Team in Training - Nike Women's Half Marathon - Race Re-Cap

I haven't been so good with blogging these days, but I have to write about my experience running for Team in Training.  Last weekend at the Nike Women's Half Marathon I ran as a TNT participant.  TNT is an organization that helps train athletes for endurance events while also helping them raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I ran for TNT last year and had a phenomenal experience and really wanted to do it again this year.  I have to admit that I was hesitant because it required that I fund-raise $1,800 and I felt like I tapped out my networks last year when I ran it and had to raise the same amount.  I was worried I wouldn't reach my goal and would not be able to raise that much money again.

One of the TNT coordinators contacted me and asked if I would be interested in forming a community team and be their captain.  It involved recruiting other participants and mentoring them through the fundraising and training process.  TNT assigns coaches to help us train and each person has a TNT mentor, but I knew I would need to help with that as well.  Again, I was hesitant because I'm already very busy and didn't want to add more stress to my plate.  Jenny (TNT rep) assured me I'd have help along the way so I went for it.  I had a great time last year and figured it would be equally as good, if not better this time around.  My goal was to form a team of teachers from the county I teach in.  I got permission to email all the staff in the county and I held an interest meeting.  I also emailed the parents at my school and Team LCPS was formed.  My original goal was to get 5 other girls to join me.  I actually got 15 girls to join me and surprisingly won the TNT recruiting competition.  It was very happenstance and very cool.  Our team started with 15 ladies, but injuries and life happened and we ended with 10 team members.  Most of the members work with me at my school, but I had one of my student's parents, a teacher from another school, a friend from my running club and a TNT participant that wanted to be added to a team.  Team LCPS rocks!


Fundraising went very well this year.  Each team member had raise at least $1,800 individually and as a whole we had to hit at least $18,000.  I was very fortunate to hit my initial fundraising in January, before the training season officially kicked off.  I had some very generous friends.  It was awesome and also a HUGE relief because I was then able to focus my attention to my teammates and help them with their fundraising goals.  I continued to fund-raise, and was able to raise $3,085 for LLS!!  I am so thankful to all the many generous supporters through this process.  I remember in March one of the TNT reps asked me to encourage my team to push our team goal to $25,000.  I told her I wasn't even going to ask that.  Haha!  I knew a lot of the girls were overwhelmed just with the $1800 so I didn't want to ask them and cause more stress.  I am happy to report that as a team, we were able to raise $24,677!!

Every single one of my teammates raised more than the minimum goal for LLS and I know that together we made a difference.  Many blood cancer patients will benefit from our efforts and that makes me so happy.  In addition to our team, there were over 1,000 other ladies (and a few men) running Nike for TNT and as so far have raised $4.7 million dollars for LLS from that event alone.  It is incredible to be part of something that is making a difference.  We will be able to continue to fund-raise after the event so that number may continue to grow.

The pies :)

In case you're wondering what I did to raise money . . . Last season I used email.  This season I used Facebook a lot.  I messaged many friends and then posted about it frequently.  I also sent out some emails to a few close friends and just made it known I was fundraising.  I'm sure there were some people who may have been annoyed to see me post about it so much, but it's an important cause to me and I wanted to share it.  Some days I got nothing, some days I was able to receive a lot of donations.  I also helped organize my school's faculty vs. student basketball game.  That was definitely a little stressful, but it went very well.  All proceeds went toward our Team LCPS's fundraiser for LLS.  We were able to raise $1504 for that event and it was divided between the team.  It was fun.  One of the many things we did to raise money at the game was sell raffle tickets to students to pie some teachers in the face.  I took a pie in the face like a champ!  It was kind of gross, but a lot of fun.

This is a picture of me getting pied in the face

When you get a pie in the face you have to just go with it and have fun!

I am so very appreciative of all my donors.  I feel like a thank you isn't even enough to express my gratitude.  Not only have my generous donors helped me raise money for an amazing cause that I know makes a difference in the world, but they have given me more than money.  They have given me tremendous support and encouragement.  They put their faith in me.  They believed in me.  They made me see how good people really are.  On top of it all, through their donations, I was able to complete this journey for TNT.  I am a better person today because of this experience and all my donors were the stepping stones.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who supported me on this journey!

Inspiration Dinner:

TNT provides a dinner the night before the race to connect with other TNT participants, celebrate the season, and hear from a few speakers.  I've attended two previous TNT dinners and always left feeling inspired and shed a few tears.  This dinner was no different.  After celebrating all the accomplishments with fundraising, we were privileged to hear from Elizabeth Stone.  I heard her speak earlier in the season at our honored team picnic.  She shared her story with us.  She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2012 at the age of 24.  She said it didn't fit into her life plan, but she wasn't worried.  People beat cancer all the time and she would beat it too.  She went through her treatments like a champ and went into remission.  Her remission was short-lived and she relapsed in February 2013.  She spent the next 8 months going through treatments and was cleared at the end of the year.  I heard her tell the same story back in February, but was happy to hear it again.  Although, this time was different.

Elizabeth and me after the dinner

While Elizabeth was speaking and telling her story she was very funny and it was obvious that she had a good perspective on life, despite her obstacles.  I am always amazed when people can face such hard trials in life, yet find ways to be grateful and enjoy their life.  It can be so hard to do that without major health scares or huge obstacles and here she was, finding ways to smile and be grateful.  Elizabeth found ways to entertain us while telling her story and I thought we were getting to a happy ending like we did in February.  I was wrong and she had more to share since the last time I heard her speak.  Elizabeth shared with us that she went in for her 6-month scan and found out that her Hodgkins has returned with a vengeance for a third time. Stupid cancer!!  As she continued to speak I just couldn't hold the tears back.  My heart reached out to hers and I was so grateful that I made the decision to join TNT again and raise money to fight Hodgkins and other blood cancers for people like Elizabeth Stone.  It reminded me why I was on this journey.

Elizabeth is an amazing woman.  She is 26 years old and has learned some valuable lessons.  After she told us that her cancer has returned for a 3rd time and the prognosis is not as good as it was the 1st time she found out, she still held on to hope, and she should!  One thing that she said that really stuck with me is, "Tomorrow I'll run this race and it will probably be my only TNT event, but you can do more." (I paraphrased a little because I forgot her exact wording).  She encouraged us to keep doing this and do something good to help others.  She said that before she was diagnosed she lived in her little "white, suburban, privileged bubble," and didn't do anything for others and she wished that she had done more. She didn't want us to live with that same regret.  She said to continue to work with TNT and LLS or pick another charity if we want.  She said we didn't even have to do charity work, we just have to do something that we can be proud of that helps others.  Don't always focus inward.  I truly do feel inspired by her words and will continue to help others in any way I can.  I'm sure I will participate with TNT again in some capacity as well as fund-raise for other charities.  It's very rewarding.  I love being able to meet people like Elizabeth who help remind me to be grateful for what I have.  I am very blessed in my life and can only hope to be as positive and grateful when things aren't going so well.  If you like to read more about Elizabeth's story, you read check out her blog.

Team LCPS ladies at the inspiration dinner

Race Day:
The Nike Women's half marathon was on Sunday, April 27th at 7:00am.  I love early race starts, especially on Sunday because it gives me time to run and still make it to church.  I stayed in the Washington Hilton hotel the night before the race with my running friend and TNT teammate, Stacey.  It was the host hotel for TNT participants and it was so convenient to be downtown.  I still had to wake up at 3:30am, but it was nice to be much closer to the start line.  I like getting up at least 1.5 hours before I need to meet anyone because it gives me time to eat and get ready and just sort of calm myself for the task ahead.  I planned to meet some girls in the lobby at 5:15am and be at the starting area to meet others from my team and a few friends at 6:00am.  The morning did not go according to plan and we were late to the meetup.  I was definitely bummed I didn't get to connect with a few friends before the start, but it was okay.  I still had plenty of time to get to my starting corral and have time to relax before the start of the race.  I do not like to be rushed before a race.  That is no fun!

Compared to last year, the race was more organized than last year.  Last year was the inaugural year for the event so there were some kinks and it was really nice to see the changes.  This year instead of basically starting all 15,000 runners at the same time, they did a wave start with a few corrals in each wave.  That helped clear a lot of congestion at the start of the race.  I remember weaving through people for at least half the race last year so it was so nice to just be able to start running this year.  I was in a slightly faster corral than where I should have been for my goal, but I was happy with my placement.  There was no weaving for me!

Half of my team at the hotel before the race:
(L to R) Kim, Emily, me, Nguyet & Stacey

This was not a goal race for me.  It was considered a training run, meaning I run at my long run pace in my training plan, which is slower than race pace.  Goal races I run faster than my training pace.  I did have a goal, which was to complete the race in 2:30 or less.  I secretly hoped to PR or come close to it, which would have been a 2:19, but it didn't take very long once I started to figure out that wasn't going to happen.  The Nike race was the 5th weekend in a row of me doing a race and my body was tired.  I did the Reston half marathon, Cherry Blossom 10-miler, MCM 17.75k (a hilly 11 miles) and the Salt Lake City half marathon in the 4 weeks leading up to this race so a PR was extremely unlikely.  I never planned to PR and wanted to run it and enjoy it.  Running for time is often very stressful and I didn't want that for this race, but it's still hard to fight the urge to beat your best time time.

One thing I decided to do different for this race was to run without my Garmin GPS watch.  I LOVE my Garmin, but I look at it way too much to check my pace and see how far I have left.  I just wanted to go and run so I could truly enjoy the experience.  It definitely made me anxious to ditch the watch at first, but it was also really nice to just run by feel.  I wanted to run under 2:30, but without my watch I didn't know if I could do it.  Thankfully, there were a few running timers at some of the mile markers.  I was sure to pay close attention to the time of the clock when I crossed the start line in case they did have clocks so I could do a time check during the course.  Although, doing math while running is never any easy thing for me :)  I didn't do a perfect job, but I was able to get a feel for how I was doing.

My race big with ribbons of all the people I was running for

It was a beautiful morning for running.  As soon as I started the race, I tried to run a nice, easy pace.  I wanted to start slow and get faster (negative splits).  Running faster at the end than I ran when I started is my favorite race strategy.  To me, it means I ran smart.  I had hoped to run around an 11:27 per mile pace at the start and gradually get faster.  When I hit the first mile I was right on track.  When I hit the 5k mark I had slowed down.  My pace at that point was 11:50ish per mile.  It was at that point I knew a PR was not going to happen.  I had to tell myself it was okay because this was not a goal race and I ran the last 4 weeks. Sometimes self talk is a very good thing.  I do it a lot when I run.  At that point I decided I wanted to run an easy pace because I knew my body couldn't handle pushing the pace anymore.  This is where the "running by feel" came in handy.  If I had my Garmin I probably would have been bummed out that my time wasn't better.  Not having a watch made me relax a lot more during the run so I really could just enjoy it.  I found my "happy" pace for the day, which was a pace that I felt like I could run for a while comfortably.

Kim and me at the finish line

In addition to changing the starting area this year, Nike also changed the course.  It was less hilly than last year (not that it was that hilly last year), which was nice.  It was a beautiful course and a beautiful day.  I loved seeing all the sea of women pushing toward their goals.  I had music in ears and was pretty much in my own head, but because I was relaxed and not worried about my own time, I was able to look around and enjoy the scenery and interact with the crowds more.  There were lots of husbands and boyfriends on the sidelines cheering on their girls.  It was so cute to see.  There were also a lot of TNT coaches along the course to provide encouragement and support.  I think that's one way TNT stands apart from running with other charities.  The fundraising minimum is much higher than other charities, but they provide a lot of support throughout the entire journey.  I'm sure other charities do as well, but I don't see other charities with coaches along the course helping their runners to the same extent as TNT.  If someone is new to endurance events, TNT is an awesome organization to work with.  I didn't join them for my first half marathon, but think I would have had a better experience in my first half marathon if I had been running with TNT :)

There were a couple of people in my running club that had come to cheer on their girlfriends at the race.  I was told they'd be around mile 7 and when I crossed mile 6 I was really looking forward to seeing them and getting a hug.  Although I was running an easy pace, I was tired.  It was more mental than anything and I was a little bummed because I didn't think I was going to break 2:30.  I really wanted a hug!  Haha!  Running turns me into a softie.  Normally I try to be a tough chick and brush stuff off, but I get very emotional when I run.  It's a good thing.  When I run I have moments of gratitude and clarity and it can make me teary eyed.  I feel important and strong and valued now that I run.  I didn't feel that way in my life before and it's one reason I cling to it so much.  It's made me a girl who is happy with who I am.  I do also have moments where I'll really be pushing myself and cry because it's hard, but the happy tears are more frequent.  (True story. Haha!).  Anyway, I was just having a mental roadblock during the race and wanted to see a familiar face for some encouragement.  Mile 7 came and went and I wasn't able to find my friends.  I just kept on going and knew the moment would pass.  It did.

The beautiful Tiffany's necklace we earned at the
finish line.  It's true runner bling and I absolutely love it!

The best, yet hardest part of the race was not having my watch.  It was very freeing and I liked it, but it was really hard to be in the dark the whole time.  I never knew my pace or how far I'd run or how far I had left to go.  Around mile 10.5 the 2:20 pace group came up behind me.  I knew they started after me so it scared me.  I knew I was slowing down and didn't want to wuss out in the end.  I went up to them and asked them what time the clock was at when they started and found out I started about 4ish minutes before them and they were on track for 2:18 or so.  I ran a 2:19 at Shamrock half marathon and knew they would be running my tempo pace (10:40/mile), which is a pace I knew I could do.  I decided to hang with them the last 2.5 miles.  It was a little tough to push it at the end, but I'm so grateful I did because I came into the finish line at 2:27:08!!  I was so proud of myself. It is not my fastest time ever, but it was a fairly easy pace and I was able to break 2:30!!  I have come a lot way.

Breaking 2:30 is a big deal to me because I was chasing that time last year and no matter how hard I pushed it, I could never quite get it.  It was amazing to come in under that time and do so at a comfortable pace.  It made all the hard work I've been doing in training worth it and it's so awesome to see how far I've come.  The trick is consistency and speed work.  I have a running coach and she's taken all the guess work out for me.  She creates training plans for me and clearly they are working.  My first half marathon time was 3:11:07 and it was rough.  It's not easy, but I've almost cut an hour from my half time.  I'm confident that I'll be running half marathons in less than 2 hours in the not so distant future...maybe even as soon as this time next year :)

At the finish line I was able to find Kim, one of my teammates, and we walked back to the TNT tent to meet up with the other girls who were finished.  It was really nice to have the tent to go back to and a place to wait comfortably for everyone.  Three of the girls on my team were finishing their first half marathon.  I was so excited to see them and so proud of them.  Once all of the girls were finished we took the metro to the hotel, packed up and went home.  It was a great day and I'm really happy that I made the decision to run this race for TNT.  It proved to be a phenomenal experience again.

From the beginning I was uncomfortable to recruit a team.  I didn't think anyone would want to join me and raise so much money.  On top of raising the money, they would have to run 13.1 miles!  I am still in awe that 9 other ladies made the decision to join me.  I hope they had a great time too.  There were a few moments of stress raising the money, but it wasn't too bad.  Also, I wanted to make sure everyone had a good experience so I was worried about that.  I think everyone had a pretty good experience so I feel it was a success.  I know I had an amazing experience yet again and finished the race a better girl than when I started.  It taught me that just because things are uncomfortable doesn't mean that's a good reason to avoid it.  We have to do hard things that take us out of our comfort zone!  After this journey I have even more things to be grateful for every day.  Even if I don't have all that I want, in this moment I have all that I need and that is something to be thankful for.  I love running and all the joy and meaning it has brought to my life.  I can only hope and pray that I will be able to run for many years to come.  

Emily, Denise, Kim and me after the race.  I'm so proud of these girls! 

Race Re-cap: North Face Endurance Challenge

At the beginning of the year I wanted to join Half Fanatics and one of the ways to join was to run 6 half marathons in 6 months (I ended up qualifying sooner by doing two halfs in two days).  I did a search of marathons to set up my calendar and found the North Face Endurance Challenge in Algonkian Regional Park.  It is about 3 miles from my house so it didn't take much thought to decide to do it.  There were several races included in the NF Challenge including a 50-miler, 50k, marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10k and 5k.  My brother-in-law's sister, Gina, ran the 50k.  I knew it was a trail run, but didn't really look into the race details at all.  I guess I didn't think it was going to be very different.  I signed up and didn't worry about it until this past week.

The elevation chart provide in the course guide for the
first 3 miles.  It seems about right. It was hilly.

I had a friend in my running club, Dan, who was also running the half.  He had run a few of the NF races in Algonkian Park before so he was able to provide me some good information on the course that I wasn't able to glean from the website.  One of the things that I was most interested in was the course elevation, which still has not been updated properly on the NF website.  They did include an elevation chart in the half marathon course guide, but it was only the elevation of the first 3 miles.  Dan is a trail runner and has done a couple 50 milers and just completed a 100 mile race last month so he gave me some great tips on trail running.  I didn't have any trail shoes or anything like that and he assured me that wouldn't be a problem.  He was also able to tell me about the course from first hand experience, which is always beneficial.

Three weeks ago I just PR'd on the Historic Half in Fredericksburg, which was a hilly and tough course so I decided that I was just going to enjoy the NF Endurance Challenge and not worry about time.  In fact, I decided to not even wear my Garmin GPS watch so I wouldn't get the urge to push it.  Dan and his wife, Nicole (my running coach), warned me that trail running was slower than road races so I just wanted this race to be a fun, enjoyable one.

Packet Pick-up:
I didn't make it to the North Face store in Georgetown to pick my packet because it was in DC and I didn't really want to drive there and sit in traffic just for my number, especially since they allowed pick up on race day.  On Saturday afternoon I drove up to Algonkian Park to get my race number.  I arrived around noon and it was definitely hot outside.  It was over 90 degrees and I could see some of the runners coming into the finish.  I'm glad I wasn't running in that heat!  I was there when the first two 50 miler finishers came through the finish.  That was pretty cool to witness.  The top 50 miler participant finished in 6:45:36.  It was incredible!  That's close to my first marathon time and he ran double that on a hard trail!!  I wish I would have timed it better so I could have been at the finish when Gina crossed the line.  I found out later she crossed right around the time I was there.  I must have just missed her!

I went to the tent for packet pick-up and they assigned me my number as I arrived and put me in wave 9, which I'm sure was based on my expected finisher time.  They also gave me a shirt and a pair of Smart wool socks.  That was kind of cool.  The shirts were plain and you had to take them to a separate tent to have them screen printed with your race distance on it.  I dropped my shirt off there and was told it'd be ready for me to pick up tomorrow after the race.  I would have lingered longer, but it was ridiculously hot and I wanted to get into some air conditioning so unfortunately I didn't get a look at all the vendors.  There were quite a few vendor tents too.  I went to Red Robin for my carb up dinner.  In hindsight, that probably wasn't the best decision.  I usually do pasta.  I ate a Caesar Salad wrap (minus the chicken) and lots of fries.  Not a healthy carb up and I could feel the effects on my energy the next day.

Race day:
My race started at 8:00 am and I had to take a shuttle from the parking location to Great Falls Park where the start line was.  In years past the half started at Algonkian, went out 6.55 miles and then returned to Algonkian.  This was the first year it had a different starting location than the finish.  The shuttles started at 6:00 am and the location was also very close to my house.  I wasn't quite sure what time I'd want to arrive, but planned to be ready to go around 6:30 am.  I laid out all my clothing and gear the night before, except for my iPod and Gymboss (interval timer), which were in my car.  I decided to try something new (gasp!) and wear a sleeveless shirt for the race.  It was going to be hot and I wanted to be as cool as possible.  I went to a few stores until I found the same version of what I usually wear minus sleeves.  I also made sure to body glide my arms to prevent chafing.

I ended up waking up at 5:30 am and leisurely got ready.  I kind of wish I got up a little earlier, but I figured since the race was so close there was no rush.  I still had plenty of time, but I like arriving really early to races.  I ate my usual bagel and jelly breakfast and had a half a bottle of Gatorade.  I really want to try something new, I'm bored with my bagel.  I put the remaining half in one of my fuel belt bottles and filled the other with water.  I hoped in the car and headed to the parking area.  When I got there I started walking to the shuttles and realized I forgot my iPod so I went back.  I could run without it, but I run with it when I'm solo to keep me distracted.  I arrived at the shuttles and realized I forgot my Gymboss too!  Since I wasn't wearing my Garmin I wanted the timer to help make sure I didn't take longer walk breaks than needed so I went back and got it.  That was kind of a pain to go back twice.

Dan, Nicole and me at the start

When I arrived at the start (around 7:15 am) I quickly found Dan and Nicole and chatted with them for a while.  We talked about trail running versus road running and Nicole said she hated trail running because she felt like she was sprinting and working hard, but her times were about 2 minutes slower than on the road.  I anticipated being slower, but hoped to still finish around 3 hours or less (Ha, I was so off!).

Around 7:30 am I decided to make a pit stop and had to wait in a VERY long line.  I was in line for almost 30 minutes. I probably should have done that first instead of talking, but oh well.  While I was in line I chatted with a couple other runners and found out that the aid stations were different than I had planned for.  I guess I looked at an old course guide, not realizing it had changed and was expecting aid stations every 3 miles.  It turns out there was one aid station at 2.4 miles, another at 8.4, and one final one at 11.7.  There was a 6 mile chunk between aid station 1 & 2 and I wasn't prepared for that.  At the start line there was a race volunteer announcing that they would be handing out water bottles at the first aid station if we wanted to take one.  I had my fuel belt with my 20 oz of water, but planned on taking a bottle of water with me.  I didn't want to have to carry it, but figured 20 ounces wouldn't be enough for 6 miles in the heat we were going to face.

Thankfully the start was delayed 10 minutes because I would have been cutting it close after waiting in line for so long.  There were only 775 runners and the atmosphere was laid back so it was easy to stay calm and fight the pre-race nerves.  Even though it was a half distance and I'm used to that it was my first trail run and I didn't know quite what to expect so I was a little anxious.  I said goodbye to Dan and Nicole one last time, wished Dan good luck and headed to my starting wave.  I was in the second to last wave.  I don't mind being in the back.  I'm used to it at this point.  I liked the way they started the waves.  They would let one go, wait 60 seconds and then let the next wave go.  Each wave had around 75 runners.  There weren't many runners, but the trails were thin after the first few miles and congestion would be an issue if they didn't taper the start.  I wish Nike did something like that!  It took 10 minutes to get everyone started.  After my wave started I passed Nicole, gave her a high five and received lots of cheering and well wishes.  It was great to have her support.

Course markings

As I mentioned previously this was my first trail race.  The first part of the course involved running on a trail near the tourist waterfalls (the part of the park I know) and then back through the starting area where the first aid station was.  It was a loop so the first waves of runners were coming back to the starting area.  I was able to see Dan around mile 1ish for me and probably mile 2 or so for him.  I felt like I was running my normal pace, but could feel the difference of the trail.  It was definitely a lot harder than the roads I'm used to.  I didn't wear my Garmin so I had no idea how fast I was going or how far I was going.  Prior to the race I didn't know the distances the aid stations were, I only found out there was going to be less than I expected.  When I arrived at the first one I still had no clue how far I'd gone.  I picked up a bottle of water and right after that station was the first large hill!  I saw Nicole again :)  She was helping clean up bottles that runners threw on the hill and she caught me walking.  Dang it!  She still gave me some good cheers and encouragement though.

During the entire course there were markings with varied color ribbons to signify the race you were running and to help you find your way.  It would be unpleasant to take the wrong path and end up running longer than necessary!  The half marathon color was yellow.  It was very well marked, which came in handy because there were large periods of time I was by myself and had no one to follow.  In the beginning I was around many runners, but the farther into the course it thinned out significantly.  I really enjoyed the solo time, especially since it was in the woods and along the river.  It was beautiful.  The trail was also very well shaded and there breezes from time to time making it very bearable.  I was totally drenched in sweat in the end, but it didn't feel nearly as hot as it did on Saturday and for that I was very grateful.  It was a perfect setting for some personal reflection, of which I did a lot of.

A picture I took along the way...I'm estimating around mile 4

It didn't take very long for me to feel very tired.  After the first aid station I felt like I already ran about 5 miles.  Since the aid stations had changed from what I expected I didn't know their mile markers during the race.  I know now because I looked back at the updated guide, but during the race I was clueless.  I asked a lady just after the first aid station who was wearing a watch what the distance was and she told me that we were 3 miles in and doing a 13ish minute pace.  I was shocked!  I seriously felt like I was running so much faster than that.  I was already tired and still had 10 miles to go.  I knew it was going to be a long, hard race after that.

A shot from early on in the course when the trail was still
wide enough for more than one person.  This was probably
around mile 4 or 5.

Between the 1st and 2nd aid station felt like the longest 6 miles I've ever run.  Trail running is so much harder than I expected.  I've never really been a huge fan of hiking so I'm not sure why I thought trail running would be easier than hiking.  When I signed up for the race I neglected to think about the type of hills I've experienced on hikes.  This trail was no different.  It had many hills, which were hard.  There was definitely no running up those.  Running down hill was sometimes tricky too because it was so steep so I couldn't really make up time that way either without falling or slipping.  I started my running interval at 3:1 and then dropped it down to 2:1.  It was still hard to maintain because of the frequent hills. I tried my best, but there was way more walking than I've been doing lately on my road race halfs.  I probably ended up walking more than running, but I still felt as tired as if I had been running.    

We ran behind Trump's National Golf Club in Lowe's Island

The trail seemed never ending.  Although it was really pretty, I felt like I would never make the aid station at mile 8.4.  I drank all the water in the bottle they gave me and at one point on the race their was a random portapotty with a group of other bottles on the ground so I threw it there.  I was happy to part with it because it was awkward to carry.  I'm not used to holding anything.  I then drank all the water and Gatorade in my fuel belt.  Without my Garmin to tell me how many miles I had gone I had to gauge my race fueling based on how I felt.  I had a pack of watermelon sports beans with caffeine that I ate right after the first aid station.  I'm guessing I ate a clif shot gel around mile 5 and then my honey stinger gel right before I hit the aid station at mile 8.4.  I also ended up busting open my last pack of sports beans at mile 12 because my stomach was grumbling.  I didn't finish the entire pack though.  I was happy I had it.  I always bring one more than I think I'll need and yesterday I was grateful for that.  Normally I don't use it, but always tell myself it's better to be over prepared than under prepared.

A picture of the trail when it was single tracked
and flat!  There were parts that were even
narrower than this and the brush rubbed
against your legs.  It was itchy!

There was one spot on the trail where we had to do a little maneuvering over a stream, which I wanted to do without getting wet or muddy.  I managed to cross without any issues, but there was a steep little hill that was super muddy before getting back on the trail.  I managed to get right near the top and then slid down and caught myself with my hands before falling all the way.  Thankfully there was a girl there who helped me get back up the top and then I was left with muddy hands.  I tried to wipe my hands off on the grass and my shorts too, but it didn't help much.  I had mud in my fingernails too.  Yuck!  I'm guessing that was probably around mile 7.

I was so happy to hit the second aid station at mile 8.4.  It was well stocked and the crew was very helpful.  They had lots of water ready for us and food.  There were clif bars and clif blocks.  I've never had clif blocks so I thought I'd try some.  I figured it was late enough in the race that it wouldn't be a problem.  I think I tried chocolate cherry.  It was disgusting!  I only had one and threw the other two out.  Ick!  I filled up my water bottles and was off.  I kind of wish I would have refueled better at that point and would have averted the hunger at the end.

This is the Garmin elevation read out from Dan's watch.  I swear it was a lot
hillier than this graph shows an I know that Dan would agree with me.

The last 5 miles were hard.  We hit a few serious hills, although the elevation chart above doesn't seem to show it.  There were a few runners around me for a while leading up the aid station and after that point I was pretty much solo.  I would see a runner here and there, but for the most part I didn't see any runners until the last aid station.  I liked the private time.  There was a portion that was exposed to the sun at the golf club and that's where the brush got a lot thicker on the trail.  I passed a runner who looked like he was in pain and I asked him if he was okay.  He had a serious cramp, but said he was okay.  He saw I had two bottles of water and asked for some water.  Poor guy!  It sucks to run out of water and be thirsty on a run.  He had one of the race water bottles so I filled his bottle up with one of mine.  I assumed there was just a mile or so left and one bottle would suffice.  I was a little off because we didn't hit the last aid station for another mile and then there was still 1.65 after that.  I swear, this was the race that never ended.  I thought it would be fun to run without my Garmin, but I'll have to re-think that in the future.  If the race has mile markers I think I could manage without it, but there were none on this race and it made it really difficult to not know how far I'd gone or how long I'd been racing.  There is a small part of me that liked not knowing, but it was hard to realize how off.  When I hit the last station and asked how much farther I was dumbfounded when they told me I still had a mile and half to go.  I seriously felt like I had just run 13 miles.  (I later found out the course measured longer and was an estimated 14.65 miles so I wasn't totally off when I hit that last aid station!)

Even though I couldn't believe there was still 1.65 to go, I kept on moving.  I was exhausted at this point.  I pretty much walked that last mile.  I tried to do fartleks from each ribbon marker in the trees, but only lasted through 4 of them.  I had been doing some form of intervals, however scattered they were, but I just wanted to get to the end and could care less about time at that point.  When I finally could see I was nearing the end I ran.  I think that was about .2 miles.   I don't think I could ever allow myself to walk through a finish line, no matter how tired I am.  When I rounded the corner into the finish chute I could see the time of day was just after 12:00 pm.  They announced my name as I crossed the finished, but they pronounced my name last name wrong.  That always happens!

When I crossed the finish line I actually wanted to cry (not the happy tears I usually get) because that meant that I was out on the course for almost 4 hours!!  My time was 3:49:44.  Yikes!  I was way off my anticipated time.  That was slower than any half I'd ever run, even my first one in 2012.  I was happy to finish and to get the medal, but a little upset with the time.  I know that I gave it everything I had and during the course, but it still sucks to be so dang slow.  I know it's a consistency issue and I'm not going to see major improvements until I get more consistent.  I can't be too upset.  On a positive note, I felt like I have come a long way in my running journey.  I'm pretty sure I would have suffered a lot more if I attempted this race last year and would not have done it in the time limit of 4 hours.  I know that I am stronger today than I was when I started two years ago.  It was by far the hardest course I've run so far.  I would venture to say it was even harder than the Marine Corps Marathon.  I didn't have to deal with my IT band injury on this race, but I did have little aches and pains in my knees and ankles from the trails.  It was brutal and took more mental gumption to get through it.  During MCM there were crowds and loads of other runners to help along the way.  This race I was mainly on my own.  I did also beat 40 other people.  I might be at the back of the pack, but I wasn't last :)

Race loot...water bottle (they had more at the
finish), medal and Smart wool socks

After I crossed the line I got water and chugged it.  I was getting a headache and for me that's one of the first signs that I'm dehydrated.  I picked up my shirt from the screen press, which I love, and then went to look for post race food.  I wasn't very impressed with the selection.  All I could see was peanut better, pretzels and saltines.  I think I might have been too slow and all the good stuff was gone.  I really wanted a banana or something.  I grabbed two packs of saltines to get some sustenance and walked to the shuttles.  I live close enough so I knew I could get something at home soon.  There was a lady passing out fruit bars by the shuttle so it worked out well.  It was delicious.  Unfortunately, I didn't walk around the vendors.  I was too exhausted.  The race name was very appropriate because this race definitely was an endurance challenge.

On my drive home I called my parents, who were on their way home from my sister's, to see where they were.  They were about an hour away and I asked them if they wouldn't mind stopping by the Taco Bell/Pizza Hut fast food joint to get me my favorite post race food, a small cheese pizza a bread sticks.  Yum!  I don't know why, but I love pizza after races.  Ever since I got pizza at the Caesar Rodney half it's what I crave.  They were nice enough to agree to get it for me so I could shower and relax instead of having to worry about going back out.  They're the best!  I did have a little chafing on my arms even though I used body glide and that is always miserable in the first shower.  I was happy to have the sleeveless shirt and think it made a difference, but the chafing was no fun.  Next time I need more body glide.  After I ate my delicious pizza I pretty much passed out for a few hours.

On a side note, I stopped eating meat back in March.  About 2 weeks ago I'd noticed that I was extraordinarily tired.  I'm positive that it was a result of protein deficiency and have been trying to fix it.  I think the effects were still apparent based on how much the trail wore me out.  I know the trails are harder than the road, but my time was A LOT slower than I've been doing lately.  I think my slow time was a combination of poor pre-race carb loading (Red Robin), protein deficiency, running in the heat and the toughness of the trails.

The medal close up.  

Overall Race Thoughts:
For the most part, I feel like the race was well organized.  I don't have any other trail runs to compare it to.  It's not a road race so I can't expect the same things I would on my other races.  Dan had mentioned that aid stations every 6 miles apart is pretty typical for trail runs.  I was lucky they handed out water bottles to withhold us those 6 miles because I would have been inadequately prepared.  If I do a trail race in the future I have a better idea of what I need to sustain me and my little 20oz belt will not cut it.  I do have a 100oz Camelbak that I use for my long runs in the summer, but that would be a little too big for this type of race.  I think if I were to do a run like this again I would purchase a 50-60oz fuel backpack.

I have been admiring ultra runners and my friends who have completed 50k's, 50 milers and 100 milers.  They had my respect before this race, but after this endurance challenge my respect grew.  Trail runners are strong!  It's a totally different beast than the road.  I'm not totally sure how I feel about trails just yet.  I know that I like road races better, and right after I finished yesterday I would tell you there is no way that I ever want to do an ultra trail run, or even the NF half again.  Now that I've had some time to digest the experience I definitely still want to do an ultra marathon one day and I want to do the NF half again.  I don't want that race to beat me or discourage me.  It was hard, but I know what to expect now.  It's close to home so I can train better for it next year.  I'm not sure which race I'll do next year because it depends on how the rest of my race calendar for 2014 ends up, but at a minimum I'll do the half again.  The only thing I know is that, I will return with a vengeance! Perhaps I'll plan for the 50-miler in 2015 :)

Race Re-cap: Cascades 10k Firechase

On May 28th, 2011 I began my running journey.  I had been running sporadically with my friend Zoey.  We would meet once or twice a week and run on the treadmill.  One day we decided to sign up for a race to help us stay motivated and stay on track.  We looked at a race calender and found the Cascades 10k Firechase. It was a little farther than we we had been running, but it was local and on my 28th birthday.  I figured that it would be a great way to celebrate my birthday.  I had also been envious of my friends who ran in races and wanted to do that too.  I knew that if I didn't just start, then I never would.  I ran that race in 2011 and had the best time.  I was one of the final finishers, but I didn't care.  It was one of the best days of my life.  It made me feel so good about myself.  I knew I was finally doing something I had always wanted to do.  It also lit a fire inside of me and I wanted to run more races.

The day before the race I stopped by the Cascades fire station to pick up my number.  It was on the way home from my house so it was very easy.  I was elated when I saw my race number.  I have a weird thing with numbers.  For starters, I don't like odd numbers so I'm always happy when my race number is even.  The reason I was particularly delighted by my number is because it seemed significant to me.  On May 25th, 2013 would be the 2 year anniversary of my running journey (2 is the first number) and I was 28 when I ran my first race (the last 2 numbers).  It's silly, but I thought it was cool.  

Race Day:

I had invited local RFRC members to run in the race and come to my house for a BBQ afterwards if they were in town.  Most of them could not make it, but I was lucky to get a few runners.  I also talked my friend Haley into running it with me.  She has never done a race and is training for her first half marathon in August.  The race fit perfectly into her training plan.

Haley and I

On race morning Haley came to my house and we went extra early.  She was super nice and got me a headband (I love them) with "Flirty 30" embroidered on it. She also gave me a few sports beans and a really nice card.  It was a nice surprise.  I normally wouldn't go to a local race over an hour early, but Haley had to register and she was a little nervous so getting there early helps with that.  I remember how nervous I was when I ran this race the first time.  When we arrived we went to the registration area and then we walked around and waited for the others to arrive.

The other ladies that came to the race included Anne, Traci and Zoey.  Anne also wrote a race recap of this race on her blog.  I talked Zoey into joining RFRC too a month ago.  I want Haley join as well, but she doesn't have Facebook so that won't work.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a pre-race photo with all of us.  We did all start the race together, but quickly separated after we crossed the start.  Everyone runs their own pace and I didn't expect anyone to run with me.  I did stick with Zoey for the first 4 miles.  I wanted to do better than my 10k time last month, but wasn't overly concerned by it.  I just wanted to go with how I felt, enjoy the day and reminisce my running journey.  

Traci and her son, one of my students, made this sign for me.
It's the first sign I've ever had at a race. It was so fun to see it
along the course :)

The course is a double loop, which normally I'm not a huge fan of, but I like this course.  Since I live in the area there were a few people I knew who were running.  That's always fun.  I even saw two of my students running. They passed me :)  I think it's great they are getting an early start into racing.  I wish I would have been running at a younger age.  Running has made me stronger, not only physically, but mentally too.  It has made me realize my self worth and be proud of who I am.  Maybe I would have made a few different decisions in life if I had the same self-worth and confidence I have now.  

I ran with Zoey for 4 miles and then she got a little ahead of me.  She wanted to go a little faster and I didn't.  My body was tired.  However, I did still manage to make another PR.  I took an additional 1:40 off my 10k time.  That was also unexpected and I was happy.  When I approached the finish line Zoey was just crossing the line and Anne and Haley were at the side cheering.  Haley beat me!  I was so proud of her.  She had an awesome finishing time for her first race.  She has been dedicated to her training and I am not so I can't be sad to come in after her.  It's just one more sign that consistency breeds success. Plus, the more you run the more you realize it's all about being yourself.  I beat myself again so nothing else really matters.  

After the race we posed for some post-race photos, went to get some drinks and snacks and then found Traci!  She missed some of the pictures :( 

L to R: Anne, Haley, Zoey, Me

Yes, I would!

I love pictures!

After the race I went home to freshen up and then had a few friends come over for a BBQ.  It was small, but that's exactly how I wanted it.  It was just a few of my closest friends.  Two of my friends, Logan and Amanda helped me plan and brought some cool decorations and yummy food to share.  I also provided some BBQ food as well.  It was a great day over all and I'm happy to be moving into my 30's.  I love the Cascades 10k and hope to run it for many more years to come. 

Logan's lovely decorations

Delicious cupcakes that Amanda made for me.  I LOVE turtles!

Race Re-cap: Marine Corps Historic Half

I really looked forward to the Historic Half because there were a large number of my fellow running club members attending the race from all over the country.  Most of the members were from the VA/DC/MD area, but we had one fly in from Cali and another drive down from Canada.  The club started in 2011 because a few first time runners in MCM were looking for other first timers for support and encouragement.  After MCM 2011 the club stayed in tact because they built relationships and it has grown from there.  I imagine that MCM weekend will always be huge with our club.  Anyway, the Historic Half was a weekend event and was a little preview for the Marine Corps Marathon reunion we'll have in October.

Pre-Wedding Shakeout Run:
On Saturday, May 18th one of our running club members, Elizabeth, was getting married.  She decided to set up a group run with whoever could make it out to DC that morning.  We met at the Smithsonian metro stop and ran around the Mall.  I arrived just on time and was so happy to see some of my fellow runners and friends there to join in the fun.  One of our runners who lives in Minnesota, Bob, was even there.  It was such a fun surprise to see him.  I didn't know he was coming and he and Jeremy, another RFRC member, had set up the surprise.  I was more confused than anything because I thought I just missed him name on the list of runners.  I didn't realize at first that it was a surprise.

When Elizabeth arrived we were all there and ready to run.  She was so surprised to Bob and a little emotional by the fact that she was also getting married that evening and she got teary eyed.  It was a sweet moment to witness.  I have to say that even though I've only known most of these runners for a short time, we are like family.  Running has really bonded us all in a special way that is hard to describe.

Due to time, we only ended up running 1.5 miles.  It was one of the funnest runs I've done.  We had a great time talking, laughing and running.  Most of the group are fast runners, but the pace they kept was manageable for me so I was happy to be able to keep up.  When it was time to go we said our congratulations to Elizabeth and we were off.  I ended up catching a ride to where my car was with Jeremy, his wife Handan and Bob.  I was happy to spend the time with them.  After I arrived home I got my things together and drove down to Fredericksburg, VA.  It took about 2.5 hours because of traffic.  There's ALWAYS traffic :(

Packet Pick-up:
The Marines are really great at organizing their races so I knew the packet pick up process would be smooth and it was.  After I got my number and race shirt I texted a fellow club member, Ed, who I knew was still at the expo.  I met up with him and we walked around the expo.  There were the usual vendors I'm used and, of course, One More Mile (my favorite).  I've seen the worker at several expos so I asked him his name (Maurice or Maurico...I forget which one) so I can say hello properly next time.  I love their products.  Not only are they affordable, they are good quality and their slogans are funny.  I bought a visor from them that says "WTF!" on the front, which in the runner world stands for "where's the finish."  I also have a shirt from them with that same slogan.

I have gotten really into visors lately.  I bought one at the Cherry Blossom expo in April and love it.  It's better than hats because I can wear my hair the way I'm used to.  I also like the way they block the sun.  I always wear a headband, but I think in the summer months I will start wearing the visors more because I want to protect my eyes and face from the sun.  I wanted to buy a MCM visor so I went back to the official race gear section and picked up a MCM visor and a drinking glass with the Historic Half logo.  I bought one last year from MCM so I thought it would be fun to have another one.  Unfortunately, when I got home I realized I bought a MCM 10k visor and not a historic half one :(  After those two stops I quickly left because I knew I'd spend way too much money if I walked around.

Pre-Race Dinner:

Red Felt Runners who came to the dinner

Bob and me!  He cracks me up. I didn't
even realize he was doing that until I
saw the picture.   He's a ladies man.

Since there were so many runners from our club doing Historic Half we decided to meet up for dinner.  I ran into Bob at my hotel lobby and he hadn't had a ride arranged yet so we rode together.  We set up the dinner with a nearby restuarant, Roma's Italian Restaurant, ahead of time so we would have a place for all of us to eat and also to make sure we wouldn't have to wait.  I think in the end they were still a little overwhelmed by us.  It was not in downtown Fredericksburg because we figured those places would be full of runners.  We had our own private area.  It was great.

I saw the flag free for a
moment and had to take a pic

They had an area in the back ready for us when we arrived. These pre-race events have been wonderful.  As a running club most of our interaction is on our Facebook group page.  We try to set up pre-race meet and greets on race mornings before races where there are more than one of us running, but usually that's just a few minutes and you don't really get a chance to get to know someone.  The dinners and other events give us the time to talk more.  I had a great time at the dinner.  The food was pretty good too.  I did have a little issue with my meal at first because they brought out baked ziti with meat sauce, but they were quick to make it vegetarian it for me.  Other than that, it was a really fun time.  After the dinner a few of the folks went to play corn hole, but I wanted to get back and get some sleep.  The race started early and I wanted to make sure I was as well rested as possible.

Race Day:

I had such a great experience with dedicating my run for the Nike Women's half that I wanted to dedicate my Historic Half run too.  I decided to run in honor of Larraine.  She is also in my running club and recently found out that her cancer has returned.  She is a really fun girl and I wanted to dedicate my run to her.  She also ran a race that weekend. She is a tough chick!

On race morning I set my alarm for 4:15am!  The race started at 7am and I had to get ready, eat and to drive to our pre-race meetup spot by 6am.  I have a pre-race ritual and it's a slow process.  I like to have at least 45 minutes to an hour to wake up and get ready.  Bob and I decided we'd ride together to the race and arranged an early meet up at 5:15am.  It was a lot earlier than necessary, but it's better to be early than rushed.  There are always pre-race nerves and I don't want to add to it by being late.

I made it to the lobby in time and Bob was there waiting.  We chatted for a bit and ended up meeting a girl named Lisa, who was also running.  She ended up riding with us because we were all going to the same place and coming back to the same place.  We also ran into Tod, another club member, on our way out and he hoped in my car too.  Tod and I were planning to run together anyway so there was no reason to take a lot of cars.  He had a recent injury and needed to take it slow and I wanted to run at an 11:30 pace, which is what he wanted to do, so he said he'd help pace me.  On the drive over we talked about the club with Lisa and how awesome it was and she ended up becoming a member too!  That was fun.  I think after the weekend was over between all of us there, we recruited 5 new members.

RFRC members who made the pre-race meetup

We met our fellow RFRC runners at the VA Runner store, chatted for a bit, took some photos and then walked to the start.  I was talking to Marie, an RFRC member (of course), on the way.  We decided to make our pit stop at the hotel near the start line.  Why use the portapotties if you don't have to?  While we were waiting in line a guest of the hotel, who was also racing, let us use her room instead.  It was so nice.  I love runners!  If I was alone I wouldn't do that, but since Marie was with me I felt safe.

Marie and I before the start. I wore
a headband that said "Semper Fi,"
which is the Marines slogan.

Marie and I headed to the start and met back up with Tod, Jennifer and a few other runners in our group who were in similar pace groups.  As we started we quickly lost each other, but I stayed with Jennifer and Tod the entire race.  Well, we ended up losing Jennifer around mile 10 because she had to make a quick stop.  They were great running partners.  They helped me push through and keep the pace I wanted for the most part.  I think Tod would have been a little faster without me, especially toward the end when I was getting tired, but he stayed with me the whole time.  If I had followed his advice and not stopped as much as I did toward the end we probably would have made our time goal.  The course was not flat and was pretty challenging.  It had several small, rolling hills and then from miles 10-12 there are larger, more significant hills.  You can read Tod's race recap on his blog.  I like reading his blog and race re-caps.  They are a lot more brief than mine.  Sometimes I'm too wordy and give too many details, but that's just me.  My blog is like a journal for me and a way to keep track of my progress.  If can also provide feedback to people who might be considering a race.

My running buddies, Tod and
Jennifer, at the starting line

One of the coolest parts of the race was at mile 5 or 6.  I ended up running into one of the runners that I finished the Marine Corps Marathon with last year.  I was really struggling the last 6 miles of MCM and spent those last miles with Max and another gentleman (I forgot his name).  Just the day before I was telling some friends about how thankful I was for them and how much they helped me get through the race.  I had neglected to get their contact information so you can imagine my excitement when I ran into him.  After spotting him I went up to him and asked, "Did you run Marine Corps last

Max & I at MCM 2012

year?"  He said yes, and then said, "Amy!"  We gave a quick hug and chatted for a moment.  I took his race number and name and said I would look him up afterwards, but had to move on because I was going for a race PR.  We wished each other well and I caught back up with Tod and Jennifer.  It was so cool to run into him. Out of 7,500+ runners I ran into Max.  How awesome is that?  He will be doing MCM again and I'm hoping to get him to join our club.  Unfortunately, since the race I haven't been able to track him down on Facebook.  I even emailed the race directors asking them to forward him my contact information, but nothing has happened yet.  I'm determined though and hope to reconnect before MCM.

We did it!

The course is not easy I mentioned before and the most challenging parts are in the last few miles.  When we hit Hospital Hill (the biggest hill on the course) I was struggling.  The hill wasn't as bad as I thought, but it was still hard and after 11 miles even small hills are a challenge.  For the most part we did a fairly decent job maintaining our interval on the hills (except a couple times I extended the walks a little).  At one point when I wanted to walk, Tod was encouraging me to run up to the top.  I didn't want to, but I thought about Larraine.  I told him that if she can fight cancer I can run up this hill and we did.  Knowing I was running in her honor helped keep me going when it got tough.  She is a fighter and I have no good excuse to be a wuss and walk up hills, even if I'm tired!

I wore my sign on my back

My goal for the race was to finish in 2.5 hours, which would be an 11:27/mile pace.  Keep in mind that 3 weeks before I had a kick ass PR where I shaved 18 minutes off my half marathon time and that was on a flat course.  This course was not flat.  We ended up crossing the finish line at 2:33:23, which was 20 seconds faster than Nike.  Even though I didn't quite meet my goal, I am very happy with my time.  It was a pretty rough finish too.  I have been struggling with side stitches (like a cramp) on many of my runs lately so I was not surprised that I was having issues on this run.  For the most part the stitch appeared during miles 8-10, but I dealt with it.  It went away and then re-appeared during mile 12, right when Tod and I were trying to pick up the pace.  I've learned to deal with the pain and push on, except it makes it really hard to breath deeply.  Usually I will have to stop and walk when it gets bad.  I wanted to sprint and run faster, but couldn't get a deep breath in and I was feeling out of breath.  It was so annoying.  We ended up having to take a couple extra walk breaks during mile 12, which is not something I wanted to do, but it helped.  It allowed me to catch my breath enough to make a sprint for the finish.  The last sprint was hard though because the stitch was still there.  When we crossed the line I told Tod that I was still having trouble breathing right and he said, "We're done, you don't have to breath anymore!"  It was great.  Thankfully it took a little walking and a few deep, painful breaths and I was as good as new.  We picked up our post race drinks and snacks and headed to the beer tent where we suspected we'd find other Red Felters that were already done.

RFRC members who were at the finish when Tod and I arrived

We did end up running into a good number of Red Felters at the beer tent and were able to take some post-race photos. It was nice because most of the time I'm slower than most of them so I usually end up being on my own at the finish.  I was with Tod and knew I'd have to find Bob and Lisa since they rode with me, but it was a great surprise that so many other Felters were still hanging around.  The fact that it was warm enough outside to hang out contributed to the longer celebrations.

All in all it was a great race.  I took more time off my PR, even if it's seconds.  I am improving.  I still wish I was faster, but as my new running coach says, "patience grasshopper."  I have to keep on moving and working and the time will continue to come off.  Aside from having a good time, I had a great weekend.  I really enjoyed spending time with other Red Felters.  I've wrote it before and I'm sure I'll write it again, but the Red Felt Running Club is filled with amazing people.  I ended up riding back up to Northern VA with Bob because he was at my hotel and was going to be staying in a town near where I live so it just made sense.  We went to lunch after we were ready to go and had great conversation.  I'm glad he was able to make a surprise visit for this race.  I enjoyed his company.  When we arrived back to Herndon where he was staying we spent some more time with Jeremy and Handan.  They are great!  It was nice to relax and chat for a bit, but I sure was ready for a nap!

On our way to our car we ran into Joni and her son, other
Felters in our club so we had to take a photo :)  From L to R:
Tod, Joni, Tazman, Bob, Lisa (our new recruit) and me

For the Marine Corps Marathon in October many of us will be staying in the same hotel.  I know I live close, but I decided to book a room because there will be a lot going on that weekend and I don't want to have to go back and forth, especially after the race.  If I go home after the marathon I will not be wanting to drive back to DC for evening festivities.  Plus, being close to a hotel that I can shower and nap in after I complete 26.2 miles is very appealing.  One of our club members set up a room block at the Key Bridge Marriott, which is close to the finish line, and I believe we have reserved 40 rooms or so.  There are also many other Felters at surrounding hotels.  It's going to be an amazing weekend and the Historic Half was just a little preview.  I can't wait.  Now, it's time to start training!!

Me and Molly, the MCM mascot.  You can
see Bob partially photo bombing my picture!