tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73257823440796358972024-03-14T03:58:12.752-04:00Journey to 26.2Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-2881680046889792522014-11-23T15:43:00.001-05:002014-11-23T15:43:34.132-05:00My love/hate relationship with running<div class="MsoNormal">
Running is a much a mental sport as it is a physical one,
just as it is a team sport rather than just an individual one. My experiences
while training for the Wineglass Marathon, and race day itself, were reminders
of this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I always credit my success with distance running to the fact
that I crave and enjoy time alone. I was quickly reminded though that there is
a big difference in the time spent running 8 miles versus 16 miles. This year I
battled new emotions, mostly loneliness. The bulk of my runs were alone. While
friends were typically out on the trail at the same time and great support,
there was more than one occasion where I finished and returned to an empty
parking lot. I had a near panic attack once fearing that if something happened
to me, no one would realize it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I began to no longer care. I was determined to get my long
runs in since I knew there was no way I could go into a marathon without them,
but the rest of my training suffered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I kept reminding myself that I was going to be alone on race
day, so why did it matter that I was alone for these long training runs? Why
was I craving company? In the weeks leading up to race day, I did two 20
milers. The first felt like a disaster, in large part to the 100% humidity and
98 degree heat index. The second was a huge confidence boost three weeks before
race day. While the weather was significantly better, I also had <a href="http://elbowglitter.com/" target="_blank">Megan</a>’s
company for about 6.5 of it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Race day came. I wasn’t nervous, although I didn’t sleep
that well the night before either. I was determined moreso than anything else.
I had a fabulous first half to the race. Then, for reasons I still don’t truly
understand, mentally everything fell apart. The precipitous to this was wind
and cold. At mile 15 I picked up a sweatshirt someone had discarded on the side
of the course. I took this on and off for the rest of the race, and finished
with it tied around my waist. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While the water stops had wonderful volunteers, the rest of
the course had no spectators, despite running through several neighborhoods. After
awhile, I didn’t see any other racers either. I was cold, miserable, and
completely alone. I considered walking up to a medical station and pulling
myself from the course more than once. Despite the fact that I no longer cared
about the race, I was too stubborn to truly quit. Stubborness can be a runner’s
best and worst quality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I came into the finish, there was hardly anyone left and
a good chunk of the finish line area was cleaned up. <a href="http://disneyfast.com/" target="_blank">Lauren</a>, my partner in
crime for race weekend, greeted me with a huge hug. I sobbed. I sobbed the next
day while telling my mom about the race. Whenever I’d think back to the race or
answer “how was it?”, I fought back tears. Despite finishing 26.2 miles, no
matter how ugly it was, I couldn’t savor the accomplishment. I couldn’t shake
the feeling that I gave up on myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, what now? I’m taking a much needed break. I haven’t run
since race day, October 5<sup>th</sup>. The only other times I’ve had this long
a break were due to injury. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not giving up on running, but am taking a step back.
Right now my first race next year may not be until the Frederick ½ in May. This
will allow me to ease back into a routine and take the winter off from long
distance training. I’ve spent pretty much every winter since 2008/2009 training
for a March half marathon. Hopefully taking some time to focus on me rather
than running will give me a new prospective.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-33499870870513474842014-04-21T21:35:00.000-04:002014-04-21T21:35:03.699-04:00Double Weekend Part 1: Lincoln Presidential Half MarathonThe <a href="http://runabe.srrc.net/" target="_blank">Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon</a> in Springfield, IL had been on my radar for awhile. It was a chance to visit a new state, see some historical sites, and earn a fabulous replica penny medal. A few other friends were also interested and we all finally decided that this would be the year we would fit it into our race schedules. Coincidentally, the race was celebrating it's 50th anniversary.<br />
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After planning had begun, I noticed that the Lincoln race was on a Saturday, and a half marathon was taking place in St. Louis on Sunday. Debate remains over how exactly this evolved from "let's all meet in the middle of the country and run a fun, small town race" to "hey, we could run in two states on one trip." What isn't debatable is that there was little resistance to this idea, despite the fact that most of us had never run a "double" before. The most important thing was that we'd have each other to get through it.<br />
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The trip started very very early on Friday morning with three of us on an early flight out of BWI to St. Louis. We were the first group of six people total flying in there that morning. We had managed to coordinate flight arrivals from BWI, Orlando, Dallas, and Austin within about a two hour window.<br />
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Everyone arrived on time, we hopped into rental cars, and we set off to the expo for Sunday's race. This way we'd have our stuff and wouldn't have to rush back to St. Louis the next day after the race in Springfield. We were also able to pick up bibs for our friends who were traveling directly to Springfield from Michigan, Boston (by way of Chicago), and Memphis. The expo was small, but had a nice variety of vendors. We then had a fabulous lunch and drinks at the nearby Scottish Arms Restaurant before heading out to Springfield. The weekend was already off to a great start!<br />
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It's about an hour and a half drive from St. Louis to Springfield. This was my first visit to the Midwest and I was fascinated to see how flat it all was. As we pulled into town, it was easy to spot our hotel, as it was about 24 stories tall with no tall neighboring buildings. This was handy while wandering around town. We didn't need to look at a map to find our way "home."<br />
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The six of us from St. Louis arrived at nearly the exact time as the car from Michigan with our Bostonian on board. We checked into our rooms and headed out for some sightseeing, mainly the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/liho/index.htm" target="_blank">Lincoln Home</a>. After a great tour we tried to find some dinner. This is where some things kind of fell apart in our plans. It turns out there's not alot of options in downtown Springfield. We ended up a pizza place and all ordered some carryout to take back to the hotel. Sadly, our food took an hour.<br />
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The night before the race it was time to lay out race clothes. I really hemmed and hawed on this. I stalked the forecast all week and ended up packing pretty much every possibly combination of running outfits that I could. It looked like it would be in the low 30s with a bit of wind, so I laid out tights and a couple of long sleeve shirts. When we woke up the next morning, the wind was less and it was going to be a bit warmer. I was able to go with a skirt, and a short sleeved shirt with long sleeves over top, along with a pair of gloves. It was perfect!<br />
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The race start was right around the corner from our hotel, so the group of us met up in the lobby before heading over and lining up. After some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ife-qpdPxtk" target="_blank">encouraging words from President Lincoln</a>, and the firing of a musket, we were off!<br />
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Carrie, Kelly, Patrick, and I started off together doing our 1:1's. We were cruising, but also trying to hold back a bit for tomorrow. The course took us by the state capitol, Lincoln's Home, some beautiful neighborhoods, and some city parks. It was lovely! The highlight was a loop in the cemetery where the President is buried. I was tempted to split off and view the monument closer up, but I had already lost a few minutes to a bathroom stop.<br />
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After crossing the finish line we were presented with a giant medal. In honor of the race's 50th anniversary, they deviated from the normal penny design, and instead used a five dollar bill for their inspiration. Everyone agreed it was a great race, and one we'd really like to come back for!<br />
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Our group finished and hung out for a few minutes, snacking on some of the post race goodies. We saved our appetites though, as we had a wonderful brunch waiting for us thanks to Megan's parents. We hoped back into the cars and headed back to St. Louis.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-79660581643302709572014-03-21T20:57:00.000-04:002014-03-21T20:57:00.149-04:00New Bedford 1/2 Race ReportLast weekend was my first race of 2014, the New Bedford 1/2 in Massachusetts. I couldn't believe after a winter of training that the race was finally here.<br />
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My training went well, despite alot of things thrown at us by Mother Nature. I definitely logged alot more treadmill miles than in previous years, but used them to really work on my consistency and endurance, running intervals for distance rather than time. The high point of my training was a fabulous 12 miler with a 12:30 average pace.<br />
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I had set 2:45 as a goal finish time, and that run helped solidify that this was truly possible. I still wasn't convinced though. My wonderful trainer Louise and I talked leading up to race day and she kept repeating to me that I had to "get out of my head." I was overthinking it, a big shock to those who know me, I'm sure. ;) Lauren told me that this was a good PR course, so I hoped this would help.<br />
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The race itself doesn't start til 11am, so we were able to sleep in a bit before making the 45 minute or so trip from Lauren's house. They offered race morning packet pick up, a great convenience. The later time did make me worry about pre-race fueling. I had a bagel and some peanut butter at 7:30, and then a protein bar around 9:30. This worked well.<br />
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Race morning was in the low 30s with approximately 15mph winds. I had stressed all week about what to pack for fears of being either too hot or too cold. Finally Lauren talked some sense in to me, why stress, just overpack. I was glad I did. I ended up wearing my Under Armour tights under my Sparkle Skirt, with a short sleeve shirt under a long sleeve 1/4 zip. I felt the wind race morning and regretted not have ear warmers, but fortunately that regret didn't last long.<br />
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I tried to position myself toward the back, but as with all races, the start was still pretty crowded. Rather than starting my intervals right away, I ran for 3 or so minutes until it started to thin out and I felt that I wouldn't be in anyone's way when I took a walk break. I knew from the elevation chart that there were hills in the first 3 or so miles, so I took it pretty easy on them. My split for the 5K was 37:51, still fairly fast, but I kept with it since it felt good.<br />
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The next stretch was pretty uneventful as we made our way toward the waterfront. My favorite people on the course may have been the Halfway Cheer Club. They were a welcome sight. At this point though, the miles were still going by pretty easily. My 10K split was 1:15:53 (38:02 for the 5K), so I was still managing about a 12:16 minute pace. I had a nice cushion to still manage a 2:45.<br />
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The next 5K is where things got interesting. We made it to the water and actually got to enjoy a tailwind for a bit. I even saw <a href="http://www.teamhoyt.com/about/index.html" target="_blank">Team Hoyt</a> for a bit. After hearing about Dick and Rick for some time, it was inspirational to share a course with them. I was feeling good and just kept pushing along. As a result, 2 of my 3 miles in the next 5K were under an 11:30 minute pace! I was stunned. I kept muttering "Oh, shit." under my breath when I saw the splits pop up on my watch. My 15K split was 1:51:41 an average 11:33 for that 5K.<br />
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This is when it hit me, not only was I going to finish in 2:45, I was actually getting close to my personal best, 2:37:04. This was confirmed when I hit mile 10 at under 2 hours. I knew when <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2011/03/b-trail-half-starting-season-strong.html" target="_blank">I ran that in March 2011</a> that I ran a consistent 12 minute mile. If I could keep at or near that pace for the remaining miles (just under 4 to be exact), I could actually PR.<br />
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I began to fight both a wall and the wind. I knew there was a hill waiting at mile 12 and that I needed a cushion before I got to it. I was still under pace when I got to mile 11, but was definitely wearing down. Once I got to the hill at mile 12 I knew I had to downshift. It was ok if this wasn't a PR. I certainly hadn't expected to be even remotely close to one. The goal was to finish strong and healthy, not overdo it on the first race of the year. The cold and wind had done me in. My lungs were on fire.<br />
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At about 12.5 we passed a band playing in a yard. They were belting out The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. Coincidentally, this song popped up on my iPod at the same time. Any Baltimore sports fan knows the significance of this as a rally cry for the Ravens and O's. I kept hitting it on repeat as I grunted my way toward the finish.<br />
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I knew from Lauren that once I made the final turn I'd be in the home stretch. I kept focusing on getting there and holding it together til I crossed the line. I kept close eye on my watch. I knew I wouldn't break my PR, but could I possibly match it?<br />
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I crossed the finish line, stopped my watch, and looked down....2:37:37. Wow. I was speechless. I felt like I just ran the race of my life.<br />
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I was greeted with celebratory hugs before we made our way to the local YMCA where the pre and post race festivities were taking place. Waiting for us were fish sandwiches and clam chowder. They were perfect to warm up with, and a great end to a fun race. Needless to say, I may have to repeat this one next year and formally chase a new PR.<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-73671439726583947712014-03-03T13:00:00.000-05:002014-03-03T13:00:57.469-05:00Spring 2014 Race PreviewI jumped the gun a bit by mentioning <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-next-journey.html" target="_blank">my Fall marathon plans</a> before really getting into what other races I'm doing this year. While the Summer and Fall are still a bit up in the air due to the desire and need to devote time to training for the Wineglass Marathon, my Spring plans are now set.<br />
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My first race of the season is the <a href="http://newbedfordhalfmarathon.com/" target="_blank">New Bedford 1/2</a> on March 16th. My dear friend Lauren has invited me up to Massachusetts for run this race for a couple of years and I was finally able to make it work, thanks in part to her wonderful hospitality and some frequent flyer points. It sounds like a great race in a lovely seaside town, and I'm really looking forward to it. I've really been focused on my training for this, too. I had a GREAT 12 mile training run this past weekend, and am hoping it means it'll be a strong race for me. Now just to start stalking forecasts and hoping that the weather will cooperate as well. It's definitely been a tough winter here and in New England.<br />
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I then have a couple of weeks off before the real fun begins, my first double weekend. I'm going to fly out to St. Louis and run the <a href="http://runabe.srrc.net/" target="_blank">Lincoln Presidential 1/2 Marathon</a> on April 5th and the <a href="http://gostlouis.org/" target="_blank">Go! St. Louis 1/2 Marathon</a> on April 6th. I've wanted to do the Lincoln race for some time, and didn't know when travel plans were being made that there was a race scheduled in St. Louis that weekend as well. While it may take me 20 years to qualify for the <a href="http://www.halfmarathonclub.com/" target="_blank">Fifty States Half Marathon Club</a>, the possibility of knocking out races in two states over one trip was too appealing not to do so. I currently have 9 states plus the District of Columbia.<br />
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I'll then wrap up the Spring with one of my favorite races, the Frederick 1/2. If all goes well between now and May I may really try and push my time on that one, but it's obviously far too early to predict that right now.<br />
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So, what didn't make the cut? For starters, the Run for the Dream in Williamsburg. This was a tough one to cut, as this is the 4th year for the race and I've done all of them up to this point. Plus, it is one of my favorite places to visit. The decision simply came down to a matter of timing and money. While it would have fit into my race calendar since I have nothing planned for late May/early June, it's just simply been too warm most years I've done it to really enjoy the experience.<br />
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Also out is one of my favorite local halfs, the B&A trail. It was in mid-March last year and I was hoping it would move back to its traditional first weekend of March. Instead, it moved to the last weekend of the month, and therefore right before my double in the Midwest.<br />
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I'm really excited to travel around this Spring and looking forward to new race experiences!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-65167820504748815482014-02-23T20:10:00.001-05:002014-02-23T20:10:27.706-05:00The next journey<div class="MsoNormal">
A new journey is beginning. On Friday I registered for the
<a href="http://www.wineglassmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY</a> on October 5<sup>th</sup>. No, this is not my
first marathon. In 2010 I ran both the <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2010/01/disney-marathon-weekend-recap-race-day.html" target="_blank">Disney Marathon</a> and the <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2010/11/marine-corps-marathon-2010.html" target="_blank">Marine Corps Marathon</a>. If you’ve read my blog for awhile then you know that this is my
first full marathon since I was <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2011/10/journey-ends.html" target="_blank">unable to run the 2011 Marine Corps Marathondue to a three month bout of planter fasciitis</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So the question is, why this and why now? Simply, it’s time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’d be lying if I didn’t say I have some unfinished business
after 2011. Before I had to stop my training, I was on pace to run about a 5:45
at MCM. If this happened, it would have been about a 20 minute PR for me. I had actually declared to some friends early
in 2013 that I was going to run the Baltimore Marathon that year, but when it
came time to register I went with the half. </div>
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As I said to my trainer last month,
I’ve wanted to do another full for some time but it wasn’t fair to my body to
do it in the shape I was in. If I was going to devote the summer to training, I want to do better than the last. 2012 was a year of getting back on my feet and
staying injury free. 2013 was to continue that streak, and begin finding some
of the speed I’d lost, and <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2013/12/fall-2013-race-recap.html" target="_blank">I ended the year with very good races</a>. Two months into 2014 and I’m already down about 8 pounds
and have had very solid training over the winter. The time is right.</div>
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I’ve also entered the lottery for the Marine Corps Marathon
at the end of October. Yes, I could potentially be running two marathons in the
same month. Honestly, I would be surprised if I get picked. If I do, then there
will be some decisions to be made. It is possible that I will defer to 2015,
but it is far too early to tell for sure.<o:p></o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-16795203636204468092014-02-13T20:22:00.002-05:002014-02-13T20:22:17.670-05:00Weighty IssuesI've often mentioned that I'm not the stereotypical runner since I carry extra weight. I've always bought into the <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2013/12/02/you-cant-be-fit-and-fat/" target="_blank">myth that I was fit but fat</a>. Surely if I can run 30+ half marathons I don't have anything to worry about except a few extra pounds? I've been forced to face reality over the last 6 months.<br />
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Over the summer I had to do undergo an endoscopy due to a re-occurrence of GERD issues, due likely in part to my weight. During the course of this it became apparent that I was dealing with hypertension as well, and suddenly I found myself on two new prescriptions and doctors suggesting that I need to find a way to drop pounds. To say this helped send me into a funk was a minor understatement. I was already not handling a recent birthday well.<br />
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I went on vacation in September, and the pictures didn't lie, I was back at my highest weight as an adult. I had successfully dropped 20 or so pounds in 2010 while running two full marathons and nine halfs that year, and they came back with a vengeance since then.<br />
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As if I needed any further evidence that I need to focus on my weight, in January I went through a <a href="http://www.befittest.com/thebodpodprocess.html" target="_blank">Bod Pod body composition test</a>. I knew things weren't great, but I needed to know exactly what I was dealing with. I figured my body fat percentage would be over 40%, maybe 42%. Results showed it is 48%. Yes, nearly HALF of my body is fat. That's a sobering thought, especially when you consider that 30% and above is considered obese.<br />
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So, what am I doing? I'm NOT dieting. Yes, you read that right, I need to lose weight, but I'm not dieting. I'm not following any kind of restrictive fad, instead I'm focusing on lifestyle changes as a way to lose weight and keep it off for good. And guess what, I'm losing weight, I'm not starving myself, and I FEEL GOOD.<br />
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<a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2013/11/finding-inspiration-in-kitchen.html" target="_blank">I'm focusing on home cooked food with little processed ingredients and heavy on veggies</a>. If I want a snack, I grab fruit. I focus on protein and limit my carbs to some extent. But you know what, if I want something I'm not going to deny myself, but I will adjust for it later. It's all about finding balance and avoiding extremes. I've also been taking vitamin D and fish oil, at my doctor's suggestion.<br />
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These changes also coincided with the start of training for my first race of the year, the New Bedford Half Marathon on March 16th. I'm doing the most intensive training I've probably ever done, at least 4 days of running and 1 day of cross training. This has certainly helped, too. And, it's become something I want to do, not something I feel like I have to do. I feel stronger and faster with each work out, and the confidence is starting to come back, too.<br />
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I'm six or so weeks into this and down several pounds and have likely said goodbye to a few inches as well. This will be a long road, but I'm motivated to get healthy and not have to go down it again.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-21829842674365375882014-01-04T13:19:00.003-05:002014-01-04T13:23:14.995-05:00Gear I LoveOver the last couple of years several friends who were interested in starting a running or walking program have come to me and asked "What do I need?" With the New Year upon us, and perhaps some of you looking for the same info, or maybe you're just interested in exploring new options, I thought I'd share the things I love and some tips along the way.<br />
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A lot of people say "Oh, running is a cheap sport, all you need is a pair of shoes." An experienced runner will laugh, knowing how false this really is. Yes, your most important piece of gear is a pair of shoes. Don't go to a big box store and just find a pair there based on price, style, or color though. If you're going to invest the time into taking this on, then spend the money on the right pair of shoes. To do this, you should visit a specialty running store and go through a fit process. A pair of running shoes will cost you about $110-$140. Good running stores will have an excellent return policy as well, so be sure to ask about it. If you run in a pair of shoes for a couple of weeks and discover that they are wearing weird, causing your problems, etc., they will take them back and help you find another pair. I have done this on more than one occasion.<br />
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A local running shop is also a great resource to learn about group runs, training programs, and other activities in your community. Sign up for their email list and/or follow them on facebook or twitter. There are often fun runs, training programs, shoe demos, and other informational sessions. This is also a great way to learn about sales. I'm fortunate to have five very active running stores within 10 miles from my home, and, between all of them, there are activities almost every day of the week.<br />
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To go with your shoes, you need a pair of socks. The old adage is "cotton is rotten." Cotton will absorb moisture and hold onto it. This can lead to a whole range of problems, including blisters. You will find that there are a variety of styles of socks for running. A basic pair will set you back about $10. As you increase mileage you may find that your needs will change. For example, the socks that worked for me as a new runner no longer do. I've discovered that the longer I'm on my feet, the more a couple of my toes rub together and cause pain and blisters. If I could have stopped partway through the 2012 Army Ten Miler and cut off my little toe, I would have been more than happy. Since then I have started running in <a href="http://www.injinji.com/" target="_blank">Injinji toe socks</a>, and have not had any more problems. I'll even wear them if I know I'm going to spend the majority of the day on my feet, like walking around the parks at Disney World. They look a little weird, and can be hard to put on, but they don't feel awkward at all. You'll also get fun comments from TSA agents if you were them while traveling. This is a change I've definitely been happy with.<br />
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Ladies (sorry to any guys reading this), your other most important piece of gear is a good supportive bra. I've been rather blessed in this area so to speak, so a cheap, basic bra I can just pull over my head won't work for me. Some women say they need to wear two of these just to stop the bounce. If you wear a well fit, properly size bra, this should never be an issue. There have been more times than I can count that I've been in a race or just a training run and winced when someone has run by in an obviously ill fitting bra. It looks painful and I can only imagine how it feels for the woman wearing it.<br />
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The first step is to be properly measured. Sure, you may think you know what size you are, but studies continually show that most women are wearing the wrong size. You should do this yearly, more frequently as you lose weight. Don't rely on Victoria's Secret. A woman in an online running group I belong to mentioned a few months back how much different her size was when she was measured at a specialty store vs. what they told her not long before at VS. I pointed out that it was because the larger band size she was fit in isn't sold by VS, and they certainly won't going to lose a sale. So, go to a specialty lingerie store that has a wide variety of styles and sizes. Call ahead in case they require an appointment for a fitting. Here in the Annapolis area, I love the staff at <a href="http://www.alamodeintimates.com/" target="_blank">A la Mode</a>. And, be prepared, a good sports bra can cost anywhere from at least $40-$70. My favorite right now is the <a href="http://www.anita.com/de-en/Products,Anita_active,MAXIMUM_SUPPORT:5527_Sports%20bra" target="_blank">Anita wireless maximum support</a>.<br />
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Shirts are one thing I generally don't spend alot of money on. Admittedly, most of my tops these days come from races. As with socks though, you should be looking for quick drying technical fabrics. Some of my favorite ones are from the C9 collection at Target. Keep your eyes out for sales and coupons, too. More importantly, these fit larger ladies like myself very well. This time of year, too, it is important to layer well. I went for a run the other day in 40 degree temps. I wore two long sleeve shirts and was very comfortable. The general rule of thumb is to dress as if it is 20 degrees warmer out, since you will obviously quickly warm up once you start moving.<br />
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If you discover that you have problems with friction and chaffing, there are several products on the market. The one you are most likely to find in your local running shop is <a href="http://www.bodyglide.com/" target="_blank">Body Glide</a>. It looks like a stick of deodorant, and you just apply it to wherever you are having a problem - bra line, feet, etc. My favorite product though is Mission's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mission-Athletecare-Anti-Chafe-Cream-2-Ounce/dp/B005G01FAS" target="_blank">5 hour Anti-Chafe cream</a>. It comes in a stick version, too. I stock up when Mission offers a sale, but it can be found in some big box sports stores, too. Check <a href="http://www.missionathletecare.com/" target="_blank">Mission's website</a> for more information. And, I don't just use this for runs, it's great for when I wear skirts, dresses, or shorts, too!<br />
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Finally, you need some bottoms. Again this is a personal thing of finding what works for you. There are tons and tons of options, especially for women. Due to my thighs, I need something with good coverage that doesn't move. My favorites for a long time now have been <a href="http://www.movingcomfort.com/7.5%22-Compression-Short/300379,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Moving Comfort's 7.5" compression shorts</a>. I have mostly stopped wearing these for runs, but still rely on them for gym workouts. It took a long time to convert me, but for my runs now I pretty much solely wear <a href="http://sparkleskirts.com/" target="_blank">Sparkle Skirts</a>.<br />
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Friends have sworn by skirts in general for a long time, but I never found one that was comfortable and with shorts that stayed in place until I was introduced to these. I have never had a problem with the shorts, but the thing that really sold me on them were the pockets. There is a large zipper pocket in the waistband, and a small one on each leg. When I head out on a run I can put pepper spray in a leg pocket, and my phone and keys in the zipper pocket, and not have to worry about carrying anything in my hands other than a bottle of water. I'm so in love with the pockets, that I've started wearing these over my winter tights now that colder temps have arrived in Maryland.<br />
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I listed things I've learned over the years and some of my favorite gear. What's yours?<br />
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Note: I was in no way shape or form compensated for any of the products and gear I've mentioned here.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-58259195019680731312013-12-28T21:31:00.002-05:002013-12-28T21:31:49.545-05:00Fall 2013 Race RecapAfter the disaster of the Diva's race, I headed out of town on a long overdue vacation that wasn't (solely) planned around a running event. A group of great running friends and I did a week long cruise on the Disney Fantasy and hit up St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and their private island of Castaway Cay. Disney does host an untimed 5K on the island. It was warm, so a few of us walked most of it, but hey, now I can say I've run on a Caribbean Island, right?<br />
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Once I got back into town it was crunch time to prep for the Baltimore 1/2 after over a week of gluttony and laziness aka relaxing. A ten mile training run in unseasonably warm weather the weekend prior to the race gave me some great confidence. The Slurpee reward helped, too.<br />
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After a little bit of arm twisting friends flew in from all over - Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas - to take part in the Baltimore 1/2. After several days of continuous rain, we all held our breath to see what would happen race morning. We got extremely lucky, and the rain held off! Everyone quickly learned why it is one of my favorite races. Bolstered by my run the weekend before, and my experience in having run this course a couple of times before, I planned to run this race solo and see how I could push it. I took it conservatively on some of the hills, but felt great throughout. My friend Jen and her family stationed themselves at mile 7 and gave me much needed hugs and a bottle of water. I made a quick stop at medical too, to get some chafing relief with Vaseline. First time I've ever had to do that in a race, and was immensely grateful it was there when I needed it.<br />
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Before I knew it it was time to make the turn onto Eutaw Street. I knew this was the homestretch, and I kicked it into overdrive. My final mile was a sub 12 minute pace, and my average for the final .2 was a 9:39. Final time was 2:54:25. I had a huge high and felt fantastic! This was probably the strongest race I'd done since 2011, before I was sidelined with planter fasciitis. After everyone was done, we headed out for celebratory crab cakes. We recovered the next day by doing tastings of local hard cider and mead.<br />
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(Photo by Jenny P. at <a href="http://run-halfway.blogspot.com/">http://run-halfway.blogspot.com/</a>)</div>
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Two weeks later was the Marine Corps Marathon. I participated in the 10K this year, the first time since 2009. This was another race weekend filed with friends from out of town. I was still on a high from Baltimore, and again, planned to run this one solo. For some reason I brought my iPod along on this one. I popped in my earbud after the Howlitzer, took off. I pushed myself, feeling good, but it wasn't until I saw my split for the first mile, 12:40, that I realized I was doing a pretty decent pace. I kept pushing, giving it all I had. I would have been happy for a 1:20 finish that day. As I hit mile 4, I started doing math and it occurred to me that I could possibly finish in 1:15. I was floored at this realization, and used it to keep going. I hit mile 6 and made the turn to the infamous hill. Despite the cheers and high fives from Marines, the pace caught up to me and I had to walk. My final time = 1:17:16. I managed a sub 12 minute pace for both miles 5 & 6. I was floored and ecstatic. </div>
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We all met up after the 10K, grabbed some breakfast, and then it was off to the Pentagon Metro Station to meet up with Megan and cheer for the marathoners. Always a great and inspiring time.</div>
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(Photo by Marathon Maniac Louie Soriano)</div>
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I headed into November, and my final 3 races of the year, with awesome confidence. The Down's Park 5 miler is one of my favorite club races, and one I've done almost every year that I've been a runner. Once again I pushed hard and it paid off, 1:02:22, my second best time on that course. The following weekend was the Junior League of Annapolis' Volunteers on the Run 5K. This was only my second 5K of the year, and I was motivated to do it to honor the memory of Jennifer Summers Barrett, one of the first people I met as a beginning runner, who always had a smile on her face and cheered everyone on. I decided to play with my intervals on this one, doing a 2:1 ratio when I could. It paid off with a time of 38:36, my first sub 40 minute 5K in recent memory.</div>
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My final race of the year was the Cold Turkey 10K. Again, this was a course I knew well and could have some fun with. I had been pretty lazy leading up to this, so didn't go in with any expectations. The plan was to take it easy on the hills of the first half, and just run what felt good. I was able to keep up with my 1:1 intervals the whole time, not having to walk any of the uphills. The result? Another 1:17 finish for a 10K. </div>
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Needless to say the Fall was a HUGE confidence booster for me after spending the previous year getting healthy, but slower. While still a ways off from my best times, I'm getting closer.</div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-1520515819316219082013-11-18T19:47:00.001-05:002013-11-18T19:47:30.603-05:00Finding inspiration in the kitchenOver the last couple of months I've really focused on getting back into the kitchen. This probably doesn't surprise those who know me, but I once considered culinary school rather than a traditional university. Coming home after a long day and cooking myself a nice meal while enjoying a glass of wine can almost be meditative.<br />
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My goal has been to really focus on my eating - increasing fruits and vegetables, decreasing processed ingredients, and saving money by having quality meals on hand rather than grabbing something quick and easy. Yes, cooking for one can be a drag, but hey, you're worth it, aren't you?<br />
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I had previously looked at <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/" target="_blank">Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)</a> programs, but for a variety of reasons never signed up for one. A friend at work told me about<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bearshoneypot?ref=br_tf" target="_blank"> one nearby that didn't have a long term commitment or upfront cost</a>. The week to week option fits my lifestyle completely, if there's a weekend I know I will be busy and unable to prepare meals, then I simply don't sign up for a share.<br />
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The CSA and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/thatjenchick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> have also made meal planning fun and interesting. It's forced me slightly out of my comfort zone by making me try things I have cooked with little to no times before, like cauliflower, eggplant, brussel sprouts, Romensco, etc. I do my best to pick recipes that are interesting and don't require a large investment in additional ingredients.<br />
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Yes, all of this is very time consuming. Fortunately I know before pick up what will likely be in my bag. Meal planning probably takes a couple of hours, and I carve out Sunday to cook for the week. I've learned that if I don't use the fruits and veggies when I get them, then it is likely alot will go to waste. The plus side is that grocery shopping takes probably about half the time since I only have to go in for a few ingredients, and don't wander the aisles and risk impulse buying.<br />
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This week's bag had: tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, Romanesco, red potatoes, garlic, shallots, eggplant, and cranberries. (Note: The cranberries were a substitute, another reason why I love this particular program. I was supposed to get mushrooms but asked if I could get something else instead.)<br />
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How everything got used:<br />
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Tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce where cut up for salads.<br />
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Shallots (and local honey from a prior week's bag) - <a href="http://www.sohowsittaste.com/2012/09/chicken-with-honey-beer-sauce.html" target="_blank">Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce</a><br />
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Brussel sprouts - <a href="http://www.ihearteating.com/2012/03/08/maple-balsamic-and-bacon-brussels-sprouts/#_a5y_p=1040047" target="_blank">Maple, Balsamic and Bacon Brussel Sprouts</a><br />
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Cranberries (and the rest of an open bottle of red wine) - <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/11/spiced-red-wine-cranberry-sauce-recipe.html" target="_blank">Spiced Cranberry Sauce</a> (placed in freezer until Thanksgiving.<br />
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Broccoli and red potato - <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/healthified-broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Broccoli Cheddar Soup</a><br />
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Cauliflower and garlic (and a butternut squash for a prior week's bag) - <a href="http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/10/butternut-squash-cauliflower-casserole.html" target="_blank">Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Casserole</a><br />
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Eggplant - Eggplant stuffed with eggplant, onion, and ground sausage with Bechmel sauce. (The recipe I found was not very good, so I kind of winged this one. It came out pretty good.)<br />
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Romensco and garlic - <a href="http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/romanesco-broccoli-and-rigatoni" target="_blank">Romanesco and Rigatoni</a> (I also added in some diced pancetta that I had in the freezer)<br />
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Lots of great things to eat this week (and leftovers to freeze for busy weeks)!<br />
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What's your favorite seasonal thing to make?<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-92040178927855620432013-11-11T20:27:00.001-05:002013-11-11T20:27:37.062-05:00Diva's DC wrap up So, we left the winery about 1-1:30, and sure enough, ended up back on a long, winding road of standstill traffic. Waze traffic app kept increasing our estimated arrival time back at the hotel. We continued calling the hotel to alert them of the situation. We had no idea if they might charge us for being so far past check out time or not.<br />
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Finally, after another hour in the car, we told them just to pull everything out of our 3 rooms and we would sort it all out when we got there. They had 3 weddings arriving and needed to turn over those rooms quick.<br />
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We finally arrived back to the hotel after 3pm. The housekeeping staff had packed up our items, and arranged them by room number on the floor of their office. They apologized for having to take everything out, and we apologized repeatedly for them having to be in the situation to begin with. And, they never charged us for the extra time. If you're ever in the Leesburg area, please check out the <a href="http://www.holidayinnleesburg.com/" target="_blank">Holiday Inn at Carradoc Hall</a>. The staff there were so great to work with. In the days following the race, we found out that people staying at the official race host resort were charged an additional night (I think close to $300).<br />
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After gathering our belongings and saying our goodbyes, we finally grabbed something to eat before heading home. I finally walked in my front door around 6:30, still in my running clothes.<br />
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The next day I had a massage. I told the therapist, who has treated me after many races before, about the horrors of the day before. As she worked on me, she continued to comment that she was seeing problems I'd never come in with before, specifically in my feet and ankles. All we could presume is that it was from the surfaces the day before. Needless to say, I'm grateful I saw her that day.<br />
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Long and short, this is obviously a race I don't plan or doing again. And, I honestly would be surprised if local authorities even grant the permits for 2014.<br />
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The good news is that while my Fall started off poorly, I had lots of great surprises ahead of me.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Miss <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2013/09/divas-dc-wine-country-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> or <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2013/09/divas-dc-wine-country-half-marathon_17.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>.</i>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-72098878762263946372013-09-17T22:14:00.003-04:002013-09-17T22:17:43.904-04:00Diva's DC Wine Country Half Marathon Race Report, Part 2After two hours in traffic, we were finally parked around 8:15. We found the start line and immediately hopped in the potty line. They had roughly 20-25 porta johns's for races (there was a half marathon and a 5k) with a combined total of nearly 4,000 female runners. Fortunately there were woods nearby, and ladies made very liberal use of them. Of course, while we stood in line a guy in blue jean came out of one of the porta john's in front of us. Seriously!? It was all I could do from saying something. Everyone's nerves were frayed enough as it is.<br />
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As we stood in the bathroom line, we continued to listen to the announcer estimate when the half might actually start. First he said 8:30, then about 8:50. Finally, at 9am, we were off. Yes, a 90 minute delay, and nearly 3 hours since I had eaten breakfast. Not a great combination.<br />
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Now, I admittedly knew nothing about this course. The description online simply said “The route starts and finishes downhill and is softly rolling in between with only 2 areas of uphill running where you will gain less than 90 feet over 2 miles in each of these two sections.” I looked at the elevation chart online and it seemed pretty manageable. Admittedly, hills generally don't scare me off. A friend warned she had heard that there were large sections of gravel roads. Surely the race organizer would have mentioned this, right?<br />
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The first clue something was amiss - the start was actually uphill, now downhill. It was rolling hills on a narrow dirt and gravel road. Even being the back of the pack didn't spare us from the crowd. It didn't even begin to thin out until we were past mile 1. About mile 2.5, I looked ahead and saw one of the largest and longest hills I've ever run before. It was full of a sea of pink going up it. I muttered "Oh, shit." under my breath. Betsy heard and wanted to know what was the matter. Not wanting to freak her out, I just said "Oh, nothing. Nevermind."<br />
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It was clear when we got to that hill that our run/walk intervals were out the window. It was time to stick to walking up the uphills and running the downhills. The good news is that we did actually get to run down this hill as well, and make up some time. That was just the start though, because then the gravel came.<br />
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The roads were not heavy gravel, more like dirt with some loose rocks. They were uneven though. It was hard to find a flat surface, and the angle was immediately making my plantar fasciitis unhappy. I did my best I could to run down the middle of the road where it was least rutted. Fortunately, the field had spread out significantly by this point, so we had plenty of room to move around. I hated weaving like that though, knowing we were just adding to our overall mileage.<br />
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We kept to our intervals as best we could, and when that didn't work went back to the walk the uphills/run the downhills plan. Finally, by around mile 8, everything from the morning hit us. Walking the rest of the way was the name of the game.<br />
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The scenery in some places was gorgeous. I definitely would like to spend some more time exploring the area and the wineries. However, we spent about a mile and a half (roughly 10-11.5) in a large subdivision. While many of the neighbors were out cheering, and really encouraging, this made already hard miles extremely BORING. My cousin found a bonus to this situation though, hoping into the model home to use the bathroom. Smart woman. Betsy and I were both mentally and physically done.<br />
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Finally we were out of there and back on the road leading to the winery - the one we had sat in the car on for so long. The plus side was that we knew the mile 12 marker was fast approaching. Soon we were turning into the winery, and back onto gravel roads. We soon discovered that the finish (on a different part of the winery grounds than the start) was of course uphill as well. At mile 13 we were given a boa and tiara to wear as we crossed the finish line.<br />
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We crossed, and it was over. Waiting for us were sparkling cider, green bananas, stale bagel halves, and chocolate chip cookies (which I couldn't eat). Keep in mind that we hadn't eaten since about 6am and it was now pushing 12:30. There was also no fuel options of any kind on the course.<br />
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Betsy and I met up with the rest of our group, chatted for a bit, and then it was time to venture back to the hotel. We were already over an hour past checkout time.<br />
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We hoped in the car and began our next adventure.<br />
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To be continued....<br />
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<i>Miss Part 1? Find it <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2013/09/divas-dc-wine-country-half-marathon.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</i>Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-15713620746643987532013-09-15T20:43:00.001-04:002013-09-15T20:43:43.644-04:00Diva's DC Wine Country Half Marathon Race Report, Part IWell, hello, dear readers. I hope you've all been well during my prolonged absence. Don't worry, nothing has happened to me to cause me to vanish for awhile other than laziness.<br />
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I'm still plugging along. I did cut down a bit on races this year, focusing on quality over quantity. I completed 4 halfs, mostly local, during the first half on the year, some were good, others not so good, but all were learning experiences.<br />
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To kick off the fall racing season, a few of us decided to run the inaugural Diva's DC Wine Country 1/2. More importantly, <a href="http://www.betsytransatlantically.com/" target="_blank">Betsy</a>, with our encouragement, selected it to be her first half marathon. Having wanted to do a Diva's event for some time after hearing friends talk about the organization's races in other states, we jumped in with both feet when registration opened in early January.<br />
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I trained for this in conjunction with the Annapolis Ten Miler, which was three weeks before.This included lots of hill training during the heat of the summer. I've noticed over the last couple of years that I always feel strong for fall races as a result, a nice confidence booster.<br />
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Race day was Saturday, 9/14/13. With no race morning packet pick up, and the race taking place in Northern Virginia, we all decided to take Friday off and head to Leesburg after morning rush hour. The race expo opened at 11, and we were there not long after. It was held in a large ballroom at a local resort conference center. It was small, but decent. I'm glad we were there early, as I could see how it would get difficult to move around in there as the day wore on and crowds grew.<br />
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This was a girls getaway afterall, so after a quick lunch it was off to the outlet mall! And yes, we shopped til we dropped. We popped into the hotel to pick up our keys and headed off to dinner. Soon it was time to get back to the hotel and settled in for the night. Alarms went off at 5:15am, and we were on the road by 6:15am. Our hotel was 12 miles for the race start. Plenty of time to get there for a 7:30 start, or so we thought.<br />
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Halfway into the drive we started crawling in traffic. We started stressing as we saw the clock, but knew there was nothing we could do about it. A friend already on site txt'd updates as she walked around trying to find out information. Among the things she was telling us - the Sheriff's office couldn't find race staff onsite and threatened to pull permits, staff began to guess at what time the race might be able to start, and finally, that the race announcer thanked those present for following race instructions and thereby implied that those of us stuck in traffic had not. Not cool.<br />
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By this point we had been stuck in traffic for an hour. Had I been traveling alone, I admittedly would have turned the car around and headed back to the hotel for a hot shower and some breakfast and then headed home. Finally, race organizers posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RUNLIKEADIVA" target="_blank">facebook</a> that the race start would be delayed until everyone could get parked. One of the problems was that the two lane, country road everyone was stuck on was the same road we'd be running on in the opening miles.<br />
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We continued to inch along and began to think of the implications of a race start. Among them, the fact we last ate around 6am, so fueling for this was already off to a bad start. Also, our hotel check out was noon. We had not packed up before leaving since we figured we'd return no later than 11:30am and could grab quick showers before heading for home. Knowing we'd be finishing around the 3 hour mark, any kind of delay was going to make this extremely tight.<br />
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Finally we turned into the winery's main entrance and were directed to parking near bag check. It was about 8:15am. Yes, almost exactly 2 hours from when we left the hotel. Our first mission was to find bathrooms and find out when the race might actually start.<br />
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To be continued.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-15327679443091104892012-11-28T22:14:00.000-05:002012-11-28T22:23:22.720-05:00Fall racing recapAnd I yet again fell off the blogging bandwagon. Sigh.<br />
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To say my Fall was crazy is a mild understatement.<br />
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The end of September I flew down to Orlando to visit good friends and run the Tower of Tower 10 miler at Disney. In 2010, I did the inaugural Wine & Dine 1/2, so I had done a night race before. Plan for Saturday was to do nothing. I laid around Katie & Steve's house, we went out for a big lunch, and I took a nap. I was feeling confident. And then the humidity hit me. I was not prepared and about 6.5 in I felt myself running out of steam quick. It hit Katie & Steve about the same time and we took to walking. I caught up with my buddy Sandy on the course, too. This was a miserable race and a PW by a long shot. While I was fortunate enough to feel ok after, many others did not. We did not stick around for the after party, and I'm glad as it was nearly 3am by the time we made it back to the house anyway.<br />
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Overall, I was not impressed with this race. I had heard great things about it's predecessor, the Tower of Terror 13K, and this did not live up to that. The course was boring. Granted, I've run boring courses before. But, I think boring in the dark vs. boring in the sunlight are two different things. There's not alot to look at in the dark to distract yourself. Disney did not live up to the on course entertainment I'd had at other races, either. And, the course got very narrow and crowded as we headed into and ran on the grounds of the sports complex.<br />
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I actually will be at Disney next year when the race is happening, but at the moment, am not planning on running it. I think night races in Florida and I just aren't meant to be.<br />
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Two weeks later was the Baltimore 1/2. This has traditionally been a strong race for me, and I was looking forward to running on a gorgeous Fall morning. Katie came up for Florida, and I started the race with her, Megan, and Kim. Sadly, due to crowding, I completely lost them a couple of miles in. I was keeping a pretty good pace and hit the hills pretty strong so just kept plugging along. After a couple of more miles I popped my iPod on (in one ear only and on low) to help distract me a bit. I did really get into the atmosphere though and quite frankly, had an absolute blast. My hometown made me proud. The crowd support and enthusiasm of people throughout the city was just awesome. And, I managed my best half time of the year!<br />
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The following weekend was the Army Ten Miler. This was my first time running it. I met up with Megan early early in the morning and we headed into the city together. She's an ATM vet, so it was great to have her show me the ropes. We hung out with ROTE friends beforehand, including our friend Rebecca who was in town from Germany. Yay! It was so good to see her. We were last together in May 2011.<br />
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My plan was to hang with Megan as long as I could. She has had amazing marathon training this fall, and was definitely more prepared than I. But, I was also still on a post-Baltimore high, so my confidence was up for a change. Our friend David started with us as well, but with MCM the following weekend, he fell back after awhile to conserve some energy for the following weekend. Megan and I got into a great groove and just kept pushing ourselves along. The 14th Street Bridge sucked as always. This was the third race I'd run it in, and it never seems to get any easier.<br />
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The atmosphere of this race was phenomenal. So many military runners and people honoring heroes. I teared up a bit when I saw a woman wearing a shirt honoring her son who had died in combat. The patriotism had some light moments, too, like the guy who played a fife and wore a tricorner hat WHILE running and got everyone pumped up. My first ATM, but definitely not my last.<br />
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That afternoon I hopped on a plane and flew to Florida to spend the week helping celebrate Katie & Steve's wedding. It was a wonderful week with special people I'm so lucky to have in my life. And, we were all brought together by running.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-55997750878630177312012-11-04T22:38:00.001-05:002012-11-04T22:38:23.839-05:00What I'm eating this weekI'm always leery when I find a recipe on <a href="http://pinterest.com/thatjenchick/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and others have labeled "best ever," however, I found a <a href="http://browniesfordinner.com/2010/05/11/easy-pad-thai/" target="_blank">pad thai recipe</a> recently that others raved about and decided to give it a try. I had seen others before, but this one was appealing due to the simplicity of the ingredients and the likelihood I'd have most on hand already. I was hoping it'd be at least comparable to what I get at <a href="http://lemongrassannapolis.com/" target="_blank">my favorite local Thai place</a>.<br />
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I did play with the recipe a bit of course. I mixed up a batch of sauce and put in a bit of <a href="http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/garlic.htm" target="_blank">chili garlic sauce</a> for some heat. I used this as a marinade for a chicken breast that I sliced into thin strips. I let it hang out in the fridge for an hour or two while I worked on other things. Another addition I made was some <a href="http://www.westsoytofu.com/products/detail.html/baked-tofu/thai-sesame-peanut-baked-tofu" target="_blank">sesame peanut tofu</a> I came across while exploring my new, local Wegman's. (The stuff I order locally generally comes with both meat and tofu in it.)<br />
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The downside to this recipe was the amount of dishes involved. Cooking went fast, so everything had to be prepped and waiting it's turn. Thank goodness for dishwashers!<br />
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Cooking notes:<br />
- I didn't measure the lime juice. I just squeezed a whole lime using my <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=10976&catId=123&parentCatId=123&outletSubCat=" target="_blank">citrus press</a>.<br />
- Since I added extra ingredients, I did have to switch things up a bit in the cooking sequence. I dumped the chicken and it's marinade into the pan after removing the mostly scrambled eggs. After about 3 minutes of cooking/simmering I added in the noodles and an additional batch of sauce. I also tossed in the chopped up tofu here so it could warm through.<br />
- My noodles took far longer than a minute to get soft. Maybe I didn't soak them long enough?<br />
- I should have waited to add the green parts of the scallions. Since the noodles took longer to cook, they became very dark and wilted.<br />
- I really really liked it with the double sauce.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN7XO8vEtGCJaSdtonzxI6FdV_wjB_zpmQpUUlxjH21fCEJ4xniIxET3QPV6-LJTGtwTVCRg7tb044-bG5Z3QskiOzKPr9jWg6bg6RRQt5fNtfxKeTqLzE4B6bMnfYch-1M1LkWYYspZU/s1600/padthai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfN7XO8vEtGCJaSdtonzxI6FdV_wjB_zpmQpUUlxjH21fCEJ4xniIxET3QPV6-LJTGtwTVCRg7tb044-bG5Z3QskiOzKPr9jWg6bg6RRQt5fNtfxKeTqLzE4B6bMnfYch-1M1LkWYYspZU/s320/padthai.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not as pretty a picture, but wow was this good!!!<br />
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Another great recipe I made recently was <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/04/baked-chicken-parmesan.html" target="_blank">Skinnytaste's Baked Chicken Parmesan</a>. This is a pretty straightforward recipe, so I didn't really make any changes to do. I haven't been able to find any whole wheat breadcrumbs so I used some <a href="http://progresso.com/Products/Foods/Bread-Crumbs-Panko-Italian" target="_blank">Italian style Panko bread crumbs</a>. This really gave the chicken a great crunch!<br />
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Bon Appetit!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-12153222834220098192012-10-09T20:29:00.001-04:002012-10-09T20:30:31.606-04:00Postseason feverWell, you all caught me in a lie. I promised a race report last week and then it never came to be. That's because this happened:<br />
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My beloved Orioles are making their first postseason appearance in 15 years. The number of hours spent watching late night baseball over the past 5 days likely exceeds my total hours of sleep, highlighted by actually getting to attend the game at Camden Yards on Sunday night thanks to dumb luck and a pre-sale lottery. Memories for a lifetime have been made though, and can't wait for this to continue.<br />
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GO O'S!!!!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-80111030697205699552012-10-02T21:14:00.002-04:002012-10-02T21:14:30.117-04:00What I'm eating this weekThis post <i>should</i> be a race report from this past weekend's Tower of Terror 10 miler, but, frankly, I'm completely exhausted and admittedly taking the easy way out. There will be a report later this week though, I promise.<br />
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I got back into town late Sunday and had fortunately decided in advance to take Monday off to recover from the lack of sleep and catch up on life a bit. With Fall temps sneaking in here and there, I wanted to make soup. I decided on a <a href="http://butterflyfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/beat-cold.html" target="_blank">basic vegetable soup recipe</a> I made last Fall and loved, but of course decided to put my own twist on it a bit.<br />
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The main change I made was to add chicken for some good basic protein. Once I added the liquid (which, for me, was a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, a 48 oz. container of low sodium chicken broth, and a 1/2 c. of water for good measure), and brought it up to a boil, I added in 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts and simmered for 20 minutes. When time was up I took them out and added the pasta (orecchiette was my shape of choice). I shredded the chicken while the pasta cooked and dumped it all back into to the bubbling pot.<br />
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Yum. As I said, this is a good basic soup, and, as such, is not overwhelming with alot of complex flavors. The only added seasonings are some salt & pepper, and fresh thyme. Don't skimp on the herbs. Go with the fresh rather than dried. I really think that's the key to this one. I love fresh thyme, so I didn't even bother to measure out a tablespoon. I just stripped leaves off the stems til I had a good pile. I like the addition of the chicken. It really helped make this a healthy and very filling soup.<br />
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-16675768589310000852012-09-27T08:00:00.000-04:002012-09-27T09:28:17.995-04:00Fall Racing SeasonFall is officially here. I've discussed some recent races, but haven't really gotten into my race plans for the remainder of the year.<br />
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Coming off the heels of a <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2012/09/weekendlong-duathlon-errtri-part-2.html" target="_blank">bruising half marathon in Salisbury</a>, I've been training for this weekend's <a href="http://www.rundisney.com/tower-of-terror-10-miler/" target="_blank">Tower of Terror 10 miler</a> at Disney World. I use the term training loosely, as I'm focused on the distance moreso than any kind of time. This race is all about fun. Plus, it doesn't even start til 10pm, so who knows what kind of shape we'll all be in while out on the course after midnight.<br />
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The rest of the year looks like this thus far -<br />
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Oct 13 - <a href="http://www.thebaltimoremarathon.com/" target="_blank">Baltimore 1/2</a><br />
Oct 21 - <a href="http://www.armytenmiler.com/" target="_blank">Army 10 miler</a><br />
Nov 3 - <a href="http://annapolisstriders.org/2012/DownsApp2012.pdf" target="_blank">Down's Park 5 miler</a><br />
Nov 18 - <a href="http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/" target="_blank">Philly 1/2</a><br />
Dec 15 - <a href="http://www.active.com/running/baltimore-md/celtic-solstice-2012" target="_blank">Celtic Solstice 5 miler</a><br />
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The Baltimore 1/2 is the second part of the Maryland Double. I will get a bonus medal for successfully completing that and the Frederick 1/2 back in May. Baltimore will also be my 25th half. I'm so excited to hit that milestone in my hometown.<br />
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This is my first year running the Army Ten Miler. I'm a bit nervous since I know it has a tight time cut off prior to mile 5, but I hear it's a great race.<br />
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Philly should be a really fun weekend. I've gone up there twice before for the Rock N Roll Philly race that's held in September, and have heard that this course is better as you see much more of the city. When I did those races, it was a quick overnight trip. November's will be a full weekend exploring the city and hanging out with some fabulous running knitters I've had the pleasure of meeting, mostly online. The promise of post race margaritas was too much of a draw to say no, lol.<br />
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Lots of fun to look forward to!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-64011021564955162472012-09-23T22:07:00.002-04:002012-09-23T22:07:24.513-04:00What I'm eating this weekI had a rare weekend with very little planned, which meant I could spend some time in the kitchen.<br />
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For some reason I really wanted a baked potato the night before my planned 8 mile training run on Saturday morning. Of course, I needed some protein to go along with that. I immediately went to one of my favorite sites, <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/" target="_blank">Skinnytaste</a>, to browse around. I decided on <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/08/baked-chicken-with-dijon-and-lime.html" target="_blank">Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime</a>. It was delicious. I loved the flavor the lime gave the chicken. I think next time I make it I might use some chicken breasts instead of thighs and marinate them in the sauce overnight.<br />
<br />I tried something new with the potatoes. I picked up some basic baking potatoes, rubbed the skins with olive oil and some <a href="http://cleosfineoils.com/salt/fusion-salt/roasted-garlic.html" target="_blank">roasted garlic sea salt</a> from a nearby gourmet shop. I baked them at 400 (since same temp needed for the chicken) for 45 minutes/til tender. OMG, this is how I'm making them from now on! The salt caramelized a bit and had a hint of sweetness to it.<br />
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I'd love to say that this meal fueled me for my whole 8 miles, but I did struggle toward the end, in part because I'd forgotten to pack an energy gel. I did the best I could with some Gatorade and a couple of Jolly Ranchers in it's place.<br />
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For dinner on Sunday I decided to dig out <a href="http://www.crock-pot.com/product.aspx?pid=8859" target="_blank">my Crock Pot</a>. I bought it about a year ago and love it. I had always associated slow cookers with cans of greasy cream of something soups. It wasn't until I started researching recipes, thanks in large part to Pinterest (you can check out my slower cook board <a href="http://pinterest.com/thatjenchick/crock-pot-a-palooza/" target="_blank">here</a>), that I realized it's possible to do actual cooking in it, limiting how many processed ingredients you used. One of my favorite things to make in it is a <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/whole-chicken-crock-pot-recipe-33671" target="_blank">basic roast chicken</a>. The trick I've learned is to set it on some foil balls to keep it out of it's juice while cooking. At the end of the day it falls apart and is still super moist. But that's not what I made this time, lol.<br />
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With pork shoulder roasts on sale at the grocery store, I decided on <a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pork/balsamic-honey-pulled-pork-sliders/" target="_blank">Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork from Better Homes and Garden</a>. Of course, I decided to get adventurous and make one that required making my own bbq sauce rather than just dumping bottles of some. I increased the chicken broth from 1/2 cup to a full cup since my roast was nearly 5lbs, unlike the 2-3lb one called for in the recipe. I also put some coarse salt and fresh pepper on the roast, in addition to the herbs it called for. I made no alterations to the sauce recipe. It was all excellent. I loved the tang the sauce has from the balsamic vinegar. It reminded me alot of some Carolina style sauces, and I think would be excellent to make for some grilled bbq chicken as well.<br />
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A good meal was a great way to wrap up a nice weekend at home. Always fun to find a couple of new recipes to add to the arsenal.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-59338848526909767972012-09-19T22:37:00.002-04:002012-09-19T22:48:07.613-04:00Weekendlong Duathlon, err....Tri (part 2)After finishing <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2012/09/weekendlong-duathlon-errtri.html">the 25 mile bike ride</a> and enjoying our post ride bbq lunch, Jon (my partner in crime for the crazy weekend) and I headed down to Salisbury to pick up our packets for Sunday's <a href="http://www.hiddentreasureshalfmarathon.com/">Hidden Treasures Half Marathon</a>. This was a route I knew well, having spent a semester driving between the two cities while working at an internship. It was fun to see both the familiar sites and changing landscapes along the way.<br />
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We must have been quite the sight at pick up, still wearing all of our bike gear. Ok, maybe we left the helmets in the car. We met an older couple while waiting for the elevator at the hotel. The gentleman asked what we had been up to that day and could only shake his head when I filled him in on our weekend exploits. After catching up with my wonderful friends Anne & Matt over dinner, it was an early bedtime. We were both completely exhausted.<br />
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Unlike most, if not all, of my other halfs, this did not require a crack of dawn wake up. Race start was 9am and our hotel was only about 10 minutes away. Plus, with a small field, about 200 runners, parking was not an issue either. While I greatly treasured the extra sleep, I felt almost like I needed to find ways to fill the extra time. Another plus was being able to eat the complementary hotel breakfast. I got to have some hot oatmeal for a change.<br />
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We packed up the car and checked out before heading to the race. Late race start, meant no time to get back to the hotel for a shower before hitting the road for home. After getting to the Civic Center, where coincidentally my college graduation had been held, it was more of a hurry up and wait. I did get to say a quick hello to another college buddy, Jim, who was running the 5K for the third year. Finally it was time to head toward the start. There were no signs, people just pointed toward a row of trees and said it was past them.<br />
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I took up a spot near the back, and then we were off. I felt good and was in a decent groove early on, feeling like I was moving slowly but actually doing a decent pace. Around mile 4 we turned onto the Salisbury University campus. It really was like being home again, not that I ever ever would have dreamed of running through there before, lol.<br />
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The course then turned into neighborhoods along the water. It was beautiful! I was by myself, expect for one other woman who I kept ping ponging back and forth with for awhile. Eventually we turned onto Camden Avenue and headed back to the college. This was fun since I knew where I was and would be at mile 8 soon. My outer toe was bugging me a bit for no apparent reason, so I stopped and took my shoe off and adjusted my sock a bit. I should have realized at the time that this was essentially the beginning of a massive wall I couldn't overcome. It continued to annoy me, but again, I couldn't figure out the root of the problem.<br />
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Back through campus, and mile 8 was done. While the first part of the course was through shaded neighborhoods, the last miles were in business and industrial areas, minus some parts near corn and melon fields. Most importantly, they were all in full sun and it was pushing 11am. Physical and mental exhaustion kicked in at full steam at mile 9. I allowed myself a pity party of sorts and told myself I'd walk to the mile 10 marker but then I had to run the last 5K. It would only be 3.1 miles. The worst would be behind me.<br />
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Except, it wasn't. Mile 10 came and I went to run and everything hurt. My body was in full revolt and I ended up trudging along. The sag wagon drove by a couple of times while monitoring the course, and I summoned the energy I could to give a friendly wave when deep down I wanted to jump in and just be done with it all. I just kept repeating to myself that it was ludicrous to quit when I'd gotten that far.<br />
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I must have looked kind of rough. At one of the last water stops one of the volunteers pretty much made me stop so he could fill my water bottles for me. His help and kindness was much appreciated. Then, I got to mile 12, and basically the last intersection I'd have to cross. Not only were there no cops or volunteers to help me, it was also confusing as to exactly where I had to go. That part of road also made up the 5K course, so traffic cones were going in a couple of different directions and the one sign only said 5K, not half. I also couldn't find any spray paint markings on the road.<br />
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Up to this point the course had been very well marked so I couldn't believe what was happening. Fortunately, I had grabbed a course map "just in case" and had put it in the pouch on my water belt. Once I got my bearings I continued on my way, again, slowly walking along, counting practically every 10th of a mile and praying to be done.<br />
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In addition to the late start, another quirk of this race was the indoor finish line. I could barely muster the energy to run over the finish line, but somehow I finally finished. And there were about 3 people inside at the time. No people cheering, no music, just the photographer, time keeper, and a volunteer handing out medals. Organizers had moved all of the post race festivities outside, and across the street. And the medal I received was a generic running medal without any kind of info even identifying the race. They had some pulled pork sandwiches and other hot food for race participants, but the smell just nauseated me at that point.<br />
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Despite the problems, I did actually like this race and would do it again, but likely only if it started at least an hour earlier. I also learned that I'm just not cut out for back to back events. I had the same miserable final miles back in May when I did the Run for the Dream 1/2 the day after doing their 8K as part of the Patriots Challenge.<br />
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Two pretty rough races has been a bit demoralizing. It's been a further reminder of how much losing time to injury last fall affected me and how slow coming back from it has been. It also reignited<a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2011/09/confessions.html"> a debate I had with myself last fall</a> about whether or not I should consider listening to music when running solo. There is no longer a debate, I bought myself an iPod Shuffle earlier this week.<br />
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Onward and upward.<br />
<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-55748673837446029952012-09-13T22:55:00.001-04:002012-09-13T22:56:29.289-04:00Weekendlong Duathlon, err....Tri (part 1)<br />
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Last month I mentioned my crazy weekend plans where I would
essentially be doing a <a href="http://journeyto26pointtwo.blogspot.com/2012/08/weekendlong-duathlon.html">duathlon over two days this month.</a> Well, things got even
more interesting when a kayak outing got rescheduled twice due to bad weather.
The final make-up date became the Friday of said crazy biking-running weekend, and
thus how a du became a tri. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After work on Friday I headed over to Truxton Park and met
up with Captain Kate and Pirate Pete of <a href="http://www.kayakannapolistours.com/">Kayak Annapolis</a>. I’d bought a
LivingSocial deal several months earlier for a sunset tour, complete with wine
and cheese. Unfortunately, our first two attempts at scheduling this fell
through due to storms, so it kind of became a do or die to do it on Friday
evening due to the quickly approaching shorter fall days. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We went through a quick paddle lesson, and then launched our
boats. We were in Spa Creek, and headed toward the Annapolis Harbor. Our route
was about 3 miles total. About halfway, we pulled up in small park area with
benches that overlooked the harbor and enjoyed our refreshments. After we set
off again, we crossed through the harbor area and went up into Ego Alley. Was
my first time seeing it from the water. Very cool. During our tour Pete
provided some historical insights into the city. We couldn’t have asked for
nicer weather. Overall, I had a great time and it was a wonderful way to kick
off the weekend. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check them out!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once we were back on dry land, I picked up some pizza to get
some carbs in me, and came home and packed my bike gear in the car and got an
overnight bag together. Saturday morning, I caravanned to Dover with Kim and
Jon for the <a href="http://www.amishcountrybiketour.com/">Amish Country Bike Tour</a>. We arrived after the main wave start, so
got caught in some traffic, but once we got moving again easily found some
parking in the state employee lots near the Legislative Green. After unloading
our bikes and putting air in the tires, we met up with some friends from the
gym and were on our way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a fair amount of automobile traffic until we
really got out of the heart of the area. Fortunately the routes (from 15 miles
all the way up to 100) are very well marked, so we didn’t need to rely on our
queue sheets as we navigated around. We eventually found ourselves on quiet
farm roads and practically in another world. As we were on one road, an older
Amish gentleman was working his field with a horsedrawn wooden plow. It was a
beautiful scene. The neighborhood children were out to greet everyone as they
road by, too, making an interesting dichotomy of bikers in colorful clothing
and high tech gear, and them in the handmade, sober outfits. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Around mile 20 we reached the rest stop, a one room
schoolhouse. It was a flurry of activity, as all of the routes eventually
funnel through there. Volunteers were in the yard serving snacks and
refreshments, as some musicians provided entertainment. The highlight of all of
this – pie! The winds had been steadily picking up during our ride. Forecasts
called for them to gust up to 20mph by later in the afternoon when strong
storms were supposed to move in. This made our last 5 miles much harder than
the earlier ones had been, but we all got back safe and sound. We set up a
picnic and enjoyed the bbq lunch provided to all participants.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then it was time for the next adventure of the weekend to begin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-75009621014245222922012-09-11T22:25:00.001-04:002012-09-11T22:27:09.247-04:00What I'm eating this weekThose of you who know me in real life know that one of my other passions is cooking. So, I figured why not start sharing some of my favorite recipes/experiments to help break up all of the incessant running talk? ;) Plus, it's a way I can procrastinate from writing about my CRAZY weekend...<br />
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Temps have started to drop here in lovely Maryland, and fall is definitely starting to make it's appearance. This made me want some comfort food, and chili was calling my name. I browsed through some of <a href="http://pinterest.com/thatjenchick/">my Pinterest boards</a> for inspiration (yes, I'm totally addicted to it) and happened upon the <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/turkey-chili-taco-soup.html">Skinnytaste recipe for Turkey Chili Taco Soup</a>. Done! I planned on going to Trader Joe's after work and knew it might be hard to find a couple of ingredients there, so I grabbed them while getting lunch at the market near my office and made a list for later.<br />
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I made a couple of alterations. First, I put some canola oil in the bottom of the pot before browning the meat. I prefer to use ground turkey breast from TJ's, but it does stick very easily since it is so lean. Rather than one medium onion, I used a 1/2 of a yellow onion and 1/2 of a red onion since I had those leftover from other things and just sitting around in the fridge. Plus, it was trash night, so might as well use them rather than toss them. I also used 15 oz of tomato sauce rather than only the 8 oz called for the in the recipe. Why? Because TJ's only sells it in 15 oz cans and I figured why waste it? This is the glory of soups - just dump things in and see what happens. Since you add a can of refried beans, that acts as a good thickener, so I didn't think this would really dilute it too much, and I guess right. Finally, I added a heaping teaspoon of<a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysancho.html"> ground ancho chili peppers</a>. I'm not a fan of very spicy food, but this really gives it great flavor, and beautiful deep, color.<br />
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I topped it off with some shredded Mexican cheese blend, and a bit of light sour cream.<br />
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Bottom line = yum!<br />
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What's your favorite fall comfort food?<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-19879423373287531182012-08-27T20:58:00.003-04:002012-08-27T20:58:47.573-04:002012 Annapolis Ten Miler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had been really nervous about this race about a week earlier, then the weather hit these beautiful, low 80s temps accompanied by low humidity, and my thoughts that this could actually be a great race increased. As the week progressed a couple of friends mentioned some storms were supposed to hit on Sunday morning. This surprisingly didn't phase me at all. I've run enough races in rain at this point, that I knew I'd get through just fine regardless. And then, when my alarm went off at 5:30 on race morning, I heard it, the low rumble of thunder. Well, this is certainly going to be interesting. </div>
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And, indeed it was. Kim, Jon, Jen, and I carpooled over to the stadium together, getting there about 6:30 to avoid the bulk of traffic and get Jon checked in for his volunteer duties. We kept shelter in the car while it stormed around us, complete with thunder and bright lightening. Hmmm, are they still going to be able start this race? </div>
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About 7am there was a break in the storms so we decided to take advantage of it and got our pre-race bathroom trips in. We still had 45 minutes to the race. Announcements indicated the race was still on, but we again sought refuge in the car as another wave passed through. Finally it was a few minutes from the start and it was time to get lined up. As we stood there waiting for the start, there were a couple of loud claps of thunder. Well, at least the street lights on the bridge can act as lightening rods???</div>
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Fortunately, there wasn't too much more time for the nerves to kick in, cause next thing I knew we were off. And then it downpoured on us. All you could do was cheer and laugh. Fortunately it didn't last too long, but the damage was done - we, and everything around us was soaked. I normally loved to sprint down Main Street, but this year, was sure to have solid footing on the wet bricks. Thanks to Jen's company, the first 3 miles went by very fast. Thanks to the staff at the Naval Academy's baseball stadium, we were sure to serenade those around us with a few bars of "Sweet Caroline". </div>
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Due to some issues with local authorities, the course had to be altered this year. So, this ended up not being the course I've trained on off and on for the last 3 years. This made me nervous as I felt that it was hillier.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi947K1npHPD1pRMTEDg2Q83JBnqu0V0DO-FKwzx_LX2P5f78sbmIPGz3-uKnBeZ7V_TCxeDQysapsUPv0_8jGMyJ8O-THcCQNbkQZAiaqZitPoFS9Z6HhD4qg1yHY2tHD0IWIg0di8yicm/s1600/621570_344718025610963_200162715_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi947K1npHPD1pRMTEDg2Q83JBnqu0V0DO-FKwzx_LX2P5f78sbmIPGz3-uKnBeZ7V_TCxeDQysapsUPv0_8jGMyJ8O-THcCQNbkQZAiaqZitPoFS9Z6HhD4qg1yHY2tHD0IWIg0di8yicm/s320/621570_344718025610963_200162715_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hit a wall about 4.5 in, and then again about 7.5 in. The hills definitely got the better of me, and once the storms passed through, the sun came out and things got fairly hot and humid.</div>
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In the days leading up to the race, a couple of people found my blog by searching for information about people not finishing the race due to the 12 minute per mile pace requirement. (I hope you've found your way back here, and if so, had a great race!) The Striders did reassure people that if you were still on the course at 9:30, you would be allowed to finish, but would have to move to the sidewalk or shoulder. I am happy to report that I was coming into the finish around 10am, and the streets were still closed, I received a finish time, and a finisher's shirt. My chip time was 2:12:20 (clock time 2:23:12), just over a 13 minute per mile pace. </div>
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So, if you are anxious about meeting the pace requirement, don't be! While challenging, this is a great race, mostly because of the runners who run it. As we were around mile 3.5, the lead pack was already past mile 9, and many were shouting words of encouragement to those of us in the back. This continued for most of the rest of the out and back. It was great to see so many friendly faces, both old and new. The Annapolis running community really is one of the best ones out there.</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-53382708867183406382012-08-24T14:17:00.000-04:002012-08-24T14:17:05.486-04:00Managing Expectations<br />
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Yesterday it was announced that there will be <a href="http://www.ingnycmarathon.org/entrantinfo/no_baggage_policy.htm">no baggagecheck at this year’s New York Marathon</a>. Now, this isn’t a little race, according
to MarathonGuide.com, <a href="http://www.marathonguide.com/Features/Articles/2011RecapOverview.cfm">in 2011 this was the largest marathon in the country</a> with
over 46,000 finishers. Needless to say, the internet exploded when this came
out. I’ve never done the race, and am not familiar with the logistics involved,
so I’m not going to debate it, but it does raise questions in my mind of what
we as runners can reasonably expect and demand at race, especially when
registration fees can vary from a few dollars to a couple hundred.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A safe course – This is perhaps something some people don’t
think about. Your race registration fee covers permits, police and medical
support, and everything that goes into planning a race itself and ensuring that
you not only have fun but, most importantly, are safe at the same time. When
the Annapolis Ten Miler was canceled in 2011 due to Hurricane Irene, some
people immediately said, “Oh, no race means I should get my $ back, right?” Um,
no. If you actually read that waiver you sign when you register for a race, it
pretty much says that there’s no refunds if the race is canceled due to “Act of
God.” That $ was spent long before race day, Hell, it may have been spent
before you even signed up and paid. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Water – Yup, I like water, and I like to drink it during and
after a race. And, I think race directors like to have it, too, to keep from
causing greater issues. Now, sometimes I am more the exception than the rule. A
lot of people don’t think they need to drink a lot of water on the course and
rely on whatever is out vs. carrying their own. I personally carry water with
me at pretty much every race. I guess it’s kind of a security blanket and
knowing that if/when I want it I have it with me. This is also important as a
back of the pack runner, when sometimes water is gone by the time I get to a
designated water stop. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Believe it or not, having water on the course is
controversial, too. Last year it came out that the organizers of the Rock n
Roll Las Vegas Marathon relied on water from fire hydrants and those who later
got sick blamed this. I have volunteered at and run races that I know rely on
water from garden hoses and have never had a problem or heard of one. So, do we
have a right to expect water from freshly opened bottles? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bathrooms – I think most people would agree that this is a
basic requirement every race must have. I admittedly criticized the organizers
of the Iron Girl ½ marathon in Columbia this past May for what seemed to be an
insufficient number, especially given that it was a women’s race. Due to the
long lines just prior to the start of the race, I saw women heading to the
bushes/trees in a mostly residential area. And, the only bathrooms on the
course were around mile 6.5. For me that would have been nearly an hour and a
half into the race, and pretty painful if I hadn’t been able to go prior to the
start.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Food – Do we have a right to expect food post race and, if
so, what kinds? Most races provide a bagel and/or banana. Others have practically
a buffet of choices, which many runners (and their family and friends) treat as
such as well, but that’s a whole other issue for another day. One of my
favorite races has a plethora of pizza after, and another bbq pork sandwiches.
Yum! But, honestly, there are some races where I want to eat everything in
sight and then there are others when I just want to grab a bottle of water and
head home. It’s all a matter of how I feel on that day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Shirts/bling/goodie bags – Cotton tshirts vs. tech shirts,
bling vs. no bling, samples in goodie bags vs. virtual goodie bags, all of
these items are things you may hear runners debate upon considering a race.
Yes, I do take some of this into consideration. The Celtic Solstice 5 miler in
Baltimore always has a top notch item, usually a long sleeved tech shirt that
has the same $ value as the race registration. (It also has great food after
including vegetable soup and warm wassail – the race is in December after all.)
On the other end though are 5K’s I’ve done for just a few dollars, and with no
goodies outside of a banana and bagel at the end. I think I’ve gotten kind of
eh on the goodie bag issue. I’m sure I have thrown for more away than I’ve ever
use from these over the years. And, for the most part I rarely wear a tech race
shirt – unisex ones fit odd, and women’s cut always seem to show lumps in an
unflattering way, unless I see shirt measurements ahead of time and can order
appropriately. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The bottom line is that given the number of races I’ve done
of the years, I think I have gotten to the point where I try and weigh the
whole experience rather than just one signature thing to get me to sign up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Bag check – The NYC issue has made me think back to some of
my races. I would say I only use bag check about 25% of the time, generally
when I know I will be hanging around for some time after rather than heading
right back to my car or hotel. I usually check a dry shirt and a pair of shoes
(usually Crocs or supportive sandals) to change into. At my first full
marathon, Disney in 2010, there was an unusual cold spell. Having a bag with
warm clothes after was necessary. At my second full, Marine Corps, also in
2010, I was staying at a hotel about a half mile from the finish line. Once I
finished, was reunited with my family, grabbed my snacks and headed the comfort
of my hotel room. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve seen bag check go very well at some races – the Marine
Corps uses UPS trucks for both the Marathon and 10K to transport everything
from point to point and your truck is numbered according to your race bib #. I’ve
also seen it go horribly wrong. The inaugural Disney Wine & Dine in 2010
was a disaster. I don’t know all of the specifics of why it failed, but many of
us were stuck in a very hot room waiting for bags to be distributed and people
were fainting and ill. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, there’s a few of my thoughts. What do you do expect for
your registration $?<o:p></o:p></div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-47751612928121241992012-08-20T22:11:00.001-04:002012-08-20T22:11:55.832-04:00Weekendlong DuathlonSo, while the focus of my summer training has been this weekend's Annapolis Ten Miler, I've also been training for something else, what I'm essentially calling my Weekendlong Duathlon - a 25 mile bike ride on Saturday and Half Marathon on Sunday. And by training, I mean thinking about riding my bike, notsomuch on the actually getting out and riding it.<br />
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When <a href="http://triandtrue.net/">Kim</a> convinced me to sign up for the Ten Miler training group with the Striders, I thought "Perfect! The long runs are on Sunday so I can get bike rides in on Saturday." And then, my subconscious decided that catching up on sleep on a hot, sunny Saturday was a better idea. Seems while my body has enjoyed a summer without marathon training, it has made me a bit lazy at the same time.<br />
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While the 1/2 marathon distance should be more than manageable for me after spending the summer training for a hilly 10 miler (it will be my 24th half), biking is kind of my newest thing. I didn't do alot growing up, and the last time I consistently rode a bike was when I needed one to get to class twice a week during one semester of college, back in the 90s.<br />
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Then in 2009, my lovely friend and local running coach, Donna, convinced me to meet her and a group of others for some rides on the trail with the promise of a borrowed bike I could use. Despite the nerves, I learned that riding a bike, well, really is like riding a bike, once you get the balance and anxiety under control it really does all come right back. The next thing I knew she had me going with a group for an organized 15 mile ride later in the summer. I started doing research and thinking about what kind of bike I might want. Then I got overwhelmed and scared off by the prices. I didn't want to sink alot of money into something I wasn't sure I'd keep up.<br />
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Fast forward to early Spring of 2010, and the <a href="http://bikedoctor.com/">Bike Doctor</a>, a great local chain near my home, was having their annual tent sale. I didn't know about it in advance. I literally was driving down the road, saw the tent in the parking lot, and decided to make a U turn and check it out. All I wanted was a basic hybrid, and one followed me home for a reasonable price.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn67uE1f-E9nUDZpKeKtXedJPTnR0vDvxc1R5TfjMTjD3Er0BxAvc1P2rL5XRfm0UQ01O4SW1qmeYmtxuymfe9AeLuUd7TgjqffaGKt9zUCjt1IyR21W9Ccr3rKaEqBwkAFbh0sU1UpyDL/s1600/bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn67uE1f-E9nUDZpKeKtXedJPTnR0vDvxc1R5TfjMTjD3Er0BxAvc1P2rL5XRfm0UQ01O4SW1qmeYmtxuymfe9AeLuUd7TgjqffaGKt9zUCjt1IyR21W9Ccr3rKaEqBwkAFbh0sU1UpyDL/s320/bike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got miles in during the course of the Spring and Summer, and Donna had been telling me about another bike tour, this one the <a href="http://www.visitdover.com/amishcountrybiketour/">Amish Country Bike Tour</a> in Dover, DE. More importantly, there was a pie stop. Um, yes, I will definitely bike for pie. The weather that day was fantastic, and the ride lovely and enjoyable. A month later I joined ladies from the gym for the <a href="http://www.terrybicycles.com/2012-Wild-Goose-Chase">Wild Goose Chase</a>.<br />
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I didn't do much biking in 2011 thanks to all of my plantar fasciitis problems, but decided I definitely wanted to try for the Amish ride again in 2012. Then, I discovered that the <a href="http://www.hiddentreasureshalfmarathon.com/">Hidden Treasures Half Marathon</a> would be taking place in Salisbury, MD that same weekend. Both towns have special meaning for me - I went to college in Salisbury and the course goes right through the campus, and I spent a semester commuting up to Dover for an internship. I've been wanting to run Hidden Treasures for the last 2 years, but it seemed like other races or marathon training always interfered. I knew this had to be the year, so why not make a weekend out of it and do both? So, stay tuned to see how this adventure goes.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7325782344079635897.post-58113613975790190722012-08-15T21:55:00.004-04:002012-08-15T21:56:40.249-04:00Everyone else is doing it...Some of my friends have been dusting off their blogs lately while others have started new ones, so I figured I should jump on the bandwagon, too. That's kind of how things seem to work among running friends, I think. "Hey let's do this!" "Um, sure, lots of time on my feet and risk of losing a toenail? Why not!"<br />
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Ok, maybe that's an extreme example, but you get the point. Misery loves company, and the running community is full of awesome people who love to share battle wounds and encourage each other.<br />
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Thanks to many of these people, who have become essentially my running family, I made it through a packed Spring race schedule with very little issues with my foot.<br />
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March was my comeback race, the Shamrock 1/2 in Virginia Beach. Katie and I ran it together and pulled off a (barely) sub 3 hours. I also learned that flat courses are great for time, but I really do do better with hills, as my legs were begging to use some different muscles toward the end.<br />
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The end of April brought the inaugural Iron Girl 1/2 in Columbia, MD. We made it a large bridal celebration weekend for Katie, having her wedding shower the day before. Knowing she would run in a special tech wedding dress on Sunday, we surprised her by all wearing blue sparkle skirts while running with her. The race itself was unmemorable (and I'm not likely to repeat it), but the time on the course together was fabulous.<br />
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Another reason behind doing Iron Girl was that they were offering special bonus bling, Titanium Girl, for also completing the Frederick 1/2 the following weekend. Frederick one of my favorite races, and I was already registered for both races when the bonus medal was announced, but hey, I'm certainly not one to turn it down. ;) Happily, this was another sub 3 hour race for me. Corrigan Sports made some awesome changes to the race based on runner feedback from previous years. Can't wait for next year!<br />
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I wrapped up my long distance races just before Memorial Day with the Run for the Dream 1/2 in Williamsburg. I did the inaugural the year before, and it took very little arm twisting to make me return to one of my favorite towns. We made it a big girls weekend, with six of us taking over a 3 bedroom timeshare. While I had been registered for the 1/2 since the fall of 2011, in early March they unveiled a special Patriots Challenge medal for completing the 1/2, as well as the 8K the day before. I knew I had to do it. I'd never done any kind of challenge like that and figured why not go for it since I made it through the spring with little issue with my foot.<br />
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Katie and I comfortably cruised through the 8K, and she got herself a PR. Yay! I was feeling strong the next day and figured I'd see what I could do. By mile 9 I was exhausted, alone, and miserable. I even considered sitting on the side of the course and waiting for my wonderful gaggle of friends to catch up and finishing with them, but I knew I had to keep the forward momentum or I'd never finish. Once I finished I learned they ran out of the Challenge medals. Disappointing, but I knew the organizers would make it right, and about a month after the race a medal appeared in my mailbox, along with a stainless steel water bottle as a thank you for waiting. Class acts. I'll likely be back next year, just a matter of whether or not I want to give a shot at the challenge again or not.<br />
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Summer was spent doing a few of the Women's Distance Festival 5K's, women's only races put on many of the local running clubs. These are fun, and full of great spirit, particularly when getting to watch participants finish their first races. These were a nice way to keep moving while preparing to begin the main focus of my summer, training for the Annapolis Ten Miler.<br />
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I also paid a visit to my good friend, Lauren in Massachusetts. She'd been trying to find a race for me to travel up for. See, what happens when runners become friends with runners? ;) For the first time in probably two years I attempted to plan a trip that did not coincide with a race. It turned out that the weekend I picked was when the annual Carver Cranberry 5 miler was. Of course, right? This was a great race though. Lovely course and great food after. We had great weather, and I finished really strong, a great boost.<br />
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This past Sunday I did 10 miles for the first time since the Spring. Between the heat and hills, it kicked my butt. When I first did the A10 in 2010 I was in good shape and confident about taking on a legendary and challenging race. I was registered for last year's, but it was canceled due to a forecasted hurricane. It's just as well, as I had no business doing it with my foot problems at the time. To say I'm anxious about successfully completing it this year is an understatement. Keeping my fingers crossed for cloud cover and a nice breeze on the last Sunday of the month!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11162074305274810064noreply@blogger.com0