American Odyssey Relay - race report

 I have so many things to post about! I'm still dealing with injuries, but managed to have a great relay last weekend and half marathon the weekend before that. Updates coming soon on my fun times at the HM and physical therapy!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let me start off by warning you that relays are a terrible idea. You will get NO sleep, it will take up your entire weekend (plus the packing and organizing beforehand), it will cost too much money, and you are running a very small portion of the actual race. I texted Beau at 4am, "This is awful in so many ways."

But actually? It was tons of fun. Against my better judgment, I will probably do another some time.

the American Odyssey Relay!

 There are 12 people on a team, divided into 2 vans. The vans leapfrog each other- Van 1 goes first, runners 1 - 6. Van 2 is waits at the exchange point where runner 6 finishes, and then Van 2 takes over for runners 7-12. Van 1 drives ahead to the next exchange to wait for runner 12, and then runner 1 starts the whole thing over again. Each runner runs 3 legs and the total distance is about 200 miles from Gettysburg, PA to Washington, DC.

the whole team at the starting line

cool shot of Van 2

I didn't know all the people on my team really well, but had a couple good friends in my van. Um, I loved my van. I cannot think of a better group of 6 personalities to be together for 30+ hours in a small SUV operating on little sleep. 

Van 1, minus Jaclyn who was running at the time

Lexi, our Runner 6 and MVP

the hand off: Runner 4 to Runner 5

being cozy in the Pilot

At my 5 year old nephew's suggestion, our team name was "the Honey Badgers". Do yourself a favor and watch this video. Unless you don't want to hear some bad language.... then don't watch the video. But it is hilarious.


The other team from my running club nicknamed themselves "the Badger Catchers". I thought they were pretty clever.

I was runner 4 and absolutely loved my runs. My first leg was the hardest at 8.9 miles and super hilly. I was surprised that I maintained an 8:36 average pace, but it was great to power up the hills and then fly down. It was a good rhythm to get into, and before I knew it I was handing off the slap bracelet to runner 5, Brenna.

finishing my first leg

Trying to sleep at the second exchange.

My second leg was a short night run at 4 miles. I was hoping to keep a sub 8 min/mile pace for my night run, but it was a little hillier than I anticipated and my average pace was 8:06. This run was at about 10pm and I was motivated to get back to the van because I thought I might get a chance to go to sleep. What a lie I was telling myself. Once runner 6 finished her night run, we all intended on sleeping a few hours before our last runs. You'd think it would be easy to fall asleep after being up for so long and running.... but no. I think I slept about an hour and then our alarms were going off to go meet Van 2 the exchange. I felt SO nauseous and SO yuck. It was the weirdest feeling to be standing along side the C&O Canal at 3:30 in the morning to cheer on Runner 1. Just a couple hours later, it was my turn to run my final 6.6 mile leg. I was lucky enough to enjoy the sun rise on the beautiful C&O Canal. I started out (still) feeling yucky, but eventually fell into a nice pace. I passed  few people and cruised into the transition averaging an 8:29 min/mile for my last leg.

Once our van had finished our third run, we drove to the finish line downtown and collapsed, waiting for Van 2. It was exhausting just laying there.

Jaclyn, Brenna, and I at the finish

Finally, a few hours later, our last runner came in and we all ran across the finish line together. Success!

I'm smiling because I know I'm going home soon.

All kidding aside, it really was a lot of fun. I would be hesitant to do another relay because this one fell into place so well. My van-mates were perfect, the weather (for my runs) was perfect, the mileage and course was perfect, and I don't know if another relay would be able to live up to this experience. But just like SO MANY things in my life (Marathon! Skyline Century! Thru hike!) I will probably forget every miserable thing and still want to do it again if the opportunity comes up again. But this time maybe I won't be the team captain. :)

(you may think I'm kidding, but I'm not)

Just so everyone knows, I'm slipping into depression due to an unexplained injury that is preventing me from running, and is not getting any better with rest.

I have a half marathon in one week and three days and  relay race in two weeks and three days.

The end.

new shoe day is always a good day

 

Inaugural run with my new pair of Brooks PureConnects... and I already got them dirty.

 

 

countdown to summer

today's view from the copy room at work

I really don't mind winter. I prefer running in the cold. I like being cozy in sweatshirts and leggings.

But man, do I miss all of this:

 

 

 

I want:

hiking on the AT

thru hiker trail magic

long bike rides

farmer's markets

trail running

garden tomatoes

did I mention hiking??

eating dinner on the deck

 

 

Just a couple more months...

 

a poem

 

 

blowdrying and straightening your hair

is so much harder

on strength training days

omg [running] SHOES

I love my running shoes.

When I first started running, I had whatever pair of shoes that had probably been in use since 9th grade gym class. This was fine, and I kept buying cheap shoes I found on sale as the old pair wore out.

After my first half marathon, when I was getting more into running, I was gifted a pair of Vibram FiveFingers and gradually started wearing them exclusively for running. I loved them! I went on to run a couple half marathons in the Vibrams over the years. My favorite style has ended up being the Bikila LS. I'm on my third pair of these, and I hate to admit that my current pair needs to be replaced soon! The only thing I don't like about these shoes is the ~$100 price tag. But these shoes majorly transformed how I ran - teaching me how to forefoot strike and run naturally. I credit my injury-free running career to the Vibrams.

Vibram Bikila LS

I started training for my first marathon in Vibrams Five Fingers. When I was ramping up mileage I started getting some tendon pain, so I decided to get something with more support. I got a pair of Brooks GTS 7 shoes, which worked out fine. They felt clunky compared to the Vibrams, but I was worried about running 40 miles a week in the Vibrams and straining my tendons due to overuse.

Brooks GTS - quite the difference from the Vibrams!

A little while after the marathon, I was at an REI attic sale and spotted a pair of gently used Brooks PureConnects for $20. It was love at first step. I had been eyeing these babies for a while, but their $120 price tag drove me away from ever actually trying them out. Now I swear by my fancy running shoes and will never go back to anything but a quality minimalist shoe.

Brooks PureConnect - the best running shoe ever!

I find the PureConnects to be the perfect balance for someone who likes the feel of the barefoot "shoe" but needs something with a little more sustainability for more miles. These shoes feel fast and I highly recommend them! My husband also wears these and honestly believes they hold magical properties. Running was hard for him, and not enjoyable. Since getting these shoes, he enjoys going out for a run and feels.. magically faster in them.

The only downside to any minimalist shoe is that they wear out quickly. The soles are very soft and will get torn up if you run on gravel or trails in them.

That said, I also have a pair of trail runners, also made by Brooks. I was first introduced to Brooks Cascasdias on the Appalachian Trail, where it seemed like every other hiker wore them. When I started trail running more seriously last summer, I wanted something more durable and grippy. I wear the Cascadias as my trail runners and hiking shoes, and absolutely love them.

Brooks Cascadias- my trail shoes

I would be interested in trying a more minimalist trail shoe, like the PureGrit. I'm not sure how I would like have a thinner sole for trail running. The rocks and roots and mud on the trails can be hard on your feet! Maybe at the next REI sale I will find a pair I can snag.

So there you have it! My running shoe collection, which I take far more pride in than my regular shoes. :)

my 2014 schedule

I don't usually plan this, but most years end up having kind of a theme for me. 2013 was the Year of Running - first marathon, first time getting into trail running and a subsequent trail half marathon, joining a running club, first time winning a race, etc. 2012 was the Year of Hiking (obvs), 2011 the Year of Eventing (when I was leasing an event horse and showing regularly), and so on. Of course I still had running achievements during 2012 and good hikes in 2013, but there tends to be a standout theme for each year.

So what will 2014 be? I would be smart to devote my time and hard earned race entry money into one thing. But I am not smart and I want to do ALL THE THINGS. But here's my tentative schedule, introducing TWO firsts in Mackenzie history.... a relay and a triathlon!

April 19 - Flannery Pub Run HM
April 25 & 26 - the American Odyssey Relay
June- a week on the John Muir Trail in California (!)
August 2 - Culpeper Sprint Triathlon
September 13th - VHTRC Women's Trail HM (if I get in!)
October 18th, 25th and/or Nov 1st - Fall Foliage 10k Trail Series

I feel like each one of these events could cover an entire blog post. And I guess they probably will!

I look at these events and picture each one being really fun in a unique way. The April half will be Beau's first. The relay will be tiring and crazy. The JMT is the freaking JMT. The baby tri will be scary and awesome. And the trail races in the fall because I heart trail running, and there is no better time for trails than in the fall.

There are also no real cycling events on the calendar. Each year, Beau and I usually do one or two centuries together. As the years go on, we still really love the time on our bikes, but feel less of a need to do a paid cycling event. It is just as fun to do one on our own or with friends, and obviously cheaper. There is talk of repeating the Skyline Sufferfest, and maybe by the fall I will have forgotten how terrible it was.

I'm crossing my fingers that all of these events will work out. Some of the events have lotteries or deadlines far enough away that I haven't registered yet. The JMT won't be finalized until we hear back about permits and buy plane tickets.

 I'm excited for this year! I normally don't have everything planned out this far in advance, but just writing this blog post is getting me so antsy for spring!

Ringing in Hope 10k

So, dear readers (both of you), maybe you are interested in how the New Year's 10k went. Maybe you are wondering if I stuck to my plan and met my goal of running it in under 50 minutes.

Well! I'm happy to report that I had an awesome race!

 While my main goal was to come in at under 50 minutes (a 7:58 min/mile pace) I had a separate goal of maintaining a 7:50 minute mile. A friend from my running club had a similar goal, so we ran the whole thing together and it really helped to pace each other and stay accountable throughout the entire race.

I intended on starting off at 7:55ish, then after the halfway mark evaluate how I'm feeling to see if I could push it more in the second half. Of course, I started much faster than I wanted. But I felt really good the whole race. I definitely pushed myself harder than I ever have in a race this distance, but felt strong. I ended up finishing in 48:21, which is a 7:44 pace! If you're interested, my Garmin data is here on Strava and my splits are below.

Mile 1     7:42

Mile 2     7:42

Mile 3     7:54

Mile 4     7:54

Mile 5     7:28

Mile 6     7:51

0.2           7:13

(I'm surprised mile 6 was comparatively so slow. There was a slight hill, but I still thought it was faster than that. Hm.)

Love the twiner Garmin stop button pose.

 

After finishing, I hung around the finish line to cheer on Beau and my cousin, Shawney. This was Husband's first 10k and he rocked it! He has been running the weekly track workouts with me and was pleased with a time of 56 minutes.

I was curious to stay for the awards and see how the others in my running club did. I checked out the official times, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw that I was the 15th overall woman and first in my age group! I have never been on the podium before, so I was totally shocked to have won my age group. It was so exciting to have my name called, and I got a gift certificate to a local running store.

Also, there is a "team" division in this race, and I ran with the AARC team (my running group). I guess they take the top 4 results of each team for a cumulative time. There are several speedy guys in the club, and lucky for me, the speedy women were not running this race. So, again, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was also called up with my team to receive the first place team medal.

So that was fun. It makes me want to do more short and speedy races!

As far as the race itself, the Ringing in Hope races are pretty well organized and user friendly. They had lots of kid activities like pony rides, a moon bounce, balloon animals, etc. There was barbeque, pizza, and fruit for post races snacks, and everything seemed to be run pretty well. My only complaints are that the course is pretty boring (but what else are they supposed to do... all they have around there is neighborhood streets anyway) and that the race t shirt is a white cotton tee.

What a fun race! Now that I'm a fan of short races, I can't wait to do the next one!

2013... By the Numbers

According to Strava & my memory:

Miles ridden: 1,021.6
Time spent on my bike: 70 hours 42 minutes
Longest ride: 105 miles, Skyline Drive
Biggest climb: 2,965 feet, Skyline Drive
Number of races/organzied rides: 2 (both centuries)
Falls: 1
Mid-Ride flat tires: 0!
Biggest cycling accomplishment: Cycling all of Skyline Drive!!!

Miles ran: 1,002.8
Time spend running: 199 hours 15 minutes
Longest Run: 26.5 miles, the DC Rock n Roll Marathon
Total runs: 122
Number of races: 3 (that's it? really? yikes.)
Biggest running accomplishment: Too many to list! Running a marathon, becoming proficient in trail running, and becoming much more aware of pace and personal running capabilities

(anyone else find it funny how close my cycling and running mileage is??)

Miles hiked on the AT: ~175
Occurrences of trail magic: 6
Favorite hike: sunrise on McAfee Knob
Biggest hiking accomplishment: doing a 22 mile day NOT as a thru hiker.

Total blog posts: 51
Favorite infographic: Kittens on the AT
Favorite link: Prancercise
Favorite post that was not a random link or picture: how to prepare for your first century
Biggest blogging accomplishment: Blogging. Somewhat consistently.

Hooray hooray, let's bring on 2014!

A Frosty 10k Plan

Northern Virginia skipped the normal winter temperatures and went straight to the 20s this morning. Last Friday, I ran in shorts and a long sleeve. Today, full winter gear!

So. For the first time, I'm actually training for speed. Weird, right? Thanks to the running club I just joined, I have a little help. Here's my plan, running my usual three times per week.

- 6 miles (+ 1 mile warm and and +1 mile cooldown) tempo pace
- interval track workout with AARC
- weekend long run with AARC, ranging from 10-14 miles at whatever pace I want (Let's be honest, whatever pace my running partners want. I just want the company!)

I went to my first track workout last week and it was super fun! We did 8 x 400s and 4 x 200s. I feel really cool about learning the lingo. I pretty much just followed the pack on the 400s, and this was the perfect challenge without being too hard.

My goal for the New Year's Eve 10k is to come in under 50 minutes. That's just under 8 minutes per mile. It feels like that will be a stretch for me, since my normal pace is anywhere from 8:30 to 9:30. But that's for longer distances. There's no reason I can't bump that up for 6 miles.

I actually like running in the cold weather, so I'm excited to have a training schedule for the next month!

Tomorrow, We Run [and we make training schedules. and we stick to them]

This picture makes me want to race real bad.

Is this Lance Armstrong? Kinda looks like Lance Armstrong. Does he (or did he- ha!) do ads for Asics?

So a couple weeks a joined a local running club. So fun! Everyone has been really friendly and I have so much fun on my runs with them. The only race I have coming up is a little New Year's Eve 10k. I am itching to do a half marathon - I want a new PR - but there aren't any during the winter around here. But I haven't done a 10k in a couple years so I'm excited to properly train for it. One of the more experienced runners I was running with on Saturday gave me some tips to get to my goal of under 50 minutes.

Maybe I could do something uncharacteristic for this blog and post a training schedule. My usual MO is to do longer distance races, so training is just about upping mileage gradually. And if I'm doing a random shorter race, I don't really do anything different except for maybe do a couple shorter runs to see what time I should expect. But this time, I'm going to do interval training, track workouts, and have a PLAN.

Skyline Sufferfest 2013: the Ride

see our preparation and the backstory for this ride here

 

 

First off, I'm going to spoil the ending for you and tell you that I didn't hit any bears. But I did see one! Beau and I were riding along and saw a couple cars and a photographer, stopped, in the middle of the road. We slowed down to see what they were looking at, and saw a bear waaaaaay up in a tree. Chilling and munching without a care in the world. I mean, how do those tiny branches support a bear's weight anyway? We watched it for a bit and I wish it could've been a better angle to get a picture. Oh well.

 

So Friday night, our friend/riding partner Randy talked himself out of doing the double century. While we were happy to accommodate his crazy plan, it was a relief to be able to push our wakeup time to 5:15am to be on our bikes by 7:30am. More sleep AND no riding in the dark!

 

Our SAG driver dropped us off just before the north entrance of the park. According to the thermometer in the car, it was around 30' at the base of the Shenandoahs. We pulled on our earwarmers and gloves, stuffed some HotHands into our shoes, checked our tires (all 6 tires were brand spanking new!), and were on our way. The first 5 miles are a long gradual climb and actually felt a little easier than I expected. It may have been something to do with the prescence of hot chocolate waiting at the top. The cold was completely bearable if not pleasant when climbing, but not quite as comfortable going downhill.

the beginning

The first 40 or so miles passed quickly. I know this part of Skyline well, having ridden it quite a few times. We got to Skyland, the highest point of the road and where our SAG vehicle was waiting, and scarfed down a TON of food. My cocoa banana oat muffins were a hit, especially with a smear of peanut butter on them. I also took to scoops of peanut butter dipped in granola. The intense hunger of long hard bike ride is awfully reminiscent of my thru hike.

 

 

The next wayside was at mile 50ish, and I have never felt as tired after 50 miles as I was at that moment. Like, can-barely-pedal-another-foot kind of tired. Sitting in the grass at Big Meadows was the first time it occurred to me that maybe I was in over my head. Maybe I wouldn't be able to do the whole 105 miles. Our super human strength riding buddy, I'm sure, would have been fine to get going as soon as we finished our bathroom breaks. But Beau and I needed more of a break. We sat in the grass for a bit, munching on bars and Shot Bloks and trying not to imagine what the next 55 miles would be like.

Randy pointed out that the next 25 miles really weren't that bad. A trick I learned thru hiking (where I looked at a profile elevation map of the trail approximately 43,209,423,098 times) is to cover up the map with your hands, and only show the next chunk of miles you're focusing on. Like blinders on a horse, when you just look at task immediately on hand, the rest doesn't seem so overwhelming. Magic!

So all I thought about was mile 75. Every tenth of a mile my odometer ticked up was a little victory towards my goal of getting to mile 75. Randy was a champ and led the pace line the entire way, encouraging us every mile. Eventually we got to mile 75, and then pushed up a big climb to the next wayside at mile 80, and then I was all about counting down and praising every mile passed as another mile closer to the end. 

 

We got a nice sunset, and lucky for me our bathroom break needs were all on different schedules so I was more than happy to break and snap this photo while the men stepped into the woods.

 

 

Finally, finally, we got to mile 100 and were rewarded with a glorious speedy downhill to the finish. It was JUST starting to get dark, and we finished at about 6:00pm. And then there was BBQ on the way home and pulled pork has never been so delicious.

 

 

 While we were riding along, I asked Randy to rate his perceived difficulty of the day's ride, with 1 being a short ride on the very flat W&OD trail, and 10 being LOTOJA. He thought for a moment and responded, "Probably a six."

 

Six?? Seriously?? This is the hardest ride I've ever done and you're calling this a six?

 

But the next day, he emailed us and changed his statement a little. He uploads his Garmin data into a software program that takes into account the intensity, power output, and duration of the ride and spits out a Training Stress Score. For LOTOJA, the TSS was 811. The Skyline Sufferfest was 750. Here is the approximate guide for interpreting the TSS:

• Less than 150 - low (recovery generally complete by following day)
• 150-300 - medium (some residual fatigue may be present the next day, but gone by the second day
• 300-450 - high (some residual fatigue may be present even after two days)
• Greater than 450 - very high (residual fatigue lasting several days likely) 

So yeah, I'd say Skyline was a little more than a six. :)



Skyline Sufferfest 2013: Preparation

Hey I have an idea! Let's cycle all of Skyline Drive on Saturday.

Isn't that like, over 100 miles?

Yes.

And over 10,000 feet of climbing?

Yes.

And isn't it supposed to be cold, between 30 and 55 degrees?

Yes.

What time will we need to get up to do all this?

3am.

Then I am IN!

So that's the plan. And actually, there is more craziness than just this. Normally we wouldn't need to get out that early for a century, but there is a third member of our party. He is kind of the one pushing this whole endeavor, and he plans to do the whole thing... twice. He just rode the LoToJa Classic last month, a grueling race of a similar distance but half the elevation gain. We will have a SAG vehicle with us the whole way packed with everything we'll need. Then, when Husband and I finish, we'll get in the car and turn around to support our riding buddy as he continues on.

I've professed my love of Shenandoah National Park before, and while I've walked the whole way on the AT, I've only cycled on the northern 30ish miles. Take a look at the profile map:

 

I should take comfort in that I'm already pretty familiar with the hardest part. But this will definitely be the most challenging century we've ever done. And let's be honest, we're not all that conditioned. We did get a good 70 mile ride in last week, but the weeks before that were a bust due to rain, a crash (woops, I guess I didn't mention that before..... we crashed our bikes!) and moving. But here we are. We'll figure it out, we always do! If we run into trouble, our trusty SAG vehicle will be right there to assist.

 

This week I've been making lists like a madwoman to get everything ready. We'll be taking practically every item of clothing we own to give us options for layering. And food! I made up a batch of some cocoa banana muffins, adapted from here, and tried out a new basic peanut butter protein bar recipe, and made up some Sea Salt Chocolate Power Bites from the Feedzone Cookbook. (Does anyone want to buy me this?). I also packed a plethora of other options, like fruit, string cheese, yogurt, Chex Mix, Clif Bars, Larabars, Honey Stinger waffles, Gu, granola, peanuts, and Gu Brew for drinks. Not to mention there are 4 stores and restaurants we'll be passing so... yeah. I think we'll be good on food.

sometimes I feel like my whole life is a series of lists

I'm fairly confident I have everything we'll need, but I'm nervous that something will go wrong tomorrow. Maybe something on one of our bikes will fail. Or it will just be straight up too hard or too cold and I'll quit at mile 60. Or, like my mom texted me this week, "What are the chances you would hit a deer or bear?"

 

Probably small, but at least I would have an awesome story to tell afterward.

 

 

2013 VHTRC Women's Trail Half Marathon

Other than my marathon, the VHTRC Women's Trail HM was the most excited I've ever been for an event. There were a lot of firsts for me:

1. First trail race. Training for this was pretty much the first time I'd ever ran on trails
2. First lottery system entry
3. First women's only event
4. First time offerred a shot of tequila at an aid station

The entry system was kind of wacky, and I barely made it in after being on the wait list. My preparation was mostly on the trails of the Bull Run battlefield, with a little on the Appalachian Trail as well. I wasn't sure what to expect on the actual course, but the description made me think it would be pretty hilly and challenging.  I had only 3 weeks to get cram my training in after my last century, so my plan was to shred my legs for a solid 2 weeks and then rest them for the 6 days leading up to the race. This involved some crazy situations like running a full 13 just three days after a century, a combined 20 miles on trails two days apart, and one Saturday of running 10 in Bull Run in the morning and hiking 6 on the AT in evening.

(Okay that last one was actually unintentional. But it was super beneficial.)

Anyway, I wasn't sure how this haphazard training method would come together, but on race day I was feeling pretty good! The course was through Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax. I had never been to Fountainhead before, but it was a great location.

After being directed to park on the side of the road, I picked up my number and got my shirt. It's an awesome long sleeved Patagonia technical shirt. I love getting decent shirts at races! Husband and I waited in line at the porta potties, and I must admit I was kind of intimadated by most of the people around me. The Virginia Happy Trails Running Club is more of an ultra marathon kind of club. All around me were super fit awesomely muscular women who have done 50 and 100 mile trail races. And then me- Hi, I like running. One time I did a marathon. Oh, you've done 100 miles? Over hills and on trails? I've hiked 100 miles on hills and trails. It took me 5 days. I was having serious leg muscle envy.

Anyway, because of my intimidation, I stuck to the back of the pack at the starting line. I reminded myself of the hints I had picked up from experienced trail runners: save you energy, walk up hills, ignore your watch, try not to break your leg on a root or a rock. GOT IT.

my trusty fuelbelt

The first mile or so was on pavement, and in hindsight, I was foolish to ease up to place myself towards the back of the pack. Once we got on the singletrack trail, I was pretty bottlenecked. I really didn't care; I wasn't going for time and as a newbie, I was trying to pick up on etiquette from the other women around me. By mile 5ish I had gotten out of the crowd and had a better groove going. This is also where I entered the "infamous Do Loop" which..... was not as hard as I thought it would be. I walked up a few hills. I passed some people. I went through a couple aid stations and grabbed a handful of cashews. Props to the aid stations for actually having nutritous and desirable options!


impossible to look good in running photos? sounds about right

a little better... maybe?

 Once out of the Do Loop, we were headed back to where we came from at the starting line. I had just passed a big pack of runners and made my way to the mile 8 aid station, where I could see the start & finish line.

Once I was back in the woods, I started seeing the occaisonal uber fit woman charging down the trail coming towards me. I realized the rest of the course would be an out and back, so I started counting runners that were crossing my path. I got to 70 at the turn around point, and then counted backward as I passed a few more women. At mile 11 I grabbed a swig of gatorade, delined a shot, (despite the chant  "Tequila makes you run faster!") and went on my merry way to the finish. The last few climbs were challenging, but I still felt pretty good and was encouraged by the distant sounds of the finish festivities.

I cruised in at 2:17 and landed 62nd place out of 220. I definitely think I could have pushed myself more, but I was intentionally conservative because of my lack of experience.

As for the finish line festivities, there was plenty of fresh fruit, smoothies, multigrain chips, and cookies to go around. I thought the organization was well planned, the atmosphere was supportive, the course was challenging, and the whole event was really well done. I loved this race and it will definitely be on my calendar for years to come!