Category: tales from the road

Posted on

Minnesota Half Marathon – St. Paul, MN (August 6, 2016)

247
Me crossing the finish line of the Minnesota Half Marathon – St. Paul, MN

Race: Minnesota Half Marathon

Place: St. Paul, Minnesota

Date: August 6, 2016

Time: 1:41:24

Two weeks ago, I had a plan.  I was to run 12 miles…either around my grandpa’s neighborhood in Minnesota…or with my friend Julie (depending on her schedule) somewhere in the Minneapolis area.  Neither came into fruition, because Southwest had that computer meltdown that literally grounded and cancelled flights that entire weekend.  So, while my family was in Minnesota, celebrating my grandpa’s 95th birthday, I was still in Indiana…and Southwest was willing to reschedule for up to 2 weeks out.  And after checking with my aunt and my grandpa about their schedules…I was rescheduled to visit now at the beginning of August instead.  The rest of my family would be back in Alabama, but I would get a bit more one-on-one time with my grandpa, aunt, and cousins (and their families).  So, there were pros and cons.

It just so happened that in my current marathon training schedule, my long run for that weekend was a 13 mile run.  And, as luck would have it…there was a local half marathon running on Saturday.

Maybe this was meant to be.

There were a lot of things that compelled me to sign up for the Minnesota Half Marathon.  For one thing…if I’m going to put in the time and miles, why not get a medal for it?  Another reason…it benefited the Ronald McDonald House Charities, and a friend of mine is currently in Chicago at the Ronald McDonald House with her niece, who is being treated for cancer…and kicking cancer’s ass if I do say so myself.  Also…there was an inline skating division.  Yes…roller bladers were invited to also do the 13.1 mile course.  I have never been part of a race with an inline skating division.  So cool.  OH…and the course…has you running right along the Mississippi River the entire time.  Sounded perfect to me.  And so…as a rather last minute decision, I registered and packed my racing gear in my luggage.

13662236_10100130378883571_9063974074234055313_o
Caribou Coffee!!!!!

Upon arriving in Minneapolis, after a much-needed and fantastic stop at Caribou Coffee at the airport, my roommate and I got our rental car and headed out to St. Paul…down to The Running Room to pick up my packet.  We arrived just slightly before they opened (let’s hear it for making good time!), so we went up the street and killed some time in CVS, before heading back down to the store and stepping inside.  There was a small table set up with a laptop, some race bibs, and boxes of t-shirts off to the side.  A young woman was manning the table and she asked my name, typed it into the computer, and grabbed the next race bib on the stack (2490), took a sharpie and marked the half marathon checkbox, and told me to grab my size t-shirt.  That was it.  Super easy.

13667881_10100130409971271_2486077521953049892_o
French Meadow Bakery’s Gluten Free & Vegan Cornmeal Waffle

From there, we headed over to Minneapolis to hit up the grocery store (I was cooking 2 meals while there AND making dessert), and then get to grandpa’s house.  We let ourselves in…and he was inside and very happy to see me there.  We were, of course, already ready for some lunch.  We invited Grandpa along, but he was tired from his trip earlier in the week that he took.  So, Cathy and I packed up and headed out to one of our favorite places to eat while in Minnesota…French Meadow Bakery.  I was cooking dinner that night for my Grandpa, aunt, my cousin Natalie, and my cousin Molly and her family (hubby and 3 kids)…and I was making BigMAC Potatoes.  I normally do gluten-free pizza before a race, but since I was treating this as a training run, I figured it was fine to change things up.  Who knows…maybe I’d stumble across something that worked better.  Cathy ordered the Mac & Cheese for lunch and I went with the Gluten Free & Vegan Cornmeal Waffle (which is topped off with bananas, toasted walnuts, and a toffee syrup).  Because…we all know how much I love breakfast.  We devoured our food and did a little bit of shopping at the Electric Fetus (that’s a record store, in case you were wondering), a Half Price Books, and then went back to home base, as I needed to bake the Gluten Free Strawberry Streusel Bars that I brought ingredients (yep…I brought the last 2 jars of my strawberry jam to Minnesota for this) to bake specifically for the birthday peeps (my aunt celebrated her birthday a few days after my grandpa did).  The dessert needed to cool for 2 hours, so I got it baking and then settled in to talk and hang out with grandpa for a little while.  Eventually, my aunt came home from work and Molly & Co. arrived.  Molly volunteered to make her famous green beans…and I was excited about eating them because they sounded SO good.  I put Cathy on the task of rinsing, poking, and rubbing the potatoes down with a light bit of olive oil.  We got them in the oven, since it would take about an hour to bake, and then I got to work on the lentils, which would make the “meat” portion of the vegan dish.  Soon, we had everything cooked and we settled down at the table, where I walked everyone through how to assemble their potatoes.  And we devoured them and half of the Strawberry Streusel Bars too.  Vegan cooking FTW!!

The Olympics were starting that evening, so the opening ceremonies were put on the screen and while I foam rolled (and taught my cousins all about foam rolling and the stick!), I watched what Brazil was bringing to the world stage for these 2016 Summer Olympic Games.  I was exhausted, as I had been up since 12:45 am to squeeze in all my stretches, warm up, and manage a short (2 mile) run and shower before my ride to the airport had arrived at 4 am.  But, as the United States were walking in the E’s (Los Estados Unidos!), I was at least able to stay up and see Michael Phelps carry in the flag.  Once that happened, I was in bed and setting 2 alarms for the morning routine for a race.

The first alarm came WAY too soon, but I got up, went through the first part of my race-day routine, and then climbed back into bed for about another hour.  The second alarm was go-time…so I had to get up, get changed, eat something, and get to the race.  I managed to get into my race outfit before checking the weather and discovering that it was currently 57 degrees outside.  So, bra top wasn’t going to work.  I came prepared with 3 different singlets though, so I grabbed my purple Boston one and slipped it on.  That would do.  Cathy was up just as I stuck a bagel in the oven to toast for her and prepped my oatmeal cup I brought with me.

So…basically I was doing EVERYTHING that they advise against in preparation for this half marathon.  I forewent the pizza the night before…I stayed up late…I ate a big bowl of oatmeal pre-race (I usually have a serving of cereal before leaving for the race and then a banana 30 minutes before the race)…I was testing out Skratch as a form of fuel (as my current fuel has been giving me stomach cramps)…and I didn’t give myself any time to stretch, do my PT exercises, my dynamic warmup stuff, or my plyometrics…yep…I was doing it all wrong and just hoping for the best.  HA!  Good thing I wasn’t racing this.

190
Pre-race nap in the rental car

After we ate, I quickly brushed my teeth, filled up one water bottle in my fuel belt with water, the other with Skratch, and grabbed my banana.  Then, we were off to the races.  Via a detour.  Where Cathy managed to get where we needed to be without even trying.  Talk about luck!  She got us parked in the parking garage the race site recommended to park in…with time to kill.

So…I took a nap.

No joke.  I took a freakin’ nap.

Ah…my power naps are so…awesome.

After about 2o minutes, we decided to head on down toward the start line so that we wouldn’t feel crushed for time.  One problem…we couldn’t figure out how to efficiently get down to the ground level over by the river.  Hmmm…

225
The Minnesota Half Marathon has an inline skating division…HOW COOL!

After a few false starts and a lot of back and forths…and many stair wells and elevators, we figured it out and got down to where we needed to be.  From there, we followed all the runners toward the start area.  And I immediately ducked into the long lines for the port-a-potties.  Apparently potatoes and oatmeal make me have to pee.  I rarely make use of the port-a-potties…and the lines were LONG.  Cathy found me in time to pass of my banana at 6:45 am…as the half marathon was to go off at 7:15 am.  The inline skaters were sent of at 7 am.  The bathroom lines had a TON of inline skaters in them and as the time ticked down and the lines barely moved…they had to move to the front or miss the start.  Banana…bathroom…time to watch the inline skaters go before getting myself ready to run.  There were some seriously incredible skaters who lined up…but the majority were casual racers.  Still…it was pretty awesome to see them take off.  Some were SUPER fast.

After they were out of the starting area, the half marathon runners were asked to line up.  So, I hopped into the start area…just behind the 1:40 pacer.  I had no pace expectations…just to run comfortably.  It was a training run, after all. We were sent off a few minutes early, to be sure.

But I was off.

210
Me…heading out at the start of the Minnesota Half Marathon in St. Paul, MN.

This race was beautiful.  The entire run is done along the Mississippi River.  The roads are closed to traffic, so it’s just you, the runners, the river, and…the occasional struggling roller blader.  This course was reversed from the years previous to help make the last 5 miles a bit flatter.  You know what that means?  The hills hit in the first half of the race.  Some of these climbs brought some more of the novice roller bladers to a stop, or to a crawl (while clinging to the cement divider on the road), but I just worked my way up them.  I’m still trying to get my spring and speed back when it comes to hills.  That being said…I just adjusted my stride and pushed on.

We turned around just before Mile 4 to head back toward the start area, so any downhill we had, now was an uphill.  There was a small amount of support out on the side of the road…but mostly I enjoyed listening to the pacers whenever they were around.  OH…and the one guy who was totally flirting with this girl in the 1:40 group.  He literally turned to her and said, “I like your pace!”  Um…right…

Anyway…the run beside the river was quite pleasant…even though most of these miles were put in right in full sun.  Yeah…I was regretting not just doing the bra top at this point.  The singlet was light…but I would have been way more comfortable without the fabric.

At Mile 5, I decided to take a risk and try out some of the Skratch that I picked up samples of to see how it did as a fuel.  By Mile 6, the pacer in front of me was telling the runners that were with him that it would be a good time to gu.  LOL!  One good thing about running so close to a pace group, was I knew when “the last hill” would be hitting.  I let them go soon after Mile 8.  This is also the point of the race where all the runners are sent past the finish line.  Seriously…we had to run up the road for another few miles before turning around again.  This is the second race I’ve done in Minnesota where we are sent past the finish area…like a tease…

233
This is me…running past the finish line area just after Mile 8.  What a tease!

Cathy saw me and was screaming and cheering.  And I gave a wave and continued on.  Mile 10…more Skratch…but I was feeling a bit tired.  So, I knew Skratch was not going to be a good fuel for my upcoming marathon.  UGH.  This means that I am back to square one on the whole nutrition/fueling thing.  MEH.  I had a backup Huma gel, but I was only 3 miles from the finish, so I stuck it out.  Just before Mile 11, we make the turn and run back toward the finish area, this time…to finish for real.  This involved a bit of a hill climb…and then it was just over 2 miles to hit that finish line.

With the gentle breeze coming off the river, I relaxed, settled into my pace, and just made my last couple of miles count.  I could see the finish line ahead and started to pick it up as much as I could manage.  And…I even managed to pass up another female runner right at the finish line.  You see that line, you sprint, dammit.  SPRINT.  Even I do that, and I don’t sprint.  I am not a sprinter.  LOL!

Anyway…upon finishing, I was given my Minnesota-shaped finisher’s medal and took some time to walk through the recovery area.  I was introduced to Aspire Sports Drink, which is made with natural ingredients and doesn’t contain any artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives.  It was AMAZING.  I tried 4 of the 6 flavors.  Only 35 calories per bottle too.  Gotta love it.  I eased out of my racing shoes and into my flip flops for recovery.  And, after a bit of walking…Cathy and I went to get some coffee at the nearby Caribou Coffee (of course), before heading back to Minneapolis so I could change and then hang out with my friend Heather for some lunch and shopping that afternoon.

250
Me with the Mississippi River behind me…after the finish of the Minnesota Half Marathon – St. Paul, MN

So, my official results of the Minnesota Half Marathon is that I finished in 1:41:24, which is only 6 seconds slower than my finish at Derby.  AND…my Garmin had this course at 13.25 miles exactly.  Anyway, I was 86/1164 finishers overall.  I was 16/640 women to cross the finish line.  And I was 3/87 people in the 35-39 female division!  Third in my age division.  HOLLA!!  Imagine if I had been racing this thing (but I know better…and I am SO close to my marathon this year!).

I had a lot of fun at this race.  Not only did it benefit a great cause, but it was a fantastic way to work in a training run.  Afterwards, I went and had delicious Mexican food for lunch and walked the Mall of America with one of my best friends in life…Heather…who brought along her 8 month old niece…and we had a blast.  It was a perfect start to a perfect visit to Minnesota.  Gorgeous course…challenging…and if you aren’t feeling up to the half distance, they also offer an unusual 6K distance as well.

Posted on

Enjoying the Ride into the Long Weekend

Sometimes the hardest things in life to do is to branch out of the norm and try something new.  However, the only way to grow, to experience, and to become…is to step outside of your comfort zone.  I certainly did that a couple of times this week…and it’s not easy…it’s quite scary…but it’s helping me more than I can even see at the moment.

As the holiday weekend is shifting into gear, and I have an extra day off from work, I’m trying not to focus on everything I’ll have to attempt to do to stay caught up at work the four days I’ll be there, and instead focusing on a few things that I get to enjoy while not working on Monday.

YAY!

So…with that sort of attitude in mind…here are a few things that have made this week amazing.

1.  Clipping Into A Road Bike

Me on my 2nd attempt at riding - 5 miles - before I took my first (of many) falls.
Me on my 2nd attempt at riding – 5 miles – before I took my first (of many) falls.

I made huge progress this week with riding my road bike.  BB-8 has been sitting against the wall of my room in the apartment…but I wasn’t able to ride him until I had him properly fitted.  And I had that done last week…and was eager to get on the bike and ride.  It’s scary, using clipless pedals on a bike outside.  But, my first attempt was twice around the parking lot without any issues.  I was feeling confident on Friday night.  And then on Saturday afternoon, I headed back out…deciding I’d still keep to the parking lot, but aim for mileage.  So I did 5 miles.  In my last mile…I was making a turn, and a car came out…and I panicked.  I attempted to brake and forgot that I was clipped in, so I tried to put my foot down, was stuck, tried to unclip, but was now off-balance and BOOM…down I went.  Totally crashed down on my right hip and side.  The right hip is the injured hip, but, I thankfully have some nice padding there and just came out of it with a bit of road rash on my elbow and lower arm, a scraped up right knee, and a bit of a bruised ankle.  I was fine…more embarassed than anything.  The driver, a young 20-something, stopped and hopped out of his car, asking me if I needed help, but I was already unclipped and pulling myself back up.  I told him I was fine and I took a few deep breaths, clipped back in, and finished my ride.  After that, I had enough for the night.

2.  Finishing up the Disney Animated Movies In Order Movie Marathon
disneyanimatedmoviesIt took two (2) years, but last night, Cathy and I finished up our attempt to watch every single Disney Animated Movie (available on DVD or Blu-Ray, or for purchase to view on Netflix/Hulu/Amazon) in order from their theater release date.  We started with Snow White over two years ago and last night wrapped it up with The Good Dinosaur.  Zootopia comes out in a couple of weeks, and we will watch that after I purchase it, but as of last night…we completed our bucket list goal of watching every single Disney (and later Pixar) animated feature, including a few hybrids like Mary Poppins, Tron, and Tron: Legacy.  It was a lot of fun revisiting some films…and realizing they were either better than I remembered (Oliver & Company)…or worse than I remembered (The Sword & The Stone)…and some I hadn’t seen yet and was surprised I liked (Planes and Planes: Fire & Rescue).  Next up, after we view a few movies we have been meaning to watch, but had Disney taking over our lives…Spielberg movies.  YAY!

3.  Strawberries…Strawberries For Days…

13316930_10100110186174921_1856675590051574492_o
Jars of my homemade strawberry jam…processed and ready for giving away!

On Sunday morning, I ran in the Run For The Berries 5K up in Starlight, Indiana.  I love this race, and hadn’t run it since 2013 due to other commitments (2014 Buffalo Marathon) and injury (all of 2015).  One of my favorite things about this race is the big bowl of strawberries I purchase after running.  This year, I turned in an amazing time (not a PR), clocked a new fastest mile (6:48) and conquered some hills.  I came in first in my age division as well…which was exciting.  But one of my favorite things to do after the 5K and scoping out the festival is to drive over to Huber’s Family Farm and buy a LOT of strawberries.  I got enough to use with my yogurt bowls, my PB&J Breakfast Bowls, and to make some homemade strawberry jam.  YUMMY!!  I do love my berries!!

4.  The Most Perfect Soft Pretzel Wednesday

Annie May's Sweet Cafe Allergen Free Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Allergen Free Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel

When you are a Celiac, simple pleasures like soft pretzels don’t happen every day.  In fact, they happen very infrequently.  Unless, you live near my local allergen-free bakery here in Louisville, Kentucky.  Every Wednesday, Annie May’s Sweet Cafe, on Frankfort Avenue, host Soft Pretzel Wednesday, offering three varieties of pretzels each week: Salt, Cinnamon-Sugar, and Everything.  And, every week they are amazing.  But there was something so delicious about this past week’s pretzels.  They were the perfect size.  They had that perfect crust on the outside and chewy center in each bite.  Serious pretzel perfection.  I was one happy lady!

5.  The Monkees
themonkeesSo, it’s Memorial Day.  And after my morning run and a little bit of final grocery shopping for stuff I realized I needed but forgot to put on the list, didn’t realize needed to be on the list, or just didn’t buy enough of something.  So, while working in the kitchen and around the apartment, Cathy and I threw on the DVDs of The Monkees.  I can still recite the episodes from memory…that’s how much I watched these.  HAHA!!  Seriously, you don’t get nicknamed Monkeegirl in school without having The Monkees to thank for it.  It’s been amusing to revisit these episodes and just…relax and enjoy the holiday off of work.  Their latest album was released on Friday…I haven’t gotten out to FYE to purchase it.

6.  Outlets & Lunch with Amanda, Richie, and Cathy

Taziki's Gluten Free Dolmades Plate (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Taziki’s Gluten Free Dolmades Plate (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)

On Sunday morning, Cathy & I met up with Amanda & Richie (that’s Cathy’s sister and brother-in-law) at the Outlets of the Bluegrass in Simpsonville, Kentucky for some shopping and hanging out and just escaping real life for a moment.  Amanda said she needed help finding shoes for her maxi dress and I found her a cute, strappy pair.  I finally replaced the Sketchers that I use as my airport shoes/spin class shoes (they slip on and off), I purchased a new sports bra, Amanda found some shorts, Richie got some shoes and shirts…it was a successful day.  And then…we went to one of my favorite places to eat…Tazikis Mediterranean Grill in Louisville, on Shelbyville Road.  LOVE their food.  And they do a good job with food allergies…when they remember to prepare the dish properly.  The past two times, they have had to remake my dish…but it gets fixed.  They are normally much better than that.  If you haven’t eaten there yet…you need to.  Check to see if there is one in your area!  Healthy, amazing food.  I love their Dolmades Plate (the vegetarian stuffed grape leaves done gluten-free) and Cathy, Amanda and Richie got their favorites…the Lamb Gyro.  I love good times and good eats with good friends!

7.  Sweet ‘N Savory Food Truck & Steel City Pops

Gluten Free The Eccentric Crepe from Sweet 'N Savory and a Strawberry Lemonade Popsicle & Pineapple Popsicle from Steel City Pops
Gluten Free The Eccentric Crepe from Sweet ‘N Savory and a Strawberry Lemonade Popsicle & Pineapple Popsicle from Steel City Pops

On Saturday, after the Strawberry Festival and before heading to Annie May’s for treats for that evening and the following morning, Cathy and I stopped by the Fleur de Flea at Waterfront Park.  The main reason…Sweet ‘N Savory Food Truck.  It’s under new ownership, but the crepes are still being done 100% gluten-free.  And they are using all of Richard & Ashley’s recipes.  The new owner, Brandon, knows the importance of keeping things gluten free as his wife is a Celiac.  So the truck and recipes are in good hands.  Brandon was on his own when we arrived, only one of his crepe stones functioning, and his help not having shown up yet.  Service was slow, but as always, worth the wait.  He was doing the best he could with what he had, for sure.  I got one of my favorites…The Eccentric.  OM NOM NOM!!  And afterwards, while we normally would get the gelato, I had heard so much about Steel City Pops, we decided to try them out.  Cathy got the Strawberry Lemonade popsicle and I went with the Pineapple.  OMG…I’m stopping by the store on Bardstown Road and buying a bunch of flavors…these were phenomenal.  All natural…gluten-free…vegan…and amazing.  LOVE helping out local businesses!

I hope everyone has been enjoying their long weekend, spending time with people that mean the world to them, and eating amazing things!!  And I hope everyone took some time to remember those who fought and died for this country that we live in and the freedoms we enjoy!

Posted on

Run For The Berries 5K – Starlight, IN (May 28, 2016)

029
Me crossing the finish line of the Run For The Berries 5K – Starlight, Indiana

Race: Run for the Berries 5K

Place: Starlight, Indiana

Date: May 28, 2016

Time: 22:24

There are a lot of things people run for.  For some…beer.  For some…donuts.  For some…pizza.  For others…wine.  For me…FRUIT!!  I love fruit.  There is nothing quite as amazing as a giant bowl of cold, wet watermelon after a hot summer run.  In fact, this is my favorite thing to eat in the summer after I run…whether it’s a short weekday run or that long slow distance on the weekend!

So, trust me, whenever the Run For The Berries 5K rolls around every year…I’m always eager to take part.  Why?  Because strawberries…EVERYWHERE.  Yes…I will run for berries.  Hell, I’ll run for any type of fruit, honestly.  YUMMY!!  And while you don’t get any for free, there is nothing better than rewarding yourself after a hard run with a big bowl of strawberries and a cold frozen strawberry drink.

I wasn’t actually signed up this year for the Run For The Berries 5K in Starlight, Indiana this year.  Like I said, every race has sort of been a last-minute decision thing due to the hip issues and how I never know exactly how I’m going to feel from one day to another.  I haven’t actually participated in the Run For The Berries 5K since 2013 (when I was in my best racing shape…and at my fastest).  In 2014, I was in Buffalo, New York for the Buffalo Marathon, and last year I wasn’t running anything…at all.  I was a miserable pile of non-running self-pity and hurty hip things.  So, it was nice to come back to this one.  This is my fourth time running this local 5K and I will always do it whenever I am able.

Today…despite some slight twinging in the hip first thing in the morning…I was going to do it.  I filled out the registration form at work on Friday and had it all set to go in the morning.  Cathy offered to pay my $25 registration fee because…bills…bills have been plaguing me recently and I am slightly broke at the moment.  So that was awesome.  So I got up early (4:00 am) to get my PT stretches, dynamic warmup, and some plyometrics in prior to the race.  I did my core work as well.  And then made a dash (in the car) up to Kroger because I needed a pre-race banana.  This is not a want…this is a NEED.  I went ahead and grabbed a few other necessary groceries while I was out.  Got home just before 6:00 am.  Cathy and I had some cereal for breakfast with some coffee (for the kid and adult in each of us) and proceeded to keep saying we needed to get off the couch and get moving, but neither of us really making an effort.  Ah well.  The good thing was, any tenderness or soreness in the hip had worked itself out…so I was feeling good.

Teeth were brushed and I put my hair up in pigtails and got out my Bondi Band of choice.  I went ahead and put some water in my Kara Goucher water bottle and popped a NUUN tablet in it for some electrolytes before Cathy grabbed the sign, the race bag, and we headed out for the race.

We left early, because Cathy wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for her to get lost on the way there.  We don’t go up that way often, but, there are signs that point the right way.  The drive there was gorgeous with the sunrise and the beautiful houses out in the country.  It’s always a nice ride up to Starlight.  We followed the signs to the little field we always park in at the race and got situated into a spot.

004
Pinned up and ready to run the Run For The Berries 5K – Starlight, Indiana

From there, it was into the main hall of the Strawberry Festival grounds to get officially registered for the race.  I went up to the table with cash and the form already filled out…got my race bib (#180) and was given a t-shirt in the size I requested.  The shirts were gray this year.  And back to being in tech material.  YAY!!  I got pinned up, went to use the bathroom, and then we meandered around the grounds for a little while to kill some time.  On the way out, I saw Renee from my spin class heading in.  She wasn’t feeling good, but was running with a friend of hers who is training for her first triathlon.  So, that’s really fun.  We chatted for a moment and then she went to register and I went to meander, waiting for my good friend, Michelle, and her little boy, Liam, to arrive.

And then I ran into my friend Amber, whose husband Tim was running (and was 2nd male overall) in the race.  Amber and I both have been dealing with hip labrum tears.  She had surgery on hers…I didn’t.  We’ve bonded over this.  I’ve met a lot of good friends through having to sit out of running…and it has made me better for it.  Amber and I are going to start riding bikes together once I get more comfortable on mine.  YAY!  Her kids were anxious for her to come and join them…so we parted ways and she said she’d cheer for me at the finish.

I love my friends.

We saw a lot of the fast runner people doing their strides and warming up prior to the race.  So we headed that way so I could stretch.  I think I did a quad stretch on each leg and called it a day, HA!!  I’m so awful about stretching.  We were all starting to move up to the orange cones that marked the start of the race.  It was at this point that Michelle and Liam showed up, just in time, which made me SO happy!!  We waved and they went to stand with Cathy just beyond the start point.  Our race organizer got on the bullhorn and started to give some information about the race.  Like male runners at the finish will have white cards to fill out; female runners will have pink; walkers will have yellow.  OH…and if you are registered as a walker…and you run down a hill…you are now a runner.  It made me laugh.  And everyone else.  Then…we had to wait for HIS Garmin to find satellites. He did…and the count was given.  On your marks…runners set…and then the horn.

018
Total game face on at the start of the Run For The Berries 5K – Starlight, Indiana

I took off…giving a nod to my cheering section.  It was total game face though.  Which is not like me, LOL!!  Seriously.  I’m so laid back but…game face.  The first mile is a series of rolling hills…nothing too major.  I was running comfortably, but speedy.  I could tell I was speedy.  In fact, at one point, I was thinking…”Wow…I’m ahead of Lynn.”  And the moment I thought it, she passed me quite easily, not even breathing hard.  HA!!  That will teach me.  Anyway…I was having a nice run…no pain…feeling good…not worrying over anything but holding steady and preparing for the hills ahead.  Mile 1…perfectly measured…my watch beeped right at the marker.  Turns out…it was a new fastest mile for me… I just wasn’t aware of it at the time.

Zen racer.  I never look at my watch or obsess over pace.  I run better when I don’t know.

I made the turn onto Engle Road and started into the second mile.  I loved this part of the run because, soon after making the turn, I scooted past a cute little girl running with her dad.  She was saying something about how what she loved about today’s run was she was running with older people.  I turned my head and said, “You’re doing an amazing job!”  She thanked me and said, “How old are you?!”  She was aiming for first in her age division.  HA!!  I told her I was 35 and she was relieved.  She was in the 14 and under group…and definitely under 14.  That was an ego boost.  This mile also brings in more rolling hills, but a few more downhills than uphills.  We ran past Hubers Family Farm and continued down Engle Road.  And then I made the turn into Mile 2.  This is where the water stop is, but I just kept on running.

Because right there…RIGHT THERE…on Hill Road…is THE HILL.  It’s like my friend, Amber, said later on Facebook…it’s not just the hill but WHERE the hill is in that race.  At this point, your legs are tired and this hill is HUGE.  I mean…it’s a steep, steep climb.  So, I did my best to run up it, still lacking the power and strength that I used to have.  I’m working on that…kinda.  I’ll be working on that more.  Hills might slow me down…my legs might not be able to maintain a fast pace for a long period of time…but maybe soon they will.  It all takes time.  And I’m sometimes impatient, LOL!  After the hill, it’s just a few rollers and a couple of smaller climbs to the finish.  You actually finish this race going uphill.

I could see it in the distance and I attempted to pick up the pace, but my legs were shot for the day.  The best I could do was just focus.  I had runners pass me up as I got a bit closer…which always pisses me off…they were all men…

034
I don’t always drink a frozen strawberry drink after a 5K…but when I do, I’m at the Strawberry Festival!

I heard Cathy and Michelle and Liam all shouting and cheering.  And as I ran by, I hear Amber yelling, “GO KAREN!”  I really do have awesome friends.  So, I pushed…and I saw I was in the 22 minutes…but it ticked past my 22:02 PR…and just ticked past the 2013 finish time of 22:19.  But only by six minutes.  I was tired, and hot, and a sweaty mess when I stopped…but I was so happy with that run. It was challenging and it was amazing and I came out of it without any pain.  Not even a twinge.

I was handed a pink card at the finish showing I was the 8th woman to finish.  Cathy said I definitely placed in my age division.  We thought that in 2013 too, and I ran it faster, and didn’t…so I wasn’t going to hold my breath.  We took some pictures and then meandered over to the festival to get a nice, cooling frozen strawberry drink.  And our big bowl of strawberries (Cathy & Michelle got strawberry shortcakes).  We went and took a seat at a table.  Liam went to play on the slides and we sort of hung out, enjoyed our strawberry treats, and found a lot to laugh and talk about.

035
You can’t do the Run For The Berries 5K and not eat a big bowl of strawberries!  FOR REAL!

It was taking a lot longer than I remember to get to awards, so we decided to go hit up the booths at the festival.  Cathy bought me this amazing crocheted Wonder Woman doll.  This woman knits there fantastic dolls from Disney movies and other things.  There was only one Wonder Woman doll.  It was meant to be mine.  There was also only one Captain America doll.  Cathy went back and purchased that while I got her a purple star crown with blue and purple ribbons to wear.  Seriously…we really are adults.  Liam got his face painted for the first time and did a fantastic job sitting there while it was done.  Then we went to watch Liam play some games and I purchased a thing of strawberries with a salted caramel dipping sauce.  THIS. WAS. LIFE. CHANGING.  I love salted caramel and was the first person to get this dip that day.  I am so glad I did.  It isn’t a combination that I ever considered. There were the usual suspects…chocolate and white chocolate. But you wave salted caramel ANYTHING at me…and I am buying it.  THIS WAS AMAZING.  I’m in love.

037
I posed with a lot of stuff today.  Someone needs to make me a spokesperson. LOL!  This is the knitted Wonder Woman doll!

As Liam finished up his games, the announcement that the awards were going to be given out was announced.  We made our way over there and saw all the male awards handed out first.  My friend Amber’s hubby, Tim, won 2nd overall male, because he’s stupid fast…and amazing.  And then the female awards were given out.  And I was announced as the first female in my age division.  WOOT WOOT!!  Considering I didn’t place the previous time I ran..and ran it faster, this was a nice surprise.  Exciting stuff.  Cathy, Michelle and Liam all cheered loudly as I went to receive my award, this cute little pint glass thing.

And that was a wrap for the day.  Liam wanted to go check out the bouncy houses and Cathy and I needed to go grocery shopping and hit up a few spots in Louisville.  So, we parted ways and I went home to shower and change.

As it stands, the official results of the Run For The Berries 5K are that I finished in 22:24.  Not a PR…but I clocked my first mile in 6:48, which is awesome.  Now if only I could maintain that sort of pace.  But these legs just aren’t there and aren’t ready.  Maybe one day.  Maybe not!  Either way…super proud.  I was the 8th female to cross the line and came in 1st in my division.  If the official results ever get posted…I’ll update this accordingly.

Already looking forward to doing it again.

 

Posted on

Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, IN (May 21, 2016)

Me after finishing the Geist Half Marathon - Fishers, IN
Me after finishing the Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, IN

Race: Geist Half Marathon

Place: Fishers, Indiana

Date: May 21, 2016

Time: 1:42:13

I’m not going to sugarcoat this in any way.  A part of me is very, very happy with this race result; the other part of me is beyond disappointed.

I know…I know…I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, but it’s hard…when this race is, specifically, your PR half marathon.  And I ran that PR 2 years ago…back when the course finished up a hill and around a corner.  In fact…my blog from 2 years ago recounted said finish…

I had been hearing tales of the “hill at the end” and wasn’t sure what to expect.

It was…KILLER!  I thought Chicago was evil for putting a hill at Mile 26 of the marathon.  This was the half marathon equivalent.  Not only do you climb this hill…you then round a corner and the finish line is right ahead.  So, with legs screaming at me…I got up the incline and took the turn…and there it was…the finish.

Ah…the good old days when nothing ever hurt.  I was able to run free without all the stretching and warm ups and cool downs and all that stuff that takes a lot of my time away from my morning routines.  I shouldn’t grouse about it.  I’m back to running.  And I’m happy about that for sure.

To be honest, the week leading into this race was not my best.  Back on Sunday, I went out to eat and ordered something off a “gluten sensitive” menu.  I normally don’t risk any sort of “sensitive” menu when it comes to gluten…but I’d eaten here before, so I figured it would be safe.  NEGATIVE.  I was glutened.  And it really altered my mood and my energy levels.  Top it off with the nasty cold snap that came through and ALL. THE. RAIN.  Seriously, I was getting really tired of running in the rain this week.  My hip has been unhappy with the return of the cold weather and with the dampness too.  BAH.  HUMBUG!  AND…sinuses!  My God, this area is HORRIBLE when it comes to allergies.  And it started to hit me last week…and…oh yeah…tying to breathe on runs has been less than stellar.

So…while I was looking forward to Geist…and the new half marathon route (no more finishing up a hill!)…I also wasn’t feeling my best leading into it.  And that sort of had me down in the dumps.  Even though I knew there would be no shining PR in this race, a part of me, deep down, was really hoping to pull something off.

It was not meant to be.

All that being said, Cathy and I made the drive up to Fishers, Indiana, on Friday.  We left work about an hour and a half early and hopped in the car.  This drive always takes forever.  Seriously.  It’s just north of Indianapolis, so navigating all the traffic to get there is…well…frustrating. But, we managed to get up there without too much of a delay, but were quite happy with the decision to leave early, as by the time we got to the expo, it was already almost 6 p.m. Damn rush hour traffic.

Regardless, we got to the hospital where the expo is held and stepped inside.  Before anything else, we both made a dodge for the bathroom.  That was a long trip, and we downed a bottle of PACt Cranberry Lemonade.  Anyway, once that was taken care of, we stepped back out, looked up my bib number at one of the convenient stations, and rounded a corner so I could pick up said bib.  I was number 1541.  And there was a small line…and one guy working.  There is always a line.  It wasn’t too much of a wait with the few people ahead of me, and soon I was being handed a bib.  I stepped out of the room where I was handed a black reusable bag and we meandered further into the reaches of the expo to find the shirt booth.

I picked up my long sleeve shirt and after that…we made the short trek through the expo.  I kept expecting to see a running store represented…because the weather changed and now it was looking like rain at the start and I needed a visor or a hat.  But…nope.  There was one booth of headbands, and the rest were like…attorney offices, Orange Theory, and a Chiropractor.  Not much for your race day shopping needs.  I was a bit bummed out about that.  Thankfully, there was a Dick’s Sporting Goods just up the street.  So, after checking the race map and then giving one small glance around to make sure we didn’t miss anything…we were off to Dick’s.

Dick’s was a bit of a mess.  Finding the hats/visors was a task in and of itself for one thing.  Cathy finally tracked them down…on a little hanger thing.  I picked up an Under Armor pink visor…that way my pigtails could still fly free.  We went to check out and the cashier was the S-L-O-W-E-S-T human being in the face of retail.  Seriously.  This guy was in NO hurry to do anything.

Wow…I am really taking advantage of caps abuse on this blog.  But, seriously, we were standing in line for about 15 minutes while he rang up 2 pairs of shoes and a jacket that a lady was purchasing.  Seriously.  SERIOUSLY!!  And there was another person in front of me to go.  Luckily another cashier opened.  And I was starting to wonder how long it would take for him to ring up my visor.  The answer…about 5 freakin’ minutes.

At this point, I’m hungry and we’re coming up on 6:45 pm.  This is now about an hour later than I like to eat on the night before a race.  MEH!  We had, at the last moment, changed our mind on our restaurant of choice for gluten-free pizza, and went over to Brixx Wood Fired Pizza…mainly because they had vegan cheese…and Cathy never likes to assume a place that doesn’t have a build your own option would allow a build your own or a cheese-less option. I say…they would. But nonetheless.  We got to the small shopping center that Brixx was located in…and there was not a parking spot to be found.  Not in the lot and not in the parking deck.  We turned around in the parking deck and went back out, tuned around, and suddenly, there were 4 spots.  GO FIGURE!  We parked…and walked over to Brixx.  I checked in with the hostess station and they said it would be a 20 minute wait.  That meant it would be about 7 pm by the time we were seated…and we still had to order and eat.  UGH. Nothing stresses me out more than eating later than I like on the night before the race.  They took my phone number and said they would text me when my table was ready.  So, Cathy and I took a short walk up the street…and then we went and sat down outside until a spot cleared up in the lobby area inside.  We moved in there…and not but 5 minutes or so later, I was texted.  We were seated just around the corner from the hostess station.

Gratuitous picture of Brixx Wood Fired Gluten Free and Vegan Artichoke Pizza
Gratuitous picture of Brixx Wood Fired Gluten Free and Vegan Artichoke Pizza

And our waiter, BTW, was adorable.  He had the cutest smile with dimples.  He was dark and handsome and tall…for me…maybe not for Cathy.  I wanted to steal him and take him home with me.  Cathy and I had it narrowed down to two of the veggie pizzas…either the Wild Mushroom or the Artichoke.  We asked Hot Waiter for his opinion, and he said Artichoke. So…Brixx Wood Fired Gluten Free and Vegan Artichoke Pizza….order in.

About 15 minutes or so later…the pizza was arriving.  There was enough time to snap a picture of it before we both just sort of pounced our our half and devoured.  I mean, we were starving at that point.  The combination of the herb-marinated artichiokes, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, basil pesto and the vegan cheese was just what we needed. Our waiter was right…it was amazing.  And gone in record time.  HA!  We paid and left…dropped by a Kroger for post-race watermelon, pre-race bananas, and some water.  Then, we finally went to the hotel to check in and settle in for the night.  Normally, this is where we settle in and watch Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives on Food Network, but this hotel didn’t get Food Network.  In the end, we ended up watching Say Yes to the Dress…which is as addictive as ever…and we stayed up way past the usual pre-race bedtime.

I had alarms set as usual.  The first alarm went off at 3:30 am.  I got up and turned it off…went to take my medicine and use that bathroom.  Then climbed right back into bed.  The second alarm went off at 4:45 am.  I hauled myself out of bed, turned it off again, and went to go get changed into my race clothes and slather on some sunscreen.  Buy the time I was finished with that, I was making sure Cathy was getting out of her bed and getting herself ready to hit the road to get parked and to the start.  This race starts at 7:00 am.  Love an early start.

Oh…but guess what…that rain that was supposed to be out before start…was here.  Pouring down rain.  UGH.  No wonder my hip was acting up that morning.  I hadn’t bothered to look outside.  At that point it was still dark.  But, Cathy did look outside and grumbled about wet and rain and my spirits fell.  I know some people don’t mind running in the rain, but I become a much more cautious runner when that pavement is wet.  Last thing I want to do is slip and go down.  Also, I don’t mind if it starts to rain on me when I’m out there, I just really hate starting a race in the rain.  But, you can’t help what Mother Nature throws at you.  Another rainy run.  Um…yay?  I think I had done my share of them leading up to this race.  Regardless, I put the visor on and got my race bib pinned on.  I threw on a jacket and we were out the door…banana in hand…fuel belt slung over my shoulder.  Made a quick dash across the parking lot to the car and we were making the short 15-20 minute drive to the school to park the car and then hike…about a mile…to the start line.  We were actually ahead of schedule on departing the hotel, so, I attempted to nap on the way…but that wasn’t working out.  The trip was rainy and pouring and it just made my spirits fall and my hip hurt.  MEH!  Cathy parked, and we had about 30 minutes to start time.  This left me a few minutes to once again attempt to nap.  Still wasn’t happening.  Instead, we looked around at everyone else sitting in their cars, hoping the rain would lighten up.  It did…right as we needed to get of the car to make the hike to the start.

Me attempting, and failing, to nap before the race...and also avoiding getting out in the rain...
Me attempting, and failing, to nap before the race…and also avoiding getting out in the rain…

We were not alone.  There were steams of runners and spectators making the long walk toward the start line staging area.  I have made this exact hike every year that I have run Geist…even the 5K.  They were not doing shuttles this year like they have in the past.  Thankfully, the air was just a little damp with a mist…the rain had let up.  We got to the start with very little time to spare.  There was time for a start line picture, a hug, good luck wishes, and Cathy was off to find a spot just beyond the start gate and I was in the corrals, moving as far forward as I could manage.  I ended up getting locked in in Corral B…near the 1:55 pace group.  No sooner had I got locked into that spot, the race was off…and we were running.  No time to stretch or do any of my dynamic warm-ups.  That…was it.

So, I crossed the finish line, scanning the line of people for Cathy.  Due to the weather, the sign was not with her, but I saw her, gave a wave, and continued into the first mile.  This is the first time we run across the reservoir.  There is a bit of an incline leading into the turn to hit the first mile, and a teenager said to his buddy, “This hill is going to kill me!”  And then said, “There was one year they sent us up a hill to finish.”  I pointed and said, “Yeah…2014.  It was 2014.”  See, they will never live that down.  Never ever. I made the turn after Mile 1 and started in through the neighborhood tour.  This is a short tour, and due to the wet weather, there weren’t too many people out on the driveways to cheer like in past years.  That was kind of a bummer.  I love having some crowd support.  Ah well…it is what it is.  These neighborhoods boast gorgeous homes and, when the weather is better, families that come out and cheer on the runners that invade their neighborhoods.

Before Mile 3, you are back out on a main road and heading across the reservoir once again.  Just beyond the reservoir was the turnaround for the 10K.  This is also where the race used to end back when I was doing the 5K.  I did it twice, and this was the final turn toward the finish back then.  So, that sort of made me smile as I ran past.  I cheered on the 10K runners who were booking it back to the start to hopefully win the race.  Exciting stuff.  And then, the half marathoners were on their own.

This portion of the race is a combination of commercial and residential…and just gorgeous scenery.  There are businesses…and more gorgeous neighborhoods, and people standing on the corners just to cheer people on.  The race volunteers were positioned throughout the various points, so there was always a voice at some point calling out to you.  I was exchanging spots with a guy wearing a Boston 2015 shirt…he would lead, then I would, then he would…this went on for the entire rest of the race.  And after a climb, I had a runner catch up wearing a Marathon Maniac singlet.  I called out, “HEY MANIAC!”  He wasn’t too talkative with me though.  He was with this nice older man who told me he had a beer riding on this race.  He was running here and a friend of his was running in Colorado.  HA!  So, I made some friends along the route this time around.  It was nice, especially when they were talkative, because it took my mind off of the hip…which was still not feeling this run one bit.

I do want to give a shout-out to the guy who was just beyond Mile 9.  There was a steep hill ahead, and he was at the base, calling out every race bib number and telling that runner that they were doing great, looking great, and that there were less than 4 miles left.  Seriously, he was amazing.  What he was doing was something every runner needs, especially when the struggle is getting real.

Just before Mile 10, we make a turn out of the neighborhoods and are back on familiar turf.  We are back near that old finish line area…right where we cross the reservoir.  Mile 10 was just beyond where the turn around for the 10K was marked.  I pressed on, the humidity from the rain and weather starting to really exhaust me.  Turn a corner, and now we’re running the opposite way through that first neighborhood.  There were some rolling hills through this, so we were hitting them again, just backwards.  My legs were pretty much done with hills.  They were slowing me down more than they should have, which only pissed me off.  But now the hip wasn’t wanting to fire, so you just do what you can manage at that point.  Mile 12 was at the corner before you round for that final trek toward the reservoir again.

Me crossing the finish line of the Geist Half Marathon - Fishers, IN
Me crossing the finish line of the Geist Half Marathon – Fishers, IN

I picked it up because I saw a female ahead of me, and I was now playing games to get myself to that finish line.  I passed her, and that was a good feeling.  I told myself to keep going, and not let her sneak up and catch me.  She never did.  I could finally see the finish line…which was such an uplifting feeling.  I tried to put on the afterburners to sprint in like so many people can…but it wasn’t happening.  I just pushed as hard and moved as fast as my legs could manage at that point…and ran across that finish line.  I could hear Cathy screaming at me.  When I crossed, I received my medal and felt this wave of emotion wash over me.  This race was an important one to me, and I had some expectations…some desires…and, sadly, the race wasn’t the way I envisioned or imagined it would go.  That being said, after receiving my medal, I had one of the guys who had talked with me come over and high five me.  Cathy came over and as I was about to take my victory shot, the guy in the Boston shirt came over and high fived me as well and said said that I kept him on an amazing pace for the race.  That was a nice feeling.

Cathy took the picture and I changed into different shoes.  I keep forgetting to pack extra socks again.  D’oh!  After the shoe change, we decided to hike over to the runner recovery area and see what was there.  We were in search of the massage tent, and we found it.  YAY!  But, after standing in line for 10 minutes, we were told that we needed to fill out a form.  So, a bunch of us runners went to fill out the paperwork and get back into line.  It was another 50 minutes before they even got to me.  At this point, I was cold and had Cathy pull my jacket back out.  But, the wait for the massage was worth it.  This massage was very thorough and felt amazing on my achy body.  Amy was my massage therapist and she did a great job.  While I was getting worked on, Cathy went to get my official race results…and after that…I called my mom and spoke with her on the long walk back to the car.  The long, cold, walk back to the car.

After that, it was just a short drive back to the hotel, where I hopped into a hot shower and warmed up and cleaned up.  I changed clothes, checked out, and we were off to grab food and then coffee.  Then…the trip home.

So, my official results of the Geist Half Marathon is that I finished in 1:42:13, which was faster than my NYC Half Marathon, but slower than Derby and Indy.  I was a little bummed out with my time here, but I had a lot to contend with going into this and during this race.  That being said, I was 103/1601 finishers overall!  Almost in the top 100…how about that??!  I was the 20/557 women to cross the finish line.  And I was 6/185 people in the 30-39 female division!  Can’t argue with those status right?!

Please don’t get me wrong, I am very proud of my accomplishment and this finish.  I think that it’s hard, when you return to your PR race, to not be a little disappointed when a new PR doesn’t happen.  I was so close when I ran the 500 Festival a few weekends ago…so I had some hopes that this race would get me a PR that I’m searching for this year.  It wasn’t meant to be…and that’s okay.  It will happen.  I don’t know when or where…but it is bound to happen.  I just have to keep running safe and strong.  It was just not meant to be this year.  But…this is still my favorite half marathon.  It’s beautiful and challenging and just…fun.  And this year, I got to talk to and meet some of the people running it with me.  Those are special friendships forged during the grind.

Will I be back? Of course.  The race is one of the best…and that’s why I keep coming back.  Hopefully next year, the circumstances will be better.

Posted on

It’s The Little Things

Yesterday afternoon, I returned home from work to find a package, delivered via UPS, sitting on my doorstep. It was from Louisville Stoneware.  I hadn’t ordered anything and my roomie hadn’t ordered anything for me either.  On the box, in black Sharpie, were the words Top 100 Female.

So, I hauled the box inside and opened it up.  There was a roll of padding and packing material, which took me a moment or two to completely unroll and discover…a gorgeous tumbler made by Louisville Stoneware with the Kentucky Derby Festival logo on it (as well as the key sponsors of the race) and…on the reverse side…the words FEMALE DIVISION TOP 100.

When I ran the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon on April 30, I finished in the top 100 females.  In fact, I was 95.  WOOT WOOT!!  And, apparently, this year they sent out these little mementos…little awards…to those that hit that mark.  I am truly honored!

13217475_10100106511733531_6241662597221579008_o
Considering how hit-and-miss my running has been with the return of the cold weather…and with how crappy the weather was on race day…this was a very nice, and uplifting, surprise!

And now…random thoughts I’ve had on my runs this week…

  • God bless the people who leave their porch lights on all night. It gives the morning warriors like me a little more light in a dark world usually lit by blinkie lights, head lamps, and maybe a street light or two.
  • WHY IS IT RAINING?!
  • Should I build an ark?
  • Wearing a windbreaker was a big mistake.  I am sweltering.  I am dying!
  • I. HATE. LAYERS.
  • I don’t think I’ll ever hit negative splits again…*sigh*
  • Rain?! Again?!  Seriously?!
  • (*while running past a Starbucks*) I am awake and going before the Starbucks baristas.  But if the cafe was open this early, I would learn to run and chug coffee.
  • ONE…MORE…MILE…(*tries to run faster…fails*)
  • Dammit…I forgot my mace…
  • Dammit…I forgot my Road ID…
  • It’s May, right?  Like…mid-May?!  WHY IS IT SO COLD!  WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE NOVEMBER?
  • Fuck you, Mother Nature!
  • Don’t drink wine the night before a 7 mile run.  Just don’t.

And…there it is.  Now…off to the gym and then to suffer at work for another day.  Is it the weekend yet?  And, dammit, is it ever going to warm up?

Posted on

OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon – Indianapolis, IN (May 7, 2016)

088
Me heading into the finish line of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon

Race: OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon

Place: Indianapolis, Indiana

Date: May 7, 2016

Time: 1:39:28

Four years ago…four years ago I ran the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon as my second half marathon EVER!  I was fortunate enough to have a friend in my corral, a local runner I met with the (now gone) Blue Mile Monday running group.  It was a fantastic race that day.  Hot.  Steamy.  Sweaty.  But fantastic.  It was such a spirited, fun, and well-run race and expo…that I vowed to go back.

And then…it didn’t happen.

Until, I decided to run it again.  It was a really random, really quick decision to run it.  And I didn’t really shout about it because, as I’ve said before, every day is different for me.  I never know when there is a good day ahead or a bad day…so, I haven’t really been talking about races I’m doing just in case it’s not a good day and I don’t actually run it.  It’s hard coming back from injury, but I’m being cautious and smart about it and I’m not pushing it.  So…I left work early on Friday and trekked up to Indianapolis, Indiana to get checked into the hotel.  I always stay at the JW Marriott when in Indy for a run, when it’s convenient.  It was for this race.  The start line was right out the door!  HA!  Besides, I’m a princess…I like to stay in nice places.  (Joking…sort of…).  After checking in and dropping off bags in the room, Cathy and I headed down to the race expo to pick up my race bib.  This was a little bit of a hike through the convention center, but it’s a hell of an expo and worth the hike.

We noted the Starbucks in the hotel and said we’d stop and get a banana for me for in the morning on our way back.  Once we got into the expo, we were handed drawstring backpacks and we immediately headed to the Packet Pickup area.  Since I registered later, my number was pretty high up there, which meant hiking further back in the line of windows with bib numbers.  I found my spot and went up to the window.  They said to have your photo ID ready, but the guy didn’t even ask for it.  He did find my bib and got my shirt…tucked it into a Blue Mile bag and handed it over to me.  YAY!  Officially ready to run.  But first…shopping…

…and the official merchandise store always has some goodies to offer.  Cathy went and bought an official Finisher shirt for me (I can’t buy that…bad mojo).  And I ogled a few other things, but opted to leave it with just the shirt.  So…we began a quick weave through the expo.  This is where I fell in love with the Ocean Spray PACt Cranberry Extract Water.  I am forever having this stuff in my fridge.  HOLY COW!!  SO GOOD!!  We scooted past the Clif Bar place, which had a line due to all the samples they were handing out.  And then…

…I signed up for another race.  It was one I was considering anyway…and with the expo discount and the promise of a free hat…I ended up going ahead and signing up.  Somebody stop me!!  LOL!!  This one isn’t too far away, so I  feel confident I’ll be in good form to run it.

We then found the BondiBand booth…and…oh yeah…there were purchases made.  I ended up getting 3 more…because…I can’t have too many of these.  I wear them on runs, at the gym, and in spin classes…so, yeah…they get used.  I still own the very first BondiBand I ever had…my 13.1 one that my friend, Heather Dillon, purchased for me at my first half marathon in Chicago back in 2011.  You might say that I am a fan…but I’m also a brand ambassador for them now too.  More on that once it’s officially official.  Anyway…more money spent and it was time to leave the expo to get to our dinner reservation.  We stopped for a moment to sign the banner wall at the exit.  Then, food.

022
My Gluten Free Penne with Tomato Marinara and Vegetables from Osteria Pronto at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, IN

Now, my pre-race eats is always…ALWAYS…a gluten free pizza.  BUT…we couldn’t find a close spot that offered that near where we were in Indianapolis.  And we really didn’t want to leave the area…so Cathy found out that the hotel restaurant, Osteria Pronto, offered gluten-free pasta on their menu.  I normally don’t do pasta as I am a pasta freak and will EAT ALL THE PASTA…and sometimes it’s too much and I still have it with me in the morning.  But, you gotta do what you gotta do.  Turns out, this place had their act together. The chef and servers were very knowledgeable about gluten-free dining and when they brought out Cathy’s bread…they brought me out some toasted Udi’s Gluten Free Sandwich Bread to have with either butter (no dairy for me) or olive oil.  It was a nice gesture.  The chef threw together a pasta dish for me using the Gluten Free Penne and their amazing red marinara and some fresh vegetables (onion, red pepper, broccolini).  Cathy got their signature pasta dish – Straw & Hay (chive noodle & egg noodle, lardo, English peas, garlic cream, pine nuts, and topped with a soft boiled egg).  I didn’t think I was that hungry…but as I said, I love pasta…and I devoured mine.  LOL!!

IMG_20160506_191251
Just hanging out with my NUUN guys!  I loved them.  I really loved them.

After dinner, we returned to the expo to finish up.  Starbucks was closed…so Cathy said she’d get a banana in the morning for me. We revisited the entire expo, walking through the slightly less chaotic area this time.  Cathy bought another BondiBand for spin class, and the lady working there gave us the discount so she only paid $5 for it, since we previously bought some that day.  YAY!!  I found the NUUN table and got to talking with the cute guys behind there.  I told them I was a #nuunambassador and we got a picture together.  LOVE!!  It was fun.  My new favorite flavor…the Mango Orange.  WOW!  And…then I signed up for ANOTHER race.  Seriously…stop me.  This one is in the fall…and they gave me a free wine glass and an expo discount for signing up.  Cathy was given a race shirt because they were so impressed with what a great running fan she is and everything she does for not just me…but other runners.  SUPER awesome.  We wrapped up the expo and hiked outside to Circle Center to hit up Rocket Fizz.  We ended up purchasing a Diet Root Beer for Cathy and a Nut Goodie Bar to split for dessert.  I am a firm believer in dessert.  And then…it was back to the hotel.  I talked to my sister on the phone on the way back…and I even stood at the window in my room and watched an ongoing baseball game…which was totally awesome.  Cathy went to go shower and I needed to do my nightly foam rolling.

I had made a promise to my good friend, Deana, after the Derby Mini, that I would dedicate the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon to her.  I kept my word, and in Sharpie, on my race bib, I wrote: FOR DEANA!  I texted her a picture and we chatted for a little while…as I watched some Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (seriously…this is a tradition!) and did more foam rolling and used THE STICK on my hip and hip adductor.  After that…it was time to set the alarms for the morning and get some sleep.

033
The final race day outfit…I was told to NOT wear the tank…I am glad I didn’t.

My first alarm went off and I got up, turned it off, took my medicine, used the bathroom, and then…went back to sleep.  My second alarm got me up at 5:30 am.  I grabbed my pile of race gear and headed into the bathroom to change and put on ALL THE SUNSCREEN.  Hey, I’m a pale, blonde, Irish girl…I burn easily.  And I had to slather it ALL OVER myself.  I wasn’t sure at this point if I was running in just a sports bra or if I was throwing on a tank, but I acted as though I’d do the bra only.  Once I had my Injinji socks on and my Newtons laced up, I put my hair up in my signature pigtails, dressing them up with red and black hair extensions.  And the BondiBand was a pink and black checkered one I found at the expo.  It was the closest thing to a checkered flag I could find.  I went back into the hotel room and made sure Cathy got up out of her bed.  Her mission was to go get me a banana from Starbucks.  They were giving them away for free, but it was a madhouse, and she was gone long enough that I managed to eat my cereal, do all my PT stretches and turn on the news/weather.  When she got back, she changed, ate a protein bar, and drank her Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher.  At about 6:45 a.m., I had my fuel belt on and was heading out the door.  Cathy realized she forgot the sign, so back to the hotel room to snag it.  And then, we were on our way, heading down the elevator and out the door.

My friend, Julia, was running in the 5K, which was going off at 7 a.m.  I was hoping to find her, but, there were SO many people that I never did see her.  I looked and waited.  And never saw her go by.  DANG IT!  Cathy thought she heard the announcer say something about corrals closing and said that it involved mine, so now we were walking the line down to the split in the corrals.  She found an information guy and asked and he aid that my corral was going to open as soon as the 5K runners were though…since I was in C.  So…Cathy made me panic for no reason.  She does this a lot at races.  Seriously.  *deep breath*  We walked back up and I downed my banana and I went to get into Corral C.  I had a moment to do my dynamic warmup moves before Cathy said she needed to stake out her spot at the other side of the start…so she made me take off my NYC Marathon zip I had put on to keep warm.  I parted with it, and was surprised that it wasn’t too chilly at the start.  A little, but not enough that I was shivering.  The National Anthem was sung BEAUTIFULLY and the wheelchair racers were sent off by Meb.  Meb was there running from the back of the mini to the front…I never got to see him.  Dang it.  In fact, I finished the race before he even started.  I did beat his time though, LOL!

057
Meb waiving the green flag up in the bucket. I didn’t even see him. I suck.

The corrals moved up and the first wave was prepared to be sent off…by Meb…at 7:33 am.  The horn sounded, Meb waived the green flag, and we were off.  I crossed the start line, started my Garmin, and just went with the crowd.  I saw Cathy and gave a wave and headed toward the Indianapolis Zoo.  I didn’t see any animals out this year…but it is a nice way to start the race regardless.  That zoo is gorgeous!  This was a quick pace for me, though it didn’t feel it at the time.  My first mile was 6:57, apparently, but I dropped back after that.  Let me say, I am very glad that Cathy told me to go with the bra top only and not the tank.  The humidity was very real at Mile 2…and it was still early.  So, yeah…that worked out wonderfully.  I would have died with fabric on me.  As it was, my legs felt heavy and I was wondering how well this race was actually going to play out for me.  But, I pressed on, hoping I’d find my stride and fall into a comfortable pace and hold it.  Mile 2 and 3 are run on W. Michigan Street.  In fact, much of the first 5 miles of the race is through residential and such areas…but always with spectators and people there to cheer, some more populated than others.  Mile 5 is Main Street…and a banner is spread over the top welcoming runners to Main Street.  There are restaurants and the like out here and the crowd was loud and proud.  It was a nice way to make the turn toward the Speedway itself.  You enter the speedway via a steep downhill slope, and then back up.  Inside, you hit Mile 6 and the run around the actual Indianapolis Motor Speedway is on.  This is the part I always look forward to.  This was also the slowest miles of the race for me.  I think it’s because the sun had come out, the humidity was high, and there was no shade out on that track.  But I was running ON THE TRACK of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  How cool is that.  They have 2 pit stops (water stations) inside the track, but I carry my own water and fuel with me, so I never make use of these.  I thought about it though, with the humid air.  I was sweating!  The best part…the highlight, is hitting that brickyard.  I flashed devil horns to the photographers and carried on.  You exit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just before Mile 9.  From here…it’s 4 miles to the finish.

056
Me leaving the start gate of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon

4 miles is a morning run for me.  So, despite feeling like I was really slowing down, I was super happy with how I was plugging along.  I kept saying, “This is for Deana…and Deana doesn’t quit!”  Or “Be relentless…like Deana.”  Mantras really help.  LOL!  I wasn’t about to quit…when it’s humid and hot, you just slow it down and run comfortable.  Miles 9-11 wind you back toward downtown, and when you get to Mile 12, you see the checkered flags, and hear the crowds, and you just run.  You just run because you’re almost done.  You just run because you are heading to that finish line. You just…do what you’ve been doing all along, but with feeling and spirit and maybe jazz hands.  Or maybe not.  Jazz hands might be a little much…

I love this part of the race.  The energy is amazing.  I could hear the finish line announcer and I knew I was getting close.  My watch beeped long before the 13 mile marker (I was about .20 miles ahead of the mile markers), and I picked it up some more.  I gritted my teeth, dug deep, and pushed it.  I saw Cathy to my right with my sign and just screaming at me.  And I noticed, as I neared the finish, that the clock time said 1:39:45…I crossed.  I just turned out another half marathon (13.29 miles on my Garmin)…and was only 1:07 minutes off of breaking my PR set at the Geist Half Marathon in 2014.  I felt amazing.  And accomplished.  And…yeah!!  I was ushered toward the medals and was handed one, which I eased over my head, somehow not spilling any water in the open water bottle I was holding.  I’m just that talented, folks.

I was given a plastic bag to put water, banana, fruits, energy bars, and whatever else into as I walked through the runner recovery area.  As I got a Dole cup, one of the Dole employees said he loved my outfit and smile and asked if he could get my picture with the Dole cup.  So, I agreed.  If I turn up on any Dole advertisements, let me know.  I am almost famous, LOL!  Afterwards, I headed into the After Party area where I was to find Cathy in the family reunion zone around the end of the alphabet.  I spotted her and rushed over…and she gave me my official time!!  I was SO happy with it.  Impressed because I felt like I was running through tar at some points…no joke.  But this was 2 minutes better than Derby…which was 2 minutes better than NYC.  Nice pattern there, yes?  LOL!

097
Getting my post-race massage.  I obviously approve, LOL!!

I changed out of my shoes and put on some recovery shoes.  I snagged some chocolate milk for Cathy and then headed into the massage tent.  I NEVER miss a post-race massage whenever possible.  Seriously, this just helps me with my recovery.  The lines weren’t long yet either.  The nice lady who gave me my massage was awesome.  It was, seriously, one of the best post-race massages I have ever had.  She asked me a lot about running and how I got into it…and she really stretched me out and worked my muscles.  She told me she loves working on people where she can feel their muscles and see how they move when she works on them.  GO ME!  Afterwards, I was ready to head back to the hotel to shower, so Cathy and I headed that way.

The hotel was handing out cold towels to runners so we could wipe our faces and get refreshed, which was SO awesome.  Once we got up to the room, I went to go shower and Cathy packed up everything.  Once I was clean and dressed, she called down to have the car brought out by valet and I downed some water and played on my phone for a moment.  We finally went down just as our car came around.  Packed up…we hit the road to go to Target and then meet up with our friend, Greg, at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  A celebrator Gluten Free Veggie Baja Burger (no cheese or sour cream) was in order.  I got mine with the gluten free sweet potato fries.  I devoured it.  No joke.  We did a bit of shopping after lunch, hitting up Half Price Books…Strange Brew for coffee…and the outlets in Edinburgh, before heading home.

Half Marathon #18…done.  And it’s my third fastest one to date!!

093
Half Marathon #3 this year…done…Half Marathon #18 in my running career…done…3rd fastest half marathon time…achieved. Call it a comeback!

So, the official results of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon is that I finished in 1:39:28.  I was 889/24,768 finishers overall.  I was 123/13,487 female finishers.  And I was 21/1,939 finishers in my division!  I am so happy with this result and I texted Deana and she was so honored and happy.  It was a wonderful race, and now I remember why I loved it so much.  I hope not to wait another 4 years to return to this one.  That being said, I’m already in talks with Deana about some upcoming stuff for next year, which I’m super excited about.  I’m sure I’ll discuss that when it all falls into place.  I am certain my endurance will continue to get better.  Half marathon distances used to feel so easy for me, but I’ve been struggling in the last few miles as of late.  But this one surprised me, because I thought I had really slowed down, but I never once hit a sub 7:45 minute pace.  At all.  WOW!!  And to think I slowed down to a pace that felt “easy.”  At least my fitness has been kept up over the span of time I was out with injury last year.  I credit that to my spin classes, regular gym visits, and sheer determination on my part.

Deana…I ran hard and strong for you…I’m glad this race turned out the way it did.  Thank you for being an inspiration, a badass, and truly, an amazing friend.

Posted on

Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon – Louisville, KY (April 30, 2016)

Me running toward the finish line of the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon (in the rain, but still smiling) - Louisville, KY
Me running toward the finish line of the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon (in the rain, but still smiling) – Louisville, KY

Race: Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon

Place: Louisville, Kentucky

Date: April 30, 2016

Time: 1:41:18

You know…the week and morning I had leading into the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon was one that pointed to not running it at all.  On Monday morning, I had an unexpected Great Cat Chase with my neighbors cat, which I was catsitting while they were at the beach.  I love this cat, but that morning I was running late to my spin class and she slipped outside and just took off.  I ended up having to wake my roommate up to find her while I went to spin.  Since she is not my cat, I felt horrible not having her back inside while I wasn’t home.  She behaved the rest of the week though and we had good purr sessions.  Tuesday…my coffeemaker died.  MY COFFEEMAKER DIED!!  Do you know what that means??!!  It meant that I had NO caffeine fix that morning.  And after hitting up the gym, I begged my roommate for some Starbucks.  She came through, with a tall sugar free cafe misto with coconut milk for me.  She saved the day.  Then…on Thursday…my Garmin died. I woke up to it having a blank screen and not turning on.  I went on my 4 mile run sans-Garmin running watch.  I was feeling pretty hated by technology at that point.  One of the race ambassadors, and a friend of mine, Melissa, said that she had purchased an extra Garmin watch and that I could have it if I wanted it.  OMG…that was the sweetest thing anyone has done for me.

Anyway…that was leading up to race day.  I went to the race expo on Thursday night, and one of the first people I see is sweet Melissa.  I gave her a hug and we lamented about the weather. I joked about carrying shampoo and body wash with me so as I head into the finish, I could just lather up, wash down, and look and smell immaculate at the finish.  After chatting and wishing each other luck, I went over to the table to pick up my race packet.

The infamous receiving the race bib shot at the expo. We were going to pose, but Cathy took the picture already!
Picking up my race bib from the nice volunteers at the expo!  This was supposed to be posed, but Cathy snapped it candid.

This was funny…kinda.  I listed off my bib number (937A) to the lady at the table.  She asked for my ID…which I had to fish out.  Cathy was poised with her camera to take a picture, which the nice volunteer noticed.  So she had a plan to pose and everything, but before we could carry out the plan, Ninja Cathy already snapped the photo.  The lady asked if she was ready to take the shot and Cathy said, “I already did.” We all laughed a little.  I happily took my bib and the big plastic bag of stuff (including a full box of Cold-Eez) and went to retrieve the garishly bright yellow race shirt.  I love bright shirts.  What I don’t love on this shirt is the actual design.  I loved the map route on the medal this year, but it didn’t transfer well over to the screen print on the shirt.  Ah well.  It’s another race/running shirt to add to my already full closet.  I’ll take it.  After that, we walked through the various booths at the expo.  I was on the hunt for a Garmin at this point…but no one had any.  I did purchase some new Bondi Bands (YAY!) and got to see my friend Daniel working at one of the booths.  He was handing out free magnet things and I went to get one and he said, “Except for you…you have to pay for yours.”  I love my friends.  I also ran into my physical therapist, Katie, who was working an Alter-G treadmill.  AH.  I want to get on one of these SO bad.  Needless to say, she messaged me after the race on Saturday morning and said I should come into the office and try it out.  I’m SO taking her up on that.  We wrapped up the expo and headed home for a late dinner and to settle in before the craziness of Friday at the office.

My Gluten Free & Vegan Veggie Pizza from Annie May's Sweet Cafe! Yes...it was as delicious as it looks.
My delicious Gluten Free & Vegan Veggie Pizza from Annie May’s Sweet Cafe

Friday night is the night before the race…so I pulled a Gluten Free & Vegan Veggie Pizza from Annie May’s Sweet Cafe out of my freezer.  I don’t risk anything the night before a race.  I knew I’d be fine eating this.  And it was delicious and amazing.  I rested that night, foam rolled, and went to bed around 9:30 p.m.  I set an early alarm to get up and do all my PT exercises, my dynamic warm-up and to get an early start on my mileage.

I was scheduled for 16 miles this weekend.  Which was one reason I signed up for the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon.  Why not run 13 miles with people and get a medal at the end of it, right?  That being said, I went out that morning before the race and ran a slow, steady 3 miles.  I came back home, ate my breakfast and got dressed into some (unflattering) running shorts, a light singlet, and my compression sleeves and running socks (I went with the Injinji toe socks to help prevent any blistering should rain kick in as scheduled).  I had debated wearing my favorite running shoes (my Newton Distance III) and opted to wear my Nike Free RN Distance shoes, which I have never worn over a 10K mileage, but I’d rather let rain destroy those than my Newtons.  So…I figured this would be interesting regardless.  That being said and done, I brushed my teeth gathered up my change of clothes for afterwards, got all the running gear out and ready to go…and headed out the door.

This is me, trying not to stress as I hook on my hydration belt and get ready to book it to the start line since I was running VERY late to this race.
This is what a runner who is running late to a race looks like. I’m trying to walk and snap on my hydration belt.

No joke, my roommate and I were down the road at a stoplight and I went…”I forgot to put on my wings anklet my mom gave me.”  So…this is a thing now.  Ever since I’ve returned to running, when I race, this anklet has been around my ankle.  My mom got it for me because she said, “You don’t run, baby, you fly.”  So, when I was finally able to get back out there to run and race…this anklet has been kept on my ankle.  I feel like it’s carrying my mom’s words with me on each run.  So, yeah…we turned around and I dashed back inside and grabbed the anklet.  Back off we went…and I clasped the anklet on and felt better about life.  We got back down the road to the stop light and Cathy started cussing and went to turn around.  I was like, “WHAT??!”  And she said, “We forgot the most important thing for today…”  I was so confused.  “What?”  She said…”YOUR RACE BIB.”  Oh…my…God.  I felt like such a newbie, LOL!!  We turned around and went back to the apartment.  I was now a mess because we were running way late, still had to cross the bridge, still had to park, and had to get to the corrals for the start.  I was supposed to meet up with my dear friend, Deana, to run with her, so I was texting her and telling her I had to go back to my apartment a few times and was just NOW getting underway.  UGH.  I was planning on napping on the way to the race, but it was now 7 a.m., 30 minutes before the start, and I now had to eat my banana.  I was a mess now…feeling very stressed and rushed.  I do NOT like getting to a race in this state.  The parking garage Cathy wanted to park in was not accessible as they had closed the road getting to it.  So, now we’re driving in circles looking for a place to park.  She finally found a place…and paid only $5 to park there.  We were shocked the price was so cheap!  We got parked…and she grabbed the poncho I loaned her (it’s my super nice lined one from the NYC Marathon) and we headed down the stairs to the start.  I tossed my banana peel and started to walk swiftly toward the start line.  I got there with only moments to spare.  No joke.  We took a quick picture in front of the start line, I shed the poncho (it wasn’t raining yet) and ducked into my corral.  I was so stressed and upset that I wasn’t going to be able to find Deana…and just as I found a place to stand…the gun went off…and we were off and running.

The morning was humid, but I felt good as I crossed the start line.  I saw Cathy and gave a wave as I headed out for the first mile.  I was determined to just keep it comfortable because I wasn’t here to race this half marathon.  I was here just to run it.  I fell into pace and headed down the long stretch of Main Street.  It was crowded but I didn’t have to do too much bobbing and weaving, which is always appreciated.  I felt good and blasted through the first 2 miles, making an easy turn onto 20th street.  The pace remained relaxed for me, and I felt like I was pushing a little, but not hard, which I figured was fine for a girl who already ran 3 miles before the race.  The course was a little less populated by spectators due to the impending weather.  It was nice to have the scattered people out clapping and cheering though.  At least this is a beautiful city to run, right?

Me heading out for the start of the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon - Louisville, KY
Me heading out for the start of the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon – Louisville, KY

I ran the full  marathon back in 2014, pacing a friend of mine, and somehow forgot about much of this course.  For some reason, I thought we ran through Churchill Downs around mile 6, so I was really looking forward to that.  At Mile 6, I was heading down Magnolia Avenue and turning back onto 4th street. Churchill Downs was nowhere in sight.  I was so confused!!  But, I just kept going.  I knew my running buddy, Tammy, said she was going to be out near Churchill Downs, so I kept an eye out for her…because I was certain it was coming up.  Two miles later, I saw Tammy and made the turn to run into Churchill Downs.  8 miles down and now was one of my favorite parts of the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and Mini Marathon…the lap through Churchill Downs.  Down the tunnel and back up…and then it was time to run around the infield.  Normally horses are out, but the weather was gearing up to start raining and none of the horses were out running or training.  So, that was a bit of a bummer.  Ah well…then…back out through a different tunnel…up…and out of Churchill Downs.  Just up the way is the infamous split.  Mini Marathon runners go left…and Marathon runners go right (and start making their way to the hills of Iroquois Park).  I turned left this time…heading into the last 5 miles of the Mini Marathon.  9 miles down…and soon…came the rain.

I had been silently cussing the fact that I wore a hat (I hate wearing hats when I race) and my Nikes instead of my Newtons…until this point.  The rain, at first, was a light drizzle.  It actually felt good.  It was around Mile 10 when my friend Dan came up beside me and said “Hi” to me.  I asked how he was doing, and he said he was starting to hurt (he ran Boston), and I wished him luck as he pulled up ahead.  With the new front of weather, the hip started to get tight and I was feeling it now.  The rain picked up a little more as I made it to the 11th mile marker.  Two more to go.  That was my mantra.  Just two more to go.  The stretch of 3rd Street was lined with few spectators…up until we hit the downtown area.  Around Mile 12…the crowds picked up.  People were shouting encouragement.  And I made the turn onto Market Street.  I could hear the announcer at the finish line, so I knew I was getting close.  But that small stretch before making the turn toward the finish line felt like it went on forever.  But I finally made the turn and pushed it as much as my tired legs could manage to hit that finish line.  I saw Cathy just before crossing and she was just screaming.  I heard my name get announced and I threw up my arms in victory and was all smiles at the end.  My friend Daniel, who headed up the training program I went out with every Saturday, was there and he came over to high five me.  That was the best part of the finish, right there.  That high five meant the world to me.

I kept moving through the chute, got my Mylar wrap and my medal.  And then I continued on for some water. I got an official finish picture taken and then continued on toward the Family Reunion Area…where I spotted Cathy on the edge of the fence-line…just waiting for me.  I came up to her and she gave me my official time.  I took 2 minutes (somehow) off my NYC Half Marathon Time and actually turned in my 4th fastest half marathon.  I was shocked.  I passed off the snacks I snagged on the way to the meeting point and did a few leg swings to help loosen up the hip some.  After that, I was ready to get out of my wet clothes, get some coffee, and grab some actual food.  So we left and did just that.

16.17 miles done that day!!  And 13.1 of them were done in racing conditions.  I never really felt like I was racing though, which speaks highly of my fitness levels.  Given that I had to take a forced year off, this makes me feel really good as I come back from this hip thing.

Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon...DONE! I was soaked...but so happy with the way things turned out.
Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon…DONE! – Louisville, KY

So, the official results of the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon are that I finished in 1:41:18.  I was 468/10,422 finishers overall.  I was 95/6,209 female finishers.  And I was 20/972 finishers in my division.  I started this race under stress and a feeling more than a little flustered.  I didn’t get to meet up with Deana as planned, but she and I texted pretty much most of the afternoon after she finished.  We’re already making plans to train together for something bigger and better…and I couldn’t be more excited about this.  My pace slowed at the end of this run, I think due to the weather and the fact that I ran ahead of the race.  Next time, I’ll just count the race as my run.  Regardless, this was my 17th half marathon I’ve run and my 4th fastest.  Which…is super exciting given the challenges I have faced the past year.  I am starting to not only regain confidence, but an easy, fast pace while racing too!  I sort of needed this finish.  I only wish I had felt stronger at the end of it.

I want to thank everyone who I met through the Norton Training Group (those who were race ambassadors, helping to run the group, and the runners themselves)!!  I have some new running and, hopefully, lifelong friends who went through a rigorous training regimen and ran hills and did speed work and gave up their Saturday mornings just to train hard for this day.  To everyone who finished…and to those who couldn’t…I am proud of all of you and am so happy to have met you.

I can’t wait to run with you more.

Posted on

Pro.Active For Life 5K – Frankfort, KY (April 22, 2016)

13072889_10208590336651211_5934741618733470139_o
Me crossing the finish line of the Pro.Active For Life 5K – Frankfort, Kentucky (I admit, it looks like I’m just casually coming through, LOL!)

Race: Pro.Active For Life 5K

Place: Frankfort, Kentucky

Date: April 22, 2016

Time: 22:07

It’s that time of year.  Normally, this would be the 2nd race of the Frankfort Trifecta Run/Walk series…but there is no longer a Frankfort Trifecta.  But that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to do some of my favorite races in one of my favorite cities to run.

Why is it my favorite?  THE PEOPLE!!

The runners in the Frankfort, Kentucky community are awesome.  Seriously, some of the most welcoming, nicest people I have ever met in my life.  I have met and made so many great friends there…ongoing friendships…since a few years ago when I started making the trek from Louisville to Frankfort for the race series.

That being said…we all know how I feel about 5K races.  Well, this is a 5K race I never, ever, would dream of missing (I had to last year…it ran while I was in Boston).  While 5K races are one of my least favorite distances (I am NOT a sprinter), they are valuable to being a well-rounded runner.  Speedwork…my enemy.  HA!

I was a bit more prepared to make the trek to Frankfort this Friday evening rather than how I was for the Run For The Gold 3K on St. Patrick’s Day.  I bought my dinner the night before (vegetarian sushi) and had a drink ready.  No stopping.  Clock out at work (already changed for the race) and head that way.  We actually made decent time. We parked in the same place we always do for Frankfort races and made the walk to McClure Building, where packet pickup is always held.  At least this race has everything in their normal spot and routine.  I wasn’t as confused (or as rushed) as I was for Run For The Gold when it came to packet pickup…so that was less stress.  I had my little bag with my race shirt and bib in a matter of moments.  I got pinned up and then put my name in for some door prizes.  I don’t think I won any of them…I had to leave before that even happened.  But, it was fun.  After that, I stepped outside and walked over to the Earth Day festivities happening on the lawn of the Old State Capitol.  And I did a lot of people watching.  I met up with Linda and we chatted and she showed me pictures from the Blue Ridge Half Marathon that she did in Roanoke, VA.  LOVED it.  She said it was one of the toughest half marathons she has run.  And she does Run The Bluegrass.  HA.  The incline and hill they climb at the start…INSANE!  She went to go and roll out her calf muscles prior to race start and I wandered around for a few more minutes.  And then…people started to line up.  It was almost go-time!

I wandered up to stand between the 6 minute mile and the 8 minute mile groups.  I figured that was as good a spot for me as any.  Linda and Becca came over to stand with me, which was nice.  Linda was still hurting from her race the weekend before and Becca wasn’t feeling good and hadn’t eaten anything all day…so she was running on empty.  And me…I was mentally prepping for a long run the following morning…which I wasn’t sure how that would go after a 5K race.  We were all quite the team.  They rope across the front was moved out of the way and we all moved up.  And then…the gun was fired and we were off!

Now, the first mile of this race is a good one.  But there is 1-1/2 hills to climb and one of them is short, but quite steep.  I was behind both Becca and Linda here up until around Mile 1.  The three of us all ran in tandom for a moment, which was quite fun.  Linda was struggling, I could tell.  She looked at me and said that there were only 4 women ahead of me.  I broke the pack and moved ahead.

My Garmin says this is the fastest mile I have ever run!!
My Garmin says this is the fastest mile I have ever run!!

This…just happened to be the fastest mile I ever ran.  I just wasn’t aware of it at that point.

Mile 2 takes you up Capital Avenue, around the Capital building and…finally…back down a hill.  My legs were feeling that first mile but I pressed on.  To my surprise…I wasn’t hurting.  Not yet.  That was nice.  Sort of lifted my spirits more than a little.  After coming back down…there is a slight incline as you cross a bridge…where there is always a cluster of people cheering and the walkers coming the other way…all cheering you on.  It’s one of my favorite points of any Frankfort race involving this corner.  Back down the steep hill and down a long road to start making the final turns toward the finish line.

On the last turn, a woman was handing out popsicles of something.  I never grab anything from race corners, but it was nice on a 65 degree evening.  Some people did snag them, only to toss them aside in the final stretch.  It was just a short climb up the ramp and straight on to the finish line.  I had no idea where I was in the standings…I just knew my legs were ready to be done.  I heard Cathy screaming at me and I just pushed and ran as hard as I could manage and crossed the line.

The course was about 0.06 miles short.  It was close.  But it seems like everyone was coming up just slightly short at the end.  Ah well.  Another (almost) 5K…DONE!  My watch told me I had done it in 22:06…which was a nice surprise as I went to save it to my watch.  Wow.  That was actually very close to my PR time, which is from this race.  No joke.

Soon after I finished in came Linda and Becca.  Linda was limping.  NO GOOD!  She said her calf muscle cramped up so she had to slow and then she had to walk some.  She still managed first in her age division though.  So…badass.  Becca won her age division as well.  Let’s here it for a repeat from the Run For The Gold!  YAY!!  Linda went to get ice and I had to go and do my plyometrics that my physical therapist assigned me for after I ran.  I told Cathy that I wasn’t hurting at all and I did all the jumping exercises and the leg swings.  The forward leg swing with the right leg usually is an issue.  It wasn’t this time.  I felt incredibly blessed.

Me with my first place age division award at the Pro.Active For Life 5K - Frankfort, Kentucky
Me with my first place age division award at the Pro.Active For Life 5K – Frankfort, Kentucky

To keep me feeling good, we started walking around the area while we waited on the awards ceremony.  I placed first in my age division, so I was one of the lucky recipients of one of the custom made medals for the different age division winners and the first timer awards.  This made me incredibly happy because I had been saying I wanted one, but had been having some bad runs lately and this was a race.  That being said…I was handed one at the award ceremony.

I stuck around to cheer for Becca and for Linda…and then Tim as well.  Tim is another one of Linda’s runners (she’s an amazing coach) who hit a new PR at this race.  YAY!!  We took a big group photo at the end before I headed out to get home.  It was getting late and I had a long, long run to do the following morning.

So, the official results of the Pro.Active For Life 5K are that I finished in 22:07, just shy of the PR I set there in 2013 (when I was in my best running shape and form).  I was 22/630 finishers overall.  I was 4/422 female finishers.  And, I was 1/45 in my age division.  For the record, my first mile was done in 6:53.  After that, I was back to the mid-7 minute mile times.  It would be so nice to one day be able to hold a sub-7 minute mile, but I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon.  And that’s fine.  The whole thing that made this race my happy place was that at no point did I hurt.  Not once.  So, it might have been a fly-and-die (although, my 3rd mile was faster than my 2nd mile), I consider it a total win when I come out of any run pain free.

SO HAPPY!

It’s weird not having the Frankfort Trifecta to train for, but being able to take part in the races that made that series so great has been very rewarding for me this year.  I had to skip last year, but coming back to it this year, I have taken nothing for granted.  Not the hills, not the courses, and definitely…not the people who have seen me through it all.

Frankfort…thank you…for always being so wonderful and welcoming…and fun!  I can’t wait to come back for the next one!

Tim, Ruth, Amber, Becca, Me, and Linda after the Pro.Active For Life 5K...all sporting our bling!
Tim, Ruth, Amber, Becca, Me, and Linda after the Pro.Active For Life 5K…all sporting our bling!
Posted on

Papa John’s 10 Miler – Louisville, KY (March 26, 2016)

Me at the start of the 2016 Papa John's 10 Miler - Louisville, Kentucky
Me at the start of the 2016 Papa John’s 10 Miler – Louisville, Kentucky

Race: Papa John’s 10 Miler

Place: Louisville, Kentucky

Date: March 26, 2016

Time: 1:16:41

Three years after I last ran my favorite race held in Louisville…I finally returned.  I absolutely LOVE the Papa John’s 10 Miler.  Seriously.  I don’t call a race my favorite in the area if it really isn’t my favorite.  I just love this race, despite the hills of Iroquois Park and all of that.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks for racing (heh…I guess when I get back into something, I totally jump right back into it, eh?).  Two 2 mile sprints, a half marathon in NYC, and now a 10 miler.  Whew.

Let me tell you, the travel time and early mornings to fit in some makeup time at the office have really caught up to me too.  I was TIRED.  T-I-R-E-D.  In fact, I had logged online after doing my dynamic stretches Saturday morning before leaving for the race, and ended up almost falling asleep.  Instead, though, I ate my breakfast (Chocolate Chex…yum!), brushed my teeth, and got my race bib pinned on and put on the clothes I could discard before the start…because the 32 degree air (with it feeling like 29 degrees) meant layers were necessary.  And then…the trek over the river to Louisville.

Normally, the parking situation for the Papa John’s 10 Miler is easy.  Park at the stadium.  Good to go.  Not so much this year.  They weren’t letting anyone park at the stadium this time around.  So…that was unexpected and different.  Cathy and I ended up turning around and pulling into the parking lot of some little business and parking there, hoping against all odds that we didn’t get ticketed or towed.  Seems a lot of people followed suit with that as well.  Because we parked and soon the entire lot was parked up and so was the lawn.  Go figure.  We then had over a mile to hike from the car to start line due to this…so that was my warm up.  Because I wasn’t going to have time to do my stretches prior to the start at this rate.  I ate my banana as we walked and made the climb up the stairs to the overpass and crossed, where other runners were also making their way that way.  Got there with 10 minutes to spare.  Stretches weren’t happening.  I shed my outer layer and went to go get into the massive group of people crowding the start gate.  The wheelchair and pushers were set to go off first…so that was the beginning of the race.  My friend, Daniel, was one of the pushers.  These runners are amazing.  And the wheelchair racers…inspiring.  Especially on those hills in Iroquois.

Soon after the wheelchair and pushers were off…the start of the race was next.  And with a “Runners on your mark…GO!”  A horn sounded and we were off.  It took me less than a minute to get to the start gate, and as I ran through, I saw Cathy waiving the sign and gave her a goofy “raise the roof” move and ran past.  I was off.

Just coming off a half marathon in NYC, I had no plans to do anything but comfortably run this race.  I had no idea what my previous times (I have run it 2 times before) were for this race.  I didn’t look them up.  Something I sort of lamented around Mile 2, haha!  I think it was better that way.  It meant I really would just run this as I felt.

Me making the final turn toward the finish line of the Papa John's 10 Miler - Louisville, Kentucky
Me making the final turn toward the finish line of the Papa John’s 10 Miler – Louisville, Kentucky

Unfortunately, the cold air plays havoc with my hip these days.  I am not saying it’s perfect in warmer temperatures, but it’s 70% harder in cold weather.  The hip adductor locks up, gets tight…hurts.  So, once again, I had to really make sure I focused on my form, on lifting that right leg up, on not doing any damage to myself.  Stress fractures are not welcome here.  Ever.  Again.  Between Mile 1 and 2…I heard someone call my name and turned around, and there was Geri.  So that was really great.  She was the first person to really take note of how my running form and style has changed since seeing my running specialist.  She’s training for Boston…and London…and Grandma’s…and I’m sure another amazing adventure too.  Beast mode is always on with Geri.

So, after all of that, I ran the rest of Southern Parkway and made the turn onto New Cut Road, running toward the entrance of Iroquois Park.  Mile 3 is just before the turn into the park.  I hit it and began to make the turn into the park.  As I started on the hilly route, I came across Daniel and the athlete he was pushing for the race. I tapped him on the shoulder and told him that he was awesome.  He said, “And you’re in neon…as always.”  I might have a reputation, LOL!  And just around Mile 4, I was running past the amphitheater and I heard Tammy and Dan start shouting at me.  I gave them a wave and a smile…and it really just lifted me.  The hills started soon after that…the first one is the one the training group does hill repeats on, and I took it easy on that.  First hill.  Done.  The downhill was awesome, but I knew there were more hills to come.  I let momentum carry me down, and did that throughout the rest of the park.  Just after Mile 6, we come back out onto Southern Parkway for the straightaway back toward Papa John’s Stadium.

With the cold weather, there weren’t as many spectators that were out, but there were some…and I was happy to have them there.  I ran comfortably, trading back and forths with a few runners.  It amazes me how fast and hard people can push at later miles.  Currently, I’m not ready to push…but I love hearing people discuss their paces and goals.  My favorite was this mother running with her young son…around Mile 7 she said, “We only have one more hill at the overpass.”  And they ran past me.  I loved seeing that.  They stuck together the entire time.

Miles 7-9 are all down Eastern Parkway, and then, right at the corner with the Starbucks, is Mile 9.  Then, yes…the hill up over the overpass.  My friend, Melissa, said that I really pushed her those last few miles.  What a compliment.  She was strong the entire time.  Hills didn’t slow her down.  Nothing seemed to.  I hope to get back to that level some day.  After climbing the hill, it was down and around to make the turn to take us into the stadium.  Down the ramp, onto the AstroTurf, and I started to book it as much as I could toward that finish line.  I could hear Cathy screaming at me from across the stadium, for real.  I really pressed on the speed as much as I could (and that’s still not much right now) and ran across that finish line.

I felt great.  I was smiling.  I had a photographer come over to take my picture and then tell me that “he almost missed me.”  Neon and all, yeah…I didn’t stand out much.  LOL!!  As I just got my medal, I heard someone say, “Karen?”  It was Greg from Frankfort.  We hugged and stood around talking for awhile about running and racing and things we have coming up, officially and unofficially.  He took a picture of Melissa and I, because Greg is awesome like that.  It was nice to see him again.  He said at one point in Iroquois, we were running side by side, just like the 10K in Frankfort a couple years ago.  I didn’t even notice…but he knew it was me.  Guess I was in my zone.

I made my way out of the finish area and caught up with Cathy.  She said the lines for the massages weren’t long so I went and stood in line.  My friend, Renee, who I know from the YMCA and spin class came over and she had a new PR by 6 minutes.  That’s huge.  Cathy looked up my time on the official tracker…and I PR’d by 2 full minutes.  2 minutes, from the year I was running my best.  What.  The.  Hell.  I’m not complaining, but I wasn’t even trying.  That’s…amazing.  I was a little sore…I still blame most of that on the cold.  But I felt good.  And that was such a boost.  The massage, by the way, felt great.

Finisher of the 3016 Papa John's 10 Miler - Louisville, Kentucky
Finisher of the 3016 Papa John’s 10 Miler – Louisville, Kentucky

So…the official results of the 2016 Papa John’s 10 Miler were that I finished in 1:16:41, shaving about 2 minutes off my time from 2013.  I couldn’t believe it.  I was just running as I felt, and I felt I was running much easier and slower than I had run this race in the past.  Like I said, sometimes I surprise myself.  A lot of times that happens when I’m tired or not at my best (like with a tight and sore hip)!  I was 361/5188 overall, the 71/2915 female to cross the finish line, and I was 13/466 in my division.  I couldn’t be more proud of myself.  Or surprised.  Again.

I feel a little more confident these days when I hit the roads, but I’m still very careful and tentative.  Honestly.  But, it feels good to say that this run felt easy…and when I crossed that finish line, I felt that I could have given a bit more.  That’s a good feeling.  I hope I can continue to make easy and steady progress, and one day feel a little more confident and ready to push.  Because I am excited to see what I can make this body do.

Thanks for continuing to be my favorite Louisville race, Papa John’s 10 Miler.  This is what keeps me coming back for more.

Posted on

United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, NY (March 20, 2016)

Me after finishing the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon - New York, New York
Me after finishing the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, New York

Race: United Airlines NYC Half Marathon

Place: New York, New York

Date: March 20, 2016

Time: 1:43:53

When I go into a race without any expectations or goals…I seem to do better than anticipated.  While I had a semi-goal of being able to do my first half marathon distance after injury (for a year) in sub-2 hours, I wasn’t going to be too hard on myself if it didn’t happen.

Especially since the weather changed drastically the week of the race.

The weekend before the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon…the weather was gorgeous.  Not just in Louisville (where I ran my first official race back…the Rodes City Run 10K), but up in New York too.  I was hoping it would hold.  I do better in nicer temperatures.  But as the week went on…the gorgeous weather started to go away.

NOOOOOO!!

For much of the week, the forecast was calling for rain…cold…wind.  Then snow…cold…wind.  And then, on Friday night, it changed to just really flippin cold and really flippin’ windy.

UGH!!  Now I was in a crisis. I had my outfit planned out for weeks…but the 30 degree temps and the strong winds (and the wind chill it would bring), meant I needed to reevaluate my wardrobe.  With much reluctance, the running skirt went back into the closet and a pair of my (albeit bright) compression tights came out.  Any of you who regularly read my running blog know…I…HATE…PANTS.  So this frustrated me.  I also packed a big turtleneck lined top and a windbreaker…and at the last minute, just before walking out the door early Saturday…I tossed in a long sleeve shirt…just in case, because I never ran in a windbreaker and I was nervous it would annoy me or just not work out…in which case, I’d rather brace against the cold in layers than anything.

So, Saturday morning was an early morning for me.  I was up at 2 am to do all my physical therapy exercises.  The stretches, the dynamic stuff outside, the plyometrics.  I knew once I touched down in NYC…I was on the move…and these stretches were more important than anything else.

I admit, a little voice in my head said, “Go on…go do an easy mile or two for a shakeout before getting on the plane.”  But, as tempting as it was, I quieted that voice.  I knew I’d be on the go both at the airports and once I touched down in the city, the shakeout wasn’t important, and I didn’t need to do it.  I’d be doing ample time on my feet just moving about NYC.

See what I have learned??!!

So, we (my roommate and I) walked out the door right at 5 am (giving us time to get a light breakfast in our stomachs and (SO VERY MUCH NEEDED) coffee into our system.  We got to the Louisville airport in record time…parked…had to take a roundabout way to the Southwest Airlines counter due to renovations that are going on, and which I hope they finish up before Derby, or that airport is going to be a mess.  Security was quick, although I ended up being randomly chosen for the hand swab, and my laptop (as always) had to be examined more closely…but it was quick, painless, and we were off and heading to our gate (which was behind a bunch of renovation boards).  Like I said, the airport was sort of a mess.

Deciding that we weren’t ready to settle in yet, we took a little walk, as usual, through the airport crowds, and Cathy and I grabbed a Cool Lime Refresher at Starbucks (and she got a breakfast sammie as well) and we went back to the gate.  I downed one of the new LUNA Bars (the Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond, which has only 5 grams of sugar and tasted like an amazing caffe mocha) and then…it was time to board.  We were at the end of the A group…so it worked out perfectly.

Our flight had a small layover at Chicago Midway before we went on to NYC.  So, we took the time to stretch our legs and walk the terminal. I was really craving something sweet, so we went on the “Great Fruit Cup Hunt of Midway,” finding that everywhere that normally had fruit cups were sold out.  With 5 minutes to boarding, we finally found something at one of the food court restaurants.  It was a large fruit cup with honeydew melon, pineapple, grapes and strawberries in it.  I carried it onto our flight into Laguardia Airport and ate it while still sitting on the runway.

The flight into Laguardia was uneventful, save for the funny flight crew.  The lead flight

Me with the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon logo - New York, New York
Me with the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon logo – New York, New York

attendant was in her 50s and just…SO funny.  Love that.  It also helps calm my nerves when the flight crew is loosey-goosey like that.  I was drinking my water to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and we landed in Laguardia early.  Taxied to the jetway…disembarked…and went to baggage claim.  My bag was the 2nd one off the belt.  Cathy’s wasn’t too far behind.  With bags in hand, we called the hired car company and they had a car out to fetch us in about 5 or so minutes.  Luggage went into the trunk and we were now on our way into Manhattan…staying at a different hotel this time (which was totally our fault because we originally had the race pegged for the weekend before this one and it wasn’t until about a month before that I realized the date of the race was for the week after…in my defense, it ran a week earlier last year!)…but the traffic situation wasn’t bad and our driver was really aggressive once he got into the city blocks, LOL!  We were dropped off at the door of The Distrikt Hotel on W 40th Street and went to check in.

We were much earlier than anticipated, so our room wasn’t ready yet.  We did go ahead and leave our bags and went to go buy a Metrocard and take the subway to get to the United Airlines NYC Half Experience (the expo), which was taking place at the Metropolitan Pavilion. We headed into the Expo, which was a madhouse!  Seriously…at some points, I felt like salmon swimming upstream.  I had the registration sheet with me so I went over to where my numbers were to pick up my bib.  From there, it was through the store and over to get my official bag with my t-shirt and stuff in it.  I haven’t really looked through what else was in there.  I made one circuit of the expo before returning to the official store.  There was a great t-shirt in there, pink and purple, that I had my eye on.  But, to no surprise, my size was gone.  Disappointing for sure.  Ah well.  Except, Cathy and I realized almost all official merchandise for women had nothing left in small.  Now I remember why I order things online ahead of this.  She did manage to find me an official finisher’s t-shirt and I grabbed a Sparkly Soul headband that had the event name on it.  Purchases made.  Back into the expo.

I actually thought there would be more vendors there and more to see and lots more places to shop.  But, for the best, there wasn’t. I walked through the line of charities…I got in line to have my picture taken in front of the logo…Cathy made a couple signs (which never got used due to the 21 mph gusts of wind on race morning)…and we settled in for a moment at a table where I could charge my phone and we could catch our breath.

Me and my awesome friend Ellen at the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon Experience
Me and my awesome friend Ellen at the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon Experience

My friend, Ellen, who got in on lottery this year (I deferred last year so had automatic entry…except I had to repay the $127 registration fee), turned up to meet up with me, and brought me a nice salad to boot.  YAY for friends.  YAY for food!  We discussed what we were planning on wearing, food, and…all the crazy shit (hehehe…get it Ellen?) that runners rely on and need to have happen prior to a run.  It was fun.  I even did a Snapchat video for her giving a running tip.  She calls me her inspiration…but I think she’s mine.  She needed to get back to the charity event she was attending, and I needed to get back to the hotel to get into the room.  The travel capris I was wearing weren’t very warm against the already chilly wind of NYC.  So, we returned to the hotel, got our room, gathered our bags, and went upstairs.  We flopped for a moment before changing into jeans and heading back out…this time just to explore.  We didn’t want to stop in for dinner until at least 5 p.m.  So, we had a couple of hours to just explore.  That’s what we did, too.

With no plan, we just wandered through some of the area, stopping into shops that drew our attention.  We went and got our chocolate from Teuscher (I got a mini champagne, dark mocha, and dark salted caramel…and Cathy got a limoncello, almond, and chocolate orange truffle), which is a requirement, and ducked into the Hard Rock Café for a shotglass and a pin.  Back out and seeing the city until we decided to hike over to our pre-race dinner spot of choice, Don Antonio by Starita on W 50th Street.  They have a fantastic gluten-free pizza menu, and while they have a couple of GF and Vegan options, I stuck with the one I knew I loved and wouldn’t give me too much.  The Marinara Pizza Senza Glutine.  OMG…this is my 2nd favorite gluten-free pizza crust in the world (the first being Annie May’s Sweet Café).  I love when there is a real and actual crust on a gluten-free pizza, and not just a cracker crust.  We devoured dinner and then hiked back to the hotel to cycle through showers, giving me time to foam roll, and to eat some chocolate.  HA!  It was an early to bed night…and by 9 pm…we were turning out the lights.

I set the alarm on my phone for the first one to wake me up at 4 a.m.  It went off and I got up to use the bathroom, take my medicine, and then crawled back into bed for another 50 minutes.  The second alarm was the 5 a.m. one, and I got up and started to get changed into my running gear for the race.  Cathy was up at 5:15 to get dressed and ready.  And while I felt good all day prior to this morning, I felt tired, but in good shape for the actual race.  I was not happy that I had to wear pants to run a half marathon, but the windchill was a factor and I under-dressed once before for a full and have been nervous about doing that again ever since (hypothermia is NOT fun, my friends).  I decided to wear a long sleeve tech shirt under my warmer top with the big turtleneck top, figuring it would be good against the wind, without me trying to get used to running in a windbreaker on the fly.  I got my number pinned on, threw on the hoodie I was going to leave behind, filled up my water bottles and we were off.

We took the subway to Columbus Circle and disembarked, climbing the stairs and being

Me at then entrance of Central Park, Times Square behind me, on the morning of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon - New York, New York
Me at then entrance of Central Park, Times Square behind me, on the morning of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, New York

greeted with some of the coldest wind.  I don’t know how the dude in front of us was handling being in short running shorts, because I would have been dying.  I think he was.  But…to each their own, right?!  We walked over to the checkpoint at Central Park where Cathy had to go her own way and I had to show my bib number and enter.  We took a picture of me with Times Square behind me and then I went in.  I walked with a bunch of runners who were just talking about some of the most random stuff.  One was talking about Scott Jurek on Instagram and it was kind of amusing to me.  We went through the medal detectors and then continued on the path to the corrals.  There was a line of port-o-potties without lines and many of the people I was walking with went to take advantage of them…and I kept on trekking.  I made my way to the line of corrals, working my way up to the one for 10000-10999.  I did a few of my dynamic warm-up moves from physical therapy, but the air temperature was enough to make me not want to do it anymore.  I did one set of each, then hunkered down and shivered for a good half hour more.  It was really, really cold.  When the corrals opened for the start of the wheelchair race, I stepped inside and did a few static stretches just to loosen up.  From the onslaught of the cold wind, my hip was already not loving me.  It began to ache during the easy walk from security to the corals.  Seriously, my body and cold weather never got along, but it really doesn’t get along with it these days.

The wheelchair racers, hand crank racers, and elite women were all sent off by 7:15 a.m.  It was awesome standing in the corral and being able to see each group take off.  When the elite women took up, I cheered loudly for Molly Huddle, who is from Elmira, NY…my hometown area.  She’s amazing.  She’s fast.  She set a new course record that morning and it came down to an eighth of a second…it was THAT close.  The elite men went off with Wave 1 at 7:30 a.m..  Then my wave…Wave 2…were shuffled forward for our 7:45 a.m. start.  It was really exciting.  When the airhorn blew to send us off, I began the walk toward the official start, and started my Garmin as I crossed.  The first step already had my hip screaming at me.  I struggled through the final mile of a 10K the weekend prior…and I just started a half marathon.  I really just made a point go focus on my form and my breathing, and just finding a comfortable pace to run at.  As I said, I had no goals or expectations…just to have fun and to finish what I start.  Well…I started.  I now had to finish.

Me running through the 10K mark of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon - New York, New York
Me running through the 10K mark of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, New York

The 6 miles through Central Park are beautiful and quiet.  There were pockets of spectators out there, but mostly it was runners, our feet, and our breathing.  Being the start of the race, I would catch snatches of conversations people were having as they ran the race with friends or running partners.  It keeps me amused.  Some people were tucked into their earbuds, their music propelling them forward.  There was a couple running together, and on the back of his shirt was a sign that said “Baby on Board” and an arrow pointing to his wife who was running right next to him.  The people inside the park were loud and awesome and the little loop we do outside the park to turn around and head back in…was packed, crowded and loud.  I love a good crowd.  The hills of Central Park are respectable, but my hill repeats have been more intense than those, so while they slowed me down slightly, they didn’t have me huffing and puffing.  I’m learning to love to hate to love those hill repeat sessions more and more.  I didn’t check my pace on my watch at any point, but I hit the 5K mark and felt like I was coming along well for someone who was fighting hip pain twinges since the start.  With the hills now behind us, the runners exit Central Park onto 7th Avenue.  Cathy said she’d be outside the park to see me there, so I got to the left per her instructions and headed up 7th Avenue.  She was tucked into the pocket of the turn, but I heard her shouting and screaming and I gave a wave at her as I ran past.  It lifted my spirits, for sure.  And it was on to run down 7th Avenue and into Times Square.

I think Times Square was my favorite part of this race.  The crowd was intense.  There was so much noise.  All the screens were lit up.  The Kids Mile was running through there.  There was so much energy there…that it just pulsed through you.  I loved every stretch of this portion of the race.  And it is the part I remember the most.  I love a good crowd.

And with the extreme winds we were getting, it was a great way to start off the last stretch of the race.  This portion is pretty flat, save for just after the 20K mark.  So, it was nice to easily pick up the pace a little here.  Miles 8-12 really just have you fighting the windtunnels that are 42nd Street.  Here you make a U-Turn and head down the West Side Highway.  Wind.  Lots of wind.  Thankfully there was music blasting at various stages throughout this stretch of the run.  The crowds were sparse, but there were some spectators out there to cheer.  But without the bands, this might have been a tough slog through these 4 miles.  However, as the miles tick down, One World Trade Center/Freedom Tower keep getting closer and closer.  It’s gorgeous.  I can’t tell you how long I just kept my eyes on that building, minding each time I drew up my right leg, making sure I wasn’t overcompensating due to the hip pain.  This was…uplifting.

Mile 12 takes runners through the Battery Park Underpass.  This…was fun.  Seriously.  You are underground for a long while.  Runners scream and shout and let out whoops as they run through the dark, spooky tunnel. I loved it.  I even left my sunglasses on.  Just powered on through.  Running through tunnels is fun.  For some reason, I always smile more in them.  The 20K mark was just as we were let out to run up a hill.

Me coming out of the Battery Park Underpass at the 20K mark of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon - New York, New York
Me coming out of the Battery Park Underpass at the 20K mark of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon – New York, New York

This is where Cathy was situated to see me before I hit the finish line.  LOVED this little uplift right at the end.  I waived and smiled as she shouted, “YOU REALLY ARE ALMOST THERE!”  And so, I burst up the hill and got hit by one hell of a headwind.  NYC has this way of always being super windy when I run there.  So…I battled the headwind and just ran…ran…ran…rounding a corner…passing up a pace group….rounding another turn and seeing that finish line.  As I ran this race rather conservatively, I still had some go in the tank and so…I powered up, powered through, and crossed that finish line.

I stopped my Garmin…and the tears just started going.  I didn’t know my official time.  I didn’t check the Garmin.  I competed and finished my first half marathon since my hip labrum tear over a year ago.  And I could still move.  No limping.  Just a small ache.  I had done what I thought I wouldn’t be able to do…and it turns out I did it well.

We were filtered through the finisher’s area where we had medals hung around our necks and mylar sheets wrapped around us to keep us warm.  We were given these nice bags filled with snacks, Gatorade and water, and then shuttled out toward Battery Park.  At the exit, Cathy was waiting.  I hurried over and got a hug and she said, “YOU KILLED IT!!  Do you want to know your time?”  Of course I did.  She told me…and I started crying.  Not only was it better than I anticipated, it was better than I could have dreamed of doing, given the circumstances.

Our bodies find ways of surprising us.  And I think not having a specific goal or pace I wanted to hit helped.

So, the official results of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon are that I finished in 1:43:53.  I was 3318/20,149 finishers overall.  I was 786/10,556 female finishers.  And I was 132/1706 finishers in my division.  I, honestly, couldn’t have run this any better.  Since the cold weather made me sore from just shivering at the start, I just took this race one step at a time…one mile at a time.  And I LOVED it.  I loved this race.  It was…probably….one of my favorite half marathons I have ever run.  Even in the cold…and the wind…and the suck…it was just…fun.  And I had fun running it.  It was a struggle at times…but I finished it and I felt good at the end.

Afterwards, we hopped the subway back to the hotel where I showered and changed.

Cathy, Me and Marisa after a great evening of celebration at Red Rooster Harlem.
Cathy, Me and Marisa after a great evening of celebration at Red Rooster Harlem.

Cathy and I went to Empire Coffee & Tea House where I got a Pumpkin Spice Latte (dairy free…made with almond milk…and YUMMY!).  Then we ended up hiking around NYC the rest of the day with Cathy and my friend Marisa, who I have known since high school.  We stopped in at bakeries (I bought 3 cookies from By The Way (BTW) Bakery) and a tea shop (where I had the Energitea…an amazing green blend).  We settled in for a bit at the hotel before getting ready to head to dinner at Red Rooster Harlem.  You might recall, Red Rooster is where I celebrated my NYC Marathon finish…so I wanted to go back for this.  And it was amazing.  Once again, the chef created a dish to fit my dietary needs…and I was SO impressed.  I even had dessert.  And fun.  We sat and talked over mint tea and listened to the live jazz music in the bar before calling it a night and making the trek back from Harlem to Midtown.  We said goodbye to Marisa and settled in for the night.

Overall…I’m already ready to come back to NYC…even if I don’t have a race.  There is always so much to see and do.  But…this time…for me…the highlight was getting through the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon…after having to defer it last year.  It was just the boost I needed.