Harpers Ferry Half Marathon race report, 2013

I ran this race last year and what a different experience it was this year!

Like last year, Hank ran the 4 mile option, though it was closer to 4.4 miles this year. He didn't want to do his own race report but just wanted to say he had a fun run, and he was glad it didn't rain too hard.

I'll just cut to the chase and tell you I had a darn good time with this race. It was hard work for sure, but my mental state throughout the race was excellent. 

My plan was to use this as a training run. So that meant I would start off slow and ease up from there. I was looking to run 11ish or slower miles and to happily walk the brutal hills. I lined up at the back, starting chatting with the folks around me and talked pretty much the whole race with anyone nearby.  I'm sure there were folks who either dropped off or sped up because I was so chatty!

 

As diabolical as the course is, it really is a nice mix of trail and roads, and you can't beat the scenery in this area. We've had a lot rain lately and both the Potomac and Shenendoah rivers have been at/near flood stage. Harpers Ferry is at the confluence of these rivers so flooding would have been an issue for the race organizers. Thankfully they didn't have to worry about it. 

 

The first major uphill is from lower old town to upper old town. The picture below doesn't really do it justice because it's about a mile from top to bottom. There was a woman on her porch cheering for us, "Keep going! The hill really does have an end!"

 

It was on this hill last year that my brain fizzled and popped. This year I ran about half way up and then walked the rest. Got to the top and started running again. Happy!

I happily plodded along for the remainder of the course and crossed the finish in 2:27 and change...about 6 minutes faster than last year. How funny is that! I have to say I also felt sooo much better after this race, no weird foot issues or leg cramps. yay!

Now if I can hang on to this mindset and just roll with whatever my runs bring me, I'll be golden!

My thoughts on
Price: It was $60 to register the day before (my bad) which I think is a bit steep, but they let kids under 18 run the 4 mile for free and kids always run the 1 mile for free.
Course: Very challenging hills, nice mix of trails and road. Well marked. Lots of enthusiastic course marshalls and volunteers
Food on the course: The stations later in the course seemed to be just water (though I may have missed a Gatorade stop somewhere). I'm not a big drinker (unless it's wine), but it was warm and very humid out so a shot of Gatorade would have been nice. They also had Hammer gels which make me sick so I didn't partake.Because of my stomach issues, I almost always carry my own fuel so it wasn't an issue for me.
Atmosphere: Party time. It's fun to run with folks who love to run for fun. [say that 3 times fast].  Mark Cucuzzella and his staff from Two Rivers Treads are enthusiastic to say the least. What I really love is that the races they're a part of are fun for the whole family. They cheer very loudly when kids cross the finish line, and every kid gets a medal...who doesn't love that!
Post Race: The post race food was pizza and beer, oh and some apples, oranges and Gatorade too. I'm grudgingly gluten free so I ate 2 apples and drank a bunch of Gatorade. I found a Lara bar in the bottom of my bag so I ate that too. But the rest of my family was gorging themselves. Bill had to go to work so he had to pass on the beer.
Swag: Since I didn't pre-register I had to stop by the reg table after I ran to see if any shirts were left. Men's medium was the smallest size left. Sadness, but again not a big deal to me. The medal is a replica of John Brown's armory in Harpers Ferry so the history geek in me thinks that's pretty cool.

Fun race. Fun atmosphere. I definitely recommend it as a nice change from a boring ol' flat road race. ;)

Freedom's Run Race Report

Looking back, nothing about my training seemed spectacular. I had some great runs, some ok ones and some really bad ones, but you'll have that with any training cycle.

I think being so incredibly busy really helped me not *completely* freak out - I had my moments, but for the most part I didn't have time to dwell on what I was preparing for. But I'm a little bit amazed that I did it. I ran a marathon.

I've been running for just 3 years, of those I missed nearly 1 year to injury. I have a crazy schedule between homeschool and volunteer work. I'm generally lazy and eat too many sweets - which contributes to me being 15 pounds overweight. But I did it. I don't say all that to make anyone feel bad. If anything it's to encourage anyone who doubts they can do it. Seriously, if I can do it, YOU can!

Alright, enough of that. Here's how it went...

The day started really early - 3am. The first buses were leaving Shepherd U at 5:30 and my friend, Eddy, was picking me up at 4:45. We walked up to the bus stop and our friend Larry from our running club was already there.

It turns out Larry planned to run the same pace I did and he agreed to let me tag along. He is known for running an even pace - be it an 8 m/m or an 11 m/m, he can dial in and maintain his pace. I - on the other hand - am *not* known for running an even pace so running with him was a real Godsend.

We got to the start and met more folks from our running club, checked our bags and hung out until the start. With a "Ready, Set, Go!" we were on our way. I didn't carry my phone so I don't have any pictures but you'll have to trust me when I tell you that sunrise at Harpers Ferry is quite lovely.

Just after mile 4, we crossed the footbridge from Harpers Ferry, WV to the tow path in MD. The bridge was wet which made me wonder if it had rained. We got close to the spiral staircase where it was slippery and realized it was frost. Brrrr!

The temptation with this race is to hit the tow path and turn it on. That would be a really bad thing to do for someone like me because you get off the tow path at mile 15ish and begin the really steep climb to the battlefield. Thankfully I was running with Larry, a nice relaxed pace, and I felt great. We chatted with fellow runners, got a chuckle out of a really crabby older runner and generally enjoyed the ride.

We got to Millers Sawmill Rd and began the climb up. Still feeling good but I decided to walk the steeper parts of the hills in this section because I knew what was coming, and honestly my walk pace was about the same as my run pace on some of these!

The volunteers for this race are wonderful and cheered us on like rockstars. The aid stations were spaced well, and I was happy that I decided not to carry water. We walked through each aid station and walked for a bit past the one at mile 20ish.

Mentally I knew if I could make it to the elementary school, I was set because most of the course is downhill from there.  What I didn't count on was that my knees would start aching like crazy around mile 21 and my feet - oh my feet - they were talking by mile 22 and were done by 24.

not sure what that hill at mile 10ish is. the tow path is pretty flat

When I ran the Harpers Ferry Half in May, I got cramps in my feet. First time that had happened and I haven't had trouble like that since (that I can remember). Mile 24ish my feet started cramping hard. I would walk a bit, run a bit and pray.

I almost started to cry out of frustration and pain so I stopped, took a breath and said outloud "Pull yourself together. You can do this." So I did. Funny how that works.

I got to the bridge just after mile 25 and decided I was running to the finish come hell or high water. I heard some strange grunting sound and realized it was me! Each time my right foot hit the ground I made this awful sound, but I didn't slow down.

Because of road construction we had to wind through the campus a bit, and there was one last uphill. Really short, but steep and I got an awful cramp in the side of my right leg and my foot again. After that I couldn't feel my right foot (and it actually still hurts a little), but I kept my arms moving so my feet had no choice but to go.

I got to the top of the hill and couldn't figure out where to go. Thankfully someone was standing there, "follow the arrows!" Oh you mean those giant white arrows in the middle of the road?? doh!

The kids run was taking place next to the stadium entrance and there were people everywhere. My brain was addled so I was very grateful they had 2 lines of volunteers marking the way. Then I saw Bill and heard someone else yell name. At that point I couldn't feel my legs and ran as hard as I could focusing on my arms.

When I stopped my feet hurt so bad, I really did think I was going to cry. I wanted to wait for Larry who was just a couple of minutes behind me, but I had to keep moving or just melt into a puddle - and I had to pee.

I think I was in a state of shock...not physically...I was fine physically other than my feet. It just all seemed so surreal and a bit anticlimactic.

I hobbled around to find Bill and the kids, got something to drink, and we made our way to the Oktoberfest. On our way I saw Abbi and her husband. It was great finally meeting her in person after corresponding via email and blog for so long.

After hanging out with friends from the Steeplechasers for a bit, we headed home. I took a shower and went to bed and Bill took the kids to football. I guess he was right afterall.

Finish Time: 4:41:12.6

Pace: 10:44

Age Rank: 16/35 F-40 to 49

And I am nothing if not a good sport, particularly when it comes to unflattering photos. So I present to you....my unofficial finishline photo (at least I hope there was another photographer)

many thanks, I think, to Jacqueline of Charming and Quaint Photography

I realize she can only photograph what she sees so don't consider this picture a reflection of her skill as a photog. I like to think of it as a portrait of determination...yea, that's it, determination is all over my face. ;)

The North Face Half Marathon, DC Race Report

TNF Half Marathon- trail by tracyrunning at Garmin Connect - Details

I had the great privilege of winning an entry into The North Face Endurance Challenge Series, DC and ran the Half Marathon distance on Sunday.

A few things to note - I've never run an all trail half mary. Just 3 weeks ago I ran the Harpers Ferry Half which was 40 or so % trail and HILLY as heck. And then I spent the week before at the beach eating too much and having fun.

pc: http://www.ultraracephotos.com/tnfec/

If you live in the area you know that we had major t-storms roll through the few days leading up to the race. Science lesson: dirt + water = mud and in this case, lots and lots of it

Short version race report:
I had so much stinkin' fun that I can't wait to do it again.

Long winded version goes like this:

I emailed a friend who ran the 50K on Saturday and she confirmed the trails were a sloppy mess. I'm a noob to trail running, but I was pretty sure that meant I shouldn't wear white unless I was ok tossing it in the trash when I finished.

pc: http://www.ultraracephotos.com/tnfec/

Bib pick up went fast. Plenty of stocked porto pots that had been freshly hosed down for the Sunday runners. Coffee was brewed and a few snacks were available for runners and volunteers.

The weather was perfect. Chilly, slight breeze, clear skies. You really couldn't have asked for a prettier morning or location.

I found a couple of people from my running club and chatted with them a bit. And before we knew it Wave 1 was ready to go. They started the 3 waves in 3 minute increments so at 8:06, I was on my way!

The finish chute was a mud pit so we got our feet wet and muddy right off the bat. The fact that so many of us [me included!] tried to run around it is laughable considering what we were in for.

We were on a paved then gravel road for nearly 2 miles. Then it narrowed a little more giving the crowd some time to thin out. But so much of the course was single track and the mud so bad in some areas that nearly 600 runners was just too many. Trying to keep from falling while avoiding oncoming runners was tough and it's a miracle no one was hurt.

pc: http://www.ultraracephotos.com/tnfec/

Another issue with single track is there were some areas where you simply could not pass. Not a problem if the person in front is running. It is a problem if the person in front is a young woman who has probably never run trails before and is worried about getting her shoes dirty. I was very happy to finally squeeze around her.

I latched onto a group of 3 guys who were running a nice pace and were good at picking out the least muddy path through/around mud pits and streams. I lost them at one of the aid stations and started running with 2 women who were training for a 50K in a few weeks. We dropped one of them around mile 9, and I asked the other if she minded if I stayed with her since I tend to go too fast and then fall apart. She didn't mind at all but then she had stop with a shin issue around mile 10 1/2 so I was on my own from there to the finish.

I was able to finish strong, partly because some guy thought he was going to outkick me. Not today, baby!

So let's talk mud.

We got to run across little streams and some bigger ones. My legs are short, and I can’t jump so I just slogged through them. One of the bigger streams had steep banks and the mud was as slick as ice. I opted to sit and just slide into the water and then claw my way up the other bank.

There was just one section of hills and the mud there was also like ice. We were each looking for tree roots or rocks to step on for some sort of traction while walking up. There were runners who were afraid to go down because it was so slippery. I opted for short, quick steps, oh and prayer, to make it down. Seemed to work.

Miles 6ish through 9ish were like running through thick oatmeal. I was surprised I didn’t lose a shoe and remembered the kids’ cross country coach telling me about meets when they had to tape their shoes onto their feet.

We were all sliding and nearly falling. I had some close calls but managed to stay on my feet. Others looked like they had rolled around in the mud and were covered from head to toe.

Running through that kind of mud is wearing on your legs. So much effort in just lifting your feet, never mind keeping your balance and dodging other runners.

In spite of all that, I felt GREAT. I would even say amazing! Yes, I was tired and sweaty, but I felt like I could have gone on for quite a while more.

That's probably because I went much slower and had to walk portions because I couldn’t pass. But I was thrilled with how I did in light of the conditions.

Plusses:
~It was a fun, well organized race.
~The volunteers were all really nice.
~The aid stations were well stocked and full of cheering, enthusiastic volunteers.
~The course was well marked and would have been ah-maz-ing sans the mud.
~I discovered I really like Espresso Love Gu. I thought I grabbed a blackberry one. Happy accident!
~Trail running is fun, and trail runners are nice folks.

Minuses:

First off, I want to make it clear that I am incredibly grateful that I won an entry and that they let me run the half in spite of it being sold out. I see my "minuses" as [hopefully] constructive feedback rather criticism.

~An out and back with that many people for that short a distance on a single track just isn’t good. 
~They ran out of women’s small and medium shirts. The Sunday races had been sold out for weeks. Each of us had to note a shirt size when we registered. There is no reason in the world, zombie apocalypse aside, why they shouldn’t have had the correct shirt size for everyone.
~The ‘festival’ was ok. It didn’t seem very festive to me. Just tents with vendors and lots of runners milling about. Nothing bad but it seemed funny to call it a Festival.
~For same day packet pick up, we got our shirts after the race. We then had to stand in line if we wanted the race design screen printed on our shirt. It seemed like we could have noted whether or not we wanted our shirt printed when we registered online. The line moved quickly so it wasn’t a huge deal. Just not very efficient.

Given the opportunity, I'm not sure I'd run it again mostly because it seemed like an awful lot of runners and the trails looked like they were in rough shape after all that  pounding.

But I do see myself running A LOT more trails in smaller groups or races.

Fun, Fun and MORE Fun!

Hank's 4 Mile Race Report

While I was slogging through the half marathon, Bill was supervising the kids and making sure Hank made it to his starting line on time.

I had planned to register Hank for the 4 mile race in advance, but when I saw the price wasn't much more for race day reg, I decided to wait.

Very fortuitous for my checkbook because I got an email saying that youth could run for free. Woot! I did pay to get him a shirt though because I figured he deserved some swag for his hard work.

Hank's race report as dictated to mom:

We went to the starting line down the hill. I got in the middle and was cramped at the beginning of the race. The guy blew the horn and we took off.

We ran on the road for a little ways, and then we turned onto a trail. It was a long time before we got to a water station (mom's note: ~mile 2).

It was pretty hilly but I still passed some people. A woman told me to keep it up because we were almost to the fun part.

The fun part was going down a hill in the shade. I stopped to get water on the 2nd loop and walked a little.

I ran as hard as I could to the finish. I thought I was the first kid to finish but a 13 year old finished before me. My time was 43:47 which I thought was pretty cool.

And I think it's pretty cool, too!

One thing I really like about the races Two Rivers Treads helps out with is that there is always a kids fun run. And the fun run is FUN. The kids get bibs and either ribbons or medals. Lined up at the start, they do silly warm up exercises often led by Dr. Mark or TRT employees. And the emphasis is to run and enjoy.

The 1 mile fun run was set to begin at 11am giving the grownups plenty of time to finish their races. As my peeps lined up for their race, Bill confided he was a little worried they were all 3 going to end up barfing because they had done nothing but eat pizza and drink gatorade the whole time I was running.

I forgot to mention the post race munchies were endless pizza and kegs of micro-brews...along with water and gatorade of course.

The horn sounded and off they went. Originally I planned to run with Shane since he has a tendency to be distracted, but I was in no condition to run so Hank volunteered. Thank goodness!

The first kid crossed the finish right around 7 minutes...on a cross country course...which is crazy fast!

Finally I saw 3 blue shirts running together and laughing.  Other parents commented how they looked like they were on a team, and I said they are - they're siblings but they also run for a local track and cross country team.

Shane took off and finished ahead of E and H and headed straight for the pizza

I found out later why they were laughing. Ella was slightly ahead of Shane for most of the race, and Hank kept telling Shane he needed to beat her. This made Ella laugh (silly boys trying to outrun my girlie) which made the boys laugh.

And so they laughed and ran a mile together. A very nice way to spend the afternoon!

*I can't find the charger for my good camera so we're stuck with crappy phone pictures for now. :(

Race for the Birds Recap

Yesterday Hank and I traveled across the Potomac River to West By God Virginia to run my first trail race, the Race for the Birds. Hank runs cross country in the fall so this was old hat for him.

In keeping with my new post-injury outlook on running, my goal was to finish upright and have fun, which I did so the short version of this recap is -It was a success!

This was a pretty low key race with about 250 runners overall, and 4 distances - 7+ miles, 4+ miles, 2 miles (self-timed), and 1 mile kids trail fun run.

The 7 and 4 mile runners started together with the first mile or so on the road. This gave us the opportunity to spread out before reaching the trail.

The trails weren't very technical - a mix of dirt, gravel and grass, and they were wide enough for people to comfortably pass me (which they did, often!), and it was 2 loops, a smaller loop within a larger one.

I looked at the course map a few times beforehand and it seemed pretty simple, but once I got out there, I had almost no sense whatsoever of where I was in relation to the finish line. Thankfully it was very well marked with happy, cheering volunteers at each significant turn; I think it would be practically impossible to get lost during this race.

Another exciting element was the ambiguous distance. One flyer I saw said 4.4 miles. Later literature said 4.9 miles. The official distance was listed as 4+ miles. I saw 4.4 miles on my Garmin with no finish line in sight. At 4.9 miles I was in the woods but could hear cheering so I knew I must be close. I crossed the line - and forgot to stop my Garmin, must be part of my new laid back persona - at 5.12 so the 4.9 mile description was the correct one...and now I know for next year.

Hank did really well. He took off without me from the very beginning and ended up 3rd in his age group though the awards were given for the top 2. He said he had to walk a couple of times because he was too hot but that he had a great time. And he wants to do it again next year. Yay!

The kids 1 mile fun run was a trail run and I'm definitely bringing Ella and Shane next year. The kids who ran looked ecstatic as they crossed the line...and of course as a little kid, what is more fun than running like a monkey through the woods and being rewarded with a ribbon, chocolate milk and a Chick Fil A sandwich?

My official time was 53:05.6 and Hank's was 51:38.1

Overall impressions

Course: pretty and well-marked

Volunteers: friendly, helpful and enthusiastic cheer-ers

Atmosphere: fun and laid back.

Entry fee: reasonable, $20 (kids run = free)

This race was a win in all respects and we definitely plan to do it again!

And all the photos are from the Potomac Highlands Dispatch website.

Forest of Needwood 5 Miler Race Report

Forest of Needwood 5 Miler by tracyrunning at Garmin Connect - Details

This afternoon I got to run the Forest of Needwood 5 Miler which is the second oldest road race in Frederick County. Pretty cool.  It's a fairly challenging course with lots of rolling hills and little shade so if it's hot - like it was today - you're gonna feel it.

I woke up this morning feeling like I was full of lead again. I felt like that all week but I was really hoping I'd wake up today fresh and ready to go. I considered not running because I was just flat-line in terms of energy, but I knew I'd regret it so I put on my big girl panties, sucked it up and ran.

I was all set to wear this cute little number

The skirt is a little big in the waist, but I've worn it with tights and it was just fine. I took a little jog down the road and it almost fell off. Think I need to take the waist in. Whoops! So I turned around (the race starts w/i running distance of my house) and changed into shorts.

Then as I was standing around waiting for the race to begin, my legs were beginning to feel really warm. Off came the cute socks.

The race started and off we went. It gets a little bigger each year, but there were still probably fewer than 50 people. That's nice because you're not jostling in a big crowd. Not so nice because the crowd thins out and you're often running on your own.

If you click the link above and see my data, you'll see I kept it together for the first 3 miles. A smidge past 3 miles, I caught up with one of the kids from our cross country team and she was struggling mightily. So being the responsible adult I am, I used that as an excuse to stop and walk with her.

Big mistake because I never really pulled it together after that. I felt like I had stopped sweating (I didn't. I was drenched); my head was feeling funky and my legs felt weak. Thankfully the second water stop was at mile 4 so I stopped and downed a cupfull.

I didn't feel much better after that and just slowly plodded to the finish. The last 100 or so yards to the finish are relatively flat and I tried to pick it up for a stunning finish. My legs would have no part of it so I just kept slogging away. Not pretty at all.

Splits:
1 = 9.21
2= 9.26
3= 9.33
4= 11.18
5= 10.02

Official finish time= 49.47

Not a great race in terms of performance but in a lot of ways, I haven't raced in such a long time that I feel like I'm still figuring out how to get my act together in terms of fuel, pacing, etc.

It does sober me a bit as I consider what I need to do for the Harpers Ferry Half. Without a doubt I have to be more disciplined with my strength and cross training so I can train on the hills I need to without injury. 

Steady, consistent progress is what I'm looking for. I may need to write that on the back of my hand so I don't forget!

Freeze Your Thorns Off Virtual Race

This morning I ran in the 2nd Annual Freeze Your Thorns Off virtual race hosted by the witty, in a boring way, The Boring Runner.

I signed up for the 1st Annual FYTO last winter but was a big ol' DNS because of my IT band.

I have to admit that my training has been pretty hit or miss around Thanksgiving so I'm in terrible shape, and actually just this week started "Official Half Marathon Training" [said in a booming, echo-y voice].

My training plan called for 4 miles. My children called for...me all night...one with an ear ache and the other with a stuffed nose that made him snore like a diesel engine all night.

I wasn't going to give up so easily though. Sleep be damned! I will run. Plus this weekend is back to back with activities so it was this morning or no morning.

Everything was in place...

Cold weather

Me dressed like a homeless person hovering over a barrel fire

It was a pretty uneventful run other than the fact that I was tired and hungry at the start because I forgot to eat when I woke up. And I had to step off the road twice for oncoming cars, but at least they didn't swerve towards me.

Finish time: 31:29. Not lightning fast, but then even pre-injury I was never speedy. I'll happily take it. Thank you very much. :D

Yes, this is totally staged. I had my oldest son stand on the side of the road taking lots of pictures and this one was the silliest.

I learned two things: These particular tights chaff me at the waist band in one spot. I have to braid my hair because the wind kept blowing it in my face even though it was in a ponytail.

Thank you Adam for hosting the race and encouraging us all to get our miles in even when it's freezing cold out.

I hit publish instead of save before I was done. It has been a little crazy today!

Wattle Waddle Race Recap

The Wattle Waddle is a 5 mile Thanksgiving Day race that benefits a Christian shelter for homeless women and their children.

In years past, we've run the Turkey Trot in Frederick, but it has become too large for the course with just a mass start.

We decided that this year we would make the trek to Emmitsburg for the Wattle Waddle, and I'm so glad we did.  Emmitsburg is a quaint little town near the MD/PA border so I figured it would be really easy to find the park where the race started. It was pretty funny because we could SEE the park, and the big inflatable turkey; we just couldn't find the road that got us there. After some wrong-way-on-one-way-streets (whoops!) we finally got there.

It was cold, but not unbearable -and- not windy or rainy. Yay!  We had plenty of time to spare so we picked up our packets and hung out in the car for a bit.

I asked Hank if he wanted to run with me, and he looked at me like I was crazy. [sad Mommy moment], but I figured I could keep him in sight and then run with him once he petered out. The mayor said GO and off they went.

I didn't have any goal in mind other than to support Hank as he needed me...which turned out to be a good thing. 

 Hank took off like a cannonball and I quickly lost sight of him. I started off nice and slow and figured I'd catch him at some point.  The course is described as mostly flat, and for this part of Maryland, it was mostly flat. It's also very scenic so I enjoyed plodding along checking out the world.

Around mile 2, I saw a cute little guy in a blue shirt. Hank had pretty much flamed out and would struggle for the rest of the race.  We stopped at the one water stop and walked and drank. Then I just talked to him, encouraged him and reminded him how strong he was for even being out there.

edited to add this picture taken by the husband of my friend, who was the 4th woman overall. fast!

We took a couple of walk breaks and I continued to encourage him. There weren't many kid runners so other runners and spectators cheered a lot for him as we passed which really helped - spectators, never underestimate the power of an encouraging word or a crazy yell!

We hit the home stretch and I told him to run with all he had left. The little monkey had quite a kick for being so tired. I'm not letting myself sprint anywhere yet so I just plodded on in.  We both finished in 50 minutes and change. I thought that was excellent for Hank's first road race and first attempt at that distance.

While we were running, they had some activities for any kids who happened to be waiting around. Ella did a waddle race seeing how far she could run holding an inflatable turkey between her knees. She also played on the playground and did her part to annoy her older brother. Many thanks to Jake for taking pictures and watching his sister while Hank and I ran. Not his first choice for Thanksgiving morning, but he did it, and I'm grateful.

After the 5 mile race, they had a 1 mile walk led by a giant turkey. Though someone forgot to tell the kids it was just a walk because they all took off. So turkey-man had to take off after them because he was supposed to be out front (dunno why but that's what he said afterwards as he was catching his breath).

Ella got a ribbon and a certificate. I also gave her my swag - a pennant and a Livestrong-type bracelet - so she made out pretty well.

It's a great race. A great course. And a great cause. I definitely recommend it to you local folks. And I loved getting a headstart on the calories I knew I was going to enjoy later!

YMCA Women's Sprint Tri Race Report

Unless you've been hiding under a rock lately, you know that I completed my first sprint triathlon on Sunday with an unexpectedly epic time of 1:21:36.

My very long race report...

Packet Pickup- The venue this year was Middletown High School which is nestled in Middletown Valley (which means it's surrounded by hills). This is a change from the previous 2 years when it was held in downtown Frederick (which is mostly f.l.a.t.). Frederick city is trying to make everyone fat and unhappy by giving race directors grief 9 ways to Sunday when applying for race permits.

My friends and I arrived, picked up our stuff and chatted up the RD, who in addition to being one heck of an athlete is also riotously funny.

We overheard a woman ask one of the volunteers if we'd have access to the locker room and showers - because she intends to shower, dry off and change clothes after the swim - because she refuses to ride her bike when she's all wet. I thought that was an interesting approach since the humidity would be hovering around 90-95% the next day and we'd all be drenched in either water or sweat, but I'm a newbie so what do I know??

Luna had a little tent there and were giving away free samples and selling shirts and water bottles. Their team is called "The Luna Chix." How fun is that! They were very, very nice and answered all our nervous newbie questions.

I was disappointed that the swag did not include a shirt because I feel awkward trying to work "by the way, I just completed my first triathlon" into every conversation. I would prefer to let the shirt speak for me.  Our premium is a frame engraved with the race name and date. The photographer will send (or email; I forget) our finish line photo for it. Pretty cool, but I can't exactly carry that around with me. Or can I....

Home, eat and head to bed. Only my pesky kids won't let me sleep.  And daddy was off duty since he was going to be on duty all day Sunday. Ok fine. Showers and stories.

Finish that, recheck my 3 alarm clocks (phone, clock, watch) and attempt to fall asleep around 9:00. As you can guess, I didn't sleep a wink.

Pre-race morning- I got up at 3 so I could eat and digest well before the 7am start. 1 1/2 pieces of toast with almond butter and 1/2 a cup of tea. Fiddled with my stuff. Rechecked my bag. My friend E was going to french braid my hair for me since I can never get it tight enough when I do it. I figured I'd give a whirl to kill some time. Well shoot, if I didn't do it right. Cool beans.

E and I were some of the first athletes there so we got our pick of racks. We decided to go with the end closest to the pool and farthest from the bike entry so we'd have those extra steps for our legs to feel normal before the run. Not that we had a clue because neither of us had ever done this before, but it seemed logical so we went with it.

As you can see from this terrible phone picture, it was pretty dark out when we got there

Then we walked around looking at other people's set up and I drooled over some gorgeous bikes.

Swim - They had us file into the pool area in [mostly] numerical order. I got to start in the first heat so I didn't have to stand around for a long time fretting. E was in the 4th heat so she had to wait for a while.  They had us two to a lane which made me nervous. I didn't want to bump or otherwise annoy another swimmer, but I'm a crappy swimmer and weave all over the place.  We bumped hands just a couple of times while one or both of us was doing the breast stroke, but it was otherwise uneventful.

My plan for the swim was to start slow and not drown. I hoped to alternate freestyle and breast stroke evenly, but  I ended up doing the breast stroke more than I wanted. My left google kept leaking which was very distracting, but I glanced at my watch on my way out of the water. 7:47. Over 2 minutes faster than I expected. And I wasn't the last one out either. Nice surprise.

Boogy out to transition. Sort of towel off my feet. Shoes, helmet, Garmin, gloves and glasses. I didn't worry about wet feet because the air was extremely humid.

Entertaining themselves waiting for mommy

Bike - The course was advertised as 'rolling hills' which around here means 'hilly enough to hurt you'. One thing I didn't like is that all the turns (right turn loop) were at the bottom of a hill. And the roads weren't closed to traffic so I had to slow down to turn and lost a lot of momentum. But that's my lack of experience and not the RD's fault.

I knew at least 4 other people were ahead of me coming out of the pool. I passed 1 person as I mounted my bike and then 2 more on the course. I ended up riding alone for the entire ride which was hard; I really struggled with a lot of negative chatter in my head. Going up the hills, slowly, by myself. My legs hurt. My heart was pounding and I started thinking

'How am I going to run after this? I can barely get up this hill. My legs are dead. I can't settle down and get my heart rate under control,' and so on.

Thankfully about half way up the worst hill I snapped out of it and remembered my run mantra - 'strength. you are strong' Ok, I'm not gonna die.

And then I started saying outloud, "I can do this" over and over. So it's probably a good thing I was by myself!  I hoped to finish in 40-45 minutes, and according to my Garmin, I finished in 42:34. Not bad on my heavy hybrid bike with all the hills.

I saw Bill, the kids and my friend L as I was pulling into transition. It was really nice to see friendly faces at that point. I got off my bike without falling over and somehow ran into transition.

Run - Rip off gloves and helmet. Grab race belt and take off. Originally we were going to run on the grass for quite a bit of the course. They changed the course that morning because the dew was so heavy and the grass was ankle high and soaking wet. We did have to run on the grass for about 50 yards, and I ran for a bit, but slogging through tall, wet grass was more work than I was ready for so I walked.

 I alternated walking and running for the whole first loop. I was able to run most of the second loop but I was seriously fading as you can tell by my terrible form below. Hunched over, elbows out. Good grief, did I not learn anything  from all the running clinics I attended this summer??

I ate half a Gu on the bike; I just couldn't make myself swallow anymore than that and drank just a little as well. My stomach actually held up and I didn't have any cramping....or crapping. Always a bonus, right?

 I forgot I had my glasses on and sweat kept dripping on them making it hard to see. Thankfully my friend L was on the course so I handed them off to her. I was so glad to have people out cheering for me because my legs were done. Doing more than 1 [sort of] brick to train for this would have been really helpful!

 I forgot they were taking our picture for our frames so I hope I didn't have snot dripping or a weird look on my face, but who knows... I was just so happy to be finished!

I was still soaking wet when I finished so I was cold. I ran to my car to get my gorgeous YMX tee and arm warmers and Bill took this picture - which is now one of my favorites.

Shane really, really wanted my Pringles. Stinker

Bill and the kids headed home while L and I stayed on to cheer for my friend E - who had no time to train at all (no swim, 2 bike rides and 1 run in the last month) and still finished in 1:50. Some people are just naturally bad a$$!

So my official time was 1:21:36 which put me at 12/26 in my age group and 25th overall...I stink at math but I think that means that almost half of the top 24 finishers were in my age group. There are some hard core, hard workin' mamas in the 40-44 AG! Go girls!

Everyone who told me tris are addictive are RIGHT. If my piggy bank allowed it, I would be in line for a road bike and a funny-looking tri suit today. It was hard. Really hard. But it was also FUN.

And everyone, from participants to volunteers to bystanders, was so encouraging. They cheered as much for the last woman as they did for the first. It was a very positive experience and I'm so glad I did it!

And yes, I'm looking at least one more tri next year. I'd like to do an open water swim, and maybe an Oly. Fun, fun!

[Sort of] Race Report

*edited to add pictures that I swiped from the Brunswick Area Rec Council's FB page. Thanks, Bob!

Hopefully you all read about what a great job my pipster did at the Biathlon yesterday. Now I'll share with you my sort of race report though I guess it's more of a 'participation report' since I didn't race it.

there were just 15 participants last year. 28 this year so the event is growing!

On Thursday afternoon I got the okay from my ortho to run the bi on Saturday morning. He agreed mostly because the run was on a cross country course and not pavement, and I promised to walk if my foot or toe hurt. So the last time I ran was 14 weeks ago. That's about 3 1/2 months. Yes, I've biked and swam during that time, but I knew I was probably not going to be a blaze of greatness on the run [and I was ok with that].

My friends assured me the event is very lowkey and almost recreational. Um, sure. There were some seriously hardcore folks there and my stomach felt like a washing machine churning away. I ended up in the last heat of the morning with two other women so I had plenty of time to stand around and worry.

Which is completely silly because, honestly, my only 2 goals were to (1) finish alive and uninjured; and (2) have fun.

I stood there and watched all the grownups do their dive start for the swim. Well, shoot. I didn't practice that - but - I know how to surface dive so what the heck.

First mistake.

Well, really mistake #1.5 because I didn't first get in the water to warm up. So I do the dumb dive. My goggles slip down and instantly start leaking. And my brain and lungs get a nice cold shock which causes me to breathe in gulps and that causes me to panic which creates a nice vicious circle of gulping, stuttering breaths and more panic.

Thankfully, I realized I needed to change strokes so I could calm down. I started to side stroke which allowed me to keep my face above water so I could just breathe and calm down.

I finished the swim, pulled on my skirt (felt weird running in just my suit) and shoes and took off.

Having a great time!

The skirt was my second big mistake.

It was another thing I didn't practice beforehand. I guess it was because I was wet, but the darn thing kept slipping down, like to my knees. I almost stopped to take it off but figured I'd end up getting my feet tangled in it so I kept on hiking it up while running.

darn skirt! I need to alter it so it doesn't end up around my ankles again

The run was harder than I thought it would be. I realize having a psuedo panic attack just minutes before probably affected my run, but I hoped I would be able to at least plod along without having to stop and walk. I had to stop twice and walk which is frustrating - but - my foot *didn't* hurt!! Happy, happy.

I didn't wear my Garmin and didn't even look at my watch so I have no idea what my time for any of it was.

Oh and I won 4th in my age group....out of 4. lol! Humility is a *good* thing!

I count it a successful morning because I learned some good lessons and accomplished both of my goals. Such a great way to start the weekend!