Race Report: Napa Valley Marathon - March 1, 2009

Napa Valley Marathon - March 1. 2009 Time: 5:18:53

Goal: Improve time over last year

Actual: Improvement of 1 min 26 sec. Not much, but after the day we had I am taking it as a win.

Throughout the week everyone was buzzing about how shitty today's weather was going to be.

Not all gossip is idle.

The weather was, in fact, quite shitty. Now, to be fair it could have been worse. There could have been a tsunami, a typhoon, or even a golf ball sized hail storm, but that didn't happen, so maybe we should all just quit bitching. Of course, we should 'quit bitching' AFTER we regain use of our hands and our core body temperature rises above that of a reptile.

Here is the story of marathon number 7.

Pre-race

Julia, Claire and I met up at the Expo to pick up our race numbers and our uber-cool Napa Valley Marathon bags.

Here are Julia and Claire modeling their duffel bags.

I opted for the backpack since I had a duffel from last year. I have to say, though, that the duffels this year were nicer than last year and it was a tough decision.

We had our pre-race dinner at the community center in Calistoga. It was put on by the Inn that Julia and Claire were staying at. It is called the Bear Flag Inn, and I linked because this place was so adorable AND the people that own/run it are the kindest and sweetest people. Plus the old lady makes a MEAN lasagna and anyone that can make a mean lasagna deserves a shout out.

The chickens of the Bear Flag Inn.
I am sure you are stunned to hear that I love chickens.

We met up at the start and joined our fellow runners in the port-a-potty lines. There were lots of interesting rain gear being sported. I figured by the end of 5+ hours in the rain I would be soaked anyway, so I might as well get it over with and did not have any rain gear on.

Claire, Julia and me ready to rumble!
Or drown, whatever came first.


Picture of assorted rain gear clad runners waiting in the honey bucket line and the second guy I met that day that was running his 100th marathon at Napa today.
Well, there his ass anyway.

Miles 0-13

We all started out together and were in high spirits. It was raining, but not that cold yet. (*creepy, foreshadowing music plays*) Early on I noticed a young gal pacing off me. The beauty of being slow, but chipper when I run is that I usually get to meet a lot of people. Her name is Liz and she is an 18 year old college student. This was her first marathon!

If you do not want to talk to me during a marathon you have one of two options 1. Run fast (or, really, even fast-ish will work) or 2. Do not make direct eye contact (this one is not iron clad. I will talk to people that don't look at me. Best to run fast-ish. That makes it a done deal). Yep, I AM that chatty, runner girl that everyone writes about hating during marathons.

Anyhoo... this girl's name was Liz and she was GORGEOUS. Seriously, if you want to hang with beautiful women for 5 + hours, you need to swallow your Speedy McSpeederton ego and run a marathon with me. I am a magnet for absolutely beautiful women at these things.

Case in point:The stunning, Tina Louise that I met during the San Diego R & R Marathon.
We ran 22 miles together.

Here is beautiful, 18 year old Liz that I met and ran 17 miles with at Napa. (I know, Runner Barbie! It's ok, I thought it too.)
She was an absolute doll though, and I very much enjoyed running with her.

I guess I am like that fat, old (yet, endearingly cute ;o) ) pony that makes the thoroughbred race horse feel better, so they drag him along to races.

I like that the 'metaphorical me' in is the lead here!

Anyhoo...

It was Claire's first marathon too, so we were chatting it up and having a high old time. A kind runner took a group shot of us at mile 10.

The merry gang at Mile 10.

This was the last time we were all together. Julia had been sick for two weeks prior to Napa and was feeling it. She feel back into a more comfortable pace and hung in. What a miserable day to be feeling bad and doing a marathon! Such a trooper!

Julia keeps on keeping on!

Claire, Liz and I pressed on. We bumped the pace a little around 13.1 and were feeling pretty good. We were getting a little silly about the rain. It was pouring by now and as we passed a local resident sitting on his porch reading a paper, Claire asked him what the weather forecast was for today. He said, "sunny and clear ahead." That cracked us up!

I can not believe how many spectators and volunteers were out there! It was a real boost to your spirits. Napa is a nice course, but it can be lonely. I tried my best to thank all of them.

I snapped this view that I remembered from last year and I wanted to show the contrast in weather from Last year to this year.

Last year at Napa

This year at Napa

Miles 14-19

We kind of fell into our own paces here. Liz and I were still together and just ran and chatted. We had set out a race plan for her when we first met up. She told me that on her 20 miler she went out too hard and barely finished, and highly suffered through, the last 8 miles. I told her that her best bet for finishing was to hang at a comfortably slow pace until mile 17 and then she could reassess her pace and she if she wanted to push it a little after mile 17. I also told her that she was more than welcome to pace off me, but I suspected it would put her in slower than she was capable of. She opted to hang with me because finishing was more important to her than time and if there is one thing I can do, it is finish a marathon.

At mile 17, I asked how she was feeling, she said "great" and I told her that she was running strong, had a run a smart race and had a chance at a sub 5 time so she should go. She was hesitant so I told her don't worry if you are having a hard time I will be behind you and get you to the finish, but you are ready. And with that I kicked my baby bird out of the nest.

I find that when you take a picture with a simply GORGEOUS 18 year old it is advisable to do your best Jabba the Hut impersonation and appear as if you have no chin at all. Lovely.

We tried to take a last picture together at Mile 17 (really, I just wanted to replace THAT doozey above), but this when I found out that my high tech camera weather proofing kit (Um, ... ok, it is really a ziploc bag) had proved insufficient. My trusty run camera, who's paperwork CLEARLY states is NOT weather resistant and actually quite weather sensitive, died.


Can we have a moment of silence please?



Here is the last pictures taken with my poor little Canon.

Not very interesting, and it wouldn't have made the cut if it were not the last picture my little baby took. *sniff*

Miles 20-26.2

A new storm rolled in and it was much heavier, windier, and colder than the previous one. I started to get uncomfortably cold and was looking forward to being done.

I was, however, excited that I felt better during these last miles than I ever have during a marathon. I ran consistently and pretty strong and had quite a bit of kick left at the end when I realized I was going to beat my previous year's time.

I got to see Claire finish her first marathon and she came in running strong and feeling good. All in all a great day.

One small rant

My one gripe about Napa Marathon doesn't have to do with me at all. Because of the extreme weather conditions there were about ~ 7 people (the website is having problems with the results, so I can not get an actual number) that finished after the official cut off of 6 hours. They left the clock up and posted their times on the site (initially, that may change when they come back up) but they did not give these people medals even though they had plenty of medals left. They had medals left because a lot of people had not shown up to brave the elements. But these people paid their entry, they DID show up, they DID slog out 26.2 miles in the pouring fucking rain, and they DID bring commerce to this race's uppity fucking town. Yet, no medal for them because they came in over 6 hours. And we are not talking about 2 hours post cut off, they all finished within 40 minutes of the cut off and they can't give them a medal?

I personally think that is bullshit.

One of these people was this woman that was the mother of four and first time marathoner.

She finished in this same get up. Yes, that is a pink shower cap! She is about 4 feet tall and had run 6 + hours in a pink shower cap, but Napa couldn't spare a medal.

Her family, the ENTIRE family, was out there ALL day and was waiting for her at the finish with roses. She came in at 6:24 and did not receive a finishers medal I am currently composing an email to the race director. I have to sit on it a few days and edit out a few dozen 'fuck's, 'fucking bullshit's, and 'goddamn's before I can send it.

All class that RBR. All class.