Light a Fire Under Your Butt New Year's Giveaway and Raffle!

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! Now that we're all looking to 2012 and planning bigger and better things it's time to start the New Year off right! And to do that I'm doing the biggest giveaway yet!

To start off you may remember my review of GoSportID. This is an awesome start up company and a wonderful product! I'm rocking my purple band today! You can check out their products here! GoSportID was kind enough to donate TWO $25 gift cards to our giveaway! So enter to win and start picking your personalized inscription!



Next up is every runners dream for carrying necessities like a phone, keys, ID, or gels. If you don't know SPIbelt, you should! I wore a pink SPIbelt for my 50 miler and I was so impressed I got another one for my husband (look for a full review coming soon!). SPIbelt was generous enough to donate TWO SPIbelts, a red and a blue! Believe me when I say you NEED one of these! They don't bounce or chafe and they carry a TON of stuff!



For the ladies, I had to get something special! Who doesn't love to be stylish on the run?! BIC Bands blew me out of the water by donating a DOZEN of their newest sparkle bands! If you haven't tried these out yet you won't be disappointed! They stay put, look amazing, and part every purchase is given back to charity! You can check out which charity they are working with this month by following them on FaceBook or on Twitter using @BICBands! The packages of BIC Bands will include Minnie Sparkle Apple Green, Minnie Sparkle Blue, Minnie Sparkle Fuschia, Minnie Sparkle Peacock, Minnie Sparkle Petal Pink, Skinny Sparkle Apple Green, Skinny Sparkle Aqua, Skinny Sparkle Black, Skinny Sparkle Gunmetal, Skinny Sparkle Orange, Skinny Sparkle Petal Pink, and Skinny Sparkle White! Check out the amazing color, Peacock, below!



Now, for all you race junkies I have something totally mind blowing! I have been in love with Allied Medal Hangers for a long time now. In fact my husband just bought me number 4 for Christmas! Allied's hangers are laser cut from stainless steel and they are STURDY. Between my husband, older daughter, and I we have crammed medals onto these until we can't fit anymore and they don't bend or sag under the weight! They hold a huge amount of medals too! You have got to check out all the photos on their FaceBook page! The one I just got for Christmas is below followed by a (really bad) picture of our other three! The winner of the medal hanger will get their choice so go drool now!





Last but not least I have a product I've been dying to try out, the Wind X-treme. You can use the WDX like a cap, headband, scarf, balaclava, mask, wristband, or a million other ways! Disclaimer: This product was not donated! I purchased it for the purpose of this giveaway and I haven't even tried mine out yet but it looks awesome!



So now you're wondering how you get a chance to get your hands on all this great stuff right?! Well here's your answer! To comply with regulations I can't *require* you to pay anything to enter so here's how I'm going to skirt the issue!

Ways to enter without purchase! Leave a comment for each one:
- Follow my blog or tell me if you already do*
- Follow or like each of the awesome product sites above on Twitter and/or FaceBook and leave a comment for each one*
- Post this giveaway on FaceBook, DailyMile, Twitter and/or any other social media site and leave a comment telling me where*

*To make this a little harder there is only ONE free entry per person. After that you can add one free entry for each dollar you donate!

How to get all the entries you want!
- Donate to my IAFF Burn Fund page.
- Donate $50 or more up until midnight January 31, 2012 and earn DOUBLE entries (multiple donations over the period will be added together).
-If you already donated leave me a comment telling me so I can match up your donation with your entries!

*For every dollar you donate you get one entry. And for every dollar you donate you can also do one more of the free entries so you build your chances!

Entries will close January 31 at midnight. I will draw winners using Random.org on February 1. Good luck!

Thank you so much for helping me remember my father in a tangible way!

If you would be interested in donating a product for future giveaways and/or fundraising please email me at sbrunazzi (at) gmail.com!

Nutrition for Runners

I recently had a conversation with a runner who is coming back from a stress fracture. The conversation really got to me when another runner stated that supplements are useless and users are just wasting their money. I can't help but believe that supplements are an important part of an athlete's diet and I'll explain why.

Today I woke up and hit the snooze button on my alarm. Once I actually dragged myself out of bed I was in serious danger of being late for work. I threw together an outfit and a lunch. Then I grabbed a granola bar as breakfast as I headed out the door. A stop at Starbucks rounded out the 'most important meal of the day' for me. Around 10:30 I started to feel hungry so I had some tuna on crackers and then I went to the gym and did what I do best. I ran! Afterwards, I had a bowl of cottage cheese at my desk. Later in the afternoon I had a banana. Dinner consisted of chinese food since I was late. Thankfully, I take my multivitamin and a few supplements consistently and the last round of blood work I had done showed I was lacking in nothing but iron. (Thanks blood loss!) I am a firm believer in a daily vitamin on top of a generally healthy diet!

If you are anything like me, and I dare you to say that you don't commit these same crimes against nutrition, then you are going to be missing something (or several somethings) from your diet. And when athletes are missing key nutrients or vitamins bad things happen, like my fellow runner's stress fracture. Sure fresh is best and nature beats man-made and all that but, unless you are extremely disciplined and monitor everything you put in your mouth, a supplement is your safeguard!

That's why I'm pleased to be able to introduce Centrum's line of ProNutrients. ProNutrients is a line of dietary supplements formulated to work with your multivitamin. Centrum also introduced a new line of multivitamins to meet specific needs. You can choose from Prenatal, Vision, Energy, or Heart blends.



The ProNutrients line includes Omega-3, Probiotic, and Fruit & Veggie. Omega-3 provides vital EPA and DHA in a smaller-than-average and easy to swallow pill. Fruit & Veggie blends grapes, blueberries, raspberries, plums, carrots, and tomatoes to support cell protection with antioxidents. The Probiotic blend contains healthy, active bacteria to support digestion and immune health. With the right knowledge and support anything, especially nutrition, is possible!



To get started with the Centrum line print off the $5 coupon at ProNutrient's FaceBook page. Or you can just post a comment telling me your thoughts on your nutrition and what you're missing for a chance to win the ProNutrient product of your choice. I'll pick a winner on January 14. Complete giveaway rules can be found here.

To enter simply do the following and leave a comment for each one you complete:
-Follow my blog
-Tell me something you're missing in your diet
-Follow Centrum on FaceBook
-Follow me on Twitter (@warriorprncss3)
-Post this giveaway on your social media sites using #NutritionPossible

Alright, have fun and stay healthy! Good luck!

Disclosure: I am participating in a Centrum ProNutrients campaign hosted by One2One Network. I received nutritional product and compensation. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Centrum ProNutrients as a product or it's effectiveness.

Motivation, or the Lack Thereof

The holidays are in high gear and so is all the craziness that goes with them. I’ve been doing really well the past four weeks in training for the Umstead 100 Mile Endurance Run. I haven’t skipped a run or even a single mile. Now, in week five, I’m facing a sudden mountain of doubts and a loss of motivation. It’s not easy to keep up with being a wife, mother, employee, student, and runner (blogging isn’t a chore so I won’t list it!). I’m fighting to write and mail cards, find the perfect last minute gifts to round out my shopping, bake some goodies, and our tree is still only half decorated. The bottom half at that because that’s all the higher my daughter could reach. Yes, I made my kid decorate so I didn’t have to!



I pushed through the first two days of this week and went to the gym despite not feeling any desire to do so. Today I realized I hadn’t gotten my coworkers anything and I felt guilty. So I skipped my lunch run and bought a pack of cards and some lottery tickets. I spent the remainder of my time filling them out and putting them in envelopes. I’m sure my coworkers are happy, at least one got a winner so far, but I’m angry and disappointed with myself. What a cop out! I could have bought cards and lottery tickets on the way home and done that tonight with a glass of wine while the kids slept. Now I’ll be trying to motivate myself to hit the treadmill instead.



I love running for a lot of reasons and the feeling of accomplishment after a run is not the least of them. So why am I so unmotivated? I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s the sense of impending failure. I’ve already attempted one hundred miles once and failed so why should this time be different? I’ve never failed at any other distance. I’ve always succeeded on the first try even if it wasn’t pretty. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m sacrificing forming relationships over lunch with coworkers to hit the gym instead. It’s also entirely possible that I’m really good at sabotaging myself for no good reason.



I’ve got 14 weeks left (and 4 days, but who’s counting?) to get my body and mind ready to run 100 miles. I know I need to put in the training. I’ve punished myself by running marathons and ultras under-trained. I know I can’t make 100 miles on my current fitness level. I also know that I want that buckle more than any other medal or trophy in my growing collection. It’s not about winning, it’s not about beating anyone except myself.

So I’m going to get out of my own head and just do it. I’m putting it out there now. Unless I am injured or VERY sick I will not miss a mile. I might rearrange the days within a week to meet situations that arise (switching long runs from Saturday to Sunday has happened twice already) but I won’t sabotage my chances just because ‘I don’t feel like it today’. I know tomorrow it will be easier to skip if I start today and the only runs I will regret are the ones I didn’t do.

If you don’t see a post from me tonight with 5 miles DONE please come track me down and drag me kicking and screaming out the door. Words of encouragement, words of eternal damnation in runners’ purgatory, whatever you’ve got for me, just throw them out there! I need every bit of help I can get!

Goodbyes

I'm almost to the end of my 26th year of life. It's been a great year for the most part. I celebrated my one year wedding anniversary, I have run 32 races, I have seen my babies grow to 6 and 1 years old, and I have made a ton of new friends both at my new job and outside of it. I've also been given an extraordinary amount of opportunities. I ran half of 2011 for Team reGen and enjoyed every moment of it! Now I have been offered FitFluential ambassadorship and a Nike wear testing position. A girl could not ask for more!

However, there is always the downside. 'Friends' who don't understand my running, blogging, and busy lifestyle have drifted away. I don't mind the gradual distancing so much. Sometimes it's easier that way. What I do mind is the people who have become downright ignorant, even rude, in the way they approach me. I'm realizing that even though I post exactly what I'm doing, thinking, feeling, that people don't react equally.



Some people seem to regard me as some kind of super-athlete. This is confusing to me because I post about my training and how slow I am. My mileage is extremely low compared to most ultra runners and that explains why I'm a mid-pack finisher at best. I don't mind these friends because I hope that I encourage them to push their boundaries the way my idols have encouraged me.

A few people have been less pleasant in their reactions. They have become snarky or begun to give me the cold shoulder as if I am somehow beneath them. People who used to text me just to say hello stopped responding to any form of communication. Friends who used to join me for a 20 mile run in the woods stopped inviting me at all. I don't get a 'Happy Holidays' post on FaceBook or an invite to events. And at first, it bothered me.

Then I realized something. My time is valuable. I am valuable. I don't have to be treated that way and I don't have to keep going back for more. There's a reason FaceBook and Twitter have the means to unfriend or unfollow. There's a reason you can block phone numbers and emails. I don't have to read their pages and comments.



This epiphany set me free. I stopped wasting my time waiting for these people to realize I'm still the same person. If they feel I've changed for the worse they had a responsibility as a friend to say so in a kind way. Their choice not to communicate their feelings belies their claims of friendship and proves them unworthy of my consideration.

I am lucky. Total strangers have helped me in times of need. Friends that I've barely seen since highschool have wished me health and happiness for holidays, birthdays, and no reason other than to say hello. Thanks to the generosity of family and friends and teammates I've never met I have been able to raise $410 for the IAFF Burn Fund in only 5 days.

For 2012, my 27th year, I am grateful for the true friendships I've formed. I'm thankful for the faith and generosity of total strangers. I am truly blessed to have family that will let me run for 2-5 hours every weekend to get ready for a race that will take me away from home for an entire weekend. I'm thankful for total strangers who have offered me training advice and offered to come to the race and pace me without ever having met me. Lastly, I am thankful for the friends that I have yet to meet. I know they will be some of the best yet if the past year has been any kind of taste of what's to come!

What will you do with your 2012? Will you continue to let people tell you what your limits are? Or will you go out and find them yourself? I wish you health, happiness, and true friendship in the year ahead!

Forged By Fire

I've got a huge announcement! I've partnered with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) to raise money for their burn fund. The fund uses donations to provide education, awarness, advocacy, burn research and to improve the quality of life for burn survivors. They sponsor an annual Burn Camp in Washington, D.C. to bring together youth affected by burns and help them return to a normal life.

You might be wondering why this matters so much to me. Let me just preface this with a warning. Be prepared to cry if you read on. I will certainly be crying as I type. These are painful memories but ones that may serve to save many lives, maybe even the life of someone you love. So if you want to stop reading now please take a moment to visit my donation page. Even $1 helps! And please stop back in a few days because that small donation could net you some BIG prizes! I can't say anything for certain yet but I'm putting together a very nice package of prizes for a few lucky winners who make a donation.

Now on to the tough stuff....

When I was about two years old I climbed onto my grandmother's kitchen table while she was making breakfast. I was wearing my footed pajamas and happily awaiting breakfast. What I didn't expect was the pot of boiling hot coffee on the table. It poured down my leg, melting my pajamas to my skin. I don't remember much about the ordeal except for the sickening pain and terror. I know the ambulance was called and I remember that they couldn't get a stretcher through the narrow hallway to the kitchen. Instead they passed a backboard through the kitchen window and then slid it back out to the ambulance with me attached. The actual details are vague and fuzzy but I can never forget the searing pain and the fear that gripped me. It almost makes what came next worse because I have had a small taste of that unimaginable pain and I can not fathom what severe burn victims suffer through. But before I get any further let me introduce you to the hero of my story.

My father's name is Michael. He was born on March 17, 1956. My father was the epitome of class clowns. His Donald Duck impression was dead on! Despite his biker facade with tattoos and an unkempt beard he was fun-loving and helpful. I spent many weekends at my father's side helping a neighbor with yard work or fixing a dirt bike at the track. I can still remember how much I loved to ride in my daddy's big blue truck. It was a stick shift and I thought it was the greatest thing in the world when it backfired!

Before my parents had me they worked together as volunteer firefighters and EMT's. My daddy served Hampton Township VFD #1 from 1977-1981. In 1981 my father joined the Army and served as a Fireman at Fort Ritchie in Maryland. In 1984 I came along and ruined all the fun and my parents settled down in Pittsburgh to raise their family.


My father in his Army photo

In the early 90's my father fell on hard times. He took a job at a rendering plant to make ends meet. This rendering plant had a spotty history with OSHA and no regard for their employees' safety. My father hadn't been working there very long when misfortune struck. On February 17, 1996 he slipped on the rendered fat and oil covering the floor and landed in a scalding pit of water and animal fat. My father was stoic as ever and pulled himself to safety. He somehow made his way to the shower room and undressed. It must have been excruciating! The first responders found him there curled into a ball under the running water with second and third degree burns over 75% of his body. All of his skin from his neck to his feet was blistering and peeling off.

My father was taken to Mercy Hospital where he spent the next 56 days. I will never forget my mother telling me that daddy was hurt and taking me to get him a get well card. I felt so sure my daddy would be okay. He was too strong not to be! At first the hospital scared me. The beeping machines and glaring lights adding to my state of distress. I grew less afraid of the hospital over time as it became the place where I spent most of my time. Friendly nurses and staff brought my sister and I puzzles, coloring books, and games. We decorated my father's room with cards and pictures and notes from friends around the world.


My father's VFD badge

When my father's immune system couldn't fight anymore he developed infections that ravaged his body. His beautiful brown eyes, exactly the same shade as my own, turned a brilliant and terrifying blue. His heart had to work overtime and started to fail. The doctors thought amputating a leg, or both, might help since that's where the infection was taking hold. When I saw my father with a flat spot under the blanket where his legs used to lie I was scared. But I also had visions of pushing him in a wheelchair, sitting in his lap, and maybe even racing him on my bike. My daddy HAD to be okay now!

The infection wasn't giving up though. For my father's 40th birthday we were blessed with more bad news. His heart was being damaged by the strain. My father went into cardiac arrest several times but he always fought and came back to us. I would light a candle every night and pray harder than any 11 year old should have to. I promised God I would become a nun or whatever he wanted if he would just heal my daddy. I would stand by my father and tell him about my day as calmly as I could. I didn't want him to hear the terror in my voice as my burly father wasted away in front of me. I'll never forget that, even in his drug-induced 'coma', he would still squeeze my hand when I told him I loved him.


My daddy and I

On April 12, 1996 my sister and I told our father we loved him for the last time. My family made the horrifying decision to end my daddy's suffering. That night doctors removed the ventilator and my sister and I sat in shocked silence while we waited for the confirmation that it was finally over. I'll never forget the faces of my family when they came back into the waiting room for us. No one should EVER have to watch their loved one die. I would give my own soul to erase the grief I saw on the faces of everyone I love that day. It is etched into my memory and I never knew what to do about it... until now.

When I ran the Savannah Marathon I was introduced to the American Cancer Society (ACS). At first I decided to run the Rock n Roll D.C. Marathon for them. Until something clicked in my brain, March 17, 2011. My father's 55th birthday. I decided then and there that ACS would have to wait. This race was going to be special! I started researching and contacted the IAFF. They were more than helpful in helping me get a fundraising page set up and I've got a uniform to run in on its way to me right now!

Having run two marathons and several ultras I understand pain. I even seek it. I understand mental toughness and enduring when it seems impossible. But I will never suffer like some of the IAFF's best. I saw a shirt on an ultra runner that read 'meaningless suffering without a point'. That may be the case for most races but not this time! This time my suffering is going to benefit a family that's facing long stays in the hospital, lost income, painful choices, and children that are losing their innocence way too young! I am going to make a difference for someone that I don't even know but that I am bonded to by shared grief and loss.

Maybe everything I went through myself had a purpose. Maybe I am a 'crazy' ultrarunner because of the things I endured and survived! Maybe, just maybe, a soul can be forged by fire and come out stronger!

So please, if you have a dollar to spare, donate. I promise you that even the smallest donation will change lives! If you made it this far, thank you! I'm forever grateful for you, my friends that live in my computer!

XOXO,
Sara Brunazzi and the IAFF

Double Dip is Quite the Treat!

If you haven't realized we're a little crazy around here by now then you must be new (so welcome!). On that note, my husband decided he was ready for his first 'double dip', that is 2 races in 2 days. We signed up for the Cold Man's 5k in Oil City on 12/3 and the Trot for Tots in Oakdale on 12/4.

I have been training pretty hard so I didn't expect too much. You're probably thinking that doesn't make sense but, yes, it does. I feel like I'm walking a very thin line between training hard and over-training. I was hoping to PR, maybe get my sub-25 goal, and I had a vague hope that I could take third overall if I had a really great run (based on the last years results). I was pretty sure my husband had a better shot than I did at all of those things though!

I guess Christmas miracles do happen because we showed up at the Cold Man and I saw right away that there were few women who had that 'hungry' look most of the winners have. I saw quite a few young teens wearing highschool track gear so I figured they would probably crush me. I talked to one of them while I was waiting at the start line and she said she hadn't been running much since the last track season. I felt a vague hope come back then. My husband wasn't so lucky and the local super-runner showed up at the last minute.

Right around this time is when we were bombarded by Mr. Know-It-All. I guess these guys are everywhere. They've run 5 half marathons this year and lost 80 pounds in the last two years so they must have a corner on the running market right? This guy bugged my husband and I (and everyone around us) about our training methods, our mileage, our recent injuries, and everything else under the sun and then tried to tell us what we were doing wrong. I very calmly warned my husband that if he didn't beat Mr. Know-It-All by a large margin I would happily beat him with a stick for subjecting me to this torture on a Saturday morning.



Mercifully the race director began a speech about not getting shot on the wooded trail (thanks hunters with no common sense) and avoiding direct collisions with the returning faster runners. I listened with half an ear as Mr. Know-It-All gave his input on each point ("Take off your reindeer antlers now!" *giggle giggle*). I guess I had good motivation from my urge to get far away from him. The race director shouted go and I took off like a bullet... for about .2 seconds.

The people who lined up at the very front? All walkers. Sigh. I dashed up a grassy hillside and ran along as best I could until I was past them all. Upon returning to the trail there was one of the young track girls in front of me. I decided I would just try to stick to her and maybe, just maybe, I could take second or third afterall. Imagine my surprise when, maybe a half mile out, she suddenly grabbed her side and came to a dead stop! I'm never happy about another runners pain but I'm pretty sure she just went out too fast and got a side stitch so I gladly passed her.



But then I realized, to my horror, that I was first woman! This early on it had to be a mistake! I began to worry if I was going to have a marvelous and awe-inspiring blow up that would leave me walking the last mile. Right about this time Mr. Know-It-All passed me. That was the motivation I needed right there. He'd already told me he averages a 23 minute 5k so I knew I wasn't going to beat him but I sure as heck wasn't letting him annhilate me either! I latched on to a group consisting of Mr. Know-It-All, a man running with two little boys (YES! See my post on Running with Kids!), and a few other men.

The man who appeared to be the father of the younger boys seemed to be struck by a side stitch as well. He suddenly pulled off to the side and yelled for the boys to continue without him. Those little boys KILLED it, super fast! As we approached the turnaround I saw my husband and he told me there was no one for at least 100 feet behind me. I was losing the group but I told myself I could hold it together for the last half. The volunteer at the turnaround shouted 11:57 as I skidded around the cone and then he said, "You're the first woman." I almost died right there as all the doubts crowded back in again.

I heard footsteps behind me as I neared the two mile mark and a man pounded past me. I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I saw it wasn't a woman but I started to really freak out because I was losing it by this point. I should have been easily making my sub-25 goal but the third mile seemed to take FOREVER! My legs felt like lead, my lungs were dry, and my throat was on fire. I couldn't escape the feeling of panic that told me the second woman would be creeping up on me any second. I didn't like the feeling of having a huge target on my back!



As mile 3 came to a close I knew I had it if I just pushed. I risked a glance back and the second woman was about 30 seconds behind me. My husband was yelling at me from the finish line and the clock was nearing 25 minutes with every tick. I wanted to cry as I watched it tick past that mark I've been working so hard to break! My official time was 25:10. To be fair, I can't complain, it's still a 22 second PR and I got my first overall award out of it!




My husband wasn't quite so lucky. He missed a PR by about 10 seconds and ended up 9th overall. He did get first in his age group though and he beat Mr. Know-It-All so I didn't have to whip him when we got home!

Overall I'm surprised how it feels to win. It's a little bit hollow. There was no real competition, no last minute sprint to the finish. I don't feel like I really 'earned' this win. Maybe it's just the super-competitive side of me but it honestly just doesn't feel real. I showed my trophy to my mom and then tucked it onto the shelf in the basement and went for a 9 mile run to process what had just happened.

It actually felt a little bit 'better' to lose on Sunday at the Trot for Tots. I was sore and stiff and exhausted after my 12.1 miles the previous day. I went out at 'normal' pace for a 5k and just did my best to maintain. My competitive drive even kicked up a bit at the end and I tried to out-sprint a woman at the end. It didn't work with my dead legs but I tried anyway! And the trying, the really working to beat myself and someone better than me, felt good! Really good! I finished just under 27 minutes and 11th in my age group, a pretty 'slow' time for me now but something I never would have imagined doing a year ago.



All in all, it was a great weekend! And as cliche as it sounds, I'm really glad I finally understand that it's not about 'winning' so much as trying make myself better than I was yesterday. The joy is not in beating everyone else. It really is about beating myself. Whoever would've thought running would make me wax philosophical? Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age!

Running with Kids

I know there's a lot of moms (and dads) out there that struggle with sacrificing Saturday morning cartoon time with their little ones to run a race instead. I've been in the same boat (almost every weekend lately). It's not easy to remove the parental guilt we associate with putting ourselves 'first'.

That's why I got my older daughter into running. She expressed an interest so we took full advantage of it. I helped to organize a race in April 2011 and it was almost literally outside our back door. My father-in-law and I volunteered at an aid station while my mother-in-law, husband, daughters (the baby in the jogging stroller), and a family friend ran the race.

We didn't do any specific training for my older daughter, who had just turned 6. Our several-times-weekly walks were usually walk/runs with her anyway. Many times she runs ahead (on the trail) to the next road crossing and stops and waits for me to catch up. We walk more than 3 miles fairly often as it's about 1.5 miles to the park and back and we usually go beyond the park to a nature preserve further down the trail.


The family that runs together, Stays together?

I never even thought about 'training' my daughter but I didn't have any concerns about her participation either. Suddenly I'm surrounded by running parents who wonder if they should or could let their young children participate. Runner's World magazine even did an article in their September 2011 edition on this topic and recommended that children 6 and under not participate in races. (7-9 is okay for 5k's and 10+ is okay for 10k's according to the article.)

I started to wonder if I was harming my daughter. Was I being the pushy parent? Was I damaging her growing body? Why SHOULDN'T she run(/walk) a 5k if she so desired? Would it be wrong to let the baby do a 5k earlier (maybe 4 or 5) if she wants to? So many questions and so few answers!

Parenting is so individual and there's so many ideas on how to do it 'right' that I decided to trust myself and my husband. If we think our children are capable and they believe they are too then why not let them try? I'm thankful to report that it's working out well for us.

Gem has her own medal hanger full of age group awards and soccer medals. She set a new 5k PR of 39:00 at her last race. The baby even has a medal because we registered her at one race just for kicks even though she was in the jogging stroller the whole time. My older daughter is now asking if I will let her do a longer race and I told her we would talk about it come spring.


Those are all Gems on the pink hanger!

So what's your take on running with your kids? Is it good? bad? neutral? What age is a good age to start and do you worry about 'training' your children? At what age would you let your child run farther (5M, 10k, HM)?

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!