Towards the end of August, I went to Annapolis, Maryland for a work trip. I hadn’t ever been to Annapolis and I was excited to explore a new city. I was especially excited to check out the US Naval Academy. Luckily, Sunday was our travel day which gave me Sunday afternoon and evening to go explore. My hotel was just over a mile from the Academy, which was perfect!

I started out my run through historic downtown Annapolis, which was a really cute area. Before long, I arrived at the Naval Academy campus, called the “Yard.” Getting onto campus is similar to entering most military bases. I went through the pedestrian gate, showed my ID to security personnel, and walked through a metal detector. It was no big deal, but make sure you check all of the rules on their visitor’s webpage if you’re planning a trip!

The first thing I did was go through the Visitor’s Center and gift shop. I snagged a couple of t-shirts for Barry and myself (I carried them in my running pack the rest of the evening). I checked out the photographs on display, depicting Plebe Summer, student life as a midshipman, and notable Naval Academy alum. Then I picked up a campus map and headed out for my running tour.

The first stop on my tour was the Bill the Goat, the school’s mascot, near Gate 1 where I entered.

From there I made my way along a road with a pretty row of houses. I’m assuming Navy personnel who work at the Academy live here, but I’m not sure.

I made my way up behind the Chapel and past some other impressive-looking buildings before arriving at my first monument of the day – the Tripoli Monument. This is the oldest military monument in the United States. It honors the heroes of the War against the Barbary Coast Pirates in 1804, the brave young Americans who took actions against the pirates on “the shores of Tripoli.” The monument was carved in 1806 in Italy. It was brought to the U.S. on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) and arrived at the Naval Academy in 1860.

From the monument, I ran past more houses before crossing a bridge towards Hospital Point. My campus map didn’t include this portion, and I got a little lost trying to find my way. My intent was to follow the perimeter of the Yard, and eventually I found the perimeter wall and was back on track. I even found a little trail section to run.

I ran along the water around Hospital Point and Forrest Sherman Field. Along the way I saw several midshipman out doing PT exercises. I enjoyed the views of the water and of the main campus area along this stretch.

After running by the water, I crossed over a foot bridge back to the main part of the Yard. I have a thing for running on wooden bridges, so I enjoyed crossing the water here.

There was some construction going on at the other side of the bridge, and I wasn’t able to stick to my route as planned. But after consulting my map (again), I found a way around and back towards the water. I even passed by Ingram Field. I did a lap around the track on my way through, for good measure.

I passed by the soccer facility and then arrived at the Santee Basin, where the boats are docked. The dock area was neat to run along.

I don’t know a lot about boats, but these sure looked fancy. I also enjoyed seeing the names on each of them: Fearless, Honor, Courage, Audacious, Bravery, etc.

The road then led me towards a point where the Severn River and Spa Creek meet in the Chesapeake Bay. This is also the point where the Triton Light is located. It is dedicated to “the safe return of all those who go down to the sea in ships.”

Right next to the Triton Light was the “Still on Patrol” monument. It honors the US Navy Submarines for their paramount role in WII and the heavy losses they sustained.

A short way down the road from these two points of interest was the Sea Gate. This was a literal gateway that had steps that went right down to the water. It is dedicated to “all those who have left these shores to serve our country.”

There was more traffic on this side of the Yard, but it was still very pedestrian friendly. I completed my loop of the perimeter and decided to explore the inner part of campus some more. I ran by Dahlgren Hall, which was already closed for the day, but looked really neat inside (I looked in the windows). It had ship and aircraft memorabilia inside and also had a restaurant that is open to the public.

On the other side of Dahlgren Hall were two torpedos. The first one pictured below is a Japanese aerial torpedo from Okinawa. The second is a Type 93 torpedo and it was the largest enemy weapon of its kind encountered during WWII. This thing is 29 1/2 feet long, 24 inches in diameter, and carries 1,000 lbs. of explosive in the war head. Yikes!

Nearby the two torpedoes was the memorial to the US Navy’s Submarine Service – “dedicated to those who serve beneath the seas.”

The next stop on my tour was Bancroft Hall, which is huge. It’s actually the largest dormitory in the United States. It’s home to the entire brigade of 4,000 midshipmen.

Directly in front of Bancroft Hall is a large area called Tecumseh Court. This is where noon meal formations for the Brigade of Midshipmen takes place every weekday during the academic year.

Just across from the square, the Indian warrior Tecumseh stands watch. This figurehead was on the USS Delaware in 1817. The original wooden figurehead was sent to the Naval Academy in 1866 after being salvaged from the Delaware wreckage (which sunk at Norfolk during the Civil War). The figurehead was given a “face lift” in 1906, with the help of cement, to fortify it against the weather. Finally, in 1930, a bronze statue of Tecumseh was permanently placed here, where he gazes directly towards Bancroft Hall and Tecumseh Court.

The final part of my run took me to the very heart of the Yard.

My last stop before leaving the Yard and heading back to my hotel was the Main Chapel. The Chapel is located at the high point of the Yard and was dedicated in 1908. John Paul Jones. Jones, one of the greatest Revolutionary War heroes, is enshrined beneath the chapel.

I finished the evening with a little over 7 miles. I had a fabulous time running around the Naval Academy. Everywhere I turned, there was history. If you ever get the chance to visit the US Naval Academy, I highly recommend it!

Recently, I had one of those really crummy runs. You know the ones were you just feel like crap the entire time? Some days you might throw in the towel, but other days you find a way to fight through and get the thing done. This was one of the latter.

Mile 1. Okay, not feeling so good today. But you can’t trust the first mile. The first mile is a liar.

Mile 2. Well, only half a mile to the turnaround.

Turnaround. I should have picked a route with more shade. What was I thinking. Well crap, I was so busy worrying about my route I forgot to turn around. Now I just ran an extra quarter mile.

Mile 3. You know, sometimes it just takes a little while to get into a run. I’m sure things will get better.

Mile 4. Okay, still don’t feel good. Keep going. Last mile.

Mile 5. Yea, yea, I would be done now if I had been paying attention at the turn around. Suck it up, buttercup.

Mile 5.5. Done. Glad that’s over.

Sometimes you have to lie to yourself to make it happen. And then life goes on.

When people think of hiking in the Roanoke Valley, McAfee’s Knob is one of the first places that comes to mind. It’s probably the area’s most iconic hike. And it’s definitely the most photographed spot on the 2,200 mile-long Appalachian Trail.

Somehow I have lived in the area for 11 years without ever doing this hike. After a lot of planning that started in May, my friend Charlotte and I finally came together the third weekend of August to hike McAfee’s Knob.

We met up early on a Saturday morning and carpooled up to the trailhead parking lot. I expected it to be crowded, and it was. Luckily, we timed it just right and a few runners were getting back from an early run. We grabbed one of their parking spots and headed up the Appalachian Trail.

It was a gorgeous morning to be out in the woods, but boy was it humid! I was worried it might feel crowded on the trail, given the full parking lot. However, I guess 8 miles round trip is long enough to spread people out. We passed groups of hikers occasionally, but it never felt crowded. We also saw areas along the trail that showed evidence from the recent brush fires on Catawba Mountain.

It’s around 4 miles to the top with about 1,200 feet of elevation gain. The trail climbs gradually at first before becoming more steep for the last mile or so. Charlotte and I had a great time catching up with each other during our trek to the top. However, about 3/4 of a mile from the top, I randomly got this crazy dizzy spell. I think it was a combination of low blood sugar, the exertion of hiking, and the humidity. Charlotte made me sit down on a rock for a few minutes and the dizziness quickly subsided. Onward to the top!

When we got to the top we (okay me, since I was leading) nearly missed the turn onto the spur trail to the overlook. Luckily, Charlotte spotted it. We came around a corner and were treated to a spectacular view!

The view is hard to capture. But you know how these things go. They’re always more breathtaking in person.

There were only a few other people up there when we arrived. We spent some time sitting on the rock outcropping and taking it all in. I also ate half of a PB&J to bring myself back to full life.

Shortly after we arrived at the top, some major clouds and fog rolled in ahead of the impending rain. I’m glad we got to enjoy the views a bit when we first got up there. But being swallowed up by clouds on top of a mountain was pretty cool, too.

Being out at the edge of the rock outcropping made me a bit nervous (Charlotte is much braver than me). However, after a bit of coaxing, I agreed to stand up for the “iconic” McAfee’s Knob photo.

After the photo shoot, we spent some time exploring the top of the mountain. I was surprised at how much space there was up there. On a crowded day, you could definitely find a spot with a view away from everyone else. There were also some really neat areas to explore between the giant rocks, if you’re into that sort of thing. I am not, but Charlotte was.

Once we had our fill, we started making our way back down the mountain. I was feeling much better and any hint of dizziness was gone.

About 1.5 miles down the mountain, the Appalachian Trail intersects with a fire road. For a quicker return trip, Charlotte and I decided to turn onto the fire road.

Towards the end of our hike, we got back on the Appalachian Trail and made our way back to Route 311. We finished the day with just over 8 miles.

It was a great day with great company and I can’t wait to go up there again.

Here are some of my take aways from the Holston River Endurance Run, which was my first-ever timed event:

1. These people are crazy to run around in circles for hours. And so am I. And I want more of it.
2. Big gravel hurts to run on. ‘Nuff said.

   

3. There’s a very big mental aspect to timed races. In a normal race, if you run faster you’re done sooner. In a timed race, running faster will get you more miles. However, it won’t make it end any sooner.
4. Sunscreen should get reapplied mid-race on a sunny day. I didn’t want to “waste time” by reapplying sunscreen, but I should have. I ended up with a sunburned neck and sunburned shoulders.
5. I need to work on hydration, especially in hot and humid conditions. By the end of the race my calves were cramping. I was also covered in goosebumps, had a headache, was coated in salt, and had stopped sweating. Things were definitely headed downhill and it’s a good thing I was only running the 6 hour option.
6. I should have been better prepared. I knew it was going to be hot and humid. But other than bringing a cooler with a bottle of Powerade and putting on sunscreen, I didn’t do anything to prepare. I saw other runners who had brought coolers for cold washcloths and wondered why I didn’t think of that. It would have been nice to have a cold washcloth or even a Buff with ice on the back of my neck.
7. If I wasn’t afraid of the dark I would have signed up for the 6 hour night option to stay away from the sun and heat. I need to keep working on being okay with running at night. (Looking at you, Into the Darkness 4 miler!)
8. I finished with 21 laps / 25.5 miles. I would have really liked to get one more lap in to put me over a marathon distance. BUT, I am really happy with my accomplishment. It’s the furthest I’ve run in over two years, and I’ve really been through the ringer since then. It’s nice to be on the other side of things.

And there you have it. On to the next!

At the beginning of August, I ran my first timed race. The way timed races work is you run a set course (often a loop or out and back between 1-6 miles long) for a certain amount of time. The race is about how far you can get in that set amount of time.

Holston River took place at a campground near the Bristol Motor Speedway. The course was a 1.2 (ish) mile loop around the campground. The event started on Friday evening and finished on Sunday, depending on which category you entered. There were a bunch of options: 36 hour, 24 hour, 12 hour (Friday night, Saturday day, Saturday night), 6 hour (Friday night, Saturday day, Saturday night), and 3 hour (Saturday day). I think that was all of them. I signed up for the 6 hour Saturday day option. What possessed me to sign up for a daytime race in early August, I’ll never know.

Barry couldn’t come down for this one because he had to work, but I stayed with my in-laws overnight Friday night. On Saturday morning, my mother-in-law and I made the short drive from their house to the race site. I got checked in, picked up my “schwag” (a t-shirt, a magnet, and a collapsible water bottle), and took in the scene around me. There were runners going by who had been running since Friday evening. I’ll be honest, some of them looked like zombies. I started to wonder what I had gotten myself into.

After applying sunscreen, pinning on my bib, and making a quick trip to the campground bathhouse, I headed over to the start line. There was a group of about 20 of us hanging around, waiting to start. The group was a mix of 3 hour, 6 hour, and 12 hour runners. The race director gave us a prerace talk on the course, how timing worked, etc. She also explained our metal pint glass finisher awards.

Because this race was on a short loop, we would run through the aid station every 1.2 miles. In an effort to reduce waste, the RD came up with this awesome idea. Our metal finisher cups served as our aid station cup during the race. They had all of the cups marked with our race number on the bottom and they were all stored upside down on a large commercial dishwashing-type crate.

During the race, we used these cups for anything we wanted to drink at the aid station (water, soda, beer (yes there was a keg), etc.). Once we completed our race, we were to take the cup with us as a finisher’s award. Neat, right?

The start of our race was about as laid back as you can get. We were all standing off to the side (to allow runners currently on the course to go through). The prerace talk was done, so we were all just standing around chatting. All of a sudden the race time clock clicked over to 12 hours, which was our cue to go. Someone shouted “oh, GO!” and we all spilled onto the actual race course and took off. Just like that.

It was really humid that morning, and would remain so throughout the day as temperatures climbed above 90. Nearly all of the course was in direct sunlight as well, which would definitely become a big factor for me as the race went on.

My longest run going into this race was 9 miles and I hadn’t run over 20 miles total in a single week since returning to running post-injury back in May. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this race, but I was there for the experience and to see what would happen. My loose goal was 15 miles, but Barry thought I would run 25. I would end up surprising myself and exceeding both predictions. There were definitely points where I questioned my sanity and life choices along the way. But not in the beginning.

I started out feeling fresh and happy to be out running. I decided to use a 10 minute run / 5 minute walk interval. This approach worked really well and carried me through the first 3 hours of the race with a total of 11 laps for a little over 13 miles. Then it really started to get hot. And I started feeling pretty tired.

When I signed up for this race, I thought boredom might be a factor. Six hours of running the same loop over and over? I mean… look at the map from my GPS watch. It looks like some kid went nuts with a crayon or something.

In preparation for the boredom I had already made a prerace bargain with myself. Make it through the first half of the race, and you can get your iPod. All of a sudden I found myself 3 hours into the race and, mentally, I was doing just fine. I was enjoying taking it all in, and I was also getting to run by a group of friends each lap who would cheer me on. I also kept playing a game where I was giving other runners nicknames in my head. And I wasn’t bored.

Maybe this type of race is my ‘thing.’ Or maybe it was just because all of this was a new experience. Who knows. I’ve got another one coming up in November, so we’ll see what happens there. But anyway, I decided to keep running without music and focused my sights on hitting 20 miles. The iPod now became a bargaining chip for 20 miles.

The race course was on a mixture of gravel, a little pavement, and a small grassy/muddy section. The gravel. Let’s talk about the gravel for a minute.

One particular section of the course had large, construction-type gravel. I had been warned about said gravel (thanks, Matt!), so I had on thick socks. But thick socks were not enough. I really don’t know how the runners doing the longer timed events managed it. After three hours of running, the balls of my feet started to really bother me. And then they started to downright hurt. And then I became convinced I had a blister encompassing the entire ball of my right foot. And then I was sure that said blister had ruptured and an entire flap of my skin was moving around down there. I was unwilling to take off my shoes and socks to investigate during the race. But afterwards I did, and I found nothing but sore feet. (Don’t read that like I’m disappointed – I was utterly relieved.) The balls of my feet felt bruised and sore, and stayed that way for a couple of days. But after that I was fine. Side note: Isn’t it funny how you come up with stuff in your head during a long run, and then it almost always turns out to be untrue?

During the second half of the race, I walked the big gravel section every time. My run/walk intervals were now out the window and I was just doing whatever I wanted. The race course also had a small hill that I walked pretty much every time after the first four laps.

Somewhere in the midst of hour 4, I started to feel really bad. I got nauseous, had some waves of dizziness, and just felt sick. The heat was definitely getting to me. The aid station was so well-stocked, with ice, cold water, soda (Coke, Mountain Dew, Ginger Ale, etc.), and all types of foods. They had sweet foods, salty foods, pickles, etc. They also had actual meal-type foods throughout the weekend for runners (breakfast burritos, eggs and bacon, burgers, hot dogs). And here’s one of the extra special things they had: Sno Cones! I was thrilled to see they had fired up the Sno Cone machine when I rolled into the aid station somewhere between hour 4 and 5. It was the best thing ever.

That Sno Cone definitely gave me an extra boost to continue plugging away. At this point I had my music going and even though I still didn’t feel great I was ready to keep trucking. A little while later, I started to have some issues with my calves cramping. I knew I wasn’t getting enough salt, so I resorted to drinking straight pickle juice in the aid station. It helped a little, but I was definitely in a losing battle with the heat.

During the final hour, my mother-in-law and father-in-law arrived back at the campground. It gave me a boost to see them. I was so hot and tired at this point, but I also knew I was close to hitting Barry’s prediction of 25 miles. I had to keep moving. I simultaneously wanted to just be done and I wanted to hit that mileage goal.

After lap 20 (24 miles), I only had about 20 minutes left. I had no idea how quickly I had been running laps, and I didn’t think I had enough time to run another lap before the 6 hours were over. At this race, only complete laps counted. I was actually disappointed, which is funny because a few minutes ago all I wanted was to be done. I consulted the RD’s husband, who was running the timing system, and he told me I had time for one more lap. So off I went! I spent that whole lap afraid that time was going to run out before I got back. But I made it with 5 minutes to spare. In total, I ran 21 laps for 25.5 miles and a total time of 5 hours and 55 minutes.

And then the best part of the day – I sat down! Then I laid down in the grass on a beach towel and covered myself with another towel. Even though it was still above 90 degrees, it felt glorious to finally be out of the sun even if that meant being covered with a towel.

All in all, Holston River was an awesome experience. The August heat and humidity made for tough conditions. But the race directors put on a seamless event and I had a blast! I can’t wait to dive deeper into this world of timed races.