Flannery's Pub Run - Race Report

Almost a month ago, Husband and I traveled a couple hours north to the Flannery's Pub Run in Pennsylvania. This is a tiny race in a quiet PA town, and we chose to come here because I was looking for a spring half marathon that was on a Saturday (we don't race on Sundays) and wouldn't have too high of an entry fee. We also didn't want to travel more than 90 minutes from home. The Flannery Run fit all these requirements.

The race was small- about 200 people. This made parking and morning packet pickup a breeze. We parked in a school parking lot and got our packets, which included a nice fitted tech shirt, chip timer, Brooks stickers and beer cozies, and a bunch of ads. The race was a point-to-point, so we loaded into a school bus to drive us to the start line. The start line was at another school, so it was nice to wait inside and use their bathrooms. The race started on time and we were off and running through the beautiful country PA scenery.

I had no expectations for how I would run this race. I had been (and still am!) trying to get rid of a couple injuries, namely my right glute and left shin. They're related; I get it. I've been going to PT and had been resting for a couple weeks leading up to this race. I had no idea if I would be able to run the whole thing, or have my shin act up, take walk breaks, or anything in between. My best case scenario was to keep a moderate pace (8:45 - 9:00) and then re-evaluate for the last few miles to see if I could go faster. The American Odyssey Relay was just a week after this half, and I was worried about messing up my ability to run.

The course was hilly. Like, decently hilly. There were a couple massive climbs (miles 8 and 10 stick out in my mind as being pretty rough!) that really slowed my pace down, but the scenery was so enjoyable I really didn't mind. Also, the entire route was on closed roads! I guess since the town is so small they were able to do that.

I was delighted to not have any shin or glute issues, and at the halfway point I decided it would be okay to push myself a little more. I had just started getting into a comfortable 8:15ish pace when the massive mile 8 hill hit, so my splits don't show that I went much faster in the second half but I swear I did! I was so relieved to be able to run the pace I wanted to without having a nagging shin splint or tension in my right leg. You can see the last mile I was really able to go, and it wasn't even downhill.

There were eight water stations, each manned by energetic high schoolers. Some had cheerleaders, or a band, or cowbells, etc. Only a couple stations had gatorade, and none had any food or gel (fine for me, since I carry Gu).  The town seemed generally really supportive of the whole thing, with people cheering from their lawns and holding signs. For a 200 person event, I was pretty impressed!

Because the race was so small, I wondered if I would place in my age group. My time was 1:52, nothing to be impressed with, but it seemed like most of the runners were older than me. We waited around for what seemed like forever, and were surprised to hear not only my name for 2nd in my age group, but Beau placed 3rd in his! He came in just a couple minutes after me and had a great experience in his first half marathon.  How many people get a medal and a trophy after their first half??

Afterwards, we had a delightful lunch at Pure & Simple Cafe in Greencastle, PA. There were two wraps I was interested in, and they were so kind to oblige when I asked if I could make a custom order to combine the two. Avocado AND feta AND hummus on the same wrap? Heaven.

It was a great day and I'm so glad Beau had such a good experience at his first 13.1!

Best Foods for a Relay Race

Trader Joe's helped me out with finding the best food to pack for my relay:

Contemplates Inner Peas

Peanut Butter Cups Trax Mix

(I stood in the trail mix aisle for lots of minutes comparing all the different varieties. I was originally looking at some other varieties with pistachio nuts and craisins.... but who can say no to these little peanut butter cups??)

And, of course, grapes.

A little salty, a little sweet, and things that are easy on the stomach because yikes does it feel nauseating to operate on no sleep.

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!
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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. :)

Boston Marathon Update

Earlier today, Meb Keflezighi crossed the finish line at the Boston Marathon at 2:08:37. In other words, around the same time that it takes many runners to finish a half.

new shoe day is always a good day

 

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

 

 

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. :)

the Loudoun Half & 8k Race

As you plan your 2014 race schedule, take a look at this half marathon and 8k held in northern Virginia on April 13th!

My running club is sponsoring this race, but even if I didn't have a direct interest in promoting it, I would still want to run this. It's reasonably priced, local (okay, okay, that's not universal to everyone. But you can stay at my house if you want!), offers a medal and technical shirt for participants, and the course is a nice loop through Ashburn and on the scenic W&OD.

The registration fee is $45 and $25, but the price goes up this weekend so check it out!

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!

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!

Keeping Safe while Running or Cycling: Lights & Reflective Gear

As fall is now upon us, early morning runners have to readjust to running in darkness. I bring you.... running and cycling safety! Blinky things and bright colors!

I have a hard time understanding why some people get uneasy when they hear that I frequently run when it's dark out or that I sometimes bike to work. Oh, and when I told people I would be thru hiking the Appalachian Trail solo. That incurred a lot of concerned looks. To a fault, it takes a lot to make me feel the "stranger danger" and I frequently have to remind myself how easy it would be for a car to take me out on my bike or when I'm running across an intersection.

You can imagine Husband's efforts to try to make me be safer in my pre dawn excursions. Here's how I light the night:

Headlamp- the Petzl Tikka 2 found here. I didn't realize until 2 months into my thru hike that it has a high and low setting in addition to the flashing white, solid red, and flashing red. I like a traditional head lamp because it has a variety of uses. When running, I wrap it on my wrist so I don't get a sweaty forehead. You can wear it as intended on your head while hiking, walking, running, or hey, when the power goes out. If I need it when I'm on my bike, I adjust the elastic and wear it over my helmet.

I snagged arm bands similar to these from the deal site at active.com for a few bucks. This particular one is found here at REI. It took me a little to get used to them, because they don't stay up on your bicep like I was expecting. Considering I only invested $6 for the pair, I'm cool with it. There are 4 settings: solid, flashing, super flash, and epileptic seizure inducing flash.

For cooler runs and rides, I love my EMS Women's Shell jacket (seen here). EMS tends to have a good sale rack, and that's where I found this. At the time I debated about the purchase, not sure if it was a need or a want, but I ended up getting one for me and one for Husband and they've been great! It's very thin so it works well to wear over anything to make me more visible.

I recently got this Nathan Streak reflective vest. It's so light and brethable I don't even notice I have it on. Similar to my fuel belt by the same brand, I have to wear it on the very tightest setting to fit, so I wonder how tiny people would fare.

I just got this bike light by Magicshine for Christmas last year, and MAN is it bright. Bright lights for cycling like these are pretty expensive, and this one will give you the biggest bang for your buck. It has a bright and super bright setting.

(PS- I still need a good red light. If you want to see a really awesome comparison for tail lights.. holy cow. See here.)

Bring on the winter!

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!

New Garmin Forerunner 220 and 620

Garmin just announced these slick new watches, their first with color displays.

New features I think are pretty neat:
- Finish time prediction, based on current run stats and past performance
- A mobile app that allows a caring husband track you on your run

My watch already has satellite data transfer and the autopause feature, so those aren't shiny new developments for me. But they are awesome!

Priced at $250 and $400 (yikes!), they will be available in 5-8 weeks.

Detailed writeup here on zdnet.com.

ETA: Check out this blogger's review after running with the 620!

Virginia Happy Trail Running Club Half Marathon

edit on 9/20/13 - I survived! See my race report here

 

 

 

Hooray hooray, I just barely made it from the wait list into the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club Women's Half Marathon.

This race the has craziest entry system - there was the entry form, and then a lottery that told me I was forever down on the wait list, and then the adjusted wait list once everyone had confirmed they wanted to be on the wait list, and then pay via PayPal and IF you get in we'll take your money, and then finally, the move of people from the wait list to the entrants list. By my last count, I was 10th on the wait list of people who had paid their money and were hoping to get moved to the entrants list. They took 12.

I'm so excited! I've never done a trail race before. The club seems really laid back and friendly, and I like that this is a women's only event. There's something kind of hardcore and bad-a about trail running. I expect some cool photos.

The downside? Training. Lest we forget, I have a century coming up. I will have two weekends in between the century and the half marathon. If it were a regular road race, I wouldn't sweat it. But a trail race? The only day I can get in a good trail run is Saturday, when I have the time and daylight. But what am I doing on Saturdays? Spending a ridiculous amount of time on my bike.

But I'll figure it out; I always do! Can't wait for September 14th.

Celebrities: they're just like us! (Marathon Edition)

Can You Beat These Celebrity Marathoners? -- Runner's World

Celebrity Marathon Times -- Men's Health

Knowing my marathon time is faster than Shia LeBeouf's gives me great satisfaction. That guy seems like a jerk.

Sympathy Cards for Runners

"Sympathy Cards for Runners", via Runner's World magazine: