Event – Page 3 – The Celiathlete

October 6, 2019

Project BQ – Marathon Training Week #15

dreams-hopes-poster-rhino-treadmill-unicorn Whew. I was hoping for the weeks to feel a little less daunting and less of a grind, since I hit that last 20+ miler last weekend. But, apparently, my coach had other plans for this week. I warned you…he’s very nontraditional when it comes to the taper. That being said, I was expecting some room to breathe, so when I woke up Monday morning to my schedule (I go to bed before children go to bed…and sometimes I don’t have my schedule Sunday night before I go to bed…and this week, it came through 2 hours after I had already gone to bed), I was a little bit surprised. I wasn’t thrilled with it…but I know there are methods to what my coach prescribes me in these weeks leading into my goal race…so I put my trust in him.

Take a deep breath…we’re diving right in.

Monday: INSTRUCTIONS: BASE RUN 6-8 MILES – GOAL 7 MILES + 4-6 STRIDES – EASY EFFORT – TRY NO WATCH AGAIN

I knew with every run this week having some sort of speed component in them, I really needed to pay attention to those that instructed me to run a base pace, or easy, and do exactly that. My Monday morning run is generally the same every week. So the fact that I didn’t have my schedule prior to going to bed wasn’t stressing me out at all. The only addition to this week’s Monday run was the inclusion of the strides at the end. This run went well. I kept things controlled and easy for 7 miles. I had been struggling in Florida with any sort of speed, and despite the heat and humidity, I managed to turn out some decent strides without feeling bad about my effort. I did my additional hip strengtheners during my stretches that morning. And I met with Corey, who did a full-body workout with me outside…which was insane and challenging. Let me tell you, I was still feeling it two days later. I did put in extra time that evening (after some further meal prep) to stretch and foam roll.

Tuesday: INSTRUCTIONS: SPEED WORK – MONA FARTLEKS W/ 1 MILE HARD EFFORT

Welcome to Day 2 of some sort of speed element in my running this week. Let me tell you, I run 6 days a week, and 5 of them included something that involved speed. This is my nightmare. BUT…at least he gave me my favorite of the speed workouts he throws at me – Mona Fartleks. If you’re an avid reader, you’re very familiar with these by now. If you’re just joining me on this journey…here’s how these work: 2 mile warm up, 2×90 sec, 4 x 60 sec, 4×30 sec, 4×15 sec (with equal recovery after each at a pace faster than base pace), 1 mile hard effort, 2 mile cool down. I felt really good during the actual workout…but I had a few bumps in the road. Not literally. First of all, there was a woman riding around on her electric scooter with a mean, yappy dog VERY early in the morning. And it was barking and coming at me, and at one point within my first mile, decided to chase me (there was no avoiding her), and it ripped the leash from the lady’s hand (and the handle cover off her scooter) and made for a very awkward situation and way to start. I actually paused for a few minutes to let them scoot on away so I could, possible, stop encountering them along the way. I don’t have a track (and it is currently WAY too warm to wait until the evening to do the track workouts with the local running store), so I do these on the road. And for a bunch of these intervals, I need to cross a main road. And this week…there happened to be a LOT of traffic at the time I chose to run. This rarely happens, but it does make me mad when it does. That being said, I did power through the intervals. The fast mile was a struggle because my legs were getting really tired and the humidity was wearing me out…but I finished it up, did my cool down, and happily went inside. I did my second day (I do 2 days a week usually) of additional hip strengthener moves with my stretches. And, progressively got a little more sore throughout the remainder of the day. That night I did attend Ladies Night at our local running store, which kept me out later than usual, but I got to hang with some amazing friends, which made it worth it.

Wednesday: INSTRUCTIONS: NO WATCH ALLOWED! FOCUS ON THE GOAL OF THE RUN = RECOVERY! GO AS FAR OR SHORT AS YOU NEED, AS FAST OR SLOW AS YOU NEED, WALK OR RUN AS YOU NEED.

Welcome to the one and only day this week that DID NOT include some element of speed. Thank goodness I had one. I woke up, still sore from personal training and very glad I didn’t have to push any sort of pace because of that. I got to bed late, but as this was a run for me to choose the distance, I know I wouldn’t go too far, and if the soreness got worse, I would keep it really short. I woke up later than my usual alarm (Thursday would be earlier, so it balances), got dressed, fueled, put on my gear and headed out. It took about 2 miles for my legs to find a rhythm and to not ache as much in the muscles. But they did feel better. I was very mindful of any sort of pain, but as things got easier…the run also progressed. Not with speed. I still kept that down and under control. I have enough speed happening this week…I wasn’t going to put any unnecessary energy into this run. A recovery run did me good though, because I did feel the muscles loosen up and I felt a lot better afterwards. I put in 5 easy miles…which I was thankful I was able to do and that my body allowed me to do that morning. I did my stretches I got from physical therapy YEARS ago (the ones I do every morning and night) twice this morning, as I had a sports massage scheduled for that evening. Corey texted to say he was sick, and very kindly didn’t want to give what he had to me. I was thankful for that. And I think my muscles appreciated an extra bit of time off. The sports massage…was glorious. I went to bed as soon as I got home though…because Thursday was the start of what I considered to be my hell. HA!

Thursday: INSTRUCTIONS: 11-13 MILES WITH 3 MILES FAST FINISH – GOAL 12 MILES – EASY DOES IT UNTIL FAST FINISH AT THE END.

I barely slept the night prior. I had set an early alarm…for 2:30 am, with the hope of fueling (which isn’t easy on a weekday), getting ready, and heading out the door by 3 am. I did manage all of that, but damn…I was tired. With having spent most of the night tossing and turning, I was not looking forward to doing this run. But, I told myself to just take it easy, gradually ease into it, and just prepare for those final three miles. My legs felt SO much better after the sports massage. Seriously! But I was just fatigued. I had fueled with the Maurten 160 Drink Mix before heading out and had one of their new Maurten 100 Gels with Caffeine on me to take around Mile 9.5 (which I did). It was a hot, humid morning. Every now and again, a bit of a breeze would blow, but I was not enjoying having to squeeze in a half marathon distance on a Thursday. It’s hard for me to do double digits on a work day. It’s hard enough to fit in single digit runs, and since I never sleep well before these double digit ones (they don’t happen often…but when they do…), I know the logistics just stress me out to that point. I made a good effort of keeping those first 10 miles easy. Then, I threw down, the best I could, for those final three miles. They weren’t impressively fast…but they were good enough for the day. The second one had a few more turns than the other two, so it was totally slower than the ones that sandwiched it. But…I got it done. And 13.1 miles later, I was happy to BE done. I showered and stretched and ate a protein-filled breakfast. And I really hoped I would sleep better leading into my rest day.

Friday: REST/RECOVERY DAY!

I did sleep better leading into Friday. That was good. I slept in. I showered. I stretched. I finished packing. I headed out to work. I put in about 6 hours, leaving the office around 2:30 pm. I went and picked up my order of “magic sushi,” loaded it into a cooler and headed up to Indianapolis for the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben. I have never done this race before. But I stopped by the hotel, dropped off bags (and put my sushi into the fridge), went to the expo to pick up packets (I was grabbing my friend’s , went to Fresh Thyme (I left my pre-race breakfast at the office in my rush to leave, so I found a good replacement with Brekki Blueberry Overnight Oats, Julie’s Real Cashew Butter (coconut vanilla bean flavor), and some waters for the room and pre/during/post race things. Then we hit up Noodles & Co. so Cathy could grab herself dinner before we returned to the hotel, turned on Food Network to watch Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, and eat dinner. I stretched and foam rolled, then…stayed up until about 9 before calling it a night.

Saturday: INDY HALF MARATHON AT FORT BEN AT MARATHON PACE

Okay…let me be the first to admit that I ran this WAY faster than marathon pace. But, it was 47° outside. And while I had another restless night…I was feeling good. I connected with Kelly first thing in the morning when we got to the giant parking lot they parked us in. So we hung out before the race, which was fun. I don’t get to hang with friends ahead of a race very often. With the fall air here, the bon fires at the start were nice and we hung there until we had to get into our corrals. I will do a full race report on this, but let’s just say this…I felt strong for the entire run, even on the giant hills. I knew I was running well because the 1:40 pacer was behind me the entire time. And in my head, I kept reminding myself that my goal isn’t to PR…it’s to run a race at marathon pace. The pacers in that group were phenomenal and while I didn’t run with them, I went and thanked them after the race itself. I would go back and run this one again in a heartbeat. Great race. And I am only 21 seconds off of a new PR in this distance. Knocking on the door of a breakthrough. After the race, I showered, packed up, went to Woody’s Library Restaurant for lunch, grabbed some goodies at the gluten-free bakery up the way, went to the Indiana State Fairgrounds for the Half Price Books Clearance Sale (books were $2 and under), before heading home. It was a lot of time in the car post-race and I did stiffen up some. Got back and swung by the office to grab the breakfast I was supposed to have from the office so I could have it on Sunday, ran into Melissa, Paul, and Carrick. Talked for a bit. then went to get wheat we came for, returned home, didn’t unpack, just changed into pajamas, stretched, foam rolled, made popcorn, watched Top Chef…and went to bed.

Sunday: 11-13 MILES WITH 3-5 MILES FAST FINISH – EASY DOES IT UNTIL THE FAST FINISH AT THE END

UGH. I didn’t sleep well leading into Sunday morning either. UGH! What’s up with these restless nights? Is it the change in the weather? I need it to stop now, please. I actually got up a few times, but nothing seemed to really work. I eventually through my comforter over me, and that helped for a bit. Maybe I need a weighted blanket. But what this did leave me with was very little motivation to do this workout today. I wasn’t feeling it at all. I really just wanted to curl up on the couch and not move. But, I eventually got up, stretched, fueled, got my stuff together, put on sunscreen, got dressed and got out the door. I kept those early miles easy. I wasn’t loving the return of the 70° weather this morning. Or the humidity. But I think it’s going away after today. The first 8 miles felt harder than they were. My legs were tired from the race the morning before. The last 5 miles that I pushed pace were trash. Honestly, they were the hardest in a long time. And, because I’m dumb, I used my hilly Thanksgiving course for the last 5 miles, which made it even harder to push that fast pace. I was dying. It was a HUGE struggle bus. But I just took it for what it was. I ran too fast yesterday and that was reflected in my performance today. I wrapped it up, hoping for a bit of a break in the workouts next week. I don’t want speed every day again. I really don’t. I’m also going to be out late because I’m seeing Dear Evan Hansen tonight. So, tomorrow should be interesting.

And that’s how I taper, I guess. I run really fast for 5 out of 6 days of training. And I’m sure the workouts aren’t done yet. That’s just how my coach does “taper.” And I trust him. With my performance at the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben, his methods are working. But, dammit, I want to sleep, and feel rested, and maybe have a week to breathe.

We shall see.

September 11, 2019

Downtown Doubler 15K/30K – New Albany, IN (September 8, 2019)

Me finishing the Downtown Double 30K – New Albany, IN

Race: Downtown Doubler 15K/30K

Place: New Albany, Indiana

Date: September 8, 2019

Time: 2:26:39

I can’t miss a race when it happens on my training grounds, right? RIGHT?! Also, it totally coincided with my marathon training and worked as my weekend long run. Also, as I have never ran a 30K, it would be an automatic PR for me too. Can’t argue with any of that!

Welcome to my past Sunday morning!

35D9ED55-8E50-40E7-96FB-8938B88D9D4F — My “magic sushi” from Dragon King’s Daughter. Fueling my long runs this training season.

Treating this as I have all my long runs leading into my marathon thus far, I went to get my “magic sushi,” at Dragon King’s Daughter the night before, because it’s been working as night-before-a-long-run fuel. And why mess with something when it’s working, right? Also, I got up as if it were a usual long run morning, giving myself plenty of time to hydrate, eat a small bowl of overnight oats, get dressed, slather on sunscreen, fuel with my Maurten 320 Drink Mix, and get to the start of the actual run. I had 40 oz of water (and 2 Nuun tablets) in my Nathan Hydration vest, and was carrying a Maurten 100 Gel for when I felt I might need it. Other than that, I was wearing the new Newton Distance 8 and all the pink I could find in honor of my mom! I had actually slept really well after going to bed early the night before, so I felt good. Not even nervous. Not even with the change from “using this as a training run” to having to throw down about 7/9 of the race at Marathon Pace. THAT…I was NOT excited about.

MRTT/SRTT group photo! Love these ladies!

But I had a plan. Use the first 2 miles as a warm-up. Then hit it at my marathon pace for the next 10-14 miles (whatever my legs were feeling that day). Use the last 2.6 as a cool down, perhaps kicking it back in for that 0.6 at the end (although I usually don’t have a kick).

Did that happen? Ehhhhhh…

As I stated previously, I arrived to the start of the race about 30 minutes prior to the actual start. I met up with my friends Laura and Michael, and we decided to make use of the flushing toilets while there weren’t any lines. They went to warm up, and I met up with Christine and the rest of the MRTT/SRTT group that was in attendance at the race. A group pictures was taken and we all started to make our way to the start line to line up.

Ron, Christine, and I starting the Downtown Doubler together

I was originally going to run this with Christine, but with my marathon paces now having to be a thing, it wasn’t happening. Dang it. We did meander to the start line together though, her laying out her plan to execute in the race. Our other running partner, Ron, was doing the 15K and was going to start with us.

We were given the basics on the course. Turn around at the cone. And 15K come in to the finish on the right side…30K, stay to the left and make the turn to head back out. It was a 2 loop course for those of us doing the 30K. And in my head, I was thinking how smart the 15K people were. HA! After that…the horn sounded and we were off!

I took off and ended up running with Ron down the stretch leading into the first mile. I could tell we were going fast. Faster than a warm up would have been. And when we hit the first mile he shouted that we were at 7:28. He said he was going to race, I told him to go on, but opted to just run the first 10-14 miles fast and back off and cruise in at the end instead of my initial plan. I mean…I just did a 7:28…might as well keep with the momentum. I remained about what I figured was about 1/10 of a mile behind him on pace through the first 4 miles. At the turn around point, he grabbed water and I skimmed past him. He caught up with me and as we were coming into the 7th mile, he said, “At this pace…slow it down at Mile 10.” I promised I would. We headed up the hill, and after crossing the flood wall, I went down the hill and remained just slightly ahead of him at this point. I took the rest of my Maurten at Mile 8 and headed to the turn-around point to make the loop and head back out.

Heading out for the second loop! Halfway there!

At Mile 10, I still felt good, but I did ease off the accelerator. Slightly. Ron was right…I didn’t want to work up a recipe for injury, but my miles were still really fast. Apparently he said told Cathy that I was going too fast. But, as promised, I did ease back a little. With the looped route, I did get to see my friends at different points on the course, and cheer in the leaders as they passed me as I was heading into the turnaround point. It was fun. And, as I said, I’ve run the Greenway so much, my legs knew when the hills hit and when the wooden bridges would slow me down…all the things. When I did turn around at Mile 14, I did ease it back even more. I knew that Daniel didn’t want me racing the whole thing, because that would mean a lot more recovery time. So, I went to my base pace speed and started to make my way back to the finish line.

Here is where I want to give a HUGE shout-out…

…to the Urban Bourbon people at the water stop were AWESOME. They called everyone out by name and cheered them on. And that was AMAZING. I loved it. And since we 30K peeps saw them 4 times, it was nice to always have someone cheering you on on what would have been a lonely course otherwise.

0CB3B734-F0AB-4109-9939-3B707BDCF2EA — Me with my medal after finishing the Downtown Doubler 30K

At Mile 16, I went ahead and took my Maurten 100 Gel to give me a little push to the finish line. I had to run up the last of the hills heading over the flood wall again, and my legs fought it a little bit here. But I just eased up it and rode the downhill on the other end. I knew I was heading into my last 1.6 miles…and technically, my watch was a bit behind where the mile markers were placed. I was running with my watch covered, so I wasn’t sure how much it was off…I just knew it was. Whatever. It happens.

I knew the finish line was close though, so for that last half mile, I found myself picking the pace back up. I felt amazing, mind you. I fueled properly…I hydrated every mile…I felt like I could have kept going. And as I headed into the finish line, I had friends there holding out hands for some high fives. I gladly gave them. And I was shouted out at the finish line, and they even said I looked like I could have kept going. It was a good morning for me and I was thankful to have the strength, endurance, and speed to carry me through the miles.

The course was 18.52 miles according to my watch…so I did a cool down, easy jog, to get me to the 18.6 miles total. I received my medal and then had to wait around for official results to post to see if I placed at all in my age division. It took a little bit of time, but that was okay…because I got to cheer in quite a few of my friends while we waited.

Turns out that I came in 2nd in my Age Group. I was surprised (my age division is pretty competitive). That was a nice bonus for sure. After cheering in more people, Cathy, Ron, Shawn and I decided we would head up to Heine Bros. for coffee. So, up the stairs (that sucked, BTW) we went to head over the tracks. And I heard the train. And then the train stopped. And then the train didn’t move for 30 minutes. I sat on the stairs and just waited it out, but some people climbed up onto the cars (and some ducked under the train) to get to their cars. It wasn’t worth the risk of death, honestly. I called it the “Darwin” test and really got pissed when a guy with a toddler did it.

The train did clear out and we all met up for coffee and some chatting. Then I went home to shower, grocery shop, shop for last minute trip stuff, and await my schedule from my coach for the following week. I had a good race.

My official results of the Downtown Doubler 30K are that I finished in 2:26:39…which is now my standing 30K PR. This world needs more 30K races, for real. I did look at my 15K split and I was only 3 seconds behind my 15K PR (set at The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY back in 2013)…so that’s a win, right? I was 28/108 finishers overall. I was 9/51 female finishers. And I was 2/11 in my age division. I had a great time at this race. There was so much support from the other runners, the water stops, the finish line, and the turn-around point. This was definitely a confidence boost I needed in my training. I will take those because they have been few and far between.

September 8, 2019

Project BQ – Marathon Training Week #11

dreams-hopes-poster-rhino-treadmill-unicorn Sometimes in training, you have to learn how to adapt. And sometimes that means that the runs might be harder. Sometimes it means that your hard pace looks slower on paper, but the effort is there. Sometimes it means that you have to do two days of speed work back-to-back in order to have a bit of a life outside of marathon training.

Guys, I don’t know how I ever fit in gym mornings and time with friends and all that prior to this training cycle. Because, honestly, I don’t feel like I have much casual, free, leisure time anymore. I train in the morning, I do personal training sessions two times a week, I go to work, I come home, I stretch and foam roll, and in between all of that…I survive by prepping and eating and just making sure I get plenty of rest so that this body can continue to power through the workouts, training, and eventually, another marathon.

I am tired. I have been living in a constant state of exhaustion for the past 2 years. And with this past year, a lot of focus being on prioritizing rest/sleep…I just run out of time. I knew heading into this week that things were going to get crazy. Why?

Because I had concert tickets to see Rob Thomas…on Wednesday night.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT! So, after a bit of debate, I decided the only thing I could do was rearrange my workouts. I thought all the concerts/shows I had tickets for came AFTER my cruise, but I was wrong. Rob Thomas slotted in ahead of it. In the middle of the week. Not going wasn’t an option. Fun fact: I met Rob Thomas back in 1998 when I lived in Birmingham, Alabama. And, it had been FOREVER since I’d made time to go to a concert on a “school night.” HA!

So, let’s dive in to the insanity of this week.

Monday: INSTRUCTIONS: BASE RUN – GOAL 7 MILES – EASY EFFORT – TRY NO WATCH AGAIN

The best part about this past Monday was that it was Labor Day! HOLIDAY! Do you know what this meant? I slept in. I ran in the daylight. I had been out at my friend’s house on Sunday night for a Labor Day cookout. I indulged in more than a few Gluten Free Vegan S’Mores. I had a good amount of food, and enjoyed my time hanging out with some of my favorite people. We left late and I crawled into bed without setting an alarm. I woke up at my usual time and made myself NOT get up at that point. I did get up to stretch and head out for a run in the early morning. It was sunny, and a little humid, and the easy, recovery run felt a bit harder than it should have. I think it was the extra sugar that night, but it was worth it. Campfire S’mores are the best. The run was nothing to write home about. I just sort of let myself cruise, but it was a struggle at times, especially near the end. After over 16 miles of pounding on concrete at marathon pace in the Parklands the day before, my legs were not loving the movement or miles at all. They felt tired. And that happens. I made sure to give them some good foam rolling time. I was planning on planting my booty on the couch and binge watching Mindhunter on Netflix all Monday, but one of my best friends was in the hospital for surgery and I went and bought her a gift and delivered it to her. I did manage some meal prep, 2 episodes of Mindhunter, and finished off the day watching Free Solo with dinner. It was a long, productive, and very condensed day. But, that’s holidays for you. The run was a total of 7 miles…nice and easy on very tired legs.

Tuesday: INSTRUCTIONS: TEMPO RUN – 1 MILE WU; 3X2 MILES AT TEMPO (7:20-7:50) W/ 0.5 MILES RECOVERY; 1 MILE CD

UGH! Speed work. Not just speed work, but a tempo workout. I don’t know why tempos stress me out, but they do. At least this one was with some recovery time and not hard pushes for consecutive miles. My legs still felt a bit flat, but I decided to just give it my best effort. I never once stopped. Even in the humidity and the warmer temps….I came close to nailing this workout. The first mile of the last tempo push was a 7:57 so, but I got back to 7:50 for the second mile. It was the end of the workout, so I’m not too mad at it. I’m a little mad at it, because I like to have a bit more perfection with the workouts, but it was what my legs had that day. I came close and I did it without burning out. That’s a win. I did my additional hip strengtheners with my stretches that morning as well. As for the run, that gave me 9.5 miles for a Tuesday morning.

Wednesday: SPEED WORK – MONA FARTLEKS W/ 1 MILE HARD EFFORT

Yes…you read that right. Two speed work days in a row. It was my only option with the Rob Thomas concert starting at 8 pm Wednesday night. I wasn’t going to have the time or energy to wake up at 3:30 am to fit them in per usual on Thursday morning. I figured I wouldn’t get home until after midnight (I was right), so adjustments had to be made. I moved my short, recovery run to Thursday and Thursday’s speed session to Wednesday. At least it was my favorite – Mona Fartleks. They work like this: 2 mile warm up, 2×90 sec, 4 x 60 sec, 4×30 sec, 4×15 sec (with equal recovery after each at a pace faster than base pace), 1 mile hard effort, 2 mile cool down. I ran these SO much better last week. I was 3 minutes slower overall. But my legs still felt flat and my hard efforts were all I could manage that morning. That one mile push was unsuccessful. I did it, but it had at least 5 (if not a few more) stops just to pound on my legs and try to get them to loosen up, find some flow, and just go. I was so happy to just have this done and behind me. It wasn’t easy at all to run this much two days in a row. Hard runs usually get some recovery time…and there wasn’t enough here. I did my second day of hip strengthening exercises this morning, foam rolled while drinking my coffee, and even managed my evening stretches before heading out to the concert that night. It was a messy day. But sometimes training, and life, gets messy. It was just over 8 miles on the run!

Thursday: INSTRUCTIONS: NO WATCH ALLOWED! FOCUS ON THE GOAL OF THE RUN = RECOVERY! GO AS FAR OR SHORT AS YOU NEED, AS FAST OR SLOW AS YOU NEED, WALK OR RUN AS YOU NEED.

So…it was after midnight when I got out of the Rob Thomas concert and made it home. Trying to figure out when I would fit in my recovery run…I opted, since I was up and awake at that point, to just suit up, gear up, and go out and do it before heading to bed. The midnight temperature was in the low 70s, but there was no humidity and a nice breeze. And, for the first time all week, my legs decided that they felt good. I felt very light on my feet, free, and able to open up. I didn’t push pace or anything. I didn’t even have to stop, slowing down every time I needed to cross the busy road because there was ALWAYS a car. Seriously, why are there so many cars on the road at midnight. But I felt amazing. I did 4 miles. And they felt glorious…despite being completely exhausted and worn out from the early morning, speed work, real work, concert…all the things. It was a nice surprise and was the lift I finally needed to feel a bit better about my runs this week. Let’s hear it for small miracles.

Friday: Rest Day. It’s always a rest day. I have a big weekend ahead of me, so this was really needed. I really made a point to get to bed at a decent time the night before. And to SLEEP! Really sleep. Except I couldn’t. And I ended up waking up at normal time. I made myself stay in bed for a bit longer and got up about 30 minutes before my alarm. I tried. I really did. I took a shower, stretched, drank water, ate breakfast, got ready for work and went into the office. With so much going on, I kept track of my nutrition, rested my legs, stretched, foam rolled, and started to prepare for the weekend. God, I always look forward to Friday. Respect and learn to love those rest days. They are more important than the days you are running. These are the days that help your body get stronger, faster, better. I might be the only runner in the history of ever who looks forward to and loves rest days!

Saturday: INSTRUCTIONS: BASE RUN – GOAL 7 MILES – EASY EFFORT – TRY NO WATCH AGAIN

I was going running with my friend, Dennis this Saturday morning. Woke up early to fit in my stretching and give me time to lather up the sunscreen and fuel before heading over the river to meet up with him at the Big Four Bridge. I had told him that because I had to throw some race paces into my Sunday run now (making it more of a race than a training run), I really needed to take this run easy. Dennis has one gear…and it’s GO. But he was doing a 25 mile bike ride that morning after the run so we were going to keep it easy. And that…didn’t happen. He blames me. He claims that he’d shout out our pace and I’d say we needed to slow it down and then wouldn’t. Maybe he’s right. Maybe it was him. Who is to say. We turned around halfway and when we headed back up the bridge into the last mile, he took off and I let him go. After all, I was racing the following day and he was not. I met up with him at the finish, texted my roommate to come and get me before heading home to shower, eat, and head out to grocery shop and get some more vacation shopping done. I did manage to get my costume locked down for my cruise. It did mean that I didn’t get much time off my feet. I went out for “magic sushi,” the vegan sushi that has been my go-to pre-long run meal. Then, I foam rolled and stretched that evening and then went to bed early.

Sunday: DOWNTOWN DOUBLER 30K – INSTRUCTIONS: PLAN ON SHOOTING FOR 10-14 MILES AT RP FOR THIS ONE

I woke up just before my alarm again this morning, probably the nerves of having to race a race. Let’s face it…I have been using most, if not all, as training runs in the past. But, while still feeling wiped from a messed up week of sleep, I wasn’t feeling bad at all in the morning. I decided to treat this like marathon morning (let’s face it…I was supposed to be running a marathon in Erie, PA today had I been able to register before it sold out), and fueled as I intend to the actual marathon morning. So, my first breakfast happened. Then I stretched, got dressed, put on sunscreen. Prepared my fuel, which has been Maurten and it has been a GAME CHANGER for me. I packed a small bottle of it to take during the race along with a gel pack to take near the end. I never want to crash on a race, and my system of fueling hasn’t let me down yet. My roommate and I left the apartment and headed down to downtown New Albany, where the race was starting on the beautiful Greenway. For the 30K, runners would make 2 loops of the course. I was starting to second guess my enthusiasm for doing the 30K over the 15K…but too late to turn back now. My initial plan was to run 2 miles as a warm up, hit it for the middle 14 (if I felt good), and then use the final miles as a cool down. In my enthusiasm, I just took off at the start, so when I hit the first mile at a race pace (faster, really), I decided I would race the first 10 to 14 and then cool down in the last part of the race. I will do an actual post on this race, but it went REALLY well for me. I executed my fueling perfectly, even at the faster pace, and I managed a time good enough for 2nd in my age division. Stay tuned for a post. After the race, and after getting delayed by a train stopping on the tracks and blocking the parking lot, my roommate, myself, and our friends (who did the 15K) Ron & Shawn met with us for coffee at Heine Bros. Afterwards, I came home to shower, clean, meal prep, and get some laundry done. Also stretched and foam rolled. Ready for a breather!

My coach did forget that I was heading on my cruise at the end of the week and had a down/recovery week planned, but he switched it up to the following week so I won’t have to run as much or as hard on a cruise ship. That was nice of him. But that does mean I have a pretty stacked week again after a hard effort. Just going to do what I can and hope my recovery really comes along.

Stay tuned!

July 13, 2019

Bluegrass 10,000 – Lexington, KY (July 4, 2019)

Me heading toward the finish line of the Bluegrass 10,000

Race: Bluegrass 10,000

Place: Lexington, Kentucky

Date: July 4, 2019

Time: 47:40

Fourth of July means one thing. The annual 4th of July race. And for the third year in a row, I decided to make the trip down to Lexington, Kentucky for the Bluegrass 10,000. This year it was a bit different. We didn’t ride down with Melissa and Paul this year. Melissa had a baby back in February, so I knew they would have a bit more of a stressful ride down (especially if they were bringing the baby…which they did…and her mom to watch the baby…so full car as it was) trying to juggle everything with a newborn around.

I got in touch with Linda, my former coach and one of my favorite people (she’s an amazing friend) in this world, to see if she could pick up my packet if I registered, and since she’s in charge of the pacers…she said she already was picking up all of those so she would add to mine. I greatly appreciated that. There was no way that I could get to Lexington during a workweek for a Thursday race so I am thankful for people who can help me out.

The night before the race I made tacos. Not weird. I love tacos. And I ended up going to bed relatively early that night, knowing that a very early alarm had to be set for me to get up, hydrate, drink coffee, stretch, change, put on sunscreen, and get on the road by 5 am. The race in Lexington starts at 7:30 am. We managed to have breakfast, get ready, and get on the road right on time. So, that was a definite win.

It was a warm morning, and I dressed appropriately this time. As Wonder Woman. With a bra top instead of a tank top. I’m over the fact that my stomach isn’t flat. Whatever. Comfort is way more important and I wasn’t going to overheat this year.

This year, I was opting to give a go at racing this thing again. I wasn’t sure how I would do. My body isn’t reacting well to the heat/humidity this summer. I’ve never crashed so hard on hot runs (yep…even before the sun comes up) as much as I have this year. Its frustrating. And it does mentally wear you down, but I decided I would just see what I had this particular day. My training was relatively easy leading into a Thursday race. I admit, I might have hit some miles a bit harder than intended…but I felt pretty good on the drive into Lexington.

As we were arriving to our designated spot to park, I got a text from Linda saying where she was parked so we could meet up. We pulled in moments later, and I got out to get a hug and get my race shirt and bib. Cathy pinned me up and Linda and I talked for a bit. Her 8 minute pacer hadn’t shown up yet so she said I might have to hop in and pace. I was willing to do that if necessary. We both took the opportunity to use the bathroom before heading toward the start line. Her 8 minute pacer did show up at this point, so I was reprieved of that duty. Melissa and Paul weren’t here yet…but did arrive after the pacer photo and with about 5 minutes to the start. I wanted to hug Melissa before the start, but she was feeding her baby and Paul was grabbing her stuff. I had to head to the start…and that was that this year.

I lined up near the 8 minute pacer, just as I did last year. But then I saw people who were, once again, talking about how they wouldn’t be able to do that pace…or were definitely not dressed to hold that pace (is that judgey?)…so I moved up. And then moved up some more. The National Anthem was sung. The wheelchair racers were sent off. And we all moved up to wait for our prompt 7:30 am start. We were sent off by a rifle. It was pretty frickin amazing!

Here is where I am changing my plan of action for this race next time I run it. Despite having moved up, I was still blocked by a lot of walkers who were up near the front of the race. I wish this could be monitored a bit more, but it seems that next year, I am just lining up MUCH closer to the start line. I was slowed down considerably here, but the start line is pretty chaotic as it is.

The street is really crowded in that first mile, so I bobbed and weaved as much as I could. We made a turn right before the finish line and headed out to make a loop around some streets. We make a turn around Mile 2 and start up a big hill. It’s not a steep hill, but one of those ongoing hills. It wears you down. I was also making a point to hydrate early and often. So, if there was a water stop…you best believe I was taking a cup and drinking some of it before pouring the rest over my head. Keeping that core temperature down this year. YES! Oh…and they had some cooling stations on some of the miles…so I used those too.

The fight for some running space at the start of the Bluegrass 10,000

I hit the turn around point and got a bit of a downhill. And this is where I got a lot of Wonder Woman shout outs from people spectating. And I got a lot of call-outs by Linda and her pacers as they came up the other side of the road. Man, that was a booster, even when I started to walk the water stops. No shame in that on a hot day. I enjoyed the downhill portions and really appreciated the guy at Mile 5 with a hose who just sprayed me down as I ran past. It steamed up my sunglasses, but damn…I needed that refreshing hit of cold water.

As I ran past the start line of the race, I could hear the race announcer up the way and was getting pretty excited to finish. I wasn’t looking for a PR today…and I didn’t get one. But I gave it all I could at that finish line. I could hear Cathy screaming at me from the bleachers nearby as I ran past and just got myself across the line. I stopped my Garmin and took a moment to catch my breath.

Me with Linda after the Bluegrass 10,000

I made my way over to a table with water and snagged a bottle before heading to the sideline to talk with Cathy, who was heading my way. Shortly after, Linda came across and I went to chat with her for a little bit. I stuck around for a few of the pacers to make their way in, but I knew that we had an important date with lunch and then Season 3 of Stranger Things (which had dropped at midnight). So, I gave Linda a hug and we headed out to get back to our car.

On the way back, we did get to see Melissa and Paul. Melissa switched with the 15 minute pacer and was getting her group to the finish line in good form. Cathy tried to take pictures, but they weren’t prepared. I was happy to have caught them before we left.

We went to Target to kill off some time. Cathy got us some more coffee and a bit of a

snack before we walked around, killing off time before Bella Notte opened for lunch. There was SO much Stranger Things stuff. How I didn’t buy it all…I will never know. We polished off the coffee and headed over to the mall to walk a little more. Ducked into a few stores, then finally went to Bella Notte to grab lunch. I had my usual. Cathy went with something new and different. And as our entrees were arriving, Melissa, Paul, Deb and baby arrived. Melissa came over to chat with us before they ordered, and we stopped by as we were about to head out. We finished eating. We stopped in at Half Price Books. And we mad the drive back home to get through as much of the new season of Stranger Things as we could…because we were working a half day on Friday and gone all weekend.

And we got 6/8 episodes in before we had to call it. Not bad.

Gluten Free Pasta Arrabiata from Bella Notte in Lexington, KY

I’m not sure if I am more proud of that or how I did in the race this year. I beat last year’s time by 1 minute, but no distance or course PR this year. It eludes me again.

My official results of the Bluegrass 10,000 are that I finished in 47:40…in the best weather (still humid and hot) that I have had in the 3 years I have run it. And that’s with walk/water stops. I was 294/2969 finishers overall. I was 41/1491 female finishers. And I was 6/244 in my age division. I actually was better placed this year (with more finishers in each category)…except for my age group. I need to get out of my head a bit more and just learn to be a bit more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

584119AE-2E07-4CFB-A642-A39427C54015 — Stranger Things Binge Watching Marathon ready!

July 12, 2019

The Bluegrass BAMR Podcast – Episode 10: “Life as a Celiathlete” with Karen Brady — BluegrassBAMR

Hey everyone!

A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to be featured on The Bluegrass BAMR Podcast! I had a blast talking to Stephanie and sharing part of my story (I feel like I could have gone on for at least another hour…but I also like to talk). Anyway…please go give it a listen. And be sure you share, like, subscribe and leave a review for the podcast itself.

You can check it out below…or search on your favorite podcast platform!

And thanks again, Stephanie!

“Life as a Celiathlete” with Karen Brady Karen Brady, aka The Celiathlete, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at the age of 30. After some trial and error, and help from a Registered Dietitian, Karen was able to find the nutritional solutions to help fuel her greatest passion: running. Not only has Karen learned to live […]

via The Bluegrass BAMR Podcast – Episode 10: “Life as a Celiathlete” with Karen Brady — BluegrassBAMR

July 8, 2019

Project BQ – Marathon Training Week #2

dreams-hopes-poster-rhino-treadmill-unicorn Well friends…much to everyone’s dismay as a new Team Challenge kicked in for the MRTT/SRTT group…I had a down week this week. And it might have been just what I needed considering I raced on Thursday and was out of town over the weekend. Training when a race is on a weird day works for me…but going out of town never makes training easy. Especially when you are somewhere that isn’t easy to run without venturing out for a ways to a place with sidewalks and safe paths or trails. It was what it had to be this week. And, honestly, I never know where I stand on those challenges because I just do what my coach tells me to do. I never want to overtrain and/or bring about injury because of these fun challenges. So…I just stay my course and do my thing. As training hadn’t officially started, my coach let me split the total accumulated mileage between Saturday and Sunday into two mid-distance runs as opposed to a short run followed by a long run…as I was limited only to a treadmill. You tweak things as you need and just do the best you can with what life is offering at the time.

Let’s dive into this week, shall we?

Monday: This was my typical Monday morning run. 6 miles. Easy pace. SLOW!! He assigns me Mondays as a recovery run from any weekend runs that he puts me through. And with the past week’s Sunday run being rough…it was a good morning to just take it easy, move the legs, and not put much effort into anything. I survived another humid morning. I drank a lot of water, trying to stay ahead on hydration this week. I also met with my personal trainer. And then…I returned to my Monday evening spin class with Deana. It was her sing-along class and it was a lot of fun. Since it was a down week, I did throw in a few extra things as I figured it wouldn’t mess with my training. Today I also did one of the two days a week I throw in my hip strengthening exercises to my morning PT stretching routine.

Tuesday: No speed work this week. My Tuesday run kept it simple. 6 more miles, this time at base pace. Another humid morning, and this time I had to deal with some stomach issues. UGH. It happens sometimes when you have Celiac. But, I got through it and managed to keep a slightly faster pace than Monday. I followed that up with a round of 10 strides, which I actually managed to do quickly while focusing on form.

Wednesday: Short and easy run this morning. 3 recovery miles. He told me to run them SLOW…and I did…for the first one. And somehow that turned into negative splits without me focusing on it. So…yeah…this one was probably too fast and should have been done slower. I wasn’t looking at my watch for each mile…I just ran by feel and it DID feel easy. No personal training because I was racing the following day, but I did do my second day of additional hip strengthening exercises to my morning PT stretching routine.

Thursday: Early morning. I needed to stretch, drink some coffee, lather up in my sunscreen, get dressed, and head down to Lexington, Kentucky, for my July 4th race. I have made it a tradition to go to the Bluegrass 10,000 race there. My former coach is in charge of the pacers. Just a bonus fact. She was kind enough to pick up my packet for me on Wednesday because there was NO way I could make it down there to get it…and there is no race day packet pickup. Let’s hear it for amazing friends in our lives. The race starts at 7:30. It was warm, clammy, and humid. BUT…honestly, it is the best weather this race has had for the 3 years I have run it. I dressed appropriately for the weather, wearing my very patriotic Wonder Woman outfit. Because…I am Wonder Woman. I raced as hard as I could that day. I did take short walk breaks through three of the water stops. And I had a guy at Mile 5 spray me with his hose. It was a good way to keep my body from overdoing it on a hot day. No shame in that. I felt strong at the end thanks to that and put in a time that beat out last year’s time. Even without a course PR or a distance PR…I was proud of my effort that day. July 4th 10K in the books…and then a pasta lunch and a 6 hour Stranger Things marathon for Season 3. I had wanted to finish it…but I had to work the following morning, so I needed sleep more than to get an entire season into one day.

Friday: REST DAY! That being said, because this was a down week and my long runs weren’t really going to be out in the heat, or far for that matter…I decided to drop into my old Friday spin class. It was a class of 2, but Brittney (the instructor), had taken a training class on the bikes our gym has and gave us a new, challenging, and fun way to use the screens on the bike and really get into a good training mode on it. I was impressed with how my numbers improved.

Saturday: Welcome to the wonderful world of traveling. I was up in Indianapolis for a convention. This hotel isn’t near the Monon Trail. It’s not even in a good area with plenty of sidewalks and areas to go for a run outside. I knew going into this weekend that I would be on a treadmill and told my coach. He had me down for 18-20 miles over the entire weekend, with Sunday being a 15 miler. He was a bit concerned that would be a bit far to run on a treadmill and we discussed, since training wasn’t really starting yet with my change of venue for my fall marathon…we decided that I could break up the distance over the 2 days I was out of town. I split the difference…starting with 10 miles on Saturday at an easy pace. I stopped the treadmill at 6 and restarted it because they only would run for an hour at a time. The fitness center was crowded (very unusual), and I re-fueled and hit go again…this time messing with some speeds, though still keeping the run easy. Afterwards…a shower, breakfast, and off to some panels at the convention. Gluten-free pizza that night for supper. YUM! I also stayed up WAY too late on Saturday night, so I knew Sunday might be rough.

Sunday: I had an alarm set for 6 am…but I woke up at 5:30 am so I got up and got dressed and hauled down to the fitness center to fit in the second half of my distance for the weekend. Same run as yesterday, another 10 miles…which this time I started doing varying, but easy, speeds on the treadmill just so I didn’t sleepwalk through the first 6 miles, which felt like what I did on Saturday. I was very conscious of the extra fatigue due to the late night and not getting my ideal amount of rest, foam rolling, or stretching while out of town. I try to make time for it, but I literally just didn’t have the time this trip. I feel like I normally would, but there was a lot going on. Got it done before anyone else came into the fitness center. After my shower and a protein bar for breakfast, I came down and saw the fitness center packed. Just packed. So I was good to get it done when I did. Left the convention just after 11:30 and went up to Carmel, Indiana for lunch at Woody’s Library Restaurant. And then, the long drive home. My roommate when to buy all the groceries while I meal prepped, unpacked. I was supposed to stretch and do my PT exercises…but just didn’t have the time with trying to multitask everything else. I did fit it in ahead of finishing up the final two episodes of Stranger Things Season 3. I foam rolled for the first 20 minutes and then it was on the couch and not moving until it was done.

So, this week was lower on mileage and definitely a much needed reprieve from the endless (it seems) marathon training I have been pushing through for almost 2 years now. My roommate and I calculated it, and I have been training for and running marathons mostly exclusively, for 20 months now. Thankfully, they have been continuous and have also had PROPER recovery (okay…maybe not the Chicago to Monumental 2018 stretch…but I felt like I was still in good shape and really wanted some form of redemption from the hot mess that was my Chicago Marathon). So, I am really ready to get the job done this time, and I’m working very hard in my training to do what I need to to reach those goals, while also listening to any cues my body gives me and helps. If I need extra recovery…I take it. And it’s fine. It’s okay to reset. Never forget that. Marathon training, or any sort of training, really asks a lot of you. So nourish your body, get enough sleep, recover like a champ…and you might be amazed with how far you can go and what you can accomplish.

Back to the norm starting this coming week…and now I feel ready for it.

One more thing…running on a treadmill is NOT my favorite thing in the world. Treadmills hurt my hips and my body so if I can avoid them, I will. I’m hurting after 2 days of it…but it had to be done. But, trust me, I will keep that in mind on my recovery run. Don’t ever get uncomfortable to the point where it can cause you to sustain an injury. It’s not worth it, friends.

It was nice to not have to die in the humidity for a weekend though. Bright side!

June 20, 2019

Run For The Berries 5K – Starlight, IN (May 25, 2019)

361B9A64-795A-42E7-B5AB-666F6EC21E1F — Me crossing the finish line of the Run For The Berries 5K – Starlight, IN

Race: Run for the Berries 5K

Place: Starlight, Indiana

Date: May 25, 2019

Time: 23:37

It’s that time of year, friends. Yep. That time of year that the Starlight Strawberry Festival happens. And that means one thing…the Run for the Berries 5K. Because if you want to give me any incentive to run a 5K (not a big fan)…strawberries are a sure bet!

The one thing that has become pretty common with me, however, is that I’ve waited to register for this race (and numerous others) either on race day or close to race day. Why? I’m on a strict budget and signing up for races and having to not go to them for ANY reason is a waste of my money. So it doesn’t happen. So, for the second year in a row…I wasn’t registered until race morning for this race.

But the adventure doesn’t start there, friends. Oh no!! Because this seems to be the year where if anything bad can happen to me on race morning…it will. And the morning of the Run for the Berries 5K didn’t let me down in that aspect.

I woke up feeling slightly “off.” My stomach was unsettled. I thought, perhaps, some water with a Nuun tablet (electrolytes) would be a big help in this case, but it didn’t really seem to help. At least I was hydrated, right? It was also VERY warm out this particular morning. Like humid and hot. The kind of weather that you feel sort of suffocates you when you’re milling about it in. UGH. So, another good reasons for the electrolytes in the water. When I mentioned running this one to my coach, Daniel, he asked if I wanted to use it for training or to actually race it. I told him I wanted to race it. Mind you…I am NOT in 5K shape…AT ALL!! I was just a month off of a fast marathon and really hadn’t incorporated any sort of speed back into my training at that point. But, hey…it’s 3.1 miles…I got this, right?

My speed work sessions during training have been fast. So, I thought, as I had come close to breaking my 5K PR at this race before…maybe it could happen. Maybe I could get a damn PR in one of the primary distances (5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon). Why not start with the one I hate doing…the 5K. Because these legs were not made for sprinting. They were made for…DISTANCE. But, hey…I could do this…in shape or not!

And maybe…if the weather was slightly cooler and my stomach didn’t feel like it was sludgy…it might have. Spoiler alert: No PR. But let me first start with what I did do. I did get up and stretch and drink water and electrolytes, knowing it would be a steamfest (it usually is, btw). I dressed in the Boston crop that my friend, Natalie, gifted me with again…but went with different shorts this time for the Run for the Berries. I had my breakfast to go…something I could eat 30 minutes prior to the 8 am start.

My roommate and I left the apartment to give us time to get up to the Strawberry Festival, get me registered, use the bathroom, stretch, eat, and prepare to race. All of these things were accomplished and did happen. I even made myself eat the snack I brought, despite the stomach feeling wonky. It would be better thank bonky! (Rhyming is fun!)

I did some active stretching until it seemed about time to walk down the road to the start point. I was amazed how few people were there at this point. So, I got into what I figured would be the second row (where I usually start in this race) and stood there…waiting. Some fast looking people did wander down this way…but they stood behind me and I was like…”Nope. I try to be fast, but I’m not there kind of fast.” It all did eventually fill in though, even if I was still up front this time. Imposter syndrome!

Me at the start, when I thought I might be able to hang and be fast…

The race organizer got on the bullhorn and started to give some information about the race. Like male runners at the finish will have white cards to fill out; female runners will have pink; walkers will have yellow. OH…and if you are registered as a walker…and you run down a hill…you are now a runner. This gets said every year, and it still makes me laugh. He gave the words…On your marks…get set…and we were sent off. And I was doing my best not to blow up in the first mile.

The past couple years I have done this race, my first mile has managed to be in the 6:40-6:50 range. Not this year. I hit that first mile and decided to just glance at my watch (this is a bad habit I got into when I had to pace myself through Toledo), noting that it said 7:13. It felt hard. And I knew I was fading already. The heat and humidity have really started to get to me this year, and my body was not responding well at all today. Nope. I decided I would attempt to pick it up…maybe I could for Mile 2.

An icy cold strawberry drink was just what I needed

It was maybe halfway through this mile, that I could physically feel my legs slowing down. So, my goals and hopes were just tossed aside, and I focused on simply finishing. I attempted to, but mostly failed to attack the uphills and ride the downhills, but my legs were not wanting to go any faster. They kept screaming to slow down. And they did…without me even commanding them to do so. Mile 2 was at 7:35. After Mile 2, there is a water stop waiting. Since goals were out…I stopped, snagged a cup, drank a splash, then poured the rest over my head hoping to wake up the body and cool off my core. I managed to get up the hill, but I was toast after that.

There are a few rollers after that as you head back to the road that takes you to the finish line. You actually sort of go uphill to the finish. Brutal. And I was fighting. I was fighting with all I had to get there. I could see the finish, see Cathy, see people cheering…so I pressed on. I think someone passed me. I don’t really remember. But I pushed as much as I could (it felt like I was going in slow motion). Mile 3 was 7:53. I was going off the rails. The last .1 miles to the finish felt like an eternity (Garmin tells me it was an 8:16 pace, LOL!), but I crossed the line and stopped my watch and was happy to have it done. I was handed a pink card and Cathy walked me over to the building to fill out my card with my name and time and age division…and mine was the first in the stack at that point…which I reminded her didn’t mean that I came in first. It just means I was the first one to fill out the card.

As the race was finishing up, we wandered back over to where we parked to grab my backpack so I could go duck into the bathroom and change out of my sweaty running clothes. I was happy that I packed a light dress to wear because it was really starting to heat up outside.

We made a circuit of the actual festival booths, while waiting on the awards to start…and indulged in our big bowls of strawberries (well, Cathy gets an actual Strawberry Shortcake), and a nice, icy cold, refreshing frozen strawberry drink. YES!! It was perfection.

The men are always announced first after the overall winners…and the overall winner this year (for men) was an 11 year old kid who was lightning fast. Seriously. And…as I’m getting pretty up there…I have to sit awhile through the females too…but…worth it. My card and time were in fact…right. I was first in my age division. How about that? I didn’t feel good…I pretty much died on the course…but…bringing home another pint glass (with an additional bag for being first in the age group).

I wish I could give you overall stats, but official results for this race haven’t been posted anywhere. Not on Facebook. Not on Pacers & Racers. Not on the Strawberry Festival page, nor the page advertising the Run For the Berries itself…it still has last year’s results. BUT…here’s what I can tell you…

Age group pint glass from the Run for the Berries 5K

Officially…I had positive splits. But positive splits for positive people. I finished the race in 23:37. I was the thirteenth woman overall. And I was first in my age group. That’s it…that’s all I got.

And hopefully next year I can get a bit faster, take those hills a bit harder, and not fade so much so close to the start. Fingers crossed.

And…should official results for this race every get posted, I will happily update this post to share them. But, I am not currently holding my breath!

June 13, 2019

Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, IN (May 18, 2019)

geist11 — Me after finishing the Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, IN

Race: Geist Half Marathon

Place: Fishers, Indiana

Date: May 19, 2018

Time: 1:49:06

Time got away from me on this race recap as we are almost one month removed from it. My apologies. Marathon training is back in full swing (again)…and I’ve just been busy. Even on weeks that haven’t had a stacked training plan. Hey…I do have an actual job (if I could make a living is a blogger…that would be amazing, but it’s not my destiny) and some obligations that happened between then and now. But…here I am…finally getting this written up.

I will preface it with this…going into this race, being only weeks off of a full-on marathon where I attempted (and almost hit) a BQ race, my coach and I agreed to use this one as a training run. No pushing the pace. Keep it easy. And with the humidity and weather trending the way it was for Saturday morning, I was relieved that this was our decision. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself…

Let’s start on Friday evening, after leaving work around 2-ish to head up to Fishers, Indiana to get to the expo and pick up race bibs. I say bibs, because once again, Cathy was taking a spin at the 5K. We did hit some traffic jams, of course, but we finally arrived and I was ready to get my race stuff and do a quick walk through of the expo (it’s tiny…honestly) before checking into the hotel just up the way. geist01

The expo was simple to explore. You can do the first part of it as you enter St. Vincent’s Fishers Hospital. There are a few vendors, but nothing that I, someone from out of town, really needed to stop and check out. So, Cathy and I maneuvered ourselves to the back of the room to the table set up for packet pickup. I went to get my bib for the half, and Cathy went to get her special VIP bib for the 5K. We don’t remember her signing up for VIP…but she had VIP. So…who knows. After that, we checked out the second half of the expo, simply walking past the booths, heading to the room near where we entered to pick up our race shirts. The 5K was short sleeve. The 10K was short sleeve. The half marathon…long sleeve. It’s an April race…if it’s not the really cool hoodie thing that I got last year…I want short sleeves. But, the shirt was very nice…so I won’t complain.

That was it for the expo. We were in and out in about 5 minutes and heading up the street to the hotel we stayed in last year. Check-in took a bit longer than usual, because someone was checking in bunch of different people in different rooms (not sure for what, but it wasn’t for the race). But eventually I got up to the front desk and got our room, up on the 2nd floor. We hauled our luggage up to the room and now were waiting on our friend, Greg, to meet up with us so we could grab dinner at Woody’s Library Restaurant (my new favorite place to grab food when in Indy). It was taking a bit longer than expected because…traffic…so Cathy and I split a Clara Cookie that I had picked up at the Glass City Marathon expo in Toledo. It was the Peanut Butter one. And it was delicious. And it was perfect to keep the tummy rumbles at bay while we waited for Greg.

geist02 — Pre-race Dinner at Woody’s Library Restaurant in Carmel, IN: Spinach Mushroom Tacos with Sweet Potato Fries

He did finally make it and we headed down to see him, somehow missing him when we walked through the lobby. We ended up doubling back and finding him. Hugs all around before making the drive from Fishers to Carmel, Indiana to eat dinner. We ended up finding a really good parking spot and were seated immediately at a corner table.

I had looked at menus online, so I was prepared and ready to go with my order. Greg got the Triple Grilled Cheese and a beer. Cathy got the Friday special of Fish & Chips (her favorite), and I got Spinach Mushroom Tacos. I didn’t ask for extras or for hot sauce, because with the race the following morning, I was hoping to keep things mild. With it, I got a side of the sweet potato fries (which are gluten free!). We spent the time waiting on the food (it did actually take awhile, but they were PACKED that night) chatting and catching up on things that we had been up to. And when food arrived, we dove in. Tacos, however, are one of those foods that once you pick it up to eat…you’re committed and you just have to keep going on it. So the tacos disappeared first…then I hit up the fries. We all seemed pretty satisfied with our meals. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to hang out. I did some foam rolling. Greg left after a bit more talking and we got ready to get some rest with a 7 am start time staring us down.

geist05 — Cathy feeling good on race morning for the Geist 5K

I always set two alarms for race morning. I got up with the first one to take a pill…use the bathroom, then crawled back into bed for another hour. The second alarm went off, which is also Cathy’s alarm. We’re actually really good about staying out of each other’s way…letting each one have a turn in the bathroom, and getting ready pretty quickly. We have this race morning thing down. So even early start times aren’t too stressful.

With the way the morning was heating up already, I went with the new Boston crop top that my friend Natalie got me as a gift for finishing Glass City in Toledo (even without the BQ). I love this crop. It’s motivation in and of itself. And…shorts. My compression sleeves were pink to honor my mom’s continuing battle against breast cancer. I made sure I had two Nuun tablets in my hydration pack’s bladder to help balance out electrolytes, because it was definitely going to be a sweaty race.

geist03 — Loving my new crop top that Natalie gave me…my outfit for the Geist Half Marathon

We left the hotel room early, but I forgot to grab something and had to go back in. Cathy went down to the lobby without me, where she met a runner celebrating her birthday. Her name was Katie, and not only was she a Disney runner, but she was Bib 34, celebrating her 34th birthday. AMAZING!! She was super nice and I actually ended up running into her again as she and her family were headed to the hotel pool as I was heading up for a shower and to pack up to head out for lunch and then get home.

Cathy loves parking at the school which used to host the expo for this race. We never have trouble finding a spot. And while it is a bit of a hike down to the start line, it is never hard to get to and from the parking area so we can get back to the hotel without any stress. So…worth it. We parked and made the walk toward the start area. I got a text from my friend Jay, and I went and met him at the Fishers Running Club tent. But, like I said…start time was 7 am….so while their club was getting their photo taken, I meandered down to check out the start line. It was about this time that I realized that I had left my fuel (save for the Generation UCan I had for 20 minutes before the start) back in the hotel room. I had enough UCan to get me through a half marathon…but with the heat, I wasn’t sure if I would need backup or not. So, I was bummed. Big time! Whoops!

geist04 — Why am I so happy? No pressure pace race!

The 10K and Half Marathon start on the right of the line. The 5K starts to the left. So, after snapping a couple of photos, Cathy and I parted ways: she went to line up in the 5K corrals and I went to find a spot at the start for someone who wasn’t racing. I was hoping for at least a 1:50 half…so I stood near that pacer. The National Anthem was sung…and the lyrics were flubbed, but we were close now to the start. I took in some water and readied myself for a training run with a medal at the end.

I made a point to stay just in front of the 1:50 pacer in the first mile. There were a lot of people going all-out, full throttle from the start, and I really think this worked against them that morning. The emcee announced that it was the hottest Geist Half Marathon to date!! So, holding back I think helped me not have burnout, like I did last year when I just gunned it at the start and then ended up having walk breaks at water stops. I don’t think walk stops are a bad thing, but when you’re gunning for a PR…it’s not exactly something you usually incorporate.

geist06 — Cathy and I pre-race…she’s about to head to the 5K side and I’m about to line up for the Geist Half Marathon

This year…I was supposed to keep the pace easy…and treat this as a training run. Mostly because I was fresh off a marathon. In the end, this tactic seemed to work for me. I never really felt awful at all. And I was able to run the entire time. Was it my slowest Geist Half Marathon to date? You better believe it! Am I okay with that? You better believe it.

I continue to come back to Geist, despite the heat and hills (dear, God, are there ever hills!), because of the atmosphere. It’s stunning. The race runs you through gorgeous neighborhoods, starting at the corner you turn soon after hitting Mile 1. The people who live there come out with speakers and with treats and with sprinklers and with sidewalk chalk and cheer and encourage. And it just makes you feel good. You belong there. The 10K and Half Marathon stick together for about the first 3 miles. Just before that Mile 3 marker, 10K runners are instructed to go left, while Half Marathoners are told to keep going straight. This year, I was running near a young man who had his headphones in, wearing a 10K shirt and bib…and didn’t hear the instructions. So, it seemed he was getting himself into more than he was ready for. He was yelled at by volunteers at least 5 times. THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT WEAR HEADPHONES IN A RACE. Or, if you must, keep that volume at a reasonable level, okay?

This is the point where we cross the reservoir again (we do it the first time as we head out from the start). I love this part because it’s gorgeous, but also because there is usually a nice breeze coming off the water. Love it.

The halfway point came and went. I would normally fuel at this point…but I was just relying on that superstartch to get me through the heat. I still felt good, mostly because I wasn’t really pushing any sort of pace…wanting to just keep my momentum moving forward without stressing over a goal time. There were plenty of water stops along the way, and some cooling stations as well. If there was water being sprayed at any point, you better believe I was running through it. I used the water stops to grab the cups of water and pour them over my head. Every stop. Without fail. Trying to keep that core temperature down. This worked. Honestly.

geist07 — Me running to the finish of the Geist Half Marathon

From everything to remember on this course, I always remember that Mile 9 is a giant hill that we have to run up. I passed a few people on this, who had shuffled to the side to walk up it. I gave a couple of people a “nice job” as I jogged my way up. Hills are a MAJOR struggle for me. So why do I do this race? It’s my PR race. On a harder course. So…one day, maybe it will all click again. It wasn’t that day though. Nope. Not that day. Not in that heat. At the bottom of the hill, we make a turn to head back toward the bridge to go back over the reservoir and then back into the neighborhoods and then back to the finish line. It was at this point, a man behind me said, “Are there any more hills?” The volunteer stationed there said, “I don’t know…maybe little ones?” I laughed. Out loud. The last 3 miles are basically retracing the start of the race. People were still out cheering, offering orange slices, water, whatever runners might need. More importantly were those who would shout out that you were getting close…that the finish line wasn’t far…that we looked strong. Some people who were struggling, they would ask if they needed anything. Honestly. THE BEST.

geist08 — Me crossing the finish line at the Geist Half Marathon

As I was making the turn at Mile 12, I passed my friend Jay. He told me I “looked strong” and I decided to give picking up the pace a shot. The road to the finish line always seems long, but as you get close, you get the crowd and you get the announcer. I passed a few people. Got passed by some people. But, ultimately, entered that chute and ran towards the finish line. I saw Cathy on the sideline and she started screaming at me to cheer me in. With hands held up…I finished the race. Another Geist Half Marathon in the books.

Cathy made her way over to the finishers area, and had me stand under the spray of a cooling station there. It was nice and felt really good. Jay found me as we were leaving to head up to the VIP area for Cathy to grab free beer and some snacks. He invited me to stop in at the Fishers Running Club tent for any sort of refreshment. I took him up on that before we went to get official results and let Cathy have one more go at the VIP area. I have videos on my cell phone of her first go-round in the VIP section. HA!

geist09 — Cooling off at the cooling station

I went to get my results printed and after the paper was handed to me, I glanced at it and went, “Holy crap. Third in my age group!” For the first time…without trying or even racing…I once again placed in my age group. This was becoming a fun trend. I went to the awards table next door and was handed a little cinch bag with the words “Age Group Winner” on it. I always have use for bags…but this one would have to be on display. We then went back to the VIP section…Cathy went in for beer and fruit and I hung out on the curb near the gated off area. We chilled for a few minutes before deciding to head back to the hotel room so we could cycle through showers and head back to Carmel to grab lunch at…yep…Woody’s Library Restaurant again.

So, my official results of the Geist Half Marathon is that I finished in 1:49:06. It was my slowest Geist Half Marathon yet…but I felt good throughout it, never really fading. That’s a testament to Generation UCan if you ask me. So, I was 104/942 finishers overall! I was the 18/450 women to cross the finish line. And I was 3/87 people in the my age division! How ironic is it that I finally snagged an age group award on my slowest finish time for this race? In 2014 (my PR year), I was 4th. In 2016, I was 6th. In 2018, I was 5th. Nailed it. Somehow. Without trying.

And yes…I can’t wait to have another spin around the reservoir next year!

geist12 — Unexpected Age Group Award at the Geist Half Marathon

May 5, 2019

Mercy Health Glass City Marathon – Toledo, OH (April 28, 2019)

Me after finishing the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon – Toledo, Ohio

Race: Mercy Health Glass City Marathon

Place: Toledo, OH

Date: April 28, 2019

Time: 3:38:46

After a really good shakeout run using Glass City’s Savage 5K as just that (and somehow placing in my age group), I spent the rest of Saturday in my hotel room. Sitting on my bed. Feet up. Eating. Blogging. Watching television. Not out walking around Toledo. Not hanging out at the expo. Off my feet. Foam rolling. Stretching. All of it.

I was really taking this prep seriously! I didn’t actually leave the room until about 4 pm…when Cathy and I headed into Toledo to hit up Organic Bliss Deli & Bakery for dinner. We had looked at a few places in Toledo, but it is so hard to gauge how safe some places are, and some reviews on places I had been looking at weren’t so good on my Find Me Gluten Free app. We were going to do my new favorite thing before a major race – sushi…but Toledo’s only safe sushi place only had the a vegetable roll, cucumber roll, or avocado roll for vegan options. BOOOO! I am lucky to have Dragon King’s Daughter for my vegan sushi needs in Louisville/New Albany. As we were driving up to Toledo, my fellow Celiac blogger and Instagram friend, Margaret, was on her way down to Columbus for the Gluten Free Allergy Free Fest and posted about Organic Bliss. They closed at 5 pm, so we went early and got there to figure out what we wanted for dinner. And, of course, we would get a box of goodies to go back to the hotel with us.

9D076FBB-74E9-4AEC-B90F-E8D7A2D80FAB — My Gluten Free Caribbean Avocado Sandwich with a Chickpea Salad from Organic Bliss Deli & Bakery in Toledo, Ohio

The people there were very kind and gave us some time to look over the menu, and we finally came to our conclusions…Cathy went ahead and got the BLT with Chips. And I went with the Gluten Free Caribbean Avocado Sandwich (avocado, romaine, spinach, tomato, cucumber, black beans, papaya poppyseed dressing). I got that with a side of the Chickpea Salad. And then we boxed up some treats: A Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcake, an Almond Scone, a Cranberry Orange Scone, a Cinnamon Roll, and the Peanut Butter Quinoa Bar. We paid and went and took a seat in the corner while meals were prepared and brought out to us.

All my baked goodies I took back to the hotel with me from Toledo, Ohio

Sandwiches before a race are a good back-up it seems. And this sandwich was AMAZING. I loved it. And the Chickpea Salad was the perfect side. Got some carbs, protein, healthy fats…perfection. They were trying to get ready to close, so the floors were being swept and people were coming in for last minute purchases. We finished up and headed out to go back to the hotel for the night. And you better believe Cathy and I split that Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcake for dessert back at the hotel.

I went ahead and posted on my Instagram feed the motivation, the drive, and the reason I was running the following day: my mom. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in January, just after the New Year. It was a shock to my family and one that none of us were prepared for. Right now, she is going through chemo, keeping her spirits high and her thoughts positive. What a warrior. This race, save for a couple of miles, was to honor her. Mile 1, my roommate claimed. Mile 26, my friend Natalie claimed, And Mile 10 was in memory of my friend Tina’s daughter, Kinsley, who died in her sleep at the age of 10 a couple of days before I left for Toledo. I would carry these honors with me respectively on the race course.

58383928_10100536246845921_2808722051089563648_o — My mom – she’s a warrior!

I did one last round of stretching and foam rolling while watching Guy’s Grocery Games on Food Network…and got an onslaught of uplifiting and motivational gifs from my coach. I do love my coach. He has been amazing, even when training went slightly off the rails when I busted up my knees. The gifs made me laugh. And he threw in a Game of Thrones reference, so that was winning. But, soon it was time to turn in for the night. I set two different alarms. One for me to get up and take my medicine and use the bathroom…and then go back to bed. And then one for Cathy…which would be when I would get up and get dressed. No surprise…I couldn’t sleep well. And I shut off my first alarm before it even went off. Tried to climb back into bed and wait for the other alarm, but then my mind wouldn’t shut off. So, I got up and did my PT stretches for my hips…and then went ahead and started to get ready. By the time the second alarm went off, I was pretty much dressed and ready to head out the door. So, while Cathy got ready, I started prepping my hydration vest bladder with 1 liter of water, grabbed my Maurten gels to use as additional fuel on the run, and put on my clothes I would shed prior to the race.

Because up in Toledo…it was 41 degrees on race morning, but with the windchill, it was in the real feel was in the low 30s. They had been predicting snow…but thankfully that didn’t happen. I had, thankfully, packed some clothes that I could wear over my race gear (and a back up short sleeve shirt since a tank top was the original plan for this race), so I felt like I was good in the wardrobe department. I was glad I had the clothing to give to Cathy before I got into the corral, because I was cold in that wind.

We left the hotel early. Like 5:45-ish early. And we made the 20 minute drive to the University of Toledo, where we found a lot to park in. And then…then was the walk to the start. It was slightly drizzly, but Cathy had purchased some trash bags at Kroger so, we both donned them and set out down the sidewalk to get to the start. It was a pretty big walk, but it was a good way to warm up for sure. If you know Cathy’s history with directions, you will understand that I kept checking with her to make sure that she was on track to getting us to the start line, especially when random runners who were walking near us would veer off and we’d continue on…into the land of empty sidewalks and roads. But, we turned at an intersection and I could hear the tunes of the start line, and they just so happened to be playing my theme song for this year, Panic! at the Disco’s “High Hopes.” It was a good sign.

This was not the start line that I expected for a spring marathon. Wet, cold and windy!

We went to find a spot for Cathy to stand for the start of the race and just sort of made that base camp. I stood behind her to break her from the wind. We took a few photos. I looked miserable. I was miserable. Spring marathons were not meant to be spent freezing. At least, not in my opinion. I drank my bottle of UCAN with 30 minutes to go and eventually, with about 10, shed my extra layers, save the trash bag, got a hug from Cathy, and headed to Corral B.

It was here in Corral B that I set out on my mission to find the 3;35 pacers. The Web site had two of them listed, but as I hunted for the tiny yellow signs the marathon pacers held, I just couldn’t find any in my corral. So, I went up to one of the half marathon pacers and asked him where the marathon pacers were. He said that they should be in here…and asked which group I was looking for. I said, “The 3:35.” And he told me that there was no 3:35, only 3:30 and 3:40 and to find and line up with the 3:40 so that I start slow. I was determined not to melt down or let this mentally get to me. The National Anthem was about to be sung, and after that, I gave one last look around my corral for pacers….shed my trash bag, and decided I was going to have to pace myself this time.

That’s a scary thought right? But that was how it was going to be. Corral took off and I saw the bobbing of the yellow pacer signs up there. So…one more chance to check for them in my corral. No luck. None. Deep breath. We were moved up toward the start line. Waited two minutes. And then…we were off.

Just before Mile 4 in the Glass City Marathon

I reeled it in immediately. Normally that race start is intense and the adrenaline is rushing and you just GO. You bolt it out and find some space, but it uses up valuable energy, and I had been given a plan to follow, and while I couldn’t see the first 5 miles through with the pacer as the plan said, I wasn’t going to blow it up by going out too fast too soon. I could hold it together and hold back. Five miles. I had this. My coach wanted me to be around an 8:12-8:10 pace for these miles. I did the best I could, and while a few of them were slightly fast, the last two were just slightly slower (not by much) than that pace. Just before Mile 4, Cathy had found a spot on the side of the road to cheer. It was amazing. Cowbell and all with a crowd. I will say this, for being a smaller race, I never felt like I wasn’t supported out there. Going into Mile 4 was a huge example of this. Lots of people, even in the damp cold, just there to cheer on the runners. It was great.

From Mile 6-15, I was supposed to maintain a slightly faster pace, not sprinting, not going too fast, but hitting those high 8’s. And I managed this. Holy crap, I was doing it. And I felt good. I didn’t feel like I needed anything, and technically with UCAN, I didn’t…but I didn’t want to run out of steam, and I have always been told to fuel early and often. So, I took my first Maurten gel at Mile 6. Here we were guided through some neighborhoods, and people were down at the end of their driveways cheering. Our bibs had names on them, so they would shout out your name and some encouragement as you went by. Loved that. While big races are all fine and good, this was the feel of a big race without all that big race stuff.

Me heading into the finish line of the Glass City Marathon

It was actually just before Mile 10 that the half and the full marathons split. This was clearly marked with big gates for the runners to go through. The half marathon runners turned left, while we continued on. This did bring the number of people around down some. But, again, I never, ever felt like I was running alone. At Mile 10, I fueled again (remember, early and often) and then I did give a point up to the sky and said Kinsley’s name. She gave me some wings on that mile.

It is just before Mile 11 that the marathon course enters Wildwood Preserve Metropark. We would actually run through this park twice on the course, but, trust me, it didn’t really feel repetitive. The open streets we had been running on narrowed to a running/biking path, but it was paved and beautiful. There were race volunteers out there, handing out water at the two water stops that were inside the park. There was a band playing as well at some point. On the first pass through the park, somewhere after Mile 12, we are sent to the right to run out onto the streets again. I fueled again at Mile 14, and pressed on, still feeling strong and confident. It was somewhere in Mile 16 that I caught up with the 3:40 pacers.

WHAT?!

Yep…the 3:40 pacer. I shook this off, figuring that it was fine. The problem was, I joined up with them as we were sent to run on the shoulder of a road, and in a pace group, that made for some tight, tight quarters. This made my split at this mile much slower than I would have liked, but I was afraid of clipping runners ahead of me, or being clipped by runners near me. This happened twice, if you recall, when I started with a pace group at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon back in November. When I had an opening, I did pass and get ahead, able to stretch my legs back out and pick it back up. I didn’t panic. Not at all. I just found my own pace again and was happy to not be in that pack anymore. I had some breathing room and it took that anxiety away. I fueled again at Mile 18 and just kept on going.

Just before Mile 20, we re-enter the park again, from a different entrance and make our way back through that path. It was here that we have to navigate a small bit of an incline. And it was here, that my legs slowed down and just wouldn’t pick it back up. The final 10K…where I wanted to just maintain and keep going strong. A tiny little bump in the elevation took the speed away from me. I felt like I was picking it back up, but I wasn’t. I truly wasn’t. This time as we go to exit, if it’s your second loop, you turn left, and now you’re heading back out toward the university. I still felt good, I just couldn’t find any sort of speed at this point. We are still on this paved trail, and runners were scattered, but we were strong. The 3:40 pacer passed me again. And I didn’t fret or sweat it. I did shed my gloves around Mile 22. My hands were getting really hot finally. And I was close. I also took my last gel at this point. Fuel for the final four miles.

Me crossing the finish line of the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon – Toledo, Ohio

There were some really perky and happy ladies running a friend in for his last few miles, who were fresh and really uplifting. It was nice that they came by me because they definitely helpful in that stretch. Around Mile 25, you can pretty much see the school. You know that finish line is on the field of the football stadium, and you know…you really are almost there. People are cheering. Shouting your name. Encouraging you. Telling you how good you look. How fast you look. That you’re doing amazing. I still felt good. I still felt confident and strong. I knew I wasn’t getting the BQ I had been training for, but I hadn’t glanced at clocks or my watch for time…just my pace. I never peeked at it if it wasn’t buzzing at me for a mile lap. I hit the turns to take the chute into the 26th mile…and then it was on to the stadium. The crowd was amazing. Loud. Screaming. I saw Cathy as my name was announced and I kicked as much as I could toward that finish line. Crossing it…with my hands up. I paused my Garmin and took a look at the time.

3:38.

I was just off of my BQ time by 3 minutes and off my goal time by 5 minutes. I was so close. I didn’t get my goal, but I was incredibly happy and proud. I hadn’t hit the 3:30’s in a marathon since 2013, where I did it twice. Both BQ times. I was elated. I cried. Cathy came over after I got my Mylar and my medal and gave me a hug. I told her I needed to put my feet up so we went over to the field and I laid down in the sunlight and propped my legs up on her.

Eventually, I decided that I did, in fact, need to move. So, we headed out of the stadium to the runner finish area. Here we collected my commemorative glass mug (you get it upon finishing), and went to the food tent. I couldn’t eat anything, but poor Cathy was starving so she had my beer and pizza tickets, so I let her claim those. I was feeling lightheaded, so I went to sit down and shiver in my Mylar.

C7F25354-DBEF-40D7-81F1-8AB9C23D8D86 — My Spicy Ginger Tofu & Ancient Grains bowl from Corelife Eatery

Cathy and just shown up when my Instagram friend, Scooby (who had a fantastic day as the 3:15 pacer) wandered by. I called him over and we chatted for a minute, but he had just snagged some pizza and I didn’t want it to get cold…so we congratulated each other and I let him go. Cathy had two beers to try. The first one she hated, the other one she sipped on until I decided I was ready to go get warm with a hot shower at the hotel while she went to get me some coffee from Bigbee Coffee. The walk to the car felt longer than it probably was, mostly because my body was tired and a little sore from the effort that day. I eventually foam rolled, stretched, and went to get dinner at Corelife Eatery before seeing Avengers: Endgame that night (the theater was advertised as having reclining seats – it didn’t…and by the end, I knew I had made a big mistake). It was a good day, and I am still basking in my accomplishment. I think, next time, I’ll get it.

F3BF5B7A-71B8-4F30-BEE3-7AE41FC799BD — Nothing is impossible. Keep on dreaming! Glass City Marathon Finisher!!

So, the official results of the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon are that I finished in 3:38:46, making it officially my third fastest marathon and the first one back in the 3:30s since 2013. HOLLA! Stoked. I was 408/1278 finishers overall. I was 108/527 female finishes. And I was 30/96 in my age group! How amazing is that. I felt good and strong the entire time, never letting any self-doubt or negative talk enter my head. I was focused on the race at hand and the people I was running it to honor. Marathon #15…done. Now to find the perfect fall marathon to make the next attempt on that Boston Qualifying dream.

Remember…training rarely is linear…race day can throw so many factors at you…trust the process and remain focused on your own race that day. You never know what you are capable of until you try.

April 27, 2019May 5, 2019

Glass City’s Savage 5K – Toledo, OH (April 27, 2019)

5501BC88-BCA7-4841-A1BC-F97FC6F9BF06 — Me after finishing Glass City’s Savage 5K – Toledo, OH

Race: Glass City’s Savage 5K

Place: Toledo, Ohio

Date: April 27, 2019

Time: 24:19

Friends, I did not come all the way up to Toledo for this 5K. In fact, this race was my shakeout run. Tomorrow, the Glass City Marathon runs, in winter-like conditions, and I am not happy about it. I didn’t train all winter to not have a beautiful day of running. Looks like it will be 30 degrees at the start tomorrow with winds between 16-20 mph. And that sucks. And it has been festering in my brain since the weather changed as I was packing and then again as I was traveling up to Toledo.

I had a lot going on this past week. Between some training runs and cross-training. Between work and errands. I was squeezing in baking Lemon Blossoms for the MRTT/SRTT tent at the finish line of the KDF Marathon/minimarathon. I was getting a sports massage to get my legs primed for this effort on Sunday. And I was having a late dinner with my friends Melissa, Paul, and the one and only baby Carrick, the night before I had to get in a car with my roommate and make the long-ass drive from Louisville up to Toledo.

Picking up my Savage 5K race big & stadium blanket

Thankfully, Cathy handled most of my packing. On Friday morning, I simply had to stretch, foam roll, make breakfast, get together road snacks and hydration…and yes…RACE FUEL…pack a few extra things plus toiletries in my suitcase…before taking everything down to the car, taking out the garbage, making a quick stop at Kroger, and hitting the road. It sounds like a lot. It was. But I enjoyed the dinner out with my friends, and despite getting home late that night, I knew I could sleep in a bit as we were hoping to get on the road by 9:30 at the latest. We managed. YAY!

But it was to be a pretty rainy drive and Mother Nature didn’t disappoint. In fact, not only did we get rain, we got about three traffic accidents that really slowed our progress into Toledo. And the first one ended up with us taking a major detour that was out of our way, but got us where we needed to be quicker than sitting in the long line of traffic would have. But the second one, we actually had to sit through and just creep through. I had to really pee at this point (remember…HYDRATION!), and now I was stuck in traffic for who knows how long. We got through that one and we managed to get to a rest stop 10 miles up the road. YAY! But soon we were sitting in traffic again…yes…AGAIN. And we hadn’t even hit Dayton yet. It. Was. A. Mess.

But…we did finally make it in to Toledo and to our hotel, the Home2Suites by Hilton. It’s a nice little place, with a full fridge, microwave, and lots of room and space. The beds are quite comfortable too. We hauled our luggage in and were told that some sports teams were coming in this weekend too…looks like some kids soccer teams…but we were staying through Monday, so it really didn’t affect us at all. We unpacked our stuff and took a moment to relax. The expo didn’t open until 4 pm, so we had a bit of time. But we wanted to get there close to opening, so we did eventually meander out and head down to the University of Toledo campus. On the way, we noted that we were close to both a Kroger and a Target…just in case we needed to make any sort of stops.

Picking up my Mercy Health Glass City Marathon packet and half-zip.

The expo itself was held in the Savage Hall Sports Arena. It isn’t a large expo, but it was big enough that we walked through a couple times. But, we made our first official stop all the way at the back…at the packet pick-up. I had to get both my Savage 5K (my shakeout run) packet and my Mercy Health Glass City Marathon race packet as well. This was very seamless and easy, to be honest. I had my bib number in my e-mail and showed my ID. Simple. The 5K gives you a soft stadium blanket. You can pay extra for a t-shirt, but why? Love different race swag. I got a yellow half-zip for the full marathon and Cathy got her bib for the 5K as well. With those in hand, we went to have her knees (that had been acting up this past week) taped up by a chiropractor that was there in the expo…and then shopped. I picked up some gluten-free and vegan protein cookies that were being sold and sampled there. Really good. And also got the Glass City Marathon Bondi Band. We wandered back over to official merch, where I picked up a hoodie and a race t-shirt (compliments of Cathy). And then we headed out.

Lots of love to Marco’s Pizza for this gluten-free pizza!!

We, sadly, were having a hard time finding food options for this race for me. Lots of reviews on Find Me Gluten Free pointed us away from many of the options we had thought about. But…we passed a Marco’s Pizza on our way to the expo, and I called to see if they did gluten free (the one in New Albany doesn’t, but the one near my parents in Birmingham, AL does…so it was worth a try). They did…so we decided that we would go ahead and put our trust in Marco’s Pizza for dinner that night.
We ordered a Gluten Free Pizza without cheese, topping it with onions, mushrooms, and banana peppers. Cathy said she didn’t even miss the cheese when ti came out. And, the man who took our order, a guy named Davis, basically walked my pizza down the line to make sure there was no cross-contamination. He was amazing. And so was the pizza. We hit up Kroger on our way back to the hotel, picking up some bananas and some gluten-free cookies to have for dessert. I am a dessert fiend. I must have dessert.

It was getting late. So while Cathy showered, I stretched and did my foam rolling before getting settled into my bed while watching Diners, Drive-ins & Dives on Food Network (of course!). I set an alarm for 6:30 am, since race start wasn’t until 9 am, and we called it a night.

I hate hotel pillows, for the record. They are always too soft for me. MEH. But I slept relatively well, getting up to use the bathroom, do my first round of stretches in the dark, and then get back into bed for about 30 minutes until the alarm went off.

Had to dress warm because Winter returned to Toledo, Ohio!

We were up and getting ready for the race right on time. And it didn’t take us too long to get fully dressed and ready to head out the door. It was 41 degrees, but real feel was 35 degrees. I opted for capris and a long sleeve shirt for this one. And gloves, because I have to wear gloves in anything in the 40s and below for temperatures. I just have to. We made the short trip down to the race, parking near a parking garage on campus and not too far from the start of the Savage 5K. I was thinking we’d hang in the car for awhile, but we ended up throwing on some garbage bags and making the trek to the start area. After freezing for a bit, I commented that we still had an hour to go before the start, so we went over to the Savage Hall Sports Arena to sit down and stay warm prior to the race. We had our photo taken on our way up the stairs, but ducked inside and took a seat on the stairs to wait until it was a little closer to race start. I ate my banana with 30 minutes to go.

We did meander out 15 minutes before the race start and went to get into our corrals. I was in Corral A and Cathy was in Corral D. I kept my trash bag on until about 5 minutes before the race. I had set my Garmin to give me some certain strides for the last mile so I pulled up that workout and then set my watch to start the workout. A few people spoke before the race start, and a blessing was given as well. And then…at about 9:01 am…we were on our way.

Cathy & I before heading out for the Savage 5K

As I think I mentioned above, I was using this run as a shake-out leading into tomorrow’s race. So, I held myself back and just ran comfortably…not pushing my pace or effort on any hills. I felt really good, which was surprising after sitting in the car for so long the day before. I just sort of settled in at a comfortable pace, and focused on just not pushing it. There was a bit of a hill heading into the first mile marker, but I crested it by not pushing effort or pace, and felt like I was holding back and doing a good job. I was under an 8 min pace. WHOOPS.

Mile 2 went a bit better as I reined it back a bit. This was a fun mile, as we got 2 water stop options and a dash through the Greek Village near campus. It was really nice. And as I turned back onto main roads, I passed a cute mother/young daughter team that was running and the mom was just being very encouraging to her little girl. It was adorable. Back onto the streets and back through another water stop opportunity, and I was heading into Mile 3.

Me & Cathy after finishing the Savage 5K in Toledo, OH

My watch was set up to do 80 meter pushes with equal recovery for strides. But…my watch just beeped at me like after 1 second of running and then settled in to the extra mile I tagged on. Glad I did that. But now I was going manual. Which did help to slow me down some. I would run for .05 mile and then ease off for the same amount of time. And I did that close to the 10 times I was supposed to (after the Garmin fuck up), and just pressed the lap button. My data was already screwed up, but I wanted to give something to my coach to look at. After I got that last mile…I pressed it in to a strong finish, which happens inside the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl Stadium. I did a fast 10 miler which finished on a stadium field just like this, so that was sort of fun. I threw my hands up as I crossed the finish and my name was announced and went to collect my medal and some water.

Now, I was waiting for Cathy to finish her race, but we weren’t allowed to wait in the finisher’s area. I moved off to the side, just past the finish line, and waited for her, trying not to freeze. That’s been the worst part about Cathy now doing my races…that I don’t have warm clothing to slide into at the finish right away.

She came across and I snapped pictures and shouted at her. She was introducing me to the people she ran with for most of the race. We took some photos, then headed over to get our Commemorative Glass Mug. She went to go get beer and I went to get official results. I couldn’t remember my Athlinks login though, so I ended up just looking it up on the RaceJoy app. Then we went and got snacks, and Cathy got 2 slices of pizza (she got my slice), which she said was actually really good.

And…to my absolute shock…I came in 2nd in my age group. What the hell? I wasn’t even trying. We didn’t know if I’d get my award there or if it would be mailed, and no one else seemed to know either. Not even at the Race Info booth inside the expo. I finally asked back by where we picked up our packets and they actually know. Awards would be mailed. YAY! So, that’s something to look forward to! We walked through the expo one last time, and Cathy thanked the booth who taped her up because she had a good 5K with their help. And then we made the cold trek back to the car and headed out.

I needed hot coffee…stat. So, we headed over to Bigbee Coffee (a local chain in Toledo), where I got a Neapolitan Latte with Almond Milk. It. Was. EVERYTHING. If you like Neapolitan ice cream…it tastes exactly like THAT! Holy crap, it might be my new thing in life. Then I ducked over to Kroger to grab some sushi for a quick lunch and picked up some Pop Chips Nutter Puffs. Cathy grabbed something from the frozen section for a little bite and her favorite Doritos before we paid and headed back to the hotel.

I showered an climbed onto my bed to work up the race reviews that I now owed the blog. So here it is!!

So, my official results for Glass City’s Savage 5K are that I finished in 24:19, which was way faster than I intended to run it. But I honestly held myself back. Craziness. I was 91/1212 finishers overall. I was 16/739 female finishers. And, as I just mentioned above, I squeaked in a 2/96 in my age division! WOOT! If nothing else, I can take that away from this race.

I would do this 5K again in a heartbeat, to be honest! It’s a fantastic course for a fast race. So, if you love traveling for 5Ks…or live near Toledo…definitely consider this one! I’ve had my feet up all afternoon and am preparing to head out to a gluten free deli for dinner in a bit before stretching, foam rolling, and prepping for tomorrow’s marathon. Think happy thoughts for me, please!