Changes

The camp meeting race each year has always been super fun. It's low key and not very well organized. But that's ok. It's just for fun and promotes health for families.

But this year there was a change in directors. One of the changes that they made was to make the course truly a 5k. Every since I first ran that race at 5 or 6 yrs old, it has started at the bright yellow speed bump by the outdoor courts. But this year they moved back quite a bit. We all knew the course was short by about 4/10ths of a mile, but it wasn't like it was an official race or anything.

They also changed the course. So now instead of just running around the lake, we went up the hill to the Lambuth Inn and then went around the lake. 

Talk about a shock. I wasn't aware they'd changed the course and it wasn't a pleasant surprise. So instead of getting a pr like I'd been training for, I was almost 3 minutes slower. But it was still a decent time. And other than the hill from hell, I really enjoyed the race.

I love my kids running in with me. Sweetest kids!

And surprisingly, considering the huge jump in numbers this year, 

I actually won something in my age division.

I'd sent everyone to get their free race popsicles, so there isn't a picture of me receiving the award. But I like a picture so later I know which one went with which race.

Haha! That sounded like I have a ton, didn't it. =D

I placed!

A couple of months ago my brother and I were talking and he mentioned a sign he'd seen about a race in the Collegedale (Chattanooga) area. It was during a time that I needed to come down to do some work on one of our rentals. So I decided to combine the two things.

The information online was extremely limited and I was a bit apprehensive about where and what what going to happen. The race was at 2pm on a Sunday which is very unusual. But I showed up at the correct time and sure enough - there was a race.

Dominic decided at the last minute to run.

The goodie bags were almost non-existent, the bibs didn't have chips, and we were handed an ankle bracelet for the chip. The race began near the police station and the guy starting the timer couldn't find the start line. So we just haphazardly lined up, all 30-40 of us.

The course ran through a partially finished subdivision and was hilly and full of switch backs. But it was pleasant weather and low key. So I really enjoyed myself. I hadn't brought any of my gps devices so only had my stop watch. But I figured since it was put on by Southern Outdoor Club that it would be accurate. Wrong assumption. Pretty sure the course was a tad longer than 3.1 miles.

I finished and was handed a card to fill out that helped determine my place in the race, because the timer had quit working. The organization was sloppy and non-existent. After 4 attempts at the award ceremony they finally had everything sorted out and the correct medals to the correct people. I sunburned. Not from the race, but from standing there waiting while they did the ceremony four times. We stood there longer than it took me to run the race.

But I won first place in my age division so I don't really want to complain too much.

All in all, it was fun and slightly crazy and I'm actually contemplating doing it again. Just think - in two years I'll be able to run as a Masters and could get 1st Masters overall. =)

Hot Chocolate

Last year I was sitting in book club talking about running with several of the girls. Somehow the talk turned to the Hot Chocolate races that are happening all over the US right now. Instead of running shirts, they give fleece jackets. And instead of just water and Gatorade, they have chocolate at the stations. At the end of the race is lots of chocolate too. So we all decided to run the race in Atlanta in January.

Somehow after the meeting I was the only one who actually signed up. I waited for a while. But when it was clear that everyone had bailed I changed the hotel to include Jon and the whole weekend.

That was one of the best times we've had in a long time. Jon was able to get off work on Friday so we headed down early. We left the kids with my in-laws so we could have some couple time.

We visited museums, restaurants, and walked downtown. It was romantic, fun, and relaxing.

Since Jon wanted to ride the bike while I ran we decided to ride the route in a car. There were several places where the streets were one-way and I would be running the "wrong" way the next day. Add all of the events going on and traffic and we had to take several side steps. We found ourselves here.

And since the hot sign was on, we HAD to stop. =) So this might have been my pre-race supper.

The race was on Sunday morning. The paperwork told everyone to be in or ready to get in the corrals at 6:30. But because it was a corralled and chipped race, my corral didn't start until 8:25. It was FREEZING. So I (I wasn't the only one) stayed in the car until it was just a few minutes from my corral start time. Then I ran down to the start and took off.

Once I warmed up, the race was super fun. Chocolate makes everyone happy. =)

The route was beautiful. Since I haven't ever run a 15k I didn't have a time to beat. So I decided to just run. If I was tired, I walked. If I was feeling it, there would be bursts of speed. It was one of the funnest races I've done.

The chocolate at the end was divine. Hot chocolate in a cup, fruit, cookies, etc. to dip in the melted chocolate. I might have made myself a little sick eating it all, but what a way to go.

The medal was pretty cool too.

Turkey Trot

It totally slipped my mind to blog about the race I ran with family on Thanksgiving day

The weather was freezing (literally) and I don't do well with the cold. I probably won't run this race again. It has consistently been a race that I finish and wish I'd saved the money. But I didn't die and I enjoyed the time with friends and family.

 I ran with a friend who was running bandit and that really helped keep me from just walking the whole thing. So I was very thankful for her.

My official time was 30:16 (5k). Not the world's greatest, but not too bad considering.

My marathon trip Part II

My dad warned me that no matter how well I was trained, or how experienced a person might be, race day could and often would throw you for a loop.

Temps were predicted to start in the high 40s for the start of the race. So I packed tanks and shorts. I threw in my running capris just in case. No jacket, gloves, etc.

Saturday night we checked again and the temps were going to be in the upper 30s. Yikes! Thankfully we had been given a long sleeve shirt in our race packet. So I changed my plans and dressed in capris and long sleeves. I wore my regular coat with the plans to ditch it before getting in line.

We woke up that morning to a temp of 46. Still chilly, but bearable. Everything else seemed to be going as planned.

My dad, who normally has a time of well over an hour shorter than mine, needed a finishing time of 5:30:00 to qualify for Pike's Peak Ultra Marathon. Normally this would be a cake walk for him. But since he'd said he was running with me, he decided to give himself a bit of an edge. So I got in line and he waited for over 2 min before crossing the start line (chipped time) and then running to catch up with me. This meant that he could run in with me, but his actual time would read 2 minutes faster. With over 5k people (1/2 marathoners ran first 12 miles with us) he had a hard time finding me. =)

Since the kids were staying with my in-laws Jon opted to ride his bike and play sag wagon for us. It ended up being a huge blessing. We hit mile 5 and our route took us into a beautiful subdivision. I would love to have pictures of this place. It was unreal. But all of the roads were concrete with metal bridges. Our knees started aching, but weren't bad. The run through the subdivision spit us out around mile 10. 

I began to get hot and so I asked Jon to ride back to the car and get my tank.

We left the 1/2 marathoners at approx mile 12 and a block later were hitting a gravel trail. This trail was almost 13 miles of the marathon.

Jon joined us on the gravel trail and saved me from the heat. When I get hot I slow WAY down. Since a large portion of the trail was shaded I was great with my tank. He also provided water several times when I needed some before I reached an aid station. Next time I'll know to carry water in addition to my jelly beans.

I didn't notice at first, but the trail is slightly sloped on both sides so that water won't pool in the middle since it's in a low water area near the river. Almost immediately my left knee began to ache and by mile 16 was killing me. By mile 17 it was locking up so badly that I almost fell several times. I refused to quit since otherwise I felt great. My brother had told me that when his knee bothered him, if he ran full out it would feel a bit better. So I ran the last 7-8 miles doing intervals. Running as fast as I could until my knee locked up, then walking until the stabbing pain quit. It would still hurt, but I would start running again. 

My dad kept track of how fast we did each mile so I would know when to only walk until the knee unlocked or if I had a small cushion so I could rest my knee more by walking.

When I got to the 25 mile marker I knew I was going to make the 5 1/2 hour time limit we'd set so my dad could qualify. It was definitely not the time I'd been planning on when I started, but at least he could go ahead and send in his application.

I finished in 5:22:15. 

I am now part of the .5%  who has completed a marathon!

My dad was amazing. It was obvious that running at that pace was very uncomfortable for him. But he never once ran ahead or suggested that he leave me and come back. He encouraged me the whole way. I wanted so badly to tell everyone that passed us or saw him coming in at that time that he was only that slow because of me. I know it had to have been hard for him to see everyone his age going by and know that he would have gotten an award if he hadn't been running with me.

My husband was a huge support as well. The water, different shirt, and encouragement were a huge help.

 I owe my great experience to these wonderful men. I'm so thankful for them both.

 Update: For those that are asking - I feel great today (Tuesday) with no pain. My knee is a bit sore, but not painful. And yes, I will definitely run another marathon.

3 Races

Last year my family and I ran the Franklin Classic. So this year we thought we would run again. It fit well with our marathon training and it is neat to be able to run 3 races in one day.

They had changed the 10k course from last year and there were quite a few people complaining about their longer times. So I didn't feel too bad that I was 4 minutes off my time this year as well. The heat and humidity was bad and the new course was super hilly.

Despite the negative conditions, I enjoyed the 10k quite a bit. I was super tired at the end, but good.

I ran the 5k with Dominic. He ran out way to fast in the beginning and really needed some encouragement to finish. He hasn't done this in the past so I'm not sure why it happened this time. But it really took the pressure off of me to get a good time.

Coming in from the 5k

The 1k was all about Caitlin. She ran her heart out and had three cheerleaders (Dominic, my dad and I) the entire way. 

I enjoyed this break from my normal Monday run and it was fun to run with my family.

Another race is in the books!

Have you ever had an experience that could be incredibly good or incredibly bad. It just depended on the perspective?

I had this exact thing happen yesterday. My dad, somehow, convinced me to run a 1/2 marathon trail run only three weeks after my last race. I've never put my races that close or run on a trail before. But crazy me agreed. Especially since my dad was running the 50k. 

It was located at Fall Creek Falls State Park so we decided to go up for the weekend and camp. My parents came up, but stayed at the inn.

Despite Jon getting food poisoning, us forgetting quite a few major things, and a skunk scare we had a good weekend. But all weekend I kept dreading this race. I've never felt this way before a race and could only attribute it to the forecast. It was supposed to be low 40s and raining the entire day.

We arrived at the packet pick up to find a leaking pavilion, mass disorganization, and tons of family. Three of my cousins were running the race along with my dad and I. So more family arrived to watch and cheer. My brother came up with his daughter and decided that since it was raining and he couldn't rock climb, he'd join me for moral support on the race. I was so excited! 

I'd been told that great portions of the race I would be alone since the race was in a circle and the entrance numbers were limited. My brother was able to get in because so many people had bailed when they saw the weather. So I was excited to have someone with me. At least if I got lost on some trail miles out in the wilderness, I'd be with my brother. =)

It was freezing! I absolutely HATE being cold or wet! And I was both. Trash bags were being passed around since it was so wet. It somehow helped hold the heat in, so I ignored the fashion statement and wore one.

Because of the complete and utter lack of organization, we started late and I missed the fact that the start was gun time and the finish was chipped. So I stood on the road after the gun went off for at least 1/2 a minute messing with my watch. I finally gave up and started running.

My brother and I at the start.

Crazy guy was wearing regular shoes, khaki pants, and a fleece pull over. 

Not exactly running gear.

The trail was a mud bath. I slipped and almost fell too many times to even count. I kept telling my brother that I felt fine, but I couldn't seem to run faster because I felt so heavy. The air was thick, the mud on the bottom of my shoes was thick, the atmosphere and light levels were thick and dark.

But it was amazing too. It was so nice to have my brother pulling me along. He encouraged, scolded, and pushed me. He was a huge support that totally made the race bearable.

There was only one major aid station at mile 9. The other two were at the beginning and end of the race and didn't really have anything other than rusty water, if you were lucky. I've never eaten or even drank much during races. But the race last October showed me that I needed to drink more during a race when I was putting my body through that much stress. Then the last race I tried eating some gel. It really boosted my energy for a little bit. So this race I ate quite a bit at the only aid station and took some candy with me. It really seemed to help.

My brother is one of the most competitive people I know (aside from my dad). So despite the fact that my brother's last running was done with me over 9 months ago, despite the fact that he needs knee surgery and was limping really bad, he took off when we hit that last mile of pavement. He left me in the dust and beat me by 3 minutes. Crazy guy!

I might have been able to keep up with him, but I didn't want to kill myself. I had to drive down to Chattanooga for work after the race (more on that later) and had a 4 hour meeting this morning. So I just kept plodding along until I finished.

I was hoping to finish around 3 hours. So if you figure in that I didn't start immediately after the gun start, I finished a hair under 3 hours. Not bad considering the amount of difficulty and walking we were forced to do to keep from sliding on our bums.

Other than a tiny bit of soreness, I feel great today. I'm totally back to normal with nothing wrong. I was tired, but good yesterday too. And the crazy thing - I didn't get a single blister. I start getting blisters at about mile 2-3 even in training. But this time not a single one popped up. And I had wet feet the entire time. Something to think about!

My 61 year old dad ran the 50k with my cousin. They both ran together until almost the end, where Chad pulled the same stunt as my brother. =)

Can you imagine?! My dad has run over 30 marathons in his life, is considered a senior citizen and the dude kicks butt. My dad inspires me!!!

Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon

My race experience began the day before. We had been running hard all week and I was feeling the effects. So when the family opted to go on a boat ride, I bowed out. I spent the morning relaxing, drinking tons of water and eating pre-race food. It totally paid off the next day.

That afternoon we headed to Disney to check into the resort. We had opted to stay at Jon's aunt and uncle's place during our stay. But they recommended getting a place at one of the resorts the night before because of the crazy traffic. So we settled into our room and then went out for a pre-race meal. If you ever get the chance to eat at the Sweet Tomato - go for it. That was some seriously good food.

My in-laws are the best ever! They were in another room and allowed my kids to spend the night with them so we could get a good night's sleep and because we needed to wake up so incredibly early. They kept them until we returned from the race later that morning.

The next morning Jon and I got up at 2:55am (this is 1:55am CST - my time at home) so we could be at the bus stop before 3:30am. Jon's cousin Melinda was also running the race. So Uncle Ken and Melinda's husband Rob also joined us.

Pre-race picture

 On a side note - I had picked out my outfit for the race and Caitlin begged me to change it. I'm not fond of this top because it makes me look seriously pudgy. But she begged and I let her win. Seeing the pictures made me wish I hadn't, especially since she never even saw me in my running clothes. But oh well!

Melinda and I - pre-race.

 It was a really neat race. It was dark for a large portion of the race. The fog was so heavy that it felt like we were being misted. This was nice the occasional time there was a slight breeze. But mostly it just felt muggy and sticky. But it was incredibly beautiful to run through Epcot and Magic Kingdom. The crowds of people cheering was such a rush. And seeing the mist over the castle as we ran around it and then back through it was truly magical.

It was nice running the race with someone else. Normally I run alone. But there are great benefits to having someone there to pull you and encourage you in a race. We have different racing styles, but I think it went really well and I had tons of fun.

The finish line about 20 minutes into the race start. The guys were sitting in the bleachers waiting on us to arrive. About 10 minutes out I sent them a text to let them know we were coming in soon.

 But with over 25,000 people, Jon didn't get a picture of me crossing the finish line. This was the best he could get. Since I wasn't aware of where he would be sitting, I didn't know to look at him or wave.

But since this wasn't my first 1/2 I'm perfectly content to let this be all and not cough up $100 for the official pictures.

 Finished!

 Melinda and I - after.

It was my slowest time by a couple of minutes. But it was also my easiest race. I also felt the best after the race ended. I went back to the room and took a shower. After a couple of snacks we headed out for a day at Disney. I didn't stop until we dropped into bed around 10pm. So definitely not my typical dead-tired, muscles aching, slightly dehydrated normal. It was an awesome race!

Race Day

The day after our anniversary we woke up at dark thirty to head to Franklin, TN for a race.

Not sure which one of us talked the other one into it, but my dad and I were racing a double. We were going to run the 10k first and hopefully finish in time to rest before heading out for the 5k.

Then we'd watch Dominic run a 1k.*

Before the races started

 Waiting on the 10k to start.

 I might be smiling now, but it didn't last through all of the races. =)

 Coming in from the 10k. I had only run 1 other 10k so I wanted to at least beat that time. But I was also afraid of wearing myself out and being too done to run the 5k. So I finished my goal time, but didn't give it my all. I'll do that at the next 10k. I felt great when I finished and totally ready to run the 5k.

Coming in from my 5k. I was definitely tired, but felt good.

But that might have been my demise.

 Because my dad convinced me that the chance to run 3 races in one day didn't come very often. So I should round the day out by running the 1k with my son to make it a complete 16k.

I was toast after I finished, but it was a nice feeling to have run all three. Bit too hot for me, but a good feeling. Topped off by my dad winning a medal, Which Wich, and time with family.

*I'll post Dominic's race results and pictures of the kids on the other blog.