When my trail running buddies first mentioned this race, I thought it looked like a lot of fun. I wasn’t ready to commit when registration opened and ultimately filled up back in the spring. But it had a waitlist, so I threw my name on it. I think I was number 36 or so on the list, and I definitely didn’t expect to get in. Lo and behold, September rolled around and I got an email that I had been selected from the waitlist. Alright, let’s do this!

The race takes place in mid-December at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach and it is put on by the Tidewater Striders. It had great organization, the course was well-marked, and the volunteers were awesome. Overall the race was a lot of fun and definitely one worth doing again. It would also be great for a first ultramarathon.

I traveled to Virginia Beach with Amy, Sarah, and Kim. It was fun to turn the trip into a girls weekend. We made it to the beach, got our packets, grabbed some grub, and headed to bed with visions of trail running in our heads. (I’m sorry…. it’s Christmastime and I couldn’t help it)

The race started at 8:30 AM, so we didn’t have to be up super early. On top of that, our hotel was only 5-10 minutes from the park. So it was a very low key and stress-free morning – my favorite way to kick off race day. Once we arrived, we hit the porta johns, finalized our race gear and walked over to the start.

As you can see in the below photo, it was a rainy and soggy morning. I don’t mind the rain, but I hate when it’s cold and rainy. Luckily, the temperature was in the 50’s and felt great for running. It would rain on and off throughout the race, but it wasn’t raining at the start. There was a pre-race briefing and then we were off and running!

We started out with a short out and back on the road. Not my favorite, but necessary. It went by fairly quickly and then we were off on the trails for the first of two lolli-pop style loops. I started out with my standard 30 minute run/5 minute walk interval. The trails were flat and I was probably running a bit faster than I should have out of excitement. I rolled into the first aid station around 3 miles, grabbed an orange slice, and continued on my way.

This next section was the sloppiest on the race course. I did what I could to avoid the worst of it, but tried not to waste too much energy skipping around mud puddles. We made our way down the main trail, which was flat. After a mile or so, we turned off of the main trail onto a section that had some rolling hills. This section was one of my favorite parts of the course. It was singletrack with some roots, but not super technical.

After two miles, we turned back onto the main trail and headed towards the Bald Cypress Aid Station at mile 7.2. When I arrived here, I was feeling pretty tired. It worried me that I was already feeling gassed at mile 7 of a 31.5 mile race, but I tried to just focus on running from aid station to aid station. The good thing about ultras is that when you start feeling bad, there’s a lot of time for you to feel better. So I drank some soda, refilled my water flask, and ate a PB&J square. From there, I headed onto the three mile loop.

The Osmanthus Loop was my other favorite section of the race course. It had several bridges, and some rolling, twisty singletrack. One word of caution if you ever run this race: the bridges on this section are as slick as ice when they’re wet. I walked all of these bridges and still had a few close calls along the way.

During this loop we had to punch our bibs with an orienteering punch that was hanging from a tree along the trail. This was to prove we had done the loop. After all the runners were through for the first pass, the race officials changed out the punch. This way, you ended up with two unique punches in your bib to show you had run the loop both times. I was worried about missing the punch, but It was heavily marked with flagging and was hard to miss.

I completed the loop and arrived back at the Bald Cypress Aid Station around mile 10. My stomach was feeling a bit rocky, so I didn’t eat or drink anything here. I did grab two PB&J squares and put them in an empty Ziploc bag I carry during races, for that purpose. I felt like I still had enough water in the flask I was carrying in my pack, so I didn’t bother to refill it. That would turn out to be a mistake.

It was a little over 4 miles to the next aid station and about halfway there I completely ran out of water. I was feeling tired and nauseous, so I was moving slow. It wasn’t hot out, so I didn’t necessarily need the water in that moment. But running out of water during a race is just demoralizing. Plus it made it impossible for me to eat my PB&J squares. So no fueling and very little hydration took place from miles 10-14.

I finally made it back to the 64th St. Aid Station at mile 14.5. I got my flask refilled and drank a cup of water and a cup of ginger ale. I knew I was close to arriving back at the start/finish area and my drop bag, so I focused on that. I was no longer sticking to my 30 minute run/5 min walk intervals and was walking a lot more than planned. I completed the first loop (16.5 miles) in about 3 1/2 hours.

When I arrived at the drop bag and start/finish area, Kim was there. I was happy to see her and to hear how her race was going. I also finally met my friend, Kelly, in person, who also happened to be in the drop bag area.

I had clumps of mud in my shoes under the balls of my feet, and all I could think about was the fresh pair of socks in my drop bag. So I sat down in a chair and changed my socks while I chatted some with Kim. I also had to scoop the clumps of mud out of my shoes with my hands. I put a few more packs of honey stinger chews in my pack and prepared to head out. It felt SO good to be sitting there, and I knew I needed to get moving before I got too comfortable.

As I headed back out, I saw Sarah and Amy headed in. They said they were worried about making the cut off at mile 22. I wished them well and hoped they would make it.

I still wasn’t feeling great, so I plugged in my iPod and got some tunes going. These next few miles were really tough for me. For some reason, I got it in my head that the mile 22 cut off was at 5 hours and I started getting worried I wasn’t going to make it. This fear did help get me moving better, though. I also saw my friend Gayle on her way towards the finish, totally killing it at her first ultra. That gave me a boost, too.

I arrived back at the Bald Cypress aid station (mile 22) at 5:02. I was waiting for someone to tell me I was cut, but everyone was just as encouraging as they had been on my first loop. So I refilled my flask, drank some Mountain Dew, and headed onto the loop.

My hips and lower back had started to hurt so badly after mile 16. I think it was from how flat the trail was (although the New River Trail 50K was also flat, and I didn’t have pain like this during it). It actually felt worse to walk than to run, but I was tired and making myself run was difficult. I was day dreaming about laying down flat on my back. As I left the aid station, I did something I have never done during a race: I took some ibuprofen. I usually try and stay away from NSAIDS during races, because of the concern of long distance running and kidneys, but I was really starting to feel miserable.

As I made my way through the loop, I suddenly had an epiphany – the 22 mile cut off was actually 5 1/2 hours, not 5 hours! So it turned out I actually still had 28 minutes in the bank. This realization, combined with the ibuprofen kicking in, did wonders for my attitude. There’s such a big mental aspect to running.

Suddenly, I was running again with a purpose and I felt strong and ready to tackle the final 9-ish miles of the race. It only took me 22 miles to find my groove. I need to remember in the future that I always seem to hit a low spot from mile 17-22 or so during a 50K.

On my way back, some volunteers were singing Jingle Bells. So I spent the next 3-4 miles making up my own lyrics to Jingle Bells. It took awhile, because I kept forgetting what I was doing. But here is what I ultimately came up with:

Jingle Bells
Why the hell
Did I sign up to race?
My shoes are soaked and full of mud
Hope I’m not in last place!

I rolled in to the final aid station at mile 29 and drank some more Mountain Dew. I only had 2.5 miles to go, but the Mountain Dew had been saving my race so I wanted one more little pick me up for the final miles. From here I could smell the barn. I was tired, but I tapped into an extra energy reserve (or maybe that Mountain Dew kicked in) and I ran nearly this entire section. I actually turned in my fastest mile of the day, 10:37, in the final mile. I’m not sure what that says overall about my pacing. But I will say it’s a good thing when Eminem comes on your iPod during the last mile at a race.

I crossed the finish line in 7:16 and change. Amy and Sarah, who had ultimately gotten pulled off the course at mile 22, were there to cheer me in. I was so happy to be done, but I was also bummed to hear their day had ended early. They’ll definitely get revenge at their next race, I’m sure!

Not long after I finished, Kim came rolling in. It had started getting chillier outside as sunset approached, so we immediately headed to the car and made our way back to the hotel. Kim and I briefly hit up the post-race party at Smartmouth Brewery.

The race provided each runner with three free beer tickets (awesome) and free pizza at the brewery. I enjoyed a delicious sour ale and a couple slices of pizza. As it turned out, Kim and I sat down at a table of “royalty.” We soon realized we were surrounded by 100 mile finishers, a recent Hellgate 100K finisher, and runners who had either finished on the podium at the race that day and/or who had completed their 10th Seashore 50K (meaning they had run the race every year since it started). It was great company, but I was definitely a bit awestruck.

From there, we headed back to the hotel and reunited with Sarah and Amy. We all went out to an awesome seafood restaurant together where I had the best broiled scallops and shrimp. Then on Sunday morning, after all the rain and gloom, we woke up sunny skies. Go figure.

All in all, it was a great day and a great way to cap off 2018. My year started out pretty rocky, and I didn’t really get back into running consistently until May. I’m grateful that I was able to run two ultras this fall, along with a handful of other races. I’ve got big plans for 2019 and I’m looking forward to taking on new challenges in the spring.

I hadn’t planned on running the Star City 10K in Roanoke on November 17. I signed up last minute after my husband, Barry, offered to run with my running buddy, Kim, to help her PR the half marathon. I planned on getting some easy miles in at the 10K. However, this turned out to be quite the interesting race, and quite the adventure. This race report is going to be unlike any other that I’ve written.

First of all, the course was rerouted the night before due to flooding on a low water bridge. Both the half and 10K were now set to run an out and back from the start/finish area. They would follow the same course until mile 3.1, where the 10K would turn around. The half would continue until mile 6.5-ish and then they would turn around.

The half marathon started at 8:15 and 10K started at 8:30. I saw Barry and Kim off and then waited for my start. At 8:30, we headed out to follow the half marathoners.

Less than half a mile into the race, the majority of the runners took a wrong turn in the downtown area, but I didn’t know this right away. Somewhere after the first mile, I realized we were not on course. I wasn’t seeing any arrows on the ground, there were no course marshals at any intersections, and I knew we were going in the wrong general direction. But I had no clue where we were supposed to be or how to get back on course. There were a ton of runners ahead of me and behind me, so I continued to follow them for the time being.

Around 1.5 miles there was a girl running ahead of me. I overheard her talking on the phone about how we were off course. That confirmed it for me. I figured I would just try and get in 3.1 miles and then retrace my steps (if I could) back to the finish line. Once the girl ahead of me finished her phone conversation, I caught up to her and verified that we were off course. She said she was just going to keep running in the downtown area and I asked if I could join. We initially ended up with a group of about four or five runners.

This is where it got kind of funny (depending on your outlook towards our predicament). We were looping around downtown Roanoke and so were other runners. Some were still following people, possibly thinking they were running the course. But most knew they were off course. We kind of laughed and waved as we passed each other in opposite directions and cheered each other on. Welcome to the “Choose Your Own 10K.” We also saw a few runners angrily walking back towards the finish.

Our group continued on the ‘Tour de Downtown Roanoke’, just putting in the miles and enjoying the gorgeous crisp fall weather and each other’s company. Along the way we picked up a few more “strays” and in total I think we had about 9 runners in our group. By mile 5 we did get back on the final part of the course and we fell in with other runners and made our way toward the finish. I finished in 1:11:31, with 6.75 miles on my watch.

Maybe I’m being lax about the situation, but I really wasn’t angry that this happened. There’s some responsibility on the race director’s part, sure. But accidents happen. And I do think runners share a certain amount of responsibility in knowing the course. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten lost at a road race, but it was still a good run. Thanks to the group I was running with, I ran a faster pace than I otherwise would have. And I think ‘my’ course turned out to be hillier and tougher.

I’m not here to point fingers or place blame, but here’s what I think happened. I think either course marshals were missing from the below marked intersection, or they were there but directed us the wrong way. It’s common, especially in a road race, to simply follow the person in front of you. That’s how I think everyone got off course. And I’m pretty sure it was at this intersection, which was about half a mile into the race:

From what I heard, only the lead guy ran the actual 10K course. The majority of runners took a wrong turn during the first mile. And those that did make it out of the downtown area made a wrong turn through a park around mile 2. As far as I know, there were no issues with the half marathon runners staying on course. However, they had some issues of their own, with half the runners getting stopped for about a minute at a railroad crossing for an Amtrak train.

Overall, I still had a good day and had fun at the race. But I think there are definitely issues that need to be addressed by race management before next year.

On November 10, I ran Richmond for the fourth year. I love this race, and even more so with the Meg’s Miles family (there’s so much more to this weekend now than just the race). Richmond is where I ran my PR half marathon in 2012. I definitely wasn’t gunning for a PR this year. But I also didn’t really know what to expect since this was my first road half in over three years. I ended up surprising myself a bit.

Kim drove me and several others from our hotel in Ashland to the start on race morning (she did all of the driving that weekend – thank you, Kim!). It was an easy trip to the start. We hit the porta potties, dropped off checked bags, wished each other good luck, and prepared for the start. I lined up in my wave and waited for the party to begin.

I was in one of the last waves, and we finally got going about 20 minutes after the gun. It was crowded early on. I did my best to run along with the pace of the group and tried to get around those walking 3, 4, 5 abreast (ugh). I mostly used a 30 minute run / 5 minute walk interval for the first 10 miles.

I felt good during the early miles. The weather was perfect – sunny and crisp. My breathing was relaxed and my legs felt strong. Around mile 4 I realized I kind of needed to pee, but all of the porta johns along the course had lines. I didn’t feel like stopping so I just held it to the end. Too much info? Oh well, just keeping it real.

Around mile 5, I was running near two guys. They saw a girl they knew, Tiffany, who was also running the race. They both excitedly said hi to her and chatted for a minute. When she ran off, I overhead the following conversation:

Guy 1: What’s Tiffany’s sister’s name?
Guy 2: Hillary
Guy 1: Oh yea… she’s hot!
Guy 2: Yeaaaa, Hillary is super hot!!

The things you overhear at races….

My goal going into the race was to finish in 2:30. A little before the 10K mark, I started to realize 2:25 was possible. We headed into the park and I got to see several Megs Miles runners headed back out. The loop through here gets quiet, and I kind of enjoyed the peace of just being surrounded by other runners. I hit the 10K split in 1:09:34.

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed running the hills out of the park. I felt strong, so I picked up the pace during my run intervals. I ran by a junk food stop around mile 9. I didn’t stop at the table, but I did grab a cup of Coca Cola. It was like rocket fuel for me at New River Trail 50K, so I figured I’d see if it could work its magic again. It helped and around mile 10 I realized 2:20 was possible.

I definitely started feeling tired by mile 11, but that’s to be expected. I ran by an unofficial beer stop, where they were serving something called “Sprint Lite.” I’ve never heard of that one, so I took a pass on it.

Even though I was tired, the final two miles of the race really flew by for me. I made a few turns through the downtown area, and before I knew it I made the final turn onto the big downhill to the finish line at Brown’s Island. I was so excited to see the big Meg’s Miles cheering section just before the finish line.

I crossed the finish line in 2:20:16 for a negative split and a sub-11 average pace – that’s something I haven’t seen at a race in quite awhile!

I exceeded my own expectations and feel like I ran a strong and well-paced race. All in all, it was a great day.

I hope y’all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!

The Richmond marathon weekend has become a tradition for me thanks to the Meg’s Miles group. The group was formed in memory of Meg Cross Menzies, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver while out for a run in January 2014. Days later, runners from around the country and around the world ran in memory of Meg. From that, the Megs Miles family was born. The entire Richmond weekend is a big family reunion.

I headed up to Richmond on Thursday evening with my running buddy and fellow Megs Miler, Kim. On Friday morning, we were up bright and early for the Memorial Run.

The group gathers at Meg’s memorial each year, where fellowship and prayer are shared before heading out for a two mile run. It was a chilly morning with light rain. But as always, it was great to come together and honor Meg and her family.

We followed the run with coffee and breakfast in downtown Ashland. From there I headed back to the hotel for a quick outfit change before heading back out for run number 2 of the day. Undeterred by the weather, my friend Doug (who traveled with his wife from Ohio for the weekend) and I headed into downtown Richmond for a lunchtime trail run.

It was still raining steadily, but the loop we ran was awesome. I couldn’t believe we were in the middle of Richmond! We got in about 6.5 miles, bringing the total for the day to 8.5-ish miles.

From there Doug dropped me off at the race expo on his way back to the hotel to pick up his wife. I got changed into dry clothes and did the whole expo bit (got my race bib, shirt, looked at vendor booths, etc.). Then I headed back to the hotel with Kim to grab a quick shower before we headed to the Friday evening Meg’s Miles pasta dinner.

In addition to the Meg’s Miles group, I’m also part of a group called “We Run for the Caffeine” that puts teams together to run the year in miles (so 2,018 miles in 2018). My team is Team GinnySas, with three of us being from Virginia and one from Arkansas. After a years time, we were finally reunited at the dinner.

After dinner it was off to bed – race morning was going to come early! On race day, I surprised myself and ran better than I expected. But more on that later. There’s a full recap coming.

After the race I got to meet up with my friend Liz, who I’ve known since Kindergarten but haven’t seen in awhile. She had a killer race and it was great to catch up with her at the finish line.

Per Meg’s Miles tradition, we all hung around at the finish line to cheer in all of the runners in the 8K, half marathon, and full marathon.

After everyone finished their respective races, we continued with tradition and headed to Starbucks for coffee. I usually only drink black coffee, but after the race I like to treat myself. So I got a delicious caramel concoction. And then something really cool happened – Bart Yasso walked in. Not only did he hang with our group, but he sat at my table. Oh man! I was starstruck, but tried to play it cool. We talked to him for a little while and listened to his stories. He had some good ones!

After coffee it was back to the hotel once again for quick showers before heading to dinner. We got together with the group on Saturday night at a really neat nearby spot. Good food and good company!

On Sunday morning we visited the memorial so Kim could hang her shoes. From there, we headed to church with the Meg’s Miles group. After that, it was time to hit the road and head home. On the way home, Kim and I got to visit with my dad and have some lunch.

As you can see, the Richmond marathon weekend is a big one and it’s always very busy. This was my third year and I always leave with a full heart. It’s hard to find the words to describe how special this weekend and this group is. I’m truly blessed to be apart of it, though. The connections I’ve made and the people I’ve met are unlike anything else. Together, we Run for Meg and carry on her legacy as a runner and Christian.

From the moment I signed up for this race, I was unsure of my decision. Don’t get me wrong, Mountain Junkies races are as good as it gets. But I do not like the dark, and by extension I do not like running in the woods in the dark. You can’t conquer something without facing it, though. Plus this race was supposed to be a lot of fun.

The race was 4 miles long and was held at Explore Park in Roanoke. The course was a mix of pavement, singletrack dirt trails, and grass trails. I got to the race about an hour before the start, picked up my shirt and bib, and hung out. I enjoyed seeing all of the runners walk around pre-race in their costumes.

Around 6:45 PM we gathered for a pre-race talk. It sounded like the race course was well marked (Mountain Junkies races always are) so I had no worries of getting lost. We mingled around before the start of the race at 7 PM.

The race was split into two waves, and I started with wave 2 at 7:10 PM. We immediately headed up a hill that’s lovingly nicknamed “vomit hill.” From there we headed into the woods and onto the trails. I wasn’t sure how I would feel, since I haven’t been running hills that much. But my legs felt strong as we ran along the rolling terrain.

I was running in a line of people that was slightly spread out. Because it was dark, I ran along without much concept of when we were going uphill or how big the hills were. I was cautious on the downhills, though, since parts of the course were pretty slick with clay-type mud.

Since this was a halloween-themed race, there were lots of little surprises for us hidden in the woods. There were motion-activated noise makers that howled and there were lots of flashing decorations. I was having fun and never once did I wish for the race to be over (which has always been my past experience when running in the dark). Before I knew it, we were already on the last mile.

It flattened out a bit and I picked up my pace, which felt good. I ran strong up the final hill, looped around the village area, and made my way to the finish line. I didn’t know what to expect for this race, but I finished in 56:10 which I’m happy with.

There was a post-race feast for the race participants. They were serving delicious pasta with marinara sauce, veggies and crackers with hummus, homemade granola and pumpkin bread. I enjoyed some dinner, and hung out with a few friends to watch the awards ceremony. Overall, I had a great time and look forward to doing this race again in years to come!