The marathon is two days away! We are headed down to Charlotte today to get settled in at our campground. I am filled with nervous excitement! The day I have been driving towards for over 4 months is almost here.

I have moments where I get really freaked out thinking about the distance I intend to run on Saturday morning. Did we forget that the first guy to do this (Pheidippides) dropped dead after running 26 miles? Who the heck decided it was a great distance for a race!?

Oh yea, because it’s an amazing athletic feat. One that I’ve wanted a part of for a long time. I’ve watched others, including my own husband, run marathons. I’ve dreamt of the day I could know those 26.2 miles for myself and cross that finish line and finally call myself a marathoner.

The training is done, which I’ve been told means the hard work is behind me. So many have said that race day is the reward for all of the work you put in. I plan to try and remember to enjoy every step on Saturday and remember things like my 20 miler and all those repeats at the track.

When the going gets tough, I need to push my doubts aside and remember my training. I have to remember that I am capable. I am tough enough.

I appreciate all of the support and advice everyone has given me over these past few months. I am so glad I started my blog earlier this year, because having the camaraderie as I’ve gone through this marathon training process has been amazing.

This will be the biggest test I have ever faced in running, and most likely one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am nervous. I am excited. I am anxious for race day to just get here already. I am pumped. I am a bit apprehensive. But most of all, I am ready to run.

Charlotte or bust!

P.S. I don’t know why the font is all wonky for this post. I typed it in the Blogger post editor like I normally do.

The Anthem Richmond Marathon is this weekend! Once again, I am borrowing from Deb over at Deb Runs and doing a flash back recap because Richmond is a blast! (I promise it’s the last time, Deb!) Be sure to check out Deb’s blog as well. If she doesn’t already have a Richmond Marathon recap up, I’m sure she will by sometime this weekend! (I haven’t actually checked with her, but I’m pretty sure she’s planning to do one 🙂

I have run the half marathon twice and let me tell you, Richmond knows how to host a race. I’m excited to be headed to Charlotte this weekend for my first full, but I’m also a little sad we’re not heading back to Richmond this weekend. But I wanted to branch out and give another city and another race a try (plus Charlotte is only 2 hours away and Richmond is 4 hours away).

From the Richmond Marathon website

The first time I ran the half marathon in Richmond was in 2011, when it was called the McDonald’s Half Marathon. The second time I ran it was in 2012, and it was called the American Family Fitness Half Marathon. The race offers a full marathon, half marathon, and 8K option.

My first time running in Richmond was my official return from my running hiatus. Long story short, I took nearly a year off after going through some major life changes: graduating college, starting my first full-time job, getting a puppy, and getting married all in the span of a month. It took me nearly a year to adjust to all this and realize that a major component was missing in my life: running. So, I signed up for the McDonald’s Half Marathon on November 12, 2011. Training went smoothly and I arrived at the start line ready to run my fourth half. My dad, mom, and sister came down for the weekend to watch me run. Barry was running the full and his parents also came to Richmond for the weekend to cheer us on. My dad and sister biked around Richmond and I got to see them several times, including right at the start.

Running right past our hotel- I had a blissfully short walk to the start line

The weather was 35 degrees at the start, which I thought was perfect. I wore running capris and my favorite VT t-shirt (I hadn’t crossed over to technical gear yet and still wore cotton shirts for every run). I also purchased arm sleeves at the race expo to wear. I know- nothing new on race day, but these worked out! During the first few miles we made our way through the city towards Joseph Bryan Park. We ran through city streets and a beautiful neighborhood on our way.

There were a few inclines in the park, but they didn’t bother me too much. I saw my dad again as I excited the park around mile 8. I remember as I enthusiastically waved at my dad with a huge grin on my face (I was on cloud 9 to be racing!) another spectator yelled to him and me “she still looks so fresh!” That gave me an extra boost for sure.

We made our way back towards downtown and I became more fatigued, as these things go during a half marathon. After a few turns and many spectators yelling “you’re almost there!” I saw Barry’s parents and then made the final turn and went down the long, steep downhill down Cary Street to the finish. I crossed the finish line in 2:09:37. It was a bit of a struggle to meet back up with my dad and sister, but finally we connected.

My little sister headed back to the hotel and I borrowed her bike so my dad and I could bike back to cheer on Barry in the full. It actually felt pretty good to bike. We cheered him on to the finish, and then met up with him and his parents in the finish area. Barry ran a PR (4:06) but had cramped from mile 19 on and was not a happy camper. Luckily I always smile enough for the both of us.

I had such a blast in 2011 that it was a no brainer to sign up for 2012. Training went well and I had my sights set on a sub-2 hour half (which would be a PR) as I toed the line on November 10, 2012. My dad and Barry’s parents were back to cheer us on again. Barry had opted for the half this go around. It was 40 degrees at the start- once again perfect weather! My dad saw me off at the start line and got a picture of me in almost the same spot as 2011.

I was gunning for a PR and I decided to put it all on the line and go out at a 9:09/mile pace, which is what I would need to break 2 hours. My dad had made a plan on where he would see me along the course, which helped me break up the race into chunks. I think I saw him 5 or 6 times during those 13.1 miles. For some reason, I became strangely attached to my “throw away” gloves (freebies I had been given in a goody bag at a previous race) and felt the need to toss them to my dad 3 or 4 miles into the race.

I still have them. Thanks, Dad! The race course was pretty much the same as 2011, which greatly helped me mentally. The only thing that changed was they moved the finish to Brown’s Island, which allowed for a better finish line party and a sharper, longer descent to the finish (more on that in a second). This is one of the only pictures you will ever see of my backside, only because I think my running form looks pretty good even though I was getting tired.

Working hard for a PR

I hit a rough spot from miles 8-10 and fell off my pace a bit. Maybe I should have gone out conservatively and picked it up in the later miles. But I don’t regret going out at goal pace and trying to hang on to it. I did go from smiling and waving at my dad to giving him the thumbs down, though.

Thumbs down

But I guess my spirits couldn’t have been too low, since I was essentially cracking jokes. I gritted it out and pushed on to the finish line. This year, they had us finish on Brown’s Island, which was a large open grassy area where runners could celebrate. However, to get to Brown’s Island you had to run down a very steep, long descent. And let me tell you, it hurt. The race directors advertised it as a “downhill, fast finish” but if I had been running the full I think my legs probably would have cramped up. It was all I could do to not fall on my face on the way to the finish line. I hauled butt to the finish line and crossed in 2:01:00. So close to sub-2!

But I was still so happy, because I had just run a 6 minute PR! I met up with Barry, my dad, and Barry’s parents and we took advantage of the photo opportunity at the podium. McDonald’s was on-site handing out coffee (they may have had other stuff, too, I’m not sure) so I was able to feed my caffeine addiction. Barry had a great race as well and finished in 1:38:02, also a 5 minute PR! It was a great day for the both of us.

Overall, we have had great experiences at Richmond both years we have run the races there. Richmond totes itself as “America’s Friendliest Marathon” and I would have to agree. I know the weather is something out of the race director’s control, but it was perfect both years. The organization was great, and the finish line party on Brown’s Island is a blast (although it hurts to get there). We will be back to run this race again some day!

Have you ever run the Richmond Marathon/Half/8K?

What is your ideal race weather?

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all those who have served and those who are currently serving. Thank you for defending our freedom at all costs. Never forget that freedom doesn’t come free. Also, happy (belated) 238th birthday to the USMC! The past two years the Richmond Marathon has taken place on the same weekend as the Marine Corps birthday and I always loved seeing all of the Marines in their blue dress uniforms headed to the Marine Corps Ball.
———————————————————-
This was my final full week of marathon training and I was in full taper mode. It’s a good thing it is taper time, because I had some very late nights at work this week (ending at 7 and 8 PM, yuck!) that impacted my running schedule a bit. But I still managed to get a few solid runs in. It’s been a long four months, and although I’m nervous I’m also chomping at the bit!

Monday- Rest.

Tuesday- Unplanned rest day (got home from work at 8 PM). However, from this day of work I can tell you that Bluefield, VA already has their Christmas decorations up (Christmas tree made of lights and shooting star red/green lights on every lamp post). It was dark as I left town to drive home and they even had the decorations turned on already!

Wednesday- 5 miles with Sven in the morning before work. After two days of working late into the evening, I decided I better get a morning run in to guarantee I would get to run. It was still dark outside, which is why I stuck to the treadmill. I waited to add wood to the fire in the woodstove until after my run, so that it wasn’t as hot.

The run itself went really well. I felt great, enjoyed watching some Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition on TV, and my left shin never hurt. Win, win, and win.

Thursday- Another 5 miles with Sven in the basement in the heat of the woodstove (which was burning full force). I intended to do this run outside after work, but alas I got stuck working late again and it was already dark when I got home.

Especially with daylight savings time

I watched the movie Soul Surfer while I ran and played with the incline a lot to make up for not being outside. I ended up with 508 vertical feet for 5 miles, which I guess is good? Charlotte has a rolling course and has a total of 1,168 feet in elevation gain over the 26.2 miles (and total elevation change of 2,349 feet).

My left shin felt great during the run and didn’t bother me at all. I still stretched a lot afterwards and continued to ice.

Friday- Rest day from running. Barry and I did take the dogs on a walk, which I guess we will count as some light cross training. Really I just wanted to share a picture of Hank and Scout on their walk because I think they are really cute! Hank was super excited to go for a walk

 Scout likes riding in the truck, but is not thrilled when it comes to anything related to exercise.

But once we got to the park and started walking through the woods she livened up a bit. They both love tracking (they are bloodhounds, after all) and spend the majority of any walk with their noses to the ground.

Saturday- 10 mile long run on the Huckleberry Trail. This was my last double digit run before the race. It was pretty cold at the start of my run (24 degrees!) but warmed up to the high 40’s by the end. At least it wasn’t super windy like it had been most of the week. I had to change my plans a bit when the bridge about 1.25 miles down the trail was closed, so I did a handful of out and backs, ran around the mall, and explored the new branch of the trail that they have been working on.

My leg felt good, but I had a hard time getting into a rhythm. By the end of the run, I felt like I was getting into a good stride. I’ll take that as a good omen for this weekend. My Shot Bloks did freeze, which made them really difficult to chew, but I managed.

To top off a good run, Barry and I watched the Hokies beat Miami that evening. I finally saw them play like the Hokies I know and love! (they had been missing for two weeks)

Sunday- I had big plans for a fun afternoon bike ride with Barry on the trail, or maybe a long walk with the dogs, or both. But then we had 20-30 mph wind pretty much all day, which nixed both of those ideas. Instead, I took a rest day. But I did spend time cleaning the house and cleaning our camper in preparation for our trip to Charlotte this weekend.

The above picture is my attempt at taking a picture of the wind. I know you technically can’t do that. But you can take a picture of a tree blowing in the wind, which is what I did. This may not show it very well but trust me, it was crazy windy.

Total Miles: 20

This week’s schedule (race week!!!):
Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 3 miles
Thursday: 2 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: THUNDER ROAD MARATHON!
Sunday: ???

This morning Barry and I headed up to the Huckleberry Trail for our final double digit run before the Thunder Road Marathon! It was only 24 degrees at the start of our run, so I wore tights, a quarter zip long sleeve top, gloves, and an ear warmer/head band thing. It did warm up to the high 40’s by the end, though.

Instagram {turkeyrunner}

I wanted to do one last run on the Huckleberry to get in some more rolling hills. Last week there was a sign saying the bridge on the trail was closed for maintenance until 11/8. I failed to look at the sign at the start of today’s run, but later found out it had been changed to closed until 11/15. I found that out for myself when I got 1.25 into my run, where the bridge is. Last week they only had the orange things blocking the bridge, but this week they had woven chain link into the fence on either side so I figured they really didn’t want us on it.

I did three out and backs from the trail head to the closed bridge and back, for the first 7.5 miles. There were a few other runners doing the same thing, so I saw the same 4 people multiple times. It wasn’t too bad, considering I’ve been in worse long run situations like that time I ran 10 miles on a quarter mile loop at a campground.

However, I got bored after three out and backs, which is easy to do when you have other options. So I did a lap around the mall for another mile. During that lap, I saw Barry (who was running separate) and he told me the new part of the trail they were working on would be a good place to run. So I headed across the road from the trail head to check out the new branch. For those of you who are familiar with the Huckleberry, this new section runs behind Wal-Mart and Home Depot and connects the existing Huckleberry to the Christiansburg Rec Center.

The existing part of the trail, behind the movie theater

My left shin felt really good during today’s run. I wasn’t really feeling the run at the start, but by the end of the run I felt like I was just getting into my rhythm. So I guess that’s good for next weekend. One issue I did have today was that my Shot Bloks froze. It made it really hard to eat, and it took me nearly half a mile to eat two of them. If that’s the only hardship I have next weekend, I’ll take it!

Let’s talk about Charlotte for a minute. Since the race is next weekend (!!!) it’s close enough to start stalking the weather forecast. This is how it’s looking right now:

Sixty percent chance of rain!? That’s no good. I’m hoping the percent chance decreases, but if not I need to make a game plan for how I am going to deal with these weather conditions. I didn’t exactly plan to run my race with a hat or jacket on, and I would prefer not to do anything new on race day. I think the only time I’ve ever raced in the rain was the Baltimore Half in 2008, and it was a light misty rain on and off throughout the race.

How do you handle unexpected things that come up during a long run/race? Do you roll with it or does it throw you off?
I tend to be really accepting of whatever the situation throws at me, and just roll with it.

Tips on running a marathon in the rain…. ready, go!

1. Say hello to Marvin the moose!

I saw him in a catalog and I couldn’t resist. When we put up our Christmas decorations in December, he will take up residence in our front yard. Quote from the catalog: “He has tons of personality and is the perfect way to greet your holiday guests.” That’s some great marketing right there. I had to have him.

2. Check out these amazing photos captured at the finish line of the Twin Cities Marathon. Talk about inspiration!

I wonder which face I’ll make next weekend (OMG less than 10 days!!!).

3. A couple articles you may enjoy:

50 Fittest Colleges in America – Guess who’s #1!! I’m not just sharing because of that, though. I think it is really interesting to see which schools made the list and why.

Slow Marathon Runners – My dad sent me this article about slow marathon runners, and one slow marathon runner in particular. As far as I’m concerned the slower you go, the more you’re getting for your marathon dollar!

On a serious note, I don’t have a problem with how fast or slow anyone completes a marathon. Granted, you should probably make sure you can complete the race within the cut off time. But the beauty of road racing and marathoning is that it’s versatile enough to embrace the elite runner as well as your “average Joe.”

If you decorate for the holidays, what is your favorite decoration?
It’s a toss up between my new buddy Marvin and our Christmas tree.

What kind of face do you make when you cross a finish line?