Eisenhower Marathon

After the expo, with President Eisenhower.

Ahhh… it’s finally here! My first full marathon! I was excited, but also very nervous. I flew into Kansas City the day before the race, and my mom and sister picked me up from the airport. We headed to Abilene to go to the (small) race expo. I knew it would be small, as this race was also my first half marathon a year ago! You can read about that race here. Then we all headed to dinner (my in-laws, grandparents in-law, husband, sister and her husband, and my parents) before hitting the hay.

My mom and sister were both doing their first half marathon this weekend too! Last year, I ran the half, my sister the 10k and my mom the 5k. You could say this family runs!

Race morning… zero dark thirty! You guys… spring marathons are tough. You train all winter long in cool/ cold conditions and then race morning shows up and it’s already 75 degrees and crazy high humidity… oh and 30ish mph wind gusts. WHY?! Alas… that was the situation today. Nothing I could do about it but adjust my goals a bit. My only REAL goal was to finish the darn thing. but secretly I’d love to break 4 hours! That’s a tall order for a first marathon, or ANY marathon but let’s see what happens!

Getting ready to run!

I knew the course, and knew there was really only one hill, that we went through a nice park both on the out and back in… and that the marathon course was just a double loop of the half marathon course.

Knowing this info, our families stationed themselves in the entrance/exit to the park area so they’d be able to see my sister and mom four times, and me eight times! Not bad spectating for them and easy since they didn’t have to move until after we started (and they’d have about 4 miles to get there) and until the last time I passed (around mile 22). I’m not sure there’s an easier race to spectate!

We took off and headed straight into the headwind for the first 3 or so miles… awesome. I felt pretty good and just tried to keep my pace nice and easy. I just recently got my Garmin watch, and I must say it’s nice to be able to see what pace you’re running! I headed out around 8:45 pace and tried to tuck behind a few taller people to use them as a wind block.

Mile 4 or so.. feeling good!

We climbed the hill and headed into our first loop of the park. Luckily the trees blocked the wind and the rising sun for a few miles too.

I decided to carry my own bottle this race with my Tailwind I’d been using for training. The course did have a few aid stations but I figured I should use what I trained with for months on end… even if I was totally tired of the flavor!

I kept cruising along pretty well, and remember hitting the first turn around point (about 6.5 miles) feeling really good! I knew I’d see the family in about a mile and a half, and once again before heading to the finish line for the first time.

Once down the hill, I got to run WITH the wind! Boy… I felt like I was flying!

But then… I crossed the finish line and there were cheers in the crowd! Until they realized I was turning around and heading back out… and the entire crowd let out a collective groan, as if to say “oh, yeah, she’s not done yet.” Right then and there, I feel like I lost all my mojo. Poof. Gone, like their collective sigh, blown away by the 30 mph winds I now had 3.5 miles to run straight into again.

Really, the only “good” part that came out of the next miles (13-17ish) was seeing both my sister and my mom bringing it home for their first half marathon. I was so proud of them! Even though I knew I wouldn't see them actually finish the race I could feel their joy and excitement building (all while mine continued to dwindle).

Around mile 18 I found a gentleman to run with (in the picture he has the red/ white/ blue shirt on). This marathon was his 129th. ONE HUNDRED AND 29 marathons. I couldn’t believe it! He was working his way through the 50 states for a third time. He just loved running in races, even if they weren’t his fastest. I ended up running with him until about mile 24 when my energy was pretty much gone and all I could think about was sitting down and eating pancakes.

No more smiles… lets finish this up!

I was thankful for the tail wind the last few miles, because if it weren’t for those big wind gusts I’m pretty sure I would have walked it the entire way back in. The wind pretty much blew me to the finish line. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but it was a big learning experience on needing a bit more marathon preparation for the next one for sure!

Finish line!

Yeah, I’m just gonna sit here awhile.

In the end, I finished in 4:10 and change, right about 9:30 pace. I did end up walking some. I let my mind get the better of me starting around 16 miles. I was very thankful to be able to finish, but I really feel like even though I “finished” a marathon I haven’t “ran” a marathon. I definitely want to do what I can to see if I can run an entire marathon, and maybe even try to qualify for Boston. Who knows how long it will take… but dreams worth doing don’t come overnight.

This race sparked a new dream, and I ended up getting second in my age group. Found that out while shoveling pancakes into my mouth. No one needs to know that there were only two of us in that age group…. :)

The cheer squad and runners, post race!

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Maryland

This race was going to be my big goal race for the fall. My first true test of speed after having my son a little over a year ago. Going into this race I had a few months of really solid training, thanks to hiring a new running coach back in July. If you’ve read some other race recaps, you’ll know I had a coach to help me get ready for my first marathon in April 2014. It wasn’t a bad experience per say, but it made me hesitant to hire another and it was one of the reasons why I wanted to become a coach myself... to be a better coach and provide a better experience than the one I had. I had a great chat with my current coach leading into this race and she truly believed I was capable of meeting (and maybe beating) all of my goals I had set for myself based on my training.

Bib pick up at the expo! Love the free race photos. Quick in and out, and back to our hotel.

When I go into an A race (meaning goal race) I usually try to set multiple goals. For the Baltimore Half Marathon they were:
C: Finish strong and healthy
B: Sub 1:45
A: Sub 1:42
Shoot for the Moon: Sub 1:40

We headed to the race expo on Thursday afternoon, so that Friday we could relax and spend a little time exploring the city. Going into race week my family had been in Nashville as my husband had a work conference. I got some solid runs in there but had spent more time on my feet than I had expected, so I really wanted Thursday and Friday to be about relaxing as much as I could so my legs would feel as fresh as possible.

I knew to hit my goals, this race would have to “hurt” and I had to be willing to make it hurt.

Race morning dawned cool and crisp, but race start time wasn’t until 9:45 am for the half marathon. Truly, I was totally on board with this! I typically head out for my long runs around 9 or 9:30 in the morning, so this felt normal to me! I was able to enjoy a great waffle from the hotel, orange juice and banana before heading out for a 15 minute warm-up jog about an hour before the race start. After the jog, I hit the port-o-potty lines. They weren’t too long yet which was greatly appreciated! My body always seems to know it’s race day… if you know what I mean!

Half marathon course.

Elevation chart… they can be so dramatic and somewhat deceiving, don’t you think?!

I finished my warm-up with drills and strides with about 15 minutes before the race started. I felt primed and ready to go, but nervous about finding that uncomfortable zone and hanging on to it as long as I could. After I headed to the start line I took off my long sleeve throw away shirt and waited for the gun to go off.

Thayne and Parker weren’t there yet as start time was close to Parker’s morning nap. They would find me at the finish line though, and that’s what counts!

In my pre-race chat with my coach we came up with a pacing plan and we knew (based on the elevation chart) that it would be challenging, but definitely do-able to hit my goals. She had full belief that 1:42 was more than possible as long as I was willing to work for it. My speed workouts leading up to this race really had been more about building strength as they’ve all been at my threshold pace and steady effort, versus a sprint type of pace. I actually did the math to see what the average incline was going to be from miles 3-6.2ish. With the downhills included, it only came out to be about a 1% incline! That’s not too bad!

Start line of the half marathon. The half started half way through the full marathon course so we would have the same finish line.

I was able to line up pretty close to the front of the start line, and then suddenly the race was off! We had a small incline right away, and I knew that since we were starting near the city and heading straight into the tall buildings that my GPS probably wouldn’t be accurate right from the beginning. I needed to just go off effort and keep my heart rate in check. My coach had said to begin around 7:45-7:50 pace and try to build as the race progressed making the last 3-4 miles really hurt. We also discussed not looking at my watch during the uphill portions because it can kind of mess with your mind if you see your pace slow, but your effort stays the same or is increased. But you can “make up” that time on the downhills if you keep your effort similar.

My watch ticked off the first mile at a 7:07 (oops… too fast!) but I passed the first mile marker around 7:28 in total time (closer, but still too fast!) Mile 2 flattened out, but I was still a little fast at 7:20. I didn’t feel like it was forced or I was running “out of control” so I decided to go with it. Mile 3 had a big downhill and ticked by at 6:54 pace. I knew the next few miles would be climbing though and considered this to be somewhat banked time. I decided to not look at my watch until I heard each mile beeps and go solely on effort and feel.

Now, I am definitely not an advocate on starting out fast and trying to bank time in a race. I really think it’s better to start a bit more conservatively and build as you go. But sometimes you just feel good and have to roll with the punches you’re given on that day! So, roll with it I did.

Not all race photos are fabulous! At least they’re free!

The “oof, I’m getting tired but am so close to my goal so I better keep pushing!” face. Ha!

Miles 3-6 were 7:16, 7:00, 7:33. Mile 6 was the steepest climb in the first half of the race, so I expected this mile to be slower anyway. I was happily surprised I was still in the mid 7s! I knew we’d have about 2 flat miles as we circled a lake near the city. I found a good group of other strong ladies to run with and tried to tuck behind other runners when we headed into a bit of wind. Both miles 7 and 8 were 7:16 pace. Not too bad!

Once we hit mile 9 I knew all the climbing was over except for one more hill close to the finish. I’d worry about that when I got there… but for now decided to keep cruising and pushing the pace. I was on pace for that sub 1:40 shoot for the moon goal! Mile 9 was 7:31 and 10 was 7:30. I still felt good but could feel the fatigue coming on. Only a 5k left! The real race has started.

Mile 11 had a good flat stretch into a slight downhill and brought a bit faster pace at 7:08. I knew that last hill was coming and when I started to climb it I started to have the first negative thoughts enter my mind of the entire race. Usually, this hits closer to mile 8 or 9 so I was thrilled to be this close to the finish before these thoughts crept in. I just kept telling myself that I was strong and capable and was almost (thank goodness) there. My 12th mile was 7:19. Only one to go, and downhill from here to the finish line with one left hand turn!

Sweet, sweet finish lines!

This smile is REAL!

My last full mile was back to 7:09 and I pushed with all I had to the finish line from there. Thayne yelled at me from somewhere in that last push and I saw him and Parker just before I sprinted (well, it at least really felt like sprinting) past them. It was great to see some familiar faces. My watch says my last push was 5:38 pace (HA… I doubt it) but also had me at 13.27 miles overall. From the first mile my watch was already .08 off in distance, and stayed that way until about mile 12, where it picked up a bit more added distance as we came back into the downtown high rise buildings area. So while I’d love to think my final sprint the finish was in the 5’s I know it wasn’t.

Not too shabby!!! Official race results.

I was THRILLED with this race and the end result. My current half marathon PR is from Louisiana in 2016 where I ran a 1:34:58. That course was fairly flat and 2016 was the year I felt unbeatable, PR’ing every race distance I ran that year. So to finish this challenging, hilly race feeling good and within 60 seconds of my PR at only 13 months postpartum… to say I was ecstatic is an understatement! Officially I ran 1:35:51 for 7:19 pace overall.

I texted my coach and she was SO exciting, asking me to call when I had time. It’s such a great feeling to have someone else feel confident in your goals and dreams (my husband very much so believes in me too, by the way!) and to help you feel like they are achievable as well. I know that in 2019 I will break my half marathon PR and I can’t wait to see what comes up next!

Also… this race was my birthday gift to myself. I’ve never ran a race ON my birthday, and I couldn’t be happier with the result and choosing this race as a way to celebrate myself.

Sitting down felt amazing! Plus the medal is pretty cool. The crab opens up to show a skyline of Baltimore.

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Ice Age 50k

I’m a firm believer of doing something that’s a little bit scary every year. In 2018, the “scary thing” came in the form of signing up for my first Ultra Marathon. I knew I didn’t want to travel too far, and if I could find one late spring that would be perfect since I was already training for Boston in April. Insert: Ice Age 50.

Start line! 50k runners are off!

This race opens up in early December and typically sells out in less than 24 hours. So I had my laptop geared up, credit card in hand, ready to register the MINUTE the race opened! The Ice Age 50 has three options: Half Marathon, 50k and 50 mile. I opted for 50k, thinking it would be a good stretch to add 5 more miles after Boston.

On race day I rode down to La Grange with some friends who were running the half. Thayne and Parker would arrive later on, closer to the finish time. It was due to be chilly and wet and we didn’t want Parker outside the entire time. And my friends knew others running the 50m and 50k events too so were good sports about showing up early.

I had no real goals for this race other than to have fun and just finish it! It was a trail race, so I knew it would be slower than running on trails. I also knew the first 13 miles were the most technical and were an out and back, with the following 18 miles being two 9 mile loops on Nordic ski trails. I seemed to have found my “group” of people to run with for the first half marathon distance and we enjoyed chatting with each other about our running histories.

Let’s get this race started!

The first part was pretty much all single track trails on the out and back. It had rained fairly had the day before, but the trails were nice and hard packed with only one spot that was a bit hairy with the mud. Around 4 miles in a spectator told me I was the third female. I kind of scoffed and said “Oh, good to know I guess…” thinking there’s no way it’s going to stay that way. I don’t run trail races… or super long races, and I had no idea what I’d be able to bring today.

At the turn around point for the first 13 miles was an aid station, but I was good to go with my pack, chomps and water bottle. So instead I turned right around and kept going! I tried to kind of count and see how far back 4th place was from me (because 1st and 2nd were already about 8-10 minutes ahead at this point). She wasn’t too far behind and there were more ladies right behind her. Strong women!

I came through the first half marathon right around 2:05 (9:30ish pace). I was thrilled that I hadn’t had to walk yet… some of those trails were steep! I was happy with this pace so far and hoped I could keep it going on the loops.

Through 13 miles… now two 9 mile loops to go!

Thayne had texted me at this point and said he had left our home and would be to the race in about 45 minutes. I knew I wouldn’t see him until I was about 22 miles in then, starting my second (and last) loop of the race.

The Nordic ski loops were much wider trails, a lot of it grass covered with narrow foot paths from other runners (or skiiers). I had lost my running buddies at this point but it was kind of nice to just follow the orange flags and be alone for a little bit. Most of this loop I was completely alone, doing my own thing. So I thought the elevation was fairly steep at times during the first 13 miles… but THIS elevation!! Wow! It’s not that the hills were long, but they were steep. Straight up. Right back down. Right back up! You almost had to sprint the down to get enough momentum to get as far up the other side as you could before needing to hike up (Go Go Gadget Glute Activation!)

I finished the first loop (22 total miles) and saw Thayne and Parker and my friends! I quickly gave them hugs and kisses and took off. I had been texting Thayne a little bit throughout the race telling him my average pace and that I was still (what?!) in third place! He texted me about 5 minutes after I left saying the 4th woman just came through mile 22. I had kind of been running in fear, if that makes sense. More so running with a sense of urgency. Not wanting to fall about and really push the pace, but wanting to make a big effort to run hard enough to stay in third.

Finish line feelings! Yess!

On this loop I at least knew what to expect in terms of the elevation changes and kept my sprint down, run as far up, hike the rest method going. It seemed to be working so far, so why not! I hadn’t had to stop at any aid stations yet and I was so thankful that I packed as many snacks as I did. I started to pass quite a few more people on this last loop and some were 50k runners but quite a few of them were half marathoners. It was so great to cheer them on and have them do the same for me! I kept counting down the miles and realized at the 27 mile aid station that my watch was off by a mile… one less to go right away?! Heck yes! This also meant my average pace was faster than I originally thought!

I finished the race in 5:03 and change, meaning I ran 9:45 ish pace. I was THRILLED with keeping that pace through 31 miles! I only walked on a few of the up hills in the loops, I stopped once for a sweaty (for Thayne and Parker) kiss. Other than that I RAN 31 miles! And I finished as the third overall female! WHAAAAT?! Maybe this trail running thing is for me?

Garmin stats!

Bib, 50k key chain, plaque and a gift card!

Right now, I have no more plans for any ultra marathons or even any more trail races. But this was a pretty good first mother’s day weekend for me. I got to do what I love to do, had a great result and then got to relax with my boys. Up next for me is a half in Idaho!

To go back to the race report archives, click here.