Race Report: Blue Ridge Marathon 2016

Get comfy, folks, this one is a long one!

Way, way back in June, I registered for the Blue Ridge Marathon.  I’m not quite sure why.  Rock n Roll DC had been a disaster.  MCM 2015 hadn’t been a success yet. I have no idea what possessed me to sign up for “America’s Toughest Road Marathon”.  I guess I wanted a challenge?  Fast forward a few months and, crap!  Time to start training!  Luckily, one of my friends from my running group was also considering running the race so she joined me on some early training runs.

M is the co-leader of my running chapter, super kind, a bit crazy, and a crack of dawn runner.  She’s also faster than me.  When she decided to register for the race, too, and train with me, I thought she was nuts. While I knew her from groups runs and we were friendly,  we weren’t exactly BRFs (Best Running Friends).  I was sure she would get tired of poking along at my pace and dump me.  I think I said as much to her on every long run for the first six weeks.  So silly.  We turned out to be pretty solid training partners and I think we did at least 75% of our training runs together.  Even the ones we did with others or solo, we checked in with each other to see how things were going.  It was really nice to be in sync like that.

For a variety of reasons, we decided early on to make this a celebration run.  It was not to be about time but about training smart, celebrating the miles, and finishing strong.  We rehearsed this a lot on our runs – we are both a bit *cough cough* Type A and can be a bit overly hard on ourselves.  I am happy to say we achieved our goals, in spades!

Pre-Race

We arrive in Roanoke on Friday afternoon and went straight to the expo. Everything was clearly organized.  We were surprised to see that all three races, the 10k, half marathon, and full, all had custom shirts!  And they are so soft ❤  We then picked up our free socks and checked out the couple of other booths.  It was small but as expected.

We checked in to the Cambria Hotel and were pleasantly surprised by the room.   My family was originally going to join me so we had a full, two-room suite with microwave and mini fridge.  The hotel was just over a mile to the start so it was perfect for us.

After we got settled, we decided to check out the Mill Mountain Star (elevation 1703 feet).  Both of our fathers are facing similar health issues so we dedicated our race to them.

After that, we met up with some other ladies from our chapter who were doing the half for dinner.  We decided to forgo a shake-out run and finished prepping for the day and were in bed by 9:30.  Unfortunately, M had to deal with a work crisis until late and I was up from 1:30-3, having a mild anxiety attack.  Before we knew it, the alarm was going off and it was time to get a move on!

Wonder Twin powers, activate!

We grabbed a cup of coffee from the hotel and made the walk to the start.

It’s a long way up!

First time I’ve been butt-bombed

The little bakery near the start was totally overwhelmed by runners but we were able to grab some toast and I had a fruit bowl and packet of almond butter while milling around.  Bag check was a breeze but there was more of a line for the port-a-johns that I wanted to wait through.

The Race

Before we knew it, the cannon was fired (it was a legit CANNON!) and we were off.  We started on rolling hills right away and made our way up towards Mill Mountain.

No turning back now!

The half marathon runners split off from the full around mile 2.5.  They went up to the peak of Mill while we made our way to Roanoke Mountain (elevation 2,193).

There were a lot of switchbacks going up (and coming down!)

A bugler encouraged us to “Charge!”

No kidding!

 

Gah!

The view at the top was absolutely amazing!  Pictures don’t do it justice.  We knew, as soon as we saw it, that we made the right decision to run this race.

Going down!

After Roanoke Mountain, we made our way back to Mill Mountain and actually went up to the star this time.

After a quick stop there, we ran through a nice greenway by the zoo (but not THROUGH the zoo 😦 ) and made our way down to the famous Moo-Mosa lady.  Every year, a couple who lives in a very nice house in the middle of the mountain makes mimosas for the runners.  Complete with a silver champagne bucket!

First time I have ever drank on a course!

Everything was ridiculously pretty

That’s two peaks down, just one left!  Peakwood (elevation 2,113) is, by far, the toughest one.  Not only is it later in the race (mile 18) but it’s steeper and there is a false top.  We thought we had hit the top when we reached an aid station and then started going back down but, no.  We were very much mistaken. I will freely admit, I really struggle with the second climb.  I was feeling very sick and the sun was full on us so I was super hot.  There was a party at the top (champagne, fruit, chocolate) but I couldn’t look at any of it. I took a mint (heaven) and searched in vain for the unused cold towels and then we started off again.

Such a bastard

Trying to find my joy again!

The course then took us back into town where it was HOT!  I was swearing freely by this point and was looking forward to meeting one of our other friends who was coming to support her husband (who ran the half and placed first in his age group!).  We didn’t see her at the first meet up spot and I was a bit worried.  I was happy to hear that she was delayed because of her husband’s award ceremony 🙂

When we found her, she quickly jumped in and ran about three miles with us – cowbell and all!

Just what I needed at mile 25!

Before we knew it, we were (FINALLY) done with the hills and coming in for our downhill finish!

Whee!

Some more of our awesome friends met us with signs, cold cokes, frozen wash clothes, and a cookie cake!

 

Because it wouldn’t be a race without some ugly crying!

But I rallied 🙂

You bet we’re tough!

After we rested for a bit, we made our way back to the hotel and started recovering.

I added a star for Roanoke!

Our goal was to run with joy and we certainly did that.  I didn’t even wear my watch until the last half mile, just so I could stop it easily (I turned it on and stuck it in my pack so I could record the data).  We stopped for a lot of pictures, we thanked all of the volunteers, and we chatted with many people on the course.  We were grateful for the day.  Mission accomplished!

The Numbers

One of our biggest challenges, and stressors,  going in to the race was that we have never done anything like this before so we didn’t what to expect.  Just so you have some way to compare, my best marathon time is 4:58 (300 feet of elevation change) and my best 10K is 55:41.  We ran Blue Ridge in 5:49 (7,430 ft of elevation change) with about 15 minutes spent on goofing around.  We were definitely not the last but only about 85 others finished after us.

The Good

Just about everything was good!  The volunteers were over-the-top spectacular.  There were plenty of water stations and more food stations that I was expecting – oranges, bananas, pretzels, gummy bears (and worms!) and GU.  At least two had ice towels but I couldn’t figure out where they were at one. Many neighbors, especially at the end, came out to cheer, offer unofficial aid (beer!), and had set up sprinklers.  The custom shirts were sweet and the belt buckle/medal is awesome!  I don’t know how the finish area was since our friends brought us stuff.  I found out later that there were wading pools of ice water and I really wish I had known that at the time!

The Not So Good

The course is very hot and pretty flat-ish (except when it’s not!) at the end.  It would have been great to have a misting station set up on the course.

(seriously, that’s my only complaint!)

Overall

This was a super tough course that lived up to its name but it was totally worth it!  I would love to run it again!  If you’re on the fence, I highly recommend you sign up, stash your watch, and plan to run happy!

 

 

 

 

Race Week!

Race week is finally here!  This training cycle feels like it has zoomed by, and while it has definitely had its challenges and set backs,  I think we are ready to tackle the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Yesterday’s last long run was just eight miles but it had some nice, long hills built in to it. Mile 4ish took us down a road called Hillside.  Any guesses as to the terrain??  I remember the first time I attempted Hillside.  I ran down it okay but practically crawled my way back up.  Yesterday, I felt great!  We kept super even splits and I never felt like I was dragging myself or that I was lagging (too terribly far) behind my running partners.

Honestly, this was the best and happiest run I’ve been on in a while.  The sun rose while we were running and, while it was crisp, the sky was clear and there was no wind.  I tried to just soak up the sights and enjoy the morning – and store up some “good” feelings for Saturday.

I know Saturday will be far from easy but this is a “joy” run for us.  Our plan is to run with light feet and a grateful heart and I, for one, will be thankful every step for how far I have come!  I won’t be the fastest but the fact that I’m even there is pretty spectacular!

Welcome to Taper Town (again)

I’m not going to lie, Hal Higdon had thoroughly kicked my butt with this training schedule!  I’ve used Higdon before but this is my first time with his Intermediate 2 plan and the higher mileage plus mid-week speed work has really put me to the test!  I think it’s paying off, though.  Sunday’s long run was split into parts (more on that later) but the first part had me with 8 miles at a 9:45 average  pace, with walk breaks.  That’s pretty phenomenal for me, especially on super tired legs.

It feels like the past few weeks, I’ve done nothing but run.

I’ve run at 3:55 am (ugh!)

Yes, I bring my coffee in my shower with me. Don’t you??

I’ve run when it was so hot and humid that I felt like my eyeballs were melting and with tights and gloves, all in the same week.

 

Getting silly on the Wilson Bridge

Sharing the “Love of the Run” ❤

I’ve run up a million hills.

This was just cruel

I’ve run while evading alligators and “swamp people” while visiting my parents in FL.

I was sweating my buns off but the people walking their dogs thought I was crazy for wearing a short sleeve top and shorts!

I was a little disappointed to not see any wildlife except birds.  I was hoping for at least a turtle.

I didn’t run when I had to bail on my Saturday long run due to an unrelenting migraine (thanks, allergies! Also, I’m so lucky to have running friends who not only understand but run me back to my car so I don’t get hit or fall in my somewhat altered state!  I really don’t remember much from that morning and I came home and slept almost all day)

I ran a “progressive” 20 miler – solo, 1 partner, 5 partners, egg hunt, treadmill – in order to get it all done and still be there for my family (I’m so lucky that they are so understanding and supportive)

And, done!

And each month I say “Man, I ran more this month than I ever have before!” — I’m looking at over 170 miles this month…

But, I survived to see the taper!  Uncle Hal’s taper is a bit stingy and I’m not sure how I feel about that yet — I still have a 4 am run scheduled for tomorrow which feels very, very wrong — but I am positive that I am a much stronger runner now than I was 16 weeks ago.  I still don’t know what Blue Ridge has in store for us but, whatever happens, we can honestly say that we have given this our all!

On Pins and Needles

I have been having hamstring issues for a very long time.  It was an intermittent problem until RnR DC last year when my knee went wonky.  At the time, I thought it was a new problem with my IT band but it has become clear that it’s just a continuation of my hamstring problem.  Since I’m training for a very hilly race, and running as many hills as I can find – plus dedicated speedwork and hill repeats every week – the problem has intensified.

My first 20 miler of this training plan was cut at 16 because I literally couldn’t lift my right leg any more to get up the hills. Not good!

I’ve been trying to find a chiropractor that I like and that I can see with my goofy schedule and I kept striking out.  The two I had before both left the area.  I had been eyeing a third for a bit and finally decided to see him last Monday.

He confirmed that my hamstring was the culprit but there were no tears or major damage.  He used dry needling plus TENS stimulation, some Graston therapy, and manual manipulation, and then taped up my hammie with 4″ Rock Tape.  It worked wonders!  I ran pain free for most of the week and my leg didn’t really bother me until mile 18 of the 20 miler.

Here’s a little description of the different therapies:

Dry Needling is when the therapist uses acupuncture needles to stimulate the muscle.  In my case, he did it in my upper thigh (lower butt) and lower on the back of my thigh.  The first time, he just inserted the needles for a few minutes and then used a TENS machine to briefly “zap” each part of the muscle – it doesn’t hurt but I did feel a bit like a dissected frog! (I won’t gross you out but google “dissected frog muscle twitch” if you don’t know what I mean). The second time, he “dug” a little deeper to really activate the muscles.  I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t a lot of fun.  It wasn’t unbearable but I wouldn’t want to do it for more than a few minutes at a time.

Graston Technique is when a metal tool is used on soft tissue to break down scar tissue.  The back of my thigh is riddled with scar tissue.  It almost feels like a sheet of braille, with all of the bumps!  Breaking up the adhesions will help eliminate muscle constriction and improve function.

grastontechnique.com/WhatisSoftTissue.html

Manual manipulation basically consisted of his assistant moving my leg though a series of motions while he applied pressure to various parts of the hamstring.  At the treatment yesterday, I was able to feel the muscle dramatically release at one point – it was pretty awesome!

The final step is to tape the hamstring to provide extra support.  This step is optional and will depend on my training plan for the week.  Since I was facing a heavy week and he was booked for the rest of the week, taping last Monday was a good call! The tape is super adhesive and I was able to wear it through Friday with no rolling or pulling away from the skin.

My plan to see the same practitioner twice a week until the marathon.  In addition to this, I am also working on my unilateral leg strength (bridges, single leg deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, etc) and trying to be more mindful of my stretching and rolling.  I noticed today that the pain is significantly reduced and I am pretty positive that I will be able to keep it in check through the rest of my training.

What therapies have you used to keep on the road? Would you consider more invasive alternative therapies?

 

Blue Ridge Training: weeks 8.5-10

Everything has been ticking along pretty well.  I’m nailing my speed work/hill work on Wednesdays but seem to be paying for it (still) on my mid-week longer runs on Thursdays.  My Sunday long runs have been tough but the Share the Love virtual half seems to have put some pep back in my step.

As usual, the good and the bad seem to take turns but this week definitely ended with the pointer at GOOD!

I didn’t like that I skipped my swim on Tuesday because I was just so dang tired.

I liked (really?) meeting my running buddy at Oh My God thirty for hill repeats on a kinda sketchy highway (safety in numbers, people!).  It was a long-ass hill so we sprinted up, tried not to puke, and sprinted back down x 3 instead of 6 uphills only.

I didn’t like not finishing my Thursday run.  My legs felt funky in the morning half and I was fighting a migraine in the afternoon. The 3:45 -4:10 alarms for several days in a row were really catching up with me.

I liked meeting some ladies I haven’t seen in FOREVER for 9 miles on Saturday, followed by coffee and doughnuts.

I didn’t like that I hurt my knee on Friday afternoon and it was swollen and sore on Saturday.  I taped and ran anyway, with the promise to stop if it started hurting.

I liked that I was able to complete all 9 miles.

I didn’t like that I felt a bit too good and kept jack-rabbiting ahead or pushing my friend when she really didn’t need my shit.  I’m soooo sorry!

I liked that wearing my CWX Stabilyx tights all afternoon on Saturday and during my run on Sunday was really good for my knee.  I only had one big hill at the end that kicked it off.  Everything else was fine.  I will be wearing them again for the marathon!

I LOVED that we were able to run 19 miles on Sunday at a 10:23 average pace and the miles just flew by!  We had friends pop in for some miles in the middle and that was such a nice treat!  We also had one crazy (and I say that with love 🙂 ) lady join us for 18 miles when the longest she had ever run before was 15 – a year ago!  Totally bananas and completely Bad Ass!  I was so super impressed by her stamina and form!!

Today, I’m feeling pretty fly (do people still say that? I’m so old) and am actually looking forward to Sunday’s 20!

Onward and upward!

 

Blue Ridge Training: Weeks 6-8.5

Training is still chugging right along.  I had to get a bit creative when Snowzilla locked down the eastern seaboard for a week but I’ve managed to get all of my training runs in, as well as most of my cross training!

10 treadmill miles…

What’s Going Well

 

*I’m super happy with my Wednesday runs.  I’m alternating between tempo runs, hill repeats, and speed work.  I’m pushing the pace or incline on all of them and I see the work paying off on the road!  My Tuesday run had me clock an 8:45 mile and then 3 more sub-10, all with hills.  Never would have happened without the speed work.  My goal is to build to a few sub 9s in a row.

6×800 repeats – the fastest I’ve ever run in my LIFE!

*My long runs on Sundays have been going well.  I’m running with my race buddy (M) so we are working on our pacing, hill strategy, and mental game.  We’ve been around 10:45-11:15 average pace for 16 and 17 very hilly miles.  I’ll take it!

*I’ve been trying to focus on prehabbing my injuries.  I’m not 100% compliant but I have rolled and stretched more this week than I normally do.  My left hip, right knee, and right hamstring have been 50 Shade of Cranky on my long runs so I’m trying to get them to simmer down.

“When life is too much, roll with it, baby!” – Steve Winwood

*My nutrition has been great and I feel like I’m fueling properly 90% of the time.  I have learned that oatmeal in the morning is not good for me and lentils are pretty good in a salad.  Oh, and Trader Joe’s has their marinated beets back in stock.  So Good!  I made a salad for dinner with some sweet greens, marinated beets, lentils, goat cheese, shrimp, and orange champagne vinaigrette that was fantastic!

What’s Not

*My mental game on the long runs absolutely sucks.  The first half is good and the second is abysmal.  I really need to work on my positive mantras!!

Feeling pissy on a run – find a prop and act silly!

*See above note about my various cranky body parts.

*My fueling for hard evening workouts is bad.  I didn’t eat dinner before last night’s 800s (didn’t want to burp anything up) so I ate some hard-boiled eggs and a banana when I finished and my stomach absolutely revolted.  Massive cramps and digestive issues all. night. long.

*My “easy” Saturday runs aren’t easy.  I’m pushing 9:10 for 8 miles and that is probably a big factor in my Sunday melt downs.  I seriously need to calm things down on Saturdays and save my legs a bit.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is the halfway week in our training and it’s technically a cut back week with no run on Saturday (but an extra 800 on Wednesday and an extra mile on Thursday).  Our chapter of Moms Runs This Town has created a virtual half for M and me (awesome!) but it’s going to so extremely cold, I can hardly think about it.  Like, “real feel of 9” cold.  Woof.  Onward and upward, though, right? I think my polar bear hat needs to make an encore appearance (over another hat because… cold)

In other news, I just signed up to take a RRCA coaching certification course in July.  I’m very interested in learning more about coaching and would love to work with “adult onset” runners (I seriously love that term!) and non-traditional athletes.  You don’t need to be young or fast to benefit from a coach!

Also, make these Strawberry Creme Truffles!  Just trust me on this 🙂

Blue Ridge Training: Week 1

My first week of training for the Blue Ridge marathon is done!  I really liked looking back on my log when I mapped everything out for Rock n Roll so I think I’m going to do it again.

Monday

Planned: 3 plus cross training

Actual: 3 small loops around my house with 25 kettlebell swings each loop and planks as part of a plank challenge.

Tuesday

Planned: 3 easy

Actual: 3 easy.  I was thrilled to be able to join the weekly “muffin run” this week!  Also, 75 KB swings, a plank, and week 2/day 1 of an 8 week “strength for runners” plan.

Wendesday

Planned: 3 hill repeats

Actual: 3 hill repeats on the treadmill.  I warmed up for a mile at a 10 minute pace and then did three repeats of incline set to 5 and speed set to 6.5 for a quarter mile (which, according to this chart, is a 7:47 pace :o).  I recovered for a quarter mile and then did it again.  It was actually really good!  Also, 75 KB swings and a plank.

Thursday

Planned: 5 miles

Actual: 0 miles.  It was just one of those days.  Just a plank today.

Friday

Planned: swimming

Actual: nothing.  I forgot both my goggle and my back up goggle at home!  #fail  Just a plank today.

Saturday

Planned: Celtic Solstice 5 Miler

Actual: Five miles in my neighborhood with friends.  When I went to lay out my “Flat Momma” on Friday, I couldn’t find my bib!

My poor polar bear was very sad

We literally tore the entire house apart with no luck 😦  I’m now certain that I jinxed myself by wearing the race pull-over on Friday.

Pretty sweet premium!  A Brooks half zip, with thumb holes!

My neighborhood run was a lot of fun, though, and I got to visit with some ladies I haven’t seen in a long time so it all worked out.

Also, 75 KB swings, a plank, and week 2/day 2 of the strength plan.

Sunday

Planned: 10 miles, race pace

Actual: 10 hilly miles, 10:45 pace.  I ran it solo and it was tough but good!  I then ran 3 miles with Little Runner with my Moms Run This Town running group.  We had a holiday lights run that was a blast!

LR taking a break, mid-hill. Yes, he was running while wrapped in battery-powered Christmas lights.

My polar bear is happier now

Also, 100 KB swings an a plank.

Overall, I think the training plan started out well!

Race Report: Marine Corps Marathon 2015

Okay, I’ll just remove all suspense and say that I had the race for which I trained!

If you follow my Facebook page, you know that I made major progress in my pace this training cycle, especially the 20 milers.  While I wasn’t 100% true to my plan, I definitely hit 95% of the runs and ALL of the key ones (unlike last time).  I had high hopes of coming close to 5 hours this race and my secret goal was to break 5.  For reference, MCM 2013 was 5:50:24.

Expo and Packet Pick Up

As usual, the actual packet pick up was a breeze.  They moved it to the Convention Center this year but it still felt pretty cramped and crowded.  After getting my awesome ruby red mock, I entered the Brooks race gear section and couldn’t deal.  There were just a few shirts that I really liked and there were none in my size.  I almost got a larger size until I realized that the line to check out was about an hour long!  No thanks!  (Luckily, one of my awesome running friends was going first thing in the AM and she snagged one, in the right size!, for me 🙂 )

I spent a bit too much money at the expo but I did make a conscious decision to have a shadow box made for me.  My name and time will be engraved on it.  I was debating if I should do it, just in case I had a crappy race, but I went ahead and got it.  I’m now happy with that decision!

Race Eve

I tried to rest as much as possible but that didn’t really happen.  I was running around a lot and didn’t even have time to make dinner so my husband and I went out while Little Runner went to a Halloween party.  My husband picked him up at 9 and we got ready for bed.  I had just gone upstairs when I realized I forgot to turn down the heat so I went back down and walked through the front room and looked out the window and said “What the hell?!”  The yard was covered in signs!  I thought some joker had put a bunch of political signs in the yard so I went out to look.  And then spent five minutes crying!!

One of the many signs that were in my yard!

I later found out that one of my very dear friends, and her poor husband, decorated my yard for me!  They must have moved fast because they weren’t up at 9 but were at 9:20.  I’m so lucky to have friends like this! ❤  I felt like the football star who got his locker decorated!

Race Morning

I woke at 4 and prepared for the day.  Thankfully, I’ve had a lot of 4 am runs so it didn’t seem too awfully painful. I had some coffee and an avocado and a banana and headed off to the Metro.

I think I need more coffee!

My reminder for the day!

I was running with Team Fisher House so I went to Rosslyn and walked to the finish area where they had a huge tent on Charity Hill.  It was nice having a tent, since it was raining, and no lines for the port-a-johns, short line for security, personal bag drop, and breakfast!  I grabbed a mini bagel with peanut butter and another banana.  We hung out there until about 7:12 and then the bulk of the runners made their way to the start.

Amazing parachutists!

Osprey fly-over. Very cool! and loud!

I’m so thankful that I ran with Fisher House for a variety of reasons but, after hearing about the nightmare lines trying to get through the main security check-point, I was doubly happy!  One of my MRTT buddies was planning to meet up with me so we could run together and she was stuck in the mess.  Thankfully, I found her right before 8 am!   We passed under the arch around 8:10 and settled in for the day.

The Race

It was raining intermittently for the first hour or so and that was okay.  It kept the temperatures down for a bit.  As it was, I  removed my gloves and arm warmers well before mile 2.  We were running intervals of 3 minutes run/30 seconds walk – at least when the crowds weren’t too incredibly heavy to do it safely.  That put us pretty much in the middle of the pack.  Last time I ran this race, I was squarely in the back so I was a bit shocked, and a little overwhelmed, by the number of runners and the crowds of spectators!  My co-runner and I did our best to stick to our plan and I think we did a good job.  We did have one pit stop on the way back down Rock Creek Parkway and we had to skip a few intervals due to the crowds but our splits were pretty consistent.

We were very lucky in that we had a ton of MRTT support on the course!  From random chapters that cheered because we were wearing our MRTT visors to seeing some dear friends who were holding flags at the Blue Mile (thank you for the sweaty hugs!! <3) to the craziness to come later, it was fantastic to feel so much love and support!!

I surprised my husband and LR right before the Watergate.

Best spectator ever!

The crowds were heavy and we just had time for a quick round of hugs before we were off again.  The second stop at mile 15 didn’t happen due to the crowds and that bummed me out quite a bit.  I was really worried we wouldn’t see them again before the 14th St Bridge right at mile 20.  My pace was definitely off in those five miles as I kept looking on both sides for them.

We were coming up on Mile 20 and I was really getting worried.  I knew the drum troupe was coming up and my husband isn’t a huge fan of really loud noises like that so I was positive that they wouldn’t be there.  I had just taken my phone out of my pack and looked up and … there they were!!!!

Okay, I cried a little

See you at the end!!

Next up, The Bridge!  The Bridge turned out to be a non-event for me!  I have been working very hard on my internal dialogue and visualizing it as just another road and it really worked! I just kept my head down and stayed calmed and put one foot in front of the other.  It wasn’t nearly as demoralizing as it has been in the past.  Now, the section after we came off the bridge and before we turned into Crystal City was a bit of a bitch but, what can you do?  Luckily, we knew we had all sorts of MRTT craziness waiting for us!

These ladies are NUTS and FANTASTIC!

Who knew Snow White was such a hottie?

So much awesome!

There were a few other groups of supporters along the course and they certainly helped to give me a great boost for the end!  Around mile 24, my friend started to flag.  She knew I was trying to get a sub-5 so she encouraged me to go ahead.  I felt horrible but went ahead after she promised me she was okay.  I was really gunning for that time so I skipped my intervals until it was clear that it was impossible for me to get that time.  It was also the time when the sun decided to appear and the heat was on the rise.  I kept a good pace until I found my family for the last time and then took a few minutes with them.

Almost done!

I powered through the end of the race as fast as I could go.  I like to think I charged the hill to the Iwo Jima Memorial but it was likely a determined power walk at that point 😉  And, just like that, I was done!

Official time: 5:03:42
Garmin marathon time: 4:58:19 (I added an extra half mile from dodging people)

Fuel

I think that one thing that really helped was my consistent fueling strategy.  I cannot do math of any kind during a long run so I wrote on my right arm the miles that I was to take fuel and I did it! Every four miles I had a packet of something.  I had one peanut butter and chocolate chip Bonk Breaker cut into quarters (took two at a time), one packet of Clif Banana Mango food pouch, a baggie with pretzels and raisins, and right before the bridge, a salted caramel Gu.  I also drank electrolyte water and took two Hammer Endurotabs before the last 10K.

Overall

Like I said, I think I ran the race that I trained for!  Just about everything went as planned and I reached my goal.  My knee was twingy around mile 8 and I was a bit worried but then it settled down to a low crank and didn’t really give me too much grief.

This all feels a little anti-climatic! There was no big cry fest, no “will overcoming the desire to quit”, no miles of banishing mental demons.  Just a few hours of hard work and the joy of reaching my goals!

Sorry for the lack of profanity or overly wrought emotions. I’ll try better next time 😉

My Team!

Next Stop: Marine Corp Marathon!

Compared to Rock n Roll DC, I’ve kept my training for the 2015 Marine Corp Marathon very much “under the radar”.  I’ve been focusing a lot of my attention internally and really working to improve my foundation.  I’ve overhauled my nutrition (and dropped 11 pounds in the process!), I’ve nailed my long runs, I’ve worked on my turnover rate, and I’ve really worked on being a “lighter” runner, in every regard.

Is that enough?  Good question!  While I think I’m successfully juggling all of the variables that I can control, you just never know when the race is going to throw you a nice, heavy wrench!

None of these, please!

I have two concerns right now.

1. My knee.  It has been problematic ever since RnRDC (yes, that was in March…).  I had a cortisone shot two weeks ago and that has definitely helped but there is still some issue there.  No, I have not gone for my MRI yet.  Denial is more than a river in Egypt!  I pinkie-swear that I will get it scanned early next week.  Until then, I’m taping the crap out of it and hoping for the best.
2. The weather.  It’s been very seasonable, if on the chilly side, the past few weeks.  Sunday?  High of almost 70.  I’m not getting too antsy yet, though, as it can still change (pleasepleaseplease)

My Big Ass Scary Goal is to *finally* break 5 hours (I’m keeping my Bigger Ass Scarier Goal to myself 😉 ).  To do that, I will focus on not going out too fast, actually following my nutrition plan and take something every 40 minutes and half a mile before the bridge, and not walking that F-ing 14th Street Bridge.  I am going to run that bastard right into the ground!  (every time I go over it, be it on foot during a race or in my car, I tell it off – usually with a generous helping of profanity.  It’s NOT getting me this year!!)

What happens if all of my goals go out the window and it’s hotter than Hades on the bridge and I do a death march from Crystal City (again)?  Nothing.  I know I can finish.  It won’t be the finish that I want but I know that I am a much stronger runner than I was when I ran MCM in 2013 or even RnRDC earlier this year. That knowledge, alone, is worth all of the work I’ve done over the past 17+ weeks.  If I don’t hit my goals this time, it just means I need to keep working.

Impossible only takes longer

So, that’s it! I’ll be back with an epic recap early next week.  If you’ve been around my blog for a bit, you know it will include inappropriate humor, bad language, and a lot of crying 🙂

Catch you on the flip side!

RnR DC Training: Week 18

This is it! The last week of training!

Sunday: The weather finally cooperated for a last outdoor run on Sunday.  One of my favorite hill friends and I tackled 8 miles.  We had planned on a 10:30 pace but wound up closer to 10, even with having to mince our way through some icy spots and taking a few detours.

Monday: Rest. Total rest, not even taekwondo (don’t want to break a toe again!)

Tuesday: The Muffin Run rides again!  Over 30 ladies gathered at 5 AM to run through the neighborhood.  I did my 3 and actually stuck around to partake of some treats at the end.

What a bunch a lunatics! We were booted from the school parking lot so we have to hang out on the sidewalk (surrounded by mud pits) instead. It’s an absolute riot!

Wednesday: After much deliberation, I decided to go to swim class but the coach was like “what are you even doing here??” and greatly modified my workout.  I basically just swam laps for an hour.  In the evening, I skipped TKD again but had to drop off LR for his competition team practice.  I knew some ladies were meeting at the nearby high school for track so I decided to head there for some laps but we were foiled by soccer and band.  I finally wound up back in my ‘hood for a quick 3 miles.  The first one clocked in at 8:50!  And I kept running! At a much slower pace but I didn’t immediately stop and puke in the bushes 🙂 #progress

Thursday: Rest again.  I also hit the expo and picked up my bib and a few other goodies.

Friday: Rest again. Plan called for 2 easy miles but I decided my sleep was more important.  We also have a “fun fair” at LR’s school tonight so there will be more time on my feet than I would like.

And, that’s all!  Tomorrow is the big day!  They are calling for rain but that’s okay, I’m not that sweet 😉  Check in on my Facebook page if you want to follow the race-day fun!

Total miles for the week: 14

Total training miles: 488.6

Miles for the year: 291.7