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Carlsbad Marathon Recap

by SkinnyRunner on January 23, 2012

WORKOUT – (total) 15.35 miles/2:10

Ran outside ~ 4.15 miles/40 mins with Katie

Ran on TM ~ 11.2 miles/1:30  1. incline

I was sore yesterday but woke up feeling good and ready for a few miles with Katie.  Then I took it inside to the gym where I borrowed my husband’s ipod and ran to some old school Prodigy and Rage Against the Machine…  a nice change from Britney and Katy Perry.

THE RECAP

Instead of me recapping yesterday, Dave already did and it’s much better worded so check out the whole recap here.  He talks about everything from how I was feeling after RnRAZ (confidence shaken) to how I yelled at him around mile 20 to “Stop running in front of me!” (Hopefully I said it nicer than that)

A couple things I will mention:

***Thanks to everyone who said Hi or came up and introduced themselves.  (And said such nice things on the blog and twitter) If it’s possible, my head’s even bigger now.  it sorta needs its’ own zip code.

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Chacha, Nicole and I before the race

***I didn’t look at my Garmin ONCE during the race.  It was accidentally set to a pace screen with a 9:15 pace and Dave said that I might run faster without knowing the pace so I never looked at it.

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During the last 6 miles I started doing the “Are we there yet?” crap that I bet pacers love.  Am I on pace?  How much further?  Am I gonna make it?

***Dave’s recap makes it sound like I’m amazing, but it was really hard.  The last 5 miles were brutal.  Like he said, I’m used to the “pleasurable zone of pain” where I run the first 20 miles easy enough to run the last 6 hard.  (At the LA Marathon, I ran the last few miles at 6:22 pace)

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Pam and I at the LA Marathon 2011.

Yesterday I just tried to survive the last 6 without slowing down too much. They were so miserably hard and that’s the only way I can describe it.

***For those of you who asked about nutrition, I ate a PickyBar about 35 minutes before the start and 4 GU gels at miles 9, 14, 18, and 22 which is pretty much standard for me.  I don’t think I drank any of the course energy drink in the first half (just had water) but did in the second half.

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**I’ll do a complete race review but it was a perfect day for running: beautiful weather and a hard but very scenic course.  There were tons of volunteers, everyone was friendly, it was a really well-managed race that I’d tell anyone else to sign up for.  Just do some hill training!

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A pic I took while camping in Carlsbad back in September but we ran right by the campgrounds

***What was different from RnRAZ last weekend to yesterday? 

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Last weekend, wahhh, I’m a loser.

Having a pacer changed the whole game; I would never run that fast by myself.  You know that feeling where you’re so overwhelmed with what you have to do that you could almost start panicking if you let yourself?  Yeah, I felt that way yesterday at mile 1, mile 14 big time and mile 20. 

Mile 1 – I can’t do this.  I’m not ready.  There’s so much farther to go and I can’t hold 7:37s for that long.

Mile 14 – I can’t do 12 more mile this fast.  I’m gonna burn out because I won’t have the energy.  I just can’t keep up.

Mile 20 – I can’t keep this pace; I’m too tired.  I’m slowing down.  I can’t keep going.  I need to stop.

But with someone else there, there’s this sense of “Shut up and put up; get out of your own head and just do it.”  how very Nike of me.

***What’s next? 

As soon as the race was over, I told Dave I’d never run that fast again and should just quit then.  I really love running marathons, but running that hard isn’t fun at all; it’s actually miserable (while you’re doing it).  But now it’s got me thinking, what could I do?  Could I run closer to a 3:10 than a 3:15?  I don’t know.  I think I’d like to get into the Ultra thing maybe like this girl.  I don’t know.

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***Official numbers and crap:

3:14:31, 2nd in my age group, 9th woman and 52nd overall.  (it was a smaller race – 1500 marathoners)

Some splits:

Mile 1 – 7:47

Mile 5 – 7:33

Mile 10 – 7:17

Mile 15 – 7:21

Mile 20 – 7:18

Mile 25 – 7:17

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***The winners of the Sweat Pink tank tops are:

#202 Heather at Bake, Run, Live

#321 Jenn at FrostBites

#404 Sarah J at FasterthanaSnail

Congrats and can you please email me at sr@skinnyrunner.com your size (S-XL) and mailing address.

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{ 89 comments… read them below or add one }

Losing Lindy January 23, 2012 at 11:43 am

Great job!!!! I am proud of you!

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Kristin @ Every Day Is Run Day January 23, 2012 at 11:45 am

Ultras are very addicting. I definitely recommend them. Plus, with the way you’re already running you probably don’t need to do too much more to train for one.

Way to go yesterday!

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Kelsey January 23, 2012 at 11:49 am

Congrats! What an awesome accomplishment!

How are you liking the Garmin 405? I just got it and haven’t taken it for a run yet.

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SkinnyRunner January 23, 2012 at 11:52 am

i should do a post on it, but this is my second one and I love it. like obsessively love it.

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Cynthia January 23, 2012 at 11:55 am

Love Dave’s recap.
You make me want to go out and run fast!
You don’t give yourself enough credit :)

Go for the ultra!

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Brittany *Sparkles* January 23, 2012 at 11:56 am

Amazing!! It takes a lot of mental AND physical strength to push the way you did – congrats!

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kari @ Running Ricig January 23, 2012 at 11:57 am

You did freaking amazing. It’s like you ran 5k pace for 26.2 miles. Sounds miserable, but you killed it.

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Katie @ msfitrunner January 23, 2012 at 11:58 am

That is very exciting!!! Reading your post brings back all the same feelings from the last marathon I did – as soon as I finished thinking how miserably miserable it was and then, “what could I do??” faster? ultras?? it’s fun:-) Congrats again!

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kate January 23, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Awesome recaps from you and Dave–really inspiring stuff!

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Rebecca January 23, 2012 at 2:04 pm

Agreed.

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Stacey January 23, 2012 at 12:06 pm

Amazing race!!! You are a rockstar! Congrats again.

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Jenny January 23, 2012 at 12:09 pm

That recap that Dave did was very well put and very emotional…what an experience for both of you.

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Kailin @ Logs and Thoughts January 23, 2012 at 12:15 pm

Great job! You can definitely do a 3:10. And pacers, just like a set pace on a treadmill, are pretty awesome and motivating and killer and so rewarding!

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Sandy January 23, 2012 at 12:17 pm

I loved Dave’s recap! Looks like you had an amazing race to say the least! I am not sure how you do it but congratulations on exceeding your goals and your expectations of yourself! I can’t imagine what is next for you!

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Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile January 23, 2012 at 12:22 pm

You are awesome!! Ahh great job:D

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Sara, Food Blogger on a Diet / Ms. Adventures in Italy January 23, 2012 at 12:32 pm

Congrats, really. I can’t imagine running a 7:xx or even a 6:xx mile! Someday I’ll break into the 8:xx but for now I’m happy if I can do several at 9:xx :)

Inspiring!! It would be cool for you to share a little bit about speed training if you have any tips for us slow pokes :)

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Rach January 23, 2012 at 12:32 pm

Congrats SR! You’re my running hero!

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Savannah January 23, 2012 at 12:34 pm

You. Inspire. Me! Seriously girl, you are incredible! Congrats on your fantastic PR!!

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Lena @Fit on the Rocks January 23, 2012 at 12:36 pm

Good lawd you’re fast! Congrats again on the amazing time!

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Ruthanne January 23, 2012 at 12:37 pm

i kept checking back yesterday looking for an update. i was so excited when i saw your sub 3:20. sooo happy for you!

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SaraRM January 23, 2012 at 12:44 pm

Well you offically made me read something longer than a blog post in a year lol! What a wonderful recap of the race, I couldnt read fast enough, exciting stuff. Pretty special moment im sure! Congrats again SR

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Sneakers 2 Sandals January 23, 2012 at 12:52 pm

You’re the bomb. I’m excited to see what you might do in the future. It’s so thrilling to see someone accomplish their goals. Even though your goals are far outta my spectrum!

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Laura January 23, 2012 at 12:56 pm

I loved Dave’s recap! I also love your Holiday Half shirt. Congrats again, rock star!

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Chels R. January 23, 2012 at 12:57 pm

Absolutely amazing! You nailed those splits and finished strong. Congrats on going after and achieving your goals! You are definitely an inspiration – I’ll be running my 4th marathon in 2 wks so looking forward to possibly going under 3:54. Keep up the great work!

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Claire January 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm

Such an amazing effort, well done. Isn’t it funny how the second we achieve our goal we are immediately figuring out what the next one is? I think the scary thing about getting faster is that there is no way of knowing how fast you can actually go without putting yourself through pain, and risking ‘failure’. It’s something I really struggle with. Take some time to enjoy your huge accomplishment, you are truly inspiring.

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Krystle {Fierce|Fabulous|Fit} January 23, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Way to go, SR!! So proud of you!! I’m about to head over and see what Dave had to say! :)

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Sabrina @ Radioactive Runner January 23, 2012 at 1:07 pm

Wow.. congrats on a great run!!

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Allison January 23, 2012 at 1:16 pm

Well done! Read your pacer’s recap too. Excellent.

I am so impressed that you went for a run today too. My butt is parked on the couch after yesterday. Hills killed me.

Totally agree about the “Shut Up and just do it” stuff. I actually wore my SUAR shirt for Carlsbad. Quite fitting.

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Stephanie January 23, 2012 at 1:17 pm

I am super stoked for you! What an amazing PR! Congrats.

I ran my first ultra last September and can’t wait to do another one! I had plans to do at least 1-50K and 1-50 miler this year but I am pregnant so that won’t happen. Oh well, gives me goals for 2013!

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Brandi @ The Vitamin Bee January 23, 2012 at 1:20 pm

Congratulations! What a huge PR! You’re such a talented runner. Running a marathon at that pace sounds brutal!

Dave’s recap was so good, he sounds like a great guy to have for a pacer. :)

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Heather@ Run Eat Play January 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Great PR – that’s something to be proud of! Awesome job!

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Danielle January 23, 2012 at 1:32 pm

Fantastic Race SR – with all those miles you put in, an ultra would be cool to see – but honestly – you kick butt training, you deserve to kick butt in the race – great job!

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Jess @ Blonde Ponytail January 23, 2012 at 1:34 pm

Yes, you def have a 3:10 in you. You recovery rate and stamina continue to floor me regardless of how long I have been reading!

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Gina @ Running to the Kitchen January 23, 2012 at 1:37 pm

Just read through Dave’s post. Best race recap I’ve ever read. Sounds like an amazing race. Congrats.

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Robin Johnson January 23, 2012 at 1:51 pm

Way to Go!!! You can so do a 3:10 !!!!! I’m going to venture into Ultra’s too. Let’s meet up and do one together in Texas! I’d love to run with you. http://www.dashingdiva.net

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Nicole January 23, 2012 at 1:51 pm

Great race and great time. Heading over to read Dave’s post now, I am addicted to race recaps!

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LSmith January 23, 2012 at 1:55 pm

You are totally awesome! Wow, way to go! Your times are great. I’ve never run a marathon, only a 15K race and 12.0 the highest on my own….but I’m a stinkin’ TURTLE compared to you. Holy cow! I think it’d take me 4.5 hours to finish a marathon! Thanks for the inspiration – love your blog and read it every day. :) BTW, got me some bicbands and love ‘em!

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SkinnyRunner January 23, 2012 at 2:18 pm

hey, a 15k race and a 12 miler are awesome! we’re all just running against our own times so your “slow” is someone else’s “fast”

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SaraRM January 23, 2012 at 6:14 pm

very well stated AGREED!

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Aysha January 23, 2012 at 1:59 pm

Dave is a great writer; such an awesome recap! Congrats to you both!

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Molly January 23, 2012 at 2:04 pm

So so so awesome.

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Coley January 23, 2012 at 2:07 pm

You are such an inspiration! Congrats on your time & finish. Dave’s write up was great. Thanks for sharing the experience with us all. Go Skinny Runner!!!

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chacha January 23, 2012 at 2:13 pm

Tou could easily be in the 3:10′s. Maybe if you tapered a little bit for one marathon just to see if your body would respond with more energy. Maybe not, but I’m curious to see if even a two week taper could yield a faster time.

Oh, and let’s file that pre-dawn picture with the many ridiculously horrendous pictures of myself. I literally laughed out loud when I saw it.

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Mallory January 23, 2012 at 2:17 pm

Great run!!!
I ran the Carlsbad marathon with my husband and his brother
We looked for you but didn’t want to bug.
Anyway congrats on another awesome run.

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Kerri January 23, 2012 at 2:17 pm

You ran 15+ miles this morning!? You may just be as crazy as super pacer Dave!! Congrats again lady!!

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Kristen @ notsodomesticated January 23, 2012 at 2:27 pm

You amaze me. The end. :)

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Jessica January 23, 2012 at 2:40 pm

Good job SR!! I just hope if you do keep pushing yourself, it’s because you want to and not because of the stupid haters comments. I think it’s more important to love running. Btw, I used your link for my new kicks and even got my 70 year old man some so he’d quit wearing steel toed boots to the gym.

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Sana January 23, 2012 at 2:52 pm

Wow, I love the way Dave described you. You are so awesome :)

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Shannon January 23, 2012 at 2:57 pm

Sarah, I love this post and I freaking love Dave’s recap (it was beautiful and I totally got teary). You must be so proud of yourself and I like that you’re showing us all that you doubt your abilities too. That being said, you could totally crush 3 hours someday (soon!). Way to go!!

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sarah (the tech/a&m one) January 23, 2012 at 2:59 pm

Wow, what a beautiful recap.

From the unpreventable grin that showed up at:

“because deep down, ignoring the makeup, the celebrity following, and the purse dog, I really, honestly, do admire the human within”

. . . to the third to last paragraph which made my, ahem, ‘allergies’ act up.

This is up there with SUAR’s BQ: heart-swelling tributes to the tired bodies that sacrificed to make them happen (if that sentence comes out creepy, I swear I meant it in a good way). Beautiful and motivating. Captures the essence of what it means to be a runner.

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Michael January 23, 2012 at 3:08 pm

My word you are fast…that is a freakin’ awesome time ! Words just escape me…especially at the splits you were posting at the end (or near the end) of the race. Well Done !!!

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Jamie Walker January 23, 2012 at 3:19 pm

You are so freaking fast – I am so inspired and amazed by your marathon dedication. Though I completely agree, running that fast and that hard is never fun. Its just plain and simple: painful! But you did it..you kept at it.

If you decide to do an ultra, let me know which one and I’d love to try and come help pace you / run with you! I run ultras and welcome anyone to join me on the amazing ultra journey! And of course would love you to become an official member of Team #SweatPink as I gear up for my very first ever 100 miler. ;)

You ROCK!

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prettyfittie January 23, 2012 at 3:29 pm

Is it weird to be proud of someone who you look up to? I don’t care, way to kill it SR :-D I can totally see you doing an Ultra.

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Carrie B January 23, 2012 at 3:34 pm

I just finished reading Dave’s race recap. WAY TO KICK IT GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!! You ROCK!!!!! :-)

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Sheila January 23, 2012 at 3:39 pm

Great job, that is an awesome accomplishment!!

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Courtney @ CardioQueen January 23, 2012 at 3:47 pm

Awesome! I’m going to pay you to fly down south and pace me some day! :)

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Kim January 23, 2012 at 3:49 pm

You are amazing. That is all.

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J @ Ess&Jae V2.0 January 23, 2012 at 4:04 pm

WELL DONE! Congratulations.

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Jena January 23, 2012 at 4:10 pm

Congrats on a terrific race! Dave’s recap is amazing – It was almost like I was there watching the race myself – (that’s weird, huh?).

I would agree that having a pacer is absolutely amazing. I long run with a group, and there is one person that I can count on to make me run a faster pace than I am comfortable with. She just brings out the fight in me – makes me want to run faster. I started training in August and ran a 10miler @ an 8:46. My most recent 10 miler is an 8:10, and I can attribute most of that to my group. Running with people is a great thing.

Congrats again!

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CaliforniatoKentucky January 23, 2012 at 4:26 pm

wow. you are such a badass!

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Angela @ Happy Fit Mama January 23, 2012 at 4:33 pm

Well done!! Dave wrote a great recap, too. Thanks for the inspiration to keep pushing!

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Caroline January 23, 2012 at 4:43 pm

wow! great job! congratulations! I did the half there last year and I loved that race. It was my very first half. This year I skipped because I will do Surf City and I did 13.1 LA last week. I cannot recover as quickly as you do!!!

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Caroline January 23, 2012 at 4:51 pm

I just read the great recap on Dave’s blog! I loved it. It is a great “tribute” to your PR and to you of course.

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Lisa @ Yo Momma Runs January 23, 2012 at 5:10 pm

A-mah-zing! So proud of you. This is why I love running with my brother. He forces me to run faster. Wish he could be at every race with me. Who is this Dave kid? I need him for my next race.

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Shanna January 23, 2012 at 5:12 pm

Congratulations! Also, it’s it funny what you find on the ipods of other people? I borrowed my boyfriend’s last week and even though he’s an ironman and crazy marathoner, there was NO upbeat/fast music on it all all! crazy!

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Deirdre @ Oh Well Whatever January 23, 2012 at 5:13 pm

Congratulations you did an amazing job. Can’t even imagine holding on to that pace the entire time. So cool he was able to pace you. I think you would do great at trails and ultras, give it a try!

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Jenn January 23, 2012 at 5:15 pm

Still amazed by your time and thank you for the recap : )
I will be running the IMS Arizona and hope to say “hello”! I was at the race yesterday and well…didn’t do so well…

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Jeff January 23, 2012 at 5:48 pm

Wow! Congrats on smashing your goal! I so wish I could run that fast.

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Denise January 23, 2012 at 6:25 pm

Wow! Great finish. I don’t think I could ever run that fast for that long. Maybe for a 5K, somewhere way down the line. But I will say that your post today motivated me to not take a lazy day (like I was planning) Thanks so much!

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Meggie January 23, 2012 at 7:52 pm

Awesome job!!! I hope to feel that miserable sometime. I do not plan on running that fast though. I’d settle for 3:34. Damn, that still sounds fast [insert panic moment].

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Mrs.CJ January 23, 2012 at 8:00 pm

That is an amazing time!! Congratulations!!!

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J @ ... semplicemente ... j January 23, 2012 at 8:10 pm

Congratulations … your race recaps sure make me want to say to myself to SUAR …

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RoseRunner January 23, 2012 at 8:30 pm

Congrats, stud! The studliest thing of all is that you ran 15 miles the next day….you know most people can’t walk after running a marathon, right?

You credit this to running with a pacer, but I’m really curious what else you think helped. Was it training at faster paces? A fast course? Tapering? Mentally in the zone? or was it really just the pacer? I think this race provides a great way to learn what can lead to a PR, since you run so many marathons/year that you can compare all the variables.

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mary January 23, 2012 at 8:33 pm

You must be on cloud 9 that’s so amazing! you really inspire me girl and even though i don’t comment a whole lot i’ve been reading every post for the past 3 yrs and it’s been so motivating and wonderful to watch you work up to this PR!!!

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michelle kim January 24, 2012 at 12:14 am

Okay, this goes without saying, but YOU ARE AWESOME! You are definitely a rockstar in my world. Look at that time at mile 20 (or… I guess all the splits are pretty much mind-blowing).
Congratulations! Hopefully one day in the future, I can run that fast :)

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Cyndi January 24, 2012 at 2:18 am

Enjoyed reading Dave’s recap. Very impressive. Also impressive is running 15 miles the day after! I once ran a 5k at a 7:18 pace. I can’t imagine running that fast for 26.2 miles. Wow. Well done.

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Chrissy January 24, 2012 at 9:52 am

Congrats, Sarah! You inspire me to want to do speedwork to PR – but mostly for an excuse to po some bubbly post race. Wait, no excuse needed for bubbly! Your time is amazing! I’m glad all your hard work paid off.

What was your recovery like post-PR? Was it more difficult than your other races?

I think some post-PR celebratory shoes are in order! Congrats!

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Courtney M. January 24, 2012 at 10:13 am

You are my F***ing hero!!!!

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Cat @Breakfast to Bed January 24, 2012 at 11:02 am

let’s go to france and run the new mary in Provence. If another blogger is going, I feel like we can both chock it up to “it’s for the blog”!!

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SkinnyRunner January 24, 2012 at 11:29 am

lets do it. im down. might need to rob a bank but ill try to run fast. and wear a ski mask.

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Tameika January 24, 2012 at 1:43 pm

Congratulations! You pushed and won. Enjoy it and if a 3:10 is waiting for you, I have no doubt you will achieve it. All the best!

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Brittany January 24, 2012 at 2:24 pm

Congratulations! What an amazing accomplishment!

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Liza@Docrunsforhealth January 24, 2012 at 10:51 pm

I tried running as fast as you today. Only lasted 30 seconds! You are amazing. Keep it up!

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Kim January 25, 2012 at 6:05 am

Dang girl! You were flying! PR’s are always fun…Congrats!!

I love following you on your blog, you are an inspiration! Keep it up! :)

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Lauren January 26, 2012 at 4:43 am

Congratulations!! Awesome time and amazing PR! Racing (slash running fast during) a marathon definitely sucks in the moment. While I’m doing it I swear I’ll never put myself through that torture again. But the funny thing is that after you finish and end up running faster than you thought possible, everything kind of changes….and I find myself immediately thinking about the next race and how fast I could go. It’s sort of addicting…in it’s own way.

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Heather January 26, 2012 at 8:54 pm

I know I’m late to the PR party, buy yay for you!! I was in the middle of reading Dave’s recap and then I realized halfway what am I doing? You gave me enough motivation to get by butt to the gym and complete my 5 mile tempo run.

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Annette@EnjoyYourHealthyLife January 27, 2012 at 8:51 am

Holy crap—congrats!! You ran SO freakin’ fast. Nicely done! (better go get that new zip code now….) hah ;)

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STUFT Mama October 30, 2012 at 9:49 am

Just now reading this. You are so fast friend. Are you running Carlsbad this year? I love that race.

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SkinnyRunner October 30, 2012 at 9:52 am

no, im not running carlsbad this year. thats a hard course!! and i had such a good time last year that i kinda want to “Save” it as it is.

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