The end of the school year always brings crazy times for me at work. We are wrapping up one semester, beginning another semester, and preparing for/executing two commencement ceremonies. It is a stressful time (not because the work is not enjoyable or difficult necessarily, just because it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day!) but a really fun time as well. In my office (Registrar's Office) we get to work with people from the time they are a prospective student all the way through until they are an alumni, so commencement is always a special time for us. This year is especially bittersweet because Chad and I have so many dear friends graduating. I am so proud of each of them - it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to earn a 96-hour Master of Divinity degree or one of Asbury's MA degrees. This season is also giving me a glimpse into what our future will be like next year as we prepare to leave Kentucky and head home to Louisiana. We can't wait to get home, but it is going to be harder than I thought to leave our friends and the life that we have built for ourselves here in Kentucky.
I've been able to get in some really good workouts over the past couple of weeks. I'm sticking to my plan and loving it. I feel fatigued most nights, but in a good way. I am sleeping like a rock and wake up each morning at 4:30am feeling refreshed and ready to go. In the past I've woken up anywhere between 4:45am and 5:15am and sometimes struggled with consistency, but 4:30am must be the sweet spot for me. Most mornings I wake up before my alarms go off. I love that I am able to get in at least a 1 hour workout, a walk with Emma, and a semi-leisurely breakfast before I have to really start getting ready and be at work by 8:00am. And getting all of my workouts in really helps with my stress levels, too!
Workout Log
Mon 5/10:
AM: 45:00 "push-run"
-set of 10 squats every 10 minutes
Tues 5/11:
PM: 30 minute swim
-I like swimming in the evening about as much as I like running in the evening, but I wanted to get it done.
Wed 5/12:
AM: 1:03 run
-2k x 6 intervals w/ 2 min. rest in between
-Hoo nelly! These were tough, but fun!
Thurs 5/13:
AM: 40:00 push run
-set of 10 squats every 10 minutes
Fri 5/14:
Rest day
Sat 5/15:
-9.6 mile bike/37:04/16.3 avg mph
-1 hour run
-Planned to swim, but pool closed for cleaning
Sun 5/16:
-No bike due to rain
-40:47 nice and easy run
Swimming has been a comedy of errors (scheduling at the pool is not consistent, and differs daily from the monthly schedule they send out to members...argh!) and the weather hasn't cooperated with me too much lately on the bike. My running is going great, but I have to spend more time on the bike and more time in the pool. Once things settle down and I get into a routine for the summer I know it will be easier to have a more consistent swim and ride schedule. Right now I ride on Tuesday nights, Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings. During the summer I get off at 12:30pm on Fridays (so great!) so I am thinking of adding in an early afternoon Friday ride.
Chad and I are going out of town next weekend (Memorial Day weekend) for my aunt's wedding, Chad's sister's Doctor of Physical Therapy graduation, and a visit to our family in Monroe. I can't wait! It will be so nice to be in Texas and Louisiana for a few days, and we will get to see everyone! My immediate and extended family, and Chad's immediate and extended family! I hope to take lots of pictures to post here. I am going to try to still get some good workouts in, but I mainly want to enjoy the time with family. We normally are only able to head south twice a year, so this will be a really fun "bonus" trip!
One more thing - I'm almost through reading "Born to Run" by Chris McDougal and it is incredibly interesting! I know it spawned the whole barefoot movement a few years ago, but I wonder why it didn't spawn a vegetarian movement amongst runners? I have been thinking about getting a pair of Nike Frees for awhile, and I think I am finally going to get them. My Lunarglides are at the end of their rope, and my sister has had success with her Frees, so I think now would be a good time to try them. I'll be sure to post a review!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Transitioning to Triathlon
Oh, the triathlon puns are just too easy. Last week was Week 1 of my triathlon training for the summer triathlon season. I have two triathlons planned for this summer:
I am really looking forward to the second triathlon, River Cities, in Shreveport. This race is known as the oldest and largest triathlon in the South. No way am I getting an AG award here! What is going to be so cool about River Cities is that I will be racing with my sister Megan and my aunt Genie! Chad and I go to Louisiana for a week every summer and it just so happened that this race is on one of the weekends we will be home! It will be awesome to do something I love with the people I love on the race course and on the sidelines!!
So needless to say, I am super motivated with my training. I want to get faster and fitter this summer in order to get an AG award at Markey, and to finish well at River Cities. When creating a training plan for this summer I modified and meshed a few plans together from TriNewbie.com and BeginnerTriathlete.com. I am only one week into my training, but I love it so far! Instead of focusing on getting in specific mileage, I'm focusing more on getting in time. Here are a few pictures of my 15 week training plan, which I cut and pasted into a Moleskine 2010 planner. I have the plan at the front of the planner, and then I keep a workout log on the monthly calendar.
Weeks 1-5
Weeks 6-15
(note: the "vacation in LA" days will be right after the River Cities tri, so I will use that week as a rest week, but I know I will still make good use of my in-law's pool and the flat roads of Louisiana!)
Workout Log: May 3rd-10th
My training plan follows the same basic pattern each week, with build-up weeks and recovery weeks built in. For the most part, my schedule will look like this:
Monday: 1 hour push-run*
Tuesday: 45 minute swim (am), 1-2 hour group ride (pm)
Wednesday: 4-6 mile repeat run
Thursday: 1 hour push-run
Friday: 45 minute swim**
Saturday: 1 hour run, 1 hour ride, 30-45 minute swim
Sunday: 1 hour ride, 20-30 minute run
*Push-runs, created by Brett at Zen Triathlon, consist of running for 10 minutes, then stopping to do a set of push-ups, pull-ups, or squats. I've found what works best for me is to do a set of 10 squats every 10 minutes, and then when I get home I immediately do 3 sets each of 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups. Mixing anaerobic and aerobic really helps to burn fat, plus the squats help with my cycling and the push-ups and sit-ups help with my swimming.
**I realized last week that I didn't build a rest day into my plan...whoops! I think I am going to try to use Friday as a rest day, and get in my scheduled Friday morning swim on Thursday evening.
Last week was my first week on this plan and it was so much FUN! I really love the variety that comes with triathlon training. It is a fun mix of really beneficial workouts, too - I think. I do short intervals during my push-runs, so the whole run helps to build strength, speed and endurance.
- Markey Race for Cancer Sprint Triathlon: Lexington, KY - June 27th
- 400m pool swim, 14 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
- River Cities Sprint Triathlon: Shreveport, LA - August 1st
- 800yd open water swim, 18.2 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
- Bluegrass 10k: Lexington, KY - July 4th
- Bluegrass State Games 5k: Nicholasville, KY - July 17th
- Midsummer's Night Run 5k: Lexington, KY - August 14th (Chad is going to do this one!)
I am really looking forward to the second triathlon, River Cities, in Shreveport. This race is known as the oldest and largest triathlon in the South. No way am I getting an AG award here! What is going to be so cool about River Cities is that I will be racing with my sister Megan and my aunt Genie! Chad and I go to Louisiana for a week every summer and it just so happened that this race is on one of the weekends we will be home! It will be awesome to do something I love with the people I love on the race course and on the sidelines!!
So needless to say, I am super motivated with my training. I want to get faster and fitter this summer in order to get an AG award at Markey, and to finish well at River Cities. When creating a training plan for this summer I modified and meshed a few plans together from TriNewbie.com and BeginnerTriathlete.com. I am only one week into my training, but I love it so far! Instead of focusing on getting in specific mileage, I'm focusing more on getting in time. Here are a few pictures of my 15 week training plan, which I cut and pasted into a Moleskine 2010 planner. I have the plan at the front of the planner, and then I keep a workout log on the monthly calendar.
Weeks 1-5
Weeks 6-15(note: the "vacation in LA" days will be right after the River Cities tri, so I will use that week as a rest week, but I know I will still make good use of my in-law's pool and the flat roads of Louisiana!)
Workout Log: May 3rd-10thMy training plan follows the same basic pattern each week, with build-up weeks and recovery weeks built in. For the most part, my schedule will look like this:
Monday: 1 hour push-run*
Tuesday: 45 minute swim (am), 1-2 hour group ride (pm)
Wednesday: 4-6 mile repeat run
Thursday: 1 hour push-run
Friday: 45 minute swim**
Saturday: 1 hour run, 1 hour ride, 30-45 minute swim
Sunday: 1 hour ride, 20-30 minute run
*Push-runs, created by Brett at Zen Triathlon, consist of running for 10 minutes, then stopping to do a set of push-ups, pull-ups, or squats. I've found what works best for me is to do a set of 10 squats every 10 minutes, and then when I get home I immediately do 3 sets each of 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups. Mixing anaerobic and aerobic really helps to burn fat, plus the squats help with my cycling and the push-ups and sit-ups help with my swimming.
**I realized last week that I didn't build a rest day into my plan...whoops! I think I am going to try to use Friday as a rest day, and get in my scheduled Friday morning swim on Thursday evening.
Last week was my first week on this plan and it was so much FUN! I really love the variety that comes with triathlon training. It is a fun mix of really beneficial workouts, too - I think. I do short intervals during my push-runs, so the whole run helps to build strength, speed and endurance.
- My Tuesday night rides are with two experienced and fast cyclists, so they always push me to ride harder than I would on my own. We also usually do a pace line (think back to Indian Runs in high school) which helps to keep our average MPH higher and helps to build power in the legs.
- The swims are pretty simple. I'm working on my form and getting my 100yd time down. Right now it is right at about 2:00, which is dismal. I'm working on getting down to 1:45.
- Saturdays will be for endurance - spending quality time in each discipline but at nice and easy pace, making sure to keep my heart rate under control.
- Sundays brick ride and run will be for race simulation. I have a nice 14 mile loop and a 5k route that I will use each week to simulate the Markey distance. I'll work on my nutrition on the bike (probably just diluted Gatorade and a few shot blocks for a sprint) and my transition to the run.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Country Music Marathon (Race Day)
I woke up at 4:00am from a nightmare. A race-related nightmare. In the nightmare, I overslept and woke up around 11:00am on the day of the race. The dream seemed so real, and I remember feeling such a crushing disappointment over doing something so stupid. I woke up from this at 4:00am and hopped out of bed. I had planned to get up at 4:45, but I wasn't risking going back to sleep and oversleeping. Even though I had three alarms set.
Since it was so early, I got up and read for about 45 minutes and then took a quick shower. I got dressed and went down to Starbucks in the hotel lobby to pick up a tall dark roast and a cup of hot water for my oatmeal. Back in the room, I prepared my oatmeal with 1 banana and 1 tbsp. of peanut butter. Normally I have to choke down food on race days, but I was able to eat most of the oatmeal with no problem. I did a few more things around the room to get ready, including several trips to the bathroom, and then headed to the start around 6:15am.
I had planned on walking to the start, which was only 1.5 miles down the road. It was PERFECT! The weather was so nice - it was sunny and clear, about 60 degrees. I was hoping that we might miss all of the severe weather that was predicted for the day. The walk to the start was super easy - I basically just had to walk down one road for 1.5 miles. Didn't have to make any turns or anything! The road was closed to traffic, and it was basically a mile of gas stations, hotels and restaurants...a nervous kidney's dream!! I stopped in at two hotels to use their bathroom, which were empty and clean - sure beats a port-a-potty! I got to the starting area around 6:45am, and then I heard the starting gun go off. What? The race started at 7:00am...but I found out later that due to the impending severe weather they decided to start at 6:45am. Since there were so many people participating it didn't make too much of a difference, though. I was supposed to be in corral 13, but after one last stop at a port-a-potty I joined the runners in corral 18. After waiting for a few more minutes, our corral got to the starting line (they were releasing the corrals in waves) and off we went.
As the marathon started, I realized I was surrounded by a sea of half-marathoners. There were very few blue marathon bibs (I think there were something like 24,000 half marathoners and 3,000 marathoners) and I remember feeling proud to be running the full. I felt ready, relaxed and prepared for the day. My plan was to stay nice and steady throughout the whole race. Miles 1-11 were very crowded, and actually went by pretty slowly. I thought the first half would go by quickly, what with all of the spectators, other runners and adrenaline - but it actually seemed to take forever! I did see one guy running in a Paducah, KY bike jersey so I struck up a conversation with him. He said he was mainly a cyclist, but had gotten into running. I asked if he had done a half-marathon before, and he said his first race was actually an ultra marathon! He was just doing the half in Nashville because his foot was broken! Crazy.
It was starting to get pretty hot (upper 70's) and the sun was out in full force. I tried to be very conscientious about taking in plenty of water and Cytomax at the aid stations. By the way, the aid stations were perfect! Every time I started to think "I'm a little thirsty" there was an aid station stocked with cold water and friendly volunteers. I tried not to drink too much - didn't want any bathroom breaks - and I also started pouring water on my head to cool down. The race split just after mile 11 - the marathoners went left and the half-marathoners stayed straight. After the split, it really thinned out which was nice. I read some reviews that said the last half of the race was pretty desolate (before you swing back into town for the finish) but it really wasn't that bad. It was kind of nice to have a little serenity and quiet on the course for a while! Amazingly, miles 15-19 went by really quickly. I felt like I was holding onto a steady pace, and the miles were just clicking away. We went through a park near the Cumberland River, and ran on a levee up by the river for a while. Somewhere around here a girl broke down crying and her boyfriend/husband was like "what! what are you doing?" And she was like "I'm listening to my body!!" And he was like "No you're not! Come on, keep going!" And she was like "No - just leave me!" It was a very dramatic exchange. I'm not sure what happened after this, but I hope she continued on!
Around mile 18 we were headed back into town and we came to a long, steady 5 block climb up a pretty substantial hill. That was tough, and everyone around me was walking up it. I did not want to walk at all, so I kept trucking my way up it. I actually did think "well, maybe it would be better if I walk up the hill now to save my energy for later in the race" and I took one walking step, but then I quickly started running again because I could tell that walking would only equal misery.
Around mile 16 I stopped being able to stomach shot blocks. Up until that point I had been eating one every 30 minutes, but then I just could not eat any more. At mile 19 we were back in the downtown area and it started to get very dark and windy and started to rain. Just after mile 20 I noticed they were packing up the timing mats on the course and then everything kind of got chaotic. Spectators and other runners were saying "they're cutting the course short" and "they're making us stop now" and "there's a tornado warning." Honestly, I was like well, that wouldn't be too bad right about now. My quads were definitely starting to ache, but I know I had 6 miles left in me. I was so excited to be at mile 20, in the home stretch, and then the next thing I knew I was crossing the finish line for the half-marathon. What? Basically, the half and full were supposed to split one more time on the course - the marathoners were supposed to go left and do some more miles and finish from the right side of LP Field, while the half-marathoners were to take a right and finish from the left side of LP Field. They blocked off the left turn to the marathon course and forced everyone to finish at the half-marathon line.
Here is the info from the website:
I got my medal (I felt justified taking the full marathon medal) and walked into the finish area. My legs (quadriceps mostly) immediately began aching upon walking, and I could feel the toll that all of the hills had taken. I didn't mention this earlier - but Nashville is one hilly town! I train on a lot of hills so I was prepared, but for some reason I thought it would be a flatter course.
There were lots of fruit cups, bananas and apples, but I was craving something salty like chips or pretzels, and then I had the weirdest craving for beer. I don't even like beer, and have never really even had it. Which brings me to a point that I read on another guy's blog. He ran the race and was pretty pissed about being diverted. His point (a good one) was that none of the tents in the finishing area had been packed up. There were still finisher's merchandise tents, medal engraving tents, beer tents, etc. Were we all in such grave danger that we couldn't run run 4 or 6 more miles, but we could take the time to hang around and get our medals engraved and buy a finisher's t-shirt? That is pretty frustrating. If they were going to shut down the race to get people out of the weather, they should have shut down everything.
Since I finished 1 hour earlier than expected, I borrowed someone's phone and called Chad. He was waiting for me at mile 25, so we quickly decided that we would meet at the foot of the big pedestrian bridge that goes from downtown Nashville over to LP Field. I was basically right at the foot of the bridge, but for some reason I thought it was on the other side of the stadium (and a lady told me it was on the other side) so I walked entirely around the stadium just to get back to where I started! Oh, and it was absolutely pouring rain at this point.
I finally found Chad and explained the whole thing to him as we walked over the pedestrian bridge in gale force winds to get to the car. We headed to our hotel, stopping to eat lunch at a Jack in the Box. I was so tired and so hungry, and my Jumbo Jack, fries and Coke were delicious and full of the sodium I was craving. I know I only ran 20.4 miles, but I felt like I ran a marathon that day!
After lunch we checked into our hotel and I took a shower and changed into warm dry clothes. We wanted to explore Nashville a little more, but the weather was still pretty hellacious outside. Then the power went out in the hotel for about 2 hours, so that was wild. We ventured out that evening for barbecue, and then came back to the hotel and watched more episods of The Pacific and Mayweather Mosley 24/7. And then I went to bed about 8:00pm! Overall, it was a nice and restful low key afternoon and evening.
Overall, I had a fantastic time in Nashville. The race was a great experience, for the most part. It really sucked to have the race cut short, but what can you do. I know the Race Director did what he had to do, and as a participant I should respect that. I think that some of the major decisions (like the early start) could have been communicated better, but you live and learn. Overall, it was a really great trip and I had so much fun with Chad. I don't know if I will do any more full marathons in the future (I think I am going to stick to half-marathons and triathlons), but I would definitely recommend the Country Music Marathon to anyone.
Finally, here are some pictures from the day!
Breakfast of champions, thanks to Starbucks!
I was watching CMT while getting ready (appropriate in Nashville)
My support crew, resting up for the big day
(oh yes, Chad got a big ass tattoo in January!)
Race clothes all ready to go.
Ready to race at 6:00 am!
I am not sure why there is a weird bulge near my belly button...this is NOT a baby bump!
12 hours later...ready to eat at 6:00 pm!
This involved chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, green beans, and fried pickles
Headed home - Chad drinking a latte from Starbucks and wearing my sunglasses
Since it was so early, I got up and read for about 45 minutes and then took a quick shower. I got dressed and went down to Starbucks in the hotel lobby to pick up a tall dark roast and a cup of hot water for my oatmeal. Back in the room, I prepared my oatmeal with 1 banana and 1 tbsp. of peanut butter. Normally I have to choke down food on race days, but I was able to eat most of the oatmeal with no problem. I did a few more things around the room to get ready, including several trips to the bathroom, and then headed to the start around 6:15am.
I had planned on walking to the start, which was only 1.5 miles down the road. It was PERFECT! The weather was so nice - it was sunny and clear, about 60 degrees. I was hoping that we might miss all of the severe weather that was predicted for the day. The walk to the start was super easy - I basically just had to walk down one road for 1.5 miles. Didn't have to make any turns or anything! The road was closed to traffic, and it was basically a mile of gas stations, hotels and restaurants...a nervous kidney's dream!! I stopped in at two hotels to use their bathroom, which were empty and clean - sure beats a port-a-potty! I got to the starting area around 6:45am, and then I heard the starting gun go off. What? The race started at 7:00am...but I found out later that due to the impending severe weather they decided to start at 6:45am. Since there were so many people participating it didn't make too much of a difference, though. I was supposed to be in corral 13, but after one last stop at a port-a-potty I joined the runners in corral 18. After waiting for a few more minutes, our corral got to the starting line (they were releasing the corrals in waves) and off we went.
As the marathon started, I realized I was surrounded by a sea of half-marathoners. There were very few blue marathon bibs (I think there were something like 24,000 half marathoners and 3,000 marathoners) and I remember feeling proud to be running the full. I felt ready, relaxed and prepared for the day. My plan was to stay nice and steady throughout the whole race. Miles 1-11 were very crowded, and actually went by pretty slowly. I thought the first half would go by quickly, what with all of the spectators, other runners and adrenaline - but it actually seemed to take forever! I did see one guy running in a Paducah, KY bike jersey so I struck up a conversation with him. He said he was mainly a cyclist, but had gotten into running. I asked if he had done a half-marathon before, and he said his first race was actually an ultra marathon! He was just doing the half in Nashville because his foot was broken! Crazy.
It was starting to get pretty hot (upper 70's) and the sun was out in full force. I tried to be very conscientious about taking in plenty of water and Cytomax at the aid stations. By the way, the aid stations were perfect! Every time I started to think "I'm a little thirsty" there was an aid station stocked with cold water and friendly volunteers. I tried not to drink too much - didn't want any bathroom breaks - and I also started pouring water on my head to cool down. The race split just after mile 11 - the marathoners went left and the half-marathoners stayed straight. After the split, it really thinned out which was nice. I read some reviews that said the last half of the race was pretty desolate (before you swing back into town for the finish) but it really wasn't that bad. It was kind of nice to have a little serenity and quiet on the course for a while! Amazingly, miles 15-19 went by really quickly. I felt like I was holding onto a steady pace, and the miles were just clicking away. We went through a park near the Cumberland River, and ran on a levee up by the river for a while. Somewhere around here a girl broke down crying and her boyfriend/husband was like "what! what are you doing?" And she was like "I'm listening to my body!!" And he was like "No you're not! Come on, keep going!" And she was like "No - just leave me!" It was a very dramatic exchange. I'm not sure what happened after this, but I hope she continued on!
Around mile 18 we were headed back into town and we came to a long, steady 5 block climb up a pretty substantial hill. That was tough, and everyone around me was walking up it. I did not want to walk at all, so I kept trucking my way up it. I actually did think "well, maybe it would be better if I walk up the hill now to save my energy for later in the race" and I took one walking step, but then I quickly started running again because I could tell that walking would only equal misery.
Around mile 16 I stopped being able to stomach shot blocks. Up until that point I had been eating one every 30 minutes, but then I just could not eat any more. At mile 19 we were back in the downtown area and it started to get very dark and windy and started to rain. Just after mile 20 I noticed they were packing up the timing mats on the course and then everything kind of got chaotic. Spectators and other runners were saying "they're cutting the course short" and "they're making us stop now" and "there's a tornado warning." Honestly, I was like well, that wouldn't be too bad right about now. My quads were definitely starting to ache, but I know I had 6 miles left in me. I was so excited to be at mile 20, in the home stretch, and then the next thing I knew I was crossing the finish line for the half-marathon. What? Basically, the half and full were supposed to split one more time on the course - the marathoners were supposed to go left and do some more miles and finish from the right side of LP Field, while the half-marathoners were to take a right and finish from the left side of LP Field. They blocked off the left turn to the marathon course and forced everyone to finish at the half-marathon line.
Here is the info from the website:
Due to severe weather in the Nashville area on race day, a large number of Country Music Marathon runners were subject to a route diversion at one of three different locations. While we know that this was very disappointing to all those affected, this plan was in the best interests and safety of all involved, especially the participants and volunteers. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation on race day.
The marathon diversions that were in place are as follows:
- If you did not reach the 11.2 mile at approximately 9:20 you were diverted to the half marathon course and your results will appear as a half marathoner.
- Just past the 20 mile point at 1st and Woodland runners were diverted to the half marathon finish and completed approximately 20.4 miles. If we recorded you on the 20 mile mats and you had a finish at the half marathon, you were moved to a newly created 20.4 mile race.
- Just past the 21 mile point at 5th and Davidson runners were diverted to the marathon finish and completed approximately 22.2 miles. If we recorded you on the 20 mile mats, had a finish at the marathon finish and took less than 30 Minutes to complete the last 6.2 miles, you were moved to a new 22.2 mile race.
The race results are all kinds of messed up. I was not recorded on the 20 mile mat, so I am listed as a half-marathoner with a 3:28:44 finish time and 15:56 pace! That is disappointing, because it is not accurate at all. I actually did 20.4 miles in 3:28:45, with an average pace of 10:13. If I could have kept this pace, I would have finished in 4:28:04 - just meeting my 4:30 goal. But, oh well - I'll never know what could have been!
I got my medal (I felt justified taking the full marathon medal) and walked into the finish area. My legs (quadriceps mostly) immediately began aching upon walking, and I could feel the toll that all of the hills had taken. I didn't mention this earlier - but Nashville is one hilly town! I train on a lot of hills so I was prepared, but for some reason I thought it would be a flatter course.
There were lots of fruit cups, bananas and apples, but I was craving something salty like chips or pretzels, and then I had the weirdest craving for beer. I don't even like beer, and have never really even had it. Which brings me to a point that I read on another guy's blog. He ran the race and was pretty pissed about being diverted. His point (a good one) was that none of the tents in the finishing area had been packed up. There were still finisher's merchandise tents, medal engraving tents, beer tents, etc. Were we all in such grave danger that we couldn't run run 4 or 6 more miles, but we could take the time to hang around and get our medals engraved and buy a finisher's t-shirt? That is pretty frustrating. If they were going to shut down the race to get people out of the weather, they should have shut down everything.
Since I finished 1 hour earlier than expected, I borrowed someone's phone and called Chad. He was waiting for me at mile 25, so we quickly decided that we would meet at the foot of the big pedestrian bridge that goes from downtown Nashville over to LP Field. I was basically right at the foot of the bridge, but for some reason I thought it was on the other side of the stadium (and a lady told me it was on the other side) so I walked entirely around the stadium just to get back to where I started! Oh, and it was absolutely pouring rain at this point.
I finally found Chad and explained the whole thing to him as we walked over the pedestrian bridge in gale force winds to get to the car. We headed to our hotel, stopping to eat lunch at a Jack in the Box. I was so tired and so hungry, and my Jumbo Jack, fries and Coke were delicious and full of the sodium I was craving. I know I only ran 20.4 miles, but I felt like I ran a marathon that day!
After lunch we checked into our hotel and I took a shower and changed into warm dry clothes. We wanted to explore Nashville a little more, but the weather was still pretty hellacious outside. Then the power went out in the hotel for about 2 hours, so that was wild. We ventured out that evening for barbecue, and then came back to the hotel and watched more episods of The Pacific and Mayweather Mosley 24/7. And then I went to bed about 8:00pm! Overall, it was a nice and restful low key afternoon and evening.
Overall, I had a fantastic time in Nashville. The race was a great experience, for the most part. It really sucked to have the race cut short, but what can you do. I know the Race Director did what he had to do, and as a participant I should respect that. I think that some of the major decisions (like the early start) could have been communicated better, but you live and learn. Overall, it was a really great trip and I had so much fun with Chad. I don't know if I will do any more full marathons in the future (I think I am going to stick to half-marathons and triathlons), but I would definitely recommend the Country Music Marathon to anyone.
Finally, here are some pictures from the day!
Breakfast of champions, thanks to Starbucks!
I was watching CMT while getting ready (appropriate in Nashville)and lo and behold there was Keith Urban. Goal #2 accomplished!
My support crew, resting up for the big day(oh yes, Chad got a big ass tattoo in January!)
Race clothes all ready to go.
Ready to race at 6:00 am!I am not sure why there is a weird bulge near my belly button...this is NOT a baby bump!
12 hours later...ready to eat at 6:00 pm!This involved chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, green beans, and fried pickles
Headed home - Chad drinking a latte from Starbucks and wearing my sunglassesCountry Music Marathon (Pre-Race)
On Friday morning, Chad and I woke up early and got ready to hit the road. The only one who wanted to sleep in was Emma! She was buried under several blankets in our bed, snoozing away. We woke her up and got her ready to go, then dropped her off at the kennel and headed south. Luckily Emma does really well at kennels - I know she enjoys the social aspect! We boarded her at a smaller kennel that came highly recommended by my boss, so I felt very at ease knowing that she was in good hands for the weekend.
When we started out towards Nashville it was pouring rain. But after about an hour on the road the skies cleared, the sun came out, and it turned into pretty much the perfect day. We arrived in Nashville around 11:30 and went straight to the Chipotle in the Vanderbilt area for lunch. I had 3/4 of a vegetarian burrito bowl - I think that is my favorite meal ever. The Chipotle was right across the street from the starting area for the race, so it was neat to be able to scope that out a little before the race.
After lunch we headed to our hotel, The Renaissance, which was only like a mile and a half away. The hotel was attached to the Nashville Convention Center where the expo was being held, which made for absolutely crazy traffic. There were people and cars everywhere, and for the life of us we could not find the entrance to the hotel's parking garage. We quickly decided to just use the valet, which was worth every penny of the $30 charge to get us out of the chaos. We arrived about 4 hours earlier than the posted check-in time, but luckily our room was ready. After putting our bags in the room, we headed down to the expo. It was so nice to just have to walk across the lobby to the Convention Center rather than drive across town.
At the expo I picked up my packet, bib and shirt and then we walked around to some of the booths. There was a huge Nissan booth, and Eddie George was there signing autographs. I'm not that interested in Eddie George, but I'm very interested in Ryan Hall, another Nissan athlete. I asked one of the Nissan employees if Ryan was going to be signing autographs anytime soon, and she said he was going to be there in about 10 minutes. I couldn't believe my luck! What are the odds that we would be in the right place at the right time to meet one of America's top marathoners? There were just a few people in line, so we secured our spot and looked through my packet. Once Eddie George was done signing autographs he walked right past me! I quickly snapped a picture of him, because I know my dad is a fan. (There are lots of pictures from the day at the end of the post.)
I was so nervous to meet Ryan Hall that I kept going over my three conversation points with Chad: Twitter, Boston, book. I repeated this over and over for ten minutes. I wanted to tell Ryan that I follow him on Twitter (@ryanhall3), congratulate him on his American course record at the Boston Marathon that week, and tell him I was looking forward to reading his book that he is writing with Josh Cox. When it was my turn to meet him, I hit all three bullet points, got an autographed poster, and then got two pictures with him. It was awesome!! He was so nice, and he definitely looks much younger in person. It was such a fun experience!
After meeting Ryan, Chad and I set out to find the Team Livestrong booth. I was really looking forward to meeting Dylan Trakas, the Team Livestrong staffer who coordinated the Country Music Marathon team. We found the booth and I got to meet Dylan and Amy Dodson. Amy is an incredible athlete - you can read more about her here. She has one leg, one lung, and is about to run the Western States 100 mile run. She lost one leg and one lung to cancer, but she is doing truly incredible things with the one lung and leg that she has left. She has done several marathons and ultras, and Western States will be her first 100 mile run. I asked her if she had any plans to do Badwater, but she said she was worried about the long term internal effects! She got to run a marathon with Dean Karnazes in Arizona as part of his 50 Marathons/50 States/50 Days tour, so we talked about that for a little while which was so cool! It was so awesome to meet these people at the expo - it was definitely an inspirational boost for race day!
After checking out the expo a little more, we headed back to the room to rest for a while. We watched college men's gymnastics on ESPNHD2 - it was amazing! After resting for a while, we headed back out to the streets of Nashville. Our hotel was one block off of Broadway, which is the "main drag" with all of the neat shops, boot stores, honky tonks, etc. There was a ton to see in a pretty small area - just a few blocks, really. It was so neat to see the Ryman Auditorium, Ernest Tubbs Record Shop, Gruhn Guitars, and Hatch Show Print. Chad has been talking about Gruhn Guitars for months - it was like a mecca for him. I am continually amazed at his knowledge of all things guitar...it is incredible! So we spent a lot of time at Gruhn's, then walked around some more before heading back to the hotel to rest before dinner. I was afraid I was doing too much walking!
We had two places in mind for dinner - Demo's or the Old Spaghetti Warehouse. They were just a few blocks from each other, so I figured we would go to the one with the shortest wait. We walked past Demo's and there were like 100 people outside...next! We headed up the block to Old Spaghetti Warehouse, and passed a Sbarro on the way. The wait was pretty long at the Spaghetti Warehouse too, so we just went back to Sbarro. I got baked ziti, a breadstick, a caeser salad, and a bottle of Gatorade. It was quick, cheap, fast and filling - a good combo! After dinner we walked to Mike's Ice Cream for dessert, and then headed back to the hotel. By now it was about 6:30pm (felt like 7:30pm Eastern to me) and I was wearing down. I laid out my clothes and breakfast for the race, got ready for bed and was in bed by 7:00!
An episode of The Pacific was on HBO which was really interesting, but terribly gruesome! Chad loves Band of Brothers, so he was excited to catch a few episodes of The Pacific. After setting three alarms for the morning, I was snoozing by 7:30pm. I was glad our hotel was so centrally located because it accommodated me going to sleep in the early evening, and Chad was still able to get out and walk through downtown some more to keep from going stir crazy!
Here are some pictures from Friday - stay tuned for my race report!
Eddie George, former Tennessee Titans running back
Ryan Hall and me!!!!!
Amy Dodson, me, and Dylan Trakas
(I should have worn one of my Livestrong shirts!)
Apparently I sweat when I meet famous people.
Gruhn Guitars - Chad's reason for wanting to go to Nashville!
They had a buy 1 get 2 free special on boots -
Chad told me he almost got some new boots after I went to sleep!
The Ryman Auditorium
Perhaps this would lead me to Keith Urban?
Hatch Show Print - such a cool place!
We searched for a Wilco at the Ryman print, but to no avail.
Frozen yogurt from Mike's Ice Cream
When we started out towards Nashville it was pouring rain. But after about an hour on the road the skies cleared, the sun came out, and it turned into pretty much the perfect day. We arrived in Nashville around 11:30 and went straight to the Chipotle in the Vanderbilt area for lunch. I had 3/4 of a vegetarian burrito bowl - I think that is my favorite meal ever. The Chipotle was right across the street from the starting area for the race, so it was neat to be able to scope that out a little before the race.
After lunch we headed to our hotel, The Renaissance, which was only like a mile and a half away. The hotel was attached to the Nashville Convention Center where the expo was being held, which made for absolutely crazy traffic. There were people and cars everywhere, and for the life of us we could not find the entrance to the hotel's parking garage. We quickly decided to just use the valet, which was worth every penny of the $30 charge to get us out of the chaos. We arrived about 4 hours earlier than the posted check-in time, but luckily our room was ready. After putting our bags in the room, we headed down to the expo. It was so nice to just have to walk across the lobby to the Convention Center rather than drive across town.
At the expo I picked up my packet, bib and shirt and then we walked around to some of the booths. There was a huge Nissan booth, and Eddie George was there signing autographs. I'm not that interested in Eddie George, but I'm very interested in Ryan Hall, another Nissan athlete. I asked one of the Nissan employees if Ryan was going to be signing autographs anytime soon, and she said he was going to be there in about 10 minutes. I couldn't believe my luck! What are the odds that we would be in the right place at the right time to meet one of America's top marathoners? There were just a few people in line, so we secured our spot and looked through my packet. Once Eddie George was done signing autographs he walked right past me! I quickly snapped a picture of him, because I know my dad is a fan. (There are lots of pictures from the day at the end of the post.)
I was so nervous to meet Ryan Hall that I kept going over my three conversation points with Chad: Twitter, Boston, book. I repeated this over and over for ten minutes. I wanted to tell Ryan that I follow him on Twitter (@ryanhall3), congratulate him on his American course record at the Boston Marathon that week, and tell him I was looking forward to reading his book that he is writing with Josh Cox. When it was my turn to meet him, I hit all three bullet points, got an autographed poster, and then got two pictures with him. It was awesome!! He was so nice, and he definitely looks much younger in person. It was such a fun experience!
After meeting Ryan, Chad and I set out to find the Team Livestrong booth. I was really looking forward to meeting Dylan Trakas, the Team Livestrong staffer who coordinated the Country Music Marathon team. We found the booth and I got to meet Dylan and Amy Dodson. Amy is an incredible athlete - you can read more about her here. She has one leg, one lung, and is about to run the Western States 100 mile run. She lost one leg and one lung to cancer, but she is doing truly incredible things with the one lung and leg that she has left. She has done several marathons and ultras, and Western States will be her first 100 mile run. I asked her if she had any plans to do Badwater, but she said she was worried about the long term internal effects! She got to run a marathon with Dean Karnazes in Arizona as part of his 50 Marathons/50 States/50 Days tour, so we talked about that for a little while which was so cool! It was so awesome to meet these people at the expo - it was definitely an inspirational boost for race day!
After checking out the expo a little more, we headed back to the room to rest for a while. We watched college men's gymnastics on ESPNHD2 - it was amazing! After resting for a while, we headed back out to the streets of Nashville. Our hotel was one block off of Broadway, which is the "main drag" with all of the neat shops, boot stores, honky tonks, etc. There was a ton to see in a pretty small area - just a few blocks, really. It was so neat to see the Ryman Auditorium, Ernest Tubbs Record Shop, Gruhn Guitars, and Hatch Show Print. Chad has been talking about Gruhn Guitars for months - it was like a mecca for him. I am continually amazed at his knowledge of all things guitar...it is incredible! So we spent a lot of time at Gruhn's, then walked around some more before heading back to the hotel to rest before dinner. I was afraid I was doing too much walking!
We had two places in mind for dinner - Demo's or the Old Spaghetti Warehouse. They were just a few blocks from each other, so I figured we would go to the one with the shortest wait. We walked past Demo's and there were like 100 people outside...next! We headed up the block to Old Spaghetti Warehouse, and passed a Sbarro on the way. The wait was pretty long at the Spaghetti Warehouse too, so we just went back to Sbarro. I got baked ziti, a breadstick, a caeser salad, and a bottle of Gatorade. It was quick, cheap, fast and filling - a good combo! After dinner we walked to Mike's Ice Cream for dessert, and then headed back to the hotel. By now it was about 6:30pm (felt like 7:30pm Eastern to me) and I was wearing down. I laid out my clothes and breakfast for the race, got ready for bed and was in bed by 7:00!
An episode of The Pacific was on HBO which was really interesting, but terribly gruesome! Chad loves Band of Brothers, so he was excited to catch a few episodes of The Pacific. After setting three alarms for the morning, I was snoozing by 7:30pm. I was glad our hotel was so centrally located because it accommodated me going to sleep in the early evening, and Chad was still able to get out and walk through downtown some more to keep from going stir crazy!
Here are some pictures from Friday - stay tuned for my race report!
Eddie George, former Tennessee Titans running back
Ryan Hall and me!!!!!
Amy Dodson, me, and Dylan Trakas(I should have worn one of my Livestrong shirts!)
Apparently I sweat when I meet famous people.
Gruhn Guitars - Chad's reason for wanting to go to Nashville!
They had a buy 1 get 2 free special on boots -Chad told me he almost got some new boots after I went to sleep!
The Ryman Auditorium
Perhaps this would lead me to Keith Urban?
Hatch Show Print - such a cool place!We searched for a Wilco at the Ryman print, but to no avail.
Frozen yogurt from Mike's Ice CreamTuesday, April 27, 2010
Stay Tuned...
I've got two pretty long posts in the works for the Country Music Marathon. Remember my two goals from my last post? Well, I actually accomplished both! Stay tuned to find out more...
Thursday, April 22, 2010
My Inspiration
I have two goals for this race.
1) To finish under 4:30
2) Have a Keith Urban sighting
...luckily, one is within the realm of possibility!
A few weeks ago, I decided that when the going gets tough at the race on Saturday, I want to be able to easily call to mind all of the great people in my life. So I took a business card and jotted down 18 names on the back. Distance running can be such a mental challenge, so it is very encouraging to know that I can look down at this small card and instantly see 18 reasons why I should keep going.
These 18 people (or groups of people) mean so much to me, and I am incredibly blessed to have them in my life. Here they are (in no particular order)...you each will be with me as I make my way to the finish line on Saturday morning!
Chad - the love of my life, my wonderful husband and friend
Emma - my heartbeat, my baby...oh and I guess she is a dog, too. Our 5 year old mini-dachshund who brings so much joy to my life.
Mom & Dad - my incredibly supportive parents who I can't wait to call once I cross the finish line.
Michelle & Brittany- my sister and niece who I am incredibly proud of - my sister has lost 60 pounds in one year! And Brittany is so funny and sweet - my little tween is growing up so fast.
Megan - my twin sister and best friend, and the one who started my marathon dreams when she ran the White Rock Marathon in 2005.
My extended family (my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents) - I can't wait until we are back home and live closer to everyone again!
Mr. David & Mrs. Suzy - my amazingly supportive in-laws, can't wait to cheer on Mr. David as he runs New York this fall!
Payton & Jay - my hilarious and sassy sister-in-law and brother-in-law (Jay's not very sassy though)
Our Wilmore friends - our family away from family: Strebecks, Mostroms, Caldwells, Raborns, Harolds and Herons
Kelly Grace - my running partner and friend, a true inspiration to me
Lindsay, Sarah, Angela - my friends who are running the Derby Festival Marathon and mini-marathon on Saturday-I will definitely be thinking of them! Each of them are so inspiring in their own right, and I am excited to hear how their races go.
Elite/Pro/Inspirational Athletes like Matt Long, Kellie Smirnoff, Ryan Hall, Josh Cox, Deena Kastor, Meb Kefleghzi, Dean Karnazes, and Scott Jurek
Thank you all for your friendship, support and inspiration - I am so glad you are with me on this journey!
1) To finish under 4:30
2) Have a Keith Urban sighting
...luckily, one is within the realm of possibility!
A few weeks ago, I decided that when the going gets tough at the race on Saturday, I want to be able to easily call to mind all of the great people in my life. So I took a business card and jotted down 18 names on the back. Distance running can be such a mental challenge, so it is very encouraging to know that I can look down at this small card and instantly see 18 reasons why I should keep going.
These 18 people (or groups of people) mean so much to me, and I am incredibly blessed to have them in my life. Here they are (in no particular order)...you each will be with me as I make my way to the finish line on Saturday morning!
Chad - the love of my life, my wonderful husband and friend
Emma - my heartbeat, my baby...oh and I guess she is a dog, too. Our 5 year old mini-dachshund who brings so much joy to my life.
Mom & Dad - my incredibly supportive parents who I can't wait to call once I cross the finish line.
Michelle & Brittany- my sister and niece who I am incredibly proud of - my sister has lost 60 pounds in one year! And Brittany is so funny and sweet - my little tween is growing up so fast.
Megan - my twin sister and best friend, and the one who started my marathon dreams when she ran the White Rock Marathon in 2005.
My extended family (my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents) - I can't wait until we are back home and live closer to everyone again!
Mr. David & Mrs. Suzy - my amazingly supportive in-laws, can't wait to cheer on Mr. David as he runs New York this fall!
Payton & Jay - my hilarious and sassy sister-in-law and brother-in-law (Jay's not very sassy though)
Our Wilmore friends - our family away from family: Strebecks, Mostroms, Caldwells, Raborns, Harolds and Herons
Kelly Grace - my running partner and friend, a true inspiration to me
Lindsay, Sarah, Angela - my friends who are running the Derby Festival Marathon and mini-marathon on Saturday-I will definitely be thinking of them! Each of them are so inspiring in their own right, and I am excited to hear how their races go.
Elite/Pro/Inspirational Athletes like Matt Long, Kellie Smirnoff, Ryan Hall, Josh Cox, Deena Kastor, Meb Kefleghzi, Dean Karnazes, and Scott Jurek
Thank you all for your friendship, support and inspiration - I am so glad you are with me on this journey!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Nashville Packing List
Here is my first post on race preparation this week - my extensive packing list! It really helps to ease my mind when I have everything written down and planned out. I also have a personal itinerary (I'm not making Chad stick to it!) for Friday and Saturday (will probably post it next!) just to make sure that I don't forget to do anything in the excitement of all the pre-race activities. My main goal for Friday is to relax , rest, and eat and hydrate well. It will only take 3 or so hours to get to Nashville, and Chad and I hope to be there by 12:00pm. I hope to be asleep by 8:00pm!
I've already started my "carbo-loading" for the week - each night this week I am eating a serving of whole wheat linguine with marinara sauce and sauteed squash, zucchini and spinach - it is super filling and delicious!
Now onto the packing list...
Emma’s Kennel Items
I've already started my "carbo-loading" for the week - each night this week I am eating a serving of whole wheat linguine with marinara sauce and sauteed squash, zucchini and spinach - it is super filling and delicious!
Now onto the packing list...
Emma’s Kennel Items
q Doggie information card
q Copy of recent shots and vaccinations
q SBL tote bag (with name tag attached)
§ Blanket
§ Food container & scoop
§ 1 toy (monkey)
Miscellaneous:
q Race confirmation paperwork
q Hotel confirmation paperwork
q Snacks
§Larabars
§Apples
§Almonds
§Pretzels
§Trail mix
§Water
§ Gatorade
q Breakfast (Saturday)
§ Oatmeal (2 packs)
§ 1 banana
§ Peanut butter
q Utensils
§ Disposable bowl
§ Disposable spoon
§ Disposable knife
§ 1/3 measuring cup
q ShotBlocks (8 in saran wrap + xtras)
q iPod
q Laptop
q Cell phone charger
q Camera
q Foam roller
q Bathing suit/swim cap/goggles
q Pillow
q Wal Mart bags
Race day clothes:
q Sporthill blue shorts
q Back-up shorts
q Socks (salmon Brooks = race day socks)
q T-shirts
q Yellow LIVESTRONG shirt
q Throw away long sleeve shirt
q Disposable pancho
q White Nike hat
q Flying Pig hat
q Nike Lunarglides
q Nike sports bra
q Black capri pants
q T-shirts
q Socks
q Flip flops
q Gray New Balance shoes
q Jeans
q Body wash
q Shampoo
q Toothbrush and toothpaste
q Contact solution
q Extra contacts
q Face wash
q Q-tips
q Glasses
q Flip flops
q T-shirt
q Light jacket
q Shorts/pants
q Cell phone
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