CIM (California International Marathon) Relay -

^DISTANCE:  26.2 Miles

^{PLACE & TIME:}  3rd Place, Open Coed; 21st, Overall

2:58:54

Approx Splits: Leg#1 - 40:13; Leg#2 - 50:22; Leg#3 - 45:49; Leg #4 - 42:31

Troy, Anna and I are up early to get to the race start in Folsom.  This is an easy commute from our house.  Troy and Anna drop me off and I look for our Rocklin Masters buddy Dave Campbell whose running a relay for the Sac Tri Team.  We have a bet today.  Whoever looses on the first leg has to get the other's equipment for a week at the pool...not a fun job considering the current winter conditions.  I just found out last weekend that I'm pregnant so I wonder if that is going to come into play today.  I'd like to run 6:30 to 6:45 pace for the team.  We have a goal to break 3 hours for the first time.  I keep an open mind though.

Dave and I warm up for the race.  It's dark out here but not dark enough to see familiar faces.  We run into a fellow triathlete, Woody.  He's going for a fast one today...in the 2:30's...wow!  We come back to the start and Dave sets us up on the front line just behind the local newscasters about to do a live report.  They start up the cameras and we high five each other and wave.  I wonder if we're on TV right now?! 

Start: Ready, set, go!  Runners fly off the line around me.  It's a downhill start.  I see Dave drift off ahead of me.  I'm torn.  Downhills are "free speed" so I want to go for it but at the same time I don't want to overdo things.  I take clues from my growing tummy.  I feel it tighten up, so I ease up.

Mile 1: 6:25.  Okay that's good.  I'm not feeling my best but I try to stay positive. 

Mile 2: 6:42.  Oh boy, I hope I don't slow down any further!  Dave is long gone but I hope to reel him in soon. 

Mile 3: 6:49.  Oh boy, I'm running slower even though I feel my effort has increased.   Pete Korn comes up along side me.  He's running the whole thing and looks very comfortable.  I, on the other hand, feel like each passing step gets harder to make.  I feel like my endurance is running out and I'm not surprised since I haven't been training as much.  It's a nice distraction to talk to Pete.  He has a goal to break 3 hours.  Pete's an ultramarathoner so this race isn't really that long for him. 

Mile 4: 6:55.  It's time to modify my goals.  It's all about finishing and trying to hold my current pace as best as I can.  I wish I could do better for the team.  It looks like it's all up to Troy to make up time for me(=  My tummy is feeling good but my legs need some encouragement... come on, hang on!  I feel like I'm holding Pete back but he is content to run with me.

Mile 5: 6:52.  A little better!  Thanks God!  Just focus on finishing.  My job is almost done and the pressure will be off!  I can see the relay exchange up ahead.  I'm sure Dave has long finished.  I cannot wait to hear how things went for him.  Pete goes ahead and I tell him to have a great race. 

(Troy) It's a chilly morning, but it's dry. Anna is excited.  We run into Bill Whipple and his friend Josh while waiting at the Leg 2 checkpoint.  Bill was a rowing partner for my roommate, Mark, back at Cal Poly.  We all warm-up together through the neighborhoods.  Foot's feeling good.  We also run into Teresa Clark and her dad, Bill, the coach for the West Valley Track Club.  Leonie calls me and says Dave & Robin were on TV as the local news introduced the race!  Dave beat Robin!  Now, here comes Robin!  We're down 2 min, but we make a good exchange from Robin to me and now I need to do my best.

I make it to the exchange.  There's Troy.  I'm wiped, but still able to ask, "Where's Anna?".  "With Dave", Troy says.   Good (=  Troy takes the chip and puts it on his leg.  "Go for it Troy!"  I find Dave and Anna.  Dave had a great race, his fastest yet!  Alright.  See, a little competition doesn't hurt.  I look at my watch and see that I averaged 6:48 pace.  Not bad and not far off the goal.  Thanks again Lord!

Troy's Leg:  The team put me down for 6:15 pace even though my best recently was 6:25 pace.  I set my Garmin for 6:20 pace and watch the virtual runner as I go.  It's going great.  The air is perfect.

Mile 7: 6:20.  Doing great.  Focusing on good form.  But I'm starting to lose time on the hills which I can't make up on the downhills.

Mile 8: 6:31. The foot is doing well as long as I focus on moving my left hip forward more. The wind is picking up in our faces and I can't find a good draft.

Mile 9: 6:28. Almost 1/2 way.  Starting to struggle.  I suddenly remember to focus on God instead of just meeting a team's goal.  I remember the motto, "Why do you race?", on my hat and realize that if I fail the team but influence just one person by glorifying God, then I have still won!   I'm so tired, it's hard to smile and be encouraging to others.  I eat a GU but there isn't any water station.

Mile 10: 6:36.  Still no water station.  Some good long downhill sections which I try to capitalize on.

Mile 11: 6:23.  Still no water station.  My right calf is starting to cramp up.  Maybe from compensating and from lack of water.

Mile 12: 6:35. My calf is bad and I have to back off.  I let the guy I was pacing with go ahead.  A mile to go but I have to wait for the calf to calm down.  It's getting better slowly

Mile 13: 6:53.  That was a slow mile but I've got water now and give it my all to the checkpoint.  There's Rich ready for the baton switch.

Mile 13.5: 3:44.  I finish in 49:30, a 6:31 pace, which puts us another 2 min behind.  Rich takes off with a smile.  I'm excited to be done.  I find Robin and Anna and start stretching my tight, painful calf.  I'm exhausted and think I'm going to be hurting tomorrow.  It's cold.  I put on warmer clothes.  I see Pete Korn and Liesbeth go by on pace.  Then we see Carmen go by being paced by ultramarathon champion, Tim Twietmeyer, who's taking it easy today with the 3:30 group.  I tell Tim to make sure Carmen gets to the finish :)

We rush to the finish to see Susanne finish in 2:56 and then Megan Canova in 2:59.  I'm realizing there's no way we can break 3 hrs because Robin and I were both 2 min off the pace.  Right as I'm thinking this, Leonie walks up behind us and says, "We broke 3 hrs!"  Yay!!!  We missed her finish.  Somehow Rich and Leonie made up the difference and got us to our goal!  We are all so excited!  We enjoyed breakfast of crepes and some good stories and celebrated Liesbeth's and Carmen's excellent first marathons.

Go Leonie!

Pete Korn

Liesbeth Brouwer

Megan Canova

Ah, so cute!