Richmond Marathon Recap ...

Location: Richmond, VA
Date: 11/12/11
Temperature: upper 30's @ start, sunny
Official Time: 4:12:52 (9:39 pace)
Garmin Time: 4:12:55 for 26.42 miles (9:34 pace), 2:56 PR
Place in Age Group (25-29): 98/281
Place in Gender: 562/1647
Overall Place: 1716/3787

The Good:

Pre-race Fun - From bagels on Friday morning ...

to the expo on Friday afternoon ...

to carb-loading on Friday night ...

marathon excitement was EVERYWHERE.

The Outfits - G, Pixie Green and I looked epic. As always.

No Pressure - There is something about running two marathons in six days that kind of takes away all the pressure from the second race. I knew that regardless of how fast (or slow) I ran, I could boast about the quick turnaround. And knowing that, somehow made it easier to run a consistent race.

The Course - I love this course. It's scenic and beautiful and the downhill finish is enough of a reason to run it over and over. But as a member of the Marathon Training Team (MTT), I ran the course so often that I knew it like the back of my hand. Talk about an advantage on race day. No surprises. No mental games. Just 26.2 miles and me.

Sub-2 Half - From the start, my goal for this race was to run with whoever I started with for as long as possible and then just finish, even if I walked the rest. I lost G pretty much in the first 10 feet of the race, but I was running with Jess and her sister Jodi (they both ran MCM two weeks prior).


We just decided to run whatever felt good. And somehow, as we approached the half marathon mark, we noticed that we were just going to break two hours (we crossed in 1:59:20) and that alone made the race a success for me.

PR Baby - Not exactly sure how it happened, but 6 days after running the NYC Marathon and missing a PR by 8 seconds, I finished this race with a 2:56 PR. It was awesome. However, I kind of wish my plan of "run a strong first half and then have fun with the second half", wasn't the plan I executed. When I caught G at mile 15.5, I decided I was just going to stick with her. Then she left me. And then I caught her again. It wasn't until mile 23 or so, that I realized that even with my eased pace in the second half, that a PR was going to happen for sure. Maybe I should have picked it up sooner.

The Last 2 Miles - Once I realized a PR was in the bag, I was re-energized. Add that to the fact that most of the last two miles are downhill and I was feeling unstoppable. Seriously. This is me at mile 25.5, looks like it could have been mile 1.5.

GBA - Like usual, our run group rocked it on Saturday. I'm proud of each and everyone of them. But, I am especially proud to be associated with G (who ran through illness), KC (who PR'd with a sub-4) and 3L (who BQ'd in her marathon debut). I love these ladies and am honored to have them in my life.

The Bad:

Un-GU'd - Although I started the race with four GUs attached to my race belt, all but one of them fell off while I was shedding layers in the early miles. Total Spi-Belt fail.

Photo-Op - As a member of MTT, we were scheduled to take a team picture at 7 a.m., one hour prior to the race start. Most days, that would be no big deal, but it was cold on Saturday. I arrived at 6:30 a.m. and by the time the race started, I couldn't feel any of my toes. And the worst part, you can't see me (or anyone I know) in the picture anyway.

The Ugly:

Wind - As you approached mile 24, a place I like to refer to as the "Lombardy Suckfest", runners were greeted with headwinds so strong that they threw you back a little. Not the time in the race to have a physical barrier like that.

thunderstorms ...

One of the things that I love about running is that you can do it almost anywhere, at any time, under any conditions. In the past four years, I have run in temperatures over 90 degrees and below zero. I have run under clear blue skies and in the pouring rain and in feet of snow. If I have the right gear, nothing is going to stop me from finishing my run.

Well, nothing but thunderstorms.

I 100% absolutely refuse to run during a thunderstorm. And my paranoia is quite extreme. All it takes to stop me in my tracks is the sound of thunder off in the distance. If I wake up for my run and hear thunder, I get back in bed. Not even being en route to meet my posse is enough to keep me from crawling back into bed. In fact, I've driven halfway to a run and then returned home after seeing a single bolt of lightning.

I'm a chicken. A chicken who doesn't want to be a fried chicken.

On most days, this "no thunderstorm" rule I have applied doesn't really affect my running. If I miss my morning run with GBA, I just make it up that evening on my treadmill. Or if I'm lucky, outside when J gets home. But, today, for the first time that I can remember, a thunderstorm has tripped me up.

When I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to meet the posse for eight miles, the thunder was so loud it shook the house. I knew I had zero time to run later, so I tried to convince myself to go. But all I kept thinking was, "J will kill me if the thunderstorm doesn't." So, I stayed in bed.

And then I regretted it. I have mandatory orientation for Doodle's school tonight at 7 - right when I would normally "make up" my run. Crap.

I started thinking, "What about during the day?" Two kids, a double stroller and rain/thunderstorms all day. Not a chance. Double crap.

Then, it hit me. I would run one mile at a time, whenever I could squeeze it in. A mile while the girls have a picnic lunch next to the treadmill? Sure. A mile immediately after and before potty training sessions with Dilly? Why not. Bribing my children with chocolate so that I can grab 9 minutes for a run? No shame in that.

As of 9 a.m., I've finished three miles, thanks in large part to the fact that J stuck around a few extra minutes this morning, so that I could. I'm not really sure how this is all going to play out, but I am confident in saying that it won't be easy, but at least I won't be a fried chicken ...

potential ...

In case you didn't realize, I live in a sauna. A sauna named Virginia. It is at least somewhat warm, year-round. In fact, as long as you are running during daylight hours, it's very likely that you don't need to own a pair of running tights.

In some ways, this is awesome. I can almost always get outside for a run. I'm never afraid that I am going to get frostbite and if I time my runs correctly, there is almost no chance of heat stroke. (Unfortunately, it can be really challenging to run at 3 a.m.)

The major problem with the warmth of the area is that I never get an accurate gauge of my running "potential."

Think about it. Numerous studies have shown that runners perform best when the temperatures are between 41 and 55 degrees. Do you know how many days fall in that range in Virginia? About 6.

Thus, I have run very few times in "ideal" conditions. In fact, it's rare that I race when it is cooler than 60 degrees. The two times I did in recent history, I ran wicked fast. Like a 33:50 marathon PR fast.

Recently, though, I have felt like I just can't find my speed. I am currently training for a sub-4 marathon, but most days I struggle to hold a pace that would just give me a PR. I know that this is mostly due to the fact that the average temperature when I run is around 78 degrees with 70% humidity. That take a toll on your pace. And your confidence.

Honestly, I was feeling unsure about my ability to run strong during Hood to Coast. My final leg is the longest of any on the course (8.09 miles) and I will be running it alone. Without an iPod. On close to no sleep. And above all, I don't want to let my teammates down.

So, yesterday, I set out on a run in Rhode Island. 6 miles in much cooler temperatures with little humidity. I left the iPod at home and hoped to mimic what my Hood to Coast legs will be like.

Mile 1 felt easy. 9:24.
Mile 2, I knew I was going to run 8 instead of 6. 9:05.
Miles 3 and 4, piece of cake. 9:01. 8:49.
Turnaround, then mile 5. 8:50.
Mile 6, couldn't believe there were only 2 miles left. 9:00.
Mile 7, Spotted a deer, a fox and DEM. 8:51
Mile 8, I so have this. 8:50.

Do you know what my goal marathon pace is?

8:50.

Do you know what 8:50 felt like?

Conversational pace.

Confidence restored.

2011 National Marathon Recap ...

Location: Washington, D.C.
Date: 3/26/11
Temperature: A chilly 36 degrees at the start
Official Time: 4:15:48 (9:46 pace) for 26.2 miles
Garmin Time: 4:15:49 (9:39 pace) for 26.48 miles
Place in Age Group: 161/305
Overall Place: 1662/2872


The Good:

The Weather: Back in October when I registered for this race, I pictured the perfect Spring morning for race day. A low of 40. A high of 56. It was going to be magical. But of course, that didn't happen. Three days out from the race, forecasters were calling for a HIGH of 40. I wasn't quite sure what I thought about that. But, as it ends up, the weather was pretty much perfect. Sure, it was chilly as we waited in the corral, but by mile 4, I had ditched my gloves and was feeling comfortable in my outfit choice. By mile 20, I was happy it wasn't any warmer.

Cruising to a Sub-2 Half Split: There was a time, like seven months ago, that I would have killed for a sub-2 half marathon. And even when I finally accomplished that goal, it was tough (despite Tall Mom's best efforts to make it easy on me). But on Saturday, it felt like the easiest thing ever. I ran the first 12 miles of the race with IronJ and KC (they ran the half) and we chatted pretty much the whole time. It was so much fun to run with them and such an amazing feeling to look at my Garmin when we hit mile 13 and have it read 1:58. The coolest thing was that even though I knew we were racing, it never felt like it.

A new PR: One of my running goals in 2011 was to cut 30+ minutes off my marathon time. I knew as long as another catastrophe didn't strike on race day, I would be able to do it. Although I did have a few missteps during the race, my first half was strong enough to carry me through to the finish and I walked away with a 33:50 PR. And a marathon time I can be proud of.

Racing/Traveling with the Posse: I think this one's a given. Yes, running is an individual sport. And yes, on race day, you are the one who needs to bring it. But, I don't think there is anything better than sharing your running triumphs and struggles with your friends. Every single moment of our race weekend was awesome. From the expo ...

to the start ...

to the finish line ...

It was perfect.

Making it to the Start in One Piece: National was marathon number four for me. And it was the FIRST time I made it to the start without a total catastrophe. For my first and second marathons, I showed up with an ankle injury and walked miles of the races. For number three, I caught a stomach bug and spent 15 minutes of the race in the bathroom. But nothing was going to stop me this time ...

Our outfits: We looked fab. Obviously. (Note: there was a Yankee fan on the course who tried to hate on us. I beat his sorry butt.)

G "coaching" me to the Finish: Last November, I got the privilege of pacing G in the last 4.5 miles of her marathon. She walked away with a HUGE PR. I walked away able to take some credit for it. On Saturday, G got to do the same for me. And thank God she did.

The last four miles of the race were tough. Mentally, I was there, but physically, not so much. "The Quads" were failing me. And the hills weren't helping. But G helped me push through. She knew how to keep me moving. Even if that meant threatening me. (Note: I walk through water stations since I can't run and drink. She told me that if I didn't start running again that she would take a picture of me walking and post it for everyone to see. I'm going to show it to you anyway ...)

I couldn't be more thankful for G and all that she does for me. She is truly the best running partner EVER.
Meeting Bloggy Buddies: Although I failed to take a single picture, I did meet a few bloggers before and during the race. I ran into Katie as we were walking to the start. I spotted Jen in my corral. And Rachel introduced herself during mile 2.

Post-Race Recovery Drinks: Milkshakes. Enough said.

The Bad:

The Course (scenery): OK, I will admit that I wasn't overly concerned with what was going on around me, but every time I think back to the views along the course, all I can think of is UGLY. I know we ran past several historical landmarks. I've been told there were cherry blossoms. But, the parts that stuck out to me were ugly and boring. Behind RFK stadium - ugly and boring. Along the water in Anacostia - ugly, boring and scary.

The Course (length): So, I know that most courses run long. But, this race was INSANE. When I finished, my Garmin read 26.48. Not too bad, but considering that my watch lost the signal at least three times while we ran through tunnels (one that was at least .3 long), this course was SUPER long. (Note: SpeeDee's Garmin read 26.9)

The Course (topography): I knew this course was hilly going into it, but I was not expecting rolling hills for the last three miles (most of the HUGE climbs were in the first half). My legs were shot at that point and I struggled. If you are going for a PR, this is likely not the course for it.

Failing to Pick Up G at Mile 21: After I split from IronJ and KC, I was looking forward to meeting up with G at mile 21. I was mentally prepared for it. I knew that I had eight solo miles and then she'd help me make that final push. But, when I got to mile 21, she wasn't there. And at mile 22, she wasn't there either. I was convinced that she thought she missed me and that she had left. But, rather, a crappy course map and a horribly placed Metro stop in Anacostia prevented her from getting there. When I finally saw her at mile 22.5, I felt like a new person. Such a mental boost.

The Ugly:

Almost Missing the Start: The logistics of getting to the start were horrendous. It took over a half hour to get our car out of valet. The traffic was crawling. Shuttles were running late. The Metro only opened an hour before the start. At 6:40 a.m., we were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic about a mile from the start. All I could think was that this was going to be the catastrophe that ruined my race. Scared that we wouldn't make it in time, we got out of the car and walked. Total fiasco.

Hitting the Wall at Mile 13.5: I knew that running with my friends for the first half was going to keep me on pace. And I knew that splitting from them was going to be hard. But I wasn't prepared for what would hit me just after mile 13.

When the half marathoners ran to the finish, I was feeling strong. I saw Katye on the course and told her I felt good. Then she snapped this picture, and it must have sucked the life out from me.

Less than a half mile later, I had lost my mojo. The course was desolate. And ugly. The marathoners were sent on a loop behind RFK stadium through the parking lots. There were no spectators and I knew there was a hill coming up. It defeated me. I couldn't imagine running another 13 miles. I didn't even know if I could make it to G at mile 21. It took me until mile 18 to get my groove (and my hope) back.

Cramping at Mile 24: When G picked me up at mile 22.5, I told her I couldn't quench my thirst. I had finished the liter of water in my hydration pack and had drank at the last two water stops. My face was caked with salt. My fingers looked like sausages. I needed some sodium, but there was none to be found. By mile 23, my quads were cramping up every hill. I did my best to run through the pain, but I didn't want to risk an injury either. I would make it 3/4 of the way up and need to massage my quads. And then I could start running again. It was rough. And I'm still feeling the burn.

Complete and Utter Chaos: I'm not really sure that anything ran smoothly with this race. From the disorganized start to the lack of mile markers to confusion at the finish, this race was a cluster. Unless some serious changes are made, I will never run this race again. And I wouldn't recommend it for anyone else ...

Up Next: Another attempt at a sub-1:55 half at the Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon, 4/16/11

Disney Princess Half Marathon Recap ...

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you probably already know that I had a blast this past weekend. Disney truly treated us like princesses and I will fill you in on all of that tomorrow. But first, my race recap.

Location: Orlando, FL
Date: 2/27/11
Temperature: A balmy 61 degrees at the start
Official Time: 1:57:06 (8:57 pace) for 13.1 miles
Garmin Time: 1:57:07 (8:51 pace) for 13.21 miles
Place in Age Group: 142/2365
Overall Place: 638/13091

The Good:

The Course/Atmosphere: I love this course. To begin with, it's simply magical. You start just outside of Epcot and run through the Disney property to the Magic Kingdom through Cinderella's castle and back through Epcot. When you add the scenery of this route with the on-course entertainment, atmosphere and support, and this course is hard to beat. Plus, Orlando is flat and with the exception of one hill at mile 12, so is this course. If you are looking for a fast time, this could be your race.

The VIP/Media Tent: As part of the Disney Princess Media Event, several other bloggers and I had access to the Media Tent before and after the race. No lines for the bathroom. No need for bag check. A post-race brunch. Talk about being spoiled. I'm not sure that any other race experience will ever compare.

The Outfits: Disney race participants are known for their rather inventive race apparel. From princesses to witches to frogs, you will see it all at the Disney Princess Half. Heather and I even saw someone running in a string bikini. We, on the other hand, were a little less adventurous, but fun, nevertheless.

A New PR: In 2010, I finished this course in 2:01:36. This year, I crossed the line in 1:57:06, a 4:30 course PR and a 56 second half marathon PR. While not what I was shooting for, a time I am very proud of considering the fact that less than 12 hours before the race I was vomiting at the expo and living on crackers and water (thanks Doodle for sharing your stomach bug!)

Celebrity Sightings: We were fortunate enough to hang out with Jeff Galloway (yes, that Jeff Galloway) post-race. He is a wealth of knowledge and perhaps the most approachable person I have ever met. And he makes one mean Jack Sparrow. I was truly honored to have had that opportunity.We also got to spend time with Ethan and Jenna from Survivor. And thanks to that encounter, it looks like I will be running the NYC Marathon with Ethan and his foundation, Grassroot Soccer.

The Bad:

The temperature: It was a humid 61 degrees at the start. A good 10 degrees warmer than I would have preferred and 30 degrees warmer than I am used to running in. In my last few weeks of training, I have done 16 mile runs with no water. That was so not the case during the race. I was drinking from my handheld by mile 2.

The Early Wake-up: Disney races are EARLY. We boarded a shuttle for the race at 3:50 a.m. By the time I finished the race just before 8 a.m., I felt like I had been up for an eternity.

The Ugly:

Vomit: Did I mention that whole stomach bug thing? Yeah. Because that really sucked.

Frostbite 15K recap ...

Location: Richmond, VA
Date: 1/23/11
Temperature: 26 degrees with a feels like temperature of 15 degrees
Official Time: 1:15:41 (8:07 pace) for 9.3 miles
Garmin Time: 1:15:43 (8:05 pace) for 9.36 miles
Place in Age Group: 7/44
Overall Place: 192/636

The Good:

The Company: I was joined by G (who thought this FREEZING COLD race would be a good idea), KC, 3L, D, J and Katye. Having a bunch of my posse at the start (and finish) almost made the temperatures tolerable. And of course we were the best dressed on the course. Here's a shot of me, G, Katye and KC before the start.


The Course: I had not run this race before and had been warned of hills on the course. Richmond Road Runners described the course like this, "The course is out and back beginning and ending next to the Cary Street soccer field. The course goes out Harrison to Colorado, through the neighborhood next to Maymont and into Byrd Park. Much of the course is flat, but there are a few testy hills."

Past experience has shown that if RRRC mentions hills in the course, they are probably worse than you think. Due to this, I was planning for much worse. There were rolling hills during the first two and last two miles of the course, but for every climb there was an awesome downhill which I tried to use to my advantage.

The Pace: My goal for this race (since I had never run a 15K before) was to use it as a half marathon goal pace run. That meant 9.3 miles at an 8:20 pace. It seemed doable, but I questioned whether or not I would crash at the end (as I historically do).

Anyway, 3L, KC and D were all looking to hold a similar pace. We decided to go together and once we navigated the crowds at the start, we fell into a comfortable groove. Through mile 2 we were averaging 8:10s. Around mile 3, 3L pulled ahead. I tried to keep up. It worked and at mile 4, I passed her. That's when I decided to "just run." No watch checking. No obsessing about the pace. I just wanted to run whatever felt comfortable enough to carry to the end, but hard enough that I knew I was pushing it. We looped back around mile 4.7 and I could see that most of the posse was right behind me. It was a total boost to see them. From then on, I just locked in and pushed to the finish. I felt strong until mile 8 (which was slightly uphill and directly into the wind). When I finished, the Garmin said I had an average pace of 8:05. Just the confidence boost I was looking for heading into my Spring marathon and half marathons.

The Post-Race Refreshments: After finishing, we headed to a parking deck (classy, I know) where we were given Diet Coke (my favorite post-run drink), bananas, bagels and oreos. Now, if they had only served Dunkin Donuts coffee, it would have been perfect.

The Bad:

The Temperature: Did I mention that this race is called the Frostbite 15k and that it lives up to it's name? Enough said.

Next race on the schedule: Disney Princess Half Marathon AND a sub 1:55 finish ...

untapped speed ...

On Sunday, I was supposed to run my last race of 2010 - a 5K. I was super excited for it. After a fantastic 8K PR in November and a strong base established, I was primed to run fast. Plus, the 5K is a distance that I LOVE, but never seem to build into my race schedule.

So, I was all set. Uber-cute outfit picked out. Mental game on point. And despite running 24 miles in the two days prior, I felt strong. I was going to crush my PR (24:09). But then, it snowed.

And for the first time in a VERY long time, I wasn't a "runner first, logical thinker second." J didn't want me to drive to the race (honestly, the roads were bad) and I actually listened to him - taking my first DNS EVER.

I was totally bummed. I wanted, no, NEEDED to know how fast I could run. So, I put on my uber-cute outfit and hit the treadmill for my own Christmas 5K.

I set the treadmill incline to 1%. I hit the button for the pace I was hoping to run (7:30) and I was off. The first mile was comfortable, so I pushed it a little. But still, mile two seemed to fly by, so I sped up again. And when I finished, the display looked like this ...

Yeah, that's right. 22:55 (7:23 pace). A 1:14 improvement over my 5K PR from May. And then I started thinking that maybe Mel's right. I might have some untapped speed in me after all ...

hot water ...

On Saturday, J realized that our hot water heater was leaking. Nothing major, but enough to warrant a call to our home warranty provider. We were told that someone would contact us to set up a service call "as soon as possible." Needless to say, "as soon as possible" does not mean quickly. So, we called again (on Monday) and got set up with a technician on Tuesday. In the meantime, we changed out the towel that was absorbing the leak every few hours and continued to go about our daily business.

When our service call actually happened on Tuesday morning, the plumber told us the water heater needed to be replaced and that it would be a one to two day turn around. We were cool with that. Everything was working fine and we didn't really mind swapping out a towel here and there. Plus, our home warranty was going to cover the cost.

But, then on Tuesday night (after my second run of the day), I took a shower. And when I came downstairs to swap out the towel, we had an issue. LIKE A BIG ISSUE. Like Old Faithful had erupted in our utility room. Water was everywhere and the shut-off valve wouldn't budge (we later learned the valve was shot).

I called J in a panic. There was no containing the water and I couldn't find the shut-off for the water line to the house. I tried to catch the water in a bucket, but that was pointless. When J got home 20 minutes later, he was able to cut the water to the house (well, partially), which slowed the flow of water. At that point, there wasn't much else for us to do. We had to sit and wait for a professional to come and remedy the situation.

An hour and a half later, the "on-call" plumber showed up to drain the tank and restore water to the rest of the house. It sounded great to me. Sure, we wouldn't have hot water until the unit was replaced, but that would hopefully be within a day. Easy peasy.

Except it wasn't. Because not only did our hot water heater provide hot water to our home, it also served an integral part in our home heating system. Meaning that if we don't have a functioning hot water heater, WE DON'T HAVE HEAT. And it's freaking 20 degrees outside. Needless to say, we are cold. And I'm not good with cold.

And to top it off, it is over 24 hours later and we still don't have any clue as to when we will be getting our new water heater. Apparently, it is "special" and is more difficult to obtain than your standard water heater. Right.

So, until it arrives and is installed we will be doing (or not doing) the following ...

1. We will be sleeping with WAY more blankets than anyone ever should. I'm pretty sure that Dilly is going to get lost in the three queen sized blankets on her bed.

2. We will be wearing multiple layers and hats indoors. Not ideal, but at least I don't have to brush anyone's hair.

3. We will be snuggling. A lot. Which doesn't really suck at all.

4. We will not be doing laundry. Kind of sucky, considering I only own 35 pieces of clothing and I am wearing most of them right now.

5. We will not be using the dishwasher. And all of our dishes will be cleaned in ICE COLD water. (That will be J's job.)

6. We will not be bathing. I'm not into the whole cold shower in the winter thing. And although I know I could fill the bathtub part of the way with cold water and add boiled water to the tub, that is just too much work.

7. We will count our blessing that this didn't happen a week from now, right before or right after we go to Disney.

feeling festive ...

Yesterday morning, I woke up to this ...

So, I ran 9 miles wearing this ...
Then once I warmed up, we did a little bit of this ...

And this ...
And this ...
And, yes. I was there too ...
And then we ended up with this ...
Yup. Definitely feeling festive around here ...

Tiger Trot Kid's Run Recap ...

It's official. My kids are runners. This morning Dizzle ran her first race - The Tiger Trot One Miler. And Doodle was so jealous (crying and screaming - typical Doodle), that she became a last minute entrant in the Tiger Trot Half Miler.

It was perfect. We looked fantastic.

We had a blast.
The girls ran every step.
They were fast (at least for 3 and 5 year olds).
Smiles were all around.

The only negative was that it was COLD. Like Arctic cold, at least it felt that way. (OK, it was 37 degrees - which is only cold if you live in the South). Seriously, look at the girls pre-race ...

Dilly was bundled up too ...

Other than the bone-chilling temperatures, the race was a success. Dizzle (age 5) finished her mile in 12:08 (16 seconds faster than she's ever run a mile before).

And Doodle (age 3) ran a half mile in 6:34.

And since it was their race, I figured they should write the recap. Except that they don't quite have a way with words like their mother. So, instead, I debriefed them on the race. Here's what they said ...

Did you have fun?
Dizzle: "Yes! It was super fun!"
Doodle: "Yes."

What was the best part?
Dizzle: "Getting to the finish line."
Doodle: "Winning." (apparently she missed the fact that tons of people were ahead of her)

What was the worst part?
Dizzle: "When we started to slow down."
Doodle: "When my fingers got really cold."

Would you do it again? (not that they really have a choice)
Dizzle: "Yes! But, next time, can it be in the Summer?"
Doodle: "Yes! But, it has to be longer for the next race." (I think I have an endurance junkie on my hands.)

Rock N Roll Chicago Recap ...

As you know, I decided to go with option C for my race on Sunday. I ran all of my weekly mileage and was going to pray for a PR. The PR didn't happen (more on that in a minute), but Chicago was a blast, the race was hot and bloggy meetups were happening left and right.

I landed in Chicago at 8 a.m. and navigated my way around O'Hare until I found Katye's gate. (not easy since I forgot to ask what airline she was on.) After an hour or so, her flight landed and the two of us attempted to make our way out of the airport. We had been calling Courtney (who picked us up) while we tried to find her car. It was a total mess and after 30 minutes of wandering, we finally found Courtney less than 50 feet from where we originally started looking for her. Go figure.

Once we were settled, Courtney gave us a driving tour of Chicago and we headed to the expo.

And it was fantastic. A little slice of running heaven. Once we picked up our bibs, we headed over to hear the end of Kara Goucher's talk. At the conclusion, Kara signed autographs and took pictures with fans and thanks to Katye (who has a mean hip check), we were the first in line. So very cool.

After meeting Kara, we headed over to the Running Skirts booth, where we proceeded to scavenger through their entire stock. I'm actually pretty certain that we scared the staff. It was hilarious. While we were attempting to take over the Running Skirts empire, Bobbi came up and introduced herself (RNR was her first half).

We all stuck together and explored the rest of the expo before heading out to lunch at Flat Top Grill.

The food was fantastic and our server was awesome.

As we left he shared these well wishes with us, "Good luck in the race. Don't sprain anything."

After lunch, Courtney dropped Katye and me off at the hotel. It was around 4 p.m. and I was 100% ready to go to bed. In fact, Katye and I made a quick trip to the 7-11 across the street, came back and were fast asleep by 7 p.m. Yes, we are that boring.

We woke up at 5 a.m. for the race. I was feeling good. Still a little tired and slightly dehydrated from the day before. We got ready for the race (which included writing my goal paces on my arm) and walked to the start.

There was so much going on, but once we got into our corral we managed to meet up with Courtney.

And before we knew it we were off. The race started with a slight uphill that lead to tunnel. The most stifling and hot tunnel, might I add. And that's where my Garmin freaked. I lost the signal for the first of many times on the course and when it came back the pace was all crazy. Apparently, I was running a 5:53 mile. Not so much.

I hit my first two miles exactly where I was supposed to be, but when the time to speed up came, I just couldn't do it. I was hot and thirsty (I stopped and refilled my handheld (22 oz) four times during the race). And once I hit mile 7 and heard the winner's time being announced, I knew a PR wasn't in the cards. So, I changed my race strategy and switched to option B. I slowed my pace and started to use the race as a training run. It wasn't worth killing myself to not PR. And it was good that I made that choice because by mile 8, I was hit with the runners trots. Four bathroom breaks in the last 5 miles. Not fun.

I finished the race in 2:11:05, exactly a 10:00 pace. After grabbing as much water and Popsicles as I could, Katye and I headed over to meet up with Jamie and Jodi (who introduced herself during mile 3 of the race).

Afterwards, Katye and I headed back to the hotel, ate a fabulous brunch (chocolate and marscarpone stuffed french toast) and relaxed before heading to the airport. The weekend was a blast. An extremely exhausting blast.