Category: Running


Jan
2013

Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon

categories: Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Rock 'n' Roll Race, Running

Done, state #12 and my second race of 2013.  This is the first of many Rock ‘n’ Roll races I will be doing this year.

I arrived in Phoenix on Saturday morning and took the light rail to meet up with my friend L at the motel. From there we went to the expo.  I love, love the expo!!  As mentioned in a previous post, I bought lots of goodies.

Race morning came and I was up at 5:30 am.  I got dressed, made coffee, and ate a Clif Bar.  I was still hungry so I also ate a waffle.  Doesn’t it look delicious?

It was dark when I arrived at the start line.  I got in line to use the port-a-potty and then checked my bag. I was cold.  But ready or not, I was going to rock ‘n’ roll!!  It was such a beautiful morning once the sun was out.

My goal was to set a PR (2:20:00).  I got a little ambitious and decided to run with the 2:15 pace group. See, I even had a cute wristband to help me stay on pace.  I was doing good until about mile 4.25 when I stopped to eat a Gu.  I then tried to keep up with them but they were about 15 seconds ahead of me.  Do the pace leaders ever stop to drink water or gatorade or eat a Gu?  I ate another Gu at mile 8 but by then my legs felt like lead so I decided to take a walk break.

See the cute Bondi Band headband?  It fell off at mile 6.  Yeah, I was disappointed.  I felt it slide down and then turned around to pick it up but by then there were other runners coming towards me and I was not about to cause an accident there.  On the website it is advertised as “no slip”.  Hmm, that was not the case here because it did slip.  Oh well, I think for next time I will secure it with bobby pins.

The course was flat and I was very happy about that.  There was a slight and long incline around mile 8 but I hardly felt it. The sun was shining but it wasn’t hot at all.  I don’t remember much about the course except that it was flat.  I wish I had taken more pictures but I guess I was focused on staying on pace.

Did I PR?  Nope.  My finish time was 2:20:49.  I missed it by less than a minute.  I am disappointed but yet happy at the same time.  However, I did run faster than the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon.  I know that I ran strong and I will PR this year in another race.

Overall, it was a great race with perfect weather.  Flat course which is always a plus!  The volunteers did a great job and the crowd support was AMAZING!  I am not  a big fan of RnR races because of their prices but I purchased a TourPass which gives me “free registration” for their races this year. Next race is in St. Petersburg and it is advertised as “flat and fast”.  Looking forward to it!

Just Keep Running!


Jan
2013

Mississippi Blues Half Marathon

categories: Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Running

Done, state #11 and my first race of 2013.

Check out the course and elevation maps.  Yikes!!

I arrived in Jackson at 1:30 and took a cab to the hotel.  I was meeting some friends at the hotel.  They had already picked up their packets but were nice enough to walk again with me.

After packet pickup we went to the Elite Restaurant.  Nothing fancy but the rolls were DELICIOUS!! We asked the waitress to keep bringing out rolls.

Race morning came and I was a bit nervous because of the weather.  It was 36 degrees with 40% chance of rain.  I decided to wear a long sleeve shirt underneath a short sleeve shirt, biker shorts, and compression socks.

We were off at 7:05.   By mile 2 I was already warm.  Did I mention it was a hilly course?  Very hilly.  But not as bad as the race in Minnesota.  I walked most of the hills but also tried to jog through them.  I need to make them my friends.

The split off between the full and half marathon was around mile 5.  I was so glad I was not running the full marathon.

I took an ibuprofen at mile 6.5 and a Gu at mile 5 and 10.  I felt good through much of the course.  I did take some walking breaks but kept pushing myself to keep on running.

A little before mile 11 the first marathon runner passed me.  Dang!   He was running fast!  Then another passed me.  And another.  A total of 4 marathon runners passed me before I crossed the finish line.

Now let me tell you about the finish line.  I had to run up a hill to get there.  Not fun.

I knew I was not going to PR but am happy with my finish time of 2:29:29.  I know that if it was a flat course then I would have definitely PRed. 🙂  I guess all of my speed workouts have helped me run a teeny tiny bit faster.

The best part was the medal!   Don’t you love it? Also, I loved the post race food spread.  Yummy!!

I am so glad I ran this race.  Oh by the way, it rained just a little bit during the race. But by then I had showered, changed, and on my way back to the hotel after eating pizza again.

Next race is the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Arizona.

Just Keep Running!


Nov
2012

Magic City Half Marathon (part of the Ruben Studdard Celebration Weekend)

categories: Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Running

Done, state #10.

This race had an awful course with a lot of headwind.  I was so happy when I was done with it.  My finish time was about 2:41:06.  Am I happy with it?  No.  However, I have no one else to blame but me.  I did not run smart.  I did not train properly.  Anyway, it is done and I can’t do anything about it.

I did not get into Birmingham on time to pick up my packet so that meant I had to pick it up on race day.  The hotel was nice enough to give those that were running the race a ride to the start line.  I picked up my bib and dropped off my bag and it took less than 5 minutes.

The race was supposed to start at 8 am but due to some complications/problems it did not start till 8:30 am.  Yeah, not happy about it.  I was chatting with another runner whom I met in the hotel lobby as we were waiting for the hotel shuttle.  The announcer mentioned that Ruben Studdard had arrived but I did not see him.

The race started and off we went.  There was zero crowd support.  If it weren’t for the cars that were stopped at intersections by the cops to let the runners through, the city of Birmingham would not have known there was a half marathon going on in their city.

The headwind was awful.  I thought it was never going to end.  It lasted till about mile 10.  Terrible!!  By then I was running with another girl and we were motivating each other.  She told me that we only had a 5K to go.  Hmm, so simple but yet difficult.

Finally I saw the sign for mile 12.  I was so happy to see it.  I was struggling.  My neck was bothering me and I could feel some blisters forming on the bottom of my right foot.  I was annoyed about it.  I rarely get blisters on my feet.  I was wearing compression socks with my Brooks Glycerin.  In the past I’ve worn the same socks with my Brooks Connect.  Hmm, maybe the shoes?

I saw the finish line and picked up the pace.  Not a good idea.  I stopped for about 10 seconds to catch my breath and took off again.  I heard the announcer mention my colorful shoes and my name.  That made me smile!  🙂

I got my medal, picked up some food (pizza and chips with salsa) and walked back to the hotel.   It was a gorgeous day to walk plus I think it helped my legs.

The race was blah.  Next race on my calendar is the Run 3.14 Pie Race on Thanksgiving and the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon in Jackson, MS on January 5th.  That reminds me that I still need to register.

By the way I loved the hotel and my room!!

Run Happy!


Aug
2012

MIA but I am back!

categories: Running, Travel

No, I am not in Miami.  Although, it does sound like a good idea to go at the moment.

My last post was exactly 2 months ago.  Time sure flies by.  I am still enjoying my summer vacation.  However, first day back is the 27th.  I can start setting up my classroom as early as the 20th.  I plan to do that.  It takes me about 2-3 days to get organized enough to teach for a few days.  Then I work on my classroom throughout the year.

So many things have happened since my last post.  Let’s see.  I went to Boston and Hartford.  I had so much fun!!  My favorite things were the whale watching and day trip to Salem.

In Hartford I stayed with a friend a mine and together we went to a rose garden in Elizabeth Park.  There was a wedding taking place and it just looked so beautiful!

My nephew was in town from San Antonio so we went with another nephew many times to the movie theater.  We also went to the beach, Six Flags Great America, and bowling.  The boys loved it!!  I love my two boys!  He went back home on Thursday so it is a little quiet in the house.

I live in an apartment with my sister that is owned by my younger sister.  I have lived here for three years and have dealt with pure misery during the hot summer months.  Two years ago I invested in several window units that helped a bit.  However, this summer was just HORRIBLE!!  Well, apparently my sister had applied to some city program that “gave” her new windows throughout the building AND central air!!!!  Such a happy moment.  We had workers in the building for two weeks.  First, the new windows were installed.  The window units were gone.  Then the work began for the central air.  They worked from about 7am-3pm.  Furniture had to be moved and there was dust everywhere!  I took this opportunity to go through my stuff to decide what to keep, throw away, or sell in a garage sale.  Of course it was during these two weeks that temperatures were in the 100s so I was miserable here.  I told myself that it would be worth it at the end.  Sure enough when the workers were done it was pure joy and heaven to have cool air in the house.

I bought two new pairs of gym shoes, Brooks Glycerin and Brooks Pure Connect.  I LOVE, LOVE the Glycerin. So comfortable!  My feet finally don’t hurt anymore after I run.  As for the Pure Connect, I have yet to run in them because I was planning to use them for speed workouts and it so happens that I am taking a break from speed workouts.  Why?  Well, I have issues with my IT band, right hamstring, and weak gluteus maximus.  It hurts to run fast.  I can run but only for a short distance and slow.  I took a two week break and then ran on the treadmill.  My first run was 2.5 miles and then my second one was 3 miles.  Felt good when I was done.  I am going to physical therapy two times a week to deal with these issues.

I decided not to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October.  It was a combination of lack of motivation and injuries.  I know, excuses, excuses.  🙁  Instead, I decided to focus on the smaller races, in particular half marathons.  I am still on a mission to do a half in each state.  I am on the road to recovery and am planning a few races before my bunion surgery in November.  Well, that is the plan.  I will know more once I go back to school and look into the required time off.  My doctor told me a full recovery takes about 6-8 weeks.  The longer I am off my feet, the better I will recover.

I got into a car accident two week ago.  Not my fault.  I was rear ended.  I am OK but have pain in neck and lower back.  I am seeing a chiropractor for the pain.  I have been rear ended so many times.  I think at least 5 times with the car I have now (Honda CRV).  I am convinced it is cursed and I need to get rid of it.  My next car will be a Nissan Rogue.

Well, that pretty much summarized my summer break.  I am not doing everything I was planning to do but that is OK.  I am still having fun.  So how is your summer coming along?


Jun
2012

Ragnar Relay Chicago

categories: Running

This past weekend I participated in my first Ragnar. It is a race from Madison, WI to Chicago, IL for a total of 198.3 miles. Now, I didn’t run this by myself but instead with 11 other runners. Why did I want to do this? Well, I’ve done pretty much every kind of race that is out there from a 5K to an ultra marathon and I wanted to do something different.

I did not know all of the team members. I did meet for lunch one of the captains and she gave me an idea of what to expect. There was another team meeting that I went and met 5 additional members. There was constant email communication prior to the race so I felt a little better before the race.

The night before I gathered my stuff to pack. I had various lists to consult. One was provided by the captain and I also checked out Lazy Bones Running’s blog.  Even with so much information I knew I was bound to forget something.  Oh well.  I hoped one of the other team members will have it.  On Thursday morning I went over my stuff again and packed it in a hiking backpack.  Whew!  Heavy bag!!

The team was scheduled to be on the road to Madison by 1:30 pm.  Unfortunately, as we all waited to make sure we were all there, one of the vans was towed.  I remember hearing that it was parked in an illegal spot thinking that it would only be for a few minutes.  In fact it was only a few minutes and we were all shocked when we found out it was gone.  While we waited to get the van back we decorated the other van.  I know, one picture is simply not enough.  Finally, the van arrived and off we went.

It was a nice ride to Madison.  I relaxed and talked to a few of the team members.  I tried to take a nap but I couldn’t.  We arrived at Madison at about 5:30 pm.  We checked into the hotel and had plenty of time to unpack and unwind before dinner at 7 pm.

For dinner we went to Monk’s Bar and Grill.  I had a buffalo chicken sandwich with fries.  It was delicious!  After dinner it was back to the hotel.  By then it was about 8:30 or so.  I still had to get my stuff together for the next day.   I was runner #6 and my first run (10.9 miles) was at about 10am.  Since I was in Van #1 we were scheduled to start at 6am but check in at 5:30 so that meant being up at 4:30.  Lights were off by 9:30.

Van #1 left the hotel at 5am.  Check in was a breeze.  Perfect morning weather.  However, we had been warned that it would be up to 100 degrees with the heat index.  That freaked me out!  I was ready runner-wise but anything could go wrong with the heat.  Our first runner took off at 6am for a  4.4 mile run.  Dang, next time I want to be runner #1.

It was fun driving to the various exchanges.  It was also fun being there when the runners arrived and took off to the next exchange.  Finally, my turn came.  I was nervous because by then it was HOT.  The path was mostly straight but lonely.  There was also various up hills.  I was doing OK for the first few miles but then had to stop because it was so HOT!!!  I carried my own water but that was gone.  There was no water support like there usually is during a half or full marathon.  I was annoyed.  There were a few vans along the way that gave me water.

My goal was to pass a girl that had been ahead of me since the beginning.  It wasn’t because I really wanted to pass her up but it was more of a motivation for me.  As you can see, it isn’t like a regular race where there are runners left and right.  Finally, I saw that magical “One Mile To Go” sign.  Time to let my team members know I was almost done.

There I am!!!  Yes, I am happy to be done!!!  Can you tell?

Van #1 was done for the moment.  It was about 12:30 and we were all tired, hot, and hungry.  We went to get something to eat.  I had a grilled cheese sandwich that came with crackers.  Seriously?  No french fries?  I also drank a big glass of chocolate milk.  It was delicious and hit the spot.

We had about 5 hours to “kill” before it was our turn  to run again.  We went to Sports Authority because one of the girls had chafed and needed another pair of shorts.  We also bought more ice and water.  Off we went to the next exchange.  There were so many people there.  I took out my yoga mat and blanket and found a spot to rest and take a nap.  However, I was too tired and hot to sleep.  It just felt good not to be sitting in the van.  Besides, I was still hungry.  I was not going to run till close to midnight so I knew I had to eat something else.  Luckily, the Girls Scout were there selling burgers.  I bought one and eat it in probably two bites.

It was pretty neat to be at the exchange area.  There were many other vans and it was cool to see how they were decorated.  Also, it was during this time that one of the team members put up lost posters outside the van.  I think mine is pretty cool.


My second run was much better.  It was only 3 miles but in the dark.  It was my first time running in the dark.  I had a reflective vest, a head lamp, and a light blinking in my back.  No way anyone would not see me.  When I was done I received my prize from Pacifico for running the longest leg.  Anxious to know what it was?  A pair of sunglasses.  Yep, a pair of bright yellow sunglasses.   I got over my slight disappointment.  Now it was time to shower and sleep.

At about 5:30 we arrived at the next exchange just in time for a beautiful sunrise.  Not much later runner #1 took off again for her last run.

It was hot again.  Luckily, my last run was 5.8 miles.  By the time my turn came it was hot and sunny again.  Ugh!  No backing out.  I could do it.  While waiting for my turn we used the bathroom at the YMCA.  I did not want to use another port-a-potty.  There are more people at my exchanges (this is when both vans had to be together) and the potties were getting kind of smelly.

Time to run again.  The course took me through a bike path and then through Waukegan and North Chicago.  Definitely not pretty areas.  Oh well.  I ran but made a few stops along the way.  I was so happy when I was finally done.  Now it was Van #2’s turn to run.  We went to eat (I had a delicious cheeseburger with fries) and then off we went to Chicago.  I slept along the way.  I had not had a good night sleep since Thursday night.

We arrived at one of the team members’ house and we unloaded and cleaned the van.  Then she was nice enough to let us shower.  I felt much better afterwards.  We hung around for a little bit till about 3 or so and then went to Montrose Harbor to reunite with the rest of the members.  Our last runner was still on the path and our plan was to meet up with him and cross the finish line together.  When we finally saw him we were screaming and yelling.  It was so good to see him!!  What a great feeling to cross the finish line.

We took a group picture together then enjoyed our free beer and pizza!!!

I had a great time during the relay.  It was tiring but so worth it.  I might do another one next year but at least now I know what to expect.  By the way, I overpacked.  I did have pretty much everything I needed and more.  Next time I will take a smaller backpack.

I encourage you to do a Ragnar Relay.  You’ll meet so many great people and it will be a wonderful experience!!!