tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30941452300915857322024-03-13T22:01:08.437-07:00Ultra Run Lara RunAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-42139604334407516842016-10-11T11:21:00.001-07:002016-10-11T11:21:51.516-07:00I'm Back<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oops, haven't posted in ages! You know how when you forget someone's name, each time you meet them and don't ask their name it gets more and more awkward? Well, once I don't blog it feels more and more awkward after each day, so I just never posted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically, I had a horrible race at Boston and found it hard to write about. Waiting at the start, I never felt that adrenaline surge, and after the first 5-6 miles I started having bad pain in my right hip that slowed me down. By mile 10 it was clear even a BQ was out of the question. I was really upset, obviously, but did my best to enjoy the experience- gave lots of high fives and kissed a few Wellesley girls, because why not? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pretty soon after that disappointment I signed up for a marathon in Portland Oregon in July- I had wanted to visit Portland for ages, and this was a flat marathon so I hoped to BQ again for 2017. Training the "right" way (shorter, faster runs, and no ultras) for Boston didn't work for me, so getting ready for the Foot Traffic Flat Marathon meant going back to what had worked for me in the past. While I did a short speed workout or tempo run weekly, I also increased my mileage, and ran 3 50k races over 4 weeks going into my taper. I guess I'm weird, but ultra training equals good marathons for me- I ended up running my 2nd fastest marathon (30 seconds off my PR) and placing 3rd overall female...plus had an amazing vacation in Portland!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the summer I concentrated more on trail running- I paced my friend over the last 25 miles of his first 100 miler, and that reignited my love of trail running. I ran a handful of 50k trail races, leading up to The Ring in September.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Ring is a 71 mile full loop on the Massanutten Mountain Trail in Virginia. It's very, very rocky and quite challenging! Technical trails do not come easily to me, as I'm a very slow uphill hiker, which was part of the reason I wanted to do this race. I knew the terrain and elevation gain was out of my comfort zone and I wanted a new challenge. Also, I'm a big fantasy nerd, and finishers of The Ring are said to inducted into the Fellowship of the Ring- I couldn't pass that up! Anyway, the race was tough, but I was lucky to meet up with a really nice dude named Casey, and we ended up running about 40 miles together 🙂 It worked out really well, as we were a similar pace, and both of us felt a bit uncomfortable with the idea of running alone at night. I was tired but felt pretty good all night, and managed to finish under my goal of 24 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since then, I've gone back to primarily road running- I signed up for my first 72 hour race, Icarus Florida Ultrafest, on November 17. I ran 120 miles in the 24 hour race 2 years ago, and it's a nice relatively flat loop of about 1 kilometer. I've never run longer than my 34 hours at Spartathlon, so once again I am in for a totally new challenge! I'm focusing on back-to-back long runs and increasing my mileage- hopefully peaking with my first ever 100 mile training week at the end of the month 🙂 My goal is to break 250 during the race, but I have no idea how my body will react past that first 1-1/2 days, so I'll have to just try my best and see how it goes. I'm starting a new (non-running related) adventure in January, so Icarus will likely be my last ultra for the near future- nothing like going out with a bang!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-1215600957259993012016-01-02T11:42:00.000-08:002016-01-02T11:42:01.251-08:002016 Update<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a while...after the high of finishing Spartathlon I went through a bit of a hard time. I was physically and emotionally drained, and couldn't get back to training right away. I got a bad staph infection in my underarm that created a large abscess and prevented me from running, while the antibiotics I was on made my legs feel weak once the wound healed. I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in late October on little training and not being fully recovered from Spartathlon. Needless to say it didn't go well. I'm proud of the money I raised in support of TeamRWB, but not my race time (just under 3:45). After that I took about a month nearly completely off. I was just tired of training and very frustrated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Thanksgiving I decided to really dedicate myself to training for a PR at the Boston Marathon. So for the past month or so I have been concentrating on speed. Speedwork and a tempo run every week, plus a hill workout and a long run. I'm also doing one weight training workout a week, mainly in the hopes of decreasing body fat. I'm at least 10 pounds over what I would call a good "racing weight" for me, and I know I need to be lighter and fitter to go faster.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On January 1st I ran my first 5K in about a year and a half. I didn't do as well as I would have liked, at least partially due to the extra weight. But I did run fast enough to place in my age group at a competitive race, and the first mile was the fastest I've ever clocked during a race. So although I've still a ways to go in order to run a sub 3:15 at Boston, I think I'm on the right track!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-85287622131948090492015-10-04T15:00:00.001-07:002015-10-04T15:00:38.235-07:00Spartathlon!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My whole year of training has been leading up to this...and in the end, it was all worth it! I finished the Spartathlon in 34 hours, 6 minutes, and 14 seconds. There were 374 starters, and only 174 finishers in a race that already required qualification to enter. Although I would have preferred to finish closer to 32 hours, to be the 93rd finisher and 11th woman, among some of the top ultrarunners in the world, is something I am incredibly proud of. This was by far the most challenging race I have ever done, and at one point I came very close to DNFing, which makes my finish even more rewarding.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec and I flew into Greece via Istanbul on Tuesday night. It was a long overnight flight, but I was able to get around 5-6 hours sleep so it didn't seem so bad. However our flight out of Istanbul was delayed, so with the time difference it was about 1am Thursday Greek time when we finally got settled into our hotel. After another short night's sleep I had some breakfast and did a short shakeout run around Glyfada, the Athens suburb where we were staying. I was feeling a bit jet-lagged, but nothing too terrible. Later that day we walked around the Parthenon and Acropolis, which was surprisingly taxing in the heat, but definitely worthwhile- coming from the U.S. it's almost unbelievable how old everything in Greece is! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After some delicious chicken souvlaki and a lot of water I got to bed early, although of course I didn't sleep too well the night before such a big race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the morning I met up with some of the USA team while I had my protein bar and coffee, along with some delicious Greek yogurt and honey. Then it was on the bus to the race start at the Acropolis. I sat with Traci Falbo and I was so </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">happy to finally meet her and tell her how much she inspires me- it was such an honor to represent the US alongside so many amazing runners! After taking some pictures and milling around a bit (and peeing in the bushes of the Parthenon, lol) we were off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first 10 miles or so were through Athens, taking us out to the coast. I had heard it wasn't too nice, but I didn't think it was too bad, just more like running an urban marathon than a typical ultra. I settled into a nice groove at a steady 9:00 pace and zoned out a bit. Despite the "big climbs" not coming until the second half, there were plenty of small hills throughout the race, but in the early hours they didn't bother me. By around 13 miles in we were at the coast, and it was absolutely beautiful...the water was so incredibly blue and clear, and the sun was so hot and bright that at times it was torturous not to be able to jump </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in! Apparently Europeans are weird about ice- they don't really like it I guess, so not every checkpoint had it. They did have buckets of sponges, so I kept squeezing lukewarm water on my head. It wasn't the Aegean, but it helped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first crew checkpoint came at marathon distance, which I hit in 4 hours, a bit slower than I wanted, but still 45 minutes ahead of cutoffs. It was great to see Alec again. He got me rolled out and made me eat (I had been just grabbing a few raisins and chips at the checkpoints, along with cola). After filling my rundanna with ice and applying more sunscreen I was off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it was about 11am the heat was getting worse. I was glad I had been wearing Orlando (my floppy hat) all morning, but although I kept drinking water and cola I wasn't able to eat in the next section. I had slowed down some from my 9s, but I was still maintaining a decent pace through the heat and hills. I hit the next crew checkpoint (50 miles) in 8:15, which was just what I wanted. But </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I almost fell over from heat exhaustion once I got into the shade. Alec made me stay a good 10 minutes, and after eating some yogurt and a bowl of rice (so </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">incredibly delicious at that point!) I felt much better. From this point on, I would see Alec every 10 miles or less, which definitely helped my morale!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was also around this point that I started running with my friend Bruce- although he was representing Korea (where he was born), he lives in Florida so we had met at several previous races. Anyway, we leapfrogged each other for a bit, but in the end we ran close to 100 miles together- I can't express how grateful I am to have had his encouragement and company for so many hours! I think Alec also enjoyed getting to crew alongside Bruce's wife, Brandi- gave him some company with all the waiting around.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Honestly, things sort of blurred together after the first 50 miles. We ran past a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">lot of vineyards, along winding, rolling countryside. We ran through ancient Corinth. We ran into small Greek towns full of cobblestones and old stone </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">buildings. Bruce and I had some crazy conversations, the kinds you only have when you're punchdrunk after running for hours together. Alec kept rolling me out and refilling my Tailwind bottle at checkpoints. By nightfall I was about 2 hours ahead of cutoffs, and I was starting to feel more confident about finishing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were close to the halfway point when it got dark. I wore my headlamp around my chest (I hate actually wearing it on my forehead), but the moon was so big and bright I didn't actually turn it on half the time. The terrain was getting hillier, and now I was powerwalking the uphills. I do think my hillclimb workouts have made me faster at this, but I am still a pretty slow uphill walker. If I do Spartathlon again in the future I will definitely do more hill training!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The slow climb up to mountain base began around mile 92. Bruce insisted that the uphills weren't actually uphill, so I should be running them. I countered that </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">uphill was uphill, these weren't especially steep uphills, but I was still planning on walking them. I started getting frustrated at myself, and felt bad at holding Bruce back- I told him to go ahead of me, but he said he would stick with me until we were over the mountain. I was getting so exhausted and sleepy (it was about 2am), but I was afraid of taking caffeine as I was also nauseated. Bruce suggested I lay down with my feet up for a while instead, and I resolved to do that at mountain base.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around mile 98 we started steeper switchbacks up to the mountain, and it began to get cold and rainy. I grabbed a long sleeved shirt from my dropbag and we power hiked up. Bruce wanted to get over the mountain before the rain got </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">worse, but I needed to lie down. We reached mountain base (about 100 miles) in just over 20 hours. This was slower than what I had ideally wanted, but I was still over 1.5 hours ahead of cutoffs. I lay down for about 10 minutes, Alec made me eat some crackers, then I put on a hooded windbreaker and headed onto the trail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trail wasn't really a trail...it was a bunch of switchbacks marked off with reflective tape and glowsticks. I had to stop and stretch my screaming calves a few times, and nearly panicked as I slowly dragged myself, half crying, up the mountain. I kept looking up and seeing more headlamps twinkling up the mountainside, reminding me I still had a ways to go. But as it turned out, we didn't actually go all the way up the mountain, so once I calmed down that section passed relatively quickly. Going down was in some ways harder- it was all switchbacks of wet scree, and steep enough that I felt I needed to be super </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">cautious not to fly off the mountain. Usually downhills are my strength, and despite my caution I did pass a few people- plus I caught back up to Bruce! We ran together to the next crew checkpoint (around 106).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was a high point in the race for me. It's funny how that works in ultras- after 106 miles and about 22 hours I felt better than I did at 4 hours in. Part of it was finishing the mountain and realizing I had actually gained time on the cutoffs (I was back to around 2 hours ahead). But the human body and mind are also just mysterious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec had bought some delicious meat on a stick, and boy did it hit the spot! It was especially nice to eat something hot in the cold wet night. Bruce was having some issues so he stayed on the massage table a bit. I went ahead at that point in order to keep going while I still had high spirits. Spoiler alert: that didn't last </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next section was kind of boring and industrial, and running alone in the rain started getting to me. It began getting light around the 24 hour mark, but it didn't make me feel better. I ran down an access road that had been used as a dump, probably the grossest part of the course in my opinion. On top of that, my left contact was feeling blurry and I kept having to squint to see straight. Perhaps that contributed to my starting to hallucinate. I felt nauseated and cold, I was completely soaked, and I couldn't get myself to run at all for a mile or 2 going to the next crew checkpoint (about mile 115). Everything just felt wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the absolute low point. I came in crying to Alec about all my problems, most especially the cold. Unfortunately I had come prepared for heat and rain, but not cold, so I had no pants, no jacket (other than the light windbreaker I </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">was wearing), and no hat or gloves. Alec gave me his drier windbreaker to wear, but I walked off only a few steps before I came back shaking. I just can't, I cried, I can't, I'm freezing! Alec helped me change into dry socks and shoes (thank goodness I brought an extra pair), and I sat down and tried to eat. My body rejected the ginger cookie and I began retching onto the cobblestones. Alec had me lie down on a mat inside a store and wrapped his arms around me. I kept crying how it was just like C&O, and I came all this way but I was going to DNF. Someone brought me some hot water and I sipped at it a bit. Alec told me to wait there, but I was watching time slip away (less than 45 minutes ahead of cutoffs) and knew if I didn't move soon I would have no options left. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I told Alec I wanted to try to get to the next checkpoint. It wasn't a crew checkpoint, but it was less than 3k away, and Alec could drive there to see how I was doing, and if necessary pick me up to DNF. So I started moving again. I </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">counted my steps and alternated 9 strides walking with 9 strides running. I told myself I would have to drop if I couldn't at least maintain my 45 minutes ahead of cutoffs. I made it to the next checkpoint having gained a minute or 2- thankfully the pace you are forced to maintain becomes slower and slower as the race progresses! So I kept going to the next checkpoint. I continued my run/walk intervals and steadily began gaining time. The rain was coming down heavily, but I was able to increase my running interval (3:1) and I was slowly warming myself up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I came to a very hilly section, which was a bit scary because it was on a major road with no shoulder and cars would fly past. But I continued my intervals and passed quite a few people who were no longer running at all. By the time I got to 200k I had over 1.5 hours on the checkpoints again, and I had caught back up with Bruce! We resolved to stick together for the last section, which was </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mainly uphill until the last 20k. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This section wasn't too eventful. We kept our lead on the cutoffs, but I was only taking in a few bites of banana and some Tailwind here and there. I was pretty much ready to be done. One nice thing was I had made some "fans" with my comeback...a lot of crew members were sure I was going to DNF back at mile 115, and were really impressed to see me passing other runners a few hours later. One British guy kept yelling out his car that I was a machine and "you're my favorite!" Aside from his own runner, I'm sure!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last 20k was supposedly "all downhill" but there were a few decent climbs in the mountains before we really headed down into Sparta. They weren't terrible, but being told "it's all downhill" only to face a couple of real climbs is like being </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">told "you're almost there" at mile 20 of a marathon...I guess it's all relative, but </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">it still feels like I'm being lied to!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, the downhills were really starting to do a number on my quads. I love downhills and I'm good at them, but after 140+ miles nothing feels good! I kept whining (Bruce's term)/stating facts (my term) about my legs hurting. It had gotten nice out though- cloudy, warm, and dry, so I was comfortable in just a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">tee shirt and shorts again. We had about 4 hours left to do the last 10k, which sounds super easy (and I was confident of finishing), but I was so ready to finally be done! Brandi and Alec drove off to get a good spot to see us finish, and we began the final descent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did run the downhills continuously, but I couldn't seem to get as much speed as Bruce, so I waived him on ahead to handle the final 3-4k on my own. I had </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">also been told that the last bit in Sparta had a few slight uphills, so I didn't want to completely trash my legs until then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was relieved to finally get into Sparta, but the race markings, which had been so well done throughout the race, vanished! I guess the race officials figured everyone knew the way, but that wasn't so. I followed the other runners I saw ahead (and passed a few), but I got more and more frustrated with no end in sight. There was an official car driving alongside me and videotaping me, so I asked them where the statue was- they said they didn't know! At that point I was really getting pissed at the 2k that wouldn't end, so I began to angrily powerwalk. I yelled out to a crew car, "where's the statue!?" The Brits knew- take the 3rd right and you're almost there. Thank goodness! I had hoped to finish under 34 hours, but the section through Sparta took longer than I expected.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally made the turn and saw a street lined with flags, and people cheering "bravo, bravo" as they had all race- but this was it at last! I began running as fast as I could, squinting my blurry left eye shut and laughing and crying all at once. I could see the statue ahead of me. "200 meters more" said the man videotaping me as he rode backwards on a skateboard. It seemed longer, but I ran. I ran up the steps and threw my hands down on the feet of King Leonidas, ending my race. I lowered my head to kiss his feet, and sobbed. Over 34 hours and 245k, the hardest, most challenging thing I have ever done...and in that one moment all the pain was worthwhile. There is no way to express how amazing that moment felt, but I will remember it for the rest of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec ran up and wrapped me in a hug as I cried on his shoulder. A local woman gave me water from the river to drink and a plaque, and the race directer put a crown of olive branch on my head and shook my hand. A local child gave me a bag with a handmade ornament of my race number. There were a lot of pictures taken, and I just smiled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was led down the stairs to have medics wash my feet and drain my blisters. It hurt but felt wonderful. Bruce came over to congratulate me and we took a picture as Spartathlon finishers. I hobbled over to the med tent (where I saw at least 3 finishers pass out!) to have my legs massaged a bit. But then I began shaking with cold again and feeling dizzy. So I stayed there for a bit with an IV and a pile of blankets. Finally I got into a taxi with Alec to drive the 3 blocks to our hotel. I had the worst chaffing of my life but it felt so amazing to take a hot </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">shower and curl up in bed. I could only doze on and off all night but it was a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">happy, hazy, comfortable evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day we enjoyed a big breakfast (I was starving!) and walked around Sparta a bit before leaving. We decided to skip the luncheon and go to a mineral lake outside of Athens instead. We drove back over some of the roads I had run only a day before, and I could barely recognize them- they seemed a lot nicer in the sun, and from the window of a car! We had a nice couple hours at the lake. There were little fishes that nibbled on your dead skin, and although the Greeks there were non-nonplussed, Alec and I (and a Japanese tourist) couldn't stop giggling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The following day we walked around Athens for a while, and visited the National Archeological Museum, which was amazing. I was pretty exhausted by early </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">afternoon though, so we rested up a few hours before going to the final gala awards ceremony. It was a bit too late and too long for my taste, but I got my medal and finisher's certificate and DVD, ate some delicious food (and wine), and saw my USA teammates one last time in Greece, before heading home in the morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This has probably been the longest race recap ever, but then it was also my longest race ever. I think I may go back one day, although I doubt it will be next year- it's too major of an undertaking and too expensive a trip to do regularly, although some do. I don't plan on doing any more ultras for a little while, but I couldn't ask for a better one to lead into my "hiatus". But I'm only 31, and I think my best ultra years are ahead of me, so probably I will come back, and maybe even take a few hours off my time, now that I know what to expect!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My strength and stubbornness comes from within, but I also couldn't have finished this race without Alec- as always I am blessed to have his help, love, and support! I am just so incredibly grateful for this experience...to run in an international competition, in one of the toughest races on earth, with some of the best athletes from around the world...I am both humbled and proud!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-15300900664381290812015-09-13T11:27:00.002-07:002015-09-13T11:27:31.787-07:00Summer Training<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oops, it's been a really long while since my last post! It's been a busy summer- working full time and trying to get good training in definitely took up a good chunk of time. Generally things went well...unfortunately I wasn't able to get my weekly mileage above the 50-70 range, but I ran an ultra distance every other weekend. In between I had lower weekly mileage, but also did strength training, mile repeats, and midday heat acclimation runs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Toward the end of June I spent nearly 24 hours running on the treadmill in short bursts (3-6 miles at a time). I rested 30-60 minutes between runs, which in some ways was harder than a straight run, since my legs would just tighten up. It was good mental training too, and I ended up with 65 total miles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two weeks later I did a similar training, but for about 10 hours overnight, ending with 32 miles total. Both times I started at the end of a full work week to maximize the mental and physical fatigue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then in late July I ran the Endless Summer 6 Hour. I tried to keep pretty consistent, although I slowed down a bit in the heat toward the end. I pushed myself somewhat, but was careful not to go all out so I didn't need to "recover" before getting back into my training. I ended up as 2nd place female, and I think 9th overall. I was pretty happy with the result, although I would have liked a bit more pace consistency. Alec was back and crewed for me for the first time since November, which was really nice :) Basically he just handed off my bottle full of Tailwind every lap, but we had that handoff down- I was able to just grab it midstride...felt all professional!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two weeks after that I switched gears and ran the Martha Moats Baker Fatass 50K. That was a great event put on in the George Washington National Forest by VHTRC (Virginia Happy Trails Running Club). It runs on part of the course for Grindstone 100, and it was very technical and overgrown, with lots of elevation change! I ran with Alec's old army hydration pack since there was minimal aid, which added an extra challenge since it was huge on me and bounced around on my shoulders. It took me well over 8 hours to finish the 33+ miles, and I was around middle of the pack. I tried to just take it easy and enjoy myself, but I am not great on trails and it was exhausting! I felt proud of finishing such a rough course though, and took home some great souvenir battle wounds thanks to all the overgrown blackberry bushes :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In late August I flew back to Savannah to visit all my running friends, and run a local 50K at the same time. That was a flat course on a mix of pavement and gravel. Being Savannah, it was hot and humid, but I managed to keep a very consistent pace- only about 30 seconds difference between my fastest and slowest miles :) Again I fueled solely on Tailwind, and had a great time thanks to seeing all my lowcountry ultra friends again! I ended up 2nd female and 2nd overall, with my second-fastest ever 50k. I felt very comfortable with the pace, and wasn't too tired afterwards. Definitely happy with that, especially after running ultras all summer with no tapering or recovery time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So now I am tapering for Spartathlon (12 days!) and of course driving myself crazy with anxiety :/ I think I am in pretty good shape, but Spartathlon is so beyond what I've done before that it's hard to tell. I know I'll be tired and jet-lagged before I even hit the starting line, but hopefully my stubbornness and mental strength will help me finish. My overall goal will just be to finish, although I am roughly shooting for 32 hours. If I can just manage to finish and touch the feet of the statue of King Leonidas in Sparta, it will put me in a very small and elite group. Even if I it takes me 35 hours and 59 minutes I will be happy!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-33841642132600988772015-06-13T05:52:00.001-07:002015-06-13T05:57:53.933-07:00Old Dominion 100<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now this is more like it! Finished Old Dominion 100 in 22:17:19, good for 3rd female and 11th overall. The race had it's ups and downs, but I never suffered too terribly, and had some really great moments as well. While the course was a bit easier than Pinhoti (my only other 100 mile race finish), it was still tough, and I took over 4 1/2 hours off that race's finish time and finished a lot stronger as well :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The race started from the small town of Woodstock at 4am- my earliest ever race start. But it was actually quite nice- it was already very humid at that hour, I don't get much sleep the night before a race anyway, and it was light within 2 hours. I started out at a sub-8 pace the first 2 miles, since it was pretty much downhill through town, and I wanted to stick with Megan so I wouldn't get lost! By mile 4 we began a very steep set of switchbacks up the mountain for about 2 miles. It was still a paved road at this point, so I was able to walk relatively fast (about 15:00 pace), but it was a little demoralizing to have so many people pass by me so early! I reminded myself that I would just worry about finishing under 24 hours, and to ignore everyone else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After getting to the top of the mountain, we had our first trail section around mile 10. I took it very slow going up, where I enjoyed talking to a couple of girls who were around my pace uphill. But when we hit the downhill I flew ahead, knowing I needed to take advantage of my downhill speed to make up for my slow uphills! I noticed when I took the steep downhill I was landing almost on my toes, and suspected there'd be some black toenails in my future (spoiler alert: I was right). Coming off the trail came a section of country gravel roads </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">winding through farms. The hills here weren't very steep, but they were </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">constant and more difficult than I expected. I also found it pretty monotonous and smelly, so when I first saw my crew around mile 20 I was at a low point. I was a bit behind schedule (around 3:20 instead of the 3:10 I wanted), and came up to the aid station crying about how it was harder than I expected. But Bob and Katie ignored my whining and sent me on my way quickly enough, and as they say, "it never always gets worse"...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next section was a lot more of the same, but I chatted and played leapfrog with another runner for a bit, which was a nice distraction, and managed to make up some time, getting to mile 33 in around 5:45, and in a much better mood than before! I had planned to start listening to my music at this point- it gave me something to look forward to, was a nice reward after finishing 1/3 of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the distance, and I knew I had a tough section coming up. I think this was one </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of my best decisions in race planning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was one of the worst sections of the race, but thanks to my music I managed to keep a pretty positive mood. It also helped that I had been prepared for the worst, so it almost seemed a little better in comparison. This section had miles of hot, muddy, buggy, rocky trail...not too bad in terms of elevation change but it seemed never ending at times! I logged a few 18 minute miles so it was a bit of a time suck, but I expected that. Also had a few steep climbs and downhills that beat up my feet a bit, but I came out to the first weigh-in around mile 42 (no real change), and then had some nice downhill road miles back to the mile 48 aid station. I believe I was ahead of my planned splits then, and was feeling relatively good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next section was uphill on some more dirt roads. I mainly walked but threw</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in a jog here and there to keep a decent overall pace. It had gotten pretty warm by this point, and the course was very exposed, but I felt really good when I </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">passed the 50 mile mark at just over 9:30- not bad on a pretty tough course! It was even more of a boost when I reached mile 51 and got an ice pop...totally hit the spot after that exposed section :) Then it was mainly downhill miles until the mile 57 aid station, so I made some good time and came in feeling awesome! I was actually dancing and singing along to my music while stretching out my calves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The following section was probably my least favorite of the race though...a stretch of about 10 miles on an ATV course. It was hot, exposed, uneven, and where it wasn't rocky it was muddy. On top of that, I had just heard that Megan came close to several rattlesnakes so I was super paranoid of running into one </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">sunning itself in that area. And I had to dodge a lot of ATV riders, plus go </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">around a very sketchy blue van that kept going back and forth on the narrow trail and really skeeved me out. I think the dudes were getting high or something, and it made me nervous. I had been eating something at least every hour up to this point (plus drinking Tailwind), which worked well. But I was so concerned with what was going on around me here that I forgot to eat anything, and came into mile 64 feeling a bit light-headed. But Katie and Bob got me to take a minute and eat a little, and sent me off on the roads with half a chicken sausage off the grill, which was amazing and tasted great after having too many carbs earlier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next came a lot of roads going up and down, then a grassy trail around mile 70, and some rockier trail with some water crossings heading into Elizabeth's Furnace at mile 75. I got there in about 15:00, which made me quite happy since there would still be another 1-2 hours before I needed to turn on my </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">headlamp. I had both been looking forward to and dreading mile 75. On the one hand, I was 3/4 of the way done, and I would have Katie as my safety runner for the next 11 miles. But on the other hand, I had the rockiest, steepest sections of the course coming up and it would be slow going at best! After the second weigh-in (up about 2 pounds), I took a bit more time at this aid station to make sure I was prepared. I dropped off my music (my playlist had ended around mile 70 anyway), changed shirts, made sure I had plenty of food with me, and grabbed my headlamp. I also took another Immodium, because as I explained to my crew, I was feeling gassy and wanted to avoid a "sharting situation"...ain't ultrarunning glamourous?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was definitely nice having Katie to talk to, and I was very glad to have her encouragement when we started up the first climb! It was horribly difficult to me- more a series of jagged rocks than a trail, and very steep. I was literally </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">crying at this point and complaining that I couldn't do it, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and finally made it to the top. Katie was awesome in ignoring my crying and cursing and just keeping me going- somehow she loves those effing rocks and makes the climb look easy- pretty incredible! I was trying to eat a bit more but starting to have difficulties. I was sick of sweet food and didn't have much else to choose from on the trail. But after going down for a bit, and then up a shorter climb (in the dark by now), we made it to the mile 81 aid station, where I was happy to down two hot dogs in short order!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We headed downhill on what woukd be the last trail section of the race. Thank goodness because I wasn't keeping a very good pace on the dark trails (even downhill), and it was in this section that I narrowly avoided stepping on a copperhead- twice! That really freaked me out, since I was not expecting to have to worry about snakes after dark. I guess since it was still quite warm and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">humid all night they were out late. At mile 86 I left Katie and continued on the road alone. I knew I would almost certainly make the 24 hour cut-off, but I still wanted to try to finish better than that. Plus I had been 3rd female since mile 10 and didn't want any ladies passing me at this point!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This section was going back the way I had come early in the race- lots of up and down hills on the country farm roads. I ran the downhills but walked even the smallest uphills. When I got into the mile 91 aid station I wasn't feeling great. I hadn't been able to eat since my hot dogs at mile 81, and I was beginning to feel very nauseated. I managed to down some coke before leaving, and take a few sips of Tailwind here and there but that was it. As it turned out, I wouldn't be able to eat again until several hours after the race was over. I'm afraid I was pretty whiny when Bob and Katie were trying to help- I'd pretty much reached my point of "eff this, I just want to be done!". But I knew I only had about 2-3 miles of mainly uphill before the switchbacks down the mountain, and then less than 4 miles to the finish. Before I left, I mentioned to Bob that I wasn't going to push too hard, since I knew I would finish in under 24 hours and be 3rd female. He responded that there could be a girl coming right up behind me, so I had better at least "walk with purpose"! I was paranoid about that for the remainder of the race, but it was exactly what I needed to hear to give me a last push :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around mile 93 I met up with a guy named Ryan, whom I had briefly talked to at the beginning of the race but didn't really know. He had run Old Dominion a couple times before, and we ended of sticking together for the rest of the race. I can't thank him enough for that! It was so nice to have someone to talk to and run with after spending so much of the race on my own. We made decent time down the steep switchbacks, although by that time my big toes were pretty jacked up, so there was a lot of "ow, ow, ow" from me whenever I was running. But Ryan's a fun guy and great to talk to, so I was distracted from a lot of the pain. We walked the uphill sections heading back into town, and started counting down the last few miles. I told him about being paranoid there was another girl about to pass me, so every few minutes he'd turn around and confirm "no headlamps!" :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We passed crew for the last time with less than 3 miles to go, and then there was just one more hill and a lap around the fairgrounds track to finish! After we headed into the fairgrounds I managed to pick up the pace to run in the last half mile. As we approached the finish line, someone yelled to us that one of us needed to sprint ahead- we couldn't just skip in holding hands...so that's what we did! Or, at least we held hands and Ryan skipped (I didn't have the energy). So we crossed the finish line together, and I immediately leaned over and started crying. I had finished in under 22 1/2 hours, and finished strong, and I was just so grateful for all the support I had from Bob and Katie and Ryan...people who I hardly know and yet they helped me so much. This is why I love the ultrarunning community! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crewing for a long ultra is never easy, and I know I'm not the easiest person to crew for- I'm not mean or anything but I certainly get difficult and whiny at times. I've seen people run 100s with a smile on their face the whole way, and I have so much respect for that- but that's not me. I </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">was so very lucky to have Bob and Katie for my crew- despite not knowing me for long they really stepped up for me. They were always kind but gave me a kick in the butt when needed, and just generally did a great job taking care of me and keeping me motivated! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-23214812487727465602015-04-29T11:53:00.001-07:002015-04-29T11:53:24.604-07:00C&O Canal 100- DNF<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately despite a great start I ended up with a DNF at the C&O Canal 100 last weekend. On the plus side, other than slightly sore quads I seemed to have no issues stemming from my marathon only 5 days prior, which I think bodes well for my endurance capabilities at Spartathlon, my priority race in 2015.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I planned on starting the race with sub-10 minute miles and gradually slowing down. But I felt a lot better than I expected, so I just held a comfortable pace, which turned out to be around 8:30. I was having a really good time, listening to music and cruising through my first 50k in about 4 1/2 hours. After that I slowed down a little but still kept around a 9:30 pace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weather was cloudy and chilly, so I wore my gloves and fleece and never really warmed up. This would eventually cause problems but during the day it was nice, and I had no stomach issues as I sometimes do in the heat. I fueled consistently with Tailwind, with some salted potatoes or candy to supplement every other hour or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I passed through 50 miles in 7:36- a new pr for me and about an hour ahead of what I had expected. I was still feeling good, and after 8 hours I settled into a slower pace that I thought I could comfortably maintain until the end of the race- about 11:00. I made it up the one real climb and back to the start/finish for mile 59, then turned around to head back down, thinking happily that I would next see that hill on my last half mile to the finish. That didn't happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around mile 65 I started feeling off. I was still maintaining my slow jog and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">moving well, but I began coughing a bit and it threw off my breathing. By time I made it to the mile 69 aid station and my drop bag, I was at a real low point and in tears. It had started to rain as well, which didn't help my mood. I was only 11 1/2 hours in and first lady by a significant margin, but I felt my race was going downhill. I changed my shirt and replaced my fleece with a lined windbreaker and grabbed my headlamp- it would be dark in the next hour or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I continued on toward the turnaround, telling myself to just keep moving for the last 50k. I put my headlamp around my chest instead of my forehead, and I found the light a lot less disorienting this way (I hate headlamps), so that was good. But the rain started coming down harder, and with the dark came a big drop in temperature- I could see my breath and my cough/breathing got worse. Around 75 miles in I had to switch to run/walk intervals- .3 mile run/.2 mile </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">walk. I was able to keep around a 13:30 pace this way, but I found myself </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">gasping for breath at the end of every run interval- not good!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was really upset when I got to the turnaround at mile 80. At this point I was having no fun at all shuffling along in the cold rain, and I had felt too nauseated to eat for a couple of hours and was drinking less Tailwind, so I was getting lightheaded from lack of calories. I picked up some Swedish fish, which was about all that sounded appetizing at the time, knowing I would have over 6 miles until the next aid station. I started feeling a little confused- not able to speak quite coherently, and freaking out over losing my glove, having no memory of putting it in my pocket a minute earlier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About 2 miles after leaving the turnaround things got really bad. I was gasping and coughing after my run intervals, and began shaking from cold. I still had a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bit over 4 miles to the aid station, which seemed like forever. The heavy rain </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">had created some nasty puddles by this time, and now I had wet feet on top of soaked everything else- it was freezing! I kept telling myself to just get to that aid station...I had no intention of dropping, but I figured once I was there something could be done to help- although I wasn't really sure what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally (15:15 into the race) I arrived at the aid station in tears, yelling that I was freezing and needed help. The volunteers were great- they got me out of the rain, and gathered up some dry clothes amongst them and helped me change. I sat down and was wrapped up in 2 sleeping bags...but I was still shaking and unbearably cold. I was crying as I tried to decide what to do. I don't believe in DNFs as a rule, and I had enough time to walk the last 14 miles and still finish in under 20 hours. But I just couldn't warm up. I hadn't really been warm while running 8:30 pace miles while dry- what were the odds I could warm up run/walking 13:30 miles in the rain? One of the volunteers asked me a few questions and determined that I wasn't too confused to be pulled from the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">course, so it was my decision whether to continue. I just cried and begged someone to tell me what to do! I felt like I should keep going- I had been doing so well and I didn't want to quit now...but the thought of going back into the cold was unbearable, and I was scared of being alone on the trail if I got worse. If I became disoriented it could be an hour before I came across anyone. Finally I gave in- I told everyone I was done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally felt warm when I got into a heated car to head back to the start/finish, but I felt numb from exhaustion and disappointment. It felt like a failure, although I thought (and still think) I made the smart decision. Maybe I would have been fine had I continued- but I could have become severely hypothermic as well, and there was no way to know which it would be. After I got back I found out my friend Stephanie had dropped at mile 66 for similar reasons, and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">there were multiple people being driven back all night after DNFing. As it turned out, only 69 people finished, while well over 100 started. And had I not dropped, I would have been the top female finisher by hours even at a walking pace- that was a bit of a bitter pill. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, although I feel a bit like a failure for getting a DNF, I'm glad no damage was done. I picked up a little chest congestion overnight, but it is possible I could have become really sick had I continued. I now know I can easily run a sub-8 hour 50 mile even on tired legs, so I shouldn't have too much trouble with the Spartathlon cutoffs. With better weather I know I could win a 100 mile race, and I know I can race well without a crew or pacer. Three days later, my legs are heavy but I'm able to get back to training. Next up is Old Dominion 100- I'll need to put in a lot of hill/trail training for that one, but at least the chance of hypothermia in June is pretty low!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-64294667770789305962015-04-23T11:22:00.001-07:002015-04-23T14:47:43.229-07:00Boston Marathon<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well it wasn't quite the race I wanted, but I'm pretty happy given the circumstances! I wanted to break 3:15, but I ended up with 3:17:58- still a PR by 1 minute 15 seconds, and given the lousy weather, I'm pretty sure I could go under 3:15 on a nice day :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I saw the weather forecast I was really upset- rain, 25mph wind, and highs in the low 40s- I thought my race was over before it began. I tried to remind myself that I couldn't change the weather, so I should just give it my best and not be too concerned with the result. Easier said than done, of course! I was still feeling depressed about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On race morning I ate my protein bar and some coffee, then my brother and I took the T to Boston Common. We split up when he went to bag check- he would be in wave 1 while I was in wave 2, so we wouldn't see each other again until after the race. I was wearing a few throwaway layers over my race clothes but I was still freezing! After the bus took me to Hopkinton I still had hours to wait, so I huddled under the tent with hundreds of others as it began to rain :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally it was time to get to the corrals! I was nervous but looking forward to running- at least then I could warm up. I tossed my layers- I'd be running in a racing skirt, singlet, visor, arm sleeves, and fingerless gloves I jury-rigged from a pair of socks. I knew I'd be freezing after I finished (and perhaps during), but I figured I could suck it up for a few hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started out a bit under pace, but made sure not to push my legs too much on </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the early downhills. This was my strategy last year and it paid off with even splits and a negative split overall- however this year would be much different! I was trying for 23 minute 5k splits, and came through the first one in 22:44 feeling good! The rain was still light at that point, and not too windy. The crowds were much thinner than last year, and although I kept my pace even through the 10k mark I was feeling a little let down. But I certainly don't blame the locals for staying inside as the rain and wind started to pick up! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 10 miles in I started feeling tired. My legs felt a little heavy, and it was just a bit of a low point for me. I knew I had begun to slow down, although 3:15 was still within reach. I tried to remind myself to enjoy the race, so even if my time wasn't good I'd still have a good experience. Again, easier said than done!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I came through the half in 1:36:15- about 1 minute ahead of schedule but still </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">slowing down slightly. However, my mood improved as that was a big half marathon split PR for me- I told myself that even if nothing else went well at least I'd have that new PR! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I got to Newton and the hills. Last year I powered up them, a little slower but not terribly so. This year, the weather battered me back. By this point I was drenched, and the headwind was made worse by the way the course opened up in the second half. Later on I checked my splits to find mile 21 was the slowest of the race, and I was not surprised. However, once I got past Heartbreak Hill I knew the worst was behind me, so I was able to pick my pace back up a little. I reminded myself I still had about 5 miles to go, so I needed to hold a good pace but not go all out just yet. My legs felt right on the edge and I doubted I could break 3:15, but a PR was still possible if I could keep 7:30s for the last few </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">miles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once I passed mile marker 23 I pushed a little harder going into the final 5K. Just past mile 25 I heard my mom yell and was able to quickly turn and wave toward her, and my dad got a picture of me. It's a bit blurred you can see my grin- the one and only time I think I smiled all race- I knew I would be done in just over a mile!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Right after passing the sign "1 mile to go" I glanced at my watch and figured I'd only need a 9:00 final mile to PR. Then I started feeling weird. My throat felt tight, breathing got tougher, and I felt dizzy. I told myself, "oh, hell no!"- I was not about to stop so close to finishing my second Boston Marathon with a new PR! I would push through, but unlike last year I didn't have much left to kick </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with at the end. The wind was awful downtown, and when I turned onto Boylston Street it felt like I was running forever but not getting any closer to the finish!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally I made it! I was so happy to be done, and although I ran a +5:30 second half split I believe it was the weather rather than my pacing that caused that result, so I was quite pleased to have PR'd at all in the end. But I was still feeling weird- kind of dizzy and my legs didn't want to move properly. I was stumbling a bit as I got my water, medal, and blanket, and although I kept telling the volunteers I was okay, eventually a medical volunteer insisted I get in a wheelchair and go to the medical tent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was probably a good call, cause as soon as I sat down I began having </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">really painful muscle spasms in my feet and calves. Every time they locked up I started crying. In the medical tent, a nurse took my vitals while a physical therapist massaged my cramping calves. Everyone there was so great- I can't thank them enough! They helped me get my wet singlet and arm sleeves off and wrapped me in more heat blankets. Unfortunately I just kept getting colder, even with a heat pad and warm broth I couldn't stop shaking. However once my legs were recovered enough to walk I decided to go to the family meeting area. i knew my parents would start to worry if I wasn't there soon, and I didn't think I'd warm up until I could change into the dry clothes my dad had ready for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Walking back outside was the worst- I braved the wind in my burrito blanket outfit, half crying. Finally I reached my dad, waiting outside a bar and grill, I was so happy to see him! I went in where it was warm and changed into dry </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">clothes, which made me feel a million times better. My mom was there too, as was my brother- he had managed to PR as well, breaking 3 hours for the first time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall it was kind of a crazy race, but I'm proud I was able to push through some really trying conditions! My quads were super sore after the race, but I took a Bikram yoga class yesterday which loosened them up significantly. I've only got 2 more days until my 100 miler, so although I definitely won't be 100%, I hope I will be recovered enough to get a decent time- preferably without too much suffering along the way!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Race stats: 761/6011 females 18-39, 888/12022 females, 6461/26610 total finishers- not too shabby :)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-23598273117765308132015-04-08T12:58:00.000-07:002015-04-08T12:58:59.063-07:00Spring Training<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just a little update on my training over the last month or so...I haven't raced since my February 8 50K, but I've been running more training miles than ever. In this training cycle I set a new weekly record, 83 miles, only to break it with a 90 mile week a few weeks later. I've gotten back into doing hill work, speed work, and two-a-day runs, and I've done a 50K training run and multiple back-to-back 20 milers. Most of my long runs have been with my friend Stephanie on the Mount Vernon Trail, although in bad weather I've done up to 24 miles on the treadmill. Thank goodness for books on tape- I'm halfway through book 2 of "A Song of Ice and Fire"! With all these higher mileage weeks I set a new monthly record of 310 miles in March :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm now officially registered for Spartathlon in September (even bought my plane tickets!), so that's my long-term focus for 2015. I want to do well in my upcoming marathon and 100 milers, but I'm also trying to build up my mileage base so I can top out at 100+ mile weeks this summer. At the moment I'm tapering for the Boston Marathon on April 20 and C&O Canal 100 on April 25, so that's on hold for now, but May should be another high-mileage training month! After that it's Old Dominion 100 in June, then exclusively Spartathlon training all summer. A month after that I'll be running the Marine Corps Marathon for TeamRWB- that one's mainly just to do a fun race for a good cause. I don't anticipate a PR, but then again, you never know. (If you want to donate, the link is https://www.crowdrise.com/laraz)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's about it for now...but I'll have not one, but two, race reports to write in just a few weeks :)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-90025668620780061502015-02-22T12:35:00.000-08:002015-02-22T18:03:33.060-08:00Virginia Beach Distance Races 50K<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I signed up for this race specifically because it was within reasonable driving distance, and on my birthday- this was the 3rd year in a row I raced an ultra on my birthday, and I think it brings me luck. This year was no exception- I came away with a new PR by about 20 minutes! My husband decided to race as well, making this his 4th ultra. Although his day didn't go so well, he did persevere through Achilles and stomach issues to finish with a run through the finish!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We drove about 3 1/2 hours on Saturday afternoon to get to Virginia Beach. The next morning we headed out bright and early for the race, which was on a nearby golf course. It was cold and windy before sunrise, but I knew it would warm up quickly once the sun came out and we started running. The course was USATF certified and on the paved golf cart paths- one short out-and-back, then 13 loops of about 2.3 miles each. There was a 100K option as well, which I considered switching to, as I felt like I was "wussing out" by doing the shorter distance. But with Boston Marathon coming up a nice, fast 50K seemed like better training. Plus, this would have me running 31 miles on my 31st birthday!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really wanted to PR, but I hadn't done much speed work lately so I wasn't sure how fast I could go. I think with the right training I could do a sub-4 50K, but I knew I probably wasn't up for that at the time. I thought I could get under 4:15 though. Basically, my plan was just to go out fast and settle into a sustainable pace, whatever that might be on the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I probably started out too fast- 1st mile was 7:10- but I settled into the 7:20-7:30 range and felt surprisingly good! For a little while I even had the audacity to think I might get that sub-4 after all... I kept under 7:30s through the halfway point, then began to slow down a little as the miles ticked by. I knew I would still likely PR even if the sub-4 wasn't happening, so I just tried to hold on as my pace dropped into the 7:40s. That worked okay through my marathon split, but I really had trouble in the last 5 miles or so, barely keeping under an 8:30 pace. The weather was gorgeous, around high 50s, but there was a bit of </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a headwind which certainly didn't help my tired legs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around the 20 mile mark a girl zipped by me and I briefly tried to keep up, but she was at around a 7:15 pace and I knew I would burn myself out too early attempting that! I tried to just ignore it and focus on my own race, knowing I still had to be in the top 3. I chose to travel light without carrying anything, but just fueled with a gel every other lap, and drank a cup of water or gatorade on the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">alternate laps. I tried to pick up the pace on the last lap, especially the final mile, but I had a hard time getting good turnover with my fatigued legs- that was the lack of training really catching up with me! But I pushed as well as I could through the finish line, retching a little from my final "sprint". I clocked in with a new PR of 4:08:07, and was so glad to be done! I found out the speedy girl had beat me with an awesome 4:01 finish, but I was still 2nd lady and 3rd overall :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had passed my husband walking a few times, and he told me his Achilles was bothering him, but he seemed in good spirits. However, the first time I saw him after I finished, he told me he really hurting, and still had two more laps to go. I cheered him on and then decided to volunteer at the aid station, passing out water, soda, and gatorade. It took my husband a long time to finish the next lap, and when I saw him he said he had been vomiting and wanted to stop. I convinced him to keep on walking for one more lap- I knew in his place I would hate to DNF with less than 2.5 miles to go! He did end up finishing, in just under 6 hours, and managed to run in the last bit as well! I was super proud of him, as sometimes just finishing a rough race is harder than PRing on a good day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All in all, it was a great birthday! I got a beautiful day, ran a big PR and placed for my gender and overall. I met some nice new people and got a chance to volunteer for a couple of hours, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the weather since then hasn't been anywhere near as good, but I've really buckled down with my training lately, so I'm feeling good about my chances at Boston in a couple months!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-41688282218306013552015-01-08T12:31:00.001-08:002015-01-08T12:31:17.781-08:00Wildcat 24 Hour<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Going into this race I was coming off of several days of severe sickness, so I had no idea how this race would go. The answer was...not so good. When I flew down to Florida Friday morning I was still congested and exhausted. My friend/crew chief Danielle picked me up from the airport and we drove to our hotel in Pensacola. I tried my best to rest up even more, and when I woke up I did think I might be okay.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The race started out okay, although with 100% humidity I think I should have started at a bit slower pace. I actually PR'd both my 50k and 50 mile by about 2 minutes each, but my quads kept cramping up, and I needed Danielle to keep using the "Stick" on my legs. I actually have bruises from all the pressure! Anyway, I would get in a few good laps, but then cramp up again. I've never had this issue before, and I'm not proud of how I dealt with my frustration- there was some yelling and cursing involved. Danielle was pretty much a saint for dealing with me during this race. I need to work harder at dealing with my emotions under stress.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By about 8 hours in I began to slow down, and around 10 hours/64 miles in I just couldn't get a good turnover and slowed down a lot. At 12 hours in my cramping quads started giving out- if I lost focus or tried to stop my legs would give way and I literally collapsed on the track several times, which was scary. I'm guessing it was illness related fatigue, combined with the humidity, which I really didn't take into account with my pacing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At around the same time I noticed my urine looked pink. I'm not 100% sure but I think there was a little blood in my urine. It looked the same the next two times I went to the bathroom, and I wasn't able to maintain more than a 12:00 running pace, so after about 13 1/2 hours I switched completely to walking. At that point my walking pace was only about 1:30 slower than running, and far less painful. Since I knew I wouldn't be making my goal anyway I stuck to walking from that point. I also stopped collapsing and started having normal urine, so I think it was a good decision. My friend Chris spent a long time walking and talking with me, which was super helpful and made the time pass quicker. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I walked consistently until about 18 1/2 hours in, when the thunderstorms and torrential rain started. Around that point most people quit, and the rest of us took shelter for a while. I was close to 100 miles so i braved the rain when it settled down a bit so I could at least earn a buckle. With only a few laps to go Danielle found out I was the only lady who hadn't quit in the 24 hour yet, so if I did another 3.24 miles i would win 1st female. I would have been upset if I had so much time and chose not to take the lead, which Danielle rightly guessed! So I kept going to finish lap 418 (103.34 miles) in 21:36. Very few people were still on the course, and I was perfectly fine to stop there.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a rough weekend for almost everyone. Between the humidity and the storms it was not a day for PRs. Given that, I'm satisfied with the result. However, I am not satisfied with myself. Frustration is not an excuse for screaming and cursing, and I wish I had shown myself in a better light. Generally I am friendly and supportive at races, and this time I was a bit too self-centered. I've always had some trouble controlling my emotions under pressure, and this weekend made it clear I still have work to do in that area.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-48328727264871975922014-12-03T14:26:00.001-08:002014-12-03T14:26:51.643-08:00Icarus 24 Hour<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's hard for me to write about this race, as I am still so disappointed. I've had time to process things, and I've come to terms with it. I went out exactly as planned, and that lasted well for the first 3 hours. But then severe pain built up in my medial knee. I've dealt with IT band pain before, but that's on the lateral side. This was different, and I still don't know exactly what it was or what caused it. Luckily there were two amazing massage therapists at the race, and I quickly took advantage. That allowed me to return to the race, and at that point (around 4 hours in) I was only a few laps behind schedule. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then the pain came back. It built up over time, and with it severe low back pain as well (that I believe stemmed from tight hamstrings). Once again I was forced to stop for a massage treatment. After that point, I had lost a solid hour off the course, but I was still hopeful I could at least PR, although 140 was likely out of reach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But once again the pain relief didn't last. At the 12 hour mark I wasn't even to 70 miles, and I knew any significant goal was impossible. I honestly thought about quitting after that realization. As I told Alec, I had come with certain goals, and what was the point of continuing when they were all out of reach? But I had also taken a 7-hour road trip, and Alec had flown down, and I couldn't just stop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Massage treatment number 4 was with the other massage therapist, "Australian Michael" (both men were named Michael). His technique was different, but also temporarily effective. I kept going through the night, at this point just thinking maybe I could break 120 miles, which would technically be another national team qualification, although not even in the top 15 performances. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early in the morning I needed to stop again for a treatment, at this point exhausted and highly emotional due to my disappointment. On top of everything, a very close family member had received a cancer diagnosis 3 days prior to the race, and I was hoping to run a great race "for them". I felt as though I had let them down, despite knowing they would be proud of me no matter what. I was crying pretty hard for a while, but continued running.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, I did manage to complete all 24 hours- minus the 2 hours or so spent on the massage table- did not walk at all, and finished with just under 121 miles. Aly Venti, an amazingly talented runner from Florida won and made the national team with just under 141 miles. She was so encouraging to me all race, and definitely deserved her result- but I can't pretend it wasn't difficult to see someone else accomplishing what had been my goal, almost exactly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what's next? Well, despite the cost and stress I've entered a "last chance" 24 hour race on January 3rd- Wildcat 24 hour in Pensacola, Florida. It is USATF certified, and on a 400 meter track. My last track ultra didn't go so well but I've learned a lot since then so hopefully this time will be better! My friend Danielle from Tallahassee will be crewing me, and I have a few friends racing as well, which should hopefully help encourage me. I feel a bit guilty spending so much money to fly down, but if I don't at least try one last time for 2015 I will always wonder "what if?". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I'm also trying to resign myself to being, at best, an alternate for the 2015 team. Once I have the financial means I will hire a coach and get serious about getting on the team for 2017. It's hard for me because I am very impatient, but I've only been running for less than 5 years, and racing 24 hours for less than one year. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but maybe if I say it enough times it'll sink in and I'll stop being so hard on myself! In 2016 I will be turning 32- that's probably not even my peak yet as a runner, so I'm sure with the right training I can continue to improve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today I did a 50k training run in less than 5 hours. I'm sore but my knee pain is gone. So maybe I'll have a chance at Wildcat in 4 1/2 weeks. And maybe I'll come away disappointed again, although I will almost certainly learn something new about running or about myself. In any case, I'm trying to be grateful to have the ability God has given me, and remember the joy of running!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-65905319775616740372014-11-13T06:01:00.001-08:002014-11-13T06:01:44.796-08:00Countdown to Race Day<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been so busy this fall, it's hard to believe it's almost here- only 2 days until Icarus 24 Hour. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself, but this is such an important race to me. Right now it looks very unlikely that my 133 miles at GSEC in May will be enough for a place on the 24 team. I am going for broke and trying for 140+ miles this weekend, which is scary and intimidating but also possible. I don't feel ready, but then I never do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Chase the Sun I took a bit of a recovery week, then had 4 tough training weeks before tapering. I ran 65, 70, 50, and 65 miles over those weeks, the last two of which also had me on my feet for 3 12-hour clinicals each week. I had several 2-a-days, back-to-back 20 milers, and intense speedwork. I did several short night runs after all-day clinicals, which will hopefully help me to run fatigued. My last long run was on Monday October 27, and I've barely run since then. I'm generally a believer in "over resting" instead of over training! Unfortunately I haven't been sleeping well, but I hope the relaxation will be enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec will be crewing me again, and I plan on basically following the same strategy I've used in the past- eat something small every hour (real food if possible), alternate water and Tailwind, minimize aid time, start out at a moderately fast pace and slow down gradually after dark. I shouldn't have to worry much about weather- forecast is 80 and partly sunny during the day, 60s and clear overnight. I hope to reach 80 miles or close to it in the first half, to allow a decent buffer in the second half for slowing down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm really, really nervous. I'm trying to remind myself that I can sign up for another 24 hour race in early January if needed, for one last shot at the 2015 team. I just hope it doesn't come to that. This is the race I've been training for for months, and I think this is my best shot. No matter what the outcome, I plan on leaving everything I have out on that course. Wish me luck everyone...let's roll!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-19871979012427320512014-09-21T13:10:00.000-07:002014-09-21T13:10:08.215-07:00Chase the Sun 12 Hour<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went into this race wanting at least 60 miles, and preferably 100K. I had a modified 1 week taper and wasn't sure how I'd feel. Plus, the route is mainly on a rooty (although flat) trail, and forecast called for at least some rain off and on. But I ended up with 72.93 miles, an overall win, and the new course record! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started out a bit too fast (8:00 pace) but figured I'd soon settle into whatever pace felt moderately fast that day. That turned out to be about 8:45 overall for the first 4 hours, and then I slowed down a bit over time. At the beginning I ran a few laps with Tom, the eventual male 12 hour winner. He's a really nice guy, and I definitely enjoyed running and chatting with him. After we stopped running together I didn't see him again until the finish, but we were on the same lap all day- I was just consistently a half lap ahead! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then my friend Elizabeth came out in the morning and ran 9 miles with me at about a 9:00-9:15 pace, which was faster than her normal pace. I was worried I was going too fast for her but she did great! I hit marathon at about 3:53 and 50K at 4:41. At the 6 hour point I was actually a full lap (1.87 miles) ahead of my winning 6 hour race mileage from last year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took a short break at that point, since it seemed like a nice stopping point- also I realized all I'd eaten the first 6 hours was 3 gels and 2 half cups of coke, and I was feeling a bit dizzy. I drank some more soda and ate some bacon, which helped a lot. After that i still kept a sub-10:00 pace to reach 50 miles at 7:41 (a new PR). I realized by about 4 hours in that I could probably get close to 70 miles, and once I reached 50 miles and still felt good I knew I could do even more, so I went for it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 8 hours I took another little break, as I was starting to feel light headed </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">again. I had a Hammer bar and some more coke, and started carrying Tailwind </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for the rest of the race to make sure I kept taking in calories. My friend Tina came out to do her long run with me, and we ran just under 3 hours together, which was really fun. My GPS had died around 8 hours, but I was doing around 3 laps/hour at this point, around a 10:45 pace. It was nice to have someone to whine to towards the end, when I was hitting that "I'm just sick of this" point :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I actually slowed down a bit intentionally in the last hour, because I knew I wanted to stop at 39 laps and I didn't want to be in a position to have the time to do more! As it was, I finished with 7 minutes to spare and was told I had time to start another lap...my response was not language used in polite company! I was very happy to stop when I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am very happy with this race...I would like to break 75 miles in the first half of Icarus 24 Hour in November, and if I can do 73 on a trail I should be able to do close to 80 on pavement. I still have about 4 weeks of hard training, and then a 3-week taper to make sure I go in to that race fresh. I know from experience that long tapers make me miserable, but they do work well for 24 hour races!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-82719764870450419372014-09-18T05:42:00.003-07:002014-09-18T05:42:49.200-07:00Summer Recap<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A busy summer of racing is over! I have really slacked on posting due to a variety of factors, but I'm back, and I'll try to keep on top of things this time. After my big success at GSEC (which is now officially listed on the USATF website!), I completed 3 ultras over 6 weeks (Bad Marsh 50K, Merrill's Mile 24 Hour, and Double Cremator 50 Mile). I definitely don't think I was at my best- I think I generally need 4-6 weeks between big races to recover. But although I wasn't fully rested I still did pretty well at my summer racing. Then 5 weeks after the 3rd race I ran Homestead 10x5K, which also went well. Here are a few brief write-ups for each race:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bad Marsh: This was the day after my 5 year wedding anniversary, so I ran it with my husband. It was his second ultra (he ran the 6 Hour at GSEC), and he did great! I may have held him back a bit at the beginning, as he's faster than me at short distances, but by lap 5 of 7 he was suffering. We had vowed to stay together, so although it was slightly frustrating- for us both, probably- I stayed with him through walk breaks at that point. He rallied in the final lap though, and we finished strong in 5:35. It was a really cool experience to finish hand in hand with my husband! And the time was good enough for 3rd female as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Merrill's Mile: My IT band was a bit sore after the uneven ground of Bad Marsh, and as this race was on gravel I was a bit concerned. I raced hard for the first 12 hours, managed the heat well, and ended up with about 69 miles in the first half. But overnight the uneven ground started hurting my knees and IT band. Knowing this wasn't an "A" race, and I had another race in 2 weeks, I decided to take it easy, and primarily walk. I knew I could have gotten around 120 miles had I pushed harder, but I think I made the right decision not to risk injury. I stopped after about 23 hours, with just under 111 miles- good for 1st female and a new course record. Alec did a great job crewing as always, and he was supportive of my decision to walk. He also didn't hit me when I spent hours whining that I was lazy and terrible for walking, haha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cremator: I was very nervous about running back-to-back races, and expected that day 2 would be much slower no matter what. So I went out pretty hard on day 1, but tried to keep a bit in the tank so day 2 wouldn't be a complete sufferfest! I felt really good throughout the day, and finished in about 8:02- 2nd female on day 1. That night I wore my compression sleeves and elevated my feet on a pillow, which I think helped a lot. Day 2 was much harder- for starters, it rained heavily at the start so I was wearing wet clothes all day (the chaffing that night literally made me sob!). Then it got super hot and humid in the 2nd half- I was refilling my water bottle every 2-3 miles just to stay hydrated. I was pretty miserable by the end, but I still managed a decent finish of about 9:18- 1st female on day 2 and 1st female overall in the double. Thank God for my crew at this race! Alec crewed/paced me on day 1, and my friend Kara crewed while Emily paced on day 2- I don't think I could have done it without them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Homestead: This was a very unique race! There is a 5K trail loop, and you run it on the hour for 10 hours. Each lap is timed individually, and they are added up at the end for the final result. My plan was to run moderately hard but consistently, and count on people going out too fast early on to help me place high. This worked out pretty well! All my laps were within 2:30 of each other, and I was very pleased with the consistency given the brutal 102 degree heat (with a 126 heat index!). Most people did slow down more as the heat worsened, and I found my overall standing rising after every lap. I finished with around 4:22, good for 3rd female.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up is Chase the Sun 12 Hour this Saturday. I'm trying to just view it as a good training run with friends, and not push myself too hard. I'd still like to finish in the 60-70 mile range, but we'll see how it goes!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-27363615033264552402014-05-29T17:10:00.003-07:002015-01-06T10:17:03.749-08:00Great Savannah Endurance Challenge<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't really know where to start with this race report. My goal for months has been to break 120 miles in the 24 hour and qualify for the national team. This weekend I broke 133 miles...national team spots go to the top performances so I'm not guaranteed a place, but I have a chance. I also set a new GA state women's record, and hit new PRs in the 50 mile (7:59), 100K (9:59:15), and 100 mile (17:09). I should be incredibly excited, but to be honest I'm just numb. I'm exhausted, as I still haven't been sleeping or eating as much as I should since the race. Also I'm half-convinced that this didn't really happen, or somehow doesn't really count. I'll need official confirmation with USATF before I can believe it. And of course then there's my normal post-race depression/emotional lability. I'm tempted to wait until it all "sinks in" before writing a race report, but I probably should do it while it's pretty fresh in my mind...so here goes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday morning I got to sleep until past 5am- benefits of actually getting to run an ultra in my own town! Alec and I got out to Hutchinson Island by 6am and set up my things along with my Lowcountry Ultras buddies, Tim, Bren, and Sara. Besides having Alec to crew, I also had my friend Katie, who would take over for Alec while he ran his 6-hour race during the night. On top of that support I had quite a few other friends running and volunteering, which always helps! I still started crying from nerves before the race started though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a pretty good plan for the race, written down for Alec and Katie. I knew the slowest part of the day should be from about noon to 6pm, as that would be the hottest time. Each lap was 2.213 miles (although GPS showed it shorter, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">that's what USATF certified it at- so I defer to their measurement!), and my number 1 goal was 60 laps- 132.78 miles. I would attempt 3 laps/hour from 8am-noon, then 2 laps/hour from noon-8pm, 3 laps/hour from 8pm-2am, and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the remaining 14 laps in the last 6 hours. I didn't think it would shape up exactly like that, and I thought it unlikely I'd make the 60 lap goal, but it would be something to shoot for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I began the race running with Bren. We started out a bit fast, first mile around a 8:00 pace, but I needed to burn off a bit of adrenaline anyway. I was feeling good and moving consistently the first few hours, eating a gel every odd hour and some Ensure and bacon (and getting sprayed with sunscreen) at the 2 hour </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mark. I even ended up getting an extra lap in those first 4 hours- 13 laps total.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the 4 hour mark I was around 28 miles, and I hit my first low point of the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">race. It had gotten hot and I wasn't able to get food down, and I panicked. I started crying, convinced I was about to have a repeat of the SC ultra. Alec talked me down a bit and helped me change into a white long-sleeved shirt and my wide-brimmed hat. I got a bottle of Tailwind and headed out on a walking lap. I was feeling nauseated and upset, but Andy walked with me a bit and he's always a welcome distraction! By the next lap I was running again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was dealing well with the heat with my hat and an icy bandanna, and was able to keep eating and moving at a good pace- after 2 laps in hour 5 I was up to 5 laps every 2 hours. I hit 50 miles at 7:59 in, which was about a 20 minute PR for me and gave me a bit of a boost. This whole section is a bit of a blur for </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">me- I mainly ran alone during this section, and I just kept moving, eating, applying sunscreen, and soaking my bandanna. Throughout the day I also </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">alternated a bottle of water with a bottle of Tailwind, drinking a half bottle per </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">lap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 9:41 in I watched Bren hit his 100K split, setting a new state record! At that point I was one lap behind and I decided to book it to try to get 100K under 10 hours. No real reason but 9:59 sounds better than 10:01 or whatever! I managed an 18-minute lap to hit the split at 9:59:15. That was actually a female age group state record as well, although only by default as there was no time on the books for the 18-34 age group! After that my quads felt a bit sore (the left one still is a little), so I took an easy lap to recover a bit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec did a spectacular job crewing for me all day, as always- making sure I was eating and drinking, and keeping me cool throughout the heat. Katie was a great help as well, and she took over more crew duties as it got closer to 8pm. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec was running the 6 hour race from 8pm-2am, and as it was his first ultra he was getting a bit nervous as the start approached.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the halfway point I was in the middle of lap 33, which was ahead of my schedule still, but I wasn't feeling energetic enough to up my pace to 3 laps per hour so I was happy to have a bit of a buffer. I switched back to my singlet and visor at this point, and grabbed my headlamp as the sun went down. I kept at my pace of about 5 laps every 2 hours during this section, and Alec zoomed by a few times as well- he burned himself out a little but ended up killing his race with over 37 miles! Katie walked with me a bit too, which was great company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keeping to my steady pace I hit my 100 mile split at 17:09, nearly a 2 hour improvement over Delirium- although to be fair I spent quite a few hours just </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">straight walking during that race. With nearly 7 hours left in the race it was looking more and more like I would make my goal of 120+ miles. I got a little </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">emotional thinking about that, crying a little and asking people if this was really happening...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With 6 hours to go I needed 14 more laps to make my 60 lap goal, so I needed to push myself just as I was tempted to slow down. I whittled away at the laps until I only had to do 2 per hour for the last 2 1/2 hours...during the night I was taking occasional walking breaks and still making laps in under 25 minutes, so I was doing fine on time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last few hours I was in a lot of pain. I could feel a large blister on the ball of my right foot, and every step I took was killer. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alec did some laps with me and kept </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">me moving, so I kept powering through at a decent pace although I was also crying a little </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">at the same time. I held it together for a while, although at one point I just broke down at the aid station and let out a wail...I think some of the people around me were really concerned at that point! I also started getting really hungry for the first time in hours, and enjoyed a warm pancake from the aid station every few laps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally the sun came up, and I had less than 2 hours to go! I just kept going, trying to block everything out. At 7am I was mumbling, "just one more hour, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">one more hour" as I limped/jogged around the track. Just around 7:30am I </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">headed out on lap 60! I picked up a bit of a posse at the end to get my partial lap after that- Alec, Sara and Katie came out, plus Verity who had come back to see the end of the race. There were also some Savannah Striders who came out from the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bridge run and cheered me on at the end! I finished the lap and kept going until the end- Verity counted down the last few minutes as I tried to push up the pace to get as many additional meters as I could. When she yelled "time" I stopped short and didn't move until Dan got there with the measuring wheel for my official distance. It was finally over, and I knew I had done over 132 miles- I started sobbing as my friends hugged me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once the distance had been measured and documented, Bren drove his truck up and gave me a ride back to the start- I pretty much refused to walk any more! After getting my buckle and getting ready to go I suddenly got really nauseated </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and lay down on the ground. I think that freaked Dan out a bit since he had someone come over with a med kit to check my blood pressure and pulse! But after a couple minutes I hobbled to the car with Sara's help, while Alec packed up the car. After all that I went home and pretty much just laid down for the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">rest of the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm still just exhausted and emotional and confused about the whole race. I can't believe it happened, and that I did so well. I have a hard time thinking of myself as a really good runner, but this race result puts me in the top 10-15 women in the country in the 24-hour. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a decent chance at making the national team in 2015. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">around that. I recognize I'm in a weird emotional place right now, but hopefully I'll be overjoyed about the race once everything settles back to normal...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am so thankful to have such amazingly supportive runner friends- there is no way I would have run so well without their help. I definitely don't think it's a coincidence that I've had my best races while surrounded by my Lowcountry Ultras family. And of course I am so grateful for my amazing husband</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...he's gotten really good at this whole crewing thing!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-45938295232723434752014-05-07T13:28:00.002-07:002014-05-07T13:28:31.807-07:00Crewing Fort Clinch<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On April 26th I was crew chief for my good friend Sara while she ran the Fort Clinch 100 Mile on Amelia Island in Florida. It wasn't my first time crewing- I had crewed and paced for my friend Kara at the Mad Marsh 50K. Not to take anything away from racing a 50K, but a 100 mile is a whole new ultrarunning beast, and crewing for a race that lasts over 24 hours is also a whole new experience! It helped that my husband Alec was there as well, crewing our friend Bren...since Alec is quite experienced crewing me he was able to impart some of his "crewing rules". Also at our crewing base camp were Katie (crewing Masumi), and Robert (just generally helping out).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sara and Bren had planned on running a similar pace, and they actually ended up running the entire race together (all 25 1/2 hours of it!). This ended up being very convenient- not only were Alec and I able to spend time together between crew duties, it allowed him to pace both Sara and Bren at night. I was all ready to pace Sara, but within a few miles on the trail I began getting horrible shin splints in my left leg. I had been feeling fine all week, but I guess the uneven terrain 5 days post-Boston was a bit too much. I still managed to pace about 13 miles, but I felt guilty I couldn't do more. But Alec stepped up and paced 35 miles with our friends- a good 8 miles more than he had ever covered before. So it all worked out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically I saw Sara every 10 miles, filled her bottle (Tailwind at first, and Gatorade later on), gave her several gels, and sprayed her with sunscreen. When needed I made sure she was eating more food, gave her a icy bandanna, and helped her change clothes. I also tried to encourage her and keep her spirits up during the tough times. Afterwards Sara said I really helped her, but honestly I didn't feel like I had to do all that much! In general, things went very smoothly, and Sara had a great race. She had a few low points but was never as whiny as I know I've been during ultras ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, Sara and Bren crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, which really says so much about the wonderful attitude you see in ultrarunning! Sara was the 1st female, and Bren was 5th male. Having gotten in one full lap of the course I can say it was not an easy race! It also got very hot during the day, and much of the course was exposed to the sun. I was so proud of how well Sara did- as I said, I didn't have to do much to keep her going! Obviously I still prefer running ultras to crewing them, but I had a great time, and would definitely do it again.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-33536459333543337082014-05-01T16:29:00.001-07:002014-05-01T16:30:35.503-07:00Boston Marathon<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a busy past few weeks, so I'm just now getting the chance to write this post. To sum it up: Boston was an incredible experience, and I don't think I could have run a better race! I finished in 3:19:13- a marathon PR by over 5 minutes, my fastest and slowest 5k splits were only 1:05 apart, and the second half was a half marathon PR. This on a warm sunny day, on a hilly course, having raced 2 24-hour races in the past 2 1/2 months. I'm normally super hard on myself, but I am stoked about my performance- the fact that it was the 2014 Boston Marathon makes it even more special!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have the time to read it, here's the detailed recap:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />I woke early Sunday morning for my flight to Boston and arrived there around noon. My parents met me at the airport and I headed to packet pickup. It was really crowded and overwhelming- when the number of people at a race scares you more than the actual race, you might be an ultrarunner! Since it was the last day of the race expo, most small sizes of clothes were gone, and they were out of XS race shirts (even though I had registered for that size, people had been allowed to trade, so I was stuck with a S). A very small issue in the scheme of things, although given the small size of your typical marathoner I think the BAA should have seen this coming!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />By the time I had my race number and met back up with my parents it was mid-afternoon, and I just wanted to figure out dinner plans, do an easy 3-mile run, and settle down in our hotel. I had my first race-induced meltdown when I realized every Chipotle in Boston was closed for Easter. With all the traffic in Boston I was super stressed so I asked that we just go to the hotel in Braintree, where I could calm myself down with a treadmill run, and worry about food</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">later. I'm sorry to say my nerves made me snap at my parents a few times pre-race, despite their awesome support. After my run I was much more relaxed, and my parents found a Brasilian steakhouse nearby that had carry out. I picked up several cuts of beef, ham, turkey, bacon, and some tasty veg- this paleo runner could not have been happier!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />I got a decent night's sleep, and after a brief Dunkin stop we headed for the bus pickup in Boston. I had another meltdown when my dad, who was driving, got a little lost on the way...once again, so sorry Dadums! When we got downtown, I asked a policeman if we were close. When he said we were, I said goodbye to my parents, got out of the car and started walking. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going, and meltdown #3 occurred when the volunteer I questioned was even less informed about the buses than I was. Luckily I bumped into a couple</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> of runners and followed them to the buses before my tears got too out of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">control.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I boarded my bus at 7:30, and sat down next to a woman named Claire from Ottawa, Canada. I enjoyed talking to her on the hour long ride, and she invited me to wait with her two friends until we entered the corrals around 10. I had a great time just hanging out with them, and I think it helped me relax more too. It was just that kind of atmosphere- we were all soon-to-be friends, and no one was really alone! It definitely made the crowd of thousands at Hopkinton less overwhelming. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />When it was time to go, I discarded my Goodwill fleece, shoved a bunch of gels in my sports bra (the plan was one every 5 miles), and lined up with Claire in corral 5 of wave 2. We were packed in tight and it still didn't quite seem like I was finally about to run the Boston Marathon, 16 months after qualifying. When</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> the signal came for our wave to start it took about three minutes for me to cross </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the starting timing pad, but then I was off! I had heard that people go out too fast in the first few downhill miles, but being in the middle of my wave I feared the opposite. I think many people came to enjoy themselves, not to race, so I </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">had to stick to the outer edges of the road and pass a lot of runners to keep to my goal pace. I tried not to bump into anyone, but there were a few times </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I needed to make some pretty sharp cuts to avoid getting stuck (thanks rugby training!).</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />From the very beginning there were spectators lining the streets- whole families, the children with their arms out to get high fives from as many runners as they could. And looking downhill a sea of runners filling the road as far as I could see. It was a bit scary, but incredibly moving as well! I hit the first 5k </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mark at just under 24 minutes- perfect for my goal of sub-8 with a bit of buffer. Immediately after I had to skid off the course to tie my shoe- luckily they stayed tied after that, although I glanced down periodically to check. Around mile 8 (I</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">think...the race is a bit of a blur) we passed through the main street of Natlick- one of the most moving parts of the race for me. It was a tunnel of noisy, </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">joyous spectators, some holding signs saying "Today, you're the heroes!"...and at that moment, it felt like I was. I got a bit choked up there.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />I maintained my splits, and passed the halfway mark at just over 1:40, which was almost the same as Jacksonville, and perfect for my goals. But I was starting to feel a little fatigued, and it was now past noon, and getting hot. I also knew there were some big hills coming up, and I didn't know how much they might slow me down. I had been sticking to my plan of a gel every 5 miles, and water at each station, but now I began drinking a few sips and </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pouring what was left over my head and the back of my neck. That felt great!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The hills began around mile 15, and I reminded myself to take small quick steps on the uphill, and relax into the downhill to use it as a bit of a recovery. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glancing at my Garmin showed I was keeping to my sub-8 pace even going uphill, and seeing all the runners I was passing gave me a morale boost as well. Just before 25k I looked ahead and saw my good friend Kelly- she has a prosthetic leg and races in the mobility impaired division (which starts early), so I knew there was a chance I would see her as I passed by. That gave me a huge boost as I yelled "Kelllllllyyyy!", while she turned and we raised our hands to each other :)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Throughout the second half I just kept taking it one mile at a time, and once I passed Heartbreak Hill (which was honestly not that bad and kind of anti-climatic</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) I knew I could start counting down to the end. I actually enjoyed the second half more despite the heat and hills- the hills switched up the course and kept things interesting, and the runners had spread out enough where I didn't feel overwhelmed. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once I got to 35k I realized there was a very good </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">chance I would PR- the hills had barely slowed me down. I had scented the barn and was hauling my butt home! The 35-40k was my fastest 5k of the race, 22:57. By 40k, I knew I had a shot at breaking 3:20, if I could maintain my pace. By this point the crowd was bigger than ever, and although I blocked them out a bit to stay focused, all the energy pushed me even harder through my fatigue. At the 25 mile mark I rounded the corner and heard "Lara!!!!!"...my mom isn't exactly known for being quiet, and her voice cut right through the crowd! I couldn't slow down enough to see my parents, but I did turn slightly and wave. It made me so happy to know they were there cheering for me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 1k to go we passed under a little overpass- at that point nothing was going to stop me. I turned onto the home stretch and I could see the finish line! My legs were definitely feeling the burn but I pushed as hard as I could until I </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">crossed the finish. I started gasping and crying a bit then, it was such an emotional time. I saw a stranger crying and yelling as he finished...I don't even know if he spoke English, but I put my arm around him, said "You did great", and we hugged. I don't know if I've ever experienced such a feeling of coming together with thousands of "strangers", who weren't really strangers at all. At that point I still wasn't sure of my finish time; since I crossed the timing mat after the start of the wave, the clock wasn't accurate for my chip time. But I knew I had PR'd, run a great race, and been part of an amazing experience.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the race I met up with my parents and we walked to their car. I had my medal on and was wrapped in a Boston Marathon space blanket, so almost everyone who we passed congratulated me. It was pretty surreal. I was hoping to meet up with an old college friend who lived downtown (and use his </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">shower!), but the road blocks made everything so complicated that I ended up just going straight to the airport. I did at least change clothes in the bathroom, but it still wasn't too pleasant. With a little time to kill I treated myself to a beer at the airport bar, and chatted with a few people there. One of them then bought me a second drink, so I was feeling pretty good by time I boarded my flight! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't get home until after midnight Monday- I had only been in Boston for about 30 hours, but it was more than worth it. I had thought I would only run the Boston Marathon once, but after such a great experience, and since I'm already re-qualified, I'm pretty sure I'll be back next year. Plus, my brother just ran a 3:03 marathon, so it looks my parents can go cheer for both their children next year! I definitely plan to schedule things so I have a good 3-4 days to </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">enjoy Boston next time though :)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-76979359301517502762014-04-15T04:46:00.001-07:002014-04-15T04:46:12.851-07:00Boston Training<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 6 days I will be running the Boston Marathon! I recovered from the South Carolina track race quicker than expected- I feel like every 100+ mile race I run I bounce back faster. Physically, at least- I was able to run 5 miles the day after the race but I was an emotional mess for days after! After that first week I ran 50+ miles the next two weeks. I incorporated speedwork, lactic threshold runs, and hill work (in the Low Country, that means bridge repeats!). This past week I tapered down to about 40 miles, and I started back at Bikram yoga for crosstraining. I only plan to run about 10-15 miles this last week, so I can go into the marathon with fresh legs. Right now I am feeling pretty good, although my back's been a bit sore, and I've been having trouble sleeping- I have chronic insomnia that comes and goes, and unfortunately it's on an upswing. But my legs feel good, and I haven't had any trouble hitting the paces I want on my runs. I'm not expecting anything spectacular next week; it's only my third road marathon and I haven't been specifically training for it. Looking at my "3-tier" goals, my A goal for this race is to finish sub-3:30, B is to re-qualify for Boston (under 3:35), and C is just enjoy the experience of running such an historic race! I know plenty of people who train for years to qualify for Boston, and I'm very lucky to have the opportunity to run there- I plan on making the most of it however I can.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-62181496272316967412014-03-18T05:54:00.000-07:002014-03-18T05:54:47.187-07:00South Carolina 24 Hour: Sometimes it Just Isn't Your Day<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well. This is difficult for me to write, as I'm still really emotional about the race. I got off plan within a few hours, and my race was pretty much shot at that point. The first couple of hours felt great- I was running well and racking up the miles. But after about 3 hours (1 pm) it started getting hot. Very hot. I'm guessing high 70s, which combined with bright sun on a blacktop track started doing a number on me. First I got a stitch in my side that wouldn't go away. I kept running but it was painful. Then the pain moved higher up, just under my left ribcage, and I could feel the pulsation of my heart which really freaked me out and made it difficult to breathe deeply. Kelley Wells and Joe Fejes were there to help, and gave me a wet towel and helped calm me down. So that crisis was averted, but then things got worse...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ate a piece of bacon and sweet potato at around 2 hours in, but that was the last solid food I could keep down for a very long time. I lost my appetite and could only take in ginger ale and slushee. At first I was able to keep going, but before long the lack of calories started catching up to me. I kept walking but I just couldn't get running again. I knew I had lost my chance at the team so I was really emotional...I kept crying and apologizing to everyone for letting them down. I talked to Alec and Ray K and decided to at least give it until dark to see if I could pull it together a bit once it was cooler. At about 9-10 hours in the sun went down and I did start running again. But as I still wasn't eating I could only keep that up for about an hour. At 11 hours in I was only at around 50 miles- I was supposed to be at 70! I came very close to leaving, but at Ray's suggestion I decided to lay down for a little over an hour, then try to eat and run again- at least that way I might get a 2nd "training run" in in the morning, avoiding the experience being a total waste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I laid down from 11 hours in until 12.5 hours in, then attempted to eat a chik-fil-a sandwich...and suddenly I could! It was almost miraculous. I put on some warmer clothes and headed back out for the last 11.5 hours. I continued to run at close to a 5mph pace the rest of the race, which made it the fastest "back half" of a 24 hour I've done yet. I managed to keep my emotions at bay while running, just trying to enjoy a strong 2nd half and think of it as a "100 mile training run" as opposed to a disappointing race. I tried to concentrate on the positives. I got to meet and talk to some amazing runners, and see incredible performances- new 200k records for male and female, plus 2 women and one man made the national team. Although I was disappointed in my own performance, those runners were a joy to watch and they deserved all the accolades!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When all was said and done I ran about 52.5 miles in the first 11 hours, and 56 miles in the last 11.5 hours, with a total of 108.819 miles. I am trying not to be too hard on myself, as I am still learning this whole 24-hour thing, and I am at least proud of myself for coming back strong in the 2nd half. I know even the best runners have a bad race, but it's hard knowing that if I had been able to run my first half like I did at Delirium I would be on the team right now. I also can't help wondering if I had tried laying down earlier in the race, whether I would have had time to come back and salvage my performance...but there's no way to know. In any case I learned something that could be valuable in the future, and I proved to myself I can finish a race strongly, running consistently even in the last hours. That was my "attainable" goal going in, so at least I made one of my 3 goals!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know my endocrine system is highly screwy right now thanks to running for 24 hours, so I'm very up and down emotionally. Intellectually I know I have a few chances this year to make the 2015 team, and as I'm still young and new to running I'll have many more chances after that as well...but I'm really paranoid that I lost out on my best chance. What if next time I would need 133 miles to make the team instead of 123? What if I never improve enough to get to that level? I know I'm being silly, that my training has been haphazard and with good coaching I have a lot of potential to improve. But it's one thing to know something in your head and another to believe it in your heart. All I can do right now is remind myself that it's my screwy hormones making me feel this way, not reality. And once my body recovers my number one priority is training to make the 24 hour team in 2015- I am far too stubborn to give up on my dream after one disappointment!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-68805738740778507422014-03-12T06:51:00.001-07:002014-03-12T06:51:37.875-07:00Pre-Race Jitters<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oops, I haven't posted since my Delirium recap! It's been crazy over the last few weeks with schoolwork, but I expect things to ease up a little now. Two weeks after Delirium I raced a local 5k, which didn't go too well. I went out faster than I'm used to only to be forced to stop and stretch when my calves cramped up. I ended up with a time of 22:43, although I know I should be capable of a much faster time. Once again, proof that I need to focus more on speed!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This weekend is the South Carolina 24H track race, and I am more nervous than I've ever been before race day. The race is certified, and intended to be a last chance qualifier for the national team. So although I'm one of only about 20 competitors, the quality of runner is incredible. One woman has already qualified for the team, and the rest are all capable of it on a good day. I looked them all up when I saw the entrants list, which may have been a mistake, since I'm so intimidated...then again, I always prefer to be prepared. As far as the men go, they're not my competition but it's still crazy to think I'll be running in the same race as the US 100-mile record holder!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically, I look at the list of women with myself included and think, "one of these things is not like the others". I don't feel as if I belong with runners of that caliber, although I'm trying to become more confident in my abilities. As always, I'm trying to just focus on my own race strategy and not worry about the other runners. It's also important to keep reminding myself that this race isn't my last opportunity. I will be running as many as 3 more certified 24-hour races in 2014, so if nothing else I hope to learn from this weekend in order to improve in future races! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've heard it's smart to go into a race with 3 goals: one that is attainable no matter what, one that is challenging but quite possible, and one that reaches for the stars. So my goals for this weekend are: 1- reduce walking time and continue running, at least in short bursts, even at the final hours of the race. 2- cover 120+ miles to reach women's qualifying standard. and 3- beat enough of the women to be selected for the national team...since goal 3 depends on the performances of others and isn't within my control, I will add: or cover 125+ miles (which, on current results, would be sufficient to make the team). So, good, better, and best- I'll see in just a few days which of these goals will be met! And I'll keep reminding myself there's always a next time...</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-45491762401659500342014-02-12T06:08:00.003-08:002014-02-12T06:08:26.996-08:00Delirium 24 Hour<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On February 8th I ran the Delirium 24 Hour race in Ridgeland, South Carolina. I went in feeling undertrained and unprepared, as I feel before all my races. I've been called a "sandbagger" as I usually predict a worse race result than I actually get. But really it's just in my nature to worry, and I would rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed. Also, my taper combined with an annoying virus sapped my confidence a bit, and the end result was I was unsure I could make my goal of 110+ miles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it turns out, I needn't have worried- I ended up with 115.26 miles, placing me at 1st female and 3rd overall!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My race plan was based on my "reach goal" of 120 miles. I'm still new to 24 hour races, so I knew I needed to expect a significant slowdown overnight. With each lap being 1.695 miles, I would try for 7 laps every 2 hours for the first 12 hours, then move to 5 laps every 2 hours in the last 12 hours. That would give me just over 122 miles. I started out in a group with Sara, Emily, and Bren, running just under a 9:00 pace- a bit faster than I had planned. The end result was 8 laps in the first 2 hours instead of 7, which gave me a bit of a buffer. I slowed down a bit after that, but still kept to an overall 10:00 pace, reaching 50 miles at 8:20 (a new pr for me!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everything was going well. Although parts of the trail were very muddy, the rain stopped after about 4 hours and the sun came out and made everything more pleasant. I had a bit of I.T. band pain early on, but I took an ibuprofen and had Alec roll my leg out with my stick, and was able to get past it. For the first time in several races I had no stomach issues either. I was drinking water or coke every few laps, and eating some bacon or occasional vanilla Ensure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the 12 hour point I had completed 41 laps, just over 69 miles. I took a slightly longer break to enjoy a carrot cake cupcake my friend Kara had brought me for my birthday, and asked Alec to join me for a lap or two. That's when I hit the low point of my race. During that lap, I suddenly got a sharp stabbing pain on the top of my right foot. I had never felt anything like it, and it was bad enough to make me cry out. I slowed to a walk and was okay, but as soon as I tried to run again the pain stopped me in my tracks. I didn't want to push through the pain in case it was a stress fracture- I have some important races coming up and I can't afford to be sidelined long-term.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Power-walking with Alec I was still able to get 2 laps per hour, which meant I could still get 105-110 miles by the end, but I hated the idea of just walking all night. Plus I had been having such an amazing race up til then. My muscles weren't too fatigued and I had plenty of energy to run, so it was awful to be held back- I was so angry and frustrated I cried! After 3 hours of walking we came across Ray "the K" and I told him the situation. He recommended I re-lace my shoe to skip the area that was hurting. It wasn't anything I would have ever thought of, but I was definitely going to give it a try. Immediately, it was like night and day- for the next four hours I was back to running the 3 laps per hour I had done 10 hours ago! My race was back on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I reached 100 miles at 19:02</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (huge pr for me!). Although my foot was worlds better after the re-lacing, it began to ache again. I knew I could walk the last 5 hours and still break 115 miles, so I decided to stick to that and avoid aggravating whatever soft tissue issue was happening with my foot. Kara walked with me for the next few hours, and I really enjoyed the company at that hour. Once the sky started to lighten I went back to walking the last few laps on my own. I finished lap 68, 115.26 miles with over 23 minutes to go. I knew I had time for one more lap, but I was 15 miles ahead of the next female, and I was ready to call it a day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, there were 70 24-hour runners, 12 of whom got their 100-mile buckle. This includes some great Lowcountry friends of mine who reached their first-ever 100- so proud of Sara, Bren, Andrew, and Masumi! In addition, this was overall winner Robert's first 24-hour race, and he finished with just over 120 miles! And although they didn't all buckle, almost all of my other friends reached new distance PRs as well! Given the rain and mud, that says so much about their determination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ran Delirium on my birthday, and I couldn't ask for a better celebration. I got to spend all day and night with some of my favorite people! I can't even explain how much it means to me to be part of this amazing running community. Between volunteers, runners, and crewers, everyone is so incredibly supportive. Special thanks to my husband, Alec, for crewing and walking with me, and my friend Kara who did the same. On top of the super fun time, I ended up with an amazing race as well. Despite 7 solid hours of just walking, I passed 115 miles in just under 23:37. Under better conditions, such as pavement or a track, I have no doubt I could run an additional 5-10 miles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Due to my pessimism and fear of "jinxing" myself, I tend to be hesitant to really talk about my running goals. But I have a bit more confidence after this race, so I will now admit my major goal is to qualify for the national 24-hour team. For women, this requires a minimum of 120 miles in a certified 24-hour race, and the top 6 overall performances are chosen for the team. I really believe I'm capable of this- it's a matter of time and experience, but I think it's a result I can get in the next few years! Going forward, I plan to focus on speedwork and running while fatigued. I think this will allow me to maintain more even splits for the second half of a 24-hour race. I'm not sure exactly what results I'm capable of, but I believe I've been given a certain amount of talent, and it's my job to live up to that potential. Right now I'm dealing with a certain amount of soft tissue pain so I'll be taking it easy for the next 1-2 weeks, but I can't wait to see what I can accomplish in the future!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-21632067364324867272014-02-07T05:38:00.002-08:002014-02-07T05:38:52.184-08:00Altra Ambassador<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm proud to say I was chosen to be an ambassador for Altra Zero Drop shoes in 2014! I had never heard of the brand before winning a pair at Iron Horse Endurance Runs 100K last February. I delayed a bit in ordering them, but finally got my Altra Intuition 1.5 in May. They felt comfortable right out of the box for a 6 mile run, although I was still a bit skeptical. The zero drop didn't stand out too much to me, as my previous shoes were only a 4mm drop, but the wide toe box felt a bit odd on my relatively narrow feet. However, the next week I was doing a 24-hour run to raise money for the Challenged Athlete's Foundation, and I thought the Altras would feel great after my feet began to swell. I wore them for 11 hours/38 miles and was very happy with them, so I decided to keep running in Altras. Over time, rather than feeling odd, I realized how much more natural and comfortable it felt to actually be able to spread my toes in my shoes as I ran! Although Altras have a relatively high stack height compared to other zero drop shoes, they are thin enough to give you some ground feel with your toes. I think it's the perfect balance! Last summer I bought a pair of Lone Peaks to use for my trail races, and I have been running solely- no pun intended- in Altras ever since! I'd highly recommend the brand to any runner, although people coming from a more traditional shoe should transition slowly to any zero drop to avoid straining the calves and achilles. For anyone reading, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have about running in Altras :)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-45087779027737241902014-02-02T07:34:00.002-08:002014-02-02T07:34:53.042-08:00Sickness and Taper<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The past few weeks have been crazy. I started a new semester of school which really kept me busy, and although I got a few good night runs and speedwork in, I had to scale back my training a bit. Hopefully as I adjust to my new classes and schedule I can commit more time to training. On the plus side, I've started going to Bikram yoga regularly, and I'm really enjoying it. It's got to be good conditioning for hot-weather running, and I think it's helping my strength and recovery as well. I'm not sure if I can afford it once my intro rates expire, but perhaps I can swing it as a once-a-week type thing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then about a week ago I got sick. Nothing super serious, and at least it coincided with my taper for Delirium- but with only 6 days pre-race I'm worried I won't be recovered enough to run my best at Delirium. It started with a sore throat, then progressed to chest congestion, and now chest congestion and a cough. I'm hoping this virus is on its way out, since when I get sick a cough is often the final symptom before I recover. In any case I've been drinking a lot of tea and generally being lazy, which makes me feel bad about my training but is probably for the best. I've mainly just been walking, doing core work, and an occasional Bikram class. I think I'm taking all the right steps to recover, so it's really out of my hands. I'll just hope for the best, and do what I can at Delirium. After all, it's only February, and I've got plenty of races coming up this year where I can really bring my A-game!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-38877706383428577502014-01-11T12:38:00.002-08:002014-01-11T12:38:50.486-08:00Charleston Fatass 50<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, January is off to a strong start! On New Year's Day I finished up my vacation with a great 20 miler in DC- a steady 9:00 pace for 15 miles and a speedier 8:15 pace for the last five. After driving home on the 2nd, I ran a three-mile progression on the 3rd before heading up to Charleston for the Fatass 50 Mile on January 4th. I stayed over with my friend Masumi and his girlfriend Katie, who live only four miles from the start of the run. Masumi would be running with me, while Katie was kind enough to offer us aid from her car as she met up with us at different points. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We headed out at 5:30 am, waiting in the car until nearly 6 as it was windy and barely more than 20 degrees- actually far worse than the weather in DC while I was there! My plan was to maintain about a 10:00 overall pace for as long as I could, hopefully all 50 miles. There were probably about 20 runners, but only a handful of us were planning on running the full 50 miles. At 6 am we were off! I began running with Masumi and Robert, a very fast local who only had time for an easy 20 mile training run. The first few miles took us into a trail in the dark, where our overall pace was about 10:00, but we soon sped up. Next came the first (and biggest) of many bridges that day- it was horribly windy and cold, and I was grateful to be wearing my fleece, hat, and gloves. I was having a good time chatting with Masumi and Robert, who was pushing the pace a bit closer to 9:00 than 10:00, but I felt great so I rolled with it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After heading back across the bridge we got back to the start and met up with Katie at about 14.5 miles. I dropped off my headlamp and took a quick bathroom stop. We also came across the run organizer, Brett, who was driving around with his daughter offering aid as well- the Honey Stingers he gave me over the next few hours were a huge help! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As this was only the second time I'd been to Charleston, my sense of direction wasn't the best. I mainly just followed the arrows painted on the road, so I can't describe the route very well. We headed over another bridge, and I waited for Masumi at a bathroom stop. After 20 miles Robert had to leave, and I continued on with Masumi. Around 25 miles in, I started pulling ahead of Masumi, although I hadn't increased my ~9:30 pace. I slowed down a bit and found out his I.T. band was beginning to hurt. We met up with Katie around 27 miles, and took a short break so Masumi could use my stick to roll out his leg a bit. The next stretch would be a long, low bridge up to the 50k point, and Masumi decided to see how he felt at that point, to decide whether to continue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I pulled ahead of Masumi on the bridge (which seemed to last forever), and met up with Katie and Brett on the other side. I waited a few minutes for Masumi, but as I suspected he would be stopping at 50k I made the turn around and headed back. When I passed him he confirmed he would be stopping, and with that I was apparently the only person running 50 miles! I knew once I got back over the bridge I'd only have about 16 miles left, so I felt pretty good about the situation. I had been pausing my Garmin at stops, and with my overall running time was on track to finish in under 8 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brett had given me some basic directions, but I was glad to see him and his daughter every few miles to confirm I had it right- after 6+ hours of running in a strange city I couldn't trust my ability to stay on course! I was told that due to the high tide a small section of beach running was cut off, so I'd probably have to make up a bit of distance at the end to make it an even 50 miles. After a few more miles (maybe around the 40 mile mark), I saw Katie and Masumi again. He had showered and changed, and they were now both supporting me to the finish. Around 44 miles in I suddenly started to feel light headed. I had been hydrating and eating so I still don't know exactly what the issue was. I stopped to talk to Katie, Masumi, and Brett, who told me the next few miles would take me out onto a causeway and back. Given the wind on the causeway and my dizziness, I decided to modify the course a bit, just in case that combination pushed me into traffic! Brett was fine with this as no one else was running the 50 mile course. In any case with less than 6 miles to go I was absolutely not stopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next few miles were pretty funny. We were on side streets with almost no traffic, so Katie drove along with me- looking like a bit of a creeper at 6 mph! But I really appreciated her concern and wanting to look out for me. At about 47 miles I told Katie and Masumi the route I would take around the neighborhood for the last three miles, and they drove off to wait for me there. I was still feeling a bit dizzy, but having no trouble running the same ~9:30 pace as before!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I came up on Katie and Masumi, I realized I was short a few tenths of a mile, so I turned around to re-run the last block (as Masumi was about to take a picture of me finishing- must have looked pretty silly!). Finally I sprinted in to stop my watch at exactly 50 miles- just over 7:51 on my watch. However, to count this as an "event" rather than just training, I'm calling the time 8:43, which was the elapsed time since the 6 am start. After all, in a race no one will call a time out so I can take a break! The elapsed time was a bit past my goal of 10:00 pace, but I'm not concerned. I was able to run consistently throughout the day, and while in a race I would have also stopped for a bathroom break, I would not have stopped to wait for a friend, so the breaks would have been shorter and less frequent. Overall I was super happy with this run! I had a great time despite the cold and wind, and I felt great and ran consistently. Definitely feeling confident with less than a month until Delirium!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094145230091585732.post-17377422219589240482013-12-31T09:59:00.003-08:002013-12-31T09:59:45.746-08:00Thoughts on 2013, 2014 Goals<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it's been quite a year! Although I began running in 2010, and ran my first ultra in 2011, 2013 is the year I feel like I finally hit my stride. I think I've figured out the best way to train for my body- have a purpose for every run (no "junk miles"), cross train frequently and with variety, and make sure to take rest days. Thanks to all that, i managed to set new PRs for the 5K, 50K, and 50 mile. I ran a whole lot of new distances- 100K, 100 mile, 6 hour, 8 hour, and 24 hour. I ran my first stage race, Chattanooga, in June. I won races for the first time- admittedly they were small, but a win's a win! In general, I raced more than I ever had before- about one ultra per month- which I think helped me get stronger and faster. Plus I no longer cry with nervousness at the start of a race!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most importantly, I really got involved with the ultrarunning community. I began running very much on my own, with my only real support in online communities such as Daily Mile. And while those folks are awesome and encouraging, there's nothing like having a group of local friends to train with and race with. It's amazing to go to a race in Georgia or South Carolina and see so many familiar faces that it feels like a family reunion. To actually have people cheering you on by name as you make it through another loop of the race. To really appreciate the accomplishments of your fellow racers, because you've trained with them and you know how hard they've worked. There really isn't anything like an ultra for bonding with your fellow runners!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking ahead to 2014, I have plenty of new goals and experiences to look forward to. I hope to celebrate my birthday in February with a new distance PR at Delirium 24 hour. I will have the honor of running the Boston Marathon in April- although this trail runner is a bit nervous about racing in a sea of tens of thousands! I may have another 24 hour race in May, and in July I plan on running Merrill's Mile 24 hour. Two weeks after that I have the Double Cremator- brainchild of the twisted Tim Waz of Lowcountry Ultras! The Double Cremator is 50 miles on Saturday and 50 miles on Sunday...for that I just hope to finish without collapsing! Then in August is Homestead 10x5K, another Lowcountry Ultras creation. You run a 5K loop once per hour for 10 hours, and the winner has the lowest combined time. I will most likely run the 12 hour at Chase the Sun in September (a new timed race for me), and there may be a trail marathon in October. In November I will run Mad Marsh 50K, my 4th Lowcountry Ultra of the year, so I can be part of the inaugural Lowcountry Ultras Series. Finally, I plan to run another 100 miler in December- Bartram 100s. Plus a few smaller local races scattered here and there...that all should keep me quite busy!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664114842343229066noreply@blogger.com0