My Jeep rocks from side to side as I navigate over the potholes in the gravel parking lot. I haven't been away for more than 10 days, yet the forest beyond the cars is no longer there. Bulldozers are haphazardly parked in the orange clay amid fallen trees. I stop to read the announcement about how this improvement will link the ugly, polluted sidewalk along the highway to my oasis.
Soon the crowds that swell on first spring day will become even denser. And my quiet, winter runs will be a distant memory. The children learning to ride their bicycles will meander across the path. Teenagers and seniors will hold hands, creating memories and conversing about memories created. Pretty girls with designer sunglasses will sweat harder than they prefer and young men will run shirtless at the first opportunity.
But today, the tree-lined boardwalks are mine alone.
The heavy rain has dissipated into a steady drizzle. It is too muggy for February. I am wearing a tank top and shorts and am comfortable even in the rain. 5 days have passed since I last ran--it feels like an eternity. My legs are itching to move before I reach the trailhead and I start my Garmin as I fall into stride.
As I turn to go under the bridge, I dodge rain pouring from above and hop over the puddles down below. I look up to see the familiar path ahead. The same creek to my right, the same curve up ahead at mile 0.3, and the same bare trees I see every February on the Greenway. It is as comfortable as the steady, unencumbered motion of my running.
Everything shakes out easily into place.
My legs move effortlessly down the path without a care to my lungs, still on the mend. Even with my earbuds tucked deeply in my ears, I can hear the light rasping of my breath. It seems like the perfect day to ease back into a few easy miles. But my restraint is weak. As I dodge the slippery planks of wood filling slowly with water, my pace intensifies.
At first, my stride lengthens as I realize the easy flexibility of my body from a few days off. Then, my cadence increases as I feel the joy of speed. When I reach the marsh just before the first mile marker, I know there is no hope of holding back.
It is time to soar.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
L.A. marathontrialsrunbeerparty
Last year, Bangle started recruiting Loopsters to come watch the Olympic Trials and run the L.A. Marathon. I didn't really know what kind of race I would be aiming for come February 2016, but I knew this was something I didn't want to miss out on. Running a big city marathon is always a special way to travel, but seeing the Olympic Trials just added an extra layer of awesome.
I convinced Adam to come along with this cross-country trip to hang out in L.A. for a few days with a bunch of my internet friends over Valentine's Day weekend. It was ultimately a great decision--I think he had almost as much fun as me!
FRIDAY
We touched down in L.A. after an uneventful plane ride and had to sit on the tarmac for about 20 minutes as Air Force One was about to take off. I was able to snap a few photos through the plane window with my phone!
Adam and I collected JJ in baggage claim and the 3 of us rode the shuttle to the car rental agency. We watched someone get almost physically violent with an employee while exiting the parking lot and then our rental got mixed up with someone named "Fancy Adam". Seriously. We ended up keeping the stupid minivan that they gave us which later actually came in handy to tote people around.
The 3 of us were starving so we had a mandatory pit stop at In N' Out. I told the cashier that I had never been and I asked him what to get. Double Double with grilled onions and animal style fries apparently...
Then it was finally time to head to Bangle's and crash the rooftop beer party.
The beer selection dwindled quickly and a few of us went on a trip to Von's for more beer and a whole bunch of snacks. We drank, snacked, and later, nibbled on boxes of Thai food.
Steve, Adam, and I went out to Von's again to grab cupcakes for Rebecca's birthday and made it back in time before she arrived. The rest of the evening was spent beering, playing Boggle, Body Boggle (Mild and I totally whooped Clark and Bacon), and falling prey to East Coast jet lag.
SATURDAY
I had no trouble waking up and like Toucan Sam, I followed the smell of coffee upstairs. A group of us decided to do a 2 mile shakeout run and we headed down to the beach to stretch our legs.
Once we got back and showered, we all headed to the train station to go downtown. The fast kids took off on the first train and the rest of us trailed along. However, our delayed travel allowed us to see both the men and women up really close on their first loop.
I was geeking out so much. All my running heroes were right in front of me!!!
We tried to meet up with the other group, but eventually settled on a spot along the out-and-back section in the shade. I brought thunder sticks/bam bams and had a blast making tons of noise as the pack would fly by. The course was perfect for getting lots of pictures and once the runners spread out, we pretty much had people going by the whole time.
Gah!!!!! It was so amazing. I started to find myself hoarse from shouting so loud. Once we saw the lead women go by the last time, we headed towards the expo to collect our bibs. More confusion led to me grabbing a piece of cafeteria pizza for lunch, but once I calmed the hangry, I felt much better.
The group eventually made it back to Bangle's and then we relaxed for a short while before going to California Pizza Kitchen. As we rode down the street, our minivan group noticed Brad standing in a parking lot with a smooshed car. Uhhhh? Fortunately, no one was hurt, but everyone was a bit shaken. Once we all got together, things we much, much happier. I was thrilled to finally meet Alice in person and ending up sitting with her and her boyfriend.
After we got back, the early alarm was looming. I laid out my flat girl and then tried to get some sleep.
SUNDAY
I slept well and woke up when I heard others stirring around. That is the benefit of a Loopfest. You absolutely cannot oversleep. For me, that means I'm not panicking about what time it is because I figure that someone will come find me. Hah!
Bangle told me that they would have food at the start so I decided to just have a mandarin and coffee at the house. Everyone convened in the kitchen and then Roger took the fast kids to the start while Adam and Nancy took everyone else to the shuttles in Santa Monica.
Once at Dodger Stadium, I grabbed a bagel and a banana and then walked around with everyone to hang out in the seats while we waited. I found an open bathroom before it got too crowded and then relaxed before Caitlin and I made our way to the D corral.
Our game plan was to try to go sub-4 if it wasn't too miserably hot and hope that JJ catch up to us so the 3 of us could run together. The corrals ended up being much smaller than expected so JJ wasn't too far back.
I had to pee while standing in the corral, but I was worried I wouldn't make it back in time. So I just held it and decided to wait until there was a free port-a-potty (spoiler: it wasn't until near double digits that I managed to find one). We heard the wheelchair division leave, followed by the elite women, and then our own race began!
As we headed up the hill in the first mile, we were doubled over with laughter as there were probably 50 guys leaning against the wall peeing. I have seen a few here and there (and obviously more on the trails), but this was excessive.
We took it easy just enjoying the morning in the first miles and JJ caught up with us quickly. Not too long after JJ joined the party, we saw Bob out on the course too and ran with him for a bit. Caitlin told us that she would just listen to our gabbing and that is pretty much what happened the whole race.
A marathon is never, ever easy, but I was running at a comfortable pace, injury-free, and with 2 awesome ladies who happen to love running too. I don't even remember half the stuff we chatted about, but I don't know that I've ever laughed so hard while running. JJ was doing shots of Fireball, I was eating pretty much everything I could find (pretzels, gels, oranges, bananas, Twizzlers....)
I was slightly concerned about the heat as we headed into the morning and so I made sure to drink early and often. Once we got beyond mile 5, I started dumping water over my head at the aid stations.
I knew to look for Adam and Nancy at mile 10 so I started to get excited as we got near double digits. Luckily, Nancy had a big, pink inflatable hand and I was able to easily spot them in the crowd. I ran over to get my Valentine's Day race kiss and then we carried on.
JJ was snapping pictures of all the sights and would catch back up to us after the photo op. Caitlin was staying steady and I made sure that as the temperature rose, she was staying cool. I splashed water from cups and water bottles on the back of her neck. As we got into the second half of the race, the splits started to slow, but we never stopped to walk. I wasn't really paying attention to my watch in the middle miles.
At some point in the upper double digits, JJ peeled off to use the port-a-potty and never caught back up to us. I was definitely sad that she wasn't going to be finishing with us and I lost my chatty partner. But Caitlin was kind enough to let me talk at her for the rest of the race and remained in great spirits despite the tough final miles of marathoning.
At some point, I grabbed a small popsicle and it was far too frozen to try to eat so I handed it to her and told her to shove it in her bra. A few miles later, we both grabbed handfuls of ice and shoved them in our bra. Both of which had a wonderful cooling effect, but a very strange clink, clink, clink noise.
The crowds were really helpful in the final miles. They were handing out water, spraying water guns, offering ice and snacks, and cheering loudly as we came past. I had a perma-grin the final few miles. There is nothing better to me than getting through that last 10K and feeling really, really good. I knew we were off of Caitlin's PR, but considering the hot and hilly course, I was ecstatic that we were going to get her second-fastest time.
The last 2 miles were cloudy and the temperatures started to (thankfully) drop. Plus, it was downhill!
As we came down the finishing chute, we spotted JB and gave him a big wave as we flew past. And then, a short while later, we saw Adam an Nancy as we closed in on the finish. With big smiles, we crossed the line with Caitlin's second best marathon time and 26.2 miles of memories.
We hugged immediately afterwards and then floated around towards our medals, blankets, and more snacks.
After finally getting Caitlin's bag (who does bag check by last name instead of bib #?), we met up with the group in the family meeting area.
Marathon #19, check!
After a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally long walk to the minivan, we made our way back to Bangle's house for showers and food. Everyone started coming out of the their post-marathon zombie state and into party mode. Laura and Kynan showed up and added to the already awesome party. (photo cred to JB)
As the evening wore on and we grew fuzzier, a smaller group walked down to the Hermosa Saloon for more drinks and hijinks. Shooters and Domino's pizza were consumed until we reached the ends of our tiredness.
MONDAY
Most of the Loopsters left on Monday, but JJ, Caitlin, Adam, and I decided to make the most of our day and went to downtown L.A. for burritos and a T.M.Z. tour. The burritos because we all wanted some authentic Mexican while in the SoCal and the T.M.Z. tour because we needed something to touristy to do that was also lazy.
It was really, really hot, but the tour was fun and it was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. After battling L.A. traffic back to Bangle's neighborhood, we took a slight detour to the beach to dip our toes in the Pacific and to enjoy a gorgeous sunset together.
We had Nancy's lasagna and settled in for a bit to watch some of the Grammy's before we had to take JJ to the airport (with a quick stop at Pinkberry on the way).
TUESDAY
If you have to leave the most rad Cali vacation ever, you should definitely do it with a blindingly beautiful sunrise in your plane window.
I'm not sure what I did to deserve all this funning, but life is definitely good!
I convinced Adam to come along with this cross-country trip to hang out in L.A. for a few days with a bunch of my internet friends over Valentine's Day weekend. It was ultimately a great decision--I think he had almost as much fun as me!
FRIDAY
We touched down in L.A. after an uneventful plane ride and had to sit on the tarmac for about 20 minutes as Air Force One was about to take off. I was able to snap a few photos through the plane window with my phone!
The 3 of us were starving so we had a mandatory pit stop at In N' Out. I told the cashier that I had never been and I asked him what to get. Double Double with grilled onions and animal style fries apparently...
Steve, Adam, and I went out to Von's again to grab cupcakes for Rebecca's birthday and made it back in time before she arrived. The rest of the evening was spent beering, playing Boggle, Body Boggle (Mild and I totally whooped Clark and Bacon), and falling prey to East Coast jet lag.
SATURDAY
I had no trouble waking up and like Toucan Sam, I followed the smell of coffee upstairs. A group of us decided to do a 2 mile shakeout run and we headed down to the beach to stretch our legs.
We tried to meet up with the other group, but eventually settled on a spot along the out-and-back section in the shade. I brought thunder sticks/bam bams and had a blast making tons of noise as the pack would fly by. The course was perfect for getting lots of pictures and once the runners spread out, we pretty much had people going by the whole time.
Gah!!!!! It was so amazing. I started to find myself hoarse from shouting so loud. Once we saw the lead women go by the last time, we headed towards the expo to collect our bibs. More confusion led to me grabbing a piece of cafeteria pizza for lunch, but once I calmed the hangry, I felt much better.
The group eventually made it back to Bangle's and then we relaxed for a short while before going to California Pizza Kitchen. As we rode down the street, our minivan group noticed Brad standing in a parking lot with a smooshed car. Uhhhh? Fortunately, no one was hurt, but everyone was a bit shaken. Once we all got together, things we much, much happier. I was thrilled to finally meet Alice in person and ending up sitting with her and her boyfriend.
SUNDAY
I slept well and woke up when I heard others stirring around. That is the benefit of a Loopfest. You absolutely cannot oversleep. For me, that means I'm not panicking about what time it is because I figure that someone will come find me. Hah!
Bangle told me that they would have food at the start so I decided to just have a mandarin and coffee at the house. Everyone convened in the kitchen and then Roger took the fast kids to the start while Adam and Nancy took everyone else to the shuttles in Santa Monica.
Our game plan was to try to go sub-4 if it wasn't too miserably hot and hope that JJ catch up to us so the 3 of us could run together. The corrals ended up being much smaller than expected so JJ wasn't too far back.
I had to pee while standing in the corral, but I was worried I wouldn't make it back in time. So I just held it and decided to wait until there was a free port-a-potty (spoiler: it wasn't until near double digits that I managed to find one). We heard the wheelchair division leave, followed by the elite women, and then our own race began!
As we headed up the hill in the first mile, we were doubled over with laughter as there were probably 50 guys leaning against the wall peeing. I have seen a few here and there (and obviously more on the trails), but this was excessive.
We took it easy just enjoying the morning in the first miles and JJ caught up with us quickly. Not too long after JJ joined the party, we saw Bob out on the course too and ran with him for a bit. Caitlin told us that she would just listen to our gabbing and that is pretty much what happened the whole race.
A marathon is never, ever easy, but I was running at a comfortable pace, injury-free, and with 2 awesome ladies who happen to love running too. I don't even remember half the stuff we chatted about, but I don't know that I've ever laughed so hard while running. JJ was doing shots of Fireball, I was eating pretty much everything I could find (pretzels, gels, oranges, bananas, Twizzlers....)
I was slightly concerned about the heat as we headed into the morning and so I made sure to drink early and often. Once we got beyond mile 5, I started dumping water over my head at the aid stations.
I knew to look for Adam and Nancy at mile 10 so I started to get excited as we got near double digits. Luckily, Nancy had a big, pink inflatable hand and I was able to easily spot them in the crowd. I ran over to get my Valentine's Day race kiss and then we carried on.
JJ was snapping pictures of all the sights and would catch back up to us after the photo op. Caitlin was staying steady and I made sure that as the temperature rose, she was staying cool. I splashed water from cups and water bottles on the back of her neck. As we got into the second half of the race, the splits started to slow, but we never stopped to walk. I wasn't really paying attention to my watch in the middle miles.
The crowds were really helpful in the final miles. They were handing out water, spraying water guns, offering ice and snacks, and cheering loudly as we came past. I had a perma-grin the final few miles. There is nothing better to me than getting through that last 10K and feeling really, really good. I knew we were off of Caitlin's PR, but considering the hot and hilly course, I was ecstatic that we were going to get her second-fastest time.
The last 2 miles were cloudy and the temperatures started to (thankfully) drop. Plus, it was downhill!
As we came down the finishing chute, we spotted JB and gave him a big wave as we flew past. And then, a short while later, we saw Adam an Nancy as we closed in on the finish. With big smiles, we crossed the line with Caitlin's second best marathon time and 26.2 miles of memories.
Marathon #19, check!
MONDAY
Most of the Loopsters left on Monday, but JJ, Caitlin, Adam, and I decided to make the most of our day and went to downtown L.A. for burritos and a T.M.Z. tour. The burritos because we all wanted some authentic Mexican while in the SoCal and the T.M.Z. tour because we needed something to touristy to do that was also lazy.
TUESDAY
If you have to leave the most rad Cali vacation ever, you should definitely do it with a blindingly beautiful sunrise in your plane window.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Miami Marathon Racetastic Weekend
I'm lucky my in-laws live in Miami. It's a fabulous place to visit in January. And even better when an impending snow/ice storm is threatening to shut down an entire weekend.
Adam and I flew down Friday morning and were picked up by my brother-in-law at the airport. The 3 of us headed straight for the Miami Marathon expo to pick up our packets for the race weekend. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law, Adam, and I were all doing the 5K on Saturday and I planned to meet up with JJ to run 26.2 on Sunday.
The expo was pretty standard for a large city race. Plenty of vendors offering their shiny wares and lots of free samples of snacks. I managed to escape without buying anything extra. I did find my name on the giant Miami sign--a cool touch for all the runners participating in the half and full marathons.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening running a few errands and then finally settled down at my in-laws house. Adam and I laid out our flat people and then attempted to get a few hours of sleep.
Morning came and we all begrudgingly headed down to the race start. We got there really early and after a brief walk to the start line for pictures, we went back to the car to stay warm. It was in the 50s, but it was dark and windy so it felt pretty chilly.
When it got closer to the start, we climbed back out of the car and headed toward the back of the pack.
My sister-in-law is training for the Princess Half Marathon in February and she wanted to try to run 13 minute miles so she went out ahead of us. Adam, FIL, BIL, and I all walked together. My BIL walks with my SIL sometimes and has done a few 5Ks and a 10K to support her. My FIL walks (and has recently started adding running intervals) a 1 mile loop every morning at the park before work. I was just happy to spend a gorgeous chilly and sunny morning hanging out with my family sharing a sport I love.
The course was a 1 way and was mostly flat except for a bridge section in the 3rd mile. Adam was feeling pretty good until the last mile and though he was having trouble walking, we still ended up having very consistent splits. I think about all the people that couldn't even walk a 5K and here he is doing it despite dealing with adversity. I couldn't be more proud.
I was pretty happy that the medals were really, really nice for this 5K. My FIL went out with some friends to a concert on Saturday night and I saw him carrying his medal with him. Something about that made me giddy for him.
We went out for breakfast at IHOP and then went home for naps. There were more family members to visit with and then more naps. Finally, I felt like I had rested enough that I could manage going to the hockey game without struggling to wake up on Sunday morning. 8 of us ended up going to the Panthers game and watched an awesome win AND managed to leave by 10pm.
I laid out my flat girl when we got home and then got some sleep.
The gross alarm went off at 4 and I cried a little. I. HATE. MORNINGS. And I didn't want to bother anyone to make coffee for me so I drank a Coke and hoped it would give me a caffeine boost. I ate a bagel. And then my FIL, Adam, and I piled in the car and headed downtown. Traffic was much more yucky than the morning before and so we parked in the first lot we found off the highway. It was a cold, cold, cold, windy, windy, windy walk to the start/finish and I had a Code Abby on deck.
Ugh.
All the lines for the porta-potties were insane and there was only about 20 minutes left before the race start. I went in search of a less busy area, but after walking 7 blocks, I ended up just deciding to grab JJ at gear check and hope the Code Abby would just magically disappear. Yeah. Right....
I gave Adam my jacket and phone, kissed him for good luck, and then JJ and I got in corral E and tucked in behind the 3:55 pace group.
It was miserably cold waiting to run, but I knew it would be perfect once we started running. Finally, our corral started moving forward and we crossed the start line!
JJ and I talked and talked and talked and talked. All the way across the bridges of Biscayne Bay and through the beautiful sunrise on South Beach.
I wasn't looking at the splits and I really didn't care how fast/slow we were going. It felt comfortable and easy. When we started going back across the bridge towards downtown, I really couldn't believe we had already gone nearly 10 miles.
My Code Abby became more urgent and I ducked into the porta-potty right around mile 10. JJ then spent the next couple of minutes running and Facebooking. Ha! Marathon running at its finest.
I started looking for my FIL and Adam as we got back into the downtown area. I was scanning the crowds and I was beginning to become discouraged because I knew we were about to leave the start/finish area and I hadn't seen them.
Fortunately, right before the half and full split, we spotted them! Yay!!
As we cruised into the second half, I still was feeling good and started to look at our pace every once in awhile. We were likely somewhere between 3:45 and 3:55 which was pretty perfect. I was remembering to eat a GU every 5 miles and it was cool enough that a cup of liquid at every aid station was adequate.
In the middle of the double digits, JJ's boyfriend Ricardo spotted us on his bike and we ran next to him for a few miles. He kept trying to get our picture, but he would not bike far enough up ahead and we'd pass him too quickly. It took him about 5 tries before he ultimately was able to snap a few shots of us.
As we headed closer to the upper teens, JJ started to have a few minor issues with cramping in her calf and toes. We stopped and walked a bit and then picked it back up again. I was trying to ride the line between being the annoying happy positive running partner and just letting her work out the frustration. Fortunately, nothing was ever long lasting and we were back running quickly.
The last 10K I started to feel the miles in my legs like a long run, but I was still feeling surprisingly fresh and happy. It was odd. Maybe the product of running 50K and 5 1/2 hours 2 weeks ago made this seem short by comparison?
We grabbed beer from a few spectators offering it around mile 22 and then went out on the last out-and-back along the bridge. It was cool enough that this part was still pretty pleasant. I imagine any other Miami race that this would be the hellish part as it was completely unshaded and the sun was now much higher.
Going back into town was the best part. The streets were lined with spectators and runners that had already finished their race. It was loud and boisterous and I had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face for the last mile. To finish another marathon feeling so dang good? I just cannot believe my own luck.
Coming down the finish chute was amazing. I love big races for the reason that they make you feel special with people lining each side screaming and cheering. Adam and my FIL called out to me and Adam managed to capture a great video of us running towards the finish line.
I had so much fun and running with JJ was a blast. I seriously lost track of miles because we were dancing, chatting with other runners, yakking at each other, and having a stupid fun time running 26.2 miles together. Conversation flowed so easily like we've been best friends forever. I feel so lucky to have found an awesome internet bestie.
The best part is that I get to do it all over again in 3 weeks in LA!!!!!
Adam and I flew down Friday morning and were picked up by my brother-in-law at the airport. The 3 of us headed straight for the Miami Marathon expo to pick up our packets for the race weekend. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law, Adam, and I were all doing the 5K on Saturday and I planned to meet up with JJ to run 26.2 on Sunday.
The expo was pretty standard for a large city race. Plenty of vendors offering their shiny wares and lots of free samples of snacks. I managed to escape without buying anything extra. I did find my name on the giant Miami sign--a cool touch for all the runners participating in the half and full marathons.
Ugh.
All the lines for the porta-potties were insane and there was only about 20 minutes left before the race start. I went in search of a less busy area, but after walking 7 blocks, I ended up just deciding to grab JJ at gear check and hope the Code Abby would just magically disappear. Yeah. Right....
I gave Adam my jacket and phone, kissed him for good luck, and then JJ and I got in corral E and tucked in behind the 3:55 pace group.
It was miserably cold waiting to run, but I knew it would be perfect once we started running. Finally, our corral started moving forward and we crossed the start line!
JJ and I talked and talked and talked and talked. All the way across the bridges of Biscayne Bay and through the beautiful sunrise on South Beach.
My Code Abby became more urgent and I ducked into the porta-potty right around mile 10. JJ then spent the next couple of minutes running and Facebooking. Ha! Marathon running at its finest.
I started looking for my FIL and Adam as we got back into the downtown area. I was scanning the crowds and I was beginning to become discouraged because I knew we were about to leave the start/finish area and I hadn't seen them.
Fortunately, right before the half and full split, we spotted them! Yay!!
As we cruised into the second half, I still was feeling good and started to look at our pace every once in awhile. We were likely somewhere between 3:45 and 3:55 which was pretty perfect. I was remembering to eat a GU every 5 miles and it was cool enough that a cup of liquid at every aid station was adequate.
In the middle of the double digits, JJ's boyfriend Ricardo spotted us on his bike and we ran next to him for a few miles. He kept trying to get our picture, but he would not bike far enough up ahead and we'd pass him too quickly. It took him about 5 tries before he ultimately was able to snap a few shots of us.
The last 10K I started to feel the miles in my legs like a long run, but I was still feeling surprisingly fresh and happy. It was odd. Maybe the product of running 50K and 5 1/2 hours 2 weeks ago made this seem short by comparison?
We grabbed beer from a few spectators offering it around mile 22 and then went out on the last out-and-back along the bridge. It was cool enough that this part was still pretty pleasant. I imagine any other Miami race that this would be the hellish part as it was completely unshaded and the sun was now much higher.
Going back into town was the best part. The streets were lined with spectators and runners that had already finished their race. It was loud and boisterous and I had the biggest, goofiest smile on my face for the last mile. To finish another marathon feeling so dang good? I just cannot believe my own luck.
Coming down the finish chute was amazing. I love big races for the reason that they make you feel special with people lining each side screaming and cheering. Adam and my FIL called out to me and Adam managed to capture a great video of us running towards the finish line.
Monday, January 11, 2016
Fatass 50K: What Not To Do
This wasn't my first rodeo. Nor was it really a "race". Bibs with timing chips made it somewhat official. But it was free with a membership to GUTS (Georgia Ultra-running and Trail Society) and there weren't any medals or t-shirts.
I wasn't even sure if I was going to run it until about 10 days before the race because I was wait-listed. So I just kept on training like it wasn't even happening.
I did a 20+ mile hilly trail run 10 days prior (mistake #1):
And when I felt good on Thursday night, I just kind of let loose (mistake #2):
With it being all last minute and whatnot, I didn't have the opportunity to take the day before off of work. And proceeded to accumulate 13,936 steps on a busy retail Saturday. Oops. (mistake #3)
I did have a lovely pasta dinner cooked by my sister who was kind enough to let me crash at her house for the night because it saved me almost an hour of driving time in the morning. I don't really do mornings.
I laid out my gear the night before and actually got to bed at a reasonable hour.
Without sharing the bed with 3 dogs and a husband, I slept pretty hard. I woke up feeling pretty good and chased a bagel and a banana down with a cup of coffee.
I navigated to Sweetwater State Park with my friend Google and found a parking spot as directed by the volunteers. I was maybe a 1/4 mile from the start line and decided to bring my foodstuffs and hoodie and leave my extra clothes in the car. (mistake #4)
As I started to walk, I sped up to keep warm and ended up side-by-side with a guy from Alabama. We walked up to the bib pickup together and kind of hung around for a bit fiddling with our gear until I bolted for the port-a-potty.
Near 8:00 a.m., I got a little nervous because I realized it didn't look sunny out and I hadn't checked the weather since Friday. (mistake #5) I didn't want to go back to get my gloves or zip top because I was afraid to miss the start. (mistake #6)
A woman yelled for us to go outside and then she proceeded to give us a brief description of the route. 6 times around the 5ish mile white trail which would be marked with blue ribbons. Runners doing the 25K would do 3 loops.
With no anthem and zero fanfare, someone yelled 'go" and we all scrambled towards the trail. I guess the start changed a bit from previous years because the swarm of runners went past the trail head briefly. Giggling and shrugging, we filed along the trail and headed off into the woods.
I tried to position myself near the front 25% not knowing if there would be much single track and jostling. I didn't want to get stuck too far back. (mistake #7) Except a lot of the front of the pack was running the 25K. And after being stuck going at 11:XX pace for nearly a mile, I took off like a bat out of hell on the fire road. (mistake #8)
In my attempts to keep pace with 2 women who flew ahead, I tried to keep them in my sights as we ran. The fire road was about a mile or so and then the next 2 miles got to be a bit more technical. There were stairs made out of logs. There were paths covered with rocks and then roots and then sand.
And then giant boulders approximately 12 feet tall that you had to find footholds to climb over.
I muttered what the f---.
At one point, when I went around a boulder the wrong way, I realized there was a guy right behind me, following my every move. I kept trying to give him room to pass, but he would catch me on the downs and lose me on the ups.
Nearing the end of mile 3 there was about 50 (?) stairs to climb. And then a giant hill filled with roots to climb after the stairs.
What the f---?
After getting to the old mill ruins, there was about 1.5 miles to get back to the start/finish. This was probably the easiest part of the run with mostly smooth trails save for a few sections of log stairs.
The guy that had been trailing me the whole first lap was right on my tail as we came to the start/finish line. A dude sitting on a camping chair read my number out loud. I passed through the start/finish and since I didn't need anything from the aid station yet, I turned back around. And then the dude in the chair yelled at me because I was going the wrong way. And then yelled at me because I was going to mess up my timing chip because I crossed by the start/finish twice.
Perhaps a little instruction on where to go would have been useful DUDE!
I apologized to the guy on my tail who made the same mistake as me and urged him to go ahead of me. Sheesh. Now I am angry, cold, and it's only 5ish miles into a 31 mile race.
My hands are bright red and swollen. I am cursing myself for not wearing gloves. Too late now.
The next lap is bad. I am not in a good place mentally and I am wondering why I am out here freezing my body parts for a race that I don't even get a t-shirt for. My legs already feel like they are on fire and I haven't even hit double digits.
I stop caring about what place I'm in at this point. If I can make it to the end, it will be enough to just finish.
Lap 3 I end up picking up a friend after we get through the nasty little stairs section. We end up running the last miles together as he decided to drop to the 25K because his hip is bothering him. I was so happy to get lost in conversation that miles 13-15 were pretty pleasant.
But then I start lap 4 by myself and it starts to suck again. Why did I wear shorts? Why am I not wearing gloves? Why am I running around a park for 31 miles? Why didn't I put any Pringles in my pack? Remember that first time you ran a marathon and you bonked so hard....like this?
The fire road is in pretty decent shape along the flat, but it is a rocky, rutty mess along the downhill.
I am taking my steps much more carefully with each lap. When I get to the section of the rock path, I just stop and walk over them.
As I come around to finish lap 4 and start lap 5, I stop at the aid station. I drink a cup of Coke and on the advice of the precocious tweenager running the aid station, I eat a boiled potato dipped in a heart-stopping amount of salt. The placebo effect or the salt helped me feel a bit normal for the next mile or two.
And then I bonked again. I was shuffling along with a pace that felt like 20 minute miles. My legs felt achy and tired and I wanted to stop and cry. Except there really wasn't anything wrong with me other than I was being a big wuss (and perhaps a slight electrolyte balance?).
I saw the girl who had been passing me back and forth all race get further and further ahead looking like she just started.
When I arrived back at the start/finish, I saw my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew waiting for me! I stopped and gave my nephew a kiss (he's 7 months so he doesn't know any better) and told my sister they didn't need to wait for me--I was just happy to see them. It was too cold and miserable to stand around for another hour waiting to see me finish this ridiculousness.
I downed 2 Cokes and got another potato before I went out for my last lap. I was so happy for spectators and went bounding out for about 1/4 mile. Then the bonk returned. I trudged on, not really allowing myself to walk except on a few gnarly uphills. And those stairs. Stupid frickin' stairs.
When I got to the mill again, I was so glad to wave good-bye. It was really cool to see the first time and last time. Not so much in the middle.
You know those videos of people that are struggling in the last 100 meters of marathons/triathlons? I totally get it now. I was about 1/4 mile from the finish and I just stopped and walked up the last hill before exiting the trail head. I did jog to the finish, but it was pretty much the complete opposite of the finish in Rehoboth. If someone had tried to pass me, I totally would have let them.
I dropped my upper body across one of the tables at the aid stations when I stopped. One of the timers asked if I was okay. Yeah, I mean, I guess. More or less. I'll be ok.
Once I scooped myself off the table, I went to grab my sweatshirt and sit down. I wanted my pants, a drink, a drink, and to lay down. But instead, I cracked open my untouched Mountain Dew and called Adam, responded to a few texts, and wondered when my need of pants would win over my need to not move.
I tried to get up once to go use the port-a-potty, but I got a nasty leg cramp and fell back down. So I rested for a few more minutes, ate some Pringles, and then decided I would check my results and go to my car.
5:22:34. 2nd female (by 4 minutes, derp) and 7th overall!
Okay, better than I thought. But I really just wanted pants.
I get to my car, turn the heat on full blast, put on pants, and change my shoes. This takes an obscene amount of time. As I climb into the front seat and look ahead, I realize I am about 20 feet from the trail where runners are still making loops.
I could have grabbed my gloves and zip top any time....Are you f---ing kidding me?!
I drink a beer. I eat half a can of Pringles. I Facebook and text for about 45 minutes. I eventually get warm enough that I actually have to turn the heat down.
Something tells me I am going to have a completely different problem in Miami in 2 weeks!
(Thanks to 323 Archery for the photos!)
I wasn't even sure if I was going to run it until about 10 days before the race because I was wait-listed. So I just kept on training like it wasn't even happening.
I did a 20+ mile hilly trail run 10 days prior (mistake #1):
I did have a lovely pasta dinner cooked by my sister who was kind enough to let me crash at her house for the night because it saved me almost an hour of driving time in the morning. I don't really do mornings.
I laid out my gear the night before and actually got to bed at a reasonable hour.
I navigated to Sweetwater State Park with my friend Google and found a parking spot as directed by the volunteers. I was maybe a 1/4 mile from the start line and decided to bring my foodstuffs and hoodie and leave my extra clothes in the car. (mistake #4)
As I started to walk, I sped up to keep warm and ended up side-by-side with a guy from Alabama. We walked up to the bib pickup together and kind of hung around for a bit fiddling with our gear until I bolted for the port-a-potty.
Near 8:00 a.m., I got a little nervous because I realized it didn't look sunny out and I hadn't checked the weather since Friday. (mistake #5) I didn't want to go back to get my gloves or zip top because I was afraid to miss the start. (mistake #6)
A woman yelled for us to go outside and then she proceeded to give us a brief description of the route. 6 times around the 5ish mile white trail which would be marked with blue ribbons. Runners doing the 25K would do 3 loops.
With no anthem and zero fanfare, someone yelled 'go" and we all scrambled towards the trail. I guess the start changed a bit from previous years because the swarm of runners went past the trail head briefly. Giggling and shrugging, we filed along the trail and headed off into the woods.
I tried to position myself near the front 25% not knowing if there would be much single track and jostling. I didn't want to get stuck too far back. (mistake #7) Except a lot of the front of the pack was running the 25K. And after being stuck going at 11:XX pace for nearly a mile, I took off like a bat out of hell on the fire road. (mistake #8)
In my attempts to keep pace with 2 women who flew ahead, I tried to keep them in my sights as we ran. The fire road was about a mile or so and then the next 2 miles got to be a bit more technical. There were stairs made out of logs. There were paths covered with rocks and then roots and then sand.
And then giant boulders approximately 12 feet tall that you had to find footholds to climb over.
I muttered what the f---.
At one point, when I went around a boulder the wrong way, I realized there was a guy right behind me, following my every move. I kept trying to give him room to pass, but he would catch me on the downs and lose me on the ups.
Nearing the end of mile 3 there was about 50 (?) stairs to climb. And then a giant hill filled with roots to climb after the stairs.
What the f---?
After getting to the old mill ruins, there was about 1.5 miles to get back to the start/finish. This was probably the easiest part of the run with mostly smooth trails save for a few sections of log stairs.
The guy that had been trailing me the whole first lap was right on my tail as we came to the start/finish line. A dude sitting on a camping chair read my number out loud. I passed through the start/finish and since I didn't need anything from the aid station yet, I turned back around. And then the dude in the chair yelled at me because I was going the wrong way. And then yelled at me because I was going to mess up my timing chip because I crossed by the start/finish twice.
Perhaps a little instruction on where to go would have been useful DUDE!
I apologized to the guy on my tail who made the same mistake as me and urged him to go ahead of me. Sheesh. Now I am angry, cold, and it's only 5ish miles into a 31 mile race.
My hands are bright red and swollen. I am cursing myself for not wearing gloves. Too late now.
The next lap is bad. I am not in a good place mentally and I am wondering why I am out here freezing my body parts for a race that I don't even get a t-shirt for. My legs already feel like they are on fire and I haven't even hit double digits.
I stop caring about what place I'm in at this point. If I can make it to the end, it will be enough to just finish.
Lap 3 I end up picking up a friend after we get through the nasty little stairs section. We end up running the last miles together as he decided to drop to the 25K because his hip is bothering him. I was so happy to get lost in conversation that miles 13-15 were pretty pleasant.
But then I start lap 4 by myself and it starts to suck again. Why did I wear shorts? Why am I not wearing gloves? Why am I running around a park for 31 miles? Why didn't I put any Pringles in my pack? Remember that first time you ran a marathon and you bonked so hard....like this?
The fire road is in pretty decent shape along the flat, but it is a rocky, rutty mess along the downhill.
And then I bonked again. I was shuffling along with a pace that felt like 20 minute miles. My legs felt achy and tired and I wanted to stop and cry. Except there really wasn't anything wrong with me other than I was being a big wuss (and perhaps a slight electrolyte balance?).
I saw the girl who had been passing me back and forth all race get further and further ahead looking like she just started.
When I arrived back at the start/finish, I saw my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew waiting for me! I stopped and gave my nephew a kiss (he's 7 months so he doesn't know any better) and told my sister they didn't need to wait for me--I was just happy to see them. It was too cold and miserable to stand around for another hour waiting to see me finish this ridiculousness.
I downed 2 Cokes and got another potato before I went out for my last lap. I was so happy for spectators and went bounding out for about 1/4 mile. Then the bonk returned. I trudged on, not really allowing myself to walk except on a few gnarly uphills. And those stairs. Stupid frickin' stairs.
When I got to the mill again, I was so glad to wave good-bye. It was really cool to see the first time and last time. Not so much in the middle.
I dropped my upper body across one of the tables at the aid stations when I stopped. One of the timers asked if I was okay. Yeah, I mean, I guess. More or less. I'll be ok.
Once I scooped myself off the table, I went to grab my sweatshirt and sit down. I wanted my pants, a drink, a drink, and to lay down. But instead, I cracked open my untouched Mountain Dew and called Adam, responded to a few texts, and wondered when my need of pants would win over my need to not move.
I tried to get up once to go use the port-a-potty, but I got a nasty leg cramp and fell back down. So I rested for a few more minutes, ate some Pringles, and then decided I would check my results and go to my car.
5:22:34. 2nd female (by 4 minutes, derp) and 7th overall!
Okay, better than I thought. But I really just wanted pants.
I get to my car, turn the heat on full blast, put on pants, and change my shoes. This takes an obscene amount of time. As I climb into the front seat and look ahead, I realize I am about 20 feet from the trail where runners are still making loops.
I could have grabbed my gloves and zip top any time....Are you f---ing kidding me?!
I drink a beer. I eat half a can of Pringles. I Facebook and text for about 45 minutes. I eventually get warm enough that I actually have to turn the heat down.
Something tells me I am going to have a completely different problem in Miami in 2 weeks!
(Thanks to 323 Archery for the photos!)
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