An INDOOR marathon? Am I crazy?!

I like to have a race on the calendar in ether December or January to get through the “food holidays” with minimal weight gain. If you think that’s a little extreme, you haven’t tasted my Mother-in-Law’s french toast casserole! Anywhoo, this year’s race was in Minnesota. What’s crazier than January in Minnesota? An indoor marathon.

Zoom! Yah! Yah! began in 2006 as a way to break cabin fever and support the cross country team at St Olaf College. Because the track can only accommodate 45 runners (plus the fact that there are 45+ people that actually want to do this!), there is a lottery to get in the marathon. As described on the website:

This is a 150 lap race where every lap time is recorded by your personal time keeper. There are 600 aid stations, you will hear music the entire 26.21 miles and you will change directions every 30 minutes. The weather is perfect: no wind, no rain, no sleet, no snow...just a constant 56-64 degrees.

Okay, 600 aid stations is sort of a technicality (150 laps x 4 corners with tables for fuel/drop bags), but the race was THAT straightforward. Leading up to the event, we received several helpful emails from the RD with everything from arranging travel to race day logistics and expectations. When I arrived in Minnesota on marathon-eve, I traded the pre-race dinner for a trip to the Lululemon outlet. Totally worth it.

the "course"- 150 laps

Zoom Yah Yah provides each runner with his/her own personal lap counter- members of the cross country team, folks with connections to St Olaf College or local running community in Northfield. This individual (read: SAINT!) writes down your split for all 150 laps. Boggles your mind, right?! For anywhere from 3 to 6+ hours, they will watch you run around a circle and make note of your time each 1-3 minutes….all while cheering you on and taking stupid requests like, “tell me how many laps I’ve gone at the 1 hour mark”. For HOURS. That level of commitment goes way beyond your typical volunteer position, usually consisting of handing out water at a mile marker or cutting the chip of someone’s shoelaces at the finish.

My training was speed work/interval heavy and light on volume; the longest long run I did was a 12 miler. Two pounds up from Christmas break (imagine if I hadn’t been training!), I went into the race understanding I would not achieve a PR due to the 600 turns and passing to the outside rule. Even if I did have the race of my life, this wasn’t even a Boston Qualifier! I told my lap counter Saint, Sue, that I would consider it a successful day if I ran 3:59:59.

There really was no great mental strategy for this one. In a typical marathon, I would break down the race into manageable pieces- for me, that is 10 miles+ 10 miles +6.2 miles. However, on this course there were no mile markers. No signal for my fancypants Garmin. In fact, 5.74 laps equalled a single mile, so you either did a lot of ridiculous math and annoyed your lap counter...or you just ran. I chose the latter. I focused on connecting with the other runners in conversation and slowed down or sped up based on how my body felt. There was no watch spitting out my pace per mile- it was just me, focused on picking 'em up and puttin' em down until Sue told me to stop.

After the race, I talked with so many people who kept a mental tally of the laps they'd run- some had even broken their speed down by lap ("I will reach my goal if I run each of the 150 laps in 1 minute, 37 seconds" type of deal). That just sounds miserable, huh?! The only person who had any business doing that was Nichole Porath, who actually did set a world indoor marathon record on race day. If you want a different (faster!) perspective on this whole indoor marathon thing, check out her race recap. Just don't read it while you're eating- she has some gnarly blister pictures that will make your stomach turn.

One of MANY great conversations during the race

Standard Suzy pose 

I asked Sue to cue me when I had completed 75 laps (halfway) so I could ensure I was on my way to a sub 4. The time went by quickly, as this is a race where you really do get to know the other runners. We had all written our names on our backs, so it was easy to cheer for others and encouraging to hear your own name ALL morning long. There were plenty of Marathon Maniacs and 50 State Club members to swap stories with. It was perfect for a gal who loves, above all things, the camaraderie among runners at a race.

The lap counters also served as a cheering section at the start/finish of each lap- I'm not sure what St Olaf's cheerleading squad is workin' with, but they can always call upon the cross country team for large doses of enthusiasm. Those girls were awesome- I loved them! Of course, it didn't hurt that they were calling me "best dressed" the entire time either- thank you Lululemon outlet trip for my cute running attire! 

With my amazing lap counter, Sue, who also liked my running dress



The RD, Dick, puts on a great event



After a second directive to Sue ("tell me when I have 10 laps to go!"), I ended up crossing the finish line in 3:53:09 for a sub 4 hour Minnesota. I also got my second ever marathon podium spot, coming in 3rd female overall and 1st in my age group. A big takeaway for me was how I earned this finish- slowing down or speeding up based on how my body felt. As someone who hopes to be running in her 80s, it makes sense to go into every race with this mindset- even if there are mile markers or a Garmin spitting out pace stats!

So, am I crazy for running 26.2 miles indoors? Naaahh- I'd be crazy not to take advantage of a great event like the Zoom! Yah! Yah! marathon.

Missouri- Take 2

My primary goal is to run a marathon in each of the 50 states plus DC. Along the way, I got progressively faster and created a “stretch goal” of doing each of them under 4 hours.

Two goals at once? Yes. Here’s how I see it: I always want to be challenging myself. If I’m in a position to look back and say, “that was nice. What next?”, I’m doing something wrong. Always have another goal on deck.

There are some states where I have completed a marathon, but not in under 4 hours. I don’t always choose my races based on time based goals, so sometimes I don't intend to run in under 4 hours (Run with the Horses in Wyoming, The North Face Challenge in Wisconsin) and will inevitably visit the state again. Missouri is another story. I wanted to earn a sub 4, but it simply wasn’t my day at Lewis & Clark back in 2009 and I crossed the line 9 minutes late. Hindsight is 20/20, but I believe my bonk in St Charles had to do with being a hardcore vegan at the time; as such, I was never able to recover properly.

Having just spent 6 months living in the show me state and coaching a Crossfit Endurance program at the local CrossFit affiliate in St Robert, I had a great group of people to do St Louis Rock & Roll marathon with- Karen, Greg, and Beth Anne. It was a surprise to finally have someone out-shop me at an expo (looking at you, Beth Anne) and fun to share a pre and post race meal with this crew. I will always have fond memories of Missouri because of the time spent and people I met in Karen and Greg’s gym- sharing this event together was like the “cherry on top”.

On the way IN to the expo. Beth Anne's hands were full with shopping bags on the way out..!

I'll always love Missouri because of my time spent with these people

On race morning, Suzy Favor Hamilton fired the start gun (fun side note: 2 months later, her scandalous double life would be uncovered) and we were off. I thought the start of the race might be a bit fast, considering the mix in with half-marathoners. The original plan was to go out at about 8:45 pace, to give myself some breathing room from the sub 4:00 target. Sure enough, the first mile was fast, starting around 8:15 pace. I maintained this through the mile and hit the 5K mark at 24:42.


Pre race "I get to wear a skirt today!" smile

Perhaps to my demise later in the race, I didn't slow down. I was energized by passing people during the next few (hilly!) miles. It’s a heck of a lot easier running up hills in minimalist shoes, and I was strong on inclines from my training. In Waynesville, hills are non-negotiable. All of our intervals at Crossfit Endurance were done on steep inclines and declines. Many ups and downs later, I crossed 10K in 50:24.

Around Mile 8-9, the course split and the half-marathoners disappear from the course. With fewer competitors on course, I was able to slow down a bit but was still way ahead of the conservative 8:45 pace I had originally thought through. Non-marathoners will read that and say, “oh, good for you!” Anyone who has ever run 26.2 miles and understands pacing strategy knows what a mistake it was to cross the half marathon point at 1:46:56.

I don’t need lots of on course entertainment, but it was uplifting- the cold morning didn’t stop bands, cheer squads, and spectators from pouring energy into supporting us. A month prior, I completed the GoRuck Challenge and was disappointed in the route we took. The course for this marathon was what I wanted GoRuck to be: we started toward the famous Arch, looped downtown, ran past Cardinals stadium and Fox theatre. The thing both events had in common? Forest Park. I hated it just as much during this race as I did during the Challenge.

Forest Park may be a great place to run in general, but it was a momentum killer for me. Physically, I was paying the price for my earlier pacing errors and slowed down substantially. Mentally, I was reliving that damn 30 pound backpack torture fest all over again. Physically, those fast early miles had caught up with me and, with every painful step, I was forced to slow down. Once my momentum died it never really seemed to come back.

Definitely not in the most controlled fashion, but I earned my 23rd sub 4 hour marathon by averaging 8:26 per mile and crossing the line in 3:40:56. Other stats:

Overall place: 217 out of 1766

Gender: 46 out of 825

Age division: 11 out of 153

The best part of this entire race (aside from crossing the finish line 19 minutes early) was watching Greg drink everyone else’s post race beer before we got back to our hotel…which was about a half mile from the finish. Who needs a post race concert for entertainment?!

Sub-4 hour Missouri: check!

Post race "close the sub 4 book on MO" smile

Logan View Marathon

There are many reasons to run a marathon; a bad week is one of them.

After a tough few days personally and with no big Labor Day plans on the horizon, I found the Logan View Marathon. My logical self said, “hey idiot- weather forecast is calling for 90 degrees on race day. The course is run on 90% gravel road and is described as challenging. You’ve only been running regularly for 5 weeks. Seriously? This is a good idea?!” I didn’t listen. I had a bad week and running is a coping technique for me.  This was also held in a state I hadn’t marked off my list yet- even if I crawled across the finish line with a ridiculously slow time, it would contribute to my 50 state goal. I really needed something to celebrate.

7 hour one-way trips require compression tights, ya heard?!

 Three days later, I found myself at the starting line. I love small races like this for a number of reasons: just a table setup on race morning instead of a busy expo, no waiting in line or running out of toilet paper at the porta potties, convenient parking at the start/finish, no bottlenecks or corrals to battle, reasonable entry fee. I find the other runners to be more enjoyable at small races, too- with only a hundred or so of us for both distance options, everyone was easy going and out there simply for the love of running. No last minute type A freak outs or large charity group chaos, lots of starting line chatter. The race was not chip timed, so we all chuckled a bit when the start of our day began with the RD giving heat precautions and simply shouting, “Go!”

Those running the half marathon turned off about one mile into the race, leaving about 40 or so for the full. Most of us belonged to the 50 State Marathon Club and/or Marathon Maniacs. As usual with this crowd, I had the honor of running with some really fantastic people:

• Maniac on her 3rd circuit, meaning she has done what I’m trying to do twice and is making a 3rd go of it!
• Gentleman earning his 150th lifetime marathon…and yes, his knees are just fine.
• Collegiate cross country coach, who confirmed nixing long runs from one’s training schedule and replacing with high volume intervals. His rule? Never extend mileage to the point where you can’t at least hold race pace. Any slower and cadence falls off, form deteriorates, and you end up hurting yourself more than helping. This is consistent with everything I learned at Crossfit Endurance and have been practicing with success in my own training. Like a sponge, I soaked up a lot of wisdom from this guy- helped a good 5 or 6 miles fly by!
• 50 Stater completing the lower 48. Y’all know me- I gave my two cents on the Alaska race he should finish with (Equinox).
• A guy who registered even later than I did. He couldn’t find the motivation to do his long run the day before and thought, “if I sign up for a marathon, I’ll be forced´to complete it!” Wonder if he ran that 26 mile long run by the cross country coach...
• A Rocket Scientist. No, seriously! I found this out after a good 30 minutes of nonstop chatting…which goes to prove that running is the ultimate common ground. I mean, I had to spell check the word “scientist” for this post.
• Dude who went to undergrad in Greensboro NC! Isn’t it random that we’d meet in Nebraska?! We talked about PieWorks, an amazing pizza place everyone must visit if you find yourself in the 'Boro (well worth a cheat day, paleo people).
• Marathon Maniac who remembered me from last year's Eugene Marathon, where I bawled hysterically during the National Anthem having just seen Trey off on deployment. I had the pleasure of updating her about his safe return and she mentioned she had prayed for him after meeting me and then seeing our picture in the Maniac newsletter shortly thereafter. This is just one example of the support I’ve received from fellow Marathon Maniacs. It is truly awesome to be a part if this running community and it's about a lot more than wearing the same yellow jersey.

Around mile 14, my Garmin (fully charged that morning) gave out. Something about being so far out in the country and it taking a lot to constantly find the signal. Just last month in class, we ran without watches and estimated our own 400m times as an exercise in feeling pace with our bodies, not through a watch. Karma or foresight?

The course? Well, there is truth in advertising here.The website was 100% accurate: You will be greeted by rolling hills and cornfields dotted with farms and acreages. Running along the ridge of the picturesque view of the Elkhorn Valley you will be able to see the towns of Hooper, Scribner and Uehling. This will not be a flat fast course, there are some challenging hills! 

Seen at mile 25. Behind the sign? View for the entire race.

The gravel we had been warned about in another description was less 'golf ball' and more 'aquarium rocks'- much easier to handle. Anyone doing this race should definitely opt for trail shoes and perhaps throw on some gaiters. I forgot the latter and ended up with socks full of gravel. There was very little shade, so I appreciated aid stations every two miles- especially the one at mile 19 with the jellybeans (not the sport kind, straight up Jelly Belly!).

As expected, it got pretty hot during the last few miles and I slowed considerably. I finished in 4:13:03- far from my fastest time, but quick enough to secure a podium spot. I was the 3rd female overall and 1st in my age group. Before my logical self could convince me this wasn’t worth celebrating (real talk: there were only 16 women total in the full marathon), I remembered what inspirational runner Dane Rauschenberg says: “you can only race who SHOWS UP”. No need to sell myself short because only a few of us decided to brave this beast of a course!  

Given the choice, I'd have taken the chocolate milk over the medal at that point.

Hats off to the RD and volunteers at this race- they were organized, enthusiastic, provided showers afterward, and a great post race food that included...wait for it...ice cold chocolate milk (it really is all about the food for me, huh?!). I would recommend this race to anyone who needs a Nebraska, likes a challenge, and doesn't require lots of bells/whistles/spectators to stay motivated. 

Bad week? Run a marathon. Nebraska crossed off and 3rd place medal in hand, I drove back to Missouri in a much better mood.

Add "opportunity to podium finish" to my small race love list.

There's No Place Like...Kansas!

As a runner, sometimes, your aim is to go as fast as possible and achieve a personal record. Other times, you just get out there and have FUN. After a tough fight in Boston, I needed an enjoyable race. Lucky for me, I bought this fabulous Dorothy outfit and spray painted my old Mizunos glittery red for the Garmin in the Land of Oz Marathon.

The role of Toto played by Pavel Goodwin

This event was planned as a part of my move to Missouri, so it wasn't ideal to make a 15 hour drive just prior to running...but y'all know me. The "fun size" expo offered a quick in- quick out and I enjoyed a fantastic pre-race dinner with my cousin Sara, Aunt Anne, and Uncle John in Overland Park. For some reason, I pictured Kansas to be nothing but farmland and tornado shelters (blame Hollywood) but was surprised to find dense towns with lots of green space...and rolling hills. Hills?!

My hosts from Boston showed me love in Olathe, too!

The race both started and finished at Garmin International Headquarters in Olathe- all sorts of fancy. After a heavy dose of inspiration from running into Larry Macon at the start, I enjoyed the initial spectator response to Dorothy: "Great outfit!", "look at her shoes- nice touch!", "Are you running the FULL in that?!"

"Yes, I'm running the full in this"

The first 5K looped around an industrial area and then fed us into quaint neighborhoods. I put down 8-8:30 minute miles and finished the first 10K in just under 50 minutes- much faster than expected having just run Boston a few days prior. Maybe it had something to do with the perfect weather or the fact that this was the friendliest bunch of runners I've ever been around. Seriously, everyone was eager to chat and just radiating positivity. There was a real sense of camaraderie before we even hit double digits.

Another bonus? Quite a few Marathon Maniacs on the course, including an adorable gal named Michelle who is from the (small!) town in Missouri I will be living in for the next 8 months. This race would mark my 13th marathon state in a 365 day period, which qualifies me for 5 Maniac stars. Great news, since I've been stuck at 3 stars since 2008..!

That's a 5 star smile

We hit a greenway path shortly after mile 10 and the rolling hills noted earlier were pretty apparent-a good thing for me, since I dislike flat courses. At the half marathon mark, all of the water station volunteers were dressed in full costume as characters from Wizard of Oz and I high fived the Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man, and Dorothy as I clocked 1:50. 

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I never really had a down moment during this race. Sure, I was challenged by the pace but it was never to the point where I hit a wall or fell out of enjoying the run. I'll save you the hard sell, but I continue to follow Crossfit Endurance as a training plan and believe, without a doubt, it allows me to enter these things at my peak instead of on the brink of an overuse injury. My times are consistently better (including several PRs!) and I'm doing half the mileage volume of my pre-CFE days. Plus I can do boy push ups, dead hang pull ups, and climb 20' ropes...so there's that.  

There were several people dressed as Dorothy out there (good witches, bad witches, and lions too!)and I passed the only one ahead of me around mile 20. He...yep, he...had fashioned his hurache sandals into sequined red slippers- awesome, but maybe a bad idea for racing unfamiliar terrain.

The wig probably didn't help, either.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 3:39:14, an 8:23 average pace. I was delighted to secure 5th in my age group, 19th of 255 women, and (so I'm told) "first Dorothy". Keepin it real at HQ, my Garmin never lost it's signal either. The best part? I had an absolute blast running this race. It was FUN.

There's no place like....Kansas!

Follow the yellow brick road!

Boston Marathon 2012

“We’re all crazy!”

That was both my first thought at the starting line as well as my last thought at the finish. Most people think you have to be pretty insane to run 26.2 miles in the first place, but if you survived this year's Boston Marathon you've got an extra layer of crazy.

Unless you live under a rock, you probably are well aware of the brutally hot weather that was forecasted for Marathon Monday. At first I thought the Weather channel was playing a cruel April Fools joke on us runners- temperatures in the 80s? Didn't I wear fleece and gloves the last time I did this race? Yes, North Carolina had a mild winter- but I hadn’t even done a training run in shorts yet.

As race day approached, the BAA started sending weather updates encouraging participants to adjust their expectations (this will not be a race! slow your pace by several minutes! speed can kill!) or defer their entry until next year. Although I know folks who had very relevant reasons to table this years race and look to 2013, not starting wasn't an option for me. When I register and train for a race, I make the commitment to follow through regardless of conditions. I've run in snow, wind, and rain...this marathon would simply be an opportunity to push myself even farther out of my comfort zone.

In an effort to make the weekend as enjoyable as possible, I stayed with friends from college, Heather and Jack. Not only was this super convenient (You're a whopping quarter mile from the T, huh?!), Heather and I got lots of QT while supporting Jack achieve a personal record during the BAA 5K on Saturday. Another bonus? We made the Expo a group event; this was something I missed out on in 2009 so it was nice to snap pictures and cross paths with running friends.

On race morning, I purposely took a later bus to Hopkinton since I knew we would just be waiting around in the hot sun at Athletes Village anyway. Previous experience also taught me to get in line early for a Hopkinton sign photo op, bring a pool raft to lay on, and leave headphones at home. With all of the "where did you qualify?" and "where are you from?" conversations, Athlete's Village is the best place to make new running friends and meet up with old ones. You can listen to your ipod tomorrow!

I managed to find a great shady spot for my pool raft and conversations, but porta potty lines were ridiculous and the starting line was nearly a mile walk- great for steps in my company's pedometer challenge, bad for 74 degree sun exposure. The first few miles of the race are gently rolling with quite a bit of downhill. With the understanding that the temperatures would climb into the high 80s, my plan was to "bank" as much time as I could during the first 10K- a strategy one NEVER wants to use in a marathon, but this day was an exception for pretty much everything. I ran the first 5K in 25 minutes. By the time we hit Natick, thermometers read 80 degrees. I put ice cubes in my hat to keep my head cool and made a conscious effort to slow down, which wasn't hard since I was hitting every water stop. I crossed the 10K at 53:45.

In past marathons, I’ve had a few sips of water every 4-5 miles. I generally try to stay away from the chemical cocktails in sports drinks and gel-style supplements, opting to keep my carbohydrate and salt stores up with whole foods instead. On Monday, I had 4 packets of Gu and stopped at every single water station, taking both water AND Gatorade. I don’t think I’ve ever consumed that much fluid in a race and by the time we hit the half marathon mark, I had already stopped to pee three times!

The crowd seemed to be extra committed to making sure we enjoyed race day. People were screaming our names and shouting "You are amazing!" Little kids held out hands for high fives and families lined the streets with hoses, extra water, coolers of ice, and sponges soaked in cold water. Given the heat, I’m not sure we would have made it without them. I saw my personal course support, Heather and Jack, just before mile 9 and it gave me a real mental lift!

I could hear the screaming girls at Wellesley college a mile before we got there. This is one of my favorite parts of the course, where the girls line up, each holding signs that say "Kiss me, I'm ____" (Drunk, Naturally Blonde, a Vegetarian, etc). Legend has it, a kiss from one of these girls means good luck. When I spotted the "Kiss me, I'm from North Carolina", I marched right up and kissed her on the cheek. She promptly returned the kiss as her friends went ballistic! This is something I'd have never done if I were worried about time. 13.1 miles- 1:58:09.

By mile 20, my running skirt and shoes were heavy, soaked with water from running through sprinklers and dumping water on my head. I played some mind games with myself (focusing on things in the distance) but never tuned out by putting headphones in. Sometimes I will use music to dissociate, but it was important to stay in touch with how my body was feeling. I was still stopping for the bathroom pretty frequently, which meant I was faring better than some of the people around me who were collapsing from cramps, vomiting, or being loaded onto gurneys (not exaggerating). I accepted the fact that I needed to slow down, so I did.

Around mile 25, it finally sunk in that I was going to finish and I did something else I'd never do if I were focused on time: I drank a beer offered to me on the course. I've always wanted to do this during a race and in front of a Boston University fraternity house seemed to be as good a time as any...and yes- it tasted fantastic!

It was 89 degrees when I crossed the finish line in 4:09:33, not a personal worst but definitely the slowest marathon I have run in a long time. You know what, though? I don't care. Numbers don’t tell the whole story and I’m very proud of this race. There will be another day to achieve a personal record. On Marathon Monday, I didn't walk. I used my brain. I finished. 

Does it make sense that one of the most painful experiences of my life was also the best? Yeah, I must be crazy...!

Houston Marathon ABCs

Aspiration: My aim is to run a marathon or ultra in all states. Recently, I set a second stretch goal to achieve each of these in less than 4 hours. Upon finishing the first circuit, I'll need to go back and 're-do' states that didn't meet the time criteria for goal #2. With hopes of efficiency, I wanted to earn my 34th overall state and 20th sub 4 hour in a single race- the Houston Marathon.

Body Glide: Used a lot of it during training. Y’all know why!

Crossfit: I used an adaptation of Crossfit Endurance for training. It is very low volume compared to more traditional plans, with 4-5 WODs (met-con style group strength classes) and 2-3 interval sessions weekly plus a mid-distance run every other week. I've stayed uninjured since adopting CFE last Fall while improving my race times. Most important, I enjoy the variety.

Decision: This specific race was an invitation from my friend Monica, who I ran Alabama and JFK 50 with. We wanted to go to Houston because of the Olympic Trials; the marathon just happened to be the next day!

Expo: Easy in, easy out to pick up my bib, chip, bag, and event t-shirt at the Convention Center. You’d never know there were 28,000 people preparing to race the following day- this was a very organized, no stress stop.

Friends: Monica invited me to stay in the same hotel room with her and some other gals from Louisville. As runners, we naturally had a lot in common and the chatter was non-stop all weekend. It was great to make new running friends and share the experience!

Goals: Our individual goals for the race ranged from my own “3:45 finish time” to “just complete the distance” to “finish in less than 3 hours”. The difference between being a “runner” versus someone who laces up every so often? Simply having a specific goal and announcing your intention.

Houston: As a city that grew out rather than up, the downtown area seemed to be a weekend ghost town. Many of the restaurants and shops were Monday through Friday only.

IAH: I was able to get direct flights in/out of this airport from Charlotte. Score!

January: It’s always great to plan a race during this month because it means you train through the 'food holidays'- Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

 

Kara Goucher: my favorite member of our 2012 Olympic marathon team. It was amazing to be a spectator at the Trials on Saturday and see her in the flesh.

Line: Or lack thereof…there were plenty of port-a-potties at the start with little to no lines. Important stuff for a marathoner.

Managed chaos: This was a large race, but it didn’t feel that way. The corrals closed 20 minutes before the beginning of the race at 7 am, which prevented last minute stampedes. Half marathoners went a different direction and merged with full at mile 2, easing first mile bottlenecks.

Nutrition: Fueled by my usual peanut butter and banana sandwich sandwich, I never had any GI issues during the race. I rotated between water and the Gatorade Prime offered on course and eventually used a single Gu.

On course support: Spectators were awesome and had the most creative signs: “Hurry up! The Texans play at noon!”, “Enjoy the moment- this is the best you’ll feel all week”, "Baby, come back to bed!”, “26.2 miles- because 26.3 miles is crazy”, and (my personal favorite) “You are NOT almost there”

Priest: Set up just across from a Catholic Church on course, a Priest splashed holy water on us at one point. Should I assume he was praying for us also?

Quick: The first half flew by. I stayed with the 3:40 pace group and clocked in at 1:49:06 for 13.1 miles.

Reunion: When you do these races often, you tend to (literally!) run into the same folks over and over again. I found a number of fellow 50 State Club Members and Marathon Maniacs, including #1.

Splits: Held on to an 8:30 pace for the first 20 miles and then let ‘er rip. Until then, I thought the 'run the first 20, race the final 10K' strategy only worked in magazine articles (theoretically at that!). Picking up the pace to 8 minute miles and then 7:45 during the final 3 solidified a negative split.

Tunes: Prior to the start, I made a deal with myself that if I stayed on pace for the first 10 miles, I could use my headphones. It’s been awhile since I’ve ran with music and I enjoyed it.

Usual suspects: I’ve seen these signs over and over, but I still enjoy them: “Don’t Stop (that’s what she said)!”, “Chuck Norris never ran 26.2”, “I’m proud of you, total stranger”, “Nice legs!”, “You’ve got stamina- call me!”

Voldemort: Not even kidding, I spotted a sign that said “Run like Vodlemort is chasing you”. Even better? The gal holding it was very skinny, pale, and had thick glasses on that had obviously seen a lot of library books.

Wall: Never hit it.

X-train: As in ‘cross train’. The best thing I’ve ever done for my running was to incorporate a variety of other exercises, including strength and mobility, into my weekly routine (see also “C” for crossfit).

Year: This was an excellent way to begin my 2012 running year! With my husband returning from deployment, I’ll run fewer marathons than I did in 2011 so I want them to count.

Zoom: I zoomed (yeah, I’m stretching this one!) into the finishing chute in 3:35:34, placing 60th of the 511 in my age group and in the top 10% of females. We got additional swag post race: a moisture wicking, feminine cut Under Armor finisher shirt, an engraved beer mug, and Pavel's medal. 



Kiawah Island Marathon

Short version:

I earned my 33rd state in South Carolina with a time of 3:47:12. Quality time with family and friends more than made up for IT band hell during miles 21-26. 

Long version:

My training runs for the Kiawah Island Marathon were also recovery runs from the JFK 50 Mile, which I completed 2 weeks earlier. With the intent to achieve a sub 4 hour overall time, my mindset changed from "just keep moving" to a very specific pacing goal of 8:30-8:40 per minute miles.

Adding resourceful as a way to describe her (also on the list: beautiful, athletic, charming, frugal), my Aunt Theresa found a condo on the Island that was within walking distance to the start/finish line. Eliminating the usual pre-race stress (directions in an unfamiliar city, driving, parking, standing in line for a smelly porta potty, general waiting around in the cold) allowed me to enjoy the company.

Pre-race. Definitely wearing full make up for my next race photo op.

In addition to my Aunt, her husband Tre (who accompanied me for 16 miles at Mad Marathon) and their friend Andrew (a talented runner I first met in West Virginia) came down from Charlottesville. My girlfriend Jen, who I've shared a number of finish lines including Marine Corps Marathon with, also joined the fun.

Just me & 3000 of my closest friends!



After a few pre-race burpees, I followed Andrew to the 8 minute/mile area of the corral. Although I knew this was faster than I would be running that day, I didn't want to waste energy dodging folks in the first few miles. Second to my wardrobe decision of a tank + arm warmers, this was the best move of the day. The first 5K was a bottleneck mess, with 3000 runners transitioning from a relatively narrow road to an even more narrow bike path.

My efforts to find a talkative running partner came up empty, so I surrendered to my headphones around mile 6. Since Napster has gone under (and with it my free service since 2005 from a professional connection), I was rockin' audiobook. Not the best thing for a quick running pace, as evidenced by my 10 mile split of 1:23:46, which is pretty consistent with my training pace. Bad news.

3-3. My 33rd state, Get it, get it?! 


For marathoners, this race is a double loop around the island with a lot of turns, which means we got to see other runners during the race. In the lead pack, I saw Dane Rauschenberg, who ran a 202 mile relay as a solo participant last year, and was tickled when he gave me a big smile and a “Heeeyyyy Suuuzy!” It was also motivating to see everyone from my condo at different points. Who needs spectators when you have fellow participants?

Crossing the half marathon point at 1:50:15, I felt great and was in a position to speed up and really secure that sub 4 hour marathon. My Garmin kept losing satellite reception, so it was nice to have clocks at each mile marker to ensure I was on target. I passed my favorite sign of the day, "Make This Race Your Beach", for the second time at mile 15 and enjoyed the solitude of the course now that it was filled with full marathoners only.

Looking stronger than I feel at 26.2

 At mile 20, I clocked in at 2:43:58. Unfortunately, about a mile later I felt a sharp shooting pain that started in my hip and shot down. I was an A student in kinesiology so recognized my IT band as the source immediately (See kids? You really do use what you learn in college!). I tried to walk it out...but that just made things worse. My window for stretching it had long been over. No spare foam roller lying around (imagine that!). My only choice for the next 5 miles was to battle the pain...and curse the course for being so flat, which did make me feel better. This isn't the first time my body has screamed at me for subjecting it to unchanging terrain for hours, using the same muscles over and over again. Flat doesn't always equal fast, especially over long distances.



Totally overdoing the 33 thing, huh?!

My 3:47:12 finish was within goal range, but illustrates the difficulty experienced in the final miles. I can usually count on a strong finish, so it was frustrating. I beat myself up about it.  Then I saw this quote by World Champion marathoner, Rob de Castella:

"If you feel bad at 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal." 

I guess I'm just fine.

Happy with our performances & relieved the walk home is so short!



JFK 50 Mile (alternate title: Survivor AT)

"Pink Ladies" before the 7 am start 

As part of President Kennedy’s push to increase the physical fitness of the country, the inspiration behind the JFK 50 came from Kennedy challenging military officers to be able to cover 50 miles on foot in 20 hours to maintain their commissions. As the oldest 50 mile race in the country, this event has been referred to as the “Boston Marathon” of ultras.


After proving my qualifying time and receiving an acceptance earlier this summer, goals for fall running changed. I no longer thought about setting personal records in Hampton, Newport or Thunder Road. Those marathons were now training for the JFK 50.

I made plans to run with 2 fantastic women: Katie, who I met during the early miles of my first 50 miler, and Monica, a coworker turned race partner who completed 2 Ironman races alongside training for this event.  We are all self-admitted "girly girls", so it wasn't surprising to find ourselves wearing the same shade of pink shirts on race morning- totally unplanned, very fun!



No headphones allowed due to terrain

Walking a half mile or so to the start from the briefing area reminded me very much of the walk to the start of the Boston Marathon- nervous tension in the air, excited chatter among participants. The first 5K was a steep road incline that gained 1100 feet in elevation. By the start of the Appalachian Trail (AT) section, we were all gasping for air. I had a reality check when someone mentioned the Alpine Rescue Team's availability for injured runners on "the mountain"...in my mind, we were just going to be on a big hill, not an actual mountain.



I'm no expert at technical trail, but it was immediately apparent that the best preparation I had for this portion was all of the hiking Trey and I did in New Hampshire last month. The terrain was similar to the rocky single track at Mount Monadnock, only this had a layer of freshly fallen leaves that made the path difficult to navigate. I felt like I slipped or turned my ankle every third step and was forced to go frustratingly slow. Seeing folks ahead stumble and hearing several hard falls behind did not help confidence. We learned later that medic had to provide a number of stitches for wounds and splints for broken bones. I just wanted to get off the trail in one piece, at whatever pace. Flashbacks of friends saying, "you're running the Appalachian Trail?" months prior now made sense.   

Towpath extends a full 26 miles



After about 4 hours, we got off the trail at mile 17 (yeah- you read that right, math major) we finally began the canal towpath portion. Why do people complain about this section? Scenery along the Potomac River was beautiful, the surface was forgiving...and after flirting with death on the switchbacks coming down the mountain, it provided a nice opportunity to relax.

Having been conservative in the early miles, we settled into a more aggressive pace. Usually uItras are quite lonley, but this was different with 1100 participants. Most of us were constantly leap-frogging each other due to stops at aid stations and run/walk strategies so it was easy to recognize others and make friends. Others called us the "Pink Ladies" and we soaked up advice from experienced JFK veterans.


Wearing the "vest of shame"

 I was able to keep the calories and hydration up- something I didn’t do at Dances with Dirt 50K or North Face Endurance Challenge, when my body rejected food after about mile 25. With aid stations situated every 4 miles or so, I focused on keeping whole foods going in as long as possible. No stomach issues this time at all- in hindsight, it's because we took a little longer than usual at the aid stations during the first 35 miles and I actually had time to chew my food thoroughly and went with items that were easy to digest: boiled potatoes, tomato soup, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels, M&Ms, cookies. Having said that, I'm probably the only person who ran 50 miles out there and didn't end in a calorie deficit!



If you get to the aid station that completes the towpath after 3pm, the policy is that you have to wear a reflective vest the rest of the way. The one handed to me was bright orange and horrible. Didn't these people know I was trying to look cute during all 50 miles?



How do I feel? Like I've been hit by a truck.

The course description in the JFK entry mentions "gently rolling" roads during the final segment. After 42 miles, these roads were not gentle to my already beat up legs in the slightest. My body didn't begin hurting until this point- the combintion of the hills with the hard surface was brutal. Even though it was painful, I still felt better than a lot of folks we saw (or maybe we looked that bad too and just didn't know it?!). A testament to incorporating crossfit into race training, we passed at least 20 people in the final miles. Since I've already completed B&A Trail Marathon, this didn't count as my Maryland...but that didn't damper my excitement when I finished mid pack in 11:07:39.

Pavel looks exactly how I felt receiving this medal



When asked about his greatest strength, David Riddle- winner of this year's race who broke an insanely fast 17 year old course record (still not convinced he isn't a mountain goat)- said: "Years of consistency. I have never quit running. I’ve never stopped training consistently."  I'm no Olympic caliber athlete, but can certainly relate to that. My journey to the JFK 50 finish line began a long time ago. 



Better with Age



Pavel made an alarm clock unnecessary

 When invited to the 50 sub 4 Marathon Club, I joined without really thinking I’d ever complete the task of running all 50 states in under 4 hours. Then I met Shannon Hays. And then I started getting consistently faster. Before I knew it, I had secured my 17th sub 4 hour race in Rhode Island. And that is how a stretch goal is born…



I ran what is now Thunder Road as my second marathon in 2004 and finished in 4:39. It doesn’t get any more game-time-decision than registering 36 hours before the race, but there’d be no better time to secure my NC “re-do”: convenient location plus I’m in shape for the JFK 50 mile next week. Added bonus? This would be the first time I’d repeat the same course- an opportunity to measure success.

No potty lines for us!

 

Our neighbors, Kevin and Anna, were both doing their debut half marathon and offered a ride to the race. Imagine my surprise when I learned that we’d be warming up in the gym at Kevin’s workplace, only 2 blocks from the starting line. VIP style! Not only did we enjoy a heated warm up area, it was the first time I’ve ever NOT had to wait 20 minutes in a porta potty line prior to the start.

At 30 degrees during the first few miles, I was grateful to have opted for a warm jacket instead of a t-shirt. Second to an injury, the worst thing for next week would be getting a cold. Just as I hit the 10K mark in 49:55, the best sign of the day appeared: “Worst Parade EVER- Where’s My Candy?!” 

While the gradual hills I remembered from this course were present, the many turns were more so what threatened one’s time- we never went longer than a half mile without turning. Despite this, I was able to maintain 8:20ish miles and felt fantastic at the half, clocking 1:48:37.

The race organizers held this event one month earlier than in previous years- good move. The Fall weather brought spectators out in full force, tailgating the race in parking lots and front yards of residential areas. As I ran by, one of the groups started screaming, “Alaska girl! Alaska girl!” As it turns out, we ran a 10K together a couple weeks prior. Even among 5000 participants, there is a unique small world camaraderie among runners.

The best moment of the day happened around mile 18, a point where I usually struggle. My best friend, Allison, goes to a crossfit gym that is situated on the marathon course. Between heavy ropes and tire flips, she caught sight of me and ran out to give me a big hug. She also confirmed how fabulous the bright pink flower in my hair looked! I was high off of that encounter for at least 2 miles afterward and hit mile 20 in 2:46:32.



Mom would NEVER say "Almost there!"

My best attempts in striking up conversations were unsuccessful- there simply weren’t a lot of talkers at this race. Something I would have loved to discuss with a running partner: Kanye West blaring from the speakers at a Boyscout hosted aid station around mile 23. It tickled me to grab water from an 8 year old alongside “heard they’d do anything for a Klondike, well I’ll do anything for a blonde d---”!



Just to get it on record, here’s what you don't want to say to as a spectator: “You’re almost there!” Until I’m about a quarter mile from the finish line, I want no part of that and am positive others would agree. A final 5K might seem like ‘almost there’ within the scope of 26.2 miles, but a runner would rather hear something like: “Nice legs!”, “You’re a machine!”, or “Will you marry me?”



137th/900 runners, 21st female OA

Despite being well within my 4 hour goal, I'm competitive and put the hammer down during the last mile to pass a few ponytails in front of me. I was able to see Mom on the final stretch with her cowbell and sign that read “The Suz”- perfect! Finishing in 3:39:42 not only fulfilled my sub 4 hour for NC, it was a full hour faster than my younger self on the same course.

At age 23, I remember getting up the morning of this race and thinking, "26.2 miles will be the longest I will ever run." My goal was to beat P Diddy’s NYC time of just under 4:30. Post race, I was worthless for a good 48 hours.

This is not a post 26.2 face plant, it's mid-burpee.



Seven years later, I own over 30 marathons, three 50Ks, and a 50 miler. I have completed the Boston Marathon, which took a qualifying time 45 minutes faster than P Diddy’s. In attempting to run a marathon or ultra in each state, I’ve crossed 32 off the list. Post race, I’ve done another marathon (in running circles, that's a “double”) on 2 occasions. Today I did burpees.

 

Better hardware than '04, too! 

Regarding my stretch goal, will it be realistic to run sub 4 hour marathon “re-do” states in my 40s? Sure. Ginette Bedard, 3:45 marathoner at age 77, has a more simplistic approach to the long term, though: “I just want to get out there and EARN my day”.

With a Little Help From My Friends

All week I've had trouble answering the, "how did your marathon go?" question. The Amica Marathon in Newport, Rhode Island was routed along a gorgeous course. Add to that perfect weather, great volunteers at well stocked aid stations, and enthusiastic spectators. Total recipe for a PR. My performance sucked. 

Why is this recap is tardy? I've been wallowing in my own pity party. Silly. When I actually began writing, a positive takeaway was blatantly obvious: this race was about friendship and shared camaraderie between runners. Here's what I mean...

Expo day- the wind had already started!

I chose this marathon because a friend from college, Jack, was running his first half there. Jack’s wife Heather and I were in the same sorority and lived together post college/pre-husband(s). I was even a bridesmaid in their wedding back in 2008! Nothing against the good folks of Rhode Island, but this was one where I really didn’t care. Enjoying the company of friends made it a great reason to knock out a needed state. As an added bonus, my friend “Super Suz” (of superhero fame in West Virginia) was running the half as her second in a double weekend and volunteered to be my roommate!

Whether they’ve been at it for many years or only a few months, runners always have a lot of shared thoughts and experiences. Jack, Suz, and I were no different and enjoyed fantastic conversation during our pre-race dinner. A 50 stater herself, Suz has some of the best running stories and her animated delivery had me laughing all night. You should have seen the look on her face when Jack called our room before bed and asked (in frantic ohmigosh-I-can’t-believe-I’m-running-13.1-miles mode), “When do you grease your nipples?!” 

After my favorite race morning breakfast of peanut butter and banana sandwiches (the only time it's advatageous to eat quick buring white bread and I love every bite of it!), Heather saved us a good 45 minutes by dropping us off, allowing us to bypass the shuttle to the starting line. This was one of many helpful things she did over the weekend that made the experience much better. Any runner can attest to the importance of having a good support person; it goes far beyond standing at a specific mile marker and throwing a fist pump or two.

Post freak out on Jack when he called my favorite Lululemon spray dye shorts "dirty looking" (come ON!), we ran into Dane Rauschenberg. With a running resume that includes 52 marathons in 52 weeks and competing in a 200 mile relay as an individual, Dane has every reason to go all elitist on us, yet remains extremely humble and approachable. Even though Dane had an achilles injury and was debating whether he'd even run himself, he shared confidence boosters and words of motivation when Jack admit to being "nervous as shit". That's a runner for ya- totally unselfish, helpful, and positive. 

Since the half and full runners began together, I was able to line up and start with Jack. The course ran along the rocky coast and by the famous Newport mansions; it was a beautiful setting. Cue "Take My Breath Away" (but not the Jessica Simpson version).

...watching in slow motion as you turn around and say...

Somewhere during mile 4, I (literally!) ran into Shannon Hays, who was running marathon #2 in a double weekend. Shannon and I ran New Hampshire together a couple of weeks prior and she quickly became my new girl crush. We fell back into 8:20 minute miles alongside catch up and constant conversation. Some people think talking during a race wastes too much energy but I disagree. I'm the type who will use a ton of mental reserves worring about my target pace and what-iffing each split to death; conversation is a pleasant dissociation and keeps my active mind occupied. Our 10K time was just under 47 minutes.

Just before the half marathon point, our duo became a trio. I liked Laura when I saw she had a glittery pink bow in her hair. I loved Laura when she shared that she was running her very first marathon. While most people would just want to cross the finish line, she was aiming for a sub 4 hour because a coworker had achieved that time and she "just had to beat it". Feminine and competitive? A girl after my own heart.

This was a figure 8 sort of course, setting us up to run alongside the finishing half marathoners. Mentally, it can be tough to hear "you're almost done!" from spectators and then watch others run through the finish, receive their medals, hug friends and family, etc...all with the understanding you still have 13.1 miles to go. I experienced this during my first marathon; Laura "took" it much better than I did. Her focus was contagious even when we made a turn into a nasty headwind just after the half marathon mark at 1:49. If you're open to it, you can always learn from other runners, no matter the experience level.

Calling us "chatty" is an understatement.

It's okay to have more than one girl crush, right?!

Here's where it got tough. The wind WOULD NOT STOP and we slowed to 8:30-8:40 minute miles. Gatorade hadn't appeared until mile 8 and gels weren't distributed until 15. Not that either of those was my main fueling concern; the 2 weeks leading up to this race were over Trey's leave from Afghanistan and our eating habits left a lot to be desired. There was that one night with the bottle of merlot + cupcakes and brownies for dinner...yeah. As my trainer Phil in DC used to say, "you can't out-train a crap diet".

Shannon was incredibly encouraging, reminding me that the second 10 miles were the "focus miles" and even identified visual cues during hills- "See that mailbox? That's your target. Don't worry about anything else except getting to the mailbox. Great, you made the mailbox. Now see that road sign? Don't worry about anything else.." type talk. It was really helpful and, 30+ sub 4 hour marathons aside, I can tell why she made a fantastic cross country coach a few years ago.

Looking happier than I felt in the late miles.

Unfortunately, I was reduced to a walk at mile 19 as my teammates soldiered on. It's odd because I've been in a position where I feel like there's nothing in the tank a bajillion times and am usually able to break through with a combination of positive self talk and mental games...not the case on this day. Even seeing the most enthusiastic Marathon Maniac, Dave Mari, on the course didn't help my legs snap out of it. If you peek at my Garmin splits, it looks like a completely different person was wearing the watch during the last 7 miles. I went from a consistent 8:10-8:40 range to 10+ minute miles. I had to reset it at miles 20, 22, and 24 because my mind simply couldn't take having more than 2 miles to go at a time. Nothing like seeing your 5K time on a 2 mile segment.

I finished in 3:49:53- still a sub 4 hour and far from a PW (personal worst), but nowhere near the performance I was hoping for. Frustrated as I was, those feelings quickly quickly vanished when reconnected with fellow runners: Jack was still smiling after his successful first ever half, Suz collected more funny race day stories to tell, Dane had finished all 26.2 miles despite injury, Shannon secured a time faster than her previous day's marathon, and Laura had a full 11 minutes to hold over her 4 hour finisher/coworker's head. These are the things I'm going to remember when you ask me about this race in a few years, not my time.

The shorts are patterned, not dirty!

Running is my partner in good health. Running is my coping technique for Trey's deployment. Running provides an outlet to test my limits and improve my self confidence. Running is my platform for daily prayer and time with God. Running introduces me to new cities and towns as I have traveled for work or moved to new Army posts. Running allows me to connect with nature.  Running has introduced me to and kept me involved with some of the best people I have ever met. Thanks for the reminder, state #32!