Dances With Dirt Trail Relay

This last Saturday, husband & I headed about an hour south of Indy to a small town called Gnawbone for an extreme 55 mile trail relay called Dances With Dirt.  We had a team of 5 called the Trailing Turtles.  I did this same race two years ago and it has been one of my favorites ever since. 

Team consisted of my husband, myself, my two female cousins & one of their boyfriends.    Cousins have both participated in this particular race as well. Husband is new to the racing scene and even more so to the trail runs. Cousin's boyfriend on the other hand, has very few miles under his belt if not zero, zilch and/or none, let alone extreme trail racing experience.  

My first pair of shoes encased in mud.  Nice view
while waiting for my husband to finish his first leg.

The morning started out a tad chilly. Of course, my tendency to overdress got me on my first leg.  It was overcast, cold & the chance for rain was there so I headed out into the woods for an 5 and half mile run with a jacket.  I ran into the woods and came upon my first hill right away.  Just say, I warmed up fast and quickly regretted the jacket.  I tied it around my waist right before I hit the 2-3 miles of pure mud.  Running and keeping your shoes attached to your feet was nearly next to impossible.  

After coming out of the nonstop and very thick mud, I came to a very long and steep fast downhill.  I enjoyed the quick descent but quickly paid for it by having to make the climb back up as steeply as I went down.  

My second leg, an approximate 5 miles and leg seven of the entire 15 legs was lacking the excitement of the previous' mud, and seemed to be a long, non-technical, easy trail for a considerable amount of time.  I made this comment out loud to a fellow runner, only to be quickly contradicted just a few minutes later by the overgrown path with heavily laden thorns, branches, & other debris that made running next to impossible.  There was no longer an obvious path or any path for that matter to follow.  At this point it was up to you to find the flags placed by the race crew behind the brush and thorns to ensure you eventually made it out of the woods.  

You can see just a few of the scratches I endured
coming out of the second leg.  Second pair of shoes
not so muddy this leg. 

Don't let the shorter distance of my last leg, 3.1 miles deceive you.  What it lacked in distance, they made up with extreme uphills & the never ending stairs. Seriously, who decided it would be a good idea to build three million steps out in the middle of the woods? Regardless of who's idea it was, someone else thought it was a fabulous idea to add it to our race route. Oh yeaaa! Note sarcasm.  I was sure to have buns of steel when I finished, but no such luck.  

Just came out of the woods of my 3rd & final leg. 

This year's "bone" medal was not as impressive as 2011's large skull & bone medal.  Oh well. It was a fun race with fun people and my 3rd medal in a week's time span. What more could a girl ask for? 

I do have one complaint that seriously irked me and the rest of my team and most likely other runners.  Part of the event included a BBQ dinner with registration.  We headed over to grab a plate at about 6 p.m., one hour before the food & race cut off time was noted. The food was scarce.  They were out of buns for the BBQ pulled pork and the rest of the sides were scarce.  At 6:15, they were out of food.  Runners who had been running all day long came up to the tables to be told they were out of food before the 7:00 cut off.  My team agreed that was inexcusable and poor event management.  

Thanks to those who have endured reading my long, sometimes rambling blog entries, liked me on Facebook and/or have followed me on Twitter . If you have yet to do so and are a glutton for punishment, you may also find me here on Daily Mile and Pinterest. You may also run with me at Ladies Running Indy.  

Tuesday Tidbits

Tidbit Number One:  I'll be 40 this August! What does this mean? Technically, it only means I was born 40 years ago to that day.  For others, it means I'm expected to have this big party with cake & balloons & whatever else is party appropriate.  Guess what? This is not on my agenda for this particular day.  So, where will I be, you ask? 

See, I'm not the only one with the same idea!
 A Triathlon on your 40th! 

My goal is to immediately commence training for my first Olympic distance triathlon, the Tri Indy once I've ran the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and the Flying Pig Marathon on May 4th and 5th, respectively.  I figured it to be fate when I found this tri to be on my actual 40th birthday date. What more could a girl ask for?  Well, according to almost everyone else....friends, family; I should be asking for a big party.  If you want to be a part of my 40th birthday, let me know and I'll point you in the direction of my tri finish line.  I will at least make sure there is cake. 

Coincidentally, I'm currently watching the movie This Is 40. 

Tidbit Number Two:  I'm currently on vacation in Florida.  I'm happy for the sunny skies and warmer weather.  Indy weather has been less than desirable for alleged March and the Spring season.  I'm just too happy to head out, finally, in shorts & a tank; no accessories needed.  I can do without gloves, a hat, and having to question my judgment on whether a second layer is needed.  

Husband and I headed out for 6 mile run the first full day we were here and then took in a short 8 mile bike ride.  It was fabulous.  Brother-in-law that currently has the privilege of our presence, lol, was so amused by our KT Tape that he insisted on taking a picture.  

Third and Last Tidbit: I almost didn't take this vacation. Why, you ask? Long story short, we've taken a Spring Break vacation with all 3 of the kiddos for the last so many years that I've lost count.  Last year, we took our standard beach side vacation....with only 2 of those 3 kiddos.    

The other & oldest and at the time, a high school senior felt that her last year of high school was more worthy of a different endeavor than hanging out with dear old dad and mom.  I agreed to let her hang out with her best friend and my mom, both who live in Vegas for the week.  I was ok with that, since she was with her grandmother and what I consider family friends.  

Fast forward a year.  We scheduled our usual spring break vacation but knowing that once again one of us would be missing.  My previous high school senior is now a college freshman and her spring break schedule doesn't coincide with the other two.  I know that's part of life and I was alright with that, kind of.  

Slowly, they dropped like flies.  The youngest wanted to spend the week with friends in Florida. The middle one eventually said he didn't want to go at all.  As he's gotten older & has outgrown making sand castles and burying his brother in the sand, he veers away from the sun, sand and surf like I veer from 40th birthday parties.  I understand his pain.  Just because the rest of the common population enjoys something, doesn't mean you should be required to join.  "To each their own."  as I frequently say.  

Regardless of my respect for his dislike of the sun and sand I crave, I wasn't ready for the full family separation.  I called my husband at work and asked if he would be too horribly disappointed if we didn't go at all.  At this point, it's just husband and myself on vacation, a Spring Break vacation that is generally spent with the kids.  It bothered me so much to the point I felt sick. 

The Famous Dachshund Duo & Now World Renowned
as Escape Artists.

Husband obliged my mental breakdown and agreed that we wouldn't go.  With a tad convincing from the older kids and against my better judgement, I eventually agreed to go.  Everyone still has all of their limbs, the house is still standing according to the neighbors, and the police have yet to be called to my house.  The only incident I've been informed of is the attempted get away of the dachshund duo.  They were caught and brought home by a helpful neighbor.  I'm only wondering what they were trying to get away from.  They never attempt to leave when I'm at home.  

Can you only imagine the blog post when one of them tries to move out? 


Fourth Tidbit:  I know, I know, I said the last tidbit was my last.  It's my blog and I'll add tidbits if I want to.  As we were leaving my brother-in-law's condo the other day here in Florida, I seen a type of duck that I had never seen before, even in my many years of trips here. He seemed quite friendly and approachable.  Coincidentally, I had a box of Cheez-its in the car.  I grabbed a handful and he quickly snapped them up.  

Husband & the youngest son (who is currently on the
other side of Florida with friends)
 feeding the other Dexter.

Isn't he handsome? 

The next day, guess who was at the back door? My duck!  I fed him again and named him Dexter, just like half of my dachshund duo at home, because his eating similarities to him.  He snaps his snacks right out of mid-air.  

He has been back to see me today as well.  Brother-in-law insists Dexter will be disappointed once I leave, as he will not continue his daily snack ritual.  I've already informed him I will inform all of the neighborhood kids to knock on his door daily if he doesn't feed ducky.  

I'm done now.  There will be no fifth tidbit that is really my last. 

Thanks to those who have endured reading my long, sometimes rambling blog entries, liked me on Facebook and/or have followed me on Twitter . If you have yet to do so and are a glutton for punishment, you may also find me here on Daily Mile and Pinterest. You may also run with me at Running Indy.  

Sam Costa Half....Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times from your mom, your dad or anyone else doing something that they know they have no business doing.  Whether it be something as silly as drinking from the milk carton (oooh, YUCK) or as something even more serious as texting while driving (now that's just flat out stupid).  

Regardless, I pulled a "Do as I say, not as I do!" this last weekend.  If any of my fabulous blog, Twitter or Facebook followers would have came seeking advice asking ever so coincidentally, 
"I just came from the doctor with an antibiotic prescription for bronchitis & laryngitis. Should I run a half marathon tomorrow morning?  I've been coughing my lungs out non-stop for a week, have absolutely no voice, & have been exhausted.  Oh yes & don't forget, I haven't ran a mile since last Saturday, one week from tomorrow's race".  I would have answered so sympathetically with a "Seriously, brainiac! Are you out of your mind? Take your rear end back to bed & stay there & forget about  tomorrow's race."  

It takes a lot for me to see the doctor, being sick is usually not one of them.  Me just being there indicated I was feeling near death. In fact, my knee injuries dwell for a week of wobbling & pain before I drag myself there.  He stated he was surprised to see me for any other reason than a grapefruit size, swollen knee, herniated disc, etc.  

When I was leaving the Dr.'s office with my prescription, he asked me if I had a race that weekend. I've been seeing this particular Dr. for years and with my lack of fabulous knees, he's quite familiar with my running endeavors.   After a diagnosis & a prescription, he slowly asked me if I would be cancelling  my racing intentions. Ok, it was more like a "You will be cancelling this race, won't you?"  I gave no definite answer knowing good and well I had no intentions of cancelling any race.  

Besides the excessive coughing, I woke up the morning of the race not feeling too bad.  As usual, I went back & forth with what to wear.  I have yet to accomplish dressing just right in the cold so that I'm not too cold or too hot.  Maybe I can get a lesson from Goldilocks.  

I headed for the race a tad early to try to meet up with a couple of fellow running group members. Once I got there, the race registration area was a lot more crowded and there were more runners than I remembered from last year.  I did my usual "go to the bathroom as many times as possible" prior to the race before I headed outside for the race.  Thankfully, this was one of those cushy races that the runners have access to the warm interior of a building with clean public restrooms.  The outside cold port-o-lets were only used as a last resort.  What more could you ask for?

It started out a tad brisk.  I appreciated the jacket that I decided to grab out of my car at the last second.....at least for now.  It eventually ended up around my waist once I warmed up. It doesn't make for great race pictures as you can see here, but it served its purpose.  

As I progressed into the mileage of the race, I was pleasantly surprised at how well I felt for just being as sick as I had been the week and even day prior.  There was little coughing and my lungs felt good.  I don't remember at what mile, but a fellow runner lady, Nina & I sparked up a conversation and kept it going for a considerable amount of the race.   I usually run out of the ability to hold any conversation past the very early stages of a half, as I tend to attempt to preserve all energy possible.  

Even though the coughing seem to have subsided, as least for now, my legs began to express their distaste for my attempt at 13.1 at who knows what mile.  I began to feel every single muscle in my legs that had not been used since the weekend prior when I had ran the Shamrock Shuffle 15k.  It took everything I had to push through.  I think it was about mile 12 where I had to walk.  I spent about 45 seconds walking when Nina, who I had lost for a few miles came up behind up and lended some moral support. It was the boost I needed and I picked my pace back up.  

I finished the race in 2:15:48, not a PR but not my slowest.  I was ecstatic considering my previous week's condition.  I headed back inside to the race headquarters to find a runner friend to see how she had done.  She had a PR and her first half under 2 hours at 1:59:31. Congrats to her.  

I headed home to meet up with husband so that we could get in his training run of 8 miles & I could finish up the remaining of my 18 miles.  Long story short, the remaining 5 did not go as well as my first 13.1.  I started out with my husband at his pace.  It was immediately painful.  I thought maybe I could do a walk-run.  Just say that didn't work out so well. I guess the lack of running the week prior had caught up with me.  I ended up walking the 5 slowest miles of my life.  Husband finished his 8 mile run before I finished my 5....Yes, that bad.  Regardless, I got it done. 

Coincidentally, I went to a Dr. appointment with my daughter the other day, the same Dr. I had just seen last week, the day before my race.  Before addressing my daughter's issue, he had to ask me if I raced the last weekend.  I told him that I did.  His response, "Of course you did." 


Thanks to those who have endured reading my long, sometimes rambling blog entries, liked me on Facebook and/or have followed me on Twitter . If you have yet to do so and are a glutton for punishment, you may also find me here on Daily Mile and Pinterest. You may also run with me at Running Indy.  

Resolution Revolution

Proof I was there! 

Note to self & word of advice:  Do not register for a run the morning after a New Year's Eve Party you are hosting.  When a party doesn't end until 1 a.m. and you stay up in attempt to clean up the mess until 2 a.m., getting up in the wee wee hours of the morning to run in the ice cold doesn't seem so fun when your alarm goes off. 

If it weren't for the fact that I am as cheap as you can get and unless I'm close to death, I refuse not to run if I've paid for registration. Since I had preregistered and a running buddy was expecting my presence, I headed out into the frigid temps of downtown Indy. 

The Ken Long & Assoc.'s Resolution Revolution was the local run to celebrate the new year. It was a non-timed run that you could do in 3 mile increments of 3, 6, or 9 miles.  Prior to staying up until 2 a.m. and heading out into temps suitable for icebergs & penguins, I had every intention of doing the full 9 miles.   

I was glad that I had gotten my tired, cold rear out of bed. As they say, "The only workout you ever regret is the one that you didn't do.", or something like that. I met my friend in the nice warm building of the Indiana War Memorial where we waited to see if we were the lucky winners of any door prizes. Much to my surprise, they called my ticket number for a Nathan's Sonic Boom iPhone 4s armband.  I don't have an iPhone, but my daughter does, and she was quite delighted with the unexpected gift.  

We then ventured out into the icy cold air to toast our way into the the new year with champagne in cute little plastic toasting glasses.  I was so cold and shivering so bad, that I had to hold my cup with one hand and steady it with the other to avoid my champagne shaking out of the glass.  I'm not fond of the majority of alcoholic beverages including champagne, so I toasted my running partner, took a miniscule sip and let the rest find its way into the snow.  

We commenced our run with no final decision on whether we were going to finish after 3, 6 or 9 miles. We decided out loud that we would make that decision closer to the end of the first 3 mile loop based on how we felt.  In my head, I told myself I would run whatever "running partner" decided was best for her all while secretly hoping she was in no more of a mood to run than I was. 

So around mile 2 and half or wherever I was at this particular moment, with fingers that hurt they were so cold and a face I could no longer feel, "running friend" stated her intent to finish up this frosty run at the first loop.  For someone who hates to pay for 5k's because of the "lack of mileage" I'm paying for, I was uncharacteristically ecstatic. 

HA, Please take note, on January 1st, 2013, I Christina a.k.a as "MomRunsFasterThanDad", became a running "wienie".  Listen to me whine........It was too cold, I was too tired.......blah, blah and more blah.  No, I don't want any cheese with that "whine".  So, 9 miles diminished to 3 and I took my happy, frozen body parts home where I finished cleaning the remnants of the night  prior and then became one with the recliner for the remainder of the day.  

Thanks to those who have endured reading my long, sometimes rambling blog entries, liked me on Facebook and/or have followed me on Twitter . If you have yet to do so and are a glutton for punishment, you may also find me here on Daily Mile and Pinterest. 

January Challenge: 30 Days of Planking!

This is my first fitness challenge ever created. I will not lie! This isn't just for your ladies and gentlemen.  You motivate me as much as I hope that I motivate you.  This is to keep us all accountable and motivated through the first month of the new year, 2013.

The challenge is simple.  One minute of plank for each number of the date (ie. Jan 2= Two 1 minute planks, Jan 3= Three 1 minute planks, Jan 31= You guessed it...Thirty-One 1 minute planks! At least you have all day to get them done as you see fit.

Feel free to vary your planks! Make them as difficult or as easy as you need.  Do a side plank today and shake it up tomorrow with a leg raising plank.  Join us over at Facebook to chart your progress and to hang out with some fabulous, fit minded people.
Thanks to those who have endured reading my long, sometimes rambling blog entries, liked me on Facebook and/or have followed me on Twitter . If you have yet to do so and are a glutton for punishment, you may also find me here on Daily Mile and Pinterest. 

GEARS FOR DUMMIES

If you googled "how to change bike gears", and happened to fall on this blog post, you are so in the wrong place.  If you are expecting a tutorial on bike gears from this post, keep googling. It's the total opposite! I'm the one who needs the book "Gears For Dummies".  Just say this last weekend's Hope Ride, a 50 mile cycling event I did with my husband, a friend and some family members was a much needed lesson on gears.  It wasn't exactly the way I wanted to learn.

MY HUSBAND & ME BEFORE THE RIDE
STARTED AND WHILE I WAS STILL HAPPY!

As we headed out that morning, it was a frigid 40 degrees.  We had registered for 50 miles, so we were to ride two different 25 mile loops.   We headed out for the first loop hoping for warmer temperatures sooner than later.  I'm positive this was my coldest ride yet since I've started riding.  Yes, I'm whining! I hate the cold and it doesn't exactly make it any better when you're on a bike with the wind in your face. 

The first miles were relatively easy and flat.  Once again, I said "the first miles".  After so many miles in, I thought I was on the wrong ride early.  I know I've contemplated doing the Hilly Hundred, an extremely hilly, 2 day ride in October  again this year, but I questioned whether someone cheated and copied some routes.  

SOMEONE KNEW I WAS COMING AND PUT
OUT SIGNS JUST FOR ME! HOW CONVENIENT! 

We encounter this hill and I'm pedaling with all of my strength.  Obviously my strength was not what this hill wanted.  It wanted me to change my gears, you know, those things most people know how to operate properly and efficiently BEFORE they go out on a 50 mile bike ride while not knowing the route elevation changes.  

Of course, this is probably the biggest hill I've ever attempted after finally taking the plunge and going clipless.  You know where this is going, don't you?  In the mere second I mentally address that my bike is no longer progressing forward and only about to fall sideways, I manage a miraculous getaway out of my pedals, all after expressing a few expletives.  Sorry to those who had to hear it. Yes, I witnessed you, the one with the unapproving glare.  That's OK, what I actually said was way less harsh than what I actually thinking.  

After, I made my great escape, I felt it was in my bike's best interest for me to finish the rest of the lovely incline on foot.  I think this particular situation had to occur one to two more times, in the exact same order: hill, almost fall over-but didn't, walk the hill, before I eventually figured out how to prevent this "disaster waiting to happen".  

When the hills weren't an issue, I would play with the gears hoping to find a resolution for my ignorance.  Thankfully, for my sake and most importantly the bike's, we came to a compromise. I'm positive my gear changing abilities are not up to par with Lance Armstrong, but at least I finally got to ride up some of the last hills versus walk.  

I know, you want to know how I got through 160 miles on the R.A.I.N. Ride, without knowing how to properly change my gears.  Honestly, I had never thought about it until now.  Obviously, there must not have been any significant hills.  When I did R.A.I.N. & the Hilly Hundred last year, I had done it on a hybrid that had "gears for dummies". There were little numbers on the top and they were easily changeable.......by people like me.  I had just replaced my hybrid with my road bike this year back in late March before doing the R.A.I.N. this year,  and have yet to do any rides with significant elevations changes, thank goodness.  

Within our first 25 mile loop, one of our rest stops was at a combo winery/restaurant where we gladly went in and had a few sodas and relaxed prior to heading out for the last half of our first loop.  My husband decided he could get warmed up by tasting a few of the wines before we hit the road again.  

THE .4 MILES WAS ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY.
I WAS READY TO GO HOME......AND SLEEP. 

If I had known at mile 25, what I knew at mile 35, I would have stopped at mile 25 and headed home.  Were there more hills? Actually, no.  Loop 2 was a relatively flat and easy route.  What I didn't know, was that the wind speed would increase up to 29 miles per hour and the there would be wind gusts up to 36 miles.

 In addition to the very unwanted and unnecessary resistance training, for whatever reason my quads were on fire and my saddle was not serving my rear end very well either, 2 issues that are rare for me.  I don't know what was wrong with me, as I have been on the bike this past summer numerous times and have yet to endure either issue until this past weekend.  My only guess is that the combination of hills, wind & my recent marathon have wore me out and I need to take it easy. Oh, wait a minute, I think my knees have already screamed that out loud.
                                                                                    

AIR FORCE MARATHON: MY FIRST FULL MARATHON

I was awake a few minutes before my 4 a.m. alarm that I had set the night before.  Amazingly, I slept pretty well for it being the night before my first ever full marathon, the Air Force Marathon.  I usually don't sleep well the night before any race, so this was definitely unexpected but appreciated.  I figured I was going to need all of the rest I could possibly get for the next 26.2 miles I was about to endure. 

I jumped out of my hotel bed that surprisingly served me well and immediately commenced consuming my pre-race breakfast that I had removed from the hotel fridge; 2 pancakes, 1 banana slathered in peanut butter & a Powerade Zero, all brought from home.  Just say I have yet to get this pre-race fueling down and was questioning whether I was eating enough or too much.  Can you even eat too much when you're going to run over 26 miles?  

My stunning legs and their KT Tape.  

I got dressed and KT taped my knees and feet. I usually wear a knee brace, but it tends to be cumbersome and I hate wearing it during races. The tape is anything but.   If you've never used this stuff, believe me, it works.  My biggest issue is my right knee because of details I won't bore you with, but I've ran less miles that really hurt my knees while I finished 26.2 miles and my knees feel great as if I've never ran.   

We took some pre-race photos before we left the hotel and discovered how chilly it could be at 6 a.m. in the morning as we packed up the car with our overnight bags.  Thankfully, I had picked up a $2 clearance sweatshirt at the local Walmart the night prior in anticipation of the chilly start of the race.  

Once we arrived at the Wright-Patterson Air Force base, just say a warm up was unnecessary.  We had to park so far away,  I'm almost positive my mileage after walking to the start line and back to the car after the race exceeded 32 miles versus the expected 26.2. It was definitely a brisk walk in 50 degree temps and running shorts. Although perfect for running, I was definitely not ready to walk the guesstimated 2 miles in this nippy air.  

We made our necessary two trips to the infamous race port-a-potties, checked our bags and got in some additional pre-race photos before we headed over to the start line.  When I say "we", I'm referring about my uncle & cousin, also both running the full.  It was a family affair. 

This "guy" flew over right before the
official start! 

My opinion of my marathon training was that is was less than fabulous and was not consistent. Regardless,  I would finish whether it was crawling or being pulled across the finish line by my hair as I had suggested to a fellow runner who had coincidentally mentioned some cave man strategy around mile 14.  Hey, whatever it takes! 

I lined up behind the five hour pace team not because I thought I had any chance of finishing within five hours, but because there wasn't a 5:15 or 5:30 pace team.  I figured they would eventually lose me, but it gave me an idea of what pace not to exceed before they did.  

I was forewarned about the hill early in the race between mile one and two.  I made sure not to out pace myself and to ensure an early bonk.  


       Mile 1 11:10.1       Mile 2 11:22.2

As I settled into my run, I had decided part of my strategy was going to be take water at every station and eat at all opportunities, especially earlier in the race as suggested on my Facebook page by a fellow and more experienced runner, Mark over at Wise Running.  Fueling on my long runs has never been my strong point, so I figured I couldn't do anything worse.  When the volunteers held out bananas, I had a banana.  When a lovely lady was handing out Fig Newtons from a tray, I helped myself to two of them.  I later had more bananas and even a cookie somewhere along the route. I did skip out on the Krispy Kreme glazed donuts.  I was wanting energy and fuel, not a diabetic coma.

                                                     
Mile 3 10:15.3
Mile 4 10:45.2
Mile 5 10:48.2
Mile 6 10:44.1
Mile 7 10:47.1
Mile 8 10:58.8
Mile 9 10:59.0                                       

My  pace stayed pretty consistent as you can tell from my early miles up until about mile nine. After that, my right IT band was started making his presence known in a very painful way.  I guess I should have KT taped him too! My IT band made sure I knew about his unwelcome and painful visit for longer than I had hoped for.   This is well indicated in my slower than desired pace up until about mile eighteen. 

Mile 11 11:04.5
Mile 12 11:26.2
Mile 13 12:00.3 
Mile 14 11:33.5
Mile 15 11:50.9
Mile 16 11:50.6
Mile 17 11:53.7
Mile 18 12:11.6

Right before I was about to come up on the 18 mile marker, I hear quite a bit more conversation from the runners coming up from behind me than I had heard through out the race.  As I hear it get closer and louder, I turn around to find the 5 hour pace group literally on the back of my heels.  Surprised that I hadn't noticed that I passed them, the pace leader makes a comment referencing mile 18 being where many tend to encounter the "wall".   As I hear this, I immediately pull out my GU Chomps.  I'm determined not to be a statistic.

While trying not to choke on my Chomps, the 5 hour pace group continues their party mentality with stories and riddles.  I know this works for some and very possibly gets them through 26.2 miles less painfully, but I'm not very tolerable of a loud noise. I don't even run with headphones or music.  At this point, my only goal is to separate myself considerably from the group while not  out pacing myself.  

Strangely enough, around the same time, my IT issue has seemed to lessen considerably and I feel energized once again. I'm able to put in the distance from the pace group and find myself utilizing a fellow runner to pace myself.  We both admit to pacing each other and keep up the conversation.  He tells me he had registered for a total of 12 marathons this year and had just had a heart attack 90 days ago.  I mentioned the irony of his efforts when he admits to his love affair with french fries and fast food; proof that our health is 20% exercise and 80% diet.  


Mile 19 10:56.9
Mile 20 10:22.6
Mile 21 10:23.3
Mile 22 10:45.5
Mile 23 10:41.6
Mile 24 10:54.0
Mile 25 10:16.9
Mile 26 10:39.5

I eventually lose my company somewhere at a water station and venture on my own for probably the last 3-4 miles or so.  I'm not too excited to see the next hill as this race was advertised mostly flat, and it had been anything but mostly flat. Didn't I specify "No Hills" in the special requests part of registration?  Regardless, I storm up it like a trooper.  I'm not letting this hill take me out.  

I finish my first ever 26.2 miles ever at 4:51:21, considerably less than my anticipated time of 5:15-5:30ish.  I'm absolutely ecstatic.  As mentioned before, with my less than stellar training, I definitely underestimated myself.  

Standing in front of the wall that runners had signed the
night before at the expo after I finished my marathon!
This is the only "wall" I encountered!
 

After crossing the finish line of my first ever full marathon, I accepted my medal and headed over for post-race fuel, pizza and chocolate milk.  I earned every calorie! 

www.momrunsfasterthandad.com 1st marathon
on the wall 

I then sought out my uncle who I knew most likely finished more than an hour prior.  We took some post race pictures while waiting for cousin.  

Me, next to a very big Air Force airplane.

I couldn't asked for a better first marathon.  The weather was perfect.  For once my fueling strategy worked.  I was able to pace myself well enough that I was capable of running the race in its entirety.  The volunteers and street side spectators were extremely supportive! I'm already contemplating which race will be my next marathon! 

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