tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5884350838056159992024-03-19T01:04:18.437-04:00'Ama RunsRunning thoughts from a running mama.Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-32545506035064531812013-04-28T23:33:00.000-04:002013-04-28T23:33:10.982-04:00Nike Women's Half-Marathon DC 2013: Is it worth it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I joined 15,000 women (and a few men) to run the inaugural Nike Women's Half-Marathon DC. I was pacing two friends who were running their first half-marathon, and I was excited to be there. The weather the gorgeous. The energy was electrifying and the crowd was pumped. But I'll be honest, up until race morning, I did not really want to run this race.<br />
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The Nike Womens Marathon series (NWM, which also includes a half-marathon event) carries a hefty price tag. $160 to be exact (for the 2013 race). With it you get a Tiffany necklace, a finisher's shirt, and the Nike experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NWM DC 2013 Tiffany Necklace</td></tr>
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Is all that worth $160? Well, considering the Tiffany necklace alone probably costs much more than the race entry, one would have to say yes. However, you could run <i>at least</i> two half-marathons for that price, and its even easy to find two marathons for that amount of money. So what is worth more--the running experience or the Nike experience?<br />
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Obviously, the answer is personal preference. And personally, I prefer to run a no-frills, low-key, limited field kind of race. But this race wasn't about me, it was about pacing two friends to a strong finish for their first half-marathon. I had already paid the *gulp* entry fee, so I was ready to see what the Nike experience was all about.<br />
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And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.<br />
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Let's start with the Expo--ahem, excuse me, the Expotique--which was held at the Georgetown Waterfront. Since we are local, we went on Thursday afternoon when there were no lines. Packet pick-up was easy peasy. The expo itself was like being in a club minus the black light. The vendors were few because it was all about the experience -- you could get your hair and make-up done, try shots of Nuun, and get sized for the right Nike gear that fits your style.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo ops!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make up by Bare Minerals </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nike Inspiration </td></tr>
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<br />It was neat to see, but also overwhelming for this old crony. The best, though, was this cool map of the race course:<div>
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Fast forward to race morning. As we faced the starting line, we were presented with this amazing view:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Capitol Building in the distance</td></tr>
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It was awesome. Time and again, we were lucky to witness some amazing views of our nation's capital. These pictures do not do the beauty justice.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Memorial from Arlington Memorial Circle</td></tr>
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Our little troop was all smiles race morning. The energy was palpable, and if you weren't pumped, you were probably dead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team JUST SORT IT! :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking inspiration from history: <br />Rosie the Riveter, "We Can Do It!"</td></tr>
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We were shooting for a sub-3:00 finish, so we were in the 12:00-13:59 pace corral. Because we were in the back, room to run was a premium, and it took more than 2 miles before we could really begin to move. We were presented with more than one bottleneck during this time, requiring an impromptu walk/run strategy, which was frustrating. And we witnessed one woman fall flat on her face after someone dropped their sweater and she couldn't sidestep the garment in time. A testament to runners though: about 6 of us stopped to ensure she was ok and could carry on.<br />
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All that said, the race was pretty great. Around mile 2, and again around mile 10, we ran through a long tunnel and to Nike's credit, they took advantage of the acoustics by placing two bass-driven bands on this section of the course. It was hard not to stop and start dancing! Not to mention, the taiko drummers at mile 5. Reinforced my goal to <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/07/wishlist-wednesday-big-surand-badwater.html">run the Big Sur marathon one day</a>.<br />
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Around mile 11, we stopped at National Archives to take a picture of our race shirts.<br />
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We crossed the line at 2:57, 3 minutes faster than our goal time! I was so proud of these ladies. They earned those Tiffany necklaces!</div>
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So is the Nike Women's Marathon (and half-marathon) series worth it? If you are looking for a challenging mind-over-matter event, one that will test your grit--you vs. yourself--then NO, this is not the race for you.<br />
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But if you want to run an event, and you want to feel celebrated for your accomplishment, then YES - this is THE race to run. This is a great first half-marathon / marathon (should that option become available in DC; it is currently available in San Francisco), and a particularly great one to run with friends.<br />
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Even as one who prefers a low-key race, I would run this event again with a friend (or sister!) interested in running their first half-marathon.<br />
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<b>What type of race do you prefer to run?</b><br />
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<b>Have you ever paced someone during a race? How did it go?</b><br />
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RAR!</div>
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-56585211880984141692012-12-09T17:28:00.002-05:002012-12-09T17:28:53.621-05:00Pain in the Neck Fat Ass 50K Race ReportLast weekend I ran my first ultramarathon - a 50k on the eastern shore of Maryland. It was awesome. Awesome, awesome. So awesome that I've been finding it difficult to write about for fear I'm not able to capture how truly awesome it was (and also because Blogger deleted my first draft. Argh!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOVED running through the morning fog.</td></tr>
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A few statistics: I finished in 6 hours and 7 minutes. I placed 5ish out of 9ish (not sure who was running the 50k and who was running shorter distances). The weather started cold and got slightly less cold, which I have come to realize is my favorite type of running weather for long runs. The course was a 5k loop that we ran 10 times. So 10 times I passed a roaring wood-burning bonfire around which spectators and runners of shorter distances would convene to enjoy warmth and camaraderie. And beer. I had to laugh every time I passed them. 5 years ago, I would likely have been around that fire. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would pass up the warmth of a fire to run in the cold. Much less for 31 bleepin' miles. But now, as a 30-something full-time working mom to a rambunctious two-year-old, I was running circles through the woods and having the time of my life. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-race group photo</td></tr>
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If you ever have to run a 5k loop 10 times, this is the course to do it on. The first section consisted of hard-packed dirt with lots of roots and rocks and fallen leaves as well as a short segment of gravel road thrown in for good measure. The third section was more or less more of the same. But the second section was the fun part: technical single-track that had you winding through the woods, dodging tree trunks, twisting and turning beneath the leaves. I felt like I was running through a Mario Kart course. Running that technical single-track made me feel like I was flying, even though I'm pretty sure my splits never dropped below 10:00m/m. You really had to focus on your footing, but the course was so well marked you didn't even have to look up to know where you were going.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mario Kart for Runners!</td></tr>
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At one point, I could sense a runner coming up behind me, so I moved to the right to let him pass. As he zoomed by, I noticed he was wearing a shirt that said...Hardrock. Whoa, what? "Did you really run Hardrock?" I called after him. "Three times," he said as he slowed waaaaay down. "How did you train for that around here?" I asked him. "I ran a lot of stairs."<br />
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This is what will always impress me about runners, whether of the ultra variety or not: we will do whatever it takes to achieve our goals.<br />
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As amazing as the whole day was, the best part was running with people who didn't think 31 miles was really all that far. I've only run a 50k, and I don't think I can really call myself an ultrarunner just yet, but running through the woods with veterans of 50 and 100 mile races--who have tackled Hardrock, Badwater, Angeles Crest, Grindstone, TNF 50, UTMB, and who were trying to get into Western States--just made me feel...I don't know...like I was running with celebrities. IT WAS JUST SO COOL.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing with one of the running celebrities!</td></tr>
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It wasn't all fun and games. I did learn something. Well, I learned a lot but specifically this: Fig Newtons work really well as a fuel source. Bagels not so much. I loaded my race vest with Gu gels, Fig Newtons, Ritz crackers and a bagel since most of these worked well for me on<a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/running-on-real-food.html"> my one "real-food" trial run</a> a few weeks ago. And after <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/stone-mill-50-race-report.html">DJ Research's experience during his 50-miler</a>, I decided I was going to scarf down some calories after every loop whether I wanted to or not.<br />
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After the first loop I ate some of the bagel. That was hard. Chewing and running takes some practice, let me tell you. Also, it took a while for the bagel-energy to kick in, and it didn't last very long. Perhaps I needed more bagel, but the chewing was wearing me out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vpi4YMW71Og/UL2NLnXCdgI/AAAAAAAAJe4/1T2_WA7LEAU/s1600/pain_in_the_neck_50Kfoiledshaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vpi4YMW71Og/UL2NLnXCdgI/AAAAAAAAJe4/1T2_WA7LEAU/s320/pain_in_the_neck_50Kfoiledshaka.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempting to shaka,<br />
but foiled by my <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/catching-upthankfully.html">sock glove</a>!</td></tr>
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So next loop: Gu gel. Aaaaah. Got me a nice energy kick. Third loop: Fig Newtons. Interesting (and yum!). Fig Newton-chewing is not so laborious as bagel-chewing, plus the energy from the Fig Newtons kicked in sooner and lasted longer than the bagel. Gu gels were definitely the most efficient energy source, but fig newtons are a great alternative when you are sick of the goo.<br />
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I alternated between Gu gels and Fig Newtons for the rest of the race, as well as taking an S-cap about half-way through (I also tried Ritz crackers out there. Too dry and didn't offer much energy anyway). Still, by mile 24 I was feeling low, so I had another Gu, turned on the tunes, and air-drummed it to the finish line. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu3FTEmN-eg">Chemical Brother's Galvanize</a> got me through to the end.<br />
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As I completed the final loop, all three people at the finish line applauded and congratulated my efforts. I took a bow. Or collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. Same thing.</div>
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I changed into more comfortable clothes, helped myself to <i>homemade </i>sweet-sour meatballs and pulled-pork (sooo delicious!!), and took a seat around the crackling bonfire. I listened to the stories told by these veterans of ultra-distances, loving that I was just a small step closer to contributing stories of my own, and excited for the day when I could truly test my grit.<br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-46970271642672696382012-11-28T22:05:00.000-05:002012-11-28T22:08:29.217-05:00Stone Mill 50 Race Report<i>DJ Research is baaaaack! This time with a full report on his first 50-miler, the <a href="http://stone-mill-50-mile.org/">Stone Mill 50</a>. Its a long one, so snuggle up with a cold beer, or a glass of red wine, or a styrofoam cup of overcooked ramen, and enjoy! :)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Publicly, the goal I'd set for the Stone Mill 50
was 10 hours. This is what I'd told my friends and co-workers, and what I'd
convinced myself would make me happy. I crossed the finish line at 9 hours and
26 minutes, comfortably succeeding in this regard and feeling extremely
satisfied. On the other hand, I'd failed in the pursuit of my super secret goal
– the one I'd only shared with the devil on my shoulder. Missing it by only 26
minutes isn't exactly a miserable failure, but given my halfway splits were 4
hours and 5.5 hours, I have to admit I'm a little disappointed I couldn’t
finish in 9 hours. And I'm ready to point the finger.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=588435083805615999" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">At my belly. Actually, no, my belly was willing,
but my brain was concerned with other things. Apparently when I'm tired, I forget
to eat. It doesn't matter how many training guides you read, or podcasts you
listen to. Or to what degree you've convinced yourself BEFORE the race that you
need 200-300 calories per hour. It doesn't matter how grand your designs, if
you don't execute. And I didn't execute. The really unfortunate thing was that
I didn't know it until it was already too late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I'll be the first to admit that going in, I
didn't have a complete fueling strategy. This is more due to my lack of
experience than anything else. I had the framework of one and I'd certainly
practiced eating solid foods during my long runs, but I just had no idea what
would be provided at the aid stations, or for that matter, what I would want to
eat after 28 miles, 35 miles, and 43 miles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What I did know was this. Early in a run, I can
usually consume 300 calories an hour. In my marathon training, this meant most
of a handheld of Gatorade and two shots of Just Plain Gu. Obviously though, I
wasn't going to spend my 50-miler eating a full case of Gu. For one, that's a
lot of caffeine (not a big fan of the other flavors). For two, I was limited by
what I could carry in my pack. For three, ewww, that's a lot of goo. So, early
in training, I learned to substitute some of those Gu for Clif Bars. I'd still
run into the problem of limited space in my race vest, but my
"strategy" was to carry a few hours worth of calories via Clif Bars
and Gu shots, consume additional calories via Gatorade, and supplement with aid
station foods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Excepting one hiccup, this worked great for the
first three hours! I efficiently made my way over the rolling single-track
trail, walking all the steep inclines and letting gravity pull me quickly down
the declines. The day was cool and sunny, the course </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">was well-marked, and the creeks and streams had
mostly recovered from Hurricane Sandy. The one hiccup though: the temperature
at start time was about 35-degrees. In and of itself, this shouldn't have been
a big deal, I was more than adequately dressed. But holy crap, it takes a lot of
effort to chew a semi-frozen Clif Bar!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">At first, I just dealt with it, huffing and
puffing as I chewed and chewed and chewed. After two and a half Clif Bars
though, bonking my face off, I'd had enough. I doubled up on Gu and decided to
start making better use of the aid station cuisine starting at mile 25, earlier
than I'd expected. The problem was that while I'd decided to make better use, I
wasn't actually making better use. I got to the mile 25 aid station hoping to
find a bagel or a banana, but found PB&Js, Oreos, and M&Ms. After four
hours of running, these options just didn't sound appealing, so I sucked down
another Gu and made for the next aid station, three miles away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Cookies, Snickers, Pringles, and grilled cheese
sandwiches this time. Those grilled cheese sandwiches were tempting, but I'd
never trained with greasy foods and wasn't sure how my stomach would handle it,
so "Do you guys have any bananas?" </span><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"No, but we have a few potatoes left."
By this point, I was in serious need of calories, and so it was that these
potatoes were the sweetest, most delicious anything I'd eaten in forever. I had
gotten to the point of being hungry, swollen, and irritable, but this faded
away with each little nugget I consumed. Wow. Potatoes boiled in salt water. Who
knew?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This, a couple more gels, and the knowledge that
I'd soon be seeing Ama and Nugget got me to the mile 35 aid station. I had
already decided that I would hang out for a bit, eat some, chat a little, and
handoff all my extraneous gear. The extra few ounces of weight from my jacket,
gloves, and knee-high compressions socks had become an increasingly heavy
burden as I tired. Five minutes, a few hugs, a banana, some ginger ale, and
lots of Gatorade later, I headed off to the mile 38 aid station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Thank goodness for Gatorade. Looking back now, I
realize the only reason the wheels didn't completely come off was due to the
thousands of calories I was getting from Gatorade. But why I'm only realizing
it now is unknown - the evidence was right in front of my face.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I left the mile 35 aid station in relatively
good shape, but was already pretty worn by the time I got to the next aid
station three miles later. The hills were wearing me down more and more
quickly. I was starting to trip on even the smallest of rocks, including one
time, while speeding downhill ("speeding" might be overstating
things), I kicked a root and went flying. Literally. My arms extended out in
front of me like Superman, I hit the ground belly first and slid through the
leaves about ten feet, scuffing up my knees and chin. I was so short on
calories, I was having trouble lifting my feet up high enough to get over the
smallest obstacles. I was really in need of some more potatoes and Gatorade.
What I got was a single pretzel and water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Despite the little cheat sheet I'd made for
myself indicating which were which, I'd completely forgotten that some aid
stations were full aid stations and some, like this one, only had water. In
fact, it was a stroke of luck that they'd even had pretzels. As I entered the
clearing at mile 38, I was sooo happy to see this little folding table and
immediately sooo sad to find out they didn't have Gatorade. But then I was
happy to see they had pretzels, I love pretzels. But then I felt betrayed!
Apparently, pretzels really (really) dry you out when you're already
dehydrated. It only took one pretzel to completely gum up my mouth. Tired and
grumpy, I trudged on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I'd already bonked one or two times now, but the
next five miles set the bar for just how low I could get during a run. I'd made
a HUGE mistake not knowing my aid stations. And what's more, I had had and
given to Ama two packets of Gatorade powder I didn't think I'd need, and was
now kicking myself for that error in judgment. The five miles from mile 38 to
43 were just brutal. I would have completely fallen apart if not for three
things. First, I was inadvertently paced by a younger woman who seemed to be
bonking just as hard as I. For no particular reason, I decided to try to keep
up with her. If I hadn't, I could definitely imagine this section going from 70
minutes to 100. Second, I was going to see Ama and Nugget again. I recognize
how childish this is, but I really couldn't wait to have open ears to complain
to. I was tired and hungry and grumpy, what better relief is there than to
complain to a sympathetic ear? Finally, I met my first trail angel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This young woman and I were holding our slow
pace for three miles or so, when I'd just about had enough. I left the last aid
station maintaining the intent to walk the uphills, and running the flats and
downhills. Unfortunately though, my definition of "uphill" was
changing with every additional mile. Now, I was walking more and more of the
flats, such that, when a round, shirtless, late middle-aged man approached me
from behind, I stepped off the trail with the full intention of stopping (and
remaining stopped) to take a nice, long, motionless breather. This guy came out
of nowhere. It wasn't until he was within fifteen feet of me that I heard the
even, persistent rattle of... I don't know... aspirin(?) in his waistpack. I
mumbled something insignificant like, "Good job, Dude," as he glided
effortlessly by me. And in a quiet way that was calm and crystal clear, he
replied, "You too. Stay with me now." I'm not really sure what he
meant. It was probably just generic hyperbole, like, "Keep it up!"
But for some reason, I determined that he'd seen something weak and fragile in
me and that he would help guide me through this low point. So, I got back on
the trail and stayed with him. The young woman had gotten a ways ahead, but we
caught up to her in short order. Apparently, she too was in a tough spot - she
had just run out of water and was getting antsy about the distance to the next
aid station. The shirtless man didn't know how far it was, but, "Here,
have the rest of my water." She did and he took off up the next hill,
leaving the both of us in a much better position than we'd been in just a few
miles before. Moments later, I reached the mile 43 aid station and the whole
race changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Nugget was sleeping in the car, but I spent a
few moments complaining to Ama, who listened and encouraged me to stop worrying
about the clock and take as long as I needed to get to the finish. And just
like that, as though she’d commanded it, my watch died. Which was awesome. I
could no longer over-scrutinize my agonizingly slow pace every two-tenths of a
mile. I drank some Gatorade, refilled, and drank some more. Then a volunteer
offered me some "nectar of the gods," and I was off again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">That's not really what he said, but I'm pretty
sure that's what he meant to say. I was handed a styrofoam cup of overboiled
ramen noodles and broth, which I downed quickly and excitedly. Too excitedly. I
had to walk the next ten minutes to keep from throwing up, but suddenly...
Suddenly, I was exploding with energy. I was actually running the flats again.
And bounding down the declines. And even passing people!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I have no proof of this because my watch was
conveniently persona non grata, but I'm pretty sure the last seven miles were
my fastest all day. I had energy again. My body didn't hurt. And because I was
finally repeating trail I had run earlier that morning, I sensed the nearing
finish line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">At one point during this stretch, I came upon an
older woman hiking toward me and pulled over to let her pass. "What are
you doing?" she said. "No, I stop for YOU. You get back on that trail
and start running. Go. Go. Go. Go. Go!" I smiled, thanked trail angel #2,
and took off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Where the distance from miles 38 to 43 seemed to
take forever, miles 43 to the finish flew by. It was only moments later that I
heard some chatter in the near distance - an announcer had just congratulated a
runner finishing ahead of me. I came out from behind the trees to see the finish
line, took Nugget into my arms, and he and I crossed together at 9 hours 26
minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I cannot over-emphasize how satisfying it was to
cross the finish line. I was my own hero for that moment. Completely spent, but
in the best way possible. So spent that I decided to never ever do this
wonderful horrible thing ever again. Ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Until I changed my mind three days later. I
finally recovered enough to go on my recovery run (ironic, right?), and started
thinking about what I could have done differently. Eat! I should have been
eating from the very first aid station. The reason I didn't feel like eating
was because I was tired, and the reason I was tired was because I wasn't
eating! To make things worse, despite everything I read suggesting I should do
otherwise, I waited until I really needed calories to try to consume them. I
waited until it was already too late! I need to be more proactive next time,
and I need something that takes longer to digest than sugar. Part of the
problem was the calorie deficit (obviously), but part of the problem was the
mental fatigue of feeling hungry. FOR HOURS! Next time, I'll be sure to have
Ama special deliver some bagels or a turkey sandwich or something. And next
time, my super secret goal time will be 8 hours 30 minutes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-22783833787052022292012-11-25T22:49:00.003-05:002012-11-25T22:56:14.013-05:00Celebrating 26.2I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We definitely did. <br />
<br />
We drove a few hours north to spend the holiday with family, which was awesome (both the drive and the family. Thankfully, Nugget does well on car rides). There was lots of food. And I was introduced to this desert:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a92hZw1j78c/ULLjZLIim7I/AAAAAAAAJeE/CnH279pjQIE/s1600/blogger-image--638346157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pumpkin Pie & Eton Mess" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a92hZw1j78c/ULLjZLIim7I/AAAAAAAAJeE/CnH279pjQIE/s1600/blogger-image--638346157.jpg" title="Pumpkin Pie & Eton Mess" /></a></td></tr>
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No, not the pumpkin pie. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eton_mess">Eaton Mess</a>. Holy kamoly. Heaven on earth. Even though its a British dessert, it is now part of our family's Thanksgiving menu.<br />
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We also went bowling. Nugget had a blast and practically OD'd on popcorn.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guRlnwSs1KM/ULLiWESOdLI/AAAAAAAAJd0/8ij7Hjq2byw/s1600/blogger-image-1661366103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-guRlnwSs1KM/ULLiWESOdLI/AAAAAAAAJd0/8ij7Hjq2byw/s1600/blogger-image-1661366103.jpg" /></a></div>
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When we got back home, I found this waiting for me:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JwKGajdOqi8/ULLiVkvY7II/AAAAAAAAJds/dzH6Un77ACo/s1600/blogger-image-536407754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JwKGajdOqi8/ULLiVkvY7II/AAAAAAAAJds/dzH6Un77ACo/s1600/blogger-image-536407754.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'd been contemplating how I would commemorate finishing a marathon. High on the list was getting a tattoo. But I realized I'm not quite ready to make that commitment. Maybe after I run a 50-miler. <br />
<br />
I opted for jewelry instead. I first learned about <a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/">Erica Sara Designs</a> from a giveaway on <a href="http://nycrunningmama.com/">NYC Running Mama's blog</a>. I didn't win, but I liked Erica's work so much that I bought my sister <a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/hebrew-name-necklace/">a necklace</a> for her 30th birthday. She loved it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/hebrew-name-necklace/"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server4800/1c4ee/products/104/images/554/Hebrew_Name_in_dyybuk__40349.1333714986.420.420.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/hebrew-name-necklace/">Sample of the necklace I got my sister</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And while I did browse the internet for other running jewelry options, I didn't find anything quite like the bold yet feminine pieces that Erica Sara creates. Her jewelry is also customizable, so you can create a piece that expresses who <u>you</u> are as a runner/athlete/woman (she does more than just race bling!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/26-2-run-tag-necklace/"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server4800/1c4ee/products/114/images/622/IMG_9876__04299.1334768774.420.420.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/26-2-run-tag-necklace/">Sample of the necklace I got</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you're looking for a way to commemorate a big racing achievement, or if you've got a special runner girl in your life, or if you just want to treat yourself or someone you love, check out <a href="http://www.ericasaradesigns.com/">Erica Sara Designs</a>. Plus, Erica is donating a portion of all proceeds from<a href="https://store-1c4ee.mybigcommerce.com/race-bling-2/"> race jewelry</a> sales to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.<br />
<br />
I love, LOVE my necklace. Its the perfect way to commemorate my first marathon season. And it sure beats wearing my race medals to work.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>How do you celebrate when you finish a big race?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Do you have a running tattoo? Or thinking of getting one yourself? </b>I think I want one but still looking for that perfect design.<br />
<br />
<b>Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving? Did you travel or stay close to home?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Have you ever had Eton Mess? Amazing, right?!</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>[I did not receive a free necklace nor was I compensated for this review. I purchased an Erica Sara necklace for myself and wanted to share my thoughts on the beautiful piece.</i><i>]</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
RAR! <br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-5746375870362931822012-11-21T08:09:00.000-05:002012-11-21T09:04:17.456-05:00Stone Mill 50: Warmth and Camaraderie<br />
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<i><b>Today we have another guest post from DJ Research! </b>Last week he wrote about his <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/pre-race-jitters-journey-into-soul.html">pre-race jitters</a> for the <a href="http://stone-mill-50-mile.org/">Stone Mill 50</a>. Having survived--and beating his goal time by a half-hour--DJ Research is back to reflect on his first 50-mile race.</i></div>
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All told, it took me 9 hours, 26 minutes to cross the finish
line. I ran for most of it, walked for significant chunks, and at one point, I
fell face first while running downhill, skidding through the leaves. But the
most significant moment of my day happened before the race even started. With
30 minutes to start time, there was a line winding out of the men's restroom.
"There's no line to use the urinal," I was told. As I took my position at the end, I
thought, Well, I'll be sure to relay the message to anyone who comes up behind
me.<br />
<br />
If you've read <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/pre-race-jitters-journey-into-soul.html">(this)</a>, you know I had a lot of anxiety prior to race day. Of
all the things I'd been worrying about, the line for the one and only men's
stall (for 200+ male racers) was not one of them. We don't need to get into
details (I've already given away too much), but it can be really difficult to
use the toilet when there's only seven minutes to race time and a line of people
waiting on YOU. I'm telling you this, because despite all the
worrying, all the over-thinking, all the hemming and hawing, this, the one
thing I hadn’t considered, was (thankfully) the most intense and nerve-wracking
part of my day.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FZFuqxxUDX0/UKzPgA0MhSI/AAAAAAAAJco/avyz93x6Kaw/s1600/stonemill50_start2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stone Mill 50 start" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FZFuqxxUDX0/UKzPgA0MhSI/AAAAAAAAJco/avyz93x6Kaw/s320/stonemill50_start2012.jpg" title="Stone Mill 50 start" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<br />
I found my first ever 50-miler to be just as grueling as I'd been told to
expect. But it was twice as rewarding. I trudged my way up many hills and
enjoyed equally many downhills (even after 40+ miles, I still managed the
energy for exhilaratingly fast descents). I bonked my face off - not once, not
twice, but three times. At mile 43, I was rewarded with the finest styrofoam
cup of ramen I will probably ever enjoy. I staved off the choice words of my
inner demons and was lifted up by several trail angels that I will always remember for their unexpected
encouragement. And I was witness to the camaraderie I had heard that the Ultra
community was famous for. While waiting for the toilet.<br />
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It was 5:30AM, dark, and 36-degrees – 30 minutes to race time. The line,
thirteen people deep, had already extended outside the facilities. As it slowly
took its course, we compared shoes (<a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/barefoot-sports/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=vibrams&utm_content=general+-+vibram+(exact)&utm_campaign=brand&mkwid=sIF1AwVMJ&pcrid=17361075349">super minimalist Vibrams</a> to <a href="http://hokaoneone-na.com/">supermaximalist Hoka One Ones</a>) and recent races (some had run the <a href="http://www.richmondmarathon.com/">Richmond Marathon</a>
only last weekend), and we all came to a mutual agreement: no more than two
minutes on the toilet.<br />
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The whole day was like that. I never had to ask to pass anyone on the narrow
single track trails. Before I even had the chance, the notion was offered. If
someone tripped on a root, the closest person always helped him up. The aid
station volunteers never waited for me to ask for something, everything was
offered. Encouragement was tossed about like confetti. And I enjoyed the hell
out of it.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wyrp-ynBInc/UKzN0AcJR3I/AAAAAAAAJcg/sflzQkNZ-DE/s1600/stonemill50_runners2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stone Mill 50 2012" border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wyrp-ynBInc/UKzN0AcJR3I/AAAAAAAAJcg/sflzQkNZ-DE/s320/stonemill50_runners2012.jpg" title="Stone Mill 50 2012" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
In a lot of ways, my first marathon was much more difficult than this race.
Don’t get me wrong, running 50 miles is an ordeal that can be full of pain and
loneliness. However, where my 30,000-person marathon felt like a race of just
me against the clock, the Stone Mill 50 felt like this cool thing 421 other
people and I were all trying to accomplish together (plus dozens of volunteers
and countless other supportive bystanders).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4NZMMupbVk/UKzR28gR7-I/AAAAAAAAJc8/Jc90CXk04kg/s1600/stonemill50_finishhill2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4NZMMupbVk/UKzR28gR7-I/AAAAAAAAJc8/Jc90CXk04kg/s320/stonemill50_finishhill2012.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running UPHILL to the finish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52KvwgDaocg/UKzQcpTFvmI/AAAAAAAAJc0/jbJO8SypOdA/s1600/stonemill50_finish2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stone Mill 50 Finish" border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52KvwgDaocg/UKzQcpTFvmI/AAAAAAAAJc0/jbJO8SypOdA/s320/stonemill50_finish2012.jpg" title="Stone Mill 50 Finish" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the finish line!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
And the person who I think typified this the most is someone I’m still very
thankful for: the guy three spots ahead of me in line who said, “You know what
guys? I’m just going to poop in the woods.”</div>
<br />
<br />
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RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-84770886981615085072012-11-18T23:04:00.001-05:002012-11-19T06:10:36.041-05:00Running on Real FoodI've got one more race up my sleeve before 2012 is over: the Stampede Runs Fat Ass 50k. I figured I've got all this training from my marathons, what's another 5 miles? Plus, I will likely have to dial back my running next year, so I want to get an ultramarathon in before I take that break.<br />
<br />
I went for a <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/catching-upthankfully.html">short run on Monday</a>, then took the rest of the week off to recover from the <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/richmond-marathon-race-report.html">Richmond Marathon</a>. This morning I ran a slow 20 miles to get my body back in gear.<br />
<br />
To prepare for my <a href="http://trailandultrarunning.com/the-fat-ass-ultra-a-history/">Fat Ass</a> (hahaha, I love saying that), I approached this 20-miler differently than I have any other. For this entire training season, I've been fueling with gels--mostly <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00024CU2A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00024CU2A&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Gu</a> but also <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008G32TWK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008G32TWK&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Clif Shot Gels,</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FFW9RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000FFW9RM&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Hammer,</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CN5NLI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003CN5NLI&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Accel</a>--as well as the occasional <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NZKEJ6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003NZKEJ6&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Clif Shot Bloks</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UP3I76/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001UP3I76&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Jelly Belly Sport Beans</a>. I also tried <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QGW6NW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000QGW6NW&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Nuun</a> for about three months, but I couldn't bring myself to like it.<br />
<br />
For my run this morning, I opted to fuel with real food rather than gels. I've been curious about fueling with real food for a while, but figured I should get the hang of using gels first. But after downing 5 gels during the Richmond Marathon, I'm pretty sick of the stuff (though I definitely see their value and will continue to use them). For today's run I just grabbed items from our pantry that I thought I might like:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u9LYQRS3ouk/UKmnucTT-2I/AAAAAAAAJa4/ZoGW6X38J9g/s1600/blogger-image--1584551517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u9LYQRS3ouk/UKmnucTT-2I/AAAAAAAAJa4/ZoGW6X38J9g/s1600/blogger-image--1584551517.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo insists on appearing sideways.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The course for the Stampede Runs 50k is a 5k loop. Yes, that means we have to run around that loop 10 times to complete the race. Ugh. So to help prepare myself for that mental drudgery, I intended to run a 6-mile loop around our neighborhood 3 times, followed by a quick 2-mile out and back. <br />
<br />
<b>First Lap</b><br />
<br />
The first lap was actually just under 5.7 miles because I miscalculated the distance of my route. Whatever, it was just great to be running again!! I ran slow and happy (total time 57:09, avg. page 10:03, avg. HR 155).<br />
<br />
I got to our porch and immediately went inside because I had to pee! (You're welcome). I also grabbed the DJ's race vest, which I had been wanting to try out for some time. Its an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007P4LOQS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007P4LOQS&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">UltrAspire Spry,</a> which is their smallest race vest. Surprisingly, it didn't stink despite having covered <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/pre-race-jitters-journey-into-soul.html">50 miles the day before</a>! <br />
<br />
I had some water, then stuffed my face with pretzels, Ritz crackers, and a quarter of a blueberry bagel, which sat surprisingly well in my stomach. I also stashed a chunk of the bagel and some crackers in the race vest. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NhwHvfedjYY/UKmnuEsOi5I/AAAAAAAAJaw/Umaszw9RaI4/s1600/blogger-image-594033579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NhwHvfedjYY/UKmnuEsOi5I/AAAAAAAAJaw/Umaszw9RaI4/s1600/blogger-image-594033579.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Spry, new best friend :)<br />
Also, where did my chin go?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Second lap</b><br />
<br />
The second lap was the same as the first--5.7 miles--because I didn't realize my calculation error until later. The pace for this lap was slightly faster, but not by much (total time 56:54, avg. pace 9:57, avg. HR 160). Speed was not on my list of things to do this morning.<br />
<br />
About 3 miles in, I felt like I needed more calories so I started gnawing on the bagel. I had no idea eating while running would be so challenging! I had to take small bites and chew slowly. But the bagel was mighty tasty as were the Ritz crackers (mmmm, salty-buttery yumminess). <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46ZM-t7NBRw/UKmnvNHRRmI/AAAAAAAAJbA/GCivbASju1Y/s1600/blogger-image--424081384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46ZM-t7NBRw/UKmnvNHRRmI/AAAAAAAAJbA/GCivbASju1Y/s1600/blogger-image--424081384.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sexiness in action.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Got to our porch and took a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L7P2P6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004L7P2P6&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">SUCCEED S Cap</a> with a swig of water, had half of a banana, broke off a quarter of a strawberry breakfast bar, and stuffed more bagel, crackers and this time pretzels into my vest.<br />
<br />
<b>Third lap</b><br />
<br />
Realizing I had been shortchanging myself on my previous laps, I increased the mileage on this lap. I intended to do 6.5 miles, but part way in I just opted to run 9 miles and call it done. I was loving my run, but I also wanted to get on with my day (total time 1:29:24, avg. pace 9:52, avg. HR 161).<br />
<br />
After four miles I had more bagel, more crackers, and tried the pretzels, which I did not like at all. They were too dry, and I wasn't carrying any water to wash them down. <br />
<br />
Around six miles I could feel that I needed more energy, but I had eaten everything in my vest. Oh well. Luckily I only had 3 miles left. Miles 7 and 8 were uphill and slow (10:11 and 10:16), so I picked up the speed for mile 9 to finish strong and just be done (8:29).<br />
<br />
<b>Overall</b><br />
<br />
My total mileage ended up being 20.5 miles (total time: 3:23:27, avg. pace 9:57, avg. HR 159). I've run faster 20-milers, I've run slower 20-milers, but this the most I've ever enjoyed myself on a 20-mile run. I felt great throughout the run, and I felt great after, not completely wiped out like I usually feel. As usual, I had some coconut water right after. I bought a few cans of this brand at our local health food store, but didn't like it so much, so I thought I'd try it cold to see if it taste better. Nope, still gross.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mfLWt9iWekM/UKmnvnGx82I/AAAAAAAAJbE/Bp4wMdjIjuE/s1600/blogger-image--345636995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mfLWt9iWekM/UKmnvnGx82I/AAAAAAAAJbE/Bp4wMdjIjuE/s1600/blogger-image--345636995.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The amount I ate was good for the pace and distance I was running, though I'm not sure how much more I need to consume to fuel a faster pace. For my 50k I will probably use a combination of gels and food. <br />
<br />
Oh, and the race vest? LOVE. I've been running with an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055Q47QC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0055Q47QC&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20">Amphipod Airflow Endurance Pack,</a> but no more. The <a href="http://www.ultraspire.net/products/spry/">UltrAspire Spry</a> is so light and well made. I'll do a review after my 50k, but so far I'm head over heels. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Have you tried using food to fuel a long run? What works for you?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><b><i>What type of course do you prefer - loop? Out and back? Point to point?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><b><i>Have you ever run a 50k? Any tips to share? </i></b><br />
<br />
RAR!<br />
<br />
<br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-31146714369542743052012-11-16T07:54:00.000-05:002012-11-21T08:10:00.909-05:00Pre-Race Jitters (A Journey into the Soul)<br />
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Today we have a guest
post from DJ Research!</b> Tomorrow he's embarking on the greatest race of
his life (up to this point). He's nervous. I'm nervous. We'd
appreciate any strong, positive vibes directed his way. And you can bet he'll
be sporting a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://trailrunnernation.com/resources/performance-enhancing-kokopelli/">Peformance
Enhancing Kokepelli</a>!</span></i><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I'm never going to earn
anything more than a few magazine subscriptions with my frequent flier miles,
but I've certainly taken my fair share of airplane trips in my 33 years. And as
many trips as I've taken, I still get nervous every time. The thing is, I'm
never nervous until the very moment the plane starts to pull away from the
terminal. Until that moment, I'm fine. I'm always excited to go on a trip. I
look forward to my in-flight movie, whatever crappy romantic comedy it may be.
And I can't wait for all the reading I'll get done. But the second the plane
starts moving, a small but notable anxiety - one that will remain with me the
entire flight - instantly underlies everything.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It's the same with
public speaking and tests. I feel no different than in any other unexceptional
moment of life, until that very second I start talking or the clock starts
ticking.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So, it's making me
really nervous that for the last two weeks, I've been nervous about my upcoming
race. That's right, I'm nervous about being nervous. Which is making me more
nervous.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>At 6AM this Saturday, I
will attempt my first 50-miler. </b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-da-6dqP3sd0/UKYtiy7rM2I/AAAAAAAAJaI/DYok-aua8nw/s1600/stonemill50.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
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<a href="http://stone-mill-50-mile.org/"><img alt="Stone Mill 50-miler" border="0" height="132" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-da-6dqP3sd0/UKYtiy7rM2I/AAAAAAAAJaI/DYok-aua8nw/s320/stonemill50.jpg" title="Stone Mill 50-miler" width="320" /></a><span id="goog_1633327448"></span><span id="goog_1633327449"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This year's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://stone-mill-50-mile.org/">Stone Mill 50</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is a 350ish-person trail race held by
the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.mcrrc.org/">Montgomery County Road Runners Club</a>. In its
third year, it has become a (much much) less expensive alternative to the much
much more famous<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.jfk50mile.org/">JFK50</a>. Held on the same day this year, the
two races never actually cross, but run virtually parallel to one another about
20 miles apart.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Including any distance,
this is my seventh race. Five of my previous six were road races between 5k and
26.2mi; the other race was a trail 50k and in all of them, I've been<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/harper-ferry-half-marathon-race-recap_16.html">happy
with my results</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>if not<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/spectating-37th-marine-corps-marathon.html">exceedingly
happy</a>. I will admit to some anxiety before my marathon, because heading in,
I was really unsure whether or not I'd meet my A-goal, instead of my still
difficult, still would-have-made-me-very-happy B-goal. But prior to none of
them was I this nervous.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The reasons are thus:</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Can I really handle 19
more miles than I've ever run before?</b> Though I've been told it's really
no big deal, the jump up in distance from 50k (31mi) to 50mi, just seems
impossibly huge. If you'd told me after my recent marathon that you'd
give me $1,000 to run another 24 miles in the next 6.5 hours (I'm shooting for
10 hours on Saturday), I would have said, "Damn," and then I'd have
taken a nap.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>What am I going to eat
for 10 hours?</b> While the Gunpowder Keg 50k, an excellent<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://trailandultrarunning.com/the-fat-ass-ultra-a-history/">Fat Ass</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>held by the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.brrc.com/">Baltimore
Road Runners</a>, was very very well-aided and this race promises to be even
better aided, I'm really nervous about my fueling. I've certainly thought about
it plenty, but I still don't really have a concrete fueling strategy outside of
periodically eating Clif bars and Gu. All I know is, if I have to eat more than
a dozen Gu, I'm likely to... I don't know (but in terms of severity, it'd
probably fall between invading Lichtenstein and watching a Teletubbies
marathon).</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Have I trained enough? </b>
Theoretically, yes. I've read time and again that being able to run 30 trail
miles should be sufficient. But theoretically, no. 95% of all my training was
done on the road. And while I occasionally have to avoid a heaping pile of dog
poop on my local sidewalks, there really is no replacement for the hills and
roots and rocks that trails will throw at you, except other hills and roots and
rocks.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Have I even recovered
yet from my marathon?</b> This is the big one. And the answer is a resounding no. Three weeks will have passed between races, which has been more than enough
historically, but I'm only now getting my energy back. I pushed HARD in that
marathon, harder than in anything I've ever done. And I did it on an already
twinge-y achilles. So I'm nervous that my legs'll be shot after only some of
those hills. With my achilles, the question isn't whether or not it'll hurt,
the question is just how much agony will I be in at mile 30? At 45? There is no
way to make light of this, this is genuine fear.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">All together, these
questions are founded in one overarching concern:</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>I really don't want to
DNF.</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I want to be able to say
I finish all my races. Let me rephrase, I want to be able to say I finish
everything I start and care about. I want someday for my son to believe what I
believe, that (within reason) limping across a finish line hours after you
intended is better than giving up for a little hunger, or a little pain. </span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>But
where's the dividing line between a little and a lot? How much suffering can I
and should I put up with? And if i do have to DNF, how will i feel about that
decision a month later? </b>I guess I'm scared that when push comes to shove, I
might draw the line in the wrong place and regret it later.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When I signed up for it,
I'd thought this race would be a nice run in the woods, but somehow it's turned
into a representation of my values as a human being.</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Nevertheless, here we
go...</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://trailrunnernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/kokopelli-badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Performance Enhancing Kokopelli" border="0" src="http://trailrunnernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/kokopelli-badge.jpg" title="Performance Enhancing Kokopelli" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Have you ever started a
race scared? How did you overcome that fear?</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">Have you ever run an
ultramarathon?</span></span></i></b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
RAR!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-86795091517013645732012-11-15T21:19:00.000-05:002012-11-15T21:19:35.466-05:00Hubby HomemakerThis month I'm participating in the <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/2012/11/01/giving-thanks/">Give Thanks Challenge</a>, hosted by Abby at <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/">Back at Square Zero</a>. <br />
<br />
Tonight I am thankful that I came home to a kitchen full of light.<br />
<br />
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.home-style-choices.com/image-files/kitchen-lighting-500x332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.home-style-choices.com/image-files/kitchen-lighting-500x332.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone else's bright, beautiful kitchen.<br />
Ours is the completely opposite.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Which meant that the hubs was home. Which meant that dinner was already in the works. Which meant that, instead of tackling the dishes from this morning, I could just change into my pjs and open a beer. Which is exactly what I did. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ons7wvj20h0/UKWfvFy2kzI/AAAAAAAAJZY/GQAngcLCpuQ/s640/blogger-image--361479324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ons7wvj20h0/UKWfvFy2kzI/AAAAAAAAJZY/GQAngcLCpuQ/s640/blogger-image--361479324.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not only had the hubs made dinner, he also did a load of laundry AND put little Nugget to bed. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, tonight I am oh so thankful for...you guessed it...<br />
<br />
...the chance to relaaaaaaax.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(Oh, and for my hubby too, of course. :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>How do you like to relax after a long day? Do you enjoy a beer or a glass of wine? Whats your favorite libation?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><b><i>What would your dream kitchen look like?</i></b> Mine would have lots and lots of counter space, and lots and lots of light.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>What are you thankful for today? Share it below or on Twitter! Don't forget to tag @backatsquare0 and @ama_runs, and use the hashtag #givethanks!</i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
RAR!</div>
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</div>
Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-61466102599852892802012-11-14T22:55:00.000-05:002012-11-14T22:55:42.299-05:00Catching Up...Thankfully<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;">This month I'm participating in the </span><a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/2012/11/01/giving-thanks/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #8d8d8d; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">Give Thanks Challenge</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;">, hosted by Abby at </span><a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #8d8d8d; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">Back at Square Zero</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And I'm six days behind. I'm sure no one out there is keeping track (or are you?!), but my OCD certainly is. So here are six things that I have been thankful for over the past few days:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><b>1. <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/richmond-marathon-race-report.html" style="font-style: italic;">Lessons learned from a bad race</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><b>2. <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/richmond-wasnt-all-marathon.html" style="font-style: italic;">Road Trips</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><b>3. <i>Coffee...<a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/giving-gratitude.html">again</a></i></b> (preferably without <a href="http://www.flatstanley.com/">Flat Stanley</a>, but I couldn't seem to shake him during our Richmond trip)</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTLVCW2qP0A/UKRhuQjSEuI/AAAAAAAAJYg/NfqjH6UW40o/s1600/blogger-image-808927292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cTLVCW2qP0A/UKRhuQjSEuI/AAAAAAAAJYg/NfqjH6UW40o/s1600/blogger-image-808927292.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>4. <i>Sock Gloves</i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><span style="color: #222222;">I wore sock gloves during Freedom's Run, and they worked really well in the sub-freezing weather that I made a new pair for Richmond. The weather was much warmer for Richmond, though, and I ended up chucking them before the race even started. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BFu7hUL3tAg/UKRhvtSYp2I/AAAAAAAAJYw/-g6pfMRkFBs/s1600/blogger-image-1381214157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BFu7hUL3tAg/UKRhvtSYp2I/AAAAAAAAJYw/-g6pfMRkFBs/s1600/blogger-image-1381214157.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;">I still heart these days later because I FREEZE at work, so they come in handy on a daily basis too. I got the socks from Target, and I'm going to buy a few more colorful pairs to add some color to my cubicle life. Yes, its the random things in life that make me happy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><b>5. <i>Being on the trail with friends</i></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;">Thanks to the holiday, I met up with a friend who is just getting into this crazy sport (yes!) for a 5-mile trail run/hike. Good friends, good trails -- just what I needed after my marathon.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O52iA00FyOo/UKRhtpJC_eI/AAAAAAAAJYY/4i41tubh-8A/s640/blogger-image--1525848466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O52iA00FyOo/UKRhtpJC_eI/AAAAAAAAJYY/4i41tubh-8A/s640/blogger-image--1525848466.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><b>6. <i>Running with my son</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;">After our hike, I rejoined the fam at the park playground so DJ Research could get a few miles on the trails. Surprisingly, Nugget had lost interest in the playground, and when I asked him, "Do you want to go for a run?" his face lit up, "Yes! Mommy, me, run-run?" So I strapped him in the jogging stroller, gave him some goldfish, and took off. We ran 3.4 miles in just under 28:50 minutes (8:28 m/m) and I felt great. So thankful that my son wanted to go for a run. We all went home smiling.</span><br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZlOj4uJsWLc/UKRhu2ZnuXI/AAAAAAAAJYo/w6mk8ckDNcE/s1600/blogger-image--322035074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZlOj4uJsWLc/UKRhu2ZnuXI/AAAAAAAAJYo/w6mk8ckDNcE/s640/blogger-image--322035074.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Have you taken any road trips lately?</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Do you have any random items that make you happy?</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Do you enjoy trail running? With friends or flying solo?</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Do you run with your kids? Or run away from them?</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>How many cups of coffee have you had today? ; )</i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i>What are you thankful for today? </i></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i>Share it below or on Twitter! Don't forget to tag @backatsquare0 and @ama_runs, and use the hashtag #givethanks!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: normal;">RAR!</span>Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-78673347778440373182012-11-13T23:11:00.001-05:002012-11-13T23:12:44.251-05:00Richmond wasn't all Marathon...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Despite having a <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/richmond-marathon-race-report.html">poor race at the Richmond Marathon</a>, our little family unit had a blast while visiting this city. DJ Research and I spent our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babymoon">babymoon</a> in Richmond before Nugget was born, so it holds a special place in our hearts. </div>
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We stayed at the <a href="http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/richmond/riccr/hoteldetail">Holiday Inn Richmond I-64 West End</a>. We <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-race-recap-pre-race-events.html">tend to stay at Holiday Inns when we travel</a> because I like their facilities and they have reasonable rates. This Holiday Inn, however, was my least favorite. The entrance for the hotel restaurant was more visible than the entrance for the hotel itself (meaning we were driving in circles trying to find the lobby), the rooms weren't as nice (in fact, the ceiling in the shower had a HUGE leak that rained water from the bathroom above!!), and the hotel overall was a tad run-down. No biggie, but I've seen better. Service was stellar, though.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0O8kqaDS87A/UKJj1vcI8MI/AAAAAAAAJXQ/lOJgZ-E9MOg/s1600/blogger-image-769796155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0O8kqaDS87A/UKJj1vcI8MI/AAAAAAAAJXQ/lOJgZ-E9MOg/s320/blogger-image-769796155.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decent room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We were given these awesome door hangers (Nice touch, <a href="http://www.richmondmarathon.com/">Richmond Marathon</a>!):</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OuiFxUyKUWA/UKJjy1VLH5I/AAAAAAAAJWw/40KMUb8ESjA/s1600/blogger-image--316065563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Richmond Marathon Door Hanger" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OuiFxUyKUWA/UKJjy1VLH5I/AAAAAAAAJWw/40KMUb8ESjA/s1600/blogger-image--316065563.jpg" title="Richmond Marathon Door Hanger" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only life were always this simple.</td></tr>
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In our room, Nugget did some speedwork on the bed and assessed overall bounciness:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sdvudl3c_MI/UKJjwBTsccI/AAAAAAAAJWY/Z1blEfPUZX8/s1600/blogger-image--1769362207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sdvudl3c_MI/UKJjwBTsccI/AAAAAAAAJWY/Z1blEfPUZX8/s1600/blogger-image--1769362207.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YUqd3uuUS4k/UKJj1N5yOmI/AAAAAAAAJXI/bPdtb5iyau0/s1600/blogger-image-357282541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YUqd3uuUS4k/UKJj1N5yOmI/AAAAAAAAJXI/bPdtb5iyau0/s1600/blogger-image-357282541.jpg" /></a></div>
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Both beds passed the test. </div>
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We managed lights out at 9:00. 9:00!! While thats late for Nugget, DJ Research and I are NEVER in bed that early. Surprisingly, I zonked out immediately.</div>
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I woke the next morning, got ready, had some breakfast (banana, coffee, peanut butter on bread), and caught the shuttle to the race start. Actually, I missed the shuttle because I got to the lobby and realized I had forgotten my handheld upstairs, and by the time I got back down to the lobby, the shuttle was full. No biggie, they had a back-up shuttle, but it was definitely an indication of how things would go that day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whats that random kid doing?<br />
And by random kid, I mean <i>my</i> kid.</td></tr>
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Anywho, ran the race, didn't do so well, hobbled back to the hotel, and drowned my sorrow (melodramatic? moi?) in pizza, lasagna, and Disney movies starring <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004266/">Anne Hathaway</a>. Yes, I watched BOTH Princess Diaries movies (enjoyed <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247638/">the first one</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368933/">the second one</a> was pretty lame) while Nugget bounced around the hotel room in just his diaper. I'm pretty sure he thinks this was the BEST family vacation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark my words, hipsters of the future<br />
will be wearing this outfit.</td></tr>
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And honestly, I REALLY enjoyed just hanging out with my family for an entire day. I felt no pressure to do anything; in fact, I felt that I <i>deserved</i> to sit on my butt for the rest of the day considering I just ran 26.2 miles. I kinda wish we had better movies options, though.</div>
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The next morning we grabbed breakfast at <a href="http://theurbanfarmhouse.net/">Urban Farmhouse</a>. Love, love, LOVE this place. So does <a href="http://www.bartyasso.com/">Bart Yasso</a>. And DJ Research loves Bart Yasso, so he just had to say hi. Sort of:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9_a9JZx1uaI/UKJjJNOGiQI/AAAAAAAAJWI/EzJ0hwbHdB8/s1600/bartyasso_urbanfarmhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9_a9JZx1uaI/UKJjJNOGiQI/AAAAAAAAJWI/EzJ0hwbHdB8/s320/bartyasso_urbanfarmhouse.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stalker tweet. Mr. Yasso is in the red shirt.</td></tr>
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DJ Research sent the tweet to Mr. Yasso WHILE WE WERE STILL THERE. I almost died. I thought he was taking the picture for fun, NOT to profess his love. Mr. Yasso tweeted back after we left:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BhbvISqsPSw/UKJjIl--6NI/AAAAAAAAJWA/fEWFup2zatw/s1600/bartyasso_reply.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="83" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BhbvISqsPSw/UKJjIl--6NI/AAAAAAAAJWA/fEWFup2zatw/s400/bartyasso_reply.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nicest man in running responding to the biggest dorks in running.</td></tr>
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But before we high-tailed it outta there, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, and Nugget shared his pain au chocolate with <a href="http://www.flatstanley.com/">Flat Stanley</a>.<br />
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To burn some energy before we hit the road, Nugget tried to open every door on the city block, <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/harper-ferry-half-marathon-post_19.html">per his tradition when we travel.</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nugget and his nightclub.</td></tr>
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And we came across a small parking lot with a smile pile of leaves that kept Nugget entertained for a good half-hour (hallelujah!)</div>
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This worked out perfectly:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The car ride home.</td></tr>
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All in all, it was a wonderful trip. We'll be back Richmond. If not for your marathon, at the very least for your wonderful charm.</div>
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<b><i>Do you travel for races? Whats the farthest you've traveled to a race?</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Do you have any family traditions when you travel?</i></b></div>
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-4297204637892281792012-11-12T07:14:00.002-05:002012-11-12T07:15:17.850-05:00Richmond Marathon: Race ReportWell, that sucked.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I ran the <a href="http://www.richmondmarathon.com/">2012 Richmond Marathon</a>, which was <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty.html">my second marathon in 5 weeks</a>, and my second marathon overall. It did not go well. I can come up with a myriad of excuses for why the race went poorly, but honestly, I didn't take the race seriously. I ran <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty.html">Freedom's Run well,</a> and thought I could just waltz through the Richmond Marathon, which is an "easier" course. And by waltz, I mean PR by 7 minutes. In the end, I anti-PR'd by almost 20 minutes. Apparently I am not super woman, and I learned this the hard way...<a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/04/reality-check-lessons-learned-from-long_16.html">AGAIN</a>.<br />
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This was my most critical mistake:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fcZUnXB-PwM/UKDho5NEkjI/AAAAAAAAJVU/28FbFefwnak/s640/blogger-image--440715191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Richmond 3:45 Pace Team" border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fcZUnXB-PwM/UKDho5NEkjI/AAAAAAAAJVU/28FbFefwnak/s640/blogger-image--440715191.jpg" title="Richmond 3:45 Pace Team" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I should not have made friends with this man.</td></tr>
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I thought I could run a 3:45, and therefore went out WAAAAAAY too fast. By mile 4 I knew I was in trouble, yet I refused to slow down. I held on until mile 13, and then started to fade badly. The 3:45 pace group was out of sight by mile 14, and dejected, I started to plod. And then I started to walk. I walked/plodded for the rest of the race. I wasn't wearing my Garmin (it died in my bag and I forgot to bring my charger; just an indication of how things would go that day!) so I have no idea how slowly I was running, but I was so upset with my pace, I would stop and walk out of frustration. No, this was not a mentally strong race for me. <br />
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I also walked because my hips were killing me. This has been an issue for the latter half of my training, but my left hip was so sore that my left hamstring started to cramp. Walking eased the pain somewhat. I really need to see a PT about this.<br />
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I finished in 4:10:12. 25 minutes slower than my A goal (3:45), 20 minutes slower than my B goal (3:50), 17 minutes slower than my PR (3:53). I'm mad that I didn't run sub-4:00. But I am damn proud that I finished.<br />
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<b>A bad race is really a blessing in disguise. </b>Its important that you take the opportunity to learn from a bad race. So for the rest of this post, I'm going to turn my frown upside-down, and tell you about the highlights (because there were some!) and lessons I learned along the way:<br />
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<b><i>Highlights:</i></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Meeting another Freedom's Run marathoner before the race. She was running the Richmond Half-Marathon, and it was fun to rehash the Freedom's Run event.</li>
<li>Santa Claus was out cheering for us around mile 11/12(?), and he invited all of us to run the North Pole Marathon next month. Hahaha! I loved it!</li>
<li>All the little kids cheering for us along the way. I tried to high-five as many as I could; I was so thankful that their parents were introducing them to this (crazy) sport at a young age.</li>
<li>DJ Research and I planned a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009OMA34S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009OMA34S&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B009OMA34S%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">handheld</a> swap around the half-way point (I like to carry my own water since thats how I train). The hand-off went perfectly - a little too perfectly! DJ Research was so intent on switching out water bottles that he forgot to offer words of encouragement! He made up for it though...</li>
<li>I saw DJ Research and Nugget again around mile 21. I wasn't expecting to see them until the end of the race, so it was an awesome surprise. He asked me, "Do you need more water?" Almost in tears, I said, "I need a hug!!" I buried my face in his shoulder and said, "I'm having such a bad race!" "You're doing great!" he encouraged me. And even though I knew it wasn't true, those words picked me up and helped me to keep going.</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The DJ & Nugget were wearing <br />
dinosaur hoodies while spectating.<br />
Did you see them?</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>At mile 23, I saw a sign that said, "You are about to finish a FREAKIN' marathon!" Even though I was waaay off my target goal, I knew I was still going to finish this race and have another 26.2 under my belt - and that is still quite an accomplishment. That sign helped put things in perspective and I yelled to the girl holding the sign, "Thank you! I needed that!"</li>
<li>As I rounded that last corner and started the surprisingly long downhill to the finish, I pulled up next to a runner who blurted, "Where is this darn finish line? This the longest .2 miles of my life!" to which I quipped, "Oh they just keep moving it farther back." We both had a laugh and I crossed the finish line with a smile, which was a redeeming way to end this race.</li>
</ul>
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<b><i>Lessons Learned:</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>On starting out too fast:</b> Don't. Seriously, don't. (I know this is a cardinal sin in racing, but also one of the most difficult rules to follow). I ran too fast for the first half of the race, crossing half-way at 1:51:55, and then got my butt handed to me. And if you do realize you've started to fast, listen to your body and SLOW DOWN.</li>
<li><b>On following a pace group:</b> I didn't like it. Granted, I was following a pace group that was much too fast for me, but even if I had been following a pacer more my speed (like the 4:00 pacer), I still don't think I would have liked the experience. I felt too much pressure to run within the group's perimeter--as arbitrarily determined by myself--so I found myself speeding up if I felt I had fallen behind, or slowing down if I felt I was going too fast. I didn't feel like I was running my race. Also, there were too many people trying to run with the pacer, so I felt like we were tripping over each other. (That said, the pacers were awesome.)</li>
<li><b>On fueling:</b> I took a GU gel every 4 miles, as I did in training. Normally I'm ok with it, but by mile 20, I was disgusted with the stuff. I forced it down since I knew I had to. Next year I'm going to experiment with <a href="http://runningtimes.com/print.aspx?articleid=19425">glycogen depletion training</a> and taking salt tabs. Also, I think I need to mix my gel intake with other fuel sources so I don't get sick of the same thing.</li>
<li><b>On not meeting your goal: </b> More experienced marathoners will tell you, just adjust your goal and enjoy the race. I didn't enjoy the race: I couldn't run hard, and so I didn't let myself run happy. And that was a problem. Next time I miss my target goal (cause I know its gonna happen again), I'm gonna make sure I just have a dang good time.</li>
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I also learned: THE RICHMOND MARATHON IS NOT A FLAT COURSE. I had so many people tell me "Richmond is flat and fast - you'll love it!" that when I looked at the elevation profile and saw hills, I thought, "Well, they must be really small hills since everyone keeps telling me that Richmond is flat." Granted the hills were not large hills, but when you are expecting flat, any hill is an unwelcome surprise. In the end, its my own darn fault for not being more prepared.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/143997065"><img alt="Richmond Marathon 2012 Elevation Chart" border="0" height="83" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qkjyB3-LJ6A/UKBrabA0sRI/AAAAAAAAJUg/B7EVRerGQ-Y/s320/Richmond_marathon_2012_elevation.png" title="Richmond Marathon 2012 Elevation Chart" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/143997065">These hills were not insignificant.</a></td></tr>
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At the end of the day though, I still ran 26.2 miles and I still finished a freakin marathon. And at the end of the day, even after a bad race, this kid still makes me feel like a superstar.<br />
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<b><i>Have you ever had a bad race? What did you learn from it? How do you recover from a bad race? </i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><b><i>How do you fuel on race day? </i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><b><i>Whats the best sign you've seen during a race?</i></b><br />
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RAR!</div>
Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-30790767754285322662012-11-08T20:35:00.000-05:002012-11-15T21:44:32.875-05:00Are You Superstitious?I have to figure out what I'm going to wear for the Richmond Marathon this weekend, and as many of you know, deciding race wardrobe is not a simple task.<br />
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Wait a second, who am I kidding? Its a totally easy task! Just make sure you're warm enough before the race (warm being relative, of course), and that you bring warm clothes to change into after. It's not rocket science...BUT I am complicating the question just a tad: do I wear the same outfit that I wore for my first marathon, or do I go with something completely different?<br />
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I ran my <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty.html">first marathon</a> about 4 weeks ago, and <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty_17.html">ran a pretty good race</a>. I'm wondering if I should wear the same outfit for Richmond, with the hope that it still has some good race energy (though I did wash it - maybe not the best move for the superstitious, but probably a better move for everyone else's sake). Here's the outfit:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kZ7VPHpaPE/UJxXqKP8UyI/AAAAAAAAJT8/Y2dMsX7aHMg/s1600/IMG_4739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3kZ7VPHpaPE/UJxXqKP8UyI/AAAAAAAAJT8/Y2dMsX7aHMg/s320/IMG_4739.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Nothing spectacular, but it did carry me 26.2 miles in under 4 hours.<br />
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Or should wear a new outfit, perhaps my <a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/">Freedom's Run</a> race shirt with different color <a href="http://procompression.com/products/">Pro Compression socks</a>? (I always wear Pro Compression socks when I race. And I always race in a running skirt. I don't have a big tush, but I still like the coverage).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ju8999duVG0/UHobHVCxerI/AAAAAAAAJLA/lcBrMxrs-RA/s1600/blogger-image-761812413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ju8999duVG0/UHobHVCxerI/AAAAAAAAJLA/lcBrMxrs-RA/s1600/blogger-image-761812413.jpg" /></a></div>
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Although, frankly, the lime-green does kinda hurt my eyes.<br />
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I'm leaning towards wearing what I wore for Freedom's Run, since you know what they say, "Nothing new on race day." But I am curious how other runners approach their race day outfit.<br />
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<b><i>How do you decided what to wear for a race? </i></b><br />
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<b><i>Will you wear the same outfit again if you raced well in it before? </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Do you have any race superstitions or pre-race rituals that you do before every race?</i></b><br />
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And since I'm participating this month in the <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/2012/11/01/giving-thanks/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">Give Thanks Challenge</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">, hosted by Abby at </span><a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">Back at Square Zero</a><span style="line-height: 18px;">, my #givethanks for the day is:</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Snail Mail</b></div>
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I got a very nice handwritten note in the mail today. It was such a welcomed surprise. Made me smile.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Do you appreciate a little snail mail every once in a while?</i></b>
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RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-56034817959678432582012-11-07T22:12:00.000-05:002012-11-12T09:04:37.502-05:00That's Funny!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;">This month I'm participating in the </span><a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/2012/11/01/giving-thanks/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #8d8d8d; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Give Thanks Challenge</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;">, hosted by Abby at </span><a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #8d8d8d; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Back at Square Zero</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;">. And though I didn't post yesterday, I swear that I was thankful. I was also really, really tired. Was it all the election hullabaloo? Probably not. Whatever it was, I was zapped and just zonked out right after dinner. When I awoke this morning, I was thankful that:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>The Election was over!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">And now back to our regularly scheduled lives...</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Speaking of television (because we were - did you not know that?), I must say that I am thankful for a few tv shows that make me laugh, and sometimes cry, and generally help me keep my sanity. Though I don't have time to watch these shows regularly (and therefore, tend to binge watch into the wee hours every few months), I'm a fan of <a href="http://www.hulu.com/parks-and-recreation">Parks & Recreation</a>,<a href="http://www.hulu.com/modern-family"> Modern Family</a>, <a href="http://www.hulu.com/the-office">The Office</a>, <a href="http://www.hulu.com/parenthood">Parenthood</a>, and<a href="http://www.hulu.com/suits"> Suits</a>. I've also enjoyed a few episodes of the <a href="http://www.hulu.com/the-mindy-project">Mindy Project</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">But tonight I tried something different -<a href="http://www.hulu.com/spy"> a Hulu exclusive series called Spy</a>. Have you seen it? Its absolutely ridiculous. So not funny that its hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing. Something must be wrong with me. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.hulu.com/spy"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://ib2.huluim.com/show_key_art/8201?size=1600x600" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">So what am I thankful for? Today I'm thankful for <strike>idiots</strike> <b>comedy</b>. With the cold setting in and darkness descending before I even leave work, its easy to feel a little down and out these days. As they say, laughter is the best medicine, and I thankful for silly humor that gets my giggling.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">And then of course, there's this gem. I still watch this with a silly grin on my face (and DJ Research can't understand why :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pOMqqI-kzHY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I can't believe I'm running a marathon in 3 days! No, really, I can't believe it. I completely forgot about it until tonight. Have to pack!</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What makes you laugh?</span></i></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have any favorite tv shows? </span></i></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i>What are you thankful for today? </i></b><b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 18px;"><i>Share it below or on Twitter! Don't forget to tag @backatsquare0 and @ama_runs, and use the hashtag #givethanks!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RAR!</span>Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-85583310057452117122012-11-05T22:33:00.002-05:002012-11-05T22:33:58.255-05:00Run For ReliefThis month I'm participating in the <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/2012/11/01/giving-thanks/">Give Thanks Challenge</a>, hosted by Abby at <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/">Back at Square Zero</a>. Today I'm thankful for:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Generosity of Runners</b></div>
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Despite the cancellation of the NYC Marathon (which, IMHO, was the right thing to do), <a href="http://newyorkcitymarathon.runnersworld.com/2012/11/a-staten-island-run-for-relief.html">hundreds of runners still donated their time, resources, and sweat to help with relief efforts on Staten Island</a>. I was so heartened to see this picture of runners clad in orange ready to offer assistance to the victims of Hurricane Sandy:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://newyorkcitymarathon.runnersworld.com/files/2012/11/11statenisland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://newyorkcitymarathon.runnersworld.com/files/2012/11/11statenisland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://newyorkcitymarathon.runnersworld.com/2012/11/a-staten-island-run-for-relief.html">Runner's World</a><i></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />These would-be marathoners were inspiring in a less-conventional way: rather than crossing a finish line, they carried heavy packs and ran the hills of Staten Island (some getting lost along the way!) to deliver their contribution of supplies to those in need. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Seeing these inspiring runners use our sport to help those in need made me want to do something too. We've already donated money through the Red Cross, but I wanted to do something as a runner.<br /><br />
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<img alt="Virtual Run for Hurricane Sandy Recovery" border="0" height="249" src="http://crazyrunninggirl.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/virtual-run-logo.jpg" title="Virtual Run for Hurricane Sandy Recovery" width="320" /></div>
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Thankfully (haha, pun intended! This is a #givethanks post after all!), <a href="http://crazyrunninggirl.com/">Crazy Running Girl</a> is hosting a <a href="http://crazyrunninggirl.com/2012/11/02/join-us-a-virtual-race-for-hurricane-sandy-recovery/">virtual race to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy</a>. Head over to <a href="http://crazyrunninggirl.com/2012/11/02/join-us-a-virtual-race-for-hurricane-sandy-recovery/">her blog</a> for the details, but the gist is this (as I exercise my amazing cut&paste skills):<br />
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<b style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How to participate</b><br />
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<ol style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font: inherit; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px !important; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Run a race of any distance the month of November. There are TONS of fun holiday races this time of year so grab a friend (or two!) and sign up.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Register for the Virtual Race for Hurricane Sandy <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dF81R09GaUdjcmd4X1FZZERlNjZPeFE6MQ" style="border: 0px; color: #009bc2; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #777777;">Pledge your donation (a minimum donation of $10 requested) </span><a href="http://www.crowdrise.com/sandyrecovery" style="color: #777777;">here</a><span style="color: #777777;">. ALL PROCEEDS will be donated to the Red Cross. </span><span style="color: #444444;">[NOTE from 'Ama: Crowdrise applies a 10% Optional Processing Fee to your donation. To opt out, click on the Optional Processing Fee link, and select 0%]</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tell all of your friends that you are participating and invite them to join us, too.</li>
<li style="border: 0px; color: #777777; font: inherit; list-style: decimal; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Run your race and tell us how you did! Make sure to send us pictures.</li>
</ol>
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I just signed up and made my donation. I'll be running the Richmond Marathon for Hurricane Sandy Recovery. <br />
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If you've for a race coming up in November, or even if you just plan to run sometime in November, consider signing up for this virtual race and donating a few dollars to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. <br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>What are you thankful for today? Share it below or on Twitter! Don't forget to tag @backatsquare0 and @ama_runs, and use the hashtag #givethanks!</i></b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>RAR!</i></b></div>
Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-56295638099922313062012-11-04T14:55:00.001-05:002012-11-04T14:55:23.970-05:00Giving GratitudeThankful Thursdays is a popular meme in the blogging world. I've been meaning to jump on the thankfulness bandwagon, and figured November is probably the best month to do it. <br />
<br />
Thankfully (haha, pun intended), Abby over at <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/">Back at Square Zero</a> is hosting a <a href="http://backatsquarezero.com/2012/11/01/giving-thanks/">Give Thanks Challenge</a>: every day in the month of November, share something that you are thankful for. Choose your preferred social media platform--blog/twitter/instagram/facebook/or whatever--and use the hashtag #givethanks. Feel free to tag Abby (<a href="https://twitter.com/BackAtSquare0">@BackatSquare0</a>) or myself (<a href="https://twitter.com/ama_runs">@ama_runs</a>) - we'd love to hear what you are thankful for!<br />
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So as always, I'm late to the game. Being that its November 4th, I'm going to play catch up and list 4 things I am thankful for, the first being:<br />
<br />
1) My husband. I am a super lucky girl. Besides being the funniest person I know, DJ Research is also as obsessed about running as I am. Rather than dinner and a movie, our <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-anniversary-run.html">perfect date is going for a long run together</a>. This morning he went out for a 30-mile run, just one week after <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/spectating-37th-marine-corps-marathon.html">running his first marathon</a>, because he's still in training - for his 50-miler in two weeks. I tell you, the running craziness around here doesn't stop, and we're lucky to have each other to support our crazy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lExO4GPIa_k/UJbFxU6JPlI/AAAAAAAAJSw/XvkMkVtcTWc/s640/blogger-image-751248885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lExO4GPIa_k/UJbFxU6JPlI/AAAAAAAAJSw/XvkMkVtcTWc/s640/blogger-image-751248885.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before running his 3:34 marathon!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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2) My son. Nugget is at a fun age. His vocabulary is exploding, his comprehension is expanding and he's discovered that he can be funny. He cracks us up on a regular basis. Also, he invented the next big thing for toddlers: a nightlight that doubles as a cell phone. Why should teenagers have all the fun? Now toddlers can chat on the phone in the dark when they really should be asleep in their cribs. Plus, you can take it with you wherever you go because it fits in mommy's purse!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dHA7DcmpxVg/UJbFznKJlXI/AAAAAAAAJTY/hmzDwTnmg6I/s640/blogger-image--1368910203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dHA7DcmpxVg/UJbFznKJlXI/AAAAAAAAJTY/hmzDwTnmg6I/s640/blogger-image--1368910203.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, Daddy?<br />(Not to worry, I wasn't driving when this was taken).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w2sy71Rcb20/UJbFyVAKORI/AAAAAAAAJTA/T4w_A1kT8Yw/s640/blogger-image-361807021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w2sy71Rcb20/UJbFyVAKORI/AAAAAAAAJTA/T4w_A1kT8Yw/s640/blogger-image-361807021.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dinosaurs on Halloween. RAR!</td></tr>
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3) Being a runner. Running <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/for-beauty-of-it.html">during the Fall</a> is a <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/11/craving-morn.html">truly remarkable experience</a>. Not only do you get a high from running, but you also get to enjoy the crisp Autumn air and the beautiful Fall colors. Plus, running in a cool Autumn drizzle and catching the warm wafting scent of wood-burning fires from my neighbor's hearths makes me very happy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ncR_DmPlRe0/UJbFxnx9eFI/AAAAAAAAJS4/lYNXQL6jjBk/s640/blogger-image--1403287557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ncR_DmPlRe0/UJbFxnx9eFI/AAAAAAAAJS4/lYNXQL6jjBk/s640/blogger-image--1403287557.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These colors make me smile.</td></tr>
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4) Starbucks. Specifically, Starbucks Gingerbread Latte (with 2 pumps instead of 3). And I reserve the right to be thankful for this more than once this month. I love Starbucks during the holidays.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SBm57ODxQDI/UJbFy0JSoZI/AAAAAAAAJTI/q_iNq9muUzw/s640/blogger-image--1578599536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SBm57ODxQDI/UJbFy0JSoZI/AAAAAAAAJTI/q_iNq9muUzw/s640/blogger-image--1578599536.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yums!</td></tr>
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<b><i>What are you thankful for today? Share it below or on Twitter! Don't forget the hashtag #givethanks!</i></b><br />
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RAR!<br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-20265488794460635852012-11-03T14:55:00.001-04:002012-11-04T13:47:11.283-05:00Craving the MornThe morning was crisp and cool as I set out for my last long run of marathon training. The sky was just beginning to brighten along its gradient of gray, and I could feel the growing hum of energy as the world around was slowly coming awake. It was perfect. It was beautiful. It made me feel so blessed to be a runner.<br />
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There is nothing quite like an early morning run. The elation you feel as your feet hit the pavement in the quiet cold. The accomplished smile you wear knowing you've just run X number of miles before most people are even awake. Yes, its difficult to get out of a warm bed when its still dark outside, but its so worth it.<br />
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Lately I've been craving early morning runs. <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/06/early-morning-run.html">I'm not a morning person</a>, so this desire to run early is new to me. Earlier this week, though I hit the hay after midnight because I was preparing goodies for Nugget's Halloween party at school, I got myself out of bed at 5:00 for a 4 mile run because I NEEDED to run early--in the crisp, cool, calm--and start my day out right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ftguRr79Vcs/UJVkpIaG01I/AAAAAAAAJSM/H5rDeTMNyro/s640/blogger-image--2045177764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ftguRr79Vcs/UJVkpIaG01I/AAAAAAAAJSM/H5rDeTMNyro/s640/blogger-image--2045177764.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween Treats! <br />
(got the idea from Pinterest, but can't find the pin!)</td></tr>
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Today I was supposed to run 10 miles for my last long run before the Richmond Marathon. But 7 miles in I knew I needed to go longer. The dawn was just breaking, the day just beginning and I wasn't ready to stop. I needed to go longer. My schedule said to taper, my body said I need more. So I gently ran an additional 3, hitting 13 miles as I approached our house. My body and mind were happy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this tree.</td></tr>
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And my son was happy that I was just in time to watch the Wiggles.<br />
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<b><i>Are you an early morning runner? If so, do you run when its still dark out? How do you motivate to get yourself out of bed?</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Do you strictly follow a training schedule or do you allow for flexibility, depending on how your body feels?</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Do you enjoy running in cool weather or do you prefer hotter temperatures? </i></b><br />
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RAR!<br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-52575285451215864142012-10-30T09:28:00.003-04:002012-10-30T09:29:26.457-04:00Spectating the 37th Marine Corps Marathon with a Dinosaur and a Cowbell!"Run! Run! Run!" "Go! Go! Go!" "Daddy Run-Run!" Nugget yelled as the runners passed by. We were waiting for DJ Research to come into view as we joined other spectators along the National Mall to cheer for those tackling the 37th Marine Corps Marathon. "Daddy Run-Run!" was his favorite line, though Daddy was still nowhere in sight.<br />
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I made us both dinosaur hoodies for the event (which obviously looks so adorable on Nugget, and absolutely ridiculous on me), and bought a cowbell to top off our costume (because who doesn't love a cowbell-ringing dinosaur?) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DCSxxNnZOuE/UI--1W4iA8I/AAAAAAAAJQ4/HWiAMfpB2tI/s640/blogger-image--967453734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DCSxxNnZOuE/UI--1W4iA8I/AAAAAAAAJQ4/HWiAMfpB2tI/s640/blogger-image--967453734.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His turn to run-run! with cowbell in hand.</td></tr>
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The whole family was there to cheer for the runners:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aT4Dmo5a49M/UI--3EzKGUI/AAAAAAAAJRU/lCK5Y9RPFUU/s640/blogger-image-1751215300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-aT4Dmo5a49M/UI--3EzKGUI/AAAAAAAAJRU/lCK5Y9RPFUU/s640/blogger-image-1751215300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nugget the Dinosaur<br />Elmo the Elmo<br />Elmo the Seal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H1F-sqsbM6k/UI--1wvsBvI/AAAAAAAAJRA/YSmpm4lKyTU/s640/blogger-image--2059732407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H1F-sqsbM6k/UI--1wvsBvI/AAAAAAAAJRA/YSmpm4lKyTU/s640/blogger-image--2059732407.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nugget and Elmo taking a break from cheering<br /></td></tr>
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<br />We caught the DJ's attention as he came into view around mile 17, and he jumped off the course to quickly give Nugget a hug. He had forgotten his hand-held at home, so I gave it to him and he jumped back into the race.<div>
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We saw him again at mile 18ish (just on the other side of the Mall), and then booked it back to Rosslyn so we could catch him at the finish. Travelling through a crowded metro with a toddler and a jogging stroller and an over-sized umbrella that keeps poking people is neither fun nor easy. Just sayin'.</div>
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As we arrived at the "finisher's fence," I got a text message saying that DJ Research crossed the finish line in 3:34:03. He had beat his goal time by 57 seconds! The DJ ran this race hard and it was an emotional reunion when we saw him. I was so proud that he had done so well!</div>
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<b><i>Congratulations to all the MCM 2012 finishers!!</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Did you race this weekend? What is your proudest race moment?</i></b></div>
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-7880254799524205872012-10-27T22:12:00.000-04:002012-10-30T09:30:28.477-04:00For The Beauty Of ItToday was my last run on<a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/07/reunitedand-random-conversation.html"> my running trail. </a><br />
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I lack the authorial skill to capture what this run meant to me and how I felt as I ran the pavement one last time. I love this paved trail. We've spent many glorious mornings together as I trained for my first marathon. It feels like we've been through so much together. Now as marathon training draws to a close, and my winter runs will be near home or with a local trailrunning group, our weekly rendezvous have come to an end. And whats more, today's run was also my last long run of my first marathon training season. <br />
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I wish I could say I finished strong. But I didn't. It was a bittersweet run. My body was achy from lack of sleep and the impending symptoms of on oncoming cold. My mind apparently stayed in bed. My legs felt fresh but my feet hurt. The trail was beautiful, though. It was oh so beautiful. And as tired as I felt, I couldn't help but marvel at how lucky I was to run among the colors. <br />
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Tomorrow, over 30,000 runners of the Marine Corps Marathon will experience a different type of beauty: the beauty of achievement. The beauty of reward. The beauty of crossing the finish line. <br />
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Run hard. Run happy. We'll be out there cheering for you. <br />
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RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-55088401858368058012012-10-21T15:23:00.000-04:002012-10-21T15:57:12.827-04:00Practicing Pace: Trying a Cutdown RunDJ Research is wrestling with his pacing strategy as he is preparing for the Marine Corps Marathon. He sent me this <a href="http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=27283&PageNum=1">Running Times article about pacing</a>, which got me thinking...<br />
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I have no idea how I'm going to pace Richmond. The<a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty.html"> miles in the bank approach worked for Freedoms Run</a>--where I inevitably had to pull it back in the second half of the race because of the hills--but Richmond is a completely different course: it's all flat. If I go out too fast, I will probably blow up badly later.<br />
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Ideally, I'd run a negative split - that is, I'd run the second half faster than the first. Problem is: a) I'm not very good at starting slow and b) I don't have much confidence that I can run faster in the second half, even if I take it easy to begin with. <br />
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<b><i>Anyone else tend to start too fast? Or do you have any pointers on how NOT to start too fast?</i></b></div>
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I've never practiced running negative splits, so I thought three weeks before my marathon would be a good time to start (notice dripping sarcasm here). Thanks to the <a href="http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=27283&PageNum=2">Running Times article</a>, I decided to do a cutdown workout during the last 6 miles of my 18 mile run. No, I did not hire someone to berate me with insults as I ran. A cutdown run is when you start the workout at 30 seconds slower than marathon pace, and drop 10 seconds with each mile. My reasons for trying this were two-fold: 1) to get a sense of increased effort towards the end of a run and b) to get a sense of increased pace towards the end of a run. Because running 8:20 m/m at the end of a run is a hell of a lot harder than running 8:20 m/m straight out of the gate.<br />
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These were the splits I was trying to hit.<br />
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I proudly wore my Freedom's Run Marathon race shirt, in all its lime-green glory.</div>
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The morning was gorgeous.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture does not do it justice.</td></tr>
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I ran the first 9 miles slow, listening to the great crew over at <a href="http://trailrunnernation.com/">Trail Runner Nation</a>. My pace hovered around 9:55ish.</div>
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Miles 10-12 I started focusing on my running and picked up the pace just a bit. My pace hovered around 9:30ish.<br />
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I turned on the juice for mile 13 and felt pretty good. But my pace was all over the place. First I was running too fast, then I was running to slow, then too fast again. I decided to just run what felt good.<br />
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<i>Mile 13 - shooting for 9:05, ran 8:58.</i><br />
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Ok, I ran mile 13 a little faster than I'd hoped, so I tried to hold my pace for mile 14.<br />
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<i>Mile 14 - shooting for 8:55, ran 8:51.</i><br />
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Yay! Ok, that was good. Tried to pick it up just a tad for mile 15.<br />
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<i>Mile 15 - shooting for 8:45, ran 8:30.</i><br />
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Doh. Ok, too fast again. Tried to hold my pace for mile 16.<br />
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<i>Mile 16 - shooting for 8:35, ran 8:21.</i><br />
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Ergh. Too fast again! Tried to hold my pace for mile 17.<br />
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<i>Mile 17 - shooting for 8:25, ran 8:43.</i><br />
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Totally blew up at mile 17. I couldn't hold my pace in the 8:20s at this point in the run. Mile 18 was more of the same.<br />
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<i>Mile 18 - shooting for 8:15, ran 8:40.</i><br />
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Still, I feel good about this run. Now I know that I can run in the 8:40s towards the end of the race (I was doubting myself, thinking I probably couldn't run faster than 9:00s). I'm not convinced that I should try for a negative split, though. I'm kinda thinking that if I can blow up and still run 8:40s, maybe I should start out fast anyway? I dunno. Still pondering this one...<br />
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<b><i>Do you practice pacing or train to run negative splits? Have you ever tried a cutdown run?</i></b><br />
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</i></b><b><i>Whats your race strategy? Do you start fast and put miles in the bank or start slow and pick up your speed at the end?</i></b><br />
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<br />Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-17562667362558222192012-10-17T14:07:00.000-04:002012-10-17T14:25:11.278-04:00Freedom's Run Marathon Recap: The Gritty Details, Part 2Pre-race events are <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-race-recap-pre-race-events.html">here</a>, part 1 is <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty.html">here</a>...<br />
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<b><i>Miles 16-21</i></b><br />
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Ok, I am not proud of my performance on this next section. Before the race I told myself that I would walk the very first hill. Why? I don't know. I think I was scared after looking at the elevation chart.<br />
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<a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Course/Images/FullElevationProfile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Course/Images/FullElevationProfile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As soon as I stopped, I knew I didn't need to be walking. But once you stop, you're not only stopping your physical momentum, but your mental momentum as well. Physically I felt good, mentally I was arguing with myself to keep running. And if I'm arguing with myself to keep running, that means <b><i>I can keep running. </i></b>Lesson learned: if you're going to argue with yourself to keep running, do it while you're running.<br />
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I walked part of mile 15 and part of mile 16, both times because I mentally gave in to my fatigue (in other words, I shouldn't have walked). The entire group of runners I had been running with on the trail passed me - and they all ran up the hill. And as I saw them go, I told myself that I hadn't busted my butt for the first 15 miles of the race, and run almost 10 minutes faster than my goal time, to lose all that progress in the second half of the race. So I put my butt back into gear. <br />
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Around mile 18 we hit an out and back section that has a nice downhill and a killer uphill. On my way out, I passed Strong Runner Girl on her way in. I gave her a thumbs up and she smiled back. I realized I wouldn't see her at the finish line, and wouldn't be able to thank her for helping me run this race so strong. So, Strong Runner Girl, if by some miraculous chance you've found my little blog and recognize who you are, THANK YOU!!!<br />
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As I began up the second part of the mile 18 hill (yes, this hill comes in two parts!), I started feeling a sharp pain in my chest. Considering the negative attention running sometimes receives, particularly after the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/sports/caballo-blancos-last-run-the-micah-true-story.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">death of Micah True</a>, my paranoia immediately jumped to the worst case scenario, "I have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiomyopathy">cardiomyopathy</a> and I'm going to die!" (yes, I'm <i>that</i> type of person). I had had this pain once before at the end of a long run (and clearly didn't die), and I resolved it by just finishing my run. To ease the pain this time, I decided to walk the hill and shed a layer (I was FINALLY warming up!), and see how I felt.<br />
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As I was walking, I remembered an episode of <a href="http://trailrunnernation.com/podcasts/">Trail Runner Nation podcast</a> in which a runner relates her experienced with chest pain during the Angeles Crest 100. Apparently, she was running just fine when she suddenly felt a strong pain in her chest and had to stop for 20 minutes. Come to find out, it was a bout of <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/153803-running-acid-reflux-disease/">acid reflux</a>. So my thought process went from "I have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiomyopathy">cardiomyopathy</a> and I'm going to die!" to "Hmmm, maybe I have something like acid reflux."<br />
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See, until mile 17ish, I had just been using my <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009OMA34S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009OMA34S&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EHydraform%20Lite%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B009OMA34S%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Amphipod Hydraform Lite Water Bottle</a> for hydration. I was intending to refill my water bottle at an aid station...but things were going well and I didn't want to stop for that long, so I decided to just keep running and use the water at the aid stations instead. The 17ish mile aid station was the first one I used. I'm not at all coordinated, and while I know your supposed to pinch the cub and drink from it on the side of your mouth -- I mean, c'mon. I walk into walls daily, you expect me to drink from a cup and run at the same time? So instead, I slowed and took huge gulps of water...and air. Immediately after that aid station (here we go: tmi), I needed to burp but just couldn't get the air out of me. I felt the air bubble rise and then change its mind, and head south back into my stomach. I'm no medical professional, but I'm thinking that may have been a contributing factor to the chest pain. At the top of the hill, I did manage a small little burp, and found I felt fine, so I started the engine again.<br />
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The next few miles are a blur. Running through Antietam was absolutely beautiful...I think. I was pretty focused on the pavement, but the times I did remember to look around, I was stunned. At one point we passed 3 monuments lined in a row and I gave a little salute in memory of the soldiers who died here. Running through such a historical site was pretty incredible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/anti/images/20080902101850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://www.nps.gov/anti/images/20080902101850.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antietam Monuments via <a href="http://www.nps.gov/anti/photosmultimedia/modernphotographs.htm?eid=101295&aId=27&root_aid=27&sort=title&startRow=2">NPS</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As I was approaching the 21ish-mile aid station, a volunteer thrust a cup out at me and said, "Cough syrup?"<br />
I gave her the look of death and her smirk quickly faded as she stuttered, "Kidding, its water. Sorry, its water." I felt bad - I know she was trying to be funny and she must be tired from working the aid station for almost 4 hours (I'm not being facetious here), but I wasn't sure if she was mocking Gatorade by calling it cough syrup--meaning she was therefore holding a cup of Gatorade--or if she was just bored and looking for laughs, which turns out is what she was doing. I only drink water on my long runs; even <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X1R6IU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000X1R6IU&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3ENuun%20Active%20Hydration%20Lemon+Lime,%2012-Tabs%20in%20Tubes%20%28Pack%20of%208%29%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000X1R6IU%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Nuun</a> messes with my stomach. So I didn't want Gatorade coming anywhere near my lips. This interaction irked me a bit, but whatevs. I really had no choice but to take it in stride (pun intended! hehe).<br />
<br />
Mile 16: 10:58<br />
Mile 17: 8:55<br />
Mile 18: 8:50 (Confusing. Must've walked this hill hella fast?)<br />
Mile 19: 9:59<br />
Mile 20: 10:25 (Not sure what I was doing here.)<br />
Mile 21: 9:35<br />
<br />
<b><i>Miles 22-26.2!</i></b><br />
<br />
Soon we were out of the hills of Antietam and running through the streets of Sharpsburg. I was so happy to see DJ Research and Nugget cheering for me! Later I learned that just before I ran by, a deer had totally bandited the race. Was running alongside the runners and everything.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LcKoJ3olDrg/UH7tQp4fqlI/AAAAAAAAJOY/ymf-Tl0AvWo/s640/blogger-image-1881960178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LcKoJ3olDrg/UH7tQp4fqlI/AAAAAAAAJOY/ymf-Tl0AvWo/s640/blogger-image-1881960178.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9jyIdhoBeZs/UH7tRLB-N4I/AAAAAAAAJOg/CqwTYdlI3x0/s640/blogger-image-1716148895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9jyIdhoBeZs/UH7tRLB-N4I/AAAAAAAAJOg/CqwTYdlI3x0/s640/blogger-image-1716148895.jpg" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iPyj5gzrDvk/UH7tPxYH7dI/AAAAAAAAJOQ/v9KrbYvRQFM/s640/blogger-image-729387643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iPyj5gzrDvk/UH7tPxYH7dI/AAAAAAAAJOQ/v9KrbYvRQFM/s640/blogger-image-729387643.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It appeared the deer bandit seemed to be using <br />
the Jeff Galloway Run-Walk-Run method.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was at this point, around mile 23, that I hit the wall. I had never hit the wall before, and I didn't know what it felt like, but well...now I know. You guys, I have never felt like this before. Feeling like you wanted more than anything to give up, but knowing there was no way you could live with yourself if you did. It was intense. I am a very independent and self-sufficient person, but in that dark place it dawned on my that I <i><b>needed</b></i> someone. Someone, anyone, to tell me that I could do this. To tell me that I could finish this darn race. That I could keep running and cross that finish line.<br />
<br />
So, as I was approaching a group of walkers from the half-marathon, I was completely intending scream into their blissful, comfortable fitness dreamworld, "I NEED YOU TO TELL ME I CAN DO THIS! I NEED YOU TO TELL ME I CAN FINISH THIS DAMN RACE!" But at the last second my dignity grabbed me by the shoulders and slapped me across the face. Instead, I didn't say anything. Instead, I dug deep and told myself, "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop." I said it out loud, with every breath, "Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop." I said it out loud to the very end. <br />
<br />
In hindsight, I realize that I had forgotten to take my last <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00024CU2A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00024CU2A&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EGu%20Energy%20Gel,%20Just%20Plain,%2024-Count%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00024CU2A%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Gu Gel</a> pack. I was carrying 5 gels with me, and had taken one every 4-5 miles: 5, 10, 14, 18. I should have taken another one at mile 22/23. But I completely forgot. I don't know if taking that last gel would have prevented hitting the wall, but I know the last 5 miles of the race would have been easier.<br />
<br />
I saw DJ Research and Nugget as I entered the stadium, and when my feet hit the astroturf, I almost cried with joy. I crossed the line at 3:52:50 with my arms in the air, and my head down. I had beat my sub-4:00 hour goal, but it had taken all I had.<br />
<br />
The DJ found me and gave me a big hug. I started crying into his should, "I did it! I did it!" I grabbed Nugget and held him close, and he gave me a cute little toddler squeeze back. "Mommy, run-run! Yaaaay!" He told me, clapping his hands. It was the perfect end to a tough but rewarding race. It was the best feeling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJW4nZ3hqxc/UH6jOEvyX_I/AAAAAAAAJNw/6pj9jMDAPB0/s1600/IMG_4742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJW4nZ3hqxc/UH6jOEvyX_I/AAAAAAAAJNw/6pj9jMDAPB0/s320/IMG_4742.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>What's your proudest racing moment? </b></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-18179045785147352422012-10-16T22:39:00.000-04:002012-10-16T22:39:13.922-04:00NatureBox Giveaway WINNER!The <a href="http://www.naturebox.com/">NatureBox</a> Giveaway ended to today, and the winner was chosen at random by Rafflecopter. *drumroll please* And the winner is.....<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://yomommaruns.blogspot.com/">YO MOMMA RUNS</a>!!</div>
<br />
<br />
Congratulations! I hope you love your snacks!!<br />
<br />
Thank you to all who entered! If you still want to try <a href="http://www.naturebox.com/">NatureBox</a> (and you <i>really</i> should!), you can still get 25% off your first month using the code APPLE25 (please note that the 25% discount is only applicable to the month-to-month subscription. A 6 month subscription automatically receives 1 month free and a 12 month subscription automatically receives 3 months free).<br />
<br />
RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-85623969978758845202012-10-15T23:13:00.001-04:002013-04-28T21:55:19.009-04:00Freedomʻs Run Marathon Recap: The Gritty Details, Part 1They say you never forget your first time. And I'm sure I never will. The short version: despite a tough course, I ran my first marathon in 3:52:50, finishing 4th in my age group, and 11th woman overall. The long version is long; I have a lot to say. Pre-race events can be found <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-race-recap-pre-race-events.html">here</a>, part 1 of the gritty details is below, and part 2 is <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-marathon-recap-gritty_17.html">here</a>. You guys, I'm still walking on air. But now its time to taper - Richmond Marathon is only four weeks away. <br />
<br />
<b><i>The Start</i></b><br />
<br />
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when the race began at 7:00am - gorgeous. Everything about this race was just beautiful. And at the start, everything about this race was cold. Cold, cold, COLD. My toes were tingling, and because I was wearing a running skirt, my thighs were <i>burning</i>. But these were the conditions, and I wasn't about to let some stupid cold weather get in the way of my race. <br />
<br />
<i><b>Miles 1-4</b></i><br />
<i><br />
</i>Even though I started out <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/freedoms-run-race-recap-pre-race-events.html#FOP">at the front of the pack</a>, I didn't race right out of the gate with the speedsters. I ran a comfortable pace for a quarter mile to warm up as we ran towards the Murphy Farm Outlook. On the gravel road out, I could feel another runner coming up beside me. As she passed me, I could tell right away she was a strong runner than I am, but she seemed to be running a pace that I could keep up with, at least in the beginning of the race. Oh wait, let me backtrack and tell you my race strategy:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Race Strategy</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b>The Freedom's Run Marathon course is mostly flat or downhill for the first 15 miles. 10 of those miles are on the C&O Canal tow path. Miles 15-21 are holy hilly hell through Antietam Battlefield National park, and the last 5 miles are mostly flat with some rolling hills. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Course/Images/FullElevationProfileThumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Course/Images/FullElevationProfileThumbnail.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Knowing that I am not a strong hill runner, my race strategy for this marathon was to run fast on the flats (through mile 15) to put some miles in the bank early, pull back on the hills, and then pick it up again as we headed into Shepherdstown. My initial goal was to run a 4:20 marathon, since I didn't know how killer those hills would be. <br />
<br />
Then it dawned on me: I didn't bust my butt for 5 months to aim for a 4:20 marathon. I've worked hard all summer, and I would be cheating myself if I didn't aim as high as I could. So I decided I was going to shoot for a sub-4:00 marathon, still using my initial strategy of getting miles in the bank early.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Do you follow the same strategy every race? Or do you change your strategy based on course, weather, other life factors, etc.?</i></b></div>
<br />
<b><i>Back to the Race (Miles 1-4)</i></b><br />
<br />
So back to...let's call her Strong Runner Girl. As she passed me, I decided to keep up with her to see how her pace felt. And to be honest, it felt good. Early in my training I focused on my heart rate more than speed, so I knew what it felt like if I was running too fast, and what it felt like if I was running hard but not too hard. Strong Runner Girl was running the perfect pace for me--hard but not too hard--so I planned to keep up with her until we hit the hills, where I knew there was no way I could keep up with her.<br />
<br />
Around mile 3 the road began a steep downhill that went on for a little more than a mile. I think this long downhill surprised a few runners, but I was lucky enough to have previewed this part of the course when DJ Research ran the <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/harpers-ferry-half-marathon-race-recap.html">Harper's Ferry Half Marathon</a> earlier this year, so I knew that the downhill went on for a while. (The Half Marathon course runs up the hill, though, and thats not even the toughest hill on the course!)<br />
<br />
It was on this downhill that I passed Strong Runner Girl. I like downhills and try to run them as fast as possible - bringing my hips forward, leaning into the descent, and really focusing on my turnover. I knew this was a good downhill to run fast because it was so long, and I needed all the extra time I could get.<br />
<br />
Once the road flattened out, we were running into Harper's Ferry town and over the Potomac River footbridge. The view from here is spectacular, but I couldn't really enjoy it because the bridge was so darn slippery. This was my least favorite part of the race. I basically ran-walked this portion because I didn't want to fall flat on my face, or worst yet, my tailbone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi608dkwpOZ_u8IVWkHtyIXjknF0Hcu1OeR3boujgdjLx6MSEdT2N_ahoToN5261XHt_O_d5gB4TRmVSHDzqMMwdoaBSpxAazXNpZwuE_SFNcuwVQnW_qdWtK1sD9pJcG_N1fLr79lrQYM/s640/blogger-image-975294262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Potomac River Bridge, Harper's Ferry, WV" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi608dkwpOZ_u8IVWkHtyIXjknF0Hcu1OeR3boujgdjLx6MSEdT2N_ahoToN5261XHt_O_d5gB4TRmVSHDzqMMwdoaBSpxAazXNpZwuE_SFNcuwVQnW_qdWtK1sD9pJcG_N1fLr79lrQYM/s640/blogger-image-975294262.jpg" title="Potomac River Bridge, Harper's Ferry, WV" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Potomac River Bridge<br />
taken <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/good-mother-day_13.html">earlier this year</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Splits<br />
Mile 1: 8:39<br />
Mile 2: 8:29<br />
Mile 3: 7:44<br />
Mile 4: 8:10<br />
<br />
<b><i>Miles 5-15</i></b><br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b>We descended a spiral staircase and got on the C&O Canal tow path, which is a mix of hard-packed dirt and gravel. This section was stunning, with the Potomac River to our left and the beautiful fall foliage overhead. It was also still freezing cold. Cold, cold, COLD. My hands and feet were still numb. My legs were still burning. I tried to open a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00024CU2A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00024CU2A&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EGu%20Energy%20Gel,%20Just%20Plain,%2024-Count%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00024CU2A%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Gu Gel</a> with my fingers but failed miserably, and had to open the packet with my teeth. I could barely squeeze my water bottle to squirt water into my mouth (I was running with the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009OMA34S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009OMA34S&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EHydraform%20Lite%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B009OMA34S%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Amphipod Hydraform Lite Water Bottle</a>. LOVE this thing). But what could I do other than keep running? So I did.<br />
<br />
Around mile 7, Strong Runner Girl and another strong runner started passing me on my left. Again her pace was perfect (I realized I'd been running too slow!) Again I decided to keep up with her. (I'm horrible at pacing myself. Need more experience!) The three of us ran together for a while, then another runner female showed up and joined our conga line, then another male runner, and the five us of pretty much stuck it out through mile 13. We would jump frog each other on the trail, or the line-up would change dramatically after an aid station, though Strong Runner Girl was usually in the lead.<br />
<br />
I saw DJ Research and Nugget at the last aid station on the tow path, around mile 12 or 13. I had been so focused on the race, I completely forgot they were there to cheer me on! At the <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/marine-corps-historic-half-marathon_21.html">Marine Corps Historic Half </a>(my last race where they were there to cheer for me), I would stop to give them a kiss every time I saw them on the side. Not this time. I just blew them a kiss as I whizzed pass, and I could here Nugget crying, "Mommy!" as I ran off. Ugh, worst feeling. <br />
<br />
Soon after that last aid station, I lost Strong Runner Girl. I don't quite remember what happened, but suddenly she was gone. Most of the group was behind me, so I didn't feel too bad since she pretty much blew the rest of us out of the water. But I had hoped to keep up with her at least until we headed into the hills.<br />
<br />
Around mile 15, I saw a hoard of people running on to the tow path. At first I thought they were bored high schoolers out to mess with the runners (why I thought that I have <i>no idea</i>), but then I realized this was the juncture where the marathon course and half-marathon course met up. As a half-marathoner got on the tow path, he called out to us "Way to go marathoners!" and my face just lit up. I was so focused, I pretty much forgot that what I was doing was quite an accomplishment. Hell yeah! I was running a marathon!!<br />
<br />
The half-marathoners were directed to keep going straight on the tow-path, while the full-marathoners were directed to get off the tow-path and head up the road. Yes, UP. The hill pretty much started as soon as we got off the canal path. With my fuzzy math skills, I guesstimated that I had run 8-10 minutes faster than I hoped! (Yes, I owe Strong Runner Girl a HUGE thank you!)<br />
<br />
<i>Splits</i><br />
Mile 5: 8:51<br />
Mile 6: 8:40<br />
Mile 7: 8:36 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 8: 8:19 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 9: 8:12 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 10: 8:15 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 11: 8:26 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 12: 8:26 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 13: 8:34 (w/ Strong Runner Girl)<br />
Mile 14: 8:58<br />
Mile 15: 9:33 (heading into those hills!)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Has a complete stranger ever helped you run/finish a race stronger than you thought you could? Did you get a chance to thank them at the end? </i></b></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>Gotta be up early to run, but stay tuned for the rest of the race!</i><br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-37378074424267434372012-10-14T08:00:00.002-04:002012-10-17T17:30:03.769-04:00Freedomʻs Run Marathon Recap: Pre-Race Events<i>Have you entered my <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/naturebox-product-review-and-giveaway.html">giveaway</a> yet? Win awesome, healthy snacks from <a href="http://www.naturebox.com/">Naturebox</a>!</i><br />
<br />
This weekend I ran the <a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/">Freedomʻs Run Marathon</a> in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Even though Iʻve been training for the <a href="http://www.richmondmarathon.com/">Richmond Marathon</a>, after my <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/redemption-run.html">24-miler last weekend</a>--and with Richmond still five weeks away--I was ready for 26. So I signed up for Freedomʻs Run at the last minute, making it my very first marathon. <br />
<br />
Although Shepherdstown is only a little more than an hour away from us, it was still a bit of a scramble to get there. With the holidays coming up, neither DJ Research nor I wanted to use our leave for this weekend, so we left right after work on Friday, meaning we got to packet picket just before they closed at 8:00pm. DJ Research made us this snack of nutella and ritz crackers for the ride, much to Nuggetʻs delight. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zeUO_m_Ih6A/UHoVmuiKEuI/AAAAAAAAJJ4/LVZXJWNN6l0/s640/blogger-image-1737287389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ritz Crackers and Nutella" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zeUO_m_Ih6A/UHoVmuiKEuI/AAAAAAAAJJ4/LVZXJWNN6l0/s640/blogger-image-1737287389.jpg" title="Ritz Crackers and Nutella" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum-Yummy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We missed most of the Expo since we got there so late, but I did manage to get a pair of Freedomʻs Run socks made by <a href="http://www.swiftwick.com/">Swiftwick</a>! I have a pair of Swiftwick compression socks, which I love - theyʻre so comfy! (though I run in <a href="http://procompression.com/">Pro Compression</a> socks, because they offer more compression, which I like).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n5N62fbPI3c/UHobG7Rq7VI/AAAAAAAAJK4/fcFdCCR4rlk/s640/blogger-image--1577405745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Freedomʻs Run Swiftwick Socks" border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n5N62fbPI3c/UHobG7Rq7VI/AAAAAAAAJK4/fcFdCCR4rlk/s640/blogger-image--1577405745.jpg" title="Freedomʻs Run Swiftwick Socks" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freedomʻs Run Marathon Swiftwick Socks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I got my bib and my race shirt. At first glance, the race shirt is pretty hideous, but lots of people were wearing it during the race and it actually looked ok when worn. Iʻm planning to wear it during the Richmond Marathon. Its also made from 10 recycled plastic bottles, which is pretty cool.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ju8999duVG0/UHobHVCxerI/AAAAAAAAJLA/lcBrMxrs-RA/s640/blogger-image-761812413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Freedomʻs Run Marathon Race Shirt" border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ju8999duVG0/UHobHVCxerI/AAAAAAAAJLA/lcBrMxrs-RA/s640/blogger-image-761812413.jpg" title="Freedomʻs Run Marathon Race Shirt" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my favorite color,<br />
but I love that its long-sleeve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since it was late, choices for dinner were few, so we opted for Kings NY Style Pizza, which also serves pasta. Since we still needed to check into the <a href="http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/ranson/cwvsr/hoteldetail">Holiday Inn Express Charles Town</a>, we took our food back to the hotel. We stayed at a <a href="http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/fredericksburg/frbnw/hoteldetail">Holiday Inn Express in Fredericksburg, VA</a> for the <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/marine-corps-historic-half-marathon_21.html">Marine Corps Historic Half</a>, and I really liked it. The rooms are nice and the rates are really reasonable. The Holiday Inn Express in Charles Town, WV did not disappoint!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x-S7bVw751k/UHoVolGDrVI/AAAAAAAAJKU/xhURYRpZcpk/s640/blogger-image--1522111699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holiday Inn Express Charles Town West Virginia" border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x-S7bVw751k/UHoVolGDrVI/AAAAAAAAJKU/xhURYRpZcpk/s640/blogger-image--1522111699.jpg" title="Holiday Inn Express Charles Town West Virginia" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home away from home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After dinner, I laid out all my gear while Nugget got some work done. I think we made it to bed by 11:00.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EuJHGTQPKtI/UHoVmAg9LYI/AAAAAAAAJJo/BroFxn4uiYM/s640/blogger-image--719291483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Orange Pro Compression Socks Inov-8 F-Lite 230s" border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EuJHGTQPKtI/UHoVmAg9LYI/AAAAAAAAJJo/BroFxn4uiYM/s640/blogger-image--719291483.jpg" title="Orange Pro Compression Socks Inov-8 F-Lite 230s" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing in Fall Colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RMvbOXUJOQ4/UHoVnds6tLI/AAAAAAAAJKA/g4kiAoAjj1k/s640/blogger-image--203700859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RMvbOXUJOQ4/UHoVnds6tLI/AAAAAAAAJKA/g4kiAoAjj1k/s640/blogger-image--203700859.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the cool toddlers are sporting this look</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Despite my pre-race jitters and the fact that I got to bed late the night before, I slept well and was feeling good when I awoke. I was up at 5:00am to catch the 6:00am shuttle that <a href="http://www.riverriders.com/">River Riders</a>, a sponsor of the race, was providing to the start of the race. For breakfast, I had a piece of toast with almond butter, a banana, and some coffee. I knew it was cold out, so I wore two additional layers over my tech shirt, plus ear warmers and fingerless gloves that I made from a pair of my socks. Its not as gross as it sounds, and they really helped, but I think actual gloves would be better next time (I just didnʻt have time to buy a disposable pair). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EdzfQ0EuaPM/UHoVoUEgt2I/AAAAAAAAJKM/tgWWxjyVUa0/s640/blogger-image-1576920472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EdzfQ0EuaPM/UHoVoUEgt2I/AAAAAAAAJKM/tgWWxjyVUa0/s640/blogger-image-1576920472.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layers (so not enough)</td></tr>
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On the shuttle over, I met another runner who was attempting 50 marathons in all 50 states. Sheʻs only done a handful and still has a ways to go. She ran the Richmond Marathon as her Virginia race, and said she LOVED it. I only hear good things about Richmond, so Iʻm excited for that race!<br />
<br />
Even though I knew it was cold out, I was not prepared for just how cold. To give you an idea, a Freeze Alert had been issued for the area; DJ Research said it took <i>forever</i> (plus or minus a few years) to get the ice off the car. Luckily, we were allowed into the heated <a href="http://www.nps.gov/hafe/index.htm">Harperʻs Ferry National Park visitors center</a> for the hour we had to wait before race time. We were quite cozy and packed in that little building like sardines. :)<br />
<br />
Coffee and water was supplied at the start, and on top of that, there were REAL bathrooms. With electricity, and flushing toilets, and running water. If youʻve raced before, you know how rare that amenity is! <br />
<br />
About 15 minutes before race time, I decided to brave the cold and do some light running to warm up. And by warm up, I really mean try not to freeze to death. It was sooooo cold. I had to wiggle my toes constantly for fear they might fall off. As I was just trying to shake myself loose, another runner comes up to me and introduces herself as Abbi from <a href="http://highermiles.blogspot.com/">Higher Miles</a>. She was running Freedomʻs Run for the second time, and using it as a training run for the JFK 50. She is basically living my dream. We didnʻt get to chat much since the race was about to begin, but it was super awesome to meet her in person!<br />
<br />
The race director, <a href="http://naturalrunningcenter.com/">Dr. Mark Cucuzella</a>, announced that the race is about to start and asks that everyone proceed to the starting line: a piece of tape on the ground between two cones. I loved that there was no big hoopla at the beginning. Because race times were determined according to gun time, I positioned myself at the <a id="FOP">front of the pack</a> because I wanted my official final time to be as close to my actual running time as possible. There was lots of space to spread out early in the race, so I didnʻt feel bad starting to close to the front. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kmU5gc4WB8s/UHqgJUDWdEI/AAAAAAAAJLo/lXHry-yzfNE/s640/blogger-image--281030608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Freedomʻs Run Marathon Starting Line" border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kmU5gc4WB8s/UHqgJUDWdEI/AAAAAAAAJLo/lXHry-yzfNE/s640/blogger-image--281030608.jpg" title="Freedomʻs Run Marathon Starting Line" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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On Dr. Cucuzellaʻs command, the race began: "Runners take your mark! Go!" And we were off!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>More to come...stay tuned! :)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
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RAR!<br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-37910194721937091232012-10-11T21:25:00.001-04:002012-10-11T21:38:45.285-04:00Ants in My PantsOk, you guys. I just had to do it. My training had me running <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/redemption-run.html">24 miles last week</a>, and with the Richmond Marathon still 5 (yes, FIVE) weeks away, I'm not ready to start my taper. I was planning on running 26 miles this weekend, so I figured I might as well...yup, you guessed it -<br />
<br />
I signed up for the <a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/">Freedom's Run Marathon</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Images/HeadCenter1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Images/HeadCenter1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Admittedly, I've been thinking of running Freedom's Run for a while. I had it in my mind that if my training was going well, I would give it a go. And after my 24-miler this weekend, I'm feeling really good about my running. But as soon as I sign up, guess what? Yup, self-doubt starts to creep in.<br />
<br />
Even though I have done 4 20+ mile runs over the past 6 weeks, I'm still feeling really, really nervous. Looking at the course map, I see the numbers 15, 20, 25 popping out at me like I've never seen them before; I'm starting to feel the <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/08/uncharted-territory.html">anxiety that I felt when I was first tackling those distances</a>. But I know I can run this. Pre-race jitters are normal right?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Do you get nervous before a big race? Do you have any pre-race rituals?</b></i></div>
<i><b><br />
</b></i><a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/">Freedom's Run</a> will be a different beast than the <a href="http://www.richmondmarathon.com/">Richmond Marathon</a>. From what I understand, Richmond is mostly flat, while Freedom's Run boasts some really nice hills from miles 16-21 when we run through the Antietam Battlefield.<br />
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<a href="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Course/Images/FullElevationProfileThumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Freedomʻs Run Marathon Elevation Chart" border="0" src="http://www.freedomsrun.org/Course/Images/FullElevationProfileThumbnail.jpg" title="Freedomʻs Run Marathon Elevation Chart" /></a></div>
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<br />
Running through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antietam_National_Battlefield">Antietam National Battlefield</a> is one of the reasons I wanted to run this race, in part because I've never been there and also because this is the 150th anniversary of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam">Battle of Antietam</a>. I'm excited to be there to honor those who fought and those who fell, and the significance of this event to our nation.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Have you ever raced through/near a place of historical significance?</i></b></div>
<br />
Freedom's Run is sponsored by Two Rivers Treads in Shepherdstown, WV, which is the first exclusively minimalist running shoe store in the country. DJ Research ran the <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/05/harper-ferry-half-marathon-race-recap_16.html">Harper's Ferry Half</a> (also sponsored by TRT) earlier this year and we LOVED this race; its great for both runners and spectators. So, we're expecting more of the same: low-key race with beautiful scenery along a challenging course and enthusiastic runners who just love to run.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OPYuNM6v1VM/UHd0ZWU7BkI/AAAAAAAAJJI/59ZdTNyiBSA/s640/blogger-image-2094420538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OPYuNM6v1VM/UHd0ZWU7BkI/AAAAAAAAJJI/59ZdTNyiBSA/s640/blogger-image-2094420538.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for that 26.2!!</td></tr>
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Gaaaaahhhh!! Suddenly my first marathon has gone from being 5 <i>weeks</i> away to less than 2 <i>days</i> away. What do I wear?!?</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>How far in advance do you plan your race day outfits?</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><br />
</i></b></div>
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RAR!Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-588435083805615999.post-84803387761987925792012-10-08T20:44:00.000-04:002012-10-08T20:44:57.187-04:00Redemption RunLast week I posted about <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/committing-marathon-training-faux.html">committing THE marathon training faux pas</a>. Which is to say, I skipped my long run. I was scheduled to run 22 miles, but after a hectic week and a number of long and lonely 20 milers, I decided to take a break.<br />
<br />
This past weekend I was schedule to run 24 miles. I am proud to say, I did...and it was awesome.<br />
<br />
But lets back it up a bit. After skipping my long run, and basically not running the week before <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-sisterhood-of-one-travelling-sister.html">because my sister was in town</a>, I told myself I needed to get my butt out there. So on Monday, usually my rest day, I did 5 <i>"<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307279189/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307279189&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EBorn%20to%20Run:%20A%20Hidden%20Tribe,%20Superathletes,%20and%20the%20Greatest%20Race%20the%20World%20Has%20Never%20Seen%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0307279189%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">easy, light, smooth</a>"</i> miles. Pace: 9:28 m/m. On the slower side for me at that distance, but I felt great.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, I put my game face on early in the morning and went out for a little more than 6 miles, this time in the dark during a torrential downpour. The rain was coming down in sheets and though I was wearing a headlight, there were some moments when I could barely see in front of me. Pace: 9:22 m/m. Considering the conditions, I'm happy with that (also happy I didn't fall flat on my face). Wanna feel hardcore? Run in the rain. Let me tell you, it was awesome.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePrmmpX8O5I/UHHFifH0fbI/AAAAAAAAJIA/o8n7AoHsiek/s1600/5milerinrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePrmmpX8O5I/UHHFifH0fbI/AAAAAAAAJIA/o8n7AoHsiek/s320/5milerinrain.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random fact: I look uncannily like my bro is this pic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On both Wednesday and Thursday I went out for 5-mile runs on my lunch break, running my favorite hilly route. I ran 8:36 m/m and 8:38 m/m, respectively. These were good times for me, but I was more pleased with the fact that the hills didn't seem as intimidating as they did when I first started running them earlier this year. Progress: check.<br />
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<div>
Friday I took off.</div>
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Saturday rolled around and I rolled out of bed ready to tackle this long run. Truth be told, when I left my house I was still unsure whether I would run 22 or 24 miles. I was definitely feeling good enough to run 20 miles, so I knew I could probably tackle 22. But 24? I was going to feel it out.<br />
<br />
It was an insanely beautiful day. </div>
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It had been a few weeks since I'd run <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/07/reunitedand-random-conversation.html">my trail</a>, and to be back running on it really felt like I was "home." Plus, the autumn colors, crisp autumn air, and all around "autumn-ness" of the day made it so enjoyable to be out there. </div>
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I recognized another frequent runner at the parking lot, and we exchanged hellos. He started out before me, and was completely out of sight by the time I started my run. Little did I know he would essentially be the one to determine how far I ran that day. </div>
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The first 9 miles were uneventful. A biker stopped me at about mile 5 to ask for directions. She was trying to find a local park where she was supposed to meet someone. I tried to help as best I could (I know the trail but not the surrounding neighborhoods) and continued on my way. About 2 miles down I ran into another lost biker who happened to be the person she was looking for! I pointed him towards her direction and wished him luck. It kinda felt like a well-intentioned but poorly-planned date. I hope they found each other. </div>
<br />
A little past mile 7 I ran into the runner I had seen in the parking lot. He had met up with a friend and exclaimed when he saw me, "I was wondering when you were going to catch up to us!" I laughed and then stopped to fix my silly sock that had been giving me problems the whole run (ugh!). He and his friend continued on and I caught up to them at mile 9 when they turned around to head back. "Only 18 for us today," he told me. "How many are you doing?" Realizing I hadn't actually decided how many miles I was running that day, I blurted out, "24!"<br />
<br />
And to my surprise, I didn't feel scared or even nervous about tackling my longest distance to date. In fact, I felt excited. The nine miles had flown by (more than they have in the past), and knew I could do 24. <br />
<br />
So on I went and reached a new segment of the trail since I had never run this far before. Rather than veer left like I should have, I continued straight and found myself on a trail that was no longer paved but all mud instead. ALL MUD. To boot, I was supposed to run under a large overpass. I stopped, unsure of how I should proceed, when two runners came up behind me, so engrossed in conversation that they were completely obviously to the new state of the trail. They skidded to a quick halt, then decided rather than go under, they would go over and just cross the street above. Brilliant! (Clearly, I lose brain cells when running). <br />
<br />
I followed them up and over, and being the chatty runners that they were, they just started talking to me. Which was the most awesome thing ever. Finally! People to run with without <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/08/rileys-rumble-half-marathon.html">crashing their conversation</a>! They were training for the upcoming Army 10-miler, and had about the same distance to go as I did before their turnaround. Not only did they offer some much welcomed conversation on my long run, but they also knew where they were going. I would have gotten completely lost without them. <br />
<br />
We ran for maybe 4 miles before my stupid sock started acting up again, and I had to stop to fix it. By the time I was ready, they were gone. Super bummed. But they helped me through such a critical point of my run. Thank you S. and B.!! <br />
<br />
It was about this point that I realized I only had 9 more miles to go. I couldn't believe I had already run 15 miles! I was having so much fun on this run, I had covered more than a half-marathon without realizing it. Still, 9 miles is no joke, and the last 9 were definitely more difficult than the first 15 (though thats to be expected).<br />
<br />
Around mile 18, I stopped to refill my water bottle (I LOVE my <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LCQ542/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005LCQ542&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EAmphipod%20Hydraform%20Handheld%20Lite%20Black%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005LCQ542%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Amphipod water bottle</a>, though one of these days I should probably try the DJ's camelback), and to give my legs a bit of a shakeout. My hips were killing me; I should probably talk to a PT about it but thats not going to happen until after my marathon. Also, I had been taking a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BRHVD6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005BRHVD6&linkCode=as2&tag=runamarunblog-20%22%3EGu%20GU%20Energy%20Gel-%2024%20Pack%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=runamarunblog-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005BRHVD6%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">GU gel</a> (we use the Just Plain flavor) every 5 miles, but decided to take another at mile 18. Not sure if that was the culprit, but I had stomach issues through mile 21. This was the first time I had stomach issues during a long run. Not fun. <br />
<br />
Looking at my splits, the last 6 miles were definitely my slowest. I was feeling it in my legs by then. But never at any point did I want to call it quits. Even though my legs were sore, I was still smiling and loving just being out there. In fact, when I hit 24 miles, I seriously thought, "Well, I'm feeling pretty good. Why don't I just run the whole dang distance?" But I decided not to press my luck; 24 miles was plenty good.<br />
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I stretched out (omg, stretching has never felt sooooo goooood), had a banana and some coconut milk (I LOVE coconut milk after a long run; I feel like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye">PopEye</a> after he eats a can of spinach! :), and drove home to my boys, who were waiting on the porch when I arrived. So cute! My legs were pretty tight, but I had a huge smile on my face. 24 miles!!<br />
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I can so do 26.2 miles! But my race seems so far away...so, um, how about next weekend?<br />
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;)<br />
<br />
<b>Have you entered <a href="http://run-ama-run.blogspot.com/2012/10/naturebox-product-review-and-giveaway.html">my Giveaway</a> yet? Win a box of delicious snacks delivered right to your door! Courtesy of <a href="http://www.naturebox.com/">NatureBox</a>!</b><br />
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RAR!<br />
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Ama_Runshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01786070038294580286noreply@blogger.com2