Me crossing the finish line of the Big Hit Half Marathon – Louisville, Kentucky
Race: Big Hit Half Marathon
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Date: October 26, 2013
Time: 1:39:00
Ah…the Big Hit Half Marathon (and Quarter Marathon). It’s come around again. This is the third year these two races have run and this is my third year running it. The only difference this year…I chose to do the Big Hit Half Marathon as opposed to the Big Hit Quarter Marathon that I ran the two years prior.
Why?
Because last year when I ran the Quarter Marathon, I placed first in my division. So, when you conquer one thing…you move to the next, yes? So…instead of 6.55 miles this year, I opted for the full 13.1 miles in the half. I was very excited to be changing it up this year and going for the full. While I absolutely love the Quarter Marathon…I was ready to see the course for the Half. So, with a Groupon that gave me half off registration, I signed up…treating this as a training run as I’m still in recovery from the Chicago Marathon.
And then…the weather reports came in.
Every day, the Facebook page for the Big Hit Half Marathon posted the temperature at race time…and it would get colder and colder each time. I was unamused. Because…I hate running in pants. But it does get to the point where it’s just stupid to wear shorts. And when it hits 30 degrees…feels like 29 degrees with the wind…it’s stupid to wear shorts. Although I had a big debate with myself about this…and on the morning of the race, opted to be smart and put on capris at least.
But I’m getting ahead of myself…as usual. This tale begins on Friday…at lunch time. That was when I headed over the river to get to Slugger Field to pick up my packet. There wasn’t much of an expo for this one. It was much smaller than the two years previous. In fact, while there was never a huge expo for the Big Hit…it actually had some vendors the two years prior. This year…there was a table with the awards…and there was also a table from our local Fleet Feet store. Other than that…the small space that the packet pick-up was held this year had the tables with the race numbers for bib and t-shirt pick up. The race bags also contained a few snacks. So, that was nice. But, I wasn’t used to the much downplayed for this race. The Louisville Sports Commission…yes…but not the Big Hit.
But…you can’t judge a race by its expo…or lack thereof.
Anyway…after work that night, I was committed to attending a fun little Halloween party at Louisville’s very own allergy-free bakery, Annie May’s Sweet Café. Friday happens to be gluten-free pizza night there…and the pizza at Annie May’s is the best when it comes to gluten-free. We all know, the night before the race is gluten-free pizza night for me. Keeping the flavors simple, Cathy and I split a gluten-free pizza with Daiya vegan cheese and tomatoes. Nothing spicy or heavy. And we each also got one of the gluten-free soft pretzels. If you are in Louisville in January when Annie May’s brings these back to the weekly rotation…GO AND GET ONE!! Carbed up…the next plan was to go to the pumpkin walk at Iroquois Park…but we were in costumes…and having fun with that, so instead we went to the mall and walked around. So much fun.
But…alas…there was a race the next morning…so we needed to get home so I could turn in and get some much needed rest before the race. I had laid out shorts…being optimistic about the weather. However, when I woke up the following morning and went to do a temperature check…I knew shorts were not happening. Nope. So…out came the capris.
Did I mention that I hate wearing pants? I was totally not feeling like running that morning. But…when you pay good money for a race, unless there are extenuating circumstances…you get your ass to that race. Even if this was being treated as an easy run…since recovery is important…no all-out racing until I recover from Chicago completely…I really, really wasn’t feeling it…at all. Dressed, I ate my cereal and got my change of clothing and whatever else I might need together. Cathy eventually got out of bed and downed some breakfast as well.
After some manic morning stuff, as usual, I got pinned up and let it be known to Cathy that I just wasn’t having a good morning. You know how I mention how amazing I felt at Chicago for the marathon. Yeah…this was the complete opposite. Cold weather and I are arch nemesis’…and today…the cold weather was winning. Especially since the wind was going to pick up and get stronger as the day went on. That being said, we grabbed the race bag, the sign, some snacks, and I filled my fuel belt (one bottle with water, one with Gatorade), snatched up the pre-race banana…and we were out the door, making the drive to Slugger Field. That ride was one of the easiest we had going to a race in Louisville. Honestly. At least there was that. We parked in the lot at Slugger Field and went to go inside, only to have signs directing us to the very small area where packet pickup occurred the day before. This mean…we had to walk around the building, still in the cold, and duck inside. It wasn’t too crowded…but we got away from those doors and ducked into this middle section. I immediately went to use one of the flushing toilets in the stadium…and to my surprise…there was no line. Business taken care of, it was back to shivering and playing the waiting game. It was cold…so when I finally decided I needed to be stretching…it was my half-assed “I’m too cold to stretch” kind of stretching. Good times.
Yep. I’m a wimp.
One of my BlueMile peeps, Kathryn, spotted Cathy and I and we stood around talking. She was in search of Harry, one of the best people in the world to run with, as she was hoping to run with him during the half marathon. We hadn’t seen him, but he wandered through shortly thereafter. Then Terry, another one of my running peeps, stopped by to talk. He had just been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his knee, but it was his birthday…and he had a cortisone shot, so he was prepped to give the half marathon a go. He was also in search of Harry, so when he wandered back through…and went to follow him. Cathy and Tarry managed to follow him through the crowd of gathering runners. Somehow, Kathryn and I lost them. How we lose a girl wearing a blanket is beyond me. But it happened. And it took us a bit of time to find them again. Soon after we did though, the running group peeps joined up. Tammy, Laura, Mike…it was awesome.
BlueMile representing at the Big Hit Half Marathon!! We were a cold bunch ready to run!
Although we were all quite warm standing inside the stadium…the start was about 10 minutes away. We knew it was time to head outside and down to the start line. So, together we all braved the cold morning air, left the comfort of the inner sanctum of Slugger Field, and stepped out into the wintery air of downtown Louisville. It wasn’t a long walk to the start line…but it sure was cold. Cathy and I sort of led the way for the group, but we paused at the start line to take a group shot of those who managed to stick with us. I finally unzipped my hoodie…so the race bib was visible. I think that was out of habit, LOL! Damn you MarathonPhoto!!
And then…we were off to spread out and get to about where we needed to be for the start. Little purple balloons hovered over the sea of runners doing both the half marathon and the quarter marathon. I lined up just slightly back from the 1:45 pace balloon. When I ran Disneyland as a training run, I came in just after 1:42…so I knew this would be a good spot for me to keep me at my training pace.
Some announcements were being made…and I heard Laura and Mike behind me. Laura spotted Natalie, who we were missing at the start. She hadn’t been feeling well, but she was here. So, I went over to give her a good luck hug. Also found Michael and Patrick with her too. Okay…everyone was present and accounted for. That was good. I sneaked back to where I was for the start, finding Dennis from my Saturday running group…and when the announcements none of us could actually hear were done…we were off.
The wave of runners at the beginning of most races in Louisville is chaos. While pace groups dotted the start of this race…not everyone really adheres to where they need to be. I was just doing this for training…so I didn’t care. I just bobbed and weaved through the sea of people as best I could as we traveled down River Road. We were sent that way for about half a mile then we were turned around at a traffic cone and sent back the way we came, going by the start line, and clocking in for the first mile. This year’s course was changed slightly due to the construction going on for the new bridge. Hence…the wonkiness of the start. I was feeling good, but I knew I went out fast and was just trying to get ahead of some of the people I was dodging. So, I eased up…wanting to really abide by my training. I tucked into a nice spot, about 20 feet behind Tammy and two of her friends. I remained there up until about Mile 3…when I pushed past. Tammy was running the Quarter Marathon, so she was halfway there. I still had 10 miles to go. As I passed, she said, “Go Karen! Get it!” I love her!
The thing about the Big Hit Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon is that there isn’t a lot of crowd support happening. Nope. It was very desolate throughout much of the race. Those who volunteered at the aid stations were fantastic…there were even little children who came up with cheers for the runners as they ran by. That was so good. But for much of the time on the road…no crowds. Maybe a pedestrian who was happening by would stop and clap and cheer…but that was it. It made this half marathon more of a mental game than anything. I’m used to at least having some crowd support throughout most races…so this was a bit more like a Disney race…just…with even less support than you find during Disney runs. Because at least when you are in the parks you have a crowd. We were on the roads…and there wasn’t much going on. At Mile 5, the courses split. The Quarter Marathoners went to the left, heading into their last bit of their race, ending at home plate in Slugger Field. Half Marathon runners went to the right, taking Third Street all the way down to Central Avenue. We turned around again, with a quick switchback on Central Avenue before hitting Mile 8.
As I was heading back up Third Street, Harry spotted me as he was running the other way. So did Kathryn soon after that. And after her…Terry. All of them shouted my name and we waved and cheered for each other. I love my running peeps. I was feeling good as I headed into Mile 9 and 10, so I picked it up a little…hitting a brilliant Mile 11. I was two miles out. Still feeling good. The sun was out…and despite the very strong headwind now, I was having a good run and a good time. I was actually starting to feel like I was too warm for my liking. This is what happened at Chicago too. I really need to figure out my running comfort zone when it comes to temperatures. Regardless…the last mile was in reach, and as I turned onto Witherspoon, I could see Slugger Field and even hear the announcer in the distance. LOVED that.
This has always been my favorite part of the Big Hit race. As you come onto Witherspoon, you turn and run into the back entrance of Slugger Field. This puts you on the very back out of the outfield, near the wall. You can see the Finish Line at home plate and you just pick it up, and you run like you just hit a grand slam home run. You round the corner onto the third base line, and you hit the white cover that is laid out. You’re almost to the finish. And for me, I was looking at that clock over the finish line and pushing and pushing and pushing. I touched home plate…and was done.
I paused my Garmin and received a temporary finisher’s medal. Yes…temporary. As I slipped it over my head, I heard, “Karen…let me get a picture!” I looked at it was the MarathonPhoto photographer I got to know really well during the Louisville Triple Crown of Running this past winter. So that was awesome! I posed and then moved on to get the timing chip cut off my shoes. Cathy was waving my sign at me and I pointed at her and screamed, “PR!!” It wasn’t planned, but man…I felt so good. After getting the timing chip removed, I grabbed some of the offered snacks. I got a granola bar for Cathy, and grabbed a half banana and an slice of orange for myself. Along with some water. Then, I made my way up the steps, feeling my knee once again aching, but ignoring that. I stopped off at the results tent and they printed up my real-time results…and without even looking at them, I went to find where Cathy was camped.
She and Natalie (who ran the Quarter Marathon) were standing there and ready to give me hugs. I handed the results off to Cathy while I chatted up Natalie about how her race went. She did amazing. Even came in first in her age division. In fact, a lot of my group placed in their divisions for each race. I didn’t…but I wasn’t aiming to. All I knew was somehow I managed to clock a new fastest half marathon time. I didn’t know what it was officially, but it beet Lake Minnetonka…but at least a full minute. So, after I managed to eat my banana and orange, I asked Cathy for the results and we finally took a look at them.
My official results for the Big Hit Half Marathon are that I finished this 13.1 miles in 1:39:00. Holy cow!! And yes…that is my exact time. LOL!! A new PR!! I was so very proud because I wasn’t even aiming for a new PR. I was just running a comfortable pace and enjoying my run. Love when magic happens. I was 57/799 finishers overall. I was 10/440 females to cross the finish line and touch that home plate. And…I was 4/92 in my age division. I couldn’t have been happier with those results.
As much as I wanted to hang out and see my peeps get their awards for their division placements…I was cold and hungry. We walked Natalie to her car, as we had wrapped her up in the warm Sherpa blanket. And then…after congratulating her again, we headed to our car to get over to Annie May’s Sweet Café for some post-race food.
I always have a good time running in the Big Hit races. I was so happy to step up and move to the Half Marathon this year. I knew I could have rocked that Quarter…but since I needed 12 miles anyway…paced…this was the perfect opportunity to test it out. I stayed at my race pace the entire time. And even had negative splits. Can’t argue with those results.
Oh, and as for the finisher’s medals…it seems that they didn’t ship in time, so they hadn’t received them yet. As a consolation, the race provided temporary ones that we get to keep and will mail the official ones to us this week. I thought it was great of them to have medals to supplment for the runners. They didn’t have to do that, but they did. And that’s part of what makes this race so amazing.
Big Hit Half Marathon…I do intend to run you again next year. Thanks for always being awesome.
Me at Mile 3 of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon – Chicago, Illinois
Race: Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Place: Chicago, Illinois
Date: October 13, 2013
Time: 3:28:28
I just ran my first marathon! My first 26.2 miles. I ran it through 29 neighborhoods in Chicago. I ran it strong. I never hit a wall. I had a plan. I stuck with it. And I had some of the best support on the ground I could have ever asked for at a race. The weather was perfect. And I, honestly, had the time of my life.
How many people can say that when they’re running 26.2 miles, eh?
But this post doesn’t start at the race. This post started 18 weeks ago when I not only began a challenging training program, but also took it upon myself to find a sports nutritionist because I wanted to be sure that I got to this race and was able to run this race in the best shape possible…and ready. There are so many times before where I did so many things wrong…especially when it came to fueling and hydrating during races. I didn’t want that to happen here. You only get your first marathon once. I wanted it to be a good and happy memory. So, Donna, if you are reading this, all your advice and help really, really paid off. I listened to you about how to fuel properly for a marathon, how to hydrate properly for a marathon, what to eat, what to avoid, and how to figure out what worked best for me. Some weeks were better than others…but that’s why we have those 18 weeks of training. You figure it all out.
So, as the taper kicked in and my mood shifted from runner’s high to evil step-runner mode (I do NOT handle taper well. Let this be my PSA to all of you), I had to really trust my body and try not to let the mental game of…running less = poor performance get to me. Mind games. They happen. I was very respectful of my taper, doing exactly as my plan called for. That meant the week leading into my marathon, I didn’t run much. For three days, I ran 4 miles each morning. Two of them were at marathon pace. One was more speed work and pacing related. Then…two full days off. No running. No morning walks. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Rest the legs. Get them ready. I wanted to run so bad during those days…but I didn’t. I made myself rest. It was two of the hardest days of my life.
Friday night, my friend Jenn from Ohio rolled into town. She has been to quite a few of my races and is such a huge support. She wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to come to Chicago to see me run. Nope. So, she headed this way and got in as I was still trying to make myself pack for the race. I was distracting myself. With everything. Including organizing my BondiBand’s by color. Packing…yeah…focus. She and Cathy got me on task, and once my running bag and my regular duffel bag were packed with what I could pack that night…the three of us headed out to grab some dinner.
Since it had been way too long since Jenn had come into the area, I had her pick a place where we could eat dinner. I sent her places that had options for everyone, including me. And she surprised me when she chose Dakshin, a local and amazing Indian restaurant. I threw it on the list because I knew it had good food. Never did I expect Jenn to pick it. But she did. And I was proud of her for branching out. So, we made the drive over to Dakshin and settled in for some crazy-good Indian food. If you live in Louisville and haven’t tried this place…DO IT! Since it was only two days to my marathon, I was being extra cautious about my food. Being a Celiac means being so careful when it comes to eating out. I wanted carbs and protein…so I ordered the Dal Tadke Wali…which is home style yellow lentils which are tempered with Indian spices. YUMMY! It was served with this delicious basmati rice that has coriander seeds and various Indian spices cooked in with it. Keep that in mind as you scoop it onto your plate…FYI! Needless to say…the food was delicious and Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines anyway. I don’t get the authentic stuff often…so this really made me happy. Cathy, in case you were wondering, chose the Goat Korma…which was apparently spicy. Jenn went with the safe, but still off the beaten path for her, Tandoori Chicken. It was spicy for her too. So, with me being the one who loves spice…I got the mildest meal of all three of us. Go figure. Anyway…after our amazing food, we went to celebrate the upcoming race with some ice cream from The Comfy Cow. I was a Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice scooper. Hey…marathon training means ice cream. This was Jenn’s first taste of Comfy Cow ice cream, so she went with the Bonjour Toast offering. Cathy went with Vermont Maple Walnut. With full bellies…we headed back to the apartment to settle in for the evening and watch Spirit of the Marathon to get keyed up for Sunday…and followed it up with Marathon Thoughts…which if you haven’t pulled that up on YouTube…shame on you. Do so now!
We crashed out that evening at a decent time. The people downstairs were having a party, so sleep wasn’t easy and I didn’t get much of it. My alarm went off early…because my training plan called for me to do 3 miles or 30 minutes of running that day. Since we had a drive to Chicago ahead of us, I got out of bed, put on my running clothes, my reflective gear, and headed out to run. The rest days were good for me…and my legs felt good as I pushed through three very early miles. I came back and snuck inside so as not to wake anyone yet. Went to shower and finish packing. Then, Jenn was up. And soon Cathy was as well. We ate a quick breakfast (cereal and some gluten-free French toast sticks…which…eh…) before packing up the car with all of our stuff, a cooler of drinks and snacks, and hit the road to Chicago. We had to detour around Indianapolis due to Highway 65 being shut down going through downtown, so this tacked on some time. My friend Heather, like one of my best friends who I have known since third grade!, was in Chicago to see me run. She flew in from Minnesota for the occasion and texted to let me know she was there and grabbing some breakfast. We had hoped to get in around 10 a.m. We got there around 11 a.m. We met up with Heather at the Hilton Chicago, the host hotel, and the hotel we were staying in for the weekend. We valeted the car, put our luggage on a cart to be delivered, and I got us checked into the hotel. We were up on the 8th Floor…which just happened to be the floor where many of the elites were staying. The luggage would be up shortly, but the four of us headed up to the room. The first set of keys I was given, didn’t work…so I headed back down to the lobby to get that fixed. There was a much longer line now and more of a wait. But, I just let it roll off my back. These things happen. No sense getting worked up over it, right? The key situation was fixed and we got some commemorative keys to boot. LOVE them. Back up to the room and my friends were already inside. I closed myself out just to make sure the keys worked this time. They did. And soon after…luggage was delivered.
This is how I know my friends are totally amazing. The guy bringing in our luggage carried in the famous Donkey sign first, saying the most important thing had to come in first. He immediately put it up in the window facing the lake. It made me smile…a lot. As he was bringing in our bags and cooler, he was asking questions about the race…and I mentioned it was my first marathon. He said to my friends that they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow…at least a 4 hour or 4-1/2 hour wait for me to come in. To which, Heather chimes…”Nope. She’ll run it in 3:30.” Cathy and Jenn totally ran with that as well and I just nervously laughed. He asked what my number was because he’d have his eye on me. So, we told him, tipped him, and he was gone. With that bit of business taken care of…and bathroom breaks made, we hurried downstairs to 8th Street entrance of the Hilton and got in line for the shuttle buses to take us over to McCormick Place, where the expo was awaiting us. The first bus that arrived filled up fast…but we got on the next one and soon were on our way to the expo.
Me at the Nike booth at the expo for the Chicago Marathon
Lately, my race expos have been tiny and rather…disappointing. Utica…was probably the best one I had been to all year…and I’m not counting Disney races in this. Disney is a monster all its own. But this expo…was HUGE!! We walked into McCormick Place and just followed the sea of runners…which guided us to the monstrous exhibit hall where all things running related were happening. First things first, however…and that was getting my packet. I headed over to where this BIG sign declared PACKET PICK-UP, and stepped up to this little table where they scanned my participant guide and sent me over to Booth 5 to retrieve my bib number and packet. I headed that way, and my information was already pulled up and waiting on me. I was handed my bib, an envelope of information, and told where to go in order to get my race t-shirt. I grabbed some Chicago Runs For Boston bracelets for me and my friends and went to head to get my t-shirt. But…got waylaid by this awesome wall where people were able to remove a magnet and sign their name. We all did it…writing messages and the like…and keeping our magnets as mementos. Then, we got to battle the crowds. I was ready…and as we made our way up the first row of exhibitors…I just casually glanced at the booths. I was hoping to make it out of the expo without spending too much money, so the less time I looked at things, the more likely that was going to happen. I managed to get up to the tables in the back that had the t-shirts and bags for the participants. I retrieved mine…and, as I learned my lesson from Disneyland, immediately pulled out the t-shirt to make sure it was a proper fit. It was. So now…we were loose to check out the exhibitors and try to make it out with as much of my wallet in tact as possible.
It was a valiant effort…but an ultimate fail in the end. I found CEP’s booth and picked up some compression sleeves for my friend Natalie. She wanted the blue ones I wore once to the fun run…and I promised if I spotted them at the expo in Chicago in her size, I would buy them. Well…it happened. And they were now hers. Not far from there was the BondiBand booth. And my friends and I set out on a mission to find a 26.2 BondiBand. We found SO many good ones, just not 26.2. Then…we started finding them…in hideous colors. With some luck…I found two that were okay. One in blue with pink numbers, and a red and black one. I asked my friends which I should get, and since my uniform for the race was red and black…that was what we went with. I purchased two other BondiBands as well…
Oh…I also got to meet Hal Higdon. Like…THE Hal Higdon. How amazing is that? I bought his new book, 4:09:43 – The Boston Marathon Bombings, and was able to have it autographed. This happened because I get a call from Cathy saying…”I’m standing next to Hal Higdon. You better get over here!” And with some direction…yep…it happened. And I was this little fangirling runner trying not to squee and make a fool of myself. Because…DUDE…it’s Hal Higdon. AND while Hal was signing my book, right behind me on the main programming stage…Deena Kastor. DEENA KASTOR!! One of my running idles. I was…in runner heaven, I think.
But…there was much to do that day so lingering too long was not going to be an option. We were just scraping the surface of the expo. So…we made our way past booths…in which I ignored the Newton booth…because I couldn’t afford more shoes at the moment as much as I wanted another pair. We sampled different NUUN flavors. We tried some protein bars (gluten-free, of course), we walked past Scott Jurek, the vegan ultramarathoner…and I once again had to attempt not to squee!! I was doing good…not spending any more money…and we were making lots of progress through the expo.
Then, lo and behold, I hear someone calling my name. It’s Matthew and Dawn, who I run with on Saturday mornings with my group. They were up in Chicago as spectators, not runners, in this marathon and saw me walk by. In that mass of people…they spotted me. We hugged…we talked…they asked how I was feeling. I said the nerves were gone, now I was just excited. So…I was already feeling better. Lots of people I knew were here…they were going to be cheering…it was going to be a good time. They told me to have my bib scanned at the Nike booth…so I took that advice and headed that way. Bib scanned and the screen read, “Karen Owns Chicago.” SWEET! I was about to leave, after getting a free poster, when I spotted the official merchandise. No shirts though…but we were directed over to the Nike booth. UH OH!! Yeah…might as well have just drained my wallet when I walked in there. Needless to say…a jacket and a shirt later…I was now leaving the expo…because I was running out of money.
We returned to the Hilton and took things up to the room. We had a small amount of downtime to sit and chat. Heather did some foam rolling and I started to get my race outfit out and laid on the table so it was ready for the morning. We called down to valet after that to have the car brought around because now…it was time to feed our faces. I had discovered what sounded like an amazing place to get a gluten-free pizza. The place: Da Luciano Pizza, Pasta and Catering. It was located in River Grove, so it was about a 20 minute drive. We got there…went inside…and was asked if anyone needed a gluten-free menu. I was feeling good about this already. We were seated and left to look at the menus. While all the pastas sounded awesome, my pre-race tradition is gluten-free pizza. I wasn’t changing that up. Nope. So, we all placed our orders…and I got my gluten-free pizza with mushrooms, onion, and roasted red peppers. YUMMY! Food came out and I devoured my entire pizza and even ordered a gluten-free cannoli for dessert. That, BTW…was super-duper delish. The pizza was really good too. It hit the spot. And I was now properly fed (carbs!). We dropped Heather off at a train stop so she could head back to her hotel…and then we were headed back to the Hilton. We all changed, brushed our teeth, and…climbed into bed around 8:30 p.m.
Da Luciano’s Gluten-Free Pizza and Gluten-Free Cannoli
This was early for me. This never happens. I always try to get to bed early on race night, but it never seems to work out. So, I immediately figured that I’d have trouble falling asleep. WRONG. I was out. And I only woke up, briefly, twice during the night with the, “What if I didn’t set my alarm?” panic I always have. I rested…and rested well.
My alarm went off at 4 a.m. and I snuck out of bed, hoping not to disturb Cathy and Jenn as I fumbled around in the dark, grabbing my outfit for the race and heading into the bathroom. I dressed. I did my hair. I came out as Jenn was heading into the other bathroom. Cathy finally dragged herself out of bed too. We all had a quick bite to eat and I was texted by Heather to say she was on her way. I wasn’t sure cereal would be enough on a marathon race morning, but was told to stick with what I knew. So that morning, I ate a serving of Chocolate Chex cereal…no milk…slowly and leisurely, as I checked my e-mail and Facebook on my phone. I had so many people wishing me luck. Text messages were coming. And just as I finished eating and went to brush my teeth, Heather texted to say she was at the hotel and heading up.
I got my fuel belt ready with my hydration needs, tucked my GU packets into my skirt pockets…and when Heather arrived…we were all set to head down to the lobby. And…with perfect timing my friend Cheryl texted to ask if I was at the Hilton. I said I was and she said her gear check was right there and she wanted to come over and see me. We made plans to meet in the lobby…which was bustling with runners. But…she found me. And we hugged and talked about the race…and took pictures…because that’s what we do. Time was nearing for me to head to the gate that would take me to my corral. So…with us each wishing each other luck and telling each other to have a good run…we parted ways. She was in the 2nd wave of runners to go out…and I was in the 1st. In fact, my corral, Corral C, was only accessible through Gate #1. Heather lead the way there…and we just talked a lot about anything but racing. We even took selfies on her phone while walking. HA! We paused at the corner and took photos with each other…rotating through and then crossed the street to Gate #1. This was as far as they were allowed to go. The security checkpoint was right there…so…they wished me luck…Jenn sent me off with her usual sayings, which are magic, I swear…and I went to get in line for the no-bag security check. One more wave…and they were off to find a spot near the start…and I was off to get to my corral.
My friends are awesome – Me and Cheryl; Jenn, Me, and Cathy; Me and Heather
It was still dark out, but I just sort of followed the signs to get me to Corral C. It was a bit of a hike, but not bad. Not really. I was clinging to my banana for all it was worth and trying to get the butterflies in my stomach to settle. Not nervous butterflies. The excitement was starting to build. And I was just…wanting to settle in and zen. So, I found the entrance to my corral, but didn’t go right in. I stood on the side and did some stretching…some walking…some pacing. I wanted to be loose. I wanted to clear my mind. And the moment I stepped into that corral…I wanted to be focused. So…I just paced the sidewalk for about 30 minutes, stopping to stretch out my legs every now and again. At 6:55 a.m., I peeled my banana and sent to get into Corral C. Security checked my bib number, I entered and moved up to a spot where I remained for the rest of the time. I ate my banana quicker than I intended to…but I think that was just me needing something to do. I just hoped it would stick with me long enough to get me to the point I chose to be my first fuel point. I packed an extra GU pack though, just in case I needed it. I was taking no chances. But…I was fine. The corral filled up quickly. I had to help the guy behind me start his iPod. His daughter loaded up a playlist for him, but he had no idea how to work the player. I helped him out and he thanked me. I talked to some people around me, making friends, and hearing from others about their experiences with the Chicago Marathon. Exciting! The announcer had everyone remove their hats and the National Anthem played. Runners shed clothes they wore to keep warm, and we all shivered in crisp 45 degree air. At 7:20 a.m., the wheelchair start headed out. Then, at 7:21 a.m., the handcycle racers got underway. It was 7:30 a.m. when the start officially happened…with the elites up front…and the corrals behind them. We were slowly moved up as each corral was sent off. It was so comical when those holding the rope to the corral tried to clear out as those of us in Corral C were turned loose to head to the Start. I stuck to the left of the course, because Cathy said she’d be aiming for the left side of the road…I trotted to the start…crossed the line…and was off.
Chicago Marathon!!
This marathon runs through 29 neighborhoods of Chicago. It kicks off in Grant Park, which is beautiful, by the way. I took off from that start line, heading for the underpass we go through. The crowd was already prominent and loud. It was awesome. I started off smiling and I don’t think that grin ever left my face for one moment. Soon, I found myself in the Streeterville neighborhood, home of the Magnificent Mile, lots of luxury hotels, great shopping district, and Navy Pier. People were lined up 5 deep on the side of the road, making as much noise as possible…and just being loud. I wasn’t sure where I was going to see my friends…but I was through the first mile and didn’t see them at all. Onward.
The Loop was up next…with all the gorgeous architecture it brings to Chicago. I was heading up LaSalle Street…and just before Mile 3…I see the Donkey sign. There are Heather, Cathy, and Jenn and they are making some noise!! I think my smile grew even more. I waved as I ran by. Jenn yelled, “RUN DONKEY! RUN LIKE A PRETTY PONY!” Um…this is becoming a new mantra I think. I LOVE that. It was awesome seeing my friends as I neared the 5K mark. Pressing on, I entered Near North Side, where the streets were lined with trees, offering some shade from the sun, and residential areas as well. Then it was into Lincoln Park…then Wrigleyville (yes…Wrigley Field!)…then Lakeview East. And in Lakeview East…Boystown! Boystown is the first officially recognized gay village in the United States, and is also the cultural center of one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities in the nation. This is immediately evident in the race because, aside from the rainbow flags, runners are greeted by a stage full of drag queens. It was really awesome and definitely a change in the usual mix. It made me smile! It was a party right on the course. This was one of my favorite neighborhoods to run through. The vibe was awesome.
The different neighborhoods continued…Park West, Old Town…and then…around Mile 12…River North. What made Mile 12 so damn special was that this was where Cathy and Jenn found me again on the course. Somehow I missed them. I didn’t know they were going to be there…but my eyes were always searching that crowd for my friends and my sign. How I missed it…I don’t know…but they were there and have pictures to prove it. Regardless…I must have felt them in spirit because I was still going strong! My friends are awesome. From there it was through some more of the city’s amazing neighborhoods…West Loop Gate, Greektown, and the West Loop.
I bet you’re wondering where Heather went then. Well, she already had a place in mind for where she could see me again on the course. After Mile 3…she hopped a train and found me again right around Mile 14…in front of Soul City Church. And…WOW…was she loud and cheering as I came through. I heard her above the roar of everyone else in the crowd. She wanted to be at Mile 14 because it marked the furthest I had ever gone in an official race. With 10 half marathons under my belt…13.1 miles has been the standard. She wanted to see me into that next step. And she did it with perfect Heather style!! And even got the pastor of the church to scream right along with her. What a way to take on the second half!
Near West Side was next…then Little Italy (aka: University Village). The smell of Italian food was prominent. And it smelled really good. From there it was into the Illinois Medical District. And then, as we come around toward Mile 20…the Pilsen neighborhood. Mile 20…is usually where The Wall hits. But I never even hit it. The Wall was not even a force to be reckoned with. It was dead to me. And I powered through this difficult part of the race without even slowing down. I was feeling good. My race plan for fuel and hydration was working…and fatigue wasn’t even hitting me. There was no stopping me…not here.
East Pilsen was next…followed by Chinatown. I loved Chinatown. I rounded the corner into this neighborhood and was greeted by a big, silver Chinese Dragon. The atmosphere was uplifting and awesome. And the area smelled ethnic and awesome. And it really made me want Chinese food. I haven’t had Chinese food in forever due to my food allergies. I miss it. A lot. Chinatown was SO awesome. The crowd here was massive and loud. Uplifting for sure!
Which was good because heading into Mile 23 was the hardest to contend with…because the crowds faded as we hit the industrial area. There was very little crowd support. It was only for a little over a mile though…the crowds did come back.
Bridgeport was next…then came the turn to “head home” and through the Park Boulevard neighborhood. It was straight up Michigan Avenue from that point on. The final 3 miles were upon me. And this was where I started to slow down. I felt strong, but the sun was up and the temperature was nearing 70 degrees. I was hot. But with only a 5K remaining, I was ready to give it all I had. Bronzeville…The Gap…South Commons…Prairie District…
At around Mile 26…South Loop and Central Station…where the crowd gave runners a much needed lift as all of us tackled the one hill on the course. And it was NOT nice having us run up a hill at the very end. Let me tell you though…they did their job. I slowed down just slightly as my legs really didn’t want to run up that hill, but the crowd got me there. And so did my friends, who I heard screaming for me. This was the last point they could see me at before the finish line. I was going to reunite with them in the runner reunion area afterwards. So, they were loud and awesome and I was on my way to the finish.
Me…the marathoner…after the Bank of America Chicago Marathon – Chicago, Illinois
The Finish Line came into view and I kept smiling. I think I was smiling the entire time I was running, but that Finish line just went to show how tough I was…how far I’d come. It was beautiful. I gave my final push to cross the line and threw my arms up in victory. I finished strong. I finished feeling good. I got past the photographers and paused my Garmin. Then…immediately started crying. I didn’t hurt. I wasn’t tired. It was just I had so many doubts coming into this marathon, and then I went and did something extraordinary. I finished it far faster than I anticipated or even dreamed. Everything felt like a blur. I took a few deep breaths and kept moving…getting some water…and then receiving my finisher’s medal. Bananas…snack boxes…more water…and finisher’s photos…that all followed. I downed some Gatorade as I moved…then had some water. I made my way through the finish area toward the runner’s reunion, where I was to meet Cathy, Jenn and Heather under the letter V…because it would be less crowded than the beginning of the alphabet. I saw the sign…and my friends…and went running toward them. Cathy came up and gave me a tight hug, immediately telling me my official time. I cried some more. I cried more as Heather gave me a hug and then some more when Jenn gave me a hug. We were just…so happy! I was so FREAKIN’ happy. I made sure I drank some more water and I laid down to put my feet up while I called my parents in Birmingham, Alabama to tell them about my race and my finish. They were so thrilled and proud of me. I only wish they could have been there to share the moment as well.
After I hung up the phone, I stood up and went to get in line for a stretch and massage. The line was long, but I knew this would help in the end. While I was waiting, Cathy went off to see if she could find any official finisher’s gear. She returned about 10 minutes later (the line hadn’t moved) and handed me a gorgeous red rose and a bear wearing a Chicago 2013 26.2 t-shirt. Ironically, the bear’s name was Dean, which was a sign…had to be…since the captain of the charity (Action for Healthy Kids) that I was running for is none other than Dean Karnazes. Eventually, it was my turn for a stretch and massage. That was the best thing ever. It helped get those muscles loose. The therapist working on me mentioned how flexible I was…and I told her it was from years of yoga. After a good stretching…we decided to make our way back to The Hilton so I could get showered and changed. My intention, even though I wasn’t sore, was to take a cold shower. I turned the water on, stuck my hand in…and totally nixed that plan. I’ve never taken an ice bath or ice shower after a run, why start now? Especially when I didn’t feel I needed one. I bounce back really well from long distances on my own. Never change up the routine. Anyway…I was clean. I foam rolled. It was time to go see some sites around Chicago.
Our plan for the day was to hit up Garrett’s Popcorn for amazing popcorn of awesomesauce. Cathy promised me a gallon tin of the Cashew Caramel Crisp. We also got a small bag of the Chicago Mix…because we needed something to snack on. All of us bought our share of popcorn to enjoy…and we went walking the Miracle Mile. With Nike being one of the sponsors, they had all the official Finisher’s merchandise. So after a stop by The Bean…and The Chicago Tribune building…Nike was next. As we neared the building, employees were out cheering on everyone who was wearing one of the finisher’s medals. It really made it SO special. We ducked inside…and Cathy purchased two shirts for me…and Heather put money toward a nice pull-over (in Heather gray). After that…a walk back to the hotel. Heather needed to meet up with our friend Janet to go to church and Jenn, Cathy and I were going to grab some dinner. Instead of the Mexican place we had reservations for that night, we ended up sticking to the hotel and eating at the pub that was connected. I had a salad. They had fish and chips. From there…back up to the room to relax a little while and wait for Heather and Janet. Because gelato was on the menu for dessert. Well earned…and dessert is best when done with friends. I didn’t want the evening to end…but, much like my little cup of gelato…it did.
Sadly, it was time to say goodbye. Janet was going to get Heather to the airport, as she had to fly back to Minnesota that night. So, lots of hugs and promises to get together again soon…we parted ways. I walked Janet and Heather to the elevators and gave hugs and said goodbye…for the time being. I returned to the room and got changed into pajamas. Foam rolling was next. And then…we were all ready to settle in, watch some television, and then get some sleep.
The problem was…I couldn’t fall asleep. I was tired, but sleep just wasn’t going to come. So, all night I tossed and turned and watched the clock. I finally got out of bed…and went to change. Soon, Jenn woke up and then Cathy. Cathy and I went to walk a bit around the track at the fitness center before we finished packing everything up and getting ready to check out. Chicago was a blast…but we had a long drive ahead of us. So…after a quick jaunt to Caribou Coffee…we had our luggage loaded up, my car brought around…and we hit the road.
I am very, very proud of my accomplishment…and I know a lot of this was made possible by the people who have helped me along the way. First of all…major huge props, hugs, love, and appreciation go out to my sports nutritionist. Donna…without your advice, guidance, and all-over support and enthusiasm…I don’t think I would have made it through that distance without hitting The Wall. As The Wall and I are still perfect strangers…I hope to continue this trend. You are awesome and I’m so glad we are working together. Your advice and your help have, definitely, made me a better, stronger, and faster runner. You helped me develop a plan to go the distance and feel good at the end of said mileage. Guess what? It worked! Tons of praise, love, hugs, and cowbell jingles go out to my family (who couldn’t be in Chicago), my friends, my co-workers, my runners, and the strangers who got me to that finish line. This has been a long journey…and you’ve seen me through all of the insanity.
To Cathy…who saw me try and fail, try and succeed, rode 18 miles on a bike one Sunday with me to keep me company on a miserably hot day, who has seen me through injuries, seen me struggle, seen me overcome, and just continued to be the best damn crew a runner could ever have. To Jenn…who coined my new favorite phrase when it comes to running, who always tells me not to pants my poop…and who compels me with the power of Dean…who shares my love of all things chocolate, ice cream, and delicious…and who never judges me when I get up early when I visit and go for crazy long runs. Even if it’s in the kitchen during a snowstorm. Next time, I promise not to slam into the island. And to Heather…who I have known since 3rd grade…and despite your move to Minnesota as we were heading to middle school, kept in touch and still, to this day, is the best damn friend this girl could have asked for. Your amazing belief in me and my abilities is unstoppable. You teach me to reach for the stars and go beyond even what I think I am capable of achieving. Your drive is contagious. It always has been.
So…my official results of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon are that I finished in a time of 3:28:28. I am still shocked with my time and blown away by what that time means. I was 3,897/39,122 finishers overall. I was the 592/17,527 female to cross the finish line. And I was 154/3,274 in my division. You cannot believe how thrilled I am with these results. I felt so good about this run. I conserved energy…even though I took that first mile fast. I knew to ease up and let my body find it’s rhythm and its pace. I ran strong. And with that…achieved more than I ever thought possible. This past week has been dedicated to recovery…although my body hasn’t really felt like it needed it. Like I said…I bounce back. This was such an amazing experience. I never stopped smiling during the race…and it’s been hard to get me to stop smiling since then as well.
Don’t pass out. Don’t freak out. Keep calm. Keep calm and run a freakin’ marathon!
I can’t believe 18 weeks have already passed. I began this journey on a rainy morning, June 10, 2013…and it all culminates at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. God willing, I’ll get there.
Marathon week has arrived. Technically. And I’m going through the motions of the taper. I’m retaining water, which is messing with my head. I’m running fewer miles…which is messing with my body. And I’m a basket case of emotions, which is messing with my friends, family, and co-workers.
But it’s here. At last.
On June 10th…I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to eat something small, drink water, get dressed, and head out to run. It was raining. Pouring, in fact. But no one guarantees perfect weather on race day. So, without even blinking, I grabbed a hat, got my reflective gear flashing, and went to head out the door. Except I was greeted with a message from my roommate, which, to this day, still hangs on the back of the front door. She was in her room, still asleep, but this was how she was showing her support…and every morning from that day when I struck out for 5 miles easy (which I did with hills, mind you!), I took everything on this little sign in…and used it as a mantra:
Roomie shows her support…with a sign on the back of the front door!
Inspirational, yes?
And with early morning runs every week, early morning runs every weekend, some fun runs, some races, some mile sprints, speed work, pacing work, and just finding out more about what I can and can’t do…pushing through it all…I arrive…at race week.
Sunday, October 13, 2013 marks the date for the Chicago Marathon. My first 26.2 miles. My first full marathon. A part of me feels so ready. But a bigger part of me is doubting my abilities, not wanting to believe all the hard work I put in through training for 4 months was good enough. Or, that I’m just not ready. This is normal. And I know…deep in my heart…I’m ready.
I. AM. READY.
So…let’s see how this final week of training leading up to race day went, shall we?
Sunday was a rainy, rainy, rainy morning. Sunday is a rest day, but I often go for another run, keeping pace easy and distance minimal. I don’t want to over train, but I go stir crazy at times. I had told the roomie that since I was in taper, I would simply do 5 short miles…at the gym if the weather was bad. Well, it was raining…I’ve run in the pouring rain before. I could have gone to the gym…sure…but the very thought of hopping on a treadmill was unappetizing. For real. So, I laced up my old Nike running shoes, put on my reflective gear, slapped on a hat, and went out for a run. What I didn’t know (because I don’t have cable nor do I watch television) was that we had flooding in our area. This should have been apparent in the first mile when I was warming up and kept splashing in pretty deep puddles. But as I hit the roads, nothing prepared me for the ankle deep water I ended up trudging through. I turned around and went the other way, only to be greeted with the same situation that way too. Flooding…does not make for good running. But, I laughed. I was having a good time. The puddles were everywhere…some ankle deep without me being able to tell…and every time I hit one…it just made me smile. I mean…what can you do? I logged my miles, went home, stuffed my shoes with newspaper, and went to take a shower and get dried off. The rain stopped later in the morning. Go figure. It was a good way to start the week though…which I needed as I continued to struggle with my taper demons.
Monday morning greeted me with 4 miles. I was supposed to do 4 miles at marathon pace…but I decided to move my speed work up a day. It was my last day of speed work, and my schedule was going to be pretty insane this week. Doing it on Monday was the best way to do it. I did an easy warm up of 1/2 mile at my long slow distance pace. Then it was 1 x 4800 meters (3 miles) at marathon pace. Followed that up with 1/2 mile at my long slow distance pace for a cool down. My body is playing tricks on me…with the water retention and all. The run felt good. And I still think I need to push myself a bit more on my speed work, but this was a good run. I actually enjoyed my speed work for once. And, naturally, being Monday…the Daily Double struck. I headed to my running store for the running group that evening. They decided to do the Pumpkin Run…so we went on a run past the house in the Highlands with all the pumpkins…then continued on to Cherokee Park. We were to run the loop backwards…but Patrick (it’s always Patrick said we would run the loop regular, make a full loop and then head back. Meaning…Dog Hill…TWICE! The man is insane…and yet I somehow I always get suckered into doing it. It was challenging…and I like challenging. After the morning speed work, I didn’t think my legs would do well on the hills on the loop, or the speed that Patrick was pushing. I was behind the two others who actually did run the loop, but I was feeling good. I kept pushing…and I caught up on Eastern Parkway. It was a good feeling. And I really needed that. Granted, it was a bit disrespectful of the taper…and ended up being 5.4 additional miles that day…but I was elated with how I managed to take those hills and maintain a great pace. I had a feeling my legs would feel it in the morning, however.
Tuesday morning greeted me with an early wake-up call and 45 degree weather. It was brisk and amazing outside. I was in my shorts and short sleeves and ready to take on the cooler weather. The training program called for 4 miles at marathon pace today. So, I went and rocked it out. In fact, I took these 4 miles faster than my estimated marathon pace. The legs weren’t even feeling the two hard runs from the day before. They were ready and raring and just enjoying hitting the pavement that morning. I managed beautiful negative splits. And then…my last day at the gym this week. Since it is Tuesday, I hit up the Arc Trainer – Program 1 – Level 5 for 45 minutes and churned out a fantastic 2.8 miles. I was having a great work out day!! Seriously. After the Arc Trainer…I went over to the rowing machine to get that full-body cross-training effect. I have a love/hate relationship with this machine, but I managed 1.18 miles in 10 minutes, which is pretty good for me. After that, downstairs I went for some strength training before calling it a day and heading to work.
Wednesday was my last run before the taper really hit with some down time. The plan called for another 4 miles at marathon pace. Which…I did get out and do, once again, in the dark and cool morning. I even managed some negative splits. I honestly didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard or struggling for that next mile, which is only a good thing. My pace was good, my breathing was good, and my legs were starting to feel the effects of less mileage. They weren’t as tired or as heavy. And it just felt good out there running. I finished in amazing time and feeling strong and good. But really dreading the days ahead. Me going without running is like…being without air. I don’t cope well. So, watch out world…I’m tapering…big time.
Thursday morning was rough. I got up later, because the body needs rest on rest days and as tempting as it was to get up at normal time and go for one of my brisk walks…I need to respect these important days of rest and recovery. Because that’s what my body needs to do in preparation for Sunday. This doesn’t mean that I just sat around all day. I made a healthy breakfast that morning. I took a package down to the car. I walked around Harvest Homecoming in New Albany twice that day. Just to not be sitting at my desk the entire time. I stretched. I foam rolled. I made sure I was taking in good carbs, good protein, and healthy fats…topping off my tanks. I was taking care of me and getting my body ready. And, it was hard…and I might have whined a couple of times…but I soldiered through. A day of rest…it was tough. But I got there.
Friday was the second day of complete rest. I, once again, let my body rest in the morning, sleeping in and setting my alarm for much later than I would normally wake up. I had a few things I needed to go get at the grocery store that morning, and although it is just a mile and a half up the street…I didn’t walk. I drove. I didn’t skim the aisles, but went immediately to what it was that I needed. I went home. I baked some treats for Chicago. I made breakfast at the same time. I enjoyed a protein-filled breakfast with fruit on the side and a fantastic caramelized apple parfait with some Greek yogurt. Yummy! I went to work. I enjoyed easy strolls through Harvest Homecoming once again. I moved around from my desk as much as I could manage with my work load. I left work and came home to pack. I didn’t pack…because when I’m nervous I find things to distract me…like hand washing clothes. I know…I’m weird. Jenn arrived from Ohio…and she and Cathy put me on task to pack…so I did. Eventually. Then we headed out to dinner. Jenn chose Dakshin, an amazing Indian restaurant in Louisville. I had the Dal Tadke Wali, which is home style yellow lentils tempered with Indian spices. It was SO good. And vegan. And that meant…good and safe. I had it over delicious rice. Carbs. Protein. Topping off those tanks properly. We treated ourselves to Comfy Cow afterwards. Then it was home to watch Spirit of the Marathon and Marathon Thoughts…then getting some much needed sleep.
Saturday…it’s here. The day before my first marathon. And I’m a mixed bag of emotions. I got up at 4 a.m. to do my shakeout run. And the rest days paid off. My legs feel good and strong and amazing. I didn’t push my pace. Didn’t push anything. Now was not the time to try to hit a best time. Now was the time to just let my legs do what they wanted to. And every moment of this run felt good. I enjoyed it…taking in the still, dark morning. It was in the low 50s too, which helped make it feel even more effortless. Temperatures on race morning in Chicago will be around 48 degrees. I can’t wait. I’m feeling amazing…which is making me feel better about a lot of things. So, out for a 3 mile easy run…and now I’m going to make up breakfast so we can pile in the car and make the trek to Chicago. Going to hit up the expo and meet up with Heather and have a good time.
So…this has been a physically and mentally challenging week. But I have made it through the taper and on Sunday, I will get to see if taper madness really does translate into taper magic. Because…I have not been a happy person this week. Running shorter mileage…not running…it’s been driving me insane.
Not to mention, I’m an emotional wreck as it is. I’ve been having moments of complete panic and what I call…race panic. I have these freak-out moments and I just have to remind myself to breathe. Just breathe. And I know I can do this. I’ve put in a lot of long hours on the road. I’ve put in so much time, so much effort, and I know I have a lot of people cheering for me…all over the country and the world. And that’s pretty awesome, yes?
So…there it is. 18 weeks of long, hard training…18 weeks…and I finally arrive at the place I’ve been training for. When I started this journey it felt so far away. The race is now…tomorrow.
As you know, for the past 18 weeks I have been training hard to run in the Chicago Marathon. And while I registered independently, I decided to go ahead and sign up to help a charity. I chose Action For Healthy Kids.
You can read more about this cause in my blog I did a couple months ago…here.
As a refresher…
Action for Healthy Kids dedicates itself to developing, in children, lifelong habits necessary to promote health and learning. Their primary focus is the epidemic of childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity found in today’s children here in the United States. This organization partners with dedicated volunteers – teachers, students, moms, dads, school wellness experts and more – to create healthful school changes. Action for Healthy Kids is giving kids the keys to health and academic success by meeting them in the classroom, the cafeteria and on the playground, dishing out fun physical activity and nutrition lessons and changes that will help foster in nutritious eating habits and active play every day.
It’s a fantastic cause…as most children today spend so much time parked in front of a television, a game console, a tablet, a computer, etc. Exercise and activity fall to the wayside.
In TWOdays I will be running the Chicago Marathon…so this is one final push for donations. No amount is too small. And every little bit helps.
Me leaving the start of the Disneyland Half Marathon – Anaheim, California
Race: Disneyland Half Marathon
Place: Disneyland, Anaheim, California
Date: September 1, 2013
Time: 1:42:39
If you recall…back in February, I participated in the Disney Princess Half Marathon, which is held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. That being said, I also know that Disney does this fantastic thing where if you run a half marathon at one of their parks and then, within the same calendar year, run another half marathon in the other park, you get a reward for going “Coast To Coast.” In this case…an additional piece of bling.
A dear friend of mine who also ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon was running the Disneyland Half Marathon as well. In fact…we both signed up within minutes of each other. And the planning stages were on for a reunion. But this time…with all four of “THE GIRLS!” It was going to be a trip to remember. Aside from being the first visit to Disneyland for Cathy and I, it would mark the first time the four of us had gotten together since…2011. Needless to say…I was nervous…and excited all at once.
Here’s the deal though…I’m in full-fledged marathon training mode currently. And with that being said, it meant that I had to mess around with the training schedule a little bit to fit into the travel plans. For one thing…rest days were moved…and, keeping in mind where I was going after the California portion of the trip was over (Cathy and I went to Colorado for the last part of the trip), I also wanted a more convenient spot than a city to do my long run. So…the schedule was shifted around a bit and made to fit. It wasn’t perfect…but it was doable.
On Friday, August 30, I was up at 3 a.m. to get in a 7 mile training run, which normally I would have done on…say…Sunday or something. Friday is a usual rest day, but the rest day was coming on Saturday instead. I guess. Because I knew that there would be lots of sightseeing at Disneyland…so a lot of walking…not so much resting. But…at least no running. So, up super early, out the door getting work done. I showered…finished packing (and took a risk by packing my running shoes in my luggage instead of taking them carry-on like I did for Florida…I kept my running outfit in my carry-on, but the shoes went into the suitcase because I figured I could replace the shoes at the expo…but not my costume)…ate breakfast…and headed into work a little early to get that kind of work done. Haha! A co-worker drove us to the airport and dropped us off, negating the need to park our car in the extended stay lot and pay an ungodly amount of money for the pleasure. We arranged with a different co-worker to pick us up late Sunday night when our flight came in. We had it handled. That being said, we checked our bags (LOVE flying Southwest) and headed to our gate. We actually had some time before our plane was due to depart, so we settled in to read…snack on some dark chocolate covered acai berries…and wait.
Before we knew it, the plane was boarding. I was at the tail-end of the A group so when I got on the plane, I found the closest two seats with a window to the front of the plane that I could find. We were making a hop over to Chicago, but not getting off the plane. When the passengers disembarking in Chicago moved off the plane though, Cathy and I moved forward. Then…the never-ending 4 hour flight into Sacramento happened. It was such a long time to be sitting…and my body was not happy with it. I did a lot of reading (at the time, polishing off Restaurant Man by Joe Bastianich) and a lot of whining about being uncomfortable. So landing in Sacramento was a relief. I could move and I could find something to eat. Which…for me ended up being this little salad of spinach, tomato, and feta cheese. It was…eh…as it came from one of those stands inside the shops and not a restaurant. It was something though, and that’s what mattered. I made a comment about what was for dessert but I think Cathy thought I was kidding and just laughed it off. Hmm…you’d think she’d know better. Anyway, we were soon on our last flight from Sacramento into Burbank and soon we were meeting up with Jenn (also known as Indy) at the airport, piling luggage into the car, and heading to her house to drop it off. Once that happened, we were back in the car heading out to the train station to pick up Tanya (also known as Tawn), who was coming in from Fresno for the weekend. SO thrilled. The four of us were back together again.
And, despite having been awake at this point for over 24 hours, I didn’t feel the least bit tired. We gathered at Indy’s house, watched The Mighty Boosh, ate a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie (Evan and Indy went out to Whole Foods for gluten-free snacks…because they are that awesome!), and eventually decided that we’d have to be up by 5:30 a.m. in order for all of us to cycle through the shower before heading to Disneyland. And Disneyland was important. So we said goodnight and all went to sleep.
Pirate Mickey Ears on…LET’S DO THIS!
My alarm went off super-early the next morning and I staggered off the air mattress and into the kitchen. Tawn was going to hit up the shower first…and Indy was up and asked if I wanted coffee. OF COURSE!! She made some of the best coffee ever, for the record. I caffeinated myself while Tawn showered…and eventually Cathy staggered out and headed right for the fridge for a Diet Mt. Dew. That’s her caffeine of choice. Soon, I was showering, and we were figuring out breakfast afterwards. We finally just had bananas, I think. It worked. It was something in the stomach to start. And then…we were “Tetris-ing the shit out of the trunk” trying to fit all our luggage in for the journey and two night stay (hey, in our defense, Cathy and I had to pack for 9 days, plus one fancy dinner!). Indy is a rockstar and managed to make it work. And then…the drive to Disneyland!
My first Disneyland experience started in…the parking structure. But soon we were taking the escalator down to the shuttle that would take us to the park entrance. We were starting with California Adventure. Indy and Cathy went to go stand in line for Fast Passes for the Radiator Springs Racers (which I’m glad they did…because they ran out quickly) while Tawn and I went to go start off the Disneyland trip right with some Tower of Terror fun. We met up after that…went and did Soarin’ Over California…walked around Radiator Springs…rode Luigi’s Flying Tires and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree…and then hit up Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. We paused at this point to eat lunch…where we all sort of did our own thing. I was pretty much limited to a salad with a gluten-free roll. But this salad was the size of Godzilla. Seriously. I ate what I could and called it quits. From there…Radiator Springs Racers…then Tawn and I went on California Screamin’…and then we took in a water show that was conducted by Goofy. At that point…we decided it was time to hit up the Fitness Expo. After all, I had a packet to pick up. We wound our way through the resort, heading down to the packet pick-up area, where I headed to the first booth, as my bib number was for Corral A. Lead corral once again! I flashed my ID and turned in my waiver and I was handed my bib and tagged with my Coast To Coast bracelet. Sweet. Then…over to the expo where I would get my swag bag and t-shirt. I really wish I had held up my t-shirt before leaving because this thing is a small…but it is a TENT!! Holy crap! Oh well. It still works and I will still wear it (sometimes…as it is orange and that’s not one of my best colors). Then…shopping!! I ended up buying two additional bottles to hook onto my fuel belt (per my sports nutritionist) for extra hydration and then I bought the Castle To Castle t-shirt from one of the vendors. There was so much more I wanted…but I was just starting vacation and didn’t want to spend all my money in one place. The ONE item that I wanted most though was the official Disneyland Half Marathon pin (I collect pins), but they were sold out and you can’t order them online. I was seriously bummed out and sad for the rest of the day. After listening to Sean Astin talk and finishing up some more shopping, we all departed the expo to head back to the hotel to unwind a bit before dinner. We crashed…munching on some gluten-free crackers with hummus and just…laying about. We all were wiped. A lot of it being from how hot it was outside…and little sleep. For me…VERY little sleep.
After some downtime, we were back at it, heading out to Disneyland. Indy had to head back to the expo to meet up with an old friend of hers, leaving us with Tawn as our guide. We hit some highlights, like the room where Walt Disney stayed when he was in the park…the statue of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse…Sleeping Beauty’s Castle…and finally the carousel, where Indy found us and was able to join us for the ride. I was having the time of my life. We had been discussing an early return to the hotel so we could get some rest before the race on Sunday morning…but Indy saw the Fast Passes for World of Color and we (meaning she and I) decided we had to do that. And that started at 9 p.m. So, the original plans were scrapped and we were locked in with fast passes for the show. We hit up Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (I sucked!) before heading over to Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port for dinner. Why there? Gluten-free pizza of course. It is my night-before-the-race required meal. It had to happen. Cathy got a slice of regular pizza and some breadsticks. Tawn and Indy each got pasta and split some breadsticks. I waited for about 10 minutes to place my order with the chef…then had to wait another 10 minutes for it to be made. And it took an additional 5 minutes to actually get it. So, by the time I joined my friends at the table, only Tawn was still eating. The other two had finished. The pizza was very much like the one I got on the fly at Disney World…so…not horrible…not fantastic. Just…gluten-free pizza. And that was enough. We then booked it over to World of Color and watched the colorful water show before calling it a night. That took a little while too because I was trying to lay out everything I would need in the morning…costume…hair accessories…shoes…race bib…fuel belt…fuel…etc. Finally climbed into bed to snag a few restless hours of sleep.
The alarm sounded loud and clear way, way, way too early. It was 3 a.m. and I was now getting on my outfit to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Why Belle? Because my niece, Kaytlynn, loves Belle. She is her favorite Disney princess…and I promised her I would run as her. I am an auntie of my word. So into the gold sports bra and sparkle skirt I got…did my hair up with little red rose accessories and red hair extensions. Slipped into my black compression sleeves and got my fuel belt loaded with Sports Beans, GU, and one bottle of water and one of NUUN (for electrolytes). Indy was in the process of getting dolled up as Lilo from Lilo and Stitch and we both opted to step outside to see what the weather was like. The first words out of my mouth where, “It’s gross out here! UGH!” It was gross out there. High humidity and temperatures already in the 70s. BLECH! Cathy quickly made up some signs as Tawn got dressed up as a makeshift Snow White. And…we of course had breakfast. I had brought some of my gluten-free cereal with me from Louisville…so I ate that while I got ready, snagging a banana for 30 minutes before the race. When we were fed, dressed, and prepped…we headed out the door of the hotel for the long trek to the staging area for the race. We wandered through the empty park, making our way to where we needed to be. We even passed the finish line. The race jitters were starting to hit.
Me as Belle and Indy as Lilo at the staging area before the Disneyland Half Marathon
We took some pictures at the staging area…then were bombarded by MarathonPhoto people wanting our pictures. I swear we were asked at least 20 times for pictures. And not just of Indy and I…but also of Cathy and Tawn. How epic!! Now they are part of the race memories. But, really, Indy and I were trying to shake off fatigue, stretch, and mentally prepare for the race. I did some walking lunges, some butt kickers and a lot of active stretching to get the muscles loose while I could. I ducked over to the port-o-potties to use the bathroom one more time. Washed my hands. Ate my banana…and had to go get into my corral. I was in Corral A…Indy was in Corral F. So we told each other to have a good race and went our separate ways.
Not as much was happening at the start line as there was at the Disney Princess Half Marathon. The Disneyland Half Marathon, however, is not focused mostly on women, so the corral definitely had more testosterone in it this time. Cathy came over to tell me that she and Tawn found a great spot about 20 feet from the start on the left side, so I moved to the left so they could see me when I left the gate. A marriage proposal happened on stage at one point. They brought up some guests to the stage including The Biggest Loser’s Allison Sweeney (LOVE HER!), Sean Astin, and NSYNC’s Joey Fatone. Now, Tawn had been dying to meet Joey so when he was on stage, I was totally thinking about her. Then the small amount of downtime occured and this is where I found myself literally dozing. I was falling asleep on my feet. I think, combined, I might have gotten 5 hours of sleep in 2 nights. Fatigue had moved to complete exhaustion. Not good when the race hasn’t even started yet. I tried to shake it off…but just couldn’t seem to keep my eyes open. The National Anthem played…and then they sent off the wheelchair racers. My corral was next…so we all moved up. And when the horn sounded, I started my Garmin as I crossed the start line, saw Cathy and Tawn, giving each of them a wave, and hit the roads of Anaheim.
For the first mile I was with a guy dressed up as Woody from Toy Story. He was even carrying a Woody doll with him. People kept saying, “Hey! It’s Buzz!” And he would, in a perfect Tom Hanks voice, reply, “I’m not Buzz! I’m Woody!” It was awesome. But he soon dropped behind and I was now entering California Adventure. It is still dark at this point, and as we run by the Paradise Bay, where World of Color was done, the lights and fountains are on, greeting runners as they go by. The music was even playing. It was very uplifting, actually. Just what I needed. From there, it was out of California Adventure and into Disneyland. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was lit up and the runners made their way up the street and through the castle. This all happened within the first three and a half miles…so, after that, it was back out onto the roads for the rest of the journey for the most part. It was “blink and you miss it” through the parks, really. But I always get such a rush when I run through the castles at Disney. I was starting to wake up now.
Miles 4-8 were all done on the road. So, not much to look at…until you hit Mile 7. Here you get treated to the most amazing car show. People brought out all their beautiful vintage cars and are displaying them for the runners, taking away the monotony that the highway roads would normally offer. Some honked their horns, all of them were cheering and clapping. I loved that part of the race. If I wasn’t already feeling uplifted, that helped.
Mile 8 led me past The Honda Center, which is where the Anaheim Ducks play hockey. Very cool little stretch of the run there. This lead into the unpaved mile of the run, along the Santa Ana River Trail. Loose gravel. Wasn’t expecting that in Anaheim. But, there it was. In fact, one of the wheelchair racers was struggling with her racing chair in the grooves of the gravel. She managed to regain momentum afterwards though, because she passed quite a few of us up on our way to Angel’s Stadium.
Yep…Angel’s Stadium. Home to the Los Angeles Angels baseball team. I was looking forward to this part of the run. I am not much into sports, but I grew up on baseball. I played softball. I went to baseball games. I love the sport. So, the opportunity to run through the stadium…across home plate even…was thrilling. And the stands were packed with people…and the roar of the cheers was incredible. They even had an announcer there listing off names as you passed over the sensor. I couldn’t stop smiling. This was epic! Just ahead of me, I noticed the wheelchair racer had taken a tumble out of her chair on the corner leading out of the park. She had some volunteers helping her out. She was a little scraped up…but seemed fine and eager to get back into her chair and on the move. Trust me…it didn’t slow her down any.
Three more miles to go after I left the stadium. I kept telling myself…just a 5K left. I knew I wasn’t going to PR…and I hadn’t set out to do that on this race. I made a promise to my sports nutritionist to treat this as a training run, and that was how I ran it. It was horribly humid and hot out…but I was still having a great time. I still felt good. I felt as though I could run more…which is always a good sign. So, I ticked off Mile 11, giggling at the sign that said “$175 for a half marathon…Smile only $37.40 to go!” So clever. So awesome. At around Mile 12, I got passed by a guy running and juggling. RUNNING AND JUGGLING!! AND PASSING PEOPLE! He had to be super human or something. Geeze. I knew I was getting close though. I didn’t once glance at my watch…I just ran…and as the finish line came into view, I couldn’t keep from smiling. My name was called as I slapped hands with Mickey Mouse and crossed over the finish line. Yes…I had to high-five Mickey. I had to!! I was all smiles. And I saw Tawn and Cathy flagging me from the crowd. And the smile got even bigger.
They were going to meet me in the staging area, so I made my way over to receive my Finisher’s medal…then some water…and then to get my Coast To Coast medal as well. From there, I made my way over to where they were handing out goody boxes full of mostly gluten-free options. And soon, I was heading out of the recovery area. And there they were…right at the gate…Tawn and Cathy. Both gave me hugs, not minding that I was slick with sweat. My official time beeped over my phone and Cathy told me. We high fived and I went to get a bag of ice and settle in to eat my banana. Hydrating and keeping to the shade, we decided that we had some time before Indy came in, so we made our way back to the hotel, where I showered, changed, and got ready to head back out to the park to cheer for Indy as she crossed.
It was hot…especially with the sun up now…but we were eagerly anticipating her arrival at the finish line. I had a vague notion of when she would be in thanks to the live updates I was receiving to my cell phone. Two minutes after the last update said she’d make it to the finish…there she was. Apparently she was a mess at the finish line…crying…hurting…and just happy to have it done. Poor thing. We went to go meet her at the designated area (Lilo 14), but I decided to go to the gate she’d have to come out of while Tawn and Cathy waited where we arranged before the start of the race. She finally made it out. I got a sweaty hug. She looked completely out of it. I got to meet her dad. We got the other girls over to where she was and we moved toward a shady spot where she could sit down. She needed to rest.
She slipped into her Disneyland Half Marathon shirt, rearranged her medals, and just let everything roll off. She looked completely spent. Her dad asked if she was ready to do it again and she shook her head and said “NO.” Yeah…I think this one wiped her. But she bounces. She does.
We started back to the hotel, but she said we should just go and enjoy the park. She needed to rest. So, we walked as far as we could with her, and she left to go recover, sleep, and do what she needed to do. The three of us hit up the parks hard…up until we needed to head back to shower and get ready for the most amazing dining experience ever. Seriously.
Anyway, Disney…as always…put on a spectacular race. My official results are that I ran the course in 1:42:39, making this my second fastest half marathon to date. WOOT! I was 288/15,868 finishers overall. I was the 59/10,017 female to cross the finish line. And I was 9/1923 in my division. You cannot believe how thrilled I am with these results. The best part was…I wasn’t even trying. I was just running. And, after hitting that finish line…I still felt good. I still felt like I could keep moving. That’s a good sign that my training and my fueling efforts have been paying off. Disney magic was back again on this one.
It’s hard not to find your happy pace and place at the Disney runs. They are super expensive when you factor in the cost of the race itself, travel, lodging, food, souvenirs, passes for the park, etc…but I keep wanting to go back. And it keeps drawing me back for more. I need to come back to Disneyland again…and soon. Because I already miss it.
Celebrating a strong finish, another half marathon under my (fuel) belt, and going Coast To Coast!
This week has brought about a lot of excitement, very little rest, some really great times, and then…a mild, mild case of elevation sickness. But, I guess that’s what happens when you travel from a river valley to one of the Happiest Places on Earth (Disneyland), to the gorgeous mountains of Colorado. Yes…this week has definitely served me up a wave of emotions and feelings. But…every single moment has been worth it. The challenges that have come with each different experience has only served to show how strong I truly am…or how much I really need to focus on certain things that might affect my training.
In the end, what came out of it all was an amazing and very tiring week of emotional highs and lows. But I feel that it was just what I needed to show me what needs to really be worked on and what I’m doing right. Knowing this with a month to go before my marathon gives me much a much better perspective and enough time to make any changes that will be necessary in the end.
So…let’s take a look at this insanely trying and exciting week…
Sunday was an emotional high! I mean, I was running in the Disneyland Half Marathon! How could I not be a happy girl while running in one of the Happiest Places on Earth. It’s Disneyland! And by completing the Disneyland Half Marathon, not only was I walking away with a finisher’s medal for the half marathon itself, but because I also ran Disney World in February (Disney Princess Half Marathon), I would also be receiving a medal for the Coast to Coast Challenge. Amazing. My friend Jenn (Indy) was also running for the same thing. And yes…we were both dressing up. I promised my niece, Kaytlynn, that I would run as Belle…so I managed to pull that together with a gold Sparkle Skirt, a gold sports bra, and rose pony tail holders. Indy dressed up as Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, complete with grass skirt and a stuffed Stitched on her back. She was very adorable. As with all Disney races, this one also came with an extremely early wake-up call. Like…3:00 a.m. I set my alarm and tumbled into bed late. Why late? Because Indy, myself, Cathy, and our good friend Tawn all went to watch the World of Color water show Saturday night. Keep in mind, on Friday, I was up at 3 a.m. to get in my training run before work and my airplane trip to Los Angeles. Then, with all the excitement of all four of us girls being together again, I was up beyond 24 hours that day…finally settling in on an air mattress for a couple of hours. That morning was a 5 a.m. alarm to work through showers and get ready to head to Disneyland for a fun-filled and very active day. This involved not only rides and a ton of walking around, but also the race expo. I figured at that point…why not stay for World of Color. We were catching gluten-free pizza at Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port…or…I was. Cathy went for a slice of regular pizza and the other two girls got pasta. So…the late return to the hotel (which was a walk)…then getting everything laid out for the race meant that early morning alarm felt like it came way too soon. And I was restless anyway. What this lead to, however, was me falling asleep on my feet in the start corral. No joke. There I am in Corral A…the lead corral…and I’m dozing off. But, as soon as that starting gun went off…and I was leaving the start gate, I perked up. It was a hot and humid race…which you can read more about in my race report, but I pushed through without pushing too hard. I was not to PR…so I stuck to my guns and didn’t. I finished up my second fastest half marathon to date, which I’m proud of given the hot and humid circumstances. Jenn was not as happy at the finish line when she came in, but she survived and while Tawn, Cathy and I hit the park that afternoon, she went back to the hotel and rested up. Disneyland Half Marathon…complete success in 1:42:39. I’ll take that.
Monday morning I knew would be an interesting run. For one thing, I was still at the hotel in Disneyland, and unlike the resort I stayed at in Disney World, there were no running trails and there wasn’t even a fitness center. So, I got up again at 5:00 a.m. to get dressed and ready to do an easy training run. My plan called for 7 miles easy and I definitely took it easy. For one thing, it was still dark outside. I was in an unfamiliar city. And I wanted to make sure I was hyper aware of my surroundings. The hotel was near a bus stop, and there was someone sleeping on the bench. Some of the parking lots had people walking through them, sometimes almost lurking…so I was taking it slow and easy and not straying too far from the hotel. What this meant was a lot of running to the end of the sidewalk, slowing, turning, and running back. I would loop the parking lot at the hotel as well. So, this was a very, very deliberate training run. I didn’t care. I finished it up with enough time for me to shower and get packed up and help load the car up before heading back into Disneyland for gluten-free Mickey waffles for breakfast. The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent wandering around Disneyland and making the most of our time…save for the hour we had to take to drop off Tawn at the train station and say goodbye as she headed back to Fresno. Sadness. But…we took in Fantasmic that night and enjoyed a carby-good pasta dinner before we headed back to Indy’s house.
I changed up my training schedule at this point, using Tuesday as my rest day. This meant the rest of my running would be done in Colorado. With this being our final full day in California…and also Indy’s birthday, we were going to take in a few adventures of Indy’s choice. And what this involved was some great car rides out to Vasquez Rocks, where we climbed on the same rocks used in Star Trek episodes. Geek out!! We’re such nerds! From there, we headed to the beach, stopping at a roadside stand for a watermelon and some fresh strawberries. We hit up Will Rogers State Beach, which is where they filmed Baywatch, believe it or not. That afternoon was spent lounging on the beach, playing in the surf, and eating some delicious, ripe fruit. I did a small amount of running on the beach…just to say I did it. But as the sun was starting to go down, we packed up our stuff and headed back towards her house. We changed and went out for her birthday dinner, where I enjoyed a fantastic Edamame Salad that had fresh vegetables and avocado, fulfilling my requirement to eat something in California with avocado on/in it. I went out of my training plan for the special occasion and enjoyed a gluten-free beer. And…to make the LA experience complete…celebrity sighting at the table next to ours…Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. Amazing! It was a perfect California day.
Wednesday morning came too soon and Cathy and I packed up our suitcases, ate some melon and strawberries, then Indy took us the Burbank airport. We checked our bags, got through security, and spent over an hour just walking back and forth. We wanted to keep busy at the airport because we’d be sitting on the plane for over 2 hours. We did eventually board our plane and make the 2 hour flight to Denver, Colorado. We landed, grabbed some Caribou Coffee, then headed out to claim our luggage. Then…get our rental car. We ended up getting a Prius, which is AWESOME. We hit the road up to Boulder, Colorado for the first night. We were staying at the Twin Lakes Inn, which has housed elite runners that come into the area. Shalane Flanagan has stayed there. SO cool. We settled in, went to a local pizza place for gluten-free pizza, and then got a few items from the grocery store for the next morning. When we got back in, I changed into workout clothes and we headed out to the local fitness club that allowed guests from the Twin Lakes Inn to use their facility for free. I chose to just use Wednesday as my cross training day, so I rocked out 3.25 miles on the elliptical, using the aerobic setting which had me working my arms more in some sections, just my legs, and reversing directions in the midst of the strides. I did that for 45 minutes. Then managed 3.6 miles in 10 minutes on the stationary bike. And to polish off the cross-training for the night, I did 5 minutes, or about 0.45 miles on the stair climber. It was a successful workout, I felt, for being so physically exhausted from travel and from lack of sleep since leaving Indiana on Friday.
Thursday I swapped out an easy run in order to do my long run. What better way to introduce myself to Colorado than with my 12 mile run? And I was away from the city, so it meant I had beautiful scenery and a gorgeous morning to do that with. I figured that I would enjoy 12 miles outside of Boulder, Colorado than through Denver. It took me longer than it normally would, but running in higher elevation is difficult. For real. The air is thin…and it made running feel 10 times as difficult as it normally would have been. And this was also a hilly course I was running. I was determined to do it though. Call me stubborn. Maybe I just wanted the bragging rights…but I did 12.5 miles in the same amount of time I have done a half marathon…but I expected this to be a difficult run. I just wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would feel. I fueled and hydrated throughout the entire thing. I was proud of myself for getting the long run done under those circumstances and Cathy and I hit up our favorite breakfast spot in Boulder that morning…The Buff…where I got an omelet as big as my head, some carby-good breakfast potatoes, and gluten-free toast. Yes…I ate the entire thing. But it was the big and main meal of the day. After that, it was shopping in Boulder, then a drive down to Denver, Colorado. Got checked into the hotel and enjoyed a light gluten-free dinner at a dedicated gluten-free deli. Food choices haven’t been the best on this trip, but I feel I have at least been feeding my body and giving it the fuel it needs. I did feel very tired and sluggish the rest of the day though.
I woke up just after 5 a.m. on Friday morning to do some more easy running. I still felt a little off and rather tired…but I had a run to do before getting into the Prius and heading to Colorado Springs for the morning. There were gluten-free crepes waiting for me. This was one of the most difficult and hardest 7 miles I have run yet. It took much longer than I would have liked, but I had to stop every half mile to catch my breath and drink some water. I just didn’t feel right. I eventually just started pushing until I was stopping every mile to hydrate and catch my breath, but it was just zapping my energy and I felt like my endurance was just completely gone. I finished up the run, went back to the room and ate an orange and showered. The entire time I was in Colorado springs, I felt sluggish and tired. After a bit of research and lots of water drinking, I think I might have a mild case of altitude sickness brought on by the 12.5 mile run in Boulder. Ugh. After enjoying a great morning in Colorado Springs, Cathy and I returned to the hotel where we took time to drink more water and just relax. Just what I needed. I immediately started to feel better. I have a salad lined up for dinner and then some delicious fro yo for dessert before relaxing for the night at the hotel. Hoping I can get through my required 7.5 miles of speed work before heading up into the mountains on Saturday.
Saturday, due to the whole mix-up-the-training-schedule scheme to fit everything in on vacation meant…speed work. SPEED. WORK. Speed work at elevation sucks just about as much as I figured it would. I once again got up early…around 5:30 a.m. knowing that I had 7.5 miles to work in before hitting the road to meet up with Sharon and head up to the top of the world. My training plan called for 1.5 mile warm-up, followed by 6 x 800 meters with 5 x 400 meter recovery, then a 1.5 mile cool down. I also knew that these would not be as fast as most speed work I do would be because I was still feeling the effects of my slight elevation sickness. I managed to get through it in under an hour though, so I was proud of that. A few hotel employees did compliment me on my running and a random woman said that I was up early to work out and when I said I was in training she said, “For a marathon?” I told her that I was…in fact…Chicago. She wished me good luck and it made me feel really, really good. Which is what I needed after this very trying and very difficult week of training at high altitude. Kudos to the athletes who train like this on purpose.
Tomorrow is the final day of my vacation and much of it will be spent in airports as I make my way back to Louisville from the beautiful state of Colorado. I have to say, training at altitude can be very disheartening. I have felt like I lost a lot of endurance each time I have run in Colorado. Maybe I have. I’ve been attempting, for the most part, to keep up with my clean eating and my restriction on alcohol. I made exceptions for the special celebratory dinner at Disneyland after the half marathon and at the pub for Indy’s birthday…but those were special occasions and worth the straying from my plan. But it’s back on track this coming week. Some of me dreads the training runs upon returning to Louisville…but it’s mostly because I feel like I’m off…that I’ve lost some fitness, despite not really straying from the schedule. The runs in Boulder and Denver have just messed with my thinking and I just need to remember that running at altitude is way different than running in the Ohio River Valley. So, I will focus on breaking in my brand new Newton’s I bought in Boulder from the main factory store and seeing what they do for my running form. That is my mission this week. That…and returning to my long runs on Saturday with my group. I have missed them.
So…here is to returning to real life…as much as I would much rather stay on vacation forever. Hell, I’d stay in Colorado if I could. Maybe one day. Maybe…
I’m going to say it right here and now…so listen up! 5K races are my least favorite distance. I never feel like I’m pushing myself fast enough, despite pushing these short little legs harder and harder with each mile. And at the end of a 5K…I never have the drive or the energy for that final kick that so many of my running friends have. And it makes me dislike that distance even more.
Let’s face it…these short little legs were made to go long. I actually would rather run a longer race any day than a 5K race. Winning an award at the shorter races is all fine and good…but I love the challenge of the longer run. I love to push my legs past the distance they think they can go…and prove to myself that my passion for the longer distances truly is what drives me when I run.
With that all being said…this past weekend, I had to shift my long run to Sunday because…well…Saturday I had a 5K race. Normally I wouldn’t have signed up for one. I’ve been avoiding races to focus more on my marathon training…but this is one race I would never dream of missing. My Aunt Debbie died 3 years ago from colon cancer, and here in Louisville, for the past three years, I have ran in the Walk Away from Colon Cancer & 5K Run. The only difference between the past two years and this year…is that this year I wasn’t returning from an injury that kept me out of running. This year, the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run was not a comeback run. This year…I was free to run it as I chose…and I chose to run a smart, safe, and fun race. And that’s how it should be.
Having the race on Saturday also decreased my usual weekly mileage…but…you know…it was worth it. I’ve racked up some crazy mileage over the past couple of weeks, I think giving these legs a shorter, but harder (as in speed and the fact that I tested them out on the hills of Iroquois Park), run was just what they needed. Speed work. Hill work. All in just over 22 minutes…done.
I admit, however, that the morning of the race I was not in a racing mindset. I hadn’t actually raced since The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, NY back in early July…and I was having a hard time finding that run hard, run fast mindset. Regardless, I took to the course and had a fun, beautiful, and very hot run yesterday morning. And it was for a good cause and in memory of my aunt. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
But…that was the end of the week…I still had the entire week before I got to my race…so…
Sunday is the normal “Whatever My Legs Feel Like” training run…or rest day. It just depends on how I feel that morning. Except, keep in mind, I busted out 20 miles the previous day. So, as I was getting ready for bed, I asked my roommate what I should run in the morning. She shrugged and said, “I don’t know…13 miles?” Then paused. “No…do 13.1.” Ah…a half marathon challenge. I was game. I figured I could run it at the LSD pace and have a good morning run. I guess I was feeling super that morning, despite the heavy mileage on Saturday…because I took to the streets and my legs felt strong and good…not tired…not sore. I was having a great run. The first half of the run was rather flat, but then I decided to challenge myself and run a very hilly second half. I just wanted to see how I would do on tired legs with a bit of a challenge, I guess. I wasn’t slowed in the slightest and somehow ended up rocking out 13.1 miles in a time faster than my half marathon PR. If only this had been in a race. I was super-stoked. Super surprised. And super proud of myself. That was on legs that had gone 20 miles the day before? Had I not been the one running, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. I was feeling amazing and hit negative splits to boot!! Yeah…I was feeling sort of invincible that morning, I guess. I was all smiles after that and feeling like Beast Mode was activated. If only every run felt that awesome. That evening was the Bruno Mars concert that my roomie and I had tickets for. I didn’t get home until well after midnight…and my legs were tired and sore, not just from the previous two runs, but from standing the entire show. LOVED that concert though. Had such a great time.
But…Monday morning rolled around and that meant it was back to the training schedule. That morning I was not feeling as awesome. In fact, I felt a bit defeated. The schedule called for 7 miles. And I did get 7 miles out that morning. But, I was running on very tired and somewhat sore legs. In fact, I actually went to bed in my running clothes…because I wanted to get more than 4 hours of sleep. And to knock out 7 miles…I needed all the time I could manage if I wasn’t getting up until 5 a.m. The later start sort of threw me off, but sleeping in my running clothes was sheer genius, because it meant I just needed to slip into my compression sleeves and my shoes before hitting the road that morning. It definitely got me out the door quicker. There was also a definite change from the weather I had the previous Monday morning. So, with the return of the humidity, the run just felt hard. I managed to press on and rocked the run with negative splits, but it was a hard-fought battle. And then…even with the tired legs, I wouldn’t dream of missing my Monday night fun run. So after a long, long day at work, I went home to eat and change and headed off to Louisville to do a run with my group. We were supposed to do hill work, which is something I really need to focus on. However…they vetoed it before I got there and half of the group was going to run trails, and the rest were going to hit up the Scenic Loop in Cherokee Park. I am not currently running trails because I don’t want to get injured, so I stuck to the road. And for the first mile was running with the group. My legs were still sore from all the hard efforts I put on them…as well as sitting for a long period of time at the office…but none of that seemed to matter. I got to the hill after Hogan’s Fountain and I was off. I had intended to stick with everyone, but I got ahead and there was no stopping me. I didn’t push…not for speed or anything because my Achilles was acting up a little…and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt myself on a fun run. Foam rolling commenced the moment I got home. Monday’s Daily Double was in the books.
Tuesday, of course, meant it was my cross-training day. And, as is the norm for Tuesdays, I resist the urge to run, even though I have the time and the ability to do so…and instead head to the gym before work. Tuesdays means it’s Arc Trainer day. The Arc Trainer, by the way, is basically the high calorie burning solution to the modern elliptical, built to be safe for high intensity workouts. In other words…it works like an elliptical, but is scientifically tested to be gentler on your joints, burn 16% more calories than a standard elliptical, and it can help the user train for strength, power, endurance, cardio and weight loss. It has this range of incline and resistance levels which makes this seem like 3 machines in one. Honestly. At lower incline levels, it’s has a glide like a cross country skier. In the mid-range levels, the motion is a stride, like on an elliptical but with proper positioning. And at the higher levels, it has the climb of a stepper or climber. I use the preset programs on the machines which automatically changes up resistance, incline, and the intervals. It makes this machine challenging, yet still puts you through a total body workout. It’s an elliptical on crack and I love to hate it. This time, I was on Program 5 – Intervals 1:1, meaning I had 1 minute at a lower incline, then it shot me up to hard resistance and the “climber” mode for 1 minute and it would rotate this out. I did this for 45 minutes on Level 7 and managed to dig out 2.08 miles. After that, it was on to the Cardio Wave. If you’re not familiar with this machine either, it is also like an elliptical machine, except that this one focuses more on strengthening the gluteus and lower limbs while still focusing on the core stabilizer muscles…so you get a full body workout that is safe and non-impact. And…your legs move from side-to-side and not the usual forward and back motion that I get with other ellpiptical machines and my running. It’s a nice change of pace and it works three different planes of movement simultaneously: extension, abduction and external rotation. My roommate hates this machine, but I love it. And I rocked 3.89 miles on it set to a steady Level 13 that morning. Then it was downstairs to hit up a few strength machines to help build up some muscle. After work, it was time to circuit train and that took some convincing. I knew it needed to be done, my body was just tired. But…my roomie and I knocked it out of the park and it actually helped loosen up the muscles and tendons that were giving me issues on my runs on Monday. So…bonus!
Wednesday marathon training is always speed work/pacing day. And today…it was all about pacing. The schedule called for 8 miles…yes…8 miles. But this was to be a Tempo Run…meaning I was to build up to about my 10K race pace, hold that for a couple of miles, then ease back down. I ended up steadily building up my pace, making this tempo run more of 8 miles with negative splits. Whoops. So, I guess I ddi one better than what training called for. And that was a miserable morning. Because it was 8 miles and would take about an hour to do, I got up half an hour earlier and headed out. It was 70 degrees at 3:30 a.m. and we had 92% humidity. Needless to say, I was dripping by the end of it and was more than happy to hop into the shower before getting dressed for work and making a healthy breakfast. After work, it was the second session of the circuit training and this one really felt hard. My legs were screaming for some rest. I promised if they got through “the shred” than they could have some downtime. They saw me through the circuits and weights…and so…I rested them that evening.
Thursday was a lot easier this week. Training simply called for 4 easy miles. Four miles…and I’d be done. It was another humid morning and my legs were tired…but my four miles ended up as 5 miles. I wasn’t at all happy with that run, honestly. Maybe that is why I pushed the extra mile. Or…that I just am not used to lower mileage under 5 miles at times…regardless…I got through the run, but it was not a happy 5 miles at all. After that, it was the second day at the gym. With my legs angry at me for that run this morning, I knew better than to really push it on the cardio portion of this workout. So, when I climbed on the elliptical, I set it for my usual Level 7, but didn’t push on the speed too much. I managed under 9 miles in 49 minutes…which is under what I normally can do. But, I was listening to my body. The second machine of the day was 10 minutes on the rowing machine. Ah…the rowing machine of doom. I put on my gloves and settled in for a L-O-N-G 10 minutes. But the rowing machine is such a great machine in that it works so much of your body. Not only are you working biceps, back, and shoulders, but you also work your quads, glutes, and core muscles as well. So…while I hate it…I love the workout I get from this machine. After that…it was downstairs for some more strength machines before heading to work.
Friday is the dreaded, but necessary, rest day. And, since I was going to be racing on Saturday, I definitely wanted to keep it holy. I admit though…I did take myself out for another brisk morning walk. This has become the Friday norm. I walked 3.26 miles that morning in 36:42…which is good. Very good. It also took the edge off the rest day so I wouldn’t be cranky, crabby and miserable. It worked. And the rest of the day felt okay because I had at least gotten some form of movement in for the day.
Saturday…it’s usually my long slow distance run. And this week I was to run 18 miles. Except, I had another commitment on Saturday morning. *GASP* I know. But this was important. As I mentioned, my Aunt Debbie died from colon cancer a few years ago. Every year since, I have been a part of this race. It’s the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run. I would never dream of missing this. Even if it meant I didn’t get to meet up with my running group and do my usual long run. The long run was pushed back to Sunday…which I’ll tell you all about next week. But Saturday was all about honoring my aunt’s memory, running for a great cause, and putting some speed work and hill work into play simultaneously. I won’t lie…a part of me was hoping to rock out a sub-22 5K, which is something I am still chasing…but Iroquois Park is not the place for that. And I knew that going into this race…but it was a dream. It will happen…one day. Until then…I just sort of ran this race with how I felt. My legs were rested. My mind was clear. And I was focused on just getting to that finish line. Like I said…5Ks are my least favorite distance. I place a lot when I run them, I just don’t like running them. That being said…this race was hot and hilly…but I just went out there to have some fun and “do some work.” And I did. In fact, I ended up finishing 27/799 finishers overall, 4/496 female finishers, and I was 1/67 in my age division. WOOHOO!! The speed and hill endurance will come with practice. This was my 2nd fastest 5K to date…and that is saying something! I thought about running more later that day, but I had so much going on…shopping for items for my upcoming trip, grocery shopping, cleaning…and since Sunday was now going to be my 18 miler…without a group…I thought my legs needed the rest of the day off.
So, this was a much lower mileage week than my previous ones, but I think it was good that I listened to my body…and my heart…and ran what I needed to run, the speed I needed or felt like I needed to run. I still managed to nail my training, and that’s saying something. This week was a tough one, despite having fewer miles…but I got through it and knocked it out. Proving once again, even if my body is tired…my determination always makes me feel stronger and better. Lack of sleep and harder runs made the lower mileage this week a welcome change of pace…but it never once slowed me down.
Me heading out of the start for the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run – Louisville, Kentucky
Race: Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run
Place: Iroquois Park, Louisville, Kentucky
Date: August 24, 2013
Time: 22:45
Wow…can you believe this? A race report!! An actual race report. I haven’t officially raced in over a month. One month and 10 days to be exact. And I certainly haven’t done a 5K race in a long time. I’ve been putting my focus on my marathon training…distance, speed/pacing, easy, hard…but no races. They just haven’t fit in.
But this race…I haven’t missed this race in the three years I have been running. The previous two years, it was my comeback race. The race I was finally able to run again…after an injury healed. In 2011, it was my stress fracture and runner’s knee. In 2012, it was my plantar fasciitis. So…this was a new experience for me. I could actually…RUN! And run however I wanted to run! BONUS!
The Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run holds a special place in my heart since my Aunt Debbie died from colon cancer three years ago. Note…I’ve run this race for three years…and I always do so in her honor. This year…I felt like I could really honor her memory.
I actually went into Louisville to the Clifton Center where the Colon Cancer Prevention Project is headquartered. The packet pickup was happening there on Thursday, then at Fleet Feet on Friday…and race day packet pickup was also available. I tend to get my packet ahead of time if at all possible…sort of saves on the rush on race morning. And since I had to pick up a package at the Fed Ex place in Louisville on Thursday…I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone. So, I picked up my packet two days early and didn’t have to concern myself with it on Friday or Saturday.
So, this morning was the big event. I woke up early enough to get dressed and slather on some sun screen. It was in the high 60s this morning with 86% humidity. BLECH!! Sunscreen is always a must!! So, in order to let it soak in…I have to get it applied early. So, I went to the kitchen, got the coffee maker prepped and brewing…then went to get my albino on! I use Badger sunscreen, which turns me even pastier white than I already am. But, it works. So I use it. I actually did a good job of lathering myself up. Managed to contort and get my back as well without getting too much on my top. I was dressed as Wonder Woman for this event…because…I think people who fight through and survive cancer are amazing. They are all superheros.
Breakfast was the last of my Vanilla Chex cereal. I got my clothes to change into together, laced up my Adidas Boosts, and grabbed a banana to eat about 30 minutes before the race. Got into the car and Cathy and I were winging our way out to Iroquois Park in Louisville…the scene of the event.
Mind you…in 2011…this race was small. There were 468 finishers in 2011. Parking was so easy to manage. And the event was quite small. Last year…2012, the event grew to 684 finishers. There were bouncy houses and tents set up everywhere. It was a big change. This year…there were nearly 800 finishers. 799 to be exact. So, once again the event grew. And this time…there were people directing traffic to parking spots. Huh. This was different. We were guided into a nice spot, and soon we were popping out of the car, throwing stuff in the trunk, and starting toward the amphitheater at Iroquois Park. I had my banana in hand…but it was definitely too early to dive into it. Instead, I went ahead and used the flushing toilets before a line formed…which was also a good call because the line did get stupid long and the port-a-potties that were ordered were not delivered. So…yay for peeing ahead of time!
After that, Cathy and I wandered around…taking a stroll down the road of Iroquois Park…checking out the various companies that came out to the race…walking through the GIANT INFLATABLE COLON! Here in Kentucky…we’re famous four our inflatable colon. It’s true. I We found a shady spot near a curb so Cathy could settle in and I could do some preliminary active stretching. High knees, knee circles, hip circles, butt kicks, the works. Nothing stationary. I was getting those muscles ready to fire quickly.
The opening ceremony was starting at 8:30…and local radio personality, George Lindsey, got us started. We had announcements of upcoming events, mentions of sponsors, and then the survivors were called forward to receive a nice gift and get their picture taken. It was amazing how many people were there. Varying ages. Some…no older than me I would guess. Just…so moving. We applauded them and gave much respect for their battle against colon cancer. Just…amazing.
Afterwards, it was time to get the race started. Cathy and I began to make our way over to the start line as photos of the survivors were being taken. This allowed me to get into a good starting spot. I wasn’t right up front…I don’t feel I belong there, but I wasn’t too far back either. I did a few more stretches while waiting on the rest of the crowd to get lined up. The front was starting to fill in and as I was standing there this really, really good looking beefcake of a guy with a body like WHOA and WHOA GUN SHOW…comes over and asks if he can get his picture taken with me. WITH ME!! Yes…Wonder Woman gladly accepts pictures with hot strangers. I don’t think I was drooling. This was the first time that has ever happened to me. It was a nice way to start the race.
And with that, we were given the instructions from our favorite people at River City Races. We’d hear “Runner’s set…and then the whistle.” A pause. “Runner’s set…” And when the whistle went off, we exploded out of the starting line. I flashed a badass peace sign to Cathy as I ran past…and that was the start. In my head, I really, really wanted to hit a sub-22 minute 5K. But, I also know my limitations and I know the hills of Iroquois Park…so I also knew that wasn’t happening at this race. Instead…I chose to run a happy, honorary race…and just have a good time!
The first mile always seems the longest. I don’t know why. Especially since it tends to be my fastest. I settled into a good pace, seeing Lynn (she’s at all the local races!) ahead of me, and another woman running right next to me. We rounded the corner and hit the first of many hills…and the woman who was running with me pulled way ahead. WAY ahead. UGH!! I need more hill work in my life. For real. That was okay…it was still an early race. I took to the streets, pushing just enough to make it not feel like a run in the park. HA. See what I did there? I’ve been training a lot at the Long Slow Distance Pace…that racing now seems a lot harder than it used to be. Add the need for speed work to the list of things I need to incorporate more into my running regime. Anyway…I was heading for a downhill when I got to Mile 1. I was around 7:12 pace…which was awesome. But I knew Mile 2 was a killer. It starts off down hill…but I know…I know that a large hill awaits towards the end of it…as we head into the final stretch.
So, Mile 2 I took the downhills easy, not wanting to shred my calves or my quads. You know, I have this goal to not get injured this year…and a 5K race wasn’t going to take me out. I refuse. Running smart is the goal…and that means I ease up on the downhills. To make up for it, I attempted to push a little harder on those uphills. And Mile 2 was filled with uphills. We were supposed to stay to the left of the orange cones for safety…but the cones went away halfway through our second mile…so a lot of runners were just veering to the other side in an attempt to take the hills a little easier. I don’t think it helped. I stayed my course…because I know what feels right. And got passed up by another female. My pace definitely slowed in that second mile…and I was thinking about how I just needed to suck it up (gluten-free) cupcake and run some hills. I wanted to do that with my fun run group…but it was vetoed. Totally vetoed. So, I guess if I want to get some hill work in I have to do the work myself. There is no lack of hills around here, so I’ll make it happen.
Mile 2 ticked off and I knew I was in my last mile. I also know about the hill that gets me…every time I run at Iroquois Park. We were running the park the “hard” way…the way there seems to be more uphills than downs. I prefer running this park the opposite direction, but I swear all the races go off the other way. So…it’s harder. But…from previous races done here, I know…I know that somewhere between Mile 2 and the finish line…there is this hill of doom…that just never seems to stop going up. The first year I ran this race…I walked the hill. It was the first (and only) time I ever walked, but my runner’s knee twinged at me and I didn’t want to push my luck with the stress fracture. The second time I ran this race, I took the hill easy…didn’t walk…but took it easy because I didn’t want to tear my plantar fascia again. I was so nervous about that.
Me with my 1st place age division medal at the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run – Louisville, Kentucky
This year…this year I killed the hill. It slowed me, sure…hills do that…but I didn’t let up. I pushed…I drove myself up that incline and saw the sunlight streaming into the parking lot. I knew the finish was coming. I was close. So, I attempted to pick it up some. I tried…for that kick that so many runners manage. I don’t think I’ve quite gotten the hang of that yet, but I felt like I might have kicked it a little to the finish line. I could hear Cathy screaming “GO TWIN! GO!” So, I ran and just put my all into getting across that line. And I did so…feeling like I truly earned my stripes there. That was, as usual, a difficult course.
Cathy came over and said, “Guess what?” And I said…”Fourth female overall. I know. I ticked them off in my head as they passed.” I laughed when I said it. These women all finished in sub-22…the overall female winner finishing in 20:50 which is…a dream to me. How the heck did she run that fast?! It boggles my mind and my little short legs.
We stayed for the award ceremony…and it turned out I won 1st in my age division! I won third last year…so this was a WOOHOO moment. In fact, my time this year beat out the time for the female overall winner last year. But we had a faster crowd this time around. But…this was a good race for a good cause…and one, regardless of my hatred of 5Ks, I would never dream of missing.
So, as it stands the official results for the Walk Away From Colon Cancer & 5K Run are that I finished in 22:45. It wasn’t a new PR…but I was only 30 seconds off. Had this course been flatter…well…maybe. Anyway, I was 27/799 overall, 4/496 female finishers, and 1/67 in my age division. Considering 5Ks are my least favorite distance (yet…I run a lot of them)…I was totally thrilled with these. And I dedicated this race, as always, to my Aunt Debbie…who I think gave me some wings on that uphill at the end today.
So, on a hot and humid Saturday morning…I went out and ran for a good cause…and had a good time. Already looking forward to next year!
So…here is the vicious cycle. I dislike cold weather runs. So, during the winter all I do is talk about how I can’t wait for it to get warm again. Then, in my area, we usually have about three days of spring and then the dog days of summer set in. Living in the Ohio River Valley makes for some rather intense humidity. And, wow, has Mother Nature ever been throwing the wet towel on me for every run this past week.
But…there are so many things I have learned in the past two years about running in the heat. First of all, I do understand that when there are heat advisories…it is best not to push it. Either take it inside or slow it down. That’s the next thing…when running in hell-like conditions…slow your pace. Just do it. There comes a point where your body will tell you it has had enough…and it won’t be pretty. Slow it down, make it through the run.
HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!!
I can’t emphasize that enough. I’ve been doing a lot of practice with hydrating while out on the run. Both with water and, yes, with Gatorade. The Gatorade came as a suggestion from my sports nutritionist, whom I am meeting up with again today. Why? Carbs, sugar, and electrolytes. I tend to sweat salt. When I get done with a run on a hot, hot day…I’m caked with white. This means dehydration is a huge risk. So, I hydrate often and rotate between water and Gatorade.
This coming week, I am praying for a break in this stifling humidity. There is nothing worse than feeling like you’re breathing through a wet towel on each and every run. That being said…let’s take a look at this week’s training and see what I have learned…
Sunday is normally my easy run or rest day. BUT…not this Sunday. This Sunday was The Boilermaker 15K in Utica, New York. Race day! My rest day last week fell on Saturday, as I rearranged the training schedule to fit this race in. And trust me…this one was brutal. For one thing, it wasn’t supposed to be as hot as it was that morning. I woke up and it was already in the high 70s with a very high humidity. This meant I went running in my company running skirt and a bra top. The less fabric on me…the better. Along with the heat and humidity…was hills. This course was hilly, especially in the first half of the race. This turned out to be a tough race. I brought Gatorade and water for the route and there were over 20 aid stations on the 9.3 mile course. I finished with a new 15K PR…surprisingly, as by Mile 7, I realized I should have been fueling better when the heat started to get me…so I took a GU and kept on trekking. This was hard. And afterwards, as my schedule had me set for 10 miles for my long run, I did a slow, easy shake-out run in an alley for the remaining mileage that day. Then, I had to shower, get in a car, and not move for a very long time…which my legs and body didn’t appreciate. I was so sore by the time I got back into Columbus, Ohio early Monday morning. And with fatigue settling in, I didn’t bother to foam roll either. Live and learn. More stretch breaks…even if it means more time on the road.
Monday morning I was up just a little past 6:30 a.m., despite my late night/early morning return to Columbus, Ohio. My training plan still had me on schedule for a 6 mile easy run, and despite very sore legs, I was determined to get it done. This meant looping Jenn’s neighborhood, which is the route I usually do when I’m in town visiting her. That particular morning…I felt defeated on the run. My legs were screaming at me from sitting so long in the car after racing. The humidity was draining. I found myself stopping every half mile to catch my breath, hydrate, and at mile 3, fuel. It was just hard that morning to even get going and I just felt like crying every time my legs told me to stop. But, I got through it. And then, after grabbing breakfast…had to climb back in the car for the drive back to Louisville. Upon arriving back at home, I had to change and get ready to get back into the car and head out to my Monday fun run. I thought about skipping it, but Cathy told me it would be good to go, especially after being forced to sit in a car that long again. That was part of the problem…my legs were hurting. But I went. And, due to the high humidity and heat, it was decided that we were going to run trails. Now, I have never run trails before…and the very thought of doing so while I’m in training for a marathon scared the daylights out of me. But, Cathy encouraged me to just do it and I was told we would go easy. Natalie, who I run with often, said that if I felt uncomfortable on the trails, we could hop off in Cherokee Park and simply run the loop. Here’s to good friends looking out for me. I actually did okay and rocked out just under 3 miles of trail running. Trails keep the pace slower, which was good in that heat. And the tree cover meant no hot sun beating down…and there was actually a breeze on the trails. I’m glad I was convinced to go along.
Tuesday is the usual cross training day. This week I was scheduled for 40-50 minutes of cross training. That’s rather normal on Tuesdays now. So, I got on the Arc Trainer for 45 minutes, using the cardio setting on Level 5, and managed 2.38 with various intervals, resistance, and inclines. It felt good and I was quite happy with how I felt on there. I was trying to be very cautious with my legs, which were still not happy with me from the previous two days of sitting in the car. I then got on the stationary bike for 10 minutes and managed a whopping 3.91 miles. I guess I was trying to prove to my legs that I was boss and they would just need to shake it off and feel better. I hit up a few strength machines before calling it a day. That night…yoga to stretch everything out.
Wednesday is my speed work or pacing day and this week called for a 7 mile Tempo run. I used the first mile to warm up and then began to turn up the speed to just under my 10K pace. It was another intensely humid day…the worst one we had all summer. And it was 4 a.m. So, I figured I would do the best tempo run I could manage. It was a little slower than my last 7 mile tempo run from the week before, but you adjust to the conditions. No sense doing damage to myself by pushing too hard in weather that I shouldn’t be pushing through. I kept the speed build gradual and really pushed for a strong finish. This tempo run took a lot to get through, but I did manage, and that was the important part. The key was hydration and fueling. It gave me a strong finish and I felt good at the end of it. Then, that evening while dinner baked in the oven…circuit training. Working on building up some muscle.
Thursday called for 5 easy miles. It was another hot, humid, sticky, and gross morning. I really kept the pace easy because it just felt like I had a wet towel draped over me. It was hard to breathe and really hard to convince my legs to keep going. They were starting to feel better from the days of sitting in the car and more sitting at the office (I wasn’t taking lunches because I was making up time for being off on Monday). Despite all of that working against me, I managed beautiful negative splits that morning. And when I saw that…I felt so much better about that run. I stretched out again that evening with about 20 minutes of yoga.
Friday brought about the dreaded day of rest. I have such a hard time with the rest day. But I did vow to respect it and keep it holy each week. Normally I go for a walk on lunch, but with the time I was making up at the office, I decided to get up at my normal run time and get my walk in early. Good thing too, as things went crazy at the office with one of my accounts. Anyway, I managed 2.4 miles in 30 minutes, which got me out and moving without tiring out my legs. Good thing too…because Saturday was shaping up…
Saturday is long run training day. Run long at an easy pace. I was scheduled for 14 miles, but my training partner in crime was scheduled for 18. I decided I could boost my run up for 4 miles. After all, only a couple of weeks ago, I managed 15.5…and this was only 2.5 miles more. I woke up early, got dressed for the stifling humidity and 80 degree morning that awaited. I drank water. I ate some cereal. Then after applying a liberal amount of sunscreen, I got in the car and headed into Louisville to meet up with Matthew at 6:30 a.m. I downed a banana on the way, which would give it time to settle. I felt good as I stretched. And when he arrived, we headed out for 18 miles. Originally we had hoped to do this at an 8:30 pace…but the weather conditions made this virtually impossible. We took a few walk breaks to cool down, we stopped for water. It was hot. And the heat and humidity was definitely taking its toll. We made good friends with the manager of Denny’s, who let us cool off in their lobby and gave us free ice water. YAY! Then…we had the scary spill. Matthew’s leg cramped up while we were in our last 3 miles. His foot hit the sidewalk and he took a tumble. He fell into me, but I stayed upright. He hit the ground hard though…and I was so worried about him. It just looked bad. He said he was fine…and a lot of drivers and a biker all checked in on him. He dusted himself up, all scraped and battered…and we pressed on…slow and steady. But we managed to get our 18 miles in. It was slower than we would have liked, but given the weather conditions, we ran it smart. And that was the important thing. Matthew’s okay, by the way. And we’ve already got next week’s training run in the works.
This past week brought about some of the hottest conditions in this area this year. The humidity has been killer, bringing about air quality warnings. I get out early to run, and even that was hard on most days this past week. I’m hoping the humidity breaks soon because this sort of weather is so hard to work through. And it does affect you, as a runner, mentally. Runners are very number-focused…and on these dog days of summer, you have to worry more about your well-being, your body, making sure you are hydrated and fueled…and focus less on pace and speed. You still get in your training…it just may not be done as soon as you hoped or wanted.
But…even these hot and humid runs serve as good training and good lessons as far as how weather can affect you. These fall marathons could have these conditions…or they could be cooler…rained on…or just perfect. You just don’t know. Adjusting training to keep yourself safe and healthy is best. Safety first…always!
Me sprinting toward the finish line of the Boilermaker 15K – Utica, NY
Race: Boilermaker 15K
Place: Utica, New York
Date: July 14, 2013
Time: 1:12:14
When I started running over three years ago, I never dreamed of where my feet would end up taking me. Honestly. That’s the brilliant thing about this sport. You can participate in any event…anywhere you may be traveling through. Or…in this case…there may be a particular event that you are just dying to run because you have heard so much about it. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Last year, I had wanted to register for the Boilermaker 15K after hearing my friend, Jean, talk about it with me. She was doing the 5K race that year and I was really wanting to get in that 15K race. However, it conflicted with another event I was attending, so I didn’t get to run it last year. However, I was determined to make it into the running in 2013. So, Jean texted me one day to alert me that registration would be opening. So the moment it did…you better believe I was online and paying my $40 registration fee. Of course, now logistics of how to get from Louisville, Kentucky to Utica, New York needed to be considered…but I had time for that. The important thing was…I was in! Good thing too, because it sold out fast.
This past weekend was the big event. The Boilermaker is run every second Sunday in July…and it has been that way since the race first began in 1976. This particular race was established by Earle C. Reed, who was looking for a way to give back to the community that had supported his family business. The race was his answer. It began with a humble 800 runners and a budget of $750. But now, over thirty years later, The Boilermaker 15K Road Race is now the largest 15K in the nation with more than 10,000 runners. Each year, this particular race attracts elite runners from all over the world, Olympians, and world record holders. It’s kind of a BIG deal. In addition to the star power this 15K race draws, the Boilermaker 15K is also ranked as the most competitive 15K in the world. What other accolades does this race have? Plenty! The Road Runners Club of America has ranked it as one of the Top 20 Favorite Road Races in the country. Runner’s World Magazine rated the Boilermaker as one of the Top 100 Road Races in the country. USA Track and Field has named it one of the 30 Largest Road Races in the country.
And…after getting off work on Friday and driving up to Columbus, Ohio for the night…Cathy, Jenn and I piled into my car and we made the over 8 hour drive from Columbus, Ohio to Utica, New York on Saturday. We headed out early, with hopes of hitting Jean’s apartment by 1 p.m. Unfortunately…that didn’t happen, and we hit there about an hour later than planned. But we were there. And I was reunited with friends I hadn’t seen since high school…Jean and Jen!! Jen drove all the way up to Utica just to see me and hang out and I was thrilled!! It was like these 15 years had never passed. At all. And Cathy and Jenn fit right in with the group. So it was awesome. As we were all piling into Jean’s car to hit up the race expo so I could pick up my packet and goodie bag, it all dawned on me…
I finally made it to Utica, New York for the annual running of The Boilermaker 15K.
The race expo was actually more substantial than I expected. In fact, it was one of the better organized and better run expos I have attended. The expo itself was held at Mohawk Valley Community College. Inside the gymnasium was where we needed to be for me to get my race bib. I accidentally took the long way around the tables in the center and ended up near where I started in order to get in line for my number. It was all done by alphabet…and it turned out my name was the last name in a stack. My bib, however, was missing. After some hunting, they found it in the next pile over and handed it over to me. With number and some safety pins in hand, we were now heading out toward the expo part, where I would receive my goodie bag and could hit up any vendor shops if I wanted.
The line for the goodie bags went quickly, and soon I was being handed my clear bag with a pint glass in it and some race information. My bib number and pins were tucked into the bag and I was out and moving now to do some browsing of the vendors. I hadn’t actually intended to purchase anything…but when I spotted the compression sleeves in the colors I couldn’t find at my local running store…all bets were off. And I was now a little poorer. And when Cathy spotted BondiBand…well…we all know what happens when BondiBand is in the picture. Needless to say, I picked up three new BondiBands, but none of them would be worn during the race the following day.
After that…we needed to get some food and then head back to Jean’s. We ate, we socialized, and we finally decided it was time to get some sleep. The race kicked off at 8:00 a.m. and I needed to be at the start line prior to that, which also involved me hopping onto a shuttle bus from the finish line area to take to the start line. So, one busy morning…and four ladies to cycle through two bathrooms. We saw Jen off, as she was heading home and would catch up with me on Sunday afternoon when I detoured through the town where I grew up. The futon was assembled, the air mattress was inflated. And after a little foam rolling and some seal jacks (compliments of Jean!), we were ready to get some rest.
As is typical with any night before the race, I didn’t sleep well. Despite having an alarm set, I would wake up every couple of hours. I think subconsciously I worry that my alarm won’t go off and that I’ll be late or miss a race. This happens for every race, no matter how big or small. But…my alarm on my cell phone did go off…at 4:30 a.m. I turned it off and quietly switched to my Weather Channel app to check the temperature. This would determine what I ended up wearing to this particular race.
Originally, the weather had been calling for high 60s. But it was already 77 degrees out and the humidity was up to 80%. Don’t even get me started on the dew point. So, with that in mind…I grabbed my bag that had my running gear in it and headed to the bathroom to change. With the high humidity, I opted to run in my running skirt (company sponsored), compression sleeves, and a simple bra top. Any more fabric would have been unbearable to me. Honestly. I put my hair up in my signature pigtails, adorning it with purple and orange hair extensions. And, as I saw the elevation map for this race, I chose an appropriate BondiBand from my collection at home…the one that said: “BEAT THE HILL!”
To top off everything else, I had new running shoes. You aren’t supposed to wear anything new to a race. I had tested them out in a 7 mile run on Friday morning, and wore them around all day Friday and Saturday in hopes of breaking them in. I had never run an actual race in these…so this would be a testament of their quality. My new shoes are the Pearl Izumi Women’s EM Road M3…and I loved them when I tried them on Saturday night. I’d now find out how much I loved them after actually racing in them. And not just any race. Nope. A humid, hot, and hilly 15K race. Talk about taking risks!
After I cycled out of the bathroom, Jenn was in next, then Cathy. Jean came downstairs and we all put something in our stomachs. Jean washed up some delicious strawberries for me, which I downed. Jenn and Cathy had some Cheerios. And Jean…I believe she ate a banana at home. I was taking a banana with me as about 40 minutes prior to any race, I eat a banana. It has never let me down yet. And with that time frame, it gives things time to settle and everything. The goal was to leave Jean’s apartment by 6 a.m. at the latest. We hit the road at 6:03 a.m. Close enough.
It was a short drive and it wasn’t too hard to find parking. We actually ended up parking near the building where Jean works. From there, we started to head toward the school buses that were being used to shuttle runners up to the start line. As the shuttles only ran to the start line until 7 a.m., this meant I needed to get on one immediately. So, even though it was still very early, I gave hugs to my girls and then departed…leaving them near the finish area. I was now on my way toward the start.
It was weird, actually, to be at the start of a race without my crew (Cathy & Co…usually Jenn or Heather, depending on the race!). There was a lot of action though. People were stretching. Some were picking up their packets. Some were doing some strides to get warmed up. Some were using the port-a-potties. Me…I walked away from the shuttle bus where we were dropped off and started toward where the race would be starting. I wanted to scope it out. Volunteers and runners…that’s all you saw here. No families or friends. It was just a totally different scenario than I am used to.
With the sun already relentlessly beating down at 7 a.m., I was hoping to find a bit of shade. But there was really none to be had. Thankfully, there were cups of water being handed out at a table not far from the start. After I did some stretching, I went to grab some water to keep hydrated. As I was finishing that up, I noticed a bright yellow shirt with the words BLUEMILE across the front of it. BlueMile is my favorite running store in the area. They have two stores in Indianapolis and two stores in Louisville. I tracked down the older gentleman wearing the shirt and asked him what store he was from. He said the Broad Ripple store. Ah…Broad Ripple. I went running with the Broad Ripple team the week before on Saturday morning. I know that store well. Anyway…I told him I was from the Highlands store in Louisville and we stood and talked. He asked where the official start was and I pointed toward the corner, where the start was just up a little hill from there.
I went back to stretching as the announcer came over the speaker system to give the run down of the history of the race. Not only how long it has been (literally) running, but also that this race boasts the most water stops. They weren’t kidding either. The Boilermaker 15K (9.3 miles) has over 20 water stations along the course. That’s awesome because today was definitely a day where hydration was going to be the key to having a good race. In addition to letting us know that we had over 20 aid stations along the way, the announcer told us that it was currently 80 degrees and the humidity was high and only going to get higher as the morning progressed. Fair warning. Adjust your race accordingly.
At this point I decided it was time to eat my banana, so I slowly ate that down as the announcements were repeated. I did a little more stretching and grabbed another small sip of water. Then the announcement came that the wheelchair racers and the elites should report to the starting line. After that, they began to announce the various color bibs. We were directed to make our way to the start area. And so…I stepped into the corrals. My bib was yellow and I was let into the corral at the bottom of the hill.
At 7:45 a.m., the wheelchair racers were sent off. And fifteen minutes later…my corral began to slowly slog forward toward the start line. It started as a walk. Then a job. Soon, we were all slowly finding a pace and crossing over the start line, taking on the beginning of The Boilermaker 15K.
The first half of this race is pretty much going uphill. Honestly. I am not kidding. This also does mean that the second half of the race, in theory, should seem easier. While you still have inclines in the second half, the majority of them hit early on in this race. For that, I am thankful, despite legs that feel heavy at first. Once I got moving, I found my stride. It didn’t take too long to do. I’m used to early morning runs when my muscles are still a little tight from resting…so this warm up actually felt natural to me.
Mile 1 starts you off with music. And crowd support. Hontestly, there were droves of people lining the roads, cheering for runners. At about .3 miles in, a guy standing on the front porch of his house shouts down, “You’re almost there! Just 9 miles to go!” It made me laugh. Gotta love crowds. Especially crowds that come to lift the spirits of the participants in the races. This just makes the race even more amazing.
Mile 2 is what the Boilermaker calls the International Mile. All along this mile, runners get to experience the sounds of different countries and cultures. I noticed different bands and dance groups, all representing different cultures from around the world. And, all along the way, all 192 flags of the United Nations’ member states were represented. It was an amazing second mile.
The heat was going up now, and I was making sure to utilize my fuel belt properly. I had 6 ounces of water and 6 ounces of Gatorade on me. And I was doing as my sports nutritionist had taught me when it came to hydration. Of course, the sips were smaller, because I wanted the fluids to last.
Miles 3 and 4 brought the steepest incline of the entire race. We were running through the golf courses of the area, and that meant hills. And these weren’t those quick hills you power up and say a word of congratulations to yourself when you reach the top and start down. No…these were the hills that are long and slow and they just never seem to stop going up. I rounded turns with these hills. I just kept telling myself to keep going. Keep on pushing. Get to the top!
And I did. And soon, the downhill portion was in front of me. I didn’t want to blitz the hill. That can cause injury and it can really wear out the legs. I was about halfway through the race and I wanted to make sure I had a strong finish at the end. Of course, with the humidity on the rise and the relentless heat…my pace was definitely being affected.
Thank goodness for the lovely people of Utica, New York. The streets were literally lined with spectators. This was their event and it seemed everyone from the region was out there and cheering. Some people with houses along the course came out with their hoses to spray water on the overheated runners. I took full advantage of these showers of cold water. And I thanked every single one of them that helped make the course a little less miserable on that hot day. Some residents came out with orange slices, or popsicles to cool off runners. It was just really great to see a town get so into a race.
Me in the Family Reunion Area of the Boilermaker 15K, with refreshing Chobani Greek yogurt, wearing the finisher’s medal Cathy bought for me!
That being said, by Mile 7 I was starting to fall victim to the rising mercury. The July heat and humidity in Upstate New York was brutal. My legs were beginning to feel heavy. The course was on another incline, so, I decided I would pop a GU pack and continue to press on. If I had to slow it down due to heat…so be it. Running smart and finishing was most important. I went in wanting to beat my last 15K time (The Hot Chocolate 15K in Columbus, Ohio), but that became less important. Crossing that finish line…no matter the time…was the goal.
The next two miles ticked off quickly, I felt. Perhaps finally getting around to fueling (I apologize to my sports nutritionist for not doing it after 30 minutes as I should have been) and reviving my body. But, soon, I was hitting the marker for Mile 9 and it was a downhill sprint toward the finish line.
I could see Cathy holding up the sign, and right next to her was Jenn and Jean. All three of them were just screaming at me to run, run, go, go…and I did. I just ran my heart out toward that finish line, crossing it, dripping in sweat and feeling like I had just been put through the wringer. But it felt good. And I was smiling. Yes…I was smiling.
I had no idea where to proceed from here. Normally Cathy would hurry over to find me and join me…but there was no way for my friends to head over to where I was standing. So, I began to make my way down the chute. First we were handed our Finisher’s pins (no medals here). They were also handing out fresh orange slices, cold water, and popcicles as we proceeded toward the After Party staging area. I finally noticed a sign for the Family Reunion Area. I figured that would be the best place for me to stand. Of course, then I got distracted by the Chobani truck and went to snag some free Greek yogurt (Blueberry, of course!). As I meandered over toward the Family Reunion Area, I turned around and there, in the sea of humanity behind me, I spotted MY SIGN! And there was Cathy…just searching for me.
I got air hugs (I was dripping with sweat still, despite downing two bottles of cold water), and then she told me to stand there and close my eyes. And with that, she pulled out the official Finisher’s Medal, which she purchased at the race expo the day before. I was so surprised. But she said I had totally earned the finisher’s medal…because I had a new 15K PR…not just according to my Garmin, but also according to Cathy. We went over to the merchandise area to see about getting me a t-shirt, but they didn’t have any in my size. I picked up a new magnet for my car and then we decided to go and find our way back to where Cathy left Jean and Jenn.
We found them without a problem, but Jean had held onto a set of keys for a friend who was also running. That friend was in the Family Reunion Area, so she needed to go and locate her. After that, we could move on back to Jean’s car, get back to her apartment, and I could finally shower. While Jean was gone, I went and did a very slow shake-out run, taking my mileage up to 10 miles that Sunday. And it felt good to keep moving. I finished up just a few minutes before Jean rejoined us.
Me with Jean…before having to leave Utica, NY behind and head back home. Next year, Jean…we run it together!
And with that, we were leaving The Boilermaker 15K behind…making our way to Jean’s car. We made the drive back to her apartment and I went and got cleaned up and changed. And then, sadly, it was time to hop into the car and begin the long drive back toward Columbus, Ohio. It was hard to say goodbye to Jean. It had been ages since I had seen Jean and the time went by way too fast.
Of course, she said that she’ll be ready to run in the Boilermaker next year…so I think I need to come back, revisit it, and run it with her. It would certainly be a good time.
So…the official results of the Boilermaker 15K are that I finished with a new 15K PR of 1:12:14. That meant I shaved an entire minute off my last 15K time (which was done in cold weather, mind you). I was thrilled! I was 1127/11,371 finishers overall. Not too shabby!! In addition to that, I was 193/5379 female runners to cross the finish line. And finally, I was 19/828 in my age division. Super proud of these numbers.
And yes…I do want to come back and give this one another go. I now know what to expect and can train accordingly. I can see why this race is so popular. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it has the most amazing crowd the entire way. Utica welcomes these racers with open arms and really rolls out the red carpet for each participant. And I had one of the best times of my life. Yes…even in that heat.
The Celiathlete 