Weekly Training Ramblings

Week two of training COMPLETE!

Sleepy Sun

This was a HARD week. It didn't focus so much on the main three workouts and instead threw two sessions of strength training at me. As I said in my previous post, I decided to try Crossfit for my first strength session and it destroyed me... and that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the week.

Week 2 Training:

So Many Things!

(Note: This doesn't show the strength workouts I did, I don't track those in any way.)

Despite Crossfits best efforts to stop me, I managed to get my remaining workouts in... although my Wednesday run was comically pathetic. My left glute was particularly sore which caused me to have a bit of a hitch in my stride and I was very slow so I threw my form out the window and just sort of shambled my way down the road for five miles.

So, other than discovering that Crossfit only exists to make everything huge hurt (WTH? I was rereading this and noticed I wrote huge instead of hurt... no idea. BUT it made me laugh a lot so I'm keeping it in here), what was my main take-away from this week? Training by heart rate is HARD when you do it right. I finally got my heart rate zones set up correctly on my 920xt so I tried them out on my 12 mile Sunday run. At first my HR was sky high because I was mad at technology. I couldn't get my route loaded on my watch and then I couldn't get a good enough signal to get my workout to load on my phone. I finally said screw it and got running. I was to run 1 mile in Zone 1 (HR: 127), 10.5 miles in Zone 2 (HR: 138), and back to Zone 1 for a half mile.

Do you know how slow I need to run to maintain those heart rates? I was basically walking to keep it under 127. Zone 2 had me running at a high 11 minute mile. Keeping your form up at those paces is not a simple task. I must say, I am quite proud of myself for *mostly* keeping my heart rate in zone for the entire run without losing my mind.

Now, even though I complain about how slow my run seemed going by heart rate, I know it is the way to go. You gotta start slow and work your way up. I understand this and I'll keep at it even though my legs want to go a little bit faster. I know it is what's best in the long run. Haha. I made a running joke.

... and with that, another week is done!

Fit Whit tries Crossfit

Today I tried something a little different. The coach has me doing two sessions of strength training this week and Evan suggested I give Crossfit a go. He's been going for a few months and seems to be enjoying it even though he comes home and complains about being sore from head to toe... For some reason even with that knowledge, I decided it was still a good idea and once I got the OK from the coach, I was in.

I convinced Evan we should go to the earliest class available - at 5:30AM. That meant we should have gotten up around 4:15-4:30 to make it but in reality we both woke up at 3AM and were pretty much awake until it was go time.

The WOD: "Space Jam"

Warm Up:

Shoulder Progression
Lateral Drills
Barbell Warm up/Breakdown

Strength:
4×8 push press/barbell row

WOD: “Space Jam”
20 Rounds for reps of :30on/:30off
5 Burpee to Target
5 Box Jump
5 Wallball Shots

Mobility:
Back FR
Quad Lax
Lat Band

First off, everyone was SO NICE. The instructors and other gym members all came up and introduced themselves at some point during the workout. They were pretty patient with me and very helpful which was nice because I had no idea what I was doing.

Warm Up:

Prior to the warm up that was listed they had us do 5 minutes of light cardio. This was good because I was freezing so we spun it out on the stationary bikes. After that it was a nice, easy warm up that loosened up the shoulders and got the blood flowing.

Strength:

Since I had never done a push press before I decided to play it safe and start with a really low weight of 25 lbs. Evan and the instructors gave me lots of advice on my form. I got through a set and it was far too easy so I went back for the 10 lbs plates bringing it up to 35 lbs. I got through another set and decided to try upping it a little more with two 2.5 plates but that proved to be a little too much for the push press. I made it to 7 and just couldn't get my arms to go all the way up on the 8th. I was keeping the weight the same for the barbell rows and that was ridiculously easy.

WOD:

These three exercises seem innocent enough but man, when you are trying to beat the clock they can really take a toll on you. I used a very short box (basically a step stool) and a light ball and I was still dying.

One set in I felt fine. Cut to four sets in and I was shaking and slowing. I could barely get five burpees done in thirty seconds and then I would knock out the box jumps and wallballs in the next thirty seconds. I probably managed nine sets by the end. 

Post WOD:

My arms are dead, I had trouble lifting them to wash my hair.

My knees are bruised from the burpees. My lack of upper body strength causes my descent to be rather uncontrolled...more like a fall really and after a few sets I didn't have the energy to pop back up so my knees took a beating.

My brain is tired. Seriously it feels fuzzy with lack of sleep. Fuzzy brain.

Even with all that, I am looking forward to going back next week!

...and because I have no pictures from the workout, here is a picture of Isis and Zo. :)

Love this Creature

Weekly Training Ramblings

Route 13 on my long Saturday ride

In an attempt to post regularly to my blog I've decided to start a weekly training post. The content will be training stuff, duh.

The big news in this post is that this is week one of training with a legit, certified triathlon coach from 207multisport. When I made the decision to train for an IRONMAN I realized that that was a far bigger commitment to take on by myself. I'd need some help!

I can see training with a coach having at least two huge benefits:

1. Feedback - They will review my workouts and tweak future ones, as well as give me advice on how to improve.

2. Accountability - I'm pretty good at solo training...but I occasionally skip workouts and that can easily snowball. Having a coach really motivates you to get all your workouts in every week.

My coaches are helping me train for the Louisiana Marathon in mid-January while building up a solid base of swimming and cycling. Once I finish Louisiana, I will kick over into full triathlon training and start preparing for my crazy year of two half Iron distance races and IMMD!

Week 1 Training:

Swim is in blue, bike in purple, and run in green

This week was a lot of fun. I swam in the mornings before work, tackling my runs and rides at night. All this week at the pool there was an older gentleman who decided he wanted to help me and he gave me advice on my front crawl form. The few things he taught me that made a huge difference were:

1. Don't push off the wall hard with your toes, it can give you crippling foot cramps - this happened to me a LOT on Monday (which is how we started talking). On Wednesday and Friday I focused on not pushing off as hard and trying to push more with my heels and I haven't had any cramps since!

2. Bend your arms in as they go underneath your body and angle your hands down. My arms were going straight down and that... isn't optimal.

3. Keep your head down. When you put your head under water make sure your line of sight is straight down to the bottom of the pool. This brings your legs up so they aren't dragging behind you as much and allows water to pass over your head more easily. This one is hard to remember every time but it is very noticeable when you get it right.

4. Timing and entry of your hands/arms into the water. I can't explain this one really... but you just KNOW when you've got it right. You just flow.

At first I was slightly bothered by the thought that this guy was watching me under water but he gave me really good advice so I am going to let it go. By Friday he said that I made huge improvements in just one week and he had nothing more to teach me! I'm just that good. :P

The runs and rides went mostly as they were supposed to with a few exceptions. I invited the Husband on my Saturday long ride and stupidly let him pick the route. We ended up riding up Mont Vernon around mile three - and I told my husband I hated him. I don't really but dude, seriously? The majority of the ride was on scenic route 13 and we had a nice time. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather for a bike ride and the fall foliage is really popping here.

My long run was this morning in the rain. I kept thinking about putting it off or running on the treadmill but the forecast wasn't going to improve throughout the day and Evan is doing woodworking in the basement so I didn't really want to breathe that all in while running ten miles... not to mention ten miles on the treadmill would suuuuck. So outside I went and it turns out I love running in the rain, I was able to stick to the heart rate zones and felt really strong by the end of the run.

Overall I am really happy with this week of training and I am looking forward to what next week brings! Now I am going to eat everything I can find and cuddle with my pups while watching the rain.

Akron Marathon 2016

I've finished my 6th marathon in my 5th state IN UNDER FIVE HOURS! Ohio is done!

Pre-Race:

Mist trying to hide from the morning sun

A few weeks ago I flew out to Cleveland, Ohio to visit family and run the Akron Marathon. I left the east coast at 8AM and landed in the Buckeye state around 10AM. It was a super quick flight, it felt like when we just reached altitude we were ready to start our descent!

The Beast

I rented a car through Avis and when I got there the very nice lady behind the counter asked if this beast would be OK. I always rent the cheapest, smallest, most economical thing I can get so I wasn't really sure how to respond. I think I just kind of stared at her for awkwardly for a few minutes because she then said... "It will cost the same." and that snapped me  right out of it and I happily agreed. I actually really enjoyed driving The Beast. I drove all around Ohio and only used a quarter of a tank of gas and it was great for driving the family around.

I'm not too steady on mah feet, hence choppy panoramic

The first item on my must-do list was to see Lake Erie. It was a quick 15 minute drive from the airport and I felt like I couldn't possibly skip it seeing how close I was. So The Beast and I drove straight north and found Lakewood Park. It was an incredibly beautiful little spot with a nice paved walkway along the shore of the lake. I have now seen TWO of the Great Lakes in the last year! Michigan, Ontario, and Huron, I'm coming for you!

:)

 After that I headed straight to my grandpa's house. I haven't seen him since my wedding in 2010. I am ashamed of myself. For the first day we mostly just hung out at the house and in the evening some more of the family came over for a little cookout. I haven't seen any of these guys since 2010! It was wonderful to just relax and catch up.

I like my butt in this picture

The next morning I headed to the expo fairly early to grab my bib and hopefully find something to replace my FlipBelt, which I had accidentally left at home. This was a problem because I wanted to carry my cellphone during the race in case my mom needed to contact me (which she did, numerous times).

When I arrived at the John S. Knight Center I got turned around and managed to walk through the entire expo backwards to reach bib pick up... and then I had to go all the way through again to get the shirt, race bag, etc. I ended up finding a great FlipBelt alternative made by Nathan. I feel like it is more secure and it was way more comfortable to wear! I may have also picked up a small (really small!) 26.2 magnet. It's pink and it's awesome.

Ready, set, GO!

Next, I walked a few streets over to see the race start. They had painted the actual starting line on the road, which was pretty cool. They also had a Blue Line painted on almost the entire course so there was little chance of getting lost! The Blue Line is a theme throughout the race (one that I don't exactly understand) and they had it through the entire expo as well - which is amusing because I DID get lost in the expo!

Can you tell I've just discovered panoramic mode?

After the expo it was back to my Grandpa's house! We decided to take a little drive through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We drove around and enjoyed some of the sights and then headed out for ice cream. Not bad pre-race fuel! We headed back to the house, feasted on some delicious lasagna courtesy of my wonderful friend, Robin who came with my mom on this trip... and I was asleep by 9PM.

RACE DAY!

I was up bright and early Saturday morning. My mom actually kept bugging me so I wouldn't fall asleep again. I was able to get ready pretty quickly because I had laid everything out the night before AND slept in most of my running clothes. I managed to choke down about half a bagel and I headed down to the city!

Shiny

I parked in some random little lot in Akron and booked it to the race start (this becomes important later on). It was still dark out and they had the starting line spectacularly lit up. I had just enough time to take my pre-race Huma, hit the port-o-potties, and find my spot in line. They were being pretty strict with making sure you were in the correct starting corral which for me meant I was NOT in the corral with the 4:40 pacer. I tried to get them to let me in but had no luck.

I stood back moping until the first corral took off and then they just let the two remaining mesh together so I quickly scooted up to my pacer. A few minutes later and we were running through the starting line of the Akron Marathon!

Miles 1-6:

The course starts out on a bit of a down hill. This was great except unbeknownst to me (because I didn't study the route at all), we'd have to climb back up this hill later... and I didn't like it as much that time around.

Hey! A Picture!

You start out right in the heart of Akron and run northeast for a six mile loop. We were passing by pretty impressive historic buildings, like the court house, mixed with contemporary museums. Just after a mile of running we crossed Little Cuyahoga River via the All America Bridge. This bridge is actually a viaduct and we were 134ft up at it's highest point.

My mom and Robin met me around mile three. I spotted them at a corner and ran up to my mom for a high five but she was too busy snapping pictures of me. I yelled out "Stop taking pictures and give me a high five!!" The small group of spectators near my mom got a little chuckle out of that. She did put the camera down just in time to give me a quick high five and then I was back on my way!

Oh yea, I wanted to mention the pacer. I started out right behind Mr. 4:40 pacer because that was my exact goal. We should have been running 10:40 miles. While I attempted to stick with him every time I checked my watch we were quite a bit below 10:40. For those first six miles I probably averaged a 10:25. At first I figured he was trying to bank a little time, we had some decent downhills and I knew the course was a little hilly so I went with it... After six miles I had enough of that, he was keeping up the pace and it was going to hurt me so I let him go. Everyone around me agreed that he was going out WAY too fast. I'd b shocked if he actually got anyone from the start to the finish successfully.

Miles 7-12:

Once you loop back to the starting area (you are one block over), you then head south for another six mile loop. The scenery is much of the same, apparently we ran back over the viaduct (which I have no recollection of) and then through Akron University. This section of the course consisted of many small rolling hills which were slowly but surely taking their toll on me.

During the first half of this race I was full of energy and was waving and thanking every volunteer and police officer out there. I swear over the entire course I probably thanked at least 50 officers. They were out in force at EVERY intersection. It was wonderful to see them and I really did appreciate their presence. There was more than one occasion where people were trying to drive on or cross a closed street and the officers were out there keeping us safe.

I loved the entertainment during this race. There were good bands spread out evenly and the aid stations were full of awesome people... but the best part of this race was the Hero Stations. This is actually the Akron Children's Hospital Marathon and you can opt to be a Children's Champion and raise money for the hospital, which I did! Thanks to my wonderful family and friends I raised over $600. Anyway, along the course they had these stations set up and patients from the hospital were out there cheering on the runners. Talk about a pick-me-up! It was wonderful and sad at the same time to see these kids. I high-fived everyone I could. It gave me the biggest boost of energy every time.

Miles 13-18:

Right at the start of this section there was another rather long climb to get out of the way as you head northwest out of the heart of Akron. This was where I started to regret trying to keep up with that damn pacer. I was still thanking officers and volunteers and high-fiving everyone but I was getting tired. Not a great sign when you are just half way through a race and you know there are hard hills yet to come.

Around mile 16 the course takes a fun little detour through the grounds of the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. It was built by the founder of Goodyear Tire and apparently it is one of the largest homes in the US. As we ran by almost every runner made some sort of joke that that was their home.

A little after mile 17 I got a call from my mom. Really?! She was letting me know they were waiting around mile 15 for me... I explained that I was a bit past mile 15 and she said that they would try to find another spot a little farther down. Due to the out and back and loops on the course they were able to quickly hop over to mile 23 and wait for me there.

Miles 19-26:

These last handful of miles were definitely the most beautiful. You are running through old neighborhoods with mansions. Spectators were out in force at this time. People had all sorts of homemade stations set up. You could basically get whatever you wanted, including beer. I have yet to grab a beer from anyone during a race.

I saw my family at mile 23. Unfortunately they were across the road but I waved and shouted out to my grandpa. Robin dashed out across the road to me to give me a high-five, which was pretty epic. It made me really happy to see everyone and you guessed it... it gave me a nice little boost to bring it home.

On the way back into Akron there was this hill. It was incredibly evil. It just kept going up and up and up and it was so very hot. That's really all I remember. Hot. Up hill. Lasted forever. Where is the water stop? I was pretty spent at the top so the rest of the race was a blur. I do know we got some decent downhills but at that point I was taking walk breaks. *Sigh* Someday I'll get through a marathon without walking.

The Last .2:

Usually something memorable happens in the last .2 mile of a marathon for me. Oftentimes I meet someone right at the end and we push each other to the finish like Franconia girl in the Big Sur Marathon. This time it was that I was running right behind a girl who became the world record holder for running a marathon in a chef's outfit carrying a 6.5 lbs stock pot. Not gonna lie, I spent most of that last .2 laughing at her but she's pretty kick ass really. I would never EVER want to run in some uncomfortable getup and I would definitely never run carrying a frigging stock pot! I actually let her go ahead of me to so she could have her time in the spotlight at the finish (and so that I wouldn't be completely overshadowed by her when I went through).

Finish Time: 04:54:28
Pace: 11:04

Post Race:

Play Ball! NOT.

The finish was in a baseball stadium near the start of the race. It was VERY fun to run through. They had everything set up right on the field - the food and beer tents, medical, entertainment, etc. They had live video of everyone running through the finish up on the big screens.

Marathon Socks!

Once I made it through the finish line the first thing I thought was WHERE ARE THE MEDALS? I asked for one and they said I had to keep moving to actually get a medal. I don't think you guys understand... I just ran 26.2 (plus a little extra according to my Garmin). I GET MY MEDAL RIGHT AT THE FINISH. I grudgingly moved on and found another group of people...but they didn't have medals, they had socks. The socks are actually pretty kick ass but at that point I was still focused on my medal. What good would a pair of socks do me??

My mom, Robin, my Uncle Eric, and his kids were supposedly waiting for me outside of the stadium. I was relaxing on the grass waiting for them when I get a text from my mom: "Oops! Wrong stadium!" that's right, they went to the wrong ball park! Apparently there was a game going on there so people were tailgating and they thought that was it. Luckily it didn't take them long to locate the correct park.

I finally got another text from my mom that they were waiting outside the park, so I started searching for an exit. This required climbing up through the stands and out of the back of the stadium. I hobbled out there and texted my mom that I was there only to have her tell me she was actually inside now...so I told her to meet me by the medical tent and I hobbled my way BACK down. I waited a rather long time and I was just starting to become concerned when I got another text from my mom saying that they were not allowed down there and I'd have to meet them outside. After some major grumbling I hobbled back out yet again and finally met up with my family. (Despite all the grumbling, I was incredibly happy my family and friends were there at the finish!)

Now, remember how I mentioned that I quickly parked and booked it to the race start? Well now it was time to figure out where I parked and my marathon-addled brain hadn't the slightest clue where that was. I dragged my poor family slowly up and down the streets of Akron trying to find my car. Finally I was able to get my phone to recall where I had parked (a wonderful Google feature) and we headed straight there.

Picture taken back in the comfy hotel bed

Back at the hotel after a very painful shower (I chafed really badly on one inner thigh which caused much squealing in the shower) and about an hour of laying in bed I headed back out to my Grandpa's. That evening we headed over to my cousin Lindsey's house for another cookout. They made a delicious meal of steak and chicken skewers and then we played some CaH, which was hilarious (and a little awkward)! It was a great way to relax after the race.

Sunday was spent hanging out with my Grandpa we took him to lunch and then just relaxed and enjoyed the nice day. I had to head to bed early because my flight back home was scheduled to depart at 6:30AM the next morning.

This was definitely not my typical trip for a marathon but I wouldn't change a thing. I had a wonderful time and it meant so much to see my Grandpa. It was really hard to leave. While I won't be heading back to Ohio to run the Akron Marathon again any time soon, I will be going back to visit my family. I won't be waiting another six years.

IMMD 2017

Eeeeeeee!

It's official! This morning I signed up for IRONMAN Maryland in 2017.

Big Sur International Marathon 2016

RACE DAY!

YAY!

Sunday morning I woke up at 3AM to get ready for the Big Sur International Marathon. The nice thing about living on the east coast is that this really didn't feel all that early. It's around the same time I am supposed to be getting up for work... which doesn't necessarily mean it's when I actually get up... but anyway... I had everything laid out that I needed so I quickly got dressed, gathered up all my stuff, and headed downstairs for a bite to eat (french press coffee and some toast with peanut butter).

The night before I had agreed to carpool with Martin, another runner who was staying at the AirBnb. Martin had pretty interesting story. He grew up in South Africa, met his wife in England, and together they decided to move to the USA. It turns out that they fell in love with and relocated to Montclair, New Jersey which is the same town that my Uncle has lived in for years. They didn't know each other but it was still a pretty neat coincidence!

Spooky

Once we found parking we took a twenty minute shuttle to the race start deep in the woods at Big Sur Station. There we were surrounded by these huge towering trees with spotlights casting eerie shadows everywhere. I found a somewhat quiet spot and sat down to wait for the race to start.

Make this sh*tter great again?

I eventually got bored of just sitting in a parking lot so I wandered around a little bit. All of the port-o-potties had funny signs taped to them and I found the one above particularly amusing. Even more so now. I ended up waiting in line for coffee and a bagel just for something to do and to keep warm. It was quite chilly and I didn't bring any throw-away clothes. After a while we were called to the road to line up for the start. I was in the last corral and we were so far back we couldn't see the start.

Miles 1-4:

I don't have any photos from the start of the race but the first four miles were mostly downhill through the woods. I focused on running my own race and not getting caught up in the excitement and going too fast. For this race I told myself I wasn't going to run with anyone else. My performance seems to suffer when I run with others. Not their fault but I end up running their pace and talking. Since I generally train by myself I am not used to talking while running and this takes more energy.

This is not one of the actual trees, it's just a tribute

It was cool and dark in the woods with those majestic trees towering over us. Very comfortable for running. It made me feel a little too optimistic and although I tried very hard to keep myself from going faster than my target pace, I may have slipped up a few times.

Breathtaking

Miles 5-9:

Somewhere after mile four you burst, yes BURST, out of the woods and are greeted with a jaw dropping view. You are running down the road bordered by endless grassy fields on your right and cliffs dropping off to the beautiful Pacific Ocean on your left. When we reached the open fields I started to worry that the famous California sunshine would cause some problems but luckily it always managed to be just cloudy enough that the sun stayed hidden for most of the race. It even misted a tiny bit, which was refreshing.

These miles continued downhill for a little bit and then we had some rolling hills to deal with. They really were not all that bad but I knew they were child's play compared to the beast we had to run up later.

It was somewhere around mile five I met an awesome girl named Blaire and we ended up running together until mile 19. As I said before I wasn't really looking for someone to run with and at first I was annoyed that I couldn't seem to shake her and she kept talking to me but she was incredibly nice and our paces matched almost perfectly.

Blaire had music playing on her phone and she would occasionally play a little recorded clip from one of her friends. Before she left on her marathon she asked friends and family to record something that she could play while running and draw strength from. It was really wonderful to hear all of the support she had out there and it was sweet that she shared it with me.

Up to Hurricane Point

Miles 10-15:

Shortly after mile ten we reached the part of the race I'd been nervous about. Hurricane Point. Hurricane Point is a two mile long climb up to a ledge with winds that will steal the air from your lungs. Thankfully at the bottom of the hill they have one of the best forms of motivation I've ever experienced. Taiko Drums. They were amazing. They played a beat that made the adrenaline rush through your body and gave you strength to make it to the top.

 Blaire and I had made an agreement that we would NOT walk up that hill (I think it was a mountain). It didn't matter how much we'd slow down or how much we hurt. We'd keep running. We stopped talking and just kept trudging up... and up... and up. There were many false turns that tricked you into thinking you'd made it then you'd get around the corner and see that you had another half mile to go. We kept putting one foot after the other until we reached the top. We ran all the way up Hurricane Point. I have never been more proud of myself.

When we finally reached the top we really understood why it's called Hurricane Point. The wind was fierce. You had to hold on to your hat, bib, anything that wasn't firmly attached or else the wind would rip it away. It was actually hard to breathe up there. I had wanted to take a picture but once we were actually there I just wanted to get away as quickly as possible so we kept running.

Hurricane Point to Bixby Bridge

Once you round the corner and the wind isn't howling the first think you notice is the piano music. In the picture above there is a grand piano set up on the far end of that bridge and you can hear it from miles away. The descent to Bixby Bridge is a wonderful three miles. Three miles! That is enough distance to forget all about the pain and suffering one endured to get up to Hurricane Point. That is enough distance to start feeling good again and regaining your will to go on. Hands down, this was the best part of any marathon I've ever run.

Bixby Bridge to Hurricane Point

Blaire and I chatted and laughed all the way down to the Bridge. Once again, I said I wanted to take a picture of the bridge and the grand piano but once there I really just wanted to keep moving. At this point we were well ahead of the five hour pacer and I wanted to keep that lead (which I obviously didn't).

Miles 16-22:

Once down from Hurricane Point and over the hill you are faced with another smaller hill and some false flats that do eventually level out and then down a little bit. At this point I was hurting. Running up Hurricane Point (and down it really) took a lot out of me. The road here had a terrible cant that was really painful at this point in the race.

Somewhere around mile 19 I unfortunately lost Blaire. She wasn't feeling too great and needed to take a quick break so I continued on alone. For some reason I don't quite remember this part of the race. All I know is that I was tired and hurting and just wanted to be done. I unfortunately started taking walk breaks.

Miles 23-26:

Once again, my memories are a bit fuzzy during these miles. We started getting closer to Carmel and the road moved away from the coast and into more residential areas. It was around mile 23 that I started really considering quitting. I was unhappy and the 5 hour pace group passed me. I was SO mad that I slowed down that much.

Right around mile 23 I started talking to a girl who is from Franconia, NH. I latched onto her and didn't let go until the finish.

The Last .2:

I was still with Franconia when we passed the 26 mile marker. I looked at her and barely croaked out that we had to make New Hampshire proud and we sprinted to the finish. I am very grateful that I met Franconia lady, otherwise I very well might have just sat down and been done with only .2 miles to go. I did not quit though and I completed my 5th marathon in my 4th state with a 5 minute PR!

Once I crossed over that finish line my body decided it was time to stop. Everything. I hobbled through and got a medal, and got a little ways away from the finish and collapsed on a table. I told myself I was waiting for Blaire but I was really incapable of moving.

Blaire came through the finish maybe five minutes after me and we hugged and congratulated each other. I finally convinced my body that I should move and I went through the food tent grabbing everything, even though all I wanted was chocolate milk and sleep. I found a spot on the ground and laid there in a daze for a good few minutes.

Eventually I roused and sat up and chatted with a nice gentleman who took the below picture of me. One thing that I really do not like about race finishes is that it's so loud. They always have a band playing and I get that it's a celebration and a bit of a party but after I have run 26.2 (or more) miles all I want is quiet. The noise completely overwhelms me and I end up leaving the celebrations as soon as possible.

How do I have no chin?

Finish Time: 05:02:20
Pace: 11:32

Post Race Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this race. I once again missed the goal I set for myself but I still PR'ed by about five minutes and I'll take that. This was a very challenging course, by far the hardest marathon I've run and I still managed to get faster and have a great time.

The things that really helped me through the more painful parts of the race were Blaire and her infectious optimism and the view. Every time I let myself think about how much I hurt or how much I wanted to stop I would think - hey, you are running a marathon in friggin' California. Every view was spectacularly gorgeous. It was definitely enough to distract you from all the miles you had left.

I've told everyone that I do not intend to run any marathon twice but I have a feeling I will see Big Sur again. Perhaps once I have a few more marathons under my belt and I've cut my PR down a bit more I'll head back out there and challenge Hurricane Point once more.

Big Sur International Marathon Part I (The Days Prior)

Last week April I ran the Big Sur International Marathon in California! It is my fifth marathon in my fourth state!

Hello California!

What an amazing trip. I had so much fun I *almost* didn't want to come home. I flew out to San Jose Thursday night before the race, rented a car, and drove to my AirBnb in Seaside. This was my first experience with AirBnb and I loved it! I stayed in the Finch Room at the Historic Landmark House in Seaside with hosts Annemarie and Jesse.

My petite guest room

Every morning I was there the hosts would come down and make breakfast and hang out with the guests, getting to know everyone as well as giving us tips for what sights we should see, good restaurants in the area, etc. There were some very interesting people staying at the house. I loved coming down and having some french press coffee and chatting with everyone.

All the pictures inside the aquarium came out bad so this is what you get.

The first full day I was there my first stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Annemarie and Jesse suggested going early and even got me a discounted pass. Truthfully, aquariums are not my thing. Everything is so beautiful and I appreciate that but I feel so bad for everything that lives in those tiny tanks, swimming in circles. I know it's educational but these creatures should be free. So I wandered around for a little bit and then just decided to get out as quickly as possible.

After the aquarium I walked around that downtown area a little bit but decided it was too touristy for my tastes and I headed to the marathon expo. For some reason I thought it was a brilliant idea to WALK to the expo. In my not-so-comfortable sandals. It was as if nature agreed with me and about half way through my 1.25 mile walk it absolutely poured. So now I was soaking wet, because I had no rain gear, and my feet were developing blisters from rubbing against my wet sandals. Brilliant idea Whitney. Brilliant.

Poof! That's what my hair is doing.

Anyway, I got to the expo, got my race packet and decided to peruse the merchandise for once. I ended up walking out with a very nice visor (in the picture below) that I use on every run. It is a wonderful hat and I love it!

Love this visor!

Next on my to-do list was to find a local brewery/brew pub. Luckily for me (because I was still on foot) the Alvarado Street Brewery was a pretty short walk from the expo. Most people must have still been at the expo at the time because I had no trouble getting a spot at the bar. Once I had my food it started pouring again and more runners found  their way to the brewery making it quite crowded. It was fun because just about everyone sitting at the bar was there for the race, so I had a nice time chatting with everyone. I like hearing how far people come for a race. I think I traveled the farthest out of everyone I met though.

Nom Nom Nom

For food I got delicious grilled artichokes followed by fish tacos. It was a VERY messy meal, I felt like I needed to take a shower after. For beers I believe I had Eddie would Gose and Citraveza, a Mexican lager. Don't hold me to that though, it was 5 months ago!

This Might be the hardest hole on the course? IDK

After lunch I walked the 1.25 miles back to my car and decided to take a little drive. Everyone told me to skip the 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach but eh, I had time and truthfully I loved it. The houses were obscenely gorgeous, the road was fun and I got to see some of the famous golf courses. Not like that really mattered to me, but it did make some of my coworkers jealous.

After that I drove down into Big Sur a bit to see what the course was like. I am going to share those pictures during the actual race report because I didn't stop to take any pictures while running. I am SO glad that I did this sightseeing on Friday versus Saturday. When I drove around on Saturday all of the landmarks on the marathon course were packed with cars and people. When I went there was no one out there.

On the way back I amused (and terrified) myself by basically taking note of all the up and downhill portions of the course. I did this by repeatedly saying "Up-up-up-uuuuuuuupppppp" all the way up a hill and "Dooooown-down-down-down" on the way back down. I maybe said "Flat-flat" twice during that drive. THERE WERE NO FLATS. Thinking back, doing this to myself was a bad idea.

Formerly Clint Eastwood's Inn

After driving some of the course (I didn't make it all the way) I headed back in search of dinner. I heard good things about the town of Carmel so I headed that way. First, I stopped in at the Hog's Breath Inn for a beer. At the time I was completely unaware of the rather famous history of this place. It was owned by Clint Eastwood until 1999. It is a very funky little place with an outdoor patio with fire pits and a little bar in a completely separate building out back. That is where I ended up sitting. Right next to a raging fire and a few mounted hog heads.

For dinner I actually went to Casanova, a little European restaurant down the street. I don't seem to have any pictures of this place (which is probably a good thing because this post is already quite long) but I loved it here. I ended up sitting in a covered patio type area and talking to a very nice couple who suggested I look at the wine cellar. I asked if I could go see it and was given a little tour of the dusty rows of shelves that hold nearly 16,000 wines.

And THAT wraps up my first day in California! 

So sweet!

Day two started out with the wonderful breakfast provided by my AirBnb hosts and I decided to get out early and walk around Point Lobos, a small state natural reserve. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. The views were spectacular. I felt like I was on a tropical island. The waters were a beautiful clear blue and every view was more breathtaking than the last.

This is my favorite view

The park is home to lots of wildlife, the highlights being mother seals with their pups and otters. I spent 10 minutes just peering down at a beach watching the seals bask in the sun. There were also adorable partridges running around in the woods but I only got terrible pictures of them. One even posed for me on a log!

View from the highest point

I ended up walking about 5 miles around the entire park, which is not exactly the best idea the day before a marathon, but it was so worth it.

So what was up next? More driving and walking around of course! I drove BACK down through Big Sur to McWay Falls. This spot is famous for the little waterfall you can see below. The rest of the park that heads away from the coast is not very nice. I  tried to explore and I did find a little waterfall but the paths were hard to follow, some leading to dead ends or treacherous stream crossings. I decided to head out before I broke an ankle.

It was during this little excursion that I found that all of the beautiful sights along Big Sur were absolutely overrun with runners who had just gotten in for the weekend. Actually at McWay Falls you can't tell but I was squished between many, many tourists.

I headed back to Seaside and instead of going back to the Hog's Breath like I had planned I opted for a small Italian restaurant that was much closer. I had ravioli and tons of water and got to bed around 8PM.

Next up... the race report!

My First DNF: Pitch Pine Challenge Olympic Triathlon

This past Saturday I woke up at 4:20AM, packed all my gear in the Subaru, and headed out on a two hour long trek to White Lake State Park in Tamworth, NH.

Can you find all six floats?

A little side story before I get into the details of the race... The day before I was driving to pick up food for dinner. I was on a four lane road and as I was slowing for a red light I saw a gorgeous coyote. Its coat was fluffy and healthy. It trotted across the road and sat down on a hill overlooking the road.

At the same time I saw a woman pull over on the side of the road. I was a little concerned since the coyote was right there. She hopped out of the car and just walked over and picked up this not so small turtle who was on the white line craning his neck out attempting to cross the road. I love reading rescue stories like that, so seeing one in action was great. It made my night so I wanted to share!

Ok, back to the race! I was up at 4:20 to hit the road. I packed almost everything the night before and actually made a pretty good list of what I needed along with where each of those items were... Most items were listed as in the car, but my watch was charging on my desk, and my liquid nutrition was in the fridge. I am going to use this method from now on. Oftentimes I will pack and then second guess myself and have to rummage through my bags to make sure I have everything. This completely eliminated that uncertainty.

I got a few streets away when I realized I didn't actually go through my list to make sure I had everything, so I pulled over and ran through it once... only to realize I left my WATCH at home! No way was I doing a triathlon without my awesome triathlon watch so I turned around and headed back. I got about one house down from mine and saw ANOTHER beautiful, although petrified, coyote. He ended up running down our driveway so I felt really bad chasing him all the way there. Talk about the wildlife around my house! I usually only see turkeys. Anyway, ran in, grabbed watch and then I was actually on my way to the race.

I stopped at Dunkin Donuts and grabbed a wake-up wrap with ham and a coffee. By the time I was half way to the race I was hungry again so that wasn't quite enough pre-race food.

I made really good time and got to the race right at 7AM, when transition opened. Registration and getting my race packet and shirt was easy. I got my bike set up at my spot and ran back to the car to get the rest of my gear... when I got back to transition my bike was gone! I was completely confused. Who would steal a bike from a triathlon?? I wandered around for a minute and some guy was like "Hey, 39? You put your bike in spot 31 so I moved it for you." Oops! I had 31 on the brain since upon entering transition you are marked with your age and I am 31! Sorry actual 31!

So organized...

I got everything all set up. Look how pretty and organized that is. LOOK AT IT! One thing that I don't really get is that EVERYONE puts their shoes and gear on top of their towels... so I did too... didn't want to be that odd one... but when I get out of the water the first thing I need is my towel to dry my feet off and have something to sit on. So, why do most triathletes do it this way?

At this point I had quite a bit of time but I decided to get my wetsuit half way on. I was nervous about getting the wetsuit off so I used some Trislide for the first time on my ankles. The previous week when I went out for the first time ever for an open swim in my wetsuit it took me 10 minutes to wiggle out of that thing. I didn't want a 10 minute transition time!

So then there was some waiting, and more waiting... and finally the National Anthem which was amusing because we were all looking for the flag and I saw this woman sprinting across the beach and into the water. She jumped into a boat and held up a flag. The start of this race was a little disorganized and got off to a slightly late start. Not a problem though! Fifteen-ish minutes from the start I took a Huma Lemon gel and pulled my wetsuit all the way on. I made sure that it was pulled up as much as possible so I would not have trouble breathing like I did last time I wore it.

Eventually the men were led out into the water and shortly after it was the women's turn!

The Swim (1900 yd): 38:13 (2:01/100 yd)

We walked out a ways into the water and were just standing there when the director just yells "GO!" with no warning. Ok! We're off! Even though this was a fairly small race I was squished between swimmers over and over. I finally backed off because I didn't feel like getting kicked or punched.

On the way out I had a heck of a time wrapping my head around how far I had to swim. I didn't have much of a rhythm and I had to stop and take a breather once or twice. If you look back at the first picture in this post you can see the first orange float on the right. We started near shore over there and then there are three green floats, and two more orange. You can barely even see the middle green float which was the turn around.

On the way out I got slightly panicky thinking of how far I had to swim and how hard it seemed right from the start. Once I hit the half way I started to feel better. I found a rhythm! Five breaths and I'd sight. That is probably too much sighting but it gave me something to focus on. The way back flew by. Before I knew it I was out of the water trying to pull my wetsuit off.

I am really please with my swim. I was expecting something closer to a 2:30/100 yd pace. I was also happy that I felt good coming out of the water. Not exhausted or anything! I ran up to transition with a big smile on my face.. even while I was swearing at the rocky path we had to run on.

Transition: 4:03

Once I got to transition I set about trying to struggle out of my wetsuit. I asked a few people who were near me for tips and one guy just told me to sit down and he just pulled it off me! WOO! I got my own personal wetsuit stripper! That was amazing and probably saved me a few minutes in transition. I got into my cycling gear and I was off. I know 4:03 isn't a fantastic transition time but I'm happy with it.

The Bike (19.1 miles): 1:16:36 (15 mph)

My head looks crooked

I got through the swim, I was on the bike, and I felt like I was invincible! I took off determined to make this a fast bike leg. I kept looking down and seeing speeds between 15 and 20 mph. I felt really good. I slowed on a few flat spots to make sure I got water and Heed. I was going along yelling thank you's to every volunteer I saw out there and I was just having a great time.

I eventually started to wonder where this hill was that people mentioned and right before mile 9 I found it. That was not really fun. It wasn't particularly steep it just kept going. It did eventually end a little after 1.5 miles and the downhill was amazing! I only brushed the brakes once because I was unsure of a corner. My top speed was 37 mph! I picked my speed back up and headed out for lap number two of the bike course.

I got to mile 19 out of 26 and noticed that I was bouncing a bit. I'd never felt this before so I stopped to investigate. I had a flat. I felt horrible but I tried to jump into action as best as I could. I run up a little ways to a spot where I could put my bike down on the grass and I went about fixing the flat.

Of course it was the rear wheel went flat. Of course! I was a little frazzled and I attempted to take the tire and tube off the rim before moving the whole thing from my bike. Once I realized my mistake I took a step back and tried again. Wheel off? Check! Tire off? Check! New tube installed? Uh. No. Because the spare tube I had wasn't the right kind for my rims. The spare was a Schrader and my bike uses Presta. They are not interchangeable. The Scrader valve doesn't fit through the hole in my rim.

Ok, so just swapping to a new tube was out of the question. Only option was to find the leak. I blew a little air in there and ran my hand around the tube looking for the problem but had no luck. Listening for a leak was not happening because some guy with a huge lawn mower was cutting the grass at the school I had stopped at. I couldn't hear a thing.

At this point two ladies who were cheering for their friend came over to see if they could help. They quickly declared that they had no idea how to help me but it was at least nice to have company and they held my bike for me while I struggled. I ended up using the CO2 inflator to put a little more air in my tire and it seemed like it was holding. I took WAY too long to put the tube and tire back on my rim and then just as long to put the whole thing back on my bike and by the time that was done the tire was flat again.

I knew I was done. I couldn't limp 7 miles over a hill to the bike finish. I hadn't seen any course support vehicles in the 30 minutes I had been stuck so I was starting to wonder how I was going to get back. Luckily the nice ladies who came to help offered to drive me back to the race start in their van. They threw my bike in the back and off we went. Normally I would not accept a ride from strangers but they actually stayed with me the whole time I was trying to fix the flat and they were extremely bubbly, helpful people. I didn't feel unsafe at all.

They dropped me off by my car so I could just leave my bike there and I told them they were my heroes. We parted ways and I set off to turn in my timing chip. I did not intend to get mad when I turned in the chip but I was pretty upset that I saw no actual course support out there and had to rely on the kindness of total strangers to get me back. I talked to a few people who apologized and said they were pretty sure there were support cars out driving the course. They didn't even actually know.

The finish line I didn't get to run through

Post Race:

After I turned in my chip I ended up meeting a girl from NEMS, the local multisport club that I am a member of. We chatted for a little bit and exchanged info so that we could coordinate training sometime. I packed up my gear and found some showers that were 25 cents for 2 minutes. Three quarters later I didn't smell anymore and I was in nice comfy clothes. I headed out of the park in search of food.

Drowning my sorrows

I barely got out the park when I found Hobbs. It was a very nice restaurant and they didn't care that I was basically wearing my pajamas. I plopped down at the bar and had two beers (Bearcamp Brown and Silk Road Hefe) and the English Pea ravioli. It was a great way to chill out a little bit before starting the two hour drive back home. I ran into a few other triathletes that I recognized and congratulated them on their finish.

Even though I am sad that I wasn't able to finish the race overall I am pretty happy with how it was going up until the flat. My swim was fantastic. I found a rhythm and by the end of it I knew I'd have no trouble reaching 1.2 for a half IRONMAN swim distance. The bike was going really well too. I was happy, it was a beautiful day, and I was at a gorgeous lake in the mountains. I am choosing to focus on those things and I've already put the Pitch Pine Challenge on my 2017 must-do list!

Oof, this was quite the lengthy recap... and I didn't even finish the race! I'll be writing a book for the first Olympic triathlon that I actually complete!

Aerobars and Horse Pucky

Yes, my favorite picture of them was taken in my nasty garage

Friday I took the next step in pretending I am a triathlete. I got aerobars! I decided to go with the RedShift Clip-on system mostly because the DCRM review of them was pretty great and because I could easily (get my husband to) remove them.

Tiny bit crooked!

I took them out on the Nashua River Rail Trail figuring that would be a nice flat, relatively safe place to practice. I was wrong. I went around 10:30 and the Rail Trail was VERY busy. I spent most of the time dodging runners, casual cyclists, and the dreaded roller skaters... I got down into aero as much as possible but I was constantly jumping back up to swerve around people. At least it was good practice switching positions!

Oh, about the horse pucky... I was riding along on the rail trail and I saw some horseback riders. I slowed down, moved over and jokingly said "I'll trade with ya!", they laughed and said "no way!". Totally understandable. Passed another pair and said hello. So far I was enjoying seeing the horses out there. Then I get to the next pair and moved over, slowed down, greeted them and got yelled at. One of the riders was like "MOVE OVER AND SLOW DOWN WHEN PASSING HORSES!". I didn't respond. I was angry! I DID move over and I DID slow down. I got even angrier when there were about 5 riders and horses completely blocking the path and then I practically rode through horse pucky! I am now determined to find the barn responsible and lodge a complaint. If you have to pick up after your pets on the trail you damn well have to pick up after your HORSES.

Anyway less venting, more aero-experimenting! Aero position is not easy. I had more than a few "oh, shit!" moments. I don't really have a solid enough core so every time I went to switch I was fairly unstable. I guess that means more plank time for me!

I've got my first Olympic Triathlon this weekend at the Pitch Pine Challenge! Bring it on!