Surly Trail Run, BSC Camp Odayin 5K and the TC MARATHON!

Lots to write about in this post, and it's all about running! First off I did a fun little trail run a few weeks ago at Theo Wirth, it was a 13.1K trail run. Fun course, pretty hilly. I did the run with Kim, and it was just a little fun run, which turned out into me winning the race for women =) I just remember going out pretty casually with Kim and feeling pretty good, and then a few miles in someone yelled out top girls, so I decided Eh, maybe I should pick it up a notch, so I did went about 6 or 7 effort and ended up winning, while Kurbs got 5th overall. Good day! Won a really sweet handmade mug.

Then it was the 5K the week before the marathon which I wanted to do well in. So I followed Nicole's plan to the T (or almost) =) and was hoping to get a good time. The run was two times around Lake Como and was fairly flat. Ended up running a 20:14 for 3.34 miles, or about a 6:22 pace. Right on par with my 5K PR 19:35. I did a 19:30 5K in the Apple Duathlon earlier this season.
Then the TC MARATHON. I was tapering pretty much towards the end of the week with a few track workouts in the beginning, and I didn't really like it too much but I knew if I was going to run a sub 3:17 on the TCM course my legs needed to feel fresh. I felt like my fitness was there with many track workouts and a few long runs (20+), but now it was time to simply taper (which was not really that simple for me). Either way I think I did a pretty good job following the taper and couldn't complain with how I felt going into the marathon. The weather was really pretty cold the day off, in the 30's with a high of 50 (maybe). The week itself was a bit stressful with Osc getting sick and having many sleepless nights, but at the end I think it all worked out. Both Gabe and I PRd!! I felt pretty strong throughout the whole race and was really focus on keeping with or a little ahead of the 3:15 pace group. I did just that and was actually in front for most of the race except at around mile 21 or so the pace group paced me. I was starting to struggle. I really tried to hang on, but couldn't. In the end though it worked out and those last 3 miles or so were a blur. I was on pace at the half way point for about a 3:12 and finished in 3:15.22, a PR!!! I remember seeing the finish line still pretty far away and kicking it in so hard that when I finished if the two awesome volunteers wouldn't have been there to grab me I would have fallen over...I was so happy and it was so nice to see all my friends there, Kim, Kurbs, Robin, Leon, Drew, Kim's parents, John, my grandparents and sister just to name a few. Also all the people who yelled out my name it was just great!!! Splits below, finished 30th in AG. Link to results below.

Results