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One City Half Marathon Recap

Last year, I won an entry to the One City Marathon Relay. Already dealing with injuries and an over crowded schedule, my relay partner and I decided to defer to this year. In deferring there was an option to run the half which seemed like more fun than doing the relay.

I didn’t think to stay in Newport News the night before and really figured that I could just drive down the morning of and then back post race. Due to being pretty close to Richmond, this plan worked out just fine.

I arrived to the parking garage around 5:45pm and met up with Anne before hitting the bus. Shoutout to Anne for picking up my packet for me the day before. It was a busy weekend so I went into the weekend not as on it as I normally am. From the garage, we walked over to the line of buses and were directed by volunteers to the right bus.

One City is a point to point (which is impressive for a full marathon when you think about it) so the half, relay and marathon buses were going to different spots. The half went to a local high school which meant the building was open, warm and had real bathrooms.

I guess I didn’t realize how small this race was going to be but it was a nice change of pace to just migrate to the start line right before the race. Maybe less than 5 minutes later we were off. Of course I ended up towards the back but I wasn’t too worried about that because I wanted to look at this race as the first of many long runs working towards Three Days at the Fair.

The course did not have a ton of spectators or even scenery but it was nice and flat, we’ll supported by volunteers and the Newport News Police Department. I’m pretty sure there were two- three officers at each intersection. Near CNU campus, a man tried to pull out near me and an officer literally sprinted towards the driver to get them to redirect. Throughout the race, there were bikers that were checking in with the back of the half and notified us when the marathon front runners were coming behind us. I greatly appreciated that level of support.

Also, SO MANY CONES. I have never seen a full 13.1 mile course with that many cones. Y’all it was wild. I don’t know how or where they would event store that many.

The last mile or so was interesting as the 8k, half and full marathon merged. It really would only be an issue for someone who is a slower half marathoner or a speedy marathoner. And before I knew it, you turned a quick corner and there was the finish.

I had originally planned to grab some food and one beer and head home but the after party really sucked me in. I caught up with a woman that I met in the first couple miles of the race, talked to some friends from VA Beach and decided which food trucks to get my runner food from. There was a pizza truck, taco truck, baked goods and other options.

The recovery tent had samples of deodorant, a make your own trail mix station AND had at least 8 massage therapists with real tables so that people could get a massage without being in line or a waiting list. I got one of the best post race massages I have ever gotten at a finish line. It made my car ride home so much less miserable. There were even a ton of yoga mats and foam rollers if you wanted to use them.

I found some other Richmond runners and had another beer and some more food. We found spots to sit in the tent where there was a DJ. He did a great job of entertaining the runners and small children of the runners with a Frozen mix. Sounds lame but it lead to a dance and sing a long.

I shuffled to my car (which was perfectly positioned like a block away) and rode home. I later looked at my pace, and time and reflected on how I felt. And honestly, I felt good, pushed when I felt like it and ultimately felt in control of my race. Not my fastest or slowest but I am quite satisfied and would recommend this race to anyone looking for a easy going half with solid support and finish line party.

[vanessa-vr-ross]

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#WellnessWednesday . . Running while being a fat girl. Do Get compression Don’t forget to strength train Do add a runner loop and comfortable tennis (Nike or ASICS) Don’t skip the stretching add in a tennis 🎾 ball rolled under your foot Do wear supportive bras. Don’t forget your Body Glide! . . #bgrlife❤️ #bgrlife #plussizedgirlsrock #plussizedrunner #1minutemotivation #runtips #momsthatrun #runnermoms #runnermomthick #thickrunnermoms #plussizedworkouttips #workoutmomtips #makeitcount #saladgamestrong #beforeandduring #mybigbodycan #week45of2018 #spoonmethod #positivevibes #fatgirlflow (at Mercer Botanic Gardens) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp5YX-2H32G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13jp080tzwo5v

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Jarmans Gap and the Calf Mountain Climb

Since I am training for a mountain half, it only makes sense to climb some mountains in prep. Rather than driving 3.5 hours to Roanoke, it was suggest we head to Crozet to get some much needed hill training. So early on a Sunday a couple weeks ago, Audrey, the Larocks and myself headed up to the base of Jarmans Gap Road.

It was hovering around 20 degrees and we knew it would be even colder at the top. 1500’ feet of elevation was all that separated us from the top. Yeah that’s all. Very similar to the elevation of Mill Mountain. The climb was very different. At many points Calf Mountain seemed to be steeper than I remember Mill Mountain to be. I wonder if because every time I’ve done Mill Mountain and Peakwood it was during the race so I had extra adrenaline rushing through my body. This climb was different. It felt like a hike. There were moments where it was easier to stop, turn around and walk backwards than to keep climbing the way we were. As we went higher, the air got thinner and colder. The views were pretty amazing even from the midway point. After 2.8 miles, we finally got to where Jarmans Gap Rd met Calf Mountain. We were greeted by a man that recommended various routes for the next time and how to keep from running up and down the mountain to get more mileage. We hope to implement some of those ideas the next time we head up. 

To be honest, coming down was way harder than I expected. Between my toes slamming at the front of my shoes, the steep terrain and the rocky soil; the further down we got the harder it felt. We came down the mountain in about half the time it took us to go up. And it seemed as if it was getting colder as we came down the switchbacks. 

The Larocks caught us coming down the mountain and we all went back to the orchard, finished together and headed over to Crozet Pizza for a victory lunch. It was a great idea to train on some serious mountain climb in prep for Blue Ridge and I can not wait to go back and see how much progress we have made when we make our way back later this month. 

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Here goes 2019!

Not going to lie, I am CLEARLY late on the whole New Year goals train. I can attribute it to not being quite sure how this year was going to land, a busy holiday season and as a result, no time to truly reflect. I believe that it is important to reflect and acknowledge what has happened and what I did accomplish before throwing more goals together. So here we are at February and I’m kicking off my goals for the year. 

RUNNING & RACES: 

My two big races this year are Blue Ridge Half Marathon and the Berlin Marathon. For the first time in a long time, I am not stuffing my spring and focusing on one big race. There are a few reasons as to why: I am working as a race director for two races this spring, I want to focus on doing well at Blue Ridge and I do not want to over do it going into training for Berlin. I will sprinkle half marathons and maybe another full in the fall. I am considering the Madison Mini, Queen Bee in Cincinnati and maybe a couple in New England to have fun and knock a few more states off in my 50 states before age 35 challenge. 

I will keep working on my speed, remaining grateful and mindful for what my body allows me to do and focus on having a recovery plan (and sticking to it). Last year, I figured out a training plan that worked and modified as needed. It seemed like the more I ran, the better I felt but I did not take recovery as well as I should have. I will continue to see my massage therapist, taking warm epsom salt baths and getting more sleep but I need to make sure I am foam rolling, drinking enough water and nuun and just making sure am not over doing it. 

Mostly, I am excited to build on what I learned about myself last year as a runner. 

WELLNESS & BALANCE:

For the goals that are not in the running and races category, they kinda support my running life in a way. This year in the effort of not wanting to over do it, I need to continuous strive for balance. Balancing my workouts, stress, life with my dog and boyfriend and my commitments. I looked at my life and did the Marie Kondo method of seeing what brought me joy and letting go of what does not. Letting go of the commitments where I did not feel appreciated or fulfilled, stop going to workouts that did not serve me or my goals and letting go of the negative thoughts that could hold me back. My goal is to practice yoga and meditation at least three times a week, maintaining my strength workouts and take more time doing nothing at all.    

Its all coming together and I am so excited to see what 2019 holds. VIVA! 

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Back to Back: City to Sea

November always tends to be a busy racing time for me. With the Richmond Marathon races on one weekend, Norfolk Harbor the next weekend and Turkey Trot to round out the month- it gets a little busy. Every year, I forget how much it takes to race this month. Here in Richmond, it is our first burst of actually cold weather. In the past couple years, it seems to have landed on Richmond’s race weekend. Luckily, this weekend wasn’t as cold as the last one. Norfolk can always be a mixed bag of rain, wind and cold but this year we just got brisk and dry weather.

Doing the Richmond Half Marathon for the third time was an interesting experience and another reminder why I don’t tend to do races more than once or twice. I felt too familiar with the course. However, it allowed me to really take in the course, look around and enjoy the day. My only goals were to feel good and have fun and I succeeded. 

From beginning to end, I felt good and I didn't let any negative voices come through. I ran as if I had nothing to prove and it was refreshing. 

Ironically, I decided to do the same thing in Norfolk. It was important to me to relax and enjoy. I did the challenge of the 5k on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday like I did in 2016. It was an extra special year because it was the third year that my lifelong friend Morgan and I decided to do this race and her first half marathon! 

The entire point of the weekend in Norfolk is fun. The race is sponsored by Blue Moon, the after party both days is awesome and with our hotel walking distance to various watering holes it is a booze heavy weekend. As a result, my easy going pace was extra easy. It was really flat and steady crowd support. 

I cant believe in four short years, I have tackled 21 half marathons and three full marathons. I am not completely decided on what is next for me. Maybe Berlin, maybe more full marathon training or focusing on how many states I can kick off this year. My own true focused goal for now is to PR the Blue Ridge Half Marathon in April. And for right now that might be enough! 

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Forever Forward and Forward Forever

THEY ARE HERE! One of my signature slogans #foreverforward was selected to be featured on Balega International Grit and Grace socks! A dollar from each pair is donated to Breast Cancer research as well! They come in two colors and are super comfy too!

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Half Way There...

August tends to mark the beginning of the end of summer. It also marks the back end of marathon training. I can honestly say its going better than my training for NYC in 2016. I am training smarter but I still am trying to find a happy medium between a plan that is handed to me and my normal schedule. 

The last two weeks things have shifted. My last two long runs were cut short. My mid week runs have been sparse. The weather has been terrible, I’ve been accidentally sleeping in, and my life has been blossoming in so many amazing ways( and I’m so excited). Now I will say, I’ve been doing well with my nutrition/meal planning (on route and in life). Drinking more tea and less booze is always a constant goal. My cross training, while has happened less, is still happening even with my crazy schedule which helps. If I were giving my training a rating of effort, I would say I’m giving it 70-75 percent. 

I will say, my fundraising hasn’t hit the high point I was aiming for but I will say that knowing I am doing this race for Girls on the Run really does motivate me in some ways I would have never thought. My mental game has been much better this go around with training. I am tougher, my mantras continue to work and I have been pushing myself. I will continue to stick with the intermediate plan as I still have 50k dreams post Chicago.

We are almost 60 days out. I have a 17,18, 20 and a 22 miler to crush before this race. So now is the time for me to really dial in, get some strong runs in, recover well and stay healthy. Now the real work begins. 

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More Miles and More Fatigue

The first two weeks of this intermediate training plan has reminded me of quite a few things: 

Running is harder than cross training. 

Running on tired legs is tough for a couple miles. 

Spin classes kill my speed. 

Runs by myself can be enjoyable. 

Warming up is key. 

Humidity still sucks. 

Just a few tidbits. Honestly, these past two weeks are the most mileage I have put on my legs in maybe two years. When training for a half, I didn't need this much mileage as my focus was more towards strength building. 

By the time I got to my second long run, I was a bit concerned that I was doing more harm than good. My mile times have gotten slower, even slower than anticipated with the heat and humidity. I could not get enough sleep. My thirst was unable to be quenched. 

To say I was worried, was an understatement. Had I bitten off more than I can chew? Was I already falling apart? Well last week, I decided to do one of my 5 mile runs by myself along Pony Pasture. The temperature was in the mid 60′s, humidity was not bad for running next to a river and I did an out and back stretch that is one of my favorite routes in Richmond. The first mile hurt. I could hardly get a comfortable shuffle. But as I got further down the road, I loosened up and realized I can progressively getting faster. By the time I hit mile 5, I took 3 minutes off of my mile time from the start. 

Another redeeming run? My track workout this morning. I haven’t kicked off my track work this season yet as I am still learning this schedule. Tuesday track days make more sense so I plan to move them to Tuesday to get the most out of the workout and keep my Wednesdays as my cross training for TRX or yoga. I really hadn’t done any track work since the summer of 201. But today, it felt right. After a two mile warm up, I was able to kick out a 15:15 with a pretty decent degree of ease. It was literally a nice change of pace. Even my cool down mile stayed in the 15′s which was the boost I needed. 

For now, I am going to stick with the intermediate schedule with my modification of doing activities on specific days. I might add in at least one rest day a week. I might try and stick to it as is and let it fly. We will see what the next three weeks bring. 

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Pocahontas Trail Fest: Marathon Relay

Formerly known as the Instant Classic, added a relay option. And of course when my friends in the photo needed a person for their laid back, lets have fun and run in the woods. I figured why not. And when the splits came out, it only made sense for me to take the last nine miles so that I could coach my 10 team and then head out to the park. 

So after, getting to the park and waiting a little bit for my team mate to come in it was my turn to run 9 miles through the woods. Compared to Bear Creek and other trail runs I have done, this one was different. 

Soft dirt has a funny way of showing you where your weak spots are. Not knowing where the next climb or steep down hill was coming. It was hard but it was a good level set for Blue Ridge. A mix of gravel, sand, smaller rocks, grass tested me as I climbed up, hopped over roots, jumped over little river crossings 

Around mile 5 or so, I was over it. Luckily, most of the climb was over at this point, but I knew there were some late hills in the course. And then it starts to sleet, I haven’t seen anyone in a bit. It was grey but bright enough to see between the trees and see where the next clearing or aid station was. I get back to the first aid station and the lone park ranger cheered me on my way to the finish. He says there is only a mile and a half to go. 

I then got to a point where I couldn’t tell if I needed to go left or right, I went left. Luckily, that was the right way. And with just a couple more up hills and down, and out to where I started, greeted by my team with 7 minutes to spare! 

Trails are so out of my comfort zone but it was fun to get away and run through the woods like a true lost girl. 

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Huguenot 3 Miler to kick off my Sunday morning! Got to see all my buddies and ran on some softer trail at a steady pace.  

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Grin and Bear it: Bear Creek 10 Miler

What the actual hell was I thinking?! Go run technical trail for 10 miles when I had not been on a trail even close to that hard in over a year. I figured that my strength training, core stabilization and ankle work would help where my training lacked. To be even more honest, I didn’t think it would be that hard. That was a terrible assumption.

It was all good for the first 4 miles or so. Chatting with Sarah, legs still feeling fresh and still pretty chilly it didn’t seem to be so bad. We made it to the first water stop and all I could think was- we aren’t even half way. Like any race, I have to keep the mental positive or the rest goes down the tubes. 

Downed trees, rocks, roots, steep inclines and declines and more leaves than I had ever seen in my life and the constant fear of falling and the creeping uptick in temperature started to wear me down. Oh and there were like 10 creek crossings, most of which I was not savy or balanced enough to get across without slipping in to just enough water to soak my shoes and socks. Each time I almost got dry, another creek appeared. By mile 6.5 (which felt like 9.5), I was done. So done. Doner than done. 

As my legs started to drag and the time started to slip away, I could not wait for a sign of the finish. On this trail, there is none. As a group we even got to a spot where we wondered if we were lost. We finally heard the voices of our friends calling to us from the finish. At that point I was 176% over it. Body tired, back achy and spirit so broken about how things went, I just wanted to go home. 

Trail running might not be for me. I’ll give it another go in a marathon relay in spring of 2018. Maybe I should practice more. Maybe I should stop signing up for things without researching. Oh well! I live to run another day! 

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Hometown Glory: Richmond Half Marathon 2017

The Richmond Half Marathon in 2014 was my first real distance event. I hadn’t done it since then. Since that race, I ran 14 other half marathons in various locations. Sweet Sixteen was the second time I had done the Richmond Half. 

It is funny how hard the logistics can be when you live in town. Also, with the added factor of working packet pick up and having a busy week can take its toll. When you live in town, you aren’t “race-cationing”. I worked packet pick up Thursday night to promote the Richmond Road Runners Club and our upcoming races. Friday, I lead a marathon bus tour for people out of town and then came back to work the Blue Ridge Marathon table to spread the word about one of my favorite races! I was lucky to get home early enough to rest and enjoy a couple quiet hours before the weekend really took off. 

Saturday morning, I got up around normal time to get downtown and parked. After I got parked, I headed to the capital steps to meet the rest of the Half Marathon Training Team to get our picture. When we gather, its like gathering before graduation. All there is left to do is the ceremony and the year is over. 

I met up with one of my buddies, Niccole, that was injured and was feeling a little unsure of the race due to a pass injury. Unless someone is mortally wounded, I try to push people to at least start. Often times, getting to the start line is just what someone needs. The only issue with the start line at this race was that it was the coldest we had had since last winter. With no prior long (or even short) runs in the cold, it was a shock to the system. For the first two miles, it felt like I was running in wooden clogs as my feel slowly started to gain circulation. Additionally, we were dodging large holes left due to the construction on Broad St. 

About every couple minutes, someone on the other side of the median or someone came up behind me and shouted my name. Its’ times like these that remind me, oh yeah you are “famous”.  For the first couple miles Niccole said “Its like running with a celebrity”. It gave me a good laugh, as we approached mile 3, Niccole started to get out in front of me a bit. I released her to run her race, like I knew she could, and she had a great race! Elaine caught me around that same time and pretty much stuck with me for the rest of the race. 

As we chatted, the miles just ticked by. It could have been the gossip or my familiarity with the course or the amount of support from friends but it wasn’t until mile 7ish where I started to feel the slow down. Elaine noticed it too. She kept it moving as she sang with the DJ. I needed the distraction as the park is probably the least fun part of the course. No one is out there and its a little hilly. 

We finally pop out of the park and hit the party neighborhood. There wasn’t much party this year as it was pretty cold but the spirit was still out there. We were starting to get passed by some of the sub 4 hour marathoners, which I usually expect about this point in the course. As we got through the neighborhood and headed to the quiet stretch of Brook Rd. I finally started to feel a little fatigue. I was shocked but impressed. I think the cold had something to do with it. This year, Brook Rd had more spectators, party stops and even a pickle juice stop- I did not partake. Even some of my City Stadium friends were out there...I turned down fireball twice on the course. For anyone that knows me, thats a shocker. Not to worry, I had a beer and a shot of fireball shortly after I completed the race. 

Once we turned the corner on Lombardy, I knew we were close and that I still had some ‘Giddy Up’ in my system. I spotted a dirty SAG set up by the SAG diva her self, waved and kept it kicking because I knew if I stopped the last couple miles would have been a struggle. Once I hit grace, I saw my Coyote head coach, Lenora and she ran me into the finish. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to you about random stuff to get through those last miles. My mood was about 85% better than other races in the past. I tend to get really angry around miles 10 and 11 but the temperature, fueling and my salt tabs, helped me keep the grouch at bay. 

By the time I got to the top of 5th St, I was ready to kick it. The problem with that is its a long down hill. I ended up having two kicks because there is a part of the hill that levels out before continuing down to the bottom. On the second half of the hill, I opened up my stride and let gravity and the cheers slide me into the finish. Special shout out to my sports bra for keeping the ladies in place regardless of gravity. 

As I got my legs to stop, Marcy (the running community matriarch) hung my medal on my neck and I got a hug from her husband, Michael. As I walked through the finishing chute and collected my cup, blanket and water, I felt really good. I felt like I had a couple miles left in me. I hugged and greeted tons of my friends on the way to bag check. I retrieved my things, got a beer and headed back out to cheer my marathoner friends on. 

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Southern Comfort: Rock and Roll Savannah Half Marathon and 5k

A week ago I was in Savannah gearing up for what I thought was going to be a terrible race. Predicted finish temperature in the 80′s, a sinus infection that swiftly came on a day before and driving 7 hours in a car was the recipece for disaster. However, it was better than I could have asked for. A chill go with the flow group of ladies, pharmacy grade sinus meds and a fun race series put me on the track to a fun weekend! 

We got to the expo mid day Friday. It was not huge but plenty of samples, giveaways and swag to keep it interesting. We didnt stay long as we had been on the road but we did stay long enough to get talked into signing up for the 5k on Sunday to complete the “Remix Challenge”. I also got to meet someone that I had only met on the internet! She was running her first full marathon and it was so cool to watch her progress and finally meet her in person! 

After we got settled in the hotel, we got recommendations for dinner. Sweet Potatoes. Some of the best southern, soul food I’ve had in a long time. Not too greasy and well seasoned. Portion was perfect, not too much and not too little, which left room for dessert. There is nothing like a good meal the night before a race.

Fast forward to race morning, we got downtown early enough to park before the roads closed. While 6:00 arrival time seemed early for a 7:20 start, it really was not. After multiple porta pottie trips, the announcer was kicking it up and the race was on. On the way to my corral, I saw fellow Richmond runners, wished them well and headed to the end of the corrals. 

Just as the sun was peaking over the horizon, we hit mile one and headed into an older neighborhood. Familes came out to wave and say ‘Good Morning’ as runners passed through the quiet neighborhood. We stayed in that area until mile 4 where it felt like we were headed back towards downtown Savannah. After taking the first miles at an easy pace, I found myself finally warming up and feeling the need to kick it. It was probably the drugs. Totally the drugs. I didn’t listen to them because I knew I would pay for it later. While my wheels were turning and I passed another band going into mile 5, a big guy with a unsteady gait and a razzpy voice asked me how I was doing, I chatted him up for a while. Cancer survivor who needs a knee replacement but refuses to go back to the hospital, quite frankly- you cant blame him. He was seven years in recover and proclaimed this was going to be his last race because his knees were bone on bone. We continued to see each other for the next couple miles. 

The temperature was still in the 60′s, the shade of the Savannah trees and a sweet breeze kept the temperatures down through mile 9 and 10. As we moved through the historic downtown area we got to see- SCAD, the Forrest Gump bench, the house from “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, the founder of the Girl Scouts’ home and I am sure plenty important things we did not realized we would pass. At this point, I picked up the pace and put in a little more effort to see what I could do. I popped my salt tab and half my bag of Sport Beans just in time for the next water stop as we moved away from downtown and into a neighborhood. 

The temperature began to climb and the shade from the trees only did so much. However, months of practicing positive thinking paid off. I settled in, embraced being uncomfortable and pushed to the finish. Due to being a slower runner, I often get stuck behind walkers or walk/runners that abruptly stop. I knew if I wanted to keep on keeping on, I need to quit weaving and wasting energy. 

As I chugged along to mile 12, a woman runs up to me and goes “you have inspired me the whole way, fight like a butterfly-sting like a bee”! I chuckled, internalized that happy comment and charged on to the subtle, but present incline to the finish. As I approached the finish, I had plenty of gas in the tank to kick it to the finish and kick it I did. 

3:35:01- While it isnt a PR, I still had gas in the tank for 3-4 more miles, I had a sinus infection and it was roasty towards the end. I gave it about 75% because I knew I had Richmond the following weekend and I plan to push that as best I can. 

I found my fellow half marathoner and we watched Fitz and the Tantrums tear up the stage. As they were finishing up their set, we got word our Marathoner was done and we retrieved her and her stuff and went on to enjoy a shower, some rest and dinner at Lady and Sons. 

The next day, we did the 5k that started at 1pm. Due to daylight savings time, it felt like 2pm. It was hot, it was short and it finished in the Savannah Bananas’ baseball stadium. We finished and hit the road back to Richmond. 

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The Few, the Proud: MCM 10k

Because the Baltimore Running Festival was the same weekend so I would be in the area and several of my friends were running the Marine Corp Marathon, I figured why not add a 10k to a 16.2 mile weekend. It turned out to be the highlight of a weekend and was a reminder that shorter distances can be a challenge but can also be enjoyed as well.

I ran this race with a photo of a good friend of mine- Jerry Duffy Jerry is a Marine that joined in 1975. Flat Jerry brought me a ton of luck on this run 

A couple friends doing the full and I stayed at the Gaylord  (the official race hotel). Originally, I was supposed to take the shuttle down to the marathon start and then take the metro on down to the 10k start between the Capitol and the Washington Monument- talk about a starting point. Well, a nice gentleman who was “trying to get butts in seats” said he had room on a 10k bus.

Next thing I knew, I was a butt in a seat on the VIP bus. I chatted with a nice lady from Raleigh that decided the marathon just wasn’t for her for the 30 minutes it took us to get to the start line. 

Given the state of the world we live in and also just normal safety precautions, we had to wait until the Marines cleared the course before we could get past security. As a runner, I appreciate the extra level of security. After that, while they lead the real VIPers to their tent, I peeled off to use a FRESH PORTA POTTY! Basically, I felt like a VIP with that alone. I did not feel comfortable going to a VIP experience I did not pay for so I sat on a bench, drank my coconut water and enjoyed the quiet sites of DC. 

Finally, Jeremiah got off the subway and met me in the porta pottie line and from there we hit the starting corrals. In the corrals, I noticed a plethora of people wearing the race shirt, the only problem with this is that the temperature would quickly rise to 70 degrees during the race- even if you were way faster than me. 

I also had a slight concern of being swept by the bus of failure but after seeing other runners- all shapes, sizes, abilities- it put my mind at ease.

Soon, the cannon started and he headed off. Almost a mile in, we hit the highway and pretty much stayed on highway the whole time. There were Marines sprinkled along the course but not alot of until you hit mile 6 to the finish line. 

The first two miles went swiftly but I as we went on, I understood why Marine Corps Marathon was so difficult. The 10k course is the last 10k of the marathon. As I ran in the brisk morning, I imagined how hot it would be at noon, 1pm and 2pm. How getting over the bridge would feel impossible after 22 miles. How tired and hot they would be. 

Additionally, there is little space for spectators because we are on the interstate! There were a few times where you were on streets in Crystal City, Arlington and Rosslyn but very little considering how much of the end of the course we were running. 

As we got back towards the back of the Pentagon, I made friends with a pack of older ladies that were also doing two other races I have planned for the near future. They didn’t realize it, but they were the only reason I didn’t stop and walk in. It was getting roasty out and the lactic acid from the day before finally caught up to me. They took me from mile 4 to the finish. After mile 6, there is what felt like a steep climb getting up a hill to the finish. 

The finish line literally reminds you why its great to be an American. Even in a time of political choas, there is nothing like being saluted like this: 

While walking the finish chute, grabbing all the treats and stuff they had you at the end of a big event, I started looking for Jeremiah who I lost at the start. I found him in a patch of grass “recovering”. We soon found the beer tent and had the best and probably hardest earned beer, I had ever had: 

After this beer, we wondered around the finish line festival where there was bacon, whiskey shots, watermelon, Naked juice and even more. Not to mention the multiple bottles of Gatorade, water, food box and paper jacket at the finish.   Chances are if I ever did the full marathon, this stuff wouldn’t be there so it was nice to experience it like I had really done something that day. 

If you want a major marathon experience without the distance, Marine Corps Marathon does it right.

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Good Morning, Baltimore!

The Baltimore Running Festival was not what I would have wanted for a couple reasons- my performance sucked, logistics were terrible and was fairly lack luster for what I would have thought would have been a capital city race experience. 

Trying to get to the expo was a cluster to use a friendly term. I was lucky that my lovely host was driving because I would have gotten in multiple accidents just trying to find the mysterious parking lot to catch the shuttle back to the convention center. The expo was fine with the standard vendors but not alot of giveaways or deep discounts. The shirts were very nice since they were provided by Under Armour. The volunteers were friendly and helpful and did set a good tone for the race. 

Fast forward to Saturday morning...

I decided to do the Baltimoron-a-thon because the Half Marathon did not start until 9:45am which is practically lunchtime when it come to physical activity for me. I walked the 5k that took us through the Inner Harbor and Federal Hill. The 5k was extremely popular and there were all types of groups and families- which I expected and I was not looking to PR so I enjoyed the views. I thought it was weird that there was only band at the start of the race and then they used a sound system to pump the same band in the first mile. Even after a slow 5k, I still had an hour and a half to wait around to the start of the half. I found some of my friends from Richmond in that long wait :

The start of the half marathon was along the 12ish mile mark for the full marathon which started at 8am. I can only imagine how annoying it had to be for the full marathoners to have happy go lucky halfers running next to them at mile 16. It seemed that the corrals for the half were a free for all or not explained well because I ended up in wave 1...oops. Oh and there were a TON of spectators for the full in the half marathon corrals. My friends and I look totally out of place: 

Little did we know, this course would kick our butts. Long, slow inclines in almost every mile, hot with not enough water stations and the time of day just magnified the heat. By mile 6, my legs had nothing left to give but my spirit wouldn't let me give up. Seeing a buddy from Richmond doing the full around mile 7, lifted me up enough to continue on. From 6.5 to about 8, you go around this lake and it is mostly flat. There I got stung by some insect through my tall compression socks. That bug stuck with me until I came across a woman who was cramping so bad that she could not walk or even stand. I helped her until mile 8 and passed her to a medic. By mile 9, even with proper fueling and hydrating, I had nothing left. 

I came across a marathon who claimed her race was over due to having a knee issue. I needing some serious encouragement, convinced her to come walk the rest of the race with me. Even walking at this point was hard because this race had even more inclines to taunt me with. I had a buddy now and couldn’t let her down.

I saw another friend from Richmond doing the full  around mile 11 and we pretended to not hurt just long enough for this photo:

 The course took us through the good, bad and ugly of the city. The course support was fine with a large amount of homeless spectators.  I rarely feel like all hope is lost on a half marathon course but this was a whole new level of hell. I was trained, I was ready and I was mentally tough but the stars did not align. The fact that I did not give up given the conditions was good enough for me.

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I couldn't have gotten through yesterday's tough ten miler without Coach Nikki! Iris Street in Richmond is why Hill workouts are a thing. It's wasn't fast but got it done.