I'm a Motor City Maniac!

FEMALE AGE GROUP: 40 - 44
Place/Overall/Gun time/Chip Time/Pace
204 / 3070 / 2:25:53 / 2:22:18 / 10:52

A PB, not quite (just over 5 minutes off)

Am I pleased? Bet your tighty whities I am!

I didn't have any expectations other than to finish around 2:10-2:20, not knowing if that was reality, or if I was just kidding myself. After a summer of really putting the "S" in my long, slow runs, I have been beating myself up about returning to long runs with a 6:30-6:50/Km pace. Getting over the border on Saturday without so much as a line up was a good sign. Seeing every Running Maniac at the Expo was a plus, having dinner, good conversation, bread, chocolate & wine with B, P & H - Bonus! Being able to spend some pre-marathon time with E before her first full, and seeing her finish that full with an ear to ear face busting smile - Priceless!

My only issue on Sunday is that I had inadvertently picked up whole milk instead of 1% or skim for my cereal didn't quite sit in my tummy that well. B & I managed to find each other at the coral & we ran together the first 10+ km until I had to absolutely stop at a rest station, the first time I've ever had to do this during a race in fact. Until Sunday, I had never run straight through (no walk breaks) beyond the 5K mark. I ran with B right until that stop, with a 1:02:xx 10K time (just a few seconds off of my 10K PB from 2005!). I now have the confidence that I can run without the walk breaks for longer distances & I think I am going to work on that over the winter. Managing to find & run with G a couple of times was fantastic as we've never run together in a race situation. After my break, my belly wasn't overly happy but I motored on. Going through the Windsor/Detroit tunnel was the coolest part of this race!

Approaching the last mile, I decided to let go, to leave nothing out there and see if I could make up a bit of time that I had lost because of the milk issues. Rounding the corner into Ford Field & down the ramp (much better than Copp's in Hamilton for sure!) was amazing & I took full advantage of the downhill, flying around the corner & pushing to the finish line, picking off one or two poor souls in the process. Finish time, well until I saw the posted results on Monday, I had no clue other than a gun time of 2:25 something. All that I cared was that I was happy, and pleased with the fact that I pushed myself out there today when I could.

This has been such a journey for me the past 6 months. I think of how beat up & broken I felt after Ottawa & how pleased I was yesterday. It is such a contrast. And I did it with a little help from some great friends, who I give my deepest thanks. Ottawa was the dark cloud in the middle of the storm & Detroit (albeit windy!) was the sunshine peeking through, and the silver lining.

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I guess that's exactly how I had envisioned ending the season of 2006 - on a high note.... Started high in April, came crashing down around me in May and then by relaxing, having fun & getting enjoyment out of running, I found my groove. Yes, it was at the end of the season, but I GOT IT BACK BABY! That's all that matters in my world ;)

2 days post race & I'm still a bit stiff - please don't ask me to take the stairs between floors at the office - it will take me far too long lol.

I finally have "T" looking after all of the little separation details that have been nagging at me as well. I gave him a list a few weeks ago, and I'm happy to say that he's looked after much of it already. Bitersweet - yes, he was the person that I vowed to be with, for better or worse, rich or poor... all that stuff. It just wasn't meant to be. I've accepted that fact and am prepared to continue making strides forward...

Searching for what I truly deserve in my life....