The Loop: 30k trail race

Perfect morning for a 30k trail race!

 Yesterday morning, my alarm went off at 5:40am. I had waited tables the night before at Vivo, so I was still pretty exhausted. The hardest part was getting out of bed, but once I was up, I was up! Scott and I gathered our gear, downed a bowl of cereal, and out the door we went.

We had signed up to participate in Rogue's 30k trail race, The Loop. The trail was on the motor cross loop out at Emma Long Park. The 10k course was 1 loop and the 30k was 3 loops. We drove the 15-20 minute drive to get there and arrived with about 20 minutes to spare. Just enough time to say hello to a fellow Rogue and use the bathroom a few times.

At 7am, we were off!  It was a bit of a bottle-neck at the start as we all started out in a big group and the trail quickly became a narrow, 1-2 person path. Right away, I tripped and almost lost it. One dude shouted out, "oooh, you don't want to fall here, you'll get trampled!"  Scott and I slowed it down a bit and we let a few people who were on our heels go around us. We settled into a comfortable pace and focused on getting up and over the rocky climbs. The terrain wasn't too bad, a mixture of rocks/hills/twisting flats.

It wasn't even  20 minutes in, and I caught my left toe on a rock. There was no stopping it, I was going down....Hard! I crashed into the ground and slid on my hands and stomach. I laid there for a few seconds as a few people around me asked if I was ok. I got up and brushed myself off. I had gouged open my thumb and palm on some sharp rocks, skinned my knee, both thighs, and elbow. I fought back the tears! Thankfully, Scott was there and told me to ease back into running so I wouldn't tighten up. Having him talk to me really helped keep the waterworks under control.

War wound #1

War wound #2

We came through the first aid station and I rinsed out my wounds. We grabbed some water and were on our way again. I was feeling pretty good, minus the stinging pain.  The weather was perfect...sunny and cool. Without even realizing it, I had picked up my pace a bit and Scott and I were separated. As I finished up my first loop, I ran past the second aid station and made a bee-line to the bathrooms. It was a quick pit stop, and I popped back out on to the trail for loop 2.  I looked for Scott, but didn't see him anywhere....I just figured he had passed me while I was in the bathroom, so I set out to maybe catch up to him. ( Loop 1 time: 1:05:04)

 My pace felt very comfortable. I didn't really feel like I was working too hard, so I maintained this pace and picked it up a bit on the flat sections of the course. At this point on the course, there wasn't anyone else around me, I was basically running this section solo.  Before I knew it, I was already at that first aid station again. I fueled up on some Stinger chews and re-laced my shoes. This aid station was over 1/2 way through the loop, so I knew I had less than 3 miles to go before I was done with another loop.

I came through loop 2 in 2:07:15. Feeling good, knowing I had one last loop to go, I just kept a steady pace. My legs were starting to tire a bit and I really started to notice it on the rocky climbs. My feet were also starting to hurt as I descended. I am guessing my shoes weren't laced tight enough because I noticed my big toes kept smashing into the front of the shoe.

As we looped around, part of the trail opened up a bit and I could see the last aid station down below. I noticed Scott was there taking in some water. So he was only slightly behind me. I pushed on and as the temps increased a bit, I just focused on getting to aid station #1 for some cold liquids.....once there, I downed a cup of gatorade, took in some more chews, took in a cup of sprite, and a cup of water.  Now, I was less than 3 miles to the finish!!

I passed a few dudes after the aid station and then I heard sirens. This freaked me out a bit, guessing that maybe someone either had a heart attack or passed out. For that last stretch, it was just me, the sounds of sirens, and my feet pounding the ground. I passed a few more people and then as aid station #2 came into view, a woman told me to be careful. A truck was on the path and it turns out that another competitor had fallen and broken her nose.

I rounded the corner, passed the truck, and finished the last stretch of the race. I came through in 3:09:37. Yay! It was done, and I had really enjoyed myself ( minus the fall! )

I registered for this race thinking it would be a good way to stay involved with Rogue since I wasn't signed up for any upcoming training plans. It fell nicely into my training plan ( well, maybe it was a few more miles than I should have run this weekend) and it gave me a chance to get out on some trails that are normally only open to motorcycles. I went into it with the mindset of just having fun.  I had just ridden 60 miles on my tri bike the day before so I wasn't looking to race or anything.

However, it seems that when I am out at races, feeling relaxed and having fun equals good results! I ended up placing 2nd female overall! Good enough for an award!

Ironman Training has begun!

Last year, on September 12, 2011, Scott and I waited patiently in line for 2+ hours in Madison, WI to sign up for Ironman Wisconsin. Once I was signed up, my first thought was...."holy crap, there is no backing out now! This is for real!"  Then, I put it out of my head and didn't really think about it again...until now.

My first official training day started on Thursday, April 19th. Just two days after I had slogged through and completed the Boston Marathon. Normally, after a marathon I usually end up taking about 2-3 weeks off and then jump back into training. Not this time...but I didn't care! I was eager to begin training. I was ready to break up the monotony of running 6 days a week with multiple sport training days.

Here's a little break down (by sport) of what's been going on in my athletic life for the past 2 weeks:

SWIM

As per the advice of my coach ( Scott Towle) I have been doing 2-3 swims/wk so far. Being a member of Pure Austin Quarry Lake gives me the option of either doing an open water swim or pool swim if I want. The first week of training, I started out in the pool since I hadn't been in open water since my triathlon last September. I did 30 minutes of laps and realized I was clearly out of swimming shape! I did a few more pool swims after that and then hit the open water with my triathlete friend, Leah. She was testing out her wetsuit before her 1/2 IM that upcoming weekend, so I figured I'd test mine out as well.  After about 15 minutes of struggling to get the thing on only to realize it was on backward, I struggled again for another 15 and was then, finally ready to slide into the water.

A few perks to the full-body wetsuit: Not only does it keep you pretty warm, it gives you buoyancy. That will definitely help out on race day! 

I only ended up doing one loop around the lake with Leah ( she was a ways ahead of me ) which only came out to a little less than a half a mile. Honestly though, my breathing was SO off and I felt like I was gasping for air the entire time. I just wouldn't have made it around a second loop.

Feeling like I hadn't gotten in a great swim workout, I came back later that night for another round of open water with Scott, this time, sans wetsuit. Again, I only did one loop, but as I started out and settled into the swim, I felt a lot more calm and was actually able to breathe every other stroke.

The next visit to the lake, I did two loops with about 3-5 minutes rest in between. This time went pretty smooth and I felt faster than usual. However, I believe this was due to the fact that every time I glanced around in the water, I was pretty sure there was some sort of scary creature right ahead of me or next to me.  At one point I turned a corner past a buoy and looked down...ahhh, a snake. Nope, just the rope anchoring the buoy. This fear propelled me along, but also drained my energy and messed with my air supply, leaving me gasping at the end of each loop.   I only hope that the more I do the open water swims, the easier it'll get and maybe I'll be able to at least keep my deep, dark water fears in check.

Scott and I will also be hitting a Master's swim class once a week. First session started today at 5:30am. The one hour workout of drills and speed definitely kicked my butt. I was spent after finishing up this class. I do think this is exactly what both of us needs though, someone to push us and help us correct our stroke/breathing. It was a fairly small group of about 5 (including us) so we'll be getting some one on one coaching which will be nice. I am already looking forward to next week!!

BIKE

This is where I am going to need the most work, on the bike. I am a fairly new cyclist, having only started about a year ago. Since then, I have at least learned how to successfully clip in and out of my pedals ( for the most part!), shift gears, and have gained some racing experience ( olympic tri last September ). I am obviously still lacking in experience and would still consider myself a beginner on the bike. Within these past two weeks though, I have already completed a few long(ish) rides on the bike. My last one was 39 miles, with a brutal headwind on the way back nonetheless. The hardest part of the long ride is adjusting to sitting on the saddle for 2+ hours, which will quickly become over 6 hours when I hit the bulk of my training. Hello, butt pain and saddle sores! Ouch! Thank goodness they invent products similar to body glide for the cycling shorts with numbing properties as an added bonus. I attempt my first actual hill ride tonight and will be heading out for a 50mile ride on Saturday morning.

Even though I'm still a beginner, I'm really enjoying the cycling workouts. I'm absolutely in love with my tri bike ( thanks, Nicole!) and look forward to continual improvement.

RUN

I already have run fitness from my training from Boston. Now it's just a matter of maintaining. It definitely feels strange not to be running as much as I'm normally used to, however, it's a nice break.  My run schedule includes 3 runs: 2 during the week ( Tuesday, Thursday ) and 1 long run on the weekends ( usually Sunday mornings).  I did 10 miles last Sunday and this coming weekend, I'm slated for 14.  Scott's plan has my total mileage during the week equaling up to my long run mileage. So for this week, I should be doing 7 on Tuesday and 7 on Thursday. Since I also ride on Tuesday and Thursdays, most of my runs come after I've already done at least an hour on the bike. It's been difficult adjusting to the jello-like legs during the first mile or so after coming off the bike. But it's good practice for me to be doing these bricks since  I'll be running many miles after riding many more during the actual race.

I do miss my Tuesday night speed workouts with Rogue, but Scott and I still manage to squeeze in a little bit of speed during our runs. On Tuesday night, we dropped the hammer a bit in the middle of our 6 mile run, hitting a 6:35/mile pace. This was after we had ridden on Parmer for 1 hour and 5 minutes. So, the leg speed isn't completely gone. :)

Boston Marathon 2012: Massive Meltdown

Oh, the Boston Marathon....a place where runners sail through the first 13.1 miles with ease, cruise on up and over heartbreak hill and sprint through the finish, all while taking in the magical shouts and cheers of the endless crowds that line the streets. Or so I thought....However, mother nature had something else in mind....HOT HOT HEAT!  The forecast was calling for sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80's. 

Encouragement and support from Austin...my co-workers rock!

Arriving in Boston, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with excitement...I was here, I had made it!
The weather was kind of an afterthought for me at this point. Coming in from Austin, TX, I just kept thinking,"Yeah, I'm prepared. I got this....I've been training in this kind of weather. The heat won't hold me back this time." There was no way, I was going to defer until next year ( race officials were giving people this option ).  I had traveled all this way, people had paid for me to get here, no backing out now.....2012 was going to be my year!

RACE DAY:

That morning, I awoke in my twin bunk bed ( I was staying in a hostel ) climbed down the wobbly ladder and pulled on my lululemon swiftly tee and speed shorts. A few of the other girls staying in my room were also running. We grabbed a quick bite in the hostel kitchen, gathered our things and headed out the door. Turns out, the weathermen were actually correct in their predictions...the sun was shining and temps were rising, already in the mid 70s.

 We walked the 15 minute walk to the bus-loading area in Boston Commons and stepped into the ridiculously long line, which actually moved rather quickly. Before I knew it, we were on our way to the start!  While en route, I made small talk with the woman sitting next to me. It was also her first Boston marathon and she too didn't feel too nervous about the weather, having arrived from Florida. We discussed race times, future races, and our plans for this race. 

All of a sudden, our bus was pulling over....we were all confused, as we were only half way there. Then looking out the bus windows, a dude from the bus in front of us was crouched down along side the edge of the highway amongst the sparse weeds, taking care of business. Ha ha, I guess sometimes when you have to go, you have to go!

We were back on the road and about 15 minutes later, the sign for Hopkinton came into view. We were almost there....the energy was high at this point, I was excited! I had my plan in mind and just continued to visualize as I patiently awaited the start line. Once we all hopped off the bus, Christina (hostel bunk mate) and I immediately got into the first bathroom lines we saw ( of course, it seemed to be the slowest line with no toilet paper, never fails!).  While waiting in the line that wasn't moving, I happened to look up and see some familiar faces....Keila, Alisa, and Sheila!!  Quick hugs and good lucks were exchanged! Even though our hellos were brief, it was still nice to see some friends in a sea of strangers.

After finally using the bathrooms, we made our way over to the other athlete village. I went out to the buses to drop my bag and then made my way back to the village. As I waited in the bathroom line one last time, I noticed that I was already sweating profusely. I could feel the sun beating down. I thought to myself, this can't be good....However, I managed to stay calm and just think about my race strategy. I was more than prepared.

My 10:20am wave was called and we started to make our way to the start line. It was a bit of a walk to get there and everyone was grabbing cups of water before we even took off. I hopped into corral 3 and waited with everyone else.

And then....we were off!

I pushed the start on the Garmin and tried to settle into pace....Mile 1 seemed to go by a lot quicker than I imagined. I looked down, yep. Too fast! I clocked a 7:25. I reigned it in, knowing I definitely wouldn't be able to hold that pace if I kept it up, especially in the heat. The next mile was better, 7:30, yet still too fast. So I slowed down even more.....5k mark, boom! Right on pace! I was feeling decent at this point, yet not great. I pushed on to mile 4 and checked in with myself and the Garmin....I had slowed a bit, 7:45ish pace. I tried not to panic. There was plenty of time.  However, coming through mile 5, I was already starting to feel the effects of the heat, and my pace was slower than the last mile. By the 10k mark, I was even slower, clocking an 8:00 minute/mile pace. It was all downhill from there.....

I decided to abandoned my race plan pretty early on, mostly because my body just couldn't handle the heat. I've already experienced heatstroke/exhaustion multiple times in races and really didn't want to end up in the medical tents once again. Without any cloud cover or shade in sight and temps in the mid 80's, it was impossible for me to keep up that 7:38/mile pace. After realizing that my hopes of a 3:20 PR just wasn't going to happen, I kind of just let loose and tried to have as much fun as I could with the race.  I mean, this was Boston, if I wasn't going to PR, I was at least going to have fun....and I did!

As we neared Wellesley around mile 11.5 and I caught a glimpse of the sign "Wellesley is all in", I could hear a dull roar and I knew, the wall of women wasn't too far away. As they came into sight, the roar got louder and it was just screams and cheers all around. These ladies were excited! I couldn't help but smile! This helped push me on! ( I end up coming through 13.1 in 1:50:43....over 10 minutes off of what I was hoping to do.)

As the race went on and I was nearing 16, I was feeling the effects of the heat....at this point, I was just pushing myself to get from water stop to sprinkler to water stop.  Awhile back, the Garmin stopped clocking my mile splits, so I was going purely by feel from here on out. The crowd support was overwhelmingly awesome!! Everyone was out there to help cool us off, with hoses, ice buckets, and orange slices.  At one point, I just saw a kid holding out a Popsicle...I swooped in and grabbed that...ahhh, root beer! It wasn't a part of my race day nutrition, but it tasted AMAZING! 

Then, there it was, heartbreak hill.....so many people were walking up it. Not me, I was running this whole hill. Surprisingly, even in the heat, this hill wasn't as bad as everyone says. Granted, I wasn't clocking any amazing times at this point....probably a 10 minute mile, if I remember correctly, but I was shuffling up it!

While on the hill, I saw another popsicle....strawberry! After eating half, I had to toss it aside.  The heat was starting to make me feel a little nauseous and any other food at this point wasn't sitting so well, but there was no way I was puking in this race! I decided to stick to ice cubes from there on out.


I pushed on, and by mile 21.... I had to walk a bit (really bad side stitch-probably due to the popsicle!) Of course, who do I see??? More friends!! NYC running buddies cheering me on! Francis was snapping photos and Steven offered me some much needed gatorade. I chatted for a bit and then continued on....5 more miles to go!!!

Francis capturing me as I'm walking out a side stitch!

At this point, it was just a mental game....my goal had gone from 3:20 PR, to try to qualify again, to just have fun, to just FINISH! I was exhausted and starting to melt!!  We were approaching the Boston College cheer area and I had to walk a bit again....I was really starting to feel the chunks rising in my throat! And then, my favorite part of the race.....

While walking a bit more, I see this crowd of about 15-20 college kids along the right side of the course. I hear them chanting a number...1-1-9-1-0....11910....wait a sec, that's me!! I couldn't walk now! I pushed the thought of puking out of my head and started running. The entire group erupted in cheers....with a grin from ear to ear, I continued on once more!

By mile 24, it was becoming a struggle...my mouth and throat were SO dry but I was afraid to drink anything for fear that I just might throw it right back up. I looked over to my right side and a dude was up against the wall, vomiting rivers of brown ( I can only assume it was chocolate GU).  I didn't want that to be me, nor did I really want to see that any longer, so I picked up my pace a bit.

By mile 25, I just didn't want to be doing this any more. However, I remembered that JC and Nicole said they'd be stationed somewhere between mile 25 and 26 and there was no way I was going to be walking if or when I saw them. Unfortunately, I never did see them. But, before I knew it, I had turned the corner onto Boylston Street....there was the 26 mile marker....and up ahead, the finish line. A glorious sight....I picked up my pace as much as I could.....FINALLY, across the line!!  In a record slow time of 4:13:16,  I had completed the Boston Marathon.

Sadly, this race turned out to be the complete opposite of what I was expecting to do. At first, I was disappointed. After thinking about how much work I had put into training, running such a prestigious race in a time that was almost 1 hour off of my goal time didn't really feel like something to be proud of. However, the more and more I though about it, I was realizing that everyone else out there was in the same boat, battling the heat and just hanging on, missing their goals by a long-shot as well. Now that it's been over 2 weeks since race day and I've had time to digest the results, I can be proud of the fact that I stuck it out and just finished. This just wasn't my year, but I can only hope there will be more Boston marathons in my future. It wasn't an ordinary race day and even though I didn't PR, I still managed to have fun in tough conditions, smiling almost the entire way.

View my race photos here!

The Perfect Race

It's Monday, April 16th and I'm up early. My alarm goes off at 5:30 and I jump out of bed. I get dressed in my gear and head out to where the buses are parked to ship us all out to Hopkinton, where the start of the Boston marathon takes place. I am in wave 2 so they recommend we board the buses that are taking off between 6:30-7:00am.  I am always early with everything I do, so I am there a few minutes before 6:30!
On the ride over, I sit quietly and go over my race plan in my head. The nerves are high but I just keep repeating silently, stay calm, you've got this, stay calm. Continual  deep breaths help me to relax. We arrive at the start and everyone unloads. I seek out the port-o-potties and jump in line. I take care of things and then we wait.....

At 9:35, I exit my corral and head in the direction of the start line. Then....BANG! The gun goes off and we're on our way! I expect mile 1 to be quick....surprisingly, I am disciplined enough to roll through mile one only 5 seconds quicker than I should be. I tell myself, this is still too quick, so I ease back on the pace a bit. The downhill pulls me but I resist enough to keep my pace in check. As I coast through the miles, I'm feeling good...I check in around mile 5 and realize I am calm and collected.  At mile 7, I take in some fuel and continue on.  I come through the half way point in 1:40:15, only about a minute slower than I need to be to hit that goal time. I am not worried though because I know I am pretty good at picking up the pace in the later miles of the race. 

I begin to slightly notice the rising temps, but quickly push this out of my mind. No time to focus on the weather, I'm still feeling great. Training in the Texas heat has definitely helped in preparation for this. As I continue on and approach mile 15, I check in with myself and smile knowing I am still feeling good. I focus on sticking with people around me. By mile 20, we're approaching Heartbreak hill, and I'm ready. I think back to that tough "Run from Hell" that I endured a few weeks before and know I'm strong enough to get over these few hills that stand in the way of me and the finish line.

I crest the hill and settle back into my rockin' 7:38 pace. A 10k to go and I'm there! I now focus on picking off those who are hurting in front of me. This helps take my mind off of the pain I am also feeling. I hurt and I feel like I want to slow down, but I push that thought right on out. I will NOT slow down, I've worked too hard and want this too bad to let my body give up.  Crowds are cheering and the energy is high. It helps lift my spirits and push me forward.  As Coach James said, nothing else matters in this moment, except for how I'm feeling and what my goal is for this race.....I WILL hit that 3:20 mark....

The last few miles of the race are the toughest. I just want to be done. The thought of walking creeps into my head. NO...NO NO NO....I will not let myself think this. It'd be too easy to walk, and marathons aren't easy. If they were, everyone would do them. I came here to work, and that's just what these last few miles are....pure, painful work.  Plus, there's NO WAY I'm walking at this point in the race. I know Coach Cane and NSQ are stationed between miles 25 and 26 and after my poor showing in NYC when I was walking in the race right past Coach Cane, I'm not letting that happen again.   I focus on the person in front of me....I focus on how amazing it will feel to run a 3:20, how proud I'll feel when I  call my boyfriend and family and tell them, "I did it". I accomplished the goal I set out to do! As I thnk these things....I'm down to a mile to go.  I see Coach Cane and NSQ, I smile and give a small wave.....half a mile......1/4 mile.....800 meters......400 meters....I sprint.....I cross the finish line!!!! ( I remember not to look down and stop my Garmin!)  I realize, I have done it....I have run a 3:20:00.....right on the dot!! I feel amazing!!!!! And now, I deserve a beer!! :)

I have amazing friends!

I couldn't leave for Boston without thanking two very important people who have made this trip possible.....

About a month or so ago, I started looking for flights from Austin to Boston. After searching for a bit on JetBlue and Kayak, I was soon realizing this trip may not actually happen. Since going back to school, funds have been tight and I haven't been making what I once used to when I lived in nyc. I didn't want to completely rule out the trip, so I waited another week and checked back once again. This was definitely one of those times where procrastination does not pay off....the flights had climbed even higher! It quickly became apparent that I just didn't have enough time to save and pay for a flight to Boston. The trip was out of the picture and the race wasn't going to happen....

But then, I received an email a day later:

"Kara and I had lunch together last Friday and I mentioned the Boston marathon. She said you might not run it due to the cost of everything. We would like to help and buy you the plane ticket :) If you're Ok with staying in a hostel, or something of that nature, we really want to do this for you. We hate to think of you not running after all of your hard work. Let us know what you think. And please, please consider if you're ok with the rooming accommodations...this is what friends are for! We love you :) " 

I was literally almost moved to tears. I thought to myself, wow, I have amazing friends! I am one lucky girl! 

Always there for support!

Kara Grenier and Virginia Whetstone have been with me on this journey to qualify for Boston from the very beginning. We met through Team in Training and became inseparable running buddies! We would meet at 5:30am during the week and run loops in Prospect park, run bridges, attend Jazzy's bootcamps or do hill repeats all before work. We've done countless NYRR races, waking up and trekking to central park while most were still in bed or just getting home from the bars. We've endured freezing runs, exhaustingly hot runs, and even runs in pouring rain. (Remember those 1/2mile repeats in that torrential downpour when NO OTHER people were crazy enough to be out there, ladies?!)  Needless to say, we've logged many miles together and have gotten to share some pretty intimate running experiences with each other.  (Thanks again for getting me through the last 6 miles of the nyc marathon, V! Couldn't have finished without you!)

Celebrating after the marine corps marathon.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you both for being my biggest cheerleaders and believing in me! You both have really made my year by doing this for me and I hope to one day repay you. I wouldn't be heading to Boston for Monday's race if it weren't for your generosity, so, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! 

This race is for you girls! Love you both!

I'm Going to Boston!

In honor of my upcoming race, I figured I'd share my experience of how I qualified for this big day.

Ever since I started training for marathons, I have dreamed of qualifying for Boston. Even during my first marathon, I had it in my head that I was going to qualify. I had the speed, but, not the experience. However, it quickly became apparent that my speed was what was causing all of the problems.....I was just going out WAY too fast and paying for it in the later miles of the race. Now, normally a runner would be grateful for speedy legs. However, when someone such as myself doesn't apply proper pacing strategies learned during practice, it spells disaster. I would usually run out of steam around mile 18-20 and those last miles would be complete torture, turning into a walk/run. After my first marathon turned out to be a disappointing experience ( a blog post for a later time!), my second still not what I expected, and my third turning into a disaster, it was time to take a different approach.

After bonking 3 times, marathon #4 had to be different. I was training with City Coach in NYC and almost everyone in the group was training for Boston in the spring of 2011. Since I missed qualifying during the NYC marathon that past fall, Coach Jonathan Cane suggested the Charlottesville marathon in Virginia for those of us not doing Boston.  The race was also in April so I figured why not? It would give me a chance to train on the same schedule as everyone else and I'd never been to Charlottesville. Could be fun?!

I trained well for the race and felt prepared to run a fast time, however, due to my past history, Coach Cane suggested I throw any thoughts of Boston out the window and just have fun with this race. Don't worry about time, don't even wear a watch! After some coaxing, I decided to take his advice. In the back of my mind, I knew I'd probably always have that Boston qualifying time (3:40 for women in my age group) etched into my brain, however, I desperately needed that new approach.

RACE DAY:
My alarm sounded at 5:15am and I got up to force down some instant oatmeal. I paced around and did my whole morning race routine while calling to set up a cab ride. As the minutes ticked by and the cab driver still hadn't shown, I panicked a bit and stepped outside my door to notice some girls getting into a pick-up with marathon gear. Thinking this was a small town and I should be fine, I hopped in with them for the short ride over to the start. I chatted for a bit with these strangers and they informed me they were both running the half, while the one driving lit up a cigarette. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!

Anyway, we arrived, I jumped out, thanked them for the ride and immediately jumped into the bathroom line. While waiting, I ran into Hanna ( City Coach member) and her boyfriend, Michael( who graciously let me ride along with them from NYC to Charlottesville) who were also running the full marathon. After checking our bags and wishing each other good luck, we all headed out to the start line. It was a chilly start to the day...I dont' think it was even above 40 degrees. I was all prepared with my arm warmers, but wishing I had gloves. Nothing I could do about it now!

I surprisingly felt calm while chatting with a few other runners as we waited for the gun to go off. Most likely due to the fact that I wasn't feeling pressured to hit a certain time, I was here to have fun!

BANG! At 6:30am, the gun went off, and it was go time! I eased into the race and made sure to hold back. I checked my watch( oops, wore a watch!) at mile one just to gauge where I was at...clocked an 8:45. Mile 2: 8:35, Mile 3: 8:40....after about mile 4, I remembered Coach Cane's advice and stopped incessantly checking my time. I settled into the run and approached each mile solely by how I was feeling. Only at the 1/2 way point when we split off from the half-marathoners, did I finally glance down at my watch. Oh my gosh, I was within Boston range! I still had a chance!! I tried not to get too excited because Boston was NOT the reason I was running this race.

On my way to a BQ!

I relaxed and approached the 2nd half of the race like the first, occasionally glancing at the watch and running by how I felt. Going into this race, I knew it was going to be hilly. But man, this was just ridiculous...one after the other, they just kept coming.  I'd crest one only to view another shortly up ahead.

Around mile 15, another runner latched on and started chatting with me. I stayed focused but politely responded to his questions. Another girl also paced off of us as well and it helped the miles go by a little quicker. The dude running with the girl and I kept making comments about another girl up ahead..." did you see the girl with the blond pigtails? Her boobs are huge...they have to be fake!"  Well, "fake boobs mcgee" became my target and I slowly tried to catch up to her. In the midst of doing so, I noticed, I was feeling GOOD. A rarity for me! Meanwhile, while I was feeling good, others around me were not. I was slowly picking people off on each hill we approached.  By mile 22, the double loop of hills was done and I was still picking people off. I felt awesome and started to increase the pace a little more as we were now heading back toward town. With less than 2 miles to go, I passed some screaming spectators yelling, "the finish line is near!" I glanced at my watch one last time and realized, holy crap!, this Boston thing is actually going to happen!!!  I finished the marathon in a time of 3:27:43, a new PR by over 20mins! I never was able to catch "boobs mcgee" but keeping her within sight helped me focus on something other than the exhaustion I was feeling and helped pull me forward. Besides, I didn't care, I had just qualified for Boston!  This race is proof that patience does pay off.  I clearly just needed to take the pressure off and have fun!!

*To anyone looking for a fun, small-town race, this is it! I don't know if it's because I had such an awesome race or because I tend to enjoy the small race vibe more, but I would definitely recommend this one. The crowds are a bit sparse but the cheering sections come just when you need them the most.  If you want to feel like a big fish in a small pond ( as JC said ), go run Charlottesville. I was #57 overall and ended up making it into the local paper :) *

2 Weeks Until Boston!

A few updates are in order! 

1. I've failed at my at my sweets challenge. Everything was going smoothly and I made it 28 days without any desserts. Then my sister came to town and I got weak. She had never experienced the awesomeness that is Amy's ice cream, so I had to take her. I felt slightly guilty cheating, but it was worth it. A small cup of honey graham + dark chocolate was oh so good. I haven't gone crazy with the sweets since then though( minus 1 cadbury cream egg- 'tis the season!) and I plan to refrain from any other sweets until April 16th.  After cutting sweets out though, I did notice that I craved them less and less as the days went by. The first few days without were the toughest though. I thought about them a lot and it was easy to forget that I was even doing the challenge. I almost slipped a few times during the first few days. I noticed the cravings most after my longer runs, craving brownies and sugary soda after the 22 milers. Even though I did fail, I know that holding out these next few weeks will still make that rewarding dessert after the marathon taste that much better.

2. I have now entered the taper phase of marathon training! A lot of runners hate the taper phase, but I actually enjoy it. It's a nice mental break from the daunting 22 milers and having to plan your day around when you're going to fit in those medium and long runs. Gives me a chance to rest up a bit and roll out my ever-tight calves. 

A little re-cap on the memorable workouts(since I've failed to blog for the bulk of my Boston training.): 

1. The "Run From Hell"- This run took place on March 10th and the name of this run truely describes every moment of it. It was supposed to be 22-24 miles of ups and downs through the hill country of Austin. It started out as a drizzly dark run ( we met at 6:30am) and quickly turned into a torrential downpour. Thankfully, I had company on this run ( made a new friend, Gina, who runs with Rogue Downtown and is also training for Boston). We stuck together through the gusty winds & rivers of rain, lightning, chilly temps ( around 35-40 degrees) and many, many hills, with the largest topping out at 24% grade. Due to the lightning, we ended up cutting the run a bit short but squeezed in more miles than we had thought ( 21 miles total).  By the time I got to my car, I had to wring out my clothing and empty the water from my shoes. My hands were so cold, I could barely turn my car key to get the engine started. It took both hands to get the vehicle running! I was definitely worn out after this run, but proud that I stuck it out and got the job done.  * ( I was sore for about 4 days after this run due to the many hills!)

2. Yasso 800's- I used to do 800 repeats during practice for previous marathons but never Yasso's. ( If we were doing Yassos, I never knew what the workout was really meant for and probably never did it right.)  After reading about Yasso 800s,   http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-624-0,00.html   I had the opportunity to attempt the workout in the correct fashion. On Tuesday, March 20th, we did the workout during practice and I did all 10 within a few second range of each one. I was mostly hitting 3:15, which is a bit faster than goal pace, but at least I was consistent. With a 400m jog in between each one, I ended up logging over 9 miles during the workout ( including warm up/cool down).

Now whether or not this actually can predict that I will run a 3:15 or 3:20 marathon, only race day will tell. I will have another opportunity tomorrow at practice to hit 3:20 Yasso's and try to stay consistent.

3. Long, lonely miles....On March 24th, I logged 22 miles by myself at practice since no one else showed up in my group. Normally, it's not too rough, but I was running on about 3.5 hrs of sleep. After a long ( and successful) night of slingin' tex-mex, I was unable to sleep and may have even gotten less than the above mentioned hrs before my alarm sounded at 5:45am. I forced myself to get up, as I knew I had a long jam-packed day ahead of me and there wouldn't be any other time to fit in this run. It actually turned into a very nice run and I finished in just under 3hrs. The day started out beautiful and eventually turned overcast and humid toward the end. I was tired, but felt strong and knew I could have continued on if I needed to. A good sign for race day!

4. Last Long Run!!!  Last night ( since I slept through my alarm on Saturday morning) I had to head out around 6:30pm after my shift at Lululemon to log my miles. I was scheduled to run 20 miles or 3hrs, but feeling like this was a bit too long for 2wks out, I opted for 16miles. Aside from stomach issues that kicked in around mile 10, and caused me to cut the run short by 0.75miles, I felt awesome! Another good sign for race day?? I can only hope!  

The work is now done for the most part.....Let the taper begin!!