Rock'n The Knob

Shane surprised me with an entry to the Rock'n The Knob 30k a couple weeks ago. After last weekend's disastrous trail 10k I was about terrified of running up and down a mountain for three times as long. But the race director of the RTK, Ben, had given Shane a free entry for me as a fellow race director so I couldn't be a no-show.

The Rock'n the Knob is not actually 30k. It's advertised as 19.23 miles (31k) but everyone got closer to 20+ miles by GPS which means it was probably actually longer since tree cover causes signal loss and vertical gain/loss are not calculated in by GPS. I'm glad I didn't know this in advance.

The race itself is billed as 'PA's Highest Trail Race'. The course description states:
"Runners will start from the Clubhouse at the Blue Knob All Seasons Resort. Racers will then conquer the ski slopes, enjoying beautiful vistas along the route. The 30K racers will then split from the 5 mile route, linking with the Lost Turkey Trail to begin their assault on the State Park side of the mountain. The 30K runners zigzag up and down the mountain accumulating over 9,700 ft. of elevation change! This race will be the most challenging in the area, putting even the most hardened trail runner to the test."

The view

I made the decision to drive out to Bedford, PA and stay the night before the race. I found a hotel and then headed out for some food at a little Mexican place called Salsa's. If you're ever in Bedford I highly recommend it. While Denny's, Hosses, and all the other chain places were packed, Salsa's had maybe 10 patrons inside, live music, and the food was excellent. I made it back to the hotel and laid out all my gear (minus a forgotten Garmin) and got ready for bed.

After a restless night I got up at 6:30 and dressed in my INKnBURN denim shorts and sugar skull tee with Altra Superiors. I added a long sleeve pink shirt on top as a warm up. I grabbed coffee from the hotel lobby and began the half hour journey to Claysburg where the race would begin at the Blue Knob Four Seasons Resort. Once there I picked up my packet and bib. I'd been assigned number 13. On top of the forgotten Garmin, the poor night's rest, and the bib number I was pretty convinced it would be a bad day. I mostly hid in the lodge until start time because otherwise I was freezing in the 48* morning air. BRRRR!

We lined up right on time and were given some brief instructions on the course and markings before a shotgun start. Wow was that loud up there in the mountains!

Start

Looks like I was lucky to avoid this guy's farmer blow

 

The start at the Clubhouse (elevation 2,376 feet) meant running uphill for about 2.25 miles until we reached the radio towers on the top of Herman Point (elevation 3,014 feet). I took this slowly and watched people disappear over the hills and around bends wondering if or when I would catch them again. My stomach felt rocky and I hoped I just needed to warm up. We then turned onto Lost Turkey Trail and headed down the mountain. I almost got smeared by a speeding car at the road crossing but was able to hustle across just in the knick of time. After that I reached the steepest descent of the race, an old logging trail that drops 831 feet in 0.87 miles. Thankfully it was followed by a flat 0.73 mile trail to the campgrounds. I was already struggling by this point and my stomach was roiling but just focused on relaxing and staying rubber-side down. There were two women in front of me running together and I dubbed them The Ponytails because that's all I would see as they disappeared around each bend in front of me. I vowed to catch and beat them before the end of the race.

 

The Lodge

 

The runners next circumvented Blue Knob State Park campgrounds via a wide single track trail before taking an access road over to the Crist Trail. It was at this point that I realized I wasn't absorbing my water. My stomach sloshed with each step and the weird gurgling sounds it was making worried me even more than the stabbing pain it was causing. As we headed towards Pavia Road we headed down the sharpest descent of the race with 859 feet of fall in 2.6 miles. Unfortunately my stomach couldn't take the pounding and I walked a lot of the descents. I crossed Pavia Road and stopped at the mile 7 aid station to eat a couple gummy bears and refill my handheld. From here I had to conquer a 4 mile loop consisting of rolling single track, an ascent of Rock'n Ridge Trail, and a loose rock gully climb. The climb is roughly 2 miles and becomes progressively steeper the farther it goes. The total climb is 887 feet. Thankfully it's followed by almost a half mile of flat double-track before dropping back to the aid station. Here I joined up with a group of runners named Luke, Rachel, and Sarah for the remainder of the run. Luke had fallen at mile 2 and broken his hand but refused medical attention and finished the race. What a rock star!

 

Careful descent of the stone stairs

 

From the aid station we followed the road and headed straight back up, 0.87 miles and 395 feet of climb from the park office to the Homestead Loop Trailhead. The loop is 1.75 miles long and follows an old road. First it descends 363 feet in 0.63 miles and then ascends 624 feet and 1.11 miles back out of the hollow. I dubbed this section the Hill of Despair for the numerous false summits and relentless climbs. We did pass a woman on this ascent which made me feel a little better about my performance. Finally, we reached Raven's Rest Pavillion and the final aid station at 2,037 feet elevation. I sat on the picnic table and tried to eat some gummy bears while the volunteers checked out Luke's hand. My stomach had relaxed some but pounding down descents was still out of the question.

 

 

 

From the pavillion we began to climb the southeastern flank of the mountain. We traversed a contour to 2,570 feet elevation and then dropped 500 feet in a half mile to Beaver Dam Run. According to the course description "this entire section requires runners to be able to stop on a dime to avoid seriously technical and jagged rocks along the narrow single track." Once you reach the bottom, you are greeted by a stunning view of a waterfall cascading down a gully filled with boulders covered in moss. Well, stunning until you realize you are about to climb the waterfall, 971 feet of ascent in 0.79 miles on slippery rocks and crossing the falls twice.

 

Finally we reached a dirt road where we continued our final ascent of the mountain for another 0.2 miles until reaching the 'Stone Pads'. This is a single-track section of extremely rocky trail. After awhile things leveled off and we followed rolling trail past the Pavia Overlook and out to Pavia Road, which we ran up to the ski lodge at the summit (3,142 feet). We turned onto an access road to the ski lifts and proceeded to run straight down the Route 66 ski slope to the East Wall Traverse ski slope and down to the bowl at Stembogen. Finally the last of the stomach-pounding descents were over and I turned into the forest until I reached the final surprise, the 'rock garden'. This is where I finally overtook The Ponytails as they walked through and decided it was a good race afterall. The maintenance building appeared and then the finish line and I was able to put out a final kick to finish in 5:42:21.

 

Elevation profile

 

Course Map

 

I was surprised to learn I took second in my age group but it turned out two of the top women were in my age group. The Ponytails and the other woman I had passed were also in my age group so there is some satisfaction in that. Afterwards, there was food and beer to be had before I made the long trek home.

 

Swag

Finisher's Medal/Bottle Opener

Age Group Award

 

Overall, this is a great race for an experienced trail runner. The views and trails are amazing and well worth the trip. However, it's definitely not something to be taken lightly as evidenced by Luke's broken hand. The medals, the shirts, and the post-race food and refreshments all make it top notch. And it's not every day that you can summit the second tallest mountain in PA twice while traversing both sides. The course was well marked and obviously well planned to challenge everyone who attempted it. But it definitely was not beginner or even intermediate runner friendly.

 

And I'm still not sure I can ever wear the race shirt because having 'Rock'n The Knob' emblazoned across my chest just seems like it will invite sexual innuendos, especially from those who know it was Blue Knob! Oh boy! *face palm*

 

 

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I chose North Coast 24 Hour Endurance Run  (NC24) as a test of my ability to complete Burning River 100 in July. With a little over 3 months between the two races it seemed like a perfect test of my training and a confidence booster. Leading up to the race I was neglecting some of my training due to being overworked but I was still improving and training harder than ever before. I also managed to pull or pinch something in my back moving some heavy things around in our lab. I had no illusions that I would somehow do anything impressive. I just wanted to cover a minimum of 80 miles with an achievable goal of 90 miles. My stretch goal was to break 100. Being that this was a 24 hour race there's really no way to make this short so grab a coffee and pull up a chair.

Pre-race

I asked my boss for Friday off and he said I could only have it if I finished up all my work. I didn’t think that would happen so I asked for Monday off knowing I would probably be wrecked (this is important later). I ended up getting all my work done so I drove out to Cleveland Friday night after spending the day packing and frantically fighting with my bank over a hold on my direct deposit (who does that?!). I drove straight to the park and scoped out the course before heading to my hotel. One of the first things I noticed was the white caps and heavy winds along the breakwater. I really hoped it would calm down by morning. I arrived at my hotel just in time to watch the coverage of the second Boston suspect being pinned down in the boat and then taken into custody. I fell asleep quickly and slept pretty well.

 

Waves were crashing over the breakwater

 

Race Morning

I woke up before my 6am alarm. I checked the weather and saw cold temps predicted so I chose pants, a tank top, and a long sleeve over top. I also wore my trusty Altra Zero Drop Torins for the entire race. I was anxious and full of nervous energy so I headed out before the continental breakfast was laid out. I went over to the local Starbucks and got a decaf (I avoided caffeine for the week before the race). I sat and talked to some older gentleman until 7:30 and then headed to the park for packet pick up. I found my friend, Anne, almost immediately so I set up my little station next to hers. Most people had tents but I didn’t want the temptation. I had brought a sleeping bag and a camp chair, mostly so if I got hypothermic I could warm up or take a nap after the race before I drove home. I also had a duffel bag stuffed with running clothes, jackets, and gloves as well as a small cooler with two Red Bulls in it. That's it... no crew, no shelter, and no extras. Racing by the seat of my pants!

 

Tent City (and me in my pink hoody in the background)

I picked up my bib and chip, slipped on my hoody over my clothes, and then crawled into my sleeping bag to wait for the pre-race brief. The wind was howling and shortly after it started to snow. Then it began to pelt us with hail. I pulled my bag over my head and seriously considered just getting back in my car and going home. The hail and snow stopped just before 9am and the pre-race briefing went on as planned. So I sucked it up and lined up with everyone else despite the biting wind. The high was 41 degrees with a low of 33 and winds around 30MPH.

 

snow in my lap

Race

Heidi, the RD, sent us off with a bullhorn at 9am on the dot. I was surprised at how many people took off like it was a shorter distance race. My plan was to run as evenly and consistently as possible for as long as I could maintain it. I didn’t wear a watch so I didn’t worry about pace or times. I just tried to keep my effort low and even. We were running the .90075 mile loop clockwise which meant a short incline along the edge of the lake and then running along the breakwater at the top before turning away from the lake and heading down to the line to start again. The wind was gusting diagonally across the park and the freezing spray from the waves crashing against the breakwater would mist us with every loop. The wind was from the side on the uphill, mostly behind us at the top of the loop, and directly in our faces as we returned along the sandy beach which meant the sand blew into our eyes, noses, mouths, and shoes relentlessly.

 

snow on the path

After the first few loops I could tell my back was going to be an issue. My right SI joint was sending shooting pains down my leg with every step. I told myself it was just nerve pain so there was no reason to pay any mind since there was nothing I could do about it. It did slow me down though. I decided to try to hold 5 loops per hour for as long as I could in order to get close to 100 miles. I began to walk the short incline from the start/finish up to the breakwater each lap so I could eat and drink and save my legs. Then I would run the remainder of the loop and do it again. I would walk an entire loop every 15^th or 16^th lap.

I was staying right on target and prettily easily keeping my 5 loops per hour average despite the wind and cold. After 25 or so miles I decided to change my socks to relieve the sand friction in my shoes. It helped immensely and I made a plan to change my socks every 25 miles thereafter. Around 30 miles my back pain suddenly disappeared which helped me stay on pace and even improve slightly. I whiled away the hours talking to other runners and watching in amazement as the men ran themselves into the ground trying to beat the wind. Johnny Cash (yes, his real name) was going for 135 miles and he was just blazing. Hearing him lap me again was better than a clock. He was ridiculously steady!

 

 

waiting to start

Around 40 miles in my coach stopped out to cheer me on for awhile and check in. I was so happy to see her. She got me some warm food and broth, walked with me for a minute and helped refine my plans. We felt confident 90 miles was in the bag. After a few laps she had to leave but it kept me going at a better rate for another hour or so. I began to notice that my right foot was getting tender along the ankle. I tried to shorten my stride and improve my form which helped a little so I kept chugging along, knowing a 50 mile PR was in the bag.

 

My coach and I

I should have hit 50 miles in 11:30 or less but the pain in my foot was becoming annoying. The balls of my feet were getting tender and I blamed sand so I stopped to change my socks again. I passed 50.5 miles in 11:4x. I set my focus on getting to the 100k mark but began to lose steam as the sun set and the temperatures plummeted.

 

Running some laps with Ronnie

 

I stopped around 55 miles to add layers. I had two pairs of tights, a tank top, a long sleeve tech tee, two jackets, a hoody, and gloves on and I was still shivering uncontrollably. The top 10 or 12 men were still plugging away and 3 or 4 women remained on the course but everyone else seemed to disappear as soon as the sun set. I renewed my focus on not leaving the course for anything short of a medical emergency and pressed on. I tried to run more to get my temperature up and it became a battle between the pain in my right ankle/foot and my need to stay moving and warm. Occasionally someone would be running at a pace I thought I could sustain so I would hang with them for a few laps until I either got too warm in all my layers or my foot began to protest. Pretty soon all of the women had disappeared and I gave in to the urge to check the leader board. I believe I was in 4^th place at that point and around 21-23 overall. I wasn’t too far from Anne in third place so I decided to put in as many laps as I could while she was off the course.

 

Sunset

I picked up a 3 hour marathoner in a Boston jacket named Bruce and we put in a blistering 3 or 4 laps before I fell off his pace. Every few laps he would grab my hand and pull me along for another couple laps until I was gasping or limping and then I’d walk. I hit the 100k mark in around 15:30 and I felt pretty confident that 90 miles was very doable. I walked some very brisk laps with another runner named Jason and ran a few with another named Ronnie. They were both on pace for well over 100 miles so I’d enjoy their company while it lasted and then walk again.

 

Cleveland skyline at twilight

Sometime in the middle of the night I began taking caffeine: coffee, Mountain Dew, Coke, whatever. The week without any caffeine made the effects potent and I was wide awake despite the darkness. I ran without a light using the light of the moon and my familiarity with the course to guide me instead. It felt like hours before any other women rejoined me on the course but they later told me they only left the course for about an hour. I had taken over third place and I was now running scared that Anne would find her second wind. The winds calmed down and changed direction overnight which was a nice change and helped keep my spirits up. The appearance of a fox raiding the park garbage cans for our leftovers also gave me a boost. Of course, no one else saw him so maybe it was just a hallucination?

 

Plugging along

My coach wanted me to try to catch second place and I got fairly close when she left the course again for a short time. She came back out and finished a loop right behind me. She got a look at my numbers and let out a curse and took off like a bat out of Hell. By this point I was more than happy to let the chips fall where they may. I had hoped the sun coming up would rejuvenate me but instead I was becoming a walking zombie. My only goal was to keep putting one foot in front of the other until the end.

 

I liked this tree when it wasn't blowing pollen in my face

 

Thankfully my friend, Glenn, showed up at 6am and took over caring for me when I could no longer care for myself. He forced oatmeal and coffee into me and walked several loops, taking pictures and calling out encouragements. I just blindly followed behind him and the doc (who ran the med tent but also put in 34 miles) and tried to give convincing smiles when other runners talked to me or encouraged me.

 

That tiny speck in the water is a surfer. The waves were that big!

 

Around 8am I realized my position of third place woman was in no danger with a 9 lap lead over 4^th place Anne. I had moved up to 18^th overall and I couldn’t change that with both Karen and Allene directly ahead of my by about 10 laps in 16th and 17th place. Knowing that there was nothing to do but cause further damage I allowed Glenn to hustle me into the med tent to have my foot tended to by a group of podiatry students all the way from St. Louis, MO.

 

Bruising just below my ankle

 

All three students took turns palpating and digging and nothing really hurt. Finally their teacher came over and pushed in just below my ankle and also from the bottom up on the outside. The searing pain almost knocked me out of the chair. Diagnosis: dislocated Navicular bone. It seems my Navicular fell in and my cuboid pushed out causing a bruise along the side of my food and the inability to run due to the impact jarring the bones. Once my foot was reset and all taped up I hobbled outside to watch the last couple laps. Doc decided he wanted to get one more in so I accompanied him on a slow hobble around the loop carrying our popsicle sticks. (You are given a popsicle stick with your number on it to put down on the ground when the horn blows signaling the end of the race.) We were rounding the last bend when someone said we had less than 2 minutes to the horn. I wanted to finish with one more complete loop and maybe a few more steps beyond so I ignored the pain and ran but it wasn’t enough. The horn sounded and I stuck my popsicle stick in the sand about 20 feet shy of the mat. Doc was a few feet back and Allene, now in first place, was a few more feet behind him. We all limped back to the pavilion and I climbed into my sleeping bag to await awards.

 

Post Race

I huddled around with Anne, Glenn, Jason, and a few others as we collected our medals and the guys collected their 100 mile buckles. Shortly thereafter awards were announced with unofficial results (our extra incomplete lap was not measured or added yet). I was awarded a plaque for being first in the 0-39 age group, 3^rd overall woman netted me $100, and I was 18^th overall with an unofficial 84.7 miles. I officially ended up with 85.57 miles after my almost complete loop was added in.

 

The goodies

As soon as awards were over I hugged everyone goodbye and loaded up my car. I made the 3.5 hour drive back to Pittsburgh uneventfully despite being awake and moving for 30+ hours. Once home I showered and fell into bed for a fitful 3 or 4 hour nap. I kept being awakened by my sunburn and windburn as well as sinuses that felt like half the beach was stuffed in them. After some aloe gel, an Advil, and blowing about a pound of sand out of my nose I began to feel more human. Aside from being stiff and a little sore I don’t seem to have any damage besides the bruised foot. Of course, I expect I’ll feel more tomorrow since my boss revoked that Monday off deal! I’m going to be the most useless body in the plant for sure. (Side note: I actually was fairly productive for about 5 hours today!)

Thoughts

This was tough but for all the reasons I didn’t expect. I didn’t expect snow, hail, and gale force winds in April. I didn’t expect to be alone for long stretches of time overnight. I didn’t expect to be wet from freezing spray blowing off the lake. I expected to be tempted to go too fast but I wasn’t. I expected to be exposed to sun and heat but there was little sun and no high temps. I expected to be the one who fell apart overnight but I was one of the very few who held it together for the entire time.

I know that it was a ‘disappointing’ race to many of those tracking the event because not a single woman broke 100 miles and the winning male had ‘only’ 130 miles but, really, with the conditions and weather I’m absolutely amazed at what every single person at NC24 accomplished. Running a 10 or 11 minute mile pace for hours is one thing, running that for hours against a 30 MPH headwind is completely different. Every runner out there for the entire 24 hours absolutely put in a 100+ mile effort even without the results to show for it.

In the end, I didn’t get my 90 mile goal and I definitely missed 100 by a pretty good margin. But I’m thrilled with the results. I couldn’t have asked for better proof of my mental toughness than being the only woman that never stepped off the course for a nap or to hide from the weather. I wouldn’t have dreamed of placing in my age group let alone getting onto the podium in my first 24 hour race. And I have no doubt that I will collect my first hundred mile buckle at Burning River so long as I don’t suffer any serious setbacks. I guess it turned out to be a perfect day!

Silvester Nacht (New Year's Eve)

Yesterday Shane and I ran the Harmony Silvester 5k for the third year in a row. This year it was kalt! (Cold!) This race through historic (and hilly!) Harmony celebrates its German heritage by kicking off Silvester (New Years) on Germany's time. A 3PM race is followed by a 6PM countdown and ball drop with fireworks (midnight in Germany).

Shane and I knew parking would be a nightmare. The timing company (Miles Of Smiles) owner had warned us that over 300 people had pre-registered earlier this week so we made sure to arrive early and get a good parking spot. We picked up our race bags and dropped them in the car and then ran the course as a warm up. We arrived back at the starting line 10 minutes before the start and I did some form drills to stay warm and hopefully get ready to PR!

Race day weather was not ideal

 

At 3 o'clock on the dot.... we stood there.... There was a flatbed truck and a bunch of cars on the course (open course) so we had to wait for them to move out of the crowded starting area. We finally got the bullhorn about 5 minutes later. I took off with a woman I had lined up beside and quickly realized I was being pulled out too fast. My Garmin flashed 6:35 pace and I pulled back, maybe too much. The first mile is rolling and ends with one GIANT uphill but I was fresh. It should have been fast! 

 

Mile 1: 8:05

 

The second mile is more downhill than uphill. There's a few good ups but it's mostly runnable. However, I was fretting over my slow first mile and trying not to overcompensate on the downhills. I was worried about ice and the broken asphalt and the fact that I fell on ice yesterday and my knee was feeling a little tender. Once again, I erred too much on the side of caution.

 

Mile 2: 8:00

 

The last mile is almost entirely uphill with one good downhill stretch. I tried to let my legs fly on this downhill but I couldn't catch my breath. I think partly due to the fact I overdressed and partly due to the cold air temperatures and wind. I really struggled on the last hills and people were flying by me. I think I kind of mentally threw in the towel as groups of women passed me.

 

Mile 3: 8:32

 

As I came into sight of the finish line I checked my watch and realized a PR was out of reach. I was getting really angry at myself at this point and I heard footsteps approaching my left shoulder. I dug deep and out-sprinted a man to the timing mat. I beat him by 4 tenths of a second! At least I can be proud of that.

 

Final .13 miles: 1:05 (8:24 average)

 

Overall time: 25:41

 

I was kind of sulking in the church where the food and water was set out until I talked to a few other runners. It seems like a lot of our friends had a pretty rough day, probably due to the weather. Finishing only 36 seconds slower than last year and placing better was a big morale boost.

 

Elevation Profile

 

Last year I placed 5th in my age group. This year I was.... wait for it.... Second! There were 19 women in my age group. I think it's pretty awesome that I was able to take an award when there was that much competition! I finished 2/19 age group, 56/255 women, and 163/518 overall.

 

Happy with my award

 

Shane and I

 

Shane and I had to haul our butts home pretty fast though as the weather began to deteriorate even further. We ended up driving home in a white out!

 

Right in the middle of a snow storm!

 

Overall, I think this was a good way to end the year. It may not have been the PR I was hoping for but it wasn't PR conditions. I still outperformed my competition and took an award for the first time at this race. I'll just have to look forward to a very big PR in 2013!

 

Shirt, bib, and medal

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! 

 

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!