Love the Run

Recently I was asked, "Do you love where you live for running?" I wanted to respond with a resounding NO. I dream about living in Colorado or California and running in the mountains. I imagine being trapped between the mountains and the sea so I can run along both. I want altitude and heat and technical trails.

And then I realized.... A lot of people would love to live (and run) right where I'm at. So I decided to capture why western Pennsylvania and, especially our little slice of the Yough River, is so cool.


How many places can you run for tens of miles and catch glimpses like this the entire way?

 

Where else can I appreciate the destructive beauty of an acid mine drainage waterfall?

 

I eagerly anticipate the day I catch a glimpse of the beavers who built this dam.

 

 

I can run 10 miles and treat myself to an icy treat and then run back, all without touching a road.

 

And as Independence Day approaches I am reminded just how much history lies in these lands. In this ancient, forgotten cemetery lies soldiers of both the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Alongside them lay the family members who suffered through food shortages, loss of their men, disease, and war.

Some monuments remain tall while others are broken or missing completely.

Margaret E. aged 1 year, 1 month, and 10 days.

List of the soldiers from both wars interred here.

 

Yes, it's true. Pennsylvania is a beautiful place to live and run. It doesn't change my desire to explore far off places but it does remind me just how lucky I am to have all of this just outside my back door.

Surprise Improvements

This is the second year I've run the Jerry Maher Sr. Memorial 5k for Parkinson's Awareness. Last year I finished in 27:46. It's weird to think of that as a good time now.

This year I went into the race not remembering what I ran last year. I remembered the race and the course but I couldn't remember what I ran and I didn't really care. I have run about 40 miles so far this week and my legs are trashed. I'm four weeks out from Burning River 100 and all I can think about is tapering. So I hoped I'd pull a 25+ minute run out of my behind today. I would have been thrilled with 26-27 minutes too.

When we arrived I noticed every fast local runner was there. Heath, Emery, Dom, Rich, and Dana were all warming up and chatting around the starting area. I saw plenty of women that had that lean, hungry look that usually signifies speed that I didn't know by name as well. I figured I was well out of the awards at this point and just hoped I'd survive without walking.

Shane and I collected our bags and hung out in the car until 15 minutes before the 9am start. Then I did a quick warm up run up the road and back to see what my legs were going to give me today. I had an easy 9 minute mile pace on the uphill and no problem flashing 7's on the way back down so I decided to go out like I was actually racing and let my legs dictate the pace from there.

At the last minute, literally on the starting line, they announced that a tree had fallen on the course and a bridge was out so the course had been diverted and would be almost entirely new. I was a little ticked that this couldn't have been posted earlier, whether online or by sign at the race. I had definitely arrived early enough that I could have run the whole course as a warm up but I assumed I knew it already. Now I was flying blind.

After a couple false starts (no kidding, they actually pulled us back for that) we were finally off. The lead pack was gone in minutes and I was pretty much by myself. There was a group of young kids all around me and I kept waiting for them to die off but they never really did. Every time one fell off the back another one caught a second wind and took their place. I tried to ignore their uneven pacing and labored breathing and focus on running as evenly as I could. I figured even 7:50's would get me a PR but it was still a long shot.

Mile 1: 7:53

The second mile turned out to be a long, gradual uphill. I kept chugging along and hoping for it to end. And it finally did right as I hit mile 3.

Mile 2: 8:51

The third mile was pretty gentle and I picked up the pace. There were a few small out and backs with sharp turns to eat into my steady pace. By 2.5 I wanted nothing more than to stop and walk but there were some older guys urging on the young kids that were still hanging with me and I did not want to get beat by any of them. I started focusing on picking them off one at a time until the finish line was in sight.

Mile 3: 7:56

I didn't have much of a kick and just tried to hold on through the chute. I ended up with an official time of 24:40 for 43 overall and 2nd in my age group. Considering this was on dead legs and in 80 degree heat plus on a hilly course, I'll take it. If it weren't for that darned second mile of uphill I very well might have PR'ed. I can pretty much guarantee that, if I survive Burning River, my first 5k post-recovery is going to blow my previous times out of the water.

Wave Sayonara Review

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno.

I've been dying to try Mizuno shoes since they came out with the Mezamashii project. I was stuck in the same old brands and the same support and the same cushioning for years. I stuck with what worked for me but I still wanted to explore all the new technology and innovation. So when Mizuno offered to let me try out the new Wave Sayonara I jumped at the chance (pretty much literally!).

 

The Sayonara will replace the Wave Precision and Wave Elixir. It is supposed to be a hybrid between the two, between cushioning and lightweight speed. The perfect blend I suppose for runners like me who like to run long but also race often.





The technology is based on waveforms and force dispersion (ever thrown a rock into a pond and watched the ripples spread?). The name of it is U4ic. This new midsole foam reduces weight without giving up the cushioning and impact reduction. The toe box is also wider (thankfully for me!) and the upper (the mesh part over your toes and forefoot) has almost no stitching to prevent blisters and chafing plus make the shoe more flexible. The insole was also upgraded for comfort. The women's shoe weighs in at a mere 7.1 ounces. For the men, you'll be carrying 8.1 ounces.

Coolest tread pattern ever!

 

 

Enough technical talk. What everyone really cares about is how do they feel? The truth is....

 

 

 

They feel like marshmallows or maybe clouds. I've been running in minimalist shoes since last year and the feeling of 10mm of cushion under my heel threw me for a loop at first. The 10mm drop on this shoe is slightly more than I would desire but it's extremely low for a Mizuno (most are 12+mm).

 

Once I got over the initial feelings of falling forward I began to feel... springy. I really don't know how else to describe it. It was like I was being propelled forward and had more bounce in my step. It's definitely not an unpleasant feeling. I think these shoes will be a permanent addition to my rotation after Burning River. It's a little too close for me to do more than short runs in these right now but I'm dying to test them against a half marathon later this summer!

 

The Sayonara will hit the markets early in July 2013 and will retail for $119.99. I'd say they are definitely worth a shot if you are a neutral runner. They are also advertised for slight pronation and supination. So if you're old trainers are feeling a little flat be on the lookout for the launch of these puppies soon!

 

 

Even toddlers know comfort (if not left and right)

Back To Back Halves

Part 1: Fox Township
This weekend I was feeling frisky. Well, actually I was feeling fed up, anxious, and antsy thanks to a bout of shin pain that cut my weekly mileage short. Shane and I were already signed up for the Fox Township Bicentennial Half Marathon on Saturday so I just hoped I would survive without too much pain.

We woke up at 2:30 am on Saturday morning (no, that's not a typo) and left at 3:30 am to make the 3 hour drive to Elk County, passing such wonderful towns as Weedville and Lickingville. We made it just after 6:30 and picked up our packets and shirts. Our goody bags contained 3 Gatorades and 3 Gu flavors. Can't beat that for a $20 race!

Around 7:30 we were all herded onto school buses and taken to the start line (point to point course). Rumor has it that some people misunderstood and showed up at 8 for buses that were already gone!

 

During the 20-ish minute drive to the starting line Shane and I noticed that we were doing an awful lot of up and down. There is no elevation chart on the site and I don't feel like trying to find USGS data so you'll have to take my Garmin's word for it. However, the hills at the end felt much bigger than they look here!

 

 

We were dropped off in Big Springs on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and shortly after we lined up at a spray painted line and a guy yelled 'Go'! My shins were already giving me grief from step one and I was starting to worry that I'd made the wrong decision in running the half. I tried to hold my pace down as people took off ahead of me. There were overweight men, old ladies, and young kids just leaving me in their dust and I wanted to cry.

 

The first couple miles I wanted to just quit but I was in the middle of the mountains and forest and I hated to miss another day of training with Burning River approaching so rapidly. My shin pain started to fade, however, which brightened my outlook considerably as I approached the turn around (we started on a side road, turned left onto the main road for a couple miles, and then turned around and ran up the main road for the rest of the race).

 

Miles 1-4: 9:49, 10:27, 11:17, 10:19

 

 

Around mile 5 I started to feel good and began to pick up the pace. I caught a couple stragglers and set my sights on the next few women in front of me. I would reel them in and then run next to them for awhile until I felt ready to go after the next one.

 

Miles 5-7: 9:41, 8:55, 8:29

 

Around mile 8 the woman I was running near suddenly stopped and told the man she was running with that she felt like she couldn't breathe. The heat was pretty oppressive by that point and she was wearing all black. I instantly lost all competitive spirit and stopped to walk with her and offered her my handheld. Thankfully it seemed to revive her and as we approached the mile 8 water stop she started to run again. We ended up running most of the next 4 miles together and she even took a picture of me while we were walking up a hill.

 

 

Miles 8-12: 10:59, 8:59, 12:41, 10:35

 

As we neared the finish line we left the countryside and began to run along residential lots. The houses all had a lot of acreage but the trees had been cleared meaning there was very little shade. The last 5k was tough with lots of rolling hills and temperatures nearing 90*F or more. Some nice folks set up beer stops in the last couple miles. I gladly drained my cup at both stops.

 

 

As I reached mile 12 I realized I wasn't doing too badly despite the heat and decided to see if I could get 2:10. I was trying to pace it just right and as I approached the last turn a woman told me I was less than half a mile from the finish. I must have lost GPS signal in the trees because I had figured I had about half or three quarters left. I kicked into gear and cruised into the finish, catching one more woman before I crossed the line. Official time: 2:11:32

 

Mile 13: 8:47

 

 

 

I ended up 54th overall and 2nd in my age group. We also won two door prizes, a bunch of Gatorade and a hat. Overall, I'm thrilled with my performance. The last time I ran a half this hilly I was almost 20 minutes slower and it about killed me. This time I could have kept going and kind of wanted to. Which lead me to Sunday.....

 

Part 2: Peace, Love, Run

I knew I wanted to do a long run Sunday and I preferred to do it with people rather than by myself. I've really had enough of running by myself at this point. So I set my alarm for 5:30am knowing there were two group runs or a half marathon within an hour drive. I surprised myself when my alarm went off and I rolled right out of bed.

 

I chickened out of the group runs knowing that I might not be able to keep up on dead legs and I didn't want to be lost in Pittsburgh. I decided to go for the Peace Love Run Half Marathon (advertised as 13.22 miles?) thinking I could run some trails or another loop of the lake after I finished. My aunt and uncle were both volunteering at the race so that added incentive too. I hustled out the door with only coffee in my hand and inwardly groaned when I noticed it was already 70*F at 6am.

 

I made it to North Park with little time to spare and ended up parking a little over a quarter mile from the registration table. I jogged in and registered quickly and then checked my race bag and shirt since I was out of time. Thankfully my aunt was working the bag check so that saved me time! I then lined up for the port-a-johns and made it out just as the mass migration to the starting line began.

 

I lined up farther back than I normally would and missed the fact that there were no starting mats, despite chip timing and a large number of entrants, so my Garmin splits are probably way off. As I started I wanted to see how close I could get to yesterday's time. I could feel the heat picking up by the minute and I worried how bad it would get on a course with much less shade than yesterday's half.

 

Miles 1-4: 9:38, 10:13, 9:44, 10:03

 

It didn't take me long to decide to back off the pace and just enjoy the run. I was running beside another woman and we were chatting about the heat and our recent races when I heard footsteps behind us. A cheery woman asked if we minded if she joined us and we assured her we didn't. She told me this was her first race (not first half, first RACE) and she'd started running in January. She had also lost an awesome amount of weight in that time. I instantly liked her so we stuck together.

 

Miles 5-8: 10:28, 10:11, 11:44, 11:40

 

Around mile 7 it was pretty obvious my new friend was hurting. She began to take more walk breaks and linger longer at water stops. She kept encouraging me to leave her but I really didn't care about time. I was more excited to see her first finish. It brought back so many memories of my first half marathon and I remembered clearly all the pain and doubt of those final miles. I encouraged her and tried to be patient without letting her go slower than necessary (I hope I wasn't too pushy).

 

Miles 9-12: 12:54, 12:02, 14:19, 13:15

 

Once we were less than a mile from the end I started to push her a little harder. I told her everyone on the course was hurting (I was hurting) and the best way to end the torture was to get to the finish line. I pushed the pace on our running sections and tried to walk a little faster when she needed a break. Even though it was obvious she was really suffering she took it like a champ and ran the last quarter mile non-stop.

 

Mile 13: 11:53

Last .22 (0.34 by Garmin): 9:45 pace

 

I crossed the line in 2:31:38 and she finished 2 seconds behind me. We collected medals and ice cold water bottles and then I gave her a high five. She really earned her medal and I had a blast helping (I hope) her do it!

 

 

My official finish results are 157/181 overall and 26/35 age group. It may be my slowest half time yet but I wouldn't trade it for anything! It was way more fun than any other half I've run so far.

 

 

 

 

Kona Kase Review

How many times have you seen a new granola bar, energy gel, healthy snack, or recovery drink on the market and wanted to try it? Have you ever looked at a product online and clicked away without buying for fear of ending up with another case of something you hate? Do you wish you could try samples of everything until you find out what works for you?

I know I sure do. I have a pantry shelf full of protein bars, whey powder, granolas, energy gels, and other supplements and snacks meant to improve my performance and fill in the gaps in my nutrition. The problem is that I never know if something will work for me until I try it... and then I'm stuck with the leftovers if it doesn't. Until now!

Kona Kase offered to send me a sample Kase and I jumped at the chance. What is a kase? Well, it's a financial and nutritional miracle in box delivered once a month.

 

For just $15 a month one of these boxes will show up on your doorstep every month. Inside you will find a smorgasbord of healthy samples. This month I received a KIND bar, a bag of Half Pops popcorn, Mama Chia chia squeeze pack, 18 Rabbits granola bar, a Clif Shot energy gel, a One Bar fruit bar, a Dr. Will bar, and an Osmo active hydration mix packet. Also inside were a card with a motivational quote (wouldn't that be perfect when you're having trouble getting out the door) and a grading card so you can keep track of what you like or dislike from each kase.

 

In the future, Kona Kase will be offering the ability to purchase the products you love right from their website. The best part is they offer multi-month programs and the ability to cancel your subscription at any time without penalty. You can also earn rewards by referring friends using your own personalized link.

 

So, if you're ready to sample 'til your heart's content, then sign up risk-free and give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter. You'll save a bundle, get to try out the hottest products, and perfect your nutrition in one handy little package!

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample by Kona Kase for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Red Dress Run

I found out there was a Red Dress Run happening in Pittsburgh through Facebook. I've been meaning to get to a hash run for years and I'd even looked at a Red Dress Run in Washington, D.C. but hadn't been able to make it. Every couple months I look up the local Hash House Harriers club and try to figure out ways that I could actually make it to one of their runs. So when it came up that this one was on a Saturday afternoon I couldn't resist checking it out.

I went to the mall on Friday and looked for leftover prom dresses on the clearance racks. I found this beauty (disaster) for a whopping $6.99!

On Saturday morning I finally managed to convince Shane to join me. I ran out to Walmart and bought him a red beach coverup dress to run in. I barely made it back to the house in time to get us ready and out the door but we made it to Bella Notte in the Strip District right on time.

We were immediately introduced to Rotten and Squirrelio and a few others. I was instructed to introduce myself as 'Just Sara' so the regulars would know I was a 'new boot'. Shane went to make the donations for us and change. The run was benefitting a member recovering from a traumatic arm injury. The cost was only $20 and a little pride.

I ordered a beer and started chatting with some of the regulars. They were very friendly and welcoming. Once I started to look around I noticed the looks on the faces of people walking by and I couldn't help furtively snapping pics of their expressions. The best part was that Pittsburgh Pride, an Adam Lambert concert, and the Arts Festival were all going on at the same time so for us to be the most shocking thing these people had seen all day was awesome.

About an hour after the specified 'start' time everyone had finally arrived and was inebriated enough to begin. We had a 'circle' to start off where the 'new boots' were made to stand apart and introduce themselves while the members yelled things at us. The course markings were also explained.

 Back checks, false path, arrows, and Beer nears!

 

circle

 

As soon as everyone had some understanding of what we were up to it was time to run. We headed right down the middle of the road, stopped traffic and crossed into a parking lot where I followed my first false trail. I got to jump some concrete jersey barriers and run across a field to catch up to my husband with the lead group.

 

 

We were up and down steps, around fountains, and in and out of alleys before we finally ended up at the first beer stop, a tiny bar that didn't even have a sign right next to the stage where Adam Lambert was doing his sound check for the finale of the Pride Parade!

 

 

I grabbed a drink and hung out watching the sound check and talking to some of the members. I met many runners with crazy names such as Sock Puppet, Spermit, Betty Crockashit, Dinosoreass, and Donkey Ho Te. I've never met such crazy adults in my life! I totally fit right in!

 

Beer Stop #1

 

After about a half hour we headed out again. Through tunnels, over fences, and through fields. People were clapping and cheering as the herd of 60-ish runners in red dresses ran through. I kept waiting for the police milling around to start grabbing us and writing citations but they seemed more amused than anything. And no one ever did answer my question about who carries the bail money...

 

 

The second beer stop was the Tilted Kilt and we spent quite a long time there eating fries and mozzarella sticks and drinking. We overtook most of the patio and the back room and I guess we scared off a birthday party because they left their signs behind. 'Look Who's Old', 'Happy Birthday', and '65' were all conveniently already stapled to sticks. So instead of pace signs we now had birthday signs as we headed out for beer stop 3.

 

 

 

The third beer stop ended up being someone's apartment. We congregated outside and a folding table and a keg were brought out. There were also chips, cookies, and water. Unfortunately it was getting rather late and we needed to pick up our kids soon. So Shane and I missed out on the rest of the hash and headed back to our car.

 

Wonder (Woman) Unders?

 

Overall, I would say this was an awesome experience. Next time I get the opportunity I will know to leave Shane at home with the kids (he wasn't really into running around downtown in a dress and bar hopping) so I can stay for the whole time. I will also know better than to stick with the lead group. I ended up with 6.75 miles during what was supposed to be a 4-5 mile run thanks to following every false trail and check. (Not that I minded!) Finally, I will know to carry cash and my ID. I only had one beer and spent the rest of the time drinking pop and water. The one waitress even tried to card me for a Pepsi!

 

So, if you've ever thought about going to a hash or if drinking and running sound like the perfect day to you then I highly recommend looking up your local chapter and going all in! Just don't wear new shoes for your first hash... take my word on it.

 

Wordless Wednesday

Well, I actually have a word for what I found in my mailbox today....

 

Something along the lines of YEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

 

I also have a word for what I almost ran over on my first run in my new 'The One' shoes too...

 

 

But it's not really appropriate for here.

Alpha Fitness 5k

After the Laurel Highlands Ultra relay yesterday (where I ran 24.5 miles of brutal, technical trail) my plan was to rest, nap, hydrate, eat, and pretty much do nothing today. I had gotten home somewhere around 1am and by the time I showered and crawled into bed it was nearly 2. I woke up to Shane getting ready for a local 5k at around 6:30 and rolled right back over. About an hour later my phone wouldn't stop ringing and I finally gave in and answered.

Shane begged me to come down to the Alpha Fitness Highway to Healthy 5k. There were only 20-some people there and he thought I could win. I told him he was nuts since I already had major mileage on my legs from the All Stars Week mileage game. I was just ready to go back to bed when the little voice in the back of my mind said, "Three more miles could only help your miles game team. You don't have to race."

So I threw on some clothes and my trusty Altra Torins. I didn't have time to do anything with my hair so I added a hat as well. No phone, keys, water, or anything besides my cup of coffee. I walked out the door and jogged down to the path. I found Shane and we got me registered. I drank my coffee and fretted about the burning scrapes on my leg from yesterday's relay tumble and the aches I've already accumulated this week.

The race started a few minutes late and I lined up right up front. So much for not racing huh? I know from past experience that sometimes just showing up is enough to win in a small race. So I went for it. The horn sounded and I took off with the front pack. There were two men and a woman just in front of me. The men were pulling away but the woman was running my pace. I pulled up shoulder to shoulder with her and just hoped to hang on.

Mile 1: 7:50

As we approached the turn around I could feel the fatigue of all the heavy mileage settling in. It didn't seem to matter how hard I pushed or how fast I turned over my legs. There was just no power left in my toe off and my pace began to slip. I high-fived my husband, who was leading, and then turned back toward the start. I saw the third woman was about a minute behind me and that gave me enough of a rush to keep moving despite slowly losing the lead woman.

Mile 2: 8:30

In the third mile I would have walked if our friend, Jennifer, hadn't been in third place and gaining on me. I kept glancing over my shoulder and she would be a little closer every time. The jolt of adrenaline would improve my pace for a moment and then my body would begin to shut down again. I told myself I just had to hang on for second place. I would never forgive myself if I let Jennifer catch me now.

Mile 3: 8:50

I saw the finish line ahead and I took one more glance over my shoulder. Jennifer was only 20 or so seconds back now so I pushed as best as I could. That ended up being 8:30 pace for the last .13 miles but it was just enough. Jennifer finished 8 seconds behind me.

Final time: 26:21

5th overall, 2nd woman, 1st in the 20-29 age group. I also won a gift card for a manicure and pedicure in the chinese auction. They only give awards for the 1st overalls and the first in each age group so I got a smaller trophy for my age group win. Shane won overall and got a huge trophy!

Just goes to show it's all about who shows up!

Our friends

(Shane and Emory in the back. Me, Jennifer, Lukas, Melanie, and Carina in the front.)

Got trophy?

Swag

Laurel Highlands Ultra Relay

A couple weeks ago my friends posted on Facebook that they were looking for a few more runners for the Laurel Highlands Ultra Relay. The Laurel Ultra is a 70.5 mile race on a wilderness trail with difficult footing, steep grades, logs, rocks, and mud. There are 8 aid stations along the course, four of which are checkpoints and relay exchanges. So of course I volunteered!

Friday night I drove out to Seven Springs and found the condo where our teams would be staying. We had ended up with enough people to form two teams. John, Kam, Alisa, Sunshine, and I were to make up Team 1. Mike, Steph, Kelly, Rob, and Michelle were to make up Team 2. Relay runners who were not currently running were going to volunteer at the 26 mile aid station.

When I arrived at the condo I found out that Michelle had not been able to make it. Some quick restructuring led to the decision that Mike would run leg 1 and 5 for their team. We also decided that I would be the transport person since I was the anchor runner for my team.

So after an awesome potluck dinner and some beers I hit the sack around 10PM. Mike and John woke me up around 4 or 4:30am and I dressed in my Altra tank, INKnBURN shorts, and Altra Torins. We headed out to drop off Mike's car at the first relay exchange point (mile 19.3) and then I drove them to the starting line. I picked up the bibs and shirts for the rest of our runners and then watched the 5:30am race start. I saw a couple friends and chatted for a bit before heading back to the condo. I picked up coffee on the way which was surprisingly okay for gas station brew.

The coffee did the trick and everyone was up and moving shortly after my return to the condo. Alisa and Sunshine loaded our van to set up the 26 mile aid station while I followed Kam and Steph to the second relay exchange point (32.3 miles) to leave their car and then drove them back to the first checkpoint to wait for John and Mike. Thankfully I got them there just in the knick of time! John crushed the first leg, finishing at about 10am. Mike wasn't far behind coming in around 10:30.

view from the road to Laurel Mountain summit

Leg 1 elevation profile

I rushed back to follow Kelly to the third exchange to leave her car and then drive her and Alisa to their starting point. Once again our runners were rocking and their relief didn't have to wait long. I drove back to the aid station where Mike asked if I would run two legs instead of one. I agreed and we decided Rob would run my 5th leg for Team 1 and I would run legs 4 and 5 for Team 2.

Leg 2 elevation profile

 

I was suddenly out of time now that there wasn't another leg between me and my run. I rushed to the exchange point and then helped patch up incoming solo runners until Kelly arrived. I grabbed two handhelds, one with Gatorade and one with water, and headed out to tackle leg 4.

 

A runner I helped out at mile 46

 

Leg 3 elevation profile

 

The trail is almost entirely single track and technical. I took one good tumble about a mile into my first leg. The runner behind me let out a little curse and hurried to make sure I was okay. It must have looked pretty epic but I was okay aside from some scrapes. I averaged right around a 13 minute mile and arrived at the last relay point in around 2:20. My team had dumped my bag at the checkpoint with a headlamp in it so I quickly stuffed my arm warmers and one handheld in the bag and took the light with me. I talked to Rob, who was waiting for Sunshine, quickly and then headed out again.

 

Scraped up

 

Leg 4 elevation profile

 

I once again maintained about a 13 minute per mile average until it started to get dark. As the shadows lengthened it became harder to see the rocks and I began twisting my ankles more and more. I let fear get the better of me because I'm not willing to get injured before Burning River 100 so I slowed to a walk. A couple times I tried to run again but I'd quickly slip or trip and decide it wasn't worth it. I averaged about a 19 minute mile over the last 4 miles.

 

Beautiful and brutal single track

 

Leg 5 elevation profile

 

I finally popped out at the finish line where I found Sunshine waiting for me. We ate some chili and chatted with other runners until Rob finished about 15 minutes later. All total I ran about 24.5 miles in 5:52. Sunshine drove Rob and I back to Rob's car at the last exchange point and then Rob drove me back to my car. I was a little sad to say goodbye to the last of my teammates but I was ready to go home.

 

Finding this on the back of my Jeep this morning did help though:

 

Overall, I'd say it was a good day. I had about 50+ miles on my legs going into this relay and I only expected to run about a half marathon. Being able to handle the unexpected bonus miles made me feel really good about my current fitness level. And I have to say my first relay experience has left me ready for more. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again!

 

Shirt

 

Treadmill Troubles

As a mom of two and wife of a night shift worker, not to mention Pennsylvania native, I am often confined to the treadmill. This week was the end of my poor hamster wheel though. *insert sad face here*

Between Shane and I the treadmill has survived 3,500 miles of pounding in just three years. Sometime last night it decided to expire. I called the manufacturer and took off the hood to access the insides. What I found was complete carnage. Our newly replaced drive belt is already fraying apart. The roller pins are bent, almost broken. The walking belt is destroyed and ready to break at any moment. And the electronics are going haywire. It only turns on every few tries and in between it flashes random numbers and words, even while in the off position.

 Little pieces of our new drive belt everywhere.

 

 

Bent roller and more shredded belt.

 

So now we are relegated to outside running or no running at all while we search for an industrial strength treadmill that won't break our budget. Hopefully we will find one soon!

 

 

In the meantime, the outdoors is offering up challenges of its own. Oh boy!