hill repeats

Reader recipe poll winner: movie mix (crispix and peanut butter)!  Recipe and review will be Friday morning.

I don't love running on hills.  I live in northern Indiana, where you actually have to go looking for hills.  So when it comes to running hills, I'm not much of a fan because I don't have much practice on them.  This morning I headed out for a run.  Since I'm in eastern Tennessee everything seems to be on a slope of some sort - there isn't any flatland!  I decided to find a particularly steep hill and run hill repeats for something different.  I ran about 1.5 miles out to King College and found a rather short but pretty steep service road.  I did 10 runs up, jogged down, and then headed home.  I'm guessing tomorrow I'll be feeling it in my legs since I'm not used to running hills!

The run itself didn't feel awesome, probably because I haven't been eating the best - lots of chocolate caramel brownies, chocolate chip cookies, Keebler fudge cookies, etc.  Dave and I try not to eat crappy on vacation just because it's vacation, but it happens sometimes (which is okay).  Our meals here in Tennessee have been definitely healthy... it's just the desserts and snacks that are doing me in!  I'm weak in the face of sugar!  I know once I get home and get back to more moderation with desserts my running will feel better, too.

And since my recovery from the Presque Isle marathon has gone so well (my legs feel great!) I decided to go for it while the going is good:

November 13, 2010, Columbia City, Indiana!

This gives me two more chances this fall to finish a marathon without vomiting.  And maybe get a new PR, too!

race crashers

Dave and I set off for a run this morning around Bristol, Tennessee.  We did about 3 miles before we ended up downtown, where they were starting to set up booths for the bluegrass festival today.  Right about the time we got downtown, they were also starting a 5K race.  We watched everyone start and then when the runners were about 3 blocks away decided that yes, we should definitely jump in.  So we did.  We had so much fun!  Right before the finish line we ducked out.  Final time: 26:30.  And because the main street of town is also the state line, technically I finished in Virginia while Dave finished in Tennessee!

5Ks are funny to me.  I'm used to doing half marathons and fulls, so this race went so fast!  It was a lot of fun.

We jogged home, stopping to walk around in a Confederate Unknowns cemetery.  We're showering and getting ready, then headed downtown with my family for Rhythm and Roots!

We're looking forward to spending time with family, hearing good music, and eating some fair food!  Happy weekend!

marathon details

About a week ago Dave left this note on the fridge:

I finally cashed in on it last night and got a hot fudge sundae from McDonalds.  Yum!

I thought of a couple more details about the Presque Isle marathon:

the shirts: A couple months back I picked up these shirts from runningchics.com.  I love the soft fabric, the extra length of these shirts, and how thin they are.  They don't have any rough seams and they dry as fast or faster than wicking material shirts.  My one issue was underarm chafing (a common problem for me) where the shorter sleeves didn't protect my skin from rubbing on skin.  A slightly longer sleeve more fitted around my arm would have probably fixed the problem for me.  Still, for all intents and purposes this shirt was really comfortable... plus I wear it all the time when I'm not running!

post-race: Kelly picked up a reese's big cup for each of us after the race.  Joy.

I ate it later on the drive home.  She got one for Dave and one for Keegan, too, because she smartly realized neither of us would want to share.

race swag: Race swag was awesome for a small, pretty cheap marathon ($40 registration).  We got a nice long sleeve wicking shirt, a tote bag, and a hat.  And my bag contained a $500 gift card to redstargiftcard.com.  Kelly's bag did not, so we're not sure if this was a door prize or what...  From what I can tell, the website is all about sunglasses - expensive sunglasses.  I'll keep you posted on how this one turns out.

the one regret: Kelly and I never stopped to take a picture together, pre or post race!  Guess this means we just need to race again sometime so we can have a proper photo op.  I'm a pretty big fan of this picture of us finishing though.  And maybe the professional pics will have a winner!

What things make or break a race for you?  For me it's entry fee and course route.  

presque isle marathon

Let's start with the good:

We finished!  And with a new personal record for me: 4:53:57.

Let's back up.

Dave and I left our house at 8am on Saturday and drove to PA.  We saw a really weird car on the turnpike.

Along the way I read to Dave out of Born to Run... I'm like a personal audio book.

We headed straight to Presque Isle, where we met up with Kelly (my sister), John and Corrine (my brother and sister-in-law), and Lizzie and Clare (my nieces)!

We had a lot of fun playing in the sand with the girls and catching up.  Then Dave and I followed Kelly back to her house.  We made a delicious dinner of pasta with sauteed kale, basil, parsley, tomatoes, chard, and garlic.  Fantastic!  I had two bowls, plus a side of bread.  I'd also been chugging water throughout the day, trying to make sure I was really hydrated.  Keegan (Kel's husband), Kelly, Dave, and I took a brief walk to stretch our legs and check out an old mansion nearby.

We also made our breakfast the night before, since we had to get up pretty early.  We made pinole and chia pancakes, using a recipe this recipe.  We sampled one and it was sooo good.

We were in bed by 9pm - pretty good, right?  The alarm went off at 4:30am and we hit the start button on the coffeemaker, got changed, and made pinole chia banana peanut butter sandwiches (say that 5 times fast).  Then Kel and I hit the road - we were out the door by 5am.  The drive to the park took about 50 minutes, and race directors had requested all runners be parked by 6am.  We aim to please.  We parked, did some business in the port-o-pots (at that time still clean and no line), then got ourselves organized for the race - pinned on our bibs, ate our pancake sandwiches, etc.  There might have also been some nervous peeing in the bushes (the port-o-pot line was now considerably longer), but I'll never say for certain.

And then without much fanfare we were off!  I told Kel I was going to hold the pace back a little bit, just to make sure we started slow and didn't burn out.  We did the first 10K (6.2 miles) in slightly over 9 minute miles, which felt good.  Around mile 12 my stomach started to feel a little unsettled, but it didn't seem a big deal.  We crossed the halfway point (13.1 miles) at 2:10ish, still feeling good.

Giving our long sleeve shirts to the guys to carry.

At mile 14 I stopped to puke.  This was a little troubling since I also threw up in my last marathon and things hadn't gone well afterwards.  (Not to be graphic, but when I say "puke" I don't mean just a little.  I mean everything up and out.)  After I threw up I felt better, except I didn't have any water to rinse out my mouth with, so I was rocking some serious dragon breath and acid mouth.  Yum.  Keegan and Dave met up with us on their bikes about mile 15, and rode with us for most of the remainder of the race!  That was really fun!

Around mile 16 or 17 my stomach started to clench and cramp again.  I puked again at mile 18.  A wonderful woman (who was running her 196th marathon!) gave me some tissues to clean up with.  Kel and I theorized I should probably start drinking the energy drink at the water stations, since I couldn't stomach food and I was probably dehydrated/electrolyte imbalanced/had no calories in me.  Miles 19-23 were hard.  My stomach was clenching and cramping, my head was pounding and felt woozy, and I was really tired.  I puked again at mile 23, which helped.  From there it was just a final push to the end.  It was rough, but knowing I was close to finishing helped.

Bringing it on in.

 

(Please note that in every picture Kel and I's strides are completely synced.  Ha!)

I had so much fun running with Kelly - we talked, we zoned out, we kept pace together.  It was so fun to have someone to run with and push me along.  I am certain that my finishing time would have been much, much worse without Kelly helping me along.  She kept me going.  That being said, I feel really bad for Kelly for staying with me (even though I really really appreciate it).  This was her first race and she was doing really well and was feeling really strong.  I know she could have gotten a really good time - probably below 4:30 - if she hadn't had to stop for me or walk with me.  I'm so proud of her, and I wish her first marathon story didn't have to include a "if" - "if my sister hadn't been puking we/I could have finished in ____."  I hope maybe she'll take me back for another marathon!

Something I am proud of: even after puking I ran some, most, or all of every mile of that race.  After the last marathon I felt like I really only ran 18 or 19 miles.  But this marathon I feel like I really did run it, even though I had to take some walking breaks.

Something I learned: always always always carry tissues.  Helpful for blowing your nose and cleaning up vomit.

Another thing: keep trying.  The tissue woman is running her 200th marathon next month.  And another man told us this was his 246th marathon.  I'm willing to bet they had some pretty dang horrible races in there.  Maybe I'm just getting all my bad races out of the way now, so I can rock some awesome ones later on!

As for the race itself, I loved it!  It was a beautiful, serene run.  There weren't tons of people to dodge, runners were friendly, and a decent amount of fans came out to cheer.  Where there weren't fans cheering there was beautiful woods and the sound of the water - it doesn't get much better than that!  The course is also flat - another perk!  I'm definitely hoping to do this one again next year - it's my favorite race I've ever done (at least course-wise)!

Today my legs feel good - a little tight, but nothing different than any other long run.  I'm even hoping to get out for a couple miles at some point to stretch them out!  Kelly is feeling good, too!

It's one month now til the Grand Rapids marathon.  Enough time to recover, rebuild, and hopefully figure out this puking thing!

add another!

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

The second step is registering!

October 17, 2010!

I'm pretty sure my friend Abby - and former college roommate! - is also running this race.  Her first marathon!  Way back in 2008 (was it 2007?) Abby and I ran a St. Patrick's Day 5K together.

Clearly we weren't super intense in this race, since we stopped to take pictures a lot.

In any case, I'm really excited for another race - and another one with Abby!  This course goes along the water and just looks beautiful.  

Okay, time for you to brag.  What big events do you have coming up - athletic or otherwise?

good old fashioned a$$-kicking

Unfortunately, it was the marathon kicking my butt and not the other way around.  Today started out well - I was nervous but felt good about my training and the weather seemed pretty nice.  I was completely anticipating a great run.  And then.

Miles 1-3: I was well under 9 minute miles and felt great.  The race was decent sized but not so big that I spent time ducking around people.  I was able to just run.  I liked that.
Mile 7: mental note that my shirt is already completely soaked.  So it's maybe a little humid out.
Mile 10: 1:31... starting to inch up over 9min./mile, but I wasn't worried.  I had been trying to drink at every other water station, but I was starting to feel the humidity, so I started drinking at every one.
Mile 15: the wall.  I felt wiped out.  I was starting to feel dizzy/nauseous and my pace was slowing down.
Mile 16: got to see Dave and walk with him a little bit.  As soon as I saw him I started hyperventilating and crying... I was so overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated with how bad I felt.
Mile 19: finally threw up in the grass.  A lot.  Had some really nice runners stop and see if I was okay, offer me swigs of gatorade from their bottles.
Miles 20-26: hard hard hard.  Initially after I threw up I felt better, but soon it really knocked me out.  I had just thrown up any energy I had consumed, but my stomach was still too knotted to take anything in.  I walked/ran the rest - walked a lot - drinking water where I could, still feeling really dizzy and nauseated.  I can't even count how many times I had to stop and put my hands on my knees and put my head down until I could push off the dizziness.

Final time: 5:11:29.  My first marathon I ran 5:12:07 and I was so confident that I could beat that time today.  My training went really well and I was hopeful to get under 4:30, maybe even close to 4:15.  Throughout the race I watched as each of those goals slipped away, even sub-5.

I'm frustrated and disappointed.  In the race I knew I couldn't push any more than I did.  I was exhausted and completely spent.  But now showered and home I just keep thinking I should have done better.

In happier news, my friend Amanda ran her first half-marathon today and got 1:54!!

I'm proud of you, Amanda!!

Pre-race:

And at home post-race.  I think Mosie might be interested in distance running.

Off to eat some popcorn and hang out with my love.  Happy Saturday!

i'm ready.

Coffee is brewing, race clothes are on, and a couple new songs await me on my ipod.  I'm nervous and excited and want to just start running!

When I start to feel tired or if I question if I can do it, I'm going to remind myself of what I've already done.

Training numbers:
February: 130.15 miles
March: 134.23 miles
April: 144.55 miles
May: 153.58 miles
June (so far): 4.7 miles


Total training runs: 567.2 miles
Total running time: 84 hours, 1 minute


I've done a bunch of long runs, including 18, 19, 20, and 22 miles.  I only need to do 4 more than that today!

Current weather is 68.  Beautiful!  I'm off to grab breakfast (cheerios, raisins, banana with pb) and head out!  Happy Saturday!  Happy marathon day!

(By the way, thanks for all your support/encouragement/happiness for Dave and I about the house!)

looking ahead

We're now 11 days out from the marathon, which means I'm obsessively checking weather.com, trying to see what it's going to be like the day of (and praying for low humidity and low temps... especially low temps).  I'm also trying to think ahead on how I can use next week, the week of, to get myself "ready"... in the non-running sense.  I've pretty much done all my training, so the running isn't an issue.  But I want to make sure that mentally and physically I'm at my best!  Here are my rough thoughts, as of now:

1. No sugar.  Basically this just means ice cream, my main love.  I've proven to myself time and time again that ice cream + running = terrible terrible runs.
2. Key foods to eat: bananas, green smoothies, chia seeds, protein (especially Thursday) and carbs (especially Friday).
3. Extra sleep.  I plan on sleeping an extra hour a day, at least (getting up at 7ish instead of 6ish).
4. Water water water.
5. Stretching.  
6. Reading Born to Run, Runner's World, Once a Runner... anything that makes me excited about running long distances, that reminds me how much I love it and the thrill.
7. Driving the course the day before, when I go to pick up my packet info.  Just so I can preview where I'll be.
8. Reviewing my training, thinking about long runs... reminding myself how prepared I am and how much I enjoyed those long runs.
9. No popcorn.  JUST KIDDING.  We all know this isn't even possible.

Any other ideas/thoughts for what I could or should do to get ready?  How do you prepare for a race?

split pea soup

I always loved mom's split pea soup.  The first time I tried to make it on my own I didn't use enough peas (turns out I read 1 1/3 c. split peas as just 1/3 c.) and it turned out to be salty pale green broth.  Not so delicious.  I've ventured off of mom's recipe and come up with my own simple recipe that is always delicious!  It may look lumpy (this was also reheated), but it tastes divine!

Split Pea Soup
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1c. split peas

3c. broth

1c. water (you can play with this broth/water ratio and do more water/less broth if you want)

2t. italian seasoning
salt to taste

Saute onion, carrot, and garlic in a little olive oil for about 5-10 minutes.  Add broth, water, split peas, and italian seasonings.  Bring to boil.  Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until peas are soft and water is mostly absorbed.  If the water absorbs and your peas aren't soft enough yet, add a little more water (1c. at a time) and continue cooking.  Salt to taste.  (If you like your soup thinner you can add more broth or water or add a cup of milk at the end and stir through.)

Enjoy with crusty bread, with crunchy crackers, or just on its own!

Indy half marathon pictures were emailed out today.  Normally there are quite a few... but this year I apparently was only special enough to get two.  But unlike normal race photos I don't 1) look like I'm dying or 2) look like I'm walking!  HOORAY!!!

race fever!

As of Saturday night, I am signed up for the 2011 Indy half marathon!  My cousin Jon, a former Indiana resident now living in Fort Lauderdale, FL, is signing up for it as well!  I'll have a running buddy!

Jon and I in 2006, at an IU (boo!) football game.

And as of this morning, I am signed up for the Erie Presque Isle Marathon September 12, 2010!  Kelly (my sister) and I are going to run our first race together - and her first marathon!!  The race runs around Presque Isle State Park - it's going to be so scenic and gorgeous!

(A totally bizarre-posed pic of Kelly and I in 2008.)  Kel used to bribe me to not talk... but now she's paid money to spend 4+ hours with me!  Bwa hahaha!

the race, the day

I'll try not to make this post a marathon of words and pictures... we'll keep it at a half-marathon.  Ha.  Ha.  Ha.  Good joke, right?  :)

Saturday's pre-race included a kitchen photo-shoot

And the yellowest, most bruised up banana you will ever see me eat.

It was cold cold cold waiting in the corrals to start.  I stood near the side of the corral so that Dave and I could talk, and so I could steal his jacket to wear until the race started.  I think the race started on time?  I actually don't really know if we did or not.  They did a 10-9-8 countdown, but then we didn't move at all when it got to 1... so it didn't really feel like a start.  Regardless, once we started running I realized how numb and cold my legs were - it felt like running on wood blocks!  By mile 4 my legs and hands had warmed up, and by mile 6 I think I was even sweating!  The wind didn't seem that bad once we were going - I think buildings and the mass of people helped break it up some.  The first couple miles I paced myself by a guy wearing a kilt - he seemed to be going the right speed, so I tried to keep him in my sight at all times.  Then I lost him and paced myself off a different couple also going a good pace.  But they started to slow down around mile 10, so I took off on my own.  I saw kilt man again around 11 or 12.  The last 3 miles I was starting to feel tired, but really pushed to hold my pace, because I knew I could beat my PR.  I had called Dave at mile 10 to let him know where I was so he could watch me finish - last year he missed me because there were so many people and he didn't know when to look for me.  He saw me finish and even got a video of it on his phone!

Final stats - straight from the results website:

overall place:	6403 out of 30994
division place:	375 out of 2960
gender place:	1589 out of 16574
time:	1:54:35
pace:	8:45
5m:	43:28
10m:	1:27:26
guntime:	2:04:35

Previous best time: 1:58:23.  New PR: 1:54:35!

I found Dave and our friend Chad afterwards - Chad ran the 5K that morning!

Me hanging myself showing off my bling.

After we talked with Chad a little we walked back to the car and headed to Brian and Nicole's, where I quick showered and changed.  Then we headed to Trader's Point Creamery.

The farm was beautiful!  Gorgeous old wood and brick buildings, sloping trails, animals roaming...

Unfortunately, the place was packed out for lunch, due to a small kitchen.  So we hit up the dairy bar and both got wildberry yogurt parfaits - with yogurt made right there on the farm! 

It was delicious!  Then we walked around the farm a little bit and met the animals.  Please note me being dangerously close to the wire there - I didn't know it was an electric fence.  Small miracles I wasn't zapped in my eagerness to meet this little calf beauty.

CHICKENS!!!

Dave found his dream vehicle at the farm.

It started to get windy and cold, so we left and hit up a grocery store for some salad, then picked up some fudge from a chocolate shop.  Turtle and peanut butter chocolate.

We moved on to Butler University, where the Legally Blonde musical was playing.  We knew it was going to be super silly when we saw this screen:

The musical was funny and fun - very light and silly, as we expected.  We enjoyed the 2.5 hours of mindless entertainment!  The audience was also mostly girls - no surprise there.  The best part was the two dogs they had trained to be in the show - everyone loved them!  If you want a song to be stuck in your head all day, listen to this.  Make sure you get to the chorus - that's the part that will never ever leave you.

After the show we went for more fake sugar and caffeine...

We like to end things the way we start them.

And then we headed home!!  Mosie was happy to see us.  We were happy to see her - and our bed!!

more to come

1:54:35!  A new PR!!!

Full recap to come!

the drive

An early post, since I'm up, drinking coffee, eating cheerios and raisins, and biding my time til we leave for downtown Indy.

The drive yesterday was pretty uneventful.  We stopped and grabbed Starbucks at 3pm, since they have a special right now of half-off frappes.  We got a venti mocha light, but asked them to split it into two cups.

I maybe drank mine a little faster.

I also honed my skills on Boggle, finally getting to the top of the scoreboard!

Meredith and Vincelli, by the way, are totally fake people.  It galls me to no end that they're beating me.  I'M COMING FOR YOU, "MEREDITH".

We finally got downtown and parked and hit he expo.  Picked up my race packet and a couple headbands from BondiBand.  I made fun of myself in the race recap for wearing headbands... but when push comes to shove, I'm a headband girl 100%.  I can't stand to have hair in my face when I'm running!

I'm wearing the pink one today, which should help Dave to find me in the mass of people.  That and I'm packing a cell phone so I can call him (gasping) at mile 12 to get to the finish line.

Modeling (and background snacking).

Dave also did some modeling of the new swag.

After the expo we went to Brian and Nicole's apartment to hang out and have dinner.  We stopped by their new house and took a tour, then enjoyed some awesome squash lasagna, salad, and edamame.  With a little bit of ice cream and cookies for dessert.  Then bed!

I'm going to gather up my stuff to head downtown again!  Here goes!  Oh, and check out the current weather wind conditions.

Right Now

Cloudy / Windy

47° F

Feels Like: 40° F

Wind: From W at 20mph gusting to 28mph