Country Music Half Marathon Race Report

Gary and I left Lexington around 11:30am. On time, for once. We got to Nashville, went straight to the expo and were in and out in less than an hour. We even got to see Denise Austin up close and personal. Now that's not someone you see every day. We escaped the expo just as the lines started to form.

Off to the hotel. Oh dear. After hours spent on travel websites and hotels.com I picked a total crapper. It smelled worse than my feet after a marathon, and the noise from the highway was deafening. (I know I'm complaining, but I actually slept on the floor of the bathroom for a few hours to try to get some rest and relief from the noise) I even put the empty bags from my Luna Moons on the pillow next to me so I could smell the sweet smell of blueberries instead of rancid feet.

We woke up in the morning to some pretty serious rainfall. (this is the last complaint of this report, I promise) It was expected, and it also looked like it wasn't going to last the entire morning. After taking the shuttle to the start line, and waiting in the long line for the potty, Gary and I met up with Jill in Corral 4. It stopped raining! A few anxious minutes later we were off. I was glad to have found Jill as we had planned to run the first 11 together. Then she and Gary would split off and run the rest of the full marathon.

I felt comfortable with our pace for the first few miles, but at mile 2 I realized it was because it was around an 8:30 pace. A little slower than I planned, but I felt like I could make it up. I really enjoy running a race with my friend and husband. It makes the miles go by a lot faster. We walked 30 seconds through each aid station and I was feeling great until mile 8 when Gary told me I was no longer allowed to walk through the aid stations. I heard this as "you're off pace, pick it up, no more fun". It was what I needed to hear because I did have a goal of 1:45 in mind. So we picked it up until mile 11. Gary and Jill went to the left and I went to the right. It was a little sad to see them go, but I was SO grateful not to have to keep up with the two of them for another 15 miles. I only had 2 to go! I kept seeing the flag for the 1:45 pace group getting closer and closer. I told myself I'd be happy with 1:47, but each time we turned a corner the flag seemed that much more reachable. I really think I gave the race my all, and I think I ran smart. I guess I could have run faster in the beginning, but I like the way I ran, and still reached my goal. I crossed the finish line in 1:45:18.

The crowd support was fantastic, and the bands were great. The course was a little more rolling than I expected, but it helped me to really enjoy the downhills. I highly recommend this race to anyone, first timer, or not. After I got through the finish line, food, etc. I headed to the marathon finish line which is just a few steps from where I finished. I picked up my gear and realized that the car was probably pretty close to where I was and set out on a search that only took a few minutes. One huge benefit to running a half marathon compared to running a full marathon is that you can actually move around afterwards. I got to the car, changed my clothes and headed back to the finish line to watch the finishers and wait for Gary and Jill. The convenience of the race, and gear check, and parking for this event was all really great.

Gary and Jill came through at 3:46. A PR for Jill by 6 seconds. I don't think she was too pleased, but considering she ran with me for a few 7:30 miles during the first half I think she had an awesome race. She is going to rock Chicago. The fact that Gary can run a marathon on a whim and run 3:46 is absolutely amazing to me. How do I get to that?

Splits from my watch:

mile 1 - 8:26
mile 2 - 8:28
mile 3 - 8:26
mile 4 - 8:09
mile 5 - 7:46
mile 6 - 8:11
mile 7 - 8:17
mile 8 - 8:08
mile 9 - 7:32
mile 10 - 7:30
mile 11 - 7:50
mile 12 - 7:57
mile 13.1 - 8:38

Actual race splits:

5k - 26:13 (8:27 pace)
6 mi - 49:28 (8:14 pace)
10 mi - 1:20:54 (8:05 pace)
13.1 (finish) 1:45:18 (8:02 pace)

Ready for Derby, er uh, Nahsville

So I got an email last week stating that the Derby Marathon and Half Marathon were closed. Which was fine with me since I had registered months ago...or so I thought. Turns out I never registered! Oops! So I started thinking about doing the Pig, but it's a week later. Then I started thinking about Nashville. Jill is going and running the full marathon, so I'd have a friend to go with. Lucky me, my wonderful Gary is coming with me, too! Nashville is a good race, nice course, lots of support. It's just not what I had planned.

The taper is going well. I feel like crap as usual, but I've been able to get some rest. I think it will take a few more days of feeling out of shape and slow and I'll start feeling like I might actually be able to run a half marathon. KY allergy season is in full swing as well, so that adds to the crappiness feeling. As far as tapers go however, it hasn't been so bad. I'm not super crabby at least.

I feel prepared for this race. I've had some great workouts with the girls, and I feel like I've been running pretty strong. I have a goal of 1:45:xx for this weekend. I think it is a reasonable goal. Last year at Derby I went 1:50:xx and I was pretty happy with that. I think I might be in better running shape this year, though. We'll see! It should be a good day.

There are a few things I still need to do before we leave Friday. One of which is coming up with a race strategy. I will definitely use the run/walk plan, probably walking 30 seconds through the aid stations. I'm assuming aid stations are about every mile. Have I mentioned that I'm really glad this is only a half???

PF Chang's Rock N' Roll Marathon Race Report

First of all, thanks to everyone who helped me reach my fundraising goal!

I ran the PF Chang's Rock N' Roll Marathon in Phoenix two weeks ago Sunday. We left Lexington early Friday morning. It was pretty fun traveling as a team, and we got to stay at a nice hotel in Phoenix. We spent the afternoon at the expo and registration, then went for a short easy run in some seedy neighborhoods. After the run we showered and ate dinner at a nice Greek restaurant. I had a big plate of pasta and some spanikopita which wasn't nearly as good as my aunt Jane's. By the time we got back to the hotel it was about 12:30 Lexington time and since we were up at 3:30 that morning we crashed and I was grateful to be able to sleep in Saturday morning.

Jeannie arrived Saturday morning and we headed to the Team in Training pasta party. We had quite an entrance thanks to the TNT coaches and staff. It was pretty amazing actually, and we got to hear John Bingham speak. All in all it was a pretty relaxing day.

Sunday morning I woke up and started drinking a Boost Plus like I always do. Halfway through my delicious beverage I began to feel nauseous...then sweaty... I was laying in bed thinking how on earth I was going to run when I feel like this. I kept thinking about all the people who had supported me to get to this point. I lay there for about 15 minutes willing the mystery sickness away and it actually worked! I blew it off as nerves or maybe some bad Boost. I felt fine the rest of the morning. Jeannie and I lined up at the start having lost the rest of the team and Gary as soon as we got off the shuttle. I knew I probably wouldn't see Gary until after the race, so I was a little sad, but I knew he had a lot on his hands. I was excited Jeannie was there. it would be a lot of fun to run a marathon with her. If I could keep up :)

We ran the first 10 miles at what felt like an easy to moderate pace. I felt pretty confident that I could keep it up, but then again it is a marathon and one never knows what the last bit could feel like. I will say this probably a million times in this blog, but I was so glad Jeannie was there. Running with good friends always makes the miles go by a lot quicker.

13.1 and still feeling good. I was able to eat and drink plenty at the aid stations and I didn't even think about my strange nausea from the morning. We were well under 2 hours at the halfway point which was better than I thought I would do considering my lack of training for this event. The course was very straight and flat. Camelback Mountain was in the distance and visible for a lot of the race which was pretty, but the course itself was pretty unexciting. I did enjoy the bands and the constant encouragement from TNT members, coaches, and fans. You really do feel different in that purple jersey.

Mile 17. Starting to get tired. Starting to complain a little. Very glad Jeannie was there. Usually during a marathon there is something, a spot or area, that starts aching or tiring but I couldn't explain my fatigue. My legs felt fine, stomach felt good, breathing felt good; I was just tired. Despite the numerous encouraging words from Jeannie I just kept fading and fading. I finally convinced her, at mile 20, to go ahead and finish her race and I would be right behind her. I watched her purple jersey get smaller and smaller until she was swallowed up in the crowds ahead. Part of me was sad to see her go because that meant I had 6 miles by myself, but part of me was a bit grateful that I could slow down a bit. And slow down I did. I was fine with slowing down, and without having a specific goal time in mind I was glad I was still moving well. I knew I would finish fine.

Mile 22. Have you ever had a dead foot? I don't know how else to explain it than that. My right foot started going numb so much so that I had to watch it because I was afraid of dragging it on the ground and tripping. It seemed to be working fine as I watched it but it was like it wasn't even a part of my body. Luckily it went away after a few minutes.

I finished the race in 4:07:35. It is my slowest open road marathon time yet, but I was still very pleased. When I looked over my training for the past few months I saw that I had trained on only 20-30 miles/week. So 4:07 looked even better to me. I found Jeannie right away, and she finished in 3:57! I was so happy for her, and so glad that was able to have a good finish. What a rock star.

As soon as I came through the lines of finisher's medals, food, gear, etc., we sat down for a bit. Then the nausea reappeared. We were talking to two of our other TNT teammates when I really felt it come on. Thank goodness there was a giant trash can right behind me. (Queasy stomachs stop reading here) Orange-mango Accelrade does not taste as good coming up as it does going down. Some kind runner tried to comfort me and tell me that I needed to get some fluids in me or I was going to pass out. Just let me puke, dude. My sweet Jeannie took me to the medical tent where I had a nice talk with the medical staff. I guess IVs are only a triathlon thing? And I definitely felt good enough that I did not need an ambulance ride. I really thought that was the last of it.

We made our way to the TNT tent and buses. I found another trash can, and another medical tent. This time I ate a salt packet in the tent which was really gross even though I was pretty confident that it wasn't hyponatremia I obliged anyway. Since we had run from Phoenix to Tempe we needed to be shuttled back to our hotel in Phoenix. The ride was alright but as soon as we got back in the room I made friends with the toilet. I guess I shouldn't have blown off the nausea from the morning. Poor Jeannie. She's really a good friend.

I missed the Team victory party that night and Gary and Jeannie were kind enough to stay in and keep me company, also. My superman of a husband coached the entire team to their first marathon or half marathon finish. I think he ended up running around 35 miles. I don't know how he does it!

All in all I am glad I was able to do the marathon. Next up, Chicago in October!

Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

I can't believe it's over. Until next time I guess? Maybe?

Gary and I arrived in Madison Thursday night. I was glad to be there but very anxious. We had two full days before the race. Friday we got in the very choppy water. It didn't seem too bad, but I was wearing my wetsuit which I think helped a lot. I actually felt really good in the water. We then registered, rode our bikes a bit, and went to the race meeting/dinner. The video at the meeting got me pretty excited, but still one more day...

Saturday we went down to the water again. Gary and Eric swam, and Jeff and Beth went for a little run. I opted to hang out on the bleachers by the water. It ended up being a great choice because I met a "lovely lady duck" (sing Fergie) who ate off of my shoe and out of my hand. I was thoroughly entertained. We headed back to the hotel after everyone except myself stood in line for a voucher for next year. (I need to do one first to be sure I want to maybe do another one, right?). Gary and I went for a short run and started packing our 5 bags. 1. swim to bike transition, 2. bike to run transition, 3. special needs bike, 4. special needs run, 5. dry clothes morning bag. It took forever! You need so much crap to do an Ironman. When we went to drop off our transition bags and bikes I was a little worried I might have forgotten something. We would still be able to get to them in the morning. Next was the bike course preview by car. It was long. I got a bit nervous, but it was good to see most of the course. My mom and dad arrived just as we were finishing up the course and we went to a nice dinner then headed off to bed.

Race morning came quickly after a sound night's sleep. One Boost and one breakfast bar later we were in the truck on our way to the start. Enter nerves with a little bit of nausea. We had quite a bit of time before the start, and by the time we were walking down to the water the nerves were gone. I just wanted to be in the water!

The Swim
I followed Eric and Beth to the far right of the mass of people. All 5 of us started in the front but since the loops around to the left the far right seemed much less dangerous. Swimming a bit further seemed a lot better than being repeatedly kicked, pulled on, elbowed, and scratched. Fives were exchanged, the gun/horn(don't even remember) went off and we were gone. I stayed on Beth's feet for a bit so she could take me to a good spot, but quickly lost her. I enjoyed my spot and only got one elbow to the head until the first turn. I took the first turn a bit too close and had to work my way out of the neoprene school. The swim was a two loop course and I took both pretty easy. I felt very relaxed, but on the second lap I was ready to be out of the water. Thank goodness for the volunteers helping you out of the water, and the wetsuit strippers who actually pulled me up into the air while taking off my suit. The crowd was simply amazing. People lined the entire helix of the parking structure that we ran up. I felt like a celebrity.

The Bike
I saw Beth as we were headed to our bikes. We chatted for a bit, and got on our bikes and then she was gone. I knew better than to try to keep up with her on the bike. The first part of the ride was nice and flat and I worked on getting my heart rate down from the excitement of the transition. This took several minutes, but I was glad to be taking it easy. It would be a long day. Jeff passed me early with a "nice butt" comment that I heard as "nice bike". Then Gary. I was so glad to see him and hear that he had a good swim as well. I wanted everyone to stay and chat, but I knew they couldn't. The bike course for me was very challenging. I rode very conservitively, but it was hard to do on such a hilly course. There were big rolling hills, long climbs, and a few shorter steeper climbs. Nothing was worse than what I trained on, but it was still tough. I never let my heart rate exceed 160, so I felt pretty good about that. 112 miles by yourself (although surrounded by others) is a long ride. I entertained myself by singing, talking to myself, cows, and volunteers and athletes when I could. I ate all of my Clif Bloks, some Clif Bars, Oatmeal Cream Pies, Gummy worms, and a lot of Gatorade. I was happy that I was able to eat so much because I knew I would need it. One part of the ride has longest climb followed by the steepest climb. (which you do twice) The spectators line the road as if it were the Tour de France. You ride through a tunnel of people cheering literally in your face. And of course ringing the cowbells. Oh the cowbells! It's pretty hard to hold back with so much support. Seeing my parents and my sister three times was also pretty awesome. Finally I reached the last part of the ride back into Madison. I actually couldn't wait to start the run; the bike had taken a lot longer than I thought it would. I rode back up the helix and back into transition.

The Run
I felt like a very grateful 2 year old as the kind volunteer helped dress me for the run. Madison has some very nice, and patient volunteers! I exited the transition and headed straight to the port-o-potty. As I squatted I thought why on earth would someone be outside shaking the port-o-potty when I am in here? I opened the door to see no one and realized it was my legs that must have been shaking. The first few miles of the run felt so good. I have never been happier to be running in my entire life. I actually wasn't even scared that I had to run 26.2. The run course was full of spectators even more so than the bike. My heart rate was low, but I still tried to hold back a bit on the first loop. I was so glad to see Jeff, Eric, Gary and Beth on the first loop. They all looked great! The run was kind of a blur, and the parts I remember seemed dark, but I actually only ran for less than an hour in the dark. I felt really good running, and hoped I could keep up my pace. I took Coke, and water at every aid station. Gels and food were not appetizing. On the second loop I saw Gary, Jeff, Beth and Eric one more time. I also made a friend from Team Mexico that I ran with for a few minutes. I relied heavily on the aid stations and crowd support. It's really nice having your name on your race number, and if I've said it once I'll say it a thousand more times...Madison fans are AWESOME! On the second loop I started playing the number game in my head even more. I was slowly giving up the thought of finishing under 13 hours. I hit mile 22 and my body said "enough!" I was having a hard time running. Nothing in particular was hurting and my heart rate was in the 130s. I just couldn't run. I started walking more often, but was still able to walk fast. I was also feeling really dizzy and that scared me a little. As long as I kept moving I felt ok. I think the last 4 miles I walked more than half of the time, but I'm not really sure. I remember getting to mile 25 and thinking that I would try to run the last 1.2 to the finish line. It didn't happen. I told myself when I get to the crowd I will run. I got to the crowd and turned the corner. I had no idea I was that close to the finish line when I saw it. The second thing I saw was the clock. 12:59:20! I could make it! I picked it up and ran hard to the finish. I heard "Nikki Ditsch, a personal trainer from Lexington, Kentucky... YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!" I crossed the tape. 12:59:46.