Slam, 'Bama, Thank You M'am!

The night before the race was the Go Daddy Bowl parade. My room was on the 5th floor so I had an awesome view of the parade. I grabbed a nice glass of Pinot noir from the downstairs bar and I was set for an evening of entertainment. It was so cool to watch floats go by, listen and see bands performing, and people watch from above. It was like a mini-Macy's Thanksgiving day parade.


I went to bed Saturday night feeling like the ice bath was the magic elixir for making a hilly run more tolerable. And I was sure that red wine had even more magical powers (don't all good reds have a little magic?!). But then I woke up Sunday morning to the uh-oh feeling of thrashed quads. Ooohh, this could be a long 2-1/2 hours. And it was.

Ran into Cheryl on my way to the start and so glad I did. Because of her, I got to hang out with a wonderful group of about 30 Marathon maniacs. The cult-like following of this group is so intoxicating. But before long, it was time to get this show on the run.

There was no championchip timing, no D tag or Bib tag. It was old school. Everyone started at the same time and you tore off the bottom of your bib and handed it over to the volunteers. And that was that. Sometimes it's nice to just run - no technology, just you and your shoes.

The course was not terribly scenic. It's kind of hard to describe Mobile. I had these great expectations that it would be full of beauty and azaleas. Well, since the azaleas are not in bloom, it just looked...well...like anyplace else. Not good, not bad, just another town.

The course snaked in and out of various neighborhoods, some beautiful, some not so much. It was flat, which didn't add to any level of excitement. There weren't too many people on the course cheering either. The one thing the race had going for it was the charity/cause. The people served by L'Arche made plaques for those of us that did the back-to-back races as well as handmade the medals. It was a very nice touch and I actually felt my money went to something good and decent, unlike the Rock n Roll Vegas race, where the money wasn't used wisely or for a kind cause. That's an interesting point, come to think about it. Should races always be of the fundraising sort? Or is it acceptable for race to be a big business? Hmm...haven't really thought about that.


The first 5 miles I ran with a 70-ish year old marathoner from Georgia. He shared fun stories about when his dad first took him to the Marriott Battle House (where I was staying and, historically, was the battle command center for General Andrew Jackson) when he was a little boy. He had brought his grandaughter with him on this trip to make it special. He shared with me that he almost always has a podium finish in his age group because it's not as competitive when you're in you're 70s, but that the 60s age group was terribly competitive! Around mile 8 I ran with a nice lady whose husband had left her 6 months ago with two young kids so she took up running. She was delightful actually and I enjoyed her company for a mile or two. Around mile 11, I ran alongside a 12-year-old who had an old Garmin - I think the 101! He told me this was not his first half, but he did ask me how much longer did he have to go. I swear, I think kids are programmed to ask that question!

I finished the race in a relatively decent time considering it was my second race in two days, and enjoyed a yummy small cup of ice cream with chocolate syrup. I sat briefly on a bench by one of park fountains next to lady from Mobile. She told me that the humidity about did her in (87%). I told her I was from Cleveland and was not ready for these conditions - mid 60s with awful humidity, but the ice cream sure did make everything better!


All in all, a great weekend. I knocked out two states, visited two interesting towns, racked up some mileage, chiseled my quads (a girl can dream), met some wonderful runners, and had a fun experience.

Finish time: 2:41:27 (and Garmin clocked this race at 13.41 miles).

Now please pardon me while I whine going up and down the stairs!

Ole Man River Half Marathon Race Report

As I've said numerous times, I truly do prefer smaller races. This race was just awesome in every way. I'll make the race report short, but the race was big on fun and a good overall race experience.

First, and most importantly, ALL body parts worked! Since Vegas, I had not completed a single run - nope, nada, not a single mile. I was jonesing for a run like a crack addict needing a fix. But I held off because my right hamstring was sending me daily nastigrams that first week after the Las Vegas Rock n Roll half marathon. But more on this later.

Race morning, we had a taxi pick us up at the hotel. The trolley wasn't running at 7am on a Sunday morning - go figure, right?! When we got into the taxi, we ended up having a seriously sketchy experience, but comical in the end. I am so grateful that I have a bright, plan-ahead kind of husband. The cab driver asks us where we want to go. We tell him Tad Gormley Stadium at City Park. He asks US how WE would like to get there. Wtf? He's the cab driver living in New Orleans and he asks two Clevelanders how to get to a park we've never been to. We tell him to go whichever way is fastest. He says, "No, you tell me. I drive where you want me to take you." Dude, we want to go to the f-ing park and we'd like to get there BEFORE the race begins. Greg pulls out his iPhone and google mapped us there. Talk about a little stress. Then he goes all Evangelical on us and talks about religion. I actually pondered jumping out of the car and tried to remember if I'm supposed to land on my arm, tucking in the shoulder and just keep rolling or was there another way to bail! Too damn funny.

We made it with a little time to spare for a quick potty trip. Phew!

The start was outside the stadium and the first three miles was outlined by someone who obviously was a fan of etch-a-sketches. Oddly enough, it was so much fun weaving in and out of the park for the first three miles. We passed the art museum, wove around little ponds, over bridges...just a nice view overall. The spanish moss dripping from the trees really made you feel like you were in the south.

I felt good for the first 5 miles and kept my effort pretty consistent knocking out the miles at 10:44, 10:28, 10:43, 11:03 (water stop walk), 10:45. I continued on clocking in the next 4 miles at 10:49, 10:53, 10:38, and 10:56. I started to get tired as I was heading toward mile 10. I stopped to liberally apply some Biofreeze and, would you believe, my right side was fine - my left side was angry this time. The problem with taking 2 weeks off and no running is that you start to lose a little endurance. I had been running fairly conservatively for the first 9 miles trying to keep the pace even. Mile 10 came in at 11:49 - yikes. I manage to pick it up a bit to 11:03 for mile 11, but mile 12 barked at me and brough 11:46 thanks to run/walk breaks. I scooted in mile 13 at 11:19 and finished overall in 2:24:07 - just 37 seconds slower than Vegas two weeks earlier. My Garmin measured the course at 13.21 miles.

The finish line was on the track/football field of the stadium, which was pretty cool. A kids football game was being played at the same time as the race finish. I have no idea how those kids managed to concentrate on a football game when hundreds of people are dragging in at various times!

Afterwards, we got to hand out around the edge of the field and watch the game while hydrating. Kind of cool, if you ask me.

The weather was great. It was low 50s with sunshine and an occasional wind. Couldn't have asked for better weather - and seriously, how better to spend a weekend in December?!

Greg had an even better story. He was sitting in the stands for the last hour before I finished sitting near some parents watching the game. This larger than life mother stood up and started complaining that she couldn't see her son playing because something was blocking her view. She yelled back to her husband to pull his gun out and take care of the obstacle. Now, don't get me wrong. The park is in a pretty nice neighborhood in New Orleans, yet I'm pretty sure Greg was ready to run far away from those parents after hearing that comment!

We then hopped on to the trolley and rode it the length of Canal Street. Got off, headed straight to Cafe DuMonde and enjoyed ourselves with some amazing beignets and cafe au lait.

And the 40th state was knocked out just like that :)

Rock n Roll Vegas Race Report

Quick 2-day trip in and out of Las Vegas, Nevada to complete the Rock n Roll Vegas half marathon and to check off our 39th state. Isn't it dangerous to spend longer than that in Sin City?!

After landing, we checked into the chic Aria hotel. I would highly recommend staying at Aria - spacious, clean, nicely-furnished rooms with state-of-art technology. Grabbed lunch while waiting for Kim's plane to land, then headed over to the expo extravaganza for packet pick-up.

The gratuitous showgirl picture!
I only had two things on my expo checklist - a sparkly headband and a Clif Bar for pre-race fuel. I hadn't been to a gigantic expo in quite some time and quickly realized that BIG isn't always BETTER. The take home stuff included a Brooks tech shirt (nice), a headlamp provided by Everready Battery, and Gu chomps. Cab line at the Venetian was more than a 30 minute wait so we walked back - probably too much walking the day before a long race. But we'll see. When a town has 44,000 runners and their families and/or friends descend upon it for the weekend, cabs are at a premium.

Kim and George headed to Garth Brooks afterwards while Greg and I enjoyed a slow, leisurely dinner at Firefly, a tapas bar and restaurant off the strip. Outstanding food and probably the best Sangria I've had. Highly recommend this restaurant for your next Vegas trip.

Sunday morning required the standard buffet trip. We figured brunch was a smarter choice since the race was at 5:30pm and lunch can be dicey on the stomach. I loved having an omelet with a side of broccoli and carrots and a peanut butter blonde brownie. Mmmm!

Here's where an evening race gets complicated. What do you do with yourself in Vegas that doesn't require walking or drinking. I couldn't go window shopping at the Palazzo shops or the Forum Shops at Ceasar's. I know, right?! We were bored out of our minds. So we hung out in the room, watched a movie and relaxed. I so prefer morning races where you knock out the event and then have the rest of the day to be dangerous!

We left the hotel a little before 4:00pm to take the shuttle from Aria to Mandalay Bay. We stood in a ridiculously long line that wrapped around and around feeling like it was never-ending. We were glad we made the choice to leave a little early and not cut it close for this very reason - 44,000 people were trying to get to the same start line during the same period. Several buses showed up and we didn't quite make it. Rats! We were a bit concerned about having to wait till the next group of buses come back. But wait. Three limos provided by Aria magically appeared. Can this really be true? That's right - we traveled to the start line in VIP style! The limo dropped us off right next to the port-o-potties, which had short lines. Bonus! This was appreciated considering how cold it was (low 40s). We ambled over to our corrals and tried to keep close to our new friends in Corral 15 to maintain some warmth.

Trying to stay warm!
Mike McCready, Pearl Jam's lead guitarist, played the National Anthem. And then we were released by corrals to start the race. Just another reason I don't like big races - the long wait to cross the start line. For us, it was about 20 minutes. That's 20 minutes standing in the cold. Let me tell you, that does NOT help race day performance. We both commented how stiff and heavy our legs felt.

Cool light show pre-race.
And we were off! I spent the entire race dodging people and being hit, bumped, pushed or stepped on. This race was larger than even the Marine Corps Marathon and much larger than Grandma's marathon. As I've said, BIG is not BETTER, except with my husband (TWSS).

The first 4 miles were on the newer part of the strip. The lights were exciting, although at times hard on the eyes. I remember thinking the Christmas tree outside the Venetian was simply spectacular.

At mile 4, we veered off into the seedier side of Vegas. As Greg pointed out, people cheering you on in new Vegas were different socio-economically than those in old Vegas. We all agreed that we didn't like this part of the course since it was uneventful, full of potholes, cambered, and, unfortunately, this section lasted for about 5 miles.

I enjoyed passing the Wynn and the Venetian on the way back. However, it was outside the Palazzo/Venetian that my right hamstring started talking Russian to me, a language I do not understand. Next thing I know, my hips were the kind of sore I've not experienced before. Thank goodness I carry trial size packets of Biofreeze with me or I would have had to walk it in. After the race, all three of us compared course notes and we all had aching hips, which was odd because none of us had experienced that kind of pain or ache before. The only thing we could attribute it to is all the starting, stopping, and abrupt turns of dealing with so many runners. It was a frustrating obstacle course, to say the least. This must be how Josh Cribbs feels when he's running down the field trying to avoid being tackled.

As I was wallowing in my broken lower body, I caught the beautiful water and light show at the Bellagio. Just a wonderful sight to see. I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have to dodge so many camera-wielding runners who came to sudden, abrupt stops.

Crossing the finish line was typical at a large-scale race. I'll be surprised if the Photographers can pick me out of the crowd of 50 of us crossing the line at the same time. As a result, the crowd of runners was too tight and people weren't moving forward to keep the flow going (in spite of volunteers yelling to keep moving). Medals were given out (cute nightime skyline of Vegas) and volunteers threw out in the air the space blankets. I felt like I was at a CAVS show hoping to catch a t-shirt thrown in the crowd. Seriously?!

So glad to cross off the 39th state!
We got a bottle of Cytomax (both Greg and I thought it was yucky), a bottled water, a FROZEN banana (I kid you not), and a Marathon bar. They had go-gurt yogurt, but my stomach told me that would not be a wise choice. We finished at different times and found each other post-race at the Family Reunion area. And then began the cattle call trek back to our hotel. We couldn't find the shuttles (no markings or signs) so we walked through Mandalay Bay to the tram. Took the tram to Excaliber, then walked back to Aria.

We reunited with Kim and George at the Todd English Pub at our hotel for some grub and good beer as well as post-race commiserating and cheers. It's always good to have a destination race, especially one where you were part of making history by being in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest nighttime race, but I'll gladly take my small town races.

2:23:30 (5 minutes faster than Wichita just 6 weeks ago!)
14,298 out of 33,123 half marathoners (crazy!)
7296 out of 21051 in gender (top third-woohoo!)
719 out of 2238 in my division

Had a great little escape with the husband, but it's always nice to be back home!

And the Clevelanders Brought the Rain: Kansas Race Report

Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas had been having one of the worst summers and early fall on record without rain. Wouldn't you know it that as soon as we set foot here that a monsoon must befall us! As soon as I finished the Oklahoma race, and started heading North on I-35, the rain came falling. Oh no, I thought, would I be running a cold, wet race Sunday morning? What do you think the answer is?

Prairie Fire Half Marathon
As far as half marathons go, this race will climb into my top 5 for best overall experiences. It wasn't my fastest race, nor my slowest race. But it was total enjoyment all the way through!

Greg dropped me off about an hour before the race while the sun was not yet sure it would make an appearance. The weather called for rain and thunderstorms and the 7:00am morning temp was already at 64 degrees. Time to channel some positive thoughts. I certainly needed positive thoughts because I had made a terrible decision to eat chili Saturday for lunch, and the chili had not left the building (if you know what I mean). So my thoughts were volleying between am I going to poop or is it going to rain (or will both happen)?


One of the things I've found I enjoy about all this race travel is that I love being a stranger and taking everything in new and fresh. I can roam around and just people watch, which really helps relieve those pre-race jitters. As a wandered, I came across a tent with free capuccinos and coffee for runners provided by Prairie Fire Roasters, a local Wichita roaster. Now that's one service this runner loves! I poured a half bold cup of joe, took in a little more water, stretched and stared (and nope, the bathroom fairy was not visiting-argh).


Then it was time to line up. There's so much energy at start lines. I love this part. Even though I have completed more than 60 races in Ohio and elsewhere, I still get to excited and pumped up at the start line and ask myself the same questions - have I trained enought to tackle this long of a race? Am I hydrated enough? Will all body parts function like they're supposed to or will my mind have to tell my body it's going to be ok? Am I going to need to poop and there's no port-a-potties? And will there be beer - good beer - not Michelob Ultra at the finish line?

And we're off!

Time to jockey for a spot. I finally settle into a rhythm. My goal for this race was to strive for 10:30-11:00 minute miles for as long as I could hold. I hadn't had a long run for 3 weeks, and it had been 4 weeks since I had done 12 miles. We traversed in and out of neat little neighborhoods. At the start, there was no rain. By mile 2, it was a steady drizzle. By mile 4, my shoes were squishy because the rain was strong and steady. In spite of this, people were all over the course cheering on runners. Many had made wonderful homemade signs. Families were handing out water cups from impromptu water stops, and kids were sitting in the back of SUVs screaming for runners. It was beautiful. Around mile 8, I think, the rain was briefly very heavy. This Cleveland girl didn't mind. The rain kept the humidity in check and, besides, what Clevelander hasn't endured his/her share of cold, wet training runs?!

I ran alongside some great people. One father/son team was especially neat. It was the kid's first half and he had just celebrated his 12th birthday this past week making him eligible to run this race. We ran off and on throughout several miles together and the father told me his son had run a few 5ks and felt it was time to tackle a half marathon. Awesome!

The neighborhoods were stunning and for a couple of miles, we ran on brick streets, reminding me of Athens. One thing I thought was clever is that we ran in the middle turn lane along one of the busier streets and it was fully coned and policed. This kept runners protected while allowing traffic to flow (just no turning).

Around mile 10, my quads were whining. A very nice runner in a bright yellow shirt came out of nowhere and said, "Hey pretty lady, we are blessed to have such a good day to run!" And she was right. So I kept on running. Around mile 11, the first wheelchair marathon athlete passed - so amazing. It was about this time that I ran alongside a girl who was completing her first half marathon. We chatted for a bit before I moved on. Do you remember how incredible you felt when you finished your first half marathon? She was going to have that feeling in just 2 more miles!

Right before mile 12, we crossed one of the most beautiful pedestrian bridges. I pulled to the side to snap a picture. I wasn't going to PR, so I might as well enjoy all this wonderful town had to offer us runners on race day.


As we got within the last half mile, the race organizers had lined the course with speakers about every 10 yards or so. We could hear the announcers saying each runner's name as he/she crossed the finish line. It's easy to forget about the finish around miles 11-12 when you're tired and ready to be done, so this was a nice touch. I managed to sprint to the finish because it was exciting to see all those spectators. I tried to get Bridget to cross the finish line with me, but she's not a fan of screaming people at the finish lines. That's ok, I am!

I gathered my medal (love it!), my space blanket (tossed it!), and a finisher's shirt (which I'll actually wear because I love the graphic and it's a great fit!). Found my family and walked back to that coffee tent. Even though I ran the Taco Bell half marathon course, there were no chalupas at the finish line (phew!), but there were yummy Krispie Kreme donuts, which tasted just perfect with my cup of coffee!


Stats: 2:28:35 (11:21 average)
59/90 in my division
1196/1549 overall

36 states completed!

Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas All on a Saturday

Night Before Oklahoma Race
Talk about a whirlwind of a trip! We landed Friday in Dallas, just in time for lunch at Sonic for our beloved tots! Greg changed our reservations and instead of a chain hotel, we stayed at Tanglewood on Lake Texoma, near the border of Texas and Oklahoma. Great choice! Bridget was immediately thrilled when she saw a large playground and pool! Us Girls had spa time, while Greg made a quick trip to pick up a 6-pack of Shiner Family Reunion (an amazing sampler pack of my favorite texas beer).


While at the spa, we learned that Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton actually live on the other side of the lake. Meg wanted to stalk, but there was no time for that (plus, why give them more material for a country song!). Dinner at hotel, which was awesome because we dined outside while Bridget played on the playground. As cheesy as it sounds, we all went back to the room to relax and veg with TV - Bridget watched her movie on her portable DVD player, Meg watched the Kardashians in the living room and Greg and I watched back to back episodes of Pawn Stars. Yep, the glamorous life!

Oklahoma Race
This race is why I love small town running events. I actually finished third in my age group. And yes, there were more than three ladies!

Madill, Oklahoma is a little town north of Texoma Lake, but it sure is big on hospitality. For a $17 race fee, I had the great experience of spending my morning running a challenging 10k through the little town of Madill, which also served as a championship race for Oklahoma cross country. I also scored a fantastic long-sleeve t-shirt of Alice in Runner-land, a pancake breakfast free to all runners and just $3 for guests, a trophy, Texoma Peanut Inn peanuts, and the standard H20 and banana (love me some fruit!). For such a small race, organizers had a photographer on hand capturing finish line shots and immediately uploading them. About 10 yards away and for only $4, you could purchase your picture and have it printed on the spot. What a great service - and priced right. Another cool feature: finishing times were posted within minutes of finishing on an adjacent corkboard.


The course was challenging. We had long inclines to tackle with the sun and humidity teasing us. Then came the strong headwinds. People were losing their hats and headbands (kind of funny, actually). Since I was in prairie land with wide open spaces and no buildings to be found on the course, my body absorbed the whole wind force. I had been maintaining steady 9:40-9:42 miles, then whack! I found myself struggling for 11s! In spite of this, I was treated to some beautiful scenery and great volunteers.

Funny story at the start line. I had asked the guy next to me why his bib was pink - which race was he running. He responded, "the long one." Uhmm, okay. He then said it was the half marathon. I kind of giggled to myself because even though I was running what he thought was the short race, I would be running a half marathon the following morning. I wished him luck anyway. He tapped my shoulder a couple minutes later and told me to cover my ears because the race was about to start. They actually had a pistol to fire to start the race. Gave new meaning to gun time!

While I was running, my family dined at Hobo Joe's I only got to hear their stories and see the outside of this place to know that I missed out on a helluva good greasy spoon. But that's ok because I was fortunate to have my own Madill experience.


And now State 35 is done! Best of all, we woke up Saturday morning in Texas, drove across the border to Madill, Oklahoma for a 9:00am race, then checked in at the expo in Wichita, Kansas by 3:30pm. All in the same Saturday. Funny side story: Meg carried her styrofoam to-go container of leftover pizza through these 3 states. We laughed that her to-go container needed patches like a backpack to show where it had traveled!