Run 51

Houston Marathon ABCs

2012-01-19T23:10:00.009-05:00

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

2011-12-13T21:08:00.012-05:00

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)

2011-11-26T20:16:00.017-05:00

"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

2011-11-13T10:33:00.012-05:00

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

2011-10-24T19:31:00.022-04:00

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 from 2008 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!

Hampton Rockfest 26.2 (Mother Nature: 1, Suz: 0)

2011-10-04T21:02:00.004-04:00

This race was dedicated to Erin- even if you can't SEE it through wind and rain, your finish line is there.

You can control a number of things going into a race: your training inputs, willingness to manage time and work hard, as well as your attitude. Out of your control? The weather. Now, I have experience running in less than ideal conditions: snow in Delaware, wind in Nevada and heat in Pennsylvania; however, in 30+ marathons and ultras, I've never encountered pouring rain on race day. There's a first time for everything...

Trey is on mid-tour leave and agreed to accompany me to earn my New Hampshire at the Hampton Rockfest Marathon. During the drive east, the rain was nonstop. Rose colored glasses gal at heart, I was convinced it would stop before 9 am and didn't really stress. This was, after all, a training run for JFK50; however, nobody in their right mind wants to run for a few hours in a downpour.

Prior to the race, I had asked the folks at Loco Racing if they could recognize Trey for his military service at some point during the starting festivities. They exceeded my expectations by insisting that he serve as the "Official Race Marshall", giving runners the cue to begin at the starting line. With experience in a number of ceremonies with the Air Force Honor Guard, including introducing the President, Trey brought his narrator voice A-game and gave us a deep, hearty "Runners on your mark, GO!" No "get set"- always keeping us on our toes, that's Trey.

The rain let up a little during the first couple of miles and turned into more of a mist, which felt nice. A Garmin error turned right just before mile 2 assisted in finding fellow Marathon Maniac Shannon, who has positioned herself to become the youngest female to finish all 50 states in sub 4 hours. Both of us uber chatty, we talked about the given- training, races, running goals, career, family, friends, and boys. We also dove into more serious topics, shared life's highs and lows, and discussed living in the moment since things can change so quickly. Alongside great conversation, we shared a steady 8:30/mile pace for the next 14 miles.

I have always enjoyed the camaraderie shared among other female runners in the marathon community, but something that struck me additionally about my new found running partner was her positivity. There we were in slippery conditions, miserable cold wind, and occasional bouts of heavy rain- Shannon was a ray of sunshine who had me smiling and laughing. Oprah Winfrey was right on when she said, "Surround yourself with only with people who are going to lift you higher"!

The thing about a marathon is, you'll always question your ability to finish at some point. It will never be smooth sailing. I guess that's what I enjoy about the distance- you can count on it for a challenge. Mile 18 was my gut check.

Shannon, who would finish a couple of minutes before me for her 15th sub 4 of the year, and I had separated after the only major hill of the race just before mile 17. "Hill" is giving it a lot of credit, too...more like "incline". This race was relatively flat, which you'd think would be fantastic; however, using the same muscles over and over again is much more painful in the late miles as compared to a course with more variety. My hips and lower back were throbbing. Adding insult to injury, it started pouring rain. The painful, b-word slap you in the face sort of rain. Shoes and socks were soaked and felt like they were 5 pounds each. No music because my Mp3 player had shorted out. I had to hold my arm over my eyes to block the wind and rain to see where I was going. This went on for about 6 miles so I mentally tapped sources of inspiration (looking at you, Erin) to continue.

Splish splashing into the final 2 miles, I was still maintaining an 8:30/mile pace and was comforted by the fact that I would achieve sub 4 hours for my 31st marathon state. Crossing the line in 3:41:47, I earned 9th out of 93 women in my age group, top 5% female, and top 10% overall finishers. Mentally, I have now been down the "it's raining during the race" road and will be more confident when (not if- I have a lot of marathons left to go!) this happens again. The best part? Trey was waiting for me at the finish line!

Leading Ladies 26.2- No Boys Allowed!

2011-08-23T08:38:00.011-04:00

The second race of my birthday double was Leading Ladies Marathon in Spearfish, SD. After 26.2 in Wyoming, I made the 7 hour drive, making it a point to eat, drink, and stretch as much as possible along the way. I didn't end up getting to my hotel until 8:30pm, which really isn't ideal marathon preparation…but then again neither is running a marathon the day before.

The race director, Elaine, had arranged for my race packet and bib to be waiting for me at the hotel since I couldn't make the expo. I was able to thank her face to face; she had all of the enthusiasm and charm I pictured in our months of email correspondence. It takes special people to put on events like this.

Break out the arm warmers (in August!)

I have always enjoyed the running camaraderie shared with other women, making this race- an all female marathon- especially unique. If that didn’t have “Suzy” written all over it, the fact that everything race related was either pink or floral did. If you know me, you understand that I’m as girly as they come. Case in point: the glittery tiara I wore on my head for this race to commemorate my 30th birthday and marathon state.

We caught a 4 am bus to the 6 am start of the point to point course, an expereince very reminiscent of Boston Marathon. During the half hour ride, there was a ton of chatter, positive energy, and excitement. I really enjoyed meeting the women around me, including my seatmate who is aiming for her 10th Marathon Maniac star by running 52 marathons in 2011. Without a doubt, you always find someone at these events who has more aggressive goals than you do.

The race began at 6000' elevation with one small climb (seemed small to me anyway, given the ascents in my last 2 marathons) up "Cyclone Hill" and then begins a gentle downhill that continued for the next 25 miles. Bad news for my blistered feet and fried quads from the day prior. Good news for the possibility of adding a state to my stretch goal efforts within 50 sub 4 Marathon Club.

Dances with Wolves was filmed in this area; it's pretty safe to assume there were no fancy computer effects- this course offered a tranquil setting and absolutely breathtaking view for the entire run: massive cliffs, rugged rock formations, moss draped spruce trees, wild flowers in full bloom, and grassy marsh areas. Canyon walls we passed through are said to be older than the Grand Canyon itself. Gorgeous!

Having trained in 90 degrees and high humidity, mid 40s temperatures felt like running heaven. I wore arm warmers, a headwrap, and fashioned an extra pair of socks into gloves. Thorlo hands kept me from giving a lot of my signature thumbs up, but they were necessary to stay warm. Lost in cool temps and gorgeous scenery, 13.1 miles arrived at 2:05 before I knew it. Provided I ran a negative split (second half faster than first half. You're welcome, non-running friends!), sub 4 hours would happen.

Want to capture an overwhelming amount of spectator support? Wear a tiara on your head. I have done everything from 'SUZY' in big bold letters on my shirt to running in costume, but nothing compares with the buzz that silly crown created. "Birthday girl!", "30! 30! 30!", and even a full chorus of Happy Birthday (using "runner" where the name would normally go) made me feel very special.

The tiara stayed on the entire time

Around mile 20, my bad self started offering excuses as to why I couldn't maintain the pace, with an overwhelming focus on "I ran 26.2 miles yesterday". The good thing about making a living as a health coach is that you are constantly teaching positive self talk as a coping technique. Practicing what I preach, out loud and in affirmation format (!), I went through the list of things in my favor. Ridiculous? Yes...but it eventually led to the understanding that nobody who was giving 100% felt good at this point, no matter when their last marathon was. For some reason, that was a boost.

I finished this race in 3:55:48, earning that negative split, 2nd in my new age group, and solidifying an overall time for both races that was 5 minutes faster than in 2008, when my double marathons were on pancake flat courses at sea level. THAT is how you celebrate a birthday...!

AG award was a spruce candle holder that Pavel tried to eat

Run (UP to & then) With The Horses Marathon

2011-08-22T16:25:00.030-04:00

For the last two years, I’ve been getting smoked by 22 and 23 year olds fresh off the college track team in the “Under 29” age group, so to say I have been excited about hitting 30 would be an understatement. The only way to run state number 30 over my 30th birthday weekend (because that is just too cool!) was to do a double- 26.2 miles on Saturday, then another full marathon on Sunday.

...and that's elevation at the START!

The distance itself was not a concern- my only distinct advantage in this sport isn’t speed, but the ability to recover quickly and be consistent. I’ve done back to back marathons once before for state #13 and state #14 in 2008. The challenge? Both races are high elevation, beginning above 6000', making altitude sickness a valid concern for someone who lives at sea level and has barely ever stepped foot above 7000’- much less try to run a marathon up there.

This was bound to happen sooner or later in my quest for all 50 states; unfortunately, I chose these races based on the calendar and didn’t even look at elevation charts until 2 weeks prior. My confidence was in the toilet going into Saturday’s event, Run With The Horses Marathon in Green River, WY.

After a briefing on snake safety by the RD, a very small field of less than 100 began the race at 6100'. As a preventative measure, I used my inhaler just before and wore a fuel belt for access to extra hydration. The design of the course was an “up and back”. Flatlanders are more familiar with “out and back”, meaning you run 13.1 out before turning around and coming home for the full 26.2. However, this is Wyoming and we were definitely climbing UP before heading back down to finish.

There were a handful of Marathon Maniacs at this race, including a friend from Running Club North in Fairbanks. I had a race strategy session/dinner with Erika, who I described as "late 30s, 40 at the most" prior to this trip, and her husband Peter the night before. Turns out she's 50. And fast. We were able to share the first 2 miles, my fastest of the day at 8:20 pace, before she blew past me and hustled her way to 2nd overall- just behind a very talented 20-something. It goes without saying, but I want to be Erika in 20 years- a gorgeous, talented athlete with a willingness to share earned knowledge with others.

At the 5K mark, we had already gained 1000’ and spent much of the next few miles on rolling hills at 5-6 % grades between 7300 and 7500’. Going into this race, I was all sorts of concerned about my breathing...but that didn't turn out to be the challenge at all. The most painful part of dealing with the elevation? Ears popping, followed by a dull headache, and minor nosebleed around mile 10. The most interesting part? When my brand new, very full tube of lip gloss expanded and EXPLODED. Inside my sports bra.

A slower pace gave me the ability to enjoy the beauty of the course. We were running across the White Mountains, high enough to overlook some of the most breathtaking canyons I've ever seen (sorry, Arizona). There is never really any guarantee the area's wild horses, namesake of the race, will be out- this year they were everywhere. I saw the first herd around mile 5 and almost every mile or so thereafter until mile 18. It was awesome to see them grazing and even running across the plains and past the rock formations along the canyon. I'm still kicking myself for not taking a camera.

The RD suggested adding 45-60 minutes to typical marathon times and I could see why. If the high desert elevation didn't get you, going uphill for 13 miles in a fierce headwind would. The Suzy Sunshine in me thought, "at least we'll have a tailwind coming back down!", but you guessed it: the wind changed direction by that time. There was little shade, as this area is considered high plains desert, so I was grateful for the low humidity when the sun came out during the later miles.

I had this grand plan to save my quads on the final downhill miles for the following day’s marathon, but in the moment that sounded dumb so I used gravity to my advantage. I was screwed for the next day, anyway- my road shoes were filled with small pieces of gravel the entire race; I could already feel the blisters that had formed. This is a sore spot for me: 40+ reviews on marathonguide for this race with plenty of detail about shirts and medals, but nobody suggested trail shoes and/or gaiters.

Horseshoe was a bit heavy for my model's neck

Crossing the line in 4:26:38 (just outside an hour from my PR; they were dead on re: estimating time), I earned 4th female overall and a 1st place finish in my new age group! As promised, the medal was super and the AG award was an actual bronzed horseshoe.

The calendar certainly worked in my favor- this was the perfect Wyoming. There was a time when I looked for flat, fast race options only. While there is something to be said for testing speed, with that strategy you miss total jewels like this.

State #29 was, hands down, the most beautiful setting I have ever run in and seeing the wild horses was definitely worth the challenging climb.

(you've gotta be sort of) Mad Marathon

2011-07-17T21:56:00.026-04:00

1. July marathon on the east coast 2. in a state I haven’t done 3. during the family reunion. For me, the Mad Marathon in Waitsfield, VT was a running trifecta.

The one thing I love more than the challenge of the distance itself is sharing marathon miles with others. My Uncle, an experienced three time Ironman, joined me for his first standalone 26.2. We agreed to run as much as possible together but allowed the other person a pass if/when they needed to speed up.

At 7:30 am, we began under clear skies and temperatures in the low 60s. 1200 lined up, with just under 500 doing the full. I have a bad habit of getting swept up in the half marathon stampede and going out too fast, so it was great to have my Uncle there to keep my pace in check.

As "The World's Most Beautiful Marathon", this race earned it's tagline as we began on Route 100 and headed north, passing through a neat covered bridge that crossed over the Mad River. Almost immediately after the mile 1 mark, we began winding up a hill. A really steep one. It just kept on going...and going. This was not going to be easy.

After a very sharp drop from that hill, the course leveled off onto a gravel road for the next few miles and through another covered bridge. We ran a surprisingly even 9 min/mile during the first 10K, resisting the temptation to burn out our quads on the downhill descents. I would never have been able to do that on my own; Uncle Tre must have realized we’d be going back up those same descents in a few more miles!

The next stretch of the course broke off into a wishbone pattern, turning around at an orange cone twice before reversing back again, allowing me to absorb and share the positive energy from many Marathon Maniacs. With almost 4000 total, I am sort of an OG (“Original Gangsta”- you’re welcome) at #891 and it was funny to see reactions as I introduced myself to others.

Uncle Tre and I talked the entire first half about everything under the sun. It was really enjoyable and served as dissociation from the early hills. At one point, he mentioned a nagging injury and I quickly implemented a rule system requiring 2 positive statements per negative remark. I use this with myself during training runs and it works- if anything, to get out of the habit of letting negative thoughts surface. Either that or you look like an idiot talking to yourself.

Shortly after halfway at 2:12 and still chatting up a storm, we approached what is affectionately called “The Dip”. It looked like a roller coaster drop. There was no puke at the bottom, but I caught myself thinking, "Has the chute from Equinox 50K in Fairbanks followed me all the way to Vermont?!"

Now, I don't mind hills. Some runners loathe them, but I honestly appreciate the grind up and the feeling of accomplishment once I've made it to the top. Sure, I’m not gonna run 7:30 splits or PR; but I always do better within my gender and age group on a really hilly course. However, a few "Holy shit!"s and an "Are you kidding me?" later, I questioned the likelihood of a sub 4 hour marathon.

Around mile 15, I took Uncle Tre up on that pass. Having been conservative in the early miles, I was able to pick up the pace to 8:30/mile, taking advantage of gradual descent. I was focused only on my “second 10 miler”, having split the race mentally into 10, 10, and 6 miles. Breaking down into manageable parts is how I handle difficult situations, be it running or otherwise.

A sign that read "your feet hurt because you are kicking so much ass!" lifted my spirits , as did the many spectators along the course with treats, sprinkler systems, and words of encouragement. Just after mile 22, I saw my own support crew: my Mom, Mima, Aunt Theresa, Cousin Caroline, Mother-in-Law BJ, and Father-in-Law Scott. They were so enthusiastic the runners around me joked that they wanted to “share my family” and asked which races that specific crew would be at in the Fall!

Once I hit mile 23 at just under 3:40, I was averaging low 8 minute miles and knew that I was hovering the line for my overall time of either 4:01+ or 3:59:ish, which is (as the name implies) required for the 50<4 marathon club. I pushed to a 7:20, 7:16, and 7:13 in the final miles to secure a 3:59:26 finishing time, making me 17th female overall and 3rd in my age group.

The final 10K of this race is a testament to what Crossfit can do specifically for marathon running. This is something that a lot of runners like to debate (read: trash). When I PRed in Eugene, several folks assured me that I would be undertrained on more challenging terrain. Nyet. I’ll continue to use an adaptation of Crossfit Endurance (add long runs every other week) for fall races, including JFK50. It's a fantastic advantage. Selfishly (!), I sort of hope no women in my age group adopt it and continue to mileage themselves to death.

Sharing state #28 with my Uncle, who crushed his previous marathon PR from a dead flat IM marathon course, was the highlight of this event. Proud of the sub 4 on a challenging course, too. George Costanza style, I’m leaving the “Under 29” age group on a high note!

27 lessons from my 27th state

2011-06-01T18:05:00.011-04:00

1. Leave your ego at home. I chose the 50K option of the Run for Kids 12 Hour, 50K, & 5K- although I usually go for the longest option available (i.e. full over half, ultra instead of marathon), I was still banking off of training from Eugene and not physically or mentally prepared for the 12 hour.

2. If you must drive 7 hours each way, do it through the Smoky Mountains.

3. Averaging 5 hours of sleep/night the entire week before a race is a bad idea.

4. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” sounds better in Alabama.

5. Running skirts are super cute.

6. Small inaugural events are not to be avoided. I constantly hear horror stories about first time events; in my experience, organization for a smaller group is fine. In fact, at both Rehoboth Beach Marathon and in this event, the RDs have gone out of their way to make sure I had an extra special experience.

7. It is possible to get a size small shirt at race day packet pick up.

8. Shared miles are the best miles. One of my co-workers, Monica decided on a whim to join me in the 50K and we spent the first third of the race catching up. Nonstop chatter- who needs an iPod?!

9. The same 3 mile loop 10 times is no guarantee for the directionally challenged.

10. The same 3 mile loop 10 times guarantees 9 visits to the aid station.

11. Best fuel: PB&J

12. Running in extreme heat with little shade is awful for everyone, no matter what conditions you are accustomed to.

13. However, you don’t want your first taste of 90 degree weather and accompanying Southern humidity in almost 2 years to be during a 31 mile race.

14. Use salt tabs.

15. Wear Marathon Maniac gear. There were 3 other Maniacs at this event; as usual, I enjoyed the camaraderie.

16. Speaking of Maniacs, I finally got to meet Larry Macon, who made my day by exclaiming, “You’re unstoppable!” during my final loop.

17. Establish ground rules. Monica and I agreed early on that we would separate if needed. Around mile 25, I was extremely dehydrated and experiencing painful muscle spasms that reduced me to a run-walk. Monica maintained a steady pace and ended up the 2nd female overall in her first 50K!

18. Drop bag: security blanket

19. Run with someone better than you. Monica is an experienced Ironwoman and straight up beast of an athlete- if she lived closer, I’d stalk her gym sessions and training runs because it’d only make me better.

20. I first learned that concept at Crossfit Fairbanks and now use it at Crossfit Vitality- purposely going to classes with folks who straight up smoke me. The way I see it? If I’m finishing first, something is wrong.

21. The sun does not care if you call it an asshole.

22. Crossing the finish line: good. Getting a call from Trey a few minutes later: better.

23. A garden hose can double as “shower facilities”.

24. You cannot achieve a PR in every race. I finished in 5:49:07- 50 minutes slower than my last 50K, which featured 2400’ collective ascent and much more challenging terrain.

25. Put things in perspective. My time was 9 minutes faster than the 3rd male overall.

26.No excuse is a good excuse.

27. Do what needs to be done: state #27, Alabama, is in the books!

Eugene Marathon

2011-05-03T21:04:00.009-04:00

When I stepped up to the starting line in Eugene, I was about as far from focused as could be. Having bid Trey goodbye a week prior for a year long deployment, emotions were still very raw. Only two days ago, Mom helped me pack up the entire house in a single day so I could spend the year in NC. On little sleep and lots of allergy and cold medication, I was about to make a run (pun intended) at breaking 3:30, which has long been a goal of mine after coming painfully close in Arizona , Akron and Hartford.

A 9 year old with a Christina Aguleria style voice belted out the National Anthem before the gun signaled the beginning of the race. Her singing was beautiful and, in a very un-Suz way, I got emotional. Loud, sloppy sobbing (give me a break people, I miss my husband!). Many others reacted as well and there were very few dry eyes in our corral.

The first few miles were conservative. I'm typically a very social runner, but it was hard to breathe (due to that existing cold and stuffy nose), much less talk. I listened to music in an effort to dissociate, which is something I haven't done in a long time. It is fun to run with music- what a nice reminder! By 49:19 at the 10K mark, I felt much better than any medicine had made me feel in the last week and was maintaining a pace of slightly over 8 minute miles.

By mile 10, I was really enjoying the race. There were several 50 Staters and Marathon Maniacs to swap stories with. Many were curious what I had done for training runs during the months of February and March, when temperatures in Fairbanks averaged -40. I shared that most of my running was done indoors on a treadmill until it got warm enough to snowshoe. This was also the first time I adopted a training schedule with much lower mileage combined with heavy strength training and WODs at Crossfit Fairbanks 4 times a week. When asked how it worked for me, I smiled and said, "We're about to find out today, huh?!"

Despite sharing the first 12 miles with the half marathoners, it never got crowded enough to bottleneck. Temperatures had risen from 40 degrees to low 60s with a cool breeze- perfect running weather. After an out and back in the University area, we followed a bicycle path alongside the water through the city; it was gorgeous! I would have actually loved some hills for variety, but happily took the 7:58 pace instead. At half marathon, the clock read 1:43:50 and I could see the 3:30 pace group in the distance.

Spectators were out in full force and very spirited. Among the many signs alongside the course, my favorites read: "I'm proud of you, complete stranger", "There is tequila at the Finish", and "Chuck Norris Never Ran a Marathon". However, the best support came at mile 18 when I saw Mom and my dog, Pavel!
Experienced runners will tell you (rightfully so!) that a marathon begins at mile 20. At 2:39:03, I ended my long run and began my 10K race. At this point, the difference between my training for this race versus previous traditional high volume plans was clear- I felt physically stronger than I ever have so late in a marathon. Any skepticism I had about trading miles for cross training was gone. As I passed the 3:30 pacer around mile 24, I was all smiles as I thought about chalking my hands up for heavy deadlifts and the hundred day burpee challenge, among other things Crossfit.

Having just finished reading Kenny Moore's Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, it was a special honor to finish the race on the track at historic Hayward Field. As an added bonus, I saw Mom cheering at the final 100 meter stretch and finished well under my goal time in 3:28:36. Personal record! I was 437 of 2239 total runners, 94 of 1079 women, and 26 of 198 in my division. I wish the story happily ended here, really I do...

You'd think someone with twenty plus marathon events would have a post race plan, right? A specific place to meet family afterward? Maybe $20 in cash for emergencies? Not your girl. After a half hour wandering through crowds, I began walking in the direction I thought our hotel was...which was, of course, the wrong way. After about 3 additional miles, I finally went in a random store to use the phone, through some red tape, and connected with Mom. I wasn't mad, though...at least I had crossed the finish line prior to doing those additional miles, unlike Kenai!

Kenai River (ultra)Marathon

2010-10-05T14:58:00.015-04:00

Warning: this does not end well.

Having felt very confident about my performance a week prior at Equinox 50K, I decided to squeeze one more race into the condensed Alaska running season. In its 3rd year, the Kenai River Marathon is a popular among runners in the southeast area of the state since it is the last option before winter. Winter, of course, being October.

It was odd to be scrambling for a local hotel and registering at packet pick up since I usually plan months in advance, but the upside was that I didn’t have time to get nervous. Because this was a small event of only about 200, including 70 full marathoners, I met many fellow participants at the spaghetti feed and Race Director’s welcome the night prior. I don’t mind missing these types of events for big city races, but for small events they are a must- you really get a feel for the local community and the area you’ll experience on race day.

The race began at 9 am, allowing me to get a much needed night of rest after an 8 hour drive down. Lining up with familiar faces, we braced ourselves for 20 mph gusts of wind that accompanied the already chilly morning. Cold is fine, but running in heavy wind is just miserable. Thoughts of similar conditions at Las Vegas Marathon and Ocean Drive Marathon were stirring in my head when the gun went off…

The first few miles took us around the small town of Kenai in before transitioning to a paved bike path leading to Soldonta. We got a separate start from the half marathoners, so the pack thinned out very quickly. I ran the first 5 miles a bit too fast at about 7:30 minutes each. I took a deliberate walk break at the first relay exchange and settled into a steady 8:20 pace, which was comfortable over mostly flat terrain.

At the half marathon point, I was pleased to see Amanda announce a 1:42. I hadn’t really been keeping an eye on the clock and just assumed the wind had slowed me down more. At this pace, I was on target to beat my PR of 3:31, which I’m not sure I can even claim anymore as it was achieved 2 years ago. Despite having run the Equinox 50K last week, my body felt great and the time boosted my confidence. I wanted a new PR.

That's me behind hat man and his very loyal pacer

The course is described as “scenic” but with the exception of Chugach Mountain range views, left a little to be desired when compared with others in Alaska. More important, fellow runners were full of “Great work!” and “Atta Girl!”s ; volunteers were equally enthusiastic. I appreciated the fresh legs of relay runners, who helped me stay on pace. At 2:38, I had reached mile 20 in the fastest time in my running life.

Okay, so the bike got annoying after awhile...

Coming back into town at mile 25, there was a busy road crossing where the Kenai police had been redirecting or stopping traffic for race participants. I crossed the road and thanked the Officer, who pointed me to turn left. Given the aforementioned small event and windy conditions, there had been relatively few course marshals and/or markers all day. I saw one runner in the distance and assumed the left turn put me in the right direction to finish.

When Amanda notified me of my mile split (in this case, totaling the 26th mile) and there was no sign of a finish line in sight, I began to worry I had gone the wrong way. Dude in front of me kept turning around, probably beginning to have similar fears but reinforced by the fact that someone was on the same path. In another half mile, a volunteer from an earlier aid station pulled over and told both of us what I had suspected but didn’t want to accept: we were off the course. Apparently after the busy road left turn, there was an immediate right that would go straight to the finish.

I had been holding an adrenaline filled sub 8 minute miles during this confusion, but lost all motivation when it sunk in that I’d have to retrace my steps for over a mile plus run the correct final 1.2 miles of the course. I slowed to a 9 minute pace and my body was not hearing any other requests. The other guy flew by me as if he had intended to run 29 miles in the first place. I felt angry, embarrassed, frustrated and desperate.

"Direction is more important than speed" - unknown

Though it would have been a nice outlet, there was really nobody to blame. It was the police officer’s job to get me across the road safely and he did exactly that. The runner in front of me was not an official race pacer. I had seen a map and briefing of the course at the spaghetti feed the night prior. Even now, my most rational explanation is that this was my 27th marathon and it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Crossing the finish line in 3:54, I earned 5th female overall, 3rd in my age group, 8000 additional steps on my pedometer for our challenge at work, and a medal that looks cute on my dog.

I’m still angry.

Equinox 50K- Fairbanks, Alaska

2010-09-30T17:22:00.011-04:00

Billed as the second toughest marathon course in North America, the Equinox is not a race intended for PRs. In fact, the suggestion is to add 30-45 minutes to your flat land marathon time in an effort to estimate a finish. Having already secured my Alaska marathon (BQ!) at Mayor's in Anchorage, I chose the 50K option and got excited about the challenge.

Elevation Profile

At 31.25 miles, a 50K qualifies as an ultra marathon. I’d need both hands to count the number of times I heard, “That’s not much more- only a few miles more than the 26.2 of a marathon. It can’t be THAT much harder”. Having completed the Dances with Dirt 50K, my response is: 1. look at terrain before comparing sheer number of miles 2. Try that statement without whimpering at mile 28!

Ready to Run!

The Equinox is relatively small by lower 48 standards, with 700ish total participants in relay, marathon, and ultra events; however, those numbers are big for Alaska. Fairbanks is a weather gamble in mid September; I’m told one year they had to cancel the race due to snow and ice! This year, we were blessed with comfortable temperatures beginning in the mid 50s and steadily climbing to low 60s. Leaves on the trees were beautiful shades of gold and orange- a perfect Fall day.

After pre-race instructions from the Race Director, we lined up to begin the race and attack the first of many hills- a humbling 200 foot climb on single track path that quickly led us to the woods. The University’s ski trails are known for roots and ruts but I felt confident having already done this portion of the course during group training runs offered by Running Club North. I was able to settle into a steady pace much more quickly than usual.

Great mile 8

I got a mental boost from seeing Trey at mile 9, which marked the beginning of the 1800 foot climb up to Ester Dome. As expected, everyone slowed substantially at this point but lucky for us it was a less challenging surface- combination of paved and dirt road. Because it stretches out over a 4 mile climb, this wasn’t exactly a hill one could pick up the pace and charge up. Often in ultras, runners will conserve energy by walking up hills (preserving for the distance- an opportunity cost thing); however, walking 4 miles isn’t exactly the brightest strategy either.

As a dissociation technique, I used my mp3 player to climb Ester Dome. Vehicles were not allowed at all on this area of the course; while logistically challenging for the relay runners, was great not having to dodge cars while heading up the hill “plugged in”. I was actually surprised to check in with Amanda (my Garmin) to see I was maintaining sub 10 minute miles during the climb- a much faster pace than originally expected. I don’t want to give the RD any ideas, but a similar ascent over roots and rocks would have been pure hell. This was at least manageable hell!

The accomplishment of reaching the 2300 foot summit of Ester Dome was short-lived. At mile 13, I lost the headphones in order to focus on the next 5 miles of rolling hills and two-way traffic over a rugged single track path. It was demoralizing to finally be headed downhill, carefully choosing footing among the rocks only to have to come to a stop, turn around and start climbing back up again. A redeeming factor was seeing the other runners during this “out and back” portion- many smiles, thumbs up, and words of encouragement were traded. I gave special props to the other green bib 50K participants.

Mean mile 16

I got another much needed boost from Trey just before mile 17, where I thought I had met certain death for a third of a mile. The infamous “chute” of the Equinox course basically spits you down a 1000 foot descent along a fire break over rocks and ruts- it was scary. Another runner warned me about the number this does on one’s stomach before I approached the fully stocked aid station about a mile earlier…unfortunately, not everyone got that memo. There were sizeable pools of vomit at the bottom of the chute.

Quads burning, I headed back into the woods to take advantage of the gradual downhill section through a beautiful Birch forest. Continuing over a 1200 foot descent, mile 20 left the trail and greeted the pavement. With the help of fresh-legged relay participants, I was able to pick up the pace to 7 minute miles and make up for some of the earlier lost time. I was aware of being sore, but the physical pain in my body seemed to be separate from my mind. <--I know how Mr. Miyagi that sounds, but it’s true!

At just over mile 25, the 50K participants split from the marathoners and followed campus ski trails for the remaining 6 miles. Despite the more technical terrain, I was still maintaining sub 8 minute miles until mile 27, when I tripped over a root and fell. This definitely shook my confidence and it took a few minutes to settle back into it. I was the gal on the course talking out loud to herself: “You’re okay. Pick ‘em up and put ‘em down. You’re okay”. Insane in the membrane.

Just as I was lulled into a sense of complacency with the gentle trails along the final miles, the Equinox threw in one final test: a short, yet steep hill to climb and descend before the finish line. Somehow, it seemed fitting for this challenge.

Tough run, Comrade.

I survived the Equinox!

I crossed the line a full hour earlier than expected in 4:59, earned 4th female overall in the 50K, and finally have an answer for those who ask which has been my FAVORITE race.

Mayor's Marathon- Anchorage, Alaska

2010-06-23T13:06:00.034-04:00

I have wanted to do the Mayor’s Midnight Sun marathon since 2007, when my roommate at the time came back from Anchorage raving about the scenic course. In the same breath we announced our move to Fairbanks earlier this year, I also signed up for this race! I was seriously overdue to run a marathon, having done my last 7 months ago in Arkansas.

Training began in mid March, also known on Alaska thermometers as “high of 5 degrees”. Lots of treadmill running. After the final snowfall in late April, it began warming up and I had excellent weather and 20+ hours of daylight during the months following for high mileage and doubles. Feeling pretty good about my progress, I was thinking about the possibility of a Boston qualifying (BQ) time. Then I read some reviews of the race.

I doubt that too many people set PRs on this course…the top finisher took 2:36, so that’s not a course for a Boston qualifier…..don't try and do any sort of PR; maybe even quit looking at the watch…it is not a BQ sort of race…Brutal course!

Say WHHAAAAAAAT? As it turns out, this race is a hilly combination of narrow bike paths, single track trail, and 8 miles of gravel (or as the reviews put it: “loose, golf ball size gravel”, “big, ankle-biting rocks”, “FML terrain"). Okay, cool…I found a gravel road and trained on it. It takes a considerable amount of time and money to travel from Fairbanks; my BQ needed to be in state- no excuses!

After a beautiful drive through Denali and down to Anchorage, I enjoyed the low key expo and stayed at the host hotel. This is a huge Leukemia Society Team In Training (TNT) event so many in the hotel were with them. Each of these folks had committed to a very challenging fundraising goal; I enjoyed conversations with a lot of their first time marathoners, each with an interesting story about why they were there.

The race morning shuttle to the start of this point to point course was, to put it lightly, CHAOS. I chalked it up to everyone else being as nervous as I was about the forecasted rain, but the combination of the busses being slightly late and the aforementioned group feeling like they had to do everything 20 deep didn’t help. The only calm people? Locals and/or Marathon Maniacs. An unofficial prerequisite for living in Alaska is to be chill (seriously, this state has sucked the Type A right out of me!) and Maniacs have enough experience to be cool with whatever amount of time given beforehand. By the time we made it to Bartlett High School for the start, there was a lot of loud, accented yelling…I can tell you exactly where the Northeast TNT chapter was at all times.

With 5 minutes to spare, we lined up for the start with runners representing 48 states and 7 Canadian provinces. With only 1000 or so marathoners, started separately and an hour earlier from the half, the narrow bike path was not an issue. As my roommate had reported 3 years earlier, it was a remarkably beautiful course. Even with the light showers that began around mile 5, Mount Sustina was visible and wildflowers decorated the grass in bright purple and yellow. Weather was perfect- about 60 degrees. The first 7 miles went by swiftly in just under an hour, an average of 8 minutes per mile.

Miles 7-15 were run on the gravel “Tank Trail”, just outside Fort Richardson Army Post. The gravel was exactly as others had described but I felt at an advantage having trained on similar terrain. I knew I would slow and had paced myself to lose about 30 seconds per mile; unfortunately, paired with some pretty relentless uphill sections, 2 stream crossings, and a heavy downpour of rain I slowed to 8:45-9 minute miles. The Ultima sports drink provided on course did not help. Peee-youke.

I wasn’t physically hurting but admittedly frustrated, thus hurting mentally earlier in the race than usual. The TNT support along the course was especially helpful at these times and they recognized the Maniac jerseys as much as their own purple. I was right on point for a BQ at the half marathon point with a time just under 1 hour 50 minutes. This was also the location for the first sensor mat, which makes sense for keeping track of runners but negates the purpose of having a chip. No sensor mat at the start = no chip time = wish I had started more toward the front!

Even though I was finally in a marathon that allowed headphones, my mp3 broke the week prior and my old backup was giving me issues the night before. This left me with an audio book on player that I purposely treated myself to in the second half: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw”. Yes, this is the third in a series and I had already been through the other two. Reading levels be darned, it helped charge me up and down the hills and I was holding onto a 8:20ish pace through mile 20, entering the Tony Knowles coastal trail at 2 hours 47 minutes. By this time, it had stopped raining and the hurt had “flipped”: physically, my quads were spent from the hills but mentally I felt great as a result of getting faster in the late miles. I continued to speed up, coming back to an average of 8 minute miles for the final 4.

The largest hill at Mayor’s comes at mile 25.5, connecting with the half marathon where there are a significant number of pack runners. In all my painful glory I charged up this hill, using the Jen Cox mantra “I didn’t train to WALK”. Apparently the halfers had the opposite strategy- as I sped up, they slowed. It looked like they barged in on a race by mistake during their Saturday walk. Instead of empowering me, I sort of felt like an ass. Sort of, but not enough to follow suit.

A lap around the track at West Anchorage High led me to the finish line, where I crossed at a Boston Qualifying time of 3:37:53- gun times only here in Alaska! I was 2nd in my 25-29 age group, beaten by a girl from…wait for it…North Carolina! I was also the 15th female of 384 and part of the small percentage that BQed; however, both stats are somewhat skewed given the higher than normal field of first time TNT runners. Nonetheless, my proudest finish and my 25th state in an effort to do all 50 plus DC. Would definitely recommend Mayor's to other 50 staters looking for their AK. Pavel approved the medal, too.

Bourbon Chase Overnight Relay

2009-11-23T10:25:00.023-05:00

For me, running has always been an individual sport. Sure, I enjoy the camaraderie of sharing the race experience with others, but my success in an event has always been up to one person: ME. The Bourbon Chase, a 200 mile overnight relay from Bardstown to Lexington KY, allowed me to share the challenge and accomplishment with others. My company put together a corporate team consisting of 15 people- 12 runners and 3 van drivers.

With a course that ran through 6 famous bourbon distilleries- Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Makers Mark, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and Woodford Reserve- it was bound to be a unique experience. Add to that the fact that none of us really knew each other and we were about to spend 24 hours traveling and sleeping in a van while rotating running segments totaling just under 20 miles each...

John, leg 7: I was actually thankful for the rain. Once I hit that first hill it didn’t matter! I was hurting from there to the check point.

JC, leg 8: Cooperage hill kicked my butt (a little bit). Small detour in town. A bird crapped on my head on the last segment; they said it was good luck- I’m not so sure.

Logan, leg 9: Great time. Love it. Felt wonderful finishing knowing everyone was there waiting.

Suzy, leg 10: Okay, so I didn’t feel “great” the whole time (blame the hills!), but my teammates did make me feel like a rock star at the handoff. It was peaceful to run in the dark.

Tim, leg 11: First leg in full darkness! Was so dazed n’ confused after running that I forgot to pass on the bracelet.

Jen, leg 12: First 2 miles were uphill…a little challenging in the dark. Almost stepped on a dead possum in the road- yuck! Felt good to finally run.

Sundar, master of transportation: It’s a lot of fun being a driver and watching other people running with confidence and pride. It has also helped me to get to know our teammates better.

John, leg 19: I think I should do all my legs on just a couple hours of sleep! Felt good the whole time. Runners bunched together more on this leg, so it gave incentive to try and catch peeps.

JC, leg 20: 5 miles of headwind, but no rain and good road. A green eyed Weimaraner 3 feet from the bir. Needed the pants- the time sucked.

Logan, leg 21: Good run, fast for me. 8 miles instead of 5- went the wrong way!

Suzy, leg 22: Went to Wild Turkey instead of Four Roses for the handoff and waited and extra 45ish minutes before realizing the mistake! Spent the next 8 miles wondering how we’d explain this to van #1…we wanted an “adventure”, right?!

Tim, leg 23: Best view of the day for me, but very hilly. The bridge was so high- I would like to see it again.

Jen, leg 24: Beautiful! Got to see horse country and Woodford Reserve. The course was very hilly, but Logan cme with me and we finished strong together.

Logan, leg 31: Last one! My legs and mind were tired. Feels great to be finished…also sad that it isn’t going on until next year.

JC, leg 32: Saw 3 horses being worked out in the Kentucky Bluegrass. Felt great to get a beer and a Blantons! Make reservations for 2010!

John, leg 33: Waffle House was the death of me!!! While I met the goal time, I paid for it on every hill! Still loved it!

Suzy, leg 34: It was nice to see neighborhood spectators along the course. Thought I’d throw up at the end, but I didn’t want to embarrass Logan as he joined me for the final stretch!

Tim, leg 35: Very long rolling hills. It might be awhile before Sir Timothy runs for 36 hours and sleeps in a van…!

Jen, leg 36: The last leg was extended from 6.2 miles to 7.6 miles. I paced myself and finished strong. My knees hurt, but the adrenaline rush was awesome! It felt great to cross the finish line with the whole team!

Although it doesn't count as my Kentucky race (already have that one from Kentucky Derby Marathon 2007), I wanted to share the experience and recommend that everyone put at least one overnight relay on their "running to do list".

Midsouth Marathon

2009-11-11T20:58:00.006-05:00

No, seriously- this was the shirt.

The Mid South Marathon in Wynne, Arkansas was a small race with the opportunity to take a shot of my own at pacing a group. Having utilized pacing groups in the past with very positive results (including my first BQ), I was eager to add a new type of experience to my 24th marathon.

I drove the 7 hours to Wynne by myself- Trey and I established long ago that he does not need to be at every race. The marathon isn’t exactly a spectator sport and Wynne isn’t exactly a tourist hotspot. I signed up to pace the 5:15 group- when I ran my first marathon in 2003, I finished in just over 5:15 and this experience was about paying it forward.

It was nice to have the added security of my Garmin, “Amanda” (named for the only training partner I’ve ever had who can keep me consistently on pace), as my running has improved and this was now quite a bit slower than my normal pace. I drove the out and back course to get a feel for turns, terrain, etc. That evening, I not only got a good night of sleep, but it was the first time that I didn't obsess over race strategy!

The entire field consisted of around 300 marathoners and 300 half marathoners gathered at Wynne High School for the start. The race itself was pretty old school with a spray painted line on the road serving as the start and pieces of felt with times printed in iron on letters. About 15 minutes before the start, we did introductions and instructions about running with the group. Our crew had a handful of full marathoners and a good deal of half marathoners, most planning to use the “Galloway method” (run/walk).

Upon the start- not a gun, a megaphoned “GO!”- I lost at least half of the full marathoners. Ironically enough, these were also the runners who (predictably) we would pass in the later miles of the race. It doesn’t matter if you are shooting for 8 minute or 12 minute miles, the same holds true: go out too fast and you'll hit the wall, go out too slow and you won't be able to make up the time later.

Around the 6 mile mark, the temperature was already in the high 70s and (I am guessing) the humidity was over 80%. The weather conditions brought out every ambulance in Cross County…all three of them. The course ran through rural farm country and offered little shade for us, but water stops at every other mile helped us stay cool.

Along with tracking the walk breaks and affirming that it was okay to be human in a marathon on an 80-degree day, our group stayed motivated with good conversation and also discussed advice for recovery and training for the future. We shared stories of training runs, previous races, and told knock knock jokes. One member was running the race in memory of his spouse, who he spent miles describing in both happy and trying times- I was grateful that he shared the memories so willingly.

At the 12 mile marker, we wished our half marathon bunch farewell- they were on target to finish within their desired time range. With only a handful of remaining, we were able to enjoy the intimate camaraderie of running with a small group. The other runners were extremely positive. Since I opted not to bring music on the course (typical dissociation in the late miles), it was refreshing to have conversation and the optimism of the group to pull through.

Around 23, my stomach reacted to all of the Gatorade I had been drinking to stay cool...Gatorade is not usually my drink of choice but I drank it anyway. Rookie mistake- some pacer I am, huh? We were all in various forms of pain by that point and had made a pact that if a negative thought entered your head, you had to say something positive. “I have the yummiest strawberry lip gloss on!”, “We get a medal!”, “My ear lobe feels great!” I’m not sure I’ll ever deal with a negative thought the same way again.

State number 24 was crossed off my list with a pacer time of 5:13:46 for the 5:15 group- not bad for a rookie! On the flip side, I realized how much I savor racing alone- soaking in my surroundings, drifting in and out of conversations with other runners, and strategizing as the race goes on based on how I feel and controlling my own moves versus consulting a group. In 2010, I need to beat my PR in Akron...perhaps I'll use a 3:30 pacer to do it!

Lewis & Clark Marathon

2009-09-23T11:33:00.019-04:00

I love races- travel to and from, packet pick up, exploring a new town, pinning the bib on, chatting with others at the start, and challenging myself at a distance that never fails to humble. As such, I usually schedule 2 races per 15ish week training period. I am not Speedy McSpeedson, but my body recovers quickly…so physically, it suits me. Mentally, it limits the amount of performance pressure I experience in each race.

Having just done well but not gone all out in the Tupelo Marathon a week prior, I was ready for the Lewis and Clark Marathon. Ideas of requalifying for Boston Marathon or PRing even entered my head. The timing of the race was perfect and the location in St. Charles, Missouri was significant because it is the hometown of a very dear friend, Jen. Also a frequent racer, this would be the 4th race Jen and I have done (we have an unwritten rule that each runs her own pace throughout, but the travel/pre/post is always together) and a great way to celebrate our 5th friendship anniversary.

After a great pre-race dinner and 8+ hours of sleep, we enjoyed the convenient 5 minute walk to the starting line from our hotel. 65 degrees was a bit hot for our 7:15 start, but I was certainly not complaining, as last year’s race was cancelled 10 miles in due to heavy rainfall and flooding from Hurricane Ike. The starting area was well organized and I was glad to hear the National Anthem, as 2 of my last 3 races have been without. Judging by the laughs and fist pumps from those around me, I was not the only one who really enjoyed going through the starting chute and running the first quarter mile with the Chariots of Fire theme blaring from the speakers.

We began on the eastern side of the river in the part of town known as Riverport. Sounded cute in the marketing materials, but in reality it is actually a business park. Whatever. From there, we ran on closed roads through Earth City and onto a highway. I love running on the highway during a race- perhaps since it is the one place I can’t run during training, I feel like a rebel doing it.

Making our way into downtown St. Charles via bridge, we got the best view yet of the city's riverfront along the water. These first few miles were exactly what I envisioned for this race: steady 8 minute miles, perfect weather, friendly people to talk to. Unfortunately, my legs were definitely feeling the week prior- they were heavy and noodle-y all at once. It was definitely too early in the race to feel SO tired; my time reflected this too, as I had gone straight to 10 minute miles with no “in between”.
When another runner pointed out the 81 degrees on one of those digital signs, my suspicion that the temperature had shot up quickly was solidified. This wouldn’t have been so bad if we would have had shade every once in awhile. The sun was just beating down and by mile 12, I saw 1:52 and realized this was not going to be a PR. Or a Boston qualifier. Or sub-4. Ugh, should I just stop at the half??

Upon entering the city of St. Charles, we ran through a combination of open greenspaces and areas of the river floodplain. We went into city parks and through Frenchtown, which is positioned nicely to overlook the Missouri River. As luck would have it, this scenery wasn’t quite distracting enough to avoid the celebration at the half marathon finish line at Frontier Park. Although directed to a separate chute, full marathoners actually SEE halfers cross the finish, receive their medal, hug family and friends, and celebrate their accomplishment. The course at my very first marathon was set up similarly; I have never been so grateful for experience of resetting mentally and soldiering through for another 13.1 miles.

The next 6.5 miles took us along Katy Trail, a railroad turned greenway with mostly dirt and gravel, for an out-and-back stretch. I like passing out thumbs ups, greeting other runners I had chatted with in the early miles, and seeking out other Marathon Maniacs. This time, I was especially inspired during this race by seeing Kristyn Birrell of Bozeman, MT pushing her 12-year-old cousin, Chessa, in a specially-constructed jogger. I found out later that Chessa, who has no use of her legs and extremely limited use of her arms, has spinal muscular atrophy- just like my niece Katelyn.

This is SO DUMB (especially after the inspiration provided by the gals above) but I got annoyed at seeing two older, slower-looking people in front of me around mile 19. I had just run a marathon 7 days prior, so I don't know why I expected to be faster in the first place, but I just felt like hands down- these two should never have been in front of me. Around this same time, another girl who had a “my first marathon” sign on her shirt passed me. She shouldn't have been in front of me either. My rational self said, “Suz, you have 6 more miles to go. The race begins here, so run your OWN pace. Don’t worry about anyone else.” I ignored her and sped up to get ahead of all 3 of these people.

Around mile 23, I paid dearly for that move. My legs, still heavy noodles, were the least of my worries- my back was throbbing, my breathing was off, and I had a collection of Katy Trail gravel in my shoes. My thoughts at this point were poisonous: Why can’t I feel my legs? Is my Garmin lying? Am I some slow machine that can't move? Shouldn’t the Tylenol have kicked in by now? I seriously wanted to just quit. I didn't care that I only had 3 more miles. With hopes of a PR or BQ way behind me, the only reason I didn’t stop was because I wanted to earn my Missouri. Plus I never want to see “DNF” beside my name in race results.

By the finish, I was all sorts of foul stankness, almost unable to walk. Trifling. I clocked a 4:09:08- putting me at 216 of 688 overall, 41st of 262 females, and 11th of 47 in my age group.

Despite it being a bad running day, my spirits were quickly lifted when Jen and I were reunited and began trading tales. We were in different places along the course having the exact same thoughts and being amused, annoyed, energized, inspired, and surprised by the same things! Although it would have been nice to have during the race, I’ll take a second wind where I can get it….Jen provided exactly that. We spent the rest of the weekend celebrating our 5th friendship anniversary, appreciating another gorgeous medal, and a great overall experience!

Tupelo Marathon

2009-09-22T22:27:00.019-04:00

Nothing against the good folks of Mississippi, but this was just one of those states where I just didn’t care. No race had really caught my eye and there wasn’t a particular city I wanted to go to. Other than a cute 3rd grade spelling association, I had no ties to Mississippi whatsoever. I chose Tupelo based solely on the rumor that “Crazy Jimmy” designs a skull and crossbones finishers’ medal each year.

Trey decided to go with me at the last minute, despite not being exactly thrilled with my travel plan- drive 6 hours to Tupelo, spend the night, run the marathon, beg the hotel for late checkout in an effort to shower, and drive 6 hours back to Kentucky.

We were pleasantly surprised by the hospitality of the people in Tupelo and enjoyed our afternoon exploring downtown and learning about its most famous former resident, Elvis Presley. No, I didn’t make Trey go to his birthplace…I figured he deserved an “out” after 6 hours of the alphabet game on the trip down.

After being forced to do my first paper registration ever, I knew information about the race beforehand would be limited. I did my own research. Reviews on Marathonguide.com were insistent on two points: “have a light source for the early miles” and “bring your own water”. Check, check.

The race began at 5 am on Sunday morning to avoid the heat, but there wasn’t really a way to control the humidity. Even at the start, I was sweating…or as a Mississippi gal would say, “glistening”! There was a full moon out, which was actually quite beautiful in the pitch black of the first 7 or so miles. I was grateful to be one of few who actually had a headlamp; many were attempting unsuccessfully to light their path with handheld flashlights. As predicted, water stops were scarce and I was glad that I had opted for my camelback. Other than at the North Face 50 miler and Dances with Dirt 50K ultras, I have never used it during a road race. Nonetheless, I was glad I had it- your girl has to hydrate.

This course was somewhat of an out and back, which I always enjoy because you get to see the runners ahead of you and behind you. For me, this meant seeing many of my fellow Marathon Maniacs and getting bursts of energy as we exchanged waves, fist pumps, and “MANIAC!” yells. At the half-marathon point, I was at 1:55:42...within range for my desired sub 4 hour marathon.

Something I hadn't realized was that there were going to be so many hills. The course description said "a rolling course..." but I didn't pay much attention to it and during the first half I could not SEE any of the terrain. Out of sight, out of mind. On the way back in the daylight, I saw what I had covered during the first half and it squashed my mentality. Suddenly I had a bajillion excuses as to why I wasn’t feeling well- for every ache and pain, I was all “well, it must be because of the hills earlier!”

Around mile 20, my mp3 player went dead. Only a few years ago, this would have been enough to really put me over the edge- there was a point where I needed music as a distraction and could not run without it. This time, perhaps as a testament to “growing” within the sport, I didn’t care. I decided to just focus on moving, picking up the pace along the way. I even began passing several people around mile 22!

I remember hearing some guy at one of my first races saying: if you happen to catch up to other runners, you better pass them; don't start running at their pace with them. The fact that you caught up with them means that you're faster than them, so keep on going forward. That rationale seemed to work, got me out of my mind funk, and helped me focus on something during the final miles. I kept telling myself, "If I can see them, I can PASS them"...and I did.

I finished the Tupelo Marathon in 3:55:18. This put me at 68 of 258 overall, 13th of 70 women, and 3rd of 9 gals in my 25-29 age group. The best part? Crazy Jimmy’s medal!

Hatfield McCoy Marathon

2009-06-22T22:53:00.024-04:00

It has always been hard for me to enjoy running without being preoccupied with my time. On easy training runs, I end up competing with the unaware person on the treadmill or beside me. During races with amazing scenery or on course entertainment, I am unable to focus completely on enjoying the moment because I am calculating my next split time. So in an effort to have a lot of fun and just enjoy my West Virginia race, I decided to run in costume.

With 20 marathons under my belt and the understanding that runners are just plain silly, I have seen it all- a fully costumed Elvis….a male ballerina in full tutu and pink leotard….a body painted red devil with horns and a tail….a bunch of balloon grapes. The possibilities for my costume were endless, but it wasn’t hard for me to decide on “Super Suz”. I don’t read comic books, but let’s face it- doesn’t everyone want to be a superhero at least a little bit?

The Hatfield McCoy course began in Kentucky and finished in West Virginia, crossing back and forth between the states several times. Each runner was put on a "team" to represent one of the families, with the collectively lower time declared winner of the feud: I was a Hatfield. This label could have easily been the Clark Kent to my Superman- after all, many heroes choose anonymity as their first defense, right?!

Not me. Not only did I dress to my full superhero potential, I was able to get another Super Suz to do it too! My friend Suz, who would be halfing it as a Hatfield, helped prove the no superhero can be two places at the same time thing WRONG. Donned in a red cape, “S” shirts, and the ability to harness the positive energy of our superhero powers (!), we were greeted at the race start with smiles, camera flash, high fives, and the occasional eye roll.

At the sound of Devil Hatfield’s rifle, we began. I didn’t really have any nerves to shake off, but had a hard time finding a nice pace because I was preoccupied with my cape twisting around my neck. I must have looked frustrated because I got a lot of, “are you going to run with that thing on the WHOLE time?” and “that looks annoying” from other runners.

Just after mile 6, we arrived at the infamous Blackberry Mountain...it was an extremely steep, quick change in elevation (as in, I could feel my ears popping) and looooong (just over 1 mile climb). Although my clothing was the last thing I wanted to worry about, it was at this point when the cape started to get really heavy. Not only did it seem to be catching all of my sweat, the weather was extremely muggy- there had been a lot of flooding in the area over the last few weeks and the air was saturated. I had a water bottle waist pack resting on my lower back, too- this did not help. Faced with the decision that something HAD to go to alleviate the uncomfortable weight on my back, I did what any reasonable superhero would do…got rid of my water.

The ride DOWN the mountain was pretty wild. I bid a fond farewell to my toenails and tried not to fall on my face as I zoomed down. The half ended in Matewan, West Virginia- population 498 and looked like it was the set of an old Western movie. We literally passed the half finish and saw runners cross the line, receive their medals, and celebrate their accomplishment. This could have been a sticky point mentally, but the crowds in Matewan really pulled me through with their cheers- “Go Superwoman!”, “Look, it’s Supergirl!”, and “It’s a bird, it’s a plane..!”. I kind of felt bad for the other marathoners around me, as the support was about as participant specific as you could get.

Every hero has their kryptonite, and mine was the lonely country road around mile 16. Although the race does a great job of rounding up volunteer support with water stops at each mile and hand-written signs for every runner along the course, the field had thinned out and I was really feeling my trashed quads from Blackberry Mountain and questioning my unconventional (read: lack of) preparation for this race. The hills would NOT stop. I started to do the negative self talk thing- you know, pity party of one. By the time we ran over the swinging bridge at mile 18, I had convinced myself it wouldn’t be SO bad to just walk all the way to the end. I could walk 8 more miles by the 7 hour cutoff, right?!

Just when I need something to spark my earlier feeling of being superhero invincible, I got it. The road turned into a washed-out trail with roots, fallen branches, and rocks- exactly the terrain I have come to love. It had rained the night before and the trail was covered in slippery mud. Runners around me cursed about having to slow down and losing their foot placement; for me, it was a second wind. I tapped into my mental “reserves” and pretended like I was at the end of Dances with Dirt and charged forward, 10 lb. cape still flapping behind me!

When I arrived in Williamson, my body was totally spent- but the “Look, it’s the girl in the cape again” and "You made it, Supergirl!" cheers pulled me through the finish line faster than a speeding bullet. Okay, maybe not a speeding bullet- but faster than 67 others in the full marathon, enough to contribute to a Hatfield win, earn me 13th female overall and 2nd in my age group with a time of 4:19:21. My alter ego Super Suz helped me accomplish something new: having a lot of fun and enjoying myself during a race.

Dances With Dirt 50K

2009-05-11T22:23:00.013-04:00

Most people avoid doing things they’re not good at- I, on the other hand, find my way OUT of my comfort zone on a pretty regular basis. In the 5 minutes it takes you to read this race report, I had already soaked both of my feet in ankle deep mud, slipped on a patch of wet leaves, and fallen. I am not good at trail running.

Having only completed 2 trail events, I had few expectations for the Dances with Dirt Gnaw Bone 50K- I simply wanted to gain the experience and cross the finish line in one piece. The area had been hit hard by rain all week, making the dirt trails solid mud by Saturday morning. After my “graceful” plunge to the ground and no signs of dry terrain for the next 30 miles, I wondered if I would in fact mark Indiana as my 20th state.

In an effort to counter my negative “self”, I focused on the fact that we had daylight (I had a horrible headlamp experience in Wisconsin) and the small group of runners I was surrounded by, as there was absolutely no sign of a trail anywhere. We knew we were on track because of all the white ribbons; however we ran into a group of leaders who were lost already at the 5 mile mark.

This race is described as a trail run, but the psychos from Michigan who put on the event use the term “trail” loosely. At different points in this race you are not even on trails, you’re just going through the woods hopping over logs and moving through thorn bushes. Oh yeah, 400 feet of ascent and decent on “trail” that is about a half shoe wide, several creeks and stream crossings, and lots of poison ivy. One mile of these trails easily felt like three or four.

There weren't too many females at the start line so I was very grateful to run into a pair of experienced gals who helped guide me through the physical and mental ups and downs of the next few miles. They also provided much needed conversation as a distraction from the pain I was starting to feel around mile 14- we discussed running apparel, hometowns, husbands, and races we had done and wanted to do in the future. I have always enjoyed the shared camaraderie among runners, especially other women.

By this point, we were deep into the forest and just as I was staring to think “wow- this is really peaceful”, one of my running partners lost her footing at a turn and twisted her ankle. Several failed attempts at limp-running later, she decided to wave the white flag…luckily we were very close to the mile 19 aid station, where the volunteers had already called transportation for two other injured runners. As I scraped the mud off my shoes and refueled with PB&J and salted potatoes, I thought “Ohmigosh, this race is like freakin’ Survivor- the last to DNF wins!”

Just after the final aid station at mile 23, I lost my other running partner to stomach issues and was totally by myself for quite a while. With nothing to focus on but putting one foot in front of the other (even my Garmin had called it a day!), I went from being absolutely terrified to…well, actually enjoying myself! Navigating the roots, rocks, and branches challenged my entire body and actually provided a welcome distraction for my tired legs. Several points required hand and knee climbs- literally grabbing onto tree branches or the steep ground ahead for support and pulling up. If it weren’t for the briar patches and being totally unfamiliar with what poison ivy looks like, I would have considered rolling down some of the hills grade-school-style!

Reaching the finish line in 7:37:22, I was the fourth female overall in the 50K…which is very cool but still doesn’t promote me to being “good” at trail running- after all, this was “Survivor” race, remember?! It simply means I was the fourth fastest woman who was too stubborn (stupid?) to stop running.

I went home scratched, sunburned, sore, bruised, extremely muddy, and totally exhilarated. Comfort zones are for wimps.

Boston Marathon

2009-04-26T13:35:00.039-04:00

My first marathon took me over 5 hours to complete. I worked hard, stayed focused, and slowly chipped away at my time until was consistently running sub 4 hour races. Just when I thought running was all a matter of inputs, a string of injuries slowed me down. Healthy again, I set my sights on Boston only to fight my way through a year of disappointing races that kept me only minutes shy of the 3:40 qualifying time. During my 12th marathon, I finally ran a 3:33 and solidified my “worthiness” with 2 more BQs soon thereafter, including a 3:31 PR.

Truth be told, I have enjoyed telling my running “story” up until this point. Unfortunately, it also made me wonder if I had already experienced the most gratifying part of Boston- overcoming self doubt and learning what I was capable of in qualifying alone. No offense to Chinese Proverb, but whoever said “the journey is the reward” never ran Boston…

Trey and I arrived in Boston on Sunday morning. “Marathon Monday” is held on Patriots' Day, a public holiday celebrated in Massachusetts. Since the trip was short, it was important for me to spend time with friends and visiting family. Heather, Jack, and Amanda helped make this possible by fighting the expo crowds to pick up my bib/chip/shirt/goodies the day prior. Trey and I made our first stop at their “marathon brunch”, where the three of them made me feel like an absolute celebrity.

After a great walk around Boston Common and Public Garden, Mom joined Trey and I for a pre-race dinner. I wasn’t thinking too much about the race, but must have been overly excited at some level because I could not fall asleep! Two hours after lying down and assisted by 4 Tylenol PM, I finally got some shut eye!

On race day, Trey and Mom woke up early to walk me to my 6 am bus. Some marathons, like Chicago or Marine Corps, start and end at the same place. Boston, by contrast, is a point-to-point marathon- race; organizers must get all 26,000 runners to the starting line in Hopkinton for the run into downtown Boston.

On the grounds of Hopkinton High School, bagels, water, Gatorade, coffee, and massages were available at the Athlete’s Village. Since the race did not start until 10 am, it left plenty of time to either be nervous or social. I, of course, chose the latter. "Where did you qualify?" became a common conversation starter through which I met several Marathon Maniacs and North Carolinians.

Although I snagged a position in the first wave, I was in the 12th corral and waited 9 full minutes to even cross the starting line. I knew that the first four miles dropped downhill very quickly and tried to settle into a steady pace but still ending up a bit too fast with 51:05 at the 10K mark.

I have often said I don’t need spectators during a race but part of what makes Boston so special is the tremendous crowd support that exists all along the course. Even though it runs mostly through smaller, less populated areas before ending downtown, spectators turn out in ridiculous numbers on race day. Bands played from porches, parking lots, and chalked sidewalks. Oranges, vaseline, and water were available in every other outstretched hand. Balloons and motivational signs were everywhere. Residents of Hopkinton, Ashland, and Framingham greeted us with food, drink, high fives, and even invited us to autograph shirts! Kids lined the course with their hands out, begging for high fives. Despite the good advice of a fellow Maniac to reserve energy, I left no hand untouched.

My favorite part? Spectators not only recognized the “Suz” on my arms and shirt, they used it the entire race. I’m still not sure if it was the ease of a single syllable or my thumbs up reaction, but they shouted “SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZE” and “SU-SU-SU-SU-SUZ!” so often that other runners around me commented on it! I even got a few “Go Suzz” (rhymes with “fuzz”), which I acknowledged and enjoyed.

It's always encouraging to see people you know, and knowing where to look for them gives you a goal that helps break the race into more manageable segments. Seeing Amanda, Heather, and Jack at mile 10 gave me an amazing boost- they even had signs for me that “honored” our college days! High on the feeling of seeing my friends, the next couple of miles flew by.

Prior to arriving, I had read about “scream tunnel” at Wellesley College, whose students offered what was supposed to be the best support along the course with an almost deafening, high energy “wall of sound”. The skeptic in me had to wonder whether the students actually provide this kind of volume for the entire race…hearing them just before the 12 mile mark (knowing they were physically at mile 13) left no doubt that they do. By the time I reached the campus itself at the half (1:48:39), the sound was overwhelming. Other marathons have inspirational moments, but no other marathon experience comes close to this one: the noise is unreal.

The hills of Newton make Boston an especially challenging course. After pounding your quads by running downhill during the earlier miles (don't be fooled- it is hard work) you now give your hamstrings and calves a beating as you climb the long, steep hills. The hills themselves aren't Pike’s Peak or anything, but placement on the course, at about 20 miles, poses an extraordinary challenge for even the best trained runners.

The energy of the crowds gave me a much-needed boost and, despite the increased gusts of wind, I felt strong and passed quite a few runners on the first and second hill. Even better, my 30K time was 2:46:39- proof that I had run a consistent race up until this point. Unfortunately, I thought there were only 3 hills in Newton. I know, what kind of marathon runner am I? Who puts the hammer down and charges up the third Newton hill thinking, “Oh, Heartbreak isn’t so bad! “? Pick me.

Since you have to qualify in order to run Boston, the field is not a random sample. These are all determined, experienced runners who ran very competitive qualifying times within the previous months. In short, these people are in excellent physical shape. Nevertheless, Heartbreak Hill exacts its punishment, and I was not the only runner to find myself panting and groaning up the half mile to the Boston College campus. However, I must admit that even during the race I was glad to be in pain at this specific point. I never imagined feeling good at this point in the race; if I had it would have meant one of two things: I had not worked hard enough up until that point or Heartbreak Hill was a bunch of hype. It was exactly how I wanted it to be- the worst part of the race.

Because it marks the beginning of the final mile of the marathon, the Citgo Sign is one of the most welcome landmarks on the Boston course. What I did not know at this point is the final mile is when you pass the sign- not when you see it. After a mile or so of thinking my Garmin was wrong, another runner told me to stop looking at the sign and instead just wait for the Sox fans, who would just be coming out of the game. High off of a win, they were as rowdy as I had hoped for (“Go SOOOOOOOOOOZZE!”) and before I knew it I really was at the final mile.

After the final turn onto Bolyston Street, I had no problem picking out the yellow and blue finish line spanning the street. Spectators lined up several people deep to watch and encourage the finishers and I squeezed every remaining bit of energy I had to cross the finish at 3:42:13. This was my 19th marathon and state- hands down the best “reward” I have earned in my running journey.

Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon

2008-11-29T07:15:00.004-05:00

"..or imagine being magically whisked away to Delaware! Hi, I'm in Delaware."

November 29, 2008

Every reason I had not to run the Rehoboth Beach marathon was countered with a better reason to just go ahead and do it. I hadn't really trained at all, but I was still riding the training benefits of the 50 miler only 4 weeks earlier. I didn't particularly want to travel mid-semester, yet Rehoboth beach is only two and a half hours outside DC and I had no other plans. Although I didn't know anyone else who was doing this particular race, a few other Marathon Maniacs had already signed up. Besides, when else would it be this easy to check Delaware off my 50 state list?

As soon as you equate something with "easy", go ahead and bet that something will go wrong. That was the case with Rehoboth Beach. The inaugural race was being held on a Saturday and it began snowing around lunch on Friday. By the time I went to bed, the roads were covered and I was sure I didn't have enough layers for the 15 degree start the following morning!

My hotel was only 3 blocks from the starting line and, in true Suzy fashion, I got there in just enough time to line up and start. With only 500 runners, I didn't expect or need bells and whistles, but it was sort of weird that there was no National anthem or starting gun. The first quarter mile was on the very slippery, snowy boardwalk and runners were at opposite ends of the spectrum: some were laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it and others were terrified, cursing with every step. I was the latter.

Even though some runners stubbornly wore shorts and tanks (brave or dumb? You decide!), I decided on CWX tights, 2 long sleeved dri-fit tops with my Maniacs jersey over them. Let's be honest, I looked like a marshmallow but I was not only warm, 3 other Maniacs recognized me. One MM was running his 498th marathon and Cowboy Jeff, who I met earlier this fall in Akron, ended up winning his age group. Once again, the camaraderie of the Maniacs was one of the best things about the race.

I usually skip the first water stop, making my first stop at Rehoboth somewhere around mile 5. Imagine my surprise when (1) My watch reads 47 minutes (this is much slower than normal) and (2) the Dixie cup has a thin layer of ICE on top! The icy Gatorade and water was a constant through about mile 12, exemplifying just how cold it was outside. The wind, coming strong off of the Atlantic Ocean, did not help matters. Parts of the course were single track trail, so as the ice melted it was a slippery mess. Amanda (who guided me through my first marathon) often reminds to "choose your attitude", which is especially applicable in running. Oh, I chose alright- chose to sulk in it. As a result, I had a horrible first half and clocked 1:57.

Finally it hit me that I was not going to have my best time so I decided to just have fun. I stopped looking at my watch, began high fiving all of the kids, and thanked every course volunteer and spectator for being out there (jeez, they weren't even getting a medal at the end of this miserable morning!). When I finally settled into a steady pace, banished negative thoughts, and noticed the sun beginning to poke through the clouds, I look down at my Garmin and was shocked- mile 19. 19?!?! It has never taken me 19 miles to start enjoying the race.

By the last stretch of boardwalk, the snow had melted and I switched over to one of those who just laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. I finished in 3:49, solidifying a (very!) negative split. I was the 15th female overall out of 186 women and grateful to have finished under 4 hours. The best part? I can now mark Delaware off as the 18th state!

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Miler

2008-10-29T07:14:00.002-04:00

"Oh crap…WHAT am I doing?"

That was pretty much the only thought going through my head at the beginning the North Face Endurance 50 miler. I was one in a sea of runners with headlamps and flash lights necessary to navigate the ups and downs of the trails in the pitch-black 6 am start. It didn't take me long to learn the trail running etiquette of calling hazards to my fellow runners (Stick! Mud! Ditch! Root!). When I missed a 2 person-tree collision around mile 4, I thought of my starting line friend Tim who had said, "Don't get out your mp3 player until sunlight." Yeah right…with terrain like this, you couldn't PAY me to have the distraction of music!

By mile 6, I had gone ankle deep in mud twice- shoe sucking, deep, squishy mud. As a "roadie", my first instinct was to worry about the blisters my soaking socks would inevitably create. That was the least of my concerns! Combined with wet leaves, the slick mud caked on my shoes made the entire course a hazard- especially the steep down hills. After a wrong turn for a quarter mile, the white ribbons marking the course guided us out of the woods and into an open field. The sun was beginning to come up and despite my less than stellar start, I was able to calm down and focus on getting a good rhythm.

Having chosen to have my first drop off bag at mile 21, I stopped only to take the rocks out of my shoes and ditch my headlamp at the first aid station. By this point, the field of runners was settling into "groups". I met Marathon Maniacs Bekkie and Joe as well as another gal right around my age, which is uncommon because ultra running isn't exactly a younger person's sport. I instantly liked Katie because she had a cute pink shirt on, a feeling solidified by her confession that this was (also) her first 50 miler, she had not (also) been over 35 miles, and she (also) was more of a road racer.

By the 4th hour at mile 21 (also well within the first hard cutoff), Katie and I had a "come to Jesus" regarding terms of our partnership: we were grateful to have shared the miles, but if one person was holding the other back it was totally fine to separate. When we got to the aid station, her husband Chris must have realized we DTRed because he attended to me as well. With fresh socks (hallelujah!) and a dry shirt, I felt like a new woman!

Even as the elevation changes became more drastic, I was able to maintain a steady pace with the help of my now established partner. After comparing running histories, recurring dreams, and deciding that giving birth wouldn't be that far from the pain we were experiencing, Katie and I both splashed into a mud puddle, completely soaking another pair of socks. We squish squashed to Aid 5 at mile 28, where my pacer was scheduled to meet up and run 7 miles. Charlie was waiting with a smile, fresh legs, and wait for it…a pair of extra socks!

Charlie, who was my coworker in 2004 and has been a great friend ever since, had planned to pace me only 7 miles that day. I was already grateful to have the QT from such a great athlete, but as we were out there I realized what a mental boost he was. Not only could he deliver great one-liner jokes, having 3 people watch for course markings was a blessing. Somewhere around mile 34, he mentioned that he may take us through the end. I'm not sure if it was our whimpering or what, but his "may" turned into a "definitely" and the three of us became a package deal for the rest of the race!

Combined with the sounds of a local shooting range in the distance (oh Wisconsin!), we twisted back to a tight single track portion of the course. The thing about trail running is you have to be alert and focused at all times…the second you let your mind wander, you've tripped on something or turned a non-turnable body part. Physically, I was feeling fine enough but my mind was all, "Isn't this running? Don't I get to zone OUT?!"

Mentally, I was so spent by mile 40 that I didn't even care about the two HUGE blood blisters on both of my big toes…in fact, I joked that they were an advantage as "extra toes", knowing good and well that when they popped I would be in for an even more painful ride. I fought an overwhelming urge to call Trey, who is still training at Fort Knox, for a pep talk...but I knew exactly how the conversation would go: "What do you need from ME? Call me back when you are finished with YOUR race!" He later confirmed that this is, in fact, how he would have responded. And it's one of the reasons why I love him.

As we made our way back to Ottawa Lake, Katie began to recognize some of the earlier markings and we realized we were less than a mile from the finish. I was perfectly happy with a slow grind in those last turns, but Katie and Charlie convinced me otherwise. Running is inherently an individual sport, but on Saturday I felt as accountable to them as any teammate and cannot imagine having done this race alone. When we finally crossed finish line in 10 hours 11 minutes (putting us in the middle of a field that was overwhelmingly male), trying to wrap my head around what I had just done seemed impossible. Although I felt exhilarated, stunned, overjoyed and accomplished, I couldn't help but still think: "Oh crap…WHAT did I DO?!"

ING Hartford Marathon

2008-10-12T07:12:00.000-04:00

October 11, 2008

8 am start?! Isn't that really late?? After double checking the website umpteen times and asking the race director "if he was sure" (!) the race began at 8, I set my alarm clock to essentially sleep in on race day. My hotel was across from Bushnell Park, where the ING Hartford marathon began and ended, so I was able to take my time and enjoy a leisurely breakfast with other runners. Cindy, the breakfast attendant, asked "which one of you will win today?!" and then inquired if our marathon was shorter than the one they do in Boston. Bless her heart.

Despite being on extremely narrow roads, the first few miles out of the park and through downtown were great! I couldn't have imagined a more perfect autumn day- the sky was a stunning turquoise-blue backdrop to the intense reds, fiery oranges, and bright yellow leaves on the trees. As we went over the bridge and into a quaint residential area, complete with white picket fences, farm animals, and pumpkin patches, I thought "I am running in a Norman Rockwell painting!"

I ran these beginning miles quickly, clocking 1:22:46 at 10 miles. I don't recall thinking the pace was TOO fast; I was simply focused on my "first 10 miler". During a marathon, I always break the race up into 3 parts: 10, 10, and 6.2. During 1-10, I only allow myself to think of those miles. Mile 11, in my mind, becomes mile 1 of my "2nd 10 miler". The third segment, at a little over 6 miles, is when I'm "allowed" to break down the numbers on the clock. This allows me to digest the intimidating number of 26.2 miles and focus on the task at hand. I wanted to complete this race in under 4 hours.

Because of the out and back turnaround on a 3 mile stretch, I was able to see almost the entire marathon field- the frontrunners coming back as I was headed out and those behind me as I headed back. It was exciting to see the (many!) Marathon Maniacs who would give a thumbs up and an encouraging "hey, Maniac!" Even the spectators and volunteers noticed there were a lot of us- toward the beginning of the race I'd overhear them say, "there's another one" and by the end they were all, "Yeeeaaaahhh Marathon Maniacs!" Even the live bands, one about every other mile, caught onto our presence and gave shout outs!

I hit the half at 1:48:02, just before seeing the BEST spectator sign of the day: Running on King Street is better than investing on Wall Street! By the time we hit the waterfront at Great River Park, I was cruising just in time to hear my favorite feel-good association song, "Cupid Shuffle". I was with Trey in Kentucky when I heard it for the first time and my friend Terrill and I had a blast learning the dance, which is totally Electric Slide meets Soulja Boy. Anyway, I hit a button on my mp3 to turn it up (or so I think), but when the song played again, again, and yet again…yep, I realized I had pressed "repeat" instead. Nonetheless, I Cupid Shuffled my way through the "second 10 miler", hitting 20 miles at 2:45:50.

Crossing Founders Bridge and into Riverside Park, I was too distracted by the beauty of Hartford and enthusiasm of the spectators to notice the pain in my legs. One of the last live bands I heard was playing the Boss' "Born to Run" and I remember thinking, "okay, maybe not Norman Rockwell but definitely Nike commercial!" Finishing at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch was picturesque and receiving a medal in its likeness was ohso cool…which is perhaps why I forgot to turn my Garmin off and didn't even know my results until a full day afterward!

In Connecticut, I ran 3:37:59, was 16th of 128 in my age group, and 446th of 1948 total runners. Don't tell Cindy I didn't win…

Akron Marathon

2008-09-29T07:12:00.000-04:00

September 27, 2008

I'm the gal who takes extra packets of splenda from coffee shops and absolutely refuses to buy something at regular retail price. You call it cheap-o, I call it "deal-conscious". Anywhoo, I knew my Ohio race when I saw it: included in the registration fee (and in addition to the medal and long sleeved technical tee), the Akron marathon included a one year subscription to Running Times and FREE Brooks running shoes.

My fall training, including the Akron marathon, has been designed around a 50 mile race in October. I had prepared for this race with the understanding that I would not be "racing" it, simply "running". Yet, in the days leading up to the race, I felt like I was in the shape to beat my current best time from Arizona (3:32:59). I admit this to NO ONE since that would automatically make me accountable to actually doing it.

During the drive to Akron, I offered up my secret to Trey. Without hesitation, he went into full support/coach/inspiration mode. By the time I got off the phone with him, I had convinced myself to line up with the 3:30 pacer and see what happened. Besides, this was my first race as Suzy GOODWIN!

At the expo, I was able to see my friend Dane speak about his 52 marathons (a race every weekend, while maintaining a full time job) in 2006 to benefit L'Arche Mobile Foundation. Dane is an awesome role model for anyone who embraces the camaraderie, spirit, and challenge of marathoning. So when he asked me what time I was aiming for the next day, I dug myself even further into the hole by admitting, again, that I'd try for a personal best.

On race morning, I met up with Kim, who had run the Air Force marathon the weekend prior and had a half marathon…wait for it…the next DAY! I mentioned going for a PR but instead of getting nervous or overanalyzing it, we caught up and chatted as if we were anywhere BUT the start of a race. When I lined up, thanks to Kim, I was not nervous or worked up at all- I didn't really have time to be!

We had a cool, crisp 50 degree start in downtown Akron for a few loops. I enjoyed running through the University of Akron's campus, although I was a bit disappointed not to see any Phi Mu ladies out and about! Clocking 48:58 at the 10K mark and solidifying a sub 3:30 pace, I would find out later that Mom (who was receiving text messages with my splits) thought, "Oh no! She's going WAY too fast!"

Running very even 8 minute miles brought me to 1:13:57 at 15K (9ish miles), as we headed to the Ohio & Erie Canal Trail. This dirt towpath was eerily similar to the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, where I bonked in 2007. As soon as the negative association and thoughts entered my head, a gentleman from North Carolina lifted my spirits and my pace. He joked that marathons were the "only time he could chase young pretty girls and get away with it" and we discussed training on the Tobacco Trail in Durham. We were rockin' a 2:03:28 at the 25K (15ish mile), on pace to finish around 3:33- the time I was aiming to beat!

Despite my best efforts to maintain a positive mentality, my "bad self" started creeping in at mile 19. I began to make excuses- "I wasn't expecting all of these hills", "I started too fast", "nobody will know if I walk for awhile", "this isn't even my main Fall race! It's a training race and nobody PRs on those anyway". The negative thoughts were reflected by my performance- the 3:30 pace group blew past me, I slowed down to a 3:38 projected finish time, and hit 30K at 2:29:19.

Bad news or good news first? Bad: mile 23 was dubbed "Heart Rate Hill" (funny play on words when you're NOT reevaluating being a runner in the first place). Good: at the top of the hill, a spectator shouted "the last 2 miles are downhill!" 2 whole miles? For real?! I just KNEW it was some cruel joke until verifying it with the runners around me...so then I told myself, "Suz, you will never be this close to a PR again with a downhill advantage".

Even though I learned in my sport physiology class that strenuous eccentric movement brings on DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness…I really shouldn't study my hobby, should I?!), I let the last 2 miles RIP. I sprinted. Turned the music in my headphones off and focused on moving as fast as I could.

The finishing stretch into Canal Park baseball field was the most painful .2 I have ever experienced, but secured my finishing time (and PR!) of 3:31:22, 10th of 119 in my age group, 27th of 543 women, and 174 of 1585 total runners. No matter how you crunch the numbers- time, ranking, or value of race-related schwag for the "deal-conscious", Ohio was my best state/race yet!

Ocean Drive Marathon

2008-03-30T07:11:00.002-04:00

March 30, 2008
I decided I wanted to complete a "double" last summer, after talking with an experienced ultramarathoner in the waiting area of an auto mechanic’s garage. After discovering the Saturday/Sunday schedule of the National and Ocean Drive marathons and confirming the less than 4 hour drive between the two, I was in. Simply finishing would be fine…but completing both in a combined sub 9 hours was the goal.

Ocean Drive Marathon: For those of you who don’t know my Dad, he is absolutely THE most positive, energetic person in the world…hence, the perfect person to keep me in good spirits while accompanying me to race number 2. Having never been there, we both had different (stereotypical) expectations of New Jersey. Dad thought it would be busy and dirty. I was convinced we’d see a lot of gold chains and hear the F bomb every other word.

Of course, it was NOTHING like that! We actually drove through a lot of quiet farmland on the way to the shore, which was simply beautiful. The course was a perfect point to point, running from historic Cape May, NJ, north to Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Avalon, Stone Harbor, and then to Sea Isle City. For most of the race we traveled on the closest road to the beach, except through Wildwood and Sea Isle City, where there was a very cool boardwalk.

The people in NJ were so friendly. In fact, the only curse word muttered all weekend came from my own mouth when I felt the cold winds on race day morning! There was a steady 10 mph headwind throughout almost the entire course, with serious icy gusts over all the inter-island bridges. I had battled wind like this at the Las Vegas marathon last December, so beyond having ran 26.2 a day prior, I knew I was in for a gut check.

This time, the sign on my back read: "52.4 OR BUST! I ran 26.2 yesterday in DC"...again, this allowed me to again trade my mp3 for conversation and I even met 2 others who had done National the day before! During mile 12, I met a 60 year old gentleman who was running his 206th marathon. When amazing athletes like that are willing to talk with me, I soak up all of the information possible about training, nutrition, mentality and strategy...however, when I asked him for advice he simply said, "Just keep moving!" When I asked how long he’d continue running he said, "Until I stop moving!".

All the towns we traveled are summer beach towns so there aren’t a lot of people there in March. However, for 600 runners the crowd support was good and the camaraderie among participants in this race was unbelievable. My Dad saw me several times along the way, enthusiastically shouting to the top of his lungs and wildly ringing a cow bell each time! I actually skipped 3 of my Galloway-style walk breaks because he was at the front of a pack of spectators.

The end of the race was as tough as I had imagined back in the auto mechanic’s garage. From mile 25 to the finish, I literally repeated out loud "I feel good. I feel good. I feel good" over and over again. Seriously, 10 minutes of it! "I feel good. I feel good. I feel good." People must have thought I had gone nuts! "I feel good. I feel good. I feel good..."

I’ve never wanted to feel a medal around my neck so badly...and finally I got one, coming in at 4:10:27. Not only did I run Ocean Drive faster than National, but I was well within the 9 hour goal!

National Marathon

2008-03-29T07:10:00.001-04:00

March 29, 2008
I decided I wanted to complete a "double" last summer, after talking with an experienced ultramarathoner in the waiting area of an auto mechanic’s garage. After discovering the Saturday/Sunday schedule of the National and Ocean Drive marathons and confirming the less than 4 hour drive between the two, I was in. Simply finishing would be fine…but completing both in a combined sub 9 hours was the goal.

National Marathon: I met up with a myspace friend, Kim, at the expo. After several months of race reporting, running chats, and messages of support, it was very cool to finally meet her face to face! Running is, of course, a very individual sport- having others to be accountable to (even if it is online) is a major source of motivation. If you are reading this blog now, odds are YOU fall into this category as well. Thank you.

My roommate, Claire, is a coach for TNT so my Dad and I grabbed a ride to the start at RFK Stadium with some of her runners. The excitement of first-time marathoners really lifted my spirits and positive mentality for the upcoming 26.2! Mayor Fenty, who was also running the full marathon, spoke as we lined up and I began to get nervous. Those nerves turned to heavy emotion during the national anthem when I thought about Trey, who is currently in OCS at Ft. Benning.

I tried to take the first part easy because I knew the overall challenge would be staying within my limits and preserving energy for the next day. The first few miles were the real "welcome to DC" miles – past the Library of Congress, National Gallery, and US Capitol Building. Even though I have been running past these things on a regular basis for over a year, I was as excited as the newest tourist…DC is a beautiful city. Also, the Howard University marching band and step teams were great support additions that I normally don’t get during my weekend training runs!

I had a sign on my back that read: "26.2 today + 26.2 tomorrow = 52.4 miles in 48 hours"…this invited a lot of conversation from the beginning. Typically, I run with music the entire way; this time, I only had my ear buds in about a third of the time! I got a lot of "which race are you doing tomorrow?", "I couldn’t imagine doing this tomorrow!", "You’re insane, girl!", and welcome advice from experienced runners who had already accomplished the feat. I talked at length with a woman who was running her 83rd marathon, a man who was completing his 27th state of 50 plus DC, and another who was using National as part of training for his 7th Comrades ultramarathon. No doubt about it, at races you will ALWAYS find someone who has crazier running goals than you do!

Because of the recovery benefits, I had planned to use the "Galloway method" both days, meaning I would run 9 minutes and walk 1 throughout both races. As the crowds began to thin out around DuPont Circle, I put Galloway into action and by Adams Morgan the ratio was consistent. Somewhere around the Maine Avenue waterfront and new Nationals Stadium, dialogue with other runners surrounded my falling behind to take a walk break and then quickly passing them (again, again, and again)! To credit the run/walk method, I beat each and every runner I played this "game" with. I finished Saturday’s race strong with an "official" chip time of 4:16:17. One down, one to go….

Rock N Roll Phoenix Marathon

2008-01-19T07:09:00.003-05:00

January 13, 2008

The Boston Marathon is my ultimate runner's dream. I first tried to qualify in 2006. I was in great shape and had already broken the 4 hour mark but a string of injuries kept me from being 100%. I gave my body a rest before making the resolution that I would run my 3:40 at some point during 2007. The year came and went, and I was still within minutes short of qualifying: 3:46, 3:45, 3:49, 3:51.

Being SO close is sometimes worse than being far away…you're taunted with the reality of achieving your goal but still you cannot have it. There were many races in 2007 when I just knew I had it, but in the later miles of the race I hit the wall and could not recover. The disappointment of seeing my watch turn to 3:41 while I still had less than a mile to go was gut wrenching. And it happened over and over again.

At the beginning of this year, I made plans to do a double (2 marathons, 2 consecutive days) in March. The sheer challenge, of course, fascinated me but a huge part of me just wanted a major running goal that was NOT tied to Boston. I was tired of feeling like a failure! It never occurred to me that the Rock N Roll marathon in Phoenix would be a possible race to BQ…

On a whim at the expo, I decided to wear a 3:40 pace band and even join the pace group. Hell, I may as well TRY, right?! On race morning, I ate breakfast with Amanda and Jen (who were both running their 3rd marathon that day) without giving much thought to my time OR strategy. As Trey and I drove to the start in downtown Phoenix, he told me to "stop talking so much and focus on a PR". He never sugarcoats anything, which I appreciate because it is always exactly what I need to hear.

I met up with the pace group and headed north away from downtown for the first 5 miles. We were at 52:09 at the 10K, 8:24 minute miles- dead on for 3:40. It was refreshing to see friends at mile 7 (Trey, Ashlea, Jeff, Shane, Zach). Near mile 8, we saw Camelback Mountain for the first time and it got closer and closer as we continued east. While I enjoyed the camaraderie of running in a group, a lot of the girls were really talky. Had our leader not been so efficient, I would have left them earlier than in mile 10, when I pulled away.

The "signature" piece to the RnR marathon is a band at every mile; it's a great boost to hear them even if you don't like their style of music! They also had a ton of local kids participating in "spirit squads". Since my name was on my shirt, I got to hear their appreciation. "Way to go Suzy", "You can do it Suzy", "Suz, lookin' good". The support helped, because at the halfway mark I was running at a pace of 8:18 and hit 1:48:37. This gave me a very small amount of cushion for 3:40.

At mile 19, we entered downtown Scottsdale and I was feeling GREAT. You talk to yourself a lot during 26 miles, and I kept reminding myself that the uncontrollables were in my favor: great weather, flat course, super crowd. I could only focus on what I could control and…no pressure…but I was the controllable. If I had to see another 3:41 while still in the race, it was my own fault. Maybe this thought sped me up, because at mile 20 I clocked 2:44:55 and had an 8:13 pace.

As we crossed over the bridge at mile 23, I could see ASU and Sun Devil Stadium. It was 3 miles away and I knew that was the finish. At this point my legs, knees, hips were hurting. It was quiet, not like the start when everyone's all talky. Almost eerie. We all just kept moving forward.

I held off thinking about the reality of qualifying for Boston until I got to the final mile. Mile 25 started with a detour around a water main break. As Young Jeezy and R Kelly sang "Go Getta" on my mp3, we ran through the Salt River Project compound. I looked at my watch at mile 26 and knew that this WAS in fact going to be my BQ race.

Perhaps exhilarated by the realization, I began my final "kick" to the sound of TuPac's "Hail Mary" and took my pace down to an 8:08 minute mile. This would not only solidify my negative split, but also my BOSTON QUALIFYING time of 3:32:59. I finished 773rd of 6489 marathoners, 163rd of 2974 females, and 39th of 620 in my age division. Having committed to a full 2008 calendar (including the aforementioned double), I will run Boston in 2009...FINALLY!

Marine Corps Marathon: Whatever it Takes!

2007-10-28T07:09:00.009-04:00

October 28, 2007
So there we were at the Marine Corps marathon expo 2 days before the race…Jen was stuffy and barely breathing and I was still limping from my injury at the Steamtown marathon 3 weeks prior. Definitely not in the shape we had envisioned when we signed up, we had both mentally prepared for the fact that dropping out of the race was a real possibility.

Then we saw it: the most gorgeous medal ever. Shiny silver Marine Corps eagle, globe, and anchor attached to a beautiful navy blue ribbon with details that confirmed it was, in fact, this year's medal. Agreeing that we had to have it and deciding that crawling wasn't necessarily that embarrassing after all, we confirmed our motto for Sunday's race: "WHATEVER IT TAKES".

On marathon morning, Mom, Trey, and I met up with Jen and her folks to metro to Arlington National Cemetery for the beginning of the race. Lining up to a cold and windy starting line, Jen prepped herself with Vick's vapor rub and I resisted the temptation to "test" my hurt heel with a warm up. If the gun went off, I knew I would go into "fight" (instead of "flight") mode.

After the gun, we had 8 full minutes until our area started advancing forward. I purposely started with the 5+ hour group, not really knowing what kind of time to shoot for. With "WHATEVER IT TAKES" written on my back, I began the first mile with almost no pain and I knew immediately that I would not have my first DNF (did not finish). I saw my support at mile 2 and gave them a thumbs up so they knew my heel would be okay.

The elevation course map made them look scary, but the early hills in Rosslyn were a joke (of course, it helped that I had trained on these exact roads). The real scary part came at the first water stop, when the Team in Training coach shouted "stay together" and 20 people around me slammed on their running brakes. The vivid memory of slipping and falling at a Steamtown water stop came rushing back…I didn't fall, but I came close. Water stops have now replaced clowns as the odd thing I am really freaked out by.

We swung back towards the memorials, past Kennedy Center, around the backside of Lincoln towards the White House and then past the Washington Monument. The crowd support was incredible! I hit the 10 mile marker at 1:32:43.

Looping back around the Capitol, I saw my support (including Trey, who looked really hot!) and gave them another thumbs up. At the half, I was at 1:58:53...I only know this because of the splits they e-mailed me, though. I really didn't care during the race. I was focused on picking off the runners ahead of me, one by one.

Somewhere between mile 14 and 15, a HUGE stabbing pain began in my injured heel. I slowed down…the pain was even worse. You will not believe me when I say this (I'm not even sure I buy it myself), but when I sped up it felt MUCH better. As if I "ran it off", by Hains Point it did not hurt at all. At all! AT ALL! At 18 miles, I clocked 2:39:51.

Waving goodbye to the District and heading into my now hometown (1 year on Nov 1!) of Crystal City, where the crowds were deep and loud. After the turnaround at mile 22 (3:15:05), we went past the Pentagon to the 25 mile marker. A gradual incline during the last mile, topped off with a super steep .2 mile sprint to the finish just seems unfair…but as if they could read my mind's focus and heart's desire, the announcer had the crowd chanting "UNDER 4! UNDER 4!". The hill, as well as any pain I had at that point, did not matter and I finished with 3:51:41- a (very!) negative split!
Looking stunning in her signature Cardinals hat, Cox also finished strong. After the race, we took tons of pictures with our gorgeous medals ;) WHATEVER IT TAKES!

All I need to know about running, I learned at Steamtown

2007-10-09T07:08:00.002-04:00

October 7, 2007

"Whether they go up or down, hills are tricky"
I usually slip in and out of expos, allowing myself enough time to pick up my race packet, register my chip, and complain about the free shirt ("why isn't it moisture wicking? Man, I wish it had long sleeves...!"). This time, I attended a presentation of the course by the race directors. I was aiming to qualify for Boston and felt like this race would be "the one".

The Steamtown marathon has a reputation for fast times, mostly due to the 955' net elevation drop during the first half of the race (which is exactly why I chose it). Most of the advice surrounded running an even pace on the downhill, even holding back a bit, to avoid quad burn out. That made perfect sense to me.

"Expect the Unexpected"
We started in Forest City, home of the cleanest port-a-potties on Earth- port-a-potties at races are typically really disgusting. Rather than a gun, the huge BOOM of an authentic civil war cannon signaled the start to get us moving! A very narrow, extremely steep 2-block downhill began the race. This is the sort of grade that necessitates constant braking (i.e. "marathon shuffle") or else you'll twist your ankle before the race even really begins.

In spite of the downhill I managed to keep things in control with a 7:55 first mile. At the bottom of the first hill, a surprisingly large and enthusiastic crowd welcomed runners. Do they bus these people in just for the marathon?? Surely they can't all be local residents...!

"Slow and steady keeps you in the race"
Along the course, the scenery was magnificent...it was like something out of a beautiful autumn watercolor painting. Through mile 8 we had a steady decline- people were flying down the hills! Using an incredible amount of self control, I averaged 8:20 miles until we got into the town of Carbondale, which ended the drastic decline. In the coming miles, I would pass almost all of the runners who sped past me during the early downhills. I was on pace to BQ.

"Computers are about trying to murder you at a water stop"
Last week on The Office (ironically set in Scranton), Michael Scott drove his car into a lake because he was too focused on his GPS. In a weird twist of fate, I slipped on a cup and puddle of Gatorade at the mile 10 water stop and fell down. Shaken and embarrassed, but certainly not hurt, I got right back up and continued to run. It wasn't until mile 13 (1:48:30, still on pace for BQ) that I realized the distance on my Garmin still read "10.05 miles" and only the time function was working. I had relied on my Garmin perhaps too much during training, so this was a definite setback.

The next few miles were on the Rails to Trails path: a beautiful, tree lined dirt trail and really cool environment for a run. The surface was a bit tricky, causing me to lose some time, but a welcome exchange for the scenery and mental lift.

"Never never never give up"
Knowing I have to average 8:23 min/mi to get a BQ I am now 3 minutes behind goal. Mentally this is disturbing, but I don't recall a moment where I thought, "you won't make it." I had thought for awhile that this would be "my" race and held on to the hope that I could make up the time somewhere.

Somewhere between miles 21 and 23, I started shutting down physically. I just didn't want to run anymore. It hurt. My quads were now feeling the early downhills, my right calf was screaming, a dull ache began in my left foot, and the "squish, squish" of the water in my socks assured me that blisters were inevitable.

As if the physical pain was not enough, the course began uphill sections between miles 23 and 24. Thank God my Garmin wasn't working at this point…I don't even want to know what pace I was slow grinding! At mile 25 with 3:38 on the clock, I remember thinking, "if I run this last mile in 2 minutes, I will still qualify for Boston." I know, right?! Seriously, my fastest HALF mile ever was 2 and a half minutes…I was in high school…talk about holding on, even when there is NO hope.

When I turned the corner with about a quarter mile to go, I could see the finish line but I already knew I was not fast enough to qualify for Boston. I didn't even have a PR. It was the longest quarter mile I have ever done. Through tears, anger, and frustration, I reached the finish line in 3:49:49.

"Mother nature has an interesting sense of humor"

From the race directors on Monday, Oct 8:
"Yesterday was by far the hottest Steamtown on record. To give you an idea of the impact heat can have, our median finish time yesterday was a full 10 minutes slower than the average for our first 11 years. We also treated more runners in our medical area than ever before."
Enough said.

"Excuses are for losers"
I used to love to tell my interns, "Don't make excuses. Excuses are for losers, challenges are for winners." Now I know how annoying that must have been...

I don't think I am a complete failure, Sunday simply was not my day. I won't blame it on the water stop fall, the course, my Garmin, or the weather. Sunday just wasn't my day. The Steamtown marathon marked state number 10 in my quest for all 50 states + DC. As we were walking from the finish line, Trey told me "You have 40 more races to go. I'm sure one of them will be Boston." He's right.

Kentucky Derby Marathon

2007-04-29T07:07:00.001-04:00

April 28, 2007

There are definite advantages to being an experienced marathoner. You know what type of pain and fatigue to anticipate as well as how to pace yourself. I cut 35 minutes off of my time from my 1st to my 2nd marathon largely for this reason. For the novice, it's easy to let your ego get the best of you early on and run beyond your means....which is exactly what I did at the Kentucky Derby marathon, despite it being my 9th race.

I met up early with Natalie, who was doing her 4th half, to ride out to the start. Iroquois Park, home of gorgeous views, would host our first 6 miles. Having been told by one of the pacers that there were "only 2 hills on the course, one at 3 and one at 17", I was shocked to discover the entire park was a series of winding hills. I had not trained for them, but I like hills and perhaps ran faster because of them. 10K 49:28 (3:25 marathon pace)

Running through Churchill Downs during mile 8 was the coolest part of the race: twin spires, grandstands, manicured lawn, and horses warming up beside us. The terrain had evened out at this point and although my legs didn't feel any punishment from the earlier hills, I still hadn't found my "groove" to set into a comfortable pace. And who decided on blue powerade? Blue??! Was the race director absent when that decision was made? 15K 1:14:09

Still running WAY faster than I knew I should be, I could feel a blister forming on the arch of my foot. Knowing I would see Trey at mile 20, I called to request vaseline and blister cushions. As it turned out, he was not able to get a cab back from the start and had to come into the city on foot! Armed with nothing but a course map, he would end up walking close to 10 miles (portions on the interstate) before it was all over...now that is a loyal spectator! 25K 2:06:12

Somewhere around 17, I started vomiting blood. I'd love to blame it on the blue powerade, but I think my system was just in shock from running so hard. When I finally saw Trey at 21 and told him, a medic overheard and asked if I needed a ride back (DNF? I don't think so!). I'm pretty sure he walkie talkied his entire staff and said, "the girl in the blue is about to go down!" because they paid close attention to me for the next few miles. I probably needed it, too...I was really slowing at this point. 30K 2:35:03

Mile 22 took us on a bridge over the Ohio river and into Indiana (no, this does not count as my IN in 50 states) for a lap in the Hoosier state and back into KY. At mile 24 I made a deal with myself: if I could finish the last two miles 1. without stopping to walk/cry/vomit and 2. alive, I would not run another marathon until the fall. No "pick up one" here or there this summer. I would take a real break. This was it for awhile. 26.2 miles 3:46:09

Am I mad at myself for crashing and burning? Missing Boston qualify by only 6 minutes? Ruining my negative split streak? No, no, no! Kentucky was a gut check, yes, but overall a great race! I'm glad I went out too fast. Now I know what it feels like! I am no longer a stranger to the pain and fatigue that a 8 minute pace offers. Now if I can just hold that pace during the second half...I'll have to wait until October, though!

B& A Trail Marathon

2007-03-19T06:59:00.000-04:00

March 17, 2007
You know that feeling when you're all, "I know I forgot something!"?! Well I had it the entire drive to Severna Park, Maryland for the B&A trail marathon. Clif blocks? Check. Hammer gels? Check. MP3 player? Check. Lipgloss? Check. Propel? Check. Tylenol? Check. I went through this list a bajillion times before I finally realized why I couldn't shake the feeling...I forgot my watch. And the race was in 20 minutes.

According to the locals, the closest Target/CVS/similar was more than 15 miles away. The only thing they weren't selling at the expo was, you guessed it, watches. Now I know I said I was "running not racing" this one, but COME ON- a girl needs her split times!

After getting some looks to kill when I asked my fellow runners for the time (one woman even asked me "why?"...uh, I don't know. Maybe because I'm in a race!) I decided to just focus on running. Many of you know how competitive I am as well as how intense I can be during a race...so needless to say, a focus on only running was a "first" for me!

The miles flew by. I got lost in my music (read: sang out loud with hand motions and everything). I took in the the scenery. I gave thumbs up to spectators and high fived all of the kids. I pondered Gu versus Hammer, course changes, UNC/Duke rivalry, and the freezing point for lipgloss with other runners. Before I knew it, we were at mile 20!

The only split I do know is the half (13.1): I was at 1:56. So a 3:45:09 finish definitely solidified my streak of negative split (second half faster than the first) races. 3:45 is also my new PR and, to be honest, I didn't think it was going to get any better than the 3:54 in Chicago! Turns out I didn't even need a watch to run a great race...!

To celebrate the finish, I signed up for a massage and took advantage of the post race feast the Annapolis Striders provided all 300 marathoners. Imagine my surprise when, face down on a massage table, I heard my name called for overall finishers during the awards ceremony...I was the 4th female overall and 2nd in the 25-29 age group! No lie, they called it and I looked up and screamed, "shut up! I'm Suzy Holt!"

Why have I been avoiding small races all of this time? Packet pick up is seamless, registration is half the cost of big races, start is not at all chaotic, crowds thin out within the first few miles, and a 4 hour finish can get you an age division award!

Las Vegas- the windy city?!?!

2006-12-10T06:57:00.001-05:00

December 10, 2006
So I had a love/hate relationship with the Las Vegas Marathon this weekend!

The start was amazing: Blue Man Group performed the national anthem, we got a HUGE firework display, 16K runners. The first few miles we went down the strip, by the Bellagio fountains "dancing" at full force, and through a festive Fremont Street! We even had a tailwind for the the first 6 miles...so if the crowds of spectators, showgirls, runners dressed as Elvis, and live bands weren't enough to keep you going, the wind literally pushed you!! There was even a "run through" wedding chapel where several couples got married during the race. Of course, nothing topped the shirts our spectators Natalie, Balyint, and Ali wore, which read: "Pace yourself in Vegas...for the RUN and the FUN!"
The wind picked up after the first hill around mile 10 and didn't stop until 14! Hats were flying off people's heads, water cups were spilling at the stations, mile marker signs blew off completely…kind of crazy, just really heavy wind against the direction we were running. You'd be pushing really hard almost as if battling a hill, but different because it was just a constant strain against your whole body…you had to "zone out" to fight it. Thank God for my playlist...Kanye, Gwen, and the Boss helped me do exactly that!

We got more harsh wind from miles 21-25, but that was the least of our worries at that point. Remember the missing mile markers? Well, people were asking the volunteers at water stations how far along we were (since we had no clue) and somehow it got mixed up. At mile 23, they told us 24. At 24, of course, they told us we were at 25. Then we saw the "real" 25 (an actual mile marker and official time clock) a full mile later...needless to say, everyone was really pissed off. This one dude in my pack was trying to be Mr. Positive and was all, "come on guys, we can do it!" He got a few grumbles, lots of eye rolls, and one "f*ck off".

For those of you who know Jen Cox, I've gotta throw some props her way. The conditions on the course had to be especially overwhelming for someone doing their first 26.2 and she was awesome! She even smiled and blew kisses down her finshing stretch...FOXY!!
Anywhoo, I ended up with a 4:00:55, which was straight up disappointing. Marathon running can be a very unforgiving sport. You commit to a pretty intense training for 18 weeks and have one shot to make it happen. Bad race? Unless you want to be victim to an overuse injury, you have to wait several months to compete again. Not like high school when you can just redeem yourself in next week's meet...!

Pity party aside, Vegas was the "smartest" race I've ever run in terms of my own mental toughness and strategy. I ran negative splits, which can be risky but felt awesome...Runners World said "empowering" and although I laughed at that word in the article, I now agree!

So marathon number 7 down, 3 more races until I can "officially" be in the 50 in 50 club…

Country Music Marathon

2006-04-29T06:51:00.003-04:00

Dear Mizunos,
I haven't been with you for several weeks since I started running with those new Nike Shox. Okay, so they were better looking. Can you blame me for looking in the direction of pretty pastel pink when YOU had not even bothered to change your colors for 2 consecutive models?! And I have to admit I enjoyed the attention of simply having new shoes. After being with the same brand/model through 14 repeated pairs and 3 years of marathon running, the exciting and fresh feeling the Shox gave me was something I haven't felt in a long time. And yes, we've both known for some time that I had planned on taking them to that big fancy race in Nashville...to do the thing that we used to do for 26.2 miles.
Leaving you was the worst decision I have ever made. The comfort and support that you give me is special. I realize now that the inside is much more important than what is on the outside. The shin splints turned acute compartment syndrome benched me 10 weeks into my Country Music Marathon training. Stubborn as always, I decided to take up biking and pool running in an effort to maintain cardiovascular fitness. Against my physical therapist's wishes, I ran the full 26.2, clocking a miserable 4:18:18. Yes, my Dad and boyfriend were there to share the experience- but you were not.

I never even want to think about sharing my miles with anyone else. It was just a silly fling, honest. I know I don't deserve you, but please forgive me and take me back. I love you, Mizuno Wave Riders and I cannot imagine life without you.
Yours Forever,
Suzy

Chicago Marathon

2005-10-10T06:50:00.005-04:00

October 9, 2005
I do marathons because it takes all of me to do one well. During the sixteen weeks of training, I enjoy the challenge of preparing my mind and body to go 26.2 miles. Marathons are my favorite race because I can relax, find my groove, enjoy the sights, scenes, and people, run hard, and draw from the excitement of the crowd.

I love the feeling of giving my best and accomplishing a huge goal. Seeing the finish line at the end of 26.2 miles makes you want to shout, cry, and laugh all at the same time. Hearing my timing chip beep is a sweet sound.

I have had races where I could have run 30 miles on race day. I have had some where I thought I was going to die at mile 22. That is where your will takes over-- where your mental strength gets you to the finish line. On those occasions I sometimes question why I’m putting my body through such torture. Yet after I cross the finish line I always say, “I’m definitely doing another one in a few months.”

My highlight of 2005 was running the Chicago marathon. To run with 40,000 people, many who had come from all over the world for the race, was absolutely intoxicating. I stretched and lined up with a group of runners from China. I ran the first 8 miles with girls from Iowa and Utah.

I enjoyed every second of the race. With streets filled with spectators ten deep (over 1 million total), we began in Grant Park, ran north through Lincoln Park, back down through Boystown (where the hot gay men dressed as cheerleaders), into Chinatown, beside Comiskey Field (in only 2 weeks from that time, the White Sox would sweep the World Series), and finished with a breathtaking view of Buckingham Fountain. I would recommend Chicago to anyone looking for the ultimate marathon experience- my expectations for this one were exceeded, as I clocked my first sub-4 hour race (3:54:10)!

My long term goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states. So far, I have completed 26.2 in GA, NC, MI, FL, and IL. My next race is the Nashville Country Music Marathon in April. Check my blog in 2026…at the rate I’m going, that’s when I’ll complete all 50!

Walt Disney Marathon

2005-01-25T06:49:00.006-05:00

So I'm in the library yesterday checking out a book on marathons. A young girl in line behind me saw the book's cover, which featured someone running, poked me and very assertively (almost challenging) asked, "Do you run?!"

"Yes, I do"
"What do you run?"
"Well, I run long distances and compete in marathons."

Not impressed. Clearly, the girl had no idea what a marathon was.
"Whats that, like miles?"
"Yeah, actually about 26 of them."

This still wasnt good enough for her.
"How many LAPS is that?"
"A mile is 4 laps, and I do 26 miles, so it would be a little over 100 laps."

Now the feat is in full perspective and all of the sudden I am this girls HERO! After convincing her that it is possible to go that long without stopping, she went into great detail about her middle school track career in the 800 meter run.

When we got up to leave, she shook my hand and said, "It was so great to meet you. I cant wait to tell my coach I met someone who ran 100 laps."

...perhaps I should have told her that my 4:18:02 at the Disney marathon beat Diddy's 4:24?! Then she'd have something for her coach and her friends...!

Carrollton Road Races: What lap are you on?

2004-06-29T06:46:00.002-04:00

I decided to run the marathon in the Carrollton Charity Road races in Saginaw, MI simply because I wanted to run a summer marathon somewhere in my Great Lakes sales territory. My friend from college, Mike, had just moved to Grand Rapids and agreed to train and race with me. With all of these things falling into place, why look at the course, right? Right?!

Mike, Jen (spectator extraordinare from Tybee and Charlotte), and I arrived at packet pick-up the morning of. As we claimed our (awful looking!) shirts, a volunteer informed us that there would be an early start in...oh....5 minutes. Huh?! In a split "game time decision", Mike and I started early- after all, then we couldn't sit around and get nervous for an hour, right? Right?!

I was in denial about the course until mile 8ish. The race begins with a 2 mile loop followed by the SAME 3 mile loop & wait for it, that's right, 8 times. With NO water stops, mile markers, or time keepers on the course I kept thinking, 'This cannot be for real!' There are very few local spectators; however, the small loop allowed Jen (i.e., our personal fan club) and a few random enthusiastic onlookers to stay in one place and see us run by multiple times! It was great to see OUR support and see her often! Jen even went to a nearby grocery store for several of my mid-race requests (Gatorade, flex all, batteries for my headphones) during the race and STILL made it back to see me on the next loop.

Everyone knows that a marathon isn't exactly a spectator sport, but in a way, this one was! From the Boston qualifiers to the weaker runners, the back and forth allowed me to see runners of all levels DURING the race. This was incredibly inspirational for me and somewhat helped the mental toughness and positive attitude needed to run in Saginaw.

Our splits/loops were recorded by a volunteer who asked, by show of hands, 'what lap you are on.' The race finish (and last of the repetitive loops) ended in a different area. Several runners, myself included, did not account for the change (as it is not marked) and ran away from the end of the race- agghhhhh! I had to turn around and run an extra quarter mile back to the actual finish., where I clocked a 4:35:04...almost 4 minutes faster than my last race in Charlotte! Mike finished only a few minutes later and, minus bloody nipples (who knew?!), felt great. Right?! ;)

Charlotte Observer Marathon

2004-01-19T06:45:00.006-05:00

Wow- I grew up only 30 minutes away, but never knew that Charlotte would be sooo cold. It was approximately 15 degrees with the wind chill factored in when I arrived the morning of the race with Mom and Jen, my (brave!) spectators. This would be my 2nd marathon, but the first one I had trained for individually...I was kind of doing it just to prove that the first wasn't a "fluke" and I really could run 26.2 miles without a partner.

The water stations were consistent and the race was very organized. There were tons of people cheering runners on from cars in addition to the spectators that came out the support the race. I was amazed at how friendly the volunteers were...and pleasantly surprised at how CUTE the police officers working the road blocks were. Of course I couldn't say anything ("Hi, I'm Suzy. Uh, I'm usually not this sweaty. You single? Meet me in a few hours?!"), but the eye candy was nice and I'm considering spending my Saturday nights in Charlotte instead of Greensboro!

The 2004 race offered a new course- one loop around center city, then a rolling course in residential areas with an upward climb back to uptown (is that why they call it UPtown?!). I did not train properly for the hills. I did enough long runs, but they were not hilly enough for this race. Myself included, I think the hills surprised a lot of people. Why? Because they are not obvious hills, instead they are l-o-n-g grades that you can't see driving around, but THEY ARE THERE and MY QUADS FOUND THEM.

As if the hills weren't enough of a challenge, it began snowing around mile 16, just about the time I found myself running solo. It was hard to keep momentum (or find ANY wind break) when other runners are far away. Nonetheless, I finished with a 4:39:04 chip time, just shy of Oprah Winfrey's 4:35 in Chicago but a 40 minute improvement over my first race. Even better, I proved that I can run 26.2 miles by myself!

Tybee Island: My First Marathon

2003-02-01T06:40:00.010-05:00

I finished my first marathon! I can officially call myself a "runner"...I think?!

I decided I wanted to do this way back in high school, when I overheard my cross country coach tell another runner that "completing a marathon is one of the greatest accomplishments in one's life". So when my sorority sister, Amanda, began training for her first marathon in 2002, I showed enough interest (read: I was her overwhelmingly curious groupie) that she invited me on board for her second.

After committing ourselves to 18 weeks of training (and NO trips to the bar!), we made the trip to Tybee Island, Georgia with a group of other runners from Camp Seafarer. In addition to the group support, Amanda and I had quite the fan club: my Mom, Mima, Phi Mu little sis Neena, roommates Jen and Shannon. The start of the race offered big crowds and lots of excitement. I had tears in my eyes....it was just awesome!!

Miles 1-10 were nice and steady. I ran with Amanda and was sooo happy to have someone there with me during my first race. I wish I would have paid more attention to my surroundings...and less attention to the super cool running acessories and outfits the people around me had on. Every once in awhile, Amanda would point out funny things that I was missing since I was checking out the shoes in front of me.

We got to see our support crew at mile 7, which didn't take much effort since Mima had on a bright orange beanie and Shannon looked like she just walked off of a runway (fur coat, pageboy hat, full make up...gotta love her!). It was good to see familiar faces. I ran up and jumped on them with excitement, but also secretly hoped they would piggy back me the next 19 miles...of course, they didn't offer!

The hard part of the race came at mile 13, when the half marathoners finished and we had to keep running. The island itself is very small, so the course is essentially one lap around for the halfers and...you guessed it...two laps around for the full marathoners. It took every ounce of emotional strength I had to stay cool when I saw the finishing runners stop, get their medals, hug their loved ones, and cry/smile/shout with the sheer joy of accomplishment. I had another 13 miles to go before I could do any of those things...

I was not prepared for the last 6 miles. Since my training "long runs" had consisted of 16,18 and 20 miles, I did not have the experience to be able to feel strong on this bit of uncharted territory. I seriously had to have some mental talks with myself to keep going; my legs felt like they weighed 100 pounds each with the strength of rubber bands! Amanda and I were not chatting at this point, but we both knew we were "in it" together.

I finally saw the chute and just took off sprinting. Amanda and I finished together and our final time was 5:19:52. Since my goal was simply to finish, this was great news! Amanda beat her previous marathon time by almost 20 minutes, too. For these reasons (and the simple satisfaction of being able to STOP), we were both crying our eyes out as our crew greeted us with flowers, stuffed animals, and high fives.

Although the pain was more than anything I've ever experienced (yes, I'm counting the all 4 impacted wisdom teeth thing), running a marathon was VERY worthwhile. After all, I'm a "runner" now!