Sweet Quincy, Rest In Peace

Old man Quincy

When we lived in Temecula, Travis played Snout the Tinker in A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of his lines in a roll-call scene was "Here, Peter Quince."

That line inspired my decision to change Leon's name to Quincy.

We were still living in our tiny cabin on McWhinney in 2001 and Travis had just started working for the city. He was inspecting a deck when a bouncy German Shorthaired Pointer came over to greet him. The owner kicked the dog in the ribs.

"That wasn't necessary." Travis said, shocked at the blatant abuse. "He's not bothering me."

Before Travis left, the dog approached and was kicked again. "If that's the way you treat your dog, I will take him."

And my phone rang. Travis gave me directions to the house so I went to look and knew that we had to take him. We didn't have a fenced yard but within a couple of weeks, we had gotten that covered and Leon had a new name and a new home.

He loved to fetch and swim in the lake, chase ducks and birds, go on hikes and snowshoeing, and even followed me on a couple of horseback rides when we moved to the ranch. But as he aged, he just couldn't tag along anymore.

When we got Jaeger, Quincy brought the whimpering little pup into his own doghouse on the first night. And as Jaeger grew, they still shared a doghouse, cramming their leggy bodies together. They were best friends.

In the last couple of years, Quincy's hips started to go. We put him on supplements like glucosamine and Cetyl-M that really seemed to give him a couple of extra years. More recently, he had been falling. He was slow to get up. I joked around that he needed a walker, but then he would bound around the yard like a puppy. We decided that he would let us know when it was time.

Wednesday night, Quincy was hobbling around. We brought him in by the fire. Thursday morning, he barely was able to get up to go to the bathroom, and somehow managed to pull himself back up on the deck. I let him in our bedroom to lay on a blanket so Tramp and Jaeger wouldn't knock him over.

I had to go check in at work, but left early to spend time with Quincy. He hadn't moved from the blanket. I had to touch him to wake him.

He gave me a little wag but didn't get up.

I took him to the lake so he could watch the ducks and smell the lake air. We sat in the truck and he rested his head to look out the window at the lake he loved to swim in.

And then it was time to go.

What happened in St. George - 2012 Marathon Race Report

Let me start with: put St. George on your bucket list if you have ever thought about running a marathon. Now I know why there is a lottery to get in. I won the lottery this weekend.

Travis and I drove up to St. George on Friday morning. I dropped him off at a golf course with red sand bunkers and beautiful panoramic views of terra cotta, violet and pink mountains on the nearby horizon.

Sunbrook Golf Course

While Travis traveled the fairways, I went to the expo and got checked in, attended seminars, bought some products and enjoyed the atmosphere. After we checked into our comfortable hotel room at the Quality Inn, we moseyed over to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Mmmmm.

Although this summer I logged over 300 miles on a pair of running shoes, by all training recommendations, I still undertrained for the marathon. Then I overtapered in the last few weeks due to the tailbone injury I sustained (mentioned here) thanks to a cute little palomino in my backyard who goes by the name of Drifter. 

In reading blogs and articles and forums, St. George runners had been repeatedly warned to hold back in the first half to spare your quads the torture of the 2500' elevation loss course. So all things considered, I decided to take the first half easy. For the second half, I would let 'er rip. Genelle made a bracelet with splits for a 4:20 finish time that would help me hold back but not stress about my pace.

I would be facing this steep downhill course in the morning and my quads would never be the same.

The outfit. lululemon shirt (color chosen by Jenn) and lululemon skirt from Pasadena,
Adidas GT2170, injini toe socks, headband (horsepower gift from Genelle),
beaded bracelet hand made by Adrienne...VW ball cap not pictured.

I managed to sleep and the wake-up call, cell phones and iPods started ringing at 3am. I snoozed until 3:15 and moaned out of bed. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway so I made a PB, banana and honey sandwich, downed some Gatorade, and got dressed. 

I used a teal Sharpie that Travis bought for me at the golf course to scribble HOLD YOUR HORSES onto my forearm. (Thanks for that idea, De'Anna!)

At 4:05am, my voice crackled, "Trav, I am ready for you to take me to the buses."

"OK kiddo."

A few minutes later, we were walking through the dark streets to the lineup of 90 buses. I was on bus #2. A girl named Linda sat next to me and we chatted on the way up to the start line in Central, UT. This was her 2nd St. George Marathon and 11th marathon in about 9 years. She has run the likes of Chicago, Wineglass, and New York. St. George was her answer when I asked her about her favorite course.

I felt a twinge of an ache in my left eye. No. Is that a looming migraine? I loosened my ball cap. I could still feel the strange ache. I encouraged myself to breathe. The bus turned around at the starting line and dropped us off.

South Carolina representin'... 

The wheelchair racers at the start

Water, gatorade, coffee and hot chocolate were served. Volunteers handed out space blankets and cotton gloves. Firefighters began to start about 40-50 bonfires and sleepy runners gathered around the flames. Some slept. Some chatted. Some checked in on Facebook.

I watched the dancing flames and drank hot chocolate. 

When the bonfire I cozied up to began to die down, I visited the portajohn and walked around until I saw the pace teams arrive. I chatted with the 4-hour-15-minute pacer, Jo. I said I would be close by. Another 4:15 hopeful named Tiffany introduced herself. The runners were soon abandoning bonfires and portajohns. It was 6:40. We were about ready to start. And, suddenly, I had to pee again.

The race
Like corralled cattle moving through the dark, we started shuffling along the road toward the start line at promptly 6:45. I removed my space blanket. I stepped across the start mat and was off.

Miles 1-3 
Aches and pains tried to take me down. Oh, my tailbone! Oh, my feet! My ankle is clicking. My head hurts. I have to pee. Mile 3 had some johns, but there was a line. I think I sped up because I thought I could outrun the sensation. Nope. Runners were popping out from bushes to my left. Good idea. I exited the roadway, stage left, jumped down a small embankment, greeted a bush, and popped a squat. I took Gatorade and water at mile 3.
10:07 / 9:53 / 9:17

Miles 4-6
Ahhhhh, much bettah! Wait. How fast am I going? Hold Your Horses. I stopped to walk, watching my Garmin for an appropriate pace and continued on several times. I ran an easy pace on gradual downslope and my first 10k was done without me even breaking a sweat or breathing heavily. Pastured horses were watching the parade of runners passing their normally tranquil neck of the woods. I ate a small box of raisins at mile 6.
9:29 / 9:23 / 9:32

I said to myself, wow 10k done...don't get ahead of yourself, still take it slow till the first half is done. Somewhere around mile 5 or 6, I could see Veyo hill in the distance. The ancient volcano stands dormant and looming on the valley floor. I pulled my iPod from my pocket to snap a photo, then put the thing away and wondered if I was going to need it for some tunes.

Veyo in the distance

Miles 7-9
A lovely downhill led to the first big climb that would be the biggest elevation change in the course for the rest of the first half of the marathon. I conserved my energy knowing that Veyo could make me or break me. I began the ascent and took time to appreciate the cone protruding in the landscape. By mile 8, it was getting steeper, climbed about 250 feet in less than a mile. It was tough, but my lunch break training runs have a 222 foot climb. I am glad I ran those lunch break miles. I passed lots of walkers here. Still climbing, but feeling OK. The 4:15 pace group balloons were maybe a half mile ahead. I knew he was even pacing 9:44 (uphill and down). I didn't want to catch up. I knew I could later.
9:05 / 10:25 / 10:04

A great picture borrowed from another blogger who was at St. George

Another volcano

Miles 10-12
The elevation mellowed, but continued to rise. And it rolled as I maintained an easy pace. I felt great at mile 10, Ate raisins at mile 12. And I began to wonder when is the rollercoaster going to drop? I slowed to drink water and Gatorade at mile 13 then saw the mat ahead of me for the half marathon point.
10:10 / 10:11 / 10:02

I cruised across it and then realized that now is the time to start picking up the pace. Let 'er rip I thought. 


Miles 13-15
I stepped on the gas a little and cruised the first decent drop in the course in several miles. I closed in on the 4:15 pacers but they eluded me still. And the course dropped and it dropped and it dropped. And then the gradual rolling hills and grasslands became spectacular.
9:05 / 9:27 / 9:24

Miles 16-18
Wow and wheeeeee! There was a stomach-turning drop and I heard a chorus of heavenly angels. Wow! I shouted. Wow! I kept breathing while taking in the breathtaking views of Snow Canyon's pink, orange, and white mountains. We dropped into a valley that was darkened with shade. I was 100% aware of how I felt in the majestic beauty of this part of the course. I grabbed my iPod and snapped a photo, knowing that it would never really do justice how pretty the view was. My medal is going to look like that I knew.

Another borrowed picture. Thanks fastcory...

It got even better...but I was trying to run a race. So this is all you get.
Fine. I will steal one from online for you....

It was even more beautiful than this...

I walked a water station and grabbed an orange at 17.
9:01 / 9:15 / 9:37


We now take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to make a statement. Marathoners are an interesting breed. They are bums dressed in Under Armor and Adidas attire. They have no shame. They pee on sidewalks and bridges...in front of 7,000 other runners...when there are bushes on the northwest and southeast sides of the bridge. Heck, even I had the decency to use a bush. I did not mean to insult any bums by my earlier statement. Rant end.

Miles 19-21
I knew from my previous marathons (which I always start out too fast) and my long runs this training cycle, my endurance drops off the face of the earth after mile 13-16. I had a few death marches during training, so I kept myself in check as I approached my final 10k. I stopped for an IcyHot rub down on my quads somewhere in mile 19 and grabbed some Vaseline for an, ahem, chafing issue with my sporting equipment. I felt like I had energy, but I could feel the burn at this point. I noticed I was passing people. Some were moaning. Some crying. Some self-defeating. I've been there. You've got this girl. Keep it up. I managed as I passed some of them.
10:08 / 9:50 / 9:19

Miles 22-24
My phone was in a small pocket ingeniously placed by lululemon designers on my running skirt at the dead center of the small of my back. I heard my phone beep and wondered if it was Travis.
Genelle: Whoaa, hold your horses. I believe in you Suz. You are such a strong spirit keep up the nice pace.
I smiled but didn't reply. I love race day texts. As I ran, I scanned back in my inbox to find
Russ Good luck today!! YOU CAN DO IT, WOOOOO!!!!! :-D Thinking of you & wishin I was there.
Travis How you doing?
I replied: Mile 22 on pace for 4:15???
And then I caught the 4:15 pacer, said hi and thanked him for carrying the balloons that were in my crosshairs for  16 miles, and passed them. I knew I could do it. Again, I was passing people. 
9:41 / 9:40 / 9:24

Miles 25-26.2
At mile 25, I hit a spectator's poster with a big red circle drawn on it.
Press button for TURBO BOOST
I did, and surprisingly, got a turbo boost, but I held myself a little at 25. I was fatigued, but didn't want to wear out. Get to the 26 mile marker, and it's just a run to Fred Goldsmith's I thought to myself. Fred Goldsmith's house is exactly 1 mile driveway-to-driveway on my training runs. Of course I lied to myself because I still would have 385 yards, but by that time I would be able to see the finish...and I knew I had that. A turn, then another turn, then another turn down the streets of St. George. I rounded a corner and a spectator said "this is the last straightaway" and I started zeroing in on runners, passing them one by one. The finish line balloons were in sight. I gave everything I had left and finished strong.
9:28 / 9:09 / (.2 pace) 8:52

Official finish for marathon #4 - 4:12:45...a 35-minute PR and my first negative split (This means I ran faster in the second half of the marathon than the first half. I am bad at math, but I think it's like 3 or 4 minutes). Yeeehaw!

This is my prize!

I had already envisioned the medal I wanted. They are all unique. Some mostly white. Some mostly red. I wanted a marbled one. I passed a few medal volunteers when I saw a gentleman holding my medal out for someone to take. I tapped him on the shoulder. 

"Excuse me, sir, I think that one is meant for me. It's beautiful."

"Then it's yours," he said, and placed it over my head. "Congratulations."

Medal. Check.
Ice Cream. Check.
Chocolate Milk. Check.
Find Travis.
Check.

My phone by this time was loaded with messages...
Moo: You go girl!!! You will do us all proud crossing that finish line! I am sure you are holding your horses.
Moo: Wow trav said you are at mile 22 and doing great! U freakin rock! I am screaming from studio city.
Jenn: Happy marathoning! Let me know...

When I sent out my time:
Genelle: I knew you could do it!!!
Mom: Mimi and I are dancing in the flower shop.
Dad: Wonderful Suzanne. I hope you are feeling good about your time. I am. I love you.
Pat: Congratulations, you did it. 
Mindy: YAY! All your hard work paid off. Congrats girl - you did it!
Wendy: You put in the work! Good job!
Peggy: I knew u could do it ur amazing
Hans: Wow! 35 minutes? That's like a whole episode of Beavis & Butthead faster
Russ: Wow! And with a bruised tailbone. Good job!
De'Anna: That's flippin' awesome! You did amazing!

Lunch. Quick nap. Drive to Vegas so Travis could golf on Sunday. What happened there is going to have to stay there, but I can say that we got to see Garth Brooks and I was up for 24 hours on the day I ran my marathon. 

And I can say that you can experience a day in which everything flows...and life keeps handing you presents. And you marvel at those little gifts.

And I got a haircut by a great girl named Desiree at the Christophe Salon...who left me with some affirmations about my journey. Meeting her came at such a pivotal moment in my weekend and these types of meetings don't just happen by chance.

Life is amazing. I won the lottery with this life. And all I can express is gratitude. It just keeps getting better. 

The Final Countdown

I will be toeing the line very soon....

Despite the mishap with Drifter as reported here on my horsemanship blog, my tailbone, which has been sore ever since, has eased up on the pain a bit for me to get in a few short runs. I was worried last week and even went to urgent care for an x-ray, but this town is notorious for its...shall I say...interesting medical care. The x-ray tech was on vacation so I walked out and decided to see how the weekend went.

I am as ready as I can be. Training went pretty well overall. I did miss some runs, but I logged more miles than before any other race. Actually, I logged more miles than my previous races combined.

The last couple of days, I have had what is called taper madness or taper crazies. I looked up videos of runners hitting the wall on youtube, looked at the weather forecast a dozen times, got on the treadmill.

Excited!
Eek!

Race report to follow....