2015 Jingle Jungle 5k Race Recap

One of the biggest takeaways from last year's Wine & Dine Half Marathon was that I wished we had registered to run Mickey's Jingle Jungle 5k that morning. So this year, I made good on that wish and registered for both!

Rachel wasn't able to snag a precious registration spot for the 5k this year, so I was going it solo that morning. With some clever costume repurposing by my mom (thanks to my friend Bridget, who gave up part of her Halloween costume for my cape), I was fully embracing the holiday theme to this race by dressing as Belle in "Something There" (you know - this beautiful dress).

This is definitely one of my favorite costumes I've run in so far, but that cape did NOT make running any easier in the heat and humidity we faced that morning! Not to mention the constant mistaking for Little Red Riding Hood. Where she features in Disney, I don't know, but I sure stumped the DJ for about ten minutes that morning as he tried to figure out who I was!

Now that Expedition Everest is no more, the Jingle Jungle is the only Disney World 5k that doesn't run through Epcot. A welcome change, especially coming up on Marathon weekend, when I'll be running through Epcot every morning of the Dopey Challenge! The course weaves its way through Animal Kingdom (starting and finishing in its parking lot), and packed 6 character stops into 3.1 miles, plus ops with a festively dressed Mickey and Minnie at the start line.

Starting near the front of Corral B, I managed to stop for 5 out of 6 of the on-course characters stops, and almost made it to Goofy and Donald before they closed the line off to encourage runners to the finish. Will have to pick up my pace just a tad to get all of them in next year!

This race is absolutely going down as one of my favorite runDisney events to date. I loved the course through Animal Kingdom (particularly later that evening when AK was cut to make the W&D course shorter!), loved how many characters were out, and loved the holiday theme. I'll absolutely be back next year...and have an eye on Minnie's Christmas outfit as a race costume!

Nike Women's Half-Marathon... Because I'm Happy 13.1

I admit a decent amount of these recaps involve something going wrong. May I now present to you

"How to try and sabotage yourself and run the happiest race ever!"

So if you read the blog about Paris, you know that race did not go according to plan and while a great race I finished defeated and dehydrated.

Two days post marathon, ready to traverse Berlin (yes, the medal was in the bag)

After I spent a week traversing Europe, once I could move and eat, I flew back to the states and realized I had a half-marathon to run on April 27, yup 19 days after a Marathon time for another half.

I will be honest- I had no intentions of training and no desire to run. I have been interested in Olympic lifting so my focus shifted to that once I came back to working out. I did everything I could to get out of running during CrossFit, not interested in running. 

The week of the race I was jokingly offering my bib up to anyone who wanted it. I knew I would run it, but I just was not mentally in the game. I mentally attempted to sabotage myself by working out the day before, staying up late the night before, and not running. Three weeks of zero running and I was going to run 13.1 miles, oh yes..I was setting myself up for failure.

The message I received as I walked into the expo (the timing chip clued the wall ).

As I was falling asleep the night before I realized that I was going to be running tomorrow along the routes I trained for my previous races. These paths have been cursed at and had blood, sweat, and tears shed on them. Tomorrow I was going to race along them and tomorrow was going to be my 5th half-marathon. A year ago, running 13.1 miles seemed impossible; now it was just a Sunday run (a long run, but just a run). I went to bed happy and willing to accept whatever tomorrow held.

I knew that Sara would be on the course to cheer me on, so that was something too look forward to, in addition to post race brunch with another friend Zoe. Seriously- plan brunch after a race...best idea!

The poof makes its' running debut.

While the countdown for my corral began the sun rose over the capital building and I started crying (yes...again...deal with it). I realized the journey I had taken to get here, from no running at all, to completing two marathons and stetting up to finish my 5th half-marathon. At the start line I  made sure that I let go of every apprehension. In that moment I found the joy of running again, that joy of lacing up your shoes and just running.

Off we went. The weather could not have been better. I clipped along and around Mile 3 I saw Sara for the first time and delivered a sweaty hug (not sorry).

Mile 5 saw me crossing the Memorial Bridge that KILLED me the first time I attempted to run across it. Not today to day I ran it and full of joy and vigor.

I knew to expect Sara again at Mile 11, but she surprised me at Mile 8 with a grumpy cat stuffed animal and a sign that read:

I tried running once, it was awful.

She knows me so well.

While I have been running in D.C. for a few years I have never run along Haynes Point, so it was exciting to run around and see all the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom. 

Around Mile 11 the 2:20 pacer passed me- I had no idea I was running that fast (as an asthmatic runner, 2:20 is fast for me). Rather than keep up, I just held pace but vowed to keep her in my sight line.

I saw Sara for the final time and gave her I giant sweaty hug and went into the final mile and half.

The race was almost over and it felt like it just flew by for me. I was laughing and smiling..for all 13.1 miles. I didn't need my inhaler and didn't need to slow down to catch my breath.

I crossed the finish line triumphant and happy. 

So happy...and with an accidental PR!

I found my groove in those 13.1 miles, I got back to the joy I had when I first started running, and I felt free

So here is to the good and bad running day. Both will happen, but the key is to appreciate the good ones and let the bad ones go.

Zoe and I treated our bling to brunch.

Paris, Je t'aime...I think

Well now that it has been over a month it seems like a good time to recap the 2014 Paris Marathon!

On April 6, I ran the Schneider Electric Marathon along with 3 improv friends from around the United States, but before I get to the race I should back you up to my 'training' which I call "How to mess up your training, be saved by a coach, and somehow finish a Marathon in 3 weeks."

After I finished the mammoth that was the Dopey Challenge (which included my first marathon), I was done with running. Not just sore, but DONE. I had no desire to head out for a run, let alone train for one.

About 3 weeks out from Paris I received an incredibly stern chat/Come to Jesus talk from my coach Pablo. I will spare you the details but a few key points came out of that chat

1) If I wanted to run a marathon I needed to focus on running, not lifting.
2) I needed to believe I could run this race and that I was capable.
3) I needed to start training with an altitude mask because the air quality in Paris is horrible and as an asthmatic....that was a recipe for disaster.

Want to earn strange looks and Bane comments? Get an altitude mask.

So armed with a plan full of running, rowing, altitude mask, and yoga,  I made the most of the final 3 weeks of training. I would be lying if I said it was easy and I'd also be lying if I didn't bemoan it almost everyday. 

As a thank you I turned a joke into a t-shirt and as requested- I wore it in front of a monument. 

Inappropriate? Maybe. Worth it? Yes.

My 20 mile run crushed me, thankfully my friend Allison was willing to pick my rain soaked muddy butt up from the middle of nowhere so I didn't have to do an out and back. Have I mentioned I have a great group of friends?

To Paris

Finally the day of my flight arrived. In true fashion I found the other marathoners on my flight to Paris, and we all bonded as we stretched mid-flight. 

First mission in Paris was to find my cohort Rene and get to the Race Expo. I have to say Paris has one of the best Race Expos I've seen, as well as awesome shwag. I mean a headlamp? YES! 

Rene and I living the dream

The next day (April 4) the other half of our group arrived. 

Team Bane accounted for: Bill, Betse, Rene, and some crazy chick

Saturday morning two members went on an official 5k shake out run with the Paris Marathon group and myself and Bill stayed to do our own runs around our neighborhood.  This was just a 2 mile loop, but it was a FANTASTIC run. The best I'd felt in a long time, the weather was perfect, my stride was on track, and I felt back to me.

If I could run here everyday I would.

We settled in for a bit of Star Wars watching and foam rolling for the rest of the day. I laid out my outfit and prepped myself for the 26.2 tour of Paris. 

6am came too soon. I was a bucket of nerves as I warmed up/mobilized. We all geared up in our superhero shirts and headed to the start line. 

Upon seeing the Arc de Triomphe it hit me, I was really about to run in PARIS. 

Yes... we mixed up our superhero universes. We do not care.

Standing in the start line we all just oddly shuffled around. I was the only one in our group who had finished a marathon before, but that didn't make me any less nervous.

I'm in the back, just look closely

Soon we were off running. Cobblestones underfoot and fans cheering on all sides pushed me to a fast first mile (oops). I found Beste and we grabbed hands as we both had shit eating grins on our faces. That first 5K was a blur of sights and people everywhere. 

We arrived at the first fuel stop and I decided to fuel with fruit rather than my own. Paris only provides fresh fruit and sugar cubes on course. Let me tell you...those orange slices were the GREATEST things I've ever tasted. The nectar of the gods. Fueling on oranges would lead to a bonk later in the race, but I was only focused on eating and not slipping on the orange and banana peels.

Betse and I were keeping a steady pace and decided to just stick together for the race, however the race was going to take a down turn pretty quickly. Just before mile 8 we hit a steady hill,  and as often happens I will be a bit out of breath at the top. But as we crested I realized I was struggling to slow my breathing and realized I was wheezing.

Yup...Mile 8 asthma attack. I run with my inhaler so it wasn't a worry and we slowed to a crawl. I then realized that this race was about to come crashing down and then I started crying. This is when I owe the race to Betse. She wouldn't leave and run ahead no matter how many times I insisted she leave. She did her best to keep me positive and would hear no negative talk from me. However, I had a battle going on in my own head.

We battled on for the rest of the race. Looping back along the Seine provided some lovely sights, including Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. I was slowly loosing steam and bonking- turns out oranges do not sustain me, as filling as they feel. We switched to a 3/1 run/walk ratio as I couldn't even keep a consistent pace.

Photo stolen, though I did feel like laying down.

Did I mention I was done? Betse just kept going and dancing along and having a party. I trailed along head down body killing me. 

Mile 20 appeared and as much as I wanted to power through the last 10K. I had nothing left in me to go. My camelbak was out of water (oh did I mention it was hotter than I anticipated) and there were no water stops in sight. I should also mention that I ended up dehydrated. I would realize later that my down fall was those delicious oranges, not eating my fuel, and not hydrating well. OOPS

By Mile 22 I was contemplating stopping. Some part of my brain realized that this was an effect of me bonking. That small part of me kept me going. 

Around here I finally sent Betse on her way as walking was painful for her and I couldn't keep pace with her. Honestly, spending the last 2 miles was the best thing because I had to fight for myself. Marathon running truly is a mental battle and if you aren't willing to fight, you won't finish. Finally, I saw the finish line and I bawled. I knew my parents were there to see me finish a marathon and I saw Betse there...waiting for me.

I ran across the finish line realizing I'd done it again...I'd finished a marathon and I finished it 1 hour faster than my previous race. Was it the time I wanted? Nope. Did I fight for the time I got? Yup. Does that make it okay? Yeah...it does. 

These photos were taken less than 10ft apart. Confident to cry in 10ft or less. 

Soon after crossing the finish line I interviewed by a French Radio station....in French. If someone finds that audio please send it to me. I am 90% sure I spoke horrible French as trying to even think after a marathon is hard enough. 

We got our shirts, ponchos, and medals. We found our group and hugged.. We had done it. We ran Paris.

How we all really felt at the end.

 I bawled when I found my parents, who flew over to watch me race. 

They also brought champagne to the finish line.

My mother then massaged my legs as I was a cramped mess. Our group collected ourselves and ambled, waddled, and moaned our way back to our apartment.

Once we cleaned up and figured out how to walk we went out to celebrate our accomplishment and plan for future adventures. We did it- 6 months after Rene proposed this crazy idea, we ran Paris. 

A mighty fine view if I do say so.

Marathon 2 is now in the books and while I have a few half-marathons planned for this year I think two marathons in 4 months in plenty for now. 

See you in 2015 26.2! 

That Dopey Thing

This is a bit lengthy so grab a drink and some GU and settle in 

Now that life has settled down and I am not waking up at 2:50am to go run it is time to sum up all that happened in 48.6 Miles.

January 9-12th I ran 48.6 miles via 4 races. a 5K, a 10k, a Half-Marathon, and a Full Marathon. These races took place in the "Happiest Place on Earth" Disney World.

Later it would be referred to as the "Happiest F@*!ing Place on Earth," but I digress.

How did I decide to do the Dopey Challenge? On a whim. And then I dragged Sara kicking and screaming into it, too.

By the time we signed up for Dopey I had done one half-marathon and a handful of 5Ks and just started CrossFit. Some crazy part of my brain said "You can do it...lets do it." So in April 2013 I signed up for the Dopey Challenge... Asthma and all.

I continued to run and CrossFit and complete two more half-marathons, but no marathon. Dopey was going to be my first marathon.  Maybe not the smartest idea, but a crazy one.

I ran my fastest Half in Richmond in November and saw visions of sub 5 hour Marathon, and then I strained my left calf at the start of December.

My training came to a halt and visions of a sub-5 Marathon vanished. I ran a final 15 mile run in December, but never ran my final 20 mile long run.  I kept up with CrossFit during this time and that was what saved me.

If you are keeping track- the first time a I ran since December 10, was January 9. Yup I did Dopey on minimal training.

By January 1st, I was panicked, but determined to do Dopey. Thanks to the support of my freinds and an awesome coach I gained my confidence back.

Soon January 8th rolled around and I was flying down to embark on something I never thought I could do. The fact that I was no longer scared of running due to my asthma kept me going.

The Race Expo was a blur full of nerves and funny photos (I have to take my signature photo).


Soon it was time to sleep and get up for the 5K.

5K

As far as 5K's go you would think this was uneventful, but this was the first time I'd run in almost a month. I was nervous, but ready. In keeping with Disney tradition Sara and I went in costume as Belle and 'The Wardrobe.' Good news is I was the only Wardrobe.

10K

This was my first 10k. Yup, I went straight from a 5K to a Half-Marathons. What can I say? This was a fun distance and an enjoyable, but humid run. We were missing our friend Katy Beth who had to miss due to illness, but we ran as Black/White Minnie and Steampunk Minnie

By this point my left calf was starting to get a bit upset with the amount of running I was putting it through. I had been lent a Voodoo Mobility Band, which was a HUGE lifesaver. I also had packed many other mobility items in addition to Epsom Salt. I was ready for the worst.

Half-Marathon

I decided to use KT Tape on my calf to make sure it held through till the Marathon. I had everything banking on the Marathon. The weather was HOT and HUMID. Most everyone doing the Dopey Challenge was taking it easy during this race, but I really hate that. Luckily Sara reigned me in a bit. We ran a route that we first ran in February 2013 and felt 100% better.

Marathon Prep

That's 4 lbs of Epsom Salt. ...all of it was used up by Sunday.

In an effort to have the freshest legs possible I took an ice bath. Let me tell you...at first it sucks, then it feels great, and then it sucks. As the evening wore on my nerves grew. The thought that I had not run more than 15 miles and was about to partake in  a 26.2 mile race after running 22.4 miles the previous days seemed insane. WHAT WAS I THINKING? It is times like this that social media is a benefit, I reached out on Facebook and got a huge amount of support. With that I went to bed with thoughts of finishing in my head.

Marathon
Needless to say, not a lot of sleep was had. Eating breakfast was an nearly impossible task. The one bright spot? I had refreshed legs. My legs were ready for whatever 26.2 miles could throw at me.

Off we went to the starting line and we found our familiar 'Wrecking Ball' serenade. I then realized I'd forgotten the KT Tape for my calf, meaning I was about to test my calf out on an insane volume with no support. This thought brought the nerves back and almost my breakfast.  Soon we were directed to head to the start line (1 mile form where we arrived) and after I went to the restroom for the millionth time we were in our Corral.

I should mention I gained notoriety for my ability to hop the 4ft corral fence, sprint to the bathroom, sprint back, jump the fence in time to amble forward with my corral. Seriously, I got a lot of cheers and high-fives, so if nothing else I can win for a speedy pee.

Awhile back Sara and I agreed to race the Marathon separately since I tend to run faster. So prior to Mile 1 I bid adieu and plodded along to an unknown destination.

The first 5 miles were uneventful, other than the fact that I was running them. You see often with asthma I have to do a run/walk to get the breathing under control...but not today. No today was a great breathing day. Entering the Magic Kingdom was magical and on I plodded.

Mile 7 I felt a spasm from my calf and made a stop for some BioFreeze, by some I mean a HUGE glob. If nothing else Disney is great for the sheer amount of BioFreeze they have on hand (Sara edits to add that by the time she got around to the Med tents at Mile 16, they had run out of the stuff, and didn't have any left through the end of the race). I also grabbed some Vaseline because my camelbak was rubbing my neck. I had run with a camelbak before, but never in a tank OOPS. I still have the marks from that...lesson learned.

On I plodded. Soon we came upon the speed track, which at first was cool...and then you kept going. It felt never ending.

Miles 9-10 became emotional because I decided to dedicate them to people who always believe in me. Thinking about all the times people supported me or pushed me made the tears cry. I mean my parents drove me to endless dance classes and sat through some rough shows for me. My brother, though he may never admit it, pushed me to be better. His endless torment and taunts helped me to see what I could do. I could go on, but it would take awhile. Know that if you are reading this, you were in that mile with me. Also crying while running is not the prettiest, but this wasn't a beauty contest.

Somewhere in here I took a pit-stop...that lasted ages. Seriously the one spot with a large span between bathrooms was when I had to go and wait 15mins. Farewell sub 5 marathon time. It was nice knowing you!

Somewhere around the 11.5 mile marker my calf got real angry and then seized up on me. No amount of BioFreeze could dull the pain. I then realized that a goal of a 5:30 marathon was going to be impossible. This was the start of what would be a really dark second half of the marathon. I was frustrated and pissed. I had a great first few miles and was conservative with my pace and yet here I was hobbling along.

Before I go on, I want to say that never once did the thought of quitting cross my brain...never once. I was going to finish and that was a fact of which I was sure. I got myself into this and I was going to get myself out.

Mile 14- The mile the music died...No really.. I was now left to spend 12.2 miles without any music. I should note that many Disney Marathoners have described Miles 14-22 as the worst because the route is on the highways and they were not lying. Tears were free flowing at this point, old ladies were passing me left and right and I was just alone with my thoughts. I am my own worst critic and in those miles everything came out and I was letting it rip on myself. Many f-bombs were dropped those miles.

The worst thought though, that was was the one where I thought "Why did I ever think I could do this?" It took until I got my medals for me to start shaking that one off. I lost all confidence in myself. The only thing that kept me going was that I knew how much I would hate myself if I quit.

Mile 16.5 at this point you are on a 4 lane highway with a huge median separating  the 4 lanes. So you can see a mile marker on the other side and I turned around to see what mile those runners were on...they were on 21. I didn't think I could feel worse, but realizing I had 4.5 miles just to get to that point felt horrible.

Mile 17 is where you enter ESPN Wide World of Sports aka...the land of switch backs to create 3 miles. aka the worst. Somewhere in ESPN there was a fuel station of bananas and let me tell you...that was the BEST BANANA I have ever had. Seriously I think I might have cried even more.

Miles 20- For most people Mile 20 is a wall, not for me. I had tried to mentally think of the run to Mile 20 as the hard part and the 10K as the easier part. So when I saw Mile 20, realized how truly slow I was moving I vowed to run...because it was just a 10K. So through the pain I hobbled along, only allowing my self to walk for 1-2mins max. My stride was the worst thing in the world, but I was moving faster.

Miles 21-25- These miles blur together somehow. Around 22 some spectator thought it would be a great idea to yell "YOU LOOK GREAT" let me say that is not the thing to yell at someone whose hair is falling down, is sweating, is sunburned, and is crying. My response? F**K YOU PABLO. no lie...I yelled that. You see one of my CrossFit Coaches says that exact statement...usually when you are suffering so that was my natural response. Dear poor spectator...I'm sorry.

Entering Hollywood Studios meant that the finish was closer and that I was slow as ever. The photos of me in this park are depressing. My head is down and my face is scrunched up from crying. Somewhere in here someone read my name on my bib and said "You got this Rachel, You are doing it" and that was enough for me to lift my head.  Later another gentleman would say "Keep it up young lady" and I would. Soon Epcot approached and I knew I was nearly there.

Around this time I was also 99% sure they had forgotten to put out the mile marker for 25. Seriously it felt like HOURS went by between 24-25. I voiced my concerns to my fellow runners, and they just laughed. Let me tell you the relief I experienced seeing Mile Marker 25 surpassed the feelings of the previously mentioned banana.

At this point I entered the world showcase section of Epcot to many spectators. Up until this point I was avoiding the high-fives and looking spectators in the faces because I was defeated. Silly I know, but I felt embarrassed by my race and the pain wasn't helping. Up ahead I heard a father say to his young daughters (around ages 2-4) "Hold your hand out for High-Fives." I realized I was going to be the first runner to pass them so I steered toward the side and held out my hand for the smallest high-fives. The girls shrieked with delight and I started crying...again.

Hearing the joy they received from encouraging me, even though I was a runner whose hair was falling down, was sweaty, was sunburned, and was crying,  shook me out of my slump. I realized that rather than enjoying my first marathon, I had spent most of it pissed at myself. Pissed because one muscle got over worked. I couldn't see the huge accomplishment I was about to achieve. I couldn't see past the fact that I hadn't run in almost a month before doing this and I was about to finish.

At this point another runner joined me and asked if I was alright (read: still crying) and I said I was and he looked at me and said "I have a feeling I will be the same way when I see my wife." He went ahead and I was left to realize that I needed to soak in this moment.

Soon the 26 Mile Marker came into view and the Gospel Choir Disney always has at this point. With renewed vigor I decided pain be damned I'm sprinting the final .2

So I did...I sprinted with everything I had. Arms pumping I heard people cheering me on and with a high-five from Minnie Mouse I crossed the finish line.

I had done it. I had finished my first marathon. I had finished the Dopey Challenge. And you know? It still hasn't sunk in. I may have the medals and the shirts, but it doesn't feel real just yet.

Soon after finishing I called my mom and updated Facebook that I had survived and wasn't dead. I was overwhelmed by the cheers and support I received on Facebook. None of my friends cared what my time was they were proud of me and that blew me away. They were proud of me even as I wasn't. How could I not realize how awesome it was? Days later I am now proud. I finished a MARATHON with asthma and a bum calf, but even those things aside...I finished it.

I learned a lot about myself during that marathon, but I also realized the huge community of friends and family that I have supporting me. Knowing I had people tracking me and waiting to see when I would finish kept me going those lonely miles. I had told people I was going to finish, and I keep my promises.

So thank you to everyone. You got me through it all and helped me see the accomplishment and for that I am grateful.

What now? Now...now I rest and then start training for Paris. After that who knows where my feet will take me. Maybe an Ultra- Marathon. Either way I'll finish the next challenge because I'll be ready and I know that I am capable of finishing.

Race Recap - Sara's take on the American Family Fitness Half Marathon

In part two of our recap of our half marathon in Richmond, Sara relates her experience. Miss Rachel's take? Check it out here!

I had an awesome race. Going into it, I was positive I was going to tank - miserably. Anything that could possibly be going wrong in the days before a big race, was. Between fall allergies, lackadaisical training (I was battling burnout - but more on that later this week), knee and hip pain (from a terrible long run I'd done the weekend before), untimely girl stuff, a splitting headache, and what felt suspiciously like an oncoming cold, I was super nervous. I strongly considered taking a DNS (did not start) and just going down to cheer Rachel on. In the end, though, I started, and man am I glad I did.

Race morning dawned, and it was colder and wetter than I had bargained for. Unlike some, however, I actually enjoy running in the rain - I've always enjoyed a good downpour. I also knew that my splits tend to be better in the colder weather. So despite the less-than-perfect weather, we geared up and made our way to the start of the race.

Trash bags make the most fashionable rain gear, didn't you know?

We stood under an awning with a bunch of other runners, watching the 8k start (they really took the brunt of the rain - they were drenched before they even got the starting call), before heading to our corral to await the start of the half marathon. Before we knew it, we were off on our 13.1 mile trek through Richmond.

Rachel and I had agreed months ago that we were going to run this one separately. She wanted to see just how fast she could finish without reigning back her speed for my sake. So we jogged the first warm-up mile together, before going our separate ways.

As I trucked along the route, I kept an eye on my watch, keeping a vague 2/1 minute run/walk interval, but mostly tuning into how my body was feeling. And let me tell ya, I was feeling great. There were a couple hills that kicked my butt, but aside from that I was feeling pretty awesome. I had both knees taped up (I honestly don't know what I would do without KT Tape), and they survived brilliantly (until we took some wrong turns on the way to the car and wound up trekking up and down a few stairs and hills).

Somewhere around Mile 3, we got hit with another downpour - I loved it. As we ran through the neighborhoods, downtown area, and parks, the spectators lining the streets with their signs and cheering were fantastic. We all had our names on our bibs, and it was such a boost to hear folks calling your name as you ran past. Running through the neighborhoods was wonderful. Whole families were out on their front porches, watching the runners go past as they drank their morning coffee. Some of them had set up their own make-shift fuel, water, and even beer stations. The "junk food" station was by far the best - those gummy bears were crucial - although I was a little saddened to skip over the beer station.

I had a blonde moment around Mile 9 when I thought "hey, only a 5k to go now!" and laughed when realized my mistake when I hit a "5k Fun Run" sign at Mile 10... oops! When I got to that last 5k, though, and realized I was pretty much guaranteed a new PR, I thought of how excited I was to tell my parents and my boyfriend that I had done so much better than I thought I would today. I actually started tearing up a little, recalling the inspirational words Andrew had given me before I set off for Richmond, and at the thought of how proud all three of them would be, and how happy it made me to have such wonderful support cheering me on from home.

I didn't feel myself really start to tire out until Mile 12. Pushed through that looooong last mile, and turned a corner to find a glorious sight: a steep downhill to the finish line. Flew down the hill, and crossed the line with a new half marathon PR - by 15 minutes!

Grabbed my medal, water, and blanket (they were giving out really cute fleece blankets at the finish - another great idea by the organizers!), and wandered to find Rachel and her parents so we could head home, proud finishers of our third half marathon this year.

Reunited again, we were all smiles at the finish line.

Race Recap - American Family Fitness Half Marathon (Rachel's race)

Last weekend, we ran the American Family Fitness Half Marathon in Richmond, VA. Touted as "America's friendliest marathon," this race certainly lived up to its spectator expectations. Beyond that, however, we had very different race experiences, so we're both going to recap for you. We'll begin with Rachel's take, but you can find Sara's version here.

Together at the Finish Line

Let me start off by saying that Richmond hosts a wonderful race and I did have a great time. As you are reading…you might not think that.

Going into the race I was unsure about what I wanted out of the race. Initially, I wanted to hit a huge PR of 2:10, but I realized that going full speed ahead might diminish my ability to train for the Dopey Challenge in January. I made the choice to not track my mile splits and just going for an easy run with 9,000 other people.

I did commit a cardinal running sin on race day…I wore new gear.  My last pair of Kilkenney’s met their demise on November 10, and I had only run in my new ones for 3 miles (for the record I love them!) I also wanted to run with a handheld 10oz water bottle rather than run with a race belt, but had never tested running with a handheld (for the additional record I love my new water bottle).  So much for not doing anything new on race day!

Morning arrived and it was cold and rainy. Sara and I were sporting sexy trash bags in the downpour  until it was time for us to line up. The rain stopped, but soon after we began running it started raining...and then pouring. After Mile 1, Sara and I separated to battle Richmond on our own.

Early in the race was our first hill, and being a Garmon with short powerful legs, I sprinted up the hill without a second thought. This would be my go to method for all of the other hills in the race, because why make the pain last any longer than it has too? 

Mile 4 saw my left calf cramp up, meaning I had 9.1 miles to go before I could get to my compression sleeves or lacrosse ball. I stretched as much as I could, but it felt better when I was moving so I kept running.

The race was a bit of a blur from Mile 5-11. I am sure I got some weird looks for my Ninja running look. For the record, a wet running mask is really hard to breathe through!

The Blerg: if you have not heard of ‘The Blerg’ please read this article by The Oatmeal. At Mile 11, I was hit hard by The Blerg.  I realized that I might not finish in 2:30, both calves hurt, my lungs were burning, and I was soaked…I was done. The temptation to just stop was there, I had nothing left mentally. The tears started flowing as I kept one foot in front of the other. I kept trying to make agreements and deals with myself, but I was defeated. As I came upon another steep hill I sprinted up to the top because if nothing else, I was going to keep my promise to sprint every hill. I started yelling at myself and then I realized how horribly I speak to myself. The things I was saying to myself I would never say to anyone, so why was I treating myself this way? I vowed then at 11.5 to build myself up. The last few miles saw a resurgence in energy and when I saw the final downhill toward the finish I SPRINTED and  finished in 2:29. That is a full minute under the worst time I wanted.

Despite everything, I still eeek-ed in under that goal. When people ask me about this race I keep saying it was GREAT! And it was, I battled myself and I won. I went out to have a relaxed run, and I did.  

~Rachel

                                                With my support crew aka Mom and Dad

Race Recap - Philly Rock & Roll Half Marathon

For our first "better late than never" race recap, Sara's looking back at the 2013 Rock & Roll Philadelphia half...

After we registered for the Dopey Challenge, Rachel and I knew we needed to find an early fall half marathon to run for a new PR so we could boost our corral WDW Marathon weekend. Starting at the back of the pack, though it had worked for the Princess, was not going to cut it for back to back to back to back races in January. After a little research on the available races, we settled on the Rock & Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon on September 15, 2013. Our choice proved a wise one, as we (spoiler alert) came out of it with over a 45-minute PR!

We left the DC area early on Saturday morning, leaving plenty of time to pick up our packets and wander around the expo before an early dinner and relaxing evening in the hotel. Packet pick up went very smoothly - longer lines for us runners toward the back of the pack, since this seemed to be a first race for many people, but the lines moved quickly and we were soon in the expo itself. Inside the expo, Brooks had a great island themed section dedicated to their "Run Happy" branding - we poked around a bit before heading into the main area in search of a couple items to boost the next morning's run.

I was disappointed not to find a KT Tape booth anywhere to get my knee taped up, but had tape back at the hotel room so I could do it myself later that night. We spent awhile digging through the Bondi Band suitcases, and came away successful - Rachel got a very fitting "No one ever drowned in sweat" band, and I got myself a new princess crown. Geico had a course preview video running at their booth, so we stood to watch that and see what we were in for the next morning, before heading off to find dinner.

Swag from the expo - highlights were definitely an awesome race t-shirt from Brooks, and the "Run Strong" bracelet for the Boston Marathon.

As we walked back to our hotel we got a chance to explore a bit of Philly - we spotted the "LOVE" sign from afar, took some fun photos with the game pieces, and grabbed bagel sandwiches for dinner in a cute cafe we found in a small park. As we were turning toward our hotel, we realized we were on the corner of Race Street, so naturally we had to document with some photo jumping fun. Then it was back to the hotel to check out the expo swag, prep our gear for race morning, and watch some "Sister Act" (we were delighted to find these back to back on tv that night)!

Having your race-cation hotel just off Race St has to be a good omen :)

The next morning we woke up, packed our bags to leave with the concierge (the one downside to this trip was that our hotel was not allowing late check out due to the race, so we had to check out before heading to the start line), and started out on the mile or so walk to the start of the race.

It was a little chilly as the sun was still working its way up that morning, so we were glad for our jackets and bondi bands to keep us warm. We hung around near our corral (22 out of 25, so pretty far back in the pack), which was hanging out just in front of the finish line at the base of the Rocky stairs. One of the most fun moments that morning had to be listening to "Eye of the Tiger" with that view - very fitting!

Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet, just two gals with the will to survive!

At last, it we worked our way to the start line, and it was our turn to go! We felt good starting out, and wove our way easily through the downtown area. Before we knew it, we came across Rachel's parents, who were waving and holding up the signs they had made us! They had refused to tell us what was on each of our signs until we were running, so it we got a little surprise and a chuckle as we passed them. Rachel's had her nickname from her hometown improv troop, and mine was a throwback to my Cinderella outfit at Disney.

As we kept going through downtown, my phone GPS kept ticking off some really speedy miles. We knew we were making good time, but we didn't think we were going as fast as it was saying. The phone was also way off from the on-course mile markers. Eventually, we realized the tall buildings were throwing off the signal, so it thought we were jumping around all over the place, when really we were following straight lines. All in all, the app wound up adding almost 1.5 miles onto our distance! Oops!

Once we got out of the city, we hit the up and back portion of the race, along the Schuylkill River. Beautiful to start off, but as the miles ticked off, we started getting anxious for the turnaround - it felt like it was never coming! Finally, it did, and we made our way back, starting to fight the mental battle. By the time we hit Mile Marker 12, we started having some fun to get through the final mile - our photo jumps came back, as we tried to time our jumps with the course photographers.

Success! Look at that air!

Finally, we turned the final corner off the water, and pushed ourselves up the final .1 across the finish line. Grins abounded, and our sub-3 hour half was in the books. By the time we crossed toward the back of the pack, they were out of chocolate milk, but we grabbed a banana and Gatorade, met up with Rachel's parents, stopped off at our hotel to pick up our bags before hitting up her parents' hotel (which had, thankfully, allowed for late check out) for a shower, and devoured a pair of (of course) Philly Cheesesteaks for a very rewarding lunch.

Do you track your pace through your own GPS device during races? What are your favorite motivators to push through the mental walls on long runs?

Race Recap - Run or Dye DC 2013

Run or Dye

Aka the race Rachel realized that sleep is an important aspect of a successful or fun run and that a French braid is always the way to go.

Run or Dye is an off shoot of the Color Run basically colored powder gets thrown at you throughout the course. There are no timing chips and a lot of beginner runners at these races. That said Sara and I set a new team 5k PR by timing ourselves.

In fact if you are looking to run a 5k for the first time I recommend a color run, they are relaxed and there is no pressure to run fast.

Sara and I arrived later than we wished, but since the race isn’t timed it was not a big deal. We quickly realized two things (and I realized a third)

 1) The race shirts they gave us do not breathe
 2)  It is muggy down by RFK Stadium.

 3) I realized that not sleeping was a poor life choice. The previous evening I got a whopping 3 1/2 hours of sleep and then had to drive back to DC from Richmond at 6am.  By the time we got to the race course around 9:30am – I was tapped out of energy. At least we had music bursting our ear drums to keep us awake.

Poor Sara had to deal with me griping for the first mile, but she stuck with me like a champ and I soon found my rhythm.

Side note- I need to invest in a grumpy cat running shirt –because I am one at the start of any race.
We started our run and were met with an explosion of color –I came out of this race COVERED in color.  Sara and I had fun gunning for as much color as possible and setting a new team 5K PR. Typically I run faster on my own, but it was fun to set a team record with Sara as she keeps me going. 

During the run we realized another thing…. this race was not well organized. There was one water station- normally for a 5k this isn’t an issue for me, however when it is 85 degrees and 90% humidity- I want my water. The course managers were too lazy to pour cups so they just handed out 16oz bottles of water. Meaning by the time Sara and I arrive…there was no water. No one drank a full bottle – everyone took a sip or two and threw them on the ground. Luckily at the finish they had iced water, but the sheer laziness amazed me.

Aside from the water and lack of sleep it was a lovely event and we had a blast!

Race Recap - Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013 (Part 3 - The Race!)

This is Part 3 of 3 of Sara's DPHM recap. Check out Parts 1 and 2!

After a night of tossing and turning in an anxious sleep, our alarm went off at 2 a.m. No hitting the snooze for these princesses - we were almost instantly filled with nervous energy and adrenaline as we got dressed and ready to go for our first ever half marathon.

Since we were staying at a time share off-site, Rachel's parents were kind enough to give us a ride to Epcot and the starting line party. Gotta give props to Disney for this. Plenty of port-o-potties, and a great entertainment to keep us awake despite the early hour. We stood in line for a photo with Ariel, danced a bit to the hype guy, and did some light stretching as we waiting for them to call our corral.

As the minutes wore on, Rachel was getting more an more anxious to get down to the corral - we'd heard rumors of a long walk from the meet-up zone. Soon as they made the first call, we started off. Turns out the rumors were right - it was definitely a bit of a trek from the parking area. We made it down, passing more port-o's along the way (pro-tip, those had much shorter lines than the ones closer to the parking area), and kept ourselves occupied snapping goofy pre-race photos of the awesome Shwings we'd both been given as good luck tokens.

As the anthem was sung and the fireworks went off for the first corral to take off, we started getting amped up about the run to come. Finally, our corral made its way to the start line, and we pushed as close to the front as we could manage. This was it - the moment we'd been training for for so many cold, DC-winter miles.

Mile 1 we took easy to try and get out of the main crowd. Rachel was cranky and wishing for a bit more of a warm up, I had adrenaline pumping and was ready to run. But we held off until the crowds thinned a bit going into the second mile. We skipped the first character stop (Captains Jack Sparrow and Barbosa) and started to fall into a bit of a rhythm.

Rhythm didn't last too long, however, as around the end of Mile 2, who do we see? Disney Princes!!! This was a photo MUST, so we took our places in line. This one was a little longer than we would have liked (about 30 minutes - parents following along with our splits at home were a little concerned when our first 5k split was about twice what it should have been!), but definitely worth it. We weren't here to break any world records - we were here to have fun (...and cross the finish line)!

After the lengthy photo stop, we agreed to only stop if the line wasn't exuberantly long, and we wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves if we didn't stop for the photo. Miles 3-5, running up the highway and through the car entrance to the Magic Kingdom were a little tedious, but there were some cool dancers and puppeteers on the sidelines as we ran by.

Somewhere in the middle of Mile 5, we found ourselves running through an innocent looking gate, and a few steps later realized that we were rounding the corner of Main Street USA. As we made our way up the street and around the front of the castle toward Tomorrowland, we spotted Rachel's parents and stopped for a sweaty hug before starting off again.

There's little that can describe how awesome it feels to run (okay, walk with the rest of the tightly packed herd) through Cinderella's castle. Totally exhilarating. But we had another 7 miles to finish, so we couldn't indulge too much. We GU'd up, and off we ran through Frontierland and out the backside of the Kingdom. 

As we left MK is where things started to go downhill for me, who had been battling knee pain for a few weeks. The number one thing I regret not doing as soon as I started seriously running was go get fitted for a good pair of shoes by a running store who knows what they're talking about. Turns out the shoes I'd gotten to correct an over-pronation problem I didn't actually have were actually slowly injuring my IT band, which REALLY flamed up around Mile 7. 

We tried slowing down our pace, and taking more walking breaks, but eventually it got to the point where any pressure put fully on my left leg just resulted in shooting pains up my knee. I couldn't run at all. The next four miles were a huge emotional struggle for me. I had been training so hard for this day, and I couldn't believe my body was letting me down. I owe those miles to Rachel, who was such a trooper for not just sticking with me, despite wanting to actually run, but (literally) dancing circles around me and yelling inspirational things at me to keep me putting one foot in front of the other.

Miles 10 and 11 were the toughest for us. We were back on the highway, with not much to look at, and the heat and humidity were definitely starting to take their toll. As we rounded an exit ramp, we came across one of the Green Army Men (you know, from Toy Story), who was hollering at us that we were doing great, and that this was the last of the hills on the course. He was also counting off pushups for anyone who wanted to stop for a little cross training along the way, but we skipped this time, just trying to push through and finish to spare my knee.

As we passed not one, not two, but three more overpasses (read hills) over the next couple miles, we cursed the Army Man for lying at us about that hill. As soon as we pushed into Mile 12, we felt the energy of the other runners start to pick up again, read the inspirational signs that were lining the course, and knew we were so close. Rachel's dance party started up again, and we made our way into Epcot. The park guests had already been let in at this point, so we did a little weaving, but also got to high five other runners as we ran past them when the course doubled back on itself back down the concourse.

Out of Epcot we went, past the soulful sound of the gospel choir, around one last corner, and FINALLY saw the finish line in sight. I put on the guns for a miraculous half limping, half jogging, DEFINITELY tearful 40-yard dash, and we crossed proudly. 

With our medals hanging proudly around our necks, we grabbed water and Powerade, a box of snacks, and stopped to get my knee iced and taped before hobbling over to find Rachel's parents. After some more sweaty, congratulatory hugs, we headed back to the hotel for a shower and cat nap before hitting up the one place that could possibly be more magical than Cinderella's castle...

HOGWARTS!

We nerded out a bit in Hogsmeade, drank a butterbeer or two before devouring an early dinner and taking full advantage of the hotel's hot tub. Then it was early to bed, and up early the next morning to catch our flight home.

All in all, a truly amazing race, and a first half marathon that neither of us will ever forget.