Skincare for Runners

Like most runners I deal with clogged pores that are compounded by sweat and weather exposure. Training for Burning River has compounded my skin woes. Long runs on dirty trails, hot weather, sunny days, and lots and lots of sweat!

I use those skin cleansing pads daily and also wash my face with Dove soap. I still have breakouts fairly often. So when ToiletTree Products offered to send me a facial brush system I was more than willing to give it a go.

Inside I found several brushes: a soft exfoliater, a medium exfoliater, a body exfoliater, and a pumice stone. I used the soft brush on my face with a gentle cleanser daily for about a week and the body brush on my shoulders (problem area!) too. After that time I have experienced fewer pimples, smoother skin, and no more blackheads.

I forgot to pack my brush on our weekend trip for Shane's 101st race and I ended up with another breakout after I ran 8 miles while waiting on him to finish. I think I'll keep this as a permanent part of my routine!

Disclaimer: ToiletTree Products provided the product at no cost in exchange for review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Run Like Bigfoot is Chasing You!

This weekend Shane and I ran the Bigfoot Half Marathon in Kittaning, PA. It's a small race and very low key. The price is good thanks to cotton race shirts and no finisher medals. I had a small hope that I might be able to take an age group award at such a small event.

Race morning I woke up about 10 minutes before we needed to leave. I decided to roll over and go back to sleep but Shane dragged me out of bed. I threw on some clothes, took breakfast into the car with me, and somehow managed to get us to the YMCA in one piece and with a little time to spare. We checked in and I hit the rest rooms and then we lined up to start. The 5k and the half marathon started together but there was roughly 125 runners total so it really didn't matter.

Here's a pic from last weekend's Just A Short Run 30k

I lined up about 1/3 of the way back from the starting line to allow the faster 5k runners some space. I probably should have moved up a little because I was dodging people from the gun until the first mile marker. I had planned to hold back and make this just another long run but I started to feel competitive as I looked up the trail and saw very few ponytails. I also could see another runner that I beat by just a bit last week and I couldn't help wanting to beat him again.

I ran with another woman for the first 4-5 miles. We were putting out a good pace, right around 9:10-9:20 per mile. I couldn't help worrying that she would surge and I would lose her though. So I made the first move, left her, and caught my rabbit. I passed him just before the turn around and then gapped him by maybe 1-2 minutes. Counting women on the way to the turn around I was in 11th place but I could tell the 10th place woman was fading quickly. Top 10 sounded like a good way to start my day.

This is Shane's bib, shirt, and medal but I'm too lazy to take my own pic.

As I approached mile 8 I started to feel the effects of all the miles and racing I've been doing. My will and my legs were fading but I was slowly closing the gap on the 10th woman. Just as I caught her the woman I'd been running with at the beginning blew by us. She had to be doing sub-9 minute miles. I passed the now-11th woman and increased my pace again but I couldn't catch the new number 10.

I started to drag again as I approached the 10 mile mark and the woman increased her lead. At this point my rabbit popped up right behind my shoulder and scared the heck out of me! I hadn't expected him to catch me but I was ready for some company. We stuck together through the last 4-ish miles and put the hammer down, laying down a 9:05 pace for the rest of the way.

I kept trying to catch the woman ahead of me but she kept her pace steady and maintained her lead through the finish. I managed to surge at the end and beat my rabbit by 7 seconds which was somewhat satisfying although I wouldn't have held that pace without him so it kind of evens out. 

Shane got a pic of me crossing the line

My official time was 2:02:14. So freaking close to sub-2! If only I hadn't slowed down from 8-10! I was 31/44 overall and 3/8 in my age group so I achieved my dream of getting a medal. Shane was 13th overall and 2nd in his age group so it was a good day for both of us. I celebrated by doing 7.5 more miles after lunch to make it 20.6 for the day and then doing 15 more today. I'd say a 62 mile week is a good way to celebrate my first AG award in a half marathon! ;)

A Sordid Tale

If you noticed, my last post was taken down after a day. If you didn't notice... well that's okay too.

I feel like I'm living in a bad reality TV show, maybe a daytime soap. Things like this just don't happen in real life, right? Before I get ahead of myself, let me just start at the beginning.

A little over 2 years ago Shane and I went to a volunteer clean up for a conservation area near our home. We spent an entire day mending and painting fences, signs, and benches. We cut apart fallen trees to clear the trails and picked up litter. It was at this event that we met the president of the Mon-Yough Trail Council (MYTC) and pitched our idea for a race on the trail.

Fast forward a few months and our dream became a reality. Team Brunazzi teamed up with the MYTC to create what is now known as the Boston Trail 5k & Half Marathon. About this time Shane and I began experiencing our first 'trolls' but we quickly realized it was just one person who seemed bound and determined to find ways into our lives.

Since the first year of this race Shane and I have been targeted by this person. Fake Facebook accounts pop up and add us as friends or 'like' our event pages and then start complaining about the event or trying to sabotage our relationships with other community-minded people. We realize the pages are fakes when this happens (and the name on the account was never a registered participant at the event, etc). In the past we have always reacted by 'unfriending' the account and moving on.

Now a line has been crossed. This person created a Facebook page for the Mon-Yough Trail Council after last year's race. No one realized it was not created by the MYTC and the Brunazzi family and many of our friends 'liked' the page. The page pretended to be the real MYTC for almost a year, posting about upcoming events, council meetings, and the like.

At one point the page sent Shane a message asking him to submit an article for the MYTC newsletter. Shane spent hours writing and rewriting his article and then sent it off to the trail council by snail mail. Because he sent it to the true MYTC the article was published (without them questioning why he sent it) and we never questioned that the page that asked Shane to write it was legitimate.

This false sense of security in the false MYTC page almost cost us our relationship with the council. A few days ago Shane created an event page for the Boston Trail race and began inviting friends and family to attend. A few hours later the supposed 'vice president' of the MYTC used the Facebook page to ask us to take down the event page stating that we couldn't advertise the race because it's 'not ours' and their sponsor wouldn't like it.

Shane apologized and took down the event page but questioned why free publicity was suddenly frowned upon. In years past we have bought banners and signs (with our own funds) to promote the race and never been asked to take them down. The response was that Shane and I are 'arrogant' and use the race to promote ourselves instead of the MYTC and should leave the race to the professionals. We quickly retaliated by asking our friends and family NOT to attend the race. Of course we were angry, justifiably so, but we were also wrong.

The next day I spoke with the true MYTC board members and learned that the Facebook page was false. We were stunned to say the least. For over a year we had been duped and sabotaged unknowingly. This person managed to set it up to look like the real MYTC by asking Shane to submit the article which was then published. They posted about every event and meeting diligently just like the true council would. Never once did we doubt the authenticity of the page, until it almost ruined an outstanding event.

We quickly apologized to everyone for the mix up and took down our posts about it. This led to the next deception. The person behind all of this obviously had access to Shane and I's personal Facebook pages. The messages we received referred to posts we had made on our private accounts so we began to hunt for 'suspect' friends. We unfriended dozens of pages and people simply because they didn't have mutual friends or we didn't know them on any personal level. We began to feel a little more secure in our online world again but it was short lived.

You may remember Shane and I's first 'Team Brunazzi' event, the Boston Harvest 5k, from last year. It benefits a little boy, named Rex, in our community who suffers from Batten's Disease. We had the pleasure of meeting many family members and friends of Rex at the event and some of them became our Facebook friends too. One of these 'people' claimed to be Rex's grandmother.

For the last year 'she' has been privy to our private Facebook pages and all of our posts. 'She' has commented on our events and 'updated' us on Rex. But today we found out 'she' is not real. We spoke to Rex's family and mentioned this 'grandmother' and quickly realized it's another fake page. The Brunazzi stalker strikes again.

Right now we are just blown away by the length of time, the amount of planning that went into the fake MYTC and 'grandmother' pages, and the amount of hate that must be behind such an effort. So I hope you will forgive us if we are not as active or open as we would normally be online. Until the investigation into these matters is completed and the person behind it is facing legal consequences we won't be very trusting.

Not to fear, however, there will still be race reports, running pictures, and some product reviews coming up. There just will be no updates on our personal or charitable lives. We need to protect ourselves, our children, and our events. I'm sure you understand!

Thank you and love you! <3 p="">

Spring Thaw

Today was my last long run before taper. It's hard to believe it's almost over! Of course, then the real fun will begin. ;)

I signed Shane and I up for the Spring Thaw 20 mile race. This race has 10, 15, or 20 mile options and attracts around 1,000 people. It's pretty large for a local race! It consists of 5 mile loops around North Park lake. This would be Shane's one and only 20 mile run and my final run of 20+ miles.

I haven't felt well the last couple days. A sore throat and some heavy fatigue left my workouts lacking. I somewhat gave in to the feelings of impending illness and cut back my scheduled mileage a bit. I figured it was better to have a good last long run than run every mile to plan and end up actually sick right in my taper.

I picked out an outfit to fit with the 40 degree temps and a breeze. My INKnBURN denim print pants and Sakura pullover with my Altra Superiors. For the exterior I had a light jacket, a hat, and gloves. I also put my Altra logo tattoos on the back of my neck since that was the only skin I planned to have exposed. And I was ready to go!

 

We picked up our friend, Chris, at 7:30 and headed to North Park for packet pick up. There was no parking at the boathouse where the race started and ended so we parked about a half mile away at the spillway and walked in. We got our bags, bibs, and shirts and I felt a little luckier when I got bib 111.

 

 

It was still pretty early so we chatted with a lot of our friends. One of our friends, Jason, agreed to run with Shane and help him get through his first 20 miler. I also ran into a few of our other friends, Allison, Louis, Mike and Michelle. Soon enough everyone started to wander out to line up. I lingered in the warmth until we were asked to line up. I lined up between the 9:30 and 10:00 pace signs.

Funny shirt

A few minutes later we took off. I started out conservatively and watched as people flew by on all sides. I had to keep reminding myself that I had to run my own race. Around 3 miles in I began to pick up the pace. Mike and his friend, John, also happened to catch me at this point. They were running around 9:20-9:30 per mile so I decided to stay with them for awhile. John was wearing a kilt and pretty soon the Scottish jokes and drinking songs were pouring out. It made the first loop very enjoyable. I crossed the 5 mile mark at 48:45.

I continued to run with Mike and John for the second loop. I don't remember much except that the pace kept falling and I was surprised I was keeping up. We crossed the 10 mile mark at 1:34:28 and Mike was done. John and I continued on our own to the third loop.

Elevation profile

The third loop things were starting to get harder. I knew that I was very close to a 2 hour half marathon and I asked John to not slow the pace until we passed the 13.1 mark. We pushed through and my watch beeped the half marathon at 2:01:2x. That's over an 8 minute PR! That accomplishment brought back some energy and I managed to keep the pace steady for the rest of the loop. We hit the mats for 15 miles at 2:21:41.

The last loop was the hardest 5 miles of my life. My brain said it was okay to slow down, my legs told me to take a walk break, but my pride said it wasn't worth it if I threw away my great first 15 for a crappy finish. I kept pushing and I could hear John struggling beside me. The cheery banter of the early miles was long gone by this point. It was all we could do to move forward.

At mile 19 we came upon Louis walking slowly. I had expected him to finish long before me. I told him to help John and I get to the finish and that seemed to perk him up. He began to jog and then to run. Soon he was well ahead of me and I was pulling away from John. All I wanted was to finish so I could stop running. Louis finished 48 seconds ahead of me and John 23 seconds behind me.

Splits

My official time was 3:10:50 although that is apparently gun time and not chip time. I am absolutely thrilled with that anyway! I was 110/152 overall and 6/8 in my age group though so I guess I still have a lot of improvement to make ahead!

PR'ing in the New Year

First off, sorry this took so long! It's been a crazy day which I will explain in tomorrow's post!

Now, for the good stuff!

Yesterday Shane and I travelled to West Virginia to take part in the Run To Read Half Marathon. I was scheduled for 18 miles anyway so I had no intentions of actually racing. My plan was to run 5 super easy miles right before the race and then run the race as close to 10 minute mile pace as I could depending on how I felt.

We had a fast trip and pulled in to Prickett's Fort just after noon. We found the bathroom and then picked up our packets. No T-shirt, no finisher's medal, no goodies in the bag, just a hat and gloves. I guess I should have realized that considering the race only cost $25. The volunteers also parked Shane and I about 5 feet from the edge of the river which made me really uncomfortable. I would kind of like to pay off my vehicle before I let it get swept away by a freak flood or something.

View from our parking spot

 

I asked a volunteer for some directions about which way the race ran from where we were. They pointed out the path and I headed off to do my warm up. I was disappointed to find my legs felt like lead and my heart rate was sky high for how slowly I was moving. I had plenty of time before the 2PM race start so I just kept moving and taking some pictures of the course I would soon be running with 400 of our closest friends.

 

The running path

 

This race is nice in that the views are pretty cool. The first part of the race runs a 2.25 mile out and back which goes through a tunnel (which threw my Garmin off by a good bit). Going out it's slightly uphill but it gives you a good boost coming back down on the way back past the start. After you cross the parking lot where the race started you continue on the path over a couple bridges (a little scary with the ice in January) and beside the river. There's another turn around at the 9 mile mark and then the runners make their way back towards the parking lot for the finish.

 

Running in the hills of West Virginia

 

After my warm up I headed back to the car to drop my jacket and hydrate and fuel. I expected Shane to be in the car staying warm but he wasn't there. I ate two Shot Bloks and drank some water before I checked my watch. I had less than 15 minutes until start time! Whoops!

 

I made my way past the fort to the parking lot and lined up at the back of the pack. There were no real directions on paces or walkers being towards the back. I was hoping I was in the right place based on the looks of the people around me. That is until the woman beside me started talking about running Boston. Apparently I think I look a lot faster than I actually am?

 

Prickett's Fort

 

The race started only a minute or two late after a couple runners realized they weren't wearing their chips. Doh! I was down to just my INKnBURN denim print pants and peacock long sleeve top plus a hat and gloves and I was COLD! I believe it was about 35 degrees with a wind chill of 28. Getting started felt so good that I went out way too fast. I was passing lots of people despite the uphill grade and I was wondering if maybe I had started too far back. Then I hit the first mile marker and my watch beeped out a 9:11. Whoops!

 

The really cute mile markers for this race

 

I backed off and tried to get closer to 10:00 pace. My legs and lungs seemed pretty happy in the 9:30-9:45 range though so I just went with it. It was really odd to be moving so well after such a tough 5 miles right before but I figured I'd be slowing down soon enough. My splits for the first out and back:

 

Mile 1: 9:11

Mile 2: 9:21*

Mile 3: 9:21*

Mile 4: 9:23

Mile 5: 9:39

 

* Miles 2 & 3 are averaged because the tunnel screwed up my GPS signal.

 

As I hit the second out and back portion I lost a little steam and walked through the aid station just after mile 5. I wanted to take a GU but didn't want to take my gloves off. I was just comfortable and I knew that as soon as my hands got cold I would be freezing. I decided to walk the next water station and take one there. However, I started running next to an older man and at the 7+ mile water stop we started talking while we walked and drank and I completely forgot to take my GU. I stayed right behind this man up to the turn around hoping to catch him and passing quite a few people in the process. I was really surprised how many people were quitting and walking back. Splits to the turn around:

 

Mile 6: 10:05

Mile 7: 9:50
Mile 8: 10:04
Mile 9: 10:01

I was pleasantly surprised reviewing these splits. Every other mile is a little bit slower because I walked and drank a little bit. I had been planning to carry my handheld but with aid stations just over 2 miles apart I didn't really see the point. If I had actually been in the frame of mind to race and not walked every aid station I bet I could have put up a really good time! As I came around the turn around I could see the older gentleman in front of me and I decided I would slowly reel him in before I got to the next water stop. It worked perfectly and I caught him at mile 11.

Another section of the trail

We ran together for the next mile or so. He introduced himself as Jim and we didn't chat much because we were both working hard to keep passing the large number of 'walking wounded'. There were a surprising number of people trying this as their first half and a lot of them were under-trained. The looks of desperation and pain on the faces I passed were a little disconcerting. I remember those feelings all too well. Somewhere in mile 12 Jim jumped into a port-o-potty and I was left to continue on my own again. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see I could still make it under 2:10.

Mile 10: 10:17
Mile 11: 10:34
Mile 12: 9:45
Mile 13: 10:13
Last .23: 8:27 pace

My brain was screaming at me to walk but I told myself there was no time to be a baby now. I pushed on, setting my sights on each person in front of me and slowly working to pass them. Finally there was no one left in front of me and I could see the finish line. I wanted to lay down, I wanted to puke, I wanted to just walk so freaking bad. I threw in one last surge and crossed the mat. I looked at my Garmin and couldn't believe my eyes! 2:09:45!

Visitors' Center

I stumbled around the finish area for a bit and grabbed a can of Pepsi and a flavored water. I couldn't find any plain water and I really didn't care at the moment what I drank so long as it was wet. I wobbled back up the hill to the visitor center where we were treated to chili and cookies. The chili totally made the lack of medals and shirts worth it.

I finally found Shane a little while later. He had gone to the finish later expecting me to come in around 2:15-2:20 so we just missed each other. He finished in 1:49! I ended up coming in 185/277 finishers and 12/25 for my age group. There were 73 DNF's according to the timing site. I think that they included people who registered but didn't show up maybe? It's hard to believe that many people quit.

In the end I'm thrilled to start off 2013 with a new PR (prior 'official' PR was 2:20) and a great long run. And I have some more big news to share tomorrow. It's going to be a great year!

Farmer's Inn

As Sandy moves in to attack the coast people are scrambling to buy generators, stockpile food, and fill up with gas. Shane and I aren't really the type to panic though. We made it through a weeklong blackout last winter by cooking on our propane camping stove and sleeping (dogs and all) on the pull out bed in the living room. In the end, all that mattered is we all survived no worse for wear (minus one hamster). So instead of spending our weekend worrying we decided to run instead!

Shane was already registered for the Farmer's Inn half marathon today but he was worried this wouldn't count towards him becoming a Half Fanatic. See you need 20 registered runners and at least 15 finishers for a race to count and, at last check, the Farmer's Inn had 16 registered. Shane decided that the best remedy was to sign me up and pray that 3 more people showed up this morning.

We woke up at 4am and got ready to drive the 2.5 hours to Sigel, PA. The Farmer's Inn is a neat little place with lots of different animals, mini golf, playgrounds, Amish furniture, a leather shop, a gift store and a restaurant. Any other time we would have had a great time exploring and shopping but today it was cold and raining and we were already exhausted from the Apocalypse 5k yesterday.

Staying warm in the car

I know what you're thinking... Steam Punk shirt plus butterfly arm warmers? Who taught you how to dress? The answer, of course, is 4am did. Coupled with the fact that I have exactly two sets of arm sleeves at present... butterflies or hearts. Oh well.

At 9am the race director sent us off with an air horn, all 24 of us. I took off as fast as my poor little legs could carry me and enjoyed the downhill portion of the first two miles. I had been warned that this course is 'rolling'. I think that's a misnomer. At 2.25 miles you start a climb from 1,300 feet up to 2,000 feet by mile 8. The remaining 5 miles are rolling if you're legs aren't totally destroyed. Unfortunately for me that wasn't the case.

Elevation profile

 

By the 10k mark I was just in it to finish. By mile 8 I was wondering if it really mattered anyway. The wind and misting rain were picking up and I couldn't feel my fingers, toes or nose. If I had been able to work the zipper on my SPIbelt I might have just called for a ride. As it was I just kept plugging along as best as I could manage. Running was the only way I could stay somewhat warm so I was forced to maintain a steady clip on all the manageable hills.

 

At the 10 mile mark there was an unmanned water stop (1 of 2 on the course). I carried my handheld so I didn't need water but there was a directional sign there. The arrow appeared to be pointing left so I turned onto a dirt road. About a quarter mile up the trail forked and there was no indication of which way to go. I looked at the ground and realized I didn't see any other footprints in the mud. I almost cried realizing I must have gone off course. I made my way back to the water stop and looked up the road. I could see a few empty bottles on the side of the pavement and realized I was supposed to go straight. I don't know what was wrong with the arrow or if someone thought it was funny to switch it but I lost a lot of time here and probably would have quit if there would have been a volunteer at the stop.

 

As I pulled myself out of my funk and continued to chug along I got colder and colder. My hands were swollen, my feet felt like bricks, and I couldn't even zip up my jacket. All I could focus on was the hot buffet waiting at the end, free to all runners. Half a mile from the finish I spotted a bright yellow hoody coming my way. Oh Hallelujah! It was Shane and he'd come out to find me and get me to the finish. I checked my Garmin for the first time in many miles and realized I could still beat my slowest half time (2:29). We jogged up the lane and I crossed the mat in 2:27:12.

 

I was 22nd of 23 finishers and 2nd in my age group (out of 3). I would have had to run a 2:05 to place today and that just wasn't going to happen with the elevation of the course and the condition of my legs. Overall, I'm just glad it's over and Shane and I can qualify for the Half Fanatics if we so choose.

 

 Finisher's Trophy

 

Shirt

 

Shane goofing off

 

So for a final recap of October:

10/6 - Central Elementary 5k - 24:27 (new PR), 2nd woman

10/13 - Baltimore Marathon - 4:36 (new PR)

10/20 - Runner's World 5k & 10k - 27:39 & 59:30

10/21 - Runner's World Half - 2:20

10/27 - Apocalypse 5k - 26:26, 4th woman, 1st in age group
10/28 - Farmer's Inn Half - 2:27, 2nd in age group

Final summary: OUCH! :)

Three For Three

Sunday morning I woke up feeling better than expected but stiff and a little sore regardless. My stuffy nose from Baltimore has turned into a true head cold and sore throat so I was a little worried but figured I'd be okay. The last race of the Runner's World Half & Festival, the half marathon, wasn't until 8:30am so I didn't have to rush. I dressed, packed my car, and checked out of the hotel. I ate a bagel and drank my coffee while I waited for Katie.

At 7am we headed off to the expo for the final time. We parked and realized that bag check had been moved. This was the one snafu of the whole festival and it almost ruined my race. Katie and I speed walked around 3/4 of a mile to the start line and past it to the new baggage check. By the time we checked our bags and finished our final preparations I could hear the beginning of the announcements for the race happening on the road below us. We jogged back down to the start and made it to our corral just in time to line up. Then we were off on our final leg of an amazing journey!

Before the start

 

I started out at my goal pace of around 10:30 per mile. Katie and I were side by side for the first mile. We didn't say much, just focused on not doing anything to jeopardize our hat trick completion. At the end of the first mile the hills began. They wouldn't end until mile 9. I forged ahead while Katie, probably the smarter of the two of us, speed walked instead. I told myself I wanted to run the whole thing, even if it was slower than I wanted.

 

I don't remember much about the race. I was too focused on just keeping my legs moving and not giving in. After setting a new 5k PR just two weeks ago and a marathon PR last week and then running a 5k and 10k the day prior my legs were screaming on every incline. I told myself it just had to look like running even if I could probably walk faster. By the time mile 8 came I was really looking forward to seeing the end of the large hills.

 

I began trying to salvage my race and pick up the pace. As we came back into Bethlehem and I could see the SteelStacks I knew I was going to finish and I pulled the last of my reserves to try to break 2:20. As I sped to the finish line I saw Jo once again. We said hi but not much more as we tried to kick it in. My official time is listed as 2:20:07, just a few seconds slower than my goal.

 

I collected my medal, grabbed a Gatorade and a banana and then circled back to cheer in the remaining runners. I then headed for the gear check to collect my belongings, saying goodbyes along the way. It was hard to believe the festival was over and it was time to go. The last four days just flew by!

 

Katie and I after the half

 

There were two fire fighters that finished just ahead of me wearing their full gear. One of them was carrying an American flag and they were wearing 'In Memory Of' signs on their backs. I actually teared up because it brought back so many memories of my father and running for the IAFF Burn Fund. I had to catch them afterwards for a picture.

 

 

 

There was really nothing left to do except head for home. I just can't imagine how I'll ever top this weekend. Runner's World, Altra Zero Drop, Running Skirts, The Stick, Nissan, Swiftwick compression gear, and all of the sponsors, volunteers, and speakers really made this a weekend to remember!

 

Three For Three! 

 

Runner's World Festival

Today marked day 2 (find day 1 here) of the Runner's World festival for the bloggers covering this FIRST TIME event. I still am blown away that Runner's World has never had its own race before! For an inaugural event I have to say they are knocking it out of the park!

Today started with an easy shake out run with Bart Yasso in our new Altra Zero Drop shoes. We did roughly 3.8 miles and covered a little of the 5k, 10k, and half marathon courses that I'll be running this weekend. I took advantage of the presence of Craig and Golden from Altra to talk shop. I think we ran through all of the ultras on my bucket list plus ones I'd never even heard of! The Altra guys aren't just shoe geeks, they are full on hardcore running freaks! I think I might be in love! (Shhhh!)

After our rainy-but-fun run

 

After the run we were treated to some dry clothes from Free Motion apparel. I ended up wearing the jacket all day! It is absolutely incredible with soft material, attractive styling and thumb holes! I would seriously cut thumb holes in all of my clothing if I wasn't afraid of screwing up my favorite pieces. We also were able to enjoy another delicious (and healthy) breakfast. I haven't eaten this well since I became a mom! I think I might be a little spoiled by the end of this weekend.

 

Free Motion gear

 

Fruit, bagels, coffe, and water... YUM!

 

Once our body temperature returned to something resembling normal again we were once again hanging with the Altra crew. This time Golden Harper gave us some tips on running form and helped us figure out what we were doing wrong. We had a question and answer session on the Altra shoes and why zero drop (not necessarily minimalist) is helpful to runners who want to perfect their form. It was all really interesting and I can't wait to work on my posture so Golden won't have anything to pick on next time I run into him!

 

Altra form clinic

 

Working on our form barefoot

 

Watching the video of my form

 

After we finished dissecting our form we moved onto a seminar with ICON and their new iFit app. We learned a lot about what they are planning to introduce and the capabilities of their products. I just downloaded my copy of the iFit app so you'll have to give me a few days to really figure it out. All I can say for sure is that it has the potential to be one of the best apps for fitness freaks ever invented!

 

iFit seminar

 

After the iFit Q&A session the blogger group was taken to another building in the ArtQuest complex. Surprise, surprise! Shalane Flanagan was waiting to answer our questions and personally greet each one of us. She was extremely down to earth and honest and even a little shy. Shalane has a habit of twisting her hair as she talks that just reminds you how human the 'Assassin in compression socks' actually is. I got some great video of her answers to several questions and I can't wait to share them as soon as I get them uploaded!

 

Shalane and I. I look like an amazon next to her!

 

I got her autograph!

 

Shalane and the media group

 

After Shalane had graciously signed autographs for everyone in the media group and answered all of our questions two big names in Runner's World joined us. Jen Van Allen, co-author of the Big Book of Marathon and Half Marathon Training, and Megan, the Social Media genius behind RW's Twitter page, answered our questions and talked about Runner's World's first race and how they choose stories and articles. It was all really interesting and lots of fun to talk about the stories that struck a chord with us and ask more about them. Then it was time for my favorite part of the day! Lunch!

 

After lunch at the hotel (turkey wrap, pasta salad, salad, water, and cookies) it was time to go back to the expo to get our shopping on! I can say one thing for the FitFluential crew... We can sure clean out a running expo! I came back with a new stick, two more books, three shirts, a hat, and a running skirt!

 

I should have brought another bag to get this all home!

 

I also had the insanely good luck of getting two of my three books autographed. Jen Van Allen, Amby Burfoot, and David Willey all wrote kind words of inspiration inside the covers of their respective works. I haven't even read the books yet but they're already my new favorites!

 

 

Before we left the expo for dinner, I had the opportunity to get my picture taken for the cover of Runner's World. Well, not for real but I can pretend. Actually once you see the photo you'll see that I suck at pretending. My fake run looks more like I'm about to knock someone out. Maybe I should take up boxing?

 

Why is this arrown pointing at everyone's crotch?!

 

After my brush with fame we headed out to the Bethlehem Brew Works for dinner and socializing. I had fish tacos and a pumpkin ale. Both were amazing but the food didn't survive long enough to get it's picture taken. Twenty-six hungry runners don't take long to demolish good grub! It was delicious and I would highly recommend it if you're ever on this side of PA.

 

Carb Loading

 

Now I must try to sleep because tomorrow begins the true craziness! 5k and 10k in the morning and then a half marathon on Sunday! Bring on the Hat Trick!

 

 

 

 

Hills, Hills, and More Hills

I ran my fourth marathon this weekend at the Baltimore Running Festival. This was also Shane's second half marathon but I want him to write his own RR so that's all you'll hear about his experience for now! I had run the 5k there in 2009 (pre-blog) and so I thought I knew what I was in for. The 5k was what I would call rolling, small inclines that seemed evenly distributed between up and down. It was one of my worst 5k races ever because of the fact that I was sick as a dog with a cold. I was determined to really get to enjoy the beauty of Baltimore this year and also run a great race at the same time. I'd also made a pact with my friend, Mike, to run every step of the way together. I knew he could rock a sub-4:30 marathon easily (4:42 PR) so I had plenty of motivation to train. My PR going into this was 4:49.

My training this cycle was perfect until week 13 of my 18 week plan. I never missed a run, or a mile, and then BAM! My job went absolutely crazy. I was working 55+ hours every week and flip-flopping between night and day shifts and going out of town on short notice at least a couple days every week. My mileage went from the 170's per month to something like 43 for the month of September. To add to the insult I spent a few days working in a really nasty environment which led to a sinus infection/cold, just like in 2009. I told myself it didn't matter and I was going to PR this race or die trying.

Elevation profile... call it foreshadowing

I took the day off work on Friday and Shane and I spent the morning frantically packing. I had managed to get the girls luggage ready for them to go to my mother's house but I had no idea what I was going to wear or want this time around. I checked the predicted weather and saw a low of 42 and high of 53 so I decided to go with my Ink N Burn Run or Die Roses camisole, denim print shorts, and a long sleeve throwaway. I threw some clothes and PJ's on top of my running gear and called it good. Shane went to run some errands and drop the girls off while I loaded the car and we were on the road by 11am or so. The 4+ hour trip went by without any issues and we made it to our hotel in plenty of time.

An artist drew out this chalk mural at the finish line

In 2009 we stayed at the Holiday Inn in the Inner Harbor. It was nice but really expensive so this year we decided on the Radisson Lord Baltimore. What I didn't know is this hotel doesn't have it's own parking so we were forced to use a valet which was $31 per night (plus a tip!). Then it turned out they didn't have late checkout for the runners so we were forced to pay a late checkout fee too. The only good thing was the fact that the hotel put out a marathon buffet on Friday night for $13.95 per person. Shane and I stuffed ourselves with steamed veggies, pasta in a white sauce, spaghetti, and bow tie pasta as well as garlic bread, salad, and a range of yummy desserts from cheesecake to cookies.

At the expo rockin' my afro

The expo was a total cluster. Runners started on the first floor and got a goody bag. From there you had to walk through a row of tents/booths of vendors who were heckling you to try their crap or sign up for something. Most of it wasn't even running related. There was a guy trying to sell people windows for Pete's sake! Sorry but I don't buy windows without, you know, measuring mine first. By the time we made it to the second floor our patience was already wearing thin. We were told to go left to get our bibs and once again we were forced to walk through all of the vendors (this time the running related ones) until we reached the far end of the building where we picked up our bibs. Then we were told we had to go to the complete opposite end of the building to get our shirts! Corrigan Sports and Under Armour must not realize I did NOT want to walk 10 miles to get my stuff before the race! We finally got our shirts and decided there were a few things we wanted from the expo. We each got a Baltimore Running Festival Sticker for our cars and I got us cheap throwaway gloves for $1.50 a pair (these come back into the story later). I also picked up 2 packs of my favorite Shot Bloks.

Back at the hotel we laid out our gear and got right to sleep. I think I was out by 8:30pm. I woke up to my alarm at 6:15 and felt ready to go except for being extremely congested and having a big knot in my stomach. I was more nervous for this race than I was for any of the others (except maybe my first marathon) including my last 50 miler. I think I knew how much pain I was going to have to endure if I wanted a PR. I felt pretty sure that a PR was very possible but I also really wanted to finish in under 4:30. A 10:18 average pace just sounded terrifying to me but all of my recent races predicted I could do even better than that. I dressed, put my hair in pigtails (it's too short for anything else), ate a Larabar, drank 2 cups of coffee and headed out the door.

In the elevator I started talking to a woman named Gerry (if I misspelled that, I apologize!) and we decided to walk to the start line together. It turns out it was her first marathon and she just wanted to finish in under 5 hours. I felt a lot better walking over with someone who wasn't a Boston Qualifier or just a heck of a lot faster than me. We found the bathrooms together and lined up with the 4:45 pace group together. Shortly after my friend, Mike, found us and lined up next to me. His girlfriend, Holly, wished us well and promised to see us around the course.

Before I was ready for it the National Anthem was sung and the announcer started the race. I didn't realize that having the marathon start an hour and 45 minutes before the half would mean I wouldn't be hanging out for a half hour after the official start. I crossed the line roughly 3 1/2 minutes after the gun! I choked back the lump in my throat, gave Gerry my best wishes, and told Mike, "Let's do this." We started out slowly to get warmed up. The first mile ticked off in 10:49. My breathing was a little ragged and my nose was running like a faucet (those throwaway gloves were a GREAT idea!). I was already starting to doubt my ability to reach my goals but I didn't want to disappoint Mike either so I kept that to myself.

Mile 1: 10:49
Mile 2: 10:40
Mile 3: 10:16

Step for step with Mike

Mile 3 is where I started to find my groove. We were running up a tree lined incline and the sun finally came out. As I warmed up my breathing settled and my nose cleared a little. I threw my long sleeve shirt and one glove. I kept the other one tucked in my top as a handkerchief. I'm sure I have a uniboob in all of my pictures but keeping that glove was a life saver! Mile 3 is also where we entered the zoo. This was absolutely one of my favorite parts of the race! I saw a raven, a screech owl, a duck and a penguin all just hanging out with their trainers/keepers right next to us. It took my mind off what was in front of me and the knot in my stomach finally disappeared and I relaxed and began to enjoy myself.

Mile 4: 9:41
Mile 5: 9:30
Mile 6: 9:58

Somewhere in the sixth mile we came out of the zoo and Druid Hill park and back onto city streets. I appreciated that miles 7, 8, and 9 were pretty much a straightaway. Every other marathon I've run it seemed like I was constantly switching directions. Being able to just run helped me keep the pace pretty well. Holly jumped out onto the course to give Mike a hug and a kiss around this point. Seeing someone I 'knew' gave me a mental boost too!

Mile 7: 9:45
Mile 8: 9:54
Mile 9: 10:01

Chugging along.

My overall effort level felt even for most of the first 17 or 18 miles. I think the difference in splits has more to do with elevation changes than poor pacing. I tend to really let loose on downhills and totally fall apart on uphills. Mike is exactly the opposite so we balanced eachother out really well. I pulled him downhill and he pulled me uphill. We were both carrying water so we avoided the pile ups at each water station and stuck to our plan to take a GU or Shot Blok every 5 miles. I took GU at 5 and 10 miles and Shot Bloks (margarita flavor) every 5 miles after that.

Mile 10: 9:59
Mile 11: 10:14
Mile 12: 10:12
Mile 13: 10:17

chatting away the miles

We hit the half in 2:13 which was probably a little fast but we were still feeling good. My right knee was a little tender and Mike has been dealing with IT band issues but neither of us had any worries yet. I was confident I would blow 4:30 out of the water. Holly also popped up again right around here. Seeing an excited face helped to keep me in the game and Mike picked up his pace too.

Mile 14: 9:49
Mile 15: 10:16
Mile 16: 10:16

Still smiling

By this point we were slowing a little as we started back into the second major uphill portion (mile 15 - 20). We still had a large cushion of time to make our 4:30 goal. I believe at this point our average pace was 9:59 or 10:01 per mile. I don't remember too much about these miles except for just chugging along and chatting with Mike about next races, our friends, etc.

Mile 17: 10:23
Mile 18: 10:44
Mile 19: 11:04

This is the point where we started going, "Oh shit!" Our average pace had crept up to something like 10:08. We lost a LOT of time on the 5 miles of uphill and we had also gotten ourselves worn out. It was going to come down to pure mental toughness (and some luck) on whether or not we could get to the finish in 4:30. Miles 20 - 21.5 the course runs around Lake Montebelo. It's perfectly flat and very beautiful. I really appreciated the chance to run on the flat for a little bit and try to make up some time. Yes, I said try. My splits don't show it. However, from the lake to mile 24 or so the course is uphill again.

Mile 20: 11:21
Mile 21: 11:16
Mile 22: 12:03

I could still fake a smile though

By this point I was spent. Mike was pausing to rub out his IT band every half mile or so and my hip flexors were shot. Trying to run uphill was impossible. I kept dragging my toes by accident because I couldn't fully lift up my legs and it would send pain coursing through my hips. I never cramped up though which I am really happy about. I had one cramp start somewhere around this point in my right quad. I squatted down and stretched it and massaged it and it disappeared for good. Thankfully the course turns downhill around mile 23.5 with a short uphill in mile 25. That last uphill section was the one and only time we walked for longer than a step or two which was a victory all in itself. This is the first time I can truly say I RAN a marathon!

Last dash through Camden Yards

 

 

Mile 23: 10:59
Mile 24: 10:44
Mile 25: 12:23
Mile 26: 10:47
Last .2: 9:42 pace

My official time was 4:36:51, a 13 minute PR! The race actually showed as 26.38 on my Garmin so we didn't do a great job of running the tangents but it wasn't awful either. Mike managed to out-kick me and finish a few seconds ahead. I crossed the line right on his heels. We shuffled through the medal line, the water line, the banana line and finally got to get our finish pictures taken. Then it was time for a quick hug and heading our seperate ways. I wasn't even sure it was possible to run step for step with someone for an entire marathon but it turned out to be one of the best race experiences I've ever had. I definitely hope he'll be up for it again in the future!

Apparently he couldn't believe we still PR'ed either!

 

 

Overall, I'm pretty happy. I completely underestimated what those hills would feel like in the last 10k. If I had completed the rest of my training plan and not been subjected to a hectic work schedule I feel like 4:2x would have been completely possible, a 4:1x wouldn't have been outside my reach either. I made the mistake of racing through my taper and taking second place in a 5k just a week before this race. I definitely felt some residual fatigue and aches towards the end. On the good side, I had no cramping and no stomach issues so my training, fueling and hydration is spot on.

The medal. It says, "What hills don't kill you make you stronger"

 

Five of 51 states (including D.C.) down!

Now I just recover as best I can and get ready for marathon number 5 at Marshall University Marathon on 11/11! Sub-4:30 is definitely in my reach there if I run smart!