Glutton for Punishment, Lake Lowell Marathon

2nd Marathon completed. It was hellaciously grueling. Not because I was not physically ready, but because the environmental variable. You see I grew up a competitive swimmer in Southern California, where the weather is typically sunny and 70 degrees, and the breezes are rare. In competitive swimming the environment in which you compete has very little variable. Competitive racing pools are pretty standard, and alot of them are indoor. All you need to worry about is "are you ready to compete". In marathon running and triathlons the variables are many, the WEATHER, the elevation changes from course to course, traffic.. These things that the athlete cannot control. Here in the mid west, the weather can change everything. My husband and I decided to do this marathon, as it is about this time in our training that we are supposed to peak up our running mileage, to prepare for our June 29th Ironman . Honestly we were both "rockin" it, I was well under my mile average to get my Boston Qualifier, until ............... Mile 15. The wind became uncontrollable, like it does in Idaho, it is know to blo over Semi trucks and stuff. It was a wall of wind averaging 25 to 30 miles an hour. For 5 miles it came from the North , North west . I tried to keep my running cadence in hopes that I could salvage through it, but OMG did it zap ALL my energy. I went from running 8:30 minute miles to 9:45. My husband went from 8:00 minute mile to 10:00 then 11:00. Water station cups were flying, Runners hats were flying off peoples heads, and of course tumble weeds were crossing the roads. It was a mental game at that point. Needless to say , I finished, and right at my best, still dont know my official time , as they have yet to post those . I May have been a few seconds under my best, or a few seconds over. No time to dwell, just hope I recover well. In three weeks is Ironman St George, a 70.3. The road to Ironman continues.