{Big Ten Network Big 10k}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

With so many races ran in a month it is hard to keep up with the recaps. Runner problems! 🙂 Two Saturday’s ago the husband and I ran the Big Ten Network Big 10k in Chicago. If you read along with my blog then you know we are both big Wisconsin sports fans (and no, not everyone in Wisconsin is.) This race was all about supporting your Big Ten school and FUN! I loved so much about this race, the swag, and the sights.

We headed to Chicago the day before, picked up our packets, and did some sightseeing. Having been to Chicago several times before I know my way around for the most part, yet I don’t get sick of the windy city.

In packets each runner received a BTN Big 10k technical t-shirt that resembled a football jersey specific to the Big Ten school they declared their team at registration. Each runner’s shirt came in their school’s colors and had their school’s name on the front and back. I loved how they were specific to each runner’s favorite team and different rather than everyone getting the same shirt. This also made picking the race outfit super simple as I had looked at past year’s race photos and noticed that most people wore their shirts to the race.

The race began at 7:00 a.m. which was perfect because it was 70 degrees and quite humid. After the HOT races I’ve run lately though, this was nothing. We Hotwired our room per the usual which means we had a general idea of the area when we registered and knew the star rating of our hotel, but wouldn’t find out the exact location until after our purchase of the room. I reserved the room before the race course map came out, so we ended up being about three miles from the race start. Driving and parking in Chicago is disastrous and super pricey so we knew we were either taking a taxi or public transportation to and from the race start.

Photo from http://www.illinoispolicy.org

While exploring the night before we saw Divvy bikes all over the city. After reading the details and looking up a map of the locations (there is an app for that), we decided this would be a fun, active and quick way to get to the race and back. No hailing a taxi or switching buses.

Just a few Divvy locations in Chicago! (Photo from divvybikes.com

The next morning we paid for our Divvy bikes ($7 per bike for unlimited use during the next 24 hours as long as each ride is less than 30 minutes. If a ride is longer than 30 minutes you are charged an extra $2 for the next hour, and so on.) and headed to the Field Museum where we would drop off our Divvy bikes and walk the couple of blocks to the start next to Soldier Field.

One wrong turn later and we were on our way. We started getting a bit nervous when we didn’t see the Divvy bike stop near the Field Museum, but breathed easy after going around the entire museum and spotting it on the last side we rode by.

After dropping off our gear we lined up in our race corral. Corrals went from A-M, and we were in E based on our 10k time we entered at registration. I am always honest about my times and never enter a time I hope to run unless my training has told me I can run that time. Big Ten fans were everywhere and school songs echoed off the speakers. After the elites took off the corrals got going and we began our 6.2 mile journey on the course below (image from btnbig10k website).

The course was nice and the atmosphere fun. During the first mile we went through this long underpass part and there was lots of school trash talking echoing off the walls which added to the fun and excitement. The bad part was it was congested. I feared not as most races thin out after the first mile or two.

This is the part where I’m torn about what I think. I loved getting to run along the lakeshore on the paved bike path for half the race, BUT having 9,000 runners narrow onto a paved bike path when the larger road was congested was really frustrating. The husband and I were passing people the ENTIRE race. I swear we must have passed our entire corral before the race was over. Either people lied about their 10k times or I hit a wrong button because we were definitely not running with the people in our corral. Aside from this it was pretty along the lake although difficult to enjoy.

The husband and I were both feeling great as we ran, but the mental work of continually passing people and never settling into a groove were a challenge. As we neared mile four I absolutely could not believe how freakin’ fast this race was going. I guess I’ve got big time marathon race length distortion going on. I think that is a technical term! 🙂 I could definitely tell the hot weather marathons were extremely helpful in making me feel comfortable during this race.

We cranked it as much as we could the last mile with people to swerve around and jams playing on speakers. We both said we could not have run this race any faster than we did because of the congestion. I did not bring my Garmin so we didn’t know our time until later.

Upon crossing the finish line you can pick up water, Gatorade and bananas. You get your medal (very cool!) and then head to the after race tailgate party. This part was so fun it kind of made you forget about the race congestion. We headed to gear check to pick up our bags and there was absolutely no line for corral E. Corrals A, B, and C had lines going a block. We watched around as we enjoyed the tailgate party seeing very few bibs with an E before their numbers. I later looked up our registration email and I did not mis-enter our time, nor did we run any faster than I entered. We were in fact 45 seconds slower than my typical 10k time.

Here is my soapbox runners: be honest about your times. Don’t enter a time you hope to run unless your training has shown you are capable of running that time. I respect all runners no matter their pace. Own your pace and be proud, but stay out of corrals you don’t belong-it makes a better race for everyone! End rant.

Back to the tailgate party. This was great. The husband exchanged his too small race shirt for a larger size, we enjoyed the Wisconsin tent where we picked up a trucker hat specific to our school (all runners got one) and took pictures with the border battle ax, and then hit the food and beer area.

After enjoying some delicious chicken sausages (so yummy), we hit up the bean bags. All different types of tailgate games were going on and samples of stuff were being given out. We did have a wedding to get to so we couldn’t stick around too long. We headed back to the Field Museum, got a new code for our Divvy bikes and biked back to the hotel.

Overall this race was a blast. The atmosphere and swag were fantastic. The course pretty and well-marked. My only complaint was the congestion. If we do this race again I will consider this when entering my 10k time and be prepared to be packed in. Getting a photo with Bucky and free Wisco swag makes it all worth it! Bring on football season!

This race also reminded me how awesome shorter distances can be. I’ve never raced a 10k meaning I’ve never trained for the distance or done speed work or entered a 10k when I’ve been in great shape. Currently my endurance is definitely up having ran two marathons and a 50k in 36 days, but my speed is for sure lacking. The previous 10k’s I’ve run have always been near the 4th of July when I have not been running anything other than maintenance miles, and all four have had finish times within a minute and a half of each other. Last fall when I ran my PR half marathon I ran a five mile Turkey Trot without a watch in 39:15. I’m positive I could have beat my 10k time by minutes had there been one to run. I’m curious what I could run a 10k in if I trained and raced? Hmmmm….a new goal perhaps. I’m not committing yet, but perhaps.

Big Ten Network Big 10k
Time: 52:57
Pace: 8:32
Overall: 1926/8996
Gender: 504/4916
Age Group: 91/819

Ran: 6.2 miles
Biked: 7 miles

29Jul2014

{State #16-Montana} Missoula Marathon

Posted in 50 States, Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

After signing up for a marathon in state #15 (Portland, Oregon), I immediately signed up for state #16, Montana, since I had started planning our Go West Road Trip around the races I would be running. I had never run two marathons only nine days apart, but had run a half marathon and a marathon the following day. I also had hopes of completing a 50k (Chester Woods 50k) in the spring, so I felt I would be prepared for two marathons close together. I knew that it would probably be warm making the miles more challenging, but when you have a goal and a limited budget compromises have to be made.

For the first time in a very long time we arrived to the city I would be racing not late the night before, not even the morning before, but an entire two nights before. It felt great to not be stressing about race morning with little sleep, picking up my packet the morning of the race and not knowing where to go until it was time to go. That relaxed feeling set the tone for our weekend.

Carb loading Friday night before the Sunday race.

Saturday was packet pick up and the outdoor expo took place in downtown Missoula. Runners were out in full force and I was not feeling the crowds, so we quickly got my packet and headed somewhere less crowded for lunch. I was not feeling well the day before and was really nervous about running another marathon the next day. Looking at the weather forecast only added to my fears. I knew it would be a tough race regardless, but with highs of 97 forecasted for the following day I was terrified for the painful sweatfest to come.

Course Map

My goal was to complete the race and not walk. I would have loved to run under four hours, but wasn’t sure if that would have been possible without the heat. I had it in my head that under four and a half hours would be great with the heat. Remember, I am not a hot weather runner. Nothing sends my run in a downward spiral faster than heat.

The night before the race we ate a yummy dinner at a local restaurant, I laid out my gear, and I actually got to bed a bit earlier than the typical for me. Not before getting sucked into a movie on TV though. Damn you Sandra Bullock and your scary space travel in Gravity. George Clooney might have had something to do with it, too. And, who is really ready for bed at 9:00 anyway?

The 4:15 alarm woke me up and I did not want to get up, but I told myself how lucky I was to get to be accomplishing my goal. Since I knew I was in for some pain and discomfort that morning, I decided to approach the race with a borrowed mantra from Brooks-Run Happy! I couldn’t change the weather or how my legs felts, but I could change my attitude. I made it a goal to focus on running happy whenever I felt tired, my legs got sore, I got hot or frustrated, or I wanted to quit. I was going to enjoy running in Montana. Take in the sights, sounds and feel joyful to be completing state #16 in my goal to race all 50 states.

The husband took me to the shuttle that all marathoners were required to take to the start of the marathon. Everything was so organized. We arrived at the start, and I got in line for the port-o-potties where I waited in line for the shortest time perhaps ever. There was lively music with reminders of the time every five minutes. After the national anthem we headed to our starting spots. I lined up with the four-hour marathon pace group and a few minutes later we were off. As we crossed the starting line fireworks were shot off for at least five minutes while runners began their 26.2 mile journey. I was jazzed up!

As mile one and two went by my calves let me know they were not excited. They were so tight and I got panicked thoughts that I might need all seven hours the course was open in order to complete the race. I was super worried and I had to pee. I held it hoping it would go away. That does usually work, however at mile three I still had to go, and at mile four and at mile five. I decided I did need to make the stop at the mile five port-o-potty. I wasn’t going to run the rest of the race with a full bladder.

mile 1-8:44

mile 2-9:02

mile 3-8:59

mile 4-8:59

mile 5-10:05

During the next miles I watched as more and more people passed me and my pace slowed. I had to remind myself not to compare myself to others. I was running my own race for myself in an effort to achieve my own goal. It didn’t matter what I ran as long as I ran for myself. Run happy!

mile 6-8:55

mile 7-9:16

mile 8-9:03

This race the headphones and music were going much earlier than state #15. Luke Bryan, Avicii, Drake and the Great Gatsby soundtrack really kept me going.

mile 9-9:51

mile 10-9:02

mile 11-8:53

Around mile 14 runners started climbing a hill that would go on for over a mile. This was hard for me and I had to draw on some mental energy. It was the only time I walked the entire race. The downhills were awesome though and this area was mostly shaded.

mile 12-9:22

mile 13-8:59

mile 14-10:46

mile 15-8:53

Around mile 16 we began entering town. There were friendly people outside their homes and tons of them, I mean tons, had so generously set up sprinklers and hoses for runners going by their houses. This was AMAZING! During these last miles the temperatures had really started to climb, yet I hardly had a chance to overheat too much with cold water to run through every quarter to a half mile for the remainder of the course. Awesome fans!

mile 16-9:09

mile 17-8:54

mile 18-9:06

As I neared mile 19 I was feeling pretty good. I knew that I was going to do this and actually was feeling better than the early miles now that my legs had warmed up and the one long uphill was over. I was running really strong in the heat on tired legs. Run happy!

mile 19-9:45

mile 20-9:17

mile 21-9:18

mile 22-9:39

Around mile 23 I decided I was feeling good enough to pick up the pace for a bit. It ended up being the last four miles. I was warmed up and had gotten used to the feeling of running on tired legs which made it easier. Oddly enough I felt adjusted to the heat.

mile 23-8:59

mile 24-8:57

As I closed in on the final miles and the home stretch I gave it all I had. I thought I had a chance at running under four, but knew I had to give it my all with my bathroom break at mile five.

mile 25-8:44

mile 26-8:47

I saw the husband cheering and snapping photos in the final .2 and felt a surge of happiness and pride. I could have never done this without his support. I also had visions of water dancing in my head.

I also have to admit I teared up happy tears as I closed in on that finish line. I was so proud of how I overcame the heat, repeated and followed my mantra (well, Brooks, but that is a technicality) and finished state number 16 nine days after running state number 15. I actually felt better during the last six miles of this race than I did on my fourth of July marathon. I was strong through all the discomfort. With temperatures in the eighties when I finished, I was so pumped with my performance. I would have loved to have shaved that minute and 25 seconds off to be under four hours, but I ran much better than I had anticipated.

After finishing my race the husband commented he couldn’t believe how well I ran with tired legs and the heat. He might have heard me whine a bit about heat before. Plus based on my midway pace he expected me to come in fifteen to twenty minutes later. He was so proud and made me feel even prouder.

My husband deserves a lot of credit for the support he gives me on my journey in racing all 50 states. Without him I would never be able to accomplish this goal. He does so with a smile and a joking demeanor which I love him for. The race director deserves a lot of credit, too. The course was great and I’m so appreciative for the shaded parts during the second half of the marathon-well planned! Everything from start to finish was so organized. One of the top races I’ve run. On top of that the shirts were great, the medals fab and personalized race bibs topped it off.

Missoula Marathon
Time: 4:01:26 (Damn, that bathroom break) 🙂
Pace: 9:13
Overall: 377/1168
Gender: 130/562
Age Group: 32/86

23Jul2014

{State #15-Oregon} Foot Traffic Flat Marathon

Posted in 50 States, Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

It feels like this race was a million years ago…perhaps because it sort of was. Writing race reports weeks after the race is hard. During the race I have so many thoughts and ideas going through my head. If I don’t get them down on paper or makes notes, then my mind is wiped clean after a few days. It seems like a different part of my brain gets used when running those long runs/races that doesn’t get used at other times. Good thing I have a few photos to conjure up some memories.

I had signed up for the Foot Traffic Flat Marathon back in December when this whole Go West road trip was still just a dream. No details were set or travel plans made. I just knew I’d be running a marathon, state #15, in Oregon on the 4th of July. I love holiday races as they give you an excuse to dress up and ~~it makes choosing a race outfit easier~~ it gives you a reason to buy new running gear.

Tank-Athleta Turbocharge Tank, Shorts-Oiselle Distance Short, Socks-Procompression, Headband-Bic Bands

Shuttle transportation was strongly recommended, so the husband and I were up at 4:15 to get on the road by 4:45 to catch a shuttle that would take us to the island.

Lets just say when I woke up I wasn’t feeling this race. The day before had been spent driving 855 miles from the Grand Tetons to Portland. We had been in the car for thirteen plus hours. The legs weren’t exactly used to moving despite a quick hike at Multnomah Falls en route to Portland.

As most of my race reports read I also didn’t get to bed early at all. We ate dinner at 9:45 that night and it was nearly midnight when lights were out. But, sometimes we just suck it up, buttercup. So I did with the help of some Starbucks Frappuccino’s I’d bought for the trip and the morning sun rising over the Sauvie Island Bridge.

Participants and spectators could buy tickets to ride the shuttle, and tickets had to be purchased in advance for their planning purposes. Shuttles were efficient and took the parking chaos out of race day prep. The husband liked not having to drive around, drop me off and find parking.

The race took place on Sauvie Island which is fifteen minutes away from Portland. The race started at a pumpkin patch with a cute little farmers market type place with a barn and buildings selling goodies.

A 6:30 start time got us out and away from the worst of the sun, but it was still a warm one!

The course took you around the island with an out and back section first, followed by an loop that was part of the half marathon course. While there were half marathon walkers to run around in those last miles there were not so many that it was inconvenient or annoying. It also could have been the fact that I could be found walking at time those last miles. I was had begun dying a slow death from the sun and heat. I really didn’t notice anyone much those last miles. All I could think about were water, shade, and water.

The course itself was flat (as the name indicates) and was full of farms growing beautiful flowers and berries. It was unique to see rather than the corn fields, soybeans and alfalfa were used to in the midwest. One of my favorite parts of the race (other than the finish) was the field of lavender growing along the road. There was a bench in the middle of the field and it looked like a place you could just spend time reflecting on life or reading a book. Much of the course was along water as well with it being an island and all.

My goal for the race was to make it mentally easy and to run controlled. My legs were recovering from the 50k I’d ran less than a month earlier. I had another marathon to run in nine days. I had hiked almost 50 miles that week with lots more coming the next week. If I ran like an idiot, then I would pay big time. I kept the pace comfortable and challenged myself to run sans music until mile 13. Then I pushed it to mile 14 and then 15. Around mile 16/17 though I felt like I really needed that music.

The first half plus was in the sun entirely. There was a nice breeze and since the sun wasn’t high in the sky it wasn’t too bad. Around miles 14 there was some shade which made running seem so much easier.

I spent a lot of my time thinking about how lucky and prideful I feel to live in the USA. I get to race all 50. I get to travel when I want, where I want. I can share what I want about it. That pride for my country carries through all the time.

Then it was back to sun for more miles. Around mile 21 I got this surge and really picked up the pace and felt great. My legs were not tired or even sore.

Probably not the best idea because around mile 23 we hit the sun for the last three miles and it was like I had used up my batteries. Ugh! Those last three miles they ~~were~~ ~~unpleasant~~ sucked!

I’ve never been a great heat runner, but I definitely felt stronger because of pushing through. I was actually surprised I was able to finish in the time I did with the heat and only doing recovery miles since the 50k. Knowing there was strawberry shortcake at the finish helped me push through the heat. And my husband running next to me for a mile, too. What a nice guy!

The strawberry shortcake tasted just how I’d imagined it would, the shirts were great and the medals awesome! Plus I love when races put your name on bibs. Hearing your name cheered is so encouraging!

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon
Time: 3:54:41
Pace: 8:57
Overall: 127/347
Gender: 46/165
Age Group: 5/27

10Jun2014

{Chester Woods 50k Race Report}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Friday evening I headed to Rochester ~~dreading~~ feeling very uncertain about the 50k race the next day. I didn’t feel prepared because I’d found a lack of motivation and fresh legs since running the Wisconsin Marathon five weeks earlier and the Med City Half Marathon two weeks earlier. The end of the school year had me tired and stressed, too. When I got to packet pick-up I was disappointed to find out they had packed up early. I had arrived fifteen minutes before the end time, but left without my packet. Next stop-the nearest grocery store for some breakfast items and snacks. The nearest option was not my favorite…Wal-Mart. I learned some great parenting tips for future use by the woman who yelled at her screaming kids “I told you all to shut your f8#$ing mouths.” Awesome work, Mom!

Snacks the night before.

From Wal-Mart I headed to my hotel. The hotel turned my frustration around a bit as I had a room on the second floor right by an exit where I was able to park my car three feet from the door. Then it was time lay out my race gear and have a snack and some hydration before bed. As I snacked away watching It’s Complicated (love that movie) I was going back and forth between the live feed of the WIAA State Track and Field meet checking in on some former students of mine (they rocked their events) and reviewing the 50k course for the first time. I didn’t have much time though as my alarm was set for 4:45 a.m. Yippy skippy!

The alarm went off at 4:45 a.m., and since I figured I’d be running for 5.5-6 hours I knew I needed to eat more than on a regular race day. I ate a bagel with cream cheese and a banana, dressed and got on the road. The race was only minutes away from my hotel and located at Chester Woods Park.

Upon arriving I didn’t have the five dollars to enter as I wasn’t aware of the entry fee, but they were friendly enough to let me in and pay after the race (thank you, thank you) which I did. Karma people.

After grabbing my race bib and chip I had time to run to the rest room and get my gear on. I was running with my fuel belt. Each bottle was filled with Grape Nuun. I had four Gu’s in the pocket of my fuel belt. My plan was to fuel for this race just like a marathon. If I was getting hungry or the Gu’s were not enough I came prepared with Auntie Anne’s Cheddar Bunnies, a granola bar, a Snickers bar, a Bearded Brothers Bar and a Kind Bar. Why so much? I wanted to have what sounded good when I was twenty-some miles in. And there really is no way to predict what would sound good so I came prepared.

I knew the course was a three loop mix of terrains, but hadn’t really spent a ton of time researching the course. The first few miles took us through a meadow like area. Meadows are my least favorite to run on because the ground is uneven and grass can hide this. Later in the day the sun also shines bright in an open meadow. Lucky for us that the biggest section of meadow was early on. Thank you race director! We then headed on a gravel road that led to a wood chip trail and then a packed dirt and grass trail. The woods were so beautiful.

After running through the woods we ran through a small meadow section before entering into my favorite wooded section of the course. The canopy of trees engulfed the trail and it was like you were running into this other world.

After the woods we headed out to another meadow section that included a sandy hill before heading back into the woods. Half of it is below. My hill strategy was to walk hills that were longer than ten feet. Most runners were walking hills to preserve their legs, too. In the words of a man on the course “I surrender to the hills.” Being a new trail runner I didn’t need to run a chain of mountains; these hills were enough but doable at the same time.

Loop 3-Mile 23-The smile hides the sharp pain in my hip flexors.

Next up on the loop was the Big Dam Hill. It ended at a beautiful overlook of the Chester Woods Lake reservoir. I loved how it was significant enough to have a name and everyone who ran the race before knew about the hill.

Still climbing the Big Dam Hill-almost to the top.

Most climbs are worth a view. This one didn’t disappoint either. I didn’t want to stop to take a quality picture so I’m borrowing one. Credit: http://www.rochestercvb.org. After the views of the lake from above we descended through a meadow to a small paved section of trail that joined a gravel and then dirt trail and ran along the lake.

This view of the lake was gorgeous. All kinds of trees stood out of the water. It was a lake of trees.

From there we turned to repeat the loop two more time minus the first meadow section. The first loop was 12 miles and the second and third loops were 9.5 miles for a total of 31 miles. My Garmin registered a little short as I must have lost a half mile while in the woods at some points in the race.

During the first loop I felt good. I was not in a fantastic mood, but it turned around as my body warmed up. The second loop felt much faster and I was feeling great, too. Last Friday I traded a ten mile run for a 30 mile bike ride, Tuesday I ran almost six miles and I skipped my Thursday and Friday runs my training plan called for. I just didn’t feel like running. Most of my runs have been rough with dead leg feeling appearing during most my runs. I just wasn’t feeling fresh. I debated running Thursday and instead chose a night out with friends. Saturday’s second loop proved to me I’d made the right choice. My legs just needed some rest. At mile 20 I remember saying to myself that I couldn’t believe how good I felt both for being at mile 20 and in general. I felt great.

At this point I was out of Gu’s having taken one at miles 5, 10, 14, and 18. I also didn’t want to waste time going to my car to get food as I stopped at the bathroom after the first and second loop losing four minutes or so from my time. I decided to grab food at aid stations since they had quite a selection. I grabbed Fig Newton’s and some pretzels from the friendly aid station volunteers when I was feeling low on fuel. Mention water and they grabbed your water bottle and happily filled it. They were so encouraging and helpful. Thanks volunteers!

As lots of you probably have experienced, runs can take a turn for the worst at any mile. My feeling great changed soon after mile 20. Around mile 22 my hip flexors started to scream at me. Lifting my legs felt hard. My actual legs were feeling strong and alive. I seriously questioned if I was going to have to walk the rest of the course. This is where you start to run the race with your heart. I pushed through and felt tears coming around mile 26, but was able to pull myself together. I don’t even know where the tears came from. It wasn’t from pain, it was more of an emotional response to running for a long time alone in the woods. It was theraputic.

Around mile 27 the pain in my hip flexors all but disappeared. As I climbed the last sandy hill another guy told me “I was like a ninja.” That boosted my morale for a while. The last few miles I felt pretty good. I did a lot of self-talking and encouraging myself. I actually felt like I could run further than 31 miles. By mile 30 though I just wanted to be done. I’d been running for over five hours. My longest marathon time is 4:20 and my longest trail run had been 16 miles a few weeks earlier. I couldn’t wait for that finish line.

When I did cross the finish line the feeling I remember more than tired or sore is proud. I was proud of myself for not only running 31 miles, but for also running on trails and with hills. As my first 50k I say it was a success and went much better than expected. This just proves we can do anything we set our minds out to do.

I loved the course at Chester Woods Park. The three loops was perfect for runners so they could restock items at their cars if they wanted. The course was a perfect combination of beautiful views, shaded woods and a little bit of meadows. I also loved the mix of terrains and that the hills were doable. I’m not ready to run mountains-yet? Or ever? During my last loop of the 50k I thought about my husband’s feelings about running another marathon (he’s saying one and done) and if I felt the same about a 50k or further. As of right now that is to be decided. I always say never say never.

The shoes and I went through some real shit out there-literally and figuratively. Some of the trails we ran were horse trails. Those horses had been there before us runners had. 😉

Chester Woods 50k
Time: 5:25:32
Pace: 10:30
Overall: 36/91
Gender: 7/33
Age Group: 4/15

26May2014

{Med City Half Marathon}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

This past weekend was sunny and beautiful. To top it off we had plans to run a half marathon with a group of friends. This is honestly one of my favorite ways to run races despite not getting to do the group thing too often. Something about sharing in the race excitement/anxiety and the post-race party is more fun in groups.

Saturday night we stayed with friends in a town nearby Rochester to cut down on drive time in the a.m. Five of the six in the house were running the next morning. We fueled and hydrated (berry mojito-yum) with a yummy dinner and went to bed fairly early as the first wake up call was 4:30 a.m.

The next morning came in no time and we headed for Rochester. We parked at the finish and took the shuttle to Byron where the race would actually begin. There we met up with the rest of our group. Four of the eight had never ran a half marathon before. I always love being a part of other runners first races.

The first half of the course was on country roads and had lots of rolling hills. I was not aware of this ahead of time, but looked at the hills as practice for my 50k and challenged myself to attack those hills. One hill was affectionately referred to as “the beast” by runners near me. The hills really were not all bad and offered a good change-up for the muscles.

mile 1-8:26
mile 2-8:35
mile 3-8:10
mile 4-8:04
mile 5-8:15 (GU)
mile 6-8:00

Around mile 6 we started to near town. The country roads led us to the Rochester Trail system where we ran for several miles. At this point I was so glad for the 7:00 a.m. race start as the sun was beating down hard and there was no shade at all. Warm weather runs have always been a nemesis of mine, but I know my summer marathons are going to be hot so this will only help prep me. Miles 7-12 were mostly on the bike path trail.

mile 7-8:22
mile 8-8:17
mile 9-8:29
mile 10-8:15 (GU)
mile 11-8:20 (My legs felt like lead during this mile)
mile 12-8:20
mile 13-7:56

Mile 12 brought us back to the road where we headed downtown for our finish outside the Mayo Civic Center. At the finish I met the boys who had finished before the girls. Ryan ran a half marathon PR finishing seconds in front of me. Considering he ran his first marathon three weeks earlier and was still experiencing muscle soreness, I would say he ran a phenom race.

I was doing my best to run a controlled race. My legs did not feel bad, but they also did not feel fresh during the race. This could be due to the full marathon three weeks earlier or it could be from my sporadic training since the marathon. Either way, I didn’t want to do anything to flare up the sore spot on my calf or to drain my legs before the 50k. I was surprised to run a 1:48:52 while running controlled. I did not put it all out on the course, nor did I want to. It was also very warm during this race (sixties at the start, upper seventies later) which I battled through like a trooper. I was definitely happy with my time.

What made me even happier though was my friend Katie who was running her first half marathon at this race. Her race was a long time coming and she had trained once before for a half only to not be able to run on race day. She had wanted this goal for a while and today was her day. I was so proud of her when she crossed that finish line. Her beaming smile all day said it all. That smile is so much the reason why runners run. The pure joy and personal satisfaction accomplishing a goal brings each person. Way to get it, girl!

The post-race food was amazing. They had every kind of snack food you could want. Bagels, bananas, oranges, granola bars, fruit snacks, carrots and dip, apples and caramel dip, chips, pretzels, and so much more. I enjoyed the yogurt, fruit and granola they offered and grabbed a Muscle Milk to try in Banana Creme, which I have previously always passed on as I thought it had milk in it. Turns out it is lactose free and a great recovery drink even for those who can’t enjoy milk pain-free. It tasted yummy, too.

After some post-race yum it was time to snap some photos, stretch and celebrate everyone’s runs! They had an awesome back drop perfect for just such an occasion.

The women’s shirts were an awesome pink color. The only big complaint I have about this race is they ran out of men’s shirts, so Ryan and another guy in our group did not get a shirt.

After a quick change into dry clothes in the car that also involved wet wipes and dry shampoo we were ready for the post-race party; it was awesome. They had a fun live bad and all-you-care-to-drink Grain Belt for runners. We stayed for a few hours listening to music, rehydrating, and sharing our race stories.

After our post-race fun it was time to shower, rest and relax before heading out for dinner and another live band with some of the friends who ran with us. What can I say? I LOVE live bands! It was a great end to a great day.

Post-race I have very little muscle soreness which means I ran this race just like I should have. Here is the weird thing though, my right hammy is a bit sore and the calf spot that has bothered me since I got a cramp in it during the Wisconsin Marathon is sore, too. Both are on my right leg. My left leg has litearlly zero soreness, tiredness or pain. The right leg is where it’s at. Has anyone else ever had this happen? What can/should I do? How do you get a sore-from-a-cramp-spot unsore? I’ve gotten massages from the husband, stretched and foam rolled with little success.

Med City Half Marathon (will update when they post official results)
Time: 1:48:54-Sarah 1:48:24-Ryan
Pace: 8:19-Sarah 8:18-Ryan
Overall: 165/864
Gender: 51/494
Age Group: 17/145

8May2014

{Wisconsin Marathon Race Report}

Posted in Race Reports, Wisconsin Marathon Training by sneaksandstilettos

On Saturday the husband became an official marathon finisher. Over the past 18 weeks I documented our training ups and downs on this blog. We had some great runs and some challenging runs. We ran in the negative temperatures of the polar vortex, indoors on treadmills to beat the chill, in rain, in sleet, in a foot of snow, in gorgeous spring weather, and everything in between.

Training for a marathon through all these types of weather builds your confidence and teaches you you can do difficult things. Marathon training prepares you for the difficult miles ahead not unlike those of life. Training teaches you there will be miles that hurt and miles that take your breath away. There will be miles that are lost and miles you want to lose it in. All of these miles add up to the distance we completed on Saturday and sometimes are experienced all in one race.

Friday evening we left town to stay in a hotel just outside of Kenosha. We stopped at an Olive Garden in Madison for some pre-race fuel. We had been saving our Olive Garden gift card we received for Christmas and used Hotwire to get a deal on our hotel room. We arrived to our room at 9:30, laid out our outfits for the next morning and got to bed around 10:30. This may be the most rest I’ve gotten the night before a race in a long time.

Saturday morning we were up by 5:15. We quickly showered, got our race gear on, and packed the items we had laid out that we’d need for the race like Gu’s. I’d carefully packed everything and laid it out the night before. My race outfit had been chosen three nights earlier. We double checked the weather, loaded directions on the phone, and were off. As we walked down the hall to the car, I thought about all the emotions Ryan must have been feeling and about how I felt on the day of my first marathon. It made my stomach flip just thinking about it.

We arrived to the race and parked a few blocks away. Parking was a breeze and we arrived to the start with plenty of time to visit the bathroom, snap a few pictures, and enjoy the emotions of the start line.

It was around this time that I ran into Stacy from In it for the Long Run. We had both ran at the Wisconsin Marathon and Half Marathon (her the full, me the half) last year where we’d hoped to meet, but it wasn’t our day. Today was. She was originally hoping to BQ, but was dealing with a “setback.” Check out her blog post about her Wisconsin Marathon experience.

Immediately upon seeing Stacy I noticed her purple Garmin 220 watch. I noticed this because I have the same one and it wasn’t on my wrist. I had forgotten the freakin’ watch in the car. I have been so forgetful lately that this shouldn’t even surprise me. I was immediately upset. This was Ryan’s marathon and I wanted to make sure we were running a smart pace the entire race. I told Ryan if the race course took us within a couple of blocks of our vehicle, then I’d run to the car and get the watch. I still couldn’t figure out how I’d left the watch in the car.

No watch…eek!

With the start only minutes away I didn’t have too much time to worry. The national anthem rang while I silently freaked out. I’d never run a marathon without knowing my pace. I decided I’d start the stopwatch on my phone as I knew from experience the RunKeeper GPS would kill the battery around mile 17-18, and I also wanted to be able to take a few photos. This is sick irony in a way as Ryan is a math teacher. The mental math we did during this race was crazy.

Finally we were off. We quickly learned that the course was not going to go near the car so it was time to suck it up, buttercup. The first miles took us through downtown Kenosha. This area is cute and kitschy in its own way. The next few miles looped out along Lake Michigan. The views were beautiful. The houses huge, and the miles fast. Around mile two we peaked at the stopwatch and saw we were running near nine minute miles. We were okay with this, but had a goal to run around 8:45 pace. This pace was conservative, but allowed us to bank some time, too. Around mile two Stacy caught up with us. We chatted about the forgotten watch, her “setback” and goals, and running races in general. Around mile five we separated and I wished her well. I knew she would do great considering her alternative race plan as she was rocking some awesome fast paces in her training earlier this year. I know a BQ is only a race away for her. Take care of yourself though, girl!

Miles 5-7 took us back into the downtown area, along Lake Michigan (above), and looped back past the start. We checked our pace at mile five and we were just under nine minute mile pace. As you loop past the start and the half marathon splits from the marathon we naturally checked in with ourselves. How do we feel? Are we fueling right? What is our plan? We both felt good, felt the pace was manageable, and decided to keep on keepin’ on.

It was around this time that we caught the above awesome view and ran up on a hilarious group of runners. They were so funny and we “drafted” behind them for a mile laughing along the way. At one point we came up on a mile two marker. Someone from the group commented, “WTF we are only at mile two. Son of a bitch this isn’t going well.” When running long distances things make you laugh easily (and other times nothing makes you laugh.) Next they were joking about making jigsaw puzzles out of the view and how you definitely had to start with the horizon line. A moment later they were singing I’ll Be There For You…cue Friends. Still one of the best shows ever.

Around the halfway point we moved around the funny group and double checked our time. We came through the half way mark at 1:54:30. We were running an 8:45 pace at the half way mark and we were pumped. It was around this time that I hit a mental funk. I just felt ugh. I can’t really explain it. At mile 14 Ryan had to take bathroom break at the port-o-potty that appeared out of no where as were due to enter the Kenosha Sand Dunes area. Excellent choice on his part as I don’t recall a bathroom for miles…err till the finish.

I stretched it out and snapped a picture while he port-o-johned it. Ryan came out asking if something was moving the port-o-potty. Some nearby girls played along with me as I thanked them for shaking the port-o-potty. In reality, I have no clue what he was talking about. The thing didn’t move an inch.

The break and the laugh found me in a better mood. We also headed into a packed gravel road. Reviewers complained about the second half of the course, but I thought it was peaceful and beautiful. I enjoyed the marshish feel, the sounds of birds and frogs in early spring, and the seclusion. If you love rows of fans this isn’t for you. If you don’t mind you, your thoughts, and you then you wouldn’t mind.

The view for miles 20-24. Beautiful!

As we approached mile 19 Ryan started to have muscle pains. We came through mile 20 at 2:58:30. We were doing awesome in pacing for Ryan to finish under four hours (his goal.) Around this point however Ryan began to experience muscle cramps in his hamstrings, calves, and behind his knees. In all of his training runs he never had cramps once. I attribute this to the warmer (but so gorgeous-near 60) temperatures on race day. He also drank no water before the race because his bladder is similar to the size of a small child’s. I did not tell him to skip out on all water, but he took my suggestion to limit his water before the race to mean drink nothing. Lesson learned.

The next miles were hard. Mile 22 our time was 3:20. The past two miles took us 21:30. Not good. I was nervous. I helped us devise a plan. At each mile marker we would walk a minute and then run until the next marker-no walking. We carried this plan out almost perfectly. We had some intense exchanges as Ryan felt terrible despite never feeling bad in a 22 mile AND a 20 mile training run. I waffled between cheerleader and keep your damn mouth shut, he’s in pain. I felt terrible that he was feeling rough.

Near mile 25.5 I told Ryan he could not slow down. We needed to keep the pace to achieve his goal. At mile 26 he told me his whole body was cramping; I told him he couldn’t slow down or he’d miss his goal. As we came down the home stretch I spotted some of Ryan’s family with a big sign that said Happy 30th Sarah. My family and some of our friends were on the right. We came through the finish holding hands in the air. Our finish time 3:59:35. My stopwatch was 14 seconds ahead of the chip time. We did it. Ryan did it. And boy did he.

I didn’t make the connection about why everyone was at the finish until later because I was so excited and proud of him for finishing in under four hours. I wanted him to soak it in, enjoy every moment, and feel prouder than ever.

It was part of a surprise birthday party he had planned for me. He kept telling me he was running the marathon for my 30th birthday. I didn’t get what he meant. What he meant was he wanted to plan a birthday surprise that was all about the things I love, that was personal and special to me. He nailed it on the head. Running together and training was ultimately an awesome experience. To culminate it with family and friends was even better.

Little did I know there was more. He had reserved a block of rooms at nice hotel (I heart!) in the Historic Third Ward (my favorite part of Milwaukee) where everyone met after the race for drinks, then we bar hopped along Milwaukee’s river walk, and finally he had a reservation for the 25 in our group at the Water Street Brewery for dinner. Then it was out with friends for the night. The day was me to a T. He combined my favorite things (friends and family, marathons, swanky hotels, Historic Third Ward Milwaukee, craft brews, breweries, and awesome food.) What an awesome husband I have. He took a day that should have been about him and made it into the perfect birthday surprise. He gets me. And for that I’m so grateful.

Wisconsin Marathon
Time: 3:59: 34 (Ryan) and 3:59: 35 (Sarah) He won between us!
Pace: 9:09
Overall: 284/847 (Ryan) and 285/847 (Sarah)
Gender: 199/463 and 86/384
Age Group: 31/58 and 18/71

Happy Running!

15Dec2013

{Ugly Sweater 5k-Updated!}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Sunday was the Ugly Sweater 5k held in La Crosse each year. In past years the race has been referred to as the Rotary Lights 5k. This year they changed things up a bit adding some festive fun with ugly sweaters. Let’s just say my sweater was UG-ly!

Since it was cold outside with a windchill of -8 degrees, we put on our warm layers including my super warm base layer from Target that I bought that very day. Once again, I have not put laundry away in a while and I could not find a lot of my layers. This shirt stays in place, is fleecy warm on the inside, wind resistant, and so cozy all for $19.99. Keep in mind it is snug and tight like a base layer should be. I did go up a size and could have went up two sizes for a bit of a looser fit. You can find it online here.

After some quick photos at my mom and stepdad’s house we were off to the race. We got to packet pick up, picked up our race numbers, and waited inside the warm lobby of the Radisson. With the race start just steps out the door, we enjoyed the warmth until we absolutely had to head outdoors.

The sun was setting and we were jumping up and down like most runners were doing our best to stay warm. Lucky for us ugly sweaters are surprisingly warm. Garland, too. My holiday Pro Compression socks offered some added warmth and fun to the outfit. I love these socks, and if you are hoping to also make sure to use coupon code BLG13 to get 40% off and free shipping on your order.

Santa started the race-gun and all. Sort of a disturbing sight to see Santa shooting a gun in the air, but I get he isn’t the real Santa. The real Santa is obviously far too busy to be at the starting line of the Ugly Sweater 5k.

The gun went off and we were off. The race started in Riverside Park, took us onto the pathway along the frozen Mississippi, and then lead us onto the La Crosse River Trails. We clicked off our first mile on the snow covered sidewalks and trails in 8:06. At the halfway turn around we ran around a North Pole sign with the sounds of holiday music nearby. We kept up the pace and ran back along the trails finishing under the Rotary Lights lighted canopy. Then it was time to enjoy the lights and our new Ugly Sweater mugs.

Race perks included a mug with free hot chocolate after the race and a chip for a free Pearl Street Brewery beer later at your choice of local bars. Love me some Down Town Brown-Double yum!! Can’t wait to drink out of my festive mug this holiday season!

Ugly Sweater 5k
Time-24:38
Pace-7:55
Overall-52/412
Gender-19/293
Age Group-9/112

Festive Running to All and to All a Good Night!

28Nov2013

{Festival Foods Turkey Trot-5 Mile}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Thanksgiving morning is the perfect time to get a little fitness in before you put a lot of calories in AND have fun! The race was low key, very organized, and a great value. With packet pickup at the La Crosse Center there were plenty of bathrooms, a warm place to wait, and plenty of parking.

It was a chilly morning, and I had just got new shoes in the mail. I couldn’t not wear them!

The La Crosse location started right behind the La Crosse Center along the mighty Mississippi. I got there just in time to get my stuff, visit the bathroom, and get in the wave before the national anthem. Since I didn’t have a ton of time I chose to run with only music and no watch or Runkeeper to give me my time or pace. That was great until a bit in when I really wanted to know how far I had ran.

I won’t lie, my body was hurting this am. I felt so stiff and tight. My lower back and hips were so tight I felt like I could hardly lift my legs. My pace felt hard and I felt dead legs. I slowed my pace a bit and began to feel a bit more relaxed as my body slowly warmed up.

By mile 3 I felt ok. I still felt like I was barely moving and dragging the whole race. If I needed a sign to do more stretching and cross training, then I got it. I need to take the next month to properly recover from my November races and get ready for proper marathon training in a month.

I crossed the finish line with no idea my time or pace; I estimated maybe 9:00/mile pace. I did some light stretching and headed over to get my pumpkin pie.

Even though I didn’t feel great this race, I would love to make it a turkey day tradition. Cute shirts, pumpkin pie, turkey day, and great race logistics all for $18. I’ll take it!

Oh, and I was surprised to see my time and pace online later in the afternoon. Maybe that’s why I felt blah. Maybe running without a watch or running app is a good thing.

Festival Foods Turkey Trot 5 Mile
Time: 39:15
Pace: 7:51
Overall: 179/991
Gender: 59/570
Age Group: 2/20

Happy Thanksgiving!!

27Nov2013

{UW-L Turkey Trot Race Report}

Posted in Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Completing the UW-L Turkey Trot 5k has become a widow’s weekend tradition for my mom, my friend, and her mom. We always walk the event as our moms are not runners. The course is scenic, the shirts cute, and the time together fun. This year in honor of no shave November, my friend bought us all mustaches. It was the coldest Turkey Trot yet with temperatures of only 13 degrees (windchill -4) during out walk.

Staying warm pre-race.

I love the marsh area the course takes us through.

After our chilly walk, we headed out to brunch at a local breakfast joint with awesome food.

Then we used some of the great coupons that came in our race packet to get buy 1, get 1 free coffee from Cabin Coffee.

Next, we headed to the Elmaro Vineyard near La Crosse where we enjoyed tasting wine, looking at fun stuff to buy, and more tasting of wine.

Well, wine for most of us. I guess people frown upon women drinking wine when they’re growing a human inside their uterus. 7 Up would have to do.

It was the perfect widow’s weekend, and I left with my wine wall stocked.

UW-L Turkey Trot
Pace: Walking
Time: It was so cold I swear the clock must have froze.
Overall: Something out of 2000 something
Gender: 2nd in our group of 4
Age Group: 2nd between my friend and I. Although she’ll be in a different age group than me in a month and a half. 😉

13Nov2013

{State #14-Kansas} Pilgrim Pacer Marathon

Posted in 50 States, Race Reports by sneaksandstilettos

Saturday was the Pilgrim Pacer Marathon in Shawnee, Kansas. This race report starts very similar to others. We arrived later than expected Friday night due to road construction and a later than planned departure after work. I got to bed at 2:00 a.m., but did get to sleep a fair amount en route to Kansas thanks to my amazing support network aka the husband.

Upon arriving I was pleasently surprised by our hotel room. We always get rooms from Hotwire when staying out of town-ALWAYS. I usually love our rooms, and I love Hotwire for their great rates, reliable star ratings, and excellent customer service. Of the 26 hotels rooms, 5 car rentals, and 2 flights I’ve booked through the company I’ve only had one issue with a hotel room. They immediately refunded my purchase and helped find a new room. If there star ratings change after you’ve booked a room, then they offer you two choices- #1) Keep the room and get $25 towards a future room reservation through Hotwire or #2) Cancel your reservation with no consequences and rebook a room you want. This has only happened twice to me in the past few years.

This weekend was no exception except we got a lot more space than I’d anticipated for $125 total (both nights).

Trying to show the arm warmers.

After five hours of sleep, I was up and getting ready. I was hungry so I ate a granola bar I’d never eaten before (Broken Running Rule #1-Don’t eat new foods on race day). I got dressed for the warmer weather (highs in the 60’s) I was looking forward to. Because of the cool initial temps I wore Asics Arm Warmers I got for Christmas last year, but had never gotten to wear yet (Broken Running Rule #2-Don’t wear new race gear on race day). They turned out to be perfect for the change in temperatures during the race. Then I grabbed breakfast at our hotel (a bagel) and headed to the race without my water…oops (Broken Running Rule #3-Drink water/start hydrating before a race.)

When I got to the race everything was smooth sailing. Within 15 minutes I had picked up my packet, used the bathroom, and taken my extra gear back to the car. While in line I met someone originally from Wisconsin and chatted with runners about the challenging course. Soon it was time to take off.

Times 2! Out-back-out-back.

My goal for the race was to run near 9:00 minute miles and run under four hours. The first half of the race was good. I noticed in the first miles that this course was going to be much hillier than I’d anticipated. I knew I was in for it on the last miles.

mile 1-8:49

mile 2-8:44

mile 3-8:44

We then passed Shawnee Lake and continued on the trails. The entire race was ran on paved trails that connected Shawnee to Olathe, Kansas. The race was an out and back half marathon and an out and back x 2 marathon. I’d never ran a marathon route like this before, so I wasn’t sure what I’d think about it. I didn’t feel like water so I skipped a few water stations (Broken Running Rule #4-Drink before you feel thirsty.)

mile 4-8:56

mile 5-8:56

mile 6-8:44

The colors were in full blaze and the temperature was warming up. I was feeling really good at this point in the race. I reached the first turn around and had a mix of feelings-the exciting, it’s the turn around and the dreadful-I have to run back to this spot again.

mile 7-9:04

mile 8-8:31

mile 9-8:46

It was at this point in the race that I realized just how tired my legs felt from running a PR in a half marathon six days earlier (Broken Running Rule #5-Don’t race a PR before running another much longer race days later.) My legs hadn’t been sore or tired on my mid-week runs, but I hadn’t ran far either.

mile 10-8:44

mile 11-9:02

mile 12-9:17

The hills we ran down in the beginning were rough on the way back. I just couldn’t believe that I wasn’t done at the half marathon. I had to repeat this whole distance again! I really wanted to be done at the half marathon and actually let my mind go to that place of maybe I should short change myself and finish after 13.1 miles. Then I slapped myself mentally! You don’t drive to Kansas to quit. I must have been delirious or just a damn dummy. Ryan’s grandma, Evelyn, used to affectionately use this phrase often. You damn dummy!

mile 13-9:12

mile 14-8:32

mile 15-8:47

Miles 13-15 offered a shift in mentality. This race was full of highs and lows. These miles were highs as fans cheered really hard for marathoners since there were not a ton of us mixed in with half marathoners. Even fewer than marathoners, I learned, were female marathoners. The encouragement of fans saying “go marathoner”, “way to go lady”, “go #236”, “your the fifth female”, and just the extra excitement they gave to marathoners helped me push passed my mental struggles. On the second out and back so many half marathoners cheered for me that I couldn’t help but smile. I really needed it at that point, too. I saw the guy I met at the bathrooms who recognized me and began yelling, “go Wisconsin”. The running community is so supportive and kind!

mile 16-9:46

mile 17-9:07

mile 18-9:29

At this point in the race I was basically running alone. My mental state began to swing low again. I was also thirsty. I passed a water stop and only had one drink. Bad idea. (Broken Running Rule #Whocankeepcount) Then my mental state went waaaaayyyyy low. I had used my mental toughness up earlier this week PR’ing at the Rails to Trails Half Marathon. Yes, I believe it is hard to run challenging races back to back. The mental energy it takes to stay focused and on pace should never be underestimated. It can be freakin’ exhausting at times. I really struggled with this as evidenced by the rest of my mile splits. I just couldn’t get my mind to go to that mental place where I push through.

mile 19-10:19

mile 20-11:15

mile 21-9:13

At the second turn around of the full marathon I had three drinks. One gatorade, one water, and one ginger ale. I had never had ginger ale in my life (Broken Running Rule #7-Do not try new food or drinks on long runs/races), but learned I really like this stuff. I knew I was dehydrated at mile 18. I was starting to get dizzy and feel disorientated. All I could think about was being done running and guzzling a gallon of anything. It was warmer than I’d anticipated and I have only myself to blame. I did not drink enough fluids the day before or the day of. Going out Thursday night and having adult beverages until too late in the morning was not good pre-race preparation either. (Broken Running Rule #8, 9, and 10-Get a good nights sleep two nights before a race, drink extra fluids the days before, and avoid things that dehydrate you i.e. alcohol.)

mile 22-9:45

mile 23-10:15

mile 24-9:54

I knew I had to drink more fluids so at all the remaining water stops I had both a gatorade and a water. It helped and by mile 23 or 24 I started to at least think clearly again.

mile 25-10:35

mile 26-10:24

The last two miles were uphill. I hated them. I didn’t like running them one bit. I would not run them again with a fox (no matter what it says.) I would not run them in a box. I would not run them again for free socks. You get the point. This was a rough race for me and I have only myself to blame.

Considering I broke at least ten common sense running rules prior to and during this race it is a bit of a miracle that I finished. I didn’t reach my goal, but was content with my time considering it was way hillier than I thought it would be and that my last run over 13.something miles was the Big Cottonwood Marathon in September in Utah (and we all know how in shape I wasn’t for that race.) There were also only 34 female runners who ran the marathon compared to 90 guys.

The mixed emotions at the finish.

Nevertheless, I think the last paragraph sounds like a whole lot of excuses. It was a weird feeling at the finish line; I actually felt kind of stupid. Who did I think I was? What was I thinking breaking so many “running rules” and expecting to run decent on a challenging course. These were new and unexpected finish line emotions for me. In all honesty, I needed a challenging race like this. I needed a race like this to humble me and remind me of the beast the marathon is. You cannot outsmart the distance. I needed a little kick back to reality to remind me that you have to train, prepare, and get your body ready. No matter how many races you run, you are not too good for simple running common sense. I let myself get cocky and overly confident.

Consider myself humbled. I’ve learned my lesson until the next time. I look forward to my winter recovery and base milage building that will help me start spring training with a strong base. I look forward to actually training for a marathon again, instead of running them underprepared. Running the Pilgrim Pacer Marathon was the perfect wake up call I needed.

The actual race was well organized, beautiful, and challenging (which they said many places on their website). The medals were huge (size of a cd) and the shirts were super cool; a big part of why I picked this as my Kansas.

I also chose this race as my Kansas because it was close as possible to home and the time of the year worked well for my schedule. I was bummed to not get pumpkin pie or a mug like the website said, but in all honesty I didn’t really deserve those things after the performance I gave.

Enough of my self-pity. Humbled. Lesson learned. We all need races like this every now and then. It doesn’t mean we’ve failed; we just get to come back smarter, stronger, and better ready to face future challenges.

Pilgrim Pacer Marathon
Time: 4:06:38
Pace: 9:25
Overall: 32/120
Gender: 6/34
Age Group: 3/5