Seattle Marathon 2007

Against all odds the sky in Seattle was bright and cloudless at 4:30 am when I looked out my hotel window yesterday morning. The start wasn't until 7:15am and I wasn't intending on getting up this early but I must have been on Eastern Standard Time when sleep would not return after waking at 4:13am. So be it. Better to be up early, than fall asleep again and miss the start. I'd already woken up once in the night dreaming that I had fnished the race but had no recollection of walking it! Wishful thinking - finishing a race without walking it.

A few hours later I left my hotel. A bright, near full moon almost pulled me toward the race start. Once there, I was happy to discover that the slight early start for the marathon walk meant that line-ups for the portable toilets were minimal to non-existent. Who-hoooooo!

My next stop was the clothing check area. This was in the stadium on an upper level. Over the railing and into the stadium the finish area was set up under bright and optimistic lights. During the most gruelling parts of the race I would find myself visualizing myself walking through the stadium entrance and over to that finish line. At times it was the only mental image that kept me going.

I had chosen to walk the Seattle Marathon because it has featured a marathon walk in both the full and half distances for several years. I looked forward to walking a race where walkers were welcomed. The race website did say it was non-competitive and there are no awards but the results have always been posted separately from the of the runners. I assumed that there would be no reason for any runner to start with the walkers. But, lo, as soon as we were sent on our way, at least 10 people ran out ahead of me. And I mean, ran. These were not people who thought they were walking but always landed with a bent knee that made them look as if they were running. These people were running - bouncy, head-bobbing running.

Now, I have to be honest. This makes no sense to me at all. And, it is discouraging for those of us who train hard to walk fast.

If a race organization decides to have a walking registration, walking start, walking results couldn't the race website post a couple of guidelines? Something to the effect that the start and division is for walkers only and participants must keep one foot on the ground at all times? Ideally,the guideline would also state that excessive head bobbing is indicative of a running gait and is not allowed. And, a back bib or tag is given to walkers so that people coming up from behind know that the participant is a walker.

In my experience these guidelines work. I have seen it work at the Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington, Ontario, The Edmonton Marathon in Edmonton, Alberta, and the CRIM Festival of Races in Flint, Michigan. I'd like to hear about more races where this is done. If you know of one, post here!

Still, Seattle Marathon turned out to be a magical course. I was lucky enough to be participating in a year when the weather gods were with us. The sky was clear, yet there was a mystical fog over Lake Washington. The sun burned a path through the fog just as I was crossing the bridge to Mercer Island. The long journey south along the shore of Lake Washington to Seward Park continued to be graced by a magical light.

After this, I'm sure there was more beautiful scenery but during the return trip north along the lake's shoreline, I was hanging in by my toenails! I know there was a soothing stretch through some parkland and I remember a slight feeling of optimism overtake me upon returning to a main road that I vaguely remembered, from reviewing the course route the night before, meant that we were spine tingly close to the finish.

Sadly, that last few miles always seem, and sometimes are, the longest of the race. I was pushing to beat my previous personal best and cross the finish under 5:01:33. I know I gave gave it my best shot in that final stretch. It just wasn't good enough this time for that race against myself.

The good news is, I still have a goal! I still need to beat that time!

It's time to set some goals

Word has it that people should be setting some goals now for 2008 or you risk missing one of your favorite races!

The Chilly Half Marathon on March 2 in Burlington is filling up fast. The price increases on December 1. Truly, price should not be the motivating factor as it is quite likely the race will be sold out for the walker positions before then.

The Big Sur 21 miler is sold out! There's still room in some of the other distance events if you are pining for a walk in California in April.

And thanks to Laurel for noticing that the Ottawa Marathon for 2008 has walker divisions, bibs, and start corrals for both the half and the full marahtons. When Laurel isn't offering us great tidbits of info on this blog, she's cruising the marathon websites for walker updates!

With the winter weather most suddenly upon us, these goals become an effective psychological weapon against the cold, dark, ice, and snow.

And, never forget the power of good clothing and a pair of yaktrax!

Excuse, me while I go look for my fleece!

It's the week before the race

Less than 7 days until I walk the Seattle Marathon. Yesterday's last long training walk was a good omen. The clear sky and crisp temperature on Saturday night meant that all the leaves in Oakville left their branches in one mass exodus. Sixteen kilometres kicking our way through all those new fallen leaves made me feel 10 years old.

I'm looking forward to the race and now that the training is behind me, I am just trying to eat well and rest this week. Sounds easy. In reality there seems to be so much to do to leave the house and office for a few days. Today started out well with a lunch of bean salad and hard boiled eggs. Dinner was a minestrone soup. I'll feel great on race day if I can keep finding these good carbs for fuelling. Because I need to be well hydrated, especially since the flight to Seattle is 5 hours and 22 minutess, I've got a large ginger root on hand to make tea. (Did you know that ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory?)

The temperature in Seattle is hovering in the 5 to 10 degree range until Friday. My washing machine will be humming. Every possible layering item will be cleaned and ready for packing. At the those temperatures, with rain, it will be chilly. Every photo I have seen of the Seattle Marathon shows grey skies. It's a sure thing that right up until the start I'll be wondering if I am wearing the right clothes.

To keep with my intention of being well rested, I'll continue the saga of my pre-race preparations on Thursday.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for sight seeing in Seattle - it's important to have something to think about during the race!

6am workouts

Alarm sounds at 5:13am. Out of bed at 5:26am. In the car by 5:42am. Ready to work out at 5:52am. Class starts at 6am. Sharp.

It does not feel like a great idea at 5:13 - I can tell you that unequivocally. In fact, it doesn't seem like a good idea at 9pm the night before, which is why there was no blog posting on Monday. I decided to go to bed in preparation for the Tuesday 6am class.

Inevitably, getting out of bed early is worth the effort. Dressed and outside at 6am the world is looking fine. There was a waxing crescent moon hanging low over the west horizon on Tuesday morning. Today, just the thought of it being there helped get me out of bed. It wasn't visible for the cloud cover. Still, I look forward to the next few weeks as it grows into a full moon.

Our 6am class is walking strength and balance with the emphasis on strength and balance, and walking as a way to get there. It's a great total body workout that moves us out of the saggital plane which is where we do all of our marathon training. So, we work the muscles that move our bodies, arms, and legs sideways and rotationally instead of forward and back.

It’s better than just stretching because the strength and balance moves increase the range of motion around our joints - essentially the goal of stretching - while improving muscle tone.

And, in the WoW spirit, we get outside. It's amazing how much we can do outside. I definitely look at stairs, railings, picnic tables, benches, parking meters, empty parking lots, hills, and curbs with a whole new level of interest and imagination!

You may not be able to join us on these early morning adventures but I encourage you to think about the outdoors as your strength training playground. Can’t think of what to do? Sit back, imagine you are five. Go play.

And don’t forget to come back and tell us about the fun you’ve had.

Resting isn't as easy as it sounds

If you've been bitten by the racing bug, you might be surprised to find that you harbour a little adrenalin junkie in your genetic code. You'll know for sure that you're addicted to adrenalin when you find it difficult to rest!

Well, I'm here to remind you (and myself!) that change is as good a rest.

In the tapering phase leading up to a marathon, it's legitimate to take time to beef up your speed work with plyometric moves. These will develop the fast twitch fibres in your leg muscles, adding power to your stride. Another alternative would be to introduce extra stretching to develop range of motion around the joints, specifically the ankle and hip, for improved performance.

After the race, if you get the itch to walk long distances again, don't scratch! You're more likely to reduce the possibility of injury and improve performance by walking reduced mileage for a few weeks. Again, additional strength training is a change that's as good as a rest. Or, try another activity on those long walk days.

Now's the time to confess your adrenalin junkie sins!

Venus and the moon

Have you seen Venus and the moon in the early morning? Set in an inky blue sky, the planet and moon look as though they could be cut out from a velvet curtain that's hiding a brilliant heaven behind.

An early morning walk won't get much better than this.

Pleasures and perils of night walking

I’ve just returned from an invigorating evening walking class. In the fall the dark seems colder than in the spring. It as if our bodies can’t tolerate the cold after being warm for so many months.

The cold and dark present a powerful psychological deterrent to walking. My reason for making it out was because I had to coach. It seems there are many of you crazy enough to want to walk in the dark but sane enough to realize that you won’t get outside unless you are paying someone to make you be there!

Of course, it’s always worth it. Tonight the stars felt as if they could just fall from the sky on us. The rich reds and oranges of the autumn leaves caught by the streetlights cast a warm glow. Twenty minutes into our walk and we were warm enough to appreciate it all.

Over the next few weeks glowing Santas and colourful lights will be enticing us out on the streets. It's always a better view on foot than by car.

Still, walking in the dark can be dangerous. Lights are a good idea. Reflective tape works well, too.

Walking defensively is essential. My personal night walking safety nightmare occurs when see I people walking on the side of the road facing traffic and approaching a corner where a car might make a right run around that corner and directly into them.

Please take care out there. As always suggestions for night safety are appreciated.