Run Like A Nut

Crazy is probably the one thing I'm actually really good at. I'm a mediocre runner. I'm pretty average when it comes to just about anything in daily life. But dare me to do something that sounds batshit crazy and I'm all in. That said, the price of insanity can be quite high.

For the last four weeks I haven't done anything. Since the marathon, but especially after my surgical debacle, I have become deeply involved with my couch (and maybe mint chocolate chip ice cream). I haven't been allowed to do anything at work so I've spent my days staring at paper work and computers. I finally finished Breaking Bad and caught up on The Walking Dead. I also scheduled a trip to see Sean in South Carolina to brighten up my days a bit.

Which leads to our shining moment of brilliant insanity. Sean's close friend was registered for the Run Like A Nut Half Marathon in Florence, SC. Of course misery loves company, so he volunteered us as running buddies. Next thing I know I'm registered for 13.1 miles of pavement pounding.

The days leading up to the race were our normal ritual of bar food and beer, video games and television, spicy things, and CrossFit (which in a moment of clarity I decided to sit out). We also added a new little fur baby to the family, Jake. Much time was spent cuddling and spoiling him (and the other furry monsters, too). I worried a little about my stitches and lingering pain. Mostly I fretted about what to wear. Halloween races are so hard!

Cool kids teach their dogs to play video games

Saturday morning we woke early and met Sean's friend and his coworker at the military base. We piled into one vehicle and headed for Florence around 6:30am. Once we located the parking and start line we went into the Fitness Forum and picked up our bibs, shirts, and swag. We took everything back to the car just in time for the rain to start so I threw my Garmin back in the car along with my phone (sorry, no mid-race pics or splits!).

Swag

I was freezing in my INKnBURN skeleton shirt and denim shorts. I hadn't expected it to be colder in South Carolina than Pennsylvania and I really wasn't prepared to be wet on top of it. Thankfully a kind woman handed me a single use poncho as we huddled near the starting line.

Pre-race

We were sent off shortly after with very little fuss. Sean, our companions, and I set off conservatively. We ran and chatted and laughed but I could already feel my insides twisting and spasming. I tried to ignore it and focus on enjoying the company. I thought to myself, "We have to be at least 5k in by now. It's only single digit miles now." Then I saw the 1 mile marker and knew it was going to be a long day. I'm pretty sure I even cursed out loud.

From there things continued to go downhill. I checked out mentally. If someone asked me a direct question, I would respond. If our whole group laughed, I would too (even though I had no idea what was being said). I was already deep in the pain cave and we weren't even 5 miles in yet. The only upside was that I was mostly warm and dry in my poncho unlike the rest of my group.

Around mile 7 or 8 Sean's friend said something about my breathing sounding labored. Sean started to explain that I always sound like I'm dying but the conversation was just enough to pull me out of my own head. I suddenly realized I was being stupid and slowed to a walk. Sean dropped back and joined me and we told our companions to go on without us. We walked hand in hand for awhile, just talking, but it was too cold to stay slow for long. Sean mentioned that I could quit any time but I quickly dismissed that idea. If I had made it almost 9 miles then I could finish.

We picked up the pace again and passed the 9 and 10 mile markers. The rest of our group was long out of sight and the back of the pack was passing us with every walk break. We even saw the sweep vehicle on an out and back at one point. That was enough to put some pep in my step and we started running more than walking again. A friendly stray cat joined us for a couple blocks, running to catch us and then winding around my ankles until I started moving again. It was the best mood boost I could have asked for at that point.

Sean was once again the voice of reason, forcing me to walk when I looked or sounded as if I was in too much pain. Finally, I told him that we just needed to finish. Nothing was going to make me feel better until I could quit running. So he took the lead and said, "Just focus on staying on my heels." I put my head down, pushed back into my own head, and off we went. It was exactly what I needed until I got a foot cramp around mile 11 or 12. Forced to walk again, I couldn't escape the pain. Finally, the cramp subsided and Sean took the lead again, slowly picking off a few of the runners who had passed us during my walk breaks.

At one point, Sean started trying to encourage me. "Just a little more baby." "You can do this." Being pulled out of my mental fog brought all the pain front and center again. I snapped, "Shut the (expletive) up and run!" Thankfully Sean wasn't upset by my outburst. Instead, he took my advice and poured on a little more speed.

A volunteer at a turn told us, "Five more blocks." and I about died with happiness. It was the longest five blocks of my life but we finally turned the last bend and I saw the line. Sean and I crossed together and grabbed our medals. Then it was back into the warm building to find our friends and get dried off and fed.

Much happier (and apparently forgiven) after we finished

Our official finish time was 2:21:54. We were 78th and 79th overall. I was 4th in my age group and Sean was 5th in his. While our results are not at all impressive ordinarily, this time I am more than happy with my performance. I proved to myself that I haven't lost all of my fitness and mentally I can still push through even the toughest runs. I got to spend a few miles with my favorite person on earth and a couple really good friends. I didn't die and I don't think I caused any permanent damage. Overall, it was a great day!

Even Jake says it was just what we needed

I am Not an Athlete

When I started running just 5 short years ago I wanted to be lean and defined and 'athletic'. I wanted the body and the attitude that went with it. I assumed that once I completed the Couch to 5k program I would feel like an athlete and be well on my way to looking like one too.

Then I finished my first 5k in 29:59 and realized that I am not fast in any sense of the word. I didn't have an excuse for not being able to beat that mark for a long time. I wasn't overweight. I quit smoking. I followed training plans. But I was still slow.

After my first half marathon

 

I convinced myself that I must be a distance runner. You know, all slow twitch. So I set my sights on a half marathon and finished in 2:29. I was still slow and I still looked exactly the same. The pattern continued and I tried the marathon, the 50k, the 50 mile. And the results were the same. I finished in the back of the pack, sometimes even dead last.

Shane and I after my first ultra in 2009

 

Every distance I tried I succeeded in finishing but it was never good enough. When I failed at 100 miles it was a real shock. When I failed a second time I was doubly convinced that I must not be cut out for it. So I hired a coach and gave training my all and finally 'succeeded' on my third try. I thought for sure that NOW I would feel like an athlete.

 

Well, the truth is, I don't. I still finished at the back of the pack. I didn't do anything impressive. All I did was endure. That's all I've ever done; Hold on until the finish line is in sight and then heave myself across. I still don't look any different. I still don't feel any different.

 

I'm not saying running hasn't given me anything or changed my life. I am more confident because I feel more comfortable in my skin. But it's still the same skin. And I have made tons of great friends and travelled and gotten to experience many great things. But I'm still just me. I am still just average and I'm still scatter-brained and eccentric.

 

The Pretty Muddy experience

 

I don't know what it will take to convince me that I'm 'good enough'. Obviously, distance wasn't the answer. I'm not sure there IS an answer. Maybe that's the telltale sign of a competitor. Maybe I'm overly competitive. Maybe I'm just insane. In the end, all I know is that I still want to be better. The question now is what kind of better? And I think the answer is speed.

Boston Harvest 5k 2012

 

I want to consider myself fast. I want to take a podium spot because I ran a great race, not because the fast women were somewhere else that day. I want to be able to dream of Boston. I want to be in the front waves of my next marathon. I'm not sure how I'll get there or what it will take but I plan to find out. And I can only hope that the same initiative and drive that got me over 100 miles will push me to new race times as well. At least now I have a base to build on!

 

When did you feel like an athlete? What are your favorite speed workouts or training plans?

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.

 

 

 

 

Week In Review: Week 6

Wow! Have I really been doing this for 6 weeks already? My weekly average mileage is sky high compared to just a few months ago and the extra work is beginning to show rewards already. I'm really excited about what this will mean for me by summer!

Monday: Silvester Harmony 5k plus warm up. Total: 6.1 miles

Tuesday: 7 miles in the snow.

Wednesday: 6 Rounds: 24 squats, 24 push-ups, 24 walking lunges, run 400 meters.

Thursday: 5.5 miles easy.

Friday: 2 mile warm up, 5 hill sprints, cool down. Total: 4 miles

Saturday: Off. Volunteered at the Odyssey 5k.

Sunday: 18.23 miles including the Run To Read Half Marathon. Race report to come tomorrow!

Now I am exhausted! Off to bed! 

How was your training this week? Any races?

Nerve Check

Last month I had the amazing experience of meeting Shalane Flanagan during the Runner's World Hat Trick. Getting to Q&A an Olympic marathoner has to be one of the coolest things I've had the pleasure of checking off my bucket list (even if I didn't know I should have put it on there!). I promised to get up the videos of the session and I finally am! I'm only about 5 weeks late so hush!

The first video I wanted to share is Shalane talking about her pre-race nerves and how they affected her throughout highschool and college and how she uses them to push herself now. After the video I'll talk more about my own experiences with keeping pre-race jitters in check but for now here's the good stuff:

Now, if you're still here, let's talk about me! Every person is different but from my own experience I know that race day nerves can ruin a performance. My first marathon was an absolute disaster and a big part of it was nerves. My stomach went sour in the days leading up to the race and I let all the fears, excitement and anxiety get the better of me. I had the worst race of my life and a miserable couple days on either side of it to boot.

So what can you do? The answer is to focus on what you can control.

Have you done the training? If the answer is no then maybe you should reevaluate your goals or even drop down to a shorter distance. But if the answer is yes then you should feel secure in your ability.

Is your goal realistic? We all have the desire to blow our last time out of the water or get a medal. Evaluate your training and races leading up to your goal race. Do the times and paces that you ran indicate your goal is attainable? Note: I didn't say easy, just within reason. Again, if not, reset your goals. If yes, try to relax and trust in your training.

I was extremely nervous meeting Shalane for the first time!

Do you have a plan? Have you figured out what your splits should be at each mile or certain interval (5k, 10k, half, etc)? Do you know when you are going to take a GU or a Shot Blok and when you plan to drink? For my PR marathon I had everything planned: 52 minutes per 5 miles and GU or 2 Shot Bloks every 5th mile. I carried a handheld and drank to thirst. Knowing that I had everything I needed in my SPIbelt and that I wasn't depending on luck, the course aid stations, or last minute decisions really eased my mind.

Check the weather the day before and lay out your clothes, your drop bag (if you're using one), your (charged!) Garmin and iPod, your GU's/Shot Bloks/whatevers, and anything else you will need to take with you. Having everything right in front of you when you wake up will make it easier to remember your plans and you won't leave the house wondering if you forgot something important.

Lastly, eat your normal breakfast even if you have to eat it earlier than usual. If you ate a bagel with peanut butter and coffee before long runs then eat that before your race. Think about how long it usually takes you to feel ready to run after your meals and allow at least that much time between your breakfast and your race.

You may not be entirely relaxed and confident, but as long as you know there's nothing else within your control, it will be easier to trust in your training and have an enjoyable day.

What are your favorite pre-race rituals? Do you have any superstitions or good luck charms? How do you keep your nerves at bay?

I Can Die Happy Now

If this weekend is anything like today then I've reached the pinnacle of my running career. Just take me now so I can die happy lord! The Runner's World 5k, 10k, and half marathon are here and I am just unbelievably excited!

I drove 5 hours to Bethlehem, PA today and arrived at my hotel around 3PM. I checked in and was immediately presented with a STELLAR schwag bag. It has it all plus some vouchers for freebies at the expo and backstage passes for a few of the tents and demos. Runner's World and FitFluential really hooked us up!

At 5PM an AMAZING (am I using enough superlatives yet?!) luxury bus pulled up and whisked us off to Runner's World headquarters. I thoroughly enjoyed the leather seats and bar stocked with bottled water (what else for a group of fitness freaks). I got to chat with many of the bloggers I've admired and worked with but never met face to face before. I've never enjoyed a 30 minute drive so much in my life!

Snakes on a Plane Bloggers on a Bus

 

Runner's World HQ

 

We arrived at RW HQ just in time to greet the editors and then sit down for a fully catered meal of amazing local and organic foods. There were veggie burgers, real burgers, hot dogs, salad, pasta salad, potato salad, and plenty of desserts. I gorged myself while I gossiped with the other bloggers and the RW staff members. I got the low down on the courses for the 5k, 10k, and half this weekend. I ate a lot, learned a lot, and laughed a lot. This was exactly how race weekend should kick off!

 



It didn't take long to demolish the buffet

 

Hanging out with a blurry Amby Burfoot

 

Running legend, Bart Yasso

 

Editor at Large, Mark Remy

 

Once we had all eaten our fill it was time for our clinic with Altra Zero Drop shoes. These shoes are already in my arsenal as I use the Intuition 1.0 as my every day, casual shoe. But I never turn down a chance to try something new. I tried on the new Intuition and was thrilled that they're now PINK! However, I was wowed by the Superior. It's a light weight, neutral trail shoe with a removable rock plate. I chose to go with the Superior instead of the updated Intuition 1.5. Tomorrow the Altra guys promised to let me try out a pair of the Lone Peaks as well. Either way I'm going home with kickass new trail running shoes from Altra!

 

L to R: Provisioness (stability), Intuition (neutral), Intuition, Superior (trail), Intuition

 

After everyone was fitted we headed off for a tour of the Runner's World Headquarters. I got to see where all the magic happens, from photographers to editing to Bart Yasso's office. I even got to eat some of a giant Brooks chocolate egg!

 

Bart Yasso's office door

Picture in Bart's office (There's no "I" in team, but there's an ass in Yasso)

Giant Brooks Egg

Eating the egg

Men's Health covers from different countries

Apparently Men's Health Brazil is a little more risque than the US version

Rave Run pics

Runner's World covers

After the tour ended we gathered in the RW lawn for some s'mores over a small fire. RW's Laura Beachy tells us that tomorrow's going to be even more amazing but right now I just can't imagine how! It's going to be super hard to go back to real life after this weekend!

 

Apparently bloggers become possessed when toasting marshmallows late at night

 

 

 

 

The Shane Report

It was a dark and stormy night…  

Okay, so maybe it was a sunny and somewhat cold day, but I always liked that line better.

Sara wanted me to write about my half marathon experience.  However I do not have a lot to say about it.   To sum it all up.  It was.. well, “okay”.   Hear me out.  I have done 59 small town races.  A few with as many as a  1,000 people.   But this one had 11,000.  I felt lost and alone.  In small town races everyone is so friendly and nice.   Here I could not get word one out of anyone.  I think big city races are for some people, just not me. 

Let me begin with the day before the half marathon.  I worked third shift, hence I was up all night.  Sara had planned for us to leave as soon as Gemma was on the school bus that morning.  However she was not ready.  I had a few things to do so I drove around doing them, dead tired.  I had planned on sleeping on the drive down, so I stayed away from caffeine that morning. 

Finally we were off at close to 11 am.  I fell right asleep.  Little did I know that I would awake soon.  Sara pulled into a turnpike plaza about an hour and half into the trip.  She needed coffee.  Not the coffee that I remember as a kid.  You know, black, with sugar or cream.  No it was the 4 or 5 words that do not go together kind.  I ordered a small fry, then sat and ate it while I waited. 

Soon we were back in the car and the fries from Popeyes were not sitting well.   I managed to fall back asleep for an hour when Sara again pulled over.   It was lunchtime.  Or at least to her stomach it was.  We made our way in and selected subway.  I was going to order a 6 inch but Sara ordered a footlong as I did too.   Why?  But I was very tired and not quite awake.  After finishing and bathroom breaks we were on the road, again.

I slept the next hour and half and woke up just as we entered into the Baltimore metro area.  I have only been to a few cities and they all look pretty crappy and run down.   Sure, the inner harbor is nice and clean, but why can’t they do something with the rest of it.

At the hotel we could not find a space to park in the street.  After the third drive down the same alley, we gave up and paid $31 for valet parking, plus a $5 tip.  What a scam!  Just knock down some of the buildings and put in a parking lot.  I’m sure half of them are empty anyways.

On the way to the room I noticed that the hotel restaurant was having a pasta dinner.  I read the sign to Sara.  We dropped off the bags and started walking the streets of Baltimore looking for the expo.    I was excited to go to my first expo.  I always heard good things.

Apparently this was not a normal expo.  It was crowded and disorganized.  It reminded me of a college fair in high school.  On a side note, I guess that I should have tried to collect pens.  LOL.  We had to walk one way then back the same way and back that way again.  All while fighting a crowd that seemed to be always going the other way. 

Sara kept stopping and looking at the booths.  I just wanted to get the stuff and get back to the hotel.  I’m still awake remember?  About 25 hours at this point with the 3 little cat naps in the car.  I got my bib and then Sara came with hers and said “okay, let’s go”.  I said “what about the shirts?”  Sara went and asked, while I fought with the exhaustion and claustrophobia.  She came back and said that they were all the way of the other side of the expo.  Great-googly-moogly…

We made our way to the shirts and I got in my line.  I was excited, finally something cool.  I had read my paper.  I was getting a cold black under amour shirt.  Only the lady handed me a purple shirt.  WTF was this?!  I walked over to Sara, she had gotten a green shirt.  Turns out “cold black” is clothing line, not a color.   I was not pleased.  We started out of the stadium and Sara wanted her picture taken, so I did.  Only she did not take any of me.  Guess I probably wasn’t smiling at that point.

 

We made it back to the hotel just as a sun was starting to fall.  I was happy we made it back before dark, since we did not know our way around.  We had a half hour to kill, so Sara got her race clothes out and went through the race bags.  I watched tv.  I had hit the point where I wasn’t tired anymore, nor did I have feeling in all parts of my body.   I was just there.

Dinner was awesome.   It was a pasta buffet with 3 different pastas, salad, bread, 5 desserts.  Only thing that I didn’t like was that they only gave you water.   I know, I know…water is good for runners…but I like something with more flavor.  We finished up and headed to the room.   Sara got a few more things done for the race, while I stared at the tv.  28 hours and counting.

A lot of people that work third shift say that get use to it.  And you do.  At least to the being up all night part.  But your body never gets used to staying awake.   Running adds years to your life and staying up over 24 hours takes them away.

I was planning on going with Sara to her start, since it was before mine.  The alarm went off.  I didn’t move.  The alarm went off again.  Still out.  The alarm went off the third time and I opened my eyes.  Sara was almost ready to go.  I’m not sure why Sara didn’t just get me up.  I mean I could have slept through the races, like in that Seinfeld episode. 

Finally I got up and started getting ready.  As I was going to get in the shower, Sara said she was going.  I felt bad.  I looked at the clock, I thought we still had time.   But she needed to go and I didn’t want her to miss her start.   I got ready for my race and looked around for food.  I had cereal in the car, but we didn’t take it out when they parked the car.  So I had healthy chips that Sara got at the expo, licked the salt off a small bag of peanuts, and downed a GU energy gel.  My stomach barked back.  I topped it off with a 24 oz Pepsi and said, “It’s go time.”

 

I knew where Sara’s race started, but not where mine did.  I started walking toward the stadiums and then followed the crowd.   I felt awkward and like an outsider.   I made my way to where it looked like a race might start and stood there for 45 minutes.   The closer I got to race start.  The more people jammed into the space.  Then of course there were the people who just had to walk through.  I held my ground.  When people pushed into me, I pushed back.  Apparently people in the city ever heard of “excuse me” or “pardon me”. 

Right at about 10 minutes until start they moved us up the street, which was also up a small hill.  At this point I could see the crowd of people.  It was crazy.  There were just thousands of people jammed into a street no wider than 20 feet.

The race started.  Well at least for the people in the front.  I walked and walked and ,when it was my turn, crossed the start line. I started my new Garmin.  The first mile was up hill.  It was really crowded.  In the second mile I almost tripped over a traffic cone.  Not one person yelled “cone” or “watch out”.  There were too many people the first couple miles.  I couldn’t see anything.  I was not having fun.  I was stressed and hoping that the race would get better.

 

At mile three the half joined the full marathon, now at mile 16.  The road was wider and some of the half marathoners were starting to drop back.  I could see the sidewalks now.  No one was there.   At mile 4 or 5 a cop yelled “welcome to beautiful East Baltimore” with sarcasm in his voice.  The place was a dump.  Was this it?  I slowly ate one of my GU energy gels.

Mile 7 started at a park and the race went one mile around a peaceful lake.  Minus the news helicopter hovering over it.  In the park there were people holding signs and cheering.  This must be what a big city race is, I thought.      

 

 At mile 10 I arrived at Waverly.  The friendly neighborhood with folks handing out candy, water and beer.   Music played from radios and from small bands, sometimes just kids with a drum or bongo.  It was nice.  It was happy.  I ate some candy corn and picked up my pace.  Why couldn’t the rest of the race be this nice?  I saw a funny sign that said, “marathon today, law and order marathon tomorrow”.  Who doesn’t like that show…

At mile 11 I was back downtown.  Huge buildings, huge crowds.  I downed my second GU.  I wasn’t tired or worn out.  I was just sick of running.  The whole race was up and down hills and no one would talk to me.  Somewhere in the “I just want to quit” thoughts… a voice yelled “Go Team Brunazzi!”  She even said it right.  That was all the motivation I needed.  I took off, passing runner after runner.

 

My Garmin said 12.6 miles when I saw the baseball stadium.  You had to run threw it on a small path and then finish in the street.  It was crowded and I tried to keep my speed up.   I figured I was over 2 hours with all the hills and lack of enthusiasm.  I finished in 1 hr and 49 minutes.  Not bad.

 

I got my medal and then tried to walk out of the finish area.  It was just as crowd and disorganized as the expo.  I tried walking through a line of people, which seemed to be a line of nothing.  I yelled, “What are you people doing?”  Some guy yelled back, “We’re waiting for our bananas”.  I got through and out of the finishing area.  I was so happy to have space around me.

I walked to the food booths and got an order of fries and chicken.  Bad move.  Then I went to the hotel to get Sara and mine’s UA pullovers.   On the way back from the hotel I realized that I forgot my Pepsi.  I went to the finish line and walked the course looking for Sara.  There were too many people.  I looked at the clock.  Sara should have finished.  I stopped and bought a Pepsi and then went to look for Sara.  Last time we were at Baltimore I saw her finish, but could not find her in the crowd.  I was hoping this time she had her cell phone.  I pulled mine out of my SPIbelt and saw a voice mail.  It was Sara, she couldn’t find me and was walking back to the hotel.  I called her and she was still in the crowd.   We yelled back and forth trying to hear each other and find out where we each were.  She asked if I saw the Dunkin Donuts truck.  I said no and then turned around, and said yes.  I was close to it.  I said that I was near the C1 parking sign.   She said she was too.  I thought, great there must be 20 “C1” signs.  She said there is a guy standing on the sign.  I said yes, and he has a green shirt on.  Sara was only 6 people away from me.

Sara started talking about her race and how she did.  I had to stop her.  I had bad news.  The hotel had dropped off a bill at 7:50am.  10 minutes before she started her race.  It said that we had to get of the room at 12:30 or get charged more.  It read quote, “We know some of you are running in the Baltimore Marathon and require some additional time after the race to freshen up. We can extend your check out time to 12:30pm so that you can refresh prior to check out. “    Full marathon starts at 8am.  Half at 9:45am.  You do the math. :o)

 

We then loaded the car and hurried out of town.  23 minutes to go 4 blocks.   Once out of the city we ate dinner at a little tavern in a mini mall.  The food was overpriced and under cooked.  After that we drove to an outlet mall to use our Under Amour coupons.  This was probably the best part of the weekend, save the half a pizza that I ate an hour later. LOL.