Running For Trevor

Top of Utah Marathon

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Member Since:

Jul 14, 2011

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Marathon Finish

Running Accomplishments:

Personal Records

  • 26.2----------2:58:45 09/15/2012 Top of Utah Marathon 
  • 13.1--------1:17:55 11/02/2013 Snow Canyon
  • 10k---------38:10  03/2013 Hale Freezes Over 10k
  • 5k----------18:48  09/2012 Spanish Fork 5k

Short-Term Running Goals:

My goal is to continue to enjoy running and maybe get faster a long the way!  :)

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run until I am 100 years old!

Personal:

I decided to join to hold myself accountable for my training and because I love learning from others running experiences.  I just started running a little over a year ago and have a lot to learn.  I work fulltime as a Manager of Telecommunications for Intermountain Healthcare and go to school online through Weber State University.  If you want to know more check out my blog: www.runningfortrevor.blogspot.com

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Asics 2160 Lifetime Miles: 362.50
Asics Racing Flats Lifetime Miles: 60.20
New Balance Nimbus Lifetime Miles: 443.00
Mizuno Waves Yellow Lifetime Miles: 419.75
Mizuno Waves Pink Lifetime Miles: 493.83
New Balance 950 Lifetime Miles: 406.55
Pearl Izumi's Iso Shift Lifetime Miles: 394.10
Asics Yellow Lifetime Miles: 490.25
Saucony Blue Lifetime Miles: 429.00
Saucony Mirage Pink Lifetime Miles: 574.90
Saucony Mirage Green Lifetime Miles: 461.45
Kinvara 2 Purple Lifetime Miles: 440.25
Saucony Mirage Blue Lifetime Miles: 443.60
Orange Mizuno Waves Lifetime Miles: 510.25
Kinvara Pink Lifetime Miles: 475.54
Altra Olympus Purple Lifetime Miles: 22.70
Virrata Pink Lifetime Miles: 11.30
Race: Top of Utah Marathon (26.2 Miles) 02:58:45, Place overall: 5, Place in age division: 2
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.0026.2026.20

I have so much to process about today's race but I wanted to update for those that are not on facebook and are just dying to see my time.  haha!

 I cannot even begin to express enough gratitude to everyone on this blog.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for believing in me enough to make me believe in myself.   More to come.....but probably not until Monday because my home computer crashed on me last week.

 All that really matters is that I won a Moose Trophy! :)

I borrowed a friend’s laptop and feel like I need to get this report written while everything is still fresh on my mind. I went into this race quite frankly not exactly knowing what to expect. When I would tell someone who hasn't seen my training my current PR was 3:12 and I thought I might be capable of breaking 3 just three months later they would laugh in my face. But the truth is I (and those that have seen my training) knew that it was absolutely possible. Sure it was scary and maybe a risk but after I read Jake's quote on Friday "If you live cautiously, friends will call you wise, you just won't move any mountains" it really resonated with me and I realized that I really had nothing to lose. I could go out cautiously and just run a PR or I could compete for top 5 and go for sub-3....I wanted to compete!

Now onto the race. I rode up to the top on one of the later busses with my friend Janice and Smooth was on my bus as well. Such a fun ride up with no real talk about running. Just chatting about life, family, ect...perfect distraction. Once we got to the top I noticed it was about 6:40 and I only had 20 min. No problem. Quick porta potty stop and then down to the start line. In the rush to get to the start I accidently threw my iPod in my drop bag...oh well no big deal I run w/o music all the time and really only brought it as a crutch that hopefully I wouldn't need. I have to admit that the start line was incredibly intimidating to me standing there amongst an entire plethora of amazing runners. I felt out of place but Jake was good to calm me down and tell me I was running completely under the radar and people were in for a surprise today. That gave me the little boost of confidence I needed and I oddly felt relaxed.

From the start I positioned myself with a group of people that indicated they were going for sub-3. Perfect maybe I would have a little pack to work with. The pack would not last long but it was beneficial while it lasted. I started out as 7th female which seemed like a good position. My plan was to run 100% based on effort. I am very good at pacing myself and knew exactly what effort level I was going for. The first 5 mile splits 6:36, 6:38, 6:37, 6:43, 6:45. By mile 5 I had moved to 5th place female and I was bound and determined to hold this position. Everything felt easy my breathing was completely controlled and I was running consistent and just enjoying the canyon. Fall leaves and perfect temps!

Miles 6-10 I ran with Ryan from Boise. He had a PR of 2:58 and our paces were matching perfectly. I thought maybe we could work together the entire race. I got to know him quite well over the next 4-5 miles and both of us were running very relaxed. 6:46, 6:42, 6:27, 6:35, 6:42. I never once tried to figure out splits but Ryan indicated that we were averaging 6:41 pace up until this point.

Unfortunately Ryan dropped back right before mile 11 and the rest of the race would basically become a solo effort. Miles 11-halfway point 6:40, 6:27, 6:22. From memory I think I hit the halfway clock right at 1:27:38. I saw James at the halfway point aid station and was concerned. He reassured me that he was okay and that I looked incredibly strong. His encouragement was a great boost and after basically running a new half marathon PR in the marathon I carried on feeling pretty darn good! The theme of the race for me yesterday was relax. Don't try to strategize, overanalyze, or questions yourself....just relax and run!

And with that I just kept running by myself down the canyon. How could there be 3,000 runners in this race and I am all by myself? There was an awesome tailwind through miles 11-15ish and I literally felt like I was flying. It was fun! Miles 14 and 15 came in at 6:14, 6:27. Seeing the first cheering section at mile 14 was a huge boost and I was feeling great. I really love this section of the race but it was also at mile 15 that my feet started burning. I knew this was coming but I was hoping it wouldn't present itself with 11 miles to go in the race. Crud! To make a long story short I run on my toes when running downhill/uphill and have metetarsalgia. I wore inserts and was hoping they would be enough to protect my feet but alas they were not. I am used to running through this but knew I needed to slow my pace and lighten my landing if I wanted to finish this race.

Physically I still felt great but I slowed down my pace through miles 16-20. 6:49, 6:46, 6:46, 7:03, 7:11. I had a biker pass me at mile 16 and she told me I looked way strong. I told her my feet were on fire and asked if she had any Motrin. She said she would ride up to the aid station at mile 17 and see if they had any. Thank you random biker! She road back to me and told me they had it ready for me. I was so incredibly excited to see my cousin Travis when I ran into mile 17. He was ready with my 1 200 mg Motrin and a bottle of Gatorade. Travis ran with me for a half mile and was incredibly encouraging. I thanked him, took one more swig of Gatorade and carried on. At mile 18 I was shocked to see my family. I was not expecting them until mile 20 and this was such a pleasant surprise. My feet were absolutely killing me and as I flew passed them I shouted IB profin 800, IB profin 800! The 200 mg was great but I knew it was not going to cut it. The hills through miles 18-20 that I didn't even notice when I paced the half were definitely apparent this time around. With my feet killing me at this point I just kept reminding myself to relax. I just needed to relax!

Out of some freak miracle my parents had 1 IB profin 800 in their car and handed it to me at mile 20. I fumbled and dropped it but knew it was worth losing seconds to turn back and grab it. I quickly swallowed the IB profin and carried on. My family was seriously awesome and basically met me at every single mile until the end of the race. This was huge as still with the exception of about 2 guys I kept leap frogging I was still running solo! Miles 21-23 were probably the toughest of the race for me. 6:49, 7:02, 7:19. My feet were just really bothering me and every step hurt. I knew I would be okay once the ib profin kicked in and just had to mentally distract myself from the pain. My Mom road her bike with me for a little bit during miles 21 and 22. She was encouraging but kept getting in my way and was having a hard time keeping up so it was decided that she needed to just go back to the car. I'm told from my Sister and Dad it was quite comical watching her try to keep up with me. They were both laughing hysterically when I ran into mile 22 about 1 minute ahead of her. haha leave it to my family to find something funny about the last 6 miles of a marathon. Seeing them laugh helped me to relax and I just started laughing too and thanked them for being there. Love my family!

My feet felt 100 times better the last 3 miles once the medicine kicked in but I realized for the first time that my quads were shot. Every little incline hurt but one thing never changed for me in this race and that was consistency. My legs were locked into the effort at this point and baring a catastrophe I was not slowing down! Miles 23-26 paces were 7:06, 6:58, 7:00.  I saw my family for the last time at mile 24 and thanked them again for the support as I ran towards main street.  The little hill at the end of mile 24 looked intimidating but once I got to it it really wasn't so bad and was over before I knew it.  It was after I reached the top of the hill and the 25 mile aid station that I realized that sub-3 was not only possible but it was going to happen.  I was overwhelmed with confidence and just kept telling myself to relax and finish strong!  I was not going to be satisfied with 5th place female I wanted sub-3!! 

The last 2 miles of this race are hard, daunting and painful but I was so incredibly focussed.  I dedicated mile 25 to a girl from my hometown who was recently in a terrible car accident and paralyzed.  Whenever my quads would scream I would remind them how grateful I am that I can feel them and I ran for Sam.  The last mile was all for Trevor.  The pain was intense but I managed to pass two guys in this mile and oddly still felt relaxed.  I kept wondering where in the heck the finish line was?  It is totally a blind turn there at the end and I was way to focussed on running to look at my garmin so I didn't know where I was time wise until I saw the clock.  Jake & Andrea were there cheering for me.  Jake told me to get up on my toes (yes I heard that), Andrea told me I was going to get 2:59 and to push it, My Mom was screaming, My Dad and Sister were waiting right at the finish line and I was bawling like a freaking baby!  And now I am bawling again as I relive the moment.  Had I seriously just broke not only sub-3 but sub-2:59 with time to spare?  I was elated and just so incredibly proud!  I had medics come jumping up to me at the finish because I had tears streaming down my face but I assured them I had absolutely never been better!  What an incredibly journey! No pace band or strategic pacing plan just good hard consistant running!  24 hours after the race I am still smiling and everything still feels extremely surreal to me.

It was exciting to talk to people after the race and hear how well everyone had run.  Jake running a solo effort and winning his first marathon!  So deserving and so happy for him.  4 girls breaking 2:55?  What?  Wow just some amazing runners out there yesterday and so cool to say I was in the top 5!  After the race we walked up to my Grandma's house .25 mi from the park and then went back for the awards ceremony.  I was so excited to place 5th.  Not because of the little bit of cash I won but to be standing next to 4 incredible women I admire so much and realizing for the first time that I am turning into the real deal.  I am not getting cocky here....I know exactly where I stand but I am going places and that is exciting and proof that you do not need a HS or College running career to be a great runner.  I started running when I was 23 and ran my first sub-7 minute 5k about a year ago and a year later I ran a sub-7 minute marathon!  I am not saying this to boast myself or because I think I'm awesome but because I am proof that a lot of hardwork, smart training and dedication pay off!

Lastly it can not be reiterated enough how much I appreciate the support from this blog.  So many of you have helped me to realize my potential and taught me how to train right. Without your encouragement and belief in me I would be no where near where I am today with my running.  So thank you, thank you, thank you!  And now I will sign off from the longest recap ever and move on to reading all of the reports I've been dying to read. :)

Kinvara 2 Purple Miles: 26.20
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00Weight: 0.00Calories: 0.00
Comments
From Rob Murphy on Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 21:21:28 from 24.10.249.165

Wow! Big PR right?

And nothing beats a moose trophy.

From James on Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 22:06:56 from 97.117.94.162

Great PR today, you looked strong! You have turned yourself into quite the fast little runner. Congrats on going sub 3:00 and taking top 5.

From scottkeate on Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 22:24:35 from 71.199.4.146

Hurray! All of those miles have paid off. Super impressed with your dedication and for being willing to lay it on the line.

From Tara on Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 23:30:00 from 75.169.143.147

I am so impressed with you not only for your time, but for all the hard work you put into your training. It paid off for you today! You looked so strong and are quite the force to be reckoned with!!

From MichelleL on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 00:02:13 from 168.70.21.27

Well, I think the sub 3:00 is just a tad more important than the moose :D Looking forward to the full race report!

From Bam on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 00:29:38 from 89.204.226.167

Top stuff Rachelle. Well done on the PR and the breakthrough. The hard work paid off, I'm looking forward to the full report. Congrats.

From SlowJoe on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 05:39:19 from 69.131.141.92

A sub-3 and a 14-minute PR?! What's your secret?! Congrats, and great job!

From NatalieK on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 08:11:02 from 24.2.101.184

I am so not surprised that you rocked it. Sub 3 AND top 5? You deserve it. I'm excited to hear the details.

From Kelli on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 08:32:30 from 67.172.235.55

I am so not at all surprised!! You are such a strong and talented runner and both deserved and earned this marathon. A 14 minute PR in 4 months, HOLY COW!!! You never cease to impress me. I am still excited for the future for you...GOING places BIG TIME!

From Kelli on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 08:34:01 from 67.172.235.55

OH, and you need to change your goal type in your profile: MARATHON FINISH??? You have got that more than covered. In fact, you have local elite covered. What will you change it to? ;o)

From allie on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 09:30:22 from 97.126.214.126

sweet race, rachelle. i'm so happy for you. find a nice spot in your house and display that moose with pride.

From Teena Marie on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 13:50:07 from 65.130.25.187

You are THAT good!!! :) :) :)

Too legit. :)

Congrats!

From Rachelle on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 15:01:49 from 76.8.202.193

Thanks so much everyone!! The full report is now up. :)

From allie on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 15:04:02 from 71.213.52.133

great recap -- what a special race for you . you ran this course so well and held on all the way. smart and strong. so proud of you, rachelle.

From JulieC on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 15:07:41 from 67.41.189.73

way to go Rachelle!! loved the report!! I hope I can be that tough!! Very inspiring!!! Dedication and hard work, you got it girl!!! : D

From RAD on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 15:08:10 from 98.202.23.178

The report is all I've been waiting for and more! Tears and smiles, I loved every sentence! Thanks for letting me peek into your journey yesterday. I love that 2nd to last paragraph, you are SO right! You don't need a huge background...just a huge heart and willing mind. Congrats Rachelle!!! I knew a 3:02 wasn't you, you're SO much better than that :) You certainly deserved to be standing there with those top 5 women. Amazing!

Oh, and I love that the last mile was for Trevor, I know he was there watching you and cheering you on as well. Recover well and we shall live to run again! Thankfully!

From AngieB on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 15:08:45 from 65.130.83.209

Soooo excited for you! Awesome race! It's so good to see hard work and dedication pay off. Well deserved! You are going places.

From Carina on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 16:11:49 from 174.232.129.141

I can't believe that anyone would laugh at your sub three goal, I am not one bit surprised! And at top of Utah!! That marathon requires so much mental toughness at the end and you held on strong!! So proud of you and excited for you!! You really are going places, it's so exciting to see!! Congratulations on your awesome race, you deserve it!!!!!

From Jake K on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 16:30:52 from 67.177.11.154

Fantastic all around... the race, this report, your perspective about all of it. I'm so happy for you. You have worked so hard for this - you're the ultimate example of how if you put in the work, find fun in all of it, and most importantly - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, you can accomplish amazing things. Things you never would have thought possible a year ago, even a few months ago. Its inspiring to me to watch what you've done this year.

You're not an unknown anymore - those pictures of you crossing the finish line are all over the newspapers! :-) And now that you've run 2:58... yeah, you are the "real deal"

When we were waiting for you to come in - your Mom kept saying how you were running so fast that she couldn't keep up on her bike. I figured that might mean you'd be coming in under 3. And sorry for yelling at you to get on your toes - I didn't realize they were hurting so bad! :-)

From Jake K on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 16:31:22 from 67.177.11.154

Oh and so much for "only" improving by 10 minutes every marathon... 14 this time!!!

From prestonmadera on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 16:43:46 from 67.182.220.96

Great race, you are truly an inspiration! I needed to read a report like that!

From Hamdog Alum on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 19:13:13 from 96.40.228.106

Very impressive race!! You are making leaps and bounds look easy. Your training has been solid and it really showed in this race. Way to leave it all out there! Congrats

From Redd on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 20:39:37 from 67.182.221.190

Congrats on the great effort, it's awesome to see people make huge leaps in training through consistent hard effort.

From josse on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 20:56:08 from 70.196.195.182

The whole thing just put a huge smile on my face and a tear in my eye. Great job!!! It's great to see you do so well this year.

From Bec on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 08:04:03 from 70.115.203.100

OH MY GOODNESSSSSS!!! I loved reading this report, so so so exciting! Rachelle, you are the REAL deal. From starting as a runner just 3 years ago is completely amazing. I am so excited to see what the future has in store for you. Thank you for your inspiration you have shed on so many of us. :) You are one wicked single lady, some hot guy needs to snatch you up quickly. ;)

From Kira Bell on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 12:59:04 from 74.220.196.214

Congrats girl! I loved reading the race report! :) You did fantastic!

From Kelli on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 17:17:09 from 67.172.235.55

YES!!! Again!!! great report Rachelle. We are all so happy for you, you have worked your fanny off and deserved that awesome race. I have been flat out amazed watching your progress this year. I have never seen anyone knock off so much time within a year---INCREDIBLE! You are a very smart runner, racer and trainer. The proof is in the pudding! So, can I hire you now cause i am about the dumbest racer there is!?!

From Tara on Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 18:05:42 from 75.169.137.137

Let me just get this out of the way first, my favorite quote from your post,

"My Mom road her bike with me for a little bit during miles 21 and 22. She was encouraging but kept getting in my way and was having a hard time keeping up so it was decided that she needed to just go back to the car."

lolol! I read this out loud to several people and died laughing everytime. I can just see it! Thanks for the fantastic recap and inspiration, it was fun to read. Now I am so ready to turn on my training "Rachel Wardle" style!

From Bam on Tue, Sep 18, 2012 at 14:31:22 from 89.204.247.133

Jakers, after reading that I doubt I'll make it up the stairs to bed tonight - my feet are killing me:)

What a great report. A super read. Wasn't it so nice of the biker to ride on and sort the meds for you and ride back and tell you everything was ready and waiting.

Well done on the huge PR - not bad for your first marathon; you minx:)

From Smooth on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 23:41:58 from 65.130.14.36

LOVE LOVE LOVE every single word of your report! What an incredible race! SO SO SO HAPPY for you! You are the epiphamy of what hard work, dedication, fun and humility can inspire! What an awesome journey! YES, YOU BELIEVE In YOU and trust in all that you have within you and your hard work! So so so so proud you! CONGRATZ on all the PRs and fullfllment of your goals and dreams! AWESOMEST RACE, Rachelle! Your family is SO SO DO CUTE!!! :) :) :). Thanks for sharing your journey, oh and I love the afterthought posted this week...great stuff! :)

From MichelleL on Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 02:10:13 from 144.214.220.126

Fun read! You are now a local elite, and you will be feared :D

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