Race Recap: The Ascent

Race Recap: The Ascent

About time I write that quick recap from the hill climb race, The Ascent.  We arrived to the start line via the valley rather than coming in from town down the course to the start (read:  most other runners had seen the course when they drove in, but hubby and I were remained in denial).  About 150 yards from the start line the road wrapped around a blind horseshoe curve and went up.  That's about all I could tell...steep from the start.  There were only about 50 runners (this was the first year of the race) and from bathroom-line chats, it sounded like a lot of people threw this race into their training mix for marathons w/o any tapering.  So a lot of us were in the same boat-DEAD LEGS.  Chris and I jogged around for 5 min to "warmup" and realized there was nothing in the tank for our legs as it was, so we'd just take it easy at the start of the race.

Race time started and off we went, around that corner and from there on my legs were burning.  I maintained pretty well and "ran" almost the whole first mile, but the 13% grade was killing me.  Then I saw Chris up the ridge and he was hiking it.  Smart kiddo I tell you.  My hiking was about as fast as my running so I switched it up and gave some hard effort walking/hiking up the climbs with spurts of jogging. There were 2 downhills in the climb and I felt good enough to push those a bit.  People were kindly cheering the last 1/2 mile from the top which was great because the finish was around another blind corner and I needed a little extra encouragement to push it through the top.  I didn't set any time goals for this run but figured I'd fall somewhere in the 45-50 min range.  Final time: 47:08.  It was a good solid effort, but certainly not my best day of running.  Chris got 7th overall - what a beast :D

We waited for 15-20 min for a person to give us a lift back down the course to the hospitality area (my only complaint really was there was no shuttle from the finish line back to the main area).  The community where the race was, Blue Ridge Mountain Club, is just a ridge or two over from my mom's house and it had been quite a while since I had been through it.  The race was run on the main road which straddles a ridgeline, offering beautiful vistas on both sides of the road at many points along the race.  I was glad that my mindset for the day was to be in the moment and enjoy the run.  We may our way back to the start line/hospitality area in time to watch the bike race (which went from the valley up to the top) come through.  Man those guys were flying!  The top 3 were from Winston-Salem (woot!).  While the bike race carried on, we enjoyed the hamburgers / hotdogs off the grill and some cold brews.  Chris got his age group medal and then it was off to Mom's house to grab Mr. Oliver.

We packed Oliver up in the car and headed to the swimming hole in Elk Creek where I used to spend countless hours every summer.  Even in the middle of summer, the water never warms much above 60 degrees.  Oliver hasn't had much water experience yet as a puppy and we wanted to see how he'd handle some deeper water at the hole.  Added bonus:  standing waist deep in ice cold water was wonderful on our legs after the race!  Oliver was so excited by the water and tried to walk out from the creek bank to me standing in the middle when, all the sudden the bottom dropped out from under him, and - for a split second- I really thought he was going to sink!  But he popped up and started swimming (thank god!).  We left him on his 30 foot leash and let him run and splash in the shallow area and he got more and more curious about the deep area right off the boulders (probably about 10' deep).  He kept walking out on the edge of the boulder which is about 5' above the deep pool and then he'd back away.  After 3 or 4 times though, he had gotten the boulder wet and slick and WHOMP, in he slid!  He swam over to the shallow end and gave me a "are you crazy?  this is cold!" look.  Next time I'll take his water bumper toy and make sure to bring a camera.  After a few more minutes of splash play in the shallow end, we hiked back to the car, grabbed showers at Mom's and *I* grilled steaks and veggies for our dinner out on the deck with a beautiful view and mountain breezes.  I love the mountains in the summer :)

It was a low key, small race but run extremely well and the location was breathtaking.  Given the proximity to Mom's it's definitely one we'll be repeating next year and hopefully bringing a few more with us. Thanks to Pirate Race Productions for such a wonderful event!

Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon Recap...and...Back to the Basics

This year has been a roller coaster in terms of training.  Two major injuries, a few minor injuries, finishing my PhD, starting my postdoc...

Honestly, training has been more of a train wreck.  The kind you see coming and just can't help but watch...

After the Fontana 5k Dam, training was going well and I had my sights set on a healthy ramping up of mileage for the Savannah Rock N Roll Half Marathon Nov 5th.  

About 2 months out from the half marathon, I started to get extreme pain in both of my big toes and then realized that after losing my toenails post Marathon last year, the new nails grew in more curved and were starting to become ingrown.  Major pouty face.  After a few visits to the sports medicine podiatrist, I had slivers of both nails removed so that shouldn't happen again.  I had to take a few weeks off prior to the toe surgery and a few weeks off afterwards leaving a GAPING hole in my half marathon training. Major pouty face again.

I was left with two options - scrap the race that we had already invested vacation days into, travel expenses and race fees...or...very gently and rapidly ramp up my mileage knowing that it may cause problems, especially with my hip flexor.  

We all know I went with option 2.

I kept weekday mileage constant with 3x 2-4 miles and then had four weekends to get long runs up to half marathon:  5 miles - 7 miles - 9 miles - then 11 miles with no taper and the half marathon being the longest long run in quite some time.  The first three weeks went beautifully.  The 9 mile run was amazing.  Then the last week came.  I set out for my 11 mile run in the neighborhood with a 2 loop course so I could switch out the clutches (temps were abnormally high for October and on a side note - have continued to be so until the other day finally!).  I started off easy warming up all the muscles but my right hip flexor (major injury #1 of the year) was tight.  I stopped and stretched.  Jogged a little.  Stopped and stretched.  Jogged some more.  Come on!  Seriously?  The hip flexor was tight and only getting tighter it seemed.  By 3 miles I was walking ... walking home...I continued to try a walk/jog-like motion until I got home.  On top of that I was having major stomach cramps and bubble guts...definitely needed to head home...11 miles sliced to 4.5 miles the week before the half!  

Fast forward a few days of Chris and I on the couch...turns out that stomach cramping on the run was that we both had some sort of food poisoning all week leading up to the Savannah half.  No. Fun.  I've had worse food poisoning, mind you, but it still meant only getting in 2 miles the week before the race due to the need to stay in close proximity to bathrooms...Oh yeah and I also had a wicked case of upper / lower respiratory track infection with asthma and a cough that prohibited me from sleeping FOR TWO WEEKS.  

Race day came and I was feeling anxious considering the way training went.  I set out with a few small goals:

1. Run 10 miles - that would make it longer than any training run I had done
2. Keep the pace easy and honest - I hadn't put the training in to be able to push it and I was still a bit under the weather
3. See what you can do.  I kept a mantra in my mind the whole weekend and continued to repeat it in my mind while running:  "If you just give yourself a chance and get out the door, your mind and body will surprise you most of the time." -Jenny Simpson.  It was a quote tweeted by Runners World in the days leading up to the race and I kept it on a desktop post-it.
4. Finish under 2:15 if at all possible...given injuries, food poisoning, bad training, asthma/cough....

I started the race a few corrals back from what I was assigned so that I could keep with Goal #2 and kept company with a group of well paced runners from my corral.  The race had more than 23,000 participants so there was never a lonely moment.  The whole race I was having stomach cramps and at 5 miles stopped for 30 sec at an aid station to shoot a gel and crunch down 2 pepto bismol tablets I had stuffed in my race pouch.  Best Idea of the Day.  Still had a good bit of cramping but ending up making it through the finish line.    Checking my watch every so often, the pace was easy and honest and EVEN!  I wasn't sure if I have done that in a longer race yet so I was pretty happy mid race.  We came through downtown just after that and there were (finally) spectators on the course.  I picked up the pace with the festive energy - I was also running beside a guy dressed as the muppet Beaker (I know right?) so lots of cheering when we went by.  After that mile passed I slowed a bit to make the two miles even out and catch my breath a bit.  Asthma blows by the way...really blows...I had too much fun during that mile.  I also passed our friends G&M that came out to cheer - they were our gracious hosts for the weekend and I dearly enjoyed visiting them.  G&M went to high school with us and we only get to see them about once every year or two.  I passed mile 10 and realized that 1) I could run the entire race w/o stopping - still had plenty in the tank and 2) I was on pace to get around 2:15!  My initial goal this summer was for a 2:00 half marathon, but goals definitely have to be adjusted given certain circumstances.  

In the days leading up to the race I was really considering the Tobacco Road Marathon (March 2012) and kept thinking about this in a positive light during the Savannah half...Things are finally going good...I can't wait to run another full marathon..yada yada yada.

CRASH & BURN.  Around mile, eh, 10.5, I was cardiovascularly feeling great, the asthma was staying in check, the stomach cramps weren't unbearable...things were going well...but my left foot started hurting a smidge.  Just on the outside of the midfoot.  "Hmm..." I thought "must be the crowned roads and my foot getting tired...nothing major."  I kept running and was actually feeling good enough, aside from the minor foot pain, to take off and really push this last 5K.  This race was all kinds of whack and I must confess that anytime I tried to pick up the pace, the dreaded "oh crap I have to crap" feeling came.  Knowing what the last week had been like I really didnt want to be that runner that PR'd with poopy pants.  So I just kept the pace even and with a half mile left pushed it, plowing past people to finish in 2:14:46!  Yay!!  My first official half marathon done.  Medal, check...now where are the porta potties??!?!?!

Whew!  

I hobbled over to our pre-determined meeting place and G&M found me with Chris sitting on the grass in the park.  I realized after stopping at the finish line that my foot, in fact, was pretty badly hurt and that my mind-over-matter Goal #3 apparently worked wonders because it didnt hurt nearly that much while running. But now, I could-not-walk.  No weight on that foot.  Zip, zero, zilch.  G&M live in downtown Savannah and I assured them that I could hobble home and ice there - no need to check out the medical tent.  I threw on a compression sock and limped under the spanish moss.  It was a beautiful day and the weather had been wonderful for a race!

Fast forward a week or more of severe hobbling, rest/ice/compression/elevation/massive motrin doses...the xray came back negative for a stress fracture which means that I most likely tore the peroneal tendon that attached right at the end of the 5th metatarsal ( or "outside of the midfoot").  Not surprising given how I ramped my mileage up and I confessed as much to the head of Sports Med when I met with him...Thankfully he didn't shake his head chanting "Bad runner, bad runner"...yeah yeah - I know I shouldn't have...bad runner indeed.  

So here I am almost a month later with only 2 runs logged, but with many more planned.  What have I learned?

1. Do the time & do the training...I work best with a structured training schedule and weekly plan
2. Don't race when you haven't had more than 2 consecutive hours of sleep in more than 2 weeks...seriously...
3. Somehow I always manage to get asthma only on race weekends...I need to recognize the symptoms quicker and stay on top of it
4. A marathon in not in the cards for the spring...or an ultra marathon (See Lesson #1) - I have had several major injuries this year and need to be healthy and strong before we throw that into the mix.
5. I now have done an official half marathon distance and have a time to beat - so how about getting some PRs?

My new race calendar is without a full marathon....I'm now planning on doing several smaller distances including the Tobacco Road half marathon in March, the New River half marathon in May, and the Biltmore 15k in May (it's returning!!).  Some speed work and mileage through the summer and then maybe we can talk about a full and/or ultra....Also, our puppy Oliver will be able to start running in the next month or two (he's huge already but still has some running to do) so I'm excited about having a running partner.  It's been awesome taking him on walks while my foot is recovering.  In the meantime, I've got a 3 month plan to get me to a happy, healthy half marathon and have started logging small runs & returning back to the basics...

Race Recap - Biltmore 15k

The race went pretty much as expected. Boring I know... Allow me try to narrate some of the more interesting points.

Dinner before the race: ate at The Laughing Seed Cafe, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Asheville. Amazing. Eat there if you get the chance and try something exotic! We filled up and then were sleeping like logs at 9pm in the hotel.

Race morning: woke up at 4:30 am and tuned into the Weather Channel. Asheville conditions: 60 degrees (perfect!) and 100% humidity (whaaaaattt?!?!?!?). 100% humidity is AWFUL. oh well - not much you can do about that. We picked up Chris' parents and headed to Biltmore at 6 am, watching the sun try to cut through the dense fog that engulfed the scenery. We got a good 15-20 min jog in to warm up and stretched out.

The start: The start line was a mess. 5k gun time was 7:15 am and 15k was 7:20 am. We headed to a mess of a crowd, groups of 5k'ers and 15k'ers jumbled up talking and spread out. When the 5k gun went off, let's just say there were lots of 5k people that had to be told to "go run." We quickly made our way closer to the start line and positioned ourselves in the front quarter of runners. It took ~9 seconds to get to the start banner from the time the gun went off.

The race: The race started with a decline for 1/4 mile before leveling out. I followed Chris down the left edge of the road, mixing a bit of gravel/shoulder in to get around the crowd until I found a pocket after 1/2 mile and settled in. My thinking was to keep the first half purposefully relaxed and to not push it too much because of the two hills. The first mile came in 8:30. A bit fast but I wasn't too worried because I was feeling good and pulling back a bit. Soon we passed a barn (I think - it was pretty foggy) and I caught a glimpse of the Morgan horses and heard some goats bleating/cheering us on. The first "moderate" hill came during the second mile. It was less than I thought. There was only a short steep part right at the end of the second mile as we crested the hill at the Deerpark Restaurant.

Mile 3 was predominantly downhill and somewhat steep but I love downhills like this. I was able to push the downhill, picking off people one by one, while concentrating on breathing to recover from Mile 2. I estimate mile 3 was close to 8:00. At the bottom of the hill we took a right turn and started what seemed to be the longest hill in all of western NC. Having "mapped" the course out online ahead of time, I knew that Hill #2 (mile 4) was a little longer than Hill #1 (mile 2). Um, wrong. Hill #2 was never ending, winding back and forth through the woods with nothing to pass that would distract you except trees. I wanted to push this hill a bit knowing that the top of it would be the end of hills for the course and I could cruise/push the downhill/flat parts of the course. I did not manage this hill as well as I should have, likely starting too aggressive at the bottom. The massive side stitch that I couldn't shake until the top probably didn't help either. I did manage to get my gel down without losing stride and it kicked in the last bit of the hill. Mile 4 cost me more time than I would have liked.

Just before Mile 5, we wove through the parking lots and passed another water station. Just after the aid tables, there were two Biltmore shuttle vans parked and an attendant standing beside them. I was feeling much better (having conquered the final bad hill of the course) and managed to shout a joking "Hey, you giving shortcut rides out?" to the chuckling bystander. Up a short hill and out of the parking lots, we approached the house. I picked up the pace a bit to shake another runner who wasn't keeping a consistent pace and relaxed down the approach drive of the house. With all the fog, the house was elusive until you made the turn the run across the front of the house. I ran past the photographers and headed away from the house and down into the walled garden.

I remember looking forward to running through the garden on the last weekend of the "Festival of Flowers" but in hindsight, I barely remember the garden and can just remember calculating pace when I passed the 6 mile mark and getting a time. Out of the gardens, we wound our way downhill to the next aid station. These guys rocked! I think they had Asheville Track Club shirts on (forgive me if it was another group) and they were the most encouraging bunch of people out there on the course. The bridge over the bass pond was one of those arched bridges you expect to see a carriage come across...too cute. I managed to squeeze out a bit more of the gel from my pack, realizing I was tiring and still had another 2.5 miles.

The last stretch was nice and flat (the 5k course) and wound along the French Broad River and the Lagoon. Runners were pretty spread by this point and I found this part of the course very relaxing. I set into a comfortable stride to push the flat part. A bit worried about burning out, I think I was holding about an 8:45 pace that was comfortably difficult after having run the rest of the course. I aimed to make it under 1:25 at this point. Turning over my legs, I started picking off runners. I find this is the most motivating thing I can do when tired and coming towards a finish. I put my laser sights on someone's back and slowly catch/pass them. There was a mixture of runners tiring out and slowing (much easier to pick off), runners keeping pace, and runners coming up behind me from nowhere (I suppose I was their target). Getting passed is okay though. I've gotten enough races under my belt this year to know when to latch on and follow and when to let them go, knowing they are running a different race than I. It's a good motivation and is humbling. I passed the Mile 8 marker and tried to pick up the pace a bit for the final stretch. I think I did get a bit faster, but it felt like I was locked into a pace and struggled with pushing it.

During the warmup jog, we ran by the final 1/2 mile of the course so I knew that not only was there a sign at Mile 9, but there was another sign that read "1/4 Mile to finish". I wanted to start kicking it in at this sign. At Mile 9 marker I picked up the pace a bit more, lengthening my stride and focused on smooth breathing knowing this "1/4 Mile to finish" sign would be upon me soon. I rounded a corner and saw it, thankful that the end was near. There was a (fast) runner who had made his way back to the sign and was cheering in other runners. His encouragement: "1/4 mile - just one lap around the track! You got it!" While I had 1/4 mile in my head, I hadn't thought of it as a lap around the track. It was exactly what I needed to hear. My head sung "one lap - that's nothing!" and my legs responded with an open stride while my arms swung along. Then I saw Chris and smiled. He was making his way toward me so that I could see him before the crowd at the finish - about a third of the way up the steep hill and corner that stood between me and the finish line. His encouragement was well placed. And just as I was coming around the corner thinking "where was this finish line?" I heard his parents "Go Jenni!" which fueled me right through the finish for that final third of the hill. A big thanks to all the Jordans for the cheers.

Gun time: 1:23:54

Chip time: 1:23:58 - 


Actual time:  1:23:45  -  just under 9:00 pace. I was expecting somewhere between 8:45 and 9:00 pace so I was happy with it. Too bad I didn't manage the hills as much as I would have liked...

The gripes:

• The start was quite disorganized/messy.
• The website, packet pickup, program, etc had no mention of whether the mileage would be marked, or if there would be aid stations and how many/what they would have. Turns out there were aid stations with water/gatorade, but I'm glad I brought my clutch anyway.
• The chip timing was a joke. The bibs were gigantic and the chip was a big wire that fit in a baggie on the back of the bib. Nowhere on the course were there RFID systems to get splits. There was no RFID at the start or finish either so the only time you had on the course was "gun time" + however long it took someone to grab you at the finish and hold a wand up to your bib/chip. Chip time is supposed to be less than gun time.
• Spectators had to buy $20 tickets each to come watch/cheer but the only place they could do so was at start/finish. My in-laws napped in the car for an hour so they wouldn't have to stand around (no place to sit).

The grins:

• Photography on course
• Nice tech shirts and medals
• Beautiful course and nice to have the road completely blocked off.
• Good charity
• I placed and got a medal! Hurray!

I wish this wasn't the last year of the race at Biltmore - would really like to run the course again and PR. There is talk of moving it somewhere else which would be great, but definitely not the same appeal.

We wrapped up the day by grabbing showers and checking out of the hotel before heading back to downtown Asheville to grab brunch at the fantastic Early Girl Eatery. Eat there - seriously worth the wait. I got a black bean and cheddar omelet with home fries. Mmmm. Chris' burger was made of local meat ground in-house. Super Yummms. I could eat my way through Asheville - so many good restaurants. The in-laws left after brunch to head home and Chris and I walked all over downtown A'ville for a bit to window-shop and get some of the lactic acid moving out of our muscles. We topped off the walk with a stop by Jack of the Wood and enjoyed a beer before heading back home. It was a great trip. I'd love to come back to Asheville to run some more races - they have a half marathon I'm eying up that is in September.

The proof is in the pudding

Pilot Mountain Payback results and pictures have been posted.

Results: http://www.pilotmountainpayback.com/docs/Finishtimes.pdf

I came in 7th overall female - better than I thought when I came across the line. Happy with my finish given the course. Can't wait to smash that time next year!

Pictures:

http://www.backprint.com/view_user_event.asp?PID=bp%19%7FNw&EVENTID=64151&BIB=46&S=230&PWD=

http://www.backprint.com/view_event_photos.asp?PID=bp%19%7FNw&EVENTID=64151&PWD=&START=596&SHOW=35&CAT=0&SUB=0

Nothing glamorous, but just to quiet all you non-believers - I did it! :D

Race Recap - Pilot Mountain Payback Half Marathon

Yesterday morning started way before the sun was up (5:30 am). Chris made me some coffee and hearty oatmeal to start the day right. Mom came in the night before to help with race support because Chris had to leave a few minutes before the race started to go to a mandatory Saturday workday for his job (bummer!).

The drive to the race was uneventful, but scenic as the sun started to rise over the foothills of the piedmont. Uneventful, that is, until we arrived at the entrance to the Yadkin River Trail area of Pilot Mtn State park. The event directions said to "drive through two streams" and park on the left. These streams were more like swollen creeks after the rain we had this week and nearly came up over the hood of the car (and took off the undercarriage of several cars that came through). With temperatures barely above freezing, the steam coming off the bottoms of the cars was a bit startling to see after the week of 80-degree temps we've been enjoying. I was thankful for the *sweet* PMPB marathon arm warmers we got in our race packets because I was going to be a little cold in a tank top without them.

At 9 am we toed the dirt and were met 50 yards later by the first of 12 water crossings. At about 6' wide and 6" deep it wasn't one to be tiptoed across (water crossing #1). But not to worry - there was no time to fret over wet feet because around the corner from the water crossing was a well placed steep hill (~350 yds and 5% grade) to over a distraction. I'm not a fan of running uphill on loose gravel but it definitely kept me from running out too fast at the start. The course left the dirt road 0.75 miles from the start and we began running a more technical portion of the Corridor Trail which looped back around to the entrance dirt road just after the 2nd stream crossing of the park. We headed north on the dirt road to run through the 1st stream crossing (water crossing #2) which resembled the 1st one. Before reaching the end of the road we hooked left and caught the trail again to find a shallow stream (water crossing #3). Up a short hill and we came to Hauser Rd, running across the road and into the woods for the next 6 miles.

The next 6 miles are a blur except I know there were three more water crossings and a LOT of long, steep uphills followed by long, steep downhills. Around mile 4.5 there was a beautiful vista of the Pilot Mtn summit when we came around the corner at the edge of the woods. Somehow, it didn't seem any closer than it did at the race start. We crossed a few more roads, popping out of the woods and then back into them, which broke up the distance nicely. At mile 8 we go to the base of the summit which was the turnaround point for the half marathon. The lead runners were long gone back down the trail (and flying!) but I was glad to get to the turnaround because Mom was waiting with a 2nd Clutch Bottle of gatorade for me to trade my empty one out for. After a quick dash to the restroom (seeing as how I didn't have finish time in mind), I was back on the trail and heading home. The route back was only 6.5 miles so I knew I was already past the halfway point. Thankfully, the worst uphills were on the first half of the course, but there were still plenty of ridges to traverse to get to the finish. My legs were burning, but my mantra was to "not stop running." There would be no walking for me!

With the goal finish time gone even before the race started, I felt like I needed some kind of goal for running the race. Smile & Push it were my pre-race thoughts, but as the race wore on I saw more and more people start walking. They always say slow and steady wins the race and while I knew I wouldn't win the race, it would help me win my goal of not walking. Granted, I was like a tortoise slowly trucking up the hills. Runners would come up on me in flat/downhill stretches and start walking 50 feet up the hill. I would slowly truck past them at what seemed like a snails pace but each hill I gained more and more distance on them because their run/walk was not as speedy as my "tortoise run" overall. At mile 11 I was met by the last aid station where the group I was with stopped to grab water/food but with my Clutch of Gatorade and Clif bar I brought with me I did not have to stop at all - it was a fantastic plan to bring along my own fuel/nutrition and having trained with it for 5 months I knew I could count on it to get me to the finish. As I was nearing the end of the main Corridor stretch I started looking at my time. My legs were dead and I knew I was closing in on the last 1.5 miles of the 14.5 total distance. It was 2 hr 32 min and I had a mental check with myself. Do you have enough? Can you push it? Is it crazy to try for 2:45 at this point? "What the hell! Let's do it!" I caught a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) wind and pushed on. I'd already done the hard part - 10 water crossings and about 1600' of the 2000' elevation. A few more hills and I'd be back to Hauser Road (14.0 miles). I popped out of the woods at Hauser and checked the watch: 2:41 and change.

Push it! I tore across the road and made it back to the final stretch of trail. The trail was soft pea gravel/sand and traction was difficult. I came around a corner to the low stream crossing and skimmed over it to the dirt road. Now I just had to make it through the two streams that the cars had to go through and down the final, flat stretch to the finish. I caught sight of a shallower area of the #11 water crossing and went down & up its embankment. One more! The water was icy and cool but some runners who had finished were coming up the course to cheer us in. I came to the last water crossing (and by far the worst). At this point, I'd run over 14.25 of the hardest miles I could have ever prepared for and I just plum didn't care. I plowed through the creek without a thought. The water came up to my knees and I splashed a spray of muddy water behind me. I came up out of the creek embankment and could see the finish at this point. The watch read 2:44:30ish and I had about a 100 yard dash to push through. As I started to kick it in, I realized that my legs were numbed by the creek water and my feet were lead, heavy with water. I pushed and threw a smile up as I saw the finish clock.

2:44:55!

I was able to set a difficult goal mid-race and achieved it in addition to not stopping for the entire race. Yes, it was much slower than my "goal half marathon time" (1:55 for a flat, road course) but this was a time I could be quite proud of given the course. And hey - the elevation change, water crossings, and extra 1.4 miles can only mean a great PR on my next half marathon! The weather was a beautiful 65 degrees and I revealed in my personal victory while stretching out in the open field by the finish line, cheering on the others coming in.

With only 100 half marathoners and 60 full marathoners, this was a small well-organized race. It's great to have it so close and I will definitely be back out on the Corridor Trail logging some miles this summer. I hope the race doesn't grow in size as I loved the small intimate feel of the trail race. For many miles I was by myself in the woods on a spring day reveling in the peace and quite while I uncomfortably pushed my physical limits. I l-o-v-e-d it through and through and can't wait to do it again!

Pics will be posted w/ official results soon.

Chris's Marathon Race Report

A few weeks ago Chris ran his first marathon - the NC Marathon in nearby High Point. Race day started quite early (I think we were up at 4:30 am and out the door at 5:30 or 6). Post-race backpack in tow and with a handful of signs, we packed in the car with his parents and set off in the dark. While Chris warmed up, his parents and I found a nice bench nearby to watch the sunrise on what turned out to be a beautiful Spring day! After he was all warmed up and laced up, we walked over to the start where I gave him a big ol' hug and wished him the best, glad that I wasn't about to do what he was setting off to do - 26.2 miles!

As the start gun went off, his parents and I drove up to the 3 mile marker to meetup with some friends of ours, Ben and Ashley, who graciously drove down from Raleigh to cheer on Chris (or maybe they just wanted to see exactly how crazy he was). At the 3 mile mark Chris was greeted with our ridiculous signs as he rounded the corner. Seeing as he had much more to run, the five of us stopped by a delightful bakery and had some coffee and pastries. Then on our way to the 10 mile mark with just barely enough time to catch Chris, I got us lost! We missed him by less than a minute I think. So we plopped our chairs down and cheered on the other insane runners on their route until the lead runners started to come down the other side of the road which was the 17 mile mark. Not to miss Chris again, we darted across traffic and set up the cheering section again. When he came through us at 17 miles he was looking GOOD! I was so excited for him (and proud of course). We had a blast cheering for him and meeting some of the nice folks cheering at the corner with us.

We packed up and headed down to the finish line to cheer Chris in. The course ended with a sharp left turn before a 2 block straightaway into the finish line. Anticipating him to come in a little ahead of his goal time based on mile 17's time, we (or maybe just I) started getting jittery waiting for him to turn the corner. We had positioned ourselves halfway down the 2 blocks and couldn't see the runners until they turned the corner. Then all the sudden we hear people start cheering "Go Chris!!!" which totally threw me off because nobody else's name was being cheered and the "Team Jordan" crowd was all standing with me (his parents, his brother/sis-in-law, Ben & Ashley, and other friends Garrett & Amanda). (Turns out it was the others from our cheering section at mile 17 and they remembered Chris and cheered him in around the corner!) Chris finished strong with a 3:43 time which was great considering some of the beastly hills the course threw at him the last 8 miles! So proud! We ended the day at Raylen Vineyard's Oyster Roast festival with some wine, food, friends and fantastic weather - perfect day! Afterwards we enjoyed a ridiculously awesome/tasty cake made by his sister Lori in the style of his racing shoes!

They say not to ask a 1st time marathoner when they will run their next 26.2 until at least 10 days after. I guess 10 days are needed to forget exactly how insane/painful it is. But no - the next day he was on his computer looking at nearby Fall marathons with fast courses so he can better 3:43! That night we booked a bed and breakfast in Manteo, NC for the OBX Marathon in November - looks like we'll both be doing 26.2 that day! I can't wait! Pictures of the marathon day are here.

A very thankful-to-be-done Chris!

Race Recap - Krispy Kreme Challenge

First and foremost - I apologize for the delay in the recap - it's been a busy week.

Last Saturday, we awoke before the birdies to do something that usually only hungover co-eds think to be a normal activity. It was a cold morning, but the weather was holding up - they had been calling for freezing rain/ice/snow the days leading up to the race. We got parked in the parking deck and set off for the belltower, passing our old dorm and many crazies in their costumes. Once we arrived at the belltower, Chris and I took off (all bundled up) to do a warmup jog and stretch. We arrived back at the start line about 15 minutes before the start and found a nook in the crowd of 6,000 that was somewhat close to the front. A minute before the start, the snow flurries started, only contributing to the hushed excitement at the start line. Chris was stripped down to his fantastic costume at this point and was getting plenty of looks. (I'm sure they were all positive ones - many were taking pictures). Fortunately, with all the closely-packed bodies waiting for the race, there was plenty of body heat to go around.

The gun sounded and the crowd tip-toed forward, much like a game of bumper cars. What I hadn't realized is that not even 20 yards from the start line was a round-a-bout under construction that split the course. I honestly would call the next 100 yards "extreme racing". There were random curbs, traffic cones, traffic barrels, potholes...you name it, it was there. And with 6,000 people packed in, there was little advanced notice before someone dodge a traffic barrel leaving you a split second to save yourself or careen into it. Fortunately, I found a more open spot in the crowd and was able to dodge all aforementioned items. (I did hear however, that the group of 6 guys in full body suits where leap-frogging the traffic barrels - wish I had seen that!). I could tell my form was good as I took off, picking off one person at a time. The air was cold, but I was feeling strong and enjoying the brisk pace I settled into. The majority of the course to Krispy Kreme was flat or downhill, and knowing my belly would be less-than-empty on the return, I pushed this first leg.

I rolled into the Krispy Kreme shoot at about 17:30 (7:30 pace!). It took me about a minute/minute and a half to find the water and walk through the crowded mess to squat and start making my donut stacks. I'll try to make narrate my thoughts during this stop:
- Grabbed three donuts (#1, #2, #3), smashed them together and proceeded to dunk them in the 2 cups of water I had
- Squeeze excess water and gobble
- 1st stack - piece of cake
- Oh crap! I meant to do 3 stacks of 4, not 4 stacks of 3!
- Smashed the next 4 donuts together (#4, #5, #6, #7)
- Dunk, squeeze, eat, repeat
- 2nd stack - no problemo!
- Smashed the next 4 donuts together (#8, #9, #10, #11)
- Tore stack in half, got 1/2 dunking while I ate the other 1/2 that had already been dunked
- Man, this last stack is getting tough
- Oh gross (note to self - don't look at sugary nasty donut water, definitely don't drink it - I drank the water at the Matt Gfeller 5k and it was a very bad idea)
- Finishing last 1/2 of last stack - oh HoLy! Small bites, small bites...
- Now what the heck am I going to do with this last one?
- Fold last donut in half and smash it to make a mini stack
- Started walking to the water station/exit shoot while eating the last donut (#12)
- Grabbed an extra cup of *clean* water, drank a few sips
- Tossed empty (!!!) box of donuts into the "Finished" stack and ran through the Challengers shoot to exit Krispy Kreme and get a chip time for the stop
(Chip time = 28:15 which means the donut stop was about 11 minutes, about 9:30 spent eating the donuts).
I rounded the corner out of Krispy Kreme and got into gear. I really wanted to run faster, but thought it best to reserve speed until the end seeing as I was unsure how these 12 doughnuts were sitting on my stomach - I felt full, but not sick).

I trekked on back, keeping an even pace and cresting hills. For me, the hills weren't very bad but I guess you can blame Winston-Salem on that - Raleigh is considerably flatter and so all the locals were puttering out on the hills. (And I must say that I enjoyed picking them off one by one as I passed them up the hill). I picked up the pace just a bit more when the "Finish" banner was in sight and crossed the finish line with a time of 48:19! This means that my second leg of the run (which was slightly longer than the first) was run at 8:11 pace for an average course pace of 7:47!!!! I'm thinking that a 5K is in order soon to see if I can get my PR down to that speed without a donut stop to rest. Chris finished in 41:44 - whew! Our friend Garrett got a fair amount of donuts down for his first race and Chris's sister Lori successfully completed her first race that day as well!

As I reflect on this race, I'm quite glad we did it - the charity was great (NC Children's Hospital), but the doughnuts were tough. I was the 17th female to complete the challenge and Chris finished in the top 10% of males too. However, I think I may forgo the doughnuts next year and run as a casual runner. As much fun as I was having that day, I really wanted to run a fast race - I just love getting out there and pushing it to my limits. Here are some pictures from the race:

Chris coming into the finish

Me near the start (in pink)

Another one of me during the "extreme racing" portion

Eating the donuts (on far left)

Me coming across the finish