The ones over 26.2, anyway
- Honolulu Marathon – 2000. First marathon. Injured, so walk/ran. Yet still in top 1/3, because the other 2/3 of the race were drinking beer and smoking, not because I was actually any good.
- San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon – 2001, 2002. LOVED it the first time – that will happen when you take an hour-fifteen plus off your time, due to not being injured and knowing how to eat. HATED it the second time. Don’t do it. As a rule I hate RNR races (overpriced, overhyped, and too many damn people). You run about half of this on the damn freeway.
- California International Marathon (CIM) – 2002, 2007. PR course. Second BQ.
- New York City Marathon – 2004, 2005. Must-do. In 2004 I had just done IMC. In 2005 I didn’t expect to get in. I stopped entering the lottery, but I’ll do it again sometime.
- Napa Valley Marathon – 2006. Amazing course, amazing organizers, lovely. First BQ.
- Richmond Marathon – 2006. My dear friend Ryan had a baby and wanted to run a marathon 10 months later. I offered to be her race buddy/cheerleader and stay w/ her the whole time. “On the way home” from two weeks in Europe. Nice people, nicely organized, but hellaciously hot that year.
- Boston Marathon – 2007, 2008 (& sort of 1995, illegally pacing a friend. With a stress fracture in my femur. That was dumb). The Mother Race. Amazing and emotional, and also really hard. 45 min slower than my qualifying time. And one was in a Nor’Easter!
- Ironman Canada (IMC) – 2004. First Ironman. Outstanding. Perfect day.
- Ironman USA – Lake Placid – 2oo6. Second Ironman. Outstanding. Perfect day. Harder course, yet took 10 minutes off my time at IMC!
- Vineman Half – 2004, 2005. Favorite race. Volunteering at full Vineman in 2002 is what convinced me I WOULD do an Ironman.
- Wildflower, Long Course (Half) – 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. Maybe not 2006. I can’t remember. Must do if you live in NorCal – and in spring ’03 it was so I could join Ironteam that fall. So forced me to learn to ride bike.
- Many ridiculous/ridiculously fun/long made-up races with Ironteam – including Halfway to Iron, Louie’s Tri, Treasure Island, Paradise Cove mini, Mt. Hamilton Climb, etc.
Spectacularly Thwarted Races (Totally trained, then Denied)
- Chicago Marathon – 2003. Just out of hospital from bleeding ulcer. Nuh uh.
- NYC Marathon – 2003. See above.
- Napa Valley Marathon – 2005. Strep throat. Lovely people at Napa let me transfer (w/o penalty!) to 2006, where I got my BQ.
- Vineman Half – 2007. Panic attacks. Don’t let it happen to you.
- Ironman Canada – 2007. Just kidding. All signed up. Then I took the GMAT. Bad, bad, laughable score and need to retake in order to get into school –> no IMC. Partial refund. Very sad.
- Philadelphia Marathon – 2009. Peroneal tendon tear on LAST DAMN LONG RUN. See “Ankle Shenanigans.”
- MCM, 2010, 2011. In 2010, “Walgreens”* and my horrible adjustment to DC and need to find a different, less terrible job to get me out of “Walgreens.” In 2011, Ankle Shenangians resurface. At least MCM lets you transfer your number to somebody and recoup your cash!
Wow, that is sort of depressing when you add it all up! Let there be no more!
