The Picture Race

     My next half marathon was to be hilly, cold and a heck of a drive. It was also suppose to be amazingly beautiful and part of the trip was for my daughters birthday. She always gets shafted because Shamrock is on her birthday weekend and I am NOT mom of the year.

 Packet pick up and the race start/finish were near here.

 Miles...well, just about all of them looked like this...

and this...

 and this...

at the top of hill was this...

 another hill and this...

     I mean seriously, hills or no hills, 18 degrees Fahrenheit, this race lived to its name. "Run the Blue Grass- the prettiest half marathon" I loved it. After two marathons, the hills were hard, but I would absolutely do it again.

     They had a special vintage of bourbon you could buy if you could afford it and there were tons of tours that catered to the race. Since we were not only in horse country, but also bourbon country, a lot of tours were of distilleries and if I didn't have my daughter with me I would have gone. As it was, we went to visit the Secretariat center. They gave us really crappy directions to get there but once there it was worth it. The smile on my daughter's face was amazing. Best part of the whole trip.

Forget the bourbon, if I had a horse trailer and lots of money we would have gone home with this guy, whether I wanted to or not. If you can, the Run the Blue Grass is a half that needs to go on your list. Build time into you pace to take pictures and add days to see the sights. You won't be sorry.

2 Marathons 7 days

     Yes, you read that correctly. Two marathons in seven days. I blame my running friends. They are a bad influence. "You'll already be trained" they said. "You'll be a Marathon Maniac-Double Agent Status!" they said. "O.K." I said, and signed up. We trained just like we should, starting with about a group of five. Don't let anyone tell you different. Training for such craziness should only be done with equally crazy friends, and as you can see from the arm twisting, I have them in spades. It ABSOLUTELY makes marathon training...o.k. Because, let's be honest, who really enjoys  getting up early for weeks on end and running for hours in the cold, dark, sleet, rain and whatever else mother nature and fate can throw at you. My running friends are awesome. You really can't find better.
     On one of our long runs it sleeted. Of course. The only thing missing was hills. Another long run, it was COLD-at least for Virginia. It's all relative, right?

The good news is it didn't look like this...

(This is my hometown BTW-Maine. As I said, its all relative.)

Most of our runs were good conversation and hashing out the nerves about running two marathons so close together. The pain train seemed to be hitting everyone.  It was one of those training cycles. Disappointed, but good running friends that they are, they were still along for the ride, to offer wisdom and encouragement, and a little poop talk when needed.

 

     The first marathon up would be Tobacco Road. I heard about hills and rail trails. It was going to be a lot like the West Virginia half I ran that I still HATE to this day. Doing double the time and double the distance on something I hated made be nervous. I promised myself I wouldn't judge, just run and try to enjoy it. The best part of this race would be that my BRF would be running the half and I would have the chance for some running travel with her again. The half and the whole would start together and then there would be a split a few miles in.
     The hotel was fine, dinner was yummy, washed down with a little sangria, but no one seemed to sleep well. We were up, tired and I didn't have enough coffee. However, I did bring cheerios to try to get some breakfast in me. Always the hardest part of the run for me.  My tummy and mornings just to mix well.
     Before the sun was completely up, the gun went off and up we went. When is it a good idea to start a marathon on a hill?-NEVER. The good news was that it was a big up. Up we went and around a corner, then down. I love down hills. Its the only reason to run up them. Down you go, skipping a little and waving loose like a muppet. Total freedom. Kermit would be proud.
     A while back I had decided to race the first marathon and just try to finish the second. Race it (for me) I did. Right up to about mile twenty. It was a pretty train on a soft old rail trail. Lots of gentle inclines that seems to go forever, but then you got to go down. You could tell by your own breathing just how steep each incline was and when it started to go down. Since none of them were steep, for the most part it didn't bother my pace. I was running a 2:1 interval and tried to just keep running on the down hills to make the most of it. My running partner and I were well ahead of the 5:30:00 pacer which was my ultimate goal. I kept pushing too afraid that 5:30:00 monster would catch me. I had to take at least 5 minutes off my best marathon time. When you are a slower runner, 5 minutes is huge.
     We hit mile 18 and I started to get toe cramps. Like a Charlie horse but in your toe. Stops you in your tracks and I had to take my shoe off to work it out.  Once better, I started up again at the same hard pace. I was determined not to let it stop me. At about mile 20 I had to tell my running partner to go ahead. At mile 22 I just needed to finish. If I didn't push, no toe cramps. If I pushed they cramped. The soft ground combined did me in. I watched the 5:30:00 guy catch then pass me. I wanted to cry, but couldn't get the cramping to stop unless I slowed it down. One of the girls from my running group was volunteering since she couldn't run having been taken out by an injury towards the end of the training cycle. I was never so glad to see anyone. She walked with me a bit, added some words of encouragement (I really do have awesome running friends) and sent me off to finish.
    At the last couple of miles I ran into a girl we had met at the beginning. This was her first marathon and she looked done. We had been at a pace that was faster then she wanted to go at the beginning to we lost her, but here she was at the end. I caught up and told her she could do it. Told her 2 and 1's to the end. We had this. Up hill (remember we went down at the beginning, well now we had to go up that) little by little. We passed a few people because a lot were walking up the hill, but we kept up the chatter and the 2:1 and we finished. I was proud for her. Nothing beats your first marathon. Nothing. My amazing friends were there to cheer for me as I crossed the finish. I didn't beat the 5:30:00 monster but I finished. I blew my friends a kiss and walked it off until they met me.

     Seven days later and I was ready for Shamrock. The second marathon in seven days. Crazy at its best. I admit, I love it. Hard, crazy and I have to try. Its like being told you can't do something so you have to go do it to prove them wrong. In sports, that's ok. Other things, not so much.    
     This was a race I just wanted to enjoy. I had run it before, it was close to home and I could sleep in my own bed the night before. I got there, parked and walk to the start. My friend was volunteering again so I went to find her so she would tell me being crazy was good. I had run all week. I intentionally didn't run...well, maybe a few miles.  She told me I was indeed crazy and we chatted. It was just another race, right? Finally it was time to find my corral, which I did after running into some other friends at the potty like and on the way to the corral. I am part of an amazing group of women called Moms Run This Town. At any given local race, I run into some of them and they are all amazingly supportive of each other. 5k, 10k full marathon, doesn't matter, they always encourage. My running partner from last time came with the hubby this time so I didn't seen her until she showed up in the corral. We agreed we were just in it to finish and take it easy. Off we went and that's exactly what we did. Took it easy.
     We stopped for beer, mimosas, extra walk breaks and amazingly, I felt good. I was truly just enjoying it. At about mile 18 another friend biked out to find us. She assured us we were actually hauling butt. That our chip times (she founds us from our splits) looked really good. Huh. There really is something to just relaxing while you run. Now how the heck do you make that happen every other run?

My "Where is that darn lighthouse?!" Selfie -haha!

Photo courtesy of Heidi S.

      We finished up and my time for the second marathon, while not my best, was actually better then the first one seven days ago! (I will take my victory where I can.) TWO marathons in SEVEN days. I am one tough chick.
     Just to make it crazier, in seven more days I had a half marathon on the calendar...say what?!

Picture Time

The Richmond Half Was COLD and for a city run-Beautiful.

 until you had to walk back up the hill you ran down on the finish...

Harbor Lights was another cold one, but with the 5k company the day before, it was awesome!

 Cold, clear and colorful to start the half.

 ...for Thanksgiving, I found these turkeys at the Turkey Trot...

Now I am training for back to back marathons. Yep, that's 26.2...twice in 7 days. Tobacco Road Marathon and then Shamrock Marathon. Bring it.

It's been awhile...

     I know its been a bit...too long. I have to admit, I didn't feel like there was much to say. A quick 8k in December, where I met my BRF to run to Busch Gardens, then nothing in January. I tried to make to Charleston for their half in January, but at the last minute couldn't work out the child care logistics. My biggest disappointment on that was leaving a friend hanging at the start line :(...in February I was suppose to run two but got really sick. Normally, I never get sick. (Good tough Maine genes.) Thanks mom! But when I do, I really do it up nice, antibiotics, and then something to pump up the antibiotics. I was down and out for about two weeks. The 21st and 22nd was suppose to be back to back halfs. One in Georgia and one in Alabama. No one went with me, I was on my own and still very sick.
     I made it to Georgia ok. This was for a trail race. The hotel was smoky, enough that I went back down to see about switching a room and letting them know it wasn't me that had been smoking in the room. All rooms available and around me were apparently smoking rooms. Since I had an upper respiratory infection, not a good start. On top of that, the restaurants were closing early since they were expecting....wait for it...a dusting snow and /or slush. I didn't feel good, was tired, and not really hungry anyway. I called the honey to say good night. After whining about everything he made me promise if I felt horrible after the first race to just come home. I did and went to bed.
     I got up and checked out the next morning. The race was 4 minutes away at Fort Yargo. Needless to say, I got there and parked with no issue. I face-booked my running buddies saying I may bail on the second race. I felt so crappy and like a big wuss. I had driven all that way and paid the money and I wouldn't win anyway, so why bail? Wonderful friends that they are, they backed me up just like my husband. They wouldn't think less of me and I was not a wuss. Think of the Marathon I had in March. Better to get healthy and run another day. I running friends are the best. They knew exactly what I needed to hear. I will still planning on heading to the second, but if I was feeling horrible after this one, at least I could live with myself if I went home.
     Fort Yargo is beautiful. This was a small trail race that I threw on the calendar since I would be down there anyway and why not knock out another state. I wasn't sick when I made that choice, but I am glad I did because I like it. I would have loved it if I hadn't been sick. It was hard and the trail changed and it was pretty and I made a friend who is on the same mission  of 50 states, not keen on a bunch of people at the start and also loves all the stuff you get to see when you run. (My BRF would be so proud of me for talking to strangers!)

 This is actually up hill.

 The easy section.

 Fort Yargo

 So Pretty.

Here we are at the start. I did finish. When I finished they had pizza, and plenty of it! Even for people like me at the way back of the pack. I sat down and just coughed. Got some strange looks and someone asked if I was ok. I hit my inhaler and assured them I would be with a nod. Tomorrow wasn't going to happen. It took too long to run, too long to catch my break and stop coughing and I felt completely wiped out. I will go home and run another day. Next year Alabama, its on!

Because I am that crazy

     For those keeping count at home...I have run three half marathons since the beginning of October. The Crawling Crab (PR race and AWESOME!), Monster Mash Half, the Halloween Half (trick was on me for this one) and now we have....The Virginia Running Festival Half a week after the Halloween Half. Have we discussed my sanity lately? No? Just to make sure we all understand, I also have the Richmond half next weekend and the Harbour Lights Half the last weekend in November...and just 'cause... the Striders Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, because you can never have too much of a good thing. That's six half's in two months. Most barely run one a month. Yep, I am that crazy, and I LOVE IT! I have even signed up for two marathons a week apart in March. Just to test my abilities and really see what I've got deep down. Who does that?! Me! -and a few other crazy people I know.
     The Virginia Running Festival was a nice race. I wasn't keen on my time, but I guess after the reality check of looking at my schedule above, it wasn't that bad for me either. I am not fast, I certainly can't qualify for Boston, but I have yet to be last. Fast is relative.
     This was a race I was on my own for. This always makes me a bit nervous. I do it not matter what, but I have to talk myself through the parking and the what if's just to calm myself down a bit. No way am I going to let nerves keep me from doing something I always enjoy. I hope someday my daughter gets the idea of not letting nerves or fear stop you from things you love and does it too. Being on my own, also means no or only a few pictures.
     It was a small race which meant short porta potty lines. This always screws me up. If I don't try right before, sure enough I will be looking for one on the course. This was no exception. For the four miles I kept looking...and not running well. The next 2 miles, I actually started looking for good bushes, but Newport News is a city and we were on a college campus...with LOCKED doors. What!? Another lady running with me asked the question I wanted to..."Where the heck are the bathrooms?". The volunteer said "I have no clue". Super. I finally got a porta potty stop at mile 7ish. Phew! Now I could run. The problem was, while I crushed the hills, it was too late to really make up any time, so screw it. It was a beautiful course, people were so friendly and now I could drink water. I just enjoyed the route we were on which took us back behind the campus through a very nice neighborhood along the river and through part of a park. It was very pretty.
     Finally reaching the end, I got my "Massive Medal" and they weren't kidding. Its almost as big as my head! There was plenty of pizza, but I headed out. I didn't know anyone there other then the girl I met at the beginning who also ran the whole Shamrock marathon. I waved and cheered for her as she went by. I hope she like the course too.

Halloween Trick

     I love Halloween. I love the crisp fall air, the cooler running temps, the crazy race costumes and all the spooky movies. I still watch Casper the Ghost every Halloween. It's time for candy and casseroles...YUM!
     Normally, I would run the Wicked 10k, but between Navy duty days and soccer games, it wasn't going to happen this year which meant the Halloween Half in NC was going to be all that much better. I had even promised to wear a costume. I know, right?! Treat in and of itself! I suck at costumes, so I had a little help from my friends, but still...me in a COSTUME. Halloween was definitely here.
     It was an evening race on a Saturday so I picked up my BRF in the morning and off we went to make packet pick up by 4pm. The race had a start at 6 and promised to be cold and rainy. What? I told you I was going. 'Nough said.
     We got there early and decided the little town was a bit...well...it looked like a small, poor town. (I am being nice here.) When we got our race bibs we didn't even have to wait and off to the hot spot we went...Walmart. Um, our first clue?
    We made it back to the race just in time for the rain to start. We watched the little kids run and looked around. At that point we were looking at placing in our age groups, there were that many people there. How awesome would that be? Thus, clue two. After the little ones raced (always adorable) more people had showed up and it was time to start, except no one could decide what side of the timing strip to start on...and we have clue three. The race director got us straight and off we went.
     Having seen the town, knowing we would run in the dark, I decided to run with my BRF, even if it made her mad and she totally turned me out. That was ok. We could run separate but SAFELY together. Right away the course went down a hill, which meant we were coming back up it. Rain and hills...it was a Kris race. We were off and running.

     The rain did let up only to be replaced by a cold, damp breeze, which as the sun set, started to make me really glad a had my hat to keep my ears warm. It didn't take more then a few miles to see this really was a crazy course. People were having a hard time navigating the cones. BRF pointed out something I had completely missed...no mile markers. Well, crap. I guess that's why we have  a GPS watch and part of why we would be glad to be running together later.

We leap frogged with some cool ladies for a while.

 

My Kenyan fuel ceased to matter at mile three when it became a race of "don't get lost".

     Then the lights went out in Brooklyn. We were actually in Fayetteville, NC (I think), but you get the idea. Once that sun went down it actually got scary. We ran through dark neighborhoods with broken liquor bottles (I hope) and Cujo was trying to get out of his cage to eat you. Neighbors looked at us oddly. On what we thought would be the last leg, it was a dark, busy wet road and more than once I watched someone almost get hit. Real life Frogger. I was ready to jump on the hood of one rude car and probably get myself arrested. Come on people! We were sharing the road, so could you! Cones in the middle of the road with no direction were confusing and resultingly dangerous for everyone. THANK YOU to the cops who did help. We made it to the end and looked at our watch...12.36...WHAT?! A half is 13.1 miles. Where did we loose the mileage? We must have to go down the hill again. No? Towards the finish? Really? Ok, well at least there would be pizza and donuts. Final clue...
     NO DONUTS...NO PIZZA...just water (thank you) at the end and my medal. BRF and I looked around. Maybe we it was covered because of the rain...nope. There were the empty pizza boxes over my the awards tent. Turns out, they only had enough for the 5kers. We were done.
     I hated the shirt, the course and the lack of pizza. The hills weren't bad, I liked the medal and I, of course, enjoyed the company. BRF for a reason. We weren't the only ones with a short course. Others missed a turn due to lack of direction and ended up a whole mile short. Next time check the map you say...well, we tried. It wouldn't come up. Next time BRF will veto any crazy race idea's I have, and after this, rightly so.
     To cut them some slack, it was an inaugural race for the town, even if not for the company, who put it on in Miami and Atlanta quite successfully. A lot of volunteers didn't show, they did offer a discount for next year to those who ran and were shorted on mileage and they acknowledged the pizza count was a lesson learned, but honestly, I won't be back.

 

Somes days are good and others...not so much

     October 5th the stars aligned and I ran a sub 2:30:00 half. For some of you, that is really slow, but for me it was a huge accomplishment. Better yet, I ran a 2:24:14! It was over a 6 minute PR for me! It will probably never happen again, but at least I can say I am improving.
   Back the crazy train up to October 4th. My daughter and I ran the 5k together. For me, it was part of a running challenge to get 3 medals. The more bling the better, right? For my daughter, it was a matter of conquering 3.1 miles.
    We arrived early, numbers pinned on, ready to go. At the back of the pack at the last second, she has to go. Thank goodness we were 1) at the back of the line and 2) near porta potties. As we started walking forward, she made it back to me. We ran intervals at 2:1 and towards mile 3 probably did more walking then running, but she did it! I am proud of her for trying and for sticking with it and for accomplishing the goal she set herself.

We came, we conquered, we ate.

 

    When it was all said and done, we got our medals, she had a shiny new PR and then we had some YUMMY soup. J&A always puts on a good race and the after party food is delicious!

     The next morning, we got up early to drop my daughter off at a friends and off I went to the half. Clearly, I miss calculated how long it would take me to get there as there was no traffic, I got to park in front of the start and I pretty much had another hour of nap time. I even had time to settle my stomach and eat a little before the race. Such a thing is normally unheard of.

     Finally, it was time to hop out of my nice warm car into the chilly weather to meet the girls for a pre race pic. Everyone was a little chilly and had throw aways (an old shirt you toss once you warm up running). I did not and just sucked it up in my short sleeve shirt.

Group Pic.

 

Pictures done and off the porta potties, where I found the missing group member...

 

     I then lined up with my BRF. I never seem to run with her, but I love to start with her. Makes the race start with all those people easier to swallow, plus, she's funny! We talked goals real quick. She had splits her coach had handed over and I had two goals. Overall, I wanted to beat 2:30:00, better yet, I wanted to run 11:00/mile the whole way. We swapped the age old advice "Remember not to go out too fast", off went the gun and...we waited. Yep, those of us at the back don't hear the gun go off and then run. We creep, wait, creep some more, listen to the announcer joke, creep some more, and then get to run.

     The first mile went fast. Too fast. I was at more of a 10:00/mile then an 11:00/mile, but what the heck, and I kept going. Sure enough, about mile two my left leg started to hurt. I was compensating for the stupid right ankle I hurt at Rock n Roll the month before. It was my sign to slow down. I walked a bit to get rid of the tightness and got into a good groove. I turned off the intervals so I could no longer see my pace and just ran. About mile 8 I started passing people I knew. Hmmm, they must have stopped for water, stopped to walk off a cramp or maybe...something. I kept going. The course had changed from last year and it was prettier then before. No stinky fish factory, a little less gross and more pretty. It wasn't crazy humid and there was plenty of water. There is a hill right before you hit the water and another at the end of the race that is an over pass. I love hills. They are tough, make my legs and lungs ache, but I love them. So I bent at the waist, dropped my shoulders and pulled up my head. Almost there, don't stop, don't slow down, just keep going.

     I crossed the finish and saw the clock. I knew I was ahead of the 2:30 pacer, but I also knew I was behind him when I started so I had to be close. I would see the official time when it posted later. I got my medal and then hurried off to get my daughter. Later, when I checked the time and saw 2:24:14 I almost fell out of my chair. Wahoo! Way to go me! Unfortunately, I have to do it again and now that I have beaten 2:30:00 I have to beat 2:20:00. Note to self, miss calculate travel time in your favor, run a fun 5k the day before, make sure the weather is very cool, eat breakfast and just run, you will have an awesome race.

     Easier said then done.

A couple of weeks later, the girls and I were off to Dover, DE for the Monster Mash half. I was cranky the whole time. Well, except while actually running,

 

Monster Mash guy

     We got our packets the night before the race at Dover Downs. The Monster guy was there to welcome us and those guys where there to photo bomb. Easiest packet pick up EVER! The race director even came over to give us a personal hello. Better yet, the shirts weren't gross yellow/green. Then it went down hill. Dinner was a pain with what we were told was a 20 minute wait. Ha! It took even longer to get to our food. Maybe they plucked the chicken out back first? By that time, we were too tired to gamble and off to bed we went.

 

     It was a fairly small race and had some cryptic instructions about not walking the first 4 miles. What, the Monster will step off the speed way and come get us? No, but the traffic might. The first part of the race was through route 13. A MAJOR road, and we ran right in the middle of it and crossed it. Thank goodness for the men in blue helping out. Even if they were cranky that they had to be there in the first place.

     You could tell it wasn't going to be a PR from the start. I just wasn't into it. It was a nice course, there were friendly people and it was actually some nice quiet reflective running in some places. But I wasn't feeling the push to break time records so I just tried to enjoy it. This got rid of the cranky for a while. I do very much like running. Crazy, my friends say, crazy, the posters say. Whatever, I like my crazy.

 

Quiet roads in Dover, DE

 

     By the time the race was done, so was I. I got a really cool spinny medal though! and COFFEE! They gave me FREE ICED COFFEE! They must have known I was coming. Oh wait, I was on the registration list. Okay, so I am not really that funny, but try to laugh a little. Besides, I do like coffee and now Delaware is checked off the states list.