#131- The Tucson Marathon!

The Tucson Marathon was the 5th and final race in the 2017 Signature Race Series (SRS), so as the coordinator of the series, this was a work trip with a race thrown in. My first thought was to only run the half marathon, but when I saw the course, I thought I might try for a Boston qualifier. If you remember from my last report at Revel Canyon City, I was so close to a BQ until my legs revolted 1.5 miles from the finish. I thought I would give it another go at Tucson and see how it worked out.

I flew into Tucson on Thursday night and met Tony Phillippi and Garret Anderson at the airport. We grabbed a rental car and headed to the Best Western Foothills to get some rest before a long day at the expo.

The next morning we worked the expo seeing friends, checking in club members and handing out the final 2017 Signature Race series pin!

Stephanie, Garrett, Tony, Lorinda and I at the expo.

Around 12:00PM, Tony and I took a ride to the finish line to make sure we got our table and banners up. This is where our members would pick up their SRS medals.

After the expo I planned a big dinner at the Olive Garden close by. It was so much fun to get to chat with members I had never met before.

Fun at the Maniac/Fanatic Dinner

After dinner we went back to the hotel and I got ready for race morning!

Flat Angie ready to go!

One great thing about this race, is that not only did you ride up to the start in a comfortable coach bus, they let you stay on the bus until the race started! No standing outside in the cold for an hour. The temperatures were going to be in the low 70's, but it was in the 40's at the start. Not freezing. but it was nice to stay on the bus.

I had the Maniac photo scheduled for 6:30AM, but people didn't want to get off the bus! We gathered together a few of us for the pic though. 

The few Maniacs that got off the warm buses! LOL!

I got back on the bus after the photo and started loading my drop bag. There were long lines at the port-a-potties by then, so I just used the bathroom on the bus with no waiting! (Note to self, never sit at the back of the bus full of runners that have to use the bathroom. The drive up got pretty smelly!)

I left the bus 5 minutes before the start, dropped my bag in the bus collecting them and got to the start as the gun went off.

I got to the start just before the gun went off!

I started the race with Garrett and Chris Bouchard (Maniac Ambassador from Dallas). We were all looking for that sub 4:00 marathon. We didn't stick together very long. Chris left me and I settled in with the 3:55 pace group. 

I was running very comfortably with them until around mile 11 when we hit this very hilly section of the course. I love rolling courses, but this hill was zapping me, so I decided to pull back and save my legs. I knew if I didn't let them get to far in front of me, I could catch them on the downhill.

 

I did not take many photos, but I thought this little motel looked like something out of the movie "Cars"! So cute!

The hills continued for the next 2 miles. It took me another mile or so to slowly inch my way back to the 3:55 pacer. There was a good group with us. At this point everyone was running like soldiers. We all ran in unison and nobody talked. We meant business!

I felt good. We continued this way until mile 20, when we hit a long stretch of uphill. Now, it wasn't a mountain, but it felt like one. After what happened at Canyon City, I did not want to lose my BQ in the last 1.5 miles! I had some cushion, I just has to keep running.

Then came mile 23. The rolling hills from mile 23 to 26 did me in. I had to walk a little and I could feel that cushion slipping away. The 3:55 pacer was long gone, but I gave all I had to get the sub 4 BQ!

When I saw the mile 26 mile marker, I knew I was close. I would have to leave it all out there if it was going to happen. I pushed as hard as I could and crossed the line in 3:59:47. A Boston qualifier -13 seconds!

I fell to the ground and just sobbed. I know that this BQ is not enough to get me into the race, but this was my fastest time since May 7th, 2016!! After all the things this year that made me feel horrible about myself (heartbreak, humiliation, anxiety, depression,  weight gain), the Yeti 100 and this small BQ, gives me hope, that the old (fun, positive, upbeat) Angie is coming back and that fuels me to do to work hard and do better.

After the race I went over to the Maniac/Fanatic table, where Stephanie LaBoo was handing out the SRS medals. THANK YOU STEPHANIE!

Lorinda, Stephanie and I handing out SRS medals.

Tony (MM#3) and and I chillin' ! Congrats to Tony for running his fastest race of the year and a BQ and NYC qualifiers!

The race medal. I love the cactus.

7 people completed the entire 2017 Signature Race Series. 

Tony Phillippi

Chris Bouchard

Angie Whitworth Pace (me)
Bill Noflz
Cheri Damito
Corey Hlavacek and
Marshall Robert

The SRS puzzle is complete (with cat)!

After the race Tony and I hit a local sports bar for food, Margaritas and pool (he's a shark! LOL!)

I will just drink this Margarita while Tony kicks my butt at pool! 

I slept great that night and the next morning we grabbed breakfast and Stephanie and Lorinda picked me up an dove me to the airport on their way. 

Yeah, we needed this pic! LOL

We cannot thank Race Director, Pam Reed and the rest of the Tucson Marathon staff for all they did for us. The Tucson Marathon is a fantastic, fast and fun race. If you want to get out of the cold to run, this is the race for you! 

Side note: Since I was to busy trying to run fast, I had no time or energy for photos. I was super bummed that I didn't get in any cactus photos, but Stephanie LaBoo took a bunch and shared her's! Enjoy!