Akron Marathon 2016

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

Pre-Race:

Mist trying to hide from the morning sun

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

The Beast

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

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

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

:)

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

I like my butt in this picture

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

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

Ready, set, GO!

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

Can you tell I've just discovered panoramic mode?

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

RACE DAY!

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

Shiny

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

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

Miles 1-6:

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

Hey! A Picture!

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

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

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

Miles 7-12:

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

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

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

Miles 13-18:

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

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

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

Miles 19-26:

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

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

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

The Last .2:

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

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

Post Race:

Play Ball! NOT.

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

Marathon Socks!

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

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

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

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

Picture taken back in the comfy hotel bed

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

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

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

Big Sur International Marathon 2016

RACE DAY!

YAY!

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

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

Spooky

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

Make this sh*tter great again?

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

Miles 1-4:

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

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

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

Breathtaking

Miles 5-9:

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

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

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

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

Up to Hurricane Point

Miles 10-15:

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

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

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

Hurricane Point to Bixby Bridge

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

Bixby Bridge to Hurricane Point

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

Miles 16-22:

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

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

Miles 23-26:

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

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

The Last .2:

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

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

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

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

How do I have no chin?

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

Post Race Thoughts:

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

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

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

Big Sur International Marathon Part I (The Days Prior)

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

Hello California!

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

My petite guest room

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

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

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

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

Poof! That's what my hair is doing.

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

Love this visor!

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

Nom Nom Nom

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

This Might be the hardest hole on the course? IDK

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

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

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

Formerly Clint Eastwood's Inn

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

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

And THAT wraps up my first day in California! 

So sweet!

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

This is my favorite view

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

View from the highest point

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

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

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

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

Next up... the race report!

The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon Recap, Part II

RACE DAY!

Despite that stupid wedding party's best efforts, I woke up ten minutes before my alarm went off and felt good! Because I laid everything out the night before it took no time at all to get ready. I tried to eat my english muffin but without it being toasted it was pretty nasty. I ate half before declaring defeat.

Melissa and Aubrey dropped me off near the start so I didn't have to worry about parking. That was great because at go time there were so many people still trying to park that the start was delayed 10 minutes! I made a quick pit stop and headed to my corral. Everything was really well organized and relaxed (at least for me)!

11,000 Runners

There were 11,000 runners there that morning, only 2000 ran the full marathon. This was a huge race compared to my first marathon (the Adirondack Distance Festival).

I can see the start!

I loved the start of this race. Since it is at the Monmouth Race Track they made the "Call to Post" for each wave and sent us off with "First Call" being played on the bugle by Monmouth's recently retired bugler. It didn't take long to get to the start even though there were so many runners and I was in the second to last corral (I really need to get faster!).

Miles 1-5:

I focused on starting out slow, conserving energy, and fueling properly. I didn't intend to go out with a pace group but I thought I could start with the 4:40 group and then speed up at the end to hit my goal time. (Spoiler alert: That didn't happen.)

The first few miles were lots of fairly quick turns and that early in the race it was really crowded. I had to work pretty hard to just keep up with the 4:40 group. I didn't talk but I listened to the conversations from the pacers, they were pretty amusing. The pace felt good though and I was happy. One snag I hit was that quite early on I had to stop because my shoe came untied. That never happens! Spring was starting to really show in New Jersey so I was pretty distracted by looking at all the flowers. The weather was perfect for this race: bright, sunny... it was little on the hot side but we had a light, very cool breeze most of the time so I never felt over heated. 

How DARE they?!

Miles 6-10:

This part was when I kept thinking.... where's the ocean? I guess I sorta knew what the course route looked like but I thought we reached ocean views a lot faster. For most of these miles we were looping through neighborhoods. They were pretty neighborhoods though! I loved going over the little bridges in this stretch. I was a little worried about such a flat course, a lot of people don't like them, but I thought it was FABULOUS! I love my New Hampshire hills but I'll take flat, flat coastline any day!

Around mile 9 we entered a very depressed area with tons of boarded up shops (same place where I am running through all the cups). I don't know if it was an area that just never recovered after Sandy or if it was always like that but it was definitely very sad to run through.

I got to see Aubrey and Melissa for the first time at the mile 9 water stop! Yay! I had been watching for them very carefully and didn't want to miss saying hi. My grandma was excitedly following my progress from home and when Aubrey posted this picture on Instagram, she was outraged that the town would leave all those cups there before the race for the runners to trip on! My dad had to explain that it was not the town, but the RUNNERS who had dropped all the cups. I love my GMa!

Miles 11-15:

Shortly after mile 10 I needed to make a pit stop. I pretty much needed to go right from the start but I kept putting it off. I thought the line at mile 11 looked OK so I pulled away from the 4:40 group. I was wrong. That stop cost me 7-8 minutes, most of that time was spent in line. Once I got back on the road I knew I was not going to be able to catch back up to the 4:40 group. This kinda upset me and caused me to lose concentration for quite a few miles.

So focused...

It was half way between miles 11 and 12 that we lost the half marathoners. SO many split off for the half, the rest of us ended up being quiet spread out. It was also at mile 12 that we ran around Lake Takanassee. I wouldn't exactly call it a lake... but they do. At this point I was able to see that the 4:40-er's were already half way around the lake when I had just started. Farewell pace group!

Miles 16-20:

It was really miles 15-17 that I really struggled. I was feeling hot and a little out of breath so I was taking lots of walking breaks. At this point I kept thinking... where's the friggin' turn around? I guess I really didn't know the route. I really didn't realize how many little detours around lakes there were and how far it was to the turn around.

Miles 18 through 20 were pretty cool. You went around another little lake and down a few small side streets to a pavilion for the turn around! Woo! On my way back (finally) I ran by a man who had one running prosthetic leg. He looked like he was in some pain but I think he is amazing for running a marathon with one. I couldn't even imagine what that must be like.

I got a little boost from being on the way back and I ended catching up with a guy named Hector. He was going a nice, steady pace. Something I could handle. I told him this and asked if he would mind if I ran with him. We didn't talk much, just kept running and occasionally checking in with each other, he'd ask if I was still there and I'd respond. We ran together for a couple of miles and it REALLY helped me get my rhythm back. I am incredibly grateful for meeting up with him. I probably would have walked a lot more otherwise. I was pretty bummed but somehow the race photographers didn't get a single picture of us running together.

Part of the race was on an actual boardwalk and while that sounds cool, I did not enjoy it. The boards were uneven and my left foot was not feeling great. Around mile twenty we actually followed the board walk through the Asbury Park Casino. It was pretty neat and was also the most shade we got for the entire run.

Miles 21-25:

I doused myself with water. That isn't sweat!

These miles were as close to the shore as we could get. It was hot but we were still getting a fairly cool breeze from the ocean and it was nothing we had to fight against. This road also had some of the biggest mansions I've ever seen so I was able to distract myself fairly well by picking out my favorites.

I was still running with Hector when the 5:10 group caught up with us. I told Hector I couldn't let them pass me and that I would see him at the finish. I kept up with the 5:10 group until I saw Aubrey and Melissa and then fell back a little bit to run with them. It was really nice to see them again. After about a quarter mile I told them I was going to get back to the 5:10-ers and they said they would see me at the finish!

I caught back up to the group easily enough and actually started pulling ahead. I ended up speeding up quite a bit in the last 3ish miles. I constantly thought you can do anything for three miles... you can do anything for two and a half miles, etc. It worked. I went from a 12 mile pace down to an 8:54 at the finish.

At this point in the race we were all tired but thanks to my little boost I was able to pass quite a few people here! Each person I passed gave me more determination to go for the next. This might have been my favorite part of the race. 

Am I Running or Dancing?

The Last Stretch:

As I was coming up to the finish line a photographer was waving me over frantically pointing at Aubrey and Melissa. I ran over and was able to high five both Aubrey and Melissa (with the photographer practically in my face).

Mutant. Arm.

Unfortunately my little detour allowed the girl I had passed a minute or two before to catch up and pass me! I all out sprinted (and grew mutant arms) to catch up with her and was just a step behind her when we ran through the finish. I looked it up and I ended up having the better time by just 6/10 of a second. So close!

And she's across the line!

Upright and smiling!

I found the girl that raced me to the finish and told her that was a great push at the end and then I went to collect my medal and water. I headed out of the finishing chute, found Aubrey and Melissa and promptly plopped down on the grass. I was done.

I think that this was a GREAT race. I bought all of my race photos because (as you can see) I was smiling in every single picture. I may have missed my target time by a half hour but I don't think I could have done any better. I had an absolutely wonderful time and I was ridiculously happy. The race was very well organized, staffed, and supplied. The volunteers were amazing. I could go on and on.

Would I run this marathon again? DEFINITELY! I am probably not signing up next year only because I have too many other races to tackle.

Would I recommend this race to a friend? Already have!

Now that I have done two marathons I feel like I can claim the title of "Marathoner". For some reason I wouldn't call myself a marathoner with only one race under my belt. It didn't feel right... but now that's not a problem!

Digging in!

After the race my sister and I said goodbye to Melissa and I helped navigate back home. We drove up to the Tappan Zee Bridge instead of going through the NYC again, thank goodness. Even though I was definitely hurting I was able to stay awake for the drive home and I was fairly mobile. I spent the night in CT and had a wonderful dinner with my family. By Monday I was probably 80% recovered! I don't know if it is that I am getting used to running long distances or perhaps it is the 1st Endurance Ultragen recovery drink that I take after... but I felt pretty awesome after the race.

I also wanted to say that I could not have had such an amazing time if it was for my Curb Crew Aubrey and Melissa!

The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon Recap, Part I

I did it!

Results: 5:07:32

Place: 1649/1918

Division Place: 126/140

Pace: 11:24

I did it! Marathon number two is complete!

Once again I am going to break this trip up into two posts. One for the days leading up to the marathon and one for the race itself. I have much to say (and many, MANY pictures) about the trip down, it was hilarious and awesome. If you don't care about the pre-race festivities you stink feel free to move onto Part II.

No dogs were strangled while capturing this picture!

I left work early on Thursday and drove down to CT to break up the trip a little. My WONDERFUL parents agreed to watch the dogs while my sister and I were in New Jersey. This not only took a load off my mind, but probably saved me $300+ in boarding fees! The dogs had a GREAT time and were spoiled nonstop. They got a 4 mile walk on Friday and were outside all day Saturday and Sunday. My parents loved them and my dad actually bonded a bit with my little Isis. She followed him everywhere and when he sat down she was instantly in his lap. :) She is the sweetest little pit pup I've ever met!

On Friday my amazing sister, Aubrey, offered to drive us down to NJ. We left around at noon, thinking that we'd be able to stop for lunch and get to the inn in about 4.5 hours and be able to hit up the expo that night. Well, the GPS had other plans. We should have noticed right away that she was taking us down 95S the whole way. I wasn't super familiar with that area so I figured we'd cut across and take the Tappan Zee at some point. After a few failed attempts we stopped for lunch in Bridgeport (much to my sisters dismay) at a little diner. Despite the fairly sketchy neighborhood that diner was pretty nice. It was the cleanest diner I have ever set foot in. I had a grilled cheese and Aubrey had a BLT.

Get your free Municipal WASTE sample!

Once we got back on the road we started getting more worried about the route. We ended up taking the the Cross Bronx Express to the George Washington Bridge. What a TERRIBLE idea. We were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for probably an hour and a half. Most of the time we were completely boxed in by semis, we did have a fun time trying to figure out what those free samples were... I just googled it... it's municipal waste. Ew!! Moving on... we finally got through the city and over the bridge, but unfortunately it was almost 7PM and the expo was closing. We decided to postpone going to the expo until the next morning and headed to the Molly Pitcher Inn.

Delicious pot stickers

We dropped all of our stuff in our TINY hotel room and grabbed a cab to have dinner at The Bistro at Red Bank. It was a very cute restaurant. We didn't realize it prior to being seated but they only sold wine by the bottle from a specific NJ vineyard (Alba) or allowed you to BYOB. We split a bottle of piiiiinooooooooot nooooiiiiiirrrrr, which was delicious! I had Kobe Beef Pot Stickers and a pear gorgonzola salad. Not gonna lie, I spent the whole night looking at New Jerseyans like they were an alien species. They really are not. They are normal people. I didn't see a single orange spray tan! Before heading back to the inn we decided to go next door and grab a beer at Robinson's Ale House. I had the house ale which was Flying Fish Ale - brewed in Somerdale, NJ. (Lot's of ale's in that last sentence.)

Saturday morning we slept in a little bit and had breakfast at the inn. It was a buffet and I had an omelet (with everything they had!), bacon, a tiny waffle, a muffin, and fruit. It was a good way to start the morning. We got ready and headed to the expo to get my bib.

The expo was at the start of the race at the Monmouth Park Race Track. On the way in to park they made you drive by the long line of port-a-potties. They went on forever! I was taking a picture as one guy walked around the car to go into a port-a-potty. I just said "oh! hello" and then laughed like a lunatic. Then I took that video.

Gettin' taped

After we got my bib and shirt (there is a picture of the shirt at the very top of this post) we walked around and looked at the merchandise. I didn't end up buying anything for myself but Aubrey got a hat to wear at the race the next day and we bought my mom some pain relief cream made with all natural ingredients. The last thing I wanted to do was to see if there was someone who could apply KT Tape for me. I've never used it before but I figured it couldn't hurt and my foot could use all the help I could give it. I'll write more about the KT Tape in the actual race report but overall I don't think it did anything except make me look funny at dinner that night.

So happy!

Love the crest!

After the expo we went back to the inn and waited for Melissa to arrive. Once she got to our room we headed back out and walked to downtown Red Bank for lunch at Robinson's Ale House. I had grilled cheese (again) and tomato bisque. I also tried another Flying Fish beer - the IPA. It was really good! I behaved and only had one beer with lunch and followed it with a ton of water. I drank a LOT of water this weekend. We walked around Red Bank a little and shopped. Stopped in at a puppy store and fell in love with a tiny little French Bulldog. I would have brought him home if I could have (Evan would have killed me).

Everything's ready to go!

When we got back to the Inn the first thing I wanted to do was lay out all of my gear so I wouldn't have to scramble around the next morning. This was a lot of fun. I had all of my gear, my watch was charging, and I had breakfast (english muffin and almond butter) on the nightstand next to the bed. It made getting ready the next morning pretty easy.

It matches my dress!

Next up on the itinerary was to get dressed up to drive to Montclair, NJ to meet my Uncle Jonathan and his wife Leslie for dinner. Thank goodness my KT Tape matched my dress! On the way we stopped at Target for some athletic tape, english muffins, and a sleeping bag. The room at the inn was so tiny that it was against fire code to bring in a cot so poor Melissa had to sleep on the floor!

We drove to UJ and Leslie's house for prosecco and hors d'oeuvres and had a nice tour of the house. It's a beautiful house in a pretty private neighborhood. We also got to see their dog Hunter (I can't believe I didn't get a picture of him!). He is the sweetest lab I've ever met.

We went out to my uncles country club for dinner. It was a beautiful night and the food was excellent. I had fish tacos as an appetizer and beer-braised chicken with pierogies and onions for a entree. (I ate a LOT of food.)  Aubrey, Melissa, and I followed that up with cookies and milk for dessert. I was a good girl and only had one glass of cab with dinner. :P We had a really nice time out with my uncle and Leslie. They were very sweet to meet up with us while I was down there.

On our way back to the inn we took a little detour to visit the 9/11 memorial that looks out at New York City. The picture doesn't do it justice. You could see the new World Trade Center. That is quite an impressive building.

We arrived back at the inn around 11 and the only thing left to note is that there was a wedding going on that night and people were up VERY late smoking and talking loudly right outside our window. It woke us all up and my sister had to call down to the front to get them to quiet down. Then the party continued to talk loudly in the halls and slam doors all night. Not cool!

Next up: RACE DAY!

* Credit for almost all of these pictures goes to my sister, Aubrey! I am glad she was taking pictures otherwise this would be a pretty boring post!