Minnesota Half 2011

Minnesota Half Marathon--- August 2011 2:27:15

I decided to run a half marathon on my vacation—call me crazy but it helps me to not go overboard while traveling! J  I told my dad I was going to do it, and he decided he also wanted to run the race.  It surprised me, but he’s a determined guy, like me.  Well, I’m not a guy, but I’m determined.  He was pretty excited about it, and he trained all summer long for the event.   I was excited to run a “big city” race, as this race was held in downtown St. Paul.   The Expo was fairly small, which was good.  I didn’t want to overwhelm my dad.  The t-shirts were pretty cool.  They were a deep emerald green color with the state of Minnesota on the front.  I loved them!   The green reminded me of how nice it was outside.   The best part was during this time of the year it’s SO green and lush in Minnesota.  I’ve definitely missed the green trees and water everywhere.  The downside?  It was so humid I had swass (sweaty _ _ _ you fill in the blank….)as we were standing outside trying to find a parking spot.  Another downside that I didn’t really think about was that this race was not only a half marathon for runners, but for rollerbladers also.  Minnesota hockey is hard core, and they take the off season seriously.  So, there were weird men on rollerblades all over the place.  Luckily they started the rollerbladers early so we wouldn’t get trampled.  The race was gorgeous and ran right alongside the Mississippi River.  There were plenty of porta-potties, and since we got there early we took advantage.  Big time, if you know what I mean. ;)   My dad seemed overzealous and I felt bad because I didn’t want him to be competing with me.  I was there to help him accomplish his goals.  I already got my SUB 2 PR and I didn’t feel any need to rush this race.  I just wanted to have fun with it.  We started out pretty fast, but my dad said he felt comfortable.   It was hot.  It was humid.  By mile 4 I was drenched in sweat.  My body wasn’t used to the humid weather.  It was so gnarly that my dad’s i-pod stopped working and my Garmin wouldn’t change settings because it was so sticky.  I was more concentrated on my dad and making sure he felt ok, so I didn’t notice that my calves were cramping up.  I needed more water.  My dad said he doesn’t like to drink a lot of water while running but I pretty much beat him across the head everytime we got to a water station so that he would drink.  The course was beautiful.  There were live bands along the course, and it was a gorgeous day, despite the humidity.   My dad started to have some troubles around mile 9…and I told him we didn’t need to rush it to the finish…because it was a warm day and we needed to take our time.  I’ll admit that my calves were screaming at me at this point and I was ready to be done.  It was warm.  85 degrees and 90% humidity.  Wowzers.   We finished and sat in the shade for a while before attempting the walk to the car.   I went to grab snacks for us to munch on, since we just burned like 1800 calories.  I went to the runner’s tables and noticed that the snacks included Oreos, Goldfish, Cookies, Brownies, Potato Chips, and a few pieces of bread and very few pieces of fruit.  I was baffled.  Here I just ran a half marathon and they were serving junk food at the finish?  Who did they think I was?   I grabbed a few goldfish and some fruit.  Good heavens people…healthy food next time, please! 

Can you believe we're in the middle of St. Paul & Minneapolis?  Pretty!

Kelly Canyon Half 2011

Kelly Canyon Half Marathon--- July 2011
1:54:48

I was chatting about running to a client and they mentioned that I should enter this race.  First, because it was super cheap, and second because it was pretty fast and flat.  No uphill.  I said, “I’m in.”  The race only cost me $25 and for being a tiny race it was very well organized.  There was no Expo, but we each got some GU gels and chapstick and granola bars in our race bags.  I love free stuff.  When I arrived to get on the bus, I realized that this race was going to be tiny.   And by tiny, I mean there were a total of 52 runners in the half marathon.  We started at the top of mountain, so I knew the first 5 miles were going to be downhill.  I was pumped.  I booked it, pushing a 7 min/mile for the first 5 miles.  I slowed it down to about a 8 minute mile and proceeded through the race.  IT was beautiful—running along the mountain, across rivers, through the woods, farmland, more forest land, along the river.  Absolutely beautiful.  And, there were hardly any runners around me.  My goal was to get under 2 hours.  It was “do or die”.  There was no “I can’t” involved.  I was determined.  I was tired, but I kept making small goals --- get to the next aid station and walk while you drink water.  Or get to that tree.  Get to the railroad tracks.  Don’t get hit by a car.  Don’t get lost.  The aid stations were spread out perfectly and they had plenty of water & energy supplies.  For being a small race, it was great.  I would honestly recommend it to anyone.  Of course, since it was small and cheap we only got a t-shirt.  No medal.  Which was the downside.  But, I ended up getting 1^st place in my age division so I won some sweet granola.  

"The sun isn't even shining yet."

Sub 2 hour- heck yes!

Granola-chomp chomp.  1st place in my age division!

Freedom Half Marathon 2011

Salt Lake City Freedom Half Marathon—July 4th 2011
2:01:30

I was really excited about this race because the website boasted it as being a “SUPER FAST” race.  Another plus side was that I couldn’t go overboard on my 4^th of July celebrations because I had to run a half marathon.  Justy and I reserved a room at the Radisson in downtown SLC, which was where packet pick up was also.  I wasn’t feeling the Expo, mostly because it was the holiday and I just wanted to get in and out.  Give me my bib and get me outta here!   The Radisson was beautiful and we got a pretty decent runner’s rate.  The race started early and we had to be at the State Capitol building early to get a ride on the bus.  Traffic on all of the one-way streets was kind of crazy, but luckily there wasn’t a ton of traffic.  I wished that since the hotel was a sponsor, that they would have given us a ride to the buses.  Mostly because I felt bad getting my husband up at 5am on a Monday morning that he had off of work & school.  But, nonetheless he was a great sport (as always!).  He sat in the parking lot and waited for me until I was done.  Ah, true love.  They bussed us up the canyon and I was getting excited – thinking “heck yes this IS going to be all downhill”.  We got to the top and despite there being a few hundred runners there were only 4 porta-potties.  Luckily they got us up there really early so we could stand in line forever.  Downside?  I usually have to go twice…once to get the morning business taken care of before running….and a second time for my nervous pee.  Lots of people were dressed all crazy-like for the 4^th of July holiday.  I felt honored to have sat next to an Air Force pilot who was running his first Half Marathon.  I felt a sense of pride for my country, and a TON of gratitude for those who serve & fight for our freedoms.  It’s all I could think about on Independence Day.  The gun went off and we went storming down the caynon.  I was doing 8 min/miles for the first 6 miles of this race.  All downhill & smooth roads.  I was so excited.  We hit mile 8 and then we started to go uphill towards University of Utah (which sits on the side of a mountain).  I started to feel it in my body that this race was not going to be easy.  Uphill + Hot = Miserable.  We got to this one point and I was looking around me at the beautiful foothills when I noticed some crazy people running on some hiking trail on the side of the mountain.  I simply thought they were crazy, and kept forging ahead. 

All of a sudden I noticed that I was apparently going to be crazy also and run on that ridiculous 1-man-wide trail.  I couldn’t even run it was so steep.  I was walking, everyone was walking.  I was shaking my head, and people laughed when I said “YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME” in a very very loud voice.  Hoping that someone would come over and say “Hey, dorkus, you’re on the wrong course!”  But, nope-no such luck.  I couldn’t even look ahead to see how far I had left because I was so worried that I was going to trip over a rock.  I tried really hard to think of positives:  Hey Look!  I can see the finish line from here!  (Still far…dangit).  Hey!  That stupid guy with his video camera trying to catch every single step his wife is taking can’t follow us up here!  Sweeeet!  (Although it was a sweet gesture to show his support for his wife, it was annoying as could be.  I wanted to slap him.) 

Once we finally got off the hiking trail on the mountain we were on a steady straight course to the end.  I could see the Capitol building from a few miles away—when the realization hit me—the Capitol is on a hill-no wonder I can see it so clearly!  I was a bit frustrated with the aid stations by this point as they were handing out about a TABLESPOON of water in the mini cups they were handing out, every 4 miles.  I was ticked off.  By this point I was so warm and dehydrated that I was willing to pay the police officer $50 for his water bottle.  He thought I was crazy.  I was dead serious.  My mouth felt so dry that I debated licking the sweat off my arms.  Finally I reached the last mile and I can’t remember the last time I ran so hard knowing that at the end of the race I could finally have some water.  In fact, I was sprinting so fast that I almost took out this large lady who decided to stand in the street on the corner where we were turning towards the finish line.  People were yelling at her to get out of the road, but I just gave her the elbow and kept on my way toward the finish line.  Water.   Water.    Water.  That is the one word going through my head.  Ok, I’ll admit by this point I was also thinking I could magically get to the finish in under 2 hours.  No such luck.  I pulled out with a 2:01…but not bad considering I climbed a few mountains in the process.  J  Overall it was a great patriotic way to spend my Fourth of July.  I was even more grateful for the volunteers because I knew they were doing this on a holiday.  Finishing at the capitol building made my day.   The technical t-shirts were great and patriotic, but not too flashy.  Probably one of my favorites to wear.

There's the lady in red I spoke of..hello--get out of the way!!  She was standing right on the corner.....so I gave her a stiff arm....

Stiff arm complete.

I really booked it past that lady.  Get me to the finish  Get me some water!

Typical "derr" face--for both of us.

Love.

Happy Independence Day!

Dam Half 2011

Teton Dam Half Marathon
2:11:47

I couldn’t get any more local than this half marathon.  The race started about a block from my house, so I LOVED the fact that I didn’t need to get up early.  This race has been going on for many years as well, and from what I heard it was very organized.  They get a lot of volunteers because the volunteers get T-shirts, and the t-shirts say “Dam Volunteer” and people get a kick out of it.   I bought us tickets for the potato bake, but I wasn’t very impressed- won’t be doing that ever again!  The race was very small and started at the park.  It was a little congested because the line to get across the starting line curved, because it was right on the corner of the street.  It was weird.  I don’t know why they couldn’t  have started the race straight.  Weird.  I’ll admit, for a race that’s been going on for a while, they don’t quite have the aid stations down yet.  They told us we’d have aid stations every two miles starting at mile 3….well, the first aid station wasn’t until mile 6.  So, I took my first Shot Block around mile 2, since I was already needing a boost, and there was no water.  My stomach did not like that.  I’ve learned my lesson---start running with a running belt during races.  I can’t really complain a lot about the course itself, since I knew dang well what it would be.  9-10 miles of running uphill.  I now know what my parents meant about walking to school uphill both ways.  The race was a loop, but for some reason we were running uphill almost the entire race.  I wasn’t feeling it.  I saw my husband and yelled “what the heck?  When do I start going downhill?”  Even though I KNEW exactly when since I ran the course several times prior.  Good heavens it was hard.  Upside was the weather was beautiful.  Cool, crisp, but not too cold.  Sun didn’t start to shine until after the race, when we needed the warmth.  One thing I wasn’t so sure about, is that there was a crop duster spraying the potato fields while we were running.  I was fearful that I would inhale some gases and then drop dead on the side of the road from the fumes.  But, I’ll admit it was pretty cool to almost get hit by a plane.  Kind of exhilarating.  The last part of the race I ran on the street next to my house and I wanted to stop, but I figured “Hey, I’m on the downhill portion, just keep busting”.   The t-shirts were a cool design, but the sizes weren’t very well described.  The medals were pretty solid.  And, best part is I was within walking distance to my house. Good times.  Walked home, took a long nap.  The end.

It's about time.

Ogden Half 2011

Ogden Half Marathon--- May 2011
2:04:28

Every runner in the area told me I had to run this one.  This baby opens early—like October early.  And it sells out fast.  Very fast.  Luckily I work for one of the sponsors so I was able to register early.  One downside with the registration process was that their webpage wasn’t working properly.  The source code was all messed up.  But, other than that it was fairly easy to find the registration and easy to navigate.   It is fairly pricey---about $80.  I wouldn’t mind the price to come down a bit, but I felt like the race was very well organized.  I could’ve done away with some of the frills at the Expo and on the course.  The Expo was ridiculous.   There were so many vendors there, and the place they had the Expo was at an old Union Station.  There wasn’t room for everyone, and all the vendor booths were crammed together.  While I was slithering through the people at the Expo, all I could think of was “please let the roads on the course be wider than this hallway…please please please”.  Picking up my Bib was fairly easy once I finally figured out where to go.  The whole place was chaotic.  Maybe I’m just used to being at tiny races, but to get your tech tee- you had to go to the opposite side of the building.  It was awful.  But, the tech tees were long sleeved and I loved the argyle print on the front.  We got up at the butt crack of dawn…4am.  The buses left at 5am sharp the next morning, and we arrived super early to get good parking.  Parking could be an issue if you didn’t plan it out, or know where you’re going.  Not a lot of places in downtown Ogden for 6000+ people to park.  The buses were on time and got us up to the starting line in a flash.  Since there were so many people they had plenty of porta-potties.  And I mean plenty…..there were over 100 of them.  In. a. row.  They also had fire pits to keep us warm.  I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not because I smelled really badly of campfire.  But, it kept me warm, so I’m not going to complain.  The starting line also had some live music and they signs for the designated “paces”.  I went and stood near the 9min/mile pace and hoped for the best.  My training was cut super short, due to some IT issues, but I felt ready.  I saw some familiar faces and met some new friends as we spent the next hour or more waiting for the start.  The “throw-a-way” bags were thrown into a truck to be organized at the finish.  The course was beautiful.  The first mile was flat, followed by a slight uphill for about ¼ of a mile.  It was easy peeezy.   I passed a LOT of people who thought this race was going to be all downhill. Then, it began….the endless and glorious….downhill trot.  I was booking it (definition of “booking it” for me is different than most).  I was doing about a 9 min/mile pace, which I thought was amazing, despite not running much in the months prior due to an injury.  The scenery was absolutely breathtaking.  We ran right through the canyon, past a beautiful dam, some snow packed mountains, a river, resorts, beautiful bridges, and cabins.  I was in heaven.  There was so much to look at, and the race flew by.  The last 2 miles were the hardest for me.  They weren’t as much downhill, but mostly flat as we started our way into downtown Ogden to the finish line.  We ran through a beautiful park with baby hills, and right along the river.  The supporters along the road were loud and so fun.  The last mile to the finish line was insane.  I was tired (as I should be, since I hadn’t trained well at all)….but the enthusiasm of the crowd kept me going.  I looked down at my Garmin and noticed that maybe I could get close to 2 hours.  I made it to the finish at 2:04.  Not bad!  It was a fun race.  My husband & sister were spectators and loved the race as well.  There was live music at the finish.  Unfortunately since the race goes through the canyon there isn’t a lot of places for spectators to watch, but I enjoyed the downhill race.    Finding my throw-a-way bag was a breeze and getting food was pretty simple.  They had this feature where your family could get text message updates when you hit certain points on the race (the 10K start, the relay start & 5K start) and those weren’t working.  IT would’ve been a nice feature, had it been working.  Especially since my family had no clue when to expect me since they couldn’t go to any other points on the course. 

Layton Half 2010

Layton Half Marathon—October 2010
2:11:38

Apparently the Mesa Falls half marathon didn’t discourage me.  I ran my next race just 40 days later!  This was Layton’s inaugural race, and I was excited to be a part of a new race.  I was a little nervous that things would be super unorganized, but they proved me wrong.  I was a little disappointed at first when I read the Half Marathon description; it was an out-and-back course.  But, in the end I was thankful for the out-and-back course.  The Expo was small, but efficient.  I picked up my bib and t-shirt and grabbed some local coupons for dinner that night.  We ate at the Red Lobster in Layton and I was in heaven.  Since the race was an out-and-back course we didn’t have to arrive as early as usual.  We got to the starting line at 6:30am and the race started at 7am.  It was dark and slightly chilly.  Justin was there to hold my hand and keep me warm before the gun went off.  IT was kind of fun to have him there to experience the crazyness of the startling line.  The gun went off and immediately I was ticked off.  I stood near the middle of the pack, thinking that I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way.  But, I suddenly noticed that there were people with strollers near the front, as well as people who were gung-ho about walking the race.  Are you serious?  Get your butt to the back of the line!  I almost tripped as I weaved around people, but finally caught up with people who were running a good pace.  The race started at the Ellison Park in Layton, Utah and we kind of meandered through some streets and ended up on Gentile street going towards Antelope Island.  We didn’t even make it close to the Island, and then turned around and came back.  Since I had never been to the Island before, I wasn’t too disappointed since I didn’t know what I was missing.  My leg started to hurt around mile 7, which was the time I spotted my Mesa Falls Half Marathon friend ahead of me.  My goal was to catch up to her.  I’m glad I did because I needed some help getting to the finish line.  My hip hurt really bad and I was debating whether to give up or just finish it out.  I’m glad I chose the latter . I finished the race with a new PR.  The one thing that bugged me about the finish line area was that in order to get your food & goodies, you had to walk downhill.  Anyone that has run long distance knows that walking downhill or downstairs is nearly impossible.  Luckily the change was made in 2011.  Overall, a great experience.  I loved the time of the year this race was held.

Too early.

Pushin along with my race buddy :)

You made me walk down a hill for warm water? WHAT?

The race that started the madness......Mesa Falls 2010

Mesa Falls-- August 2010
2:19:24

This was the race that started the madness.  This race is small.  I’d guess there were less than 250 people running this race.  But, it was beautiful and well organized.  This little race has been up and running as a certified course since 2000.  The cost was $50, which if you want more bang for your buck…I’d do the Full Marathon, as its only $5 more.   The Expo is tiny, but you can count on things that really matter in your SWAG bag.  Like the coupon for a free Huckleberry milkshake (heck yes!) or the locally made granola bars or some fishing lures.   The water stations are spread out perfect, and many of the locals have their sprinklers out so runners can cool off.  The volunteers at the water stations are so awesome, and many of the water stations are in people’s yards, and they are SO sweet and kind!  My favorite thing about the race is how beautiful it is.  The race is a point-to-point race that starts at the lower Mesa Falls near Ashton, Idaho.  The first 3 miles of the race are kind of tricky because you are running on a two-man-wide horse trail in the middle of the woods.  Some people hated it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I imagined myself getting chased by a bear and I FLEW like the wind.  I didn’t wear a Garmin on this race, but the lady I was running next to said we were doing an 8 minute/8:30 minute pace.  Good heavens.  After you come out of the woods you have to climb this huge hill that seems like forever, but I think it’s only like a half mile.  It’s the ultimate climb.  It’s hard.  Many people walked.  Since I live in an area with a lot of hill training, this part wasn’t as hard for me.  This was the point where I was actually passing people.  Around mile 6 we come out of the forest and into farm country.  We run next to beautiful farmland for the next 6 miles.  It was hard.  Six miles of rolling hills seemed like mountains to me.  Luckily it wasn’t windy; otherwise it would’ve been disssssgusting.  The last mile of the race runs through the little tiny town of Ashton, Idaho.  It’s a cute little tourist town, and at the Finish Line the announcer says your name loud and proud.  I started to sprint.  I hadn’t fueled properly and learned my lesson.  When I finished the race there was so much Gatorade and water sloshing in my stomach that I walked to the nearest tree and puked.  Luckily my mom was there to hold my hair back.  Sick!  They had massage therapists there as well as lots of good food.  But, I wasn’t in the mood.  I was wiped out after my first attempt at the Half Marathon.  My hubby drove me home and I feel asleep for 5 hours.  When I woke up, I was a hungry beast and demanded food.  But, overall I LOVED my first half marathon experience.  Mesa Falls was a hard course, and all the veterans running the race thought I was crazy for choosing the race as my first Half Marathon….but I loved it and thought it was the perfect start to my insanity!!   

My FAVORITE picture of me running....ever!  Vain?  Maybe.  But, I look gooood. 

Hello!! Beautiful, eh?

Half way to the finish line.  So focused!

Finish Line!  It's about time!

And..how did I feel afterwards????