Bodies

Let's just face it. Runners are obsessed with their bodies. We massage them, ice them, lubricate them, compress them, and work them HARD. Most of us I would like to believe do it for the right reasons: to enhance performance, for better health, or just because we enjoy it.

However, I see the girls (and women) at the gym that wear baggy clothes and multiple layers even though it's a million degrees. I see them eyeing every woman that comes in or out of the locker room like we're in a competition. I'm definitely guilty of feeling jealous when some of the rock hard bodies come in. However, I can say for sure that I am NOT ashamed of my own body. I truly believed the gym was a great place for women (and men) to begin feeling better about themselves.

Then I heard a song in the locker room. The lyrics when like this:
"All we’ve ever wanted
Is to look good naked
Hope that someone can take it
God save me rejection
From my reflection,
I want perfection."



I don't know anything about Robbie Williams or this song he performed and put out in 2009. All I know is that the moment I heard it I felt sick. Of all the places to hear this for the first time it had to be in the gym. And in the locker room surrounded by mirrors and tens of buff ladies in spandex.


Healthy is Sexy - PumpnIronPinup

I've worked hard for my body. It's definitely not perfect but it's mine. I've given birth twice (and put on 45+ and 65+ pounds and taken it back off) and it hasn't left my body unmarked. I will never be 'perfect' even if I get to an unhealthy body fat percentage and get some fake boobs (unfortunately those pregnant C cups didn't stick around, especially after nursing). A lot of make up and some Photoshop magic *might* get me close.

The question that raises in my mind though is WHY? Why do I need to be 5' 6" and 95 pounds? Why would I WANT to be? Why would I ever want to stop enjoying my favorite foods and drinks (in moderation)? And why would I want to be surrounded by people who only want to be around because I'm 'pretty' or 'popular'?


This is NOT sexy!

I know I've gotten way off running-specific here but think about it. Are you guilty of worrying more about what running's doing for your looks than for your health? Are you developing habits that are going to lead you to injury, poor performance, or disordered eating simply because a magazine (or song) tells you that you should? What are you going to do about it?

Personally, I'm going to continue to focus on performance. I've got a lot of great races left in me and I'm not going to sacrifice all the opportunities running has given me to fit into an ideal that isn't even attainable.

A Memo for Race Directors

My husband and I ran a 5k that shall remain nameless today. I'm doing this because it does benefit a charity so I don't want to harm the race's future (as if I had that kind of power) but I do want to point out what makes a 'good' race. And in my humble opinion this one was not.


This is pretty much how I felt after today's race

First things first, be honest about your course. This course was advertised as rolling. I don't know that there's an exact definition of rolling in the runner's dictionary but I do know this did not match with my idea of 'rolling hills'. The race started on an uphill, ran several uphills in the middle, and ended on an uphill. Every downhill section was a quad-thrashing, out-of-control blur of pavement. If this describes your course then maybe use words like 'challenging' or 'difficult'. Don't try to get more participants by making it sound easier than it is! You're only going to end up with disappointed runners.

Secondly, athletes sweat, even in the winter. If you don't plan on providing water (especially on a difficult course!) then please advertise this! Running 3 miles without water may be a regular occurance for many runners but it's completely different when you're running 3 miles of hills at full throttle. Even if it's not a safety issue it is still a comfort issue. Dry winter air left my throat burning and not being able to quench it was maddening!



As a continuation on water, there shouldn't be a line for water post-finish. I have run races that numbered in the tens of thousands and been able to get water and banana within a minute of finishing. Don't be cheap and fill a huge water dispenser thing from the kitchen faucet. Go ahead and buy bottles so that the runners can grab and go instead of having to line up to get a cup and then line up again to fill it! If your concern with bottles is the environment then set up a recycling bin. Runners are, for the most part, conscientious and will oblige.

Third, and the thing I'm most upset about, don't just recognize the top finishers! Even races with 50 participants tend to give age group awards and there's a reason for this! Please bear with me as I try to explain.

No one likes to feel like they're best effort isn't good enough. This is the reason half marathons and up almost always give finishers medals. It recognizes the achievement of every person out there, even the ones who finish dead last. Believe me, I've been that person and getting a medal at the end soothes the chagrin.



I don't know that a 5k or a 10k necessarily needs finishers medals although I've seen it done. But I do believe that we should recognize achievements of all ages and levels. This is why age group awards are important! That 25 year old man who took the overall award may be winning for the fifth year in a row. That 30-something woman may not care that she is taking home another award. I hear stories of runners who win all the time taking their medals home and tossing them in the garage or a box. Maybe they donate them to Medals 4 Mettle, which is an awesome program.

But if you don't give age group awards because you think no one cares you are dead wrong! I won my first age group award almost 1 year ago to the day today. I waited through all the post-race hoopla and overall awards announcements only to realize they weren't giving age group awards. I went home heart broken. I had FINALLY 'succeeded' and reached one of my goals only to have that achievement brushed aside by a race director who told me it wasn't worth the money to give medals to people who didn't care about them and would just throw them in a box anyway.

Didn't it matter that *I* cared? Didn't it matter that it was my FIRST award and I was going home empty handed? Apparently, because this year the race director changed their policy and guess what? The field expanded exponentially, the talent pool was huge, and I had a great time without winning an age group award! I didn't mind because I ran my best race but it wasn't quite good enough this time. However, it gave me something to aim for next year. I'm not disappointed when my best isn't good enough. I'm disappointed when it is and no one cares.

That wasn't the only time it happened and each time has been painful for myself, my husband, my daughter, or the other runners who waited, sometimes hours, only to leave empty handed. Today was the last straw though. From now on my husband and I are boycotting races where age group awards are not being given (and it should go 3 deep!). If you're race is really small give out the top 2 in each category but if you have more than 100 runners spend the $1 per medal and give it to the top 3. The ones that are left over or left behind can be donated to the charity above or saved for the next year!

The race in question actually gave the top finishers $50 gift cards on top of medals. That money could easily have paid for 2 years worth of medals in a bulk order. When you're charging runners $20 or more to run make sure it's worth it or they won't be back! Not just the top male and female should leave happy!

Lastly, if you're having a post-race breakfast, lunch, or dinner and charging extra for it don't completely forget about the runners who may not want to indulge or may not have the money to. Set out at least some bananas or bagels for the 'regular' runners. Just because you're hosting your race at the country club doesn't mean everyone is a member!

Runners should not have to go home medal-less, hungry, and thirsty! Race directors, please don't focus on just the top runners. It's the middle- and back-of-the-packers that are providing most of your participants and income. If you don't appreciate them and recognize their achievements they won't come back. It's really that simple!

Have you dealt with this? Do you agree that age group awards are important? And what do YOU do with those medals anyway?

Never Pass Up an Opportunity

FitFluential is looking for new ambassadors and I'm really hoping to be one of them! This year has been amazing for me. The above photocollage was extremely hard for me to put together. I have completed 29 races thus far in 2011. I've done 2 marathons and even more ultras. I've set PR's at every distance and I even became a Marathon Maniac!

For the first time in my running life I've had people telling me that they look up to me or that they are impressed by me. I've always been the slow, back-of-the-packer but not this year. I'm firmly middle pack now! :) Being an average runner is perfectly fine with me for now. What isn't fine with me is missing out on connecting with people that I could help and that could support me as well.

I've had the honor of being selected as a member of Team reGen and it's connected me to runners in several different locations and of all different abilities. This year also led to me deciding to take my life in a new direction. I dropped out of business school and enrolled in a Sports Management program. I'm excited to dedicate the rest of my life to helping athletes and learning more about my body and my abilities in the process.

Throughout everything I've dreamt of making this blog something bigger than just a review of races I've done and products I've tried. I want it to go deeper and help people in ways I can't even imagine right now. I truly believe FitFluential can help me do that. I hope they'll see my potential and select me to be one of their ambassadors.

Anyway, I guess if I've helped you in some way or if my blog has inspired you, could you please send me some good vibes? And maybe even comment on FitFluentials FaceBook page or tweet them and let them know I'm worth a shot! Thanks so much!

See Me Trottin'.... Turkey Style

If you read my post on GoSPortID you already know what I am thankful for today: Making it home to my family alive!

I have a lot of other things to be thankful for this year as well. Instead of boring everyone with a long list of things I'm just going to say thank you to my family, friends, and running community for being there all the time no matter what!

On to the fun stuff! Races, of course! I've been meaning to get around to writing about the last couple races we've done but I keep getting side tracked. I guess taking full time college courses while working full time will do that to you!

So the (awesome!) synopsis of what Team Brunazzi has been up to! (And if you didn't know, you can now find Team Brunazzi on FaceBook!)

The week after Savannah was a race I really enjoyed last year (it was my first age group award!), the Marshall Mangler 8k Trail Race. Last year was its first year and I ran around 1:03. This year I ran a 56:55 despite my legs still being dead and set a course PR. I was very happy with that and even happier that my husband took third in his age group!


He got a glass!

The next weekend we ran the Fight for Life 5k in Apollo, PA. I ran a new PR of 26:23 and took first in my age group (that's only the second time I've done that!). My husband ran it in 23:05 and took second in his age group. A man who told me he was 70 years old finished less than a minute behind me. I really hope I'm still running (and fast!) when I'm 70!


Feeling Slightly Embarassed with all the Congratulations!

Finally (well for now), we decided to do a Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving. We planned to do it as a family but both kids have had minor colds and we didn't want them to get worse so just Shane and I went this time. I told myself it was just for fun but as soon as the gun went off I couldn't hold back! I decided to just charge ahead and see what happened.

It was a 3.2 mile, two loop course so I felt great anticipation as I approached the clock after the first loop. I told myself I would be happy with anything under 14 minutes. I looked up and passed the clock at 12:37 for the first 1.6 miles! I did some quick math and realized that I had a small chance of meeting my sub-25 minute goal ahead of schedule! I pushed myself to keep the pace and fought to pick off as many people as I could on the second loop.

I battled an older (than me) woman for most of the last mile. She would catch up to me and that would fuel me to pick up the pace again. We did this for the whole time until the last little bit when she finally fell back. I caught sight of a woman I hadn't noticed in the crowds who looked to be in my age group (24-33, weird huh?) and I tried my hardest to catch her. My breathing was ragged, my legs were burning, and my throat was on fire in the chilly air. Finally we rounded the last bend and I could see the clock just hitting 25 minutes! I couldn't believe I had missed my sub-25 by only seconds but I refused to dwell on it. I pushed to the finish line where I was forced to slow a little because of a bottleneck into the shoot.

My official time was 25:36! Shane ran a 22:18 which is his second fastest 5k ever.

On this Thanksgiving Team Brunazzi has a lot to be thankful for. Not the least of which is our ability to run and our ability to inspire others! That woman who leap-frogged me the whole last mile? She ran a PR too because she used me as a target! She thanked me when she finished and then congratulated me on my own PR.

Today I am thankful for the running community that has surrounded me and lifted my spirits while I battled for each and every improvement. I'm thankful to be able to run and I'm thankful that I have a family and friends that support my running. It hasn't been the easiest journey but nobody said it would be. It has, however, been worth it!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Be safe out there and remember to thank those who support you and inspire you!

Give the Gift of Peace of Mind

I mentioned in my Race and Relax post that I was given a GoSportID 'Inspire' bracelet as part of the race swag. It is artfully engraved with my name and my motto (which I stole from Marshall Ulrich), "As far as I can, As fast as I can". On the back is my husband's name and cell number. Since Savannah I have worn it pretty much every day. I even contacted GoSportID to see if I could get different band sizes because the ones I received with mine are too large. Imagine my surprise and delight when they offered to send me, not one, but two different sizes of bands to make sure I got the right ones!



I was (and am) so impressed that I decided to do a review for everyone to see. I have one of those 'other' sport ID bracelets (in fact I had a second one that got lost in my running gear somewhere) and I even bought one for my husband. Our safety is important to us but so is our hygiene and those other bands soaked up sweat and trail dirt to quickly become discolored and smelly. We don't have this problem with our GoSport's. The band is silicone and comes clean with soap and water. Simple!



Speaking of bands, I am uber impressed with GoSport's color selections! You don't have to make up your mind which is great when you're indecisive like me! I can use pink when I feel girly, black when I feel hardcore, or change to any of the EIGHT! colores to match my outfit of choice for the day. And the best part is it's a simple 'slip on, slip off' process!

So if you or the runner in your life need a way to stay safe on the road please don't hesitate to order a GoSportID! With five choices of band sizes (S-XL) and a few choices of different ID's there is no reason anyone should fear running alone again!

Update: I am especially thankful for my GoSportID this Thanksgiving! My husband and I did a Turkey Trot this morning (look for a racing update post later!) but the race itself was pretty uneventful (if a PR can ever be uneventful!). However, the top finishers were posted very quickly and we realized we had just missed out on age group awards. So we decided to head home and get the holiday feasting started!

About ten minutes out from the race we slowed down to cross some railroad tracks. As we crossed them we heard what sound like an explosion. My husband and I both thought we'd blow a tire or something. I looked into the side mirror just in time to see car parts and glass go flying past us and the front end of a minivan skid to a halt beside us. Both my husband and I were sure we'd been hit.

We pulled over and as we stepped out I was already calling 911. The man driving the van jumped out and started demanding that I NOT call the police. He was obviously heavily intoxicated or high. My husband and I examined our vehicle and found no obvious damage so we locked ourselves in while we waited for the police.

Once the police arrived (and the railroad crew + wrecker to get him off the tracks) my husband and I stepped out to give witness statements. It turns out the drunk driver tried to say that he hadn't been the one driving and that a family member had been in the vehicle and had gone for help after the accident. My husband and I knew this wasn't true and the real story came out that he'd passed out at the wheel and woken up just in time to avoid hitting us, striking a telephone pole instead and ripping off the entire right undercarriage of his van.

Shaken but otherwise fine my husband and I made it home safely to our children and a Thanksgiving feast. However, I have never been more thankful for the small band and metal plate on my wrist. If that drunk driver had hit us, or if he had become violent when I refused to hang up on the 911 operator, we could have been identified and given medical treatment immediately. I don't think I'm ever taking my GoSportID off again!

Ringing in the Holidays with a new Tone!

LG recently offered me the opportunity to review one of their new products, the LG Tone (HBS-700) Wireless Stereo Headset. Of course, I jumped at the chance because I'm a technology junkie!



The LG Tone booklet says "The LG Tone Wireless Stereo Headset brings you the high-quality audio experience of stereo sound with the convenience of Bluetooth technology. Up to 10 hours of listening/talk time keeps you connected to your music and social life whenever you need it. With its unique around-the-neck wearing style and sleek design, LG Tone ensures your comfort throughout the day."

This little device is basically a do-it-all headset. You can connect with Bluetooth to your phone or iPod touch and then listen to your music while you go about your day or your workout. It's water resistant so you can sweat in it! Believe me, I sure did! When a call comes in it vibrates and you can then use the controls on the neckstrap to answer the call. And thanks to multi-connection capabilities you can listen to music from your iPod and not miss a call from your phone. You can even connect to your computer!

LG also offers the free (!!!!!) BT Reader application that allows you to listen to your text messages. I couldn't try this function out because I have an iPhone and it is only available for Android at the moment but I'm sure I'll love it when it makes its way to the iPhone platform!

So on to my personal experience with the LG Tone! I can be pretty technology-stupid sometimes. I love it but I can never figure out to use it! Thankfully the LG Tone didn't pose a problem for me. I pulled out my iPod and my LG Tone manuals and synched them up in about 60 seconds. It took me about 2 minutes to figure it out with my iPhone but even that went amazingly well for someone with my technological capabilities!

I promptly took it to the gym for a 3 mile treadmill run. I found that I could easily listen to my music without feeling like I was tied to the treadmill or that my earbuds would be painfully ripped out if I slipped too far away from my iPod on the console. The sound quality is excellent, better than my skullcandy earbuds. The only downside is the bouncing of the neckstrap. I found that focusing on keeping my stride smooth and my footstrike soft eliminated this problem (so maybe it's really a plus?). A couple 3 mile runs and a 7 miler later I am pretty sold on the LG Tone. I don't know if I'll keep using it for my outdoor runs because of the bounce factor but for treadmill runs and everyday activities I will definitely be using it plenty!

Overall, this is a great gift idea if you have an athlete with a penchant for electronic toys! I definitely recommend it if you're still looking for just the right gift!

Race and Relax

I'm a little ashamed it's taken me this long to write this. RnR Savannah (not sure if that should mean Rock n Roll or Race and Relax!) was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I definitely want to share it with everyone.

I won a free Race and Relax weekend through a blog giveaway. Lorraine over at Run Wifey Run! organized the getaway with about 20 women, most of whom were from the Atlanta area. I got to meet women representing Black Girls Run (pick up the December issue of Runner's World) and the American Cancer Society. I've never met such a varied yet friendly group of women!



We were treated like royalty from the moment we all met. At the race expo we were supposed to meet in a private room for a shirt and sign decorating party. Unfortunately this was derailed by the poor race logistics which caused most of our group to arrive late. I met three ladies from the Race and Relax group as they were headed out to the pre-race dinner. We took the ferry across the river to the restaurant, the Chart House.



At the chart house we were treated to an amazing dinner. I chose salmon and rice with asparagus. For dessert we were treated to a creme brulee style dessert.



To top it off we received a pre-race pep talk from John 'the Penguin' Bingham! I've never been so excited in my life! I could barely contain my excitement as I tweeted and Facebooked pictures of him standing not 15 feet from me. I was even more excited when Brad Nelson over at Allied Medal Hangers posted back that he was making custom hangers for John and his wife! I really hope he loved them!



The next morning the Race and Relax ladies were welcomed into the Hyatt for a private breakfast. Food and coffee plus chairs and a warm room to hang out in! What more could a runner want?! I spent lots of time chatting with my fellow runners and generally getting pumped for the race. It was a ton of fun! The room was open to runners after the race too but I didn't have enough time to enjoy it again.

After the race we met at the Pirate House for a post-race lunch celebration. It was absolutely amazing! We were treated to goody bags that included an amazing array of swag! There were personalized trophies, four (yes, four) additional shirts from Run Wifey Run and ACS, wine with a bottle opener and cap from the Wine Sisterhood, a Chica Band, a GoSportID with our running mantras and ICE information engraved on them, cereal from Attune Foods, SofSole inserts, CasCal soda, Degree women's deoderant, a pedometer, and body wash! We were also treated to an alcoholic beverage of our choice. I chose a margherita of course!











A pirate even showed up to our private dining room and threatened to plunder us all! Gasp! Of course, women runners don't stand for all that and we took him for all his booty! (insert evil laugh now)



I was so sad to say goodbye to this wonderful group of women. The upside is that we're going to get most of the group back together in D.C. in March! I hope that anyone who has thought about a Race and Relax weekend or thinks it sounds interesting now will sign up ASAP. It was so worth it!So my thanks goes out to Run Wifey Run and the gang for being part of the best (racing) weekend of my life! I can't wait to do it again!

Rockin' Savannah

I left Pittsburgh on Thursday after work. I drove to Rock Hill, SC and then stopped for the night. The next morning I drove the rest of the way to Georgia and found my host, Jen’s, house. She took me to lunch at Zaxby’s where I had an awesome buffalo chicken salad! I miss southern food more than anything after this weekend! Jen’s hospitality was above and beyond amazing and I feel so blessed to have gotten to spend the time with her that I did. I can’t wait to race near her again!



Friday evening the Race and Relax on the Road group was supposed to meet at the expo after gathering our bibs and packets so that we could decorate shirts and signs. The expo was located on a small island with a single bridge or a ferry as the only means on or off. It was a logistical nightmare and my Jeep came within minutes of running out of fuel before I got a parking spot about 1.5 miles from the actual expo center. I walked over and was already over a half hour late by the time I got in. I picked up my bib, packet, shirt, and swag (which were all separate tables). I stopped by the SPIbelt booth because they advertised a free SPIbelt for the first 5 people to show them the webpage at the expo. It turned out I was the first one so far to do so and I picked out an all-black belt for my husband since I already have a pink one. I advised the next couple people in line of the deal too. Good karma is always helpful on race day! I made it to the private room where we were supposed to be decorating just as a group of three women was leaving. They’d decided to just head to the restaurant and meet everyone there. I’m so glad I ran into them because we took the ferry off the island and walked to the restaurant together. I would have been lost if I was on my own!







Dinner was on the third floor of the Chart House which is right on the water in Savannah. The restaurant was gorgeous and the food was wonderful. I had salmon with rice and asparagus and for dessert they brought out a custard-type dish. To top it off John ‘The Penguin’ Bingham stopped by to give us all some encouragement! I seriously don’t know how I’m ever going to top that pre-race dinner!





The morning of the marathon I woke up at 3:30AM. I dressed (singlet, shorts, throwaways, and Hoka Bondi B’s) and headed for the Savannah Mall where shuttles were supposed to begin taking runners to the starting line at 4:45AM. I arrived early and there were only a few people waiting and the buses were just pulling in. Then the bus coordinator announced that they were moving the pick up to another location and wouldn’t be loading until 5:30AM. I thought there was about to be a riot. I rushed to my car and followed the buses to the new pick up point. I parked in the first spot I saw and ran for the line. Thankfully by this time it was almost 5:30 and they started loading runners. I got on the first bus and shivered myself warm while the remaining runners loaded. It turned out that the bus company RnR had contracted was out of Jacksonville, FL so they had NO idea where they were going. Our bus driver was on the phone with another driver and trying to read printed directions while driving. Finally a local man offered to read off the directions and let her know when the turns were coming up so she could focus on driving. I was pretty sure by this time that I would never do another Rock n Roll event.



We didn’t get to the starting line until 6:15 and then I had to rush to find the VIP room for the Race and Relax group at the (gorgeous!) Hyatt. I had half a muffin and a cup of coffee but my stomach was in knots so I decided to search for a restroom instead of hanging out. I jumped into a port-a-potty line near my corral just before 7AM. I figured I would have plenty of time before the 7:30 start considering I was in corral 15 (4:45 pace group) and the race volunteers said there would be 2-3 minutes between corral starts. I was wrong and I didn’t start until right around 8AM.



The race began while I was still in line and I watched as wave after wave started. Finally it was my turn and I was able to run out and jump in with what I believe was corral 19. I was behind the 5 hour pacer which drove me nuts but I kept telling myself it was okay and I would catch them when things thinned out. I concentrated on keeping my breathing easy and my pace under control. It was easy to go too fast with all the late starters who had just arrived from the buses and were trying to catch up to their pace groups and corrals. Runners were blowing by me at sub-8 minute miles while others were walking. It was complete mayhem and I wished they’d made an announcement that people who were walk/running should move to the side when walking. A lot of the new marathoners had no idea of common race courtesy and I had to swerve to avoid several collisions early on. I kept an eye on my splits and worried that I was going out too fast. I felt good and my breathing was easy though so I decided that being a slave to the Garmin was dumb and I would just go with what felt good.

My official splits were:
5k -32:47
10k – 1:04:58
10M – 1:44:31 (PR!)
Half – 2:17:31 (PR!)
20M – 3:34:35 (PR!)

The course went through some pretty rough neighborhoods and I felt amazed by the number of people who were obviously down on their luck that were out cheering as we went by. I decided to drop my Under Armour fleece in one of these neighborhoods in hopes that someone who needed it would pick it up.

The race spread out a little after about 6 miles so I was able to stabilize my pace just a little faster than goal and run strong through the half. I almost cried at miles 8-9 as there was mind blowing crowd support. The spectators were 10 deep for a mile just cheering and high fiving and holding funny signs. I was just blown away. This mile changed my mind on doing a Rock n Roll event again. Mile 8 alone made driving 1500 miles and dealing with all the logistical bull worth it!

I kept plugging along feeling great and slowing just enough to drink without choking or take a GU at aid stations. At mile 18 I started to cramp and I immediately wished I’d carried S!caps. I never felt like I broke a sweat and the weather was perfect so I’m not sure why I got so out of whack but all that matters is I did. Thankfully the next aid station had salt packets. I mixed two in a cup of water and chased that with a cup of plain water. I felt better within a mile but by then we were hitting the worst part of the course.

At mile 21 we took a highway off ramp onto the freeway and ran over desolate and windy overpasses for the next three miles. It was all just slightly uphill, maybe a 3-4% grade but my weary legs felt it. I still had enough left to stay at a comfortable jog but the headwinds were beating me back. This was no gentle breeze and my eyes and throat were stinging. I walked way more than I should have in this section but I was beginning to lose morale. The raised highway meant no aid stations, no music tents, and nowhere to hide from the battering winds.

We turned down the on-ramp just before mile 25 and were back on the streets of Savannah. I picked it up as best I could but it was still slightly uphill and my legs were telling me they weren’t having it. I looked at my watch and knew I could still take over an hour off my Pittsburgh time so I just focused on that. I rounded the bend into the shoot and pushed as hard as I could (10:24 pace for the last .32 according to my Garmin). I crossed the line and stopped my watch and then bawled like a baby. I’m pretty sure I frightened a few volunteers! I’d taken 1:00:15 off my previous marathon time!

My friend, Jen, was waiting for me and she just hugged me while I cried and cried. I couldn’t believe I’d done it! My absolute stretch goal was sub-4:40 (4:39:59 would have been great!) but the incline and headwinds at the end stole it away. I finished strong enough that I know I have that plus a lot more in me for the next one. I can’t believe the difference 6 months has made in my abilities and my training!
Long story short(er), I finished in 4:49:25, 3071/4722 overall, 1413/2473 women, 254/411 age group.



Of course, the first thing I did once home was submit my Marathon Maniacs application! I am now officially Maniac #4468! I am so proud to be a member of this community. I can’t tell you how many Maniacs have chatted with me and encouraged me during races. I just hope I can live up to the honor and pass along some of the knowledge that’s been given to me.

Next post, the actual race weekend! It was almost better than the race itself! It’s going to take me a little longer to process all the wonderful people I met and all the great happenings this weekend so I’ll have to work on that later. I would definitely sign up for another Race and Relax weekend and I hope that they will bring one north of the Mason-Dixon in the future but if not I will travel to them for sure!

Hocus Pocus?

Or should I say Hokas Pocus? Because I'm pretty sure these things are magical! And to boot (Haha, pun intended) they showed up on Halloween! What could be better?



Let me start with the standard disclaimer:
I bought these with my own money and I have not been urged or paid to say anything good about them. This is my own opinion so do with it what you will!

Now on to the good stuff!

These shoes are Hoka's road version of the Mafate trail shoe. I haven't tried the Mafate and I'm unsure if I will. The Bondi B's are lighter and slightly smaller (run about a 1/2 size small compared to Mafate) but still fit me in my regular size 8.5 with my thick socks.



When I pulled them out of the box the first thing I noticed was the thickness of the sole. I can't believe how tall I am wearing these! It made me a little nervous for stability but it turned out not to be an issue. The second thing I noticed was the awesome slogan "Time to Fly" tattooed on the inside of the sole. I definitely won't mind seeing that every time I lace up!

I found that the upper was flexible and didn't seem to need breaking in. My general rule is that if a shoe feels stiff I'm sending it back so I was glad to find my foot slid in easily and the upper conformed to my foot as I tied the laces. Speaking of the laces, they give you plenty! Not too much but not too little either. I could easily tie a reef knot and then double knot for security and still have about 1.5 - 2" of lace on either side. Pretty much perfect as far as I'm concerned! Lastly the tongue was soft and didn't dig into the bone on the top of my foot that sticks up (I believe it's the middle cuneiform but could be wrong!). Usually I end up lacing my shoes specially to avoid pressure on this bone but it wasn't necessary this time!

The collar of the Bondi B's wrapped my achilles snugly and didn't slide or rub. The heel counter formed easily around my heel and held it in place. I was happy I didn't need to stop to tighten my laces even once as sliding of my heel is usually a problem for me. This also indicated to me that the saddle (side of the midfoot) is consistent in tension and helps keep the foot from sliding which is great for blister prevention.

Overall I am thrilled with the construction and that's before I even made it out the door!

Once on the trail I wanted to go for an easy paced short run since I'm still recovering from overdoing it with weights plus a vicious illness that landed me in the hospital last week. Still not sure what it was so I didn't want to risk missing Savannah this weekend.

I started out behind another woman running on the trail and I focused on the feeling of the Bondi B's as I began to run. I felt like I was bouncing more on the 40mm of cushioning. I leaned forward a little and that bounce became forward propulsion. That was my 'AHA!' moment! I was gaining on the woman and I caught her quickly. Uh oh! I glanced at my Garmin and I was running 9:40 pace. Too fast!

I had to work to slow down and it took me about a mile to get the hang of nice and easy in the Hokas. "Time to Fly" sure is fitting! The rocker profile turns a midfoot landing into forward propulsion through the responsive midfoot foam sole and encouraged a faster turnover. I didn't feel unstable at all even moving faster than I wanted to and my feet stayed snugly nestled inside the recessed midsole.

Once I managed to slow down I could feel the Hoka's claim that they encouraged engaging the glutes and lower back. My tender muscles leftover from last week's issues didn't like this much but I can tell on a 'normal' run it will help me fight the muscle imbalances and fatigue that I've had. Since the glutes are the largest muscles and mine are woefully flat I am more than willing to give them a larger share of the workload!

I did 3 miles total and I wanted to do more but Savannah is looming! Overall I am excited to see what the Bondi B's can do for my running. I'm even thinking of taking them to Savannah. Is that crazy? :)

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