Runner With an Appetite

Long Haul 100 Race Report

2016-01-18T15:48:00.000-05:00

Leading up to this weekend, I wasn't sure how this race report would turn out. I had gotten myself finally ready to tackle the 100 miler again and my mind was in a positive place. I had trained my butt off, thanks to Michele Yates' training plan. I got in lots of long speed work sessions and plenty of cross training via November Project, weekly gym sessions with friends, and some yoga here and there. I felt ready, but having DNFed before, I knew anything could happen.

I flew down to Florida with John Friday morning and my dad, who lives in the Tampa area, picked us up from the airport. We went to pick up my packet and I got to see my friends Lauren and Wesley, two other Philly runners down for the 100. Lauren used to live in the area, so when I asked if she knew of a friend to pace me, she got her friend Jesse to agree to pace me from around 60-80. I briefly met him at packet pick-up, but my dad was antsy to head out, so it was short. We came back to my dad's place, I organized my bag for the race, then we met my mom for dinner, who had just flown in from DC. Even at dinner, it wasn't hitting me that I had the race that next morning!

Flat Rebecca the night before

4:30 AM, my alarm went off, I quickly got into my gear, then my dad drove John, my brother (who was awesome to also come down from DC to crew me), and me the 1+ hour drive to the race start. My mom was staying at the race host hotel, so she met us there. I put my drop bag in the car bringing it to aid station 2 (which we got to 4 times each 20 mile loop), I got my timing chip and my green band (more on that later), then saw Lauren and Wesley. We chatted briefly, but both weren't exactly ready for long chats (totally get that!). We took some photos, I said goodbye to my family, then at 7 AM, as the sun was just rising, we were off!

Sunrise at the start

I feel like I went into this race well trained, but not 100% with a game plan. I didn't have a run/walk strategy, nor did I have a game plan for my pace exactly. I charted out what time I'd have to hit up aid stations each lap to stay under my A goal, 24 hours, but that's about it. Thankfully, around mile 2, this other runner named Arielle and I started chatting. We would go on to run about 54 miles together and I'm so lucky we did.

Course Map from longhaul100.com

The course was 5 20 mile trail loops (with about 3ish miles of pavement in total in each lap), but it was really lots of little loops repeated. I am a fan of small looped courses, so I loved it. This allowed my amazing crew of my mom, brother, and John to hang out at aid station 2 for the day and I could see them frequently. I also could break up the course into smaller, more manageable chunks.

Arielle and I got into a great groove that first lap, especially when we realized we were both gunning for a sub-24 pace. The course was pretty much all flat, but it was so beautiful; I felt like I was running through some really cool jungles at certain points. We eventually got into a run/walk cycle (thanks to Arielle) after we realized we 1) were going too fast and 2) it was going to be getting quite hot mid-day. I had seen 2 pm was the peak heat, so we just kept counting down the hours until we knew it would start getting cooler. We made sure to not push too hard in the heat because it would bite us in the ass later and I think we succeeded in that.

Arielle and me in the Hall of Pines

The first lap went by nicely, allowing us to really get the course down. There were some great checkpoints along each little section, so we were able to go, "Oh, we're at this point, so it's just these 3 things until this section is over." Our favorite views were on the long middle section, where we got to see giant Pine trees (dubbed the "Hall of Pines" from a course sign). I loved being able to run trails, but not be really worried about the elevation or tough terrain; it was a truly perfect balance.

We chatted about everything! About running, about life, about music, about it all. I love the ultra community because 9.5/10 times, the other runners there are amazing people. It's so much fun to run with them because the hours just tick along when you are getting to know them.

Arielle on the bridge over the water crossing

We finished our first lap in 4:01, which kept our goal of 50 miles in 11 hours intact. Each lap, we given a different colored wrist band to show which lap we were on. After 20, we traded in our green for red and were off.

People started to see us as the running buddies together and even our families were cheering us on together (Arielle's mom kept hugging me and wishing me luck each time we passed her and how do you not smile after that?!). This lap was okay, but I started to hit a negative spot and dealt with some stomach nausea around mile 34ish or so. I also felt really tired (which hello, 36 miles into a 100 mile race is kind of scary). I got to the 36 mile aid station, changed my socks, had half of a Street King energy shot (thank you, 50 Cent, for your chemical energy wonder), then we went off to finish the second lap. Oh and I danced before we left because how can you be that upset after dancing?

I always tell people that running an ultra can be like a roller coaster, where you have low spots, but they can quickly be followed up with highs. I never experienced such a quick turnaround as I did after I left that aid station. I needed that energy, the sock change, and the food I ate clearly because my attitude and body turned around so quickly. We hit the 40 mile mark, again within our goal time, and felt great! We traded in our red band for orange. Woohoo! We knew we were half a lap from being 50 miles in and that felt awesome.

We got to mile 50 at 10:57, 3 minutes faster than our 11 hour goal. Success! I had told Arielle that as a treat for the halfway point, I was going to listen to music. She suggested I just play it out loud, so we got to sing and dance along the miles until we picked up her pacer at mile 54. We picked up her pacer and I was so happy that it meant we were in the second half of the race. I was surprised with how well I felt, even though I was trying to be smart and not push too early.

Arielle and me when we hit 50 miles. We thankfully saw no hogs!

At mile 58, Jesse, the pacer Lauren had connected me with, told me he was joining me a few miles early and was ready to push me. I said goodbye to Arielle, but was so happy to keep seeing her along the course with her pacers and I knew I wouldn't have run the first half as smart if I hadn't been with her.

Around mile 54

I told Jesse that I had been doing a run/walk with Arielle and wanted to keep it up. He got me going on a 9 minute run - 1 minute walk cycle and was firm in my walking being fast (which I stink at) and that my run be smart. I felt insanely strong for that time of the race and just kept pushing because I wanted to ride the high moments.

Jesse was exactly the pacer I needed. He was firm and strict ("No casual chatting at the aid station. Your family will want to tell you that you look good, but you know you do, so keep going."), but he was able to keep me motivated because he wasn't harsh or mean. He also didn't mind me still playing my music out loud and even filmed my burpee and squat when "Roxanne" came on (shout out to my NP folks).

I liked knowing the course like the back of my hand by the time I got Jesse, so I was able to pretty much give him a tour of the course (he lives right by it, so I now am realizing he likely knew it already, but still). We did get lost, though, just past mile 70. There was this one section that was a bit harder to navigate in the dark. It was during a loop section and the loop ended only about .25 miles after that section. We kept running and I just felt like we must have messed it up. Lo and behold, we got to the Banjo sign (a sign that said, "Keep Moving! I think I hear banjos!"), which we had already passed. Crap! We turned around and hauled ass to get back to the aid station, having added likely around .5-.75 of a mile. All in all, that's not bad, but it through me slightly through a loop mentally.

The Banjo sign!

The storming was clearly brewing and Jesse kept telling me to not let it get to me. Having run and raced in the rain before, I promised him that I was fine and it was just going to make the story even crazier. He actually had John join me an aid station early, meaning John ran 23 miles with me instead of the planned 20. Jesse prepped John with what to do and soon we were off!

I will admit that I got into a mental funk when I picked John up as a pacer. I had gotten into such a good groove with Jesse, so having to explain things to John was frustrating. I could sense myself speaking with a harsher tone than I meant to and I kept apologizing. John was insanely wonderful and before the rain hit, he played music for me so we could try to distract my angry brain.

When the rain hit, boy, did it hit. Torrential rains, heat lightening, some rumbling thunders, and whipping winds. John told me that there were some pending tornados that were showing in the forecast, so I should push hard and finish with a badass story. We hit the 80 mile mark and I got my last colored band, the pink one I'd wanted from the start. I actually teared up for a second with one of the race organizers because I knew the last 20 were going to be a struggle and it felt so hard. She told me to keep it up and I was going to be fine. So we trudged along.

About to head out in the torrential rain with John

I kept getting frustrated because my watch had died and I had no idea what my pace was. I kept asking John if I was doing okay and while he said I was good, I didn't know if I could believe him or if he really knew. I trusted Jesse more since he had done ultras like this, even though John only wanted the best for me and wouldn't lie to me. Unless he wanted to protect me, of course, from mentally freaking out, but I couldn't tell. Each mile felt like such a struggle, but John was wonderful at staying positive and pushing me.

I used the last lap as a goodbye lap, saying goodbye to things and thanking them for being with me the whole time. I would say goodbye to the checkpoints, like the Banjo sign and the Hall of Pines. I remember the rain and puddles being bad, but it helped knowing it was my last lap of it. I saw a bunch of runners on their second to last lap and I felt so bad knowing they had so much more left. John also pointed out that most everyone else was reduced to a walk, but I was jogging along at a decent pace for that time. I even told John about how we got lost the last lap and I still nearly got us lost again (thanks to John, we didn't!).

Hall of Pines during the day

When I got to the furthest aid station the last time, I knew I had just 8 miles left and I broke down. The 100 mile finish that I wanted so badly was within my reach and a sub-24 hour finish was still a possibility. I had to tell myself to calm down, save my tears for the finish line, and keep trudging along.

We got to the 95 mile mark aid station and Jesse told John he could hop in and take me for the last southern loop before John could bring me to the finish. John was like, "Hell no, I'm running with her through this entire last loop and we're going right now." It was pretty cute to see him so passionate about helping me finish the entire thing. I was fired up to have 5 miles left, but that 3.3ish southern loop was rough for me. I started it wanting to push, but my pace stunk and I couldn't get faster. The rain had stopped, so John put on some music (Tenacious D, per my request) and I just kept moving forward. I kept asking if the sub-24 was possible because I felt like it was slipping away. I just kept singing the Tenacious D lyrics and forcing myself to grit my teeth to push further.

The lap bracelets in the order I picked them up.

We got to the last aid station, with about 2.5 miles left to finish. I threw off my rain jacket to Jesse and he just looked at me and said, "You have to haul ass this last bit." The way he said it, it sounded important and like it meant something, so I took off. The puddles were insane in this section and I kept slipping into them, with my shoes nearly coming off so many times.

We hit the bridge over the one water crossing the last time and I knew I just had to get to the road, then it was less than a mile to the finish line. John played one of my favorite running songs, "Go The Distance" from Disney's Hercules and I kept singing the lines out loud to push myself. We hit the road and John hinted that he may have good news, but he couldn't tell me yet. Jesse was waiting along the road and then said, "Do you know what's cool? Finishing a 100 miler. Even cooler? Doing it sub-24? And even cooler? Being the first placed female." I HAD NO IDEA. Seriously, you could have told me I had grown a third eye and I may have believed that more.

At the finish line with my two pacers, Jesse and John

That news pushed me to sprint to the finish line, which I crossed in 23:00:57 (so close to sub-23!). I immediately started crying because it felt so surreal. I had stayed strong, pushed hard, and surpassed any of my wildest dreams with the race. I thanked the race folks, Jesse, and my family because I couldn't have done it without them all. I quickly changed into dry clothes, ate a grilled cheese, then headed back to my mom's hotel for a shower and to nap.

My First Place Female Belt Buckle!

Overall, this race was magical and amazing. I was able to race smart, actually be thoughtful about nutrition (thanks to my coach's recommendation, I ate a little bit pretty much every 15-20 minutes and my stomach was happy), and I made sure to keep a smile on my face (most of the time). I'm so thankful to everyone who wished me luck and sent motivational messages throughout. I recognize that I have an insane support system around me and I don't take that for granted. I'm also hella proud of Wesley for finishing his first 100 attempt and while Lauren didn't finish due to an ankle sprain she got at mile 7, she pushed through 75 miles total like a badass. Arielle also finished and with a grand spankin' new PR! So happy for her.

Now to heal up and think about what to add next to my race calendar.

I Beat the Blerch...Barely

2015-09-27T17:31:00.001-04:00

Well, yesterday's marathon didn't go as planned, but I got my way to the finish line, albeit, beaten up and demoralized.

My running friend Kelly reached out to me when the Beat the Blerch Marathon was announced a bunch of months ago. It was 20 minutes from her house and she asked if I'd like to join. A race organized by a cartoonist that I love? And I got to run it with a friend? Oh yeah, I was in. It also fell on the weekend the Pope was coming to Philly, so I got to scoot out of the city before he came (and later, figure my way back into the city with Pope Francis here).

My work was closed Friday before the Pope came, so I was able to get up, pack my bags, relax, and hit the road mid-day. I made my way to Kelly's area, grabbed lunch, then waited to meet her at her place after she got out of work. We met up, drove to pick up our bibs, then got dinner. It was great to catch up with Kelly, then we went back to her place and hit the hay.

90s kid nostalgia. My costume was a player from "Legends of
the Hidden Temple."

The race was only about a 20 minute drive from her place, so we were able to "sleep in" until about 5:30 AM before the 8 AM race start. We didn't have any parking issues (others weren't so lucky), so we got there pretty early. We were able to get to the bathroom with zero line, snap pictures on the couches before the race, and relax in her car before heading to the start. I got to see a bunch of other running friends before we started and at 8:10 AM, we were off!

Kelly and me on one of the many couches before we started the race

The trails were really beautiful. The first few miles had a decent amount of easy trail and hillier roads, then we got into the tougher, more technical trails. I have been lucky enough to run a decent amount of trails (for a road runner) the last few months, so I felt okay the first 6ish miles in. I knew that lots of people signed up for this race without even reading that it was a trail race and I worried for those runners/walkers.

After the 6ish mile mark (by the first mile, we all saw that our watches were short and the race continued to be short, clocking in at 24.4 miles total for me), I started to struggle on the uphills. I noticed that I couldn't catch my breath going up and it was like my lungs couldn't open up fully. I've never had breathing issues, so this was odd. We also went nearly 4 miles without water, which would normally be fine, but I was clearly also dehydrated and the first half of the 2 loop course had so many water stops along it.

Kelly was super understanding and I felt okay when we got through the first lap. I felt happy that the first loop went by quickly and felt like I could do well through the second lap. Alas, my breathing was not cooperating with me and I had to walk up nearly all of the uphills and boy, there were a lot.

With about 8 (of the 24.4 miles) to go, I told Kelly to leave me. Neither of us was racing this and she raced the Air Force Marathon the weekend before, but I felt horrible to be keeping her back. It was just truly not my day, but she wouldn't let me go. She happily walked with me whenever I needed it, let me keep the pace when we ran, and was super understanding. She even offered to hold my bike helmet (part of my costume) and said if dropping was better for me, she'd be fine with that, too. I feel bad that I'm so stubborn because I sure as hell was getting to that finish line and she had to stick with me! Glad that I wasn't alone and that Kelly was so supportive!

We enjoyed some couch time with a Blerch!

In the second half of the last lap, we passed lots of half marathoners who were walking. A lot of them did not look like they were regular exercisers and a lot of them commented about how hard the course was. A lot of them said, "There was barely any road in this race!" I've gotten so used to being around distance runners and many who run trails regularly. I was bummed to hear their frustration because the race was clearly labeled as a trail race and one that was technical at that. We saw runners with twisted ankles and knees, cuts and bruises, etc., which made me worried about the racers. Seeing the Facebook page after the race, lots of racers complained about things that are so common in trail races, but they lacked the experience to know what they were getting themselves into.

I did fall with about a mile to go (I was surprised that it took that long), but thankfully I didn't cut myself and while my one calf seized, it loosened up nearly immediately. I hobbled to the finish, with Kelly being so supportive and nice. A lady we kept leapfrogging during the course, Kat, finished a bit a head of us, but found us with about .25 miles left and ran us into the finish line. Meeting people like her make racing like this so worth it. We were able to support each other throughout the race and could finish it smiling and cheering each other on.

It was brutal, but I finished and got my dang medal!

We finished in 5:18 and change, which was nearly an hour positive split for the second half. I needed a good marathon race under my belt, even if I wasn't actually racing it, but that will come another time. I got to explore some beautiful trails, spend hours running with a friend I don't get to see in person a lot, and I was was able to push through to get marathon #16 in the books. I even felt well enough to run 10 road miles with John and some friends less than 24 hours later (couldn't pass up running on the empty roads here in Philly). On to the next one!

Fighting the Fear

2015-07-29T14:31:00.002-04:00

Fear is a funny thing, isn't it? Ever since I DNFed the C&O Canal 100 miler 2 years ago, I've been plagued with this little voice. The voice tells me that while I have completed a 100 miler before, the DNF makes that finish feel less valid. The little voice is pretty jerky, right?!

I've been looking for 100 milers that make sense in my running schedule and get me excited. Nothing has fit yet, but I might have found my race. My dad, who currently lives in Honolulu, will be moving much closer this fall when he moves to Tampa, FL. It'll be great to have him closer and of course, after he told me that, I immediately searched for races. I quickly found the Long Haul 100 miler, which is about an hour away from my dad's new place. He's got an extra bedroom and a car, meaning I'd have free accommodation and a ride to and from the race.

I talked with John and while he wishes I had a different desire (even just sticking to marathons would make him happier), he supports me signing up. Once that happened, I started to panic. I was just waiting for John's ask for me not to sign up to be the stop from me doing it and giving me an out. Without that, so many questions popped up. Who would pace me (I don't know anyone down there)? What would I do without my mom at this race (she'd likely stay home)? What if I really can't do it and the first one was a fluke?

Well, it's hard to answer those all. In terms of pacers, I could probably find someone local (via social media channels and ultra email list servs) to pace me. I wouldn't mind running with someone I don't know since we could spend hours getting to know each other. As for my mom? Well, as much as I wish she could be at every race I ever do, that's not plausible. She knows me so well and knows how to crew me like none other, but she won't be able to do that always. I'll just have to ask John to fill her shoes in terms of crewing.

Then comes the biggest question: can I really do it? When I attempted my first, I said I would have crawled to the finish if it was required. I had, maybe, a younger innocence and determination. After my DNF, and a recent string of races not going according to plan, my confidence as a runner isn't what it used to be. After setting running goals and achieving them for years and years, then having the opposite happen recently, it's still hard to set a lofty goal and not be scared. Not that being scared is bad. Being scared shows that it matters and is a challenge.

Maybe Tina Fey has confidence in me?!

So now, I stand on this ledge. If I jump and sign up, maybe my parachute will open and I'll succeed in completing another 100. If things don't go so well, I'll be face planting into the ground. But if I don't even try, I won't go on any sort of adventure and what kind of life is that? Here's to hoping I have the courage (or the alcohol-fueld confidence) to actually sign up!

Poconos Run for the Red Marathon Race Report

2015-05-19T13:28:00.001-04:00

I was afraid this race report would happen. Was it a self-fulfilling prophecy? Was I just doomed from the start with 100% humidity? Who knows. In the end, I finished my 15th stand-alone marathon, albeit not in the way I would have liked.

After I fell apart during the RnR DC (for which the race report is still half written after Blogger ate the second half of it and I am too bleh to finish writing it), I immediately went on the hunt for another race to attempt at BQ. I eventually found the Poconos Run for the Red Marathon and signed up after hearing good things. I then had about 2 months to maintain my training and work hard.

The training went well, but I cannot say I did every workout. I ran most of them, but I didn't do as many speed work workouts as my coach prescribed and I didn't hit the gym as much. I started going at least once a week with some West Philly Runner friends and I have been steady in my November Project workouts (which incorporate hill running, stair running, and a variety of body weight workouts like burpees, squats, push-ups, and the like). I just had this nagging little voice in my head that felt like I hadn't put in the proper work to reach my goal.

A few days leading up to the race, people started talking about how humid it would be. I was religiously tracking the weather, per usual for a race, but all anyone could talk about was hot how it would be. I kept brushing it off like it wasn't a big deal, but I was starting to worry. I especially do not do well in heat and humidity as it just zaps me of energy. This happens to everyone, but I think my patience with it is just far lower.

Luckily, my costume (a deviled egg. Get it? It was a too hard for people to get, but I was happy to run my 13th consecutive marathon in a costume!) was good for the heat (white tank!) and I knew I couldn't do anything but deal with the heat. My mom snagged me in Philly later on Saturday, then we drove to Stroudsburg, PA. We ate a late and quick dinner, then we hit the hay.

The only positive to the 8 AM race start was that I could get in 7+ hours of sleep before the race. The downside? Walking around the starting line area was already sticky and hot! I was reminded, though, how much I appreciate smaller races. I was able to pick up my bib the morning of (for a fee, but still), I was able to hang out inside a high school before the start and use their restrooms. Two minutes before the gun went off, I had to pee yet again and I was able to scurry to the port-a-potties (with zero line!), use it, then be back before the gun went off. As much as I love bigger races like Philly and the Marine Corps Marathon, I love little perks of smaller races like that.

I said hello to some friends like Keith Straw, who was pacing the 3:50 runners. I told him that I better not see him along the course (*spoiler* I did). I got in my space between the 3:25 pacer and 3:35 pacer and got ready. After the national anthem was sung, the gun went off and so did we!

This course is a significant net downhill course, but I quickly learned that there are lots of small inclines and declines along the course. I found myself starting out too fast, so I had to calm down and not let the excitement get to me. I was staying around my goal pace, but was hovering a few seconds per mile below that. I knew that a slight buffer for the first half might be good since the hillier sections were later on, but I did my best to reign my excitement in.

The miles ticked away and I was waiting for the significant downhills because I wanted them. The roads became more scenic and boom, we hit the downhills. I really wish I had taken any photos along this part because man, it was beautiful. Running through the Poconos area allowed me to see some beautiful things!

I was a bit fast after hitting the major downhills, but I ended up pretty much right even at the halfway point. I passed it and while I normally feel great at the halfway point, I started to worry. The course was become less shaded by trees and this is where my mental demons started to really come out.

Just around mile 14 is when things fell apart. I kept feeling how much effort it took to keep the pace and I knew I couldn't hold on to it for the rest of the race, especially with the bigger uphills between miles 20ish-23ish. And so I pretty much gave up. I let my mental demons and the humidity take ahold of me and dictate my race, sadly.

Around mile 16, I took my first walk break. I was embarrassed because I never walk in marathons, but I was so done. I started to panic about how much was left in the race and how drained I felt. Thankfully, the race was remote, so I couldn't easily drop. I just keep chugging along. Nearly any uphill, I walked. I tried to push myself, but I really just couldn't. I was beyond demoralized and upset that I let a little hardship make me give up.

I can't remember the mileage, but a local friend, Mel, and the 3:35 pacer he was running with, caught up with me. I tried my darnedest to stick with them, but it felt too hard. Could I have kept up? Or was I just afraid of pain and hardship? I started to wonder why it was so hard for me to keep pushing when any little difficulty hit. When I PRed at the Richmond Marathon, I remember the last 10k being so hard and that I was holding on by a thread. How come I couldn't push through this time like I did then?

Eventually, we got to the 20 mile mark and I knew I had a long 10k left, but I had to keep going. I then got passed by a friend, Paul, pacing the 3:45 group. He said if he saw me on the course, he'd kick my ass and when he saw me, he gave it to me. It was a good push, but still demoralizing because I felt embarrassed by how much I had fallen apart.

While it was a small race, the support was really great, especially with the temperature and humidity. They had a water station about every 2 miles and in the later stops, they had ice. I'd stick it down my bra and allow it to cool me off slightly. I also, for the first time in forever, dumped water on my head at many aid stations. I hate being wet when I don't want to be (aka all of the time), but I knew the wetness was worth cooling my head down. The saving grace, too, was the aid station worker who had dunked towels in ice water and was wringing out the water over people's necks; I would have kissed him if I could have thought straight.

The miles slowly ticked away and I pretty much started the mourning process. I thought about all of the amazing supportive people in my life who believed in me and while obviously my race is a blip on their lives, I felt bad for even potentially letting them down. I mourned the fact that I most likely (unless something changes and I find a pre-September race) won't be racing in Boston in 2016 with so many friends. I thought about how instead of training for this race, I could have spent the time doing other workouts and focusing on trying to be in the best shape for my wedding. Then I let it all go. I realized I couldn't change a thing at the moment and I had to put it all behind me.

The last few miles, I just tried to smile as much as I could, I thanked everyone who was out there on the course, and tried to enjoy myself in any way possible. Soon enough, I was running on Stroudsburg's Main Street and nearing the high school for the track finish. I ran through the high school's parking lot and onto the track. Runners had to do 3/4 of a lap and finish on the track. I got to see lots of spectators cheering in the stands and I was finally finishing. I saw my mom with about 100 meters to go and was happy to see her face.

I ended up finishing in 3:55:25. Was it my slowest effort? Nope. Was it my biggest blow-up? Nope, I can give that to the Chasing the Unicorn Marathon. Was it the hardest marathon for me to finish? I think so. It took so much out of me mentally and physically, I was wiped far too early. I do always say that on any day, I could go out and complete a marathon distance, so it felt good that I was able to finish my 15th stand-alone marathon and make that statement true.

15th stand-alone marathon complete!

I think I'm done racing marathons for a bit. I've found the pressure to be a bit too much for me mentally and I just want to run some for fun and get back to ultras. I have realized that the margin for error in marathons is so much smaller, so it adds this major pressure to me that has put me in a mental funk when racing. If I slow down by 30 seconds per mile, that can make or break my marathon goal. In an ultra, you have a little more leeway and being a few minutes slower or faster isn't usually a big deal. I have faith that I'll secure another BQ and actually run Boston one time, but I have to learn to be patient. I'm lucky to have finished upright and to have finished at all in that heat and humidity, so I'll take it as a win!

Philadelphia Marathon 2014 - What it's like to run a marathon the day after a 50 miler

2015-02-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the Philadelphia Marathon happened about 2.5 months ago and I'm just getting around to finishing this. Whoops. Better late than never?

When I woke up the morning of the race, after just 5 hours of sleep, I was in such denial about running the marathon. I quickly got into my 50s poodle skirt costume, though, and my mom and I headed to meet my friends at the Marriott nearby. I scarfed down a donut as my pre-race breakfast (a recent favorite choice of mine) and once we all met up (I was at the wrong hotel at first!), we walked to the start.

Walking hurt. It hurt a lot. I was kind of freaking out about what running a marathon would be like, especially since I knew it'd be slow given my soreness and tightness. I was able to quickly say hi to my Back on My Feet friends and one of our alumni members (he used to live in a homeless shelter, but now has a job and his own place) pulled my mom aside to tell her how proud of me she should be because of dedication to the organization. Talk about incredible to hear. It was such a boost to hear that and remember that I had fundraised for men and women like him, so I had even more motivation to finish.

I hobbled to the start with my friends and we found our friend, Brooklyn Bobby, in our corral. Bobby, Lisa, Alice, Jen (who did the JFK 50 the day before as well), and I planned to run the whole thing together. I didn't know how long it would take, but we all agreed we'd enjoy a leisurely tour of Philly together. The gun went off, but since we were in a slower coral, it took literally 30 minutes for us to cross the start line. I had never started so far back and that long time made me so anxious. We said goodbye to my mom and Mara (another friend cheering us all on) and started the race.

Jen, Stephanie (who ran without us), me, Lisa, Alice, and Bobby

The first mile hurt. A lot. I pretty much just could hobble. I did, though, love showing my friends my city that I love so much. After a mile or so, I loosened up a bit and my stride got closer to my normal one, but I still hurt with every step. I had to take a quick pit stop to pee in a bush at around mile 2, then we were making our way up Washington Ave. and through Society Hill. Around mile 4, we even were able to snag some beer (which tasted amazing!).

The gang really loved seeing South Street and commented on how cute it was. It's funny because seeing it from their eyes, with the holiday wreaths and lights up, it really was cute. When I think about how gross it is and the bars that are down there, it's funny for me to call it cute.

Beer!

We kept going and eventually got to our apartment where John, Mara, and my mom were waiting. We hugged them, I gave John my gloves (it was getting warmer), posed for a quick picture, then went on our way. I love where we ran next through Center City, because the crowds are amazing. I was able to see tons of spectators, including a bunch of my Back on My Feet friends.

Running through Drexel, my alma mater, was painful because we went up a big hill, but I got to see a bunch of Students Run Philly Style participants at the water stop at the top, which was awesome! We then slowly made our way up the bitch of a hill that is just before mile 10. I then had to pee again, which Jen then gave me hell for because I always had to pee during flats or downhills (not an uphill when she could walk) and I peed more in the first 10 miles of the marathon than in all of the JFK 50 the day before. What can I say?! I had to go!

Our group just past mile 6

We made it to West River Drive, saw the AWESOME crazy cheering group at the turnaround who always come dressed in insane outfits, and I shortly after hit a real mental low. I was hurting a lot and there was still so much left to run. I saw everyone on the other side of the river, miles ahead of me, and got so demoralized. I really considered just doing the half, but I knew I'd feel like a quitter. I had told so many people about my endeavor and while I knew it wouldn't have mattered if I had only done the half, I set the goal to do the full and I was determined to do that.

We got to the halfway point, saw Mara on the course, and I had a Gu. The second half of the course is out and back, so I was able to see so many friends running on the course when I was heading out. This really was the mental pick-me-up that I needed. Instead of focusing on my pain, I just looked for my friends and cheered them all on. Soon enough, we were in East Falls, where I saw a bunch of November Project Philadelphia friends and found my Fathead that they created. Shortly after, we were at mile 17 and that meant just single digits left! While I was in a lot of physical pain and just so tired, I was surprisingly cheery as the miles were slowly ticking away.

Two scary faces on the course

We got into Manayunk and I was so happy to see the giant crowds. I saw some Philly Runner friends near the turnaround and it was the jolt that I needed to push up the hill. Our group had separated a bit (Bobby and Alice ran down a hill when I had to walk to get water down at some point), but we reconnected at around mile 21ish. I had beer at mile 19 on the way out, but the beer did not sound good on my stomach at mile 21. I still had two small cups throughout the course, so I'm not mad!

Once we passed the NP Philly folks and East Falls again, I started to struggle again. The other side of Kelly Drive (people still heading out) was nearly empty, which surprised me. You have 6 or 7 hours (can't find the exact rule) to finish the course, so I thought that I'd see at least a handful more people still heading to Manayunk. When we did see someone, though, we cheered like crazy! I got to the point where walking through aid stations wasn't feasible as stopping and starting hurt too much. I'd slowly jog through the water stop, drink while jogging, then keep going. Everyone easily caught up with me each time, but it was getting more and more painful with each step.

Near the 20 mile mark!

As we were inching closer to the finish, I realized that once I finished, I could lay down and elevate my feet. It then dawned on me that, duh, just because I stop, it doesn't mean the pain goes away. I felt this weird sense of being trapped since I wasn't escaping the pain, but I knew when I finished, I could lay down and at least feel some sense of relief.

We made our way to the 26 mile mark and saw Mara, my mom, and John there. I was disappointed with how empty the finish line area was. I had finished all of my Philadelphia Marathons much faster and it never took me so long to cross the start line, but I was sad to see how few spectators were out there. I felt embarrassed as this is MY home course now and my friends seemed to be disappointed as well. But alas, we were finishing and that's all that mattered!

Hugging Kaitleen, a NP Philly friend, along the course

We all crossed together and my finisher time was 5:10:00. It wasn't my slowest marathon (ran MCM with my giant group of friends at about 20 minutes slower than that), but it for sure was my most painful. Everyone was so cheery at the finish, but I just wanted to lay down STAT. I found John and my mom, said goodbye to my friends, and just collapsed onto some grass to elevate my feet. I had done it. This crazy goal of mine, to run the JFK 50 Miler and the Philadelphia Marathon in the same weekend, had been accomplished. I also was sore beyond belief, but the running was over. The Eagles game had started and I felt bad that John was missing it, so I got up and slowly hobbled over until we found a cab.

Final stretch!

I came home, relaxed a lot, showered far later than I should have, ate my face off with John and my mom, and then said goodbye to her as she headed back to DC. Some November Project friends were at a bar near me, so later that night, I met up with them, had 3 whole drinks, and got very intoxicated. We danced a lot and all celebrated everyone's racing. It was so fun, but waking up the next day sore and hungover was not a fun combination!

Woohoo finishers!

All in all, I'm really happy with how the race went. I'd never do that double ever again as it hurt far too much, but being able to run my favorite race with a bunch of really special people and accomplishing my crazy goal made it all worth it.

JFK 50 Miler Race Report

2014-12-02T22:11:00.000-05:00

A bunch of months ago, I told a fellow crazy runner that since the JFK 50 Miler and the Philadelphia Marathon fell on the same weekend, it would be an interesting double race weekend. She agreed and the seed was planted. We quickly registered for both races and soon enough, I was training for the 76.2 mile weekend.

Going into this race, I had A, B, and C goals. Secretly, my A+ goal was to PR, which would be sub-9:34. I knew it was going to be tough since I had no clue how tough the Appalachian Trail and the boring C&O Canal would be. My A goal then was go to sub-10 hours, B goal was sub-11 hours, and C goal was to finish in the given time, 12 hours.

Different than in previous years, I hired a running coach to help me. I was bored of coming up with my own plans and with a lot of friends finding success with Michele Yates, I hired her for 6 months (I still have a few months left). While I find myself to be a lower mileage runner compared to a lot of ultra runners, I found myself doing a lot of speed work, cross training 2-3 times a week, and running a lot fewer miles than in years past. I was a bit nervous about this shift, but couldn't complain as I felt myself getting faster, I wasn't running for hours upon hours on weekends, and I knew to trust Michele and her plan. So glad that I used her as I know her plan helped me succeed during the double race weekend!

Shit just got real. #jfk50 #jfk50miler #ultrachat #runchat #Iamscared

A photo posted by Rebecca Schaefer (@rebschaefer) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:45pm PST

The Friday before the race, I trained down to DC to my mom's house. A few hours later, she drove us to Reagan National Airport to pick up that crazy runner who also signed up, Jen. We drove to a favorite sushi restaurant of ours, ate a delicious buffet of sushi, then finished the drive to our race hotel. We picked up our bibs (easy when it's in the lobby of where you are staying), ate dinner, and got ready for the cold and long day ahead.

I had terrible night of sleep, which was filled with nightmares. I woke up and slowly got ready, not exactly excited to brave the cold temperatures (when we started the race, it was 18 degrees). We layered up, packed up the car, and headed to the start. We hit the bathrooms and sat through the second half of the race meeting. Seeing a school gym filled with all of the racers got me so excited and nervous!

Soon, we were walking the .5 mile to the start and I was getting nervous. Had my training been enough? Had I skipped one too many workouts (I hadn't skipped many, but I'd say I did 80-85% of my coach-prescribed running)? Before I could even think about it, the National Anthem was being sung and shortly after, the gun went off.

Tall girl and short girl ready for the #jfk50! #jfk50miler #ultrachat #runchat #weareidiots

A photo posted by Rebecca Schaefer (@rebschaefer) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:37am PST

The course started on paved roads for the first 2.5 miles before joining the Appalachian Trail (AT). And man, we mostly went uphill for the 2.5 miles. I slowly jogged up and wondered what I had gotten myself into. Everyone seemed nice and chatty and at least the sun was up! After the 2.5 miles, we joined the AT, where we spent the next 13ish miles.

I love running trails, but I don't have easy access to them in Philly without using the car. When I'm already busy, going down a mile to get our car, drive at least 30 minutes to get to trails, run, then come back, it's not usually feasible in my schedule. The AT was no joke for someone who spent 95% of her training on roads. It was rocky, it was steep (uphill and downhill), and it was technical. I rolled my ankle at least 6 different times, but for some reason, found a way to stay upright (shocking for how clumsy I am and how easy it was to fall on the trail).

One small paved section from miles 3.5-5.5

I actually got a sore neck from looking down at my feet so severely so that I wouldn't fall. One thing I hate about trails when they are that rocky and technical is that I can't look up and admire the beauty of the area. At one point, I noticed we were on top of the mountain and I couldn't look to soak it up. I guess I have to just go back and hike it so I can look at it all over again!

As the miles ticked away, I kept waiting for the steep switchbacks that the course description warned us all about. The miles kept ticking away and I thought, "Man, did we pass them and I didn't notice? That seems implausible." I was correct, we hadn't! I struggled more with downhills on the AT since it's more painful when gravity comes into play and my hamstrings felt it by mile 12. They SCREAMED at me when we got to the switchbacks. When you looked straight down, there was a steep fall a few hundred feet down. I kept looking just ahead at the course so that I didn't 1) freak the hell out at the steepness and 2) I didn't fall. It was scary, but everyone was bunched up and cracking jokes, which made it easier.

One awesome thing about the race was that aid stations were really frequent! We had one at mile 4, mile 10, and 16 (all before getting off the AT). I was able to see my mom at mile 15, but due to a misunderstanding on my part, I didn't stop to say hi. I thought I was coming back and could do so, but I was wrong and I felt horrible for not stopping to give her a hug. I couldn't do a sliver of my running without my mom as my crew and I felt horrible for not stopping to give her the hug she deserved (and that I wanted to give her!). I made sure to text her that I was sorry for missing her, that I loved her, and that I'd see her at the next stop!

Amazing homemade cookie from one of the aid stations

We hit the next aid station at mile 16, where the aid station folks said we were nearly a third of the way through the race. As I left the aid station, I was kind of concerned how sore my hamstrings and neck were. It was only 1/3 of the way through the course and I was that tight? How was I going to finish in one piece?! What about the next day with the marathon?! I tried to keep this fear quiet as I hopped off the AT and started the 26.3 mile journey along the C&O Canal.

For those who know, I have one DNF race ever and it was the C&O Canal 100 miler. It is still a bitter subject for me and I had about 26 miles left of the course to finish when I dropped. I told myself that this boring section of the course was doing to be my redemption, my way to feel slightly better about it since I was going to then have completed 100 miles on the C&O (mind you, in two races haha).

A friend of mine who had done the JFK 50 before said that the C&O Canal section is difficult because it's pretty much flat and the scenery doesn't change all that much. Also, due to strict no headphone rules, you have to try to not go crazy on said boring, flat section without the help of music. I took her advice and started talking with a runner who was going around my pace. His name was Pete and it was his first 50 mile attempt. He was a math teacher at a community college in Baltimore and we chatted for the next 10 or so miles about our running, our lives, and anything else to keep each other entertained.

Around mile 27

One thing that broke up the monotony was how frequently we got to aid stations. After getting on the C&O Canal, the furthest between two stations was less than 5 miles, but most were between 2-3.5 miles apart. Each one had a sign saying the milage we'd run so far and the mileage to the next aid station, which helped break up the long, slow running.

I was proud of myself that I didn't walk unless I was at an aid station. I kept my slower paced running, which ranged from 9:30 min/mile to 11 minute/mile. We usually kept about 10-10:30 min/mile pace, which actually felt easy and not too hard! I was a bit ahead of schedule, but I felt good about trying to hit my goals and was even in range to PR!

At the Antietam Aqueduct, mile 27.1, I saw my mom again. We were nearly 30 miles through and I had done over 10 miles on the C&O Canal. My legs were already hurting, but I was surprised that the hamstring soreness I had starting at mile 12 had gone away, in turn, shifting into back pain. I was then angry about that as I had done so much core work this training cycle and my back had ZERO reason to be so sore. But I trudged along and kept going.

The C&O Canal. How boring you were.

I filled up my hydration pack with water around this aid station and I lost my running friend, Pete. I started to get really lonely and forgot how long I had until the next aid station. To keep myself sane and occupied mentally with something other than my pain and the miles left, I played a game with myself. I told myself to come up with a band for every letter of the alphabet and I had to recite them all in order (A for AFI...A for AFI, B for the Beatles...A for AFI, B for the Beatles, C for The Cars...etc.). This wasn't easy as I was getting tired and I kept wanting to chose a band that I actually liked. This kept me entertained for about 4 or so miles!

I would come upon Pete at times, where we'd run for a few miles together, then we'd separate at an aid station. It felt nice to at least have one "friend" to find along the course. The aid stations were coming along, but I was getting frustrated as my GPS watch kept saying I was further along than the course markings said. I know that GPS watches aren't always accurate, but it kept giving me this false thought that I was minutes ahead of my PR pace. I was really good about running the tangents (the canal path did wind, even if it was fairly flat), but my watch kept gaining on the mile markers. I tried to keep this anger internal and pushed through.

Do you see the exhaustion in my eyes?!

At mile 38ish, I saw my mom for what I thought was the last time before the finish. I happily drank hot chicken soup at the aid station, danced to some 80s tunes (which put some smiles on the aid station workers' faces and make me happy), and felt so happy that I was nearly done with the C&O Canal path!!

At the JFK 50 miler, if you can't get to the 42 mile mark before 3 pm, you are forced to wear a reflective vest, coined by other runners as the "Vest of Shame." I thought that I'd surely get it before I started the race, but being a bit ahead of schedule, I thought I was in the clear to avoid getting it. Well lo and behold, I got there at 3:05 pm, just missing my chance to run without it. I was slightly embarrassed, then I realized that I was still in a good spot to hit my A goal (PR was just out of reach, I correctly figured) and heck, I was going to finish the most historic ultra in the country in a not completely embarrassing time.

I finally walked for the first long period of time when we got off the C&O Canal path and hit the last ~8 miles on rolling country roads. I found another runner going about my pace and started chatting with him. I am kicking myself for never exchanging names with the fellow, but he was originally from South Africa and has been running for 40+ years. He ran his first marathon after only running the occasional 5 mile jog and qualified for the historic Comrades Marathon, a 50 mile race in South Africa that people travel all over to race. He's run it 11 times now and after spending the last 20+ years in the US, he's racked up some impressive race finishes here, too. We laughed and chatted while we slowly jogged the hilly country roads.

A Lil' Sebastian lookalike I found along the last few miles of the course.

We kept hitting aid stations every 2 miles now, which helped break up the last of the race. My back was now feeling okay, but my ankles hated me. Every step was painful, but I had to keep moving. I was surprised that my mom came to mile 46, but loved seeing her so close to the finish! I saw her again at mile 48 and after pushing ahead of my South African friend, I just wanted to be DONE!

The last couple of miles were painful, but I pushed the pace and was able to keep a sub-10 minute mile pace. A local running friend, Yoshiko Jo, is another runner under my coach and is a fantastically dedicated and talented runner. She's won a handful of 100 milers JUST THIS YEAR. She just ran 118 miles at the One Day at the Fair run in NJ in ONE FREAKING DAY. I saw that she ran it last year in 9:48 and while she's 1000% in better shape than me right now, I kept her time as a goal to beat. Maybe that's mean, but to be even close to Yoshiko's race times never crossed my mind and I know she'd crush me this year if she was racing it, too.

As I pushed the last few hundred yards of the finish, still in the light (yay for not having to use a headlamp), I got so excited to see my time was sub-9:40. I finished in 9:39:31. I was just 5 minutes off of my PR and that was with my watch clocking me at 51 miles. My PR is at the Dirty German 50 Miler, which I found to be easier than JFK, so I'm one happy camper. I was so relieved to be done, get the medal around my neck, give back that stupid Vest of Shame, and to sit down. I had finished this race that was tough physically and mentally.

Sub-9:40, babyyyyy! And my watch clocked me at 51 miles. I can't imagine running a marathon tomorrow, but it shall get done. Now to rest up a bit! #jfk50 #jfk50miler #ultrachat #runchat

A photo posted by Rebecca Schaefer (@rebschaefer) on Nov 11, 2014 at 1:46pm PST

I found my mom shortly after, we headed inside the school to eat food and chat with other runners, and wait for my friend Jen to finish. Jen, by the way, raced Ironman AZ the week before and was running with a lot of skin missing from one of her toes. It hurt her to walk, yet she finished this 50 miler no freaking sweat. She's insane, but man, I'm glad to know her.

We ate up, changed, got in the car, then my saint of a mother drove us the 3ish hours back to Philly so we could get up to run the Philadelphia Marathon the next day. The idea of waking up and running again sounded horrible, but we'd do it. But that story is for another race report...

Marine Corps Marathon Race Report 2014

2014-10-29T12:35:00.001-04:00

I am mostly writing this so I can relive the awesome race and weekend that I just experienced. Sunday, I ran the most fun marathon that I've run yet and I am counting down until I get to run it again next year.

About 4.5 years ago, I started posting in the Marine Corps Marathon forums on Runner's World in preparation for my first attempt at that course. I quickly became friendly with everyone on there and met up with them for my first Forum Exchange (FE) the night before the race. Ever since, I do my best to come down to either race or spectate, only missing last year since I was attending one of my best friend's weddings. I was so excited to come back this year, this time as a runner thanks to Dunkin Donuts; I won a contest put on by them where I raced in a coffee cup costume and got a free bib.

Saturday, our fun group got together per usual at our friend Brian's to catch up, eat, and drink. I picked up bibs earlier in the day with friends Mara and Tim, including 4 for our friend Jen. I got to Brian's house and realized I had left the bibs at my mom's house. Thankfully, she lives in DC now and it wasn't that far of a drive. Loved the convenience! We caught up, then left around 8 pm to grab dinner and get home to sleep.

My mom recently moved into DC, so we got to wake up much later than when I raced previously and she lived in MD. We walked .5 miles to the nearest Metro stop, then took the train to the Pentagon station, which was the closest for us to get to the start. After going through a mob of people to get through security (this race has metal detectors and bag searches) and sneakily peeing in the woods (instead of waiting in a giant lines for port-a-potties), we met up with my running friends and got into place to start.

On the metro heading to the start

We decided to start off with the 4 hour runners (not sure why since we knew we'd be running slower than that), but I just went with it. It still wasn't truly hitting me that I was running a marathon since I wasn't racing it and I was going on a fun journey with a bunch of awesome running friends. But soon enough, we were crossing the start line and our race together would begin.

The course changed since I ran it in 2012 and to be honest, I forgot about parts of the course that hadn't, including miles 2-4. It was an interesting way to race in a big group since we had to account for each other at every water stop, bathroom break, and just in our pacing. Some people were ready to push the pace a bit more while others wanted to savor the race at a slower pace. We ended up getting the hang of it, but it was interesting to start.

I had a lot of fun carrying the guidon

Either way, we laughed a lot and made our way from the start through to Georgetown and to a new (as of last year's race) section going out and back through Rock Creek Park. Coming back on this section, we met an 81 year old racer who was running his second marathon ever (his first was last year's MCM). It was incredible to run with him for a bit and to hear about fighting in Korea in the early 1950s as a Marine. Moments like that make me love racing and love racing the Marine Corps Marathon even more.

The awesome 81 year old marathoner

Every year, this group of runners stays together, dubbed the "Benny Train" after our friend Benny who leads the pack every year. He runs with a guidon to honor his uncle, Ben (where he got his name), who was killed in Vietnam as a Marine. It's an insane honor to be able to run with him and to be able to carry the guidon for a period of time. One thing this group also does is veer off course to the Vietnam War Memorial to find Ben's uncle on the wall of fallen soldiers and say a prayer. This happens around mile 16 and yes, it did feel weird to purposefully go off course.

Hugging Benny after we had a moment for his uncle
at the Vietnam War Memorial

Going off course, though, was one of the most touching things of the day. It was very emotional and I felt so tiny in this big experience. After we left the memorial, we all hugged and jogged back to the race, stopping for a photo in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Hello Mr. Lincoln!

Shortly after getting back on course, we saw my mom on the course, where I gave her a big hug and kiss, then felt really pumped for the last 10 mile of the race. We lost a few of our group members to a bathroom break early on and around mile 16.5 is where we were able to meet-up with them again. Then we were on the Mall, which was absolutely packed with spectators. The miles ticked away and I even got to see a high school friend on the course around mile 19.5.

Hanging in front of the Capital Building

Mile 20 is a big one for everyone as you get to the bridge that one must pass before the cutoff. You have to maintain a 14 minute mile to cross the bridge and head to the last 6.2 miles through VA. There is always a Batala band waiting for you to cross over, so it turns into a giant celebration. When we got there, a bunch of us stopped to have an impromptu dance party and man, what fun.

If you don't dance when you get to a giant group of drummers, even when it's nearly mile 20 of a marathon, you are doing life wrong. #runchat #ultrachat

A video posted by Rebecca Schaefer (@rebschaefer) on Oct 10, 2014 at 1:38pm PDT

The bridge was probably the hardest part of the course for me, mentally and physically. I've run this race now 3 times and each time, I forget how long and boring the bridge is. It was also really windy and on any uphill, our group stopped to walk so the person holding the guidon at the time didn't blow away. We tacked on an extra 1.25 miles with the detour to the memorial, so I was getting to the point of a marathon or long run where my legs just are tired and achy. We kept stopping to walk and while I wasn't concerned about the time, I was just eager to cross the finish line and be off my feet!

A banana that we found along the course. Breakfast is running away!

The miles ticked away and running through Crystal City was nice as there was loud music, tons of spectators, giant fans that were spraying cold water onto the runners, beer, and Dunkin Donut holes. My costume was a hit throughout the race, but especially at the donut hole station.

In terms of my costume, yes, it was such a pain to run in, but I got used to it. It bounced up and down during each step and it wasn't super light (the top of the coffee cup was made of a heavier and thicker foam than the rest of the costume). I only took it off during the race when we got to the memorial out of respect, but other than that, I had it on for the entire race!

We walked more frequently during that last 6.2 miles than before, but we kept knocking down miles, laughing, tearing up, and getting so pumped to finish and have a Marine place a medal around our neck. We kept passing the guidon between us throughout the race, but rightly so, Benny ran up the final hill at the finish holding it to bring us home. In 5 hours, 23 minutes, and 17 seconds, we crossed the finish line, having run 27.5 miles in total. I was beyond happy to take off my costume and to be done running, but I was sad that this amazing experience with my friends was over.

I had the honor of running today with some amazing people for hours and miles of laughs, tears, and lifelong memories. Could I have been faster? Sure, but I wouldn't have traded my race experience for anything in the world.

A photo posted by Rebecca Schaefer (@rebschaefer) on Oct 10, 2014 at 12:20pm PDT

This race has been special to me because it's brought me so many amazing friends and memories. I laughed more during this race than any other and I couldn't have thought of a better way to run my 12th stand alone marathon and 10th in costume.

That time I raced as unicorn and had a really terrible race

2014-08-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I just raced my worst marathon. Was it my slowest? Nope. Did it feel like the worst? You betcha!

To back up, I raced the Dirty German 50 miler and had a blast. I then got tendonitis in my left foot from racing the longest ever for me in fairly minimalist trail shoes during said 50 miler. I took some time off from running, focused on recumbent biking and rowing (my new love, but that's another post), and listened to my body. I eased back into running and built up my endurance to get in a few weeks at 50 miles per week. I pretty much avoided speed work since I wanted to make sure I didn't push my foot too hard.

When it came to picking a race goal, I initially signed up for the Chasing the Unicorn Marathon to PR and increase my chances of getting into the Boston Marathon (I BQed at the Richmond Marathon last year). When I got injured, I immediately told myself that a PR was out of the question and I should just train to 1) not be injured and 2) have fun! As I got closer to the race, though, my competitive streak and hopes kicked in. I kept having other running friends around me tell me that I could totally do it (and I do appreciate their confidence in me). I did a loop at in24 (8.4 miles) at just under goal marathon pace and while it wasn't easy, it felt doable. So I decided to go for the PR and if I fell apart, so be it.

This was my first stand-alone marathon that I was going to by myself. I got up early, drove myself to the race (of course with a panicked need to find a bathroom on the way because that ALWAYS happens before a race for some reason), got ready at the start (which meant securing my unicorn tail, ears, and horn), and got nervous! I said hello to local (and world) running legend, Keith Straw, who was finishing his 300th marathon that day (he went on to race a 3:14 and go back out to tack on more miles. If he wasn't so darn nice, I'd want to smack him).

How I felt pre-race

Soon enough, the race started and in the third wave, I started about 1 minute after the first starters. The course was a double out and back course, all along the Delaware River in Washington Crossing Historic Park. We started out on some pavement, but quickly got onto the towpath, which was made up of crushed gravel, dirt, and some grass (depending on where you were running). It was nearly all flat, with a few small dips under some bridges.

To PR, I wanted to run an 8:08 min/mile average pace. I started out going a bit fast, but couldn't get my pacing totally right. I was either running too fast or too slow, so I opted for the too fast (dumb mistake...as if this was my first marathon!). By the turnaround 1/4 into the race, I was averaging about 8 minutes flat per mile. I wasn't feeling 100%, but I felt strong. I did notice that when I would take a sip of water at the aid stations, my stomach felt a bit...pukey for a minute or two. Not ideal, but not the worst I've had.

The race for mid-August was cool and cloudy. It rained for the first 7-8 miles and it felt really nice. Once the rain stopped, though, the humidity really reared and while it was still cool for August, it felt warm. Around that time is when all hell broke loose.

Only photo of me in my full running attire and it's blurry.

All of a sudden, around the 8 mile mark, I kept looking down at my GPS watch and noticing that for the same effort, I was running a lot slower than I had been. When someone would pass me, I'd try to tack on to their pace and I just couldn't hold it. I felt like someone had just zapped all of my energy. I started to freak out because hello, it's mile 8 in a 26.2 mile race. I told myself that I must have gone out too fast, to just try to keep a good pace, and don't freak out.

By the time I got to the start/halfway point/finish line area, I was wiped. I couldn't believe that I was only halfway done and wondered what in the heck was wrong with me. I was beyond tempted to just call it a day there, but I knew I signed up for a marathon and by golly, I didn't want to tell people that I quit since my day wasn't great. A much slower time than anticipated would be easier to tell people and deal with than quitting.

At the halfway point, I was only a minute or two slower than my goal half marathon time and I told myself if I was able to maintain a decent pace, I should be able to at least go sub-3:45 without much trouble. Oh, simple and small racing brain....that's not how things go!

The miles kept slowly ticking away, but they were getting slower and slower. At this point, my hamstrings started to get tight, but other than that, I felt physically fine; I just didn't have the energy to push the pace at all! The double out and back got demoralizing on the second half since I saw how many people were heading to the finish while I was still adding on a lot of miles.

Fake (a smile) until you make it.

At the last turnaround, I really felt like it was going to take every ounce of strength to keep running. I took my last Huma Chia Gel (not sponsored, but love them so much, it wouldn't hurt it if they did! :D) and just told myself the only way to get the finish line was running. I pushed and pushed, even when that meant a 10:30 minute mile felt like pushing. All of these people kept passing me and I felt embarrassed. Sure, they could have cared less, but I was embarrassed that everything had gone so poorly and I didn't even have any idea why.

I kept doing the math and realized that a sub-4 hour marathon was in the realm of possibility, but it would be haaaaard. When I felt fast, I was running a sub-10 minute mile, which is what I'd consider a jogging pace; I seriously felt like I was in the tail-end of a longer ultra.

In the end, my GPS watch clocked me crossing the 26.2 mile mark at 3:59:57, but I ended up having another .25 mile distance until the finish line. I couldn't even try to have a semblance of a sprint at the end, but I was so damn happy that this tortuous race was finally over. My final chip time was 4:02:39, which would be my 9th fastest stand-alone marathon of my 11.

How I actually felt post-race.

I immediately hobbled to get my bag, sat under a tree, called my fiancé and mom to tell them about the race, changed into my compression socks, grabbed a bit of mac and cheese from the post-race goodies, then slowly walked back to my car. The 45 minute drive back felt long since all that I could do was think about the race and how it felt like a nightmare that I had just woken up from. In the grand scheme of the world, it is one of the biggest first world problems to have, but it still stung since it was fresh.

I came home, showered, ate some Chinese food with John, then ended up meeting the November Project (a group that I've been working out with the last few months) for a running event they were doing. I ended up running 4.25 miles with them and while sore and chafed in spots, I felt pretty good. I was actually angry since I felt better during those miles than the whole second half of my marathon a few hours earlier. Ah, life.

The one shining thing from the race was my unicorn costume! This was my 8th consecutive race in a new costume and with the name, Chasing the Unicorn (named that as it's designed for qualifying for Boston, which has a unicorn logo), I had to be a unicorn. My costume got so many shouts and smiles on the course that at least the race wasn't a total loss.

This is also blurry, but I had a blast with my November Project
friends as we ran in costume! 2 costumes in a day! :D

Overall, I am ready to put this race behind me and move onto focusing on my JFK 50 Miler/Philly Marathon double weekend. I do want to say that the race was well-run, the swag was super awesome, and the volunteers were really great. Wish my day had been a better one, but it's definitely a race I'd recommend if you don't mind flat, double out and backs, and are looking for a smaller race!

What I've Been Up To

2014-05-14T16:34:00.001-04:00

I've been MIA, but not because I've been slow. Life has been go go go and I figured I'd catch you all up on what has happened (in chronological order):

I ran the Seneca Creek Greenway "50k" (it was 33 miles). It was nearly all mud and I fell once (shocked it was only once), but I got to run it with some awesome friends and it was a really fun day on some trails! I wish it had been faster, but I don't think it could have run any faster with the conditions. I'm pretty happy with how the day turned out!

I got engaged!!! John proposed on March 24th and we're oh so excited. We don't have much planned, but we know we'd like to be married next spring (April or May) and we definitely will be doing it here in Philly. I have asked my bridesmaids and they've all said yes, but that's about all that we have done. We're just really pumped.

We went to Austin, Texas for a wedding that John was in. It was really fun to go as a recently engaged couple and we had a blast! We elongated our stay past the wedding and were there for 6 delicious days total. We weren't hungry for any of the 6 days because we just kept eating! It was insane, but we had a blast! I think I turned into a taco when I was there and my love of tacos has only gotten stronger.

I've gone to a lot of concerts. From the Sweetlife Festival this past weekend, Metronomy last night, Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos last week, and The Legwarmers a few weekends back, I have been a music fiend. My mama is coming up to Philly to see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings with me on May 30th, too! My music-loving soul is so damn happy.

My girlies and me at Sweetlife

My crazy friends and I ready to see The Legwarmers

I am running the Dirty German 50 Miler this weekend! I haven't run a stand-alone 50 miler before and when I had the chance to interview the race director and run the race, I couldn't pass up on it. If you're curious about the interview, you can find it here.

So that's about it! Pretty fun and exciting stuff has been going and I just feel lucky!!

My Juicing Experience

2014-02-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

When my 26th birthday was approaching a few weeks ago, John asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I'd been pining for a juicer and once I agreed to find room for it in our apartment (1 bedroom apartments aren't always the best for storing loads of kitchen appliances), he ordered me one and within 48 hours, it had arrived!

My first homemade juice! Beet, apple, and kale

I have read quite a bit about juicing vs. smoothies and while I love making smoothies for breakfast (easy way to get loads of veggies and fruits), I love a cold, refreshing juice when I can. Juicing allows you to get tons of nutrients and vitamins in an easy and concentrated way, but with that, you are losing out on the produce's fiber. So far, I've been making both smoothies and juices in order get the health benefits of both.

Swamp juice aka kale, carrots, and blood oranges

When people hear about juicing, they think about juice cleanses. I, personally, enjoy chewing my food far too much to ever do a real juice cleanse. I tried a one day cleanse when a friend who worked at a juice company sent me coupons, but by mid-day, I was missing chewing and downright hungry. While food should be about nutrients and vitamins, it also for me is about experience. I love cooking or baking, sitting down to a meal, relaxing, and chewing. Instead of cleansing, I've been enjoying a fresh, cold juice first thing in the morning, normally after a work out. I've even gotten the boyfriend to enjoy the veggie-packed juices! We have used it to make mixers for alcoholic drinks, but if you're going to have a mixer, why not make it fresh?

The foam on top of this grapefruit, orange, romaine, and
mint juice was so pretty!

Overall, this has been an awesome birthday present and I love using it.

Have you tried juicing? Thoughts about it?

ICY-8 Race Report

2014-02-10T13:53:00.001-05:00

For not racing for 6 months of 2013, I really am making up for it with all of the racing I've been doing since October. I actually won entry into this race forever ago through a charity raffle, so it's been on my race calendar for nearly a year! I had a friend run it before and he said good things, so I was really excited for some time on the trails!

After training Friday night from Philly to my mom's house in MD, eating a late dinner, and crashing, I woke up at 4:30 AM, got ready, and hopped in the car with my saint of a mother, who was going to drive me the 2 hours there and back, as well as be my cheering section. When we arrived at Lake Anna in Spotsylvania, VA, I rushed to use the bathroom, get my bib, and head to the race meeting. I loved how the RD, Alex, ran the meeting as he asked any other RDs to share their races (and I got to talk about the Rocky 50k. Eek!). He also had ultra newbies stand in a group so they could get the awesome spotlight and asked us ultra vets to provide any advice and encouragement. Soon enough, the race began!

Right before the start. Note the www.trailandultrarunning.com hat! :D

The race was an 8 hour race and runners had the option to either run an 8 mile loop or a 4.7 mile loop. I signed up for the Groundhog Day division, which meant I agreed to run only one loop in one direction (I chose the 4.7 mile loop) the entire race. Call me crazy, but I knew I'd prefer a shorter loop to a longer one, so why not just sign up for the special division? I was not alone, either!

My original goal was to run 9 laps, but after I started the first lap, I realized I had underestimated the course and slightly overestimated my trail running abilities (which are quite low haha). The course was open to horseback riders, and for the first few laps, you could tell that they had been on the course as the mud at parts was choppy and rock solid. It was definitely an easy course to roll an ankle in spots if you weren't paying attention!

Me finishing my 3rd lap

I had a weird emotional cycle during this race as every other loop, I would go from happy, confident, and excited to lonely, tired, and frustrated. My first lap felt tough as I was just doing the lap for the first time, but right when my second lap started, I was super pumped and loving the course! The third lap, I was back to being down in the dumps, especially since I realized I would probably only get in 8 laps as opposed to my original goal of 9. My fourth lap was a good one as I knew I was going to be halfway done by the time I finished it.

My favorite part of the course. It was so pretty!

I bargained with myself to not listen to my iPhone (music or podcasts) until I was done 4 loops and I'm glad that I did. I was able to socialize with the runners early on and when we all spread out quickly on my earlier loops, I was able to focus on the trails and work on some mental toughness. The last 4 laps, I slowed down considerably due to the course warming up and getting super muddy, but I enjoyed the trails and the NPR podcasts that I listened to.

5 laps in. Mom: How are you feeling? Me: Tired.
This shit's long.

The last two laps were nerve-wracking because I wasn't sure if I'd finish my 8th lap in time, so I spent less than 30 seconds at the start/finish area after my 7th lap before heading back on the course (I even missed my mom, but I had to get out there) and I pushed so hard the last lap. Thankfully, I finished with about 7.5 minutes to go and I was really happy with how I did with the 8 laps. According to the official results, I finished 37.6 miles in 7 hours and 53 minutes, but my GPS clocked me at 39.31 miles. I'm going to believe my watch. :D

Finally done!

In the end, I didn't hit my first goal, but I quickly realized how unrealistic it was. I also ran nearly all of the course, only waking the first .25 miles of the last 4 laps as it was uphill and only in super slick muddy areas. I would say that I walked only about 1.25 miles of the course and for being a road runner, I'm super proud of that. I also finished 3rd female in the Groundhog Day division, but am slightly bummed because if I hadn't signed up for it and still run my same distance, I would have been 2nd overall female. It's really not a big deal (or so I tell my ego), but it would have been fun to have placed that way.

Overall, I had a great time, I got to spend a lot of time working on my trail running, and I had my awesome mom to support me. It was a great day for sure!

Maybe I don't hate yoga...

2014-02-06T12:03:00.001-05:00

I've had a fledgeling relationship with yoga for the last handful of months. I know how good it is for me and my health, but during classes, I've not enjoyed it at all. I enjoy the feeling of being done a class far more than actually being in one. I've stopped going to classes because honestly, I hated paying for something that I didn't enjoy. Like many people who force themselves to eat healthy foods when they don't want to, I felt that way about yoga. Until this week...

This week, a friend and co-worker asked me if I wanted to join her for a Bikram yoga class near our office after work. I agreed to go without really thinking that I would probably hate it (like the person who orders a salad because they know it's good, only to remember they hate salads). As I ran there (in snow boots, no less) to make it to the class on time, I wondered, "Why am I doing this? I don't like yoga."

The 26 poses done in every Birkam yoga class

I hurriedly signed in, set up my mat next to my friend, and let the 105 degree heat and upped humidity hit me. I was about to sweat and not enjoy myself for 90 minutes. But as the class progressed, I found myself, dare I say, enjoying the class. Yes, the heat and humidity was hard, but I adjust somehow and just focused on my poses and doing my best.

In the end, I actually really enjoyed it. The heat allowed me to get deeper into poses. I also enjoyed the lack of Sun Salutations, which I usually detest in other styles. I ended up taking my shirt off, doing most of the practice in a sports bra and shorts. Did I feel comfortable? Far from it! I'm really self-conscious of my midsection, but with so many other people in minimal clothing and the heat getting oppressive, I just stopped caring. There was something so freeing about not caring (okay, not caring AS much), so I think that added to the class enjoyment. The teacher was also friendly, funny, and helpful, which is a key!

I ended up getting the intro pass, so I spent $30 for 30 days of unlimited classes. Can't beat it! I hope that I can continue to go as I know it'll be a great counter to my ultra marathon training now.

PHUNT 50k (well, sort of) Fatass Race Report

2014-01-05T10:37:00.001-05:00

I'm still sort of processing yesterday, but overall, it felt like a mixed-bag of a day.

I didn't sleep very well the night before, but I got up, finished packing, layered up a ton, then picked up my friends Annie and Jose, who were joining me on this crazy journey. We drove the hour to the race start, checked-in, picked up our bibs, and tried to not freak out about the race and temperatures. At the start at 9:15 am, the temperature was 3 degrees. After a short race briefing, we were off!

Annie, Jose, and me at the start!

The course had gotten about 3 inches of snow on it less than 48 hours before we came, but the snow wasn't icy and was fluffy. About 100 of us racers started off into the woods, snaking through the path, crossing over logs, small bridges, through streams, and up and down plenty of hills. While the snow wasn't icy, the fluffy nature of it meant that we slipped a bit with every step, making our miles not our speediest.

We got to the first aid station at around mile 6.5 and it felt almost like a fun party. Slews of runners, going crazy for chips, Double Stuff Oreos, Gatorade, and more, laughing the whole time. I saw a box that had contained beer and made a comment about how great a sip of beer would be. Another runner said they didn't have beer, but they did have whiskey and she was taking a swig. I'm not even a huge fan of whiskey, but when there's whiskey at an aid station, you drink it. It gave me a pep in my step and meant that I couldn't take myself or the race too seriously.

Photographic proof our our Oreos and whiskey

We moved along to the next part of the course, which was a loop. We found loads of runners that took the wrong way around it, so we kept having people running toward us on a small one-way path. We got worried about having made a wrong turn, but we were assured that we had been correct. We got to the next aid station around mile 12.5, loaded up on food, then moved along.

After finishing the loop, we were plugging along when another runner asked if we had seen a course marking in the last little bit. We realized that we hadn't. We had done a decent job of looking for them, but we clearly missed something. We got to the end of the path we were on, at a fork on the path, with no clear way to go. We tried to see if either of those ways was correct, but no markings could be found. We tried to go back to where we saw the last course marking, where we found a slew of more lost runners. We couldn't figure it out, so we ended up deciding to find the road along the course near us that would lead us back to the trail, meaning we ended up cutting part of the route. I hated knowing we were cutting because I felt like a cheater, but I didn't have any other choice.

We found our way back to the course markings a few miles up, then continued along. I started to panic about how few miles we had run and how freaking long we had been on the trails, which was demoralizing for me. I started to worry that we wouldn't make the 23 mile cutoff, so we pushed our pace as much as we could. We got to the aid station with about 10 minutes to spare, filled up on food, and agreed to keep going (a few people dropped there).

Annie at some point along the course. At least we had a pretty place to run!

Jose, Annie, and myself moved along and were obsessive in checking for course markings. We felt confident and I saw the light at the end of the tunnel that was this race when we realized we made a grave error; we had gotten back to the unaided water stop at mile 20, when we should have been at the one at mile 27. Another runner had also made the same mistake, but we luckily found a few cross country skiiers that told us the easiest way back to the start. At this point, with the sun slowly setting, we were happy just to get back, change clothes, and get warm. We did somehow find the course again, and at that point, the course EMS found us. He told us if we hopped back on the course, we'd have 5-6 miles left with only an hour before the sun set and the course officially closed. We opted to continue our shortcut. We finished 26.5 miles in just over 7 hours.

When I finished, I felt so mixed. I was beyond happy to be done because it had been a long, frustrating day. I loved running with my friends, but I was upset with how short of the 50k we were and how long we had been out there. I know the distance isn't something to be upset about because it was a tough day and we still did a ton, but I still feel slightly like we failed. Pretty silly, I know, but I didn't achieve the goal that I wanted to.

This morning, I have some minimal soreness in my one foot and one ankle, but other than that, I feel pretty darn good. Just makes me eager to push my training and get ready for my 8 hour race in early February!

Rocky 50k Fatass Run Race Report - Just the Running

2013-12-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

If you told me that I’d ever organize a fatass run just a few months ago, I would say that you’re crazy. Life changed for me when an article was published mapping out Rocky Balboa’s run in his training montage in Rocky II. The story of how I planned the run is for another day; I’m here to write about my experience running with 150+ other crazy runners.

The run started without the hoopla of a normal race, I just told the runners to “Go!” We slowly took off away from Rocky’s and Adrian’s “house” in Rocky II. We made our way through South Philly, passing two ‘famous’ cheesesteak places: Pat’s and Geno’s (tip for non-locals: these aren’t the best cheesesteaks in the city, so avoid the tourist traps that they are). I kept looking around in awe of how many people showed up, many in grey sweats and red sweatbands.

My brother came up for it and ran his longest
run to date, 14 miles!

As we ran through Center City and Kensington (in North Philly), I soaked up amazing conversations with these fellow runners. For many, this was their first ultra. For one, it was his 275th marathon distance race or longer! I enjoyed meeting new people, most from the Philly area, but some from as far as Arizona!

A favorite moment was running back to South Philly and through the Italian Market, where there were actually flaming barrels! I always thought it was just a prop in the movie, but man, how empowering that was to see! A few miles later, I really needed that strength to keep going.

Flaming barrels! Photo by Loren Thomas

Right around the halfway point my lack of sleep from the days before the run really hit me. I just felt wiped. I was running with a really fun group, so I just forced myself to break the run up into fun segments to check off my list and focus on the fun discussion going on. My legs were feeling tight and I just felt off, but the organizer of the run can’t quit!

The worst of it was around mile 23 when nausea hit me. Our group had separated a bit and I was just with 3 other runners, none of which were talking. I kept thinking about how terribly my stomach was feeling, so I had to spark conversation so that I was distracted. We actually saw my mom around mile 25.5, right by the Art Museum stairs. Sadly, we weren’t finished, so I kissed my mama goodbye and said that we’d see her in a bit!

Attempting to jump/hurdle the benches! Photo by Pete DeCarolis

I had a lot of fun (and pain) the last 5 or so miles of the run. We ran through Center City, even right by my apartment, but the hardest part was that we kept hitting traffic lights! While running wasn’t pain-free, the starting and stopping was hard. The best part was when we got to the benches that Rocky hurdled, though. I was afraid of face planting, so I made an assisted jump.

So happy to be done! I was also super cold. Photo by Jose Magos

As my group of running companions and I finished up the Art Museum steps, I just felt a sense of relief. One, obviously, because I was done and my legs were thankful (50k on city sidewalks is painful). I mostly felt relieved because I aimed to put on a fun run and I had a blast as a runner, as did everyone that I talked to at the finish. People forget sometimes how much fun it can be to just get together with a group of friends and just run for the hell of it. We can get caught up in competition, elaborate races, fees, medals, etc. and forget what we’re even doing to begin with: running. I had a blast making new friends and can’t wait for next year’s run to experience this again, hopefully with even more new friends.

Oh, and while it was unofficial, I did time myself with my Garmin watch and did it in about 5:42 for 31.7 miles. Pretty happy with myself!

Philadelphia Marathon Race Report

2013-12-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

This took longer to get written, but life happens.

When I left off in my last blog post, I had just run the Richmond Marathon and my mom, my friend Annie, and me were driving back to Philly. Luckily, we hit very little traffic and it took only about 4.5 hours to get back (this includes our stops for crazy unhealthy foods like fries and Whopper Jrs, but when you BQ like Annie and I did, you eat fast food).

My mom and I dropped off Annie, parked the car, got Vietnamese take out, then finally relaxed on the couch. It wasn't hitting me that I had another marathon the next day as I was trying to stay positive and cheery for my boyfriend, John, who was planning to run his first marathon the next day. To back up a bit, John and I have been dating for 6+ years, most of which he always said running was silly and he didn't get it. Last year, he started talking about possibly running a marathon in 2013. I was skeptical that he'd want to actually do it, but earlier this year, he signed up for a half marathon and the Philly marathon in the same day. Once I found out the Richmond and Philly marathons were the same weekend, I came up with the plan to race the Richmond one and run with John in Philly.

Race morning came upon us and we were up earlier than normal to get to the start. They had added security this year, so I was afraid we'd get stuck in a giant line before the start. There was milder weather than usual this time of year and there was no issue with security, so we were walking around the start for a bit. We met up with our Back on My Feet friends, stretched, and eventually made our way to the start. My mom took some pre-race photos for us and soon enough, we were in the corral to find the 4 hour pacer (John's reach goal was to break 4 hours).

Us before leaving our apartment for the race

We found friends, including Olivia, who also wanted to break 4 hours. The race started and were off! I noticed in the first few miles, the pacer was a bit fast, which kind of got me nervous. We slowly lost them, but we were keeping good pace. My body was sore and I was getting concerned that if John was really going to keep a 4 hour pace, I would struggle myself to keep up.

We made our way through Old City and eventually through Center City, where the crowds were huge. We saw my mom and some of our Back on My Feet friends around mile 5 or 6 and continued west toward West Philly. We hit our first hills and started to get off pace. I told John that he should just focus on continuing to feel good and pace should not be a factor for his first marathon. We eventually came around to the Art Museum and hit the halfway point at 2:04 and change. I realized that we probably wouldn't go sub-4, but I just tried to focus on being a good pacer and supporter to John.

Us about 14 miles into the race. c/o Island Photography

We started the second half, which is a out and back along Kelly Drive and in Manayunk. I could see a bit that John was hurting a wee bit once we got to East Falls and hit mile 17, but I told him that we were pacing great and we only had single digits left! Hurray!

We made our way to Manayunk and that's when things started to fall apart, sadly. Around mile 19, John got his first of many leg cramps. He dealt with them during training, but they had become slightly less of an issue later on in his training. We took our first walk break and I started to panic honestly. We had 7.2 miles left and I was afraid if he kept walking, we'd never get to the finish (okay, we would, but it would have taken forever).

Us about 1/2 a mile from the finish. Thanks, Marisa, for this photo!

This began the tough game we played for the rest of the run. I'd push him and plead with him to try to run, he'd get angry, we'd run a bit, he'd get more cramps, then we'd walk again. I've been lucky enough to never have them when running, so I can't imagine what that's like. He was in a lot of pain, but my job was to keep him moving to the finish. Even having a swig of beer at mile 21 didn't help his mood, sadly.

Each mile took a long time and I hated how hard I had to push him and how much he was in pain, but we had to finish the damn race! If he was truly injured, it'd be a different story, but he was strong enough to push through, I knew it. Each mile took a long time, but we made through together and I made sure we high-fived when we crossed each mile mark (okay, I'm a nerd and had him do this with me at each mile).

Really special moment caught by my mama.

We got to mile 25 and we were sooooo close to finishing! John didn't walk one last bit of the race from then on, although I knew how painful it was. Running up to the Art Museum and finish was so emotional because we were finally finishing and I was about to finish a marathon with the guy I love, which was his first. We saw my mom and his parents at around mile 26 and that gave us the awesome boost to finish together.

Part of the fun we had that day came from what we wore. I have run in costumes the last 7 marathons and was planning on wearing a different costume until a friend suggested we wear our football jerseys. I'm a Washington Redskins fan and John is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. The Eagles hosted the Skins in Philly the afternoon after the race, so when I told John about possibly wearing them, he loved it. We got tons of hilarious comments about how we're an odd couple, how the race would be easier than watching our teams play, and right at the end, a guy yelled to John, "It'll never work out! Dump her!" We laughed a lot. :D

We made the cover of the Philadelphia Inquirer! Can you spot us?

I'm really proud of John for not giving up and not shoving me in the Schulykill river like he wanted to (let's just say I was quite persistent during the race). He's not sure if he'd want to run another one, but if he wants to, I'd happily be there to race with him again. Either way, this day will be a memorable one for me!

Final Times (we tried to cross at the same time, but that clearly didn't work):

John: 4:56:14
Me: 4:56:15

Richmond Marathon - BQ, Baby!

2013-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I finally did something that I never thought was possible: I qualified for the Boston Marathon! I always joked that it would never happen until I was 80 and my qualifying time was slower, but through some key changes, I was able to do it! But let's hear about the race, shall we?

Friday afternoon, my friend Annie and I drove down to Richmond. She offered to come down and pace me, which meant I had a co-pilot in the car and a friend during the race. Perfect! We drove down and hit crazy traffic, which got me all nervous. I was worried that sitting in a car and driving for that long was going to tax my legs, but I couldn't change a thing. We stayed at my mom's college roommate, who lives outside Richmond. My mom came down and we all had a lovely dinner before the race, filled with carbs, before heading to bed.

Before I even knew it, it was time to get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and hit the road to the start. It was pouring when we got ready, but the weather forecast predicted it would stop raining about an hour into the race, which made me happy. I did a 12 hour race in the rain, so I knew I could handle it, but it's just not fun for chafing and blisters to run in wet clothes and shoes.

Suz and me before the start

Annie, my mom, and I got to the start, then met up with a friend from the Runner's World Forums, Suz, before the start. We used the facilities (important before a race!), then quickly got to the start to find the 3:35 pacers. Since the race is small, we crossed the start line exactly 1 minute after the gun went off.

The rain started to pick up the first hour, but Annie and I tried to make the most of it and we chatted through the first few miles. At mile 4, I knew to expect my mom's college roommate and her kids. Boy, what a boost it was to see them! Running with the pacers was great, too, because you instantly had a crew of people to run and talk with.

Around mile 8, Annie and I made some new friends and were chatting along. I told Annie that if she felt good, she should take off and not worry about me. She told me she wouldn't be doing this, but around now is when she took off with one of our new friends. I was happy for her because I really didn't want to hold her back! Is it weird that I felt proud when she took off? She looked so strong, so I was happy for her!

Annie and me before the start

The course ran through some pretty neighborhoods and near the James River, which made for pretty scenery. I got the halfway point knowing that the pace was a wee bit fast (1 minute faster overall than goal pace at that point), but I felt good. I decided to just break down the next half by mile, knowing that 16-18 had some slight hills.

Those miles past and I felt fine, especially since the hills weren't bad at all. It's when I got to the 20 mile mark that I really struggled. I really thought I had lost it and wouldn't be able to hold on. I didn't bring any music device with me due to the rain and I was starting to really hurt once we had 10k left. My legs felt like jelly and keeping pace with the 3:35 pacers was growing tougher and tougher. I kept telling myself that it would be so awful to finish just shy of a BQ (Boston Qualifying time), but negative thoughts kept creeping up on me. I started to prepare mentally for not qualifying, but I had to stop myself from thinking that way and focus all of my energy on sticking with the pacers and BQing.

Annie and me at mile 4

I decided to just break down the last 6.2 miles into mile increments and that helped a bit. The crowds were okay during Richmond, but they were really helpful that last 10k, especially with my costume. Running as Wonder Woman was such a great decision! I loved the costume and everyone around me seemed to as well. I was worried the pace group would get sick of hearing people call me out specifically, but the pacers kept cheering for me and talking about my costume, too. Anytime we'd come up to a runner hurting, the pacers would say, "Alright, we're the 3:35 pacers. You should stick with us; we've got our own Wonder Woman."

6.2 miles became 5.2, which became 4.2, 3.2, 3.2, then 1.2. The crowds were growing and become more exciting. It felt like such a struggle, but I kept pushing. I lost the pacers, but knew that if I kept my pace up, I'd still go sub-3:35. As I turned the last corner, coming to the dreaded downhill finish, I relaxed and let gravity take me to the finish. It hurt like hell, but I saw the time on the clock and knew I'd qualify for Boston, a feat I never imagined I'd achieve this young. I crossed and immediately started tearing up, just in awe of what happened. I got my medal, quickly found my mom and Annie (who ran a 3:30:25...badass!), layered up in compression, and called my best friend, Caitlin. She's always given me crap for not coming to Boston (not realizing at first that one had to qualify) and I finally got to call her and tell her to save room for me in April 2015. :D

It hurt to stand, but I was beyond happy!

Looking back, my training was solid and I did a lot of good miles and speedwork, but the biggest difference this time was mentality. I always thought a BQ wasn't possible and out of reach. Last year, when I PRed by 6+ minutes, it opened my eyes to the possibilities ahead for me. Instead of telling myself it wasn't possible, I let go of those mental constraints and allowed myself to really push myself, without letting limits stop me. I truly think this was the biggest aid for me getting my BQ and I couldn't be happier.

After we showered, ate a bit, and filled up the car with gas, we quickly headed back to Philly. Why so quickly? Well, I had to pace my boyfriend in the Philadelphia Marathon the next day. But that story is for another day. :D

Final time: 3:34:00

Runner's World Half Marathon Race Report

2013-11-05T14:45:00.000-05:00

This is delayed, but it's finally here: my Runner's World Half Marathon race report! In the last post, I left off after our awesome 10k race together! Janna and I then met up with Janna's parents, who were awesome and cheered us on during the race. We didn't want to leave the race area as we had seminars to attend, so her folks took us to the casino right in the race area and had lunch. I didn't think we'd find great food, but oh my word, the buffet there was incredible. We stuffed ourselves on some really awesome food (the mac & cheese being my favorite) and actually missed our "Fueling" seminar. Hey, we were properly fueling ourselves post-race! :P

Janna's parents kindly dropped us back off at the race area and we hung around the expo before we had our seminar on the race course. We saw a line to meet someone and we found out it was for Summer Sanders! I grew up watching her game show on Nickelodeon "Figure It Out" and she's just an awesome female athlete role model. Janna and I waited in line to meet her (and ended up bringing Amy along with us after we bumped into her. So happy to have met her and her husband, Emir, again!). Meeting Summer was incredible. Before we could say anything, she introduced herself and placed one of her Olympic Gold Medals on us. I honestly teared up. I've been obsessed with the Olympics my entire life, so to be meeting an Olympian and to be wearing one of her medals was just so surreal.

She could not have been nicer or cooler.

We hung around the expo and attended our seminar on the course, which was great because they let us know where to expect hills. This was super helpful race day! We then went back to Janna's mom's house, showered, and then I proceeded to eat like a crazy person. We had awesome chips and dip, Janna's mom made a killer spread of food, and then we went to town on some vegan mini-cakes that Janna picked up for us. I went to bed with such a stomach ache that I worried if I had done something bad for my race day.

Shortly after making my playlist and falling asleep, it felt like I had to be up again for the race. I had a wonky feeling stomach and was worried how the day would go. Janna and I parked at the race, found the restroom in the casino, and got ready to race. We both were going to run our own races and in the back of my head, I thought a PR might be feasible. The course wasn't nearly as hilly as I thought it would be, so I thought if I ran a smart race, I could maybe PR!

Before the race!

Soon enough, we were off! My game plan was to stick with the 1:45 pace group and if I felt good, I'd ditch them and go ahead. Within 2 miles, the group was far behind me and I felt good. Part of me worried that I was going too fast to start, but I knew the first half would be slower with the bigger hills then, so I just pushed at the pace that felt good. I made sure to run the tangents and race smart.

The two biggest miles were at miles 4 and 5.5 and man, they were big. The course had rolling hills for a lot of it, but those two were hard to get up. When I was finally done with the winding and long hill at mile 5.5, I started to see signs for RunningSkirts. In the course seminar, they warned us that they would be handing out free RunningSkirts around mile 6. You read that right: giving away FREE skirts. You just had to run to them, step into the skirt, then you were off! When I saw them, I thought, "Who am I to pass up a free skirt? This is going to make the rest of the race so fun!" So I ran over, stepped into the cutest skirt that I saw, and boom, I was off! It took all of 10 seconds and was so worth it!

After the finish!

I hit a sort of a mental low at about mile 7. I was more than halfway done, but I was worried that I had pushed too hard. I then heard the one song that I needed to hear, "Go The Distance" from the Disney Hercules movie. It's so empowering and right at that moment, the sun was shining beautiful and I honestly got choked up. I remembered how damn lucky that I am to be a runner, to get to run for fun, and for the amazing people and experiences that I've had because of running. From then on, I had a smile on my face for the rest of the race.

All three of our races medals plus a sweet shot of my new running skirt!

With just a few miles to go, I looked like I could continue to speed up and push for a PR. I started picking off people in front of me and kept pushing as hard as I could. Soon enough, I was pushing to the finish and was able to secure a PR with a time of 1:41:07, almost a 2.5 minute PR! I honestly didn't think it was possible, but smart racing, beautiful weather, and a great course let it happen!

I went back to Janna's car to layer back up and get into compression gear and by the time I was back, Janna had finished and had also PRed. We were two happy racing ladies! I had an absolute blast at this race weekend with Janna and I'm already so excited to participate in the races again next year!

Recap of my Runner's World Half Marathon Festival Weekend: Part 1

2013-10-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm alive and yes, I have been running. Quite a lot, in fact. I've also been busy with this little undertaking that is the Rocky 50k Fat Ass Run. More on that in another post, though. I'm here to write about my amazing weekend in Bethlehem, PA racing a 5k, 10k, and a half marathon with one of my college girlfriends, Janna!

I trained to meet my friend Janna, who grew up not far from the race festivities. Janna had actually told me about the Hat Trick race option, which included racing a 5k and 10k on Saturday, then a half marathon on Sunday. Janna and I met in our honors fraternity in college and back then, she wasn't a runner. Since then, she's started running, obtained a ton of healthy habits, has run lots of races including 2 half marathons, and is now training for her first marathon, the Philadelphia Marathon. It's been so fun to have a friend turn into a runner and she asked if I wanted to join her for this triple race weekend, how could I say no?!

Janna and me before our 5k race

Friday night, we quickly grabbed dinner at Janna's dad's house, then rushed to make it to the screening of "Spirit of the Marathon 2." I saw the first documentary shortly after running my first marathon and I found it to be insanely inspirational. I didn't get to see the second movie when it came out earlier this year, so when we had the chance to, I told Janna that we had to. I really enjoyed the movie and even choked up a few times watching it. We then went to Janna's mom's house, gabbed for a bit, then went to bed before our 2-race day.

Saturday, we got up and layered up for our chilly races. My plan was to race the 5k, use the 10k as a cool down race, and try to race the half marathon if my legs could hold up. Janna and I were running different paces, so we didn't run the 5k together. I was worried about the hills as I tend to run on flat paths in Philly, but I was surprised how the hills felt fairly manageable during the 5k. I pushed the pace and was able to run a 5k in 22 minutes flat.

Post-5k with our medals.

Janna and I hung out after our 5ks and stayed inside to keep warm before the 10k. I wasn't hoping to race the 10k in order save my legs for my half marathon the next day, so I ended up running the 10k with Janna and man, we had a blast. Janna was hoping to go sub-1 hour for the 10k and we spent the entire race gabbing, laughing, and having fun. We finished in 58:32 and it was one of the most fun races I've run ever!

Janna and me after our 10k together.

In my next post, I'll recap the awesome fun we had in the seminars, meeting an Olympian, and a recap of my half marathon!

Dreaming of Waikiki

2013-09-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

A little over 2.5 years ago, my dad decided to move to Hawaii. It was sad to hear that he wouldn't be so close, but being able to visit him in Hawaii is pretty awesome. I only had one chance to visit him when he lived on the North Shore, but at the end of August, the BF, my brother, and I had the chance to visit him in his newer digs in Waikiki.

We spent a full week there and we did lots of stuff. We ran a few times (including a 4 mile run that ended with a jump in the Pacific Ocean, a 12 mile run with a hike of Diamond Head mountain in the middle, and a really sluggish 18 miler for me), stand up paddleboarded a bunch (the BF's new favorite thing), ate loads of yummy food, saw a reggae festival, snorkeled, saw a ton of giant turtles, and even had a few lazy days on the beach. And yes, I finally tried Spam and I hate to admit how delicious it is. Overall, we had a ton of fun and I'll let my photos walk you through our fun.

Dad and brother at the reggae festival

Boyfriend and I enjoying some reggae tunes

I saw a double rainbow. I may have freaked out.

BF and me at the top of Diamond Head mountain.

I call him my baby brother, but he's 6'0'' and not actually a baby.

Views of the beaches a block from my dad's apartment.

Acai berry bowl with fruit and macadamia nut granola. To. Die. For.

Amazing views from our trip up the coast to visit the North Shore.

We indulged in some fruity beverages. Nom.

Unflattering photo of me post-18 miler. It was not a great run.

On our second to last night, we watched the sunset on some rocks in the ocean

We ate some cream-filled malasadas aka amazing Portuguese donuts, drenched in sugar.

I was happy to be back to Philly to get back to my normal routine, but I'll miss our awesome times in Waikiki and seeing my dad. Until next time, I'll just dream of Waikiki.

Birthday Celebrations and Trying New Things

2013-08-20T15:11:00.000-04:00

Whew, I feel like I actually had a relaxing week and weekend, but when I look back, it was actually really busy.

Las week, I participated in a yoga benefit for Back on My Feet at Dhayana Yoga in Fairmount. I haven't been to yoga in a few weeks, so it was really fun, especially since the money raised went to an organization I loved and a bunch of friends were there.

Not the highest-quality photo, but I'm all the way on the left
in the blue. I felt way lower than I clearly was!

I also got in my long run this weekend, which was 16 miles with 10 at goal marathon pace. When I did a long run with miles at goal marathon pace a month ago, I struggled. I hit all of my paces, but it wasn't easy whatsoever. I was shocked that this time, my paces felt good and I felt strong. Was I happy to do my last 3 miles at a slower pace? You bet your bum I was! Did I feel like maybe this BQ idea isn't completely ludicrous? Maybe it isn't! Am I knocking on wood right now so that I don't jinx myself? 100%.

My teammate, Meaghan, and I dominated (well, we had loads of fun).

We also celebrated John's birthday this weekend! He wanted to do a pub golf, which is essentially a pub crawl with a golf theme with teams. We didn't follow the normal rules, so it really was just a pub crawl, but I had braided pigtails and my argyle compression socks on, ready to golf/drink the day away. We had lots of drinks and some food late at night (the veggie burger at Good Dog hit the spot like whoah). All in all, it was a fun celebration!

I promise you the birthday boy was happy, even if he doesn't look it here.

Last week, I also learned that I can enjoy salmon cooked. Growing up, my mom would cook us fish frequently and I ate it, but one day, I realized I didn't like it. Since then, I had nevered cook fish for John and me. I adore sushi and raw fish, but don't like the texture of it cooked. I ordered a food delivery box and one of the meals was salmon. I decided to keep an open mind (and undercook it a bit) and lo and behold, I really enjoyed it. It feels like my dinner options are so much wider now that I won't be choosing from our normal protein options. Yay for keeping an open mind!

Anything that you've learned to love as you got older?

Northern Girl in the South

2013-08-13T11:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I may technically have grown up in the south (Maryland is south of the Mason-Dixon line), but I've always felt like a Northerner and completely out of place in the south. Spending the past 7 years in Philadelphia (next month is 7 years here, which I cannot believe!) hasn't helped either. This past weekend, though, I got to experience some more of the south by visiting one of my college girlfriends for her bachelorette party in Atlanta.

Friday night, I trained down with two of the other ladies to Baltimore for a cheaper flight down to Atlanta. On the way there, I realized that I had made a mistake and booked a different flight than them. Me = idiot. This is something my mother would do and I am 100% turning more and more into her! After my flight, I ended up taking the Atlanta subway, MARTA, and a cab to my friend's house as the other girls' flight was really delayed. By midnight, we all were finally together at our friend's apartment.

College girlfriends with the bride-to-be

Friday night included a weeeee bit of alcohol, learning about country line dancing, appreciating that some bars in the Atlanta area have last call at 3 am, and far too much late-night snack eating.

Saturday, we surprised the bride-to-be with a private Zumba class and a bit of snacking/drinking champagne after at the dance studio. I've never taken a Zumba class and even after this one, I know we sadly did not have a great teacher. He expected us to just follow the leader, but didn't explain moves, his planned counts for the moves, etc. He ended up quitting the songs halfway through because we couldn't keep up. Bummer, but we still had fun.

Gals having fun at the pool

The rest of the weekend included time by/in the pool, a really tasty farm-to-table meal, dancing in a club (I am much more of a dive bar kind of gal, but I ended up having a lot of fun), hilarious taxi rides, "Say Yes to The Dress" marathon watching, and far too much SmartFood popcorn as my primary food source. We got in super late (ended up getting home on Monday at 12:15 AM), but I had a blast and the bride-to-be enjoyed her special weekend.

I didn't run at all as I specifically got in my miles before I headed down. It felt nice to have a weekend free of running, but I'm eager to lace up my running shoes.

Anyone have fun plans this past weekend? I'd love to hear about it!

I'm alive!

2013-07-31T15:50:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I haven't written a blog post in a long time. I've honestly haven't wanted to write after my DNF, but I am in a better place mentally and have been doing some fun things:

I was scheduled to do an ultra relay at 20in24, but the city of Philadelphia decided to cancel it due to crazy heat and storming. I was bummed at first, but I ended up being able to spend a lot of time with some running friends from NYC who were down for the race. Had we raced, none of us would have hung out like we did that Saturday and it was a really fun time!

The group of us hanging out since we couldn't race. Had a blast!

Marathon training is officially begun! In less than 16 weeks, I'll be toeing the line of Richmond and Philly. Yes, two marathons in one weekend. It's not my fault that they are planned on the same weekend, but they are, so I'm doing both. I am 7.5 minutes away from a Boston Qualifying time. I think if I train hard enough and race smart enough, I can hit my goal time in Richmond, using Philly as a victory lap. If I don't BQ at Richmond, I doubt I can do it the next day at Philly, so again, I'll just take Philly as a victory lap. My boyfriend, John, signed up for the race, so the plan is to run Philly with him. Yes, I am STUPID excited to run a marathon with my boyfriend.
I'm all signed up for the Runner's World Half Marathon Hat Trick races. This means I'll be racing a 5k and a 10k on Saturday, then a 1/2 marathon the next day. It wasn't even my idea, but one of my girlfriends from college, who has recently become super into running (love!), told me about it and I couldn't say no. I am really excited for the two of us to have a fun race weekend!
I'm almost done with the Best Body Bootcamp and it's been a fun challenge. I can't say that I've loved every workout, but I've done two strength training workouts each week for the last 6.5 weeks, which is longer than I've ever done that. I can do more push-ups, hold a plank for longer, and I am starting to get a weeeee bit of a bicep. Am I magically 3 sizes smaller? Sadly, not. Will this be a great base to keep my running form in line for my 2 marathons? Yes!
I am realizing that I need to make food (and my love of preparing it) more prominent in my life. Ha, that sounds like I'm not eating, but I mean that I think working in food is my future somehow, but I don't know how yet. I bake a lot and bring it into my office, but I am finding myself needing a bigger outlet for my desire to be in the kitchen. I haven't figure out what will fulfill this need, but baking and attending the quarterly Philly Food Swaps has helped a bit, at least.
I wrote an article for Trail and Ultrarunning about getting over a DNF. It was really great to write it and I hope it helps anyone who has sadly gone through that experience. You can find it here.

That's it! How has everyone been? I hope the last day of July is good for everyone (July is almost over? Wasn't I just watching fireworks for July 4th? Goodness...)! I'll leave you with this awesome photo my mom uncovered, which shows that I always have been a carb-loving fool, even as a baby:

Yes, that's a spaghetti sandwich. Deal with it.

C&O Canal 100 Miler - First DNF

2013-05-13T16:14:00.000-04:00

Well, this obviously isn't the race report that I was hoping to write, but alas, things happen. On April 28th, I quit my first race. Ever. In (off and on) 15 years of running, I've never quit a race. Mind you, for most of my time running, I've run 5ks, only getting into major distances in the last 6 years. Still, it really broke my heart to join the DNF club, but I'm not the first, last, or most awesome one to join that club.

My training for this race felt good, but the more I look back, of course, I question it. I was running more miles per week than my last training cycle, but I never ran more than 31 miles at one time. In my last training, I did a 12 hour race, running 60 miles in that time. That's incredible endurance training for a 100 miler. This year, I focused on more weekly miles, but never ran more than 7 hours at a time before this 100. I think this was a detriment to my training, but sometimes it's hard to run more when you feel like you are running during all of your free time.

I also don't think I mentally prepared for this race as I should have. In my last 100 attempt, I mentally prepared for the pain & the exhaustion and told myself that no matter what, even if I had to crawl, I would cross the finish line. This time around, I felt almost too relaxed. While I was nervous the weeks leading up to it, I kept trying to relax and brush it off, so I didn't end up mentally preparing. I was too nonchalant and it really bit me in the rear.

My mom and me right before the start

On April 27th, my mom drove me to Knoxville, MD, the start location of the race. The course was (supposed to be) a 50.4 mile loop along the C&O Canal that, minus the beginning and end of the loop, was pancake flat with nearly no turns. Living in Philly, I felt I was well-suited for a flat course and it would allow for a (hopefully) faster 100 than my last. I knew flatness is deceivingly hard as you use the same muscles over and over in the same fashion, but I hoped I could handle it.

At 7 am, after words and a short prayer from the race director, we started the race. We went down the only hill of the course, which was actually quite steep and slippery. My friend, Jon, was racing this course with his running friend, Justus, so the three of us stuck together. Jon, sadly, was sick, so his breathing was really off from the beginning. Justus had a 10/2 run/walk system and I enjoyed being with them for the company and the reminder to walk. I did notice that they were running a bit faster than I planned, but the idea of running alone wasn't fun sounding, so I stuck with them.

My mom and me at the ~20 mile mark (Photo by Jim Roche)

The course was really pretty, but I could tell I was going to be bored pretty easily. Also, by the time we got to the first aid station, we knew the course would be long. In the end, the race was 105 miles instead of 101.4, which was really frustrating later on in the race.

I saw my mom at the ~20 mile aid station, which was so great. I ate some food, applied sunscreen and bug spray (so many gnats!), and headed out to the (what actually was) 31 mile mark, which was a turnaround. I almost ran out of water before I got there and the aid station between 20 and 31 wasn't set up by the time we passed it. It was getting warm and I just wasn't in happy place.

After finally hitting mile ~31, refueling and getting some water in my hydration pack, we turned around and headed back from the ~40 mile aid station (same as 20). After what felt like forever, I got there to find my mom, boyfriend, and cousin there. My feet were getting too swollen for the shoes I was wearing, so I switched into my compression socks, trail shoes, got some more food in me, then hit the trail.

At ~20 mile mark (Photo by Jim Roche)

Jon was really feeling tired and rough, but I felt a surge of energy after seeing my family and BF. I kept pushing while Justus and Jon took a walk break at one point and I ended up doing the last 11 or so miles of the loop alone. My awesome feelings wore off quite quickly, especially when I realized at about mile 45 that I was out of water with 5-6 miles to go to the next aid station. Yikes. Rookie mistake.

I finally climbed up the insane hill to the start/finish area (it had a rope at one point to help runners climb up) to complete my first loop. I was dejected, exhausted, and cranky. I met up with my mom, boyfriend, and two friends who were my planned pacers, Brian and Annie. Brian was to take take me from miles ~51-73 and Annie was to take me 73-93ish. After changing my shirt, getting in some more food, and refilling my hydration pack, Brian and I headed back for loop #2.

At ~41.5 (Photo by Jim Roche)

The miles I spent with Brian were so odd. I love him to bits and it was so great to spend time with him, catching up, laughing, and running. The first half of our ~20 mile run together, I was in a cheery mood, boosted up by the fact that we were running together, but I was taking a lot of walk breaks and running slower. The second half, I was in the worst mood ever and was running faster. How that happened, I still don't know.

Those last 10 miles were really tough. Once the sun set, it got really dark. There was a full moon, but fog prevented any moonshine from hitting the course. Along the flat, straight course, with Brian's headlamp on, it felt like we were just running through a tunnel that never ended. We could only see about 5 feet ahead of us, with everything else around us being pitch black. I was so rotten to be around, I don't know how Brian stuck with me. My feet were in agony, so I was left to just shuffle. When I'd try to do the math of how many miles I had left until the next aid station, I couldn't because the course was off in distance. I was beyond angry about it, but I was so happy to finally get to the aid stations.

I was quite clearly HATING going up the hill at the halfway point (photo by Hai Nguyen)

When we got to the ~73 mile mark, I saw my mom and burst into tears. I knew in my head I was done, but was so overwhelmed with anger, sadness, frustration, and agony. I sat down in a chair, shivering from the chillier than predicted temperature, tried to get some food down, and just sat crying knowing I was done. Some volunteers tried to help cheer me up, but my mother quickly told them I wouldn't be guilted into finishing an optional race if I wasn't wanting to. One amazing Marathon Maniac, Jim, came to help us other Maniacs, and he kept running to get me more food and got me to eat sugary things. The BF kept rubbing my shoulder in support and my mom kept telling me that whatever I wanted to do was fine, that running 73 miles was something to be so proud of.

About to start the second lap. I fake being happy quite well.

After about 10 minutes, I slowly got up, told the head volunteer at the aid station that I was DNFing, sat in my mom's car as the BF, my mom, and Annie put all of my gear in the car, and just bawled. I couldn't believe that I was quitting a race. It felt so surreal, but I knew I had literally nothing left of me to give. I couldn't fathom the idea of continuing 10 more miles down the dark tunnel of the course, just to turn around and run another 20 to the finish.

Looking back, I made a lot of mistakes including starting off too fast, not mentally preparing, and not training long enough for my long runs. I had no clue that's how the night time would be as my last 100 miler occurred in NYC, where even the darkest places were bright and I constantly had distractions. Would I run this course again? Nope. The volunteers were amazing and while I appreciated the course for the first 20 or so miles, the straight, flat course wasn't enjoyable.

The BF, Brian, myself, and Annie. I have awesome friends.

One thing stuck out to me when I was quitting: this is supposed to be fun. No, not every single moment of a race is great, but overall, I should be getting something positive from the experience. I wasn't, so I quit. I felt bad that my friend, Annie, came down from Philly to pace me and I quit before she could. I feel bad that my mom and boyfriend came out to see me not finish, but in the end, I think I did the right thing.

Sorry this is such a bummer of a race report, but alas, this was a bummer of a race. I'm excited for the rest of my races this year (20in24, Richmond Marathon, Philly Marathon, to name a few) to redeem myself and remind myself that even with this DNF, I've still got some good races in me.

Life Recently

2013-04-22T13:51:00.000-04:00

I have a handful of half-written blog posts, but just haven't finished them up. I'll get to that, but right now, I figured I'd update with what I've been up to.

C&O Canal, where I will be running 100 miles this weekend

The awful stuff in Boston obviously shook me to my core. I had a ton of friends up there racing and it was so frightening trying to track them all down. I feel more fired up to continue running, but it just shows you how fragile life can be. I can tell you that they messed with the wrong group because runners, especially marathoners, are not people to be trifled with.
I'm officially in taper mode for 100 miler. I was hoping to go finish my hard training with a bang, but a chest cold/nasal infection decided that wasn't the real plan. I took a handful of days off and missed my last long run. Can't say it has been easy getting into tapering after missing a major long run, but I think I'll be okay. A girl can hope, at least. With just a few days until the race, I'm pretty much sick to my stomach with nervers constantly. I am getting so pumped to run with my pacers and tackle the 100 mile distance for a second time, but jeeze, 100 miles is long and painful!
I'm now writing for TrailandUltrarunning.com! I love writing (I know, shocking to hear since this blog hardly is updated) and I am really excited to join the team to write about ultrarunning. My first article recently went live, for those interested (I interviewed the RD of my upcoming 100 miler): Read me!
I attended the latest Philly Food Swap a few weeks ago. I brought sriracha caramel corn and chocolate macarons with bourbon filling. I always get so nervous that my food won't be what people enjoy, but people really responded positively to my food. The swaps always end up being so awesome and inspiring.
John and I ran with the Shake Shack Track & Field club on a few weeks ago and it ruled. We showed up, got free t-shirts, ran with some cool people, then drank beer and ate custard, fries, and burgers. Maybe not the healthiest of events, but we ran, so it's almost even.

My next update should my my 100 mile race report. Fingers crossed (hell, I'm crossing anything I can!) that I have the fun, inspiring, tough, and enjoyable race that I hope for!

Being a Female Runner

2013-03-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I am running for hours upon end during my long runs on the weekend, sometimes the oddest things will pop into my brain. Usually things like food, running, friends, family, and/or plans coming up tend to hold most of my brain space, but on my run this past weekend, I had something else come up: being a female runner. Sounds a bit weird, right? It's pretty obvious that I'm a female who runs, so what did I think about for a long time? I thought about my attitude being a female runner and how that's changed.

I will preface this by saying I'm not a super active feminist. Do I hope that women have equal rights to men, have ownership of their bodies, and more? Of course! I just don't happen to make it my #1 cause. I care a lot about other social issues that I feel need more attention and/or I am more passionate about. I know some women will think I'm the worst for that, but that's okay. This is how I feel, hence me writing this on my blog. I promise for less controversial talk in the future.

Me, freshman year of college after a 5k

When I was in high school and early on in college, I cared more about looking like a real runner and didn't particularly dress in a feminine matter. I feared dressing in a feminine way would make me look weaker or less like a tried and true tough runner. I do understand how sexist it is for me to think looking like a girl could make me look weak, but that's how I felt I would be looked upon by people around me. Screwed up? Yes. The truth? Yes.

This didn't necessarily manifest in dressing like a boy, per se, but not choosing the most feminine clothes to run in. I'd avoid pink tank tops and choose to wear a t-shirt instead. When running skirts first became popular, I scoffed at the idea of running in a skirt. Who is that high maintenance that they must wear a skirt and be super girly at all times? I hated the shirts I saw girls wear that said, "I don't sweat, I glisten." No, you sweat. Everyone does.

Things have changed, though. I don't know if it was me being insecure before and gaining confidence or what, but I actually have started to really enjoy dressing feminine while running. I look for cute clothes to run in that make me feel feminine and show off that I'm a lady (I couldn't deal putting down woman. I feel far too immature to be one!). Hell, I've run a marathon in a tutu and one in a dress.

Me before the 2011 Philadelphia Marathon

I started realizing that if I continue to play into what I think other people will think, I will perpetuate that thought myself. I also realized that if being considered weaker or the underdog was going to occur, why not take that as a chance to show people up? I've shown up to races, hair in pigtail braids (less knotting this way, but it also makes me feel more girly), and been underestimated for what I can do. When it's over and I've beaten a lot of people, I smile all the way home.

I still have some of those old thoughts (I will never glisten! I'm a girl and I sweat, proudly), but I've learned to 1) care less what other think, and 2) learn that I can help shape how others think. I can be strong AND feminine any day of the week.