faster than I originally set out for.
Some think my goals for the 50 states is ridiculous, but as my blog headline says: "I'm just your average endurance runner." I might even be below average for the 50 state club. We are all rocking this country in our own ways. This state was tackled with one of my great friends: Ultra Jen. She is who I would place in the above average group. We started almost at the same point. We started at the same speed, and I was her pace leader. Somewhere down the road, her running surpassed me imensely. Early on, she was into the Ultra Marathons and trail running. She talked me into my first Ultra which was by far the hardest state I have accomplished. I think Alaska will be worse, and of course she's the one to talk me into signing up for the 50K rather than the marathon.
Though Jen started with Ultras and loved them because you could take it slow, something happened and she changed her focus. She no longer is just running Ultras and Marathons, she said she wants to master all distances, this includes speed runs. Now most people are either short distance and fast or long distance (and slower). She wants the 5K in under 20 minutes, while still running her 100 mile runs and taking home first place. She went out and conquered the Western States 100, which if you read Dean Karnazes' book, you would know, that is quite the race. She paced someone 50 miles in the Leadville 100(which if you read Born to Run you would learn that is in the toughest and roughest altitudes up to 12,620 feet). And when I'm out in Alaska, she'll be at Nationals. I'm telling you, she's going to become a known runner soon enough.
So...when Jen said "Tara, lets go out and do Idaho together" I said what I always seem to say when someone says "lets run this" ... I said, 'Okay' This race is a milestone race for me, as it's my first marathon in the mountains. Pine Mountain was in the foothills of the Appalacians, but it also was on trail, which I've learned, I'm not too big of a fan of trails because it makes you walk and always focus down concentrating on not falling, so Pine Mountain and Idaho are two whole different feels for me. I was actually racing Idaho. I was unsure what 1,500 feet of down in the first 14 miles would do to my body, but of course, I had to at least push it and try to see if this could be a Boston Qualifier.
Though I ran on a marathon training schedule prior to the Racine Half Ironman, I didn't focus on MY marathons and the distance until after Racine. Once Racine was over the goal was to make it to the gym and treadmill run twice a week. Part of this is for the Alaska training, and part was for Idaho. I started my runs on a -3% decline for two miles at a 9minute mile, and then I would go flat and run 1 mile at a 8minute mile, and from there i'd begin an incline run, completing a total of 6 to 8 miles. Prior to this, I struggled at a 5% incline, and with this training, I've learned after pushing 10% + run/walking, going down to 5% was pretty 'easy'
Jen and I flew out to Idaho early Friday morning. Her friend, Tony was on a different flight, that was actually supposed to get in before us, but due to someone passing out on the plane, he didn't get into Pocatello until 8pm. We landed in Salt Lake City and had a 2.5 hour drive to Pocatello. The drive was fairly uneventful but it was beautiful, driving by all the Mountains.
A neat thing for me about Pocatello, is my Grandfather once lived just outside of there. He would go to church and summer school at the church there. It's a Greek Orthodox Church, and it's still there. We got to drive by it many times and eventually stopped there to take pictures. We also went by the railroad where he had his first job, and the race ended in Ross Park, the park which he shared some stories with me on how he would spend many family outtings in that park.
In the morning, we left the hotel at 4am, parked the car at the finish, and took a bus to the start...26.2 miles away and up. As we took the bus on the mountain that we would soon be going down, the Bus was struggling a bit going up. I thought "oh boy, the quads are going to be shot!" We started at 6,000 feet.
It was still dark when we got to the top, which was just about 5:45. There were only 350 runners in this race so the start wasn't like any city marathon. Tony and Jen made waiting for the start fun. Tony is also one Rocking this Country with the 50 states. He is completing his Michigan next weekend for a 50 miler horrible trail run (in Hell, Michigan), so he took this run extremely easy. Jen, ran with me for the first 11 miles. When we started, it was still pretty dark, and as we ran down the Mountain, we got to watch the sun rise above the other mountains in front of us. It was extremely beautiful, and Jen and I tried to entertain eachother. We started at a comfortable 8:30 and worked our way to an 8:00 ...because we were going down, the plan was not to kill ourselves but get as much speed on the down trying to make it natural and not kill the quads. Already around mile 6 I was feeling it, so I figured I'd take some Ibprofen early on, I didn't think slowing down would have much impact, because the pounding would be there all the same. Around mile seven we had a break from the down and went up. I actually pushed that one in the sub 8 minute miles because it was just so great to be doing something other than down. Then...it was back to the down.
We saw a beautiful black horse running 'freely' on a large field. I turned on the music to take my mind off what I was feeling. I was also trying to just take in the surroundings. I saw a man wearing a shirt that said he did the 50 states all in sub 4 hours. So I said hi to him. We started talking, just as Jen decided she wanted to make a bathroom stop. So we parted ways. It was nice to talk to this guy but then he just latched on and kept talking, and i really just wanted to get in a zone. I learned he is on his 2nd round of the 50 states (so he's Rocking this Country TWICE!), and again in sub 4 hours, and he was headed to Colorado for another marathon on Monday so he figured this run would be a 3:50ish marathon (he finished about 3:58). We were nearing the bottom of the mountain and had some incline to take on. I told him I wanted to listen to my music so I didn't have to hear my breathing, and we parted ways.
I powered up the ups and then took it easy on the downs. I passed some younger guys, and then one of them caught up with me, and though I was happy with my music, he decided I looked like I wanted to talk. So, we started chatting and he told me this is his second time doing this race and he is from Pocatello. We chatted for a mile or so, and in this time, we met up with the half marathoners, so the race just got a little crowded and it was time to start weaving the slower half marathons. (This race was set up so the marathoners started at 6:15, the half marathoners started and joined the marathoners at mile 13.1 around 8am and then there were also 10Ks to join and 5Ks...all ending at the same place).
When it came to weaving, I left the guy and made my way through the half-ers.
We reached the bottom of the hill around mile 14 and it was time for some gradual ups ('only' 50-100 feet at a time and always hovering around 4,000feet). I wasn't feeling that great but I took some gu and powered on through. I had to stop twice to tighten my shoe laces as they weren't undone but coming loose and made my feet uncomfortable. I started to feel better and just kept a slow and steady pace around a 9 to 9:20 mile. The local guy I was talking to told me around mile 21 was the steepest of the ups. I made it to 20 and was feeling alright. I didn't know if Boston was still in sight, but I was taking in my surroundings and I turned my watch to a setting so I couldn't obsess. (3 horses were 'horsing' around it was very fun to watch).
As I made it to the turn and the steep hill at 21, I decided I would walk for a minute, when a girl said "I've been trying to catch up with you, I finally caught you, now run with me" So I did, but it was slow. Then about that same time, Jen started to pass me. Now, Jen didn't mean harm in what she said, but her words are when I lost my positive mental game. She asked me "what happened, did I push you too much on the down?" Up until that point, I was still thinking I was doing alright if I just took it easy and pushed through the pain in my quads. But then, somewhere around mile 22, I let the pain take over. I slowed down significantly and walked some, and just tried not to think. I turned off my music with about a half mile left since there were even crowds in Pocatello and I crossed the finish in 3:50
Alison got the call where I was upset, but then she managed to remind me that even 3:50 is great especially out on a course where I had my quads beat up on the first half. My mom also reminded me of the Triathlon the week earlier, and with the two of them lifting me back up, I allowed to push away the negativity.
Tony, Jen and I met up once Tony finished (Jen went back to find him on the course and ran with him to the finish). We cracked some beers (we brought), and sat out around the finish for a few hours. We were probably hanging out in the same grass where my Grandfather enjoyed my Great Grandmother's Strawberry Cakes.
We learned I was one off from receiving an award for my age group. I placed fourth, and though there were less than 20 in my age group, I am pretty happy with being number four.
Of course, because Jen is a SUPER rockstar, we ended up going out to Mount Borah the next day so she could also cross Idaho off her list for "Climbed to highest point of state" Something I'm not doing, but I told her I would join her on the adventure (on Marathon Legs). I managed going up for 2 hours, in the dark, but I really wasn't enjoying myself and didn't think I had it in me for the complete 6 hour trip up, so I decided once it got light out, I would turn around. That down was so hard on my beat up quads, yet Jen, managed the full up which included trekking through snow, loose gravel where you are on all fours trying to crawl (they call that scrambling I think?), and some vertical climb. This year two people have already gotten stuck at the top and had to be rescued by helicopters. I'm pretty sure if I would have gone to the top, I would have been the third.
50 staters all have their own reasons for wanting to run all 50 states. Most don't JUST complete the 50 states, but they have more add ons that make it more interesting and difficult. For me, I added on the triathlons and want to complete an Ironman. The one constnat thing about completing the 50 states, is all the traveling you do. There is alot of ground to cover, and so much to see around the Country. Most people don't get the chance to travel to all 50 sates, but if you are a 50 Stater, you are guaranteed to Rock this Country!
(And PS- When Jen and I travel together, we have a rule about the Radio selection, and Country is one of the offlimit Cs, so the fact that my title is a Country Music song, was an additional bit of satisfaction for me to have Jen roll her eyes).
Sharing a story from my Grandfather about his Church in Pocatello:
ReplyDeleteAll three of us brothers were baptized in the Church in Pocatello. and it has always been a great honor to be a God parent. It is the God parent that brings that person being baptized to the Lord. That is the universal belief amongst all Christian regardless of their particular religions.
We had additional stipulations in the Greek Orthodox Church. The mother could not attend church from the time the child is born until it is baptized. The child was normally baptized in the first 6 months of it's life. So the mother was normally at her home. The child was given it Christian name by the God-parent. He could choose a different name that that given by the parent. It was seldom done, because there would be Hell to pay if he chose a different one that the parents particularly the mother wanted. So it was a common ritual that when the child was given it's name by the God parent thru the priest, that young kids attending the baptism, would run all the way to where the mother was staying, give her the name of the child. For that he was rewarded by the mother with a sterling silver dollar. Remember the average wage at that time was about 80 cents a day. That was a bunch of money. When I was 5 or 6 I was not fast enough and kids of older years always go there first, but not for long. My friends Gus and Ted all of us being about the same age decided upon a plan. We would relay. First would come the research as to where the mother would be. Then we would plan our own path to run our relay. As soon as the name was announced Ted being the fastest would sprint out of church and when he was in shouting distance, he would yell the name of the child. Gus was the slowest of the trio. We place him in second position, so he would pick up the name, and take off lickety split to where I would be waiting. When he was within a block of where I was he would yell me the name and I was off Hell-bent to give the mother the names. It was always the same reward-one sterling silver dollar. We would split it 3 ways of 33 cents a person. What would that buy? a lot of things. All day suckers were a penny a piece. Candy bars were 5 cents each or 3 for a dime. hamburgers were 10 cents each. We could go to a movie for 10 cents, that is when we would not sneak in. As we got older we got faster so we stayed a head of the game for some time. I have a sequel to this that I will tell you some time.